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fig1 shows a user 100 with an embodiment of the present invention . as is common in martial arts , the user is wearing a belt 105 . belt 105 is comprised of a strip of fabric . affixed to belt 105 is id card 110 . fig2 shows a detailed front surface view of an embodiment of the present invention . as is shown in this view , id card 110 is attached to belt 105 , preferably towards one end of the belt 105 . id card 110 may comprise a photo 125 , school logo 130 ( or other icon ), and a computer - readable identifier 120 . in this case , identifier 120 is a barcode . however , a data matrix , or other suitable optical identifier may also be used as computer - readable identifier 120 . optionally , a dividing line 115 may be used to visually separate the barcode 120 from other graphical components , such as photo 125 and logo 130 . in one embodiment , id card 110 has rounded corners 113 , which minimize the risk of the id card 110 getting snagged on something during sparring or training . in another embodiment , the id card has a width ranging from about 3 centimeters ( cm ) to about 5 cm , and a height ranging from about 2 cm to about 3 cm . this embodiment of the present invention is considerably smaller than those in current use , and is suitable for the novel approach of affixing the id card to the martial arts belt . fig3 shows a view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , computer - readable identifier 127 is a data matrix . the advantage of a data matrix is that it can store considerably more data than a barcode . in some cases , a data matrix may be capable of storing a few kilobytes of data . this provides the possibility to store more information pertaining to a martial arts student than with a barcode . for example , the school name and date of birth of the student can be encoded into the data matrix . this embodiment is well suited for tournaments , where students of various schools and of various ages gather to compete . by scanning the id cards , this information could be tracked by computer for tournament purposes . fig4 shows a view of another alternative embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , a student name field 145 is displayed on the id card 110 . instead of using an optical computer - readable identifier as with the previous two embodiments , this embodiment uses a radio identifier , such as an rfid tag 140 , which is embedded into the label . in this embodiment , optical scanning is not required , and it is possible to record the student &# 39 ; s attendance by mounting an rfid reader in the proper position at the entrance to the school . in this way , the issue of forgetting to scan a student &# 39 ; s id card is solved . while this embodiment shows an embedded rfid tag , a chipless rfid tag which is printed directly on the id card 110 could also be used to practice an embodiment of the present invention . various companies provide rfid solutions for clothing tags , such as checkpoint systems , inc . of thorofare , n . j . fig5 shows a side view of the embodiment shown in fig2 . in this embodiment , a loop part 150 of a complementary hook - and - loop fastener is affixed to the belt 105 . in one embodiment , loop part 150 is attached to belt 105 . in one embodiment , loop part 150 is an industrial strength , heavy duty adhesive , self - stick fastener . the user simply affixes it onto the belt . alternatively , the loop part 150 may also be sewn to the belt 105 . hook part 155 of the complementary hook - and - loop fastener is affixed to id card 110 via a similar self - stick means as described above . the loop part 150 tends to be softer than the hook part 155 , and hence , the loop part 150 is preferable to affix to belt 105 . however , it is also possible to affix hook part 155 to belt 105 , and loop part 150 to id card 110 , without departing from the scope and purpose of the present invention . fig6 shows a block diagram of a martial arts student identification system 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . attendance system 205 is preferably located at the martial arts school . there , new students are photographed , and a record is entered into the attendance system 205 for the student . the attendance system generates a student number , and encodes that number into a barcode . the barcode , photo , and student name are uploaded to the printing system 210 . the printing system 210 may be in a different physical location than the attendance system 205 . in one embodiment , the attendance system 205 communicates to the printing system 210 via a data communication network such as the internet . the id card is then printed . the id card is preferably made of durable plastic , ranging in thickness from about 25 mils to about 35 mils . in one embodiment , id card 110 is a 30 mil pvc plastic card , such as the datacard 803094 - 001 , distributed by datacard group , of minnetonka , minn . after printing the desired images on the id card , a laminate is applied to the front surface of id card by laminating system 215 . in one embodiment , printing system 210 and laminating system 215 are integrated into a single device , such as the datacard imagecard ii printer . in this embodiment , the lamination is performed by using a clear topcoat ribbon , such as the datacard 806125 - 103 ribbon . the clear topcoat lamination serves to protect the id card , and reduce scratches , which might impact the readability of the barcode or other optical identifier . once laminated , the id cards are then cut out by cutting system 220 . in one embodiment , cutting system 220 comprises a heavy duty plastic die cutter . suitable die cutters are available from a variety of sources , such as union brothers , of gardena , calif . note that while this embodiment shows the id cards being cut after being printed , it is also possible to precut the labels , and then print them , if the equipment supports that , without departing from the scope and purpose of the present invention . as can now be appreciated , embodiments of the present invention provide for an improved martial arts student identification system that overcome problems associated with prior art systems . although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments , certain equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings . in particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components , the terms ( including a reference to a “ means ”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond , unless otherwise indicated , to any component which performs the specified function of the described component ( i . e ., that is functionally equivalent ), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention . in addition , while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments , such feature may be combined with one or more features of the other embodiments as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 there is shown an axially exploded view of the various components of dual compartment container 10 . container 10 includes a bottom container 12 , a top container 14 , the open bottom end of which is sealed by a membrane 16 , an annular knife member 18 interposed between the top and bottom containers and a cap member 20 . the various components of fig1 when assembled , appear as shown in fig2 . bottom container 12 includes a body portion 30 for containing a first fluid or other substance and a cylindrical neck portion 32 having a plurality of spiral threads 34 on the external surface thereof . container 12 may be made of flexible material , for example , injection - molded low density polyethylene to facilitate dispensing of the contents during use . threads 34 are designed for mateable engagement with multiple start threads 36 on the interior of cap member 20 . as will be understood below , container body 30 may , if desired , be other than cylindrical since the only relative rotation required between various adjacent components occurs with respect to neck portion 32 which must be cylindrical . the interior of neck portion 32 has four helical ramps 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 ( best seen in fig3 ) integrally molded therewith and extending radially inwardly . the leading edge 50 of each ramp abuts the trailing edge 52 of the adjacent ramp . if desired , a gap 51 may be created between adjacent ramps to assist drainage of fluid as will be better understood below . annular knife member 18 ( made of a material such as polystyrene , for example , to maintain a cutting edge ) has a cylindrical side wall 60 having an exterior surface 62 and an interior surface 63 provided with longitudinal splines 64 about its periphery . the outside diameter of surface 62 is slightly less than the inside diameter created by the most radially inward edges of ramps 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 . the exterior surface 62 of knife member 18 has four cams 66 , 67 , 68 and 69 ( best seen in fig1 and 4 ) integrally molded with side wall 60 adjacent the top annular edge 70 of knife member 18 . cams 66 , 67 , 68 and 69 extend radially outwardly from surface 62 a sufficient distance to overlap ramp surfaces 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 . knife member 18 includes an inwardly extending annular ledge 74 transverse to the bottom edge of side wall 60 . annular ledge 74 has a plurality of drainage apertures 76 ( best seen in fig4 ) spaced about the periphery thereof . the inner most edge of annular ledge 74 is provided with substantially annular knife surface 77 which , in the preferred embodiment , comprises a plurality of upwardly extending knife edges 78a , 78b , 78c , 78d , 78e and 78f extending less than 360 °. the cutting points of the knife edges are located on the most radially inward side of knife surface 77 . in the preferred embodiment , knife surface 77 has a small , almost imperceptible inwardly extending taper such that the portion thereof distal to ledge 74 is more radially inward than the portion adjacent ledge 74 . as will be understood below , the structure of knife surface 77 produces a cut in membrane 16 with a diameter small enough to drop through knife member 18 . a gap 79 is provided so , as will be understood below , the sealing membrane is not totally cut . each knife edge 78a - f may have a different height above ledge 74 so that only one knife edge will pierce sealing membrane 16 at any one time . the height variations concentrate the piercing force at one knife edge at any one time . the various heights of knife edges 78a - f are also staggered annularly . for example , in order of increasing height the knife edges may be arranged in the following way : 78f , 78e , 78b , 78c , 78a , 78d . such an arrangement helps to prevent the knife member from tilting and binding during its longitudinal motion . top container 14 includes a spout 80 having a central orifice 81 , a top portion 82 provided with longitudinal ratchet teeth 84 about its periphery , a compression sealing bead 86 and a bottom portion 88 provided with longitudinal splines 90 about its periphery . in the preferred embodiment , to save on material requirements splines 90 are provided along discrete arcuate parts of portion 88 , for example , at four locations spaced 90 ° apart as best seen in fig5 . container 14 may be made of rigid polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ), for example , in order to be chemically compatible with the intended contents and to provide firm support for membrane 16 during piercing . when the container 10 is assembled , it will be understood that knife member 18 fits into neck portion 32 so that cams 66 , 67 , 68 and 69 rest upon ramp members 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 . it will be further understood that splines 90 of top container 14 will mesh with splines 64 on the internal surface of knife member 18 . sealing bead 86 is pressed into annular groove 92 in neck portion 32 in order to seal bottom container 12 . cap member 20 ( made of polypropylene , for example ) is provided with four pawl members 94 , 95 , 96 and 97 ( best seen in fig6 ) radially inwardly extending from the upper portion of cap member 20 . each pawl member has a longitudinally aligned contact edge 93 at its most radially inward edge for engaging ratchet teeth 84 . as best seen in fig5 and 6 , the orientation of the pawl members and ratchet teeth 84 serves as a one - way ratchet to enable common rotation of cap member 20 and top container 14 only in one direction . cap member 20 has pre - loaded concave top 98 and a center plug 99 for sealing the orifice of spout 80 while providing a pressure venting capability . in a preferred embodiment , cap member 20 has four multiple - start threads 36 . membrane 16 is , in the preferred embodiment , a laminate of several films . for example , the inner layer in contact with the contents of container 14 may be pvc , the middle layer may be aluminum and the outer layer may be low density polyethylene . the requirements for the membrane are that it be chemically compatible with the container contents and sufficiently strong to remain sealed until being pierced and sufficiently rigid to enable it to be pierced . the membrane should also be sufficiently flexible to fall down under the weight of the contents of container 14 and bend about the hinge left by flat portion 79 . an additional requirement is that the membrane be resistant to deterioration due to exposure of the laminated edge to the chemicals in the container . this resistance may be achieved by the membrane itself or by providing bottom portion 88 with an annular lip ( not shown ) intended to wrap around the perimeter of the membrane in conventional , heat sealing fashion . assembly of container 10 is straightforward . bottom container 12 is filled with a desired liquid or gel and knife member 18 is fed into place within neck portion 32 . knife member 18 is pushed into place so its cams 66 , 67 , 68 and 69 slide to the trailing edge of ramp surfaces 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 . a slight rotating action is imparted to knife member 18 during assembly to assure that the cams and ramps are properly seated at the lowermost point . since knife member 18 would be free to move and would only be restrained by gravity and friction , a small radially inwardly extending locating bead 100 is molded into the interior of neck portion 32 above the trailing edge of each ramp to provide a slight interference to axial motion of the knife member . the distance of each bead 100 above its respective trailing edge 52 is slightly greater than the maximum height of cams 66 , 67 , 68 and 69 in order to provide a friction fit to hold knife member 18 during assembly and shipping . in the preferred embodiment , knife member 18 is , prior to use , approximately 1 / 8 &# 34 ; below membrane 16 . after knife member 18 is in place , top container 14 , provided with sealing membrane 16 , is inserted so that splines 90 mesh with splines 64 and so that sealing bead 86 is pressed into groove 92 . top container 14 may then be filled with a second liquid , gel or other substance . cap member 20 is then threaded on to bottom container 12 , sealing spout orifice 81 with plug 99 with the one - way ratchet assembly urging top container 14 clockwise so that cam members 66 , 67 , 68 and 69 will abut the leading edges of ramps 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 to further assure that knife member 14 does not ride up the ramps until container 10 is ready for use . referring now to fig7 a and 7b , the operation of dual compartment container 10 will be best understood . fig7 a shows the position of the assembled components prior to use and fig7 b shows the position of the components after cap member 20 is turned and membrane 16 is pierced . for explanatory purposes only , an index mark 102 is shown on bottom container 12 and an index mark 104 is shown on top container 14 . prior to use , knife member 18 is at its bottom - most point in position 101 with knife edges 78 just below membrane 16 . to use container 10 a user need only rotate cap member 20 counterclockwise to disengage threads 34 and 36 . this action simultaneously disengages cap member 20 from container 12 , unplugs the spout orifice and raises knife member 18 a predetermined distance 106 sufficient to pierce membrane 16 . as will be seen by reference to fig7 b , all these actions result from a simple rotation of cap member 20 relative to container 12 by an arcuate distance &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; sufficient to disengage the threads . in the preferred embodiment , this is about 100 °. after the membrane has been cut , it remains secured about a hinge portion which is not cut because of gap 79 in the knife member . the arrangement of cams , ramps and splines serves to enable longitudinal motion of knife member 18 relative to top container 14 while limiting relative rotary motion therebetween . alternative arrangements are possible . for example , the longitudinal motion could also be achieved by providing a radially outwardly extending cam member or lug on knife member 18 and a corresponding arcuate cam track on the interior surface of neck portion 32 . the limitation of relative rotary motion could be achieved by a radially inwardly extending cam lug on knife member 18 on a corresponding longitudinal cam track in the top container . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous improvements and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . | 8 |
groups of 15 - 20 rats are intraperitoneally sensitized with 500 μg of bovine serum albumin - absorbed alum admixed with 2 × 10 10 killed bordetella pertussis vaccine organisms . fourteen days later , the paw volume is measured using a mercury plethysmometer . immediately thereafter , the test compound suspended in about 1 ml of 1 % clearjel (&# 34 ; instant clearjel &# 34 ;, a food grade pregelatinized starch from national starch and chemical corporation , new york , n . y .) at 100 mg / kg is administered ip and , one hour later , the right hind paw is injected subcutaneously with 100 μg of bovine serum albumin dissolved in 0 . 1 ml of saline . ( in controls , no test compound is suspended in the clearjel .) the paw volume is remeasured 90 minutes post antigenic challenge to determine the volume increase ( δ v ) since the first measurement . the percent inhibition of edema is ## equ1 ## the effect of theophylline ( 90 mg / kg , po ) is tested as a positive control . the preferred compound in this assay is 7 -[ 3 -[( 3 , 4 - dihydroxyphenethyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone hydrobromide , which caused 63 % inhibition . test for inhibition of ltc 4 - induced guinea pig ilial contractions the evaluation of potential anti - allergic compounds for antagonism of the in vitro effects of leukotriene c4 ( ltc 4 ) is conducted according to the following procedure . guinea pig ilial strips are obtained from recently killed animals and hung in isolated tissue baths comprising a balanced solution of salts such as krebs &# 39 ; solution . after allowing for one hour equilibration of the tissue in the bath , the gram tension ( g . t .) on one tissue is arbitrarily set at one . ltc 4 ( 6 nanomolar concentration ) is then added to the tissue bath . this induces a long , sustained contraction of the tissue that is measured on the strip chart recorder ( the g . t . increases to about 2 ). after the ltc 4 - induced contraction has plateaued and remains stable , increasing amounts of the test compound are added to the bath . if the compound is effective , a decrease in the g . t . ( δ g . t .) from the ltc 4 - induced value is seen ( e . g ., from 2 to 1 . 5 ). the percent inhibition at each concentration is calculated according to the formula : ## equ2 ## four replicate tissues are run . the preferred compound in this assay is 7 -[ 3 -[( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenethyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone maleate which caused 52 . 3 , 89 . 8 , and 94 % inhibition at final tissue bath concentrations of 1 × 10 - 6 , 5 × 10 - 6 , and 1 × 10 - 5 m , respectively . in a minority of cases [ of 25 compounds tested , only the title compounds of examples 11 , 12 and 18 were found to be such a case . ], a compound will not be testable in this assay because it is insoluble in the balanced salts solution but will be testable and active in the rat anaphylaxis test despite being administered as a suspension . this test is based on the procedure of arai et al ., j . med . chem ., vol . 26 , 72 ( 1983 ). arachidonic acid in the presence of the enzyme 5 - lipoxygenase is converted to 5 - hydroxy - eicosatetraenoic acid ( 5 - hete ) through a 2 - step process . to assess the activity of a test compound on 5 - lipoxygenase activity , a specific concentration of the test compound is added to 1 mg / ml of arachidonic acid in the presence of the appropriate amount of 5 - lipoxygenase in a solution of potassium phosphate buffer containing 1 mm cacl 2 at ph 7 . 4 . the reaction is carried out for 6 minutes at 30 ° c . in a total volume of 500 μl . the reaction is stopped by addition of lm citric acid . the 5 - hete is extracted and quantitated using high performance liquid chromatography . the percent activity is calculated as follows : ## equ3 ## the preferred compound in this assay is 7 -[ 3 -[( 3 , 4 - dihydroxyphenethyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone hydrobromide which had an ic 50 of about 9 × 10 - 8 m . pharmaceutically acceptable salts are the inorganic and organic acids generally considered to be acceptable in that regard and include , but are not limited to hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfuric , phosphoric , acetic , lactic , succinic , fumaric , malic , maleic , tartaric , citric , benzoic , methane sulfonic and toluene sulfonic acids . in rare cases , the compound will be found to be inactive in the rat anaphylaxis test as such a salt but will still be active in the free base form . ( example 19 as a hydrochloric acid was the only one found so far to be such a case .) the compounds of formula ( 1 ) can be prepared by reacting ## str5 ## the epoxide of formula ( 2 ), wherein a is a halogen atom and y is as defined earlier provided that a is bromine or iodine when y is & gt ; 1 , with a compound of the formula ## str6 ## wherein r 1 and r 2 are the same as defined above and the hydroxyl group is substituted on the 5 , 6 , 7 , or 8 - position , in the presence of a solvent such as an alcohol of 1 - 4 carbon atoms or acetone , and a base such as potassium carbonate or piperidine to give a product of formula ( 4 ) ## str7 ## formula ( 4 ) can also be obtained by reacting a compound of formula ( 3 ) with a ω - haloolefin a ( ch 2 ) y ch ═ ch 2 ( 5 ), wherein a and y are the same as defined above , in the presence of a base such as sodium or potassium hydroxide , potassium carbonate , or piperidine , and a solvent such as an alcohol of 1 - 4 carbon atoms , acetone , dimethylformamide , or dimethylsulfoxide , to give a product of formula ( 6 ), ( see eq . 1 ), ## str8 ## this olefin is allowed to react with peroxides such as m - chloroperbenzoic acid or peracetic acid in a suitable solvent such as chloroform , methylene chloride or acetic acid , to produce the epoxide of formula ( 4 ). treatment of this epoxide with various amines of formula ( 7 ) or formula ( 8 ) ## str9 ## wherein r 3 and r 4 are the same as previously defined and r 7 is benzyl , in an alcoholic solvent of 1 - 4 carbons at a suitable temperature , room temperature to 100 ° c ., or in the presence of a lewis acid such as triethylaluminum in ch 2 cl 2 yields a product of formula ( 9 ) or a product of formula ( 10 ) respectively . ## str10 ## reduction of a compound of formula 10 in the presence of palladium charcoal and hydrogen under the atmospheric pressure or higher pressure , or palladium black in methanol and formic acid or in cyclohexene or cyclohexadiene affords the product of formula ( 9 ) provided that r 3 is hydrogen . an alternative route to the preparation of the compounds of formula ( 1 ) is described in the following ( eq . 2 ). ## str11 ## wherein r 8 is t - butyldimethylsilyl , ( triphenylmethyl )- dimethylsilyl or t - butyldiphenylsilyl and r 9 is methanesulfonato or p - toluenesulfonato . the ether olefin of the formula ( 11 ) ## str12 ## wherein r 10 is 2 - tetrahydropyranyl or benzyl with 2 - tetrahydropyranyl being preferred , is epoxidized , with m - chloroperbenzoic acid or peracetic acid in the presence of or the absence of a base such as potassium carbonate in methylene chloride or acetic acid at room temperature , to the epoxide of the formula ( 12 ) ## str13 ## wherein r 10 and x are defined as given previously . the compounds of formula ( 13 ), wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 10 and x are the same as described above , are prepared from the reaction of formula ( 12 ) and formula ( 3 ) in the presence of a base such as a catalytic amount of piperidine or sodium hydroxide in aqueous ethanol at the elevated temperature of 50 °- 120 ° c . silylation of formula ( 13 ) with various bulky or hindered silyl chlorides such as t - butyldimethylsilyl chloride , ( triphenylmethyl ) dimethylsilyl chloride , or t - butyl - diphenylsilyl chloride in the presence of imidazole and dimethylformamide at room temperature to 100 ° c . produces compounds of formula ( 14 ), wherein the definitions of r 1 , r 2 , r 8 , r 10 , and x are the same as given above . using pyridinium p - toluenesulfonate in an alcoholic solvent such as methanol , ethanol , or isopropyl alcohol at the elevated temperature of 50 °- 100 ° c . if r 10 is tetrahydropyranyl or using conventional catalytic hydrogenation if r 10 is benzyl , formula ( 14 ) is selectively deprotected to a product of formula ( 15 ). conversion of ( 15 ) to ( 16 ) is carried out reacting ( 15 ) with methanesulfonyl chloride or p - toluenesulfonyl chloride at room temperature ( rt ; about 25 ° c .) in the presence of a base such as pyridine or triethylamine and a solvent such as methylene chloride . compounds of formula ( 17 ) are derived from the reaction of ( 16 ) with various amines of formula ( 7 ) in a polar solvent such as dimethylsulfoxide at the elevated temperature from 50 °- 120 ° c . the silylated compound ( 17 ) is desilylated to formula ( 18 ) during the preparation of the acid salt of ( 18 ). the definitions of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 8 , r 9 , r 10 , and x for formula ( 13 ), ( 14 ), ( 15 ), ( 16 ), and ( 17 ) are the same as given previously . the following examples are intended to illustrate , but not limit , the invention . to a solution of 82 . 2 g ( 2 . 06 mol ) of sodium hydroxide in 585 ml of water were added 3 . 7 liters of isopropanol and then 490 g ( 2 . 06 mole ) of 7 - hydroxyflavone . to the above mixture were then added 1645 ml ( 20 . 5 mole ) of epichlorohydrin and the mixture heated at 70 ° c . for 2 hours with stirring . the hot reaction mixture was filtered to remove dimeric by - product . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure ( water aspirator ) at 50 °- 60 ° c . the semisolid residue was treated with 4 . 4 liters of refluxing isopropanol and more of the dimer filtered from the hot mixture . the clear filtrate on cooling yielded a solid . this was filtered , washed with 600 ml of isopropanol and air dried ; yield 434 . 3 g ( 72 %) of a tan - colored product , mp 123 °- 130 ° c . ( a pure sample melts at 133 °- 135 ° c . from i - proh ). the crude epoxide was used for further reaction . to a suspension of 7 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) flavone ( 5 . 0 g , 17 mmol ), 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenethylamine ( 6 . 2 g , 34 mmol ), and 50 ml of ethanol was heated to a solution at 50 °- 60 ° c . in the presence of nitrogen and the reaction was then monitored by thin layer chromatography ( tlc ). after the reaction was complete ( 4 hours ), the reaction mixture was filtered off ( to remove insoluble materials from the crude epoxide ) and cooled to room temperature . the precipitated solid was collected and washed with 95 % ethanol to give a tan solid of 6 . 4 g of the free base ( 79 % yield ). the solid was suspended in 100 ml of hot ethanol and mixed with 1 . 92 g of maleic acid . the mixture was heated to a solution , filtered , and cooled to room temperature to give 5 . 66 g of white crystals ( 71 %), mp 161 °- 163 ° c . ( softened at 113 ° c .). following the procedure of example 1b , except as otherwise noted , the following compounds were prepared using the specified appropriate amines and acids . yields are expressed as the percent molar yield from 7 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) flavone . 2 . 7 -[ 3 -[ n -( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenethyl )- n - methylamino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone maleate , n -( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenethyl )- n - methylamine ; was used in step ( b ); step ( b ) reaction complete in 2 hours ; maleic acid ; mp 143 °- 146 ° c . ( etoh ) 49 % yield . 3 . 7 -[ 3 -[( 4 - methoxyphenethyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone maleate , 4 - methoxyphenethylamine ; maleic acid ; mp 163 °- 165 ° c . ( etoh ), 27 % yield . 4 . 7 -( 3 - phenethylamino - 2 - hydroxypropoxy ) flavone hydrochloride , phenethylamine ; step ( b ) complete in 3 hours ; hydrogen chloride ; mp 223 °- 225 ° c . ( etoh ), 46 % yield . 5 . 7 -( 3 - benzylamino - 2 - hydroxypropoxy ) flavone hydrochloride , benzylamine in step ( b ); hydrogen chloride instead of maleic acid in step ( b ); mp 233 °- 234 ° c . ( meoh -- ether ), 36 % yield ; methanol was used as the solvent instead of ethanol . 6 . 7 -[ 3 -( n - isopropyl - n - benzylamino )- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone hydrochloride , n - methyl - n - benzylamine ; hydrogen chloride ; mp 190 ° c . ( meoh -- ether ), 33 % yield ; methanol was used as the solvent instead of ethanol . 7 . 7 -( 3 - anilino - 2 - hydroxypropoxy ) flavone hydrochloride , 84 mmol aniline in step ( b ); hydrogen chloride instead of maleic acid ; mp 218 °- 225 ° c . ( decomposed ; etoh ), 29 % yield . 8 . 7 -[ 3 -[( 4 - phenylbutyl ) amino - 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone maleate , 4 - phenylbutylamine ; step ( b ) reaction was done for 4 hr at 60 ° and plus overnight at rt ; maleic acid , mp 164 °- 166 ° c . ( etoh ), 50 % yield . 9 . 7 -[ 3 -[ 2 -( 2 - thienyl ) ethylamino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone maleate , 39 . 3 mmol 2 -( 2 - thienyl ) ethyl amine was reacted with 20 . 4 mmol of the epoxypropoxyflavone for 3 hr ; maleic acid ; mp 183 ° c . ( etoh ; decomposed ), 50 % yield . 10 . 7 -[ 3 -( 3 - sulfolanylamino )- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone hydrochloride , 3 - sulfolanylamine ; hydrogen chloride ; mp 232 °- 234 ° c . ( dmf ), 7 % yield ; methanol was used as the solvent instead of ethanol . 11 . 7 -[ 3 -[ 3 - phenoxy - 2 -( hydroxypropyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone hydrochloride , 3 - phenoxy - 2 - hydroxypropylamine ; hydrogen chloride ; mp 209 °- 211 ° c . ( meoh ), 19 % yield ; methanol was used as the solvent instead of ethanol . 12 . 7 -[ 3 -( n - phenylpiperazinyl )- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone , n - phenylpiperazine ; mp 175 °- 177 ° c . ( chcl 3 -- meoh ), 52 % yield ; methanol was used as a solvent instead of ethanol . a suspension of 7 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) flavone ( 5 . 0 g , 17 mmol ), tyramine ( 4 . 7 g , 34 mmol ), and absolute ethanol ( 50 ml ) was heated and stirred to a solution and stirred at 60 ° c . for 4 hours . the reaction mixture was then cooled to room temperature to give a solid ( 4 . 0 g ). the solid was flash column chromatographed through silica gel eluting with isopropanol - ethanol - acetic acid ( i - proh -- etoh -- hoac ; 20 : 10 : 1 ) initially and then etoh -- hoac ( 20 : 1 ). the white solid obtained from evaporation of pure fractions was treated with 50 ml of hot ethanol and maleic acid ( 1 g ), filtered , and left at rt to crystallize out . the crystals were collected , dissolved in hot methanol ( 50 ml ), and diluted with 100 ml of ethanol to give the maleate as white crystals ( 2 . 50 g ); mp 188 ° c . ( decomp ); 27 % yield . to a suspension of 7 -[ 3 -[( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenethyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone , example 3 , ( 5 . 3 g , 11 . 1 mmol ) in dry methylene chloride ( 100 ml ) under nitrogen at - 78 ° c . was slowly added boron tribromide ( 6 . 3 ml , 16 . 7 g , 66 . 9 mmol ) via a syringe . the cooling bath was then removed and the suspension was stirred for 1 hour . the reaction mixture was carefully decomposed by addition of a sufficient amount of water to precipitate out a brown gum leaving a clear supernatant . the liquid was decanted and the residue was washed with three portions of water . the gum was dissolved in hot isopropanol , filtered , and left to precipitate overnight . the brown solid obtained was heated in acetic acid ( 50 ml ) and water ( 10 ml ) to give a dark brown solution which was then treated with a few crystals of sodium dithionite to give a light tan solution . in the presence of nitrogen , the product was crystallized from the solution ; 1 . 9 g ( 33 %), mp 207 °- 210 ° c . ( decomp ). 7 -[ 3 -[( 4 - hydroxyphenethyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone ( 10 . 8 g , 25 . 1 mmol ), example 13 , was dissolved in 20 ml of warm dmf at 50 °- 60 ° c . and then cooled to - 20 ° c . sodium hydride ( 1 . 2 g , 0 . 0251 mmol ) was added portionwise to the above cooled solution , stirred at - 20 ° c . for 1 hour , and then cooled to - 40 ° c . methyl bromoacetate ( 3 . 8 g , 25 . 1 mmol ) was added dropwise to the stirred solution and the reaction mixture was kept at this temperature for 2 hours and at rt overnight . the reaction was poured into 1 . 5 l of water , the water decanted , and the residue washed with two portions of water . the gummy material was then purified by flash column chromatography , eluting with chcl 3 -- meoh ( 20 : 1 ). the isolated material ( 2 . 7 g ) was recrystallized from methanol , and the crystallized solid was treated with 30 ml of ethanol and maleic acid ( 0 . 3 g ) to give the title compound as white crystals , mp 154 °- 156 ° c ., 1 . 5 g ( 10 % yield ). a suspension of example 15 ( 1 . 9 g , 3 . 77 mmol ) in methanol - water ( 2 : 1 ) was made strongly basic with 5 % aqueous naoh and stirred at room temperature for 1 . 5 hours followed by gentle warming to complete the hydrolysis . the solution was then acidified to ph 4 - 5 with conc . hcl , the precipitated gum was washed with water and taken up in hot methanol . the suspension was made strongly acidic with conc . hcl resulting in a solution which was left to crystallize . the precipitated solid showed the presence of a substantial amount of the starting ester , presumed to be formed during the purification step . this material was redissolved in aqueous naoh over 1 hour and acidified to ph 5 , the precipitated gum was washed with 3 portions of water , taken up in hot methanol and treated with 3 equivalents of maleic acid . the presence of the reformed ester was again shown by tlc chloroform - methanol - acetic acid 15 : 5 : 1 ). the solid was washed successively with hot isopropanol then hot ethanol . the white solid thus isolated proved to be the free base of the desired compound . suspension of the material in 75 ml 95 % ethanol and treatment with enough maleic acid to give a clear solution followed by crystallization afforded the title compound in 1 . 44 g ( 63 %) recovery , mp 170 ° c . ( d ) with softening at 135 ° c . to a solution of 3 - nicotinyl - 1 - propanol ( 50 . 0 g , 365 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 110 g , 1 . 09 mol ) in methylene chloride ( 500 ml ) at 0 ° c . was added dropwise methanesulfonyl chloride ( 83 . 5 g , 7 . 29 mmol ). the solution was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 hour and then rt for 1 hour , and the excess of methanesulfonyl chloride was carefully decomposed with ice - water . the organic layer was separated and washed with water ( twice ). the aqueous layer and washings were combined , basified with 50 % aqueous sodium hydroxide , and extracted with methylene chloride ( 3 times ). the methylene chloride extracts were combined , washed with saturated brine solution , dried ( mgso 4 ), and evaporated to give 72 . 0 g ( 92 % yield ) of the mesylate which was used immediately for the further reaction . a solution of the mesylate ( 72 . 0 g , 334 mmol ) and benzylamine ( 179 . 2 g , 1 . 6 mol ) in dmso ( 300 ml ) was stirred at rt overnight . the reaction mixture was poured into 2 l of water and extracted with ethyl acetate ( three times ). the extracts were dried with mgso 4 , thus yielding 75 g of a red oil after evaporation of benzylamine . the oil was used directly for the next reaction without further purification . a mixture of 7 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) flavone ( 15 g , 51 . 0 mmol ) and n -( 3 - nicotinylpropyl ) benzylamine ( 22 . 5 g , 100 mmol ) in ethanol ( 150 ml ) was heated at 60 ° c . for 3 hours . the ethanol was then evaporated and the residue was washed with cyclohexane ( three times ) to remove the excess amine . the remaining residue was then extracted with ethyl acetate ( twice ), and the extracts were evaporated to give a red syrup . purification of the red syrup by flash column chromatography eluting with etoac -- meoh ( 20 : 1 ) gave 8 . 0 g of a yellow syrup , 30 % yield , which is stored in the refrigerator and used for the further reaction . a suspension of 7 -[ 3 -[ n - benzyl , n -( 3 - nicotinylpropyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] flavone ( 4 . 50 g , 8 . 64 mmol ), example 17b , palladium black ( 0 . 1 g ), cyclohexene ( 30 ml ), and acetic acid ( 30 ml ) was refluxed for 6 hours . the solvent was evaporated to give a residue which was dissolved in water and washed with chloroform ( twice ) to remove impurities . the aqueous solution was basified with 2 . 5n naoh and then extracted with methylene chloride several times . the extracts were washed with water , dried ( mgso 4 ), and evaporated to afford a yellow solid of 2 . 9 g . recrystallization from isopropyl alcohol gave light yellow crystals ( 2 . 0 g ; 54 % yield ), mp 116 °- 119 ° c . the following 3 - phenylflavone analogs were prepared from the reaction of 3 - phenyl - 7 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) flavone ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 198 ) with appropriate amines using the method of example 1b . yield was based on the starting epoxide . 18 . 3 - phenyl - 7 -( 3 - phenethylamino - 2 - hydroxypropoxy ) flavone , mp 160 °- 162 ° c . ( meoh ), 48 % yield ; methanol was used as the solvent instead of ethanol ; phenethylamine was used . 19 . 3 - phenyl - 7 -( 3 - anilino - 2 - hydroxypropoxy ) flavone , aniline ; mp 158 °- 160 ° c . ( i - proh ), 77 % yield ; methanol was used as the solvent . 20 . 3 - phenyl - 7 -( 3 - piperidino - 2 - hydroxypropoxy ) flavone , piperidine ; mp 148 °- 148 . 5 ° c . ( i - proh ), 90 % yield ; isopropyl alcohol was used as the solvent . 21 . 3 - phenyl - 7 -( 3 - morpholino - 2 - hydroxypropoxy ) flavone , morpholine ; mp 161 °- 162 ° c . ( i - proh ), 93 % yield ; isopropyl alcohol was used as the solvent . the title compound was prepared from the reaction of 7 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) isoflavone ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 501 , 755 ) with 84 mmol phenethylamine but otherwise using the same procedure as described in the synthesis of example 1b ; mp 145 °- 147 ° c . ( etoh ), 50 % yield . following the procedure of example 1a , the title compound was prepared from the reaction of 8 - hydroxyisoflavone with epichlorohydrin , mp 141 °- 143 ° c . ( i - proh ). to a cold ( 0 ° c .) solution of n - benzylphenethylamine ( 3 . 23 g , 15 . 3 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 45 ml ) a solution of triethylaluminum ( 8 . 1 ml , 1 . 9m in toluene , 15 . 3 mmol ) was added dropwise under a n 2 atmosphere . the solution was stirred at room temperature for 30 min , and 8 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) isoflavone ( 4 . 5 g , 15 . 3 mmol ) was added in one portion . stirring was continued for 1 hr , and the reaction mixture was then decomposed by careful addition of sat . aqueous nh 4 cl ( rapid evolution of ethane occurred ). the two phase mixture was stirred for 3 hr , the emulsion diluted with water , the layers separated , and the aqueous suspension extracted with two portions of ch 2 cl 2 . the combined organic solutions were washed with one portion of water and dried ( mgso 4 ). the solvent was evaporated to afford a residue . the residue was purified by flash chromatography through nh 3 deactivated silica gel eluting with ch 2 -- cl 2 -- ether 40 : 1 to yield 6 . 77 g ( 87 . 5 % yield ) of purified pale yellow syrup . a 2 . 8 g portion of the material was dissolved in ether and acidified with ethanol saturated with hcl . the precipitated white solid was recrystallized from methanol giving 1 . 6 g pure material mp 203 °- 205 ° c . a suspension of 8 -[ 3 -( n - benzyl - n - phenethylamino )- 2 - hydroxypropoxy ] isoflavone ( 4 . 63 g , 9 . 16 mmol ), example 23b , palladium hydroxide on carbon ( 0 . 4 g ), cyclohexene ( 25 ml ), and acetic acid ( 25 ml ) was heated at reflux for 30 min . and cooled . the catalyst was filtered off and the solvent was evaporated . the residue was dissolved in isopropyl alcohol and acidified with ethanol saturated with hcl to afford a white solid which was recrystallized from 90 ml of methanol giving 2 . 38 g ( 57 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound mp 195 °- 197 °. the epoxide was prepared from 5 - hydroxyflavone and epichlorohydrin , as described for the synthesis of example 1a , mp 134 °- 135 ° c . ( i - proh ). following the procedure of example 1b , the hydrochloride was obtained from the reaction of example 24a and phenethylamine followed by hcl / etoh in 35 % yield , mp 223 °- 225 ° c . ( i - proh - ch 2 cl 2 ). the title compound was prepared from the reaction of 11 . 6 mmol 6 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) flavone ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 495 , 198 ) with 57 mmol phenethylamine but otherwise following the procedure of example 1b ; mp 162 °- 163 ° c . ( etoh ), 68 % yield . following the procedure of example 1a , the epoxide was synthesized from 8 - hydroxyflavone and epichlorohydrin . the maleate was prepared from 11 . 6 mmol of the title compound of example 26a and 57 mmol phenethylamine , but otherwise following the procedure of example 1b , in 68 % yield , mp 162 °- 163 ° c . ( etoh ). a suspension of 8 - phenyloctyl chloride ( 10 . 1 g , 44 . 7 mmol ), benzylamine ( 47 . 9 g , 44 . 7 mmol ), and anhydrous powdered potassium carbonate in dmf ( 180 ml ) refluxed overnight and cooled to rt . dmf was then evaporated under reduced pressure and water ( 300 ml ) was added to the residue . the oil layer was separated , and the aqueous layer was further extracted with ether ( 2 × 150 ml ). the ether extracts were evaporated and then combined with the oil layer . the combined oil was diluted with water ( 250 ml ) and acidified with 10 % hcl solution to give a white precipitate , 16 g , which was suspended in water ( 150 ml ) and basified with ammonium hydroxide . after being stirred for 10 minutes , most of the white solid went into the solution . ether ( 100 ml ) was added and stirred for an additional 30 minutes . organic layer was separated and the aqueous layer was extracted with ether ( 150 ml × 2 ). ether extracts were combined , washed with water and saturated brine solution , and dried ( mgso 4 ), thus giving a light yellow oil of 11 . 90 g ( 90 % yield ). a suspension of 7 -( 2 , 3 - epoxypropoxy ) flavone ( 12 . 47 g , 42 . 3 mmol ) and the secondary amine of example 27a ( 11 . 92 g , 40 . 3 mmol ) in methanol ( 84 ml ) was heated at reflux for 3 hours and cooled . evaporation of methanol afforded 24 . 6 g of a viscous liquid ; the crude yield : 104 %. the material was used directly for the next reaction without further purification . a solution of example 27b ( 16 . 60 g , 28 mmol ) in 5 % hco 2 h / meoh ( 130 ml ) was slowly added to a suspension of 0 . 80 g of palladium black in 20 ml of 5 % hco 2 h / meoh and the resulting mixture was stirred under nitrogen for 4 hours . pd black was filtered off in the presence of nitrogen and the filtrate was evaporated to give a sticky solid . recrystallization of the solid from isopropyl alcohol twice afforded white prisms , mp 136 °- 138 ° c ., of 7 . 50 g ( 56 % yield from the epoxide ). the free base was converted into the maleate salt following the procedure of example 1b ; mp 146 °- 148 ° c . ( meoh - i - proh ), 62 % yield ( based from the free base ) or 35 % yield ( based from the epoxide ). a yellow suspension of 7 - hydroxyflavone ( 25 . 66 g , 0 . 108 mol ), 5 - bromo - 1 - pentene ( 17 . 88 g , 14 . 2 ml , 0 . 12 mol ), and anhydrous , powdered potassium carbonate ( 30 . 40 g , 0 . 22 mol ) in acetone ( 500 ml ) was stirred and heated at reflux for 24 hours . the tlc ( thin layer chromatography ), on silica gel eluted with 20 % of hexane in ether , indicated that the reaction was incomplete . additional 1 . 5 ml of 5 - bromo - 1 - pentene was added and refluxing was continued for 6 hours and cooled . the solid was filtered and the filtrate was evaporated under vacuum to give a yellow solid 32 . 63 g , 97 % yield . recrystallization from isopropyl alcohol gave white crystals , mp 104 . 5 °- 106 ° c . ; 55 % yield ( pure ). ( i ) a solution of m - chloroperbenzoic acid ( 5 . 17 g , 24 mmol ) in 45 ml of ch 2 cl 2 was added slowly to a solution of the olefin ( 5 . 75 g , 18 . 8 mmol ), example 28a , in 25 ml of ch 2 cl 2 at 0 ° c . after the addition , the reaction mixture was allowed to warm up to rt and stirred for 18 hours . the solid formed was filtered off and the filtrate was washed with 1n naoh , water , and a saturated brine solution , and dried ( mgso 4 ), thus giving 5 . 44 g of a solid . the epoxide was then purified by flash column chromatography followed by recrystallization from isopropyl alcohol to give white crystals , mp 110 . 5 °- 112 ° c . ; 2 . 32 g , 38 % yield ( pure ). ( ii ) an alternative synthesis of this epoxide is described in the following . in the presence of nitrogen , a mixture of 7 - hydroxyflavone ( 1 . 0 g , 4 . 2 mmol ), 5 - bromo - 1 , 2 - epoxypentane ( 1 . 0 g , 6 . 1 mmol ), which was prepared from the epoxidation of 5 - bromo - 1 - pentene with m - chloroperbenzoic acid following the procedure of example 28 ( b )( i ), and potassium carbonate ( 1 . 16 g , 8 . 4 mmol ) in acetone ( 25 ml ) was stirred and heated at reflux for 24 hours . the suspension was filtered and the filtrate was then evaporated to give a white solid of 1 . 31 g ( 97 % crude yield ), mp 105 °- 109 ° c . using the procedure of example 1b , the maleate was isolated as white crystals , mp 145 °- 147 ° c . ( etoh -- ch 2 cl 2 ), 35 % yield . concentrated hcl ( 0 . 03 ml ) was added dropwise over 25 minutes ( slightly exothermic ) to a solution of dihydropyran ( 5 . 37 g , 64 mmol ) and 4 - penten - 1 - ol ( 5 . 0 g , 58 mmol ) while stirring . at rt the reaction mixture was stirred for two hours . the solution was washed with a saturated sodium carbonate solution and dried over anhydrous potassium carbonate , thus affording 8 . 6 g ( 87 % yield ) of a light yellow oil . following the procedure of example 28 ( b ) i , the epoxide was prepared as a clear liquid , 88 % crude yield . a solid mixture of 7 - hydroxyflavone ( 32 . 0 g , 0 . 134 mol ), piperidine ( 0 . 5 ml ), and 2 -( 4 , 5 - epoxypent - 1 - oxy ) tetrahydropyran ( 50 g , 0 . 268 mol ) was stirred and heated under nitrogen at 100 ° c . for 14 hours ; it became a stirrable mixture after 6 hours heating at 100 ° c . the cooled reaction mixture was purified through a pad of silica gel eluting with ch 2 cl 2 initially and then ch 2 cl 2 -- etoac ( 1 : 1 ). the resulting solid was stirred with ether and filtered , giving 43 . 9 g ( 77 % crude yield ) of an off - white solid ; pure white crystals , mp 110 °- 112 ° c ., were obtained from recrystallization from toluene . a solution of the tetrahydropyran ether ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 36 mmol ), example 29c , t - butyldimethylsilyl chloride ( 0 . 40 g , 2 . 83 mmol ), and imidazole ( 0 . 40 g , 5 . 89 mmol ) in dmf ( 5 ml ) was stirred under nitrogen overnight at rt . the resulting suspension was diluted with water . the white solid was collected and washed with water to remove imidazole ; 1 . 2 g ( 92 % crude yield ); mp 138 °- 145 ° c . ( i - proh ). a suspension of example 29d ( 54 . 0 g , 0 . 10 mol ) and pyridinium p - toluenesulfonate ( 2 . 5 g , 10 . 0 mmol ) in absolute ethanol ( 250 ml ) was stirred and heated under nitrogen at 55 ° c . for 8 hours and cooled . evaporation of the solvent gave a residue which was dissolved in methylene chloride . the solution was washed with water twice and a saturated brine solution and dried ( mgso 4 ). evaporation of the solvent gave a yellow residue which was purified through a pad of silica gel eluting with ch 2 cl 2 -- etoac ( 4 : 1 ) initially and then ch 2 cl 2 -- etoac ( 2 : 1 ). this process yielded an off - white solid ( 31 . 4 g , 69 % yield ), mp 124 °- 125 ° c . to a stirred solution of the silyl alcohol ( 29 . 0 g , 63 . 8 mmol ), example 29e , and triethylamine ( 19 . 4 g , 191 mmol ) in methylene chloride ( 180 ml ) under nitrogen at 0 ° c ., methanesulfonyl chloride ( 14 . 6 g , 127 mmol ) was dropwise added . the solution was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 hour and then at rt for 1 / 2 hour . the excess of methanesulfonyl chloride was decomposed by addition of ice - water . the organic layer was separated , washed with water twice and a saturated brine solution , and dried ( mgso 4 ), thus giving 29 . 97 g ( 88 % crude yield ) of a yellow solid . a stirred solution of mesylate ( 28 . 96 g , 55 . 3 mmol ), example 29f , and phenethylamine ( 33 . 5 g , 276 mmol ) in dry dmso ( 150 ml ) was heated at 60 °- 70 ° c . under nitrogen for 2 hours . the resulting yellow suspension was poured into ice - water and then stirred for 1 / 2 hour at rt . the light yellow solid was collected and washed with water . the solid was dissolved in etoh ( 200 ml ) and precipitated out by pouring into 600 ml of water affording 29 . 5 g ( 96 % crude ) of a yellow solid . the product was purified by flash chromatography , eluting with ammoniated ch 2 cl 2 -- meoh ( 20 : 1 ), recrystallized from cyclohexane , chromatographed ( ch 2 cl 2 -- meoh , 20 : 1 ), and recrystallized from cyclohexane ; mp 89 °- 91 ° c ., 48 % yield . a stirred solution of the silyl amine ( 10 . 0 g , 17 . 9 mmol ) example 29 g , and maleic acid ( 8 . 3 g , 71 . 6 mmol ) in 95 % ethanol was heated at reflux for 14 hours and cooled . the solvent was evaporated , the syrup was washed with 3 portions of ether , triturated with hot ethyl acetate , the resulting beige solid was washed with isopropanol and recrystallized from isopropanol affording 6 . 14 g ( 61 . 3 % yield ) of a white solid . the material was washed successively with hot ch 2 cl 2 ( 50 ml then 90 ml ) giving 5 . 51 g ( 55 % yield ) of a white solid , mp 149 °- 151 ° c . following the procedure of example 23b , with 1 . 5 hr reaction time , the free base of the title compound was prepared in 84 . 3 % yield from the reaction of example 23a with n - benzylpropylamine . treatment of an ether solution with a saturated solution of p - toluenesulfonic acid in ether and recrystallization from ethyl acetate gave a white solid in 84 % recovery mp 155 °- 160 ° c . | 2 |
an embodiment of the invention will be presented , in which eb / no , ber and / or bler values of selected uplink transport channels are determined , which uplink transport channels are mapped to a dedicated physical channel as described above with reference to fig1 . the physical channels are employed in this embodiment in a telecommunications system for transmissions between terminals and a wcdma node b of an utran . the embodiment proceeds from a conventional outer loop power control in an utran rnc for determining the desired parameter values . fig2 shows elements of the utran involved in determining the parameter values . a wcdma node b 21 enables on the one hand a radio connection of the utran to terminals ( not shown ). on the other hand , it is connected to an rnc 22 of the utran . part of this rnc 22 is a conventional logical architecture of an uplink outer loop pc algorithm , which is illustrated in fig2 . in the rnc 22 , a macro diversity combiner ( mdc ) 23 is provided for each bearer service within a single rrc connection . the mdcs 23 enables the connection of the node b 21 with the rnc 22 via an iub interface . each mdc 23 is moreover connected within the rnc 22 with a dedicated uplink outer loop power control ( olpc ) entity 24 provided for the same data channel as the respective mdc 23 . the olpc entities 24 are further bi - directionally connected to an uplink ( olpc ) controller 25 provided for one rrc connection . this olpc controller 25 receives in addition input from a load control lc function 26 and from an admission control ac function 27 . the ac 27 has in addition a direct access to the node b 21 . at the setup of the radio access bearer rab , the ac 27 computes an initial target sir after rate - matching when multiplexing several trchs for the same frame . the ac 27 provides the node b 21 directly with this computed initial sir target value for transmission to the respective terminal . additionally , the ac 27 provides the uplink olpc controller 25 with the initial target sir and with other configuration parameters . a part of these parameters is then forwarded by the olpc controller 25 to the olpc entities 24 . the mdcs 23 receive uplink quality information from the node b 21 and combine the incoming data from different sho ( soft handover ) branches in a selection and combining procedure . each uplink olpc entity 24 then receives the processed uplink quality information from the associated mdc 23 . this quality information includes , depending on the type of the radio bearer , either a bler estimate computed in the mdcs 23 based on the crc - bits of the selected frame , and / or a ber estimate calculated in the wcdma node b 21 . if the crc is not correct ( nok ), the respective mdc 23 selects the best one of the ber estimates . each olpc entity 24 calculates for the respective channel a required change in the target sir according to the received uplink quality information and provides the calculated required change to the olpc controller 25 up to once each tti . equally provided to the olpc controller 25 is an activity report for each reporting periods . the extend of a reporting period is provided as one of the parameters from the ac 27 via the olpc controller 25 . based on the current target sir and the different change requests , the olpc controller 25 computes a new target sir . the new target sir is reported together with pc parameters to the olpc entities 24 . one of the entities 24 , in particular an entity assigned to a signaling link or to a dedicated control channel dcch , is selected to transmit the new target sir via the respective mdc 23 to the node b 21 . for interactions between the rnc 22 and the node b 21 , the dch frame protocol is used . fig3 illustrates in more detail an algorithm that can be used by olpc controller 25 and olpc entities 24 for determining a new target sir . first ellipses 34 indicate the calculations carried out by the olpc entities 24 , and a second ellipse 35 indicates the calculations carried out by the olpc controller 25 . each active or semi active olpc entity 23 may contribute with a change request to the new sir target computation in any tti , provided that the requested change is greater than 0 . 1 db . the respective desired change δ is calculated either based on a bler or a ber estimate provided by the respective mdc 23 . when based on a bler estimate , the desired change is calculated as the difference between the received bler estimate and a target bler , multiplied by a step size . the bler estimate is calculated as the quotient of the number of crcs which are not ok ( crc nok ) and the sum of the crcs which are ok ( crc ok ) and of the crcs which are not ok , which sum corresponds to the number of transport blocks on a transport block set ( tbs ). when based on a ber estimate , the desired change is calculated as the difference between a received ber estimate of a first itineration and a target ber , multiplied by a step size . the step size is set by radio network planning ( rnp ) and corrected by each entity 24 considering the interleaving depth of the respective transport channel . the olpc controller 25 receives the changes requested by each olpc entity 24 , and determines which requests are allowed to contribute to the new target sir . the new target sir is then calculated by the olpc controller 25 as the old sir target plus the sum over all valid requested changes . in the corresponding equation included in the second ellipse 35 in fig3 , k is the number of olpc entities 24 contributing to the new sir target computation , i . e . the number of all active and semi - active entities allowed to send a request for a change of the sir to the olpc controller 25 . the first old sir target after a rab setup is the initial sir target received from the ac 27 . the new sir target is then forwarded to bts ( base transceiver station ) or node b 21 via one of the olpc entities 24 as mentioned with reference fig2 . the desired eb / no for each transport channel can now be put into relation to the determined target sir according to the following considerations . the node b 21 detects physical channel pilot symbols and estimates the sir per symbol on the dpcch in correspondence with the technical specification 3gpp ts 25 . 215 v3 . 4 . 0 ( 2001 - 06 ) 3rd generation partnership project ; technical specification group radio access network ; physical layer — measurements ( fdd ) ( release 1999 )” as : with g dpcch = w / r dpcch , where r dpcch is the bit rate of the dpcch , w the chip rate , rscp dpcch is the received signal code power on the dpcch , and with iscp being the uplink interference signal code power . assuming now only one dch per connection , and considering that the corresponding cctrch is going to be mapped to n dpdch &# 39 ; s ( n = 1 , 2 , . . . ) the total received code power on the dpdch &# 39 ; s is : this equality is a result of the dynamic rate matching . in the equation , r dch c is the encoding rate of the dch and rd pdch is the bit rate of the dpdch . rscp dpdch is the received signal code power on a dpdch , r dch user is the dch user bit rate for which the eb / no is desired and eb dch is the bit energy . n eff is obtained from the number of the employed dpdch &# 39 ; s n by : where rscp dpcch and rscp dpdch is the received signal code power on the dpcch and on one dpdch , respectively . using the parameter n eff , the eb / no can comprise the overhead of the dpcch as well . for eb / no measurements which relate only to the dpdchs , rscp dpcch can be set to 0 so that n eff equals to n . based on this observation , and the fact that iscp = w · no , the sir estimate by the node b can be reformulated as follows : this leads to the conclusion that when during the current rrc connection either only one dch is mapped onto the dpdch , or only a specific bearer service is active , i . e . all other bearer services are not in uplink transmission , the actual target sir in db reduces to : in the last but one equation , the terms on the right hand side denote from left to right the desired eb / no of the dch in question , the coding gain , the gain factors gain , and the sf gain of the radio connection after channel coding . the target sir , however , can be affected by the semi - active olpc entities 24 and static rate matching attributes when the associated inactive dch is mapped onto the same uplink bpdch as the selected active dch . this is illustrated in fig4 for one active olpc entity and one semi - active olpc entity . in fig4 , a first , upper time line is associated to a selected active dch and the corresponding active olpc entity . this entity has ttis of e . g . 80 ms . a second , lower time line is associated to a semi active entity associated to an inactive dch . the second entity has ttis of e . g . 10 ms . both time lines have the length of one complete reporting period of e . g . 480 ms . the reporting period is a radio network planning ( rnp ) parameter . at the end of the respective time line , both entities send an activity report to the olpc controller 25 . as mentioned above , each active or semi - active entity 24 is allowed to send each tti a request for a change of the current sir to the olpc controller 25 . in the presented example , the active entity sends a change request after the first and the second tti , and the semi active entity sends a change request after the 5 th and the 7 th tti , each request being indicated in the figure as δ sir . thus the target sir , which is computed by the olpc controller 25 from all received valid requests , can be affected by the semi active entity and static rate matching attributes when the inactive dch is mapped onto the same uplink dpdch as the active dch . equally , the quality estimates ber and / or bler can be affected by such semi active entities . thus , in order to be able to calculate transport channel specific parameter values from determined target sir or from determined quality estimates , it has to be known whether the respective sir or the respective quality estimates are influenced by the presence of other transport channels . according to the presented embodiment of the invention , the uplink olpc controller 25 is informed whether a transport channel has experienced any traffic or not in a reporting period by a corresponding indication in the activity report , which is sent to the olpc controller 25 by the olpc entity 24 associated to the transport channel each reporting period . since the static rate matching does not affect the computation when only the wanted bearer service is active , all other bearer services being in dtx , the eb / no of the transport channel can be estimated for such times from the previous equation as follows : ebno dch = sir actual ul , dpcch - 10 · log ( r dch user n eff · r dpdch ) - 20 · log ( β c tfc max β d tfc max ) - 10 · log ( sf dpcch sf dpdch ) , ebno dch = sir actual ul , dpcch - 10 · log ( r dch user n · r dpdch ) - 20 · log ( β c tfc max β d tfc max ) - 10 · log ( sf dpcch sf dpdch ) if the eb / no does not comprise the overhead introduced by the dpcch , i . e . n eff = n . r dpdch and sf dpdch are produced by the ac 27 considering all other bearer services than the currently selected bearer service to be not in uplink transmission ( dtx mode ) and the maximum bit rate of the transport channel to be used , which is assumed to be max dch { tfs dch }, tfs being the transport format set . in order to be able to determine for each transport channel a eb / no value and quality parameter values , a set of parameters provided by the ac 27 to the olpc controller 25 and a set of parameters provided by the olpc entities 24 to the olpc controller 25 are defined for the presented embodiment of the invention . at the rab setup , after static rate matching , i . e . eb / no balancing , the uplink olpc controller 25 receives from the ac 27 on the one hand radio link specific parameters and on the other hand dch specific parameters . the radio link specific parameters comprise as one parameter a counters update period . this parameter is needed for online and / or trace and must be set as an integer number of activity reporting periods of the uplink olpc entities 24 . it can be set in a range of 1 to 1000 reporting periods , e . g . to 100 reporting periods . a further parameter is the size of an ebno sliding window , e . g . 20 reporting periods . this parameter is used for averaged eb / no computations and should lie equally in a rage of 1 to 1000 reporting periods . the last radio link specific parameter is an online and / or trace parameter , which can be set to ‘ y ’ or ‘ n ’. dch specific parameters comprise an enable measurements parameter , which can be used to enable the measurements traffic class based . further comprised are a coding gain in db , a gain factors gain in db and an sf gain in db , each gain for the case that only the currently regarded transport channel is active , i . e . all others are in dtx , and that the maximum bit rate , i . e . max dch { tfs dch }, is used . another parameter is the traffic class which is defined based on the rab attributes . further a quality target for bler and / or ber is given . equally , the size of a bler sliding window and / or the size of a ber sliding window are provided , the ber sliding window however only if turbo coding is used . both can be set e . g . to 20 in terms of reporting periods . both can be selected again from a range of 1 to 1000 reporting periods . during the rrc connection , the measurements are started and stopped by the mobile connection control ( mcc ) unit using a separate message , which allows cell based measurements . based on the parameters the olpc entity 24 receives from the uplink olpc controller 25 when it is set up , it sends an activity report to the controller 25 once every reporting period . as already mentioned , the reporting period is one of several rnp parameters that each olpc entity 24 receives during setup by the uplink olpc controller 25 . the reporting period ranges from 80 ms up to 2400 ms in steps of 80 ms . the default value is 480 ms , as in fig4 . the activity report comprises the sum of the sir target changes during the dtx - off periods . it further comprises the dtx state of the controlled bearer , which can be ‘ on ’ or ‘ off ’. moreover , a dtx indicator is provided , which is used to inform the olpc controller 25 whether the dch associated to the respective olpc entity 24 has been active or not during the terminated reporting period . in addition , the number of crc ok and the number of crc nok after selection and combining during the reporting period are provided in the activity report . the sum of the qes , after selection and combining , divided by the number of dch - fp ( frame protocol ) instances , received during the reporting period , are equally included in the activity report . finally , a connection frame number cfn is used as a time stamp for measurement synchronisation . with the information of the ac 27 and of the olpc entities 24 , the uplink olpc controller 25 is then able to calculate values for the eb / no of a specific transport channel . when dch active is the transport channel associated with the currently active olpc entity , the uplink olpc controller 25 can determine an average eb / no for this transport channel as follows : av . ebno dch , active = ∑ ebnoslidingwindow ebno dch , active ebnoslidingwindow , ebno dch , active = ∑ re portingperiod 10 sir actual ul , dpcch - 10 log ( r dch , active user n eff · r dpdch dch , active ) - 20 log ( β c tfc dch , active β d tfc dch , active ) - 10 log ( sf dpcch sf dpdch dch , active ) 10 re portingperiod n + ( β c tfc max β d tfc max ) 2 if the dpcch overhead is included in the eb / no computation , where n as already above specified is the number of dpdchs employed in the uplink transmission . further a bler can be determined for the active transport channel dch active by : in addition or alternatively , also a ber can be determined for the active transport channel dch active by : the ber computation is only possible , however , when turbo coding is used . since each activity report includes an information on whether the respective entity 24 has been active during the last reporting period , the olpc controller 25 is able to reset the quality and eb / no computations carried out for one entity any time one of the respective other entities has experienced traffic within the preceding reporting period , i . e . if it has not been in dtx mode over the entire reporting period . furthermore , the sliding window content for quality computations shall be reset when the target sir is changed and thus sent to the wcdma node b 21 . based on mcc start / stop measurement commands , it is possible to update the rrc connection based counters cell by cell and traffic class based , since the mcc is aware of the cell participating in diversity handover ( dho ). furthermore , for each traffic class , i . e . trch , within the same rrc connection , the uplink olpc controller 25 shall update each reporting period the following counters , when receiving a start measurements command form the mcc : the determined average eb / no in linear , the determined bler , the determined ber , the total number of crc ok , and the total number of crc nok . if the mcc needs olpc data from a specific radio connection for online and / or trace , i . e . if the online and / or trace parameter has been set to ‘ y ’, the counters are delivered to the mcc together with the actual cfn every counters update period . upon receiving the stop measurements command , the uplink olpc controller 25 sends the collected counters to the mcc and resets the sliding window contents . the same actions are taken by the olpc controller 25 when it receives the rrc connection release command from the mcc , when the relocation of the serving rnc ( srnc ) is executed , or when a handover to another system or frequency is triggered off . also if a dch is released and a rab reconfiguration is carried out , within the current rrc connection , the counters corresponding to this bearer service are sent to the mcc . | 7 |
in the drawings , fig1 shows a game puck 10 of the invention , particularly a hockey puck for non - ice surfaces . the puck includes a puck body 12 that is comprised of a center hub or core 14 , a plurality of radially - extending spokes 16 ( five are shown here ) that extend preferably integrally from the hub 14 , and a peripheral annulus 18 that is connected , preferably integrally , to the spokes 16 . this leaves a series of openings indicated at 20 , equal to the number of spokes , an opening being positioned between each pair of adjacent spokes . the outside of the puck body presents a peripheral surface 21 , slightly rounded as shown , for striking . a series of runners 22 are fitted onto the peripheral annulus 18 to present a low - friction surface to engage against the play surface ( floor , street , etc . ), each runner 22 having a leg 24 extending down into the opening between adjacent spokes . the runners 22 are fitted into the puck body 12 from both sides , and distal or inner or tail ends 26 of some of the runners inserted from the opposite side are seen in fig1 . in fig1 the runners 22 have glider heads 22 a of limited surface area , i . e . limited area for contact with the play surface . these are for smooth surfaces and allow for less friction . fig2 , on the other hand , shows a puck 10 a which has the same puck body 12 but with different runners 30 , each having glider heads 30 a of larger surface area , so that the series of glider heads 30 a on a side of the puck preferably present a substantially continuous ring as shown . these can be considered training gliders , in that they can be used on coarse surfaces such as streets or concrete and provide a good puck for training , with the runners easily replaced when worn or broken . the hard nylon plastic used in both cases is a low friction material with good wear characteristics . other plastics could be used . fig5 and 6 show the pucks 10 and 10 a of fig1 and 2 , along with the respective runners 22 and 30 used in those pucks , the puck body 12 being the same in both cases . fig3 and 4 , both exploded views , show the configuration of the runners and demonstrate the assembly and securing of runners into the puck body 12 . in this case the runners 22 with smaller glider head 22 a are shown , as in fig1 . each runner has the glider head 22 a , a leg 24 extending down from the glider head , preferably on a curve as shown , toward a distal or inner end 26 which , as explained below , also constitutes a finger tab . in addition , the leg has a hook 32 for securing the runner 22 into the puck body . also preferably included in the integrally , unitarily molded runner 22 is an anchoring shank 34 as seen in the drawings . as indicated in fig3 , the runners 22 are inserted from both sides , and in doing so the legs 24 become positioned side by side ( but inverted in orientation ), and this is illustrated in fig1 where the leg inner or tail ends 26 inserted from the opposite side are visible , each being directly alongside a leg of the runner 22 at the illustrated top side . the runner body 22 , in the peripheral annulus 18 , preferably includes a series of slots or cavities 36 as shown in fig3 and 4 , positioned to receive the anchoring shanks 34 of the runners . on assembly of a runner 22 down into the puck body 12 , as particularly illustrated in fig4 , the anchoring shank 34 ( which may be tapered as shown ) is engaged into a corresponding slot 36 of the puck body , as the leg 24 is inserted down into the space 20 between spokes . as shown , the leg 24 preferably is shaped essentially complementarily to the corresponding surface of the peripheral annulus , that shape comprising a deflection ramp 38 ( preferably curved ) which is engaged by a lower or distal end of the leg as the runner is pushed in . with the anchoring shank 34 in the slot 36 , further advancement of the runner leg down into the puck body bends and deflects the leg 24 somewhat , until the hook 32 clears a ledge 40 at the bottom end of the deflection ramp , whereupon the hook 32 snaps into place , locking the runner firmly in place on the puck body with the glider head 22 a against the top of the peripheral annulus as viewed in fig4 . note that the puck body preferably has top / bottom symmetry , with deflection ramps 38 and ledges 40 side by side ( and inverted ) in each space 20 , but fig4 is a sectional view as cut through one of the ledges 40 . when all runners 22 have been snapped into both sides of the puck body , the puck 10 appears as in fig1 . when a worn or broken runner is to be removed and replaced , or to interchange the type of runner to be used on a puck body , the finger tab 26 of a runner , i . e . the runner &# 39 ; s tail or distal end , is accessible from the side of the puck opposite the runner &# 39 ; s glider head . thus , as can be envisioned from fig1 and also fig4 , one can engage the finger tab 26 and deflect it radially inwardly toward the hub or core , thus releasing the hook from the ledge . in lieu of a finger tip , a narrow object such as a pen or pencil can be used . releasing the hook tends to pop the runner out from the opposite side of the puck body because of the spring action of the runner leg . fig7 is a side view showing the puck 10 of the invention , i . e . the configuration shown in fig1 . the glider heads 22 a of the runners are shown as protruding upwardly ( and downwardly ) from the peripheral annulus of the puck body , these providing the contact area for engaging with a floor or other play surface . the puck body and the runners are efficiently made by injection molding . runners can be of any desired color which can be different from that of the puck body . if desired the puck body can carry a central decorative hub insert ( which could be co - molded ), and this can match the runner color . the size of the puck is about 3 inches outside diameter (+/− 10 %), and about 1⅛ inches in height (+/− 10 %), including the runners , generally the size of a standard puck . the above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention , but not to limit its scope . other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims . | 0 |
an exemplary embodiment of a flexible fluid transfer tube having a plurality of generally concentric tubular layers in accordance with the invention is illustrated in fig1 . the tube 10 includes an inner layer 12 formed of a flexible fluid transfer material defining a fluid flow path as at 14 , and the material is such that the inner layer 12 is at least partially fluid permeable . a first intermediate layer 16 formed of a flexible insulating material surrounds the inner layer 12 , and the material of the first intermediate layer 16 is also at least partially fluid permeable . a second intermediate layer 18 formed of a flexible fluid containing material surrounds the first intermediate layer 16 , and the material of the second intermediate layer is substantially fluid impermeable . the tube 10 also includes an outer layer 20 formed of a flexible fluid pressure resisting material surrounding the second intermediate layer 18 , and the material is such that the outer layer 20 structurally reinforces the second intermediate layer 18 . with the arrangement illustrated in fig1 the tube 10 is suited for transferring a fluid under pressure in insulated fashion to maintain its energy transferring capability . still referring to fig1 the flexible fluid transfer material of the inner layer 12 is preferably a metal fiber braided to define the fluid flow path 14 and to provide a flexible form for the remainder of the generally tubular layers 16 , 18 and 20 . where the flexible fluid transfer tube 10 is utilized to transfer a high temperature gas , the braided tube comprising the inner layer 12 is preferably formed of a high temperature metal such as that sold under the trademark inconel . in any event , the braided metal fiber causes the inner layer 12 to be in a balanced fluid pressure condition when a fluid is being transferred through the flexible fluid transfer tube 10 due to the fact that the inner layer 12 is at least partially fluid permeable , i . e ., no fluid pressure is contained by the inner layer 12 . additionally , the flexible insulating material of the first intermediate layer 16 is preferably a ceramic or glass fiber braided to provide insulation about the inner layer 12 . in the preferred embodiment , the first intermediate layer 16 of the flexible fluid transfer tube 10 includes a plurality of layers of the braided ceramic fiber formed of a material such as that sold under the trademark nextel with the exact number of layers depending upon the fluid being transferred through the tube 10 and the insulation characteristics required for a given application . as with the flexible fluid transfer material of the inner layer 12 , the braided ceramic fiber causes the first intermediate layer 16 to be in a balanced fluid pressure condition due to the fact that the first intermediate layer 16 is at least partially fluid permeable , i . e ., a small amount of fluid equalizes pressure on both sides of the first intermediate layer 16 . with regard to the flexible fluid containing material of the second intermediate layer 18 , it is preferably a fluid compatible non - metallic material formed as a continuous hollow tube to provide fluid containment . as illustrated in fig1 the tube comprising the second intermediate layer 18 is a high temperature synthetic material such as that sold under the trademark teflon which prevents penetration of the small amount of fluid that migrates through the inner layer 12 and the first intermediate layer 16 to the inner surface of the second intermediate layer 18 . with this characteristic , the continuous hollow tube defined by the flexible fluid containing material causes the second intermediate layer 18 to be in an unbalanced fluid pressure condition when a fluid is being transferred through the flexible fluid transfer tube 10 due to the fact that the second intermediate layer 18 is substantially fluid impermeable , i . e , fluid pressure on the inner surface of the second intermediate layer 18 is greater than the exterior ambient pressure . referring to the outer layer 20 of the flexible fluid transfer tube 10 , it is preferably formed of a braided high strength flexible fluid pressure load resisting material formed as a sleeve to provide fluid pressure load containment . this braided sleeve can either be formed of a high strength non - metallic fiber such as that sold under the trademark kevlar or a high strength stainless steel or other metallic fiber . in either case , the braided high strength sleeve cooperates with the second intermediate layer 18 to resist pressure loading when a fluid is being transferred through the flexible fluid transfer tube 10 . with the structure and materials of fig1 the service temperature of the inner layer 12 and the first intermediate layer 16 is in excess of 2200 ° f . in contrast , the service temperature of the second intermediate layer 18 is limited to approximately 500 ° f . as a result , fig1 is a flexible fluid transfer tube best suited for repeated short time duration hot fluid cycles . in a typical operation utilizing the tube 10 , a high temperature and pressure gas enters the tube 10 for transfer along the fluid flow path 14 . a small amount of gas permeates through the tightly braided metal fiber inner layer 12 and the surrounding braided ceramic layer or layers comprising the first intermediate layer 16 to ensure that the inner layer 12 and the first intermediate layer 16 are not containing pressure but rather are simply providing a flow path in the case of the inner layer 12 and insulation in the case of the first intermediate layer 16 . as the small amount of gas migrates through the inner layer 12 and the first intermediate layer 16 , it loses energy and cools down so that , when the gas reaches the second intermediate layer 18 , it is at an actual temperature below the service temperature of the second intermediate layer 18 . moreover , when the gas reaches the inner surface of the second intermediate layer 18 , the second intermediate layer 18 is forced against the braided outer sleeve comprising the outer layer 20 . this occurs as a result of the difference in pressure between the gas flowing through the flexible fluid transfer tube 10 and exterior ambient pressure . as discussed above , the outer layer 20 provides fluid pressure containment , i . e ., the strength to withstand the internal pressure of the gas flowing through the tube 10 . as will be clear from the above description , the flexible fluid transfer tube 10 is particularly well suited for repeated short time duration hot gas cycles . the exact temperature of the gas to be transferred is inversely proportional to the time length of the cycle due to the limited service temperature of the second intermediate layer 18 . as will be appreciated , the temperature at the second intermediate layer 18 will build up over time . referring to fig2 another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . the flexible fluid transfer tube 110 also includes an inner layer 112 formed of a flexible fluid transfer material defining a fluid flow path 114 , and the inner layer 112 is again at least partially fluid permeable . a first intermediate layer 116 formed of a flexible insulating material surrounds the inner layer 112 , and the first intermediate layer 116 is also again at least partially fluid permeable . a second intermediate layer 118 formed of a fluid containing material surrounds the first intermediate layer 116 , and the second intermediate layer 118 is again substantially fluid impermeable . the flexible fluid transfer tube 110 also includes an outer layer 120 formed of a flexible fluid pressure load resisting material surrounding the second intermediate layer 118 , and the outer layer 120 again reinforces the second intermediate layer 118 . with this arrangement , the flexible fluid transfer tube 110 is particularly well suited for continuous fluid transfer applications . still referring to fig2 the flexible fluid containing material of the second intermediate layer 118 is preferably a fluid compatible metallic material formed as a continuous convoluted hollow tube to provide fluid containment . it will be seen that the second intermediate layer 118 is maintained in spaced relation to the first intermediate layer 116 by spacer means such as a plurality of axially spaced woven ceramic spacers 122 disposed between the first and second intermediate layers 116 and 118 . as illustrated , the woven ceramic spacers 122 cooperate with the first intermediate layer 116 and the second intermediate layer 118 to provide additional insulation in the form of an air gap as at 124 . with this construction , the woven ceramic spacers 122 help to insulate the second intermediate layer 118 and the outer layer 120 from a high temperature gas flowing along the fluid flow path 114 . in particular , the spacers 122 cooperate with the first intermediate layer 116 to provide insulation in addition to that provided by the first intermediate layer 116 between the second intermediate layer 118 and the fluid flow path 114 . accordingly , the flexible fluid transfer tube 110 is capable of continuous use at very high temperatures and , if desired , can be provided with another intermediate layer such as 116 between the spacers 122 and the second intermediate layer 118 . as shown , the inner layer 112 and the first intermediate layer 116 are essentially identical to the inner layer 12 and the first intermediate layer 16 of the embodiment illustrated in fig1 . the second intermediate layer 118 is quite different , however , in that it comprises a thin wall convoluted tube preferably formed from a high temperature metal such as that sold under the trademark inconel which provides flexibility to the tube 110 and also provides fluid containment , i . e ., prevents the escape of fluid from the tube 110 . finally , the outer layer 120 is essentially identical to the outer layer 20 in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 . in a typical application for the tube 110 , a hot , pressurized gas is directed along the fluid flow path 114 by the inner layer 112 . a small amount of the gas migrates through the inner layer 112 and the first intermediate layer 116 into the dead air space between the first intermediate layer 116 and the second intermediate layer 118 . when pressure in the dead air space 124 equalizes with that in the fluid flow path 114 , migration of gas molecules essentially ceases to occur . at this point , the convoluted tube defining the second intermediate layer 118 prevents escape of gas from the flexible fluid transfer tube 110 and the braided high strength sleeve defining the outer layer 120 provides pressure load containment for the gas flowing through the flexible fluid transfer tube 110 . as mentioned , the embodiment illustrated in fig2 is particularly well suited as a hot gas transfer tube for continuous use at very high temperatures and is also capable of repeated continuous use in hot gas cycle applications . by selecting the number of layers of braided ceramic fiber 116 , the strength and wall thickness of the convoluted tube 118 , and the strength and wall thickness of the braided high strength sleeve 120 , the flexible fluid transfer tube 110 can be constructed to have specific temperature and pressure limits to meet a given application . referring now to fig3 another embodiment of flexible fluid transfer tube 210 is illustrated . the first intermediate layer 216 and the outer layer 220 are preferably identical to the corresponding layers 16 and 20 in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 and 116 and 120 in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 and the second intermediate layer 218 is preferably identical to the corresponding layer 118 in fig2 . however , the inner layer 212 defining the fluid flow path 214 is entirely distinct . in particular , the flexible fluid transfer material of the inner layer 212 is preferably a metal strip helically wound to define the fluid flow path 214 and to provide a flexible form for the remainder of the generally tubular layers 216 , 218 and 220 . however , as with the inner layers 12 and 112 , the helically wound metal strip causes the inner layer 212 to be in a balanced fluid pressure condition when a fluid is being transferred through the flexible fluid transfer tube 210 due to the fact that the inner layer 212 is at least partially fluid permeable . nevertheless , this helically wound metal strip comprising the inner layer 212 restricts bending motion sufficiently to prevent collapse of the inner layer 212 as might otherwise occur with the inner layers 12 and 112 . as will also be appreciated , the inner layer 212 provides a relatively smooth surface minimizing pressure drop . in addition , the second intermediate layer 218 can be formed of a thin walled convoluted metal tube . unlike the second intermediate layer 118 , however , the tube 218 is in direct contact with the first intermediate layer 216 rather than being disposed in spaced relation by means of woven ceramic spacers . nevertheless , as with the second intermediate layer 118 , the second intermediate layer 218 is preferably formed of a fluid compatible metallic material to provide fluid containment . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 the inner layer 212 is preferably formed of helically wound stainless steel . it is also desirable for the second intermediate layer 218 to be formed of thin walled convoluted stainless steel . in other respects , the flexible fluid transfer tube 210 can be essentially identical to the tube 10 embodiment illustrated in fig1 . while various embodiments of flexible fluid transfer tube have been described as transferring hot gases , it will be appreciated that the tubes are well suited for carrying any fluid , i . e ., liquid or gas . it will also be appreciated that the precise materials to be utilized are dependent upon the temperature , pressure and chemical compatibility of the fluid , whether liquid or gas , in any particular application . moreover , the flexible fluid transfer tube is useful for transferring any fluid , whether hot or cold , whether or not it is desirable to maintain the temperature of the fluid by insulating it from the external environment . while in the foregoing there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be understood that the invention is only to be limited by the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
fig1 is a plan view of a vehicle chassis of the type having its engine 80 mounted at its rear . the longitudinally extending frame rails 10 extend from the front 82 to the rear 84 of the vehicle and are connected by cross members 83 called dog - bones . the front steerable wheels 86 are carried by the front axle 88 and the rear drive wheels 90 are carried by the rear drive axle 92 . the engine 80 is connected to the drive axle 92 and wheels 90 through a drive mechanism . the fuel tank mounting and protective cage 18 , to which the fuel tank 20 is connected by hold down devices 70 , is secured through its mounting plates 32 to the outwardly facing vertical surfaces 15 of the longitudinally extending frame rails 10 . the fuel tank mounting and protective cage 18 is mounted to the longitudinally extending frame rails 10 at a mid location of the vehicle between the front and rear axles 88 and 92 respectively . referring to fig2 which is a perspective view of an embodiment of the fuel tank mounting and protective cage 18 . the fuel tank mounting and protective cage 18 is a weldment that is constructed from low carbon , high strength steel tubing having rectangular cross - sections . the shelf section 30 is an assembly comprising first and second longitudinal frame members 31 and first and second transverse frame members 33 . the first and second transverse frame members 33 include upwardly facing tank supporting surfaces 39 . the frame members 31 and 33 are formed from low carbon , high strength steel tubing having rectangular cross - sections . the bottom surfaces of longitudinal frame members 31 are welded to the upwardly facing tank supporting surfaces 39 of the transverse frame members 33 . the shelf section 30 also includes a pair of left vertically extending mounting sections 35 and a pair of right vertically extending mounting sections 37 . as used throughout this specification the terms &# 34 ; right &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; left &# 34 ; are used looking from the front of the vehicle to the rear . the mounting sections 35 and 37 are formed from low carbon , high strength steel tubing having rectangular cross - sections and are welded to the longitudinal frame members 31 at their lower ends . each of the mounting sections 35 and 37 has a mounting side 36 and the mounting sides 36 of the mounting sections 35 face the mounting sides 36 of mounting sections 37 . a mounting plate 32 is welded to the mounting side 36 of each mounting section 35 , 37 . apertures 34 are formed in mounting plates 32 , through which securing mechanisms 40 such as nuts and bolts extend to secure the mounting plates 32 to the outwardly facing vertical surfaces 15 of the longitudinally extending frame rails 10 . the frame rails 10 extend the entire length of the vehicle chassis and function as the frame to which all other major components such as the engine and the wheels are mounted . it is important that the mounting plates 32 be securely connected to the mounting and protective cage 18 because they are the sole connecting support for the mounting and protecting cage to the vehicle . the mounting plates 32 have six apertures 34 formed therethrough . there are apertures formed in the vertical surfaces 15 of the frame rails 10 that correspond to the apertures 34 formed in the mounting plate 32 . securing mechanisms 40 such as bolts are inserted through these aligned holes and torqued down to provide a rigid connection between the mounting and protective cage 18 and the vehicle frame rails 10 . the first and second longitudinal frame members 31 , first and second transverse frame members 33 , left and right vertically extending mounting sections 35 , 37 and mounting plates 32 are all welded together to form a rigid and strong weldment . a front section 24 and rear section 27 are welded to front and rear ends respectively of the first and second longitudinally extending frame members 31 . front and rear sections or abutment members 24 and 27 are fixed at a level above the upwardly facing tank supporting surfaces and are formed from low carbon , high strength steel tubing having rectangular cross - sections . a right longitudinally extending member 50 , having a rear extremity 52 and a forward extremity 54 , and a left longitudinally extending member 60 , having a rear extremity 62 and a forward extremity 64 are located such that their bottom surfaces are in engagement with the upper edges of front and rear sections 24 , 27 . the outwardly facing edge 56 of the right longitudinally extending member 50 is secured by welding to the mounting sides 38 of the right vertically extending mounting sections 37 . also , the outwardly facing edge 66 of the left longitudinally extending member 60 is secured by welding to the mounting sides 36 of the left vertically extending mounting sections 35 . the left and right longitudinally extending members 50 and 60 are fixed above the upwardly facing tank supporting surfaces 39 . as is best seen in fig4 the inner edges 58 and 68 of right and left longitudinally extending members 50 and 60 function as enclosure edges that extend inwardly further than the inner edges of lower flanges 14 . as a result of this arrangement , in the advent of an accident in which a side of the fuel tank mounting and protective cage is struck and bent inwardly , the broad inward facing edges 58 or 68 of the longitudinal extending members 50 or 60 will engage the mid sides of fuel tank 20 rather than the rather sharp edges of the flanges 14 . this reduces the likelihood of rupturing the fuel tank 20 . the welded construction of the shelf section 30 , and its securement by welding to right and left longitudinally extending members 50 and 60 , front section 24 and rear section 27 forms an enclosure that is dimensioned and shaped to receive and support the fuel tank 20 . this weldment provides stiff joints with the result that there will be less rotation and localized deformation of the fuel tank mounting and protective cage in the event of an accident . hold down devices 70 , are formed of straps made from steel or plastic , that wrap around the fuel tank 20 and have t - bolts 72 connected at both ends . the t - bolts 72 extend through apertures 74 formed in first and second transverse frame members 33 . the mounting and protective cage 18 is secured by nuts and bolts to the vertical surface 15 of the frame rails 10 . the fuel tank 20 is secured to the mounting and protective cage 18 and is thus not directly connected to the frame rails 10 . this construction minimizes the relative motion between the fuel tank 20 and the mounting and protective cage 18 which results in less deformation of fuel tank 20 in the event of an accident . a second embodiment of the protective cage is illustrated in fig4 - 6 . the shelf section 130 of the second embodiment differs from the shelf section 30 of the embodiment illustrated in fig1 - 3 . the same reference number has been used to identify components of the second embodiment that are the same as the corresponding components of the first embodiment . the shelf section 130 includes first and second longitudinal frame members 131 and first and second transverse frame members 133 that are welded to each other along their linear intersections . the first and second transverse frame members 133 each include an integrally formed left vertically extending mounting sections 135 and a right vertically extending mounting sections 137 . the left vertically extending mounting sections 135 have mounting sides 136 and the right vertically extending mounting sections 137 have mounting sides 138 . mounting plates 132 having apertures 134 formed therein are welded to the mounting sides 136 and 138 of the left 135 and right 137 vertically extending mounting sections . the outwardly facing edge 56 of the right longitudinally extending member 50 is secured by welding to the mounting sides 138 of the right vertically extending mounting sections 137 . also , the outwardly facing edge 66 of the left longitudinally extending member 60 is secured by weld to the mounting sides 136 of the left vertically extending mounting sections 135 . the welded construction of the shelf section 130 , and its weld to right and left longitudinally extending members 50 and 60 , front section 24 and rear section 27 provides for stiff joints with the result that there will be less rotation and localized deformation in the event of an accident . as is best seen in fig7 the inner edges 58 and 68 of right and left longitudinally extending members 50 and 60 extend inwardly further than the inner edges of lower flanges 14 . as a result of this arrangement , in the advent of an accident , in which a side of the fuel tank mounting and protective cage is struck and bent inwardly , the broad inward facing edges 58 and 68 of longitudinally extending members 50 and 60 will engage the mid sides of fuel tank 20 rather than the rather sharp edges of the flanges 14 . as a result the likelihood of rupturing the fuel tank 20 is greatly reduced . apertures 34 are formed in mounting plates 32 , through which securing mechanisms 40 such as nuts and bolts extend to secure the mounting plates 32 to the outwardly facing vertical surfaces 15 of the longitudinally extending frame rails 10 . although the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments , it is anticipated that alterations and modifications thereof will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art . it is therefore intended that the following claims be interpreted as covering all such alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
in the following description , for purposes of explanation , specific numbers , materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . it will be apparent , however , to one having ordinary skill in the art , that the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in some instances , well - known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the disclosed scenarios . furthermore , reference in the specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearances of the phrase “ in an embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . during the course of this description like numbers will be used to identify like elements according to the different views , which illustrate the invention . in nuclear fusion reactions light nuclei bind temporarily then fragment to produce fast moving reaction products comprising heavy particles , which contain vast amounts of kinetic energy . this fusion process only occurs rapidly at temperatures of 5 - 500 kev ( 58 - 5 , 800 million k ) such that the coulomb force , which repulses the positively charged nuclei , is overcome . the reactivity ( i . e . rate of fusion ) is a function of the ion temperature and plasma density . the most important fusion reactions for practical reactors are as follows : d + 3 he → 4 he ( 3 . 7 mev )− p ( 14 . 7 mev ), and ( equation 2 ) where d is deuterium , t is tritium , α is a helium nucleus , n is a neutron , p is a proton , and 3 he and 4 he are helium - 3 and helium - 4 , respectively . the associated kinetic energy of each product is indicated in parentheses . the d - t reaction produces most of its energy in neutrons , which means that electrical energy can only be produced by using the neutron radiation to heat a working fluid , much like in a conventional boiler or a fission reactor . due to temperature limitations of the working fluid , that conversion can only be about 30 % efficient . an advantage of the d - t fuel mixture is that it produces net power at the lowest ion temperatures , of only 5 - 10 kev ( 1 kev = 11 . 6 million k , and is a more convenient unit of temperature ). however , the energetic neutrons liberated in this reaction represent a significant threat to the reactor &# 39 ; s structure as the neutron flux degrades the electrical , mechanical , and thermal properties of the reactor components and also leaves many of their materials radioactive . for terrestrial power reactors , most of these energetic neutrons are used to breed tritium , a scarce material . thus , the d - t fuel mixture poses significant challenges with radiation damage , material activation , and fuel availability . pursuing a d - reactor would require substantial research and development of nuclear materials and tritium breeding as well as several meters worth of shielding to protect reactor components and personnel from neutron radiation . the d - d fusion reactions are very attractive because the abundance of deuterium obviates the need to breed tritium . moreover , the neutrons generated are fewer in number and lower in energy than from d - t per unit of energy produced . by selective treatment of d - d fusion &# 39 ; s daughter products — removing the t from the plasma before it fuses but burning the prompt and decay - formed 3 he , a technique called he - catalyzed d - d fusion — the neutron production can be reduced to 10 % of the d - t level , per unit of energy produced . the d - 3 he reaction is termed aneutronic , because it directly produces relatively few neutrons and requires none for breeding . the energy from the charged reaction products may be directly converted to electrical power at a much higher efficiency than d - t . however , higher ion energies or temperatures , of 50 - 100 kev , are required to achieve the same reactivity as d - t . both d - d and d - 3 he reactions admit d - d side reactions , which for a d - 3 he reactor is the only source of neutron production . a known method for decreasing this neutron generation is lowering the reactant concentration ratio of d - 3 he , for example , from 1 : 1 to 1 : 9 . in a thermal plasma with 100 kev ion temperatures and t ash promptly removed , this causes neutron production to drop from 2 . 6 % to 0 . 5 % of d - t &# 39 ; s per unit of energy produced . this reduces the level of neutron shielding required to well under a meter . however , the lower d concentration reduces the power density by a factor of 4 . 5 , adversely affecting the economics . a method for suppressing this neutron generation pathway was been presented in international patent application serial no . pct / us13 / 33767 which is incorporated by reference as if fully disclosed herein . among all fusion fuels , d - 3 he is preferred for the applications described in this disclosure because it produces fewer neutrons while generating net power . various propellants can be used for thrust augmentation including deuterium and hydrogen . the plasma is formed within a reactor chamber , which may be small enough to accommodate ion gyroradii that are about 1 / 10th of the plasma radius and mostly have axis encircling orbits . this promotes the plasma stability against the tilt mode . a heating system , such as radio frequency generating magnetic coils , must be able to raise the plasma &# 39 ; s ion energy such that fusion reactions occur . by locating multiple discrete magnets coaxially to the reactor chamber , a corrugated axial magnetic field is formed that also mediates against the unstable tilt mode . the magnetic confinement scheme can employ either permanent magnets or magnetic coils . the magnets control the size of the plasma so that it is large enough to contain fusing plasma of sufficient power while small enough to be effectively heated and allow the fusion products to quickly move into a scrape off layer . the scrape off layer is a typical component of magnetic confinement fusion devices with internal closed field lines and is crucial for this system of thrust augmentation . it is found in tokamaks , stellarators , reversed - field pinches , spheromaks , and field - reversed configurations ( frcs ). an frc , depicted in fig1 , forms a quasi - toroidal , closed - field , simply connected magnetic confinement device with open field lines exiting the reactor chamber approximately paraxially . a separatrix 10 divides the closed - field region 12 from the open - field region 14 , with the latter containing the scrape - off - layer ( sol ). the discrete flux conserving magnetic coils 16 provide magnetic pressure while allowing the heating method , such as an odd - parity ( i . e . anti - parallel ) rotating magnetic field ( rmf o ) from external radio frequency magnetic coils , to penetrate the plasma . a toroidal current 18 , centered on the o - point null line 20 , is formed around the axis of the closed - field region 12 . various means of fuel injection can be employed to introduce the fuel into the reaction chamber , including pellets , gas puffing , cluster , and neutral beam injection . fig2 depicts neutral beam injection , which is used to feed a tight beam of energetic neutral d and 3 he into the center of the chamber . the neutral beam is created by injecting a feedstock gas propellant 22 , such as hydrogen or deuterium , into a plasma formation box 24 and charge exchange box 26 . in the plasma formation box 24 , the feedstock gas propellant 22 is weakly ionized . the ionized ions are ejected through an ion extraction grid 30 and then accelerated through a high - voltage ion acceleration grid 32 to form ion beam 28 . ion beam 28 then enters the charge exchange box 26 where electrons are passed from the gas cloud formed by the feedstock gas propellant 22 forming the neutral beam 34 . neutral beam 34 is then injected into the reaction chamber . fig3 illustrates an frc configured for thrust augmentation . fusion fuel is injected 36 near the center of the reactor chamber 37 . fusion is achieved in the closed - field region 38 where the plasma is heated . in this arrangement , shaping and heating of the frc is achieved with active 40 and passive flux conserving magnetic coils 42 and radio frequency coils 44 that create the anti - parallel components of the rmf o . thrust augmentation is achieved by pumping deuterium or hydrogen into a gas box 46 ( on the open field lines 48 ) where it is ionized . the cold plasma flows along the open field lines , out the box and through the sol 50 . the cold plasma density and temperature in the sol are controlled by the rate of gas introduced into the gas box 46 . further control can be achieved by widening and constricting a variable - size orifice 52 , attached to the gas box &# 39 ; s opening . when near the frc &# 39 ; s midplane 54 , the sol plasma particles , e . g ., the plasma electrons , are heated by the kinetic energy of the reaction products . the cooled fusion products , including tritium , deuterium , and / or hydrogen plasma , flows along the open - field - region magnetic - field lines 46 and is directed out of the engine through a magnetic nozzle 56 . thrust control can be achieved through multiple methods . since power p is directly proportional to the thrust t multiplied by the exhaust velocity u e , such that p = 0 . 5tu e , thrust can be traded for exhaust velocity at a given power . the reaction products are highly energetic . for example , if the products of d - 3 he were used directly for propulsion they produce an exhaust velocity of 25 , 000 km / s . however , in such a case , the thrust - to - power ratio would be 1 / 12 , 500 newtons per kw . this ratio can be improved and carefully controlled by the amount of cold propellant introduced into the gas box 46 . another way to control the thrust is through the variable sized orifice on the gas box 52 , which can alter the thickness of the scrape off layer . finally , using different propellants changes the mass and therefore the exhaust velocity . for example , deuterium propellant would have lower exhaust velocity than hydrogen . the actual mechanism of thrust augmentation is depicted in one possible configuration of a cross - section of such an frc in fig4 . the rmf o antenna 58 produces a high power density of fusion with low neutron production within the core plasma 60 . the size and magnetic field produced by superconducting magnetic coils 62 or permanent magnets are such that more than 90 % of the fusion reaction products pass through the sol 64 on their first orbit . there , they exchange energy with the warm plasma 66 , increasing its velocity . additionally , the surface - to - volume ratio of the frc is large , reducing the neutron power - load density on the reactor chamber walls of a vacuum vessel 68 and component degradation . however , some radiation from bremmstrahlung , synchrotron , and neutrons will occur and may be absorbed by a shield 70 . another configuration of the frc wall is shown in fig5 . multiple techniques for protecting the reactor chamber 72 are depicted . neutrons 74 are unaffected by the magnetic field and are expelled directly out of d - d side reactions , but can cause significant damage to the reactor structure , magnets , antennae , and especially sensitive electronics . neutron shielding 76 is usually constructed from materials with low atomic numbers , like hydrogen , water , helium , boron , and beryllium . while the bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation have a fairly broad spectrum , the former is mostly released as x - rays and the latter as microwaves . microwaves 78 are simply reflected by surfaces with low emissivity 80 , i . e . that are shiny . medium atomic weight materials can absorb x - rays 82 , heating materials in heat exchangers for energy conversion 84 . to create useful thrust , the propellant must detach from the magnetic field lines of the rocket engine because these field lines eventually reverse direction and return to the rocket &# 39 ; s nose . detachment may be brought about by a number of processes , one of which is depicted in fig6 . since neutral atoms 86 are not bound to the field lines 88 , one generic method is to neutralize the ions 90 by attaching electrons to them . this can be done in the same way as the neutral beam is generated , using charge - exchange in a gas box 92 , or less easily by radiative recombination . another detachment method is to unmagnetize the ions by accelerating them to such high speeds that their gyroradii greatly exceed the rocket size . finally , the plasma pressure of the exiting propellant can be increased to the point where it exceeds the magnetic field energy density . for an expanding plasma , the ratio of the plasma pressure to the magnetic field energy density naturally increases with increasing distance from the magnetic nozzle . eventually this causes the entire flowing “ blob ” of plasma to tear itself away from the magnetic field . as mentioned above , an important disadvantage of conventional fusion engines is that , while providing high specific impulse , they provide relatively low thrust . the system described above overcomes this disadvantage by augmenting thrust through the injection of feedstock propellant gas into scrape - off - layer surrounding the fusioning plasma . this fusion engine with augmented thrust capability is achieved with a substantially smaller reactor than conventional systems . this reduces the amount of helium - 3 fuel required to sustain a reaction leading to longer mission duration times . finally , the thrust augmentation system described above provides more precise control of the augmentation processes , leading to increased efficiency . although the scenarios herein have been described with reference to particular embodiments , it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the disclosed scenarios . it is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed scenarios as defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
the locomotion and tooling system of the present invention is designed to simplify maintenance on the secondary side of steam generators . as shown in fig1 , a typical steam generator secondary - side assembly comprises a pair of generally semicircular bundles ( 10 ) of vertically extending steam tubes ( 12 ) separated by a central tube lane ( 14 ). an annular space ( 16 ) separates the tube bundles ( 10 ) from the steam generator shell ( 18 ). in order to provide more efficient transfer of heat between the primary and secondary generator systems most newer steam generators employ the triangular - pitch tube configuration which provides increased tube density . as a consequence , the gaps between the tubes ( 12 ) are greatly reduced , and there are no well defined access channels between the tubes ( 12 ). this configuration thus makes maintenance of the steam generator more difficult conventional sludge - lancing equipment located in the tube lane are no longer effective at dislodging sludge centrally located in the tube bundle . thus a tube cleaning system located in the annulus ( 16 ) providing a high water pressure localized jet stream is needed to dislodge the sludge from the tubes ( 12 ). the dislodged sludge is removed by known suction devices which may be located at the central tube lane ( 14 ) or along the annulus . referring now to fig2 - 6 a tube cleaning system ( 20 ) is shown comprising a cleaning turret assembly ( 22 ) having a top mounted skid assembly ( 24 ) with both assemblies mounted onto a locomotion assembly ( 26 ) called a crawler . with particular reference to fig3 it will be seen that the turret assembly ( 22 ) has a series of high pressure water nozzles ( 28 ) which rotate about a horizontal axis ( 30 ) to provide a strong water cleaning jet stream simultaneously to three adjoining tube lanes . the turret assembly ( 22 ) also has a camera ( 32 ) and a light source ( 34 ) to sufficiently illuminate the tubes to allow viewing at a remote location . this facilitates the location of the cleaning system ( 20 ) in the annulus ( 16 ) so as to align the nozzles ( 28 ) with the tube lanes . the crawler ( 26 ) has a high pressure swivel / locking mechanism ( 36 ) with a water supply line ( 38 ) leading thereto for powering the high water pressure nozzles ( 28 ) through a water inlet peg ( 40 ) when the turret assembly ( 22 ) is mounted to the mechanism ( 36 ). this mounting comprises the insertion of a locking pin ( 42 ) into a chamber ( 44 ) where a spring loaded wedge ( not shown ) which fits into a grove ( 48 ) on the pin ( 42 ). this lock is released by an unlock cable ( 46 ) connected to the wedge member which can pull the member from the grove ( 48 ). the peg ( 40 ) has a series of openings ( 41 ) and sealably fits into a hole ( 49 ) on the member ( 36 ) which is in communication with the water line ( 38 ) to feed water to the nozzles ( 28 ). as best seen in fig4 , the crawler ( 26 ) is propelled by two bottom mounted tracks ( 43 ) using re - circulating rubber treads ( 47 ). soft plastic bumpers ( 50 ) are mounted to the crawler side to prevent contact of metal components with the steam generator tubing . the bumpers ( 50 ) are contoured to confirm to the diameter of the tube bundle ( 10 ) when the system ( 20 ) is located in the annulus ( 16 ) of the steam generator . the rubber tread mount and drive is a known assembly which is a purchased component . as seen in fig2 - 3 a reaction force skid assembly ( 24 ) is attached to the top of the turret assembly ( 22 ) by pushing it over a peg ( 52 ). the skid assembly contacts the interior shell ( 18 ) of the vessel to stabilize the turret ( 22 ) against the water jet reaction force ( 28 ). to elaborate , the skid is there to keep the reaction force of the line pressure nozzles from pushing the turret ( 22 ) over backwards . this skid ( 24 ) may be replaced with electromagnets actuated to act as a brake that holds the assembly ( 20 ) in place while the jets are at a high pressure . as seen in fig1 , the cleaning device , or turret ( 22 ) has a two axis positioning system capable of rotating the nozzles about a horizontal axis ( 93 ) using a worm ( 90 ) and worm gear ( 91 ) while also rotating the nozzles about a vertical axis a full 360 degrees . to elaborate ( see fig3 ), the bottom part ( 54 ) of the turret ( 22 ) stays locked into the swivel / locking mechanism ( 36 ) via the two conical pins ( 40 , 42 ). the upper part of the turret ( 56 ) which contains the nozzles ( 28 ) then can rotate about a vertical axis a full 360 degrees , if needed . this allows the turret ( 22 ) to view and / or spray water in the direction the crawler ( 26 ) is traveling , the direction the crawler ( 26 ) has just traveled from , or any direction into the tube bundle as needed . the nozzles ( 28 ) also rotate about a horizontal axis using the worm gear drive which allows the nozzles to be directed downward in front of the turret , and then slowly rocked upward until they are horizontal . as is best seen in fig1 , electric motor ( 94 ) rotates the worm ( 90 ) around a vertical axis ( 92 ). this motion rotates the worm gear ( 91 ) around a horizontal axis ( 93 ). rotation of the nozzles ( 28 ) about the vertical axis is possible because the central conical pin ( 40 ) acts as a high pressure swivel when it is inserted into the swivel / locking mechanism ( 36 ) on the crawler ( 26 ). to insert the cleaning system ( 20 ) into the annulus ( 16 ) of a steam generator , the system is broken into the three main components shown in fig3 . the crawler ( 26 ) is inserted through the secondary side handhole ( 58 ) and placed in the annulus ( 16 ) directly below the handhole ( 58 ). the turret ( 22 ) is then inserted through the handhole ( 58 ) and the two pins ( 40 , 42 ) are inserted into the corresponding holes in the swivel / locking mechanism ( 36 ). the skid assembly ( 24 ) is then inserted through the handhole ( 58 ) and placed on the post ( 52 ) located on the top of the turret ( 22 ). the assembled system ( 20 ) is moved in the annulus ( 16 ) by actuating the electric motor drive powering the recirculating rubber treads ( 49 ) that are part of the crawler assembly ( 26 ). to summarize , as best seen in fig5 - 6 , the system turret ( 22 ) consists of multiple high pressure nozzles ( 28 ), an on board camera ( 32 and lighting system ( 34 ) and a two axis positioning system capable of rotating the nozzles ( 28 ) about a horizontal axis using a worm and worm gear while also rotating the nozzles about a vertical axis a full 360 degrees . this device when coupled to a delivery system , preferably the crawler ( 26 ) can travel around the entire vessel assembly ( 16 ) and direct the water jets into the tube bundle ( 10 ) at any angle about a vertical axis , and also can sweep the tube sheet ( 60 ) or tube support plate with the water jets by rotating them about a horizontal axis . the on board camera ( 32 ) and lighting system ( 34 ) can be used for visual inspection of the interior of the vessel , or for aligning the water jets between the heat exchanger tubes ( 12 ). turning now to fig7 - 9 , it will be seen that the turret ( 22 ) may be propelled within the annulus ( 16 ) by other types of locomotion devices . fig7 shows a wedge track device ( 64 ) consisting of outer rollers ( 66 ) an inner roller / pivot ( 68 ) and a fluid cylinder ( 70 ). the multiple rollers ( 66 ) are wedged between two concentric cylinders , two curved surfaces , or two flat surfaces . friction to drive the device is created by on board fluid or pneumatic cylinders that pivot the device about a center roller , thus forcing the outer rollers against one surface and the inner roller against the other surface . the motor is mounted concentric to one of the outer rollers . the track is a platform to deliver the cleaning device , or inspection , retrieval , and repair tooling . the swivel / locking mechanism ( 36 ) is located underneath the wedge track device ( 64 ) vertically below the inner roller / pivot ( 68 ). the wedge track device ( 64 ) is inserted in through the handhole ( 58 ) and momentarily held in position between two curved surfaces or two flat surfaces until the fluid cylinders ( 70 ) are activated thus holding the device ( 64 ) in place . the system turret ( 22 ) is then locked into the swivel / locking mechanism ( 36 ) in the same manner as with the crawler assembly ( 26 ). the skid assembly ( 24 ) is then inserted through the handhole ( 58 ) located on the top of the turret ( 22 ). the wedge track device ( 64 ) is then driven to any desired location axially or radially between the surfaces which the device ( 64 ) was locked in position . fig8 shows the suction track drive ( 72 ) consisting of the cogged belt ( 74 ) and the belt cutouts ( 76 ). this device ( 72 ) may have many different shapes depending on the surfaces that it will adhere to . the belt does not have to be cogged . the material on the exterior of the belt may be flat or a ribbed geometry to improve its sealing characteristics . more than one electric motor may be used to drive the track ( 74 ). encoder or resolver feedback may be used to monitor the track &# 39 ; s position . this device is not limited for use in the lower tubesheets . this device ( 72 ) propelled by a motor that adheres itself to a surface using vacuum . the vacuum can be generated by an on board vacuum generator , or a remote vacuum generator . the device uses a cogged belt with a resilient exterior surface to conform and seal to irregular surfaces . a plurality of cutouts in the center of the belt act as individual suction cups . the track is a platform to deliver the cleaning device , or inspection , retrieval , and repair tooling . the track is capable of adhering to horizontal ( both on top and underneath ), angled and vertical surfaces . the swivel locking mechanism ( 36 ) is located underneath the suction track drive ( 72 ) vertically below the centerline . the suction track drive ( 72 ) is inserted in through the handhole ( 58 ) and is momentarily held against the steam generator shell or shroud until the vacuum adheres the device to the surface . the system turret ( 22 ) is then locked into the swivel / locking mechanism ( 36 ) in the same manner as with the crawler assembly ( 26 ). the skid assembly ( 24 ) is then inserted through the handhole ( 58 ) placed on the post ( 52 ) located on top of the turret ( 22 ). the suction track drive ( 72 ) is then driven to any desired location radially along the steam generator shell or shroud or along any other curved , flat or angled surface . fig9 shows a magnetic track drive ( 78 ) consisting of a permanent magnets ( 80 , 82 ), electromagnets ( 84 ), track with treads ( 86 ) and rollers ( 88 ). this device ( 78 ) may be configured in different geometries depending on the surface on which it adheres . it may be propelled by wheels instead of tracks and treads , or with a magnetic track . encoder or resolver feedback may be used to monitor the track &# 39 ; s position . the device ( 78 ) is propelled by a single or multiple sealed tracks using re - circulating rubber tread . the device uses either permanent magnets or electromagnets to maintain contact underneath a metal surface , such as the bottom of a steam generator shroud . the device uses either permanent magnets or electromagnets to maintain pressure on the track ( s ) creating the friction force required to propel the device . the device uses rollers or spacers to maintain the correct distance between the magnets and the metal surfaces . the track is a platform to deliver the cleaning device , or inspection , retrieval , and repair tooling as follows the swivel locking mechanism ( 36 ) is located on the magnetic track drive ( 78 ) horizontally at the end of the magnetic roller bar ( 90 ). the magnetic track drive ( 78 ) is inserted in through the handhole 458 ) and is magnetically coupled to the steam generator shell and or shroud . the system turret ( 22 ) is then locked into the swivel / locking mechanism ( 36 ) in the same manner as with the crawler assembly ( 26 ). the skid assembly ( 24 ) is then inserted through the handhole ( 58 ) placed on the post ( 52 ) located on the top of the turret ( 22 ). the magnetic track drive ( 78 ) is then driven to any desired location radially along the steam generator shell or shroud or along any other curved , flat or angled surface . it will be understood that certain obvious details and modifications have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly included within the scope of the following claims . | 5 |
the present invention is directed to dispensing package for a cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant or other stick product ( i . e ., foods , adhesives , etc . ); and more specifically , to such a dispensing package having novel components and assemblies that simplify the manufacturing process for the product and also reduce the overall expense of the dispensing package and the ensuing stick product . as shown in fig1 and 2 , a dispensing package 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the following four injection molded plastic components : a barrel component 12 , an elevator component 14 , a spindle component 16 and an overcap component 18 . the barrel component 12 is a hollow barrel defining an interior chamber having a substantially ellipsoidal cross - section . the applicator end 20 of the barrel has a domed seal 22 integrally molded thereon and the actuator end 24 is open . referring primarily to fig2 , the elevator component 14 includes a center hole through which the threaded shaft 28 of the spindle 16 extends . therefore , since the spindle component 16 is held vertically intact with respect to the barrel 12 when the dispensing package 10 is assembled ( as will be discussed in detail below ), rotation of the spindle 16 in a first direction will cause the elevator 14 to rise within the barrel and rotation in the opposite direction will cause the elevator to fall within the barrel . the barrel 12 includes a pair of opposed horizontally extending slots 30 extending therethrough approximate the actuator end 24 . these slots 30 seat and vertically maintain a thumb wheel 32 of the spindle 16 within the interior chamber of the barrel 12 . two diametrical ends of the thumb wheel 32 are respectively received within , and extend out through the opposed , horizontally extending slots 30 to thereby vertically secure the spindle 16 and elevator 14 ( comprising an elevator assembly ) within the barrel 12 . as introduced above , the barrel 12 includes a domed seal 22 integrally molded therewith at the applicator end 20 . this seal 22 , as will be described as follows , is adapted to be separated from or tom - away from the barrel 12 by the eventual user of the product to expose the cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant stick material emerging through the applicator end 20 . referring specifically to fig3 and 4 , a tear - away sealing bead 34 is integrally molded peripherally around and radially between the base of 36 of the dome and the rim 38 at the applicator end 20 of the barrel 12 . the bead 34 is radially bounded by a pair of thin frangible bridges 40 , 42 integrally molded peripherally around and radially between the bead 34 and the base 36 of the dome and between the bead 34 and the rim 38 of the applicator end 20 of the barrel 12 . a gripping tab 44 is integrally molded with the bead 34 and extends axially upward with respect to the bead so as to allow a user to grip and pull on the tab 44 , which in turn causes the frangible bridges 40 and 42 to tear as the user pulls the bead 34 away from the package 10 . although not shown , there is a portion of the bridge 40 between the bead 34 and the base of the dome 36 that is substantially thicker ( not readily able to be torn ) such that as the user tears away the bead 34 peripherally around the base of the dome 36 and rim 38 of the barrel , when such tearing reaches this built - up section of the frangible bridge 40 , further pulling on the tab 44 will cause the domed seal 22 to be pulled out from the applicator end 20 along with the remainder of the bead 34 ( bridge 42 will be completely torn ). fig5 illustrates a perspective bottom - end view of the applicator end 24 of the barrel 12 . as discussed above , the opposed horizontally - extending slots 30 seat and maintain the thumb wheel 32 of the spindle 16 therein , thereby securing the spindle 16 and elevator 14 within the interior chamber of the barrel 12 upon assembly . to assemble this dispensing package in this manner , the barrel 12 is first molded ( i . e ., injection molded ) from a suitably flexible plastic / resin ( such as polypropylene or polyethylene ). once molded , the barrel is set upside - down in a puck or a tray , for example , and molten or fluid cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant or other stick product material is deposited into the interior chamber of the barrel 12 through the open actuator end 24 ( bottom end ) of the barrel . subsequently thereafter , and while the cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant or other stick product material is still substantially in a fluid state , the ends 46 of the longer diameter of the ellipsoid barrel are compressed in towards one another such that the actuator end 24 of the barrel 12 begins to take on a substantially circular shape . when the actuator end 24 of the barrel reaches the circular shape approximating the circular shape of the thumb wheel 32 , the spindle 16 and elevator 14 are inserted through the actuator end 24 of the barrel until the thumb wheel 32 passes the lower horizontal strips 48 of the barrel between the window 30 and the edge of the barrel . at this point the threaded shaft 28 of the spindle 16 is fully submerged into the cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant or other stick product material and the upper surface of the elevator abuts against , or is very close to the cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant or other stick product material . once the thumb wheel passes these lower strips 48 , the pressure is removed from the diametric ends 46 to allow the actuator end of the barrel 12 to return to its substantially ellipsoidal shape in securing the thumb wheel 32 within the windows 30 . at this point the cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant or other stick product material is substantially sealed between the lower surface of the domed seal 22 and the upper surface of the elevator , after which it substantially solidifies to its ‘ stick ’ state . referring to fig6 , in the exemplary embodiment , the thumb wheel 32 has a chamfered leading edge 50 , which helps facilitate passing the leading edge of the thumb wheel 32 by the lower strips 48 of the barrel and in to the horizontal slots 30 . it can also be seen that the horizontal strips 48 are also slightly radially bowed out as compared to the remainder of the barrel walls to further facilitate this assembly step . upon application of pressure on the diametric ends 46 of the barrel , this expanded diameter of the strips 48 will accommodate the thumb wheel passing thereby , but the smaller diameter of the walls of the barrel above the slots 30 will act as stops preventing further insertion of the thumb wheel thereby . referring to fig8 and 9 , it is within the scope of the invention that the hole 26 in the elevator 14 through which the threaded shaft 28 of the spindle 16 extends is a self - tapping hole . specifically , as shown in fig8 and 9 , when molded , the hole 26 in the elevator 14 will include a straight draw set of splines 52 that are very easy to mold and to remove from the injection mold ( i . e ., no unscrewing action is required ). the first time the threaded shaft 28 is threaded into the hole 26 , the threaded shaft 28 cuts threads into the splines 52 as it is assembled at high speed ; and thus , the spindle 16 would act like a self - tapping wood / metal screw . the exemplary embodiment of the barrel 12 is molded having thin side walls that vary from approximately 0 . 025 inches to approximately 0 . 015 inches . the seal design is also based upon optimizing the “ thin wall ” aspects of the barrel design . a transitional wall section will span the top flat or domed area of the seal to promote uniform flow of the plastic ( polypropylene or polyethylene ) that tracks the oval shape and allows for uniform filling of the side walls around the outside of the domed seal to the last point of fill . the over - cap design will incorporate stop positions ribs on the inside diameter or a stepped wall that creates a full perimeter stop position surface . the tear way seal design allows the mold for the barrel to be top center gated . ( see fig7 ). this gate design and the use of the integral domed seal with the rest of the body allows for a contoured and smooth top edge at the point of application while providing for a thin wall design to the lower portion of the body in the direction of the actuator end and its associated bottom fill opening . the tear way seal allows for safe , secure and high - speed bottom filling and shaping of the hot ( un - solidified ) cosmetics / antiperspirant / deodorant product into the pre - assembled body / cap unit of the dispensing package , alone , or with the use of a carrier tray . the integral seal and bead have substantial capabilities to maintain a substantially 100 % hermetic seal in volatile environments to minimize weight loss prior to initial use . the four - component design as discussed above also substantially reduces the number of molded components as compared to prior art stick delivery products . for example , the present invention eliminates a separate securing platform of the elevator assembly and also eliminates a separate product shaping seal . the present invention likewise eliminates a number of assembly steps . as an alternative to the filling step described above , it is within the scope of the invention that the dispensing package is assembled first with the elevator assembly discussed above ; and , thereafter , the molten cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant or other stick product material is injected into the interior chamber of the barrel 12 through the open actuator end 24 ( bottom end ) of the barrel and through injection holes ( not shown ) in the elevator such that the molten cosmetic / antiperspirant / deodorant or other stick product fills the area between the elevator 14 and the domed seal 22 . having described the invention with reference to exemplary embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it not intended that any limitations or elements describing the exemplary embodiment set forth herein are to be incorporated into the meanings of the claims unless such limitations or elements are explicitly listed in the claims . likewise , it is to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of any claims , since the invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and / or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein . | 0 |
a new microorganism has been isolated from leachate obtained from a chemical waste landfill site which had been used for the disposal of chlorinated organic wastes for a prolonged period of time . the new microorganism is identified as klebsiella oxytoca strain sal - 18a having accession number ivi - 10113 , based on a deposit at in vitro international , inc . it is a gram negative , facultative anaerobic coccobacilli , and is able to grow on a mixed feed of non - haloaromatics and haloaromatics , and on the raw leachate itself . procedures for isolation , separation and purification of this microorganism are well known and are more fully described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 477 , 570 . this microorganism has the unique characteristic of being able to grow both aerobically and anaerobically . this characteristic could enable the microorganism to be used in the treatment of soils where the toxic materials have penetrated to subsoil environments which lack oxygen to foster bacterial growth . for example , there are known landfills in which the stored chemicals are found 50 feet or more below the surface . in addition , depending on location , landfills can experience extremes of temperature ranging from 100 ° f . in the summer to - 30 ° f . in the winter . a microorganism which is potentially useful for soil detoxification must be capable of surviving at such depths and under these extreme environmental conditions . methods for applying the bacteria to the sites of the contamination are well known in the art . such methods are described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 477 , 570 . for example , a suitable inoculum containing the microorganism can be injected along with nutrient media to a predetermined depth into the soil . once established , the organism can utilize the waste stored in the landfill as its sole source of carbon and energy , thereby detoxifying the landfill . the microorganism of the present invention can also be used in a sequencing batch reactor as part of the stable biomass of the reactor to degrade haloaromatic compounds present in the reactor feed stream . in this manner , the sequencing batch reactor can be advantageously used to treat chemical landfill leachate containing recalcitrant chlorinated organics under aerobic or anaerobic conditions , such as during an anaerobic phase of the reactor . a diagram of a typical sequencing batch reactor is provided in r . l . irvine , journal of water pollution control federation , vol . 51 , no . 2 , pages 235 - 304 ( 1979 ). as contemplated herein , the sequencing batch reactor contains an activated sludge inoculated with the microorganism of this invention . the type of activated sludge employed is not critical , and any municipal or industrial sludge may be used since it generally contains a variety of organisms capable of metabolizing organics . activated sludge is predominantly composed of bacteria , protozoa , and fungi . other constituents are often present such as blue - green algae , rotifers , insect larva , etc ., but usually not in significant numbers . over 300 strains of bacteria , 230 species of protozoa and 50 species of fungi have been found in various activated sludges . the bench scale sequencing batch reactor is made of any material of construction generally employed in wastewater treatment facilities . it is usually cylindrical in shape and is equipped with air diffusers which are used for mixing and aeration . a peristaltic pump is installed in the inlet feed line to the reactor . the reactor is provided with an outlet , and solenoid valves are provided at the outlet and in the air diffuser line . programmable timers are provided at the pumps and the agitators , if used , or air diffusers , and at the outlet line . the sbr system may be composed of one or more such vessels , and in biological waste treatment , each tank in the system has five basic operating modes and periods , each of which is named according to its primary function . the periods are fill , react , settle , draw and idle , in time sequence . fill ( the receiving of raw waste ) and draw ( the discharge of treated effluent ) must occur in each complete cycle for a given tank . react ( the time to complete desired reactions ), settle ( the time to separate the organisms from the treated effluent ), and idle ( the time after discharging the tank and before refilling ) can be eliminated depending on requirements of the treatment problem . for example , if an sbr system were being used for equalization only , each cycle might only involve fill and draw . the time for a complete cycle is the total time between beginning of fill to end of idle in a single - tank system and between beginning of fill for the first reactor ( arbitrarily defined ) and the end or idle for the last reactor in a multiple - tank system . in a multiple - tank system , the reactors fill in sequence , the criterion being that one reactor must have completed draw prior to another completing fill . the present invention will be more particularly described in the following examples . these examples , however , are not intended to limit the scope of the invention except as defined in the appended claims . the microorganism was kept on lb agar plates with 0 . 1 % ( v / v ) leachate added to prevent the loss of leachate - degradative activities . lb , per liter of water , consists of 10 . 0 g . of tryptone , 5 . 0 gr . of yeast extract . 5 . 0 g . of sodium chloride , and 1 . 0 g . of glucose . the ph was adjusted to 7 . 0 with naoh . after autoclaving , the leachate was added to 0 . 1 % ( v / v ). for solid media , agar was added to a concentration of 1 . 5 % ( w / v ). methods of microorganism identification followed standard procedures as outlined in bergey &# 39 ; s manual and the journal of general microbiology . an experiment to determine if the microorganism employed the ortho or meta pathway for cleavage of the aromatic ring was performed as outlined in the manual of methods for general bacteriology . esherichia coli was used as the negative control . growth tests were conducted in 250 ml . ehrlenmeyer flasks . the inoculant was a turbid solution formed by dispersing approximately one loopful of culture in sterile water . one ml . of inoculant was added to 100 ml . of sterile basal salts medium containing 1 . 0 mg / ml of the test substrate . test substrates included 2 - chlorobenzoic acid , 3 - chlorobenzoic acid , 4 - chlorobenzoic acid , and 2 , 5 - dichlorobenzoic acid . growth on p - hydroxybenzoate was used as a control . after inoculation , the flasks were placed in a 28 ° c . floor shaker . cell density was used as an indication of cell growth . cell density measurements were taken at 420 nm . using the bausch and lomb spectronic 20 . klebsiella oxytoca strain sal - 18a was isolated from leachate from a chemical waste landfill site . this microorganism , which has been assigned accession number ivi - 10113 is a gram negative , facultative anaerobic coccobacilli . the isolate was tested to determine if it utilized the ortho or meta pathway for cleavage of the aromatic ring , and was found to employ the ortho pathway . the degradation of halogenated aromatic compounds has been shown to occur only via the ortho pathway . the meta pathway is unproductive for the degradation of haloaromatics . therefore , this microorganism might possess the potential to catabolize haloaromatic compounds . growth tests revealed that the isolate was able to utilize p - hydroxybenzoate in the liquid culture as the sole source of carbon and energy . therefore , the isolate was capable of metabolizing aromatic compounds . however , it was not able to grow in liquid culture on any of the chlorobenzoates as tested here . the presence of the chloride substituent was assumed to be the inhibiting factor suggesting that enzyme systems in this isolate were not capable of attacking the chlorinated aromatic acids . the fact that this microbe did not grow on the test substrates does not indicate total noninvolvement in the degradation of these compounds . it may have been responsible for partial degradation , or it may only be effective in the degradation of chlorobenzoates via a cometabolic process . cometabolism has been observed in the degradation of chlorobenzoates . this isolate may therefore require a mixed substrate or mixed culture environment for metabolism of the test compounds . prior to plasmid extraction , the microorganism was grown for 20 to 24 hours at 27 degrees celsium on lb plus 0 . 1 % ( v / v ) leachate agar plates . the presence of the leachate in the growth medium applied selective pressure on the microorganism for the retention of plasmids . the plasmid extraction procedure was that of hanson , j . b . and olsen , r . h ., &# 34 ; isolation of large bacterial plasmids and characterization of the p2 incompatibility group plasmids pmg1 and pmg5 &# 34 ;, journal of bacteriology , 135 , 277 ( 1978 ). stock solutions are listed in table 2 and plasmid isolation is listed in table 3 . table 2______________________________________solution contents______________________________________te buffer 0 . 5 m tris -( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane ( tris ) ( ph 8 . 0 ) 0 . 2 m disodiumethylenediaminetetraacetate ( na2edta ) ( ph 8 . 0 ) tes buffer 0 . 05 m tris 0 . 05 m sodium chloride 5 . 0 mm na2edtatris / sucrose 25 % ( w / v ) sucrosebuffer 0 . 05 m trisna2edta 0 . 25 m na2edta ( ph 8 . 0 ) solutionsds 20 % ( w / v ) sodium lauryl sulfate in tealkaline 3 . 0 n sodium hydroxide ( naoh ) denaturationsolutionneutralizing 2 . 0 m tris ( ph 7 . 0 ) solutionhigh salt 5 . 0 m sodium chloride ( nacl ) solution______________________________________ table 3______________________________________step operation______________________________________cell growth 20 to 24 hours on lb plus 0 . 1 % ( v / v ) leachate agar platescell lysis washed cells resuspended in 25 % sucrose buffer with 100 ug . of mutanolysin refrigerate in ice bath for one hour 0 . 25 m na2edta ( ph 8 . 0 ) added sds added to 4 . 0 % ( w / v ) intermittent heat pulses at 55 ° c . in water bathalkaline 3 . 0 n naoh added to raise ph to 12 . 1 to 12 . 3denaturationneutralization 2 . 0 m tris ( ph 7 . 0 ) added to reduce ph to 8 . 5 to 9 . 0precipitation of sds added to 4 . 0 % ( w / v ) and 5 . 0 m naclmembrane - added to 1 . 0 mchromosomalcomplexes refrigerate in ice bath overnightconcentration of polyethylene glycol added to 10 % ( w / v ) plasmid dna refrigerate in ice bath overnight centrifugation at 2500 rpm for 5 minutes and resuspend in 0 . 2 ml . of tes buffer______________________________________ centrifuges used in plasmid isolation included the fisher micro - centrifuge model 235b for plasmid mini - preps . larger preps were centrifuged in 50 . 0 ml . propylene centrifuge tubes using the sorvall superspeed rc2 - b automatic refrigerated centrifuge . cesium - chloride equilibrium density gradients of the crude plasmid extracts were performed in the beckman nodel 13 - 50 ultracentrifuge . following ultracentrifugation , purified plasmid dna was dialyzed against a buffer which consisted of 10 . 0 mm tris , 15 . 0 mm nacl , and 2 . 0 mm edta in water . ph was 8 . 0 . plasmid dna was subjected to electrophoresis . a tris - borate gel buffer was used . it consisted of 10 . 8 g / l of tris , 5 . 5 g / l of borate , and 4 . 0 ml . of a 0 . 5 m na2edta solution ( ph 8 . 0 ). large gels were run on the brl horizontal gel electrophoresis system model h3 in 0 . 7 % ( w / v ) agarose gels at 80 volts for 3 hours . mini gels were performed on the hoefer scientific he 33 &# 34 ; minnie &# 34 ; horizontal submarine unit in 1 . 0 % ( w / v ) agarose gels at 140 volts for 45 minutes . the heath zenith regulated h . v . power supply model sp - 2717a was used with both units . the tracking dye was 50 % glycerol , 0 . 07 % bromophenol blue , and 50 . 0 mm of edta in water . gels were stained with ethidium bromide , 0 . 1 ug / ml in tris - borate buffer , in the dark for one half hour . all gels were photographed using an ultra violet products chromato - vue transilluminator model tm - 36 with a polaroid mp - 4 land camera 44 - 01 equipped with a red filter . mini - survey lysis ( hol ii ), a small , quick assay , and the multiplate procedures were employed for plasmid extraction . hol ii is used in association with gel electrophoresis for rapid initial examination of bacteria to determine the presence or absence of plasmids . the multiplate hansen and olsen method ( ho ) is used when large amounts of plasmid dna are to be extracted . the hansen and olsen multiplate procedure , in association with cesium - chloride equilibrium density gradient centrifugation , was employed in isolating plasmids . the results were consistent and reproducible . the procedure was modified slightly to accomodate the nature of the microorganism . the isolate was resistant to lysing possibly due to the fact that it originated from such an extreme environment . therefore , the lysis step was extended from five to sixty minutes to provide for more complete lysing of the cell suspension . also , mutanolysin , instead of lysozyme , was used as the lysing agent . the results using the ho procedure showed that klebsiella oxytoca strain sal - 18a contained a large plasmid comparable in size to the larger plasmid of pseudomonas cepacia strain ss3 . previously , three large plasmids were found in strain ss3 using the hansen and olsen procedure and it was demonstrated that the chloro aromatic degradative ability of strain ss3 was transmissible via these plasmids . these plasmids were identified as pro 4 . 7 , pro 31 and pro 54 in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 447 , 570 . the fact that this isolate possessed plasmids suggested that the plasmids coded for the degradation of complex organic compounds . it was obtained from leachate from a landfill site which had been used for the disposal of chlorinated organic wastes . plasmids have been shown to code for the dissimilation of complex organic compounds to simple organic acids which can be used in the central pathways of the microorganism . they can spread among indigenous populations via recombination , conjugation , or transformation thus serving the evolutionary process via the conferring of genetic diversity . they may have evolved as a survival mechamism for microorganisms in extreme environments . under conditions of high localized concentrations of toxic substances , as existed at the landfill , plasmid encoded functions are capable of detoxifying the environment . the plasmids in the present microorganism may have evolved for this purpose . although various embodiments of this invention have been shown and described in the specification , this invention is intended to be construed liberally and not limited by any specific embodiments as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art . it is to be understood , therefore , that the appended claims are intended to cover all modifications and variations which are within the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 2 |
systems consistent with this invention allow viewers of an entertainment program to purchase products seen on these programs . the term “ entertainment program ,” as used in the specification , refers to programs whose primary purpose is to entertain , and not to sell products or services . examples of “ entertainment programs ” include soap operas , sitcoms , dramas , sporting events , and movies . an entertainment program may be transmitted over any transmission media , such as wireless transmission , cable , or the internet , or stored on a storage media , such as video tape or laser disk . further , an entertainment program may be displayed on any broadcast media , such as television . the term “ prop ” refers to an item actually used on an entertainment program . the term “ product ” refers to merchandise similar to a prop . by similar it is meant that the product is visually and / or functionally indistinguishable from the prop . the product may or not be the same brand and / or make and model of the prop , but will not be the actual prop used in the show . this includes but is not limited to clothing , furniture , electronic goods , jewelry , cars , sporting goods and the like . the term product is not restricted to physical goods , but also includes services such as vacations or tickets to sporting events or shows . additionally , videos of the episode would also be available for sale through this service . in one such system , a central controller stores information about products available for sale . before an entertainment program is broadcasted , viewers are shown a telephone number that they can call to find out whether certain products used in the program are available for sale . calling this telephone number connects viewers to an operator who queries them regarding products they are interested in purchasing . the operator then compares the information provided by the viewers with information stored in the central controller &# 39 ; s database to identify the particular products each viewer would each like to purchase . the database is organized to allow the operator to access information with only a minimal amount of information describing the product . the operator may also provide viewers with information about products other than those the viewers asked about . if the viewers are interested in purchasing a product at this point , an order is placed for the product through the operator . fig1 illustrates a block diagram of a system 100 consistent with the present invention . system 100 includes a central controller 110 , a viewer interface 120 , a telephonic interactive voice response unit ( ivru ) 130 , a plurality of operator terminals 140 , a plurality of remote terminals 150 , and a vendor facility 160 . although fig1 shows three operator terminals 140 and three remote terminals 150 , any number of these terminals may be connected to central controller 110 . similarly , one viewer interface 120 or multiple viewer interfaces 120 can access each operator terminal 140 through a corresponding ivru 130 . central controller 110 is linked to operator terminals 140 , remote terminals 150 , and vendor facility 160 through communication links , such as telephone lines or other data communication lines . ivru 130 is linked to viewer interface 120 by conventional telephone lines . central controller 110 receives product data and entertainment program data from remote terminals 150 and stores this data in a memory , as described below . further , viewer interface 120 transmits a product request to a corresponding ivru 130 and operator terminal 140 , each of which may be located in a call service center . the product request describes a particular product of interest to the viewer , and an operator at operator terminal 140 processes the product request . terminal 140 then transmits program description data corresponding to the request to central controller 110 , which , after accessing the product and program data stored in its memory , transmits product identification data back to operator terminal 140 . this data is provided to viewer interface 120 . if the viewer decides to purchases a product , controller 110 transmits product order data to vendor facility 160 , which then routes the purchased product to the viewer . central controller 110 preferably includes a digital data processing unit programmed to execute unique functions and operations in accordance with the principles of the invention . such a digital data processing unit may include conventional hardware , such as the ibm rs 6000 . operator terminals 140 and remote terminals 150 are digital data processing units , such as conventional personal computers configured to carry out the functions and operations described below . viewer interface 120 preferably comprises a conventional touch - tone telephone , although any device capable of transmitting messages may be employed . in one embodiment viewer interface 120 comprises a conventional personal computer with a modem . the user connects to central controller 110 or operator terminal 140 via the internet or other appropriate data communication channels . fig2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of central controller 110 . central controller 110 includes certain standard hardware components , such as central processing unit ( cpu ) 210 , random access memory ( ram ) 220 , read only memory ( rom ) 230 , clock 240 , communication port 250 , and data storage 260 . cpu 210 is linked to each of the other listed elements . communication port 250 interfaces central controller 110 with operator terminal 140 , remote terminal 150 , and vendor facility 160 . central controller 110 executes one or more programs to perform the functions and operations described below , and stores several databases of data relating to those functions and operations . these databases include program database 262 , product database 263 , vendor database 264 , and order database 265 . the programs ( described in reference to fig1 and 11 ) are preferably stored in storage device 260 and executed by cpu 210 . transaction processor 261 manages the storage and retrieval from the databases in data storage device 260 . transaction processor 261 may comprise a separate conventional microprocessor , as shown in fig2 , or may comprise a portion of the operating function of cpu 210 . program database 262 provides a repository of information on entertainment programs on which products available for sale were used . by accessing the information stored in database 262 , operator terminal 140 can identify the particular entertainment program the viewer is calling about . fig5 shows a possible organization of database 262 with the following fields for each program : program record number 510 ; network 515 ; class 520 ; program title 525 ; episode date and time 530 ; scene data 535 ; episode status 540 ; episode title 545 ; episode plot 550 ; and special characters 555 . a manager of the system assigns program record number 510 , which uniquely identifies a particular entertainment program . in one embodiment , program record number 510 could correspond to a program identifying number used in the vcr plus system . scene data field 535 includes information identifying a particular program scene in which a prop was used . a sitcom , for example , might have a scene data record describing the activity of the characters in the kitchen if the prop being sold is a kitchen utensil . the remaining fields are self - explanatory . episode plot field 550 includes information describing the plot of a particular episode of an entertainment program . special characters field 555 includes data representing , for example , guest characters or persons appearing in a particular episode . in alternative embodiments , program database 262 includes fewer or more fields of program information . product database 263 provides a table of information on products indexed by a program record number 610 , which may be the same as program record number 510 . by accessing the information in product database 263 , operator terminal 140 can identify the particular product that the viewer is interested in purchasing . as shown in fig6 , database 263 preferably includes the following fields on each product offered for sale : program record number 610 ; product type 615 ; program identifying data 620 ; product identifying data 625 ; product description 630 ; vendor 635 ; product cost 640 ; availability 645 ; and time code 650 . program and product identifying fields 620 and 625 include information that enables the identification of programs , and products offered for sale on the programs , respectively . such information describes characteristics of the entertainment programs and associated products . thus , program identifying data field 620 typically contains information similar to episode plot field 550 . time code field 650 includes a range of time code values corresponding to the time during which the respective product was displayed on the program . product database 263 further includes information about the type of product for sale ( product type 615 ), and retail information about the product description 630 , vendor 635 , product cost 640 , and availability 645 . in practice , product database 263 may include fewer or more fields for product information . vendor database 264 contains a table of information on the different vendors who supply the products . this table is preferably indexed by various vendor names . the information stored in vendor database 264 reflects information that central controller 110 can access about product vendors when placing orders . in other words , vendor database 264 provides information that may be either provided to viewer interface 120 or used while placing an order with a particular product vendor . fig7 shows a possible organization for vendor information containing the following fields on each registered vendor : vendor name 710 ; vendor identification number 715 ; products sold by the vendor 720 ; location of the vendor 725 ; and preferred methods of payment 730 . the nature of these fields are self - explanatory . in alternative embodiments , vendor database 264 may include more or fewer fields . order database 265 includes a data file for each order placed by a viewer . fig8 shows a possible organization of database 265 with the following fields for each viewer : viewer name 810 ; viewer address 815 ; order tracking number 820 ; order date 825 ; order amount 830 ; product ordered 835 ; product identification number 840 ; method of payment used 845 ; shipping data 850 ; and vendor used 855 ( same as vendor field 710 ). product identification number 840 is preferably assigned by vendor 855 . the nature of the remaining fields are self - explanatory . order database 265 may , however , include fewer or more fields for order information . fig3 shows the architecture of remote terminal 150 of system 100 . communication port 350 provides an interface for linking remote terminal 150 to central controller 110 . as shown in fig3 , remote terminal 150 includes conventional computer components , including cpu 310 , which is connected to video driver 320 , video terminal 322 , data entry unit 324 , ram 330 , rom 340 , communication port 350 , and data storage device 360 . video terminal 322 is connected to cpu 310 through video driver 320 . data entry unit 324 , shown to include a keyboard and a mouse , is connected to cpu 310 for entering data . cpu 310 executes program modules ( described in reference to fig9 ) preferably stored in storage device 360 to perform the functions and operations described below in connection with remote terminal 150 . storage device 360 includes transaction processor 361 , program database 362 , and product database 363 . with respect to data entry operations , remote terminal 150 operates conventionally . a remote terminal operator enters into remote terminal 110 program data for program database 362 and product data for product database 363 . under control of a program stored , for example , in storage device 360 or rom 340 , cpu 310 formats the data for storage in program database 362 and product database 363 . databases 362 and 363 are similar in organization to program database 262 of fig5 and product database 263 of fig6 , except that databases 362 and 363 contain information entered in the remote terminal 150 . fig4 shows the architecture of operator terminal 140 according to the invention . communication port 450 provides an interface for linking operator terminal 140 to central controller 110 and ivru 130 . as shown in fig4 , operator terminal 140 includes cpu 410 which is connected to video driver 420 , video terminal 422 , data entry unit 424 , ram 430 , rom 440 , and data storage device 460 . these components may also be conventional . video terminal 422 is connected to cpu 410 through video driver 420 . data entry unit 424 , shown to include a keyboard and a mouse , is connected to cpu 410 for entering data . cpu 410 executes modules stored in storage device 460 to perform functions and operations described below . further , storage device 460 includes transaction processor 461 and order database 462 . database 462 comprises a subset of order database 265 of fig8 , and includes order information generated locally by operator terminal 140 . two different aspects of the operation of system 100 will be described . first , system 100 operates to create the databases for the sale of products . second , system 100 operates using the databases to enable viewers to purchase products shown on an entertainment program . fig9 is a flowchart illustrating steps for entering program and product information into system 100 . this data entry may be performed during or after the filming or taping of an entertainment program . as shown in fig9 , a remote terminal operator reviews the script of the entertainment program to determine which products will be offered for sale ( step 910 ). according to one embodiment of the invention , the products sold are not the actual props used on the program , but substantially identical merchandise ordered from the particular product vendor . in alternative embodiments , the actual props used on an entertainment program are sold to viewers . the actual items used by celebrities often have a significantly higher market value than identical , but new , items . therefore , the price for the actual prop of an entertainment program may be determined , for example , by an auction among the viewers in which the prop is sold to the highest bidder during a fixed period of time . in an auction , each viewer telephones ivru 130 to place his bid with an operator . central controller 110 determines the winner of the auction by ranking the viewer bids . the remote terminal operator enters program data for storage in local program database 362 of remote terminal 150 ( step 920 ) and product data for storage in local product database 363 of remote terminal 150 ( step 930 ). examples of types of program data and product data are shown in fig3 and 4 . remote terminal 150 transmits the data stored in program database 362 and product database 363 to central controller 110 ( step 940 ). this may be done shortly after the remote terminal operator has entered the data or at a specified time interval ( e . g ., once a week ). once central controller 110 receives the transmitted data , controller 110 processes and indexes the data . fig1 illustrates one way which controller 110 processes and indexes the data . as shown in fig1 , central controller 110 receives the data stored in program database 362 and product database 363 from remote terminal 150 ( step 1010 ). cpu 210 processes the data and accesses the program and product databases 262 and 263 from data storage device 260 ( step 1020 ). next , controller 110 merges the program and product data received from remote terminal 150 into the respective program and product databases 262 and 263 ( step 1030 ). furthermore , controller 110 preferably merges program and product data from a plurality of remote terminals 150 , each remote terminal 150 corresponding to a different entertainment program . controller 110 then assigns a program record number to each new program data file received from each remote terminal 150 ( step 1040 ). once the transaction is completed , the product data is indexed by the program record number ( step 1050 ). fig1 a - 11 b illustrate the process in which system 100 allows a viewer to purchase a product used in a broadcasted entertainment program . an entertainment program is broadcast to a number of viewers using conventional broadcast techniques ( step 1105 ), such as over - the - air television broadcasts and cable transmission . the program may also be played from a storage media , such as a video cassette or an optical laser disc , upon which the program is recorded or stored . if the program is played from a storage media , the program may include a statement telling the viewer the date after which products shown on the program will no longer be available for purchase . when a viewer wishes to purchase a product displayed in the program , he calls the service using viewer interface 120 and is connected to ivru 130 ( step 1110 ). various methods may be used to disseminate the telephone number of the service to the viewers . in one embodiment of the invention , the provider of the program adds a text overlay to the entertainment program to provide the viewer with the telephone number of the ivru 130 . the telephone number may be displayed either before the start of the entertainment program , at the end of the program , during a commercial ; or during the program in a corner or along a side of the screen . the telephone number could also be made available in an entertainment program listing , such as tv guide . the telephone number may be an 800 number , and the purchase price of a product is preferably charged to the viewer using either a credit card or personal check . in a further embodiment of the invention , a 900 number is used as a communication and / or a payment interface for purchasing the desired product . in one such mode , the cost of the 900 number call is the cost of the requested product plus a connection charge . when a viewer / caller has confirmed an order using a standard ivru interface or by talking to a live operator , the cost of the product is billed to his phone number . in another mode , the 900 number charges a service fee for the call plus a connection charge . payment for the product is made in a conventional manner . a time code may also be superimposed near the corner of the screen . the time code may be a running clock which is incremented as the program is broadcasted . in this embodiment , time code field 650 in product database 263 contains the values of the time code during which products were displayed on the program . by displaying the time code during the program broadcast , the viewer can identify products by the time code value indicated when the viewer noticed the product was shown . ivru 130 preferably includes a voice prompt system which asks the viewer a series of questions to identify the particular program the viewer is calling about , and the viewer responds by pressing the telephone keys ( step 1115 ). for example , a viewer calling the service to order a suit an actor was wearing in a recent episode is queried by the ivru 130 for the following information : network identification ( cbs , nbc , tnt , fox , abc , espn , usa ), time of day ( am , pm ) and episode time ( 8 : 00 pm ), date of episode ( march 4 ) and name of show ( seinfeld ). ivru 130 transmits the responses from the viewer interface 120 to central controller 110 ( step 1120 ). central controller 110 then transmits program description data to operator terminal 140 ( step 1125 ). in response , operator terminal 140 receives product identification data from controller 110 ( step 1130 ). viewer interface 120 &# 39 ; s call is then transferred to a live operator ( step 1135 ) who , based upon the information received from controller 110 , asks the viewer further questions ( perhaps even repeating the same questions as necessary ) to determine which product the viewer would like to purchase ( step 1140 ). in an alternative embodiment , the viewer does not have to know the name of the program when describing the product to ivru 130 or to the live operator . for example , the viewer could state “ i don &# 39 ; t know the name of the program , but a tall guy spilled coffee on something .” the operator would then perform a 5 keyword search on databases 262 and 263 , using the description given by the viewer . in this way , the particular product may be identified without additional information from the viewer . continuing on fig1 b , the operator then accesses databases 262 and 263 to find data on the particular product that the viewer would like to purchase ( step 1145 ). central controller 110 then outputs the data on the particular product to the operator ( step 1150 ). the operator , in turn , then provides product ordering information to viewer interface 120 and requests payment for the product ( step 1155 ). once the operator receives the viewer &# 39 ; s payment , for example , a credit or debit card account number , the call is terminated ( step 1160 ) and the order is placed with vendor facility 160 ( step 1165 ). vendor facility 160 then sends the purchased product to the viewer ( step 1170 ). alternatively , the service could simply forward the call to the vendor once the product has been identified and not process the order at all . in an alternative embodiment , the present invention is practiced using an internet interface to the service central controller 110 . in this embodiment , a viewer connects to a service web page using conventional web browser software and enters show and product identifying information in response to programmed queries . a conventional search engine searches the appropriate databases , retrieves the episode and product information and displays a graphic presentation of the product . the viewer then visually identifies the product , and verifies electronically that the selection is correct . if the product selection was incorrect , the viewer is given the option to modify his search terms and submit a new query . once the correct product is identified , the viewer purchases the product using conventional payment methods , and it is shipped to him . this embodiment has the advantage of not requiring human agents to process orders . systems and methods consistent with the invention significantly increase the financial revenue of an entertainment program by selling props or products used on the program . this added revenue may lessen the entertainment program &# 39 ; s dependency on advertising , allowing greater freedom in the artistic content of the programs . vendors may also be willing to pay more to have their products shown on an entertainment program due to the enhanced exposure associated with being on the program . to this end , systems consistent with the invention efficiently assemble program and product data into databases accessed by a central controller . such data may be assembled , for example , for live broadcast entertainment programs , prerecorded ( video tape ) entertainment programs , or digital ( laser disc ) entertainment programs . systems and methods consistent with this invention also provide a simple , effective interface through which viewers may purchase products of an entertainment program without special codes or product numbers to identify the products . the viewer simply describes the entertainment program that he was viewing , the particular scene in which the product was used , or merchandise information to identify the particular product . thus , there is no need for the viewer to know particular information about the product or prop itself . this provides added flexibility that will increase sales of those products by simplifying the ordering process . accordingly , the present invention provides a system and method which efficiently sells products used on an entertainment program . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the system and method of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the inventor provides a network - based system for obtaining and aggregating off - line data pertinent to users and makes the data available to such users in a usable form accessible through a single interface connected to the network . the method and apparatus of the present invention is practiced in various embodiments and is described in enabling detail below . [ 0028 ] fig1 is an architectural overview of a communication network 9 wherein off - line data is retrieved , aggregated , and rendered available to users according to an embodiment of the present invention . communication network 9 comprises three separate and disparate but participatory networks . a data - packet - network 25 , which is the internet network in this example and hereinafter referred to as internet 25 , is illustrated as one of the three participatory networks . a telephony network 24 , which is a well - known public - switched - telephony - network ( pstn ) in this example and hereinafter referred to as pstn 24 is illustrated as another . a cellular network 26 is illustrated as the third participatory network in this embodiment . it should be understood that networks 26 , 25 , and 24 are exemplary , and not limiting to the invention . for example , internet 25 may be instead a wide - area - network ( wan ), either corporate or private . pstn 24 may instead be a private telephony network . wireless network 26 may be any type of wireless communication network using cellular , or other wireless communications technologies . the inventor chooses networks 25 - 26 in combination to form communication network 9 as a preferred example of a communications network wherein the present invention may be practiced . internet network 25 is further exemplified by an internet backbone 15 illustrated herein as extending therethrough . backbone 15 represents all of the lines , equipment , and connection points making up the internet network as a whole including any sub - networks connected thereto . therefore there are no geographic limitations to the practice of the present invention . similarly speaking , pstn 24 represents all the lines connection points and equipment making up the pstn network as a whole including other accessible telephony networks that may be connected thereto . wireless network 26 represents all accessible cellular areas or other wireless communications boundaries accessible through pstn 24 . a service provider 27 is illustrated within internet 25 and adapted to provide data - aggregation and summary services to users as described in cross - referenced document ser . no . 09 / 323 , 598 . however , this specification will focus on a novel capability of providing a service wherein off - line data may be accessed , aggregated , and presented to users . in this example a portal server 35 is provided within service provider 27 and connected to backbone 15 . server 35 is adapted as a user - interfacing server for providing access to services offered by provider 27 including aggregation of off - line data . server 35 serves electronic information pages , known as web pages in the art , to requesting users accessing the server over backbone 15 . an example of such a user is exemplified in this embodiment by a pc icon 11 illustrated as connected to backbone 15 by an internet - access line 12 . pc 11 represents any user &# 39 ; s computer equipment capable of accessing server 35 through internet backbone 15 . it may be assumed in this example that pc 11 accesses server 35 by way of normal internet connectivity means such as may be known in the art . examples of possible internet connection schemes include dial - up modem connection through an internet - service - provider ( isp ) through pstn 24 , an integrated - services - digital - network ( isdn ) line or digital - subscriber - line ( dsl ), cable / modem technology , and through various wireless connection technologies . there are many variant connection - architectures possible in the art , therefore internet access line 12 is intended solely to logically represent an internet connection . portal server 35 is adapted to serve personalized portal pages to requesting users as described in both cross - referenced documents ser . no . 09 / 208 , 740 and ser . no . 09 / 323 , 598 , wherein interactive input mechanisms are provided for ordering various data summarization services . in this example , users may access portal server 35 for the purpose of ordering a data summary representing a compilation of off - line data messages held at various off - line locations . the term off - line as used in this specification refers to any user - subscribed data sources that are accessible by telephone or other communication mode , but do not have an internet presence . such data may represent standard telephone messages , cellular phone messages , pager messages , voice mail messages , and any other types of recorded , typically electronic entities that may be normally accessible by dialing a connection - oriented - switched - telephony ( cost ) telephone number . an outbound dialing server ( ods ) 29 is provided within service provider 27 and illustrated as connected to internet backbone 15 . ods 29 is adapted as an automated outbound dialing system capable of accessing cost telephone numbers . a data repository ( dr ) 31 is provided and illustrated as connected to ods 29 by virtue of a high - speed data link . data repository 31 is adapted to hold profile and practical data about users who subscribe to on - line and off - line data aggregation services provided by service provider 27 . examples of the types of data held in repository 31 include , but are not limited to , contact information , identification information , account information , and certain profile data . an instance of software ( sw ) 13 ( b , a ) is provided as a client / server application with one part distributed to ods 29 ( 13 a ) and another part distributed to pc 11 ( 13 b ). sw 13 b at pc 11 may , in one embodiment , be a browser plug - in adapted to communicate data to sw 13 a running on ods 29 . in this case , portal server 35 simply redirects users to server 29 for requested off - line data aggregation services . re - direction may be accomplished by hyper - linking from a personal interface served by server 35 to an electronic interface ( not shown ) provided in server 29 . it is noted herein , that data repository 31 contains , in addition to user identification and contact parameters , user supplied telephone numbers and access codes ( n / ac 32 ) for enabling server 29 to obtain associated off - line message data using outbound dialing technology . off - line message data for a user is illustrated as available from a variety of sources illustrated in this embodiment . wireless network 26 contains a wireless service provider ( wsp ) 43 . wsp 43 provides wireless services to users operating wireless communications devices . one such device illustrated in this embodiment is a pager 41 . pager 41 is a two - way pager in this example . wsp 43 may also provide services to other types of devices such as a cellular telephone or a fixed wireless telephone . in this example , wsp provides a voice mail service 51 enabling a user of pager 41 to retrieve voice mails held at the service location . a computer - telephony - integrated switch ( cti / sw ) 23 is illustrated within pstn 24 and adapted as a telephone call routing and switching point within the network . cti / sw 23 may be any type of telephony switch known in the art such as an automatic call distributor ( acd ), or other known equipment . off - line message locations accessible through cti / sw 23 include an illustrated telephone 37 connected to an answering machine 39 . telephone 37 is connected to cti / sw 23 by way of a telephone line 36 . answering machine 39 is adapted to hold voice messages left for a user or users of telephone 37 . a voice message service 49 is illustrated in this example and represents an entity providing a voice mail service for users . service 49 is connected to switch 23 by virtue of telephony trunk 44 . an example of service 49 would be that of a live - operator answering service for a business . it is noted herein that cti / sw 23 is connected to wsp 43 by a telephony trunk 45 . therefore , all of the off - line data sources illustrated in this embodiment are accessible in this example through pstn 24 and a cti / sw 23 . in another embodiment , disparate off - line data sources may be accessible by varied network paths and not necessarily through a single network switch ( 23 ). cti / sw 23 is connected to internet backbone 15 by a network access line 17 . it is noted herein but not illustrated that a network gateway adapted for bridging pstn 24 to internet 25 is assumed to be present somewhere along network access line 17 in order to enable cross communication between the networks . such capability is known the art and described in the background section . it is assumed in this example that a user operating pc 11 is a same user identified as a receiver of off - line message data held in answering machine 3 9 , at voice message service 49 , and at wsp 43 by virtue of voice mail service 51 . in a prior - art scenario , the user operating pc 11 must either through pc 11 and an ip phone software , or through a telephone ( not shown ), dial - up each telephone number associated with each off - line message source and enter appropriate access codes by touch tone or voice means in order to remotely retrieve his or her messages . in practice of the present invention , a user operating pc 11 accesses portal server 35 via an internet - access technology as described above , and receives a personal portal page . by invoking a hyperlink provided within the served portal page , the off - line data aggregation service of the present invention hosted , in this example , within server 29 is accessed . server 29 is now the interfacing server communicating with pc 11 . once connected to ods 29 , a request may be initiated from pc 11 for collection , aggregation , and presentation of off - line data . upon receiving a request from a user operating pc 11 , ods 29 accesses data repository 31 to obtain the appropriate telephone numbers and access codes ( 32 ) that will be used to enable processing of the request . ods 29 , by virtue of sw 13 a , places outbound calls to the appropriate telephone numbers associated with the off - line data sources . once connected to a telephone number representing an off - line data source , the appropriate access code is used to invoke audio playback of stored messages . a recording function ( not shown ) attributed to sw 13 a records message data during playback and stores the data on behalf of the requesting user in data repository 31 . after a request is completely processed , the requesting user may access all off - line messages through a single interface during the same transaction . aggregated message data may be temporarily held in data repository 31 or in any other connected repository accessible to ods 29 for to portal server 35 . in one embodiment of the present invention request for retrieving off - line data and rendering it available may be real - time requests wherein the process is conducted while the requesting user is still in session ( pc 11 to ods 29 ) as described above . in another embodiment of the present invention requests may be pre - configured to execute on a periodic basis whether or not the requesting user is physically connected to the service . in the latter case , a user operating pc 11 may be notified of available messages at the time of login to portal server 35 . rendering of off - line data into a form that may be transmitted to pc 11 may be accomplished using analog to digital conversion technologies . voice data can , for example , be obtained and converted into a . wav or other known digital file format that is downloadable to pc 11 . in one embodiment , voice messages , whether analog or digital , may be recorded and converted to text messages using voice to text software . there are many possibilities . the service of the present invention enables a user operating pc 11 or another internet - capable device to retrieve off - line data from disparate sources through a single user interface during one transaction . [ 0042 ] fig2 is a block diagram illustrating off - line data aggregation application 13 ( a , b ) of fig1 according to an embodiment of the present invention . server side application 13 a , illustrated as executing on server 29 of fig1 above , comprises a plurality of functional modules in this embodiment . a proxy dialer 53 is provided within application 13 a and represents an ip telephone application capable of automated outbound dialing using user - supplied telephone numbers as data input . proxy dialer 53 may also include a function enabling automated interaction with an interactive - voice - response ( ivr ) system . for example , after dialing a number and connecting to the associated destination , voice recognition software may be utilized to understand ivr instruction regarding entering an access code in order to retrieve specific messages . in some embodiments , an appropriate access code for retrieving messages is automatically entered by proxy dialer 53 after connecting to a destination service . in other embodiments dialer 53 may wait for an ivr voice prompt before entering a code . these types of parameters or rules - for - access may be preprogrammed with specific telephone numbers and access codes supplied by users . sw 13 a accesses telephone numbers and access codes from data repository 31 described in fig1 . a data - accessing module ( dam ) 59 is provided for this purpose . a single user request may embody one , more than one , or all of the user &# 39 ; s telephone numbers and access codes . in a real time service embodiment , sw 13 a accesses only the required numbers and access codes to fill a particular request . it is assumed that in a periodic service environment that all provided numbers and access codes would be utilized during a data - retrieval and store scenario that would be performed perhaps once per day on behalf of all requesting users . however any combination of services may be configured by a requesting user . a recording module 55 is provided within sw 13 a and adapted to record voice messages as they are played during connection with a data source . module 55 may be programmed to start and stop based on instruction from proxy dialer 53 . recording module 55 may record according to any desired digital format known the art . a voiced to text conversion module 57 is provided as an optional module within sw 13 a . module 57 uses voice to text technology to convert a record voice message into a text message . user - side application 13 b , illustrated on pc 11 of fig1 provides a user configuration interface for pre - configuring parameters and communicating and updating telephone numbers and access codes . a user configuration module 61 is provided to enable a user to input telephone numbers and access codes for destinations having message data for access as well as to input known rules for accessing data . module 61 also enables a user to pre - configure requests designed to be executed periodically . an input module 62 enables a user to configure real - time requests to be executed while a user is connected in session with ods 29 of fig1 . a module 63 is provided for keeping a current user list of telephone numbers and access codes stored in user cache . communication modules ( none shown ) may be assumed to be present for enabling data communication between application 13 a and 13 b . in one embodiment of the present invention , sw applications 13 a and 13 b are provided as a single application running on ods 29 of fig1 . in another embodiment , the software may be provided on any other server designated as an interfacing server . the method of user interface is in preferred embodiments , an html interface displayable on such as pc 11 , however other technologies may be employed for other types of access devices . for example , a scaled - down version ( web clipping ) of interfacing media may be provided for web - enabled cell phones , hand - held computers , and other internet - capable accessing devices . in addition to access and aggregation of personalized message data , the method and apparatus of the present invention may be used to access and aggregate publicly accessible data . examples include but are not limited to recorded movie listings , traffic and weather alerts , emergency instruction data , and virtually any other type of recorded data accessible by telephone . it will be apparent to one with skill in the art , that there may be more software modules illustrated in application 13 ( a , b ) than are illustrated in this example without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , application program interface ( api ) modules may exist for interfacing with supporting software programs providing functions such as voice recognition , voiced to text conversion , instruction software containing access an interaction rules for dialing and interacting with destination equipment , and so on . [ 0049 ] fig3 is a process flow diagram illustrating user and system steps for practicing the present invention according to an embodiment of the present invention . at step 65 , a user accesses a web site maintained by a service provider , which is accomplished in the example illustrated in fig1 by first accessing portal server 35 and being redirected to outbound dialing system and server 29 . it is noted herein that access may be accomplished using any internet - capable device having sufficient input functionality and display means . at step 67 , the requesting user inputs information forming a data request for receiving off - line data . step 67 represents an example wherein the requesting user initiates a sequence while physically connected to the providing server ( ods 29 ). in an embodiment wherein the off - line data is systematically aggregated , steps 79 illustrated under the heading periodic download , is performed on an ongoing basis at a frequency determined by the service provider . in this case at any pre - configured time steps 69 - 77 are automatically executed as a sequence using data pre - supplied by the requesting user . such a sequence occurs in the background and is transparent to requesting user . if at step 67 , the requesting user desires to initiate an impromptu sequence or “ refresh ”, then at step 69 the requested sent to the outbound dialing server illustrated in fig1 has ods 29 . at step 71 , the outbound dialing server retrieves access data comprising telephone numbers and access codes identified in request of step 67 from a connected data repository illustrated in fig1 as dr 31 . at step 73 , the outbound dialing server begins a sequence of automated dialing , connection , entry of access code , and recording of message data . step 73 is repeated as a process for each access telephone number identified in a single request . at step 75 , voice or text versions of the recorded data are formatted for presentation to the requesting user . voice data may be reformatted according to a wav format or other known digital formats . optionally , text renditions of the recorded data may be provided using suitable voice to text software . in the latter case , text versions of recorded messages may only be summaries of the content contained in each represented message . at step 77 , the formatted data is made available to the requesting user in the form of a download that may be presented according to a push or pull scenario based on the desire of the requesting user . it will be apparent to one with skill in the art that the user and system process steps illustrated in this example represent just one of a variety of possible sequences that may be employed and implemented for practicing the present invention . other steps to be included in an automated sequence according to variant embodiments of the invention . for example , in one embodiment step 75 would not be required to access device is capable of playing digital voice files . in another embodiment , data obtained aggregated and formatted for a user may be delivered to a node or access device other than the one initiating a request . there are many variant possibilities . the method and apparatus of the present invention may be practiced on any data - packet - network that may be bridged to any telephone network having routed access to the destination numbers of a request . therefore , the method and apparatus of the present invention should be afforded the broadest scope under examination . the spirit and scope of the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow . | 7 |
referring to the drawings , the numeral 10 designates a blood collecting pipette in the form of a straight cylindrical tube having a tip or collecting end portion 11 and an opposite end portion 12 . the bore or lumen 13 of the open - ended tube has a uniform diameter which , in the case of a capillary tube , would not exceed about 2 millimeters . the length of the tube might vary considerably in accordance with desired volumetric capacity and intended use . a characteristic feature of collection tube 10 lies in the bevel of tip 11 . end face 14 , instead of extending along a plane normal to the longitudinal axis 15 of the tube , lies along a plane disposed at an oblique angle with respect to that axis . specifically , end face 14 is oval in configuration with the long axis 16 of the oval ( fig3 ) intersecting a plane normal to the longitudinal axis 15 at an acute angle α within the range of about 35 ° to 60 ° and , preferably , 40 ° to 55 °. the optimum range for most applications is believed to be approximately 49 ° to 52 °, with angles in the upper part of such range believed to be more effective with tube materials of greater hydrophobicity . the material from which collection tube 10 is formed should be rigid , transparent , and inert with respect to biological fluids . cellulose acetate propionate has been found particularly effective , although other polymeric materials such as polystyrene , polyethylene , polypropylene , trimethyl pentene , polyethylene terephthalate , and acrylics may be used . as indicated , the tube may also be formed of glass ; however , in such a case some of the benefits of the invention will not be fully realized since one of the more important advantages of this invention lies in rendering polymeric materials operative for a use for which they have not previously been regarded as well suited , largely because of the resistance to the entry of blood and other biological fluids into the bores of blunt - ended plastic tubes . most advantageously , therefore , tube 10 is formed of a plastic material which , although relatively rigid , should not be as brittle or frangible as glass . referring to fig3 it will be observed that the inner edge 14a of the annular end face 14 is of oval configuration , a necessary result from the facts that bore 13 is cylindrical and that planar face 14 extends at an angle within the range of 35 ° to 60 ° with respect to a plane normal to the axis of that bore . outer edge 14b is also oval in configuration , although that is believed to be of lesser importance than the oval configuration of inner edge 14a . outer edge 14b should be non - circular and , if oval , its long and transverse axes should ideally be superimposed or congruent with those of the oval defined by edge 14a . the precise reasons why angling or beveling the end face of a blood collection tube markedly increases the performance of that tube may not be fully known , but it is believed that the oval configuration of end face 14 , and particularly inner edge 14a , presents to the liquid droplet surface , which tries under the action of intermolecular forces to maintain a configuration of minimum area , a gradual transition from the droplet configuration to the configuration defined by the bore . this droplet surface can assume highly complex configurations as the liquid tries to satisfy the minimum area condition subject to the constraints imposed by the surrounding solid surfaces . fig2 somewhat schematically illustrates a drop of blood 17 on a support surface 18 . internal molecular forces of attraction or cohesion cause that drop to minimize its surface area ; if the drop were free falling rather than supported , it would tend to assume a spherical configuration . even when supported as shown , such a drop tends to define a circular area of contact with surface 18 and to provide an exposed surface 17a of uniform convexity about a central axis perpendicular to the support surface . consequently , when tip 11 is urged into contact with drop 17 , the oval end surface 14 and its concentric edges , particularly inner edge 14a , cause a reformation of the contour of surface 17a . if the end surface 14 were at right angles to the bore of the tube instead of being beveled as shown , then contact between that face and the surface of the drop would tend to be compatible with the surface tensioning forces acting to minimize the surface of the drop ; in such a case , the line of contact between the drop and the inner edge of the bore would normally be circular , as presented by phanton line 19 in fig3 and such a circular line of contact would result in minimal deformation of the fluid surface within the circular opening of such a tube . in such a case , urging the blunt tip of the tube more deeply into the drop would increase hydrostatic pressure but would not appreciably alter the line of contact ; hence , if a blunt - tipped collection tube were formed of a plastic material generally regarded as being hydrophobic , contact between the tip and the drop would not sufficiently disrupt the surface tensioning forces to cause the liquid to enter the bore by capillary action unless , of course , a substantial pressure head were developed . since a drop of blood , commonly produced by pricking a finger or heel with a lancet , is of only limited volume and depth , it is difficult if not impossible to create a sufficient pressure head to overcome the surface tension and cause the fluid to enter the mouth of a blunt - tipped tube of hydrophobic material . in contrast to the action of a blunt - ended tube , contact between the end face 14 of tube 10 and drop 17 tends to minimize the surface deformations required to transform the liquid surface from the droplet configuration to the configuration defined by the inside of the tube . if , for example , tube 10 were lowered into contact with drop 17 in the direction indicated by arrow 20 , then it is believed apparent that the end face 14 would first contact the drop at two diametrically opposing points lying along the minor axis of the oval at inner edge 14a . the point contact then expands into line contact , but the line is an oval one defined by edge 14a rather than a circular one as previously described with regard to line 19 . an oval line of contact along 14a , and an oval area of contact between surface 14 and liquid surface 17a , compel changes in the liquid surface that directly oppose those forces tending to minimize the surface area of the droplet . as the droplet reforms in an effort to restore itself to a condition of minimized surface area , it adopts a configuration that causes it to creep beyond edge 14a and enter the bore of the tube . finally , once the liquid surface has entered the bore , continued flow proceeds , impelled by gravity draw and / or capillary forces . the explanation given above for the effectiveness of the tube is theoretical and it is possible that other factors may contribute to the physical operation of the present invention , but such effectiveness of operation is readily demonstrated . microcapillary tubes of polypropylene , polyethylene , polystyrene , polyethylene terephthalate , and other plastics generally regarded as hydrophobic have been found to operate effectively as spontaneously - filling capillary blood tubes only if their tips are beveled as described . blood from the exposed surface of a drop readily enters the tip of such a tube and , if the tube is disposed horizontally or sloped downwardly from its tip , will quickly fill such tube even though the material from which the tube is formed is generally classified as being hydrophobic . if such a tube is formed of a material considered to be only mildly hydrophobic or hydrophilic , then filling will occur against gravity with the tube sloping upwardly from its beveled tip end . the collection tube has been described as being formed of transparent material . the term &# 34 ; transparent &# 34 ; is used herein to mean a material having sufficient clarity to permit observation of the contents of the bore of such a tube and , therefore , such term is to be regarded as applying to materials which permit such observation even though they might be considered translucent rather than optically clear . tube 10 has been shown in the drawings as having a uniform outside diameter ; however , it is to be understood that such tube or its tip may be tapered , as disclosed in the aforementioned copending application , and such tube may have means at its opposite end for connection to a suitable collection vessel . the structure and advantages of the invention are also illustrated by the following example . acrylic capillary tubes of approximately 50 microliters capacity were compared with micropipettes formed of soda - lime glass of 50 microliters capacity , marketed by american dade division of american hospital supply corporation , miami , florida under the designation accupette . several of the acrylic tubes and , initially , all of the glass tubes , had their end surfaces at right angles to the straight uniform bores of such tubes . other acrylic tubes were identical to the first group of acrylic tubes except that their end faces were beveled at angles within the range of 45 ° to 55 ° as described above . the testing fluid was anticoagulated blood containing one milligram per milliliter of disodium edta . each glass tube filled readily from a drop of blood carried by a support surface , using standard capillary pipetting technique . using the same procedure with acrylic tubing having right angle tip surfaces , it was found to be extremely difficult to initiate entry of blood into the tips of the tubes , even when such tips were swirled or moved about in the blood droplets . once entry was initiated , it was found that such acrylic tubes would fill ; however , spontaneous entry of blood into the tips of such tubes , upon contact between the blunt ends thereof and the blood droplets , was not found to occur . spontaneous entry of blood from droplets contacted by the beveled end faces of the acrylic tubes occurred , and such tubes filled quickly and smoothly . entry and filling were found to occur most readily with a tip angle of approximately 51 °. certain of the glass tubes had their tips reformed to provide beveled surfaces within the range of 45 ° to 55 ° and were tested following the same procedure . spontaneous entry occurred as before ; however , a noticable reduction in fill time , as compared to glass tubes having blunt end faces , was observed . while in the foregoing i have disclosed an embodiment of the invention in considerable detail for purposes of illustration , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
fig1 depicts an apparatus 10 comprising a reactor 12 surrounded by a furnace 14 . the reactor 12 may be formed of quartz or metal . where a metal reactor 12 is employed , the inside of the reactor is lined with quartz ( not shown ). typically , metal reactors are more susceptible to heat loss than quartz reactors . the reactor 12 is coupled to an oxygen supply 16 and a hydrocarbon feed supply 18 . the hydrocarbon feed comprises ethane , and hydrogen and nitrogen . a catalyst 20 is located within the reactor 12 . the catalyst 20 is positioned between a pair of las heat shields 22 , 24 . the furnace is set to minimise heat losses , and the reactants 16 , 18 are introduced into the reactor via line 26 . as the reactants contact the catalyst 20 , some of the ethane in the hydrocarbon feed 18 combusts to produce water and carbon oxides . the hydrogen co - feed also combusts to produce water . both these combustion reactions are exothermic , and the heat produced is used to drive the dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene . the catalyst was prepared by multiple impregnation of a lithium aluminium silicate support having a high purity alumina ( hpa ) wash - coat . the support was impregnated in 1 ) a platinum / palladium solution (( nh 3 ) 4 pt ii cl 2 , ( nh 3 ) 4 pd ii cl 2 ), and 2 ) an sncl 2 / hcl solution . between each impregnation , the support was dried at 120 ° c ., and calcined at 450 ° c . the catalyst was then calcined in air at 600 ° c . for 6 hours , and then reduced in an atmosphere of hydrogen ( 1 . 0 nl / min ), and nitrogen ( 1 . 5 nl / min ) for 1 hour ( at 700 ° c .). the catalyst was analysed and found to have 0 . 36 wt % pt , 0 . 04 wt % pd and 1 . 85 wt % sn . a catalyst having a nominal loading of 1 wt % pt was prepared by impregnating a lithium aluminium silicate support having an hpa wash - coat in a solution of ( nh 3 ) 4 pt ii cl 2 . the impregnated support was dried at 120 ° c ., and calcined at 450 ° c . the catalyst was then calcined in air at 1200 ° c . for 6 hours . the catalyst was analysed and found to have 0 . 86 wt % pt . a catalyst comprising pt and sn was prepared by impregnating a lithium aluminium silicate support having an hpa wash - coat in a solution of 1 ) ( nh 3 ) 4 pt ii cl 2 , and 2 ) sncl 2 / hcl . the impregnated support was dried , calcined and reduced as described in connection with example 1 above . the catalyst was analysed and found to have 0 . 48 wt % pt , and 2 . 80 wt % sn . the catalysts of example 1 , comparative example a and comparative example b above were each tested as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane . each catalyst was mounted in the apparatus of fig1 , and an oxidative dehydrogenation reaction was carried out under the conditions summarised in table 1 below . for the tests , a metal reactor 12 was employed . as shown in table 2 below , the selectivity of the catalyst of example 1 towards ethylene is greater than those of comparative examples a and b , respectively . the catalyst was prepared by sequential impregnation of 30 ppi ceramic foam blocks ( lithium aluminium silicate with alumina washcoat ) with aqueous tetrammineplatinum ( ii ) chloride and germanium tetrachloride in ethanol . between impregnations the blocks were dried in air at 120 - 140 ° c . for ca . 30 minutes then calcined in air at 450 ° c . for 30 minutes , cooled to room temperature and the impregnation procedure was repeated . once all the impregnation solution had been absorbed onto the foam the blocks were calcined in air at 600 ° c . for 6 hours . several of the calcined blocks were given a further air □ alcinations at 1200 ° c . for 6 hours before testing . subsequent to air □ alcinations at 600 - 1200 ° c . the blocks could be reduced in a hydrogen ( 1 . 0 nl / min ) and nitrogen ( 1 . 5 nl / min ) atmosphere at 750 ° c . for 1 hour prior to testing . the catalyst comprised 1 . 0 wt % pt and 4 . 0 wt % ge . the catalyst of example 3 was tested as a catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane using the apparatus of fig1 . the reactor employed was formed of quartz . the performance of this catalyst was compared to that of comparative example a . the dehydrogenation conditions employed are summarised in table 3 below . table 4 shows the ethane conversion and selectivities achieved . the catalyst was prepared by sequential impregnation of 30 ppi ceramic foam block ( 99 . 5 % alumina with alumina washcoat ) with aqueous tetrammineplatinum ( li ) chloride and aqueous gallium nitrate . the foam block employed was 28mm diameter and 30 mm in depth . between impregnations , the block was dried in air at 120 - 140 ° c . for ca . 30 minutes , calcined in air at 450 ° c . for 30 minutes , and then cooled to room temperature . once all the impregnation solution had been absorbed onto the foam block , the block was calcined in air at 600 ° c . for 6 hours . the pt and ga solutions were prepared with sufficient salt to achieve final pt / ga loadings of 0 . 28 wt % platinum and 0 . 75 wt % gallium . the atomic platinum : gallium ratio was 1 : 7 . 5 . prior to testing the catalysts were given an in situ reduction at 750 ° c . under flowing hydrogen ( ca . 1 . 0 nl / min ) and nitrogen ( ca . 1 . 5 nl / min ) for 1 hour . the catalysts of example 5 , and comparative example a were tested as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane . each catalyst was mounted in the apparatus of fig1 , and an oxidative dehydrogenation reaction was carried out under the conditions summarised in table 5 below . the catalyst was prepared by sequential impregnation of 30 ppi ceramic foam blocks ( 99 . 5 % alumina with alumina washcoat ) with aqueous tetrammineplatinum ( ii ) chloride and aqueous indium nitrate . the foam block used was 28 mm in diameter and 30 mm in depth . between impregnations , the block was dried in air at 120 - 140 ° c . for ca . 30 minutes , calcined in air at 450 ° c . for 30 minutes , and then cooled to room temperature . once all the impregnation solution had been absorbed onto the foam the blocks were calcined in air at 600 ° c . for 6 hours . the pt and in solutions were prepared with sufficient salt to achieve final pt / in loadings of 0 . 54 wt % platinum and 0 . 4 wt % indium . the catalyst had an atomic platinum : indium ratio of 1 : 1 . 26 prior to testing the catalysts were given an in situ reduction at 750 ° c . under flowing hydrogen ( ca . 1 . 0 nl / min ) and nitrogen ( ca . 1 . 5 nl / min ) for 1 hour . in this example , a pt / in catalyst was prepared in the manner of example 7 above , except that the catalyst was calcined in air at 1200 ° c . for 6 hours , rather than at 600 ° c . the catalysts of example 7 , 8 and comparative example a were tested as catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane . each catalyst was mounted in the apparatus of fig1 , and an oxidative dehydrogenation reaction was carried out under the conditions summarised in table 7 below . | 2 |
referring to fig1 a sheet of alpha alumina 10 is wash - coated with particles of porous gamma - alumina by standard methods . solutions of oxalate salts of 12 different transition metal elements are prepared in the wells of a 24 well microtiter dish made of polystyrene . a beckman biomek 2000 robotic automated liquid handling system is used to prepare dilutions and mixtures from the original stocks , again in the wells of microtiter style plates . the robot is used to deposit 20 microtiter aliquots of each of the resulting solutions at defined positions ( spots ) 12 on the surface of the alumina support 10 , which is then dried , calcined and inserted into a reactor capable of temperature control at temperatures from 100 to 350 degrees centigrade . after reduction , a potentially reactive mixture of oxygen and hydrogen is fed to the reactor . an agema infra - red sensitive camera 14 is used to observe the alumina support through infra - red - transparent sapphire windows 16 shown in fig1 , via a polished metal mirror . the camera is set so that the lower end of its dynamic range corresponds to a temperature of about 40 degrees c . below the feed temperature and the maximum signal is associated with a temperature about 200 degrees higher . compositions catalyzing the reaction are revealed by the localized temperature increases ( decreases for endothermic reactions ) around spots 12 of that composition , as shown on photograph 18 in fig5 . catalysts are alternatively identified by conducting the reaction in the presence of strong ultraviolet and / or visible light illumination with infrared thermography being conducted immediately after the illumination is turned off , or through the use of a short pass filter on the illumination source to eliminate contaminating infrared radiation . referring to fig2 a porous alumina monolith 20 ( corning ) having square or circular cross - section channels extending in a regular array through its entire thickness is treated in each channel with a solution of catalyst precursors of differing compositions , with each composition being segregated in its own channel . after drying , calcination , etc ., the activated monolith is placed in contact with a flowing potentially reactive mixture at an elevated temperature , and observed in the infra - red using an agema model camera . the enthalpy of reaction produces localized temperature differences in the vicinity of compositions exhibiting catalytic activity and these are observed as temperature variations near the exits of the channels . referring to fig3 a porous ceramic monolith 20 of the type described in example 2 , bearing various catalyst compositions in its channels is installed in a reactor ( not shown ) in such a way that the entire length of each channel can be observed through sapphire windows at the ends of the reactor . a broad - spectrum thermal infrared source is installed at one end of the reactor , giving an areal infrared energy flux density . an agema ir - sensitive camera is positioned in such a way as to observe the infra - red source directly through a significant fraction of the pores . an interferometric or other filter is installed on one side of the reactor between the camera and the infrared source such that the light reaching the camera from the source is substantially limited to wavelengths between 4 and 4 . 5 microns . observation of absorbency at this wavelength range is used to compare candidate catalyst compositions on the basis of their production of carbon dioxide , an undesired side product of the intended reaction . catalyst compositions chosen for low carbon dioxide formation ( in combination with high overall conversion activity as measured by infra - red absorbance of the desired product or by infrared thermography ) are found to have high selectivity for the desired product over the carbon dioxide side product . a collection of catalyst precursor compositions is produced by automated liquid handling device , and a catalyst support particle is contacted with each composition . after further treatment to stabilize and activate the catalyst precursors , catalyst pellets are arrayed on a surface , exposed to a potentially reactive environment and their activity determined by infrared thermography . solutions of combinations of catalyst precursors are prepared in a variety of separate vessels . each composition also contains a small quantity of a labeling material ( e . g ., stable isotopes of the element carbon or sulfur in varying ratios ). catalyst support particles are contacted with catalyst precursor preparations , and activated . pellets are then contacted one at a time with a potentially reactive mixture ( for example , by elutriation into an enclosed volume ) and their activity measured ( by thermography , by spectroscopic measurement of products , or sampling of the surrounding vapor or liquid phase ). particles showing activity are collected and individually analyzed for their content of the labeling material so as to determine the composition giving the desired catalytic activity . example 2 is repeated except that only a portion of the pore length is coated with a catalyst candidate so as to allow for observation of unmodified monolith pore wall as a control reference standard for optical uniformity . the emissivity of the support monolith pores of the support 20 of example 2 is mapped at a wavelength of interest by holding the monolith at the intended experimental temperature in reactants . digitally stored maps of the emissivity are used to normalize the infrared energy flux measured under experimental conditions , to improve the accuracy with which local temperatures can be estimated . a surface of high , substantially uniform emissivity is located at the end of the monolith of example 2 , away from the camera , in close radiative heat transfer / contact with the monolith channel material . the temperature of the portion of the surface closest to the open end of each channel is observed . in this case , it is necessary that gas be admitted into the channels past the uniform radiative surface , either by means of pores or by means of a small offset between the radiative surface and the monolith . alternatively , spots of catalysts can be deposited on the inner surface of a reactor e . g . a tube formed of the support material as shown in fig1 , and temperature of the corresponding spots on the outside of the reactor can be measured to determine by conduction whether the respective catalyst has increased or decreased in temperature under the reaction . the process of example 1 is repeated except that the reactants are in the liquid phase and a liquid phase assay is used ( fig1 ) to detect the activity of individual catalyst candidates . the experiment of example 4 is repeated except that the metal loading is directly measured by dissolving the pellet and directly analyzing the metal loading . a sheet of alpha alumina 5 in fig1 , is wash coated with particles of porous gamma - alumina by standard methods . solutions of oxalate salts of 12 different transition metal elements are prepared in the wells of a 24 well micro titer dish made of polystyrene . a beckman biomek 2000 automated liquid handling system is used to prepare dilutions and mixtures of the original stocks , again in the wells of microtiter style plates . the biomek robot 6 is used to deposit 40 microliter aliquots of each of the resulting solutions at defined positions on the surface of the alumina support , which is then dried , calcined and inserted into a reactor ( as shown in fig1 ) controlled at a temperature of 200 degrees centigrade . a gaseous mixture of hydrogen ( 97 . 5 %) and oxygen ( 2 . 5 %) is fed at a temperature of 200 degrees centigrade . using the apparatus of fig1 , an infra - red sensitive camera 14 is used to observe the alumina support through infra - red - transparent sapphire windows 16 . the camera is set so that its lower range corresponds to the feed temperature and the maximum signal is associated with a temperature degrees 20 degrees higher . compositions catalyzing the reaction are revealed by the localized temperature increases around spots of that composition . a porous alumina monolith 140 in fig1 , having square pores extending in a regular array through its entire thickness at a density of 25 per square inch is washcoated with alumina particles . the channels are then partially filled with solutions of differing compositions , each containing one or more metal oxalate or nitrate salts , with each composition being segregated in its own channel or set of channels . after drying and activation in the presence of hydrogen gas , the activated monolith is placed into a sapphire - window - equipped reactor 150 in which it can be observed in the infrared using an ir - sensitive camera 145 . the camera is positioned in such a way as to observe the walls of the support . the relative emissivity of the support at each pixel is determined by imaging the monolith in the ir while holding the reactor and monolith at each of several constant temperatures while flowing nitrogen gas 153 through the reactor . the reactor is then fed with a gas mixture of 2 . 5 mole % oxygen in hydrogen 154 . the reactor and feed temperatures are originally set to 40 degrees centigrade , and are gradually increased while the catalyst - bearing monolith is repeatedly imaged in the ir . the temperature in each cell may be judged by observing the cell at a position adjacent to the end of the catalyst - precursor - coated section of the channel , or by normalizing the observed ir energy emission by the emissivity calculated from the images taken under nonreactive conditions . the compositions in the cells showing the earliest temperature increase above the reactor temperature are useful as hydrogen oxidation catalysts . a porous alumina monolith 140 in fig1 having square channels in a regular array extending through its entire 10 centimeter thickness at a density of 25 per square inch is washcoated with alumina particles . the channels are then partially filled with solutions of differing compositions , each containing one or more metal salts and in some cases also candidate modifiers such as barium , cesium or potassium compounds , each composition being segregated in its own channel or set of channels . after drying and reduction in the presence of hydrogen gas , the activated monolith is placed into a reactor in which it can be observed through a sapphire window 172 using an ir - sensitive camera 170 . this first window 172 is positioned 0 . 5 centimeter from the surface of the monolith . the camera 170 is positioned in such a way as to look through the window 172 , through the channels of the support and through a second sapphire window 174 toward a source of ir radiation 164 . the reactor 168 is then fed with methane gas , mixed with oxygen and argon , in such a way that the gas 165 flows through the channels of the monolith toward the camera . an optical filter 162 which selectively passes ir radiation at 4 . 3 microns , a wavelength which is strongly absorbed by carbon dioxide , is inserted between the ir source and the camera . the effective concentration of carbon dioxide in each channel is inferred from the ir intensity at 4 . 3 microns seen in that channel . the reading at 4 . 3 microns for each pixel is divided by the reading taken through a filter selective for an ir wavelength which is near 4 . 3 microns , but which is not absorbed strongly by carbon dioxide , methane or water , to compensate for potential optical artifacts . compositions giving high concentrations of carbon dioxide after long exposures to operating conditions are useful in catalytic oxidation of methane . solutions of combinations of catalyst precursors are prepared in a variety of separate vessels . each composition also contains a small quantity of a labeling material ( e . g ., stable isotopes of the element sulfur in varying ratios unique to each composition ). catalyst support particles are contacted with the preparations of catalyst precursor compositions , and activated . pellets are then contacted one at a time with a potentially reactive mixture ( for example , by elutriation into an enclosed volume ) and their activity measured ( by thermography , by spectroscopic measurement of products , or sampling of the surrounding vapor or liquid phase ). particles showing activity are collected and individually analyzed for their content of the labeling material so as to determine the composition giving the desired catalytic activity . a teflon block monolith 140 in fig1 , having square channels in a regular array extending through its entire thickness at a density of 9 per square inch is prepared in such a way that a shallow well exists at the bottom of each channel . each well is charged with a different polymer preparation bearing sulfonic acid groups on its surface , and a porous retaining mesh installed to keep the polymer samples in place . the catalyst - charged monolith is placed into a reactor in which it can be observed through a window 172 , positioned 0 . 5 centimeter from the surface of the block . a camera 170 is positioned in such a way as to look via through the sapphire window , through the channels of the support and through a second window 174 , toward a source of polarized light 164 . a polarizer 162 is installed between the block and the camera . a sucrose solution 166 is fed to the reactor in such a way as to flow through the channels of the block . the angle of rotation of polarized light in passing through the liquid in each channel is measured by rotating the polarizer to various angles , and observing the variation in brightness of the light passing through each channel . the candidate catalysts found in channels giving the greatest change in the angle of rotation are useful as catalysts of sucrose hydrolysis . catalysts for photooxidation of hexane are identified by conducting the reaction in the apparatus of example 16 in the presence of strong ultraviolet and / or visible light illumination , with infra - red thermography being conducted immediately after the illumination is turned off , or through the use of a short pass filter on the illumination source to eliminate contaminating infrared radiation . samples of cyanogen bromide - activated cross linked agarose beads are exposed to solutions of alcohol oxidase at varied phs , salt concentrations , and enzyme concentrations . after coupling of the enzyme , residual active groups are quenched with ethanolamine , the beads are washed , and each sample placed in a separate well of a multiwell plate . the plate is exposed to a flowing air stream containing ethanol vapor and observed with an amber infraredsensitive camera . the samples showing the greatest temperature increase are selected as highly active immobilized alcohol oxidase catalysts . samples of cyanogen bromide activated cross linked agarose beads are exposed to solutions of anti - alcohol oxidase antibodies at varied phs , salt concentrations , and antibody concentrations . after coupling of the enzyme , residual active groups are quenched with ethanolamine . the beads are washed , exposed to a solution of alcohol oxidase ) washed again , and each sample placed in a separate well of a multlwell plate . the plate is exposed to a flowing air stream containing ethanol vapor and observed with an amber infrared - sensitive camera . the samples showing the greatest temperature increase are selected as highly active immobilized alcohol oxidase catalysts . a ceramic monolith having channels arranged in perpendicular row / column format passing through its entire thickness is washcoated with porous alumina particles and all the channels in each column are treated with the same catalyst precursors , which are activated . a potentially - reactive stream is flowed through the channels of the monolith , and a multiwavelength beam of radiation is passed over the surface of the monolith , parallel to each column , to a detector situated at the end of the column . the composition of the stream leaving the pores in that column is estimated by processing the detector output , including fourier transformation and / or weighted summation / differencing of the intensities at different wavelengths . pellets bearing catalytically - active groups capable of catalyzing the conversion of both the d - and l - stereoisomers of a reactant are treated with a variety of substances potentially capable of preferentially suppressing ( temporarily or permanently ) the conversion of the l - stereoisomer of that compound by that catalyst . the pellets are distributed among the wells of a multiweli plate and exposed to a mixture of the isomers of the compound to be modified . pellets treated with the suppressor giving the greatest reduction in the activity for conversion of the l - isomer are useful in stereoselective modification of the d - isomer . a ceramic monolith having channels arranged in perpendicular row / column format passing through its entire thickness is washcoated with porous alumina particles and the channels treated with catalyst precursors , which are activated . a potentially - reactive stream is flowed through the channels of the monolith . a manifold consisting of an array of tubes , each smaller than the dimensions of an individual channel , is used to introduce a stream containing ozone into the stream flowing through each channel , near its outlet . reaction of the introduced ozone with the desired product liberates light , which is detected by a camera directed at the monolith . the catalyst composition giving the strongest light output is a useful catalyst for conversion of the reactants to the ozone - reactive desired product . a ceramic monolith having channels arranged in perpendicular row / column format passing through its entire thickness is washcoated with porous alumina particles and the channels treated with catalyst precursors , which are activated and then exposed to a potentially deactivating substance . a potentially - reactive stream is flowed through the channels of the monolith . a manifold consisting of an array of tubes , each smaller than the dimensions of an individual channel 71 is used to sample the stream flowing within each channel . samples from each channel in turn are introduced into a gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer combination through an arrangement of switching valves , and catalyst compositions giving the highest yield of desired products are useful in conversion of that reactive stream . specific compositions , methods , or embodiments discussed are intended to be only illustrative of the invention disclosed by this specification . variations on these compositions , methods , or embodiments are readily apparent to a person of skill in the art based upon the teachings of this specification and are therefore intended to be included as part of the inventions disclosed herein . for example , statistically - designed experiments , and automated , iterative experimental process methods can be employed to obtain further reductions in time for testing . attachment / arraying of preformed catalytic elements ( especially precipitates , also single molecules and complexes such as metallocenes ) onto a support , preferably by precipitating or deposition is useful in many cases . detection can involve addition of some reagent to the stream leaving each candidate , the reagent allowing detection of a catalyst product through staining or reaction to give a detectable product , light , etc . the supports can comprise arrays with special arrangements for e . g ., a header of multiple delivery tubes for uniform flow distribution , inserted into each channel in a block ( fig1 ). the detection means can comprise electrochemical means , or a gamma camera for metals accumulation measurement , imaging elemental analysis by neutron activation and imaging by film or storage plate of emitted radioactivity , temperature measurement by acoustic pyrometry , bolometry , electrochemical detection . conductivity detection , liquid phase assay , preferably dissolving the support pellet and directly analyzing the metal loading ; measuring refractive index in the liquid phase ; observing the ir emissions of product gases directly , without the usual source and using instead the radiation hot gases emit at characteristic wavelengths . other modifications can include testing for selectivity after deliberately poisoning some sites , especially in chiral catalysis , etc . the formulations can be supported in the form of spots or layers on the surface of a support containing wells or channels or channels extending across the entire extent of the support . the support can comprise a form of carbon , zeolite and / or plastic . the plastic can comprise a reactant . the support can hold a form of catalyst made by coprecipitation , or aluminum , or particles . at least one of the formulations can preferably comprise a material selected from the group consisting of transition metals , platinum , iron , rhodium manganese , metallocenes , zinc , copper , potassium chloride , calcium , zinc , molybdenum , silver , tungsten , cobalt and mixtures of the foregoing . the reaction conditions can comprise a pressure greater than one bar absolute pressure and the contact can be at a temperature greater than 100 degrees centigrade the method can comprise detection of temperature changes in the vicinity of a respective formulation due to reaction endotherm or exotherm . the method can comprise treatment with a reducing agent . the contacting step can be carried out in the presence of compounds which modify the distribution of the metal within the porous support . the candidate catalyst formulations can be contacted in the form of spots or layers on the surface of a support containing a washcoat supported by an underlayer . the stabilizing step can be carried out with a temperature gradient or other means whereby certain candidate catalyst formulations are exposed to different temperatures . the stabilizing can comprise calcining , steaming , drying , reaction , ion exchange and / or precipitation . the detection of temperature changes due to reaction can employ a correction for emissivity variations associated with differences in chemical composition . the array of formulations to be tested can comprise preformed metallocenes or other catalytic complexes fixed to a support . the infrared radiation can be detected through the use of nondispersive infrared spectroscopy , or infrared - sensitive photographic film . the detector means can comprise means for physically scanning over an array of candidate formulations . observations at multiple wavelengths can be processed by mathematical manipulation e . g . transformation , weighted summation and / or subtraction , etc . reaction activity , reactants , or products can be detected through the use of an added reaction which signals the presence of reaction or particular compounds or classes of compounds . chermiluminescence can be used as an indicator of reaction activity , or particular compounds or classes of compounds . a substantially collimated radiation source can be employed in product detection / imaging . multi - tube sampling can be used to lead into a mass spectrometer , chromatograph , or optical monitor . to simulate aging , etc ., the formulations can exposed to a deleterious agent which reduces the activity of at least one formulation by at least 10 %, and then optionally exposed to steam , heat , h2 , air , liquid water or other different substance ( s ) or condition ( s ) which increase the activity of at least one member of the collection by at least 10 % over its previously - reduced activity whereby regenerability , reactivatability , decoking , or other catalyst property is measured . the deleterious agent can comprise elevated temperature , v , pb , ni , as , sb , sn , hg , fe , s or other metals , h2s , chlorine , oxygen , cl , and / or carbon monoxide . reference to documents made in the specification is intended to result in such patents or literature being expressly incorporated herein by reference . | 1 |
the term &# 34 ; lower alkyl &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkyl radicals containing from one to six carbon atoms and branched chain alkyl radicals containing from three to four carbon atoms and includes methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , pentyl , hexyl and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkoxy &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkoxy radicals containing from one to six carbon atoms and branched chain alkoxy radicals containing three or four carbon atoms and includes methoxy , ethoxy , isopropoxy , butoxy , hexanoxy , and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkylene &# 34 ; as used herein means a divalent organic radical derived from either straight and a branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbons , containing from one to six carbon atoms by removal of two hydrogen atoms and includes methylene , ethylene , 1 - methylpropylene , 2 - ethylpropylene , 2 - butylethylene and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkanoyl &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkanoyl radicals containing from two to seven carbon atoms and a branched chain alkanoyl radical containing four carbon atoms and includes acetyl , propionyl , isobutyryl , hexanoyl , heptanoyl and the like . the term &# 34 ; halo &# 34 ; as used herein means halogens and includes fluorine , chlorine , bromine and iodine , unless stated otherwise . the term &# 34 ; inorganic proton acceptor &# 34 ; as used herein means the inorganic bases , preferably the alkali metal hydroxides , carbonates , hydrides , amides and alkoxides , for example , sodium ethoxide , sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , potassium carbonate , sodamide , sodium methoxide , sodium hydride and the like . the compounds of this invention are capable of forming acid addition salts with therapeutically acceptable acids . the acid addition salts are prepared by reacting the base form of the appropriate compound of formula i with one or more equivalents , preferably with an excess , of the appropriate acid in an organic solvent , for example , diethyl ether or an ethanol - diethyl ether mixture . these salts , when administered to a mammal , possess the same pharmacologic activities as the corresponding bases . for many purposes it is preferable to administer the salts rather than the base compounds . suitable acids to form these salts include the common mineral acids , e . g . hydrohalic , sulfuric or phosphoric acid , the organic acids , e . g . maleic , citric , or tartaric acids , and acids which are sparingly soluble in body fluids and which impart slow - release properties to their respective salts , e . g . pamoic or tannic acid or carboxymethyl cellulose . the addition salts thus obtained are the functional equivalent of the parent base compound in respect to their therapeutic use . hence , these addition salts are included within the scope of this invention and are limited only by the requirement that the acids employed in forming the salts be therapeutically acceptable . also included in this invention are the stereochemical isomers of the compounds of formula i which result from asymmetric centers contained therein . it is to be understood that the diastereomers arising from such asymmetry are included within the scope of this invention . such diastereomers are obtained in substantially pure form by classical separation techniques and by sterically controlled synthesis and have arbitrarily been named as isomers a and b , respectively . individual optical enantiomers , which might be separated by fractional crystallization of the diastereomeric salts thereof , for instance , salts with d - or 1 - tartaric acid or d -(+)- α - bromocamphor sulfonic acid , are also included . the compounds of this invention of formula i or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof are useful diuretic agents in a mammal upon oral or parenteral administraton . the compounds of formula i are shown to be effective diuretic agents in mammals by tests conducted in dogs or rats . an example of such a test for diuretic agents in rats is described by j . r . cummings et al ., j . pharmacol . exp . ther ., 414 , 128 ( 1960 ). in this test , the urine of the rats is collected for five hours , during which time food and water are withdrawn . urine volumes as well as sodium , potassium and chloride ion concentrations are determined . the compounds of this invention exhibit a dose - response dependency when they are orally administered in dosages ranging from 50 to 300 mg per kilogram of body weight . for example , the following representative compounds of formula i are effective diuretic agents when administred to the rat ( the effective oral dose in mg per kilogram of body weight to obtain a three fold increase in urine volume and / or electrolyte concentration is indicated within the parentheses ): γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methyl - pyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , isomer b , ( 150 mg , described in example 3 ), γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 5 - chloro - 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , isomer a , ( 150 mg , described in example 4 ), γ -( pyrrolidin - 1 - ylmethyl )- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( 100 mg , described in example 9 ), γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 9 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( 100 mg , described in example 36 ) and n , n - dimethyl - 4 - methoxy - 2 -( 1 , 9 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl )- butanamine ( 150 mg , described in example 37 ). in addition to the above test for diuretic activity , the compounds of formula i antagonize the renal actions of mineralocorticoids and thus cause an increase in sodium and chloride excretion without affecting potassium excretion . aldosterone is a naturally occuring mineralocorticoid of the adrenal corex which promotes the reabsorption of sodium and chloride and the excretion of potassium , hydrogen and ammonium ions in the distal renal tubules . hyperaldosteronism is found in a number of pathological conditions . hyperaldosteronism can be corrected by the administration of a diuretic agent which antagonizes the renal action of aldosterone . antialdosterone activity can be demonstrated in standard test systems . one such test is described by c . m . kagawa et al ., j . pharm . exp . ther ., 126 , 123 ( 1959 ). in this test male albino rats ( 150 - 160 g ) are kept under laboratory conditions for four days , after which they are bilaterally adrenalectomized under diethyl ether anesthesia . the animals are then maintained for 48 hours on a diet of purina rat chow and 5 % ( w / v ) glucose solution ( ad libitum ). prior to the test the animals are starved for eighteen hours , but are allowed access to the 5 % ( w / v ) glucose solution . each rat then receives a single subcutaneous injection of physiological saline ( 2 . 5 ml ) followed by a subcutaneous injection of desoxycorticosterone acetate ( doca , 12 . 5 mcg per rat ). the test compound is admistered orally . the rats are placed in metabolism cages and the urine is collected for four hours . urine volume and uninary sodium , potassium and chloride are measured . in this test the compounds of this invention are effective by showing a dose response dependency in the range of 3 to 100 mg / kg of body weight . more specifically , this test shows that the following representative compounds of formula i are effective diuretic agents by increasing the urine volume and sodium and chloride excretion when administered to the rat ( the effective oral dose in mg per kilogram of body weight to obtain a statistically significant increase in urine volume and sodium and chloride concentration is indicated in the parenthesis ): γ -[( dimethylamino )- methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methyl - pyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , isomer a , ( 6 mg , described in example 3 ), γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 5 - chloro - 1 - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , isomer a , ( 50 mg , described in example 4 ), γ -( morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl - 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( 50 mg , described in example 8 ), γ -[( methylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( 50 mg . described in example 34 ), γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 9 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( 50 mg , described in example 36 ) and n , n - dimethyl - 4 - methoxy - 2 -( 1 , 9 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - yl ) butanamine ( 50 mg . described in example 37 ). another test for antialdosterone diuretic activity , described by c . m . kagawa et al ., arch . pharmacodyn . ther ., 149 , 8 ( 1964 ), is conducted in intact female dogs . the dogs are given 0 . 25 mg of doca in 0 . 25 ml of seasame oil intramuscularly and the test drug orally by capsule two hours before the beginning of infusion . a retention catheter is placed in the bladder for urine collection , and the cephalic vein is cannulated for infusion . saline , 0 . 45 %, plus dextrose , 5 %, is infused intravenously at a rate of 1 ml / kg / min for 20 minutes , after which the rate is reduced to 0 . 3 ml / kg / min for the duration of the experiment . urine is collected at 30 minute intervals , the urine volumes are recorded , and samples are taken . collections are continued for five 30 minute periods . the urine samples are analyzed and the urinary na / k ratios are calculated . this test shows that the following compounds of formula i are effective diuretic agents by increasing urine volume and sodium and chloride excretion when administered to the dog ( the effective oral dose in mg per kilogram of body weight to obtain a statistically significant increase in urine volume and sodium and chloride concentration is indicated in the parenthesis ): γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methyl - pyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , isomer a , ( 10 mg . described in example 3 ) and γ -[( methylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 -( 15 mg , described in example 34 ). the compounds of formula i are also administered to a mammal in a combination with a therapeutically effective dose of a diuretic agent , acting by another mechanism . these latter diuretics , non - renal mineral ocorticoid antagonizing diuretics , cause loss of water as well as the electrolytes sodium , potassium , etc . suitable diuretics for this combination , together with their daily dosage , are set out below : ______________________________________ recommended daily humandiuretic dosage range ( mg / 70 kg ) ______________________________________hydrochlorothiazide 25 - 100chlorothiazide 500 - 1000chlorthalidone 50 - 200ethacrynic acid 50 - 200furosemide 40 - 80quinethazone 50 - 100bumetanide 1 - 2______________________________________ the following method illustrates that the combination of the compound of formula i with a diuretic agent results in a useful reduction of potassium excretion . male abino sprague - dawley rates weighing 180 to 200 g are divided into four groups of seven rats each . at the beginning of the test the bladder of each rat is emptied by gentle suprapubic pressure . the required dose of the compound of formula i and / or diuretic agent is suspended in 2 % ( w / v ) starch solution and administered orally . the control group receives the vehicle only . each rate receives 5 ml of 0 . 9 % sodium chloride per 100 . 0 gram of body weight orally . the rats are placed in individual metabolism cages and urine is collected for five hours after which the bladder is again emptied by gentle suprapubic pressure . all urine samples are analyzed for na , k and cl content and na / k ratios are calculated . the results obtained with the combination of the representive compound of formula i , γ -[( dimethylamino )- methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , isomer a , ( described in example 3 ) and the diuretic agent , hydrochlorothiazide , are presented in table 1 . in table 1 , isomer a refers to the compound , γ -[ dimethylamino ) methyl ] - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , isomer a . table 1______________________________________ urineoral volume urinary electrolytesdose ( 5 hr ) meg / urine volume na / ktreatment mg / kg ml / rat na k cl ratio______________________________________vehicle -- 4 . 09 0 . 61 0 . 46 0 . 76 1 . 32 ± 0 . 30 ± 0 . 06 ± 0 . 04 ± 0 . 07 ± 0 . 07hydro - chloro - 100 10 . 10 * 1 . 40 * 0 . 67 * 1 . 59 * 2 . 13 * thiazide ± 0 . 87 ± 0 . 14 ± 0 . 04 ± 0 . 07 ± 0 . 14isomer a 50 8 . 31 * 1 . 13 * 0 . 50 1 . 22 * 2 . 27 * ± 0 . 74 ± 0 . 07 ± 0 . 01 ± 0 . 06 ± 0 . 10hydro - chloro - thiazide 100 + + 11 . 50 * 1 . 63 * 0 . 56 1 . 69 * 3 . 21 * isomer a 50 ± 0 . 41 ± 0 . 08 ± 0 . 05 ± 0 . 07 ± 0 . 22______________________________________ * p 0 . 05 statistically different vs control the combination of a compound of formula i with other diuretic agents is useful for treating certain disease states , for instance , secondary hyperaldosteronism , as a result of pathologic conditions such as ascites due to cirrhosis of the liver . in addition , the use of a compound of formula i , given sequentially or simultaneously , in combination with another diuretic agent can allow the reduction of the usual therapeutic dose of the other diuretic and still cause sufficient sodium excretion without excessive potassium loss . the above described test methods for diuretic acitivity illustrate that the diuretic effect of the compounds of formula i is primarily due to the antagonism of mineralocorticoids in renal electrolyte excretion and in part results from an additional direct renal tubular effect . from the above test methods , the compounds of formula i exhibit a separation of diuretic and antialdosterone diuretic activities by possessing effective antialdosterone diuretic activity at lower doses than required for effective diuretic activity . furthermore , the compounds of formula i , when tested as described above , are non - toxic when administered in effective diuretic and antialdosterone diuretic amounts . in addition , since the compounds of formula i are non - steroidal , the compounds of formula i do not exhibit the undesirable side effects of steroidal antagonists of mineralocorticoids . such common side effects of steroidal antagonists are gynecomastia , impotence and irregular menses . in addition to their use as diuretic agents , the compounds of formula i or a therapeutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof are useful agents for the treatment of hypertension in a mammal . for the treatment of hypertension in a mammal , the compounds of formula i are administered alone or administered sequentially or simultaneously in combination with an effective amount of a non - mineralocorticoid antagonizing diuretic agent . furthermore , a combination of an antihypertensive effective amount of an antihypertensive agent with the compound of formula i , or a therapeutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof ; or a combination of an antihypertensive effective amount of an antihypertensive agent with the compound of formula i , or a therapeutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof , and an effective amount of a non - mineralocorticoid antagonizing diuretic agent is useful for the treatment of hypertension in a mammal . suitable antihypertensive agents for use in this combination can be selected from rauwolfia and related alkaloids e . g . reserpine , syrosingopine , deserpidine , recinnamine ; guanethidines , e . g . guanethidine , 2 - heptamethylineimino - ethylguanidine or related guanidines covered in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 928 , 829 by r . p . mull , issued mar . 5 , 1960 , herein incorporated by reference ; veratrum alkaloids , e . g . protoveratrines a and b or germine ; hydralazine ; diazoxide ; minoxidil ; nitroprusside ; phentolamine ; phenoxybenzamine ; pargyline ; chlorisodamine ; hexamethonium ; mecamylamine ; pentoliniuim ; trimethaphan ; clonidine ; methyldopa ; and propanolol . a combination of antihypertensive agents , for example reserpine and hydralazine , can be substituted for a single antihypertensive agent , as described above . suitable methods of administration , compositions and dosages of the above described antihypertensive agents are described in medical textbooks , for instance , see charles e . baker , jr . &# 34 ; physician &# 39 ; s desk reference &# 34 ;, medical economies company , oradell , n . j ., 1977 . for example , the antihypertensive agent propranolol is administered orally as propranolol hydrochloride ( inderal ) to humans in the effective dose range of 80 to 640 mg per day . the compounds of formula i , when administered in combination with an antihypertensive agent or an antihypertensive agent plus a non - mineralocorticoid antagonizing diuretic agent for the treatment of hypertension , are used in the same manner as described herein for their use as diuretic agents . when the compounds of formula i of this invention are used as diuretic and / or antialdosterone agents in mammals , e . g . rats and dogs , they are used alone or in combination with pharmacologically acceptable carriers , the proportion of which is determined by the solubility and chemical nature of the compound , chosen route of administration and standard biological practice . for example , they are administered orally in solid form i . e . capsule or tablet . they are also administered orally in the form of suspensions or solutions or they may be injected parenterally . for parenteral administration they may be used in the form of a sterile solution containing other solutes , for example , enough saline or glucose to make the solution isotonic . the tablet compositions contain the active ingredient in admixture with non - toxic pharmaceutical excipients known to be suitable in the manufacture of tablets . suitable pharmaceutical excipients are , for example , starch , milk sugar , certain types of clay and so forth . the tablets can be uncoated or they can be coated by known techniques so as to delay disintegration and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action over a longer period . the aqueous suspensions of the compounds of the invention contain the active ingredient in admixture with one or more non - toxic pharmaceutical excipients known to be suitable in the manufacture of aqueous suspensions . suitable excipients are , for example , methyl - cellulose , sodium alginate , gum acacia , lecithin and so forth . the aqueous suspension can also contain one or more preservatives , one or more colouring agents and / or one or more sweetening agents . non - aqueous suspensions can be formulated by suspending the active ingredient in a vegetable oil , for example , arachic oil , olive oil , sesame oil , or coconut oil ; or in a mineral oil . the suspension can contain a thickening agent , for example beeswax , hard paraffin or cetyl alcohol . these compositions can also contain a sweetening agent , flavoring agent and antioxidant . the dosage of the compounds of formula i of this invention as diuretic and antialdosterone agents will vary with the form of administration and the particular host as well as the age and condition of the host under treatment . generally , treatment is initiated with small dosages substantially less than the optimum dose of the compound . thereafter , the dosage is increased by small increments until the optimum effect under the circumstances is reached . in general , the compounds of this invention are most desirably administered at a concentration level that will generally afford effective results without causing any harmful or deleterious side effects . the effective diuretic and antialdosterone amount of the compounds usually ranges from about 1 . 0 mg to about 500 mg per kilogram of body weight per day , although as aforementioned variations will occur . however a dosage level that is in range of from about 5 mg to about 300 mg per kilogram of body weight per day is employed most desirably in order to achieve effective results . for the preparation of the 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro ( thio ) pyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole derivatives of this invention we prefer to use as starting materials the indoles of formula ii ## str4 ## in which r 2 , r 3 , r 4 and x are as defined herein . the starting materials of formula ii are either known or they may be obtained by methods described by c . a . demerson et al ., in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 843 , 681 , issued oct . 22 , 1974 . the first step in one embodiment of the process for preparing the compounds of formula i is the condensation of the compound of formula ii with a ketone of formula iii in which r 1 is as defined herein , y is selected from the group consisting of : a . coor 8 wherein r 8 is hydrogen or lower alkyl , or a radical of formula alk 3 -- 8 wherein alk 3 is a straight or branched chain lower alkylene having one to five carbon atoms and r 8 is hydrogen or lower alkyl ; b . conr 5 r 6 wherein r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein , or a radical of formula alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 wherein alk 3 , r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein ; c . a radical of formula alk 1 -- nr 5 -- cor 9 wherein alk 1 and r 5 are as defined herein and r 9 is hydrogen or lower alkyl having one to five carbon atoms ; d . a radical of formula alk 1 -- halo wherein alk 1 is as defined herein and halo is chloro , bromo or iodo ; e . a radical of formula alk 1 -- no 2 wherein alk 1 is as defined herein ; and f . a radical of formula alk 1 -- nr 5 r 6 wherein alk 1 , r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein ; a . coor 10 wherein r 10 is hydrogen or lower alkyl , or a radical of formula alk 4 -- coor 10 wherein alk 4 is a straight or branched chain lower alkylene having one to five carbon atoms and r 10 is as defined herein ; b . a radical of formula alk 2 -- ocor 11 wherein alk 2 is a defined herein and r 11 is lower alkyl ; and c . a radical of formula alk 2 -- or 7 wherein alk 2 and r 7 are as defined herein with the proviso that when y is a radical of formula alk 1 -- nr 5 r 6 then z is selected from the group consisting of coor 10 , alk 4 -- coor 10 and alk 2 -- ocor 11 in the presence of an acid catalyst to obtain the corresponding compound of formula iv ## str5 ## in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , x , y and z are as defined herein . the conditions of the above condensation can also be used to prepare the compounds of formula i . by condensing the compound of formula ii in which r 2 , r 3 , r 4 and x are as defined herein with the compound of formula iii in which r 1 is as defined herein ; y is a radical of formula alk 1 -- nr 5 r 6 wherein alk 1 , r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein ; and z is a radical of formula alk 2 -- or 7 wherein alk 2 and r 7 are as defined herein in the presence of an acid catalyst , the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , alk 1 and alk 2 are as defined herein is obtained . at this point , for convenience and clarity , the latter compounds of formula i will be included in the description of the preparation of the compounds of formula iv . thereafter the appropriate compound of formula iv is converted to the desired pyrano [ 3 , 4 -] indole or thiopyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole of formula i according to the processes described hereinafter . in practicing the condensation ( ii + iii → iv ) a solvent is used generally as a reaction medium . any solvent inert to the reaction conditions can be used . suitable solvents include aromatic hydrocarbon , for example benzene , or toluene , ethers and cyclic ethers , for example diethyl ether , dioxane , or tetrahydrofuran , halogenated hydrocarbons , for example methylene dichloride , or carbon tetrachloride and the like . benzene and tetrahydrofuran are especially convenient and practical for this use . a variety of suitable acid catalysts can be used for this condensation , for example , the type of catalyst used in a friedel - crafts reaction , i . e . p - toluenesulfonic acid , aluminum chloride , phosphorus pentoxide , boron trifluoride , zinc chloride , hydrochloric acid , perchloric acid , trifluoroacetic acid , sulfuric acid and the like . p - toluenesulfonic acid , aluminum chloride , boron trifluoride and phosphorus pentoxide are included among the preferred acid catalysts . the amount of acid catalyst used is not especially critical and can range from 0 . 01 molar equivalents to 100 molar equivalents ; however , a range of from 0 . 1 to 10 molar equivalents is generally preferred ; however , note that the amount of acid catalyst should be in excess with respect to the basic nitrogens present in the starting material of compound iii when y is alk 1 -- nr 5 r 6 . the time of the reaction may range from 10 minutes to 60 hours , with the preferred range being from one - half to 24 hours . the temperature of the reaction can range from 20 ° c . to the boiling point of the reaction mixture . preferred temperature ranges include 20 ° to 120 ° c . a more detailed description of the preparation of the above intermediate compounds of formula iv and a description of their subsequent conversion to pyranoindole and thiopyranoindole derivatives of formula i are diclosed below . for convenience these descriptions are categorized into sections according to the group selected for y for the intermediate . a . preparation and conversion of intermediates of formula iv in which y is coor 8 or alk 3 -- coor 8 . intermediates of formula iv in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as described herein ; y is coor 8 or alk 3 -- coor 8 wherein alk 3 and r 8 are as described herein ; and z is coor 10 , alk 4 -- 10 wherein alk 4 and r 10 are as described herein , alk 2 -- o -- cor 11 wherein alk 2 and r 11 are as described herein or alk 2 -- or 7 wherein alk 2 and r 7 are as defined herein are readily obtained by the condensation ( ii + iii → iv ) by using ketoacids or ketoesters of formula iii in which r 1 and z are as defined herein and y is coor 8 or alk 1 -- coor 8 together with the starting material of formula ii . a comprehensive review on the properties and preparation of the latter ketoacids and ketoesters of formula iii can be found in &# 34 ; rodd &# 39 ; s chemistry of the carbon compounds &# 34 ; s . coffey , ed ., vol id , 2nd ed ., elsevier publishing co ., amsterdam , 1965 , pp 226 - 274 . generally comparable yields of product are when either the ketoacid or the corresponding ketoester is used . however , in the case where it is desired to prepare an acid compound of formula iv in which y is coor 8 wherein r 8 is hydrogen , or alk 3 -- coor 8 wherein alk 3 is as defined herein and r 8 is hydrogen ( i . e . acid intermediates of formula iv ), it is preferable to first condense the appropriate β - ketoester of formula iii rather than the corresponding β - ketoacid and then hydrolyze the resulting ester product to give the desired acid compound . moreover , in the general practise of this invention it is often more convenient to prepare the acid compounds of formula iv by using the ketoester instead of the ketoacid in this process and they hydrolyze the resulting ester product to the desired acid , the reason being simply that the ketoesters are generally more readily available either commercially or by synthesis . the hydrolysis of compounds of formula iv in which y is coor 8 wherein r 8 is lower alkyl , or alk 3 -- coor 8 wherein alk 3 is as defined herein and r 8 is lower alkyl , i . e . ester intermediates of formula iv , to their corresponding acids of formula ii is readily effected by treatment with a suitable alkali , for example , potassium hydroxide or sodium carbonate , in aqueous methanol or aqueous ethanol or by treatment with lithium iodide in a suitable organic solvent , for example , collidine , see l . f . fieser and m . fieser , &# 34 ; reagents for organic synthesis &# 34 ;, john wiley and sons , inc ., new york , 1967 , pp . 615 - 617 . the latter hydrolysis will also hydrolyze the ester groups represented by z in the intermediate of formula iv . therefore , when z is the group coor 10 wherein r 10 is lower alkyl , or alk 4 -- coor 10 wherein alk 4 is as defined herein and r 10 is lower alkyl , the corresponding acid ( i . e . z is coor 10 wherein r 10 is hydrogen , or alk 4 coor 10 wherein r 10 is hydrogen ) will be obtained . also , when z represents the group alk 2 -- ocor 11 wherein alk 2 and r 11 are as defined herein , the corresponding alcohol ( i . e . z is alk 2 -- or 7 wherein r 7 is hydrogen ) will be obtained . thereafter these intermediate acids and esters of formula iv are converted to compounds of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , x , alk 1 and alk 2 are as defined herein . this conversion is accomplished by amidation , reduction and if desired alkylation of the indolic nitrogen , primary amines , secondary amines and / or alcohol . the order of these steps is not critical . however , we have found the following sequence of these steps to be both convenient and practical . in the case where the acid intermediate of formula iv is employed , said acid is activated ( i . e . as the mixed anhydride , activated ester , etc ) and subjected to amidation . a convenient method of amidation is to react the acid intermediate with a lower alkyl chloroformate , preferably ethyl chloroformate , in the presence of triethylamine , affording the corresponding mixed anhydride , which is converted by treatment with the appropriate amine of formula hnr 5 r 6 in which r 5 and r 6 are as defined in the first instance , for example , ammonia , methylamine or dimethylamine , to yield the corresponding amide of formula iv in which y is conr 5 r 6 or alk 3 conr 5 r 6 in which alk 3 , r 5 and r 6 are as described herein . alternatively , the latter amides are also obtained by treating the ester intermediates of formula iv with the appropriate amine according to known amidation methods , for example , see a . l . f . beckwith in &# 34 ; the chemistry of amides &# 34 ;, j . zalicky , ed ., interscience publishers , new york , 1970 , pp . 96 - 105 . in some cases , the above amidation steps must be conducted carefully so that excessive amounts of the ester or acid represented by the z group are not converted to the amide . usually , the use of about one to two molar equivalents of the amidation reagent and careful monitoring of the reaction will avoid this problem . secondly , the amides so obtained are reduced with a suitable complex metal hydride to yield the desired pyranoindoles and thiopyranoindoles . examples of suitable complex metal hydrides are lithium aluminum hydride , lithium aluminum hydride - aluminum chloride , aluminum hydride - aluminum chloride , diborane , diisobutylaluminum hydride , borane methyl sulfide and sodium borohydride - aluminum chloride . lithium aluminum hydride or diisobutylaluminum hydride is preferred . preferred inert solvents for use with the complex metal hydrides are the non - hydroxylic solvents , for example , diethyl ether , dioxane , tetrahydrofuran , 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethan and the like . the choice of solvent will depend up solubility of reactants and temperature required for reduction . usually the reduction is conducted at 0 ° to 100 ° c ., preferably 30 ° to 70 ° c . for one to ten hours . the preferred amount of complex metal hydride is in the range of two to ten molar equivalents . it must be remembered that when doing the latter reduction a corresponding amount of the reducing agent must be added in order to reduce the esters represented by z , i . e . z is coor 10 , alk 4 -- coor 10 or alk 2 -- ocor 11 . in this manner , the latter esters are reduced to ch 2 oh , alk 4 -- ch 2 -- oh and alk 2 -- oh , respectively ( i . e ., to obtain the corresponding compound of formula i ). if it is desired to prepare the compounds of formula i of the above group in which r 1 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , x and alk 2 are as defined herein , r 2 is lower alkyl and alk 1 is ch 2 or alk 3 -- ch 2 , the acid or ester intermediate of formula iv in which r 2 is hydrogen is first subjected to n - alkylation by treatment with a molar excess of the appropriate lower alkyl halide in an inert solvent in the presence of an inorganic proton acceptor . suitable inert solvents include tetrahydrofuran , benzene , toluene , and dimethylformamide . suitable proton acceptors include sodium hydride and alkali metal carbonates . preferred conditions for effecting this n - alkylation include the use of sodium hydride as a proton acceptor and tetrahydrofuran as an inert solvent . although the optimum temperature and reaction time will vary depending on the reactants employed , the reaction is generally performed at the boiling point of the reaction mixture for a period of 30 minutes to 48 hours . the latter alkylation will also alkylate the compound of formula iv in which z is alk 2 -- or 7 wherein r 7 is hydrogen to obtain the corresponding compound of formula iv in which z is alk 2 -- or 7 wherein r 7 is lower alkyl . however , if the latter o alkylation is not desired , the alcohol is protected prior to alkylation . the alcohol is conveniently and preferably protected as the acetate . usually , this acetylation is achieved by reacting the appropriate compound of formula iv with a molar excess of acetic anhydride at 100 ° to 139 ° c . for one to ten hours . the acetate group is easily removed at a later step by reduction with a complex metal hydride in the same manner as described above or by alkaline hydrolysis with an aqueous and / or alcoholic solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide . in this manner , the corresponding n - alkylated derivatives of the above acid and ester derivatives of formula iv are obtained . thereafter these derivatives are subjected to the amidation and reduction steps according to the conditions described hereinabove in this section , to afford the desired compounds of formula i in which r 2 is lower alkyl . although the above sequence of steps for the conversion of the acid and ester intermediates of formula iv to the above desired pyranoindoles is convenient and efficacious , a change in the order of the steps whereby the amides of formula iv are reacted with the appropriate lower alkyl halide according to the alkylation conditions described above , followed by reduction with a complex metal hydride , as described above , also affords the above desired compounds of formula i , in which r 2 and / or r 7 is lower alkyl . furthermore , another change in the order of the steps for preparing the latter compounds of formula i is realized by alkylation , as described above , of the corresponding compounds of formula i in which r 2 and / or r 7 is hydrogen , described above . in this case when the starting material employed is a pyranoindole or thiopyranoindole of formula i in which alk 1 is ch 2 or alk 3 -- ch 2 wherein alk 3 is as defined herein , r 5 is hydrogen and r 6 is hydrogen or lower alkyl , i . e ., a primary or secondary amine function is present in the molecule in addition to the indolic nitrogen , it is expedient to use only one molar equivalent of the appropriate organic halide to avoid alkylation of the primary or secondary amine if so desired . in addition , if desired , the alcohol ( i . e . r 7 is hydrogen ) can be protected as the acetate in the same manner as described above to avoid alkylation of the alcohol . the primary amines of formula i ( i . e . r 5 and r 6 are hydrogen ) can also be n - alkylated directly without alkylating the indole nitrogen or the alcohol ( i . e . r 2 and r 7 are hydrogen ). this n - alkylation is acomplished by reacting the latter primary amine of formula i with one molar equivalent of a lower alkyl chloride , bromide or iodine in an inert organic solvent , preferably methanol , at 15 ° to 30 ° c . for one to four days to obtain the corresponding secondary amine compound of formula i in which r 5 is lower alkyl , and r 2 , r 6 and r 7 are hydrogen . the use of two or more equivalents of the alkylating agent will result in the formation of the corresponding tertiary amine compound of formula i in which r 5 and r 6 are lower alkyl , and r 2 and r 7 are hydrogen . furthermore , such secondary amine compounds are converted to their corresponding tertiary amine compounds by this n - alkylation procedure . another method for n - alkylating the primary amines of formula i without alkylating the indole nitrogen or the alcohol is also available . for this n - alkylation , the primary amine of formula i is reacted with one molar equivalent of a ketone or aldehyde in the presence of hydrogen chloride in an anhydrous solvent , preferably methanol and / or ethanol at 20 ° to 30 ° c . for 15 min to 5 hr to obtain a solution containing the corresponding imine . this imine in the solution is subsequently reduced with a molar excess of sodium cyanoborohydride to obtain the corresponding secondary amine of formula i in which r 5 is lower alkyl , and r 2 , r 6 and r 7 are hydrogen . if desired the latter compound can be further n - alkylated in the same manner with the ketone or aldehyde and followed by reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride to obtain the corresponding tertiary amine of formula i in which r 5 and r 6 are lower alkyl and r 2 and r 7 are hydrogen . another aspect of the present intermediates of formula iv relates to their conversion to compounds of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 7 , x and alk 2 are as defined herein and alk 1 is ch 2 or alk 3 -- ch 2 wherein alk 3 is as defined herein r 5 is hydrogen and r 6 is lower alkyl , i . e . secondary amines . when it is desired to prepare the latter compounds a modification involving the protection of the secondary amine with a benzyl group or other suitable protecting group is especially convenient , see j . f . w . mcomie in &# 34 ; advances in organic chemistry &# 34 ;, vol . 3 , r . s . raphael , et al ., ed ., interscience publishers , new york , 1963 , pp . 191 - 294 . for example , the appropriate aforementioned acid or ester intermediate of formula iv is reacted with an amine of formula hnr 6 r 12 in which r 6 is lower alkyl and r 12 is benzyl according to the amidation step described above . the resulting amide is alkylated on the indolic nitrogen and / or on the alcohol , if desired , an then reduced with a complex metal hydride according to the above procedures . thereafter the benzyl group is removed by hydrogenolysis in the presence of a catalyst , preferably 10 % palladium on carbon , to afford the desired secondary amine compounds of formula i . still another modification relates to a more general reduction of the above amides of formula iv in which y is conr 5 r 6 or alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 wherein alk 3 , r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein . in other words this modification is applicable to the reduction of tertiary , secondary and primary amides , described herein , and is a preferred modification for the reduction of the latter two . in practising this modification , the aforementioned amide of formula iv is treated with triethyl - oxonium fluoroborate or dimethyl sulfate , see h . bredereck et al . chem . ber ., 98 , 2754 ( 1965 ), in an inert solvent , for example , methylene dichloride , whereby the corresponding iminoether fluoroborate or methyl sulfate salt is obtained , respectively . subsequent reduction of the salt thus obtained with a complex metal hydride , similar to the reduction described previously for the amides , yields the corresponding compounds of formula i . alternatively , the above fluoroborate or methyl sulfate salt derived from a secondary or primary amide is decomposed by base treatment , for example , with 10 % sodium hydroxide or triethylamine , to give the corresponding iminoether which is then reduced in a like manner to the desired compound of formula i . in some cases the reduction of the primary amide of formula iv proceeds only with difficulty and / or in low yields to the corresponding primary amine of formula i . a useful alternative method of obtaining the primary amine of formula i from the corresponding primary amide of formula iv in which y is alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 or conr 5 r 6 involves the following steps : the first step involves protection of the alcohol function ( i . e . r 7 is hydrogen ), if it is present , in the amide of formula iv . this protection is easily achieved by acetylating the alcohol - amide of formula iv with a molar excess of acetic anhydride and pyridine at room temperature for 15 to 30 hours to give the corresponding primary amide , o - acetate . the next step involves the conversion of the primary amide to the corresponding nitrile . in this step , the primary amide is reacted with one to two molar equivalents of p - toluenesulfonyl chloride in pyridine at 20 ° to 70 ° c . for one to six hours and the nitrile is isolated . finally , the latter nitrile is reduced with a complex metal hydride , preferably lithium aluminum hydride , in the same manner as described above to obtain the corresponding primary amine of formula i ( i . e . alk 1 is ch 2 or alk 3 -- ch 2 , and r 5 and r 6 are hydrogen ). this reduction also will remove the acetate protection of the alcohol , so that the alcohol ( i . e . r 7 is hydrogen ) will be obtained . when it is desired to prepare the tertiary amine compounds in which r 5 or r 6 are either or both methyl , an alternative alkylation methode comprises reacting the appropriate corresponding primary or secondary amine with an aqueous mixture of a substantial excess of formaldehyde and formic acid according to the conditions of the eschweiler - clarke reaction , see m . l . moore , organic reactions , 5 , 301 ( 1949 ), whereby n - methylation is effected . another n - alkylation method which is applied to the above primary and secondary amines involves acylation with a lower alkanoic anhydride or acid halide and subsequent reduction of the resulting amide . furthermore , the above primary amines of formula i in which r 5 and r 6 are hydrogen can be used to prepare compounds of formula i in which r 5 and r 6 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are joined form a heterocyclic amine radical as defined in the first instance . when used in this manner the primary amines are subjected to known n - alkylation methods , for example , see method j in the report by r . b . moffett , j . org . chem ., 14 , 862 ( 1949 ), with the appropriate α , ω - dibromides , or α , ω - dichloride , for example , tetramethylene dibromide , pentamethylene dibromide or bis ( 2 - chloroethyl ) ether to give the corresponding , desired compound of formula i in which r 5 and r 6 together with the nitrogen atom is pyrrolidino , piperidino or morpholino . if during the above n - alkylations it is desired to protect the unsubstituted indole nitrogen ( r 2 is hydrogen ) or the alcohol group ( r 7 is hydrogen ) in the compounds of formula i , such protection for the indole nitrogen can be afforded by the use of appropriate protecting groups , for example , a benzyl group ; see j . f . w . mcomie , cited above , and the protection of the alcohol group is effected by forming the acetate , as described above . ( b ) preparation and conversion of intermediates of formula iv in which y is conr 5 r 6 or alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 . the intermediates of formula iv in which y is conr 5 r 6 or alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 wherein r 5 , r 6 and alk 3 are as defined herein , described in the previous section , are also obtained directly by utilizing the appropriate starting materials of formula ii and ketoamide of formula r 1 -- co -- chyz in which r 1 and z are as defined herein and y is conr 5 r 6 or alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 wherein alk 3 , r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein . a comprehensive review on the properties and preparation of the latter ketoamides can be found in &# 34 ; rodd &# 39 ; s chemistry of the carbon compounds &# 34 ;, cited above . thereafter these amides are converted by the reduction proces , and if required , aklylation processes , described in section a , , to the compounds of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , x and alk 2 are as defined herein , and alk 1 is ch 2 or alk 3 -- ch 2 wherein alk 3 is as defined herein . it should be noted that the compounds of formula iv in which r 1 , r 3 and x are as defined herein ; r 2 and r 4 are hydrogen ; y is conr 5 r 6 or alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 and z is ch 2 ch 2 -- oh , in addition to their use as intermediates for the preparation of the compounds of formula i , are useful also as intermediates for the preparation of the antidepressant agents described in the copending u . s . pat . ser . no . 904 , 113 , filed as of the same date . c . preparation and conversion of intermediates of formula iv in which y is alk 1 -- nr 6 -- cor 9 and z is as defined herein . intermediates of formula iv in which y is alk 1 -- nr 6 -- cor 9 wherein alk 1 , r 6 and r 9 are as defined herein are readily obtained by the condensation ( ii + iii → iv ) of the starting material of formula ii with an appropriate ketoamide of formula r 1 -- co -- chyz in which r 1 and z are as defined herein and y is alk 1 -- nr 6 -- cor 9 wherein alk 1 , r 6 and r 9 are as defined herein . a comprehensive review on the properties and preparation of the latter ketoamides can be found in &# 34 ; rodd &# 39 ; s chemistry of the carbon compounds &# 34 ;, cited above . thereafter , reduction with a complex metal hydride , and if desired alkylation as described in section a ., converts the instant intermediates of formula iv to compounds of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 6 , r 7 , x , alk 1 and alk 2 are as defined herein and r 5 is lower alkyl . d . preparation and conversion of intermediates of formula iv in which y is alk 1 - halo and z is as defined herein . intermediates of formula iv in which y is alk 1 -- halo wherein alk 1 is as defined herein and halo is chloro , bromo or iodo , and z is as defined herein are obtained when a starting material of formula ii is condensed with a haloketone of formula r 1 -- co -- chyz in which r 1 and z are as defined herein and y is alk 1 halo in the presence of a suitable acid catalyst according to the conditions described above for the condensation ii + iii → iv ). thereafter these intermediates of formula iv are treated with a two molar excess of an amine of formula hnr 5 r 6 in which r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein , and if required reduction of the ester or hydrolysis when z is alk 2 -- ocor 11 , represented by the group z , in the same manner as described above , to yield the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , x , alk 1 and alk 2 are as defined herein . preferred conditions for the reduction include the use of a suitable inert solvent , for example , tetrahydrofuran , temperatures ranging from 40 °- 100 ° c . or at the boiling point of the reaction mixture and a reaction time of from eight to 24 hours . if desired the latter pyranoindoles and thiopyranoindoles of formula i in which r 2 , r 5 , r 6 and / or r 7 is hydrogen can be alkylated according to the methods described for the alkylation of the pyranoindoles and thipyranoindoles in section a . e . preparation and conversion of intermediates of formula iv in which y is alk 1 -- no 2 and z is as defined herein . intermediates of formula iv in which y is alk 1 -- no 2 wherein alk 1 is as defined herein and z is as defined herein , are obtained by the condensation ( ii + iii → iv ) when the starting materials of formula ii and appropriate nitroketone of formula r 1 -- co -- chyz in which r 1 and z are as defined herein and y is alk 1 -- no 2 is employed therein in the presence of a suitable acid catalyst . in this case trifluoroacetic acid is the preferred acid catalyst . thereafter , the latter intermediate of formula iv is reduced with a complex metal hydride , preferably lithium aluminum hydride , to afford the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 7 , x , alk 1 and alk 2 are as defined herein and r 5 and r 6 are hydrogen . if desired the latter primary amine compound of formula i in which r 2 , r 5 , r 6 and / or r 7 is hydrogen can be alkylated in the manner as described above in section a . to give the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 2 , r 5 , r 6 and / or r 7 is as defined herein . f . preparation of compounds of formula iv in which y is alk 1 -- nr 5 r 6 and z is as defined herein . the above described starting materials of formula ii are condensed in the presence of an acid catalyst with an aminoketone of formula r 1 -- co -- chyz in which r 1 and z are as defined herein and y is alk 1 -- nr 5 r 6 wherein alk 1 , r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein , and , if required , reduction of the ester represented by the group z , or hydrolysis when z is alk 2 -- ocor 11 , in the same manner as described above , to give the corresponding compound of formula i . in practising this present condensation it is generally advantageous to utilize substantially equimolar amounts of the starting material of formula ii and the aminoketone of formula iii in the presence of an acid catalyst . in this particular condensation the amount of the aforementioned acid catalyst to employ ranges generally from about 1 . 01 to 100 molar equivalents with respect to the amount of aminoketone reactant , a range of from 1 . 05 to 10 molar equivalents being preferred . optionally , one may employ the acid addition salts of the aforementioned aminoketone of formula iii , for example the hydrochloride or the sulfate salt . in this case the aount of acid catalyst may range from 0 . 01 to 100 molar equivalents , preferably 0 . 1 to 10 molar equivalents . boron trifluoride is a preferred acid catalyst for the present condensation . the reaction can be performed conveniently and advantageously without a solvent , although a high boiling solvent , for example , toluene , xylene or isobutyl ether , may be used . when the solvent is omitted , it is desirable to heat the reactants to a melt and stir the melt in an inert atmosphere , for example , nitrogen or helium . reaction time and temperature depend on the particular reactants employed and may be varied . the most convenient reaction time is from one - half to 48 hours , preferably one - half to four hours , and reaction temperatures from 20 ° to 200 ° c ., preferably 60 ° to 140 ° c . the reaction in each individual case is performed preferably at the lowest temperature at which the reaction proceeds smoothly and expeditiously with a minimum of decomposition . the first step in another embodiment for the preparation of the compound of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , x , alk 2 are as defined herein and alk 1 is ch 2 or alk 3 - ch 2 wherein alk 3 is as defined herein is the condensation of the compound of formula ii with an appropriate lower alkanol - lactone of formula v ## str6 ## in which r 1 and alk 2 are as defined herein and y 1 is co or alk 3 -- co wherein alk 3 is as defined herein , in the same manner as described above for the condensation ii + iii → iv , to obtain the corresponding compound of formula vi ## str7 ## in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , x , alk 2 and y 1 are as defined herein . the lower alkanoyl - lactones of formula v are either known , for example , a number of 3 -( lower alkanoyl )- dihydro - 2 ( 3h )- furanones are described by m . w . wagle and t . b . pause , proc . indian acad . sci . sect . a , 68 , 277 ( 1968 ), or they are prepared by known methods , for instance , see &# 34 ; rodd &# 39 ; s chemistry of the carbon compounds &# 34 ;, cited above , pp . 299 - 309 and &# 34 ; rodd &# 39 ; s chemistry of the carbon compounds &# 34 ;, m . f . ansell , ed . supplement to vol ic and id , elsevier publishing co ., amsterdam , 1973 , pp . 99 - 113 . subsequently , the compound of formula vi is reacted with 20 to 40 molar equivalents of an amine of formula hnr 5 r 6 in which r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein in an inert organic solvent , preferably methanol , tetrahydrofuran or dioxane , to obtain the corresponding amide of formula iva ## str8 ## in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , x and alk 2 are as defined herein , r 7 is hydrogen and y is a radical of formula alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 wherein alk 3 , r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein , or conr 5 r 6 wherein r 5 and r 6 are as defined herein . this reaction usually requires a temperature of 45 ° to 100 ° c . for 10 to 30 hours . the amide of formula iva corresponds to the compound of formula iv in which y is conr 5 r 6 or alk 3 -- conr 5 r 6 and z is alk 2 -- or 7 wherein r 7 is hydrogen . if desired , the amide of formula iva in which r 7 is hydrogen , and r 2 , r 5 and / or r 6 is hydrogen can be alkylated in the same manner as described above to obtain the corresponding compound of formula iva in which r 2 , r 5 , r 6 and / or r 7 is lower alkyl . the amides of formula iva are reduced with a complex metal hydride , in the same manner as described above , to obtain the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , x and alk 2 are as defined herein and alk 1 is ch 2 or alk 3 -- ch 2 wherein alk 3 is as defined herein . if desired , the latter compound of formula i in which r 2 , r 5 , r 6 and / or r 7 is hydrogen can be alkylated , in the same manner as described above , to obtain the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 2 , r 3 , r 6 and / or r 7 is lower alkyl . a particularly useful process for preparing a preferred group of compounds of formula i is illustrated by reaction scheme 1 . ## str9 ## note , in reaction scheme 1 the compounds of formula iia , va , via and ivb are included within the scope of the definitions of the compounds of formula ii , v , vi and iva respectively . with reference to reaction scheme 1 , the compound of formula iia in which r 2 is hydrogen or lower alkyl , r 3 and r 4 are hydrogen and x is oxa or thia is condensed with a 3 -( lower alkanoyl ) dihydro - 2 ( 3h ) furanone of formula va in which r 1 is as defined herein , in the same manner as described above for the condensation &# 34 ; ii + iii → iv &# 34 ;, to obtain the corresponding compound of formula via in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 and x are as defined immediately above . subsequent reaction of the compound of formula via with 10 to 40 molar equivalents of an amine of formula hnr 5 r 6 in which r 5 is lower alkyl and r 6 is hydrogen or lower alkyl in an inert organic solvent , preferably methanol , tetrahydrofuran or dioxane , gives the corresponding alcohol of formula ivb in which r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 and x are as defined immediately above and r 7 is hydrogen . this amidation usually requires a temperature of 45 ° to 100 ° c . for 10 to 30 hours . if desired , the latter compound of formula ivb in which r 7 is hydrogen , and r 2 and / or r 6 is hydrogen can be alkylated in the same manner as described above to obtain the corresponding compound of formula ivb in which r 2 , r 6 and / or r 7 is lower alkyl . reduction of the compound of formula ivb with a complex metal hydride , in the same manner as described above , gives the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 1 and r 5 each is lower alkyl ; r 2 , r 6 and r 7 each is hydrogen or lower alkyl ; r 3 and r 4 are hydrogen ; x is oxa or thia ; alk 1 is ch 2 ; and alk 2 is ( ch 2 ) 2 . again , if desired , the latter compound of formula i in which r 2 , r 6 and / or r 7 is hydrogen can be alkylated in the same manner as described above to obtain the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 2 , r 6 and / or r 7 is lower alkyl . finally , it is the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiment of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of disclosure which are within the scope and spirit of this invention . such changes and modification include those variations which depend on well known interconversions of amines , amides , acids and esters or alternation of the order of the steps in the processes disclosed herein . dihydro - 3 -( 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylp yrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl )- 2 ( 3h )- furanone ( via ; r 1 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 and r 4 = h , and x = o ) p - toluenesulfonic acid ( 0 . 50g ) is added to a solution of 3 - acetyldihydro - 2 ( 3h )- furanone ( 25 . 6 g , 0 . 2 mole ), tryptophol ( 32 . 2 g , 0 . 2 mole ) and benzene ( 700 ml ). the flask is equipped with a water separator and a condenser . the mixture is stirred at reflux for one hr . more p - toluenesulfonic acid ( 0 . 50 g ) is added and the solution is refluxed for 18 hr . the dark solution is cooled and stirred in presence of silica gel ( 100 g ) for 5 min . the mixture is filtered on diatomaceous earth and charcoal . the silica gel is washed with diethyl ether and the filtrates are evaporated to afford an oil ( 37 g ) which is a mixture of two diasteroisomers of the title compound . if desired , the latter oil can be crystallized from methanol to obtain crystals ( 17 g ) of isomer a of the title compound , mp 162 °- 164 ° c . the mother liquor of this crystallization is evaporated to obtain a residue ( 20 g ) containing mainly isomer b of the title compound . 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - α -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- n , n , 1 - trimethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide ( ivb ; r 1 , r 5 and r 6 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 , r 4 and r 7 = h , and x = o ) a solution of the oil containing the two diasteriomers of dihydro - 3 -( 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl )- 2 ( 3h )- furanone ( described in example 1 , 15 g , 0 . 055 mole ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 200 ml ) and an aqueous solution of dimethylamine ( 40 %, 200 ml ) is refluxed for 24 hr . aqueous sodium chloride solution is added and the solution is extracted with diethyl ether . the organic extract is dried and evaporated to afford an oil consisting of two diasteriomeric amides of the title compound . the oil is subjected to chromatography on silica gel using acetone - benzene ( 1 : 3 ). the eluates are evaporated and crystallized from benzene - hexane to obtain isomer a of the title compound as crystals ( 4 . 5 g ), mp 158 °- 160 ° c . further elution of the column with acetone - benzene ( 1 : 1 ), evaporation of the eluates and crystallization of the residue from benzene - hexane gives isomer b of the title compound as crystals ( 1 . 5 g ), mp 159 °- 162 ° c . γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( i ; r 1 , r 5 and r 6 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 , r 4 and r 7 = h ; x = o ; alk 1 = ch 2 ; and alk 2 = ch 2 ch 2 ) a solution of 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - α -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- n , n , 1 - trimethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ]- indole - 1 - acetamide , isomer a , ( described in example 2 , 10 . 0 g , 0 . 0316 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 100 ml ) is added dropwise under nitrogen to a mechanically stirred suspension of lithium aluminium hydride ( 3 . 0 g , 0 . 077 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 100 ml ) cooled to 0 ° c . the mixture is refluxed for 3 hr and cooled in an ice - water bath . a solution of water - tetrahydrofuran ( 1 : 1 ) is added dropwise to destroy the excess hydride . the mixture is filtered and the filtrate is evaporated . the residue is dissolved in diethyl ester and the solution is washed with a saturated sodium chloride solution , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from dichloromethane - diethyl ether to give crystals ( 9 . 5 g ) of isomer a of the title compound , mp 201 °- 204 ° c . and nmr ( dmso ) δ1 . 51 ( s ), 2 . 01 ( s ), 3 . 55 ( t ), 3 . 90 ( m ), 5 . 46 ( s ), 7 . 23 ( m ) and 10 . 74 . to a solution of the latter compound ( 3 . 02 g ) in diethyl ether ( 200 ml ), maleic acid ( 1 . 16 g ) in acetone ( 6 ml ) is added dropwise . the precipitate is collected and crystallized from dichloromethane - benzene - diethyl ether to obtain crystals of the maleate salt , mp 88 °- 90 ° c ., of the title compound . in the same manner but replacing isomer a of the starting material with an equivalent amount of isomer b ( described in example 2 ), isomer b of the title compound , crystallized from methanol - diethyl ether , is obtained , mp 186 °- 189 ° c . in the same manner but replacing 3 - acetyldihydro - 2 ( 3h )- furanone in example 1 with an equivalent amount of the following compounds of formula v : 4 - propionyldihydro - 2 ( 3h )- furanone , 3 - acetyl - 4 - methyldihydro - 2 ( 3h )- furanone , 4 - pentionyldihydro - 2 ( 3h )- furanaone , 4 - acetyl - tetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - one , 4 - propanoyl - 6 - methyl - tetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - one , 5 - butanoyl - oxacyclooctan - 2 - one , 4 - acetyl - 6 - ethyl - oxacycloocatan - 2 - one , 7 - propionyl - 4 - methyl - oxacyclodecan - 2 - one or 8 - acetyloxacyclotetradecan - 2 - one , and following the procedure of examples 1 , 2 and 3 , the following compounds of formula i are obtained , respectively : β -[ 2 -( dimethylamino ) ethyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - ethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - ethanol , β - methyl - γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , β -[ 2 -( dimethylamino ) ethyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - butylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - ethanol , γ -[ 2 -( dimethylamino ) ethyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , α - methyl - γ -[ 2 -( dimethylamino ) ethyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - ethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ]- indole - 1 - propanol , δ -[ 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - propylpyrano -[ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - butanol , γ - ethyl - ε -[ 2 -( dimethylamino ) ethyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - pentanol , δ -[ 5 -( dimethylamino )- 3 - methylpentyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - ethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - butanol and η -[ 6 -( dimethylamino ) hexyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - heptanol . by following the procedure of examples 1 , 2 and 3 using the appropriate starting materials of formulae ii and va and amine of formula hnr 5 r 6 , other compounds of formula i are obtained . examples of the latter compounds of formula i are listed as products in tables 1 and 2 together with the appropriate starting materials of formulae ii and va and amine of formula hnr 5 r 6 used for the preparation of the compound of formula i . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ starting material amine product :[( prefix listed below )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - starting material of of tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - of formula ii formula va formula propanol ] exampler . sup . 2 r . sup . 3 r . sup . 4 x r . sup . 1 hnr . sup . 5 r . sup . 6 prefix__________________________________________________________________________ 4 h 4 - cl h 0 ch . sub . 3 hn ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 5 - ch loro - 1 - methyl , isomer a , mp 219 - 220 ° c . and isomer b , mp 170 - 171 ° c . 5 h 7 - c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 h o ch . sub . 3 hn ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 8 - et hyl - 1 - methyl , isomer a , mp 194 - 194 . 5 ° c . and isomer b , mp 148 - 149 ° c . 6 h 6 - cl 7 - ch . sub . 3 o ch . sub . 3 hn ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 7 - ch loro - 1 , 8 - dimethyl , isomer a , mp 218 - 219 ° c . and isomer b , mp 194 . 5 - 196 ° c . 7 h h h o c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 hn ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 - pr opyl , isomer a , mp 200 - 202 ° c . and isomer b , mp 200 - 201 ° c . 8 h h h o ch . sub . 3 morpholine γ -( morpholin - 4 - ylmethyl )- 1 - met hyl , isomer a , mp 181 - 182 ° c . 9 h h h o ch . sub . 3 pyrrolidine γ -[( pyrrolidin - 1 - ylmethyl - 1 - me thyl , isomer a , mp 193 - 195 ° c . 10 h 5 - br h o c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 hn ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 2 γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 6 - br omo - 1 - ethyl11 h 4 - no . sub . 2 6 - c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 o c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 hn ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 - et hyl - 3 - nitro - 7 - propyl12 ch . sub . 3 6 - cf . sub . 3 h o ch . sub . 3 h . sub . 2 nch . sub . 3 γ -[( methylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 9 - di methyl - 7 - trifluoromethyl13 h 5 - ch . sub . 3 7 - ch . sub . 3 o c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 h . sub . 2 nc . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 γ -[( propylamino ) methyl ]- 6 , 9 - dimethyl - 1 - propyl14 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 4 - c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 o h o c . sub . 5 h . sub . 11 h . sub . 2 nc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 γ -[( ethylamino ) methyl ]- 9 - ethyl - 5 - ethoxy - 1 - pentyl15 c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 6 - c ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 -- h o c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 hn ( c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 ). sub . 2 γ -[( dibutylamino ) methyl ]- 7 -( 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ch . sub . 3 ethyl )- 1 , 9 - dipropyl16 ch . sub . 3 6 - c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 h o c . sub . 6 h . sub . 13 hn ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 7 - bu tyl - 9 - methyl - 1 - hexyl17 h h h o ch . sub . 2 ch ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nh . sub . 3 γ - aminomethyl - 1 -( 2 - methylpropy l ) 18 h 4 - c . sub . 6 h . sub . 13 h o ch . sub . 3 h . sub . 2 nc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 γ -[( ethylamino ) methyl ]- 5 - hexyl t 1 - methyl19 c . sub . 5 h . sub . 11 h h o ch . sub . 3 hn ( ch . sub . 3 )-- γ -[( n - ethyl - n - methylamino ) meth yl ]- ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ) 1 - methyl - 9 - pentyl20 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 4 - ch . sub . 3 6 - ch . sub . 3 o c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 nh . sub . 3 γ - aminomethyl - 1 , 9 - diethyl - 5 , 7 - dimethyl21 h 5 - c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 o h o c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 piperidine γ -( piperidin - 1 - ylmethyl )- 1 - pro pyl - 6 - propoxy__________________________________________________________________________ table 2__________________________________________________________________________starting material starting material amine of product :[( prefix listed below )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - of formula ii of formula va formula thiopyranol [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propano l ] exampler . sup . 2 r . sup . 3 r . sup . 4 x r . sup . 1 hnr . sup . 5 r . sup . 6 prefix__________________________________________________________________________22 h h h s ch . sub . 3 hn ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 β -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 - me thyl , isomer a , mp 189 - 190 ° c . and isomer b , mp 228 - 230 ° c . 23 h 5 - c . sub . 6 h . sub . 13 h s c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 morpholine γ -( morpholin - 1 - ylmethyl )- 6 - he xyl - 1 - propyl24 c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 4 - ch . sub . 3 h s c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 h . sub . 2 nc . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 γ -[( ethylamino ) methyl - 9 - butyl - 1 - ethyl - 5 - methyl25 ch . sub . 3 6 - ch . sub . 3 7 no . sub . 2 s ch . sub . 3 h . sub . 2 nch . sub . 2 chm γ -[[( 2 - methylpropyl ) amino ] methyl ] 1 , 7 , 9 - trimethyl - 8 - nitro ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 226 h 4 - c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 o h s c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 hn ( c . sub . 5 h . sub . 11 ). sub . γ -[( dipentylamino ) methyl ]- 1 - b utyl - 5 - butoxy28 ch . sub . 3 6 - cl 7 - ch . sub . 3 s ch . sub . 3 nh . sub . 3 γ - aminomethyl - 7 - chloro - 1 , 8 , 9 - trimethyl29 h 5 - br h s ch . sub . 3 hn ( ch . sub . 3 )-- γ -[( n - methyl - n - propylamino ) me thyl ]- 6 - bromo ( c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 ) 1 - methyl30 h 5 - no . sub . 2 6 - i s c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 hn ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 2 γ -[( diethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 - et hyl - 7 - iodo - 6 - nitro31 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 4 - f h s c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 piperidine γ - piperidin - 1 - ylmethyl - 9 - ethy l - 5 - fluoro - 1 - propyl32 h 5 - ch . sub . 3 o 6 - cl s ch . sub . 3 nh . sub . 3 γ - aminomethyl - 7 - chloro - 1 - meth yl - 6 - methoxy__________________________________________________________________________ n , 1 - dimethyl - α -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide ( ivb ; r 1 and r 5 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 6 and r 7 = h ; and x = o ) a solution of 4 , 5 - dihydro - 3 -( 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - yl )- 2 ( 3h )- furanone ( described in example 1 , 20 g , 0 . 074 mole ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 200 ml ) and 40 % aqueous methylamine is refluxed for 24 hr . the reaction mixture is diluted with brine and extracted with diethyl ether . the organic extracts are washed with brine , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated . the residue is subjected to chromatography on silica gel using acetone - benzene ( 1 : 2 ). the eluates are evaporated and crystallized from diethyl ether - hexane to obtain isomer a ( 6 . 9 g ) of the title compound , mp 169 °- 171 ° c . the eluant for the column is changed to acetone - benzene ( 1 : 1 ) and the eluates are evaporated followed by trituration of the residue to obtain isomer b ( 7 . 5 g ) of the title compound , mp . 194 °- 196 ° c . γ -[( methylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( i ; r 1 and r 5 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 6 and r 7 = h ; x = o ; alk 1 = ch 2 ; and alk 2 = ch 2 ch 2 ) a solution of α ( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - n , 1 - dimethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide , isomer a ( described in example 33 , 0 . 64 g , 2 . 12 mmole ) in acetic anhydride ( 20 ml ) is refluxed for 2 . 5 hr and stirred overnight at room temperature . the acetic anhydride is evaporated under reduced pressure and the residue is dissolved in chloform . the solution is washed with a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution and brine , dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered through diatomaceous earth and charcoal , and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from benzene - hexane to obtain isomer a ( 0 . 656 g ) of α -( 2 - acetoxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - n - 1 - dimethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide , m . p . 162 °- 164 ° c . to a solution of the latter compound ( 5 . 1 g , 14 . 7 mmole ) in dry dichloromethane ( 65 ml ), stirring at room temperature , is added in one portion triethyloxonium fluoroborate ( 4 . 0 g ). the mixture is stirred at room temperature overnight . the dichloromethane solution is washed with sodium bicarbonate solution and brine , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated to give a residue of the imino ether . the residue is dissolved in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 50 ml ) and the solution is added dropwise to a suspension of lithium aluminium hydride ( 1 . 71 g , 45 mmole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 75 ml ). the mixture is stirred at reflux temperature for three hr and cooled in an ice bath . a solution of water - tetrahydrofuran ( 1 : 4 , 20 ml ) is added dropwise to destroy excess hydride . the mixture is filtered through diatomaceous earth . the filtrate is washed with brine , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from a solution of benzene and hexane . the gummy crystals are collected and triturated with a solution of benzene and hexane on a porous porcelain plate to afford the title compound as an amorphous powder ( 2 . 2g ), m . p . 122 ° c ., nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 6 ( s ), 2 . 38 ( s ) and 7 . 3 ( m ). α -( 2 - acetoxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - n , n , 1 , 9 - tetramethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide ( iv ; r 1 and r 2 = ch 3 , r 3 and r 4 = h , x = o , y = con ( ch 3 ) 2 and z = ch 2 ch 2 -- ococh 3 ). a solution of α ( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - n , n , 1 - trimethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide , isomer a ( described in example 2 , 30 . 6 g , 0 . 1 mole ) in acetic anhydride ( 300 ml ) is refluxed for 2 . 5 hr and stirred overnight at room temperature . the acetic anhydride is evaporated under reduced pressure and the residue is dissolved in benzene . charcoal is added and the mixture is filtered . the filtrate is reduced in volume and hexane is added to obtain crystals ( 30 . 7 g ), m . p . 142 °- 143 ° c ., of α - acetoxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - n , n , 1 - trimethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide , isomer a . a solution of the latter compound ( 25 . 0 g , 0 . 07 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 150 ml ) is added dropwise to a stirred suspension of sodium hydride ( 57 % oil dispersion , 7 . 0 g , 0 . 145 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 225 ml ) keeping the temperature below 15 ° c . and the reaction mixture is stirred for 45 min . methyl iodide ( 13 ml ) is added dropwise and the mixture is heated to 40 °- 43 ° c . to start the reaction which proceeds on its own for a while . the mixture is refluxed for 2 hr and cooled . water is added dropwise to destroy excess sodium hydride . brine ( 200 ml ) is added and the mixture is extracted with diethyl ether . the organic extract is washed with brine , dried and evaporated . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel using 2 % methanol in ethyl acetate as eluant . the initial eluates are evaporated to obtain isomer a ( 12 . 8 g ) of the title compound , nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ1 . 66 ( s ), 2 . 0 ( s ), 3 . 02 ( s ), 3 . 15 ( s ), 3 . 9 ( s ) and 7 . 3 ( m ). the latter eluates are evaporated to obtain isomer a ( 8 . 3g ) of α -( 2 - methoxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - n , n - 1 , 9 - tetramethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide , nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ1 . 65 ( s ), 2 . 97 ( s ), 3 . 15 ( s ), 3 . 30 ( s ), 3 . 88 ( s ) and 7 . 2 ( m ). γ -[( dimethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 9 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahyropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( i ; r 1 , r 2 , r 5 and r 6 = ch 3 ; r 3 , r 4 and r 7 = h ; x = o ; alk 1 = ch 2 ; and alk 2 = ch 2 ch 2 ) a solution of α -( 2 - acetoxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - n , n , 1 , 9 - tetramethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide ( described in example 35 , 12 . 8 g , 0 . 034 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 200 ml ) is added dropwise to a suspension of lithium aluminum hydride ( 4 . 1 g , 0 . 1 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 150 ml ). the reaction mixture is refluxed for 2 hr and cooled in an ice bath and a solution of water - tetrahydrofuran ( 1 : 4 ) is added carefully to destroy excess hydride . the mixture is filtered through diatomaceous earth . the filtrate is washed with brine , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated to give an oil ( 10 . 6 g ) of isomer a of the title compound , nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ1 . 65 ( s ), 2 . 08 ( s ), 3 . 75 ( s ), 3 . 85 ( s ) and 7 . 25 ( m ). the latter oil is dissolved in diethyl ether and a solution of hydrogen chloride in diethyl ether is added . the precipitate is collected and crystallized from dichloromethane - diethyl ether to obtain crystals ( 8 . 5 g ), m . p . 192 °- 194 ° c ., of the hydrochloride salt of isomer a of the title compound . n , n - dimethyl - 4 - methoxy - 2 -( 1 , 9 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl ) butanamine ( i ; r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , r 6 and r 7 = ch 3 ; r 3 and r 4 = h ; x = o ; alk 1 = ch 2 ; and alk 2 = ch 2 ch 2 ). a solution of α -( 2 - methoxyethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - n , n , 9 - tetramethylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide , isomer a ( described in example 35 , 8 . 3 g , 0 . 024 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 100 ml ) is added dropwise with stirring to a cooled suspension of lithium aluminum hydride ( 2 . 5 g , 0 . 065 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 150 ml ). the reaction mixture is refluxed for 2 hr and cooled in ice . a solution of water - tetrahydrofuran ( 1 : 3 ) is added carefully to destroy excess hydride and the mixture is filtered through diatomaceous earth . the filtrate is washed with brine , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from methanol - water to give the title compound ( 4 . 97g ), m . p . 77 °- 78 ° c . 2 -( 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl )- glutaric acid diethyl ester ( iv ; r 1 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 and r 4 = h ; x = o ; y = ch 2 ch 2 -- cooet ; and z = cooet a solution of tryptophol ( 16 . 12 g , 0 . 1 mole ), diethyl 2 - acetylglutarate ( 23 . 25 g , 0 . 1 mole ) and p - toleuensulfonic acid ( 0 . 25 g ) in dry benzene ( 275 ml ) is stirred at reflux temperature overnight using a water trap . more p - toluenesulfonic acid ( 0 . 10 g ) is added and reflux is continued for 6 hr at the end of which the theorerical amount of water ( 1 . 8 ml ) is collected . diatomaceous earth ( ca 60 ml ) and charcoal are added to the dark red mixture and a pale yellow filtrate is obtained upon filtration . concentration of the filtrate gives a thick oil which is chromatographed on silica gel using 15 % acetone in benzene as eluant . the eluates are evaporated to give the title compound as a mixture of two diastereomers ( 31 . 5 g ), nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ1 . 20 ( t ), 1 . 55 ( s ), 2 . 25 ( m ), 2 . 9 ( m ), 4 . 2 ( m ), 7 . 3 ( m ) and 9 . 5 ( s ). 5 -( n , n - dimethylamino )- 2 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl )- 5 - oxopentanoic acid ethyl ester ( iv ; r 1 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 and r 4 = h ; x = o ; y = ch 2 ch 2 -- con ( ch 3 ) 2 and z = cooet ) to a stirred solution of 2 -( 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl )- glutaric acid diethyl ester ( described in example 38 , 7 . 46 g , 0 . 02 mole ) in methanol is added gaseous dimethylamine using a dry ice condenser and the solution is refluxed overnight using a water condenser . excess dimethylamine and methanol are removed under reduced pressure and the residue is chromatographed on silica gel using 20 % acetone in benzene . the appropriate eluate fractions are combined and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from benzene - hexane to obtain the title compound as crystals ( 3 . 9 g ), m . p . 86 °- 88 ° c . β - γ -( n , n - dimethylamino ) propyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyran [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - ethanol ( i ; r 1 , r 5 and r 6 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 r 4 and r 7 = h ; x = o ; alk 1 = ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ; and alk 2 = ch 2 ) a solution of 5 -( n , n - dimethylamino )- 2 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl )- 5 - oxopentanoic acid ethyl ester ( described in example 39 , 2 . 28 g , 6 . 15 mmole ) in dry tetrahydropyran ( 50 ml ) is added dropwise to a stirred suspension of lithium aluminium hydride ( 0 . 96 g , 20 mmole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 50 ml ) at 0 ° c . under nitrogen . the suspension is stirred at reflux temperature for 3 hr and cooled in an ice - bath . a mixture of water - tetrahydrofuran ( 1 : 4 ) is added carefully to destroy excess lithium aluminium hydride . the mixture is filtered through diatomaceous earth and the filtrate is washed with brine , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from benzene to obtain the title compound as crystals ( 0 . 96 g ), m . p . 100 °- 102 ° c . γ - aminomethyl - 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( i ; r 1 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 and r 7 = h ; x = o ; alk 1 = ch 2 ; and alk 2 = ch 2 ch 2 ) a suspension of 4 , 5 - dihydro - 3 -( 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methyl pyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indol - 1 - yl ]- 2 ( 3h )- furanone ( described in example 1 , 20 g , 0 . 073 mole ) in liquid ammonia is heated at 90 ° c . in a pressure apparatus for three hours . the apparatus is rinsed with ethanol and the yellow solution is evaporated . the residue is crystallized from ethanol to afford α -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ]- indole - 1 - acetamide ( 16 . 15 g ) , m . p . 159 °- 161 ° c . a solution of the latter compound ( 9 . 0 g , 0 . 031 mole ) in acetic anhydride ( 150 ml ) is refluxed for three hours , allowed to stand at room temperature overnight and evapoarated . the residue is dissolved in chloroform . the organic solution is washed with aqeuous sodium bicarbonate , brine , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel with a mixture 20 % acetone in benzene . the eluates are evaporated to give a residue ( 5 . 3 g ) of α -( 2 - acetoxyethyl )- n - acetyl - 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide , ir ( chcl . sub . 3 ) 1700 and 1725 cm - 1 . a solution of the latter compound ( 20 g , 0 . 07 mole ) in acetic anhydride ( 70 ml ) and pyridine ( 60 ml ) is left in the dark at room temperature for 24 hours . the reaction mixture is evaporated and the residue is chromatographed on silica gel ( 650 g ) using ethyl acetate . the eluates are evaporated and the residue is crystallized from benzene - hexane to afford isomer a ( 15 . 7 g ) of α -( 2 - acetoxyethyl )- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetamide , m . p . 141 °- 143 ° c . further elution of the column with 5 % methanol in ethyl acetate , evaporation of the eluates and crystallization of the residue from methanol - water gives isomer b ( 4 . 1 g ) of the latter compound , m . p . 186 °- 188 ° c . to a stirred mixture of isomer a of the latter compound ( 15 g , 0 . 045 mole ) and pyridine ( 9 . 0 g , 0 . 15 mole ) is added p - toluenesulfonyl chloride ( 10 . 0 g , 0 . 052 mole ) at such a rate that the temperature does not exceed 70 ° c . the mixture is stirred at room temperature for three hr , excess ethyl acetate is added and the resulting mixture is filtered . the filtrate is washed with water and evaporated . the residue is chromatographed through a column of silica gel using ethyl acetate - benzene ( 1 : 10 ). the eluates are concentrated down to 30 ml , diethyl ether is added and the crystals ( 12 . 5g ) of isomer a of 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - α -( 2 - acetyloxyethyl )- 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - acetonitrile , mp 115 °- 117 ° c ., are collected . a solution of the latter compound ( 10 . 0 g , 0 . 032 mole ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 100 ml ) is added dropwise to a mechanically stirred mixture of lithium aluminum hydride ( 5 . 0 g , 0 . 13 mole ) and dry tetrahydrofuran ( 100 ml ) under nitrogen . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for one hr under nitrogen and cooled to 0 ° c . a solution of water - tetrahydrofuran ( 1 : 9 , 100 ml ) is slowly added followed by diatomaceous earth ( 10 g ). the mixture is stirred for a few minutes and filtered through a pad of diatomaceous earth . the filtrate is concentrated to about 50 ml and ethyl acetate is added . the solution is washed with brine and extracted with in hydrochloric acid ( 100 ml ). the acidic extract is basified with sodium hydroxide and the alkaline solution is extracted with ethyl actate . the organic extract is dried , evaporated and crystallized from methanol to afford isomer a ( 3 . 8 g ) of the title compound , mp 172 °- 174 ° c . the title compound is dissolved in methanol and a solution of hydrogen chloride in diethyl ether is added . the solution is allowed to crystallize and the crystals of the hydrochloric salt of isomer a of the title compound , mp 225 °- 228 ° c ., are collected . γ -[ n -( 1 - methylethyl ) aminomethyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( i ; r 1 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 7 = h ; r 6 = ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ; x = o ; alk 1 = ch 2 ; and alk 2 = ch 2 ch 2 ) to a solution of γ - aminomethyl - 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( described in example 41 , 2 . 88 g , 0 . 014 mole ) in absolute methanol ( 1 ml ) is added 5n hydrogen chloride in ethanol ( 0 . 5 ml ) followed by anhydrous acetone ( 0 . 58 g , 0 . 01 mole ) and the reaction mixture is stirred for 0 . 5 hr . sodium cyanoborohydride ( 0 . 10 g ) is added and the reaction is stirred at room temperature for 2 hr . anhydrous acetone ( 0 . 1 ml ) is added followed by sodium cyanoborohydride ( 0 . 30 g ) and the reaction is stirred at room temperature for 2 hr . concentrated hydrochloric acid is added until the reaction becomes acidic ( ph & lt ; 2 ). the acidic reaction mixture is evaporated and water is added . solid potassium hydroxide is added until the solution is ph & gt ; 10 and sodium chloride is added until the solution is saturated . the latter solution is extracted with ethyl acetate and the organic extract is evaporated . the residue is chromatographed through a column of silica gel using triethylamine - methanol - chloroform ( 1 : 1 : 18 ). the eluates are evaporated to give a residue ( 3 . 06 g ) of the title compound , nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ1 . 2 , 1 . 3 , 1 . 55 , 3 . 7 , 4 . 0 and 6 . 8 - 7 . 5 . in the same manner but replacing acetone with an equivalent amount of butanal , 2 - butanone or hexanal , the following compounds of formula i are obtained , respectively : γ -( n - butylaminomethyl )- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , γ -[ n -( 1 - methylpropyl ) aminomethyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole -- 1 - propanol and γ -( n - hexylaminomethyl )-[ 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol . γ -[ n - methyl - n -( 1 - methylethyl ) aminomethyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( i ; r 1 and r 5 = ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 , r 4 and r 7 = h ; x = o ; r 6 = ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ; alk 1 = ch 2 and alk 2 = ch 2 ch 2 ) sodium cyanoborohydride ( 1 . 0 g , 0 . 016 mole ) is added to a stirred solution of γ -[ n -( 1 - methylethyl ) aminomethyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahyropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( described in example 42 , 2 . 7 g , 0 . 0085 mole ) and 37 % aqueous formaldehyde ( 4 ml , 0 . 050 mole ) in acetonitrile ( 30 ml ). the reaction is stirred for 30 min and acetic acid ( 0 . 5 ml ) is added dropwise . the reaction is stirred for 2 hr and acetic acid being added occasionally to maintain the ph near neutrally ( total volume is 1 ml ). the solvent is evaporated and 10 % sodium hydroxide is added . the alkaline solution is extracted with ethyl acetate and the organic extract is washed with brine and extracted with in hydrochloric acid . the acidic extract is neutralized with solid potassium hydroxide followed by extraction with ethyl acetate . the organic extract is dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated . diethyl ether is added to the residue and the precipitate is crystallized from diethyl ether - methanol to obtain the title compound ( 1 . 0 g ), mp 185 °- 187 ° c . in the same manner but replacing formaldehyde with an equivalent amount of acetaldehyde or butanal , the following compounds of formula i are obtained , respectively : γ -[ n - ethyl - n -( 1 - methylethyl ) aminomethyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahdyropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol and γ -[ n - butyl - n - 1 - methylethyl ) aminomethyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol . similarily , replacing γ -[ n -( 1 - methylethyl ) aminomethyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol with an equivalent of another compound of formula i described in example 42 , the following compounds of formula i are obtained , respectively : γ -( n - butyl - n - methylaminomethyl )- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol , γ -[ n - methyl - n -( 1 - methylpropyl ) aminomethyl ]- 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol and γ -( n - hexyl - n - methylaminomethyl )-[ 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol . -[( diethylamino ) methyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydro - 1 - methylpyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( i ; r 1 ═ ch 3 ; r 2 , r 3 , r 4 and r 7 ═ h ; r 5 and r 6 ═ c 2 h 5 ; x ═ o ; alk 1 ═ ch 2 ; and alk 2 ═ ch 2 ch 2 ) a solution of γ - aminomethyl - 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 - tetrahydropyrano [ 3 , 4 - b ] indole - 1 - propanol ( described in example 41 , 2 . 7 g , 0 . 001 mole ) and ethyl iodide ( 10 ml ) in methanol ( 20 ml ) at room temperature for 72 hr . the reaction mixture is evaporated to dryness and the residue is partitioned between water and diethyl ether . the aqueous layer is separated , basified with 10 % sodium hydroxide and extracted with diethyl ether . the diethyl ether extract is dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered and evaporated . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel using methanol - triethylamine - ethyl acetate ( 2 : 2 : 96 ) and the eluates are evaporated . the residue is crystallized from a mixture of methanol - ethyl acetate - hexane to obtain the title compound ( 0 . 68 g ), mp 159 ° 160 ° c . | 2 |
in a first embodiment of the present invention , a dual - damascene / high - aspect ratio contact for a shallow junction is fabricated by utilizing titanium and cobalt layers to be followed by aluminum pressure filling . fig1 illustrates a structure by which both an inventive method is carried out and an inventive structure is formed . in fig1 a semiconductor structure 10 is depicted in a cross - sectional elevation view comprising a semiconductor substrate 12 that has an active area 14 therein , a field oxide region 16 grown upon semiconductor substrate 12 , a first dielectric layer 18 , a second dielectric layer 22 , and an optional dielectric layer 20 lying therebetween . first dielectric layer 18 and second dielectric layer 22 are preferably composed of different materials , for example , first dielectric layer 18 may be composed of bpsg and second dielectric layer may be composed of teos . optional dielectric layer 20 may be yet a different material , for example , a nitride such as si 3 n 4 . dielectric layers 18 , 20 , 22 are selectee according to specific applications . for example , a preferred etch recipe will have different etch selectivities that can be used to achieve an etch result required for a specific application . in all subsequently presented embodiments , the illustrated structures presuppose the optional presence of optional dielectric layer 20 . disposed upon optional dielectric layer 20 , or upon first dielectric layer 18 ( if optional dielectric layer 20 is not present ) is second dielectric layer 22 that has been patterned with a mask ( not shown ) and etched . etching has formed such structures as a first trench 24 that forms a depression through both second dielectric layer 22 and optional dielectric layer 20 . etching has also formed a second trench 26 that contains at the bottom of second trench 26 , a contact corridor 28 that may have a cylindrical shape . additionally , etching has formed a third trench 30 that forms a depression only into second dielectric layer 22 , the etch of which has stopped on optional dielectric layer 20 if present . in semiconductor structure 10 , it can be seen that preferred etch chemistries and preferred dielectric materials may be selected to achieve any of first trench 24 , second trench 26 with contact corridor 28 , or third trench 30 depending upon the preferred embodiment as applied . the first embodiment comprises a surface precleaning that may typically be an hf dip or the like . the surface precleaning preferably will be selected to dissolve polymers and oxides . following the surface precleaning , a titanium layer deposition is carried out by cvd to form a titanium layer 32 as illustrated in fig2 . titanium is deposited by cvd to achieve a good step coverage and the titanium is used to consume any native oxide that grows upon the semiconductor substrate 12 at the bottom of contact corridor 28 as illustrated in fig1 . process parameters are preferably selected in the cvd titanium process such that , for example , if the cvd ti process is carried out using ticl 4 , no titanium silicide forms upon the exposed surface of semiconductor substrate 12 at the bottom of contact corridor 28 . the next portion of the first embodiment comprises forming a cobalt layer 34 upon titanium layer 32 , but most particularly at the bottom of contact corridor 28 . preferably cobalt layer 4 is formed by pvd in order to assure a preferred bottom coverage at the bottom of contact corridor 28 . the two processes of cvd of titanium to form titanium layer 32 and pvd of cobalt to form cobalt layer 34 are preferably carried out within a single cluster of deposition equipment , whereby the vacuum is not broken between the two processes . this cluster equipment method is used to minimize formation of oxide upon titanium layer 32 . an oxide layer upon titanium layer 32 will prevent the desired diffusion of cobalt layer 34 through titanium layer 32 at the bottom of contact corridor 28 . following deposition of cobalt layer 34 , a thermal process that uses a nitrogen atmosphere is carried out , preferably by rta , the results of which are depicted in fig3 . at the bottom of contact corridor 28 , rta has caused cobalt layer 34 to diffuse through titanium layer 32 and to combine with silicon in active area 14 of semiconductor substrate 12 to form a cobalt silicide layer 36 . optionally , any titanium from titanium layer 32 that has not diffused may form a thermal titanium nitride layer 38 . further processing comprises deposition of a titanium nitride layer 40 preferably by pvd . a pvd of a metallization such as an aluminum layer 42 follows as illustrated in fig3 by hot and fast deposition to form a bridge - like structure over the top of semiconductor structure 10 that bridges over first trench 24 , second trench 26 , third trench 30 , and contact corridor 28 . a pressure fill follows wherein aluminum layer 42 is forced to the bottom and substantially fills trenches 24 , 30 , contact corridor 28 , and second trench 26 . finally , cmp is carried out to remove all material above the level indicated by dashed line a -- a as seen in fig3 . in a preferred alternative of this first embodiment , semiconductor structure 10 as illustrated in fig1 is subjected to a 30 second 100 : 1 hf dip followed by a cvd of titanium layer 32 . titanium layer 32 is selected to be of a thickness that is sufficient to consume any native oxide formed upon the exposed portion of active area 14 that is on the bottom of contact corridor 28 , but not so thick so as to substantially hinder diffusion of cobalt layer 34 therethrough . for example , if about 25 å of native oxide were present at the portion of active area 14 exposed by contact corridor 28 , a minimum of about 25 å of titanium layer 32 would be preferred . in general , titanium layer 32 is selected to be in the thickness range of from 20 to 200 å , preferably 30 to 150 å , and most preferably 40 to 100 å . following formation of titanium layer 32 , cobalt layer 34 is formed preferably by sputtering . because it is preferred that cobalt layer 34 substantially cover the bottom of contact corridor 28 , directional sputtering of some type , for example , collimated or some other directional sputtering is preferred . cobalt layer 34 is preferably about 800 å thick when titanium layer 32 is 100 å thick . deposition of cobalt layer 34 can be accomplished by a 2 . 5 : 1 collimated cobalt sputtering . fig3 illustrates the results of the next technique used in the preferred alternative of the first embodiment , wherein an rta is carried out to form cobalt silicide layer 36 and thermal titanium nitride layer 38 . rta conditions are selected in the time range of from about 10 to about 60 seconds , and in the temperature range of from about 200 to about 800 ° c . following rta , a titanium nitride layer 40 is deposited by pvd . deposited titanium nitride layer 40 is selected in the thickness range from 500 to about 3 , 000 å , preferably about 1 , 000 to about 2 , 500 å , and most preferably from about 1 , 500 to about 2 , 000 å . following formation of deposited titanium nitride layer 40 , a fast deposition by pvd of aluminum or an aluminum alloy is carried out . preferably the conditions of the fast deposition comprise about 12 kw to achieve the fast pvd of aluminum layer 42 . aluminum layer 42 is then pressure filled under processing conditions of a pressure range from about 600 to about 800 atm , and preferably from about 700 to about 750 atm . the temperature range is from about 400 ° c . to about 550 ° c ., and preferably from about 480 to about 520 ° c . the preferred process duration is in the range of from about one to about four minutes . following pressure filling , remnants of aluminum layer 42 that are situated above first dielectric 22 are removed , for example , by cmp as illustrated by dashed line a -- a in fig4 . aluminum layer 42 may be deposited and filled by other techniques . depending upon the specific application , other aluminum filling techniques such as hot aluminum reflow , directional sputtering , or low pressure cvd combined with reflow may be selected . fig4 shows , depending upon the preferred application of the inventive method , the structure at the bottom of contact corridor 28 which comprise cobalt silicide layer 36 that may be covered with an optional unreacted titanium layer 48 . by selecting processing conditions , unreacted titanium layer 48 may be entirely consumed into a thermal titanium nitride such as thermal titanium nitride layer 38 . thermal titanium nitride layer 38 is covered with deposited titanium nitride layer 40 . titanium nitride layers 38 , 40 may be fabricated such that no discrete boundary separates the two . for example , at the bottom of thermal titanium nitride layer 38 , a mix of titanium and nitride may comprise a ratio of , for example , 75 : 25 in favor of titanium , preferably 60 : 40 , and most preferably 55 : 45 . a composition gradient is then achieved between the bottom of thermal titanium nitride layer 38 and the top of deposited titanium nitride layer 40 such that the top of deposited titanium nitride layer 40 is comprised of a preferred stoichiometric ratio of titanium to nitrogen , i . e . 50 : 50 . it is preferred that , preceding deposition of aluminum layer 42 , the composite of titanium layer 32 , cobalt layer 34 , thermal titanium nitride layer 38 , and deposited titanium nitride layer 40 form a continuous covering over semiconductor structure 10 . because aluminum and its alloys are substantially insoluble in titanium nitride , pressure filling is facilitated such that aluminum layer 42 will flow across the outer surfaces of the aforementioned layers without substantially intermingling . thermal titanium nitride layer 38 is likely an equiaxied structure or an amorphous structure and deposited titanium nitride layer 40 is likely columnar . deposited titanium nitride layer 40 is preferred next to aluminum layer 42 that subsequently forms filled aluminum trench 44 and a filled aluminum contact 46 as illustrated in fig4 . pvd titanium nitride also has a lower resistivity than thermally formed titanium nitride . the resistivity of pvd titanium nitride will be less than 100 μω - cm . thermal titanium nitride layer 38 will have a resistivity in the range of about 1 , 000 μω - cm , therefore , it is preferred that formation of thermal titanium nitride layer 38 be conventionally minimized as is within the skill of the routineer in the art . in subsequent illustrated embodiments including fig5 a - 9b , processing steps such as those illustrated in fig1 - 4 are presumed . for example , items such as trenches 24 , 26 , 30 , contact corridor 28 , and aluminum layer 42 as illustrated in fig1 - 4 are referenced to facilitate discussion of the preferred embodiments , but they are not necessarily depicted . for example , in fig5 a - 9b , a single trench is depicted without a contact corridor beneath it and a dual damascene trench and contact corridor is depicted . it is understood that when trenches 24 , 30 are referred to , the single trench is meant thereby . in a second embodiment , a disappearing mobility underlayer is deposited into the trench or contact corridor . this inventive method embodiment comprises surface precleaning as set forth above , cvd of titanium , cvd of titanium nitride , rta , cvd of germanium followed by pvd of a metallization layer , pressure filling , and cmp . in a preferred alternative of the second embodiment , semiconductor structure 10 is dipped in 100 : 1 hf for about 30 seconds . following the hf dip , titanium layer 32 is deposited in a thickness range of from about 50 to about 400 å , more preferably from about 100 to about 300 å , and most preferably to about 200 å . in place of using cobalt layer 34 , titanium nitride layer 40 is formed by cvd in a thickness range of from about 100 to about 500 å , more preferably from about 200 to about 400 å , and most preferably about 300 å . following deposition of titanium nitride layer 40 , rta is carried out in which a titanium silicide layer 54 forms at the bottom of contact corridor 28 upon active area 14 . rta conditions are selected in the time range of from about 10 to about 60 seconds , and in the temperature range of from about 200 to about 800 ° c . the metallurgical junction that forms during the rfa comprises active area 14 and titanium silicide layer 54 . unlike cobalt silicide , titanium silicide is not as resistant to reactive encroachment of aluminum layer 42 into active area 14 . as such , rta conditions must be monitored with vigilance if a shallow junction is being fabricated . following rta , a disappearing underlayer of germanium is deposited by cvd . the thickness range of the disappearing germanium layer is from about 50 to 500 å , preferably about 100 to about 400 å , and most preferably about 200 to about 300 å . the morphology of the disappearing germanium underlayer can be selected to be either amorphous or polycrystalline . control of the morphology is dictated by rta conditions and by cvd conditions . following deposition of the disappearing germanium underlayer , aluminum layer 42 is deposited by pvd under conditions of about 12 kw . pressure filling conditions are from about 700 to about 750 atm , from about 300 to about 520 ° c ., and from about 1 to about 4 minutes . fig5 a and 5b illustrate the result of a preferred alternative of the second embodiment . fig5 a illustrates a structure within a trench . it can be seen that thermal titanium nitride layer 38 has also formed by diffusion of nitrogen during the rta through titanium nitride layer 40 and by using the titanium in titanium layer 32 as a co - reactant with the rta nitrogen atmosphere . fig5 b illustrates the structure at the bottom of contact corridor 28 , where the formation of titanium silicide layer 54 has occurred upon active area 14 of semiconductor substrate 12 . similar to the multi - layer structure illustrated in fig4 in the second embodiment a multi - layer structure at the bottom of contact corridor 28 may also be present . the multi - layer structure may include the following layers : a silicon layer comprising active area 14 , titanium silicide layer 54 , unreacted remnants of titanium layer 32 ( not pictured ), thermal titanium nitride layer 38 ( not pictured ), titanium nitride layer 40 , a germanium aluminide layer ( not pictured ), and filled aluminum contact 46 . the multi - layer structure as set forth above is achievable by selection of preferred layer thicknesses , rta , and pressure filling conditions . it can be seen in fig5 a and 5b that germanium has substantially disappeared as a discreet component of semiconductor structure 10 . there remain , however , germanium aluminide regions 52 that have formed and / or migrated from the position where germanium originally was deposited . germanium lowers the melting point of aluminum . because of the lower temperatures required during pressure filling made possible by the presence of germanium next to aluminum layer 42 , the second embodiment maximizes aluminum flowability , reduces temperature and time requirements to achieve aluminum flow , and maximizes the robustness of the liners against aluminum diffusion due to the continuous nature of the reacted layers . in a third embodiment , a disappearing mobility underlayer of silicon is deposited into a depression . the third embodiment comprises surface pre - cleaning as set forth above , cvd of titanium , pvd of cobalt , rta , cvd of silicon , followed by pvd of aluminum , pressure filling , and cmp . the third embodiment includes the disappearing mobility underlayer technique set forth above to form shallow junctions and high aspect - ratio contacts . in a preferred alternative of this third embodiment seen in fig6 a , semiconductor structure 10 is dipped in a solution of 100 : 1 hf for about 30 seconds . following the hf dip , titanium layer 32 is deposited by cvd in a thickness range of from about 50 to about 400 å , more preferably from about 75 to about 300 å , and most preferably at a thickness of about 100 å . cobalt layer 34 is deposited by pvd similar to that in the first embodiment as set forth above . a collimation ratio of 2 . 5 : 1 is preferred . collimation deposition of cobalt layer 34 in a thickness range from about 400 to about 1 , 200 å , preferably 600 to about 1 , 000 å , and most preferably about 800 å . similar to the first embodiment , semiconductor structure 10 fabricated thus far is subject to rta , which accomplishes diffusion of deposited cobalt layer 34 through titanium layer 32 at the bottom of contact corridor 28 so as to form cobalt silicide layer 36 . in the third embodiment , a disappearing silicon underlayer is deposited by cvd . a preferred thickness of the cvd silicon underlayer is from about 100 to about 300 å , and more preferably about 200 å . the cvd silicon underlayer is a disappearing mobility underlayer analogous to the cvd germanium layer as set forth in the second embodiment . silicon , like germanium lowers the eutectic point , diffuses into the aluminum metallization , and lowers the melting point of the aluminum that it is in contact therewith . this lowering of the melting point facilitates a lower friction in the flow of the aluminum against the sidewalls of the depression during pressure filling or reflow . use of silicon in this embodiment has the advantage of assisting in high aspect ratio contact formation and for formation of shallow junction structures . the contact and shallow junctions are formed separately or together where , in concert with cobalt that has diffused through the titanium to form cobalt silicide layer 36 , high aspect ratios and shallow junctions are formed simultaneously . following formation of a cvd silicon underlayer as set forth above , one may elect to subject semiconductor structure 10 to a second hf dip , such as a 30 second 100 : 1 hf treatment . following the optional hf dip , the method of pvd of aluminum layer 42 , pressure filling , and cmp are carried out in substantially the same manner as set forth in the second embodiment . fig6 b illustrates the structure accomplished by the third embodiment where cobalt silicide layer 36 has formed at the bottom of contact corridor 28 . within cobalt silicide layer 36 there may be additionally an upper portion of cobalt silicide layer 36 that comprises substantially pure cobalt ( not shown ). achieving a cobalt silicide layer that transitions to substantially pure cobalt can be done by control of the rta process . the advantage for a cobalt silicide layer that transitions to substantially pure cobalt depends upon the specific application . for example , depending upon the thermal conductivity of dielectric materials that neighbor cobalt silicide layer 36 as well as the thermal conductivity of active area 14 , a substantially continuous transition from cobalt silicide to substantially pure cobalt can minimize creep failure caused during fabrication heating or during field - use heating . it is within the realm of routine experimentation of one of ordinary skill in the art to select dielectric materials and a specific gradation between stoichiometric cobalt silicide and substantially pure cobalt by reading the specification and / or by practicing the invention . it can also be seen in fig6 a and 6b at the top of both trench 24 , 30 and contact corridor 28 that thermal titanium nitride layer 38 has formed by diffusion of nitrogen through cobalt layer 34 used in the rta . it can also be seen in that aluminum silicide regions 60 may be left as a residual . in fourth and fifth embodiments , the inventive method of the third embodiment is carried out including sequential operations of the third embodiment up to and including deposition of a disappearing silicon underlayer . in the fourth and fifth embodiments , deposition of a silicon underlayer is followed by a second rta . a second rta will cause , depending upon the duration and temperature of the treatment , at least some of the silicon and perhaps all thereof to dissolve into titanium layer 32 . because the silicon underlayer is calculated to assist in localized lowering of the melting point of aluminum layer 42 during pressure filling , in the fifth embodiment the second rta is followed by cvd of a second silicon underlayer to restore sufficient silicon within trenches 24 , 30 and contact corridor 28 to facilitate flowability of aluminum layer 42 . fig7 a and 7b illustrate the structure as accomplished by the methods of the fourth and fifth embodiments . it can be seen in fig7 b that at the bottom of contact corridor 28 cobalt silicide layer 36 has formed by diffusion of cobalt layer 34 through titanium layer 32 . cobalt that has diffused , but not reacted may also be present as a diffused cobalt layer 34 . because of the presence of silicon in the fourth and fifth embodiments within the walls of contact corridor 28 , formation of a titanium silicide layer 64 also will occur . in the first rta of the fourth and fifth embodiments , thermal titanium nitride layer 38 will also form , however , the thickness thereof will be on about the order of about 50 å or lower . it can also be seen in fig7 a and 7b that a vertical cobalt silicide layer 58 has formed due to the second rta that is done subsequent to deposition of a silicon layer . it can be seen that titanium silicide layer 64 forms just below the bottom of vertical cobalt silicide layer 58 . thus , silicon that was formed by cvd forms either cobalt silicide layer 58 in the trenches and near the top of contact corridor 28 , or it forms titanium silicide layer 64 therebelow . fig7 a and 7b also illustrates the formation of residual aluminum silicide region 60 . vertical cobalt silicide layer 58 may include varying concentrations of cobalt silicide . the varying concentrations of cobalt silicide may also include pure cobalt next to thermal titanium nitride layer 38 , and a concentration gradient of silicon - lean cobalt silicide may progress from optionally pure cobalt to a silicon - rich cobalt silicide . thus , vertical cobalt silicide layer 58 may comprise at least three discernable regions of stoichiometric cobalt silicide , silicon - lean cobalt silicide , and substantially pure cobalt . it can be seen in fig7 b , due to a high aspect - ratio of contact corridor 28 , that cobalt deposition occurs by pvd at the bottom of contact corridor 28 and at the top thereof . however , sidewall coverage of cobalt within contact corridor 28 tapers down to substantially no coverage as illustrated by vertical cobalt silicide layer 58 that has been converted from substantially pure cobalt to cobalt silicide by the method of the fourth and fifth embodiments . at the bottom of contact corridor 28 it can be seen that a multi - layer structure can be formed . for example , active area 14 is covered by cobalt silicide layer 36 , cobalt silicide layer 36 is covered by an optional unreacted cobalt layer 34 , cobalt layer 34 is covered by an optional unreacted titanium layer 32 , and titanium layer 32 is covered by thermal titanium nitride layer 38 . along sidewalls 50 below the occurrence of vertical cobalt silicide layer 58 , titanium layer 32 may transform from a substantially pure titanium to titanium plus titanium silicide layer 64 due to the effect of the second rta following deposition of the disappearing silicon underlayer . one quality of the fourth and fifth embodiments is that aluminum can be force - filled into high aspect ratio contact corridors under lower temperatures that economize the thermal budget of a fabrication process . a structure achieved by the fourth and fifth embodiments is formation of shallow junctions as previously defined . this structure is achieved by minimizing silicon consumption at the bottom of contact corridor 28 upon active area 14 due to the presence of cobalt silicide layer 36 which acts as an aluminum diffusion barrier . in sixth and seventh embodiments , titanium and cobalt layer formation are followed by a first rta and by cvd of formation of a disappearing germanium underlayer . pvd formation of an aluminum metallization layer , pressure filling , and cmp follow . the sixth embodiment comprises a single germanium underlayer deposition . in the seventh embodiment , a second rta follows the germanium underlayer deposition and an optional second germanium underlayer deposition is carried out where , according to a specific application , the second rta has substantially consumed all germanium and more germanium is needed to cause localized melting point lowering to facilitate flowability of the aluminum metallization . germanium aluminide regions may form within the depression depending upon the process parameters . fig8 a and 8b illustrate the structure achieved by the sixth and seventh embodiments . in fig8 a and 8b it can be seen that the achieved structure of the sixth and seventh embodiments includes cobalt silicide layer 36 at the bottom of contact corridor 28 that assists in formation of a shallow junction by resisting aluminum diffusion and encroachment into active area 14 . it can also be seen that germanium aluminide regions 62 are formed depending upon the process parameters . filled trench 44 includes aluminum metallization formed from aluminum layer 42 . optional regions of cobalt germanide 62 are formed from cobalt layer 34 and deposition of the germanium layer as set forth above . thermal titanium nitride layer 38 is formed by diffusion of nitrogen during rta in a nitrogen atmosphere in combination with titanium layer 32 . in the bottom of contact corridor 28 it can be seen that a structure has been formed that is similar to that within trench 24 , illustrated in fig8 a , with the exception of the absence of a vertical cobalt germanide layer 72 due to the lack of deposition at the bottom of contact corridor 28 upon vertical surfaces because of pvd techniques . the structure at the bottom of contact corridor 28 may include at least five distinct layers . active area 14 is covered by cobalt silicide layer 36 , and cobalt silicide layer 36 may be covered by unreacted cobalt layer 34 that has diffused through titanium layer 32 . above cobalt layer 34 , if cobalt layer 34 is present , there may be titanium layer 32 . depending upon the duration and temperature of the rta , thermal titanium nitride layer 38 may cover titanium layer 32 . thermal titanium nitride layer 38 may entirely consume titanium layer 32 at the bottom of contact corridor 28 . filled aluminum contact 46 can be seen wherein germanium aluminide regions 62 are also formed depending upon the process parameters and the specific application required by employing the inventive method . in an eighth embodiment , a disappearing mobility underlayer of silicon is deposited into the depression . the eighth embodiment comprises surface pre - cleaning as set forth above , cvd of titanium , cvd of a silicon underlayer , rta , cvd of a disappearing germanium nobility underlayer , followed by aluminum deposition , pressure filling , and cmp . in a preferred alternative of this eighth embodiment , semiconductor structure 10 is dipped in a solution of 100 : 1 hf for about thirty seconds . titanium layer 32 is deposited by cvd at a thickness range from about 50 to about 200 å , preferably about 75 to about 150 å , and most preferably about 100 å . the silicon underlayer has a thickness range from about 50 to 500 å , and preferably about 200 å . rta of the silicon underlayer and titanium layer 32 is carried out under conditions optimized to form titanium silicide on active area 14 of semiconductor substrate 12 and a continuous titanium silicide layer 64 on the sidewalls of both contact corridor 28 and trenches 24 , 30 . following rta , a disappearing germanium underlayer is formed by cvd in a thickness range from about 50 to about 400 å , preferably about 100 to about 300 å , and most preferably about 200 å . the germanium underlayer facilitates maximum aluminum flowability for aluminum layer 42 , reduces temperature and time requirements to achieve movement of aluminum layer 42 , minimizes consumption of silicon in active area 14 due to the presence of germanium , and maximizes the robustness of the liner within the depression against aluminum diffusion due to the continuous nature of reacted layers . the conditions of fast deposition of aluminum layer 42 , pressure filling , and cmp are set forth above and / or are discernable , depending upon the specific application being used by the fabricator , by reading the specification or practicing the invention . fig9 a and 9b illustrate the structure achieved by the eighth embodiment . it can be seen in fig9 a for trench formation that a substantially conformable titanium silicide layer 64 has formed within trenches 24 , 30 . the effects of the rta process achieves thermal titanium nitride layer 38 , that depending upon the specific application , will be in a thickness range from about 10 to about 50 å , preferably from about 20 to about 40 å , and most preferably less than 25 å . within filled trench 44 it can be seen that formation of regions of aluminum silicide 60 and germanium aluminide 62 have occurred . titanium silicide layer 64 may comprise at least three distinct regions . for example , titanium silicide layer 64 against sidewall 50 may comprise a substantially pure remnant of titanium layer 32 . a substantially pure remnant of titanium layer 32 will occur where rta conditions cause incomplete silicidation of titanium layer 32 . titanium silicide layer 64 would then comprise , against sidewall 50 , a substantially pure titanium region , a silicon - lean titanium silicide region , and a stoichiometrically balanced titanium silicide layer . the presence of regions 60 , 62 or the complete disappearance thereof depends upon the temperature and duration of the thermal processing . in a ninth embodiment , a disappearing germanium mobility underlayer is used for back - end - of - line ( beol ) wiring for a trench and / or a via . the ninth embodiment is preferred for via filling where processing temperatures are held below those required to form suicides . fig1 a through 10d illustrate the structure achieved by the ninth embodiment . semiconductor structure 10 is subjected to a surface pre - clean as set forth above , for example , by use of a dip in a solution of 100 : 1 hf . unlike all previously described embodiments , titanium is deposited by pvd . fig1 c and 10d depict structures achieved by the ninth embodiment as interconnects that are made with a metal line 66 by connection with a filled aluminum contact interconnect 76 . following formation of pvd titanium layer 68 , a disappearing germanium underlayer is formed either by pvd or cvd . aluminum layer 42 is next deposited by one of two processes . a first alternative process comprises a two - step cold / hot combination deposit of aluminum layer 42 by pvd . process parameters for the first alternative process include deposition energy in the range from about 1 kw to about 16 kw . the temperature of the cold deposition is in a temperature range from about 0 ° c . to about 250 ° c . energy and temperature conditions for the hot deposition portion include from about 1 kw to about 8 kw and from about 250 ° c . to about 660 ° c . a second alternative deposition process for aluminum layer 42 comprises a slow / warm deposition process . the maximum temperature to be achieved in forming aluminum layer 42 is in the range from about 250 ° c . to about 450 ° c . where both titanium layer 68 and the disappearing germanium layer are formed by pvd , sidewall coating will be minimal as the aspect ratio increases for trenches 24 , 30 , and contact corridor 28 as illustrated in fig1 a and 10c . therefore , a pvd of both titanium layer 68 and the disappearing germanium underlayer is not preferred for high aspect ratio interconnect . where titanium layer 68 is deposited by pvd , it is preferred that the disappearing germanium underlayer is deposited by a low - temperature cvd process , whereby sidewalls 50 will be substantially coated with germanium . where metal line 66 lies at the bottom of a depression that is a via that has an aspect ratio of up to about two , double pvd formation of titanium layer 68 and the disappearing germanium layer may be suitable to form an interconnect . pressure filling of aluminum layer 42 into trenches 24 , 30 , and via 74 is carried out in a temperature range of from about 250 ° to about 450 ° c . and pressures from about 500 to about 1 , 200 atm . formation of filled aluminum trench 44 and a filled aluminum interconnect 76 , as illustrated in fig1 a through 10d , show that virtually no germanium is left in its as - deposited stale . titanium layer 68 lies substantially conformably within trench 24 , 30 , and via 74 and when pvd is used to form a disappearing germanium underlayer , as illustrated in fig1 a and 10c , it can be seen that virtually no germanium in chemical combination is seen upon sidewalls 50 of either trench 24 , 30 or via 76 . on the other hand , germanium can be seen in fig1 b and 10d as having been combined with titanium and / or aluminum to form a titanium germanide layer 80 or germanium aluminide layer 62 within the sidewall due to the more omni - directional deposition characteristic of cvd . at the bottom of via 74 , it can be seen that a titanium aluminide layer 70 has formed by a combination of metal line 66 and titanium layer 68 . optional regions of germanium aluminide 62 are also seen throughout the structures as achieved . the ninth embodiment is preferred for via formation and via filling where it is otherwise problematic to form interconnects due to the existence of destructive stressing at processing temperatures . for example , where metal line 66 would be subjected to destructive stressing at processing temperatures above about 450 ° c ., the ninth embodiment is preferred . the ninth embodiment is also preferred for processing with optional specialized dielectrics 78 that are sensitive to temperatures above about 450 ° c . such dielectrics may for example have a dielectric constant lower than bpsg , si 3 n 4 , or teos , but may be subject to decomposition and destruction of its required properties at temperatures above 450 ° c . dielectric 78 may , however , be teos , bpsg , or si 3 n 4 . in a tenth embodiment , as depicted in fig5 a and 5b , the method of the second embodiment is repeated including formation of a disappearing germanium underlayer . in the tenth embodiment , the technique of driving substantially all germanium out of the metallurgy is carried out after filling aluminum layer 42 into trenches 24 , 26 , 30 , and contact corridor 28 . also , an additional anneal is carried out following pressure filling , whereby substantially all germanium is removed by causing regions of germanium aluminide 62 to migrate to a position in semiconductor structure 10 that will ultimately be removed by cmp . the tenth embodiment may also be applied as a late process step to any of the second through ninth embodiments and their preferred alternatives . in a preferred alternative of the tenth embodiment , semiconductor structure 10 is immersed in a solution of 100 : 1 hf for 30 seconds followed by formation of titanium layer 32 and titanium nitride layer 40 . a first rta is carried out whereby titanium silicide layer 54 forms at the intersection of active area 14 and contact corridor 28 . a disappearing germanium mobility underlayer is then formed by cvd . the preferred thickness of the germanium underlayer is from about 100 to about 500 å , preferably from about 200 to about 400 å , and most preferably about 300 å . semiconductor structure 10 may then re - subjected to a dip in a solution of 100 : 1 hf for about 30 seconds . aluminum layer 42 is next formed by fast deposition of aluminum or an aluminum alloy at about 250 ° c . and at an energy of about 12 kw . pressure filling of aluminum layer 42 is next carried out at conditions of pressure from about 700 to about 750 atm , at a temperature of about 520 ° c ., for and a filling time in the range from about one minute to about four minutes depending upon the application . further thermal processing is optionally carried out at this point , where alloying is carried out between the metallization of filled aluminum trench 44 or filled aluminum contact 46 with any residual germanium and titanium layer 32 . it is desired in the tenth embodiment to remove substantially all regions of germanium aluminide for reasons of higher resistivity caused by their presence . other reasons to remove substantially all regions of germanium aluminide include the existence of heat stress or creep failure characteristics caused by these germanium aluminide regions and because of fabrication device failures such as destructive shorting between neighboring structures . the technique for removing substantially all germanium from semiconductor structure 10 is carried out by an alloying treatment such as thermal soaking at a temperature range from about 350 to about 500 ° c ., and preferably about 400 ° c ., which temperature range is to be maintained for a processing time from about 30 to about 120 minutes . the tenth embodiment provides the advantage of supplying a germanium layer to facilitate mobility of aluminum layer 42 during pressure filling . thereafter , germanium is substantially removed from semiconductor structure 10 . where the thermal budget of the fabrication process has not been substantially spent or is not substantially required for subsequent processing , the method of annealing over a long duration such as up to about 120 minutes can be carried out . 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 illustrated and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims and their combination in whole or in part rather than by the foregoing description . all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope . | 7 |
referring now to fig3 and 4 , there is shown one embodiment of an endoscope according to the present invention . the endoscope of this embodiment is comprised of a laser 3 for generating projection lights ; a light source 7 for generating illumination lights , a scope 10 including a diffraction grating 1 for producing patterned beams , an imaging device 8 for taking images of objects , and a light guide 9 for illustrating objects by the illumination lights ; a camera control unit ( ccu ) 11 for extracting image signals from output signals of the imaging device 5 ; a decoder 12 for converting image signals into rgb signals ; an a / d converter 13 ; a frame memory 14 for storing image signals ; a d / a converter 15 ; a display 16 for displaying images of the objects ; a discriminator 17 for binarizing image signals ; a threshold indicator 18 for indicating threshold brightness to the discriminator 17 ; a spot position finder 19 for thinning the binarized image signals ; a spot indicator 20 for indicating positions of spots ; a spot corrector 21 for correcting the positions of the spots ; a keyboard 22 for selecting a mode of correction ; a cursor position finder 23 for indicating coordinates of a cursor on the display 16 ; and a cursor controller 24 for moving the cursor on the display 16 . the details of the spot indicator 20 and the spot corrector 21 are shown in fig4 where the spot indicator 20 includes a spot center indicator 30 for indicating coordinates of centers of the spots , a marking indicator 31 for attaching markings to the centers of the spots , a common degree ( c . d .) curve drawer 32 for determining c . d . curves , and a c . d . curve indicator 33 for indicating c . d . curves , while the spot corrector 21 includes an operation mode indicator 40 for indicating mode of correction selected at the keyboard 22 , and a correction controller 41 for making corrections . a detailed view of the top portion of the endoscope 10 is shown in fig5 . as in the prior art , the patterned beams 4 produced from laser beams 2 from the laser 3 by the diffraction grating 1 are projected on the object 6 to be imaged . the diffraction grating 1 is mounted at the distance pa away from the imaging device 8 . a forceps insertion aperture may be utilized as the location to mount the diffraction grating 1 . spots on the object 6 resulting from those beams whose directions make 90 ° from the direction of the length of the endoscope 10 are called 0 degree spots , as indicated in fig5 . spots adjacent to the right of 0 degree spots are called + 1 degree spots , while spots adjacent to the left of 0 degree spots are called - 1 degree spots , and so on . the center of the view of the imaging device 8 is indicated by the line labeled as m . such spots when viewed from the imaging device 8 at the distance pa from the diffraction grating 1 appear to be in a pattern deviated from the original pattern of the patterned beams , the deviation reflecting the shape of the object 6 , due to parallax . zn exmaple of an image taken by the imaging device 8 appearing on the display 16 is shown in fig6 where the horizontal direction corresponds to the direction of the length of the endoscope 10 , and different letters of labels given to the spots designate rows in the original pattern from which the spots originate while subscripts indicate degrees assigned to the spots which correspond to columns in the original pattern from which the spots originate . also , the 0 degree spots are shown by dots larger than those for the spots of other degrees to assist recognition . in addition , the spots of the same degree will be joint together by a curve which will be called a common degree ( c . d .) curve . it can easily be seen that in this exemplary view , the deviation is only in the horizontal direction . the system operates as follows . illumination lights produced by the light source 7 are shone on the object 6 to be imaged from the light guide 9 . meanwhile the laser beams 2 produced by the laser 3 are shone through the diffraction grating 1 to produce the patterned beams 4 which are projected on the object 6 . reflections of these illumination lights and the patterned beams 4 by the object 6 are captured by the imaging device 8 in the form of electric signals . at the ccu 11 these electric signals are converted into image signals representing the tristimulus values ey , ey - er , and ey - eb . these image signals on one hand are transmitted to the decoder 12 where they are converted into rgb signals . rgb signals are converted into digital rgb signals at the a / d converter 13 , and then stored separately in the frame memory 14 . to display images , image signals stored in the frame memory 14 are taken out , through the d / a converter 15 where they are converted into analog signals , to the display 16 where images will be shown for observations . on the other hand , image signals from the ccu 11 are also transmitted to the discriminator 17 where they are binarized with respect to the brightness according to a particular threshold brightness set by the threshold indicator 18 . the binary image signals from the discriminator 17 are subjected to the thinning at the spot position finder 19 in order to identify the positions of the centers of the spots . the coordinates on a view of the display 16 of these identified spot centers are obtained at the spot center indicator 30 , on the bases of which a marking x will be marked on each point identified as a spot center by the marking indicator 31 , and also common degree curves are determined by the c . d . curve drawer 32 and marked by the c . d . curve indicator 33 . these markings and common degree curves are superimposed for the sake of inspection on the view on the display 16 of the imaged object with the spot pattern coming from the frame memory 14 through the d / a converter 15 to the display 16 . an example of such a view having the markings and the common degree curves superimposed is shown in fig7 . in this exemplary view , there is one false marking due to some kind of false identification of an empty point as a spot , and also there is one missing spot due to some kind of misidentification of a spot as an empty point . as a result , the common degree curves shown by dotted lines which are supposed to join the markings corresponding to the spots of the same degree are incorrectly drawn , and the view indicates the shape of the object 6 inaccurately . when such an error was found upon inspection , the correction can be made by operating the keyboard 22 and the cursor controller 24 . at the keyboard 22 , whether the desired correction is an insertion or a deletion is specified , while at the cursor controller 24 , the cursor on the displayed view is moved to the point where the correction is to be made . the coordinate of the cursor on the displayed view is then obtained by the cursor position finder 23 and then transmitted to the correction controller 41 . the choice made at the keyboard 22 is given to the operation mode indicator 40 which identifies the chosen mode and transmit it to the correction controller 41 . the correction controller 41 makes the correction of the chosen type at the chosen point to the spot indicator 20 according to the informations given by the cursor position finder 23 and the operation mode indicator 40 . the spot indicator 20 then marks corrected markings by the marking indicator 31 and new common degree curves according to these corrected markings by the common curve drawer 32 and the common curve indicator 33 , and the corrected view will be shown at the display 16 from which the accurate shape of the object 6 can be recognized . as described , in this embodiment the shape recognition is facilitated with considerably less demands made upon a user because of the way of displaying identified spots which render the simple and quick inspection possible and the way of correcting any error found upon inspection which render the simple and quick correction possible . thus according to the present invention the shape recognition in the endoscope becomes remarkably maneuverable compared with the conventional systems . it is obvious that many modifications and variations of this embodiment may be made without departing from the novel and advantageous features of the present invention . accordingly , all such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
fig3 shows a plan view of a tuning fork quartz resonator using an elastic coupling between the fundamental flexural mode and the fundamental torsional mode . numeral 31 shows a tuning fork quartz resonator whose x , y &# 39 ; and z &# 39 ; axes are defined similarly to those in fig1 . fig4 shows the thickness direction displacement uz &# 39 ; of the torsional mode on line cde shown in fig3 . uz &# 39 ; is the largest displacement out of the three displacement components of the torsional mode . fig4 shows that the position on which f t most changes by addition or reduction of the masses is near the end tip of the tuning fork arm . fig5 shows the state of displacement of the torsional mode at the section of the tips of the arms . a solid line indicates the sectional shape of the tips of the arms , and a broken line indicates the state of displacement of the torsional mode . fig5 shows that uz &# 39 ; is large at the edges in the width direction of the arms , i . e . at the points f , g , g &# 39 ; and f &# 39 ;, and uz &# 39 ; is small near the middle in the width direction . therefore , the change in f t is expected to be larger at the edge in the width direction than at the middle in the width direction of the tuning fork arms by addition or reduction of an equal amount of the masses . fig6 shows positions 61 , 61 &# 39 ; of the masses added to or reduced at the tuning fork quartz resonator using an elastic coupling between the fundamental flexural mode and the fundamental torsional mode . the position on which the masses are added or reduced at the arms l &# 34 ;= l / 5 , which is away from the tips of the tuning fork arms when the length of the arms is l . fig7 shows the amount of changes in f t and f f when the masses are deposited on l &# 34 ; by evaporation or the like . in fig7 the abscissa denotes the positions h , i , h &# 39 ; and i &# 39 ; in the x axis direction of the tips of the arms shown in fig6 . the ordinate denotes the frequency deviation δf / f of f f and f t . numerals 71 and 72 respectively denote the amount of changes in f f and f t . the amount of changes in f f and f t are calculated by the finite element method . fig7 clearly shows that the amount of changes in f f scarcely relates to the positions of the masses in the width direction of the arms , while that of f t scarcely changes by the masses at the middle but largely changes by the masses at both edges in the width direction of the arms . fig8 shows a plan view of a turning fork quartz resonator using an elastic coupling between a fundamental flexural mode and a fundamental torsional mode . x , y &# 39 ; and z &# 39 ; are defined similarly to those in fig1 . the width direction of the tuning fork arms are is divided into three regions : 81 and 81 &# 39 ;, 82 and 82 &# 39 ; and 83 and 83 &# 39 ;. fig9 shows the state in changes of f f and f t when masses are deposited on the three regions of the tuning fork arms along the length direction thereof . in fig9 the abscissa indicates the length direction of the tuning fork arms , i . e . the positions in the y &# 39 ; direction in fig8 . the tips of the arms are at the position l and the crotch of the arms is at the position zero . the ordinate indicates the frequency deviation δf / f of f f and f t . the changes of f f and f t are also calculated by the finite element method in a similar manner to fig7 . numeral 91 denotes the deviation of f f in the three regions divided in the width direction of the arms shown in fig8 which shows that changes in f f shows little difference in the three regions . numeral 92 denotes the frequency deviation of f t when the masses are deposited at both edges in the width direction of the tuning fork means 81 , 81 &# 39 ; and 83 , 83 &# 39 ; shown in fig8 . numeral 93 denotes the deviation of f t when the masses are deposited on the middle region in the width direction of the arms 82 , 82 &# 39 ; shown in fig8 . fig9 clearly shows that the positions of the masses on which the change in f t being at maximum are the edges in the width direction of the tips of the arms . while the position of the masses on which the frequency deviation ratio of f t and f f ( δf t / f t )/( δf f / f f ) being at minimum is the middle in the width direction of the tips of the arms . in this invention , f t is adjusted by addition or reduction of the masses at the edges in the width direction of the tips of the arms , and f f is adjusted by addition or reduction of the masses at the middle in the width direction of the tips of the arms . by the former adjustment f t largely changes , and by the latter adjustment f f changes without changing f t . accordingly , the dispersion in f t by the dispersion in the thickness of the resonator is adjusted by the masses at the edges in the width direction of the tips of the arms , and simultaneously f f and the difference between f f and f t are adjusted to respective desired values by the masses at the middle in the width direction of the tips of the arms . fig1 is a plan view of a tuning fork quartz resonator showing an embodiment of the present invention . numeral 101 denotes a tuning fork quartz resonator , 102 , 102 &# 39 ;, 104 and 104 &# 39 ; denote positions of adjustment masses to be added or reduced for adjusting f t , and 103 and 103 &# 39 ; denote positions of adjustment masses to be added or reduced for simultaneously adjusting δf and f f . fig1 is a section of the tips of the arms taken on line jj &# 39 ; shown in fig1 . numerals 111 and 112 are arms of the quartz crystal , and 113 and 113 &# 39 ; are mass bases made of cr , au or the like . numerals 114 , 114 &# 39 ;, 116 and 116 &# 39 ; are masses added or reduced for adjusting f t , and 115 and 115 &# 39 ; are masses added or reduced for adjusting f f and δf . fig1 shows a section of the tips of the arms taken on line jj &# 39 ; shown in fig1 as well . fig1 is different from fig1 in that the masses added or reduced are at both major surfaces of the tips of the arms . the masses added or reduced at the edges and the middle in the width direction of the tuning fork arms serve identically to those aforedescribe in the case of fig1 . both the embodiments of the present invention in fig1 and 12 show that the main portions of the adjustment masses added or reduced on the mass bases are deposited separately at the edge regions and the middle region in the width direction of the arms . by this , the positioning of the masses can be precisely made both in adding the masses by evaporation , etc . and reducing the masses by laser , etc ., whereby the adjustments of f f and f t are easily carried out . fig1 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention . numeral 131 denotes a tuning fork quartz resonator , 132 , 132 &# 39 ;, 134 and 134 &# 39 ; are masses added or reduced at edges in the width direction of the tips of the arms , and 133 an 133 &# 39 ; are masses added or reduced at the middle in the width direction of the tips of the arms . masses added or reduced at positions 135 , 135 &# 39 ;, 136 and 136 &# 39 ; have the property capable of changing f f and f t without changing the f - t characteristic since the frequency deviation of f f and f t are almost the same as shown in fig9 . accordingly , in case f f is not set at the desired value although the f - t characteristic is improved by addition or reduction of the masses at the tips of the arms , f f can be set at the desired value without changing the f - t characteristics by addition or reduction of the masses at the positions 135 , 135 &# 39 ;, 136 and 136 &# 39 ;. fig1 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention . numeral 141 is a quartz resonator , 142 , 142 &# 39 ;, 144 and 144 &# 39 ; are masses added or reduced at the edges in the width direction of the tips of the arms , and 143 and 143 &# 39 ; are masses added or reduced at the middle in the width direction of the tips of the arms . f t scarely changes while f f largely changes by addition or reduction of the masses at the positions 145 and 145 &# 39 ;. accordingly , in the case f f cannot be adjusted at the desired value by the addition or reduction of masses at the tips of the arms , the masses added or reduced at 145 and 145 &# 39 ; can be used to set f f at the desired value . it is to be noted that although the above embodiments have been illustrated taking a quartz resonator as the exemplary resonator , the material for the resonator is not restricted to quartz crystal since the above discussion may be applied to resonators made of other materials . as illustrated in detail , a tuning fork resonator using an elastic coupling between the fundamental flexural mode and the fundamental torsional mode according to the present invention has an outstanding feature that enables the δf adjustment , whereby the f - t characteristic of the flexural mode with high mass - productivity is realized . moreover the present invention reduces the dimension of a tuning fork resonator since the fundamental flexural mode is used as the main mode , whereby the resonator is suitable for mass production when it is made by photolithography as a quartz resonator because the thickness thereof is small . | 7 |
with reference to fig1 of the drawing , the detent structure of the present invention is shown attached to a conventional valve body 10 which includes a conventional valve spool 12 extending through a bore 18 . the valving portions of the spool and adjacent cavities of the valve body have not been shown since they are not a part of the present invention and are commonly well - known in the prior art . valve spool 12 includes an inner portion 14 , which is not shown in detail , joined with an outer portion 16 which includes a centering spring 28 and the detent structure which will be later described . the opposite end of the valve spool 12 , which is not shown , is manually positioned by some form of handle which is not a part of the present invention . the valve spool 12 slides longitudinally in valve body bore 18 to its various positions which can include one or more detented positions depending upon the requirements of the valve design . located on the outer portion 16 is a centering compression spring 28 which is a commonly well - known design utilized in all types of spool valves . centering springs urge the spool back to a center neutral position from spool positions to the right or the left of the fig1 neutral position . as for example , if the spool 12 is shifted to the left , spacer sleeve 22 , fixed at the valve body 10 , begins to compress spring 28 through ring washer 24 , while outer shoulder 32 on the spool compresses the spring from the opposite side through ring washer 26 . this produces a rightward bias on the spool until it returns to its fig1 position which is limited by sleeve shoulder 21 . the detent mechanism of the present invention functions equally well on a valve spool without the centering spring mechanism just described . formed on the outer end of outer portion 16 is a cylindrical surface 48 which carries the lug means for holding the spool in the detented position . the lug means of the present invention is a wire retaining ring 52 positioned in a circumferential groove 50 cut in surface 48 . shown at the right end of cylindrical surface 48 is a second lug means 60 , which is the conventional type of lug means utilized in the prior art . lug 60 is formed while machining cylindrical surface 48 and requires heat treatment so that the lug can withstand the wear from the harder balls 40 , as they ride thereover . wire retaining ring 52 is a c - shaped ring , as seen in fig2 and is manufactured with sufficient hardness so that heat treating is not necessary . the detent mechanism comprises a sleeve member 20 which is threadably attached to valve body 10 . sleeve 20 includes a plurality of radially spaced holes 38 all in a common plane , as best seen in fig2 . the holes 38 contain six steel balls 40 , which freely slide back and forth in their respective holes . on the outside circumference of sleeve 20 , approximate the holes 38 is an annular groove 42 for receipt of a c - shaped spring 44 . the groove 42 contains all of the holes 38 as they exit the o . d . of sleeve 20 . ring 44 is flat in cross section with a width less than the width of groove 42 . the remaining space in groove 42 is filled with a plurality of spacer rings 46 , which permits the spring 44 to be moved longitudinally with respect to the position of the detent balls 40 . fig3 illustrates the spacer rings 46 on the left side of spring 44 so that the point of contact of the detent balls 40 is approximate the edge of spring 44 . in this position , when the balls are forced outward , the c - spring 44 is deflected into a cone shape rather than the cylindrical shape when the spring 44 is centered over the ball 40 , as shown in fig1 . by longitudinally moving the spring 44 relative to the balls 40 , the spring force can be varied with the minimum spring force being achieved with the spring 44 offset to the side as illustrated in fig3 . the slot 42 could have greater width so that the spring could be further offset from its point of contact with the balls 40 and an even lesser spring force was achieved . a modified c - shaped spring design is illustrated in fig4 wherein the spring 58 is round in cross section and is engaged in a narrow circumferential groove 56 located in the center of each hole 38 . groove 56 is sufficiently shallow so there is no spring force applied to balls 40 &# 39 ; or in turn cylindrical surface 48 . this prevents any drag from the detent means on spool 12 until the lug means is engaged by the balls 40 &# 39 ;. the resistance of c - spring 58 can be varied by diameter size and material . fig5 illustrates still a further form of spring means wherein detent sleeve 20 &# 34 ; is encapsulated by a plastic dust cover 54 which itself functions as a spring when the ball 40 &# 34 ; pushes outward as it rides over the lug means . utilizing the plastic dust cover 54 as a spring is not feasible with valves utilizing centering springs since the load from the centering spring while in the detented position would cold - flow the plastic . with the valve spool 12 , as shown in the fig1 position , there is no spring force from c - spring 44 which is transferred to the valve spools since the spring load is carried by sleeve 20 and balls 40 have adequate clearance between the inside diameter of spring 44 and spool surface 48 . there are a variety of valve spool working positions short of the detented positions which have no drag on the spool from the detent structure in light of the above - mentioned loose fit . as the valve spool 12 is shifted in a rightward direction , c - spring 44 is not deflected until wire ring 52 comes in contact with balls 40 , urging them outward into contact with c - spring 44 . once ring 52 passes the center of balls 40 , spool 12 will be held in its detented position until an overriding force to the left is applied . the resistance force of c - spring 44 can be varied by longitudinally sliding c - spring 44 to the right or left relative to its contact plane with balls 40 . six detent balls 40 are provided since c - spring 44 has an open area which at some time might receive one of the balls . with five detent balls still functioning , the detent mechanism and its deflection force remains substantially unchanged . in the fig5 embodiment , the holding force which retains spool 12 in its detented position is provided by the deformation of plastic dust cover 54 as all six balls 40 &# 34 ; are urged outward against cover 54 . utilizing cover 54 as a spring , of course , has limitations as to temperature range and duration of holding force due to the characteristics of plastic . it is to be understood that while the detailed drawings and specific examples give and describe preferred embodiments of the invention , they are for purposes of illustration only , that the apparatus of the invention is not limited to the precise details and conditions disclosed and that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined by the following claims . | 5 |
a surface panel 1 according to an embodiment is used as part of a casing of a mobile device , such as a mobile phone and a personal digital assistance . as illustrated in fig1 to 3 , a front surface 2 of the surface panel 1 has a projecting shape and a back surface 3 of the surface panel 1 has a recessed shape . the front surface 2 is disposed to the front of the casing of the mobile device ( faces in the z1 direction ), and serves as an operation face or a display face . the back surface 3 faces rearward ( in the z2 direction ), that is , toward the inside of the casing of the mobile device . as illustrated in fig2 and 3 , the surface panel 1 is formed by closely attaching a resin layer 4 and a sensor film 5 to each other . the resin layer 4 is seen on a side of the front surface 2 and the sensor film 5 is seen on a side of the back surface 3 . the front surface 2 of the resin layer 4 has a wide front - surface front portion 2 a , which serves as a digitally operated operation face and a display face . the front - surface front portion 2 a is substantially flat or has a curved shape so as to project to the front ( in the z1 direction ). a front - surface upper portion 2 b is formed at a lengthwise upper end portion ( an end portion in the y1 direction ) of the resin layer 4 and a front - surface lower portion 2 c is formed at a lengthwise lower end portion ( an end portion in the y2 direction ) of the resin layer 4 . the front - surface upper portion 2 b and the front - surface lower portion 2 c have such surface shapes as to extend from the front - surface front portion 2 a to the rear ( in the z2 direction ). a front - surface right portion 2 d is formed at a right end portion ( an end portion in the x1 direction ) of the resin layer 4 and a front - surface left portion 2 e is formed at a left end portion ( an end portion in the x2 direction ) of the resin layer 4 . the front - surface right portion 2 d and the front - surface left portion 2 e have such surface shapes as to extend from the front - surface front portion 2 a to the rear . the back surface 3 of the resin layer 4 includes a back - surface front portion 3 a to the back of the front - surface front portion 2 a , an back - surface upper portion 3 b to the back of the front - surface upper portion 2 b , a back - surface lower portion 3 c to the back of the front - surface lower portion 2 c , a back - surface right portion 3 d to the back of the front - surface right portion 2 d , and a back - surface left portion 3 e to the back of the front - surface left portion 2 e . in the resin layer 4 , a boundary between the front - surface front portion 2 a and the front - surface upper portion 2 b or the front - surface lower portion 2 c and a boundary between the front - surface front portion 2 a and the front - surface right portion 2 d or the front - surface left portion 2 e are disposed at positions at which the resin layer 4 has a front surface curvature or a front surface angle that is different from that of the front - surface front portion 2 a . likewise , a boundary between the back - surface front portion 3 a and the back - surface upper portion 3 b or the back - surface lower portion 3 c and a boundary between the back - surface front portion 3 a and the back - surface right portion 3 d or the back - surface left portion 3 e are disposed at positions at which the resin layer 4 has a front surface curvature or a front surface angle that is different from that of the back - surface front portion 3 a . fig5 , which is an enlarged view of part of the surface panel 1 , illustrates a boundary b 2 between the front - surface front portion 2 a and the front - surface right portion 2 d and a boundary b 3 between the back - surface front portion 3 a and the back - surface right portion 3 d , which are defined on the basis of the above definition . the resin layer 4 is made of a transmissive synthetic resin material such as an acrylic material , for example , polymethyl methacrylate ( pmma ). as illustrated in fig5 and fig6 ( an exploded view illustrating the layered structure of the sensor film ), a sensor film 5 includes a transmissive base film 5 a , a decorative portion 6 formed on the front surface of the base film 5 a , and a touch sensor portion 30 formed on the back surface of the base film 5 a . the base film 5 a of the sensor film 5 is a transmissive synthetic resin film . the base film 5 a is made of polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), which is a synthetic resin having a strength and heat resistance appropriate for forming the touch sensor portion 30 . cyclic polyolefin ( cop ) or the like can be employed , instead . herein , a material that is transmissive preferably means that the material has a total light transmittance of 90 % or more , that is , the material is transparent . however , the total light transmittance may be lower than 90 % as long as the material can transmit light therethrough , for example , the total light transmittance may be 60 % or more . as illustrated in fig1 and 4 , the decorative portion 6 formed on the front surface side of the sensor film 5 can be visually seen through the resin layer 4 from the front ( in the z1 direction ). the decorative portion 6 has a hue based on a design of the surface panel 1 and has a frame shape . a region surrounded by the frame - shaped decorative portion 6 is a transmissive region 7 . in the surface panel 1 illustrated in fig1 and 4 , the transmissive region 7 is rectangular . the transmissive region 7 is positioned in a region of the back - surface front portion 3 a of the resin layer 4 . as illustrated in fig5 , a right edge portion 7 a of the transmissive region 7 is positioned near the border b 3 between the back - surface front portion 3 a and the back - surface right portion 3 d . a left edge portion 7 b of the transmissive region 7 is positioned likewise . as illustrated in fig4 and 5 , the touch sensor portion 30 of the sensor film 5 includes multiple electrode layers 31 , multiple right wiring layers 32 a connected to the right of the electrode layers 31 , and multiple left wiring layers 32 b connected to the left of the electrode layers 31 . as illustrated in fig4 and fig7 ( a perspective plan view of patterns of the electrode layers 31 on the back surface side of the sensor film 5 , seen from the front surface side ), the electrode layers 31 are disposed in the transmissive region 7 surrounded by the frame - shaped decorative portion 6 , and the right wiring layers 32 a and the left wiring layers 32 b are disposed at a back side of the decorative portion 6 so as to be hidden by the decorative portion 6 . multiple pairs of right electrodes 31 a and left electrodes 31 b , each pair forming one electrode layer 31 , are arranged side by side in the length direction ( y1 - y2 direction ). the electrode layers 31 are made of indium tin oxide ( ito ). the electrode layers 31 are formed by being deposited on the back surface of the base film 5 a made of pet or the like , and then etching into the shapes of the right electrodes 31 a and the left electrodes 31 b . the right wiring layers 32 a are connected to the right electrodes 31 a and the left wiring layers 32 b are connected to the left electrodes 31 b . the right wiring layers 32 a and the left wiring layers 32 b are conductive organic layers made of a binder resin containing a low - resistive conductor , such as silver paste , gold paste , or carbon paste . the conductive organic layers that the right and left wiring layers 32 a and 32 b are made of are more flexible than ito that the electrode layers 31 are made of . specifically , the conductive organic layers exhibit a higher elongation and curvature than ito under the same load . the right wiring layers 32 a and the left wiring layers 32 b are formed by depositing a conductive organic layer on an ito layer on the back surface of the base film 5 a and then forming patterns for the electrode layers 31 , the right wiring layers 32 a , and the left wiring layers 32 b by etching . thereafter , part of the conductive organic layer deposited on the front surface of the electrode layers 31 is removed by etching . alternatively , the right wiring layers 32 a and the left wiring layers 32 b may be formed by a printing process . as illustrated in fig5 , the sensor film 5 is bent so as to follow the shape of part of the resin layer 4 from the back - surface front portion 3 a to the back - surface right portion 3 d and is closely attached to the resin layer 4 . the electrode layers 31 made of ito are disposed within a region of the back - surface front portion 3 a and thus are not greatly curved . on the other hand , a portion of the sensor film 5 that extends beyond , in the x1 direction , a region in which the electrode layers 31 are disposed is bent at a large curvature and the most part of the portion of the sensor film 5 is in close contact with the back - surface right portion 3 d . the front side of the right wiring layers 32 a is covered by the decorative portion 6 . the left wiring layers 32 b are covered likewise . a portion of the sensor film 5 in which the right and left wiring layers 32 a and 32 b formed of the conductive organic layer are disposed is more easily bent than the region in which the electrode layers 31 made of ito are disposed . the right and left wiring layers 32 a and 32 b easily follow flexure and are less likely to be damaged due to the flexure . for this reason , a portion of the sensor film 5 including at least part of the right wiring layers 32 a or the left wiring layers 32 b can be closely attached to the corresponding one of the back - surface right portion 3 d and the back - surface left portion 3 e . alternatively , a portion of the sensor film 5 including all the right wiring layers 32 a or the left wiring layers 32 b can be closely attached to the corresponding one of the back - surface right portion 3 d and the back - surface left portion 3 e . when at least part of the right wiring layers 32 a or the left wiring layers 32 b are disposed on the corresponding one of the back - surface right portion 3 d and the back - surface left portion 3 e , the area of the electrode layers 31 disposed on the back - surface front portion 3 a can be increased . consequently , it is possible to widen the transmissive region 7 and to bring the right edge portion 7 a and the left edge portion 7 b of the transmissive region 7 to be closer to the border b 3 between the back - surface front portion 3 a and the back - surface right portion 3 d and a border between the back - surface front portion 3 a and the back - surface left portion 3 e . furthermore , the right edge portion 7 a and the left edge portion 7 b of the transmissive region 7 can be positioned in a region on the back - surface right portion 3 d and the back - surface left portion 3 e beyond the border b 3 and the border between the back - surface front portion 3 a and the back - surface left portion 3 e . a mobile device employing the surface panel 1 includes a display device , such as a liquid crystal display panel , inside the casing , and a display screen of the display device faces the inner side of the transmissive region 7 . when a user uses the mobile device , the user can see the display screen through the transmissive resin layer 4 and the base film 5 a in the transmissive region 7 . when the user touches , with his / her finger , the front - surface front portion 2 a of the resin layer 4 in the transmissive region 7 through which the display screen can be seen , the touch sensor portion 30 changes its output in accordance with the capacitance between the finger and the corresponding one of the electrode layers 31 , and thus can sense the point of the transmissive region 7 that is touched with the finger . since the transmissive region 7 in the surface panel 1 can be widened as much as possible within the region of the back - surface front portion 3 a , the display area of the display screen and the area of the digitally operated operation region can be increased , accordingly . as illustrated in fig4 , the right wiring layers 32 a and the left wiring layers 32 b are formed on the back surface of the base film 5 a and extended in the y2 direction . part of the base film 5 a is extended outward beyond the back - surface lower portion 3 c and serves as a cable piece for wiring , and a land portion at a leading end of the cable piece can be connected to a connector mounted in the casing . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the surface panel 1 includes a first opening 8 and a second opening 9 . the first opening 8 is disposed at a position that is lower ( at a side in the y2 direction ) than a middle point of the surface panel 1 in the length direction ( y direction ). the second opening 9 is disposed at a position that is higher ( at a side in the y1 direction ) than the middle point . the first opening 8 and the second opening 9 penetrate through the resin layer 4 and the sensor film 5 . a microphone and a speaker are disposed inside the casing at such positions as to face the first opening 8 and the second opening 9 . thus , a sound corresponding to a speech operation , which is performed as a mobile phone , or a sound corresponding to an image displayed on the display screen can be output through the openings 8 and 9 . now , a method of manufacturing the surface panel 1 will be described . fig8 illustrates a first mold 10 and fig9 illustrates the first mold 10 and a second mold 20 . the y1 - y2 direction illustrated in fig8 and 9 and the x1 - x2 direction illustrated in fig8 correspond to the length direction ( y1 - y2 direction ) and the width direction ( x1 - x2 direction ) of the surface panel 1 to be formed . the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are longitudinally placed such that the y2 direction coincides with the direction of gravity ( g direction ). the first mold 10 has an opposing flat face 11 that extends in the y1 - y2 direction and that has a molding recessed portion 12 in a middle portion thereof . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , in the molding recessed portion 12 , a bottom surface serves as a center - surface molding portion 12 a for forming the front - surface front portion 2 a of the resin layer 4 , an end surface in the y1 direction serves as an upper - surface molding portion 12 b for forming the front - surface upper portion 2 b , an end surface in the y2 direction serves as a lower - surface molding portion 12 c for forming the front - surface lower portion 2 c , an end surface in the x1 direction serves as a right - surface molding portion 12 d for forming the front - surface right portion 2 d , and an end surface in the x2 direction serves as a left - surface molding portion 12 e for forming the front - surface left portion 2 e . in the center - surface molding portion 12 a , a rectangular first step portion 18 that corresponds to the first opening 8 is formed at a side in the y2 direction , and a rectangular second step portion 19 that corresponds to the second opening 9 is formed at a side in the y1 direction . the first mold 10 has a gate ( sprue gate ) 13 and an opening end 13 a of the gate 13 is open to the inside of the molding recessed portion 12 within a region of the first step portion 18 . fig9 illustrates a center o of the molding recessed portion 12 in the y1 - y2 direction . the center o is a middle point between the upper - surface molding portion 12 b and the lower - surface molding portion 12 c . the gate 13 is positioned to be lower than the center o ( at a side in the y2 direction ), and to be at a side in the y2 direction with respect to a middle point between the center o and the lower - surface molding portion 12 c . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , the first mold 10 has a relief recess 14 at a side that is farther in the y1 direction than the molding recessed portion 12 . multiple air - exit paths 15 are formed between the upper - surface molding portion 12 b of the molding recessed portion 12 and the relief recess 14 . the air - exit paths 15 are shallow grooves that are slightly recessed from the opposing flat face 11 . as illustrated in fig8 , clearance holes 16 are formed at four positions outside the molding recessed portion 12 . as illustrated in fig9 , the second mold 20 has an opposing flat face 21 that extends in the y1 - y2 direction , and a molding projecting portion 23 that projects toward the first mold 10 is integrally formed in a center portion of the opposing flat face 21 . in the molding projecting portion 23 , a top portion serves as a center - back - surface molding portion 23 a for forming the back - surface front portion 3 a of the surface panel 1 , an end surface in the y1 direction serves as an upper - back - surface molding portion 23 b for forming the back - surface upper portion 3 b , and an end surface in the y2 direction serves as a lower - back - surface molding portion 23 c for forming the back - surface lower portion 3 c . the molding projecting portion 23 also has a right - back - surface molding portion for forming the back - surface right portion 3 d and a left - back - surface molding portion for forming the back - surface left portion 3 e , which are not illustrated . as illustrated in fig9 , a first release pin 24 and a second release pin 25 are mounted on the second mold 20 so as to be movable forward and backward . the first release pin 24 is disposed at such a position as to face the first step portion 18 of the first mold 10 , and the second release pin 25 is disposed at such a position as to face the second step portion 19 . positioning pins 26 are fixed to the second mold 20 at four positions outside the molding projecting portion 23 . each positioning pin 26 vertically projects from the opposing flat face 21 . when the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are fitted together , the positioning pins 26 are inserted into the clearance holes 16 of the first mold 10 . the positions of the positioning pins 26 and the positions of the clearance holes 16 correspond to each other . as illustrated in fig8 , the four positioning pins 26 are positioned equidistantly from the center o of the molding recessed portion 12 . the center o is positioned at a point at which the molding recessed portion 12 is halved in the length direction ( y1 - y2 direction ) and in the width direction ( x1 - x2 direction ). the positioning pins 26 are positioned equidistantly from the center o and equiangularly ( at an angle θ ) with respect to a center line o 1 that passes the center o and that extends in the longitudinal direction . note that all the positions of the positioning pin 26 and the clearance holes 16 do not have to be equidistant from the center o depending on the shape of the surface panel 1 to be formed , i . e ., the shape of the molding recessed portion 12 and the molding projecting portion 23 . for example , a positioning pin 26 at a side in the y1 direction may be farther from the center o in the y direction than a positioning pin 26 at a side in the y2 direction . here , it is preferable that an interval in the x direction between the two positioning pins 26 at a side in the y1 direction be equal to an interval in the x direction between the two positioning pins 26 at a side in the y2 direction . as illustrated in fig9 , gap forming portions 27 project at multiple positions on the opposing flat face 21 of the second mold 20 . as illustrated in fig1 , when the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are fitted together , the gap forming portions 27 come into contact with the opposing flat face 11 of the first mold 10 . thus , an opposing gap t between the opposing flat face 11 of the first mold 10 and the opposing flat face 21 of the second mold 20 is defined . the opposing gap t has a thickness that is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the thickness of the sensor film 5 . to be more specific , the thickness of the opposing gap t is not set such that the sensor film 5 is firmly nipped in the opposing gap t and is set such that the sensor film 5 can be elongated inside the opposing gap t when a stress is caused in the sensor film 5 due to the pressure from the melted resin . the gap forming portions 27 may be formed on the opposing flat face 11 of the first mold 10 , or both of the opposing flat face 11 and the opposing flat face 21 . fig6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of a sensor film 5 prior to a molding process , and fig7 is a perspective view of the sensor film 5 seen from the front . in the sensor film 5 , the frame - shaped decorative portion 6 is attached to the front surface of the base film 5 a around a window portion 7 c formed for forming the transmissive region 7 of the surface panel 1 . the base film 5 a has a thickness on the order of 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 mm . the decorative portion 6 is formed on the front surface of the base film 5 a by coating . the decorative portion 6 is colored with a hue that expresses the appearance of the casing of an electronic device , and is formed of multiple coated color films . if a protective film having a separator function is stacked on the base film 5 a , the thickness can be reduced to be lower than 0 . 05 mm . the electrode layers 31 , the right wiring layers 32 a , and the left wiring layers 32 b are formed on the back surface of the base film 5 a . each electrode layer 31 is formed by etching an ito film so as to be divided into the right electrode 31 a and the left electrode 31 b . the right wiring layers 32 a and the left wiring layers 32 b are the conductive organic layers and are formed by etching , or may be formed by printing . the untreated sensor film 5 is rectangular and has the positioning holes 5 b at four corners . as illustrated in fig9 , the sensor film 5 is mounted on the second mold 20 while the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are being separated . the positioning pins 26 are inserted into the positioning holes 5 b illustrated in fig6 and 7 , and thus the sensor film 5 is positioned with respect to the second mold 20 . the sensor film 5 is placed such that the front surface having the decorative portion 6 faces the first mold 10 . the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 have been subjected to preheating in advance . the preheating temperature is higher than the room temperature but lower than the glass transition temperature of the base film 5 a of the sensor film 5 , for example , in a range of around 60 to 100 ° c . as illustrated in fig1 , when the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are fitted together , the positioning pins 26 projecting from the second mold 20 enter the inside of the clearance holes 16 of the first mold 10 . thus , the gap forming portions 27 of the second mold 20 come into contact with the opposing flat face 11 of the first mold 10 and the opposing gap t is defined as being between the opposing flat face 11 of the first mold 10 and the opposing flat face 21 of the second mold 20 . here , a cavity c is also defined as being between the molding recessed portion 12 of the first mold 10 and the molding projecting portion 23 of the second mold 20 . as illustrated in fig1 , when the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are fitted together , the sensor film 5 that is positioned using the positioning pins 26 is placed in the cavity c while a small amount of tension is applied to the sensor film 5 by the pressure of the molding projecting portion 23 . an outer peripheral portion of the sensor film 5 is placed in the opposing gap t between the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 . subsequently , as illustrated in fig1 , a melted resin 4 a made of , for example , pmma is injected into the cavity c from the gate 13 of the first mold 10 . when the preheated sensor film 5 comes into contact with the melted resin 4 a , the sensor film 5 is heated to a temperature that is almost the glass transition temperature to be softened and is pressed against the front surface of the molding projecting portion 23 by the injection pressure of the melted resin 4 a . the sensor film 5 that is pressed against the front surface of the molding projecting portion 23 is likely to elongate in the plane direction . here , since the sensor film 5 is not restrained inside the opposing gap t , the sensor film 5 easily elongates toward the outer periphery thereof . in this manner , the sensor film 5 that is pressed against the front surface of the molding projecting portion 23 can elongate relatively freely inside the cavity c and thus is less likely to become creased . by injecting the melted resin 4 a into the cavity c , the shapes of the front surface 2 and the back surface 3 of the resin layer 4 are determined by the melted resin 4 a and the sensor film 5 . furthermore , as illustrated in fig1 , the outer peripheral portion of the sensor film 5 that overruns the cavity c expands in the y1 , y2 , x1 , and x2 directions . here , since the base film 5 a of the sensor film 5 is softened , the positioning holes 5 b expand radially . as illustrated in fig1 , the outer peripheral portion of the sensor film 5 is supported by the four positioning pins 26 with a uniform force in the corresponding directions when the outer peripheral portion expands in the y1 , y2 , x1 , and x2 directions . thus , the window portion 7 c and the touch sensor portion 30 formed in the sensor film 5 can be kept being positioned in the center portion of the cavity c . as illustrated in fig1 , the transmissive region 7 and the touch sensor portion 30 are more likely to be positioned uniformly in the molded surface panel 1 with respect to the front - surface front portion 2 a . it is preferable that the shape or size of the window portion 7 c at the center of the decorative portion 6 and the shape or size of the electrode layers 31 , the right wiring layers 32 a , and left wiring layers 32 b , be preset in consideration of probable elongation of the sensor film 5 at the time of injecting the melted resin . the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are vertically placed in line with the direction of gravity ( g direction ). since the gate 13 is positioned to be sufficiently lower than the center o of the cavity c , the sensor film 5 is prevented from being creased . as illustrated in fig1 a , in the stage where the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are fitted together , the sensor film 5 crosses the inside of the cavity c between the lower - surface molding portion 12 c and the lower - back - surface molding portion 23 c . as illustrated in fig1 b , when the melted resin 4 a is injected into the cavity c from the gate 13 , the melted resin 4 a flows down into a space between the lower - surface molding portion 12 c and the lower - back - surface molding portion 23 c according to the gravity , and the sensor film 5 is thus pressed against and along the front surface of the lower - back - surface molding portion 23 c by the flow in the f1 direction . since the gate 13 is positioned at a lower position , the flow of the melted resin 4 a in the f1 direction is less likely to be disturbed . thus , the sensor film 5 is closely attached to the lower - back - surface molding portion 23 c without being creased . as illustrated in fig1 c , when a lower portion of the cavity c is filled with the melted resin 4 a and the sensor film 5 is closely attached to the lower - back - surface molding portion 23 c , the melted resin 4 a gradually rises in the y1 direction . at this time , the sensor film 5 is upwardly attached to the center - back - surface molding portion 23 a of the molding projecting portion 23 by the force of the flow of the melted resin 4 a in the f2 direction . while the melted resin 4 a is rising in the cavity c , the air in the cavity c is output to the inside of the relief recess 14 through the air - exit paths 15 formed at an upper end portion of the molding recessed portion 12 of the first mold 10 . since the sensor film 5 behaves in the above - described manner in the cavity c , the sensor film 5 is less likely to become creased and more likely to be closely attached to the front surface of the molding projecting portion 23 . fig1 a to 14c illustrate a molding operation according to a comparative example in which a gate 13 a is positioned to be close to an edge portion of the lower - surface molding portion 12 c of the first mold 10 . as illustrated in fig1 b , since the melted resin 4 a that is injected into the cavity c from the gate 13 a flows obliquely upward , or in the f3 direction , the sensor film 5 is more likely to become creased . as illustrated in fig1 c , the melted resin 4 a that thereafter flows in the f4 direction lifts up the creased portion of the sensor film 5 . thus , the crease is highly likely to remain unsolved . for this reason , a gate should be not disposed at a portion of the first mold 10 that faces a range from the opposing flat face 21 of the second mold 20 to a half point ( h / 2 ) at which the height h of the lower - back - surface molding portion 23 c is halved . after the melted resin 4 a is fed to the cavity c and cooled down , the first mold 10 and the second mold 20 are detached from each other . by projecting the first release pin 24 and the second release pin 25 of the second mold 20 , a molded product is detached from the molding projecting portion 23 of the second mold 20 . as illustrated in fig1 , the molded product removed from the molds 10 and 20 has a gate imprint 13 b and an imprint of the first release pin 24 at a thin portion 18 a that is formed by the first step portion 18 of the first mold 10 . the molded product also has an imprint of the second release pin 25 at a thin portion 19 a formed by the second step portion 19 . the gate imprint 13 b and the other imprints can be removed by forming the first opening 8 and the second opening 9 by punching out part of the resin layer 4 and the sensor film 5 at the thin portions 18 a and 19 a . the surface panel 1 is formed by further cutting part of the resin layer 4 and the sensor film 5 that overruns the cavity c . in this embodiment , the transmissive electrode layer 31 is made of ito . however , the electrode layer 31 may be formed of a transmissive conductive organic film made of , for example , polyethylenedioxythiophene ( pedot ). the conductive organic film is more flexible than ito . thus , the electrode layer 31 formed of the conductive organic film can be expanded beyond the border b 3 to the region of the back - surface right portion 3 d in the sectional view of fig5 . accordingly , the right edge portion 7 a and the left edge portion 7 b of the transmissive region 7 can be made closer to or can be positioned on the back - surface right portion 3 d and the back - surface left portion 3 e , and thus a region in which the transmissive region 7 and the touch sensor portion 30 are formed can be further widened the method of manufacturing the surface panel 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the one according to the embodiment . for example , the sensor film 5 may be preformed so as to follow the shape of the back surface 3 of the resin layer 4 by compressed - air molding or vacuum molding , the preformed sensor film 5 may be inserted into a space between the molds , and then the melted resin 4 a may be injected into the space . the surface panel according to the present invention is not limited to being used as a casing of a mobile device according to the embodiment , and may be used as part of a remote controller for controlling electric products or a casing of other electronic devices . | 6 |
the rna isolation reagent of the present invention comprises , but is not limited to one or more , preferably two or more of the following components : one or more non - ionic detergent one or more ionic detergent one or more chelator one or more reducing agent one or more antibacterial agent ( e . g ., sodium azide , at about 0 . 5 %). the primary detergent may be any of the non - ionic detergents available , or in use : e . g ., igepal ® ( tergitol ) ( tert - octylphenoxy poly ( oxyethylene ) ethanol ) ( np - 40 replacement ), triton ® s , ( triton ® x - 100 ( octyl phenol polyethoxylate )), tween ® 20 ( polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate ) and like kind , etc ., and is chosen for its ability to extract rna without co - isolation of dna . preferably , non - ionic detergent is present at a concentration of about 0 . 1 - 4 % by volume , more preferably at a concentration of about 0 . 5 - 3 %, or about 1 %- 2 %. a suitable non - ionic detergent is igepal ® ( tergitol ) ( tert - octylphenoxy poly ( oxyethylene ) ethanol ) at a concentration of 1 % by volume . the helper - detergent or secondary detergent may be any of the cationic or anionic detergents available ( e . g . sds , ctab ) and improves rna yields especially at high reducing agent concentrations , for example , 2 - mercaptoethanol concentrations of about 40 %. preferably , the concentration of ionic detergent is about 0 . 01 %- 0 . 5 %, more preferably , at a concentration of about 0 . 01 - 0 . 1 %. a suitable ionic detergent is sds at a concentration of about 0 . 02 % or up to about 0 . 2 %, depending on the plant material and the concentrations of other components , especially the reducing agent . the detergents are selected in an amount so as to render the cell membranes permeable so that agents can enter the cell cytoplasmic domain and rna can exit the cell cytoplasmic domain . preferably , the amounts of the detergents and reducing agent ( s ) are selected to retain degradative components within the cell so that harmful enzymes , etc ., are removed with the cellular debris . the greater the concentration of 2 - mercaptoethanol or similar reducing agent in the formulation , the higher the concentration of secondary ( ionic ) detergent that may be included . as the 2 - mercaptoethanol concentration is increased , the rna yield decreases , but rna is better protected , i . e ., extracted of higher quality . this high quality rna is remarkable especially for plants containing the highest levels of polyphenolics ( e . g ., cedar or juniper ). see tables 1 - 13 . the chelator may also provide the ‘ salt ’ requirement to maintain the cell membrane and / or the cell nucleus at physiological salt conditions , to avoid osmotic disruption . chelator may be chosen from those commonly in use . for example , edtas , egtas , citrates ( such as sodium citrate ), citric acids , salicylic acids , salts of salicylic acids , phthalic acids , 2 , 4 - pentanedines , histidines , histidinol dihydrochlorides , 8 - hydroxyquinolines , 8 - hydroxyquinoline , citrates and o - hydroxyquinones are representative of chelators known in the art . alternatively , one component of the reagent may be used to provide the salt strength , nacl , kcl , etc ., and a different agent ( e . g ., betaine ) may be used as the chelator . preferably , the chelator is present at a concentration of about 0 . 02 - 0 . 25 m . more preferably , the chelator is present at a concentration of about 0 . 05 - 0 . 2 m . a suitable chelator is edta at a concentration of about 0 . 1 m . the reducing agent may be chosen from 2 - mercaptoethanol or from any number that would replace 2 - mercaptoethanol ( e . g ., dtt , or other mercaptans ). preferably the reducing agent is present at a concentration of about 1 %- 40 % volume . more preferably the reducing agent is present at a concentration of about 10 %- 40 %. 2 - mercaptoethanol at a concentration of either 20 % or 40 % was found to produce rna at good yield and high quality in selected tissues . for some applications , about 4 % 2 - mercaptoethanol is suitable . the antibacterial agent , e . g ., sodium azide , is preferentially included to extend the shelf life of the reagent . accordingly , an antibacterial agent is not required when freshly prepared components are combined shortly before use . also , any antibacterial agent that extends shelf life without unduly degrading the quality of the rna obtained is therefore suitable for use in the present invention . the amount of antibacterial agent depends on the agent and the storage conditions and should be selected so as not to interfere with the extraction process and to provide the desired shelf life . notably , phenol is not included in the present rna isolation reagent . phenol has been found to act as a substrate for ( poly ) phenolic oxidases , thereby participating in the oxidation of extracted rna . therefore , although components other than those listed above may be included in the extraction reagent of the present invention , an appreciable amount of phenol is not permitted . all components and surfaces that might contact the sample are preferably rnase free . a subset of the components can be prepared in advance , separately , or in combination and be combined with the remaining components at a time before use or at the time of use to obtain the working formulation . the general protocol for isolating rna according to the present invention is suitable for a variety of rna containing materials , for example , plant cells or plant tissues , for example cells or tissues obtained from plant stems , leaves , roots , seeds and flowers . plant tissue is first ground to a coarse or fine powder . when the plant material is a cell culture , the cells are mixed , e . g ., by rocking , with the extraction medium for about five minutes . when the plant material is tissue material , the powder is mixed with the extraction medium for about 20 minutes . preferably , the plant material is mixed with reagent until ground tissue is thoroughly suspended . finer material requires less mixing time than coarser material . shorter mixing results in lower yields . extended mixing provides an increased yield , but lower quality rna . the mixing times can be adjusted depending on the plant material and the amount and quality of rna desired . the extract preparation is then centrifuged to remove cellular debris . a step of filtration or straining can also be used . concentrated nacl is then added to the preparation , for example about 0 . 25 parts of 5 m nacl . an organic extraction solvent , such as chcl 3 is added to the supernatant and mixed therewith . aqueous and organic phases are separated by centrifugation . the aqueous phase is subjected to alcohol , e . g ., ethanol , precipitation to obtain isolated rna . two formulations were used in the examples described below as preferred formulations . other formulations are suitable generically or for specific plant tissues . preferred formulations are the 40 % 2 - mercaptoethanol formulation and the 20 % 2 - mercaptoethanol formulation . these preferred formulations are listed below : the 40 % 2 - mercaptoethanol formulation is preferred for plants containing high levels of polyphenolics ; and the 20 % 2 - mercaptoethanol formulation is preferred for more general applications . the rna extraction reagents of the present invention preferentially extract cytoplasmic rna . the nuclear membrane is preserved retaining dna and other nuclear components within the cell . the cell membrane is permeabilized , but maintains a degree of integrity to retain many cytoplasmic components , such as degradative enzymes , within the cell . all patents , patent applications and publications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entireties . fresh tissue , e . g ., plant leaf or root , was ground to a powder in liquid nitrogen . dried seed was ground at room temperature . all ground plant material was stored at − 70 ° c . to 0 . 1 g of ground tissue was added 0 . 5 ml of the present rna isolation reagent ( e . g ., 20 % 2 - mercaptoethanol formulation ). the sample was mixed until the ground tissue was thoroughly re - suspended , and then let stand for 5 minutes at room temperature . the sample was centrifuged for 2 minutes at 12 , 000 × g in a microcentrifuge . the supernatant was transferred to an rnase - free tube . a 0 . 1 ml aliquot of 5m nacl was added to the supernatant and the sample was mixed . an aliquot of 0 . 3 ml of chloroform was added and mixed . the sample was centrifuged at 4 ° c . for 10 minutes at 12 , 000 × g to separate the phases . the aqueous phase was transferred to an rnase - free tube , and an equal volume of isopropyl alcohol was added . the sample was mixed and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes . the sample was centrifuged at 4 ° c . for 10 minutes at 12 , 000 × g . the supernatant was decanted , and the pellet was washed with 75 % ethanol , and dissolved in water . if any cloudiness was observed , the sample was centrifuged at 12 , 000 × g for 1 minute and the supernatant was transferred to a fresh tube . fresh tissue , e . g ., plant leaf or root , was ground to a powder in liquid nitrogen . dried seed was ground at room temperature . all ground plant material was stored at − 70 ° c . to 0 . 1 g of ground tissue was added 0 . 5 ml of the present rna isolation reagent ( e . g ., 20 % 2 - mercaptoethanol formulation ). the sample was mixed until the ground tissue was thoroughly re - suspended , and then let stand for 5 minutes at room temperature . the sample was poured onto a concert homogenizer and centrifuged for 2 minutes at 12 , 000 × g in a microcentrifuge to clarify the rna extract . to the flowthrough was added an equal volume of guanidinium isothiocyanate and ethanol , and processed through the concert rna cartridge , washed , and the rna was eluted with water , according to the protocol provided by the manufacturer . fresh tissue was ground to a powder in liquid nitrogen . dried seed was ground at room temperature . all ground plant material was stored at − 70 ° c . to 1 g of ground tissue was added 5 ml of the present rna isolation reagent ( e . g ., 20 % 2 - mercaptoethanol formulation ), mixed until the sample was thoroughly re - suspended , and let stand for 5 minutes at room temperature . the sample was centrifuged at 4 ° c . for 5 minutes at 2600 × g in a tabletop centrifuge . the supernatant was transferred to an rnase - free tube , passing the solution through a 100 - μm nylon sieve . a 1 ml aliquot of 5m nacl was added to the supernatant , and 3 ml of chloroform , and mixed . the sample was centrifuged at 4 ° c . for 30 minutes at 2600 × g to separate the phases . the aqueous phase was transferred to an rnase - free tube , and an equal volume of isopropyl alcohol was added . the sample was mixed and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes . the sample was centrifuged at 4 ° c . for 30 minutes at 2600 × g . the supernatant was decanted , and the pellet was washed with 75 % ethanol , and dissolved in water . if any cloudiness was observed , the solution was centrifuged at 12 , 000 × g for 1 minute . the supernatant was transferred to a fresh tube and stored at − 70 ° c . the present rna isolation reagent isolates high quality rna from a variety of rna containing materials , especially from plant specimen including those enriched in polyphenolics and starch ( see tables 1 - 13 and fig1 ). the a 260 / 280 ratio is low for rna isolated using the two leading commercial rna isolation reagents ( rneasy and trizol ) from specimen rich in polyphenolics or starch indicating the poor quality of that rna . gel analysis shows that rna isolated using the present rna isolation reagent is intact whether the rna was isolated from plants enriched in polyphenolics or not ( fig1 ). the results shown in tables 1 - 12 and fig1 demonstrate that the present rna isolation reagent of the present invention isolates high quality rna from a variety of plant specimen including those enriched in polyphenolics and starch . the a260 / 280 ratio is comparatively low for rna isolated using the two leading commercial rna isolation reagents ( rneasy and trizol ) from specimen rich in polyphenolics or starch indicating the poor quality of that rna . gel analysis shows that rna isolated using the present rna isolation reagent of the present invention is intact even when the rna was isolated from plants enriched in polyphenolics ( fig1 ). rna isolated using the present rna isolation reagent has been used successfully as a template for rt - pcr and for the preparation of cdna libraries . results summarized in table 1 indicate that white pine spring shoot requires dtt , a reducing agent to obtain rna that is sufficiently undegraded to maintain its 28s ribosomal rna band , as determined by gel analysis . ( see fig1 for an example of rna obtained in accordance with the present invention isolated by gel electrophoresis ). as shown in table 2 , increasing the concentration of the reducing agent to 4 % 2 - mercatoethanol , the highest quality and highest rna yield is obtained . table 3 shows that a 4 % concentration of 2 - mercaptoethanol is not sufficient to maintain the integrity of rna for more problematic conifers such as juniper and cedar which require 40 % 2 - mercaptoethanol . increasing the concentration of 2 - mercaptoethannol for the two pines significantly reduces rna yields . when varying 2 - mercaptoethanol concentrations were tested with tomato leaves , which are rich in polyphenolics , table 5 shows that isolation of intact rna was preferably accomplished with 20 % to 40 % concentration of the reducing agent . plants with normal levels of polyphenolics or starch give lower rna yields with 40 % 2 - mercaptoethanol when compared with lower , e . g ., 20 %, amounts of 2 - mercaptoethanol . popcorn seeds yield an insignificant quantity of rna with 40 % 2 - mercaptoethanol . decreasing the 2 - mercaptoethanol concentration to 20 %, as well as reducing the sds concentration to 0 . 02 % results in a formulation useful for isolating high quality rna from seeds ( high starch content ), tomato , white pine and blue spruce ( high polyphenolic content ) and arabidopsis , soybean , rice , and corn that have normal levels of starch and polyphenolics . rna isolated using the present rna isolation reagent has been used in rt - pcr and after poly ( a +) selection for the preparation of cdna libraries ( data not shown ). | 2 |
reference is now made to the various figures of the drawings in which like numerals denote like elements in the figures . a presently preferred embodiment of a fluid actuated portable straight line sander in accordance with the invention is shown at 10 in fig1 . sander 10 is comprised of a housing 12 and a mounting shoe or plate 14 for mounting an abrading tool such as a file , a sanding tool , sand paper , or a rubbing tool . mounting plate 14 is slidably mounted to housing 12 with side plates 16 . side plates 16 are rigidly mounted to the side of housing 12 with screws 18 and comprise a lower flange [ not shown ] for receiving a corresponding and mating flange [ also not shown ] extending upwardly from mounting plate 14 . on the top side of housing 12 is rigidly mounted a front handle 20 in the form of a knob and a partially hollow rear handle in the shape of an inverted &# 34 ; l &# 34 ;. mounted within and extending above the top surface of rear handle 22 is a trigger 24 for operating the main fluid throttle valve . because the preferred fluid for operating sander 10 is air , the latter term is used throughout the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments of the invention , but no limitation is intended thereby . an air inlet fitting 26 , which includes an air stop valve 28 operated by the operator supplies air to sander 10 . in the embodiment of the invention shown in fig1 sander 10 has been adapted to use sand paper . mounting plate 14 is comprised of a sanding plate 30 . an elongated rectangular piece of sand paper [ not shown ] can be rigidly secured to sanding plate 30 with a forward spring clip 32 and a rearward spring clip 34 , which are , in turn , respectively rigidly mounted on the top of mounting plate 14 with screws 36 and screws 38 . as shown in more detail in fig2 and 3 , mounting plate 14 is reciprocally driven by an air motor 40 located inside of housing 12 . air motor 40 is comprised of a cylinder 42 which has a bore therein and fluid end tight seals [ not shown ] located at each end . a double - ended piston 46 is slidably mounted for reciprocal movement within cylinder 42 . three circumferential main seals 48 , 50 , and 52 are mounted on piston 46 within annular slots 54 , 56 , and 58 , respectively , and extend radially , outwardly therefrom . first and second circumferential end seals 60 and 62 are located at respective ends of piston 46 in respective annular slots 64 and 66 . both the three main seals 48 , 50 , and 52 and the two end seals 60 and 62 are comprised of an inner o - ring 68 and a split seal ring 70 mounted coaxially over o - ring 68 . each seal abuts the inner surface 71 of cylinder 42 for providing a slidable sealing contact therewith . the external shape of piston 46 is shown more clearly in fig3 and 4 . each end of piston 46 has a beveled edge 72 and 74 , respectively , the purpose of which is explained hereinbelow . located near a first end 76 of piston 46 are main seals 48 , 50 and 52 , and end seal 60 which abuts main seal 54 on the inward side thereof and beveled edge 72 on the outward side thereof . main seals 54 and 56 define therebetween a first annular region 78 in which there is located an annular slot 80 in piston 46 . slot 80 is defined at its end proximate to main seal 54 by a substantially vertical wall 82 extending radially inward , and at the end proximate main seal 56 by a beveled wall 84 extending angularly in an inward radial direction away from main seal 56 . similarly , main seals 56 and 58 define a second annular region 86 therebetween in which piston 46 has an annular slot 88 . slot 88 is defined at its end proximate main seal 56 by a beveled wall 90 extending angularly in an inward radial direction away from main seal 56 . the other end of slot 88 , proximate main seal 58 , is defined by a substantially vertical wall 92 extending radially inward . between end seal 62 , located at a second end 94 of piston 46 and main seal 58 is a relatively large slot 96 . slot 96 comprises approximately half of the axial length of piston 46 . mounted within slot 96 is a connecting means , described hereinbelow , for connecting piston 46 to mounting plate 14 for reciprocally driving mounting plate 14 . located within piston 46 are a plurality of passages for alternately feeding compressed air to ends 76 and 94 of piston 46 , thereby reciprocally driving piston 46 . a first passage 98 connects a port 100 located in slot 88 with an end port 102 located in first end 76 of piston 46 . a second passage 104 connects a port 106 in slot 80 with a port 108 in second end 94 of piston 46 . a pair of additional passages 10 connect passage 98 with end seal 60 and main seal 54 for supplying pressurized air thereto for expanding seal rings 70 into contacting and sealing relationship with the inner surface 171 of cylinder 42 . further additional passages 112 connect passage 104 with end seal 62 and main seal 58 for a similar purpose . referring again to fig2 compressed air is supplied through air inlet fitting 26 to a main supply port 114 in housing 12 at the rearward end thereof . a passage 116 connects main supply port 114 to an inlet plenum 117 of an air stop and throttle valve 118 . valve 118 is actuated by depressing operator 28 . air stop and throttling valve 118 is of a type well known in the art and is constructed such that the further operator 28 is depressed , the greater the flow of air is permitted through the valve . a supply passage 120 communicates between valve 118 and an air supply port 122 located in cylinder 42 at a mid - portion thereof . air supply port 122 communicates with either first annular region 78 or second annular region 86 , depending upon the axial position of piston 46 in cylinder 42 . vent ports 124 and 126 are located at respective ends in cylinder 42 for respectively venting the spaces on end chambers 128 and 130 defined by the end portions of the inner surface 171 of cylinder 42 , the corresponding cylinder end seals , and the corresponding ends 76 and 94 of piston 46 . vent ports 124 and 126 are located in cylinder 42 such that only one vent port is uncovered at a time by piston 46 . the reciprocating motion of piston 46 is transmitted to mounting plate 14 through a connecting means 132 , as shown in fig2 . connecting means 132 is comprised of an upper rack 134 rigidly mounted in slot 96 of piston 46 and a lower rack 136 rigidly mounted to mounting plate 14 . a pinion 138 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 140 which in turn is rigidly mounted on housing 12 . pinion 138 engages both upper rack 134 and lower rack 136 and thereby transfers the longitudinal movement of upper rack 134 and piston 46 , which is in one direction , to the lower rack 136 , thereby longitudinally driving rack 136 in the other longitudinal direction . a starter means such as helical spring 142 resiliently urges piston 46 toward the end of cylinder 42 defining end chamber 128 . spring 142 has a relatively small spring constant such that the force exerted by the spring is relatively small compared with the force exerted on end 76 of piston 46 by the compressed air admitted to end chamber 128 . consequently , spring 142 does not have a tendency to impede or dampen the reciprocal motion of piston 46 . however , spring 142 does exert a sufficient force on piston 46 such that when sander 10 is not being used and no air is being admitted to air supply port 122 , piston 46 is displaced a sufficient amount such that slot 88 and port 100 in piston 46 is in communication with air supply port 122 . therefore , spring 142 prevents piston 46 from coming to rest with main seal 54 blocking air supply port 122 , thereby causing sander 10 to be in a stalled condition when it is subsequently started . a second embodiment of the invention , in which the starter means comprises a valve , is shown in fig5 through 7 . in this embodiment of the invention an air stop , starting and throttling valve 144 directs compressed air entering the valve body from main supply port 114 and passage 116 to either a starting air passage 146 or to supply passage 120 . valve 144 is comprised of a cylindrical housing 148 and a spool 150 slidably mounted therein . spool 150 is comprised of a lower spherical or ball section 152 which , in the stop position as shown in fig7 engages a beveled lower edge 154 of cylindrical housing 148 , thereby preventing air from passing into either supply passage 120 or starting air passage 146 . spool 150 further comprises a main body section 156 which has two annular slots , an upper slot 158 and a lower slot 160 , axially spaced therein by an annular dividing section 168 which sealingly engages the inner wall of cylindrical housing 148 . an internal passage 162 communicates with an upper port 164 located in upper slot 158 and a lower port 166 located in the lower end of body section 156 and above ball section 52 . the lower part of the body section 156 of spool 150 is comprised of an annular section 170 which extends radially outwardly in sealing engagement with the lower inner surface of cylindrical housing 148 . lower end 174 of body section 156 has an outwardly concave shape which is spaced from and connected to ball section 152 with a connecting member 176 . when valve 144 is in the start position , as shown in fig6 spool 150 is axially depressed slightly within cylindrical housing 148 such that ball section 152 is no longer in sealing engagement with beveled lower edge 154 of cylindrical housing 148 but with annular section 170 still in sealing engagement with the lower inner surface of cylindrical housing 148 . hence , air is admitted around ball section 152 , through passage 162 and upper port 164 , and then into starting air passage 146 . starting air passage 146 is connected to one end of piston 46 . thus , the compressed air is directed to one end of piston 46 to urge the piston in the other direction , thereby assuring that one of slots 80 and 88 will be in communication with supply port 122 . as spool 150 is depressed further , the upper portion of the spool completely blocks starting air passage 146 thereby preventing further delivery of air thereto . as shown in fig5 when valve 144 is in the run position , annular dividing section 168 is positioned just above the top of supply passage 120 and the lower slot 160 is in communication with both supply passage 120 and the supply panel 145 . thus , the compressed air is directed to supply passage 120 and air supply port 122 . to operate sander 10 , a compressed air supply is connected to air inlet fitting 26 and operator 28 is positioned to open its corresponding air stop valve and admit air to the main air stop throttle valve 118 , in the first embodiment of the invention , or air stop , starting and throttling valve 144 , in the second embodiment of the invention . trigger 24 is then depressed to admit air to supply passage 120 and to air supply port 122 . referring to fig4 one half of piston 46 , 46a , is shown in its furthermost axial position within cylinder 42 as it begins to move in the direction of arrow 180 . the other half of piston 46 , 46b , is shown in the other furthermost axial position as piston 46 begins to move in the direction of arrow 182 . with reference to piston half 46a , it can be seen that air supply port 122 is in communication with slot 80 and hence port 106 . passage 104 transports the compressed air to end 94 of piston 46 and thence out port 108 into end chamber 130 . vent 126 is covered by end seal 62 . hence , air pressure builds up in end chamber 130 thereby forcing piston 46 in the direction of arrow 180 . as piston 46a moves , slot 80 moves past air supply port 122 . when beveled wall 84 begins to move past air supply port 122 , the volume of slot 80 in communication with air supply port 122 gradually decreases , thereby gradually slowing the rate air is being admitted to end chamber 130 . finally , main seal 56 completely covers air supply port 122 at the same time beveled end edge 74 of piston 46a comes into register with vent port 126 . the end of piston 46a is beveled to permit a gradual , initial venting of end chamber 130 . the momentum of piston 46a moves main seal 56 to the other side of air supply port 122 as shown by piston half 46b . as beveled wall 90 of slot 88 comes into register with air supply port 122 , air is , at first , slowly admitted into passage 98 and then into end chamber 128 to cause a gradual breaking of piston 46a . finally , as shown by piston 46b , slot 88 is in full communication with air supply port 122 , thereby admitting full air flow to end chamber 128 and causing the reversal of piston 46a . at the same time , vent port 126 is completely uncovered , thereby permitting complete venting of end chamber 130 , and vent port 122 is completely covered by end seal 60 , thereby permitting full pressurization of end chamber 128 . as mentioned above , air is supplied from the respective passages in piston 46 to the end seal and the main seal closest to the pressurized end chamber . this permits an adequate seal to be developed between piston 46 and inner surface 171 of cylinder 42 before air pressure is built up in the respective end chamber , thereby assuring less air leakage and a more efficient utilization of the compressed air . it is apparent from the foregoing that a sander in accordance with the present invention is provided in which the piston itself replaces an air directing valve as shown in the prior art . thus , a sander in accordance with the present invention can be manufactured less expensively , having a lighter weight , and have its motive fluid supply used more efficiently . in addition , the elimination of an air directive valve further produces a sander which has a longer , more trouble free service life . although the invention has been described in detail with respect to an exemplary embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that variations and modifications may be effected within the scope and spirit of the invention . | 5 |
fig1 presents a schematic diagram of a power plant 11 of the type in which the present invention may be advantageously utilized . a pair of steam generators or boilers 13 output steam into a main steam header 15 for distribution to two or more steam turbines . one steam turbine 17 may be used solely for the production of a power output and therefore is coupled to a load 19 . the load may be for example , a pump , a compressor , an electrical generator or other driven load . the turbine 17 includes a control circuit 21 which electronically positions inlet steam valve 23 through valve operator 25 . the exact nature of the control circuit 21 is not pertinent to the present invention but it may include a speed feedback channel 27 for providing a speed feedback signal which is then compared with a set speed ( not shown ) to produce a speed error signal for valve adjustment . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 986 , 788 to rossi and assigned to the assignee of the present invention is one example of a speed control circuit . a second turbine 31 is also connected in fluid communication to the main steam holder . the second turbine differs from the steam turbine 17 in that it is used to supply process steam 33 . the turbine may also be connected to a driven load or an electrical generator 35 . in the usual manner of operation disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 977 , 768 to wagner and straney , a control system 37 is set up to position a throttle valve 39 and an extraction valve 41 through valve operators 43 and 45 respectively . the control system 37 receives inputs indicating actual turbine speed 47 and extraction pressure 49 . thus it is clear that each turbine includes its own control system capable of maintaining a desired set speed sufficient to meet the load requirements 19 and 35 . a crisis occurs when there is insufficient steam in the main header 15 to meet both the load and process steam requirements of the power plant . the present invention is directed toward resolving that crisis in an orderly and predetermined manner of assigned control priorities in the extraction type turbine control . the insufficient steam flow may be sensed by a throttle pressure indicator ( not shown ) which inputs that message into the extraction turbine control system 37 along electrical connection line 51 . fig2 discloses the control system 37 according to the present invention which may be used in combination with the extraction turbine 31 . power supplies and other electrical details obvious to the routineer in the art have been omitted to clarity . control system 37 receives three inputs which relate to turbine speed ( s ); inlet pressure ( p i ), and extraction pressure ( p e ). signal input 47 from fig1 is proportional to actual turbine speed ; signal input 49 ( fig1 ) is proportional to actual extraction pressure and signal input 51 from fig1 is proportional to actual turbine inlet pressure . these signals are compared with set signals indicating desired speed , extraction pressure and inlet pressure , respectively indicated by positive arrows . amplifiers , 57 , 59 and 61 are comparator amplifiers with accept set point and feedback signals as shown , and generate respective output signals which are proportional to the difference between the set point and reference signals . amplifiers 67 , 69 and 71 are integrating amplifiers whereas amplifiers 77 , 79 and 81 are used for dynamic stability compensation . the latter circuitry compensates for system lead - lag by phase shift of line signals . thus each signal output from amplifiers 77 , 79 and 81 represent an error signal based on the particular physical condition monitored . the control circuit 37 provides two output signals . the first output signal at terminal 85 is a throttle valve positioning signal . a second output signal at terminal 87 is an extraction valve positioning signal . amplifiers 89 and 91 are servo amplifiers having inputs designating valve position feedbacks 88 and 90 respectively and valve position demands 92 and 93 . two low value gates 101 and 105 determine the valve position demands 92 and 93 . low valve gate 101 is comprised of , in part , inverter amplifier 102 , resistors 103 ( a , b , c ) and diode 104 . the other half of low value gate 101 is comprised of inverter amplifier 106 , resistors 107 ( a , b ) and diode 108 . bias circuitry is provided for amplifier circuit 102 by resistor group 109 whereas bias circuitry is provided for amplifier circuit 106 by resistor group 110 . resistor 111 provides a path for current to either amplifier 102 or 106 when either of these devices are conducting . amplifier 113 represents a non - inverting unity gain amplifier whose input is obtained from low value gate 101 . the output of low value gate 101 can be a signal proportional to speed and extraction pressure ( s , p e ), or inlet pressure ( p i ). the manner in which the low value gate operates is as follows . the signal which will be applied to the input of amplifier 113 will be either the output of amplifier 102 or the output of amplifier 106 . if the output signal of amplifier 102 is more negative than the output signal of amplifier 106 , diode 108 will be back biased and the output of amplifier 106 will be effectively disconnected from the input to amplifier 113 . thus the input to amplifier 113 will be the signal output from amplifier 102 . in the event that amplifier 106 has an output which is more negative than the output of amplifier 102 , then amplifier 106 will provide the signal to amplifier 113 . the second low value gate 105 is comprised of , in part , inverter amplifier 115 , resistors 116 ( a , b ) and diode 117 . the second part of this gate comprises amplifier 119 and diode 121 . resistor group 123 provides the bias circuitry for amplifier 115 whereas resistor 124 is comparable to resistor 111 in gate 101 . the gating action of low value gate 105 is the same as the gating action described for low value gate 101 . amplifier 125 represents a unity gain non - inverting amplifier . the input to this amplifier is proportional either to the inlet pressure p i error signal of the extraction pressure p e error signal . amplifier 127 with its associated resistors 128 ( a , b , c ) and bias group 130 is a summing amplifier having signal inputs comprising the speed s error signal and one of the pressure error signals which exist at the output of amplifier 125 . the output of amplifier 127 provides the extraction valve lift set point signal 93 . the circuitry including amplifier 129 and its associated resistors and diodes ; and , amplifier 131 along with its associated resistors provides a limit function which acts to override pressure error signals p e to the inlet valves and extraction valves in the event that the extraction valve goes fully closed . this is to avoid a situation where excessive extraction flow can result in excessive rotor speed . whenever the extraction valves do go into the closed position , the resultant signal from amplifiers 129 and 131 passes through amplifier 133 where it adds to the speed signal input s into amplifier 102 through resistor 103a to reinforce the signal out of amplifier 102 . otherwise , when the extraction valves are open , the output of amplifiers 131 and 129 is zero . when operating as a speed / extraction pressure control , it is assumed that the inlet pressure set point will be set at a throttle pressure level which corresponds to the minimum pressure which will be permitted to exist before the control system is required to switch from a speed / extraction pressure control mode to an inlet pressure / speed control mode . inlet or throttle pressure will normally be higher than this set point . a pressure transducer ( not shown ) is included in the inlet line to sense throttle pressure and provide the inlet pressure feedback signal 51 as shown . when throttle pressure 51 is higher than the inlet pressure set point p i , the throttle pressure circuitry 61 , 71 and 81 will integrate to its full throttle flow limit which represents - 5 volts at the output of amplifier 81 . this will result in the output of amplifier 106 being at a + 5 volts which is higher than the output of amplifier 102 . diode 108 will be back biased and will not conduct current . the output of low value gate 101 will then be proportional to the output of amplifier 102 . the extraction pressure control loop includes amplifiers 59 , 69 and 79 . the output of amplifier 79 is applied to amplifier 119 in low value gate 105 . when operating in the speed / extraction pressure control mode , the inlet pressure signal p i which is applied to amplifier 115 in low value gate 105 will also result in the output of amplifier 115 being more positive than the output of amplifier 119 . thus the output of low value gate 105 will be a function of the extraction pressure control loop . the input to amplifier 125 will be the extraction pressure error signal p e . the output of amplifier 125 is input into amplifier 127 where it is combined with the speed loop signal from amplifier 77 . the output of amplifier 127 is now a function of speed and extraction pressure . the output of amplifier 125 also passes through amplifier 133 through its associated input resistor where it is summed at the input of amplifier 102 with the speed control loop signal . since the output of amplifier 102 is providing the input for amplifiers 113 , the inlet valve lift set point is also a function of speed and extraction pressure . in the event that the extraction valves go closed during speed / extraction pressure control , the limiting circuitry of amplifiers 129 and 131 acts to cancel out the effect of the pressure control system on the positions of the inlet and extraction valves in the following manner . the output of amplifier 129 is normally at 0 volts when the extraction valves are not closed . in this case , the input to amplifier 133 is a function of the extraction pressure control loop as previously explained . in those cases where the extraction valve gear is closed , the output of amplifier 129 switches from 0 to a voltage which is proportional to the voltage developed at point 93 . this voltage is inverted by amplifier 131 and is combined in amplifier 133 with the output of low value gate 105 which is proportional to extraction pressure . the gains of amplifiers 129 and 131 are set up such that the output of amplifier 125 is cancelled by the output of amplifier 131 . the output of amplifier 133 does not change any further as a result of the extraction pressure and , therefore , the output of low value gate 101 now is a function of speed only . in this manner , the inlet valves are controlled by speed alone . in normal operation , the net effect of the speed and pressure control loops on the valve positions is as follows . in the event that speed is to be increased or decreased while extraction pressure is maintained constant , both the inlet and extraction valve gear are moved in the same direction . in the event that a change in extraction flow causes a change in extraction pressure , the inlet and extraction valves will be moved in opposite directions . for example , a decrease in extraction flow will initially result in an increased extraction pressure . in order to restore extraction pressure and maintain turbine speed constant , the extraction valves will open to allow more flow to the back end of the machine and the inlet valves will close to reduce the amount of torque developed in the front section of the turbine to compensate for the increased torque developed across the back end of the turbine . the purpose of the inlet pressure control is to assure that the throttle flow to the turbine is maintained at a level which does not drive the inlet pressure below the desired set point p i . in the event that an external system malfunction occurs such that the inlet pressure begins to drop due to excessive throttle flow requirements , the system will automatically switch from a speed / extraction pressure control mode to an inlet pressure / speed control mode . the manner in which this is accomplished is as follows . as the inlet pressure begins to drop , the changing inlet pressure will be detected by comparator amplifier 61 . as the inlet pressure drops below the inlet pressure set point , a signal will be generated to integrating amplifier 71 which will drive the output of amplifier 106 in low value gate 101 more negative than the output of amplifier 102 . at this point , the input to amplifier 113 will now become a function of the inlet pressure control system . the speed control loop will no longer be affecting the inlet valve lift set point 92 . the output of the inlet pressure control loop p i which appears at amplifier 81 also results in the output of amplifier 115 becoming more negative than the output of amplifier 119 . the output of low value gate 105 which appears at the output of amplifier 125 now will be a function of the inlet pressure control loop only . the output of amplifier 125 is summed at the input of amplifier 127 with a signal from the speed control loop . the output of amplifier 127 represents a combined signal from the speed and inlet pressure control loops and determines the extraction valve lift set point 93 . the output of amplifier 125 also passes through amplifier 133 , through resistor 103c and provides an input to amplifier 102 . however , since amplifier 106 is the predominant amplifier in low value gate 101 , this signal path does not affect the output of low value gate 101 . since the control system can control only two parameters , operation in the inlet pressure / speed control mode will require that the extraction pressure be held constant by some other means whose steam source is other than that which supplies steam to the turbine inlet . the automatic transition from a speed / extraction pressure control to an inlet pressure / speed control is accomplished by the actions of low value gates 101 and 105 as described above . the automatic transition from speed / extraction pressure control to inlet pressure / speed control will result if the inlet pressure drops below a preset level . upon recovery of the inlet pressure to the minimum preset level , the control system will automatically revert back to a speed / extraction pressure control mode . it should be noted that there are basic differences in how the inlet and extraction valves are controlled in the speed / extraction pressure control system and the speed / inlet pressure control system . in the speed / extraction pressure control mode , the speed control circuitry positions both the inlet and the extraction valve gear in the same direction to change throttle flow and exhaust flow by the same amount in response to changes in required shaft horsepower without changing the extraction flow . therefore , throttle and exhaust flows are changed as required . the pressure control system positions the inlet and the extraction valve gear in opposite directions in order to change power developed in the back end of the machine by the same amount but in an opposite sense to the change in head end power . this allows a change in extraction flow ( the difference in throttle and exhaust flows ) with no change in total shaft horsepower developed . in the speed / inlet pressure control system , the speed control circuitry positions only the extraction valve gear so that the shaft power may be changed without changing inlet throttle flow . the inlet pressure control circuitry positions the inlet and extraction valve gear in opposite directions in order to change power developed in the back end by the same amount but in the opposite sense as the change in power in the head end . this allows a change in throttle flow with no change in total shaft horsepower . while there has been shown what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the invention , it is also understood that other modifications may be made therein which may be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art . it is intended to claim all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 5 |
the following description is disclosed to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the present invention . preferred embodiments are provided in the following description only as examples and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the general principles defined in the following description would be applied to other embodiments , alternatives , modifications , equivalents , and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring to fig1 to fig2 b of the drawings , a game ball with non - slip layer according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated , wherein the game ball comprises a plurality of stretchable panels 10 , marginal edges 11 provided on edges of stretchable panels 10 sealed together to form a ball surface 100 , a non - slip layer 12 attached on the ball surface 100 to improve the friction of the ball surface 100 , and a bladder 13 received inside the ball surface 100 . preferably , there are four pieces of stretchable panels 10 are sealed with each other , within each of the stretchable panels 10 comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 . the stretchable panels 10 comprise a first to fourth stretchable panels 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , and 10 d , wherein the structures of the four stretchable panels 10 are identical . the first stretchable panel 10 a comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 a , and the second stretchable panel 10 b comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 b , and the third stretchable panel 10 c comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 c , and the fourth stretchable panel 10 d comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 d . as shown in fig2 , the non - slip layer 12 is attached on each of the stretchable panels 10 of the ball surface 100 by stitching , gluing , hot melting technology , etc ., wherein the non - slip layer 12 can be made of durable and flexible materials in order to improve the hardness of the ball surface 100 of the game ball . preferably , the non - slip layer 12 can be a mesh layer attached on the stretchable panels 10 of the game ball to provide better friction force of the ball surface 100 . moreover , non - slip layer 12 with different color and patterns can be customized based on the customers &# 39 ; needs . for example , cartoon images or pictures can be printed on the non - slip layer 12 to not only increase the friction force of the ball surface 100 , but also improve aesthetic effects of the game ball . furthermore , the mesh of the non - slip layer 12 can be designed as heart - like or star like meshes . accordingly , one of the pair of the marginal edges 11 a of the first stretchable panel 10 a is sealed with one of the pair of the marginal edges 11 b of the second stretchable panels 10 b . and , the other of the pair of the marginal edges 11 a of the first stretchable panels 10 a is sealed with one of the pair of the marginal edges 11 d of the fourth stretchable panels 10 d , so as to connect the first stretchable panels with the second and fourth stretchable panels . in addition , the other of the pair of the marginal edges 11 b , 11 d of the second and fourth stretchable panels 10 b , 10 d are sealed with the pair of the marginal edges 11 c of the third stretchable panels 10 c respectively , so as to connect the third stretchable panel 10 c with the second and fourth stretchable panels 10 b , 10 d . on the other hand , the first to fourth stretchable panels 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d are sealed with each other to form the ball surface 100 . as shown in fig1 , the ball surface 100 comprises an inflating hole 101 to inflate air into the bladder 13 . in addition , the bladder 13 comprises a inflation unit 131 arranged align with the inflating hole 101 to communicate with the ball surface 100 , so the air can be inflated into the bladder 13 through the inflating hole 101 and the inflation unit 131 . it is worth to mention that the inflation unit 131 is made of elastic and flexible material materials , and a diameter of the inflating unit 131 of the bladder 13 is slightly larger than a diameter of the inflatable hole 101 . therefore , when the bladder 13 is received inside the ball surface 100 , the inflating unit 131 is deformed and passed through the inflatable hole 101 of the ball surface 100 , and after the inflating unit 131 is passed through the inflatable hole 101 , the inflating unit 131 reinstates to its original shape , and is locked on the inflatable hole 101 , so the bladder 13 can be remained at a fixed position without sliding inside the ball surface 100 . therefore , the inflation unit 131 of the bladder 13 is not only used to inflate the bladder , but also used to affix the bladder 13 at a fixed position . alternatively , as shown in fig4 , an alternative mode of the non - slip layer 12 according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated , wherein a structure of the game ball in this alternative mode is the same , excluding a configuration of the non - slip layer 12 . in this alternative mode , the non - slip layer 12 is a non - slip layer bag 12 ′ having an bag opening 121 ′, and the game ball can be put inside the non - slip layer bag 12 through the bag opening 121 ′. on the other hand , the non - slip layer 12 ′ and the game ball are two separated items . preferably , the non - slip layer 12 ′ is a non - slip detachable bag which can be selectively cover on the ball surface 100 of the game ball . therefore , the player can use the game ball individual without non - slip layer 12 ′ in a normal playing environment , and after the non - slip layer 12 ′ is coved on the ball surface 100 ′ of the game ball , the game ball with non - slip layer 12 ′ can be used in wet and moist environment . it is worth mentioning that the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is made of elastic materials , so when the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is not in use the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ can be folded and stored in a compact size . and , when the game ball is putting inside the non - slip layer bag 12 ′, the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is expanded to closely overlap on the outer surface of the ball surface 100 . a shape of the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is shaped like the game ball . in order to deposit the game ball into the non - slip layer bag 12 ′, a diameter “ w ” of bag opening 121 ′ of the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is changed while the game ball is depositing inside the non - slip layer bag 12 ′, wherein a maximum value of the diameter “ w ” of bag opening 121 ′ is slighting larger than a sectional radius “ w ” of the game ball . if the diameter “ w ” of the bag opening 121 ′ of the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is much more larger than the diameter of the sectional radius “ w ” of the game ball , the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is covered on the outer surface of the ball surface in an un - tightly state . otherwise , the game ball cannot be received inside the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ if the diameter “ w ” of bag opening 121 ′ is smaller than the sectional radius “ w ” of the game ball . accordingly , the non - slip detachable layer 12 can be attached on different portions of sport goods to improve the friction force thereof . for example , the non - slip detachable layer 12 ′ can be attached on handles of rackets in order to increase the friction force during the players are holding on the handles thereof . and , the non - slip detachable layer 12 can be attached on surfaces of the frisbee or snowboards . especially in the water sport goods or toys , such as noodle , handles of the water guns and water paddles , kickboards , surfboards and drive toys , the non - slip layer 12 can be applied thereon to provide better friction forces while the water sport goods are contacted with water during playing . referring to fig5 of the drawings , a manufacturing method of the game ball with non - slip layer according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated , wherein the manufacturing method comprising steps of : 1 . preparing a plurality of stretchable panels 10 having a plurality of marginal edges 11 ; 2 . attaching non - slip layer 12 on each of the stretchable panels 10 ; 3 . sealing each of the stretchable panels 10 together along the marginal edges 11 to form a ball surface 100 ; 4 . putting a bladder 13 inside the ball surface to form a game ball with non - slip layers 12 . in step 1 , the number of the stretchable panels 10 is four , and each of the stretchable panels 10 comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 . accordingly , the stretchable panels 10 comprise a first to fourth stretchable panels 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , and 10 d , wherein structures of the four stretchable panels are identical . the first stretchable panel 10 a comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 a , and the second stretchable panel 10 b comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 b , and the third stretchable panel 10 c comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 c , and the fourth stretchable panel 10 d comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 d . in step 2 , the non - slip layer 12 is attached on each of the stretchable panels of the ball surface 100 by stitching , gluing , hot melting technology , etc ., wherein the non - slip layer 12 can be made of durable materials in order to improve the life - span of the ball surface 100 of the game ball . in step 2 , the non - slip layer 12 can be a mesh layer . moreover , the non - slip layer with different color and patterns of 12 can be customized based on the customers &# 39 ; needs . for example , cartoon images or pictures can be attached on the non - slip layer 12 to not only increase the friction force of the ball surface 100 , but also improve aesthetic effects of the game ball . furthermore , the mesh of the non - slip layer 12 can be designed as heart - like or star like meshes . in step 3 , one of the pair of the marginal edges 11 a of the first stretchable panel 10 a is sealed with one of the pair of the marginal edges 11 b of the second stretchable panels 10 b . and , the other of the pair of the marginal edges 11 a of the first stretchable panels 10 a is sealed with one of the pair of the marginal edges 11 d of the fourth stretchable panels 10 d , so as to connect the first stretchable panels with the second and fourth stretchable panels . in addition , the other of the pair of the marginal edges 11 b , 11 d of the second and fourth stretchable panels 10 b , 10 d are sealed with the pair of the marginal edges 11 c of the third stretchable panels 10 c respectively , so as to connect the third stretchable panel 10 c with the second and fourth stretchable panels 10 b , 10 d . on the other hand , the first to fourth stretchable panels 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d are sealed with each other to form the ball surface 100 . in the step 4 , the ball surface 100 comprises as inflatable hole 101 , and the bladder 13 comprises an inflating unit 131 , wherein the inflating unit 131 can be interlocked with inflatable hole 101 to connect the ball surface 100 and the bladder 13 . referring to fig6 of the drawings , a manufacturing method of a game ball with non - slip layer according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated , wherein the manufacturing method comprises the steps of : 1 . preparing a plurality of stretchable panels 10 having marginal edges 11 ; 2 . sealing each of the stretchable panels 10 together along the marginal edges 11 to form a ball surface 100 ; 3 . putting a bladder 13 inside the ball surface to form a game ball ; and 4 . putting the game ball inside a non - slip layer bag 12 ′ through a bag opening 121 ′. in step 1 , the number of the stretchable panels 10 is four , and each of the stretchable panels 10 comprises a pair of marginal edge 11 . accordingly , the stretchable panels 10 comprise a first to fourth stretchable panels 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , and 10 d , wherein structures of the four stretchable panels are identical . the first stretchable panel 10 a comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 a , and the second stretchable panel 10 b comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 b , and the third stretchable panel 10 c comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 c , and the fourth stretchable panel 10 d comprises a pair of marginal edges 11 d . in step 2 , one of the pair of the marginal edges of the first stretchable panel 10 a is sealed with one of the pair of the marginal edges 11 b of the second stretchable panels 10 b . and , the other of the pair of the marginal edges 11 a of the first stretchable panels 10 a is sealed with one of the pair of the marginal edges 11 d of the fourth stretchable panels 10 d , so as to connect the first stretchable panels with the second and fourth stretchable panels . in addition , the other of the pair of the marginal edges 11 b , 11 d of the second and fourth stretchable panels 10 b , 10 d are sealed with the pair of the marginal edges 11 c of the third stretchable panels 10 c respectively , so as to connect the third stretchable panel 10 c with the second and fourth stretchable panels 10 b , 10 d . on the other hand , the first to fourth stretchable panels 10 a , 10 b , 10 c , 10 d are sealed with each other to form the ball surface 100 . in the step 3 , the ball surface 100 comprises as inflatable hole 101 , and the inflatable bag 13 comprises an inflating unit 131 , wherein the inflation unit 131 can be interlocked with inflatable hole 101 to connect the ball surface 100 and the inflatable bag 13 . and , the bladder 13 can be inflated through the inflatable hole 101 and the inflation unit 131 . in step 4 , the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ and the game ball are two separated items . preferably , the non - slip layer 12 ′ is a non - slip detachable bag which can be selectively cover on the ball surface 100 of the game ball . in the step 4 , the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is made of elastic materials and shaped like a game ball , so when the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is not in use the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ can be folded and stored in a compact size . and , when the game ball is putting inside the non - slip layer bag 12 ′, the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is expanded to closely overlap on the outer surface of the ball surface 100 . in order to deposit the game ball into the non - slip layer bag 12 ′, a diameter “ w ” of bag opening 121 ′ of the non - slip layer bag 12 ′ is changed while the game ball is depositing inside the non - slip layer bag 12 ′, wherein a maximum value of the diameter “ w ” of bag opening 121 ′ is slightly larger than a sectional radius “ w ” of the game ball . one skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting . it will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished . the embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles . therefore , this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 0 |
a most preferred formulation of the present invention useful for managing blood glucose levels generally and helping individuals with diabetes mellitus with the management of their diabetes , includes alpha lipoic acid ( herein “ α - lipoic acid ”), linolenic acid complex , biotin and coenzyme q - 10 . acceptable ranges of the four constituents per day of the preferred formulation of the present invention are as follows : the α - lipoic acid component of the preferred formations of the present invention , is an antioxidant co - enzyme . one form of α - lipoic acid acceptable for use in the formulations of the present invention is a 600 mg . softgel available from nature &# 39 ; s life ® of larkspur , calif . the “ linolenic acid complex ” component of the preferred formulations as defined herein contains one or more of the following constituents : palmitic acid , stearic acid , oleic acid , linoleic acid , gamma linolenic acid , alpha linoleic acid , icosenoic acid and erucic acid . biotin ( c 10 h 16 n 2 o 3 s ) is sometimes referred to as vitamin b7 or vitamin h . a preferred form of biotin for use in the formulations of the present invention is in 5 mg . capsules . coenzyme q - 10 is present in human cells and has a pivotal role in the production of the body &# 39 ; s energy , as all atp is converted to energy with the aid of coenzyme q - 10 . a preferred form for use in the formulations of the present invention are softgels containing 100 mg . ubiquinone . the following daily regimen incorporating the four components of the present invention was developed : α - lipoic acid — 600 mg . tid orally ; linolenic acid complex — 1300 mg . bid orally ( for a total per day of 25 mg . linolenic acid , 1910 mg . linoleic acid and 130 mg . gamma linolenic acid ); biotin — 5 mg . tid orally ; and coenzyme q - 10 — 100 mg . bid orally . the above formulation taken orally with or directly after meals is referred to herein as the example 1 regimen . the example 1 regimen was followed by two adult males previously diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and being treated with prescription drugs , as described below in examples 2 and 3 . a 59 year old caucasian male 30 pounds over - weight was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus in 1996 . treatment initially began with metformin and amaryl ®, with dosages increasing over time . the metformin and amaryl ® dosages were then supplemented with lantus ® injections at bedtime in increasing dosage over the next 3 years , as summarized below in table a . by november 2006 , lantus ® dosage was maximized at 55 units qd , and the patient &# 39 ; s endocrinologist was recommending adding a fast - acting insulin at mealtime . during the last week of november 2006 , the individual supplemented his prescription drug regimen with the example 1 regimen taken with or directly after meals with all amounts as described in example 1 , except that a liquid coenzyme q - 10 was not precisely measured and was estimated to range from 100 to 150 mg . per day until april 2007 , when 100 mg . softgels were substituted . after two days of the example 1 regimen , the individual &# 39 ; s blood glucose level was substantially lower , and he decreased his lantus ® injections from 55 to 45 units . during the next 8 - 10 days , while maintaining the example 1 regimen , his blood glucose levels continued to decrease such that he was able to decrease his lantus ® injections in a step - wise fashion over this time period from 45 to 35 units . during the next 7 days , while continuing to maintain the example 1 regimen , the individual decreased his lantus ® injections from 35 to 25 units at bedtime . in january 2007 , the individual was able to decrease his amaryl ® dosage from 8 mg . per day to 4 mg . per day . in june 2007 , the dosage of metformin was decreased from 2550 mg . per day to 2000 mg . per day , while still maintaining acceptable blood glucose levels . a 58 year old caucasian male 70 pounds overweight was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus in 1999 , after which treatment with metformin , avandia ® and byetta ® progressed as is summarized in table b below . as can be seen above , the individual &# 39 ; s prescription drug regimen was increasing in dosage of metformin over the years , and upon supplementing the prescription drug program with the example 1 regimen , over time the individual was able to omit the avandia ® and reduce the metformin dosage to a minimal level . without knowing the precise mechanism ( s ) by which the formulations of the present invention contribute to the maintenance of acceptable blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus while decreasing dosages of metformin and other prescription drugs which otherwise over time were requiring increased dosages , it is believed that the components of the present invention work synergistically to normalize insulin receptors damaged by the presence of excess insulin in the body . the excess insulin , which is believed over time to cause a trend of steadily increasing down - regulation of the insulin receptors , is at least partially reversed when the formulations of the present invention are orally administered . while the components of the example 1 formulation were administered above periodically during the day , orally , in individual softgels and capsules for each component , and so the components may be purchased individually , a most preferred form for administration of the formulations of the present invention is a mixture wherein one or more , and preferably all four , and most preferably three of the components are separately microencapsulated and then packaged together for oral administration in capsules or other forms . in the most preferable form , the alpha - lipoic , coenzyme q - 10 and biotin are micro encapsulated and the linolenic acid complex becomes the matrix in which the microencapsulated components are embedded . microencapsulation processes are well known to those of skill in the art , but have not been used to package medical foods / nutritional supplements for use as described herein . when administering mixtures of the separately microencapsulated components of the medical foods and / or nutritional supplements of the present invention , preferred recommended dosages are 5 % to 95 % of each of the constituents described above . most preferred dosages are from 50 % to 75 % of each of the constituents described above . these substantially decreased dosages result from controlled and sustained delivery of the active substances achieved by the use of microcapsules , so that substantially more of each component of the formulations of the present invention reaches the blood circulation . most preferred ranges of the four constituents per day of the formulation of the present invention when one or more are of the constituents are microencapsulated are as follows : another preferred delivery form of the formulations of the present invention is packaged as a mixture , preferably microencapsulated , in small impermeable , disposable packages such as packets ( e . g ., 1½ ″× 2 ″ in size ) or small tubes ( e . g ., ¼ ″ diameter × 2 ″ in length ) which may be foil , plastic , or other disposable material . in these configurations , the contents of the packages containing the formulations are mixed with food or a cold liquid . alternate formulations and regimens of the present invention include α - lipoic acid , linolenic acid complex , biotin and coenzyme q - 10 and also thiamine , often referred to as vitamin b1 . recommended thiamine dosages to be combined with the formulations of the present invention are from 5 to 25 mg . per day . it is further contemplated that vitamin b12 could be substituted for the thiamine , in dosages of from 20 to 60 μg . per day . in yet another embodiment , a b vitamin complex is combined with the formulations of the present invention . other formulations and regimens of the present invention include α - lipoic acid , linolenic acid complex , biotin and coenzyme q - 10 and also l - carnatine . while it is contemplated that further components as described above may be combined in the formulations of the present invention , or administered in conjunction with the formulations of the present invention , a further embodiment of the present invention consists essentially of α - lipoic acid , linolenic acid complex , biotin and coenzyme q - 10 . while acceptable ranges of daily dosages are listed below any of the other formulations described herein may be limited to consist essentially of the stated ingredients at the stated ingredient dosages or dosage ranges . while there have been described above the principles of the present invention in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof , it is to be clearly understood that the foregoing description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention . particularly , it is recognized that the teachings of the foregoing disclosure will suggest other modifications to those persons skilled in the relevant art . such modifications may involve other features which are already known and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein . although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features , it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure herein also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization or modification thereof which would be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art , whether or not such relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as confronted by the present invention . the applicants hereby reserve the right to formulate new claims to such features and / or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom . | 0 |
fig1 is a schematic , pictorial illustration of a mapping system 20 , for mapping a heart 24 of a patient 26 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . system 20 comprises an elongate probe , such as a catheter 30 , which is inserted by a user 22 through a vein or artery of the patient into a chamber of the heart . catheter 30 comprises a wireless position transponder 40 , typically near the distal tip of the catheter . transponder 40 is shown in detail in fig2 . optionally , catheter 30 comprises two or more transponders of this sort , mutually spaced along the length of the catheter , in order to give position and orientation coordinates at multiple points along the catheter . to operate transponder 40 , patient 26 is placed in a magnetic field generated , for example , by situating under the patient a pad containing field generator coils 28 for generating a magnetic field . coils 28 are driven by driver circuits 32 to generate electromagnetic fields , typically at different , respective frequencies . a reference electromagnetic sensor ( not shown ) is typically fixed relative to the patient , for example , taped to the patient &# 39 ; s back , and catheter 30 containing transponder 40 is advanced into the patient &# 39 ; s heart . an additional antenna 54 , typically in the form of a coil , provides rf power to transponder 40 and receives signals therefrom , as described in detail hereinbelow . signals received by antenna 54 from transponder 40 in the heart are conveyed to a console 34 , which processes the signals and then displays the results on a monitor 36 . by this method , the precise location of transponder 40 in catheter 30 , relative to the reference sensor , can be ascertained and visually displayed . the transponder can also detect displacement of the catheter that is caused by contraction of the heart muscle . some of the features of system 20 are implemented in the above - mentioned carto system , including the use of the system to generate a map 38 of cardiac electrical and mechanical function . further aspects of the design of catheter 30 and of system 20 generally are described in the above - mentioned u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 391 , 199 , 5 , 443 , 489 and 6 , 198 , 963 and in u . s . patent application publication 2003 / 0120150 . the design of transponder 40 and the associated driver and signal processing circuits used in console 34 , however , as described hereinbelow , are unique to the present invention . reference is now made to fig2 and 3 , which schematically show details of transponder 40 and of driving and processing circuits in console 34 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig2 , transponder 40 comprises a power coil 42 and at least one sensing coil 46 , coupled to a signal processing chip module 44 . signal processing chip module 44 typically comprises an arithmetical logic unit ( alu ) 48 and a power storage device , such as a capacitor 45 , typically having a capacitance of about 1 microfarad . alternatively , the power storage device comprises a battery or other power storage means known in the art . power coil 42 is typically optimized to receive and transmit high - frequency signals in the range above 1 mhz , e . g ., about 13 mhz receiving and about 433 mhz transmitting . sensing coil 46 , on the other hand , is typically designed for operation in the range of 1 - 3 khz , the frequencies at which field generator coils 28 generate their electromagnetic fields . alternatively , other frequency ranges may be used , as dictated by application requirements . the entire transponder 40 is typically 2 - 5 mm in length and 2 - 3 mm in outer diameter , enabling it to fit conveniently inside catheter 30 . as shown in fig3 , console 34 comprises an rf power driver 50 , which drives antenna 54 to emit a power signal , typically in the megahertz range , e . g ., about 13 mhz . an optional switch 51 , embodied in hardware or software , couples power driver 50 to antenna 54 for the duration of the emission of the power signal . the power signal causes a current to flow in power coil 42 of transponder 40 , which current is rectified by signal processing chip module 44 and used to charge capacitor 45 . typically , but not necessarily , console 34 includes a clock synchronization circuit 52 , which is used to synchronize rf power driver 50 and driver circuits 32 . as mentioned hereinabove , driver circuits 32 drive field generator coils 28 to generate electromagnetic fields . the electromagnetic fields cause a time - varying voltage drop across sensor coil 46 of transponder 40 . this voltage drop has frequency components at the same frequencies as the driving currents flowing through the generator coils . the components are proportional to the strengths of the components of the respective magnetic fields produced by the generator coils in a direction parallel to the sensor coil axis . thus , the voltage drop indicates the position and orientation of coil 46 relative to fixed generator coils 28 . processing chip module 44 measures the voltage drop across sensor coil 46 at the different field frequencies and , employing alu 48 , digitally encodes the phase and amplitude values of the voltage drop . for some applications , the measured phase and amplitude for each frequency are encoded into a 32 - bit value , for example with 16 bits representing phase and 16 bits representing amplitude . inclusion of phase information in the digital signal allows the resolution of the ambiguity that would otherwise occur in the signals with a 180 degree reversal of the sensing coil axis . the encoded digital values of phase and amplitude are typically stored in a memory 49 in processing chip module 44 using power supplied by capacitor 45 . the stored digital values are subsequently transmitted from transponder 40 to console 34 using a digital rf signal , as described hereinbelow with reference to fig4 . for some applications , processing chip module 44 digitally encodes and transmits only amplitude values of the voltage drop , and not phase values . the digitally modulated rf signal is picked up by a receiver 56 , which is coupled to antenna 54 via hardware - embodied or software - embodied switch 51 . ( fig3 shows switch 51 in a state that couples receiver 56 to antenna 54 . the receiver demodulates the signal to generate a suitable input to signal processing circuits 58 in console 34 . the digital signals are received and used by processing circuits 58 to compute the position and orientation of catheter 30 . typically , circuits 58 comprise a general - purpose computer , which is programmed and equipped with appropriate input circuitry for processing the signals from receiver 56 . the information derived by circuits 58 is used to generate map 38 , for example , or to provide other diagnostic information or guidance to operator 22 . in an embodiment , console 34 comprises two optional band pass filters 55 and 57 , in addition to or instead of switch 51 . band pass filter 55 couples rf power driver 50 to antenna 54 , and , for example , may allow energy in a narrow band surrounding 13 mhz to pass to the antenna . band pass filter 57 couples receiver 56 to antenna 54 , and , for example , may allow energy in a narrow band surrounding 433 mhz to pass from the antenna to the receiver . thus , even in embodiments in which switch 51 is replaced by a t - junction , rf power generated by rf power driver 50 is passed essentially in its entirety to antenna 54 , and substantially does not enter circuitry of receiver 56 . the single sensor coil 46 shown in fig2 is sufficient , in conjunction with field generator coils 28 , to enable processing circuits 58 to generate three dimensions of position and two dimensions of orientation information . the third dimension of orientation ( typically rotation of catheter 30 about its longitudinal axis ) can be inferred if needed from mechanical information about the catheter , or , when two or more transponders are used in the catheter , from a comparison of their respective coordinates . alternatively , transponder 40 may comprise multiple sensor coils , typically three mutually - orthogonal coils , as described , for example , in the above - mentioned european patent ep 0 776 176 . in this case , processing circuits can determine all six position and orientation coordinates of catheter 30 unambiguously . reference is now made to fig4 , which is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method for transmitting a digital signal using system 20 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . it is emphasized that the particular sequence shown in fig4 is by way of illustration and not limitation , and the scope of the present invention includes other protocols that would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art who has read the disclosure of the present patent application . at a first power transponder step 410 , rf power driver 50 generates an rf power signal , typically for about 5 milliseconds , which causes a current to flow in power coil 42 , thereby charging capacitor 45 . subsequently , driver circuits 32 drive field generator coils 28 to produce electromagnetic fields , typically for about 20 milliseconds , at a generate position signals step 415 . these fields induce a voltage drop across sensor coil 46 of transponder 40 , which is measured by signal processing chip module 44 , at a sense voltage step 420 . using the power stored in capacitor 45 , alu 48 converts the amplitude and phase of the sensed voltage into digital values , and stores these values in memory 49 , at a digital conversion step 430 . if capacitor 45 is constructed such that at this stage it has largely been discharged , then rf power driver 50 again generates an rf power signal , typically for about 5 milliseconds , to recharge capacitor 45 , at a second power transponder step 440 . using this stored energy , signal processing chip module 44 generates a digitally - modulated signal based on the stored digital values , and rf - modulates the signal for transmission by power coil 42 , at a transmit digital signal step 450 . alternatively , the signal is transmitted using sensing coil 46 , for example if a lower frequency is used . this transmission typically requires no more than about 3 milliseconds . any suitable method of digital encoding and modulation may be used for this purpose , and will be apparent to those skilled in the art , having read the disclosure of the present patent application . receiver 56 receives and demodulates the digitally - modulated signal , at a receipt and demodulation step 454 . processing circuits 58 use the demodulated signal to compute the position and orientation of transponder 40 , at a position calculation step 458 . a check is then performed to determine whether another operation cycle of transponder 40 is to be performed , at a program checking step 460 . if no additional cycle is to be performed , the method concludes . if another operation cycle is to be performed , steps 410 through 460 are repeated . typically , steps 410 through 460 are repeated continuously during use of transponder 40 to allow position and orientation coordinates to be determined in real time . fig5 is a schematic , pictorial illustration showing the use of location transponders in an orthopedic procedure , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the use of wireless transponders , such as transponder 40 , with a wireless power source , allows the transponders to be inserted in or attached to implantable devices , and then left inside the patient &# 39 ; s body for later reference . the embodiment shown in fig5 illustrates hip implant surgery , in which a surgeon is required to position the head of an artificial femur 60 in an artificial acetabulum 62 . typically , before performing the procedure , the surgeon takes x - rays or ct images to visualize the area of the operation , but then performs the actual surgery without the benefit of real - time three - dimensional visualization . in the embodiment shown in fig5 , miniature transponders 64 are embedded in femur 60 , and further miniature transponders 66 are embedded in the pelvis in the area of acetabulum 62 . transponders 64 and 66 are typically similar to transponder 40 , as shown in fig2 . typically , each transponder is configured to transmit signals back to antenna 54 at a different carrier frequency , so that receiver 56 can differentiate between the transponders . at the beginning of surgery , an x - ray image is taken with the head of the femur in proximity to the acetabulum . the image is captured by computer and displayed on a computer monitor . transponders 64 and 66 are visible in the x - ray image , and their positions in the image are registered with their respective location coordinates , as determined by processing circuitry 58 . during the surgery , the movement of the transponders is tracked by circuitry 58 , and this movement is used to update the relative positions of the femur and acetabulum in the image on the monitor , using image processing techniques known in the art . the surgeon uses the updated image to achieve proper placement of the femur head in the acetabulum , without the need for repeated x - ray exposures while the surgery is in process . after the surgery is finished , the relative positions of transponders 64 and 66 ( which remain in the implant ) are typically checked periodically to verify that the proper relation is maintained between the bones . this sort of position monitoring is useful both during recovery and for monitoring the status of the implant over the long term . for example , such monitoring may be used to detect increasing separation of the femur from the acetabulum , which is known in some cases to precede more serious bone deterioration . the techniques described herein enable the determination of the position and orientation of an object in the body without the need for any wired connection between the sensing coil and the external processing unit . because the power transmission and digital signal transmission do not occur simultaneously , the techniques described herein typically prevent interference between the power transmission signal and the position signal . this lack of interference typically enhances the signal - to - noise ratio . additionally , only a small amount of digital information is necessary to characterize the voltage generated across the sensing coil . as a result , the transponder requires low power to transmit this digital information , allowing for the use of a small power storage device , such as a capacitor , that can quickly be adequately charged . furthermore , position coordinates are generally highly accurate because the information is transmitted digitally , and therefore is less susceptible to errors incurred from interference , distortion , or other phenomena sometimes associated with analog signal transmissions . while fig1 and 5 show only two particular applications of wireless position transponders in accordance with embodiments of the present invention , other applications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are considered to be within the scope of the present invention . for example , and not by way of limitation , such transponders may be fixed to other types of invasive tools , such as endoscopes and feeding tubes , as well as to other implantable devices , such as orthopedic implants used in the knee , the spine , and other locations . in an embodiment of the present invention , a wireless position transponder similar to transponder 40 is provided , which outputs an analog signal instead of a digital signal . a power storage device such as capacitor 45 is used in this embodiment to store energy received by power coil 42 . during a time period following reception of the energy by power coil 42 , the transponder uses the stored energy to transmit an analog signal whose amplitude and phase are indicative of the position and orientation of sensor coil 46 . typically , techniques described in the above - referenced u . s . patent application publication 2003 / 0120150 are adapted for use with this embodiment , mutatis mutandis . it will thus be appreciated by persons skilled in the art 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 that are not in the prior art , which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description . | 0 |
table 1 shows comparative examples 1 and 2 , and example , i . e ., three kinds of retainers for use in deep groove ball bearings . these retainers were prepared and checked for properties . table 2 shows the measurements obtained . table 1______________________________________ base reinforce - material ment lubricant______________________________________comp . ex . 1 peek resin glass fiber none 30 wt . % comp . ex . 2 peek resin glass fiber ptfe resin 30 wt . % 10 wt . % example peek resin glass fiber carbon powder 30 wt . % 10 wt . % ______________________________________ table 2______________________________________ comp . ex . 1 comp . ex . 2 example______________________________________specific gravity 1 . 49 1 . 58 1 . 54tensile strength 1450 1600 1450kgf / cm . sup . 2bending strength 2250 2400 2400kgf / cm . sup . 2izod impact 9 10 8strengthkgf · cm / cmthermal deforma - 315 & gt ; 300 & gt ; 300tion temperature18 . 5 kgf / cm . sup . 2rockwell hardness r124 r105 r116______________________________________ with reference to table 1 , the glass fiber serving as the reinforcing material ( reinforcement ) is 6 micrometers in diameter . each of comparative examples and examples includes a plurality of retainers which are different in size . while the retainers of examples are prepared by injection molding , peek resin , carbon powder and glass fiber are kneaded together by a twin - screw extruder prior to injection molding . three feeders ( inlets ) are provided in front of the extruder . more specifically , feeders for peek resin , carbon powder and glass fiber are arranged in this order from the front toward the extruder . since glass fiber is fragile , the feeder therefor is in the rearmost position . an air vent is provided between the feeders . the materials contain water and release volatile gas upon reaction , and the gas is likely to embrittle the molding when incorporated therein . to preclude this , the air vent is provided for the removal of gas . further when the kneading temperature is in excess of 430 ° c ., the material per se is liable to thermally deteriorate ( oxidize ), so that speed , etc . are suitably controlled not to permit the temperature to exceed this level . for example , the materials , if kneaded intensely , autogenously evolve heat to become heated to a higher temperature , so that the process is controlled to maintain the temperature to not higher than 430 ° c . the retainers of comparative examples are prepared also substantially in the same manner as those of examples . fig1 to 4 show the configuration of an example of retainer according to the invention . the retainer is a crown - shaped retainer disclosed , for example , in unexamined japanese utility model publication hei 2 - 132125 ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 015 , 105 ). the illustrated crown - shaped retainer 1 is generally in the form of a hollow cylinder and has a plurality of pockets 2 arranged circumferentially thereof at equal spacings , extending through the cylinder radially thereof and each left open at an axial one end 1a . each of wall portions 3 between the pockets 2 is formed , approximately in the circumferential midportion thereof , with an axial recess 4 opened at one end 1a and radially extending through the wall portion 3 . the recess 4 has an axial depth d approximately equal to the depth of the pocket 2 from the end 1a and a predetermined width w in the circumferential direction . the wall portion 3 is divided by the recess 4 into two approximately equal portions arranged in the circumferential direction , providing two cantilevered branches 3a resembling a tuning fork . the retainer 1 is disposed between illustrated inner and outer rings , and balls 5 rollable between the raceways of the respective inner and outer rings are accommodated in the respective pockets 2 . the recesses 4 in the wall portions 3 serve as relief spaces for the elastic deflection of the branches 3a when the balls 5 are to be inserted into the pockets 2 as will be described in detail later . the radially outer side of each pocket 2 is formed by a radial semicylindrical surface 2a centered about the center o of the pocket 2 and having a radius r1 , and planar surfaces 2b parallel to the axis , separated by a distance 2r1 and extending from the surface 2a . these surfaces 2a , 2b form a u - shaped surface which is open toward the end 1a . the radially inner side of the pocket 2 is formed by a spherical surface 2c centered about the center o of the pocket 2 and having a radius r1 , and an axial cylindrical surface 2d having an axis extending through the center o of the pocket 2 and having a radius r2 . the radius r1 of the spherical surface 2c is slightly larger than the radius r of the ball 5 . further the radius r2 of the cylindrical surface 2d is smaller than the radius r of the ball 5 by a predetermined dimension . since the radius r2 of the cylindrical surface 2d forming the radially inner side of the inlet 6 of the pocket 2 is smaller than the radius r1 of the spherical surface 2c , an angle θ which is shown in fig4 and over which the spherical surface 2c extends is larger than 180 degrees . accordingly , the retainer 1 is held axially engaged , over the spherical surface 2c , with each ball 5 accommodated in the pocket 2 . in other words , the retainer 1 is axially held engaged and axially supported by each ball 5 . the portions 2cl included in the surface 2c and subtending the respective angle portions in excess of 180 degrees are axially in engagement with the ball 5 , whereby the ball 5 is prevented from axially slipping off from the inlet 6 . simultaneously with the axial engagement , each spherical surface 2c of the retainer 1 is radially in engagement with the ball 5 , which in turn radially supports the retainer 1 . thus , the retainer is positioned between and held spaced apart from the inner and outer rings as specified . the cylindrical surface portions 2d of the branches 3a on opposite sides of the pocket 2 and positioned between the end 1a and the portions 2cl included in the spherical surface 2c and subtending the angle portions in excess of 180 degrees serve as clawlike engaging portions 7 constricting the inlet 6 of the pocket 2 . these engaging portions 7 hold each ball 5 in the axial and radial directions as described above . when the ball 5 is to be inserted into each pocket 2 of the retainer 1 , the pair of branches 3a positioned at circumferentially opposite sides of the inlet 6 of the pocket 2 are pressed on by the ball 5 , whereby the engaging portions 7 are elastically pushed away from each other to a position permitting passage of the ball 5 between these portions 7 . since the recess 4 is formed in the wall portion 3 , the entire wall portion 3 between the pockets 3 does not deflect , but the wall portion 3 deflects locally at the branches 3a . the depth d and the width w of the recess 4 are suitably determined in view of the flexibility of peek resin so as to give the branches 3a suitable deflective spring properties as required for the insertion of the ball 5 . consequently , the recesses 4 serve as relief spaces for the deflection of branches 3a , and the cantilevered branches 3a each having the engaging portion 7 radially inward undergo deformation which involves deflection in both circumferential and radial directions . thus , the branches 3a are greatly spreadable as illustrated in phantom lines in fig2 . although the retainer 1 is made of peek resin which is so low in flexibility that the balls are not insertable into the pockets if the retainer 1 is of the conventional crownshaped construction , the branches 3a and the engaging portions 7 are elastically deformable with ease smoothly to a position permitting the balls 5 to pass therebetween . as a result , the balls are elastically inserted into the pockets 2 with ease . with the balls 5 completely accommodated in the pockets 2 , the balls 5 are axially held in place by the engaging portions 7 of branches 3a of the wall portions 3 which are elastically restored , consequently preventing the retainer 1 from slipping off reliably . the retainer 1 holds the balls 5 smoothly rotatably inserted in the respective pockets 2 and arranged at a predetermined spacing in the circumferential direction . the branches 3a at opposite sides of each pocket 2 are easily movable away from each other through the combination of circumferential and radial movements . the retainer 1 can therefore be integrally formed by a mold from which the molding is removable by axially successively removing cores corresponding to the recesses 4 and the pockets 2 . alternatively , the retainer is moldable in such manner that the cores corresponding to the recesses 4 are axially removed , with the cores corresponding to the pockets 2 radially withdrawn . the retainers of comparative examples 1 and 2 were prepared in the same configuration as those of example . the retainers of specified size prepared in comparative examples 1 and 2 and example were used to fabricate deep groove ball bearings with a bearing number of 626 ( 6 mm in inside diameter , 19 mm in outside diameter and 6 mm in width ). the inner and outer rings and balls of these bearings were all made of sus 440c . all the bearings were subjected to an endurance test under the following conditions . the inner rings of two bearings including the same retainers were fixed to a rotary shaft , with the outer rings of the bearings fixed to a housing serving also as a weight , and the rotary shaft was rotated at a speed of 500 r . p . m . while applying a radial load of 2 . 3 kgf to each bearing . a band heater was attached to the outer periphery of the housing , and the outer surface temperature of the outer ring of one of the bearings was measured to maintain the temperature at 300 ° c . with respect to the two bearings having the retainers of comparative example 1 , the retainers were broken in about 150 hours or 170 hours . with respect to the two bearings incorporating the retainers of comparative example 2 , the retainers were broken in about 250 hours or 270 hours . with respect to the two bearings including the retainers of example , the retainers remained free of breakage even after the lapse of 300 hours . next , deep groove ball bearings with a bearing number of 6204 ( 20 mm in inside diameter , 47 mm in outside diameter and 14 mm in width ) were prepared using retainers of specified size obtained in example . the inner and outer rings and balls of these bearings were all made of sus 440c . using the same device as above , the bearings were tested for endurance at a temperature of 350 ° c . by rotating the inner rings at 500 r . p . m . for 700 hours and applying a radial load of 2 . 8 kgf to each bearing . the temperature of 350 ° c . employed for the endurance test is higher than the melting point of peek resin , the base material of the retainers , whereas none of the retainers completely melted even in 700 hours . this indicates that the retainers of example have considerably high heat resistance at temperatures close to the melting point . although the raceways of the inner and outer rings became somewhat rough - surfaced , the balls were neatly covered with carbon serving as a lubricant and transferred thereto and appeared glossy and black . these test results indicate that the bearing including the retainer of example are usable at a high temperature of at least 300 ° c . the crown - shaped retainer 1 shown in fig1 to 4 has the recess 4 in each wall portion 3 , so that the spring properties of the branches 3a are adjustable by suitably determining the shape and dimensions ( depth d and width w ) of the recess 4 in accordance with the flexiblity of the material , while the deflection of the branches 3a for the insertion of the ball 5 can be accommodated by the recess 4 . additionally , the branches 3a of the wall portion 3 defining each pocket 2 are formed , on the radially inner side , with engaging portions 7 for axially and radially engaging the ball 5 , so that when the ball 5 is to be axially inserted into the pocket 2 , the branches 3a at opposite sides of the pocket 2 can be elastically deflected away from each other through the combination of circumferential and radial movements . accordingly , even if the retainer 1 is formed of peek resin which is low in flexibility , the engaging portions 7 can be forced away from each other easily to a position permitting the passage of the ball 5 . thus , the ball 5 can be inserted into the pocket 2 easily and reliably . use of the retainer 1 realizes a ball bearing which is rotatable at a high speed and resistant to high temperatures . the retainer can be so shaped as shown in fig5 to 8 . fig5 to 8 correspond to fig1 to 4 , respectively . in this case , engaging portions 8 of the pocket 2 are formed by spherical surface portions 2c2 provided by radially outwardly extending the portions 2cl included in the pocket - forming spherical surface 2c of the foregoing embodment and subtending the angle portions in excess of 180 degrees , and a cylindrical portion 2e formed by radially outwardly extending the cylindrical surface 2d . the retainer 1 is held radially engaged with each ball 5 by the engaging portions 8 . with the exception of this feature , the present embodiment has the same advantage as the foregoing embodiment . the engaging portions are not limited to those composed of a spherical surface and a cylindrical surface as described above insofar as they are capable of axially and radially engaging the ball . further the configuration of the retainer is not limited to those of the two embodiments but can be altered suitably . fig9 and 10 show an embodiment wherein the invention is applied to a turntable bearing for use in vacuum devices . the bearing comprises an inner ring 10 , an outer ring 11 , a plurality of balls 12 provided between the inner and outer rings 10 , 11 , and a plurality of separators 13 interposed between the balls 12 . the inner ring 11 is formed with inner teeth 14 on its inner periphery . raceways 15 , 16 , which are approximately semicircular in cross section , are formed in the outer periphery of the inner ring 10 and the inner periphery of the outer ring 11 , respectively . the balls 12 are fitted in these raceways 15 , 16 . the separator 13 is in the form of a bored short cylinder , each end race of which is formed with a shallow spherical cavity 17 for the ball 12 to partly fit in . the balls 12 are held arranged at a predetermined spacing by separators 13 . seals 18 , 19 are provided between the inner and outer rings 10 , 11 at opposite ends thereof . the inner and outer rings 10 , 11 and the balls 12 are made of a material having high corrosion resistance , e . g ., sus 440c . like example listed in table 1 , the separators 13 are prepared from 30 wt . % of glass fiber , 6 micrometers in diameter , 10 wt . % of carbon powder and the balance peek resin . according to the foregoing embodiments , the inner and outer rings of antifriction bearings and the balls thereof are made of sus 440c in view of heat resistance and corrosion resistance . alternatively , these components may be made of a ceramic material consisting primarily of silicon nitride , or the balls only may be made of such a ceramic material . rollers may be used in place of the balls . | 8 |
[ 0015 ] fig1 depicts a block diagram of the first illustrative embodiment of the present invention , telecommunications network 100 , which is a sonet / sdh ring network operating as a bi - directional line switched ring (“ blsr ”). in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , telecommunications network 100 comprises four nodes , nodes 101 - 1 through 1014 , that are interconnected by two sets of optical fibers , each of which carries an oc - 768 . therefore , each node comprises two oc - 768 line inputs and two oc - 768 line outputs . although the illustrative embodiment uses the sonet / sdh protocol , it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use embodiments of the present invention that use other protocols . although the illustrative embodiment is a ring network , it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use embodiments of the present invention in which some or all of the nodes are interconnected in a mesh topology or non - ring network . although the illustrative embodiment operates as a bi - directional line switched ring , it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use embodiments of the present invention that operate in a different fashion ( e . g ., as a unidirectional path switched ring , as a four - fiber ring , etc .). although the illustrative embodiment comprises four nodes , it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use embodiments of the present invention that comprise a different number of nodes . although the illustrative embodiment carries oc - 768 sonet / sdh frames , it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use embodiments of the present invention that carry other sonet / sdh frames . as shown in fig1 node 101 - i , for i = 1 to 4 , is capable of receiving 16 oc - 192 tributaries , 122 - i - 1 through 122 - i - 16 , and of spawning 16 oc - 192 tributaries , 121 - i - 1 through 121 - i - 16 . although each node in the illustrative embodiment comprises the same number of tributaries , it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use embodiments of the present invention in which some or all of the nodes have a different number of tributaries . although each tributary operates at an oc - 192 data rate , it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use embodiments of the present invention in which some of the tributaries have a different data rate ( e . g ., oc - 48 , oc - 12 , oc - 3 , etc .). in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention , node 101 - i is capable of functioning as an add / drop multiplexor and in functioning as an add / drop multiplexor , node 101 - i is capable of : i . adding an sts - 1 from any tributary to one or more lines , or ii . dropping an sts - 1 from a line to one or more tributaries , or in functioning as a switch , node 101 - i is capable of routing any sts - 1 from any line or tributary to : because node 101 - i is capable of receiving a signal from one tributary and switching or copying it onto another tributary , and because this is an important aspect of the illustrative embodiment , it is given the name “ hairpinning .” for the purposes of this specification , the term “ hairpinning ” is defined as the receipt by a node of a signal on one tributary and the outputting of the signal onto another tributary . in functioning as a time - slot interchanger , node 101 - i is capable of moving or copying any sts - 1 from any time slot in any line or tributary to one or more other time slots . [ 0032 ] fig2 depicts a block diagram of the salient components of node 101 - i , which receives : 1 . an oc - 768 sonet / sdh signal from node 101 - j , 2 . an oc - 768 sonet / sdh signal from node 101 - k ; and transmits : 1 . an oc - 768 sonet / sdh signal to node 101 - j , and 2 . an oc - 768 sonet / sdh signal to node 101 - k ; where k = 4 and j = 2 when i = 1 ; k = 1 and j = 3 when i = 2 ; k = 2 and j = 4 when i = 3 ; and k = 3 and j = 1 when i = 4 . node 101 - i comprises : add / drop multiplexor / switch / time slot interchanger ( hereinafter “ adm / switch / tsi ”) 201 - i - 1 and adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 , interconnected as shown . a salient characteristic of the illustrative embodiment is that line 111 - j - i ( i . e ., the oc - 768 from node 101 - j ) is fed into one of the line inputs of adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 and line 111 - i - k ( i . e ., the oc - 768 to node 101 - k ) emanates from one of the line outputs of adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 . analogously , line 112 - k - i ( i . e ., the oc - 768 from node 101 - k ) is fed into one of the line inputs of adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 and line 112 - i - j ( i . e ., the oc - 768 to node 101 - j ) emanates from one of the line outputs of adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 . in other words , line 111 only goes through adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - i and line 112 only goes through adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 . this is in noted contrast to composite add / drop multiplexors in the prior art ( and as shown in fig3 ) in which both lines go through both constituent add / drop multiplexors . the advantages of the illustrative embodiment over the prior art are described below . in node 101 - i , line 203 - i is an oc - 768 from adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 to adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 and line 204 - i is an oc - 768 from adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 to adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 . adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 receives eight oc - 192 tributaries , 220 - 1 through 220 - 8 , and spawns eight oc - 192 tributaries , 221 - 1 through 221 - 8 . adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 receives eight oc - 192 tributaries , 220 - 9 through 220 - 16 , and spawns eight oc - 192 tributaries , 221 - 9 through 221 - 16 . the illustrative embodiment is advantageous over the prior art in two principal respects . first , if either constituent add / drop multiplexor in the prior art node fails , the traffic on both rings is affected . in contrast , if either constituent add / drop multiplexor in the illustrative embodiment fails , only the traffic on one ring is affected . from a fault - tolerance perspective , this is highly advantageous . second , because the through traffic on each ring does not go through both adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 and adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 , lines 203 - i and 204 - i need not carry through traffic , and , therefore , their bandwidth can be used for better purposes . for example , the bandwidth on lines 203 - i and 204 - i can be used is to ameliorate the well - known “ add - before - drop ” problem . in a non - composite or holistic add / drop multiplexor , the bandwidth recovered from dropping a tributary is immediately available for consumption by a received tributary and there is no add - before - drop problem . in contrast , in a composite add / drop multiplexor , such as that depicted in fig3 the addition and dropping of tributaries must be carefully coordinated because it might not be possible to add a tributary before another is dropped . for example , there is not enough bandwidth on line 203 - i , as shown in fig3 to carry a fully - provisioned oc - 768 from node 101 - j and an sts - 1 from tributary 122 - i - 1 even if an sts - 1 was being dropped out onto tributary 121 - i - 9 . in contrast and in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , line 203 - i need carry nothing and line 203 - i need only carry the tributary that is being dropped out onto tributary 121 - i - 9 . a second purpose for which the spare bandwidth on lines 203 - i and 204 - i can be used is to facilitate hairpinning between adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 and adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 . in other words , a tributary can be received at adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 , switched to adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 via line 203 - i , and dropped via adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 . analogously , a tributary can be received at adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 , switched to adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 via line 204 - i , and dropped via adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 . a third purpose for which the bandwidth on lines 203 - i and 204 - i can be used is to facilitate inter - ring traffic . for example , an sts - 1 on ring 111 that needs to be switched to ring 112 by node 101 - i needs to be carried by line 203 - i . analogously , an sts - 1 on ring 112 that needs to be switched to ring 111 by node 101 - i needs to be carried by line 204 - i . [ 0047 ] fig4 depicts a block diagram of adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 , which comprises ten input ports , input ports 401 - 1 through 401 - 10 , ten output ports , output ports 402 - 1 through 402 - 10 , and switching fabric 403 . input ports 401 - 1 and 401 - 2 receive an oc - 768 and input ports 401 - 3 through 401 - 10 receive an oc - 192 signal . output ports 402 - 1 and 402 - 2 output an oc - 768 and output ports 402 - 3 through 402 - 10 output an oc - 192 signal . input ports 401 - 1 through 401 - 10 frame synchronize all of the incoming signals so that any sts - 1 on any line or tributary and in any time slot can be moved ( or copied ) into one or more time slots of : it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 . [ 0053 ] fig5 depicts a block diagram of adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 , which comprises ten input ports , input ports 501 - 1 through 501 - 10 , ten output ports , output ports 502 - 1 through 502 - 10 , and switching fabric 503 . input ports 501 - 1 and 501 - 2 receive an oc - 768 and input ports 501 - 3 through 501 - 10 receive an oc - 192 signal . output ports 502 - 1 and 502 - 2 output an oc - 768 and output ports 502 - 3 through 502 - 10 output an oc - 192 signal . input ports 501 - 1 through 501 - 10 frame synchronize all of the incoming signals so that any sts - 1 on any line or tributary and in any time slot can be moved ( or copied ) into one or more time slots of : adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 2 advantageously comprises the identical hardware to adm / switch / tsi 201 - i - 1 . [ 0059 ] fig6 depicts a block diagram of a variation of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention , in which node 101 - i comprises four smaller add / drop multiplexors in contrast to the two larger add / drop multiplexors of the first illustrative embodiment . in the second illustrative embodiment , adm / switch / tsi 601 - i - x , for x = 1 to 4 , receives two oc - 768 lines and transmits two oc - 768 lines and receives four oc - 192 tributaries and spawns four oc - 192 tributaries . in this embodiment , like the first embodiment , the bandwidth on lines 603 - i - 1 - 2 , 603 - i - 2 - 3 , 603 - i - 3 - 4 , 604 - i - 1 - 2 , 604 - i - 2 - 3 , and 604 - i - 3 - 4 is not consumed by ring through traffic but is used for inter - ring traffic , inter - constituent add / drop multiplexor hairpinning , and tributary management . it is to be understood that the above - described embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and that many variations of the above - described embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . it is therefore intended that such variations be included within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
in the following detailed description , reference will be made to the accompanying drawing ( s ), in which identical functional elements are designated with like numerals . the aforementioned accompanying drawings show by way of illustration , and not by way of limitation , specific embodiments and implementations consistent with principles of the present invention . these implementations are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and it is to be understood that other implementations may be utilized and that structural changes and / or substitutions of various elements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of present invention . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be construed in a limited sense . additionally , the various embodiments of the invention as described may be implemented in the form of software running on a general purpose computer , in the form of a specialized hardware , or combination of software and hardware . in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive system , there is provided advertising targeting based on user geo preference . first , the user selects different geo regions ( country , zip code ) to be presented to content providers and advertisers , while real user &# 39 ; s geo region remains the same . the advertisement requests sent to the same database contain different geo region identifiers as selected by the user . in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , same user , connected to the same proxy server , receives different geo - targeted ads depending on the user &# 39 ; s selection of geo region . in accordance with an embodiment of this invention , geographical preference information is made specific to a particular internet site or to a particular content request . for example , user may specify a preference for the ip address from the united kingdom for requests to all domains registered in the uk ( for instance , ending with “ co . uk ”), or only for requests to specific sites ( for instance , http :// www . bbc . co . uk ), while also specifying preferences for ip addresses from the united states for all other content requests . in this way , users will enjoy content allowed only for requests with uk - specific ip addresses ( such as uk - specific video content from http :// www . bbc . co . uk ), while receiving content targeted to us users from other sites ( such as us - specific video content from http :// www . hulu . com ). in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , site - specific geographic preference is applied both to the content and to one or more advertisements displayed on the site . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , site - specific geographic preference is applied both to the content and to one or more advertisements displayed on the site . in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention , different content elements on the same web page may be associated with different geographic preferences . for instance , user may receive content from uk - based sites in response to a request issued from uk - based ip addresses , while receiving advertisements displayed on that site in response to a request issued from us - based ip addresses . in accordance with a feature of the inventive methodology , the virtual private network server is operable to receive from the user a selection of language wherein the virtual private network server is further operable to alter the user &# 39 ; s online identity to reflect the selected language . the selection of the language indicates preferred content display language of the user and the online content of the user defers depending on the language selection . in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive system , there is provided a method for using one server with multiple ip addresses . pursuant to the inventive method , the service has at least one proxy server capable of sending requests to the content servers while using any of 2 or more ip addresses belonging to different countries ; user specifies conditions of ip address to use when establishing tunnel ( for instance , country ); request from the proxy server to the content server is sent while using ip address corresponding to specified conditions . fig2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of inventive advertising - subsidized vpn system . in an embodiment of the inventive system , the client terminal 201 executes a vpn client software ( not shown ). this vpn client software operates to insert advertisements into every web resource ( such as web page ) received by the client terminal 201 from the vpn server 202 . the user terminal 201 first sends a request 204 to the vpn server 202 for the internet resource 203 . the request 204 may be sent via a secure channel , wherein all the transmitted information is encrypted . in response to receiving the request 204 , the vpn server 202 sends a request 205 to the internet resource 203 requested by the user . however , the vpn server 202 is configured to mask the information identifying the user terminal 201 from the request 205 . such information that is being masked includes , for example , user &# 39 ; s ip address . upon the receipt of the request 205 , the internet resource 203 provides a response 206 to the vpn server 202 . the vpn server 202 , in turn , forwards ( 207 ) this response to the client 201 via a secure channel . because of the presence of the secure channel 204 / 207 and the masking of the ip address by the vpn 202 , the internet resource 203 or any other internet entity does not detect any information identifying the client terminal 201 , which initiated the request . thus , user &# 39 ; s security and anonymity is achieved . to subsidize the costs of such service , advertisements are shown to the users . specifically , upon the receipt of the response 207 from the vpn server 202 , the vpn client software executing on the user terminal 201 operates to insert one or more advertisements into the information shown to the user of the user terminal 201 . in an embodiment of the invention shown in fig2 , the client terminal 201 receives the advertisements to be inserted into the content from the advertisement database 208 . to this end , the client terminal 201 may send a request 209 to the advertisement database 208 . in response , the advertisement 210 is provided by the advertisement database 208 to the user terminal 201 . in one embodiment of the invention , the advertisements served to the users are targeted based on the user &# 39 ; s online behavior . to this end , the vpn client software or any other software application executing on the client terminal is operable to collect information on the user &# 39 ; s online activities and store this information for subsequent use . at the time of the user request 204 or at the time the information 207 is received by the user terminal 201 , the vpn software residing on the client terminal 201 may make a determination regarding the nature of the advertisement to be shown to the user . the decision on the type of the advertisement may be based on the user &# 39 ; s prior online activities stored at the client terminal 201 as well as the nature of the user &# 39 ; s request 204 and / or the nature of the information 207 . thus , in one embodiment of the invention , the all the user - specific information , including the online history of the user is stored only on the client terminal 201 and never on the server 202 or any other server system . thus , the privacy of the user information is achieved . thus , the request 209 to the advertisement database 208 may include information on the type of the advertisement to be provided to the user terminal . the information in the advertisement database 208 may be updated periodically in order to ensure that it is up to date . the owner of the vpn service and the advertising database 208 may charge third parties for placing their advertisement into the advertising database 208 and , thereby , subsidize the costs of the vpn service . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating another exemplary embodiment of inventive advertising - subsidized vpn system . in this embodiment , the advertising database 308 is coupled with a vpn server 302 , which operates to request an advertisement from the advertising database 308 using a request 309 and to receive the advertisement 310 . after that , the vpn server 302 forwards the received advertisement to the client terminal 302 , see 311 . in this embodiment , the information specifying the advertisement , which is contained in the request 309 may be provided to the vpn service by the user terminal 301 , being embedded , for example , into the request 304 . in another embodiment , the user terminal may send a separate special request to the vpn server for advertising information ( not shown ). as in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the decision on the type of the advertisement may be based on the user &# 39 ; s prior online activities stored at the client terminal 301 as well as the nature of the user &# 39 ; s request 304 and / or the nature of the information 307 . in one embodiment of the inventive system , the vpn client software residing on the client terminal operates to disable all tracking cookies , which are normally set by various websites visited by the user . this provides the users with an additional degree of anonymity with respect to user &# 39 ; s online activities . in one embodiment , the inventive advertisement sponsored vpn system may utilize the client side user data collection and advertisement insertion algorithm described in detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 471 , 247 , incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . in that or another embodiment , the inventive advertisement sponsored vpn server may be implemented using one or more features of the networking device with embedded advanced content and web traffic monetization functionality , as described in detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 513 , 674 , incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . fig4 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the inventive ad supported vpn system 400 . the user of the client system 401 , located in the us , makes a request for cars . com web page . the request is sent to the hss server cluster 402 via an encrypted traffic channel . the hss server cluster alters the identity information associated with the request . specifically , the hss server associates the request with an ip address in united kingdom . the altered request is sent to the cars . com server 403 . the cars . com server responds to the hss server cluster 402 with content and a cookie . the hss server cluster passes the content to the client 401 and disposes of the cookie . together with the content , the hss server cluster includes an ad script , which enables ad showing to the user of the client 401 . at the same time , the client software executing on the system 401 makes a request to the hss server cluster 402 for three advertisements . this request is passed by the hss server to the ad server cluster 408 , which provides the three advertisements related to bmw , audi and jaguar to the hss server cluster 402 , which , in turn passes the ads to the client 401 . the client software running on the system 401 chooses the most relevant ad based on , for example , prior online activities of the user and inserts this ad ( bmw ad 410 ) into the content 409 and shows it to the user . in another embodiment , the most relevant ad may be selected using the location of the user which may be determined from user &# 39 ; s ip address . in one embodiment of the invention , the user is provided with an ability to select any ip address ( from a choice of ip addresses corresponding to multiple counties ) through the inventive vpn , thus enabling the user to choose what region of the world would be reflected his online identity . in the same or another embodiment of the invention , the user may select a language from a predetermined set of world languages that the user prefers or wishes to receive the content in . the above features of the inventive methodology disrupt the ability of the isp or governments to block particular internet sites or online services in a given region , and creates a completely censorship free internet experience . in one embodiment of the inventive system , one server with multiple ip addresses is used . the service has at least one proxy server capable of sending requests to the content servers while using any of 2 or more ip addresses belonging to different countries . in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive concept , the user is able to specify conditions of ip address to use when establishing the tunnel ( for instance , country or language ) request from the proxy server to the content server is sent while using ip address corresponding to specified conditions . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , the inventive system provides advertisement targeting based on the user &# 39 ; s ip address selection or language selection . in one embodiment of the invention , the user &# 39 ; s language selection is used by the inventive system to choose the language in which the advertisement is presented to the user . in one embodiment of the invention , the user selects different geographical regions ( country , zip code or language ) to be presented to content providers and advertisers , while real user &# 39 ; s geo region remains the same . the ad requests sent to the same database contain different geo region identifiers as selected by the user . the same user , connected to the same proxy server , receives different geo - targeted ads depending on the user &# 39 ; s selection of geo region . in an embodiment of the invention , the content server 403 or the proxy server 402 reads user &# 39 ; s preference ( from user - submitted form , or selection of the region on the map etc ., stored as session or cookie ) and sends it together with advertisement request to the advertising server 408 . in one embodiment , the inventive advertising supported vpn , in addition to masking user ip address , not storing the user ip address , and preventing third parties from analyzing user behavior by making users private only , also turns all http web traffic into https secure traffic . protecting all user data online ( such as forms , logins , emails , transactions , etc .) and creating encryption for each user &# 39 ; s entire web session . this also enables an exchange between a website and the advertising supported vpn ; every website that is turned from http into https ( secure & amp ; encrypted ) by the vpn , in exchange displays an extra ad unit within its content or within the users browser . the embodiment of the advertising supported vpn takes on the encryption , in exchange for providing encryption to websites , content publishers and online services and while protecting each user &# 39 ; s entire web session , by converting all traffic into https . fig5 is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a computer / server system 500 upon which an embodiment of the inventive methodology may be implemented . the system 500 includes a computer / server platform 501 , peripheral devices 502 and network resources 503 . the computer platform 501 may include a data bus 504 or other communication mechanism for communicating information across and among various parts of the computer platform 501 , and a processor 505 coupled with bus 501 for processing information and performing other computational and control tasks . computer platform 501 also includes a volatile storage 506 , such as a random access memory ( ram ) or other dynamic storage device , coupled to bus 504 for storing various information as well as instructions to be executed by processor 505 . the volatile storage 506 also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor 505 . computer platform 501 may further include a read only memory ( rom or eprom ) 507 or other static storage device coupled to bus 504 for storing static information and instructions for processor 505 , such as basic input - output system ( bios ), as well as various system configuration parameters . a persistent storage device 508 , such as a magnetic disk , optical disk , or solid - state flash memory device is provided and coupled to bus 501 for storing information and instructions . computer platform 501 may be coupled via bus 504 to a display 509 , such as a cathode ray tube ( crt ), plasma display , or a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), for displaying information to a system administrator or user of the computer platform 501 . an input device 510 , including alphanumeric and other keys , is coupled to bus 501 for communicating information and command selections to processor 505 . another type of user input device is cursor control device 511 , such as a mouse , a trackball , or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor 504 and for controlling cursor movement on display 509 . this input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes , a first axis ( e . g ., x ) and a second axis ( e . g ., y ), that allows the device to specify positions in a plane . an external storage device 512 may be connected to the computer platform 501 via bus 504 to provide an extra or removable storage capacity for the computer platform 501 . in an embodiment of the computer system 500 , the external removable storage device 512 may be used to facilitate exchange of data with other computer systems . the invention is related to the use of computer system 500 for implementing the techniques described herein . in an embodiment , the inventive server 103 may reside on a machine such as computer platform 501 . in an embodiment , the location database 104 may also be deployed on a machine such as computer platform 501 . according to one embodiment of the invention , the techniques described herein are performed by computer system 500 in response to processor 505 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the volatile memory 506 . such instructions may be read into volatile memory 506 from another computer - readable medium , such as persistent storage device 508 . execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the volatile memory 506 causes processor 505 to perform the process steps described herein . in alternative embodiments , hard - wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the invention . thus , embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software . the term “ computer - readable medium ” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to processor 505 for execution . the computer - readable medium is just one example of a machine - readable medium , which may carry instructions for implementing any of the methods and / or techniques described herein . such a medium may take many forms , including but not limited to , non - volatile media , volatile media , and transmission media . non - volatile media includes , for example , optical or magnetic disks , such as storage device 508 . volatile media includes dynamic memory , such as volatile storage 506 . transmission media includes coaxial cables , copper wire and fiber optics , including the wires that comprise data bus 504 . transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves , such as those generated during radio - wave and infra - red data communications . common forms of computer - readable media include , for example , a floppy disk , a flexible disk , hard disk , magnetic tape , or any other magnetic medium , a cd - rom , any other optical medium , punch cards , paper tape , any other physical medium with patterns of holes , a ram , a prom , an eprom , a flash - eprom , a flash drive , a memory card , any other memory chip or cartridge , a carrier wave as described hereinafter , or any other medium from which a computer can read . various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 505 for execution . for example , the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk from a remote computer . alternatively , a remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem . a modem local to computer system 500 can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infra - red transmitter to convert the data to an infra - red signal . an infra - red detector can receive the data carried in the infra - red signal and appropriate circuitry can place the data on the data bus 504 . the bus 504 carries the data to the volatile storage 506 , from which processor 505 retrieves and executes the instructions . the instructions received by the volatile memory 506 may optionally be stored on persistent storage device 508 either before or after execution by processor 505 . the instructions may also be downloaded into the computer platform 501 via internet using a variety of network data communication protocols well known in the art . the computer platform 501 also includes a communication interface , such as network interface card 513 coupled to the data bus 504 . communication interface 513 provides a two - way data communication coupling to a network link 514 that is connected to a local network 515 . for example , communication interface 513 may be an integrated services digital network ( isdn ) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line . as another example , communication interface 513 may be a local area network interface card ( lan nic ) to provide a data communication connection to a compatible lan . wireless links , such as well - known 802 . 11a , 802 . 11b , 802 . 11g and bluetooth may also used for network implementation . in any such implementation , communication interface 513 sends and receives electrical , electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information . network link 513 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other network resources . for example , network link 514 may provide a connection through local network 515 to a host computer 516 , or a network storage / server 517 . additionally or alternatively , the network link 513 may connect through gateway / firewall 517 to the wide - area or global network 518 , such as an internet . thus , the computer platform 501 can access network resources located anywhere on the internet 518 , such as a remote network storage / server 519 . on the other hand , the computer platform 501 may also be accessed by clients located anywhere on the local area network 515 and / or the internet 518 . the network clients 520 and 521 may themselves be implemented based on the computer platform similar to the platform 501 . local network 515 and the internet 518 both use electrical , electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams . the signals through the various networks and the signals on network link 514 and through communication interface 513 , which carry the digital data to and from computer platform 501 , are exemplary forms of carrier waves transporting the information . computer platform 501 can send messages and receive data , including program code , through the variety of network ( s ) including internet 518 and lan 515 , network link 514 and communication interface 513 . in the internet example , when the system 501 acts as a network server , it might transmit a requested code or data for an application program running on client ( s ) 520 and / or 521 through internet 518 , gateway / firewall 517 , local area network 515 and communication interface 513 . similarly , it may receive code from other network resources . the received code may be executed by processor 505 as it is received , and / or stored in persistent or volatile storage devices 508 and 506 , respectively , or other non - volatile storage for later execution . in this manner , computer system 501 may obtain application code in the form of a carrier wave . it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to any specific types of wireless or wired network protocols . the requisite network configuration may be achieved using a variety of known networking protocols . finally , it should be understood that processes and techniques described herein are not inherently related to any particular apparatus and may be implemented by any suitable combination of components . further , various types of general purpose devices may be used in accordance with the teachings described herein . it may also prove advantageous to construct specialized apparatus to perform the method steps described herein . the present invention has been described in relation to particular examples , which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive . those skilled in the art will appreciate that many different combinations of hardware , software , and firmware will be suitable for practicing the present invention . for example , the described software may be implemented in a wide variety of programming or scripting languages , such as assembler , c / c ++, perl , shell , php , java , etc . moreover , other implementations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . various aspects and / or components of the described embodiments may be used singly or in any combination in the computerized system for providing vpn services . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims . | 7 |
referring to the drawings and initially to fig1 and 2 , a tape recording and / or reproducing apparatus or simply a tape recorder is provided with a plurality of mode selecting depressible push buttons including a rewind push - button 1 , a stop push - button 2 , a reproducing push - button 3 , a fast forward push - button 4 , a record push - button 5 and a pause push button 6 . these push - buttons are alined on a front panel ( not shown ) of the tape recorder , or alternatively the front panel of the tape recorder may constitute an operating panel . the mode selecting push - buttons 1 through 6 are fixed , respectively , at the front end of slides 7 through 12 which are slidably supported on the chassis ( not shown ) of the tape recorder . the push buttons and slides are urged toward their indicated positions ( to the left as viewed in fig1 ) by respective coil springs 13 through 18 . the rear end of each slide is bent upwardly to form bent tabs 7a through 12a , respectively , to provide a contact surface to contact a switching plate 20 ( tabs 7a through 11a ) while tab 12a is positioned to contact a micro - switch 21 to push the actuating element of switch 21 when slide 12 is displaced to the right as viewed in fig1 . switching plate 20 is rotatably supported on the chassis by a pair of pins 19 and is urged in the counter - clockwise direction as viewed in fig3 by torsion springs 22 secured about pins 19 . a micro - switch 23 is arranged behind switching plate 20 and is pushed to activate the switch whenever plate 20 is rotated against the urging of torsion spring 22 because of the rightward movement ( as viewed in fig1 ) of any of the slides 7 through 11 . a motor 24 suitably supported on the chassis is arranged beside micro - switch 23 and is electrically connected with switch 23 . motor 24 includes a pulley 25 fixed to the end of the output shaft of motor 24 . a drive belt 26 is disposed about pulley 25 and a pulley 27 fixed to one end of a rotatably supported shaft 28 . shaft 28 is disposed above slides 7 through 12 at a right angle to these slides as viewed in fig1 . fixed to shaft 28 are five pinions 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 and 33 . the pinions 29 through 33 are spaced along shaft 28 corresponding to the spacing between slides 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 and 12 . no pinion is provided to correspond with slide 8 which is associated with stop push - button 2 . five rotatable gear members 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 and 38 are arranged under shaft 28 on a supporting shaft 39 which is disposed under and parallel to shaft 28 . gears 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 and 38 each have a toothless portion 34a , 35a , 36a , 37a and 38a and are engageable , respectively , with pinions 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 and 33 . gears 34 through 38 are also provided with an integral cam surface 40 through 44 , respectively , extending from one planar surface . cam surfaces 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 and 44 are contacted by leaf springs 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 and 49 , respectively , so that the cam surfaces extending from gears 34 through 38 are under the influence of the urging force of the corresponding leaf spring . each cam surface is radiused and includes a segment of minimum radius extending to a segment of maximum radius and back to the segment of minimum radius . in addition , cam surfaces 40 through 44 are contacted by operating levers 50 through 54 , respectively , when a corresponding one of the push - buttons 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 or 6 is depressed . levers 50 through 54 , are all rotatably supported on a supporting shaft 55 suitably mounted on the chassis . the forward or actuating end 50a through 54a , respectively , of each lever 50 through 54 face the lower end 56a of a rewind operating slide 56 , 57a , of a reproducing operating slide 57 , 58a of a fast forward operating slide 58 , 59a of a recording operating slide 59 and 60a of a pause operating slide 60 , respectively . upon actuation of any of these push - buttons the corresponding operating slide is pushed upwardly . operating levers 50 through 54 are also arranged in such a manner that the respective rear ends 50b through 54b , respectively , are engageable with a locking plate 61 which includes a locking surface 61a to engage ends 50b through 54b of the operating levers . locking plate 61 is rotatably supported on a shaft 62 and urged clockwise , as viewed in fig3 about shaft 62 by a coil spring 63 . locking plate 61 is pivoted responsive to the actuation of a plunger solenoid 64 which is linked by a rod 65 extending from the plunger element of the solenoid to locking plate 61 . thus locking plate 61 rotates counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig3 against the urging force of coil spring 63 when plunger solenoid 64 is energized to engage locking surface 61a with a corresponding end 50b through 54b of the operating levers . five trigger levers 66 through 70 , respectively , are arranged beside operating levers 50 through 54 , respectively . the trigger levers are also rotatably supported on shaft 55 and include engaging portions 66a through 70a , respectively , formed at the lower ends of trigger levers 66 through 70 . these engaging portions 66a through 70a are received in recesses 7b , 9b , 10b , 11b and 12b formed in slides 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 and 12 , respectively . the upper ends of trigger levers 66 , 67 , 68 and 70 are formed with flat end surfaces 66b , 67b , 68b and 70b , respectively . these flat end surfaces respectively engage with first stop pins 34b , 35b , 36b and 38b which extend from the planar surface of gears 34 , 35 , 36 and 38 , respectively , near the periphery thereof . thus when the flat end surfaces 66b , 67b , 68b and 70b contact stop pins 34b , 35b , 36b and 38b , respectively , gears 34 , 35 , 36 and 38 are prevented from rotating . trigger lever 69 , which corresponds to record push - button 5 , includes a sub - trigger lever 71 rotatably secured to its upper end by a pin 72 ( see fig4 ). a coil spring 73 is extended between a pin 74 on sub - trigger lever 71 and a pin 75 formed on an intermediate extending arm 76 of trigger lever 69 to urge sub - trigger lever 71 to rotate in the clockwise direction as viewed in fig4 around pin 72 . a pin 78 is provided on trigger lever 69 to limit the extent of rotation of sub - trigger lever 71 . sub - trigger lever 71 also includes a hooked end portion 79 defining a contact surface 69b which contacts a first stop pin 37b extending from gear 37 in the same manner as the first stop pins 34b , 35b , 36b , and 38b . sub - trigger lever 71 also includes an angled surface portion 80 formed beneath contact surface 69b . in addition , trigger levers 66 through 70 are also provided with integral arms 66c through 70c , respectively , which are disposed on the opposite sides of gears 34 through 38 , respectively . the ends of arms 66c through 70c include extending hook segments 66d through 70d , respectively , which are arranged to engage respective second stop pins 34c through 38c mounted on the opposite planar surface of gears 34 through 38 , respectively , at a position more radially inwardly than the first stop pins 34b through 38b and on the opposite side of the gear . a transmitting lever 81 rotatably supported on a pin 82 mounted on the chassis is arranged under the slides 8 , 9 , 10 and 11 . one end 81a of lever 81 is engageable with a pin 83 extending downwardly from slide 8 and the other end 81b of lever 81 is engageable with a pin 84 extending downwardly from slide 11 for a purpose which will be described more fully hereinbelow . next , the operation of the tape recorder which has been structurally described above will be described . first , the operation for changing the tape recorder over from the stop mode to the reproducing mode will be described . the stop mode is shown in fig1 and 4 . when the reproducing push - button 3 is pushed while the recorder is in the stop mode , slide 9 displaces to the right as viewed in fig6 and bent tab 9a extending upwardly from slide 9 contacts and pushes switching plate 20 rotating it clockwise , as viewed in fig6 about pin 19 against the urging force of torsion spring 22 . switching plate 20 pushes the actuator of micro - switch 23 actuating it to supply electric power to cause motor 24 to rotate . with the rotation of motor 24 , which is coupled to shaft 28 , shaft 28 is driven and pinion 30 secured to shaft 28 is also driven . motor 24 continues to rotate for a predetermined period of time , for example about 3 minutes , as determined by a time constant circuit . accordingly , the operator need not continue to push the recording push - button 3 while the change over operation is accomplished . micro - switch 23 also controls the energizing of plunger solenoid 64 , because switch 23 is connected with the drive circuit of plunger - solenoid 64 . therefore , plunger - solenoid 64 is energized when reproducing push - button 3 is pushed . with activation of plunger - solenoid 64 , locking plate 61 is rotated about shaft 62 against the urging force of coil spring 63 . this releases the lock of operating levers 50 through 54 to clear any mode previously established in the recorder . thus the tape recorder is automatically changed over directly to the reproducing mode from any other operating mode by pushing reproducing push - button 3 . rod 65 of plunger - solenoid 64 is pulled only momentarily and after the release of the lock on the operating levers plunger - solenoid 64 is quickly deenergized . after plunger - solenoid 64 is deenergized , locking plate 61 rotates clockwise , as viewed in fig6 about pin 62 under the urging force of coil spring 63 to be in position to be able to lock operating slide 51 which is associated with the reproduce mode . with the depression of push - button 3 , slide 9 moves to the right , as viewed in fig6 to rotate trigger lever 67 counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig6 about shaft 55 in response to the displacement of slide 9 because engaging portion 67a of trigger lever 67 is received in recess 9b of slide 9 . this rotation of trigger lever 67 disengages the end surface 67b of lever 67 from the first stop pin 35b of gear 35 , thereby freeing gear 35 to rotate . leaf spring 46 in contact with cam surface 41 on the planar surface of gear 35 urges gear 35 to rotate due to the fact that leaf spring 46 moves into contact with the smallest radiused portion of cam surface 41 . therefore , cam surface 41 and gear 35 rotate counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig6 due to the urging force of spring 46 . after the initial rotation of gear 35 under the urging of leaf spring 46 , toothless portion 35a of gear 35 is displaced from registry with pinion 30 until the toothed portion of gear 35 engages with pinion 30 , which is driven by motor 24 , as described above . at this juncture gear 35 is driven by pinion 30 and rotates counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig7 . with this rotation cam surface 41 of gear 35 contacts and pushes operating lever 51 to rotate lever 51 clockwise , as viewed in fig7 about shaft 55 . as lever 51 rotates , end 51a of lever 51 contacts and pushes lower end 57a of reproducing operating slide 57 to displace slide 57 upwardly to place the tape recorder into the reproducing mode where signals recorded on the magnetic tape may be reproduced . during rotation of lever 51 , the other end 51b of lever 51 rides down the angled surface 61a of locking plate 61 and rotates plate 61 counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig7 about shaft 62 against the urging force of coil spring 63 until end 51b is free of the locking plate which returns to its unitial position due to spring 63 to lock lever 51 as shown in fig8 . thus the tape recorder is maintained in the reproducing mode . even though lever 51 is locked , gear 35 continues to be driven by the pinion 30 through almost one revolution until toothless portion 35a of gear 35 again moves into facing position with pinion 30 , whereby gear 35 is disengaged from pinion 30 . however , gear 35 continues to rotate in the counterclockwise direction under the urging force of leaf spring 46 in contact with the peripheral surface of cam surface 41 until gear 35 reaches the position shown in fig8 . thus , one revolution of gear 35 is established and first stop pin 35b of gear 35 is again brought into contact with flat end surface 67b of trigger lever 67 which has been restored to its original position responsive to the restoring movement of slide 9 under the urging of coil spring 15 . thus gear 35 stops rotating and is precluded from further rotation , and the operation for changing the recorder over to the reproducing mode is accomplished . the mode change - over mechanism is designed to operate with a single light touch by the operator on a mode selecting push button . however , should the operator maintain prolonged pressure on a push - button 1 , slide 9 would be maintained in its active position as shown in fig9 and the actuator of switch 23 would be maintained in the depressed state because switching plate 20 would be maintained pressed against switch 22 . accordingly , motor 25 would continue to be energized and rotate and after one revolution of gear 35 , gear 35 would be disengaged from pinion 30 , and would further rotate under the urging force of leaf spring 46 and would then engage again with pinion 30 . whereby the gear 35 would rotate once again counter - clockwise because trigger lever 67 , associated with slide 9 , would be maintained in its active position where flat end surface 67b of lever 67 does not contact with first stop pin 35b extending from gear 35 . the largest radiused portion of cam surface 41 provides lever 51 a stroke which is larger than the stroke to be locked by locking plate 61 . accordingly , cam surface 41 strikes operating level 51 to generate a mechanical noice as gear 35 continues to rotate further . to rectify the above described disadvantage , gear 35 is precluded from rotating more than one revolution by the engagement of hook segment 67d on arm 67c with second stop pin 35c on gear 35 , as shown in fig9 because hook segment 67d of trigger lever 67 is in its active position when trigger lever 67 is maintained in its rotated position in accordance with the continued depression of reproducing push - button 3 after one revolution of gear 35 and after the recorder has been placed in the reproducing mode . accordingly , gear 35 is locked and precluded from rotating when gear 35 has completed one revolution and the operation for changing the tape recorder over to the reproducing mode has been completed even if reproducing push - button 3 is continued to be depressed . accordingly , cam surface 41 is precluded from striking operating lever 51 locked by locking plate 61 and the tape recorder is precluded from generating the undesirable mechanical noises . further , reproducing slide 57 in its active position is not mechanically effected by cam surface 41 through lever 51 . in this condition , shown in fig9 slide 9 is displaced to its inactive position under the urging force of coil spring 15 when the depression of reproducing push - button 3 is released . as soon as this is done , trigger lever 67 rotates clockwise , as viewed in fig9 because engaging portion 67a of trigger lever 67 is engaged within recess 9b of slide 9 and rotates with the leftward movement of slide 9 . therefore , hook segment 67d of lever 67 is disengaged from second stop pin 35c of gear 35 and then flat surface 67b of trigger lever 67 again contacts first stop pin 35b of gear 35 to preclude gear 35 from further rotation as shown in fig8 . next , the operation for changing the tape recorder over from the reproducing mode to the stop mode will be described . this operation is accomplished by the depression of stop push - button 2 while the recorder is in the reproducing mode , shown in fig8 . that is , slide 8 is displaced to the right , as viewed in fig7 against the urging force of coil spring 14 when stop push - button 2 is depressed . with this movement tab 8a of slide 8 pushes switching plate 20 to rotate plate 20 clockwise , as viewed in fig7 about pin 19 against the urging force of torsion spring 22 to contact and push the actuator of micro - switch 23 . this momentarily energizes plunger - solenoid 64 pulling its rod 65 to rotate locking plate 61 counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig7 about shaft 62 against the urging force of coil spring 63 thereby releasing the lock of operating lever 51 . with this , reproducing slide 57 is displaced downwardly and the tape recorder is changed over to the stop mode from the reproducing mode . motor 24 also rotates responsive to the depression of stop bush - button 2 , but stop push - button 2 does not have a corresponding pinion and gear and , hence , the rotation of motor 24 is idle in this operation . the above described operation for changing the tape recorder over from the stop mode to the reproducing mode is the same operation as the changing over from stop mode to rewind mode , stop mode to fast forward mode and stop mode to pause mode , therefore , the detailed description of these operations will be omitted . further , the above described operation for changing the tape recorder over from reproducing mode to stop mode is the same as the operation for changing the recorder over from rewind mode to stop mode and fast forward mode to stop mode , therefore , a detailed description of these operations will also be omitted . next , the operation for changing the tape recorder over from stop mode to record mode will be described with reference to fig1 . the recording mode is established by the depression of recording push - button 5 while the recorder is in the stop mode shown in fig4 . that is , slide 11 is displaced to the right as viewed in fig1 when recording push - button 5 is depressed . hence , as described above micro - switch 23 is pushed by switching plate 20 and motor 24 rotates to drive pinion 32 . in like manner to the operations previously described trigger lever 69 rotates counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig1 about shaft 55 responsive to the displacement of slide 11 . with the displacement of trigger lever 69 , sub - trigger lever 71 mounted on trigger lever 69 also displaces and flat engaging portion 69b of sub - trigger lever 71 is separated from contact with first stop in 37b of gear 37 . hence , gear 37 rotates , initially due to the urging force of leaf spring 48 on cam surface 43 , and then under the urging of pinion 32 driven by motor 24 . therefore , operating lever 53 is rotated by cam surface 43 on the planar surface of gear 37 and recording slide 59 is displaced upwardly , as viewed in fig1 . thus , the tape recorder is changed over to the recording mode . in this operation , sub - trigger lever 71 does not rotate relative to trigger lever 69 . accordingly , the operation is the same as that for changing over from stop mode to reproducing mode . next , the operation to prepare the recorder for timed recording will be described . the timed recording operation is one where the tape recorder is changed over to the recording mode automatically in accordance with a trigger signal from a timer ( not shown ) at some predetermined pre - set time , for example responsive to a clock like an alarm clock which can be pre - set to initiate recording automatically at any time set . with such an operation signals from a radio receiver or other signal sources operatively connected to the tape recorder are recorded on the magnetic tape while the operator is absent . the operation to prepare the recorder for timed recording is accomplished by the depression of recording push - button 5 when electric power is not supplied to the tape recorder . that is , slide 11 is displaced to the right , as viewd in fig1 , when recording push - button 5 is depressed . with this movement , trigger lever 69 rotates counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig1 , about shaft 55 and flat engaging portion 69b of sub - trigger lever 71 is separated from first stop pin 37b of gear 37 . accordingly , gear 37 rotates counter - clockwise , as viewed in fig1 , due to the urging force of leaf spring 48 on cam surface 43 and gear 37 is placed in engagement with pinion 32 , as shown in fig1 , since toothless portion 37a of gear 37 has been displaced in the counter - clockwise direction . however , because no electric power is being supplied , pinion 32 associated with motor 24 is not rotating even though micro - switch 23 has been depressed responsive to the displacement of slide 11 . therefore , gear 37 stops rotating as soon as gear 37 engages pinion 32 . in this condition , first stop pin 37b on gear 37 is in contact with the angled surface portion 80 of sub - trigger lever 71 and pushes lever 71 . since coil spring 73 is relatively strong , coil spring 78 is not expanded . that is , trigger lever 69 is pushed by pin 37b through sub - trigger lever 71 and , hence , trigger lever 69 is prevented from rotating to the restoring or clockwise direction , as viewed in fig1 , about shaft 55 . therefore , slide 11 is prevented from being displaced to its inactive left position , as seen in fig1 , since slide 11 is engaged with trigger lever 69 because of the engagement of end 69a within recess 11b . thus slide 11 is maintained in an intermediate position between its inactive position and its active position and slide 11 through switching plate 20 continues to push micro - switch 23 . in addition , recording pushbutton 5 is also maintained in an intermediate position and , hence , the operator can easily confirm the establishment of the timed recording operation by observing the record pushbutton 5 . when the operation to initiate timed recording has been completed and the recorder is supplied with electric power , for example by a pre - set signal from a timer mechanism ( not shown ), the tape recorder is directly changed over to the recording mode because pinion 32 in engagement with gear 37 is driven by motor 24 which is activated when electric power is supplied . in automatically changing over to record from the preparation for timed recording , the timer ( not shown ) generates a signal to turn on the power switch of the tape recorder and electric power is supplied to the tape recorder . since microswitch 23 is maintained in its closed state , motor 24 begins to rotate as soon as electric power is supplied to the tape recorder and pinion 32 driven by motor 24 is also driven . the rotation of pinion 32 is transmitted to gear 37 and gear 37 rotates as shown in fig1 . with rotation of gear 37 , lever 53 rotates to displace recording slide 59 upwardly and lever 53 is locked by locking plate 61 , in the same manner as described in the operation from stop mode to the recording mode . when gear 37 begins to rotate , first stop pin 37b of gear 37 displaces and is separated from its engagement with angled surface 80 on sub - trigger lever 71 . this frees trigger lever 69 allowing slide 11 to displace to the left , as shown in fig1 , under the urging force of coil spring 17 and allowing trigger lever 69 to rotate clockwise about shaft 55 . after one revolution of gear 37 first stop pin 37b on gear 37 moves into contact with flat surface 69b on sub - trigger lever 71 and gear 37 is precluded from further rotation . next , the operation to release the preparation for timed recording shown in fig1 will be described . this operation is performed by the operator , for example when he comes back to the recorder before the preset time for automatically initiating recording has occurred . this releasing operation is performed mechanically without supplying electric power to the tape recorder . this releasing operation is accomplished merely by depressing stop push - button 2 while the recorder is set for preparation for timed recording , as shown in fig1 . by depressing stop push - button 2 , slide 8 is displaced to the right , as viewed in fig1 . with this movement , pin 83 depending from slide 8 engages and pushes end 81a of transmitting lever 81 to rotate lever 81 clockwise , as viewed in fig1 , about pin 82 . with this rotation end 81b of lever 81 engages and pushes pin 84 depending from slide 11 to displace slide 11 to its inactive position or to the left , as viewed in fig1 . with the movement of slide 11 to its inactive position , trigger lever 69 rotates clockwise , as viewed in fig1 , about shaft 55 since end 69a of trigger lever 69 is engaged within recess 11b of slide 11 . as a result sub - trigger lever 71 rotates , relative to trigger lever 69 , counterclockwise , as viewed in fig1 , about pin 72 against the urging force of coil spring 73 . the sub - trigger lever rotates because angled surface 80 of sub - trigger lever 71 is in contact with first stop pin 37b on gear 37 . it is to be noted that when the recorder is in the preparation mode for timed recording , as shown in fig1 , angled surface 80 of sub - trigger lever 71 is positioned to apply a force on first stop pin 37b of gear 37 in the direction indicated by the arrow f 1 which is in a direction approximately to the center of gear 37 . thus sub - trigger lever 71 does not generate a torque on gear 37 tending to rotate the gear . further , gear 37 begins to rotate smoothly when electric power is supplied to the motor 24 because force f 1 is directed to the center of gear 37 . on the other hand , when the preparation for timed recording is released , as described above , angled surface 80 of sub - trigger lever 71 is in the position shown in fig1 with respect to first stop pin 37b of gear 37 and pushes gear 37 with force in the direction indicated by the arrow f 2 . the force imparted along the direction indicated at f 2 generates a torque on gear 37 tending to rotate gear 37 clockwise , as viewed in fig1 , and , hence , gear 37 rotates clockwise a slight degree until first stop pin 37b on gear 37 is displaced from contact with angled surface 80 on sub - trigger lever 71 and moves into contacts with flat engaging surface 69b as shown in fig1 . this is accomplished as sub - trigger lever 71 rotates clockwise relative to trigger lever 69 about pin 72 under the urging force of coil spring 73 . with this movement , first stop pin 37b on gear 37 engages flat surface 69b on subtrigger lever 71 , as shown in fig1 , and the preparation for timed recording is released . further , trigger lever 69 rotates clockwise , as viewed in fig1 , and slide 11 displaces to the left to its inactive position under the urging force of coil spring 17 . next , a second embodiment of this invention will be described with reference to fig1 and 18 . in the first embodiment described above , sub - trigger 71 is arranged on trigger lever 69 to establish the releasing operation from the mode of preparation for timed recording . alternatively , in this second embodiment , flat surface 69b and angled surface 80 are formed integral with trigger lever 69 corresponding to the recording push - button 5 . as seen in fig1 , flat engaging surface 69b contacts first stop pin 37b on gear 37 to prevent gear 37 from rotating when recording push - button 5 or its associated slide 11 are in their inactive positions . angled surface 80 of trigger lever 69 contacts and pushes first stop pin 37b on gear 37 to rotate gear 37 clockwise about shaft 39 and to release the recorder from the prepared state for timed recording in the same manner described above . with this arrangement , the structure is somewhat simplified and the number of parts is reduced . although illustrative embodiments of this invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims . for example , this invention may be applied to other kinds of recording and / or reproducing apparatus , for example , video tape recorders . moreover , the mode selecting assembly may be driven by a motor which also drives a capstan , although in the preferred embodiment the mode selecting assembly is driven by a separate motor . in addition , operating levers 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 and 54 and trigger levers 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 and 70 may be supported by a singular shaft in the above described preferred embodiment . also , locking plate 61 may be directly pushed by slide 8 associated with stop push - button 2 . alternatively , locking plate 61 may be rotated by a pinion and a gear provided with a toothless portion and a cam which are arranged to correspond with stop push - button 2 and slide 8 . | 6 |
the present invention relates to a method for stimulating an induced insect resistance of rice , comprising steps of : applying a p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid aqueous solution having an effective concentration to the rice ; and , after absorbing by the rice , stimulating the insect resistance of the rice , thereby increasing a resistance of the rice against rice planthoppers . a structure of p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid provided by the present invention is : according to the present invention , the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid aqueous solution having a bioactivity is applicable to roots , stems , and leaf blades of plants . during application , it is feasible to apply the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid aqueous solution onto surfaces of the rice through methods such as spraying , until leaf blades of the rice become partly wet or totally wet , or the aqueous solution drops from the leaf blades . alternatively , it is feasible to add the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid into a nutrient solution required for growth of the rice or a water supply system ; no matter a prepared agent is applied at any time of day or night , a good insect resistance is always generated , and the agent is preferably applied in an active growth phase of the plants . the induced insect resistance can be stimulated no matter rice plants are infested or non - infested by the rice planthoppers and last until the rice is harvested . it is noted that the agent should be applied 2 hours before raining or snowing , so as not to affect an effect of the agent . after applying for a period of time , if the induced insect resistance is found to be weakened ( for example the number of insect pests increases ), it is feasible to apply the agent again for increasing the resistance . in order to stimulate the induced insect resistance in the plants , an effective number of bioactive components are required , and the number of the bioactive components varies in a large range and relies on various factors , such as a type and a growth phase of the plants , a planting density of the plants , and a weather condition . generally , for per mu of rice field , 0 . 2 - 20 g of bioactive components are enough to stimulate the induced insect resistance of the rice . after optimizing , for per mu of rice field , 0 . 1 - 10 g of bioactive components are enough to stimulate the induced insect resistance . the induced insect resistance of the plants , stimulated by the agent having the bioactivity provided by the present invention , is effective to the rice planthoppers in the rice field , comprising brown planthopper , white - backed planthopper and small brown planthopper . application methods of the compound provided by the present invention are further described in detail with following preferred embodiments , for better understanding the present invention . it is noted that the preferred embodiments are exemplary only and not intended to be limiting . first preferred embodiment : decrease of survival rate of rice planthopper nymphs through root absorption treatment of rice with p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention , the applied p - fluorophenoxyacetic acids have concentrations of 1 mg / l and 10 mg / l . the rice is cultivated through the nutrient solution , and planted by each individual rice plant ; the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is added into the nutrient solution until a final concentration is 1 mg / l or 10 mg / l ; and the nutrient solution without adding the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is adopted as a control group . after treating with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid for 12 hours , a special glass cover ( with a diameter of 4 cm , a height of 8 cm , and 48 holes having a diameter of 0 . 8 mm uniformly provided on a wall ) is placed on a stem of each individual rice plant , and 15 newly - hatched nymphs of the brown planthopper or the white - backed planthopper are introduced into each glass cover , wherein a top part of each glass cover is sealed by a circular sponge . the experiment is conducted in a phytotron with a temperature of 28 ± 2 ° c ., a humidity of 70 - 80 % and 14 hours of illumination , survival numbers of the nymphs of the brown planthopper or the white - backed planthopper on each plant are recorded daily , and the experiment is repeated for 10 times . it can be seen from fig1 that : from the 2 nd day after treating with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid , survival rates of the nymphs of the brown planthopper and the white - backed planthopper are decreased obviously . for the rice which is treated with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the concentration of 1 mg / l , a survival rate of the brown planthopper is 35 . 1 % on the 8 th day , which is obviously lower than a survival rate of the brown planthopper of the control group of 90 . 3 %; and for the rice which is treated with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the concentration of 10 mg / l , a survival rate of the brown planthopper is merely 1 . 5 % on the 8 th day . meanwhile , for the rice which is treated with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the concentration of 1 mg / l , a survival rate of the white - backed planthopper is 41 . 3 % on the 8 th day , which is obviously lower than a survival rate of the white - backed planthopper of the control group of 90 . 5 %; and , for the rice which is treated with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the concentration of 10 mg / l , a survival rate of the brown planthopper is merely 3 . 1 % on the 8 th day . above results show that : a root absorption treatment with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid obviously increases a direct resistance of the rice against the nymphs of the rice planthoppers . second preferred embodiment : increase of resistance of rice against nymphs of rice planthoppers through spray treatment with p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention , the applied p - fluorophenoxyacetic acids have concentrations of 20 mg / l and 100 mg / l . the rice is cultivated through the nutrient solution , and planted by each individual rice plant ; the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is prepared with water to have a certain concentration ( 20 mg / l or 100 mg / l ), and thereafter stems and leaves of the rice are treated with spraying through a small sprayer ; and tap water is adopted as a control group . after drops on the stems and leaves of the rice are totally dry , a special glass cover ( with a diameter of 4 cm , a height of 8 cm , and 48 holes having a diameter of 0 . 8 mm uniformly provided on a wall ) is placed on a stem of each individual rice plant , and 15 newly - hatched nymphs of the brown planthopper or the white - backed planthopper are introduced into each glass cover , wherein a top part of each glass cover is sealed by a circular sponge . the experiment is conducted in a phytotron with a temperature of 28 ± 2 ° c ., a humidity of 70 - 80 % and 14 hours of illumination , survival numbers of the nymphs of the brown planthopper and the white - backed planthopper on each plant are recorded daily , and the experiment is repeated for 10 times . it can be seen from fig2 that : from the 2 nd day after treating with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid , survival rates of the nymphs of the brown planthopper and the white - backed planthopper are decreased obviously . for the rice which is treated with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the concentration of 20 mg / l , a survival rate of the brown planthopper is 60 . 3 % on the 8 th day , which is obviously lower than a survival rate of the brown planthopper of the control group of 86 . 5 %; and for the rice which is treated with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the concentration of 100 mg / l , a survival rate of the brown planthopper is merely 19 . 2 % on the 8 th day . meanwhile , for the rice which is treated with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the concentration of 20 mg / l , a survival rate of the white - backed planthopper is 66 . 1 % on the 8 th day , which is obviously lower than a survival rate of the white - backed planthopper of the control group of 81 . 4 %; and , for the rice which is treated with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the concentration of 100 mg / l , a survival rate of the brown planthopper is merely 23 . 2 % on the 8 th day . above results show that : a direct resistance of the rice against the nymphs of the rice planthoppers is obviously increased through a spray treatment with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid . third preferred embodiment : no effect of p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid on survival of rice planthoppers in order to exclude possible influences of the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid itself on a survival rate of nymphs of the rice planthoppers , the third preferred embodiment of the present invention measures stomach toxicity and contact toxicity of the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acids having different concentrations on the nymphs of the rice planthoppers . in the experiment for measuring the stomach toxicity of the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid on the nymphs of the rice planthoppers , the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acids , having concentrations of 5 mg / l , 20 mg / l and 50 mg / l , are respectively added into planthopper artificial diets , and another planthopper artificial diet not containing the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is adopted as control . the planthopper artificial diets containing the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acids of different concentrations are respectively wrapped by a parafilm sealing film and then placed at two ends ( 20 μl at one end ) of a glass two - way tube having a diameter of 4 cm and a height of 8 cm , and 15 newly - hatched nymphs of the white - backed planthopper are introduced into each tube ; wherein the glass two - way tube , in which the planthopper artificial diet not containing the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is placed , is adopted as a control group . all the glass two - way tubes are placed in a phytotron ( with a temperature of 28 ° c . and 12 hours of illumination ), the artificial diet in each tube is changed once a day , and the survival number of the nymphs of the white - backed planthopper in each tube is recoded daily . the experiment is repeated for 10 times . results thereof show that : adding the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid with a test concentration into the artificial diet does not affect a survival rate of the nymphs of the white - backed planthopper ; for the artificial diets containing the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acids respectively with the concentrations of 0 mg / l , 5 mg / l , 20 mg / l and 50 mg / l , the survival rates of the nymphs of the white - backed planthopper on the 2 nd day are respectively 85 . 7 %, 85 . 5 %, 87 . 4 % and 81 . 3 %; and , the survival rates on the 4 th day are respectively 56 . 2 %, 58 . 6 %, 54 . 3 % and 57 . 6 %. thus , the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid has no stomach toxicity on the planthoppers . in the experiment for measuring the contact toxicity of the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid on the nymphs of the rice planthoppers , the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acids respectively having concentrations of 5 mg / l , 20 mg / l , and 50 mg / l are adopted , and distilled water not containing the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is adopted as a control group . third - instar nymphs of the white - backed planthopper , being narcotized by carbon dioxide , are spotted with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid having the corresponding concentration or the distilled water ( 1 μl for each planthopper ); after waking up , the planthoppers are fed on rice plants having an age of 30 days , wherein 15 planthoppers are fed on each rice plant ; and the rice is placed in a phytotron with a temperature of 28 ± 2 ° c ., a humidity of 70 - 80 % and 14 hours of illumination . the experiment is repeated for 10 times . survival numbers of the nymphs of the planthoppers are observed and recorded respectively 24 hours and 48 hours after treatment . results thereof show that : 24 hours after treating , for the control group and the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acids having the concentrations of 5 mg / l , 20 mg / l and 50 mg / l , survival rates of the nymphs of the planthoppers are respectively 93 . 3 %, 92 . 0 %, 93 . 1 %, 92 . 0 %; and 48 hours after treating , the survival rates are respectively 90 . 2 %, 92 . 0 %, 91 . 6 % and 90 . 8 %. the survival rate of each group is not significantly different , illustrating that the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid has no contact toxicity on the planthoppers . according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention , the applied p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid has a concentration of 5 mg / l . the rice is cultivated through the nutrient solution , and planted by each individual rice plant ; the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is added into the nutrient solution of the rice until a final concentration is 5 mg / l , and another nutrient solution without adding the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is adopted as a control group . the experiment is repeated for 5 times and conduced in a phytotron with a temperature of 28 ± 2 ° c ., a humidity of 70 - 80 %, and 14 hours of illumination . results thereof show that : 72 hours after treating with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid , contents of 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid and γ - aminobutyric acid in the rice obviously increase , wherein the content of the 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid of the experimental group is 2 . 12 times higher than the content of the 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid of the control group ; and the content of the γ - aminobutyric acid of the experimental group is 2 . 86 times higher than the content of the γ - aminobutyric acid of the control group . the 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid belongs to a phenolic acid defense compound , and the γ - aminobutyric acid belongs to a non - protein amino acid , which have direct toxicity effects on the insect pests and are able to influence a peripheral nervous system of the insects . treating the rice with the p - fluorophenoxyacetic acid is able to increase contents of the defense compounds , thereby generating a negative effect on the insect pests and increasing a resistance of the rice against the insect pests . one skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not to intended to be limiting . it will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished . its embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles . therefore , this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 0 |
the following detailed description , which describes only the preferred embodiment of the invention , is understood only to be an illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention . as will be realized , the invention is capable of other and different embodiments , and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects , all without departing from the invention . accordingly , the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature , and not as restrictive . referring to fig1 and 2 of the drawings , there is shown generally at 8 a laser pump chamber incorporating an optical diffuser plate 14 that is the subject of this invention . the pump chamber comprises a solid state laser rod 10 , a specular pump chamber reflector 11 , rod holders 12 , a flashlamp 13 , an optical diffuser plate 14 , and lamp holders 15 . preferably , the pump chamber is of a gas - cooled construction as disclosed in u . s . patent application , ser . no . 08 / 034 , 993 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 331 , 652 to rapoport et al ., the disclosure which is hereby incorporated by reference . the reflector 11 is specular and imaging in nature and has a vacuum deposited silver coating that is protected by a silicon dioxide layer and is highly polished . preferably , the ends of the reflector 11 are open and symmetric to allow for a forced preselected gas to adequately cool the flashlamp 13 and the laser rod 10 . preferably , flashlamp 13 is made of quartz with xe gas fill . rod holders 12 are constructed to minimize the cross section of the holder in the preselected gas flow stream and to capture the optical diffuser plate 14 . in one preferred embodiment of the laser pump chamber 8 the laser rod 10 is composed of alexandrite , and the optical diffuser plate 14 is disposed between the lamp 13 and the laser rod 10 . optical diffuser plate 14 is generally coplanar and preferably extends from oppositely disposed sidewalls of reflector 11 as shown in fig2 . optical plate 14 is about 0 . 020 inches thick and has a small cross - sectional area so that it may be placed inside the specular pump chamber without significant perturbations to the cooling preselected gas flow stream . the optical diffuser plate 14 has a top surface face adjacent to the lamp 13 and a bottom surface face adjacent to the laser rod 10 . the top face may be uncoated , but perferably has an anti - reflection coating to increase the energy transmission level . the bottom face is roughly polished diffuse for low transmission loss . the most important characteristic of the bottom face diffuser is that the back scatter be low and the light transmission be high . preferably plate 14 is made from corning 7940 pyrex ® glass or alternatively , corning 7059 barium borosilicate . other materials are possible so long as plate 14 can be manufactured in thin sheets , is shock resistance as compared with a low expansion glass , and has a softening point that is higher that the expected operating temperatures at the plate . the optical diffuser plate 14 can be manufactured by determining the amount of diffuseness required to remove the &# 34 ; hot spots &# 34 ; from the laser media . in this method the transmission of the plate is maximized allowing the highest energy transfer from the flashlamp to the laser media . fig3 graphically illustrates light intensity levels as a function of angle for three types of diffusers compared with the light source , curve 20 . the most common diffusers are fabricated by grinding and polishing one surface of the plate 14 as depicted in fig3 as 9 micron and 180 grit , curves 24 and 26 respectively , which refer to the grit wheel and the polish used . these types of diffusers readily diffuse the incident light , but at the expense of light transmission as defined as the ratio of the areas under the respective curves . the 180 grit finish transmits 28 percent of the light , and the 9 micron finish transmits 42 percent of the light . the preferred type of diffuser is glass frit bonded to the polished plate , shown in curve 22 . the frit sample in curve 22 transmits 66 percent of the source light which is considerably higher than 180 grit or 9 micron , and the fwhm ( full width , half maximum ) angular spread is the smallest . the frit type diffuser is manufactured by taking a plain polished plate of the preferred material above and sifting a 400 mesh glass frit power to the surface until visible lines drawn beneath the plate are mostly obscured by the frit powder . the plate is heated in an oven by ramping the temperature above the melting point of the frit . the plate is soaked for a prescribed amount of time and then the temperature is ramped down to room temperature . preferably , the frit power is sp274 , ground to a 400 mesh , made by specialty glass of oldsmar , fla ., which has a fiber softening point of 664 ° c . and an expansion coefficient of 66 × 10 - 7 and an index of refraction of 1 . 499 . the frit is solidified by ramping the temperature up to 730 ° c . in 20 minutes , soaking the plate for 20 minutes and cooling down to room temperature in 30 minutes . alternatively , many different types of vitrifying frits can be used for this application where the final solidified frit is transparent . furthermore , losses can be reduced by matching the refractive indices of the plate and frit . optionally , for an application using an alexandrite laser , optical diffuser plate 14 material is selected so that it is operative to prevent transmission of light having wavelengths below 300 nm , thereby preventing solarization of the alexandrite . diffusers for other laser material can also be selected to prevent transmission of light having wavelengths that would otherwise cause solarization . the laser pump chamber 8 which has been disclosed herein can , of course , be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention . it is also possible to create a diffuser plate through acid etching techniques , photolithography of replicated shapes and holographic patterns . each of these techniques can realize a more uniform pumping field , which reduces localized &# 34 ; hot spots &# 34 ;. this in turn reduces the probability of optical damage to the components inside and outside of the laser . the pump chamber is not required to have open ends to allow a preselected gas flow parallel to the laser rod , flashlamp , and optical diffuser plate . the pump chamber may be sealed on ends . the invention which improves pumping uniformity may be applied to flowing dye as well as pumping solid rods . the invention may also be applied to pumping with diodes instead of flashlamps . the plate can possess diffusive properties and be fabricated from material that does not add solarization prevention if the pump light is not detrimental to the gain media being pumped . it will be understood that the particular embodiments described above are only illustrative of the principles of the present invention , and that various modifications could be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention , which is limited only by the claims that follow . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates a preferred image data acquisition system 100 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . an mr scanner 102 is used to acquire 2d image data corresponding to a patient &# 39 ; s roi along selected ones of the xy ( coronal ), xz ( sagittal ), and yz ( axial ) planes . if desired , 2d image data can also be obtained in planes of other specified obliquities . the scanner 102 acquires 2d image slices in accordance with instructions provided by a clinician via a scanner interface control computer 104 . through control computer 104 , a clinician can specify the necessary slice parameters for a given acquisition , as is readily understood in the art . the resultant image data acquired by the scanner 102 are then returned to control computer 104 for further processing thereby . a preferred system 100 suitable for use with the present invention is a 1 . 5 tesla siemens sonata magnetom system manufactured by siemens medical systems of erlangen , germany . it should be understood , however , that other image data acquisition systems can be used in the practice of the present invention . furthermore , the technique of the present invention is believed to be suitable for use with any type of coil unit . the present invention arises in the manner by which the scanner acquires image data . fig2 is a flowchart illustrating this process , which can be applied to any 2d sequence . with riot , the slice acquisition parameters for each acquired series are the same except for table position ( tp ). the field of view ( fov ) can be set at 100 %, but phase over sampling may be used so long as it is identical for all series sequences . fat saturation may also optionally be used . furthermore , the average ( nex ) can be set to one ( or can be multiple so long as each image data series has the same number of averages ). the skip between image slices is set to 100 %. it is also strongly preferred that the plane of acquisition be the same as the desired plane of the multi - planar or 3d reconstruction , as the resolution is believed to be best in the plane of acquisition . for instance , if the desired 3d representation or mpr is in the coronal plane , then the series should be acquired coronally . earlier experiments had suggested that in order to achieve adequate interleaving the plane of each series sequence had to be defined relative to the table and not the roi being scanned . for example , these earlier experiments suggested that the coronal plane should be defined off of an axial image by lines running parallel to the “ x ” axis of the axial localizer . in other words images were to be acquired in the axial , sagittal or coronal plane relative to the table itself , not the anatomy being imaged . however , later experiments have determined that the plane of acquisition can be prescribed in any obliquity . experimentation also indicates that an original slice thickness of 4 mm is optimal for reasons that will discussed below . 4 mm is the preferred original slice thickness because an original slice thickness below 4 mm would complicate the mathematical calculations without significant change in scan times . also , because the ultimate slice thickness is primarily the result of the number of series that are interleaved , a thinner original slice thickness will not have a significant effect in terms of the thickness of the resultant composite series . for example , if 4 series of 4 mm thick slices are interleaved and overlapped by 50 %, the resultant composite series will have a 2 mm slice thickness . if 4 series of 3 mm slices are interleaved and overlapped by 50 %, the resultant composite series will have a 1 . 5 mm slice thickness . nevertheless , if necessary , slice thicknesses thinner or thicker than 4 mm can be used and are also suitable for the practice of the present invention . with reference to fig2 , at step 200 , the scanner 102 acquires a first image data series starting from table position tp ( 0 ). it is worth noting that it is believed to be best to start with the tp dictated by the scanner rounded off to the nearest whole number , in which case tp ( 0 ) can be thought of as whatever the starting table position dictated by the scanner is . however , other starting table positions may optionally be used . furthermore , experimentation shows that setting the tp of the first series at true 0 or close to true 0 can result in errors . however , it is believed that this can be remedied by an automated software program as described below . fig3 ( a ) illustrates an example of the result of this step , wherein four image slices of thickness n mm are acquired starting at tp ( 0 mm ) with a 100 % skip therebetween ( i . e ., a skip of n mm ). while the example of fig3 ( a )-( d ) depict the acquisition of four slices per series , it should be understood that more or fewer slices can be acquired each sequence . a skip of 100 % is strongly preferred because a skip of less than 100 % would require that each series have a different skip in order to achieve a desired overlap . for instance , theoretically , a 50 % overlap can also be achieved by interleaving 3 series instead of 4 . in this setting , series a ( with a slice thickness of 4 mm , tp ( 0 ) and skip of 100 %) would have to be overlapped with series b ( slice thickness , 4 mm , tp ( 4 ) and skip of 100 %. this is possible and would yield a composite series with 4 mm slices and 0 skip . however , in order to achieve a 50 % skip with only 3 series , the third series would have to have a tp of ( 2 ) and a skip of 50 %. accordingly , to accommodate a skip not equal to 100 %, special software would have to be designed to accommodate interleaving of the slices . in addition , another problem arising from the use of a skip less than 100 % is the “ cross - talk ” which may result , thereby causing a degradation of signal to noise ratio . after the first series is acquired , the starting table position for the next series is then adjusted ( step 202 ). starting table position adjustments between series will be based on fractions of the original slice thickness as determined by a desired degree of overlap . the starting table position of the next series is preferably adjusted by n / k mm , wherein the value of k depends upon the desired degree of overlap . if a 50 % overlap is desired , k is preferably 2 . if a 100 % overlap is desired , k is preferably 4 . a slice thickness of 4 mm , facilitates these calculations as it will result in tp adjustments in whole numbers rather than in fractional increments . however , as noted above and below , where automated software is utilized to perform table position adjustments , this concern is attenuated . while the examples of fig3 ( a )-( d ) and 4 ( a )-( h ) depict the starting table position being incremented by n / k mm for each series , it should be readily understood that the starting table position can also be decremented by n / k mm for each series . again , experimentation with the siemens scanner shows that decrementing will not always work if the starting tp of the first series is set at true 0 or slightly greater or less than true 0 . the reason for this is that in this setting some of the series will require a starting tp of a positive value , while others will require a starting tp which is of a negative value . this will result in errors with interleaving by the control computer . again , it is possible , however , that this problem can be remedied via a dedicated software program . table position ( tp ) shifts can be adjusted in any obliquity . however , with the preferred riot technique , all tp adjustments must be made in the same direction for a given set of acquisitions ( either positive or negative ), defined by the plane of the acquisition . as stated above , experiments show that the resolution of the 3d or mpr reconstruction is optimal when the plane of the acquisition is in the desired plane of the 3d or mpr reconstruction . as stated above , the preferred embodiment can optionally be configured to acquire images in planes of any obliquity , which is believed to optimize visualization of the anatomy being scanned . this feature can preferably be achieved under user or software control by a parameter change in the chosen image acquisition protocol , which is believed to be possible with any conventional 2d sequence . upon opening the sequence , the number of slices , the slice thickness and the orientation ( i . e . obliquity ) of the slices is assigned , as with any 2d sequence , off of a localizer image obtained in the axial , sagittal or coronal plane . the trajectory of the slices is then assigned by simply rotating , from a console for the imaging system using the available input commands to the system , the reference lines ( indicating the trajectory of the slices ) to a desired obliquity by an appropriate user input ( e . g ., a left mouse click and hold ) ( see fig8 ( a )). it should be noted that the instructions provided herein are as per the preferred siemens scanner , but the methodology described therefor can be readily applied to other scanners . next , the “ position ” parameter under the exam card of the sequence is selected and the position “ mode ” selected to be “ offcenter - shift .” ( see fig8 ( b )). fig8 ( b ) shows the obliquity as a transverse image , but the line 800 defining the plane of acquisition can be dragged and changed to any orientation by appropriate user or software action ( such as left mouse clicking on line 800 and manipulating line 800 to the desired obliquity ). once line 800 is positioned as desired , subsequent series will be oriented according to the plane defined line 800 with the shifted positions applied to that prescribed oblique plane . the selection of “ offcenter - shift ” as shown in fig8 ( b ) is in contrast to the only other option under position mode , i . e . “ l - p - h ” ( which stands for left , posterior and head , corresponding to the coronal , sagittal and axial planes respectively , relative to the table ) as originally described . the “ offcenter - shift ” mode instructs the scanner to orient subsequent position shifts in the obliquity of the prescribed slices rather than in the coronal , sagittal , and axial plane relative to the table . after the first acquisition is complete ( see fig8 ( c )), subsequent acquisitions are prescribed by changing the position shift parameter only by 1 mm or 2 mm depending on the desired net overlap ( that is , 1 mm for 100 % and 2 mm for 50 % ( where slice thickness n equals 4 mm )), as shown in fig8 ( d )-( f ), which depict 2 mm increments . this will yield 4 separate series for 50 % overlap ( see fig8 ( g )) and 8 separate series for 100 % overlap . the series can then be combined and interleaved accordingly by selecting ( e . g ., by a left mouse click ) each series icon ( representing each series ) while pressing the control key , selecting “ select series ” under the “ edit ” menu ( see fig8 ( h )) and selecting “ save as ” under file ( see fig8 ( i )). the total number of images of this composite series will appear . the user should make sure that the composite series includes the correct number of images i . e . four times that of each individual series ( for a four series overlap ) and eight times that of each individual series ( for an eight series overlap ). in the example of fig3 ( a )-( d ), the composite data file will be made up of 4 * 4 slices ( i . e ., 4 series of 4 slices each , or 16 slices ). in the example of fig4 ( a )-( g ), the composite data file will be made up of 8 * x ( i . e ., 8 series of x slices each ). the composite series is then named ( see fig8 ( j )). before saving the named series , it is important to ensure that the preset sorting under the patient file is set at “ slice position ” ( see fig8 ( k ) as indicated by the white arrow ). acquiring the 2d images in the plane of the desired 3d reconstruction , is believed to optimize the resolution of the 3d images . as such , it is preferred that the user define the plane of acquisition to be the same as the plane of desired 3d reconstruction . the number of series will also depend on the desired overlap . in order to yield a 50 % overlap , four separate series should be acquired and overlapped into a composite data set ( see fig3 ( a )-( d )). the composite data set will have 4 times the number of images as each individual series , but because the images are overlapped by 50 %, the data set appears re - segmented into a smaller slice thickness also defined by n / k . starting with a 4 mm slice thickness , a 50 % overlap will result in the composite data file having an effective slice thickness of 2 mm . recent experiments suggest that the slice thickness remains at 4 mm but the distance between slices in the composite series is shortened such that the slices appear “ thinner ” to the naked eye . in order to yield a 100 % overlap , eight separate series should be acquired and overlapped ( see fig4 ( a )-( h )). starting from a 4 mm slice thickness , a 100 % overlap will result in the composite data file having an effective slice thickness of 1 mm . again , a 4 mm slice thickness facilitates these mathematical calculations , but as noted , other slice thickness values can be used . at step 204 , the scanner 102 thereafter acquires the next image data series starting from the adjusted starting table position . fig3 ( b ) illustrates the result of step 204 when a 50 % overlap is desired , with 4 image slices being acquired for series 2 ( the currently acquired series being indicated in boldface ) starting from tp ( 0 . 5 n mm ). the flow of fig2 will return to steps 202 and 204 depending upon the user &# 39 ; s desired amount of overlap ( step 206 ). with a desired 50 % overlap , the flow of fig2 will return twice more to steps 202 and 204 to yield the results shown in fig3 ( c ) and 3 ( d ). with a desired 100 % overlap , the flow of fig2 will return to steps 202 and 204 six more times to yield the results shown in fig4 ( c )-( h ). once all image data series are acquired , at step 208 , the control computer 104 preferably compiles all of the acquired slices for the plurality of series into a composite data file . this requires instructions to the control computer 104 as set forth in connection with fig8 ( g )-( k ). experiments show that in order to assure proper interleaving the new composite series must be resorted ( step 210 ). the scanner by default will be set to sort by “ instance ” which means images are sorted sequentially and anatomically . in order for riot to work , images need to be sorted by slice position . to do this manually , “ browser ” is selected under the patient file . “ local database ” is highlighted . the patient name and the composite sequence are then highlighted . “ slice position ” is selected under the sort file , as shown in fig8 ( k ). to ensure that the file remains correctly sorted , it is recommended that it be saved as described above under a new name . experimentation indicates that although conventional sorting features available on computers 104 for scanner 102 can properly interleave slices by table position , the multiple steps involved may result in error . should it be necessary , software modifications for scanner computer 104 to properly sort and interleave slices by table position are readily within the skill of a person having ordinary skill in the art following the teachings herein as explained below in connection with fig9 . once the slices within the composite data file are preferably stored by slice position / table position ( step 210 ), the computer 104 will interleave and overlap the series such that not only are the gaps of data filled , but the data is re - segmented giving the appearance of thinner slices . the slice thickness of the composite data set depends on the original slice thickness as well as # of series interleaved and is also defined as n / k . as noted above , the thickness of a composite series of four , each obtained at 4 mm slice thickness will be 2 mm ( or 50 % of the original slice thickness ). in a 100 % overlap instance , the composite series will be re - segmented into 25 % of the original 4 mm slice thickness , or 1 m ( see fig4 ( h )). therefore , the slice thickness goes from n mm to n / k mm . one hundred percent overlap is currently not believed to be possible even with multi - detector ct technology . as mentioned above , in reality , a 50 % overlap will be more than enough for most 3d reconstructions . mathematical analysis of the composite data set shows that the re - segmented thinner slices are the result of approximations . the mathematical appendix appended hereto illustrates the mathematical validity of this re - segmenting process . to assure exact segmentation , software modifications for scanner computer 104 will be necessary . this is readily within the skill of a person having ordinary skill in the art . thereafter , the composite data file can be exported to 3d graphics rendering software ( not shown ) for display of mprs and / or 3d reconstructions . an example of a suitable 3d rendering software package is the voxar site - wide 3d ™ package produced by voxar limited of edinburgh , scotland . it is believed that software modifications may be necessary with some 3d rendering programs to ensure that the integrity of the composite data file is maintained upon loading . such software modifications are believed to be well within the skill of a person having ordinary skill in the art . it is worth noting that steps 200 - 210 of fig2 can be performed with manual intervention by the clinician between each series acquisition as explained above to define the parameters for the next series acquisition . alternatively , steps 200 - 210 can be performed automatically by the scanner control computer 104 without human intervention after invocation by a clinician of the start of the process . for example , steps 200 - 210 can be implemented in a software program executed by control computer 104 after invocation of a “ macro ” function or the like by the clinician through a control computer user interface . this software program could be configured to emulate the user input described in connection with fig8 ( a )-( k ). to invoke such an automated function , the clinician may be prompted to provide starting acquisition parameters such as image data series slice thickness , skip , the desired degree of overlap , starting table position , the plane of acquisition , etc . once the staring parameters are specified , the software can automatically compute table position adjustments for subsequently acquired image series and automatically communicate control instructions to the scanner for acquiring each image series . alternatively , rather than requiring a user to provide initial acquisition parameters , a plurality of appropriately named predefined macro functions , each with its own predefined acquisition parameters , can be made available for invocation by the clinician from the control computer user interface . the software program can also be configured to automatically perform the task of sorting the image slices in the composite data set into order by slice position . fig9 depicts a flowchart for this sorting algorithm . the sorting operation preferably begins when all of the image slices for each of the acquired image series are obtained ( step 900 ). when programmed on a conventional mri scanner , the riot technique produces t output image series ( usually 3 ≦ t ≦ 5 , but this need not be the case ) each containing m images . next , the software processes the header information for these slices to identify the slice position for each image slice ( step 902 ). to produce the riot effect , the image slices in these series are preferably sorted in ascending order by their identified slice positions ( step 904 ), relabeled as a single riot image series of length t * m ( step 906 ) and stored in memory as a single image series ( step 908 ). virtually all contemporary medical image data acquisition systems format images use the digital image communications in medicine ( dicom ) standard . dicom image objects are formatted according to this well - known standard to include a header elements and image picture elements ( pixels ). for the purposes of explaining the preferred sorting software , the header consists of a set of known descriptive elements or attributes that are encoded according to the standard as a tag - value pair . by correctly interpreting and processing the dicom headers of the image slices , it is possible to adjust the image description attributes contained in each image slice to achieve the desired riot result . as explained above , the sorting algorithm of fig9 operates to read the header of each dicom image comprising the t original output series , extracts the relevant attributes by searching for the relevant dicom tags , determines the correct sorted order and then updates the relevant dicom tags so that a dicom compliant display device which might receive the resulting riot image series would display and process the images in the most advantageous manner . in order to accomplish the necessary riot sorting and series relabeling , the following dicom image attributes may be used : when any original dicom image is edited or modified the dicom standard defines a set of attributes that must be modified in order to indicate and track the changes . for these attributes that are not listed in table 1 above , a person having ordinary skill in the art can make the appropriate modifications according to known dicom conventions . a possible embodiment of the sorting software described in connection with fig9 would include a dicom storage service class provider ( scp ) module which would be addressable over a computer network by any imaging modality ( scanner ) that supports the dicom communication protocol as an appropriate storage service class user ( scu ). this dicom scp software module would receive unsorted image series from the imaging modality and temporarily store them in a directory on a local storage device . the sorting software module would be invoked using standard programming means by the scp module . the sorting module would read each dicom format image , parse the header tags , locate and extract the relevant attributes , and store them in a table in computer memory along with the name of the file used to temporarily store the image on the local storage device . once this table was sorted in ascending order of slice location , the relevant image header tags will be redefined so that image slices are numbered sequentially by slice location , and the number of image series is set to 1 . these modified image attributes are then written into the appropriate image file overwriting the previous values . once the images are thus modified a final software module , a dicom storage scu , is invoked to transfer the images to the desired destination ( normally a permanent storage device or image display workstation ) via the dicom communication protocol . in terms of time , it is believed that , with riot , each individual series can be acquired more rapidly than a single series acquired with 0 % skip by conventional techniques . this speed is the result of utilizing a 100 % skip instead of the conventional 0 - 20 % skip . the total acquisition time for 4 series ( regardless of the sequence ) is believed to be less than that of any high resolution volumetric sequence . the total acquisition time of 8 series will be similar to that of a high resolution volumetric sequence ( for most sequences ). however , experimentation indicates that the total acquisition times are dramatically reduced using an ultra fast sequence such as true - fisp . in fact , the true - fisp sequence is the preferred sequence for most reconstructions as it displays high resolution despite its fast acquisition time . fig5 ( a )-( d ) depict a 3d reconstruction derived from phantom images utilizing a true - fisp sequence for a ( 1 ) conventional non - riot sequence with 4 mm slice thickness and a 0 % skip ( fig5 ( a )), ( 2 ) two interleaved riot series , with slices having a 4 mm slice thickness and a 100 % skip ( fig5 ( b )); ( 3 ) four interleaved riot series , with slices having a 4 mm slice thickness and a 100 % skip ( fig5 ( c )); and ( 4 ) eight interleaved riot series , with slices having a 4 mm slice thickness and a 100 % skip ( fig5 ( d )). fig7 ( a ) depicts a 3d reconstruction for true - fisp riot data acquired with a 100 % overlap . fig7 ( b ) depicts a coronal mpr for true - fisp riot data acquired with a 100 % overlap . with true - fisp , the total time required to acquire 8 series through an adult knee is 3 minutes . a high resolution volumetric sequence such as 3 - d vibe ( see fig6 for a 3d - vibe sequence of a phantom ) will take approximately 15 minutes . depending on the pathology , a longer sequence , such as a t1 - weighted sequence , may be indicated for better definition . however , as stated earlier , riot may be applied to any 2d sequence technique . although riot was conceived for the purpose of improving 3 - d and multi - planar reconstructions , its impact on cross - sectional imaging is also believed to be profound . the reason for this is that because each individual series is acquired with a 100 % gap between slices , “ cross - talk ” ( which results in decreased snr with thinner slices in conventional sequences ), is no longer an issue . using conventional non - riot techniques , slice thicknesses less than 2 . 5 mm will exhibit poor snr , at times rendering images non - diagnostic . riot allows for even thinner slice reconfigurations ( i . e ., 1 mm ). in addition , some sequences will not allow slice thicknesses below a certain value due to sar limitations . with riot , thinner slices will not result in increased sar , regardless of the sequence . this is due to the fact that the thinner slices are not acquired contiguously , ( i . e . in one series ). the result is improved resolution without loss of snr ( unlike with conventional 2 - d and volumetric sequences ). as noted , with riot , 4 series , each acquired at 4 mm , slices can be reconfigured into a single series segmented at 2 mm thick slices with a 50 % overlap . likewise , 8 such series can also be reconfigured into a single series segmented into 1 mm thick slices with 100 % overlap , without sacrificing snr . the thinner slices of the composite data sets will have identical snr as the original data sets . therefore , riot allows for thinner slices with both excellent resolution and excellent snr . this will yield 3d reconstructions that surpass those of high resolution volumetric sequences ( see fig5 ( c ), ( d ), 6 , 7 ( a )). experimentation also indicates that mpr &# 39 ; s and 3d images generated from just two interleaved series , each acquired with 4 mm thick slices and 100 % gap ( which in effect yields a series of 4 mm thick slices , with 0 skip and zero overlap ), exhibit better resolution and snr than those generated using the same sequence with the same slice thickness and 0 skip ( compare fig5 ( a ) and ( b )). yet , the acquisition time for both techniques is identical . therefore , it is believed that riot will also improve the diagnostic quality of cross - sectional images , which is especially important when focusing on detailed structures . it is worth noting that although riot is believed to enhance the inherent capability of any 2d sequence in terms of resolution and snr , it is not believe that riot will overcome limitations inherent to a particular sequence ( such as chemical shift artifact ). the present invention is also believed to be suitable for use with ct scanners . ct experimentation for riot was carried out with scans performed on a siemens sensations 16 row detector ct scanner manufactured by siemens medical systems of erlangen , germany . two ct data sets of 2 × 1 mm were generated from a ct data set acquired with 1 . 5 mm collimation at 5 mm slice thickness . the starting position of the second data set was 1 mm below the first . both series were combined into a composite data set sorted by tp to yield a single data set of 1 × 1 mm with 100 % overlap . this preliminary data suggests that interleaving may be possible with ct . it is believed that the application of riot to ct will result in even higher quality imaging than is currently possible with existing multi - detector technology . in summary , riot allows for much higher quality 2d as well as mpr and 3d images with relatively little time cost . more importantly , it can be applied to most mr sequences ( all except volumetric acquisitions ). accordingly , it is believed that riot can improve mr imaging overall whether 2d or 3d image sets . finally , and most importantly , it is believed that riot will increase diagnostic accuracy , particularly when dealing with small anatomy which could particularly advantageously impact pediatric mr imaging . while the present invention has been described above in relation to its preferred embodiment , various modifications may be made thereto that still fall within the invention &# 39 ; s scope , as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art . for example , in the preferred embodiment where 4 mm slices were acquired via riot to achieve a 50 % overlap , series 1 was acquired beginning at a initial table position of tp ( 0 mm ), series 2 was acquired beginning at a initial table position of tp ( 2 mm ), series 3 was acquired beginning at a initial table position of tp ( 4 mm ), and series 4 was acquired beginning at a initial table position of tp ( 6 mm ). however , the nature of initial table position adjustments need not necessarily be sequential . for example , series 2 can be acquired beginning at a initial table position of tp ( 4 mm ), series 3 can be acquired beginning at a initial table position of tp ( 6 mm ), and series 4 can be acquired beginning at a initial table position of tp ( 2 mm ). moreover , the examples given herein are described in terms of a 50 % overlap ( 4 image series ) or a 100 % overlap ( 8 image series ), but it should be noted that other overlap percentages ( e . g ., 200 %) could also be used in the practice or riot . these and other modifications to the invention will be recognizable upon review of the teachings herein . as such , the full scope of the present invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims and their legal equivalents . sampling theory is used to increase the slice resolution in imaging for the two most common methods of three - dimensional imaging — multi - slice 2d and 3d imaging . in this discussion , a methodology is outlined for using multi - slice 2d imaging to increase the spatial resolution without the corresponding decrease in measured signal . drawing on the mathematical framework in haacke et al referenced above , the 2d image projected along z is as shown in fig1 ( a ), the voxel value is the area under the curve of p ( z ) where δ is the thickness of the area to be examined under constant x and y where p ( z ) represents the distribution of the protons and it is assumed that p ( z ) is a well behaved function in the domain { 0 , δ } which we can partition ( as shown in fig1 ( b )) and then write the equation as this property can be used to overcome sar and the slice thickness issue of snr and resolution . to do this , a slice sequence is defined for a multi - slice measurement as follows ( 1 , 3 , 5 . . . ) and after the selected area of examination is completed , the region is re - scanned with a slice shift as shown below . lets define p n for the voxel value at the n th slice and a i j for the area under given by as the voxel value for a slice of thickness δ at position iδ to jδ . in fig1 , each segment is of length δ and the thickness of each slice s i will vary from 4 - 6 δ and have an offset from nδ from the initial start position . to better illustrate the slices , they are depicted in fig1 in different grayscale colors and slightly raised to show their relative positions . which can be solved if the determinant of the matrix is not equal to zero . this operation will need to be done for each voxel and the number of slices and the slice shift needs to be selected such that the linear system of equations generated can be solved for the matrix of a i j . it should be noted that solution is not unique and various combinations of slice thickness and slice positions will yield results . this analytical solution is computationally intensive and various approximate solutions can be used to solve for the matrix of a i j . | 6 |
hals monomers and some of its derivatives may be prepared by any of the methods that are known in the art including those disclosed in patents no . jp 53015385 28 ( july 1978 ), swiss ch 610898 ( may 15 , 1979 ), swiss ch 605927 ( october 1978 ), brit . gb 1492494 ( november 1977 ) and literature : t . tsuchiya and h . sashida , heterocycles , 14 , 1925 - 8 ( 1980 ). hals namely 2 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetramethyl piperidine and 2 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetramethyl - 4 - piperidinol may be prepared by synthetic route disclosed by w . b . lutz , s . lazams and r . i . meltzer , j qrg chem - i 14 , 530 ( 1949 ) where as the hydroxy benzotriazoles can be prepared by any of the above mentioned methods , disclosed in the patents and literature . all these patents and literature are incorporated herein by reference . the present invention relates to a novel photo - stabilizer ; tp - hals a hals coupled to an uv absorber and their derivatives . this class of compounds is added to the polymers in order to improve their photo - stability and in turn their life span they can also be used to obtain photo - stable coatings and paints for out - door applications . hals and benzotriazoles are found to be compatible with polyolefins , polycarbonate , and a variety of diene elastomers . the novel photo - stabilizer synthesized by the process of the invention bears two different active sites in the same molecule , which are known to work in synergism . the hindered amine site acts as a radical scavenger and the bezotriazole site acts as an uv absorber , thus avoiding the addition of two different additives to the polymer . moreover , coupling these two different photo - stabilizers not only increase the active sites but also help in increasing the overall molecular weight of the stabilizer , thus decreasing the possibility of its loss due to evaporation , migration / leaching and extraction . these additives have even found applications in a variety of polymers used for food storage , consumer care products and pharmaceuticals , preserving the packaging content from the detrimental effect of high heat and harmful radiation . moreover , the literature also shows their agricultural applications . the deterioration of polymeric materials is an inevitable phenomenon and it occurs mainly due to their exposure to the uv portion of sunlight reaching the earth &# 39 ; s surface . the net result of degradation is the loss in the molecular weight and macroscopic physical properties . in order to avoid this loss different types of photo - stabilizers have been devised that protect the polymeric substrate from detrimental effect of light . the compatible and mobile light stabilizers usually prove to be the best choice to attain the desired photostability . most of these stabilizers are commercially available and are successfully employed , single and / or in combination with other stabilizers for the polymer stabilization . researchers have even attempted to study the combined effect of screeners , quenchers , ultraviolet absorbers and thermal stabilizers . ample literature on the synthesis and application of these photostabilizers is available . depending upon the type of combination , the effect of the stabilizers can be synergistic and / or antagonistic . the efficacy of the stabilizer depends on many factors viz . type of combination , proportion of additive , compatibility with the polymer and molecular weight of the stabilizer . hindered amine light stabilizer ( hals ) and benzotriazole based uv absorbers are known to work in synergism . moreover , there is hardly any literature on the synthesis of the coupled derivatives of hals and uv absorbers . the uv absorber of the invention overcomes the prior art disadvantages listed above . this invention provides a novel photo - stabilizer : tinuvin p - hindered amine light stabilizer ( tp - hals ) and its derivatives . the derivatives of conventional hals and benzotriazoles have enhanced photo - stabilization effect , and are useful as additives in a variety of polymers used for food storage , consumer care products ( viz . sunscreen / anti - aging lotions ) and pharmaceuticals , preserving the packaging content intact . the process of the present invention is described herein below with reference to the following examples which are illustrative and should not be construed to limit the scope of the present invention in any manner whatsoever . this compound was synthesized strictly under dry and inert reaction conditions . in a 100 ml capacity round bottom . flask ( rb ) 2 -( 2 ′- hydroxy - 5 ′- bromomethyl phenyl ) benzotriazole ( 3 . 0 gms , 0 . 00986m ) was taken along with imidazole ( 2 . 1 gm , 0 . 0295 m ) and an inert atmosphere applied using argon gas . 10 ml of dry pyridine was added and the reaction mixture agitated for 20 - 60 min . the reaction mixture becomes very thick and difficult to stir . to this mixture , tert - butyl dimethyl silyl chloride ( 5 . 2 g , 0 . 0345 m ) was added under inert condition and agitation of reaction mixture was continued for 10 - 14 hrs . after checking the tlc for the completion of the reaction , the pyridine from the rb was evaporated to dryness under vacuum . the contents of the rb were consequently dissolved in 15 ml dichloromethane . the insoluble mass was filtered off and the mother liquor was evaporated under vacuum to give ( a semi crystalline rust coloured compound ) 2 -( 2 ′- tert - butyl - di - metylsilyloxy - 5 ′- bromomethylphenyl ) benzotriazole . the crude product weighed 3 . 30 gms to give 80 % yield . this was purified using column chromatography employing a suitable solvent system . the yield of the pure compound was 76 % and its mp . 162 - 164 ° c . this compound was synthesized strictly under dry and inert reaction conditions . the compound 2 -( 2 ′- tert - butyl - di - metylsilyloxy - 5 ′- bromomethylphenyl ) benzotriazole ( 2 . 1 gms , 0 . 00501 m ) was taken in one 25 ml capacity rb and dissolved in 8 ml dry dimethylformamide ( dmf ) under argon atmosphere with stirring . in another two - necked rb , 1 , 2 , 2 , 6 , 6 - pentamethyl - 4 - piperidinol ( 1 . 0356 gm , 0 . 00601 m ) and sodium - hydride ( 0 . 3 gms , 0 . 01252 m ) were taken and dissolved in 6 ml dry dmf with stirring under argon atmosphere . this reaction mixture was agitated for almost 60 min and then cooled to 4 - 8 ° c . to this reaction mixture the contents of the first rb was added gradually over a period of 30 - 60 min . this reaction mixture was further agitated for 2 - 4 hrs followed by refluxing the same for a period of 2 - 4 hrs . the contents of the rb were cooled to room temperature and further agitated for 4 - 6 hrs at room temperature . the solvent in the rb was evaporated under reduced pressure and the solid mass in the rb was dissolved in 15 ml water and repeatedly extracted with dichloromethane ( 4 × 10 ml ). dichloromethane was then evaporated under vacuum at 38 ° c . over a rotavapor to give pale yellow colored crystalline product 2 -[ 2 ′- tert - butyldimetylsilyloxy - 5 ′- methyleneoxy (( 1 ″, 2 ″, 2 ″, 6 ″, 6 ″- pentamethyl - 4 ″- piperidinyl ) phenyl ) benzotriazole . the tlc showed very little amount of unreacted starting material . the crude yield was 2 . 22 gms ( 87 %). the product was purified by recrystalization technique using an appropriate organic solvent to get ( 83 %) yield of pure product . the compound 2 -[ 2 ′- tert - butyldimetylsilyloxy - 5 ′- methyieneoxy (( 1 ″, 2 ″, 2 ″, 6 ″, 6 ″- pentamethyl - 4 ″- piperidinyl ) phenyl ) benzotriazole ( 2 . 0 g , 0 . 003937 m ) was taken in an rb with a tetrabutyl ammonium fluoride [ 4 . 71 ml , 0 . 004724 m ( 1 . 0 m solution in thf )] and the reaction mixture agitated at room temperature for 1 - 3 hrs under anhydrous conditions , followed by addition of 10 ml water and extraction of the product in dcm ( 4 × 10 ml ). the solvent was dried with anhydrous magnesium sulfate after neutralization with anhydrous potassium carbonate . evaporating the solvent gave the product 2 -[ 2 ′- tert - butyldimetylsilyloxy - 5 ′- methyleneoxy (( 1 ″, 2 ″, 2 ″, 6 ″, 6 ″- pentamethyl - 4 ″- piperidinyl ) phenyl ) benzotriazole with a crude yield of 1 . 39 gms ( 90 %). 2 . the process comprises of commonly available organic reagents and employs mild reaction conditions . 4 . reaction can be , carried out via very facile route with very simple and moderate reaction conditions . | 2 |
fig1 shows a schematic cross section through the most important parts of a sample - combustion oven 1 in an embodiment suitable for implementing the method in accordance with the invention , into which a substantially elongated cylindrical ceramic reaction vessel 2 ( the outline of which is represented in the figure by a dashed line ) can be set . this has at its lower end ( cold end of the oven ) a tubular outlet with a diameter in the range between 6 and 10 mm , which can easily be cleaned from below in order to remove salt deposits . the oven 1 comprises a first , upper heating zone 3 , in which according to this embodiment a maximal temperature of 800 ° c . can be reached , and a second , lower heating zone 4 in which the maximal temperature is 1250 ° c . the two heating zones are heated by means of heating wires 5 , 6 in the form of hollow cylinders made of a special high - temperature - resistant alloy , namely the material kanthal - fibrothal ®, which are disposed around the respective section of the reaction vessel 2 . the upper and the lower heating zones comprise ceramic - fibre insulators 7 and 8 , which differ in thickness because of the different maximal temperatures ; the foot region , i . e . the region 10 a , 10 b between the heating zones , and the region 11 a , 11 b below an aluminium cover 12 are also insulated by ceramic fibres . a device ( not shown in the figure ) for charging with the sample and supplying carrier gas is also provided , in the region above the cover 12 . the oven construction shown in fig1 and described above advantageously enables the long - term production of high temperatures , generated especially in the second , lower heating zone 4 , while the special insulation both contributes to a tolerable energy consumption and eliminates potential danger to the surroundings . an aqueous sample introduced into this combustion oven is decomposed by catalyzer - free combustion at no less than 1200 ° c ., preferably about 1250 ° c ., in such a way that the various phosphorus fractions it contains are all converted to orthophosphate and are thus made accessible for demonstration by the known and standardized demonstration methods ( in particular blue and yellow methods ), as has been confirmed by the inventor . fig2 is a sketch to show in principle the overall construction of a measurement apparatus 13 for determining the various substances contained in drainage water or water intended for use . as the main component of this apparatus 13 , the combustion oven 1 illustrated in fig1 and described above is shown ; alternatively , however , another type of combustion oven ( possibly with radiant heating ) can occupy this position . for the sake of better clarity parts not essential to the invention , such as might serve for calibration and cleaning of the measurement apparatus , have been omitted from this sketch - like representation . likewise not shown is a controlling unit ( controller ), which controls the entire sequence of events comprising the sample decomposition and measurement processes , and for this purpose is of course connected to the main blocking , transport , heating and demonstration devices in this apparatus . the implementation and operation of such a control device , on the basis of the procedural description given here and the construction of the apparatus as explained below , is within the scope of a person skilled in the art . associated with the combustion oven 1 , as a core item in the measurement apparatus 13 , on the input side there is a carrier - gas storage container 14 to provide carrier gas for the measurement processes , with attached thereto the input - valve device 15 . in addition , the oven has a heating - control unit 17 to control the electrical heating of the oven , and a sample - feeding device 18 to feed the sample into a sample - injection valve 19 of the oven . the sample - feeding device 18 comprises a sample reservoir 20 , such as can be disposed for example at the inlet of a clarification plant , an injection unit 21 , which is transportably mounted on a carrier 22 , and an associated transport controller 23 . the syringe unit 21 comprises a dosing syringe 24 and a stepping motor 25 to achieve precisely controllable actuation of the syringe and hence the dosage of a predetermined sample volume . at the outlet of the oven 1 a first cooling stage 26 is disposed , which comprises a cooling - trap unit 27 , a peltier cooler 28 and an associated temperature controller 29 with t - sensor 29 a at or in the cooling - trap unit 27 . downstream from the first cooling stage 26 is a second cooling stage 30 , which comprises a cooling block 31 with associated peltier cooler 32 and , to control the latter , a temperature - control unit 33 with t - sensor 33 a . at the first cooling stage 26 is disposed another syringe unit 34 which in analogy to the syringe unit 21 for supplying the combustion oven 1 comprises an injection syringe 35 with stepping motor 36 for its precisely controlled actuation . in addition , this syringe unit 34 is likewise mounted on a transport carrier 37 , with which is associated a transport - control unit 38 for transporting the syringe unit into a second operating position . the latter is above a flow - through cuvette 39 , into which the needle of the injection syringe 35 can be inserted , as into the cooling trap 27 . this second operating position is indicated by a dashed line , as is the initial operating position of the syringe unit 21 . attached to an input of the flow - through cuvette 39 , by way of a pump 40 , is a reagent container 41 in which a chemical needed for the photometric phosphorus detection is stored . the flow - through cuvette 39 projects into a photometer unit 42 which is designed for photometric analysis of an aqueous sample flowing through the flow - through cuvette 39 , and the outlet of which is connected to a phosphorus - evaluation stage 43 . at the outlet of the second cooling stage 30 the output conduit 44 of the combustion oven 1 divides into two branches , one leading to an no detector 45 which on its outlet side is connected to a nitrogen ( tn ) evaluation stage 46 , and the other to a co 2 detector 47 which on its outlet side is connected to a carbon ( toc ) evaluation stage 48 . the way the measurement apparatus 13 functions will already be largely evident from the above explanations of the method in accordance with the invention , but is again briefly summarized as follows . by means of the first syringe unit 21 an aqueous sample is taken out of the reservoir 20 , transported to the combustion oven 1 and injected into the oven . at the temperatures to which the interior has been set , the sample is vaporized and burned almost instantaneously , and the resulting combustion gas is transported from the oven into the output conduit 44 , along with a carrier - gas stream supplied by the carrier - gas reservoir 14 . in the condenser the combustion / carrier gas stream is cooled down to a first cooling temperature , at which a condensate is formed in the cooling trap 27 . a predetermined amount of this condensate is withdrawn by means of the second syringe unit 34 and is placed in the flow - through cuvette 39 , where it is mixed with the reagent provided by the pump 40 in order to enable a photometric detection process , and is then sent to the photometer unit 42 for phosphorus detection . in the second cooling stage 30 the combustion / carrier gas stream is cooled to a second cooling temperature near 0 ° c ., and at the output side of the cooling stage the gas is sent to the detectors 45 and 47 for the demonstration of no and co 2 . when the demonstration processes in the detectors 42 , 45 and 47 have produced results , the respective evaluation stages 43 , 46 and 48 determine the total phosphorus content ( tp ), the total nitrogen content ( tn ) and the total content of organic carbon ( toc ) of the aqueous sample that was taken from the reservoir 20 and decomposed in the combustion oven 1 . fig3 shows the structure of the cooling trap 27 in greater detail , in a cross - sectional drawing . in a block 27 a representing the basic body an input section 27 b has been constructed , by way of which the cooling trap 27 is in communication with the output of the combustion oven 1 , and through which a combustion / carrier gas stream g enters . the input section 27 b opens into a vertical bore 27 c , in the lower region of which during cooling of the gas stream a condensate k is deposited . in the upper region of the basic body 27 a an additional horizontal passage section 27 d is provided , which opens into the bore 27 c and by way of which the cooled and condensate - free combustion / carrier gas stream g ′ is finally guided to the second cooling stage 30 . a plug 27 e closes the lower end of the bore 27 c . the embodiment of the invention is not limited to the example explained above and the aspects emphasized here , but is also possible in a large number of modifications that are within the scope of a person skilled in the art . in particular the two - stage cooling arrangement described can be replaced by a simple , single - stage gas - liquid separator , and also with respect to the sample - supply arrangement employing the first syringe unit and / or to the mounting and transport of the second syringe unit simplifications are possible in the interest of cost reduction , in particular by elimination of the associated electronically controlled transport mechanism . | 6 |
as is shown in fig1 the conventional method for removing hcn from overhead from a fcc riser column 10 is to direct the overhead hydrocarbonaceous gas stream via conduit 12 into main distillation column 14 . this gas stream contains in addition to hcn , lower boiling point hydrocarbons e . g . c 1 to c 4 , hydrogen sulfide , sulfur dioxide , and carbon disulfide . higher boiling point hydrocarbons are removed from main distillation column 14 via conduit 20 while lower boiling point components including hcn are removed from column 14 via conduit 16 . conduit 16 directs these lower boiling components including hcn into water wash 18 where the cn - ions are absorbed into the water . this water containing the cn - ions is removed from water wash 18 via conduit 24 and directed into sour water stripper 30 . unabsorbed gases are removed from water wash 18 via conduit 22 and feed into accumulator 26 where additional entrained water is separated from the gas . separated water from the accumulator is removed therefrom by conduit 28 into sour water stripper 30 where it is combined with the wash water from vessel 18 . substantially cn - free gas is removed from accumulator 26 via conduit 36 where it is utilized in the refinery operations or flared . water containing cn - ions is removed from sour water stripper 30 via conduit 32 and sent to a disposal unit to reduce the cyanide concentration to environmentally acceptable levels . in a preferred embodiment of this invention , overhead from the fcc riser column and the main distillation column are processed in the conventional manner . however , water wash 18 is replaced by reactor 34 as is depicted in fig2 . reactor 34 contains a bed for the removal of hcn . the material in the bed is comprised of catalyst which is selected from a member of the group consisting of mgo / sio 2 , sno 2 , li 2 o , and vanadia / titania . hydrocarbonaceous gas containing hcn is allowed to remain in contact with said catalyst under conditions and for a time sufficient to convert hcn to nh 3 while avoiding degradation or polymerization of olefinic hydrocarbons contained in said gas stream . the preferred operating conditions are a space velocity of about 100 to about 100 , 000 hr - 1 and the temperature is from about 150 ° to about 500 ° c . water vapor entrained in the hydrocarbonaceous gas will generally be sufficient to accomplish the required conversion of hcn to nh 3 . if additional water is required it can be added to the reactor in the form of steam to obtain the desired conversion . the conversion process is monitored to remove hcn impurities from the gaseous process stream at commercially practical temperatures and space velocities to the desired low concentrations . since the gas stream containing hcn contains other species of commercial value , e . g . c 1 to c 4 hydrocarbons , the catalyst composition and operating conditions are controlled so that these species are not degraded by the catalyst . for example , strong acid sites on the catalyst may need to be neutralized to prevent polymerization of olefinic compounds such as propenes and butenes , or the temperature of operation may need to be limited to prevent oxidation of hydrocarbons . the conversion of a gaseous stream in accordance with this invention is intended to encompass a fixed bed operation as well as the use of a moving or fluidized absorbent bed . the particular method of contacting the gaseous stream with the adsorbent is not critical for purposes of this invention . the removal of impurities other than hcn that exit from the gaseous stream may be advantageously carried out in a primary purification step using regenerable liquid adsorbents which are known in the art . thus , for example , gaseous sulfur compounds , such as h 2 s and so 2 may be suitably removed from the process stream prior to removal of hcn using a liquid solution of ethanol - amines or alkali hydroxides . similarly , a portion of the hcn in the process stream may be initially removed by the aforementioned adsorbents or in an ammonia solution prior to reducing the hcn content to the desired final concentrations in accordance with the present invention . hydrocarbonaceous gas emitted from reactor 34 via conduit 22 is monitored to maintain a desired level of hcn removal and nh 3 conversion . this converted gas stream is afterwards directed into accumulator 26 . in accumulator 26 additional entrained water containing nh 3 is separated from the gas . substantially water and hcn free gas is removed from the accumulator by conduit 36 . separated nh 3 and water from the accumulator are removed therefrom by conduit 28 into sour water stripper 30 . substantially cn - free gas from accumulator 26 is utilized in the refinery operations or flared . substantially cn - free water containing nh 3 ions is removed from sour water stripper 30 via conduit 32 and sent to a disposal unit for facilitated disposal since the cyanide concentration therein has been reduced to environmentally acceptable levels . in order to demonstrate the efficacy of this novel process , tests were run on hcn containing streams over the catalysts of this invention . ______________________________________ ppm ppm ppmcatalyst temp . (° c .) inlet hcn exit hcn exit nh . sub . 3______________________________________mgo / sio . sub . 2 400 100 0 100sno . sub . 2 500 100 2 82lio . sub . 2 o / sio . sub . 2 500 100 21 70______________________________________ obviously , many other variations and modifications of this invention as previously set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as those skilled in the art readily understand . such variations and modifications are considered part of this invention and within the purview and scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
referring first to fig1 - 4 , there is shown a portable bar code laser scanner 100 and a reader . a housing 101 contains the electronics and optics of the unit . it is a bi - part shell having left 12 and right 14 portions which are assembled together along a parting plane 16 where the portions interconnect . the housing is similar to that disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 200 , 597 , referenced above , but has in addition on its head a scanner window frame , called a boot 110 , of elastomeric material ( rubber like ) which is adapted to receive the head of bar code laser scanner . the boot 110 captures a window 250 or other optical element , against the face of the forward end of the housing . fig1 shows the housing as a bi - part case having two halves 12 and 14 assembled to define a parting line 16 . fig2 shows the scanner with the boot 110 removed , and fig3 is a sectional view of the scanner 100 taken along line 3 -- 3 of fig1 . 202 ribs or tabs secure the boot . the exterior dimensions of the head of the scanner which receives the boot ( in the nose part 247 of the head ) are slightly less than those of the rest of the head , which do not receive the boot . the boot can then be essentially flush with the exterior of the housing in the back of the nose 243 . in fact , the dimensions at the face 240 on the front end 242 of the nose 243 of the head are nearly equal those at the back 210 of the head . the face 240 of the nose 243 defines a frame containing a step or ledge 245 . the front end of the boot has a shoulder 249 ( fig5 ) along its top and bottom and left and right sides . fig4 is a sectional view of the scanner 100 with the boot mounted thereon and taken along line 4 -- 4 of fig3 . boot 110 has detents 230 which are adapted to receive tabs 202 . the step 245 provides a shoulder at the face 240 . this shoulder defines a rectangular opening in which the optical element ( e . g . the window 250 , though it could be another optical element ) is received and held in position . the resilience of the boot assures a snug fit of the element . window 250 has four sides ; its top and bottom sides , as well as its left and right sides , fit in close relation inside and upon shoulder ( also called a step or ledge ) 245 at the scanners face 240 . in other words window 250 is held in place by the rubber boot 110 , the front end opening of which is of smaller dimensions than window 250 so that the top , bottom and right and left sides define a rubber lip 270 , 249 ( shown in perspective view in fig5 ), will retain window 250 against shoulder 240 . fig4 also shows the interior structure of the head , and in particular shows how ribs 202 which are integral with housing 101 in its nose 243 catch the indentations or detents . | 6 |
the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown . fig2 and 3 are flowcharts illustrating a method of tracking a swimming path of a bacterium according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , fig4 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for obtaining an image of a bacterium from a solid surface , fig5 is an enlarged diagram of part “ a ” represented in fig4 , and fig6 to 9 are schematic diagrams illustrating a process of modeling the shape of a bacterium as an ellipsoid based on an image of the bacterium obtained by the apparatus shown in fig4 . referring to fig2 to 9 , a swimming path of an ellipsoidal bacterium is tracked by the method of tracking a swimming path of a bacterium . in this embodiment , rp437 bacterium is used as the ellipsoidal bacterium . the rp437 bacterium is generally formed in an ellipsoidal shape that has a 2 μm major axis and an 800 nm minor axis . the method of tracking a swimming path of a bacterium , as illustrated in fig2 , comprises : a transfection step ( s 100 ); a solid surface treatment step ( s 200 ); a swimming step ( s 300 ); an evanescent field formation step ( s 400 ); an image acquisition step ( s 500 ); and a shape and position setting step ( s 600 ). in the transfection step ( s 100 ), a fluorescent gene , for example , a known enhanced green fluorescent protein ( egfp ) gene , is transfected into the rp 437 bacterium . here , the egfp gene is excited at an energy level with a wavelength of 488 nm . the transfection is a widely known process performed using a plasmid , and thus its detailed description will be omitted here . the rp437 bacterium is transfected with the egfp genes to form rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium . the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium is cultivated in a shaking incubator at 150 rpm for 6 hrs at 30 ° c . in the solid surface treatment step ( s 200 ), a solid surface 50 illustrated in fig4 is treated to be electrically neutral . this surface treatment is carried out by applying a surface treatment material produced by merck & amp ; co ., inc . ( extran ma02 ) onto the solid surface , i . e ., a bottom surface 51 thereof . the surface treatment cleans the bottom surface 51 of the solid and prevents electrostatic attraction between the bacterium and the bottom surface 51 of the solid . here , the solid surface 50 is a prism formed of glass . in the swimming step ( s 300 ), the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium is disposed in a swimming space 53 marked by a dotted line in fig5 and swims therein . the swimming space 53 is formed between the bottom surface 51 of the solid and an imaginary surface 52 parallel to the bottom surface 51 . also , the swimming space 53 is formed by putting a cellophane tape 40 on a glass substrate 30 , cutting a middle part of the cellophane tape 40 to form a concave well 41 , and contacting the solid surface 50 onto the cellophane tape 40 . thus , as illustrated in fig5 , the swimming space 53 is formed in a space formed by an inner sidewall of the well 41 and the bottom surface 51 of the solid . also , the swimming space 53 is fully filled with a medium . the swimming space 53 may be formed to various depths . however , to observe regular movement of the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium , the swimming space 53 may be formed to a depth of 10 μm or less . in the evanescent field formation step ( s 400 ), an evanescent field 54 is formed to a certain thickness from the bottom surface 51 of the solid in the swimming space 53 . the evanescent field 54 , as illustrated in fig4 , is formed by reflecting a laser beam with a wavelength of 488 nm generated by an argon - ion laser generator 10 by a pair of reflectors 20 , applying it to the solid surface 50 , and totally reflecting it from the bottom surface 51 of the solid . it is known that the evanescent field 54 is an electromagnetic field whose intensity exponentially decreases in proportion to the distance from the surface of total reflection , i . e ., the bottom surface 51 of the solid . also , the thickness ( z p ) of the evanescent field 54 may be theoretically calculated by the following & lt ; formula 1 & gt ;, as disclosed in hecht e ( 2002 ), “ optics ”, 4 th edition , addison - wesley , reading , mass ., pp 124 - 127 , and k . d . kihm , a . banerjee , c . k . choi , t . takagi , 2004 , “ near - wall hindered brownian diffusion of nanoparticles examined by three - dimensional ratiometric total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy ( 3 - d r - tirfm )”, experiments in fluids , vol . 37 , pp 811 - 824 . here , z p denotes the thickness of the evanescent field 54 , θ i denotes the angle of incidence ( rad ) of a laser beam on the solid surface 50 , n 1 denotes the refractive index of the solid surface 50 , n 2 denotes the refractive index of a medium , and λ denotes the wavelength ( nm ) of a laser beam . with a θ i of 1 . 104 rad , an n 1 of 1 . 515 which is the refractive index of the solid formed of glass , an n 2 of 1 . 3338 , and a λ of 488 nm , formula 1 yields a z p of about 170 nm . accordingly , in this embodiment , the evanescent field is formed to a thickness of about 170 nm . in the image acquisition step ( s 500 ), as illustrated in fig4 , a camera 60 is installed under the glass substrate 30 and pictures are taken of the rp437 bacterium in which the egfp gene is expressed at different moments obtaining images of the bacterium at the respective moments . here , the images of the rp437 bacterium in which the egfp gene is expressed , that is , the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium , are images of a bacterium emitting light in the evanescent field . to be specific , when the entire bacterium is disposed in the evanescent field , an image of the entire bacterium may be obtained , but when only a part of the bacterium is disposed in the evanescent field , only a partial image of the bacterium can be obtained . in this embodiment , a partial image of the bacterium is obtained because the size of the bacterium is larger than the thickness of the evanescent field . also , the image of the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium contains information on emission intensity . the picture of the bacterium is taken from the underside of the glass substrate and thus is a two - dimensional image on the bottom surface 51 of the solid as illustrated in fig6 . here , the bottom surface 51 of the solid is set as an x - y plane for convenience . in the image and position setting step ( s 600 ), the images of the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium obtained at the respective moments are fitted to an ellipsoidal shape , thereby setting the relative position of the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium with respect to the bottom surface 51 of the solid as well as the shape of the bacterium as an ellipsoid , which is the actual shape of the bacterium , unlike in the conventional art . more particularly , observing the process of fitting the bacterium to an ellipsoidal shape and setting its position relative to the bottom surface 51 of the solid with reference to fig3 , the shape and position setting step ( s 600 ) includes a central axis setting step ( s 610 ), an emission point setting step ( s 620 ), a vertical distance setting step ( s 630 ), an emission point arrangement step ( s 640 ), a fitting step ( s 650 ), a modeling step ( s 660 ), and a swimming path determination step ( s 670 ). in the central axis setting step ( s 610 ), several emission points a are first set on the images of the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium obtained at the respective moments . here , the emission points a are arranged at equal intervals as illustrated in fig6 and have an emission intensity higher than a threshold . the threshold is set based on emission intensity of a noise part included in the image of the bacterium , which is set to be 30 % higher than the emission intensity of the noise part in this embodiment . after that , a central axis l of the emission point a , as illustrated in fig6 , may be set on the bottom surface 51 of the solid , i . e ., an x - y plane , by applying a known linear least square fitting method to the emission point a at the respective moments . as such , the central axis l at the respective moments corresponds to a central axis of the image of the rp437 - pgfpmut2 bacterium at the moment . in the emission point setting step ( s 620 ), several emission points b are set on respective central axes l at the respective moments . here , the emission points b are arranged at equal intervals as illustrated in fig7 and 8 , and have an emission intensity higher than a threshold . and , the threshold is set to be 30 % higher than the emission intensity of the noise part as described above . in the vertical distance setting step ( s 630 ), the emission intensity of each emission point b arranged on the central axis at the respective moments is first compared with a predetermined reference value . here , the reference value is emission intensity of the bacterium emitting at an interface between the bottom surface 51 of the solid and the evanescent field 54 . after that , the vertical distance ( δh ) between each emission point b and the bottom surface 51 of the solid is determined using the following & lt ; formula 2 & gt ;. here , formula 2 represents the relationship between energy level and displacement in the evanescent field , which is already disclosed in hecht e ( 2002 ) “ optics ”, 4 th edition , addison - wesley , reading , mass ., pp 124 - 127 , and k . d . kihm , a . banerjee , c . k . choi , t . takagi , 2004 , “ near - wall hindered brownian diffusion of nanoparticles examined by three - dimensional ratiometric total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy ( 3 - d r - tirfm )”, experiments in fluids , vol . 37 , pp 811 - 824 . here , i 1 denotes the emission intensity of each emission point b , i 2 denotes the reference value , z p denotes the thickness ( nm ) of the evanescent field , and δh denotes the vertical distance ( nm ) of each emission point b . in the emission point arrangement step ( s 640 ), by using the vertical distance δh of each emission point b set by formula 2 at the respective moments , the emission point b is arranged on a z - l plane as illustrated in fig8 . here , the z - l plane is an imaginary vertical plane perpendicular to the bottom surface 51 of the solid and including the central axis l . in the fitting step ( s 650 ), emission points b ′ arranged on the imaginary vertical plane at the respective moments are fitted to an oval shape , thereby determining an image of the bacterium on the imaginary vertical plane as an oval , as illustrated in fig9 . since the oval shape of the bacterium determined in this way may vary depending on various factors such as the sizes of major and minor axes , the sizes of at least the major and minor axes of the bacterium have to be determined before fitting it to the oval shape . for example , the rp437 bacterium is used in this embodiment , and thus the sizes of its major and minor axes are set to 2 μm and 800 nm , respectively , before fitting it to an oval shape . in the modeling step ( s 660 ), by using the oval image of the bacterium determined in the fitting step ( s 650 ), the shape of the bacterium in the swimming space 53 at the respective moments is modeled as an ellipsoid . that is , the oval bacterium determined in the fitting step ( s 650 ) may be rotated based on the major axis , thereby modeling a three - dimensional image of the bacterium in the swimming space 53 . in the swimming path determination step ( s 670 ), centers of the bacterium at the respective moments are determined from the three - dimensional shape of the bacterium modeled in the modeling step ( s 660 ). then , the centers of the bacterium at the respective moments are connected by straight line segments so that the swimming path of the bacterium in the swimming space may be obtained as illustrated in fig1 to 12 . also , positions of the bacterium at the respective moments , that is , an angle ( α ) between the major axis of the bacterium and the solid surface and / or an angle ( β ) between the minor axis of the bacterium and the solid surface , may be obtained . fig1 to 12 illustrate the swimming path of the bacterium obtained by connecting the centers of the bacterium at the respective moments by straight line segments , which are determined as described above . fig1 to 12 also illustrate the swimming path of the bacterium obtained by a conventional method with a green dotted line . moreover , the swimming path of the bacterium determined by the embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by red and blue straight lines . here , the red line denotes the path of the bacterium swimming upward , and the blue line denotes the path of the bacterium swimming downward in the swimming space illustrated in fig4 . as illustrated in fig1 to 12 , the swimming paths of the bacterium on the x - y plane tracked by the method of the embodiment and the conventional method are similar . however ; it can be noted that the swimming paths of the bacterium on the z - x plane obtained by the two methods are significantly different . that is , contrary to the conventional case , the bacterium fluctuates more intensively to move from the bottom surface of the solid . this is because the bacterium has an ellipsoidal shape . apparently , when the bacterium is modeled as ellipsoidal in shape based on its emission image to more closely approximate its actual shape , there is much less error between the center of the modeled bacterium and the center of the actually swimming bacterium than in the conventional case . meanwhile , in order to confirm that the error between the center of the modeled bacterium and the center of the actually swimming bacterium is much less than in the conventional case , an imaginary bacterium formed in an ellipsoidal shape ( major axis : 2 μm , minor axis : 800 nm ) was arranged in an imaginary evanescent field ( thickness : 250 nm ) and then randomly turned about its center . thereby , an emitting part of the imaginary bacterium arranged in the evanescent field changed according to its state of rotation , thus changing the image of the imaginary bacterium . accordingly , based on the different images of the imaginary bacterium obtained depending on the bacterium &# 39 ; s rotation state , the center of the bacterium is set by the tracking method of the embodiment of the present invention , and fig1 may be obtained by plotting the centers on the x - y plane . as such , by using the tracking method of the present embodiment , it can be confirmed that the center of the image set from the image of the imaginary bacterium corresponds closely to the center of the imaginary bacterium regardless of the rotation state of the imaginary bacterium illustrated in fig1 . meanwhile , fig1 illustrates a degree of dispersion of centers of the images of the imaginary bacterium set by the conventional tracking method with respect to the center of the imaginary bacterium . it can be confirmed that the center of the bacterium set by the conventional tracking method is quite different from the actual center . units ( pixels ) of the x and y axes set in fig1 and 14 are pixels of the image of the imaginary bacterium , wherein 1 pixel represents 160 nm , and the center of the imaginary bacterium is set to ( 0 , 0 ). as described above , by using the bacterial swimming path tracking method according to the present embodiment , the bacterium &# 39 ; s shape and the position relative to the bottom surface of a solid may be determined from an image of the bacterium including emission intensity while an ellipsoidal bacterium swims in a swimming space formed near the bottom surface of a solid . particularly , in comparison with conventional methods , the ellipsoidal bacterium is modeled as ellipsoidal in shape to more closely approximate its actual shape , thereby more accurately obtaining the shape of the bacterium and the position relative to the solid surface , and therefore more accurately tracking the swimming path of the bacterium . since the accurate tracking of the bacterium swimming path enables precise control of the movement of a bacterium , it contributes to effective application of a bacterium to industry , such as bio - filters , bio - pumps , bio - motors , and production of bio - energy . according to the present invention with the aforementioned configuration , a bacterium may be modeled as ellipsoidal in shape based on an image of the bacterium obtained while the ellipsoidal bacterium swims near a solid surface , thereby exactly tracking the swimming path of the bacterium . exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed herein and , although specific terms are employed , they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation . accordingly , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims . | 6 |
various aspects of the present disclosure generally address one or more of the problems related to the operation of a glider chair . more particularly , aspects of the present disclosure address problems related to the operation of a glider armchair providing backrest reclining and footrest deployment ( extension ) functions . operation of the backrest / footrest functionalities of the glider armchair , without preventing gliding motion , is further addressed . an embodiment of a gliding mechanism for a gliding recliner chair and of a gliding recliner armchair with footrest comprising the gliding mechanism , will now be described in details referring to the appended drawings . however , at least some of the teachings of the present disclosure are applicable to glider chairs without armrest and / or without footrest . the following description of a gliding recliner armchair with footrest is illustrative only and is not intended to limit the applicability of the gliding mechanism to other types of glider chairs . referring to fig7 a - 7 e , there is illustrated a gliding recliner armchair 100 comprising a seat 10 and backrest 12 assembly mounted on a pair of parallel spaced apart pantographic backrest / footrest actuators 40 a - 40 b assembled on a cross member 22 extending between and connecting first 20 a and second 20 b vertical side frames together to form a seating assembly . the actuators 40 a - 40 b enable reclining movement of the backrest synchronized with seat displacement with respect to frames 20 a - 20 b and extension of a footrest plate 41 ( see fig1 to 6 ). upper portions 21 a - 21 b of the frames 20 a - 20 b can be used as armrests . alternatively , separate padded armrest members ( not shown ) can be mounted to the upper portions 21 a - 21 b , using screws for example . of course , a glider chair using the present gliding mechanism may be provided without armrests . each of side frames 20 a - 20 b is operatively connected to a floor - standing base 50 . connection of the floor - standing base 50 to the side frames 20 a - 20 b is made through connecting links 30 a - 30 d . bolts or studs 33 a - 33 d attach the connecting links 30 a - 30 d to the side frames 20 a - 20 b and bolts or studs 34 a - 34 b attach the connecting links 30 a - 30 d to the floor standing base 50 . more specifically , the connecting links 30 b and 30 d connect a front portion of the floor - standing base 50 to front portions of the side frames 20 a - 20 b using bolts or studs 33 b , 33 d , 34 b and 34 d . likewise , the connecting links 30 a and 30 c connect a back portion of the floor - standing base 50 to back portions of the side frames 20 a - 20 b using bolts or studs 33 a , 33 c , 34 a and 34 c . the bolts or studs 33 a - 33 d and 34 a - 34 d are configured to allow pivoting of the connecting links 30 a - 30 d , in order to enable gliding movement of the seating assembly with respect to the floor - standing base 50 , as it is known in existing glider armchairs . for example a front pivoting point p 1 is formed by bolt or stud 33 b and a back pivoting point p 2 is formed by bolt or stud 34 a . front links 30 b and 30 d are transversely connected together by a rod 31 and links 30 a and 30 c are transversely connected together by a rod 32 to ensure coordinated movement . the floor - standing base 50 comprises a pivoting portion 51 ( fig9 a - 9 d ) assembled on a circular floor - engaging portion 58 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis 56 . referring more specifically to fig9 a - 9 d , the pivoting portion 51 comprises a longitudinal cross member 53 connected at each end to braces 55 a - 55 b so that the cross member 53 is parallel to a width of the pivoting portion 51 and with a width of the seating assembly . a center post , or pivot 52 , is mounted on the cross member 53 for pivotally engaging a bore 57 and bushing ( not shown ) provided at the center of the floor - engaging portion 58 at the axis 56 , which is perpendicular to the plane of a perimeter 59 of the floor - engaging portion 58 . the symmetry of the perimeter 59 allows the armchair 100 to recline and glide in any radial orientation of the seating assembly in relation to the floor - engaging portion 58 . in an alternative embodiment of the gliding recliner armchair 100 , a circular rotation of the seating assembly about the axis 56 may not be provided . in this alternative embodiment , the pivoting portion 51 is fixedly connected to the floor - engaging portion 58 . unlike known gliding armchairs , links 30 a - 30 d are mounted on the inside of the pivoting portion 51 but outside of the pantographic actuators ( between the actuators 40 a - 40 b and the pivoting portion 51 ). this special feature enables the use of a relatively wider and more comfortable footrest plate 41 extending between the side frames 20 a - 20 b without interfering with the floor - standing base 50 during gliding when the footrest actuators 40 a - 40 b are retracted . at least one stop pin 54 ( here , one is provided on each side ) is provided to define a backmost position of gliding when links 30 b and 30 d abut thereon . contact of links 30 a - 30 b with cross member 53 acting as a stop member defines the foremost allowed position of gliding . referring to fig1 a and 1 b , the armchair 100 is shown with a user in a sitting position and with the actuators 40 a - 40 b extended to provide reclined backrest 12 and deployed footrest 41 . a representative user selected for stability studies was 6 foot tall and weighed about 180 pounds . in fig1 a , the armchair is shown in a foremost position of the gliding movement and in fig1 b the armchair in shown in a rearmost position of the gliding movement . vertical phantom lines are provided : line c showing the center axis of the pivot 52 and bore 57 supporting the pivoting portion 51 , line pb being a normal projection of the backmost end of the perimeter 59 of the floor - engaging portion 58 , and line pf being a normal projection of the foremost end of the perimeter 59 . fig2 a and 2 b represent the same respective armchair positions but with a partial view to better show a path 90 followed by the center of gravity during gliding . gf indicates the instant position of the center of gravity in the position of fig1 a ( foremost ) and gb indicates the instant position of the center of gravity in the position of fig1 b ( backmost ). as can be appreciated , the present design limits displacement of the center of gravity of the present gliding recliner armchair in the most extreme conditions , i . e . reclined backrest 12 and deployed footrest 41 . a center 91 of the path 90 followed by the center of gravity is substantially normal to the vertical axis 56 of the floor - standing base 50 . by reducing the displacement of the center of gravity along the path 90 in proximity with the vertical axis 56 of the floor - standing base 50 , it is possible to provide a gliding recliner armchair with a reclinable backrest , and deployed footrest , which can be safely glided in its fully open position . fig2 a and 2 b further show that at any particular gliding position , the projection of the combined center of gravity along an axis normal to the plane of the perimeter 59 always falls within the perimeter delimited by lines pf and pb . moreover , one may observe that the projections of gf and gb in these critical positions are still away from pf or pb by a ratio of about ⅓ of a dimension l corresponding to the base perimeter ( substantially equal to the diameter of floor - engaging portion 58 ). given the symmetry of the floor - engaging portion 58 , this holds true for any angular position of the armchair about the central axis c . a ratio higher than about 20 % has been found by experience to provide sufficient stability . therefore , it can be seen that the cross member 53 supporting the upper portion of the armchair 100 on the floor - engaging portion 58 is not centered between the front and back pivoting points ( for example p 1 and p 2 on fig9 d ) of links 30 on the pivoting portion 51 but is rather strategically positioned rearward to enable a stable and safe behavior of gliding movement in reclined and footrest extended position with respect to the center of gravity . on fig9 d , a horizontal distance d 1 between the front pivoting point p 1 and the vertical axis 56 is about 1 . 85 times a horizontal distance d 2 between the vertical axis 56 and the back pivoting point p 2 . this relation between values of d 1 and d 2 is illustrative and non - limiting . some variations of a ratio of d 1 over d 2 are contemplated . for example d 1 can be greater than d 2 by a factor in a range between about 1 . 6 and 2 . in one practical and non - limiting realization , the floor - engaging portion 58 has a base perimeter l equal to 26 inches while the seat 10 has a depth of 20 inches . on fig7 a , which shows the gliding recliner armchair unloaded ( without user ) with the backrest and footrest in fully retracted position , a front edge of the seat 10 extends beyond the diameter of the floor - engaging portion 58 by about one ( 1 ) inch and a rear edge of the seat 10 lies within the diameter of the floor - engaging portion 58 by about seven ( 7 ) inches . consequently , the seat 10 is centered longitudinally about four ( 4 ) inches forward in relation to the vertical axis 56 . workable values of the ratio of d 1 over d 2 , the sizes of the floor - engaging portion 58 and of the seat 10 , and relative positions of the seat 10 and of the floor - engaging portion 58 are expected to vary according to selected dimensions of various components of the gliding mechanism and of the gliding recliner seating assembly , and according to the intended use of the gliding mechanism and of the gliding recliner seating assembly . fig3 a and 3 b show the gliding recliner armchair with only the footrest extended in respectively the most frontward and rearward positions . as depicted , at the most frontward and rearward gliding positions , the center of gravity of the armchair with the footrest extended remains within slightly less extremes and safer limits than the displacement represented in fig2 a - 2 b previously discussed . the reduced movement of the gravity center indicates that the presence of a user has minimal influence on the stability in this situation , and that geometric properties and material selection of the armchair 100 would hold safe operation for a very wide range of anthropometric characteristics . steel or any material with similar solidity characteristics is selected for adequate rigidity of the armchair structure and for proper balancing . of course , this does not apply to cushioning , to seat and backrest suspension or to cosmetic make up . fig4 a - 4 b and 5 a - 5 b show that stability is also kept within a similar safety range when the footrest 41 and backrest 12 are set in the retracted position , with or without a user sitting . actually , the most critical position a user may experience is with the footrest 41 retracted when reaching the foremost gliding position . still , in the stability studies for the 6 foot tall , 180 pounds representative user , the projection of gf in fig4 a remained inside the perimeter 59 and away from line pf by about 17 % of l , as illustrated on fig4 a . this situation is considered acceptable by experience considering that forward tilting of the armchair doesn &# 39 ; t occur without excessive forward projection of the user &# 39 ; s body and the user may easily put his feet on the floor and stand up from the sitting position . it is envisioned that any projection of gf at least 15 % away from line pf provides safe operation of the gliding recliner . therefore , the built - in safety factor is higher for the extended position and backmost gliding attitude since backward tilting theoretically presents a higher risk of injury . the difference between the resting position of the armchair 100 , with backrest 12 and footrest 41 in ( a ) a fully retracted position and ( b ) a fully extended position is shown at fig6 a and 6 b . it can be seen that the reclining actuators 40 a - 40 b do not change the relative angle between the seat 10 and the backrest 12 , but cause this seat 10 and backrest 12 assembly to slide and tilt in the backward direction . a user may perform the displacement from retracted position to reclined position , simply by urging his back against the backrest while pushing forward on the frames 20 a - 20 b and unfolding his legs . at rest , in either position , the center of gravity is very close to the center axis c of the pivot 52 and naturally slightly forward in the reclined position . one may therefore appreciate that the afore described embodiment of the gliding recliner armchair with footrest provides a safe , reliable and cost effective way of enabling gliding and backrest reclining / footrest deployment operable simultaneously in a same piece of furniture . therefore , it can be seen that the armchair according to the present disclosure overcomes the limitations , drawbacks and shortcomings of existing gliding recliners . although the present gliding mechanism has been described hereinabove by way of non - restrictive , illustrative embodiments thereof , these embodiments may be modified at will within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and nature of the present disclosure . | 0 |
turning now to the figures wherein the illustrates are for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiment only , and not for the purpose of limiting the same , fig1 illustrates and inspection system a which includes an isotropic illumination subsystem b . the increased isotropic properties eliminate &# 34 ; hot spots &# 34 ; deleterious to clean image acquisition . in the inspection system , an illustrative specimen 10 in a sequence or stream thereof moves in a direction d relative to illumination subsystem b and a video acquisition means , such as camera 12 . in the preferred embodiment , the camera 12 includes a lens 14 for focusing light received therein onto a charge coupled device (&# 34 ; ccd &# 34 ;) array disposed within the camera 12 . the particular embodiment evidences a light transmissive or translusive specimen or specimen portion as forming the specimen 10 . the illumination subsystem b is disposed opposite the specimen 10 of the camera 12 . in this way , direct or transmissive lighting of the specimen is accomplished for inspection purposes . however , it will be appreciated , specular illumination is also achievable with isotropic lighting . light generated from the illumination subsystem b accordingly passes to a viewing area indicated generally at 20 . more particularly , the viewing area 20 is defined as the area conducive to specimen illumination by the subsystem b , for acquisition of an image by the camera 12 and lens 14 . a planar , pixel - based image acquired by camera 12 includes gray scale information relating to the brightness level associated with each of such pixels . this information is communicated to video data acquisition / inspection system 22 for computation , comparison , and analysis as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art . the intelligence associated with the video data acquisition / inspection system 22 directs a lighting control 24 . the lighting control is suitably that available with conventional systems and provides for control of lighting intensity , duration , and light array manipulation in lighting embodiment including such an array . particulars of the lighting array of the preferred embodiment will be detailed below . each of the specimens such as that 10 in the illustration are sequentially communicated to the viewing area 20 by a suitable means such as that illustrated by belt 26 . the belt 26 is suitably transparent or apertured to facilitate illumination therethrough . it will also be appreciated that the belt 26 may be formed so as to secure specimens such as that from a side or sides thereof so as not to obscure illumination and image acquisition . turning now to fig2 a cut - away view , in greater detail , of the isotropic illumination subsystem b is provided . illustrated in the cross - section is a division of a generally spherical diffuser 30 into a first hemisphere 32 and a second hemisphere 34 . the division is taken from a centerline illustrated at 36 . in the illustration , the sphere 30 has an exterior radius r and an internal radius r . thus , the thickness of the sphere is r - r . it will be appreciated that the exterior surface area of the sphere is therefore 4πr 2 . further , an internal surface area is 4πr 2 . in the preferred embodiment , the cavity defined by the internal wall 40 contains air , which contents provide the advantages of the subject system . however , any substance , even a solid sphere , provides improved illumination isotropism . the sphere 30 is suitably formed from any light transmissive or translucent material such as glass or plastic . an exterior surface 38 of the sphere 30 is selected to provide light scattering or dispersion as it passes from the sphere 30 to the surrounding medium . a representative light ray 1 is illustrated as propagating through an interior of sphere 30 to an inner wall or surface 40 . a portion of the light 1 incident on the inner wall 40 will be reflected at an angle of incidence to a tangent to the inner wall equal to an angle of reflection therefrom . such internally reflected light is illustrated at 1 &# 39 ;. it will be seen that a portion of the light is also passed through this sphere 30 and scattered therefrom as illustrated generally at 42 . the particulars of the light transmission and scattering will be detailed below in connection with fig3 . similarly , a portion of the light internally reflected at 1 &# 39 ; will be scattered as illustrated at 44 . fig2 also illustrates a light source 50 . light source 50 provides illumination to sphere 30 at the first hemisphere 32 . in this fashion , light thus received may be internally reflected and passed and diffused so as to illuminate a specimen by passing outwardly through the second hemisphere portion 34 of sphere 30 . it is to be appreciated that merely wrapping a light source with a diffuser does not provide the subject advantages . such light still appears directional in nature causing self - lensing properties of a medium to display internal reflection &# 34 ; shadows .&# 34 ; in the preferred embodiment , the light source 50 is comprised of an array of directed light emitting diodes 52 secured by a mounting bracket or means 54 . in the illustration , the mounting bracket 54 secures the leds 52 in a general frustoconical form . this form advantageously provides for substantial lighting and maximizes the utilization of the isotropic rendering accomplished by the sphere 30 . leds provide relative long life and ease in controllability as will be appreciated . further , utilization of a large number of leds in the array provides improved lighting homogeneity which is augmented by utilization of the disclosed spherical diffuser . while leds are advantageously employed , it will be appreciated that such lighting may be suitably accomplished by any light having sufficient intensity , such an incandescent , fluorescent , halide , arc , or the like . turning now to fig3 a cross - sectional portion of the cut - away of fig2 is described . therein , a center point c is illustrated for the sphere 30 . perpendicular to each point on a radius from the center point c to the inner wall 40 is a tangent , one of which is illustrated at t2 . an illustrated light array 1 &# 34 ; is travelling within the center of the sphere 30 . as it impacts the transition between the internal sphere portion and the inner wall 40 , it experiences a difference between relative indices of refraction therebetween . a portion will be reflected by a property of total internal reflection and propagated within the sphere as r &# 39 ;. in this case , angle of incidence θ 1 , equals angle of reflection η 2 . a portion of 1 &# 34 ; will be transmitted at a modified angle as a beam r &# 34 ;. the angle of r &# 34 ; relative to the tangent t2 is dictated by snell &# 39 ; s law . this law provides that the ratio between the sine of the angle of incident α 1 to a tangent normal or line perpendicular to the boundary between the mediums at the point of refraction , to the sine of the angle α 2 between r &# 34 ; and the normal is equal to the ratio of the refracting medium &# 39 ; s index of refraction n r to the original medium &# 39 ; s index of refraction n i . illustrated generally at 70 is a beam such as that r &# 34 ; which has been propagated into the sphere body . at the point it reaches the transition with the exterior at the wall 30 , evidenced as point p , additional refraction is experienced , coupled with diffusion from a diffusive coating or etching thereon . it is to be appreciated that such diffusive properties may suitably be additionally imparted on the inner wall 40 , or dispersed within the material forming the sphere itself . however , the advantages of the subject invention are realized when the diffusion properties on the external wall 30 are provided . with the foregoing , it will be appreciated that relatively intense beams of light are subject to separation via internal reflection , refraction , and deflection scattering . thus , the sphere provides for accomplishing generation of homogenous or isotropic light generation . further , the specimen itself is not illuminated directly from any source other than the sphere . thus , contrast enhancement and defect detection is enhanced . evidence indicates that contrast is improved from 50 % to 200 % over systems employing flat planar illumination . as an alternative embodiment to the foregoing , the light source 50 may be formed from an ultraviolet (&# 34 ; uv &# 34 ;) source , such as an uncoated fluorescent bulb or xenon strobe . the diffusion coating is suitably formed from a coating which alters the uv wavelength to a selected spectrum . such coatings are well understood and conventionally available . turning now to fig4 an embodiment wherein a hemispherical diffuser 30 &# 39 ; is implemented is disclosed . therein , a light source , suitably planar , structured array , or even point source , is directed to an interior of the hemisphere 30 &# 39 ;. the specimen is suitably disposed in the viewing area located on the curved side of the hemisphere 30 &# 39 ; indicated generally at 20 &# 39 ;. as with the above - described full sphere , the hemisphere 30 &# 39 ; is adapted for either transmissive or specular illumination of specimens with highly isotropic light . again , as with the sphere 30 , above , the isotropic light generated by the hemisphere 30 &# 39 ; is realizable by either a structured , planar light source , a narrow beam , or a point source since the dispersion realized from the spherical portion and the diffusive properties of the exterior surface thereof accomplish such . turning now to fig5 an embodiment wherein a specimen itself functions to create an isotropic light field is illustrated . therein , the specimen 10 &# 39 ; is illustrated as an incandescent light bulb . a light source 80 , which may include a concentrator in this embodiment , communicates light to a light pipe 82 . light pipe 82 is suitably comprised of a light wave guide , such as a fiber optic cable . the light pipe 82 communicates light to a basal hemisphere portion of the specimen 10 &# 39 ;. light communicated internally to the globe portion 84 of the specimen 10 &# 39 ; is rendered substantially isotropic by the spherical portion thereof , coupled with a coating on an effective surface 86 of the portion 84 . a substantially spherical portion of surface 84 is exposed to a field of view 88 of lens 14 &# 39 ; and camera 12 &# 39 ;, as was described above . with this rendering , a means for highly efficient and reliable inspection for flaws disposed within objects such as that 10 &# 39 ; is facilitated . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . obviously , modifications and alternations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification . it is intended that all such modifications and alterations be included insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof . | 6 |
fig1 shows a schematic diagram of a fuel injection system . fuel is conveyed from a fuel tank 24 via a fuel line 26 by means of a low - pressure pump 28 . the low - pressure pump 28 supplies fuel to a low - pressure zone 10 . the pressure in this low - pressure zone 10 can be controlled or regulated , as applicable , by an electronic control unit 22 . for this purpose , the low - pressure zone 10 has a pressure sensor 14 which supplies pressure data to the electronic control unit 22 . the electronic control unit 22 can influence the operation of the low - pressure pump 28 , in particular on the basis of the signals supplied by the pressure sensor 14 . furthermore , an overpressure limiting valve 30 is provided , through which fuel can flow back to the low - pressure zone of the low - pressure pump 28 . the main path for the fuel from the low - pressure pump 28 leads to a high - pressure fuel pump 16 . this high - pressure fuel pump 16 feeds the fuel into a high - pressure zone 18 , and in particular into a fuel store 20 ( the “ rail ”). the fuel store 20 is equipped with injectors or injection valves 32 , as applicable , which can introduce the fuel into the interiors of the cylinders . as the high - pressure fuel pump 16 is , in particular , arranged as a continuous - operation pump , for example as a single piston high - pressure pump , measures are generally taken to adjust the pressure in the fuel store 20 as required . this can be effected , for example , by a fuel regulation valve ( not shown ), through which any difference in the fuel conveyed by the high - pressure fuel pump 16 and the fuel introduced into the cylinders by the injection valves 32 flows back into the low - pressure zone 10 . such a fuel pressure regulation valve on the high - pressure zone 18 can be controlled by an electronic controller , the input values to which include ( among others ) a value determined by a pressure sensor ( not shown ) on the fuel store 20 . this enables the regulation of the injection pressures to be effected by the fuel pressure regulation valve , depending on its actuation by the electronic controller , allowing more or less fuel to flow back to the low - pressure zone . the electronic controller can be arranged as a separate controller , but it may also be integrated with the electronic controller 22 , for example in an engine management unit . the low - pressure zone 10 has in addition a fuel pressure damper 12 . this serves to attenuate pressure pulsations which arise in the low - pressure zone 10 , in particular due to the operation of the high - pressure fuel pump 16 . the use of such a fuel pressure damper is also appropriate for low - pressure systems because here too pressure fluctuations can arise , for example due to the fuel injection , which should preferably be damped . however , without restricting the generality , the invention is explained for a high - pressure fuel injection system . if a fault should arise , in particular a mechanical fault in the fuel pressure damper 12 , then pressure interruptions may result in the low - pressure zone 10 due to the severe pressure fluctuations . ultimately this will have a negative effect on the functioning of the internal combustion engine , for example in respect to its power and its emission values . for this reason , it is appropriate to react to any such fault in the fuel pressure damper 12 , and for this purpose the fault is first detected . to do so , the presence of the pressure sensor 14 in the low - pressure zone 10 is exploited . if inadequate pressure damping is recognized by means of the pressure sensor 14 , it is then possible to initiate measures , and in particular countermeasures , which could for example includes entering the fault into a fault memory , a reduction in the pressure level , and a limitation of the rotation speed . the recognition of excessive pressure fluctuations will be effected by reference to a high - frequency component of the signals provided by the pressure sensor 14 , which will be explained in more detail below . fig2 shows a time - trace of the fuel pressure in the low - pressure zone when the fuel pressure damper is working correctly . the pressure fluctuates with an amplitude of approx . +/− 0 . 5 bar about a mean pressure value of 5 bar . this is achieved by the fuel pressure damper 12 providing satisfactory pressure smoothing . fig3 shows a time - trace of the fuel pressure in the low - pressure zone with a faulty fuel pressure damper . here , the pressure fluctuates about its mean value with a very much greater amplitude , which leads to deep pressure troughs and high - pressure peaks , and hence to functional impairment of the fuel injection system . the pressure peaks can be truncated by the overpressure limitation valve 30 , shown in fig1 . however , this will not produce a satisfactory situation , because of the faulty fuel pressure damper 12 . the quantitative recognition of whether the pressure fluctuations exceed a permissible limiting value , hence resulting in a high probability of a fault in the fuel pressure damper 12 , is explained below . fig4 shows two diagrams to explain an analysis which could be used in the context of the invention . the upper diagram plots an imaginary trace of fuel pressure against time . the line p k represents a trace of the pressure in the low - pressure zone 10 . the line p kf represents a trace of the low - pass filtered pressure in the low - pressure zone 10 . this low - pass filtering is preferably carried out in the electronic control unit 22 , but can also be effected in other known ways . the difference δ between the two curves p k and p kf is formed . the absolute magnitudes of this difference δ are shown again in the lower diagram in fig3 . from this filtering and the formation of the differences , one obtains a trace of values which can be compared with a selected absolute pressure threshold . in this way , the high - frequency component of the fuel pressure time - trace can be invoked as a criterion for the correct functioning of the fuel pressure damper 12 . fig5 shows two characteristic frequency spectra , respectively for the correct operation of a fuel pressure damper and for its defective operation . the upper diagram plots the intensity i of the signal supplied by the fuel pressure sensor 14 against the frequency v , assuming correct functioning of the fuel pressure damper 12 . the frequency spectrum then has arbitrary frequency components at low frequencies , which are not considered further in the present context , which in general reflect low - frequency pressure fluctuations in the low - pressure zone 10 . in addition , high frequencies are superimposed on the frequency spectrum , one of these at v hd being shown by way of example . these frequency peaks can be produced by the operation of the high - pressure pump 16 at a frequency of v hd . if there is adequate fuel pressure damping , the intensity at v hd is low , and in particular lies below a predefined threshold i s . the criterion for the correct operation of the fuel pressure damper is thus that the value lies below this threshold i s . in contrast to the upper frequency spectrum in fig5 , the lower frequency spectrum is based on defective fuel pressure damping . this can be recognized from the intensity threshold i s being exceeded . the threshold values which are used in the analyses shown in fig4 and 5 can be adapted for the operating conditions in each case , with the possibility of dynamic adaptation depending on the operating conditions of the internal combustion engine . thus , for example , the operation of high - pressure injection systems at low load involves fuel being fed back from the high - pressure zone at high rates , because of which there are higher pressure fluctuations , so that in this case the threshold values can be set to be less critical . fig6 shows a flow diagram to explain a method in accordance with the invention . in step s 01 , the time - trace of the pressure in the low - pressure zone is sensed . on the basis of this pressure sensing , step s 02 generates a signal which characterizes the time - trace of the pressure in the low - pressure zone . in step s 03 , a high - frequency component of the signal generated in step s 02 is analyzed , and in particular is compared with a threshold value . if this high - frequency component lies below a prescribed threshold value , then the fuel pressure damper is working correctly , and the method returns to step s 01 . however , if the high - frequency component exceeds the threshold value , then in step s 04 an entry is made in the fault memory , recording that there is a fault in the fuel pressure damper . in step s 05 further measures can be initiated , for example for damage limitation . from either step s 04 or s 05 , as applicable , it is possible to return into the monitoring routine , whereby it also is conceivable that after a malfunction has been detected one or more times the monitoring of the fuel pressure damper in accordance with the invention is terminated . the invention can be summarized as follows . the low - pressure zone 10 of a fuel injection system is equipped with a fuel pressure damper 12 to smooth out pressure fluctuations , in particular pressure fluctuations such as are produced by the operation of a high - pressure fuel pump 16 downstream from the low - pressure zone 10 . in the low - pressure zone 10 , the pressure / time trace is sensed by a pressure sensor 14 . using high - frequency components of this pressure / time trace sensed by the pressure sensor 14 it is possible to determine whether the fuel pressure damper 12 is working correctly . the features of the invention , as disclosed in the description above , in the drawings and in the claims , may be essential either individually or in any desired combination for the realization of the invention . | 5 |
in order to make the following description more comprehensible , it is pointed out that the trocar comprises a body ( 1 ) equipped with a tip ( 2 ). the body comprises a tube ( 1b ) underneath a bell - mouthed part ( 1a ). part ( 1b ) is axially drilled at ( 1c ) over its entire length whereas part ( 2 ) has an internal through - channel ( 2a ). hole ( 1c ) and channel ( 2a ) are in coaxial alignment . the surgical instrument that is to be used is inserted through internal channel ( 2a ) in tip ( 2 ) so that it protrudes beyond the free end of body ( 1 ). bell - mouthed part ( 1a ) has an internal recess ( 1d ) that communicates with channel ( 2a ) and hole ( 1c ). this recess accommodates a swivel valve ( 3 ) of which the axis of rotation is situated in tip ( 2 ) and which is held in the shut - off position by spring ( 4 ). in the position where channel ( 2a ) and hole ( 1c ) are shut off , valve ( 3 ) rests against its seat ( 2b ) comprising a seal ( 2c ). valve ( 3 ) is retracted under the effect of inserting the instrument ; it can also be operated externally by simply exerting finger pressure on operating handle ( 3a ) if the operator needs to extract delicate &# 34 ; objects &# 34 ; from the organism during an intervention . according to one basic characteristic of the invention , tip ( 2 ) is fitted with internal features that can be operated externally and are capable of modifying the diameter of channel ( 2a ) in order to match it to the diameter of the instrument to be inserted . as will be shown in the rest of this description , these features are shaped in order to ensure leaktightness inside the trocar after the instrument is inserted . in the embodiment shown in fig1 to 4 , the features consist of a reducing adapter in the form of a hinged arm ( 5 ) actuated by lever ( 5b ). this arm ( 5 ) has at least one hole ( 5a ) of diameter less than that of channel ( 2a ) in tip ( 2 ). the arm is hinged at ( 5c ) so that it swivels angularly when force is exerted on lever ( 5b ) in order to line up holes ( 5a ) and ( 2a ) ( fig3 and 4 ). reducing adapter ( 5 ) is accommodated transversely a housing ( 2e ) formed in the thickness of tip ( 2 ). said housing ( 2e ) is designed either to coaxially align hole ( 5a ) with channel ( 2a ) ( fig3 ) or to completely free channel ( 2a ) ( fig1 and 2 ), depending on the angular position of lever ( 5b ). the axis of rotation ( 5c ) of reducing adapter ( 5 ) is parallel to the axis of the trocar . it is clear that , depending on the angular position of reducing adapter ( 5 ), it is possible to modify the diameter of the inlet of channel ( 2a ) in order to match it to the diameter of the instrument to be used . in order to ensure leaktightness , a seal ( 7 ) is fitted in the inlet of insertion channel ( 2a ) in tip ( 2 ) upstream from hinged arm ( 5 ) and downstream from valve ( 3 ). the effect of this seal ( 7 ) is to ensure leaktightness of the instrument whose diameter corresponds to that of channel ( 2a ), i . e . in the retracted position of reducing adapter ( 5 ) ( fig1 and 2 ). in order to ensure leaktightness in the case of an instrument of smaller diameter , i . e . when arm ( 5 ) is swivelled so that it lines up its hole ( 5a ) with hole ( 2a ) ( fig3 ), said hole ( 5a ) has an internal seal ( 6 ) capable of cooperating with the body of the corresponding instrument . note that disposable tip ( 2 ) is connected to body ( 1 ) by a click - on system comprising a seal ( 2d ) that ensures complete leaktightness between the two parts of the trocar . in addition , in order to make it possible to re - inflate or deflate the peritonium , the trocar is equipped with a slide valve ( 8 ) that is opened or closed by a quarter - turn cock ( 8a ). in another embodiment , the reducing adapter consists of a spherical plug ( 9 ) having at least two through - holes ( 9a ) ( 9b ). these holes are of different diameter and are capable of being axially aligned with channel ( 2a ) under the action of angular swivelling of lever ( 10 ). advantageously , plug ( 9 ) has two through - holes arranged in two orthogonal planes . hole ( 9a ) is of smaller diameter than channel ( 2a ) whereas the diameter of hole ( 9b ) is equal to the diameter of said channel . as previously , in order to ensure leaktightness after inserting the instrument , each hole ( 9a ) ( 9b ) has an internal seal ( 11 ). it is therefore sufficient to orientate the plug by actuating lever ( 10 ) in order to coaxially align either hole ( 9a ) ( fig5 and 6 ) or hole ( 9b ) ( fig7 and 8 ) with channel ( 2a ) depending on the diameter of the desired instrument . according to another characteristic , body ( 1 ) of the trocar has external annular peripheral ribs ( 1c ) over all or part of its length . the advantages are apparent from the description with special emphasis being placed on the following points : the facility to easily disassemble the tip and body of the trocar with a view to obtaining a disposable tip , the production of a compact , ergonomic trocar that includes , in its tip , a reducing adapter and a sealing valve that can be operated externally with one hand without having to release the trocar , the facility to modify the diameter of the insertion channel in the tip depending on the diameter of the instrument to be used , the facility to extract delicate &# 34 ; objects &# 34 ; during an intervention by manually retracting the sealing valve by using an external lever , | 0 |
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference now to fig1 , a motor vehicle powertrain is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the motor vehicle powertrain 10 includes an engine and torque converter 12 , a multiple speed automatic transmission 14 and a conventional final drive assembly 16 . the automatic transmission 14 includes an input shaft 17 connected to the output of the engine and torque converter 12 , a planetary gear configuration 18 and an output shaft 19 connected to the final drive assembly 16 . the planetary gear configuration 18 includes a first planetary gear set 20 , a second planetary gear set 30 and a third planetary gear set 40 . the first planetary gear set 20 includes a first sun gear 22 , a first ring gear 24 and a first planet gear assembly 26 . the first planet gear assembly 26 includes a first plurality of planet gears 27 rotatably disposed on a first planet gear carrier 29 and arranged in meshing relationship with both the first sun gear 22 and the first ring gear 24 . the second planetary gear set 30 includes a second sun gear 32 , a second ring gear 34 and a second planet gear assembly 36 . the second planet gear assembly 36 includes a second plurality of planet gears 37 rotatably disposed on a second planet gear carrier 39 and arranged in meshing relationship with both the second sun gear 32 and the second ring gear 34 . the third planetary gear set 40 includes a third sun gear 42 , a third ring gear 44 and a third planet gear assembly 46 . the third planet gear assembly 46 includes a third plurality of planet gears 47 rotatably disposed on a third planet gear carrier 49 and arranged in meshing relationship with both the third sun gear 42 and the third ring gear 44 . the planetary gear configuration 18 also includes a plurality of selectable torque transmitting devices . two of the torque transmitting devices , 50 and 52 , selectively connect two rotating members and are thus properly characterized as clutches . four of the torque transmitting devices , 54 , 56 , 58 and 59 , selectively ground , i . e ., connect to a stationary , a rotating member and are thus properly characterized as brakes or reaction clutches . several of the components of the planetary gear sets 20 , 30 and 40 are permanently connected to other components . the input shaft 17 is connected to the first sun gear 22 . the output shaft 19 is connected to the third ring gear 44 . the first ring gear 24 is connected to the second sun gear 32 through an interconnecting member 69 . the first planet gear carrier 29 is connected to the second planet gear carrier 39 and the third sun gear 42 through an interconnecting member 71 . the first sun gear 22 is selectively connected to the third planet gear carrier 49 by a first clutch 50 . the second ring gear 34 is selectively connected to the third planet gear carrier 49 by a second clutch 52 . the first ring gear 24 is selectively grounded to a housing 60 of the transmission 14 by a first brake 54 . the first planet gear carrier 29 is selectively grounded to the housing 60 by a second brake 56 . the second ring gear 34 is selectively grounded to the housing by a third brake 58 . finally , the third planet gear carrier 49 is selectively grounded to the housing 60 by a fourth brake 59 . as noted above , the automatic transmission 14 is capable of providing multiple forward speed , gear and torque ratios by selective engagement , in sequence , of various combinations of the just described clutches 50 and 52 and brakes 54 , 56 , 58 and 59 . such operation is beyond the scope of this patent . further explanation , however , may be found in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 723 , 019 which is hereby incorporated by reference . turning now to fig2 , a hydraulic circuit for activating or engaging any of the clutches 50 and 52 and the brakes 54 , 56 , 58 and 59 in an automatic transmission 14 is illustrated and designated by the reference number 70 . it should be understood that while primarily intended for use in automatic transmissions , the hydraulic circuit 70 may find broad application in diverse hydraulic device control applications . the hydraulic circuit 70 includes a first solenoid control valve 72 which is supplied with pressurized hydraulic fluid or oil in a line 74 . hydraulic fluid or oil flows out of the first solenoid control valve 72 in an exhaust or return line 76 . the first solenoid control valve 72 includes a first electromagnetic coil 78 , a first axially , bi - directionally translatable plunger 82 and a first valve spool 84 which , depending upon its axial position , supplies and exhausts hydraulic fluid or oil from a first fluid line or passageway 86 communicating with a first , smaller area clutch or brake activating piston 88 of a dual area piston assembly 90 through a flow control orifice 91 . the hydraulic circuit 70 also includes a second solenoid control valve 92 which is supplied with pressurized hydraulic fluid or oil in the line 74 . hydraulic fluid or oil flows out of the second solenoid control valve 92 in the exhaust or return line 76 . the second solenoid control valve 92 includes a second electromagnetic coil 98 , a second axially , bi - directionally translatable plunger 102 and a second valve spool 104 which , depending upon its axial position , supplies and exhausts hydraulic fluid or oil from a second fluid line or passageway 106 communicating with a second , larger area clutch or brake activating piston 108 of the dual area piston assembly 90 through a flow control orifice 109 . the solenoid control valves 72 and 92 are both preferably modulating valves which are commonly referred to as variable bleed solenoids ( vbs ) which may operate on a pulse width modulated ( pwm ) signal and include a regulator valve or they may be direct acting ( vfs ) solenoid valves . alternatively , the solenoid control valves 72 and 92 may be two position ( on - off ) valves . the dual area piston assembly 90 also includes a housing 110 which receives the first and second pistons 88 and 108 and maintains them in operable alignment with a clutch assembly 52 which is representative of all of the clutches and brakes illustrated in fig1 . the configuration of the pistons 88 and 108 as well as that of the housing 110 will depend upon the configuration and location of the associated clutch or brake but they will typically be annular with the first , smaller area piston 88 having a smaller nominal diameter which is surrounded by the second , larger area piston 108 which has a larger nominal diameter . disposed between the first and the second lines or passageways 86 and 106 is an optional dual input ball check assembly 114 including a chamber 116 communicating with both the first fluid line or passageway 86 and the second fluid line or passageway 106 . disposed within the chamber 116 is a ball check 118 and communicating with the chamber 116 is a pressure sensor 120 . the ball check assembly 116 is supplied with hydraulic fluid or oil from both the first and the second fluid lines or passageways 86 and 106 and , because of movement of the ball check 118 , the pressure sensor 120 is subjected to , reads and provides data or a signal in a wire or cable 122 regarding the magnitude of the higher of the two pressures in the first and the second fluid lines or passageways 86 and 106 . the signal from the pressure sensor 120 may be supplied to operating or control devices to provide feedback regarding the higher instantaneous pressure in the fluid lines or passageways 86 and 106 or the signal may be provided to diagnostic devices which ensures proper operation of the dual area piston assembly 90 and provide fault signals , for example . as noted above , however , the dual input ball check assembly 114 is an optional component . the dual area piston assembly 90 according to the present invention has four modes of operation : a ) utilizing only the first , smaller piston 88 , b ) utilizing only the second , larger piston 108 , c ) utilizing both the first and the second pistons 88 and 108 and d ) utilizing one of the pistons 88 or 108 to engage the clutch 52 and then both of the pistons 88 and 108 to modulate the clutch 52 . the particular mode of operation chosen will be based on shift requirements . for example , a high torque shift may require that both pistons 88 and 108 are modulated together in order to achieve sufficient torque throughput to complete the shift . however , a high torque shift may also require the shortest possible delay before starting the shift . under the circumstances , mode d ) may be chosen in order to minimize delay while providing the required torque capacity . another example is a low torque shift during which the smaller area piston 88 only is provided with modulated pressure hydraulic fluid . this provides minimum shift delay , maximum resolution and the smallest sensitivity to pressure errors due to , for example , circuit restrictions , overshoot , undershoot , instability and solenoid inaccuracy . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 5 |
fig1 shows a first schematic embodiment of a support according to the invention . illustrated is a metal coil 1 which rests on three support points 2 , 2 ′. these three support points 2 , 2 ′ are arranged , as seen in the cross section , in the direction of the circumference of the coil 1 when a metal coil 1 is placed on the support points 2 , 2 ′. in this case , the cross section of fig1 extends perpendicularly of the axis of rotation or the coiling axis of the metal coil 1 . in particular , the support points 2 , 2 ′ can be constructed as rollers 2 , 2 ′ or bearing rollers 2 , 2 ′ or , in other words , by support rollers 2 , 2 ′. preferably , two rollers 2 are arranged at a support lever 4 which , in turn , is arranged preferably rotatably , on a support 3 . additionally , in this embodiment a roller 2 ′ is provided which contacts the circumference of the metal coil 1 and forms a third support point 2 ′, in addition to the two rollers 2 . the rollers 2 , 2 ′ are preferably constructed so as to be rotatable and / or driven , however they can also be of rigid construction . preferably , two rollers 2 form a pair of rollers which are arranged on a support lever 4 . in particular , a triangle is essentially formed by two rollers 2 together with a fulcrum of a support lever 4 or the support 3 . the illustrated device comprises a support 3 on which a support lever 4 is arranged . however , it is also possible to provide several such supports 3 with support levers 4 and rollers 2 . a metal coil 1 , which is placed on a support constructed in accordance with fig1 exerts with its weight force f g , inter alia , a force f s1 against the lower roller 1 of the support 3 and a force f s2 against the additional roller 2 ′. as a result the support 3 exerts , through the lever 4 which is rotatable about the support 3 , a torque against the upper roller 2 of the support 3 . accordingly , the upper roller 2 is pressed with a force f a against the metal coil 1 . by means of a support constructed in this manner , metal coils 1 , especially with different diameters or cross sections , can be supported even more securely . fig2 shows a schematic embodiment of another support according to the invention . as in fig1 , illustrated is a metal coil 1 which , however , rests on four support points 2 . these four support points 2 are arranged , as seen in cross section , in the direction of the circumference of the metal coil 1 when a metal coil 1 rests on the four support points 2 . the cross section of fig2 extends also perpendicularly of the axis of rotation or coiling axis of the metal coil 1 . once again , the support points 2 can be formed by rollers 2 or by bearing rollers 2 , or , expressed differently , by support rollers 2 . preferably , two rollers 2 are arranged at a support lever 4 which in turn is mounted , preferably rotatably , on a support member 3 . the rollers 2 are preferably constructed so as to be rotatable and / or driven , however , they can also be of rigid construction . preferably , two rollers 2 form a roller pair which is arranged at a support lever 4 . in particular , two rollers 2 form essentially a triangle with a fulcrum of a support lever 4 or the support member 3 . in total the illustrated support includes preferably two supports 3 on each of which a support lever 4 is arranged . the two supports 3 are arranged , as seen in the cross section of the coil 1 , preferably to the right and to the left underneath the coil 1 . a metal coil 1 which is placed on a support constructed in this manner exerts with its weight force f g , inter alia , a force against the respectively lower rollers 2 of the respective support 3 . as a result , the supports exert through the lever 4 rotatable about the support 3 a torque against the respectively upper rollers 2 of the respective support 3 . consequently , the upper rollers 2 are pressed with a force f a against the metal coil 1 . by means of such a support constructed in this manner , metal coils 1 having various diameters or cross sections can be stored even more safely . fig3 shows a similar embodiment according to the invention as in fig2 . however , compared to the device of fig2 , the support of fig3 includes an adjusting device 5 . this adjusting device has the purpose of adjusting the spacing of the supports 3 and , thus , of storing or transporting an almost complete spectrum of various metal coil cross sections . in particular , the adjusting device 5 is arranged to be adjustable horizontally , optionally underneath the support 3 . the adjusting device can be formed , for example , by a piston / cylinder unit 5 . the support according to fig1 can also be equipped with such a horizontal adjusting device 5 . fig4 , 5 , 6 show an embodiment of a sample removal station 10 for removing samples 23 of a metal coil 1 , 11 . in fig4 , a metal coil 11 is illustrated , analogous to the illustration in fig3 , on a support according to the invention with rollers 12 , adjusting device 5 , supports 13 and support levers 14 . for opening the metal coil 11 a cutting device 19 with means 18 for severing the metal coil 11 is provided . in this embodiment of fig4 , the rollers 12 are driven , so that the metal coil 11 is rotatable optionally in a clock - wise or counter clock - wise direction . moreover , the sample removal station 10 preferably has shears 21 , or dividing shears 21 , for cutting off samples 23 from an end 22 of the metal coil 11 . in order to ensure that after cutting the coil 11 , the cut end 22 of the metal coil 11 does not flap upwardly or outwardly , a contact pressure device 17 is also provided which includes , for example , two contact pressure rollers 16 which are pressed against the upper side of the metal coil 11 placed in the support or are placed against the metal coil 11 . the sample removal station 10 can then be operated , for example , as follows : the metal coil is moved either together with its support into the sample removal station 10 or the support is fixedly installed in the sample removal station 10 and the metal coil 11 is moved into the station 10 . preferably , the rollers 16 of the contact pressure device 17 are then placed against the metal coil 11 from above and the metal coil 11 is turned into a desired position by means of the movable rollers 12 . the metal coil 11 is opened by means of the severing means 18 , for example , a chisel . as can be seen in fig5 , following the cutting of the metal coil 11 , the metal coil can be uncoiled by the driven rollers 12 of the support , but also by other drive means or rollers which are not illustrated . for this purpose , for example , the separating means 20 , in this case a roller , may be helpful at the severing device 19 to facilitate feeding the metal coil end 22 , or the strip end 22 , into the shears 21 . subsequently , the shears 21 can sever a sample piece or end crop 23 . it shall be mentioned at this point that the construction of the devices 17 and 19 is known by the expert . in a subsequent step , the metal coil can be coiled up again by means of driven rollers , for example , by the rollers 12 , and bound by means of a binding device , not shown , which is known from the prior art . fig6 shows a possibility for removing the metal coil 11 from a sample removal station 10 , as it is already illustrated in fig4 and 5 . for removing the coil 11 , the devices 17 and 19 are moved or pushed to the side , so that the coil 11 can be lifted upwardly out of the sample removal station 10 . alternatively , the invention also includes the possibility of removing the metal coil 11 together with its support out of the sample removal station 10 , for example , including a pallet , downwardly or upwardly or also optionally , to one of the sides of the sample removal station . fig7 schematically shows a possible embodiment of a pallet system 30 which includes a support according to the invention , for example , according to fig2 to 6 . a metal coil 31 , resting on four support points 32 , is placed on the illustrated pallet system 30 . these points are preferably formed by rollers 32 which are optionally rotatable and / or driven . however , alternatively the support points can also be formed by rigidly arranged support elements . the construction of the support members 33 and support levers 34 preferably corresponds to that of fig2 to 5 . however , these are arranged on a pallet 35 or a carrier 35 . the system 30 of fig7 is variably usable , for example , for transportation or for storage . it is also possible to provide means for a crane transport ( not shown ) on the system 30 , particularly on the pallet 35 , or also on parts of the support , so that the pallet system 30 can be transported within a manufacturing plant by a crane or can also be loaded for shipment by truck , boat or railroad . fig8 shows an embodiment of a support according to the invention in a reeling device 40 . the illustrated reeling device 40 comprises particularly a reel mandrel 44 on which a metal coil 1 , 11 , 31 can be coiled . the means for coiling the metal coil 1 , 11 , 31 are not the focus of the invention and are constructed as known from the prior art . in fig8 , the coiled metal coil 31 is placed on the pallet system 30 according to fig7 . also possible is a support without the pallet 35 , as shown , for example , for the sample removal station 10 . according to fig8 , the metal coil 31 can be pulled off in the direction of the axis of the reel mandrel 44 . at that time , the coil 31 rests especially on the pallet system 30 . preferably , a coil carriage 50 , already known in the art , is used . generally , the support illustrated in fig1 can be used in the devices of fig4 to 8 , i . e ., in a sample removal station , in a pallet system or in a reeling device . finally , it is pointed out that the features of the individual embodiments can be combined or exchanged with each other . in addition , the expert can modify individual structural details in accordance with his normal expert knowledge and adapt them to specific requirements . | 1 |
typically , when a higher force is to be provided by a voice coil motor ( vcm ), the current input into the vcm is increased , and , consequently , the heat generated by the vcm is increased . increasing current requirements is often impractical , and increased heat associated with the operation of a vcm may adversely affect heat - sensitive systems , e . g ., lithography equipment . by increasing the magnetic field within a vcm , i . e ., by increasing the strength or the magnitude of the magnetic field within a vcm , a higher force may be generated using the vcm , substantially without increasing the amount of heat generated by the vcm and increasing the amount of current used by the vcm . the magnetic field within a vcm may be increased by utilizing a magnet array in the vcm and , further , by varying the shape of magnets in the magnet array . in one embodiment , the magnet array is a substantially cylindrical wedge halbach array . a substantially cylindrical wedge halbach array is an array of magnets which includes at least one wedge - shaped magnet . a wedge - shaped magnet is generally a magnet which has either a substantially triangular cross - section with respect to at least one plane or a substantially trapezoidal cross - section with respect to at least one plane . when a wedge - shaped magnet has a substantially trapezoidal cross - section with respect to a plane , while two opposite sides of the cross - section are substantially parallel to each other within the plane , the other two sides are not substantially parallel to each other within the plane . a vcm which includes a substantially cylindrical wedge halbach array may have a variety of different configurations . in general , the wedge - shaped magnets are arranged to form an overall cylindrical halbach array . as shown in fig1 , an outer halbach magnet array 360 typically has an overall , hollow cylindrical shape or an overall donut shape . however , the individual magnets of magnet array 360 may be wedge - shaped donuts . similarly , an inner halbach magnet array 364 also has an overall hollow , cylindrical shape , though the individual magnets of magnet array 364 may be wedge - shaped donuts . the orientation of wedge - shaped magnets and other magnets within the substantially cylindrical wedge halbach array may be widely varied . fig2 is a diagrammatic cross - sectional representation of a radially symmetric cylindrical vcm which utilizes a substantially cylindrical wedge halbach array in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . a vcm 370 , as shown in cross - section , includes non - magnetic hollow cylinders 374 a , 374 b which are substantially centered about a central axis 378 . alternatively , either or both hollow cylinders 374 a , 374 b may be formed from a magnetic material . magnet arrays 382 , 392 are also effectively hollow cylinders that are positioned within vcm 370 about central axis 378 such that coils 398 a , 398 b , having center lines that are substantially coincident with central axis 378 , are positioned between magnet arrays 382 , 392 . coils 398 a , 398 b are such that the turns or windings of coils 398 a , 398 b effectively define a ring or a donut shape for coils 398 a , 398 b . hollow cylinder 374 b and magnet array 392 are positioned within the inner area of the ring or the donut shape defined by coils 398 a , 398 b . as will be understood by those skilled in the art , coils 398 a , 398 b are generally substantially encased in cooling cans which are filled with coolant . however , for ease of illustration , cooling cans have not been shown . as shown , coils 398 a , 398 b are positioned between magnet arrays 382 , 392 . coils 398 a , 398 b move relative to magnet arrays 382 , 392 and , hence , within a magnetic field associated with magnet arrays 382 , 392 when current is applied . each magnet array 382 , 392 includes a plurality of magnets , i . e ., permanent magnets . by way of example , magnet array 382 includes magnets 382 a - 382 c which each have an overall donut shape but each have a substantially non - rectangular , e . g ., triangular , cross - section in at least one plane . that is , magnets 382 a - c are each substantially wedge - shaped donuts . by shaping magnets 382 a - c as wedges , or with wedge - shaped cross sections , the magnetic field associated with vcm 370 may be enhanced . magnets 392 a - c are also each substantially wedge - shaped donuts . with reference to fig3 , a second radially symmetric cylindrical vcm which utilizes a substantially cylindrical wedge halbach array will be described in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . a vcm 300 , which is shown in cross - section , includes non - magnetic cylinders 304 a , 304 b which are substantially centered about a central axis 308 . it should be appreciated that cylinders 304 a , 304 b are each effectively a hollow cylinder with a center that is coincident with central axis 308 . magnet arrays 312 , 322 are also arranged as hollow cylinders , and are positioned within vcm 300 such that coils 318 a , 318 b , which each effectively form a hollow , cylindrical shape with center lines that are substantially coincident with central axis 308 , are positioned between magnet arrays 312 , 322 . magnet arrays 312 , 322 are also centered about central axis 308 . coils 318 a , 318 b are such that the turns or windings of coils 318 a , 318 b effectively define a ring or a donut shape for coils 318 a , 318 b . coils 318 a , 318 b are positioned between magnet arrays 312 , 322 and , hence , within a magnetic field associated with magnet arrays 312 , 322 when current is applied . each magnet array 312 , 322 includes a plurality of magnets . by way of example , magnet array 312 includes magnets 312 a - 312 e which each have an overall donut shape . magnets 312 a and 312 e , which make up the ends of magnet array 312 , are substantially block - shaped donuts . that is , magnets 312 a , 312 e have substantially rectangular , as for example square , cross - sections in at least one plane . magnets 312 b - d are each substantially wedge - shaped donuts , i . e ., magnets 312 b - d each have a substantially triangular or trapezoidal cross - section in one plane . by shaping magnets 312 b - d as wedges , or with wedge - shaped cross sections , the magnetic field associated with vcm 300 may be enhanced . as shown , magnets 322 b - d are also each substantially wedge - shaped donuts , while magnets 322 a , 322 e are substantially block - shaped donuts . while the use of wedge - shaped magnets in a halbach array within a vcm improves the efficiency of the vcm , i . e ., by increasing the strength of the magnetic field within the vcm , the efficiency of a vcm may further be increased by essentially concentrating a magnetic field near a coil of a vcm . in one embodiment , by altering the orientation of magnets associated with a wedge halbach array of a vcm such that the use of only a single coil in the vcm is possible , the efficiency of the vcm is further enhanced . by orienting the magnets in a halbach array of a vcm such that a magnet with radial magnetization is effectively in the center of the halbach array , while magnets with longitudinal magnetization are at the ends of the halbach array , a single coil may be used within the vcm . it should be appreciated that for a halbach array with a given total magnet height , the height of a single coil is generally greater than or equal to the combined height of two coils used in vcms , e . g ., vcm 300 of fig3 , with magnet arrays of the given total magnet height . the use of a single coil enables the magnetic field within a vcm to be substantially concentrated through the coil , thereby further increasing the efficiency of the vcm . fig4 is a diagrammatic cross - sectional block diagram representation of a portion of a single coil and a portion of two wedge halbach magnet arrays in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . within a vcm , a portion of a coil 418 is positioned such that a first wedge halbach magnet array 406 is located in a space defined by an inner edge 424 of coil 418 and a second wedge halbach magnet array 416 is positioned outside an outer edge 426 of coil 418 . both magnet arrays 406 , 416 include wedge magnets , or magnets which have a cross - section that is either approximately triangular or trapezoidal . magnet array 406 includes wedge magnets 402 a , 402 b , 402 d , 402 e , whereas magnet array 416 includes wedge magnets 414 a , 414 b , 414 d , 414 e . magnets 402 c , 414 c , which are arranged at the center of magnet arrays 406 , 416 , respectively , are substantially block - shaped , or have approximately rectangular or square cross - sections . specifically , magnets 402 c , 414 c are donut - shaped blocks . the orientation of magnets 402 a - e within magnet array 406 , and the orientation of magnets 414 a - e within magnet array 416 are such that a magnetic field is centered approximately along a horizontal centerline 438 of magnet arrays 406 , 416 . magnetic field equipotential lines associated with an arrangement of magnet arrays 406 , 416 and coil 418 as shown will be described below with respect to fig6 . with reference to fig5 a and 5 b , the positioning and shapes of magnets associated with magnet array 406 will be described . fig5 a is a block diagram representation of magnet array 416 of fig4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as previously described , magnet array 416 includes magnets 414 a - e which may each , in one embodiment , be permanent magnets . magnet 414 c , which has a substantially rectangular cross - section , generally has a magnetic field direction that is substantially parallel to a y - axis 502 , while magnets 414 a , 414 e , which are each shaped as a wedge , have magnetic field directions that are parallel to a z - axis 504 . magnets 414 b , 414 d , which are each also shaped as a wedge and have a non - rectangular , e . g ., substantially trapezoidal , cross - section generally have associated magnetic field directions that are neither horizontal , e . g ., parallel to y - axis 502 , nor vertical , e . g ., parallel to z - axis 504 . as shown , magnets 414 a , 414 b , 414 d , 414 e each have a non - rectangular cross - section , e . g ., a substantially trapezoidal cross - section , at least in a plane that is defined by y - axis 502 and z - axis 504 . magnet 414 c has a rectangular cross - section in the plane that is defined by y - axis 502 and z - axis 504 . the relative sizes of each magnet 414 a - e within magnet array 416 may vary widely . it should be appreciated that the size and shape of each magnet 414 a - e may also vary . by way of example , as shown in fig5 b , a portion 414 b ′ of wedge 414 b is shaped such that in a plane defined by y - axis 502 and z - axis 504 , a cross - section of a wedge portion 414 b ′ is approximately trapezoidal , whereas a cross - section of wedge portion 414 b ′ in a plane defined by z - axis 504 and an x - axis 506 is substantially rectangular . wedge portion 414 b ′ has at least some edges , as for example edges 540 , 542 , 544 , which have some curvature as wedge portion 414 b ′ is a part of a wedge 414 b which is effectively a wedge - shaped donut . fig6 is a representation of magnetic field equipotential lines associated with a coil and wedge halbach magnet arrays , i . e ., coil 418 and wedge halbach magnet arrays 406 , 416 of fig4 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown , equipotential or flux lines 602 a re generally concentrated in the vicinity of coil 418 . equipotential lines may be arranged to pass substantially through a center of coil 418 , and through magnet block 402 c of magnet array 406 and through magnet block 414 c of magnet array 416 . it should be appreciated that only representative equipotential lines 602 have been shown for ease of illustration . in general , equipotential lines 602 pass through a medium which allows flux to pass from magnet array 406 to magnet array 416 , and vice versa . the medium that allows flux to pass between magnet array 406 and magnet array 416 is preferably a relatively high permeability magnetic medium , as for example magnetic steel . fig7 is a cross - sectional block diagram representation of approximately half of a vcm which uses wedge halbach arrays and a single coil in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . a portion 700 of a vcm includes a coil 718 , which is effectively shielded by a cooling can 720 . in general , cooling can 720 may be formed from substantially any suitable material . suitable materials include , but are not limited to , plastic , sheet metal , and carbon fiber . a coolant is typically provided within cooling can 720 such that coil 718 , which has an overall hollow cylindrical shape , is surrounded by the coolant . flux is carried between “ inner ” magnets 702 a - e and “ outer ” magnets 714 a - e , e . g ., from magnets 714 a - e to magnets 702 a - e , through magnetic material 770 . magnetic material 770 may be a material such as magnetic steel or iron . typically , magnetic material 770 is arranged as plates which are substantially located on top and on the bottom of portion 700 to enable flux to “ return ” flux from magnets 714 a - e to magnets 702 a - e . coil 718 is powered by electronics 750 which often include components such as an amplifier and a current supply . in one embodiment , coil 718 is a single - phase coil . when current flows through coil 718 , coil 718 moves relative to magnets 702 a - e , 714 a - e within a magnetic field associated with magnets 702 a - e , 714 a - e . since flux is conducted through magnets 702 a - e , 714 a - e and magnetic material 770 which form a magnetic circuit , sides 760 of portion 700 may be formed from a non - magnetic material . the non - magnetic material may generally be a material such as stainless steel , aluminum , ceramic , or plastic . alternatively , sides 760 may be formed from a magnetic material . as mentioned above , portion 700 is a part of a vcm . with reference to fig8 , a more complete cross - sectional representation of a vcm will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . a radially symmetric cylindrical vcm 800 , which has a centerline 808 that is parallel to a z - axis 890 , includes portion 700 of fig7 as well as a portion 810 , which is effectively a mirror image of portion 700 . coil 718 moves within space 820 and provides a force in a direction along z - axis 890 , and is substantially positioned at a center of vcm 800 . it should be appreciated that in addition to allowing movement along z - axis 890 and providing force in a direction along z - axis 890 , vcm 800 may also permit a slight rotation about z - axis 890 , a y - axis 894 , or an x - axis 892 , as well as slight movement in directions along x - axis 892 and y - axis 894 . magnets within vcm 800 are generally configured as block - shaped or wedge - shaped donuts . by way of example , wedge - shaped magnet 702 b may generally have a donut shape as shown in fig9 a , whereas wedge - shaped magnet 702 e may generally have a donut shape as shown in fig9 b . the donut shapes are of magnets 702 b , 702 e are such that the footprints of magnets 702 b , 702 e , taken with respect to a plane defined by x - axis 892 and y - axis 894 , are substantially ring - like in shape . a vcm which utilizes a substantially cylindrical wedge halbach array is suitable for a variety of different uses . by way of example , since the heat generated by such a vcm is not significant , and such a vcm provides a significant amount of force , such a vcm is particularly suitable for use as a component within a photolithography apparatus . referring next to fig1 , a photolithography apparatus which may use a vcm with a substantially cylindrical wedge halbach array will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . a photolithography apparatus ( exposure apparatus ) 40 includes a wafer positioning stage 52 that may be driven by a planar motor or linear motors ( not shown ), as well as a wafer table 51 that is coupled to wafer positioning stage 52 by utilizing an actuator spring or other means . the planar motor which drives wafer positioning stage 52 generally uses an electromagnetic force generated by magnets and corresponding armature coils . a wafer 64 is held in place on a wafer holder or chuck 74 which is coupled to wafer table 51 . wafer positioning stage 52 is arranged to move in multiple degrees of freedom , e . g ., between one to six degrees of freedom , under the control of a control unit 60 and a system controller 62 . the movement of wafer positioning stage 52 allows wafer 64 to be positioned at a desired position and orientation relative to a projection optical system 46 . wafer table 51 may be levitated in a z - direction 10 b by any number of vcms ( not shown ), e . g ., three voice coil motors . the vcms may include substantially cylindrical wedge halbach arrays . optionally , at least one electromagnetic actuator ( not shown ) may couple and move wafer table 51 along an x - axis 10 c or a y - axis 10 a . the motor array of wafer positioning stage 52 is typically supported by a base 70 . base 70 is supported to a ground via isolators 54 . reaction forces generated by motion of wafer stage 52 may be mechanically released to a ground surface through a frame 66 . one suitable frame 66 is described in jp hei 8 - 166475 and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 528 , 118 , which are each herein incorporated by reference in their entireties . an illumination system 42 is supported by a frame 72 . frame 72 is supported to the ground via isolators 54 . illumination system 42 includes an illumination source , and is arranged to project a radiant energy , e . g ., light , through a mask pattern on a reticle 68 that is supported by and scanned using a reticle stage 44 which includes a coarse stage and a fine stage . the radiant energy is focused through projection optical system 46 , which is supported on a projection optics frame 50 and may be supported the ground through isolators 54 . suitable isolators 54 include those described in jp hei 8 - 330224 and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 874 , 820 , which are each incorporated herein by reference in their entireties . a first interferometer 56 is supported on projection optics frame 50 , and functions to detect the position of wafer table 51 . interferometer 56 outputs information on the position of wafer table 51 to system controller 62 . a second interferometer 58 is supported on projection optics frame 50 , and detects the position of reticle stage 44 which supports a reticle 68 . interferometer 58 also outputs position information to system controller 62 . it should be appreciated that there are a number of different types of photolithographic apparatuses or devices . for example , photolithography apparatus 40 , or an exposure apparatus , may be used as a scanning type photolithography system which exposes the pattern from reticle 68 onto wafer 64 with reticle 68 and wafer 64 moving substantially synchronously . in a scanning type lithographic device , reticle 68 is moved perpendicularly with respect to an optical axis of a lens assembly ( projection optical system 46 ) or illumination system 42 by reticle stage 44 . wafer 64 is moved perpendicularly to the optical axis of projection optical system 46 by a wafer stage 52 . scanning of reticle 68 and wafer 64 generally occurs while reticle 68 and wafer 64 are moving substantially synchronously . alternatively , photolithography apparatus or exposure apparatus 40 may be a step - and - repeat type photolithography system that exposes reticle 68 while reticle 68 and wafer 64 are stationary , i . e ., at a substantially constant velocity of approximately zero meters per second . in one step and repeat process , wafer 64 is in a substantially constant position relative to reticle 68 and projection optical system 46 during the exposure of an individual field . subsequently , between consecutive exposure steps , wafer 64 is consecutively moved by wafer positioning stage 52 perpendicularly to the optical axis of projection optical system 46 and reticle 68 for exposure . following this process , the images on reticle 68 may be sequentially exposed onto the fields of wafer 64 so that the next field of semiconductor wafer 64 is brought into position relative to illumination system 42 , reticle 68 , and projection optical system 46 . it should be understood that the use of photolithography apparatus or exposure apparatus 40 , as described above , is not limited to being used in a photolithography system for semiconductor manufacturing . for example , photolithography apparatus 40 may be used as a part of a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) photolithography system that exposes an lcd device pattern onto a rectangular glass plate or a photolithography system for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head . photolithography apparatus 40 may also be used as a part of an immersion lithography system . the present invention may be utilized in an immersion type exposure apparatus when suitable measures for a liquid are incorporated . by way of example , pct patent application wo 99 / 49504 , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety , discloses an exposure apparatus in which a liquid is supplied to a space between a substrate such as a wafer and a projection lens system in an exposure process . further , the present invention may be utilized in an exposure apparatus which includes two or more substrates and / or reticle stages . in such an apparatus , the additional stage may be used in parallel or preparatory steps while the other stage may be used for exposing . exemplary multiple stage exposure apparatuses are described , for example , in japan patent application disclosure no . 10 - 163099 , as well as in japan patent application disclosure no . 10 - 214783 and its counterparts u . s . pat . no . 6 , 341 , 007 , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 400 , 441 , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 549 , 269 , and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 590 , 634 . each of these references is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety . other exemplary multiple stage exposure apparatuses are described in japan patent application disclosure no . 2000 - 505958 , as well as in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 969 , 441 and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 208 , 407 . each of these references is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety the present invention may also be utilized in an exposure apparatus that has a movable stage which retains a substrate , e . g ., a wafer , for exposure , and a stage having various sensor or measurement tools for measuring , as described in japan patent disclosure no . 11 - 135400 . as far as is permitted , the disclosure of japan patent disclosure no . 11 - 135400 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . in addition , the present invention may be utilized in an exposure apparatus that is operated in a vacuum environment . it should be appreciated that suitable measures may need to be incorporated to the present invention to accommodate a vacuum environment for the air , or fluid , bearing arrangements . such an exposure apparatus may be , but is not limited to being , an eb type exposure apparatus , or an euvl type exposure apparatus . the illumination source of illumination system 42 may be g - line ( 436 nanometers ( nm )), i - line ( 365 nm ), a krf excimer laser ( 248 nm ), an arf excimer laser ( 193 nm ), and an f 2 - type laser ( 157 nm ). alternatively , illumination system 42 may also use charged particle beams such as x - ray and electron beams . for instance , in the case where an electron beam is used , thermionic emission type lanthanum hexaboride ( lab 6 ) or tantalum ( ta ) may be used as an electron gun . furthermore , in the case where an electron beam is used , the structure may be such that either a mask is used or a pattern may be directly formed on a substrate without the use of a mask . with respect to projection optical system 46 , when far ultra - violet rays such as an excimer laser is used , glass materials such as quartz and fluorite that transmit far ultra - violet rays is preferably used . when either an f 2 - type laser or an x - ray is used , projection optical system 46 may be either catadioptric or refractive ( a reticle may be of a corresponding reflective type ), and when an electron beam is used , electron optics may comprise electron lenses and deflectors . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the optical path for the electron beams is generally in a vacuum . in addition , with an exposure device that employs vacuum ultra - violet ( vuv ) radiation of a wavelength that is approximately 200 nm or lower , use of a catadioptric type optical system may be considered . examples of a catadioptric type of optical system include , but are not limited to , those described in japan patent application disclosure no . 8 - 171054 published in the official gazette for laid - open patent applications and its counterpart u . s . pat . no . 5 , 668 , 672 , as well as in japan patent application disclosure no . 10 - 20195 and its counterpart u . s . pat . no . 5 , 835 , 275 , which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entireties . in these examples , the reflecting optical device may be a catadioptric optical system incorporating a beam splitter and a concave mirror . japan patent application disclosure ( hei ) no . 8 - 334695 published in the official gazette for laid - open patent applications and its counterpart u . s . pat . no . 5 , 689 , 377 , as well as japan patent application disclosure no . 10 - 3039 and its counterpart u . s . pat . no . 5 , 892 , 117 , which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entireties . these examples describe a reflecting - refracting type of optical system that incorporates a concave mirror , but without a beam splitter , and may also be suitable for use with the present invention . further , in photolithography systems , when linear motors ( see u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 623 , 853 or 5 , 528 , 118 , which are each incorporated herein by reference in their entireties ) are used in a wafer stage or a reticle stage , the linear motors may be either an air levitation type that employs air bearings or a magnetic levitation type that uses lorentz forces or reactance forces . additionally , the stage may also move along a guide , or may be a guideless type stage which uses no guide . alternatively , a wafer stage or a reticle stage may be driven by a planar motor which drives a stage through the use of electromagnetic forces generated by a magnet unit that has magnets arranged in two dimensions and an armature coil unit that has coil in facing positions in two dimensions . with this type of drive system , one of the magnet unit or the armature coil unit is connected to the stage , while the other is mounted on the moving plane side of the stage . movement of the stages as described above generates reaction forces which may affect performance of an overall photolithography system . reaction forces generated by the wafer ( substrate ) stage motion may be mechanically released to the floor or ground by use of a frame member as described above , as well as in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 528 , 118 and published japanese patent application disclosure no . 8 - 166475 . additionally , reaction forces generated by the reticle ( mask ) stage motion may be mechanically released to the floor ( ground ) by use of a frame member as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 874 , 820 and published japanese patent application disclosure no . 8 - 330224 , which are each incorporated herein by reference in their entireties . isolaters such as isolators 54 may generally be associated with an active vibration isolation system ( avis ). an avis generally controls vibrations associated with forces 112 , i . e ., vibrational forces , which are experienced by a stage assembly or , more generally , by a photolithography machine such as photolithography apparatus 40 which includes a stage assembly . a photolithography system according to the above - described embodiments , e . g ., a photolithography apparatus which may include one or more dual force actuators , may be built by assembling various subsystems in such a manner that prescribed mechanical accuracy , electrical accuracy , and optical accuracy are maintained . in order to maintain the various accuracies , prior to and following assembly , substantially every optical system may be adjusted to achieve its optical accuracy . similarly , substantially every mechanical system and substantially every electrical system may be adjusted to achieve their respective desired mechanical and electrical accuracies . the process of assembling each subsystem into a photolithography system includes , but is not limited to , developing mechanical interfaces , electrical circuit wiring connections , and air pressure plumbing connections between each subsystem . there is also a process where each subsystem is assembled prior to assembling a photolithography system from the various subsystems . once a photolithography system is assembled using the various subsystems , an overall adjustment is generally performed to ensure that substantially every desired accuracy is maintained within the overall photolithography system . additionally , it may be desirable to manufacture an exposure system in a clean room where the temperature and humidity are controlled . further , semiconductor devices may be fabricated using systems described above , as will be discussed with reference to fig1 . the process begins at step 1301 in which the function and performance characteristics of a semiconductor device are designed or otherwise determined . next , in step 1302 , a reticle ( mask ) in which has a pattern is designed based upon the design of the semiconductor device . it should be appreciated that in a parallel step 1303 , a wafer is made from a silicon material . the mask pattern designed in step 1302 is exposed onto the wafer fabricated in step 1303 in step 1304 by a photolithography system . one process of exposing a mask pattern onto a wafer will be described below with respect to fig1 . in step 1305 , the semiconductor device is assembled . the assembly of the semiconductor device generally includes , but is not limited to , wafer dicing processes , bonding processes , and packaging processes . finally , the completed device is inspected in step 1306 . fig1 is a process flow diagram which illustrates the steps associated with wafer processing in the case of fabricating semiconductor devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in step 1311 , the surface of a wafer is oxidized . then , in step 1312 which is a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) step , an insulation film may be formed on the wafer surface . once the insulation film is formed , in step 1313 , electrodes are formed on the wafer by vapor deposition . then , ions may be implanted in the wafer using substantially any suitable method in step 1314 . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , steps 1311 - 1314 are generally considered to be preprocessing steps for wafers during wafer processing . further , it should be understood that selections made in each step , e . g ., the concentration of various chemicals to use in forming an insulation film in step 1312 , may be made based upon processing requirements . at each stage of wafer processing , when preprocessing steps have been completed , post - processing steps may be implemented . during post - processing , initially , in step 1315 , photoresist is applied to a wafer . then , in step 1316 , an exposure device may be used to transfer the circuit pattern of a reticle to a wafer . transferring the circuit pattern of the reticle of the wafer generally includes scanning a reticle scanning stage which may , in one embodiment , include a force damper to dampen vibrations . after the circuit pattern on a reticle is transferred to a wafer , the exposed wafer is developed in step 1317 . once the exposed wafer is developed , parts other than residual photoresist , e . g ., the exposed material surface , may be removed by etching . finally , in step 1319 , any unnecessary photoresist that remains after etching may be removed . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , multiple circuit patterns may be formed through the repetition of the preprocessing and post - processing steps . although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been described , it should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention . by way of example , while the use of a single coil has been described as being suitable for use with a cylindrical wedge halbach array with wedge - shaped magnets at the ends of the array , it should be appreciated that more than a single coil may also be used with such an array . in one embodiment , two coils may be used in lieu of a single coil . while the use of a wedge halbach array of magnets has been described in terms of being used in a cylindrical vcm , it should be appreciated that an array of magnets which includes at least one wedge - shaped magnet may be used within a variety of different vcms . in one embodiment , a vcm which utilizes a coil which is substantially shaped as a square tube may utilize arrays of magnets which have an overall rectangular block shape with at least one component magnet being wedge - shaped . a vcm may include substantially only a single magnet array with at least one wedge - shaped component magnet . by way of example , an inner magnet ring of a radially symmetric cylindrical vcm may include at least one wedge - shaped component magnet , while an outer magnet ring of the vcm may be formed as a substantially uniform donut - shaped magnet , or may include only component magnets which are not wedge - shaped . alternatively , an outer magnet ring of a radially symmetric cylindrical vcm may include at least one wedge - shaped component magnet , and an inner magnet ring of the vcm may include a substantially uniform donut - shaped magnet , or may include only component magnets which are not wedge - shaped . the parameters associated with a coil that is used in a radially symmetric cylindrical vcm with a cylindrical wedge halbach array that includes wedge - shaped magnets at the ends of the array may vary widely . by way of example , both the number of turns in a coil as well as the gauge of the wire in the coil may vary . that is , the coil geometry may vary . typically , as the wire gauge increases , the number of turns in a coil increases , and the resistance associated with the coil increases . since the force generated by a vcm is proportional to the amount of current and the number of turns in a coil , to maintain the same force with lower current , the number of turns in the coil is increased . however , the voltage provided to the coil is generally increased in order to provide the same electric power , since power is proportional to both current and voltage . as the efficiency of a vcm is dependent upon the orientation of magnets within the vcm and not the number of turns in a coil or the wire gauge associated with the coil , the wire gauge may be selected such that the voltage and the current requirements of the vcm are consistent with any requirements of an amplifier or other electronics associated with the vcm . in addition to coil - related parameters , other parameters associated with a vcm in accordance with the present invention may also be widely varied . for instance , the inner and outer radii of the magnets in a cylindrical wedge halbach array may vary . the positioning of the coil within a vcm may also be varied depending upon the requirements of a particular system . for example , the radial clearance or gap between a magnet array and the coil may vary depending upon the length of a trajectory stroke , such as a stroke in an xy plane , and a maximum stage position error , among other factors . since many magnets , e . g ., ndfeb magnets , are anisotropic , it is often preferable to fabricate each radially magnetized ring magnet out of several sections . by way of example , approximately six magnet sections may be used to form a single ring magnet . generally , the number of magnets included in a wedge halbach array may vary . in other words , although each wedge halbach array described above has been described as including five or six magnets , a wedge halbach array may include fewer or more magnets without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention . therefore , the present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive , and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein , but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims . this description of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described , and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications . this description will enable others skilled in the art to best utilize and practice the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to a particular use . the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings , the mixer according to the present invention is generally designated 10 and will be seen to include an outermost cylindrical housing 12 containing a lining 42 defining an interior chamber 13 bounded by opposite end walls 11 , 11 &# 39 ;. an elongated rotor 14 with an axis and circumferentially opposite sides is disposed within the chamber 13 by means of end shafts 15 , 15 &# 39 ; extending through the respective end walls 11 , 11 &# 39 ;. suitable well known bearing and packing means ( not shown ) are utilized to provide appropriate fluid tight journals for the rotor shaft ends 15 , 15 &# 39 ; and additionally , it will be understood that suitable drive means would be provided to supply motive force , rotating the rotor 14 during operation of the mixer , which mixer may be either of the axial or radial flow type . the hub 14 &# 39 ; of the rotor will be seen to be provided with a plurality of fixed , radially projecting vanes 16 arrayed with pairs of said rotor vanes extending in opposite directions from opposite sides of the rotor shaft 14 and arranged to form a plurality of groups of such vanes , each group disposed in axial alignment , as shown most clearly in fig1 . the plurality of rotor vane groups are in turn angularly offset relative each other as evident from the end elevational view of fig3 . each rotor vane 16 comprises a unitary member including first and second substantially planar , imperforate elements 18 , 19 being mirrored imaged congruent surfaces joined at an edge or apex 21 and defining a v - shape or chevron symmetrical about apex 21 , in cross - section , such that a wedge - shaped trough or cavity 20 is formed between or within the confines of each pair of such elements 18 , 19 . as shown , the open side or trough 20 of the vanes 16 nearest each end wall 11 , 11 &# 39 ; are disposed in a direction facing that end wall but any vane may be facing either direction . although the individual vanes 16 of each group are axially equispaced , it will be observed that the vanes of arcuately adjacent groups are axially staggered relative one another . cooperating with the rotor vanes 16 are a plurality of stator or fixed vanes 30 radially extending inwardly from the inner wall 31 of the housing 12 or the liner 42 . these vanes 30 likewise each comprise a unitary member including a first 32 and second 34 elements in mirroredly image congruent form joined at an apex 35 and defining a v - shape or chevron symmetrical configuration about apex 35 in cross - section , with a trough or cavity 33 within the confines of the two divergent elements . the included angle between the two elements 32 , 34 may range between 45 - 90 degrees . the first elements 32 are preferably imperforate as shown in fig3 while the second elements 34 may be provided with a plurality of radially adjacent apertures 36 . the four groups of stator vanes 30 are likewise arcuately arranged at a 90 degree displacement from each other , or alternatively , any other suitable number of groups with equal spacing may be employed , such as three groups spaced 120 degrees apart . since the unique structure of the present vanes is particularly adaptable for use in a mixer 10 as utilized in the pulp bleaching industry , it will be appreciated that many existing mixer housings may be modified or retro - fitted with the present improvement . in this respect , it will follow that stator members 30 in accordance with this invention may easily be placed within existing housings with the stator vanes 30 suitably affixed relative the housing wall 31 or liner 42 . in the latter respect , each group of stator vanes 30 are shown in fig1 as being mounted upon a base plate 38 which in turn is suitably mounted in place , such as by the fasteners 40 . the intermediate liner 42 may or may not be included and will be understood to be constructed of suitable material intended to resist the chemical action of pulp being treated within the mixer 10 . in one manner of operation , the pulp / treatment chemical mixture is admitted to the mixer chamber through an inlet 44 laterally disposed adjacent one end wall 11 &# 39 ;. the mixture is supplied to the apparatus by any well known gravity or pressure feeding arrangement and after treatment , is forced from the housing 12 , through an uppermost outlet 46 adjacent the opposite end wall 11 so determining an upstream and downstream direction . it will be understood that the specific placement of both the inlet and outlet are not critical for the improved performance of the invention as alternate locations or angular positions are possible . a superior mixing action is accomplished as the rotating vanes 16 intermesh with the stator vanes 30 to produce a hydraulic shock action whereby the mixture is alternately compressed and uncompressed . the stator design and placement is intended to increase the differential occurring between the rotor speed and the pulp / substance mixture rotating speed in order to create higher shear forces . the alternately along the axis of the rotor forward and rearward facing upstream and downstream apexes 21 and troughs or cavities 20 of the rotor vanes 16 promote an improved compression of the mixture as the rotor vanes direct the mixture against the imperforate first elements 32 of the stator vanes 30 . all of the stator vanes will be seen to have their apices 35 disposed in the same direction , that is , facing toward the inlet 44 of the mixer 10 so that the mixer migrating toward the outlet 46 , will be successively sheared by the stator vanes 30 as portions thereof are compressed due to the acton of the rotating rotor vanes 16 being driven between axially adjacent stator vanes 30 . this same action may be accomplished by positioning all or part of the stator vanes 30 - 180 degrees from the position reflected in the drawings . as the rotor vanes 16 pass the first elements 32 of the stator vanes 30 , continued movement of the rotor vanes creates a partial vacuum or pressure reduction between the stator and rotor vanes as well as immediately inside the trough 20 of the rotor vanes . this vacuum is somewhat regulated by means of the apertures 36 in the second stator vane elements 34 so as to reduce the amount of horsepower required to operate the mixer . thus , a constant series of hydraulic shock actions are produced upon the pulp mixture as the rotor 14 operates at a substantially regular speed whereupon , a vastly improved mixing is achieved . operation of the device produces a discontinuity in the movement of the material , with an instability that is implosively self - correcting as atmospheric or feed pressure acts to restore a pressure density to the mixture . the material directed through the mixture 10 undergoes a thorough , homogeneous mixing due to a combination of factors including , the shearing action as the pulp is forced around the rotor vanes 16 and then flows about the stator vanes 30 , as well as the resultant hydraulic shock action as produced by the specifically configured vane elements . the present invention produces an improved mixing action over earlier mixers while operating with a maximum utilization of horsepower and requiring less chemical treating substance . the apparatus is adaptable to a variety of differing mixing applications by altering the relative spacing of the stator vanes 30 circumferentially about the housing inner wall 31 , and the spacing of the plurality of rotor vanes 16 , circumferentially on the rotor hub 14 &# 39 ;. additionally , the relative clearance between the intermeshing rotor and stator vane may be varied . further , the rotor vanes may be varied in configuration , such that only a portion thereof consists of the wedge - shaped trough members as described herein . the relative advantage of this is that when working with many mixtures it may be necessary to vary the mixing action and the rpm of the rotor so that the rate of mixing can be controlled to achieve the desired level of results with certain mixtures . the flow path f depicted in fig5 will be understood to represent a regular , helical path . with the pulp rotating speed similar to that of the rotor speed , having little differential , such as would occur when using a rotor as shown and without the cooperating stator vanes 30 of the present invention , which produce the unique mixing through the hydraulic shock action or alternate compression and decompression of the mixture . as mentioned before , the stator construction and disposition enhances the differential occurring between the rotor speed and the pulp / substance mixture rotating speed so as to create higher shear forces . although the inventive arrangement is illustrated as applied to a mixer having a material flow which progresses generally axially along a rotor shaft , it will be appreciated that the disclosed concept of the cooperating rotor vanes and stator members may be practiced with alternate mixer designs such as , a radial flow mixer having parallel discs provided with opposing vanes and stators . it will be apparent from the foregoing that the objects and advantages of the invention have been realized and further , as many small changes will occur to those skilled in the art , it is desired that all equivalents thereof fall under the scope of invention as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
the invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 shows an electronic typewriter 20 embodying the invention . the electronic typewriter 20 is being used for illustrative purposes only as the invention may be embodied in other electronic printing apparatuses such as printers and facsimile machines employing ink jet printing elements . the print cartridges may be of either a thermal cartridge or a piezo electric cartridge type . the electronic typewriter 20 of fig1 has an outer frame 30 . the input means comprises a keyboard 32 having alphanumeric , function , cursor , and control keys as are known in the art . obviously , the input means would differ for a printer or a facsimile machine . a front panel 34 contains a display 35 and a contrast control 36 is provided for controlling contrast of the display 35 . an upper panel 37 is provided to permit access to the interior of the outer frame 30 . the front panel 34 may be rotated toward the keyboard and the upper panel 37 rotated away from the keyboard to provide access to the interior of the outer frame 30 . a paper release 38 and a knob 39 for permitting rotation of main roller 91 ( fig6 ) are provided to one side of the outer frame 30 . a back panel 33 lowers to provide a paper tray for feeding the sheet of paper prior to printing and for receiving the printed sheet of paper . fig2 - 5 show the printing area of the invention . as previously noted , the invention is being described in the context of the electronic typewriter 20 of fig1 but is applicable to any printing apparatus using ink jet print technology . the printing means are mounted to a mounting frame 70 ( fig4 ) comprising a first side frame 71 , a first lateral frame 72 , a second side frame 73 , and a second lateral frame 74 . for purposes of this description , the first side frame 71 may be considered to the left when viewed in the figures and the first lateral frame 72 may be considered as closest to the observer when mounted in a printing mechanism . however , when actually mounted within a printing apparatus , the orientation may vary depending upon the structure of the printing apparatus . extending between the first and second side frames 71 , 73 are a guide shaft 98 and a guide rail 99 ( fig2 and 4 ). the guide shaft 98 and the guide rail 99 support the ink cartridge carrier 54 upon which the ink cartridge 40 is mounted . a motor 92 drives a timing belt 94 mounted to the ink cartridge carrier 54 to reciprocate the ink cartridge carrier 54 laterally along the guide shaft 98 and the guide rail 99 . a single sheet of paper is fed around feed path 102 ( fig6 ) and exits the direction shown by arrow a . at the entrance of the feed path 102 is the paper tray 33 . a cut sheet feeder ( not shown ) feeds paper to paper feed opening 102a and thence to paper feed path 102 . the paper feed opening 102a is also used to feed thicker paper products , such as postcards . thus , the feed of paper may be a single sheet at a time or from a cut sheet feeder using known feed technologies . further , the invention can be used with fan fold paper fed by a tractor feed . the paper is fed through the feed path 102 by rotation of the main roller 91 ( fig6 ) and pinch rollers 90 ( fig2 ), across the block 96 and exited between feed rollers 104 and traction rollers 105 . the feed rollers 104 are made of a resilient material and the traction rollers 105 are preferably of a metal having raised linear teeth . the raised linear teeth , triangular in cross - section , are smoothed at their apex such that the combination of the raised teeth of the traction rollers 105 and the resilient surface of the feed rollers 104 provide a positive gripping of the paper sheet . adjacent to the second side frame 73 is a head maintenance station 100 ( fig3 and 5 ). the head maintenance station 100 may comprise a wiper member and a capping station to cover the printhead . a type maintenance station is shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 202 , 702 . fig2 and 4 show the ink cartridge carrier 54 at the head maintenance station 100 . during printing , the ink cartridge carrier 54 reciprocates along the guide shaft 98 and guide rail 99 between a position substantially adjacent to the first side frame 71 and a position adjacent to the head maintenance station 100 . head cleaning is executed on a predetermined basis that may be established based upon the number of lines printed , a set time interval , a combination of a number of characters and lines printed , or other appropriate measures depending upon the characteristics of the ink and the ink cartridge 40 . the ink cartridge carrier 54 will be described with reference to fig6 - 11 . the ink cartridge carrier 54 is molded of a high strength resin material . an example of such a material is a polycarbonate with 10 % fiber glass . the molded ink cartridge carrier 54 comprises a first side frame section 56 , a second side frame section 57 , a center frame section 55 connecting the first and second side frame sections 56 , 57 , and a base frame section 58 . the base frame section includes a guide shaft mount 60 and a positioning bar 58a . the center frame section 55 has molded thereto guide members 59 . between guide members 59 is a notch 101 . the ink cartridge carrier 54 is mounted to guide shaft 98 using guide shaft mount 60 and guide rail 99 is received in notch 101 . to a rear portion of guide shaft mount 60 is formed a timing belt attachment bracket 61 . the timing belt 94 is attached to the timing belt attachment bracket 61 . the timing belt 94 may be either a split belt wherein each end of the timing belt 94 is attached to the timing belt attachment bracket 61 or it may be an endless belt with an attachment device , mounted on the timing belt 94 , that is attached to the timing belt attachment bracket 61 . in either case , the timing belt 94 is fixed with respect to the ink cartridge carrier 54 so that rotation of the motor 92 causes the timing belt 94 to be moved by rotation of an output shaft and pulley ( not shown ) thereby causing the ink cartridge carrier to reciprocate along the guide shaft 98 and guide rail 99 . extending from each side frame section 56 , 57 is a wing 51 . a plane passing through a surface of the wings 51 opposes a plane passing through an inner surface of the center frame section 55 and is parallel thereto . the gap between the two respective planes defines slots 65 , 66 . a first slot 65 is defined at the junction of first side frame 56 and center frame section 55 and a second slot 66 is defined at the junction of second side frame section 57 and center frame section 55 . protruding from the surface of the wing 51 extending from first side frame section 56 is entry latching pin 67 and protruding from wing 51 extending from second side frame section 57 are end latching pins 68 . although as shown in this preferred embodiment of the ink cartridge carrier , the ink cartridge carrier 54 has one entry latching pin 67 and two end latching pins 68 , other configurations of the latching pins could be used . to the ink cartridge carrier 54 is mounted a latching bracket 110 ( fig9 a , 9b ). the latching bracket 110 is formed of a high impact resin , such as those used for the ink cartridge carrier 54 . the latching bracket 110 has an opening 114 and extending inwardly , that is toward the ink cartridge carrier 54 , is a retention plate 116 having a downwardly descending l - shape , in cross section , to create a mounting notch 118 between the main bracket body and the descending leg of the retention plate 116 . protruding from an upper surface of the retention plate 116 is a spring guide 115 . the latching bracket 110 is mounted in an opening 52 formed in the center frame section 55 ( fig7 and 10 - 12 ). the retention plate 116 , when the latching bracket 110 is mounted to the center frame section 55 , is seated on an inner side of a center brace 127 of the center frame section 55 so that the center brace 127 is seated within mounting notch 118 of latching bracket 110 ( fig1 ). the portion of the latching bracket 110 defining an edge of the spring opening 114 adjacent a lip 112 ( upper edge in the figures ) is received in a groove formed in the top brace 125 of the center frame section 55 . within the opening 52 , 114 ( resulting when the latching bracket 110 is mounted to the center frame section 55 ) is a spring 117 that is seated on the spring guide 115 of the latching bracket 110 and engaged with a surface of the opening 52 , the surface opposing the spring guide 115 . to retain and guide the spring 117 , the engagement surface found in top brace 125 of center frame section 55 is formed as a spring retention notch 126 . the latching bracket also has at its upper end ( in the figures ) the lip 112 . the spring 117 , between the spring retention notch 126 in the top brace 125 of the center frame section 55 and the spring guide 115 , applies a pressure to force the latching bracket 110 downwardly ( in the figures ) so as to seat mounting notch 118 on center brace 127 of center frame section 55 . the mounting of the latching bracket 110 on the center frame section 55 is stabilized by the top brace 125 of the center frame section 55 . the portion of the latching bracket 110 above the spring opening 114 is retained within a notch in the upper portion of the top brace 125 thus slidably attaching the latching bracket 110 at a second point to the center frame section 55 . the spring 117 , as previously described , engages an upper surface of the opening 52 of the center frame section 55 by being seated within a spring retention notch 126 found in the top brace 125 to complete the mounting . mounted to an inner surface , that is a surface of center frame section 55 facing into the area defined by first and second side frame sections 56 , 57 , is a contact spring member 130 having contact springs 131 formed thereon . the contact spring member 130 and contact springs 131 are formed of a resilient substance , such as silicon rubber . they may have different resiliences or substantially the same resiliences . the contact springs 131 are formed on the contact spring member 130 in a pattern corresponding to the electrical contacts found on the contact surface 44 ( fig1 ) of the ink cartridge 40 and on the flexible cable 80 . another type of contact spring structure is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 706 , 097 . the flexible cable 80 will be described with reference to fig2 , 12 , 13 , 14 . a mounting bracket 88 is mounted to first lateral frame 72 . the flexible cable 80 from the controller ( not shown ) has a first rigid portion 81 which provides a means for guiding the flexible cable to the cable attachment bracket 88 as well as providing means for a positive mount thereto . a second rigid section 82 guides the flexible cable 80 around the outer surface of the ink cartridge carrier 54 and through a groove 50 ( fig4 and 14 ). the groove 50 is formed in the wing 51 extending from side frame section 56 ( fig1 ). a hook 53 defines the outer side of the groove and extends approximately one - half the height of the wing 51 or the side frame section 56 . the rigid portions 81 , 82 are reinforced only where the path of the flexible cable 80 changes direction . between those points , the flexible cable 80 remains flexible . the high rigidity portions , that is where the direction changes , of the flexible cable 80 may be formed by molding with an increased amount of the resin , used to form the body of the flexible cable 80 , forming the high rigidity portions of the rigid portions 81 , 82 upon curing or by mounting reinforcing material to the flexible cable 80 , such as metal or plastic strips . the section of the flexible cable 80 between the first and second rigid portions 81 , 82 is flexible and bows during reciprocal movement of the ink cartridge carrier 54 so as to permit movement of the ink cartridge carrier 54 from one end of the print line to the other . one end of the flexible cable 80 , adjacent rigid portion 82 , permits connection of the flexible cable 80 to the ink cartridge carrier 54 . between the rigid portion 82 and an end portion 83 is a contact portion 84 containing contacts 85 . the contacts 85 coincide with the contact springs 131 and the contacts on the contact surface 44 of the ink cartridge 40 . rigid portion 82 of the flexible cable 80 has a mounting hole 69a and cable end 83 has mounting holes 69b . the mounting hole 69a enables rigid portion 82 to be mounted to entry the latching pin 67 and the mounting holes 69b on the cable end 83 are mounted to the end latching pins 68 thereby positively locating the contacts 85 of contact portion 84 between the contact springs 131 and the contacts found on the ink cartridge 40 . passage of the rigid portion 82 through groove 50 results in the hook 53 providing for a positive retention of mounting hole 69a on latching pin 67 to prevent an accidental disconnection of the cable 80 during reciprocable movement of the ink cartridge carrier 54 . to mount the flexible cable 80 to latching pins 67 , 68 , cable end 83 is passed through the slot 65 , past the contact springs 131 and exited from the slot 66 so that the latching holes 69a , 69b receive the latching pins 67 , 68 . the ink cartridge 40 for use with the invention will be described with reference to fig2 and , most particularly , 15 . the ink cartridge 40 has an engagement piece 42 on its upper surface ( as shown in the figures ). at its lower surface is a nozzle plate 48 . at a lower end of each side surface is a mounting foot 46 . a front face directly below the engagement piece 42 comprises a contact surface 44 having a plurality of contacts ( not shown in detail ) corresponding to the number of nozzles thereon . in operation , the flexible cable 80 is attached to the ink cartridge carrier 41 by inserting the cable end 83 through the slot 65 and exiting the slot 66 thereby positioning the contact portion 84 opposite the contact springs 131 so that the pattern of the contacts 85 on the contact portion 84 is matched with the contact springs 131 . the latching holes 69a , 69b are seated on the latching pins 67 , 68 to positively position the contact portion 84 of the flexible cable 80 . the ink cartridge 40 is mounted on the ink cartridge carrier 54 as shown in fig1 - 19 . the nozzle plate 48 section of the ink cartridge 40 is inserted between the positioning bar 58a of the base frame section 58 and the center frame section 55 . the upper portion of the ink cartridge 40 is then pushed toward the center frame section 55 . a chamfered surface of the engagement piece 42 engages a chamfered surface of the lip 112 of the latching bracket 110 . the lip 112 is pushed upwardly against the tension force of the spring 117 until the chamfered surface of the lip 112 passes by the chamfered surface of the engagement piece 42 wherein the tension of the spring 117 retracts the lip 112 over the engagement piece 42 thereby positively engaging and seating the ink cartridge 40 on the ink cartridge carrier 54 . further , to properly align the ink cartridge 40 laterally , the second side frame section 57 is provided with a rigid ink cartridge guide 64 and the first side frame section 56 is provided with a semi - rigid ink cartridge guide 63 . alternatively , the rigid ink cartridge guide 64 could be provided on the first frame section 56 and the semi - rigid ink cartridge guide 63 could be provided on the second frame section 57 . at this time , the contacts on the contact surface 44 are in positive contact with the contacts 85 found on the contact portion 84 of the flexible cable 80 and printing may be conducted . to release an expended ink cartridge 40 from the ink cartridge carrier 41 , the operator grasps the ends of the lip 112 , pulling the lip 112 upwardly to disengage the lip 112 from the engagement piece 42 . the lip 112 , on each side , has an angled surface such that the lip is narrower at its bottom surface ( closed to the opening 114 ) and wider at its upper surface for ease in pulling ( fig1 ). the angle formed between the top surface and the angled surface is in a range of about 40 ° to 60 ° and is preferably about 50 °. during removal , the ink cartridge 40 is rotated toward the guide shaft mount 60 and lifted from its position on the ink cartridge carrier 54 . | 1 |
there will now be described , by way of example only , the best mode contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the present invention . in the following description , numerous specific details are set out in order to provide a complete understanding to the present invention . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art , that the present invention may be put into practice with variations of the specific . referring to fig3 , the present invention relates to a device that is operable to drill a hole through a nail 301 using a drill bit 302 in a controlled manner which device is arranged to prevent an overrun of the drill bit in use , having progressed through the nail , into the nail bed 304 lying below . this prior art device benefits from motor control but suffers from being hand - held : the device must be held in against the nail 300 whereby to determine differences in torque resistance to the drill bit as it rotates . in this known system a drill bit is fixedly attached to a drill bit holder ( chuck ) in a controlled manner in order to accurately track the progress of the drill bit 302 through the nail 300 thus preventing it overrunning into the nail bed . when the device is first placed against the nail 300 the cutter 302 will not be in contact with the nail 300 ( see fig5 ). upon activation the cutter will start to rotate and will then be advanced in an axial direction towards the nail 300 . when the cutter 302 makes contact with the nail 300 there will be a reaction force from the nail 300 in a direction corresponding to the axis of the cutter 302 and a reaction torque will act with respect to the cutter 302 . this prior teaching provides a motor control responsive to such forces . notwithstanding the above , difficulties can arise , not least through the axis of cutting changing through relative movement between the drill bit and the nail 300 . accordingly , the present invention provides a number of modifications to the design to overcome or ameliorate such problems . referring now to fig4 , numeral 400 refers generally to a drilling assembly in accordance with one aspect of the invention . the drilling assembly can be coupled to a motor for rotational drive or may be coupled to an output coupling of a flexible shaft , wherein the motor provides rotational drive at an input coupling of the flexible shaft . the assembly comprises a composite drill 403 retained for rotation within a chuck which is surrounded by a shroud 402 , which depends form an upper sleeve member associated with the motor drive unit ( not shown ), the composite drill being movable relative to the shroud . the shroud , by means of an annular sleeve 407 at a proximal portion of the shroud , engages with a corresponding mating face associated with the body 405 of the rotational tool . the composite drill 403 comprises a drill bit 302 and a shank element 304 ( which receives rotational drive about axis z from a rotational power from coupling member 411 ), associated with a control tool or device ( not shown ). for ease in handling and to assist in the coupling of the shank to the chuck , the outside diameter of the shank ( typically , φ = 3 . 175 mm , corresponding to ⅛th inch , a standard diameter for many engineering applications ) is considerably greater than the drill bit ( typically , φ = 0 . 1 − 2 mm ), although this would not be necessary for larger drill bits . at a distal portion of the shroud 406 , the shroud reduces in diameter to define an apex with an aperture through which the drill bit can pass and engage with a patient body part . for example , as shown in fig5 , the apex abuts a nail plate 300 prior to the drill bit being brought towards and through the aperture 406 at the base of the shroud . the chuck coupling member 411 has an inside diameter of 3 . 175 mm , corresponding to the outside diameter of the shank and an outside diameter of 5 . 5 mm . whilst a resilient clip is shown in the specific embodiment , the skilled man will realise that a magnetic assembly can retain ferromagnetic drill bits , as such magnetic connections are widely used many in non - percussive applications , such as multi - bit magnetic screw - driver assemblies . in detail , and referring also to fig4 a - c , the shank 304 is retained within a power transfer chuck 411 that enables an extremely simple change of drill bit . with specific reference to fig4 a , which shows a plan view of the composite drill 403 from the proximal end , although the drill bit cutter 302 is indicated in outline . the shank of the composite bit is provided with a plastics collet 408 , which has four upstanding elements 409 with inherent resiliency , being manufactured from machinable and mouldable plastics such as polypropylene . four inwardly extending features 410 are defined at the end of the upstanding elements 409 . these inwardly extending features locate within an annular depression 412 associated with the transfer chuck 411 , whereby not only to assist in the confirmation of the drill bit being fitted satisfactorily but to assist in gripping an outside surface of the power transfer chuck 411 . an insertion tool operable to protect a brittle drill bit and reduce a risk of contamination can be provided , comprising an elongate tool with an inwardly direct opening operable to couple about the shank in a loose fit , an abut against the collet , whereby the drill bit is not touched and therefore not contaminated as the drill bit is placed within the transfer chuck 411 . the shank is machined to an outside diameter of 3 . 175 mm and the inside diameter of the chuck corresponds to provide a sliding fit , to prevent axial jitter of the drill in use ; an air passage ( not shown ) is provided whereby to enable the shank to be simply inserted into the chuck . the tightness of fit is controlled by an amount of interference ; the “ allowance ”. formulas are readily available to the skilled man t to compute this allowance ( planned difference from nominal size ) that will result in various strengths of fit such as loose fit , light interference fit , and interference fit . the value of the allowance depends on which material is being used , how big the parts are , and what degree of tightness is desired . such values have already been worked out in the past for many standard applications , and they are available to engineers in the form of tables , obviating the need for re - derivation . therefore , if a loose fit is desired for a 3 . 175 mm shaft made of a particular grade of stainless steel , the engineer can look up the needed allowance in a reference book or computer program , rather than using a formula to calculate it . a flattened face together with a corresponding projection on the shank ( not shown ) could also be provided , which together with a resilient element such as a clip or similar could enable secure retention of the composite bit within the chuck . prior to use , like all medical instruments , the composite drill must be sterilised — although this system easily adapts to the disposable , single use environment , typical of modern surgeries / health care centres , the sterilisation conveniently taking place during manufacture , by sterilisation by moist heat , gamma irradiation , and other methods , whereby sterile packed products are provided at said manufacturing facility . the drill together with a plastics shroud can easily be provided as a kit of parts for single use with a particular patient , as shall be discussed below . this would be advantageous in that a single use shroud would assist with any collection of biopsy material , since the drill can be placed in a biopsy package , without being required to be cleaned , possibly with loss of material . fig4 d shows a perspective view of a collet 408 , on its own ; the four upstanding members 409 are clearly identifiable ; the division of the otherwise circumferential body allowing flexing of the upstanding members outwardly . fig4 e is a perspective view of the proximal end of the shroud and shows part of the chuck that , in use , is coupled with a type of device as shown in fig3 or be coupled to a flexible drive shaft , where a power tool arrangement is inconvenient , for example in veterinary applications . a flexible shaft can transmit rotary motion much like a solid shaft , but , it can be routed over , under , and around obstacles that would make using a solid shaft impractical . a flexible shaft assembly consists of a rotating shaft ( sometimes called a core ) with metal end fittings for attachment to mating parts . a protective outer casing is used when necessary . notwithstanding this , torque reaction delay times may arise from motor stop to tool stop due to an inherent resilience in the drive shaft , which increases with increasing length of driveshaft . fig4 f shows a composite drill 403 when in place in a power tool with the shroud removed . fig4 g shows the drill assembly in outline , clearly showing the upstanding members 409 of the collet 408 , with the inwardly directed features 410 . fig4 h shows an example of an insertion tool 490 having a handle portion at a first end and a cylindrical aperture operable to enclose the shank of a drill bit assembly ; fig4 hi shows the tool in plan view ; fig4 hii shows the tool end on showing the a cylindrical bore . fig4 i and fig4 j show how the drill assembly is inserted into the tool , whereby handling and positioning is simplified . fig4 k shows how the assembly engages the chuck of the tool once the shroud has been removed . if the tool is made of plastics , then it can assist in protection of the drill during storage and transport and be part of a single - use system . further features to assist in the loading and ejection of the drill bit from the chuck can be provided : for example , the packaging could include the holder may be provided with alignment markings , to assist loading of a drill bit and secure removal therefrom . a further feature or component of the packaging could assist in the provision of a seal for biopsy and to prevent potential cross - contamination issues , although standard stock control techniques should be maintained at all times . fig5 shows how the aperture 406 of the shroud 402 engages with , in this example , a fingernail 300 , whereby to enable a secure , non - slip placement of the device and , therefore , reliable drilling of the nail . fig6 a shows in cross - section how the annulus 406 abuts a nail plate 300 , whereby to stabilise the drilling system . the drill bit can conveniently be made from a variety of tool steels , as is known . it is preferred that the shroud has have a sharp tip ( relative to the keratin ) and can be made from metals that will not easily corrode and are suited to sterilisation such as hardened steel , stainless steel or aluminium that has been anodised to increase hardness . the shroud either as a whole or just about the tip can be made from a transparent or translucent material , whereby illumination from a light source within the shroud is possible or generally , to assist in viewing of the nail to be drilled . the form of the shroud should allow good visibility to a work piece and access to all areas ( access to the nail root is critical in the treatment of onychomycosis ). the annular aperture tip can include a pressure - sensitive sensor , whereby to enable control of a power source to the tool upon engagement of the annular aperture tip with a surface . the annulus tip member could be fitted to a plastics shroud or an aluminium shroud , although , it will be realised a multitude of materials can be employed , it being realised that the components need to be autoclavable or otherwise sterilised . conveniently , the single use assembly prevents cross - infection and is sterilised sterilised during manufacture . fig6 b - 6 d show three different types of annulus in cross - section , which have sharp edges to enable an annulus to assist in engagement with a nail , to prevent slippage of one with respect to the other . the chuck is arranged so that it grips the collar 408 associated with the drill bit 302 by means of an interference fit . this provides a specific advantage in that , in the event the device that drills into the nail is knocked and the drill bit is forced off - axis with respect to a nail element , then the drill bit , in the event that it locks onto the nail rather than rotating with respect to the nail can slip within the chuck momentarily prior to the torque sensor preventing the motor from further rotation . fig6 f relates to a different form of shroud where alternatively or additionally a sharp substrate engaging tip is replaced with a rubber - like element that grips the surface . the rubber - like compound can be selected — though not necessarily restricted to materials made form or comprised of suitable materials include , but may not be restricted to the following : a silicone rubber , a nitrile compound such as a hydrogenated nitrile compound , ethylene - propylene compounds , fluorocarbons , fluorosilicones , styrene - butadiene compounds , chloroprene compounds etc ., the material being chosen because of its high - grip properties with respect to nail and nail - like substrates . fig6 g shows a first alternative where the sharp substrate engaging tip is supplemented with a rubber - like compound . it will be appreciated that a rubber - like grip will not affect the surface of the nail in the same fashion as a sharp tip ; it will be less painful in application of axially directed forces as the tool is used . the grip must be such that the torque reaction of the tool is taken into account and the nail is not damaged upon start - up of the tool . specifically , with reference to fig6 f , the shroud has a tip that comprises a rubber foot , which prevents slippage in normal use . fig6 g shows a second further variation , where a tip has half rubber grip element 608 and half surface engaging tip 406 . fig6 h shows the overall view from underneath , with the tip 406 defining a sharp edge on an inside of the tip . in contrast , fig6 i shows a further shroud wherein the tip is half polymeric rubber foot and half a serrated tip 407 : this time the serrated tip lies on the outside of the tip member ; fig6 j shows how this appears form the underside . by having two types of surface grip / engagement means , the tool is quite adaptable to various conditions of tool . sometimes the fungal nail will damage the substrate surface such that the entry of the surface of the nail substrate will actually be ineffective to a torque transfer upon start - up of the motor and so the use of a rubber part will assist in a satisfactory placement and maintenance in position of the tool which can therefore be most satisfactorily be held and retained by hand , enabling control by the clinician . fig6 k shows a still further variation , wherein the shroud 610 has a tip which lies in a plane that is not perpendicular to the axis of the drill 612 . this enables a drill to penetrate the nail or other material at an angle other than normal to a surface thereof , whereby to avoid damaging the cuticle , for example in the case of a human nail . a further significant advantage provided by this system is that new drill bits , of typically 1 mm in diameter , can be replaced simply by removing the shroud — conveniently located with a rubber o - ring about a part of the body of the tool — inserting the shank into a cylindrical aperture defined within a cylindrical chuck , a resilient collet engaging with an outside surface of the chuck — although other methods of fastening can be easily envisaged . the skilled man will readily appreciate the convenience : there is no possibility of any complication — substantial or otherwise — encountered when chuck key or hand - grip fastening procedures need to be deployed . instead , a simple push on fit is provided by the collet of the shank gripping the chuck . a chuck is a specialized type of clamp used to hold an object , usually an object with radial symmetry , especially a cylindrical object , and are used most commonly used to hold a rotating tool ( such as the drill bit in a power tool ). many chucks have jaws , which can be arranged in a radially symmetrical pattern ( like the points of a star ) to hold a tool or work - piece , although this does not prevent axial run - out , which is not normally an issue in , say household diy drilling projects , but will obviously have a significant effect when drilling nail , bone etc . since the tolerance corresponds in magnitude to the run - out in such chucks . often the jaws will be tightened or loosened with the help of a chuck key — a wrench - like tool , typically with a circumferential gear arrangement for engagement with a corresponding radial tightening ring about the chuck . keyless chucks are also available , their tightening and loosening being performed by hand force alone . additionally , by having a simple unitary design , the chuck can be manufactured from materials that are sterilisation compatible or deliberately non - compatible in order to prevent reuse . conveniently , single use components are provided with tools that assist in placement within a chuck , for example , in the provision of an alignment mechanism in association with the shroud . such replaceable tools can comprise part of a treatment package whereby drill bits are provided together with receptacles to not only ensure safety in the provision of the tools but also to enable safe disposal , including the option of providing soiled drill bits and shank for biopsy examination . conveniently , the shroud can be placed in a package for biopsy examination , in the event that the shroud enables collection of the swarf arising from drilling through a nail or other substrate . by having a shank of the drill bits of specific lengths , then control of penetration though particularly deep nail can be assisted and / or the extent of penetration is limited . the diameter of the aperture defined by the annulus is also variable , commensurate with the size of drill bit as shall be discussed below . fig6 e shows a still further embodiment wherein the annulus 407 comprises a jagged edge . this design ensures engagement with nail plate , surface gripping features , stability features , forms a seal between a nail plate and the annulus tip , with advantages that can be realised in biopsy capture and drug delivery . returning to fig4 e , a perspective view of a distal end of a shroud is shown , which provides a volume 415 which can accommodate a number of features including , but not limited to , a vacuum system to assist in removal and possible storage of swarf form any associated drilling operations ; storage for application of medicaments ; placement of light sources etc . fig7 shows the relative sizes of a drill bit 302 within the nozzle of the shroud 406 , where an annular space is defined , which space can be used for biopsy collection , drug delivery , etc ., although if the tolerance was tighter , the annulus could also act as a drill guide : the annular gap 702 can be critical for a particular function , given that if a drug is being delivered in reverse rotational mode i . e . acts as screw - feed for drug , which if supplied as a cream may have a viscosity which if delivered by any other means would not necessarily be present in the desired area by virtue of the presence of air - gaps . the use of free - flowing liquid medicaments means that medicament loss is great and therefore the overall treatment can be ineffective . the gap between the outside of the drill and the inside of the tube can be critical . obviously , interfaces between relatively rotating parts are best provided with o - rings to prevent accumulation of unwanted debris , medicament or other products , or to provide a sealing feature , to ensure prevention of leakage of material ; including but not restricted to biopsy material ( to prevent cross - infection ). fig8 shows a still further variation , wherein the shroud 801 is provided with an aperture , which aperture can provide means for the delivery of drug and removal of debris by suction , or airflow towards nail . the present invention can overcome present problems encountered in the delivery of a drip - fed medicament as discussed above , by using the drill bit in reverse rotation , together with use of the as a feed for a medicament . a light source may be arranged within or about the shroud , to assist in illuminating the drilling area . in accordance with a further aspect of the invention , there is provided a work - piece jig 901 which cooperates with the annular tip of the shroud 406 to ensure accurate placement of the drill bits using the rotary tool of the invention , under manual control with respect to a nail 300 . referring to fig9 a , a section through the jig 901 shows guide channels 902 for use in enabling drill bits to accurately be placed with respect to the nail . fig9 b shows the jig at 90 ° to jig 901 with respect to the view shown in fig9 a , together with the tip of the shroud 406 engaging with the top surface of the jig . not shown , but an apertured button top , can be arranged so that the tip can couple with the jig , to enable repeatable drilling , with the jig also being provided with conduits 904 and 905 for the introduction of air whereby to clear swarf , for example , or for the introduction of a medicament , with the conduit 905 for the removal of biopsy - swarf . channels 904 and 905 are optional and can be placed independently of one another . the jig can be placed upon the nail surface ; the use of glues across the whole of a nail surface is not recommended , but by the placement of locating dots 908 upon a nail surface , attached by a suitable glue , such as a cyanoacrylate glue , then the jig can be located with respect to the nail . with reference to fig9 c — the locating dots , retained by glue in confined areas at four points on the nail surface ensure that the jig is securely located , with the underside of the jig having corresponding locating means associated complementary to the locating dots . after the jig has been successfully been employed to enable the rotary to drill into the nail under the hand - held ( manual ) control of an operator , collect biopsy material and deliver medicament as appropriate , then a false nail 907 , also with complementary locating dots 910 can be placed upon the nail , to protect and seal the area — to the level required for the particular condition of the nail . other forms of false nail can be employed , with channels for the provision of medicament over time . it will be appreciated that different jigs and false nails having different widths and arcs of curvature will be required to accommodate the differing nature of human beings . it can be envisioned , without departing from the invention , that many variations are possible . fig1 shows a further embodiment 422 wherein a fan assembly 1011 is present , placed a short axial distance from collar 408 comprises four blades 1012 , arranged to provide a relative vacuum at the nozzle 406 upon rotation indicated by reference numeral 1013 . arrow 1006 indicates the direction the air and debris flow from the nozzle ; air indicated at 1016 exits the motor unit through aperture 1015 defined in the wall of the casing 405 . the addition of a fan or fan blades to the rotating component generates an airflow whereby debris is removed from the drilling site . the fan may be included or separate to the clip used to retain the drill bit within the drive shaft . conveniently , a tube is fastened to the aperture 1015 by way of a coupling member or otherwise whereby the air plus nail debris can be guided away . ideally , there is also provided a trap or other containment system , whereby the debris can be removed from the airflow and collected for biopsy use . the tube can lead to a collection trap . fig1 a shows a simple trap whereby debris is deposited either by virtue of changing air velocity and the bernoulli effect or upon the air flow hitting a baffle member . preferably , and in accordance with the system shown in fig1 b , a filter system is provided whereby the debris is collected on the inside face of the filter or drops down into a containment area . the trap is ideally easily removable to enable simple collection of the debris . by having the fan removed with the drill bit , single use of the fan ensures that cross contamination is reduced . conveniently , an inner duct ( not shown ) is provided whereby the duct , tube and fan are removed together with the shroud 402 ; after use all are removed from the drill tool . the rotary tool can also be provided with a window or is either transparent or translucent , whereby the hard animal tissue substrate to be drilled can be viewed through the shroud . conveniently , the shroud is provided with a light source , whereby to illuminate the hard animal tissue substrate to be drilled . preferably , the light source is a broad spectrum light source that can also provide germicidal ultra - violet ( uv ) light , whereby to provide irradiation treatment , in addition to the provision of a medicament . it will be appreciated that the effectiveness of germicidal ultra - violet light in such an environment depends on a number of certain factors : the length of time a micro - organism is exposed to ultra - violet light , the presence of particles that can protect the micro - organisms from ultra - violet light , and a micro - organism &# 39 ; s ability to withstand ultra - violet light during its exposure . further , the effectiveness of this form of sterilization can be dependent upon line - of - sight exposure of the micro - organisms to the ultra - violet light ; dirt from a debris - removal airflow upon a lamp can reduce effective light output , whilst poor lamp cooling under the airflow can also detrimentally affect ultra - violet light output . accordingly , the light source can conveniently be placed such that impingement of the lamp with any airflow does not occur , for example by use of a shield for the lamp together with a parabolic reflector . it should also be recognised that in use , such bulbs require annual replacement and scheduled cleaning to ensure effectiveness . conveniently , the window of the shroud or the transparent / translucent material of the shroud is not transparent to the ultra - violet light . as is known , per wo2013098555 in the name of the inventor of present invention , the drill system employs torque sensitive sensors whereby drilling is stopped after drilling through the nail has completed , prior to penetration into the nail bed . the system uses a drilling procedure that allows the motor to be started once the shroud has been securely located and a pressure switch has been activated . the forces can be measured using various sensors , for example . whilst the present invention has been described solely with reference to matters of onychomycosis in the nails of human beings , the ambit of overall uses is not so limited . the present invention can be used , for example , in the collection of biopsy matter , drug delivery , subungual haematoma , animal claws , skulls e . g . hydrocephalus . | 0 |
a preferred embodiment of a lower back insulation undergarment , which is the subject of this invention , is illustrated in fig1 - 8 . an undergarment in the form of underwear briefs 5 or boxers 6 is provided having either an oval pocket 3 or an elliptical pocket 4 affixed to the back side of the undergarment for receiving an oval insulation pad 1 or an elliptical insulation pad 2 , respectively . in accordance , the underwear briefs 5 or boxers 6 may be made of a blend of cotton , polyester , and / or lycra , but is not restricted to these . the inherent elasticity of this material facilitates maintaining of the undergarment in a stationary position so that the pockets and the insulation pads inserted therein , remain in the desired position . in addition to this , the briefs 5 or boxers 6 also includes elastic waist bands to further secure the desired position of the insulation pads . these elastic waist bands may be made of a blend of cotton , polyester , and / or lycra , but is not restricted to these . the elastic waist band 7 around the top of the undergarment helps keep the insulation pads snug against the wearer &# 39 ; s back . this may have a width of approximately 0 . 75 inches to 1 . 5 inches , although not limited to these . there are also elastic waist bands 8 located at the lower end of the briefs 5 or boxers 6 terminating in proximity with the upper thighs of the wearer . these may have a width of approximately 0 . 2 inches to 1 inches , however not restricted to these . this additional lower support maintains the preferred position of the undergarment and its parts therein . the briefs 5 or boxers 6 and the parts therein may come in different sizes to accommodate the wearer &# 39 ; s body size . the pockets affixed to the underwear briefs 5 or boxers 6 come in two different shapes . the first is an oval pocket 3 to secure an oval insulation pad 1 . upon pulling these undershorts completely onto his body , the wearer feels the effects of the insulation pad 1 most in his lower back region . this oval pocket 3 has been designed to assure the oval insulation pad 1 therein is secured indefinitely . the double stitching 9 of the pocket supports the inserted pad , and so does the extra elastic band 10 located at the top of the oval pocket 3 . this elastic band 10 stretches to allow insertion of the oval insulation pad 1 therein and then contracts , serving as a barrier to removal of the pad and to hold it in the proper position despite movements of the wearer . thus , this leads to a minimal wobble of the pad over the lower back , increasing effect and comfort . this oval pocket 3 , in accordance with the undershorts itself , may come in different sizes to accommodate the wearer &# 39 ; s body , further minimizing wobbleness . the pocket size for a small size is approximately 9 inches long and 4 inches high ; for a medium size , it is approximately 11 inches long 5 inches high , and for a large size , the oval pocket 3 size is approximately 13 inches long and 6 inches high . the oval pockets 3 have dimensions slightly larger than the inserted insulation pads to maximize security and comfort . the material for the pocket is similar to that of the undershorts having elasticity while still comfortable . the position of the oval pocket 3 in the underwear briefs 5 or boxers 6 is especially significant . the pocket must be positioned so that the upon insertion of the insulation pad , the entire lower back of the wearer is covered . as it can be noticed from the drawings , the position of the oval pocket is over the lower end of the lower back , and with the oval insulation pad 1 therein , the wearer &# 39 ; s complete lower back is covered . furthermore , the height at which various individuals wear undershorts varies , thus demanding a more flexible size of both the oval pocket 3 and the pad 1 therein . an extra inch on each side and on the bottom of the pocket and the subsequent larger insulation pad , permits the wearer to wear his undershorts as he normally would increasing comfort while his entire lower back is still receiving the insulation it needs . in place of the oval pocket 3 , an elliptical pocket 4 might be on the upper back part of the underwear briefs 5 or boxers 6 . the elliptical pocket 4 is designed to contain an elliptical insulation pad 2 securely and comfortably . the elliptical insulation pad 2 ( described in more detail later ) not only insulates the lower back region as the oval insulation pad 1 does , but it also insulates the outer sides of the lower back region . although not restricted to this , the pocket designed to hold the elliptical insulation pad 2 , like the oval pocket 3 , is also made of a blend of cotton , polyester , and / or lycra , it also contains the double stitch 9 around the edges and the extra elastic band 10 to further assure that the elliptical insulation pad 2 does not move even if the wearer does . furthermore , in accordance with the size of the undershort , this elliptical pocket comes in different sizes to make it as comfortable and effective as possible for the wearer . the pocket size for a small underwear is approximately 13 inches long and 4 inches high ; for a medium size , it is approximately 15 inches long and 5 inches high , and for a large size , approximately 17 inches long and 6 inches high . furthermore , these dimensions are slightly larger on each side because , as explained above , the height at which various individuals wear undershorts varies . thus , regardless of how low or how high a person wears his undershorts , he will still find the insulation in the lower back and sides that he requires . the elliptical pocket 4 itself covers the lower end of the lower back and the lower end of the sides . upon insertion of the elliptical insulation pad 2 , the upper ends are also covered , thus insulating the entire lower back area including the sides . the insulation pads may also come in two different shapes : for the oval pocket 3 , an oval insulation pad 1 , and for the elliptical pocket 4 , an elliptical insulation pad 2 . these insulation pads consist of a insulator and a cover cloth and are identical in every respect except for their shape and size . their overall structures are similar . for reasons of extra comfort and effect , the pads may also be curved so they conform to the shape of the wearer &# 39 ; s lower back . the sizes of the insulation pads varies with the size of the pockets . for a small oval pocket 3 , the oval insulation pad 1 is approximately 8 inches long and 6 inches high . for a medium , it is approximately 10 inches long and 7 inches high , and for a large , approximately 12 inches long and 8 inches high . for a small elliptical pocket 4 , the elliptical insulation pad may be approximately 12 inches long and 6 inches high ; for a medium it may be 14 inches long and 7 inches high ; and for a large it may be 16 inches long and 8 inches high . the oval insulation pad 1 covers primarily only the lower back region of the wearer . by doing so , it insulates that region , minimizing heat loss . according to medical research , this alleviates lower back pains by soothing the muscles and tendons in the lower back . it is also a preventive measure because it help keeps the wearer &# 39 ; s lower back straight throughout the day . the elliptical insulation pad 2 is specifically designed to encompass the entirety of the wearer &# 39 ; s lower back and sides . if an individual suffers in both these regions , an elliptical insulation pad 2 would be ideal . this minimizes heat loss and soothes the lower back as well as sides ; it also keeps the wearer &# 39 ; s lower back relatively straight as he walks , sits , or bends over . in addition to an underwear briefs 5 and boxers 6 , the pockets and the insulation pads therein may be put in an undershirt 11 . the undershirt may be a v - neck , round neck , or sleeveless . for the purpose of this invention , it would not make a difference which undershirt is used . since the undershirt 11 has a tendency to move if the wearer does , an additional elastic band 12 was added to the bottom of the undershirt 11 . this gives additional support and restricts movement of the undershirt 11 , while at the same time , allows the wearer to move about freely . also , similar to the undershorts , a pocket is sewn to the lower back end of the undershirt 11 so that upon insertion of the insulation pad , the lower back is covered . an oval pocket 3 and an oval insulation pad 1 may be used to cover primarily the lower back , and an elliptical pocket 4 and an elliptical insulation pad 2 may be used to cover the lower back as well as the sides . for further information on the pockets and insulation pads , read above . the positioning of the pocket in an undershirt 11 is very significant . the pocket must be positioned so that it itself covers the lower end of the lower back . this may be difficult , since various individuals wear undershirts at different heights . thus , the pocket and insulation pad therein must be made larger and more encompassing as they would normally be . as this undershirt 11 comes in different sizes to accommodate the wearer &# 39 ; s upper body size the size of the pocket and insulation pad also have to be adjusted . in a small undershirt , the oval pocket 3 size is approximately 10 inches long and 5 inches high , and the elliptical pocket 4 size is approximately 14 inches long and 5 inches high . for a medium undershirt , the oval pocket 3 size is approximately 12 inches long and 6 inches high , and for the elliptical pocket 4 approximately 16 inches long and 6 inches high . for a large undershirt , the oval pocket 3 is approximately 14 inches long and 7 inches high , while for the elliptical pocket 4 it is approximately 18 inches long and 7 inches high . the sizes of the insulation pads also alter a little . as each side of the pockets extended one extra inch , so will the insulation pads . hence , for a small oval pocket 3 , the oval insulation pad 1 is approximately 9 inches long and 7 inches high . for a medium , it would be approximately 11 inches long and 8 inches high , and for a large , approximately 13 inches long and 9 inches high . for a small elliptical pocket 4 , the elliptical insulation pad is approximately 13 inches long and 7 inches high ; for a medium it is 15 inches long and 8 inches high ; and for a large it would be 17 inches long and 9 inches high . in the subsequent charts , i use these three materials for comparison ( although the insulation pad may extend to other materials also ): polystyrene foam , cotton , and silk . each material has a different insulation , comfort , and obtrusiveness , and all of these factors will take play in determining which material is the best for an insulation pad . to determine the overall effectiveness of these materials , the following equations may be used to achieve quantitative results : where ` q ` is the heat loss from the body in ` btu / hr `, ` u ` is the overall heat transfer coefficient of the interface in ` btu /( degree f * sq . ft * hr ) and ` a ` is the heat transfer area of the specimen being observed in ` sq ft .`. ` t body ` is the temperature of the human body , ` t air ` is the temperature of the atmosphere , and ` t surface ` is the temperature of the outer surface of the insulation pad ( fig9 ), ` k ` is the thermal conductivity constant for the insulation material used in ` btu / hr * sq ft . * degree f / ft `, and ` l ` is the thickness of the insulation pad . in the following pages , using these equations and the distinct characteristics of each material , a comparison is made among these materials : cotton , polystyrene foam , and silk . note : ( for simplicity , all calculations will involve the small oval insulation pad ( 8 in × 6 in ) for which the area is equal to : 0 . 28 ft 2 , and the thickness of the materials will remain at 1 in ): for natural convection heat loss from the body , it is assumed that back of a person behaves as a vertical plate . the overall heat transfer coefficient for such a loss is given in btu /( degree f * sq . ft * hr ). to determine the natural convection heat loss from the body , we can use this equation : for which ` u ` for the body is equal to : 0 . 29 [( t body - t air )/ l ] 1 / 4 example : in cold weather : u = 0 . 29 [( 98 . 4 ° f .- 0 ° f . )/ 0 . 5 ft ] 1 / 4 = 1 . 086 btu /( degree f * sq . ft * hr ) ______________________________________ u in btu / q ( heat loss from body ) conditions (° f . * sq . ft * hr ) in btu / hr______________________________________cold weather ( 0 f .) 1 . 086 29 . 89cool weather ( 45 f .) . 9323 13 . 94hot weather ( 90 f .) . 5871 1 . 381______________________________________ to calculate the heat loss of body to the insulation pad , we use this equation : example for cotton in cold weather : q =[ 0 . 0335 * 0 . 28 *( 98 . 4 - t surface )/ 0 . 083 = 1 . 086 * 0 . 28 *( t surface - 0 ) now , we use this equation to determine the heat insulated : q =[ k * a *( t body - t surface )]/ l ______________________________________ qk in ( heat loss from body ) btu / hr * sq ft . * t . sub . surface in ° f . in btu / hrmaterial ° f ./ ft cold cool hot cold cool hot______________________________________cotton . 0335 26 . 6 61 . 1 93 . 4 8 . 08 4 . 20 0 . 562silk . 030 24 . 5 59 . 9 93 . 2 7 . 45 3 . 88 0 . 526poly - . 0020 2 . 13 46 . 3 90 . 3 0 . 647 0 . 350 0 . 0555styrenefoam______________________________________ in the graph labeled &# 34 ; heat loss from body as a function of ambient temperature &# 34 ; ( fig1 ), it is observed that without any insulation the heat loss from the body is low for a very high temperature , but increases dramatically as the air temperature decreases ( large slope ). at 0 ° f ., the heat loss is near 30 btu / hr . with an insulation pad made of cotton , the heat loss from the body is also low for a very high ambient temperature ; however , as the ambient temperature decreases , the heat loss from the body is much less than it is without any insulation ( smaller slope ). silk is observed to have approximately the same insulation effects as cotton . however , polystyrene foam , is observed to have the most effective insulation . the slope of this line is close to zero ; with polystyrene foam , the heat loss from the body is almost the same at 0 ° f . as it is at 90 ° f . using a small oval insulation pad 1 , the area of the body that is being covered is 0 . 28 ft 2 . plus , we assume that the body being insulated is approximately 0 . 5 inches deep . thus the volume of the body that is being insulated is 0 . 0117 ft 3 . to achieve the mass , we multiply the volume by the density of the body , which is assumed to be a little higher than that of water ( 62 lb / ft 3 ) at 70 lb / ft 3 . thus , the mass of body being insulated is approximately 0 . 817 lbs . also , we assume the specific heat of the body is the same as that of water , which is 1 . 0 btu /( lbs *° f .). to determine the temperature of the body after heat loss , we can use this equation : q = m * c *( t initial - t final ), where ` q ` is heat loss from body in ` btu / hr `, ` m ` is the mass of the body being insulated in ` lbs `, ` c ` is the specific heat of the body in ` btu /( lbs *° f . )`, and ` t initial ` is the original temperature of the body in `° f .`, and ` t final ` is the temperature after heat loss in `° f .`. ______________________________________q = m * c *( t . sub . initial - t . sub . final ) 8 . 8 = . 817 * 1 . 0 * ( 98 . 4 - t . sub . final ) t . sub . final = 88 . 51 temperature after heat loss in ° f . material cold cool hot______________________________________none 61 . 8 81 . 3 96 . 7cotton 88 . 51 93 . 3 97 . 7silk 89 . 3 93 . 7 97 . 8polystyrene foam 97 . 6 98 . 0 98 . 3______________________________________ in the graph labeled &# 34 ; temperature of lower back after heat loss as a function of ambient temperature &# 34 ; ( fig1 ), it is observed that without any insulation the temperature of the lower back after heat loss is high for a very high ambient temperature , but it decreases rapidly as the air temperature decreases ( large slope ). at 0 ° f ., the temperature of the back after heat loss is near 62 ° f . with an insulation pad made of cotton , the temperature of the back after heat loss is also high for a very high ambient temperature ; however , as the ambient temperature decreases , the final temperature of the body is much greater than it is without any insulation ( smaller slope ). silk is observed to have approximately the effects as cotton . however , polystyrene foam , is observed to have the most effective insulation . the slope of this line is close to zero , with polystyrene foam , the temperature of the lower back after heat loss is almost the same at 0 ° f . as it is at 90 ° f . | 0 |
referring to fig1 , a receiver system 10 may include a mixer 26 that frequency translates an incoming signal ( called “ x ( t )”) to produce a frequency translated signal ( called “ z ( t )”) by multiplying the x ( t ) signal with a local oscillator signal ( called “ y ( t )”). as an example , the x ( t ) signal may be a modulated signal that is provided by an amplifier 24 , in response to a signal ( an am or fm signal , for example ) that is received from an antenna 22 . due to the frequency translation by the mixer 26 , the receiver system 10 may further process the z ( t ) signal to remove unwanted spectral energy , such as processing that includes passing the z ( t ) signal through a lowpass filter ( lpf ) 28 to recover for purposes of producing an audio signal that may be played over a speaker 30 . a particular challenge may arise if the y ( t ) local oscillator signal is a square wave , which has spectral energy that is located at fundamental and harmonic frequencies . more particularly , referring to fig2 in conjunction with fig1 , the y ( t ) signal may be a square wave signal that has a fundamental frequency ( called “ f lo ”) and harmonic frequencies , which introduce undesirable spectral energy in the z ( t ) signal . to illustrate this problem , fig3 depicts the spectral content of the x ( t ) signal , where the x ( t ) signal is assumed to be of the following form : where “ ω rf ” represents a radian radio frequency ( rf ) ( 2π · f rf ). the spectral content of the x ( t ) signal for this example is depicted in fig3 . as shown , the spectral content includes components 52 and 50 that are located at positive and negative rf frequencies , respectively . referring also to fig4 , for this example , the y ( t ) signal , being a square wave signal , has spectral components 60 that are located not only at the fundamental frequency , ω lo , but are also located at odd harmonic frequencies ω lo . similarly , the y ( t ) signal has spectral components 64 , which are located at the negative ω lo fundamental frequency and odd harmonics thereof . as a result of the harmonics that are present in the y ( t ) signal , the resultant z ( t ) signal has undesired spectral components 84 and 88 , which are depicted in fig5 . more specifically , the multiplication of the y ( t ) and x ( t ) signals by the mixer 26 produces desired spectral energy 80 , due to the fundamental frequency component of the y ( t ) signal and also produces the unwanted spectral components 84 and 88 due to the harmonics of the y ( t ) signal . the spectral components 84 and 88 may be relatively difficult to remove from the z ( t ) signal . to overcome the problems that are set forth above for a square wave or other non - pure sinusoid local oscillator signal , fig6 depicts a harmonic rejection mixer 100 in accordance with embodiments of the invention . the mixer 100 includes n mixers 104 ( mixers 104 0 , 104 1 . . . 104 n − 1 , being depicted as examples in fig6 ), each of which multiplies a scaled version of the x ( t ) signal with a square wave local oscillator signal . more specifically , each of the mixers 104 , in accordance with embodiments of the invention described herein , multiplies a scaled version of the x ( t ) input signal with a square wave oscillator signal that has a different phase . referring also to fig7 , 8 and 9 , the square wave oscillator signals include a square signal ( y ( t )) ( fig7 ) that has a phase of zero and other square wave signals ( such as exemplary square wave signals called “ y ( t - t 0 n ) ” “ y ( t - n - 1 n t 0 ) ” ( fig9 )). more particularly , the mixer 104 0 receives the local oscillator signal y ( t ), which has a phase of zero , and each of the other mixers 104 1 . . . 104 n − 1 receives a phase shifted version of the y ( t ) signal . the output signals that are produced by the mixers 104 are combined by an adder 105 to produce the z ( t ) signal . each of the mixers 104 receives a different scaled version of the x ( t ) signal . in this regard , the mixer 100 includes scaling units , or amplifiers 103 , each of which is associated with a different one of the mixers 104 . each amplifier 103 scales the x ( t ) signal by a different factor , or degree , to produce the resultant scaled signal that is provided to the associated mixer 104 . more specifically , the amplifier 103 for the mixer 104 0 multiples the x ( t ) by a coefficient called “ a 0 ,” to produce a signal that is provided to the mixers 104 0 , the amplifier 103 multiplies the x ( t ) signal by a coefficient called “ a 1 ” to produce a signal that is provided to the mixer 104 1 , etc . as described further below , the coefficients a 0 , a 1 . . . a n − 1 are selected to cancel harmonics in the z ( t ) signal . the fourier transform of the z ( t ) signal may be described as follows : where “ y ( jω )” represents the fourier transform of the square wave signal y ( t ), and “ α ( ω )” represents a scaling factor in the frequency domain , which varies with frequency , as described below : by choosing a k ( wherein “ k ” is 0 to n − 1 ) to be equal to a sinusoid that is function of the square wave phase , nulls are created in the spectral frequency of the z ( t ) signal due to the α ( ω ) scaling factor becoming zero at certain frequencies . more specifically , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , the a k coefficients are selected based on the following periodic function of the square wave phase : the choice of n ( the number of mixers 104 ) determines the harmonics that are cancelled by the mixer 100 ( i . e ., the frequency at which nulls occur ). if n is an odd , problems may arise when the duty cycle of the y ( t ) square wave signal is not exactly 50 percent . therefore , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , n is chosen to be even . with this selection , a the number of harmonics increases with n . in this regard , fig1 depicts a table 200 , which illustrates a relationship between n ( in column 202 ) and the harmonics rejected ( in column 204 ). as shown , for n equal to four , all even harmonics of the z ( t ) signals are rejected , for n equal to six , all even and the third harmonics are rejected . for n equal to eight , all even , third and fifth harmonics are rejected . lastly , as depicted in table 200 , for n equal to ten , all even , third , fifth and seventh harmonics are rejected . as a more specific example , fig1 depicts a mixer 150 in accordance with embodiments of the invention . in particular , the mixer 150 implements paths that scale and frequency translate the x ( t ) signal , similar to the paths that are depicted in the mixer 100 of fig6 . each of the paths include a current scaling transistor 180 ( an n - channel metal oxide - semiconductor field - effect - transistor ( nmosfet ), for example ) and a square wave switching pair 170 . the switching pair 170 connects the drain of the transistor 180 to either a positive output node 190 or a negative output node 192 , depending on the plurality of the received square wave local oscillator signal . because all of the switching pairs 174 are connected to the output terminals 190 and 192 , the currents that are provided to the nodes 190 and 192 from the switching pairs 170 are summed to provide the collective z ( t ) output signal . as shown in fig1 , resistors 194 and 196 may be coupled between the nodes 190 and 192 , respectively , and ground . in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , the scaling for each path is provided by the current scaling transistor 180 . in this regard , the transistors 180 have aspect ratios that are scaled with respect to each other to establish the different a k values . as shown by way of specific example in fig1 , the a k values may be different values obtained from the sinusoidal function ( see eq . 4 ) for the particular square wave phase . the mixers that are described herein may be used in a variety of applications , including applications in which orthogonal signals are processed . in this regard , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , the techniques and systems that are described herein may be applied to a mixer 250 , which is depicted in fig1 . the mixer 250 frequency translates the incoming x ( t ) signal to produce two orthogonal signals : an in - phase signal ( called “ i ( t )”) and a quadrature signal ( called “ q ( t )”). the mixer 250 includes an in - phase mixer 254 that has a similar design to the mixers 100 and 150 described above . in this regard , the mixer 254 receives a set of phase - shifted square wave signals and provides the i ( t ) in - phase signal . the mixer 250 also includes a mixer 256 that provides the q ( t ) quadrature signal and receives the same set of phase - shifted square wave signals as the mixer 254 . unlike the mixer 254 , the mixer 256 has a k coefficients that are derived from a cosine function of the square wave phase ( instead of a sine function ), as set forth below : referring to fig1 , as an example of a possible application of the mixers described herein , the mixers 100 and 250 may be used in a wireless system 300 . in this regard , the wireless system 300 may include , for example , an fm receive path 310 that includes the mixer 250 and may also include an am receive path 320 that includes the mixer 100 . in this regard , the fm 310 and am 320 receive paths that may be part of a semiconductor package 350 that provides either an fm signal or an am signal to an amplifier 330 that drives a speaker 370 . thus , a switch 324 may , in an fm receive mode of the package 350 couple the input terminal of the amplifier 330 to the output terminal of the fm receive path 310 ; and in an am receive mode of the package 350 , the switch 328 may alternatively connect the output terminal of the am receive path 320 to the input terminal of the amplifier 330 . among its features , the wireless system 300 may include antennae 360 and 364 that are coupled to the fm 310 and am 320 receive paths , respectively . in some embodiments of the invention , the semiconductor package 350 may also include an fm transmitter , which may be enabled or disabled , depending on the particular application in which the package 350 is used . in other embodiments of the invention , the fm 310 and am 320 receive paths may be formed on the same die , may be formed on separate dies , and may be parts of separate semiconductor packages . thus , many variations are possible and are within the scope of the appended claims . while the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , those skilled in the art , having the benefit of this disclosure , will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom . it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention . | 7 |
in fig1 a side view ( with phantom lines showing parts obscured from view ) of a preferred embodiment of a bending instrument according to the invention is shown with its jaws in their open position , showing a set of two substantially identical bending jaws attached to a pliers . fig3 is a plan view of the part of the device shown in fig1 which is to be connected as shown in fig1 to the two basic pliers handles , showing an exploded view of one bending jaw separated from one pliers jaw and a matching bending jaw attached to the other pliers jaw . in fig4 a , a sheet of metal is shown located between a set of two matching bending jaws which are in their open position , each of the two substantially identical matching bending jaws connected to a different pliers jaw and held in place by the friction produced by the spring - actuated pressure of a ball , prior to the event of the bending of the metal sheet . in fig4 b , the items shown in fig4 a are shown in the closed position of the two substantially identical matching bending jaws , during the event of the bending of the metal sheet , in which the metal sheet assumes simultaneously a shape having two substantially identical angles separated by an offset length , the bent shape being achieved by one stroke of the bending pliers according to the invention . fig5 is a top view of a part of the device shown in fig2 . fig6 is a side view of the lower pliers jaw as shown in fig3 ( but without the bending jaw attached and with the pliers jaw rotated through 90 °). fig7 a and 7b are side views of an embodiment of two bending jaws of the invention ( as are shown in fig3 and 4 , but having two different offset lengths .) fig8 a and 8b show the correspondingly sized bends which are formed by two bending jaws as in fig7 a and two bending jaws as in fig7 b , respectively . fig9 is a side view of a block of metal showing how from that one block of metal one of eleven different bending jaws according to the invention can be cut , each with an offset separated by two bending angles ( which in a preferred embodiment are substantially identical angles and are right angles ). referring to the drawing , in fig1 a side view of an embodiment of the bending instrument 10 of the invention is shown . that embodiment comprises , in one aspect , pliers 12 comprising a basic handle portion 14 ( with a second pliers handle 22 and a first pliers handle 26 ) and a first pliers jaw 16 and a second pliers jaw 18 . the first pliers jaw 16 is pivotally connected at first pin 20 to second pliers handle 22 and is slidably connected at second pin 24 to first pliers handle 26 . likewise , second pliers jaw 18 is pivotally connected at third pin 28 to first pliers handle 26 and is also simultaneously slidably connected at fourth pin 30 to second pliers handle 22 . first pliers handle 26 and second pliers handle 22 are pivotally connected together at rivets 32 and 33 . spring 34 serves to force first pliers handle 26 and second pliers handle 22 apart and to force first pliers jaw 16 and second pliers jaw 18 together in the rest position of spring 34 when it is in its uncompressed state . second pin 24 can slide within slot 36 of first pliers jaw 16 , and fourth pin 30 can slide within slot 38 of second pliers jaw 18 . also shown in fig1 are first bending jaw 40 and second bending jaw 42 , which in this preferred embodiment are a matching pair of substantially identical bending jaws positioned and held in place on first pliers jaw 16 and second pliers jaw 18 , respectively , by means of screw 44 and screw 46 which are used to secure springs 45 and 47 and balls 49 and 51 in jaws 16 and 18 , respectively . the balls 49 and 51 are used to bear against the holes 76 and 78 in jaws 40 and 42 to keep jaws 40 and 42 in place on the pliers jaws 16 and 18 , respectively . see also fig4 a and 4b , described below . also shown in fig1 in phantom lines is first elongated pin 48 and second elongated pin 50 , which serve to stabilize jaws 16 and 18 to assure parallel movement of the jaws 16 and 18 . fig2 is a top view of the embodiment of the device of the invention shown in fig1 with corresponding parts labeled correspondingly . in fig3 first bending jaw 40 is shown in an exploded view separated from first pliers jaw 16 , whereas second bending jaw 42 is shown in its position attached to second pliers jaw 18 ( attached by means of pin 46 , shown in fig1 but not in fig3 ). first bending jaw 40 and second bending jaw 42 both have the same first angle 52 and the same second angle 54 , which are substantially equal . additionally , both first bending jaw 40 and second bending jaw 42 have the same offset length l 56 , which is the distance between the vertex 58 of first angle 52 and the vertex 60 of second angle 54 . first bending jaw 40 has a slot ( or groove or keyway ) 62 located within its planar face 64 , the planar face 64 being spaced apart from the offset length l 56 ( which is angled with respect to planar face 64 ); and second bending jaw 42 has a slot ( or groove or keyway ) 66 located within its planar face 68 , the planar face 68 being spaced apart from the plane in which offset 56 in second bending jaw 42 is located . slot 62 in first bending jaw 40 is shaped slightly larger than but is substantially identical to the mating shape 70 of first pliers jaw 16 ; and , likewise , slot 66 in second bending jaw 42 is shaped substantially identical to the shape of mating shape 72 in second pliers jaw 18 . in a preferred embodiment , first mating shape 70 and second mating shape 72 are t - shaped and are an integral part of first pliers jaw 16 and second pliers jaw 18 , respectively . in fig4 a , unbent metal sheet 74 is shown positioned between first bending jaw 40 and second bending jaw 42 when those two bending jaw are in their open position . first bending jaw 40 is connected to first pliers jaw 16 by means of first jaw screw 44 , which bears against a compression spring 45 which bears against a ball 49 which bears against the hole 76 with sufficient friction to prevent disassociation of the jaw 40 from the pliers jaw 16 . in fig4 b , the same items shown in fig4 a are shown , but with the mating first bending jaw 40 and second bending jaw 42 being shown in the closed position such that the metal sheet is bent at two places simultaneously with the same bent angle . fig5 is a view from above of the first pliers jaw 16 shown in fig1 and 3 , without having attached thereto first bending jaw 40 . fig5 is also a top view of a part of the device shown in fig2 . fig6 is a side view taken along the line 6 -- 6 in fig3 of second pliers jaw 18 , which also is shown in fig1 and taken along the line 6 -- 6 in fig1 . corresponding parts are labeled correspondingly . grooves 61 and 63 are required to prevent the jaws from hitting rivets 32 and 33 , respectively . fig7 a and 7b are side views of first bending jaw 40 ( and also of second bending jaw 42 ) but having offset lengths l 56 of two different lengths . fig8 a and 8b are cross - sectional views of metal plate 74 ( viewed in cross - section ) showing how it would be bent when two substantially identical bending jaws as shown in fig7 a are used according to the invention and when two substantially identical bending jaws as shown in fig7 b are used , respectively , showing two differently sized offsets 56 ( as are shown in fig7 a and 7b , respectively ). fig8 a and 8b show in cross - section two metal sheets which were each bent by using together two substantially identical bending jaws as shown in fig7 a and 7b , respectively . fig9 is a side view depicting how a single block of metal with eleven different offsets are cut from that same piece of metal so as to form eleven different bending jaws , each having two substantially identical bending angles which are separated by an offset length which is different for each of the eleven different bending jaws . the preferred t - shaped slot ( or groove or keyway 62 , 66 ) is also shown in the bending jaw 40 , 42 . the offset distance 56 in the bending jaws of the invention can be chosen as desired . however , for use in bending plates of metal for use on facial fractures , preferably the offset distance will be chosen for an individual bending jaw from within the range from 2 to 11 millimeters . most preferably , sets of the bending jaws will be formed in sets of 10 , with offset increments of 1 millimeter and will be 2 , 3 . . . . 11 millimeters . preferably first bending jaw 40 and second bending jaw 42 will be attached to first pliers jaw 16 and second pliers jaw 18 , respectively as described above . however , any other suitable means of attachment can be used . preferably , first angle 52 and second angle 54 will be both right angles ( i . e ., 90 °). however , if desired , the angles can be other than 90 ° and can be unequal angles . the spring of pliers 10 keeps the jaws in an open position when the spring is not compressed . preferably the slot ( or groove or keyway ) 62 in first bending jaw 40 and the slot 66 in second bending jaw 42 are t - shaped so that the bending jaw can be slid onto the corresponding pliers jaw . by use of the pins 20 , 24 , 28 , and 30 , the jaws of the pliers in a preferred embodiment move in a parallel manner ( that is , the jaw faces remain parallel to each other when the handles 22 , 26 are squeezed ). suitable pliers which are commercially available for use with the first bending jaw 40 and second bending jaw 42 of the invention are available from aesculap . the advantages of the bending instrument of the invention include the following . the device saves time in bending metal plates . smaller inventories of bending jaws and of bent plates are required because the bent plates can be produced as needed . the bending jaws can serve as gauges when templates are used to establish the offset distance which is required , and then the plates can be bent with the appropriate pair of bending jaws . | 1 |
as generally described above and illustrated in fig1 the process of this invention is applied to individual bricks as well as to constructions of brick work and brick walls and , in any event , there is no preliminary preparation of the surface that is required and the process may be begun satisfactorily with the heating step resulting in oxidation without ignition of the paint . in carrying out this step , i prefer the use of propane and , using a torch of conventional design and applying the flame directly to the paint on the brick until it is blistered and turns black . then , just before the burned paint begins to turn white , the torch is removed and the heating process is discontinued . preferably , at that point and before the paint has had an opportunity to cool , i remove the paint loosened by the heating by scraping the brick . this can be done to advantage through use of a manually applied scraper of conventional type . as a special note of caution , at this optional , preliminary stage of the process , care should be exercised to discontinue the application of the flame to the brick so as to avoid cracking or scorching it and this result will be obtained if the timing of the removal of the flame is in strict conformance with the instructions set out just above . as the principal step of the process and the one in which novelty centers , a high - pressure water blast is directed as a high - velocity stream against the painted surface to remove the paint adhering following the scraping operation . as shown in fig5 a 1200 to 1500 pounds per square inch ( psi ) pressure water source is used to generate the stream 9 through nozzle 10 positioned in proximity to brick 11 to be cleaned and will serve to remove the paint loosened but not taken away by the scraping operation . then , at that point or initially when the water pressure is first applied , a second spray 12 of abrasive particulate material delivered at nozzle pressure of 60 to 90 psi is directed toward the brick but at an angle to the water stream of from 30 ° to 90 °. nozzle 13 delivering the particulate material may be placed close to the water stream or it may be removed some distance therefrom , depending upon the nature of the paint film or coating to be removed and also upon the hardness of the brick surface being cleaned . the concentration , and consequently the cutting effect , of the suspension of particulate material in the high - pressure water spray will be determined by the relative volumes of the sprays , that is , the relative sizes of the streams . the concentration of the suspension will also depend upon the relative positions of the particulate spray nozzle to the water spray , the nearer that nozzle is to the spray the greater the cutting action at the brick surface spray impact area . it is my preference in carrying out this phase of the process that the two nozzles be manipulated by one operator who can readily follow the process visually and make necessary adjustments in the relative positions of the spray sources to accomplish the paint removal efficiently and rapidly without removing too much of the bisque from any part of the brick and thereby destroying the beneficial and protective effect which that component of the brick has upon the overall integrity of the brick and the masonry incorporating it . i have found that optimum results will be obtained in this pressure grit washing process when water spray nozzle 10 is within a foot or so of the brick surface to be cleaned and particulate spray nozzle 13 is six ( 6 . increment .) inches to one foot away from water spray 9 and at a point intermediate between nozzle 10 and brick 11 . as also indicated in fig5 the positions of the nozzles and their relative positions to the brick surface being pressure grit washed may vary somewhat with various brick materials and coatings , but , generally , the variations in this respect will be of the order of one - half foot to less . also , the angle at which particulate spray 12 is directed into water stream 9 is largely a matter of operator convenience and choice as there is not a substantial difference in the cutting action or paint removing action so long as the particle spray is directed at an angle to the water spray from 30 ° to 90 °. an angle of approximately 45 ° is an example of an angle that can be used for all around good performance of the invention . changes in the surface of brick in the course of the present invention process are illustrated in fig2 and 4 where at the outset brick 15 bears two coats 16 and 17 of paint on its top surface . bisque layer 18 is shown as being continuous and fully surrounding and enveloping the pulp or interior body portion 19 of the brick . then after flame heating and hot paint scraping the condition shown in fig3 exists , most of paint layer 16 being removed and paint layer 17 being completely stripped away in a few places . finally , when the pressure grit washing operation applied to the brick at the stage of fig3 is completed , all of paint layers 16 and 17 have been removed and bisque layer to which the paint had been applied is left intact but thinned to a minor degree and lightly etched or surface roughened overall . in using this process in the course of cleaning buildings very recently in the albany , new york area , i have employed a twelve ( 12 &# 34 ;) inch gun made specially for use with a pressure washer delivering a 1200 psi water spray thru either a 15 degree or a zero degree nozzle 10 . this enabled me to get close to the brick surfaces to be cleaned to each case for the full height and width of the brick walls of the building and , using that water spray as a buffer for fine grit delivered at 90 psi from a 1 / 8 inch nozzle 13 held in my other hand , i was able to apply the grit over the brick surfaces moving it back and forth as required to effect complete removal of the paint without more than lightly etching the bisque of the bricks beyond the last traces of the paint . as shown in fig5 nozzle 13 was fitted with a spring - loaded cut - off valve 13a which i used to interrupt the grit spray at intervals to clean the mask and for other purposes . the fine material of the abrasive spray was no . 1 grade silicon carbide which is commercially available under that designation through marketing outlets of carborundum company . on completion of the process , brick had the pinkish - orange pastel coloring characteristic of the hudson river commercial brick which was mass produced building material used extensively in the albany region during the late 1800 &# 39 ; s and early 1900 &# 39 ; s . the ultimate cleaning result of this effort consequently was of pleasing appearance and it was accomplished without destructive effect upon the bricks of the wall structure and without substantially diminishing the life of the masonry construction . it will be understood that the novel process of this invention may be applied to the cleaning as well as the removing of paint films and coatings from bricks and brick work in general . thus , grime and dirt on unpainted brick surfaces may be removed to the depth necessary in superficial portions of the brick without destroying or breaking the continuity of the brick bisque layer protecting the internal structure and the structural integrity of the brick and the masonry structures consisting of it . it will be understood in this connection that the preliminary steps of burning and scraping described above and illustrated in the drawings will not be necessary or perhaps desirable in the event that the brick to be cleaned does not bear paint coatings , or in the event that the paint is readily removable by pressure grit washing alone . having thus described this invention fully in compliance with the statutory requirements , i declare that what i am entitled to protect by patent grant is defined in what is claimed . | 1 |
referring now to fig1 and 2 of the drawings , there is shown the pallet of the present invention designated generally as 10 . the upper pallet piece 11 forms the bed deck or product or platform area of the pallet 10 . the entire upper piece 11 is of molded plastic preferably of high density polyethylene or other material . the upper piece 11 is of one - piece construction comprising the pervious main bed or deck slab 12 of cellular honeycomb - like construction for light weight strength . the openings 13 also allow material spillage of product or materials to pass through the bed and not accumulate on the bed . although the openings 13 are shown in the drawing to be generally rectangular or square , they may be of any suitable shape , octagonal or hexagonal , for example . hollow locking upper member support posts 14 are provided in appropriate positions to provide needed support strength . posts 14 , as shown in fig1 and 2 , are provided at the corners of the upper piece 11 midway along each side and in the middle of the bed . the top surface 15 of each slab 14 is a solid surface except for a pair of openings 16 arranged to facilitate separation of the pallet pieces as will be explained later . the peripheral sides 17 of the pallet bed slab 12 are solid or unbroken surfaces as are the downwardly extending outer surfaces 18 of the support posts 14 . a standard size for the pallet may be about 40 × 48 inches . the bed 12 of the pallet may be from about 11 / 4 to 11 / 2 inches thick depending on the strength of the plastic used for it . the upper member support posts 14 extend from about 31 / 2 to about 33 / 4 inches below the bottom of the bed 12 . the bottom or lower piece 19 is of molded high strength plastic and may be in the form of a framework having four side rail members 20 and two cross - rail brace members 21 . a special grade polypropylene plastic of a tensile modulus of between 600 , 000 and 800 , 000 psi has been found to be a suitable material from which to make the lower piece 19 . bottom piece 19 is of essentially the same width and length as upper piece 11 . the side and cross - rail members 20 and 21 may be of a ribbed construction as indicated at 22 in fig3 showing cross - sections of rails 21 . a plurality of support platforms or pad areas 23 are provided on lower piece 19 at its corners , in the middle and at the mid - points on each side rail 20 . each of the pads 23 are arranged for mating engagement with a support post 14 . as best shown in fig3 pad areas 23 have a base surface 24 coplanar with the upper surfaces of rails 20 and 21 . upstanding from the top of each pad are guide members 25 and connecting cross - guide members 26 . guide members 25 and cross - guide members 26 are positioned and sized to properly position support posts 14 when the upper and lower pieces 11 and 19 of the pallet 10 are mated . the outer vertical surfaces of guide 25 and 26 fit against the vertical inner walls within the hollow support posts 14 . also , upstanding from the base surface 24 of each support post pad 23 are two latching fingers 27 . fingers 27 are located opposite each other outward from cross - guide 26 and between guides 25 . fingers 27 are of appropriate size to provide required strength but thin enough to allow flexing in and out as will be explained subsequently . support posts 14 are provided with a pair of groove - like recesses 28 located on opposing walls of the parts . provided within each recess is an appropriately placed projecting ridge or ledge 29 for locking attachment by fingers 27 to hold upper and lower pieces 11 and 19 together when brought into mating contact to form the finished pallet . when the upper and lower pieces 11 and 19 are urged together for mating assembly , fingers 27 slide along grooves 28 until the upper beveled edge 30 of projecting shoulder 32 of finger 27 contacts the lower beveled edge 31 of ledge 29 flexing fingers 27 out to slide past the ledges 29 . as the upper and lower pieces 11 and 19 come together , the lower edge 33 of shoulder 32 passes the upper edge 34 of ledge 29 allowing fingers 27 to snap back into their normal positions latching the two pieces of the pallet together . should either of the two pallet pieces ( usually the upper piece 11 ) become damages or broken , it can be replaced by separating the two pieces and replacing the damaged piece with a new piece and attaching it to the undamaged piece , thus saving the cost of a totally new pallet . the two pallet pieces may be separated by insertion of a blade - shaped tool into the opening 16 of the upper piece to bear against beveled surfaces 30 of fingers 27 to flex the upper portions of fingers 27 outward and release the latch . by using the stronger ( even though possibly more expensive ) material for the lower piece 19 , the loaded pallets of the present invention can be used to store goods in rack structures rather than in shelving . rack structures , as referred to herein are framework structures wherein the loaded pallets are supported by rail - like members running under each of the pallet side rails . because the lower pieces of the pallets of the present invention are strong enough to bear the fill weight of the loaded pallet , there is no need for the loaded pallets to be supported on shelves when stored . thus , there has been described a new light - weight product handling pallet comprising latched together upper and lower pieces of different plastic materials . the pallet is strong enough to sustain its loaded weight only by its side rails . many changes and variations still within the scope and spirit of this disclosure will occur to those others from the above description , thus this invention is to be limited only a set forth in the following claims . | 1 |
referring to the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements , fig1 shows diagrammatically in top view apparatus related to the sawing , transfer and unloading processes of sawn timber bundles . a log t is comminuted , separate into numerous smaller pieces , in a sawing machine 10 and the bundle of sawn timber thus - produced is transferred onwards out of the machine with a remover conveyor 11 to a lateral transfer station n 1 . the sawing machine 10 is a machine applying the so - called profilation technique , in which the combined use of saw webs and milling cutters is applied , advantageously in that when profiling the outer part of a log , the milling cutters produce wood chips , useful as raw material for wood pulp . fig2 a , 2b , 2c and 2d present different steps showing the transfer and unloading system of sawn timber bundles n 0 n 2 , n 3 and a construction applicable for implementing the method in accordance with the present invention . fig2 a shows an end view of a situation in which a bundle of sawn timber n 1 has just arrived from the sawing machine 10 on the remover conveyor 11 leading from the outlet of the sawing machine 10 . a preceding bundle n 2 has been transferred to a first unloading station a . the transfer of bundles n 1 , n 2 , n 3 is carried out by a lateral transfer conveyor 12 which in the illustrated embodiment is disposed above the remover conveyor 11 and provided with two or more parallel transport belts , preferably chains 12a . the chains 12a travel in a path guided by idler sheaves 13a and 13b and a glide guide 16 . pushers 14 are fastened at regular intervals to each chain 12a . the length or projecting dimension of the pushers 14 is greater than the height of the largest bundles n , i . e ., the gripping means have a gripping range smaller than the thickness of the thinnest timber piece of the bundles . the pushers 14 are hinged to the transport chains 12a with shaft journals 15 so that the pushers 14 are rigid in the pushing direction t but so pivoted that they allow the passing of the timber pieces discharging from behind ( pushers 14 &# 39 ; and piece l 1 in fig2 d ). the conveyor 12 operates stopping intermittently when the bundles n 1 , n 2 arrive at an unloading station a , b . an unloading conveyor or carrier 20 of bundles n is arranged below the transfer conveyor 12 . to the transport belts of the unloading carrier 20 , which are most advantageously chains 20a , gripping means 22 are mounted at regular intervals , their range not exceeding the thickness of the thinnest board l 0 of the bundles in the unloading station a , b . the chains 20a of the unloading conveyor 20 are arranged about idler sheaves 21a and 21b most advantageously so that the trailing idler sheave 13b of the transfer conveyor 12 is substantially in the same vertical position as the preceding idler sheave 21a of the unloading conveyor 12 and so that the unloading conveyor 20 is in its transport direction at an angle α ( fig2 a ) at the upper diagonal . the gripping means 22 pull the lowermost piece l from the bundles n 1 , n 2 in the unloading stations a , b to be transported further in the regular spaces of conveyor 20 . the range of the gripping means 22 can be adjusted to be between the positions 17a - 17b and 18a - 18b of the support means 17 , 18 as described below . the inclination angle α of the conveyor 20 is required to be large enough so that the bundles n 1 , n 2 remain secured , supported by means of gravity to the pusher means 14 , when a bundle n 1 , n 2 is unloaded from below with the gripping means 22 . in the transport plane of the unloading conveyor 20 , two consecutive unloading stations a and b have been provided , in association with which are located support means 17 , 18 driven by actuation cylinders 19 or equivalent actuation means . when a bundle n 2 is transferred , as in fig2 a , into unloading station a , the support means 17 is in upper position 17a . when a bundle is moved to the other unloading station b ( bundle n 3 ), both support means 17 and 18 are in upper positions 17a and 18a ( fig2 b ). the support means 18 is in lower position 18b when bundle n 3 is being unloaded in the other unloading station b ( fig2 c ). the support means 17 and 18 are in lower positions 17b and 18b when bundle n 3 is being unloaded in the first unloading station a ( fig2 d ). in the adjacency of the upper end of the unloading conveyor 20 , there are arranged transporting chains 23 provided with gripping means 24 , into the regular spaces whereof the gripping means 22 of the unloading conveyor 20 move pieces of sawn timber l 2 , l 3 and l 4 unloaded from bundles n 2 and n 3 in the unloading stations a and b . fig2 a presents schematically a control unit 30 , to control by means of control signals a 1 , a 2 and a 3 emitted therefrom the operations of the transfer conveyor 12 , the unloading conveyor 21 and the horizontal conveyor 23 , 24 phased appropriately relative to each other . in addition , by means of control signals b 1 and b 2 generated in the control unit 30 , the actuation cylinders 19 of the support means 17 , 18 are controlled . if needed , control signals c are directed into the control unit 30 from different sensors 31 to inform the control system of the operation steps of different means and the arrival of , e . g ., a timber bundle n 1 from the sawing machine 10 for unloading . it should be emphasized that the control system 30 , 31 is highly schematical and it can be implemented in a number of different ways and with different apparatus known as such to a person skilled in the art . there are two or more unloading stations a , b for bundles n , their additional function being to serve as a transitional storage to balance stoppages caused for other reasons by brief interruptions in sawing while processing further the timber . the transitional storage can be complemented by slowing down temporarily the speed of the unloading conveyor 20 . the method of the invention can be provided with one unloading station a only if the extended process is of the kind that no transitional storage is needed . the unloading speed of the transfer conveyor 12 is selected so as to be enabled in each case to unload the quantity of bundles sent from the sawing machine 10 . fig2 a - 2d present only one advantageous apparatus embodiment for performing the method of the invention . the method of the invention can be implemented even if the means used in the method deviated greatly from those introduced above . for instance , the transfer conveyor 12 can be disposed also below the bundles n with the pushers 14 arranged upwards . the transfer conveyor 12 may also be comprised of stepwise movable individual pairs of conveyors . according to the present invention , bundles n 1 , n 2 may be sent from the sawing with timber blocks l arranged in parallel , whereby , prior to transverse transfer of bundle n , or in adjacency therewith , bundle n is turned , using a prior art device or method , from beneath into a position to be unloaded as taught by the invention . the examples provided above are not meant to be exclusive . many other variations of the present invention would be obvious to those skilled in the art , and are contemplated to be within the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
attention is first directed to fig1 and 2 , which show a food press 10 for making a food patty in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , the food press 10 includes two primary components , namely a mould 12 and a carrying component 14 . preferably , the mould 12 and carrying component 14 are formed of stainless steel . in this embodiment , the mould 12 is in the form of a relatively heavy disc having substantially flat , circular top and bottom walls 16 and 18 , bridged by a smooth peripheral sidewall 20 . the mould 12 has a diameter of about 12 cm and a thickness of about 1 . 5 cm . the diameter of the mould corresponds generally to the ultimate diameter of the food patty to be formed . a central hole 22 is provided through the mould 12 . the carrying component 14 includes a substantially flat , thin circular panel 24 having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the mould 12 . in this manner , the bottom edge of the mould 12 remains accessible when the mould 12 overlies the panel 24 . the panel 24 is generally rigid and defines a lower surface 24 b to contact food product that is to be pressed into patties . the carrying component 14 further includes an upright handle 26 , which is centrally affixed to the flat panel 24 by a weld . the handle 26 is elongate and is in the form of a solid cylinder . a loop 28 is welded to the upper end of the handle 26 to allow the food press 10 to be hung from a hook for easy storage . the handle 26 is sized and shaped such that it is adapted to pass easily through the hole 22 in the mould 12 . this allows the mould 12 to be placed on the flat panel 24 and act as a weight when the press 10 is manipulated to form a patty yet be easily moved along the handle 26 away from the flat panel 24 after a patty has been formed . attention is now directed to fig3 to 7 for an explanation of the operation of the food press 10 . during use , a ball 30 of food product such as ground meat or other food product is placed on a flat surface . typically enough food product is utilized to provide slightly more than the desired amount of food product that is to form the final patty , thus ensuring that there will be excess food product . at this stage with the mould 12 overlying the flat panel 24 , the food press 10 is positioned to place the flat panel 24 over the ball 30 of food product , and sufficient pressure is applied to the ball 30 by pushing down on the mould 12 thereby to flatten the ball into a patty 32 having the desired thickness as shown in fig3 and 4 . the weight of the mould 12 facilitates this action . since the ball 30 of food product typically utilizes more food product than is necessary to form the patty of desired thickness , excess food product 34 is ejected from beneath the flat panel 24 and extends beyond the peripheral sidewall 20 of the mould 12 . the excess food product 34 is easily removed or stripped away from the patty 32 by running a finger 36 along the peripheral sidewall 20 as shown in fig5 . with the patty 32 formed and the excess food product 34 removed , the mould 12 is lifted upwardly along the handle 26 and away from the flat panel 24 while maintaining the flat panel on the patty 32 as shown in fig6 . once the mould 12 has been separated from the flat panel 24 , the flat panel 24 is removed from the patty 32 by lifting the carrying component 14 away from the patty using the handle 26 as shown in fig7 . since the weight of the mould 12 is removed from the patty 32 before the flat panel 24 is separated from the patty , the flat panel 24 does not stick to the patty allowing the carrying component 14 to be easily removed from the patty . utilizing the present food press 10 in the above described manner produces a patty which is smooth , fully formed and ready for cooking or freezing . the patty forming process is easily reproduced allowing uniform patties to be formed one at the time . when it becomes necessary to clean the food press 10 , the mould 12 and carrying component 14 are separated in order to provide ready access to all portions of the food press that contact food . turning now to fig8 a and 9 b , an alternative embodiment of a food press in accordance with the present invention is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 110 . in this embodiment like reference numerals will be used to indicate like components with a “ 100 ” added for clarity . the food press 110 is very similar to that of the previous embodiment and includes a mould 112 and a carrying component 114 both of which are formed of stainless steel . the carrying component 114 includes a flat panel 124 and an upright handle 126 centrally affixed to the flat panel 124 by a mould . the upright handle 126 in this embodiment is in the form of a hollow cylinder . the handle 126 passes through an opening 122 in the mould 112 and is sized to permit the mould 112 to move along the handle 126 . an elongate loop 128 is affixed to the open distal end of the handle 126 by a weld and acts as a retainer to inhibit the mould 112 from being removed from the handle . the food press 110 is used in the same manner as that of the previous embodiment . the mould 112 however , cannot be removed from the handle due to the loop 128 . the mould 112 can however be lifted from the panel 124 toward the loop 128 after a patty has been formed to facilitate separation between the panel 124 and the patty . although the mould has been shown as a disc , it will be appreciated that the mould can take other shapes such as a square , hexagon etc . if desired . also , if desired , the opening in the mould can extend to the peripheral sidewall allowing the mould to be separated from the carrying component by moving the mould laterally away from the handle . in this case , when excess food product is being removed from a formed patty , the mould can be rotated to provide a smooth , finger running peripheral surface . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove , it will be evident to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims . | 0 |
please refer to fig1 . fig1 is a diagram of a programming system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the programming system 100 is used to perform code programming for a plurality of controller chips 160 , 170 . as shown in fig1 , the programming system 100 comprises a main printed circuit board ( pcb ) 110 , having a micro - controller unit ( mcu ) 130 , and a plurality of sub - pcbs 140 and 150 mounted on the main pcb 110 . in this embodiment the two sub - pcbs are pcbs that have at least a controller mounted on them and are installed into the display device . sub - pcbs 140 and 150 comprise controller chips 160 and 170 respectively , which are integrated circuits ( ics ) in this embodiment . the sub - pcbs 140 and 150 have interfaces 180 and 190 respectively that are connected to the controller chips 160 and 170 . please note that in this diagram , only one display controller chip is illustrated as being mounted on each sub - pcb ; however , this number is not a limitation of the present invention , and more than one display controller chip can be mounted on a single sub - pcb . the mcu 130 is utilized for controlling validation and program operations , and storing program codes into the controller chips 160 , 170 . the main pcb 110 further comprises an interface 120 for receiving program code data and data request instructions . in addition , the main pcb 110 is further capable of programming at least one external display controller chip ( not shown ) through the interface 120 . in an embodiment , the interface 120 can be implemented by a vga or a dvi interface . these implementations are not limitations of the present invention . in this embodiment , the combination of the mcu 130 , main pcb 110 and interfaces 120 , 180 , 190 serve as a programming apparatus . the sub - pcbs 140 , 150 having controller chips 160 and 170 mounted thereon act as programmable devices that are to be installed into display devices after the code programming is completed . in other words , once the controller chips 160 , 170 have been programmed , the entire sub - pcbs 140 , 150 can be removed from the main pcb 110 and placed in the display device , so the connecting pins of the controller chips 160 , 170 are prevented from being damaged . similarly , when the controller chips 160 , 170 require re - programming , the sub - pcbs 140 , 150 can be removed and placed back on the main pcb 110 for code programming , so there is no need for the chip to be removed individually and no damage will be applied to connecting pins of the chip . in short , the use of the sub - pcbs 140 , 150 prevents pin damage due to constant wear and tear . please refer to fig2 . fig2 is a block diagram of the display controller chip 160 shown in fig1 according to an embodiment of the present invention . only the display controller chip 160 is detailed in fig2 for brevity . the display controller chip 160 comprises an mcu 210 for executing normal operation of the display controller chip 160 . when data request instructions are received through an interface 230 ( in this embodiment the interface is realized by a dvi / vga interface ), an auxiliary controller 220 disables the mcu 210 during the code programming process . for example , the auxiliary controller 220 disables the mcu 210 , and program codes , such as firmware data , are received from the dvi / vga interface 230 and then sent to the write control circuit 260 . the present invention improves over the related art , however , by first sending requested data to a write buffer 270 , and then sending it to the flash memory 280 . this utilization of the write buffer 270 enables both the mcu 210 and the flash memory 280 to operate at maximum speed , as the write buffer 270 has a faster operating speed than the flash memory 280 , so data ( program codes ) can be written to the display controller chip 160 faster than if no write buffer were present . the evaluation circuit 240 is used to evaluate the data stored into the flash memory 280 to check validity of the programmed data . the read control circuit 250 controls the data reading of the flash memory 280 . when the display controller chip 160 is a display controller , the display controller chip 160 further comprises an image processing unit ( not shown in fig2 ), such as a scaler , or a de - interlacing module . please refer to fig3 . fig3 is a flowchart of a code programming process of the display controller chip 160 shown in fig2 . the steps are as follows : step 300 : receive an instruction through the dvi / vga interface 230 . step 302 : disable the normal operation of the internal mcu 210 . step 304 : assign a write address , and receive related data through the dvi / vga interface 230 . in one embodiment , the write control circuit 260 assigns a write address for programming the flash memory 280 and receives data ( program codes ) from the dvi / vga interface 230 . in another embodiment , the program codes to be programmed into the flash memory 280 are provided by the external programming apparatus and transmitted to the display controller chip 160 through the interfaces 180 and 230 . step 306 : buffer the received data in the write buffer 270 . step 308 : send data to the flash memory 280 once the write buffer 270 has reached capacity . step 310 : has all data requested been sent to the flash memory 280 ? if yes , go to step 312 ; otherwise , go to step 304 . step 312 : enable the normal operation of the internal mcu 210 . in a preferred embodiment , the utilization of the write buffer 270 enables the write process to continue without waiting for a write to go to the flash memory 280 . in other words , the implementation of the write buffer 270 offers a sequential data writing scheme to improve the code programming performance . moreover , it should be noted that the aforementioned data buffering scheme is only meant to be an example , and other data buffering schemes could be implemented in other embodiments of the present invention . the invention further provides an evaluation process , integrated in the code programming process , for determining whether data written to the display controller chip is correct . please refer to fig4 . fig4 is a flowchart of a code programming process of the controller 160 shown in fig2 according to the present invention . the steps are as follows : step 400 : receive an instruction through the dvi / vga interface 230 . step 402 : disable the normal operation of the internal mcu 210 . step 404 : write data to the flash memory 280 . step 406 : auto - read data back from the flash memory 280 once all data has been written to the flash memory 280 . step 407 : perform a crc check on each byte of data . step 408 : is an internal value stored in the mcu 130 equal to a value obtained by the crc operation ? if yes , go to step 410 ; otherwise , go to step 412 . step 410 : evaluation is successful . go to step 414 . step 414 : enable the normal operation of the internal mcu 210 . for code programming , the mcu 130 on the main pcb 110 will disable the operation of the mcu 210 in the display controller chip 160 through the auxiliary controller 220 via issuing an instruction to the dvi / vga interface 230 ( steps 400 and 402 ). then , the write control circuit 260 inside the display controller chip 160 writes received data ( program codes ) to the flash memory 280 ( step 404 ). in this embodiment , the method assigns a predetermined amount of data to be evaluated , by assigning a start and end address in the flash memory 280 . for example , the start address and the end address in the flash memory 280 define a data length corresponding to the whole program codes needed to be programmed into the flash memory 280 . therefore , once it is determined all data ( all program codes ) have been written to the flash memory 280 , the programmed data will be automatically read back to the evaluation circuit 240 , where a crc check will be performed on each byte of programmed data ( step 407 ). through evaluating the programmed data , the evaluation circuit 240 computes a crc value . then , the evaluation circuit 240 compares the computed crc value with a value stored in the mcu 130 mounted on the main pcb 110 ; if the computed crc value is determined to be correct , the mcu 130 will re - activate the mcu 210 of the display controller chip 160 by instructing the auxiliary controller 220 ( steps 408 , 410 and 414 ). if the computed crc value is not correct , however , the display controller chip 160 will be programmed again or deemed to be a bad chip . in a preferred embodiment , step 404 adopts the aforementioned data writing scheme shown in fig3 to optimize code programming efficiency . that is , the write buffer 270 is utilized to buffer the received data ( program codes ) when the write control circuit 260 writes the received data ( program codes ) into the flash memory 280 . however , the evaluation process of the present invention is not limited to be combined with the data writing scheme shown in fig3 . for other embodiments not using the data writing scheme shown in fig3 , the same objective of obtaining faster data evaluation speed is still achieved by performing the crc check only after all data to be evaluated has been written to the non - volatile memory . the mounting of the controller chips on sub - pcbs prevents damage occurring to the connecting pins through removal and wear . the write buffer in the controller chips allows write information to be buffered before being passed to the non - volatile memory ( e . g . flash memory ), therefore enabling both the mcu and the non - volatile memory to operate at maximum speed for code programming . the evaluation process allows faster evaluation of data by performing the crc check only after all data to be evaluated has been written to the non - volatile memory . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims . | 6 |
fig1 shows imager 10 having an imager matrix 11 comprised of a columns of pixels ( 324 in this preferred embodiment ) and b rows of pixels ( 340 in this preferred embodiment ). the image array drive lines 12 provide the drive line signals φ1 , φ2 and φ3 ( see fig5 ) to the imager matrix 11 and to transfer gate 14 . transfer gate 14 has a ccd position attached to each column of the imager matrix and is connected to the ccd output register 18 to selectively transmit an entire row of pixels , in parallel , from imager matrix 11 into output register 18 . input diode 25 ( used for testing purposes ) is serially connected to additional position 24 of register section 15 , terminating in additional position 23 . corner output group 42 is serially connected to additional position 23 and to additional position 22 of register section 16 , which terminates in additional position 21 . corner output amplifier group 41 is serially connected to additional position 21 and to additional position 20 of register section 17 which terminates in additional position 19 . corner output amplifier group 40 is serially connected to extra position 19 and terminates in charge drain diode 45 . the corner output amplifier 40 - 42 groups and register sections 15 - 17 make up output register 18 . corner output amplifier group 40 includes outputs 31 - 33 ; corner output amplifier group 41 includes outputs 34 - 46 ; corner output amplifier group 42 includes outputs 37 - 39 . fig2 is a cross section of the three - phase ccd structure of this preferred embodiment wherein three overlapping levels of polysilicon electrodes are employed . polysilicon electrode 61 to which phase φ1 is applied is contained within silicon dioxide envelope 68 . phase φ2 is applied to electrode 53 , also surrounded by silicon dioxide envelope 68 . phase φ3 is applied to electrode 56 , which is partially surrounded by envelope 68 . fig2 is intended to represent two sides of the ccd imager , and not all of the center , identical portions . thus , electrode 54 to which phase φ2 is applied is partially shown at the left center of the drawing with electrode 57 to which phase φ3 is applied as shown at the right center of the drawing . electrodes 63 and 64 each have phase φ1 applied thereto and are totally surrounded by envelope 68 . electrode 55 has phase φ2 applied and is surrounded by envelope 68 . electrode 58 has phase φ3 applied and is partially surrounded by envelope 68 . this preferred embodiment utilizes buried layer 62 of an n type material to cause electrons to be forced away from the surface and toward the main body 61 of p type material . the p + regions 63 and 64 are channel stop areas . the n + region 45 is the charge drain diode cathode . walls 51 and 52 define the active area 11 . fig3 is a plan view of corner output amplifier group 41 . corner output amplifier group 41 is representative of corner output amplifier groups 40 and 42 . electrodes 81 - 107 are positioned in a curved path to form a corner so that electrode 81 is at right angles to electrode 107 . as shown in fig2 the lowest level electrode is that to which phase φ1 is applied . in this fig3 terminals 109 and 113 receive phase φ1 . terminal 109 is connected to electrodes 83 , 86 , and 92 . terminal 113 is connected to electrodes 98 , 104 and 107 . electrodes 89 , 95 an 101 are formed at the same level and are output control gates . the next level of electrodes is that receiving phase φ2 . in fig3 terminals 110 and 115 receive phase φ2 . terminal 110 is connected to electrodes 81 , 84 and 90 . terminal 115 is connected to electrodes 96 , 102 and 105 . electrodes 87 , 93 and 99 are also formed at the phase φ2 level and are input control gates for the floating gate amplifiers . the highest level phase electrode is that for receiving phase φ3 . in fig3 phase φ3 is applied to terminals 111 and 116 . terminal 111 is connected to electrodes 82 , 85 and 91 . terminal 116 is connected to electrodes 97 , 103 and 106 . also formed at the phase φ3 level are floating gates 88 , 94 , and 100 , for the floating gate amplifiers . the floating gate formed by electrode 94 is the gate for mos output transistor 114 , having drain 129 , and source 35 which serves as its output . mos transistor 124 has drain 125 , gate 126 and source 127 , source 127 being connected through connector 128 to the floating gate 94 . transistor 124 supplies a potential to floating gate 94 . electrode 93 forms input control gate g1 for amplifier transistor 114 and electrode 95 forms the output control gate g2 for the output amplifier transistor 114 . transistors 114 and 124 , together with input control gate g1 and output control gate g2 form a floating gate amplifier for providing an output representative of the charge at the particular electrode at source output 35 . the combination of transistors 130 and 132 , and 133 and 134 , together with their respective input gates formed by electrodes 87 and 99 , respectively , and their output gates formed by electrodes 89 and 101 , respectively , represent two more floating gate amplifiers with outputs at sources 36 and 34 , respectively . details of this floating gate amplifier are set out in copending patent application ser . no . 021 , 058 , filed mar . 16 , 1979 , entitled &# 34 ; remote coupled floating gate amplifier for charge coupled devices &# 34 ; and assigned to the assignee of this invention . in this preferred embodiment , n = 3 and therefore there are three floating point amplifiers in one corner output amplifier group . this corner output amplifier group 41 is identical to corner output amplifier groups 40 and 42 . fig4 illustrates , in block form , the timing circuitry that may be used in this invention . a crystal oscillator 151 , having a frequency of approximately 6 mhz provides an input to divider 153 . an appropriate output from divider 153 at approximately 2 mhz is sent to three phase generator 152 which provides three phases φ1 &# 39 ;, φ2 &# 39 ; and φ3 &# 39 ; for the three phase input to ccd output register 18 . the output of divider 153 is sent to divider 155 where the frequency is further divided to provide phases φ1 , φ2 and φ3 . phases φ1 , φ2 , and φ3 are applied to the imager matrix 11 and to transfer gate 14 . the gate output from divider 155 is used to enable the output of transfer gate 14 . phases φ1 &# 39 ;, φ2 &# 39 ; and φ3 &# 39 ; at b ( 340 )× the frequency of the three phase input to imager matrix 11 are applied to ccd output register 18 . the output of divider 155 is counted at counter 156 whose output is sent to comparator 157 having a second input 158 with a count of b ( 340 ) as the second input . if there is a comparison , then all the rows from imager matrix 11 must have been transferred to output register 18 . oscillator inhibit 159 is activated turning off the oscillator 151 . in this preferred embodiment , the oscillator is held off for a period of approximately 600 milliseconds , and then is kept running for a period of approximately 200 miliseconds to enable the transfer of the pixel information entirely out of the imager matrix . fig5 shows the phases φ1 , φ2 and φ3 in idealized form . while the oscillator 151 is held off , φ1 illustrating waveform 161 , remains high , with φ2 as waveform 162 and φ3 as waveform 163 remaining low . also remaining low is the gate output waveform 164 which is activated just prior to the phase φ1 going low . when phase φ1 goes low , phase φ2 goes high and when phase φ2 goes low , phase φ3 goes high . the gate pulse 164 precedes the three phase pulse φ1 , permitting the transfer of information held in transfer gate 14 to move into ccd register 18 . the waveforms shown in fig5 are representative of a long series of repetitious forms , as shown , up until time t . after time t , when oscillator 151 is inhibited , waveform 161 ( φ1 ) again goes high as shown and waveforms 162 , 163 and 164 all go low . fig6 illustrates circuitry for an output application of the invention . outputs 31 - 39 ( fig2 ) are connected to one end respectively of resistors r2 - r9 , whose other ends are tied together to the input of amplifier 166 . the input of amplifier 166 is also tied through resistor r1 to ground . output 35 from floating gate amplifier transistor 114 , representing the center pixel of a block , is connected to the input of amplifier 167 . the outputs of amplifiers 166 and 167 are connected respectively to the positive and negative inputs of differential amplifier 168 . output 169 from amplifier 168 represents the difference in amplitude between the outputs of amplifiers 167 and 166 . referring to fig1 the image of an object is impressed upon the imager matrix 11 . in this particular embodiment , with a matrix of 324 × 340 pixels , approximately 600 milliseconds is required for the imaging process . this time is approximate and relates to the particular imager of this invention . an imager with a smaller matrix takes substantially less time . upon the conclusion of the imaging process , gate 14 is enabled by the gate pulse 164 of fig5 . also , the φ1 , φ2 and φ3 phase pulses 161 , 162 and 163 , respectively , are activated to shift out the first row of ccd pixels into section 15 of output register 18 , and also the three right most pixels into corner output amplifier group 42 , with outputs 37 , 38 and 39 of the respective floating point amplifiers corresponding to those first three bits . then at an approximate 2 mhz rate , section 15 contents are shifted into section 16 and into corner output amplifier group 41 . this cycle is repeated with gate 14 again being enabled and the contents of the second row of ccd &# 39 ; s from imager matrix 11 are transmitted in parallel into section 15 and corner output amplifier group 42 . again , output ccd register 18 shifts with the contents of section 16 shifting into section 17 and corner output amplifier group 40 . likewise , the contents of section 15 shifts into section 16 and corner output amplifier group 41 . section 15 is filled again along with corner output amplifier group 42 . at that moment , the first three pixels of the first row from imager 11 are represented at outputs 31 , 32 and 33 of group 40 . the first three pixels of the second row are represented at the outputs 34 , 35 and 36 of group 41 . the first three pixels of the third row are represented at outputs 37 , 38 and 39 of group 42 . these outputs are simultaneously available and represent a block of 9 pixels . the first block is that formed of three pixels by three pixels in the lower right corner of imager matrix 11 . as the shifting continues , the charge representing the first pixel of the first row of imager matrix 11 is discharged into charge drain 45 . at this point , the pixels at the second , third and fourth positions of the first three rows are read out . this process continues and is an effective movement of the block from the right most lower corner to the left most lower corner as the shifting is continued until the last three pixels of the first three columns are effectively read out . the next two shifts may be ignored and the next block to be read out is formed of the first three pixels of the second , third and fourth rows . the process continues until the entire contents of imager matrix 11 has been shifted out . as indicated earlier , the simultaneous outputs may be used in various , desired ways . for example , fig6 illustrates the use of a weighting scheme that enables attaching a weight to the center pixel of the block and assigning a different weight to all of the other eight pixels in the block . in this preferred embodiment , the resistors r2 - r9 are equal and are of 8 k ohms in value . resistor r1 equals 1 k ohms . the gain of amplifier 166 is twice that of amplifier 167 . then if all the pixel charges in the block are equal , the voltage appearing at the input to amplifier 166 will be one half that appearing at the input to amplifier 167 . that is , the net parallel resistance of resistors r2 - r9 is 1 k ohm , the same as resistor r1 , thus dividing in half , the input voltage ( approximately 0 . 1 volts ). the voltage present at the input to amplifier 167 is amplified and presented to the negative terminal of differential amplifier 168 . the voltage present at the input to amplifier 166 is amplified ( twice that of amplifier 167 ) and presented as a positive input to differential amplifier 168 . under those circumstances , the output at 169 is zero , because the inputs cancel . this is an indication of no difference in light intensity from that block . if the outputs at point 169 are not zero , then a change in color or light intensity is indicated . this information is sent to the memory of a digital computer for further analysis . this invention simply provides the simultaneous outputs and an indication of change or no change in light intensity from a given block . this preferred embodiment indicates the use of an imager matrix 340 × 324 pixels . the preferred embodiment also indicates a three phase , buried type of structure . it is obvious to those skilled in the art to use available schemes , such as two phase instead of the three phase arrangement and also to use other than buried layer type structures . further , a ccd gate and ouput register structure is not required for operation of this invention . the scope of the invention is all inclusive of these changes that are obvious to those skilled in the art . | 7 |
the invention pertains to wall covering systems which are made , for instance , by a vinyl coating onto a fabric or a paper . the vinyl is then printed and embossed . the wall coverings are attached to the walls or ceilings of rooms inside residential or commercial buildings . the room temperature normally changes during the day and overnight . during the day , heat caused by solar radiation penetrates through the windows into the room leading to an increase in the room temperature . the heat rises to the ceiling and increases mainly the temperature at the upper parts of the walls and at the ceiling . the temperature rise in the upper part of the room leads to an increase of the temperature gradient between the floor and the ceiling . overnight the heat is released through the windows resulting in a decrease in the room temperature and the temperatures at the ceiling , the walls and the floor . the temperature gradient between the floor and the ceiling is also reduced during the heat release overnight . test results received for the development of the room temperature and the temperature development on different locations of a model room ( floor , walls and ceiling ) during a 24 hour - period are shown in fig1 . a comfortable room temperature ranges between 21 ° c . and 24 ° c . furthermore , in order to avoid uncomfortable drafts in the room , the vertical temperature gradient between floor and ceiling should not exceed 3 k / m . a vertical temperature gradient of 1 k / m would be most preferable . based on these data the floor temperature should be in the range between 20 ° c . and 23 ° c . at the ceiling the temperature should remain between 23 ° c . and 26 ° c . during the day . in order to keep the room temperature in the comfort range , especially on hot summer days , the phase change material should mainly be used to absorb excess heat the wall and the ceiling are subjected to . considering the comfort temperature ranges determined for walls and ceiling the applied phase change material should absorb heat if temperature on the surface of the walls exceed 25 ° c . and the ceiling temperature rises above 26 ° c . based on model calculations , the phase change material applied to walls should absorb latent heat in a temperature range between 25 ° c . and 32 ° c . a phase change material used in a wall covering assembly attached to the ceiling should absorb latent heat in a temperature range between 26 ° c . and 35 ° c . the phase change material selected for both applications should be able to release all the stored latent heat overnight with the reverse heat flux through the windows into the environment . only in case the stored heat can be released completely overnight , the phase change material can fulfil its heat absorption function during the day . a appropriate temperature range for the release of the latent heat stored in the walls and in the ceiling ranges from 20 ° c . up to 30 ° c . in order to cover the selected temperature ranges for the latent heat absorption , paraffin waxes described in table 1 can be used for the wall covering assembly . salt hydrates summarized in table 2 are also suitable for such an application . the wall covering materials are very thin and flexible . in order to keep these characteristics of the wall covering materials the amount of phase change material which can be applied to such a system is limited . the limitations in the phase change material quantity demand that technical grade paraffin waxes and salt hydrates with latent heat storage capacities of at least 180 j / g are used in wall covering systems . in order to obtain a sufficient latent heat storage capacity in the wall covering material the use of microencapsulated phase change material should be avoided . the micro - encapsulation procedure of the phase change material reduces the latent heat storage capacity by about 40 %. in order to maximize the latent heat storage capacity of the wall covering assembly , pure phase change material has been applied directly to an acrylic coating compound . the acrylic coating compound is liquid at room temperature . in order to obtain an even distribution of the crystalline alkyl hydrocarbons or the salt hydrates throughout the acrylic coating compound the phase change material also have to be liquid for mixing them into the acrylic substrate . because the crystalline alkyl hydrocarbons and the salt hydrates which melt in the selected application temperature range are solid at the processing room temperature , they need to be melted first . then , the selected phase change material is completely melted it is carefully mixed into the acrylic coating compound . the acrylic coating compound with incorporated phase change material ( 2 ) is then applied to the uncoated side of a paper or fabric commonly used in the conventional wall covering system as a first additional layer . in addition to the phase change material the acrylic coating compound may also contain flame - retarding additives which are mixed therein together with the phase change material . in the next step , a second layer of a liquid ceramic compound ( 3 ) is coated on top of the layer comprising the acrylic coating compound with phase change material in order to enhance the wall covering &# 39 ; s fire - resistance and avoid the dissolution of the pcm while in a liquid stage . the rear ceramic layer is abrasion resistant and possesses a plain surface . a sectional view of the invented wall covering assembly is shown in fig2 . preferably , phase change material has been applied to the acrylic coating compound in a quantity of about 50 wt . %. the total phase change material quantity of 130 g / m 2 in the acrylic coating compound leads to a latent heat storage capacity of approximately 25 kj / m 2 to 35 kj / m 2 . by applying the same quantity of microencapsulated phase change material a latent heat storage capacity of only 16 kj / m 2 could be obtained which is not sufficient for a room application . at least a latent heat capacity of 25 kj / m 2 is necessary to obtain long - lasting thermal effects in room applications . technical data of wall covering materials with and without phase change material are summarized in table 3 . the test data indicate that the thin wall covering material possesses only a low thermal resistance which ensures a sufficient heat transfer into the layer which contains the phase change material and away from it . the application of 130 g / m 2 pure phase change material incorporated into the wall covering in an acrylic coating compound increases the weight of the wall covering material by about 70 %. the application of the first additional first layer ( acrylic coating compound with incorporated phase change material ) doubles the thickness of wall covering material . however , the increase in thermal resistance totals only 40 %. the addition of the second layer made of a ceramic compound adds about 120 g / m 2 in weight to the wall covering assembly . this ceramic layer possesses only a thickness of 0 . 2 mm . despite its relative thinness , the ceramic compound layer possesses a comparatively high thermal resistance which reduces the heat flux into the walls and the ceiling substantially . the thermal resistance of the final wall covering configuration with phase change material is about twice the thermal resistance of the wall covering material without phase change material . after adding the two coating layers to a existing wall covering material the invented wall covering assembly is still a flat structure which can be applied to a wall in the manner of wallpaper . the wall covering assembly is thin and flexible which makes it possible to transport and store the material in form of rolls . by keeping the original fabric or paper with the vinyl coating on the front face of the assembly the decorative design function of the wall covering is maintained . the wall covering material with phase change material has been tested in a model room . some test results are shown in fig3 and fig4 . the test results indicate that the temperature increase on the walls and the ceiling , for instance , during a hot summer day could be delayed and , therefore , reduced by the heat absorption of the phase change material incorporated in the wall covering assembly . on the other side , the phase change material has been recharged overnight by releasing the stored heat . the thermal effect provided by the phase change material contained in the wall covering assembly has been proven to be durable in more than 1000 thermo - cycles . the phase change material application in wall covering materials will lead to a better thermal comfort inside buildings and to substantial energy savings . | 8 |
referring to fig4 there is illustrated an overall arrangement of a time interleaved a / d converter according to one embodiment of the invention . in fig4 the portions of the time interleaved a / d converter corresponding to those in the conventional time interleaved a / d converter of fig1 are indicated by identical reference numerals . the time interleaved a / d converter of the present invention includes a plurality of a / d subconverters 10 - 1 to 10 - m which are arranged in one - dimensional array of a single column . these a / d subconverters sequentially sample the analog input signal v in applied thereto through an input terminal 202 in response to the sampling enable signals from the timing controller unit 201 . for the convenience of description , m a / d converters are employed ( where m is an even number ). the timing controller unit 201 of the timing controller 401 functions to sequentially provide sampling enable signals on its output terminals 1 to m in response to a clock signal φ . the time multiplexing circuit 204 selectively transfers digital outputs from the a / d subconverters 10 - 1 through 10 - m in response to the control signal from the timing controller unit 201 . the timing controller 401 includes a plurality of leads 1 - 1 through 1 - m which electrically connect the output terminals 1 through m of the timing controller unit 201 and the control inputs of the a / d subconverters such that any two subconverters to be successively activated in the sampling operation are positioned at locations spaced substantially the equal distance within the maximum distance of 2p ( two pitches of a subconverter ) apart throughout the a / d subconverters . more specifically , the timing controller unit 201 has the output terminal 1 connected to the a / d subconverter 10 - 1 by a lead 1 - 1 , and the output terminal 2 to the a / d subconverter 10 - 3 by a lead 1 - 2 . in this manner , output terminals 1 through m / 2 of the unit 201 are connected to the alternate a / d subconverters from the top to the bottom in the converter column by the leads 1 to 1 -( m / 2 ). the interconnection arrangement is to be of a folding arrangement at the output ( m / 2 )+ 1 which is connected to the a / d subconverter 10 - m . that is , the outputs ( m / 2 )+ 1 through m are connected to the alternate a / d subconverters in the direction from the bottom to the top of the converter column . in this way , the odd - numbered a / d subconverters in the column are coupled by the leads 1 - 1 to 1 -( m / 2 ) sequentially to the output terminals 1 through m / 2 of the unit 201 in a downward direction , and even - numbered a / d subconverters in the column are then coupled by the leads 1 -( m / 2 + 1 ) to 1 - m sequentially to the output terminals ( m / 2 )+ 1 through m in an upward direction . with the above described interconnecting arrangement , alternate a / d subconverters are succeedingly selected to be activated in a sampling operation . it is noted that the distance between the a / d subconverter 10 -( m - 1 ) and the a / d subconverter 10 - m to be activated next , and the distance between the a / d subconverter 10 - 2 and the a / d subconverter 10 - 1 are each half as large as those among remaining subconverters . if the pitch of one subconverter is represented by p , the subconverters spaced 2p apart are successively activated except at the folding point in the interconnection arrangement . the timing multiplexing circuit 204 operates to sequentially select and send n - bit digital signals supplied to its input terminals 50 - 1 through 50 - m out to the output terminal 203 . the timing for the sampling enable signals generated by the timing control unit 201 as well as the switching timing of the time multiplexing circuit 204 are assumed to be identical to those shown in fig2 . in operation , the timing controller unit 201 provides sampling enable signals sequentially on the output terminals 1 through m at a cycle of ts , as in the case of the conventional a / d converter of fig1 and 2 . these sampling enable signals are fed to the control inputs of the a / d subconverters 10 - 1 through 10 - m . in the sampling operation , the odd - numbered subconverters in the converter column are first activated into sampling and conversion operation sequentially downward . each activated a / d subconverter provides n bit digital data to the time multiplexing circuit 204 . after the lower most odd - numbered subconverter 10 -( m - 1 ) in the column has been activated , a sequential activation reverses its direction and drives the even - numbered a / d subconverters into sampling and conversion operation one after another in an upward succession through the converter column . the sequentially activated a / d subconverters provide analog - to - digital converted signals to their corresponding input terminals 50 - 1 through 50 - m of the timing multiplexing circuit 204 , which functions to selectively couple its input terminals to the output terminal 203 in a downward sequence . hence , the output terminal 203 of the time multiplexing circuit 204 is supplied with the analog - to - digital converted signals in each sampling cycle by the odd - numbered subconverters 10 - 1 , 10 - 3 , . . . 10 -( m - 1 ) in this order , and then by the even - numbered subconverters 10 - m , 10 -( m - 2 ), . . . 10 - 2 in this order . at the end of one complete sampling cycle , that is , when all of the m a / d subconverters have been activated , the activation of the a / d subconverters shifts from the subconverter 10 - 2 to the subconverter 10 - 1 which are physically positioned adjacent each other . thus , in sharp contrast to the aforementioned conventional arrangement of the a / d converter , the time interleaved a / d converter of the present invention exhibits little difference in the conversion characteristics between the two subconverters to be successively activated at the termination of one complete sampling cycle and at the start of the next sampling cycle . this leads to less different digital outputs obtained at the converter output in that region . fig5 shows the digital outputs of the a / d converter of this invention produced at each sampling times s1 to s m + 2 . the conversion characteristic curves 30 - 1 through 30 - m are for the a / d subconverters 10 - 1 through 10 - m , respectively . it is noted that even in an improved converter design where the a / d subconverters are monolithically arranged in an array on a semiconductor chip ( i . e . the chip 500 in fig4 ), the subconverters exhibit slightly varying conversion performances , however , the conversion characteristics vary in one direction . the greater the physical distance between adjacent subconverters , the greater the difference in the conversion characteristics between them as discussed previously . however , the difference in the conversion characteristics is substantially equalized throughout the subconverters using the sequential activation of the invention where the subconverters in physical proximity are successively selected to be activated all the time as shown in fig4 . as shown in fig5 an a / d converted digital signal to be applied to the output terminal 203 moves on alternate conversion characteristics curves from the curve 30 - 1 toward the curve 30 - m and then returning to the curve 30 - 1 as the sampling time advances . then , the digital output signals at the sampling times s1 to s m + 2 are connected to provide a synthesized conversion curve 307 of the a / d converter as shown by the bold line in fig5 . as can be seen from the overall synthesized conversion characteristics curve 307 , there is only a small variation of the analog - to - digital converted outputs between successive sampling times , thereby eliminating any large change or shift in the overall synthesized conversion characteristics to reduce an error in the differential linearity . in the preceding preferred embodiment , the a / d converter includes an even number of the a / d subconverters . however , when it is intended to incorporate an odd number of the a / d subconverters , they may be activated in a sequence as shown in fig6 . in a sampling and conversion cycle of fig6 the odd - numbered subconverters are sequentially selected downward during the former half cycle of one sampling cycle , followed by the upward activation of the even - numbered subconverters during the latter half cycle of the sampling cycle . the a / d converter repeats that activation sequence in operation . the a / d subconverters have been described as being arranged in one - dimensional column in the previous embodiments . in another embodiment of the invention , the a / d converter may include a plurality of a / d subconverters arranged in a two - dimensional array of rows and columns . the subconverter array is sequentially activated in a similar manner as in the preceding embodiments , thereby to achieve similar improved conversion characteristics . fig7 shows a 6 - row and 5 - column array of a / d subconverters . the numerical references 1 through 30 are entered in the rectangular forms representing the subconverters to indicate the sequence in which the subconverters are activated . in operation , the a / d subconverters in the first column are initially activated in downward sequence , and the a / d subconverters in the sixth row are then activated left to right . thereafter , the sequential activation continues on the rest of the subconverters in the first to fifth rows in the second to fifth columns in a serpentine fashion from the subconverter in the fifth row of the fifth column to the subconverter in the first row of the second column as represented by a series of numerical references . as will be readily understood from the illustrated configuration of the subconverter array , the a / d subconverter to be initially activated in one sampling cycle is disposed as close as possible to the one to be activated at the end of the sam sampling cycle . alternatively , the subconverter array may be sequentially activated in a manner as shown in fig8 where similar numerical references 1 through 30 are entered to indicate the order of the subconverters to be activated . in operation , the first column is initially selected and the subconverters in this column are sequentially activated in an alternate fashion identical to that explained with reference to fig4 or fig6 . the third column is then selected for activation , and all subconverters in the third column are sequentially activated as in the first column . next , the fifth column is selected for sequential activation of the subconverters therein also as in the first column , followed by the selection of the fourth column and then the second column for the activation of the subconverters therein in a similar sequence . as will be understood from the foregoing description , the present invention provides an improved a / d converter in which the a / d subconverter array is sequentially activated into sampling and conversion operation so that any two subconverters to be successively activated are disposed within the maximum distance of 2p , where p represents a pitch of a subconverter in the row or column direction . the arrangement of the a / d subconverters and the sequential activation thereof effectively reduces the difference in the overall synthesized conversion characteristics of the a / d converter . as a result , there is found only small variation in the overall synthesized conversion characteristic curve , improving greatly the differential linearity of the converter performance . in the illustrated embodiments of the invention , the a / d subconverters have been described as being monolithically formed on a semiconductor chip . however , this invention is not limited thereto and is also applicable to the a / d converter in which subconverters are arranged in an array of a column or of rows and columns on a print circuit board because a thermal gradient also exists even in such a case . also in the illustrated embodiments , interconnections between the timing controller unit and the a / d subconverters through the connection leads for carrying the sampling enable signals from the controller to the subconverters are modified in order to carry out the activation on the a / d subconverters in a desired sequence . instead , the same sequential activation of the a / d subconverters may be realized through the control of the outputs of the timing controller unit without modification of the interconnections between the controller unit and the subconverters . as discussed previously , in the novel arrangement of the a / d converter of the present invention , a plurality of the a / d subconverters are activated into the sampling and conversion operation in such sequence that an a / d subconverter activated at one sampling time is positioned in physical proximity to the one activated at the immediately preceding sampling time . this sequential activation of the a / d subconverters with a small physical separation results in relatively uniform a / d conversion characteristics throughout all the subconverters . this contributes to keeping any large shift from appearing in the overall synthesized conversion of the a / d converter , and to providing almost flawless differential linearity of the converter characteristics . although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail , it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation , the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims . | 7 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , the door breach training system of the present invention is identified generally by the reference numeral 10 . system 10 includes a door 12 and an associated door frame 14 . to simulate the locks within the training system , embodiments of the present invention include door sockets 16 , frame sockets 18 , and shear pins 20 . door sockets 16 are inserted into door 12 , while frame socket 18 is inserted into the door frame 14 . the number of door sockets 16 and corresponding frame sockets 18 utilized for any given exercise can be user - varied to represent the number of locks , or the over - all breach resistance to be simulated in any given exercise . referring in combination to fig1 , 2 and 3 , to complete a set - up for an exercise , door 12 is placed in its conventional “ closed ” position relative to door frame 14 , and the appropriate pin ( s ) 20 for representing the desired condition ( such as wood door and metal frame , etc ) are inserted to engage the bores 22 and 24 , respectively , of both door sockets 16 and frame sockets 18 . upon forced entry of a trainee , the resistance force of pin ( s ) 20 simulates that encountered in field forced entry . once door 12 has been breached or entered , pin ( s ) 20 are simply removed and the system 10 can be reset for the next trainee . by collecting data from numerous physical breaching tests on doors and frames of different construction , an engineered pin has been developed which when utilized in the designed system replicates the same forces and impact resistance found in field conditions as encountered by public safety personnel . the engineered pins not only involve the shape and form of the pin but also the material properties of construction . this results in various pin types being used to simulate various conditions . when utilized with a fortified door and frame , the overall system is engineered to fail in a controlled , repeatable and measurable manner with the pins being the only consumable for training . referring to fig3 , 4 and 5 , the preferred pins 20 for use in embodiments of the present invention are made of unfilled polycarbonate with a known shear strength of 4675 psi , and are configured as shown . the core hole 26 of each pin 20 will vary , depending on the type of pin 20 to be constructed . for example , a “ wood frame type ” pin 20 will , when made of the above polycarbonate , material , and according to the depicted geometry , have a core hole diameter of 0 . 303 inches ( for a resulting 0 . 121 sq . inch material for this type pin 20 ), a “ metal frame type ” pin 20 will have a 0 . 217 diameter ( for a resulting 0 . 217 sq . inch material for this type pin 20 ), and a reinforced type pin 20 will have no core hole at all . by the use of test data from physical testing of various combinations of door and frame construction , pin 20 constitutes a preferred , calculated geometry ( shown in fig5 ) and material property , which results in a failure replicating that of the test data . this allows pins of identical overall dimension , but varying internal geometry ( bore size of sockets 22 and 24 ) and material property to be utilized in the same sockets while simulating totally different breaching scenarios or conditions . clearly variations of the depicted geometry , dimensions and / or materials will still fall within the scope of the present invention , but those shown are now believed to be optimal , based on present tests and analysis . tests by the present inventor reveal that the average wood frame door with a single bolt ( deadbolt or doorknob type ) required approximately 480 lbs . pressure for door breach , while a metal frame door of the same configuration required an average 645 lbs . of pressure . the addition of more locks or bolts varies the pressure . if using the presently engineered pins as previously described , the following are examples of appropriate configurations for training exercises : wood frame door with doorknob bolt and additional deadbolt — use 2 “ wood type ” pins 20 for breaching force requirement of 960 lbs ; metal frame door with doorknob bolt and additional two deadbolts — use 3 “ metal type ” pins 20 for breaching force requirement of 1935 lbs ; and reinforced door — use 3 “ reinforced type ” pins 20 for breaching force requirement of 2640 lbs . note that all holes are tapered 4 ° from the opening at the open end of pin 20 . clearly , variations in pin configuration and material constituency can vary the pin requirements for the above examples , but an analogous concept would fall within the scope of the present invention . although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense . various modifications of the disclosed embodiments , as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention . it is , therefore , contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention . | 6 |
fig1 shows a transponder arrangement 10 comprising an interrogator 12 and a responder or transponder 14 . the interrogator 12 preferably comprises a control circuit 16 which controls the actions of the interrogator circuitry . the control circuit 16 causes the modulator 48 to generate either the powering frequency f 1 or a second frequency f 2 . in the illustrated embodiment the second frequency f 2 is used to represent one state of the write data while the powering frequency f 1 is used during data transmission to represent the other state of the write data . this fsk keying is accomplished by control circuit 16 controlling modulator 48 to open and close a switch 50 thereby changing the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 28 . the modulator 48 further changes the division factor of the programmable divider 25 to divide the reference carrier by a selectable ration ( n 1 , n 2 ) to one of two selectable frequencies ( f 1 , f 2 ). when the switch 50 is open , the resonant circuit 28 oscillates at frequency f 1 . when the switch 50 is closed and the capacitor 52 is connected in parallel , the resonant circuit 28 resonates [ at frequency f 2 . the interrogator 12 might be a standalone unit , or alternatively , might be connected by a host connection 18 to a host computer . the control circuit 16 is preferably connected to a memory 20 that is operable to maintain , among other things , a list of instructions for the control circuit 16 to execute , information regarding various transponders 14 and groups of transponders for addressing . the memory 20 is also operable to receive information written to it by control circuit 16 . this information may be gained from inquiries of the transponder 14 and may include data and addresses returned by the transponder 14 . yet another component preferably operating under the control of the control circuit 16 is a display 22 that may visually express to a user the results of an interrogation or communicate status information . referring now to fig2 a graph is shown of the relative transponder operating voltage v cl on the vertical scale and time on the horizontal scale . the vertical scale is in volts , with the preferred operating voltage v cl = 5v . no units are provided for the horizontal scale as the figure is intended solely to provide information regarding the general operational characteristics of the communication between the transponder 14 and interrogator 12 . as shown on the graph of fig2 the preferred communications protocol has four phases . the first phase is the powering phase or phase &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and lasts from time t 0 to t 1 . the second phase is the downlink phase or phase &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; and lasts from time t 1 to t 2 . the third phase is the memory write phase or phase &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; and lasts from time t 2 to t 3 . the fourth phase is the uplink phase or phase &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; and lasts from time t 3 to t 4 . the number of phases and the actions undergone during them is to illustrate one embodiment contemplated by the inventor . various modifications and combinations of the phases , also other embodiments of the invention , will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description . it is therefore intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments . fig3 is a frequency spectrum illustrating the power spectrums for the highly tuned and detuned configurations of the transponder ( graphs a and b , respectively ). now that the phases and frequency spectrums have been named and listed and an overview of the main components of the transponder system has been described , the remaining components and their uses during each phase will be described . again referring to fig1 now together with fig2 and fig3 the remaining components , timing , and frequency spectrum of the preferred embodiment will be described . during the &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; phase , within the interrogator 12 a carrier wave generator 24 operates to provide a reference frequency to a programmable divider 25 . a buffer or amplifier 26 receives a divided carrier having a first or second frequency , f 1 or f 2 , from the programmable divider 25 and passes the signal to an interrogator tuned circuit 28 . tuned circuit 28 is preferably tuned to f 1 although it is well known that a harmonic of the resonant frequency f 1 or another frequency could be used if design needs dictated . in this embodiment , the modulator 48 further acts to select the resonant frequency of the tuned circuit 28 to coincide with the corresponding frequency selected by the modulator 48 using the programmable divider 25 . the mechanism that modulator 48 uses to select the resonant frequency of tuned circuit 28 is a switch 50 that is open or closed depending on the output of modulator 48 . the tuned circuit 28 preferably comprises the parallel combination of a coil 30 and a capacitor 32 . the switch 50 when closed forms a parallel connection of another capacitor 52 across tuned circuit 28 thus lowering the resonant frequency of resonant circuit 28 to f 2 . a series resonant circuit could also be used as tuned circuit 28 if the amp 26 is to drive a low impedance tuned circuit ( e . g ., a series resonant circuit ). the oscillation of this tuned circuit 28 transmits rf energy that is received by the transponder 14 . a transponder resonant circuit 34 that also is tuned ideally to f 1 receives this energy . the transponder resonant circuit 34 preferably comprises the parallel combination of a coil 36 and a capacitor 38 . a transponder control circuit 40 is connected to this resonant circuit 34 at a reference connection 42 and at a signal connection 44 . the control circuit 40 receives its energy from the resonant circuit 34 , rectifies the received signals , and stores the energy on a storage capacitor 46 . the mechanisms for rectifying signals and storing energy are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art . examples of circuitry for performing these functions can be found in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 053 , 774 , incorporated by reference in this application . during the &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; phase the control circuit 16 sends data to a modulator 48 . an fsk modulator 48 under direction of control circuit 16 operates to control programmable frequency divider 25 to pass either a first frequency , f 1 , or a second frequency , f 2 , on to buffer / amplifier 26 . the frequencies f 1 and f 2 are selected submultiples of the reference frequency . the carrier wave generator 24 is preferably a crystal oscillator . as an example , one polarity of the write data might be the reference carrier divided by ratio n 1 ( f 1 ), while the other polarity of the write data might be represented by another frequency that is the reference carrier divided by ratio n 2 ( f 2 ). the modulator 48 controls a switch 50 that can connect a capacitor 52 in parallel with tuned circuit 28 . connecting the capacitor 52 in parallel with this tuned circuit 28 forms a new tuned circuit 29 with a new , lower resonant frequency f 2 . by opening and closing switch 50 in synchronism with the control of programmable divider 25 the resonant circuit 28 or new resonant circuit 29 remains optimally tuned to the transmitted frequencies f 1 and f 2 . by choosing f 1 to represent one logic level and f 2 to represent another it is possible to transmit information from the interrogator 12 to the transponder 14 . data is received in the transponder 14 by the transponder &# 39 ; s resonant circuit 34 . a downlink signal is passed on to demodulator 66 that in turn transmits a received data stream to the control circuit 40 . the received write data is typically fsk demodulated by the demodulator 66 . techniques and circuits for fsk demodulation are well known in the art . an illustrative fsk demodulation circuit 66 is shown in fig4 . in this circuit , a filter 67 is provided to receive the downlink signal on signal line 44 . this filter 67 may be either a lowpass or a highpass filter which acts as a slope detector where the fsk signal is converted to an ask signal . the slope detector operates by having each of the fsk frequencies ( f 1 , f 2 ) lie on the filter roll - off so the amplitude of the output will be different depending on the input fsk frequency . the signal on line 69 corresponding to the output of the filter is shown in fig5 . fig5 shows a frequency plot of the rolloff of filter 67 with the position of f 1 and f 2 shown on the frequency ( horizontal ) scale . as can be seen from fig5 a different amplitude corresponds on the vertical scale with each of the different fsk frequencies . an am demodulator 68 receives this amplitude modulated signal and provides a data signal or write signal to the control circuit 40 . in order for the transponder resonant circuit 34 to be properly tuned to the fsk modulated signal from the interrogator 12 , the control circuit 40 closes a switch 54 that connects a capacitor 56 and a resistor 58 in parallel with the resonant circuit 34 to form a new resonant circuit 60 . the effect of this is to lower the frequency of the resonant circuit to f 3 from f 1 , where f 3 is the central frequency between the two fsk carriers f 1 and f 2 . in order for the new resonant circuit 60 that is the parallel combination of the capacitors 34 , 56 and coil 36 to have a sufficient bandwidth to take in both fsk carriers f 1 and f 2 , the resonant circuit 60 is damped by the resistor 58 . the effect of these changes is shown in fig3 . graph a shows the frequency response of the resonant circuits 28 , 34 . because these resonant circuits 28 , 34 have a high q , the graph has a very narrow base and a high peak . graph b shows the effect on resonant circuit 34 in closing switch 54 to form new resonant circuit 60 . graph b is centered at f 3 between f 1 and f 2 and has a broad base which does have a significant frequency response at both f 1 and f 2 . because the resonant circuits 28 , 60 are no longer tightly coupled during phase &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; the energy transmission from the interrogator 12 to the transponder 14 is reduced . thus , the storage capacitor 46 must supply energy to the transponder circuitry for the transponder 14 to remain operational . as shown in fig2 the storage capacitor 46 voltage v cl drops during this phase as it supplies this energy to the transponder circuitry . as an option at the end of this phase a short handshake can be added to verify data reception without bit errors . referring to fig1 upon receipt and demodulation of the downlink signal the control circuit 40 during phase &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; writes to memory 62 . in some embodiments phase &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; may be optional . however , even if memory 62 is not written to during this phase , this phase may be used to restore energy to the storage capacitor 46 . in the instance where phase &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; is used to restore the storage capacitor 46 , the interrogator 12 again opens switch 50 such that the tuned circuit 28 again resonates at f 1 . the transponder opens switch 54 such that the resonant circuit 34 again resonates with a high q at f 1 and maximum transmission of power from the interrogator to the responder can resume . since the storage capacitor 46 is presumably not fully discharged the time required to charge is greatly reduced . the time required is on the order of 15 - 20 % of the original powering time . again referring to fig1 during phase &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; interrogator tuned circuit 28 is damped to enable downlink fsk reception . phase &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; also is an optional phase , since a transponder response or unlink might not be necessary in all instances . in the event that reception of a transponder response or uplink is desired , the interrogator tuned circuit 28 might be damped by the control circuit 16 by disabling the carrier wave generator 24 and by shunting a switch / resistor series combination across the resonant circuit . this damping of the carrier wave generator 24 is described in the &# 39 ; 774 patent by schuermann et al . once the oscillation of resonant circuit 28 is damped , the interrogator 12 is free to receive signals from the transponder 14 . within the transponder 14 , the resonant circuit 34 continues to oscillate until the energy stored therein is dissipated . the transponder 14 can now respond to the interrogator 12 by using a switch 70 to connect another capacitor 72 across the resonant circuit 34 . now in the transponder &# 39 ; s 14 response to the interrogator 12 read data is represented upon the uplink signal by a first frequency that might be the resonant frequency of resonant circuit 34 and by a second frequency that might be the resonant frequency of capacitor 72 in parallel with resonant circuit 34 . thus , the first frequency might represent the transmission from the transponder to the interrogator of a digital zero and the second frequency might represent the transmission of a digital one . this uplink is then demodulated by the interrogator demodulator 64 and supplied to control circuit 16 that may store the data in memory 20 , transmit the data to a host via the connection 18 , or display status information or data to an operator on a display 22 . the sole table , below , provides an overview of the embodiments and the drawings : table______________________________________drawing generic preferred orelement term specific term alternate terms______________________________________10 transponder arrangement12 interrogator interrogator reader14 transponder transponder responder , tag16 control interrogator circuit control circuit18 connection host computer connection20 memory interrogator sram , dram , memory eeprom22 display lcd , crt , led display , vf display24 carrier wave carrier wave oscillator , crystal generator generator oscillator26 buffer buffer / amplifier28 resonant interrogator f . sub . 1 antenna circuit resonant circuit30 coil32 capacitor34 resonant transponder f . sub . 1 antenna circuit resonant circuit36 coil38 capacitor40 control transponder microprocessor , circuit control circuit microcontroller42 reference reference reference voltage line voltage connection44 signal line signal line reference signal connection46 energy storage capacitor rechargeable storage battery device48 modulator fsk modulator50 switch52 resonant interrogator f . sub . 2 circuit resonant circuit54 switch56 capacitor58 damping resistor element60 resonant transponder f . sub . 3 circuit resonsant circuit62 memory transponder eeprom , sram , memory rom64 demodulator interrogator demodulator66 demodulator fsk pll fsk demodulator demodulator67 slope filter lowpass filter , detector highpass filter68 demodulator transponder am demodulator demodulator ( w / high or lowpass filter ) 69 signal line slope detector output70 switch transponder modulator switch72 capacitor transponder modulator capacitor______________________________________ a few preferred embodiments have been described in detail hereinabove . it is to be understood that the scope of the invention also comprehends embodiments different from those described , yet within the scope of the claims . for example , &# 34 ; microcomputer &# 34 ; is used in some contexts to mean that microcomputer requires a memory and &# 34 ; microprocessor &# 34 ; does not . the usage herein is that these terms can also be synonymous and refer to equivalent things . the phrase &# 34 ; processing circuitry &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; control circuitry &# 34 ; comprehends asics ( application specific integrated circuits ), pal ( programmable array logic ), plas ( programmable logic arrays ), decoders , memories , non - software based processors , or other circuitry , or digital computers including microprocessors and microcomputers of any architecture , or combinations thereof . memory devices include sram ( static random access memory ), dram ( dynamic random access memory ), pseudo - static ram , latches , eeprom ( electrically - erasable programmable read - only memory ), eprom ( erasable programmable read - only memory ), registers , or any other memory device known in the art . words of inclusion are to be interpreted as nonexhaustive in considering the scope of the invention . implementation is contemplated in discrete components or fully integrated circuits in silicon , gallium arsenide , or other electronic materials families , as well as in optical - based or other technology - based forms and embodiments . it should be understood that various embodiments of the invention can employ or be embodied in hardware , software or microcoded firmware . while this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments , as well as other embodiments of the invention , will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description . it is therefore intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments . | 6 |
according to some embodiments , an amoled display panel includes an electrode overlapped with a glass frit layer and that is connected to a heat conduction component , such that heat from the electrode is conducted away to avoid excessive heat on the electrode . detailed description is made below of certain implementation modes of the amoled display panel and the amoled display device according to various embodiments of the invention . reference is made to the drawings , in which the sizes and shapes of various features are not reflected on a real scale , but which aims to illustrate certain aspects of the invention . fig1 a is a plan view of a local structure of the amoled display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention . the amoled display panel shown includes a first substrate 1 and a second substrate 2 ( not shown in fig1 a ), a glass frit layer 3 bonding the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 along the edge of the encapsulation area of the amoled display panel . the second substrate 2 includes electrodes 4 and 4 ′— overlapped with the glass frit layer 3 , and the electrode 4 and 4 ′ are connected to a heat conduction component 5 . fig1 b is a cross - sectional schematic diagram of the embodiment shown in figure in fig1 a taken along a - a ′. the location of the heat conduction component 5 and the connection to the electrode 4 and 4 ′ are not limited to the embodiment shown in fig1 b . the heat conduction component 5 may be any heat conduction component which has the function of heat conduction and does not cause a short circuit after being connected to the electrode 4 and 4 ′. in some embodiments , the heat conduction component is placed on the amoled display panel in order to simplify the manufacturing process without damaging the layered structure of the amoled display panel . in the embodiment shown , the electrode 4 overlapped with the glass frit layer 3 is connected to a heat conduction component 5 , which conducts heat from the electrode 4 to avoid excessive heat on the electrode 4 . in addition , the original heat conduction component in the amoled display panel can be used without adding another heat conduction component . in another embodiment of the present invention , the heat conduction component 5 may be a u - shaped metal pad 51 located under the glass frit layer 3 . in some embodiments , the heat conduction component 5 may also be a metal layer which has substantially no electrical function for the electronic circuit , e . g . a metal component in a panel code printing area . specifically , the u - shaped metal pad 51 in the shown embodiment may be connected to the electrode 4 by a first via hole 52 . in the display panel , circuit metal wiring may be set at one side of the substrate . in the shown embodiment of the invention , the electrode 4 is located on a first side ( the side of a - a ′ in fig1 a ) of the second substrate 2 . the first side ( the side of a - a ′ in fig1 a ) comprises a relatively large amount of circuit metal wiring , and the u - shaped metal pad 51 is located along the other three sides of the second substrate . the other three sides comprise a relatively small amount of circuit metal wiring . fig2 a is a cross - sectional schematic diagram of the u - shaped metal pad 51 connected to the electrode 4 by the first via hole 52 in the a - a ′ portion of fig1 a . it can be seen from fig2 a that , in this embodiment of the invention , the u - shaped metal pad 51 is located along the other three sides which are different from the side having the access terminal of the electrode 4 . as shown , there is no overlapping part between the u - shaped metal pad 51 and the electrode 4 on that side . as shown , the first via hole 52 is inclined . at least because the process of making the first via hole is relatively complex , in some embodiments , the u - shaped metal pad 51 or / and the electrode 4 extend to form extending parts respectively . an example in which both the u - shaped metal pad 51 and the electrode 4 are extended is shown in fig2 b . as shown , the extending parts form overlapping part 53 . in some embodiments , the first via hole 52 is in the overlapping part 53 , so that the u - shaped metal pad 51 is connected to the electrode 4 in the overlapping part 53 by the first via hole , as shown in fig2 b . in the shown embodiment of the invention , the u - shaped metal pad 51 is located along the other three sides which are different from the side having the access terminal of the electrode 4 . this avoids a possible short circuit caused by the u - shaped metal pad 51 touching other circuit metal wirings . the u - shaped metal pad 51 is connected to the electrode 4 in the shown embodiment of the invention such that the electrode 4 is connected to the two ends of the u - shaped metal pad 51 respectively to achieve better heat dissipating function . in addition , the u - shaped metal pad 51 and the electrode 4 respectively have extending parts overlapped with each other in the shown embodiment of the invention , and the first via hole is set in the overlapping part at least to further simplify the manufacturing process . another embodiment of the present invention includes an amoled display panel , which , in addition to structures discussed above , includes a thin film transistor ( tft ) located in the display area of the amoled display panel , as shown in fig3 a , which is a cross - sectional schematic diagram of the display area of an amoled display panel according to an the embodiment of the invention . in fig3 a , a buffer layer 6 , an active layer 7 , a gate insulating layer 8 , a gate 9 , a medium isolating layer 10 , source / drain 11 and an insulating layer 12 are sequentially formed on the second substrate 2 . the medium isolating layer 10 is used for isolating the gate 9 from the source / drain 11 , the gate insulating layer 8 isolates the gate 9 from the active layer 7 . to simplify the manufacturing process and achieve good operability in the etching process , the medium isolating layer 10 located between the u - shaped metal pad 51 and the electrode 4 , at the side frame of the display panel may be not etched off , that is , the medium isolating layer 10 may be included between the u - shaped metal pad 51 and the electrode 4 in some embodiments of the invention . the medium isolating layer between the u - shaped metal pad 51 and the electrode 4 may be somewhat different based upon a different tft structure , and this discussion is not to be considered as being limitative . further , the u - shaped metal pad 51 in some embodiments of the invention may be made of the same material as the source / drain 11 of the thin film transistor tft in the amoled display panel . for example , the material may include ti / al / ti . the electrode 4 may be made of the same material as the gate 9 of the thin film transistor tft , and the material may include mo . in order to simplify the manufacturing process , the u - shaped metal pad 51 and the source / drain 11 may be formed simultaneously by an etching process . additionally or alternatively , the electrode 4 and the gate 9 may be formed simultaneously by an etching process . fig3 b , a cross - sectional schematic diagram taken along b - b ′ of the amoled display panel of fig1 a . as shown , the u - shaped metal pad 51 is located on the same layer as the source / drain , and the electrode 4 is located on the same layer as the gate 9 . accordingly , the respective pairs of layers may be formed simultaneously . the location of the heat conduction component connected to the electrode 4 has an influence on the heat conduction time . that is , the closer the conduction component is to the electrode 4 , the quicker that he will be conducted away . in order to conduct the heat from the overlapping part of the glass frit layer 3 and the electrode 4 as quickly as possible , the overlapping part of the electrode 4 and the glass frit layer 3 may be extended to obtain an extending part of the electrode 4 , the end of the u - shaped metal pad 51 is then extended to obtain an extending part of the u - shaped metal pad 51 , the two extending parts form an overlapping area in which the electrode 4 is connected to the u - shaped metal pad 51 by the first via hole such as that shown in fig2 b . the amoled display panel according to this embodiment of the invention , includes no additional heat conduction component because the electrode is connected to the u - shaped metal pad by the via hole . in some embodiments , a different connection is used , for example , based upon a different tft structure of the display panel . in some embodiments , heat from the electrode is effectively conducted out without changing the original layered structure of the display panel , thus preventing the glass frit layer from being seared due to excessive heat gathered from the electrode during the vt test . during the vt test , the voltage input is pvdd and pvee , and the current flowing through the amoled display panel are calculated using the formulas as follow : i oled = m * [ ½ * μ * cox * w / l *( v pvdd − v data − v th ) 2 ]; ( when there is no threshold voltage compensation circuit ) and i oled = m *[ ½ * μ * cox * w / l *( vpvdd − v data ) 2 ]; ( when there is a threshold voltage compensation circuit ). i oled represents current flowing through the amoled display panel , m represents the number of pixels , μ represents transistor mobility , cox represents memory capacitance , w / l represents transistor channel width / length ratio , v pvdd represents the input voltage of the pvdd , v data represents the voltage of a data wire , and v th represents the starting threshold voltage of a transistor . it can be seen from the formulas above that i oled is mainly under the influence of v pvdd . v pvdd is , therefore , increased to increase i oled during the vt test . that is , when the voltage input to the pvdd is increased , the current flowing through the access terminal of the pvdd is also increased . however , at the access terminal of the pvdd the wiring may be quite thin , and the resistance of the pvdd may be correspondingly quite large . accordingly , there may be much heat generated at the access terminal of pvdd due to the large current and the large resistance . it is quite clear from the above analysis that , much heat will likewise be generated on excess terminal of pvee . the glass frit layer for encapsulating the first substrate and the second substrate is located above the pvdd and the pvee . thus , a frit material may be seared , for example , when the current flowing through the pvdd or the pvee is great than 0 . 4 a . accordingly , the pvdd electrode and the pvee electrode are used as examples for description in the discussion herein . fig4 a is a plan schematic diagram of a display panel according to an embodiment . as shown in fig4 a , the access terminal of pvdd 13 and the access terminal of the pvee 14 are overlapped with the glass frit layer 3 . if a high enough voltage is used , enough heat will be generated on pvdd 13 and pvee 14 that the glass frit layer 3 , overlapped with pvdd 13 and pvee 14 , may be seared . in some embodiments , pvdd 13 or pvee 14 are connected to the heat conduction component according to one or more of the embodiments discussed herein . in some embodiments , pvdd 13 or the pvee 14 are connected to a u - shaped metal pad according to one or more of the embodiments discussed herein . it can be seen from fig4 a that the access terminal of pvdd and the access terminal of pvee are overlapped with the glass frit layer to form overlapping parts 15 . such a configuration may cause the glass frit layer to be seared . therefore , preferably in some embodiments of the invention , the access terminal of the pvdd and the access terminal of the pvee overlapped with the glass frit layer are extended and the end of the u - shaped metal pad is also extended . thus , the two extending parts are overlapped to form an overlapping area in which one of the access terminals is connected to the u - shaped metal pad by a second via hole ( not shown in the drawing ). the heat conduction component connected to pvdd 13 or pvee 14 may also be another metal layer which has no electrical function for the circuit , e . g . a two - dimensional code square area may be used . in the description the u - shaped metal pad is discussed as an example , and is not to be regarded as being limitative . in some embodiments , pvdd 13 and pvee 14 each have two access terminals . in such embodiments , the two access terminals of each electrode may be extended respectively for connecting to the u - shaped metal pad , or just one of the two access terminals could be extended . in some embodiments , the access terminals of pvdd or pvee form extending parts , which are overlapped with the extending part at the end of the u - shaped metal pad to form an overlapping area in which the access terminals are connected to the u - shaped metal pad by the via hole , as shown in fig4 b . in fig4 b , the extending part 1011 of the first access terminal 101 of pvee is connected to the extending part 501 at the first end of the u - shaped metal pad 51 , and the extending part 1012 of the second access terminal 102 of pvee is connected to the extending part 502 at the second end of the u - shaped metal pad 51 , so that heat at the overlapping part of pvee and the glass frit layer is conducted out more quickly . further , a short circuit would be caused by simultaneous connection of pvdd and pvee to the u - shaped metal pad , so in this embodiment of the invention , just pvdd or pvee is connected to the u - shaped metal pad by the second via hole . in some embodiments of the invention , the end of pvdd or the end of pvee is connected to the u - shaped metal pad . on one hand , it guarantees a flexible connection mode , and on the other hand , it realizes quick heat dissipation on pvdd and pvee to further prevent the glass frit layer overlapped with pvdd and pvee from being seared . some embodiments of the present invention provide an amoled display device , which comprises an embodiment of an amoled display panel having one or more aspects described herein . a connection similar to the connection of the electrode to the heat conduction component may be used to connect pvdd or pvee to the u - shaped metal pad . alternatively , another connection may be used . various modifications and variations of the present invention can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . thus , provided that these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the invention and equivalent technologies thereof , the invention is intended to encompass the modifications and variations . | 7 |
given the video terminal illustrated in fig1 a picture tube having a picture area 1 is disposed in a housing of which only a frame 2 surrounding the picture area 1 is shown in the illustrated front view . the housing is positioned on a pedestal 3 which can be designed such that the housing is adjustable in height by means of a twist grip 4 . furthermore , the housing can be secured on the pedestal 3 so as to be rotatable and / or inclinable . an opening can be provided in the frame 2 in the upper left or right corner , a light - sensitive element 5 being situated behind the opening which enables an adaptation of the brightness of the representation on the picture area 1 to the respective ambient brightness . the side view of the video terminal shown in fig2 shows a basic housing 6 which encompasses the back part of the picture tube and , for example , is designed in cup - like or cuboid fashion and which is slipped from behind over the back part of the picture tube and base plates with electric components contained in the housing . the frame 2 embracing the picture area 1 of the picture tube is designed in bipartite fashion in the illustrative embodiment shown and is composed of a front frame part and of a frame part disposed between the front frame part and the basic housing 6 . the basic housing 6 is disposed on the pedestal 3 . situated at the backside of the pedestal 3 is a cover 7 which forms a cable channel for a power cable and for connecting cables between the video terminal and a control unit and / or a keyboard . the frame 2 can be directly connected to the basic housing 6 at a front rim thereof and , for example , can be screwed or snapped thereto . however , it proves expedient to provide support mounts in the basic housing 6 at the base plates . depending upon the use , frames 2 of different sizes and having the corresponding picture tubes can then be inserted into these support mounts . the diagonals of the picture areas 1 of the picture screens amount , for example , to between twelve inches and seventeen inches , and the picture tubes can also be designed for a black / white presentation or for a multi - color presentation . the basic housing 6 remains the same in all events and various frames 2 which are matched to the respective picture tubes are merely inserted into the basic housing 6 . it is also possible to incorporate the same frame 2 horizontally or vertically , so that , for example , a din a4 upright size can be provided at the picture area 1 . in order to permit this type of incorporation , the support mounts are preferably designed to be axially symmetric , so that the differing incorporation of the frame 2 is possible in a simple fashion either at the manufacturer or at the customer . the plan view of the video terminal illustrated in fig3 again shows the basic housing 6 which likewise preferably comprises an axially symmetric cross - section at the opening toward the frame 2 . this cross - section is preferably quadratic and it is also possible to design this cross - section in circular fashion . given the illustration in fig1 through 3 , the picture tube and the frame 2 are horizontally built in . as a consequence of the rectangular design of the picture area 1 , this results in the fact that the frame 2 , as shown in fig2 is designed approximately flush or in alignment with the basic housing 6 at the upper side and at the bottom side . as may be seen in fig3 however , the frame with respect to the side walls of the basic housing 6 is designed in wedge - like or conical fashion in order to adapt the frame 2 to the basic housing with respect to shape . in case small picture tubes are employed and the picture area 1 is not larger than the cross - section of the basic housing 6 , the frame 2 can also be designed of one piece and , in this case , the picture area 1 does not project out of the basic housing 6 or only projects slightly therefrom . given the illustration in fig4 the frame 2 and the picture tube having the picture area 1 are incorporated vertically into the basic housing 6 , so that an upright representation at the picture area 1 is possible . in case the same frame 2 as in the video terminal shown in fig1 through 3 is employed , the integration of the frame 2 occurs such that the opening for the light - sensitive element 5 is again situated in an upper corner so that the ambient brightness can be optimally measured . the side view of the video terminal shown in fig5 shows that the same basic housing 6 , the same pedestal 3 and , under given conditions , the same frame 2 are employed . corresponding to the plan view shown in fig3 given the horizontally integrated frame 2 , the frame 2 now projects somewhat beyond the basic housing 6 at the upper side and at the underside thereof when the frame 2 is vertically built in . given the plan view of the video terminal illustrated in fig6 it may be seen in contrast to the plan view shown in fig3 that the frame 2 now does not laterally project beyond the basic housing 6 or projects only slightly therebeyond , as is likewise the case at the upper side and at the underside of the basic housing 6 given the horizontal incorporation shown in fig2 . given the section through the video terminal corresponding to fig1 through 3 shown in fig7 base plates 8 are positioned at interior walls in the basic housing 6 . these base plates 8 can , on the one hand , contain electrical components and , on the other hand , can be designed as support mounts for electronic modules 9 . in addition , the support mounts 10 for fastening the various possible frames and for the horizontal or vertical incorporation of the frame 2 are provided at the bottom plates 8 in the proximity of the opening of the basic housing 6 . when the video terminal is assembled , the picture tube 11 can be secured , for example , to the base plates 8 before the frame is fastened in the basic housing 6 . particularly given a bipartite design of the frame 2 , however , it proves particularly expedient to first secure the picture tube 11 in the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; by fastenings 12 and to then secure the picture tube in common with the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; in the basic housing 6 at the base plates 8 by the support mounts 10 . the front frame part 2 &# 34 ; can be secured to the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; by means of a fastening 13 either subsequently or before the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; is fastened to the picture tube 11 . the enlarged excerpt from fig7 which is shown in fig8 shows the fastening 12 by means of which the picture tube 11 is secured to the back frame part 2 &# 39 ;. this fastening is expediently formed by screws positioned at the circumference of the picture tube 11 , the picture tube 11 being screwed to inwardly directed parts of the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; by these screws . fig8 also shows the fastening 13 by which the front frame part 2 &# 34 ; is connected to the back frame part 2 &# 39 ;. this connection is designed , for example , as a positive connection , particularly as a snap - closure , whereby a part of the front frame part 2 &# 34 ; designed in hook - like fashion engages into a corresponding opening at a rib of the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; the fastening of the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; to the base plates 8 by means of the support mount 10 is , for example , likewise designed as a positive connection and , in particular , as a snap - closure . for this purpose , the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; comprises a hook - like projection which engages into a corresponding opening of the base plate 8 . it would be conceivable to directly connect the back frame part 2 &# 39 ; to the basic housing 6 by employment of the support mount 10 . however , the connection to the base plate 8 has the advantage that it has greater stability since the base plates 8 consist of a metallic material , whereas the basic housing 6 , just like the frame 2 , consists of a plastic . there is thus the advantage that the basic housing 6 can be removed in a very simple fashion for maintenance purposes and the components and assemblies secured to the base plate 8 are then easily accessible . the fastening by the support mount 10 is designed as a releasable fastening in order to be able to incorporate different frames 2 with picture tubes 11 in a simple manner at the manufacturing plant , at the customer , or in order to incorporate the existing frame 2 with the picture tube 11 pivoted by 90 ° . in case a frame 2 prepared at the manufacturer and a corresponding picture tube 11 are incorporated , this has the advantage that these are already both mechanically as well as electronically adjusted , and thus integration can occur in a simple fashion . under given conditions , corresponding assemblies 9 can also be interchanged in a very simple fashion . instead of the pedestal 3 , the housing can also be erected in some other fashion . for example , it can be mounted on a control unit which contains additional memory units such as , for example , disk drives , or it is also possible to secure the housing to a support mount which is designed as a boom and may be secured to a work table . although various minor changes and modifications might be proposed by those skilled in the art , it will be understood that i wish to include within the claims of the patent warranted hereon all such changes and modifications as reasonably come within my contribution to the art . | 7 |
the present invention will be directed in particular to elements forming part of , or in cooperation more directly with the apparatus in accordance with the present invention . it is to be understood that elements not specifically shown or described may take various forms well known to those skilled in the art . referring now to fig1 an electrophotographic printer includes all components necessary to accomplish the task of printing an image on paper . a printer is comprised of various sub - assemblies which perform specific functions . an imaging module in the printer consists of components to enable printing of a single color image . multiple modules may be assembled to enable the printing of multiple color images . fig1 shows details of a typical printing module 31 , which may be assembled with other imaging modules to enable the printing of multiple colors . primary charging subsystem 210 uniformly electrostatically charges photoreceptor 206 of photoreceptive member 111 , shown in the form of an imaging cylinder . charging subsystem 210 may include a grid 213 having a selected voltage , or may be in the form of a roller with conductive properties . additional necessary components provided for control may be assembled around the various process elements of the respective printing modules . meter 211 measures the uniform electrostatic charge provided by charging subsystem 210 and meter 212 measures the post - exposure surface potential within a patch area of a latent image formed from time to time in a non - image area on photoreceptive member 206 . image writer 220 is used to expose photoreceptor 206 and may be a light emitting diode ( led ) array or other similar mechanisms or a laser . toning unit 225 includes elements 226 and 227 and is used to develop the latent image created by image writer 220 on photoreceptive member 206 . cleaning unit 230 , shown in fig2 , removes residual or waste toner from photoreceptive member 206 after transfer of the image to a secondary receiver 216 . other meters and components may be included . within the printing module 31 , periodic replacement of critical components is necessary to ensure proper function . it may be desirable to cluster multiple components to enable simultaneous replacement . referring to fig2 , one such cluster , referred to as a replacement cartridge 200 , consists of a photoreceptive member 206 , cleaning unit 230 , and charger 210 . these components are assembled into a cartridge and held in place with a plastic housing 233 . referring now to fig3 , two embodiments are shown for printing modules 31 with an interface to toner supply cartridge 240 . the toner supply cartridge may be located either above , below , or in a remote location from the printing module 31 . the toner supply cartridge 240 , sometimes referred to as a toner bottle , is divided into two sections . the supply section 241 and the waste section 242 which contains waster toner 243 . the supply section 241 contains toner 248 suitable for use . waste section 242 is a receptacle for electrophotographic toner waste from the same module which supplies the toner . toner supply cartridge 240 has supply connection to toning unit 225 within printing module 31 via toner supply duct 236 . waste ducts 235 transport residual waste toner from the electrophotographic process scavenged by cleaning unit 230 within replacement cartridge 200 to the toner supply cartridge 240 . these waste ducts 235 may contain mechanisms for pumping toner , either in the form of an auger or lift mechanism , if necessary , depending upon the location of the toner supply cartridge 240 . if necessary , waste collection duct 235 and waste section 242 may also receive depleted toner byproduct from the toning process produced in toning unit 225 . typically the ratio of toner waste to toner supply for electrophotographic print modules is very small , therefore the volumes of sections dedicated for supply should be large when compared to waste section . the supply sections 241 and waste section 242 within the toner supply cartridge 240 may be separated by a fixed wall 244 thereby providing for a fixed volume of space , or a moveable wall or the separation may be a membrane 246 . the use of a moveable wall or membrane allows maximum volume for toner supply . as toner is consumed , the moveable wall or membrane increase waste section 242 volume , allowing space for toner waste . in the case of a membrane , the unfilled space occupied is the volume of the membrane material . as toner is augured into the waste section 242 , the chamber volume increases by expanding the membrane . similarly , a moveable wall could be used . in this case the wall could be dovetailed or hinged within the toner supply bottle 240 . the initial waste section 242 volume is very small . as waste toner is transported into waste section 242 , the wall moves , expanding the volume to occupy the required space . an advantage of a moveable wall or membrane is that in the event of a malfunction , where non - typical volumes of waste are produced within the module , the toner supply cartridge 240 adapts to the higher waste volume without causing additional malfunction . further if the waste section 242 volume is located above the toner section , the weight of the waste toner aids expansion of the waste section 242 and aids feeding of the fresh toner supply from toner supply section 241 . because the waste collected is from the module where the toner is consumed , the waste section can not become overfilled . an additional advantage of a combined waste collection and toner supply bottle with membrane is that no waste bottle full sensing is required , which reduce the complexity of the machine and reduces manufacturing cost . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the scope of the invention . | 6 |
the present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which some examples of the embodiments of the inventions are shown . indeed , these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements . like numbers refer to like elements throughout . 103 — atsc terrestrial broadcast tv rf analog signal to if analog signal converter 106 — analog to digital signal converter ( 106 is optional if the adc is built - in the tuner ) this invention uses the us terrestrial tv atsc standard — however other terrestrial tv standards ( dvb - t , isdb - t , dmbt , etc .) can also be applied . fig1 is an example of the wi - fi atsc tv antenna ( 100 ). any terrestrial tv will have a common tv antenna ( 101 ) to receive the radio waveforms . traditionally , the tv antenna is directly plugged in to the tv thru a tv rf signal cable ( 102 ). in this invention , the tv rf signal from the antenna is first connected to the atsc terrestrial broadcast tv rf analog signal to if analog signal converter ( 103 ), which traditionally is inside the tv . this invention has separated the tuner from the tv console , and put the tuner on the antenna side . the output of the atsc terrestrial broadcast tv rf analog signal to if analog signal converter ( 103 ) is in analog format ( 104 ). so , the analog if atsc tv signal ( 104 ) will be transformed to digital format by the adc ( 106 ). the atsc terrestrial broadcast tv rf analog signal to if analog signal converter ( 103 ) needs an if agc ( automatic gain control ) signal ( 107 ) to control the converter &# 39 ; s signal dynamic range . the digital if tv signal ( 105 ) is a sampled waveform . the minimum sampling frequency ( nyquist sampling rate ) is two times the atsc tv signal baseband symbol rate which is 10 . 76 msps ( mega symbols per second ). any sampling frequency above the minimum sampling frequency can be used . in this example , the sampling frequency is 25 mhz and the adc is 12 - bit , therefore the digital if tv signal ( 105 ) data rate is 300 mbps ( mega bits per second ). since the bandwidth of the atsc tv signal is 6 mhz , there is redundant information in the sampled digital if tv signal ( 105 ). the waveform data compression unit ( 108 ) is applied to the sampled digital if tv signal ( 105 ) in order to remove the redundancy and reduce the data rate of the signal . the waveform data compression algorithm in 108 can be either the adpcm ( adaptive differential pulse - code modulation ) algorithm or the dpcm ( differential pulse - code modulation ) algorithm . for this example , the adpcm algorithm is used . the output of the waveform data compression unit ( 108 ) is a compressed digital if tv signal ( 109 ) with the data rate of 100 mbps . the compressed digital if tv signal ( 109 ) is fed in to the tv to wi - fi adapter ( 110 ). the tv to wi - fi adapter ( 110 ) generates a wi - fi interface digital signal ( 111 ). this signal directly feeds in to the high speed wi - fi rf signal generator ( 112 ). the output is the wi - fi rf signal ( 113 ). the tv to wi - fi adapter ( 110 ) also generates an agc signal ( 107 ) for the atsc terrestrial broadcast tv rf analog signal to if analog signal converter ( 103 ). fig2 is an example of a tv signal to wi - fi signal adapter ( 110 ) the digital if atsc tv signal ( 201 , also 109 fig1 ) goes in to the optional low pass filter ( 202 ) to remove the adjacent channel interference . this filtered digital if tv signal ( 203 ) goes to the signal strength estimator ( 204 ) which generates an if agc signal ( 205 , also 107 fig1 ). the filtered signal ( 203 ) also goes in to a high speed wi - fi interface signal adapter ( 206 ) to generate a wi - fi input signal ( 207 , also 111 fig1 ) to the high speed wi - fi device . | 7 |
examples of the tolan derivatives provided by the present invention are as follows : the compound of the formula ( i ) of the present invention may be prepared for example through the following route : ## str5 ## a trans - 4 - alkylcyclohexylbenzene is first reacted with 3 , 4 - difluorophenylacetyl chloride of the formula ( ii ) and anhydrous aluminum chloride in carbon disulfide to obtain a ketone derivative of the formula ( iii ), followed by reacting this compound of the formula ( iii ) with a reducing agent such as lithium aluminum hydride in anhydrous ether or anhydrous tetrahydrofuran to obtain a compound of the formula ( iv ) and successively subjecting this alcohol derivative to dehydration reaction in an inert organic solvent , in the presence of a catalyst mentioned later , under the atmospheric pressure and at a reflux temperature to obtain an ethylene derivative of the formula ( v ). as the inert organic solvent , benzene , toluene , chloroform , carbon tetrachloride , methylene chloride , etc . are suitable . as the catalyst , lewis acids such as aluminum chloride , tin tetrachloride , titanium tetrachloride , etc ., mineral acids such as sulfuric acid , hydrochloric acid , phosphoric acid , etc ., toluenesulfonic acid , etc . may be used . bromine is then added to the above compound of the formula ( v ) in a solvent such as methylene chloride , ethylene chloride , carbon tetrachloride , etc . to obtain a compound of the formula ( vi ), followed by reacting the compound with a base such as potassium t - butoxide , and successively carrying out a series of purification operations such as extraction , washing , recrystallization , etc . to prepare the objective compound of the formula ( i ). ( ii ) its viscosity is very low for a compound having a three - ring structure ; and ( iii ) its clearing point is high and its nematic temperature region is broad . among the compounds of the present invention , those which r in the formula ( i ) represents ethyl group , propyl group , butyl group or pentyl group are preferred . for example , 4 -( trans - 4 - propylcyclohexyl )- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- difluorotolan shown in examples 1 and 4 , mentioned later , is a liquid crystal compound having a δn as large as about 0 . 23 , a viscosity as low as 32 cp in terms of a viscosity extrapolation value of 20 ° c ., a broad nematic temperature range and a good stability and also it is a liquid crystal material having various well balanced specific features . representative examples of preferred liquid crystal compounds used as a component of the liquid crystal composition of the present invention in admixture with the compound of the formula ( i ) are 4 - substituted - benzoic acid 4 &# 39 ;- substituted - phenyl esters , 4 - substituted - cyclohexanecarboxylic acid 4 &# 39 ;- substituted - phenyl esters , 4 - substituted - cyclohexanecarboxylic acid 4 &# 34 ;- substituted - biphenylyl esters , 4 -( 4 - substituted - cyclohexanecarbonyloxy ) benzoic acid 4 &# 39 ;- substituted - phenyl esters , 4 -( 4 - substituted - cyclohexyl ) benzoic acid 4 &# 39 ;- substituted - cyclohexyl esters , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- substituted - biphenyls , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- substitutedphenylcyclohexanes , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- disubstituted bicyclohexanes , 4 , 4 &# 34 ;- substituted - terphenyl , 4 , 4 &# 34 ;- substituted - biphenylylcyclohexanes , 2 -( 4 &# 39 ;- substituted - phenyl )- 5 - substituted - pyrimidines , etc . in order to prevent occurrence of an interference fringe on the surface of liquid display cells which damages the cell appearance , it is necessary to adjust the product of the optical anisotropy ( δn ) of liquid crystal materials placed in a cell of a particular cell thickness ( d μm ) to a specified value . in the case of display cells used in , since the value of δn × d is set to any one of 0 . 5 , 1 . 0 , 1 . 6 and 2 . 2 , use of a liquid crystal material having a large δn value makes it possible to reduce the d value . reduction in the d value makes it possible to reduce the response time . thus , a liquid crystal material having a large δn value is important for preparing a liquid crystal cell having a high response rate without any interference infringe . in order to reduce the response time , a low viscosity is also necessary . the compound of the formula ( i ) of the present invention is a novel nematic liquid crystal compound having a large δn , a high n - i transition point and also a low viscosity ; hence when the compound of the formula ( i ) of the present invention is mixed with various mother liquid crystals , it is possible to prepare a practical liquid crystal material having a low viscosity , a large δn and a high n - i transition point . namely , as shown in examples provided later , the tolan derivative compound of the formula ( i ) is effective for minimizing increasing of the viscosity , for raising the n - i point of mother liquid crystals up to a practically sufficient value , and for further raising δn value . the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples , but it should not be construed to be limited thereto . the symbols c - n point , s - n point and n - i point referred to in the examples mean crystalline - nematic phase transition point , smectic - nematic phase transition point and nematic - isotropic liquid phase transition point , respetively . anhydrous aluminum chloride ( 16 . 0 g , 0 . 12 mol ) was added to carbon disulfide ( 100 ml ), followed by adding 3 , 4 - difluorophenylacetyl acid chloride ( 15 . 3 g , 0 . 1 mol ) under cooling ( 0 ° to 5 ° c . ), successively adding trans - 4 - propylcyclohexylbenzene ( 21 g , 0 . 1 mol ), then agitating the reaction mixture at about 20 ° c . for 10 hours , distilling off carbon disulfide , adding the residue to a dilute hydrochloric acid aqueous solution , agitating the mixture for one hour to decompose an aluminum chloride complex , extracting deposited raw crystals with toluene ( 50 ml ), washing the toluene extract with water , drying the water - washed toluene solution , distilling off toluene from the solution and recrystallizing the residual solids from ethyl acetate to obtain the following compound ( 23 . 6 g ): ## str6 ## this compound ( 23 . 6 g ) was dissolved in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran ( 200 ml ), followed by dropwise addition of the solution to a mixed solution of lithium aluminum hydride ( 1 . 3 g ) with anhydrous tetrahydrofuran ( 50 ml ), further agitating the mixture at 0 ° c . for 2 hours , adding to the reaction mixture , 20 % sulfuric acid ( 50 ml ) to dissolve inorganic substances , extracting a separated oily substance with toluene ( 100 m ), washing the separated toluene solution with 10 % nahco 3 aqueous solution , further washing it with water until the washing water became neutral , drying the toluene solution over anhydrous sodium sulfate , adding p - toluenesulfonic acid ( 1 . 0 g ), refluxing the mixture on heating , removing the resulting formed water to the outside of the system , allowing the resulting toluene solution to cool down to room temperature , washing it with water until the washing water became neutral , drying it over anhydrous sodium sulfate and recrystallizing from ethyl acetate to obtain the following compound ( 16 . 0 g ): ## str7 ## this compound had phase transition temperatures of c - n point : 96 . 3 ° c . and n - i point : 177 . 7 ° c . this compound ( 16 g ) was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 150 ml ), followed by dropwise addition of bromine ( 7 . 3 g , 0 . 045 mol ) to the solution , reacting the mixture with stirring for one hour , distilling off methylene chloride from the reaction mixture and recrystallizing the remaining solids from benzene ( 50 ml ) to obtain the following objective compound ( 15 . 0 g ). ## str8 ## this compound was then dissolved in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran ( 200 ml ) at room temperature , followed by adding potassium t - butoxide ( 13 . 4 g , 0 . 12 mol ), agitating the mixture at 40 ° c . for 2 hours , adding water ( 400 ml ) to the reaction mixture , extracting the separated organic layer with toluene ( 100 ml ), water - washing , drying , distilling off toluene and recrystallizing the remaining solids from ethyl acetate ( 20 ml ) to obtain the following objective compound ( 9 . 8 g ): ## str9 ## this compound had phase transition temperatures of c - n point : 87 . 5 ° c . and n - i point : 151 . 2 ° c . the following compounds were prepared in the same manner as in example 1 : 4 -( trans - 4 - pentylcyclohexyl )- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- difluorotolan c - n point : 72 . 5 ° c ., s - n point : 45 . 0 ° c ., ( monotropic ) n - i point : 155 . 4 ° c . has a n - i point of 52 . 1 ° c ., a viscosity of 22 . 4 cp at 20 ° c . and an optical anisotropy δn of 0 . 119 . a liquid crystal composition obtained by adding a compound of the present invention , 4 -( trans - 4 - propylcyclohexyl )- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- difluorotolan shown in example 1 ( 15 parts by weight ) to the above liquid crystal composition ( 85 parts by weight ) had a n - i point raised to 61 . 2 ° c ., a viscosity slightly increased to 23 . 2 cp and an optical anisotropy δn increased to 0 . 138 . a liquid crystal composition obtained by adding a compound of the present invention , 4 -( trans - 4 - ethylcyclohexyl )- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- difluorotolan , shown in example 2 , ( 15 parts by weight ) to the above liquid crystal composition a used in example 3 ( 85 parts by weight ) had a n - i point of 57 . 9 ° c ., a viscosity of 23 . 4 cp at 20 ° c . and an optical anisotropy , δn , of 0 . 131 . a liquid crystal composition obtained by adding 4 -( trans - 4 - pentylcyclohexyl )- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- difluorotolan , shown in example 2 , ( 15 parts by weight ) to the above liquid crystal composition a , used in example 3 , ( 85 parts by weight ) had a n - i point of 62 . 3 ° c ., a viscosity of 23 . 6 cp at 20 ° c . and an optical anisotropy δn of 0 . 136 . in order to compare the specific features of the tolan derivatives expressed above by the formulas ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) with those of the tolan derivatives of the present invention , the following tests were carried out : four kinds of compounds to be compared , each in 15 parts by weight , were respectively mixed with the liquid crystal composition a used in example 3 ( 85 parts by weight ) to prepare four compositions . each of these 4 compositions and the composition a were filled in a tn cell of 10 μm thick and the operating threshold voltages ( vth ) of the resulting cells were measured . further , these compositions were stored in a refrigerator at - 30 ° c . for 10 days and the presence or absence of crystal deposition was observed . the results of the comparative tests are shown in table 1 . in the column of low temperature compatibility , a symbol o indicates no deposition of crystals and a symbol x indicates deposition of crystals . further , the extrapolation values of dielectric anisotropy value ( δε ) and the extrapolation values of viscosity ( η 20 ) of the compounds to be compared are shown in the table 1 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________no of vth low temperature extrapolation extraporationcomposition compounds to be compared ( v ) compatibility value of δε value of η . sub . 20__________________________________________________________________________ ( cp ) ## str10 ## 1 . 81 o 6 . 8 26 . 52 ## str11 ## 1 . 92 x 5 . 6 28 . 23 ## str12 ## 1 . 50 o 9 . 4 27 . 74 ## str13 ## 1 . 52 o 8 . 5 30 . 4a -- 1 . 58 o 10 . 7 22 . 4__________________________________________________________________________ | 2 |
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , a semiconductor memory ic , such as a synchronous dynamic random access memory ( dram ) and its varieties ( e . g ., ddr 2 and ddr 3 ), includes a logic block coupled to an external reset pin which enables a user to reset the memory ic without the need to power down the ic . fig1 and 2 are timing diagrams showing reset timing sequences during power up and during normal operation , respectively . in these figures , multiple cycles of the external clock , reset , clock enable cke , and command cmd signals are shown . in fig1 and 2 , the external reset signal is required to remain active for a minimum duration of time ( period a ). further , the cke signal is required to be inactive ( i . e ., remain in low state ) at least for a predetermined period b before and a predetermined period c after the external reset signal is raised high . while the external reset signal becomes inactive at the end of period a , the internal reset period does not end until cke signal becomes active ( i . e ., is raised high ) signaling the time when the memory ic is ready to receive commands . the time period from when the reset signal is activated until the time cke signal goes high is indicated in fig1 and 2 as the “ internal reset interval .” during the internal reset interval , many of the circuit blocks in the memory device ( e . g ., output drivers dq / dqs , self refresh , on - die termination , dll ) are disabled and thus there are minimum memory activities . fig3 shows a block diagram for an implementation of the timing diagrams in fig1 and 2 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . a low voltage complementary metal oxide semiconductor ( lvcmos ) buffer 302 outputs a rst signal in response to the externally provided reset signal . a clock enable buffer 304 outputs an internal clock enable signal cke int in response to externally provided clock enable signal cke . an mrs , emrs logic block 308 outputs a mode register programming signal mrsp in response to externally provided signals ( not shown ) required to issue a mode register programming signal ( in one embodiment , the external signals may include all or a subset of cs , ras , cas , we , and band addresses ba ). a reset logic block 306 receives the rst signal as well as the internal clock enable signal cke int and the mode register programming signal mrsp , and in response generates a reset_en signal . the internal reset_en signal is used to disable specific circuit blocks including the output dq / dqs drivers , on - die termination ( odt ), self - refresh , dll and a state machine , to thereby minimize power consumption during the reset mode . fig4 shows one circuit implementation of the lvcmos buffer of fig3 . the buffer includes a cmos implementation of a 2 - input nand gate which receives the external reset signal and the power supply vdd at its two inputs . the output of the nand gate is inverted via an inverter 410 . the output of the inverter provides the rst signal . use of the nand gate with an input coupled to vdd helps reduce standby leakage . while the buffer in fig4 is intended to detect cmos input levels , the buffer can be modified by one skilled in this art to detect other input levels . fig5 shows the internal circuitry of the reset logic block 306 in fig3 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . two - input nand gate 502 receives the rst signal and the output signal generated by another two - input nand gate 504 , and in response generates output signal reset_en . nand gate 504 receives the cke signal via a delay circuit 506 and receives latch signal cken from latch circuit 508 . delay chain 506 is made up of an odd number of inverters ( e . g ., five as shown in the fig5 embodiment ), and is thus an inverting delay chain . a latch circuit 506 ( e . g ., comprising two cross - coupled inverters ) is coupled between an input of nand gate 504 and a biasing circuit . the biasing circuit serves to bias latch circuit 508 to the appropriate states during and after the internal reset interval . the biasing circuit includes a pull - down circuit which in turn includes a two - input nor gate 510 and a pull - down transistor 512 . the two - input nor gate 510 receives rst and cke int signals at its respective input terminals , and the output terminal of nor gate 510 is coupled to the gate of pull - down transistor 512 . pull - down transistor 512 is coupled between latch circuit 508 and ground potential . the biasing circuit further includes a pull - up circuit which in turn includes an inverter 514 and a pull - up transistor 516 . inverter 514 receives the mrs p signal at its input , and the output of inverter 514 is coupled to the gate of pull - up transistor 516 . pull - up transistor 516 and pull - down transistor 512 are serially coupled between vdd and ground . the node intermediate transistors 512 and 516 are connected to latch 508 . as shown , pull - down transistor 512 is an nmos transistor and pull - up transistor 516 is a pmos transistor , but they are not limited as such . fig6 is a timing diagram which will be used to describe the operation of the circuit in fig5 . the timing of the reset and cke signals in fig6 correspond to those in fig1 and 2 . a pulse signal ( mrsp ) generated by the mrs , emrs logic block ( fig3 ) initiates the mode register programming operation known in sdram devices . the waveform shown for cken signal reflects the timing at the input of nand gate 504 . upon power - up or when reset is activated during normal operation , the reset , cke , and mrs p signals occur in the sequence shown in fig6 . when the external reset signal is asserted low ( i . e ., becomes active ) at time t 1 by for example a user , the internal reset_en signal is driven high ( i . e ., becomes active ) via nand gate 502 thus initiating the internal reset interval during which a predetermined number of circuit blocks in the memory are powered down . the internal reset interval ends when both inputs of nand gate 502 are at a high level . thus , with the reset signal raised high at time t 2 ( i . e ., reset signal becomes inactive ), the internal reset interval remains active until a predetermined time delay after cke goes high ( i . e ., becomes active ) at time t 3 . that is , with the reset signal in the inactive state , when cke signal becomes active at time t 3 , output 518 of delay circuit 506 goes low after a time period corresponding to the propagation delay through inverter chain 506 . output of nand gate 504 transitions high in response to the low transition at node 518 , thus causing reset_en signal to transition low terminating the internal reset interval . delay chain 506 , in effect , extends the internal reset interval . during the b time period when the cke signal is inactive and the reset signal is active ( i . e ., are both low ), nor gate 510 turns on pull - down transistor 512 , thus causing latch 508 to either maintain a high at the node marked as cken or pull node cken high if it was previously in the low state . this ensures that during time period c when both cke and reset signals are in inactive state , the reset_en signal is maintained in the active state . at time t 4 when the mrs p pulse is generated to initiate the mode register programming , the high going edge of the mrs p pulse causes pull - up transistor 516 to turn on thus causing the cken node to transition low . latch circuit 508 maintains the cken node low until both reset and cke signals become low again . during the time cken node is low , nand gate 504 prevents the cke signal transitions from impacting the state of reset_en signal . thus , the mrs p pulse after the external cke signal becomes active ensures that during the time the external reset signal is high , transitions in external cke signal do not impact the state of the internal reset_en signal . thus , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , a simple reset circuit implemented in a sdram enables the sdram to be reset via an external reset pin without the need to power down the sdram . the reset circuit uses only 3 input signals to implement the reset function . this feature advantageously enables resetting a pc or laptop computers when certain malfunctions occur without the need to power down the pc . while the above provides a detailed description of various embodiments of the invention , many alternatives , modifications , and equivalents are possible . for this and other reasons , therefore , the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the claims . | 6 |
[ 0050 ] fig1 schematically illustrates a pendant , in accordance with the present invention . the pendant is comprised of a chain 101 , a case 102 containing electrical circuit and a display 103 , such as lcd , receiving signals from the electrical circuit and continuously viewing animations or images produced according to said signals . the case also holds a regular battery , or a rechargeable battery , for activating the electrical circuit . the pendant incorporates communication means , for downloading data to produce animations or images to be presented on the display . the pendant may also incorporate user interfaces such as buttons to control the pendant &# 39 ; s operation . [ 0051 ] fig2 and fig3 are cross - sectional views of the pendant , describing the main electrical elements inside the pendant . [ 0052 ] fig2 schematically illustrates a cross - sectional view of the top of the pendant . pendant case 201 incorporates a battery 202 , for operating the electrical circuit . electronic components 203 and 204 are assembled on pcb 205 , and metal contacts 206 are used for electrically contacting the battery to the electrical circuit . [ 0053 ] fig3 schematically illustrates a cross - sectional view of the bottom of the pendant . pendant case 301 incorporates lcd , comprising of the lcd glass 302 , lcd backlight 303 , and contacts 304 for passing signals from pcb 307 to the lcd glass . bubble 306 covers the lcd glass to protect it from damage . pcb 307 lies under the lcd , and is a continuation of pcb 305 shown in fig2 . it integrates electronic components 308 and 309 . [ 0054 ] fig4 schematically illustrates buttons and slides , optionally located in the sides of the pendant &# 39 ; s case 401 , for controlling its operation . slide 402 has three modes : “ off ”, “ on ” and “ light ”. when “ off ” mode is selected , the pendant is inactive . when “ on ” mode is selected , the pendant is operating . when “ light ” mode is selected , the pendant is operating , and its display backlight is also operating . button 403 is the “ select ” button . it is used to select an image or an animation from a set of animations stored in the pendant memory . button 404 , the “ set ” button , is used for setting a selected animation to be displayed . it should be noticed that the user interface could vary from the one described in fig4 and could be operated in other methods . [ 0057 ] fig5 is a view of the bottom of the pendant case 501 . connection 502 is for charging the rechargeable battery inside the case . elements 503 and 504 are two sets of metal contacts , for communicating up to two separate devices , as will be explained in details later . [ 0058 ] fig6 is a schematic block diagram including the main modules comprising a “ sophisticated ” version of the pendant of fig1 and its interfaces to images and animations sources . microprocessor 601 is responsible for managing the whole process and for controlling the rest of the modules . it is connected via interface 609 to external devices , such as a personal computer 602 or a cellular phone 603 , where the interface carries data and control signals between the pendant and the external devices . it may be noticed that the interface can be based on a cable , infrared , blue tooth , wifi or other types of connection methods . microprocessor 601 stores animations received via interface 609 in flash memory 604 . the animations are in a compressed format , requiring a limited amount of memory for storing each of them , typically several tens of kbytes . the compression may be in various formats , such as gif , jpeg and others . several types of animations , such as abstract animations , may also be represented as several sets of commands , each set for one image . when a command is executed it may direct the processor to create geometrical shapes in defined colors , move a shape created in the previous image to a new position inside the current image , or hold the presentation of the current image for a defined period of time . flash memory 604 also holds the pendant application , executed by the microprocessor to achieve the full functionality of the pendant . when a specific animation is selected for display , microprocessor 601 de - compresses the compressed animation , and stores the de - compressed images in ram 605 . if a set of animations is selected for continuous display , the de - compressed images are stored one after the other in ram 605 . if the animation is in a “ set of commands ” format , the microprocessor produces the set of images comprising the animation , and stores them in ram 605 . during the mode of periodical display of animations , the images are retrieved from ram 605 by the microprocessor , and are sent to lcd controller 606 . the fact that the animation is decompressed only once at the beginning of its periodical display , saves battery power and enables a longer time of usage for each battery charge . lcd controller 606 produces signals according to the images data sent by microprocessor 601 , causing lcd 607 to view the required image . user control signals received via interface 608 may direct the processor to change its mode of operation , for instance start viewing stored animations one after the other , or start viewing the current animation in a periodical manner . [ 0067 ] fig7 is a schematic block diagram including the main modules comprising a “ simple ” version of the pendant of fig1 . personal computer 701 and cellular phone 702 may send uncompressed images to electronic ornament 703 . the images are received through data interface 704 of the electronic ornament . another type of data received by the electronic ornament may be timing data , defining the order and display time period of the images . data transfer & amp ; timing control module 705 has two functionalities : store the received images at memory 706 , according to their predefined order ; and retrieve the images from memory 706 for sending them to lcd controller 707 , according to the timing data . lcd controller 707 produces signals according to the images data sent by data transfer & amp ; timing control module 705 , causing lcd 708 to view the required images . it should be noticed that data transfer & amp ; timing control module 705 can be a microprocessor with limited functionality , or any kind of logic component such as asic or fpga . [ 0071 ] fig8 schematically illustrates a method for connecting the pendant of fig1 to a cellular phone , via a dedicated interface . in order to receive data from cellular phone 802 , pendant 801 has a set of metal contacts 803 , capable of receiving data and transferring it to microprocessor 601 of fig6 . pendant 801 also incorporates connector 804 , for charging its rechargeable battery from an external power source . connector 805 is responsible for bi - directional communication between pendant 801 and cellular phone 802 , and for charging both pendant 801 and cellular phone 802 . connector 805 incorporates for the communication purpose two sets of contacts , set 806 coupled to contacts 803 of the pendant and set 807 coupled to contacts 808 of cellular phone 802 . contacts 806 and 807 are also coupled inside connector 805 , directly or via converter 809 and are used to convert , if required , the signals received from the cellular phone to the type of signals used by the pendant , and vice versa . connector 803 is coupled to electricity source via transformer 810 and connector 811 . the power is directed to connector 812 , coupled to connector 804 of pendant 801 , and to connector 813 coupled to connector 814 of cellular phone 802 . [ 0075 ] fig9 schematically illustrates another method for connecting the pendant of fig1 to a cellular phone , via a dedicated interface . pendant 902 receives data from cellular phone 901 via cable 903 . the same connector may be also used to charge pendant 902 by coupling it to the charging circuitry of cellular phone 901 . connectors 904 and 905 are dedicated connectors , part of their pins used to pass data , and the rest for charging the pendant . [ 0077 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow in a system comprising a content server , a cellular phone and an electronic ornament . in such system , content server 1001 stores a database of categorized compressed images and animations . cellular phone 1002 may contact content server 1001 via the cellular network , and retrieve a set of images and / or animations , their attributes or their minimized versions . after retrieving the images or the animations , cellular phone 1001 decompresses them , and may also perform image - processing actions according to the user &# 39 ; s selection , to create a new animation . the set of uncompressed images is then sent to electronic ornament 1003 via any type of communication means such cable , ir or blue tooth . [ 0079 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow in a system comprising a content server , a personal computer and an electronic ornament . the system described at fig1 is similar to the system described at fig1 , where personal computer 1102 takes the role of cellular phone 1002 of fig1 . personal computer 1102 may communicate with content server 1101 via the internet or any other network . the communication of personal computer 1102 with electronic ornament 1103 may be done via any of the communication means mentioned regarding fig1 . [ 0081 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating in more details the data flow at the system described at fig1 . content server 1201 holds a database 1202 of compressed images and animations . as mentioned above , it may also store attributes of these images and animations , and minimized versions of them . following the interaction of the cellular phone owner with the application at content server 1201 , cellular phone 1203 receives a set of images and / or animations . first they are decompressed at de - compressor 1204 . afterwards , the images may be sent to memory 1206 and then to electronic ornament 1207 . the user may also perform image - processing algorithms to produce a new animation from the original set of images and / or animations . the images composing the new animation are also sent to memory 1206 , and then via one of the communication means described above , to electronic ornament 1207 . uncompressed images received at electronic ornament 1207 are stored at memory 1208 , and sent to the lcd controller to produce viewable images . [ 0085 ] fig1 - 19 are a set of schematic flow diagrams illustrating possible data flows in the system described at fig1 . these flow diagrams describe the actions of the owner of a cellular phone and an electronic ornament , and how they influence the applications residing at the cellular phone and the content server . [ 0086 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of producing an animation based on images downloaded from a content server to a cellular phone . the user first activates the “ electronic jewelry ” application (“ the application ”) residing at the cellular phone . then he chooses the “ category ” item at an options list viewed to him by the application ( block 1301 ). the application contacts the content server and asks for an updated list of animations and images categories ( block 1302 ). the content server transmits as an answer the list of categories names ( block 1303 ). the user chooses a category from the list , specifying that he is interested in images ( block 1304 ), and the application asks the content server for a list of the images contained in the chosen category ( block 1305 ). the content server transmits a set of minimized relevant images ( block 1306 ). the user then selects a subset of the viewed images ( block 1307 ); the application asks the content server for the full images of the selected subset ( block 1308 ). the content server returns the required set of images ( block 1309 ). the user then selects in the application an effect from a list of possible effects . this effect defines the way the chosen images will be replaced one by the other . such effects may be fade , dissolve , swivel and so on ( block 1310 ). the user may also define the period of time each image will appear until replaced by the next image . the application activates the image - processing module to create an animation with the required effect ( block 1311 ). the “ electronic jewelry ” application at the cellular phone also manages the sequencing and timing of the set of images stored in the memory of the electronic ornament . the user can view the current sequence (“ timing list ”) of the stored animations and their timing , and choose when to schedule the new animation within that sequence ( block 1312 ). the user may also define how many times the animation will be repeated , and define an idle time between two consequent animations , for power saving purpose . the application updates the timing list of the electronic ornament ( block 1313 ), and sends the set of produced images and the updated timing list to the electronic ornament ( block 1314 ). [ 0091 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of producing an animation based on a phrase written by the user , and a symbol embedded in it . an example for it may be the phrase “ i love ny ”, where the word “ love ” is expressed by a symbol ( image or animation ) of a heart . the user first activates the “ electronic jewelry ” application at the cellular phone . then he chooses the “ animated symbols ” item at an options list viewed to him ( block 1401 ). the application contacts the content server and asks for a list of animated symbols ( block 1402 ). the content server transmits as an answer a set of minimized relevant symbols ( block 1403 ). the user chooses a subset of the viewed symbols ( block 1404 ); the application asks the content server for the full images or animations of the selected subset ( block 1405 ). the content server returns the required set of compressed images or symbols ( block 1406 ), and they are saved in the memory of the cellular phone ( block 1407 ). later on , the user activates again the “ electronic jewelry ” application at the cellular phone . then he chooses the “ text effects ” item at an options list viewed to him ( block 1408 ). the application views to him a list of possible effects , such as “ wave ” etc . ( block 1409 ); the user chooses a desired effect , writes a phrase and embed a symbol from the set of symbols stored earlier in the memory of the cellular phone ( block 1410 ). the application activates the image - processing module to create an animation with the chosen effect ( block 1411 ). the user updates the timing list of the electronic ornament ( block 1412 ). the application saves this update ( block 1413 ), and sends the set of produced images and the updated timing list to the electronic ornament ( block 1414 ). [ 0095 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of producing an animation by the content server , based on images stored in the database of the content server , according to the definitions of the user . the initial steps are much alike the steps described for fig1 . the user first activates the “ electronic jewelry ” application at the cellular phone . then he chooses the “ category ” item at an options list viewed to him ( block 1501 ). the application contacts the content server and asks for an updated list of animations and images categories ( block 1502 ). the content server transmits as an answer the list of categories names ( block 1503 ). the user chooses a category from the list ( block 1504 ), and the application asks the content server for a list of the items contained in the chosen category ( block 1505 ). the content server transmits a set of minimized relevant images ( block 1506 ), and the user then selects a subset of the viewed images ( block 1507 ). the user then selects in the application an effect from a list of possible effects ( block 1508 ). unlike in the flow diagram of fig1 , the image processing is taking place in the content server . the application sends to the content server the subset of selected images and the chosen effect . an image - processing module within the content server creates a compressed animation due to the chosen images and effect ( block 1510 ), and transmits it to the cellular phone ( block 1511 ). the application decompresses the compressed animation ( block 1512 ). the user updates the timing list of the electronic ornament ( block 1513 ). the application saves this update ( block 1514 ), and sends the set of produced images and the updated timing list to the electronic ornament ( block 1515 ). [ 0100 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of producing an animation , based on photos that were taken by the owner of a cellular phone having an integrated camera . in this case , the content server is not part of the process . the user activates the “ electronic jewelry ” application at the cellular phone and chooses the “ photos ” item at an options list viewed to him ( block 1601 ). the application views to the user a set of minimized photos that were saved before by the user in the memory of the cellular phone ( block 1602 ). the user chooses an ordered list of photos ( block 1603 ), and the required transition effect ( block 1604 ). the application activates the image - processing module to create an uncompressed animation with the required effect ( block 1605 ). the user updates the timing list of the electronic ornament ( block 1606 ). the application saves this update ( block 1607 ), and sends the set of produced images and the updated timing list to the electronic ornament ( block 1608 ). [ 0102 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of producing an animation based on a set of animations downloaded to a cellular phone from a content server . the user first activates the “ electronic jewelry ” application at the cellular phone . then he chooses the “ category ” item at an options list viewed to him ( block 1701 ). the application contacts the content server and asks for an updated list of animations and images categories ( block 1702 ). the content server transmits as an answer the list of categories names ( block 1703 ). the user chooses a category from the list ( block 1704 ), and the application asks the content server for a list of animations contained in the chosen category ( block 1705 ). the content server transmits a set of minimized relevant animations ( block 1706 ). the user then selects a subset of the viewed animations ( block 1707 ); the application asks the content server for the full animations of the selected subset ( block 1708 ). the content server returns the required set of images ( block 1709 ). the application decompresses the received set of animations to one sequence of images ( block 1710 - 1711 ). the user updates the timing list of the electronic ornament ( block 1712 ). the application saves this update ( block 1713 ), and sends the set of produced images and the updated timing list to the electronic ornament ( block 1714 ). [ 0106 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of receiving an animation from another owner of a cellular phone , and transmitting it to the electronic ornament . the cellular phone updates the application that it received a new animation sent by another cellular phone ( block 1801 ). the application views the animation to the user ( block 1802 ), to decide if he wishes to download the animation to the electronic ornament . if the user decides to load the animation ( block 1803 ), the application decompresses the received animation ( block 1804 ), and creates a set of images ( block 1805 ) to be downloaded by the electronic ornament . the user updates the timing list of the electronic ornament ( block 1806 ). the application saves this update ( block 1807 ), and sends the set of produced images and the updated timing list to the electronic ornament ( block 1808 ). [ 0108 ] fig1 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of a process where a user is being recommended what animation to download to the electronic ornament for a specific occasion . the user activates the “ electronic jewelry ” application at the cellular phone , and chooses the “ consultant ” item at an options list viewed to him ( block 1901 ). the application interacts with the user , guiding him to supply details such as the type of the occasion , what the user plans to wear in that occasion and so on ( block 1902 ). after the user answers these questions ( block 1903 ), the application sends to the content server a list of attributes reflecting the answers of the user ( block 1904 ). the database at the content server also holds a set of attributes logically connected to each of the images and animations stored in it . when the application request is received , its attributes are matched to the attributes stored at the database of the content server ; a set of minimized animations is prepared for the set of animations which their attributes match the attributes of the request and this set is sent back to the application ( block 1905 ). the user then selects a subset of the viewed images ( block 1906 ); the application asks the content server for the full images of the selected subset ( block 1907 ). the content server returns the required set of images ( block 1908 ). the application decompresses the received set of minimized animations to a sequence of images ( block 1909 - 1910 ). the user updates the timing list of the electronic ornament ( block 1911 ). the application updates the timing list of the electronic ornament ( block 1912 ), and sends the set of produced images and the updated timing list to the electronic ornament ( block 1913 ). [ 0114 ] fig2 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of downloading an animation to a “ sophisticated ” pendant using a cellular phone . it focuses on operations made by the processor of the cellular phone and by microprocessor 601 of the pendant . as described in block 2001 , the user initializes the process by choosing the item “ electronic jewelry ” application from the set of applications available to him in his cellular phone . it is assumed that this application is loaded into the cellular phone memory over the air , or pre - loaded by the cellular service provider . the cellular phone views a menu of possible actions , regarding the chosen “ electronic jewelry ” application . the user selects “ download animations ” from the menu ( block 2002 ). the processor of the cellular phone , via the equipment of the cellular service provider , establishes a connection to a dedicated server , holding a large set of animations . the animations may be viewed in the cellular phone display by categories , by icons and so on ( block 2003 ). this technique of connecting cellular phones to the internet and other networks is well known and in use for several time . the user then browses the animations viewed on the display of the cellular phone , and selects the one he wants to download ( block 2004 ). the processor of the cellular phone receives the user request , and downloads the selected animation to the cellular phone memory ( block 2005 ). other mechanisms of the cellular service provider , such as a billing mechanism may be involved , crediting the user for the download action . when the user wishes to download the animation stored in the cellular phone memory to the pendant , he should first connect the cellular phone to the pendant via the dedicated connector 805 of fig8 ( block 2006 ). then the user chooses in the “ pendant animations “ menu the item “ load to pendant ” ( block 2007 ). when receiving the user &# 39 ; s request , the cellular phone processor connects the pendant microprocessor 601 via connector 805 , and asks if there is enough space in flash memory 604 of the pendant for the requested animation ( block 2008 ). microprocessor 601 of the pendant checks if there is enough memory in flash memory 604 ; if there is not enough memory , a negative answer is returned to the cellular phone processor ( block 2009 ). the cellular phone processor views on the display of the cellular phone a message saying so ( block 2010 ), and the user will have to free some memory by removing an older animation . if there is enough free memory , microprocessor 601 increments by one the “ total animations ” register which keeps an updated total amount of animations . microprocessor 601 also activates a process defining an address in flash memory 604 where the animation can be stored ( block 2011 ). preferably , the process keeps a contiguous memory space for each animation , to avoid memory segmentation issues . the start address of the animation in flash memory 604 is saved by microprocessor 601 in “ start addresses ” table ( block 2012 ). “ start addresses ” table is sequential , and the start address of an animation can be retrieved from it by the animation index . then , a positive answer is returned to the cellular phone processor , and the cellular phone processor sends the stored animation to the pendant microprocessor 601 via connector 705 ( block 2013 ). the animation is stored at the defined address ( block 2014 ). [ 0125 ] fig2 schematically illustrates a method for connecting the pendant of fig1 to a personal computer 2105 , via a dedicated cradle 801 . cradle 2101 has two slots — one slot for holding pendant 2102 , and the second slot for holding either memory card 2103 or memory card 2104 . cradle 2101 may also include some electronic circuit , used to convert signals transferred between pendant 2102 and personal computer 2105 . connector 2106 is a standard connector used in personal computers , such as usb connector . transformer 2107 supplies power to the cradle for charging pendant 2102 , and for operating the cradle electrical circuit , if exists . when pendant 2102 is inserted into the matching slot of the cradle , its microprocessor 601 is capable of contacting both the personal computer 2105 and an inserted memory card , via contact sets 303 and 304 located at the bottom of pendant 2102 . memory card 2103 holds a unique code number , and is used to allow a pre - defined number of actions of downloading animations to pendant 2102 . pendant 2102 is capable of retrieving this code number from memory card 2103 via the cradle circuit and sending it to personal computer 2105 . personal computer 2105 is connected via the internet to a dedicated server , storing images and animations data and managing download operations . said server , decides according to the received unique code number if the download of the animation should be allowed or denied . memory card 2104 holds a set of animations . when inserted into the matching slot of the cradle , microprocessor 601 can contact it via the circuit of the cradle , and move the stored animation to flash memory 604 of the pendant . microprocessor 601 can distinguish between the two types of memory card by a specific contact in the set of contacts located on the cards , which is electrically set to “ 0 ” in one type of the cards , and to “ 1 ” in the other type . reading this value directs microprocessor 601 how to react . [ 0132 ] fig2 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of downloading an animation to the pendant using a personal computer . this flow diagram is much alike the previous one illustrated at fig2 . a preliminary action for this flow diagram is the installation of a “ electronic jewelry ” application in the personal computer . this application is capable of contacting via a network an “ animations server ”, holding the animations as files , animation cards code numbers , a billing system and other related data . the application can view to the user animations stored in the “ animations server ” memory , so the user will be able to specify the animations he would like to download . the “ electronic jewelry ” application is also capable of contacting a pendant microprocessor 601 via connector 2106 of the cradle 2101 . as mentioned before , the connection is bidirectional and is used for data transfer and for control as well . the “ electronic jewelry ” application may also include an animation editor , where the user is able to create animations of his own , for downloading them to the pendant . as described in block 2201 , the user initializes the process by activating the “ electronic jewelry ” application previously installed in the personal computer . the application establishes a network connection to the “ animations server ”, and views its home page on the display of the personal computer ( block 2202 ). the user then browses the animations viewed on the display of the personal computer , and selects the one he wants to download ( block 2203 ). when receiving the user &# 39 ; s request , the “ electronic jewelry ” application connects pendant microprocessor 601 via connector 2106 , and asks for a code number of an animation download card 2103 ( block 2204 ). microprocessor 601 of the pendant reads via the circuit of cradle 801 the code number of an inserted animation download card , and sends it back to the “ electronic jewelry ” application ( block 2205 ). the “ electronic jewelry ” application on the personal computer sends the code number to the “ animations server ”. the last one checks how many downloads are still available for this code number . if there are any , the “ animations server ” sends a download confirmation to the “ electronic jewelry ” application , and decrements by one the number of remaining downloads for this code number ; if no downloads remained , or the code number is invalid , it returns a negative answer ( block 2206 ). the “ electronic jewelry ” application checks the answer ( block 2207 ): if it was negative , a proper message is viewed to the user on the personal computer display ( block 2208 ); if the answer was positive , the “ electronic jewelry ” application asks microprocessor 601 to check if there is enough free memory space for storing the new animation ( block 2209 ). microprocessor 601 checks if there is enough memory in flash memory 604 ( block 2210 ); if there is not enough memory , a negative answer is returned to the “ electronic jewelry ” application . the application views on the display of the personal computer a message saying so ( block 2211 ), and the user will have to free some memory by removing an older animation . if there is enough free memory , microprocessor 601 increments by one the “ total animations ” register which keeps an updated total amount of animations . microprocessor 601 also activates a process defining an address in flash memory 604 where the animation can be stored ( block 2212 ). preferably , the process keeps a contiguous memory space for each animation , to avoid memory segmentation issues . the start address of the animation in flash memory 604 is saved by microprocessor 601 in “ start addresses ” table ( block 2213 ). a stored animation start address can be retrieved from the “ start addresses ” table by its index . then , a positive answer is returned to the “ electronic jewelry ” application . the application downloads the required animation from the “ animations server ”, and sends it to pendant microprocessor 601 ( block 2214 ). the animation may be optionally saved on the local disk of the personal computer , for backup purposes . the animation is received by microprocessor 601 and stored at the defined address of flash memory 604 ( block 2215 ). [ 0146 ] fig2 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of downloading an animation to the pendant from a memory card holding animations . the user first inserts the pendant into its matching slot in cradle 2101 ( block 2301 ). then the user inserts animations memory card 2104 to its matching slot in cradle 2101 ( block 2302 ). pendant microprocessor 601 periodically detects the existence of animations memory card 2104 in its matching slot ( block 2303 ). when the card is detected , pendant microprocessor 601 views a message on the pendant &# 39 ; s display 607 : “ download started ” ( block 2304 ), and downloads the whole content of the animations memory card to the flash memory of the pendant 604 . an interactive process may be in use at this stage asking the user if he agrees to remove old animations to free space for new ones , if required ( block 2305 ). at the end of the process , pendant microprocessor 601 views a message on the pendant &# 39 ; s display 607 : “ download completed ” ( block 2306 ). [ 0150 ] fig2 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the data flow of selecting an animation to view from a set of animations stored in pendant flash memory 604 . slide 202 of fig2 is moved from “ off ” mode to “ on ” mode , to activate the pendant circuit ( block 2401 ). pendant microprocessor 601 initializes register “ animations counter ” to zero ( block 2402 ). register “ animations counter ” is then incremented by one ; if it exceeds the current value of “ total animations ” register , it is set to 1 ( block 2403 ). microprocessor 601 gets from the addresses table the start address related to the current value stored at “ animations counter ” register ( block 2404 ). then microprocessor 601 reads the animation starting at this start address in flash memory 604 , and uses the proper algorithm to de - compress it . a special header may identify the type of the compression with a unique identifier for each type ( block 2405 ). microprocessor 601 sends the de - compressed animation to be stored in ram 605 ( block 2406 ). from now on , microprocessor 601 periodically sends the animation stored at ram 605 to lcd controller 606 , to be displayed on lcd 607 ( block 2407 ). as described above , after power startup the pendant will start viewing periodically the first animation stored in flash memory 604 . when the pendant &# 39 ; s owner wishes to select an animation from the set of stored animations , he should press the select button repeatedly , until he sees the animation he wants on the lcd ( blocks 2408 - 2410 ). each press on the button increments “ animations counter ” register by one ( block 2403 ), and is followed by the activation of the whole process described in blocks 2403 to 2407 . it should be noticed that the user may control the sequence of viewed animations , the delay between two animations and other viewing parameters by the pendant &# 39 ; s buttons and slides , or by other types of user interfaces such as “ touch screen ” type lcd . [ 0155 ] fig2 includes three figures : 25 a , 25 b and 25 c , schematically illustrating a pendant , which can be attached to a cellular phone and become an integral part of it . in order to eliminate the need for special connector between the pendant and a cellular phone , as described in fig8 and fig9 a dedicated cellular phone can be formed , capable of holding the pendant in a holder , where the holder is an integral part of the cellular phone . whenever the user wishes to wear the pendant , he should detach the pendant from the cellular phone . whenever pendant 2505 is attached to cellular phone 2503 , images and animations can be transmitted directly to the pendant when received by the cellular phone from the cellular network , to be stored in the pendant &# 39 ; s flash memory . the process of downloading images or animations is much alike the process described in fig2 , without the need to use the connector , and without the need to temporarily store the downloaded data in the cellular memory . when the pendant is attached to the cellular phone , it can be also used as an integral part of the cellular phone for viewing information such as the details of a calling person , or time and date to the user . in this mode , the processor of the cellular phone transmits the relevant data to the processor of the pendant , for viewing it on the lcd . [ 0159 ] fig2 a is an illustration of a cellular phone 2501 , having two folders connected by a hinge . the upper folder incorporates display 2502 . [ 0160 ] fig2 b is a front view of the cellular phone 2503 when closed . holder 2504 is an integral part of the cellular phone . in its bottom it has a set of connectors , used for passing control signals and data signals between the processor of the cellular phone and the processor of pendant 2505 . the connectors inside the holder are also used to charge the pendant &# 39 ; s rechargeable battery 202 , as described in fig2 while the cellular phone is charged . necklace 2506 is connected to pendant 2505 , also when attached to the cellular phone . [ 0161 ] fig2 c is a side view of the cellular phone 2507 when closed . holder 2508 holds pendant 2509 , and the pendant becomes an integral part of the cellular phone . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described herein . rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and sub - combinations of the various features described herein , as well as variations and modifications which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the specification and which are not in the prior art . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings in detail , and particularly to fig1 there is shown a safety gate assembly 10 for mezzanines 12 or other elevated platforms to provide a solid barrier which satisfies safety regulations , and which barrier is always in place , blocking an opening for an entryway on a mezzanine floor . the gate assembly 10 provides a pair of parallel spaced apart generally inverted &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; shaped siderail assemblies 14 which are mounted to the floor of the mezzanine . each siderail assembly 14 includes a pair of parallel spaced apart legs 16 and 18 on opposite ends , connected by an upper horizontal bar 20 , an intermediate horizontal bar 22 and a lowermost horizontal bar 24 connectively arranged between those spaced apart legs 16 and 18 . a pivot stanchion 26 is disposed , critically , very near one end of the uppermost horizontal bar on each of the upright siderail assemblies 14 so as to have an open space &# 34 ; o &# 34 ; alongside the siderails 14 , when that particular &# 34 ; short &# 34 ; support proximal gate is in the &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; orientation . that is , there are no siderail assemblies to hinder access to the area within the gate assembly area 10 , from a location inwardly of the pivot axis of the gates themselves , shown as an open space &# 34 ; o &# 34 ; in fig1 . those upright stanchions 26 on the spaced apart siderail assemblies 14 , are in alignment with one another . each of those stanchions 26 has an bore 28 which is co - axial with the bore 28 of its corresponding stantion 26 . a swingable frame gate assembly 30 is disposed between the two spaced apart stanchions 26 on the upright siderail assemblies 14 at the edge of a mezzanine floor 12 . the swinging gate assembly 30 comprises an upper and a lower parallel rail 32 and 34 , each connected at their mid - point by a tranverse bar 36 . the transverse bar 36 connecting the mid - points of each parallel rail 32 and 34 , has a pivot axis 38 extending from a lowermost side location thereon , as shown in fig2 and engage the stanchions 26 so as to permit pivotability of the gate assembly 30 therebetween . each end of the side frame rails 32 and 34 has a gate 40 and 42 disposed thereat . each gate 40 and 42 is arranged at an obtuse angle &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; of about 135 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of each of the parallel side rails 32 and 34 . note that the lower side rail 34 has an extension rail 48 angularly disposed between each end of the rail 34 and its respective gate 40 and 42 . when one gate 40 or 42 at one end of the side rail assemblies 14 is in the vertical ( down ) orientation , the other gate 42 or 40 , at the other end of the pair of side rail frame assemblies 14 is disposed in the horizontal ( up ) orientation . the &# 34 ; distal &# 34 ; gate 40 is defined as being adjacent the edge 15 of the mezzanine floor 12 , and the &# 34 ; proximalmost &# 34 ; gate 42 is the one furthest from the edge 15 . each gate 40 and 42 has an uppermost transverse bar 50 , a middle transverse bar 52 , and a lowermost bar 54 . in operation , the gate 40 and 42 at each end of the parallel side rail assemblies 14 act as in a &# 34 ; see saw &# 34 ; manner , one end going up as the other end goes down . the end gate going down in the vertical orientation thus blocks and acts as a barrier between the supporting side frame assembly . when that end is lifted the other end goes from a horizontal disposition into a vertical disposition blocking the other end of the side rail frame assembly acting as a barrier thereto . the location of the stanchions 26 at the &# 34 ; proximal &# 34 ; end of each of the side rail assemblies 14 , which is the furthest away from the edge 15 of the mezzanine floor 12 , as best seen in fig1 and 3 , permits easy access to the area &# 34 ; o &# 34 ; proximal to the pivot support on the side rail assemblies 14 . thus at no time is the space between the siderail support assembly open so as to permit a passage through a sidewall on a mezzanine floor , whether the distal gate 40 is down or the proximal gate 42 down . it is to be noted that while the area between the support siderails is opened for full side and proximal access to the area between the siderails 14 from the proximal side thereof , the proximalmost gate is above the floor area so as to permit entrance into the area between the two opposed siderails 14 . when the proximalmost gate 42 is brought downwardly , the &# 34 ; distal &# 34 ; gate 40 , closest to the floor edge 15 , is lifted upwardly so as to swing fully out of the way of anyone reaching any cargo within that gate area . fig1 shows the proximalmost gate 42 , partially in phantom , in its lower down position , indicating the lack of siderail blockage proximal of the pivot axis location , when the proximal gate 42 is up . a further embodiment is shown in fig3 wherein a planar door panel 60 is shown attached to the distal gate 40 , in a particularly useful function when the gate assembly 10 is at the side of a building wall 62 . the door panel 60 thereby automatically closes when the outer or &# 34 ; distal &# 34 ; gate is down , thus protecting the inside of the building from harsh weather . when the distal gate 40 is up and open , the door panel has moved from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation corresponding to the orientation of the distal gate , so as to function as a roof , keeping harsh weather off of the &# 34 ; protected &# 34 ; area between the siderail assemblies 14 . if the door panel 60 has a lowermost edge 64 which is lower than the lowermost edge 66 of the distal gate 40 , such as shown as 64 &# 39 ;, the door panel 60 could also function as an articulable roof over at least part of the loading area outside of and adjacent to the building . thus what has been disclosed is a novel safety gate arrangement which permits access to a defined &# 34 ; protectable &# 34 ; area , yet prevents undesired access to that area when personnel should not be there . the gate assembly also provides a door - like shelter when a panel is arranged to the distalmost gate in its down orientation and a roof - like shelter when that gate is in its up horizontal orientation . | 4 |
the first embodiment of the invention is shown fig2 . it comprises a tilted - waveguide angled - facet semiconductor optical amplifier chip 38 that has been attached to a sub - mount pedestal 20 . the sub - mount pedestal is attached to the header base 10 and electrically connected to contact pin 12 . a photodiode 70 mounted on the front surface of the header base 18 detects the optical signal 42 emitted from the back facet 39 of the semiconductor laser . electrical connection 13 to the semiconductor laser chip 38 and connection 11 to the photodiode are provided via bond wires 50 and 51 , respectively . the semiconductor optical amplifier waveguide 34 is tilted to intersect the front facet 37 and back facet 39 of the semiconductor device at an oblique angle so that the front optical beam 40 and back optical beam 42 are emitted at an angle θ 1 with respect to the facet surface normal 45 . the semiconductor laser chip 38 is attached to the sub - mount pedestal 20 with front facet 37 parallel to the beveled front face of the sub - mount pedestal 22 . surface 22 has been beveled at an angle θ 1 with respect to the front surface of the header base 18 so that both front and back semiconductor laser optical beams 40 and 42 propagate parallel to the sub - assembly optical axis 15 . the beveled surface 22 provides clearance so that the path of the light beam 40 is not blocked or diffracted . the output light beam from the sub - assembly emerges through a transparent window 64 that has been anti - reflection coated with films 61 and 63 to reduce optical loss and back - reflection . the transparent window structure 64 can be optical glass or a polarization plate ( half - wave , quarter - wave ) or other polarizing element . the window is attached to a cap structure 60 with a wedge 65 inserted so that the window is oriented at an angle θ 2 with respect to the front surface of the header base 18 . the angle θ 2 is chosen to minimize the optical power reflected back to the semiconductor device . the cap 60 is welded to the header base 10 in a hermetic scaling process . the second embodiment of the invention is shown fig3 . it comprises a curved - waveguide angled - facet semiconductor laser chip 35 that has been attached to a sub - mount pedestal 20 . the sub - mount pedestal is attached to the header base 10 and electrically connected to contact pin 12 . a photodiode 71 mounted on the front surface of the header base 18 detects the optical signal 42 emitted from the back facet 39 of the semiconductor laser . electrical connection 13 to the semiconductor laser chip and connection 11 to the photodiode are provided via bond wires ; 50 and 51 , respectively . the semiconductor optical waveguide 36 is curved with a constant radius of curvature r given by r = l / sin ( φ ) where l is the length of the curved region and φ is the desired facet angle . other sinusoidal or exponential curving functions can be used to define the functional form of the curved region . arbitrary lengths at the end of the device can be straight or tilted corresponding to an infinite radius of curvature . the curved optical waveguide intersects the back facet 39 at normal incidence ( perpendicular ) but intersects the front facet 37 at an oblique angle so that the front optical beam 40 is emitted at an angle θ 1 with respect to the facet surface normal 45 . the back optical beam 42 is emitted parallel to 45 . the semiconductor laser chip is attached to the sub - mount pedestal with front facet 37 parallel to the beveled front face of the sub - mount pedestal 22 . surface 22 has been beveled at an angle θ 1 with respect to the front surface of the header base 18 so that the front semiconductor laser optical beam 40 propagates parallel to the sub - assembly optical axis 15 . the beveled surface 22 provides clearance so that the path of the light beam 40 is not blocked or diffracted . the photodiode 71 is mounted on surface 18 to detect the emitted back facet optical beam 42 . this beam is incident on the photodiode at an oblique angle enabling the photodiode to be mounted flush against 18 without requiring any additional steps to reduce back - reflections . the output light beam from the sub - assembly 40 emerges through a transparent window 64 that has been anti - reflection coated with films 61 and 63 to reduce optical loss and back - reflection . the transparent window structure 64 can be optical glass or a polarization plate ( half - wave , quarter - wave ) or other polarizing element . the window is attached to a cap structure 60 with a wedge 65 inserted so that the window is oriented at an angle θ 2 with respect to the front surface of the header base 18 . the angle θ 2 is chosen to minimize the optical power reflected back to the semiconductor device 35 . the cap 60 is welded to the header base 10 in a hermetic sealing process . the third embodiment of the invention is shown fig4 . it consists of a curved - waveguide angled - facet semiconductor laser chip 35 that has been attached to a sub - mount pedestal 20 . the sub - mount pedestal is attached to the header base 10 and electrically connected to contact pin 12 . a photodiode 71 mounted on the front surface of the header base 18 detects the optical signal 42 emitted from the back facet 39 of the semiconductor laser 35 . electrical connections to the semiconductor laser chip 13 and photodiode 11 are provided via bond wires 50 and 51 , respectively . the semiconductor optical waveguide 36 is curved with a constant radius of curvature r given by r = l / sin ( φ ) where l is the length of the curved region and φ is the desired facet angle . other sinusoidal or exponential curving functions can be used to define the functional form of the curved region . arbitrary lengths at the end of the device can be straight or tilted corresponding to an infinite radius of curvature . the curved optical waveguide intersects the back facet 39 at normal incidence ( perpendicular ) but intersects the front facet 37 at an oblique angle so that the front optical beam 40 is emitted at an angle θ 1 with respect to the facet surface normal 45 . the back optical beam 42 is emitted parallel to 45 . the semiconductor laser chip is attached to the sub - mount pedestal with front facet 37 parallel to edge 22 . edge 22 is oriented at an angle θ 1 with respect to the front surface of the header base 18 so that the front semiconductor laser optical beam 40 propagates parallel to the sub - assembly optical axis 15 . edge 22 is formed by a mechanical or chemical machining process that creates a recessed plane area 25 providing clearance so that the path of the light beam 40 is not blocked or diffracted . an optical element 80 is attached to the front surface 21 of the sub - mount pedestal 20 with attaching mechanisms 81 and 82 . the optical element 80 can be a refractive , diffractive , or holographic lens placed in close proximity to the angled facet to manipulate the beam shape and / or quality . the photodiode 71 is mounted on surface 18 to detect the emitted back facet optical beam 42 . this beam is incident on the photodiode at an oblique angle enabling the photodiode to be mounted flush against 18 without requiring any additional steps to reduce back - reflections . the output light beam from the sub - assembly 40 emerges through a transparent window 64 that has been anti - reflection coated with films 61 and 63 to reduce optical loss and back - reflection . the transparent window structure 64 can be optical glass or a polarization plate ( half - wave , quarter - wave ) or other polarizing element . the window is attached to a cap structure 60 with a wedge 65 inserted so that the window is oriented at an angle θ 2 with respect to the front surface of the header base 18 . the angle θ 2 is chosen to minimize the optical power reflected back to the semiconductor device . the cap 60 is welded to the header base 10 in a hermetic sealing process . the fourth embodiment of the invention is shown fig5 . it comprises a curved - waveguide angled - facet semiconductor laser chip 35 that has been attached to sub - mount 90 . the sub - mount 90 is attached to the sub - mount pedestal 20 . the sub - mount pedestal is attached to the header base 10 and electrically connected to contact pin 12 . a photodiode 71 mounted on the front surface of the header base 18 detects the optical signal 42 emitted from the back facet 39 of the semiconductor laser . electrical connections to the semiconductor laser chip 13 and photodiode 11 are provided via bond wires 50 and 51 , respectively . the semiconductor optical waveguide 36 is curved with a constant radius of curvature r given by r = l / sin ( φ ) where l is the length of the curved region and φ is the desired facet angle . other sinusoidal or exponential curving functions can be used to define the functional form of the curved region . arbitrary lengths at the end of the device can be straight or tilted corresponding to an infinite radius of curvature . the curved optical waveguide intersects the back facet 39 at normal incidence ( perpendicular ) but intersects the front facet 37 at an oblique angle so that the front optical beam 40 is emitted at an angle θ 1 with respect to the facet surface normal 45 . the back optical beam 42 is emitted parallel to 45 . the semiconductor laser chip is attached to the sub - mount 90 with front facet 37 parallel to the front edge 22 of the sub - mount 90 . the sub - mount 90 is comprised of a material having desirable thermal and mechanical properties , such as aluminum nitride ( aln ), diamond , or other material . this sub - mount can be either of the same material as the sub - mount pedestal 21 ) or of a different material . the sub - mount 90 is attached to the sub - mount pedestal 20 with the front edge 22 oriented at an angle θ 1 with respect to the front surface of the header base 18 so that the front semiconductor laser optical beam 40 propagates parallel to the sub - assembly optical axis 15 . the thickness of the sub - mount 90 is chosen to insure adequate clearance so that the path of the light beam 40 is not blocked or diffracted . an optical element 80 is attached to the front surface 21 of the sub - mount pedestal 20 with attaching mechanisms 81 and 82 . the optical element 80 can be a refractive , diffractive , or holographic lens placed in close proximity to the angled facet to manipulate the beam shape and / or quality . the photodiode 71 is mounted on surface 18 to detect the emitted back facet optical beam 42 . this beam is incident on the photodiode at an oblique angle enabling the photodiode to be mounted flush against 18 without requiring any additional steps to reduce back - reflections . the output light beam from the sub - assembly 40 emerges through a transparent window 64 that has been anti - reflection coated wish films 61 and 63 to reduce optical loss and back - reflection . the transparent window structure 64 can be optical glass or a polarization plate ( half - wave , quarter - wave ) or other polarizing element . the window is attached to a cap structure 60 with a wedge 65 inserted so that the window is oriented at an angle θ 2 with respect to the front surface of the header base 18 . the angle θ 2 is chosen to minimize the optical power reflected back to the semiconductor device . the cap 60 is welded to the header base 10 in a hermetic scaling process . while the foregoing description refers to a conventional to - can semiconductor package , other kinds of semiconductor packages may also be used . while particular embodiments of the invention have been described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention . such modifications are all within the scope of this invention . | 7 |
throughout the following detailed description , the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures . a dentifrice dispensing electrical toothbrush of the present invention has a replaceable dual - channel brush head and a handle having a dual - channel connector . the dual - channel brush head has a channel for housing a drive shaft for the oscillation of the first rotary bristle unit and a separate channel for the flow of dentifrice material to the top of the second bristle unit . the dual - channel brush head is detachably mounted on the dual - channel connector , which contains a drive shaft driven by a motor and a flow channel in communication with the pumping chamber for dispensing the dentifrice material to the second bristle unit from a cartridge inserted in the handle serving as reservoir for the dentifrice material . referring to fig1 a , a dentifrice - dispensing electrical toothbrush 2 has handle 4 with dual - channel connector and replaceable brush head 20 . the latter is shown separately in fig3 b and also partially shown in an enlarged view in fig1 b . first bristle unit 8 is mounted on post 86 and second bristle unit 9 has spout opening 114 . the first bristle unit 8 is driven by cam linkage 242 attached to the top end of first drive shaft 216 in the replaceable brush head 20 , which is detachably engaged with second drive shaft 236 driven by motor 212 powered by the battery in the handle 4 . dentifrice cartridge 124 having follower 126 is also housed within handle 4 . dentifrice material ( not shown ) is pumped from pump chamber 94 , through first flow channel 102 and spout opening 114 , to bristle unit 9 . a pumping force is supplied to chamber 94 by depression of elastic compressible button 96 that closes the one - way valve 122 . as the elastic compressive button 96 is released to restore to its original free position the follower 126 in the cartridge moves forward under a vacuum force to compact the dentifrice material . the structure and function of the dentifrice dispensing electrical toothbrush of the present invention are described in details as follows . further shown in fig1 a and fig1 b , a plurality of bristles 76 are attached to the top surface of base 84 of first bristle unit 8 . drive notch 90 is appended to side wall 88 of bristle base 84 . the underside of bristle base 84 has split bushing walls 85 which are shaped to mate with post 86 of platform 72 . drive notches 90 of first bristle unit 8 accommodates drive rod 34 such that when drive rod 34 is positioned in drive notch 90 , the oscillating motion of drive rod 34 causes first bristle unit to freely oscillate on post 86 . the mechanism for the oscillation motion will be described in later sections . the mounting of a rotary bristle unit on a stationary post for free rotation and its one - way engagement for preventing detachment of the rotary bristle unit from the post has been described in prior art . a preferred embodiment as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 735 , 803 by kuo is briefly described below . the one - way engagement of bristle base 84 of bristle unit 8 on post 86 is enabled by the mounting of two half - circle - shaped split bushing walls 85 on the underside of bristle base 84 on two half - circle - shaped split shaft walls 91 of post 86 . gaps ( not shown ) between split walls 85 allow wall deflections apart from each other while gaps 97 of post 86 allow for deflections of adjacent split walls 91 toward each other . all the split walls are of cantilever configuration for flexibility for the mounting of bristle unit 8 on post 86 . for preventing disengagement , post 86 has retention rim 100 and the flexible bushing has annular groove 101 at corresponding mating positions . the diameter of retention rim 100 of post 86 is smaller than the diameter of annular groove 101 engaged therein but is larger than the inner diameter of bushing walls 85 . also , the nominal inside diameter of bushing walls 85 is slightly larger than corresponding outer diameter of post 86 for establishing a clearance between the post and the bushing for the free rotation of bristle unit 8 . this configuration prevents the bristle unit dislodged from the post . during brushing , the brushing pressure pushes bristle unit 8 against the post 86 , therefore , the rotary bristle unit cannot detach from the post under the brushing condition . for the oscillation of the rotary bristle unit 8 , as shown in fig1 a , fig1 b and fig2 , a u - shaped pivotal cam linkage 242 having stud shaft 230 and l - shaped cylindrical rod 34 is engaged with the offset cylindrical rod 234 of the cap 226 which is attached to the end of first drive shaft 216 . the cam linkage 242 is pivotal against stud shaft 230 which is rotationally supported by the platform 72 . the cylindrical rod 34 is engaged with the notch 88 such that the pivoting motion of the cam linkage 242 imparts the oscillation of the cylindrical rod 34 and bristle unit 8 when the cam linkage is driven by the offset cylindrical rod of cap 226 , which is mounted on the top end of first drive shaft 216 . the first drive shaft 216 is engaged with second drive shaft 236 which is driven by motor 212 . the bottom end of first drive shaft 216 has a non - circular prong - adapter 62 inserted onto the drive - socket receptacle end 64 of second drive shaft 236 . in one embodiment both prong - adapter 62 and receptacle - end 64 have square - shaped cross - section . when the motor is energized , the engagement of drive shafts 236 and 216 imparts the oscillating motion of the first bristle unit 8 . the communication and engagement of the first drive shaft 216 with second drive shaft 236 is enabled by the mounting of the replaceable dual - channel brush head on the dual - channel connector 151 of the handle 4 . fig3 a and fig3 b show views of detached replaceable brush head 20 and exposed connector 151 . the replaceable dual - channel brush head 20 consists of platform 72 having post 86 and a spout opening 114 , dual - channel neck 19 having first drive shaft 216 in first drive channel 104 and first flow channel 102 which extends to spout opening 114 . the top end of dual - channel neck 19 is connected to platform 84 and the bottom end is for detachably mounting on dual - channel connector 151 of handle 4 . connector 151 has second drive shaft 236 in second drive channel 202 for coupling with first drive shaft 216 , and second flow channel 204 for detachably connecting to first flow channel 102 of brush head 20 . for preventing leaking of dentifrice material , the inner attachment walls 153 of first flow channel 102 and the inner attachment wall 155 of first drive shaft channel 104 at the bottom of the brush head 20 are in intimate sliding contact with the outer wall 159 of the connector 151 when the brush head 20 is fully mounted on the connector 151 . the precision of the mounting ensures the insertion of the prong - adapter 62 onto the mating receptacle end 64 of second drive shaft 236 . referring to fig1 a , for dispensing dentifrice material , the flow path from the cartridge 124 , which as a reservoir stores dentifrice material , through the pump chamber 94 and the flow channel 102 to the spout opening 114 and to the top of bristles in the second bristle unit 9 is full of dentifrice material ( not shown ). a detailed description of the pump mechanism using an elastic compressible button is given in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 434 , 773 . here a brief description is given below . when the elastic compressible button 96 is depressed , the dentifrice material is forced to move from pump chamber 94 , through flow channel 102 and spout opening 114 , to the top of the second bristle unit 9 . the vacuum created in chamber 94 when the pumping force is released and elastic compressible button 96 being restored to its original free position , causes dentifrice material to flow from cartridge 124 through one - way check valve 122 and into chamber 94 to replace the quantity of dentifrice material removed from the chamber by the application of the pumping force . the flow of dentifrice material from cartridge 124 causes corresponding advancement of follower 126 at the base of the cartridge . when all of the dentifrice material is depleted from cartridge 124 , the cartridge is removed from the handle and replaced by a full cartridge . cartridge 124 is fastened by threads at the base of the one - way check valve 122 . another embodiment of the present invention is a dentifrice - dispensing electrical toothbrush using an electrical means to dispense the dentifrice material from the handle to the top of bristles . as shown in fig4 a and fig4 b , dentifrice - dispensing electrical toothbrush 402 has handle 404 , connector 406 and replaceable dual - channel brush head 20 . the structures and functions of the dual - channel brush head , the connector and the coupling of the brush - head drive shaft to the motor drive shaft are the same as shown in fig1 a and described previously . however , the delivery of dentifrice material is achieved by using an electrical - mechanical means that has been disclosed in details in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 735 , 803 by kuo . here the electrical - mechanical means is briefly described as follows . the electrical - mechanical means consists of rotary solenoid 456 , cam 454 , and plunger 452 for contacting on resilient compressible button 496 as shown in fig4 a , which shows these components at the non - dispensing home positions . upon activating rotary solenoid 456 by pushing on electrical button switch 460 positioned on the external surface 468 of handle 404 , cam 454 on the shaft of the rotary solenoid 456 rotates 180 degree from the non - dispensing home position to move plunger 452 forward to depress on compressible button 496 to the fully compressed dispensing position , which is shown in fig4 b . the compression of the resilient compressible button provides the pumping force to dispense the dentifrice material . fig4 b shows cam 454 , plunger 452 and resilient compressible button 496 at the dispensing positions . then upon the release of button switch 460 , through a control circuitry ( not shown ) rotary solenoid 456 is energized to cause cam 454 to return to the home position . on the way to the home position the compressible button restores to its original shape together with the movement of the dentifrice material from the cartridge to replenish the pump chamber . although the use of a rotary solenoid is preferred , the actuation of the plunger for compressing on the elastic button can be achieved by linear solenoid or a clutch connected to motor 412 . additionally , the spout opening 114 in the dual - channel brush head 20 needs to be plugged for preventing drying of the dentifrice material . sealing of spout opening 114 of the dentifrice dispensing electrical toothbrush is similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 434 , 773 by kuo . fig5 shows sealing plug 132 being inserted into spout opening 114 . the positioning of the plug for sealing is facilitated by guides ( not shown ) on cover 130 when the cover is at its fully closed and locked position on the shoulder of the handle . the invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof . however , it is understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . while the invention will be described in reference to these embodiments , it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention . to the contrary , the invention is intended to cover alternatives , modifications , and equivalents that are included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims . in the following disclosure , specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , and referring particularly to fig1 - 6 , it is seen that the present invention includes various embodiments of a container for trash or recyclables having a built - in compaction device . without limiting the invention , fig1 shows an exemplary container 100 . the container 100 includes a body 101 having an open interior compartment 101 a , a lid 102 , and a pedal mechanism 103 for lifting the lid 102 . fig2 provides a perspective view of the container 100 with the lid 102 opened to reveal the compaction plate 104 . without limiting the invention , the container may have a rectangular or rounded rectangular cross - sectional shape as shown in the figures . in other embodiments , the container may have a different shape that allows for the use of a compaction device that is hingedly attached to the container ( e . g ., a shape that narrows from the point of hinged attachment of the compaction device , such as a shape that tapers away from the hinged joint [ e . g ., a triangular shape , hemi - ellipsoid , etc .] to allow a complementarily shaped compaction device to swing down into the body of the container ). in some embodiments , and without limitation , the container shape may taper or partially taper along the vertical dimension from the opening of the container to the base of the container , such that the opening is wider than all or a portion of the compartment so that compacted , dense trash may be more easily removed from the container . both the lid and the compaction plate may be attached to the container by hinge joints that are placed and articulated such that the lid and compaction plate may be raised smoothly from the container when they are connected to each other . for example , and without limitation , the lid 102 and the compaction plate 104 may be hingedly attached to the container 100 by coaxial hinge joints 106 . the compaction plate 104 may optionally include vents 120 therein to allow air to pass through the compaction plate 104 as it is used to compress trash or recyclables in the compartment of the container . the compaction plate 104 may be detachably connected to the lid by an attachment mechanism , which includes a locking bolt 105 a ( e . g ., a pin with a tang thereoin , a wing bolt , etc . ), a locking bolt receiver 105 b ( e . g ., a complementary receiver ). to attach the compaction plate 104 to the lid 102 during regular use , the locking bolt 105 a may be inserted into the receiver 105 b . for example , and without limitation , the locking bolt may have a tang thereon that is aligned with a complementary slot in the receiver , and when inserted into the receiver , the locking bolt may be turned ( e . g ., 90 °) to allow the tang to catch in the receiver and hold the compaction plate to the lid . in other implementations , and without limitation , the locking bolt may have male threading and the receiver may be a port having matching female threading into which the bolt maybe screwed . the container 100 may also include a handle 110 for manipulating the position of the compaction plate when it is detached from the lid 102 . in some implementations and without limitation , the bolt 105 a may be rotatably attached to the handle and the compaction plate directly . in other implementations , and without limitation , the bolt may be rotatably attached to the handle with no direct connection to the compaction plate 104 ( see fig3 ). in still further implementations , and without limitation , the bolt may be rotatably attached to the lid 102 and a threaded receiver may be formed in the handle 110 or the upper surface of the compaction plate 104 ( see fig4 a and 4 b ). other implementations may use other types of connection devices . without limiting the invention , fig5 a - 5 b show an implementation in which the attachment mechanism is a spring latch that can be disengaged by pushing a button . the attachment mechanism includes a latch bolt 105 a having a notch therein and a bolt receiver 105 b that may include a spring loaded latch or awl that catches the notch on the latch bolt 105 a when the latch bolt 105 a is inserted into the receiver 105 b . the spring loaded latch or awl may be disengaged from the latch bolt 105 a when the release button 105 c is depressed . in another implementation , and without limitation , the attachment mechanism may be a magnetic clasp that includes a magnet and a magnetic receiver . for example , and without limitation , fig6 shows an implementation in which a magnet 105 d is positioned on the compaction plate 104 and a magnetic receiver 105 b ( e . g ., a plate of magnetic material ) is positioned on the underside of the lid 102 . the magnetic attraction between the magnet 104 a and the magnetic receiver 105 b may hold the compaction plate 104 and the lid 102 together until the user applies force to separate them . in such implementations , the handle 110 may be placed along the perimeter of the compaction plate 104 on an opposite side of the compaction plate from the hinge joint 106 , such that the user can grasp the handle 110 and pry the compaction plate 104 away from the lid 102 . other embodiments may use different attachment mechanisms . the examples provided herein are only for illustrative purposes and the present invention is not limited to those specific examples . the present invention provides a container that includes a built - in , manual compaction device that is easy to deploy and use . it is to be understood that here are several variations in the thermally insulative container that provide additional benefits , as disclosed above . it should also be understood that the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents . | 1 |
fig1 schematically shows an arrangement for calibration of an optoelectronic sensor 3 , in which the change in the response characteristic of sensor 3 is ascertained . the arrangement comprises a light source 1 , optoelectronic sensor 3 , and an evaluation unit 4 . the light emitted by light source 1 is detected by sensor 3 . the latter converts the light into electrical signals which are conveyed to evaluation unit 4 and evaluated therein according to the present invention . at least one first response characteristic of sensor 3 is stored in a memory 5 . in order to ascertain the response characteristic of sensor 3 , a light quantity incident upon it is varied . this is done by way of optical or electronic calibration means 2 . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 , optical calibration means 2 are introduced into the beam path between light source 1 and sensor 3 . various embodiments of these calibration means 2 can be used , e . g . absorption filters , scattering filters , gray wedges , or stops . in the case of absorption and scattering filters , either the number thereof introduced into the beam path is increased , filters of identical or different absorption or scattering capability being used . or only one filter is used in each case , and it is replaced by filters of differing absorption or scattering capability in order to vary the light quantity in controlled fashion . alternatively , this variation can also be effected using a gray wedge , which can be extended stepwise or quasi - continuously into the beam path . the absorption filters , scattering filters , and gray wedge either are manually operated or remotely controlled using corresponding apparatuses , or are introduced automatically into the beam path by means of a control device 6 . the absorption or scattering values of the filters or the gray wedge at certain positions in the beam path are known . the same is correspondingly true of stops having known openings of different sizes , which are likewise introduced manually or automatically into the beam path as light quantity calibration means 2 . stops having a variable opening , which are operated manually or automatically , are of course also usable . the light quantity incident upon sensor 3 is varied in controlled fashion by means of variously adjusted openings . stops having a variable aperture of this kind are sufficiently known from camera or microscope optical systems . a further possibility , not explicitly depicted in the figures , for embodying calibration means 2 is to vary the light quantity incident onto the sensor by way of an electronic exposure time . with an illumination intensity that is constant over time , different exposure times cause correspondingly different light quantities to arrive at sensor 3 . the exposure times can be varied by means of an exposure control system . the exposure control system , for example , controls a mechanical shutter that is opened in accordance with the exposure times , or an electronic shutter . an electronic shutter is , for example , an lcd display that , by electrical activation , allows light to pass or becomes opaque . alternatively , with appropriate activation the electronic readout of sensor 3 can also serve as an electronic shutter , the exposure times being set by way of differing lengths of time between start and stop signals to sensor 3 . while sensor 3 is being read out , the electrical charges generated by the received light in sensor 3 are not taken into consideration . in principle , the light emission of light source 1 can also be varied directly , in which case calibration means 2 vary electrical variables such as power level , voltage , or current for the operation of light source 1 . depending on the type of light source 1 , however , the correlation between these electrical variables and the emitted light quantity is not known satisfactorily or with sufficient accuracy , and the necessary accuracy is not attainable with some types of light source , for example in vapor - pressure lamps ( mercury / xenon ). using calibration means 2 as described , a first response characteristic of sensor 3 is acquired before the latter is used for image acquisition or measurement purposes with ultraviolet light . the electrical signals of sensor 3 are acquired as a function of the incident light quantity , and stored in a memory 5 . any memory type is usable as memory 5 . commercially available electronic , magnetic , or optical memories are used , an embodiment as a lookup table with short readout times being simple and advantageous . after sensor 3 has been exposed to uv light for a certain time as a result of image acquisitions or measurements , or has received a certain uv dose , a further response characteristic of sensor 3 is acquired . this is compared to the first response characteristic in order to ascertain changes and correct those changes . as a result , the modified electrical signals of sensor 3 for identical incident light quantities are corrected , and the sensor properties modified by the uv radiation are thus compensated for . after further uv measurements or uv service with sensor 3 , further response characteristics of sensor 3 are acquired and are again compared to the first response characteristic , and the changes are correspondingly corrected . stable , reproducible light measurements that correspond to the first measurements using sensor 3 are thereby obtained . useful examples of the application of such stable light measurements for image acquisition , image evaluation , and measurement are presented below in detail . the response characteristic of sensor 3 is of course acquired in particular at those light wavelengths , or in those wavelength regions , that are used for the image acquisitions or measurements . those wavelengths lie , depending on the application , in the uv region , the visible , or the infrared region . fig2 presents an example of the response characteristic of sensor 3 . the electrical signal of sensor 3 is plotted against the light quantity received by sensor 3 , in arbitrary units . at low light quantities that are not yet detectable , the dark current of sensor 3 , which is already supplying an electrical signal , is predominant . above a certain light quantity , sensor 3 supplies electrical signals that are proportional to the incident light quantity . at very large light quantities , sensor 3 is at saturation and cannot detect any additional light . curve a is the response characteristic of a sensor 3 not yet illuminated with uv light . curves b and c reproduce the response characteristic of sensor 3 after 18 hours and after 65 hours of illumination with uv light . it is evident that with increasing uv illumination , the sensitivity of sensor 3 has decreased in accordance with curves b and c . the sensor is supplying a lower electrical signal than that corresponding to the associated light quantity . the changes are compensated for by acquiring the response characteristic of sensor 3 and referring back to the first response characteristic . a conclusion as to an exact value of the light quantity actually received is thereby possible . further uv exposure of sensor 3 results correspondingly in further curves in addition to curves a , b , and c shown in fig2 . they move increasingly far away from first curve a as uv exposure increases . although the response characteristic is in principle identical for each sensor 3 , it is quantitatively different for each individual sensor 3 . for accurate measurement results , each sensor 3 must therefore be individually calibrated at time intervals , according to the invention . the changes in the response characteristic as a result of the radiation dose are not known a priori for the individual sensor 3 : they are neither specified by the manufacturer nor theoretically predictable . ccd chips are most often used as sensors 3 . they can also be photodiodes . other semiconductor sensors , or other sensor types that convert light into electrical signals , exhibit similar response characteristics . the calibration according to the present invention of sensor 3 is accomplished from time to time . the point in time is preferably determined depending on the input of uv light onto sensor 3 , i . e . on a dose - dependent basis ; this can be monitored , for example , by way of the total exposure time to uv light . calibration is , of course , also possible at fixed time intervals without regard to exposure times . fig3 shows a sample application for high - accuracy measurements using sensor 3 . a microscope 7 acquires images of a substrate 8 that is located on microscope stage 9 . for that purpose , substrate 8 is illuminated by a light source 1 a , 1 b of microscope 7 . that illumination can occur , as is usual in microscopes , as incident light and , for transparent substrates , also as transmitted light . filters or stops are correspondingly arranged as calibration means 2 a and 2 b in the beam path after light sources 1 a and 1 b , preferably in the positions shown in fig3 . when microscope 7 is operated with transmitted light , it is of course also possible to place various filters or stops on microscope stage 9 and to displace them correspondingly so as to bring the filters or stops successively into the beam path . substrate 8 has features that are imaged and measured using microscope 7 and sensor 3 . sensor 3 is , as a rule , part of a commercially available camera . substrate 8 is , for example , a mask comprising a glass substrate having applied features made of chromium . such masks are used in photolithography for semiconductor production , and their features are imaged onto wafers . the features on the mask or on the wafer represent electrical circuits for the chip that is to be produced . during the production process the features are repeatedly inspected for defects and their spacings and widths are measured . the images of the features are normally acquired using visible light . in order to obtain additional information or if the resolution of microscope 7 is insufficient for very small features using visible light , uv light is used . improved contrast and higher resolution are achieved with uv light . uv light in the wavelength region between , in particular , 150 nm and 420 nm is used for this purpose . light source 1 a , 1 b and the optical system of microscope 7 are designed accordingly . back - illuminated ccd cameras , full - frame transfer cameras , or interline transfer cameras , which can receive both visible light and uv light , are common as sensors 3 . the features acquired using uv light are prepared by image processing and can thereby be examined for defects or for any undesired particles that may be present . feature widths and spacings between the features are also measured by image processing . if uv light is also used , in addition to visible light , for the examinations , the invention allows precise and reproducible measurements to be made . as already described above , this involves using , for calibrations that take place occasionally , calibration means 2 a , 2 b that are brought into and / or controlled in the beam path of microscope 7 . calibration means 2 a , 2 b are preferably actuated and controlled in fully automatic fashion using control device 6 , so that the corresponding response characteristics of sensor 3 are automatically acquired and can be evaluated in evaluation unit 4 ( fig3 ). the results allow correction of the spacings and widths of substrate features measured by means of image processing . the correction is demonstrated in fig4 using the example of a feature width . at a point in time , a feature is imaged using microscope 7 . in fig4 , the relative intensity is plotted against the position of the imaged feature . the width of the feature is measured ; it is equal to 650 nm ( curve 1 ). at a later point in time , after images have been acquired with sensor 3 for several hours using uv light , the same feature is once again imaged and measured . the result is a measured feature width of 630 nm ( curve 2 ). because of the changes in sensor properties resulting from the uv light , sensor 3 is supplying modified signals that lead to the different measured result for the feature width . the modified signals are taken into account appropriately by way of the correction according to the present invention of the response characteristic of sensor 3 , and the original measured feature width of 650 is obtained . in the case of the example shown in fig4 , the feature width is acquired and measured using uv light at a wavelength of 248 nm . the correction according to the present invention of the response characteristic of sensor 3 is also useful for other measurement tasks in which accurate quantitative evaluations of acquired light are important . using a spectrophotometer as measurement device 10 on microscope 7 , optical parameters such as the refractive index or layer thicknesses of layers on substrate 8 can be determined . these parameters are determined from spectra of the light reflected from the layers . these spectra are referred to previously measured spectra of the blank substrate 8 . since the spectra are often also acquired in the uv region , the measurement accuracy and reproducibility of the optical parameters can be improved by considering , in accordance with the present invention , the properties of the sensor of measurement device 10 . instead of the spectrophotometer , other optical measurement arrangements , for example a spectroellipsometer , can be equipped with the methods and apparatus according to the present invention either as measurement device 10 on microscope 7 , or also as self - sufficient devices independent of microscope 7 . the examples shown are therefore not exhaustive . | 6 |
the part represented in the drawing of an occupant protection device of a passenger motor vehicle , essentially comprises a front - passenger - side airbag module 2 , which comprises a folded - together airbag ( not visible ), enclosed by an airbag container 4 , and a gas generator ( likewise not visible ). the module contained in a generator housing 6 , and is arranged behind an instrument panel 8 which has an exit opening 10 for the airbag that is normally closed by a cover 12 . in order to minimize the time delay before inflation of the airbag , the cover 12 in front of the exit opening 10 is removed before the airbag is activated . to make this possible , the cover 12 is not forced open by the inflating airbag , as in the case of most known systems , but is removed by a means 14 which is independent of the airbag . the cover removal means 14 is activated by a separate sensor system 16 , which operates independently of a sensor system 18 provided for the activation of the airbag gas generator . the cover removal means 14 and the airbag gas generator are activated via a controller 20 , which is connected to the sensor systems 16 , 18 on the one hand and to the cover removal means 14 and an igniting device 22 of the gas generator on the other hand . in the case of the embodiment represented in fig1 the cover means 14 comprises a spring - biased pressed - together helical compression spring 24 , which is arranged behind the cover 12 and forces the cover 12 in the direction of the interior of the motor vehicle . for securing the rigid cover 12 , formed from a plastic material , the edge thereof on its lower side engages behind an adjacent edge 26 of the exit opening 10 to form there a pivot bearing about which the cover 12 is pivoted during opening . on the rest of its periphery , the edge of the covering 12 bears against the edge of the exit opening 10 on the side facing the interior of the motor vehicle . the cover 12 is held in its position , against the force exerted by the helical compression spring 24 , on its upper side by an actuation element 28 of a magnetic switch 30 , which serves as a locking mechanism . the helical compression spring 24 has one end press fit into a recessed annular groove 32 on the inner side of the cover 12 and its other end supported loosely against a fixed - in - place abutment 34 arranged behind the instrument panel 8 , so that the spring 24 and the cover 12 pivot downward upon activation of the magnetic switch 30 and a resultant drawing in of the actuation element 28 to clear the exit opening 10 . arranged between the lower edge of the cover 12 and the adjacent edge 26 of the exit opening 10 is a strap 36 , which prevents the cover 12 from being detached completely from the instrument panel 8 and coming into the vicinity of a front passenger . while the sensor system 18 for activating the airbag gas generator comprises a conventional accelerator sensor ( not shown ), which is arranged in the region of the center tunnel of the motor vehicle and responds when the braking acceleration of the motor vehicle during impact with a fixed or moving obstacle exceeds a predetermined value , the sensor system 16 cover removal means 14 comprises , in the case of the embodiment of fig1 and 2 , a sensor 40 , arranged in the region of the front bumper 38 of the vehicle . the sensor 40 responds when there is deformation of the bumper 38 and causes the controller 20 to excite a magnetic coil of the magnetic switch 30 and draw in the actuation element 28 . the sensor 40 , shown in fig2 comprises two elongate parallel electrical contact strips 44 , 46 , which are separated by a small distance of , for example , 0 . 1 to 2 mm by barriers 48 attached at the edges of the strips 44 , 46 . the two contact strips 44 , 46 , with the barriers 48 , are foamed - in in the vertical front wall 42 of the bumper 38 in the longitudinal direction of the wall , extending over virtually the entire length of the bumper . in the event of impact , the two contact strips 44 , 46 touch at one or more points , thereby closing a circuit which is arranged between the controller 20 and the contact strips 44 , 46 and is interrupted by the gap between the contact strips 44 , 46 . thereupon , the controller 20 activates the magnetic switch 30 , which has the consequence of opening the cover 12 . this means that the cover 12 is opened not only in the event of serious accidents but also even in the event of accidents where there is slight impact and the like . however , the cover 12 can be refitted quickly and easily , in that its lower edge is hooked behind the neighboring edge 26 of the exit opening 10 and the cover 12 is pressed into the closed position , shown in fig1 while pressing together the helical compression spring 24 . in another embodiment represented in fig3 the cover 12 is designed as a roller screen 50 which normally closes the exit opening 10 &# 39 ;. when the controller 20 receives a predetermined signal from the associated sensor system 16 , the screen 50 is opened by an electric motor with a reversible direction of rotation . the roller screen 50 comprises a plurality of parallel plastic slats 52 , which are connected to one another in an articulated manner and are pulled upward and clear the exit opening 10 when the electric motor is activated . the opposite extreme ends of the slats 52 are thereby drawn by two arcuate lateral guide rails 54 in the direction of two drive wheels 56 , which are arranged at the ends of the guide rails 54 and are connected to the output shaft of the electric motor . fastened to the uppermost slat 52 are two pulling strips 57 , which are wound around the drive wheels 56 . fastened to the lowermost slat 52 are two tensioning strips 58 , which run behind the side edge of the exit opening 10 when the latter is open , so that they do not hinder the exiting of the airbag . the tensioning strips 58 are respectively led over a deflection roller 60 and fastened to one end of a tension spring 62 . the other end of the spring 62 is hooked onto a fixed - in - place abutment 64 behind the instrument panel 8 . the two tension springs 62 are tensioned when the roller screen 50 is opened and pull the roller screen 50 back into the closed position when the direction of rotation of the electric motor is reversed . such a reversal in the direction of rotation takes place , for example , if after the elapse of a predetermined period of time following the activation of the electric motor no ignition of the airbag gas generator takes place . for this purpose , the controller 20 may include , for example , a timing circuit . instead of with the aid of an electric motor , the roller screen 50 may alternatively also be opened by means of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder , the cylinder rod of which pulls the roller screen 50 away from in front of the exit opening 10 when it extends or retracts and pushes it in front of the exit opening 10 again when it retracts or extends . since the opening of the roller screen 50 requires a little more time , the associated sensor system 16 has a contactlessly operating proximity sensor ( not shown ), which measures in a proximity zone of about 20 m in front of the vehicle the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle in the path of movement of the motor vehicle and at the same time determines the relative speed of the motor vehicle . proximity sensors for measuring the distance and the relative speed with the aid of the doppler known and described , for example , in german reference dt 29 49 183 or u . s . pat . no . 3 , 684 , 309 . the controller 20 in this case comprises a microprocessor with memory , in which there are stored minimum distances prescribed for each relative speed and if the distance becomes less have the consequence of activating the electric motor and consequently opening the roller screen 50 . since the proximity sensor of the sensor system 16 responds significantly before the acceleration sensor of the sensor system 18 serving for the activation of the airbag gas generator , the exit opening 10 has already been completely opened when the controller 20 receives from the sensor system 18 a signal which leads to the activation of the gas generator . the airbag can therefore be inflated without any time delay and leave very quickly through the exit opening 10 , cleared by the roller screen 50 , into the interior of the motor vehicle . if no activation of the gas generator of the airbag occurs , because a collision is either avoided or takes place only at a low speed which is below the limit value required for the activation of the airbag , the roller screen 50 is automatically closed again by the controller after the elapse of a preset period of time . in fig1 to simplify the representation , both sensor systems 16 , 18 and the controller 20 are shown behind the instrument panel 8 , but in practice they are fitted at the most suitable locations , as described above . | 1 |
with reference to the above figures , the machine for forming sealing gaskets in crown caps comprises as dosage carousel 1 which rotates , by means of appropriate rotation means , such as for example motor means , advantageously actuated with continuous motion , about a vertical axis a . the carousel 1 bears a plurality of dosage units 2 distributed angularly and concentrically about the axis a . every dosage unit 2 can draw a dose of plastic material in the pasty state , for example supplied by an extruder , and place it inside a crown cap which is supported and rotated by the carousel 1 . in fig1 the reference numeral 3 indicates a cap and the numeral 4 indicates a dose of plastic material placed in the cap . each dosage unit supplies the dose 4 to a related cap in a known manner and is actuated vertically by an axial stationary cam ( not illustrated ) which extends concentrically about the axis a . the carousel 1 comprises a shaft 5 which protrudes upward from a stationary sleeve 6 in which it is rotatably supported . the sleeve 6 rises from the base of the machine , which is not illustrated . a cylindrical head 7 is rigidly rotationally associated with the upper part of the shaft 5 , and a horizontal disk 8 is centered and fixed therein . said disk 8 is star - shaped due to the presence , along its edge , of a series of semicircular recesses 9 which are angularly equidistant and are open outward . the recesses 9 are vertically aligned with respective dosage units 2 and have an edge machined complementarily to the outer contour of the caps . in particular , a seat 10 is defined in the edge and acts as support for the dentellated protruding lip which surrounds the caps . slots 11 are defined in the disk 8 and extend radially in the median plane of each recess 9 . the slots 11 are open at the upper face of the disk 8 and are connected to through openings 12 defined in the lower face of the disk 8 . a block 13 is fixed below the disk 8 at each slot 11 and has a notch 14 at the openings 12 . respective l - shaped levers 16 are articulated in a rocker - like manner in the notches 14 of the various blocks 13 by means of pivots 15 ; said levers have an arm 17 which extends downward and a radial arm 18 which continues upward , through the opening 12 , is perpendicular to the arm 17 and engages the slot 11 . the end of the arm 18 protrudes radially from the slot 11 and has a beak - shaped end 19 which is bent obliquely downward and extends so as to reach the seat 10 . a roller 20 is mounted at the lower end of each arm 17 and , by means of a traction spring 21 , is kept in tangential engagement on the profile of a radial cam 22 . one end of the springs 21 is coupled to the arms 17 and the opposite end is connected to a collar 23 which is rigidly associated with the shaft 5 . the cam 22 is centered and fixed at the top of the sleeve 6 and is thus stationary . a horizontal bracket 24 is fixed to the sleeve 6 below the cam 22 , and an element 26 is mounted thereon by means of spacers 25 and is locked by means of screws 27 ; the element 26 defines an upper horizontal surface which is arranged directly below the disk 8 . a channel 28 , open upward and external with respect to the disk 8 , is defined in the element 26 . the channel 28 constitutes an accommodation for a permanent magnet 29 the function whereof is to exert an attractive force on the caps which pass proximate thereto , so as to cause their extraction from their respective semicircular recesses and their insertion in respective recesses 30 of a transfer star 31 which transfers the caps 3 into a punching carousel 32 , where the dose 4 of pasty plastic material is pressed so as to form a layer which covers the bottom of the caps . the star 31 is constituted by a vertical shaft 33 which can rotate , by means of appropriate rotation means , about the axis b and is rotatably supported , by means of bearings 35 , in a sleeve 34 , which is also fixed to the base of the machine and therefore fixed relative to sleeve 6 ; a ring 37 is fixed at the enlarged top 36 of the sleeve 34 , and a radial cam 38 is centered on said ring 37 , is fixed by screws 39 and is co - planar to the cam 22 . the bearing 35 is locked against a shoulder of the shaft 33 by a tubular spacer 40 on which a bush 41 rests ; said bush 41 is provided with an external annular flange 42 . the bush 41 is rigidly associated with the shaft 33 by a key 43 and is locked axially by a disk 44 which is pressed against it by a screw 45 which is screwed to the head of the shaft 33 . a disk 46 is arranged on the flange 42 and is secured by screws 47 . the disk 46 is similar to the disk 8 and therefore has radial slots 48 defined in the median plane of the recesses 30 and engaged by the radial arms 49 of rockers 50 which , together with the other arms 51 , extend through openings 52 below the disk 46 . the rockers 50 are articulated by means of dowels 53 in blocks 54 which are fixed below the disk 46 . the ends of the radial arms 49 define beaks 55 which can retain the caps so that their dentellated protruding lip engages the seats 56 defined along the upper edge of the recesses 30 . the rockers 50 have rollers 57 which are kept in contact with the rim of the cam 38 by traction springs 58 which are connected between the arm 51 and the bush 41 . presetting the rotation of the carousel 1 in the clockwise direction c of fig2 the star 31 rotates in the counterclockwise direction d . the rotation rate of the carousel 1 and of the star 31 are chosen so that the tangential speeds of the disks 8 and 46 are identical . the carousel 1 and the star 31 are furthermore set in step so that the recesses 9 and 30 are arranged opposite at the point of tangency . as soon as the caps 3 are inserted in the recesses 9 by a suitable feeding device , the actuation imparted by the cam 22 causes the oscillation of the rocker 16 in the direction in which the beak 19 , by lowering , in cooperation with the disk 8 , clamps the dentellated edge of the cap 3 in the seat 10 . due to the semicircular configuration of the edges of the recesses 9 , the caps retained by the beaks 19 assume a perfectly horizontal arrangement . when the caps reach the angular position α ( alpha ) ahead of the point of tangency β ( beta ) between the carousel 1 and the star 31 , the rockers 16 are actuated in the direction of opening the beaks 19 , so that the caps , due to a centrifugal effect and to the attraction exerted by the magnets 28 , leave the recesses 9 and pass into the opposite recesses 30 , the beaks 55 whereof are in a raised position . when the caps are in the tangency position , the rockers 50 of the star 31 are actuated by the cam 38 and roller 57 engagement and , by means of the beaks 55 which are thereby lowered , retain the caps at a point which is diametrically opposite to the retention point of the beaks 19 . the caps then reach the punching carousel 32 , to which they are delivered after the lifting of the beaks 55 again actuated by the cam 38 and roller 57 engagement . during this transit , the caps pass above an appropriate inductor to facilitate the adhesion of the gasket on the internal surface . the substantial advantage of the device according to the invention is to be seen in the fact that the caps , contrary to what occurs in conventional cap manufacturing machines , do not slide in their supporting seats , so that the disadvantages mentioned above do not occur . the effects due to the size tolerances of the caps or to deformations thereof , which in conventional machines makes the passage of the caps from one carousel to the other critical , are furthermore minimized . the device according to the invention is not limited to application in a machine for manufacturing crown caps , but can be applied generally also in machines in which it is necessary to achieve the transfer of objects avoiding traction along a plane . | 8 |
fig1 shows a color picture tube 10 having a glass envelope 11 comprising a rectangular faceplate panel 12 and a tubular neck 14 connected by a funnel 15 . the funnel 15 has an internal conductive coating ( not shown ) that extends from an anode button 16 toward the panel 12 and to the neck 14 . the panel 12 comprises a substantially cylindrical viewing faceplate 18 and a peripheral flange or sidewall 20 , which is sealed to the funnel 15 by a glass frit 17 . a three - color phosphor screen 22 is carried by the inner surface of the faceplate 18 . the screen 22 is a line screen with the phosphor lines arranged in triads , each triad including a phosphor line of each of three colors . a color selection tension mask 24 is removably mounted in predetermined spaced relation to the screen 22 . an electron gun 26 , shown schematically by dashed lines in fig1 is centrally mounted within the neck 14 to generate and direct three inline electron beams , a center beam and two side or outer beams , along convergent paths through the mask 24 to the screen 22 . the tube 10 is designed to be used with an external magnetic deflection yoke , such as the yoke 30 shown in the neighborhood of the funnel - to - neck junction . when activated , the yoke 30 subjects the three beams to magnetic fields which cause the beams to scan horizontally and vertically in a rectangular raster over the screen 22 . the tension mask 24 , as shown in fig2 and 3 , is attached to a peripheral frame 28 that includes two long sides 32 and 34 , and two short sides 36 and 38 . the two long sides 32 and 34 of the frame parallel a central major axis , x , of the tube ; and the two short sides 36 and 38 parallel a central minor axis , y , of the tube . the tension mask 24 includes an apertured portion that contains a plurality of metal strands 39 having a multiplicity of elongated slits 41 therebetween that parallel the minor axis of the mask . each slit 41 extends between the two long sides 32 and 34 of the mask 24 . as shown in greater detail in fig3 each of the two long sides 32 of the frame 28 includes a rigid section 40 and a compliant member 42 cantilevered from the rigid section . the rigid sections 40 are hollow tubes , and the compliant members 42 are metal plates . the compliant members 42 substantially parallel each other and may vary in height from the center of each section longitudinally to the ends of the sections , to permit the best tension compliance over the mask . each of the short sides 36 and 38 ( not shown ) has an l - shaped cross - section upper portion 44 parallel to and separated from a flat bar - shaped lower portion 46 . each compliant member 42 has a distal edge 48 to which the strands 39 of the tension mask 24 are attached . the distal edge 48 of at least one of the compliant members 42 has two sections 50 and 52 separated by a gap 54 therebetween . the two sections 50 and 52 include an inner section 50 and an outer section 52 . the mask 24 is glued to the inner section 50 and is welded to the outer section 52 . fig4 through 7 illustrate the steps taken to attach the mask 24 to compliant members 42 of the frame 28 . first , the mask 24 is stretched between the two compliant members 42 , as shown in fig4 . next , forces f 1 are applied to the compliant members 42 to move them slightly together , and glue 56 is applied to seal the mask strands 39 to the inner sections 50 of the compliant members 42 , as shown in fig5 . after the glue 56 has dried , the forces f 1 are changed to reduced forces f 2 , other forces f 3 are applied to the outsides of the outer sections 52 , and the mask strands 39 are attached to the outer sections 52 by welds 58 , as shown in fig6 . the sum of the forces f 2 and f 3 should be such that the joint produced by glue 56 is not substantially moved , while a light tension in the mask is maintained . the generated spring force between the inner and outer sections 50 and 52 should be similar to the desired final mask tension . once the mask is welded , a border 60 of the mask 24 is trimmed , and the forces f 2 and f 3 are released from the frame , as shown in fig7 . utilization of this two - attachment process ensures that the positions of the strands are maintained by the glue when the welds are made . to achieve the proper tension forces in the mask 24 along the entire length of the compliant members 42 requires either that the forces f 3 on the outer sections 52 of the cantilevered compliant members 42 be varied along the mask , or that the spring constant of the outer sections 52 be varied along the compliant members 42 . this latter technique of varying the spring constant can be achieved in many different ways . for example , the thickness of the outer section 52 can be varied either by machining , by moving the position of the gap 54 , or by varying the depth of the gap 54 . utilization of a tube design that allows for two step attachment of a tension mask , permits attachment of individual strands of a tension mask , while preventing misalignment of the strands relative to a mask frame . this advantage is achieved because the first step of gluing the strands 39 to the inner sections 50 holds the strands in place until they can be welded to the outer sections 52 . in one preferred embodiment , the rigid sections 40 of the long side members 32 and 34 are hollow square tubes of 4130 steel having a wall thickness of 0 . 175 cm . the thickness of the compliant members is determined by considering mask thickness , the flexibility of the total mask - frame assembly and the desired warp misregistration limits . in a further preferred embodiment , the compliant members 42 are plates of 4130 stainless steel that are 0 . 157 cm thick . the two l - shaped upper portions 44 are preferably of crs - 1018 steel having a thickness of 0 . 318 cm . the two bar - shaped lower portions 46 are preferably of 300 series stainless steel having a thickness of about 3 cm , which has a different coefficient of thermal expansion than does the crs - 1018 steel of the upper portions 44 . when the frame 28 is heated , the lower portions 46 expand more than do the upper portions 44 . although the rigid sections 40 have been shown as hollow square tubes , other preferred configurations , such as those having l - shaped , c - shaped or triangular - shaped cross - sections , are also possible for these sections . furthermore , although the short sides 36 and 38 of the frame 28 have been shown as having l - shaped cross - sections , other preferred configurations may be used , such as c - shaped , triangular shaped or box - shaped . | 7 |
the manner in which the present invention operates may be more easily understood with reference to fig1 which is a block diagram of a permutation processor 20 according to the present invention . in general , processor 20 operates on the contents of a source register 15 having a number of packed data items . in the example shown in fig1 there are 4 items packed into each register . the items in source register 15 are shown at 11 - 14 . permutation processor 20 accepts an order word 26 which specifies the manner in which the data items in source register 15 are to be re - arranged to generate the data items in the target register 25 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , permutation processor 20 accepts an instruction specifying the target register , order word , and source register . permutation processor 20 supports both permutations with repetitions and permutations without repetitions . in a permutation without repetition , the data items in the source register are re - ordered in the target register ; however , no item is duplicated or eliminated . the rearrangement shown in fig1 is an example of a permutation without repetitions . in a permutation with repetitions , any data item may be duplicated or eliminated . suppose source register 15 contains the data elements “ abcd ”. a permutation without repetition of source register 15 would be “ bcad ”. an exemplary permutation with repetition would be “ cbbd ”. permutations with repetitions are specific instances of “ combinations ”. in a combination , the number of repetitions of each element is all that is important . that is , the ordering of each element is not important . for example , “ aabb ” and “ abab ” are the same combination , but different permutations with repetitions . the term permutation as used herein denotes both permutations , with and without repetitions , and combinations unless the context indicates otherwise . in one embodiment of the present invention , the order word is a list of the items in the target register in the order that the items are to appear in the target register . the number of bits in the order word depends on the maximum number of data items that can be packed into each register . in the example shown in fig1 the source and target registers have 4 data items each . to specify a data item that is one of four possible data items requires two bits . hence , in this example , the order word requires 8 bits which are organized as four two - bit sub - words . the items in the source register are labeled from 0 to n - 1 . the order word for the permutation shown in fig1 is shown at 26 . similarly , a combination rearrangement in which “ abcd ”→“ cbbd ” would be represented by an order word of ( 10 01 01 11 ). in this embodiment of the present invention , permutation processor 20 is implemented by utilizing a modification of a shifter that is present in the integer data path of almost all general - purpose computers . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the shifter is built from a plurality of stages of multiplexers . in a conventional shifter , each stage of multiplexers has the same control bits . the preferred embodiment of the present invention requires only that independent controls be established for each multiplexer in at least one of these stages . however , before describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention which utilizes the above - described modification of a conventional shifter , a somewhat simpler embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 which is a block diagram of an implementation of a permutation processor according to the present invention . this embodiment of the present invention is implemented with the aid of a single layer of multiplexers 45 . in this embodiment of the present invention , each sub - word in source register 55 is connected to each possible sub - word in target register 65 by a corresponding multiplexer . the source register sub - words are shown at 51 - 54 , and the target registers are shown at 61 - 64 . in this embodiment of the present invention , the multiplexers are associated with the target register sub - words , the multiplexers associated with target sub - words 61 - 64 being shown at 41 - 44 , respectively . each multiplexer is controlled by a different sub - word of an order register 75 which holds the order word described above . each multiplexer moves a sub - word . hence , if the sub - words are 8 - bits in length , each multiplexer is an 8 - bit wide multiplexer . while the embodiment shown in fig2 is relatively simple , its implementation on a conventional general purpose computer requires that additional hardware be added to the processing unit of the general purpose computer . as noted above , the preferred embodiment of the present invention achieves further advantages over the embodiment shown in fig2 by sharing the multiplexers that are already present in a conventional shifter , thereby eliminating the need to add additional multiplexers to the conventional computer design . to simplify the following discussion , a particular word size will be utilized ; however , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other word sizes may be implemented using the teachings of this example . consider a computer that utilizes 64 - bit words . a conventional shifter in such a computer can be implemented in 3 stages of 4 : 1 multiplexers as shown in fig3 at 100 . the first stage shifts the input by a multiple of 16 bits , i . e ., 0 , 16 , 32 or 48 bits . the second stage 185 shifts the input to that stage by multiples of 4 bits , i . e ., 0 , 4 , 8 , or 12 bits . the final stage 186 shifts the input by 0 to 3 bits in one bit increments . if the shifter is implemented as a 0 to 64 bit shift , the final stage shifts the input right by up to 4 bits . however , for simplicity , the following discussion will assume a 0 to 63 bit shift range . the first stage of shifter 100 is exactly the same as the simple embodiment of the present invention shown in fig2 for the case in which 16 - bit subwords are to be used in the permutation provided the conventional control lines are altered such that the multiplexer controls can be set to values that are determined by the contents of an order register . such an arrangement is shown in fig3 the first stage multiplexers 141 - 144 are controlled by the contents of order register 175 . when used as a permutation generator , the control lines of second and third stage multiplexers are set to zero . when used as a shifter , the order register is set to provide the same input to each of the first stage multiplexers , and the control lines of the second and third stages of multiplexers , shown at 185 and 186 , are set in the conventional manner . in the above discussion , it was assumed that the source register 155 and target register 165 were to divided into no smaller than 16 - bit subwords for the purpose of performing permutations . if smaller sub - words are needed and the full set of permutations are to be generated , then the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a different embodiment of the shifter in which the shifter is re - designed such that the first stage of multiplexers can provide the permutations . for example , if 8 - bit subwords are to be used , then the 64 - bit shifter described above can be implemented as two stages of 8 : 1 multiplexers . the first stage would then be capable of generating the full set of permutations . if less than the full set of permutations is to be generated , then a design in which the second stage and / or third stage multiplexers are also utilized may be possible depending on the subset of permutations desired . in this design , the control lines of the multiplexers of the second , and / or , third stages are set such that , for at least one permutation in the set of allowable permutations , at least one of the multiplexers in these stages receives a different control signal than the other multiplexers in that stage . there are a number of permutations that are particularly useful in implementing mathematical computations that are often carried out as part of computer programs . these are summarized in table i , below . for the purposes of illustration , it is assumed that the source register is divided into 8 subwords denoted by “ abcdefgh ”. the shuffle and mix permutations treat the input register as two 4 - subword registers . the output register is assembled by alternately taking one sub - word from the first register and one from the second register . the alternate permutation moves every other subword to the output register and then moves the remaining subwords . the broadcast permutations repeat the same subword in all positions of the output register . while the above table lists only two of the possible broadcast permutations , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that broadcast permutations may be implemented based on any subword in the input register . finally , the exchange permutation reverses the order of each pair of subwords . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other specialized permutations may be advantageously incorporated in the present invention . for example , conditional exchange permutations in which subwords are conditionally re - ordered depending on the value of a bit corresponding to each pair of subwords in the portion of the instruction that specifies the permutation may be implemented . this implementation allows any of 16 specific different permutations of 8 subwords to be specified with only 4 bits . the 16 permutations in question and the corresponding 4 bits are shown in table ii while the above described embodiments of the present invention utilize an order word that is contained in the instruction , embodiments in which the order word is indirectly specified are also possible . such embodiments are useful in cases in which the number of subwords is sufficiently large to preclude including the corresponding order word in an instruction because the length of order word would exceed the allowable length of an instruction . in such embodiments , the order word may reside in one or more registers whose identity is specified in the instruction . the order word can also reside in memory at an address specified in the instruction . finally , the order word can reside at a predetermined location . in this case , the instruction implicitly specifies the location of the order word . in embodiments in which the full set of permutations is not implemented , the implemented permutations may be numbered . the instruction , or register pointed to by the instruction , would then contain the number of the permutation . an appropriate mapping table would then be used to convert the permutation number into the equivalent order word . while the above described embodiments have been described in terms of an order word that is stored in a register , embodiments in which the order word does not actually reside in a register are also possible . in such embodiments , the bits of the order word are generated on the appropriate control lines of the multiplexers directly . for example , in the embodiments in which a subset of permutations is implemented , the mapping circuitry that translates the permutation number need only generate the corresponding logic signals for application to the multiplexers used to implement the permutation . in these embodiments , the “ order word ” exists only as a set of logic levels on the appropriate signal lines . while the above description has emphasized permutations in which at least one of the subwords in the output register is different from the corresponding subword in the input register , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention also supports the identity permutation in which the input and output registers are identical . various modifications to the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings . accordingly , the present invention is to be limited solely by the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
i have found that problems of current overshoot and undershoot in the output of transistor current cells , which are switched by the phase opposite signals , are due to charging or discharging of the parasitic capacitances of the output transistor coupling its gate to its drain . these overshoots and undershoots cause excessive ringing on the current summing line , which limits the high speed performance of the dac . the cmos current switch 10 of fig1 provides an output current advantageously having reduced overshoots and undershoots . the current switch 10 includes a gate switching circuit 20 and a current cell circuit 30 . the current switch 10 is constructed to receive a binary input signal on input signal line 6 in the form of a logic 1 or a logic 0 , the values of which relate to digital voltage levels , for example , generally about 5 v and 0 v , respectively . in response to the applied logic input signal on line 6 , the current switch generates an output current signal 46 in which the current takes one of two values according to the logic value of the input signal on line 6 . the gate switching circuit 20 includes an input connection to the binary input signal line 6 , an inverter 22 and four transmission gate transistors , of which two are p - channel mos transistors 14 and 18 and two are n - channel mos transistors 12 and 16 . the transmission gate transistors are so - named in reference to their usage in switching the transmission of different voltage supplies to switches within the current cell circuit 30 . two constant voltage lines , 8 and 9 , are included in the gate switching circuit 20 . the voltages applied to lines 8 and 9 are substantially constant with the potential of the voltage 9 ( for example , 3 . 5 v ) having a greater magnitude than the potential of the voltage 8 ( 0 v ). the potential of the voltage 9 is less than the logic 1 voltage level of the binary input signal on line 6 ( for example , 5 v ). as is depicted in fig1 the binary input signal line 6 is applied to the gate of the n - channel mos transistor 12 and to the gate of the p - channel mos transistor 14 . the voltage 8 is applied to the drain terminal of the n - channel mos transistor 12 and the voltage 9 is applied to the source terminal of the p - channel mos transistor 14 . the source terminal of n - channel mos transistor 12 and the drain terminal of p - channel mos transistor 14 are coupled and applied to the gate of a p - channel mos transistor 26 within the current cell 30 in a manner to be described hereinafter so that the transistor 26 becomes conductive when the binary input signal on line 6 takes a logic level 1 and the transistor 26 becomes non - conductive when the signal takes a logic level 0 . the signal applied to the gate of transistor 26 may be termed a gating signal 34 , that reflects the same logic value as the binary input signal on line 6 . the logic value of the binary input signal on line 6 is inverted by the inverter 22 and then applied to the gate of the n - channel mos transistor 16 and to the gate of the p - channel mos transistor 18 . the voltage 8 is applied to the drain terminal of the n - channel mos transistor 16 and the voltage 9 is applied to the source terminal of the p - channel mos transistor 18 . the source terminal of n - channel mos transistor 16 and the drain terminal of the p - channel mos transistor 18 are coupled and applied to a p - channel mos transistor 28 within the current cell 30 , as will be related in the later discussion of that circuit . the transistor 28 becomes non - conductive when the binary input signal on line 6 takes a logic level 1 and the transistor 28 becomes conductive when the signal takes a logic level 0 . the signal applied to the gate of transistor 28 may be called an inverted gating signal 36 , having a complementary relationship to the binary input signal on line 6 . conventional current switch circuits employ transistors in the manner in which transistors 26 and 28 are employed . however , conventional current switch circuits drive the gates of such transistors with logic level signals of 0 v and 5 v . the substantial change in gate voltage from 0 v to 5 v logic level signals in conventional current switch circuits causes the output current to undershoot as the current changes from no conducted current to a constant current . fig2 graphically depicts the undershoot at point 51 of the solid - line electrical signal waveform 50 , in which the output current changes in time as the binary input signal is changed . the graph of fig2 is generated by the simulation of a conventional three - transistor ( p - channel mosfet ) current cell driven with full - scale phase - opposed gating signals , as it responds to a change from a zero level digital input signal to a full - scale signal . in the same manner , as is shown in fig3 a substantial change in gate voltage from 5 v to 0 v logic level signals in a conventional current switch circuit causes the output current to overshoot as the current changes from a constant current to no current ; see point 55 on line 54 . the phenomena of overshoot and undershoot are believed to result from parasitic capacitance of the mosfet devices in the three - transistor current cell . the parasitic capacitances of concern are a gate - channel capacitance c gc and a gate - drain capacitance c gd . as the gate of a p - channel mosfet is driven high , to a voltage greater than the mosfet threshold voltage , current begins to flow through the channel of the mosfet . unfortunately , the capacitive components c gc and c gd must charge , thereby causing an undershoot . similarly , as the gate is driven low , current flow begins to decrease . unfortunately , the capacitive components c gc and c gd must discharge , thereby causing an overshoot . the amplitude of the deviation in current caused by the overshoot and undershoot phenomena is related to the amplitude of the voltage driving the mosfet gate , so that lower amplitude driving signals result in output current signals with smaller amplitude overshoots and undershoots . by minimizing the amplitude of these current deviations , the current switch 10 of fig1 performs faster digital to analog signal conversion . the current switch 10 protects the gates of the p - channel mos current source transistors 26 and 28 from high logic level signals by interposing the transmission gate transistors 14 , 12 , 18 and 16 between the logic level binary input signal line 6 and gate terminals of the current source transistor 26 and 28 . although the signals applied to the gate terminals of the transmission gate transistors 14 , 12 , 18 and 16 vary within a full logic swing ( 0 v to 5 v ), these gates have a high impedance so that the gate terminals of the current source transistors 26 and 28 are protected from the full logic level signals . the voltage levels applied to the gate terminals of transistors 26 and 28 are thus limited to the range between the voltages 8 and 9 . voltages 8 and 9 are selected to provide a reduced voltage change applied to the gates of current source transistors 26 and 28 . the improvement in the undershoot and overshoot phenomena of the present invention , as is illustrated by a broken - line electrical signal waveform 52 of fig2 and a broken - line electrical signal waveform 56 of fig3 is partially a result of limiting the voltage applied to the gates of the steering transistors 26 and 28 . the current cell 30 also includes p - channel mos transistors 24 and 32 and operates as follows . a current - generating potential , such as that provided by the cmos circuit supply voltage line v dd 4o , is applied to the source terminal of the p - channel mos transistor 24 to source the current supplied by the circuit 30 . a constant predetermined current - setting bias voltage 42 is applied to the gate terminal of transistor 24 to set the level of the current flowing through the current cell 30 to a constant value . various suitable bias voltage generating circuits are well known in the art . the drain terminal of the transistor 24 is connected to the source terminals of the two p - channel mos transistors 26 and 28 , supplying a substantially constant current to node 44 . the gate terminal of the transistor 26 is coupled to the gating signal line 34 and the gate terminal of the transistor 28 is connected to the inverted gating signal line 36 so that the logic value of the signal applied to the gate of the transistor 26 is always opposite the logic value of the signal applied to the gate of the transistor 28 . the drain terminal of the p - channel mos transistor 28 is coupled to a reference potential within the cmos circuit , such as a ground potential . the drain terminal of the p - channel mos transistor 26 is coupled to both the source and the drain terminals of the p - channel mos transistor 32 , which are shorted to provide a suitable capacitive device . the gate terminal of the transistor 32 is connected to the inverted gating signal line 36 so that the phase of the signal applied to the gate of the transistor 32 is opposite that applied to the gate of transistors 26 . the p - channel mos transistor 32 is employed to compensate for the parasitic capacitances c gc and c gd of the p - channel mos transistor 26 . the transistor 32 is added to the circuit as a &# 34 ; dummy &# 34 ; device in series with the output transistor 26 . the source and drain terminals of transistor 32 are connected in a short - circuit and the signal applied to the gate of transistor 32 is in opposite phase with respect to the signal applied to the gate of transistor 26 . therefore , the charging and discharging of the parasitic capacitance of transistor 26 is compensated by the discharging and charging of the parasitic capacitance of the transistor 32 , so that the undershoots and overshoots are reduced and the switching speed of the current switch 10 is increased . the current switch 10 thus responds quickly to the logic level applied to the binary input signal line 6 . when a voltage of approximately 5 v ( logic 1 ) is applied to the input 6 of the gate switching circuit 20 , 5 volts is applied to the gate of the n - channel mos transistor 12 and to the gate of the p - channel mos transistor 14 , thereby causing the n - channel mos transistor 12 to become conductive and the p - channel mos transistor 14 to become non - conductive which , in turn , drives the p - channel mos transistor 26 to a conductive state so that the current from the transistor 24 flows through the transistor 26 to the output 46 . at the same time , the logic value on binary input 6 is inverted by the inverter 22 and a voltage of approximately 0 v is applied to the gate of the n - channel mos transistor 16 and to the gate of the p - channel mos transistor 18 , thereby causing the n - channel mos transistor 16 to become non - conductive and the p - channel mos transistor 18 to become conductive which , in turn , place the p - channel mos transistors 28 and 32 in a non - conductive state . alternatively , when the binary input signal on line 6 is logic level 0 , a voltage of approximately 0 v is applied to the gate of the n - channel mos transistor 12 and to the gate of the p - channel mos transistor 14 , thereby causing the n - channel mos transistor 12 to become non - conductive and the p - channel mos transistor 14 to become conductive which , in turn , set the p - channel mos transistor 26 in a non - conductive state , resulting in an output current 46 of zero . at the same time , a voltage of approximately 5 v ( logic 1 ) is applied to the gate of the n - channel mos transistor 16 and to the gate of the p - channel mos transistor 18 , thereby causing the n - channel mos transistor 16 to become conductive and the p - channel mos transistor 18 to become non - conductive which , in turn , drives the p - channel mos transistors 28 and 32 to a conductive state so that the current through the transistor 24 flows from the transistor 28 to the reference potential . although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiment is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention . numerous modifications may be made therein and other arrangements may be devised without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention . | 7 |
the present invention is concerned with a novel compound ( hereinafter referred to as xanthofulvin ) of the formula i , ## str4 ## or a salt thereof . xanthofulvin also occurs in a tautomeric form of the formula ## str5 ## the term xanthofulvin as used herein refers to both the enol form and the diketo tautomer . the present invention is also concerned with the use of xanthofulvin to treat or prevent fungal infections in mammals , humans and non - humans , for use as therapeutically active substances , a process for producing xanthofulvin , a microorganism capable of producing xanthofulvin , and chitin synthase 2 inhibiting compositions . chitin is a linear homopolymer of n - acetylglucosamine . it is commonly found in fungal cells and widely distributed in almost all fungal genera . chitin is a minor but an essential cell wall component for fungi and does not exist in mammalian cells . therefore it has been regarded as one of the most attractive targets for antifungals , though very few inhibitors have so far been found . polyoxins and nikkomycins are well known as chitin synthase inhibitors hut have not yet found clinical use . however , these compounds still draw much attention since the inhibitory activity against chitin synthase is specific and potent . recently three chitin synthases of saccaromyces cerevisiae were identified ( chitin synthase 1 , 2 and 3 ) where chitin synthase 2 ( chs 2 ) proved to be most critical among the three ( n . h . valdivieso , p . c . mol , j . a . shaw , e . cabib and a . duran . j . cell biol . 114 , 101 - 109 ( 1991 ); j . w . shaw , p . c . mol , b . bowers , s . j . silverman , m . h . valdivieso , a . duran and e . cabib . j . cell biol ., 114 , 111 - 123 ( 1991 )). polyoxin d and nikkomycin x were found to inhibit chitin synthase 1 ( chs 1 ) rather than chs 2 ( e . cabib . antimicrob . agents chemother ., 35 , 170 - 173 ( 1991 )) in accordance with the present invention it has been found that some specific microorganisms produce xanthofulvin having high chs 2 inhibiting activity . the physico - chemical properties of xanthofulvin obtained as described in the example given hereinbelow are as follows : ______________________________________appearance : yellow crystalsmelting point : 249 ˜ 251 ° c . ( dec .) molecular formula c . sub . 28 h . sub . 18 o . sub . 14 * hrfab - ms ( m / z ) ( m + h ). sup .+ : calcd . : 579 . 0775found : 579 . 0786uv λ . sub . max nm ( ε ): in meoh 239 ( 33 , 600 ), 317 ( 20 , 400 ), 400 ( 17 , 800 ) in meoh / 1n hcl ( 100 : 1 ) 240 ( 30 , 900 ), 313 ( 25 , 000 ), 365 ( 17 , 900 ) in meoh / 1n naoh ( 100 : 1 ) 233 ( 35 , 400 ), 383 ( 31 , 000 ) ir ν . sub . max ( kbr ) cm - 1 : 3430 , 1700 , 1600 , 1480 , 1360 , 1280solubility : soluble in dmso , meoh slightly soluble in h . sub . 2 o insoluble in n - hexane . sup . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , 2 . 37 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 72 ( 3h , s ), cd . sub . 3 od / cdcl . sub . 3 / dmso - d . sub . 6 4 . 67 ( 2h , br s ), 6 . 43 ( 1h , s ),( 2 : 1 : 1 ) used tms as an 6 . 97 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , s ) internal standard ) δ :. sup . 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , 16 . 8 , 32 . 4 , 66 . 6 , 102 . 9 , 103 . 5 , cd . sub . 3 od / cdcl . sub . 3 / dmso - d . sub . 6 104 . 9 , 110 . 3 , 110 . 8 , 119 . 2 , 120 . 2 ,( 2 : 1 : 1 ) used tms as an 121 . 1 , 126 . 6 , 130 . 0 , 132 . 6 , 139 . 1 , internal standard ) δ : 139 . 3 , 141 . 6 , 151 . 0 , 152 . 4 , 154 . 1 , 154 . 7 , 156 . 5 , 168 . 6 , 168 . 8 , 171 . 1 , 173 . 6 , 184 . 4 , 202 . 5______________________________________ * hrfab - ms : high resolution fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry according to the process provided by the present invention , xanthofulvin is produced by cultivating a microorganism belonging to the genus eupenicillium capable of producing xanthofulvin under aerobic conditions in an aqueous culture medium and isolating xanthofulvin from the culture . the microorganism used in the foregoing process can be any strain ( including variants ) belonging to the genus eupenicillium capable of producing xanthofulvin . especially preferred strains are eupenicillium sp . nr7125 as well as variants thereof . eupenicillium sp . nr7125 was directly isolated from a fruiting body of marasmius sp . collected in hachijo - jima island , tokyo , japan , and identified as a strain belonging to the genus eupenicillium . the strain denoted as eupenicillium sp . nr7125 has been deposited with the fermentation research institute , agency of industrial science and technology , japan , under the budapest treaty on sep . 30 , 1991 as follows : eupenicillium sp . nr7125 ( ferm - bp no . 3588 ). the cultural characteristics and the morphological characteristics of eupenicillium sp . nr7125 ( ferm - bp no . 3588 ) are as follows : on czapek - yeast extract agar ( cya ), colonies grew rapidly attaining a diameter of 42 - 45 mm in 7 days at 25 ° c ., showing floccose in appearance and furrowed in a radiate pattern . mycelium is white . the conidiogenesis and ascocarp formation were not prominent so that it could not affect the color of the colonies . exudates or soluble pigments were not produced . reverse was in pale yellow ( cream yellow , munsell , 2 . 5y9 / 4 ). on malt extract agar ( mea ), colonies grew rapidly to reach 37 - 40 mm in diameter after 7 days , showing floccose appearance . mycelium was white . conidiogenesis was prominent particularly in the central area of the colonies , showing soft blue green ( munsell , 2 . 5bg7 / 4 ). abundant ascocarps were formed on the surface of the agar . exudates or soluble pigments were absent . reverse was pale yellow ( cream , munsell , 5y9 / 2 ). on 25 % glycerol - nitrate agar ( g25n ), colonies grew slowly showing compact and velutinous , and reached 16 - 17 . 5 mm in diameter in 7 days at 25 ° c . conidial production was not prominent . mycelium was white . reverse was cream yellow . pigment in agar was absent . on cya at 37 ° c ., colonies grew rapidly attaining a diameter of 29 - 33 mm . conidiophores were born from surface hyphae or aerial hyphae , smooth and thin walled , typically long and slender of 100 - 250 μm in length . they usually terminated in a verticil of 3 - 5 phialides ( monoverticillate ), but sometimes with one or two , rarely three metulae ( biverticillate ). metulae were mostly long and divergent , 10 - 20 × 2 - 3 μm . phialides were ampulliform , 8 - 12 × 2 - 3 . 5 μm , and abruptly tapered to the apical conidium bearing part . conidia were most often subglobose , 2 . 9 - 3 . 6 × 2 . 7 - 3 . 3 μm with finely roughened to verrucose walls , and born in short chain . ascocarps were pseudoparenchymatous cleistothecia , 100 - 250 μm in diam ., becoming white to cream , texture sclerotioid but soft , maturing in 3 weeks . asci were born singly , ellipsoidal , 8 . 4 - 11 . 7 × 6 . 8 - 7 . 2 μm . ascospores were hyaline , subspheroidal to broadly ellipsoidal , 2 . 9 - 3 . 5 × 2 . 6 - 3 . 1 μm , with walls echinulate but without flange . ascocarps were sclerotioid and surrounded by pseudoparenchymatous walls . penicillium - anamorph was readily observed on cya and mea . these characteristics clearly indicated that this strain , nr7125 ( ferm - bp no . 3588 ) was included in the genus eupenicillium ludwig . therefore , this strain was identified as eupenicillium sp . nr7125 . the cultivation in accordance with the process provided by the present invention can be carried out in a culture medium which contains customary nutrients usable by the microorganism being cultivated . as carbon sources there can be mentioned , for example , glucose , sucrose , starch , glycerol , molasses , dextrin and mixtures thereof . nitrogen sources are , for example , soybean meal , cottonseed meal , meat extract , peptone , dried yeast , yeast extract , cornsteep liquor , ammonium sulphate , sodium nitrate and mixtures thereof . moreover , there may be added to the culture medium other organic or inorganic substances for promoting the growth of the microorganism and for increasing the production of xanthofulvin , examples of such substances being inorganic salts such as , for example , calcium carbonate , sodium chloride , phosphates and the like . the cultivation is carried out under aerobic conditions in an aqueous medium , preferably by submerged fermentation . the cultivation is suitably carried out at a temperature of 20 °- 35 ° c ., the optimal temperature being 27 ° c . the cultivation is preferably carried out at a ph of 3 to 9 . the cultivation time depends on the conditions under which the cultivation is carried out . in general , it is sufficient to carry out the cultivation for 50 ˜ 200 hours . the isolation of xanthofulvin from the fermentation broth can be carried out according to methods known per se . for example , the mycelium can be separated from the fermentation broth by centrifugation or filtration and xanthofulvin can be extracted from the filtrate with a water - immiscible organic solvent such as alkanol e . g . n - butanol and esters e . g . ethyl acetate , butyl acetate etc . on the other hand , xanthofulvin contained in the separated mycelium can be obtained , for example , by extracting the mycelium with a solvent such as aqueous acetone or aqueous methanol , removing the solvent and further extracting the residue with a water - immiscible organic solvent . the thus - obtained solvent phase is dried with a dehydrating agent such as sodium sulphate etc . and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the resulting crude xanthofulvin can be purified by means of extraction methods , partition methods , precipitation methods , column - chromatographical methods ( using silica gel , aluminium oxide etc . as adsorbants ) or by means of molecular sieve methods . xanthofulvin is isolated as a free acid , but this can be , if required , converted into pharmaceutically acceptable salts such as sodium salt , potassium salt and calcium salt by conventional methods . inhibitory activity of xanthofulvin against chs 1 and chs 2 from saccharomyces cerevisiae was measured respectively . the overproducer employed for chs 1 was saccharomyces cerevisiae ( ura3 ) harbouring plasmid ( chsl , ura3 ). the cells were permeabilized with 0 . 5 % digitonin for 15 min at 30 ° c ., followed by treatment with trypsin at the final concentration of 100 μg / ml for 15 min at 30 ° c . after addition of trypsin inhibitor from soybean , 50 μl of 2 . 5 × 10 7 cells / ml was incubated for 1 hr at 30 ° c . with 40 μl of assay solution containing 50 mm mes ph 6 . 5 , 5 mm mg ( oac ) 2 , 32 mm n - acetylglucosamine and 0 . 1 mm [ 14 c ]- udp - n - acetylglucosamine , and 10 μl of sample solution . reaction was terminated with addition of tca and cells are collected on the filter and washed with 70 % aqueous ethanol containing 0 . 3m acetic acid . radioactivity of cells is counted with a liquid scientillation counter . amount of chitin formed was determined on the basis of radioactivity incorporated into the cells ( s . j . silverman , a . sburlati , m . j . slater and e . cabib . proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 85 , 4735 - 4739 ( 1988 )). inhibitory activity of xanthofulvin against chs 1 was shown in table 1 . overproducer for chs 2 was a saccharomyces cerevisiae strain of disrupted chs 1 gene ( chs1 :: ura3 , leu2 ) with plasmid ( chs2 , leu2 ). assay method was the same as the one for chs 1 described above except for assay solution . assay solution for chs 2 contained 30 mm tris ( ph 7 . 5 ), 2 . 5 mm co ( oac ) 2 , 32 mm n - acetylglucosamine and 0 . 1 mm [ 14 c ]- udp - n - acetylglucosamine ( see : silverman et al . supra ). inhibitory activity of xanthofulvin was shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________ ic . sub . 50 ( μm ) chs 1 chs 2______________________________________xanthofulvin & gt ; 200 2 . 2polyoxin d 0 . 26 10 . 3______________________________________ as shown in the above table 1 , xanthofulvin has high chs 2 inhibiting activity . thus , xanthofulvin can be used as an antifungal agent , e . g . for the treatment of or prevention of infections with candida sp . ( candidoses ). the novel xanthofulvin and salts thereof provided by the present invention can find use as medicaments , for example in the form of unit dose pharmaceutical preparations which contain them or their salts in admixture with an organic or inorganic inert carrier material suitable for enteral application , such as for example water , gelatine , gum arabic , lactose , starch , magnesium stearate , talc , vegetable oils , polyalkylene glycols etc . the unit dose pharmaceutical preparations can be present in solid form , e . g . as tablets , coated tablets , dragees or capsules , hard gelatine or soft gelatine , or in liquid form , e . g . as solutions , syrups , or suspensions . a dose unit may contain 10 to 200 mg of active ingredient . the daily dosage for an adult can be in the range from 10 to 400 mg and may be varied according to individual requirements which can be determined by those of ordinary skill in the art . the spore suspension from well grown slant of eupenicillium sp . nr7125 ( ferm - bp no . 3588 ) was inoculated into a 500 - ml erlenmeyer flask containing 100 ml of the medium consisting of glucose 2 %, glycerol 3 %, polypeptone ( nippon seiyaku ) 0 . 5 %, yeast extract ( nippon seiyaku ) 0 . 2 %, nacl 0 . 3 % and cac03 1 %. the flask was shaken at 220 rpm for 3 days at 27 ° c . two ml of the resultant culture was each transferred to fifty 500 - ml flasks containing the same medium above . the fermentation was conducted on a rotary shaker at 220 rpm at 27 ° c . after 5 day cultivation , the culture broth was subjected to the isolation procedure described below . the culture broth ( 5 liters ) was separated into filtrate and mycelium by centrifugation . the culture filtrate ( 3 . 2 liters ) was extracted with 2 liters of n - butanol at ph 9 . 0 , and the organic layer was discarded . the aqueous layer ( 3 . 1 liters ) was then extracted with 5 liters of n - butanol at ph 2 . 0 , and the organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate ( 24 . 1 g ) was dissolved in 1 liter of methanol and partitioned with 2 liters of n - hexane . the methanol layer was then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the residue ( 24 g ) was triturated with 50 ml of methanol . after removal of the precipitates by filtration , the filtrate was subjected to a column chromatography on 10 . 5 liters of sephadex lh - 20 ( pharmacia ) using methanol as an eluent . the active fractions were combined and concentrated under reduced pressure to give a yellowish powder which was crystallized from methanol to give 32 mg of xanthofulvin as yellow crystals . the following example illustrates a pharmaceutical preparation containing xanthofulvin provided by the present invention : tablets each containing the following ingredients were manufactured in the conventional manner per se : ______________________________________xanthofulvin 100 mgstarch 26 mgcarboxymethylcellulose calcium 15 mgcrystalline cellulose 20 mgmagnesium stearate 4 mg 165 mg______________________________________ | 8 |
fig1 shows the feedback loop for the horn assembly . a variable speed shaded - pole type motor 10 is provided with a pulley 12 which is coupled by a belt 14 to a rotor 16 of the horn assembly 18 . the speed of rotation of the rotor 16 determines the pulsato rate for the horn assembly 18 . the shaft speed of a motor 10 is sensed by a suitable tachometer 20 . the tachometer 20 can be any one of several types . in the preferred embodiment , the tachometer is an optical sensor which provides a pulse output on line 22 for each tooth of the motor wheel or nineteen pulses per revolution . each pulse on line 22 is applied to a pulse shaper circuit 24 which comprises a resistor 26 , a transistor 28 , a voltage source connected through resistor 30 to the output of transistor 28 , a capacitor 32 and two diodes 34 and 36 . the pulse output of pulse shaper circuit 24 is applied to the filter circuit 38 . the filter circuit comprises resistors 40 and 42 and capacitor 44 . the pulse output of the filter circuit 38 has a pulse width , and if the speed of the motor is much less than that desired , the pulse output from filter 38 is narrow while if the speed of the motor is slightly less than that desired , the pulse output from filter 38 is wider and if the speed of the motor is greater than that desired , the pulse output from filter 38 is still wider . the pulse output of filter circuit 38 is applied to the positive input of pulse width modulator 46 . the operator has control of two switches 48 and 50 , for slow or fast operation , respectively , of the horn assembly . each switch is connected to a voltage divider circuit 52 which provides a different level signal at the output line 54 depending upon which input switch 48 or 50 is closed . the output line 54 from voltage divider 52 is connected as the negative input to pulse width modulator 46 . if the voltage level signal on line 54 is low , switch 48 closed for slow operation , the width of the pulse output of pulse width modulator 46 is greater than if the voltage level signal on line 54 is high , switch 50 closed for fast operation . the width of the output pulse on line 56 from pulse width modulator 46 is determined by the motor speed and the operator &# 39 ; s selection of slow or fast operation . the pulse output on line 56 is applied to integrator circuit 58 which comprises resistor 60 and capacitor 62 . the output of integrator 58 is a dc level signal on line 64 . the dc voltage output signal of integrator 58 is proportional to the pulse width of the signal on line 56 . accordingly , if the pulse width of the signal on line 56 is wide , the dc voltage output signal on line 64 is higher than if the pulse width of the signal on line 56 is narrow . the dc level output on line 64 is applied to the negative input of pulse width modulator 66 . the ac line voltage is full wave rectified in rectifier 68 and applied through coupling capacitor 70 to the input of clipper circuit 72 . the clipper circuit 72 comprises the resistor 74 and diodes 76 and 78 and limits the peak to peak swing of the rectified signal to 15 volts about a 7 . 5 volts axis . the clipped output signal is applied to the filter and phase shifter circuit 80 which comprises resistors 82 , 84 and capacitors 86 and 88 . the signal output of the filter and phase shift circuit 80 is applied as the positive input to the second pulse width modulator 66 . if the dc output voltage on line 64 from integrator circuit 58 is high , then the pulse output of the second pulse width modulator 66 is narrow and the triac circuit 92 is gated on for a short period of time . if the dc output voltage on line 64 from integrator circuit 58 is low , then the pulse output of the second pulse width modulator 66 is wide and the triac circuit 92 is gated on for a long period of time . the output of the second pulse width modulator 66 is applied on line 90 to a triac circuit 92 . the triac circuit also receives the ac signal and provides an output signal on line 94 to the motor . the amount of power provided to the motor on line 94 determines the speed of the motor . if the pulse from the second pulse width modulator 66 is wide , the triac circuit 92 is gated or triggered early in the ac cycle and power is applied from the point of triggering through the zero crossing point of the ac cycle . if the pulse from the second pulse width modulator 66 is narrow , the triac circuit 92 is gated or triggered later in the ac cycle and accordingly less power is applied on line 94 to the motor . fig2 shows the feedback loop for the drum assembly . a variable speed shaded - pole motor 100 is provided with a pulley 102 which is coupled by a belt 104 to a rotor 106 of the drum assembly 108 . the shaft speed of the motor 100 is sensed by a suitable tachometer 110 . the tachometer provides a number of pulses per revolution of the motor wheel on the output line 112 . each pulse on line 112 is applied to the input of a pulse shaper circuit 14 . the pulse shaper circuit 114 comprises an input resistor 116 , transistor 118 , a voltage source applied via resistor 120 to the output of transistor 118 , resistor 128 , capacitor 130 and diodes 132 and 134 . the output of transistor 118 is also applied via capacitor 122 , resistor 124 and transistor 126 to a turning detector circuit 136 . the turning detector 136 comprises a diode 138 , resistor 140 and capacitor 142 and provides a signal on output line 144 when the motor is turning . the output of the pulse shaper circuit 114 is applied to the input of a filter circuit 146 . the filter circuit 146 comprises resistors 148 and 150 and capacitor 152 and provides a pulse output on line 154 which has a width proportional to the motor speed with the slower the motor the wider the pulse width . the pulse signal on line 154 is applied to the positive input of pulse width modulator 156 . the operator can close switch 158a or 158b and apply through the voltage divider circuit 159 , a dc reference voltage on line 160 to the negative input of pulse width modulator 156 to indicate the desired speed of rotation of the drum . the pulse output signal of modulator 156 is proportional to the speed of the motor 100 . the output of pulse width modulator 156 is applied to the integrator 160 . the integrator comprises resistor 162 and capacitor 164 and provides a dc level output signal on line 166 . the dc level output signal on line 166 is applied as the negative input to pulse width modulator 168 . the full wave rectified ac signal which has been clipped , filtered and phase shifted and applied as the positive input to the second pulse width modulator of fig1 is also applied as the positive input to pulse width modulator 168 . the output pulse signal from the second pulse width modulator 168 is applied via diode 170 and resistor 172 to the input of triac circuit 174 . the width of the pulse determines the time delay of the triggering of the triac and accordingly the power applied to the motor . when the motor 100 is running at the desired speed and being supplied power then the output from pulse width modulator 168 charges capacitor 178 through diode 176 . the output of inverter 184 is low causing gate 186 to be nonconducting . if the motor 100 is turned off by opening both switches 158a and 158b or if the motor 100 is running at the fast speed and the operator selects the slow speed by opening switch 158b and closing switch 158a , the speed of the motor 100 must stabilize before additional power is necessary and accordingly there is no output from pulse width modulator 168 . under these circumstances the output from inverter 184 is high . the schmidt trigger 186 receives the high signal from inverter 184 and the half - wave rectified ac signal from half - wave rectifier 188 . the output of schmidt trigger 186 is a pulse for every positive cycle of the ac waveform . the output signal from schmidt trigger 186 is provided as an input to a second schmidt trigger 188 . the output signal on line 144 from the turning detector 136 is applied as the second input to the second schmidt trigger 188 . if the drum is rotating , the output on line 144 together with the signal output from schmidt trigger 186 cause the second schmidt trigger 188 to be conducting . when the second schmidt trigger 188 is conducting the output signal is a pulse on line 190 for every positive cycle of the ac waveform while the motor 100 is turning . the pulse on line 190 is applied to triac circuit 174 which causes a breaking signal to be applied to the motor 100 forcing the drum to stop rotating . accordingly , when the operator switches from fast to slow operation or from fast to stop operation or from slow to stop operation a breaking signal is applied to the motor 100 to prevent the drum from coasting and producing an undesirable drowning sound . | 8 |
the inventors of the present invention have focused attention on the fact that some image recognition functions are suitable for a captured image while others are not suitable for it , depending on the captured image . the inventors have minutely examined what kinds of image recognizing processes are suitable for what kinds of captured images . in addition , the inventors have minutely examined indices for selecting image recognition functions to be applied to captured images . as a result of the examination , the inventors have found that using a visual field ratio of a target size in the captured image to the field - angle size of the captured image as an index for selecting an image recognizing function makes it possible to perform an image recognizing process suitable for a captured image . an aspect of the present invention includes ; estimating the ratio of a target size in a captured image to the field - angle size of the captured image ; selecting at least one candidate of an image recognition application based on the estimated ratio ; and executing an image recognition application selected from among the candidate applications . a method of detecting a ratio of a target size in a captured image to the field - angle size of the captured image is not limited especially . however , the following embodiment describes a method using the visual field ratio of a camera as the ratio . this is based on focusing attention on the general phenomenon of decreasing a ratio of a target size in a captured image to the field - angle size of the captured image with an increase in the visual field angle of a camera , and decreasing the ratio of the size of the target in the captured image to the field - angle size of the captured image with an increase in a distance from the camera to an object for imaging , as illustrated in fig1 . the following embodiment explains an exemplary case where a target for recognition is a person . however , the target may not be a person and may be , for example , a vehicle or other objects . the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig2 a and 2b illustrate the configuration of the present embodiment described in association with the visual field ratio of the camera and captured images p 1 to p 5 . fig2 a illustrates the relationship between captured images p 1 to p 5 and the visual field ratio of the camera . fig2 b is a block diagram illustrating the configuration according to the present embodiment . as is apparent from fig2 a , the target size ( the size of the person appearing in the example of fig2 a ) in the captured image to the image size of the captured image increases with an increase in the visual field ratio . fig3 illustrates the relationship among the visual field angle of the camera , a distance from the camera to the object ( target ) for imaging , and the visual field ratio . as is apparent from the drawing , the visual field ratio for an equal visual field angle increases with a decrease in a distance from the camera . as illustrated in fig2 b , captured image recognition system 10 of the present embodiment includes camera section 20 , process selecting section 30 , image recognition processing section 40 , user terminal 50 , and zoom control section 60 . image recognition processing section 40 is provided in a server apparatus . alternatively , image recognition processing section 40 may be provided in camera section 20 . process selecting section 30 is provided in the server apparatus . alternatively , process selecting section 30 may be provided in camera section 20 or user terminal 50 . image recognition processing section 40 holds multiple application programs ( hereinafter also referred to as application simply ) for implementing multiple image recognition functions , and executes an image recognition application selected by a user from among the multiple image recognition applications . in the present embodiment , image recognition processing section 40 stores applications performing congestion detection , person detection , movement recognition , facial recognition , visual - line estimation , movement - line detection , cloth search , sex / age estimation , and facial - expression estimation as the image recognition applications , and executes the respective applications in congestion detecting section 41 , person detecting section 42 , movement - recognition section 43 , facial - recognition section 44 , visual - line estimation section 45 , movement - line detecting section 46 , cloth search section 47 , sex / age estimation section 48 , and facial - expression estimation section 49 . each application includes a set visual field ratio suitable for the operation of the application . the set visual field ratio is beforehand determined based on , for example , experiments or the property of application . alternatively , a suitable visual field ratio varies depending on the resolution of the camera and may therefore be changed appropriately depending on resolution information on the camera . for example , since the face of the person can be electronically expanded if the resolution is high even in the case of a low visual field ratio as illustrated in p 2 of fig2 a , the proper range of facial - recognition section 44 may be extended in the direction in which the visual field ratio decreases . process selecting section 30 selects a candidate of an image recognition application which is properly executable for the current captured image from among multiple image recognition applications which are executable in image recognition processing section 40 , and presents these candidate applications to the user . process selecting section 30 receives captured image s 1 from camera section 20 at visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 . visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 estimates the visual field ratio of camera section 20 using captured image s 1 . in present embodiment , visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 performs a person detecting process and a face detecting process , and estimates the visual field ratio based on the detected person size and face size . for example , the visual field ratio can be estimated based on the person size and face size relative to field - angle size of captured image s 1 . specifically , the visual field ratio may be estimated to be smaller for a lower ratio of the person size or face size to the field - angle size . however , how a visual field ratio is estimated is not restricted to this method . for example , a person detecting process and a face detecting process may be performed to estimate a visual field ratio based on the degree of success or failure of each detecting process . for example , a visual field ratio α may be estimated to be small for a higher success rate of the person detection and to be large for a higher success rate of the face detection . moreover , person detecting processes using multiple templates having different sizes may be performed to estimate a visual field ratio based on the degrees of success or failure of the detecting processes using the respective sizes . for example , by using three templates having respective large , medium , and small sizes , a visual field ratio may be estimated to be larger for a higher success rate of the person detection with the large template and to be smaller for a higher success rate of the person detection with the small template . for example , visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 may also estimate a visual field ratio based on a parameter from camera section 20 . specifically , the visual field ratio can be found from information on the visual field angle of the camera and information on a positional relationship ( distance ) between the camera and the target , by using the relationship illustrated in fig1 . estimated visual field ratio α is sent to candidate application selection section 32 . application selection section 32 selects a candidate of an image recognition application based on visual field ratio α . a candidate of an image recognition application is defined as an image recognition application which is properly executable for the current captured image among multiple image recognition applications which are executable in image recognition processing section 40 . fig2 b illustrates which image recognition application is suitable for which visual field ratio . the exemplary case of the drawing illustrates that image recognition application processes suitable for visual field ratio α1 are congestion detection , person detection , movement recognition , and movement - line detection . therefore , candidate application selection section 32 selects , for visual field ratio α1 , congestion detection , person detection , movement recognition , and movement - line detection as the candidates of image recognition applications . in the above description , the zoom magnification of the camera is fixed . however , when the zoom magnification is variable , the visual field ratio also varies as the visual field angle of the camera is changed . fig2 b illustrates visual field ratio α1 indicated by a straight line . however , when the zoom magnification of the camera is variable , α1 may be indicated by a straight line having a width in the right and left direction , the width corresponding to the zoom range . the information on the candidate application selected by candidate application selection section 32 of process selecting section 30 is sent to display section 51 of user terminal 50 as proper process recommendation information s 2 . thereby , the candidates of the image recognition applications which are properly executable in image recognition processing section 40 are displayed for the current captured image on display section 51 , and the user can select , from among the candidates , an image recognition application which the user intends to execute . in addition to selecting candidate applications , candidate application selection section 32 may display the rankings of the selected candidate applications . that is , as illustrated in fig2 b , each image recognition application includes an effective visual field ratio in a visual field region which allows an intended application to be executed , and a proper visual field ratio in a visual field region which allows the application to be executed more properly in the effective visual field ratio . the proper visual field ratio is included in the range of a part of the effective visual field ratio . candidate application selection section 32 may judge whether the selected candidate application is a merely executable application or a properly executable application , and cause display section 51 to display the result . for example , a merely executable application may be displayed in a “ utilizable application list ,” and an application which can be more properly performed may be displayed in a “ proper application list .” in practice , the user selects an image recognition application that he or she wishes to execute , while browsing image recognition applications displayed on display section 51 , and inputs the selection result through input section 52 . the information on the selected image recognition application is sent out to image recognition processing section 40 . image recognition processing section 40 then executes the image recognition application selected by the user . the information on the image recognition application selected by the user is also sent to zoom control section 60 . zoom control section 60 controls the zooming ( focal length ) so that the visual field ratio of camera section 20 can be optimal for the selected image recognition application . for example , when congestion detection is selected by the user as an image recognition application under visual field ratio α1 as illustrated in fig2 b , a visual field ratio smaller than α1 is more preferred for congestion detection . therefore , zoom control section 60 controls the zooming so that the visual field ratio ( visual field angle ) can be smaller than its current value . next , operations of captured - image recognition system 10 will be described with reference to fig4 . first , initial setting for camera section 20 is performed at step st 11 . at step st 12 , camera section 20 captures an image . at step st 13 , visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 estimates visual field ratio α . in step st 14 , the estimated visual field ratio α is stored . estimated visual field ratio α may be stored , for example , in a memory provided in visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 . meanwhile , captured - image recognition system 10 starts an image recognition selection process at step st 21 . first , candidate application selection section 32 acquires a list of image recognition applications from image recognition processing section 40 at step st 22 . the list of image recognition applications is a list of the image recognition applications executable in image recognition processing section 40 . in the example of fig2 b , the image recognition application list includes congestion detection , person detection , movement recognition , facial recognition , visual - line estimation , movement - line detection , cloth search , the sex / age estimation , and facial - expression estimation . at step st 23 , candidate application selection section 32 selects at least one or more image recognition applications suitable for current visual field ratio α from the image recognition application list , and causes display section 51 to display the selected image recognition applications as a “ candidate application .” in the example of fig2 b , since an image is captured with visual field ratio α1 , display section 51 displays that congestion detection , person detection , movement recognition , and movement - line detection are executable . at step st 24 , an image recognition application is selected by the user using input section 52 . at step st 25 , in order for image recognition processing section 40 to execute an image recognition application selected by the user , an image recognition application program is acquired from the outside of the system through a network , or a module is changed to the selected image recognition application program when the programs are held beforehand . at step st 26 , zoom control section 60 controls the zoom of camera section 20 so as to set a visual field ratio optimal for the image recognition application selected by the user . at step st 27 , camera section 20 captures an image . at step st 28 , image recognition processing section 40 performs an image recognition process with the image recognition application selected by the user . in this embodiment , it is preferable to cause display section 51 to display availability of an equipment resource in addition to candidate applications because the user can use the information as an index for selecting an image recognition application . fig5 a and 5b illustrate an example display of availability of equipment resources . fig5 a illustrates availability of equipment resources when one image recognition application is selected ( for example , when person detection is selected ). fig5 b illustrates availability of equipment resources when two image recognition applications are selected ( for example , when person detection and movement - line detection are selected ). the user can view availability of equipment resources to thereby find the remaining quantity of an equipment resource . this can be used as an index for selecting an image recognition application . fig6 illustrates a procedure for performing the display of availability of an equipment resource . in fig6 , the same processes as those in fig4 are assigned the same reference signs as those in fig4 . the procedure in fig6 is configured by adding steps st 30 , st 31 , and st 32 to the procedure in fig4 . at step st 30 , the availability of equipment resources is displayed as illustrated in fig5 . step st 31 judges a resource required to execute the image recognition application selected at step st 24 . this judgment may be made by , for example , candidate application selection section 32 sending a query to image recognition processing section 40 ( for example , a server ). in step st 32 , whether or not selection of application is completed is judged . if the selection is not completed ( step st 32 ; no ), the process returns to step st 30 . in step st 30 , the availability of an equipment resource obtained by adding the required resource judged at step st 31 is displayed in addition to the resource processed at previous step st 30 . that is , if the contents displayed at previous step st 31 are something like fig5 a , the contents displayed in step st 31 will be something like fig5 b . next , a favorable network configuration of captured - image recognition system 10 will be described with reference to fig7 and fig8 . here , elements corresponding to those in fig2 b are assigned the same reference signs in fig7 and fig8 . the network configuration in fig7 is an example configuration in which a network camera downloads and uses an image recognition application program through a network . the network configuration in fig7 includes server 100 , network camera ( nw camera ) 200 connected to server 100 in a network , and user terminal 50 . user terminal 50 may be provided in network camera 200 , may be provided in server 100 , or may be provided independently of network camera 200 and server 100 . however , user terminal 50 need be linked with network camera 200 in order to be provided independently . server 100 includes candidate application selection section 32 , application database ( application db ) 101 storing image recognition application programs , proper process recommendation query section 102 , receiving section 103 , and transmitting section 104 . network camera 200 includes camera section 20 , visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 , image recognition processing section 40 , transmitting section 201 , receiving section 202 , and download application accumulation section ( dl application accumulation section ) 203 . after camera section 20 obtains captured image s 1 , visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 a estimates and then transmits visual field ratio α to server 100 through transmitting section 201 . server 100 receives visual field ratio α through receiving section 103 . candidate application selection section 32 selects candidates of image recognition applications based on visual field ratio α and sends the selected candidates of image recognition applications to proper process recommendation query section 102 . processing recommendation query section 102 causes display section 51 of user terminal 50 to display the selected candidates of image recognition applications . moreover , proper process recommendation query section 102 receives information on an image recognition application selected by the user , from input section 52 of user terminal 50 and transmits the image recognition application program selected by the user to network camera 200 through transmitting section 104 . network camera 200 receives the image recognition application program by receiving section 202 and accumulates the received program in download application accumulation section 203 . image recognition processing section 40 performs an image recognition process using the image recognition application program downloaded in download application accumulation section 203 . in the example network configuration of fig8 , the network camera captures an image , and the server performs almost all of the other processes . in the configuration of fig8 , network camera 400 transmits captured image s 1 obtained by camera section 20 to server 300 through transmitting section 401 . server 300 receives captured image s 1 at receiving section 303 , and inputs the received image to visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 and image recognition processing section 40 . visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 estimates visual field ratio α , and candidate application selection section 32 selects candidates of image recognition applications suitable for visual field ratio α . processing recommendation query section 302 causes display section 51 of user terminal 50 to display the selected candidates of image recognition applications . moreover , proper process recommendation query section 302 receives information on an image recognition application selected by the user , from input section 52 of user terminal 50 , and sends this information to image recognition processing section 40 . image recognition processing section 40 reads the image recognition application program selected by the user from application database ( application db ) 301 , and performs an image recognition process on captured image s 1 using this image recognition application program . example applications ( business models ) implementable by applying the configuration of the present invention will be described . when multiple image recognition application programs are sold as packaging software , users have to single - handedly select an image recognition application program considered to be suitable for , for example ; how a camera is mounted , from multiple image recognition application programs , and has to perform performance evaluation of image recognition . if a user selects a wrong image recognition application program at this time , the performance of the image recognition cannot be evaluated in the optimal combination of the mounted camera and the prepared image recognition application program . in contrast to this , by using the configuration of the present embodiment , the users of a camera just need to purchase packaging software including multiple image recognition application programs , and an image recognition application program suitable for the camera is selected by visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 and candidate application selection section 32 without the need for users to select the image recognition application program suitable for the camera . consequently , the performance evaluation using the image recognition application program suitable for the current camera state can be performed . as a result , for example , a user planning the purchase of a camera and an image recognition application program can consider the performance evaluation suitable for the camera state as the index of the purchase . fig9 a and 9b illustrate examples in which the processes of the present embodiment are applied to packaging software including image recognition applications for congestion - degree detection , movement - line detection , and the sex / age estimation . fig9 a illustrates a case where a surveillance camera is mounted at a position near a monitored region ( imaged region ). at this time , based on a visual field ratio , image recognition applications for movement - line detection and the sex / age estimation are selected and executed . fig9 b illustrates a case where a surveillance camera is mounted at a position distant from a monitored region ( imaged region ). at this time , based on a visual field ratio , image recognition applications for congestion - degree detection and movement - line detection are selected and executed . as described above , the present embodiment includes visual - field - ratio estimation section 31 , candidate application selection section 32 configured to select candidates of image recognition applications based on an estimated visual field ratio , and image recognition processing section 40 configured to execute an image recognition application selected by a user from the candidate applications . thereby , the image recognition application suitable for the current captured image can be presented to a user and causes the user to execute a proper image recognition application . accordingly , the performance of the image recognition function can be sufficiently elicited . in addition , process selecting section 30 in the above - described embodiment can be constituted by a computer such as a personal computer including a memory and cpu . the function of each component constituting process selecting section 30 can be implemented by the cpu reading and executing a computer program stored on the memory . the disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2011 - 006832 , filed on jan . 17 , 2011 , including the specification , drawings and abstract , is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the present invention is suitable for a case where an image recognition process is applied to an image captured by a camera such as a surveillance camera and an in - vehicle camera . | 7 |
referring generally to the drawings and , in particular , to fig1 and 2 thereof , a tubeless pneumatic tire is indicated generally at 10 as consisting of an expandable or inflatable tire carcass 11 having the usual bead portions , as at 11a , for airtight engagement , when the tire carcass 11 is inflated as in the aforementioned fig2 against the rim of a wheel ( not shown ), and , in a novel combination therewith , the unique reversible , replaceable tire tread belt , indicated at 12 , taught by the present invention . when it is desired to install or replace the inventive tire tread belt 12 , its tire carcass 11 is deflated , as illustrated in fig1 and the said tire tread belt , which is of an elastic configuration , though largely non - expandable due to its use of the reinforcement and retainer plys , indicated generally at 13 and 13a , is placed in a proper position directly over the carcass 11 , as is clearly illustrated . of course , where a replacement tread belt is desired , the old tread belt is first removed and then replaced by a new one . thereafter , as is the conventional practice , the tire carcass 11 is inflated to thereby expand radially outwardly for a firm , non - slipping contacting engagement against the inside surface of the tread belt 12 , as is clearly depicted in fig2 . a representative example of the replaceable tread tire exhibiting the foregoing action may be seen in the previously - referred to u . s . pat . no . 3 , 578 , 052 , issued to a . v . petersons on may 11 , 1971 . in accordance with the unique teachings of the present invention , the above - referred to tire tread belt 12 is improved over more conventional replaceable tread tires in current vogue , which most generally have only one side of the tread belt used as a wearing surface , by molding different tread patterns on both the inside and outside surfaces of the tire tread belt 12 . in this regard , although the broad concept of using two tread surfaces on a replaceable tread belt is disclosed in fig5 of the already mentioned u . s . pat . no . 1 , 897 , 974 , issued to g . wolf on feb . 14 , 1933 , it is again to be emphasized that the present invention constitutes a still further improvement over the conventional replaceable tread belt by not only incorporating more than one tread surface but , in addition thereto and as indicated hereinabove , incorporating two different tread patterns , as is exemplified and represented by the reference numerals at 14 and 15 in fig1 and 2 respectively for the outside and inside surfaces thereof . with the use of two different tread patterns , as at 14 and 15 , on the inventive tread belt 12 being molded to the outside and inside surfaces thereof as noted hereinbefore , as for example by means of a segmented mold to impart the different tread patterns during curing , conventional tire tread compounds , fabric tread reinforcements , breakers and / or retainer plys can be used . naturally , with the use of the unique double and differently treaded , tread belt 12 of the present invention , not only does the present arrangement generally have the inherent advantage of offering increased tread life , as in the case of the tread belt taught in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 1 , 897 , 974 , but , in addition , by reversing the present tread belt 12 from the outer to the inner surface thereof or vice versa to bring one or the other of the different tread patterns , as exemplified at 14 or 15 ( fig1 and 2 ) into ground contact , the particular tread surface that is most or best suited to the particular ground surface and / or prevailing weather conditions may be thereby quickly utilized . with specific reference to fig3 - 6 , inclusive , the quickness with which a tire change can be accomplished in a matter of minutes to bring the present invention into operation may be initiated by , of course , deflating and thus contracting the expandable tire carcass , as at 11 in fig1 and thereafter removing and reversing the reversible , replaceable tire tread belt 12 , as seen in the first step of fig3 with the reversing or turning inside out thereof being further schematically depicted by the arrows at a and b . next , the now - reversed thread belt 12 , seen in perspective and cross - section in fig4 and 4a , is positioned directly over the shoulder ridges 16 and 17 of the tire carcass 11 , as is indicated in fig5 . finally , the tire carcass 11 is reinflated to contact and grip the inside surface of the tread 12 , as is clearly disclosed in fig6 . a portion of a wheel on which the inventive tire may be mounted is shown schematically at 18 in both fig5 and 6 with the tire bead portions held firmly against the wheel rim 18a . it is noted that the present reversible , replaceable tire belt 12 of the present invention can be mounted on any expandable type pneumatic tire carcass regardless of the ply orientation or specific cross - section . thus , a new and improved all purpose , all - weather , replaceable tread belt - pneumatic carcass tire has been developed by the present invention whereby there is ensured the dual advantages of the simple and quick replacement of a worn - out or damaged tread and the relatively easy reversal of the tread belt to one or the other of its different tread patterns for placing on the ground the tread best suited for the particular ground surface or the prevailing weather conditions . with the use of the inventive tread belt , the need for carrying spare tire bands on - board for specifically providing for their use on both rough and paved fields , for example , in the case of aircraft , is eliminated or , at least , substantially reduced , as is the requirement for providing for separate tires both for conventional and bad weather use , such as in snow or rain . this , then , substantially reduces the procurement and thus cost of new tires , retreads or new bands , and the storage space and transportation and maintenance costs that are normally associated with conventional tires would likewise be greatly reduced by the use of the inventive tread belt . | 1 |
in terms of the network environment in which the invention operates , pbxs , acds , modem banks and other devices are frequently connected to their serving central telephone offices ( or switches ) 150 and 160 by means of a digital carrier system 30 . typically these are t1 systems , though very large installations may use t3 systems . if an originating device 130 such as a telephone , or modem , is served by a serving central office 20 which is an analog office such as a 1ess office , then the analog line side circuits are connected to the digital carrier system 40 where they are digitized and combined into a single outgoing data stream . if calls to such destinations originate in an office other than their ( analog ) serving office , they nearly always are digitized and sent over carrier systems to the trunk side of the analog office . ( the transmission path is discussed in terms of a left to right direction in fig2 but it will be understood that transmission in the opposite direction is also contemplated ). as noted , this causes each originating signal 80 to be quantized twice , once at first digitizer 40 ( which may be embedded in a conventional d channel bank , 180 and once at second digitizer 60 ( which may be embedded in conventional d channel bank , 110 ). that , in gereral , doubles the quantizing noise , as understood be persons skilled in the art . the doubled quantizing noise lowers perceptible voice quality slightly , but ordinary telephone users are not likely to notice or be concerned . however , double quantization noise often reduces signal quality enough so that high speed modems are forced to revert to a lower speed . by way of broader motivation , these problems occur not only in places where modem banks are connected to line side t1 channel banks , but also in cases where a nonintegrated slc ( subscriber loop carrier ) systems are used to carry modem traffic . voice quality aleo deteriorates , but as noted a 3 db loss isn &# 39 ; t practically significant . pbxs connected via t1 lines to an analog office have the same problem . mu - law pulse code modulation ( pcm ) uses a floating point number with a sign bit , a 3 bit exponent and a 4 bit fraction to represent signal levels . thus , high level signals are quantized more coarsely than low level signals . ( one can alternatively think of this as linearly quantizing the logarithmically companded signal .) this property of mu - law pcm ( and a law as well ) means that the signal to noise ratio is approximately constant as a function of signal level , and that the higher level signals contribute nearly all the quantizing noise . ( see transmission performance of μ ˜ 255 quantization in a local digital office , g . k . mcness , bell technical system journal , dec . 1980 vol . 59 , no . 10 , pp . 1943 - 1964 , incorporated by reference ). data signals tend to be of a much higher level than voice signals . they typically have levels on the order of - 16 dbm . for high level signals a conventional d4 channel bank produces a signal to noise ratio of approximately 39 db , as known in the art . if the reconstructed analog signal ( converted to analog by intermediate d / a converter 50 ( one side of a d channel bank ) and switched by following switch 150 ) is resampled with a clock that is randomly phased with respect to the clock with which the signal was originally sampled , the same quantizing noise can be expected to be produced , again . this results in a signal to noise ratio that is 3 db worse than the original , that is , 36 db . a typical analog line produces a constant average noise level . the average value in one published empirical survey was - 7 dbrnc =- 97 dbmc . ( c is for c message weighting that multiplies the signal by a frequency dependent weighting function that is 0 db at 1 , 000 hertz and falls to about - 10 db near the edges of the voice band ). given an original signal with signal to noise ratio of 39 db and a signal level of - 10 dbm , adding in a noise level of - 97 dbmc changes the overall signal to noise ratio by less than 0 . 01 db . this analysis only counts metallic noise . cross talk must also be considered , but as known in the art , it is normally much smaller than the metallic noise and can be ignored to a first , but good , approximation . ( see for example telecommunications transmission engineering , volume 3 , networks and services , second edition , copyright at & amp ; t , 1977 , page 59 , incorporated by reference .) further , this ignores the cross talk that occurs in the quantizing filter . this cross talk is at a much higher level than that in the typical loop , as understood by persons skilled in the art . thus the signal to noise ratio is more than 2 . 99 db worse for a second , randomly phased quantization than it is for using a typical analog loop after converting back to analog . for modems that are pushing the envelope of the capacity of a voice grade channel to accurately deliver data , this much signal to noise penalty will likely result in a speed backoff ( for instance , to 26 . 4 kbs for a 28 . 8 kbs modem ). note that if the clocks of both quantizers ( 40 and 60 ) are synchronized in frequency , then if they are accidentally in phase , or nearly in phase ( with respect to the analog signal they see ), the noise penalty for the second quantization is substantially less than 3 db . thus a small number of the lines are likely to suffer only a small noise penalty . ( this ignores signals near the edge of the band where the reconstruction filter &# 39 ; s phase non - linearity causes the second quantizing to produce extra noise .) in the practice of the invention , it is to be noted that all of the t carrier used for switch telephony is essentially master clocked , since all frequencies are derived from rubidium atomic clocks that are phase - locked to gps ( global positioning system ) receivers . these primary standards maintain long term ( 24 hour ) frequency to better than 1 part in 10 13 . thus it can be assumed that all t carriers run at essentially the same frequency , and differ only in their receiver phase . ( this is necessary , for instance , to make the commercial 4ess switching system work .) it is also to be noted that the reconstruction filter used for a t1 line provides essentially a proper interpolator of the sample points . ( this isn &# 39 ; t precisely true near the edges of the passband since the filter doesn &# 39 ; t maintain linear - phase close to the edges of the band , introducing a time distortion . since most of the energy is away from the edges , this issue may be practically ignored ). one could always work with a filtered sample that is linear phase . that is , a filter can be added that has unity gain and that , when combined with the original reconstruction filter , produces equal delay for all frequencies in the passband . also , if may be noted that pcm ( mu - law ) has precisely defined digital levels ( in terms of a reference voltage ). first the case where there is no robbed bit signaling , is considered . robbed bit signaling is considered later . note that a small range of voltages need to be considered , as well as times wren the sequence of sample times is calculated . this is because if a sample is at ( or very near ) an extremum ( a local minimum or maximum ) then the exact signal level of pcm code may not be reached . the following discussion assumes the gain of the reconstruction filter and the wire that follows it are exactly one . if not doing the obvious scaling fixes , the problem provided the gain is flat over the band of interest . ( for d3 and d4 channel banks the gain is flat within 0 . 16 and 0 . 12 db , respectively . see for instance , d4 channel bank family : the channel bank , c . r . crue , w . b . gaunt , jr ., j . h . green , j . e . landry and d . a . spires , bell system technical journal , nov ., 1982 , pp 2611 - 2664 ; and d4 channel bank family : thin - film dual active filters for pulse code modulation systems , r . l . adams , j . s . fiecher , o . g . peterson , and i . g . post , bell system technical journal , nov . 1982 2815 - 38 ( each incorporated by reference )). see fig3 . what follows is an explanation of a first illustrative embodiment of the system and method of the invention that for the linear phase , unity gain case , reconstructs a very good approximation of the original sampling points and levels . thus almost no quantizing noise beyond the irreducible minimum provided by the original quantization is introduced . ( here again a left to right transmission path is illustratively discussed , but the reverse direction is also contemplated ). first , a high frequency ( for instance 1000 × 8 , 000 hz ) clock 70 located in channel bank 140 of the invention is phase - locked to the network 8000 hz clock . the originating analog signal coming from d / a 50 is switched by switch 150 , then sampled at the higher rate with an accurate first a / d converter 60 ( at least 14 bits ), contained in channel bank 140 . all the sample points sampled in this fashion are stored in a circular buffer , which may be formed in memory 100 , which may be high speed static ram or other electronic or other memory . the sample points at which the signal is approximately equal to a mu - law quantization level ( a 0 , a 1 , a 2 . . . ) are then searched for . that is , the samples for which this is the case are copied from original storage in memory 100 to another place in that memory , or to separate ram . the selection is done only for fairly high quantization levels . these selected discrete timre points are then searched for a sequence whose sample times are approximately integer multiples of 125 microseconds apart . a smoothed sample of these times ( interpolating where no samples were taken due to small signal levels ) generates a sample clock that approximates the original clock with which the originating analog signal 80 was sampled . in practice the 8 , 000 , 000 hz clock is preferably divided down to an 8 , 000 hz clock , such that a rising edge of the 8 , 000 hz clock is coincident with the sample times . actually , establishing the timing points is slightly more complicated than this . some points not at the original properly phased sample times will also have values that look like exact quantized levels . what is needed , and what the first illustrative embodiment performs , is a search using embedded processor 90 for a series of points that are at proper quantized levels ( to the accuracy of the a / d converter 60 ) and are approximately multiples of 125 microseconds apart . ( the approximation of times should be quite good if only relatively high levels are looked at where the quantizing is coarse .) for certain signals ( a pure sine wave at an exact submultiple of the sampling rate , 2 khz for an example ) there may not be a unique solution of 125 ns spaced samples that are at a quantizing level . this is acceptable , since any solution will not add to quantizing noise . for actual signals used in practice , a unique sampling solution is virtually certain . in summary , in the first illustrative embodiment processor 90 searches through a sample pool for a series of points that have values approximately equal to a quantizer output value a 0 , a 1 , a 2 . . . and are multiples of 125 microseconds apart ( probably between 124 and 126 microseconds in practice ; see transmission performance of μ ˜ 255 quantization in a local digital office , g . k . mcness , bell technical system journal , dec . 1930 vol . 59 , no . 10 , pp . 1943 - 1964 ). if such a series of points are found and it is sufficiently long , it can be reasonably inferred that the invention has locked onto the correct sample points . in other words , the statistical likelihood that a series of data points , for example 128 or 256 points , would be aligned both at properly phased 125 microsecond intervals and at proper mu - law quantizing levels , and not represent valid sample points , is insignificant . if it is found that after trying at most a few other points at multiples of 125 microseconds that they are not at exact quantized values , then processor 90 begins a search for the next match of quantized values . then the search for later matches is started again , until lock - on is achieved . the sample point search is actually carried out using samples stored in memory 100 such as ram , rather than by looking at entirely new samples . the sample point search is just for a correct phase . one could build implementations as parallel as desired to do these searches , provided that access to memory 100 is fast enough . an 8k × 14 bit memory is enough for a millisecond of samples . this is currently easily built as fast static ram on a custom chip . ( or quite slow static ram if only one state machine wants to read it .) as noted , the memory 100 in this case is organized as a circular buffer . points in the 125 microsecond sample sequence that are at multiples that do not match with the high levels being checked must have levels that are smaller , in absolute value , than the checking range . otherwise the resulting time sequence is not valid . alternatively to sampling and recording all possible sample points sampled at high speed to form a complete candidate pool , in the implementation of the invention a filtering process could be applied . in this implementation , sample value and time - stamp ( absolute but not necessarily equal intervals of time ) information is stored as a pair , only for samples whose amplitudes are at or near proper quantizing levels . then , all sample values at all times need not be checked , but only the abbreviated sequence need be examined , for samples with proper quantizing levels , with allowance for near - range checking . the system and method of the invention needs to continue to check samples to make sure there isn &# 39 ; t a false frame , and to perform slight phase adjustments to compensate for any temperature dependent reconstruction filter delays . since gain errors ( amplitude , not phase ) leave the average ( smoothed ) position of clock 70 unchanged even though they change the position of the original sample points , it is possible , by measuring high level signals at the smoothed sample points , to compensate for the gain errors provided that the error is small enough to fall within a quantizing interval . since the quantizing interval is quite large for high level signals gain errors of up to about 1 . 6 % may be compensated for . ( the errors noted are the &# 34 ; unknown &# 34 ; gain errors . any filter or line gain ( loss ) that are known ahead of time can be compensated for initially .) in the first illustrative embodiment the invention was assumed to sample at 8 , 000 , 000 samples per second and could , in principle , be made to do parallel searches for correctly quantized levels approximately 125 microseconds apart . it would also be possible to employ a simpler implementation that uses , for example , a 1 , 000 , 000 hz clock and sample only at 8 , 000 hz intervals . in this second illustrative embodiment , the invention starts at a point where a sampled level is at mu - law level , and checks a sequence of samples at 125 microsecond intervals . this embodiment in general operates similarly to the first illustrative embodiment above , except that it is serial . processor 90 in the second illustrative embodiment actually does the serial search described in the previous embodiment serially in time , rather than looking through memory 100 containing stored samples as in the fist illustrative embodiment . note that in the foregoing it is assumed that there are high level samples . this will always be the case for modems , where the second quantizing noise presents a substantial problem . for voice one cannot count on high level signals , but quantizing noise is less of a problem both because for low level signals second quantization doesn &# 39 ; t offer as big a penalty as for high level signals , and because human hearing is more tolerant of a slight decrease in signal to noise ratio than modems . another set of practical considerations for implementation of the invention relate to differences among the channel banks 110 that do the first onversion to analog ( point a , d / a 50 ). one preferably should understand how closely controlled the reference voltages ( and thus quantizing levels ) of those banks are , for greatest accuracy . another tolerance consideration concerns the non - linear phase of the reconstruction filters of the channel banks 110 , near the edges of the voice hand . the filters of various generations of channel banks have different circuit designs . more modern generations of commercially available lucent technologies channel banks use laser trimmed resistors , and have small unit to unit variation within a family . a practical adjustment for such variances is to compensate the delay variation ( as a function of frequency ) for the d4 channel bank only . since there is much more energy in the linear phase part of the band , the difference in compensation among bank families should not matter much unless they have opposite signs . empirical evidence of this is that a small percentage of doubly quantized modem signals ( presumably with close clock phases on both quantizers ) work at maximum speed without any delay equalization . if in the implementation of the invention newly adapted channel banks are built , linear phase d / a converters can be incorporated from the start . there is also the practical consideration of how fast the invention needs to synchronize relative to the training time of the originating source 130 , such as modems , in question . with the first illustrative embodiment of the invention the quantizing points t 0 , t 1 , . . . should be found in just a few tens of milliseconds . this is much shorter than any likely modem training time , and therefore presumably acceptable . in the second illustrative embodiment , the synchronization time could be a substantial fraction of a second . this is a disadvantage in that it is less acceptable , but empirical data can determine the maximum acceptable time , and parameters adjusted accordingly . it may also be possible to digitally delay the signal , and thus stretch the time during which this embodiment of the invention can be locking on the signal . delay is removed during actual operation . it should also be noted that in order to make the invention perform optimally , unless special routing is done , all of the channel banks in the analog offices affected need to be replaced . that is , not only the channel banks connected directly to the modem pools need to be replaced , but also the channel banks to other central offices since the double quantization occurs in both transmission directions . in the implementation of the invention , either all channel banks can be adapted to the inventive scheme , or only a specially selected subset . the latter case offers a less costly , though slightly more complex , alternative to replacing all of the channel banks in the implementation of the invention . calls placed to particular numbers that are double quantized can be routed through special trunks that terminate at the analog office in the type of channel bank this application describes . the simplest way to do this is to be sure that these numbers are in their own exchange ( nnx ), since routing decisions are standardly based on exchange . the possibility that signals that are not double quantized will go through a channel bank that eliminates the double quantizing error isn &# 39 ; t a problem , except that the channel bank won &# 39 ; t be able to synchronize to a set of previous quantizing times . it should be to recognized this lack of synchronization in a reasonable time furnishes proof that there was no previous quantization , and in this embodiment processor 90 consequently just chooses an arbitrary clock phase to quantize the signal . an example would be if a telephone 130 happens to be directly connected to switch 150 . if the invention is implemented in an environment using a digitized channel using robbed bit signaling ( see telecommunications engineering , vol . 2 p . 532 , incorporated by reference ) then that signaling contributes extra quantizing noise ( see transmission performance of μ ≅ 255 quantization in a local digital office , g . k . mcness , bell technical system journal , dec . 1980 vol . 59 , no . 10 , pp . 1943 - 1964 ) of about 1 . 8 db . it is possible , if analog levels are known , to determine the time of the robbed bit signals . if each frame is buffered so that the robbed bit signaling sample time of all the inputs are alicned and put in the robbed bit sampling time of the output frame , then no additional noise is introduced associate with robbed bit signaling , which would be the case if the alignment were not made . ( separate bits in general would be robbed if the alignment were not made ). the approach in this regard is similar to finding the regular sample times , except that the levels for robbed bit time are as if the bits were 1 / 2 and are thus half way between ordinary sample levels . the robbed bit frames are expected to be 750 msec ( 6 × 125 apart ). in this environment , the invention looks for signals either at standard or robbed bit values , and finds a sequence of regular value multiples at 125 msec apart , except that these occur 5 times in a row with the values at the sixth sample at robbed bit levels . the digital samples are then buffered and robbed bit times found , and then when assembling t1 frames these are aligned with the robbed bit times in the frames . attention is now directed to the non - robbed bit signaling case , and implementation of the system and method of the invention to avoid double quantizing errors in a custom integrated electronic circuit . ( the robbed bit case can be analogously implemented , and description of that implementation is omitted ) . as illustrated in fig4 ( a ), the circuit is divided into two parts , the first of which is a standard read - only memory 190 ( rom ) that is 16 k ( 2 14 ) long , and 2 bits wide . using the 14 bit output of a / d converter 60 as address lines , values of the 16 k locations in the rom 190 are used to indicate whether a sample value is at ( or sufficiently near ) a permissible quantizing level , and whether the sample value is above a predetermined threshold . that is , each value for the d / a is used as an address ( index ) into the rom 190 at which address is stored a value that indicates whether the current value is in close proximity to a permissible quantizing level , and whether it is in a predetermined high or low margin ( above or below that level ). the second circuit is a specialized random access memory 200 that stores sample values coming out of the rom 190 . that is , memory 200 stores the two bit encoded values . in addition , the ram 200 contains or has associated with it logic circuitry 230 ( fig4 ( b )) that indicates that an entire row of 210 values are within a proper range ( using and logic ), and that at least some selected number of them are above the predetermined threshold . ( fig4 ( b ) illustrates the case of accepting a sirgle value , using or logic ). the approach is to arrange the rows of the ram 200 so that consecutive elements of the row represent samples that are 125 microseconds apart . thus if rows are long enough for statistically sufficient verification , a row all of whose values are at ( or near to ) a permissible quantizing level ( a 0 , a 1 , etc .) will indicate which clock phase is the proper one for second digitization ( resampling ). the consecutive locations of ram 200 are written ( mod size ) using a counter 220 whose least significant bits ( 8 for a 256 multiplier , 10 for a 1 k multiplier ) indicate a clock phase of the 256 ( or 1 k )× 8 , 000 hz clock . note that in order to use standard memory docoding hardware , the sample frequency used must be a power of 2 ( i . e ., 2 n ) the 8 , 000 hz sample rate in this embodiment . 256 , 512 or 1024 times the 8 , 000 hz rate are reasonable values to chose . if more than a single row 210 of ram 200 qualifies as valid , the choice of the middle row can be used to break &# 34 ; ties &# 34 ;, though these are unlikely unless the range of acceptable quantized values is chosen to be large . fig4 ( b ) illustrates the case of accepting a single high value ( minimum ) as being acceptable and generating a &# 34 ; valid row &# 34 ; output . the logic circuitry 230 could be made to require a plurality of high values . however , many of the threshold totals that could be selected to trigger a &# 34 ; valid row &# 34 ; output would require an appreciable amount of combinatorial circuitry registering a running total of high bits . consequently , implementing a threshold of two or more high values would preferably be done with sequential logic . that logic could for instance include an up - down counter coupled to a comparator to compare the count of that counter to a preset value associated with each row 210 of memory 200 , encoding a logical validity indicator as values are entered into the row . in such an implementation , a reset mechanism must be provided to reset the counter , as understood by persons skilled in the art . on the first pass through memory after reset , the values in the memory are treated as effectively low . alternatively , to implement a plurality &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; trigger an analog circuit configured to determine the approximate number of high values encountered above the selected threshold could be used . illustratively , a voltage divider and comparator arrangement using parallel resistors which are each connected to a pass transistor could be used . that circuit would provide a short to ground when the pass transistor is activated by a high value , with a pull - up resistor connected to a positive voltage ( rail , so that the resulting cumulative voltage indicates the approximate number of high values , which is compared to a voltage representing the threshold . the row 210 of memory 200 which is valid is preferably connected to an encoder 230 to keep the number of output pins smaller . that is , to select one of 256 rows one needs only eight output pins , rather than 256 , using such an encoder . the foregoing description of the invention is illustrative , and variations in construction and implementation will occur to persons skilled in the art . the scope of the invention is intended to be limited only by the following claims . | 7 |
the apparatus represented in fig1 a has a thread guide 1 , which is fastened to a cord 2 , which runs via rollers 3a , 3b , which laterally bound the traversing interval over which the position of the thread guide 1 can vary . a motor 4 drives via a driving wheel 5 a drive apparatus 6 , which for better understanding of its function is shown swung into the plane of the figure in relation to its actual position with respect to the driving wheel 5 . according to the invention , the drive apparatus 6 has a displaceable drive part 7 , to which the ends of the cord 2 are fastened and which is provided with a slot 8 , aligned perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the said drive part . rigidly connected to the driving wheel 5 by a shaft 9 is an arm 10 , which bears a gear wheel 11 , which is in engagement with a gear rim 12 . the diameter of the gear wheel 11 is half the diameter of the gear rim 12 . it bears in the region of its periphery a transfer roller 13 , which protrudes in the axial direction and engages in the slot 8 of the drive part 7 . normally , gear rim 12 is kept in a fixed position during the winding operation ; however , the gear rim 12 is rotatable about its axis , which coincides with the center line of the shaft 9 , by means of a motor ( not shown ) or by hand rotation . the gear rim is connected to a pulley 12a by means of a belt 12b . the motor rotates or drives the pulley 12a , which by means of the belt 12b causes rotation of the gear rim 12 . likewise shown as swung into the plane of the figure for better understanding is a compensating apparatus 14 , having an approximately heart - shaped compensating disc 15 , the centre point of which is rigidly connected via the shaft 9 to the driving wheel 5 and the arm 10 and the diameter of which through the centre point is angle - independent in the sense that the diameter of the disc 15 remains the same regardless of the position of the disc 15 , thereby ensuring a constant contact between the disc 15 and the rollers 17a and 17b . a carriage 16 contacts the compensating disc 15 by means of contact rollers 17a , 17b at mutually diametrically opposite points of the periphery of the said disc . it is mounted displaceably along the line adjoining said contact points and bears at each end a pair of rollers , referred to hereinafter as displaceable rollers 18a , 18b , 18c , 18d . to the left of the traversing interval , after the roller 3a , the cord 2 runs via a deflecting roller 19a , then via the first displaceable roller 18a , a fixed , i . e . not fastened to the carriage 16 but connected to the housing , roller 20a , on via the second displaceable roller 18c and via further deflecting rollers to the drive part 7 . to the right of the traversing interval , the relative arrangements are analogous . the fixed rollers 20a , 20b are not fastened directly to the housing but in each case to a pivotally suspended lever 21a , 21b , which on one side of the pivot point bears the roller , whereas on the other side there acts a spring 22 , which is stretched between the two levers 21a , 21b . the levers are also connected by a rod 23 , which is pivotally anchored to the lever 21a on the side of the pivot point which bears the roller 20a and in the case of the lever 21b on the side which is opposite the roller 20b , to be precise at the same distance from the pivot point as on the lever 21a . the arm 10 is set in a smoothly rotating movement by the motor 4 , via the driving wheel 5 and the shaft 9 . the gear wheel 12 normally stays at rest during operation . owing to the rotation of the arm 10 , the gear wheel 11 in engagement with the gear rim 12 also rotates , to be precise -- as known from kinematics -- in such a way that the transfer roller 13 fastened at its periphery executes a harmonic oscillation , sweeping over a diameter of the gear rim 12 , the component of this oscillation which is parallel to the direction of movement of the drive part 7 being transferred by the engagement of the transfer roller 13 in the slot 8 to the drive part 7 and consequently to the cord 2 . the angular position of the diameter swept over by the transfer roller 13 can be varied by also turning the gear rim 12 during the winding operation . the rotation of the gear rim 12 as described above is slow compared to the rotation of the arm and should not exceed 90 degrees as explained above . the gear rim 12 can be mounted , for example , on a wheel which is rotatable about an axis coinciding with the center line of the shaft 9 . in the position represented in fig1 a , the diameter swept over lies parallel to the direction of movement of the drive part 7 , which corresponds to a maximum amplitude of the harmonic oscillation transferred to the same . if said diameter includes a certain angle with said direction of movement , the amplitude of the oscillation of the drive part 7 corresponds to the maximum amplitude multiplied by the cosine of this angle . if the angle reaches 90 °, the amplitude accordingly drops to zero , the movement of the transfer roller 13 runs parallel to the slot 8 and normal to the direction of movement of the drive part 7 . basically , changing the position of the gear rim 12 by rotation causes a rotation of the gear wheel 11 in the same direction . as the gear wheel rotates , the transfer roller 13 changes position as previously described ; accordingly , when the gear rim 12 is rotated , the position of the transfer roller 13 changes as well . normally , the motion of the transfer roller 13 is a superposition of the motions of the center of the gear wheel 11 and the gear wheel &# 39 ; s 11 rotation . in rotating the gear rim 12 a given angle , the phase relationship between the gear wheel 11 and the transfer roller 13 is changed thereby leading to a rotation of the line along which the transfer roller 13 rotates by the same angle . fig2 shows one half - cycle of thread guide motion , that is , its motion from the middle of the deflection interval to one of the reversal points and back . at a certain mean amplitude , the movement of the thread guide 1 would proceed as represented in the dashed curve in fig2 if it were induced exclusively by the harmonic oscillation of the drive part 7 . however , such a harmonic oscillation of the thread guide 1 is not desired , rather it is to execute a movement corresponding to the solid line in fig2 i . e . an oscillation movement which comes as close as possible to being represented by a triangular curve which hereinafter will be referred to as a triangular , oscillation , at constant speed between two reversal points with instantaneous reversal of direction at the same . this approximation to a triangular oscillation is achieved by means of the compensating apparatus 14 . the compensating disc 15 is rigidly connected via the shaft 9 to the driving wheel 5 and rotates synchronously with the latter and the arm 10 . as a result , the carriage 16 is set in an oscillating movement which is synchronous with the harmonic movement of the drive part 7 and which -- in the phase represented in fig . la -- due to the corresponding movement of the displaceable rollers 18a , 18c and 18b , 18d , effects a lengthening of the path of the cord 2 between the roller 3a and the drive part 7 or a corresponding shortening between the roller 3b and the same . if the compensating disc 15 is turned through 180 °, lengthening and shortening of the path of the cord 2 are interchanged . due to the block - and - tackle - like constructions , in which the cord 2 is in each case directed between two displaceable rollers 18a , 18c and 18b , 18d via a fixed roller 20a and 20b , respectively , this shortening or lengthening is increased to four times the deflection of the carriage 16 . of course , higher factors can be achieved by higher numbers of displaceable and fixed rollers . as far as the movement of the thread guide 1 is concerned , the harmonic movement effected by the oscillation of the drive part 7 is superimposed by the complementary movement caused by the compensating apparatus 14 , which movement is represented by dot - dashed lines in fig2 . they add together to give the desired oscillation , coming very close to the triangular curve . due to the sprung suspension of the fixed rollers 20a20b , temporary elastic and fatigue extensions of the cord 2 are taken up and the latter is kept taut at all times . in this arrangement , the rod 23 prevents the rollers moving asymmetrically with respect to one another and falsifying the thread guide movement . in the case of the apparatus described , the oscillating movement of the thread guide 1 is derived exclusively from smooth rotational movements . thus , if at all , the rotating parts are subject to slight accelerations exerted on them by the actions of oscillating parts . they can be made to be of any mass and do not limit the speed at which the apparatus can be operated , in particular if the mass distribution of the compensating disc 15 is chosen such that the axis of rotation coincides with a principal axis . the drive part 7 executes a harmonic oscillation and is therefore likewise not subjected to any very high mechanical loads . apart from the thread guide 1 and parts of the cord 2 , where they are in principle unavoidable , only the carriage 16 , with the rollers fastened on it , is subjected to high accelerations . however , even these are greatly reduced , since the deflection of the carriage 16 can be kept small thanks to the block - and - tackle - like construction , by means of which the movement of the carriage 16 is transferred to the cord 2 . of course it is not necessary for the fundamental oscillation executed by the drive part 7 and transferred to the cord 2 to be an exactly harmonic oscillation . rather , what is decisive is that no extreme accelerations occur -- even at the reversal points . harmonic oscillations have the advantage , however , that they can be derived from rotational movements by particularly simple means . a further example of this is described below in conjunction with fig1 b . the compensating disc 15 is connected here via the shaft 9 not only to the driving wheel 5 but also to a disc - shaped bearing part 24 , which bears an electric motor 25 , which can be supplied with current via a sliding contact 26 . the electric motor 25 serves to drive a spindle 27 , by means of which the transfer roller 13 , which is fastened on a carriage 28 displaceable along a radius of the bearing part 24 , can be displaced . otherwise , the apparatus corresponds to that described in conjunction with fig1 a . by means of the electric motor 25 , the amplitude of the harmonic oscillation executed by the drive part 7 can be adjusted even during the winding operation . in contrast to the design according to fig1 a , in this case no phase shifts occur between the harmonic oscillation and the complementary movement caused by the compensating apparatus 14 . in the case of both designs described , the amplitude with which the carriage 16 is oscillated is invariable . therefore , an exact addition of the harmonic oscillation and the complementary oscillation components induced by the compensating apparatus to form a triangular oscillation is possible only at a certain amplitude of the harmonic oscillation . if the chosen amplitude deviates from this , deviations from the ideal form of oscillation also occur . | 1 |
the present invention provides a new dissolution testing apparatus and methods for testing that incorporate disintegration , solids transfer , dissolution , changing ph / composition of fluids , absorption , and clearance . the present invention provides excellent level a ivivc and is predictive across different dosage forms of the same drug . in addition , no mathematical model is required . also , the present invention provides an improved filtration system including a filter support that prevents the filter membrane from deforming or distorting ( from the increased pressure ) into the molded shape of the ridges on the base of the cell . according to the invention , the addition of the filter support prevents the distortion of the filter membrane and allows for the continuous , unrestricted flow of the media through the cells and throughout the apparatus . referring now to the drawings , fig1 illustrates one embodiment of the dissolution apparatus of the present invention . a reservoir 21 , a pump 1 , and a filtration cell 2 are connected such that the liquid contents ( media ) of the reservoir 21 is transferred into the filtration cell 2 via the pump 1 . the filtration cell 2 is equipped with a tight fitting lid 24 , a filtration membrane 3 , a stirrer 4 , an inlet 28 , an outlet 47 positioned to allow removal of filtered liquid , a sample holder 38 , and a dip - tube and tee assembly 7 . the outlet 47 is connected to a flow - thru uv cell 5 and pump 6 , such that the filtrate is pumped through the uv cell 5 and returned to the inlet 28 of the filtration cell 2 . one branch of the dip - tube and tee assembly 7 comprises a dip - tube to allow removal of liquid and small particle sized solids from the filtration cell 2 . the second branch of the dip tube and tee assembly is connected to the outlet of a pump 9 . the third branch of the dip - tube and tee assembly 7 is connected to the inlet 29 of a second filtration cell 10 . a reservoir 22 is connected to the pump 9 such that the liquid media from the reservoir 22 is fed into the second branch of the dip - tube and tee assembly 7 . the filtration cell 10 is equipped with a tight fitting lid 25 , a ph sensor 13 , a stirrer 11 , a filtration membrane 12 , two inlets 29 and 30 , and an outlet positioned to allow removal of filtered liquid . a reservoir 23 is connected to a pump 15 and to one of the inlets 30 of the filtration cell 10 , such that liquid from the reservoir 23 is transferred into the filtration cell 10 . the outlet 47 is connected to a flow - thru uv cell 16 . the outlet of the uv cell 16 is connected to the inlet 31 of the cell 17 . the ph sensor 13 is electrically connected to a ph controller 14 . the power supply to pump 15 is connected to the output relay of the ph controller 14 such that the pump 15 is turned on when the ph , as measured by the ph sensor 13 , is below a target value , and is turned off when the ph is above a target value . the cell 17 is equipped with a tight fitting lid 26 , a stirrer 18 , a dip - tube 19 , and an outlet 33 . the outlet is connected to the inlet of a flow - thru uv cell 20 . the outlet from the uv cell 20 is directed to waste or any suitable reservoir 34 . in this embodiment , the filtration cell 2 and immediately associated equipment represents the gastric chamber ; the filtration cell 10 and immediately associated equipment represents the intestinal chamber ; the cell 17 and immediately associated equipment represents the circulatory chamber . each of the flow - thru uv cells 5 , 16 , and 20 is placed in a suitable uv spectrophotometer capable of measuring the absorbance of the cell contents at the desired wavelength . fig2 schematically illustrates one embodiment of the mixing device herein called a dip - tube and tee assembly . the dip - tube and tee assembly 7 comprises a y - shaped connector 35 , a length of tubing 36 , and a sealant 37 . the tubing 36 is inserted into one of the branches of the connector 35 together with a sealant to prevent leakage of liquid media and to hold the tubing in place during operation . the length of the tubing is adjusted so that the lower end is below the surface of the liquid when the equipment is operating . this arrangement allows the transfer of small particles between the gastric ( first chamber ) and intestinal chambers ( second chamber ) without clogging the tubing . large particles are not transferred by this arrangement because they are too large to enter the dip tube or because the flow velocity of the medium in the dip tube is insufficient to carry the large particles up the dip tube . when control of the temperature is required any or all of the three cells can be immersed in a suitable heating bath or a recirculating hot air oven . in one embodiment , reservoir 21 is filled with simulated gastric fluid , reservoir 22 is filled with simulated intestinal fluid , and reservoir 23 is filled with 0 . 8m aqueous sodium hydroxide solution . to start a test , the pumps are operated to fill each of the chambers to the desired volumes , and then run for sufficient time to establish that the flow rate from each pump is as desired , the temperature is as desired and the ph of cell 10 is maintained within the target range . the uv cells are checked to make sure that they contain no air bubbles . in one embodiment , the sample in the sample holder 38 is lowered into the filtration cell 2 , down to a fixed distance within the cell 2 . note , the sample is introduced into the cell 2 without stopping / starting the pumps . exposure to the fluid in the gastric chamber causes the sample to be partially or completely disintegrated , or dispersed or dissolved . the dissolved portion exits the gastric chamber via the tube 36 together with small particles of undissolved drug and / or excipient . dissolved drug and / or dissolved excipient also exits the gastric chamber through the outlet 47 . the filter membrane 45 prevents undissolved particles from exiting through the outlet 47 . the liquid that exits though outlet 47 passes through the uv cell 5 , where it &# 39 ; s uv absorbance at any desired wavelength is continuously monitored . the liquid is continuously returned to the gastric chamber via the inlet 28 . the material exiting via the tube 36 enters the tee 35 where it mixes with simulated intestinal fluid from the pump 9 . this mixture then enters the simulated intestinal chamber via the inlet 29 . referring now to fig3 , there is shown a top - plan view of the base 44 of the cell 2 of the present invention . as shown , the base 44 has ridges 48 to promote the free flow of the media that is received from the reservoir 21 , and pumped out through the outlet 47 . in other words , the ridges 48 provide voids or spaces , in which the media can gather or collect and then exit through the outlet 47 . restricting or reducing the voids or spaces will diminish the media flow , and perhaps cause complete blockage . note , although the ridges 48 are shown in a circular pattern , any desired pattern that promotes media / solvent flow is acceptable . fig4 illustrates a side - sectional view of the base 44 of the cell 2 of the present invention . as illustrated , the filter membrane 45 is provided over the base of the cell 44 , in particular , over ridges 48 . the filter membrane 45 is firmly held in place by a retainer ring , preferably , an o - ring . the media flows through the filter membrane 45 , into the ridges 48 and then exits toward the outlet 47 . advantageously , the filter support 46 is provided between the ridges 48 and the filter membrane 45 , preventing the filter 45 from deforming or distorting ( from the increased pressure ) into the molded shape of the ridges 48 . in other words , as the pressure increases within the system , there is a tendency for the filter 45 to be pulled into the base of the cell 44 . in particular , there is a tendency for the filter 45 to “ fill - in ” the ridges 48 of the base of the cell 44 , impeding or restricting the flow of the media within the ridges 48 . however , according to the invention , the addition of the rigid filter support 46 prevents the distortion of the filter membrane 45 and allows for the continuous , unrestricted flow of the media through the cell 2 and throughout the apparatus . the filter support 46 may be any material that is at least less flexible than the filter membrane 45 . preferably , the support 46 is a metal mesh screen . in the intestinal chamber , the incoming mixture is mixed with the contents of the chamber together with sodium hydroxide solution entering from pump 15 . because the sodium hydroxide flow is controlled by the ph of the contents of the cell 10 the result is that the acid present in the gastric fluid portion of the incoming mixture is neutralized . in the intestinal chamber the undissolved portion of the incoming mixture has further opportunity to dissolve . dissolved drug and / or dissolved excipient exits the intestinal chamber through the outlet 47 . the filter membrane 45 prevents any undissolved drug and / or undissolved excipient from exiting the chamber . the liquid that exits though outlet 47 passes through the uv cell 16 , where it &# 39 ; s uv absorbance at any desired wavelength is continuously monitored . the liquid exiting the uv cell 16 then enters the circulatory chamber via the inlet 31 . note , the intestinal chamber ( cell 10 ) is also provided with the filter support 46 of the present invention . referring back to fig3 , there is also shown a top - plan view of the base 44 of the cell 10 of the present invention . as shown , the base 44 has ridges 48 to promote the free flow of the media that is received from the reservoir 22 , and pumped out through the outlet 47 . in other words , the ridges 48 provide voids or spaces , in which the media can gather or collect and then exit through the outlet 47 . restricting or reducing the voids or spaces will diminish the media flow , and perhaps cause complete blockage . note , although the ridges 48 are shown in a circular pattern , any desired pattern that promotes media / solvent flow is acceptable . also , referring back to fig4 , there is shown a side - sectional view of the base 44 of the cell 10 of the present invention . as illustrated , the filter membrane 45 is provided over the base of the cell 44 , in particular , over ridges 48 . the filter membrane 45 is firmly held in place by a retainer ring , preferably , an o - ring . the media flows through the filter membrane 45 , into the ridges 48 and then exits toward the outlet 47 . advantageously , the filter support 46 is provided between the ridges 48 and the filter membrane 45 , preventing the filter 45 from deforming or distorting ( from the increased pressure ) into the molded shape of the ridges 48 . in other words , as the pressure increases within the system , there is a tendency for the filter 45 to be pulled into the base of the cell 44 . in particular , there is a tendency for the filter 45 to “ fill - in ” the ridges 48 of the base of the cell 44 , impeding or restricting the flow of the media within the ridges 48 . however , according to the invention , the addition of the rigid filter support 46 prevents the distortion of the filter membrane 45 and allows for the continuous , unrestricted flow of the media through the cell 10 and throughout the apparatus . the filter support 46 may be any material that is at least less flexible than the filter membrane 45 . preferably , the support 46 is a metal mesh screen . note , although invention has been described with a filtration system ( including a filter support 46 ) in both the gastric chamber ( cell 2 ) and the intestinal chamber ( cell 10 ), typically , a filtration system is solely provided in the intestinal chamber to prevent any solids from entering the circulatory system ( cell 17 ). in the circulatory chamber , the incoming medium is mixed with the medium already present in the chamber . the resulting mixture continuously exits the chamber via the dip - tube 19 and outlet 33 . the liquid that exits though outlet 33 passes through the uv cell 20 , where the uv absorbance at any desired wavelength is continuously monitored . the data collected from the spectrophotometer can be used to calculate the instantaneous concentration of the active substance . the data can be used to characterize the release rate and the total amount of active substance released . measuring the concentration of active substance in the effluent collected in the collection reservoir 34 permits the calculation of the total amount of active substance released . while the embodiment of the invention described above uses constant composition of release fluids , the compositions can be changed with time to simulate changing conditions within the body . test method variables are , for example , composition of release media , residence time in each of the three chambers , amount of the sample being tested , and temperature . by adjusting these variables it is possible to obtain a release rate profile that matches the plasma concentration profile observed in vivo . when practiced in the pharmaceutical industry , the preferred temperature is 37 ° c ., and the preferred composition of the release media are simulated gastric and simulated intestinal fluids . also , other additives , such as enzymes , bile acids , and surfactants , can be included , as desired . in addition , although the usfda recommends that dissolution conditions be physiologically relevant , the present invention can be adapted for conditions that are not physiologically relevant . such conditions may be desirable when considerations such as speed of operation , unusual solubility , or non conventional dosage forms are taken into account . for example , applicant has determined in some cases that by proportionally reducing residence times , the time scale of the test can be considerably shortened without loss of useful information . in addition , the invention can be used to test many different types of formulations . these can include , but are not restricted to , tablets , powders , pills , syrups , fast - melt tablets , hard capsules and soft capsules . the medium analysis device includes , but is not limited to , any detector known in the art that generates physical and / or chemical data of a pharmaceutical or active test agent , e . g ., the use of a uv spectrophotometer as the method of analysis . in a preferred embodiment , the detector is capable of acquiring data characteristic of a particular agent by any method , including , ultraviolet radiation , infrared radiation , nuclear magnetic resonance , ramen spectroscopy , electrochemical , biosensors , refractometry , optical activity , and combinations thereof . also , any in - line detector known in the art that is applicable to the active substance and release medium can be used . preferably , the medium dissolution analysis device is a detector that has a sensor communicatively attached thereto . in the preferred embodiment , there is at least one medium dissolution analysis device per dissolution chamber . for example , for each sample to be analyzed there is a corresponding medium dissolution analysis device capable of continuously generating physical and / or chemical data characteristic of the agent to be analyzed . the medium analysis device preferably includes a detector operatively associated with the dissolution medium for at least the time period required for the dosage form to release the maximum releasable quantity of therapeutically active agent and a data processor for continually processing the generated data for at least the time period required for the dosage form to release the maximum releasable quantity of therapeutically active agent to obtain a dissolution profile of the dosage form . the data processor may be any device capable of continuously processing the data generated by the detector . in a preferred embodiment , the data processor is a computer . the data generated by the detector is preferably stored and / or analyzed by the computer . in a particularly preferred embodiment , the data collector is a computer that has data processing software . the data is preferably continuously processed by the software as it is received from the detector . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the detector measures the concentration of the therapeutically active agent in the media surrounding the dosage form such as in simulated gastric or intestinal fluid . by measuring the concentration of the agent in the surrounding media , the amount of agent released from the dosage form can be calculated . the invention can also be used by removing samples from the chambers directly or from the effluent discharge of the chambers instead of , or in addition to in - line analysis . in such an embodiment the analytical methods can be any method known in the art , including but not limited to , gas chromatography , liquid chromatography , high performance liquid chromatography ( bplc ), colorimetry , uv spectroscopy , ir spectroscopy , raman spectroscopy , near ir spectroscopy , bio - sensors , electrochemical methods , mass spectroscopy , and nuclear magnetic spectroscopy . in the most preferred embodiment the medium analysis is performed in - line using uv spectroscopy . in the present invention , any combination of the medium analysis devices can be used as appropriate for the data required . in another embodiment the absorption of active substance in the stomach can be simulated by not returning to the gastric chamber , all or part of the medium exiting the gastric chamber via the second outlet . the flow rate of the medium can be adjusted so that the removal rate corresponds to the in vivo gastric absorption . the filtration cells 2 and 10 can be of any design that provides the requirements of agitation , desired volume , filtration speed , filtration efficiency , and compatibility with the active substance and the release media . the preferred filtration cells are continuous and stirred , filtration cells ( e . g ., amicon stirred ultrafiltration cell models 8003 , 8010 , 8050 , 8200 , and 8400 available from millipore corporation ). the third cell 17 can be of any design that provides the requirements of agitation , desired volume , and compatibility with the active substance and the release media . the pumps useful in the practice of the present invention can be any pump capable of attaining the desired flow rate and maintaining the flow rate constant throughout the test . these include but are not limited to , general purpose positive displacement pumps , peristaltic pumps , diaphragm pumps , hplc quality positive displacement pumps , syringe pumps and centrifugal pumps . preferred pumps useful in the invention are peristaltic pumps , diaphragm pumps , and hplc quality positive displacement pumps . most preferred are peristaltic pumps and hplc quality positive displacement pumps . heating devices useful in the practice of the present invention can be any of those known in the art that give sufficiently uniform and accurate temperature control . the preferred heating device will be able to control the temperature to within +/− 2 ° c . of the desired temperature . the more preferred heating device will be able to control the temperature to within +/− 1 ° c . of the desired temperature . the most preferred heating device will be able to control the temperature in conformity with the most current recommendations in the us pharmacopeia and like sources . the tubing used in the dip - tube and tee assembly can be any tubing compatible with the release medium and the test sample . the length of the tubing is adjusted such that the lower end is below the surface of the liquid in the filtration cell 2 . the cross - sectional diameter of the tubing is selected so that small particles are carried up the tubing by the flow of the release medium and so that particles do not clog the tubing . in practice , the inventors have determined that tubing with an internal diameter of 0 . 5 to 3 . 0 mm fulfills these requirements for flow rates to the cell 2 in the range 0 . 5 to 2 . 5 m / min . for other flow rates other internal diameters may be needed . the medium analysis sensor and controller used with the intestinal chamber can be any combination of sensor and controller that measures and permits control of physical characteristics such as , but not limited to , ph , osmolarity , conductivity , and concentration of specific ions . the preferred medium analysis sensor and controller are any ph sensor and ph controller available in the art that permit the control of the ph in the intestinal chamber to within the target range . the most preferred medium analysis sensor and controller are any ph sensors and ph controllers available in the art that has an accuracy of +/− 0 . 02 ph units . in the preferred embodiment the ph in the second cell 10 is controlled to the same value as that of the simulated intestinal fluid . also , the ph in the the cell can be any value achievable by addition of either an acid or a base through the delivery system defined by the reservoir 23 , the pump 15 , and the inlet 30 , and is not limited to the ph of the fluid in the reservoir 22 . the solution used to adjust the ph of the second cell 10 can be acidic or basic . the preferred concentration of acid or base in the solution is one that requires a flow rate of the solution to be not more than 10 % of the total flow of the other release media . the most preferred concentration of acid or base in the solution is one that requires a flow rate of the solution to be not more than 2 % of the total flow of the other release media . the number of cells used in the equipment can be varied depending on the information required . three cells , as described in one embodiment above , is the preferred number when correlation with blood plasma concentration data is required . when drug absorption rate data is required it is only necessary to operate the combination of gastric and intestinal chambers . a further possibility is to add a buccal dissolution cell before the gastric chamber such that the effluent from the buccal dissolution chamber enters an inlet in the gastric chamber . note , the sample holder would be present on the buccal dissolution chamber , not the gastric chamber . the addition can be used for either drug absorption or blood plasma concentration data . in addition , filter membranes useful in the practice of this invention can be any of the commercially available filter membranes that are compatible with the release media . preferred filter membranes have a nominal particle size cut - off of not more than 10 microns . the more preferred filters have a nominal particle size cut - off of 0 . 25 - 5 microns . the most preferred filter membranes have a nominal particle size cut - off of 1 - 3 microns . residence times in each of the chambers useful in the practice of this invention can be any value required to give a level a ivivc . the preferred residence times are those that have physiological relevance . the applicants have determined by experimentation that the following ranges of residence times are useful : gastric chamber , 5 - 60 minutes ; intestinal chamber , 1 - 90 minutes ; circulatory chamber , greater than 30 minutes . in addition , various other mechanical , electrical and electronic equipment may be incorporated into the present invention . for example , the equipment includes , but is not limited to , pressure relief valves , check valves , pressure relief piping , pressure control systems , surge suppressors , surge tanks , de - aerators , electronic flow control systems , proportional control systems , pressure gauges , heat exchanges ( to preheat media ) and flow gauges . accordingly , the present invention provides a new dissolution testing apparatus and methods for testing that incorporate disintegration , solids transfer , dissolution , changing ph / composition of fluids , absorption , and clearance . the present invention provides excellent level a ivivc and appears to be predictive across different dosage forms of the same drug . in addition , no mathematical model is required . also , the present invention provides a filter support that prevents the distortion of the filter membrane and allows for the continuous , unrestricted flow of the media through the cells and throughout the apparatus , resulting in a more reliable and accurate ivivc . | 6 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of base station apparatus 100 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention . in this figure , signature table storage section 101 stores a table storing signature ids in a one - to - one correspondence with signature sequences . as shown in fig2 , suppose signatures classified by signature ids 1 to k ( region ( a )) are signatures allocated by a network side to a ue and k + 1 to n ( region ( b )) are signatures the ue allocates to itself . signature sequence allocation control section 102 acquires an identifier ( ue id ) of a ue , which becomes a paging target from a higher layer ( not shown ), and also reads a signature id from signature table storage section 101 and allocates the read signature id to the ue which becomes the paging target . paging information processing section 103 is provided with paging information generating section 104 , coding section 105 and modulation section 106 . paging information generating section 104 includes the signature id outputted from signature sequence allocation control section 102 , ra slot information ( slot number to which ra channel is allocated ) and paging control information ( ue id and other information reported through paging ) inputted from a higher layer ( not shown ), and generates a paging channel ( downlink control channel ) as shown in fig3 . the paging channel generated is outputted to coding section 105 . coding section 105 encodes the paging channel outputted from paging information generating section 104 and modulation section 106 modulates the encoded paging channel under a modulation scheme such as bpsk and qpsk . the modulated paging channel is outputted to multiplexing section 110 . dl data transmission processing section 107 is provided with coding section 108 and modulation section 109 and performs transmission processing on the dl transmission data . coding section 108 encodes the dl transmission data and modulation section 109 modulates the encoded dl transmission data under a modulation scheme such as bpsk and qpsk and outputs the modulated dl transmission data to multiplexing section 110 . multiplexing section 110 performs time multiplexing , frequency multiplexing , space multiplexing or code multiplexing on the paging channel outputted from modulation section 106 and dl transmission data outputted from modulation section 109 and outputs the multiplexed signal to transmission rf section 111 . transmission rf section 111 applies predetermined radio transmission processing such as d / a conversion , filtering and up - conversion to the multiplexed signal outputted from multiplexing section 110 and transmits the signal subjected to the radio transmission processing from antenna 112 . reception rf section 113 applies predetermined radio reception processing such as down - conversion and a / d conversion to the signal received via antenna 112 and outputs the signal subjected to the radio reception processing to demultiplexing section 114 . demultiplexing section 114 separates the signal outputted from reception rf section 113 into an ra slot and a ul data slot and outputs the separated ra slot to signature sequence detection section 115 and the ul data slot to demodulation section 117 of ul data reception processing section 116 respectively . signature sequence detection section 115 performs preamble waveform detection processing such as correlation processing using the signatures stored in signature table storage section 101 on the ra slot outputted from demultiplexing section 114 and detects whether or not the signature sequence has been transmitted the detection result ( ra burst detection information ) is outputted to a higher layer ( not shown ). ul data reception processing section 116 is provided with demodulation section 117 and decoding section 118 and performs reception processing on the ul data . demodulation section 117 corrects distortion of the channel response of the ul data outputted from demultiplexing section 114 , makes a signal point decision by a hard decision or soft decision depending on the modulation scheme and decoding section 118 performs error correcting processing about the result of the signal point decision by demodulation section 117 and outputs the ul received data . fig4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of terminal station apparatus 150 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention . in this figure , reception rf section 152 receives a signal transmitted from the bs shown in fig1 via antenna 151 and applies predetermined radio reception processing such as down - conversion and a / d conversion to the received signal and outputs the signal subjected to the radio reception processing to demultiplexing section 153 . demultiplexing section 153 separates the paging channel and dl data included in the signal outputted from reception rf section 152 and outputs the separated dl data to demodulation section 155 of dl data reception processing section 154 and the paging channel to demodulation section 158 of paging information reception processing section 157 . dl data reception processing section 154 is provided with demodulation section 155 and decoding section 156 , and performs reception processing on the dl data . demodulation section 155 corrects distortion of the channel response on the dl data outputted from demultiplexing section 153 , makes a signal point decision by a hard decision or soft decision depending on the modulation scheme , and decoding section 156 performs error correcting processing on the signal point decision result from demodulation section 155 and outputs the dl received data . paging information reception processing section 157 is provided with demodulation section 158 , decoding section 159 and paging information processing section 160 , and performs reception processing on the paging channel . demodulation section 158 corrects distortion of the channel response of the paging channel outputted from demultiplexing section 153 , makes a signal point decision by a hard decision or soft decision depending on the modulation scheme , and decoding section 159 performs error correcting processing on the signal point decision result of the paging channel by demodulation section 158 and outputs paging information . the paging information subjected to the error correcting processing is outputted to paging information processing section 160 . paging information processing section 160 decides whether or not the paging information has been acquired from decoding section 159 and outputs , when the paging information has been acquired , the acquired paging information to ra burst transmission control section 161 . on the other hand , when the paging information has not been acquired , paging information processing section 160 reports the fact to ra burst transmission control section 161 . ra burst transmission control section 161 decides whether or not the paging information outputted from paging information processing section 160 is directed to terminal station apparatus 150 . when the paging information is directed to terminal station apparatus 150 , ra burst transmission control section 161 outputs the signature id and ra slot information included in the paging information outputted from paging information processing section 160 to ra burst generating section 163 . on the other hand , when the paging information is not directed to terminal station apparatus 150 ( directed to another station ), ra burst transmission control section 161 reports , if ra burst transmission priority information inputted from a higher layer ( not shown ) satisfies the condition which will be described later , that fact to ra burst generating section 163 . here , the “ ra burst transmission priority information ” refers to information whose communication service has a high degree of emergency or priority such as emergency communication , a service with a stringent delay requirement ( e . g ., voip , video streaming , gaming ), retransmission rach ( which has higher priority as the number of retransmissions increases ) and high service fee . details of ra burst transmission control section 161 will be described later , signature table storage section 162 stores a signature table held by signature table storage section 101 of bs 100 shown in fig1 , that is , a table storing signature ids in a one - to - one correspondence with signature sequences . as shown in fig2 as in the case of the signature table held by signature table storage section 101 , suppose signatures classified by signature ids 1 to k ( region ( a )) are signatures allocated by the network side to ue 150 and k + 1 to n ( region ( b )) are signatures allocated by ue 150 . ra burst generating section 163 reads the signature sequence corresponding to the signature id outputted from ra burst transmission control section 161 from signature table storage section 162 , generates an ra burst by including the read signature sequence and outputs the generated ra burst to multiplexing section 167 . ul data transmission processing section 164 is provided with coding section 165 and modulation section 166 , and performs transmission processing on ul transmission data . coding section 165 encodes the ul transmission data and modulation section 166 modulates the encoded ul transmission data under a modulation scheme such as bpsk and qpsk and outputs the modulated ul transmission data to multiplexing section 167 . multiplexing section 167 multiplexes the ra burst outputted from ra burst generating section 163 and the ul transmission data outputted from modulation section 166 , and outputs the multiplexed signal to transmission rf section 168 . transmission rf section 168 applies predetermined radio transmission processing such as d / a conversion , filtering and up - conversion to the multiplexed signal outputted from multiplexing section 167 and transmits the signal subjected to the radio transmission processing from antenna 151 . next , operations of ra burst transmission control section 161 of the terminal station apparatus shown in fig4 will be explained using fig5 . in fig5 , in step ( hereinafter , abbreviated as “ st ”) 201 , ra burst transmission control section 161 acquires the paging information from paging information processing section 160 . in st 202 , ra burst transmission control section 161 decides whether or not a ue id included in the acquired paging information indicates terminal station apparatus 150 , moves to st 203 when the ue id indicates terminal station apparatus 150 or moves to st 204 when the ue id does not indicate terminal station apparatus 150 . in st 203 , in order to perform ra burst transmission using the signature id ( one of region ( a ) shown in fig2 ) included in the acquired paging information and in an ra slot specified using also the acquired paging information , the signature id and ra slot information are outputted to ra burst generating section 163 . in st 204 , the ue refers to a condition under which the ue can allocate a signature to itself based on ra burst transmission priority information ( or reason for transmission of rach ) inputted from a higher layer and the number of signatures allocated by the network side to other ues and decides whether or not it is possible to transmit the ra burst . the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the other ues is the same as the number of ue ids included in the paging information and can thereby be acquired from this number of ue ids . when ra burst transmission is permitted , the process moves to st 205 and when ra burst transmission is not permitted , the process returns to st 202 and performs processing on the next ra slot . in st 205 , the ue side determines the signature id from among the signatures ( region ( b ) shown in fig2 ) allocated by the ue to itself according to a predetermined selection rule . here , for example , a method of randomly determining one signature from among available signatures is generally used as the predetermined selection rule . the signature id and ra slot information determined in st 205 are outputted to ra burst generating section 163 . in st 204 , when demodulation of the paging information fails in st 201 or the demodulation itself is not performed and the presence / absence of the paging information is unknown , the network side assumes that all signatures allocatable to the ues have been allocated , determines whether or not it is possible to transmit the ra burst , and can thereby perform control so as to prevent congestion of ra burst transmission to the ra slot . furthermore , in st 205 , since the signature ids reported to the other ues in st 201 can be acquired , the ue may allocate a signature allocated to none of the other ues by the network side to itself . in this way , the number of signatures allocatable by the ue to itself increases and the collision rate of rach can thereby be reduced . here , the condition under which the ue can allocate a signature to itself will be explained using fig6 . here , a case where four signatures are multiplexed with one ra slot will be shown as an example . as shown in fig6 , when the number of signatures allocated by the network side to ues is 0 , there is no restriction on conditions and all ues can allocate signatures to themselves . on the other hand , when the number of signatures allocated by the network side to ues is 1 and 2 , only ues with a service of high priority such as retransmission ra or emergency communication ( emergency call ) can allocate signatures to themselves . furthermore , when the number of signatures allocated by the network side to ues is 3 and 4 , only ues corresponding to emergency communication ( emergency call ) can allocate signatures to themselves . in this way , by reducing the expected value ( statistic mean value ) of the number of ras using signatures allocated by ues to themselves as the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ues increases and by increasing the expected value of the number of ras using signatures allocated by the ues to themselves as the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ues decreases , it is possible to maximize the number of rach transmissions while satisfying required conditions of detection characteristics of all rach preambles in one ra slot . ra burst transmission control section 161 of ue 150 shown in fig4 decides whether or not it is possible to allocate a signature to itself based on the conditions shown in fig6 . next , the random access procedure between bs 100 shown in fig1 and ue 150 shown in fig4 will be explained using fig7 . here , suppose ue 150 is not carrying out transmission / reception of data for a certain period of time ( idle state ) first . in fig7 , in st 301 , bs 100 acquires user data directed to ue 150 from a higher layer . since a connection with ue 150 has not been established yet , bs 100 temporarily holds the acquired user data . in st 302 , one signature is selected from region ( a ) ( see fig2 ) of the signature table held by signature table storage section 101 of bs 100 and the selected signature is allocated to ue 150 . in st 303 , the paging information including the ue id of ue 150 , id of the signature allocated to ue 150 and ra slot information is reported to ue 150 using a downlink control channel ( e . g ., paging channel ). in st 304 , ue 150 having received the paging information acquires the ue id , allocated signature id and ra slot included in the paging information . when the acquired ue id indicates ue 150 , the signature corresponding to the acquired signature id is read from the same signature table as that of bs 100 and ra burst transmission is carried out using the acquired ra slot in st 305 . in st 306 , when bs 100 having received the ra burst detects a preamble corresponding to the signature id included in the paging information out of the received ra burst in st 303 , bs 100 carries out transmission / reception of information necessary to perform user data transmission to / from ue 150 such as reporting ack in response to the ra burst , uplink transmission start timing control information ( time alignment information ) and temporary ue id ( equivalent to c - rnti in wcdma ) used for a band allocation report or the like . in st 307 , band allocation and transmission / reception of user data are carried out between bs 100 and ue 150 . in this way , according to embodiment 1 , when the ue sets a condition under which the ue can allocate a signature to itself according to the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the other ue , the ue can select a signature not allocated on the network side according to a selection rule ( e . g ., random selection ), and can thereby reduce the collision rate of rach . furthermore , when the ue sets the condition under which a signature can be allocated to itself within a range in which power of mutual interference between signatures satisfies allowable interference power , it is possible to suppress increases in mutual interference power between signatures and thereby improve the rach detection characteristics . in the present embodiment , a method of explicitly transmitting a signature id as control information as shown in fig3 may be used as the method of reporting a signature id , and when a plurality of pieces of paging information simultaneously generated are reported collectively , the sequence of ue ids and sequence of signature ids may be set beforehand as shown in fig8 and it is thereby possible to prevent an increase of control information for reporting signature ids . furthermore , the same applies to a case where ra slots for paging are reported with paging information . configurations of a base station apparatus and a terminal station apparatus according to embodiment 2 of the present invention are the same as those of embodiment 1 shown in fig1 and fig4 and only part of the functions are different , and therefore only different functions will be explained using fig1 and fig4 and overlapping explanations will be omitted . fig9 shows conditions under which a ue according to embodiment 2 of the present invention can allocate a signature to itself . taking into consideration the fact that the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue decreases for each retransmission , as shown in fig9 , the network side alleviates the conditions under which the ue can allocate a signature to itself in order of an ra slot ( initial ra slot ) including the signature allocated by the network side to the ue , next ra slot and next but one ra slot . to be more specific , suppose the condition is the same as that of embodiment 1 shown in fig6 in the initial ra slot . furthermore , in the next ra slot , when the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue is 0 to 2 , there is no restriction on conditions and all ues can allocate signatures to themselves . furthermore , in the next ra slot , when the number of signatures allocated by the network to the ue is 3 and 4 , only ues with a service of high priority such as retransmission ra or emergency communication ( emergency call ) can allocate signatures to themselves . furthermore , in the next but one ra slot , when the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue corresponds to all 0 to 4 , there is no restriction on conditions and all ues can allocate signatures to themselves . here , the ue controls the expected value of the number of ras using the signature allocated to the ue itself based on a reception success rate ( retransmission rate ) per number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue and the expected value of the number of retransmission ras in the next ra slot obtained from the number of retransmissions of ra burst . fig1 shows transition in the number of transmission ra bursts included in ra slot # 1 ( initial ra slot ) and following ra slot # 2 ( next ra slot ) and # 3 ( next but one ra slot ) for which the network side has allocated signature to the ue . in this figure , suppose the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue is 4 in ra slot # 1 and the number of signatures allocated by the ue to itself is 1 . in this case , suppose three of the ras using signatures allocated by the network side to the ue have succeeded in reception and one has failed in reception . next , in ra slot # 2 , suppose the ra having failed in reception in ra slot # 1 is retransmitted and the ue assumes the remaining four ras as signatures to be allocated to itself . furthermore , in ra slot # 3 , suppose the ue assumes all five ras that can be transmitted in this ra slot as signatures to be allocated to itself . in this way , in consideration of the fact that the number of retransmissions of ra bursts to which signatures are allocated decreases in an ra slot that follows an ra slot including a signature allocated by the network side to the ue , embodiment 2 alleviates the conditions under which the ue can allocate a signature to itself , and thereby allows even a ue which does not correspond to the conditions in the following ra slots to allocate a signature to itself and improve the utilization efficiency of the ra slots . configurations of a base station apparatus and a terminal station apparatus according to embodiment 3 of the present invention are the same as the configurations of embodiment 1 shown in fig1 and fig4 , and only part of the functions are different , and therefore only different functions will be explained with reference to fig1 and fig4 and overlapping explanations will be omitted . fig1 shows conditions under which a ue according to embodiment 3 of the present invention can allocate a signature to itself . the conditions of embodiment 1 shown in fig6 are shown on the left side of fig1 for comparison . here , the network side allocates signatures to a ue in order starting with a signature sequence with high orthogonality ( with small inter - code interference ). such allocations provide a relationship between the number of signature allocations and inter - code interference as shown in fig1 . that is , the amount of inter - code interference increases exponentially as the number of signature allocations increases . therefore , as shown in fig1 , since the amount of mutual interference between simultaneously transmitted sequences increases exponentially as the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue , conditions are set so as to reduce expected values of the number of ras using signatures allocated by the ue to itself , fig1 shows a relationship between the number of signatures allocated by the network side to ues and interference power . as shown in this figure , when the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue is small , since the interference power between these allocated signatures is small , the number of signatures allocated by the ue to itself can be increased . on the other hand , when the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue is large , since the interference power between these allocated signals large , average interference power decreases unless the number of signatures allocated by the network side to the ue is always a maximum value , the number of signatures that can be allocated to the ue can be increased . in this way , according to embodiment 3 , the network side allocates signatures to the ue starting with a signature sequence with small inter - code interference , and the ue can thereby give greater interference margin to ras using signatures allocated by the ue to itself , and therefore the number of ras that can be transmitted / received per ra slot can be increased . cases have been explained in the above - described embodiments assuming that the network side reports signatures allocated to ues to the ues using paging channels , but the present invention is not limited to this and the network side may also report signatures using , for example , a downlink control channel including scheduling information or a downlink common channel including an l2 / l3 control message . the above - described embodiments have explained the case where the present invention is configured by hardware as an example , but the present invention can also be implemented by software . furthermore , each functional block used for the explanations of the above - described embodiments is typically implemented as an lsi which is an integrated circuit . these may be integrated into a single chip individually or may be integrated into a single chip so as to include some or all functional blocks . here , the term lsi is used , but the term may also be “ ic ,” “ system lsi ,” “ super lsi ” or “ ultra lsi ” depending on the difference in the degree of integration . furthermore , the technique of implementing an integrated circuit is not limited to an lsi but can also be implemented with a dedicated circuit or a general - purpose processor . it is also possible to use an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) which can be programmed or a reconfigurable processor whose connections or settings of circuit cells inside the lsi are reconfigurable after lsi manufacturing . moreover , if a technology of realizing an integrated circuit which is substitutable for an lsi appears with the progress in semiconductor technologies and other derived technologies , it is of course possible to integrate functional blocks using the technology . the adaptation of biotechnology or the like can be considered as a possibility . the disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2006 - 261197 , filed on sep . 26 , 2006 , including the specification , drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the radio transmitting apparatus and radio transmission method according to the present invention cannot only reduce the rach collision rate but also improve the rach detection characteristics , and can be applied to a mobile communication system and so on . | 7 |
the present invention is embodied in a tag attaching machine shown in perspective view in fig1 and identified generally by the number 20 . the tag attaching machine 20 includes a main frame member or base 22 on which is mounted a motor 24 which is coupled through a solenoid actuated clutch mechanism 26 to a main drive gear 28 which in turn is coupled to the tag attaching mechanism at a tag attaching station identified generally with the numeral 30 . the main frame member 22 also supports a pneumatic compressor 32 which provides a source of air , under slight pressure , for actuating various pneumatically controlled mechanisms as will be discussed in more detail hereinbelow . the tag attaching machine 20 also includes a transport mechanism , indicated generally at 34 for moving individual tags from a tag supply 36 to the tag attaching station 30 . the tag transport mechanism 34 , the clutch and gear assembly 26 , 28 , and the mechanism at the tag attaching station 30 are all sequenced and controlled by a solid state microprocessor circuit indicated generally at 38 . for control of the tag attaching machine , several externally accessible switches are provided . disposed on a convenient control panel 40 above the transport assembly 34 is an on / off switch 42 controlling the supply of power to the overall machine . next to the on / off switch 42 is a pushbutton switch 44 which , as will be further described hereinbelow , causes the feed of a single tag from the tag supply 36 to the tag attaching station 30 without initiating a tag attaching operation at the tag attaching station . a further two - position switch 46 is disposed next to pushbutton switch 44 and controls the programming of microprocessor 38 between a manual mode and an automatic mode . in the manual mode , the tag attaching machine 20 may be caused to feed a single tag and attach the same to a garment or article upon depression of a main operator control switch 48 . the actuation of switch 48 by the operator causes only a single operation to be performed when switch 46 is in the manual position . when the switch 46 is moved to its automatic position , the machine will repetitively and periodically continue to sequence through successive tag attaching operations thereby permitting the operator to automatically attach tags to garments or articles without having to separately actuate command switch 48 for each sequence . referring to fig2 and 4 , the tag feed mechanism 34 includes a main mounting member 50 attached to the main frame 22 . journaled for rotation about an upstanding pin 52 on member 50 is a transport actuating lever 70 . as can be appreciated from fig4 transport lever 70 is journaled at an intermediate point for rotation in both clockwise and counter clockwise directions about the axis of pin 52 . a first end 72 of arm 70 is pivotally attached to a piston 90 by an intermediate connecting element 74 . piston 90 is disposed within a conforming cylinder 80 which is connected by pneumatic lines to a solenoid operated pneumatic valve 82 via an extending outlet 84 and a retracting outlet 86 connected respectively at opposite ends of the cylinder 80 as shown . as will become clear below , the solenoid operated valve 82 , when at rest , supplies compressed air from compressor 32 through retracting outlet 86 to the end of cylinder 80 so as to cause the piston 90 to retract to the position shown in fig2 and 4 . the opposite end 76 of lever arm 70 is bifurcated to receive an upright post 78 carried upon a tuning fork - like tag push member 92 . the tag pusher member 92 has two tines 94 each provided at their distal ends with an offset shoulder 96 having a slightly downwardly inclined bottom surface 98 . pusher member 92 is disposed atop plate 50 between a pair of spaced , elongated channel guides 31 . the top surface of the channel guide members 31 is coplaner with the top surface of the tines 94 of pusher member 92 as can best be seen in the sectional view of fig7 . these members thus form a generally flat transport plate or surface so as to enable tags to be fed from the tag supply stack 36 to the tag attaching station 30 whenever the pusher member 92 is rectilinearly shifted from the left to the right as visualized in fig4 under the driving force of the counter clockwise rotating lever arm 70 . turning to fig2 and 3 , a generally u - shaped frame member 33 is secured to the top of support plate 50 . rotatably disposed across frame 33 is a threaded rod 35 having a crank handle 37 attached at one end . an adjustable support block 39 is attached to a threaded nut 41 carried on the opposite end of rod 35 , as illustrated . the upper edge of block 39 is adapted to be received within a shallow groove or channel 43 in the lower surface of the cross portion of frame 33 so as to preclude the block 39 from rotation as crank handle 37 is turned . in this manner , turning of the crank handle causes linear transposition of the block 39 as can be appreciated from a comparison of fig2 and 3 . carried upon block 39 is a sensor , such as a microswitch 120 having an actuating roller 45 . the microswitch 120 is mounted on block 39 such that the roller 45 is in the path of rotary movement of lever arm 70 . as will be described in more detail herein below , the microswitch is actuated each time the lever arm 70 moves in a counter clockwise direction , as visualized in fig4 . thus , as the lever arm rotates from the rest position shown in fig2 through 4 to a tag feed position as shown in phantom lines in fig4 the microswitch will be actuated . mounted on the cross member of frame 33 is an upright pin or arm 47 . similarly , a pair of spaced upright arms 49 and 51 are attached to moveable block 39 . pin 47 , which is fixed with respect to frame 33 , cooperates with arms 49 and 51 to form a tag width gauge . as can be appreciated from fig2 and 3 , the tag width gauge may be easily used by merely positioning a single tag such that a prepunched hole therein is placed over pin 47 . with the tag thus in position , crank 37 is rotated to move arm 49 until it just engages the edge of the tag as shown in fig3 . since the movement of arm 49 on block 39 by turning crank 37 also causes a like movement of microswitch 120 , it can be appreciated that the end point of travel of lever 70 , which is determined by the microswitch 120 , will be adjusted each time as the tag width is measured . by coordinating the tag width gauge measurement with the positioning of the microswitch 120 on block 39 and with the distance between the tag supply stack 37 and the tag attaching station 30 , the tag pusher member 92 can be caused to move precisely the amount required to shift a tag from the stacked array to the tag attaching station by merely taking a representative tag and placing it in the width measurement gauge and adjusting crank 37 . since the tag width may vary over a considerable extent , it may be necessary in certain instances to remove tag push member 92 and replace the same with one having shorter tines 94 . when the substitute push member is thus installed , the second gauge arm 51 carried by moveable block 39 may be used in conjunction with fixed arm 47 to measure tag width and set the microswitch 120 accordingly . it can be appreciated from the above that the tag attaching machine according to the present invention is quickly and precisely adaptable to use with tags of widely varying widths . moreover , the adjustment is extremely simple and merely requires that the operator place the tag between the appropriate gauge members 47 and 49 or 47 and 51 and then merely rotate the crank 37 to conform to the tag dimension . this action automatically transpositions the microswitch 120 so as to establish the end point of travel of lever arm 70 whereupon the push member 92 will move the tag the precise distance necessary to bring the same into perfect alignment at the tag attaching station 30 . the apparatus according to the present invention further includes a tag thickness gauge . refering again to fig2 and 3 , the tag supply stack 36 is adapted to be placed against a retaining member 53 which is mounted such that its lower edge is spaced from the upper surface of the support plate formed by guides 31 and tines 94 of push member 92 so as to permit a tag of maximum intended thickness to pass therebetween . at the top of retaining member 53 , a perpendicular leg 55 extends toward the tag attaching station such that the retaining member 53 and attached leg 55 have a generally l - shaped section . a shutter 57 is mounted against the retaining member 53 by suitable means such as a screw 59 which extends through a slot in member 53 . a perpendicularly disposed leg 61 extends from the top edge of shutter 57 such that the shutter also has a generally l - shaped section . the dimensions of shutter 57 are such that the spacing between leg members 55 and 61 is precisely the same as the opening at the bottom of the shutter above the tag supporting plate formed by tines 94 and support members 31 . by placing a selected tag between members 55 and 61 , and , after loosening screw 59 , adjusting the shutter 57 accordingly , the shutter opening will be quickly and precisely set to permit only one tag to be withdrawn from the tag supply 36 and shifted to the tag attaching station 30 . on the opposite side of the tag supply stack 36 from retaining member 53 is a second retaining member 63 . this member may be moved to the left and to the right so as to accommodate tags of different widths and maintain the same in a neat stack . a weight 65 is attached , preferably with some degree of freedom to the bottom end of a rod 67 which is loosely held in an elongated slot 69 in a holding member 71 . a handle 73 is attached to the top of rod 67 so that the rod and weight may be picked up and moved and then replaced atop a stack of tags 36 to maintain the same in proper alignment . the tag supply 36 is also provided with a tag retention member 75 in the form of a generally flat strip of material having its top end bent over to form a finger grip portion 77 and having an ear 79 attached to wall member 63 by any suitable means such as screw 81 . member 75 may be positioned to accommodate tags of varying depths and effectively prevents the tag supply from inadvertent dislodgment . a metal tube 83 has an opening 85 shaped to form a nozzle . the tube 83 is held in position by an appropriate block 87 and is adapted to be connected to compressor 32 so as to feed a stream of air against the needle 132 . the stream of air eminating from nozzle 85 clears the severed loose ends of the thread after each tag attaching sequence and blows the remaining tag end to the right , as visualized in fig2 and 3 , so as to place the thread end in the proper position for pick up during the next tag attaching sequence . referring to fig8 and 10 , fig8 shows the positioning of the various elements at or near the tag attaching station 30 just prior to the first tag attaching operation . at this time , a single tag has been moved from the tag supply stack 36 to the tag attaching station 30 and is sitting between the upper surface of the support plate and a guard plate 89 . an article to which a tag is to be attached is positioned over the presser block 128 , as shown . the operator then commences the tag attaching sequence by engaging switch 48 ( fig1 ). this begins the entire sequence and initially causes the needle 132 to move down . the needle will continue to travel down through the hole in the tag and through article until it reaches the lowest position of travel . at this point , a pick up mechanism 91 is operated to grasp the end of the thread at the lower end of the needle under the article . at this same time , the presser foot 116 will have pressed the article against presser block 128 to hold it securely in place . as the needle 132 begins to move back in the upward direction , the pick up mechanism will also move the end of the thread up above the guard plate 89 as shown in fig9 . depending upon the duration of the down position of the presser foot 116 , the length of the loop thus formed , as depicted in fig9 will vary . as will be described more fully herein below , the presser foot down duration is controlled by the microprocessor 38 , and a timing network included therein may be adjusted to select any desired loop diameter . at the conclusion of the tag attaching sequence , the article is pulled from the tag attaching station whereupon the knotting mechanism ( not shown ) completes its function and the next article may be then moved into position . referring now to fig1 the operation of the present invention through the control of microprocessor circuitry 38 will be explained in detail . the microprocessor circuitry 38 is connected to a source of power designated generally as power supply 100 . the power derived from supply 100 is utilized by the microprocessor to selectively operate the other elements of the invention . control of the microprocessor circuitry 38 is achieved through a plurality of switches connected to its inputs . as discussed above , a control panel 40 includes a two - position switch 42 which turns the microprocessor on and off , a push button switch 44 to cause movement of the transport mechanism without actual attachment of the tag , and a two - position switch 46 to operate the microprocessor in either mutual or automatic modes . in the manual mode , a first operation of switch 46 followed by operation of a command switch 48 causes movement and attachment of a single tag , whereas in automatic mode successive operations of the tag attaching mechanism result from a single operation of the command switch 48 . the motor 24 receives power from the microprocessor via line 102 . the gear 28 is engaged to be driven by the motor 24 upon operation of a clutch 26 contolled by the microprocessor via line 104 . a limit switch 29 detects the position of gear 28 and directs this information to the microprocessor via line 106 . the transport mechanism 34 operated via cylinder 80 is controlled through a solenoid valve 82 connected to the microprocessor via line 108 , to the cylinder 80 by outlets 84 and 86 to control respectively extending and retracting piston 90 , and to a pneumatic compressor 32 . power to the pneumatic compressor 32 is controlled by the microprocessor via line 112 . a microswitch 120 which detects the position of the tag feeder arm 70 transmits this information to the microprocessor on line 114 . the microprocessor also controls a presser foot 116 by means of a solenoid valve 118 connected to line 121 , to extending outlet 122 and retracting outlet 124 of air cylinder 126 , and to the pneumatic compressor 32 . in operation , the presser foot 116 is extended to retain the material against presser block 128 directly below the attaching station 30 during movement of the attaching mechanism 130 including needle 132 and thread 134 . to perform a single tag attaching operation , switch 42 is first moved to its &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position , thereby causing power to be applied to the motor 24 and the pneumatic compressor 32 . switch 46 is placed in &# 34 ; manual &# 34 ; position and switch 44 is operated once . in response , microprocessor circuitry 38 institutes movement of the transport mechanism 34 by operating the solenoid valve 82 via line 108 thereby directing air from the pneumatic compressor 32 into extending outlet 84 which causes a tag to be moved from the stack of tags 36 towards the tag attaching station 30 . when the selected tag has been completely moved into place in the tag attaching station 30 , microswitch 120 is engaged by the tag feeder arm 70 and transmits this information to the microprocessor on line 114 . upon receipt of this signal the microprocessor disables solenoid valve 82 which causes air from the compressor 32 to be directed to retracting outlet 86 so that the piston 90 retracts into the cylinder 80 and the transport mechanism 34 moves back to its initial position . by operating switch 44 once , the resulting movement of tag mechanism 34 causes a selected tag to be moved to the tag attaching station 30 . at this time , the alignment of the tag can be verified and any needed changes in the tag gauges can be made . if attachment of the selected tag to the garment is desired , operation is continued by placing a garment on presser block 128 and pressing the command switch 48 one time . in response , the microprocessor simultaneously institutes movement of the presser foot 116 and the attaching mechanism 130 . a signal on line 120 causes the solenoid valve 118 to direct air from the compressor 32 to the extending outlet 122 of the presser foot cylinder 126 , thereby driving the presser foot 116 against the presser block 128 to hold the garment in place . after a predetermined albeit adjustable time , solenoid valve 118 is switched off thereby directing air into retracting outlet 124 so the presser foot 116 lifts off of presser block 128 . meanwhile , the attaching mechanism 130 is activated by controlling the clutch 26 so that cam gear 28 engages the motor 24 . the needle 132 and thread 134 of the attaching mechanism pass through the selected tag and garment in the manner described hereinabove . as the attaching mechanism draws the thread around the presser foot 116 a loop is formed and subsequently tied by further operation of the attaching mechanism . thus , the length of the resulting loop is dependent upon the distance between the actuating mechanism 130 and the presser foot at the moment the thread is tied . therefore , the length of time the presser foot 116 is extended is directly related to the length of the resulting loop : if the presser foot is retracted early , the distance is small when the thread is tied whereas keeping the presser foot down causes a greater distance and hence a longer loop at the moment of tying . the length of time the presser foot is extended is controlled by an adjustable delay circuit 136 located in the microprocessor . continued movement of the attaching mechanism 130 via the gear 28 and the motor 24 results in completed attachment of the selected tag by means of needle 122 containing thread 124 . at the time when the selected tag has been properly attached , position - indicating means 138 located on gear 28 , such as a notch 138 , causes operation of the limit switch 29 . this information is received by the microprocessor on line 106 which , in response thereto , directs operation of the clutch 26 so as to disengage the gear 28 from the motor 24 . there is , however , sufficient momentum left in gear 28 to cause continued movement of the position - indicating notch 138 of the gear past the limit switch 29 so that the limit switch 29 is no longer engaged . at this point , the tag attaching procudure has completed one full cycle and the garment with tag can be removed thereby simultaneously cutting the tied thread free . the signal generated by engagement of the limit switch 29 is used for a second function by the microprocessor , however , to prepare for another tag - attaching operation . in addition to disengaging the clutch 26 , the microprocessor in response to operation of the limit switch causes the transport mechanism 34 to deposit another tag in the attaching station 30 per the steps set forth herein above . the last step of each attaching cycle , therefore , is to deposit another tag in the attaching station so as to be ready for a second operation of the command switch 48 . an adjustable delay circuitry 140 is included in the microprocessor connected to line 108 leading to the transport mechanism solenoid valve 82 to vary the interval between completion of tag attachment by attaching means 130 and the delivery of another tag in the manner described immediately above . this allows an operator sufficient time to remove the previous garment and tag from the attaching station 30 and presser block 128 so as to avoid jamming the device by delivering a new tag before removal is completed . the interval is adjustable to provide for varying degrees of skill among operators of the machine . successive operations of the command switch 48 while switch 46 is in &# 34 ; manual &# 34 ; setting causes the foregoing sequences to be repeated each time in response thereto . if the switch 46 is moved to &# 34 ; automatic &# 34 ; position and the command switch 48 is then operated , the foregoing events occur as described above with the additional step that operation of the limit switch 29 by gear 28 also causes the microprocessor to initiate another cycle of the attaching means , presser foot and transport mechanism upon completion of the prior cycle . in this manner , successive attachments of the tags occur automatically in response to a single operation of the command switch 48 , until switch 46 is moved back to &# 34 ; manual &# 34 ; position thereby completing the current cycle and then stopping . an adjustable delay circuit 142 included in the microprocessor may be used to control the interval of time between successive cycles of tag attaching when operating in the automatic mode . it may be appreciated that many different devices may be used to implement the circuitry and control mechanisms described hereinabove . for example , the clutch 26 engaging gear 28 may be a magnetic - type clutch , a pneumatic or hydraulic clutch , or a fully electronic braking system . similarly , the devices used to operate the transport mechanism 34 and the presser foot 116 may comprise pneumatic devices as discussed above or , alternately , bi - directional electric motors , hydraulic devices or any other suitable mechanisms . the microprocessor circuitry 38 may be designed in a variety of ways so as to accomplish the particular operating functions discussed hereinabove . a preferred embodiment of the microprocessor is illustrated in fig1 , wherein the reference characters correspond to those used in fig1 . the preferred embodiment comprises a known dc power supply 200 connected through the on / off switch 42 to the power source 100 to develop an internal voltage and ground . a reset pulse icl is developed by circuitry 202 connected to the power supply 200 . the pulse icl is characterized by the generation of a slowly increasing voltage waveform upon turning switch 42 on and is used to effect automatic reset and initialization of the other microprocessor circuitry . the command switch is connected to the input of a nand gate 204 having an output connected to an input of and gate 206 . the output of and gate 206 is connected to a negative pulse shaping circuit 208 and to the set input of a latch 210 comprising nand gates . the output of the shaping circuit 208 is also connected to the monostable multivibrator 136 adjustable via resistor 210 . the pulse produced by the multivibrator 136 is connected to a driving circuit 212 for a relay 214 controlling the presser foot solenoid valve 118 . the output of the latch 210 is connected to another driving circuit 216 for a relay 218 controlling the cam gear clutch 26 . the input of the shaping circuit is connected to the limit switch 29 of the cam gear 28 . one reset input of the latch 210 is connected to master reset icl , and a second to the input of the monostable multivibrator 140 adjustable via resistor 222 . the output of multivibrator 140 is connected to a positive waveform pulse shaping circuit 224 , having an output connected to a set input of latch 226 . the latch 226 is connected to a driving circuit 228 for control of the feeder mechanism solenoid valve 82 through triac 230 . the microswitch 120 is connected to a negative pulse shaping circuit 232 which has an output connected to the reset inputs of latch 226 and latch 234 . another reset input of latch 234 is connected to master reset icl , a set input to shaping circuit 208 , and the inverted output of the latch 234 to an input of nand gate 204 and nand gate 236 . this latter gate has another input connected to switch 44 and its output connected to the latch 226 . the output of shaping circuit 224 is also connected to a monostable multivibrator 142 adjustable via resistor 238 . the output of the multivibrator is connected to a negative pulse shaping circuit 240 , having an output connected to the reset input of a latch 242 and an inverted output connected to a nand gate 244 . the switch 46 is connected to the set input of latch 242 , the output of the latch is connected to the other input of nand gate 244 , having its output connected to the input of and gate 206 . the operation of the circuit of fig1 will now be described to illustrate the sequence of operations occuring during attachment of a tag . as discussed above , the first step is operating switch 44 which causes latch 226 to be set and the feeder arm solenold valve 82 to be operated via driving circuit 228 and triac 230 . the feeder mechanism advances a selected tag towards the attaching station until it is in place and microswitch 120 is engaged , resulting in resetting latch 226 and turning off solenoid valve 82 thereby causing the feeder mechanism to return . a tag is now properly in place in the attaching station . the next step is to operate command switch 48 which simultaneously turns on the presser foot solenoid valve 118 via shaping circuit 208 , multivibrator 136 , driving circuit 212 and relay 214 , and turning on the cam gear clutch 29 via latch 210 , driving circuit 216 and relay 218 . thus , the presser foot engages the garment and the attaching mechanism begins operation meanwhile , latch 234 has been set , thereby temporarily blocking via gate 204 any further operation from pressing command switch 48 . the duration of operation of the presser foot solenoid valve 118 is controlled by multivibrator 136 . as discussed above , this has a direct effect upon the length of thread loop attaching the selected tag to the garment . when the multivibrator 136 times out , the presser foot is released . since the cam gear solenoid 26 is still being operated , the attaching mechanism completes its cycle of operation thereby attaching the tag . when the cycle is completed and limit switch 29 is momentarily engaged , the feeder mechanism solenoid valve 82 is again operated via the chain comprising the shaping circuit 220 , multivibrator 140 , shaping circuit 224 , driving circuit 228 and relay 230 . the feeder mechanism operates until a tag is deposited in the attaching station , microswitch 120 is engaged and the feeder mechanism is returned as described hereinabove . the latch 234 is also reset by engagement of the microswitch 120 so the system is prepared for another attaching cycle . in the above - described sequence , the multivibrator 140 is adjusted to delay the interval between completion of the attaching mechanism and a new operation of the feeder mechanism . if manual operation has been selected , the above sequence constitutes a finished cycle since gate 206 is blocked until another pulse is received from the command switch . if automatic operation is selected by engaging switch 46 and setting latch 242 , however , the pulse causing operation of the feeder mechanism as a result of triggering of the limit switch 29 also causes multivibrator 142 to produce a pulse which is used to repeat the entire attaching cycle via shaping circuit 240 , gates 244 and 206 . the multivibrator 142 is adjustable to control the interval between successive attaching cycles . thus , successive operations of the command switch 48 are not needed to initiate an attaching cycle when the automatic mode has been selected . disengaging switch 46 causes gate 206 to be blocked again , thereby switching to manual operation and halting the operation sequence at the conclusion of the last attaching cycle . it may be appreciated from the foregoing that many other circuit designs can be incorporated in the microprocessor to produce the desired functions and the disclosed embodiment is intended to be illustrative of just one possible design . for example , the circuitry can be replaced or altered to include transistors or operational amplifiers . alternately , the microprocessor may be incorporated in a single integrated circuit of an appropriate design to produce the desired operation . inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations , modifications and changes in detail , it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 3 |
fig2 and 3 show a computer system 150 according to the present invention , including : wan and / or lan 151 ; server computer 152 ; processing hardware set 154 ; posix controller kernel 155 ; guest operating system ( gos ) i 161 ; gos ii 162 ; gos iii 163 ; terminal i 170 ; terminal ii 180 ; terminal iii 190 . the controller kernel includes true video transmission module 156 ; hypervisor software 401 ; native form communication software 402 ; virtual video card module 411 ; idle loop 420 ; true video frame buffer sub - module 406 ; and digital - to - analog converter 407 . terminal i includes : user input device set 171 ; and a / v output device 172 . terminal ii includes : user input device set 181 ; and a / v output device 182 . terminal iii includes : user input device set 191 ; and a / v output device 192 . in operation , the three goss 161 , 162 , 163 of the server computer run in a “ containerized ” ( that is , at least substantially independent of each other ) manner on and under the control of the controller kernel , which controls communications between the controller kernel and the respective goss . these containerized goss are respectively allocated to the remote terminals 170 , 180 , 190 . in this embodiment the remote terminals are in the form of dumb terminals ( see definitions section ), but , alternatively , they could be thin client terminals or even full - blown personal computer workstations . for the purposes of the present invention , the important part to focus upon is the form in which the terminals get their respective video signals , which are displayed upon their respective standard monitor type display devices 172 , 182 , 192 . more specifically , they get true video signals , which correspond to a computer type display of the type that a user sees when working directly at a personal computer . now , in system 150 , these true video displays come from the server computer which is located at a nearby remote location ( lan embodiments ) or a faraway remote location ( wan embodiments ). in this embodiment , the network 151 is a wired network , but it could alternatively be a wireless network , or even a wireless broadcast of video signals on different channels corresponding to the respective true video signals , similar to a conventional , old fashioned television broadcast . the operation of the controller kernel , shown in detail in fig3 , will now be discussed . the controller kernel effects communications between the processing hardware set and the goss in ( at least ) two ways : ( i ) through hypervisor software 401 ; and ( ii ) through native form communication software . the operation of the native form communication software is discussed in some detail in the controller kernel background documents , but summarize this portion of the communication , native form ( see definitions section ) instructions are passed back and forth between the operating system and the containerized goss in a controlled fashion by the native form communication software , which preferably : ( i ) is written in linux ( even if the goss are windows ); and ( ii ) utilizes an idle loop and interrupt signals so that multiple goss can share a single set of processing hardware using native form instructions , but without conflicts . in controller kernel 155 , however , some gos / processing hardware set communications are handled ( in whole or in part ) by hypervisor software 401 . for example , video related instructions are handled by virtual video card module 410 which virtualizes and emulates a audio card hardware , but at the software level . as a further example , audio related instructions are handled by virtual audio card module 411 which virtualizes and emulates audio card hardware , but at the software level . these virtualized interfaces of the hypervisor software tend to be less efficient than the native form transfer of instructions through the native form communication software , but , for various reasons , there are some instruction transfers that are preferably performed in this virtualized manner . within hypervisor software 401 , frame buffers having audio and / or video data are generated . it is these frame buffers which are taken by ( or copied to ) true video frame buffer sub - module 406 of the true video transmission module portion of the controller kernel . the true video frame buffer sub - module uses these frame buffers to make a true video signal ( in digital form ) corresponding to the video signal that a computer user using the gos and its associated applications would see . this true video signal ( in digital form ) is then sent to digital - to - analog converter 407 and converted to a corresponding true video signal in analog form . the true video signal in analog form is sent out to the processing hardware set and thence to wan / lan 151 ( generally with the help of a network module , that may include hardware and / or software , not separately shown ). in some controller kernel embodiments of the present invention ( not all embodiments of the present invention necessarily have controller kernels ), the true video signal may be sent directly from the computer to the a / v output device . it is noted that the true video signal is not encapsulated in a network protocol , or otherwise put into any form that would require processing so that it could be displayed on a standard monitor type display device . fig4 shows another computer system 200 according to the present invention , including : server computer 202 ; multi - channel wireless transmitter 203 ; processing hardware set 204 ; posix controller kernel 205 ; true video transmission module 206 ; gos i 210 ; gos ii 211 ; gos iii 212 ; terminal i 220 ; terminal ii 230 ; and terminal iii 240 . terminal i includes user input device set 221 ; and a / v output device 222 . terminal ii includes user input device set 231 ; and a / v output device 232 . terminal iii includes user input device set 241 ; and a / v output device 242 . the operation of the multiple containerized goss , the dumb terminals and the generation of the three true video signals to be respectively sent to the three dumb terminals work substantially the same way as explained above in connection with system 150 . however , in system 200 , the three true video signals are broadcast on three different channels of wireless transmission , in the manner of a television broadcast . instead of being sent to a network , the true video signals are sent from true video transmission module 206 to wireless transmitter 203 ( which may be built integrally into the body of the server computer , or may be a separate component ). wireless transmitter may be constructed as , for example , wireless transmitter videocomm tc5800 ( made by videocomm technologies of oakville , ontario , canada ). preferably , each true video signal is sent on a separate channel , but other ways of multiplexing multiple true video signals may be possible . the true video signals of system 200 are preferably analog , but digital true video signals may also be and / or become susceptible of wireless broadcast . the preferred bandwidth related allocations ( assuming current equipment types and current performance standards ) are believed to be : ( i ) 6 mbps ; and ( ii ) 20 mhz per channel ( that is , per user ). these preferred allocations may change over time as equipment and expected performance standards improve . the true video signal channels are respectively broadcast to wireless receivers 223 , 233 , 243 , respectively of terminals i , ii and iii and displayed on a / v output devices 222 , 232 and 242 . once again , these a / v output devices are standard monitor type display devices ( see definitions section ) and therefore do not require processing power for processing the video signal before display becomes possible . fig5 shows computer system 300 , which is not necessarily a preferred embodiment , but included primarily to demonstrate some of the possible scope that the present invention may have . system 300 includes server computer 302 ; processing hardware set 304 ; standard os 305 ; application programming interface ( api ) 307 ; true video transmission application 306 ; wireless transmitter 303 ; client personal computer 320 ; processing hardware set 321 ; a / v output device 322 ; wireless receiver 323 ; standard os 325 ; and true video reception application . in system 300 , it is true video transmission application 306 that generates a true video signal and directs it to be broadcast out from the server computer by its wireless transmitter . because the true video transmission application sits atop an api and a standard operating system ( for example , a linux operating system or a window operating system ) in the server computer , it will generally be less efficient at creating the true video signal . the wireless true video signal is received by wireless receiver of the client computer and then sent to the true video reception application of the client computer , which also runs on top of an operating system before being sent to a / v output device 322 . again , the operating system involvement at the receiving end of the video signal may tend to decrease efficiency of the generation of the display on a / v output device 322 , but there may be reasons to set up a system that works this way . it is also noted that the presence of processing hardware set 321 in the client computer will tend to increase the cost of the client computer ( relative to the cost of a dumb terminal however , there may be reasons for doing this . for example , the operating system of the server computer may run as a mere window in the substantially independent operating system of the client computer , thus giving the client the power of two simultaneous and independent operating systems to work with , while still allowing for the efficiency of remotely - generated , true video signals on the client side in connection with its server computer window . any and all published documents mentioned herein shall be considered to be incorporated by reference , in their respective entireties , herein to the fullest extent of the patent law . the following definitions are provided for claim construction purposes : present invention : means at least some embodiments of the present invention ; references to various feature ( s ) of the “ present invention ” throughout this document do not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods include the referenced feature ( s ). embodiment : a machine , manufacture , system , method , process and / or composition that may ( not must ) meet the embodiment of a present , past or future patent claim based on this patent document ; for example , an “ embodiment ” might not be covered by any claims filed with this patent document , but described as an “ embodiment ” to show the scope of the invention and indicate that it might ( or might not ) covered in a later arising claim ( for example , an amended claim , a continuation application claim , a divisional application claim , a reissue application claim , a re - examination proceeding claim , an interference count ); also , an embodiment that is indeed covered by claims filed with this patent document might cease to be covered by claim amendments made during prosecution . first , second , third , etc . (“ ordinals ”): unless otherwise noted , ordinals only serve to distinguish or identify ( e . g ., various members of a group ); the mere use of ordinals shall not be taken to necessarily imply order ( for example , time order , space order ). electrically connected : means either directly electrically connected , or indirectly electrically connected , such that intervening elements are present ; in an indirect electrical connection , the intervening elements may include inductors and / or transformers . data communication : any sort of data communication scheme now known or to be developed in the future , including wireless communication , wired communication and communication routes that have wireless and wired portions ; data communication is not necessarily limited to : ( i ) direct data communication ; ( ii ) indirect data communication ; and / or ( iii ) data communication where the format , packetization status , medium , encryption status and / or protocol remains constant over the entire course of the data communication . receive / provide / send / input / output : unless otherwise explicitly specified , these words should not be taken to imply : ( i ) any particular degree of directness with respect to the relationship between their objects and subjects ; and / or ( ii ) absence of intermediate components , actions and / or things interposed between their objects and subjects . module / sub - module : any set of hardware , firmware and / or software that operatively works to do some kind of function , without regard to whether the module is : ( i ) in a single local proximity ; ( ii ) distributed over a wide area ; ( ii ) in a single proximity within a larger piece of software code ; ( iii ) located within a single piece of software code ; ( iv ) located in a single storage device , memory or medium ; ( v ) mechanically connected ; ( vi ) electrically connected ; and / or ( vii ) connected in data communication . true video : video signal in any form suitable for display on a conventional display without the need for any substantial computational type processing . standard monitor type display device : a display device that directly displays a true video signal and does not have the processing capability to convert a non - true - video format video signal into a true video format video signal ; may be a conventional monitor for use a personal desktop computer , or it may be built integrally into a laptop , notebook , tablet , netbook or other geometry . terminals : sometimes called workstations , these have sufficient user input and output devices so that a user can work at the terminal as if the user is working at a computer , regardless of how much computer processing capability exists within the terminal itself ; terminals include , but are not limited to , dumb terminals and thin clients . dumb terminals : a terminal with substantially no computer processing capability ; however , it is noted that a terminal including a standard lcd monitor and a standard modern computer keyboard would be considered as a dumb terminal even if either or both of these devices turned out to have some processing power to perform their respective functions as a display device and a user input device . thin client : a terminal with some computer processing power , but much less than a typical personal computer ; for example , a thin client might have a processor for the purposes of , and only sufficient to , de - encapsulating and encapsulating data received from a network in a network protocol and data transmitted to the network in network protocol . controller kernel : includes , but is not necessarily limited to posix kernels that include an idle loop for routing native form instructions in a controlled manner native form : a form of instructions that can be operatively received by and / or is output from processing hardware directly and without any sort of translation or modification to form by software running on the hardware ; generally speaking , different processing hardware types are characterized by different native forms . to the extent that the definitions provided above are consistent with ordinary , plain , and accustomed meanings ( as generally shown by documents such as dictionaries and / or technical lexicons ), the above definitions shall be considered supplemental in nature . to the extent that the definitions provided above are inconsistent with ordinary , plain , and accustomed meanings ( as generally shown by documents such as dictionaries and / or technical lexicons ), the above definitions shall control . unless otherwise explicitly provided in the claim language , steps in method steps or process claims need only be performed in the same time order as the order the steps are recited in the claim only to the extent that impossibility or extreme feasibility problems dictate that the recited step order be used . this broad interpretation with respect to step order is to be used regardless of whether the alternative time ordering ( s ) of the claimed steps is particularly mentioned or discussed in this document — in other words , any step order discussed in the above specification shall be considered as required by a method claim only if the step order is explicitly set forth in the words of the method claim itself . also , if some time ordering is explicitly set forth in a method claim , the time ordering claim language shall not be taken as an implicit limitation on whether claimed steps are immediately consecutive in time , or as an implicit limitation against intervening steps . | 7 |
adult female baboons were studied for at least one menstrual cycle for patterns of urinary estrogens , plasma , progestin , and in some cases urinary lh . only those animals displaying normal patterns of these hormones were immunized . the criteria for normality and the procedures for housing animals are well known and will not be described . human luteinizing hormone ( hlh )-- partially purified preparation from human pituitaries with a biological potency of 2 . 5 units per mg . ( nih - lh - si ). human follicle stimulating hormone ( hfsh )-- a partially purified preparation from humand pituitaries with a biological potency of 86 units per mg . ( nih - fsh - si ). human chorionic gonadotropin ( hcg )-- a highly purified preparation from human pregnancy urine with biological potency of 13 , 200 iu / mg . ( 2nd irp - hcg ). monkey luteinizing hormone ( mlh )-- a crude preparation from rhesus monkey pituitaries with a biological potency of 0 . 75 units per mg . ( nih - lh - si ). baboon luteinizing hormone ( blh )-- partially purified baboon pituitary preparation with a biological potency of 1 . 1 units per mg . ( nih - lh - s1 ). all preparations , excepting the olh , were prepared in the inventor &# 39 ; s laboratory . lh and hcg biological activity was determined by the ovarian ascorbic acid depletion test and the fsh preparation assayed by the ovarian augmentation assay . hormones were altered as antigens by coupling with a hapten in varying ratios of hapten to hormone as described by cinader et al ., supra . for convenience , the cinader process is discussed herein although phillips , supra , may provide a more stable bond under certain circumstances . in this procedure , the protein hormone serves as a carrier and the hapten is coupled to it by diazo bonds . although a variety of hapten groups were coupled to different hormones , the same basic procedure was used for any combination . fifteen to thirty - five haptenic groups per hormone molecule were found most useful for preparing immuizing antigens . the basic reaction consisted of diazotizing the hapten ( sulfanilic acid ) by adding it to a solution of 0 . 11 n hcl and then slowly adding this solution dropwise to a 1 percent solution of nano 2 with constant stirring at 4 ° c . diazotization was considered complete with free hno 2 was detected in the reaction mixture . although the above reaction was accomplished at 4 ° c ., optimum temperatures for the reaction normally are about 0 °- 6 ° c ., although 4 ° c . is preferred . the hapten - protein coupling was performed by dissolving the protein hormone in an alkaline buffer , ph 8 . 0 . the diazotized hapten was added slowly to the hormone solution with continuous stirring at 4 ° c . the ph of the reaction was constantly monitored and kept near 8 . 0 . after all the hapten was added , the ph was finally adjusted to 8 . 0 , stirred for 1 - 2 hours and allowed to stand at 4 ° overnight . the mixture was thoroughly dialyzed for 6 - 8 days against distilled water to remove unreacted hapten . although the number of diazo groups per hormone molecule could be regulated by the number of moles of hapten and hormone reacted , a parallel control experiment with s 35 labelled sulfanilic acid to evaluate the precise composition of the haptenprotein samples was performed with each diazotization . the same hormone preparation to be used for immunization was used in the control experiment . after the reaction was completed , an aliquot was taken from the reaction mixture and the remainder thoroughly dialyzed . equal volumes of the dialyzed and undialyzed solutions were counted by liquid scintillation . by comparing the counts of the dialyzed and undialyzed samples , the moles of hapten coupled to each mole of hormone was calculated since the unreacted hapten was removed by dialysis . for this calculation , a molecular weight of 30 , 000 was assumed for all gonadotropin preparations . following dialysis , hapten - hormones were lyophilized and stored at 4 ° c . diazo - hcg ( 35 groups / molecule ) and hlh ( 26 groups / molecule ) were bioassayed by the ovarian ascorbic acid depletion method and found to retain 62 and 85 percent respectively of the activity of the unaltered hormones from which they were derived . none of the other hormones were assayed for biological activity . female baboons received their initial immunization on days 3 - 5 of the menstrual cycle and the second and third injections one week apart . the fourth injection was given 2 - 3 weeks after the third . a few animals received a fifth injection at 70 - 80 days after the first injections . all antigens were administered subcutaneously in a suspension of mannide manoleate or peanut oil . doses of antigens for each injection varied between 3 and 5 mg . injection sites were inspected daily for 5 days after each immunization for local reactions . daily 24 - hour urine specimens and frequent serum samples were collected during at least one menstrual cycle prior to immunizations and following immunizations until the effects of treatment were assessed . urinary lh , urinary estrogens and plasma progestins were measured . antibodies were detected in post - immunization serum samples by reacting 0 . 2 ml . of a 1 : 1000 dilution of serum in phosphate - buffered saline ( ph 7 . 4 ) 0 . 5 percent normal baboon serum with 250 pg of 1 131 labelled hormone . sera were reacted with both the unaltered immunizing hormone and unaltered baboon lh for antibody detection . a purified baboon lh preparation ( 1 . 9 × nih - lh - s1 ) was used as a tracer antigen . antigen - antibody complexes were precipitated with ovine anti - baboon gamma globulin after a 24 - hr . incubation at 4 ° c . antibody levels were expressed as pg of labelled hormone bound . significant antibody levels were considered to be those that would bind 5 . 0 pg or more of the 1 131 labelled antigen . antisera were fractionated by gel filtration of sephadex g - 200 according to the procedure of fahey and terry ( at p . 36 , experimental immunology , f . a . davis co ., philadelphia , pa ., 1967 , incorporated by reference to the extent necessary to understand the invention ) to determine the proportion of igm and igg antibodies in the baboon sera . since the igg fraction in this procedure contained a portion of iga and igd antibodies , only igm and total titers were determined . the igm fraction from the column was reacted with 1 131 hormones and the binding capacity determined . the volumes of the fractionated sera were adjusted so that antibody levels would be comparable to those of whole serum . no significant reactions were observed at the site of injection following any immunization . on 4 occasions , a slight induration ( 2 - 3 cm in diameter ) was seen when mannide manoleate was used as a vehicle but the redness and swelling disappeared within 4 - 5 days . antibodies were detected against the immunizing antigen within 3 - 5 weeks in all animals . the extent , duration and cross reactivity of these antibodies is recorded . generally speaking , higher levels were observed to heterologous gonadotropin immunization than to homologous ones . the cross - reactivity of induced antibodies with baboon lh was studied on each animal . cross - reactivity of antisera at peak levels was recorded . although relatively high antibody activity against human lh and hcg were seen , relatively little reaction with baboon lh occurred . an intermediate cross - reaction was noted with anti - ovine lh and a high degree of cross - reactivity was seen with anti - monkey lh . diazo - human fsh was weakly antigenic in the baboon . the duration of antibody production was generally longer with the human and sheep gonadotropin immunization than with those of monkey or baboon origin . peak antibody levels usually occurred at the time when the antibodies had shifted to principally the igg type . early antibodies had a larger proportion of igm type and were generally more cross - reactive with baboon lh . the change in the proportion of the total antibody population that was igm was recorded from the time antibodies were first detected . significant cross - reactivity to baboon lh was observed in anti - human gonadotropins when igm was abundant but dropped sharply as the antisera shifted to nearly all igg . this drop in cross - reactivity did not occur with monkey and baboon immunizations . again , the ovine lh immunizations produced an intermediate change in reactivity with the shift from igm to igg . the effects of immunization upon the event of the menstrual cycle were determined by observing changes in sex skin turgescence and levels of pituitary and / or ovarian hormones . based on these parameters , the delay or retardation of ovulation from the expected time , as judged by the control cycle , was calculated . one animal immunized with hcg had no interruption in ovulation and another immunized with hfsh was delayed for only one cycle . two animals injected with hlh and two injected with hcg had ovulation delays equivalent to two menstrual cycles . a third animal immunized with hlh was delayed a calculated 86 days . ovine lh immunizations produced an 88 day delay in ovulation . immunizations with diazo - monkey or baboon lh resulted in longer disruption of the menstrual cycle . calculated delays in ovulation for the two animals receiving monkey lh was 146 and 122 days whereas the animals receiving altered baboon lh were retarded from ovulation 224 and 210 days . effects on specific hormone patterns following immunization with hlh in one animal were recorded . the interval between menses was considered to represent a &# 34 ; cycle &# 34 ;. urinary estrogens and plasma progestin patterns indicated that no ovulation occurred during the cycle of immunization which was 85 days in duration . urinary estrogens were elevated during treatment but did not reflect a typical pattern . plasma progestins were not elevated until about day 19 of the final post - treatment cycle . patterns of both estrogens and progestins were within normal limits during the second post - treatment cycle . antibody levels were elevated from about day 35 of the treatment cycle until 289 days from the first detection of antibodies . an lh assay was not available when this animal was studied and no data on plasma or urinary levels of this hormone was obtained . hormonal patterns following an immunization with diazobaboon lh were recorded . in this animal , antibody levels were lower and persisted , in general , for a shorter period than did immunizations with human gonadotropins . during the treatment cycle , levels of urinary estrogens and plasma progestins followed a normal pattern but were quantitatively lower than normal . urinary lh patterns fluctuated markedly due to the injections of diazo - lh during this period . no conclusive evidence of ovulation was obtained for the treatment cycle . the first post - treatment cycle lasted 246 days . during this cycle urinary lh and estrogens were elevated on days 35 - 41 but there was no subsequent elevation in plasma progestins that would indicate ovulation had occurred . following day 42 of this cycle , there was no significant elevation in any of the three hormone levels until day 231 when significant elevations of urinary estrogens and lh occurred . these rises were followed 3 days later by an elevation in plasma progestins indicating the presence of a functioning corpus luteum . a second post - treatment menstrual cycle was of normal duration and the endocrine patterns were normal . antibodies to unaltered baboon lh attained maximum levels by about day 70 of the post - treatment cycle and remained relatively constant until day 190 when a steady decline was observed . by day 215 of this cycle , antibody levels were barely detectable . approximately 16 days after this time , a peak of lh commensurate with a normal midcycle elevation was observed . from this point the animal appeared to have the normal function of the pituitaryovarian axis . hormonal patterns in animals with other heterologous gonadotropin immunizations were similar to animal receiving hlh and other animals receiving monkey or baboon lh were similar in response to animal receiving baboon lh . these results in baboons indicated that the modification of a reproductive hormone , by the procedures outlined , did render it antigenic and the antibodies thus formed did neutralize natural endogenous hormones if the natural hormone was obtained from the species receiving the immunizations with modified hormone . hcg is a hormone naturally present only in pregnant women with the exception that an entity at least analogous thereto has been found to be present in humans in conjunction with neoplasms . hcg is also commercially available . human lh is immunologically and biologically identical to hcg , even though there are chemical differences . since they are biologically identical and hcg is readily available from commercial sources it was presumed that the effectiveness of this immunological procedure could be evaluated by injecting modified hcg into non - pregnant women and monitoring the blood levels of lh . antibodies formed will neutralize both the lh and the modified hcg . reference in the above regard is made to the publications identified earlier herein . women have a pattern of lh levels ; the level is substantially constant until the middle period between menstrual cycles , immediately prior to ovulation ; at that point the lh level rises greatly and helps induce the ovulation . monitoring the lh level and the antibody level will show that the procedure used did or did not cause the production of antibodies capable of neutralizing the endogenous reproductive hormone , namely lh . a women aged 27 years was selected for study . hormone was obtained , purified and modified . the modified human hormone ( hcg ) was injected into the subject . it is well known that antibodies to hcg react identically to lh as well as hcg . the effect of the immunization was evaluated , principally by monitoring blood levels of lh . finally the results were evaluated . clinical grade hcg derived from pregnancy urine was obtained from the vitamerican corp . little falls , n . j . this material has an immunological potency of 2600 iu / mg . contaminants were detected in this preparation . purification consisted of chromatography and elution . fractions were dialyzed and lyophylized . the most potent fraction contained approximately 7600 iu / mg ., however , it was heterogenous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . the fraction was further purified by gel filtration . the elution profile revealed two major protein peaks . the most potent hcg was found in the first peak and had an immunological potency of 13 , 670 iu per mg . this fraction was subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . further purification by gel filtration showed no evidence of heterogeneity of the hcg at this stage . consequently , materials for study were processed according to the above procedure . the contamination of this purified hcg was tested with i 131 used for identification and a sample was reacted with antisera against several proteins offering potential contamination . those proteins were follicle stimulating hormone , human growth hormone , whole human serum , human albumin , transferin , alpha one globulin , alpha two globulin and orosomucoid . no detectable binding of the purified hcg was observed with any antisera at a dulution of 1 : 50 of each . these negative results , calculated against potential binding of the respective proteins , indicated that contamination with any was less than 0 . 005 percent . hormone was altered by coupling with a hapten ( sulfanilazo ). this method couples the hapten molecules to the protein via the amino group of the aliphatic or aromatic portion of the hapten . the number of hapten molecules coupled to each hcg molecule ( ha - hcg ) can be regulated and for this study , forty haptenic groups per hcg molecule were used for preparing the immunizing antigen . the subject was multiparous and had terminated her reproductive capabilities by prior elective bilateral salpingectomy . she was in good health and had regular cyclic menstruation . she underwent complete history , physical examination and laboratory evaluation including blood count , urinalysis , latex fixation and papanicolau smear . she had no history of allergy . to demonstrate normal functioning of the pituitaryovarian axis prior to immunization , blood samples were obtained every other day from the first day of menses for 10 days , then daily for 10 days and finally , every other day until the next menses . serum determinations of fsh , lh , estrone , estradiol and progesterone were performed . these studies indicated an ovulatory pattern . ten mg . of the ha - hcg antigen were dissolved in 1 . 0 ml . of saline and emulsified with an equal volume of oil . prior to injection , scratch tests to antigen and vehicle were performed . immunizations were begun in the luteal phase of the treatment cycle to prevent superovulation from the administered hcg . four injections at two week intervals were given to the subject . the first two of these were administered in oil subcutaneously ( 1 . 0 ml . in each upper arm ); the final two injections were given in saline only via the intradermal route . following each injection , blood pressure readings were taken and the subject observed for allergic reactions . blood samples were collected at weekly intervals beginning two weeks after the initial injection to test for the presence of humoral and cellular antibodies . following completion of the immunization schedule , blood samples were collected in the same manner as in the control cycle to assess effects of immunization on hormonal patterns of the menstrual cycle . since antibodies to hcg react identically to lh as with hcg , lh was monitored as an index of effectiveness of the procedure . a third cycle was similarly studied six months after initial immunization . upon completion of the study , physical and pelvic examinations and laboratory evaluations were repeated . serum samples from the control and post - treatment cycles were assayed for fsh , lh , estrone , estradiol and progesterone . the subject was tested for delayed hypertensivity before immunization and at two week intervals until the injection schedule was completed by an in vitro lymphocyte transformation test . temporal relationships of serum pituitary and gonadal hormones in the control cycles of the subject were recorded . antibody titers to hcg were detected in the subject after two injections . menses occurred at regular intervals during the immunizations . following the initial injection in mannide manoleate , some itching and swelling at the injection site occurred . subsequent intradermal injections in saline produced no reactions and it was concluded that the local reactions were induced by the mannide manoleate . lymphocyte transformation tests on plasma samples were negative . in the post - treatment cycle , baseline follicular and luteal phase lh levels were not noticeably changed in the subject . very small midcycle elevations in lh levels were observed as compared to the normal large increases . fsh patterns in the post - treatment cycle were normal . this indicated that the antibodies were neutralizing the action of endogenous lh . the subject showed an ovulatory progesterone pattern but attained relatively high antibody titers to lh and hcg after only two injections of ha - hcg . the subject was studied during another cycle approximately six months from the first immunization . significant antibody titers were found . lh patterns indicated a small midcycle elevation . fsh patterns were essentially normal . thus , the specificity of anti - hcg antibodies to lh was shown but not to fsh . another woman aged 29 years was selected for further study . hormone was obtained , purified , and modified as in example ii . this modified hormone was injected into this subject in the same way as in example ii . the subject was monitored and tested as in example ii . the results were similar to the results found in example ii except that ( 1 ) the levels of estrone and estradiol were substantially normal , ( 2 ) the subject acquired significant antibody titers late in the post - immunization cycle , and ( 3 ) in the cycle studied after six months this subject showed no significant midcycle elevation in lh patterns . anther woman aged 29 years was selected for further study . hormone was obtained and purified and modified as in example ii . this modified hormone was injected into this subject in the same way as in example ii . the subject was monitored and tested as in example ii . the results were similar to the results found in example ii except that ( 1 ) baseline follicular and luteal phase lh levels were noticeably depressed in the post - treatment cycle , ( 2 ) no midcycle elevations were observed in lh , ( 3 ) estrone levels were elevated during the follicular phase of the post - immunization cycle , and ( 4 ) during the six - months study there was no significant midcycle elevation in lh patterns . another woman aged 35 years was selected for further study . hormone was obtained , purified , and modified as in example ii . this modified hormone was injected into this subject in the same way as in example ii . the subject was monitored and tested as in example ii . the results were similar to the results found in example ii except that ( 1 ) baseline follicular and luteal phase lh levels were noticeably depressed in the post - treatment cycle , ( 2 ) a very small midcycle elevation of lh were observed , ( 3 ) levels of fsh patterns in the post - treatment cycle were depressed , and ( 4 ) levels of both estrone and estradiol were reduced , during the follicular phase of the post - immunization . another woman aged 28 years was selected for further study . hormone was obtained , purified , and modified as in example ii . this modified hormone was injected into this subject in the same way as in example ii . the subject was monitored and tested as in example ii . the results were similar to results found in example ii except that ( 1 ) baseline follicular and luteal phase lh levels were depressed in the post - treatment cycle , ( 2 ) no peaks were observed in midcycle levels of lh , ( 3 ) estrone levels appeared elevated in the follicular phase of the post immunization cycle , and ( 4 ) lh patterns indicated no significant midcycle elevation in the six - month post - immunization cycle . another woman aged 28 was selected for further study . hormone was obtained , purified , and modified as in example ii . this modified hormone was injected into this subject in the same way as in example ii . the subject was monitored and tested as in example ii . the results were similar to results found in example ii except that ( 1 ) antibody titers to hcg were not detected until after three injections , ( 2 ) baseline follicular and luteal phase lh levels were depressed in the post - treatment cycle , ( 3 ) no peaks nor midcycle elevation in the lh were observed , ( 4 ) estrone levels were elevated during the follicular phase , and ( 5 ) no significant antibody titers were found in the six - month cycle . all the above examples show the practicality of injecting modified hormones for the purpose of neutralizing an endogenous reproductive hormone and thereby offering a procedure for the prevention of conception or the disruption of gestation . data obtained in earlier experiments and discussed in examples i - vii showed that a modified natural reproductive hormone , when injected into an animal of species from which it was derived , would produce antibodies that would neutralize the action of the unmodified endogenous natural hormone in the body of the animal . hormones used in examples i - vii were fsh , lh and hcg . new experiments were performed , baed on this knowledge , to identify another reproductive hormone ( placental lactogen ) that could be used in a similar fashion . a purified preparation of placental lactogen was prepared from placentae of baboons since it was intended to use modified placental lactogen to immunize baboons . placentae were extracted and purified on column chromatograph according to previously published procedures . the purity was tested by polyacrylamide gel , electrophoresis and by radioimmunoassay . the material obtained showed a high degree of purity on electrophoresis and radioimmunoassay showed no contamination with other placental hormones . the baboon placental lactogen ( bpl ) was altered by coupling with the diazonium salt of sulfanilic acid as outlined for other hormones in example i . the number of diazo molecules per bpl molecule in this instance was 15 . immunization procedures were also similar to those described in example i for other hormones . within 4 - 6 weeks after the first injection of diazo - bpl , antibody levels to natural unmodified bpl in vitro were detected in 6 female baboons . levels rose to a plateau within 8 - 10 weeks and remained there for several months . hormonal measurements indicated that there were no efects on the normal events of the menstrual cycle due to the immunizations . since bpl is normally secreted only in pregnancy , this was not a surprising observation . all six females were mated with a male of proven fertility three times ( once each in three different cycles during the fertile period ). pregnancy diagnosis by hormonal measurement was performed after each mating . from the 18 matings , there were 13 conceptions as judged by pregnancy tests . the animals that were pregnant had menstrual bleeding 7 - 12 days later than was expected for their normal menstrual cycles . subsequent hormonal measurements confirmed that these 13 pregnancies were terminated by abortions approximately one week after the time of expected menses . these findings suggest that the antibodies formed in the animal &# 39 ; s body after immunization had no effect on the nonpregnant menstrual cycle but when pregnancy was established , they neutralized the baboon placental lactogen in the baboon placenta and the result was abortion very early after conception . when in examples i - viii above structures ( i ), ( ii ), and ( iii ) are modified by use of diazosulfanilic acid , dinitrophenol , or s - aceto mercaptosuccinic anhydride or structures ( ii ), and ( iii ) are modified by addition of polytyrosine or polyalanine , according to known methods , the results obtained should be similar to those in said examples . similarly , when fsh , somatomedian , growth hormone or angiotension ii are modified by use of diazosulfanilic acid or trinitrophenol , the results obtainable upon administration of the purified modified polypeptide into a male or female human or animal would indicate the stimulation of antibodies which neutralize all or some of the modified polypeptide as well as corresponding endogenous polypeptide . the subjects used in the studies reported in the example are female baboons . all baboons were adults of reproductive age . a description of subjects and the conditions of experimentation have been described in example i . the animals have been studied using highly purified beta subunits of hcg using a preparation with a biological activity of less than 1 . 0 iu / mg . animals were immunized with 14 - 26 moles / mole of polypeptide of diazosulfanilic acid coupled subunits in mannide manoleate . antibody levels were assessed by determining the binding of serum dilutions with i 125 labelled antigens . crossreactivity of antisera was measured by direct binding of labelled antigens and by displacement radioimmunoassays . antifertility effects in actively immunized animals were tested by mating females with males of proven fertility . effects in pregnant baboons passively immunized with either sheep or baboon anti - β - hcg were determined by monitoring serum levels of gonadotropins and sex steroid hormones before and after immunizations . eight female baboons were immunized with the modified beta subunit of hcg . significant antibody levels were attained in all animals . baboon immunizations with the modified beta subunit of hcg resulted in high antibody levels reacting to hcg , human lh and baboon cg but not to baboon lh . all animals remained ovulatory , however , no pregnancies resulted from numerous matings with males of proven fertility . passive immunization of non - immunized pregnant baboons with sheep anti - β - hcg serum produced abortions within 36 - 44 hours . hemocyanin from keyhole limpet ( klh ) solution ( 7 mg / ml ) in 0 . 05 m sodium phosphate buffer in 0 . 2 m nacl , ph 7 . 5 , is prepared . insoluble particles are removed by centrifugation . to one ml of this solution , tolylene diisocyanate ( t . d . i . c .) reagent is added ( 20 μl ) diluted to 1 / 30 with dioxane , the amount being essentially the equivalent of the moles of lysyl residues in the klh molecules . after 40 minutes at 0 ° c ., the t . d . i . c . activated klh solution is combined with 0 . 5 mg of synthetic β - hcg peptide having the following structure : which is first dissolved in 25 μl of 0 . 05 m sodium phosphate buffer in 0 . 2 m nacl , ph 7 . 5 . the mixture is incubated at 37 ° c . for four hours . the resulting product is purified by gel filtration . one g . of ficoll 70 is dissolved in 1 ml each of normal saline and 2 m ethylene diamine ( adjusted to ph 10 with hydrochloric acid ) solution . the solution is kept at room temperature in a water bath and stirred with a magnetic stirrer . cyanoger bromide , 4 g , dissolved in 8 ml of dioxane , is added to the picoll 70 solution . the acidity of the mixture is maintained at ph 10 - 10 . 5 for 8 minutes by adding drops of 2 n sodium hydroxide solution . an additional 2 ml of 2 m ethylene diamine , ph 10 , solution is added , and stirring at room temperature is continued for 30 more minutes . the product is purified by passing it through a bio - gel p - 60 column . two mg of the compound of structure ( ii ) containing picogram amount of i 125 labeled adduct and klh ( 1 . 6 mg ) is dissolved in 1 ml . of 1 . 0 m glycine methyl ester in 5 m guanidine hydrochloride . ethyl dimethylamino propylcarbodiimide ( e . d . c .) 19 . 1 mg is added to this solution . the acidity is adjusted to and maintained at ph 4 . 75 with 1 n hcl at room temperature for 5 hours . the klh - peptide conjugate is purified by passing it through a bio - gel p - 60 2 . 2 × 28 cm column equilibrated with 0 . 2 m nacl . solid bifunctional imidoester dihydrochloride ( 3 mole ) is added in 2 mg portions at 5 - minute intervals to a constantly stirred solution of 1 mole of polypeptide of structure ( ii ) ( 1 - 20 mg / ml ) in 0 . 1 m sodium phosphate , ph 10 . 5 , at room temperature . sodium hydroxide 0 . 1 n is added to maintain the acidity at ph 10 . 5 . one hour after the addition of the diimidoester has been completed , a polymerized product according to this invention is obtained . to a 20 mg / ml solution of homologous serum albumin in 0 . 1 m borate buffer , ph 8 . 5 , 1000 % mole excess of 25 % aqueous solution of glutaric dialdehyde is added at room temperature . the excess dialdehyde is removed by gel filtration in water using bio - gel p - 2 . the material collected at the void volume is lyophilized , and the dried product is redissolved in 0 . 1 m borate buffer , ph 8 . 5 ( 20 mg / ml ), mixed with the required amount of polypeptide of the following structure : structure ( xvi ) ( 20 mg / ml ) in the same buffer at room temperature . twenty minutes later , sodium borohydride in 250 percent molar excess of polypeptide xvi is added . the reaction is terminated after one hour . the conjugated product is purified by gel filtration on bio - gel p - 60 column , dialyzed free of salt and lyophilized . ficoll 70 l g , nahco 3 500 mg , cyanuric chloride 3 g , h 2 o 20 ml , and dimethylformamide 80 ml ., are stirred at temperature below 16 ° c . for 2 hours . the product is dialyzed against distilled water until cl - free , then lyophilized . a polypeptide of structure ( xv ) ( 2 mg ) containing minute quantity of i 125 - labeled analogue is incubated with 1 mg of this product in 0 . 25 ml of 0 . 2 m sodium borate buffer , ph 9 . 5 , for one hour at 20 ° c ., and the product is recovered from a bio - gel p - 60 2 . 2 × 28 cm column . when the above procedure is carried out and dextran t 70 is used in place of ficoll 70 , the corresponding modified polypeptide , useful according to this disclosure , is obtained . ficoll 70 l g , naio 4 1 . 2 g , and kcl 0 . 42 g are dissolved in 1 . 5 ml of 1 m sodium acetate buffer , ph 4 . 5 , and incubated at 37 ° c . for 1 hour . two mg (= 588 μmoles ) of polypeptide of structure ( xv ) above mixed with a minute quantity of i 125 - labeled analogue is incubated with 2 mg of the product obtained above in 0 . 3 ml of 0 . 2 m borate buffer , ph 9 . 5 at 55 ° c . for 1 hour . the reaction mixture is then chilled in an ice water bath and nabh 4 1 mg is then added into this solution . the reduction reaction is terminated by passing the product through a bio - gel p - 60 2 . 2 × 28 cm column equilibrated and eluted with 0 . 2 m nacl . numerous rabbits are immunized with a variety of synthetic peptides conjugated to different modifying groups . following two or three immunizations at 3 - 5 week intervals , sera from animals are assessed by determining their ability to bind in vitro to radiolabeled hcg . the specificity of this binding is studied by reacting the same sera against similarly labeled other protein hormones , particularly , pituitary lh . sera are further assessed by determining their ability to inhibit the biological action of exogenously administered hcg in bioassay animals . thus , the increase in uterine weight of the immature female rat in resonse to a prescribed dose of hcg is noted . the dose of hcg is administered subcutaneously in saline in five injections over a three day period and the animal is sacrificed for removal of the uterus on the fourth day . the weight of the uterus increases in dose reponse fashion to the hormone injections . when assessing the effects of antisera in this response , varying quantities of test serum are administered intraperitoneally separately from the subcutaneous injection of hormone during the assay . this procedure permits the antiserum to be absorbed rapidly into the rat &# 39 ; s bloodstream and will permit interaction of it with hormone when the latter likewise enters this fluid . if the antiserum is capable of reacting with the hormone in a manner preventing stimulation of the uterus , the antiserum is considered to be effective for biological inhibition of hormone action . the frequency of animals showing a positive response to immunological binding and neutralization of biological activity is presented in iodosobenzoic acid dissolved in a slight excess of 1 n potassium hydroxide in 10 % molar excess is added to the peptide of structure ( ii ) in phosphate buffer with normal saline at ph of 7 . 0 . after thirty minutes at room temerature , the product polypeptide dimer is purified by gel filtration . to an ice water bath cooled and vigorously stirred 0 . 23 ml . of bovine gamma globulin ( 10 mg / ml ) in 0 . 05 m phosphate buffer with normal saline ( pbs ) ph 7 . 5 , 50 μl of 1 / 10 t . d . i . c . in dioxane is added . after 40 minutes , in excess t . d . i . c . is removed by centrifugation ( 0 ° c ., 10 minutes , 10 , 000 g ) and the precipitate is washed twice with 0 . 1 ml . of pbs . the combined supernatents are added to 7 . 7 mg . of the peptide of structure ( ii ) dissolved in 0 . 8 ml . of pbs , ph 7 . 5 . the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes , then incubated at 37 ° c . for 4 hours . the conjugate product is purified by dialysis . bsa ( 10 mg / ml ) in pbs solution ( 0 . 25 ml .) is treated with 50 μl of 1 / 10 t . d . i . c . dioxane solution and conjugated to 7 . 5 mg . of synthetic β - hcg peptide of structure ( iii ) in 0 . 8 ml . of pbs ( ph 7 . 5 ) as in example xix to obtain the product . to an ice water bath cooled and vigorously stirred 0 . 6 ml . of β - hcg peptide of structure ( iii ) ( 10 mg / ml ) in phosphate buffered saline , ph 7 . 5 , is added 30 μl of 1 / 10 t . d . i . c . after 40 minutes , the excess t . d . i . c . is removed by centrifugation ( 10 , 000 g , 0 ° c ., 10 minutes ) and the precipitate is washed twice with 0 . 1 ml . pbs . the combined supernatents are added to 3 mg . of poly ( d , l - lys - als ) dissolved in 0 . 3 ml . of pbs . the mixture is incubated at 37 ° c . for 4 hours . the product is then dialyzed and lyophilized . the results set out in table i provide further evidence of the broad applicability of this invention as indicated previously in this specification . using standard methods of testing in rabbits , both immunological binding response and neutralization of biological activity were established for the medified polypeptides indicated with the result as set out in table i . antigen was prepared by reacting a diisocyanate ( t . d . i . c .-- see above ) coupling reagent with carrier ( tetanus toxoid ), extracting excess reagent and incubating activated carrier with peptide structure ( ii ). baboons were immunized with the antigen and the results of mating 4 animals three times are shown in fig1 . the figure shows that from 12 exposures ( matings ) one pregnancy resulted even though relatively low levels of immunity from the antigen were achieved . non - immunized baboons of the same colony had a fertility rate of approximately 85 %. referring to fig2 baboons were immunized initially with a beta subunit of hcg modified by diazotization in a manner similar to that described in conjunction with example ii . following this initial administration , the baboons were injected 21 and 42 days later with structure ( ii ) above having been modified by the same diazotization process . fig2 shows plots representing the levels of antibodies generated in consequence of these administrations . such quantities of antibodies are expressed as micrograms of isotopically - labeled hcg that will bind each milliliter of serum from the baboons at specified days after the initial injection . the levels shown were maintained for a period of over one year . table 1__________________________________________________________________________frequency of positive antibody responses to various hcgpeptide - conjugates number of rabbits immunological neutralization ofpeptide carrier immunized binding responses biological activity__________________________________________________________________________35 amino acid111 - 145 bovine gamma globulin 10 10 6morgan et al keyhole limpetpeptide ii hemocyanin 10 5 * 31 amino acid115 - 145 poly - d - l - alanine 10 9 5morgan et al bovine serum albumin 12 12 6peptide iii44 amino acid105 - 148 keyhole limpet hemocyanin 10 8 * peptide xvnatural109 - 145 keyhole limpetkeutman hemocyanin 10 10 * peptide xii__________________________________________________________________________ * additional time needed for assessment referring to table 2 , the results of breeding the two baboons represented in fig2 is revealed in tabular form . the table presents the results of mating these animals ten times over a period of approximately one year . these data suggest that the animals ovulated in every cycle , however , no pregnancy was observed , as indicated by the animal having a menstrual period at or before the expected time therefor . while the results tabulated demonstrate the efficacy of the entire procedure , it was observed for the particular structure utilized in the primary immunization , i . e . structure ( i ), antibody cross reactivity with lh was observed . such cross reactivity may be avoided by the utilization of the fragment conjugation procedures set forth in detail hereinabove . the specificity of antibody response to a cg fragmentmacromolecular carrier is represented by the instant experiment . a 35 amino acid sequence [ structure ( ii ), herein &# 34 ; synthetic peptide &# 34 ;] of the hcg beta subunit was conjugated with bovine gamma - globulin and administered to a baboon . varying doses of each of these three hormones were tested for their ability to compete with i 125 - labeled synthetic peptide [ structure ( ii )] bound to the antiserum . the results are set forth in fig3 . note from the figure that human lh was ineffective for displacement of tracer antigen at doses up to 2 . 5 iu ( international units ). since hcg displaced antigen at a dose of 20 miu , the cross - reactivity with hlh in this assay system was less than 0 . 8 %. baboon cg also displaced i 125 - labeled antigen in this assay and , based on biological potency of the two hormones , was about 20 % as effective as hcg . the following experiments were carried out to determine whether the carbohydrate chains contained in the c - terminal 37 residues of β - hcg influence the immunogenicity of that peptide . table 2______________________________________breeding of immunized baboons [ diazo - β - hcg presensitized ] booster : diazo - β - hcg -( 111 - 145 ) 1 2pre - mate pre - matetiter ovul . preg . titer ovul . preg . ______________________________________mating no . 15 . 00 + - 4 . 20 + - mating no . 24 . 25 + - 4 . 10 + - mating no . 34 . 22 + - 4 . 00 + - mating no . 44 . 17 + - 3 . 89 + - mating no . 53 . 80 + - 3 . 76 + - mating no . 66 . 65 + - 5 . 00 + - mating no . 75 . 90 + - 4 . 75 + - mating no . 85 . 10 + - 4 . 20 + - mating no . 95 . 00 + - 4 . 25 + - mating no . 104 . 66 + - 4 . 00 + - ______________________________________ a peptide representing amino acid residues 109 - 145 of β - hcg was isolated from a chymotryptic digest of reduced and carboxymethylated β - hcg by procedures reported by keutmann , h . t . ; williams , r . m ., j . biol . chem . 252 , 5393 - 5397 ( 1977 ). this peptide is identified in table 3 as p - 1 . the purity of the peptide was confirmed by amino acid and terminal end group analyses . a portion of the isolated peptide was treated with anhydrous hydrofluoric acid ( hf ) to remove carbohydrate moieties and repurified by column chromatography according to methods described by sakakibara s . et al , bull . chem . soc . japan , 40 , 2164 - 2167 ( 1967 ). this portion of the isolated peptide is identified in table 3 as p - 2 . complete removal of the sugar chains were confirmed by carbohydrate analysis ; see nelson , norton , j . biol . chem . 153 , 375 - 380 ( 1944 ). a third peptide with the amino acid sequence 109 - 145 of β - hcg was prepared synthetically using the solid state synthesis procedure of tregear , g . w . et al ., biochem . 16 , 2817 ( 1977 ). this third peptide is identified in table 3 as p - 3 . highly purified hcg was used in all immunological experiments where reference was made to intact hcg . conjugates of the three peptides were prepared to keyhole - limpet hemocyanin ( klh ) using tolulene diisocyanate . a peptide - carrier ratio of 4 - 6 peptides per 100 , 000 daltons of carrier was obtained for different conjugates prepared according to amino acid analyses . rabbits were immunized with conjugates by three multiple site intramuscular injections of 1 . 0 mg . of conjugate in 0 . 5 ml . of saline emulsified with an equal volume of freund &# 39 ; s complete adjuvant . injections were given at 3 weeks intervals and weekly blood samples were collected from 3 - 20 weeks of immunization . antisera to all conjugates were monitored for antibody levels by reacting dilutions of sera with i 125 labeled hcg ( chloramine t method ) at 4 ° c . for 5 days and precipitating immune complexes with sheep anti - rabbit gamma globulin serum . antibody levels were determined by assessing dilution curves in which a linear correlation between dilution and binding of labelled antigen at equilibrium occurred . at least 3 points in each curve were used in calculating levels . these levels were expressed as μg . hcg bound per ml . of undiluted serum calculated by multiplying mass of labelled antigen bound by serum dilution . a radioimmunoassay system employing i 125 hcg and antisera raised to peptide conjugates was used to determine the relative ability of hcg and peptides to compete with labeled hcg . peak antibody levels from each rabbit were evaluated in these studies . antigens and antisera contained in phosphate - buffered saline ( ph 7 . 4 ) bsa ( 1 %) were added to test tubes and incubated at 4 ° for 5 days . separation of free and bound tracer hcg was accomplished by the addition of sheep anti - rabbit gamma globulin serum and further incubated for 48 hours followed by centrifugation . assessment of parallelism of dose response curves was accomplished using methods described by rodbard , d . in : odell , w . d . and daughaday , w . h ., eds ., &# 34 ; competitive protein binding assays ,&# 34 ; j . b . lippincott , phila . pa . ( 1971 ). the ability of unlabelled hcg and peptides to compete with i 125 hcg for antibody binding sites was expressed as moles of unlabeled antigen , per mole of unlabeled hcg , required to reduce the binding of labeled hcg by 50 %. for this purpose molecular weights for hcg , p - 1 , p - 2 , and p - 3 of 38 , 000 , 7 , 000 , 3 , 990 , and 3 , 990 respectively were used . the molecular weight of the p - 1 peptide was an estimate since the contribution of the 4 carbohydrate chains to its size was not determined . four radioimmunoassays were performed with each of the 11 antisera studied and the results presented as the mean of the four values . parallel dose response curves of hcg and peptides were observed in all radioimmunoassays . in the assay system employed , 200 - 400 moles of unlabeled hcg was required per mole of labeled hcg at 50 % binding of the latter to antisera . there was no detectable difference among antisera to the 3 peptide conjugates in the ability of intact hcg to compete with labeled hormone for antibody binding sites . data obtained from comparing the ability of hcg and peptides to compete with i 125 hcg for binding to anti - peptide sera revealed some qualitative differences in the antisera ( table 2 ). much larger quantities of p - 2 peptide and p - 3 peptide were required to reduce i 125 hcg binding than was required by p - 1 peptide when sera against the p - 1 peptide was tested . while similar quantities of p - 2 and p - 3 peptides were required to inhibit one mole of labeled hcg binding , these were 2 - 10 times the amounts required by the p - 1 peptide . differences in the quantities of peptides required to compete with an equivalent mass of labeled hcg were less using antisera raised to carbohydrate - free natural peptide ( p - 2 ). more p - 1 peptide was needed for an equal reduction in binding than the other 2 peptides . no significant difference could be detected in the quantities of p - 2 or p - 3 peptides required among the 3 antisera tested . approximately 1 . 5 - 2 . 0 times as much p - 1 peptide was required to compete equally with i 125 hcg for antibodies raised to the p - 3 peptide but p - 2 peptide reacted nearly as well as did the synthetic peptide . despite low levels of antibodies obtained in this study , the carbohydrate - containing peptide was not more immunogenic than those without this moiety when conjugates to both were prepared in the same manner table 3______________________________________mean quantities of hcg and 109 - 145 c - terminal β - hcgpeptides required to compete with i . sup . 125 hcg at 50 % binding of labelled hormoneunlabelled antigens hcg p - 1 p - 2 p - 3antisera mol / mol mol / mol mol / mol mol / molrabbit hcg i . sup . 125 hcg i . sup . 125 hcg i . sup . 125 hcg i . sup . 125no . ( x ± se ) ( x ± se ) ( x ± se ) ( x ± se ) ______________________________________anti p - 1 78 284 ( 12 . 6 ) 430 ( 11 . 8 ) 4565 ( 200 . 8 ) 3628 ( 154 . 1 ) 79 350 ( 13 . 5 ) 404 ( 18 . 5 ) 855 ( 33 . 4 ) 881 ( 42 . 2 ) 171 403 ( 17 . 7 ) 343 ( 9 . 9 ) 899 ( 35 . 1 ) 759 ( 37 . 1 ) 173 377 ( 16 . 5 ) 320 ( 13 . 9 ) 1448 ( 72 . 4 ) 1536 ( 73 . 7 ) anti p - 2 93 247 ( 11 . 8 ) 385 ( 18 . 2 ) 264 ( 12 . 5 ) 268 ( 12 . 73 ) 94 294 ( 14 . 1 ) 431 ( 15 . 5 ) 362 ( 15 . 2 ) 329 ( 13 . 8 ) 252 201 ( 9 . 6 ) 296 ( 12 . 4 ) 216 ( 7 . 7 ) 205 ( 9 . 0 ) anti p - 3405 496 ( 23 . 6 ) 998 ( 47 . 4 ) 628 ( 27 . 6 ) 309 ( 13 . 6 ) 411 489 ( 20 . 5 ) 1200 ( 50 . 4 ) 678 ( 29 . 7 ) 413 ( 16 . 1 ) 416 364 ( 13 . 1 ) 581 ( 20 . 9 ) 400 ( 14 . 4 ) 271 ( 12 . 8 ) 417 340 ( 14 . 9 ) 474 ( 18 . 4 ) 176 ( 6 . 8 ) 105 ( 4 . 6 ) ______________________________________ from these studies , it can be concluded that although antibodies to carbohydrate free peptides are qualitatively different than those to the natural peptide , antisera generated to the synthetic peptide reacted with hcg as well as antisera to natural peptides and equivalent to natural and synthetic peptides elicited similar anti - hcg levels in rabbits . in this example , a polypeptide fragment structure having an -- sh group is activated utilizing the following reagent : ## str9 ## a solution of the reagent ( 1 . 2 eq . per -- sh group in the polypeptide ) in a suitable water miscible organic solvent , such as dioxane , is added to a solution of the polypeptide fragment structure , e . g . structure ( xii ) ( which has had its amino groups blocked ) in aqueous buffer at ph 6 . 5 . after 2 hours , the solvent is removed at a temperature of less than 30 ° c . under vacuum , and to the residue are added water and ethyl ether ( 1 : 1 ). the aqueous layer is separated and its ph adjusted to approximately 8 . 5 by the addition of sodium hydroxide solution and this alkaline mixture is added rapidly to an aqueous solution of the carrier , e . g . the above described influenza subunit , maintained at ph 8 . 5 by a suitable buffer . after a further 4 hours , the conjugate is isolated , by gel filtration . with the following reagent : ## str10 ## a solution or suspension of a carrier containing no sulfhydryl groups such as flagellin in a suitable aqueous buffer at a ph 6 . 5 is treated with the required ( 1 . 2 eq /- nh 2 desired to be reacted ) amount of a solution of the reagent in dimethylformamide . after 1 hour , the modified carrier is isolated by column chromatography and added to buffer at ph 6 - 7 . this is then treated with a solution of the selected fragment ( containing sulfhydryl groups ) in the same buffer and the reaction is allowed to proceed for 12 hours before the conjugate is isolated by column chromatography . modification of non - sulfhydryl containing peptide fragments [ e . g . structure ( ii )] or a carrier such as flagellin to a sulfhydryl containing one via &# 34 ; thiolactonization &# 34 ; is carried out as follows : the peptide is dissolved in a 1 m aqueous solution of imidazole containing 0 . 5 % of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid at a ph of 9 . 3 under an atmosphere of nitrogen and a 100 fold excess of n - acetylhomocysteine thiolactone is added in three portions at eight hour intervals . after a total of 30 hours , the ph is adjusted to 3 - 4 with acetic acid and the modified peptide is isolated by gel chromatography and elution with 0 . 5 m acetic acid . the carrier protein is reacted with the n - hydroxysuccinimide ester of a halo -( either chloro , bromo or iodo ) acetic acid in the general procedure described in the first part of example xxviii thus yielding a modified carrier containing the required number of halomethyl alkylating groups as desired . to a solution of the sulfhydryl containing peptide [ e . g . structure ( xii )] in a phosphate buffer at ph 6 . 5 - 7 . 0 under nitrogen at room temperature is added an aqueous solution or suspension of the modified carrier prepared above . the mixture is stirred for 12 hours . it is then washed with ethyl acetate and the conjugate contained in the aqueous phase is purified by dialysis , gel chromatography and lyophilization . should neither the carrier nor polypeptide fragment contain a sulfhydryl group , one may be introduced into either of them by the standard procedures such as &# 34 ; thiolactonization &# 34 ; described above under example xxix . | 0 |
referring first to fig1 and 3 , there is shown a prior art cathode cup 21 . a filament 22 is contained within a recess . the recess includes a t - shaped lower channel 23 , which is best seen in fig3 and a wider upper channel 24 , also seen in fig3 . set in the lower channel 23 are two tab pieces 25 . during manufacture , two insulators 26 having metal bushings 27 thereon are placed in holes bored in the cup . after the insulators are inserted , the metal flanges 27 are spot welded to the cup . normally , each end of the filament is crimped into a niobium tube 28 . the filament 22 and the niobium tubes 28 are set into the cup as a unit by passing the tubes through metal - lined openings in the center of the insulators 26 . after the tubes 28 are positioned , they are spot welded to the metal linings and , thus , the filament 22 is physically secured in place . leads 29 , to supply power to the filament , are later spot welded to the ends of the tubes . it will be appreciated that even though the tab pieces 25 have not been in position during the process of setting the filament , the proper position of the filament is so far down in lower channel 23 that it is difficult to properly and accurately set the filament , particularly if economics dictate that the job be done quickly . after the filament is set , the tab pieces 25 are put in place and spot welded . this too can be a difficult procedure , inasmuch as the parts involved are quite small and the positioning requirements are precise . finally , a cap 31 is attached to the cathode cup 21 . the cap is attached in a conventional manner which is not illustrated in order to preserve clarity of the drawing . also , the support for the cathode cup is normally brazed thereto . that detail has also been omitted from fig1 - 3 in order to preserve clarity . as shown particularly in fig2 a rough edge 32 can be present on the protective cap 31 . due to the extremely high voltages , often in excess of 100 kv , used in x - ray tubes , the sharp edge 32 can cause internal arcing . in order to prevent this , a guard ring 33 is slipped over the assembly so that it covers the edge 32 of the protective cap 31 . referring now to fig4 and 6 , there is shown a lower channel piece 41 . the lower channel piece 41 includes a base 42 on which is mounted a channel element 43 which defines a lower channel comparable to the t - shaped lower channel 23 shown in fig3 . the base portion 42 and the channel element 43 are shown as being machined from a single piece of metal . that is considered the preferred embodiment , however , there is no need that they be from a single piece of metal . the channel element 43 could be brazed or otherwise attached to a separate base portion 42 . the base portion 42 is also machined from the same piece of metal as is a support portion 44 which facilitates mounting the finished cathode cup in the x - ray tube . however , it should be understood that it is not required that the support portion 44 be machined from the same block of metal as the base portion 42 or the channel element 43 . in the preferred embodiment shown where the elements 42 , 43 and 44 are all machined from a single piece of metal , high - purity nickel is the preferred material . insulators 26 are installed in openings 45 which extend through the base portion 42 into the channel element 43 . for purposes of clarity , the insulators 26 and filament 22 are omitted from fig5 and thus the openings 45 are best seen there . the installation of the insulators is like the installation in the conventional cathode cup shown in fig1 and 2 . the filament 26 is set in the insulators just as the filament was set in the insulators in the conventional cup shown in fig1 and 3 . as is shown most clearly in fig4 the base portion 42 includes two locating holes 46 which receive locating pins , which help position the two pieces of the cathode cup with respect to each other , as will be described below . at the bottom of each hole 46 is a smaller hole which extends through the base portion 42 . the purpose of the smaller hole is to vent the hole 46 so that when the cathode cup is later assembled any air present in the hole 46 will be withdrawn during the tube evacuation process . the evacuation hole is made smaller than the hole 46 to create a shoulder on the bottom of the hole 46 to properly retain the locating pin which is to be installed . other locating means could be used . for example , two screw holes 47 are included in the base portion 42 . screws passing through these holes will be used to secure the second part of the two - piece structure . the screws themselves could provide a locating function . in addition , the side walls 48 and end walls 49 of the lower channel element could serve as locating walls . referring next to fig7 and 9 , there is shown an upper channel piece 51 . fig7 is a plan view of the outer side of the upper channel piece 51 and fig8 is a plan view of the lower surface which will ultimately be placed adjacent the base portion 42 of the lower channel piece . shown most clearly in fig8 are locating holes 52 that face the locating holes 46 when the assembly is completed . thus , locating pins spanning from the holes 46 to the holes 52 assure proper positioning of the upper channel piece 51 with respect to the lower channel piece 41 , and specifically , with respect to the lower channel element 43 . shown most clearly in fig8 and 9 are two threaded screw holes 53 which receive screws which pass through the holes 47 to secure the two elements together . as mentioned previously , the screw holes and the screws can serve the same locating function as the locating pins do , as could the outer faces of the locating element 43 in conjunction with the innerfaces of the central opening in the upper channel piece . however , it is felt that the most precise positioning occurs using the holes 46 and 52 in conjunction with locating pins . then , screws passing through the holes 47 into the holes 52 can be used solely for physical attachment . the upper channel 54 , which corresponds to the channel 24 , is shown most clearly in fig9 . during the manufacture of the upper channel piece 51 , two holes are bored from the lower side under what will be the ends of the central opening 55 which receives lower channel element 43 . the purpose of these holes is to ensure that there is no interference between the upper channel piece 51 and the insulators 26 and the filament 22 when the upper piece is installed . the holes also permit the ends of the filament to be placed slightly under the upper channel piece 51 so that the ends of the opening 55 can function as beam - focusing surfaces 56 . these beam - focusing surfaces eliminate the need for tab pieces 25 in certain x - ray tube configurations . the upper channel piece 51 is preferably made of a refractory metal , such as a molydenum alloy . refractory metals are preferred because in the event of an inadvertent arc in the x - ray tube the refractory metal will be less susceptible to damage than would a similar piece made of other , softer metal . it will be noted that both edges 57 and 58 around the upper and lower peripheries , respectively , and the edges 59 along the upper channel are softened , or slightly rounded . this softening further helps reduce the likelihood of inadvertent arcing in the x - ray tube . referring now to fig1 and 11 there is shown a cathode cup 61 in accordance with the present invention . the lower channel piece 41 has secured to it the upper channel piece 51 by screws passing through the holes 47 into the holes 53 ( for clarity , the screws and holes are not shown ). the precise fixed relationship of the filament ( not shown in order to preserve clarity ) and the lower channel piece with respect to the upper channel piece is established by the locating pins 62 , shown in phantom in fig1 and 11 . the pins , of course , are in holes 46 and 52 . however , as explained above , other locating methods , such as the screws or the surfaces of the channel pieces could be used . naturally , if the surfaces 48 and 49 and the inner surface of the opening 55 were to be used for locating , the relationship of those surfaces to each other would be closer than is illustrated in fig1 . to review , assembly of the cathode cup 61 proceeds by installing and spot welding the insulators 26 and then setting the filament as in the conventional manner . however , the task of setting the filament is substantially easier than with a conventional cathode cup , because the upper channel piece 51 is not in place during the filament installation step . also , as noted above , the upper channel piece itself is less likely to be scratched and nicked and , thus , have sharp , arc - causing defects because it is not present during the early manufacturing stages . finally , a protective covering cap 63 , which is similar to the cap 31 , is installed . the exact attachment means for the cap is conventional and has been omitted for purposes of clarity . the cap 63 covers the connections between the power wires 64 and the filament . it will be noted that if the cap 63 does have a sharp edge corresponding to the sharp edge 32 of the cap 31 , it is still not likely to cause arcing . that is because the diameter of the upper channel piece is chosen to be large enough that it effectively covers the edge of the cap 63 by projecting past the cap as shown in fig1 . therefore , no guard ring is necessary . the finished cathode cup 61 can be installed in an x - ray tube in the conventional manner using the support portion 44 . while this invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments and examples , other modifications and variations will occur to those skilled in the art in view of the above teachings . accordingly , it should be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described . | 7 |
it is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention , while eliminating , for purposes of clarity , many other elements found in typical sonar or optical sensor based systems , such as in towed optical sonar systems . however , because such elements are well known in the art , and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention , a discussion of such elements is not provided herein . the disclosure herein is directed to all such variations and modifications known to those skilled in the art . in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings that show , by way of illustration , specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . it is to be understood that the various embodiments of the invention , although different , are not necessarily mutually exclusive . furthermore , a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described herein in connection with one embodiment may be implemented within other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , it is to be understood that the location or arrangement of individual elements within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims , appropriately interpreted , along with the full range of equivalents to which the claims are entitled . in the drawings , like numerals refer to the same or similar functionality throughout several views . in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , fig1 shows a system 100 including a towing platform 110 , by way of example only , a submarine or surface ship configured for towing an all fiber towed array (“ afta ”) 130 . afta 130 may be coupled to towing platform 110 by a fiber - optic tow cable 120 . in one embodiment of the present invention , system 100 allows for containment of all electronics and discrete mechanical devices within towing platform 110 . accordingly , afta 130 may consist of substantially only a bundle of optical fibers disposed within in a housing or cable jacket , as shown and described herein in further detail . fiber - optic tow cable 120 may be adapted to transmit optical signals from towing platform 110 to afta 130 and return optical signals from afta 130 to towing platform 110 . afta 130 may comprise an extension of tow cable 120 . in other words , tow cable 120 may contain the same number of optical fibers as afta 130 and each optical fiber of afta 130 may be an extension of a corresponding optical fiber of tow cable 120 . as such , the fiber - optic tow cable 120 may be a conventional fiber - optic tow cable , containing a bundle of optical fibers sheathed in a protective housing . the optical fiber bundle of fiber - optic tow cable 120 may comprise conventional optical fibers , such as single - mode optical fibers or multi - mode optical fibers , for example . the housing of fiber - optic tow cable 120 may be a conventional housing for fiber - optic bundles sufficient to facilitate towing of afta 130 by platform 110 . in an exemplary embodiment , the afta 130 is integrally formed at an end of tow cable 120 . therefore , no coupling structure is needed to attach afta 130 to tow cable 120 . in an alternative embodiment , fiber - optic tow cable 120 may be communicatively coupled to afta 130 at a coupling region ( or coupler ) 140 . in such an embodiment , ends of each fiber of optical fiber bundle 134 ( described in reference to fig2 below ) may be optically coupled to the optical fiber of fiber - optic tow cable 120 by a focusing lens such that light pulses are focused for transmission . in this way , the number of optical fibers comprising the tow cable 120 may be the same or different than the number of fibers comprising the afta 130 . for clarity , reference may be made to the focusing lens of fig4 of u . s . published application no . 2004 / 0247223 , the subject matter thereof incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . coupler 140 may contain no discrete mechanical devices for controlling or operating the optical sensors of afta 130 . a second end of fiber - optic tow cable 120 may be communicatively coupled to tow platform 110 at a coupling area 150 . coupling area 150 may provide for each optical fiber of fiber - optic tow cable 120 to optically couple to a corresponding optical fiber provided by tow platform 110 . tow platform 110 may contain all electronics and discrete mechanical devices to control , transmit , receive , and process optical transmissions . fig2 shows a more detailed view of the optical fiber sensors constituting afta 130 of fig1 . as shown , afta 130 provides an optical towed array sensor , free of electronics or discrete mechanical devices . afta 130 consists of an array of n optical fibers 134 1 , 134 2 , . . . , 134 n ( referred to collectively as optical fibers 134 ) sheathed within a housing 132 , where each fiber may be identified as 134 i where i = 1 , . . . , n . each of the n optical fibers 134 i may have a length for i = 1 , . . . , n . each of the optical fibers 134 i may be of a different length l i and be operative as an independent acoustic sensor . the difference in length ( l i − l ( i + 1 ) ) between various optical fibers ( 134 i and 134 ( i + 1 ) ) may be uniform or may vary according to the specific needs and limitations of an afta 130 . each of the optical fibers 134 i may be a conventional optical fiber , such as single - mode or multi - mode optical fiber for example . each optical fiber 134 i may have a reflective end 136 operative to reflect optical signals transmitted the length of fiber 134 i . each fiber may operate as a sensor of extended length l i ( i . e ., each optical fiber 134 i receives acoustic signals effectively along its entire length l i ). specifically , each optical fiber 134 i may be operative to receive light or light pulses of an optical signal at an input thereof , and to sense acoustic pressure that causes change in a characteristic of the light pulses transmitted therethrough indicative of the sensed pressure . in an exemplary embodiment , the characteristic change may be a change in phase of the optical signal associated with a given optical fiber 134 i . alternatively , the sensed parameter may be intensity , amplitude , frequency or other optical characteristics of the light signal . in one embodiment of the present invention , the acoustic signals of interest may be obtained by subtracting one fiber output from another , as described in more detail in relation to fig4 below . the resulting difference represents the acoustic signal along the non - overlapping portions of those optical fibers being differenced ( see fig3 ). accordingly , such an embodiment may reduce or minimize the microphonic effects along the long length of fibers in the array . specifically , along similar fiber paths , amplitude and phase variations in each optical fiber will be similar such that the unwanted returns can be cancelled out to leave only the signal of interest . fig3 shows an exemplary embodiment of unbundled optical fibers 134 of afta 130 . as shown , the difference in optical fiber lengths ( l i − l ( i + 1 ) ) of consecutive optical fibers ( 134 i and 134 ( i + 1 ) ) defines an array of virtual elements 138 1 , 138 2 , . . . , 138 ( n − 1 ) , which is shown in fig3 as a shaded region of each optical fiber 134 i . each virtual element 138 ; may operate as an extended hydrophone of length l i − l ( i + 1 ) , thereby reducing flow noise along the long length of the fibers in the array . as set forth above , return signals generated by these virtual elements 138 are derived from subtracting the outputs of consecutive optical fibers 134 . fig4 shows the calculation of signal and noise data received by a virtual element 138 i . as set forth above , each optical fiber 134 i operates as a sensor and receives signal and noise along its entire length l i . the signal and noise may be introduced from many sources , such as flow noise , signal , thermal noise , and mechanical vibrations , by way of example only . the signal s i and noise n i for a virtual element 138 i may be calculated by subtracting the signal and noise measured over the entire length l ( i + 1 ) of the consecutive optical fiber 134 ( i + 1 ) from the signal and noise measured over the entire length l i of optical fiber 134 i . fig5 shows an exemplary signal processing system 200 for determining the signal and noise of interest . optical source 10 may be a conventional optical source adapted to produce n phase and frequency coherent optical signals to be transmitted to optical transceiver 20 . optical source 10 may be , by way of non - limiting example , a narrow - band laser . optical transceiver 20 may be a conventional optical transceiver adapted to receive n optical signals from optical source 10 and transmit n optical signals to fiber - optic tow cable 120 . fiber - optic tow cable 120 is adapted to transmit the n optical signals to afta 130 , receive back n optical signals from afta 130 , and transmit those n optical signals received from afta 130 to optical transceiver 20 . optical transceiver 20 may then receive the n optical signals from fiber - optic tow cable 120 and output n received analog signals to pre - amp 30 . pre - amp 30 may be a conventional pre - amp adapted to receive n analog signals from optical transceiver 20 , amplify the received analog signals , and transmit n amplified analog signals to band pass filter 40 . band pass filter 40 may be a conventional band - pass filter adapted to receive n amplified analog signals from pre - amp 30 , filter out amplified received analog signals outside of the band of interest , and transmit band pass filtered received analog signals to analog / digital converter 60 . analog / digital converter 60 may be a conventional analog / digital converter adapted to receive n analog band pass filtered signals from band pass filter 40 and provide n digital signals to demodulator / finite impulse response ( fir ) filter 70 . demodulator / fir filter 70 may be a conventional fir filter operative to filter the received n digital signals and transmit them to successive channel difference device 80 . the demodulator / fir 70 filter will demodulate and filter the signals from the analog / digital converter 60 to i / q baseband signals . in alternative embodiments of the present invention the fir filter of the demodulator / fir filter 70 may be replaced with an infinite impulse response ( iir ) filter which would provide the same functionality as the fir filter . successive channel difference device 80 may be implemented as a conventional processing device adapted to receive n baseband digital i / q signals , perform differential digital signal processing ( ddsp ) on the n signals , and output to beamformer 90 n − 1 difference channels . for each of the channels ch 1 . . . ch ( n − 1 ) , the ddsp will compute the difference channel by computing the difference of successive channels ( ch i − ch ( i + 1 ) ). successive channel difference device 80 effectively produces channels containing the data received by virtual elements 138 1 . . . 138 ( n − 1 ) and provides these n − 1 channels to beamformer 90 . in this way , unwanted noise and signals which are common to the fibers will be significantly reduced , yielding a useful signal at each virtual element . each virtual element will be of some physical extent , which will allow it to serve as an extended sensor . extended sensors are desirable because they reduce flow noise as the towed array is towed through the water . beamformer 90 may be a conventional beamformer adapted to receive n − 1 channels of baseband digital i / o signals and provide beamformed signal data to post - beamforming processing device 92 . post - beamforming processing device 92 may be a conventional post - beamforming device adapted to receive beamformed signal data from beamformer 90 , perform conventional post - beamforming processing such as filtering data , weighting data , performing a fast fourier transform ( fft ), detecting magnitude , and integrating , and output data to data processing device 94 . data processing device 94 may be a conventional data processing device adapted to perform conventional post - processing of data , such as target tracking operations , and adapted to output processed data to display processing device 96 . display processing device 96 may be a conventional display processing device adapted to receive processed data and convert processed data into a format suitable for transmission to a display device 98 . display device 98 may be a conventional display device adapted to receive display data from display processor 120 and display it so that it may be observed by an operator . notably , all components / devices 10 to 98 of fig5 operative to provide an optical signal to afta 130 , receive an optical signal from afta 130 and process the received signal reside on or within towing platform 110 . by not requiring any discrete mechanical or electrical devices on either fiber - optic tow cable 120 or afta 130 , afta 130 may achieve a simple optical fiber - only design , thereby increasing reliability and minimizing cost . additionally , all components / devices 10 to 98 of fig5 other than successive channel difference device 80 may comprise conventional processing and post - processing devices operative to provide a source for a towed optical fiber array and receive and process signals received from a towed optical fiber array . for purposes of brevity , details of these conventional components / devices are omitted . alternative configurations of the virtual sensor arrangement may be implemented , for example , to modify the frequency of operation . fig6 shows an alternative configuration of the virtual sensors of an embodiment of the present invention . by differencing every other channel ( l 1 − l ( i + 2 ) ) as shown in fig6 , as distinct from differencing every consecutive channel as shown in fig3 , the resulting virtual elements are twice as long and thereby may be more sensitive to lower frequency operation . accordingly , afta 130 of the present invention may vary the virtual sensor length depending on the desired frequency of operation by altering only the control and processing of the components / devices shown in fig5 , thereby adding to the flexibility of the system . the ability to form virtual hydrophones with varying sizes will add functionality to the sonar towed array system , however , it may require further processing to reduce unwanted signals and noise components , such as adaptive noise cancellation operations . these additional operations may be necessary if subtraction of the adjacent fibers is insufficient to cancel noise . some degree of cancellation may also be required in the optical domain prior to a to d ( analog to digital ) conversion . for example , if unwanted signal and noise levels are larger than the dynamic range capacity of the processing components , some degree of optical cancellation may be desired to reduce the dynamic range requirements on the electronic circuitry . while the foregoing describes exemplary embodiments and implementations , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
according to the present invention , phosphate ester and metal ( or metallic ) cross - linker is used to impart fragile gel like suspension properties or fragile progressive gel structure to oil or invert emulsion based drilling fluids that mimics the progressive gel behavior of water based drilling fluids . preferably , the phosphate ester and metal crosslinker comprise , or are comprised in , a drilling fluid additive , although alternatively the drilling fluid can be originally formulated comprising the phosphate ester and metal cross - linker . the metal cross - linker should be present in sufficient quantity to at least partially cross - link the phosphate ester when at a neutral or acidic ph . a “ gel ” may be defined a number of ways . one definition indicates that a “ gel ” is a generally colloidal suspension or a mixture of microscopic water particles ( and any hydrophilic additives ) approximately uniformly dispersed through the oil ( and any hydrophobic additives ), such that the fluid or gel has a generally homogeneous gelatinous consistency . another definition states that a “ gel ” is a colloid in a more solid form than a “ sol ” and defines a “ sol ” as a fluid colloidal system , especially one in which the continuous phase is a liquid . still another definition provides that a “ gel ” is a colloid in which the disperse phase has combined with the continuous phase to produce a viscous jelly - like product . generally , a gel has a structure that is continually building . if the yield stress of a fluid increases over time , the fluid has gelled . “ yield stress ” is the stress required to be exerted to initiate deformation . “ progressive gel structure ” as used herein generally refers to a gel having a structure that is continually building . a “ fragile gel ” as used herein is a “ gel ” that is easily disrupted or thinned , and that liquefies or becomes less gel - like and more liquid - like under stress , such as caused by moving the fluid , but which quickly returns to a gel or gel - like state when the movement or other stress is alleviated or removed , such as when circulation of the fluid is stopped , as for example when drilling is stopped . “ fragile gels ” are so “ fragile ” that it is believed that they may be disrupted by a mere pressure wave or a compression wave during drilling . they break instantaneously when disturbed , reversing from a gel back into a liquid form with minimum pressure , force and time . “ fragile progressive gel structure ” as used herein generally refers to a gel that is a fragile gel or has at least some characteristics of a fragile gel and that particularly has a structure that is continually building . also according to the present invention , phosphate ester and metal ( or metallic ) cross - linker is used to reversibly enhance the viscosity of oil or invert emulsion based drilling fluids in order to suspend barite or other weighting agents during transport of the fluid to avoid barite settling . upon arrival at the destination or in any case prior to use , the fluid viscosity can easily be returned back to its original viscosity by raising the ph of the fluid above neutral . the amount of phosphate ester and metal crosslinker used in a drilling fluid will depend on oil type , oil volume and desired viscosity of the drilling fluid . generally , however , more phosphate ester and metal cross - linker is used for gelling or enhancing viscosity of the fluid for transport than is used for imparting fragile progressive gel structure to the drilling fluid . that is , when the composition of the invention is intended for “ gelling ” or enhancing the viscosity or suspension characteristics of the fluid for transport , the drilling fluid preferably comprises about 0 . 1 to about 5 . 0 percent by weight of the phosphate ester and metal cross - linker , with about 0 . 3 to about 2 . 5 percent by weight of the phosphate ester and metal cross - linker being most preferred . when the composition of the invention is used for imparting fragile progressive gel structure to a drilling fluid , preferably the drilling fluid comprises about 0 . 05 to about 1 . 0 percent by weight of the phosphate ester and metal cross - liker , with about 0 . 1 to about 0 . 75 percent by weight phosphate ester and metal cross - linker being most preferred . organo - clays ( also called “ organophilic clays ”) are not necessary to obtain suspension of drill cuttings or other solids and preferably are not used , particularly if the purpose of using the invention is to impart a fragile progressive gel structure to the drilling fluid . the presence of organo - clays is not believed to be a hindrance if the purpose of using the invention is to enhance viscosity of the drilling fluid for transport . the drilling fluid must have a neutral or acid ph for the composition of the invention to achieve the advantages of the invention . that is , the phosphate ester and metal cross - linker require a neutral or acidic ph environment to impart fragile progressive gel structure or to enhance the suspension ability of the drilling fluid for weighting agents . further , addition of a base , such as for example lime , preferably with heating up to at least about 120 ° f ., can readily reverse the effect of the composition of the invention , returning the drilling fluid to its original viscosity and structure as it had before the composition of the invention was added to it . for use in the present invention , the phosphate ester has the following structure : where r is an alkyl or an aryl group and most preferably is an alkyl group having less than about 5 carbons and r ′ is an alkyl or an aryl group and most preferably is an alkyl group having about 6 to about 30 carbons . the crosslinking metal is selected from ni ( ii ), fe ( ii ), fe ( iii ), zn ( ii ), al ( iii ), or co ( iii ). the effectiveness of the invention is demonstrated by the experiments discussed below . saralene muds containing gel chemistry were designed as indicated in table 1 and were then formulated up to the step calling for addition of baroid ® weighting agent . the muds were then dynamically aged for 16 hours at 150 ° f . example additives comprising compositions of the invention , my - t - oil ™ v products mo - 85 and mo - 86 , available from halliburton energy services , inc . in houston , tex ., were added to the mud samples and stirred on a multimixer for 10 minutes . full rheology analysis was then done . initial rheology data for these muds , as set forth in table 2 , indicated that the muds yielded progressive gels . studying the progressive gels in greater depth with a brookfield rheometer indicated that the progressive gels were fragile . that is , the progressive gels showed a “ snap - back ” effect , as demonstrated in the brookfield data depicted in fig1 . all trademarked products in table 1 are available from halliburton energy services , inc . in houston , tex ., including : geltone ® ii viscosifier ( organophilic clay ); ez mul nt ™ emulsifier or emulsion stabilizer ; invermul nt ™ emulsifier ; adapta ® filtration control agent ( copolymer particularly suited for providing hpht filtration control in non - aqueous fluid systems ); x - vis ™ suspension agent ; baroid ® weighting agent ( ground barium sulfate ). the ability of the compositions of the invention to control drilling fluid viscosity and provide for a temporary viscosity increase without adding a material that detrimentally alters the fluid performance is also demonstrated by laboratory experiments . standard drilling fluid formulations were designed as indicated in table 3 . the formulations were undertaken by adding the listed additives in the order presented in table 3 up to cacl 2 . the formulations were then aged at 150 ° f . for 16 hours . afterwards , example additives comprising compositions of the invention mo - 85 and mo - 86 were added to the formulation samples and stirred for 10 minutes on a hamilton - beach multimixer . rheological measurements were taken and analyzed as indicated in table 4 . to each sample , 1 ppb of lime was added to confirm breakdown of gel and subsequent return of the base fluid rheological properties . rheological measurements for these samples is provided in table 5 . the baseline or “ control ” samples were numbered “ 1 ” in tables 3 , 4 , and 5 . all trademarked products in table 3 are available from halliburton energy services , inc . in houston , tex ., including : accolade ® drilling fluid ; le supermul ™ emulsifier ; adapta ® filtration control agent ( copolymer particularly suited for providing hpht filtration control in non - aqueous fluid systems ); rhemod l ™ suspension agent / viscosifier ( modified fatty acid ); and baroid ® weighting agent ( ground barium sulfate ). the formulations set forth in table 3 were prepared again , as set forth in table 6 , then statically aged at room temperature and rheological data taken , set forth in table 7 , and then further statically aged at an elevated temperature ( 150 ° f . ), as indicated in table 8 . the initial static aging results ( tables 4 , 7 , and 8 ) indicated that increased amount of composition of the invention increased rheology accordingly . however , initial top oil studies ( table 7 ) indicated that increased amount of composition of the invention improved the amount of top oil present . this indication is further supported by the data from samples static aged at elevated temperatures ; the 0 . 5 wt % ( 0 . 42 ppb ) sample had the lowest top oil / whole mud ratio . additionally , the data indicated that addition of lime and heat was sufficient to “ break back ” these gels to a typical drilling fluid character as shown in table 5 . further tests were conducted to indicate the effect of constant listing motion , such as a fluid might encounter in ship transport , on drilling fluids containing compositions of the invention . fluids were tested in a device that mimicked “ boat - rocking ” motions , and these tests were conducted at room temperature and at an elevated temperature ( 120 ° f .) as might be encountered by the fluids in transport in summer . data from these tests is shown in tables 9 , 10 , and 11 . the natant / whole ratio is an indication of the amount of barite that has settled out from the fluid . a higher ratio means more barite has settled out . the natant / 10 ml ratio is an indication of distribution of weighted material within the drilling fluid portion ( stratification of weight ). a high ratio indicates a lot of weighted material has settled within the fluid , but has not completely settled out of the fluid . a good gellant material is one that reduces both of these ratios ( as the gellant has then effectively prevented settling within the fluid , which consequently prevents the settling out of weighted material ). the data above indicates that the gel system of the invention successfully reduced the amount of settling ( samples 9 - 11 ) compared with the standard drilling fluid ( sample 8 ). in particular , increased gellant loading improved the anti - settling effects to the point where very little oiling - out was measured ( oil / mud ratio ), and significantly reduced settled solids ( low natant / whole ratio ). this result was even seen with raised temperature rocking , an environment most likely to cause disruption to the supporting gel structures . the foregoing description of the invention is intended to be a description of preferred embodiments . various changes in the details of the described fluids and methods of use can be made without departing from the intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims . | 8 |
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawing , which form a part hereof . the illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description , drawing , and claims are not meant to be limiting . other embodiments may be utilized , and other changes may be made , without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here . in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure , unlike a power transmission frequency f 0 , a frequency of a few to hundreds of times greater than f 0 is used as a communication frequency . for example , when a power transmission frequency used in the current technology is smaller than 10 mhz , the communication frequency may be tens of ghz . thus , a power transmission distance may be a few centimeters to tens of centimeters , which mostly belongs to a near field . however , for a frequency used for communication which works in a far field , an antenna using a radiation phenomenon , not a resonance phenomenon , is applied . the reason why there is a wide difference between the power transmission frequency and the communication frequency is because when large capacity data is transmitted at a high speed , it is better to use a high frequency , including interference between the identical frequencies . in particular , the use of a millimeter - wave band can be quite advantageous because of a small attenuation at a relative short distance . meanwhile , in the related art , a resonator and a radiator are separately used for power transmission ( i . e ., energy transmission ) and data transmission , but in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure , a resonator and radiator member is implemented as a single component which plays the roles of both the resonator and the radiator . such can be implemented in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure because a communication frequency is raised to be a multiple of a power transmission frequency for a transmission . namely , in general , a resonator and a radiator largely use a basic resonant state , and here , a similar resonant or radiative phenomenon occurs at a multiple of the frequency in which the basic resonant takes place . thus , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , when a frequency , which is multiplied a few or tens of times as the power transmission frequency , is used for communication , a resonator and a radiator can be integrally configured , reducing the size of a system . accordingly , in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure , since wireless energy transmission is made at a low frequency while communication is made at a high frequency concurrently , the distance between a transmitter and receiver is a short distance ( i . e ., a near field ) in terms of power transmission and is a long distance ( i . e ., a far field ) in terms of communication . fig1 is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy and data according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure . with reference to fig1 , a transmission apparatus 102 may be configured to include a signal generator 200 , a power amplifier 202 , a first matching circuit 204 , a resonator 206 , a communication module 208 , a local oscillator 210 , a mixer 212 , a signal amplifier 214 , a second matching circuit 216 , and a radiator 218 . in fig1 , f 0 refers to a frequency for power transmission and f 1 refers to frequency used for communication . as for an energy transmission process , energy having frequency f 0 is generated by signal generator 200 and transmitted to resonator 206 through power amplifier 202 and first matching circuit 204 . the energy transmitted to resonator 206 is transferred to a reception side resonator 300 by using a resonance phenomenon so as to be used as power for a load or a communication module of a reception apparatus 104 . as for a data transmission process , a data signal generated by communication module 208 is mixed with a carrier frequency signal provided from local oscillator 210 through frequency mixer 212 , and amplified through signal amplifier 214 . and then , the amplified signal is transmitted to radiator 218 through second matching circuit 216 . radiator 218 follows an operational principle of a general antenna , and is received by a reception side radiator 308 ( e . g ., an antenna ). reception apparatus 104 may be configured to include a resonator 300 , a first matching circuit 302 , a rectifier 304 , a load 306 , a radiator 308 , a second matching circuit 310 , an amplifier 312 , a mixer 314 , a local oscillator 316 , a communication module 318 , and the like . as for an energy reception process of reception apparatus 104 , energy of frequency f 0 is transferred to resonator 300 of reception apparatus 104 through a resonance phenomenon with resonator 206 of transmission apparatus 102 , and the transferred energy passes through reception side first matching circuit 302 and is rectified into a dc current by rectifier 304 . the rectified current is used as power for load 306 or communication module 318 which can be replaced with a charger or a battery . as for a data reception process of reception apparatus 104 , a signal , i . e ., ( f 1 ) m , which has been modulated by using data signal f 1 frequency of frequency f 1 transmitted through radiator 218 or an antenna of transmission apparatus 102 , is received through radiator 308 or an antenna of reception apparatus 104 , and then transferred to signal amplifier 312 through second matching circuit 310 . signal amplifier 312 amplifies the reception signal . local oscillator 316 generates a carrier frequency signal by using frequency f 0 provided from resonator 300 or first matching circuit 302 , and transfers the generated carrier frequency signal to frequency mixer 314 . frequency mixer 314 mixes an output signal from signal amplifier 312 and an output from local oscillator 316 to restore an original data signal . the restored data signal is provided to communication module 318 . meanwhile , the data signal can be transmitted in a reverse direction . namely , the data signal transmitted from communication module 318 of reception apparatus 104 is transmitted to transmission apparatus 102 through mixer 314 , amplifier 312 , second matching circuit 310 , and radiator 308 , and upon receiving the data transmitted from reception apparatus , transmission apparatus 102 restores the data signal . fig2 is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy data according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure . in the second exemplary embodiment of fig2 , likewise as in the first exemplary embodiment of fig1 , frequency for power transmission is generated by a signal generator 400 , the same signal source . however , the frequency generated by signal generator 400 is output as an integer multiple frequency through a frequency multiplier 410 . energy and a data signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus 106 are received through a resonator 500 and a radiator 508 of a reception apparatus 108 . the energy is transferred to a first matching circuit 502 , and the data signal is transferred to a second matching circuit 510 . matching circuits 502 and 510 are previously designed to be matched to different frequencies . in detail , transmission apparatus 106 according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to include a signal generator 400 , a power amplifier 402 , a first matching circuit 404 , a resonator 406 , a communication module 408 , frequency multiplier 410 , a mixer 412 , a signal amplifier 414 , a second matching circuit 416 , a radiator 418 , and the like . in fig2 , f 0 is frequency for power transmission , nf 0 is a frequency obtained by multiplying the frequency for power transmission by an integer multiple , and ( nfd ) m refers to frequency used for communication as a modulation signal . as for an energy transmission process , energy having frequency f 0 is generated by signal generator 400 and transmitted to resonator 406 through power amplifier 402 and first matching circuit 404 . the energy transmitted to resonator 406 is transferred to reception side resonator 500 by using a resonance phenomenon so as to be used as power for a load 506 and a communication module 518 of reception apparatus 108 . as for a data transmission process , frequency multiplier 410 multiplies a signal of frequency f 0 , generated by signal generator 400 , by an integer ( n ) multiple . mixer 412 mixes a data signal generated by communication module 408 and the frequency - multiplied signal to modulate the data signal . the modulated signal is amplified by signal amplifier 414 and transmitted to radiator 418 through second matching circuit 416 . radiator 418 follows an operational principle of a general antenna , and the data signal transmitted through radiator 406 is received by reception side radiator 508 . meanwhile , reception apparatus 108 may be configured to include resonator 500 , first matching circuit 502 , a rectifier 504 , load 506 , radiator 508 , second matching circuit 510 , a signal amplifier 512 , a mixer 514 , a frequency multiplier 516 , and communication module 518 . first , as for an energy reception process of reception apparatus 108 , energy of frequency f 0 is transferred to resonator 500 of reception apparatus 108 through a resonance phenomenon with resonator 406 of transmission apparatus 106 , and the transferred energy passes through first matching circuit 501 and is rectified into a dc current by rectifier 504 . the rectified current is used as power for load 506 or communication module 518 . as for a data reception process of reception apparatus 108 , a data signal of a frequency nf 0 transmitted through radiator 418 of transmission apparatus 106 is received by radiator 508 of reception apparatus 108 and transferred to signal amplifier 512 through second matching circuit 510 . signal amplifier 512 amplifies the received data signal . mixer 514 mixes a carrier frequency signal provided from frequency multiplier 516 and the data signal output from signal amplifier 512 to restore the original data signal . the restored data signal is provided to communication module 518 . here , a reference frequency of frequency multiplier 516 is input from resonator 500 or first matching circuit 502 . meanwhile , the data signal can be transmitted in a reverse direction . namely , a data signal transmitted from communication module 518 of reception apparatus 108 is modulated into the data signal of frequency nf 0 in mixer 514 and transmitted to transmission apparatus 106 through signal amplifier 512 , second matching circuit 510 , and radiator 508 . transmission apparatus 106 receives the data signal transmitted from reception apparatus 108 and restores the data signal . fig3 is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy data according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure . in the third exemplary embodiment of fig3 , similar to the second exemplary embodiment of fig2 , the frequency for power transmission is generated by a signal generator 600 , the same signal source . the frequency generated by signal generator 600 is output as an integer multiple frequency through a frequency multiplier 610 . energy and a data signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus 110 are transferred to a resonator and radiator 700 of a reception apparatus 112 . here , the energy is transferred through a first matching circuit 702 , and the data signal is transferred through a second matching circuit 710 . the matching circuits 702 and 710 are previously designed to be matched to different frequencies . in detail , transmission apparatus 110 according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to include signal generator 600 , a power amplifier 602 , a first matching circuit 604 , a resonator and radiator 606 , a communication module 608 , frequency multiplier 610 , a mixer 612 , a signal amplifier 614 , a second matching circuit 616 , and the like . in fig3 , id is a frequency for power transmission , and nf 0 is frequency obtained by multiplying the frequency for power transmission by an integer multiple , which is used for communication . first , as for an energy transmission process , energy having frequency id is generated by signal generator 600 and transmitted to resonator and radiator 606 through power amplifier 602 and first matching circuit 604 . the energy transmitted to resonator and radiator 606 is transferred to reception side resonator and radiator 700 by using a resonance phenomenon so as to be used as power for a load 706 and a communication module 718 of reception apparatus 112 . as for a data transmission process , frequency multiplier 610 multiplies a signal of frequency f 0 , generated by signal generator 600 , by an integer ( n ) multiple . mixer 612 modulates a data signal generated by communication module 608 by using the frequency - multiplied signal . the modulated signal is amplified by signal amplifier 614 and transmitted through second matching circuit 616 to the identical resonator and radiator 606 which was used for the energy transmission . resonator and radiator 606 follows an operational principle of a general antenna , and the data signal transmitted through the antenna of resonator and radiator 606 is received through an antenna of reception side resonator and radiator 700 . meanwhile , reception apparatus 112 may be configured to include resonator and radiator 700 , first matching circuit 702 , a rectifier 704 , load 706 , second matching circuit 710 , a signal amplifier 712 , a mixer 714 , a frequency multiplier 716 , a communication module 718 , and the like . first , as for an energy reception process of reception apparatus 112 , resonator and radiator 700 of reception apparatus 112 receives energy from frequency f 0 through a resonance phenomenon with resonator and radiator 606 of transmission apparatus 110 . the transferred energy passes through first matching circuit 702 and is rectified into a dc current by rectifier 704 . the rectified current is used as power for load 706 or communication module 718 . next , as for a data reception process of reception apparatus 112 , a data signal of a frequency nf 0 transmitted through resonator and radiator 606 ( i . e ., an antenna ) of transmission apparatus 110 is received by resonator and radiator 700 ( i . e ., an antenna ) of reception apparatus 112 and transferred to signal amplifier 712 through second matching circuit 710 . signal amplifier 712 amplifies the received signal , and the amplified signal is mixed with a carrier frequency signal provided from frequency multiplier 716 through frequency mixer 714 so as to be restored into the original data signal . the restored data signal is provided to communication module 718 . here , a reference frequency of frequency multiplier 716 is input from resonator 700 or first matching circuit 702 . meanwhile , the data signal can be transmitted in a reverse direction . namely , the data signal transmitted from communication module 718 of reception apparatus 112 is modulated into the data signal of frequency nf 0 through mixer 714 and frequency multiplier 716 of reception apparatus 112 and transmitted to transmission apparatus 110 through signal amplifier 712 , second matching circuit 710 , and resonator and radiator 700 . transmission apparatus 110 receives the data signal transmitted from reception apparatus 112 and restores the data signal . in this manner , in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure , the system designing and performance can be improved by utilizing the power transmission frequency as a reference frequency of the communication frequency , and an energy transmission and data transmission can be implemented by using a single resonator and radiator by using the fact that a resonant and radiative phenomenon occurs by a multiple of a fundamental frequency . to this end , as described above , the frequency signal used for energy transmission is multiplied by an integer multiple by using the frequency multiplier and re - used for data transmission , whereby effective energy transmission and data transmission can be simultaneously implemented . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration , and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure . accordingly , the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting , with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims . | 7 |
a speech coding and decoding apparatus according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of a speech coding and decoding apparatus according to the present invention . the same elements as those shown in fig7 are provided with the same reference numerals and explanation thereof will be omitted . this embodiment is characterized by the following newly added elements : phase amplitude characteristic analysis means 28 for analyzing a phase amplitude characteristic , phase amplitude characteristic coding means 29 for coding a phase amplitude characteristic , phase amplitude characteristic adding filters 80 , 32 for adding a phase amplitude characteristic , and phase amplitude characteristic decoding means 31 for decoding phase amplitude characteristic . in the coding portion 1 , the phase amplitude characteristic analysis means 28 generates a linear prediction residual signal by using the input speech 5 and the linear prediction parameter which is input from the linear prediction parameter coding means 8 , obtains the short - term phase amplitude characteristic of the linear prediction residual signal as a filter coefficient by using , for example , a conventional method of obtaining the short - term phase amplitude characteristic of a linear prediction residual signal of speech , and outputs the filter coefficient to the phase amplitude characteristic coding means 29 . the phase amplitude characteristic coding means 29 quantizes the filter coefficient and outputs the corresponding code to the multiplexing means 3 , and the quantized filter coefficient to the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 30 . the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 30 adds the phase amplitude characteristic by using the quantized filter coefficient to the excitation signal which is obtained by multiplying the adaptive vector which is output from the adaptive codebook 10 by the excitation gain β and multiplying the random vector which is output from the random codebook 11 by the excitation gain γ , and adding the products , and outputs the thus - obtained excitation signal to the synthesis filter 9 . the synthesis filter 9 generates synthesized speech by using the quantized linear prediction parameter which is input from the linear prediction parameter coding means 8 and the excitation signal with the phase amplitude characteristic added thereto . the optimum code searching means 12 evaluates the perceptual weighted distortion of a residual signal between the synthesized speech and the input speech 5 , obtains the adaptive code l , the random code i and the excitation gains β and γ which minimize the distortion , and outputs the adaptive code l and the random code i to the multiplexing means 3 and the excitation gains β and γ to the excitation gain coding means 13 . the excitation gain coding means 13 quantizes the excitation gains β and γ and outputs those codes to the multiplexing means 3 . on the basis of these results , the multiplexing means 3 supplies the code which corresponds to the quantized linear prediction parameter , the code which corresponds to the quantized filter coefficient of the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 30 , and the codes which correspond to the adaptive code l , the random code i and the excitation gains β and γ to a transmission path . the above - described operation is characteristic of the coding portion 1 of a speech coding and decoding apparatus of this embodiment . the operation of the decoding portion 2 will now be explained . the separating means 4 which receives the outputs from the multiplexing means 3 separates the outputs and transmits the supplied adaptive code l to the adaptive codebook 14 , the random code i to the random codebook 15 , the codes of the excitation gains β and γ to the excitation gain decoding means 18 , the code of the filter coefficient of the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 30 to the phase amplitude characteristic decoding means 31 , and the code of the linear prediction parameter to the linear prediction parameter decoding means 17 . the phase amplitude characteristic decoding means 31 decodes the filter coefficient which corresponds to the code of the filter coefficient of the phase amplitude characteristic adding filters 30 and outputs the decoded filter coefficient to the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 32 . the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 32 adds the phase amplitude characteristic obtained using decoded quantized filter coefficient to the excitation signal which is obtained by multiplying the adaptive vector which is output from the adaptive codebook 14 by the excitation gain β output from the excitation gain decoding means 18 and multiplying the random vector which is output from the random codebook 15 by the excitation gain γ output from the excitation gain decoding means 18 , and adding the products , and outputs the thus - obtained excitation signal to the synthesis filter 18 . the synthesis filter 18 generates synthesized speech by using the linear prediction parameter which is input from the linear prediction parameter decoding means 17 and the excitation signal with the phase amplitude characteristic added thereto , and outputs the synthesized speech . the above - described operation is characteristic of the decoding portion 2 of a speech coding and decoding apparatus of this embodiment . according to this embodiment , it is possible to enhance the reproducibility of an excitation signal and to improve the quality of synthesized speech by coding the short - term phase amplitude characteristic of a linear prediction residual signal and addling it to the excitation signal . another embodiment of a speech coding and decoding apparatus according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig2 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of a speech coding and decoding apparatus according to the present invention . the same elements as those shown in fig1 are provided with the same reference numerals and explanation thereof will be omitted . in this embodiment , the following elements are newly added to the first embodiment : pitch extracting means 33 for extracting a pitch period , pitch coding means for coding an extracted pitch period , pulse random codebooks 35 , 37 , and pitch decoding means 38 . the operation of this embodiment will now be explained with priority given to the newly added elements . in the coding portion 1 , the pitch extracting means 33 extracts the pitch period of the input speech 5 by a known method and outputs the extracted pitch period to the pitch coding means 34 . the pitch coding means 34 quantizes the pitch period and outputs the corresponding code to the multiplexing means 3 and the quantized pitch period to the pulse random codebook 35 . the pulse random codebook 35 generates a plurality of excitation vectors consisting of a pulse train of the quantized pitch period in which , for example , the positions of the head pulses are different , and stores them as at least a part of the random vectors in the codebook 35 . fig3 shows an example of the excitation vector consisting of a pulse train of the pitch period , and fig4 shows an example of the excitation vectors stored in the pulse random codebook 35 . and the pulse random codebook 35 outputs the random vector which corresponds to the random code i input from the optimum code searching means 12 . the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 30 adds the phase amplitude characteristic obtained using the quantized filter coefficient input from the phase amplitude characteristic coding means 29 to the excitation signal which is obtained by multiplying the adaptive vector which is output from the adaptive codebook 10 by the excitation gain β and multiplying the random vector which is output from the pulse random codebook 35 by the excitation gain γ , and adding the products , and outputs the thus - obtained excitation signal to the synthesis filter 9 . the synthesis filter 9 generates synthesized speech by using the quantized linear prediction parameter which is input from the linear prediction parameter coding means 8 and the excitation signal with the phase amplitude characteristic added thereto . the optimum code searching means 12 evaluates the perceptual weighted distortion of a residual signal between the synthesized speech and the input speech 5 , obtains the adaptive code l , the random code i and the excitation gains β and γ which minimize the distortion , and outputs the adaptive code l and the random code i to the multiplexing means 3 and the excitation gains β and γ to the excitation gain coding means 13 . the excitation gain coding means 13 quantizes the excitation gains β and γ and outputs those codes to the multiplexing means 3 . on the basis of these results , the multiplexing means 3 supplies the code which corresponds to the quantized linear prediction parameter , the code which corresponds to the quantized filter coefficient of the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 30 and the codes which correspond to the adaptive code l , the quantized pitch period , the random code i and the excitation gains β and γ to a transmission path . the schematic structure of the coding portion 1 of the second embodiment of the speech coding and decoding apparatus has been described above . the operation of the decoding portion 2 will now be explained . the separating means 4 which receives the outputs from the multiplexing means 3 separates the outputs and transmits the supplied adaptive code l to the adaptive codebook 14 , the code of the pitch period to the pitch decoding means 36 , the random code i to the random codebook 37 , the codes of the excitation gains β and γ to the excitation gain decoding means 16 , the code of the filter coefficient of the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 30 to the phase amplitude characteristic decoding means 31 , and the code of the linear prediction parameter to the linear prediction parameter decoding means 17 . the pitch decoding means 36 decodes the pitch period which corresponds to the code of the pitch period and outputs the decoded pitch period to the pulse random codebook 37 . the pulse random codebook 37 stores the excitation vector consisting of a pulse train of the decoded pitch period in the codebook 37 in the same way as the random codebook the pulse random codebook 37 outputs the random vector which corresponds to the random code i . the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 32 adds the phase amplitude characteristic by using the filter coefficient input from the phase amplitude characteristic decoding means 31 to the excitation signal which is obtained by multiplying the adaptive vector which is output from the adaptive codebook 14 by the excitation gain β and multiplying the random vector which is output from the pulse random codebook 37 by the excitation gain γ , and adding the products , and outputs the thus - obtained excitation signal to the synthesis filter 18 . the synthesis filter 18 outputs an output speech 8 by using the linear prediction parameter which is input from the linear prediction parameter decoding means 17 and the excitation signal with the phase amplitude characteristic added thereto . as has been described above , according to the second embodiment , a pulse train of a pitch period is used for a random vector , and a phase amplitude characteristic is added to the random vector . in this manner , it is possible to generate an appropriate excitation signal from only a random vector . consequently , even if an adaptive vector does not work , it is possible to produce an excitation signal with good reproducibility and to improve the quality of synthesized speech . in this embodiment , the pulse train may be obtained from an adaptive code . in this case , the pitch extracting means 33 , the pitch coding means 34 and the pitch decoding means in fig2 are eliminated , and the pulse interval of the pulse train which is used as a random vector is obtained from the adaptive code . at this time , since it is not necessary to transmit the information of the pitch period with respect to the pulse interval , it is possible to reduce the amount of information transmitted . in addition , since the reproducibility of an excitation signal is good even if the adaptive vector does not work , it is possible to improve the quality of synthesized speech . an embodiment of a phase amplitude characteristic extracting apparatus for extracting the short - term phase amplitude characteristic of a signal according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig5 is a block diagram of the structure of an apparatus for obtaining a phase amplitude characteristic . this apparatus is used to obtain the short - term phase amplitude characteristic of a linear prediction residual signal . the following elements are newly added to the conventional apparatus shown in fig9 : a phase amplitude characteristic codebook 108 , a phase amplitude characteristic removing filter 109 for removing the characteristic of a phase amplitude , pulse approximate means 110 for approximating or representing a residual signal by some pulses , a phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 111 for adding the characteristic of a phase amplitude , a synthesis filter 112 for synthesizing a speech form a linear prediction parameter and an excitation signal , and optimum phase amplitude characteristic searching means 113 for searching an optimum phase amplitude characteristic . the operation of the apparatus will be explained with priority given to the characteristic structure thereof . the linear prediction parameter analysis means 103 analyzes input speech 101 so as to extract the linear prediction parameter and outputs the extracted linear prediction parameter to the linear predictive inverse filter 104 and the synthesis filter 112 . the linear predictive inverse filter 104 generates a linear prediction residual signal from the input speech 101 by using the linear prediction parameter , and outputs the linear prediction residual signal to the phase amplitude characteristic removing filter 109 . a plurality of phase amplitude characteristics are stored in the phase amplitude characteristic codebook as , for example , filter coefficients , and the phase amplitude characteristic codebook outputs the filter coefficient of the phase amplitude characteristic which corresponds to the code input from the optimum phase amplitude characteristic searching means 113 to the phase amplitude characteristic removing filter 109 and the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 111 . the phase amplitude characteristic removing filter 109 generates a residual signal by removing the phase amplitude characteristic from the linear prediction parameter signal by using the filter coefficient , and outputs the residual signal to the pulse approximate means 110 . the pulse approximate means 110 generates a pulse signal representation residual signal by reducing the residual signal to zero except for n samples having the largest amplitude , for example , and outputs the pulse signal representation residual signal to the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 111 . fig6 shows an example of representation . fig6 shows the process of generating a residual signal from a linear prediction residual signal by removing the phase amplitude characteristic , and then reducing the residual signal to a pulse so as to generate a pulse signal representation residual signal . the phase amplitude characteristic adding filter 111 then adds the phase amplitude characteristic to the pulse signal representation residual signal by using the filter coefficient so as to produce an excitation signal and outputs the excitation signal to the synthesis filter 112 . the synthesis filter 112 generates synthesized speech by using the linear prediction parameter and the excitation signal . the optimum phase amplitude characteristic searching means 113 evaluates the perceptual weighted distortion of the residual signal between the synthesized speech and the input speech 101 , selects the filter coefficient corresponding to the phase amplitude characteristic which minimizes the distortion from the phase amplitude characteristic codebook 108 , and outputs the selected filter coefficient as the phase amplitude characteristic 102 . according to this embodiment , a codebook which stores a plurality of short - term phase amplitude characteristic of a signal is provided , a trial signal is generated by using each phase amplitude characteristic in the codebook and the phase amplitude characteristic which minimizes the distortion between an input signal and the trial signal is selected from the codebook . in this manner , it is possible to extract the phase amplitude characteristic without an error and without the need for pitch extraction or pitch position extraction when the short - term phase amplitude characteristic of a linear prediction residual signal of speech is obtained . while there has been described what are at present considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention , it will be understood that various modifications may be made thereto , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
turning now to the drawings , there is shown a horizontally hinged , sectional , upwardly retractable door which excepting for the details set forth below is of a construction familiar for a variety of vertically liftable doors , such as garage and warehouse doors , doors for the rear ends of trucks , airplane hangar doors and similar . insofar as the present invention is concerned , the door may have any number of sections , the sections may be hinged together in any manner and for that matter the hinging may be on vertical axes as well as on the illustrated horizontal axes . thus , the present illustration of a typical door to which the invention is applied is for illustrative purposes only and not limiting . referring to fig1 there are shown sections 1 and 2 of a horizontally sectioned door . a hinge 3 connects said sections 1 and 2 in a conventional manner and a roller 4 is mounted in any desired manner at the bottom of the door for guiding in a side channel 6 for the usual purposes . the channel 6 is mounted conventionally by means of straps 7 to a rearward angle 8 which is then mounted to the basic building 9 is any desired manner . a jam seal 10 is provided to the angle 8 for contact with the outer surface of the door 1 to prevent passage of air therebetween . turning now to the details of construction of a door section and with specific reference for illustrative purposes to section 1 , there is provided an inner panel 11 and an outer panel 12 . these panels are mirror images of each other which further diminishes both the initial cost thereof and the cost of inventorying . referring to the panel 11 , same is of rolled construction and hence the lateral or stile edges 11a and 12a ( fig2 ) thereof are free from flanges or other bent - over portions . instead , such stile edge is closed by a sealing strip 13 which is positioned and held in place as set forth more fully hereinafter . the panel 11 is provided with a series of indentations 14 ( fig3 ) for strengthening purposes and both its upper and lower edges are provided with flanges 16 and 17 , respectively . flange 16 has a first portion 18 which is bent at substantial right angles to the upper edge of the panel 11 . a second portion 19 extends perpendicularly upward from the first portion 18 . a third portion 21 is perpendicular to the second portion 19 and parallel with the first portion 18 . a re - entrantly bent portion 22 is perpendicular to the third portion 21 and extends parallel to the main body of the panel 11 in an inward direction with respect to said section 1 . a fifth flange 23 extends along the inner edge of the fourth portion 22 , is perpendicular thereto and extends back toward the main body of the panel 11 . the lower flange 17 is generally similar to the upper flange 16 excepting that its second portion 27 extends inwardly of the door instead of outwardly as does portion 19 of the upper flange 16 . thus , the lower flange 17 has a first portion 26 extending perpendicularly to the main face of the panel 11 , a second portion 27 extending upwardly and perpendicular to the first portion 26 , a third portion 28 continuing inwardly and perpendicular to the second portion 27 , a fourth portion 29 extending parallel with the main face of the panel 11 and centrally thereof and a final edge flange 30 perpendicular to the fourth portion 29 . the outer panel 12 is provided with an upper flange 31 and a lower flange 32 which have the same sectional construction in mirror image as the above - described flanges 16 and 17 and hence need no further description . sealing strips 33 and 34 are provided for positioning between the panels 11 and 12 as shown in fig3 and 4 . this provides the final seal between said inner and outer panels to insure that when foam is injected thereinto under pressure it will not escape therefrom but will instead fill all portions of the interior cavity of the door fully and completely . the sealing strip 33 has an outer portion 36 generally overlying and shaped to conform to the upper part of the door section 1 for protective purposes . depending from said portion 36 is a flange , or body portion , 37 which extends between the fourth portion 22 of the flange 16 and its counterpart 22a of flange 31 . a seal flange 38 is attached to the lower end of the flange 37 and extends under and is in contact with the edge flange 23 and its counterpart 23a in flange 31 . the dimensioning of the parts is such that said flange 38 lies snugly against the contacting flanges 22 and 23a for reasons appearing more fully hereinafter . the sealing strip 34 has a similar outer section 41 lying snugly against the third portion 28 of flange 17 and its counterpart 28a in flange 32 . in this embodiment , the portion 41 also carries sealing strips 42 and 43 for the purpose of sealing the section 1 against the next lower component . in this case , such next lower component is the bottom strip 44 shaped and dimensioned to fit into the recess 46 . in the case of an upper section such as section 2 , the strips thereon corresponding to the strips 42 and 43 will bear against the portion 18 of flange 16 and the corresponding section 18a of flange 31 in order to seal tightly any space existing between sections 1 and 2 . portion 41 has a flange 47 upstanding therefrom which carries at its upper end a sealing flange 48 which extends beyond and lies snugly against the flange 30 and its counterpart 30a on the flange 32 . corner stile sections 51 and 52 are provided as shown . the corner stile section 51 has a flange 53 lying against the inner surface of the inner panel 11 and a flange 54 overlying the end of such panel . preferably the respective ends of the flange 54 are shaped appropriately as at 56 and 57 for conforming to the profile of the flanges 16 and 17 . the corner stile member 52 has a flange 53a overlying the surface of the outer panel 12 and an end flange 54a for overlying the end of said outer panel 12 . the respective ends of the flange 54a are shaped at 58 and 59 respectively to conform to the profiles of the flanges 31 and 32 . it will be noted in fig2 that the flanges 54 and 54a are dimensioned so that they do not quite meet and hence a heat insulative space 55 is provided between their opposing edges . the vertical edge of the door opposite the illustrated edge is a mirror image thereof and hence separate illustration or description is unnecessary . in assembling the parts above described , the inner and outer panels 11 and 12 are positioned relative to each other as shown in the drawings and the sealing members 33 and 34 slid endwise into place as shown . the end seal 13 is then positioned and the corner members 51 and 52 are placed and fixed by any convenient means such as bolts . in the illustrated embodiment , the heat transmittal by through bolts is avoided by using bolts as shown which extend into the interior of the door and are held in place by the foam . the foam is then injected , as desired , through an opening which is subsequently closed by suitable means . for example , the foam may be injected through an opening in the seal 13 which opening is then covered by the flanges 54 and / or 54a . the solidified foam will seize and firmly hold the bolt inner ends as well as the flanges 38 and 48 of the seals 33 and 34 and the adjacent portions of the inner and outer panels 11 and 12 . the seals 33 and 34 prevent the escape of foam from the space between the inner and outer panels 11 and 12 and will make it possible for metallic panels to be spaced from each other . similarly the end seals , as the seal 13 , can contain the foam being injected between the panels 11 and 12 . it will be observed that when said foaming material is inserted into the cavity within the door under pressure , that there will be a differential pressure created adjacent both of said sealing means , which differential pressure will assist in holding said sealing means firmly in place during the foaming operation . particularly , and referring to the sealing means 33 , there will be developed on said sealing means an outwardly directed pressure extending along the entire inwardly facing area of that part of sealing flange 38 thereof lying against the flanges 23 and 23a while at the same time pressure on the upper side of the flanges 23 and 23a will urge same downwardly against the sealing flange 38 . thus , the foam pressure within said cavity will tend to press said sealing flange 38 and said flanges 23 and 23a snugly together over a much wider surface than that by which said foam will endeavor to penetrate between member 38 and said flanges . this effectively seals said parts and prevents escape of foam from within said cavity . the same relationship exists with respect to the sealing member 34 and the flanges 30 and 30a . thus , while it is desirable for said sealing members to fit snugly against the respective flanges 23 and 30 and the counterparts 23a and 30a on panel 12 and they should upon assembly be at least in contact with each other , pressure therebetween is not relied upon for effecting such seal and the seal is instead assured as above described . thus , there is provided a door structure which is made sufficiently of metal to provide a strong and rigid construction together with good impact and abrasion resistance at its inner and outer surfaces while at the same time providing for complete interruption of metallic connection between the inner and outer portions of the door so as to minimize the passage of heat therethrough . further , said door is arranged for appropriate sectioning , and pivoting between sections , and yet providing adequately for sealing between the sections , sealing between the bottom section and the floor and sealing of the entire door as by the seal 11 between the inner surface thereof and the building with which said door is used . thus , there is provided a high level of resistance to passage of heat through or around said door and yet the door while strong and damage resistant remains of relatively simple and economic construction . although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes , it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus , including the rearrangement of parts , lie within the scope of the present invention . | 4 |
fig1 is a view showing an outline structure of an example of an image forming apparatus of the present invention . fig2 and fig3 are circuit diagrams for determining charging conditions of a transfer charger according to measured information of the resistance of a transfer sheet . fig4 is a timing chart of the control according to the present invention by a control apparatus . fig5 is a graph showing the relationship between conditions of an electrode roller and an amplifier output . in fig1 numeral 1 is an image forming body rotating in the arrowed direction . numeral 2 is a cleaning unit for removing residual toners on the surface of the image forming body . numeral 3 is a charger for charging the surface of the cleaned image forming body . numeral 4 is an image exposure light projected onto the uniformly charged surface of the image forming body from a laser beam scanner or a document scanning exposure apparatus . numeral 5 is a developing unit for developing the latent image formed by the image exposure 4 into a toner image . numeral 6 is a sheet feed roller for feeding the uppermost transfer sheet p from a stack of transfer sheets p . numeral 7 are pinch conveyance rollers for sending the transfer sheet p fed by the sheet feed roller 6 . numeral 8 is a register roller . pinch conveyance rollers 7 comprise conductive electrode rollers 7a and 7b for feeding a current in the direction of the thickness of the transfer sheet p as shown in fig2 and 3 . the pinch conveyance rollers 7 temporarily stop when the leading edge of the transfer sheet p comes into contact with the register roller 8 , and the transfer sheet p is curved between the pinch conveyance rollers 7 and the register roller 8 . after that , the pinch conveyance rollers 7 , together with the register roller 8 , send the transfer sheet p to a transfer area at which a transfer charger 9 is opposite to the image forming body 1 so that the transfer sheet p is synchronized with the toner image . numeral 10 is a separation charger for separating the transfer sheet p , which has passed through the transfer area and onto which the toner image has been transferred , from the surface of the image forming body 1 . numeral 11 is a conveyer for conveying the separated transfer sheet p to a fixing unit 12 . the transfer sheet p , onto which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing unit 12 , is delivered outside the apparatus . one electrode roller 7a of the pinch conveyance rollers 7 shown in fig2 is structured by the first and second electrode rollers 7a1 and 7a2 , both having conductive metal surface layers , which are connected with an insulated connecting shaft 7c . the other electrode roller 7b has a conductive elastic surface layer made of conductive rubber , etc ., wherein the surface layer has enough length to pinch the transfer sheet between the electrode roller 7b and the first and second electrode rollers 7a1 and 7a2 , and to convey the transfer sheet . one electrode roller 7a of the pinch conveyance rollers 7 shown in fig3 has a metallic surface layer , and the other electrode roller 7b has the conductive elastic surface layer made of conductive rubber , etc . the transfer sheet is pinched between the electrode rollers 7a and 7b , and conveyed . while the leading edge of the transfer sheet p is stopped by the register roller 8 , and the transfer sheet is conveyed so that the transfer sheet p is curved between the pinch conveyance rollers 7 and the register roller 8 and temporarily stopped , a control unit cont for controlling the overall image forming apparatus turns on a power switch sw of the resistance measuring circuit for a short predetermined period of time . at this time , the pinch conveyance rollers 7 feed a current in the direction of the thickness of the pinched transfer sheet p . this current signal is converted into a voltage signal by the resistance r , and inputted into the control unit cont through the amplifier amp . according to the input signal , the control unit cont drives the transfer charger 9 and the separation charger 10 through driving circuits d1 and d2 of the transfer charger 9 and the separation charger 10 on the charging conditions in which the maximum transfer efficiency and the separation reliability can be obtained with respect to the resistance of the transfer sheet . thereby , even when the resistance of the transfer sheet changes , the toner image can be transferred onto the transfer sheet p with stable and high transfer efficiency , and the transfer sheet p , onto which the toner image has been transferred , can be stably separated from the image forming body 1 . in the pinch conveyance rollers 7 shown in fig2 current is fed twice in alternating directions ( 7a1 → 7b → 7a2 ), and in the pinch conveyance rollers 7 shown in fig3 the current is fed only once ( 7a → 7b ). since an electric voltage is applied in the direction of the thickness of the transfer sheet , the resistance can be measured with a relatively low voltage . further , before the transfer sheet p is pinched and conveyed by the pinch conveyance rollers 7 , the control unit cont may feed a current between electrode rollers 7a and 7b , and may drive the transfer charger 9 and the separation charger 10 according to a signal of the difference between the signal due to the above - described current and the signal obtained when the transfer signal is pinched between the electrode rollers 7a and 7b as shown in fig4 . due to this operation , the variations of the measured value due to deterioration with time of the pinch conveyance rollers 7 or the amplifier amp are removed , and the resistance of the transfer sheet can be obtained more accurately , resulting in more stable enhancement of the transfer efficiency and the separation efficiency . incidentally , in this embodiment , the measurement for the resistance is conducted when the conveyance rollers stop . the timing chart shown in fig4 shows the above - described control by the control unit cont and the output from the amplifier amp to the control unit cont . a period of t1 shown in fig5 showing the relationship between conditions of the pinch conveyance roller and the amplifier output while the power switch is on , shows that the transfer sheet p is not pinched between pinch conveyance rollers 7 of the electrode rollers and the rollers 7 stop . accordingly , the output v1 during the period shows the above - described reference value . t2 and t4 respectively show conditions that the pinch conveyance rollers 7 convey the transfer sheet p . accordingly , outputs v2 and v4 during the periods correspond to the resistance of the transfer sheet obtained by the transfer sheet resistance measuring method disclosed in japanese patent publication open to public inspection 34834 / 1979 . t3 shows conditions that the pinch conveyance rollers 7 pinch the transfer sheet and stop . accordingly , output v3 during the period shows the measured value of the resistance of the transfer sheet p . further , | v1 - v3 | shows a correction value of the resistance of the transfer sheet p in which the influence due to deterioration with time of the pinch conveyance rollers 7 or the amplifier amp is removed . the image forming apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above - described examples , but a light emitting amount of a pre - transfer discharging lamp may also be determined according to the resistance of the transfer sheet p when the pre - transfer discharging lamp is provided between the developing unit 5 and the transfer charger 9 . further , when a transfer sheet guide provided between the sheet feed roller 6 and transfer charger 9 is grounded through a resistor , the resistor may also be switched according to the resistance of the transfer sheet . in the image forming apparatus of the present invention , the resistance of the transfer sheet can be stably measured with high accuracy , and charging conditions of the transfer charger and the separation charger are determined according to the measured information . accordingly , higher transfer efficiency and higher separation reliability can be stably obtained , and only one resistance measuring apparatus for the transfer sheet is enough even when a plurality of sheet feeding means are provided in the apparatus . | 6 |
referring to fig1 , an embodiment is illustrated in overview . copper pair loops 19 connect a number of sets of customer premises equipment 10 a , 10 b . . . 10 i . . . 10 n to a smaller number of dslams 20 a . . . 20 i . . . 20 l . each dslam is typically located within a local exchange ( also known as a central office in the us ) each of which can house one or more dslams . each dslam 20 separates normal voice traffic and data traffic and sends the voice traffic to the public switched telephone network ( pstn ) 70 . the data traffic is passed on through a core access network section 30 ( which will typically be an atm network section as is assumed in this embodiment ) to a broadband remote access server ( bras ) 40 at which several ip traffic flows from ( and to ) multiple service providers ( sp &# 39 ; s ) 62 , 64 , 66 are aggregated ( and disaggregated ) via an ip network 50 ( which can itself be provided on top of an atm network ). note that although only a single bras is shown , in practice a large access network will include a large number of bras &# 39 ; s . within each set of customer premises equipment 10 , there is typically an adsl splitter filter 18 , a telephone 12 , an adsl modem 16 and a computer 14 . in another embodiment , the dslam &# 39 ; s can be replaced with mini - dslam &# 39 ; s located in cabinets in an fttc architecture , with optical backhaul connections between the mini - dslam &# 39 ; s and an access node such as an msan located in the local exchange . in such a case , both voice traffic and data traffic can be sent via the same backhaul connection and then voice traffic can be separated onto the pstn by the access node at the exchange . alternatively , in a full ip voice network , the voice and data can all be carried together as data throughout the network , etc . in addition to the above mentioned items , in an embodiment , there is also a management device 100 which communicates between the dslams 20 and the bras ( or bras &# 39 ; s ) 40 . in an embodiment , the management device communicates with individual bras &# 39 ; s via one or more further interface devices 39 each of which communicates directly with one or more bras &# 39 ; s in order to set user profiles , etc . a detailed understanding of the operation of the management device , the interface device ( s ) and the bras ( s ) is not required in order to understand the embodiments . however , for completeness an overview of their operation is set out below . for a more detailed discussion , the reader is referred to co - pending european patent application no . 05254769 . 2 the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . thus , in overview , the management device 100 obtains information from each dslam 20 about the rate at which each digital subscriber line ( dsl ) connects to the dslam ( as is discussed in greater detail below , in an embodiment this is done by each dslam generating and transmitting to the management device 100 a message indicating the new line rate each time a line connects up at a speed which differs from the speed at which the line last connected up — or synchronized as this process is commonly termed ). in an embodiment , the management device then processes this information to assess a consistent connection speed achieved by each such dsl . if it determines that this consistent rate has increased as a result of recent higher rate connections , it instructs the bras to allow higher through flows of traffic for that dsl . on the other hand , if it detects that a particular connection speed is below the stored consistent value , it reduces the consistent value to the current connection rate and immediately informs the bras of the new consistent value rate so that the bras does not allow more traffic to flow to the dsl than the dsl is currently able to cope with . the exact algorithm used by the management device to calculate the consistent rate is not described . however , it should be noted that the intention of the algorithm is to arrange that the user will receive data at the highest rate which his / her dsl is consistently able to obtain without requiring the bras to be reconfigured every time the dsl is connected . at the same time the algorithm seeks to ensure that if the dsl connects at a rate which is below that at which the bras is currently configured to allow data through , then the bras is quickly reconfigured to avoid overloading the dslam . the reason for wanting to avoid having to contact the bras each time a dsl connects to the dslam is because with current systems it is not generally possible to reconfigure the bras without a significant delay ( e . g . of a few minutes ). furthermore , there is a limit to the rate at which a bras can process reconfiguration requests . these restrictions are sometimes referred to by saying that the bras needs to be provisioned , and drawing a distinction between systems which are switched ( e . g . atm switched virtual circuits ) and systems which are provisioned . current systems allow for quite quick provisioning ( often a matter of minutes rather than days or weeks ) but there is still a significant difference between such quick provisioning and realtime switching . fig2 shows an alternative embodiment to that of fig1 which is very similar and common reference numerals have been used to describe common elements . the main difference is simply that in fig2 , instead of the dslams communicating notification messages directly to the management device 100 , an element manager device 25 ( which connects to a plurality of dslams ) acts as an interface between the dslams and the management device . note that in a large access network , there can be many dslams and several element managers , each of which can connect to a sub - set of the dslams . furthermore , additional levels of hierarchy can be imposed where a number of element managers communicate with an element manager which then interfaces to the management device , etc . the embodiment of fig2 can be operated in at least two slightly different ways in order to generate and transmit notifications to the management device 100 . firstly , each dslam can perform monitoring and determine whenever a condition or set of conditions has arisen which requires a notification to be passed to the management device 100 in which case the dslam can generate the notification and send it to the element manager 25 ( using , for example the well known snmp protocol as illustrated in fig2 ) whereupon the element manager 25 then simply forwards on the notification message to the management device ( e . g . using a remote procedure call ( a well known java based protocol ) as illustrated in fig2 ). alternatively , each dslam can simply forward on a notification to the element manager each time a dsl synchronizes ( again for example using snmp ) and the element manager can process this information to determine if a notifiable event has occurred ( e . g . such as the synchronization line rate for a particular line having changed ). then if the element manager determines that such an event has occurred , it can generate and transmit ( again using , for example an rpc ) a suitable notification message to the management device 100 . in this latter method of operation , a group of dslams and their corresponding element manager form an access sub - system within the meaning of the term as used in the appended claims . however , there are two distinct types of notifiable events : time critical events and non - time critical events . if a line is repeatedly re - synching ( even at the same rate ) this constitutes a time critical notifiable event in its own right and the dslam can send this notification up the chain towards the management device . also , if the line resynchs at a lower rate than that at which it was previously synchronized ( or at least at a rate which is below a minimum rate associated with the rate at which the bras for that line is configured , if this rate is known to the dslam ), this also constitutes a time - critical notifiable event which should be sent immediately up stream towards the management device . on the other hand if the line resynchs at the same or a higher speed than that at which it was previously synchronized ( or at least equal to or above the minimum rate supported by the current configuration of the bras ), this represents a non - time critical notifiable event . this amount of data required to describe this event is small and so the dslam can either send it immediately and let a higher up device decide if it needs to forward on the info or not , and if so when , or the dslam can make such decisions itself . finally , there is a third category of notification , which concerns non - time critical events which require a large amount of data to describe ( e . g . the bit - loading per sub - carrier and the measured snr and / or snm on each sub - carrier ). for this type of notification the dslam should wait for a predetermined period to ensure that the connection is reasonably stable before attempting to send this data . this is discussed in greater detail below with reference to fig4 . referring now to fig3 , this shows a dslam of fig1 ( or fig2 ) in slightly more detail . each incoming dsl line terminated by the dslam enters the dslam at one of a plurality of input ports in an interface module 209 , which connects these to a plurality of modems , in this case a plurality of adsl terminating units — central office side ( atu - c &# 39 ; s ) 210 a - n . the atu - c &# 39 ; s are connected to an atm switch for forwarding on the data ( in the form of atm cells in an embodiment ) to an atm switch 230 which switches the resulting cells onto the atm section 30 of the access network . within the dslam , there is a control unit 220 which includes a processor unit 222 and a data store 224 . the control unit 220 performs various control functions including ensuring that each time a connection is made over a particular dsl that it complies with a stored profile for that line . as is well known within the field of xdsl , each line is set up according to a dsl profile which specifies various parameters necessary for establishing an xdsl connection . in an embodiment , the control unit 220 additionally performs the function of monitoring each dsl , determining if a time critical notifiable event has occurred and , if so , generating a notification message to send to the management device 100 ( or to an element manager or other intermediate device in alternative embodiments including such devices ) immediately , and / or waiting for a predetermined stability period ( of 2 minutes in an embodiment ) and then sending any non - time critical notifications . the steps carried out in performing this additional function are described below with reference to the flow diagram of fig4 . thus , upon initiation of the method illustrated in fig4 when a dsl line connected to the dslam is provisioned for monitoring by this new function ( e . g . because the end user has opted to move his broadband connection service to a new rate adapted service ), whenever it synchronizes ( or resynchronizes ) ( step 10 ), line data such as the line rate achieved , bit loading data , snr and / or snm data per sub - carrier etc . is stored ( step s 20 ). the control unit then determines ( at step s 30 ) if a time critical notifiable event ( such as the line resynchronizing at a lower rate than it was previously synchronized at ) has occurred . if so the method proceeds to step s 40 where a corresponding ( time critical ) notification is prepared and sent as a simple network message protocol ( snmp ) trap message which it transmits directly ( or indirectly in alternative embodiments ) to the management device 100 and then the method proceeds to step s 50 . if at step s 30 it is determined that there is no time critical notifiable event to notify , then the method simply bypasses step s 40 and proceeds directly to step s 50 . at step s 50 the control unit determines if the stability wait period ( which in an embodiment is set to equal 2 minutes ) for that line has elapsed ; if it has not then the method proceeds to step s 60 where it determines if a resynchronization is required , if so the method returns to step s 10 otherwise it returns to step s 50 . if at step s 50 it is determined that the stability period has elapsed , then the method proceeds to step s 70 . the effect of steps s 50 and s 60 together is that the control unit waits until the stability period has elapsed without a resynchronization being required before proceeding to step s 70 , but if a resynchronization is required before the period is elapsed , the method returns to step s 10 without making it to step s 70 ( on that occasion ). at step s 70 the control unit generates a non - time critical notification message in the form of an snmp trap which it again transmits directly ( or indirectly in alternative embodiments ) to the management device 100 . the method then proceeds to step s 80 to await a new request or requirement to resynchronize the line . in an embodiment , the above described functionality is performed in parallel in respect of each line which is terminated by the dslam . it will be understood by a person skilled in the art that a number of different methods can be used to transmit the messages between the dslams , element managers and the management device 100 . in the embodiment of fig1 an snmp message is sent directly from the dslams to the management device 100 . however many other possibilities exist . for example , in the embodiment of fig2 an snmp message can be sent from the dslams to the element manager which can then forward on the message using a corba interface or by means of a java based remote procedure call . many other possibilities will occur to a person skilled in the art of data networking . as mentioned above , time critical events which should be reported before awaiting elapsment of the wait period can include simply the fact of a resynchronization having occurred . this can be useful for identifying lines which are frequently going down , perhaps because the provisioning is incorrect and needs to be changed ( e . g . to force the line to connect at a lower rate rather than at the maximum achievable rate ). alternatively , the dslam or an element manager or other interface type device can monitor whether a particular line has had to resynchronize more than a certain given number of times within a certain given period such as , for example , more than 10 times within an hour and send a time - critical notification to ( or towards ) the management device whenever this condition is detected as occurring rather than each time a line resynchronizes ( unless the line resynchronizes at a lower rate than previously , or at a rate lower than a specified minimum rate ( equal to or corresponding to the rate at which the bras has been provisioned for that respective line , in an embodiment ). | 7 |
in the figures , unless specified otherwise , identical reference symbols designate identical sections and zones with the same meaning . fig1 shows a semiconductor component according to the invention , designed as a mos transistor , in a lateral sectional illustration , fig2 showing a section through the semiconductor component according to fig1 along the sectional plane a — a ′ in the case of a first embodiment , and fig3 showing the semiconductor component according to fig1 in a plan view of the sectional plane a — a ′ in the case of a second embodiment . the exemplary embodiments illustrated in fig2 and 3 do not differ in their side view , which is shown for both exemplary embodiments in fig1 . the mos transistor according to the invention has a semiconductor body 20 with a weakly p - doped substrate 22 and , situated above the latter , an n - doped first layer 24 . a p - doped channel zone 50 is introduced in a well - like manner in the first layer 24 , proceeding from a first surface 201 , a heavily n - doped first terminal zone 40 being formed in a well - like manner in said channel zone . in this case , the first terminal zone 40 forms the source zone of the mos transistor . in the n - doped first layer 24 , a heavily n - doped second terminal zone 60 is introduced spaced apart from the channel zone 50 in the lateral direction of the semiconductor body 20 , which terminal zone is likewise formed in a well - like manner proceeding from the first surface 201 in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 . the second terminal zone 60 forms the drain zone of the mos transistor . the drain zone 60 is contact - connected by means of a drain electrode 62 which is arranged on the first surface 201 and forms a drain terminal of the mos transistor . in a corresponding manner , the source zone 40 is contact - connected by means of a source electrode 52 which short - circuits the source zone 40 and the channel zone 50 and which forms the source terminal s of the mos transistor . for driving the mos transistor , provision is made of a gate electrode 70 above the channel zone 50 , which is insulated from the semiconductor body 20 by means of an insulation layer 72 and which forms a gate terminal of the mos transistor . fig1 shows , in cross section , two source zones 40 and channel zones 50 , in each case in the lateral direction of the semiconductor body 20 on the left and right beside the drain zone 60 . these source zones 40 are connected to one another and , as is illustrated in fig2 may be designed as elongate strips in the semiconductor body 20 between which a likewise elongate drain zone 60 is formed . the elongate source zones and the elongate drain zone can extend as far as edges or edge regions of the semiconductor body . the channel zone 50 and the source zone 40 can also enclose the drain zone 60 annularly as is illustrated in fig3 . fig1 illustrates a cross section both through the semiconductor component according to the invention according to fig2 and through the semiconductor component according to the invention according to fig3 . p - doped compensation zones 30 are formed in the n - doped layer 24 and , in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 extend in a pillar - shaped manner in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body 20 . the cross section of these pillar shaped compensation zones 30 is circular in the exemplary embodiments according to fig2 and 3 , but this cross section can assume virtually any other geometric shapes and be , for example , rectangular , square or octagonal . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 the pillar - shaped compensation zones 30 start at the level of the first surface 201 and extend in the vertical direction as far as a second n - conducting layer 26 formed between the compensation zones 30 and the substrate 22 . in this case , this second n - conducting layer 26 is preferably doped more weakly than the first n - conducting layer 24 . furthermore , a p - doped layer 32 is formed below the first surface 201 of the semiconductor body 20 , which layer preferably reaches as far as the channel zone 50 and connects the compensation zones 30 to one another . the p - doped layer 32 preferably does not reach as far as the second terminal zone 60 . equally , a compensation zone 30 a formed below the drain zone 60 does not reach as far as the drain zone 60 . the region of the first layer 24 in which the compensation zones 30 are formed forms the drift path of the mos transistor . the mos transistor or its drift path is bounded in the lateral direction of the semiconductor body by a p - doped boundary zone 80 which , in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 extends in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body proceeding from the channel zone 50 as far as the substrate 22 . in this case , like the source zone 40 in fig2 the boundary zone 80 can run below the source zone in an elongate manner as far as the edges of the semiconductor body 20 or , in accordance with the source zone 40 in fig3 it can annularly surround the drift path . the boundary zone 80 , which is preferably doped more highly than the p - doped substrate 22 , forms a pn junction with the first layer 24 and prevents n - type charge carriers from passing through the boundary zone 80 into n - doped zones 124 of adjacent components , or adjacent semiconductor circuits , which are represented by way of example in fig1 by two cmos transistors t 1 , t 2 and a terminal for supply potential + u . such a drive circuit might be , for example , a drive circuit for the mos transistor according to the invention illustrated on the right in fig1 which drive circuit is realized with the mos transistor in the same semiconductor body . typical doping concentrations of the individual zones of the semiconductor component according to fig1 are specified below by way of example : this mos transistor has a low on resistance and a high breakdown voltage , the second n - conducting layer 26 preventing charge carriers from passing from the drift zone of the mos transistor into the substrate 22 , as is explained below . if , in the mos transistor according to the invention , a positive voltage is applied between the gate terminal g and the source terminal s , then a conductive channel forms in the channel zone 50 below the gate electrode 72 . if a positive voltage is applied between the drain electrode d and the source electrode s , a charge carrier current flows in the lateral direction of the semiconductor body 20 through the drift path between the source zone 40 and the drain zone 60 . the drain - source voltage is represented as voltage + u d in fig1 it being assumed that the source electrode is at a reference - ground potential of the circuit , in particular ground . the on resistance r on of the mos transistor is lower , the higher the doping of the first layer 24 with n - type charge carriers . if the mos transistor is in the off state , that is to say there is no drive potential at its gate electrode , then when a drain - source voltage is applied , a space charge zone propagates proceeding from the source zone 40 or the channel zone 50 in the drift path in the direction of the drain zone 60 . this space charge zone advances in the direction of the drain zone 60 as the drain - source voltage increases . if the space charge zone reaches a compensation zone 30 , then the compensation zone 30 assumes the potential of the space charge zone upon reaching the compensation zone 30 . free p - type charge carriers ( holes ) of this compensation zone 30 and free n - type charge carriers ( electrons ) from the regions of the drift path which surround the respective compensation zone mutually compensate one another . the number of free charge carriers thereby decreases in the drift path as the reverse voltage increases , or as the space charge zone extends further . the compensation of the free charge carriers means that the mos transistor has a high reverse voltage . in semiconductor bodies in which a plurality of semiconductor components are realized , the substrate 22 is usually at reference - ground potential . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 the substrate 22 can be contact - connected by means of an electrically conductive layer 90 , for example a metalization layer applied on the substrate . the voltage between the drain terminal 60 and the substrate 22 then corresponds to the drain - source voltage of the mos transistor . as the drain potential + u d increases , a space charge zone propagates upward proceeding from the substrate 22 , as a result of which the second n - conducting layer is depleted , that is to say the free n - type charge carriers of the second layer 26 and holes in the surrounding substrate 22 or the upwardly adjoining compensation zones 30 mutually compensate one another . the second layer 26 , which is preferably doped in such a way that it can be completely depleted , thus forms a potential barrier for free charge carriers of the drift path and prevents said free charge carriers from passing into the substrate 22 , where they could propagate unimpeded and interfere with the functioning of other semiconductor components integrated in the semiconductor body 20 . the dopings of the compensation zones 30 , of the drift path 24 and of the second layer 26 are preferably co - ordinated with one another in such a way that the number of p - type charge carriers approximately corresponds to the number of n - type charge carriers , so that at the maximum possible reverse voltage , when the space charge zone reaches the drain zone 60 proceeding from the source zone 40 , the compensation zones 30 , the drift path 24 and the second layer 26 are completely depleted , that is to say no free charge carriers are present . the breakdown voltage then corresponds to the breakdown voltage of an undoped drift path 24 . the mos transistor according to the invention , with the source zone 40 , the channel zone 50 surrounding the source zone , the drain zone 60 , the drift path 24 with the compensation zones 30 , the boundary zone 80 , an n - conducting layer 26 between the compensation zones 30 and with the substrate 22 , can be integrated together with further semiconductor components in a semiconductor body . consequently , a mos transistor as power switch with a low on resistance and a high reverse voltage can be integrated together with its drive circuit in a semiconductor body or a chip in a space - saving manner . fig4 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor component according to the invention in cross section . whereas in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 the p - conducting boundary zone 80 extends as far as the substrate 22 proceeding from the channel zone 50 in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body 20 , in the exemplary embodiment according to fig4 the boundary zone 80 is arranged such that it is spaced apart from the channel zone 50 in the lateral direction and extends from the first surface 201 in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body 20 as far as the substrate 22 . pillar - like compensation zones 30 b , 30 c , 30 d are formed in the n - conducting layer 24 between the channel zone 50 and the boundary zone 80 , said compensation zones extending in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body 20 from the first surface 201 as far as the second n - conducting layer 26 . unlike the compensation zones 30 between the channel zone 50 and the drain zone 60 , the compensation zones 30 b , 30 c , 30 d between the channel zone 50 and the boundary zone 80 are not connected to one another by a p - conducting layer 32 . consequently , the compensation zones 30 b , 30 c , 30 d between the channel zone 50 and the boundary zone 80 are designed in a “ floating ” manner in the second layer 24 , that is to say they are not at a defined potential and assume the potential of a space charge zone which extends as far as the compensation zones 30 when the semiconductor component is in the off state . discharging of the compensation zones 30 b , 30 c , 30 d when the mos transistor is switched on again can be effected by thermal charge carriers . the compensation zones 30 b , 30 c , 30 d between the channel zone 50 and the boundary zone 80 increase the breakdown voltage between the mos transistor , which is formed within a well , formed by the boundary zone 80 and the n - conducting second layer 26 , and adjacent semiconductor components , which are not illustrated in fig4 for reasons of clarity . the sectional illustration according to fig4 furthermore shows field plates 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , which are arranged on the first surface 201 in a manner insulated from the semiconductor body 20 by an insulation layer 74 . these field plates influence , in a known manner , the field line profile within and outside the semiconductor body and prevent a voltage breakdown in the edge regions of the mos transistor or edges thereof . in this case , a first field plate 90 running obliquely upward is connected to the boundary zone 80 , a second and third field plate 91 , 92 are connected to the source terminal s and a fourth and fifth field plate 93 , 94 are connected to the drain terminal d . fig5 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor component according to the invention , designed as a mos transistor , in a lateral sectional illustration . the semiconductor component according to this exemplary embodiment has a plurality of source zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c and respective channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c surrounding the latter , the source zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c and the channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c being connected to a common source electrode 52 , s . the source zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c are , in particular , of annular design , fig5 showing a section through the center of these annular source zones . in the component according to fig5 gate electrodes 70 a , 70 b , 70 c , 70 d are arranged on the semiconductor body in a manner insulated by insulation layers 72 a , 72 b , 72 c , 72 d and are connected to a common gate electrode g . the gate electrodes 70 a , 70 b , 70 c , 70 d illustrated in fig5 may be , in particular , constituent parts of a single gate electrode of grid - like design , in which case the source zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c , 40 d with the channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c are arranged below cutouts of the grid and , in the cutouts of the grids , the source zones are contact - connected by means of the source electrode 52 . compensation zones 30 are formed in the first n - conducting layer 24 arranged above the substrate 22 , some of these compensation zones adjoining the channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c and extending in a pillar - like manner in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body 20 . other compensation zones 30 e are formed between the channel zones 50 a , 50 c and the boundary zones 80 , the boundary zones extending from the first surface 201 of the semiconductor body 20 as far as the substrate 22 . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig5 the drain zone 60 extends proceeding from the first surface 201 in the vertical direction as far as the n - doped second layer 26 formed between the substrate 22 and the first n - conducting layer 24 . the drain zone 60 additionally extends in the lateral direction of the semiconductor body in the region of the second layer 26 below the first terminal zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c . whereas in the exemplary embodiments according to fig1 to 4 the charge carrier transport runs between the source zones and the drain zones essentially in the lateral direction of the semiconductor body 20 , the charge carriers in the exemplary embodiment according to fig5 propagate , with the gate electrode g being driven , in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body between the source zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c and the laterally running section of the drain zone 60 . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig5 the volume of the drift path can be better utilized as a result of the larger area of the drain zone 60 , at which charge carriers can be taken up from the drift path , and the larger channel area resulting from the provision of a plurality of source zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c and channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c . in other words , the mos transistor according to fig5 has a higher current - carrying capacity than the mos transistors according to fig1 to 4 . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig5 the second layer 26 and the laterally running section of the drain zone 60 form a potential barrier for charge carriers from the drift path into the substrate 22 . the drain zone 60 has a first section 100 extending vertically to the second layer 26 and a second section 102 extending laterally at the level of the second layer 26 . fig6 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor component according to the invention , which differs from that illustrated in fig5 by virtue of the fact that the compensation zones 30 in the first n - conducting layer 24 are of spherical design and are arranged spaced apart from the channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c , 50 d . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig7 the n - conducting layer 24 is weakly n - doped , second n - conducting compensation zones 25 being formed beside the p - conducting compensation zones 30 , the respectively adjacent compensation zones 30 , 25 mutually depleting one another when a space charge zone propagates in the first layer 24 , in order thus to bring about a high breakdown voltage of the semiconductor component . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig7 some of the p - conducting compensation zones 30 are connected to the channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c and are thus at source potential . fig8 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor component according to the invention , in which the drain zone 60 is of u - shaped design in cross section and encloses the first terminal zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c and the channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c and some of the compensation zones 30 . the drain zone 60 is preferably in the form of a well and encloses the first terminal zones 40 a , 40 b , 40 c and the channel zones 50 a , 50 b , 50 c and some of the compensation zones 30 on all sides in the lateral direction of the semiconductor body 20 . | 7 |
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