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referring now to fig1 and 2 , a christmas tree stand constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown . the christmas tree stand 10 comprises a horizontally oriented triangular - shaped base plate 1 having elongated support legs 3 pivotally attached at the base plate 1 corners 2 , 4 and 6 . each of the support legs 3 is secured in the slot or bifurcation 15 at each corner 2 , 4 , 6 of the base plate 1 by pivot pin 9 inserted through aperture 25 and a hole ( not shown ) through the support leg 3 . the support legs 3 may be rotated about pivot pin 9 such that the lower portion of the support legs 3 extend downwardly and outwardly from the base plate 1 while the upper portion extends upwardly and inwardly towards the center of the base plate 1 . the base plate 1 has a large , circular opening extending through the base plate 1 for receiving the lower portion of a tree trunk or staff 5 ( indicated by dashed lines ). the diameter of opening 7 is sufficiently large to support trees or staffs of the desired size . the upper ends 11 of the support legs 3 are curved slightly and have a number of sharpened spikes 13 protruding outwardly from the curved surface . when the support legs 3 are pivoted about pivot pins 9 , the upper portions of the support legs 3 pivot inwardly and engage tree trunk 5 and sharpened spikes 13 bite or dig into the tree trunk 5 to brace and maintain the tree in an upright position . once the sharpened spikes 13 have engaged the tree trunk 5 , downward movement of the tree trunk 5 will cause the spikes 13 to further bite into the trunk . the greater the weight of the tree tending to force the trunk downward , the tighter and more securely the trunk 5 is held . the support legs 3 may be of any desired length ; but it is advantageaous to have the support legs 3 be of sufficient length to provide stability to the stand 10 when it is in use . the inward end of each slot 15 has an upward sloping wall 17 to prevent the support legs 3 from pivoting past a predetermined angle and reducing the stability and strength of the stand when in use . cams 21 are pivotally attached to the lower surface of base plate 1 equidistant about the peripheral of opening 7 with pivot pins 23 . each cam 21 has a cam lever 19 for rotating the cams 21 about pivot pins 23 causing cams 21 to protrude into the opening 7 and progressively engage the surface of tree trunk or staff 5 at evenly circumferentially spaced locations and thereby firmly grip the lower terminal end of trunk 5 . the engaging surfaces of cams 21 may be ridged or serrated to provide greater frictional engagement with the surface of trunk 5 . while the base plate 1 is shown to be triangularly shaped , the base plate 1 may be of any desired shape such as circular , the only requirement being that the support legs 3 are disposed equidistant about the perimeter of the base plate 1 and the opening 7 be substantially centered in the base plate . three support legs have been described , but any number greater than three may be utilized if desired . however , in practice it is found that three support legs are generally sufficient . the base plate 1 and support legs 3 are preferable fabricated from wood , but may be of any suitable material such as plastic or metal . referring now also to fig3 curved tree trunk or staff 27 is inserted through the opening 7 . support legs 3 are rotated by pivot pins 9 such that the lower portions extend downwardly and outwardly to rest on flat surface 30 . the upper portions of support legs 3 extend upwardly and inwardly to engage the tree trunk 27 . because the support legs 3 are pivotally attached , the base plate 1 will tilt from the horizontal plane and the support legs 3 will extend at different angles to permit the sharpened spikes 13 to engage the curved tree trunk 27 at varying heights and angles above the base plate 1 as dictated by the irregular shape of the trunk 27 . the cams 21 are then rotated about pivot pins 23 to engage and hold in the opening 7 the lower , terminal end of the tree trunk 27 , thus supporting the tree ( not shown ) in an upright position . the weight of the tree exerts a downward force on the lower portion of the curved trunk 27 forcing the sharpened spikes 13 to bite deeper into the tree trunk 27 and extend the lower portions of the support legs 3 outwardly thus tightly holding the tree and increasing the stability of the stand while in use . the lower portion of the tree trunk or staff 27 may extend through the base plate opening 7 into contact with the surface 30 upon which the stand 10 rests thereby providing a third support point for the tree or staff if desired . referring now also to fig4 one corner portion 40 of a second preferred embodiment providing a disassemable christmas tree stand is shown . the disassemable stand is generally similar to the stand 10 shown in fig1 and 3 described hereinabove , but having removable support legs 43 allowing the stand to be disassembled thereby requiring less space for storage and transportation when not in use . the base plate 41 has elongated support legs 43 pivotally and removable attached at each corner 42 ( only one corner being shown in fig4 ). each support leg 43 is generally similar to support leg 3 ( as shown in fig1 ), but differing in that a slot 47 is formed in leg 43 opening on and extending at an acute angle 47 &# 39 ; from the bottom edge 49 generally lengthwise towards the upper end 51 . the slot 47 is terminated in a generally hook - shaped turn 48 back towards the bottom edge 49 . each corner 42 of the base plate 41 has a slot or bifurcation 44 for receiving the support legs 43 . pivot pin 45 extends horizontally through the slot 44 and is permanently fixed in position . to assemble the stand , support leg 43 is positioned in the slot 44 with the opening of slot 47 placed over pivot pin 45 and moved with a downward motion such that support leg 43 is held in slot 44 by the pivot pin 45 in hook - turn 48 . as described hereinabove , when a cut tree or staff is inserted through the base plate opening and the support legs 43 have engaged the lower portion of the cut tree or staff , the weight of the cut tree or staff will tend to force the support legs 43 downwardly and outwardly thereby locking the support legs 43 in position on pivot pin 45 . upwardly sloping wall 46 prevents the support legs 43 from pivoting past a predetermined angle and insures that the support legs 43 will remain in a locked position . referring now also to fig5 a second implementation of the disassemable stand is shown . each corner 55 of baseplate 53 ( only one corner 55 of which is shown ) has a slot or bifurcation 59 for receiving elongated support leg 52 . at each corner 55 a slot or groove 57 is formed in the bottom of the base plate 53 , extending across the corner 55 through the slot 59 at a right - angle to slot 59 . each support leg 52 is constructed generally as described hereinabove and has a pivot pin 54 fixedly attached extending crosswise through the support leg 52 and perpendicular to the major plane of the support leg 52 . to assemble , each support leg 52 is positioned in slot 59 at each corner 55 such that pivot pin 54 is disposed in slot 57 . when a cut tree or staff is inserted through the opening in the base plate , the support legs 52 are pivoted inwardly such that the upper ends 61 engage the lower portion of the cut tree or staff to support it in a vertical , upright position . the slots 57 may be formed at an acute angle 58 with respect to the bottom and the perimeter of the base plate 53 to ensure that the pivot pins 54 do not slip out of the slots 57 . the weight of the cut tree or staff will tend to force the support legs downwardly and outwardly ensuring the support legs remain locked in position against the upwardly sloping wall 56 with the pivot pins 54 in slots 57 . while the invention has been described and illustrated in its preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the invention may be carried out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention . | 0 |
turning now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 thereof , a parallel hydromechanical underdrive transmission , shown in schematic form , is designed to be used in vehicles where an underdrive final ratio is desired . the transmission is shown having a variable displacement pump 50 and a make - up pump 52 driven by a prime mover 55 , and a variable displacement motor 60 hydraulically coupled through a manifold 70 and mechanically coupled through a gear train 80 which includes a variable ratio gearset such as a planetary gearset 85 . the transmission ratio is controlled by displacement control system 90 under control of a master controller 100 for the vehicle . the transmission is shown in fig1 in neutral , with the pump 50 at zero displacement and the motor 60 at maximum displacement . the displacement of both hydrostatic units 50 and 60 are simultaneously controlled by the control system 90 in this embodiment , although they could instead be independently controlled . a specific embodiment of the invention using a swashplate version of the pump 50 and motor 60 , shown in fig2 - 12 , includes a four - piece housing 105 , including a main housing 106 shown in detail in fig1 - 19 , an input end housing 107 shown in detail in fig2 - 23 , a control housing 108 shown in fig2 - 27 and a make - up pump housing 109 shown in fig2 - 33 . the main housing 106 has three parallel cylindrical lobes 110 , 112 and 114 . the two top lobes 110 and 112 hold the pump assembly 50 and the motor assembly 60 , respectively , and the bottom lobe 114 holds an output assembly 115 shown in fig1 . the input end housing 107 has a locating lip 116 concentric with the pump lobe 110 which is accurately machined to fit a corresponding annular recess in the prime mover 55 so the transmission housing 105 can be rigidly mated to the prime mover 55 with the axis of the output drive of the prime mover aligned with the input element of the transmission . it will be noted that torque is input from the prime mover 55 to the transmission through the input end housing 107 and is output to the vehicle drive members through both ends of the housing 105 . for convenience , the end through which torque is input to the transmission from the prime mover will be denominated the “ input end ” and the opposite end will be denominated the “ output end ” even though torque is output from the transmission at both the “ input end ” and the “ output end ”. power input to the transmission from the vehicle prime mover 55 is via a smooth tapered bore 117 through an input sleeve 118 in an input element 120 , shown in fig3 - 36 . the output from the prime mover 55 ends in a smooth tapered shaft ( not shown ) that matches the tapered bore 117 of the element 120 . the tapered shaft is drawn forcefully into the tapered bore 117 by an allen bolt 122 threaded into a tapped hole in the end of the tapered shaft of the prime mover . the allen bolt bears against a shouldered washer 123 seated on a shoulder 124 in the bore of the element 120 . the engagement of the tapered shaft in the tapered bore 117 provides a secure torque transmission from the prime mover 55 to the transmission . the input element 120 includes a sun gear 125 of the epicyclic gearset 85 , engaged with four planet gears 130 in a planet carrier 132 , as shown in fig6 - 9 , 11 and 5 a . the planet gears 130 are engaged with a ring gear 135 , shown in detail in fig3 - 39 which is engaged with and drives a splined flange 137 on a pump drive shaft 140 , shown in detail in fig4 - 42 . the input end 142 of the pump drive shaft is supported on a bearing 144 lying between bearing flanges 146 and 148 on the input element 120 and the input end of the pump drive shaft , respectively . a splined section 145 of the pump drive shaft is engaged with a splined bore of the pump cylinder block to drive the pump cylinder block about its axis of rotation . the support for the epicyclic gearset 85 is by way of the bearings of the output shaft of the prime mover 55 . the distal end 142 if the pump drive shaft 140 is supported in bearings 149 mounted in a bore 147 in the output end of the main housing 106 . torque from the prime mover 55 driving the input element 120 is transmitted from the sun gear 125 through the ring gear 135 to the splined flange 137 of the pump drive shaft 140 to drive the cylinder block of the pump 50 . the reaction torque from the pump 50 is reacted back through the pump drive shaft and ring gear 135 to the planet gears 130 and thence to the planet carrier 132 . as shown in fig4 and 5 , the planet carrier is fastened to a carrier spur gear 150 by machine screws 152 . the spur gear 150 is supported on a set of needle bearings 154 on the input sleeve 118 of the input element 120 . the carrier spur gear 150 is engaged with an output spur gear 160 , shown in fig5 , 6 - 9 and 10 , and shown in detail in fig4 - 45 , which is journaled on a bearing 162 mounted in a bearing seat 163 on an inwardly projecting tubular nipple 164 on the input end housing 107 . the output spur gear 160 has an outer flange 166 on which the gear teeth 168 are cut , and a concentric inner stub tube 170 having a radial outside surface 172 concentric with the flange 166 for engaging the bearings 162 . the bore 174 of the inner stub tube 170 is splined to receive a splined end 175 of an output shaft 180 , as shown in fig1 , 46 and 47 . the entire bore 174 is splined so that output torque may be taken from both ends of the transmission , as indicated in fig1 and in fig2 and 3 , for convenience in driving a 4 - wheel drive vehicle . the output end of the output shaft 180 is journaled in a bearing 183 , shown in fig1 and 12 which is mounted in a stepped axial bore in the output end of the main housing 106 and held in place by a circlip ( not shown ) in an annular groove 187 in the bore 185 . torque is output from the output end of the output shaft 180 through an output fitting 190 , shown in fig1 and shown in detail in fig4 - 50 , having a splined bore 192 engaged with splines 194 on the output end of the output shaft 180 . the output fitting 190 is held on the end of the output shaft 180 by a nut ( not shown ) that is threaded onto a projecting threaded end 196 of the output shaft 180 and torqued against the output fitting 190 . fluid pressurized in the pump 50 is conveyed through passages in the manifold 70 to the motor 60 where it is converted to output motor torque and conveyed to a motor output shaft 200 by way of a spline 202 on the motor output shaft 200 engaged with a splined bore 204 in the motor cylinder block 206 , shown in fig6 and 54 . the motor output shaft 200 is journaled in a bearing 208 in the manifold block 70 and a front bearing 210 in a bearing recess 212 within a bearing boss 214 in the input end housing 107 , as seen in fig2 and 20 . the motor output torque is conveyed through the motor output shaft 200 and through an integral gear 216 in meshing engage with the output spur gear 160 to add the torque , conveyed from the motor 60 through the motor output shaft 200 to the output shaft , to the torque conveyed from the carrier spur gear 150 , so that the total output torque to the output shaft is the mechanical portion conveyed from the carrier spur gear and the hydraulic portion conveyed from the motor 60 through the motor output shaft 200 . the hydraulic torque from the motor 60 is generated by the action of fluid pressurized in the pump 50 , shown in fig7 - 9 . rotation of the pump cylinder block 206 p is by spline engagement of the splined section 145 of the pump drive shaft 140 to rotate the pump cylinder block 206 p against a valve plate 220 p which commutates the fluid displaced from cylinders 203 p in the pump cylinder block 206 p into pressure passages in the manifold 70 opposite the “ descending ” slope of the swashplate surface , and suction passages opposite the “ ascending ” slope of the swashplate . pump pistons 205 p in the pump cylinders 203 p have piston heads 225 p which swivel in slippers 230 p held against the flat surface of a swashplate 235 p by a hold - down plate 240 p . the structure shown in fig5 is conventional and is commercially available , e . g . from sundstrand hydrogear . the pressurized fluid commutated by the pump valve plate 220 p to a pressure channel in the manifold block 70 is conveyed directly to a pressure port in the manifold 70 where it is distributed by the pressure slot in the motor valve plate 220 m to the cylinders 203 m on the “ ascending ” side of the motor cylinder block 206 m . the fluid pressure acting against the motor pistons 205 m to drive them axially outward against the motor swashplate 235 m . the action of the axially acting pistons against the tilted surface of the motor swashplate 235 m is resolved into a circumferential force which drives the motor cylinder block “ downhill ” relative to the tilt angle of the surface of the motor swashplate 235 m . continued rotation of the motor cylinder block 206 m forces the motor pistons 205 m back into the cylinders 203 m to displace fluid in the cylinders 203 m back through the suction passages in the manifold and thence into the pump cylinders 203 p on their suction stroke . the make - up pump 52 is provided to make up any fluid lost in the system by leakage , and also to pressurize the displacement control system , as described below . the make - up pump 52 is a conventional commercially available pump such as a gerotor type available from a number of sources . it is located in a cavity 243 in the manifold block 70 and is driven by a hexagonal section 246 of a quill shaft 245 having a hex head 247 engaged in the hex recess of the bolt 122 shown in fig5 a . the make - up pump 52 draws fluid from the housing through a suction passage 249 and the fluid pressurized in the pump is conveyed through an external fluid line through a filter 250 and thence through a one - way valve 252 to the pressure channel in the manifold block 70 . pressure is limited to a predetermined value , e . g . 100 psi , by a pressure relief valve 254 . the displacement control system 90 shown in fig1 , 10 - 12 and 55 - 59 is designed to control the tilt angle of the pump and motor swashplates 235 p and 235 m . the two shashplates 235 p and 235 m each have top and bottom trunnions 258 and 260 , respectively . the top trunnions 258 are mounted in sockets 262 p and 262 m in the lid of the control housing 108 . the drawings of these sockets 262 p and 262 m are erroneous since they do not show the top trunnions 258 p and 258 m supported in the sockets 262 p and 262 m as intended . that error is easily remedied by repositioning the sockets 258 p and 258 m on the control housing 108 to align with the position of the trunnions 258 . likewise , bottom sockets are to be provided for the bottom trunnions 260 p and 260 m , and fig1 does not reflect the presence of these sockets in the floor of the main housing . this is an omission easily corrected . a pump control bell - crank 265 is mounted on the top pump swashplate trunnion 258 p and a motor control bell - crank 270 is mounted on the top motor swashplate trunnion 258 m for controlling the tilt angle of the pump and motor swashplates , and thereby controlling the pump and motor displacements . as shown in fig5 - 58 , the bell - cranks have ball - ends 272 and 274 engaged in the ends of pump and motor control pistons 280 and 285 in cylinders 290 and 295 projecting from the control housing 108 as shown in fig2 . the stepper motor 300 moves a control rod 305 , shown in fig5 , attached to a control spool 310 inside a spool valve 320 . the spool valve is driven by fluid pressure to position itself at the same position on the control spool 310 and the pump control cylinder 280 follows the spool valve 320 to position the pump control cylinder 280 at the desired location determined by the position of the control spool 310 . the motor control piston 285 is stopped at the maximum displacement position shown in fig5 and 56 by an internal stop and is biased to that position by system pressure in the cylinder 295 . the position of the motor control bell crank 270 away from the maximum displacement position is controlled by the pump control piston engaging and pushing the motor control piston 285 against the system pressure in the cylinder 285 by virtue of the greater area of the cylinder 290 . in operation , input from the engine is connected to the sun gear ( sp ) 125 of the planet set 85 and then on to the make - up pump housed in the manifold . the ring gear ( rp ) 135 of the planet set 85 is connected drivingly to the cylinder block of the pump 50 . the planet carrier 132 of the planet set 85 is connected to the spur gear ( sg 3 ) 150 which drives the output spur gear 160 connected to the output shaft ( sg 1 ) 180 . the cylinder block of the motor is connected to a spur gear ( sg 2 ) which also drives the spur gear connected to the output shaft ( sg 1 ). when the transmission is at neutral , the output shaft is stationary , hence the motor and planet carrier are also stationary . the sun gear rotates at input speed and therefore the ring gear ( and hence the pump ) rotates at input speed multiplied by the ratio of the numbers of teeth in the sun gear and ring rear ( sp / rp ), in the opposite direction to the input . in the preferred embodiment , the ratio is ( 43 / 77 )= 0 . 558 times input speed . since the pump is at zero displacement , there is no pumping ; therefore , no reaction torque can be generated at the pump . hence , the pump rotates freely and there is no transmission of output torque to the output shaft . a ‘ dump valve ’ may be opened to ‘ short circuit ’ the high and low pressures of the pump and motor , so if there were to be some small displacement of the pump , there would still be no pressure , and hence , no torque would be generated with the dump valve open . the dump valve is closed electronically only when the operator selects the ‘ drive ’ or ‘ reverse ’ mode on the mode selector switch . the controller closes the dump valve only after ensuring , via a sensor , that the pump is at zero displacement . due to the planet set configuration , the input torque is split into two parallel paths . one is a direct mechanical path fed continually to the output shaft at the ratio of input torque multiplied by ( 1 +( rp / sp )). the other is a hydraulic path fed continually to the pump at the ratio of input torque multiplied by ( rp / sp ). as the pump is stroked to give a small displacement and is rotating at input speed multiplied by ( sp / rp ), it pumps fluid which flows directly through the manifold and drives the motor in the same direction to give output torque . due to the fact that the pump is at a small displacement , a small amount of torque to the pump results in a high pressure and low flow rate . since the motor is at a large displacement , the low flow rate from the pump at high pressure results in a high output torque and low output speed . this high ‘ hydraulic ’ output torque is multiplied by the gear ratio ( sg 1 / sg 2 ) and is then added directly to the mechanical output torque as described above . therefore the total output torque can be expressed as : output torque = input torque ×[( 1 +( rp / sp ))+( rp / sp )× motor disp / pump disp ×( sg 1 / sg 2 )] it can therefore be seen that there is a total output torque comprising a fixed mechanical torque portion plus a variable hydraulic torque portion . as the ratio of motor displacement to pump displacement decreases , the amount of hydraulic torque decreases . when the motor displacement has been reduced to zero , the hydraulic torque portion reduces to zero and the only output torque is the fixed mechanical torque portion . as the pump displacement increases , flow rate from the pump increases , and this increased flow causes the motor and hence the output shaft to increase in speed . as the output shaft increases in speed , the planet carrier increases in speed relative to the input shaft and hence sun gear speed , this causes the ring gear speed to decrease , which causes the pump speed to decrease . this has the effect of reducing the total system hydraulic fluid flow rate , when compared to a conventional hydrostatic transmission of the same capacity , to approximately { fraction ( 1 / 3 )} to { fraction ( 1 / 4 )}, depending on planet set ratios used . this reduces the flow losses and noise levels normally associated with hydrostatic machines . as the motor displacement approaches zero and the pump displacement approaches its maximum , the pump speed approaches zero and motor speed approaches its maximum . when the motor reaches zero displacement it can no longer accept fluid flow so the pump can no longer displace fluid and therefore stops rotating , causing the ring gear ( rn ) to stop rotating . the pump now acts as a reaction unit for the ring gear . in this case all the input torque is now transferred through the planet set , via the planet carrier and spur gears sg 3 and sg 3 , to the output shaft . due to the ratio of the sun gear to ring gear , the output speed is decreased and the output torque increased , by a factor of 2 . 79 : 1 in the disclosed preferred embodiment . naturally , the ratio would be different in designs with different size gears . as the pump has been stroked to its full displacement , hydraulic pressure required to react the input torque has been reduced to a minimum , thus reducing hydraulic leakage losses and hydraulic loading of bearings to a minimum . as all the power is now transferred through the planet set and spur gears sg 3 and sg 1 , and the hydraulics are acting only as a reaction unit to hold the ring gear , the efficiency is very high ( 95 +%). the only losses are the normal gearset losses ( approx . 2 %), slippage on the pump due to leakage , and windage losses on the motor due to the fact it is spinning at output speed ×( sg 1 / sg 2 ) with the unit at some pressure . to further increase the efficiency at this point a brake could be applied to the pump . this will help in two ways : first it will stop the input unit from slipping due to hydraulic leakage and second it will reduce the hydraulic system pressure to makeup pressure therefore reducing the load and hence windage loss of the motor . the brake could be actuated by makeup pressure or by electro - mechanical means . to drive the vehicle in reverse , the transmission is first placed in neutral , with the motor at maximum displacement and the pump at zero displacement . the selector switch is moved to “ reverse ” which causes the controller to stroke the pump displacement control in the opposite direction ( i . e . a negative angle ) causing fluid flow to go in the opposite direction . this causes the motor and hence the output shaft to rotate in the reverse direction . due to the planet set gear configuration , the mechanical torque , as described above , still acts in the forward direction . therefore the total output torque , in reverse , can be expressed as : output torque = input torque ×[( 1 +( rp / sp ))−( rp / sp )× motor disp / pump disp ×( sg 1 / sg 2 )] due to the fact that the pump and motor rotate in the same direction , both swashplates are stroked in opposite directions , i . e . when the transmission is viewed from the top the pump swashplate is rotated clockwise as the motor swashplate is rotated counter clockwise , for forward ratios . the pump swashplate is rotated counter clockwise as the motor swashplate is held stationary for reverse ratios . the pump swashplate is connected to the pump control arm , which is connected to the pump control piston in such a way as to allow the pump control arm to pivot and slide relative to the pump control piston . as the pump control piston moves axially in its bore , the pump control arm and pump swashplate rotate about the pump swashplate axis . similarly , the motor swashplate is connected to the motor control arm , which is connected to the motor control piston in such a way as to allow the motor control arm to pivot and slide relative to the pump control piston . as the motor control piston moves axially in its bore the motor control arm and motor swashplate rotate about the pump swashplate axis . system pressure is tapped off from the manifold via a shuttle valve and is fed continually to the back of the motor control piston 285 . the area of this piston is equal to 1 a . the pressure acting on this area biases the motor toward maximum displacement . system pressure is tapped off from the manifold via the same shuttle valve and is fed continually to the small annular area of the pump control piston 280 . the area of this annulus is also equal to 1 a . the pressure acting on this annular area biases the pump toward its maximum displacement in reverse . system pressure is tapped off from the manifold and is fed thru a modulating valve to the large annular area of the pump control piston 280 which is three times greater than the back of the motor control piston , or 3 a . when system pressure acts on this large annular area the force generated overcomes the force generated on the small annular side by a factor of 3 due its larger area . this causes the pump to stroke towards its maximum displacement in the forward direction . at a predetermined angle of pump displacement , the pump control piston 280 contacts the motor control piston 285 ( which is being forced to the motor maximum displacement position as described above ). when the pump control piston 280 contacts the motor control piston 285 , the force acting on the front of the pump control piston 280 overcomes the force acting on the annular side of the pump control piston 280 plus the force acting on the motor control piston 285 , by a factor of 1 . 5 , and forces the motor 60 to stroke toward zero displacement whilst stroking the pump 50 toward its maximum displacement . the built - in lag in stroke angle between pump control piston contacting the motor control piston , allows the motor to stay at its maximum displacement whilst some displacement is achieved by the pump . therefore , the pressure generated by the pump is allowed to act on the largest possible displacement of the motor , and hence generate the maximum amount of output torque possible . the amount of lag in stroke angle between pump control piston contacting the motor control piston , is equal to the minimum pump angle at which the pump can react full input torque whilst not exceeding the maximum allowable system pressure . as the modulating valve releases pressure from the large annular area of the pump control piston , the force acting on the motor control piston and the force acting on the small annular area of the pump control piston causes the motor to stroke toward its maximum displacement and the pump toward zero displacement . this will continue to happen until the motor eventually reaches its maximum displacement , when it can stroke no further . the pump will then continue stroking toward zero displacement until it reaches neutral . if the modulating valve further releases pressure from the large annular area of the pump control piston , the pump will continue to stroke into a reverse angle . by keeping the motor at its maximum displacement and stroking only the pump in reverse , the maximum possible torque is obtained from the motor but a limited speed capability , which is desirable . as stated above system pressure is tapped off from the manifold via a shuttle valve to control the pump and motor , but similarly , make - up pressure could be used to the same effect . this would however require larger piston diameters to generate enough force to smoothly and accurately control the pump and motor , and may therefore require a larger package . the modulating valve as mentioned above can be of several types , including a classic ‘ leader - follower ’ type spool valve actuated by a stepper motor or servomotor , or a solenoid operated spool valve etc . an advantage of this type of control regime is that it enables just one modulating valve ( and associated control hardware , such as computer controls etc . ), to control both the pump and motor from neutral thru final drive and into reverse . a simple , reliable and low cost control system is the result . due to the fact the motor to pump displacement ratio can be infinitely large , at or around the neutral zone in forward and reverse , it is therefore theoretically possible to generate infinitely high pressures and output torque , and practically possible to generate pressure and output torque which exceeds the capability of the materials to contain them . obviously these have to be limited to reasonable values , as determined by the structural limitations of the transmission . torque limitation is achieved by use of a pressure relief valve mounted in the manifold , limiting the maximum pressure the pump can generate , and hence the maximum output torque . since the pump will be at relatively small displacements when the pressure is at such high levels , the flow rate thru the relief valve will be at acceptable levels . alternatively , the system can be inherently torque limited by designing the pump and motor to have a leakage rate that , at a specified pressure , is equal to the pump discharge . the leakage functions as a pressure relief and prevents the pump from generating any more pressure than that specified pressure . the transmission will then reach a ‘ stall ’ torque . a certain leakage rate is necessary for hydrostatic bearing interface cooling and lubrication anyway , so designing a leakage rate which also provides a torque limiting function , would have the advantage of doing both functions without need for a separate relief valve . there is a minimum pump angle at which the pump can react full input torque without exceeding the maximum allowable system pressure , and hence maximum output torque . at pump angles less than these , the output torque will not increase as the maximum pressure is limited as described above , but the input to output speed ratio will continue to decrease and will approach infinity as the pump angle becomes infinitely small . the stated and other benefits of the invention are also achieved in a bent axis design shown in fig6 - 71 . the gearing 85 and input / output arrangement of this embodiment is similar all significant respects to the embodiment of fig1 - 59 . the only significant difference is that pump and motor cylinder blocks 330 p and 330 m in this bent axis embodiment , as best shown in fig6 - 63 , are turned around with pistons 332 facing a manifold 335 and engaged in pump and motor torque rings 337 p and 337 m running against the manifold 335 , as in applicant &# 39 ; s international patent application pct / us98 / 24053 entitled “ hydraulic machine ”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . in this embodiment , as shown in fig6 and 62 , the manifold 335 is in an interior end wall of a front housing 340 , shown in fig6 - 68 , which also supports bearings for the pump and motor shafts 140 and 200 . the pump and motor cylinder blocks 330 p and 330 m in this design rotate against non - rotating tilting yoke seats 342 p and 342 m . torque is input and output to this bent axis unit through splined engagement of the pump and motor shafts 140 and 200 with the torque rings 337 p and 337 m . as shown in fig6 , 62 and 63 , the back face of the pump and motor cylinders 330 p and 330 m each bear against a flat face of the yoke seat 342 . two arms 344 are attached to the yoke seat 342 , one on each side , and extend forward to gudgeons 345 which are fixed on trunnions 346 pivotally supported in a rear housing 350 , shown in fig6 and 70 . the outer ends of the trunnions 346 are supported in bosses in the exterior of the rear housing 350 , and the inner ends of the trunnions 346 are supported in bosses in internal webs 352 in the housing 350 . the trunnions at the top of the housing 350 protrude beyond the housing and are fixed to the proximal ends of two control crank arms 265 and 270 , of distal ends of which extend inwardly toward each other and are engaged in the ends of control pistons 280 and 285 . this bent axis embodiment is advantageous because it has greater efficiency and power density , can result in a reduction in size , weight complexity and cost , and has the ability to run faster than a same size swashplate unit . it is thus possible to use gear ratios that make the bent axis unit spin faster , thereby increasing its torque and power output . the greater power throughput makes it possible to design the unit with smaller hydrostatic units ( to achieve the same torque at the same pressure ) or run it at a lower pressure and hence use smaller and lighter supporting structures since the loads will be less , or the unit can be made available at the same size with higher torque capacity . turning now to fig7 , a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the invention is shown particularly for use in a front wheel drive transaxle arrangement having a substantial offset between the prime mover output shaft and the output differential by which the front axle is driven . this particular design was made light weight and inexpensive for a european microcar , but could also be adapted for small automobile applications as noted below . the transmission is shown in fig7 in neutral , with the pump 50 set at zero displacement and the motor 60 at maximum displacement . both the pump 50 and motor 60 are simultaneously controlled in this case , although they could be independently controlled . as shown in fig7 , and also in fig7 , 76 and 79 - 81 , the input from the prime mover 55 is connected through an input spline coupling 354 to an input shaft 355 . the input shaft 355 extends through a drive tube 357 , shown in detail in fig8 a and 82b , and has an intermediate spline 356 adjacent its inner end that engages and drives an interior spline 358 at the inner end of the drive tube 357 . this input shaft 355 is used to accommodate mis - alignments and eccentricities between the engine and transmission whilst being a torsionally rigid coupling . since the two splines are relatively far apart , a small amount of clearance in the splines will accommodate these mis - alignments and eccentricities . the input shaft 355 , shown in detail in fig8 has an end spline 359 that engages and drives a make - up pump 366 , as shown in fig7 - 81 . the drive tube 357 has an integral sun gear 360 of a planet set 365 driving a series of planet gears 362 engaged with an encircling ring gear 367 of the planet set 365 . as shown in fig7 , the ring gear 367 has an integral spur gear 368 which drives a spur gear 370 connected to the pump cylinder block shaft 371 , shown in detail in fig8 . the planet gears 362 are mounted in a planet carrier 372 of the planet set 365 which is machined in its outer periphery as a spur gear 374 . the spur gear 374 is driven by a spur gear 376 splined to the motor output shaft 380 , shown in detail in fig8 , which is driven by a spline connection with the motor cylinder block 206 m . the planet carrier 372 is also splined to a transmission chain sprocket 384 , as shown in fig7 - 81 , which is coupled via a drive chain 386 to a differential chain sprocket 388 connected to the output differential 390 , as shown in fig7 . one advantage of driving the pump by way of spur gears 368 and 370 is that the ratio between these spur gears can be selected to spin the pump faster than the ring gear speed . in the first embodiment shown in fig1 and 11 , the input is connected to the sun gear and the pump is driven directly from the ring gear , so the pump will spin at a slower speed and with a higher torque than the input shaft . this can be disadvantageous for the pump as it will generate a higher pressure to react the input torque , thus giving greater leakage and higher bearing loads . it also means that the maximum pump speed will be lower than its design maximum speed , so the full potential horse power of the unit will not be produced . by using a ratio between the spur gears 368 and 370 , it is now possible to spin the pump at it &# 39 ; s maximum design speed . therefore the maximum potential horse power can be extracted from the unit and the system pressure will be lower at any given input torque . the chain 386 is used to drive the output differential 390 to facilitate spacing the front wheel drive shafts on a centerline 393 far from the engine centerline 395 to accommodate an existing installation , without using a series of gears to achieve the same center distance . naturally , a series of gears could be used and a different centerline spacing could be used to provide closer coupling between the transmission / engine drive centerline and differential 390 . the pump and motor cylinder blocks 206 p and 206 m lie on parallel axes coincident with the axes of their shafts 371 and 380 , as shown in fig7 . pistons 400 in the cylinders of each cylinder block engage a thrust ring which rotates with the cylinder block and is mounted by way of a thrust bearing 404 on a non - rotating , tilting swash plate 408 . the displacement of the pump 50 and motor 60 can be varied by adjusting the tilt angle of the swashplate 408 by a crank arrangement . the swashplate 408 is supported in a cradle bearing 410 on the rear housing 415 of the transmission , shown in fig8 - 91 . the cradle bearing is preferably provided with a low friction polymer surface such as ptfe or the like . the rear housing is connected to a middle housing 417 , shown in fig9 - 96 by multiple machine screws 419 to provide a reaction path for the axial forces exerted by the pump 50 and motor 60 through the housing and back to a manifold 420 supported by an internal transverse bulkhead 422 inside the middle housing , as shown in fig9 . the manifold 420 , shown in fig9 - 103 , is held against the bulkhead 422 by compression coil springs ( not shown ) inside the hollow pistons in the pump and motor cylinder blocks 206 which also maintains sealing contact of the cylinder blocks 206 with the manifold to enable system pressure to develop when the transmission is started . during operation , the axial forces exerted by the pump 50 and motor 60 maintain the manifold forcefully engaged with the bulkhead 422 . the manifold 420 has two flat round faces 425 p and 425 m in contact with the flat faces of the pump and motor cylinder blocks 206 p and 206 m . each face 425 p and 425 m has a pair of opposed curved slots 428 and 430 for conveying high pressure fluid on the pressure stroke from the pump cylinder block 206 p to the motor cylinder block 206 m , and for conveying spend low pressure fluid displaced from the motor cylinder block 206 m back for recharging the pump cylinder block 206 p on suction stroke . four bosses 435 on the manifold 420 hold check valves for passing make - up fluid from the make - up pump 366 through passages 437 in the bulkhead 422 , and for passing high pressure fluid to the control unit 450 through a passage 438 in the bulkhead 422 . four valves are needed instead of just two because the high and low pressure sides switch when the transmission is back driven through the vehicle wheels during downhill or decelerating travel when engine braking is used . the hydraulic operation of the pump and motor 60 in this transmission is the same as that described in the first embodiment . the control unit 450 operates basically like the control units in the first and second embodiments . due to the fact that the pump 50 and motor 60 rotate in opposite directions , both swashplates 408 are stroked in the same direction for forward ratios . when the transmission is viewed from the top , as in fig1 and 107 , the pump swashplate 408 p is rotated counter - clockwise as the motor swashplate 408 m is rotated counter - clockwise . the pump swashplate 408 p is rotated clockwise as the motor swashplate 408 m is held stationary for reverse ratios . the pump swashplate 408 p is connected to a pump control arm 454 which is connected to a pump control piston 458 in such a way as to allow the pump control arm 454 to pivot and slide relative to the pump control piston 458 . as shown in fig1 , the pivot axis 460 of the pump control arm 454 coincides with the axis of rotation of the pump swashplate . as the pump control piston 458 moves axially in its bore 464 , the pump control arm 454 and pump swashplate 408 p rotate about the pump swashplate axis . the motor swashplate 408 p is connected to a motor control arm 466 which is connected to a motor control 468 piston in such a way as to allow the motor control arm 466 to pivot and slide relative to the pump control piston 468 . as the motor control piston 468 moves axially in its bore 470 the motor control arm 466 and motor swashplate 408 m rotate about their common axis . system pressure is tapped off from the manifold through one of the check valves in the manifold and is fed continually to the motor control cylinder 470 behind the motor control piston 468 . the area of the face of the motor control piston 468 is about one third of the area of the face of the piston control piston 458 . the pressure acting on this area biases the motor continually toward its maximum displacement . system pressure is tapped off from the manifold via the same check valve and is fed continually to the small annular area 472 of the pump control piston . the area of this annulus is equal to the area of the motor control piston 468 , and the pressure acting on this area biases the pump continually toward its maximum displacement in reverse ( i . e . to rotate the pump swashplate 408 p clockwise ) as shown in fig1 - 107 . system pressure is tapped off from the manifold and is fed thru the modulating valve 474 to the large annular area 476 of the pump control piston 458 . the area of this large annular face 476 of the pump control piston is equal to three times the area of the face of the motor control piston 468 , so when system pressure acts on this annulus 476 , the force generated overcomes the force generated on the small annular side by a factor of 3 due its larger area . this strokes the pump towards its maximum displacement in the forward direction . as shown in fig1 - 110 , at a predetermined angle of pump displacement , the pump control piston 458 contacts the motor control piston 468 ( which is being forced to the motor maximum displacement position as described above ). when the pump control piston 458 contacts the motor control piston 468 , the force acting on the front of the pump control piston overcomes the force acting on the annular side of the pump control piston and the force acting on the motor control piston , by a factor of 1 . 5 , and strokes the motor toward zero displacement whilst stroking the pump toward its maximum displacement . the built in lag in stroke angle between pump control piston 458 contacting the motor control piston 468 allows the motor 60 to stay at its maximum displacement whilst some displacement is achieved by the pump 50 , thereby allowing the pressure generated by the pump to act on the largest possible displacement of the motor , and hence generating the maximum amount of output torque possible . the amount of lag in stroke angle between pump control piston contacting the motor control piston is equal to the minimum pump angle at which the pump can react full input torque whilst not exceeding the maximum allowable system pressure . continued movement of the pump control piston 458 to the fully extended position shown in fig1 - 113 shifts the pump swashplate 408 p to maximum displacement position and the motor swashplate to its zero displacement position , resulting in hydraulic lock - up and full mechanical drive through the transmission . as pressure is released from the large annular area of the pump control piston , by the modulating valve , the force acting on the motor control piston and the force acting on the small annular area of the pump control piston causes the motor to stroke toward its maximum displacement and the pump toward zero displacement . this will continue to happen until the motor eventually reaches its maximum displacement , when it can no longer stroke . the pump will then continue stroking toward zero displacement until it reaches neutral , shown in fig1 - 107 . if the modulating valve further releases pressure from the large annular area of the pump control piston , the pump will continue to stroke into a reverse angle , as shown in figs . by keeping the motor at its maximum displacement and stroking only the pump in reverse , the maximum possible torque from the motor is attained but with a limited speed capability , which is desirable . as stated above system pressure is tapped off from the manifold via a shuttle valve to control the pump and motor , but similarly make - up pressure could be used to the same effect . this would however require larger piston diameters to generate enough force to smoothly and accurately control the pump and motor , and may therefore pose some packaging problems . the modulating valve as mentioned above can be of several types , including a classic leader - follower type spool valve actuated by a stepper motor , or a solenoid operated spool valve etc . the advantage of this type of control regime is that it enables just one modulating valve ( and associated control hardware , such as computer controls etc . ), to control both the pump and motor from neutral thru final drive and into reverse . thus reducing cost and complexity of the control system . it also has the advantage of mechanically linking the pump and motor swashplate displacements together eliminating possible control errors that may occur if each swashplate is individually controlled . the use of the front wheel drive transaxle shown in this third embodiment could be readily be modified to incorporate the yoke support for the swashplate as shown in the first embodiment of fig5 or the yoke supported bent axis arrangement of the pump and motor as shown in the second embodiment shown in fig6 . obviously , numerous other modifications , combinations and variations of the preferred embodiments described above are possible and will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this specification . for example , many functions and advantages are described for the three preferred embodiments , but in some uses of the invention , not all of these functions and advantages would be needed . therefore , we contemplate the use of the invention using fewer than the complete set of noted functions and advantages . moreover , several species and embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein , but not all are specifically claimed , although all are covered by generic claims . nevertheless , it is our intention that each and every one of these species and embodiments , and the equivalents thereof , be encompassed and protected within the scope of the following claims , and no dedication to the public is intended by virtue of the lack of claims specific to any individual species . accordingly , it is expressly intended that all these embodiments , species , modifications and variations , and the equivalents thereof , are to be considered within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims , wherein we claim : | 5 |
according to the embodiment ( s ) of the present invention , various views are illustrated in fig1 - 45 and like reference numerals are being used consistently throughout to refer to like and corresponding parts of the invention for all of the various views and figures of the drawing . also , please note that the first digit ( s ) of the reference number for a given item or part of the invention should correspond to the fig . number in which the item or part is first identified . one embodiment of the technology is a single colony basket design adapted to be used throughout poultry processing from the hatchery , through growing and to production . the colony basket includes components designed for the growing process and components designed for transport . the colony basket is adapted for an automated loading system including a stackable tray design , a transport system , and unloading and storing system . the details of the invention and various embodiments can be better understood by referring to the figures of the drawing . referring to fig1 , a colony basket integrated with a watering and feeding system is shown . the colony basket growing assembly 100 is shown with a colony basket 102 having vented vertically upright side walls 104 and 106 extending between a top rim flange and a bottom rim flange . the vertically upright side walls include vented areas 108 . the top rim flange includes a plurality of stand - offs as represented by items 110 and 111 . the stand - offs can provide spacing between colony baskets when they are stacked one on top of the other . the bottom rim flange can include complimentary recessed receptacles to receive the stand - offs therein in order to interlock the stacked colony baskets and in order to prevent or resist lateral and longitudinal movement . the top rim flange and the adjacent side wall can have vertical slots 116 and 118 for receiving the water channel and water trough assembly 120 and 122 . the colony basket 102 can also be integrated with a feed channel 124 and feed trough 126 . the feed assembly and the watering assembly can be more generally referred to as sustenance assemblies that can be elevated above the basket for basket removal and installation and ultimately lowered into the basket . the parametrical top rim flange defines an upward facing opening through which birds can be inserted into the basket . the downward facing opening is closed by a floor 112 providing support and a trap for debris . the floor 112 can have placed thereon elongated elevator strips 114 over which a flexible mesh flooring ( not shown ) can be supported and installed . the flexible mesh flooring , not shown , can have small openings through which debris can fall downward through the mesh flooring and be trapped by the floor 112 . the flexibility of the mesh flooring prevents injury to birds standing thereon . the colony basket growing assembly 100 is shown in its configuration when it is integrated within a colony system whereby the birds are housed within the colony basket and provided nourishment for the growing process . for another embodiment , the floor 112 can be a mesh floor and the strips 114 can support the mesh floor . a further modification to this embodiment can include an under panel or cover that removably attaches immediately underneath the mesh floor 112 . referring to fig2 , a colony basket stack is shown . in fig2 a - 2c various views of a colony basket stack 200 is shown . the colony baskets are shown stacked one on top of the other . the colony basket stack 200 can be transported in this configuration and as seen in the various views , the colony baskets are vertically spaced one with respect to the other by the stand - offs 111 and 110 . the bottom facing rim of the basket above can be configured with a mating receptacle recess for receiving the stand - off of the basket immediately below . referring to fig3 , a colony basket rack is shown . a rack assembly 300 is shown and configured for a colony system . the rack transfer and conveyor assembly 302 is shown which is utilized to support the colony basket as well as transfer the colony basket into and out of the colony racks of the colony system . the colony system configuration is shown with a feed assembly 304 and a watering assembly 306 . the slot 116 shown where the water assembly 306 can be lowered therein . the feed assembly 304 and the water assembly 306 is shown in a lowered position but can be elevated above the colony basket using a wench system adapted to raise and lower the assemblies so that the basket can be inserted and removed from the colony basket rack without being obstructed by the assemblies . other drawer designs are not adapted such that watering and feeding assemblies can be raised above or lowered into the container . referring to fig4 a through 4e , a colony basket rack is shown , a side plan view of a colony basket is shown , a side plan view of a colony basket is shown , a colony basket rack support is shown and a colony basket rack conveyor assembly is shown . fig4 a - 4e show the various components of the rack assembly 300 within the colony system configuration . the colony baskets are longitudinally installed within the rack assembly 300 . the longitudinal installation aligns the vertical slots of the colony baskets to be aligned with the water trough system . the components of the transfer system including the support transfer rack 400 and the rack transfer conveyor assembly 302 is also shown . referring to fig5 a - 5b , a colony basket rack support is shown and a colony basket rack conveyor assembly is shown . fig5 a and 5b show further detail of the support transfer rack 400 and the rack transfer conveyor assembly 302 . the rack transfer conveyor assembly 302 includes a conveyor belt 500 and a conveyor roll assembly 502 . the rack transfer conveyor assembly 302 also includes a hydraulic cylinder extension arm 504 that can be utilized to engage the baskets with engagement members 506 and extend to transfer a colony basket stack from one rack to another and / or from one rack to a transport system . the basket cylinder arm and basket retention bar 504 can be actuated to longitudinally extend and retract during retrieval and insertion of a basket . the basket retention bar 504 can include basket engagement members member that engages the basket by applying lateral pressure against the side of the basket and / or engages a complimentary receptor configured to receive the engagement member . the retention bar and engagement member can be rotated about pivot 508 in order to rotate upward to engage a basket or to rotate outward and downward away from the basket . the support transfer rack 400 can support a basket and the support transfer rack can be integral with a rack allowing the transfer rack 400 to elevate or lower the basket with the rack when it is supporting a basket . referring to fig6 a flow diagram of the colony basket methodology is shown . fig6 shows a flow diagram of a circular process utilizing a system of colony baskets throughout the entirety of the process . a given colony basket will retain the same colony ( grouping ) of birds throughout the process . initially a colony basket is filled with doc at a hatchery as reflected by step 600 . groupings of colony baskets each containing their own individual grouping of birds are then transferred to a growing house ( colony farm ) 602 where the baskets are loaded into a colony system as reflected by 604 . the birds are retained in the same colony basket in which they were originally installed throughout the growing process and the growing process proceeds as reflected by 606 . the colony baskets are integrated with the watering and feeding systems within the colony system of the growing house . once the growing process has been completed , the birds are retained in their original colony basket and the baskets are removed from the colony system and transferred to the trailer of a transport as reflected by step 608 . the transport carries the grouping of baskets to a processing plant where the colony baskets are stacked and stored for future processing as reflected by steps 610 and 612 . again , each of the grouping of birds are retained in their original colony basket throughout the process . the baskets are unloaded as reflected by step 614 and transferred to the kill line as reflected by step 616 or 617 which may be a controlled atmosphere stunning system ( cas ) path and there can be separate paths that can be chosen . the birds can be removed from the original baskets in which they were placed and installed on shackles for further processing . the baskets can then be sent through a cleaning process as reflected by step 618 . the cleaned baskets can then be transported to a hatchery 620 and a new batch of doc can be installed into the baskets and the process can repeat itself . referring to fig7 , an illustration of the hatchery conveyor is shown . fig7 is an illustration of a hatchery system where groupings of doc 700 can be placed on a conveyor system 702 and transferred into colony baskets by a transfer system 704 and the baskets filled with doc can then be stacked and transferred to a growing house containing a colony system . the transfer system 704 installs the doc in a basket and separates the doc from the shells that remain after the bird hatches . referring to fig8 , an illustration of a colony system is shown . fig8 is an illustration of a colony system where rows of rack assemblies 800 are aligned side - by - side in which colony systems are installed as reflected by items 800 and 802 respectively . a rack assembly 300 can be utilized for transferring the colony baskets from the rack to the colony system . the colony baskets can be longitudinally installed within the colony system for the growing process . the colony basket stacks 200 can be installed on wheeled platforms for transporting the colony baskets stacks as reflected in the illustration . referring to fig9 , an illustration of loading colony baskets from a rack to a colony system is shown . fig9 is a further illustration of transferring a colony basket stack 900 on a wheeled platform 902 to a colony rack 302 for insertion of the colony baskets into the colony system as reflected by items 800 and 802 . referring to fig1 , an illustration of the colony system operation is shown . fig1 is an illustration of the growing process in operation whereby workers 1002 utilizing platforms 1004 can tend to the growing process by maintaining the watering and feeding systems . the water and feed assemblies are shown in an elevated position above the basket . when the assemblies are elevated , the baskets can be readily inserted and removed . referring to fig1 , an illustration a transport loading system is shown . fig1 is an illustration of transferring colony baskets 102 from a colony system into a rack assembly 300 for transfer into the transport 1104 having a flatbed 1106 . the colony baskets 102 can be transferred by a transfer conveyor 1102 into a rack assembly 300 . the rack assembly 300 can then be utilized to load the transport 1104 by placing the colony basket stacks on the flatbed of the transport . referring to fig1 a - 12c , an illustration of loading a transport is shown . fig1 a - 12c is a further illustration of transferring colony baskets from the colony system onto a rack assembly for placement on a flatbed of a transport . referring to fig1 - 19 , an illustration of transferring colony basket stacks from a colony system to a trailer is shown . fig1 - 19 provide an illustration of a step - by - step process for transferring colony baskets from the colony system onto the flatbed of a transport . as illustrated , the basket supports 400 are rotated to receive the first colony basket from level 4 . the basket is loaded onto the basket support and a netting material can be installed or draped over the top of the colony basket 102 to retain the birds therein . fig1 illustrates loading a second basket from level 4 and again applying a netting or other covering material over the top of the basket . fig1 illustrates loading a third basket from level 3 and again applying the netting material and draping over the top of the basket . this process is repeated for each of the levels of the colony system as two baskets are loaded from each level and then stacked with the previously loaded baskets . fig1 reflects loading the eighth and final basket from level 1 onto the rack transfer conveyor assembly for subsequent stacking of the colony baskets . when a complete stack has been loaded , the basket supports can be rotated outward such that the rack transfer conveyor assembly can begin transferring stacks onto the transport . fig1 illustrates the completed stack and ready for rotating the basket supports outward to ready the loading of the basket stacks onto the transport . fig1 illustrates the rack transfer conveyor assembly conveying the basket stacks onto the flatbed of the transport . fig1 illustrates the completion of the stack loading utilizing the hydraulic cylinder extension arm 1902 for placing and loading the stack onto the flatbed of the transport . referring to fig2 - 22 , an illustration of retrieving colony basket stacks from a trailer is shown , which is essentially the reverse of the process for loading a trailer . fig2 is an illustration of subsequently retrieving the basket stacks from the trailer using the hydraulic cylinder arm to engage and pull the stack onto the rack assembly . the hydraulic cylinder arm pulls the stack onto the rack and onto the conveyor for subsequently engaging the support transfer racks for installing and longitudinally inserting the basket into the colony system . fig2 illustrates the beginning of the process for transferring the basket stacks into the colony system . the transfer support racks can be rotated to engage the colony baskets to begin the process of transferring the baskets into the colony system . a reversal of the previous process can be performed by installing two colony baskets per level , beginning with level 1 and moving upward to level 2 , 3 and 4 . fig2 is an illustration of this process . referring to fig2 - 24 , illustrations of transferring colony baskets to a kill line are shown . fig2 is an illustration of transferring the colony baskets from the transport to the rack assembly 300 and then transferring the colony baskets onto the colony basket entry conveyor 2302 to convey the colony baskets to the rendering station 2304 . once the birds have been unloaded from each colony basket , the empty colony basket can then be transferred to the colony basket exit conveyor 2306 . the colony baskets can then proceed through and along the colony basket wash conveyor 2308 which carries the colony baskets through the colony basket washer 2312 . the colony baskets once they are washed can then be reconfigured in a colony basket stack 2310 where the process can be started again . fig2 is an illustration of a colony basket entry station 2402 which is another embodiment for transferring the colony basket stacks from the transport to the rendering station . referring to fig2 - 26 , an illustration of colony baskets traveling through the kill line and the cleaning station is shown . fig2 is a further illustration of the rendering or kill line whereby workers remove the birds from the colony baskets and hang the birds on the hanging conveyor shackles 2502 . the process can begin at the hatchery where a grouping of birds ( for example doc ) are gathered and placed into a colony basket . a plurality of baskets can be stacked on over top of another for transport . a netting material can be shrouded over each colony basket to assist in containing the birds . the grouping of birds and their respective colony basket in which they are placed can remain in the same colony basket throughout the process until they are removed as broilers at the kill station . this reduces the handling of the birds to avoid injury and helps to prevent the spread of bacteria or disease between bird groupings . the grouping of doc can be transported to a growing house in the same colony basket in which they were originally placed at the hatchery , where the poultry are grown for future processing . at the growing location there can be a series of growing colony racks for housing the colony baskets with the original grouping of birds placed therein at the hatchery . at the growing facility , the colony baskets can be integrated with water and feed channels and watering and feed troughs . the colony baskets can have a specific configuration to integrate with the watering and feeding systems as outlined herein in order to assist poultry going through the growth process and assist the operators at the growing facility for attending to the birds . when the poultry have completed the growth process , now in the broiler stage , they can be transported to a location for processing as a final food product . a transport can arrive at the growing location to receive the poultry that have completed the growth process . the transport system can be a truck and trailer combination . the trailer can be a standard flatbed trailer on which colony baskets containing the fully grown poultry can be loaded . the colony baskets containing the original grouping of birds , or some subset thereof , can be transferred from the colony racks of the colony system to the flatbed of the transport . a netting material can be shrouded over each basket before it is stacked in order to assist in retaining the bird . the colony baskets can be stacked one atop another . the transport can be loaded with the fully grown birds and transported along a travel route to an unloading station at a processing facility . the transfer system for transferring the colony baskets from the colony racks to the flatbed can be automated as described herein . the unloading station can include an automated unloading system for automatically unloading a colony basket stack from the trailer for storage in an adjacent storage area of the processing facility . tray stacks can be conveyed to a storage location having a climate controlled storage facility for housing the poultry in the stacked configuration prior to the rendering process . the storage area can be operated on a first in first out system such that a given colony basket stack does not dwell in the storage area for an extended period of time . the storage area can also have a system for controlling and tracking the weight of the tray stacks which could ultimately provide weight information regarding the fully grown poultry . within the storage facility there can be an automated unstacking system for unstacking the colony basket stacks for conveyance through the processing facility . there can be a stunning system utilized including a gaseous environment for stunning the poultry or it can include an electric shock stunning system or a combination of the two . if a gaseous environment stunning system is utilized , the gaseous environment can be a multi - stage stunning system where the first stage ( s ) can be a combined induction phase and the second stage ( s ) can be the combined stunning phase . this system can generally be referred to as a controlled atmosphere stunning system or cas . once the colony baskets containing the original grouping of birds / poultry have transitioned through the stunning system , the poultry can be unloaded from the trays at an unloading station . the unloading station can comprise an automated unloading system which is operable to tilt the colony baskets sufficiently to remove the stunned poultry from the colony baskets . this is the first point in the process that the birds are removed since their original placement into the colony basket at the hatchery as doc . once removed from the colony baskets , the stunned poultry can be conveyed to a shackling station where the poultry can be hung from a shackle conveyor for being conveyed to a plant evisceration facility . as described the colony baskets can be stackable . further the colony basket can have an interwoven wire mesh elevated floor above the colony basket bottom floor where the mesh openings are sufficiently large for debris to pass therethrough and also providing a means for the bird to grasp hold in order to stabilize itself and the mesh floor can be flexible in order to avoid injury to the birds . the frame of the colony baskets include various portions including perimeter top and bottom rim flanges and upright vented side walls . the upward facing surface portion of the upper perimeter top rim flange can be designed to be complimentary with respect to the downward facing portion of the bottom perimeter rim flange . this complimentary configuration can be designed such that the trays interlock when they are stacked thereby resisting longitudinal and latitudinal movement of the trays with respect to each other . the stackable tray can be constructed having a top rim flange and a bottom rim flange , which defines the longitudinal and latitudinal dimensions of the tray . the top and bottom rim flanges can have l - shaped cross sections . the inner perimeter of the top rim flange can define an upper opening or upward facing opening through which birds can be easily inserted . the bottom rim flange defines the perimeter of the lower or downward facing opening closed off by the solid floor . the solid floor can have elevators for elevating the mesh floor proximately above the solid floor . the mesh flooring is designed with vented openings where the openings are sufficiently large to allow debris to pass there through . the flexible mesh floor design provides for a surface that can be grasped by the talons of a bird without injury . upright side walls can be attached around the perimeter of the tray and attached to support members . the inner perimeters of the top rim flange and the bottom rim flange , which define the upper and lower openings respectively , can have substantially the same geometry . the top rim flange can include stabilization standoffs which can extend vertically . the top rim flange can have on an upper surface a vertical standoff the flange and the complementing recessed receptacle on the underside of the colony basket when engaged , one with respect to the other in a stackable fashion , they can resist longitudinal and latitudinal shifting of trays , one with respect to the other . also , the stabilization standoffs can be placed along the latitudinal and longitudinal sides of the top rim flange . the spacing between the longitudinal , the latitudinal , and the corner upright support ribs define the vented openings of the tray . the spacing between the support members and the height of the support members can be optimized depending on the type of bird being contained within the stackable trays . for stacked colony baskets the uppermost colony basket can have a top cover or a netting installed of the uppermost colony basket . the top cover can have a mesh screen for covering the opening of the uppermost tray . the perimeter of the mesh screen can be defined by the top cover flange . the top cover flange can have recessed receptacles for interfacing with the raised standoffs of the uppermost tray . the colony basket stacks can be transitioned to the transport and loaded on the flatbed by way of a transfer rack or loading dock or other means for loading the colony basket stacks . vertically protruding standoffs can be provided on the flatbed for and dimensioned to be received by the recessed receptacles of the lower most colony basket in a stack . the transport can have a shroud covering for better controlling the environmental exposure of the poultry . the shroud covering can be supported by transport side rails . one or both of the side panels of the shroud covering can be a retractable curtain for exposing the flatbed from either side . the shroud covering can also have a rear transport cover opening and or a side transport cover opening through which colony baskets can be loaded . the stacked colony baskets can be loaded through the transport cover opening by sliding them along tray tracks which extend along the flatbed . the trailer can be a standard trailer ; however , the trailer can have side railings for supporting shroud covering . the top surface of the flatbed can have raised standoffs that conform to the recessed receptacles on the underside of the tray to restrict lateral sliding or movement of the bottom most tray . the technology described above includes an additional embodiment . in the additional embodiment , the colony baskets described herein above are replaced with modular baskets . the modular baskets may be utilized and integrated interchangeably with the invention described above . fig2 , 28 and 29 illustrate an implementation of a modular basket 2710 suitable for raising poultry or other animals and - or for transporting a product . the illustrative basket 2710 is a modular plastic basket formed of a plurality of interlocking plastic panels . the panels can be formed by injection molding , though other suitable materials and processes may be used to form the panels . in one embodiment , the panels are made of polypropylene and are connected using stainless steel beams . the modular basket 2710 is interchangeable with colony baskets 102 in the invention described herein above and can be fully integrated with other colony baskets in the overall system including integrating with the watering and feeding systems . each basket 2710 comprises a floor formed by an array of interconnected molded plastic floor panels 2720 . the floor comprises a plurality of corner panels , edge panels and middle panels . each floor panel can be formed as a flexible mesh panel for allowing animal waste and other debris to drop through while providing a comfortable surface for poultry . in the illustrative embodiment , each floor panels 2720 are identical and formed from the same mold , though the invention is not so limited . interconnected side panels 2750 are connected to the floor panels 2720 to form side walls for the basket 2710 . as described below , the side panels receive beams that connect the floor panels to each other to connect the side panels to the floor . the side panels have pliable mesh of expanding size . as also described below , the basket 2710 comprises side panels having at least two different , but similar configurations . the basket 2710 has an open top , though the invention is not so limited , and when the sides are assembled , recesses 2751 can be formed to receive watering and feeding systems . the basket 2710 is stackable with one or more other baskets to form a vertical , space - saving stack of apartments . multiple stacks may be arranged within a frame , or arranged side - by - side to form a colony . the basket as illustrated comprises twenty - five floor panels 2720 and fourteen side panels 2750 , though one skilled in the art will recognize that any suitable number and arrangement of panels may be used to form a basket of any suitable size , shape and configuration . in one embodiment , each floor panel can be between about approximately fifteen and about approximately twenty inches , and one implementation can be between about eighteen and about nineteen inches , by between about approximately twelve and about approximately fifteen inches , and in one implementation can be between about approximately thirteen and about approximately fourteen inches . the side panels have a height between about approximately eight and about approximately twelve inches , and one implementation can be about ten inches and a length between about approximately twenty inches and about approximately twenty five inches . the basket 2710 as illustrated and described may hold about ten lbs per square foot . the number of birds each basket holds depends on the intended slaughter weight of the bird . in one implementation , the basket 2710 may hold about 90 six pound birds , about 140 four pound birds or about 209 2 . 2 pound birds . fig3 a , 30b , 30c , and 30d illustrate a single floor panel 2720 suitable for forming a floor , or a portion of a floor , of a modular basket 2710 . fig3 is a detailed view of a corner of the floor panel 2720 . each floor panel comprises a flexible mesh floor 3022 extending between edges 3024 , 3025 , 3026 and 3027 . a front support beam 3028 extends below edge 3024 and a rear support beam 3029 extends below edge 3025 . the strands forming the mesh 3022 preferably have rounded tops to facilitate run off in one implementation , the strands have a circular cross - section that is between about 0 . 100 ″ and about 0 . 140 ′ in diameter . the illustrative strands form square openings 3123 that are between about 0 . 375 ″ and about 0 . 615 ″ across , though the invention is not limited to the illustrative size and shape . the flexible mesh floor preferably has a certain flexibility to promote comfort and cleanliness . in one embodiment , the flexible mesh floor deflects about 0 . 5 inches at size pounds of weight in the center . the flexible floor may be more comfortable for the animals . in addition , the flexing may contribute to dried manure cracking off without requiring additional cleaning . the edges slope downwards to create a bowl channeling debris through the mesh openings 3023 . as shown in fig3 a , 30b , and 31 , the corners of each floor panel 2720 form downward sloping ramps 3041 for channeling debris through the mesh openings . the illustrative ramps 3041 are triangular in shape and widen from the top to the bottom . the center of the floor panel 2720 may be solid for injection molding purposes . the floor panels 2720 include hinge elements 3032 , 3033 , 3034 , 3035 extending below the mesh floor 3022 from each end of edges 3026 and 3027 . a first pair of hinge elements 3032 , 3033 extends down from edge 3026 , and a second pair of hinge elements 3034 , 3035 extends down from edge 3027 . the second pair of hinge elements is offset from the first pair . as shown , hinge 3033 is positioned at a corner of the generally rectangular floor panel , whereas hinge 3032 is offset from the corner of the floor panel thereby allowing hinge 3034 of an interfacing abutting floor panel to be position adjacent hinge 3032 and aligned such that beam 3280 may be inserted through the hinge openings . similarly , on the opposing side of the floor panel , hinge 3034 is positioned at the corner of the floor panel and hinge 3035 is positioned such that it is offset from the corner of the floor panel . therefore , hinges 3033 and 3034 at diagonally opposing corners of the floor panel are positioned at the corner and hinges 3032 and 3035 are offset from the corner . fig3 and 33 illustrate the connection of a plurality of the floor panels 2720 using a beam 3280 . as shown in fig3 and 33 , the hinges 3032 , 3033 , 3034 and 3035 receive a beam 3280 for linking the floor panels together . the illustrative hinge elements include sloped upper surfaces 3036 , flat sides and flat bottoms , though the invention is not so limited . each hinge element includes a hinge opening 3039 for receiving the beam 3280 . the illustrative hinge openings 3039 are bone shaped to ease beam insertion and facilitate manufacturability . the illustrative beam 3280 has a rectangular cross - section , but the invention is not so limited . as shown in fig3 and 33 , a beam 3280 may be used to join two columns of floor panels to form a floor of a basket , such as the basket 2710 of fig2 . the illustrative basket 2710 of fig2 has five columns of floor panels 2720 in five rows , connected using six beams 3280 , though the basket may comprise any suitable number of floor panels in any suitable arrangement . in addition , the floor may comprise multiple beams 3280 per column . fig3 and 33 show four floor panels 2720 a , 2720 b , 2720 c , 2720 d joined together by aligning the hinge elements 3034 and 3035 of the left floor panels 2720 a , 2720 b with the hinge elements 3032 , 3033 of the right floor panels 2720 c , 2720 d and inserting a beam 3280 through the aligned hinge elements . as clearly illustrated in fig3 c , the front hinge elements 3032 and 3034 of each floor panel are offset from each other , so that the hinge element 3032 of a right floor panel 2720 c or 2720 d is adjacent to and behind the hinge element 3034 of a left floor panel 2720 a or 272 b when the floor panels are joined . the hinge element 3032 is spaced from the front edge 3024 of the floor panel by a distance that is equal to or greater than the width of the hinge element 3034 along the length of edge 3026 , so that the corresponding hinge element 3034 fits between the front of the floor panel and the hinge element 3032 . the rear hinge elements 3033 , 3035 are also offset from each other to allow alignment of the hinges when the edges of the floor panels are brought together . the hinge elements of mating floor panels may abut each other or be spaced apart when joined . the floor panels may have more or fewer hinge elements that interlace . as shown in fig3 a - 34 , each of the edges 3024 , 3025 , 3026 and 3027 includes lips 3044 that protrude from the edges . the lip 3044 in one implementation extend along a portion of an edge and is offset to one end of the edge . the lip 3044 is offset to one end of 3025 , whereas the lip 3044 is offset to an opposing end of edge 3024 . edges 3024 , 3025 , 3026 and 3027 also slope downwards to promote debris channeling through the mesh 3022 . edges 3026 and 3027 are complementary , and edges 3024 and 3025 are complementary , so that the lips of one edge , such as edge 3027 , fit in recesses between lips of a mating edge , such as edge 3026 , as shown in fig3 . the shaped edges ensure that there is no seam over the beam 3280 to promote cleanliness . the overlapping edges ensure that the seams between the adjoined floor panels remain covered even as the weight of the animals increases and flexes the floor panels . in addition , the edges 3024 , 3025 , 3026 and 3027 extend inwards past the beam 3280 by a selected amount to promote the channeling of debris through the mesh 3022 and prevent soiling of the beam 3280 . thus , the outside edges of the floor 3022 are solid to protect the beam 3280 . for example , in the embodiment shown in fig3 the distance d between the front of the beam 8320 and the interface between the edge 3027 and mesh 3022 is at least 0 . 25 ″ and preferably at least 0 . 5 ″. lip 3044 extends over edge 3026 as illustrated in fig3 so that the seam is sealed . the side panels 2750 connect to the floor using the beams 3280 . fig3 is a detailed view of area 3 of fig2 , showing the connection between a beam 3280 and a side panel 2750 forming a side wall of the basket 2710 . the beam 3280 that passes through and joins adjacent columns of floor panels passes into an opening 3552 in the side panel . the opening 3552 includes recesses to allow twisting of the beam end to lock the beam into place . in the illustrative embodiment , each beam 3280 linking two columns of floor panels passes into an opening in a side panel , but not all side panels receive beams . the edge beams 3280 extend through the hinges of the floor panels along each opposing end forming the short side of the basket floor and the edge beam also extends through the hooks 3769 of each side panel extending along the short side of the basket and these edge beams 3280 extend into the opening 3552 of a side panel 2750 b extending along a long side of a basket and adjacent a corner . the side panels 2750 are connected together to form the side walls of the basket 2710 . in the illustrative embodiment , each side panel includes links along the first side and second side edges for connecting the side panel to an adjacent side panel . the links are configured such that the side panels may be connected at either 90 ° or 180 °, as shown in fig3 to form a corner of a side wall . items 2750 a and 2750 b can be configured at a 90 degree angle to form a corner portion of the side wall . the illustrative basket comprises four different configurations of side panels , each with similar features , as described below . fig3 a - 37f are various views of a first side panel 2750 a suitable for forming a side of a modular basket . the illustrative side panels 2750 a are used adjacent to diagonally opposite corners on the short side of the basket 2710 of fig2 . each side panel comprises a mesh wall formed between upper , lower and side edges . each side panel 2750 includes female links 3762 on a first side and male links 3772 on an opposite side . the female links each comprise a protrusion 3763 extending from the side edge . the protrusion forming the female link includes two intersecting recesses 3764 , 3765 . the recesses 3764 and 3765 are perpendicular and have a square - shaped cross - section . the male links 3772 comprise protrusions 3773 aligned with spaces 3766 between the female protrusions . rods 3775 extend between the protrusions . the illustrative rods 3775 have a square cross - section , with a thicker upper portion and a thinner lower portion . the female links 3762 receive the male links 3772 at either a 90 ° or 180 ° to connect two side panels together . as shown in fig3 , a u - shaped pin 3679 may be inserted into a space between the female protrusions 3763 and male protrusions 3773 to hold the links in place . the side panels 2750 a further include hooks 3769 extending from the bottom edge for receiving edge beams 3280 that connect floor panels together . the side panels 2750 a further include a cavity , illustrated as recess 3781 , formed in the top edge for allowing the passage of feeding tubes or pipes . as illustrated , these side panels 2750 a can be positioned to extend along the short side wall of the basket adjacent the corner of the basket . an inside ledge 3791 extends between the links 3762 , 3772 above the beam openings 3552 . the ledge 3791 slopes downwards and overlaps the floor panels 2720 when the basket is assembled to promote cleanliness . even when the floor panels bow under the weight of animals in the basket , the overlap between the inside ledges 3791 and floor panel edges prevent separation between the components . above the ledge 3791 , the space between the edges of the panels forms an expanding mesh 3793 . the openings 3795 in the mesh 3793 grow larger the higher they are to accommodate growing poultry . in one implementation , the openings are between about approximately one and about approximately three inches wide , where in one implementation the openings are about approximately 2 . 2 inches and between about one and about approximately two inches tall , preferably about approximately 1 . 5 inches tall . the side panel 2750 a further includes openings 3797 below the ledge 3791 to promote airflow . the side panels used in the opposite corners from the side panels 2750 a are substantially similar , except for the length of the inside ledge 3791 . fig3 a - 38f illustrate an embodiment of a second side panel 2750 b configured to mate with the first side panel 2750 a . a second side panel 2750 b is disposed between two first side panels 2750 a on the short side of the basket 2710 of fig2 , and a series ( four , in the illustrative embodiment ) of second side panels are connected at 180 ° angles along the long side of the basket 2710 . the second side panel 2750 b includes the same female and male links , mesh , ledge , hooks and openings and further includes a stacking tip 3851 extending upwards from the top edge . the bottom edge includes a recess 3861 for receiving the stacking tip of a side panel in a basket below . for the long side of the basket , the second side panel 2750 b has a minimal inside ledge 3791 . fig3 - 43 further illustrate the means by which side panels 2750 b of baskets 2710 stacked on top of one another engage one another . as illustrated , stacking tip 3851 includes a pyramid - shaped protrusion 3852 having a flat front face 4153 and two straight protrusions 3854 , 3855 opposing the pyramid - shaped protrusion for gripping the bottom edge of an overhead panel . when stacked , the stacking tip allows for a space 4070 to be formed between the overhead and below baskets . fig4 illustrates a stack 4400 of nine modular baskets 2710 . multiple baskets may be stacked together for transportation as described in the previous embodiment . the baskets are self - stacking and stabilized on top of each other . fig4 illustrates a frame 4500 for a chicken colony employing modular baskets . the frame includes multiple levels , each level housing a row or more of modular baskets . a conveyor belt may be used to convey the modular baskets 2710 on and off of the frame as described in the previous embodiment . the illustrative modular plastic basket provides a comfortable , sanitary , accessible environment with optimal air flow and ventilation for raising chickens or other products . the modular plastic baskets are easily assembled and stackable to save space . poultry can be raised in the basket from the beginning to the end of life . the basket may be easily removed from a poultry house and trucked to a process facility , where it is unloaded , cleaned , then sent back to a hatchery or poultry house . the various poultry handling examples shown above illustrate a novel system and method for handling poultry . a user of the present invention may choose any of the above chicken handling embodiments , or an equivalent thereof , depending upon the desired application . in this regard , it is recognized that various forms of the subject chicken handling could be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . as is evident from the foregoing description , certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein , and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications , or equivalents thereof , will occur to those skilled in the art . it is accordingly intended that the claims shall cover all such modifications and applications that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention . other aspects , objects and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings , the disclosure and the appended claims . | 0 |
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . [ 0023 ] fig2 is a perspective view showing all the major components inside a service station according to one preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig2 the service station 200 comprises a base 202 , a first direction - changing mechanism , a first moving mechanism , a first wiper 232 a and a second wiper 232 b , a second direction - changing mechanism , a second moving mechanism , a first cap 262 a and a second cap 262 b . the base 202 has a plurality of grooves 204 a , 204 b , 204 c and 204 d . the first direction - changing mechanism comprises a gear 212 , a rod 214 and a bumper plate 216 . the gear 212 is connected onto the base 202 . one end of the rod 214 is connected to the gear 212 in an axial position while the other end of the rod 214 is attached to the bumper plate 216 . a print module ( not shown ) moves in an x - direction as shown in fig2 . the bumper plate 216 is located on the traveling path of the print module . the print module will bump into the bumper plate 216 as it returns to the top of the service station 200 and turn the bumper plate 216 in a clockwise direction ( top view ). through the action by the bumper plate 216 , the rod 214 also drives the gear 212 into rotation . as shown in fig2 the first moving mechanism comprises a pair of wiping bases 222 a , 222 b , a pair of sliding tracks 224 a , 224 b and a pair of gear racks 226 a , 226 b . both wiping bases 222 a , 222 b are set up on the base 202 . wipers 232 a , 232 b are attached to the respective wiping bases 222 a , 222 b . the two sliding tracks 224 a , 224 b are set up at the respective bottom section of the wiping bases 222 a , 222 b . the sliding tracks 224 a , 224 b are engaged with the respective grooves 204 a , 204 b on the base 202 . the two gear racks 226 a , 226 b are set up on the side surface of the respective wiping bases 222 a , 222 b . the gear racks 226 a , 226 b mesh with gear 212 of the first direction - changing mechanism . when the gear 212 of the first direction - changing mechanism is indirectly driven by the print module into rotation , the gear 212 will drive one of the gear racks ( 226 a or 226 b ) forward and the other gear rack backward . hence , one of the wiping bases ( 222 a or 222 b ) will move forward and the other wiping base will move backward in the y - direction . through the movement of the wiping bases 222 a and 222 b , the wipers 232 a and 232 b can scrap away residual ink on the print head of the print module . in fig2 the angle between the direction of movement of the print module ( the x - direction ) and the direction of movement of the wipers 232 a , 232 b is approximately equal to 90 °. however , the angle can also be smaller than 90 ° so that the wipers 232 a , 232 b move at an angle relative to the print module so that the partial vector of the scraping direction ( in the y - direction ) is relatively parallel to the direction of the arrangement of the nozzles of the print head . in other words , the wipers 232 a , 232 b are capable of scraping the ink on all of the nozzles . similarly , the second direction - changing mechanism comprises a gear 242 , a rod 244 and a bumper plate 246 . the gear 242 is connected to the base 202 . one end of the rod 244 is connected to the gear 242 in an axial position and the other end of the rod 244 is connected to the bumper plate 246 . a supporter 272 supports the rod 244 so that the rod 244 is prevented from tilting and bending . the bumper plate 246 of the second direction - changing mechanism is located on the traveling pathway of the print module . hence , the print module will contact and then move the bumper plate 246 on the second direction - changing mechanism , after the print module has carried out the ink scraping action , so that the bumper plate 246 rotates clockwise along the x - z plane . therefore , the rod 244 linked to the bumper plate 246 rotates and drives the gear 242 into rotation . the second moving mechanism comprises a capping base 252 , a pair of sliding tracks 254 a , 254 b ( not shown ) and a gear rack 256 . the capping base 252 is set up on the base 202 . the capping base 252 has a pair of capping surfaces 258 a , 258 b each having a cap 262 a , 262 b . the two sliding tracks 254 a , 254 b ( not shown ) are set up on the respective side surface of the capping base 252 and engage with the grooves 204 c , 204 d respectively on the base 202 . the gear rack 256 is attached to the side surface of the capping base 252 and coupled with the gear 242 of the second direction - changing mechanism . thus , the gear 242 will drive the gear rack 256 and hence lift the capping base 252 upwards in the z - direction when the gear 242 of the second direction - changing mechanism is indirectly driven by the movement of the print module . eventually , the caps 262 a , 262 b will cap the print head of the print module and maintain the nozzles at a high relative humidity . the print module is now in a stopping mode . note that the caps 262 a , 262 b move along the direction of movement of the capping base 252 ( the z - axis ). therefore , the angle between the direction of movement of the cap 262 a ( or the cap 262 b ) and the direction of movement of the print module ( the x - axis ) is greater than or equal to 70 °. in summary , the service station according to this station utilizes a direction - changing mechanism to convert the linear motion of the print module into rotary action . thereafter , a moving mechanism is employed to convert the rotary action back to a linear action for driving the wipers and caps . in other words , the linear motion of the print module is used to drive the wipers for removing dried ink on the print head and the caps for sealing the print head of the print module . since the service station is not powered by a stepping motor , overall production cost can be reduced because there is no need to install additional stepping motor and its associated control circuits . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents . | 1 |
fig1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a whole construction of the invention . in fig1 , reference numeral 1 denotes a first terminal station which is used in a multimedia teleconference and it is simply called a terminal a . actually , it is not always necessary to use the terminal only for the multimedia teleconference but a personal computer or a workstation which has a bit map display and can display in multiwindows is used as a terminal . reference numeral 2 denotes a camera for mainly photographing the face of a person and such a camera is hereinafter referred to as a camera a - 1 . reference numeral 3 denotes a tripod to control the direction of the camera a - 1 ; 4 indicates a calligraphic and pictorial camera for photographing an original , a printed matter , a solid object , or the like and such a camera is hereinafter referred to as a camera a - 2 ; 5 indicates a movable arm for changing a photographing region of the camera a - 2 . in a manner similar to the above , reference numeral 6 denotes a second terminal station b ; 7 a camera b - 1 connected to the terminal b ; 8 a tripod of the camera b - 1 ; 9 a calligraphic and pictorial camera which is connected to the terminal b and such a camera is hereinafter referred to as a camera b - 2 ; 10 a movable arm of the camera b - 2 ; 11 a third terminal station c ; 12 a camera which is connected to the terminal c and such a camera is hereinafter referred to as a camera c - 1 ; 13 a tripod of the camera c - 1 ; 14 a calligraphic and pictorial camera which is connected to the terminal c and such a camera is hereinafter referred to as a camera c - 2 ; and 15 a movable arm of the camera c - 2 . the image pickup region of each camera is controlled from each terminal by the tripods 3 , 8 , and 13 and the movable arms 5 , 10 , and 15 . reference numeral 16 denotes a network to connect the terminal stations and 17 indicates a server to manage the multimedia teleconferencing system . as for an image of each camera , one window is allocated to one camera and those images are displayed in multiwindows of the display of each terminal . fig2 is a block diagram showing a constructional example of the terminal a and the camera a - 1 . it is assumed that the other cameras also have a similar construction unless otherwise specified in the following description and the component elements having the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals . in fig2 , reference numeral 101 denotes a lens ; 102 a lens driving unit for performing a focusing adjustment of the lens and a zooming ; 103 an iris ; 104 an iris driving unit ; 105 a solid - state image pickup element for converting an optical image projected by the lens 101 to an electric signal ; 106 a solid - state image pickup element driving circuit for driving the solid - state image pickup element 105 ; 107 an a / d converter for a / d converting an output of the solid - state image pickup element 105 ; 108 a memory for temporarily storing the a / d converted image data ; 109 an encoding circuit for compressing and encoding the image data which was temporarily stored in the memory 108 ; 110 a signal processing circuit for performing signal processes such as color separation , white balance correction , color conversion , frequency band limitation , outline correction , and the like of the image data stored temporarily in the memory 108 ; 111 a data bus to access the digital data in the memory 108 by the compressing circuit 109 and signal processing circuit 110 ; 112 a system control circuit for controlling the operation of the camera system ; and 113 a tripod driving unit for driving the tripod 3 of the camera a - 1 . it is now assumed that in case of the calligraphic and pictorial camera like a camera a - 2 , the tripod driving unit 113 drives the movable arm 5 . reference numeral 114 denotes an external interface circuit for transmitting digital image data from the camera a - 1 to the terminal a and for transmitting control parameters from the terminal a to the camera a - 1 . the camera a - 1 is constructed by the above component elements . reference numeral 115 denotes a first external interface circuit of the terminal a . the i / f circuit 115 is connected to the camera a - 1 . reference numeral 116 denotes a second external interface circuit of the terminal a . the i / f circuit 116 is connected to the camera a - 2 . reference numeral 117 denotes a memory to temporarily store digital image data from a network ; 118 a decoding circuit for expanding and decoding the image data sent from the network and camera as data compressed and encoded data ; 119 a signal processing circuit for performing processes such as color conversion and gradation correction to the image data which has been decoded and stored temporarily in the memory 117 ; and 120 a d / a converter for d / a converting the signal which was processed by the signal processing circuit 119 . reference numeral 121 denotes a data bus to access the digital data in the memory 117 ; 122 a system control circuit to control the operation of the terminal a ; 123 a pointing device such as a mouse or the like ; 127 a button of the pointing device 123 ; 124 a pointing device interface as an interface between the pointing device 123 and the system control circuit 122 ; 125 a network interface circuit for connecting the network and the terminal a ; and 126 a monitor to display an image or data . the terminal a is constructed by the above component elements . fig3 is a block diagram showing a processing flow of the signal processing circuit 110 . in fig3 , reference numeral 501 denotes a block of a color separation to extract signals corresponding to r , g , and b from an output of the solid - state image pickup element 105 ; 502 a block of a white balance to adjust a gain balance among the signal levels so that ratios of r , g , and b of a white portion of an object are set to 1 : 1 : 1 ; 503 a block of a color conversion to convert the rgb signals to a luminance and color difference signals of a good compressing efficiency ; 504 a block of a frequency band limitation to limit unnecessary frequency bands ; and 505 a block of an outline correction to improve a resolution feeling . fig4 is a block diagram showing a processing flow of the signal processing circuit 119 . reference numeral 506 denotes a block of a color conversion to convert the luminance and color difference signals to the rgb signals ; and 507 a gradation correction block to match with gradation characteristics of the monitor 126 . in fig2 , image data from another terminal which is transmitted from the network 16 and a control command and parameters of the camera are supplied to the system control circuit 122 through the network interface circuit 125 . the image data from the network 16 and the image data from the camera a - 1 or a - 2 are stored into the memory 117 through the data bus 121 . if the control command and parameters of the camera relate to the control of the camera a - 1 , they are supplied to the camera a - 1 through the external interface circuit 115 . if they relate to the control of the camera a - 2 , they are sent to the camera a - 2 via the external interface circuit 116 . the image data stored in the memory 117 is expanded and decoded by the decoding circuit 118 and is processed by the signal processing circuit 119 . after that , the signal is d / a converted and the resultant analog signal is displayed on the monitor 126 . the operation of the camera a - 1 will now be described . the object is projected to the solid - state image pickup element 105 by the lens 101 . in this instance , the focusing adjustment and the field angle adjustment are controlled by the system control circuit 112 through the lens driving unit 102 . a light amount is controlled by the system control circuit 112 via the iris driving unit 104 . the direction of the camera a - 1 is controlled by the system control circuit 112 through the tripod driving unit 113 . an output of the solid - state image pickup element 105 is converted to digital data by the a / d converter 107 and is once stored into the memory 108 . the output data of the solid - state image pickup element 105 stored in the memory 108 is subjected to processes such as color separation , white balance , color conversion , frequency band limitation , and outline correction by the signal processing circuit 110 . the processed image data is compressed and encoded by the encoding circuit 109 and is transmitted to the terminal a through the external interface circuit 114 . the image data sent to the terminal a is displayed on a window of the monitor 126 of the terminal a in a manner similar to that mentioned above and is also transmitted to the network 16 . the control command and parameters of the camera a - 1 are interpreted by the system control circuit 112 , thereby performing the focusing control , iris control , white balance , tripod control , and the like . since the controllable items and the possible range of the parameters differ in dependence on each camera , the items which can be controlled by the camera , the possible range of the parameters , and the present values of the parameters are supplied from the system control circuit 112 to the terminal a in accordance with an inquiry from the terminal a . they are further supplied to the server 17 through the network 16 . fig5 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen of the terminal a . in fig5 , reference numeral 201 denotes a display window of the camera a - 1 ; 202 a display window of the camera a - 2 ; 203 a display window of the camera b - 1 ; 204 a display window of the camera b - 2 ; and 205 a camera control menu . fig6 is an explanatory diagram of each section of the camera control menu 205 and display window 201 . reference numeral 301 denotes a cursor indicative of the position designated by the pointing device ; 302 a vertical panning bar as a rectangular region to display a user interface for controlling a panning in the vertical direction of the camera ; 303 an upward panning button which is used when panning upward ; 304 a downward panning button which is used when panning downward ; and 305 a region called a thumb which is designated by pressing the button 127 of the pointing device 123 . by vertically moving the cursor 301 , the vertical panning operation of the camera can be executed . the operation to move the cursor 301 with the button 127 of the pointing device 123 depressed as mentioned above is generally called “ drag ” and this terminology will be used hereinbelow . the operation such that the button 127 of the pointing device 123 is pressed and is soon released is generally called “ click ” and this terminology will be used hereinbelow . reference numeral 306 denotes a horizontal panning bar as a rectangular region to display a user interface to control the horizontal panning of the camera ; 307 a leftward panning button which is used when panning leftward ; 308 a rightward panning button which is used when panning rightward ; and 309 a thumb of the horizontal panning bar 306 . reference numeral 310 denotes a zoom bar as a rectangular region to display a user interface for controlling a field angle ; 311 a tele button which is used when the camera is zoomed in ; 316 a wide button which is used when the camera is zoomed out ; and 313 a thumb of the zoom bar 310 . reference numeral 312 indicates a rectangular region which is used for display or the like of the name of the display window and is called a title bar ; 315 a name of a display window and it is assumed in the embodiment that an identification name of the camera is displayed ; and 314 a status display region of the camera . reference numeral 408 indicates a movement bar as a rectangular region which is used when moving the camera control menu 205 ; 401 a lock menu ; 402 an ae menu ; 403 an af menu ; 404 an awb menu ; and 405 an angle menu . functions of the above menus will be described hereinbelow . reference numeral 406 denotes a config menu which is used to set other items and 407 indicates a hierarchy menu button which is displayed in the case where the functions which are further classified as a hierarchy exist in the lower layer . by clicking the hierarchy menu button 407 , the menu of the lower layer is displayed . the hierarchy menu button 407 is displayed in all of the menus having the hierarchy menu . fig7 is a diagram showing a part of a flow of the multimedia teleconference in the embodiment . a server to manage the conferencing system first inquires the controllable items and parameters of each camera connected to each terminal , the possible range of the parameters , and the present values thereof ( step s 1 ). each camera receives the inquiry through the terminal and responds to the inquiry . if the camera doesn &# 39 ; t have a responding ability , the terminal substitutionally responds . the server forms a table of the specification and initial status of the camera by the response information ( s 2 to s 4 ). the display window 201 and camera control menu 205 are displayed on each terminal on the basis of the information of the table ( s 5 ). in this instance , a user interface for controlling according to the specification of each camera is displayed in the display window of each camera . in the example shown in fig5 , as a result of the inquiry to the camera b - 1 , it is found out that the functions of zoom and panning cannot be used . therefore , the vertical panning bar 302 , horizontal panning bar 306 , and zoom bar 310 are not displayed in the display window of the camera b - 1 . the aspect ratio of the camera is reflected to the shape of the display window . when the aspect ratio of the camera is equal to 4 : 3 , the aspect ratio of the display window is equal to 4 : 3 . when the aspect ratio of the camera is equal to 16 : 9 , the aspect ratio of the display window is equal to 16 : 9 . when the display window of the camera is displayed , the multimedia teleconference is started and the processing routine enters a loop to watch an event from each participant . if the participant does nothing , the watching of the event is continued ( s 6 ). in the case where an event such as selection or the like of a menu by the participant is detected , the event is analyzed ( s 7 ). if the event indicates the item regarding the control of the camera , a control message is sent to the camera ( s 8 , s 9 ). in case of the other item , the processing corresponding to it is executed ( s 10 ). in case of a message such as to change a condition of the camera , the camera analyzes the message and changes in a possible range . after that , a new condition is informed as a message to the server . the server changes a camera condition table by the message of the camera and changes the state of the display window of each terminal and the camera control menu ( s 11 ). the processing routine advances to an event loop to again perform the watching operation of the event . the control operation and display for the camera image pickup operation will now be practically explained with reference to the description of the name of each section of the screen displays shown in fig5 and 6 and explanatory diagrams of the operations of fig8 a and subsequent diagrams . fig8 a to 8e are diagrams for explaining with respect to a user interface of the panning control in the embodiment . for example , fig8 a to 8e show a case of performing the panning of the camera a - 2 . as shown in fig8 a , when the title bar 312 of the display window of the camera a - 2 is designated and clicked by the pointing device 123 , the camera a - 2 can be controlled . in this instance , the color of the title bar 312 changes as shown in fig8 b , thereby indicating that the camera a - 2 becomes controllable . the positions of the thumbs 305 , 309 , and 313 in the panning bars 302 and 306 and zoom bar 310 are determined on the basis of a specification table and a status table of the camera a - 2 formed by the server 17 . fig8 b shows a method of controlling the vertical panning of the camera a - 2 . when the downward panning button 304 of the vertical panning bar 302 of the camera a - 2 is designated and clicked or when the thumb 305 is designated and is dragged downward , the movable arm 5 of the camera a - 2 operates , thereby panning the camera a - 2 downward . in this instance , the panning operation is performed for a period of time during which the button 127 of the pointing device 123 is depressed . when the button is released , the panning operation is stopped . on the contrary , when the upward panning button 303 of the vertical panning bar 302 is designated and is kept clicked or when the thumb 305 is designated and is dragged upward as shown in fig8 c , the movable arm 5 of the camera a - 2 operates , thereby panning the camera a - 2 upward . when the rightward panning button 308 of the horizontal panning bar 306 is designated and clicked or when the thumb 309 is designated and dragged rightward as shown in fig8 d , the movable arm 5 of the camera a - 2 operates , thereby panning the camera a - 2 rightward . on the contrary , when the leftward panning button 307 of the horizontal panning bar 306 is designated and clicked or when the thumb 309 is designated and dragged leftward as shown in fig8 e , the movable arm 5 of the camera a - 2 operates , thereby panning the camera a - 2 leftward . in general , there is a scroll bar to scroll a document by an application software of a word processor using the multiwindow or the like . however , as shown in the embodiment , the user interface for controlling the panning is arranged at the same position as that of the scroll bar of the document , so that a desired portion of an object existing at a remote position can be seen by an operating method similar to that of the scroll of the document . fig9 a to 9e are explanatory diagrams regarding the zooming control in the embodiment . as shown in fig9 a , by designating and clicking the title bar 312 , the camera a - 2 becomes controllable . in this instance , as shown in fig9 b , the color of the title bar 312 is changed , thereby indicating that the camera a - 2 is in a controllable state . subsequently , as shown in fig9 b , when the tele button 311 of the zoom bar 310 of the camera a - 2 is designated and clicked or when the thumb 313 is designated upward and dragged , the camera a - 2 is zoomed in by the lens driving unit of the camera a - 2 . in this instance , while the button 127 of the pointing device 123 is pressed , the zooming operation is performed . when the button is released , the zooming operation is stopped . on the contrary , as shown in fig9 c , when the wide button 316 of the zoom bar 310 is designated and clicked or when the thumb 313 is designated and dragged downward , the camera a - 2 is zoomed out by the lens driving unit 102 of the camera a - 2 . fig9 d shows a user interface when the panning and zooming of the camera a - 2 are simultaneously controlled to thereby control a field angle . as shown in fig9 d , when a desired field angle range is designated by dragging the pointing device 123 from the left upper vertex of a desired field angle to the right lower vertex of the desired field angle , the designated field angle range is displayed by a broken line 601 . when the angle menu 405 of the camera control menu 205 is clicked in this state , the lens driving unit 102 and the movable arm driving unit 113 of the camera a - 2 are controlled . the camera a - 2 is controlled so as to obtain the designated field angle and a display is performed as shown in fig9 e . fig1 a to 10d are diagrams showing a user interface when an exposure level of an image of an arbitrary designated range is set to a proper value . fig1 a shows a state in which although the camera a - 1 photographs two persons , a state of the illumination is bad and the right half of the screen is too dark and the left half is too light , so that both of the exposure levels of two persons are not set to the proper levels . in this state , the display window of the camera a - 1 is clicked by the pointing device , thereby setting the camera into the controllable state . when a screen range which should be set into a proper exposing state is designated and dragged by the pointing device as shown in fig1 b , a designated rectangular region 602 is displayed by a broken line . as shown in fig1 c , when the ae menu 402 is designated and clicked , both of designated range information instructing to provide a proper exposure and a message to set the exposure level in the designated range to a proper level are sent to the camera a - 1 through the server 17 . the system control circuit 112 of the camera a - 1 controls the iris 103 through the iris driving unit 104 so as to set the image data in the designated rectangular region to a proper level . thus , as shown in fig1 d , the exposure level of the camera a - 1 is controlled and the designated range is set to the proper exposure level . the designated range information of the optimum exposure level in the camera condition table of the server 17 is changed as set in the camera a - 1 . fig1 a to 11d are diagrams showing a user interface when the camera is focused on an object in an arbitrary designated range in the embodiment . fig1 a shows a display screen in the case where two persons were photographed by the camera a - 1 . however , since the focusing information is generally obtained by the image data near the center of the screen , if an object like a calendar exists at the center of the screen as shown in the diagram , the camera is focused on the calendar and is not focused on the persons . in such a case , by designating and clicking the title bar 312 of the display window of the camera a - 1 , the camera a - 1 becomes controllable . subsequently , as shown in fig1 b , when the screen range to be focused is designated and dragged by the pointing device , a designated rectangular region 603 is displayed by a broken line . as shown in fig1 c , when an af menu is clicked , both of focusing range designation information and a message instructing to focus on the designated focusing range are sent to the camera a - 1 through the server 17 . the system control circuit 112 of the camera a - 1 performs a focusing adjustment of the lens 101 through the lens driving unit 102 so as to maximize a sharpness degree of the image in the designated focusing range on the basis of the focusing range designation information , thereby focusing on the designated persons as shown in fig1 d . the designated range information of the focusing range in the camera condition table of the server 17 is also changed as set in the camera a - 1 . fig1 a to 12d are diagrams showing a user interface when a white balance is attained on the basis of the image information in an arbitrary designated range in the embodiment . fig1 a shows a state in which since the color of the wall is extremely deep , a white balance cannot be attained according to the average color information of the screen . in such a case , the title bar of the display window of the camera a - 1 is designated and clicked by the pointing device , thereby making the camera a - 1 controllable . subsequently , as shown in fig1 b , when a rectangular region which is expected to be white is dragged and designated , a rectangular region 604 is displayed by a broken line . as shown in fig1 c , when the awb menu 405 is designated and clicked , both of the coordinate information of the rectangular region 604 and a message instructing to attain a white balance on the basis of the image information in the rectangular region are sent to the camera a - 1 through the server 17 . the system control circuit 112 of the camera a - 1 controls so as to attain a white balance by the white balance processing 502 from the image information corresponding to the rectangular region 604 . by the above operation , the white balance of the camera a - 1 is attained by the image information of the designated range . the designated range information of the white balance in the camera condition table of the server 17 is also changed as set in the camera a - 1 . fig1 a to 13d are diagrams showing a memory function of the field angle setting and its user interface in the embodiment . it is now assumed that the camera a - 2 has been set to a field angle as shown in fig1 a . in the case where it is presumed that a frequency of the use of such a field angle is large , by clicking the hierarchy menu button 407 of the angle menu 405 , a memorize menu 409 is displayed . as shown in fig1 b , the cursor 301 of the pointing device 123 is dragged onto the memorize menu 409 and the button 127 of the pointing device 123 is subsequently released , the field angle set information is stored . at the same time , a reduction image 410 of the image at the field angle appears at a position adjacent to the memorize menu 409 . each time the above operation is repeated , a new reduction image is registered at a position adjacent to the memorize menu 409 . a method of again setting to the stored field angle will now be described . as shown in fig1 c , the cursor 301 of the pointing device 123 is dragged to the position of the registered reduction image indicative of the field angle to be set and the button 127 of the pointing device 123 is subsequently released . thus , the lens driving unit 102 and movable arm driving unit 113 of the camera a - 2 are controlled as shown in fig1 d and the camera a - 2 is controlled so as to have the designated field angle . although the description is omitted , the above method can be used to store not only the setting of the field angle but also the setting of the range to set the exposure level to the optimum exposure level described in the ae menu , the setting of the focusing designated range described in the af menu , and the setting of the range of the white balance described in the awb menu . fig1 shows a display example in case of applying the memory function of the setting and the reduction image to the hierarchical menu of the ae menu . since the field angle is not changed in case of the ae menu or the like , in order to allow the setting to be easily selected again , the region indicative of the set range in the reduction image is displayed in a broken line rectangular region 605 . fig1 a to 15c are diagrams for explaining a user interface when the setting of the camera a - 2 is fixed for a predetermined time . changes of the set field angle and other settings from another terminal can be inhibited for a predetermined time . as shown in fig1 a , when the title bar 312 of the display window of the camera a - 2 is designated and clicked by the pointing device at the terminal b , the camera a - 2 becomes controllable . as shown in fig1 b , subsequently , when the lock menu 401 is clicked , the camera is fixed to the present set condition of the camera . that is , the control of the camera a - 2 from another terminal is inhibited . in this instance , there is a time limitation in the set fixed time and the remaining time is displayed on a residual time display window 606 . a message indicating that the terminal is in use is displayed in the status display region 314 of the window of the camera a - 2 at the terminals other than the terminal b as shown in fig1 c . fig1 shows a control flow of a control authorization of the camera . when the title bar 312 of the display window of the camera a - 2 is designated and clicked at the terminal b , the terminal b is authorized to control the camera a - 2 ( s 31 to s 33 ). subsequently , the color of the title bar 312 of the display window of the camera a - 2 of the terminal b is changed to a selection state ( s 34 ). a message indicating that the terminal b is in use is displayed in the camera status display region 314 of the title bar of the display window of the camera a - 2 other than the terminal b ( s 35 ). when an event occurs within a predetermined time , the event is analyzed ( s 36 , s 37 ). when no event occurs within the predetermined time , it is released to authorize the terminal b to control the camera a - 2 ( s 36 , s 38 ). when it is judged by the event analysis that the lock menu 401 has been selected , the control of the camera a - 2 from another terminal is inhibited for a predetermined time and a residual time to fix the setting of the camera a - 2 is displayed in the residual time display window 606 at the terminal b ( s 37 , s 39 , s 40 ). after the elapse of a predetermined time , it is released to authorize the terminal b to control the camera a - 2 ( s 38 ). when the even doesn &# 39 ; t indicate the selection of the lock menu 401 , a message corresponding to the event such as a change of the field angle or the like is sent to the camera a - 2 ( s 39 , s 41 ). when the status is changed , the camera sends a condition table updating request message of the camera to the server 17 ( s 42 ). the server 17 updates the camera condition table in accordance with the request ( s 43 ). when the authorization to control is released , the color of the title bar 312 of the display window of the camera a - 2 of the terminal b is changed to the non - selection state ( s 44 ). the display of the camera status display region 314 of the title bar 312 of the display window of the camera a - 2 other than the terminal b is released ( s 45 ). as described above , according to the invention , various settings of the camera at a remote position can be easily controlled by the user interface for control such as menu , button , or the like associated with the display window of the image of the camera . particularly , in the panning control of the camera , a desired portion of the object which is photographed by the camera existing at a remote position can be seen by a method similar to that of the scroll of a document in a word processor or the like . since the controllable attribute or variable range of the camera are automatically reflected to the display of the user interface for control such as menu or the like , the user can easily operate without needing to consider the attribute or the like of the camera at the time of the operation . in the camera at a remote position , the works for adjusting the field angle to an arbitrary portion of the object , for adjusting the focal point , for optimizing the exposure level , and for attaining the white balance can be executed by the unified user interface . the reduction screen image corresponding to those set conditions can be automatically registered and the registered reduction image functions as a menu when resetting to desired set conditions , so that the operation to select the resetting becomes very easy . by setting such that the set conditions which were set into a desired state cannot be changed for a predetermined time from another terminal , the desired set state can be held for a predetermined time . both of the name of the terminal authorized to control the camera and the message indicating that such a terminal is in use are displayed in the status display region in the display window of the camera at each terminal , so that the operator of another terminal can judge whether the camera is controllable or not and can also easily judge to which terminal the authorization to control should be requested . | 7 |
fig1 is an exploded view of the tensioner . tensioner 100 comprises a base 10 . pivot arm 20 is pivotally engaged with base 10 through shaft 11 . pivot bushing 22 reduces friction between the pivot arm 20 and shaft 11 , thereby facilitating pivotal movement . seal plate 24 prevents debris from entering between bushing 22 and shaft 11 or pivot arm 20 and provides pivot arm location and retention against the axial force of the spring . pulley 30 is journalled to pivot arm 20 through a bearing 31 . dust shield 32 prevents debris from coming in contact with bearing 31 . bearing 31 and thereby pulley 30 are fastened to pivot arm 20 by a bolt 33 . bearing 31 comprises either a ball bearing , sleeve bearing , needle bearing or other suitable bearing known in the art . torsion spring 40 is engaged between base 10 and pivot arm 20 . torsion spring 40 is used to apply a spring force through pivot arm 20 to a belt ( not shown ) through pulley 30 . tensioner 100 further comprises a first damper 50 and a second damper 60 . first damper 50 engages a surface 23 of pivot arm 20 . damper 50 is described in fig2 and fig3 . second damper 60 comprises a damper support 61 , a first damper friction portion 62 and a second damper friction portion 63 . portion 63 is keyed to base 10 so that portion 63 does not rotate with respect to base 10 . support 61 comprises a flange 65 which extends radially . portion 62 and 63 frictionally engage flange 65 . first damper 50 also engages an inner surface 64 of damper support 61 . torsion spring 40 applies an axial force to press portion 62 against flange 65 of support 61 . in turn , flange 65 presses portion 63 against base 10 . the tensioner is mounted to a mounting surface ( not shown ), such as an engine , by a fastener such as a bolt engaged through bore 12 of shaft 11 . fig2 is a perspective view of the first damping member . damping member 50 comprises a plurality of planar members 53 disposed around the circumference of ring 54 . in an alternate embodiment members 53 need not be planar , but instead may have any form which allows contact with surface 23 and 64 . each planar member 53 comprises a surface 51 and a second surface 52 . surface 51 engages surface 64 . surface 52 engages surface 23 . each planar member 53 is further disposed at an angle α with respect to a radial drawn from the center of ring 54 . since it is a part of pivot arm 20 , surface 23 is rotationally moveable with respect to support 61 . due to the angle ( α ) when the pivot arm rotates in direction d +, since member 53 is engaged with each surface 23 and 64 such that each member 53 partially rotates with respect to ring 54 . this causes each member 53 to wedge between each surface 23 and 64 such that further relative rotation of pivot arm 20 with respect to support 61 is prevented . this in turn causes support 61 to be rotated between damping portions 62 and 63 . due to the normal force imparted by torsion spring 40 upon damping member 60 , the frictional forces between damping portions 62 and 63 and support 61 resist rotational movement of pivot arm 20 , thereby damping a movement of pivot arm 20 . a movement of pivot arm 20 in direction ( d −) causes members 53 to disengage from surfaces 23 and 64 , thereby disengaging the pivot arm 20 from the damping effect of damping member 60 . angle ( α ) is in the range of approximately 25 ° to approximately 65 °. angle ( α ) is determined with respect to a point on a radius ( r ) located at a distance of ⅓ ( r ) from the ring 54 . fig3 is a plan view of the damping member in fig2 . a plurality of members 53 are spaced about the circumference of ring 54 . damping member 50 comprises an elastomeric material . damping member 50 may be molded , cast or cut as a single part . due to its inherent flexibility , elastomeric materials allow each member 53 to flex or pivot with respect to ring 54 during operation as each member 53 wedges between each surface 23 and 64 . fig4 is a cross - sectional view of the tensioner . damper 50 is disposed between support 61 and surface 23 . shaft 11 is fixedly connected to base 10 . fig5 is a graph showing a comparison between load and arm angle . the graph describes relative values for load and arm travel and therefore does not include specific numerical values or ranges . in section ( a ), the first damper 50 is being loaded as a result of rotation of pivot arm 20 in direction d +. this is also characterized as 1 st stage damping . as arm angle increases the belt load gradually increases until damping member 50 begins wedging between surface 23 and 64 . this is represented by the vertical line ( 1 ). in section ( b ), 2 nd stage damping occurs as represented by line ( 2 ). this means that damping is being caused by friction between damping portions 62 , 63 and support 61 . this is the result of damping member 50 being fully wedged between surface 23 and 64 . wedged engagement between first damper 50 , surface 23 and surface 64 forces support 61 to move between portions 62 and 63 . in section ( c ) damper member 50 “ unloads ” and thereby the damping caused by damping portions 62 and 63 is rapidly diminished since damper 50 is being disengaged . this is represented by line ( 3 ). in section ( d ) damper 50 is unloaded by the reverse rotation ( d −) of pivot arm 20 . line ( 4 ) represents the tensioner fully unloading . in section ( e ), damper 50 is preloaded , meaning surfaces 51 and 52 are engaged with and are just becoming wedged between surfaces 23 and 64 . some preload is required to avoid the situation where there is undesirable “ free - play ” between the loaded and unloaded conditions . although a form of the invention has been described herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations may be made in the construction and relation of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described herein . | 5 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of a semiconductor package 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , showing a heat dissipation cover 160 between a lid 140 and a cpu chip 120 . fig4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the heat dissipation cover 160 shown in fig3 , in which the heat dissipation cover 160 is formed along the periphery of the cpu chip 120 . with reference to fig3 and 4 , the cpu chip 120 is attached to an upper surface 112 of a substrate 110 using a flip chip bonding method or any other suitable methods and covered with a lid 140 . a thermal interface material ( tim ) 156 is located between the lid 140 and the cpu chip 120 . a plurality of external connection pins 130 , electrically connected to the cpu chip 120 , extend from a lower surface 114 of the substrate 110 . an epoxy region 152 fills an area between the cpu chip 120 and the substrate 10 to provide an under - fill adhesive . according to an embodiment of the present invention , a semiconductor package 200 includes the cpu chip 120 covered with a heat dissipation cover 160 along the periphery of the cpu chip 120 except the active surface of the cpu chip 120 . the heat dissipation cover 160 uniformly dissipates and carries away heat generated in a hot spot over the cpu chip 120 , thereby preventing the cpu chip 120 from being degraded due to the hot spot . preferably , the heat dissipation cover 160 has a thermal conductivity of 1 , 000 w / mk or more , and can be made of diamond , graphite or synthetic silicon , which has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 4 . 0 or less . the heat dissipation cover 160 may be formed by a sintering method , an injection molding method or a die casting method , for instance . the cpu chip 120 is flip - chip bonded to the substrate 110 . the cpu chip 120 having the heat dissipation cover 160 is mounted on a substrate pad 116 of the upper surface 112 of the substrate 110 . then , a reflow process is carried out , for example , at a temperature of 350 to 360 ° c . for approximately 100 seconds . the space between the cpu chip 120 and the substrate 110 is filled with a liquid epoxy resin 152 at a predetermined temperature using an under - filling method . the epoxy resin 152 is then hardened at a predetermined temperature . the substrate 110 is a circuit wiring board having wiring patterns , and can be a printed circuit substrate , a ceramic substrate , a tape wiring substrate and so on . the substrate pad 116 , which is electrically connected to electrode bumps 124 of the cpu chip 120 , is formed on the upper surface 112 of the substrate 110 . the substrate 110 includes wiring patterns ( not shown ) that connect the substrate pad 116 to external connection pins 130 . on the lower surface 114 of the substrate 110 are external connection pins 130 . the pin type external connection terminals may be replaced by ball type external connection terminals or any other connection terminals suitable for implementing the principles of the present invention . the lid 140 is made of a conductive metal having a good heat emissive capacity , for example cu , al , cuw , alsic , aln or beo as a basic material , coated with a conductive material , for example ni , au , ag , sn or cr on the surface thereof . the lid 140 has a chip mounting space 148 inside thereof in order to receive the cpu chip 120 . the portion of the outer wall of the lid 148 is attached to the upper surface 112 of the substrate 110 . contacts with the tim 156 and the lid 140 may include a passivation layer comprising ( ti , cr )/ ni /( au , ag ) to prevent oxidation and contamination . the contacts may be formed by an anodizing process . in this application , multi - layered metal layers are described as “ a ( b )/( c )/ d ,” where “/” represents a metal between the layers . a ( b ) means that the layer a is formed but b may be replaced with a . ( c ) means that c may be formed or may not be formed . in order to maximize the heat emissive capacity through the lid 140 , the tim 156 is interposed between a bottom surface 142 of the lid 142 and a back surface of the cpu chip 120 . the tim 156 may be a thermal grease type or a rigid type that forms a coating using a dispensing method . if solder is used as a tim , based on pb , sn , in , ag , bi , sb or au as a basic material , an under barrier metal ( ubm ) such as ti ( cr )/ vni / au ( ag ) is preferably formed on the bottom surface 142 of the lid 140 and on the upper surface of the heat dissipation cover 160 for good bondability with the solder . on the other hand , in the case of a thermal grease type , such an ubm may not be needed . the lid 140 is attached to the upper surface 112 of the substrate 110 with the non - conductive adhesive 154 so that the cpu chip 120 may be included in the chip mounting space 148 . the non - conductive adhesive 154 is preferably a non - conductive thermosetting silicone adhesive . that is , the non - conductive adhesive 154 is applied to the area to which the lid 140 is to be attached . the lid 140 is attached and the adhesive is hardened . thus , the cpu chip mounted area is hermetically sealed . the hardening process of the non - conductive adhesive 154 can be carried out at the temperature of 100 to 150 ° c . for approximately one hour , for instance . according to one embodiment of the present invention , the heat dissipation cover 160 surrounds the periphery of the cpu chip 120 , due to excellent thermal conductivity of the heat dissipation cover 160 , dissipates heat from the hot spot , which is generated during the operation of the cpu chip 120 . this prevents the defects that might result from the hot spot . further , the heat dissipation cover 160 comprises a material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion , and capable of absorbing the thermomechanical stresses between the tim 156 and the lid 140 . although embodiments of the present invention preferably use the lid 140 having the chip mounting space 148 , a lid having a plate shape without the chip mounting space 148 may be also used . the plate - shaped lid is arranged on a stiffener ring and the back surface of the cpu chip 120 , after the stiffener ring or pedestal is placed along the periphery of the substrate 110 . although the above - described embodiment of the present invention discloses , as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , the heat dissipation cover 160 formed around the outside surface of the cpu chip 120 except the active surface of the cpu chip 120 to prevent the hot spot effect , a heat dissipation layer 260 may also be formed on the bottom surface 242 of the lid 240 , as shown in fig5 and 6 . referring to fig5 and 6 , a cpu chip 220 is electrically connected , for example , flip - chip bonded to an upper surface 212 of a substrate 210 and covered with the lid 240 . a tim 256 is formed between the lid 240 and a back surface of the cpu chip 220 . a heat dissipation layer 260 is formed on a bottom surface 242 of the lid 240 and is in contact with the tim 256 . according to another embodiment of the present invention , the heat dissipation layer 260 is substantially identical to the heat dissipation cover 160 of the above - described embodiment in that the heat from hot spot is dissipated and emitted away from the cpu chip 220 , thereby preventing the cpu chip 220 from being degraded . elements 214 , 216 , 224 , 230 , 248 , 252 , and 254 have generally the same structure and function as the corresponding elements having the same last two digits in semiconductor package 200 . the heat dissipation layer 260 may be made of the same material as the heat dissipation cover 160 . in order to form the heat dissipation layer 260 on the lid 240 , an under barrier metal ( ubm ) 262 is preferably formed before the formation of the heat dissipation layer 260 . the ubm 262 is preferably formed by , for example , an anodizing method , a plating method , a sputtering method or an evaporation method , depending on the material used to form the lid 240 . for example , if the lid 240 is made of aluminum , the ubm 262 is preferably formed by an anodizing method . if the lid 240 is made of cu , cuw , alsic or cumo , the ubm 262 is preferably formed by a plating method . and , if the lid 240 is made of si , sio 2 , al 2 o 3 , aln or beo , the ubm 262 is preferably formed by a sputtering or an evaporation method . the ubm 262 in this embodiment may be identical to the ubm used in the conventional solder or gold bump , for example , cr ( ti )/( v7ni93 )/ au ( ag , pd ), cr / ni / cu / ag ( au , pd ), or tiw / vni / au ( ag ) or ni / au ( ag , pd ). a portion of the lid 240 exposed through the heat dissipation layer 260 preferably has a passivation layer such as ni /( au , ag ) or ( ti , cr )/ ni /( au , ag ) formed thereon to prevent oxidation and contamination . if solder , based on pb , sn , in , ag , bi , sb or au , is used as a tim , an ubm such as ti ( cr )/ vni / au ( ag ) is preferably formed between the heat dissipation layer 260 of the lid 240 and the back surface of the cpu chip 220 for good bondability . although this embodiment of the present invention discloses the heat dissipation layer 260 formed on an existing lid 240 , the heat dissipation layer 260 may be alternatively formed during the manufacture of the lid 240 , as shown in fig7 and 8 . according to yet another embodiment of the present invention , a heat dissipation layer 360 is formed integral with a lid 340 during the formation of the lid 340 using a method such as a sintering method , an injection molding or a die casting method . elements 314 , 316 , 324 , 330 , 348 , 352 , and 354 have generally the same structure and function as the corresponding elements having the same last two digits in semiconductor package 200 . the structure of a semiconductor package 400 in this embodiment is substantially identical to the above - described embodiment . thus , detailed description thereof is omitted . although the present invention discloses a lid - type semiconductor package having the chip mounting space , a lid 440 having a plate - shape may be also used as shown in fig9 . referring to the fig9 , a cpu chip 420 is electrically connected , for example , flip - chip bonded to an upper surface 412 of a substrate 410 and covered with a lid 440 . a thermal interface material ( tim ) 456 is interposed between a lid 440 and the cpu chip 420 . the lid 440 has a plate shape and is formed with a heat dissipation layer 460 . the heat dissipation layer 460 is formed on the bottom surface 442 of the lid 440 and is in contact with the tim 456 . elements 414 , 416 , 424 , 430 , 448 , 452 , and 454 have generally the same structure and function as the corresponding elements having the same last two digits in semiconductor package 200 . a space between the lid 440 and the substrate 420 is filled with a filling material 470 . the filling material may be epoxy molding compound ( emc ), underfill epoxy or silicon . the filling material dissipates the thermal and mechanical stresses applied on the cpu chip 420 . the space between the lid 440 and the substrate 410 may be directly filled with the filling material 470 without an under - filling process , the space between the lid 440 and the substrate 410 may be alternatively filled with the filling material after the under - filling process . although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove , it should be understood that many variations and / or modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein taught , which may appear to those skilled in the art , will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims . for example , the cpu chip having the heat dissipation cover may be attached to the substrate by a flip - chip bonding method or other suitable methods . the plate - shaped lid may be covered . then , a filling material fills a space between the lid and the substrate . further , the lid having the heat dissipation layer on the bottom surface of the plate - shaped lid may be used in the semiconductor package . in addition , although the above - described embodiments are described in connection with the cpu chip , a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the principles of the present invention can be applied in others types of semiconductor chips that generate a large quantity of heat . | 7 |
techniques are described that provide a dynamic compilation system . the techniques include compiling environments and runtime environments . the techniques are able to virtualize control edges within a host application code that contains a plurality of executable functions and / or code regions . the control edges may serve as redirection points for a subset of those functions and / or code regions , such that a runtime environment is able to switch control out of the host application code , through analysis of metadata inserted into the host application code , and execute those functions and / or code regions using co - located code cached in the runtime environment . fig1 a is schematic illustration of a compiler environment 102 of the present techniques in an example . fig1 b is a schematic illustration of a runtime environment 202 of the present techniques in an example . together fig1 a and 1b illustrate overall example schematic implementations of the techniques described herein , also termed (“ protean ”). the compiler environment 102 includes a protean code compiler module 103 that manages compiling of a host application (“ main application ”) 104 . the runtime environment includes a code runtime module 204 that manages runtime execution and optimization of code execution of a compiled “ protean ” application 106 built from the host application 104 , as further discussed below . both environments 102 and 202 may execute on a host machine that includes one or more processors and one or more memories . an example is provided below in fig1 , as computer system 340 . in some examples , the environments 102 and 202 execute on one or more processors ( and memories ) that exist on different machines , for example , different computing devices or servers connected to one another over a wired or wireless connection link . in such some configurations , for example , the environments 102 and 202 execute primarily on a host machine but also access external machines coupled to that host . for example , the modules 103 and 204 may execute on a host machine but may access performance data from external processing machines as a part of the compiler and / or runtime process . the compiler module 103 executes on a host machine and accesses ( or is accessed ) by the host (“ main ”) program 104 . in the illustrated example , the host program 104 includes a plurality of functions ( func 1 - 1 func 5 ), some of which are independent functions while others are triggered by other functions or states . in the illustrated example , during a compiling state of the host machine , the functions from the application 104 are communicated to ( or accessed by ) the compiler module 103 , which then creates the runtime protean application 106 from the functions . to affect this process , in some examples , the compiler module 103 accesses the program 104 for runtime compilation and makes class changes to the functions in the program . in the illustrated example , the compiler module 103 makes two classes of changes to the program 104 . first , the module 103 virtualizes a subset of the edges in the program &# 39 ; s control flow and call graphs . these virtualized edges then serve as points in the program control flow at which the runtime environment 202 may redirect execution . second , the compiler 103 embeds several metadata structures , including an edge virtualization table ( evt ) 205 and intermediate representation 206 of the program 104 , within the program &# 39 ; s data region in the protean application 106 . these metadata structures are used to aid the runtime system 202 in dynamically introducing new code variants into the protean program 106 during runtime . the compiler module 103 may operate to compile the entire program 104 to create an entire protean application version 106 of the program 104 . in other examples however , the compiler module 103 may operate to create different executable modules of portions of the program code . in the runtime environment 202 , the runtime module 204 monitors execution of the host program 106 as well as its external execution environment , i . e ., introspectively and extrospectively , in order to dynamically generate and dispatch code variants when needed . code variants refers to code created by the compiler module 103 from the main program 104 and that will execute in place of code ( e . g ., executable functions and / or code regions ) in the main program 104 to provide for more efficient execution . during runtime , the runtime module 204 first initializes execution by attaching to the protean program 106 created by the compiler module 103 . for example , the runtime module 204 creates the protean code runtime environment 202 that is created from identifying program metadata 206 in the protean application 106 , and setting up a shared code cache 208 from which the program 106 can execute new code variants . to generate and dispatch a code variant , the runtime compiler 204 , operating as a low - level virtual machine ( llvm )- based compiler backend , leverages the intermediate representation ( ir ) 206 . the new code variant is then inserted into the code cache 208 and dispatched into the running host program by an evt manager 210 . during execution of the main program 106 , a lightweight monitoring component 212 of the runtime module 204 detects changes in both the main program phases and in the external environment , whether in the host computing machine and / or in connected computing machines . the monitoring component 212 may monitor co - running applications , for example , using samples of program counters and hardware performance monitors . the phase and external environment data from the monitoring component 212 is communicated to a decision engine 214 that determines when and how to generate new code variants and selects the appropriate variant for the current execution phase . in some examples , the techniques herein are implemented with three principles in mind . first , whereas maintaining absolute control of a host program throughout execution ( as in traditional dynamic compilers such as dynamorio ) leads to high overhead , the protean runtime module 204 instead allows the original binary code to continuously execute and diverts program control flow at a set of virtualized points , introducing negligible overhead . a runtime compiler 216 of the module 204 may be invoked asynchronously at a controllable granularity , which also limits the overhead . second , many traditional dynamic compilers hoist the native machine code into an intermediate format at runtime to perform analysis and transformation , leading to overhead and the loss of rich semantic information present in ir from the static compiler , whereas the protean application 106 is embedded with the ir into the program binaries , allowing the compiler module 204 to perform powerful analysis and transformations online with little overhead . third , the protean application 106 may require no support from the programmer or any specialized hardware , allowing it to be seamlessly deployed for large applications on commodity hardware . a useful property of the application binaries produced by compiler module 103 is that they can be run without the runtime system , incurring negligible extra runtime overhead . in addition , once compiled with the compiler module 103 , any protean code runtime can be used . these are particularly useful features in a datacenter environment , where rapidly changing conditions may dictate applying different classes of optimizations in the pursuit of different objectives to the same application binary . in operation , the protean code compiler module 103 readies the host program 104 for runtime compilation by ( 1 ) virtualizing control flow edges and ( 2 ) embedding metadata in the program binary . to control flow edge virtualization , the compiler module 103 may add a compiler pass to convert a subset of the branches and calls in the program from direct to indirect operations . by virtualizing a subset of edges , the compiler module 103 may set up those edges as points in the programs execution where its control flow path may be easily altered by the protean code runtime to route program execution to an alternate variant of the code . a number of considerations may be used when selecting which edges to virtualize . selecting too many edges or edges that are executed too frequently may result in unwanted overheads because indirect branches are generally slightly slower than direct branches . on the other hand , selecting only edges that are rarely executed risks introducing large gaps in execution during which new code variants are not executed . numerous approaches may be used when choosing how to virtualize edges . in an example , the compiler module 103 is confined to select edges to virtualize only function calls , and only those function calls where the callee function has more than one basic block . the compiler module 103 also embeds the metadata 206 in the program 106 . in an example , the runtime environment 202 may use two types of program metadata to rapidly generate and dispatch correct , alternate code variants at runtime . as illustrated , one type of metadata is the evt 205 , which is a data structure that contains the source and target addresses of the edges virtualized by compiler module 103 . the evt 205 is the central mechanism by which execution of the program is redirected by the runtime environment 202 . to change execution , the runtime module 204 may rewrite target addresses in the evt 205 to point to the new code variant . the other type of metadata , as illustrated , is the intermediate representation ( ir ) 206 . the compiler module 103 compresses and places the intermediate representation of the program 104 into the data region 206 , which the runtime module 204 decompresses then deserializes , leveraging it to perform analysis and transformations . having direct access to the ir yields two significant advantages . first , it allows the runtime module 204 to avoid disassembling the binary , which can be difficult without access to fine - grain information about the executing code paths . second , the alternative of hoisting the binary to ir , as is done in prior work , loses important semantic information and limits the flexibility of the compiler . the protean code runtime module 204 may include a set of mechanisms that work together to generate and dispatch code variants as the host program executes . runtime initialization : operating on the executable program 106 prepared by compiler module 103 , the runtime process begins by the module 204 attaching to the program 106 . the runtime module 204 first discovers the location of the structures inserted by compiler module 103 at compile time , including the evt 205 and the ir 206 . the runtime module 204 initializes the code cache 208 , used to store the code variants generated by the dynamic compiler . because the evt 205 and code cache 208 are structures that are shared between the program 106 and the runtime module 204 and may be frequently accessed , the runtime module 204 may set up a shared memory region via an anonymous map to encompass both structures . code generation and dispatch : the runtime module 204 generates and dispatches code variants into the program 106 asynchronously . when a new variant of a code region is requested , the dynamic compiler 216 leverages the ir of the code region to generate the new variant . once a new code variant has been generated , it is placed into the code cache 208 . the evt manager 210 then modifies the evt 205 so that the target of the corresponding virtualized edge is the head of the newly minted variant in the code cache . the evt update may be a single atomic memory write operation on most modern platforms , and thus requires no synchronization between the host program and the runtime to work correctly . throughout these actions of the runtime environment 202 , execution of the program 106 proceeds as normal until control flows through the virtualized edge , at which point control reaches the new code variant . monitoring , phase analysis and decisions : the runtime module 204 may support both introspection , monitoring changes in the host program , and extrospection , monitoring changes in the execution environment . based on this monitoring , the runtime module 204 makes decisions and adapts to changing system conditions such as application input / load fluctuation , starting or stopping of co - running applications , and phase changes among both the host programs and external programs . in terms of introspection , for main programs , the runtime module 204 identifies hot code regions by sampling the program counter periodically through the ptrace interface . the runtime module 204 then associates the program counter samples with high - level code structures such as functions , allowing the runtime module 204 to keep track of which code regions are currently hot , as well as how hot regions change over time . to identify phase changes , in some examples , the runtime module 204 may leverage hardware performance monitors to track the progress of the program , using the monitoring component 212 . phases are defined in terms of the hot code identified by program counter samples described above as well as by the progress rate of the running applications using metrics such as instructions per cycle ( ipc ) or branches retired per cycle ( bpc ). since hardware performance monitors are ubiquitous on modern platforms and can be sampled with negligible overhead , this approach allows the runtime to conduct phase identification in a manner that is both lightweight and general across hardware platforms . in terms of extrospection , for other external programs , the runtime module 204 may likewise track program progress and identify phase changes via hardware performance monitors . microarchitectural status and performance , using metrics such as cache misses or bandwidth usage , may also be tracked through the performance monitor 212 . additionally , the runtime module 204 can be configured to use application - level metrics reported through application - specific reporting interfaces , such as queries per second or 99th percentile tail query latency for a web search application . in operation , the decision engine 214 may determine ( 1 ) when to invoke the dynamic compiler 216 , ( 2 ) what transformations to apply , and ( 3 ) which variant to dispatch into the running program 106 . the configuration and operation of the decision engine 214 will depend on the optimization technique protean code employs . the decision engine 214 may also be designed to control how often compilation occurs to limit any overhead introduced by running the dynamic compiler . the techniques herein were implemented in a datacenter application that included cache management ( referred to as a “ datacenter cache manager ,” “ protean code for cache contention in datacenters ,” or “ pc3d ”). the datacenter cache manager included elements like those of the compiler module 103 and the runtime module 204 , in a datacenter architecture . the datacenter cache manager produced a runtime environment that dynamically applied compiler transformations to insert non - temporal memory access hints , tuning the pressure a host application exerts on shared caches when the qos of an external application is threatened . datacenter cache manager was implemented entirely as a runtime system , such as described above in reference to fig1 a and 1b . the datacenter cache manager found and dispatched variants of the host program code that would contain a mix of non - temporal cache hints that would allow the host co - running application ( s ) to meet their qos targets while maximizing the throughput of the host . datacenter cache manager searched through a spectrum of program variants of varying levels of cache contentiousness . the effectiveness of interference reduction of each variant was empirically quantified online by a protean code runtime module like the module 204 . the best - performing program variant was then dispatched and run until a new program phase or external application sensitivity phase was detected . in cases where relying solely on non - temporal cache hints was unable to ensure qos of the external applications , naps were mixed with cache pressure reduction as a fallback . the datacenter cache manager generated and dispatched program variants that contain a selection of non - temporal cache hints . we referred to each such program variant as a bit vector m = m 1 , m 2 , . . . , m n , where n is the number of loads in the host program &# 39 ; s code and m i ∈ { 0 , 1 } represents the absence or presence of a non - temporal cache hint associated with the ith load . the set of program variants of this form is the set of all possible bit vectors of length n , which has a cardinality of 2 n . fig2 a - 2d show the four variants for a small code region ( n = 2 ) within “ libquantum ,” where each of the four variants contains a different mix of non - temporal cache hints . libquantum is a c library program used for the simulation of quantum mechanics and quantum computing , that served as the host ( or main ) program . the datacenter cache manager searched the variants using a greedy search algorithm whose complexity was o ( n ). however , even with a search complexity that is linear in the number of load instructions , the number of variants may still be large . to navigate this space efficiently , datacenter cache manager employed several heuristics , as listed below . exclude uncovered code — leveraging the program code ( pc ) samples collected for host program phase analysis , we expected code regions that never appear in those samples to have a minimal impact on cache pressure and application performance . therefore , the loads from regions not appearing in the pc samples were pruned from the search space prior to the search . this reduced the number of loads that must be considered by an average of 12 ×. prioritize hotter code — furthermore , we expected code regions appearing more frequently in the pc samples to have a higher impact . therefore the datacenter cache manager example prioritized loads from hotter code regions in the search . only innermost loops — for a range of contentious applications , we have observed that an average of more than 80 % of the dynamic loads come from the maximum - depth loop ( s ) within each of the program functions . leveraging the host program &# 39 ; s ir , the datacenter cache manager recognized loops and their nesting depths , then pruned from the search space loads that are not at the maximum depth . the number of static loads remaining after applying these heuristics was on average a factor of 44 × smaller than the total number of static loads in the program . after the datacenter cache manager applied these heuristics , the manager search was limited to variants that are of the form m = m 1 , m 2 , . . . , m n , where m i ∈ { 0 , 1 }. m is a bit vector of the n loads from innermost loops among active code regions in the program phase , ordered roughly by how much impact they are expected to have on execution . for convenience , we refer to the variant where every load lacks a non - temporal hint as m = 0 and its converse , the variant where every load has a non - temporal hint , as m = 1 . the variant search was guided by algorithm 1 ( fig1 ), which along with algorithm 2 ( fig1 ), represents instructions executed by a runtime module . the search began by evaluating variants 0 and 1 , which are the variants that exert the most and least amount of cache pressure , respectively , out of all the variants in the search space . because these variants are at the extremes of cache pressure , they are also at the extremes of the nap intensity required to meet co - runner qos targets , and therefore may be viewed as lower and upper bounds , respectively , for the nap intensity that would theoretically be required to satisfy co - runner qos for any program variant . using 1 as a starting point , the algorithm steps through loads in the order of decreasing importance . for each load , the algorithm revokes the load &# 39 ; s non - temporal hint , then calls varianteval ( algorithm 2 ) to enact the resulting code variant and evaluate whether that revocation improves the application &# 39 ; s performance given the particular level of cache pressure produced by that variant along with the level of nap intensity required to allow the application &# 39 ; s co - runners to meet their qos targets . if the incremental change is found to have improved application performance , the change is kept and the algorithm repeats these steps on the next load . otherwise , the change is rejected and the algorithm repeats these steps on the next load . the datacenter cache manager searched for program variants that improved application performance while meeting co - runner qos . guiding the search were empirical evaluations of a sequence of program variants , which are dispatched then evaluated against the current running set of co - runners . each variant produces a particular level of cache contentiousness , and may need to run with a particular nap intensity to allow its co - runners to hit their qos targets . in this way , the datacenter cache manager ( and the techniques herein more broadly ) may choose an optimum or more optimum variant from among a plurality of possible variants . this concept is illustrated in fig3 a and 3b , which presents the performance of two variants of libquantum ( i . e ., the host application ) running with er - naive ( external high - priority co - runner ) as a function of the nap intensity applied to libquantum . performance of libquantum is reported in terms of branches per second ( bps ) normalized to its bps while running alone , while performance of er - naive is reported as instructions per second ( ips ) normalized to its ips running alone . we used bps for host applications , in this example , because , unlike branch counts , their static instruction counts change with the insertion / removal of non - temporal hints . as fig3 a and 3b illustrate , each of these two variants exerts a different level of cache pressure on er - naive , and thus given a hypothetical qos target of 95 % for er - naive , a different level of nap intensity is required to allow er - naive to hit its qos target . in this example , the libquantum variant in fig3 a requires a nap intensity of 99 % to allow er - naive to meet its qos target , while the variant in fig3 b requires a nap intensity of just 23 %. at those respective nap intensities , the performance of variant fig3 b is far better than that of fig3 a . when evaluating a variant dynamically to discover the minimum nap intensity needed to meet co - runner qos , the datacenter cache manager need not evaluate the entire spectrum of nap intensities . the performance of both the application and its co - runners are monotonic as a function of nap intensity , so the datacenter cache manager was able to organize the variant evaluation as a binary search over the range of nap intensities , shown in algorithm 2 . to reduce the search even further , the datacenter cache manager performed the binary search only within the range of nap intensities between the lower and upper bounds established by evaluating other variants . during runtime , the datacenter cache manager continuously monitored application co - runners to measure their quality of service ( qos ). in this example , we used co - runner instructions per second ( ips ) relative to the ips running without the host application as a proxy for qos . to measure co - runner ips without the host , the datacenter cache manager used a flux approach , in which the host program is put to sleep for a short period of time ( e . g ., 40 ms ) and performance measurements were taken while the co - runners executed without interference from the host . we deployed one such measurement every 4 seconds , allowing the flux technique to be deployed with very little ( 1 %) overhead . in an example , the protean code static compiler and runtime compiler were implemented on top of llvm version 3 . 3 . when compiling protean code or non - protean code benchmarks , compilation was done with — o2 . in the example described below , all experiments were performed on a quad core 2 . 6 ghz amd phenom ii x4 server . applications used throughout the evaluation were drawn from one or more executable benchmark applications : cloudsuite , the spec cpu2006 benchmark suite , the parsec benchmark suite , and smashbench . to evaluate performance in the datacenter chance manager example , the baseline cost of virtualizing execution with protean code was compared with the cost of virtualizing execution with dynamorio . dynamorio is a state of the art binary translation - based dynamic compiler , i chosen as a baseline because it is a mature software project that is actively maintained and is well known for its low overhead relative to other dynamic compilers . fig4 shows the overhead for spec applications compiled as protean code relative to the non - protean code ( dynamorio ) version of the benchmark . the base performance overhead of protean code mechanism is shown to be negligible , less than 1 % on average . dynamorio , on the other hand , introduces an average of 18 % overhead when performing no code modification . a distinction between binary translation and the protean code techniques described herein is that protean code performs compilation asynchronously , out of the application &# 39 ; s control flow path . running protean code is low overhead because the application is allowed to continually execute , even when code is being compiled and dispatched . binary translation incurs higher overhead because it requires all execution to occur from the code cache or interpreter ; and thus control is continually diverted from the application back to the binary translation system . the protean code runtime environment runs in its own process and performs compilation asynchronously with respect to the running host application , employing a dynamic compiler to introduce new code variants into the running host program . the level of impact from this dynamic compiler was shown using a serious of dynamic compilation stress tests . fig5 shows the results of experiments for the spec benchmarks for a range of different time intervals between recompilations , where the runtime process ( including the dynamic compiler of the protean runtime environment ) uses a dedicated physical core . the results show that the dedicated physical core causes the dynamic compiler to generate very little overhead to the host program , even when performing recompilation every 5 ms . we note that the llvm compiler backend uses an average of around 5 ms to compile a function , so the 5 ms trigger interval results in the dynamic compiler being active almost continuously , and again with very little overhead . fig6 presents , for the spec benchmarks , the average performance overhead of performing the same dynamic compilation stress tests , with the runtime on the same core as the host or on a separate core from the host . while executing the runtime on a separate core introduces minimal overhead no matter how frequently code generation is performed , the overheads of performing the compilation on the same core as the host program can be significant in extreme cases where compilation is nearly continuous . in an era of multicore and manycore processors , and particularly in datacenter environments , the common case is for cores to be heavily underutilized . for example , google reports typical server utilization levels of 10 - 50 %. nevertheless , in such instances where no separate core is available for the runtime , this overhead can be controlled by limiting the frequency of recompilation . as shown in fig6 , the overhead of recompilation on the same core became negligible at 800 ms . another unique feature of protean code techniques is that the work of dynamic compilation of a host program may be offloaded to use otherwise spare cycles on the host server , putting those cycles to work for the benefit of the running applications . while the demand on the runtime to generate new variants is inevitably a function of the optimization objective , in the datacenter cache manager examples described herein the cpu utilization levels of the dynamic compiler and the entire runtime were quite low . fig7 presents the percentage of the server &# 39 ; s cycles used by the datacenter cache manager runtime to manage a variety of batch applications , which is less than 1 % in all cases . as noted above , the datacenter cache manager employed several heuristics , described above , to reduce the number of load instructions considered in the search . fig8 illustrates an evaluation of how effective those heuristics were across a set of contentious applications , for a given implementation . each cluster shows the number of loads that must be considered by the search as each successive heuristic is applied , normalized to the total number of loads in the application . where there are multiple phases in a program , fig8 presents the average number of loads across all phases . absolute counts of the number of loads that appear in each program are also included as numbers at the top of the plot . the datacenter cache manager first discarded loads from uncovered code — code regions that appear to the runtime system to have never executed during the current phase . as shown , on average , discarding loads from uncovered code results in a reduction of the search space by a factor of 12 ×. second , the datacenter cache manager extracted loop structure from the ir and discarded each load that was not at the maximum loop depth within each function . overall , the heuristics were quite effective , reducing the number of static loads examined in the search by an average factor of 44 × while covering more than 80 % of the dynamic loads , in these examples . the datacenter cache manager implementation demonstrated a positive impact on server utilization and application qos , including when running batch applications with latency - sensitive web service applications , including web - search , media - streaming and graph - analytics from the cloudsuite application , available from école polytechnique fédérale de lausanne , lausanne , switzerland . we demonstrated average utilization gains of 49 %, 67 %, and 90 % for qos targets of 98 %, 95 %, and 90 % respectively , for the web - search application . similar utilization rate gains ( averaging 67 %, 75 %, and 82 %, respectively ) were achieved for the graph - analytics application . for the more intensive media - streaming , utilization gains of 22 %, 40 %, and 60 % were obtained , respectively . these gains in utilization , which can also be described in terms of gain factors 1 / utilization gain %, are provided by way of example , and can vary upwards or downwards depending on the host application , as well as the implementation of the protean techniques herein . given that the present techniques can have particular benefits to online accessible services , i . e ., web services that are key to datacenter application , fig9 a - 9f illustrates a comparison of the host program libquantum running with web - search and using the techniques described herein . the dynamic behavior of the datacenter cache manager implementation versus re - qos is shown . fig9 a shows the load on the web - search , which shifts over the course of the runtime as different loads access the application online . fig9 b shows a trace of the performance ( branches per second ) of libquantum over the same time frame . fig9 c shows the qos of web - search ; and fig9 d shows the cycles spent running the pc3d runtime . libquantum initially ( t = 0 ) begins to execute alongside web - search . the protean runtime environment ( e . g ., the runtime module employing the datacenter cache manager ) continuously monitors web - search as an external application , and detects that libquantum jeopardizes web - search qos . the runtime module begins to search for alternate code variants for libquantum that allow web - search to meet its qos while allowing libquantum to make better progress . the performance of libquantum during the variant search is shown in greater resolution in fig9 e . by t = 20 , the runtime module has arrived at an improved variant of libquantum , and the runtime module runs with this variant until a co - phase change is detected at t = 300 . at t = 300 , the demand placed on web - search shifts , at which point the runtime module detects a change in the behavior of web - search , causing it to revert libquantum back to its original ( no non - temporal hints ) variant . until t = 600 , the original variant of libquantum runs at full speed because web - search is not sensitive to contention at low load . at t = 600 , the load to web - search picks up and the runtime module again searches for an improved variant that reduces cache contention . at t = 620 , the variant search ends and the improved variant of libquantum runs until the end of the experiment ( t = 900 ). fig9 d shows the fraction of server cycles used by the runtime environment . activity is minimal , kept to well below 1 % of the server &# 39 ; s cycles for the majority of the run . two brief mini - spikes of up to 2 % appear at t = 0 ( a higher - resolution view of this spike is presented in 16 ( f )) and t = 600 as the runtime module generates code to search for variants that improve the performance of libquantum . fig9 b and 9c also show the impact of reqos on the same run of libquantum and web - search . reqos adjusts the nap intensity , reacting to load changes at t = 300 and t = 600 . during periods of high load reqos allows web - search to meet its qos target strictly by applying naps to libquantum , causing libquantum to make significantly slower progress than it makes when running with the present runtime environment techniques . we also examine the impact of the present techniques on large - scale datacenter clusters . for example , the number of servers required to house a variety of a web service and batch application is substantially higher than with the present runtime environment techniques described herein . running with 10 k ( 10 , 000 ) servers , we were able to achieve a level of throughput for each of a series of test applications that required between 3 . 5 k to 8 k additional servers for these environments that ran no co - location ( to serve as a baseline ). that is a considerable improvement in the number of servers , costs and resources . converting that to energy efficiency savings , we saw improvements at the datacenter level of between 18 - 34 %, in energy reduction . again these numbers , like the other performance data herein , are provided by way of example ; but they establish the substantial improvements of the present techniques over conventional systems . thus , we demonstrate in this example that the present techniques are quite beneficial for datacenter applications . the techniques provided a runtime approach to mitigating cache contention for live datacenter applications by dynamically inserting and removing software non - temporal cache hints , allowing batch applications to achieve high throughput while meeting latency - sensitive application qos . fig1 illustrates system architecture 300 for implementing the techniques described herein , including the compiler environment 102 and runtime environment 202 of fig1 a and 1b . the high - level architecture includes both hardware and software applications , as well as various data communications channels for communicating data between the various hardware and software components . the system 300 may be roughly divided into front - end components 302 and back - end components 304 . the front - end components 302 are primarily disposed within devices 306 - 217 that represent devices capable of accessing programs that execute on the back - end components 304 . the devices 306 - 317 may be located , by way of example rather than limitation , in separate geographic locations from each other , including different areas of the same city , different cities , or even different states , and access the programs on the back - end components 304 through a network 330 . the back - end components 304 represent one or more computer systems . for example , the back - end components 304 may represent one or more servers of a datacenter , for which there may be 1 , 000s or 10 , 000s of such servers . the back - components 304 illustrate one such computer system or server 340 in detail , with other similar servers illustrated generally as 370 , 372 , and 373 . each of these servers 340 , 370 , 372 , and 373 are able to communicate through the network 330 or through an i / o interface 366 , for example , to exchange data , to allow for co - located processing , to allow for distributed processing , etc . the servers 370 , 372 , and 373 may be either protean - enabled servers like that of computer system 340 or non - protean enabled . each of the devices 306 - 317 may communicate with one or more of these servers 340 , 370 , 372 , and 373 through the network 330 , as well , for example by accessing web - enabled programs executing on the devices 306 - 317 that communicate with web - enabled programs executing on the servers 340 , 370 , 372 , and 373 via http ( hypertext transfer protocol ) or any other type of information server capable of transmitting information according to any network communications protocol . the network enabled devices may include , by way of example , a network - enabled cellular wireless terminal 306 , a phone 308 , a tablet computer or personal digital assistant ( pda ) 310 , a smartphone 312 , a laptop computer 314 , a desktop computer 316 , a wearable wireless communication device such as a wearable computer 317 , a tablet computer , a portable media player , an e - reader , or other similar devices ( not shown ), as used by a user 301 . the digital network 330 may be a proprietary network , a secure public internet , a virtual private network or some other type of network , such as dedicated access lines , plain ordinary telephone lines , satellite links , combinations of these , etc . where the digital network 330 comprises the internet , data communication may take place over the digital network 330 via an internet communication protocol . the digital network 330 may communicate with the devices 306 - 317 through wireless or wired connections , including through a network device such as a router or base station 318 . further , in some examples , the digital network 330 is a mobile ( or cellular ) communication network . the computer system 340 executes a compiler environment in which program code is compiled in accordance with examples herein and a runtime environment in which compiled code is executed as a runtime application , in a dynamic way as a described herein . at least some runtime applications may be web - enabled applications accessible to the devices 306 - 317 , for example in server environments . the computer system 340 may include one or more computer processors 362 adapted and configured to execute various software applications and components of the compile environment 102 and runtime environment 202 , in addition to other software applications . the computer system 340 may further include a database 346 adapted to store data related to the operation of the environments 102 and 202 . the computer system 340 may access and store data in the database 346 when executing various functions and tasks associated with executing the techniques herein . the computer system 340 , as an application server , may have a controller 355 operatively connected to the database 346 via a link 356 connected to the input / output ( i / o ) circuit 366 . it should be noted that , while not shown , additional databases may be linked to the controller 355 or configured within the database 346 . the controller 355 includes a program memory 360 , the processor 362 ( may be called a microcontroller or a microprocessor ), a random - access memory ( ram ) 364 , and the input / output ( i / o ) circuit 366 , all of which are interconnected via an address / data bus 365 . it should be appreciated that although only one microprocessor 362 is shown , the controller 355 may include multiple microprocessors 362 . similarly , the memory of the controller 355 may include multiple rams 364 and multiple program memories 360 . although the i / o circuit 366 is shown as a single block , it should be appreciated that the i / o circuit 366 may include a number of different types of i / o circuits . the ram ( s ) 364 and the program memories 360 may be implemented as semiconductor memories , magnetically readable memories , and / or optically readable memories , for example . a link 335 may operatively connect the controller 355 to the digital network 330 through the i / o circuit 366 . the program memory 360 may include a user - interface application 311 for allowing a user to input and view data associated with the system 300 , and to interact with the system 300 . the user interface application 311 may be a web browser client for example . the computer system 340 may implement a server application 313 for providing data to the user interface application 311 . however , the user interface application 311 may be any type of interface , including a proprietary interface , and may communicate with the application server 140 using any type of protocol including , but not limited to , file transfer protocol ( ftp ), telnet , hypertext - transfer protocol ( http ), etc . moreover , some embodiments may include the user interface application 311 running on one of the network - enabled devices 206 - 217 ( as when a customer is accessing the system ). the computer system 340 stores , within the program memory 160 , programs for executing the techniques herein . for example , the program memory 160 stores a compiler module 371 and a runtime module 374 , which are like those of the compiler module 103 and the runtime module 204 , in fig1 a and 1b respectively . the compiler module 371 may generate a protean application ( e . g ., the protean application 106 ) and store that application in the program memory 360 or in the ram 364 for execution on the system 340 . the runtime module 374 may generate co - located code variants and store them in a code cache ( e . g ., the code cache 208 ) that may be in the program memory 360 or in the ram 364 . the runtime module 374 may monitor data , introspectively and extrospectively , collected from the host system 340 alone and / or from any of the servers 370 , 372 , and 373 , monitored by the module 374 . each of the servers 370 , 372 , and 373 may have a similar configuration to that of the protean system 340 . throughout this specification , plural instances may implement components , operations , or structures described as a single instance . although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations , one or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently , and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated . structures and functionality presented as separate components in example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component . similarly , structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components . these and other variations , modifications , additions , and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein . additionally , certain embodiments are described herein as including logic or a number of routines , subroutines , applications , or instructions . these may constitute either software ( e . g ., code embodied on a machine - readable medium or in a transmission signal ) or hardware . in hardware , the routines , etc ., are tangible units capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner . in example embodiments , one or more computer systems ( e . g ., a standalone , client or server computer system ) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system ( e . g ., a processor or a group of processors ) may be configured by software ( e . g ., an application or application portion ) as a hardware module that operates to perform certain operations as described herein . in various embodiments , a hardware module may be implemented mechanically or electronically . for example , a hardware module may comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured ( e . g ., as a special - purpose processor , such as a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) or an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic )) to perform certain operations . a hardware module may also comprise programmable logic or circuitry ( e . g ., as encompassed within a general - purpose processor or other programmable processor ) that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations . it will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware module mechanically , in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry , or in temporarily configured circuitry ( e . g ., configured by software ) may be driven by cost and time considerations . accordingly , the term “ hardware module ” should be understood to encompass a tangible entity , be that an entity that is physically constructed , permanently configured ( e . g ., hardwired ), or temporarily configured ( e . g ., programmed ) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein . considering embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured ( e . g ., programmed ), each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time . for example , where the hardware modules comprise a general - purpose processor configured using software , the general - purpose processor may be configured as respective different hardware modules at different times . software may accordingly configure a processor , for example , to constitute a particular hardware module at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at a different instance of time . hardware modules can provide information to , and receive information from , other hardware modules . accordingly , the described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled . where multiple of such hardware modules exist contemporaneously , communications may be achieved through signal transmission ( e . g ., over appropriate circuits and buses ) that connects the hardware modules . in embodiments in which multiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times , communications between such hardware modules may be achieved , for example , through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access . for example , one hardware module may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled . a further hardware module may then , at a later time , access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output . hardware modules may also initiate communications with input or output devices , and can operate on a resource ( e . g ., a collection of information ). the various operations of the example methods described herein may be performed , at least partially , by one or more processors that are temporarily configured ( e . g ., by software ) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations . whether temporarily or permanently configured , such processors may constitute processor - implemented modules that operate to perform one or more operations or functions . the modules referred to herein may , in some example embodiments , comprise processor - implemented modules . similarly , the methods or routines described herein may be at least partially processor - implemented . for example , at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors or processor - implemented hardware modules . the performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the one or more processors , not only residing within a single machine , but also deployed across a number of machines . in some example embodiments , the processor or processors may be located in a single location ( e . g ., within a home environment , an office environment or as a server farm ), while in other embodiments the processors may be distributed across a number of locations . the performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the one or more processors , not only residing within a single machine , but also deployed across a number of machines . in some example embodiments , the one or more processors or processor - implemented modules may be located in a single geographic location ( e . g ., within a home environment , an office environment , or a server farm ). in other example embodiments , the one or more processors or processor - implemented modules may be distributed across a number of geographic locations . unless specifically stated otherwise , discussions herein using words such as “ processing ,” “ computing ,” “ calculating ,” “ determining ,” “ presenting ,” “ displaying ,” or the like may refer to actions or processes of a machine ( e . g ., a computer ) that manipulates or transforms data represented as physical ( e . g ., electronic , magnetic , or optical ) quantities within one or more memories ( e . g ., volatile memory , non - volatile memory , or a combination thereof ), registers , or other machine components that receive , store , transmit , or display information . as used herein any reference to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular element , feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . some embodiments may be described using the expression “ coupled ” and “ connected ” along with their derivatives . for example , some embodiments may be described using the term “ coupled ” to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact . the term “ coupled ,” however , may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other , but yet still co - operate or interact with each other . the embodiments are not limited in this context . as used herein , the terms “ comprises ,” “ comprising ,” “ includes ,” “ including ,” “ has ,” “ having ” or any other variation thereof , are intended to cover a non - exclusive inclusion . for example , a process , method , article , or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process , method , article , or apparatus . further , unless expressly stated to the contrary , “ or ” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or . for example , a condition a or b is satisfied by any one of the following : a is true ( or present ) and b is false ( or not present ), a is false ( or not present ) and b is true ( or present ), and both a and b are true ( or present ). in addition , use of the “ a ” or “ an ” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein . this is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the description . this description , and the claims that follow , should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise . this detailed description is to be construed as an example only and does not describe every possible embodiment , as describing every possible embodiment would be impractical , if not impossible . one could implement numerous alternate embodiments , using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this application . | 6 |
a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 a , and 2b . fig1 is a cross - sectional view which shows a profile 10 of sputter deposition for covering a contact hole 12 whose profile is denoted by numeral 14 . the contact hole 12 is symmetrical with respect to an axis and thus , this axis is named as a symmetry axis 16 . a plurality of trajectories of particles ( viz ., atoms ), emitted from a target , are calculated using the monte carlo method according to a conventional technique . more specifically , when calculating the trajectories , the distribution of particle emission angles ( θ ) is assumed as being equal to 2π sinθ cosθ . further , the collisions of particles with surrounding gases are estimated such that the elastic scattering of the emitted particles at a central force field is determined using the hard sphere approximation . as shown in fig1 the cross - section is defined by a plane that includes the symmetry axis 16 . the profile of the contact hole 12 is modeled by string data comprised of a plurality of coordinate points ( not shown ), which respectively correspond to coordinate points ( denoted by circles ) on the sputter deposition profile 10 . as mentioned later , a plurality of the trajectories are successively selected and a selected one is directed to one coordinate point which , in fig1 is denoted by numeral 20 and which is represented by ( xm , 0 , zm ). further , a plurality of shadow judgment planes ( only one is shown by numeral 24 ) are determined . a cross point 26 of the trajectory 18 with the plane 24 is calculated , after which a check is made to determine if the trajectory 18 is shadowed . in the case where the trajectory 18 is shadowed , this trajectory is neglected . thereafter , an amount of film deposition at the coordinate is calculated and then , a new coordinate point is determined as schematically shown by an arrow 22 . referring to fig2 a and 2b , the first embodiment will further be described . at step 4o , the coordinate number &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; is set to zero ( m = 0 ). at step 42 , a first trajectory is selected from among a plurality of the trajectories obtained using the monte carlo method as mentioned above . thereafter , at step 44 , the first trajectory is directed to a coordinate point which is assumed as the point 20 ( xm , 1 , zm ) in fig1 for the sake of convenience of description . as mentioned above , the coordinate point ( xm , 0 , zm ) is on the plane which is defined by y = 0 . the symmetry axis 16 of the contact hole 12 is defined by a coordinate ( 0 , 0 , z ). according to the present invention , the shadow effects are checked with respect to all the coordinate points that define the film deposition profile . therefore , at step 46 , the coordinate number &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; is set to zero ( n = 0 ). subsequently , the coordinate point 28 ( xn , 0 , zn ) ( n = 1 at the present stage ) is selected which is used to define a shadow judgment plane ( z = zn ). that is , at step 50 , a cross point ( xcr , ycr , zcr ) of the trajectory 18 with the z = zn plane is calculated , after which a check is made to determine if ( xcr 2 + ycr 2 ) exceeds xn 2 at step 52 . if the answer to the inquiry made at step 52 is affirmative , it is understood that the shadow effect is present ( viz ., the trajectory 18 is blocked ). in this instance , the program goes to step 54 whereat a check is made to determine if all trajectories are checked ( or selected ). at this time , the answer to this inquiry is no and thus , the routine flows to step 56 whereat the next trajectory is selected and the routine proceeds to step 44 . on the contrary , if the answer to the inquiry made at step 52 is negative ( viz ., no ), the routine goes to step 58 whereat &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; is incremented by one ( n = n + 1 ). following this , at step 60 , a check is made to determine if &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; is below the number of total coordinate points ( ntotal ). since n & lt ; ntotal at this time , the routine returns back to step 48 . when it is determined at step 60 that &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; equals or exceeds ntotal , the routine goes to step 62 whereat the amount ( viz ., thickness ) of film deposition at the coordinate point ( xm , o , zm ) is calculated . subsequently , the program flows to step 54 ( fig2 b ) at which a check is made to determine if all the trajectories obtained using the monte carlo method have been selected . if the answer at step 54 is yes , &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; is incremented by one ( m = m + 1 ) at step 64 . thereafter , at step 66 , if m & lt ; ntotal , the program flows to step 42 . therefore , the above mentions operations are implemented with respect to the next coordinate ( m = 1 ). if &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; equals or exceeds ntotal ( viz ., no ) at step 66 , a time step is advanced by one at step 68 . subsequently , at step 70 , a check is made to determine if a predetermined time period expires . this time period corresponds to a film deposition time which is previously determined before carrying out the aforesaid computer simulation . if the answer at step 70 is no , the routine goes to step 40 , and otherwise the program is terminated . the inventor conducted a computer simulation wherein a 1 μm thick aluminum was deposited on a 1 μm wide 1 μm deep contact hole . the calculation was completed about 10 minutes using an engineering work station with processor speed of 130 mips ( million instructions per second ). the simulation error was about 10 %. a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig3 a , and 4b . according to the second embodiment , the shadow judgment planes are defined in a manner which is different from the first embodiment . further , the second embodiment makes use of an uppermost plane 80 ( z = zmax ) ( fig3 ) of the sputter deposition profile 10 ( fig1 ). if a shadow judgment plane zn exceeds the uppermost plane 80 ( viz ., zmax ), the amount of film deposition is calculated as mentioned later . other than this , the second embodiment is substantially identical with the first one . the second embodiment is further described with reference to fig4 a . comparing fig2 a and 4a , fig4 a includes steps 46a , 48a , 58a , and 60a in lieu of steps 46 , 48 , 58 , and 60 , respectively . the remaining steps of fig2 a are identical to the corresponding steps of fig4 a . at step 46a , δz is added to the value on the z - axis of the coordinate point ( xm , 0 , zm ) where film growth is to be calculated . thus , a shadow judgment plane ( z = zn ) is defined . δz indicates a value which approximately corresponds to a difference between two adjacent z - axis values . at step 48a , a cross point ( xn , 0 , zn ) of the shadow judgment plane ( z = zn ) with the sputter deposition profile 10 is determined by way of linear interpolation between two neighboring coordinate points a and b . following this , at step 50 , as mentioned above , a cross point ( xcr , ycr , zcr ) of the trajectory 18 with the z = zn plane is calculated . after implementing the conditional step 52 , the shadow judgment plane zn is increased by δz , after which a check is made to determine if zn & lt ; zmax at step 60a . if the answer at step 60a is yes , the routine goes back to step 48a . otherwise ( viz ., no ), the routine flows to step 62 . fig4 b is exactly identical with fig2 b and thus , further description thereof is omitted for brevity . the second embodiment is advantageous over the first embodiment in terms of calculation errors . it will be understood that the above disclosure is representative of only two possible embodiments of the present invention and that the concept on which the invention is based is not specifically limited thereto . | 6 |
fig2 shows a block diagram of a miniature rf calibrator according to embodiments of the present invention . the rf calibrator includes a battery 102 connected to two switches 104 and 106 . the switch 104 provides an attenuation factor of 1 or 0 dbm , while the switch 6 provides an attenuation factor of 100 or − 40 dbm . the purpose of the two power levels is to obtain a slope and offset for correction of the rf sensor in a test device being calibrated . the output of the switches 104 and 106 are connected to a voltage regulator 8 . the output of the voltage regulator 8 provides power driving a quartz oscillator 10 , a divide by two flip flop 12 , and a two input and gate . the oscillator 10 provides a highly accurate frequency at twice the output frequency to the divide by two flip flop 12 . the square wave output has its amplitude controlled by the precision temperature corrected dc voltage regulator 108 and its frequency controlled by the quartz temperature corrected oscillator 110 . an exemplary voltage regulator 108 that provides for such temperature correction is the analog devices adp3336 . an exemplary quartz temperature corrected oscillator 110 is the kyocera k30 - 3c0 - 100 . 0000 . the symmetry of the square wave is controlled by a divide by 2 frequency divider 112 . the frequency divider 112 can be constructed with complementary cmos transistors . an exemplary frequency divider 112 is the fairchild nc7sz74 . a slight resistance change of the output transistors in the frequency divider 112 over temperature is compensated for by the temperature dependant voltage regulator 108 to yield a constant output square wave voltage under a fixed resistive load . output symmetry is inherent due to the frequency divider 112 changing states on only the positive going edge of the quartz oscillator . the output of the frequency divider 112 has a low 10 ohm impedance . the 10 ohm frequency divider 112 matches an impedance of the and gate 114 which appears as a 10 ohm resistor . the and gate 114 can be constructed using complementary cmos transistors similar to the frequency divider 112 . the and gate 114 will provide a 10 ohm resistance for both the 0 and 1 produced output . an exemplary circuit for the and gate that provides a 10 ohm resistance is the fairchild nc7sz02 . although an and gate 114 is shown and described , other logic providing a boolean and can be used . with switch 104 used the output of the and gate 114 is enabled . the output of the 10 ohm and gate 114 is then provided through a 90 ohm resistor 116 . the total resistance of the series and gate 114 and the 90 ohm resistor is then 100 ohms . this 100 ohm total resistance is connected to a node 117 to another 100 ohm resistance 118 that connects to ground . this forms a 50 ohm output impedance voltage divider to drive the low pass filter 122 . during use of switch 106 , the output of and gate 114 is disabled . the disabled and gate 114 provides a 10 ohm resistance to ground . with switch 104 disabled , the output of the frequency divider 112 is provided through a 10 , 000 ohm resistor 120 to node 117 to connect to the low pass filter 122 . the attenuation factor of the voltage divider formed by the 10 ohm and gate 114 in series with the 90 ohm resistor 116 and the 10 , 000 ohm resistor 120 presents a 100 : 1 reduction of the precision square wave available to the low pass filter 122 compared with the signal available when switch 104 is enabled . with either switch 104 or 106 used , the precision square wave from node 117 now enters the low pass filter 122 . filter 122 removes all harmonics of the fundamental frequency . the filter 122 is designed to present a 50 ohm output impedance at the desired output frequency . it is also designed to accept slight variations on its input impedance without affecting its output impedance . this can be accomplished at a single frequency of interest . with switch 106 enabled , the filter 122 output frequency is now a pure sine wave with an amplitude of − 36 . 5 dbm . the filter 122 is followed by a fixed 3 . 5 db attenuator 124 . the final output at terminal 128 is , then , a − 40 . 0 dbm pure sine wave . a source match is tightly controlled to provide the greater than 40 db return loss and a swr & lt ; 1 . 02 by precision design of the attenuator 124 and low pass filter 122 . although specific attenuation values for the switches 104 and 106 , resistance values of resistors 116 , 117 , 118 and 120 , and gate 114 , and attenuation of attenuator 124 are given , these exemplary values may be changed depending on desired design requirements . a dc blocking capacitor 126 follows the attenuator 124 . the dc blocking capacitor 126 is used to reference the output to 0 volts dc . the blocking capacitor 126 is further used to block any unintended dc from being applied to the calibrator output . back to back diodes 130 and 132 at the input to filter 122 also prevent unintended rf energy as well as static discharge from destroying cmos device components . the cmos components that could be damaged include those in the and gate 114 or the frequency divider 112 . a first diode 130 in the back to back diodes connects node 117 at the input of filter 122 to ground , while the diode 132 connects node 117 to the battery 102 . neither diode conducts current during normal operation . operation of the calibrator of fig2 is described as follows . depressing the − 40 dbm push button enables power to the circuit and disables and gate 114 . the quartz oscillator 110 produces a very stable frequency at 2 times the output frequency . this signal has no amplitude control or duty cycle control , but is suitable to drive the divide by 2 divider 112 . the output of divider 112 has a low 10 ohm impedance . the slight resistance change of the output transistors in the divider 112 over temperature is compensated for by the temperature dependant voltage regulator 108 to yield a constant output square wave voltage into a fixed resistive load . output symmetry is inherent due to the frequency divider 112 changing states on only the positive edge of the quartz oscillator 110 . with and gate 114 disabled when using switch 106 , the square wave is then presented to the approximately 10 , 000 ohm resistor 120 and the disabled and gate 114 and 90 ohm resistor 116 . disabled and gate 114 appears as a 10 ohm resistor to ground . the attenuation factor of this voltage divider represents a 100 : 1 reduction of the precision square wave available at the output of divider 117 compared with the signal available when switch 104 is enabled . the precision square wave now enters low pass filter 122 which filters all harmonics of the fundamental frequency . the filter 122 presents a 50 ohm output impedance at the desired output frequency . filter 122 also accepts slight variations on its input impedance without affecting its output impedance . this can be accomplished at a single frequency of interest . with switch 106 enabled , the output of filter 122 is now a pure sine wave with an amplitude of − 36 . 5 dbm . the filter 122 is followed by a fixed 3 . 5 db attenuator 124 and has dc blocked by capacitor 126 . the final output is a − 40 . 0 dbm pure sine wave . the blocking capacitor 126 references the output to 0 vdc . it also blocks any unintended dc from being applied to the calibrator output . back to back diodes 130 and 132 at the input to filter 122 prevent unintended rf energy as well as static discharge from destroying its cmos components . depressing the 0 dbm switch 104 enables the and gate 114 . the output of the and gate 114 is a precision square wave switching between ground and the regulated voltage . it has a 10 ohm output resistance , which in series with the approximately 90 ohm resistor 116 appears at 100 ohms . the slight resistance change of the output transistors in the and gate 114 over temperature is compensated for by the temperature dependant voltage regulator to yield a constant output square wave voltage into a fixed resistive load . this 100 ohms is provided in series with the 100 ohm resistor 118 to ground and creates a divide by two voltage divider at node 117 . the thevinin equivalent impedance of the input of filter 122 then appears as a fixed 50 ohms for both 0 and − 40 dbm selections , and further operation of the calibrator is similar to that described with the − 40 dbm switch depressed . fig3 shows components providing dual colored led lights 206 and 228 connected to give a user a visual indication of the state of operation of the calibrator of fig2 . depressing the − 40 dbm switch button 106 causes the green led 206 to illuminate at a visible brightness . depressing the 0 dbm switch button 104 causes the green led 206 to illuminate twice as bright . battery voltage below a usable range needed to keep the regulator 108 in regulation causes the red led to flash 228 , indicating a low battery condition for battery 102 . in one embodiment , the led lights 206 and 228 can be provided by a single red / green led . an example of such a red / green led is the lumex ssl - lx30591gw . the state indication circuit includes a comparator amplifier 201 having a first input connected to the output of voltage regulator 108 , and a second input connected through a voltage divider formed by resistors 220 and 222 to the input of voltage regulator 108 . power is supplied to the comparator 201 from the input to the voltage regulator . the output of comparator 201 drives a resistor 204 that connects to the green led 206 . an exemplary circuit for the comparator is the national semiconductors lmv7239 . under normal conditions the comparator 201 provides an output of logic one or the voltage of battery 102 . to increase the intensity of the green led 206 when switch 104 is depressed , a pmos fet transistor 208 is provided with a gate connected to the ground connection of the switch 104 . an exemplary pmos fet transistor 208 is the zetex zxm61p02f . with the switch 104 depressed , the source - drain path of transistor 208 connects the output of comparator 201 through a resistor 210 to the green led 206 , thus reducing the overall resistance from the output of comparator 201 and led 206 and increasing intensity of led 206 . with switch 104 open , the transistor 208 will remain off and the intensity of led 206 will be reduced when switch 106 is connected . an oscillator 224 is connected by a resistor 226 to the red led 228 . the input of the oscillator 224 receives a disable signal from the output of comparator 201 . thus , when the oscillator 124 is not receiving a disable signal from comparator 201 , it will enable the oscillator 224 and the red led 228 will blink on and off at the oscillator 224 frequency of approximately 10 hertz . for convenience , components in fig3 that are carried over from fig2 are similarly labeled . operation of the circuitry of fig3 used in driving the green led 206 is described as follows . first , selection of the − 40 dbm switch 106 and sufficient voltage from battery 102 for proper operation will illuminate the green led 206 at moderate brightness . the selection of 0 dbm switch 104 and sufficient battery voltage enables the boost transistor 208 that applies approximately twice the current to the green led 206 so that it provides twice the illumination . operation of the circuitry used in driving the red led 228 is described as follows . first , the voltage regulator 108 provides a reference voltage used to compare to the voltage of the battery 102 . if the voltage of battery 102 drops below approximately 0 . 2v above the voltage of regulator 108 output the comparator 201 will change state from a 1 to a 0 . this will enable the 10 hz flashing oscillator which drives the red led 228 . the green led 206 will be disabled . although specific voltages for battery 102 , oscillation frequencies for the leds , and led colors are described , these are exemplary and may be changed based on design requirements . although the present invention has been described above with particularity , this was merely to teach one of ordinary skill in the art how to make and use the invention . many additional modifications will fall within the scope of the invention , as that scope is defined by the following claims . | 7 |
in the following description , numerous specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments . the embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details , or with other methods , components , materials , etc . in other instances , well - known structures , materials , or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments . reference throughout this 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 . thus , the appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ” or “ in an embodiment ” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . furthermore , the particular features , structures , or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . the headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments . in fig1 , reference number 1 identifies as a whole a supporting device for stentless heart valve prostheses according to various exemplary embodiments . the supporting device 1 includes a shaft 2 defining a manipulation axis x 1 , a plurality of support formations 4 intended for supporting a stentless heart valve prosthesis and a connection portion 6 flexibly connecting the shaft 2 and the supporting formations 4 , which in turn depart form a hub 7 immediately adjacent to the connection portion 6 . all the components mentioned above are formed in a single piece from a tubular element t which is subject to a number of cutting and forming operations . in various embodiments the tubular element t has a circular cross section . in various embodiments , in a distal portion 8 of the tubular element t , the shaft 2 and the connection portion 6 include a helical track 10 cut into the tubular member t . in various embodiments , in a proximal portion 9 of the tubular element t , the hub 7 has a plurality of radial holes located thereon . in exemplary embodiments , such holes may be arranged in pairs oriented along the direction of the manipulation axis x 1 . in some embodiments , adjacent pairs of radial holes 12 may be axially staggered . in the present description , the terms “ distal ” and “ proximal ” are used with reference , so to say , to the implantation site , i . e ., proximal being a location close to the implantation site ( and corresponding to that of a valve prosthesis coupled to the support device 1 ), while distal being a location away from the implantation site . in various embodiments , on the distal portion 8 , in particular at a free end of the shaft 2 , there may be provided a number of coupling formations 14 , 16 , which may be in the form of longitudinal slits 14 or in the form of radial holes 16 or both . such coupling formations are intended to provide a connection , e . g ., of the snap - fit type , of the support device 1 to a manipulation tool which will be described in the following . in other embodiments , no such formations 14 and 16 are present , so that the coupling between the manipulation tool and the support device may be achieved by relying upon , e . g ., an interference fit . in various embodiments , on a second portion of the tubular element t the support formations 4 are cut and formed so that each supporting formation is shaped as a supporting arm including a first portion 18 extending radially away from the manipulation axis x 1 and a second portion 20 , which is bent with respect to the first portion 18 and which extends substantially parallel to the manipulation axis x 1 . in some embodiments , such as those depicted in the figures , the first portions 18 may be formed so to extend also axially away from the shaft 2 . furthermore , in various embodiments , each supporting formation 4 may include a first eyelet 22 located at a position corresponding to that of the bend between the first portion 18 and the second portion 20 and a second eyelet 24 located at a free end of the second portion 20 . in other embodiments , each supporting arm 4 may include only one eyelet , either being the eyelet 22 or 24 . in various embodiments , the eyelets 22 , 24 may be oriented so that respective axes y 22 , y 24 thereof are incident to the manipulation axis x 1 . as shown in the exemplary embodiment of fig2 , the supporting device 1 includes three supporting arms 4 , which are disposed with even angular spacing ( i . e ., 120 degrees ) around the manipulation axis x 1 . as shown , the supporting arms are capable of flexing inwards and outwards in a radial direction . fig2 also shows , in phantom lines , two possible deformed conditions of each of the supporting arms 4 . in various embodiments , the deformation capabilities of each supporting arm 4 may be mainly concentrated on the second portion 20 thereof , while the first portions 18 may be designed with a greater bending stiffness to provide a sufficient support action to a valve prosthesis which is coupled to the device 1 . by way of example , in one embodiment , the portions 18 may be shaped so to have a u - shaped cross section which offers a higher bending moment of inertia . according to various embodiments , the first portion 18 and the second portion 20 are configured ( e . g ., type of material , thickness , or cross - sectional configuration ) such that the first portion 18 has a higher bending stiffness than the second portion 20 . in the various embodiments where the connecting portion 6 is a helical track 10 made ( e . g ., cut into ) a stretch of the tubular element t , the connector portion 6 allows a displacement of the manipulation axis x 1 with respect to the supporting formations 4 . such a displacement may be obtained by manipulating the shaft 2 . as shown in certain figures , in exemplary embodiments , the helical track 10 extends around the tubular element three times ( e . g ., about 1080 degrees ). in other embodiments , the helical track extends more or fewer times around the circumference of the tubular element t . the helical track 10 breaks the structural continuity of the tubular element t at an intermediate position between the shaft 2 and the hub 7 from which the supporting arms 4 extend . this may be regarded as substantially equivalent , so to say , to provide a leaf , helically wound , spring connecting the shaft 2 and the hub 7 and being capable of providing an effect which resembles that of a universal joint . in particular , as shown in fig2 , a displacement of the manipulation axis x 1 may be achieved by the deformation of the connection portion 6 , wherein various “ turns ” of the spring - like element defined by the cutting of the helical track 10 are able to separate axially thereby allowing a departure from the rectilinear ( i . e ., straight ) shape of the proximal portion 8 . fig3 shows the supporting device 1 , according to an exemplary embodiment , coupled to an exemplary stentless heart valve prosthesis . the stentless heart valve prosthesis is indicated by the reference v and includes , in one embodiment , three coapting valve leaflets vl defining three corresponding commissures c . as shown , the supporting arms 4 of the device 1 , and in particular the portions 20 thereof , are located at or near the commissures c . as shown , the portions 20 are arranged within the orifice defined by the valve v , particularly inside the commissures c at a position substantially comprised between two adjacent leaflets vl . in various embodiments , the number of the supporting formations 4 may be chosen so as to be equal to the number of the commissures c of the valve v which is to be coupled to the support device 1 . in various embodiments , the valve prosthesis v may be temporarily attached to the arms 4 by means of suture threads s piercing the commissures c and routed through corresponding eyelets 22 , 24 . each suture thread may then be passed through the holes 12 ( or , more generally , may be routed through the hub 7 ) in order to provide a safe anchoring of the valve prosthesis v to the support device 1 . alternatively , in some embodiments such as those depicted in fig7 , at least one through hole 120 , and preferably more than one , may be formed on the portion 18 of each of the supporting arms 4 , so that the suture threads s may be routed therethrough . in other embodiments , both the holes 12 on the hub 7 and the holes 120 on the portions 18 of the arms 4 are present . in such embodiments , the suture threads may be passed through either the holes 12 or 120 , or even both , depending e . g . on specific requests of the practitioner . as shown in fig4 , in various embodiments , the bending capabilities of each of the supporting arms 4 allows for a multiple displacement within the support device 1 . for example , in addition to the displacement of the shaft 2 with respect to the supporting formations 4 , that is the displacement of the manipulation axis x 1 by an angle α 1 with respect to its non - displaced position , an additional displacement may be achieved between the manipulation axis x 1 and a main axis xv of the valve prosthesis v . the manipulation axis is identified by the reference x 1 in its non - displaced position and by the reference x 1 ′ in its displaced position . this may be achieved because , with reference to fig4 , an angle a 2 by which the axis xv may be inclined with respect to the manipulation axis x 1 may be the result of the bending of each of the supporting arms 4 , in particular of the portions 20 . as shown in fig5 , a manipulation tool 100 may be coupled to the support device 1 . the manipulation tool 100 may comprise , in various embodiments , a 102 which may be designed with an ergonomical shape , and a rod 104 which is sized and dimensioned to fit into the shaft 2 and engage in corresponding ones of the connection formations 14 , 16 . in embodiments wherein no such formations 14 , 16 are present , the rod 104 is sized and dimensioned so to provide an interference with the tubular element t , so that a coupling by means of an interference fit between the rod 104 and the support device 1 ( in particular the shaft 2 ) can be achieved . for performing the implantation of the valve v , the practitioner may thus vary the position of the manipulation axis x 1 with respect to its nominal ( i . e ., non - displaced ) position and also achieve a displacement of the valve axis xv with respect to the axis x 1 depending on the specific needs during the intervention . for example , apart from ensuring a correct positioning of the valve v with respect to the implantation site ( in the embodiments herein depicted , reference is made to an aortic implantation site , since the valve v shown in the figures is an aortic valve prosthesis ) the practitioner may also displace the support device 1 with respect to the valve v in order to better perform , for example , stitching operations in a specific region of the valve v . after having reached the implantation site , for example with a retrograde approach , should the combination of the manipulation tool 100 and the support device 1 be of hindrance for the practitioner when stitching the valve v to the implantation site , the practitioner may displace the shaft 2 and the valve v with respect to the manipulation axis x 1 to clear the way for performing such operations . when the prosthesis v is firmly anchored to the implantation site , the practitioner may then cut the suture threads s and separate the support device 1 from the prosthesis v by gently pulling the device 1 axially away from the prosthesis v . in various embodiments , the support device 1 lends itself to various structural modifications . for example , in some embodiments , the connection portion 6 may be provided as a weakened stretch on the tubular element t defined by a plurality of axial slits resulting in the shaft 2 and the hub 7 being connected by a plurality of bridging elements capable of buckling inwards ( and outwards ) towards the axis x 1 in order to provide the desired degree of deformation . moreover , in various embodiments , each pair of holes 12 may be replaced by a single hole , or in alternative , a hook obtained by cutting the corresponding , unfolded shape thereof into the tubular element t and then bending the cut shape outwards of the tubular element t or , as a further alternative , by c - shaped openings . in various embodiment , it is preferred that the material of the tubular element be a shape memory material such as a super elastic alloy . according to various exemplary embodiments , the tubular element is made of nitinol . when nitinol is employed , the support device 1 may be cut by using the same techniques as those used for cutting stents , e . g ., the various components of the support device 1 may be cut into the tubular element t by means of laser beams . in various embodiments , the structure itself of the support device 1 may be subjected to a large number of modifications and various other structures , shapes , patterns may be conferred to each of the components thereof ( including the connection portion 6 , the shaft 2 , the hub 7 and the supporting formations 4 ) by varying the cutting path of the laser beam which are used to cut the tube t . as shown in fig6 , in exemplary embodiments , the connection portion 6 ′ may be provided as an apertured structure . for example , the connection portion 6 ′ may be a stent - like structure including a plurality of apertures 10 ′ cut into the shaft 2 . in such embodiments , the apertures may for example have a rectangular shape and may be arranged in radially offset bands . the connection portion 6 may moreover be provided in combination with either arrangement of the holes 12 and / or 120 described above . in various exemplary embodiments , the connection portion 6 is provided as an apertured structure and the holes 12 and / or the holes 120 are present . without prejudice to the underlying principles of the invention , the details and embodiments may vary , even significantly , with respect to what has been described herein , merely by way of example , without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the annexed claims . various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention . for example , while the embodiments described above refer to particular features , the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the above described features . various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention . for example , while the embodiments described above refer to particular features , the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features . accordingly , the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications , and variations as fall within the scope of the claims , together with all equivalents thereof . | 0 |
a lookup in the pla based lookup table for a reciprocal approximation is typically performed in about one cycle . however , the pla based lookup table requires 256 × 10 bits ( 2560 bits ) of memory to store all of the reciprocal approximations which consumes power in addition to the amount of memory needed . an embodiment of the present invention reduces the amount of memory needed to store the reciprocal approximations without changing the performance . in an embodiment the memory is about four times smaller than typically used by prior art lookup tables . fig1 illustrates reciprocal approximations stored in a 256 entry lookup table 100 that may be used to perform division of binary floating point numbers . for example , the 256 fixed 10 - bit values ( in hexadecimal ) that are stored in a pla based lookup table used in intel ia - 64 architecture processors are shown in the lookup table 100 in fig1 and also in the “ intel ia - 64 architecture software developer &# 39 ; s manual , volume 3 : instruction set reference , january 2000 ”. the entries in the lookup table 100 are arranged in row - major form with eight entries per row and a total of 32 rows 102 _ 1 , . . . , 102 _ 32 . the values ( in hexadecimal format ) stored in the 256 entries 104 _ 1 , . . . , 104 _ 256 are reciprocal approximations for 1 / b where b is in the range of 1 . 00000000 to 1 . 11111111 . the reciprocal approximation of 1 . 00000000 ( 0 × 3fc ) is stored in entry 104 _ 1 and the reciprocal approximation of 1 . 11111111 ( 0 × 001 ) is stored in entry 104 _ 256 . with 10 - bits per entry and 256 entries in the lookup table , a pla with an area proportional to 2560 units ( 256 * 10 bits ) is required to store all of the reciprocal approximations . looking at the values of the reciprocal approximations stored in the 256 entries 104 _ 1 . . . 104 _ 256 in the table 100 in fig1 , the values are monotonic in nature and the difference between any two successive values is small . the difference between any two successive values is not greater than eight and not less than two . also , when moving from the value stored in entry 104 _ 1 to the value stored in entry 104 _ 256 , the differences between the values stored in any two successive entries 104 _ 1 , . . . , 104 _ 256 decreases . for example , looking at the values stored in entries in the first row 102 _ 1 : entry 104 _ 8 stores a value of 0 × 3c6 , moving across the entries in the row from left to right , the value stored in entry 104 _ 7 is 0 × 3cd , which is 0 × 3c6 − 7 ( a difference of 7 ), the value stored in entry 104 _ 6 is 0 × 3d5 which is 0 × 3cd − 8 ( a difference of 8 ). similarly , continuing across the first row 102 _ 1 , the difference been any two values stored in successive entries in the first row 102 _ 1 is either 7 or 8 . a pattern may also be observed between values stored in successive entries in other rows in the lookup table 100 . for example , looking at the values stored in row 102 _ 3 , that is , 0 × 384 , 0 × 37d , 0 × 376 , 0 × 36f , 0 × 368 , 0 × 361 , 0 × 35b , 0 × 354 , the difference between values stored in two successive entries in the third row 102 _ 3 is either 6 or 7 . looking at the values stored in row 102 _ 6 , that is , 0 × 2e8 , 0 & gt ; 2e2 , 0 × 2dc , 0 × 2d7 , 0 × 2d1 , 0 × 2cb , 0 × 2c5 , 0 × 2bf , the difference between values stored in successive entries in the sixth row is either 5 or 6 . looking at the values stored in row 102 _ 31 , that is , 0 × 020 , 0 × 01e , 0 × 01c , 0 × 01a , 0 × 018 , 0 × 015 , 0 × 013 , 0 × 011 , the difference between values stored in two successive entries in the thirty first row is either 2 or 3 . thus , the difference between values stored in two successive entries in any one of the rows 102 - 1 , . . . 102 - 32 in the lookup table 100 is always n or n + 1 where n is in the range of 2 - 7 . thus , instead of storing all 256 reciprocal approximations in lookup table 100 , the amount of memory may be reduced by encoding the reciprocal approximations for a row ( that is , a group of reciprocal approximations ) as a representation of a group of reciprocal approximations ( an encoded group of reciprocal approximations ) from which any of the reciprocal approximations in the group may be computed . fig2 illustrates a plurality of representations of groups of reciprocal approximations from which the reciprocal approximations shown in fig1 may be computed . the plurality of representations of groups of reciprocal approximations may be stored in a lookup table 200 . each representation of a group of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 , . . . , 202 - 32 includes a base reciprocal approximation 204 - 3 for the group 202 - 1 , . . . , 202 - 32 . in an embodiment , the base reciprocal approximation 204 - 3 is the reciprocal approximation for the reciprocal approximation having the smallest value that is stored in the group ( row ). in an embodiment in which the group corresponds to a row 102 - 1 , . . . 102 - 32 in the lookup table 100 shown in fig1 , the base reciprocal approximation for row 102 - 1 is the reciprocal approximation stored in entry 104 - 8 , that is , 0 × 3c6 , which is stored in group of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 . in order to generate any of the eight reciprocal approximations for any of the rows 102 - 1 , . . . , 102 - 32 in the table 100 shown in fig1 , each representation of a group of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 , . . . , 202 - 32 includes a minimum - value of the difference between reciprocal approximations stored in successive entries in the group ( row ) ( n ) 204 - 1 . the representation of a group of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 , . . . , 202 - 32 also includes a bit mask vector 204 - 2 having single bit per reciprocal approximation for all reciprocal approximations other than the base reciprocal approximation in the group . the state of a bit in the bit mask vector 204 - 2 that corresponds to the reciprocal approximation in the group indicates whether to add the minimum difference 204 - 1 or the minimum difference plus one to the base reciprocal approximation 204 - 3 to compute the reciprocal approximation for the entry in the group . in an embodiment , the representation of a group of reciprocal approximations requires memory storage that is about four times smaller than the lookup table 100 discussed in conjunction with fig1 that stores all possible 256 reciprocal approximations . in the embodiment shown , instead of storing all 256 reciprocal approximations in 2560 bits , the 256 reciprocal approximations are encoded in 32 representations of groups of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 , . . . , 202 - 31 with each representation of a group of reciprocal approximations having 20 bits for a total of 640 bits . in an embodiment , additional logic to compute the reciprocal approximation corresponding to an index uses about 15 gates which occupy an insignificant area in comparison to the additional amount of memory required to store all of the reciprocal approximations as discussed in conjunction with fig1 . fig3 is a flowgraph illustrating an embodiment of a method for storing the reciprocal approximations shown in fig1 as the plurality of representations of groups of reciprocal approximations shown in fig2 . at block 300 , the differences between successive reciprocal approximations in a group of reciprocal approximations is computed . in one embodiment the number of reciprocal approximations in a group is eight , which is the same number of reciprocal approximations that are stored per row 102 - 1 , . . . , 102 - 32 in the lookup table 100 shown in fig1 . processing continues with block 302 . at block 302 , the minimum difference between successive reciprocal approximations in the group ( row ) is stored in a minimum difference field 204 - 1 in table 200 . for example , as the difference between successive reciprocal approximations in row 102 - 1 of table 100 is either 7 or 8 , the minimum difference , that is , 7 is stored in the minimum difference field 204 - 1 in representation of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 . processing continues with block 304 . at block 304 , an indication of whether the difference between successive reciprocal approximations in the group of reciprocal approximations is even or odd is stored in a bit mask 204 - 2 . for example , referring to fig1 , looking from left to right at the reciprocal approximations in row 102 - 1 , the differences are 8 , 8 , 8 , 7 , 8 , 8 , 7 which corresponds to even , even , even , odd , even , even , even , odd . substituting ‘ 1 ’ for odd and ‘ 0 ’ for even , the bit mask is 0001001 ( 0 × 9 ) which is stored in the bit mask field 204 - 1 in the representation of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 . processing continues with block 306 . at block 306 , the reciprocal approximation that is stored in entry 104 - 8 that is , the entry for which the least significant bits of an index are ‘ 111 ” is selected as the base reciprocal approximation and stored in the base reciprocal approximation field 204 - 3 in the representation of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 . in other embodiments , other reciprocal approximations in the group may be selected as the base reciprocal approximation with appropriate selection of the bit mask vector so that any of the reciprocal approximations in the group may be computed using the base reciprocal approximation . for example , in an embodiment , the reciprocal approximation that is stored in entry 104 - 1 , that is , the entry for which the least significant bits of an index are ‘ 000 ” may be selected as the base reciprocal approximation . processing continues with block 308 . at block 308 , if there is another group of reciprocal approximations in table 100 to be encoded into a representation of reciprocal approximations , processing continues with block 300 . if not , processing is complete . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating computation of a reciprocal approximation for an index using the representation of a group of reciprocal approximations associated with the index . in an embodiment with 256 reciprocal approximations , an 8 - bit index ( index [ 7 : 0 ]) is used to select one of the reciprocal approximations . the five most significant bits ( msb ) of the index are used to select the representation of a group of reciprocal approximations , in this example , the 5 msbs of the index set to ‘ 00000 ’ selects the representation of a group of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 . the three least significant bits ( lsb ) are used to select bits from the bit mask vector , in this case , the three lsbs set to ‘ 101 ’. referring to fig1 , row 102 - 1 stores reciprocal approximations for 1 . 00000000 to 1 . 00000111 . 1 . 0000000 and , 1 . 00000111 are significands or mantissas having a one leading digit of 1 and fractional digits 00000100 , 00000111 the reciprocal approximation for 1 . 00000000 , that is , 0 × 3df is stored in entry 104 - 1 and the reciprocal approximation for 1 . 00000111 , that is , 0 &# 39 ; 3c6 is stored in entry 104 - 8 . returning to fig4 , the representation of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 represents reciprocal approximations for 1 . 000000000 to 1 . 00000111 , with the five msbs of the fractional digits of the significand ( 00000 ) selecting representation of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 . fig5 is a flowgraph illustrating an embodiment of a method for computing a reciprocal approximation corresponding to an index from a representation of reciprocal approximations . fig5 will be described in conjunction with fig1 , 2 and 4 . at block 500 , in an embodiment in which there are 32 encoded representations of groups of reciprocal approximations stored in a table , the five most significant bits of the eight fractional digits of the significand are used as an index to the table to select one of the 32 representations of groups of reciprocal approximations . the representation of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 is selected for index [ 7 : 3 ] of ‘ 00000 ”. processing continues with block 502 . at block 502 , if the three least significant bits ( lsb ) of the 8 fractional digits of the significand index [ 2 : 0 ] are ‘ 111 ”, the base corresponds to the reciprocal approximation and processing continues with block 510 . if not , processing continues with block 504 , to determine the location of the requested reciprocal approximation . at block 504 , the representation of a group of reciprocal approximations includes a minimum difference 204 - 1 , a mask bit vector 204 - 2 and a base 204 - 3 . referring to fig2 , in the representation of a group of reciprocal approximations 202 - 1 that corresponds to the index which is a mantissa or significand of a floating point number , for example , 1 . 000000101 , the 3 - bit minimum difference 204 - 1 is 0 × 7 , the 7 - bit mask bit vector is 0 × 9 ( 0001001 ) and the 10 - bit base reciprocal approximation is 0 × 3c6 . first , the number of bits of the mask to process ( that is , the column location of the reciprocal approximation in the table shown in fig1 ) is determined by subtracting the three least significant fractional digits ( index [ 2 : 0 ] of the significand from the minimum difference 204 - 1 , that is , in base 2 , 111 - 101 ( 0 × 7 − 0 × 5 ). the result is 010 ( 0 × 2 ). processing continues with block 506 . at block 506 , in this case , the minimum difference ( n ) is 7 , an odd number and n + 1 is 8 , an even number . thus , the odd difference value is 7 and the even difference value is 8 . the mask bit vector 204 - 2 is 0 × 9 ( 1001 in base 2 ). based on the result ( 0 × 2 ), the two least significant bits of the mask bit vector which store ‘ 01 ’ are used to compute the reciprocal approximation . the bits of the mask bit register indicate whether the even difference value ( 8 ) or the odd difference value ( 7 ) are added to the base reciprocal approximation to compute the reciprocal approximation with ‘ 1 ’ indicating odd and ‘ 0 ’ indicating even . the sum of the odd difference value ( 0 × 7 ) and the even difference value ( 0 × 8 ) is 15 ( 0 × f ). processing continues with block 508 . at block 508 , the sum of the difference values ( 0 × f ) is added to the base reciprocal approximation 0 × 3c6 . the result is 0 × 3d5 which corresponds to the reciprocal approximation stored in entry 104 - 6 in table 100 in fig1 . in an embodiment , the computation of the difference between the reciprocal approximation and the base may be performed by carry save adders ( csas ). an embodiment has been described for a table with 32 20 - bit entries storing the representation of the group of reciprocal approximations for a group of 8 reciprocal approximations , with the base approximation reciprocal having the smallest reciprocal approximation in the group . in another embodiment , the table may have 64 16 - bit entries storing the representation of the group of reciprocal approximations for a group of 4 reciprocal approximations . in this embodiment , a 1024 - bit table is required to store the 64 entries each having a 10 - bit base reciprocal approximation has 10 - bits , a 3 - bit minimum difference has 3 - bits and a 3 - bit mask vector . in contrast to the embodiment for a 32 entry table , the critical path for the 64 entry table is a little faster and the 1024 - bit table provides about a fifty pecent area reduction over the 2560 bit pla based lookup table . in an embodiment , the table 200 is included in an arithmetic logical unit in a processor for use by division algorithms . in other embodiments , the table 200 is included in a floating point unit in a processor for performing floating point division operations . an embodiment has been described for providing a respresentation of a group of reciprocal approximations by moving across entries in a row in a pla based lookup table from left to right . in another embodiment , the representation of a group of reciprocal approximations may be provided by moving across entries in a row from right to left . fig6 is a block diagram of a system 100 that includes an embodiment of an arithmetic logic unit ( alu ) 630 in a processor to compute a reciprocal approximation corresponding to a selected one of the representations of a group of reciprocal approximations . in an embodiment the alu 630 includes a plurality of groups of representations of reciprocal approximations 200 as discussed in conjunction with fig2 and logic 400 for computing a reciprocal approximation as discussed in conjunction with fig4 . the system 100 includes a processor 301 that includes an alu 630 , a memory controller hub ( mch ) 602 and an input / output ( i / o ) controller hub ( ich ) 604 . the mch 602 includes a memory controller 306 that controls communication between the processor 301 and memory 610 . the processor 601 and mch 602 communicate over a system bus 616 . the processor 601 may be any one of a plurality of processors such as a single core intel ® pentium iv ® processor , a single core intel celeron processor , an intel ® xscale processor or a multi - core processor such as intel ® pentium d , intel ® xeon ® processor , or intel ® core ® duo processor or any other type of processor . the memory 610 may be dynamic random access memory ( dram ), static random access memory ( sram ), synchronized dynamic random access memory ( sdram ), double data rate 2 ( ddr2 ) ram or rambus dynamic random access memory ( rdram ) or any other type of memory . the ich 604 may be coupled to the mch 602 using a high speed chip - to - chip interconnect 614 such as direct media interface ( dmi ). dmi supports 2 gigabit / second concurrent transfer rates via two unidirectional lanes . the ich 604 may include a storage i / o controller 620 for controlling communication with at least one storage device 612 coupled to the ich 604 . the storage device 612 may be , for example , a disk drive , digital video disk ( dvd ) drive , compact disk ( cd ) drive , redundant array of independent disks ( raid ), tape drive or other storage device . the ich 604 may communicate with the storage device 612 over a storage protocol interconnect 618 using a serial storage protocol such as , serial attached small computer system interface ( sas ) or serial advanced technology attachment ( sata ). it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that methods involved in embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in a computer program product that includes a computer usable medium . for example , such a computer usable medium may consist of a read only memory device , such as a compact disk read only memory ( cd rom ) disk or conventional rom devices , or a computer diskette , having a computer readable program code stored thereon . while embodiments of the invention have been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention encompassed by the appended claims . | 6 |
now , description will be given of an embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings . a mount 1 is removably mounted on a body 2 of a printer and includes a pair of left and right side walls 3 and 4 having a substantially l - shaped configuration and a paper guide plate 5 having a mountain - formed cross section and extending between the side walls 3 and 4 . each of the left and right side walls 3 and 4 has a u - shaped holding recess 6 or 7 and a semicircular engaging portion 8 or 9 formed at a forward upper portion and a front lower portion thereof , and a hook 10 or 11 pivotally mounted at a portion adjacent thereto . the mount 1 is removably mounted in position such that the left and right side walls 3 and 4 are supported on a support 12 mounted on the printer body 2 with the engaging portions 8 and 9 fitted in upper peripheral portions of annular grooves 15 and 16 formed around left and right portions of a shaft 14 for a platen or rotatable feeding element 13 of the printer and with the hooks 10 and 11 engaged with lower peripheral portions of the annular grooves 15 and 16 , respectively . the hooks 10 and 11 are each urged into such an engaging position by means of a spring 17 ( the left - side one is omitted herein ). a base member 18 having a substantially rectangular configuration in plan is removably mounted on the mount 1 and has a pair of left and right side walls 19 and 20 between which a paper feed roller shaft 21 , a delivery roller shaft 22 , partition plates 23 , 24 , 25 and 26 , a support plate 27 , and a rod 28 are located . the left and right side walls 19 and 20 have a flat central portion and a downwardly inclined forward portion , and the left side wall 19 has an upwardly inclined elongated rearward portion . the partition plates 23 to 26 , the delivery roller shaft 22 and the rod 28 are mounted on the forward portions and the paper feed roller shaft 22 is mounted on the central portions while the support plate 27 is mounted on rearward end portions of the left and right side walls 19 an 20 . opposite ends of the rod 28 extends outwardly from the left and right side walls 19 and 20 and have each an annular groove 29 formed therearound . a relay gear wheel 30 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 31 located on an outside face of the right side wall 20 below the rod 28 . when the base member 18 is placed on the mount 1 with rear end portions of the left and right side walls 19 and 20 thereof supported on rear end portions of the left and side walls 3 and 4 of the mount 1 and with the annular grooves 29 at left and right end portions of the rod 28 fitted with the holding recesses 6 and 7 of the left and right side walls 3 and 4 , the relay gear wheel 30 is meshed with a platen gear wheel 32 fitted on the shaft 14 . the partition plates 23 to 26 are inclined forwardly downwardly and are spaced a predetermined distance from each other . a discharging path 33 for discharging paper after printing is defined between a lower portion of the partition plate 23 and the partition plate 24 while an insertion path 34 for manually inserting paper is defined between the partition plates 25 and 26 . a lower portion of the partition plate 25 is bent substantially in an l - shaped configuration to provide thereupon a receiving section or station 35 for receiving paper after printing thereon , and support rods 36 and 37 in the form of an arch for supporting paper received on the receiving section 35 are mounted at upper portions of the partition plates 23 and 25 , respectively . the support plate 27 has a mountain - like configuration and is inclined forwardly and downwardly . most of the upper half of the support plate 27 extends above the right side wall 20 . the delivery roller shaft 22 has lower delivery or feed rollers 38 fitted at a central and opposite left and right portions thereof and has a gear wheel 39 fitted at a right end portion thereof which extends outwardly of the right side wall 20 . the gear wheel 39 is in meshed engagement with the relay gear wheel 30 . the paper feed roller 21 has paper feed rollers 40 and 41 fitted thereon and has a right end portion extending outwardly of the right side wall 20 . the paper feed rollers 40 and 41 have collars 43 and 44 formed integrally therewith , respectively . the collars 43 and 44 have annular grooves 42 formed therearound . the paper feed rollers 40 and 41 have known one - way clutches ( not shown ) provided therein so that they can move in an axial direction of the paper feed roller shaft 21 and are rotated in integral relationship by rotation of the paper feed roller shaft 21 ( in a clockwise direction in fig3 ) whereas they can be rotated ( in the clockwise direction in fig3 ) when the paper feed roller shaft 21 is in a stationary position . the paper feed roller 40 is located at a portion adjacent a left end of the paper feed roller shaft 21 while the paper feed roller 41 is linked with a paper holder 46 of a paper tray or supply station 45 so that it may be moved leftwardly and rightwardly together with the paper holder 46 . the paper tray 45 is in the form of a plate having a mountain - like configuration and has a middle upper end portion supported at a middle upper end of the support plate 27 by means of a shaft 47 , so that it can be rocked about the shaft 47 between a forward position ( an automatic paper feeding position as shown in fig2 and 3 ) and a rearward position ( an interrupting position as shown in fig4 ). the paper tray 45 is urged to rock to the forward position by means of a coil spring 48 provided between a rear side of a lower end portion of the paper tray 45 and the support plate 27 . the paper tray 45 has a left side edge engaged with an inner face of the left side wall 19 and a right side edge thereof spaced a little from the right side wall 20 while a lower edge is located just above a paper stopper 49 provided at a lower part of the support plate 27 . the paper stopper 49 is an integral part of the support plate 27 formed by bending a lower part of the support plate 27 and has a front edge 50 located just above the paper guide plate 5 . the paper tray 45 has center and left and right openings 51 , 52 and 53 formed therein and has a hook 54 integrally formed to extend rearwardly from a left side edge of the center opening 51 . a sensing lever 56 of a microswitch 55 for detecting presence of paper is located in the opening 52 while the paper holder 46 is located in the opening 53 . the microswitch 55 is screwed to a mounting lug 57 which is formed in integral relationship with and extends rearwardly from a left side edge of the opening 52 . the sensing lever 56 has resiliency and is bent into a mountain - like form in side elevation . the sensing lever 56 is supported at a portion a little below the center thereof for back and forth rocking motion on the microswitch 55 and has a rear face of a lower portion abutted against a push botton 58 which is urged to project from the microswitch 55 . when the push button 58 is projected out to turn the microswitch 55 off , automatic paper feeding and printing operation are stopped . thus , if sheets 59 of paper for printing are not loaded on the paper tray 45 , the push button 58 is allowed to project out to rock the sensing lever 56 forwardly to a position in which a lower end portion thereof is projected from the opening 52 . on the contrary , when sheets 59 of paper are loaded on the paper tray 45 , the sensing lever 56 is pushed at a lower end portion thereof and rocked rearwardly by the paper sheets 56 so that the lower end thereof is extended into the opening 52 while the push botton 58 is pushed in by the sensing lever 56 to turn the microswitch 55 on thereby to release the stopping of the automatic paper feeding and printing operation . meanwhile , if the paper tray 45 is latched to the rearward or interrupting position ( fig4 ) against the urging of the coil spring 48 in order to manually feed paper or to set paper in position , an upper end of the sensing lever 56 is abutted against the support plate 27 so that the sensing lever 56 is flexed a little . accordingly , due to a spring force caused by such flexion of the sensing lever 56 , the sensing lever 56 pushes in the push button 58 independently of presence or absence of paper 59 so that the microswitch 55 is held to its on position . due to this arrangement , when the paper tray 45 is latched to the interrupting position , even if the quantity of paper 59 is decreased so that a pressing force of paper 59 against the sensing lever 56 becomes smaller than the urging force of the push button 58 , the lower end of the sensing lever 56 is not allowed to push up the paper 59 and extend forwardly from the opening 52 to thus turn the microswitch 55 off . a lock lever 60 for latching the paper tray 45 to the interrupting position is supported for pivotal motion about one end thereof on the support plate 27 and is urged into engagement with a cam 61 of the hook 54 by a spring ( not shown ). a knob 62 is mounted at the other end of the lock lever 60 and extends outwardly in a rightward direction . thus , if the paper tray 45 is displaced to the interrupting position against the urging of the coil spring 48 , the lock lever 60 is pushed by the cam 61 so that it once pivotally moves into engagement with a recess 63 of the hook 54 to thus latch the paper tray 45 to the interrupting position . in the meantime , if the lock lever 60 is pivoted upwardly to disengage from the recess 63 , the paper tray 45 is released from the latching position . the paper holder 46 is formed integrally with and extends upwardly from a right side edge of a rectangular base plate 64 and has an inverted l - shape configuration in side elevation . the base plate 64 is placed on a guide plate 65 made of a synthetic resin material and screwed to a front face of the support plate 27 . a pair of guide pins 66 are screwed to left and right portions of the base plate 64 and are fitted slidably in elongated holes 67 formed in the guide plate 65 so as to support the base plate 64 for leftward and rightward movement . the paper holder 46 extends forwardly through the opening 53 of the paper tray 45 and has a forward edge of a lower portion which is located below the opening 53 and is fitted in the groove 42 of the collar 44 so as to link the paper holder 46 with the paper feed roller 41 . sheets 59 of paper placed on the paper tray 45 are abutted at left side edges thereof with the left side wall 19 and are abutted at right side edges thereof with the paper holder 46 to hold the paper sheets 59 in position . in case the paper sheets 59 are of the a4 size , the paper holder 46 is located adjacent the right end of the opening 53 ( fig1 ), and in case of paper of the b5 size , the paper holder 46 is located adjacent the left end of the opening 53 . a retaining lever 68 is supported for pivotal motion about an upper portion thereof on a right side face of the paper holder 46 and has provided at a lower end thereof a retaining claw 69 for retaining a right lower corner portion of paper 59 . another retaining lever 70 is supported for pivotal motion at an upper portion thereof on a left side face of the left side wall 19 and has provided at a lower end thereof a retaining claw 71 for retaining a left lower corner portion of paper 59 . the retaining claw 71 is inserted inwardly through an opening 19a formed in the left side wall 19 . the retaining levers 68 and 70 are urged to contact the retaining claws 69 and 71 thereof with paper 59 by means of springs ( not shown ), respectively . non - slip members 72 and 73 made of cork are applied to left and right portions on a front face of the paper tray 45 and prevent a plurality of paper sheets from being fed at once . thus , when paper sheets 59 are held in an automatic paper feeding position ( fig3 ), they are retained at left and right lower corner portions thereof by the retaining claws 71 and 69 , and lower portions thereof are contacted with the paper feed rollers 40 and 41 while right edges are abutted with the paper holder 46 . a toothed pulley 74 and a relay gear wheel 75 are supported for individual rotation on a shaft 76 located on an outer side face of the right side plate 20 a little forwardly of the paper feed roller shaft 21 . the pulley 74 has a pin 77 mounted to project from a left side face thereof , and an annular toothed belt 79 extends between the pulley 74 and another toothed pulley 78 which is provided in integral relationship on a left side edge of the relay gear wheel 30 . a tension pulley 80 is contacted with an upper peripheral portion of the belt 79 . the relay gear wheel 75 has teeth formed along the entire periphery of a right hand side half of the thickness thereof while graduations 81 for indication of an automatic paper feeding cycle are provided along the entire periphery of the remaining left hand side half of the same . meanwhile , the relay gear wheel 75 has a clutch lever 82 for preventing reverse rotation mounted for rotation on a right side face thereof by means of a pin 82 . the clutch lever 82 is urged into engagement with a projection 85 formed on the right right side face of the relay gear wheel 75 by means of a spring 84 . thus , the clutch lever 82 normally stands by at a fixed position ( fig2 ) in which it can be engaged with the pin 77 of the pulley 74 . when the pulley 74 is rotated forwardly ( in the counterclockwise direction in fig2 ) to engage the pin 77 with a connecting face 86 of the clutch lever 82 , the relay gear wheel 75 is rotated forwardly in integral relationship with the pulley 74 while the clutch lever 82 is held at its fixed position . on the contrary , when the pulley 74 is rotated reversely ( in the clockwise direction in fig2 ) to engage the pin 77 with a disconnecting face 87 of the clutch lever 82 , the clutch lever 82 is pivoted in the counterclockwise direction ( fig2 ) against the urging of the spring 84 and is disengaged from the pin 77 so that the relay gear wheel 75 is not rotated thereby . the graduations 81 are indicated at 15 equidistantly spaced positions around the entire circumference and have numerical indications from 0 to 14 assigned thereto . a point or dot is indicated between each two adjacent numerical indications . a clutch sleeve 88 has an integral toothed gear wheel wheel 89 at a central portion thereof and is fitted for rotation around a reduced diameter portion 90 adjacent a right end of the paper feed roller shaft 21 . a right end portion of the reduced diameter portion 90 extends outwardly in the rightward direction . a coiled clutch spring 91 is wrapped around the clutch sleeve 88 such that it is closely fitted around an outer periphery of the latter . the clutch spring 91 has an l - shaped lug 92 integrally formed at a left end thereof . a circular fixing tube 93 has a same diameter at a left side portion thereof with the clutch sleeve 88 and has a greater diameter at a right side portion thereof than the diameter at the left side portion . a threaded hole 94 is formed at the right side portion of the fixing tube 93 . a left side portion of the clutch spring 91 is fitted around the right side portion of the clutch sleeve 88 while a right side portion of the clutch spring 91 is fitted around the left side portion of the fixing tube 93 which is fitted on the right end portion of the reduced diameter portion 90 of the paper feed roller shaft 21 . the fixing tube 93 is securely fixed to the reduced diameter portion 90 by means of a screw 95 . the clutch spring 91 is fastened , at the right side portion thereof fitted around the fixing tube 93 , to the fixing tube 93 by means of a c - shaped fastening ring 96 fitted around an outer periphery of the right end portion of the fixing tube 93 , and accordingly , the clutch spring 91 is integrally secured to the paper feed roller shaft 21 by way of the fixing tube 93 . meanwhile , the left side portion of the clutch spring 91 is closely fitted around the clutch sleeve 88 so that when the lug 92 thereof is not in engagement with a control cam 97 , it holds the clutch sleeve 88 tightly to establish connection thereof with the paper feed roller shaft 21 . the gear wheel 89 of the clutch sleeve 88 is in meshed engagement with the relay gear wheel 75 . thus , rotation of the relay gear wheel 75 will integrally rotate the clutch sleeve 88 which in turn will integrally rotate the paper feed roller shaft 21 which is operatively connected thereto by means of the clutch spring 91 . the control cam 97 is supported for rotation on a shaft 98 located on an outer side face of the right side wall 20 rearwardly of the relay gear wheel 75 . the control cam 97 has gear teeth 99 formed along the entire circumference of a left side half thereof while an arcuate or circumferential cam face 100 is formed along only about two thirds of the entire circumference of a right side half of the control cam 97 . the control cam 97 normally stands by at a fixed position ( fig2 ) in which the gear wheel 99 is meshed with the relay gear wheel 75 and an end of the arcuate cam face 100 thereof is engaged by the lug 92 of the clutch spring 91 . when the control cam 97 stands by at the fixed position as described just above , the clutch spring 91 with the lug 92 thereof engaged with the arcuate cam face 100 is loosened from the clutch sleeve 88 so that the paper feed roller shaft 21 is disconnected from the clutch sleeve 88 . if the control cam 97 is rotated ( in the clockwise direction in fig2 ) by rotation of the relay gear wheel 75 , the arcuate cam face 100 is disengaged from the lug 92 of the clutch spring 91 so that the paper feed roller shaft 21 is connected to the clutch sleeve 88 by the clutch spring 91 and is integrally rotated thereby . thus , after rotation of the control cam 97 over about one third of the entire circumference , the lug 92 of the clutch spring 91 is engaged again with the arcuate cam face 100 to thus disconnect the paper feed roller shaft 21 from the clutch sleeve 88 thereby stopping the paper feed roller shaft 21 . three lower discharging rollers 101 are disposed at central and left and right locations in opposing relationship to the lower discharging rollers 38 and are each mounted for rotation at a lower end of a resilient support member 102 which has an upper end securely fixed to the partition plate 23 . thus , the lower discharging rollers 38 are contacted with upper peripheral portions of the lower discharging rollers 38 , respectively . now , if if the platen 13 is rotated forwardly ( in the clockwise direction in fig2 ) by a motor ( not shown ) in order to discharge a sheet of paper after printing and automatically feed a new sheet of paper , the clutch sleeve 88 , the paper feed roller shaft 21 and the control cam 97 are rotated in a predetermined direction by way of the platen gear wheel 32 , the relay gear wheel 30 , the gear wheel 39 and the relay gear wheel 75 . by the rotation of the gear wheel 39 , the lower discharging rollers 38 are driven to rotate so that a paper sheet after printing is clamped between the upper and lower discharging rollers 101 and 38 and is thus carried into the storage section 35 via the discharging path 33 . in the meantime , by the rotation of the platen 13 , the paper feed rollers 40 and 41 are rotated to deliver an uppermost one of sheets of paper 59 from the paper tray 45 . the paper sheet 59 thus delivered is then guided by the paper guide plate 5 so that it is fed to the platen 13 via a feed - in path 103 provided between the guide plate 5 and the partition plate 25 . after an end of the paper sheet 59 has been fed to a predetermined start position clamped between the platen 13 and paper pan rollers 104 and 105 , the lug 92 of the clutch spring 91 is engaged with the arcuate cam face 100 of the control cam 97 so that the paper feed rollers 40 and 41 are stopped . in this instance , with the new paper sheet 59 thus set to the start position , the graduations 81 of the relay gear wheel 75 are so positioned to bring the numerical indication of 0 to a reference mark provided on a casing ( not shown ). then , when the platen 13 continues its forward rotation to move the paper sheet 59 by a line space as printing operations proceed , the paper feed rollers 40 and 41 are rotated in a predetermined direction by the movement of the paper sheet 59 due to operation of the one - way clutch , thus eliminating an unnecessary load to the movement of the paper sheet 59 . meanwhile , as the paper sheet 59 moves by line spacing operations , the relay gear wheel 75 is rotated in a predetermined direction to successively bring numerical indications for the graduations 81 corresponding to printed lines to the reference mark to thus indicate a paper feeding cycle . moreover , by an amount of rotation of the platen 13 corresponding to a cycle until required printing is completed after a paper sheet after printing has been discharged into the storage section 35 and then a new paper sheet 59 has been fed to the platen 13 , the relay gear wheel 75 and the control cam 97 are rotated one complete rotation . in the instance described just above , even if the platen 13 is rotated reversely in order to effect correction or superscription during a printing operation , the relationship of the control cam 97 and the graduations 81 with a paper feeding cycle is still maintained since the relay gear wheel 75 and the control cam 97 are held stopped due to operation of the clutch lever 82 . as apparent from the foregoing description , according to the present invention , a paper feed roller is rotated via a clutch by a platen which is driven to rotate by a motor , and after a predetermined paper feeding operation , the clutch is controlled to stop rotation of the paper feed roller . accordingly , there is no necessity of provision of a motor exclusively for a paper feed roller , resulting in reduction of the production cost corresponding thereto . in addition , there is no necessity of provision of a motor exclusively for a paper feed roller and a motor for a platen , eliminating the necessity of difficult control to operate the two motors in harmonized relationship and thus preventing possible troubles caused by incomplete harmonization of the motors , reducing the need for maintenance and repair of a paper feeding device . | 1 |
fig1 shows a first example of an illuminator 10 according to the invention , which comprises two light paths 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 originating from a common light source 12 . to define the light paths , there is provided a respective lens arrangement 16 - 1 or 16 - 2 respectively ( in each case comprising at least one lens ) and two deflecting mirrors 18 - 1 , 20 - 1 and 18 - 2 , 20 - 2 respectively . in the exemplary embodiment , the deflecting mirrors are arranged relative to the lamp 12 and relative to one another in such a way that the deflecting mirrors in each case divert the light paths by approximately 90 ° and the light paths 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 are substantially parallel to one another in places . such an arrangement is not compulsory , however . in the two light paths 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 , here in particular in a respective light path portion extending between the deflecting mirrors 18 - 1 and 20 - 1 or 18 - 2 and 20 - 2 respectively , there is in each case contained a light conditioning arrangement 22 - 1 or 22 - 2 respectively , which conditions the light incident from the lamp or light source 12 with regard to at least one parameter or one light property , for example wavelength selection . in the exemplary embodiment shown , wavelength selection is performed , and the light conditioning arrangement 22 - 1 embodied as a wavelength selection arrangement or comprising a wavelength selection arrangement allows through light at a central wavelength λ 1 with a passband width δλ 1 . the same applies to the light conditioning arrangement 22 - 2 constructed as a wavelength selection arrangement or comprising a wavelength selection arrangement , which allows light through at a central wavelength λ 2 with a passband width of δλ 2 . the central wavelengths λ 1 and λ 2 may lie comparatively far apart or comparatively close together , for example they may be only 20 nm apart . the wavelength selection arrangements may be so configured that the light allowed through is very narrow - band , for example in order specifically to excite special atomic or molecular transitions . a broadband discharge lamp , for example a xenon lamp , may be used as the light source for example . the light conditioning arrangements may advantageously also contain further light - influencing or conditioning elements , for example polarisers for providing polarised light , neutral filters or generally intensity attenuators or beam shaders for controlling the amount of photons allowed through and thus the intensity . consideration is given , for example , to the use of a beam shading arrangement corresponding to the example of fig6 . the wavelength selection arrangements may for example take the form of a suitable spectral filter or a monochromator arrangement . the selected wavelength and ideally also the passband width are preferably adjustable . a czerny - turner grating monochromator may for example find use as a wavelength selection arrangement . the deflecting mirrors 20 - 1 and 20 - 2 direct the light leaving the respective light conditioning arrangement 22 - 1 or 22 - 2 in the direction of a light path selector unit 24 , which , in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , takes the form of a rotatably mounted mirror 26 and an associated actuator 28 and may be controlled by means of an associated control electronic unit . the actuator 28 preferably takes the form of a galvanometer , so as to be able to adjust the mirror between different selected rotary positions with short adjustment times . to this end , the mirror 26 and all the rest of the optical system of the illuminator are preferably so configured relative to one another that a mirror with a comparatively small reflective surface and consequently low inertia mass may be used . another option is to use a linear actuator , which acts for example via a gearing on a rotary mirror or on a linearly displaceable mirror arrangement . in a selection position shown in fig1 , the deflecting mirror 26 of the light path selector unit 24 diverts the light incident from the deflecting mirror 20 - 1 by approximately 90 ° in the direction of a diaphragm 30 and a coupling optical system 32 arranged downstream of the diaphragm , which coupling optical system 32 couples the light incident into the coupling optical system 32 as efficiently as possible into a light guide 34 , e . g . an optical fibre , forming the single light output of the illuminator . the optical fibre 34 ( or generally a light guide or a light guide bundle 34 ) accordingly guides light with the central wavelength λ 1 and the spectral bandwidth δλ 1 . in a further selection position , for instance corresponding to rotation of the mirror 26 by 90 ° relative to the illustration in fig1 , the latter diverts the light incident from the deflecting mirror 20 - 2 with the wavelength λ 2 and the bandwidth δλ 2 in the direction of the diaphragm 30 and the coupling optical system 32 , in order to couple this light into the light guide 34 . in the two selection positions , each corresponding to selection of the light path 14 - 1 or 14 - 2 , the light irradiated from the in each case other light path falls on the back of the galvanometer mirror 26 preferably embodied as a light trap . in at least one further selected rotated position of the galvanometer mirror 26 , the light incident from the one light path onto the mirror falls onto or into a light trap 36 and the light incident from the other light path falls onto the non - reflecting back , which is preferably light - absorbing or embodied as a light trap , of the galvanometer mirror 26 . in this selection position of the galvanometer mirror 26 , no illumination light is coupled into the optical fibre 34 , and the light traps ensure low background intensity in this state . corresponding effects may also be achieved by means of at least one shutter arrangement at a suitable point in the illuminator 10 , which should be correspondingly quickly actuatable with regard to desired switching times . the light path selector unit may also be constructed on the basis of other components available to the person skilled in the art . micro - electromechanical systems are feasible , for example , which comprise an electrically adjustable adjusting mirror arrangement ( c . f . dmd / dlp technology ). it should be noted that the light path selector unit may also be used , irrespective of its structure , for intensity control of the light provided via the light guide 34 , by diverting the particular light beam in part , with a controlled fraction , onto the diaphragm 30 , such that correspondingly fewer photons enter the light guide 34 per unit time . there is no fear of the light exiting from the light guide at the other end exhibiting non - uniformities , since the light guide ensures homogenisation . by means of the illuminator according to the invention , light with parameters preselected for the individual light path may be made available to the coupling optical system 32 via both light paths in a selected time sequence and thus to a connected optical device via the light guide 34 . a very quick change should be possible from one light path to the other , for example within 0 . 2 to 2 ms , in order to couple different wavelengths very quickly one after the other ( at intervals of a few ms ) into a corresponding optical device , in particular a microscope , for example for biological applications , in particular biological microscopy . apart from the output light guide 34 , the light paths are embodied as “ free radiation light paths ”, i . e . are not formed of light guides . this makes it possible to collect the light emitted by the light source 12 over large solid angle ranges for both light paths and avoids losses on coupling into the light guide . fig2 is a schematic representation of an illuminator 10 with two light paths , which may correspond in their configuration substantially to the exemplary embodiment of fig1 . the two light paths 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 originate from the light source 12 and are guided through the light conditioning arrangements 22 - 1 and 22 - 2 respectively , which optionally take the form of “ light selectors ”. a light path selector unit 24 represented merely by a circle selects a selected one of the two light paths for connection to the output conductor 34 serving as a light output , which conductor 34 supplies corresponding light to an optical device , here a microscope 40 . fig2 also shows schematically reflectors 17 - 1 and 17 - 2 assigned to the light paths 14 - 1 and 14 - 2 originating from the light source 12 with their respective optical axes at an angle of less than 90 ° relative to a reference axis b , which reflectors reflect light from the light source 12 falling into a respective solid angle range , which is opposite to the incident solid angle range of the respective light path , into the relevant incident solid angle range , in order to collect the light originating from the light source 12 per light path over a correspondingly enlarged solid angle . further exemplary embodiments of advantageous illuminators are explained below with reference to fig3 to 5 , wherein identical reference numerals are used for similar or matching components , which numerals may differ from the previously used reference numerals only by a count digit appended after a hyphen . fig3 shows an advantageous embodiment with three light paths 14 - 1 , 14 - 2 and 14 - 3 , which in each case lead through a light conditioning arrangement 22 - 1 or 22 - 2 or 22 - 3 respectively . each of the light paths may be selected for coupling of the incident light into the light guide 34 by means of the light path selector unit 24 . at any one time , only one light path may be selected for this purpose . the exemplary embodiment of fig4 differs from the exemplary embodiment of fig3 in that two light guides 34 - 1 and 34 - 2 in each case serving as light outputs are provided , to each of which there is respectively assigned one coupling optical system 32 - 1 or 32 - 2 and one diaphragm 30 - 1 or 30 - 2 arranged upstream thereof . the two light outputs 34 - 1 and 34 - 2 may be supplied with light from any one of the light paths 14 - 1 , 14 - 2 and 14 - 3 by adjusting the light path selector unit 24 into corresponding selection positions or — more generally — selector states . at any one time , only one of the light outputs may in each case be supplied with illumination light . fig5 shows an advantageous illuminator , which likewise comprises three light paths 14 - 1 , 14 - 2 and 14 - 3 with a respective light conditioning arrangement 22 - 1 , 22 - 2 or 22 - 3 . like the illuminator in fig4 , the illuminator in fig5 comprises two light guides 34 - 1 and 34 - 2 in each case serving as light outputs , with assigned components 30 - 1 , 30 - 2 , 32 - 1 and 32 - 2 which may be served simultaneously with light from a respective light path by means of two light path selector units 24 and 25 . according to the configuration shown schematically in fig5 , the output 34 - 1 may be supplied with light from the light path 14 - 1 or 14 - 2 while the output 34 - 2 is simultaneously supplied with light from the light path 14 - 3 . in addition , the light path selector unit 24 may be adjusted into a first and a second state , by diverting the light incident from the light path 14 - 1 ( first state ) or the light incident from the light path 14 - 2 ( second state ) in the direction of the light path selector unit 25 , which , in a corresponding selector state , couples the light irradiated thereon into the output conductor 34 - 2 via the coupling optical system 32 - 2 . conversely , it is possible to connect the light path 14 - 3 to the output light guide 34 - 1 via the light path selector unit 25 and the light path selector unit 24 . in the latter three states of the illuminator , in each case only one of the output light guides is supplied with light from the relevant light path . here , a light path selector unit configuration was required , according to which at any one time a selected light path may be connected only with a determined or selected one of the light outputs and according to which a light output may at any one time receive light from only one light path . this is the case , for example , when the light path selector unit comprises an adjustable galvanometer mirror or the like for diversion purposes . then only alternating supply of two or more light outputs with the light from a selected light path or alternating supply of a light output with light from more than one light path is feasible . light path selector unit configurations are also wholly feasible , however , in which a part of the light irradiating from a selected light path is coupled into a first light output and another part of the light irradiating from this light path is coupled into at least one further light output . in addition it is wholly feasible for one light output to receive light simultaneously from a plurality of light paths . for example , in the case of the mentioned micromechanical mirror arrangement it is possible to adjust a proportion of the microscopic adjusting mirrors into a first selection position coupling light from one light path into a first output and at least a further proportion of the micromechanical mirrors into a further selection position coupling the light from the same light path into another output . in addition , light could be supplied by means of corresponding proportions from a plurality of light paths to a jointly assigned light output . fig6 shows a shading unit 50 embodied as a rotary disk , which may advantageously be used in a light path as a light conditioning arrangement or part of a light conditioning arrangement . the rotary disk 50 comprises a plurality of fields 52 - 1 and 52 - 2 , which may be adjusted by rotation of the disk into a light beam , represented by a circle 54 , of the respective light path , in order to shade the beam partially and to a greater or lesser extent by opaque or light - impervious zones 56 . in the case of a configuration of the illuminator with at least one output light guide , the respective light guide ensures the necessary homogeneity of illumination in the connected optical device . depending on the position of the disk 50 , the intensity provided is reduced in accordance with the shading achieved . the individual zones of the shading unit may be designed discretely ( as illustrated in fig6 ) or in the manner of a graduated filter . the latter makes it possible to control the intensity continuously . it should be pointed out that it is also perfectly feasible for the illuminator according to the invention to be embodied with more than two light outputs , optionally output light guides . an advantageous application for an illuminator according to the invention will be explained below with reference to fig7 . a microscope arrangement 60 is shown , which is provided for example for fluorescence microscopic applications . examples of feasible applications are those mentioned in patents de 41 15 401 c2 and de 42 28 366 c2 . the microscope arrangement 60 comprises an observation beam path 62 , which images an object plane 64 into an image plane 66 . imaging takes place by means of an imaging arrangement comprising at least two lenses or objectives 68 and 70 such as are known per se from the prior art . for measurements or investigations , an object or microscope slide with object 72 may be arranged in the object plane 64 . in the image plane 66 , a detector arrangement may be arranged , for example a single detector ( for instance a semiconductor detector ) or — for two - dimensional resolution — a detector field ( for instance a ccd chip ). a corresponding detector is designated 74 in fig7 . the microscope arrangement of fig7 comprises two incident - light illumination beam paths 80 and 82 , which may be supplied with illumination light from an assigned illuminator via a respective light guide 84 or 86 respectively . the light guides 84 and 86 may for example comprise the light guide 34 - 1 and the light guide 34 - 2 of the illuminator according to fig4 or fig5 . another possibility is that either the light guide 84 or the light guide 86 represents the output light guide 34 according to the examples of fig1 to 3 . the light leaving the respective light guide is coupled into the respective illumination beam path by means of a suitable imaging optical system ( represented by a lens 88 or 90 respectively ), for example in such a way that “ critical illumination ” is achieved , in which the required visual field is fully and uniformly illuminated with light from the respective light guide . to this end , the outlet end of the respective light guide is imaged into the object plane 34 . other illumination types , e . g . so - called köhler illumination , may also be achieved . provision of the two or at least two incident - light illumination beam paths makes it possible to illuminate the object 72 simultaneously with light exhibiting two different wavelengths . for example , the visual field required may be uniformly and fully illuminated by incident light by means of the beam path 80 ( for instance the mentioned “ critical illumination ”). light of a different wavelength may additionally be irradiated into the object plane via the beam path 82 , for example in order to activate “ caged compounds ” in the object , such that these release substances stored in the “ cage ” which , for example , switch channels in biological cells to open . such caged compounds may be activated specifically by the irradiation of uv light . the uv light required for release of the active substances may be irradiated according to the example mentioned herein via the beam path 82 into the object plane 64 , wherein it may be eminently sensible also to provide “ critical illumination ” of the object plane with the uv light . fig8 shows a variant embodiment in which an intermediate image plane 92 is provided in the illumination beam path 82 , in which plane masks or patterns may be arranged in order to be able specifically to illuminate particular areas of the object 72 for activation of caged compounds with uv light . for specific illumination of particular areas , an adjustable diaphragm 94 may additionally also be provided in the incident - light illumination beam path 82 , more precisely in the intermediate image plane 92 or closely adjacent thereto . the intermediate image plane 92 is formed by an imaging arrangement 90 - 1 and 90 - 2 , which is represented in fig8 by two lenses . an image defined in the intermediate image plane 92 by a mask or a pattern may be firmly set relative to the visual field . in this case , it is convenient for the object under investigation 72 to be adjustable relative to the beam path for instance with a microscope stage . another option is for the respective mask or the respective pattern to be adjustable in the intermediate image plane 92 or for the image of this mask in the object plane to be adjustable optically ( for instance by means of a deflecting optical system ). adaptation of a respective mask to the respective object under investigation may be provided , for example on the basis of an overview recording of the object , for instance in order to define a region in a cell to be investigated in which the cell is to be treated with the released caged compounds . as a result of release of the caged compounds , changes take place in the object , which may be observed directly or indirectly on detection of the fluorescent light originating from the object . advantageously , a correspondingly two - dimensional image may be displayed on a screen by means of a detector field 74 . the measuring applications mentioned here should be understood to be examples only . other investigations , e . g . frap experiments , may also be performed . it should be added with reference to the microscope arrangements according to fig7 and 8 that the two incident - light beam paths 80 and 82 coincide partly with the observation beam path 62 . to this end , two dichroic mirrors 96 and 98 are provided , which reflect the illumination wavelengths of the light irradiated from the light guide 84 or 86 into the observation beam path 62 , but let through fluorescent light originating from the object 72 in the direction of the image plane 66 . fig7 additionally also shows in broken lines the possibility of bringing together a plurality of incident - light illumination beam paths , namely the incident - light illumination beam paths 80 and 82 ′, prior to reflection into the observation beam path 62 by means of a dichroic mirror 98 ′ and then reflecting them jointly by means of the dichroic mirror 96 into the observation beam path 63 . the incident - light beam path 82 ′ ( with associated light guide 86 ′ and associated imaging optical system 90 ′) may replace the incident - light beam path 82 in this respect or be provided in addition thereto . the microscope arrangements 60 of fig7 and 8 additionally comprise in each case a transmitted - light beam path 100 , which may be supplied with illumination light from an illuminator according to the invention by means of a light guide 102 . the light guide 102 may for example correspond to one of the output light guides 34 or 34 - 1 or 34 - 2 of the exemplary embodiments of fig1 to 5 . the light guide may further also correspond to a third output light guide which is additional with respect to these exemplary embodiments . transmitted - light illumination of the object 72 may take place , for example , in such a way that the output end of the light guide 102 is imaged into the object plane 64 by means of a corresponding optical system 104 . other types of illumination known in the specialist field are also suitable . for example , it is feasible for the transmitted - light illumination beam path 100 to be used in combination with the incident - light illumination beam path 80 , in order to be able to switch between “ incident - light fluorescence ” illumination and a “ transmitted - light contrast method ” during an investigation , in particular for example especially for recording an image . | 6 |
the invention will provide torque capability in addition to ratchet capability , and additionally , accommodate a variety of nut sizes . this wrench is designed to address flare nut issues , and a hex nut in particular . the primary object of this invention is to provide a wrench of the flare - nut and / or crow - foot type having a hexagonal jaw opening that can be fitted over a tubing or line and down onto the hexagonal connection or joint , and when once in place , it can be operated with a ratcheting action and the like without ever having to be removed ; that is , the wrench from the tubing or line connection for purposes of securing a new grip for succeeding turns . the invention will be compact in design , provided , however , that suitable materials are selected . the top cover plate and cylindrical cam design are important aspects which require careful design considerations . suitable materials are primarily metals , in particular , steels and hardened steels , including metal coated steels such as chrome coated . plastic materials are usable in selected areas such as for adjusting mechanisms and handles , and when used as coatings for metals . fig1 a - 1b show an isometric view of a rotating cylindrical cam 101 and a top view . the rotating cylindrical cam includes a machined area 103 which is used for the ratchet effect and allows the nut points to pass by the cam , and press against it to rotate it . the area could be in the shape of a circle segment ( preferred ) or in the shape of a straight line depending upon clearance tolerances between the nut and the wrench opening , or the size of the cylindrical cam . a hole 102 is provided for a pin ( see fig5 ). a recess area 104 is machined below the top area of the cylindrical cam 105 ( and also on the opposite end ) so that the cam will rotate when used with an associated right angle spring 201 a ( see fig2 b ). each cylindrical cam will have one right angle spring . fig2 b shows two embodiments of a right angle torque spring 201 a , b that are used to create the ratchet effect . its location in the lower recessed area of the cylindrical cam ( area 104 in fig1 b ) as illustrated in fig2 a , and pressed against the sides of the top area of the cylindrical cam ( area 105 in fig1 b ) as also illustrated . the right angle torque spring may be stiffened or weakened by varying the thickness and material used , and in one embodiment is a wire rather than the flat spring illustrated . in another embodiment , the right angle torque spring is a built up spring 201 b where the thickness of the straight portions is greater . fig3 a and 3b show cylinder cam arrangements suitable for flare nut wrenches which are useful for tightening nuts on tubing . a flare nut wrench is useful for brake lines , hydraulic lines , air conditioning lines , and higher pressure tubing . the wrench opening is designed to be larger than the tubing outside diameter , and the open end wrench is first slipped onto the tubing . secondly , the wrench is then slipped onto the nut . in this case , three cylinder cams are used to develop the desired torque because the design also allows for a variable nut size . as seen in fig3 a , a preferred embodiment of a ratchet flare wrench is shown . in this embodiment , a nut size adjusting mechanism is in place which allows two cylinder cams 304 a , b to be adjusted in position based on the nut size . the moving or adjustable cylinder cams 304 a , b are mounted on guide blocks 303 a , b , which are moved by a thumbwheel 307 . the thumbwheel rotates a drive train 308 which includes flexible 90 degree bends 301 , and rotates end gears 310 a , b . the end gears drive idler gears 311 a , b which move the guide blocks 303 a , b . the guide blocks 303 a , b incorporate teeth which engage with the idler gear 311 a , b teeth . the guide blocks must be set up at an angle 306 which is 60 degrees from each other and positioned so that the moving cylinder cams 304 a , b on each guide block will touch approximately at the center of the hex nut . a fixed or wrench body cylinder cam 305 position does not vary with the size of nut . this is necessary for the ratchet effect to work correctly and to allow different size nuts to work . however , a universal size wrench is not desirable as a practical matter , a range of nut sizes 301 a , b will be associated with each ratchet flare wrench . all of the hardware is mounted on the wrench body 302 . it should be noted that the gear train may include other designed connections than the ninety degree angle 306 shown . depending upon the size of the wrench body , other angles could be chosen which will increase ( or possibly decrease the angle ) the angle to make the drive train more compact . also , a greater angle may be easier to drive , depending upon the materials chosen . fig3 c shows a rotated nut and how the guide adjustment is suitable for a variety of nut sizes ( 312 a , b as shown in fig3 a - 3b ). as shown , the movable guide blocks follow the corners of the nut as it reduces in size . this angle is optimum for orienting the motion of the two movable guide block assemblies . fig4 a - 4d show various types of guide block assemblies . the guide blocks are inserted into hollow cavities in the wrench body as illustrated in fig5 . fig4 a , for example , shows a guide block assembly that has a rectangular insert body shape . fig4 b is an ellipse body shape , fig4 c is a cross , and fig4 d is a rectangular cross section with a guide rail . all of these cross sections allow the guide blocks to move in and out toward the nut smoothly with a controlled movement so that the desired increase or decrease in nut size is properly accommodated . these illustrated guide block assembly body shapes are only illustrative , and not complete list of the possibilities . fig5 shows an exploded view of a preferred embodiment assembly . a top cover plate 501 is used to cover the guide block adjustment assembly . an end threaded pin or screw 519 acts as a pin for the cylinder ram 512 that is located in the middle of the wrench body . the two movable cylinder rams 504 a , b are mounted inside the ends of movable guide blocks 505 a , b which themselves also have guide block top plates 503 a , b and guide block bottom plates 506 a , b . the guide block bottom plates also have the needed pin and stops for the cylinder rams 504 a , b . stops ( not shown ) are also located under the guide block top plates 503 a , b . a thumbwheel 511 actuates drive train 509 , including flexible 90 degree bends 510 a , b , to rotate end gearing 508 a , b . the end gearing then turns idler gears 507 a , b to move the guide blocks 505 a , b by use of machined teeth on one side . the left hand / right hand rotation of the two end gears 508 a , b are chosen as so that a single rotating direction of the thumbwheel will coordinate the motion of the guide blocks 505 a , b so that they both move in or out simultaneously . the wrench body 514 has machined recesses 513 a , b which are used to receive the guide blocks 505 a , b along with their respective top and bottom plates , and additionally , their cylinder rams . additionally , the wrench body has machined recess 520 for the thumbwheel drive system and idler gears . a third , fixed cylinder ram 512 , which is longer than the guide block cylinder rams 504 a , b , is fitted into the wrench body . the machined recess in the wrench body includes a flat plate ( not shown ) to receive the cylinder ram pin 519 and includes a stop 517 . six screws 518 are used to complete the assembly of fig5 and thread into the wrench body 514 . an additional stop for the cylindrical ram ( not shown ) is under the top cover plate . another important embodiment is shown in fig6 . a thumbwheel 610 is rotated and drives a first shaft 611 which turns a main gear 612 . the main gear 612 drives two spur gears 613 a , b which drive second shafts 614 a , b and worm gears 615 a , b . the worm gears 615 a , b turn idler gears 616 a , b , which in turn , move the guide blocks 617 a , b in and out in a coordinated manner as described before . again , the design of the gearing is such that the guide blocks either move in together or move out together . fig7 a - 7d show how the assembled torque flare nut wrench is rotated in one direction for torque and the opposite direction for the ratchet effect . in fig7 a , the cylinder cams are designed to almost touch on the hex nut at the mid - point on three faces as illustrated . when the wrench is rotated in the counter clockwise direction in fig7 b , which is the torque direction , the cylinder cams all engage on the hex nut . fig7 c show the wrench when it is turned in the opposite direction , which is clockwise or the ratchet direction . in this case the tips of the nut points engage the cylinder cams differently , and just begin to rotate the cylinder cams against the torsion springs . in fig7 d , the cylinder cam rotation is complete and the wrench is ratcheting past the cylinder cams . the cylinder cam torsion springs will return the cylinder cams to their torque ready position as soon as the nut tips pass by the machined area of the cylinder cams . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described , the invention may be modified and adapted to various operational methods to those skilled in the art . therefore , this invention is not limited to the description and figure shown herein , and includes all such embodiments , changes , and modifications that are encompassed by the scope of the claims . | 1 |
hereinafter , the present invention is described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention . however , the measurements , materials , and shapes of the structural components of the image forming apparatuses in the preferred embodiments of the present invention , and the positional relationship among the components , are not intended to limit the present invention in scope . that is , they are to be altered as necessary according to the structure of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied , and also , various conditions under which the apparatus is used . next , referring to fig1 and 2 , the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is described . fig1 is a sectional view of a laser printer as one of the examples of the image forming apparatus in accordance with the present invention . it shows the general structure of the printer . the multicolor image forming operation of this laser printer is as follows . in each of the multiple image formation stations of the apparatus , an electrostatic latent image is formed in response to the beam of laser light emitted while being modulated with pixel signals sent from the control section of the image forming apparatus . the electrostatic latent image is developed into a visible image . then , the multiple visible images , different in color , are transferred in layers onto the intermediary transferring means of the apparatus , effecting a full - color image on the intermediary transferring means . then , the full - color image is transferred onto a sheet 2 of recording medium , and fixed to the sheet 2 . the image forming apparatus has multiple image formation stations , the number of which corresponds to the number of developers which the apparatus uses . the image formation stations are aligned in parallel in the direction in which a sheet 2 of recording medium is conveyed through the apparatus . each image formation station is made up of a photosensitive drum 5 ( 5 y , 5 m , 5 c or 5 k ), a charging device 7 ( 7 y , 7 m , 7 c or 7 k , as primary charging device ), a developing device 8 ( 8 y , 8 m , 8 c or 8 k ), and an intermediary transferring member 12 . the photosensitive drum 5 , charging device 7 , and developing device 8 are mounted in a cartridge 22 ( 22 y , 22 m , 22 c or 22 k ) which is removably ( replaceably ) mountable in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus . the multiple cartridges are practically the same in structure and operation , although they are different in the color of the toner ( developer ) they use . thus , they are going to be described together with reference to one of them , and the suffixes y , m , c and k , which are for showing the color of the toner ( developer ) contained in each cartridge , are not going to be shown unless necessary . a cartridge 22 is equivalent to any of the image formation units of the image forming apparatus . the photosensitive drum 5 is an image bearing member . it is made up of an aluminum cylinder , and an organic photoconductive layer formed on the peripheral surface of the aluminum cylinder by coating . it is rotated in the clockwise direction by driving force transmitted thereto from an unshown motor , in synchronism with the progression of an image forming operation . the beam of light for exposing the photosensitive drum 5 is sent from a scanner section 10 of the apparatus . the image forming apparatus is structured so that as the numerous points of the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 5 are exposed , an electrostatic latent image is effected on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 5 . the image forming apparatus is provided with four charging devices 7 , which are for charging the four photosensitive drums 5 in the four formation stations ( y ), ( m ), ( c ) and ( k ), one for one . the four charging devices 7 are provided with primary charge rollers 7 yr , 7 mr , 7 cr and 7 kr , one for one . further , the image forming apparatus is provided with four developing devices 8 , one for each image formation station . the developing devices 8 are for developing an electrostatic latent image into a visible image with the use of toner ( developer ). the four developing devices 8 are provided with development rollers 8 yr , 8 mr , 8 cr and 8 kr , one for one . further , each developing device 8 is provided with a toner storage in which the toner d , which will be described later , is stored . further , it is structured so that the residual toner amount in the toner storage can be detected . the image forming apparatus is structured so that the intermediary transferring member 12 is in contact with all the photosensitive drum 5 , and also so that as the photosensitive drums 5 are rotated for color image formation , the intermediary transferring member 12 is circularly moved in the counterclockwise direction ( in fig1 ) by the rotation of the photosensitive drums 5 . as the primary transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer roller 4 in each image formation station , the visible image on the photosensitive drum 5 is transferred onto the intermediary transferring member 12 by the primary transfer bias , in the nip ( primary transfer nip ) between the photosensitive drum 5 and primary transfer roller 4 . in other words , multiple ( four ) monochromatic color images , different in color , are sequentially transferred in layers onto the intermediary transferring member 12 . then , as the area of the intermediary transferring member 12 , on which the visible image is present , is conveyed , along with a sheet 2 of recording medium , through the nip ( secondary transfer nip ) between the intermediary transferring member 12 and secondary transfer roller 9 , the multiple monochromatic color images on the intermediary transferring member 12 are transferred together in layers onto the sheet 2 . the fixing station 13 is the station in which the transferred visible multicolor image on the sheet 2 of recording medium is fixed to the sheet 2 while the sheet 2 is conveyed through the station . the fixing station 13 is equipped with a fixation roller 14 for heating the sheet 2 , and a pressure roller 15 for keeping the sheet 2 pressed upon the fixation roller 14 . the fixation roller 14 and pressure roller 15 are hollow . further , there is a heater in the hollow of the fixation roller 14 . more concretely , the sheet 2 on which the multicolor images are present is conveyed through the fixation nip which the fixation roller 14 and pressure roller 15 form . while the sheet 2 is conveyed through the fixation nip , heat and pressure applied to the sheet 2 and the multicolor image thereon . thus , the toners of which the multicolor image is made up are fixed to one of the surfaces of the sheet 2 . after the fixation of the visible image to the sheet 2 , the sheet 2 is discharged into a delivery section 27 ( tray ), ending the image forming operation . next , referring to fig2 , the process for detecting the residual amount of toner ( developer ) in the process cartridge , by transmitting a beam of light through the toner ( developer ) storage of the process cartridge , in this embodiment , is described . fig2 is a schematic sectional view of the process cartridge 22 in this embodiment , and shows the general structure of the cartridge 22 . referring to fig2 , the developing device 8 of the cartridge 22 contains toner d . it has : a toner storage 301 ( developer storage ) in which the toner d is stored ; and a toner stirring member 305 for stirring the toner d in the toner storage 301 . the toner storage 301 is provided with a pair of light transmission windows 303 and 304 , through which a beam of light is projected through the toner storage 301 . also referring to fig2 , the image forming apparatus has a light emitting section 300 and a light receiving section 302 . the light emitting section 300 is for emitting a beam of light to detect the residual amount of toner in the toner storage 301 ( developer storage ). the light receiving section 302 is for receiving the beam of light transmitted through the toner storage 301 from the light emitting section 300 . in this embodiment , the light emitting section 300 is an led , and the light receiving section 302 is a ptr ( photo - transistor ). the residual toner amount detecting method of the so - called light transmission type is such a residual toner amount detecting method that projects a beam of light though the toner storage 301 to detect the residual amount of toner in the toner storage 301 . the image forming apparatus is structured so that when there is no toner in the toner storage 301 ( when residual amount of toner is no more than preset value ), the beam of light from the light emitting section 300 , which is made to enter the toner storage 301 through the light transmission window 303 , passes through the toner storage 301 , exits from the toner storage 301 through the light transmission window 304 , and is guided to the light receiving section 302 . further , the image forming apparatus is structured so that when there is a sufficient amount of toner d in the toner storage 301 , the beam of light from the light emitting section 300 is blocked by the toner d in the light beam passage between the light transmission windows 303 and 304 , failing thereby from reaching the light receiving section 302 . further , the image forming apparatus in this embodiment is structured so that during the process of detecting the residual amount of toner in the developing device 8 , the cpu 205 ( central processing unit , which will be described later in detail ), drives the developing means driving motor 211 ( which also will be described later in detail ) with preset intervals to rotate the toner stirring member 305 with the preset intervals . that is , while the residual toner amount is detected , the toner stirring member 305 is rotated with the preset intervals , and therefore , the beam of light put through the toner storage 301 is intermittently blocked even if there is no toner d in the toner storage 301 . therefore , the period in which the light receiving section 302 receives the beam of light and the period in which the light receiving section 302 does not receive the beam of light alternate . when a certain amount of toner d is remaining in the toner storage 301 , the toner d is moved through the light beam passage by the toner stirring member 305 . therefore , when a certain amount of toner d is remaining in the toner storage 301 , the length of time the beam of light remains blocked is longer than when there is no toner d in the toner storage 301 . the length of time the residual toner amount detection beam of light remains blocked is related to the amount of toner in the toner storage 301 . therefore , the amount of toner d in the toner storage 301 can be detected by obtaining the ratio of the length of time the beam of light remains blocked , relative to the frequency ( which hereafter will be referred to as stirring frequency ) with which the toner stirring member 305 is rotated . incidentally , the amount of toner d in the toner storage 301 can be detected by comparing the ratio of the length of time the beam of light is received , relative to the length of time the beam of light is emitted , instead of comparing the ratio of the length of time the beam of light is blocked , relative to the length of time the beam of light is emitted . fig3 b is a block diagram of the residual toner amount detecting section 207 as the optical residual toner amount detecting device ( residual toner amount deriving device ) in this embodiment . it shows the general structure of the residual toner amount detecting system . referring to fig3 b , the residual toner amount detecting section 207 has a light reception detecting section 212 , a light reception length counter 213 , and a residual toner amount calculating section 214 ( conversion section ), in addition to the light emitting section 300 and light receiving section 302 . the output of the light receiving section 302 is inputted into the light reception detecting section 212 , which sends an output signal ( which hereafter will be referred to as light reception signal ) to the light reception length counter 213 only when the light received by the light reception detecting section 212 is higher in signal level than a preset value . the light reception length counter 213 measures the length of time it receives the light reception signal , and sends the value of the measured length of time it received the light reception signal to the residual toner amount calculating section 214 . the residual toner amount calculating section 214 calculates the residual toner amount in the toner storage 301 ( ratio a (%) of residual amount of toner in toner storage 301 relative to maximum amount of toner storable in toner storage 301 ), and sends the residual toner amount a (%), as the residual toner amount data , to the cpu 205 . here , the method for detecting the residual amount of toner in one of the cartridges in the image forming apparatus was described . in this embodiment , however , each image formation station is provided with the above described residual toner amount detecting section 207 . thus , each image formation station can calculate the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage 301 in the process cartridge therein , and send the amount of toner remaining in the toner storage 301 to the cpu 205 , independently from the other image formation stations . further , in this embodiment , the speed at which the toner stirring member 305 is rotated with the preset frequency when the residual amount of toner in the toner storage 301 is detected is set to ⅓ the speed at which the developing means driving motor 211 is rotated during a printing operation ( image forming operation ), because the rotational speed of the toner stirring member 305 affects the accuracy with which the residual amount of toner in the toner storage 301 can be detected . more concretely , the rotational speed of the toner stirring member 305 affects how the toner d in the toner storage 301 mixes with the air in the toner storage 301 as the toner d is stirred by the toner stirring member 305 , and also , the state of mixture between the toner d and air . that is , the rotational speed of the toner stirring member 305 affects the fluidity of the toner d in the toner storage 301 . generally speaking , the faster the rotational speed of the toner stirring member 305 , the better the toner d mixes with air , becoming thereby higher in fluidity , whereas the slower the rotational speed of the toner stirring member 305 , the less the toner d mixes with air , being therefore lower in fluidity . when the toner d is high in fluidity , it quickly covers the light transmission window 303 as soon as the toner stirring member 305 wipes away the body of toner d on the surface of the light transmission window 303 . thus , there is little difference between the length of time the beam of light is detected by the light receiving section 302 when a substantial amount of toner is remaining in the toner storage 301 and the length of time the beam of light is detected by the light receiving section 303 when only a small amount of toner is remaining in the toner storage 301 , making it impossible for the residual toner amount in the toner storage 301 to be accurately detected . for the reason given above , it is necessary to stop ( interrupt ) the on - going printing operation , and reduce the speed at which the developing device driving motor 211 is rotated to drive the toner stirring member 305 , to ⅓ the speed at which the motor 211 is rotated during the normal printing operation . thus , downtime occurs . further , as described above , when the residual toner amount is detected , the developing device driving motor 211 is driven . thus , in a case where the photosensitive drum 5 is in connection to the developing device driving motor 211 , the photosensitive drum 5 is rotated while the residual toner amount is detected . therefore , it is feared that the operation for detecting the residual amount of toner in the toner storage 301 leads to shortening of the service life of the cartridge 22 . next , referring to the block diagram in fig3 a , the system structure of the entirety of the control section of the image forming apparatus in this embodiment is described . referring to fig3 a , designated by referential codes 200 and 201 are a host computer and a controller section 201 , respectively . designated by a referential code 203 is an engine control section , which has a video - interface 204 , a cpu 205 , a cartridge nvram control 206 , the residual toner amount detecting section 207 , a toner consumption amount estimating section 208 , a residual photosensitive drum life detecting section 221 , and the residual toner amount detection management section 222 . the controller section 201 receives image information and a print command from the host computer 200 . it analyzes the received image information , and converts the information into bit data . then , it transmits a print reservation command , a print start command , and video signals to the engine control section 203 , per sheet of recording medium , through the video - interface section 204 . the cpu 205 of the engine control section 203 carries out or ends an image forming apparatus by sending power to various actuators 210 , based on the information it obtained with the use of various sensors 209 . the cpu 205 has a rom in which program codes and program data are stored , and a ram 220 in which the data are temporarily stored . among the actuators 210 , the developing device driving motor 211 in each of the image formation stations y , m , c and k is in connection to the photosensitive drum 5 , development roller 8 r , and toner stirring member 305 in the image formation station . as the cpu 205 rotates the developing device driving motor 211 by outputting a signal , the photosensitive drum 5 , development roller 8 r , and toner stirring member 305 are provided with the force which drives them . the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 receives the picture element signal sent from the controller section 201 , and estimates the amount of toner consumption for each image formation station , based on the received picture element signals . the residual toner amount detecting section 207 determines the residual amount of toner in the toner storage 301 by operating the light emitting section 300 and light receiving section 302 shown in fig2 . the cartridge nvram control section 206 is in connection to the nvram reading / writing section 306 of the cartridge shown in fig2 . it can write information into the cartridge nvram 307 , or can read information from the cartridge nvram 307 . the residual photosensitive drum life detecting section 221 receives from the cpu 205 , the speed at which the photosensitive drum 5 is driven . then , it converts the speed into the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 5 . then , it determines the residual life of the photosensitive drum 5 , based on the total number of rotations ( cumulative number of rotation ) of the photosensitive drum 5 . then , it deduces , as the residual life b of the photosensitive drum 5 , the ratio of the total number of times the photosensitive drum 5 is going to be rotated from when the residual life of the photosensitive drum 5 is detected by the residual photosensitive drum life detecting section 221 to when the photosensitive drum 5 will reach the end of its life , relative to the total number of times the photosensitive drum 5 is going to be rotated from when the cartridge 22 is brand - new to when the photosensitive drum 5 reaches the end of its life . the deduced residual life b of the photosensitive drum 5 is stored in the cartridge nvram 307 by the cartridge nvram control section 206 . the image forming apparatus can be prevented from outputting a foggy image , by determining the residual life b of the cartridge based on the determination of the residual length of the life of the photosensitive drum 5 . here , the photosensitive drum 5 is one of the movable members of the cartridge . further , the residual photosensitive drum life detecting section 221 is the means for deducing the amount by which the photosensitive drum 5 was made to operate from when the photosensitive drum 5 is brand - new . then , the detected amount of residual toner in the toner storage 301 described above is compared with the calculated amount of residual service life of the photosensitive drum 5 . then , the smaller of the two is used as the residual length of the service life of the cartridge . therefore , it becomes possible to prevent the image forming apparatus from outputting an image which suffer from either unintended white spots or fog . further , in a case where the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 detected by the residual toner amount detection process becomes no more than a preset value and / or in a case where the photosensitive drum 5 reaches the end of its service life , it is determined that the cartridge 22 has reached the end of its service life . in this embodiment , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 receives the residual life of the cartridge 22 ( residual amount of toner and residual life of cartridge ) through the cpu 205 . then , based on the received residual length of the life of the cartridge 22 , it determines whether it is necessary to detect the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 ( toner storage 301 ). if it determines that the detection is necessary , it detects the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 . the residual toner amount detection management section 222 is equivalent to the means for detecting the residual toner amount . the process carried out by the residual toner amount detection management section 222 to determine whether it is necessary to detect the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 or not is described later . next , the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 ( calculating device ) which estimates the amount by which toner ( developer ) is consumed during an image forming operation is described . generally speaking , the amount of toner consumption is proportional to the number of pixel signals ( pixel count ) as the pixel information of an image to be outputted , that is , the information of an image to be formed on a sheet p of recording medium by an image forming operation . thus , the amount w of toner consumption is estimated with the use of the following mathematical equation : the toner consumption amount w is expressed in the form of percentage relative to the total amount ( 100 %) of toner in a brand - new process cartridge . a term “ pc ” represents the pixel counts , that is , the number of times the beam of light is turned on to expose the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 5 , and its measurement unit is a pixel . a term “ wdot ” represents the toner consumption amount per pixel , and its measurement unit is a %/ pixel . further , the value of the term “ wdot ” is determined by the toner capacity of the cartridge 22 . fig3 c is a block diagram of the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 , as the residual developer amount estimating means , in this embodiment . it shows the structure of the section 208 . referring to fig3 c , the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 has a pixel signal input section 215 , a pixel signal counter 216 , a toner consumption estimating section 217 , and an estimated toner consumption amount outputting section 218 . the image data sent from the host computer 200 are expanded by the controller section 201 , and then , are converted into pixel signals for the image to be outputted . then , the pixel signals are inputted into the pixel signal input section 215 by way of the video - interface section 204 of the engine control section 203 , and are converted in signal form from the analog form ( low voltage / high voltage form ) into the digital form ( 1 / 0 form ) to make it easier for the pixel signal counter 216 to count . the pixel signal counter 216 counts the total number of the pixel signals generated per page by the pixel signal inputting section 215 , and outputs the value of the above - described pc per page . the outputted value of pc is sent to the toner consumption amount estimating section 217 . then , the toner consumption amount w is calculated with the use of equation ( 1 ) given above . the calculated amount w of toner consumption is outputted to the cpu 205 by way of the toner consumption amount outputting section 218 . the cpu 205 consecutively obtains the estimated residual toner amount by subtracting the toner consumption amount w from the residual toner amount a obtained by the above described residual toner amount detecting section 207 . further , the cpu 205 adds the toner consumption amount w which it received from the toner consumption amount data outputting section 218 , to the cumulative toner consumption amount wint stored in the ram 220 of the cpu 205 , obtaining thereby the current total amount of toner consumption in the cartridge 22 ( current cumulative amount of toner consumption wint ). then , cpu 205 demands the cartridge nvram control section 206 to write the cumulative toner consumption amount wint , and the cartridge nvram control section 206 stores the cumulative toner consumption amount wint in the nvram 307 with which the cartridge 22 is provided . this process is required because the cartridge 22 is removably mountable in the image forming apparatus . thus , as the cpu 205 detects that the cartridge 22 in the image forming apparatus has just been replaced , it carries out the following operation . that is , the cpu 205 replaces the cumulative toner consumption amount wint in the ram 220 of the cpu 205 , with the cumulative toner consumption amount wint in the nvram 207 of the new cartridge , through the cartridge nvram control section 206 . therefore , even if the cartridge in the printer is replaced with another cartridge , it becomes possible for the cumulative toner consumption amount wint to be accurately obtained . the cpu 205 can obtain the estimated amount of toner consumption at a given point in time , using the following method . this method uses three criteria , that is , the last residual toner amount a obtained by the residual toner amount detecting section 207 , a referential toner consumption amount wb ( cumulative toner consumption amount wint stored when residual toner amount a was obtained ), and cumulative toner consumption amount wint at a given point in time . that is , the residual toner amount at a given point in time can be consecutively obtained with the use of the following equation : next , referring to fig4 ( a ), the process to be carried out , as the means for calculating the interval with which the residual developer amount is to be detected , by the residual toner amount detection management section 222 to calculate the interval with which the residual toner amount is to be detected , and the conventional process which uses the results of the residual toner amount detection interval calculation to determine whether or not the residual toner amount is to be carried out , are described . fig4 ( a ) is a drawing which shows the conventional process carried out by the residual toner amount detection management section 222 to determine whether or not the residual toner amount is to be detected . in the following description of this subject , the process carried out by only one of the cartridges in the image forming apparatus to determine whether or not the residual toner amount is to be detected , is described in order to make the description simpler . however , in the case of an image forming apparatus , such as the one in this embodiment , which employs multiple process cartridges , the residual amount of toner in the cartridge is detected even if it is only one of the cartridges that needs to be detected in the residual amount of toner . the cpu 205 makes the image forming apparatus carry out a printing operation , and each time the cumulative residual toner consumption amount wint is renewed , it makes the residual toner amount detection management section 222 carry out the process , shown in fig4 ( a ), for determining whether or not the residual toner amount is to be detected . the residual toner amount detection management section 222 compares the residual toner amount detection threshold value wth , which was obtained when the residual toner amount was detected last time , with the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb ( which is cumulative toner consumption amount at point in time when residual toner amount was detected last time ) and current cumulative toner consumption amount wint . if the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and cumulative toner consumption amount wint is no less than the threshold value wth for determining whether or not the residual toner amount is to be detected , the cpu 205 determines that the residual toner amount is to be detected ( s 501 ). if the difference is no more than the threshold value wth , the cpu 205 does not make the residual toner amount detection management section 222 detect the residual amount of toner in the cartridge , and ends the residual toner amount detection timing management process , that is , the process for determining whether or not the residual toner amount is to be detected ( s 501 ). if the cpu 205 determines that the residual amount of toner needs to be detected , it interrupts the on - going printing operation to detect the residual toner amount . then , it begins to drive the developing device driving motor 211 at the speed for detecting the residual toner amount ( s 502 ). as it begins to rotate the toner stirring member 305 by driving the developing device driving motor 211 , it commands the residual toner amount detecting section 207 to detect the residual toner amount . the residual toner amount detecting section 207 calculates the residual toner amount a by carrying out the aforementioned process for detecting the residual toner amount , and sends the calculated residual toner amount a to the cpu 205 ( s 503 ). as the residual toner amount detection management section 222 receives the residual toner amount a transmitted from the residual toner amount detecting section 207 by way of the cpu 205 , it obtains the threshold value wth for determining the residual toner amount detection interval ( s 504 ). then , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 replaces the value of the referential toner consumption amount wb with the value of the current cumulative toner consumption amount wint ( s 505 ). then , as soon as the process for detecting the residual amount of toner ends , the cpu 205 switches the speed of the developing device driving motor 211 from the one to which it was changed in s 502 , to its normal speed for an printing operation , ending thereby the residual toner amount detection timing management process , that is , the process for determining whether it is the time for detecting the residual toner amount ( s 506 ). then , it restarts the interrupted printing operation . here , the threshold value wth for determining whether or not it is the time for the residual toner amount detection is obtained by carrying out the process for calculating the interval for detecting the residual toner amount . in this embodiment , the threshold value wth is determined by the residual toner amount detected by the residual toner amount detecting section 207 and the threshold value function fth in mathematical formula ( 2 ): the function max ( p 1 , p 2 , . . . p n ) is a function for obtaining the maximum value for parameters p i ( i : 1 - n ). fig5 shows the relationship between the residual toner amount a and the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth , that is , the value for determining whether or not it is the time for detecting the residual toner amount a . referring to fig5 , the threshold value wth for determining whether or not it is the time for the residual toner amount detection is set so that the greater the residual toner amount , the longer the residual toner amount detection interval , and the smaller the residual toner amount , the shorter the residual toner amount detection interval , for the following reason . that is , when the residual toner amount is large , it is unnecessary to very accurately detect the residual toner amount , whereas when the residual toner amount is small , it is necessary to accurately detect the residual toner amount to accurately grasp the timing with which the cartridge runs out of toner , so that a user can be informed of the accurate timing with which the cartridge runs out of toner . the reason why 3 % is set as the smallest value for the threshold value wth for setting the residual toner amount detection interval is for preventing the problem that toward the end of the service life of the cartridge , the residual toner amount is frequently detected , which results in the increase in downtime . next , referring to fig6 , how the residual toner amount in one of the cartridges is detected through the above described residual toner amount detection management process is described . in fig6 , a broken line represents the residual toner amount estimated by the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 , and a solid line represents the actual amount ( detected amount ) of the residual toner in the toner storage 301 . it is assumed that at point 0 in time fig6 , that is , when the cartridge is in the initial condition , the residual toner amount in the cartridge is 100 %. that is , at point 0 in time , the residual toner amount a is 100 %, and the threshold value wth for the interval for the residual toner amount detection is 0 . 25 × 100 = 25 %. further , the referential toner consumption amount wb is 0 %, and the cumulative toner consumption amount wint is 0 %. with the elapse of time , the cpu 205 repeatedly makes the image forming apparatus form an image . each time the image forming apparatus forms an image , the cpu 205 receives the toner consumption amount w outputted from the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 . as it receives the toner consumption amount w , it estimates the residual amount of toner ( broken line ) by subtracting the toner consumption amount w from the current residual toner amount a . the toner consumption amount w is an estimated amount . therefore , there is a small amount of discrepancy between the estimated residual amount of toner and actual residual amount of toner ( solid line ). at point 1 in time , the cpu 205 carries out the residual toner amount detection management process , that is , the process for determining whether or not it is the time to detect the residual toner amount , and determines whether or not the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb (= 0 %) and cumulative toner consumption amount wint (− 25 %) is no less than the threshold value wth (= 25 %) for determining whether or not it is the time to detect the residual toner amount . if it is no less than the threshold value wth , the cpu 205 detects the residual toner amount by carrying out the residual toner amount detection management process , and obtains the actual residual toner amount a (= 75 %) from the residual toner amount detecting section 207 . then , the cpu 205 carries out the residual toner amount detection management process and determines that the threshold value wth for determining whether or not it is the time for detecting the residual toner amount is fth ( 75 %)= 18 . 75 %. then , it replaces the value of the referential toner consumption amount wb with the value ( 25 %) of the current cumulative toner consumption amount wint . from this point in time on , the cpu 205 repeats this process , and detects the residual amount of toner , obtaining thereby the actual residual toner amount a (− 60 %), at a point in time when the value of ( residual toner amount a estimated at point 2 in time −( wint − wb )) reaches 56 . 25 % ( cumulative toner consumption amount wint is 43 . 75 %). as described above , by carrying out the process , in this embodiment , for calculating the interval with which the residual toner amount is to be detected , and the process , in this embodiment , for determining whether or not it is the time for detecting the residual toner amount , it is possible to detect the residual toner amount before the difference between the estimated residual toner amount and actual residual toner amount becomes substantial . therefore , it is possible to highly precisely obtain the residual amount of toner . next , referring to fig4 ( b ), the residual toner amount detection management process , which is one of the characteristic features of this embodiment and is carried out by the residual toner amount detection management section 222 , is described . the residual toner amount detection interval calculating process in this embodiment is similar to the above - described conventional one , and therefore , is not going to be described here . each time the value of the cumulative toner consumption amount wint is renewed after the completion of each image , the cpu 205 makes the residual toner amount detection management section 222 carry out the residual toner amount detection management process . the residual toner amount detection management section 222 compares the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth obtained when the residual toner amount was detected last time , with the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb ( which is cumulative toner consumption amount when residual toner amount was detected last time ) and the current cumulative toner consumption amount wint . if the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and the cumulative toner consumption amount wint has become no less than the value the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth , the cpu 205 determines that the residual toner amount needs to be detected ( s 601 ). if the difference is no more than the threshold value wth , the cpu 205 does not detect the residual toner amount , and ends the residual toner amount detection management process ( s 601 ). here , the timing with which the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and cumulative toner consumption amount wint becomes no less than the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth is equivalent to the preset timing . if the cpu 205 determines that the residual toner amount needs to be detected , it interrupts the on - going printing operation to detect the residual amount of toner , and begins to drive the developing device driving motor 211 at the speed for detecting the residual toner amount ( s 602 ). as it begins to rotate the toner stirring member 305 by driving the developing device driving motor 211 , it commands the residual toner amount detecting section 207 to detect the residual toner amount . the residual toner amount detecting section 207 calculates the residual toner amount a by carrying out the above described residual toner amount detecting process , and sends the calculated residual toner amount a to the cpu 205 ( s 603 ). as the residual toner amount detection management section 222 receives the residual toner amount a from the residual toner amount detecting section 207 by way of the cpu 205 , it obtains the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth with the use of formula ( 2 ) ( s 604 ). then , it determines whether or not an inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection extension margin c ) is satisfied ( s 605 ). the residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c is a value preset in the rom 219 in the cpu 205 based on a level of the residual toner amount detection accuracy . it is 5 %, for example . in s 605 , it determines whether the residual toner amount a is large enough for the residual toner in the cartridge 22 to outlast the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 , as shown in fig7 , which is a drawing for describing the remaining length of the life of the cartridge 22 . if the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c ) is satisfied , that is , if it is determined that the residual toner amount is large enough for the residual toner in the cartridge 22 to outlast the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 ( timing setting means ) arranges the following setting . that is , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 replaces the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth , with the value obtained by multiplying the threshold wth by a residual toner amount detection interval extension coefficient e ( s 606 ), so that the timing with which the residual toner amount is detected next time will be later than the preset one . the residual toner amount detection interval extension coefficient e is a value preset in the rom 219 in the cpu 205 , based on the residual toner amount prediction accuracy . it is 1 . 5 , for example . the residual toner amount detection management section 222 replaces the value of the referential toner consumption amount wb with the value of the current cumulative toner consumption amount wint ( s 607 ). as the cpu 205 completes the process for detecting the residual toner amount , it restores the driving speed of the developing device driving motor 211 from the one to which the speed was switched in s 602 , to the normal speed for a printing operation . then , it restarts the interrupted printing operation , ending thereby the residual toner amount detection management process , that is , the process for determining whether or not it is the time for the residual toner amount detection ( s 608 ). in this embodiment , if the residual toner amount a in the cartridge 22 is very large in comparison to the residual life b of the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 , that is , if the residual toner amount a is large enough for the residual toner to outlast the photosensitive drum , the timing with which the residual toner amount is detected is delayed . the reason for the delay is as follows . referring to fig7 , in a case where the residual toner amount a is large enough to outlast the residual life b of photosensitive drum , it is possible for the cartridge 22 to reach the end of its life because the photosensitive drum runs of its life before the cartridge 22 runs out of toner . that is , when the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 is large enough for the residual toner in the cartridge 22 to outlast the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 , it is unlikely for the image forming apparatus to output an image which suffers from unwanted white spots attributable to the problem that the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 is too small . therefore , it is reasonable to determine that it is unnecessary to highly precisely detect the residual toner amount . thus , the cpu 205 delays the timing with which the residual toner amount is to be detected by the transmission of a beam of light through the toner storage 301 of the cartridge 22 . the situation in which the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 is large enough to outlast the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 as shown in fig7 occurs in the case where a user prints a large number of images which are low in printing ratio , and / or a user noncontinuously carries out a substantial number of image forming operations which are low in print count . in this embodiment , the timing with which the residual toner amount is to be detected is delayed by multiplying the value of residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth by a preset value . however , a method other than the one in this embodiment may be used to change the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth . for example , a preset value may be added to the threshold wth . next , referring to fig8 , how and why the interval with which the residual toner amount is detected is extended by the above described residual toner amount detection management process is described . fig8 is a drawing which shows the changes in the residual toner amount , changes in the residual life of the photosensitive drum , and timing with which the residual toner amount is detected . for the sake of the simplification of the description of the process , it is assumed that there is no difference between the residual toner amount estimated from the output of the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 , and the actual residual toner amount , in fig8 . that is , it is assumed that the estimated residual toner amount is equal to the actual residual toner amount . referring to fig8 , it is assumed that at point 0 in time , the cartridge is brand - new ; ( estimated residual toner amount )=( actual residual toner amount )= 100 %. at this point in time , the residual toner amount a is 100 %, and the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth is 25 % (= 0 . 25 × 100 ). further , the referential toner consumption amount wb is 0 %, and the cumulative toner consumption amount wint is 0 %. with the elapse of time , the number of images which the cpu 205 makes the image forming apparatus form increases . each time an image is outputted , the cpu 205 receives the toner consumption amount w outputted from the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 , and estimates the residual amount of toner . at point 1 in time fig8 , the cpu 205 carries out the residual toner amount detection management process ; it determines whether or not the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb (= 0 %) and cumulative toner consumption amount wint (= 25 %) is no less than the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth . if it is no less than the threshold value wth , the cpu 205 detects the residual amount of toner , based on the result of the process carried out by the residual toner amount detection management section 222 to determine whether or not it is the time for the residual toner amount detection ; it obtains the actual residual toner amount a (= 75 %) from the residual toner amount detecting section 207 . then , the cpu 205 determines that the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth is fth ( 75 %)= 18 . 75 %. at point 1 in time , the residual toner amount a is 75 %, and the residual life b of the photosensitive drum is 65 %. since the residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c is 5 %, the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection extension margin c ) is satisfied . thus , the cpu 205 replaces the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth , with the value ( 18 . 75 × 1 . 5 = 28 . 125 %) obtained by multiplying the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth by the residual toner amount detection interval extension coefficient e (= 1 . 5 ). the value of the referential toner consumption amount wb is replaced with the value ( 25 %) of the current cumulative toner consumption amount wint . from this point in time on , the cpu 205 repeats this process , and as the value of ( residual toner amount a estimated at point 2 in time −( wint − wb )) reaches 46 . 875 % ( cumulative toner consumption amount wint is 53 . 125 %), the cpu 205 detects the residual toner amount . that is , in the case of the method in this embodiment shown in fig8 , the residual toner amount detection interval between point 1 in time and point 2 in time is 28 . 125 %, which is substantially longer than 18 . 75 % in the conventional method shown in fig6 . as described above , in this embodiment , the timing with which the residual toner amount is to be detected is adjusted according to the relationship between the residual life of the photosensitive drum and the residual toner amount in the cartridge 22 . with this practice , it is possible to reduce the overall number of times the residual toner amount is detected in the image forming apparatus ( overall number of times residual toner amount is detected before cartridge 22 reaches end of its life ), and also , it is only when it is absolutely necessary that the residual toner amount is detected . that is , the residual toner amount is detected with such interval that makes it possible to predict the timing of the expiration of the life of the cartridge 22 at a satisfactory level of accuracy . as described above , in this embodiment , if the cpu 205 determines that it is not because the cartridge 22 runs out toner that the cartridge 22 reaches the end of its life , the cpu 205 extends the interval with which the residual toner amount is detected . with this practice , it is possible to reduce the number of times the residual toner amount is detected , and therefore , it is possible to prevent the problem that the image forming apparatus is increased in the amount of downtime by the detection of the residual amount of toner , and also , the problem that because the residual amount of toner is detected more times than absolutely necessary , the cartridge is unnecessarily reduced in the length of its service life . incidentally , the method used by the residual toner amount detecting section 207 does not need to be limited to the above described one , that is , the optical one . for example , it may be of the so - called patch detection type , or the like , which forms a referential toner image on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum by developing a referential latent image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum , and determines the residual toner amount based on the reflection density of the referential toner image detected by an image density detecting means . that is , as long as a given method for detecting the residual amount of toner is such a method that affects the length of the downtime of the image forming apparatus and the residual life of the cartridge , it can be employed by the residual toner amount detecting section 207 . further , the method employed by the residual toner amount estimating means to estimate the residual amount of toner does not need to be limited to the above described method , that is , a method which counts pixels . all that is necessary for a given method for estimating the residual toner amount to be employable by the residual toner amount estimating means is that it is capable of estimating the residual toner amount . for example , it may be such a method that estimates the residual toner amount based on the number of the sheets of recording medium on which an image was formed or cumulative area of sheets of recording medium on which an image was formed . further , the method employed by the residual photosensitive drum life detecting means in this embodiment counts the total number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 5 . however , the residual photosensitive drum life detecting method to be employed by the residual photosensitive drum life detecting means does not need to be limited to the one in this embodiment . that is , any method may be employed as long as it can detect the residual photosensitive drum life . further , this embodiment was described with reference to a case where one of the main factors other than the residual toner amount in the cartridge 22 , which affects the life of the cartridge 22 , is the life of the photosensitive drum 5 in the cartridge 22 . however , what causes the cartridge 22 to reach the end of its life is not limited to the amount of the toner in the cartridge 22 and the life of the photosensitive drum 5 . for example , it may be the life of the cleaning mechanism which recovers the residual toner on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 5 , or the like . the life of at least one of the cartridge members which move during an image forming operation may be used as the other factor than the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 , which affects the length of the life of the cartridge 22 . next , the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is described . what is going to be primarily described here are the structural components of the image forming apparatus in this embodiment , which are different from the counterparts in the first embodiment . that is , the structural components of the image forming apparatus in this embodiment , which are similar to the counterparts in the first embodiment are not going to be described . fig9 is a drawing for describing the residual toner amount detection management process , which is one of the characteristic features of this embodiment and is to be carried out by the residual toner amount detection management section 222 . in the following description of this subject , the process carried out for only one of the cartridges to determine whether or not the residual toner amount is to be detected , is described in order to make the description simpler . the cpu 205 makes the image forming apparatus carry out a printing operation , and each time the cumulative residual toner consumption amount wint is renewed , it makes the residual toner amount detection management section 222 carry out the residual toner amount detection management process , shown in fig9 , that is , the process for determining whether or not it is the time for detecting the residual toner amount . the residual toner amount detection management section 222 compares the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth , which was obtained when the residual toner amount was detected last time , with the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb ( which is cumulative toner consumption amount at point in time when residual toner amount was detected last time ) and current cumulative toner consumption amount wint . then , it determines whether or not the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and cumulative toner consumption amount wint is no less than the value the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth ( s 701 ). if the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and cumulative toner consumption amount wint is no more than the value of the threshold wth , the cpu 205 does not detect the residual amount of toner in the cartridge , and ends the residual toner amount detection management process ( s 701 ). if the above - described value is no less than the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines whether or not the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c ) is satisfied ( s 702 ). the residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c is a value preset in the rom 219 in the cpu 205 based on a level of the residual toner amount detection accuracy . it is 5 %, for example . in s 702 , it is determined whether the residual toner amount a is large enough for the residual toner in the cartridge 22 to outlast the residual life of the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 , as shown in fig7 , which is a drawing for describing the residual life b of the cartridge 22 . if the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c ) is satisfied in s 702 , that is , if the cpu 205 determines that the residual toner amount a is large enough for the residual toner in the cartridge 22 to outlast the residual life of the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 , it does not detect the residual toner amount , and ends the residual toner amount detection management process . if the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c ) is not satisfied , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines that the residual toner amount needs to be detected . as the cpu 205 determines that the residual toner amount needs to be detected , it interrupts the on - going printing operation to detect the residual amount of toner , and begins to drive the developing device driving motor 211 at the speed for detecting the residual toner amount ( s 703 ). as it begins to rotate the toner stirring member 305 by driving the developing device driving motor 211 , it commands the residual toner amount detecting section 207 to detect the residual toner amount . the residual toner amount detecting section 207 calculates the residual toner amount a by carrying out the above described residual toner amount detecting process , and sends the calculated residual toner amount a to the cpu 205 ( s 704 ). as the residual toner amount detection management section 222 receives the residual toner amount a from the residual toner amount detecting section 207 by way of the cpu 205 , it obtains the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth with the use of formula ( 2 ) ( s 705 ). then , it replaces the value of the referential toner consumption amount wb with the value of the current cumulative toner consumption amount wint ( s 706 ). as the cpu 205 completes the process for detecting the residual toner amount , it restores the driving speed of the developing device driving motor 211 from the one to which the speed was switched in s 703 , to the normal speed for a printing operation . then , it restarts the interrupted printing operation , ending thereby the residual toner amount detection management process ( s 707 ). in this embodiment , if the residual toner amount a is very large in comparison to the residual life b of the photosensitive drum , that is , if the residual toner amount a is large enough for the residual toner in the cartridge 22 to outlast the residual life b of the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 , the timing with which the residual toner amount is detected is delayed . the reason for the delay is as follows . referring to fig7 , in a case where the residual toner amount a is large enough for the residual toner to outlast the residual life b of the photosensitive drum , it is possible for the cartridge 22 to reach the end of its life because the photosensitive drum reaches the end of its life before the cartridge 22 runs out of toner . that is , when the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 is large enough for the residual toner in the cartridge 22 to outlast the photosensitive drum in the cartridge 22 , it is unlikely for the image forming apparatus to output an image which suffers from unwanted white spots attributable to the problem that the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 is too small . therefore , it is reasonable to determine that it is unnecessary to highly precisely detect the residual toner amount . thus , the cpu 205 does not optically detect the residual amount of toner in the cartridge 22 . next , referring to fig1 , how the interval with which the residual toner amount is detected is extended by the above described residual toner amount detection management process is described . fig1 is a drawing which shows the changes in the residual toner amount , changes in the residual life of the photosensitive drum , and timing with which the residual toner amount is detected . for the sake of the simplification of the description of the process , it is assumed that there is no difference between the residual toner amount estimated from the output of the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 , and the actual residual toner amount , in fig1 . that is , it is assumed that the estimated residual toner amount is equal to the actual residual toner amount . referring to fig1 , it is assumed that at point 0 in time , the cartridge is brand - new ; ( estimated residual toner amount )=( actual residual toner amount )= 100 %. at this point in time , the residual toner amount a is 100 %, and the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth is 25 % (= 0 . 25 × 100 ). further , the referential toner consumption amount wb is 0 %, and the cumulative toner consumption amount wint is 0 %. with the elapse of time , the number of images which the cpu 205 makes the image forming apparatus form increases . each time an image is outputted , the cpu 205 receives the toner consumption amount w outputted from the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 , and estimates the residual amount of toner . at point 1 in time , the cpu 205 carries out the residual toner amount detection management process ; it determines whether or not the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb (= 0 %) and cumulative toner consumption amount wint (= 25 %) is no less than the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth (= 25 %). at point 1 in time , however , the residual toner amount is 75 %, and the residual life b of the photosensitive drum is 65 %. further , the residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c has been set to 5 %. therefore , the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c ) is satisfied in s 702 . thus , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines that the residual toner amount does not need to be detected at this point in time . between the period from point 1 in time to point 2 in time , the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c ) remains satisfied . therefore , the cpu 205 does not detect the residual toner amount . at point 2 in time , the residual toner amount a is 50 %, and the residual life b of the photosensitive drum is 45 %. therefore , the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )& lt ;( residual toner amount a − residual toner amount detection interval extension margin c ) is not satisfied . thus , the residual toner amount detection management section 22 determines that the residual toner amount needs to be detected , and the cpu 205 detects the residual toner amount . further , the cpu 205 determines , through the residual toner amount detection management process , that the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth is fth ( 50 %)= 12 . 5 %, and replaces the value of the referential toner consumption amount wb with the value (= 50 %) of the current cumulative toner consumption amount wint . from this point in time on , the cpu 205 repeats this process , and as the value of ( residual toner amount a estimated next −( wint − wb )) reaches 37 . 5 % ( cumulative toner consumption amount wint is 62 . 5 %), the cpu 205 determines whether or not it is the time for the residual toner amount detection , based on the residual life of the photosensitive drum and the residual toner amount . in the case of the example shown in fig1 , the residual toner amount detection interval between point 1 in time and point 2 in time is 25 %, which is substantially longer than 18 . 75 % in the conventional method shown in fig6 . as described above , also in this embodiment , the timing with which the residual toner amount is to be detected is adjusted according to the relationship between the residual life of the photosensitive drum and the residual toner amount in the cartridge 22 . with this practice , it is possible to reduce the overall number of times the residual toner amount is detected in the image forming apparatus ( overall number of times residual toner amount is detected before cartridge 22 reaches end of its life ), and also , it is only when it is absolutely necessary that the residual toner amount is detected . that is , the residual toner amount is detected with such interval that makes it possible to predict the timing of the expiration of the life of the cartridge 22 at a satisfactory level of accuracy . as described above , in this embodiment , if the cpu 205 determines that it is not because the cartridge 22 runs out of toner that the cartridge 22 reaches the end of its life , the cpu 205 extends the interval with which the residual toner amount is detected . with this practice , it is possible to reduce the number of times the residual toner amount is detected , and therefore , it is possible to prevent the problem that the image forming apparatus is increased in the amount of downtime by the detection of the residual amount of toner , and also , the problem that because the residual amount of toner is detected more times than absolutely necessary , the cartridge is unnecessarily reduced in the length of its life . next , the third preferred embodiment of the present invention is described . what is going to be primarily described here are the structural components of the image forming apparatus in this embodiment , which are different from the counterparts in the first and second embodiments . that is , the structural components of the image forming apparatus in this embodiment , which are similar to the counterparts in the first and second embodiments , are not going to be described . fig1 is a drawing for describing the residual toner amount detection management process , which is one of the characteristic features of this embodiment and is to be carried out by the residual toner amount detection management section 222 . in the following description of this subject , the residual toner amount detection management process carried out for only one of the cartridges is described in order to make the description simpler . the cpu 205 makes the image forming apparatus carry out a printing operation , and each time the cumulative residual toner consumption amount wint is renewed , it makes the residual toner amount detection management section 222 carry out the residual toner amount detection management process shown in fig1 . the residual toner amount detection management section 222 compares the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth , which was obtained when the residual toner amount was detected last time , with the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb ( which is cumulative toner consumption amount at point in time when residual toner amount was detected last time ) and current cumulative toner consumption amount wint . then , it determines whether or not the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and cumulative toner consumption amount wint is no less than the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth ( s 801 ). if the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and cumulative toner consumption amount wint is no more than the value of the threshold wth , the cpu 205 does not detect the residual amount of toner in the cartridge , and ends the residual toner amount detection management process ( s 801 ). if the above - described value is no less than the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines whether or not the inequality : (( residual life b of photosensitive drum )×( 100 / estimated printing ratio f ))& lt ;( residual toner amount a ) is satisfied ( s 802 ). ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )×( 100 / estimated printing ratio f ) is the ratio of the estimated amount by which the toner ( developer ) in the cartridge 22 will be used before the photosensitive drum reaches the end of its residual life b , assuming that printing ratio is high at 100 %, relative to the maximum toner capacity of the toner storage 301 . the estimated printing ratio f is the value preset in the cartridge nvram 307 based on the estimated average printing ratio of a user . it is 10 %, for example . in s 802 , it is determined whether the cartridge reaches the end of its life before the photosensitive drum in the cartridge reaches the end of its life , if the on - going printing operation is continued at the high printing ratio ( 100 %), as shown in fig1 , which is a drawing for describing the residual life b of the cartridge 22 . incidentally , the value at which the printing ratio is assumed to be has only to be no less than the estimated average printing ratio of the user . however , it is preferable that it is set to 100 % as in this embodiment . if the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines in s 802 that the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )×( 100 / estimated printing ratio f ))& lt ;( residual toner amount a ) is satisfied , that is , if it determines that even if the on - going printing operation is continued at a high printing ratio , it does not occur that the cartridge reaches the end of its life because the cartridge runs out of the toner therein , it does not detect the residual toner amount , and ends the residual toner amount detection management process . if the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines in s 802 that the inequality : ( residual life b of photosensitive drum )×( 100 / estimated printing ratio f ))& lt ;( residual toner amount a ) is not satisfied , it determines that the residual toner amount needs to be detected . as the cpu 205 determines that the residual toner amount needs to be detected , it interrupts the on - going printing operation to detect the residual toner amount , and begins to drive the developing device driving motor 211 at the speed for the residual toner amount detection ( s 803 ). as it begins to rotate the toner stirring member 305 by driving the developing device driving motor 211 , it commands the residual toner amount detecting section 207 to detect the residual toner amount . the residual toner amount detections 207 calculates the residual toner amount a by carrying out the above described residual toner amount detecting process , and sends the calculated residual toner amount a to the cpu 205 ( s 804 ). as the residual toner amount detection management section 222 receives the residual toner amount a from the residual toner amount detecting section 207 by way of the cpu 205 , it obtains the value of the residual toner amount detection interval threshold wth with the use of formula ( 2 ) ( s 805 ). then , it replaces the value of the referential toner consumption amount wb with the value of the current cumulative toner consumption amount wint ( s 806 ). as the cpu 205 completes the process for detecting the residual toner amount , it restores the driving speed of the developing device driving motor 211 from the one to which the speed was switched in s 803 , to the normal speed for a printing operation . then , it restarts the interrupted printing operation , ending thereby the residual toner amount detection management process ( s 807 ). in this embodiment , the amount by which the toner will be used if the printing ratio is high is derived . therefore , it is possible to determine whether or not the cartridge reaches the end of its life not because it runs out of the toner , but because its photosensitive drum reaches the end of its life . that is , if the residual amount of toner in the cartridge is large enough to outlast the photosensitive drum in the cartridge , it is unlikely for the image forming apparatus to output an image which suffers from unwanted white spots attributable to toner shortage , and therefore , it is reasonable to determine that it is unnecessary to precisely determine the residual amount of toner in the cartridge . therefore , the optical method for detecting the residual toner amount is not carried out . next , referring to fig1 , how and why the timing with which the residual toner amount is detected is delayed through the above - described residual toner amount management process is described . fig1 is a drawing which shows the changes in the residual toner amount , changes in the residual life of the photosensitive drum , and timing with which the residual toner amount is detected . for the simplification of the following description of the residual toner amount detection management process in this embodiment , it is assumed that there is no difference between the residual toner amount estimated based on the output of the residual toner consumption estimating section 208 , and the actual residual toner amount ; the two are virtually the same . with the elapse of time , the cpu 205 repeats an image forming operation . each time an image is formed , the cpu 205 receives the toner consumption amount w outputted by the toner consumption amount estimating section 208 , and estimates the residual toner amount . the cpu 205 carries out the residual toner amount detection management process at point 1 in time . at point 1 in time , the residual toner amount is 50 %, and the residual life b of the photosensitive drum is 5 %. further , the printing ratio f has been estimated to be 10 %. thus , if the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and cumulative residual toner amount wint is no less than the value of the residual toner amount detection threshold wth , the inequality : (( residual life b of photosensitive drum )×(( 100 / estimated print ratio f ))& lt ;( residual toner amount a ) is not satisfied in s 802 in fig1 . thus , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines that the residual toner amount has to be detected , and detects the residual toner amount . next , the cpu 205 carries out the residual toner amount detection management process at point 2 in time in fig1 . at point 2 , the residual toner amount is 48 %, and the residual life b of the photosensitive drum is 4 %. further , the printing ratio f has been estimated to be 10 %. thus , if the difference between the referential toner consumption amount wb and cumulative residual toner amount wint is no less than the value of the residual toner amount detection threshold wth , the inequality : (( residual life b of photosensitive drum )×( 100 / estimated print ratio f ))& lt ;( residual toner amount a ) is satisfied in s 802 in fig1 . thus , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines that the residual toner amount does not need to be detected . that is , in the case shown in fig1 , the residual toner amount detection management section 222 determines that the residual toner amount does not need to be detected beyond point 1 in time . also in this embodiment , the timing with which the residual toner amount is to be detected is adjusted based on the relationship between the residual life of the photosensitive drum and the residual toner amount , as described above . thus , the same effects as those obtained by the second embodiment can be obtained also by this embodiment . while the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein , it is not confined to the details set forth , and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims . this application claims priority from japanese patent application no . 052070 / 2011 filed mar . 9 , 2011 which is hereby incorporated by reference . | 6 |
the present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings . for the purpose of easy to understand , elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals . please refer to fig1 and 2 that are exploded perspective view and assembled longitudinal sectional view , respectively , of a thin heat pipe structure 1 of the present invention according to a first embodiment thereof . as shown , the thin heat pipe structure 1 in the first embodiment includes a pipe body 11 , a thin - sheet member 12 , and a plurality of bosses 13 . the pipe body 11 is a flat pipe body having a first side 1111 and an opposite second side 1112 as well as a first closed end 112 and an opposite second closed end 113 , which together define a receiving space 111 in the pipe body 11 . a working fluid 2 is provided in the receiving space 111 . the thin - sheet member 12 is arranged in the receiving space 111 of the pipe body 11 , and includes a plurality of first extended sections 12 a and a plurality of second extended sections 12 b . the first and the second extended sections 12 a , 12 b are connected to and intersected with one another to together define a plurality of open spaces 121 on the thin - sheet member 12 . the bosses 13 are sintered powder bodies and are fixedly located in some of the open spaces 121 . alternatively , as in a variant of the first embodiment shown in fig1 b , the bosses 13 are fixedly located in all of the open spaces 121 . two ends of the bosses 13 are respectively connected to the first side 1111 and the second side 1112 of the pipe body 11 . the number of the bosses 13 can be increased or decreased according to actual need in different customized designs . alternatively , the bosses 13 can be more densely provided on one or more selected areas of the thin - sheet member 12 . please refer to fig3 that is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the thin heat pipe structure of the present invention according to a second embodiment thereof in an assembled state . as shown , the thin heat pipe structure in the second embodiment is generally structurally similar to that in the first embodiment , except that the bosses 13 in the second embodiment are provided on respective outer surface with at least one groove 131 . fig4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the thin heat pipe structure of the present invention according to a third embodiment thereof in an assembled state . as shown , the thin heat pipe structure in the third embodiment is generally structurally similar to that in the first embodiment , except that the bosses 13 in the third embodiment are copper bosses 13 . fig5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the thin heat pipe structure of the present invention according to a fourth embodiment thereof in an assembled state . as shown , the thin heat pipe structure in the fourth embodiment is generally structurally similar to that in the third embodiment , except that the bosses 13 in the fourth embodiment are provided on respective outer surface with at least one groove 132 . fig6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the thin heat pipe structure of the present invention according to a fifth embodiment thereof in an assembled state . as shown , the thin heat pipe structure in the fifth embodiment is generally structurally similar to that in the third embodiment , except that the bosses 13 in the fifth embodiment are provided on respective outer surface with a ring - shaped sintered powder body 133 . fig7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the thin heat pipe structure of the present invention according to a sixth embodiment thereof in an assembled state . as shown , the thin heat pipe structure in the sixth embodiment is generally structurally similar to that in the fifth embodiment , except that the bosses 13 in the sixth embodiment are provided on respective ring - shaped sintered powder body 133 with at least one groove 132 . please refer to fig8 that is a perspective view of the thin - sheet member used in the thin heat pipe structure of the present invention according to a seventh embodiment thereof . as shown , the thin - sheet member in the seventh embodiment is generally structurally similar to that in the first embodiment , except that the thin - sheet member in the seventh embodiment has a plurality of first extended sections 12 a in a curved shape , and each of the curved first extended sections 12 a defines a passage 12 c at a concaved side thereof . in the previously described embodiments of the present invention , the provision of the bosses 13 on the thin - sheet member 12 not only gives the thin heat pipe structure 1 a largely increased supporting strength , but also increases the vapor - liquid circulation efficiency inside the thin heat pipe structure 1 , allowing the liquidized working fluid 2 to flow back from the bosses 13 and accordingly , enabling the thin heat pipe structure 1 to have increased heat transfer efficiency . please refer to fig9 along with fig1 , 2 , 11 and 12 . fig9 is a flowchart showing the steps included in the thin heat pipe structure manufacturing method of the present invention according to a first embodiment thereof . as shown , in a step s 1 , a flat pipe and a thin - sheet member having a plurality of open spaces and bosses are prepared . the flat pipe ( i . e . the pipe body 11 ) can be made of a copper material , an aluminum material , or any material having good thermal conductivity . while the illustrated first embodiment of the method for manufacturing the thin heat pipe structure is described based on a copper flat pipe , it is understood the flat pipe can also be made of other materials without being limited to the copper material . the prepared thin - sheet member ( i . e . the thin - sheet member 12 ) has a plurality of open spaces ( i . e . the open spaces 121 ) and a plurality of bosses ( i . e . the bosses 13 ). the bosses 13 are sintered powder bodies and are associated with the thin - sheet member 12 by means of mechanical punching . that is , by using a punch swage 31 and a punch 32 as shown in fig1 and 12 , the bosses 13 are pressed into the open spaces 121 of the thin - sheet member 12 . then , in a step s 2 , the thin - sheet member is disposed in the flat pipe . in this step , the thin - sheet member ( i . e . the thin - sheet member 12 ) along with the bosses ( i . e . the bosses 13 ) located in the open spaces 121 is disposed in the flat pipe ( i . e . the receiving space 111 ). finally , in a step s 3 , the flat pipe is sealed . in the final step , the flat pipe ( i . e . the pipe body 11 ) is sealed . the thin heat pipe structure manufacturing method of the present invention according to a second embodiment thereof is now described with reference to fig9 along with fig1 , 2 , 13 and 14 . in a step s 1 according to the second embodiment of the thin heat pipe structure manufacturing method , a flat pipe and a thin - sheet member having a plurality of open spaces and bosses are prepared . the flat pipe ( i . e . the pipe body 11 ) can be made of a copper material , an aluminum material , or any material having good thermal conductivity . while the illustrated second embodiment of the method for manufacturing the thin heat pipe structure is described based on a copper flat pipe , it is understood the flat pipe can also be made of other materials without being limited to the copper material . the prepared thin - sheet member ( i . e . the thin - sheet member 12 ) has a plurality of open spaces ( i . e . the open spaces 121 ) and a plurality of bosses ( i . e . the bosses 13 ). the bosses 13 are sintered powder bodies and are associated with the thin - sheet member 12 by means of sintering metal powder 4 . that is , a type of metal powder 4 is filled in the open spaces 121 at where the bosses 13 are to be formed , as shown in fig1 ; and then , the metal powder 4 filled in the open spaces is rammed and sintered , so that the bosses 13 are formed in the open spaces 121 to thereby associate with the thin - sheet member 12 , as shown in fig1 . the second embodiment of the thin heat pipe structure manufacturing method also includes a step s 2 and a step s 3 , which are identical to the steps s 2 and s 3 in the first embodiment and arc therefore not repeatedly described herein . please refer to fig1 along with fig1 and 2 at the same time . fig1 is a flowchart showing the steps included in a third embodiment of the thin heat pipe structure manufacturing method of the present invention . as shown , the third embodiment of the thin heat pipe structure manufacturing method includes four steps s 1 , s 2 , s 3 and s 4 . since the steps s 1 , s 2 and s 3 in the third embodiment are identical to the steps s 1 , s 2 and s 3 in the first embodiment , they are not repeatedly described herein . the step s 4 is performed after the step s 2 ( disposing the thin - sheet member in the flat pipe ) and before the step s 3 ( sealing the flat pipe ) for connecting the bosses to the flat pipe through diffusion bonding . the diffusion bonding step allows the bosses 13 to associate with the pipe body 11 with increased bonding strength between them and thereby eliminates the thermal resistance in the thin heat pipe structure . the present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims . | 5 |
referring now to the drawings , where like reference numerals designate the same or corresponding parts throughout the several views , there will be described a first embodiment of the present invention shown in fig3 ( a ) and 3 ( b ). [ 0067 ] fig3 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a first embodiment of the present invention . fig3 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig3 ( a ). in this embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig3 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 . one of the cage guide rails 110 , on which the driving unit 8 mounted , is secured on the shaft wall 4 with rail support members 31 composed of brackets 1 having a u - shaped cross section and fastening plates 2 having a l - shaped cross section . the other cage guide rail 110 is secured on the shaft wall 4 by the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig3 ( a )) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hung by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . a support base 10 having an l - shaped cross section and a bracket 9 is provided at one of the cage guide rails 110 , and a driving unit 8 , which includes a traction sheave ( not shown ) for driving cables 103 and moving the cage 101 up and down , is secured by the support base 10 and the bracket 9 . at least one of the fastening plates 2 is secured on the shaft wall 4 by two pairs of anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b separated by an interval in the horizontal direction . the anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b of each pair are separated by an interval in the vertical direction . closed ends of the brackets 1 are secured to the cage guide rail 110 with rail clips ( not shown ), and the opposite open ends thereof are respectively welded to the fastening plates 2 . accordingly , in case that the sum load of the driving unit 8 , the cage 101 including passengers , and the counter weight 102 weigh on the cage guide rail 110 vertically , the load is shared and supported by the respective rail support members 31 . as for one of the rail support members 31 , h is a distance between the cage guide rail 110 and the shaft wall 4 , w is a load applied to the junction of the cage guide rail 110 and the bracket 1 , and m 1 is a bending moment working at the junction of the fastening plate 2 and the shaft wall 4 . m 1 is changeable according to a connecting structure of the junction of the cage guide rail 110 and the bracket 1 . if the connecting structure is a pivot connection , that is , a vertical displacement of the cage guide rail 110 is restricted , but a pivot movement on the junction of the cage guide rail 110 and the bracket 1 is not restricted , m 1 will be calculated as follows . if the connecting structure is a rigid connection , that is , both the vertical displacement of the cage guide rail 110 and the pivot movement are restricted , m 1 will be calculated as follows . on the other side , since the anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b are disposed each other with an interval in the vertical direction , the anchor bolts 3 a function as a fulcrum and the anchor bolts 3 b can receive the bending moment m 1 . thus , in case that l is a distance of the interval of the anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b , n is the number of the anchor bolts per line , and f is a tensile force applied to the anchor bolts 3 b , a bending moment m 2 applied to the anchor bolts 3 b are represented by equation ( 3 ): further , assuming that f is a maximum permissible tensile strength of the anchor bolts 3 b , and m 1 equals m 2 , the minimum length of l is calculated by substituting f for f of equation ( 3 ), and represented by equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ): l min shown in equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) are the minimum lengths of the interval between anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b as described above for pivot connections and rigid connections , respectively . accordingly , as long as an interval l of the anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b is longer than the length l min , the strength of the rail support members 31 is surely kept safe . on the other hand , if an interval l of the anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b greatly exceeds the length l min , the fastening plates 2 become impractically large . in the above description , although the minimum length l min is calculated in case of both the pivot connection and the rigid connection , practically a connecting structure of the junction of the cage guide rail 110 and the bracket 1 is considered as a compromise between the pivot connection and the rigid connection . thus , a proper design of the length l can be achieved by setting the length l min calculated by equation ( 4 ) as an upper limit , and setting the length l min calculated by equation ( 5 ) as an lower limit . that is , the length l can be designed by using the following equation ( 6 ). [ 0084 ] fig4 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a second embodiment of the present invention . fig4 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig4 ( a ). since the second embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the first embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the first embodiment are described . in the second embodiment , the support members 31 are used to support only the rail 5 on which the driving unit 8 is mounted . that is , the fastening plates 2 located adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit 8 are secured on the shaft wall 4 with the two pairs of anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b in the same way as the first embodiment . the other rails 5 are secured with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . according to the second embodiment , since only the rail 5 mounting the driving unit 8 is secured with the rail support members 31 , the driving unit 8 can be surely supported with minimum structure . [ 0088 ] fig5 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a third embodiment of the present invention . fig5 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig5 ( a ). in the third embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig5 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 . one of the cage guide rails 110 , on which the driving unit 8 is mounted , is secured on the shaft wall 4 with rail support members 32 composed of brackets 1 having a u - shaped cross section , fastening plates 2 a having an l - shaped cross section , and pins 11 . the other cage guide rail 110 is secured on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig5 ( a )) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hanged by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . a support base 10 having an l - shaped cross section and a bracket 9 is provided at one of the cage guide rails 11 0 , and a driving unit 8 , which includes a traction sheave ( not shown ) for driving cables 103 and moving the cage 101 up and down , is secured with the support base 10 and the bracket 9 . each of the rail support members 32 is composed of a bracket 1 , a fastening plate 2 a and a pin 11 . the closed end of the bracket 1 is secured to the cage guide rail 110 , and its opposite open ends are pivotably connected to the fastening plate 2 a with a pin 11 . the fastening plate 2 a is fixed on the shaft wall 4 with two anchor bolts 3 disposed each other with an interval in the horizontal direction . according to the third embodiment , since the open ends of the brackets 1 are pivotably connected to the fastening plates 2 a , a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plate 2 a and the shaft wall 4 , which is caused by a downward force applied to the cage guide rail 110 , can be reduced . [ 0094 ] fig6 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fourth embodiment of the present invention . fig6 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig6 ( a ). since the fourth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the third embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the third embodiment are described . in the fourth embodiment , the support members 32 are arranged to support only the rail 5 mounting the driving unit 8 . that is , the fastening plates 2 a located adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit 8 are secured on the shaft wall 4 in the same way as in the third embodiment . the other rails 5 are secured with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . according to the fourth embodiment , since only one of the rails 5 mounting the driving unit 8 is secured with the rail support members 32 , the driving unit 8 can be surely supported with minimum structure . [ 0098 ] fig7 is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fifth embodiment of the present invention . in the fifth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig7 ) composed of some rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 . as shown in fig7 an upper end of one of the cage guide rails 110 mounting the driving unit 8 is secured on a beam 12 fixed on the elevator shaft 6 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig7 ) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 in the same way . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hanged by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . a support base 10 having an l - shaped cross section and a bracket 9 is provided at one of the cage guide rails 110 , and a driving unit 8 , which includes a traction sheave ( not shown ) for driving cables 103 and moving the cage 101 up and down , is secured with the support base 10 and the bracket 9 . according to the fifth embodiment , since one end of the cage guide rail 110 , on which the driving unit 8 is mounted , is secured on the beam 12 , a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plate 2 d and the shaft wall 4 , which is caused by a downward force applying to the cage guide rail 110 , can be reduced . [ 0103 ] fig8 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a sixth embodiment of the present invention . fig8 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig8 ( a ). in the sixth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig8 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 . one of the cage guide rails 110 , on which the driving unit 8 is mounted , is secured on the shaft wall 4 with rail support members 33 composed of brackets 1 having a u - shaped cross section , clips 13 , and fastening plates 2 d having an l - shaped cross section , and stands on the bottom 24 of the shaft 6 . the other cage guide rail 110 is secured on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig8 ( a )) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hanged by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . a support base 10 having an l - shaped cross section and a bracket 9 is provided at one of the cage guide rails 110 , and a driving unit 8 , which includes a traction sheave ( not shown ) for driving cables 103 and moving the cage 101 up and down , is secured with the support base 10 and the bracket 9 . each of the rail support members 33 is composed of a bracket 1 , two clips 13 and a fastening plate 2 d . the closed end of the bracket 1 is slidably secured to the cage guide rail 110 with the clips 13 , and the opposite open ends thereof are connected to the fastening plate 2 d . the fastening plate 2 d is fixed on the shaft wall 4 with two anchor bolts 3 disposed horizontally apart from each other separated by an interval . according to the sixth embodiment , since the closed ends of the brackets 1 are slidably connected to the cage guide rail 110 , and the cage guide rail 110 stands on the bottom floor 24 of the shaft 6 , a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plate 2 d and the shaft wall 4 , which is caused by a downward force applying to the cage guide rail 110 , can be reduced . [ 0109 ] fig9 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a seventh embodiment of the present invention . fig9 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig9 ( a ). in the seventh embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig9 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 . one of the cage guide rails 110 , on which the driving unit 8 is mounted , is secured on the shaft wall 4 with rail support members 34 composed of brackets 1 having a u - shaped cross section , rubber sheets 14 , and fastening plates 2 d having an l - shaped cross section , and stands on the bottom floor 24 of the shaft 6 . the other cage guide rail 110 is secured on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig9 ( a )) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hanged by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . a support base 10 having an l - shaped cross section and a bracket 9 is provided at one of the cage guide rails 110 , and a driving unit 8 , which includes a traction sheave ( not shown ) for driving cables 103 and moving the cage 101 up and down , is secured with the support base 10 and the bracket 9 . each of the rail support members 34 is composed of a bracket 1 , two rubber sheets 14 and a fastening plate 2 d . the closed end of the bracket 1 is secured to the cage guide rail 110 with rail clips ( not shown ), and opposite open ends thereof are connected to the fastening plate 2 d via the rubber sheets 14 with bolts ( not shown ) or the like . the fastening plate 2 d is fixed on the shaft wall 4 with two anchor bolts 3 horizontally separated from each other by an interval . according to the seventh embodiment , since the open ends of the brackets 1 are connected to the fastening plates via the rubber sheets 14 , and the cage guide rail 110 stands on the bottom 24 of the shaft 6 , a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plate 2 d and the shaft wall 4 , which is caused by a downward force applying to the cage guide rail 110 , can be reduced . [ 0115 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eighth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). in the eighth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig1 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 with rail support members 30 composed of brackets 1 having a u - shaped cross section , and fastening plates 2 d having an l - shaped cross section . the rails 5 , which compose one of the cage guide rails 110 mounting on the driving unit 8 , are connected together with connecting plates 7 a made of highly damped steel such as ‘ vibless ’ which is a brand name owned by nippon steel corporation . a twin crystal alloy such as mn — cu alloy or al — zn alloy , which have relatively big internal friction , can be used as the highly damped steel . further , composite materials such as fiber reinforced plastics can be substituted for the highly damped steel . according to the eighth embodiment , the rails 5 mounting the driving unit 8 are connected together with connecting plates 7 a made of highly damped steel , thereby preventing vibration , which is caused by the driving unit 8 , from transferring to the shaft wall 4 . accordingly , uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building . [ 0119 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a ninth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). since the ninth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the eighth embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the eighth embodiment are described . in the ninth embodiment , the connecting plate 7 a , which is described in the eighth embodiment , is arranged to connect only the rail 5 mounting the driving unit 8 to take adjacent rail 5 . that is , the connecting plate 7 a located just below the driving unit 8 connects the rail 5 mounting the driving unit 8 and the next rail 5 together . the other rails 5 are connected with the connecting plates 7 shown in fig2 . according to the ninth embodiment , only one of the rails 5 mounting the driving unit 8 is connected with the next rail 5 by the connecting plate 7 a made of highly damped steel , thereby preventing with minimum structure vibration , which is caused by the driving unit 8 , from being transferred to the shaft wall 4 . [ 0123 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a tenth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). in the tenth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig1 ( a )) is installed on a shaft wall 4 with rail support members 30 composed of brackets 1 and fastening plates 2 d . the cage guide rail 110 mounting the driving unit 8 is composed of rails 5 a made of highly damped steel such as ‘ vibless ’ which is a brand name owned by nippon steel corporation . according to the tenth embodiment , the cage guide rail 110 mounting the driving unit 8 is composed of the rails 5 a made of highly damped steel , thereby preventing vibration , which is caused by the driving unit 8 , from transferring to the shaft wall 4 . accordingly , uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building . [ 0127 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eleventh embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). fig1 ( c ) is a view of a damper member in the direction of the arrows a in fig1 ( a ). in the eleventh embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig1 ( a )) is installed on a shaft wall 4 with rail support members 30 composed of brackets 1 and fastening plates 2 d . a damper member 15 is provided on the cage guide rail 110 mounting the driving unit 8 , and attached adjacent to the driving unit 8 . the damper unit 15 , composed of a bar 15 ( a ) and two weights 15 ( b ) mounted on opposite ends of the bar 15 ( a ), absorbs a predetermined frequency of vibration . the weight of the weights 15 ( b ) and the length of the bar 15 ( a ) are determined in accordance with a frequency of the vibration of the cage guide rail 110 . according to the eleventh embodiment , the damper member 15 is provided on the cage guide rail 110 mounting the driving unit 8 , thereby preventing vibration , which is caused by the driving unit 8 , from transferring to the shaft wall 4 . accordingly , uncomfortable noise and vibration are damped and hardly generated in the building . [ 0131 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twelfth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). in the twelfth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig1 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 . one of the cage guide rails 110 , which mounts the driving unit 8 , is secured on the shaft wall 4 with rail support members 35 composed of brackets 1 having a u - shaped cross section , rubber sheets 16 , and fastening plates 2 d having an l - shaped cross section . the other cage guide rail 110 is secured on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig1 ( a )) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hanged by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . a support base 10 having an l - shaped cross section and a bracket 9 is provided at one of the cage guide rails 110 , and a driving unit 8 , which includes a traction sheave ( not shown ) for driving cables 103 and moving the cage 101 up and down , is secured with the support base 10 and the bracket 9 . each of the rail support members 35 is composed of a bracket 1 , a pair of rubber sheets 16 and a fastening plate 2 d . the closed end of the bracket 1 is secured to the cage guide rail 110 , with rail clips ( not shown ), and the open ends thereof are connected to the fastening plate 2 d via the rubber sheets 16 with bolts ( not shown ) or the like . the fastening plate 2 d is fixed on the shaft wall 4 with two anchor bolts 3 disposed each other with an interval in the horizontal direction . according to the twelfth embodiment , the open ends of the brackets 1 are connected to the fastening plates 2 d via the rubber sheets 16 , thereby preventing vibration , which is caused by the driving unit 8 , from transferring to the shaft wall 4 . accordingly , uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building . [ 0137 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). since the thirteenth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the twelfth embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the twelfth embodiment are described . in the thirteenth embodiment , the support members 35 are connected only to the rail 5 mounting the driving unit 8 . that is , the rubber sheets 16 are provided on the fastening plates 2 d located adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit 8 in the same way as in the twelfth embodiment . the other rails 5 are secured with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . according to the thirteenth embodiment , only one of the rails 5 mounting the driving unit 8 is secured with the rail support members 35 , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit 8 from transferring to the shaft wall 4 . [ 0141 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). in the fourteenth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the mounting structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig1 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 . one of the cage guide rails 110 , which mounts the driving unit 8 , is secured on the shaft wall 4 with rail support members 36 composed of brackets 1 having a u - shaped cross section , damping sheets 17 made of highly damped steel , and fastening plates 2 d having an l - shaped cross section . the other cage guide rail 110 is secured on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig1 ( a )) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hanged by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . each of the rail support members 36 is composed of a bracket 1 , two damping sheets 17 and a fastening plate 2 d . the closed end of the bracket 1 is secured to the cage guide rail 110 with rail clips ( not shown ), and the open ends thereof are connected to the fastening plate 2 d via the damping sheets 17 with bolts ( not shown ) or the like . the fastening plate 2 d is fixed on the shaft wall 4 with two anchor bolts 3 horizontally separated from each other by an interval . according to the fourteenth embodiment , the open ends of the brackets 1 are connected to the fastening plates 2 d via the damping sheets 17 , thereby preventing vibration , which is caused by the driving unit 8 , from transferring to the shaft wall 4 . accordingly , uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly transferred to the building . [ 0146 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). in the fifteenth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig1 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 . one of the cage guide rails 110 , which mounts the driving unit 8 , is secured on the shaft wall 4 with rail support members 37 composed of brackets 1 a made of highly damped steel and fastening plates 2 d . the other cage guide rail 110 is secured on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig1 ( a )) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hanged by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . according to the fifteenth embodiment , the brackets 1 a are made of highly damped steel , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit 8 from transferring to the shaft wall 4 . accordingly , uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building . the fastening plates 2 d can be made of highly damped steel . in this case , the brackets 1 a can be substituted for the brackets 1 made of ordinary steel . [ 0150 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). fig1 ( c ) is a view of a damper unit in the direction of the arrows a in fig1 ( a ). in the sixteenth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig1 ( a )) is installed on a shaft wall 4 with rail support members 30 composed of brackets 1 and fastening plates 2 d . an active damper unit 18 is provided on one of the brackets 1 supporting the rail 5 mounting the driving unit 8 , and attached adjacent to the driving unit 8 . the damper unit 18 , composed of a bar 18 ( a ) and two weights 1 8 ( b ) mounted on opposite ends of the bar 18 ( a ), absorbs a predetermined frequency of vibration . the weight of the weights 18 ( b ) and the length of the bar 18 ( a ) are determined in accordance with a frequency of vibration of the cage guide rail 110 . according to the sixteenth embodiment , the damper member 18 is provided on one of the brackets 1 adjacent to the driving unit 8 , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit 8 from transferring to the shaft wall 4 . accordingly , uncomfortable noise and vibration are hardly generated in the building . [ 0154 ] fig1 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig1 ( a ). in the seventeenth embodiment , a driving unit 8 is mounted on one of the cage guide rails 110 , and the structure of the cage guide rail 110 is improved in comparison with the structure of the cage guide rail 110 shown in fig2 . similar to fig1 and 2 , a pair of cage guide rails 110 ( only one is shown in fig1 ( a )) composed of plural rails 5 is installed on a shaft wall 4 . one of the cage guide rails 110 , which mounts the driving unit 8 , is secured on the shaft wall 4 with rail support members 30 composed of brackets 1 and fastening plates 2 d , and rail support member 38 composed of two brackets 1 b and a coupling plate 19 connecting the brackets 1 b together . the brackets 1 b are disposed at upper and lower nearest sides of the driving unit 8 . the coupling plate 19 is secured on the shaft wall 4 by upper and lower pairs of anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b which are respectively separated by an interval in the horizontal direction . the other cage guide rail 110 is secured on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . further , a pair of counter weight guide rails 111 ( not shown in fig1 ( a )) is installed on the shaft wall 4 with the rail support members 30 shown in fig2 . the cage 101 and the counterweight 102 are respectively guided by the cage guide rails 110 and the counter weight guide rails 111 , and hanged by cables 103 as shown in fig1 . according to the seventeenth embodiment , since two brackets 1 b adjacent to the driving unit 8 are coupled by the coupling plate 19 , and the coupling plate 19 is secured on the shaft wall 4 by two pairs of anchor bolts 3 a and 3 b , the driving unit 8 can be surely supported . [ 0158 ] fig2 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of an eighteenth embodiment of the present invention . fig2 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig2 ( a ). since the eighteenth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the seventeenth embodiment are described . in the eighteenth embodiment , rubber sheets 20 are laid between the brackets 1 b and the coupling plate 19 . according to the eighteenth embodiment , the brackets 1 b are connected with the coupling plate 19 via the rubber sheets 20 with bolts ( not shown ) or the like , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit 8 from transferring to the shaft wall 4 , in addition to the effects of the seventeenth embodiment . [ 0162 ] fig2 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a nineteenth embodiment of the present invention . fig2 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig2 ( a ). since the nineteenth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the eighteenth embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the eighteenth embodiment are described . in the nineteenth embodiment , damping steel sheets 21 , which is made of highly damped steel , are substituted for the rubber sheets 20 of the eighteenth embodiment . according to the nineteenth embodiment , the brackets 1 b are connected with the coupling plate 19 via the damping steel sheets 21 with bolts ( now shown ) or the like , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit 8 from transferring to the shaft wall 4 , in addition to the effects of the seventeenth embodiment . [ 0166 ] fig2 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twentieth embodiment of the present invention . fig2 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig2 ( a ). since the twentieth embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the seventeenth embodiment are described . in the twentieth embodiment , the brackets 1 a , which is made of highly damped steel , are substituted for the brackets 1 b of the seventeenth embodiment in fig1 ( a ). according to the twentieth embodiment , the cage guide rail 110 is supported by the brackets 1 a made of highly damped steel and connected with the coupling plate 19 , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit 8 from transferring to the shaft wall 4 , in addition to the effects of the seventeenth embodiment . the coupling plate 19 can also be made of highly damped steel . in this case , the brackets 1 a can be substituted for the brackets 1 b made of ordinary steel . [ 0171 ] fig2 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twenty first embodiment of the present invention . fig2 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig2 ( a ). fig2 ( c ) is a view of a damper member in the direction of the arrows a in fig2 ( a ). since the twenty first embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the seventeenth embodiment are described . in the twenty first embodiment , an active damper unit 18 is provided on one of the brackets 1 b connected by the coupling plate 19 . the damper unit 18 , composed of a bar 18 ( a ) and two weights 18 ( b ) mounted on opposite ends of the bar 18 ( a ), absorbs a predetermined frequency of vibration . the weight of the weights 18 ( b ) and the length of the bar 18 ( a ) are determined in accordance with a frequency of the vibration of the cage guide rail 110 . according to the twenty first embodiment , the damper member 18 is provided on one of the brackets 1 b adjacent to the driving unit 8 , thereby preventing vibration caused by the driving unit 8 from transferring to the shaft wall 4 , in addition to the effects of the seventeenth embodiment . [ 0175 ] fig2 ( a ) is a side view of the mounting structure of a cage guide rail of a twenty second embodiment of the present invention . fig2 ( b ) is a top view of the cage guide rail in fig2 ( a ). since the twenty second embodiment modifies a part of the elevator of the first embodiment of the present invention , in the following description , only components different from the components explained in the first embodiment are described . in the twenty second embodiment , upper and lower brackets 1 c are substituted for the two brackets 1 adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit 8 . in this embodiment , the flexural rigidity of the brackets 1 c is stronger than that of the brackets 1 . a bending moment working at a junction of the fastening plates 2 and the shaft wall 4 is reduced the farther a bracket 1 is away from the driving unit 8 . that is , in fig2 ( a ), the largest bending moment works on the top of the brackets 1 c . according to the twenty second embodiment , since the flexural rigidity of the brackets 1 c adjacent to upper and lower sides of the driving unit 8 is stronger than that of the brackets 1 , the driving unit 8 can be surely supported with minimum structure and low cost . in the above described embodiments , although the driving unit 8 shown mounted on the cage guide rail 110 , it should be understood that the driving unit 8 can be mounted on the counter weight guide rail 111 . further , although the anchor bolts 3 , 3 a and 3 b are used as a securing member , ordinary bolts or welding can be adopted in case that the shaft 6 is constructed with a steel frame . various modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings . therefore , it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . | 1 |
the present invention , which provides a method of fabricating structures having ultra - sub - lithographic features ( less than 0 . 7 f ) and the resultant structures formed therefrom , will now be described in greater detail by referring to the drawings that accompany the present application . in the accompanying drawings , like and corresponding elements are referred to by like reference numerals . referring to fig3 a - 3j , there is shown one possible implementation of the present invention for fabricating gate microstructures . although the drawings and description that follow are specific for the formation of gate microstructures , the present invention may be used in fabricating any microstructure provided that the microstructure includes at least one etchable material . referring to fig3 a , there is shown an initial structure 50 that may be employed in the present invention . the initial structure 50 includes a semiconductor substrate 52 , a gate dielectric 54 located on a surface of the semiconductor substrate 52 and a gate conductor 56 located on the gate dielectric 54 . the semiconductor substrate 52 of the initial structure 50 includes any semiconducting material including , but not limited to : si , sige , sic , sigec , gaas , inas , inp or other like iii / v compound semiconductors . the semiconductor substrate 52 may also comprise a multilayer structure in which at least the top layer thereof is semiconducting . illustrative examples of multilayer structures include , for example , si / sige , a silicon - on - insulator ( soi ) or a sige - on - insulator ( sgoi ). the semiconductor substrate 52 may also comprise various useful structures such as memory cells , isolation structures ( e . g ., isolation trenches ), dopant wells , three dimensional transistor features such as fins and pillars , and buried contacts and interconnects . the gate dielectric 54 is formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate 52 by deposition or thermal oxidation , nitridation or oxynitridation . combinations of the aforementioned processes may also be used in forming the gate dielectric 54 . the gate dielectric 54 is comprised of an insulating material including , but not limited to : an oxide , nitride , oxynitride or any combination thereof . a highly preferred insulating material that is employed in the present invention as the gate dielectric 54 is nitrided sio 2 or oxynitride . although it is preferred to use nitrided sio 2 or oxynitride as the gate dielectric material , the present invention also contemplates using insulating materials , i . e ., dielectrics , which have a higher or lower dielectric constant , k , than nitrided sio 2 . for example , the gate dielectric 54 may comprise a oxynitride - nitride stack , a pure nitride , a high - k oxide or oxynitride or respective silicate such as al 2 o 3 , hfo 2 , hfo x n y , hfsi x o y n z , or a perovskite - type oxide . the physical thickness of the gate dielectric 54 may vary , but typically the gate dielectric 54 has a thickness from about 0 . 5 to about 20 nm , with a thickness of from about 1 . 0 to about 10 . 0 nm being more highly preferred . after forming the gate dielectric 54 , a gate conductor 56 , which represents one type of etchable material that can be used in the present invention , is formed on at least the exposed upper surface of the gate dielectric 54 . the gate conductor 56 is comprised of a conductive material including , but not limited to : elemental metals such as w , pt , pd , ru , re , ir , ta , ti , al , mo or combinations , including alloys , and multilayers thereof ; silicides and nitrides of the foregoing elemental metals ; polysilicon either doped or undoped ; or combinations and multilayers thereof . one highly preferred conductive material employed as the gate conductor 56 is doped polysilicon . the gate conductor 56 is formed utilizing a deposition process such as cvd , plasma - assisted cvd , sputtering , evaporation , chemical solution deposition or plating . when metal silicides are employed , a conventional silicidation process may be used in forming the same . on the other hand , when doped polysilicon is employed as the gate conductor 56 , the doped polysilicon may be formed by an in - situ doping deposition process , or alternatively , a layer of undoped silicon is first deposited and thereafter an ion implantation process is employed in doping the undoped polysilicon . the doping of the undoped polysilicon may occur immediately after deposition or in a later processing step . the material layers present in gate conductor layer 56 can be in either amorphous , single - crystal , or polycrystalline form . the physical thickness of the gate conductor 56 formed at this point of the present invention may vary depending on the conductive material employed as well as the process used in forming the same . typically , however , the gate conductor 56 has a thickness from about 20 to about 400 nm , with a thickness from about 50 to about 200 nm being more highly preferred . in order to achieve the self - correcting property of the present invention , a multi - layered stack 58 is formed atop the initial structure 50 of fig3 a . the multi - layered stack 58 , see fig3 b , is comprised of a core material 62 , which is located between two thin diffusion barriers 60 and 64 , respectively . the core material 62 may comprise various elements with the proviso that at least one element of the core material 62 can diffuse through the core material 62 at an elevated temperature . for instance , the core material 62 may include one of the commonly used doped glasses , such as fluorinated - doped silicate glass ( fsg ), phosphorus - doped silicate glass ( psg ), boron - doped silicate glass ( bsg ), boron - and phosphorus - doped silicate glass ( bpsg ), nitrogen - doped glass , or carbon - doped glass wherein the diffusing element is the dopant ( e . g ., f , p , b , n , or c ). alternatively , the core material 62 may be silicon that is doped with p or as , for example , or a polymer - based material that is doped with a fast diffusion element ( typically a metal ion ) such that the polymer - based material can withstand the minimal thermal budget of depositing the top diffusion barrier 64 . the core material 62 is formed using a conventional deposition process including , for example , spin - on coating , chemical vapor deposition , plasma - assisted chemical vapor deposition , atomic layer deposition , chemical solution deposition or evaporation . the dopant may be introduced by an in - situ doping deposition process , or alternatively , a core material 62 is first deposited with or without the dopant and thereafter any other doping process such as an ion implantation or gas phase doping is employed to add the dopant to the core material 62 . the diffusion barriers 60 and 64 can be deposited at a relatively low temperature of about 100 ° c .- 300 ° c . by employing known low - temperature deposition techniques such as , for example , atomic layer deposition ( ald ) and / or excitation assisted depositions such as plasma - assisted processes . the thickness range of the core material 62 is from about 10 nm to about 150 nm , with a thickness range from about 20 nm to about 100 nm being more highly preferred . the typical dopant concentration range in the core material 62 is from about 10 17 cm − 3 to about 10 22 cm − 3 , with the dopant concentration range from about 10 19 cm − 3 to about 5 · 10 21 cm − 3 being more highly preferred . the diffusion barriers 60 and 64 may be comprised of the same or different material that is capable of preventing the at least one diffusing element from diffusing vertically from the core material 62 . specifically , the diffusion barriers may comprise silicon nitride , a metal nitride , such as tin , wn , tan , or a respective oxynitride . the thickness of both diffusion barriers 60 and 64 is chosen such that the diffusion barrier layers are thick enough to block vertical diffusion of the at least one diffusing element of the core material 62 at a specified thermal budget . the preferred thickness range of diffusion barriers 60 and 64 thus depends on the specific thermal budget ( to be defined below ) and is from about 1 nm to about 20 nm . narrow lines and optional other structures are then formed atop the multi - layered stack 58 providing the structure shown , for example , in fig3 b . in particular , the patterned photoresist lines 66 are formed atop the top diffusion barrier 64 of the multi - layered stack 58 . the photoresist lines 66 may be formed via photolithography . photolithography techniques may include various image enhancement methods such as phase shift masks , multiple exposures , and optical proximity correction . the line width variation is an inherent drawback of any line definition process . for the purpose of this invention , the applicants refer to the smallest line dimension ( a critical dimension ) as “ line width ” dimension . in this embodiment , the line width is related to the transistor channel length . fig3 b schematically shows such random line width variation by drawing three different lines with nominal , smaller l 2 , and larger l 1 width . in practical examples , the line width varies randomly across the chip or wafer and can be represented by a probability density function such as shown , for example , in fig2 . the experimental probability density function can be often fitted with a normal probability distribution function with a characteristic parameter σ , i . e ., sigma , also known as the standard deviation . next , a patterning step which includes a pattern transfer etching process is used to transfer the pattern , i . e ., lines , from the patterned photoresist into the multi - layered stack 58 . the pattern transfer may include a simple dry etching process such as reactive ion etching . in some embodiments , the pattern transfer etching process may also comprise line trimming including self - limiting trimming . after pattern transfer and removal of the photoresist lines 66 have been performed , the structure shown , for example , in fig3 c is formed . note that the same line width variation as that of the resist lines 66 is transferred to each of the patterned multi - layered stacks 58 . such one - to - one transfer of line width is not typical and shown here only to simplify drawings . in general , any conventional etching process increases the variation of the line width . furthermore , the line width control is even more difficult when the nominal line width is close to the resolution limit of photolithography . in the trimming process , the mask lines are uniformly etched to yield smaller lines . while any known trimming process provides a method for reducing nominal line width , it increases the line width variation with respect to the nominal line width . in general , the line width control becomes much more difficult for ultra narrow lines . in the inventive method , the transferred line patterns are defined via known techniques and , consequently , have a relatively large variation at this step of the present invention . after pattern transfer into the multi - layered stack 58 ( including diffusion barrier layers 60 and 64 and core material 62 ), the structure shown in fig3 c is subjected to a heating step having a specific thermal budget to cause the diffusion of the at least one diffusing element within the core material 62 . the thermal budget of this process is defined via the characteristic diffusion length of diffusing element l d which is related to the process temperature and the process time . specifically , per a given diffusing element in a given core material 62 , the characteristic diffusion length of diffusing element l d is uniquely related to the process temperature t and the process time τ as l d =( dτ ) 0 . 5 , where d is the element diffusivity in the core material 62 at a given process temperature t . accordingly , the process temperature and time are selected such that the characteristic diffusion length l d is within a preferred range specified below . in one example , the process temperature t is chosen from a range supported by commercially available heating equipment , i . e ., from about 100 ° c . to about 1200 ° c ., and the process time is adjusted to get an acceptable value of characteristic diffusion length l d . the process time is typically selected to be much longer than the duration of any transient processes such as wafer temperature ramp - up and ramp - down . the process temperature is typically selected to be substantially low not to cause any thermal damage to any of the features present in the substrate and the inventive stack and to be substantially high to result in the characteristic diffusion length l d of the order of the nominal line width l nom within a reasonable anneal duration of less than several hours . because the diffusion barriers 60 and 64 prevent the movement of diffusing element , i . e ., dopant , in the vertical direction , the diffusion process becomes substantially one - dimensional in the horizontal direction . the diffusing element typically diffuses from the center portion to the etched facets 67 , i . e ., sidewalls , of the patterned multi - layered stacks 58 and then it is removed from the exposed surfaces . while , for a casual observer , it may appear that the processes of diffusion and facet surface removal are happening simultaneously , for a given diffusing atom , these processes are happening in series : first , diffusion to the facet and , then , removal from the facet surface . the dopant surface removal process can be beneficially made faster than the diffusion process within the core material 62 such that the overall rate is diffusion limited . in one embodiment ( see , fig3 d ), the dopant surface removal process comprises a process of evaporation of the dopant into gaseous phase that surrounds the structure . the evaporation process is schematically shown by arrows 68 in fig3 d and the change in shading denotes less dopant present near the facets 67 . the evaporation process rate can be increased by lowering the ambient pressure or by conducting thermal treatment in a reactive ambient such that the dopant reacts with the gas species at the exposed surfaces to form volatile products . in a neutral ambient , the preferred pressure range is from about 0 . 00001 mtorr to about 800 torr . in a reactive ambient , the preferred pressure range is from about 0 . 1 mtorr to about 10000 torr . in one example , the reactive ambient is comprised of hydrogen , halogens ( e . g ., fluorine or chlorine ), or oxygen such that respective molecules react with the diffusing dopants to form volatile dopant - h x , dopant - halogen , or dopant - o y molecules , respectively . for some core materials 62 such as silicon , the etched facets 67 should be kept clean to prevent formation of unwanted surface layers such as native oxides which may slow down dopant removal from the facets . in one example , the diffusion element is phosphorus and the core material 62 is silicon . in this example , and in order to speed up the evaporation of phosphorus from the etched facets , the facets are cleaned directly prior to the heating step in a solution comprised of hydrofluoric acid to remove any native or chemical oxide present on the facet surfaces . the heating step is conducted in a reducing ambient ( e . g ., hydrogen ambient at a reduced pressure of from about 1 torr to about 300 torr , with from about 10 torr to about 200 torr being more highly preferred ) to remove any oxide residue still present at the facet surfaces . in the above examples , the reactive ambient can be also be comprised of respective radicals or ions rather than molecules . the radicals or ions can be produced with some form of excitation . the excitation may include direct or remote electrical discharges , intense electromagnetic radiation including infrared , visible , ultraviolet , and x - ray portions of spectrum , intense remote heat , electron or ion beams , and chemical processes including decomposition of unstable molecules and multi - step reactions . in another embodiment ( see , fig3 e ), the dopant surface removal process comprises a process of diffusion into , accumulation within , or gettering by another material 80 ( hereinafter the getter material 80 ) placed in between and atop the etched lines , i . e ., patterned multi - layered stacks . as shown in fig3 e , the getter material 80 is placed in between and atop the etched lines after the line definition process . the getter material 80 can be deposited by any known method such as , for example , chemical vapor deposition , spin - on coating , plating , or sputtering techniques . the getter material 80 comprises any material that has the ability to quickly accumulate the diffusing element from the core material 62 . after the getter material 80 is deposited , the structure is subjected to a specified thermal budget , i . e ., heating step , causing the selected dopant to diffuse from the core material 62 into material 80 . the direction of dopant diffusion and removal is shown by arrows 68 . because the speed of diffusion and accumulation of the dopant in the getter material 80 is much faster than the speed of the dopant diffusion within the core material 62 , the rate of dopant removal from the boundary of the core material 62 is much faster than the characteristic rate of diffusion within the core material 62 . therefore , the overall rate of the dopant transfer process is diffusion limited within the core material 62 . after the dopant removal process , the getter material 80 is removed selective to diffusion barriers 60 and 66 as well as the core material 62 . when subjected to a specified thermal budget , the etched lines , i . e ., the patterned multi - layered stacks , lose dopant at the etched facets 67 . the dopant loss is highly sensitive to the line width ; wider lines lose less dopant than thinner lines . fig4 - 6 demonstrate dopant loss sensitivity to the line width . the dopant profiles are found in a half portion of the line through a numerical solution of one - dimensional diffusion equation with the following boundary conditions : zero diffusion current at the point of symmetry ( line center ) and zero dopant concentration at the line sidewall . the latter boundary condition is due to the diffusion - limited nature of the process . the diffusion parameters are taken for phosphorous in polycrystalline silicon . the initial concentration of dopant in the core material 62 is taken to be about 8 · 10 20 cm − 3 . the thermal budget was selected such than the characteristic diffusion length is equal to about half of the nominal line . the nominal line is set to be at about 100 nm . the dopant profiles are calculated for different lines with width varying from about 200 nm to about 50 nm . the result of such numerical experiment is shown in fig4 . it is noted that while the line width varies by a factor of four , the resultant doping level varies by about a factor of ten thousand ( 4 orders of magnitude ). the amount of dopant loss is achieved in the present invention by comparing the amount of at least one dopant removed from the edged facets to that which was originally present therein . fig5 shows the average concentration of dopant remaining in the line as a function of line width . fig6 shows that the curve shown in fig5 is an exponential function of squared line width . note that the average dopant concentration shown in fig5 and 6 depends linearly on the initial dopant concentration while it is a very strong function ( exponential of a square ) of the line width and characteristic diffusion length . subsequently , the remaining dopant concentration is also a weak function of the thickness of the core material 62 . the key findings of the numerical experimentation can be summarized as follows : the average dopant concentration in the line is higher for wider lines and smaller for thinner lines ; if the dopant removal process is diffusion limited , it results in a strong dependence of the remaining dopant concentration on the line width and a weak dependence on the initial dopant concentration and , consequently , the thickness of the core material 62 ; if the dopant removal process is surface - extraction limited , it results in a weak dependence of the remaining dopant concentration on line width , thickness of the core material 62 , and initial dopant concentration ; the thermal budget of the dopant removal process is selected such that the characteristic diffusion length l d ( l d =( dτ ) 0 . 5 , where d is the dopant diffusivity in the core material 62 , and τ is the process time , is from about one tenth of the nominal line width to about 10 times of the nominal line width . while the numerical experiment has been carried out for a specific example of the core material 62 , the key conclusions are valid for any core material 62 provided that it has at least one diffusing element which is removed from etched facets . because of the strong dependence of the remaining dopant concentration on the line width and a weak dependence on the thickness of the core material 62 and / or initial dopant concentration , the diffusion - limited dopant removal process is highly preferred . the thermal budget range or the ranges of process temperature and process time are selected to result in the preferred range of characteristic diffusion length of dopant removal process . the characteristic diffusion length range from about one forth of the nominal line width to about the nominal line width is highly preferred , for the remaining dopant concentration is most sensitive to the line width in this range . the non - uniform dopant profiles of fig4 are not desirable . flat dopant profiles are highly preferred to ease the self - correcting etch process control . therefore , a series of optional steps are added to make the dopant distribution uniform . although these steps are not required , they are highly desirable . after dopant removal step and removal of the optional getter material 80 , a thin diffusion barrier 82 is formed on the sides of the lines , i . e ., patterned multi - layered stacks 58 , providing the structure shown , for example , in fig3 f . diffusion barrier 82 can be made from the same material as diffusion barriers 60 and 64 or it can be made from a different material . in the former case , the thickness of diffusion barriers 60 and 64 should be larger than that of the sidewall diffusion barrier 82 such that the diffusion barrier 82 can be entirely removed with a timed etch while leaving a portion of the top diffusion barrier 64 . in the latter case , the thickness of barriers 60 , 64 and 82 can be chosen independently provided that there is a highly selective etch for the removal of diffusion barrier 82 with little affect on diffusion barriers 60 and 64 and the core material 62 . after depositing the diffusion barrier 82 , the structure is subjected to a thermal treatment to flatten the dopant profile within the patterned lines . such a procedure has been simulated numerically for the condition of the above example and the result is shown in fig7 . the dopant profile is flat for each of the lines and the dopant concentration is equal to the average dopant concentration used in fig4 and 5 . the set of patterned lines of provided in fig3 f is substantially different from that of the patterned lines in the previous drawings because a uniform dopant concentration in the core material 62 is a function of line width . in fig3 f , the wide line on the far left has much more dopant as compared to a thinner lines to the right . next , the sidewall diffusion barrier 82 is removed from the structure to expose the sidewalls , i . e ., etched facets 67 , of the core material 62 ; see fig3 g . the removal process can be carried out using an isotropic dry or wet etching techniques . the etching mixtures are selected to be substantially inert to the core material 62 . next , a self - correcting etch of the core material 62 is used to reduce the line width variation of the patterned lines shown in fig3 d , 3e or 3 f . this is schematically shown in fig3 h . the self - correcting etch is a slow isotropic etch with the etch rate sensitive to the doping level of the core material 62 . specifically , the self - correcting etch removes highly doped core material faster than lightly doped core material . a typical etch rate dependence on the dopant concentration is shown in fig9 . as shown in fig9 , etch rate is a logarithmic function of dopant concentration above some certain threshold concentration of dopant . the threshold dopant concentration is typically about 10 19 cm − 3 . the etch rate below the threshold and its sensitivity to the dopant level above the threshold both depend on specific adjustable parameters of the etching mixture . accordingly , the etch rate can be adjusted by modifying active chemical dilution ratio , process temperature , solution acidity ( ph ) in the case of wet etch , and ambient pressure in the case of dry etch . a dopant - sensitive chemical conversion process can also be a part of the self - correcting etching or trimming process . in such process , the core material 62 is chemically altered with the rate sensitive to the doping level and then the altered material is etched away . in one example , the core material 62 is doped silicon and the chemical conversion reaction is an oxidation reaction . in addition , the introduction of chemical inhibitors or catalysts can be employed to alter the etch rate and its sensitivity to the dopant . the functional dependence of the etch rate on the dopant concentration can be made stronger than the typical logarithmic dependence . for instance , the dopant of the core material 62 can be a catalyst of the etching reaction resulting in a strong ( polynomial ) dependence of the etch rate on the amount of dopant . such very sensitive etches are desirable for correcting lines with a weak dopant variation such as the case of surface - extraction limited dopant removal process described above . typical logarithmic etch is well suited for correcting lines with a strong dopant variation such as the case of diffusion - limited dopant removal process described above . fig1 shows corrected line width ( width of etched core material 62 ) as a function of the original line width in the case of the logarithmic etch of fig9 applied to the lines with the dopant distribution shown in fig8 . printed lines with nominal width of about 100 nm and the variation range of +/− 20 nm are corrected to form a line set with nominal width of about 40 nm and the variation range of +/− 4 nm . accordingly , the applicants of the present application have obtained a unique set of trimmed lines with the nominal line width reduced by a factor of 2 . 5 and the line width variation as measured by the standard deviation or range ( relative to the nominal line width ) reduced by a factor of 2 . a typical statistical distribution of line variation is shown in fig8 . therefore , the inventive method allows for defining a plurality of narrow lines with the nominal width of f / α , where f is the minimal line width defined by a particular conventional line definition process ( e . g ., photolithography , imprint lithography , spacer image transfer lithography , etc .) and α ( α & gt ; 1 ) is the line reduction factor , and the line width variation as measured by the standard deviation or range ( relative to the nominal line width ) much smaller than the line width variation of the original line definition process at f nominal width multiplied by the line reduction factor α . in the example of transistor gate definition process , the corrected lines are used as a hard mask for defining the gates from the gate conductor 56 . such line image transfer process can be accomplished using a directional etch such as a reactive ion etch . this process is shown in fig3 i and 3j . the remains of diffusion barriers 64 can be optionally removed by either isotropic or directional etch prior to etching the core material 62 . the removal process can be carried out using isotropic dry or wet etching techniques . the chemistry of diffusion barrier etch is selected to be inert to the core material 62 . the gate conductor 56 is etched with a directional etch which is substantially selective to the core material 62 . the gate conductor etch may include several steps with different etching chemistries to better control the sidewall profile and to stop on the gate dielectric 54 . the final gate structure is shown in fig3 j where the mask structure of the present invention is omitted . according to the inventive method , the physical gate length ( line width ) variation of the final gate line is substantially improved . the applicants also note that the described self - correcting technique can be employed to reduce the variation of spacing between two adjacent and parallel lines . in an ultra dense pattern of parallel lines , the lines are spaced at a minimal distance f . the variation of spacing between adjacent lines is due to both variation of distance between line centers ( line center is a line middle point in the width direction ) and variation of line width . often , the variation of line width is a dominant component to the variation of spacing between adjacent lines . by using the inventive self - correcting method , the line width variation can be substantially reduced and , consequently , the variation of spacing between adjacent lines will be substantially improved and defined by the variation of distance between adjacent line centers . the self - correcting property of the inventive method relies on the one - dimensional nature of the structure ( set of lines ) coupled with the one - dimensional nature of the diffusion process ( the vertical diffusion is suppressed by the diffusion barriers 60 and 64 ). as long as such one - dimensional coupling exists between the structure and the self - correcting process , the inventive method can be applied to structures other than the mask structure for the set of lines . furthermore , a set of complex structures can be divided into simpler structures suitable for trimming and correcting using the inventive method . such division of complex structures can be accomplished by disposing a block mask prior to the self - correcting etch . this is illustrated in several examples . in addition , the requirements for the concept of one - dimensional coupling are quantified . in one example , a set of small disks or cylinders represents a one - dimensional structure similar to that of the set of lines . the structure is completely defined by only one parameter : the disk radius . the disk mask structure is similar to that of the structure shown in fig3 c and 3d . the diffusion process within the disk depends only on the radial component . the diffusion along cylinder axis is suppressed by the presence of diffusion barriers similar to the barrier layer used for the lines . consequently , there is no difference between the disks and the cylinders . because the one - dimensional diffusion process is slightly different in radial coordinates , the functional dependence of the average remaining dopant within the disks on disk radii will be somewhat different than that of the average remaining dopant within the lines on lines width . yet , the system of disks behaves very similar to the system of lines showing the same strong functional dependence of dopant in the case of diffusion - limited extraction regime and a high sensitivity to the disk radius ( when characteristic diffusion length is comparable to the nominal disk radius ). therefore , the inventive method is readily applicable for trimming or correcting the size of a plurality of small disks . in another example , the length ( or height ) of a set of cylinders can be corrected using the inventive method . the cylinders or rods are comprised of the core material 62 and are wrapped around with a diffusion barrier 60 . the barrier 60 may be in the form of a spacer for vertically oriented cylinders or rods . the cylinder may represent an opening in a substrate filled with the core material 62 . in this case , the substrate may contain the diffusion barrier 60 or the diffusion barrier 60 can be deposited into the opening prior to depositing the core material 62 . the diffusion barrier 60 does not cover at least one of cylinder ends . in such configuration , the dopant diffusion process is substantially one - dimensional with respect to cylinder axis coordinate . applicants note that the cylinder cross section may have any shape ( circular , rectangular , star , pentagon , etc .) as long as it does not vary much with cylinder length . the variation of cylinder cross section shape has a similar effect as the variation of the core material 62 thickness in case of the lines shown in fig3 d . as indicated above , a diffusion - limited dopant removal process depends weakly on the initial dopant concentration or , equivalently , the volume variation due to the cross section variation . therefore , the inventive method is still useful for a set of cylinders with varying cross section shape ( within each cylinder and from cylinder to cylinder ) provided that the cylinder cross section variation accounts for less than about 30 % of cylinder volume variation . applicants also note that in a limiting case when cylinder radius ( or equivalent characteristic dimension ) is much larger than the length of its axis , a cylinder becomes a film island with length of cylinder axis being the island ( film ) thickness . if island thickness is much less ( 5 times less , for example ) than its characteristic size , the diffusion barriers are not required , for the central portion of the island has a one - dimensional diffusion process . the island can be as large as the entire wafer . for instance , in this case , the inventive method can be employed to reduce the thickness variations of a silicon - on - insulator ( soi ) layer over an entire soi substrate . in some useful applications , only a subset of structures has a one - dimensional symmetry suitable for the application of the inventive method . as eluded above , the inventive method can be applied in such cases with the aid of extra block mask ( s ). for example , an optional photoresist block mask is disposed immediately prior to the self - correcting etching step . the mask covers structures without the required one - dimensional symmetry and / or any other structures that need no ( or reduced ) trimming or correction and exposes the subset of structures for self - correcting etch . one useful example for applying such optional mask is the process of trimming / correcting the transistor gate structures in integrated circuits . typical gate conductor structure can be roughly divided into a subset of very narrow gates and other wider structures . the narrow gates run over the active area and form high - performance transistors while wider gate structures are used as contact - landing pads , local interconnects , and gates of specialized transistors . in most cases , the narrow gates are connected to at least one larger gate section . apparently , the subset of narrow long lines has the one - dimensional symmetry suitable for the inventive method . nevertheless , other structures may or may not have such symmetry . furthermore , it is often desirable to preserve the original size of some gate conductor structures . for instance , a certain minimal size of contact - landing pad is needed to accommodate an electrical contact from an upper level . alternatively , the gate of a specialized transistor is intentionally designed larger than minimal feature size . in the presence of excessive trimming , the pad or the gate of specialized transistor will be intentionally designed larger than its minimal size in order to account for trimming . such built - in trimming design margin may result in a substantial reduction of component density per unit of area . the penalty in the component density is highly undesirable . in addition , complex structures may have points of symmetry loss which may be adversely affected by the self - correcting etch . for instance , the junction between a wider section of the gate conductor and a narrow gate line is a point of symmetry loss which leads to the loss of self - correcting etch property in the vicinity of the junction . accordingly , the narrow gate line in the vicinity of the junction may be severely over etched . the optional block mask addresses all these concerns by simply exposing narrow lines with one - dimensional symmetry and covering other gate structures including junctions between the narrow lines and wider sections . the characteristic size of edge symmetry distortion is the characteristic diffusion length . because the characteristic diffusion length is selected to be of the order of the line width , the influence of edge symmetry distortion substantially decays at the scale of one line width from the edge . therefore , it is highly desirable that the block mask covers a small portion of the narrow line adjacent to the junction with other gate structures ( symmetry distortion point ), the small portion being equal or larger than the line width . while the benefit of block mask has been shown using gate line example , the mask is also useful in other cases where one needs to select a subset of structures with one - dimensional properties suitable for the inventive method . for instance , in the case of film islands described above , the mask can be used to cover the island edge where the diffusion process is not one - dimensional . applicants have shown that the inventive method results in an improved structure with minimized critical dimension variation if applied to a set of one - dimensional structures also have shown that the block mask can be used to select such one - dimensional structures . in the following , applicants define the criteria of what set of structures can be considered one - dimensional and point to the several limitations of the inventive method . the set of structures of interest has a critical dimension l which may vary from structure to structure . according to the present invention , the structures will be subjected to the diffusion process with the characteristic diffusion length ld equal or smaller than the critical dimension l . because the sensitivity of diffusion process on a geometrical perturbation quickly decreases within the length scale of several ld , the original structures can be divided into substantially statistically independent sections of size 3 l if their dimensions exceed 3 l . for instance , long and narrow lines with width of approximately l are divided into 3 l sections whereas the large film islands with approximate thickness l are divided into 3 l by 3 l sections . the mathematical division process may also result in a number of fractional structures with the dimension of less than 3 l . for instance , a 7 l - long line can be mathematically divided into two 3 l - long sections plus one fractional 1 l - long section . to simplify the analysis , applicants did not consider the fractional sections but allow the minimal statistically independent sections to be of different length from 3 l to 6 l . the whole point of such mathematical division is to obtain a set of statistically independent ( with respect to the diffusion process ) structures with minimal dimensions . the applicants have shown that any original large structure can be divided into substantially statistically independent sections of size of between 3 l and 6 l if their dimensions exceed 3 l . some original structures such as a set of narrow and long vertically oriented cylinders or rods with varying height cannot be divided into smaller section because their characteristic measure of cross section is smaller than the critical dimension ( height ). therefore , the collection of minimal statistically independent sections ( either from the process of mathematical division or original ) forms a new set of structures on which we define several random functions and provide the one - dimensionality test using these random functions . the variation of critical dimension l from structure to structure is characterized by the mean value of l , l nom and a standard deviation parameter σ l in accordance with the generally accepted statistical principals . for practical purposes σ l is limited to below 10 % of l nom . the first requirement of one - dimensionality is a limitation of critical dimension variation within each structure within the set . the variation of l within each structure should be substantially smaller than the variation of l from structure to structure . the standard deviation of l within each structure is limited to half of standard deviation of l from structure to structure . one can express such limitation in mathematical terms : var ( l max − l min )& lt ; 0 . 5 var ( l ave )= σ l & lt ; 5 %, ( 1 ) where l max , l min , l ave are maximum , minimal , and average value of l for each structure ( section ) in the set , and var ( . . . ) is a symbol for standard deviation ( variance ) of a random function . note that l max , l min , l ave are random functions defined on the newly defined set of minimal structures . the second requirement of one - dimensionality is a restriction on the structure volume variation due to the variation in two dimensions other than the critical dimension l . that is , the variation of the structure volume v should primarily be due to the variation of critical dimension l . the variation of critical dimension l is required to account for more than 60 % of the volume variation . one can express this requirement in mathematical terms : where v is the structure volume . note that v is also a random function defined on the set of minimal structures . while the present invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in forms and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . it is therefore intended that the present invention not be limited to the exact forms and details described and illustrated , but fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
turning now to fig1 , there is shown a reversible ice chest of the invention designated generally as 11 . the ice chest includes a thermally insulated body 13 having an exterior 15 and an initially open interior 17 which define a top opening 19 and bottom opening 21 ( fig2 ) for the body . the particular ice chest 11 illustrated in fig1 is intended to be exemplary of the invention . however , as will be apparent from the discussion which follows , the ice chest could take a number of different shapes , sizes and configurations . in any event , the body 13 will be thermally insulated in order to maintain the chest interior temperature relatively constant when a cooling medium , such as ice , is placed within the chest interior 17 . in the embodiment of fig1 , the ice chest 11 is polygonally ( rectangularly ) shaped being comprised of two pairs of opposing sides 23 , 25 and 27 , 29 , respectively . as can be seen in fig1 , a primary lid 31 is movable between an open position ( shown in fig1 ) and a closed position ( shown in fig5 ) with respect to a selected one of the top and bottom openings , 19 , 21 , respectively . a conventional latch and clasp 33 , 35 are provided for holding the primary lid 31 in the closed position . a secondary lid 37 is similarly movable between an open position ( shown in fig1 ) and a closed position with respect to the other respective one of the top and bottom openings , in this case , bottom opening 21 . an additional latch and clasp 39 , 41 ( fig2 ) are provided for holding the secondary lid 37 in the closed position . as shown in fig6 , a pair of oppositely arranged carrying handles 43 , 45 are located on the exterior 15 of the ice chest body 30 . each carrying handle 43 , 45 is slidably positionable between either of two carrying positions , depending upon whether the primary or secondary lid 31 , 37 is oriented in the upright position ( generally shown in fig6 ). preferably , each handle assembly 43 , 35 is comprised of a longitudinal bracket 47 and a clasp 49 which is free to slide upwardly and downwardly within the bracket . other reversible handle arrangements may also be apparent to those skilled in the art . as can be seen in fig1 , a drain fitting 30 , 32 can be located on each of two vertically displaced locations on a selected sidewall or sidewalls 23 , 25 of the chest so that one drain fitting is always conveniently located for draining the contents of the chest . in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 , the drain fittings 30 , 32 are on the opposing sidewalls 23 , 25 . however , the fittings could , as easily , be located in the same sidewall , e . g ., sidewall 23 , at spaced vertical locations or could be placed in the lids 31 , 37 , themselves . as shown in fig1 and 6 , two connecting hinges 51 , 53 , are provided along one of the longitudinal edges 55 of the secondary lid 37 for providing a hinged connection . because the ice chest 11 is typically carried in the upright position illustrated in fig5 of the drawings , the secondary lid 37 is typically formed of a relatively heavier duty construction than the primary lid . by “ heavier duty construction ” is meant that the lid may be thicker in dimension , more thoroughly insulated or insulated , with a higher quality type of insulation than the primary lid 31 . thus , with reference to fig3 and 4 , the thickness “ d 2 ” is greater than the thickness “ d 1 ”. the more robust construction of the secondary lid 37 might also be provided in other ways , for example by the choice of insulating material for the lid body or the particular construction style of the lid body . each of the primary and secondary lids 31 , 37 has an associated circumferential seal region ( shown as 57 in fig1 ) which forms sealing contact between the respective lid and the respective opening of the ice chest body when the respective lid is moved to the closed position . the seal region can comprise a seal ring in a groove , such as o - ring seals 58 and 60 in fig3 and 4 , and can be formed , for example , from a suitable elastomer such as a suitable or natural synthetic rubber . once again , because the primary lid 31 will not typically be bearing the weight of the chest contents during transport , the circumferential seal ring 58 can typically be of less robust construction than the secondary lid seal ring 60 . the circumferential seal region 57 can also assume other forms than that of a seal ring in a groove . for example , the seal region 57 might be formed in the lid body as a part of the plastic extrusion or injection molding process and constitute an integral part of the lid . it is only necessary that the seal region 57 form a mating seal with the ice chest body to retain cooling and prevent leaking . fig5 shows another embodiment of the invention in which either or both of the primary and secondary lids is formed with a sloping interior surface 24 . by making the lid cross - sectional thickness “ d 3 ” decrease on the drain side , less liquid will be retained in the chest interior upon opening the fitting and draining the chest contents . in fig5 , the sloping lid 22 is provided with a drain fitting 26 adjacent the outer lid edge 28 . in order that the user of the chest be able to determine the proper orientation for transport , some sort of marking indicia ( 59 in fig3 ) is provided on the chest exterior which indicates the correct orientation of the primary and secondary lids 31 , 37 . in the example shown , the mouths of the fish in the pattern are oriented upwardly . in use , an ice chest is provided as previously described . the ice chest is first flipped upside down from the carrying position shown if fig5 . the interior 17 of the chest is partly filled with ice or another cooling medium . the item or items to be cooled are then placed on top of the level of the ice within the chest interior . the primary lid 31 is then closed and latched using the latch components 33 , 35 . the orientation of the ice chest body 13 would then be reversed or “ flipped ” so that the primary lid 31 which was previously oriented downward is now oriented upward . the reversible of the chest contents causes the ice in the chest interior to now cover thoroughly the items to be cooled . the ice chest can then be transported in the carrying position shown in fig5 . a user can access the item or items by opening the primary lid 37 which is oriented upwardly . at some point , it may be necessary to add additional ice or items to the chest . the additional items can be added to the interior of the chest in the previous orientation . the orientation of the chest would then again be reversed so that the new items are covered with ice . the items can then be accessed through the opposite lid of the ice chest in the manner exactly reversed of that previously described . an invention has been provided with several advantages . the ice chest of the invention is relatively simple in design and economical to manufacture without requiring drastic changes from traditional manufacturing techniques . although the ice chest of the invention does involve the addition of an extra hinged lid , one of the lid , seal and latch structures can be formed of less robust construction than the other since the ice chest will typically always be transported in one particular orientation . because the “ top ” lid does not bear the weight of the ice and chest contents , it can be formed of a less robust construction . the real structure of the primary lid can also be of less robust construction . external marking indicia on the chest indicates the correct orientation to the user for transport . while the invention has been shown in only one of its forms , it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | 5 |
the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments . in the following detailed description , some exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described only by way of illustration . it is apparent for the ordinary skilled in the art that modifications can be made in various manner to the embodiments as described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . thus , the accompanying drawings and description are illustrative in nature , instead of limiting the protection scope of the claims . a high - strength tin - plated bronze tire bead steel wire comprises a steel wire base body 1 . the surface of the steel wire base body 1 is provided with at least two plating layers , and the tin content of the plating layers decreases layer by layer from inside to outside . the innermost plating layer has a tin content of & gt ; 3 . 0 % and ≦ 20 . 0 % of the total weight of the plating layer , with the balance being copper and inevitable impurities . the outermost plating layer has a tin content of & gt ; 0 . 3 % and ≦ 3 . 0 % of the total weight of the plating layer , with the balance being copper and inevitable impurities . the present invention will be described hereinafter by taking a steel wire base body 1 being plated with two plating layers as an example . as shown in fig1 , the high - strength tin - plated bronze tire bead steel wire comprises a steel wire base body 1 . the surface of the steel wire base body 1 is sequentially plated with an inner plating layer 2 and an outer plating layer 3 from inside to outside . the inner plating layer 2 comprises tin of 3 . 0 %- 20 . 0 % by weight , with the balance being copper and inevitable impurities . the outerer plating layer 2 comprises tin of 0 . 3 %- 3 . 0 % by weight , with the balance being copper and inevitable impurities . as shown in fig2 , a closely binding is required among the conventional plating layer on the tire bead steel wire , the steel wire base body 1 , the plating layer on the surface of steel wire , and the tire rubber 4 . the magnitude of the detected adhesive force is determined by three binding forces f 1 , f 2 , and f 3 , as shown in fig2 . in the conventional tire bead steel wire outer plating layer 3 , the combination of these three forces is limited by factors like a process factor , and it is impossible to realize a very high binding strength . thus , as far as the index of adhesive force between the tire bead steel wire and the tire rubber 4 is concerned , it is impossible to realize a very high adhesive strength . in the present invention , an inner plating layer 2 and an outer plating layer 3 are formed , as shown in fig1 , which produces the following advantages . [ 1 ] the adhesive force leads to the increase of f 1 between the steel wire base body 1 and the plating layer on the surface of steel wire ( i . e ., the inner plating layer 2 ), the increase of f 2 between the inner plating layer 2 and the outer plating layer 3 , and the increase of f 3 between the outer plating layer 3 and the tire rubber 4 . besides , the interaction among f 1 , f 2 , and f 3 leads to a high index of adhesive force between the tire bead steel wire and the tire rubber 4 , thus improving the safety of the tire . [ 2 ] for the plating layers on the surface of steel wire of the tire bead , elements in the plating layer can be adjusted according to the proportion of the rubber formula from the tire factory , thus realizing the diversity of plating layers . [ 3 ] the increase in surface roughness of the steel wire not only increases the adhesive force , but also enhances the adhesive force between the steel wire and the tire rubber 4 , thus improving performance of the tire bead steel wire such as anti - oxidation , anti - corrosion , anti - aging , or the like in the tire . [ 4 ] the inner plating layer 2 closely binds to the surface of the steel wire base body 1 , thus protect the steel wire base body 1 from rusting . the inner surface of the outer plating layer 3 closely binds to the outer surface of the inner plating layer 2 . since a strong adhesive force is present between the outer plating layer 3 and the tire rubber 4 , the tire bead steel wire in the present solution can not only guarantee the steel wire base body in the plating layer 1 will not rust , but also a strong adhesive force between the tire bead steel wire and the tire rubber 4 . as a result , the tire can bear high - strength acting forces such as stretching , compression , twisting and centrifugation during running of an automobile , and the driving safety is guaranteed . the difference in magnitude of adhesive force for the tire bead steel wire plating layer of the present invention and the conventional plating layer will be illustrated with experimental data . the experimental conditions follow . the vulcanizing mold is 50 mm , the vulcanizing temperature is 151 ° c ., and the vulcanizing duration is 40 min . with the rubber from a certain tire factory , the adhesive force experiments are performed on the conventional plating layer and the plating layer of the present solution under the same experimental conditions . the experiments show that the adhesive force of the multiple - element plating layer is 80 % higher than that of the conventional plating layer , and the data are shown in the following table . as compared with the conventional plating layer surface of tire bead steel wire , the plating layer of tire bead steel wire according to the present invention has a larger surface roughness . this will be illustrated hereinafter with experimental data . the experimental testing instrument is automation dr . sj - 301 surface roughness gauge . experimental conditions follow . the steel wires of the same specification are drawn by the same machine . the conventional plating layer and the plating layer of the present invention are used for production . the detection are performed offline for comparisons . the surface of the multiple - element plating layer steel wire has a roughness larger than that of the conventional plating layer , as shown in fig3 and 4 . the plating layer of the present invention shows a relatively large spectral fluctuation . this indicates that the plating layer of the present invention has a better surface roughness , which not only increases the adhesive force , but also favors the rate for the rubber to cover the steel wire . the method for fabricating a high - strength tin - plated bronze tire bead steel wire will be introduced hereinafter . a method for fabricating a high - strength tin - plated bronze tire bead steel wire comprises : arranging in sequence at least one electroplating tanks along the process route of the tire bead steel wire ; arranging at least one electroless plating tanks behind the electroplating tanks ; and passing the tire bead steel wire sequentially through the electroplating tanks and the electroless plating tanks , wherein the sum of the number of the electroplating tanks and the electroless plating tanks equals to the number of layers in the tire bead steel wire plating layers . the plating layer formed in the electroplating tank has a tin content of & gt ; 3 . 0 % and ≦ 20 . 0 % of the total weight of the plating layer , while the plating layer formed in the electroless plating tank has a tin content of & gt ; 0 . 3 % and ≦ 3 . 0 % of the total weight of the plating layer . in other words , the tire bead steel wire is developed with electroplating layers with relatively high tin contents in the electroplating tanks by taking the tire bead steel wire as a center , the tin contents for these electroplating layers decrease sequentially from inside to outside , so that electroplating layers of the innermost layer closely bind to the tire bead steel wire , and the plating layers closely bind to each other . the tire bead steel wire is developed with electroless plating layers with a relatively low tin contents in the electroless plating tanks similarly , the tin contents for these electroless plating layer decrease sequentially from inside to outside , so that the tin content of the outermost electroless plating layer will guarantee that the strongest adhesive force is present between the plating layer and the tire rubber . by taking a tire bead steel wire with two plating layers as an example , the fabricating method therefor comprises the following steps . step 1 : along the process route , red copper and tin are put into the electroplating tank at a certain proportion , and copper sulfate and stannous sulfate are put into the electroless plating tank at a certain proportion . step 2 : along the process route , the tire bead steel wire with a clean surface is passed firstly through the electroplating tank , thereby forming an inner plating layer 2 with a tin content of & gt ; 3 . 0 % on the surface of the steel wire base body 1 by electroplating . step 3 : then , the electroplated tire bead steel wire is passed through the electroless plating tank , thereby forming an outer plating layer 3 with a tin content of & lt ; 3 . 0 % on the surface of the inner plating layer 2 . according to the method for fabricating a high - strength tin - plated bronze tire bead steel wire , the tire bead steel wire is firstly electroplated , so as to form the inner plating layer 2 on the surface of the steel wire base body 1 . the inner plating layer 2 attached to the surface of the steel wire base body 1 protects the steel wire base body 1 from rusting . then , an outer plating layer 3 is formed on the surface of the inner plating layer 2 by electroless plating . since the electroless plating is advantageous in that the plating layer is uniform in thickness , has few pinholes , or the like , after electroless plating , the plating layer on the surface of steel wire of the tire bead is more uniform . in this way , the adhesive force between the tire bead steel wire and the tire rubber 4 is large and uniform , and can bear acting forces such as stretching , compression , twisting and centrifugation , and the driving safety is guaranteed . the basic principles , major features , and advantages of the present invention have been shown and described as above . the skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention should not be limited to the above embodiments , and the above embodiments and the detailed description only illustrate the principles of the present invention . various variations and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . such variations and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed . the scope of the present invention is defined in the appended claims and equivalents thereto . | 8 |
in fig1 there can be seen a first embodiment of the well cuttings disposal system 10 of the present invention . well cuttings disposal system 10 is used in combination with a material trough that collects solids falling via gravity from a plurality of solids separator units . material troughs are known in the art , typically as a catch basin for cuttings . the material trough 11 defines an area that is a receptacle for solids containing some residual drilling mud . cuttings have been collected from the well bore after the drilling mud has been transmitted through the drill string to the drill bit and then back to the surface via the well annulus . at the material trough , there are a plurality of coarse shakers 12 , 13 and a plurality of fine shakers 14 , 15 . the shakers 12 , 13 , and 14 , 15 are commercially available . coarse shakers 12 , 13 are manufactured under and sold under the mark &# 34 ; brandt &# 34 ; and fine shakers are sold under the mark &# 34 ; derrick &# 34 ;. shakers 12 - 15 channel away the desirable drilling mud to a mud pit . the well cuttings fall via gravity into trough 11 . it is known in the prior art to channel away drilling mud that is to be recycled , and to allow well cuttings to fall from shale shakers via gravity into a receptacle . such as been the case on oil and gas well drilling rigs for many years . interior 16 of trough 11 catches cuttings that have fallen from shakers 12 , 15 . the trough 11 thus defines an interior 16 having a plurality of inclined walls 17 , 18 that communicate with a trough bottom 19 . walls 17 , 18 can be teflon covered to enhance travel of material to bottom 19 . trough bottom 19 includes a discharge opening 20 that communicates with discharge conduit 21 . the opening 20 is typically sealed during operation with a closure plate ( not shown ). a first suction line 22 is positioned to communicate with the interior 16 portion of trough 11 . first suction line 22 thus provides an inlet 23 end portion and an opposite end portion that communicates with collection tank 24 . tank 24 collects solid material and some liquid ( e . g ., residual drilling mud on the cuttings ) as will be described more fully hereinafter . collection tank 24 has a bottom 25 , a plurality of four generally rectangular side walls 27 , and a generally rectangular top 28 . a pair of spaced apart fork lift sockets 26 allow tank 24 to be lifted and transported about the rig floor and to a position adjacent a crane or other lifting device . openings 32 , 33 in the top of tank 24 are sealable using hatches 34 , 35 respectively . a plurality of lifting eyes 29 , 31 are provided including eyes 29 , 30 on the top of tank 24 and lifting eye 31 on the side thereof near bottom 25 . the lifting eyes 29 and 30 are horizontally positioned at end portions of the tank top 28 . this allows the tank to be lifted with a crane , spreader bar , or other lifting means for transferral between a marine vessel such as a work boat and the drilling rig platform . in fig1 the tank 24 is in such a generally horizontal position that is the orientation during use and during transfer between the rig platform and a remote location on shore , for example . the lifting eyes 30 , 31 are used for emptying the tank 24 after it is filled with cuttings to be disposed of . when the tank is to be emptied , a spreader bar and a plurality of lifting lines are used for attachment to lifting eyes 30 , 31 . this supports the tank in a position that places lifting eye 29 and lifting eye 30 in a vertical line . in this position , the hatch 34 is removed so that the cuttings can be discharged via gravity flow from opening 30 and into a disposal site . during a suctioning of well cuttings from materials trough 11 , the suction line 22 intakes cuttings at inlet 23 . these cuttings travel via line 22 to outlet 38 which communicates with coupling 36 of hatch 35 . flow takes place from inlet 23 to outlet 38 because a vacuum is formed within the hollow interior of tank 24 after hatches 34 , 35 are sealed . the vacuum is produced by using second suction line 40 that communicates via separators 43 , 45 with third suction line 51 and blower 57 . second suction line 40 connects at discharge 39 to coupling 37 of hatch 35 . the opposite end of suction line 40 connects at end portion 41 via coupling 42 to fine separator 43 . a second fine separator 45 is connected to separator 43 at spool piece 44 . the two separators 43 and 45 are housed on a structural separator skid 46 that includes lifting eyes 47 , 48 and fork lift sockets 49 for transporting the skid 46 in a manner similar to the transport of tank 24 as aforedescribed . third suction line 51 connects to effluent line 50 that is the discharge line from separator 45 . end portion 52 of third suction line 51 connects to effluent line 50 at a flanged , removable connection for example . the three suction lines 22 , 40 , 51 are preferably between three and six inches in internal diameter , and are coupled with blower 57 generating about 300 - 1500 cfm of air flow , to generate desired flow velocities of about 100 - 300 feet per second that desirably move the shale cuttings through suction line 22 . the suction lines are preferably flexible hoses of oil resistant pvc or can be teflon coated rubber . quick connect fittings are used to connect each suction line at its ends . end portion 53 of third section line 51 also connects via a flanged coupling , for example , to blower 57 . blower 57 and its motor drive 58 are contained on power skid 54 . power skid 54 also includes a control box 59 for activating and deactivating the motor drive 58 and blower 57 . the power skid 54 provides a plurality of lifting eyes 55 , 56 to allow the power skid 54 to be transported from a work boat or the like to a well drilling platform using a lifting harness and crane that are typically found on such rigs . each of the units including tank 24 , separator skid 46 , and power skid 54 can be lifted from a work boat or the like using a crane and transported to the rig platform deck which can be for example 100 feet above the water surface in a marine environment . in fig2 a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is disclosed , designated generally by the numeral 60 . in fig2 the tank 24 is similarly constructed to that of the preferred embodiment of fig1 . however , in fig2 the well cuttings disposal system 60 includes a support 61 that supports a screw conveyor 62 and its associated trough 63 . the trough 63 and screw conveyor 62 are sealed at opening 70 in trough 63 using hatch 71 . trough 63 is positioned at an intake end portion of screw conveyor while the opposite end portion of screw conveyor 62 provides a discharged end portion 64 that communicates with discharge chute 69 . chute 69 empties into opening 32 when hatch 34 is open during use , as shown in fig2 . the screw conveyor 62 is driven by motor drive 65 that can include a reduction gear box 66 for example , and a drive belt 67 . arrow 68 in fig2 shows the flow path of coarse cuttings that are discharged via first suction lines 22 into opening 70 and trough 63 . the sidewall and bottom 74 of trough 63 communicate and form a seal with screw conveyor outer wall 75 so that when a vacuum is applied using second suction line 40 , cuttings can be suctioned from trough 11 at intake 23 as with the preferred embodiment . the conveyor 62 forcibly pushes the drill cuttings toward discharge end 64 . a spring activated door 76 is placed in chute 69 . when material backs up above door 76 , the door quickly opens under the weight of cuttings in chute 69 . once the cuttings pass door 76 , the door shuts to maintain the vacuum inside trough 73 , and screw conveyor 62 , thus enabling continuous vacuuming . in fig3 there can be seen a third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 77 . well disposal cutting system 77 substitutes a slurry unit 78 for collection tank 24 of fig1 . slurry unit 78 has a liftable base frame 79 of welded steel , for example . upon the frame 79 are positioned a pair of spaced apart vessels 80 , 81 . each vessel 80 , 81 has a top into which well cuttings can be suctioned in a manner similar to the way in which well cuttings are suctioned into collection tank 24 with the embodiment of fig1 . the vessel tops 82 , 83 respectively can be provided with openings for connecting the flow lines 22 - 40 thereto as with the embodiments of fig1 and 2 . the slurry unit 28 provides pumps with impellers ( e . g ., mission magnum fluid centrifugal pump with 75 hp electric motor -- 5 &# 34 ; discharge , 6 &# 34 ; suction ) for breaking up the cuttings continuously until they form a slurry with a liquid such as water , for example . pumps 84 , 85 have suctioned flow lines 86 , 87 respectively and discharge lines 88 , 89 respectively . the discharge lines 88 , 89 can be seen communicating with the upper end portion of each of the vessels 80 , 81 respectively . likewise , the suction lines 86 , 87 communicate with the lower end portion of each of the vessels 80 , 81 respectively . using the method and apparatus of fig3 a desired volume of cuttings can be suctioned into either one or both of the vessels 80 , 81 . the pumps 84 , 85 are equipped with impellers that can chop up the cuttings into even finer pieces . for example , the pump impellers can have carbide tips that are effective in chopping up and pulverizing the cuttings until a slurry is formed . each pump 84 , 85 respectively continuously recirculates the slurry of cuttings and water between the pump 84 , 85 and its respective vessel 80 , 81 until a thick viscous slurry is created . a triplex pump ( e . g ., gardner denver ) and piping ( not shown ) can then be used for transmitting the slurried cuttings from the respective vessels 80 , 81 downhole , into the well annulus , usually between 2000 &# 39 ;- 5000 &# 39 ; for example , into a porous zone such as a sand zone . in this fashion , the cuttings are disposed of by deep well disposal at the drill site rather than transporting the cuttings to a remote cite such as on shore in the case of a marine based platform . in fig4 a hopper tank 90 is shown in combination with the slurry unit 78 . hopper 90 is an optional unit that can be used to receive cuttings from first suction line 22 and to collect the cuttings for batch discharge into slurry unit 78 at intervals . as with the embodiment of fig1 the hopper tank 90 provides a rectangular or circular lid 93 with openings 94 , 95 that respectively communicate with vacuum lines 22 and 40 . hopper tank 90 is preferably supported with a structural liftable frame 91 . the tank 90 has a conical wall 92 . the upper end portion of tank 90 provides the circular lid 93 while the lower end portion of tank 90 has a discharge outlet 96 controlled by valve 98 . air vibrators 97 can be attached to the conical wall 92 for insuring a complete and smooth discharge of cuttings from within the interior of the hollow hopper tank 90 . in fig5 - 8 , the fourth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is designated generally by numeral 133 . well cutting disposal system 133 employs two suction lines 134 , 135 in the embodiment of fig7 - 9 . the two suction lines 134 , 135 each provide respective inlet portions 136 , 137 for intaking well cuttings and associated material that fall into trough 11 . trough 11 would be constructed in accordance with the description of fig1 . thus , trough 11 can include material separation equipment such as coarse shakers , fine shakers and the like . the shakers channel away desirable drilling mud to a mud pit . the well cuttings fall via gravity , for example , into trough 11 . as with the embodiment of fig1 it is known in prior art to channel away drilling mud that is to be recycled and to allow well cuttings to fall from shale shakers , and like separating equipment via gravity into a receptacle such as trough 11 . the interior of trough 11 catches cuttings that have fallen from shale shakers and like equipment . in fig5 the inlet portions 136 , 137 occupy the interior of trough 11 . this enables either inlet portion 136 or 137 to vacuum cuttings that have fallen into the interior of trough 11 . the embodiment of fig1 used a single suction line to remove cuttings from the interior of trough 11 . in fig7 two suction lines are used , each with its own collection tank 138 or 139 . in fig5 a pair of collection tanks 138 , 139 are provided , each receiving well cuttings that are suctioned with respective suction lines 134 , 135 . each collection tank 138 , 139 provides fittings for forming connections with end portions of the primary suction lines 134 , 135 and with end portions of secondary suction lines 148 , 149 . an end portion 145 of suction line 134 forms a connection at inlet fitting 141 with end portion 145 . similarly , inlet fitting 142 forms a connection with end portion 146 of primary suction line 135 . secondary suction line 148 forms a connection at its end portion 144 with outlet fitting 140 . similarly , secondary suction line 149 forms a connection at its end portion 147 with outlet fitting 143 . the secondary suction lines 148 , 149 form connections at their respective end portions 153 , 154 with inlet fittings 151 , 152 of rig vacuum tank 150 . in fig5 - 8 , rig vacuum tank 150 provides an outlet fitting 161 for connection of tertiary suction line 160 thereto . line 160 conveys air to vacuum skid 162 as shown by the arrow 159 in fig7 . the vacuum skid 162 is constructed in accordance with the embodiment of fig1 - 6 , including a blower that is powered with an electric motor to reach a vacuum of between sixteen and twenty - five inches of mercury . in fig1 such a vacuum skid unit is designated as 54 and includes a control box 59 for activating and deactivating the motor drive 58 and blower 57 . vacuum skid 162 can thus be constructed in accordance with power skid 54 in the embodiment of fig1 . during use , the vacuum skid 162 generates a vacuum that communicates with flow line 160 and thus the interior of tank 150 . the presence of a vacuum in tank 150 also produces a vacuum in the primary suction lines 134 , 135 , collection tanks 138 , 139 , and in the secondary vacuum lines 148 , 149 . this vacuum produces a suction at inlets 136 and 137 for transmitting cuttings and like material contained in trough 11 to collection tanks 138 , 139 via the respective primary suction lines 134 , 135 . this travel of well cuttings and like material from trough 11 to collection tanks 138 and 139 is indicated by the arrows 155 , 156 in fig7 . material traveling from trough 11 to collection tank 138 travels in primary suction line 134 and enters collection tank 138 at inlet fitting 141 . the collection tank 138 communicates with its outlet fitting 140 with secondary suction line 148 and inlet fitting 151 of vacuum tank 150 . when tank 138 fills , some material may flow in the direction of arrow 157 from tank 138 into vacuum tank 150 . however , the vacuum tank 150 has a level sensor 172 that shuts off vacuum skid 162 should the level of material in tank 150 reach the sensor 172 which is positioned at a level just below inlets 151 , 152 . in this fashion , neither liquid nor solid material can reach vacuum skid 162 . in practice , the collection tanks 138 , 139 are filled in an alternating , sequential fashion . this is made possible by valves 151a , 152a that are respectively placed at fittings 151 , 152 . the operator simply closes the valve at fitting 152 when the valve at 151 is open and tank 138 is being filled . this closure of a valve at fitting 152 shuts off any vacuum from secondary flow line 149 and primary flow line 135 to tank 139 . thus the tank 138 preliminarily fills until the valve 152a at fitting 152 is opened and the valve 151a at fitting 151 is closed . in this manner , an operator can continuously suction cuttings from trough 11 . this is important when well drilling activity is at a peak and the trough 11 is receiving a continuous flow of cuttings from shale shakers and like equipment . by alternating the vacuum to tank 138 or tank 139 , the well cuttings disposal system 133 of the present invention can function continuously . when a tank 138 or 139 is filled , suctioning simply switches to the other tank so that the filled tank 138 or 139 can be removed and a new tank can be put in its place . if fluid or other material in tank 150 reaches sensor 172 , the vacuum skid 162 can be automatically shut off . however , the sensor 172 can also operate a diaphragm discharge pump 174 for emptying the contents of vacuum tank 150 . fig6 - 8 show more particularly the construction of rig vacuum tank 150 . tank 150 has a base 164 with a pair of space - to - part sockets 165 for receiving fork lift tines that can lift and transport tank 150 . the tank 150 has a cylindrical wall 166 with a hollow tank interior 167 . screen 168 is placed on the inside 167 of tank 150 and functions to prevent debris from getting into diaphragm discharge pump 174 . tank 150 has a removable lid 169 that carries an inspection hatch 170 and a separator 173 . the entire lid 169 is removable for easy cleaning of tank 150 should such cleaning be required . separator 173 removes any fluids in the air stream that flows through lines 160 to vacuum skid 162 . deflector plate 171 is positioned on the inside 167 of tank 150 for deflecting material that enters tank interior 167 via inlet fittings 151 , 152 . discharge pump 174 communicates with tank interior via flow line 175 . fig9 - 13 show a fifth embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 200 . the embodiment of the fig9 and 10 is similar is overall layout to the embodiment of fig1 . the difference is that instead of the collection tank 24 of fig1 the first suction line 22 communicates with an upper hopper 201 so that cuttings flowing in the first suction line 22 enter hopper 201 at inlet 203 , the cuttings flowing in the direction of arrow 202 as shown in fig9 . the hopper 201 is an upper hopper positioned above lower hopper 205 . the upper hopper 201 has an interior 204 that is subjected to vacuum applied by lower 57 and second suction line 40 . thus , the embodiment of fig9 and 10 represents a double hopper 201 , 205 arrangement that replaces the tank 24 of fig1 . arrow 206 in fig9 indicates the direction of air flowing toward vacuum 57 in line 40 . outlet fitting 207 can be used to form a connection between upper hopper 201 and second suction line 40 as shown in fig9 . as shown in fig9 and 10 , a valving arrangement is used to control the flow of cuttings between upper hopper 201 and lower hopper 205 . similarly , this valving arrangement controls the flow of cuttings from the lower hopper 205 to discharge conduit 208 and then to holding tanks 209 , 210 . the holding or collection tanks 209 , 210 can be constructed as shown in fig1 and 2 with respect to tank 24 . during use , a plurality of holding tanks 209 , 210 can be used for collecting cuttings that are discharged by conduit 209 from lower hopper 205 . a user simply controls the valve members 211 , 212 using a control panel 213 and pneumatic or hydraulic controllers ( commercially available ) to direct flow from a holding tank 209 that has become filled to an empty holding tank 210 . valve members 211 , 212 can be pneumatic actuated flex - gate knife valves , for example , manufactured by red valve company , inc . of pittsburg , pa ., usa . as will be described more fully hereinafter , the upper valving member 211 is initially closed ( fig9 ) so that suction lines 22 , 40 begin filling hopper 201 . as the interior 204 of hopper 201 becomes almost filled , valve 211 opens while lower valve 212 remains closed ( fig1 ). in fig1 , both hoppers 201 and 205 are subjected to a vacuum . however , the vacuum does not prevent cuttings 213 collected in upper hopper 201 interior 204 from falling through upper valving member 211 and into the interior 214 of lower hopper 205 . this transfer of cuttings from upper hopper 201 to lower hopper 205 is shown in fig1 . in fig1 , upper valving member 211 has been opened by its operator 216 so that the cuttings 215 fall as shown by arrow 217 in fig1 into the interior 214 of lower hopper 205 . when the interior 204 of hopper 201 is discharged so that the cuttings 215 fall through open valving member 211 into the interior 214 of lower hopper 205 , lower valve 212 is closed as shown in fig1 . this closure of lower valve 212 ensures that a vacuum is maintained on the interiors 204 , 214 of both hoppers 201 , 205 . otherwise , if valving member 212 were opened , the vacuum would be lost . the holding tank 209 cannot receive cuttings 215 when the lower valve 212 is closed as shown in fig1 . once the contents of upper hopper 201 have been emptied to the lower hopper 205 , the valve 211 is closed by its operator 216 so that the valve 212 can be opened by its operator 218 . when this occurs , the upper valves 212 in its closed position , preserves the vacuum within interior 204 of upper hopper 201 . once that vacuum is preserved within interior 204 of hopper 201 by closure of valve 211 , the valving member 212 can then be opened ( fig1 ) so that the contents ( cuttings 215 ) within the interior 214 of lower hopper 205 can be discharged into conduit chute 208 and then into the selected cuttings disposal tank 209 , 210 . conduit chute 208 can be rotated at rotary coupling 219 from one holding tank 209 to the other holding tank 210 and the back to tank 209 as each tank 209 , 210 is filled , emptied , and then placed back under conduit chute 208 as shown by arrow 220 in fig1 . with the valving member 211 in a closed position , the lower valve 212 is opened so that the contents of lower hopper 205 discharges via opened valve 212 and conduit 209 into a holding tank 208 or 210 . because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught , and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law , it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 1 |
the preferred embodiment of the invention uses an open network , such as the internet . a computer program by the name hyperlink park and search for executing the preferred embodiment of this invention is already installed in the windows xp program of a computer . initiate the windows xp program and click start . point to programs , and a list of programs is displayed . click on hyperlink park and search , and a form 100 with the caption “ hyperlink park and search ” is then opened as shown in fig1 . in the form 100 , click the “ detect the parked - on hyperlink connection ” button 110 and the browser is then opened with its default url http :// www . yahoo . com as shown in fig2 . the browser is made to a smaller windows size in fig2 merely for illustration purposes . while one is still viewing the web page content , park the cursor on the interested hyperlink “ personalize ” 120 of the current viewing computer screen , obtaining the parked - on url http :// www . yahoo . com / r / il . the computer establishes an internet connection with the parked - on url behind the scene and then displays on the front screen if the parked - on hyperlink is linkable and / or displayable . in this example , the parked - on hyperlink is linkable and / or displayable ; the browser status bar displays 130 “ parked 4 minutes ago : this parked - on hyperlink is displayable . --& gt ; http :// www / yahoo . com / r / il .” it means the viewer has parked on the hyperlink and conducted a search 4 minutes ago . park the cursor on any other hyperlink on the same current viewing computer screen in fig2 . the browser status bar will display whether the parked - on hyperlink is linkable and / or displayable , and if the link is to a page one has already visited or not . when the address of the browser is changed to a different url 140 such as http :// search . yahoo . com / search ? p = chat & amp ; b = 21 & amp ; h = s & amp ; xargs = as shown in fig3 , and the user parks the cursor on the hyperlink 150 http :// www . ent . iastate . edu / chat / on the current viewing computer screen , the computer obtains and establishes an internet connection with the parked - on url behind the scene . in this example , the browser status bar displays 160 “ this parked - on hyperlink is not displayable . --& gt ; http :// www . ent . iastate . edu / chat /.” if the user clicks on the close button at the top right corner of the browser , the hps program terminates . instead of terminating the hps program , park the cursor on any hyperlink on the current viewing computer screen and then press a key on the keyboard ; in the embodiment of the invention press the f12 key on the keyboard . this prompts a message box and the message : “ back to hyperlink park and search ?” is displayed . click yes , the browser is then closed and the form 100 with the caption “ hyperlink park and search ” as in fig1 is shown again . in fig1 , click on the “ input search strings and display matches ” button 170 , and a form 180 with the caption “ input search strings and display matches ” is shown as in fig4 . at the input box input “ free ” 190 , click add 200 , input “ paris ” into the input box , and click add 200 again . input “ jamaica ” into the input box and click add 200 . there are now three strings 210 in the box . and then click search 220 to start the browser with its default url http :// www . yahoo . com as shown in fig5 . in fig5 , park the cursor on the hyperlink 230 having the text “ travel ”. the status bar of the same browser displays : “{ free } has --& gt ; 2 , { paris } has --& gt ; 1 ; { jamaica } has --& gt ; 1 , http :// www . yahoo . com / r / ta .” it means if one clicks on the hyperlink 230 , the browser will display the linking web page containing one match of “ free ”, two matches of “ paris ” and one match of “ jamaica ”. then park the cursor on a hyperlink on the current viewing computer screen . in this example , park on the hyperlink having the text “ shopping ” 250 and press the f9 key on the keyboard . this prompts the search criteria dialog and the message “ add , modify and delete search strings ?” is displayed as shown in fig6 . in fig6 , click yes ( y ) 260 , and change 270 the three strings , “ free ”, “ jamaica ” and “ cruise ” in the input box to become two strings , “ boston ” and “ tokyo ” 280 , and then click yes 290 . the computer screen displays the browser as shown in fig7 . park the cursor on the hyperlink having the text “ travel ” 300 . the browser &# 39 ; s status bar displays the url of the hyperlink automatically 310 . the browser then displays : “{ boston } has --& gt ; 4 , { tokyo } has --& gt ; 1 , http :// www . yahoo . com / r / ta .” it means if one clicks on the hyperlink 300 , the browser will display the linking web page containing four matches of “ boston ” and one match of “ tokyo ”. at this stage , press the f12 key on the keyboard . this prompts a dialog displaying the message “ back to hyperlink park and search ?” click yes , and the browser is then closed and the form 100 with the caption “ hyperlink park and search ” in fig1 is shown again . in fig1 , the difference between “ input search strings . display context with matches in text format . edit and save displayed context .” 330 and “ input search strings . display context with matches in rich - text format . edit and save displayed context .” is that one is displaying in text format and the other is displaying in rich - text format . the steps to describe button 330 is identical to button 340 . therefore , at here the steps to describe button 330 is illustrated . in fig1 , click on “ input search strings . display context with matches in text format . edit and save context .” 330 . a form 280 with the caption “ input search strings and display context with matches in text format ” is shown as in fig8 . in fig8 , at the input box input “ free ”, click add , input “ jamaica ”, and click add again . input “ cruise ” into the input box and click add . there are now three strings 350 in the box . click search 360 to start the browser with its default url http :// www , yahoo . com as shown in fig9 and to invoke the microsoft word program 370 as shown in fig8 . in fig9 , park the cursor on the hyperlink 380 having the text “ travel ”. the status bar of the same browser displays “{ free } has --& gt ; 2 , { jamaica } has --& gt ; 1 ; { cruise } has --& gt ; 1 --& gt ; http :// www . yahoo . com / r / ta .” it means if one clicks on the hyperlink 380 , the browser will display the linking web page containing two matches of “ free ”, one match of “ jamaica ” and one match of “ cruise ”. the form 400 with the caption “ display the context with matches in text format ” is then displayed on the current viewing computer screen as shown in fig9 . the time data 410 “[ 2002 / 9 / 15 am 10 : 29 : 18 ]” in fig9 is not a portion of the searched match . the time data is attached to each search match for the hyperlink park and search user to keep a time track of his search . at this stage , park the cursor on a hyperlink on the current viewing computer screen . in this example , park on the hyperlink having the text “ travel ” 380 and press the f10 key on the keyboard simultaneously . this sends all the data displayed in the form 400 with the caption “ display the context with matches in text format ” in fig9 into 420 the microsoft word file named 456 . doc as shown in fig1 . change the address of the same browser to http :// www . uspto . gov / as shown in fig1 . park the cursor on the text hyperlink “ patents ” 430 . the browser &# 39 ; s status bar displays : 440 “{ free } has --& gt ; 0 , { jamaica } has --& gt ; 0 , { cruise } has --& gt ; 0 , http :// www . uspto . gov / main / patents . htm ”. the searched result is displayed in the form with the caption “ display the context with matches in text format ” 450 . park on the hyperlink having the text “ patents ” 430 and press the f9 key on the keyboard . this prompts the search criteria dialog containing the message “ add , modify and delete search strings ?” to be displayed as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , click yes ( y ) 460 , and change 470 three strings , “ free ”, “ jamaica ” and “ cruise ”, in the input box to two strings , “ search ” and “ fee ” 480 , and then click yes 490 . the computer screen displays the browser as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , park the cursor on the hyperlink having the text “ patents ” 500 . the browser then displays : 510 “{ search } has --& gt ; 4 , { fee } has --& gt ; 1 , http :// www . uspto . gov / main / patents . htm .” the search result is displayed in the form with the caption “ display the context with matches in text format ” 520 . at this stage , park the cursor on a hyperlink on the current viewing computer screen . in this example , park on the hyperlink having the text “ patents ” 500 and press the f10 key on the keyboard simultaneously . this sends all the data displayed in the form 520 with the caption “ display the context with matches in text format ” in fig1 into the first line 530 of the microsoft word file named 456 . doc as shown in fig1 . at this stage , press the f12 key on the keyboard . this prompts a message box and the message “ back to hyperlink park and search ?” is displayed . click yes , and the browser is then closed and the form 100 with the caption “ hyperlink park and search ” as in fig1 is shown again . in fig1 , click “ display the web page title of the parked - on hyperlink ” 540 to start the browser with its default url http :// www . yahoo . com as shown in fig1 . park the cursor on the hyperlink with the text “ travel ” 550 . the browser &# 39 ; s status bar displays : “ title of the parked - on hyperlink --& gt ; yahoo travel - book air fares , hotel ” 560 . when any of the hyperlinks in the current viewing computer screen is parked on , the browser status bar will display the web page title of the parked - on hyperlink . at this stage , press the f12 key on the keyboard . this prompts a message box and the message “ back to hyperlink park and search ?” is displayed . click yes , and the browser is then closed and the form 100 with the caption “ hyperlink park and search ” as in fig1 is shown again . in fig1 , click “ rate and display rating index of the web page of the parked - on hyperlink ” 570 to start the browser with its default url http :// www . yahoo . com as shown in fig1 . park the cursor on the hyperlink with the text “ travel ” 580 . the browser title bar displays : “ travel related web page , rating index wptri = 20 % --& gt ; http :// www . yahoo . com // r / ta .” 590 . it means the web page rating of the parked - on hyperlink is 20 %. the higher the percentage the better the web page travel content . at the same time , the browser status bar displays : “ europe has 5 out of 24 matches , usa has 3 out of 15 matches , australia has 2 out of 6 matches , japan has . . . ” 600 . this means the web page of the parked - on hyperlink contains 5 matches out of 24 european travel points of interest , 3 matches out of 15 usa travel points of interest and 2 matches out of 6 australian travel points of interest 600 . at this stage , press the f12 key on the keyboard . this prompts a message box and the message “ back to hyperlink park and search ?” is displayed . click yes , and the browser is then closed and the form 100 with the caption “ hyperlink park and search ” as in fig1 is shown again . in fig1 , click on “ view and print all search data .” 610 , and a form 620 with the caption “ view and print displayed data ” is shown as in fig1 . in fig1 , click on the “ searched matches of the parked - on hyperlink ” 630 button . the search - match record of the parked - on hyperlinks is displayed 640 as shown in fig1 . click on the “ rating index of the parked - on hyperlink ” button 650 , and the rating index of the parked - on hyperlinks is displayed 660 as shown in fig1 . clicking button 670 in fig1 takes the user back to the form 100 with the caption “ hyperlink park and search ” as shown in fig1 . to terminate the usage of hyperlink and park , click end 680 . | 6 |
the following definitions and explanations provide background information pertaining to the technical field of the present invention , and are intended to facilitate the understanding of the present invention without limiting its scope : crawler : a program that automatically explores the world wide web by retrieving a document and recursively retrieving some or all the documents that are linked to it . e - business , e - shopping , or e - commerce transactions : business transactions conducted online using the internet or another communications network . html ( hypertext markup language ): a standard language for attaching presentation and linking attributes to informational content within documents . during a document authoring stage , html “ tags ” are embedded within the informational content of the document . when the web document ( or “ html document ”) is subsequently transmitted by a web server to a web browser , the tags are interpreted by the browser and used to parse and display the document . in addition to specifying how the web browser is to display the document , html tags can be used to create hyperlinks to other web documents . internet : a collection of interconnected public and private computer networks that are linked together with routers by a set of standards protocols to form a global , distributed network . retailer or merchant : includes for example , a merchant , retailer , wholesaler , distributor , or any appropriate person in the chain of commerce . search engine : a remotely accessible world wide web tool that allows users to conduct keyword searches for information on the internet . server : a software program or a computer that responds to requests from a web browser by returning (“ serving ”) web documents . url ( uniform resource locator ): a unique address that fully specifies the location of a content object on the internet . the general format of a url is protocol :// server - address / path / filename . web browser : a software program that allows users to request and read hypertext documents . the browser gives some means of viewing the contents of web documents and of navigating from one document to another . web document or page : a collection of data available on the world wide web and identified by a url . in the simplest , most common case , a web page is a file written in html and stored on a web server . it is possible for the server to generate pages dynamically in response to a request from the user . a web page can be in any format that the browser or a helper application can display . the format is transmitted as part of the headers of the response as a mime type , e . g . “ text / html ”, “ image / gif ”. an html web page will typically refer to other web pages and internet resources by including hypertext links . web site : a database or other collection of inter - linked hypertext documents (“ web documents ” or “ web pages ”) and associated data entities , which is accessible via a computer network , and which forms part of a larger , distributed informational system such as the www . in general , a web site corresponds to a particular internet domain name , and includes the content of a particular organization . other types of web sites may include , for example , a hypertext database of a corporate “ intranet ” ( i . e ., an internal network which uses standard internet protocols ), or a site of a hypertext system that uses document retrieval protocols other than those of the www . world wide web ( www , web ): an internet client - server hypertext distributed information retrieval system . [ 0041 ] fig1 portrays an exemplary overall environment in which a shopping server proposal system 10 of the present invention may be used . the system 10 includes a software or computer program product which is typically embedded within , or installed on , a host server 15 . the system 10 may include several host servers 15 that are dispersed geographically to co - ordinate the reduction of access time from online shoppers , customers , or users 35 , 37 , 39 . host servers 15 may be owned and maintained by the online retail outlets or they may alternatively be contracted by the online retail outlets to third party service providers . the cloud - like communication network 20 , which is represented as a cloud to indicate an indeterminate number of connections , is comprised of communication lines and switches connecting servers 25 and 27 to gateways 30 . the servers 25 , 27 and the gateway 30 provide the communication access to the www . shoppers located at remote internet sites , are represented by a variety of computers such as 35 , 37 and 39 , and can query the host server 15 for the desired information . the host server 15 is connected to the network 20 via a communications link such as a telephone , cable , or satellite link . the servers 25 and 27 can be connected via high - speed internet network lines or links 44 and 46 to other computers and gateways . the servers 25 and 27 provide access to stored information such as hypertext or web documents indicated generally at 50 . the hypertext documents 50 most likely include embedded hypertext links to other locally stored pages and may also contain information such as location of stores , retail outlets , malls , etc . in addition , while the system 10 is described in connection with the www , it can also be used with a stand - alone database of computers 35 , servers 25 , gateways 30 , and mobile computing devices 38 for applications that do not require interaction with the www . the mobile computing unit 38 can be a handheld set designed for the application of this invention or it could be a personal digital assistant ( pda ) with a downloaded software application suited to implementing the method of the present invention . a mobile phone 199 can also be used as a mobile computing unit for the purposes of this invention . the increasing trend to combine a personal digital assistant 38 and cell phone 199 facilitates the convenience of using satellite communications to interact with the user . a satellite 80 be used to establish communication between the shoppers 35 , 37 , 39 , servers 25 , gateways 30 , and the system 10 . [ 0045 ] fig2 illustrates the system 10 of fig1 in relation to an internet service provider 100 , a shopper indicated by a browser or graphical user interface ( gui ) 140 , and the www 20 . a history session logging system 144 records all the actions performed by the shopper while shopping at one or more retail online servers , i . e ., 300 , 305 , 310 . a proxy server 221 can optionally be used in conjunction with the system 10 and the history session logging system 144 as an interface between the service provider 100 and the system 10 . in this illustration , the proxy server 221 is shown implemented by the service provider 100 in order to protect the shoppers &# 39 ; private information from unauthorized hacking . it should however be understood that from a technical aspect , the proxy server 221 and the system 10 can be integrated into a single application or software program , and can reside , for example , either on the server of the service provider 100 or on an independent server 15 . as shown , the server 15 is not limited to a single retail online server 300 , but can service a multitude of other servers , i . e ., 305 , 310 . the server 15 can be part of the retail online servers 300 , 305 , 310 , part of service provider 100 , or part of an independent service . searches on the www 20 are performed by the search service provider 100 that generally comprises a web crawler 200 , a search engine repository 210 , an indexing engine 220 , a query transformer 230 , a search engine 240 , a search results transformer 250 , and an indexed data repository 260 . in use , the crawler 200 crawls the www 20 and downloads web documents to the search engine repository 210 where they are stored and updated systematically . the abstract / indexing engine 220 indexes the web documents and generates abstracts for the documents . the abstracts and the indexed data are stored in the abstracts / indexed data repository 260 for later use by the search engine 240 , as appropriate . the search engine repository 210 is a data store maintained by a web information gatherer such as the web crawler 200 . the search engine repository 210 maintains information or metadata from previously encountered web pages . this metadata is used by the indexing engine 220 to prepare the index . preferably , the search engine repository 210 is maintained centrally by the search service provider 100 . alternatively , the search engine repository 210 may be located and maintained on an independently provided system to which the search service provider 100 has access . the indexing engine 220 generates a description for each web document from the metadata stored in the search engine repository 210 . the query transformer 230 , prompted by the browser 140 , applies an internal query request to the indexed data stored in the indexed data repository 260 , and generates a search result with matches ( or query results ) 270 that are specific to the user &# 39 ; s query . in one embodiment , the system 10 and / or the history session logging system 144 record the shopper &# 39 ; s actions during a visit to a current retail online server , i . e ., 300 , and optionally the shopper &# 39 ; s actions during visits to other sites prior to browsing the server 300 . the shopper &# 39 ; s actions include for example , the queries made by the shopper , the urls visited by the shopper , the products and / or services purchased by the shopper , the quotes requested by the shopper , the prices provided to the shopper , individual session profiles , etc . in addition , the shopper can manually enter additional information about himself or herself , such as hobbies , resume information , etc . the bulk of this information is generally referred to herein as “ shopper profile ,” and can be saved on the shopper &# 39 ; s computer , i . e ., 35 , for privacy reason , or , if authorized by the shopper , it can be saved on a secure site such as a dedicated repository provided by the service provider 100 , or on an independently maintained server . the information forming the shopper profile is indexed by an indexing engine for ease of access . the shopper profile can be saved for either a short time , such as the duration of the session to the current server 300 , or for an extended period of time for use in future sessions . [ 0052 ] fig3 and 5 provide a more detailed illustration of an exemplary retail online server 300 that utilizes the system 10 for the creation of a shopping advisor knowledge base 400 from an existing retailer &# 39 ; s database 350 and an existing ruleset 360 . the retailer database system 350 is a system that is conventionally used by the retailer &# 39 ; s web site application to offer online shopping services . for simplicity , it is assumed that the retailer database system 350 is a relational database system . it should however be understood that the present invention can be adapted to work with other types of database systems , e . g . object oriented database systems . the retailer &# 39 ; s relational database system 350 is used during web site operations to provide shoppers with information about offered items and the available inventory . data types which can consist of numerical identifiers and descriptive labels , may be defined by the following tables 1 - 5 , for an online clothing store : tables 1 to 5 are stored in the retailer &# 39 ; s database system 350 , and represent a simplified database schema . for ease of description , tables 1 to 5 omit the normalization and efficiency issues . in this example , table 1 contains data type “ types ” that includes both a number and a subcategory description . for example , the number 1 and the subcategory “ short sleeves shirt ”, or the number 2 and the subcategory “ long sleeve shirts ”. similarly , table 2 contains data type “ category ” that includes both a number and a category description . for example , the number 1 and category description “ sleepwear ”, or the number 2 and the category “ everyday wear ”. table 3 contains data type “ color ” that includes both a number and a color descriptor . for example , the number 1 and the color red , or the number 2 and the color blue . table 4 contains data type “ size ” that includes both a number and a size description . for example , the number 1 and the size description “ small ”, or the number 2 and the size description “ medium ”. table 5 contains data type “ price ” that includes only a number . for example , the value of the price “ 35 . 50 ”, or “ 99 . 99 ”. in addition , data type “ availability ” contains only a number . for example , the number 25 indicates that 25 items are available in stock . in this simplified retailer &# 39 ; s database system 350 , the labels include numbers and descriptors , and the schema is meant to be illustrative of a basic setup . it should be clear that more elaborate schemes can be readily developed . in this embodiment , the descriptors are used to demonstrate what kind of information is available in a retailer &# 39 ; s database system 350 . the entire information in the database 350 is stored using a schema which defines relations , fields and keys . software applications , fed by queries from the shoppers &# 39 ; web browsers 140 , can access the elements ( e . g . fields , keys , values ) of the retailer &# 39 ; s database system 350 , by using sql ( a standard query language ). for example : a shopping server application requests that all available items in size l ( large ) for a price lower than $ 50 . 00 be displayed . the shopper &# 39 ; s web browser 140 passes information to the shopping server application , which accesses the database 350 by issuing a logical sql query similar to the following : the database 350 responds with a subset of items , evaluated from the descriptors , which meet the requirements of the sql query . the shopping server application can then encode this list in html and send it to the shopper &# 39 ; s web browser 140 . as used herein , a ruleset 360 includes a number of rules that define the related items under certain conditions . for example , rule a of ruleset 360 may be as follows : if the item is a shirt then related items are pants , skirts , etc . as another example , rule b of ruleset 360 may be as follows : if the item has the color red then related items have the colors blue , black or white . a rule generally includes two parts : the evidence and the conclusion . as an example , in rule b above , if it is assumed that an item has the color red , it is concluded that related items must have the color black , blue or white . such a rule may be provided in a machine readable ( e . g . xml ) form to a terminology conversion module 371 . it is assumed here that the ruleset 360 is industry dependent but is reusable for retailers of the same industry . retailer specific extensions of the ruleset 360 are optional and do not affect the underlying invention . the shopping server proposal system 10 is generally comprised of a terminology conversion module 371 that communicates with the retailer &# 39 ; s database system 350 and takes as input the ruleset 360 . the terminology conversion module 371 is responsible for providing an analysis and relation creation module 390 with appropriate input . in turn , the analysis and relation creation module 390 updates a knowledge base 400 . since retailers may use a variety of database systems 350 , and numerous vendors for database applications , the system 10 is capable of supporting heterogeneous terminologies , that is various naming - schemes , used to access and retrieve information from the database systems 350 . as an example , even though two retailers in the same industry use the same database system 350 , the tables and values in the database systems 350 can be named differently , but remain nonetheless accessible by the system 10 . an important function of the terminology conversion module 371 is to associate the terminology of the retailer independent ruleset 360 with the schema terminology of the retailer database system 350 . the schema of the database system 350 may be retailer specific , depending on the type of database system 350 or the manufacturer of the database application . the function of the terminology conversion module 371 can be generally described by the following iterative process , and is illustrated by block or step 615 of the method 610 of creating the shopping advisor knowledge base 400 ( fig5 ): create a list of each term used in the ruleset 360 ( list_ 1 ); create an ( initially empty ) list of term mappings ( list_ 2 ); for each term in list_ 1 , perform the following : perform a lookup of the ruleset term ; associate the ruleset term with a corresponding term in the schema of the database system 350 ; and store the new association in list_ 2 ; and the step of looking up the ruleset term can be implemented in several ways . according to one implementation , the terminology conversion module 371 can perform the lookup interactively , i . e ., the administrator of the database system 350 may select an element ( e . g ., a field or a value ) from the database system 350 for each of the terms of the ruleset 360 . according to another implementation , the retailer provides the mappings externally , as additional input to the terminology conversion module 371 . this could be a simple list of term types , such as : item , article ; xl , extra large . another implementation is an automated association using heuristics , such as where a term in the database system 350 has the same meaning as a term in the ruleset 360 with the same name . though the foregoing implementations have been described separately , it should be clear that these techniques can also be combined . as an example , user interaction may be requested when a term of either the ruleset 360 or the database system 350 cannot be found in the database or the ruleset respectively . the output of the terminology conversion module 371 can be , for example , in an intermediary format , such as a xml document 380 that describes the mappings of the terms of the database system 350 to the terms of the ruleset 360 , as well as database specific information about field names . the following is an exemplary output document 380 : & lt ; database_ruleset_mapping & gt ; & lt ; mapping & gt ; & lt ; db_term & gt ; & lt ; field_term value =“ item ” table =“ items ”/& gt ; & lt ;/ db_term & gt ; & lt ; ruleset_term value =“ article ”/& gt ; & lt ;/ mapping & gt ; & lt ; mapping & gt ; & lt ; db_term & gt ; & lt ; field_term value =“ color ” table =“ colors ”/& gt ; & lt ;/ db_term & gt ; & lt ; ruleset_term value =“ color ”/& gt ; & lt ;/ mapping & gt ; & lt ; mapping & gt ; & lt ; db_term & gt ; & lt ; value_term value =“ red ” field =“ color description ” table =“ colors ”/& gt ; & lt ; ruleset_term value =“ color ”/& gt ; & lt ;/ mapping & gt ; . . . & lt ;/ database_ruleset_mapping & gt ; by providing a generic output document 380 , the analysis and relation creation module 390 can be independent of the retailer and the underlying database system 350 . the analysis and relation creation module 390 analyses the ruleset 360 at block 619 of fig5 and creates the shopping advisor knowledge base 400 . this shopping advisor knowledge base 400 is represented as a set of relations in the existing database system 350 , that is the output of analysis and relation creation module 390 is an extension of the retailer &# 39 ; s exiting database system 350 . the input to the analysis and relation creation module 390 includes the output of the terminology conversion module 371 and the ruleset 360 . an important objective of the analysis and relation creation module 390 is to discover which items offered by a retailer are related to an item selected by the shopper , based on the ruleset 360 and the data in the database system 350 . as used herein , the term “ item ” refers to a particular piece , such as a shirt , and its distinguishing properties , such as color , size , price , etc . the process of analyzing the ruleset 360 and creating the shopping advisor knowledge base 400 includes the following steps : create a mapping list to store references to all the related items of an item ; for each item ( referred to as the current item later on ) of the retailer database system 350 perform the following steps : search the terms from the ruleset 360 for terms that are applicable to the current item ; if any of the rules are applicable , combine the applicable rules and create an sql statement ; and if the result set of this statement is not empty , create a list of references to all the related items of the result set , and store a mapping of { current item , list of references } in the mapping list ; and create a new database table to hold the mappings for each item and its related items , based on the entries of the mapping list . as shown in table 1 above , an item is a record in the database system 350 with a set of attributes , with the attributes being the field names and values . the rules in the ruleset 360 specify conditions that refer to these fields . a rule is applicable to an item if the item satisfies the evidence part of the term from ruleset 360 . for example , it is assumed for illustration purposes , that two applicable rules d and e were found for an item x ( a red shirt ). rule d may specify that if an item is a shirt ( the evidence ), all items that are either long trousers or skirts or shorts ( the conclusion ) are related items . rule e may specify that if an item has the color red , related items must have the colors black , blue or white . the item x matches both evidences and therefore the two rules d and e are applicable . once all the applicable rules ( i . e ., d and e ) are identified , the analysis and relation creation module 390 identifies the items in the retailer &# 39 ; s database that can be considered to be related items . as used herein , a “ related item ” satisfies all the conclusions of each of the applicable rules . in the example above , assume that two applicable rules were found for the current item ( i . e ., a red shirt ). the first rule is : if the item is a shirt then the related items must be long trousers , skirts , or shorts . the second rule is : if the item has the color red then the related items must have the colors blue , black or white . it therefore follows that all items in the database system 350 that are skirts , long trousers , or shorts ( conclusion of the first rule ), with one of the colors concluded by the second rule , are considered related items . the related items can be readily determined by combining the conclusions of all applicable rules into an sql statement of , for example , the following form : select “ item #” from table . items where type =“ long trousers ” or type =“ shorts ” or type =“ skirt ”) the results of this sql query is a list of item numbers that are references to the related items . this information can easily be stored in a new database table ( i . e ., the knowledge base 400 ) as part of , or an extension of the database system 350 . as explained earlier , the output of the analysis and relation creation module 390 is a new database table or the knowledge base 400 that is communicated and written to the existing retailer database system 350 . based on the entries in the mapping list , the new knowledge base 400 can be of conjoined item numbers and related item references , and can assume , for example , the form in the following table 6 : the process of creating the knowledge base 400 is done once , and may only have to be repeated when either the schema of the database system 350 or the ruleset 360 changes . having described the creation of the knowledge base 400 , its use will now be described in connection with fig4 . [ 0095 ] fig4 and 6 illustrate an exemplary usage , or a method of use 650 , of the knowledge base 400 . a shopper 35 browses an online retailer shopping site 300 and selects an item to look at or to buy at block 510 . instead of having the shopping site 300 simply return a web page containing information about the selected item , the shopping server 300 can now include information about related items . to this end , the shopping server 300 is provided with three modules : a request analysis module 500 , a relation finder module 525 , and a response creation module 550 . the request analysis module 500 receives incoming requests 510 from the shoppers 35 and identifies the currently selected item or items . this information is extracted from the request ( step 652 ), which is typically an http get or post request . the request 510 contains all the necessary pieces of information , i . e ., item number , attributes , etc ., which uniquely identify the user &# 39 ; s current selection . the request analysis module 500 extracts that information , at block 652 , and delivers this information 653 to the relation finder module 525 . it should be noted here that , depending on the underlying implementation , the request may not contain all information about selected item but just a simple reference . in such a case , the above mentioned process of extracting the information about the selected item 652 may access the database . for the purpose of clarity we omitted this in fig6 . the relation finder module 525 issues an sql statement , based on the input from the request analysis module 500 . the result of this sql statement is the set of the related items 657 from the database system 350 ( fig5 ). this result set includes references to the related items 657 and to all the attributes of the related items 657 , and is delivered to the response creation module 550 . the response creation module 550 receives the result set of related items and attributes and the originally selected items , and creates , at block 660 ( fig6 ), a dynamic response 600 to the shopper &# 39 ; s request 510 . this response can be , for example , an html page that is rendered and displayed by the shopper 35 using the web browser or user interface 140 ( fig3 ). this dynamically created html page focuses on the originally selected item but also offers advice to the user about the related items . there are several ways to provide this advice . one possibility is to provide a highly visible button for the user to press to review related items . another possibility is the use of additional windows and frames . other possibilities include animation , audio , and / or video attachments . however this implementation depends on the retailer &# 39 ; s preferences and the available technology on the shopper &# 39 ; s side . it is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the invention that have been described are merely illustrative of certain application of the principle of the present invention . numerous modifications may be made to the shopping server proposal system 10 and associated method described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , the system 10 can provide advice in the form of a recommendation . as used herein , the term advice is based on the fact that all associations between items are created based on the ruleset . the ruleset is defined by one or more experts in a certain fields such as fashion or electronics , and will lead to associations that are reasonable and appropriate in terms of the respective field . as a result every related item can be understood as an advice or a recommendation to combine the currently selected item with any one or more of the related items . with regards to the personalization aspect , if a user &# 39 ; s profile is known , the user &# 39 ; s preferences in terms of colors sizes and prices could be combined with the present invention but is not precomputed with the ruleset . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 a large , heavy - duty motor vehicle is illustrated and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 . the heavy - duty motor vehicle 10 may be a large truck or construction or earth moving equipment such as a grader , front end loader or the like . as such , the motor vehicle 10 includes a center axle housing 12 which supports , through suspension components 14 , a frame or body portion 16 . the center axle housing 12 typically also includes a concentrically disposed drive shaft 18 which is coupled through a suitable drive assembly ( not illustrated ) to a tire and wheel assembly 20 . disposed generally at the end of the center axle housing 12 is a conical or bell shaped axle housing 22 . the conical axle housing 22 preferably includes a flange 24 having a plurality of through apertures 26 arranged in a bolt circle to receive fasteners ( not illustrated ) for attaching the conical axle housing 22 to the center axle housing 12 . the conical axle housing 22 may also include lugs or ears 28 which may receive various suspension or , alternatively , steering components 30 . the conical axle housing 22 includes a circumferential flat or oil seal surface 34 against which an oil seal ( not illustrated ) may rest and a wider circumferential bearing surface 36 upon which bearing assemblies ( not illustrated ) may be placed to support the tire and wheel assembly 20 . the conical axle housing 22 may also may include a splined region 38 which cooperate with the drive assembly of the tire and wheel assembly 20 . as illustrated in fig2 a stress fracture of the conical axle housing 22 has occurred along a line of fracture 40 and the conical axle housing 22 has been severed or fractured into a first section 42 which includes the flange 24 and the lugs 28 and a second section 44 which includes the majority of the bearing surface 36 and the splined region 38 . turning now to fig3 the circumferential edge adjacent regions of the first section 42 and of the second section 44 adjacent the fracture 40 are first filed , ground or abraded to a relatively smooth , chamfered frusto - conical surface 46 through the use of a grinding wheel 48 or similar tool such as a file or other abrading or material removing instrumentality . in fig3 for purposes of clarity and comparison , only the second section 44 has been ground down but it is to be understood that the opposing region of the first section 42 will be ground in a corresponding fashion during this step . referring now to fig4 a boring operation is undertaken to enlarge a central passageway 50 which extends concentrically along a center axis a of the first section 42 and the second section 44 . specifically , the first section 42 is placed upon a jig or appropriate supports of a boring machine ( not illustrated ) represented schematically by the registration points 52 and secured there . a boring bar 54a and associated drive mechanism ( not illustrated ) is positioned on the center axis a defined by the oil seal surface 34 and translated into the first section 42 such that the boring bar 54a and a cutter 56a associated therewith accurately enlarges the preexisting center passageway 50 such that a straight walled shoulder region 58 , concentric with the axis of the oil seal surface 34 is formed . in a similar fashion , the second section 44 is positioned in a jig or appropriate supports represented schematically by the registration pins 52b of a boring machine ( also not illustrated ) such that the axis of a boring tool 54b and a pair of cutters 56b are concentric with the axis defined by the bearing surface 36 and the center axis a . here , the boring bar 54b and the cutters 56b are translated along the full length of the center passageway 50 , enlarging it on the center axis a which is concentric with the axis of the bearing surface 36 and coaxial with the axis a of the first section 42 . at the conclusion of the step illustrated in fig4 the center passageway 50 in the first section 42 has the shoulder region 58 bored therein by the boring bar 54a on the cutter 56a and the center passageway 50 in the second section 44 has been enlarged to a uniform diameter by the pair of cutters 56b of the boring bar 54b along an axis a concentric with the oil seal surface 34 of the first section 42 . thus , the bearing surface 34 and the shoulder region 58 of the first section 42 and bearing surface 36 and the enlarged center passageway 50 of the second section 44 are all coincident with the center axis a of the two sections 42 and 44 . turning now to fig5 the first section 42 and the second section 44 are disposed within a suitable heating appliance such as an oven having convection or infrared heating elements 60 . alternatively the sections 42 and 44 may be similarly heated by placing in an induction heating device . in either event , the temperature of the first section 42 and of the second section 44 is uniformly raised to approximately 300 ° f . ( 150 ° c .) and in any event in the range of from about 275 ° f . ( 135 ° c .) to 350 ° f . ( 177 ° c .) and at least a temperature high enough that , given the thermal coefficient of expansion of the material , the inside diameter of the center passageway 50 and the shoulder region 58 enlarge to respective diameters greater than the nominal outside diameter of components to be installed therein . as those familiar with thermal expansion of metal will readily understand , all the dimensions of the sections 42 and 44 will enlarge , including the diameters of the center passageway 50 of the second section 44 and of the shoulder region 58 of the first section 42 . turning now to fig6 in the heated state achieved in the process step of fig5 the first section 42 and the second section 44 are juxtaposed such that the center axes a of each section are aligned and an elongate , preferably hollow , stepped sleeve 64 is provided . the hollow , stepped sleeve 64 includes a smaller diameter end region 66 . the smaller diameter end region 66 of the sleeve 64 is inserted through the first section 42 and seated within the enlarged passageway 50 of the second section 44 . the exterior diameter of the end region 66 of the elongate sleeve 64 is preferably slightly larger , on the order of 0 . 008 inches ( 0 . 20 mm . ), than the diameter of the center passageway 50 of the second section 44 when this section is at ambient , i . e ., unelevated , temperature . depending on variables such as the overall size of the axle housing 24 and the type of materials , the interference fit between the center passageway 50 and the end region 66 of the sleeve 64 may be increased or decreased by as much as 50 %. obviously , therefore , the heating required during the step illustrated in fig5 must be sufficient to enlarge the inside diameter of the center passageway 50 to a diameter somewhat larger than the outside diameter of the end region 66 of the sleeve 64 , in this case at least 0 . 008 inches and preferably somewhat larger , in order that it may freely and readily receive the end region 66 of the elongate sleeve 64 . also at this time , a collar 68 having an inside diameter 70 just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the larger portion of the elongate sleeve 64 is slid over the end of the sleeve 64 in the first section 42 and positioned snugly against the straight walled shoulder region 58 . as the first and second sections 42 and 44 cool and thus return to their nominal , ambient temperature dimensions , they tightly grip and retain the elongate sleeve 64 due to the interference fit described above . turning now to fig7 the reconstruction of the axle housing 24 is nearly complete . the final step illustrated in fig7 comprehends welding the collar 68 to the interior surface of the first section 42 and to the elongate sleeve 64 by providing circular weldments 72 and 74 , respectively providing a circular weldment 76 to secure the opposite end of the elongate sleeve 64 to the other end of the center passageway 50 within the second section 44 and finally to provide a circular weldment 78 around the chamfered surfaces 46 disposed adjacent the original fracture 40 ( see fig3 ). this step completes the reconstruction of the axle housing 24 and it may be reassembled to the vehicle 10 through reattachment and securement of the fasteners and suspension components associated with the flange 24 and webs 28 , respectively . optionally , and depending upon the degree of interference fit between the end region 66 of the elongate sleeve 64 and the enlarged center passageway 50 in the second section 42 , it may be necessary to reduce the diameter of the bearing surface 36 slightly in order to accommodate the inside diameter of standard bearings . reduction in the diameter of the bearing surface 36 may readily be achieved by , for example , utilizing the technology disclosed in my u . s . patent no . 4 , 098 , 029 which is hereby incorporated by reference . it will be appreciated that the elongate sleeve 64 includes a center passageway 80 which is sized to accommodate a drive shaft such as the drive shaft 18 which may be utilized to provide motive energy to the tire and wheel assembly 20 . the foregoing disclosure is the best mode devised by the inventor for practicing this invention . it is apparent , however , that methods incorporating modifications and variations will be obvious to one skilled in the art of vehicle component repair . inasmuch as the foregoing disclosure is intended to enable one skilled in the pertinent art to practice the instant invention , it should not be construed to be limited thereby but should be construed to include such aforementioned obvious variations and be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 8 |
referring to the drawings , the engine of the present invention comprises a hexagonally shaped engine block 11 having a centrally located set of coaxially aligned bearings 12 for rotatably supporting a drive shaft 13 . a combined fly wheel and cam disc 15 is keyed on the shaft 13 and is located closely adjacent the left side of the engine block 11 as viewed in fig2 . three equiangularly spaced cylinders 16 , 17 and 18 are attached by bolts 20 to the block 11 with their axes extending radially outward from the shaft 13 . cylinder caps 21 are also attached to the cylinders by bolts 20 to hermetically seal the outer ends of the cylinders . pistons 22 having piston rings 23 therearound are slideably fitted within the cylinders 16 , 17 and 18 and are integrally attached to relatively small diameter connecting rods 24 . the latter are threadably attached at 25 to slides 26 slideably mounted in radially extending guide ways 27 formed in the engine block 11 . a roller 28 ( see also fig5 ) is rotatably supported by each slide 26 and fits within a cam groove 30 formed in the flywheel 15 . the groove 30 is cylindrical in shape but formed eccentrically of the shaft 13 . alternatively , the cam groove 30 could be formed oval shaped and arranged symmetrically about the shaft 13 . the inner end of each of the cylinders 16 and 18 is closed by a plate 31 which is secured in a counterbored section formed in the base of the cylinder and has a bearing opening surrounding the respective connecting rod 24 . a sliding seal 32 hermetically seals the inner end of the cylinder around the connecting rod 24 . valve means are provided to control the intake of pressurized gas into either end of each cylinder and to exhaust the opposite end of such cylinders in proper timed relation . for this purpose , a valve mechanism generally indicated at 34 , fig2 and 4 , is provided for each of the cylinders . such mechanisam is embodied in a casing 35 suitably secured to a flattened face 36 formed on the respective cylinder , the casing being partitioned into two separate spaced intake chambers 37 and 38 by walls 137 and 138 and each chamber being further divided by a wall 39 forming a right hand intake chamber section and a left hand exhaust chamber section ( fig3 ). the right hand section of chamber 37 and the right hand section of chamber 38 communicate with the outer and inner ends of the respective cylinder through slotted intake ports indicated by the dot - dash lines 40 and 41 , respectively , in fig3 and also with respective intake conduits 42 and 43 . likewise , the left hand exhaust sections of chambers 37 and 38 communicate with the inner and outer ends of the cylinder through slotted exhaust ports 46 and 47 and with exhaust conduits 48 and 50 , respectively . slide valves 51 and 52 are slidably mounted within the casing 35 and are yieldably held against the face 36 of the cylinder for controlling the flow of gas to and from the cylinders . the valve 51 carries valve heads 53 and 54 at opposite ends thereof which are located within the right hand intake sections of chambers 37 and 38 and are yieldably held in sealing engagement with the face 36 of the cylinder by spring fingers 55 which slideably engage the outer wall 56 of the casing 35 . the valve 51 is slideable endwise to concurrently cover one of the ports 40 and 41 and uncover the other . valve 51 has a rack gear 57 formed thereon and meshing with a drive gear 58 fixed on a rocking shaft 60 which is journalled in a bearing 61 formed in the wall 56 of the valve casing 35 . the valve 52 likewise carries a pair of valve heads 62 and 63 at opposite ends thereof which operate within the left hand exhaust sections of chambers 37 and 38 to open and close the exhaust ports 46 and 47 . valve 52 is provided with a rack gear 64 whcih meshes with gear 58 on the side thereof opposite the rach gear 57 . thus , rocking of the gear 58 shifts the valves 51 and 52 endwise in opposite directions to open certain of the ports and close others . in the position of the parts shown in fig3 the valve 51 uncovers intake port 40 and covers intake port 41 while the valve 52 covers exhaust port 46 and uncovers exhaust port 47 . however , when the gear 58 is rocked counterclockwise , the valve 51 will uncover port 41 and cover port 40 while valve 52 will cover port 47 and uncover port 46 . means are provided for operating the various valve mechanisms , i . e . 34 , for the various cylinders in timed relation to rotation of the drive shaft 13 and movement of the pistons 22 in their respective cylinders . for this purpose , a hollow rod 65 ( fig2 and 6 ) is fastened at its upper end to the gear shaft 60 for the valve mechanism 34 associated with cylinder 16 and is slideably telescoped over a rod 66 having a bearing at its lower end journalled over a crank pin 67 extending from the flywheel 15 , eccentrically of the shaft 13 . likewise , other telescoping pairs 68 and 70 of rods are connected between the crank pin 67 and the gear shafts for the valve mechanisms associated with the cylinders 17 and 18 . thus , as the flywheel 15 is rotated , the crank pin 67 imparts rocking motion to the various drive gears , i . e . 58 , to shift the valves , i . e . 51 and 52 , for the different cylinders between their alternate valve port covering and uncovering positions . fig8 illustrates schematically the conditions which exist at each 60 ° increment of rotation of the drive shaft 13 and flywheel 15 . it will be seen that a powr stroke &# 34 ; ps &# 34 ; is applied concurrently to the pistons of at least two of the three cylinders 16 , 17 and 18 at all times during each revolution . for example , at a , representing the top dead center condition of the piston in cylinder 16 , pressurized gas is applied to the outer end of the cylinder 18 and to the inner end of the cylinder 17 , thus concurrently driving the pistons of both cylinders to create a torque to drive the flywheel 15 in a clockwise direction . concurrently , gas is being exhausted from the inner end of the cylinder 18 and from the outer end of the cylinder 17 . at b , representing the bottom dead center condition of the piston in the cylinder 18 , which condition is also shown in fig1 pressurized gas is concurrently applied to the outer end of cylinder 16 and to the inner end of cylinder 17 while the inner end of the cylinder 16 and the outer end of cylinder 17 are being exhausted . it will be noted that , unlike a conventional engine having a crankshaft and pivoted connecting rods intermediate the pistons and the cranks of the crankshaft and wherein a harmonic drive is applied in which torque is gradually increased from zero at the dead center of the piston to a maximum at midstroke , a constant torque is applied through the eccentric cam way 30 to the drive shaft 13 , resulting in a continuous and uniform transfer of torque throughout each revolution of the drive shaft , even at slow speeds . further , the torque is substantially the same regardless of the speed at which the engine is driven , this being particularly true at extremely slow speeds . obviously , there is no dead center position of the engine and it may be started under load in any position , thus obviating the need of a clutch mechanism between the engine and the load . fig7 illustrates schematically a preferred closed drive system for powering the engine . the various intake conduits , i . e . 42 , 43 , for the different valve mechanisma 34 are connected together and to a common conduit 70 . likewise , the various exhaust conduits , i . e . 48 and 50 , are connected together to a common conduit 72 . perhalogenated benzene is preferably used to generate a pressurized vapor for actuating the engine . it is substantially liquid form , the fluid is passed through a gas generator 71 where it is heated and converted to a gas under pressure . the gas is transferred through the conduit line 70 to the various intake sections of the valve chambers , i . e . 37 and 38 , for the different cylinders 16 to 18 . on the other hand , the gas exhausted from the various cylinders is passed through exhaust conduit 72 and a check valve 73 . part of the exhaust gas is transferred to an accumulator 75 and the remainder is passed through a valve 76 into a condenser 77 where it is cooled to return it to substantially liquid state and it is then passed through an expansion valve 78 , and into the gas generator to complete the above cycle . a heat source 80 , preferably in the form of a burner , receives a combustible fuel from a suitable source ( not shown ) through an intake valve 81 for vaporizing the fluid within the generator 71 . considering the system as incorporated in a motor vehicle , foot control pedal 82 is provided in conjunction with a conventional brake system and brake pedal ( not shown ). pedal 82 is pivotally supported at 33 midway between its ends and is normally held in its neutral illustrated position by a spring 84 . pedal 82 is connected through linkage 85 to the valve 76 and through a second linkge 86 to the fuel control valve 81 . normally , when the pedal is in its illustrated neutral position , the valve 76 is open and valve 81 is closed . however , when the pedal is depressed clockwise to initiate operation of the engine , the valve 76 remains open and valve 81 is opened by an amount proportional to the amount of depression of the pedal to cause heating of the generator 71 to vaporize the fluid therein . when it is desired to brake the vehicle , the pedal 82 is depressed in a counterclockwise direction , causing actuating linkages 85 and 86 to close the valves 76 and 81 , respectively , thus enabling the momentum of the vehicle to drive the engine . the engine now acts as a pump forcing the exhausted gases to pressurize the accumulator 75 . the increase in pressure in the exhaust line 72 by virtue of the now closed valve 76 reacts against the pistons in the cylinders to bring about a braking action of the vehicle . subsequently , in order to gain propel the vehicle , the pedal 82 is again rocked clockwise , releasing the pressurized gas in the accumulator to pass through the condensor 77 and generator 71 to accelerate the vehicle either independently of the expansive action of the fluid in generator 71 or conjointly therewith . although the engine is disclosed as embodying three cylinders , it will be obvious that a greater or a lesser number of cylinders could be incorporated . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations may be made in the exact construction shown without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , the engine may be operated as a pump by applying motive power to the drive shaft . also , although the engine is disclosed as most advantageously forming an external combustion engine , it could be modified to operate as an internal combustion engine , in which case an ignition system , spark plugs and appropriately times intake and exhaust valves , all well known in the art , could be incorporated with the cylinders , i . e . 16 , 17 and 18 , to cause exploding gases to drive the engine . accordingly , the term &# 34 ; fluid under pressure &# 34 ; in the appended claims is intended to define both fluids which are pressurized exteriorly of the cylinders and fluids which are pressurized as the result of explosions within the cylinders . as will be evident to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure and accompanying drawings , my illustrated engine is versatile as to the direction of rotation of shaft 13 . more specifically , it is capable of turning the shaft in either direction of rotation so as , for example , to cause forward or reverse movement of a vehicle on which it is to be mounted for use . | 5 |
the apparatus for heat treatment of strip material shown schematically in fig1 comprises an enclosure 1 having two vertical furnaces 2 , 3 which form a first half of the apparatus and two other vertical furnaces 4 , 5 similar to the two preceding furnaces , and which form the second half of the apparatus . the two first furnaces have a common vertical wall or partition 6 , and in a similar manner , the two other furnaces have a common vertical wall or partition 7 . the strip material 11 to be treated passes vertically and successively upwardly and downwardly , within the four furnaces , being guided by rollers 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 . each furnace , for example , the furnace 2 , ( see also fig2 ) is made up of two vertical ducts 22 , 23 separated by a space 24 through which the material 11 passes . the three other furnaces 3 , 4 , 5 similarly have ducts 25 , 26 ; 27 , 28 ; 29 , 30 respectively , as well as spaces 31 , 32 , 33 respectively . in each of the spaces between the two vertical ducts of a furnace , for example in the space 31 between the two ducts 25 , 26 of the second furnace 3 , there are arranged , in alternate pairs , nozzles 36 or 37 , the material 11 to be treated passing between the two nozzles of each pair which are open on their opposed vertical faces . there are shown two nozzles 36 fixed in a cantilever fashion on the lower part of the duct 25 and communicating therewith ; the other pairs of identical nozzles ( not shown ) are arranged vertically spaced on the duct 25 . there is also shown one pair of nozzles 37 fixed in cantilever fashion on the upper part of the duct 26 and communicating therewith ; other pairs of identical nozzles ( not shown ) are arranged vertically spaced on the duct 26 , the material 11 thus passing successively between two nozzles carried by the duct 25 and two nozzles carried by the duct 26 . the bottom of the ducts of the two first furnaces 2 , 3 are closed off , but their upper parts are connected to the fans , in the following manner : the outlet of a blowing fan v1 is connected to the upper part of the ducts 22 and 25 of the two first furnaces , respectively whereas the upper part of the two other ducts 23 and 26 of these two furnaces is connected to the inlet of an exhaust fan e1 . in a similar fashion , the upper parts of the two ducts 27 , 29 ( fig3 ) of the two furnaces 4 and 5 are connected to the outlet of a blowing fan v2 , whereas the upper parts of the two other ducts 28 and 30 of these two furnaces are connected to the inlet of an exhaust fan e2 . it should be noted that the bottom of the two ducts 29 , 30 of the last furnace 5 is not completely shut off , but , on the contrary , they are connected respectively to a blowing fan v3 and an exhaust fan e3 . also , a second outlet of the fan v1 ( fig2 ) is connected to the inlet of the exhaust fan e1 by a bypass conduit 41 and the outlets of the two other blowing fans v2 , v3 ( fig3 ) are connected respectively to the inlets of the two other exhaust fans e2 , e3 by two bypass conduits 42 and 43 , respectively . on these three bypass conduits 41 , 42 , 43 there are mounted three baffles 46 , 47 , 48 , respectively , controlled , for example , by corresponding compressed air pistons or membrane motors 46a , 47a , 48a subjected to the action of the pressure which exists in the corresponding ducts 22 , 25 , 27 , 29 . the air used in the two first furnaces 2 , 3 ( fig2 ) is heated by a burner 51 the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of fan v1 by a conduit 52 and to the upper part of the ducts 23 , 26 , by a conduit 53 . similarly , the air used in the two last furnaces 4 , 5 is heated by a burner 54 the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of fan v2 by a conduit 56 and to the upper part of the two ducts 28 , 30 by a conduit 36 . on the conduits 53 and 56 there are mounted baffles 61 , 62 , respectively . baffle 65 on the outlet of blowing fan v1 feeding the two ducts 22 , 25 , baffle 68 on a third outlet of the blowing ventilator v1 , baffle 69 on an atmosphere vented outlet of blowing fan v1 , baffle 75 on the outlet of blowing fan v2 feeding the two ducts 27 , 29 , baffle 78 on a third outlet of the blowing fan v2 , baffle 79 on an atmosphere vented outlet of the blowing fan v2 . all the baffles which have been listed above are , for example , controlled by pneumatic pistons . in the apparatus shown in the drawings , the three first furnaces 2 , 3 , 4 serve to heat the material , throughout their height , whereas the fourth furnace 5 , in its upper part , still heats the material , but , in its lower part , serves to cool it . the height of the lower cooling part is controllable as desired by virtue of a system of selective horizontal baffles shown in fig4 . this system includes a certain number ( 5 in the example ) of baffles 81 - 1 , 81 - 2 , 81 - 3 , 81 - 4 , 81 - 5 distributed throughout the height of the duct 29 of the last furnace 5 , and a certain number ( 4 in the example ) of identical baffles 91 - 1 , 91 - 2 , 91 - 3 , 91 - 4 distributed throughout the height of the other duct 30 of the same furnace . each of these baffles , for example the baffle 81 - 1 , is made up of several ( again 5 in the example ) butterfly - valves 82 pivotally mounted , one next to the other , on parallel horizontal axes 83 . when the butterfly - valves are in a vertical position , as is the case of the baffles 81 - 1 , 81 - 2 , 81 - 4 and 81 - 5 on the drawing , they effectively do not impede the passage of gases , whereas when they are in a horizontal position , they form effective horizontal partitions which are substantially continuous and which block the duct at the corresponding level . thus , in the example , the baffle 81 - 3 divides the duct 29 into two parts with regard to height , the upper part being arranged to receive warm air and the lower part cool air . in a similar manner , in the example , only the baffle 91 - 2 is closed and forms a horizontal partition which divides the duct 30 into an upper part and a lower part . the baffles arranged within the duct 30 are slightly offset in height relative to those which are arranged in the duct 29 , corresponding to the nozzles 37 and 36 alternately mounted on one or other duct . all these horizontal butterfly - valve baffles are also controlled , in the example , by pneumatic pistons 85 - 1 , 85 - 2 , . . . 85 - 5 and 95 - 1 , 95 - 2 , . . . 95 - 4 , respectively . the material 11 enters the base of the furnace 2 and is subjected to a treatment of hot air blown by the nozzles 36 of the duct 22 , the moisture or solvent carrying air being withdrawn by the nozzles 37 carried by the duct 23 from whence it is sucked and blown out by the exhaust fan e1 . the material thence passes successively over rollers 13 , 14 and passes down the second furnace 3 where it is subjected to a similar heat treatment . it then passes over rollers 15 , 16 to pass again up through the third furnace 4 in which it is yet again subjected to a similar treatment . the material then passes over rollers 17 , 18 and passes down the fourth furnace 5 in the upper part of which , that is to say , above the level of the closed horizontal baffles 91 - 2 , it is again subjected to hot air treatment . after this , below this level , it is subjected only to the action of cold air . by selective operation of the horizontal baffles 81 - 1 to 81 - 5 and 91 - 1 to 91 - 4 one can control , as desired , the positioning of the separation level between the hot air treatment and cold air treatment within the fourth furnace 5 . one can regulate the heat supply as a function of movement speed of the material within the apparatus by operation of the baffles 65 , 66 , 69 and 61 , 67 , 68 ( fig2 ) for the two first furnaces , and the corresponding baffles for the two other furnaces . by closing the baffles 66 and 76 , one can interrupt the blowing of hot air within the ducts 22 and 27 , respectively , which allows adjustment of the supply of heat for selected periods of time . the moisture or solvent filled air is removed by the ducts 23 , 26 ( fig2 ) and 28 , 30 ( fig3 ) which are connected to exhaust fans e1 and e2 , respectively . the baffle 61 or 62 allows control of the supply of cold air . the bypass conduits 41 and 42 , provided with baffles 46 and 47 , allow control of the quantity of warm gases , coming from burners 51 , 54 which is passed to the ducts 22 , 25 and 27 , 29 . the cold air , blown by fan v3 ( fig3 ) in the lower part of the duct 29 of the fourth furnace 5 removes the heat from the material and passes through the lower part of the duct 30 under the effect of suction of the exhaust fan e3 from where it is discharged through a chimney 97 . the situation could arise that it is necessary to cool quickly the ambient air within the ducts in order to unravel , for example , coiled yarn , or to effect connection in the case of breakage of treated strip products . to this end , the baffle 65 of furnaces 2 and 3 is closed whereas the baffles 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 are maintained open . the cold air sucked in by fan v1 passes through the baffle 69 , duct 22 , 25 the nozzles 36 , 37 and through the bypass conduit 41 , whilst the exhaust fan e1 remain operating . the same applies for rapid cooling of the other furnaces 4 and 5 , by placing the corresponding baffles in similar conditions . clearly , the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown ; numerous modifications may be added , according to the desired applications without departing from the scope of the invention . thus , for example , the apparatus can be adapted for the heat treatment of other continuous textile products as well as strip material for example yarn or ribbon . | 3 |
the present embodiments provide a diagnostic and operative system for minimally invasive diagnosis and surgery procedures , and other medical and non - medical viewing applications , in particular in which access conditions dictate the use of small - dimension viewing devices . reference is now made to fig1 which is a basic block diagram of a basic configuration of an endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the figure shows a basic configuration of the endoscopic system including interconnections . the configuration comprises a miniature endoscopic front - end 10 , hereinafter simply referred to as an endoscope , attached by a wire connection 20 to a processing device 30 , typically a pc , the pc having appropriate software for carrying out image processing of the output of the endoscope . the skilled person will appreciate that the wire connection 20 may be an optical connection or may instead use rf or a like means of wireless communication . the miniature endoscopic front - end 10 may be designed for connection to any standard pc input ( the usb input for example ). the software included with processing device 30 processes the output of the miniature endoscopic front - end 10 . the software may typically control transfer of the images to the monitor of the pc 30 and their display thereon including steps of 3d modeling based on stereoscopic information as will be described below , and may control internal features of the endoscopic front end 10 including light intensity . and automatic gain control ( agc ), again as will be described below . reference is now made to fig2 which is an internal block diagram of an endoscope according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a miniature endoscope 40 is connected by a wire 42 to an adapter 44 . the endoscope 40 comprises an image sensor 46 which may typically comprise a cmos or ccd or like sensing technology , an optical assembly 48 , a light or illumination source 50 , communication interface 52 and controller 54 . the wired unit of fig2 preferably includes a voltage regulator 56 . as will be explained in more detail below , the image sensor 46 is aligned along the length of a longitudinal side - wall ( that is to say substantially in parallel with the wall and at least not perpendicular thereto ) of the endoscope 40 . such an alignment enables the radial dimension of the endoscope to be reduced beyond the diagonal of the image sensor 46 . preferably the sensor is arranged in two parts , as will be explained below . reference is now made to fig3 which is an internal block diagram of a wireless equivalent of the embodiment of fig2 . parts that are identical to those shown above are given the same reference numerals and are not referred to again except as necessary for an understanding of the present embodiment . in the embodiment of fig3 the wire 42 is replaced by a wireless link 56 such as an ir or rf link with appropriate sensor , and a battery pack 58 . reference is now made to fig4 which is an schematic block diagram of the miniature endoscope according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . parts that are identical to those shown above are given the same reference numerals and are not referred to again except as necessary for an understanding of the present embodiment . optical assembly 48 receives light , indicated by arrows 60 , from an object being viewed . the light is processed by optical assembly 48 , as will be explained below , to reach image sensor 46 were it is converted from photons into electrical signals . the electrical signals are digitized and passed to a transmitting device 62 , for example an lvds transmitter , which drives the data through communication link 20 and adapter 44 to the processing device 30 . operating power for the endoscope 40 is preferably provided , through adapter 44 , to the voltage regulator 56 . control of the front - end is preferably carried out by the processor device 30 as discussed above . control data from the processing device 30 is preferably received at the endoscope 40 by a receiving device 64 , which may typically be an lvds receiver . hard wired logic 66 preferably serves as an interface to convert the incoming control data into signals for controlling both the sensor 46 and the light source 50 . the light source 50 preferably comprises one or more light transmitting devices such as leds , typically a left light source 68 and right light source 70 . the left and right light sources may be controllable through a driver 72 . the functions of each of the above components are described in greater detail below . as the skilled person will be aware , use of cmos and similar technologies for the sensors permit the sensor 46 , the transmitting device 62 , the receiving device 64 , the hard wired logic 66 , the driver 72 and the voltage regulator 56 to be integrated into a single semiconductor integrated circuit and such integration is particularly advantageous in achieving a compact design of endoscope . considering the light source 50 in greater detail , it preferably comprises an integrated array of several white light sources ( leds for example ) with energy emission in the visible light range mixed , optionally , with ir light sources ( leds ) for purposes that will be explained below . in fact , any combination of spectral responses may be used , particularly preferred combinations including red + ir and green + blue . an integrated array of light sources allows control of each light source individually facilitating the following features : the system is able to turn on the white light source and the ir light source in sequence to generate an ir image every n ( user determined ) standard white images , for detection by a sensor configuration to be described below with respect to fig1 . the objects being imaged are generally located at a range of different distances or field depths from the light source and are consequently unevenly illuminated . the more distant areas in the field are dark and are almost invisible while the nearer areas are bright and can become saturated . in order to compensate for the uneven illumination intensity over the field , the system preferably exerts control over the intensity of each light source individually , thereby to compensate for reflected intensity of the objects . an example of an algorithm for control of the illumination array is given as follows : given n individual light sources in the illumination array in the camera head , an initialization process is carried out to generate a reference image , preferably a homogeneous white object , to be stored for each light source . the stored reference images ( matrices ) are identified hereinbelow by rii where i = 1 , 2 . . . n . following initialization , imaging is carried out and the input image of the field ( indicated by matrix ii ) is divided into m areas such that : m & gt ; n . the image areas are identified hereinbelow by sj j = 1 , 2 , . . . m following the above imaging stage , an inner product matrix is calculated such that element tij of the inner product matrix reflects the inner product resulting from taking the ii matrix and performing matrix multiplication with the rli matrix , in the area sj and summing the elements of the result metrics . t = m t11 t12 … t1m t21 … … t2m tn1 … … tnm n tij = 1 / sj ∑ p = 1 sj pij ( xp , yp ) · rj ( xp , yp ) pij — the intensity of the pixel located in ( xp , yp ) resulting from light source i in area j rj — the intensity of the pixel located in ( xp , yp ) resulting from the input image in area j k — the vector of the desired common intensity , and the solution to this requirement is given by { tilde under ( v )}=( t t · t ) − 1 · t t · k the central control unit preferably uses the above algorithm to post - process the data to reconstruct a natural look of the image , thereby to compensate for brightness non - uniformities . in the case of using leds as the light source , their fast response time makes it possible to operate them in a “ controllable - flash ” mode , replacing the need for variable integration time ( or agc ). referring now to the image sensor 46 , as observed above in respect of fig2 in the prior art endoscope the size of the sensor provides a limitation on the transverse diameter of the endoscope . thus , in the present embodiment , in order to remove the limitation the sensor is placed along the longitudinal wall of the endoscope , again preferably substantially parallel to the wall but at least not perpendicular thereto . the use of the longitudinal wall not only gives greater freedom to reduce the transverse diameter of the endoscope but also gives the freedom to increase the length of the sensor , thus increasing image resolution in the horizontal sense . as will be explained below , there are two specific embodiments of the realigned sensor , each one associated with a respective design of the optical assembly as will be described in detail below . in addition to the above - mentioned geometrical realignment , the sensor may be supplied with color filters to allow acquisition of ir images for diagnostic purposes or 3d imaging , again as will be described in detail below . referring now to the geometric design of the sensor , as will be appreciated , the sensor comprises a field of pixels arranged in an array over an image - gathering field . the first specific embodiment comprises a rearrangement of the pixels in the sensor . given that for the purposes of example , the sensor width may be divided into say two parts , then the two parts may be placed end to end lengthwise . thus , for example , a 512 × 512 pixels &# 39 ; sensor with pixel dimensions of 10 × 10 micron , may be divided into two sections of width 256 pixels each to be placed end to end to give a sensor of 256 × 1024 pixels and having an overall imaging area of 2 . 56 mm × 10 . 24 mm . the longer dimension is preferably placed along the lengthwise dimension of the endoscope , thus permitting reduced diameter of the endoscope with no corresponding reduction in the precision level of the image . the second specific embodiment likewise relates to a geometrical rearrangement of the pixels . the prior art image sensor has a round or square overall sensor or pixilated area , however , if the same number of pixels are arranged as a rectangle having the same area as the original sensor but with the height and width freely chosen then the width may be selected to be smaller than the width of the equivalent prior art sensor . more particularly , for an exemplary 512 × 512 pixels &# 39 ; sensor with pixel dimensions of 10 × 10 micron the standard prior art sensor ( which will have a width of 5 . 12 mm ) may be replaced by a rectangular sensor having the same overall sensing area as in the previous specific embodiment , but with specific width height dimensions of 2 . 56 mm × 10 . 24 mm , thus becoming easier to fit in the endoscope . reference is now made to fig5 which is a ray diagram showing a simplified view from above of optical paths within the endoscope . as will be appreciated , in order for the image sensors of the specific embodiments referred to above to produce images which can be recreated in an undistorted fashion , each sensor is preferably associated with an optical assembly which is able to redirect image parts in accordance with the rearrangements of the pixels . [ 0185 ] fig5 shows a version of optical assembly 48 designed for the first of the two specific embodiments of the image sensor , namely that involving the widthwise transfer of pixels . a side view of the same optical assembly is shown in fig6 . fig5 shows a point source object 80 , from which light reaches two lenses 82 and 84 . the two lenses are selected and arranged to divide the light into two parts , which parts reach a front - surface - mirror 86 . the front surface mirror sends each part of the image to a different part of the sensor 46 , and recovery of the image is possible by appropriate wiring or addressing of the sensor pixels to recover the original image shape . reference is now made to fig7 which is a ray diagram showing an alternative version of optical assembly 48 , again designed for the first specific embodiment of the image sensor . a single lens 86 is positioned in conjunction with two front - surface - mirrors 88 and 90 to deflect light from the object 80 to the mirrors . each of the two front surface mirrors respectively transfers half of the image to the upper or lower part of the sensor 46 . reference is now made to fig8 which is a ray diagram showing a third embodiment of the optical assembly 48 , this time for the second of the specific embodiments of the image sensor 46 , namely the embodiment in which the square shape of pixels is reduced to a rectangular shape having smaller width . an asymmetric or astigmatic lens 92 is arranged to focus light onto a front - surface - mirror 94 . the light is distorted by the lens 92 to undo the distortion introduced into the image by the rectangular shape of the sensor 46 , and then it is reflected by the mirror 94 onto the surface of the sensor 46 . reference is now made to fig9 which is a ray diagram taken from the side showing a further embodiment of the optical assembly 48 . the embodiment of fig8 necessitates a relatively complicated design of the mirror , and in order to obviate such complexity , additional optical design is shown . as shown in fig9 the same astigmatic lens 92 is placed , not in front of a mirror but rather in front of a series of flat optical plates 96 . 1 . 96 . n , each comprising a diagonal lateral cross section , the plates each reflecting the light through the respective plate to the surface of sensor 46 . reference is additionally made to fig1 , which is a ray diagram , taken from the front , of the series of optical plates 96 of fig9 . a comparison between the perspectives of fig9 and fig1 show the layout of the plates with respect to the endoscope . reference is now made to fig1 , which is a simplified ray diagram showing a further embodiment of the optical assembly 48 . in the embodiment of fig1 , a single lens 98 is preferably used to focus light from an object 80 to a plane 100 shown in dotted lines . a series of optical fibers 102 are lined up over the surface of plane 100 to guide light to desired portions of the surface of the image sensor 46 . the fibers 102 are able to direct light as desired and thus can be used in combination with any arrangement of the sensor pixels that is desired . returning to the construction of the image sensor 46 , reference is now made to fig1 , which is a layout diagram showing a layout of pixels on a sensory surface of an embodiment of the image sensor 46 . in fig1 , an array comprising pixels of four types is shown , red r , green g , blue b and infra - red ir . the pixels are evenly spaced and allow acquisition of a colored image when used in conjunction with white light , or an ir image when used in conjunction with an ir source . in many cases , important medical information is contained at ir wavelengths . in order to allow acquisition of ir images , the sensor is preferably designed as described above , and using inter alia pixels ir filters , that is to say color filters that have band passes at ir wavelengths . the sensor is placed in an endoscope in association with either one or both of a source of visible light and a source of infra - red light . use of the appropriate one of the two light sources permits acquisition of either color frames or ir frames as desired . in one preferred embodiment , ir and color frames are obtained simultaneously by operating color and ir light sources together and allowing each pixel to pick up the waveband it has been designed for . in another preferred embodiment the color and ir light sources are operated separately . typically one ir frame would be prepared and sent for every several color frames . reference is now made to fig1 , which is a simplified ray diagram showing how the endoscope may be used in a stereoscopic mode . the stereoscopic mode permits the production of 3d images . as with previous figures the ray diagram indicates rays emanating from a single point , and the skilled person will appreciate how to extrapolate to a full image . in fig1 , an endoscope comprises two separate white light sources 110 and 112 located at opposite sides of a front opening of the endoscope , respectively being a left light source 110 and a right light source 112 . the two white light sources are controlled to light in turn in successive short flashes to illuminate an object 114 . light reflected by the object 114 returns to the endoscope where it strikes a lens 115 placed across the front opening and where it is focused on to the plane of sensor 46 . the sensor detects the illumination level , which differs between the left and right light beams . the ratio of the illumination levels may be used to calculate the position of the object and thereby to build up a 3d distance database , as will be explained in greater detail below . as mentioned above , in the stereoscopic mode the left and right light sources are used sequentially . comparison between left and right illuminated images allows a 3d database to be constructed , enabling stereoscopic display of the scene . in the present embodiment , the comparison between the images is based upon photometry measurements . in fig1 , an image 116 of object 114 may be considered as comprising a series of activated x , y , locations on the detection plane of the sensor 46 . for each of the x , y locations forming the image 116 on the sensor 46 , a ratio between the right illuminated image ( rii ) and the left illuminated image ( lii ) may be discerned . the detected ratio may differ over the image as it is a function in each case of the distances of the respective light source to the object 114 . the left light source 110 and the right light source 112 have a distance between them which is twice d , d being the length of arrow 117 , and the lens has a focal length of 1 / f , where f is the length of arrow 118 . the distance from the lens 115 to the plane of the object 114 is denoted by z and is indicated by arrow 120 . lbl ={ square root }[ z 2 +( x − d ) 2 ]+{ square root }[( z + 1 / f ) 2 +( x + x ) 2 ] rbl ={ square root }[ z 2 +( x + d ) 2 ]{ square root }[( z + 1 / f ) 2 +( x + x ) 2 ] thus the ratio of the light intensity between the left and right light sources , which is the inverted square of the distance lbl / rbl , may be expressed as : the image 116 , obtained as described above may now be stored in terms of a 3d model . the 3d model is preferably displayed as a 3d image by constructing therefrom two stereoscopic images . the conversion may be performed using conversion formulae as follows : [ 0201 ] fig1 thus shows how an image of the object can be stored as a 3d data base . 3d data of the object is obtained as described above and stored as a database . reference is now made to fig1 , which is a further simplified ray diagram showing , by means of rays , how the 3d model or database of fig1 can be used to obtain a 3d effect at the eyes of an observer . in order to display the 3d information using a standard 2d display ( monitor ) the database is converted into two separate stereoscopic images , and a display device is used to display each one of the stereoscopic images to a different eye . for example the device may be a pair of glasses having a controllable shutter on each on of the eyes . in fig1 , x , y , 114 and z 120 represents the three dimensions to be used in the image 119 , which corresponds to image 116 as stored in the previous figure , the object being to reproduce the three dimensional character of the image by showing different projections of the image to each of the two eyes of a viewer . line 122 represents a projected location on the left image . line 124 represents the same projected location as it appears on the right image . d 126 is the distance between the lenses 128 ( representing the eyes ). a preferred embodiment for producing a 3d model using the endoscope uses different color left and right light sources in place of white light sources . thus , instead of sequentially illuminating the object from either side , it is possible to illuminate the image simultaneously using both sources and to use appropriate filters to separate the left and right brightness information . for example a left illumination source 110 may be green and right illumination source 112 may be a combination of red + blue . such a two - color embodiment is advantageous in that it is simple to control and avoids image distortion problems due to the time lag between acquisitions of the two separate images . in one alternative embodiment , one of the light sources 110 , 112 is a visible light source and the second light source is an ir light source . in the case of an ir light source color filters at the sensor preferably include an ir pass filter . the sensor of fig1 , with an arrangement of ir , red , green and blue detectors as described above may be used . reference is now made to fig1 a and 15b which are simplified schematic diagrams showing an endoscope according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for obtaining dual sensor stereoscopic imaging , as will be explained below . fig1 a is a side sectional view and fig1 b is a front view . in the embodiment of fig1 a two image sensors 140 and 142 are situated back to back along a plane of the central axis of an endoscope 144 . each image sensor 140 and 142 is associated with a respective optical assembly comprising a lens 150 and 152 and a mirror 154 and 156 . the respective light source 146 , 148 , illuminates the entire field of view as described above and light is gathered by the lens and directed by the mirror onto the sensor . the sensors are preferably mounted on a single pcb 158 . [ 0212 ] fig1 b is a view from the front of the endoscope of fig1 a . it will be noticed that a third optical light source 158 shown . since the stereoscopic aspect of the image is obtained from the use of two optical image paths , as opposed to the previous embodiments which used different light sources and different object optical paths , there is now freedom to use any number of light sources as desired to produce desired color ( or ir ) information . the back - to - back arrangement of the sensors 140 and 142 along the central axis of the endoscope 144 ensures that the endoscope dimensions are minimized both lengthwise and radially . reference is now made to fig1 , which is an alternative embodiment of an endoscope for obtaining dual sensor stereoscopic imaging . an endoscope 160 comprises two image sensors 162 and 164 arranged in a head to tail arrangement along one longitudinal wall of the endoscope , and again , as above , preferably parallel to the wall and at least not perpendicular thereto . illumination sources 166 and 168 are located at a front end 170 of the endoscope and located at the periphery thereof . two lenses 172 and 174 direct light received from a field of view onto respective mirrors 176 and 178 each of which is arranged to deflect the light onto one of the sensors . each image sensor 162 and 164 thus provides a slightly different image of the field of view . it is emphasized that the dual sensor configuration does not decrease the overall image resolution , because , in accordance with the above configurations , two full - size image sensors may be used . the two versions of an endoscope for obtaining dual sensor stereoscopic imaging described above can make use of image sensors either with or without color filters . however the sensor of fig1 could be used for one or both of the sensors in either of the embodiments above . a further preferred embodiment uses a monochrome sensor for one of the two image sensors and a color sensor for the second . such a combination of one monochrome sensor and one color - filtered sensor in the unit improves the resolution of the overall image and the sensitivity and dynamic range of the endoscope . the above embodiments have been described in accordance with the general endoscope layout given in fig1 . in the following , alternative endoscopic system configurations are described . reference is now made to fig1 , which is a simplified block diagram of a network portable endoscope and associated hardware . parts that are identical to those shown above are given the same reference numerals and are not referred to again except as necessary for an understanding of the present embodiment . an endoscope 10 is connected to a central control unit 180 where dedicated image processing takes place . the control unit 180 allows for full motion video to be produced from the signals emitted by the endoscope . the control unit is connected to a local display device 182 . additionally or alternatively , a remote control and viewing link 183 may be used to allow remote monitoring and control of the endoscope . the endoscope 10 is preferably a portable device and may be powered from a battery pack 184 . reference is now made to fig1 , which is a simplified block diagram of an endoscope adapted to perform minimal invasive surgery ( mis ). parts that are identical to those shown above are given the same reference numerals and are not referred to again except as necessary for an understanding of the present embodiment . the most common use of endoscopic systems is for the performance of mis procedures by the surgeon in the operating room . the use of a reduced size endoscope according to the above embodiments enables new procedures to be performed in which minimal dimensions of the operating equipment is important . in fig1 , the endoscope 10 is connected to a rack 190 . the rack contains accomodation for a full range of equipment that may be required in the course of use of the endoscope in the operating room , for example a central control unit 180 , a high quality monitor 182 , an insufflator 186 etc . the configuration of fig1 , by virtue of the dedicated image processing provided with the control unit 180 , gives full motion video without requiring fiber - optic and camera head cables . reference is now made to fig1 , which is a simplified block diagram showing an enhanced version of the endoscope for use in research . parts that are identical to those shown above are given the same reference numerals and are not referred to again except as necessary for an understanding of the present embodiment . the system comprises a miniature endoscopic front - end 10 connected to a highly integrated pc based central control unit 200 via communication link 20 . the central control unit uses dedicated image processing and thus enables full motion video , displayable locally on display device 182 or remotely via control and display link 183 . an optional printer 202 is provided to print documents and images , including images taken via the endoscope , of the pathologies or stages of the procedure . the system preferably includes a vcr 204 for recording video produced by the endoscope and a digital storage device 206 allowing archiving of the whole video . as mentioned above , the system can also be connected via remote control and viewing link 183 , to a remote site for teaching or for using medical help and guidance . in some hospitals and operating rooms , in addition to regular operating procedures , research is carried out . research procedures generally require additional documentation and communication functions . in order to support those requirements a pc based system with high documentation and communication capabilities is provided by the enhanced control unit 200 . in addition to the external devices , an image enhancement software package is used , allowing the generation of high quality hard copies of images . reference is now made to fig2 , which is a simplified block diagram showing a configuration of endoscope for obtaining stereoscopic ( 3d ) images . parts that are identical to those shown above are given the same reference numerals and are not referred to again except as necessary for an understanding of the present embodiment . the miniature endoscope 10 is connected via a communication link 20 as before to a 3d central control unit 210 , which is the same as the previous control unit 200 except that it has the additional capability to construct a 3d model from image information provided by the endoscope . the 3d model can then be projected to form a 3d image on a 3d stereoscopic display system 212 . the configuration of fig2 may be combined with features taken from any of the embodiments referred to above . recently , new operating procedures requiring stereoscopic ( 3d ) display have been developed . in particular such new applications involved minimally invasive heart and brain procedures . the 3d imaging embodiments referred to above , which may be grouped into multiple light source based imaging and dual optical path imaging , can give the necessary information to construct a 3d model of the scene and to generate stereoscopic images therefrom . reference is now made to fig2 , which is a simplified block diagram showing a variation of an endoscope system for use in intra - vascular procedures . parts that are identical to those shown above are given the same reference numerals and are not referred to again except as necessary for an understanding of the present embodiment . the system includes a long , flexible , thin and preferably disposable catheter 220 , a balloon / stent 222 . an endoscope imaging head 224 , an x - ray tube 226 , x - ray imaging system 228 , a video display system 230 and an injection unit 232 . intra vascular procedures are widely used in the medical field . among various intra - vascular procedures , cardiac catheterization is a very common diagnostic test performed thousands of times a day . during the procedure , catheter 220 is inserted into an artery at the groin or arm . the catheter is directed retrogradely to the heart and to the origin of the coronary arteries , which supply blood to the heart muscle . a contrast substance (“ dye ”) is injected through the catheter . the use of an x - ray tube , and an endoscope in conjunction with the dye enables a view of the heart chambers and coronary arteries to be obtained . the resulting images may be recorded using an x - ray camera and / or the endoscope systems as described above . if an obstruction is detected in one or more of the coronary arteries , the obstruction may be removed and the artery reopened using techniques such as inserting the balloon and inflating it ( ptca ) or inserting a stent , as known to the person skilled in the art . in intra - vascular operation generally , a few methods may be used to acquire intra - vascular images in the presence of blood . one method is based on the fact that certain near ir wavelengths allow viewing through blood . the method thus involves the use of an ir illumination source and a sensor with ir filters as described above . another method uses controlled injection of a transparent physiological liquid into the blood vessel in order to dilute the blood prior to the imaging . yet another method uses a conical dome , a balloon or any other rigid or flexible and inflatable transparent structure in order to improve visibility by “ pushing ” the blood to the walls of the vessels , thus enlarging the part of the optical path that does not include blood . another way of improving visibility is by using a post - processing algorithm after the acquiring of the image has been done . the post - processing algorithm is based on the extraction of parameters from the received image and the use of those parameters in an inverse operation to improve the image . there is thus provided an endoscope of reduced dimensions which is able to provide 2d and 3d images , and which is usable in a range of minimally invasive surgical procedures . it is appreciated that certain features of the invention , which are , for clarity , described in the context of separate embodiments , may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment . conversely , various features of the invention which are , for brevity , described in the context of a single embodiment , may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination . it will 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 is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description . | 7 |
the present invention may be more readily described with reference to fig1 - 5 . fig1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a conventional general - purpose digital computing environment that can be used to implement various aspects of the present invention . in fig1 a computer 100 includes a processing unit 110 , a system memory 120 , and a system bus 130 that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit 110 . the system bus 130 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller , a peripheral bus , and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures . the system memory 120 includes read only memory ( rom ) 140 and random access memory ( ram ) 150 . a basic input / output system 160 ( bios ), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer 100 , such as during start - up , is stored in the rom 140 . the computer 100 also includes a hard disk drive 170 for reading from and writing to a hard disk ( not shown ), a magnetic disk drive 180 for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 190 , and an optical disk drive 191 for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 192 such as a cd rom or other optical media . the hard disk drive 170 , magnetic disk drive 180 , and optical disk drive 191 are connected to the system bus 130 by a hard disk drive interface 192 , a magnetic disk drive interface 193 , and an optical disk drive interface 194 , respectively . the drives and their associated computer - readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules and other data for the personal computer 100 . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of computer readable media that can store data that is accessible by a computer , such as magnetic cassettes , flash memory cards , digital video disks , bernoulli cartridges , random access memories ( rams ), read only memories ( roms ), and the like , may also be used in the example operating environment . a number of program modules can be stored on the hard disk drive 170 , magnetic disk 190 , optical disk 192 , rom 140 or ram 150 , including an operating system 195 , one or more application programs 196 , other program modules 197 , and program data 198 . a user can enter commands and information into the computer 100 through input devices such as a keyboard 101 and pointing device 102 . other input devices ( not shown ) may include a microphone , joystick , game pad , satellite dish , scanner or the like . these and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 110 through a serial port interface 106 that is coupled to the system bus , but may be connected by other interfaces , such as a parallel port , game port or a universal serial bus ( usb ). further still , these devices may be coupled directly to the system bus 130 via an appropriate interface ( not shown ). a monitor 107 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 130 via an interface , such as a video adapter 108 . in addition to the monitor , personal computers typically include other peripheral output devices ( not shown ), such as speakers and printers . in a preferred embodiment , a pen digitizer 165 and accompanying pen or stylus 166 are provided in order to digitally capture freehand input . although a direct connection between the pen digitizer 165 and the processing unit 110 is shown , in practice , the pen digitizer 165 may be coupled to the processing unit 110 via a serial port , parallel port or other interface and the system bus 130 as known in the art . furthermore , although the digitizer 165 is shown apart from the monitor 107 , it is preferred that the usable input area of the digitizer 165 be co - extensive with the display area of the monitor 107 . further still , the digitizer 165 may be integrated in the monitor 107 , or may exist as a separate device overlaying or otherwise appended to the monitor 107 . the computer 100 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers , such as a remote computer 109 . the remote computer 109 can be a server , a router , a network pc , a peer device or other common network node , and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 100 , although only a memory storage device 111 has been illustrated in fig1 . the logical connections depicted in fig1 include a local area network ( lan ) 112 and a wide area network ( wan ) 113 . such networking environments are commonplace in offices , enterprise - wide computer networks , intranets and the internet . when used in a lan networking environment , the computer 100 is connected to the local network 112 through a network interface or adapter 114 . when used in a wan networking environment , the personal computer 100 typically includes a modem 115 or other means for establishing a communications over the wide area network 113 , such as the internet . the modem 115 , which may be internal or external , is connected to the system bus 130 via the serial port interface 106 . in a networked environment , program modules depicted relative to the personal computer 100 , or portions thereof , may be stored in the remote memory storage device . it will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other techniques for establishing a communications link between the computers can be used . the existence of any of various well - known protocols such as tcp / ip , ethernet , ftp , http and the like is presumed , and the system can be operated in a client - server configuration to permit a user to retrieve web pages from a web - based server . any of various conventional web browsers can be used to display and manipulate data on web pages . [ 0023 ] fig2 illustrates a tablet pc 201 that can be used in accordance with various aspects of the present invention . any or all of the features , subsystems , and functions in the system of fig1 can be included in the computer of fig2 . tablet pc 201 includes a large display surface 202 , e . g ., a digitizing flat panel display , preferably , a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) screen , on which a plurality of windows 203 is displayed . using stylus 204 , a user can select , highlight , and write on the digitizing display area . examples of suitable digitizing display panels include electromagnetic pen digitizers , such as the mutoh or wacom pen digitizers . other types of pen digitizers , e . g ., optical digitizers , may also be used . tablet pc 201 interprets marks made using stylus 204 in order to manipulate data , enter text , and execute conventional computer application tasks such as spreadsheets , word processing programs , and the like . a stylus could be equipped with buttons or other features to augment its selection capabilities . in one embodiment , a stylus could be implemented as a “ pencil ” or “ pen ”, in which one end constitutes a writing portion and the other end constitutes an “ eraser ” end , and which , when moved across the display , indicates portions of the display are to be erased . other types of input devices , such as a mouse , trackball , or the like could be used . additionally , a user &# 39 ; s own finger could be used for selecting or indicating portions of the displayed image on a touch - sensitive or proximity - sensitive display . consequently , the term “ user input device ”, as used herein , is intended to have a broad definition and encompasses many variations on well - known input devices . region 205 shows a feed back region or contact region permitting the user to determine where the stylus as contacted the digitizer . in another embodiment , the region 205 provides visual feedback when the hold status of the present invention has been reached . [ 0026 ] fig4 shows the primary mode 301 and the auxiliary mode 302 . to access the auxiliary mode 302 , a user taps a toggle button 303 or other button as is known in the art . a “ mode ” as used herein is expansive in nature . it is intended to relate to operation of the primary input device or stylus . switching between operations of the stylus or other input device is referenced as switching modes as apparent to the user . the underlying system implementing the invention is not constrained to operate in predefined modes . rather , the system implementing the present invention may operate in states or may respond to actions including toggling of buttons or events that system interprets as suggesting a change in operation mode of a primary input device or stylus . the auxiliary mode includes erasing ( for example , erasing input ink or handwriting ), highlighting ( for example , adding a translucent ink to existing ink or text ), or selecting objects . the selection mode permits a user to draw selection ink around objects or through objects and have the objects selected . for example , the user may use a stroke or a hold and drag gesture to start the selection ink mode ( as described in greater detail in u . s . ser . no . 60 / ______ ( attorney no . 03797 . 00067 ), entitled “ highlevel active pen matrix ” filed nov . 10 , 2000 , incorporated herein by reference for essential subject matter ). to return back to back to the primary mode 301 , a user may again toggle the toggle button in step 304 . this button may be referred to as a mode switching button . alternatively , the user may select another button that reset or transitions the user back to the primary mode 301 . however , toggling a remote button is tedious . accordingly , the present invention permits a way of returning to the primary mode without having to toggle a remote button . the system monitors the actions of the stylus to determine if it performs a gesture other than a single or double tap ( for example , a triple tap or a stroke with certain characteristics ) in a place other than on a remote , mode switching button . this gesture or gestures suggest that the user wants to return to the primary mode 301 . the system uses various aspects of the gesture or gesture to determine if the user has suggested that he wants to return to the primary mode . one aspect of the gesture is the proximity of nearby objects . for example , if no objects are near the starting point or anywhere along the path of the gesture ( if it was a stroke , for example ) or encircled by the gesture , the gesture may be interpreted as indicative of returning to the primary contact mode . the actions may be the same for all auxiliary modes ( erasing , highlighting , or selecting ). for example , the user may move the stylus in a small circle or other shape or small jiggling of the stylus tip . alternatively , the system may recognize different actions for the various modes . for the erasing mode , the system may recognize events such as attempting to erase where there is no object or attempting to erase non - erasable objects . the system displays to the user an option of switching out of the auxiliary mode . if the user desires to stay in the erase mode , the user interacts with the display to stay in the erase mode . this may mean selecting a “ do not switch ” option or interact with the display in a manner appropriate with the present mode . if the user desires to switch back to the primary mode 301 , the user interacts with the display to accept the choice of switching . if the user does not interact with the displayed options , the system may switch to the primary mode . this would be useful when the user was distracted for some time and the system resets to provide the user with a known starting point to interact with the displayed content . the display offered to the user may be made easier to operate by placing the selection choices under or near the stylus &# 39 ; last contact with the screen . the resulting user interface will be easier to operate based on an analysis of the interface using fitt &# 39 ; s law . fitt &# 39 ; s law defines an index of difficulty for human responses as id =( log 2 ( 2a / w )) where a is the amplitude or size of a movement and w is the width of a target . fitt &# 39 ; s law indicates that movement time = a + b ( id ) where a and b are constants . here , the smaller the movement and the larger the target , the smaller the index of difficulty . more information regarding fitt &# 39 ; s law may be found at http :// psych . hanover . edu / classes / hfnotes2 / sld041 . html . for the highlighting mode , the events that may generate events 401 include movements too small for highlighting due to the thickness of the highlighting ink . for example , if the highlighting ink is 5 mm thick , movements of the stylus below 1 mm , for example ( other ratios may be used and are considered part of the invention ). also moving the stylus within an already highlighted region is considered as an indication that the user is attempting to write rather than highlight . if the ink is 5 mm thick , repeated 1 mm or less movements of the highlighter indicate that a user is attempting to write or perform an action other than highlighting . further , 2 mm oscillations or jiggling the stylus with 1 mm strokes can reliably be interpreted as attempting to write . this may be generalized as including actions that are less than half of the line width of the highlighting ink . further , these relative movement sizes may be adjustable by the user to account for various work environments subject to mechanical disturbances or vibrations . for example , if a user is riding in the back of a bus and highlighting a document the user is reading , the user does not want the vibrations of the bus to lead to jiggling of the stylus relative to the digitizer surface to be greater than the threshold for switching back to the primary mode . for the selecting mode , selecting nothing ( not encountering any objects or not surrounding any objects ) generates event 401 . [ 0035 ] fig5 shows an alternative embodiment similar to that of fig4 . this embodiment includes another event 501 that puts the system into the auxiliary mode 302 from primary mode 301 . alternatively , event 501 changes the system from one auxiliary mode to another auxiliary mode . for example , performing a gesture more indicative of a selection mode may indicate that the user wants to switch from a primary mode or an erasing mode or a highlighting mode to the selection mode . these gestures may be defined for equal modes when there is no primary mode . while exemplary systems and methods embodying the present invention are shown by way of example , it will be understood , of course , that the invention is not limited to these embodiments . modifications may be made by those skilled in the art , particularly in light of the foregoing teachings . for example , each of the elements of the aforementioned embodiments may be utilized alone or in combination with elements of the other embodiments . | 6 |
referring to fig2 a novel internal power supply circuit for use in a semiconductor device in accordance with the present invention comprises a clamp circuit 60 in addition to a comparator 20 and a driver 40 . the clamp circuit 60 is provided to clamp the internal voltage vccint to a constant level and then deliver the clamped internal voltage through an output node 1 to internal circuits ( not shown ) of th e semiconductor device . when the internal voltage vccint is momentarily rising due t the introduction of noise in the internal power supply circuit during a normal operation thereof , or due to an open - circuit phenomenon between internal circuit lines ( not shown ) which deliver relatively high voltages to the internal power supply circuit , the rising internal voltage vccint is discharged through the clamp circuit portion 60 , and thus , the inter al voltage is always kept at a constant level . the comparator 20 , which is similar construction to the comparator of fig1 compares the internal voltage vccint with he reference voltage vref and provides a comparison result signal s -- comp through he output node 2 thereof . the internal voltage vccint is provided to internal circuits of the semiconductor device through the output node 1 of the internal power supply circuit . the driver 40 consists of a p - channel transistor having a gate for receiving the comparison result signal s -- comp , a source for receiving an external voltage vccext which is applied externally through an input node 3 , and a drain connected to the output node 1 . if the internal voltage vccint at the output node 1 is higher than the reference voltage vref , the clamp circuit portion 60 discharge the output node 1 so that the voltage at the output node 1 is equal to the reference voltage vref . as a result , the internal voltage vccint is always kept constant . an internal voltage supply circuit in accordance with the present invention can be formed on the same semiconductor device as the internal circuitry it supplies , or it can be fabricated separately . referring again to fig2 a first embodiment of an internal power supply circuit according to the present invention include a comparator 20 , a driver 40 and a clamp circuit portion 60 . the comparator 20 and the driver 40 operate in the same manner that those of fig1 and thus , descriptions thereof are omitted . the clamp circuit portion 60 includes an n - channel transistor 61 , a resistor 62 and a p - channel transistor 63 . the gate and drain of the n - channel transistor 61 are connected together and receive the reference voltage vref . the source of transistor 61 is connected to a node 4 . a resistor 62 , which is connected between the node 4 and the ground node vss , is provided to assure a charging voltage at node 4 . the gate of the p - channel transistor 63 is connected to node 4 , its source is connected to the output node 1 , and its drain is connected to vss . since the n - channel transistor 61 controls the gate voltage of the p - channel transistor 63 , the charging voltage at node 4 is always limited to a voltage level which subtracts the threshold voltage vtnl of the n - channel transistor 61 from the reference voltage vref . the threshold voltage of the p - channel transistor 63 is represented by vtp2 . when the internal voltage vccint at the output node 1 is more than ( vref - vtn1 ), the p - channel transistor 63 is turned on . thus , even thou h the internal voltage vccint is momentarily rising , it is clamped by the clamp circuit portion 60 to keep it at a constant voltage of { vref -( vtp2 + vtn1 )} as shown by graph &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; of fig7 . as can be seen from the foregoing , if the n - channel transistor 61 has a threshold voltage equal to or lower than the threshold voltage of the p - channel transistor 63 , the internal voltage level vccint at the output node 1 can be clamped to the reference voltage level - vref . ion implantation can be used to make an n - channel transistor 61 which has a threshold voltage that is lower than that of the p - channel transistor 63 so as to control the gate voltage of the p - channel transistor 63 . fig3 shows an example of the comparator 20 shown in fig2 . the internal voltage provided from the output node 1 is supplied to the gate of an n - channel transistor 21 , while the reference voltage vref is supplied to the gate of an n - channel transistor 22 . the sources of the transistors 21 and 22 are grounded through an n - channel transistor 23 which serves as a constant current source . the reference voltage vref is also supplied to the gate of the transistor 23 . the drain of transistor 51 is connected to the drain of a p - channel transistor 24 , while the drain of transistor 22 is connected to the drain of p - channel transistor 25 . transistors 24 and 25 have their gates commonly connected to the drain of transistor 52 , and the sources of transistors 54 and 55 are connected to the external voltage vccext . the comparison result signal s -- comp , which has a waveform as shown in fig4 ., output from the drain of transistor 21 . fig5 is a circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of an internal power supply circuit according the present invention . the internal power supply circuit of fig5 is similar in construction to that of fig2 ( the first embodiment ) except that a p - channel transistor is substituted for the n - channel transistor 61 df the clamp circuit portion 60 . in fig5 components which are the same as those in fig2 are indicated by the same reference numerals , and descriptions thereof are omitted . the clamp circuit portion 60a includes a p - channel transistor 64 , a resistor 62 and a p - channel transistor 63 . the gate and drain of the p - channel transistor 64 are connected together and to the node 4 , and the source thereof is connected to receive the reference voltage vref . the resistor 62 , which is connected between the node 4 and the ground vss , is provided to assure a charging voltage at the node 4 . the gate of the p - channel transistor 63 is connected to the node 4 , the source thereof is connected to the output node 1 , and the drain thereof is connected to the ground node v . since the p - channel transistor 64 controls the gate voltage of the p - channel transistor 63 , the charging voltage at the node 4 is always limited to a voltage level which subtracts the threshold voltage vtp1 of the p - channel transistor 64 from the reference voltage vref . assuming that the threshold voltage of the i - channel transistor 63 is represented by vtp2 , when the internal voltage vccint at the output node 1 is more than ( vref - vtp1 ), the p - channel transistor 63 is turned on . thus , even though the internal voltage vccint is momentarily rising , it is clamped by the clamp circuit portion 60a and kept to a constant voltage { vref -( vtp2 + vtp1 )}. fig6 shows s third embodiment of an internal power supply circuit according to the present invention . the internal power supply circuit of fig6 has the same construction as that of fig2 ( the first embodiment ) except that a diode is substituted for the n - channel transistor 61 of the clamp circuit portion 60 in fig6 components which are the same as those in fig2 are indicated by the same reference numerals , and descriptions thereof are omitted . the clamp circuit portion 60b includes a diode 65 , a resistor 62 and a p - channel transistor 63 . the anode of the diode 65 is connected to receive the reference voltage vref , and the cathode thereof is connected to node 4 . the resistor 62 , which is connected between the node 4 and the ground node vss is provided to assure a charging voltage at node 4 . the gate of the p - channel transistor 63 is connected to node 4 , its source thereof is connected to the output node 1 , and its drain is connected to the ground node vss . since the diode 65 controls the gate voltage of the p - channel transistor 63 , the charging voltage at node 4 is always limited to a voltage level equal to the reference voltage vref minus the threshold voltage vdiode of the diode 65 . the threshold voltage of the p - channel transistor 63 is represented by vtp2 . when the internal voltage vccint at the output node 1 is more than ( vref - vdiode ), the p - channel transistor 63 is turned on . thus , even though the internal voltage vccint is momentarily rising , it is clamped by the clamp circuit portion 60b to a constant voltage of { vref - vtp2 + vdiode )}. as described above , in an internal lower supply circuit according to the present invention , an output node is discharged through a clamp circuit until the output voltage is equal to a reference voltage , even though an internal voltage is momentarily rising . accordingly , the internal power supply circuit allows the internal voltage to be clamped to constant voltage also , the power consumption of the internal circuits of a semiconductor device to which the internal voltage is supplied is reduced since momentary increases in the internal voltage can be prevented . | 6 |
the principles of the present invention are particularly useful when incorporated in an integrated optical directional coupler , which is illustrated schematically in fig1 and 2 and is composed of two integrated optical waveguides wl1 and wl2 that proceed at a slight distance d side - by - side in a coupling region l so that a guided optical mode can cross over in this region l from one to the other waveguides . by electrically controlled variations of the effective refractive index of at least one waveguide , such a directional coupler can , as known , be operated as an optical switch . the special nature of this directional coupler lies therein that the waveguides wl1 and wl2 are rib waveguides of the invention and each have a respective pn or pin junction extending over the entire length of the appertaining rib . this junction is electrically contacted in the coupling region l . for example , both rib waveguides are dimensioned so that they have the same effective refractive index and the length of the coupling region l is selected so that the light power p in coupled into the waveguide , for example the waveguide wl1 , completely crosses over into the other waveguide wl2 in the coupling region l and can be taken therefrom as an output power p out , as illustrated in fig1 . by applying a defined electrical signal to the contact electrode k2 of the waveguide wl2 , the effective refractive index of the waveguide wl2 is varied to such an extent induced by the charge carriers or induced by an electrical field that no cross over of the input power p in from the waveguide wl1 into the waveguide wl2 will occur . in this case , the input power p in can be taken from the waveguide wl1 as output power p out and the directional coupler is then switched into the other switch condition , as illustrated in fig2 . the integrated optical mach - zehnder interferometer is schematically illustrated in fig3 and is composed of two 3 db directional couplers rk1 and rk2 between which a phase shifter section psa is arranged . here , too , the special nature lies wherein the waveguides wl1 and wl2 are rib waveguides of the invention and each have a pn or pin junction that extends over the entire length of the rib , with this junction , for example , being electrically contacted in the coupling region of the directional coupler rk1 and / or in the phase shifter region psa . the contact electrodes applied on the ribs of the rib waveguides are referenced k1 through k4 in fig3 . a detailed structure of the directional coupler of fig1 and 2 is illustrated in fig4 and stands for other arrangements of the invention . the n - doped substrate s of inp has a more likely n - doped buffer region ps of inp on which a waveguiding layer ws of ingaasp is applied . this layer ws should be undoped as far as possible . in practice , this cannot be achieved or can only be achieved with difficulty for manufacture - associated reasons and an unintentionally doped layer ws must be accepted . this doping should be an optimally light n - doping and there definitely cannot be any p - doping . a spacer layer as of ingaasp is applied on the waveguiding layer ws . this spacer layer as is to be likewise undoped or , at most , optimally lightly n - doped for the same reasons as the waveguiding layer ws . this spacer layer as must have a lower refractive index than the waveguiding layer ws . ribs r1 and r2 , which are p - doped inp , have a longitudinal direction , which is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing and are applied on the spacer layer as . together with the waveguiding layer ws which lies therebelow , each rib r1 or r2 defines a waveguide wl1 or wl2 whose cross sectional region is approximately limited by the closed curve e1 or e2 , respectively . thus , a guided optical mode is essentially guided in the waveguiding layer ws within the appertaining curved region e1 or e2 . a junction u1 or , respectively , u2 or a p - doped material of the rib r1 or r2 to the n - doped or undoped material of the spacer layer as is arranged at a distance d from the waveguiding layer ws which corresponds to the thickness of this layer as . an electrically insulating layer is is applied on each rib r1 and r2 , with a contact window o1 or o2 being formed in this layer is at least where the rib r1 or r2 is to be contacted . for better contacting , each rib r1 and r2 has a p - doped layer ks1 or , respectively , ks2 of ingaas at its upper side on which a metal layer ms1 or , respectively , ms2 is applied . in the region of the contact window o1 or o2 , this layer ms1 or , respectively , ms2 is in contact with a metal contact electrode k1 or k2 , which is applied on the electrically insulating layer is . a cooperating electrode k for these contact electrodes k1 and k2 is applied on the outside of the n - doped substrate s . the distance between the waveguides wl1 and wl2 is essentially the same as the distance d between the ribs r1 and r2 . in the preferred , specific exemplary embodiment of the arrangement of fig4 the thickness of the n - doped substrate s amounts to approximately 100 μm and its n - doping amounts to approximately 5 · 10 18 / cm 3 . the buffer layer ps has a thickness of approximately 3 μm and an n - doping of approximately 10 17 / cm 3 . the waveguiding layer ws and the spacer layer as each have a respective thickness of approximately 0 . 4 μm and respective n - doping of , at most , 10 16 / cm 3 . the quaternary material of the waveguiding layer ws has a gap wavelength λ g of approximately 1 . 30 μm and the spacer layer as has a gap wavelength λ g of approximately 1 . 05 μm . each rib r1 and r2 has a thickness of approximately 1 . 5 μm and a width of approximately 3 μm and a p - doping of approximately 2 · 10 17 / cm 3 . this spacing d in the coupling region l amounts to approximately 3 μm . the thickness of each p . sup . + - doped layer ks1 and ks2 amounts to approximately 0 . 2 μm , and this p + - doping is greater than 10 19 / cm 3 . each metal layer ms1 and ms2 is composed of a ti / pt or of a ti / au . each contact electrode k1 and k2 is composed of au or ti / au and the cooperating electrode k is composed of auge / ni / au . the electrically insulating layer is is composed of an al 2 o 3 . the coupling region l is approximately 980 μm long and the overall length of the directional coupler amounts to approximately 2 mm . the lateral offset e of the waveguides , as illustrated in fig1 amounts to approximately 20 μm , and the radius of curvature r amounts to 10 mm . the lateral effective refractive index difference δn eff of each waveguide amounts to approximately 5 · 10 - 3 . for example , the specific exemplary embodiment can be operated with an operating wavelength λ of approximately 1 . 56 μm and with an extreme low operating current of approximately 4 ma . this embodiment will have an insertion loss of only approximately 1 . 3 db in both switching conditions . the method of the invention for manufacturing an arrangement of the invention is set forth in greater detail with reference to an example of manufacturing the above - described specific exemplary embodiment with the steps illustrated in fig5 a - 5c . an initial member is shown in fragmentary cross sectional fashion in fig5 a and is manufactured in the following way . a waveguiding layer ws of ingaasp , the spacer layer as of ingaasp and a p - doped layer r of inp are successively grown by a liquid - phased epitaxy on an upper surface of an n - doped substrate s of inp in the form of a wafer having a lightly n - doped buffer region ps . a p 30 - doped layer ks of ingaas is generated on the surface of the layer r . subsequently , the substrate s is reduced in thickness to approximately 100 μm . for the formation of the cooperating electrodes k , auge / ni / au is vapor - deposited and alloyed on the underside of the substrate s . for the formation of the metal layer ms , an approximately 15 nm layer of ti and an approximately 500 nm thick layer of pt or au with which the contact is formed , are applied onto the p 30 - doped layer ks . the ribs r1 and r2 of the rib waveguides are manufactured in that a material erosion with ions is first undertaken , wherein both the thin metal layer ms , as well as the p + - doped layer ks , are partially removed in the desired areas . photoresist can be employed as a mask in this process step , because the etching depth amounts to only about 0 . 3 μm . the exposed , p - doped inp material is then removed down to the spacer layer as by a wet chemical etching . the etching is thereby selectively carried out , whereby the etching process advantageously comes to a stop by itself at the spacer layer as , which functions as an etching stop layer . the ribs having nearly vertical sidewalls will remain when these are aligned along the [ 011 ] direction . a fragmentary fashion of fig5 b shows the intermediate stage that has occurred after these method steps , wherein , for example , only the rib r2 is illustrated . subsequently , an approximately 0 . 3μ thick insulating layer is of al 2 o 3 is sputtered onto the rib side substrate surface for insulating the ribs from the contact electrodes . the contact windows having a width of approximately 1 μm on the upper side or surface of the ribs are provided so that a contact window , such as o2 is opened with a projection lithograph and chemical etching process . a layer of au or ti / au is then vapor - deposited onto the insulating layer is and onto the layer of the ti / pt exposed by the contact window to engage the metal layer ms therebelow . the contact electrodes , such as the electrode k2 , are then structured from this layer of au or ti / au on the basis of a lift - off process . after this method step , the final stage shown in fragmentary fashion in fig5 c will be provided and forms the finished directional coupler . although various minor modifications may be suggested by those versed in the art , it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent granted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art . | 6 |
embodiments include systems and methods for enabling dc bus system reconfiguration to redirect dc power in a high voltage dc system . the systems and methods described herein harvest regenerative energy by redirecting dc power to the energy storage device or converting the dc power to mechanical energy if the dc power cannot be stored , and thus maintain good power quality on the dc bus without the addition of large dc filters , during load transients . fig1 illustrates a system diagram of a dc bus management system 100 . the system 100 includes a power management and distribution ( pmad ) unit 105 , which includes a source management section 110 coupled to a bus management section 115 , which is coupled to a load management section 120 . fig1 thus illustrates the interrelation between functions of each of the source management section 110 , bus management section 115 , and the load management section 120 . the system 100 further includes multiple high voltage dc sources 125 ( i . e ., source 1 , 2 . . . n ) coupled to the source management section 110 , and multiple loads 130 coupled to the load management section 120 . the system 100 further includes a regenerative load 135 from which regenerative energy can be recovered as further described herein . an energy storage unit 140 and a power dissipater 145 can further be coupled to the bus management section 115 . in one embodiment , the energy storage unit 140 stores redirected dc energy , and the power dissipater 145 dissipates any unrecovered energy . the power dissipater 145 can be a power resistor . the power dissipater 145 can also include a temperature sensor to monitor the temperature . the source management section 110 , the bus management section 115 and the load management section 120 include various functions as described herein . in one embodiment , the source management section 110 provides source protective functions including but not limited to : over / under voltage ; over - temperature ; excessive voltage ripple ; and differential protection . in one embodiment , the bus management section 115 provides autonomous reconfiguration and redirection of dc power based on priorities , feedback signals and system parameters for increased efficiency and performance of the system 100 . in one embodiment , the load management section 120 provides load protective functions including but not limited to : over - current ; thermal memory ; over / under voltage ; over - temperature ; excessive current ripple ; and arc fault detection . the load management section 120 further provides : load stabilization by actively damping load voltage oscillations ; current limiting ; soft start of capacitive loads ; and nuisance trip avoidance . as described above , the bus management section 115 provides autonomous reconfiguration and redirection of dc power for increased efficiency and performance of the system 100 . in one embodiment , the bus management section 115 executes a dc bus management process for providing the autonomous reconfiguration and redirection based on priorities , feedback signals and system parameters . the dc bus management process is described further herein and the following description discusses several of the supporting functions . fig2 illustrates a system diagram of the dc bus management system 100 of fig1 in further detail . as described above , the system 100 includes the source management section 110 , the bus management section 115 and the load management section 120 . in one embodiment , one or all of the source management section 110 , the bus management section 115 and the load management section 120 include at least one solid state power controller ( sspc ), which are implemented in power distribution systems to replace traditional electromechanical circuit breakers . the functions of the sspc can include power distribution and protection of power to different loads to name a few . in comparison to electromechanical devices , an sspc provides fast response time , and eliminates arcing during turn - off transients and bouncing during turn - on transients . sspcs typically do not suffer severe degradation during repeated fault isolation as compared with electromechanical devices . sspcs facilitate advanced protection and diagnostics , and provide more efficient power distribution architectures and packaging techniques , due to the smaller size and weight than compared to conventional electromechanical switches . as such , the sspcs allow the source management section 110 , the bus management section 115 and the load management section 120 to perform the protective functions described herein . the sspcs can be classified as unidirectional and bidirectional . both type of sspcs conduct current in both directions . a unidirectional sspc can interrupt current only in one direction from source to load and this are implemented in load management . bidirectional sspc can interrupt current in both directions that enables source and bus management . referring still to fig2 , the source management section 110 includes a bidirectional sspc 111 coupled to a dc bus 200 . the sspc 111 is further coupled to one or more dc sources 125 , one of which is illustrated in fig2 . it can be appreciated that the source management section 110 can include an additional sspc for each additional source . as an illustrative example , the dc source 125 includes a prime mover ( e . g ., an internal combustion engine ) 126 , a permanent magnet generator 127 that generates an ac voltage and an active rectifier 128 that converts the ac voltage to a dc voltage , and is coupled to the sspc 111 . the bus management section 115 is also coupled to the dc bus 200 . in one embodiment , the bus management section 115 includes a first bidirectional sspc 116 coupled to the dc bus 200 . the first sspc 116 is also coupled to the energy storage unit 140 . as illustrated , the energy storage unit 140 further includes a battery 141 coupled to a dc - dc converter 142 , which converts dc to different levels of dc . the bus management section 115 includes a second sspc 117 that is coupled to the dc bus 200 . the second sspc 117 is also coupled to the power dissipater 145 . in one embodiment , the bus management section 115 further includes a dc bus management controller 118 . in one embodiment , the dc bus management controller 118 is coupled to the first and second sspc 116 , 117 , to the dc sources 125 and to a fan load 150 , which includes a motor drive 151 and fan 152 . in one embodiment , the dc bus management controller 118 redirects the unused dc power to the fan load 150 for cooling purposes if the dc bus management controller 118 cannot redirect the dc power to one of the other reusable sources ( e . g ., the energy storage unit 140 ). as such , the system 100 can redirect dc power to the fan load 150 to cool the system 100 . as further described herein , the dc bus management controller 118 sends and receives signals to instruct the system 100 how to redirect the dc power . as such , the dc bus management controller 118 coordinates bus connection and time duration to energy storage , energy dissipation ( i . e ., to the cooling fan ), power dissipation to resistive loads , and dc sources . the load management section 120 is also coupled to the dc bus 200 . the load management section 120 includes a first sspc 121 coupled to the dc bus 200 and to the fan load 150 . the load management section 120 further includes a second sspc 122 coupled to the dc bus 200 and to the regenerative load 135 . the load management section 120 includes a third sspc 123 coupled to the dc bus 200 and to the non - regenerative load 130 . the first , second and third sspcs 121 , 122 , 123 provide the protective functions to the fan load 150 , the regenerative load 135 and the non - regenerative load 130 as described herein . fig3 illustrates the dc bus management controller 118 of fig2 . as described herein , the dc bus management controller 118 receives various feedback signals 305 , parameters 310 and priorities 315 to determine how to redirect dc power . in one embodiment , the feedback signals 305 include but are not limited to : dc bus voltage ; battery voltage ; cooling fan speed ; and temperature of a power dissipating resistor . the dc bus management controller 118 can monitor the battery charge to determine if the energy storage unit 140 is available to receive energy for storage . the dc bus management controller 118 can monitor the fan 152 speed to see if it is available to speed up in the event of extra dc power . the dc bus management controller 118 can monitor the temperature of the power dissipater 145 to see if it has a temperature suitable to receive extra dc power . in one embodiment , the parameters 310 include but are not limited to : dc bus voltage ; maximum battery charge rate ; maximum fan speed ; maximum power dissipation resistor temperature ; and maximum generator negative torque . the maximum battery charge rate determines how fast the battery 141 can charge in the event dc energy is directed to the battery 141 . the maximum fan speed determines the speed limit if dc power is diverted to it . the maximum power dissipation resistor temperature determines the upper limit of how high the temperature of the power dissipater 145 can be if dc power is redirected to it . the maximum generator negative torque determines how much reverse torque can be applied in one of the dc loads 125 . in one embodiment , the priorities 315 include , but are not limited to : dc bus power quality ; energy storage ; load increase ( e . g ., fan load 150 ); power dissipation resistor ; and generator torque reversal . as such , priorities can be set to determine how extra dc power is redirected . the dc bus management controller 118 can also generate various control signals in response to the received feedback signals 305 , parameters 310 and priorities 315 . in one embodiment , the dc bus management controller 118 can generate : an energy storage signal 320 ; a power dissipation signal 325 ; an active rectifier signal 330 ; and a cooling fan signal 335 . in one embodiment , the energy storage signal 320 controls the first sspc 116 in the bus management section 115 to enable energy storage in the energy storage unit 140 . in one embodiment , the signal 325 controls the second sspc 117 in the bus management section 115 to enable power dissipation in the power dissipater 145 . in one embodiment , the third signal 330 is a negative current reference limit ( i . e ., iq_neg_limit ) that controls negative torque of the permanent magnet generator 127 . in one embodiment , the fourth signal 335 ( i . e ., spd_ref ) sets the speed of the cooling fan ( e . g ., the fan 152 ). the function and form of the signals 320 , 325 , 330 , 335 are further discussed with respect to fig4 , which illustrates a flow chart of a method 400 of a dc management method ( process ) 400 in accordance with an embodiment . the method 400 also demonstrates how the dc bus management controller 118 receives several feedback signals 305 and compares them with various parameters 310 . at block 405 , the dc bus management controller 118 checks the dc bus voltage against a first dc reference . if the dc bus voltage is not greater than the first dc reference at block 405 , then the method 400 ends . if the dc bus voltage is greater than the first dc reference at block 405 , then the dc bus management controller 118 determines if the battery 141 is charged at block 410 . if the battery 141 is not charged , then the dc bus management controller 118 determines if a battery charge rate is above a predetermined reference at block 415 . if at block 415 , the battery charge rate is not above the predetermined reference , then at block 425 , the dc bus management controller 118 turns on the first sspc 116 , which sends the energy storage signal 320 to power on the energy storage unit 140 . if the dc bus management controller 118 determines either that the battery 141 is charged at block 410 or that the battery charge rate is above the predetermined reference at block 415 , then at block 420 , the dc bus management controller 118 turns off the first sspc 116 , which sends the energy storage signal 320 to power off the energy storage unit 140 referring still to fig4 , processing progresses from both blocks 420 and 425 to block 430 where the dc bus management controller 118 checks the dc bus voltage against a second dc reference . if the dc bus voltage is not greater than the second dc reference then the dc bus management controller 118 sets the speed reference signal 335 to a nominal speed at block 440 , which directly controls the motor drive 151 and thus the fan 152 , and the method 400 ends . if the dc bus voltage is greater than the second dc reference as determined at block 430 , then the dc bus management controller 118 determines if the fan speed is equal to a maximum fan speed parameter at block 435 . if the fan speed is not equal to a maximum fan speed parameter , then at block 445 the dc bus management controller 118 sets the speed reference signal 335 to maximum , and then at block 450 , the dc bus management controller 118 checks the dc bus voltage against a third dc reference at block 450 . if the dc bus voltage is not greater than the third dc reference at block 450 , then the dc bus management controller 118 sets the active rectifier signal 330 to nominal at block 475 , which maintains any negative torque to the permanent magnet generator 127 . in addition , the dc bus management controller 118 turns off the second sspc 117 at block 465 , which sends the power dissipation signal 325 to power off the power dissipater 145 , and the method 400 ends . if the dc bus voltage is greater than the third dc reference at block 450 , or if the fan speed is not equal to a maximum fan speed parameter at block 435 , then the dc bus management controller 118 determines if the power dissipater 145 temperature is greater than a predetermined reference at block 455 . if the power dissipater 145 temperature is not greater than a predetermined reference at block 455 , then at block 460 the dc bus management controller 118 turns on the second sspc 117 at block 460 , which sends the power dissipation signal 325 to power on the power dissipater 145 , and the method 400 ends . if the power dissipater 145 temperature is determined to be greater than a predetermined reference at block 455 , then the dc bus management controller 118 turns off the second sspc 117 at block 465 , which sends the power dissipation signal 325 to power off the power dissipater 145 . in addition , the dc bus management controller 118 sets the active rectifier signal 330 to maximum at block 470 , which increases negative torque to the permanent magnet generator 127 to enable reversal of power flow and reduce dc bus overvoltage condition , and the method 400 ends . fig4 illustrates an example of priorities set in the dc bus management controller 118 . in addition , the three reference voltages are increasingly larger . as such , if the first reference is exceeded , then the dc bus management controller 118 redirects the extra dc energy to charge the battery . if the second reference is exceeded , the dc bus management controller 118 attempts to increase cooling to the system 100 . if the fan 152 is already at its maximum speed , and / or of the third reference voltage is exceeded , then the dc bus management controller 118 attempts to decrease the input dc load and if necessary dissipates the extra dc energy . it can be appreciated that the order in which these priorities are set can change in other embodiments . the dc bus management controller 118 can be any suitable microcontroller or microprocessor for executing the instructions ( e . g ., on / off commands ) described herein . as such , the suitable microcontroller or microprocessor can be any custom made or commercially available processor , a central processing unit ( cpu ), an auxiliary processor among several processors , a semiconductor based microprocessor ( in the form of a microchip or chip set ), a microprocessor , or generally any device for executing software instructions . aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture , functionality , and operation of possible implementations of systems , methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention . in this regard , each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module , segment , or portion of code , which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function ( s ). it should also be noted that , in some alternative implementations , the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures . for example , two blocks shown in succession may , in fact , be executed substantially concurrently , or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality involved . it will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , can be implemented by special purpose hardware - based systems that perform the specified functions or acts , or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions . technical effects include the capturing of regenerative energy and improvement of power quality on dc buses . while the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments , it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments . rather , the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations , alterations , substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described , but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention . additionally , while various embodiments of the invention have been described , it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments . accordingly , the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description , but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity , these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings , and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention . referring now to the drawings , as seen in fig1 and 2 , a light weight armor structure 10is shown which has been bonded to an outer metallic surface 12 , for example , the body of a motor vehicle which forms the first impact zone . adjacent surface 12 is a composite 13 which is comprised of a woven fiber in a resinous matrix . the resinous matrix may be the same or different from the resin . the resin can comprise a high strength modulus resin such as ethylene - acrylate or methacrylate copolymers ( surlyn ), vinyl ester phenolic , bismaleimide , polyamide , high strength medium modulus thermoplastics such as an ionomer ( i . e . crosslinked ethylene - methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate copolymer ), polycarbonate , polyurethane , nylon , aramid , modified epoxies , or the like . the addition of the fibers is usually sufficient to modify the modulus and elongation characteristics of the resin . suitable fibers include fiberglass , carbon , polyester , nylon , aramid ( i . e ., tiviron , kevlar 29 , kevlar 49 and kevlar 129 ), semi - crystalline polyolefins ( i . e ., spectra semi - crystalline polystyrene and polyethylene ), nordyl , toron , vectran , technora can also be used . the fibers which are utilized in the composite 13 may also comprise hybrids , for example , aramid and carbon ; aramid and glass ; aramid , carbon and glass ; carbon , glass and spectra , etc . hybridization of the fibers not only reduces costs but in many instances improves the performance in armor structures . it is known that aramid fiber and carbon are significantly lighter than glass fiber . the specific modulus of elasticity of aramid is nearly twice that of glass , while a typical high tensile strength grade of carbon fiber is more than three times as stiff as glass in a composite . however , aramid fiber has a lower compressive strength than either carbon or glass , while carbon is not as impact resistant as aramid . therefore , a hybrid of the two materials results in a composite that is ( 1 ) lighter than a comparable glass fiber - reinforced plastic ; ( 2 ) higher in modulus , compressive strength , and flexural strength than an all - aramid composite ; and ( 3 ) higher in impact resistance and fracture toughness than an all - carbon composite . the layer 14 is a thermoplastic resin which preferably is an ionomer or a polycarbonate . a suitable ionomer is a crosslinked ethylene - ethylene acrylate copolymer sold under the trademark noviflex by artistic glass products company . adjacent layer 14 is the polygonal panel 15 having 3 to 8 sides of each cell . preferably , the panel 15 comprises a honeycomb configuration . suitable honeycomb panels may be obtained from supracor systems , sunnyvale , calif . and are sold under the trademark supracor . the honeycomb structure may be formed using adhesives , weld bonding or fusion bonding . the polygonal structures are rigid and are formed from a high modulus synthetic resin or metal . the cells of the polygonal panel may be closed , perforated , open , empty or filled . when the cells are open they act both as a kinetic energy absorber and as a spacer to provide an air gap . the direction of the cells depends upon the armor in which it is employed , the effect desired and the characteristic of the material within the core . the metals used for the polygonal or honeycomb depends upon its use . for example , steel and the like are suitable for installations . aluminum would be preferred for personal armor and aircraft . however , other metals can be readily determined for the different uses and environments that they are to be utilized . as shown in fig3 there is provided an armor structure 20 which can be used to prepare light weight armor . the structure 20 is formed with an outer ceramic tile 21 which receives the initial impact . ballistic material such as resinous composite 22 with polyethylene or aramid fibers is adjacent the ceramic tile for absorbing the major impact . adjacent the composite 22 is a layer 23 of a thermoplastic , preferably , a polycarbonate or an ionomer . a semi - rigid honeycomb layer 24 , preferably comprised of an aramid forms the inner layer and is used both as an energy absorber and as an air gap . fig4 discloses an armor composite 29 which is used to stop needle penetration . the composite 29 is formed with an outer ballistic fabric 30 comprising high modulus fibers and a thermoplastic resin . a polygonal panel 32 is sandwiched between two thermoplastic layers 31 , 35 and attached to the ballistic fabric 30 . the cells 33 of the polygonal panel 32 contain abrading material in the form of particles or grit which stops needle penetration . fig5 illustrates an armor structure 36 which comprises an outer metal layer 37 that takes the initial impact . the adjacent layer 38 may comprise an armor fabric or a rigid thermoplastic sheet . a rigid thermoplastic layer 39 sandwiches a honeycomb panel 40 which contains the core section open or perforated in a direction away from the impact . the panel 40 may comprise a multiplicity of cells , for example , having a core diameter of about 0 . 125 inches , a wall gauge of about 0 . 012 inches and a core thickness of about 0 . 025 inches in the case of personal armor . the panel 40 is adhered to the layers 38 , 39 by means of a thermoplastic elastomer 41 . the particles , grit , or tiles and the like may be formed of any suitable metallic or ceramic materials . the particles , grit , or the like configured materials preferably overlap each other to prevent needle penetration . the particles or grit are preferably about - 10 to - 3 mesh . the ceramic materials which can be utilized in the present invention comprises the oxides or mixtures of oxides , of one or more of the following elements : magnesium , calcium , strontium , barium , aluminum , scandium , yttrium , the lanthanides , the actinides , gallium , indium , thallium , silicon , titanium , zirconium , hafnium , thorium , germanium , tin , lead , vanadium , niobium , tantalum , chromium , molybdenum , tungsten , and uranium . compounds such as the carbides , borides and silicates of the transition metals may also be used . other suitable ceramic materials which may be used are zircon - mullite , mullite , alpha alumina , magnesium silicates , zircon , petalite , spodumene , cordierite and alumino - silicates . suitable proprietary products are &# 34 ; mattecel &# 34 ; ( trade name ) supplied by matthey bishop , inc ., &# 34 ; torvex &# 34 ; ( registered trademark ) sold by e . i . du pont de nemours & amp ; co ., &# 34 ; wi &# 34 ; ( trade name ) sold by corning glass and &# 34 ; theecomb &# 34 ; ( registered trademark ) sold by the american lava corporation . another useful product is described in british patent no . 882 , 484 . other suitable active refractory metal oxides include for example , alumina , titania , hafnia , thoria , zirconia , magnesia or silica , and combination of metal oxides such as boria - alumina or silica - alumina . preferably the active refractor oxide is composed predominantly or oxides of one or more metals of groups ii , iii , and iv of the periodic table . among the preferred abrading compounds may be mentioned yc , tib 2 , hfb 2 , wc , vb 2 , vc , vn , nbb 2 , nbn , tib 2 , crb 2 , mob 2 , w 2 b , and s - 2 glass , for example , steel , ni , ti ; and the like . thus , according to the present invention , the maximum stopping power per given weight and thickness is achieved when the impact energy inherent in a missile or projectile is spread laterally as quickly as possible . the faster and more effectively this is performed , the less the force per unit area that each successive zone or layer is subjected . by the present arrangement the maximum force is converted into deflection and dampening rather than impact injury or penetration through all of the layers of the armor structure . although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 8 |
we have discovered that , by properly choosing the pulse length , it is possible to avoid the above - mentioned deficiencies of the prior art methods of oa spectroscopy , resulting in substantially increased sensitivity and accuracy , with decreased sample heating . we have achieved the capability of measuring absorptions of ˜ 10 - 7 cm - 1 or less in samples of about 1 cm 3 volume , with pulses of about 10 - 3 joules . we are generally interested in the case of pulsed probe radiation , with the pulse length τ p & lt ;& lt ; the time between successive pulses . in the visible part of the spectrum , scannable flash - lamp pumped dye lasers can advantageously be used as sources of probe radiation , but , of course , other means of generating the appropriate pulses exist and may be preferable for certain measurement situations . although this disclosure is primarily in terms appropriate to visible electromagnetic radiation , our invention is not thus limited , and γ - rays , x - rays , vacuum uv , uv , and infrared probe radiation can be used as well . in principle , even particle pulses could be used , although most of the commonly available particles , such as electrons , positrons , protons , and α - particles interact strongly with ordinary matter and thus have an absorption length that is undesirably short to make use of the method disclosed herein advantageously . on the other hand , neutrons and neutrinos interact much more weakly with matter , and therefore our invention can , in principle , be employed with these particles . furthermore , our invention is most suitable to the measurement of bulk samples in which the absorption of the probe radiation is small , i . e ., substantially &# 34 ; transparent &# 34 ; samples . for purposes of this disclosure , we consider a sample transparent at the frequency ν if the absorption α ( ν )≲ 10 - 2 cm - 1 , since in such a case the intensity of probe radiation is , for practical purposes , uniform over the length of the illuminated sample volume ( the &# 34 ; source region &# 34 ;). however , the above does not mean that only transparent substances can be measured by our method . if the absorption of a highly absorbing solid is to be determined , one can , for instance , prepare a dilute suspension of the powdered solid in a transparent liquid , and measure the absorption of the suspension , thereby determining α ( ν ) of the absorbing solid . the theory of ca pulse generation has been treated by several authors ( see , for instance , c . k . n . patel and a . c . tam , reviews of modern physics , ( to be published ), and we will here concentrate on those results that are necessary to understand the improvements in oa spectroscopy disclosed by us . fig1 illustrates the experimental situation we will discuss . part of medium 10 is irradiated with pulsed probe radiation , the pulses 11 having pulse duration τ p = 2τ . the irradiated part of the medium 13 , the source region , has maximum cross - sectional dimension l m , and is l cm long . a transducer 15 , typically a piezoelectric transducer , is in intimate contact with the medium , at a distance r from the center of the source region . if a thin cylinder of liquid ( or solid if only compressional acoustic waves are considered ) of length l and absorption coefficient α , with αl & lt ;& lt ; 1 , is irradiated by a probe pulse of duration τ p = 2τ and pulse energy e o then , because of the restriction to weak absorption , the thin cylinder will absorb radiation uniformly over its length , and the problem is essentially two - dimensional . unless radiative decay channels exist , all the radiation energy absorbed by the material within the thin cylinder will eventually appear as heat energy , causing a pulse - like thermal expansion of the cylindrical volume , resulting in cylindrical compressional acoustic waves propagating outwards from the cylindrical source region , which can be detected by means of an appropriate transducer . by a &# 34 ; thin &# 34 ; cylinder , we mean a cylinder having a largest cross - sectional dimension l m ≲ τ p , where v is the appropriate acoustic phase velocity . this condition assures that all parts of the source region contribute inphase to the signal at the transducer , and we will refer to it as the &# 34 ; phase condition .&# 34 ; since in most solids and liquids v is typically of the order of 10 5 cm sec - 1 , we see that for pulse lengths of 10 - 7 sec the phase condition is fulfilled for beam sizes of about 10 - 2 cm , and that for longer pulses it is increasingly easy to obey . the cross - sectional dimensions of the cylinder should also be chosen to obey l m & lt ;& lt ; λ diff , where λ diff =( 4τ p d ) 1 / 2 is the thermal diffusion length during the pulse duration τ p , and d is the thermal diffusivity of the medium , typically ˜ 10 - 3 cm 2 sec - 1 for most liquids . this condition , to be referred to as the &# 34 ; adiabatic condition ,&# 34 ; insures that the source region has a well - defined boundary coincident with the boundary of the irradiated volume , and , more importantly , that the response of the medium to the radiation pulse is pulse - like and truly optoacoustic . for τ p = 10 - 6 sec and shorter , it is apparent that γ diff ≲ 10 - 5 cm and the adiabatic condition is met for all practical probe beams . the same conclusion does not necessarily follow for long probe pulses , however , since for τ p = 10 - 2 sec , for instance , λ diff ≈ 10 - 2 cm , and this is comparable to possible l m . if these two conditions are obeyed simultaneously , then the response of the medium will be strictly optoacoustic , with no thermal effects present in the detected signal , and the signal will be of maximum amplitude , for reasons that will become apparent presently . the results below can easily be demonstrated analytically for probe pulses of gaussian shape ( see patel and tam , ibid ), but they are also approximately true for non - gaussian pulses . the acoustic pressure at a distant observation point can be expressed as a time integral , the integrand containing a &# 34 ; source &# 34 ; term , namely the time derivative of the velocity of thermal expansion of the source region . the source term has the largest amplitude at | t &# 39 ;|≈ 0 . 7τ , and vanishes rapidly at large | t &# 39 ;|. from this , one can expect that the acoustic pressure at the observation point r cm from cylindrical source region will be of largest magnitude at t . sub .± ≈ r / v ± 0 . 7τ . evaluation of the integral shows that the acoustic signal at the observation point consists of a compression pulse at time t - , followed by a rarefaction pulse of almost equal magnitude at t + , with the time interval between the two pulses being approximately the duration of the probe pulse . fig2 shows that this is indeed observed . oscilloscope trace 30 shows the pulse of probe radiation , a laser pulse of τ p ≈ 2 μsec . trace 31 is the amplified output of the piezoelectric transducer used to observe the oa signal . peak 33 is the compression pulse , the first response of the medium to the probe pulse to arrive at the transducer , after a travel time of approximately 7 μsec . peak 34 is the rarefaction pulse , about 3 μsec after the compression pulse . the later structure in 31 is due primarily to transducer ringing , and does typically not contain useful information . it is the form of the acoustic response , namely , a compression pulse followed by a rarefaction pulse approximately τ p later that makes advantageous adherence to the phase condition since , if the condition is violated , the two pulses from different parts of the source region can interfere destructively , thereby decreasing the observed signal and thus the sensitivity of the method . above we have discussed the necessary relationships between pulse length τ p and maximum cross - sectional beam dimension l m , and have shown that generally a regime exists in which both phase condition and adiabatic condition can be satisfied simultaneously . for typical materials and practical beam dimensions , this corresponds to τ p between approximately 10 - 7 sec and approximately 10 - 2 sec . we will now show that further considerations typically reduce further the most advantageous pulse length regime . in particular , we will show that the best mode of carrying out oa spectroscopy involves a pulsed source having pulse lengths from about 0 . 1 μsec to less than about 100 μsec . theory shows that the maximum acoustic pressure due to a probe pulse of energy e o and duration 2τ is proportional to e o τ - 3 / 2 . thus , in order to maximize the oa signal , it is advantageous to either increase the energy per pulse or decrease the pulse length . the former will lead not only to an increased signal but also to increased heating of the sample , and thus be undesirable beyond a certain point . on the other hand , shortening the pulse duration not only is more effective in increasing the signal ( due to the - 3 / 2 power dependence of τ ) but also avoids undesirable thermal effects on the sample . as was shown above , the phase condition imposes a lower limit on τ p of about 10 - 7 sec . flash lamp pulsed lasers typically have τ p ˜ 10 - 6 sec , and we have found this to be a very convenient pulse length . an advantageous way to practice our invention employs a pumped dye laser having pulse lengths of about 10 - 6 - 10 - 5 sec and beam diameter typically of the order of 10 - 1 cm , but the invention can be usefully practiced over the pulse length regime from about 10 - 7 sec to 10 - 4 sec , with the upper limit determined by the decreasing sensitivity of the method with increasing pulse length . because of the increased sensitivity of oa measurements according to our teachings , it is possible to reduce the energy input into the sample , thereby permitting essentially isothermal measurements , as well as making possible oa measurements at very low temperatures , where heat load has to be minimized . one of the relevant quantities for comparing thermal effects on the sample as a whole is the power absorbed / unit sample volume , q . where α , l , e o have been defined above , ν r is the pulse repetition rate , and v is the sample volume . it is desirable to design measurements such that q ≲ 10 - 6 watt / cm 3 , the best value achieved in the prior art . this will lead to typical temperature rises δt ≲ 10 - 4 k . fig3 shows in block diagram form a possible instrumentation scheme for oa spectroscopy of bulk material . pulsed light source 20 , typically a pulsed dye laser , emits light pulses at a rate that is controlled in some appropriate manner , and of a frequency determined by scanning mechanism 25 . the probe pulse passes through the transparent sample 10 , and then to pyroelectric detector 23 . the output of transducer 15 is fed to low - noise bandpass preamplifier 24 . because of the high electrical impedance of most piezoelectric transducers a relatively high - quality preamplifier having high input impedance , low noise figure , and being physically in close proximity to the transducer is desirable . for instance , we have found a commercial preamplifier , ithaco model 143f , to be satisfactory . the signal is then fed to boxcar integrator 26 , as well as to oscilloscope 29 for direct viewing . as is well known , a boxcar allows the time - gating of the signal portion to be integrated , thereby permitting the use of any particular small portion of a complicated signal . we found this feature to be very convenient , but , of course , useful results could be obtained without it . the output of pyroelectric detector 23 is fed to a second boxcar integrator 26 &# 39 ;, and ratiometer 27 serves to form the ratio a / b , that is , the ratio between the integrated oa signal and the integrated light pulse intensity . this ratio is then recorded by recorder 28 as a function of frequency ν , and the resulting curve is the normalized absorption of the sample 10 as a function of frequency . those skilled in the art will be easily able to modify the instrumentation scheme shown in fig3 to fit particular requirements that may arise . for instance , it would be an obvious step to replace ratiometer 27 by a microprocessor or computer . as an example of possible instrumentation , we have used a commercial scannable flash lamp pumped dye laser that produced about 1 mj of energy in about 1 μsec duration pulses , at a laser bandwidth of about 2 cm - 1 . a useful pulse frequency is of the order of 10 pulses per second . the bandwidth of the light used depends on the desired spectral resolution , and could vary from perhaps 0 . 1 cm - 1 for some low temperature investigations to perhaps about 100 cm - 1 . one possible pyroelectric detector is a coated lithium niobate detector , such as , for instance , laser precision model 2050s . however , the pulsed light source does not have to be a laser . for instance , it could be a pulsed arc lamp , or even a continuously emitting light source together with an appropriate chopping device , provided the requirements on pulse length can be fulfilled . as an example , fig4 shows in block diagram form a possible instrumentation scheme for oa spectroscopy of bulk materials using a pulsed source of broad band radiation . pulsed arc lamp 60 , typically a high pressure xenon arc lamp , emits broad band light pulses approximately 1 μsec long , at a pulsed repetition frequency which is variable from about 1 pulse per second to about 100 pulses per second . power supply 61 controls the pulsed arc lamp operation and also supplies a synchronizing pulse to boxcars 26 and 26 &# 39 ;. spectrometer 62 typically uses a grating as dispersion element , and serves as a narrow - banding device . scanning drive 63 determines the center frequency of the narrow band pass output of 62 and also conveys that information to compouter 68 . focusing systems 64 , 64 &# 39 ;, 64 &# 34 ; and mirrors 65 and 65 &# 39 ; focus the radiation onto the entrance slit of 62 and into oa cell 64 to which transducer 15 is attached . analogously to the scheme shown in fig3 the output from the transducer is amplified by amplifier 24 , then fed to boxcar 26 with the boxcar gate typically set to admit only a selected portion of the transducer signal . beam splitter 66 diverts a small fraction of the probe beam intensity into pyroelectric detector 23 , whose output signal is integrated using boxcar 26 &# 39 ;. the outputs of boxcars 26 and 26 &# 39 ; are fed into microcomputer 68 which performs simple data processing operations to normalize the oa signal , and permit x - y recorder 28 to plot the normalized opto - acoustic signal as a function of frequency . with typical currently available pulsed xenon arc lamps , it is possible to obtain probe pulses of duration of the order of one microsecond and energy of the order of 1 millijoule in the narrow band pass output from the spectrometer over the entire visible and near - infrared region . fig2 discussed above , shows a reproduction of three oscilloscope traces , with trace 30 corresponding to the output of pyroelectric detector 23 of fig3 trace 31 corresponding to the amplified output of transducer 15 of fig3 and trace 32 showing the position in time and the width of the gate of boxcar 26 from that figure . the relevant features of the three oscilloscope traces were discussed earlier , we only want to mention here that by properly positioning the boxcar gate one can , for instance , look at the initial , i . e ., compressional , oa pulse only , thereby avoiding all difficulties due to scattered light and transducer ringing . the gate positioned as shown in fig2 would accomplish this . in fig5 we show the details of a transducer assembly that we have found useful , but of course , many equivalent or similar designs are possible . housing 40 is fabricated from stainless steel , with the membrane between highly polished sufaces 41 and 42 being about 1 mm thick . transducer 43 is kept centered by a teflon ring 44 and forced against the membrane by means of spring 50 , which is restrained laterally by copper housing 46 , to which is soldered lead absorber 45 . very thin layers of grease 47 between membrane surface 42 and transducer 43 as well as between the transducer and the absorber 45 serve to improve acoustical coupling . appropriate deformation of the piezoelectric transducer results in the appearance of a voltage between the metallized plane surfaces of the transducer , i . e ., the surfaces adjacent to membrane surface 42 and lead absorber 45 . copper bronze spring 50 is in electrical contact with a miniature coaxial connector 48 and thus completes the conductive path between the transducer and the connector , making any electrical signal produced by the transducer available for further processing . spring 50 pushes against dielectric ring 49 , which , together with insulator 51 , prevents short - circuiting of the output signal . as can be seen , the transducer assembly forms an essentially complete metallic enclosure , thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with the transducer signal . a further advantage is the relatively large thermal mass of the steel housing 40 , which reduces thermal noise due to scattered light that reaches the transducer assembly . polished surface 41 not only makes good acoustic coupling to the sample possible but also serves to reflect scattered light incident on it , thereby further reducing thermal noise . absorber 45 is a lead disc because lead has relatively large ultrasonic absorption , thus serving to reduce undesirable effects due to reflected ultrasonic waves . we have used commercially available cylindrical ceramic transducers , poled and dimensioned to respond predominantly to compressional waves of about 1 mhz . however , a wide variety of different materials , shapes , mode dependencies , and resonant frequencies would be equally practical , and any choice would obviously be dictated by the particulars of the measurement planned . for instance , for some applications , measurements at much higher or much lower frequencies might be of interest , whereas for other applications it might be desirable to use a broad - band transducer that is responsive to many frequencies . to illustrate the capabilities of oa spectroscopy that incorporates the improvements disclosed herein , we show in fig5 results of an actual measurement , namely , the normalized oa signal of liquid methane at 94 ° k . from 13 , 300 cm - 1 to 17 , 800 cm - 1 , i . e . the absorption spectrum for optical radiation between about 7500 a and about 5600 a . the spectral resolution , typically 2 cm - 1 , is much smaller than the observed widths of the clearly recognizable absorption features , which is typically 200 - 300 cm - 1 . the peak absorption coefficient for the absorption feature marked a , at approximately 16 , 090 cm - 1 , is about 3 × 10 - 3 cm - 1 . from the signal - to - noise ratio seen on this figure it is evident that our ability to measure very small absorptions , even at low temperatures , exceeds the prior art limit of about 10 - 6 cm - 1 . the data shown in fig6 have been obtained by using a time constant of 1 sec for a resolution of about 1 cm - 1 . they contain a wealth of information , a discussion of which is however not necessary for an appreciation of the quality of the results obtainable by our improved method of oa spectroscopy . however , it should be pointed out that previous measurements of absorption of liquid methane were able to detect only peak a , with a signal - to - noise ratio of about 5 to 1 . there are , however , previous measurements of absorption spectra of gaseous methane at pressures of 20 atmospheres , using path lengths of the order of 1 km , which show many of the features we see for liquid methane at 94 k . using a sample cell path length of only 1 cm . we see that the oa spectroscopy technique described here is a very powerful one for measuring weak spectra , in this particular case at a temperature as low as 94 k . the technique can be extended for operation at temperatures as low as liquid helium temperatures . measurements can also be carried out at very high temperatures where the typical limiting feature is the disappearance of piezoelectricity when transducers reach temperatures above the curie temperature of the transducer material . as we have already indicated above , our method is applicable to transparent bulk and solid samples , to suspensions of absorbing solids in transparent liquids , and the like . a solid sample is typically shaped as indicated in fig1 with the entrance and exit surfaces of the radiation parallel to each other , and prepared to reduce scattering of the radiation . the transducer would typically be attached directly to the sample , in a position similar to that shown in fig1 . however , if desired , a relatively nonabsorbing intermediary material , such as , for instance , a quartz delay rod , could be interposed between sample and transducer . a liquid sample must , of course , be contained within a sample cell , and many such cells have been described in the literature . a particularly simple and noncontaminating one is described by a . c . tam and c . k . n . patel in optics letters , vol . 5 ( 1 ), pp . 27 - 29 ( january 1980 ). variations in cell construction or sample shape as well as in other experimental details would of course not affect the scope of our disclosure and claims . | 6 |
in fig1 , an internal combustion engine bears the reference character 10 . exhaust gases are directed through an exhaust pipe 12 to an emissions control system 14 . the latter encompasses a particle filter 16 with which carbon particles are filtered out of the exhaust gas flowing in exhaust pipe 12 . this is necessary especially in diesel internal combustion engines in order to comply with regulatory stipulations . particle filter 16 encompasses a filter element 18 that is substantially cylindrical in its entirety . fig2 depicts , in a longitudinal section , a conventional filter element 18 . through this , exhaust gas of internal combustion engine 10 flows in the direction of arrows 20 . in fig2 , an entrance surface for the exhaust gas to be filters bears the reference character 22 , and an exit surface for filtered exhaust gas bears the reference character 24 . multiple flow channels 28 and 30 proceed parallel to a longitudinal axis 26 of filter element 18 . flow channels 28 are open at entrance surface 22 and closed at exit surface 24 . conversely , flow channels 30 are open at exit surface 24 and closed in the region of entrance surface 22 . the flow path of the unpurified exhaust gas is thus into one of flow channels 28 and from there through a filter wall 32 into one of flow channels 30 , this is depicted by way of example by arrows 34 . in fig3 , a filter element according to an example embodiment of the present invention is labeled in its entirety with the reference character 18 . it has , in totality , filter segments , of which four filter segments are labeled in fig3 with the reference characters 36 to 42 . these filter segments are delimited by segment boundaries 44 . the segment boundaries of mutually adjacent filter segments , for example of filter segments 38 and 40 , are spaced apart from one another so that an interstice 46 is constituted in this region . this interstice 46 is spanned by strut - shaped connecting means 48 that interconnect the filter segments . in the example embodiment depicted in fig3 , the centrally disposed filter segment 36 is square in cross section . this filter segment preferably has a cross section of from 400 to 1600 square millimeters . the individual filter segments have a spacing 52 from one another of , for example , 0 . 5 to 10 mm . fig4 depicts in further detail a strut - shaped connecting device 48 and its connection to the segment boundaries 44 of mutually adjacent filter segments 40 and 42 . connecting device 48 has a central region 54 that has a material thickness which is less than that of the laterally contiguous outer regions 56 that are disposed directly adjacent to segment boundaries 44 . in the exemplifying embodiment depicted in fig4 , the lesser material thickness in central region 54 is produced by trough - shaped notches located opposite one another . filter element 18 is depicted in fig5 with interstices 46 that are filled with a filler material 58 . referring to fig6 , filler material 58 does not extend along the entire length of a flow channel 28 or 30 , but instead only in a respective region adjacent to entrance surface 22 or exit surface 24 . fig7 shows a further example embodiment of a filter element 18 according to the present invention . provided in this filter element is a centrally arranged filter segment 60 that is circular in cross section and is surrounded by multiple filter segments 62 . filter segments 62 are assembled in the shape of circle segments and form a ring surrounding central filter segment 60 . each two of the individual filter segments 60 , 62 are in turn interconnected via connecting device 48 arranged integrally with the filter segments . diameter 64 of this filter element 18 can be , for example , 5 . 66 inches . | 1 |
as illustrated in fig1 - 3 , the guidewire system 10 embodying features of the invention has a main section 11 which is adapted to be inserted into a patient &# 39 ; s vascular system and an extension section 12 which can be connected and disconnected to the main section 11 to facilitate the exchange of catheters without the need for removing the main section 10 from the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system . main guidewire 11 generally comprises an elongated shaft 13 with a flexible tip ( not shown ) at its distal end and a smaller diameter portion 14 at its proximal end which is shaped into an undulating or sinusoidal shape . reference is made to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 538 , 622 ( samson et al .) and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 569 , 347 ( frisbie ), which have been previously incorporated herein by reference , for a description of desirable guidewire tip constructions . extension section 12 has an elongated shaft 16 with smaller diameter projection or post 17 at its distal end . the connection 18 between guidewire sections 11 and 12 generally comprise tubular member 19 which is fixed to the distal end of the main section 12 and which receives interfitting undulating member 14 which is on the proximal end of section 11 . tubular member 19 is mounted by suitable means such as welding , brazing , or the like onto the short axial extention 17 of reduced diameter at the distal end of shaft 16 . axial extension or post 17 can be formed by any suitable means such as grinding down the proximal end portion of the shaft 16 to the desired diameter so that it interfits into the end of tubular member 15 . the undulating portion 14 is formed by first grinding the proximal end of main section 11 to a smaller diameter , then formimg the undulations or sinusoidal shape by bending over a mandrel or other suitable means . the maximum effective dimension a of the undulated section should be slightly more than the inner diameter b of tubular connecting piece 17 but preferably not more than 50 % greater than dimension b to provide interference or friction fit which will hold the sections together during catheter exchange but which can be readily disengaged after exchange has been made . preferably no more than a one pound pull should be necessary for disengagement . in a guidewire having a diameter on the order of about 0 . 014 inch , for example , tubular member 19 might have an inner diameter of about 0 . 007 inch and a wall thickness on the order of 0 . 001 inch and the undulating section 14 might have a maximum effective radial dimension of about 0 . 009 inch . in this embodiment , tubular member 19 might have a length on the order of about 2 . 4 - 2 . 5 cm . the main guidewire section is intended for use in positioning a dilatation catheter ( not shown ) in the cardiovascular system of a patient , and it has a length corresponding to the length of a conventional guidewire for this purpose . details of typical dilatation catheters and guidewires can be found in the patents cited previously and incorporated herein . extension section 12 is sufficiently long so that when the guidewire sections 11 and 12 are connected together the guidewire system 10 has an overall length suitable for exchanging catheters without removing the main section 11 from the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system . with a dilatation catheter having a length on the order of 120 - 140 cm , for example , section 11 might have a length of 140 - 175 cm , and section 12 might have a length of 125 - 160 cm . shafts 13 and 16 and tubular member 19 can be fabricated from suitable material , such as stainless steel , nitinol ( 55 % ni - bal . ti ), and the like , and each should have a diameter to allow a dilatation catheter to pass freely over them . it is perferably that the two shafts 13 and 16 be of substantially the same diameter in order to provide a smooth transition between them . in one presently preferred embodiment for use in coronary angioplasty , shafts 13 and 16 have a diameter on the order of about 0 . 014 inch . either or both of the shafts can be provided with a coating of polytetrafluoroethylene , which is sold under the trademark teflon by the dupont corporation , or another suitable low - friction material to facilitate the movement of the catheter over the wire . an alternative embodiment is shown in fig4 wherein the proximal end of main guidewire section 12 which is adapted to be inserted into the tubular member 19 is provided with a smaller diameter portion 30 having protrusions 31 which provide the interference or friction fit to releasably secure together the sections 11 and 12 of the guidewire system 10 . the protrustions can have various shapes such as the semi - spherical shapes shown in fig4 triangular shapes , or other shapes which may provide a suitable fit . in use , the main guidewire section 11 is introduced into the vascular system of a patient with a dilatation catheter through a guiding catheter not shown ) and an introducer ( not shown ). when performing coronary angioplasty , the distal end of the guiding catheter is positioned in the coronary ostium , and the dilatation catheter is advanced so that it is just proximal to the tip of the guiding cathether . the distal tip of the guidewire is advanced beyond the distal tip of the dilatation catheter while the latter is held in place . as the main guidewire section 11 is advanced , it is rotated and steered into the selected artery . the guidewire tip is preferably advanced through the lesion and beyond it , in order to permit the balloon portion of the dilatation catheter to be positioned within the lesion over a more supportive section of the guidewire . once in position , the main guidewire section 11 is held in place and the dilatation catheter is advanced along it until the inflatable balloon thereof is within the lesion . undulating end portion 14 remains outside the patient &# 39 ; s body and outside any adapter which may be connected to the proximal end of the dilatation catheter . to exchange catheters , the main guidewire section 11 is extended by manually pressing the open end of tubular member 19 on the distal end of extension section 12 onto the undulating end 14 . as the tubular member 19 is inserted over the undulating end 14 , either the tubular member 19 or the undulating member 14 or both deform to thereby firmly but releasably hold the two guidewire sections together . the dilatation catheter can then be withdrawn from the patient &# 39 ; s body over the extended guidewire system . a new dilatation catheter may then be introduced over the extension section 12 and advanced along the main guidewire section 11 within the patient &# 39 ; s body until the balloon crosses the lesion . once the proximal end of the new balloon catheter has advanced beyond connection 18 and tubular end portion 19 , section 12 can be removed by grasping the two guidewire sections 11 and 12 on opposite sides of the connection 18 and pulling them apart without disturbing the position of section 11 in the patient &# 39 ; s body . as previously described , the interference or friction fit between the undulating member 14 and the tubular member 19 should be sufficiently strong to hold the two guidewire sections 11 and 12 together while dilatation catheters are being exchanged , but should be capable of separation by a pulling force less than one pound . the invention has a number of important features and advantages . the two sections of the guidewire can be connected together whenever a longer wire is needed , and they can be separated whenever the additional length is not required . the two sections of the guidewire may be connected and disconnected by the physician by simply pressing them together and pulling them apart . this can be done as needed , and no special tools are required either to make the connection or to separate it . thus the catheter exchange is greatly simplified . it is apparent from the foregoing that a new and improved extended guidewire system and method of using the same have been provided . while the present invention has been described herein with the tubular connecting element fixed to the distal end of the guidewire extension section and the male member adapted to be inserted into the open end of the tubular member on the proximal end of the main guidewire section , it is obvious that the tubular element on the distal end of the extension section may be interchanged with the male member on the main guidewire section . moreover , it will be apparent to those familiar with the art , that other modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims . | 0 |
the combined slide projector and viewer toy device 1 shown in fig1 comprises a rigid plastic housing 10 in which a slide viewer section 2 , a slide projector section 3 and a slide receiving section 4 are provided . the housing 10 is preferably made of a light and strong plastic such as polyvinyl chloride or other plastics suitable for toys and can be made in a variety of colours to attract children . the slide viewer section 2 comprises an eye - piece 21 , an elongate chamber 22 , a slide receiving slot 51 and a background light source . the eye - piece 21 is provided to accommodate a user &# 39 ; s eye and to keep away stray light sources . it may also contain a focussing or magnifying lens to improve image viewing . the elongate chamber 22 maintains a distance between the slide slot and the eye - piece so that the image on a slide may be processed , for example , inverted , enlarged or transformed before reaching the eye . the chamber 22 resembles a tunnel which allows light to enter from one end and leave at the other . the length of the chamber 22 is preferably surrounded by an opaque or translucent material so that the quality of image is not corrupted during transit through the tunnel . in the present embodiment , both ends are linearly aligned so that light enters from the entry end adjacent to the slide receiving slot leaves unaltered at the exit end adjacent to the eye - piece . at the light entry end of the chamber there is provided a slide receiving slot 51 which is adapted to receive a slide for the present device . under normal operating circumstances , a slide which is placed inside this slot is visible when viewed through the eye - piece . on the side of the slide slot which is away from the eye - piece there is provided a light source or bright background which is intended to provide the necessary luminous level in order to enable the eye to see the image printed on the slide which is received inside the receiving slot 51 . in the present embodiment , natural instead of artificial light source is used and this is realised by means of a translucent back cover 23 or roof which is attached to the main housing and which permits light from outside the housing to penetrate into the slide receiving slot 51 and to provide a bright background light source . the translucent cover 23 acts both as a light diffuser and a filter so that undesirable exterior images are kept out , leaving only a soft , diffused and relatively plain background illumination . naturally , instead of natural light source , other light source may be used and it may well be possible to channel the light from the projector section to reduce the need for a number of light sources . the slide projector section 3 comprise a light source 31 , an elongate image chamber 32 and a slide receiving slot 52 . the light source 31 for this section comprises a small sized battery 33 powered incandescent light bulb 31 and a light reflector 34 surrounding the light bulb which acts as a light concentrator to increase light intensity originating from a small source . concentrated light from the light source imparts on the slide slot and leaves after encountering the slide . the image chamber is provided for a purpose similar to that of the viewing chamber in the slide viewer section . for reasons to be discussed below , a set of inverting and enlarging lenses is arranged along the length of the chamber so that the projected image is an inverted version of that on the slide . the slide slots in both sections are provided mainly for the purposes of receiving and supporting a slide which is mounted on a strengthening frame since ordinary slides are usually soft and thin plastic films . this slide slot is formed as an elongate indentation extending from the outside of the housing towards its inside so that a slide can be inserted into the slot directly from the outside . furthermore , the slide slots are adapted to receive a slide in such a manner that , after a slide is inserted , a position means formed on the housing will maintain the image bearing slide in a position along and substantially normal to the optical path suitable for image viewing or projecting . a unique feature of this present invention is that the slide slots for both viewer and projector sections are communicable with each other so that a slide is transportable from one section to another for alternate viewing and projecting without requiring it to be removed from the housing first and then to be re - inserted . in the present embodiment , the communicable slots form a single combined elongate slot having a slot plane which intercepts both optical paths in a substantially normal manner and at the same longitudinal position along the length of the housing . in other words , the slide slots 51 , 52 together form a common slot plane which is adapted to receive a planar slide member so that an image form on one part of the slide member can be transported to either of the slide slots . to fully utilise this combined slide slot so that a slide could be viewed and projected alternately with ease , a preferred slide member design which is suitable for use with the present slide device is now described . referring to the figs ., the slide member 4 comprises a rigid mounting frame 41 on which is there is mounted a thin slide film substrate 42 . the mounting frame 41 is substantially circular and has a plurality of similarly sized aperture pairs arranged in a diametrically opposite manner about the centre of the mounting frame so that each such aperture is approximately at an equal distance from the frame centre . the mounting frame 41 is preferably made of an opaque material so that apertures which correspond to a collection of cells 43 on the frame have very clearly defined boundaries between them . to provide a pivot centre for the mounting frame so that it can rotate about a defined centre , there is provided at approximately the frame centre an axle member 44 which extends out of the plane of the frame . this axle member 44 serves an additional purpose as a positioning means for maintaining the frame in a pre - determined orientation with respect to the light paths within the slot . the slide film substrate 42 carries a plurality of image cells 45 which are arranged in a way similar to the distribution of cells 43 on the frame , that is , in a diametrically opposite manner around a circle about the slide centre so that each image cell is approximately at a same distance from the centre . the images are radially aligned so that the bottom side of the image is towards the slide centre and the top side is away from it . when the slide substrate and the frame are concentrically aligned and a cell aperture aligned with an image cell , the rest of the image cells will be corresponding aligned with the apertures . a slide member 4 is usually formed firstly by printing or forming a plurality of diametrically disposed image cell pairs on the substrate 42 , the image bearing substrate thus formed is then mounted on to the mounting frame 41 . additional off - centre retaining means 46 may be provided on the mounting frame to prevent shifting of the image cells 45 with respect to the mounting frame 41 . if proper images are to be formed , the orientation , position and level of the slide member with respect to the optical paths in both sections should be maintained in a pre - determined manner which will give a calculated image quality , this is assisted in the present invention by providing positioning means on the housing . to meet these requirements , it is preferable that when the slide member is held by the positioning means , the plane of the slide member is substantially normal to the main optical paths of both the slide projector and viewer sections and the main paths are disposed in a diametrically opposed manner about the slide centre so that when an image cell intercepts a first main optical path , the diametrically opposed image cell will then automatically intercept the second main optical path . a preferred positioning means suitable for the present embodiment is an elongate trough ( not shown ) which is complementary to the axle member 44 on the slide member 4 and which is formed in the slide receiving slot . the trough is approximately midway along a line joining the main optical paths of the viewer and projector sections . the trough is substantially parallel to the main optical paths so that when the slide axle is placed along and inside the trough , the above criteria are met . main optical path in the present context means the average light path originating from the light source which is actually required to generate image corresponding to the contents of a slide cell . to further make slide member positioning easier , the slide slot floor is elevated to a level at which the centre of the slide member is approximately midway between the main optical paths when the slide member is inserted into the slot 52 and supported by the slot floor . since the image cells are arranged radially with the bottom side nearest the slide centre , it will be observed that when one image cell is upright , the opposite one will be upside down . thus , the image will normally be upright if the image cell is at twelve o &# 39 ; clock position while that at six o &# 39 ; clock position is inverted . to allow simultaneous viewing and projecting of diametrically opposite images in a normal and conventional way , there is provided in the projector section inverting lenses which inverts a six - o &# 39 ; clock image to become up - right for conventional projecting . for example , when the pelican image in fig1 is being viewed through the viewer section , the parrot image cell at six o &# 39 ; clock position is upside down . when light originating from the light bulb imparts on that cell , the image formed as a result will have been inverted when it finally reaches the screen . with the inclusion of a plurality of diametrically opposite image pairs on a single rotatable slide member , images on a slide member can be presented by both viewer and projector sections and children now have a choice of many images on a single slide member which can be simultaneously viewed and projected . furthermore , such a slide system also reduce logistic problems since the number of discrete slide members to be stocked is much less than if each slide only carries a single image . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 there is illustrated an interconnect 10 designed in accordance with the first above - mentioned patent application . the interconnect 10 illustrated includes four nodes 12 each of which may be connected by an interface 13 to a computer system component or peripheral 14 . each node 12 includes storage circuitry 16 for receiving and storing data from the associated component 14 in a plurality of packets . in the embodiment illustrated , four individual storage buffers for storing packets are illustrated ; these storage buffers are individually referred to by the letters a , b , c , and d in the figure . in a preferred embodiment of the interconnect 10 designed in accordance with the above - mentioned patent application , each packet stored in a storage buffer may comprise up to sixty - four bytes of data . also included at each node 12 is control circuitry 17 which is adapted to utilize information provided by the components 14 to control the transfer of the data at any node 12 to a component 14 connected to any other node 12 . the control circuitry 17 of each node 12 is connected to transfer control information to the control circuitry 17 of each other node by a launch bus or buses 18 . in order to facilitate the rapid transfer of data by means of a computer system interconnect , it is at least useful and often necessary to provide circuitry for arbitrating among the various pieces of data available in order to determine which data is to be utilized first . in this manner , a computer may handle first that data which is most important to its operation and may delay the transfer of data which is less essential to its operation . this is especially important in systems which rely on a busing arrangement for transfer of data between system components since only one piece of data may be transferred at any time by a busing arrangement . in order to allow arbitration among packets of data , part of the information provided by a component to the above - mentioned interconnect about each packet of data to be transferred is the destination for the data and the importance of the data ( called its priority level ) as determined by the source component . in any particular computer system utilizing the interconnect 10 , the determination of the priority levels will depend upon the requirements of the particular system and may be considered to be arbitrary . this priority information , along with other control information , is sent on the launch bus 18 from the control circuitry 17 of the source node 12 to the control circuitry 17 of the destination node 12 . the circuitry for controlling the priority arbitration is among that included within the control circuitry 17 illustrated in fig1 and may be considered to be part of each destination node 12 . this circuitry is described in the copending patent application referred to above entitled apparatus for providing priority arbitration in a computer system interconnect . the packets of data held in the storage circuitry 16 at each source node 12 are transferred from the circuitry 16 under control of the control circuitry 17 by data paths 19 directly connected to the interface 13 of each other node . only one set of these direct connections is illustrated in fig1 ( the paths 19 from the node 12 at the left of the figure ) in order not to complicate the drawing . the patent application just referred to above discloses an arrangement for using the source - provided priority levels in order to determine which data is next to be transferred . the priority arbitration system at each destination node compares the priorities of the packets of data available to it from each source node to determine which of the packets should next be transferred to the destination component . the priority arbitration system requires , however , that only one packet of data of a particular priority be presented to the arbitration circuitry at the destination component at any one time from any one source . consequently , there is a need for circuitry to assure that this is true . moreover , in the interconnect described there is a limited amount of storage at each node to hold data . it is possible for the storage space to be filled with low priority data which block access by higher priority data so that the arbitration circuitry is not aware of the existence of the higher priority data . so long as higher priority data is available from another source , the low priority data will continue to block the hidden but higher priority data from access to the priority arbitration circuitry . such a blockage in the operation of any computer system can cause the system to fail due to a lack of performance . another example of a blocking problem involves a computer processor running real time operations . in such a situation , the processor cannot afford to be interrupted by trivial information and will set a cutoff level and ignore data of a priority lower than the cutoff level . for example , although information from a peripheral device stating that it is connected and exists is unimportant to the real time process if that peripheral device is not needed for the operation and so will be below the cutoff level , information that the process being run is changing in some aspect ( a color change , for example ) is important , has a priority level above the cutoff , and should be processed . presuming , however , that there are a number of lower priority packets of information available which the processor knows it does not need and presuming that these low priority packets fill the available storage space at a node of the interconnect at which the high priority information should be available , the processor will have no way of detecting that the higher priority information which it needs even exists . for this reason , it is necessary to provide some arrangement for eliminating these blockages so that data of higher priority may be presented to the system for use . the arrangement provided by the present invention provides for eliminating blockages of this sort by a process called promotion . the circuitry executing the process senses when data of a higher priority is blocked by data packets of lower priority and promotes the priority of a packet of low priority data having the highest priority to the level of the data being blocked . since the low priority data is labelled as high priority data , it will be handled out of order with regard to other priority levels and thereby provide access to the arbitration circuitry for the blocked higher priority data . where there are a number of packets of blocking data having the same low priority level , the process selects the oldest for promotion so that the order of the data within a priority level is maintained even though the priority level of a particular packet is raised . fig2 illustrates a block diagram of a circuit 21 which is capable of assuring that only a single packet of data of a given priority will be offered to the priority arbitration circuitry of the destination node at any time and that low priority signals will be unable to deny higher priority signals access to the priority arbitration circuitry . the circuit 21 may be considered to be a part of the control circuitry 17 and , more specifically , part of the source control portion of the control circuitry 17 . the circuit 21 includes storage area 22 which is divided into a plurality of individual header buffers 23 ; in a preferred embodiment , four buffers 23 for holding individual header information are included . each of these buffers 23 includes storage space for a number of bits of header information furnished by the source component 14 defining the packet of data with which the header is associated . the data furnished to each buffer 23 by the source component 14 includes the validity of the data , the destination node to which the packet of data is addressed , the priority of the data , and the type of operation to be accomplished on the packet of data . the types of operations important to this description are read response ( a reply to a read request ) and write or read operations to be arbitrated by priority or by stream number . stored in each header buffer 23 along with the header information furnished by the source component 14 is certain additional information used to accomplish the purposes of this invention . fig2 illustrates the pertinent control information which may be stored in each buffer 23 for each packet of data . connected to receive the new input header information from the interface 13 is a comparator 25 . the comparator 25 tests each incoming header for the destination node address , the type ( read response or other ), and the priority . ( the four bits used in the preferred embodiment of the invention to indicate priority are also used to provide a &# 34 ; stream &# 34 ; number &# 34 ; when arbitration is not to be conducted on the basis of priority but rather under control of the destination component . the term priority is used in this specification to indicate both priority and stream values except where the operation differs with priority and stream values .) if any incoming header is directed to the same node , is of the same type ( not read response ), and has the same priority as a header stored in one of the buffers 23 , then this information is transferred to an age circuit 26 . the age circuit 26 places an indication in the preexisting header that it contains older information . this is accomplished by having storage ( which is labeled &# 34 ; age &# 34 ; in fig2 ) which receives some initial value ( such as 0 ) from the age circuit 26 when the header information is first stored and is incremented to provided a higher value for each positive comparison ( it has the same priority and is either a priority or a stream header ) with incoming header information for a new packet . whenever a header is placed ( launched ) on a launch bus 18 to be sent to a destination node for arbitration , the eldest header of a particular type of operation of any priority for that node is launched . this assures that the headers will be launched in the proper order from the source node . details of the age circuit 26 for incrementing the age of older packets and of a circuit 29 for determining the oldest information for launching are discussed below with respect to fig3 and 4 . also included with the header information in each buffer 23 is a &# 34 ; launched &# 34 ; bit which indicates whether the header information has been launched or not . if the launched bit is cleared , and the header is the oldest of its priority type , then the header is launchable . on each cycle of operation , a launch control circuit 27 of the control circuitry 17 at the source node 12 looks first for a read response type header ; if one is present and launchable , it is launched . if no read response type header exists , the launch control circuit 27 looks next for any other priority type header for data which has not yet been launched ; if one is present and launchable , it is launched . if no header exists which has not been launched , the launch control circuit 27 looks next for a promoted header ; if one is present and launchable , it is launched . it might be noted here that in the interconnect system with which the preferred embodiment of the invention is utilized , read responses have the highest priority of all packets of information since it is clear that some component is waiting for their completion ; consequently , a read response need never be , and is never , promoted . the launch control circuit 27 for determining the particular header to be launched is illustrated in fig5 and described in detail hereinafter . a promotion launch involves a packet which has already been launched but has since had its priority increased ( for reasons to be explained hereafter ) and a &# 34 ; launched priority &# 34 ; bit cleared . a launch of this header sends the new priority to the destination along with an indication that the information is an update , not a new header . once a read response or other header for unlaunched stored data has been launched , the launched bit and the launched priority bit for the header in that buffer 23 are set . before any other header for a packet of the same type addressed to the same node with the same priority is launched , a test is made for the oldest data . if the oldest header has not been launched , it is launched . if the oldest header has already been launched , no younger header may be launched . this assures that the order of launching is maintained and that only one header of any priority and type may be outstanding ( launched but not completed ) from any source node to any one destination . when the transfer of a data packet is completed from a source node to a destination node , a signal is returned to the source node . this signal invalidates the header information related to the completed packet so that header information for another packet may be transferred into the particular buffer 23 , a new packet of data may be transferred into a source buffer , and the &# 34 ; oldest &# 34 ; status updated . it should be noted that the interconnect of the above - mentioned patent application is capable of arbitrating the transfer of information for write operations based not only on source defined priority but also on a determination made at the destination that particular information is needed . an arrangement for accomplishing this form or arbitration is disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 07 / 815 , 816 entitled apparatus for controlling the flow of data through a computer interconnect based on the requirements of a destination component , roskowski et al , filed on even data herewith , and assigned to the assignee of the present invention . for the sake of a name , this form of arbitration control by the destination is called &# 34 ; stream &# 34 ; arbitration ; and the bit positions usually used to store the priority bits of the header contains &# 34 ; stream &# 34 ; designators . these stream designators , along with the destination address , the type of operation , and other header information are compared by the comparator 25 in the same manner as are headers for data packets whose arbitration is based on priorities to maintain the order of transfer of data from the source to the destination node . thus , only a single packet of a particular stream number may be launched to a particular destination ; and this packet will be the oldest packet of that stream number . in this manner , the described circuitry maintains order for stream packets as well as priority packets . one distinction , however , is that stream packets are not promoted since they are transferred as desired by the destination . it is possible that all of the header buffers 23 at a source node and their associated source buffers will be filled with headers and packets of data of low priority , and the source component will desire to transfer a packet of data of higher priority . since there is no room for the header related to the higher priority data in the storage area 22 , there is no way for the header of higher priority to be launched to the destination node . consequently , there is no way for the higher priority information to reach the priority arbitration circuitry . this may cause a system deadlock or may simply slow the operation of the system depending upon the nature of the blocked data and its interrelation with the blocking data . to obviate this problem , the circuit of the present invention promotes the priority of low priority data where higher priority data is blocked . the circuit 25 compares each incoming header , not only to maintain order in the manner discussed above , but also to check priority . if the buffers 23 are all full and a header of higher priority is asserted by the source component , the compare circuit 25 causes a promotion circuit 28 to promote the priority of the oldest header of the highest priority presently in the storage area 22 . this is accomplished by providing in each header buffer 23 an area for storing a promoted priority value . this value is initially set equal to the priority level supplied by the source component . when a higher priority header appears , the compare circuit 25 checks to see whether all of the buffers 23 are full by checking the valid bits of the headers in those buffers 23 . if all are full , the oldest highest priority header is promoted by receiving a promoted priority equal to the priority of the incoming header . due to the order described above in which headers are taken , this oldest header will have already been launched to the destination node . this header must thus be relaunched ( a promotion launch ) so that its promoted priority value can be used by the priority arbitration circuitry at the destination node to determine which packet of data to use first at the destination node . depending on the particular circuitry , the entire header or only the promoted priority information need be included in the promotion launch . the details of a priority promotion circuit 28 are described in detail below with respect to fig7 . in a preferred embodiment on the invention , the entire header including both the actual priority and the promoted priority are transferred to the destination node on a priority launch so that the destination component can decide which to consider in deciding which packet of data to transfer next . the promoted priority is always used in the priority arbitration at the destination node in order to accomplish the clearing of low priority header blockages . however , it is possible that the hardware of a destination component might need the non - promoted priority value , and so both are made available to the destination component . once a promoted header is launched and is available for arbitration at the destination node , arbitration will occur ; and the data packet with the promoted priority will ultimately be transferred from the source node . this transfer will remove the blockage by causing some header space to become available in storage area 22 for the higher priority header contesting for arbitration . as explained above , in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the oldest highest priority packet to any destination node is chosen for priority promotion . the circuitry might also be arranged to promote first the oldest highest priority packet to the specific destination node to which the higher priority packet is addressed . however , this would probably take longer in releasing a header buffer 23 for the higher priority header . illustrated in fig3 is a circuit 30 which may be used for designating the age of information in order to determine which information of a particular type ( read response , priority , or stream ) directed to a particular node is to be first launched . the circuit 30 is repeated for each of the header buffers 23 at each source node . the circuit 30 includes an adder 31 which receives a two bit indication of the present age of a packet from a register 32 which stores that value . the register 32 holds the age value stored in the header buffer . the adder 31 also receives an increment signal which directs it to increment or not . the value provided by the adder 31 is transferred as one input to a multiplexor 33 . the multiplexor 33 receives a second input which is a zero value . the multiplexor 33 is controlled by an enable signal en which indicates whether this particular circuit 30 is the circuit associated with the particular header buffer being tested and whether the storage area associated with the header is being loaded with a new packet of information . if new information is being loaded into the storage buffer , the enable signal selects the zero value for transfer to the register 32 to indicate the age . if this is not a buffer being loaded but one which may contain information of the same type directed to the same node and of the same priority , then a signal from the adder 31 indicating whether to increment the age value is transferred to the input of the register 32 . the information from the multiplexor 33 is transferred into the register 32 if the new header signal ( first cycle ) is present to enable the register 32 . the age value in the register 32 is provided at the output of the register 32 . this age value is the age value of a packet the header for which is stored in one of the header buffers . each header buffer 23 has associated therewith similar circuitry for generating an age for the packet indicated by the header information . the increment signal to the adder 31 is provided by an and gate 35 which receives an input signal peqn0 ( 0 indicating the zero numbered one of four header buffers ) indicating that the priorities of the new packet and the packet being compared are the same . the and gate 35 also receives an input signal neqn0 indicating that the nodes to which the new packet and the packet being compared are directed are the same . a third signal to the and gate 35 is furnished by an exclusive nor gate 36 which receives a signal indicating whether the new packet is a read response and a signal indicating whether the packet being compare is a read response . if both packets are not read responses or both packets are read responses , the gate 36 produces a one . thus , an incrementing signal is provided if both packets are not read responses or both packets are read responses , and the packets have the same priority , and they are directed to the same node . in order to determine whether the packets are directed to the same node and generate a signal neqn0 and for other purposes , a series of comparators 40 - 49 are provided . the comparators 40 - 49 may be a portion of the compare circuit 25 shown in fig2 . the comparators 40 - 43 compare the value of the new header destination node with the destination node value stored in each of the header buffers . a one output is generated if the new packet is directed to the same node as is the packet in the associated header . thus the signal neqn0 is one if the new packet and the packet indicated by the header in header 0 are directed to the same destination node . similarly , the signals neqn1 - 3 are ones if the new packet and the packets indicated by the header buffers 1 - 3 are directed to the same destination node . in a similar manner , the comparators 44 - 49 indicate whether the node to which the packets indicated by the headers in the header buffers 0 - 3 are directed are the same . if any two headers indicate packets directed to the same node , a one is produce as an output signal neqxx ( where the xs indicate the headers compared ). in a similar manner , in order to determine whether the packets are of the same priority and generate a signal peqn0 ( 0 indicating header buffer 0 ), a second series of comparators 50 - 59 are provided . the comparators 50 - 59 may be a portion of the compare circuit 25 shown in fig2 . the comparators 50 - 53 compare the value of the new header priority with the priority value stored in each of the header buffers . a one output is generated if the new packet is of the same priority as is the packet in the associated header . the comparators 54 - 59 indicate whether the priority of the packets indicated by the headers in the header buffers 0 - 3 are the same . if any two headers indicate packets of the same priority , a one is produce as an output signal peqxx ( where the xs indicate the headers compared ). it should be noted here that when a packet of information is a stream packet the arbitration of which is controlled by the destination node rather than the source node , the four bits used to indicate priority are instead used to indicate the stream value . thus , when the comparators 50 - 59 compare the values of headers which indicate streams rather than priorities , comparisons of stream numbers are made automatically rather than comparisons of priorities . since the comparison values are used , as will be seen , to determine launching , stream packets as well as priority packets are launched on the basis of age and in the proper order . thus , as has been demonstrated , whenever a new packet of information is stored in a storage buffer of the storage area 16 , the type , destination node , and priority are checked ; and the age of all other packets of the same type of the same priority directed to the same node have their age incremented . in order to determine which is the most senior of the headers of a particular type directed to a particular node and is thus ready to be launched , a circuit 60 shown in fig4 is utilized ; one circuit 60 is utilized for each header buffer 23 at each node . each circuit 60 is a portion of the circuit 29 shown in fig2 . such a circuit 60 includes an and gate 61 which receives four input values . the first value indicates that the header at that buffer is valid . the other three signals indicate that the header at that buffer is more senior than the headers at the other header buffers for some reason or other . each of these other three inputs is the output of an or gate 62 - 64 . the inputs to the or gates 62 - 64 include a first input from a comparator 66 - 68 which produces a one if the age of the packet at the header buffer is older than the age of a packet indicated by another header . a second input to the or gates 62 - 64 is a one indicating the header in the buffer is more senior if the other packet is not valid . a third input signal cmp01 , cmp02 , or cmp03 to the or gates 62 - 64 is a one if the packets in the buffers being compared are not of the same type and directed to the same node and not either both read responses or not read responses . a fourth signal &# 34 ; accepted #&# 34 ; is a one if the packet of data to which the header pertains has already been selected by the arbitration circuitry at the destination node for transfer to the destination component . this signal allows a packet already accepted for transfer to be disregarded in the selection process which provides a most senior packet so that a new header of the same priority may be launched to the same node . a single circuit for furnishing the signal cmp01 is shown in fig4 . a similar circuit is used for furnishing each of the signals cmp02 and cmp03 . as may be seen , an and gate 69 receives the output of an exclusive nor gate 70 . the exclusive nor gate 70 produces a one when the headers are both read responses or are both not read responses . the and gate 69 also receives signals indicating equal priorities and the same destination nodes for the two headers being compared ; these equal priorities and the same destination signals are generated by the comparators 44 - 49 and 54 - 59 of fig3 . thus , the and gate 61 for each header buffer 23 provides a one value if the packet indicated by its header is determined to be the most senior . if a one is furnished for the header at the particular node , then that signal should be the next of that type to be launched to a particular destination node . moreover , as will be seen , only senior packets are launched ; younger packets never reach the selection mechanism so that only one header of a particular priority directed to a particular destination is launched at any one time . in order to determine which packet is to be launched at any particular time , a circuit 80 illustrated in fig5 is utilized . the circuit 80 resides in the launch control circuit 27 of fig2 . the circuit 80 is used to determine whether a packet is a read response packet and should be launched first , a senior packet needing an initial launch which should be next launched , or a packet needing a promotion launch which is last to be launched . the circuit 80 includes a tree arrangement used to accomplish the selection of the correct packet . the tree includes a number of and gates 81 - 84 . the gates 81 - 84 each receive an input signal lchp0 - 3 indicating that a priority launch should take place for a packet associated with a particular header buffer . this is accomplished by reading the condition of the launch priority bit for that header buffer . it will be zero if a priority promotion has occurred but the promoted priority has not been launched to the destination . it will also be a zero if no launch of the header has ever occurred since this bit is cleared with the launch bit when a new header is first received . the other input to each of the and gates 81 - 84 is a signal indicating that the particular header is valid as determined from the valid bit in the header buffer 23 and that it is a senior header as indicated by a one provided by an and gate 85 . only one and gate 85 is shown , but a similar input is provided for each of the and gates 81 - 84 . any and gate 81 - 84 which is valid , senior , and has a priority or initial launch ready will produce a one at its output as a signal lp0 - 3 . the presence of such a signal indicates that some form of header launch is available . consequently , the signals lp0 - 3 are sent to an or gate 87 which produces a one to indicate that some form of header launch is to take place . each signal lp0 - 3 is also sent to an and gate 88 - 91 . each of these and gates 88 - 91 also receives a signal lch0 - 3 which indicates that this is an initial launch of the header . a zero in the launch bit of the header buffer provides this information . the presence of both an initial launch ready signal and a signal lp0 - 3 causes a particular and gate 88 - 91 to generate a one output signal l0 - 3 . the presence of a signal l0 - 3 indicates that a first launch of a new header is ready . consequently , these signals l0 - 3 are transferred to an or gate 93 , a one output signal isl from which indicates a new header launch is ready . the signals l0 - 3 are also each furnished as an input to one of four and gates 95 - 98 . each of the and gates 95 - 98 also receives an input indicating that the header buffer stores a read response type indication . thus , a one output signal r0 - 3 from any and gate 95 indicates that a read response is ready to be launched . the signals r0 - 3 are sent to an or gate 99 which produces a one signal isr when a read response is ready to be launched . if an isr signal is present indicating a read response packet is ready to be launched , the isr signal enables a multiplexor 101 to transfer all available ones of the r0 - 3 signals to a circuit 102 which picks one for transfer . the signal picked makes no difference since all available at this point are launchable and all are of the highest priority to their respective nodes . the signal picked selects the one of the launch bit values lch0 - 3 associated with that header buffer 23 at a multiplexor 104 . the value of the launch bit lch0 - 3 is inverted and sent to an and gate 105 along with the signal produced by the or gate 87 . if the value of the signal lch0 - 3 is a zero , this indicates that this is an initial launch of the header information . signals to indicate this are transmitted on the is -- ful -- launch and l -- sel -- valid lines from the launch control circuit as is illustrated in fig2 . if the launch bit of the header selected is a one indicating a first launch has already taken place for that header , then only the l -- sel -- valid signal is sent to the destination component from the source node to indicate that the launch is a priority promotion launch . if an isr signal is not present , then the multiplexor 101 transfers a signal provided by a multiplexor 107 . the signal transferred is selected by the signal isl which if a one indicates a first launch of a new header rather than a priority promotion launch . if a first launch of a header is available , then this signal l0 - 3 is transferred by the multiplexor 107 and the multiplexor 101 to the circuit 102 . if a first launch of a new header is not available , then a priority launch signal lp0 - 3 is selected by a zero on the isl line . thus , the circuitry shown in fig5 determines the header to be launched with read response headers being first launched followed by first launches of priority or stream information and finally by promotion launches of priority information . moreover , since only senior headers are launched , only one header of a particular priority will be outstanding at any time to any destination from any source node . fig6 includes circuitry 110 which may be utilized in the preferred embodiment of the invention for changing the values of the launch and priority launch bits of the header buffers 23 and an accept bit to indicate that a packet has already been accepted for transfer to a destination component . these signals are used in the circuits 27 and 29 shown in fig2 . the circuit 110 includes an or gate 111 which receives a one if the launch bit in the header buffer is already a one or when this packets launch occurs on this particular clock cycle . the presence of one of these values is provided to an and gate 112 . the absence of a signal indicating a new header on the other input to the and gate 112 allows a register 113 holding the launch bit to be set . this value is fed back to hold the one in the register 113 until an enable signal en indicating the selected buffer and a first cycle signal indicating a new header are received to reset the register 113 to a zero . thus , the register is set to a one when a launch of a header occurs and is reset when a new header occurs . in a similar manner , a launch priority signal and a launched - on - this - cycle signal are furnished to an or gate 116 and to an and gate 117 . these signals along with signals indicating the absence of a new header , and the absence of a priority promotion signal are used to set the launch priority bit in the register to one . thus , a reset occurs of the launch priority bit whenever a priority promotion occurs or a new header is furnished to a header buffer . in a similar manner , an and gate 118 transfers an accept signal provided by a destination component in the absence of a signal indicating a new header to a register 125 . the register 125 stores the accept bit as a part of the header stored in the particular header buffer . the destination component provides the accept signal when it has arbitrated and selected a packet of information to be transferred to itself . the accept signal is transferred back to the source node and allows the accepted packet to be excluded from the seniority determination by which the next header to be launched is determined . a circuit 120 for accomplishing priority promotion is illustrated in fig7 . a substantial portion of this circuit 120 resides in the circuit 28 of fig2 . the circuit 120 includes four registers 121 - 124 in which are stored the priorities of the four packets presently held in the storage areas 16a - d of the source node . these registers 121 - 124 may be part of the header storage 23 illustrated in fig2 which store the priority information . the signals pri 0 - 3 in each of the registers 121 - 124 are transferred as inputs to one of four comparators 126 - 129 which may be part of the full comparator circuit 25 shown in fig2 . thus , each comparator 126 - 129 receives a priority value indicating the priority of one of the packets stored . all of the comparators 126 - 129 also receive a value indicating the priority of a new packet attempting to be recognized by the source node . the comparators 126 - 129 each compare the new priority value to the value of a signal pri 0 - 3 in one of the storage areas and provide an active high output if the new signal is greater than signal indicating the priority of the packet stored in the particular storage area . if the new priority is greater than the priorities of all of the data packets presently stored , a nand gate 131 will propagate a low ( zero ) at its output as input to an or gate 132 . as may be seen , the or gate 132 also receives signals indicating whether the new header is valid , whether a storage buffer 16a - d is empty , and whether the new packet carries priority data . the or gate 132 generates a low value only if the data being presented for the new packet is valid , the type of data is a priority packet , no buffer is available in storage area 16 , and the new priority is higher than the priorities of all of the packets presently stored . this zero signal is used to indicate to a circuit 134 that a priority promotion is to occur . it does this by failing to disabled the circuit 134 . if the new header is not of higher priority than those presently stored , if there is storage space available in area 16 , if the new packet is not valid , or if the new packet does not contain priority data , a disabling one output is generated by the or gate 132 to indicate that this is not a case for priority promotion . the circuit 134 is a logic circuit which selects among its input signals for the largest digital value . the circuit 134 receives six individual values ( in the preferred embodiment ) each of which represents the digital output produced by one of six individual magnitude comparators 140 - 145 . the magnitude comparators may be a part of the comparator circuit 25 of fig2 . each magnitude comparator 140 - 145 receives two digital inputs of four bits each which represent the priority values of the packets of data stored in two of the storage areas 16a - d . thus , comparator 140 receives values representing the priorities of the packets in storage areas 16a ( 0 ) and 16b ( 1 ). each comparator 140 - 146 produces a high value ( one ) if the value on the upper of the two inputs is greater than that on the lower . the circuit 134 receives the six values indicating the higher of the six different pairs of signals indicating priority of all packets stored and furnishes an output signal ( assuming the output of the or gate 132 is not high ) on a line which indicates which of the storage areas has the highest priority packet . to accomplish this , the circuit 134 includes a plurality of and gates 133 which receive the input signals from the comparators 140 - 145 indicating which of two headers has a higher priority value . as may be seen , different combinations operate different gates 133 . the and gates 133 are all enabled by a low value input signal or disabled by a high value input signal passed by the or gate 132 . each and gate 133 also receives an enabling one value input from an and gate 135 if the header in the header buffer is valid and is a priority packet header . it should be noted that the manner of coding the bits which indicate priority in a header uses a one in the highest of these four bits to indicate a priority packet and a zero to indicate a stream packet . this bit is sent to the and gate 135 so that the and gates 133 provide a one output only for priority packets and not for stream packets . thus , if the storage area 16a ( 0 ) stores a priority packet of the highest priority of the packets stored , each of the comparators 140 - 142 produces a one . these values are transferred to the upper and gate 133 . if a promotion is to occur because the priority of the header seeking access to the node is of a higher priority , the signal from the or gate 132 will be low . moreover , the priority select signal for header buffer 0 will indicate that the header represents a priority package ; and the valid bit will indicate that the header is valid . thus , the upper and gate 133 will transfer a high value on the output iso . this value is transferred by one of four nor gates 150 - 153 to one of four registers 155 - 158 each of which stores the promoted priority of the packet involved . this is accomplished by using the output of the one of the or gates 150 - 153 which is active high as an enable signal to the associated register and furnishing the priority of the packet requesting access to the source node as the input value to all of the registers 155 - 158 . in this manner , the priority of the highest valued packet is promoted to the value of the incoming packet requesting access so that the promoted packet will be first selected by the priority arbitration circuitry of the destination node 14 . if any of the storage buffers 16a - d is available for a new packet , the or gate 132 provides a high value at its output , disabling the circuit 134 . in this case , the or gates 150 - 153 receive an input value use0 - 3 from a logic circuit 160 indicating the empty storage area . this value enables one of the registers 155 - 158 to store the priority of the incoming data packet . the original priority is stored in both the priority value of the header and the promoted priority value positions . thus the circuitry of the present invention provides with the priority and stream arbitration circuitry of the above - mentioned patent applications , a type of priority arbitration which is accomplished in two places . at the source node , this arbitration determines the next header to launch ; at the destination node , the arbitration determines the next packet of data to present to the destination component . the circuitry provides that if a header has been launched and its priority has been promoted , this promoted priority is passed on to the destination node to update the copy of the header at that node . this may have the effect of changing the packet of data which is next selected for transfer to the destination if the destination has not yet begun the transfer of the packet . if the transfer of the packet has been completed but the source has not yet been notified , then the promotion is ignored . an especially important aspect of the invention will be noted by those skilled in the art . since the oldest header of the highest priority available at a source node is always chosen for priority promotion , the fact of promotion has no effect on the order in which the information available at the source node is presented . even though the particular packet may be presented sooner than packets of higher priority from other sources , it is presented in the same order as it would otherwise have appeared from its source . thus , order is maintained even though priority values are promoted . although the present invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , it will be appreciated that various modifications and alterations might be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the invention should therefore be measured in terms of the claims which follow . | 7 |
the detailed embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein . it should be understood , however , that the disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention , which may be embodied in various forms . therefore , the details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and / or use the invention . in the method of the present invention a kit 10 is supplied having a dispensing squeeze container 22 of a visible or near visible light curable polymer 24 in the form of a fluid or gel of a first viscosity as shown in fig1 or a container 42 of a lower viscosity “ clay - type ” visible or near visible light curable polymer 26 in the form of a gel as shown in fig4 , various preformed molds 20 and hand malleable molds 40 , and a visible or near visible light source in the form of a battery powered flashlight 50 capable of providing sufficient curing energy to the fluid / gel . when the gel is placed in one of the molds the light source is used to crosslink the components in the gel into a form a solid . the kit 10 may also include a toy oven 70 having mounted therein a visible or near visible light source , leds 72 , capable of curing the visible or near visible light curable material . generally the curing light wavelength ranges between 350 - 750 nm . additionally , the kit 10 will include transparent sheets 60 to which the polymer does not adhere for example , polychlorotrifluoroethylene ( pctfe ). these sheets are used under the molds or without any molds , as shown in fig5 , if a user wants to create their own designs and the light curable polymer is dispensed thereon such that it can be easily removed therefrom after curing . fig1 - 7 show various objects being created with different viscosity materials and with preformed molds , malleable molds and no molds . the present invention utilizes light activated radiation - curable , polymeric composition , such as an ultraviolet - curable formulation of an unsaturated resin , a monomer and a photo initiator , and a viscosity modifier and a filler . the radiation - curable compositions employed in the invention are preferably those photo - curable acrylate systems which comprise in combination an unsaturated resin or polymer , a multifunctional cross - linking diluent and a small amount of a photo initiator , and optionally other additives , such as synergistic or small amounts of photo synergists , reactive and nonreactive oligomers , and when desired , stabilizers , antioxidants , dyes , pigments , fillers , and the like . the moldable material of the present invention is safe for children to use , gelatinous or malleable in nature at room temperature , but is curable to a solid when placed in a mold and exposed to visible or near visible light at room temperature . the visible or near visible light curable unsaturated resins employed in the present formulation may be composed of a variety of materials which include , but are not limited to , acrylated polyethers , acrylated polyester - based urethanes , methacrylate polyesters , acrylated epoxy resins . the multifunctional monomers are typically cross - linking di and multifunctional acrylates , such as , for example , neopentyl glycol diacrylate , hexanediol diacrylate , pentaerythritol triacrylate and trimethylolpropane triacrylate . optionally , photo - curable formulations may include a monofunctional acrylate diluent , such as 2 - ethylhexylacrylate , hydroxyethylacrylate , isodecylacrylate , methylcellosolve acrylate , cellosolve acrylate and the like . various nonreactive additives , such as oligomers and polymers , may be employed typically in minor amounts , such as , for example , polyvinyl acetate resins . the ultraviolet photo - curable formulations require the presence of a small initiating amount of a photo initiator , such as , for example , in acrylates the use of benzophenone , benzoinethylether or 2 , 2 - diethoxyacetophenone . such initiators are known to those skilled in the art , such as camphor quinone . in the preferred process as described and set forth herein , the radiation , cross - linkable , curable , polymer formulations are cross - linked employing light radiation , and particularly ultraviolet ( visible or near visible light ) light , to effect cross - linking and curing . it is recognized that a wide variety of radiation may be employed utilizing various ionizing radiation doses , for example , greater than 0 . 1 , such as 0 . 1 to 10 , megarads , and may also be employed to obtain a high degree of crosslinking . such method of radiation may be employed where economy permits such technique of curing of the polymers with a portable visible or near visible light lamp or other sources which produce visible or near visible light energy to effect cross - linking of the curable polymer . radiation and crosslinking can be desirably effected at room or production temperatures , but if desired , may also be effected at slightly lower or elevated temperatures , particularly if such temperatures are useful in providing increased curing speeds . in ultraviolet - curable formulations , the formulation , particularly as a formed article , is exposed for a short period of time , typically 5 to 240 seconds , preferably less than a minute , to an ultraviolet source , such as a portable light sources such as led flashlight ; ac or dc powered light sources with an led array embedded in a housing of varying sizes ( as small as a lunch box or as large as an oven ), or a mercury vapor lamp , to accomplish the desired polymerization . the preformed and hand malleable molds of the present invention can be formed from a variety of materials . the preformed molds can be made of any material , preferably material that permits the passage of visible or near visible light to cure and solidify the contained gel . the hand malleable molds may consist of a soft flexible metal or elastomer that can be used to form a retaining outer perimeter that is shaped into the desired form . the perimeter mold can be placed on a suitable surface such as wax paper , aluminum foil or any surface that would enable easy removal of the cross - linked product from its surface . these hand malleable or moldable perimeter molds will inspire creativity in children since they will be the creator of the final mold design . after the gel material has hardened in the respective mold cavities , the child simply removes the formed parts from the respective mold cavities . when a toy oven having a visible or near visible light source mounted therein is used , the mold can be removed immediately unlike heated molds that cannot be removed from the oven until it has cooled to a predetermined safe temperature . the visible or near visible light curable polymers of the present invention can be formulated in any color and mixtures of different colors can be put into or mixed in any mold . alternatively , food coloring 30 could be used to formulate any color , and the choice of color is only limited by the children &# 39 ; s imagination . once the product has been cured it can be further decorated using paints or markers which can be enclosed as part of the kit 10 or obtained separately . in accordance with the preferred embodiment , one or more molds , several visible or near visible light curable plastic resin materials packaged in light shielding squeeze tubes and a light source are sold together as a kit . any conventional packaging may be employed , for example , a carton , or a bubble pack in which at least one mold and visible or near visible light curable plastic material squeeze tube is included . the kit 10 may also include a toy oven having a visible or near visible light source preferably powered by batteries , instead of ac source . although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that variations and modifications are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention . also , plastic materials light curing resins other than those identified herein may be used . such materials will change state when exposed to visible or near visible light and will be safe for children to use . while the preferred embodiments have been shown and described , it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the invention by such disclosure , but rather , is intended to cover all modifications and alternate constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . fig1 is a schematic view of the battery cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , a cooling system of a movable body 20 according to the present invention is applied to a battery cooling device of a hybrid electric - internal combustion vehicle 20 . an engine 1 as an internal combustion engine and an electric motor 2 constitute a driving source for driving . output power from the engine 1 and the electric motor 2 is controlled in accordance with the driving condition of the vehicle . a battery 3 designates a secondary battery for supplying electric power to the main electric motor 2 . a radiator 4 is a heat exchanger which exchanges heat between cooling water for cooling the engine 1 and outside air to cool the cooling water . a heater 5 heats air blowing into a passenger compartment by using the cooling water as a heat source . part of the cooling water flowing out of the engine 1 bypasses the radiator 4 and returns to the engine 1 through a bypass 4 a , so that the engine 1 is prevented from cooling too much , or super cooling . a thermostat 4 b is a flow rate control valve that adjusts amounts of the cooling water flowing through the radiator 4 and the bypass 4 a for the purpose of controlling the temperature of the engine 1 within a predetermined range . a water pump 1 a circulates the cooling water . the area enclosed with alternate long and short dashed lines is a refrigerator 6 operated by the waste heat of the engine 1 , namely employing the rankine cycle type of heat cycle . the structure of the refrigerator 6 will now be described . a waste heat recovery circuit 7 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the cooling water and refrigerant to recover the waste heat from the engine 1 as a first heating element . the refrigerant heated by the waste heat recovery circuit 7 becomes superheated vapor . an ejector 8 functions as a pump ( refer to jis z 8126 no . 2 . 1 . 2 . 3 and the like ) and ejects the refrigerant , which is superheated vapor , at high speed in order to circulate the refrigerant with the use of the entrainment effect of the fluid ejected at high speed . the ejector 8 includes a nozzle , a mixing section , a diffuser and the like . the nozzle converts pressure energy of the high - pressure refrigerant flowing therein into speed energy , and isentropically expands the refrigerant with a pressure reduction . in the mixing section , a refrigerant flow ejected from the nozzle is mixed with gas - phase refrigerant drawn and evaporated by the entrainment effect of the refrigerant flow ejected from the nozzle at high speed . the diffuser converts speed energy into pressure energy to increase the pressure of the refrigerant , while the refrigerant ejected from the nozzle is mixed with the refrigerant drawn from an evaporator 11 . in the mixing section , an actuation flow ejected from the nozzle is mixed with a drawn suction flow in such a manner as to conserve the sum of the momentums of the actuation flow and the suction , so that the pressure of the refrigerant ( static pressure ) increases . in the diffuser , on the other hand , the cross - sectional area of the path gradually enlarges to convert speed energy ( dynamic pressure ) of the refrigerant into pressure energy ( static pressure ). therefore , both the mixing section and the diffuser increase the pressure of the refrigerant in the ejector 8 . to accelerate the speed of the refrigerant ejected from the nozzle to higher than sonic velocity , this embodiment adopts a laval nozzle ( refer to “ fluid engineering ” ( university of tokyo press )) having a throat portion in which the cross - sectional area is smallest midway along the path , but a convergent nozzle is also applicable . a radiator 9 is a heat exchanger that cools the refrigerant flowing out of the ejector 8 . a cooling air switching device 10 serving as a cooling air switching means , switches the air to supply the radiator 9 for heat radiation , that is , air inside the passenger compartment or that outside . an evaporator 11 functions as a cooler that cools cooling air . cooling air functions as a cooling fluid for cooling the battery 3 . the evaporator 11 exchanges heat between the decompressed liquid - phase refrigerant and cooling air and evaporates the liquid - phase refrigerant in order to generate refrigerating capacity . a throttle 12 decompresses the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 11 . this embodiment adopts a decompression means the degree of opening of which is fixed , such as a capillary tube , an orifice and the like . a decompression device such as a thermal expansion valve may be used instead , the degree of opening of which is varied to control the degree of superheat of the refrigerant on an outlet side of the evaporator 11 within predetermined values . a gas - liquid separator 13 separates the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator 9 into gas - phase refrigerant and liquid - phase refrigerant , and accumulates extra refrigerant . the gas - liquid separator 13 supplies the gas - phase refrigerant to the waste heat recovery circuit 7 via a refrigerant pump 14 , and the liquid - phase refrigerant to the evaporator 11 . the refrigerant pump 14 supplied the waste heat recovery circuit 7 with the refrigerant drawn from the gas - liquid separator 13 . the refrigerant pump 14 generates a certain level of discharge pressure , which prevents the superheated vapor generated in the waste heat recovery circuit 7 from flowing backward in the direction of the gas - liquid separator 13 . an air blower 15 supplies the radiator 9 with airflow for radiation . an air blower 16 disposed upstream of airflow of the evaporator 11 draws air from the inside of the passenger compartment , and supplies the battery 3 with a cool airflow . both the air blowers 15 , 16 and the cooling air switching device 10 are controlled by an electronic control system , into which the temperature of the battery 3 detected by a battery temperature sensor is input . the electronic control system controls air blowing by the air blowers 15 , 16 in four positions being off , lo , me , and hi , from a stop condition to a possible maximum blowing level . the general operation of the refrigerator 6 will now be described . the superheated vapor , flowing from the waste heat recovery circuit 7 into the nozzle , makes the ejector 8 function as a pump . since the refrigerant starts circulating in the order of ; the gas - liquid separator 13 , the throttle 12 , the evaporator 11 , the ejector 8 , and the gas - liquid separator 13 , cooling air cooled by the evaporator 11 blows on the battery 3 . the refrigerant sent to the waste heat recovery circuit 7 by the refrigerant pump 14 , on the other hand , flows into the ejector 8 after being heated by the waste heat recovery circuit 7 . it is preferable that only the gas - phase refrigerant is supplied to the waste heat recovery circuit 7 , but both the gas - phase refrigerant and the liquid - phase refrigerant may be supplied . fig2 shows the relationship between the temperature of air for radiation and the refrigerating capacity generated by the evaporator 11 when the types of refrigerant and the temperature of waste heat function as parameters . now , the general operation of the battery cooling device will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in fig3 . control flow starts in association with a vehicle actuation switch . upon turning on the actuation switch , the air blowers 15 , 16 are stopped , and the cooling air switching device 10 is in an outside air intake mode in which outside air is taken or drawn ( s 1 o ). then , it is determined whether the temperature tb of the battery 3 ( detected by the battery temperature sensor ) is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature to ( s 20 ). when the temperature tb of the battery 3 is higher than the predetermined temperature to , the electronic control system actuates the air blower 16 for evaporator 11 at lo level ( s 30 ). the predetermined temperature to designates the proper temperature for actuating the battery 3 ( 40 degrees centigrade , for instance ). at this time , since the air blower 15 for the radiator 9 is stopped , the evaporator 11 barely generates the refrigerating capacity . thus , the temperature of cooling air supplied to the battery 3 is almost equal to that of air inside the passenger compartment . in the event the temperature tb of the battery 3 does not reach the predetermined temperature to or lower ( s 40 ) in spite of carrying out the cooling mode in s 30 , the air blower 16 for the evaporator 11 is switched to me level so as to increase an amount of cooling air blowing on the battery 3 ( s 50 ). in the event the temperature tb of the battery 3 does not reach the predetermined temperature to or lower ( s 60 ) in spite of carrying out the cooling mode in s 50 , the air blower 15 for the radiator 9 is actuated at lo level . therefore , the evaporator 11 generates the refrigerating capacity so that the temperature of the cooling air supplied to the battery 3 decreases ( s 70 ). in a case where the temperature tb of the battery 3 does not reach the predetermined temperature to or lower ( s 80 ) in spite of carrying out the cooling mode in s 70 , the air blower 15 for the radiator 9 is switched to me level so as to increase the refrigerating capacity of the evaporator 11 . therefore , the temperature of cooling air supplied to the battery 3 further decreases ( s 90 ). when the temperature tb of the battery 3 does not reach the predetermined temperature to or lower ( s 100 ) in spite of carrying out the cooling mode in s 90 , the temperature tam of air outside the passenger compartment is compared with that tr of air inside the passenger compartment , in order to take air at a lower temperature in the radiator 9 ( s 11 o and s 120 ). in this embodiment , since the cooling system is used in a hot season like summer , an inside air intake mode is carried out generally to take air inside the passenger compartment . in a cool season like winter , however , an outside air intake mode may be carried out . in a usual operation , the refrigerator 6 and the air blowers 15 , 16 are selected depending on their performances , so that the temperature of the battery 3 decreases to the predetermined temperature to or lower in the cooling modes up to s 120 . there should be a case , however , where the temperature tb of the battery 3 excessively increases due to an accident such as a leakage of current . accordingly , in this embodiment , when the temperature tb of the battery 3 does not reach the predetermined temperature to or lower in the cooling modes up to s 120 ( s 130 ), both the air blowers 15 , 16 are switched to hi level to blow the possible maximum amount of air as an emergency cooling mode ( s 140 ). in the emergency cooling mode , a warning device such as a warning lamp , an alarm , and the like actuate to warn a driver . the characteristics of the present invention will be hereinafter described . in this embodiment , since the refrigerator 6 operated by the waste heat from the engine 1 cools the battery 3 , it is possible to operate the cooling system of the battery 3 with much less energy , as compared with cooling the battery by conditioned air . comparing the temperature tam of air outside the passenger compartment with that tr of air inside it , air at a lower temperatures supplied to the radiator 9 . accordingly , the cooling system of the battery 3 operates with further less energy , and the cooling capacity for the battery 3 is improved . since air outside the passenger compartment is supplied to the radiator 9 for radiation , in other words , for the cooling air increase modes ( s 20 to s 50 ) and the radiation air increase modes ( s 60 to s 90 ) are carried out as the outside air intake mode , the heat load of the air conditioning system is minimally affected . namely , the battery 3 is cooled while an increase in the temperature of air inside the passenger compartment due to cooling the battery 3 is kept at a minimum . since the cooling air switching device 10 is actuated after switching the cooling mode in order of the cooling air increase mode and the radiation air increase mode , the battery 3 is cooled while restraining any increase in the consumption of energy of the battery cooling device . when the cooling air increase modes and the radiation air increase modes are carried out , the amounts of air blown by the air blowers 15 , 16 are less than the possible maximum amount of the air blown . accordingly , the battery 3 is cooled while restraining any increase in noise due to blowing air . since the cooling system has an emergency cooling mode , the battery 3 is cooled while restraining any increase in noise due to the air blowing in normal operation , and the temperature tb of the battery 3 rapidly decreases when the temperature tb has abnormally increased . in the above embodiment , the cooling system is actuated under the outside air intake mode , but the present invention is not limited thereto . comparing the temperature tam of air outside the passenger compartment with that tr of air inside , for example , the cooling system may be actuated under a condition that air at a lower temperature is supplied to the radiator 9 . in the above embodiment , the air blower 16 blows air drawn from the inside of the passenger compartment into the evaporator 11 , but , for example , air outside the passenger compartment may be drawn instead . otherwise , comparing the temperature tam of air outside the passenger compartment with that tr of air inside , air at a lower temperature may be drawn . the refrigerator 6 of a gas compression refrigerating system with the ejector 8 is used in the above embodiment , but , for example , an adsorption or absorption refrigerating machine may be used instead . the waste heat from the engine 1 operates the refrigerator 6 in the above embodiment , but waste heat from electronic equipment such as an inverter and the like may be used instead . thus , the present invention is also applicable to a vehicle other than a hybrid electric - internal combustion vehicle . in the above embodiment , the capacity of the air blown is controlled in four levels , but the present invention is not limited thereto . additionally , the battery 3 is cooled by air blowing thereon , but the present invention is not limited thereto . circulating liquid such as water may cool the battery 3 . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , 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 . | 8 |
referring to fig1 , the method s 100 in an embodiment of the present invention for non - fluorescence higher harmonic generation ground state depletion super - resolution microscopy includes the steps of : providing an organic material unit ( step s 10 ), focusing excitation light and ground state depletion light ( step s 20 ), generating a higher harmonic signal ( step s 30 ), performing ground state depletion ( step s 40 ), and performing microscopic imaging ( step s 50 ). referring to fig1 and fig2 , the step s 10 of providing an organic material unit uses an organic material unit 10 which includes a plurality of molecules each having a plurality of electrons e . each electron e has an energy band with energy of hv , wherein h is the planck constant ( 6 . 626 × 10 ^− 34 ) and v is a frequency expressed in the unit of hertz ( hz ). when excited by energy of hv , the electrons e jump from the ground state s 0 to the singlet state s 1 . as shown in fig2 , once the electrons e in the ground state s 0 are excited and jump to the singlet state s 1 , some of the electrons e in the singlet state s 1 are transferred from the singlet state s 1 to the triplet state t 1 through inter - system crossing ( isc ). more specifically , some of the electrons e in the singlet state s 1 undergo inter - system crossing from the singlet state s 1 to the triplet state t 1 due to the fact that the orbitals in which the electrons e revolve about the atom &# 39 ; s nucleus overlap , or that the spin directions of the electrons e are non - conservative or unstable . there is significant inter - system crossing in the organic material unit 10 . referring to fig1 and fig3 , the method s 100 for non - fluorescence higher harmonic generation ground state depletion ultra - resolution microscopy can be carried out via an optical system 100 . the optical system 100 may include a long - wavelength ultrafast pulse laser 20 , a short - wavelength continuous - wave laser 30 , two laser collimation units a 1 , a light combining unit a 2 , an objective lens a 3 , and a photodetector dr . the step s 20 of focusing excitation light and ground state depletion light is now described with reference to fig1 and fig3 . to begin with , the laser collimation units a 1 respectively collimate the excitation light 21 projected by the long - wavelength ultrafast pulse laser 20 and the ground state depletion light 31 projected by the short - wavelength continuous - wave laser 30 . then , the collimated excitation light 21 and the collimated ground state depletion light 31 are combined by the light combining unit a 2 , in order for the objective lens a 3 to focus the combined excitation light 21 and ground state depletion light 31 onto a plurality of test positions 11 of the organic material unit 10 sequentially . the test positions 11 are located on the surface of the organic material unit 10 that is irradiated by the focused excitation light 21 and the focused ground state depletion light 31 . the term “ ultrafast pulse ” means that the pulse width of the long - wavelength ultrafast pulse laser 20 is selected to be less than 1 picosecond . referring to fig1 , fig3 , fig4 a , and fig4 b , the step s 30 of generating a higher harmonic signal involves irradiating the test positions 11 of the organic material unit 10 with the focused excitation light 21 . as a result , the electrons e of the molecules at the test positions 11 are excited and jump from the ground state s 0 to the singlet state s 1 , and the molecules induce a higher harmonic generation signal whose frequency is a multiple of v . referring to fig1 , fig3 , and fig4 a , if the wavelength of the excitation light 21 emitted by the long - wavelength ultrafast pulse laser 20 is selected to be twice as long as the wavelength corresponding to the frequency v , the sum of the energy of a biphoton ( two photons ) of the excitation light 21 will be hv , which is sufficient to excite the electrons e at the test positions 11 from the ground state s 0 to the singlet state s 1 and cause the molecules of the organic material unit 10 to induce a second harmonic generation signal f 2 whose frequency is twice that of the excitation light 21 . referring to fig1 , fig3 , and fig4 b , if the wavelength of the excitation light 21 emitted by the long - wavelength ultrafast pulse laser 20 is selected to be three times as long as the wavelength corresponding to the frequency v , the sum of the energy of a triphoton ( three photons ) of the excitation light 21 will be hv , which is sufficient to excite the electrons e at the test positions 11 from the ground state s 0 to the singlet state s 1 and cause the molecules of the organic material unit 10 to induce a third harmonic generation signal f 3 whose frequency is three times that of the excitation light 21 . in the following step s 40 of performing ground state depletion , referring to fig1 to fig3 , the focused ground state depletion light 31 of the short - wavelength continuous - wave laser 30 is projected to the electrons e at the test positions 11 that are in the ground state s 0 , with a view to depleting the electrons e . the electrons e will be excited and jump to the singlet state s 1 , and some of the electrons e will undergo inter - system crossing to the triplet state t 1 . according to physics , the time it takes for an electron e in the triplet state t 1 to return to the ground state s 0 ( i . e ., the lifetime of the electron ) is much longer than the time it takes for an electron e in the singlet state s 1 to return to the ground state s 0 ( i . e ., the lifetime of the electron ). moreover , as previously mentioned , there is significant inter - system crossing in the organic material unit 10 . therefore , irradiating the organic material unit 10 with the focused ground state depleting light 31 will cause the irradiated electrons e to stay in the triplet state t 1 most of the time such that ground state depletion ( gsd ) is achieved . when the organic material unit 10 undergoes ground state depletion , the depletion of ground - state electrons e reduces non - linear absorption of the organic material unit 10 , thus allowing modulation of strength of the higher harmonic generation signal induced by the organic material unit 10 . herein , the term “ short wavelength ” means that the wavelength of the short - wavelength continuous - wave laser 30 is selected to be a wavelength corresponding to the frequency v . to carry out the step s 50 of performing microscopic imaging , referring back to fig1 to fig3 , the higher harmonic generation signal induced by the molecules at the test positions 11 of the organic material unit 10 is received by the photodetector dr in order for a microscopic imaging device of the sted system to generate an ultra - resolution microscopic image corresponding to the organic material unit 10 . modulation of the higher harmonic generation signal helps enhance the resolution of the image of the organic material unit 10 obtained from the step s 50 of performing microscopic imaging , and this contributes to expanding the applicability of sted microscopy substantially . referring to fig5 , the optical system 100 implementing the method s 100 for non - fluorescence higher harmonic generation ground state depletion ultra - resolution microscopy may further include a spiral phase plate 50 provided between the short - wavelength continuous - wave laser 30 and the light combining unit a 2 . once the collimated ground state depletion light 31 passes through the spiral phase plate 50 , the center of the light is twisted like eccentric spirals that meet in opposite directions every 180 degrees . when subsequently focused by the objective lens a 3 , the spirals at the center of the ground state depletion light 31 cancel each other due to their difference in phase , forming an annular distribution of light . on the other hand , referring to fig3 or fig5 , the light combining unit a 2 can be a dichroic mirror for combining the collimated excitation light and the collimated ground state depletion light . the selection of the dichroic mirror is based mainly on the mirror &# 39 ; s permeability to the excitation light . the higher the permeability to the excitation light is , the better the microscopic imaging result will be . as shown in fig5 , the excitation light 21 , the ground state depletion light 31 , and the signal light 80 in the optical system 100 lie on the same optical axis ( optical path ). hence , a band pass filter 60 can be provided upstream of the photodetector dr , which serves to receive the signal light 80 . the band pass filter 60 will filter out the excitation light 21 and the ground state depletion light 31 so that the photodetector dr receives only the higher harmonic generation signal . since higher harmonic generation signals are difficult to obtain , the photodetector dr in the optical system 100 can be a photomultiplier tube ( pmt ) for receiving the signal light 80 , converting the received signal light 80 into an electrical signal , and then increasing the strength of the electrical signal with an amplifier to facilitate subsequent imaging . the embodiments described above are intended only to demonstrate the technical concept and features of the present invention so as to enable a person skilled in the art to understand and implement the contents disclosed herein . it is understood that the disclosed embodiments are not to limit the scope of the present invention . therefore , all equivalent changes or modifications based on the concept of the present invention should be encompassed by the appended claims . | 6 |
referring to fig1 the unassembled parts of a housing include : a lid member 10 , a base member 20 and a connector 30 . the lid member 10 includes a lid section 11 and a lid edge section 12 . the lid edge section 12 extends along all of three sides of lid section 11 and a portion of the fourth side , with an opening left for connector 30 . lid edge section 12 thus makes up a portion of a side wall of the assembled housing . the base member 20 includes a base section 21 of the housing and a base edge section 22 , that also extends along all of three sides of base section 21 and a portion of a fourth side , and includes a complementary portion of the side wall of the housing . the lid edge section 12 and base edge section 22 are shown in a form in accordance with the cfa standards and therefore some additional features are shown , including insertion guides 15 and 25 , that are unique to that specific application and well known and therefore will not be further discussed . the connector 30 is electrically coupled to an electrical device ( not shown ) by a plurality of pins 31 . pins 31 extend across the entire width of connector 30 but , for the sake of clarity , only a portion of the pins are shown in the figures . the configuration of pins 31 and the details of the various methods of attaching them to an electrical device are well known in the art . pins 31 are also coupled to an interface ( not shown ) in the face 32 of connector 30 . this interface may be selected from the group of standard interfaces set by cfa , pcmcia , jedic , iso , or others . when assembled , the housing is substantially card - shaped , with lid section 11 and base section 21 defining the flat surfaces of the card and includes a shallow side wall made up of lid edge section 12 and base edge section 22 with an opening in one end for connector 30 . during assembly , connector 30 is positioned between lid member 10 and base member 20 and lid member 10 and base member 20 are joined to each other and to connector 30 . it is through this joining of all three components that a rigid housing with the required structural integrity is formed . referring to fig1 a , lid member 10 is joined to base member 20 and to connector 30 to form a completed housing . this joining is advantageously accomplished by use of a mating means included in lid member 10 and base member 20 and by sonic welding lid member 10 and base member 20 to each other and to connector 30 . a small - format electrical device 60 is shown in outline form attached to pins 31 of connector 30 and enclosed inside the assembled housing . an embodiment of the interface at face 32 and of the complete insertion guide ( 15 and 25 ) may be more clearly seen in fig1 a . referring to fig2 connector 30 is a standard , unmodified connector . connector 30 includes a first parallel surface 30a and a second parallel surface 30b that are continuous surfaces and are defined by the body of connector 30 behind its face 32 . pins 31 extend from an interface ( not shown ) in face 32 , pass between first and second parallel surfaces 30a and 30b and attach to a small - format electrical device ( not shown ) at a point toward the back of connector 30 . lid member 10 and base member 20 further include a means for mating to connector 30 . the mating means of lid member 10 includes a region of reduced thickness 41 in lid section 11 and at least one raised member 42 , i . e ., member 42 is raised relative to the under surface of lid section 11 and extends downwardly in the orientation shown in fig2 . raised member 42 projects sufficiently to engage first parallel surface 30a of connector 30 . base member 20 also includes a region of reduced thickness 43 with at least one raised member 44 , which is raised from the inner surface of base section 21 sufficiently to engage second parallel surface 30b of connector 30 . in practice , there may be several members 42 spaced throughout the region of reduced thickness 41 of lid section 11 and several members 44 spaced throughout the region of reduced thickness 43 of base section 21 . the shape of the raised members is not critical and may be , for example , conical as shown , hemispherical , cubical , cylindrical , rectilinear , pyramid - shaped or of other configurations . in one embodiment of a cfa housing , the regions of reduced thickness 41 and 43 are about 0 . 012 inches thick , conical members 42 and 44 are about 0 . 020 inches in diameter at their base and about 0 . 008 inches high . outside of the regions of reduced thickness 41 and 43 , lid section 11 and base section 21 are themselves about 0 . 020 inches thick . referring to fig2 a , when assembled with the electrical device in place , the regions of reduced thickness 41 and 43 overlap and mate with connector 30 behind its face 32 so that raised members 42 and 44 come in contact with connector 30 . also , lid edge section 12 mates with base edge section 22 . when constructed of a suitable thermoplastic material , the parts may then be joined together by sonic welding such that raised members 42 and 44 partially melt and flatten , as shown , forming a strong bond with connector 30 . lid edge section 12 and base edge section 22 , under pressure supplied during the welding process , also partially melt and merge to form the solid side wall of the completed housing . the bonding of lid member 10 and base member 20 to each other and to connector 30 results in a rigid housing completely enclosing the electrical device ( not shown ) wherein connector 30 is held firmly in place . the joining of the parts of the housing is advantageously accomplished by sonic welding . the various techniques of this method , including the use of shear welds and energy directors , is well known in the art and need not be further discussed as the particular sonic welding technique is not critical . referring to fig3 the means for mating includes a plurality of substantially parallel raised members 51 located on the inner surface of lid section 11 . the means for mating further includes a plurality of substantially parallel raised members 52 located on the inner surface of base section 21 . connector 30 includes a first parallel surface 33 and a second parallel surface 34 that are defined by the body of connector 30 behind its face 32 . unlike the standard connector shown in fig2 the first and second parallel surfaces 33 and 34 of connector 30 of the embodiment of fig3 are discontinuous and include recesses 53 and 54 , respectively . like the standard connector , however , pins 31 extend from an interface ( not shown ) in face 32 , pass between first and second parallel surfaces 33 and 34 and attach to an electrical device ( not shown ) at a point toward the back of connector 30 . the means for mating of fig3 further includes a plurality of recesses 53 in the first parallel surface 33 of connector 30 that correspond to the plurality of raised members 51 in lid section 11 , and a second plurality of recesses 54 in second parallel surface 34 that correspond to the plurality of raised members 52 in base section 21 . referring to fig3 a , when base , lid , and connector are assembled , the raised members 51 are seated in the plurality of recesses 53 so that lid member 10 mates with connector 30 in an interlocking - type arrangement . the raised members 52 of base section 21 mate with corresponding recesses 54 of connector 30 in the same fashion . with an electrical device in position ( not shown ), lid member 10 and base member 20 are then permanently joined to each other and to connector 30 by sonic welding , adhesive , application of heat or other method , to form a rigid integrated housing in which connector 30 is held firmly in place . as shown in fig3 a , when lid member 10 , base member 20 and connector 30 are constructed of a suitable thermoplastic material , the sonic welding process partially melts raised members ( 51 and 52 ), bonding them to the corresponding recesses ( 53 and 54 ) in connector 30 . again , lid edge section 12 and base edge section 22 , under pressure supplied during the welding process , also partially melt and merge to form the solid side wall of the completed housing . fig4 provides a more detailed view of an example of raised members 52 . as shown , raised member 52 is elongated and of substantially rectilinear shape . raised member 52 , however , is not perfectly rectangular in transverse cross - section but is tapered . this tapering results in an interior surface 55 facing toward the corresponding recess 54 in connector 30 having a reduced width relative to the overall width of the raised member 52 . the tapering of member 52 provides the improvements of making automatic assembly easier ( raised member 52 will seat more easily in corresponding recess 54 ) and an improved profile better suited to sonic welding . it has been found that a reduction in width of about 0 . 008 inches from the overall width of raised member 52 is sufficient to provide the advantageous taper . the number and configuration of raised members 51 and 52 and recesses 53 and 54 may be altered in many ways . the raised members may , for example , be hemispherical in shape and correspond to dimple - like recesses ; square post - like raised members may fit in corresponding square holes ; round pegs in round holes ; and the like . many other combinations of raised member / recess configurations may be devised that will serve the purposes of providing a means for mating formations of lid member 10 and base member 20 to corresponding formations of connector 30 . the mating means may also be formed by reducing the distance between first parallel surface 33 and second parallel surface 34 to allow connector 30 to be mated to a lid section 11 and base section 21 each having substantially uniform thickness . the reduction of the distance between first parallel surface 33 and second parallel surface 34 of connector 30 allows for a lid section 11 and base section 21 that may be thicker and therefore more structurally sound , yet still allow the overall thickness of the assembled housing to conform to the strict dimensional requirements of pc card applications . it has been found that a tough , rigid housing that conforms to the cfa standard may be assembled by sonic welding together a lid member 10 having a lid section 11 about 0 . 020 inches thick and a base member 20 having a base section 21 also about 0 . 020 inches thick and a connector 30 having a first parallel surface 33 and a second parallel surface 34 that are separated by about 0 . 100 inches . referring to fig5 connector 30 is again a standard , unmodified connector . the means for mating in the lid member 10 of this embodiment comprises a region of reduced thickness 41 in lid section 11 . the means for mating further comprises a raised &# 34 ; stop &# 34 ; member 45 that is adjacent and substantially parallel to the rear edge of the region of reduced thickness 41 . stop member 45 may be solid or broken , rectilinear , triangular , semi - cylindrical , or other shape . base member 20 includes its own region of reduced thickness 43 and raised stop member 46 . referring to fig5 a , when lid , base , and connector are assembled , the region of reduced thickness 41 overlaps connector 30 behind its face 32 and stop member 45 abuts the back of connector 30 . base member 20 and connector 30 fit together in a similar fashion . lid member 10 and base member 20 are joined to connector 30 by their respective stop members 45 and 46 either by sonic welding , adhesive , heat or other method . this joining is represented by the cross - hatched regions ( 47 and 48 ) in fig5 a , which are localized at the stop members ( 45 and 46 ). referring to fig6 base member 20 is constructed of injection molded plastic . when a part is injection molded , the plastic enters the mold through entry points called gates . according to conventional techniques , after a part is molded , it is typically necessary to mill the part to remove excess material that may be located at the gate points in the finished product . according to a further aspect of the invention , however , base member 20 is injection molded so that the gate points 23 are located in mating surface 24 of base edge section 22 . lid member 10 is molded in a similar fashion . when assembled , gate points 23 are hidden inside the finished housing and therefore there is no need to mill away any excess material . accordingly , an additional step may be removed from the process of assembling finished housings and provide a further savings in manufacturing time and cost . referring to fig7 a sonic welding apparatus 70 useful for assembling a housing is diagrammatically represented . such an apparatus is well known and is commercially available from , for example , branson ultrasonics corp . of danbury conn . horn 71 is situated over base 72 . holding fixture 73 is disposed on base 72 . holding fixture 73 includes well 74 for holding the components of a housing to be assembled . holding fixture 73 preferably also includes calibration slot 75 . calibration slot 75 allows the insertion of base plates ( not shown ) of various thicknesses to alter the depth of well 74 . this allows the same sonic welding apparatus 70 to be used to weld housings of various sizes and configurations . in practice , lid member 10 , base member 20 and connector 30 are arranged together with their mating means aligned properly and are placed in well 74 , which has been configured such that the lid member 10 extends above the surface of holding fixture 73 . horn 70 is then lowered so that its flat under - surface 71a comes in contact with lid member 10 . horn 70 applies downward pressure and ultrasonic energy to the housing , which results in the permanent joining of lid member 10 , base member 20 and connector 30 into an integrated housing . although shown mounted to base 72 , holding fixture 73 may be movably mounted on a suitable platform , a rotating table , for example , such that a plurality of holding fixtures may be continuously and automatically positioned under horn 70 , thereby increasing the efficiency of the welding process . other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . for example , the embodiments disclosed in the figures and discussed above show a housing conforming to the standards of the compact flash association ( cfa ). the invention applies more generally , however , to housings for small - format devices including , for example , those complying with the standards of pcmcia , jedic , iso , and others . the joining of lid member , base member and connector may also be accomplished with techniques other than sonic welding such as , for example , with adhesives , by the application of heat , with a chemical reaction , or by other methods . adhesives that may useful for joining the components of the housing are , for example , thermosetting resins and thermoplastic resins . further , the housing may be constructed of a variety of injection molded plastic materials including , for example , thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate , acrylic and others , and thermosetting resins such as epoxy , silicone , and others . in each case , care is to be taken to choose compatible materials for parts to be joined and the joining system . | 1 |
fig1 illustrates generally a typical inground swimming pool installation with which the present invention is particularly useful . a pool 10 has a shallow end 12 , a deep end 14 , and a normal water line 16 , a typical pool containing about 200 , 000 liters of water . the pool system includes means for circulating the pool water , the system including as well means for filtering and heating the water . the circulating system includes a drain 18 in the deep end 14 , a buried pipe or conduit 20 leading to a lint trap 22 and a circulation pump 24 , a conduit 26 leading to a filter 28 and then to a heater 30 , and a buried conduit or pipe 32 leading to one or more water inlets 34 in the pool side wall . the inlets 34 may be from 25 to 45 cm . below the pool lip , perhaps as much as 30 cm . below the normal water line 16 . a chlorinator 31 may be provided , connected to the conduits 20 and 26 . fig1 is schematic in nature and does not illustrate the exact location of the conduits and the pool equipment . for example , the hardware , such as the pump 24 , lint trap 22 , filter 28 , heater 30 and chlorinator 31 , would probably be housed in a shed ( not shown ) above ground while the drain conduit 20 would be buried over most of its length below the frost line . the inlet conduit 32 , however , would be buried above the frost line and any water therein would be subject to freezing during winter conditions . an inground swimming pool also has a skimmer 36 in the side wall , the skimmer being connected to the drain conduit 20 by a descending conduit 38 . the skimmer 36 helps to maintain the water level constant with any overflow returning to the drain conduit 20 via the conduit 38 . turning now to the remaining figures the present invention will be described . with particular reference to fig2 it will be seen that the present invention appears as a cofferdam 40 having side walls 42 , a front wall 44 , and a bottom wall 46 . the cofferdam is open at the top 48 and at the rear 50 . the front wall 44 may be arcuate as in fig2 and 5 ; it may be flat as in fig3 and 7 ; it may by polygonal as in fig8 ; or it may take any configuration that is practical . in each of the figures it will be seen that there is a groove 52 provided along the rear edge 54 of each side wall 42 and a groove 56 provided along the rear edge 58 of the bottom wall 46 . with particular reference to fig9 and 10 it will be seen that the rearwardly facing grooves may be formed as part of an outwardly directed flange 60 ( fig9 ) or as part of an inwardly directed flange 62 ( fig1 ). the flange 60 or 62 will appear on the bottom wall 46 as well as on each side wall 42 so as to ensure that the groove 56 is continuous around the rear edge of the device 40 . the groove 56 is intended to receive a sealant for temporarily adhering the device 40 to a pool side wall 12 . the sealant must have certain properties , including the ability to secure the cofferdam 40 to the pool side wall in the presence of water . it must also allow the cofferdam to be removed without undue difficulty and it must be such that it is easily cleaned from the pool side wall , if necessary , or from the device itself . extensive research has shown that a suitable material is the adhesive that a denture wearer would use to secure dentures within the mouth . such a material is formulated to be adhesively effective in a moist environment but it also allows removal of the adhered denture without undue effort . a denture adhesive such as is available under the trade mark &# 34 ; polident &# 34 ; has been found to work very well with the present invention . manufacturers of such adhesives occasionally find that they have produced product that does not meet the stringent standards set by government health agencies and such non - standard product could be packaged for sale with this invention rather than being destroyed . in order to winterize a pool 10 the owner will first of all lower the water level to just below that of the skimmer 36 so that no water will flow into the skimmer . this will involve lowering the level by only a few centimeters . he will then apply sealant to the groove 56 around the rear edge of a cofferdam 40 of this invention and he will then apply the cofferdam 40 to the pool side wall as seen in fig1 . the cofferdam 40 of the present invention is positioned with the bottom wall 46 located below the water inlet 34 and the side walls 42 outboard of the inlet . the cofferdam 40 extends to above the water line . in order to winterize the pool the owner next inserts his vacuum hose into the open upper end 48 cofferdam 40 and operates his pump until the water trapped in the cofferdam 40 is removed , along with any water that flows into the cofferdam from the inlet 34 and the second conduit 32 . once there is no more water being sucked from the conduit 32 the owner removes the vacuum hose from the cofferdam 40 and inserts a standard plug ( not shown ) into the inlet 34 . he can do this by reaching down into the cofferdam 40 from the open upper end 48 and threading or otherwise inserting the plug into the inlet . the cofferdam 40 is of such a size that an adult can insert his arm and can manoeuvre his hand therein , even with a spanner or any other tool that may be required to insert the plug into the insert . once the winterizing process is complete the cofferdam 40 is twisted and pulled from the pool side wall and any sealant residue washed therefrom . the water level can be raised again if desired or it can be left at its slightly lowered level until spring . if the pool has more than one inlet 34 it would be necessary to initially plug all but one inlet , with the cofferdam 40 being applied about the last , unplugged , inlet for water removal . the same procedure could be followed for the other inlets to ensure water removal from the conduits leading thereto . the foregoing has described the basic form of this invention . fig3 to 8 and 11 to 13 illustrate embodiments which are more convenient to use in that they provide a connection for the vacuum hose , meaning that the hose need not be inserted directly into the cofferdam 40 , as is the case with the basic embodiment of fig2 . when the hose is not located within the cofferdam device the pool owner can work inside the cofferdam 40 , as with the inlet plug , while the pump is still operating and water is being drawn from the cofferdam 40 and the conduit 32 . in the embodiment of fig3 and 6 the cofferdam 40 has a circular recess 64 in the front wall 44 ( or in the side wall 42 ) surrounding a circular opening 66 adjacent the bottom wall 46 . an insert 68 shown in fig1 and 12 can be thrust into the opening 66 and sealed thereto , with the vacuum hose being connectable to the insert . the insert 68 has a cylindrical body 70 , an annular flange 72 receivable in the recess 64 , a short cylindrical locking portion 74 , a frustoconical skirt 76 and an opening 78 in the body 70 . preferably , the opening 66 has a frustoconical surround 80 which , when the insert 68 is thrust into the opening 66 , will abut against the rear edge 82 of the skirt 76 to hold the insert in place . a narrow rib 84 is provided on the body 70 to help hold a valve closure member 86 in position on the body 70 , the member 86 being rotatable on the body 70 and having an opening 88 corresponding to the opening 78 in the body 70 . by rotating the member 86 relative to the body 70 one can control the vacuum level being applied to the cofferdam 40 when the vacuum hose is connected to the insert 68 , in the event that vacuum pressure is excessive , and to prevent the loss of prime at the pump . the insert 90 of fig1 operates in the same manner as the insert 68 but it can be attached to the cofferdam 40 by a threaded connection rather than by the bayonet connection of fig1 and 12 . in this case the insert 90 has a threaded end 92 adjacent the flange 72 and the opening 66 in the cofferdam 40 is also threaded , as at 94 , to receive the threaded end 92 . in fig4 , 7 and 8 the opening 66 is provided in a raised boss 96 on the front wall 44 of the cofferdam 40 . the opening 66 can be threaded as in fig1 or it can have a surround 80 as in fig1 and 12 . the boss 96 can be integrally molded with the cofferdam 40 or it can be attached thereto subsequently in a suitable manner , either by the manufacturer or by the pool owner . for ease of packaging , the insert 68 or 90 would be provided separately , for mating with the cofferdam 40 by the pool owner prior to utilization thereof . the cofferdam 40 of this invention is simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture , preferably from a suitable plastics material ( including recycled plastics ) yet it provides a significant advantage to the pool owner in the reduction of time and water wasted during the winterizing process . it also provides an advantage to the municipality by reducing the amount of water drained in the storm sewer system and by reducing the volume of untreated , chlorine - containing water released to community water systems , streams and rivers . perhaps , even , some municipalities could be persuaded to reduce the normal sewage surcharge that they apply to pool owners if the pool owner were to utilize the present invention so as to reduce the volume of water entering the sewer system . while the foregoing has described the basic form of the invention and certain alternative embodiments it is clear that a skilled person could alter the form of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof . thus the protection to be afforded this invention should be determined from the claims appended hereto . | 4 |
one example of a catalyst bed with an incorporated conductive medium is a large - pore foam ( approximately 10 pores / inch ) of conductive material such as silicon carbide , with catalyst granules residing in the pores . another example is a series of concentric cylinders of a small - pore ( approximately 80 pores per inch ) foam , again fabricated of silicon carbide as an example , with catalyst granules residing between pairs of adjacent cylinders . a third example is a small - pore pore ( approximately 80 pores per inch ) foam , either continuous or in particulate form , with the catalyst metal deposited directly on the surface of the foam . other known electrically conductive ceramics can serve as alternatives to silicon carbide . examples are rhenium oxides , chromium oxide , vanadium oxide , and titanium oxide . these examples will prompt persons who are familiar with these and similar materials to know that still further examples that utilize the same basic concepts can be used . as noted above , the catalyst is preferably a metal selected from platinum group metals or transition series metals or combinations of metals from these groups , and particularly preferred metals are iridium , platinum , rhodium , rhenium , and vanadium . a convenient form of the metals is as a deposit on a metal oxide support , such as aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide . catalysts of this type are products of rocket research corporation ( seattle , wash ., usa ) under product names beginning with the letters lch . examples are lch - 207 ( 12 % iridium on alumina ), lch - 210 ( 10 % platinum on alumina ), lch - 215 ( 12 % rhodium on alumina ), lch - 234 ( 5 % iridium on zirconia ), lch - 237 ( 5 % iridium on zirconia and cesium oxide ), and lch - 240 ( 5 % iridium on hafnium oxide ). granules ranging in size from 0 . 025 inch ( 0 . 064 cm ) to 0 . 050 inch ( 0 . 13 cm ) in diameter will be particularly effective when placed in the interstices of an open - cell foam of the electrically conductive material . the relative amounts of catalyst granules and electrically conductive material can vary . a typical range of the volumetric ratio of the catalyst granules to the electrically conductive material is from about 50 : 50 to about 90 : 10 , and a specific example is about 70 : 30 . the electrodes can be formed of any material that can withstand the high temperatures and pressures generated by the decomposition of the monopropellant . ceramic materials and metals are preferred . when placed along the axis of the gas flow , the electrodes can be perforated or otherwise fenestrated to allow the passage of gas ( or liquid at the entry end ) with at most a minimal pressure drop . perforated laminates of silicon carbide or composites of carbon and silicon carbide are examples . further examples are perforated sheets of rhenium or molybdenum - rhenium alloys . alternatively , the electrodes can be formed by depositing a refractory metal on the end surfaces of the conductive foam that is incorporated into the catalyst bed . in preferred embodiments of the invention , the reaction chamber in which the catalyst bed resides is electrically isolated from the adjacent components of the rocket motor or other equipment components with which the chamber is associated . electrical isolation can be achieved by conventional insulating materials . examples are non - conducting metal oxides and other ceramics , either in the form of plates or foams . the insulation will most often be placed radially relative to the direction of flow through the chamber , and in some cases the fore ( upstream ) and aft ( downstream ) ends of the chamber will be insulated as well . if placed at the fore and aft ends , the insulators will be perforated or fenestrated to allow passage of the fluid without a large pressure drop . at the aft end in particular , the insulation can also serve as a support to receive the impact of the flow of hot gases and to retain the catalyst and electrically conductive medium . this function can be achieved with a fiber - reinforced oxide or with a conical foam on whose surface alumina plasma has been sprayed . the dimensions of the reaction chamber are not critical to the invention and can vary . for rocket motors , the dimensions can be the same as those of conventional monopropellant rocket motors . for example , the catalyst bed can occupy an internal volume ranging in diameter from about 0 . 5 inch ( 1 . 3 cm ) to about 3 inches ( 7 . 6 cm ), and from about 1 inch ( 2 . 5 cm ) to about 3 inches ( 7 . 6 cm ) in length . the drawing attached hereto represents one example of an implementation of the invention . in this drawing , the thrust chamber 11 is cylindrical in shape and is shown with its fore end 12 on the left and its aft end 13 on the right . liquid monopropellant enters the chamber through an inlet port 14 at the fore end and hot gases pass through a convergent - divergent nozzle 15 at the aft end . the combination of catalyst and conductive medium 16 are retained in the chamber interior , bounded by a cylindrical sleeve 17 of electrically insulating material . the catalyst / conductive medium bed is bounded at the fore end with a perforated electrode 18 and at the aft end with a second perforated electrode 19 , each electrode joined to a power source 20 by lead wires 21 , 22 . in the claims appended hereto , the term “ a ” or “ an ” is intended to mean “ one or more .” the term “ comprise ” and variations thereof such as “ comprises ” and “ comprising ,” when preceding the recitation of a step or an element , are intended to mean that the addition of further steps or elements is optional and not excluded . all patents , patent applications , and other published reference materials cited in this specification are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . any discrepancy between any reference material cited herein or any prior art in general and an explicit teaching of this specification is intended to be resolved in favor of the teaching in this specification . this includes any discrepancy between an art - understood definition of a word or phrase and a definition explicitly provided in this specification of the same word or phrase . | 1 |
now , the expert system according to the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary or preferred embodiments thereof by reference to the drawings . in the expert system according to the invention , there is employed a backward fuzzy reasoning method in which an inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence is so solved that , when the number of causes is m and the number of results is n , whether or not a solution exists is checked to determine a computation equation for the solution , by using a checking matrix having m × n elements . accordingly , the theoretical operation amount is given by o ( mn ). more specifically , at the steps of the reasoning or inference method , solutions , i . e ., the m causes inferred through the fuzzy backward reasoning as an inverse problem of the fuzzy correspondence on the basis of the results and the causalities therebetween . assume that a fuzzy cause set containing m elements indicative of the causes , respectively , is represented by a ( a i | i = 1 , . . . , m ), a fuzzy result set containing n elements indicating results , respectively , is represented by b ( b j | j - 1 , . . . , n ), and a fuzzy causality set containing m × n elements indicating the causalities between the causes a i and the results b j is represented by r ( r ij ). then , the linguistic truth values indicating degrees of individual elements belonging to the result set b , as well as the linguistic truth values indicating certainties of individual elements contained in the causality set r are converted into numerical truth value intervals within 0 to 1 , respectively , to obtain a result matrix and a causality matrix . by performing ε - and ε - compositions on the result and causality matrices b and r , matrices u ={ u ij } and v ={ v ij } each having m × n e1ements are determined . then , the minimum of upper bound values , i . e ., the least upper bound value of the n elements for every row i of the matrix u except for those of the ewmpty sets is determined as follows : where u ij ( u ) represents the upper bound value of an element u ij of the matrix u . when j , i , u ij = φ , then this means that no solution exists . thus , the processing now being executed is terminated . that is , the ε - composition is represented by ## equ8 ## the ε - composition is represented by ## equ9 ## where [ a , b ] is an elements of the causality matrix r , c , d ] is an element of the result matrix b corresponding to [ a , b ], a and b in [ a , b ] are lower and upper bound values , respectively , and c and d in [ a , b ] are lower and upper bound values , respectively . thus , each element of the u matrix represents whether or not a corresponding element of a cause matrix a to be determined , i . e ., an element of the solution exists . that is , if [ a , b ]∩[ c , d ]= φ and b & lt ; c , the element u ij is set to be the empty set to represent no solution . when it is determined that the solution exists , the element is used to determine a numerical interval of the solution element . thus , the element has the possibility that it is the solution element and even if it is not the solution element , a part of the numerical interval for the element may be contained in the solution element . therefore , since the result matrix b is determined by the operation a ∘ r , i . e ., the max - min composition , the least upper bound value of elements in an i - th row of the u matrix except for elements of the empty sets can be determined as a upper bound value of an i - th element of the umin matrix . on the other hand , any element of the v matrix represents a numerical interval within which the operation for determining the lower bound value of an element of the cause matrix corresponding to a v matrix element is not influenced . a matrix c ={ c ij } having m × n elements is determined from the matrices u and v , where ## equ10 ## then , a sum csum j of the elements c ij is determined for every column j of the matrix c , as follows : ## equ11 ## thus , each element of the u matrix and a corresponding element of ther v matrix are compared with each other . if the element u ij is not the empty set and not equal to the eiement v ij , a flag of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is set in a corresponding element of the c matrix . that the element u ij is equal to the element v ij means that the numerical interval of the element u ij does not influence to the solution element since the numerical interval of the element v ij is determined to prevent the element v ij from influencing to the solution . therefore , in order to reduce the computation amount , the element u ij can be removed from a lower bound value determining operation for the solution element and the flag of &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is set in the element c ij corresponding to the element u ij . if c ij = 1 and u ij ( l ) & gt ; umin i , &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the element c ij is changed to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and the element csum j is decreased by one . when this operation results in that csum j = 0 , it is decided that no solution exists , and the processing comes to an end . parenthetically , u ij ( l ) represents a lower bound value of the element u ij . the e1ement umini of the umin matrix is a minimum value of the upper bound values of the elements u ij in the i - th row . therefore , any element of the u matrix having a larger lower bound value u ij ( l ) than a value of the element umin i is not absolutely used in the operation for determining the solution element . therefore , in order to remove the element from consideration of the lower bound value of the solution element , corresponding elements of the c matrix are changed into &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to obtain the modified c matrix . the i - th element a i of the solution a of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence is determined as follows : ( i ) when there is no column j , any element of which satisfies c ij = 1 and csum j = 1 , with respect to the i - th row of the matrix c , then ( ii ) when there exists at least one such column j , then ## equ12 ## where j t represents the column which satisfies the above condition . as the result of the operations described above , the i - th element a i of the solution a of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence is determined . by performing the processing described above on all the rows of the matrix c , there is obtained the solution in the expert system according to the present invention , the solution is displayed or the target apparatus is controlled in accordance with the solution . in this case , an element , i . e ., a cause having the maximum certainty of the solution may be used or elements , i . e ., causes each having higher certainty than a predetermined level may be used . in this step , it is required for existance of the solution that a corresponding element of the csum matrix is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. when the csum matrix element is &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ;, it means that two solution exist and the solution therefore is indeterminate . when the csum matrix element is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, it means that no solution exists . it is sufficient for existance of the solution that the csum matrix element is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and any element uij of a corresponding column . by virtue of the inventive arrangement of the procedures described above , a solution of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence can be determined as follows : ( i ) in case no column j satisfying c ij = 1 and csum i = 1 with respect to the i - th row of the matrix c , there are conceivable two cases which will be described below at ( i - 1 ) and ( i - 2 ), respectively . ( i - 1 ) case where no element c ij which is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; exists at the i - th row of the matrix c at all ( fig1 a ) in this case , all the elements of the i - th row of the matrix w k determined at the step 3 of the prior art method described hereinbefore corresponds to the elements of the matrix v . accordingly , in the case of ( i - 1 ), the i - th element of the solution of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence can be determined through the processing including the steps 4 to 6 of the prior art method , as follows : ( i - 2 ) case where element c ij satisfying &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; exists at the i - th row of the matrix c while no column satisfying csum j = 1 exists in this case , the column is represented by j q ( 1 ≦ q ≦ p ). here , let &# 39 ; s consider a matrix c k corresponding to the matrix w k in the prior art . there are conceivable two cases ( i ) and ( ii ) mentioned below . ( i ) case where such element exists which is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; at least any one of the columns j q at the i - th row of the matrix c k ( fig1 b ) in this case , i - th elements aki of a k i can be determined from the step 4 of the prior art solution . ## equ13 ## case where elements of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; are absent at all in the columns j q at the i - th row of the matrix c k ( fig1 c ) similarly to the case ( i ), the i - th elements a k i can be determined as follows : the solution of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence can be determined by summing a k determined in the step 4 of the prior art method , in accordance with the procedure described in conjunction with the step 6 of the latter . thus , from ( i ) and ( ii ), the i - th element of the solution of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence can be determined as follows : ## equ14 ## in this manner , the i - th element of the solution of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence in the case ( i ) can be determined from through the procedures ( i - 1 ) and ( i - 2 ), as follows : ( ii ) case where at least one j - th column which satisfies that c ij = 1 and the csum i = 1 exists at the i - th row of the matrix c . the column of this type is represented by j t ( 1 ≦ t ≦ s ). as described hereinbefore in conjunction with the case ( i - 2 ), a matrix c k is considered which corresponds to the matrix w k in the prior art solution method . there are ccnceivable two cases ( ii - 1 ) and ( ii - 2 ), which will be mentioned below . ( ii - 1 ) case where the elements which assume &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; at every column j t exist at the i - th row in the matrix c k . in this case , i - th element a k i of a k can be determined similarly to the aforementioned case ( i ) as follows : ## equ15 ## ( ii - 2 ) case where elements assuming &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; at other columns that those j t exist at the i - th row of the matrix c k ( fig1 e ) as described hereinbefore in conjunction with the case ( i ), i - th elements a k i of a k can be determined as follows : ## equ16 ## in accordance with the step 6 of the prior art solving method , solution of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence can be determined by summing a k determined in the step 4 of the prior art method . accordingly , the i - th element in the solution of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence in the case of ( ii ) can be determined as follows : ## equ17 ## as will be understood from the foregoing , in the method of solving the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence according to the present invention , the solution can be determined only from a product set and a sum set of the interval values of elements of the matrices u and v because the upper bound values of the interval values resulting from the ε - composition and the ε - composition are equal to each other . in other words , the solution can be obtained through only calculation of the maximum and minimum values . now , description will be turned to an exemplary embodiment of the expert system according to the present invention . fig4 shows a general arrangement of a fuzzy expert system . although the following description will be made in conjunction with an expert system for medical diagnoses , it should be understood that this is only for the purpose of illustration and the concept of the invention can equally be applied to other expert systems designed for other purposes such as fault diagnosis and others . referring to fig4 an electronic computer system 10 adapted for performing data input / output , data storage and control operations is composed of a fuzzy reasoning ( inference ) engine section 11 which serves for performing the backward fuzzy reasoning with the theoretical operation amount of 0 ( mn ) and which constitutes a center of the system , a causality knowledge database 12 , a causality knowledge processing section 13 , a symptomatic data processing section 14 , a membership function processing section 16 , a knowledge acquisition processing control section 17 , and a diagnosis processing control section 18 . the computer system 10 is connected to a man - machine interface section 19 to complete the whole system . next , description will be made of an operation of the expert system according to the first embodiment of the invention by reference to a flow chart shown in fig5 . for the operation of the illustrated expert system , a doctor starts the control section 17 and inputs to the section 13 data concerning disease and symptoms in a ltv ( linguistic truth values } manner to prepare a causality table required for the diagnosis at the database section 12 . an example of such table is shown in fig9 . membership functions in a ltv manner are previously established , as shown in fig1 , by the processing section 16 and stored in the database section 15 . translation of each ltv into a numerical interval is performed by the processing section 14 in accordance with a membership function and a preset α - cut value , e . g ., α = 0 . 8 in a manner illustrated in fig1 . needless to say , when the symptomatic data or the causality data are given in the form of numerical intervals within [ 0 , 1 ], the processing section 14 can be omitted . now suppose that a numerical interval is to be assigned to the ltv of &# 34 ; true &# 34 ;. in this case , a membership function true corresponding to the ltv of &# 34 ; true &# 34 ; is inputted from the database section 12 to the processing section 14 by the control section 18 to use for the α - cutting with α = 0 . 8 , as a result of which a numerical interval [ 0 . 8 , 1 ] is assigned to the ltv of &# 34 ; true &# 34 ;. parenthetically , the value for the α - cutting can be adjusted by the control section 18 . examples of the ltvs and the relevant membership function used in this illustrated embodiment are shown , being understood that these are only by way of example and may assume other different forms . true ( t )=˜ x ε . sub . [ 0 , 1 ] x / x ## equ18 ## completely false ( cf )= 1 / 0 +∫ x ε . sub . [ 0 , 1 ] 0 / x very very false ( vvf )=( false ) 3 false ( f )=∫ x ε . sub . [ 0 , 1 ] ( 1 - x )/ x ## equ19 ## unknown ( uk )=∫ x ε . sub . [ 0 , 1 ] 1 / x subsequently , at a step 100 shown in fig5 symptom ( result ) data b obtained by hearing the patient is inputted to the expert system 10 through the interface section 19 . of course , such data b may be inputted directly by the pertinent him - or herself . the inputting of the symptom data b is controlled by the control section 18 and may be executed , for example , in the form of reply to the oral inquiry by the doctor . at a step 200 , the control section 18 accesses the database section 12 and 15 to allow the processing section 14 to fretch therein the membership functions and the causality r . the causality r is translated from the ltv to a numerical interval to generate a causality matrix table r which is transferred to the fuzzy reasoning engine section 11 and stored in a memory 20 . the symptom data inputted from te control section 18 is translated into a numerical interval matrix table b by using the membership function and stored in the memory 20 by the engine section 11 . when the symptom data is numerical data such as bodily temperature , the symptom data is once translated into a corresponding ltv at the section 14 on the basis of the first membership function inputted from the database section 15 . each of the ltvs of the symptom ( result ) data b ( b 1 , . . . , b n ) and the causality data r ( γ ij | i = 1 - m , j = 1 - n ) read out from the database section 12 and representing correspondence relation to the data b is translated to a numerical interval containing an upper bound value ( u ) and a lower bound value ( l ) in accordance with the membership function established previously for each of the ltvs and a value preset for the α - cutting at the processing section 14 . for the ltv of &# 34 ; true &# 34 ;, the maximum upper bound value of the relevant numerical truth value is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; ( one ), while for the ltv of &# 34 ; false &# 34 ;, the minimum numerical truth value is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; ( zero ). further , when the symptoms themselves are expressed in terms of the ltvs of the same species ( such as exemplified by &# 34 ; very high temperature &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; considerably high temperature &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; slightly high temperature &# 34 ;, etc . ), the symptom data can straight forwardly be inputted to the second membership function . on the other hand , when the symptoms are expressed in terms of ltvs of different species ( such as exemplified by &# 34 ; very unwell &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; considerably unwell &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; slightly unwell &# 34 ;, etc . ), transformation of these ltvs is performed by using the first membership function . a simple example of the method of reasoning or inferring the causes from symptoms inputted will be shown below on the assumption that the number of the causes is three with that the symptoms being four , assuming further that the causalities r between the causes and the symptoms and the symptoms b are given as below . ## equ20 ## the ltvs are then translated into numerical truth values mentioned below by using the membership functions shown in fig1 with α being 0 . 8 , to generate matrix tables r and b . ## equ21 ## next , the matrix tables r and b defined by the numerical intervals , depending on the α - cut value , are supplied to the engine section 11 , whereby the matrix table a ( a 1 , . . . , a m ) representing the causes is inferred as the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence at a step 400 . fig7 and 8 are flow charts illustrating the reasoning or inference procedure to this end . at first , at a step 410 , a matrix table u with m × n elements resulting from the ε - composition for the matrix tables r and b and a matrix table v with m × n elements resulting from the composition for the matrix tables r and b are prepared from the two interval value sets of the matrix tables r and b , i . e ., [ r ij ( l ), r ij ( u ) ], [ b j ( l ), b j ( u ) ] [ 0 , 1 ]. a lower bound value u ij ( l ) of each element of a j - th column of the matrix table u is set as the lower bound value b j ( l ) of the element b j of the matrix table b , while the upper bound value u ij ( u ) thereof is set to be &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; provided that the b j ( u ) is set is the upper bound value . however , a greater lower bound value of the symptom matrix b than the upper bound value of the element u ij of the causality matrix table r , i . e ., γ ij ( u ) & lt ; b j ( l ) can not apply valid , the relevant element is set to be φ ( empty set ). on the other hand , the lower bound values v ij ( l ) of the individual elements at all the columns in the matrix table v are set to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, while the lower bound values of elements satisfying γ ij ( l ) & gt ; b j ( u ) are set to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; with all the others being set to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. additionally , the minimum value min γ ij ( u ) of the upper bound values of the elements for each row in the matrix table u is obtained as an element umin i to thereby determine a matrix table umin . as a result of the above processing , when each elements of any column is φ , the processing is ended with no solution at a step 420 . the matrix tables u and v obtained in accordance with the algorithm described above are shown below and they are stored in the memory 20 . ## equ22 ## at the same time the matrix table umin can be determined as follows : umin =[ 1 , 0 . 36 , 1 ] next , at a step 430 , decision is made as to the presence or absence of the solution a , which is then followed by preparation of a checking reference or criterion for determining an equation for calculation when the solution a is found to be present at the step 430 . the checking criterion contains a matrix table c with m × n elements and a matrix table csum prepared on the basis of the matrix tables u and v and the matrix table csum represents sums of the individual elements of the matrix table c determined for every column . this procedure is shown in fig8 and the two matrix tables are stored in the memory 20 . at steps 431 to 433 , the values of the individual elements c ij of the matrix table c are set to be &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; unless a corresponding element u ij of the matrix table u is not the empty set and unless the corresponding element u ij is equal to a corresponding element v ij of the matrix table v , while otherwise all set to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. further , at a step 434 , the matrix table csum is obtained by determining a sum of elements for every column j of the matrix table c , where the matrix table csum is given by ## equ23 ## subsequently , at a step 435 , the elements of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; are searched from the matrix table c , and those elements of the matrix u corresponding to the abovementioned elements and having the lower bound values greater than those of the elements umin i , i . e ., those elements which satisfy u ij ( l ) & gt ; umin i are searched . when they are found , &# 34 ; ls &# 34 ; in the matrix table c are changed to &# 34 ; os &# 34 ; and the elements csumj j is decreased by &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. otherwise , no operation is performed . on the basis of the result obtained from the execution of the processing mentioned above , the check criterion is altered or modified . thus , the matrix tables c and csum are determined ## equ24 ## the alteration of the matrix tables results in the matrix table c and csum mentioned below . ## equ25 ## when it is found at the step 450 that the elements of the matrix table csum are all &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, it is decided that no solution exists , and then execution of the processing comes to an end . finally , at a step 450 , the matrix table a ( a i ) is determined , details of which are illustrated in fig7 . when such column exists for which the elements c ij of the i - th row of the matrix table c are &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and for which the elements csum i of the matrix table csum corresponding to those of the j - th column of the matrix table c are &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, then the maximum one of the lower bound values of the corresponding elements u ij of the matrix table u is selected provided that at least one element c ij satisfying the above conditions exists at the row of concern , to thereby determine a i which is given by : unless the abovementioned column exists , then the element a i is determined as provided that none of the elements c ij satisfies the abovementioned condition . thus , ## equ26 ## the a of the causes obtained at the reasoning or inference engine section through the procedure described above is translated into ltvs by the processing section 14 , whereby linguistic information indicating the degree of certainty of the causes a 1 , . . . , a m for the inputted symptom data is generated . the result as obtained is such as mentioned below . ## equ27 ## this result is outputted through the interface section 19 and indicates that the cause ( disease ) of the inputted symptom is the element &# 34 ; a 3 &# 34 ; with the certainty of rt ## equ28 ## when the element a 1 or a 2 indicates pt ( possible true ) or higher truth level , it is decided as the result of the diagnosis that the patient possibly suffers from a plurality of diseases concurrently . the results of the diagnosis are displayed at the interface section 19 which includes a display unit , an input / output unit such as keyboard and others . the reasoning or inference method according to the invention and the prior art method were compared in respect to the effectiveness through numerical experiments ( with seven causes and seven symptoms ). fuzzy sets defined by the membership functions illustrated in fig1 were established for ten problems selected at random for determining the causalities between causes and symptoms and the degrees of the latter , and then the backward fuzzy reasoning were performed . the time taken for the reasoning or inference is illustrated in fig1 . as can be seen in the figure , when the prior art solving method is adopted , the time taken for the inference differs from one to another problems . in contrast , when the inventive method is adopted , the backward reasoning can be executed within the substantially same time span . besides , according to the inventive inference method , the time taken is on an average about 1 / 40000 and at minimum about 1 / 100000 of that taken in the reasoning based on the prior art method . to say in another way , the backward reasoning can be executed at a surprisingly increased speed according to the teaching of the invention . thus , very high effectiveness of the inventive method has been proved . according to the inventive method of solution of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence , the time taken for determining elements al of a solution a is in proportion to the number n of symptoms . consequently , the time taken for determining the solution a of the inverse problem of fuzzy correspondence is proportional to mn , where n represents the number of the causes . the theoretical calculation amount is given by o ( mn ). as will be apparent from the above , according to the method of reasoning or inference incarnated in the illustrated embodiment of the invention where the matrix w composed of m m - 1 , n combinations is replaced by the matrix table c containing only mn combinations , the reasoning or inference speed can surprisingly be increased . thus , the concept of the invention can profitably be applied to a real time expert system . next , a second embodiment of the invention will be described by reference to fig1 which shows an expert system to which the inventive fuzzy backward reasoning scheme is applied for performing diagnosis of a nuclear power plant requiring a real time response . it should however be noted that the object to be controlled is not restricted to the nuclear power plant . in fig1 , like reference symbols as those shown in fig4 are used for designating same or like components . description will now be made on the assumption that the nuclear power plant is of a pressurized water reactor type well known in the art . the structure of the control system for the plant is substantially same as that shown in fig4 . accordingly repeated description will be unnecessary . a large number of sensors are installed at various locations in the nuclear power plant . in fig1 , reference symbol p denotes a pressure sensor , q denotes a flow sensor , r denotes a radiation flux sensor , and s denotes an acoustic sensor for detecting vibrations of pipes or the like . the signals output from these sensors are supplied to a sampling circuit 26 which samples these signals at a predetermined time interval . the output data from the sampling circuit are then transferred to a first membership function 14 - 1 where the numerical data originating in the sensors p , q and r are translated into the ltv data to be subsequently transferred to a second membership function 14 - 2 . in case the signal from , for example , the sensor s is inputted in the form compatible with the ltv , the function 14 - 1 then transfers the input signal s to the function 14 - 2 without translating it into the ltv form . the function 14 - 2 is also supplied with the causality data r and α from the section 12 . thus , the function 14 - 2 generates matrix tables b and r on the basis of the ltv , the causality r and α , the matrix tables b and r being then outputted to the reasoning engine 11 . the machine 11 derives a matrix table a from the matrix table b and r through inference or reasoning procedure illustrated in the flow chart of fig5 . the matrix table a is then outputted to a maximum value circuit 22 which detects an element a max having a highest certainty among those of the matrix table a , the element a max being then outputted to a controller 24 , at which a table is referred to for determining and controlling the object of concern . assuming , for example , that a fault is believed to occur in a valve v2 of a secondary cooling system with the highest certainty , control is so made as to open a bypass valve v3 while triggering an alarm 28 simultaneously . subsequently , measures to cope with the prevailing situation are taken . when it is believed with the highest certainty that the fault takes place in a primary cooling system , control rods are then fallen in the reactor core or water is injected into the reactor from a tank . when it is found with certainty that pressure or radioactivity is slightly higher than the normal level although the safety level is not exceeded , a corresponding alarm may be signaled . the nuclear power plant is of a very complicated system and an extremely high safety must be ensured . the measures for coping with any faults must be taken as rapidly as possible , which means that the control must be performed on a real time basis . in this conjunction , it will readily be understood that upon detection of abnormality , suitable measures can timely be taken before actual occurrence of fault such as breakage of a pipe and other on the basis of the degree of certainty obtained as a result of the real time backward reasoning . it should be added that although only the maximum value of the certainty is made use of in the case of the abovementioned embodiment , all the elements of the matrix table a may be utilized for controlling the system of concern . in this case , the circuit 22 can be omitted . | 8 |
the present invention includes the following aspects for which protection is sought : ( a ) novel human calcium channel subunits and dna fragments encoding such subunits . it will be appreciated that polymorphic variations may be made or may exist in the dna of some individuals leading to minor deviations in the dna or amino acids sequences from those shown which do not lead to any substantial alteration in the function of the calcium channel . such variations , including variations which lead to substitutions of amino acids having similar properties are considered to be within the scope of the present invention . ( b ) polynucleotide sequences useful as probes in screening human cdna libraries for genes encoding these novel calcium channel subunits . these probes can also be used in histological assay to determine the tissue distribution of the novel calcium channel subunits . ( c ) eukaryotic cell lines expressing the novel calcium channel subunits . these cell lines can be used to evaluate compounds as pharmacological modifiers of the function of the novel calcium channel subunits . ( d ) a method for evaluating compounds as pharmacological modifiers of the function of the novel calcium channel subunits using the cell lines expressing those subunits alone or in combination with other calcium channel subunits . further , since defects in the novel calcium channel subunits may be associated with a human genetic disease including , but not limited to ; epilepsy , migraine , ataxia , schizophrenia , hypertension , arrhythmia , angina , depression , small lung carcinoma , lambert - eaton syndrome , characterization of such associations and ultimately diagnosis of associated diseases can be carried out with probes which bind to the wild - type or defective forms of the novel calcium channels . in accordance with the present invention , we have identified human dna sequences which code for novel calcium channel α 1 subunits . these subunits are believed to represent two new types of α 1 subunits of human voltage - dependent calcium channels which have been designated as type α 1i and type α 1h . the novel α 1 subunits of the invention were identified by screening the c . elegans genomic dna sequence data base for sequences homologous to previously identified mammalian calcium channel α 1 subunits . specifically , the following twelve mammalian α 1 subunit sequences were used to screen the c . elegans genomic data bank : rat brain α 1a : gtcaaaactc aggccttcta ctgg seq id . no . 1 rat brain α 1a : aacgtgttct tggctatcgc ggtg seq id . no . 2 rat brain α 1b : gtgaaagcac agagcttcta ctgg seq id . no . 3 rat brain α 1b : aacgttttct tggccattgc tgtg seq id . no . 4 rat brain α 1c : gttaaatcca acgtcttcta ctgg seq id . no . 5 rat brain α 1c : aatgtgttct tggccattgc ggtg seq id . no . 6 rat brain α 1d : gtgaagtctg tcacgtttta ctgg seq id . no . 7 rat brain α 1d : aagctcttct tggccattgc tgta seq id . no . 8 rat brain α 1e : gtcaagtcgc aagtgttcta ctgg seq id . no . 9 rat brain α 1e : aatgtattct tggctatcgc tgtg seq id . no . 10 rat brain consensus # 1 : atctaygcyr tsatyggsat g seq id . no . 11 this search identified four distinct c . elegans cosmids that contain open reading frames ( coding regions ) that exhibit homology to mammalian calcium channel α 1 subunits : examination of the four c . elegans cosmid sequences by phylogeny analysis shows that two of these , t02c5 . 5 and c48a7 . 1 , correspond closely with previously identified mammalian α 1 subunits . t02c5 . 5 appears to be an ancestral member related to the mammalian α 1a , α 1b and α 1e subunits . c48a7 . 1 appears to be an ancestral member related to the mammalian l - type channels encoded by α 1c , α 1d and α 1s . in contrast , the c . elegans cosmids c54d2 . 5 and c27f2 . 3 identify novel types of calcium channel α 1 subunits distinct from the other mammalian subtypes . mammalian counterparts of the c . elegans calcium channel α 1 subunit encoded by c54d2 . 5 were identified by screening of the genbank expressed sequence tag ( est ) data bank . this analysis identified a total of 13 mammalian sequences that exhibit some degree of dna sequence and amino acid identity to c54d2 . 5 , of which 8 are human sequences . ( table 2 ) three of these sequences appear unlikely to encode novel calcium channel subunits because they either exhibit a significant degree of homology to previously identified mammalian α 1 subunits ( clones h06096 and h14053 ) or exhibit homology in a region not considered to be diagnostic of calcium channel α 1 subunits specifically as opposed to other types of ion channel molecules in general ( clone d20469 ). the five remaining sequences ( h55225 , h55617 , h55223 , h55544 , and f07776 ), however , are believed to encode two previously unidentified calcium channel α 1 subunits because the degree of amino acid identity closely matches that of known calcium channel subunits in conserved regions but is sufficiently different to indicate that they do not encode previously identified mammalian calcium channel α 1 subunits α 1a , α 1b , α 1c , α 1d , α 1e , or α 1s . the expected amino acid sequence closely matches but is not identical to amino acid sequences in these known calcium channel subunits . the aligned amino acids sequences are shown in fig1 . four of the five sequences ( h55225 , h55617 , h55223 , and h55544 ) are found on human chromosome 22 , and are now believed to all be part of the same gene encoding the novel human calcium channel subunit all . the fifth sequence , f07776 is apparently distinct and associated with a further novel human calcium channel subunit designated o11h . the sequences of the five selected sequences and the references from which they are taken are given as follows : h55225 source human clone = c22 — 207 primer = t3 library = chromosome 22 exon trofatter , et al ., genome res . 5 ( 3 ): 214 - 224 ( 1995 ) seq id no . 13 1 gtgatcactc tggaaggctg ggtggagatc atgtactacg tgatggatgc tcactccttc 61 tacaacttca tctacttcat cctgcttatc atacccctct tgccttgcac cccatatggt 121 cttcccagag tgagctcatc cacctcgtca tgcctgactc gacgttca 1155617 source human clone = c22 — 757 primer = t3 library = chromosome 22 exon trofatter , et al ., genome res . 5 ( 3 ): 214 - 224 ( 1995 ) seq id no . 14 1 gatggtcgag tactccctgg accttcagaa catcaalcctg tcagccatcc gcaccgtgcg 61 cgtcctgagg cccctcaaag ccatcaaccg cgtgccca h55223 source human clone = c22 — 204 primer = t3 library = chromosome 22 exon trofatter , et al , genome res . 5 ( 3 ): 214 - 224 ( 1995 ) seq id no . 15 1 catgctggtg atcctgctga actgcgtgac acttggcatg taccagccgt gcgacgacat 61 ggactgcctg tccgaccgct gcaagatcct gcag h55544 source human clone = c22 — 651 primer = t3 library = chromosome 22 exon trofatter , et al , genome res . 5 ( 3 ): 214 - 224 ( 1995 ) seq id no . 16 1 gtatctctgg ttactttagt agccaacact cttggctact cagaccttgg tcccattaa 61 tccctgcgaa ccttgagagc actaagacct ctaagagctt tgtctagatt tgaagtaatg 121 agg f07776 source human . submitted ( jan . 19 , 1995 ) genethon , b . p . 60 , 91002 evry cedex france and genetique moleculaire et biologie du developpement , cnrs upr420 b . p . 8 , 94801 villejuif cedex france e - mail : genexpress @ genethon . fr seq id no . 17 1 ttctctccat tgtaggaatg tttctggctg aactgataga aaagtatttt gtgtgcccta 61 ccctgttncg agtgatccgt cttgccagga ttggccgaat cctacgtctg atcaaaggag 121 caaaggggat ccgcacgctg ctctttgctt tgatgatgtc ccttcctgcg ttgtttaaca 181 tcggnctcct tcttttcctg gtcatgttca tctacgncat ctttgggatg tccaattttg 241 cctatgttaa gagggaagtt gggatcgatg acatgttnan ctttgagacc tttggcaaca 301 gcatgatctg cctgttccaa attacaacct ctgctggctg gga a search of the sanger genome sequencing center ( cambridge , u . k .) and the washington university genome sequencing center ( st . louis . mo .) sequences in progress revealed a bacterial artificial chromosome ( bac ) sequence ( bk206c7 ) that contained matches to the c . elegans cosmid open reading frame , c54d2 . 5 , and to the four human chromosome 22 ests , h55225 , h55617 , h55223 , h55544 . the c . elegans c54d2 . 5 cosmid sequence and the human est sequences were then used to compare the translation of the bk206c7 bac genomic sequence in all 6 reading frames . the analysis was performed using the graphical program dotter ( eric sohnhammer , ncbi ). the analysis revealed a series of potential coding regions on one strand of the bk206c7 bac sequence . these were subsequently translated in all 3 reading frames and the potential splice junctions identified . the translated sequence of this longer dna fragment which is part of the human α 1i subunit gene is given by seq . id no . 18 . using the sequence information from the five est &# 39 ; s , a full length gene can be recovered using any of several techniques . polynucleotide probes having a sequence which corresponds to or hybridizes with the est sequences or a distinctive portion thereof ( for example oligonucleotide probes having a length of 18 to 100 nucleotides ) can be used to probe a human cdna library for identification of the full length dna encoding the α 1i and α 1h subunits . the process of identifying cdnas of interest using defined probes is well known in the art and is , for example , described in international patent publication no . wo95 / 04144 , which is incorporated herein by reference . this process generally involves screening bacterial hosts ( e . g . e . coli ) harboring the library plasmids or infected with recombinant lambda phage with labeled probes , e . g . radiolabeled with 32 p , and selection of colonies or phage which bind the labeled probe . each selected colony or phage is grown up , and the plasmids are recovered . human cdnas are recovered from the plasmids by restriction digestion , or can be amplified , for example by pcr . the recovered cdna can be sequenced , and the position of the calcium channel subunit - encoding region further refined , although neither process is not necessary to the further use of the cdna to produce cell lines expressing the novel calcium channel subunits . longer portions of dna - encoding the novel calcium channel subunits of the invention can also be recovered by pcr cloning techniques using primers corresponding to or based upon the est sequences . using this technique to identify relevant sequences within a human brain total rna preparation confirmed that the novel α 1i calcium channel subunit is present in human brain . subcloning of the 567 nt pcr product and subsequent sequencing thereof showed that this product corresponds to the derived sequence form the bk206c7 bac genomic sequence . the nucleotide sequence is given as seq id no . 19 . the same experiment was performed using a rat brain rna preparation and resulted in recovery of a substantially identical pcr product . ( seq id . no . 20 ). the protein encoded by the rat pcr product is 96 % identical to the human pcr product . these sequences , which presumably encode a partial subunit can be used as a basis for constructing full length human or rat a ,, clones . briefly , the subcloned α 1i pcr product is radiolabeled by random hexamer priming according to standard methods ( see , sambrook , j ., fritsch , e . f . and maniatis , t . ( 1989 ) molecular cloning , a laboratory manual . cold spring harbor press ) and used to screen commercial human brain cdna libraries ( stratagene , la jolla , calif .). the screening of cdna libraries follows standard methods and includes such protocols as infecting bacteria with recombinant lambda phage , immobilizing lambda dna to nitrocellulose filters and screening under medium hybridization stringency conditions with radiolabeled probe . cdna clones homologous to the probe are identified by autoradiography . positive clones are purified by sequential rounds of screening . following this protocol , most purified cdna &# 39 ; s are likely to be partial sequence clones due the nature of the cdna library synthesis . full length clones are constructed from cdna &# 39 ; s which overlap in dna sequence . restriction enzyme sites which overlap between cdnas are used to ligate the individual cdna &# 39 ; s to generate a full - length cdna . for subsequent heterologous expression , the full - length cdna is subcloned directly into an appropriate vertebrate expression vector , such as pcdna - 3 ( invitrogen , san diego , calif .) in which expression of the cdna is under the control of a promoter such as the cmv major intermediate early promoter / enhancer . other suitable expression vectors include , for example , pmt2 , prcicmv , pcdna3 . 1 and pcep4 . once the full length cdna is cloned into an expression vector , the vector is then transfected into a host cell for expression . suitable host cells include xenopus oocytes or mammalian cells such as human embryonic kidney cells as described in international patent publication no . wo 96 / 39512 which is incorporated herein by reference and ltk cells as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 386 , 025 which is incorporated herein by reference . transfection into host cells may be accomplished by microinjection , lipofection , glycerol shock , electroporation calcium phosphate or particle - mediated gene transfer . the vector may also be transfected into host cells to provide coexpression of the novel α 1 subunits with a β and / or an α 2 δ subunit . the resulting cell lines expressing functional calcium channels including the novel α 1 subunits of the invention can be used test compounds for pharmacological activity with respect to these calcium channels . thus , the cell lines are useful for screening compounds for pharmaceutical utility . such screening can be carried out using several available methods for evaluation of the interaction , if any , between the test compound and the calcium channel . one such method involves the binding of radiolabeled agents that interact with the calcium channel and subsequent analysis of equilibrium binding measurements including but not limited to , on rates , off rates , k d values and competitive binding by other molecules . another such method involves the screening for the effects of compounds by electrophysiological assay whereby individual cells are impaled with a microelectrode and currents through the calcium channel are recorded before and after application of the compound of interest . another method , high - throughput spectrophotometric assay , utilizes the loading the cell lines with a fluorescent dye sensitive to intracellular calcium concentration and subsequent examination of the effects of compounds on the ability of depolarization by potassium chloride or other means to alter intracellular calcium levels . compounds to be tested as agonists or antagonists of the novel ( α 1i and α 1h calcium channel subunits are combined with cells that are stably or transiently transformed with a dna sequence encoding the α 1i or α 1h calcium channel subunits of the invention and monitored using one of these techniques . dna fragments with sequences given by seq id nos . 13 - 19 may also be used for mapping the distribution of α 1i and α 1h calcium channel subunits within a tissue sample . this method follows normal histological procedures using a nucleic acid probe , and generally involves the steps of exposing the tissue to a reagent comprising a directly or indirectly detectable label coupled to a selected dna fragment , and detecting reagent that has bound to the tissue . suitable labels include fluorescent labels , enzyme labels , chromophores and radio - labels . in order to isolate novel human calcium channel α 1 subunits using standard molecular cloning protocols , synthetic dna probes are prepared , radiolabeled with 32 p and utilized to screen human cdna libraries commercially available in lambda phage vectors ( stratagene , la jolla , calif .) based on the human dna sequences for h55225 , h55617 , h55223 , h55544 and f07776 . dna fragments with the sequence of sequence id nos 18 and 19 may also be used for this purpose . positive phage are purified through several rounds of screening involving immobilizing the phage dna on nitrocellulose filters , hybridizing with the radiolabeled probe , washing off of excess probe and then selection of clones by autoradiography . clones identified by this approach are expected to be partial length clones due to the nature of cdna library synthesis and several rounds of screening for each calcium channel type may be necessary to obtain full - length clones . to characterize the clones , double stranded plasmid dna is prepared from the identified clones and the sequences are determined using 35s datp , sequenase and standard gel electrophoresis methods . regions of similarity and regions of overlap are determined by comparison of each cdna sequence . full - length clones are constructed by ligating overlapping cdna fragments together at common restriction enzyme sites . the full - length clones are subsequently inserted into vectors suitable for expression in vertebrate cells ( e . g . pmt2 , prc / cmv , pcdna3 . 1 , pcep4 , prep7 ) by ligation into restriction sites in the vector polylinker region which is downstream of the promoter used to direct cdna expression . dna encoding the novel calcium channels can be stably or transiently introduced into eukaryotic cells ( e . g . human embryonic kidney , mouse l cells , chinese hamster ovary , etc ) by any number of available standard methods . stable transfection is achieved by growing the cells under conditions that promote growth of cells expressing a marker gene which is contained in the expression vector ( e . g . dihydrofolate reductase , thymidine kinase , or the like ). the heterologous dna encoding the human calcium channel may be integrated into the genome or may be maintained as an episomal element . expression of the human calcium channel in transfected cells may monitored by any number of techniques , including northern blot for rna analysis , southern blot for cdna detection , electrophysiological assay for calcium channel function , the binding of radiolabeled agents thought to interact with the calcium channel , and fluorescent assay of dyes sensitive to intracellular calcium concentration . heterologous expression of human α 1i calcium channels in cells host cells , such as human embryonic kidney cells , hek 293 ( atcc # crl 1573 ) are grown in standard dmem medium supplemented with 2 mm glutamine and 10 % fetal bovine serum . hek 293 cells are transfected by a standard calcium - phosphate - dna co - precipitation method using the full - length human α 1i calcium channel cdna in a vertebrate expression vector ( for example see current protocols in molecular biology ). the human α 1i calcium channel cdna may be transfected alone or in combination with other cloned subunits for mammalian calcium channels , such as α2δ and β subunits , and also with clones for marker proteins such the jellyfish green fluorescent protein . electrophysiological recording : after an incubation period of from 24 to 72 hrs the culture medium is removed and replaced with external recording solution ( see below ). whole cell patch clamp experiments are performed using an axopatch 200b amplifier ( axon instruments , burlingame , calif .) linked to an ibm compatible personal computer equipped with pclamp software . microelectrodes are filled with 3 m cscl and have typical resistances from 0 . 5 to 2 . 5 mω . the external recording solution is 20 mm bacl 2 , 1 mm mgcl 2 , 10 mm hepes , 40 mm teacl , 10 mm glucose , 65 mm cscl , ( ph 7 . 2 ). the internal pipette solution is 105 mm cscl , 25 mm teacl , 1 mm cacl 2 , 11 mm egta , 10 mm hepes ( ph 7 . 2 ). currents are typically elicited from a holding potential of − 100 mv to various test potentials . data are filtered at 1 khz and recorded directly on the harddrive of a personal computer . leak subtraction is carried out on - line using a standard p / 5 protocol . currents are analyzed using pclamp versions 5 . 5 and 6 . 0 . macroscopic current - voltage relations are fitted with the equation i ={ 1 /( 1 + exp (−( v m − v h )/ s )}× g −( v m − e rev ), where v m is the test potential , v h is the voltage at which half of the channels are activated , and s reflects the steepness of the activation curve and is an indication of the effective gating charge movement . inactivation curves are normalized to 1 and fitted with i =( 1 / l + exp (( v m − v h )/ s ) with v m being the holding potential . single channel recordings are performed in the cell - attached mode with the following pipette solution ( in mm ): 100 bacl 2 , 10 hepes , ph 7 . 4 and bath solution : 100 kcl , 10 egta , 2 mgcl 2 , 10 hepes , ph 7 . 4 . stage v and vi xenopus oocytes are prepared as described by dascal et al ( 1986 ), expression and modulation of voltage - gated calcium channels after rna injection into xenopus oocytes . science 231 : 1147 - 1150 . after enzymatic dissociation with collagenase , oocytes nuclei are microinjected with the human α 1i calcium channel cdna expression vector construct ( approximately 10 ng dna per nucleus ) using a drummond nanoject apparatus . the human α 1i calcium channel may be injected alone , or in combination with other mammalian calcium channel subunit cdnas , such as the α2 - δ and β1b subunits . after incubation from 48 to 96 hrs macroscopic currents are recorded using a standard two microelectrode voltage - clamp ( axoclamp 2a , axon instruments , burlingame , calif .) in a bathing medium containing ( in mm ): 40 ba ( oh ) 2 , 25 tea - oh , 25 naoh , 2 csoh , 5 hepes ( ph titrated to 7 . 3 with methan - sulfonic acid ). pipettes of typical resistance ranging from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 mω are filled with 2 . 8m cscl , 0 . 2m csoh , 10 mm hepes , 10 mm bapta free acid . endogenous ca ( and ba )— activated cl currents are suppressed by systematically injecting 10 - 30 nl of a solution containing 100 mm bapta - free acid , 10 mm hepes ( ph titrated to 7 . 2 with csoh ) using a third pipette connected to a pneumatic injector . leak currents and capacitive transients are subtracted using a standard p / 5 procedure . construction of stable cell lines expressing human α 1i calcium channels mammalian cell lines stably expressing human α 1i calcium channels are constructed by transfecting the α 1i calcium channel cdna into mammalian cells such as hek 293 and selecting for antibiotic resistance encoded for by an expression vector . briefly , the full - length human α 1i calcium channel cdna subcloned into a vertebrate expression vector with a selectable marker , such as the pcdna3 ( invitrogen , san diego , calif . ), is transfected into hek 293 cells by calcium phosphate coprecipitation or lipofection or electroporation or other method according to well known procedures ( methods in enzymology , volume 185 , gene expression technology ( 1990 ) edited by goeddel , d . v .). the human α 1i calcium channel may be transfected alone , or in combination with other mammalian calcium channel subunit cdnas , such as the α2 - δ and β1b subunits , either in a similar expression vector or other type of vector using different selectable markers . after incubation for 2 days in nonselective conditions , the medium is supplemented with geneticin ( g418 ) at a concentration of between 600 to 800 ug / ml . after 3 to 4 weeks in this medium , cells which are resistant to g418 are visible and can be cloned as isolated colonies using standard cloning rings . after growing up each isolated colony to confluency to establish cell lines , the expression of human α 1i calcium channels can be determined at with standard gene expression methods such as northern blotting , rnase protection and reverse - transcriptase pcr . the functional detection of human α 1i calcium channels in stably transfected cells can be examined electrophysiologically , such as by whole patch clamp or single channel analysis ( see above ). other means of detecting functional calcium channels include the use of radiolabeled 45 ca uptake , fluorescence spectroscopy using calcium sensitive dyes such as fura - 2 , and the binding or displacement of radiolabeled ligands that interact with the calcium channel . atg ttt ttc gtc tca gcc aat ccc tgg gtg agt ttc acc agt ttt gat 48 tta aac gtg gcc aat atg gac aac ttc ttc gcc ccc gtt ttc acc atg 96 ggc aaa tat tat acg caa ggc gac aag gtg ctg atg ccg ctg gcg att 144 gly lys tyr tyr thr gln gly asp lys val leu met pro leu ala ile cag gct ctg aaa cag ctg atg ttc aaa ttg gtg gcc act gtt gct cga 192 aca cat gct aca ccg tca cac atc acg ggt ggt cct gga aca ggg atg 240 cac acg ggc acc ttc cag gaa gga gct gag cct ggt tca tct cag cac 288 cct gag gca cag gcc acg tat aca gca ggg tgc acc cca gcc ccc acg 336 ggc gat ccc acc tgc tgc ttt gtc ctt gac ttg gtg tgc acg tgg ttt 384 gaa tgt gtc agc atg ctg gtg atc ctg ctg aac tgc gtg aca ctt ggc 432 atg tac cag ccg tgc gac gac atg gac tgc ctg tcc gac cgc tgc aag 480 atc ctg cag gtc ttt gat gac ttc atc ttt atc ttc ttt gcc atg gag 528 atg gtg ctc aag atg gtg gcc ctg ggg att ttt ggc aag aag tgc tac 576 ctc ggg gac aca tgg aac cgc ctg gat ttc ttc atc gtc atg gca ggc 624 leu gly asp thr trp asn arg leu asp phe phe ile val met ala gly aac atc aac ctg tca gcc atc cgc acc gtg cgc gtc ctg agg ccc ctc 672 aaa gcc atc aac cgc gtg ccc agt atg cgg atc ctg gtg aac ctg ctc 720 ctg gac aca ctg ccc atg ctg ggg aat gtc ctg ctg ctc tgc ttc ttt 768 gtc ttc ttc atc ttt ggc atc ata ggt gtg cag ctc tgg gcg ggc ctg 816 ctg cgt aac cgc tgc ttc ctg gag gag aac ttc acc ata caa ggg gat 864 leu arg asn arg cys phe leu glu glu asn phe thr ile gln gly asp gtg gcc ttg ccc cca tac tac cag ccg gag gag gat gat gag atg ccc 912 ttc atc tgc tcc ctg tcg ggc gac aat ggg ata atg ggc tgc cat gag 960 phe ile cys ser leu ser gly asp asn gly ile met gly cys his glu atc ccc ccg ctc aag gag cag ggc cgt gag tgc tgc ctg tcc aag gac 1008 ile pro pro leu lys glu gln gly arg glu cys cys leu ser lys asp gac gtc tac gac ttt ggg gcg ggg cgc cag gac ctc aat gcc agc ggc 1056 asp val tyr asp phe gly ala gly arg gln asp leu asn ala ser gly ctc tgt gtc aac tgg aac cgt tac tac aat gtg tgc cgc acg ggc agc 1104 gcc aac ccc cac aag ggt gcc atc aac ttt gac aac atc ggt tat gct 1152 tgg att gtc atc ttc cag gtg atc act ctg gaa ggc tgg gtg gag atc 1200 atg tac tac gtg atg gat gct cac tcc ttc tac aac ttc atc tac ttc 1248 atc ctg ctt atc ata agt gag ctc atc cac ctc gtc atg cct gac tgc 1296 agc ttc agc aca gca cag tcc cca aaa tgt caa ggt gat tca ctc cca 1344 ser phe ser thr ala gln ser pro lys cys gln gly asp ser leu pro gga gtc gct gct gaa tcc ctg ctg ctg cga gac tct agc tcc tca gtc 1392 atc act gat gag gct gca gcc atg gag aac ctc ctg gcg ggc acc tcc 1440 aag ggg gat gaa agc tat ctg ctc agg ctg gcc ggc agc caa gtt cac 1488 lys gly asp glu ser tyr leu leu arg leu ala gly ser gln val his tcc cag gct cag caa atg ctg ggg agg ggg ctg ggc cct gaa agc ctg 1536 gaa act gga gag gag ccc cac tcg tgg agc cct cgg gcc aca agg aga 1584 tgg gat ccc caa tgc caa cca ggg cag cct ctc ccc ctt cat ttc atg 1632 caa gca cag gtg ggc tcc ttc ttc atg atc aac ctg tgc ctc gtt gtc 1680 gln ala gln val gly ser phe phe met ile asn leu cys leu val val ata gcg acc cag ttc tcg gag acc aag caa cgg gag cac cgg ctg atg 1728 ile ala thr gln phe ser glu thr lys gln arg glu his arg leu met ctg gag cag cgg cag cgc tac ctg tcc tcc agc acg gtg gcc agc tac 1776 gcc gag cct ggc gac tgc tac gag gag atc ttc cag tat gtc tgc cac 1824 ala glu pro gly asp cys tyr glu glu ile phe gln tyr val cys his atc ctg cgc aag gcc aag cgc cgc gcc ctg ggc ctc tac cag gcc ctg 1872 cag agc cgg cgc cag gcc ctg ggc ccg gag gcc ccg gcc ccc gcc aaa 1920 cct ggg ccc cac gcc aag gag ccc cgg cac tac cct ctc aca gtc tgg 1968 pro gly pro his ala lys glu pro arg his tyr pro leu thr val trp gaa tcg att ctt ggg agg caa gca gaa gaa tgc acg ctc aga gct gcc 2016 gcc cac ccg tcc tcg ggt gcc agc cat cca ggc gtg ggc tcg gag gag 2064 gcc cca gag ctg tgc ccg caa cat agc ccc ctg gat gcg acg ccc cac 2112 acc ctg gtg cag ccc atc ccc gcc acg ctg gct tcc gat ccc gcc agc 2160 tgc cct tgc tgc cag cat gag gac ggc cgg cgg ccc tcg ggc ctg ggc 2208 agc acc gac tcg ggc cag gag ggc tcg ggc tcc ggg agc tcc gct ggt 2256 ggc gag gac gag gcg gat ggg gac ggg gcc cgg agc agc gag gac gga 2304 gcc tcc tca gaa ctg ggg aag gag gag gag gag gag gag cag gcg gat 2352 ggg gcg gtc tgg ctg tgc ggg gat gtg tgg cgg gag acg cga gcc aag 2400 gly ala val trp leu cys gly asp val trp arg glu thr arg ala lys ctg cgc ggc atc gtg gac agc aag tac ttc aac cgg ggc atc atg atg 2448 leu arg gly ile val asp ser lys tyr phe asn arg gly ile met met gcc atc ctg gtc aac acc gtc agc atg ggc atc gag cac cac gag cag 2496 ala ile leu val asn thr val ser met gly ile glu his his glu gln gcc agt gca gcg cag ccg ggc cgg gcc tgc ggg aga gga caa aat cca 2544 gac ctt tgc atg acc ctc aag gcc cct tgt ctc tgt cac aac gtc cct 2592 asp leu cys met thr leu lys ala pro cys leu cys his asn val pro tca cca ggc cag ggt gtc ctg tcc cat cca gtg act cca ccc cat aca 2640 gcc cca tgg cgc atg gag aca gga aag cag gga cac gga tgt gaa gaa 2688 ala pro trp arg met glu thr gly lys gln gly his gly cys glu glu gga cca gga caa cga agc agt gac atg ttt gcc ctg gag atg atc ctg 2736 gly pro gly gln arg ser ser asp met phe ala leu glu met ile leu aag ctg gct gca ttt ggg ctc ttc gac tac ctg cgt aac ccc tac aac 2784 atc ttc gac agc atc att gtc atc atc agc atc tgg gag atc gtg ggg 2832 cag gcg gac ggt ggg ctg tcg gtg ctg cgg acc ttc cgg ctg ctg cgc 2880 gtg ctg aaa ctg gtg cgc ttc atg cct gcc ctg cgg cgc cag ctc gtg 2928 gtg ctc atg aag acc atg gac aac gtg gcc acc ttc tgc atg ctg ctc 2976 atg ctc ttc atc ttc atc ttc agc atc ctt ggg atg cat att ttt ggc 3024 tgc aag ttc agc ctc cgc acg gac act gga gac acg gtg ccc gac agg 3072 cys lys phe ser leu arg thr asp thr gly asp thr val pro asp arg aag aac ttc gac tcc ctg ctg tgg gcc atc gtc act gtg ttc cag atc 3120 lys asn phe asp ser leu leu trp ala ile val thr val phe gln ile ctc acc cag gag gac tgg aac gtc gtt ctc tac aat ggc atg gcc tcc 3168 leu thr gln glu asp trp asn val val leu tyr asn gly met ala ser act tct ccc tgg gcc tcc ctc tac ttt gtc gcc ctc atg acc ttc ggc 3216 thr ser pro trp ala ser leu tyr phe val ala leu met thr phe gly aac tat gtg ctc ttc aac ctg ctg gtg gcc atc ctg gtg gag ggc ttc 3264 cag gcg gag gtg act gtg gtc ttg gca gag gaa gca ccc cca cag ggc 3312 ctg cga aag act ggg cga ggg aga ggt ggc ctg gat ggg gga ggg ctg 3360 caa ttc aaa ctt cta gca ggc aac cta tcc cta aag gag ggg gtt gct 3408 gat gag gtg ggt gac gcc aat cgc tcc tac tcg gac gag gac cag agc 3456 tca tcc aac ata gaa gag ttt gat aag ctc cag gaa ggc ctg gac agc 3504 agc gga gat ccc aag ctc tgc cca atc ccc atg acc ccc aat ggg cac 3552 ser gly asp pro lys leu cys pro ile pro met thr pro asn gly his ctg gac ccc agt ctc cca ctg ggt ggg cac cta ggt cct gct ggg gct 3600 gcg gga cct gcc ccc cga ctc tca ctg cag ccg gac ccc atg ctg gtg 3648 gcc ctg ggc tcc cga aag agc agc gtc atg tct cta ggg agg atg agc 3696 tat gac cag cgc tcc ctg gtg ggt ggt ctt aga gcc aca gcg ggg gtg 3744 cag gct gcc ttt ggg cac ctg gtg ccc cag ccg tgg gtg tgc ctg tgg 3792 ggc gct gac ccg aac ggg aac tcc ttc cag tcc agc tcc cgg agc tcc 3840 tac tac ggg cca tgg ggc cgc agc gcg gcc tgg gcc agc cgt cgc tcc 3888 agc tgg aac agc ctc aag cac aag ccg ccg tcg gcg gag cat gag tcc 3936 ctg ctc tct gcg gag cgc ggc ggc ggc gcc cgg gtc tgc gag gtt gcc 3984 gcg gac gag ggg ccg ccg cgg gcc gca ccc ctg cac acc cca cac gcc 4032 cgc cgg acg ctg tcc ctc gac aac agg gac tcg gtg gac ctg gcc gag 4128 ctg gtg ccc gcg gtg ggc gcc cac ccc cgg gcc gcc tgg agg gcg gca 4176 ggc ccg gcc ccc ggg cat gag gac tgc aat ggc agg atg ccc agc atc 4224 gly pro ala pro gly his glu asp cys asn gly arg met pro ser ile gcc aaa gac gtc ttc acc aag atg ggc gac cgc ggg gat cgc ggg gag 4272 gat gag gag gaa atc gac tac gtg agt ggg ggc ggg gcc gaa ggg gac 4320 ctg acc ctg tgc ttc cgc gtc cgc aag atg atc gac gtc tat aag ccc 4368 leu thr leu cys phe arg val arg lys met ile asp val tyr lys pro gac tgg tgc gag gtc cgc gaa gac tgg tct gtc tac ctc ttc tct ccc 4416 asp trp cys glu val arg glu asp trp ser val tyr leu phe ser pro gag aac agg ctc agg gat ctg ggc tgg gta agc ctc gag tgc cag gga 4464 glu asn arg leu arg asp leu gly trp val ser leu glu cys gln gly aag gtg ggt gac ctc gtg gtg tgg gtg tat ggt cag agg agg cag cgc 4512 cag acc att att gcc cac aaa ctc ttc gac tac gtc gtc ctg gcc ttc 4560 gln thr ile ile ala his lys leu phe asp tyr val val leu ala phe atc ttt ctc aac tgc atc acc atc gcc ctg gag cgg cct cag atc gag 4608 ile phe leu asn cys ile thr ile ala leu glu arg pro gln ile glu gcc ggc agc acc gaa cgc atc ttt ctc acc gtg tcc aac tac atc ttc 4656 ala gly ser thr glu arg ile phe leu thr val ser asn tyr ile phe acg gcc atc ttc gtg ggc gag atg aca ttg aag gta gtc tcg ctg ggc 4704 thr ala ile phe val gly glu met thr leu lys val val ser leu gly ctg tac ttc ggc gag cag gcg tac cta cgc agc agc tgg aac gtg ctg 4752 leu tyr phe gly glu gln ala tyr leu arg ser ser trp asn val leu gat ggc ttt ctt gtc ttc gtg tcc atc atc gac atc gtg gtg tcc ctg 4800 gcc tca gcc ggg gga gcc aag atc ttg ggg gtc ctc cga gtc ttg cgg 4848 ctc ctg cgc acc cta cgc ccc ctg cgt gtc atc agc cgg gcg ccg ggc 4896 ctg aag ctg gtg gtg gag aca ctc atc tcc tcc ctc aag ccc atc ggc 4944 aac atc gtg ctc atc tgc tgt gcc ttc ttc atc atc ttt ggc atc ctg 4992 gga gtg cag ctc ttc aag ggc aag ttc tac cac tgt ctg ggc gtg gac 5040 acc cgc aac atc acc aac cgc tcg gac tgc atg gcc gcc aac tac cgc 5088 tgg gtc cat cac aaa tac aac ttc gac aac ctg ggc cag gct ctg atg 5136 trp val his his lys tyr asn phe asp asn leu gly gln ala leu met tcc ctc ttt gtc ctg gca tcc aag gat ggt tgg gtg aac atc atg tac 5184 ser leu phe val leu ala ser lys asp gly trp val asn ile met tyr aat gga ctg gat gct gtt gct gtg gac cag cag cct gtg acc aac cac 5232 aac ccc tgg atg ctg ctg tac ttc atc tcc ttc ctg ctc atc gtc agc 5280 ttc ttt gtg ctc aac atg ttt gtg ggt gtc gtg gtg gag aac ttc cac 5328 aag tgc cgg cag cac cag gag gct gaa gag gca cgg cgg cgt gag gag 5376 ccc tac tat gcc acc tat tgt cac acc cgg ctg ctc atc cac tcc atg 5472 pro tyr tyr ala thr tyr cys his thr arg leu leu ile his ser met tgc acc agc cac tac ctg gac atc ttc atc acc ttc atc atc tgc ctc 5520 aac gtg gtc acc atg tcc ctg gag cac tac aat cag ccc acg 5562 asn val val thr met ser leu glu his tyr asn gln pro thr lys tyr tyr thr gln gly asp lys val leu met pro leu ala ile gln tyr gln pro cys asp asp met asp cys leu ser asp arg cys lys ile gly asp thr trp asn arg leu asp phe phe ile val met ala gly asn arg asn arg cys phe leu glu glu asn phe thr ile gln gly asp val val tyr asp phe gly ala gly arg gln asp leu asn ala ser gly leu asn pro his lys gly ala ile asn phe asp asn ile gly tyr ala trp phe ser thr ala gln ser pro lys cys gln gly asp ser leu pro gly gly asp glu ser tyr leu leu arg leu ala gly ser gln val his ser ala gln val gly ser phe phe met ile asn leu cys leu val val ile ala thr gln phe ser glu thr lys gln arg glu his arg leu met leu glu pro gly asp cys tyr glu glu ile phe gln tyr val cys his ile gly pro his ala lys glu pro arg his tyr pro leu thr val trp glu ala val trp leu cys gly asp val trp arg glu thr arg ala lys leu arg gly ile val asp ser lys tyr phe asn arg gly ile met met ala ile leu val asn thr val ser met gly ile glu his his glu gln ala leu cys met thr leu lys ala pro cys leu cys his asn val pro ser pro trp arg met glu thr gly lys gln gly his gly cys glu glu gly pro gly gln arg ser ser asp met phe ala leu glu met ile leu lys asn phe asp ser leu leu trp ala ile val thr val phe gln ile leu thr gln glu asp trp asn val val leu tyr asn gly met ala ser thr ser pro trp ala ser leu tyr phe val ala leu met thr phe gly asn gly asp pro lys leu cys pro ile pro met thr pro asn gly his leu pro ala pro gly his glu asp cys asn gly arg met pro ser ile ala thr leu cys phe arg val arg lys met ile asp val tyr lys pro asp trp cys glu val arg glu asp trp ser val tyr leu phe ser pro glu asn arg leu arg asp leu gly trp val ser leu glu cys gln gly lys phe leu asn cys ile thr ile ala leu glu arg pro gln ile glu ala gly ser thr glu arg ile phe leu thr val ser asn tyr ile phe thr ala ile phe val gly glu met thr leu lys val val ser leu gly leu tyr phe gly glu gln ala tyr leu arg ser ser trp asn val leu asp val gln leu phe lys gly lys phe tyr his cys leu gly val asp thr arg asn ile thr asn arg ser asp cys met ala ala asn tyr arg trp val his his lys tyr asn phe asp asn leu gly gln ala leu met ser leu phe val leu ala ser lys asp gly trp val asn ile met tyr asn val val thr met ser leu glu his tyr asn gln pro thr atg cgg atc ctg gtg aac ctg ctc ctg gac aca ctg ccc atg ctg ggg 48 aat gtc ctg ctg ctc tgc ttc ttt gtc ttc ttc acc ttt ggc atc ata 96 ggt gtg cag ctc tgg gcg ggc ctg ctg cgt aac cgc tgc ttc ctg gag 144 gly val gln leu trp ala gly leu leu arg asn arg cys phe leu glu gag aac ttc acc ata caa ggg gat gtg gcc ttg ccc cca tac tac cag 192 glu asn phe thr ile gln gly asp val ala leu pro pro tyr tyr gln ccg gag gag gat gat gag atg ccc ttc atc tgc tcc ctg tcg ggc gac 240 aat ggg ata atg ggc tgc cat gag atc ccc ccg ctc aag gag cag ggc 288 asn gly ile met gly cys his glu ile pro pro leu lys glu gln gly cgt gag tgc tgc ctg tcc aag gac gac gtc tac gac ttt ggg gcg ggg 336 arg glu cys cys leu ser lys asp asp val tyr asp phe gly ala gly cgc cag gac ctc aat gcc agc ggc ctc tgt gtc aac tgg aac cgt tac 384 arg gln asp leu asn ala ser gly leu cys val asn trp asn arg tyr tac aat gtg tgc cgc acg ggc agc gcc aac ccc cac aag ggt gcc atc 432 tyr asn val cys arg thr gly ser ala asn pro his lys gly ala ile agc ttt gac aac atc ggt tat gct tgg att gtc atc ttc cag gtg atc 480 ser phe asp asn ile gly tyr ala trp ile val ile phe gln val ile act ctg gaa ggc tgg gtg gcg atc atg tac tac gtg atg gat gct ctc 528 thr leu glu gly trp val ala ile met tyr tyr val met asp ala leu tcc ttc tac aac ttc gtc tac ttc atc ctg ctt atc ata 567 val gln leu trp ala gly leu leu arg asn arg cys phe leu glu glu asn phe thr ile gln gly asp val ala leu pro pro tyr tyr gln pro glu glu asp asp glu met pro phe ile cys ser leu ser gly asp asn gly ile met gly cys his glu ile pro pro leu lys glu gln gly arg glu cys cys leu ser lys asp asp val tyr asp phe gly ala gly arg gln asp leu asn ala ser gly leu cys val asn trp asn arg tyr tyr asn val cys arg thr gly ser ala asn pro his lys gly ala ile ser phe asp asn ile gly tyr ala trp ile val ile phe gln val ile thr leu glu gly trp val ala ile met tyr tyr val met asp ala leu ser atg cgg atc ctg gtg aac ctg ctg ctc gac acg ctg ccc atg ctg ggg 48 aac gtg ctc ctg ctc tgt ttc ttc gtc ttc ttc atc ttc ggc atc att 96 ggc gtg cag ctc tgg gca ggc ctg cta cgg aac cgc tgc ttc ctg gaa 144 gly val gln leu trp ala gly leu leu arg asn arg cys phe leu glu gaa aac ttc acc ata caa ggg gat gtg gcc ctg ccc cct tat tac caa 192 glu asn phe thr ile gln gly asp val ala leu pro pro tyr tyr gln cca gag gag gat gac gag atg ccc ttt atc tgc tcc ctg act ggg gac 240 pro glu glu asp asp glu met pro phe ile cys ser leu thr gly asp aat ggc atc atg ggc tgc cac gag atc ccc cca ctg aag gag cag ggc 288 asn gly ile met gly cys his glu ile pro pro leu lys glu gln gly cgg gaa tgc tgc ctg tcc aaa gat gat gtg tat gac ttc ggg gcg ggg 336 arg glu cys cys leu ser lys asp asp val tyr asp phe gly ala gly cgc cag gac ctc aac gcc agc ggt ctg tgc gtc aac tgg aac cgc tac 384 arg gln asp leu asn ala ser gly leu cys val asn trp asn arg tyr tac aac gtc tgc cgc acg ggc aac gcc aac cct cac aag ggc gcc atc 432 tyr asn val cys arg thr gly asn ala asn pro his lys gly ala ile aac ttt gac aac att ggc tat gcc tgg att gtg att ttc cag gtg atc 480 act ctg gaa ggc tgg gtg gag atc atg tac tat gtg atg gac gca cat 528 thr leu glu gly trp val glu ile met tyr tyr val met asp ala his val gln leu trp ala gly leu leu arg asn arg cys phe leu glu glu asn phe thr ile gln gly asp val ala leu pro pro tyr tyr gln pro glu glu asp asp glu met pro phe ile cys ser leu thr gly asp asn gly ile met gly cys his glu ile pro pro leu lys glu gln gly arg glu cys cys leu ser lys asp asp val tyr asp phe gly ala gly arg gln asp leu asn ala ser gly leu cys val asn trp asn arg tyr tyr asn val cys arg thr gly asn ala asn pro his lys gly ala ile asn phe asp asn ile gly tyr ala trp ile val ile phe gln val ile thr leu glu gly trp val glu ile met tyr tyr val met asp ala his ser val ile ser leu glu gly trp thr asp ile met tyr tyr val gln asp met ala val ile met ile asn cys val thr leu gly met tyr arg pro met leu val ile leu leu asn cys val thr leu gly met tyr gln pro lys leu leu lys met ala lys gly ile arg ser leu leu asp thr val | 2 |
indicated at reference numeral 10 fig1 is a load drive circuit which has four transistors 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 connected at their respective collectors with load control relays 15 , 16 and 17 and a safety break switch drive element 18 . relays 1r , 2r , 3r have respective output contacts 1r1 , 2r1 , and 3r1 connected with well - known gas combustion control device energization circuits , respectively , as shown in fig2 ( a ). all the circuits other than the load drive circuit 10 shown in broken lines are made digital and integrated . among them , numeral 20 indicates a first condition discriminating circuit , which has its terminal 21 fed with a heat requiring signal from a starter switch or a thermostat ( although not shown ) such that it receives the signal at a level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, when there is the heat requirement , and the signal at a level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, where there is no heat requirement , and its terminal 22 fed with a flame signal from a combustion flame detector ( although not shown ) such that it receives the signal at the level 37 1 &# 34 ;, when a flame exists , and the signal at the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; when no flame exists . moreover , an nand gate 25 , an or gate 26 and an and gate 27 are connected in the manner shown . on the other hand , output 29 of the first condition discriminating circuit 20 is connected with a second condition discriminating circuit which is disposed at the next stage and which is composed of two and gates 31 and 33 and an nand circuit 39 . these respective gates have their gates connected with or gates 32 , 34 and 38 which constitute a detecting circuit 30 &# 39 ;. into those or gates 32 , 34 and 38 , there are introduced conduction trouble detecting lines 19 , 19 &# 39 ; and 19 &# 34 ; which lead from the collectors of the respective transistors of the load drive circuit 10 connected at the outside of the integrated circuit , and an output signal indicative of the control operation condition of the combustion control device is impressed upon a conductor 40 or 40 &# 39 ;. terminals 22 &# 39 ; and 37 are gate inputs for checking the flame signal . the output of the nand gate 39 is connected through a resistor 41 with the transistor 14 to control the safety break switch energization portion 18 connected with the collector thereof and to feeding a latch circuit 45 and an and gate 51 with a signal indicative of the energization condition thereof . there is further provided a memory circuit 47 , from the output of which a fan motor drive terminal m is led out as an external terminal and is connected with the gate of the transistor 13 thereby to control the relay 1r . on the other hand , a latch output 46 energizes well - known digital timer circuits 49 and 55 for pre - purge and ignition trial . from the output of the and gate 51 which is made receptive of a pre - purge termination signal 53 and a safety switch energization condition signal 48 , there is generated as the terminal a first combustion valve energization output signal v1 , which is then applied to the base of the transistor 11 thereby to energize the relay 2r . on the other hand , at the output of a nand gate 52 which is made receptive of a flame signal f22 &# 39 ; and the pre - purge termination signal 53 , a timer 56 is disposed for a pilot safety time , the output v2 of which is externally connected with the base of the transistor 12 . with the construction thus far described , the normal operation , in which the transistors 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 have no conduction problem will be described . first of all , assume that the respective logic circuits are fed in advance with an electric power similar to the usual digital device . since no flame exists at the beginning , the outputs of the nand gate 25 and the and gates 27 and 31 are at the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, and the output of the nand gate 39 is at the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; so that the safety switch stands by under its inoperative condition . when the thermostat is turned on , all the inputs of the nand gate 25 are at the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, whereas the output of the and gate 27 is at the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. since , at this time , the respective transistors 11 , 12 and 13 are all under their &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; condition , the inputs of detecting terminals b 1 , b 2 and b 3 are all at the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. at this time , the output of the terminal m is at the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, because the motor is not driven yet , and the outputs of the respective and gates 31 and 33 are at the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. in response to the output of the nand gate 39 at the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the transistor 14 temporarily tries the inversion operation . at this time , the input of the latch 35 is at the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, and the pre - purge starting signal 46 is generated by an instant clock so that the operation of the timer 49 is started . the signal indicative of the start of that operation is generated from the output 57 of the timer 55 to instantly invert the output 57 from the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. as a result , the output of the and gate 27 restores the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, and the outputs of the and gates 31 and 33 also restore the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; so that the output of the nand gate 39 is reduced to the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to stop the operation of the transistor 14 . since the check operation is performed during the period of the one pulse of the clock of about 100 hz , the period until that instant is so preset that the safety switch fails to reach its breaking operation . consequently , the latch circuit 45 is inverted again to feed the memory circuit 47 with a signal 46 &# 39 ; at the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; so that the control operation output signal is fed from the terminal m to the transistor 13 and the or gates 32 and 38 . consequently , the relay 1r is energized , and the operation output signal is generated after the end of the pre - purge period from the and gate 51 to the first fuel feeding device , i . e ., a pilot valve v1 so that the ignition trail operation is performed by the connection shown in fig2 ( a ). when the ignition is established , the igniter is de - energized by a flame relay ( although not shown ) connected with the outside so that the nand gate 52 is energized by the flame signal 22 &# 34 ; indicative of the fact that ignition has been effected . the energization signal to a main valve v2 is fed to the transistor 12 through the pilot safety timer circuit 56 thereby to energize a main valve 2 shown in fig2 . as a result , a normal combustion is entered . the operation sequence thus far described is illustrated in fig2 ( b ). during the steady combustion run , however , since all the transistors 11 , 12 and 13 are being made conductive and energized , the problems , if any , in the transistors 11 , 12 and 13 cannot be checked . therefore , in the present embodiment , the checking operation is stopped by impressing the or gate detecting circuit once with the motor output m by which the combustion operation sequence is started . nest , we will consider the case in which the conduction problem takes place in the transistors 11 , 12 and 13 . as shown in the lower portion of fig2 ( b ), more specifically : ( 1 ) if any of the transistors 11 , 12 and 13 is rendered conductive prior to the start by the thermostat , the signal at the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; appears in any of the terminals b 1 , b 2 and b 3 so that any of the relays 1r , 2r and 3r is energized . at this time , however , since all of the operation output signals 40 and 40 &# 39 ; are simultaneously at the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; appears in the output of any of the or gates 32 , 34 and 38 . prior to the start , the output of the and gates 27 is at the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, and the nand gate 39 is inverted from the level &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to the level &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in response to the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; signal from that or gate detecting circuit to energize the safety switch 18 several seconds later or instantly thereby to block the power supply to a contact ssw shown in fig2 and the present control circuit . as is different from the analog control device according to the prior art , since the digital combustion control device is fed with its power independently of the starter switch such as the thermostat , the aforementioned blocking operation can be effected before the heat requirement is made . next , during the pre - purge period ( 2 ), if either of the transistors 11 and 12 is rendered conductive , the combustion sequence has already been started . in this case , therefore , it is sufficient that the control operation output signal to be fed to the input of the or gate 32 does not not resort to the motor output m , i . e ., the signal 40 but resorts to a pr - purge termination signal 54 . thus , the conduction problem during the pre - purge operation can be checked to energize the break switch . moreover , if the transistors 11 , 12 and 13 are troubled to become conductive during the subsequent normal operation ( 3 ), the checking operation during this period is impossible because the respective transistors 11 , 12 and 13 are to be intrinsically energized . at the instant when the combustion sequence is once terminated by the stop of the heat requirement or the quenching operation of the flame , the safety switch is energized by the aforementioned operations so that the subsequent sequence can be inhibited . in the present embodiment , the transistor 14 is once energized in an instant manner by the use of the known latch circuit 45 , as has been described hereinbefore . in view of the inversion phenomena , the latch circuit is energized so that the cycling operation , by which the operation of the transistor 14 is returned again to its normal condition in response to the signal of the timer 55 , is accomplished at the start . thus , the non - conduction trouble condition of the transitor 14 for the energization of the safety break switch is checked . if the non - conduction takes place , the latch does not perform the inversion operation . as a result , neither the output m nor the timer circuits 49 and 55 are energized so that the checking operation can be effected in a remarkably safe manner without allowing the combustion sequence operation to advance . incidentially , this is because the conduction trouble in the case of the transistor 14 raises no serious problem but the non - conduction trouble is predicted to raise a dangerous condition . as has been described herein , according to the present invention , the digital control device can be energized to the safety side against the conduction problem of the load drive control element partly by using the fact that the digital control device is always fed with the electric power and partly by using the time band other than that for which the respective control elements for the load energization are to be energized in the operational sequence , and the digital control device can also be safely controlled merely by providing the conduction detecting terminal especially in case the digital control device is integrated , thus making it possible to provide a remarkably simple and novel check circuit . | 5 |
referring to the drawings , description will be made about a fabrication method of a stacked capacitor according to an embodiment of this invention . for the sake of describing structures , the dimantional ratios of a metal foil , a resist band , and so on shown in figures do not necessarily agree with the actual ratios . referring to fig1 a to 1 e , description will be made about a method of fabricating a capacitor element used in the capacitor . a metal foil ( or a metal plate ) 1 such as an aluminum foil is surface - roughened by etching and an insulating coating such as an oxide coating is formed on the surfaces of the metal foil to thereby obtain a chemically converted foil , or a foil with insulating coating , which is then cut into a chemically converted foil of a predetermined shape ( fig1 a ). then , resist bands 2 and 3 is formed on the surfaces of the foil 1 using an insulating resin , thereby defining anode portions and a cathode portion ( fig1 b ). as the insulating resin , use is made , for example , of an epoxy resin . in the illustrated example , the resist bands are formed so as to divide the chemically converted foil into three portions , i . e . both end portions ( anode portions ) and a center portion ( cathode portion ). then , an electrode layer 4 , or a cathode layer , is formed at the cathode portion ( fig1 c ). the cathode electrode layer 4 is comprised of , for example , a conductive polymer layer to serve as a solid electrolyte , a graphite layer , and a conductive paste layer which are stacked in the order named . then , the insulating coating is removed from both end portions of the chemically converted foil 1 by polishing or the like , thereby exposing the metals to forme anode electrodes 5 and 6 ( fig1 d ). in fig1 d , the insulating coating is removed from about a half position of each of the end portions projecting from the resist bands . however , the insulating coating may be removed entirely from each of the end portions . finally , the end portions are covered with conductive paste layers 7 and 8 so that the entire capacitor element including the end portions is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped ( fig1 e ). in this event , end surfaces of the electrodes 5 and 6 are exposed . referring now to fig2 a to 2 c , description will be made about a process of fabricating a stacked capacitor by stacking capacitor elements each being the same as that shown in fig1 e . at first , the capacitor elements are stacked together by applying a conductive paste to the electrode layers formed at the cathode portions ( fig2 a ). by this , electrical connection paths are established between the cathode electrode layers of the adjacent capacitor elements while electrical connection paths are established between both end portions of the adjacent capacitor elements through the conductive paste ( conductive paste layers 7 and 8 ) coated at the step of fig1 e . then , a metal foil 9 is bonded to the cathode electrode layers exposed at the front in the figure so as to be in contact with the cathode electrode layers of all the stacked capacitor elements ( fig2 b ). in fig2 b , the metal foil 9 is shown only at the front , but a metal foil may also be bonded at the back in the same manner . although the metal foil 9 covers only a partial region between the resist bands 2 and 3 in fig2 b , a metal foil may be wound around regions between the resist bands 2 and 3 at the front , the back , the upper side , and the lower side in the figure . then , according to necessity , metal bonding 10 may be formed by carrying out welding with respect to the three electrodes 5 exposed on the right side in the figure ( fig2 c ). as a method of forming the metal bonding 10 , there are , for example , laser welding , ultrasonic welding , electric resistance welding , and so on . by welding a solderable metal when forming the metal bonding 10 , it is possible to provide a solderable anode terminal to the stacked capacitor . although only the metal bonding 10 on the right side is shown in fig2 c , metal bonding may also be formed for the electrodes 6 on the left side . finally , terminals of the stacked capacitor are provided at each of the metal foil 9 and the metal bonding 10 to produce a complete capacitor . instead of two terminals , a three - terminal structure may be adopted wherein the metal bondings formed on both sides in the figure are provided with terminals , respectively , and the metal foil 9 is provided with one terminal . alternatively , a four - terminal structure may be adopted as shown in fig3 a and 3b . it has been confirmed by the present inventors that the most effective low impedance characteristics are obtained with the four - terminal structure . therefore , the impedance measurement of stacked capacitors of later - described examples was performed with respect to the four - terminal capacitors . since an impedance measurement method used for a normal two - terminal capacitor cannot be applied to the impedance measurement of the four - terminal capacitor , s parameters representing characteristics of a four - terminal device were measured and then converted into impedance , for a comparison of characteristics . a stacked capacitor of example 1 will be described . at first , a capacitor element 20 used in the stacked capacitor will be described with reference to fig4 . the capacitor element 20 comprises a surface - roughened aluminum foil 21 , an aluminum oxide coating layer 22 covering the aluminum foil 21 except its both end portions , resist bands 23 made of an insulating resin and formed on the aluminum oxide coating layer 22 to divide the surfaces of the aluminum foil 21 into anode portions and a cathode portion , and a conductive polymer layer 24 , a graphite layer 25 , and a cathode - side silver paste layer 26 formed in the order named on the aluminum oxide coating layer 22 between the resist bands 23 . the manufacturing process of the capacitor element 20 is as follows . there is prepared the aluminum foil 21 entirely covered with the aluminum oxide coating layer 22 . the resist bands 23 are formed so as to define the belt - shaped cathode portion crossing both surfaces of the aluminum foil 21 and the anode portions at its both end portions . the conductive polymer layer 24 , the graphite layer 25 , and the cathode - side silver paste layer 26 are formed at the cathode portion . then , the aluminum oxide coating layer 22 is removed from the anode portions by polishing or the like . as shown in fig5 , a stacked capacitor 27 is formed by stacking five capacitor elements 20 . each of cathode - side silver paste layers 26 a , 26 b , 26 c , and 26 d between the capacitor elements 20 is an integration of the cathode - side conductive paste layers of the adjacent capacitor elements 20 by heat curing after the stacking and serves to electrically connect the cathode portions of the adjacent capacitor elements 20 to each other . by this , conductive paths are formed each between the facing silver paste layers of the adjacent capacitor elements 20 . further , a conductive path connecting in parallel the cathodes of the capacitor elements 20 to each other is formed by the integrated silver paste layers on sides of the stacked capacitor 27 . the latter conductive path corresponds to the metal foil 9 shown in fig2 b and 2c . further , the end portions of the aluminum foils 21 projecting outward from the resist bands 23 are covered with anode - side conductive paste layers 28 . the anode - side conductive paste layers 28 are also heat - cured so that the anode portions of the capacitor elements 20 are integrated together . the anode - side conductive paste layers 28 electrically connect the five aluminum foils 21 to each other . finally , for enabling handling at the time of mounting , the stacked capacitor 27 is subjected to casing and attached with mounting terminals so as to be a product . a stacked capacitor 30 of example 2 is shown in fig6 and fig7 and will be described . since the stacked capacitor 30 is formed by using capacitor elements 20 each of which is shown in fig4 and described in example 1 , detailed explanation of thereof is omitted . copper paste layers 31 are applied to the capacitor element 20 of fig1 at both end portions of each aluminum foil 21 . in addition , a silver paste is coated on a cathode - side silver paste layer 26 , being the outermost layer of the cathode portion , of one of the capacitor elements 20 , then the cathode - side silver paste layer 26 is aligned with and overlaid on a cathode - side silver paste layer 26 of another capacitor element 20 . then , heat is applied to the capacitor elements to heat - cure the paste to integrate the layers 26 together . by repeating this , five capacitor elements 20 are stacked together . then , a silver paste is applied to center portions interposed between resist bands 23 of the five stacked capacitor elements and the anode portions respectively , and the silver paste is heat - cured . then , as shown in fig6 , a silver paste is applied to both sides of the stacked capacitor cathode portions and copper foil strips 32 are bonded thereto . by this , the cathodes of the individual capacitor elements are electrically connected to each other at the shortest distance through the copper foil strips 32 having a very low resistance . then , the anode terminal portions are integrated together by laser welding . in this event , as shown in fig6 and 7 , the copper paste layers 31 coated at the anode terminal portions before the stacking are melted along with the aluminum foils 21 , thereby forming metal bondings 33 . therefore , it is possible to reduce the connection resistance as compared with the case where only the aluminum foils 21 are laser - welded . finally , for enabling handling at the time of mounting , the stacked capacitor 30 is subjected to casing and attached with mounting terminals so as to be a product . a stacked capacitor 40 of example 3 will be described with reference to fig8 . as compared with the foregoing stacked capacitor 30 , the stacked capacitor 40 differs in that a copper foil belt 41 is used instead of the copper foil strips 32 . capacitor elements 20 are the same as those in examples 1 and 2 . in example 2 , the silver paste is applied to both sides of the stacked capacitor cathode portions and the copper foil strips 32 are bonded thereto . on the other hand , in this example , as shown in fig8 , a silver paste is applied in a belt shape around the stacked capacitor cathode portions and the copper foil belt 41 is bonded thereto . in this example , the thickness of the copper foil belt 41 is set to 10 μm . however , it is preferable to increase the thickness thereof according to the number of capacitor elements 20 to be stacked . a stacked capacitor of example 4 differs from the stacked capacitor 40 of example 3 in that the silver paste applied around the cathode portions is replaced with a copper paste . herein , as the copper paste , use is made of one whose resistivity after curing becomes 1 mω · cm or less . generally , the copper paste is lower in price as compared with the silver paste and , therefore , is advantageous in terms of production cost . in example 5 , a stacked capacitor is fabricated by stacking capacitor elements 50 as shown in fig9 . as compared with the capacitor element 20 shown in fig4 , the capacitor element 50 differs in that , instead of forming the conductive paste layer 26 , copper is plated to form a copper plating layer 51 after forming the graphite layer 25 . such capacitor elements 50 are stacked together and a copper foil belt 41 covers around the cathode portions like in example 3 . in the stacked capacitor of this example , the resistivity of the cathode portions is reduced to 1 / 10 or less by replacing the silver paste with the copper plating at the cathode portions and , therefore , the impedance can be further reduced . in this example , a stacked capacitor is fabricated by stacking capacitor elements 60 as shown in fig1 . the capacitor element 60 is similar to the capacitor element 20 shown in fig4 , but differs in that a copper plate 62 having one surface applied with nickel plating 61 is welded by resistance welding to each of both end portions of an aluminum foil 21 where an oxide coating layer 22 is removed . by the welding through the nickel plating 61 , an excellent welding state with the aluminum foil 21 is realized so that the reliability of a welded portion is improved . the copper plate 62 may be welded by ultrasonic welding , electric resistance welding , laser welding , or the like . in this example , after stacking such capacitor elements 60 together , a copper foil belt 41 covers around the cathode portions like in example 3 . then , as shown in fig1 , the copper plates 62 serving as anode portions are covered with a conductive paste 63 and metal bondings 64 are formed by laser welding or the like . referring to fig1 , example 7 will be explained . in example 6 , the copper plates 62 each having one surface applied with the nickel plating 61 are welded to the aluminum foil 21 . on the other hand , in a capacitor element 70 of this example , copper plates 71 each having both surfaces applied with nickel plating 72 are welded to an aluminum foil 21 . since the plating is applied only to the one surface in example 6 , it is necessary to confirm the orientation of the copper plate 62 when performing the welding operation . on the other hand , since the plating is applied to both surfaces in this example , such confirmation is not required . therefore , the welding operation can be easily carried out . in examples 6 and 7 , the copper plates each having one surface or both surfaces applied with the nickel plating are welded to the aluminum foil 21 . on the other hand , in example 8 , copper plates each having one surface or both surfaces applied with silver plating are welded to an aluminum foil 21 . that is , in the case of one surface applied with the silver plating , a capacitor element has a structure in which the nickel plating 61 is replaced with the silver plating in the capacitor element 60 shown in fig1 , while , in the case of both surfaces applied with the silver plating , a capacitor element has a structure in which the nickel plating 72 is replaced with the silver plating in the capacitor element 70 shown in fig1 . in examples 6 and 7 , the weldability is improved by welding to the aluminum foil 21 through the nickel plating . likewise , since the welding to the aluminum foil 21 is carried out through the silver plating in this example , the weldability is improved . in the case where the silver plating is applied to both surfaces , the operation is facilitated like in example 7 . further , paying attention to an end portion of the anode portion , the silver plating portion is exposed at the outermost surface of the anode portion . accordingly , at the stage of mounting , the mounting can be easily carried out by the use of a recently developed silver paste for substitution of solder . in examples 6 , 7 , and 8 , the copper plate applied with the nickel or silver plating is welded to the end portion of each anode portion . on the other hand , in a capacitor element 80 of example 9 , as shown in fig1 , evaporated platinum film 81 is formed at an end portion of each anode portion and , then , copper plating 82 is applied to the evaporated platinum film 81 . the capacitor elements 80 are stacked together and a copper foil belt 41 is wound around the center portions , including cathode portions , of the capacitor elements 80 like in example 3 . then , as shown in fig1 , the anode portions are covered with a conductive paste 83 and metal bondings 84 are formed by laser welding or the like . in examples 6 to 8 , the copper plate is welded to the anode portion . on the other hand , in this example , the evaporation and plating are carried out with respect to the anode portion . therefore , this example is advantageous in that the productivity is excellent as compared with the former examples . further , since the copper plate welding is not carried out , there is an advantage that the connection reliability is high . referring to fig1 , a capacitor element 90 of this example has a structure in which a copper plating layer 51 is provided at a cathode portion like in example 5 and a copper plate 62 having one surface applied with nickel plating 61 is welded to each anode portion like in example 6 . fig1 shows impedance - frequency characteristics of the foregoing examples 2 to 10 . in example 2 , the cathode portions of the individual capacitor elements are connected to each other through the conductive paste . on the other hand , in examples 3 and 4 , the metal foil belt is bonded onto such a conductive paste to thereby reduce the resistance across the cathode portions of the individual capacitor elements . in examples 6 to 9 , the resistance is reduced by applying the plating , evaporation , and so on to the anode portions . in example 5 , the resistivity of the cathode portions is reduced to 1 / 10 or less by replacing the silver paste with the copper plating at the cathode portions and , therefore , the impedance is further reduced . in example 10 , the conductive paste is replaced with the plating at the cathode portions like in example 5 and the plating and so on are applied to the anode portions like in example 6 , so that the total impedance is further reduced . while this invention has been described in terms of the embodiments , it is a matter of course that this invention is not to be limited thereto , but modification or improvement can be applied thereto within the general knowledge of a person skilled in the art . for example , in the foregoing examples , the description has been made about the case where the five capacitor elements are stacked to form the stacked capacitor . however , this invention is not limited thereto . it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that less or more capacitor elements may be stacked to form a stacked capacitor . example 10 is the combination of examples 5 and 6 . however , it is readily understood by a person skilled in the art that example 5 may be combined with any of examples 7 to 9 . in the foregoing examples , the stacked capacitor has been described to have the four - terminal structure . however , this invention is not limited thereto . it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that this invention is also applicable to a stacked capacitor having a two - terminal structure or a three - terminal structure . | 7 |
in the following , the effects of the far - infrared radiation material of the present invention will be described by referring to the examples . white blood cells ( neutrophiles and lymphocytes ) were collected from peripheral blood of healthy persons so as to be placed in a test tube , and then the far - infrared radiation emitted from sges or from known stones was applied thereto . the effects were examined with respect to five points which are considered to be promoting factors of the activation of normal cells : ( 1 ) ca 2 + concentration ([ ca 2 + ] i ) in neutrophiles , ( 2 ) the migration ability of neutrophiles , ( 3 ) the englobement ability of neutrophiles , ( 4 ) the production of active oxygen ( o 2 - ) by neutrophiles , and ( 5 ) the reactivity of lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin ( pha ) ( the blastogenesis ). peripheral venous blood was collected so that neutrophiles were separated from lymphocytes by using ficoll - hypaque . 10 7 cells / ml of the neutrophiles were suspended in krp solution with 0 . 1 mm of cacl 2 , whereto 0 . 1 μm of fura 2 - am was added , and the mixture was slowly shaken at 37 ° c . for 30 minutes . after the mixture was washed twice with krp solution , 15 μl of 10 - 6 m fmlp was added thereto . the ca 2 + concentration was measured by using a spectrophotofluorometer f - 4000 ( trade name , hitachi , ltd .). an agar plate was prepared by adding 2 . 5 ml of rpmi with 10 % deactivated calf serum to 2 . 5 ml of 2 . 4 % agar solution . thereon three holes of the diameter 3 mm were made with the separation 8 mm along a direction from the center to the outside : in the inner hole , 10 μl of rpmi 1640 solution suspended with 10 6 cells / ml of neutrophiles was placed ; in the middle hole , 10 μl of rpmi 1640 solution only was placed as a control ; and in the outer hole , 10 μl of 10 - 6 m fmlp was placed as a migration stimulating agent . after the agar plate was allowed to stand at 37 ° c . for 2 hours , the distance of the neutrophiles moved from the inner hole to the outer hole was measured , which represented the migration ability of neutrophiles . 0 . 1 ml of paraffin oil opsonized by human serum was added to 0 . 9 ml of krp solution suspended with 2 × 10 7 cells of neutrophiles , and the mixture was allowed to stand at 37 ° c . for 5 minutes . after ice - cooled krp solution was added to the mixture to stop the reaction , the surface of the neutrophiles was washed three times with krp solution well to remove paraffin oil adhering to the surface . the paraffin oil drops englobed by the neutrophiles were extracted with a mixture of chloroform and methanol ( 1 : 2 ) and were measured by a spectrophotometer ( absorbance : 525 nm ). 10 6 cells of neutrophiles were suspended in krp solution containing 5 mm of glucose and 1 mg / ml of gelatin , and the mixture was allowed to stand at 37 ° c . for 5 minutes . after 0 . 1 mm of ferricytochrome c and 1 mg / ml of opsonized zymozan were added threrto , the mixture was further allowed to stand at 37 ° c . for 5 minutes . then 0 . 1 ml of the supernatant was collected , which was added to 2 ml of 100 mm k 3 po 4 solution ( ph 7 . 8 ) with 0 . 1 mm of edta . the reduction degree of active oxygen which reduced the ferricytochrome c was measured by a spectrophotometer ( absorbance : 550 nm ) with two wavelengths to counter the amount of the active oxygen . 3 × 10 6 cells of lymphocytes were suspended in rpmi 1640 solution containing 20 % deactivated calf serum and 2 × 10 5 cells of monocytes treated with mitomycin , whereto 10 μg / ml of pha was added , and the mixture was allowed to stand at 37 ° c . for 3 days . 24 hours before the completion of the reaction , 2 ci / mm of [ 3 h ] was added to the mixture . the amount of [ 3 h ] taken by the lymphocytes for the final 24 hours was measured . ceramic balls of sges and granite , ceramic and tourmaline , as comparative stones , were prepared by pulverizing these stones and forming the pulverized stones into spheres . after warming the ceramic balls , five kinds of the above measurement systems were covered therewith . the effects to the measured values were examined . table 1__________________________________________________________________________neutrophile migration englobement o . sub . 2 . sup .- prod . lymphocytetest [ ca . sup . 2 + ] i ( nm ) ability ability ( nm / 10 . sup . 6 blastogenesissampleresting fmlp ( mm ) ( od ) cells / min ) ( pha , cpm ) __________________________________________________________________________granite79 . 6 ± 8 . 9 * 674 ± 78 * 21 . 2 ± 1 . 8 * 0 . 039 ± 0 . 004 * 1 . 78 ± 0 . 19 * 44587 ± 4904 # ceramic74 . 8 ± 9 . 2 * 661 ± 84 * 21 . 4 ± 1 . 9 * 0 . 038 ± 0 . 004 * 1 . 75 ± 0 . 21 * 45213 ± 4069 # tourmalin88 . 6 ± 9 . 2 # 726 ± 88 # 22 . 3 ± 2 . 1 * 0 . 042 ± 0 . 006 * 2 . 01 ± 0 . 18 # 47681 ± 5721 $ sges 96 . 5 ± 10 . 5 # 875 ± 95 # 24 . 2 ± 3 . 1 * 0 . 044 ± 0 . 004 # 1 . 90 ± 0 . 19 # 46994 ± 6109 $ control . sup . @ 62 . 4 ± 7 . 5 511 ± 73 17 . 9 ± 0 . 9 0 . 0319 ± 0 . 005 1 . 48 ± 0 . 24 32671 ± 3593__________________________________________________________________________ * 0 . 01 & lt ; p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs . control , # p & lt ; 0 . 01 , ¥ p & lt ; 0 . 001 , $ p & lt ; 0 . 0001 . . sup . @ control : the value for a system without farinfrared radiation . as clearly seen from table 1 , the far - infrared radiation emitted from all the ceramic balls activated normal cells . in particular , the sges ceramic balls , the far - infrared radiation material of the present invention , were most effective for activating normal cells of the other ceramic balls . in a thiobarbituric acid ( tba ) reaction system , an oily unsaturated fatty acid , docosahexaenoic acid , reacts with active oxygen which emits ultraviolet radiation to produce lipid peroxides . to this system , the far - infrared radiation emitted from sges or from known stones was applied . measured was the reduction degree of lipid peroxides which are considered to be one of factors causing various diseases . 0 . 1 ml of docosahexaenoic acid diluted by 200 times was prepared in order to measure lipid peroxides produced by the tba reaction . in the tba reaction , 0 . 2 ml of 7 % sodium dodecyl sulfate , 2 ml of 0 . 1 n hcl and 0 . 3 ml of phosphotungstic acid were mixed , whereto 1 ml of a reagent containing 0 . 67 % tba and acetic acid ( 1 : 1 ) was added , and the measurement was performed by a spectrophotofluorometer ( excitation : 515 nm and emission : 553 nm ). ceramic balls of sges and granite , ceramic and tourmaline , as comparative stones , were prepared by pulverizing these stones and forming the pulverized stones into spheres . after warming the ceramic balls , the above measurement system was covered therewith . the effects to the measured values were examined . table 2______________________________________test sample solvent average ( 6 minutes ) ______________________________________control 1 ( uv -) ethanol 6 . 5 ± 0 . 9control 2 ( uv +) ethanol 462 ± 61granite ethanol 385 ± 48 * ceramic ethanol 368 ± 41 * tourmaline ethanol 245 ± 29 # sges ethanol 84 ± 13 ¥ ______________________________________ dil . docosahexaenoic acid ( 200 times ) + sun light ( uv ) for 6 hours . * 0 . 01 & lt ; p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs . control , # p & lt ; 0 . 01 , ¥ p & lt ; 0 . 001 . as clearly seen from table 2 , for all the test samples , the docosahexaenoic acid with ultraviolet radiation was significantly inhibited from producing lipid peroxides ( tba reactive materials ). in particular , the far - infrared radiation emitted from the sges ceramic balls of the present invention most effectively inhibited the lipid peroxide production of those from the other ceramic balls . three types of leukemia cells on the market , hl - 60 , ml - 1 and k - 562 , were obtained , each of which were then suspended in rpmi solution . to the system , the far - infrared radiation emitted from sges or from known stones was applied . ca 2 + concentration ([ ca 2 + ] i ) in leukemia cells was measured in order to examine the degree of inhibiting the function of cancer cells . ceramic balls of sges and granite , ceramic and tourmaline , as comparative stones , were prepared by pulverizing these stones and forming the pulzerized stones into spheres . after warming the ceramic balls , three kinds of the above measurement systems ( for hl - 60 , ml - 1 and k - 562 ) were covered therewith . the effects to the measured values were examined . table 3__________________________________________________________________________leukemia cellhl - 60 ml - 1 k - 562test [ ca . sup . 2 + ] i ( nm ) sampleresting fmlp resting fmlp resting fmlp__________________________________________________________________________granite60 . 2 ± 6 . 7 * 148 ± 16 * 33 . 6 ± 3 . 6 82 . 7 ± 11 . 4 21 . 2 ± 2 . 0 * 58 . 3 ± 5 . 3 * ceramic61 . 3 ± 3 . 3 * 145 ± 17 * 35 . 2 ± 4 . 2 84 . 9 ± 13 . 3 20 . 9 ± 1 . 7 * 62 . 1 ± 5 . 7 * tourmalin63 . 5 ± 8 . 0 * 159 ± 14 * 31 . 5 ± 4 . 0 * 79 . 3 ± 12 . 1 * 18 . 0 ± 2 . 1 # 47 . 7 ± 6 . 2 # sges 63 . 3 ± 9 . 5 * 169 ± 18 * 28 . 8 ± 3 . 1 * 75 . 8 ± 10 . 3 * 15 . 2 ± 1 . 9 # 40 . 8 ± 5 . 7 # control . sup . @ 47 . 8 ± 5 . 6 128 ± 16 38 . 2 ± 4 . 1 105 . 6 ± 14 . 0 30 . 2 ± 4 . 4 87 . 5 ± 9 . 8__________________________________________________________________________ * 0 . 01 & lt ; p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs . control , # p & lt ; 0 . 01 , ¥ p & lt ; 0 . 001 , $ p & lt ; 0 . 0001 . . sup . @ control : the value for a system without farinfrared radiation . it can be clearly seen from table 3 that , except hl - 60 cells , the far - infrared radiation emitted from all the ceramic balls inhibited the cancer cell function . particularly , the sges ceramic balls of the present invention significantly deactivated cancer cells over the other ceramic balls . combining those results of examples 1 and 3 , the sges far - infrared radiation material according to the present invention powerfully activated normal cells while the same significantly deactivated cancer cells the function of which should be inhibited . two types of tumor cells obtained from cancer - bearing mice , sarcoma 180 and b - 16 melanoma , were transplanted to the dorsum of normal ddy or c57 black mice . to the system , the far - infrared radiation emitted from sges or from known stones was applied . the effects to the proliferation of tumor cells were examined to obtain the degree of inhibiting the proliferation of transplanted cancer cells . sheets of cloth were prepared which comprised ceramic balls of sges and tourmaline and ceramic , as comparative stones , obtained by pulverizing these stones and forming the pulzerized stones into spheres , and were applied onto the dorsum of two types of mice bearing sarcoma 180 and b - 16 melanoma , respectively . the size of the tumor with the far - infrared radiation thereto was measured every five days so as to be compared with that without the far - infrared radiation thereto . as clearly seen from fig1 the far - infrared radiation emitted from all the ceramic balls inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells , and controlled the proliferation of transplanted cancer cells . especially , the sges ceramic balls of the present invention showed the remarkable effects over the other ceramic balls . dyshepatia wistar rats ( female , 24 weeks old ) by mercury poisoning were obtained by giving 6 mg / kg of mercury ( hgcl 2 ) thereto . then sges ultrafine powder according to the present invention was administered to the rats . the effects to the amount of glutamic - oxaloacetic transaminase ( got ) and glutamic - pyruvic transaminase ( gpt ) in blood were examined to obtain the degree of curing dyshepatia . ultrafine powder of sges was prepared by pulverizing sges and grinding the pulverized sges . 0 . 006 g / kg , 0 . 06 g / kg and 0 . 3 g / kg per every day for a week of the sges ultrafine powder each was administered to three of the above dyshepatia rats . after a week , the blood of the rats was collected so as to examine the effects to the measured values . table 4______________________________________rat group got ( ku ) gpt ( ku ) ______________________________________control 80 . 3 ± 3 . 6 43 ± 0 . 9hgcl . sub . 2 ( 6 mg / kg ) only 132 . 7 ± 5 . 9 90 ± 5 . 5sges ( 0 . 006 g / kg ) + hgcl . sub . 2 ( 6 mg / kg ) 101 . 0 ± 4 . 2 49 ± 7 . 2 sges ( 0 . 06 g / kg ) + hgcl . sub . 2 ( 6 mg / kg ) 94 . 8 ± 2 . 4 50 ± 2 . 2 sges ( 0 . 3 g / kg ) + hgcl . sub . 2 ( 6 mg / kg ) 90 . 1 ± 5 . 4 46 ± 4 . 9sges ( 0 . 006 g / kg ) only 78 . 8 ± 0 . 5 38 ± 1 . 9______________________________________ it can be clearly seen from table 4 , the sges ultrafine powder of the present invention remarkably reduced the amount of got and gpt in the blood of the dyshepatia rats , and so cured dyshepatia . to 85 cases of rheumatism patients , 0 . 4 g per a day of the sges ultrafine powder of the present invention was administered , and further the rheumatism patients were covered with the sges ceramic balls warmed at 45 - 46 ° c . for 15 - 20 minutes to take a sand bath . after three months , the effects were judged , whereby the results shown in table 5 were obtained . in table 5 , &# 34 ; 3 points &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; 2 points &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; 1 point &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; 0 point &# 34 ; and &# 34 ;?&# 34 ; are represented as &# 34 ; remarkably effective &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; effective &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; slightly effective &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; no change &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; no judgment &# 34 ;, respectively . also crp and e . s . r . exhibit the inflammation degree of rheumatism . table 5______________________________________symptom 3 pts 2 pts 1 pt 0 pt ? total pts______________________________________morning stiffness 20 21 19 22 3 121 ptsarthralgia 8 19 18 36 4 80 ptsswelling 10 17 20 33 5 84 ptsdysfunction 2 7 0 73 3 20 ptscrp 7 20 18 35 5 79 ptse . s . r . 8 15 14 42 6 68 pts______________________________________ the reduction degree of lipid peroxides in blood of the rheumatism patients of the above - mentioned 85 cases was also examined , the results after three months of which were shown in table 6 . table 6______________________________________no change 8 cases 0 - 20 % reduction 6 cases21 - 40 % reduction 24 cases41 - 60 % reduction 43 cases61 - 80 % reduction 4 cases81 - 90 % reduction 0 casestotal 85 cases______________________________________ as clearly seen from table 5 , the combined treatment of administering the sges ultrafine powder together with taking the sges sand bath of the present invention was effective to rheumatism patients , and more particularly to a symptom of morning stiffness and also of arthralgia . also crp was improved by this combined treatment . furthermore , from table 6 , most of rheumatism patients showed the reduction of lipid peroxides in blood while only 8 out of 85 cases , less than 10 %, of rheumatism patients did not . both the above results showed the remarkable effectiveness of the combined treatment of administering the sges ultrafine powder and taking the sges sand bath of the present invention to rheumatism patients . although illustrative examples of the present invention have been shown and described , a latitude of modification , change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure , and in certain instances , some features of the present invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the present invention . as seen from the result of example 1 , the far - infrared radiation emitted from the sges ceramic balls according to the present invention activates normal cells more effectively than from any other known ceramic balls . from the results of examples 2 , 3 and 4 , the far - infrared radiation from the sges ceramic balls according to the present invention significantly inhibits such factors which cause various diseases as the lipid peroxide production and the proliferation of leukemia and cancer cells over any other known ceramic balls . furthermore , from the results of example 5 and 6 , the sges ultrafine powder according to the present invention cures dyshepatia , and the combination of administering the sges ultrafine powder and taking the sges sand bath is effective to rheumatism , and more specifically to such symptoms of rheumatism as morning stiffness , arthralgia , swelling , and so on . since the combination of administering the sges ultrafine powder and taking the sges sand bath also reduces lipid peroxides in blood , it can be used as a medicine for curing such diseases which is considered to be caused by lipid peroxides as rheumatoid arthritis , thrombophlebitis , progressive systemic scleroderma , buerger &# 39 ; s disease , raynaud &# 39 ; s disease , intractable dermatoulcer , and the like . the sges ultrafine powder is free from side effects , and threrfore can be taken as a health food for maintaining and promoting a person &# 39 ; s health . | 0 |
fig1 shows a plasma arc torch 10 embodying the principles of the invention . the torch has a body 12 , which is typically cylindrical with an exit orifice 14 at a lower end 16 . a plasma arc 18 , i . e . an ionized gas jet , passes through the exit orifice and attaches to a workpiece 19 being cut . the torch is designed to pierce , cut , or mark metal , particularly mild steel , or other materials in a transferred arc mode . in cutting mild steel , the torch operates with a reactive gas , such as oxygen or air , as the plasma gas to form the transferred plasma arc 18 . the torch body 12 supports a composite electrode 20 having a generally cylindrical body 21 . a hafnium insert 22 is disposed in the lower end 21 a of the composite electrode 20 so that a planar emission surface 22 a is exposed . the insert 22 can also be made of other materials possessing suitable physical properties , such as corrosion resistance and a high thermionic emissivity . in one embodiment , the insert material has an electron work function of about 5 . 5 electron volts or less . suitable materials include hafnium , zirconium , tungsten , yttrium , iridium , and alloys thereof . the torch body also supports a nozzle 24 , which is spaced from the composite electrode . the space between the nozzle 24 and the composite electrode 20 defines a plasma chamber 30 . the nozzle 24 has a central orifice that defines the exit orifice 14 . a swirl ring 26 mounted to the torch body has a set of radially offset ( or canted ) gas distribution holes 26 a that impart a tangential velocity component to the plasma gas flow causing it to swirl . this swirl creates a vortex that constricts the arc and stabilizes the position of the arc on the insert . there are two ways to start the torch . one solution has been contact starting , one form of which is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 791 , 268 . however , a principal starting technique currently in use uses a high frequency , high voltage ( hfhv ) signal coupled to a power line from a d . c . power supply to the torch . the hfhv signal induces a spark discharge in a plasma gas flowing between the composite electrode and a nozzle , typically in a spiral path . a hfhv generator is usually incorporated in a power supply or in a “ console ” located remotely from the torch and connected to the torch by a lead set . the arc between the electrode and nozzle is a pilot arc , and the arc between the composite electrode and the workpiece is a transferred arc . the gas flow through the nozzle is ionized by the pilot arc so that the electrical resistance between the composite electrode and the workpiece becomes very small . using a pilot resistor , a higher voltage is applied across the composite electrode and the workpiece to induce the arc to transfer to the workpiece after the gap is ionized . the time between starting the pilot arc and transferring to the work is a function of the distance of the torch above the work , the pilot arc current level , and the gas flow rate when the traditional start circuits are used . electrodes have been commonly manufactured from copper . copper has been chosen because of its good heat transfer capabilities and low cost . applicants have determined that significant improvements in the service life of electrodes can be achieved using a high purity all - silver or coined silver electrode ( e . g ., 90 % silver , 10 % copper ) with a swaged hafnium emitting element . test results have shown over 2000 starts for such an electrode in laboratory testing with a plasma arc torch operating using a non - ramp - down process . this type of electrode allows direct water cooling of the silver surrounding the hafnium . however , due to the high material cost of silver , this electrode design is very expensive and has not achieved wide market acceptance . applicants have achieved results comparable to an all - silver electrode using a copper / silver composite electrode in accordance with the present invention . to accomplish this , applicants have optimized the amount of silver through material analysis , steady state heat flux modeling and empirical data collection . applicants &# 39 ; test results show that significant gains in electrode service life can be realized if the silver component extends from the forward portion of the electrode back into the area of the hollow mill and is directly cooled by water . in one embodiment , both the hafnium insert 22 and the silver are directly cooled by water . fig1 a shows a cross - sectional view of one embodiment of a composite electrode 20 , in which the hafnium insert 22 can be directly cooled by a coolant 52 such as cooling water . the coolant circulates through an internal flow path inside of the composite electrode , including interior surfaces of the aft portion 20 b , and across interior surfaces of the forward portion 20 a , including the bottom wall 42 a and side walls 42 b . the cooling fluid exits the composite electrode via the annular passage 54 defined by the tube 58 and the inner wall 59 of the electrode 20 . the composite electrode is also preferably “ hollowmilled .” that is , it has an annular recess 56 formed in the interior surface of the bottom wall 42 a , to enhance the surface area of the body material , thereby promoting a heat exchanging relationship with the coolant 52 . the planar emission surface 22 a is sized , in conjunction with the flow of coolant 52 and the surface areas of the bottom wall 42 a and the side walls 42 b and 42 c , to prevent boiling of the hafnium insert 22 . further , although the insert 22 is illustrated as being a single cylindrical piece , other geometrys are within the scope of the invention . use of multiple inserts is also contemplated . in its most basic form , applicants &# 39 ; electrode includes a forward silver portion directly joined to an aft copper portion . a hafnium insert is disposed in a bore formed in the forward portion . see fig2 , described in detail below . applicants have recognized the difficulty in obtaining a high strength , leak - proof joint at the copper / silver interface when using conventional methods of joining , such as press - fit , soft - solder , vacuum brazing , torch brazing , threading , adhesive , ultrasonic weld , etc . use of swaged , soft soldered , silver soldered , or induction brazed techniques used to attach the forward silver portion to the aft copper portion do not result in a reliable hermetic seal . this occurs because the joint must withstand torque during assembly , high pressure coolant during operation , heat stress , thermal expansion and contraction , shear stress , thermal fatigue , etc . applicants &# 39 ; invention includes techniques for efficiently and effectively joining the aft portion 20 b directly with the forward portion 20 a . the aft portion 20 b has a first mating surface 46 that is joined with a second mating surface 47 of the forward portion 20 a , using techniques such as those described below . combination of the first and second mating surfaces 46 and 47 results in a joint . in one embodiment , the mating surfaces are planar , as illustrated . however , non - planar mating surfaces can be used as well . the term non - planar includes any contour or shape that can be used , for example , with the joining techniques described below . in one preferred embodiment , the first or second mating surface has a circular , planar cross - sectional shape . the size of each mating surface can be the same , or they can be different . in general , the invention contemplates a process to join directly ( i . e ., without the use of any additional material ) the forward and aft portions . the first mating surface 46 is joined to the second mating surface 47 , using a direct welding technique , such as friction welding , which results in the forward and aft portions being in direct contact with each other . friction welding is widely used to weld dissimilar materials and minimize cost per part . friction welding is an ideal process for joining dissimilar metals and provides high reliability , low porosity , and excellent strength . friction welding is an ideal process for forming a high strength , leak - proof weld between silver and copper , resulting in a hermetic seal . in addition , friction welding does not require the use of an additional material ( e . g . solder ). friction welding , inertia friction welding , and direct drive friction welding techniques , are performed , for example , by mti welding of south bend , ind ., and are described on their web site . see , for example , http :// www . mtiwelding . com . pages found at this web site describe various suitable welding techniques , and some of the associated metal combinations on which they can be used . more particularly , these web pages describe friction welding techniques , including inertia friction welding and direct drive friction welding . these techniques can be used to create a joint between dissimilar materials that is of forged quality , and can be used to create a 100 % butt joint weld throughout the contact area of the two pieces being joined . these and other direct welding techniques , including cd percussive welding , percussive welding , ultrasonic welding , explosion welding , and others , utilize combinations of workpiece acceleration and deceleration , welding speed , frictional forces , forge forces , and other such physical forces , sometimes in combination with electricity at various voltages and current flows , to create and use force and / or heat in a predetermined and controlled manner , between the workpieces being joined , to create a strong , leak - proof joint without the introduction of extraneous materials ( such as flux , solder , braze , or filler materials ). they accomplish this utilizing rapid and efficient cycle times , and with minimal loss of the working materials . these techniques are all considered to be within the scope of the invention . direct welding techniques , and friction welding techniques in particular , have been successfully employed to join materials such as silver and copper , but are also effective for joining various combinations , for example , of the following materials , or alloys thereof : aluminum , aluminum alloys , brass , bronze , carbides cemented , cast iron , ceramic , cobalt , columbium , copper , copper nickel , iron sintered , lead , magnesium , magnesium alloys , molybdenum , monel , nickel , nickel alloys , nimonic , niobium , niobium alloys , silver , silver alloys , steel alloys , steel - carbon , steel - free machining , steel - maraging , steel - sintered , steel - stainless , steel - tool , tantalum , thorium , titanium , titanium alloys , tungsten , tungsten carbide cemented , uranium , vanadium , valve materials ( automotive ), and zirconium alloys . proper use of these techniques results in the significant electrode performance enhancements of the invention , as contrasted , for example , with conventional brazing , soldering , and other joining methods , some of which were discussed earlier . for purposes of this invention , in addition to the techniques described above , direct welding includes joining methods that create a suitable high - strength joint between the dissimilar metals of the first mating surface 46 and the second mating surface 47 , without the need to add additional materials such as braze , flux , solder , or filler materials . for purposes of this invention , direct welding includes inertia friction welding , direct drive friction welding , cd percussive welding , percussive welding , ultrasonic welding , and explosion welding . these manufacturing methods achieve a direct metallurgical coupling between the first and second mating surfaces , resulting in a strong bond at low cost . the direct contact between the mating surfaces , especially in the absence of solder , flux , braze , filler materials and the like , contributes to the superior performance of the invention . moreover , it is recognized that an alloy may be formed where the first and second mating surfaces meet , resulting from the combination of these different materials . this alloy may be formed either during direct welding , and / or during subsequent operation of the torch . applicants have determined that formation of any alloy in this manner does not hinder the performance of the invention . rather , it is the use of braze , flux , solder , welding filler materials , and the like , such as those used in other types of joining processes , that should be avoided . these types of materials are not used in the direct welding process of the invention , allowing applicants to achieve the direct contact between the mating surfaces that is required . in one aspect , applicants have developed an electrode with an optimal volume and geometry of a forward silver portion and an aft copper portion based on ( 1 ) performance and ( 2 ) cost and ease of manufacturing . applicants &# 39 ; composite electrode performs as if it is an all - silver electrode . the electrode approximates the material properties of the more expensive silver material . the electrode uses the requisite volume of silver to provide excellent heat transfer in the forward portion around the emissive insert , to achieve performance and service life equal to that of the all - silver electrode . the requisite geometry and volume can be determined through empirical data collection in the laboratory , and by computer modeling of the heat flux . these techniques can be used , for example , to design electrodes that minimize the amount of silver used during electrode fabrication , thereby reducing the cost of the electrode . cavities or lumens can be strategically located within portions of the forward and / or aft portions of the electrode body , for example , to enhance cooling capabilities , or to reduce the quantity of material required for fabrication . applicants have also used these techniques to determine that superior cooling of the hafnium insert 22 is achieved by providing a high thermal conductivity material , such as silver , in the forward portion 20 a to surround the circumference of the emissive insert 22 , thereby providing contact with the excellent heat transfer property of the forward portion of the electrode along the length of the insert 22 , whereby the life of the electrode is extended . further , applicants have determined that providing a single radial interface between the insert 22 and the forward silver portion also results in superior electrode performance . the aft portion 20 b of the electrode can be made with a lower cost copper material which still has good heat transfer properties , but results in a composite electrode with performance characteristics comparable to an all - silver electrode for a much lower cost . in addition , as the majority of heat transfer can take place in the forward portion 20 a , a higher emphasis on the machinability of the aft portion can be used as a criterion in the material selection of the aft portion . the heat transfer property of the forward and aft portions of the electrode can be , for example , thermal conductivity or thermal diffusivity . the forward and aft portions of the composite electrode can be made from various combinations of materials . in one embodiment of the invention the thermal conductivity of the forward portion of the electrode ( e . g ., silver ) is generally greater than about 400 watts / m / deg - k , and the thermal conductivity of the aft portion of the electrode ( e . g ., copper ) is generally less than this amount . in another embodiment , the materials of the forward portion of the electrode have a high thermal diffusivity , generally greater than 0 . 1 m 2 / sec ., and preferably at least about 0 . 17 m 2 / sec . the thermal diffusivity of the aft portion of the electrode is less than the thermal diffusivity of the forward portion . any material , including alloys , with physical properties such as those listed above can be suitable for use with the invention and are contemplated to be within the scope of the invention . in addition to silver / copper , other composite or multi - metallic combinations with desirable characteristics for use with the composite electrode of the invention can be used . different embodiments of the invention can use silver / aluminum , silver / brass , or brass / copper material combinations for the forward and aft portions of the electrode . applicants usage herein of the term “ composite ” is intended to mean at least two metallic materials . fig2 is an illustration of an embodiment of an electrode 200 embodying the principles of the present invention . the main components of the electrode 200 are a forward silver portion 210 and an aft copper portion 220 , which has been friction - welded to the forward silver portion 210 . the friction - welded joint is created where the surfaces of the forward silver portion 210 and the aft copper portion 220 meet . although the joint is described as friction - welded , the other direct welding joining techniques such as those described above can also be used , and are considered to be within the scope of the invention . moreover , although the forward silver portion 210 can be primarily silver , other materials such as gold , palladium , silver - copper alloys , brass , rhodium and platinum , and alloys of any of these are also suitable , and are within the scope of the invention . the joint illustrated in fig2 has a cross - sectional area that extends across the width of the electrode 200 . in other embodiments of the invention , the diameters of these portions can be different , and these cross - sectional areas can be different . further , the shape of the forward portion 210 can be different from the shape of the aft portion 220 . for example , the forward portion can be in the shape of a disk or a square , and the aft portion can be in the shape of a tube , with the end of the tube being friction - welded to a surface of the forward portion . many various shapes and configurations are contemplated , and provide for effective operation of the invention . in one embodiment of the invention , the forward silver portion 210 comprises or is made of silver and the aft copper portion 220 comprises or is made of copper . the forward silver portion 210 has a bore 230 into which a hafnium insert can be press fit . as illustrated in fig2 , the bore 230 can be located along a central axis of the forward portion of the electrode body . the friction weld used to attach the forward silver portion 210 to the aft copper portion 220 results in a reliable , leak - proof hermetic seal along with a high strength weld . to maximize cooling , the forward portion also extends back to the area 240 of cooling fluid flow and is therefore directly cooled by the fluid . in one embodiment , the electrode 200 is of a hollow - milled configuration . as shown in fig2 , the hollow - milled configuration results in increased surface area 250 a , 250 b , 250 c , 250 d , 250 e , and 250 f for transferring heat from a hafnium insert to cooling area 240 . full strength welds of oxygen - free copper to coined ( e . g ., 90 % silver , 10 % copper ) silver have been achieved using friction welding . bend tests and tensile tests showed strength equal to silver material . laboratory results comparing pit depth of an electrode against the number of pierces for a silver / copper electrode were identical to an all - silver electrode , until the depth of silver was consumed , as shown in fig3 . the foregoing are merely representative embodiments , as other configurations are possible and within the scope of the invention . fig4 is a graph that shows pit depth versus the number of electrode starts for various electrodes . the performance of electrodes that are manufactured according to the invention are designated as curves 401 and 403 on the graph . this graph compares these results with those of copper electrodes ( 405 and 406 ), and with other copper - silver electrode combinations ( 408 a - 408 f ) that are commercially available . the data in fig4 was obtained using 4 second life test testing measurements , i . e ., multiple four second runs were made with each of the electrodes , to obtain the information displayed in this graph . the graph shows the superior longevity of electrodes manufactured according to applicants &# 39 ; invention . fig5 shows a graph of comparable data as fig4 , but for 60 second life test measurements ( i . e ., multiple runs of 60 seconds duration on each of the electrodes ). electrodes according to the invention are labeled on fig5 as 501 and 503 . copper electrode results are labeled as 505 and 506 . results of commercially available copper - silver combination electrodes are labeled as 508 a - 508 f . again , the results illustrate the superior longevity of the electrodes manufactured according to applicants &# 39 ; invention . fig6 is a plot showing temperature contours in a silver tip electrode during extended operation based on a computational fluid dynamics model . this plot presents across - sectional view of an operating electrode comprising a hafnium insert 22 within a silver forward portion 20 a . the electrode modeled in this figure is symmetrical about a central axis 605 . the electrode is cooled by coolant that is present in the annular recess 56 . the temperature at and near the planar emission surface 22 a is hotter than the maximum temperature reading displayed by the graph ( 190 deg - c . ), and is displayed as white ( area 610 ). this figure qualitatively demonstrates the degree of radial heat conduction away from the hafnium insert 22 in the electrode , and illustrates the importance of having silver available in the radial direction to enhance conduction . radial heat conduction away from the hafnium insert 22 is an important feature of the invention . fig7 a - 7q illustrate some different embodiments of different configurations of electrode tips that are within the scope of the invention . the diameter and / or quantity of the silver portion of the electrode tip 705 is sized to achieve the desired amount of radial cooling for a particular application , in combination with the amount and shape of the copper portion of the electrode 710 , and the size , shape , and positioning of the hafnium insert 22 or inserts ( if multiple inserts are present ). in the embodiments of the invention shown in fig7 a - 7q the entire length of the hafnium insert 22 is in contact with the silver portion of the electrode tip 705 , to facilitate heat removal . fig7 r shows one embodiment where the aft portion of the electrode is adapted to receive the forward portion of the electrode . the size and shape of the aft portion of the electrode 710 can be adjusted to allow the second mating surface 47 to fit within a receiving portion 715 formed by the first mating surface 46 . in this embodiment the forward portion of the electrode tip 705 has a smaller diameter than the aft portion of the electrode tip 710 , and the forward portion of the electrode tip 705 can be fabricated to fit within the receiving portion 715 . the forward portion of the electrode can occupy substantially all of the diameter of the receiving portion 715 . after friction welding , this embodiment of the invention can result in an electrode tip such as is depicted in fig7 q . the described embodiments preferably use coolant 52 to remove heat from the hafnium insert . these geometry of the forward and aft portion of the electrode can be manipulated in combination , to optimize , for example , heat conduction requirements and manufacturing costs . the silver used in the electrode tip is strategically located to optimize utilization of its heat transfer property . use of direct welding allows less expensive materials ( e . g ., copper ) to be used where the properties of the more expensive materials are not required . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the following describes embodiments of self contained fire extinguisher systems and methods of making and using self contained fire extinguisher systems in accordance with the present disclosure . embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are set forth in the following text to provide a thorough understanding and enabling description of a number of particular embodiments . numerous specific details of various embodiments are described below with reference to self contained fire extinguisher systems on military vehicles , but embodiments can be used with other military , commercial or civilian vehicles , including terrestrial vehicles , marine vessels and aircraft . embodiments of self contained fire extinguisher systems according to the present disclosure may also be used in static structures , e . g ., kitchens . in some instances , well - known structures or operations are not shown , or are not described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the inventive subject matter associated with the accompanying disclosure . a person skilled in the art will understand , however , that the invention may have additional embodiments , or that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details of the embodiments as shown and described . fig1 a shows an embodiment of a linear temperature sensor cord 100 according to the present invention . the cord preferably includes a core 101 and a casing 102 . the core 101 is preferably a pyrotechnic blend of fuel and oxidizer powders with additives that result in a low auto - ignition temperature , for example , in a range of approximately 225 degrees fahrenheit to approximately 800 degrees fahrenheit . generally , the range of auto - ignition temperatures is approximately 275 degrees fahrenheit to approximately 680 degrees fahrenheit , and preferably approximately 340 degrees fahrenheit to approximately 400 degrees fahrenheit . test results have demonstrated that , in a typical diesel fuel fire and with the cord 100 spaced nominally 18 inches from the fuel , combustion of the cord 100 initiates in less than approximately 60 seconds . in addition to auto - igniting , the core 101 burns rapidly to provide a short response time , e . g ., combustion propagates rapidly along the length of the cord 100 . other embodiments according to the present disclosure may have cores 101 without additives . embodiments of the cord 100 according to the present disclosure may have other constructions . for example , the casing 102 may include the fuel or the oxidizer and the core 101 may include the oxidizer or the fuel , respectively . such a cord 100 may accordingly be consumed during combustion propagation . other embodiments may include a pyrotechnic fluid core 101 , e . g ., a liquid or gas , that may be disposed inside or applied , e . g ., sprayed , dipped , etc ., onto a casing 102 . other embodiments according to the present disclosure may have other cores , e . g ., a wick treated with a pyrotechnic fluid . fig1 b illustrates a method for manufacturing the linear temperature sensor cord 100 . the casing 102 preferably includes a metal tube into which the pyrotechnic blend for the core 101 is loaded . the metal tubes may then pass thru dies , rollers , or other swaging devices to elongate the tube and reduce the diameter of the cord 100 . the tube material and properties may be selected for optimum thermal conductivity and tensile strength . preferably , the diameter of the pyrotechnic core is selected for ensuring that combustion of the pyrotechnic core 101 propagates around bends formed in the cord 100 . the wall thickness may be pre - determined according to the swaging procedure . the walls of the casing 102 are preferably concentric with the longitudinal axis of the cord 100 and preferably have a consistent wall thickness . preferably , the linear temperature sensor cord 100 can be easily bent by hand or by conventional tube bending tools and techniques to conform to a selected contour or path without crimping the cord 100 . fig1 - 1e show arrangements of the linear temperature sensor cord 100 including features for adjusting sensitivity of the cord 100 to ambient temperature . fig1 shows the cord 100 including a flattened portion 110 , fig1 d shows the cord 100 including a portion 120 having a cross - shaped cross - section , and fig1 e shows the cord 100 including a coiled portion 130 . the flattened portion 110 , the cross - shaped portion 120 , the coiled portion 130 , and other arrangements may provide the cord 100 with increased temperature sensitivity by increasing the surface area and / or thinning the wall of the casing 102 . other embodiments according to the present disclosure may have casings 102 that include materials other than metal , e . g ., natural fibers , polymers or other materials through which an elevated ambient temperature may be conveyed to auto - ignite the pyrotechnic core 101 . the casing 102 may also include a hybrid composition , e . g ., metal fibers woven into a tubular cotton sleeve . other manufacturing methods , e . g ., extruding or weaving , may also be used for manufacturing the cord 100 . fig2 a and 2b show two embodiments according to the present disclosure for partially enclosing and protecting the linear temperature sensor cord 100 . in particular , it may be desirable to at least partially enclose the cord 100 to protect it from impact , abrasion or other damage in exposed areas and / or to shield the cord 100 in areas that do not require temperature sensing . the cord 100 can be inserted in a solid or perforated metal tube 202 or a non - metallic sheath 203 for protection . these protective coverings or shields may be implemented at intervals along the longitudinal axis of the cord 100 , thus leaving uncovered or exposed portions along the longitudinal axis of the cord 100 . portions of the cord 100 that are covered with the sheath 203 may have reduced temperature sensitivity relative to the uncovered portions . it would therefore be preferable for sheaths 203 to be located along non - sensing lengths of the cord 100 for providing , for example , added impact or abrasion protection . the uncovered portions are preferably positioned in locations where it is desirable for the cord 100 to sense elevated ambient temperatures due to a fire . the tube 202 may provide impact protection substantially without adversely affecting the sensitivity of the cord 100 . for example , the thermal conductivity and / or perforations of the tube 202 may minimize any impediment that the tube 202 may cause to the cord 100 for sensing elevated temperatures due to a fire . accordingly , the tube 202 and / or the sheath 203 may ruggedize or provide additional protection to portions of the cord 100 without compromising the sensitivity of other portions of the cord 100 . fig3 a - 3c show attaching devices for supporting the linear temperature sensor cord 100 . fig3 a shows a resilient metal clip support device 301 , fig3 b shows an elastically deformable elastomer support device 302 , and fig3 c shows a preformed or plastically deformable wire form support device 303 . the support devices 301 / 302 / 303 may support the cord relative to structures ( not shown ) in the temperature sensing areas . variants of these support devices may also be used to support covered portions of the cord 100 , e . g ., portions of the cord 100 covered by the tube 202 or the sheath 203 . fig4 a shows a cup 401 enclosing an end of the linear temperature sensor cord 100 , and fig4 b illustrates a method of assembling the cup 401 onto the cord 100 . preferably , the cup 401 includes a thin - walled metallic cup that is partially filled with additional pyrotechnic material 402 . the cup 401 preferably slides onto and seals the end of the cord 100 . the additional pyrotechnic material 402 may provide a booster to propagate the initiation signal across junctions or manifolds for networking plural cords 100 . the material for the cup 401 may the same or different from that of the casing 102 , and the additional pyrotechnic material 402 may be the same or different from that of the core 101 . friction , adhesive , mechanical devices , or other coupling techniques may be used to temporarily or substantially permanently secure the cup 401 to the casing 102 . fig4 c shows a network juncture 403 a for coupling together ends of two temperature sensor cords 100 . fig4 d is a cross - section view of a network manifold 403 b for coupling together ends of four temperature sensor cords 100 . embodiments according to the present disclosure may include network couplings for three , five or more cords 100 , and may include any geometry that is suitable for propagating combustion across two or more ends . fig5 a and 5b show two embodiments of a boost initiator 500 that may be coupled at an output end of the linear sensor temperature cord 100 . the boost initiator boosts the combustion output of the cord 100 to ( 1 ) ignite a propellant fire suppression medium ; ( 2 ) provide pressure to open a valve ; or ( 3 ) provide pressure to puncture a sealing disc . fig5 a shows a pyrotechnic charge 501 that is initiated by the cord 100 . the size and material for the pyrotechnic charge 501 may be tailored to produce a selected quantity of pressure and / or heat , which may directly ignite a propellant type fire suppression medium , operate a valve , or rupture a sealing disc . the material for the pyrotechnic charge 501 may be the same or different from that of the core 101 and / or the additional pyrotechnic material 402 . referring to the embodiment of the boost initiator 500 shown in fig5 b , an integral metallic bulkhead 502 may be placed between two thermally sensitive charges , e . g ., a donor charge 503 and a receptor charge 504 . the temperature of each charge is sufficient to transfer ignition across the bulkhead 502 without compromising the structural integrity of the bulkhead 502 . the size and material for the receptor charge 504 may be tailored to produce a selected quantity of pressure and / or heat 505 , which may directly ignite a propellant type fire suppression medium or operate a valve or rupture a sealing disc while maintaining a pressure seal across the bulkhead 502 . the material ( s ) for the donor and receptor charges 503 / 504 may be the same or different from that of the core 101 and / or the additional pyrotechnic material 402 . embodiments according to the present disclosure may include several options for a fire suppression medium and its source . fire suppression mediums may include , e . g ., dry chemicals , liquids or inert gases . the sources for dry chemical and liquid fire suppression mediums are typically pressure vessels . discharging these fire suppression mediums from pressure vessels typically includes opening a valve or rupturing a sealing disc . inert gas fire suppression mediums are typically combustion products of a propellant that is not stored under pressure . pressure from an inert gas fire suppression medium may be generated when the propellant is ignited and the resulting combustion produces a pressurized inert gas as the output . fig5 c - 5e show embodiments of initiators , actuators and valves including one of the boost initiators 500 . fig5 c shows an inert gas generator propellant 510 that is initiated by the pyrotechnic charge 501 . accordingly , an inert gas fire suppression medium is discharged via an outlet 512 , e . g ., a nozzle , in response to the propellant 510 being ignited or initiated by the pyrotechnic charge 501 , which is preferably initiated by the linear sensor temperature cord 100 in response to sensing an elevated temperature that causes auto - ignition of the core 101 . fig5 d shows an actuator for discharging a pressurized fire suppression medium 520 , e . g ., a liquid or dry chemical fire suppression medium . the fire suppression medium 520 is discharged in response to the output of a boost initiator 500 displacing a piston 522 , which causes a sealing disc 524 to rupture thus allowing the pressurized fire suppression medium 520 to discharge through an outlet 526 . the boost initiator 500 is initiated by the linear sensor temperature cord 100 in response to sensing an elevated temperature that causes auto - ignition of the core 101 . fig5 e shows a valve for discharging a pressurized fire suppression medium 530 . the fire suppression medium 530 is discharged in response to the output of a boost initiator 500 displacing a piston 532 relative to a valve body 534 . preferably , this causes a shear nipple 536 to be lopped off thus allowing the pressurized fire suppression medium 530 to be discharged through an outlet 538 . the boost initiator 500 is initiated by the linear sensor temperature cord 100 in response to sensing an elevated temperature that causes auto - ignition of the core 101 . embodiments according to the present disclosure may include other configurations and combinations of fire suppression medium sources , discharge controllers and boost initiators . for example , certain embodiments according to the present disclosure may eliminate the boost initiator if the output pressure and / or heat from the linear sensor temperature cord is sufficient to actuate the discharge controller . in lieu of an electrically operated system , auto - ignition of the core of the linear sensor temperature cord in response to sensing an elevated temperature causes the fire suppression medium to be discharged . also , a network of the linear sensor temperature cords can be provided with different end configurations depending on the type of fire suppression medium and its source . fig6 a - 6c schematically show examples of systems that include one or more of the linear temperature sensor cords 100 to initiate a propellant , puncture a disk , or activate a valve on one or more sources of the fire suppression mediums 510 / 520 / 530 . preferably , the linear temperature sensor cord ( s ) connect to one or more inert gas generators . the cord ( s ) 100 can interface with a boost initiator 500 or directly with an igniter of the inert gas generator for initiating the propellant 510 . a solid inert gas generator propellant 510 may be preferable because it does not need to be stored in a pressurized cylinder and there is no residual material to remove or clean up after an inert gas discharge . fig6 a shows six sources of one or more of the fire suppression mediums 510 / 520 / 530 . a plurality of the linear temperature sensor cords 100 ( eight are shown in fig6 a ) are coupled to sources or one another by network manifolds 403 b ( three are shown in fig6 a ). in one embodiment according to the present disclosure , four of the six sources may be disposed in corresponding wheel wells of a vehicle and the two additional sources may be disposed proximate to the vehicle &# 39 ; s running gear , e . g ., in the engine compartment , battery compartment , etc . core combustion is initiated when the ambient temperature exceeds the auto - ignition temperature of at least one of the cords . the networked cords and sources are accordingly initiated and the fire suppression medium ( s ) are discharged . fig6 b shows one embodiment according to the present disclosure for providing a fire suppression system in a crew compartment of a vehicle . at least one linear temperature sensor cord 100 ( seven are shown in fig6 b ) is coupled to at least one source ( six are shown in fig6 b ) of a fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 . the sources are preferably disposed inside a generally enclosed crew compartment and linked by networked cords for initiating the sources if the internal temperature exceeds the auto - ignition temperature . additional networked cords ( two are shown in fig6 b ) may be used to also initiate the sources if a temperature external to the crew compartment exceeds the auto - ignition temperature . certain embodiments according to the present disclosure may include implementing both the fire suppression system for the physical components ( fig6 a ) and the fire suppression system for the crew compartment ( fig6 b ) onboard a single vehicle as independent systems . moreover , independent systems for additional compartments , e . g ., cargo holds , fuel tanks , ammunition lockers , etc ., may also be included on a single vehicle . an integrated fire suppression system for a single vehicle may include a network of linear temperature sensor cords that couple together all of the sources onboard the vehicle . fig6 c shows an embodiment according to the present disclosure including a single length of the linear temperature sensor cord 100 and a single source of a fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 . the single length may include a plurality of individual cords coupled in series by junctions ( not shown ). the linear temperature sensor cord may extend to several locations in a single compartment and / or may include portions extending into different spaces of a vehicle . thermal insulators 600 disposed around portions of the cord 100 may provide impact protection and / or reduce sensitivity to elevated temperatures that are routinely anticipated , e . g ., proximate an engine exhaust , and therefore do not represent a fire . preferably , the single source may be dedicated to providing a fire suppression system at a particular location , e . g ., a vehicle &# 39 ; s driver seat , in response to threats of fire from multiple locations / spaces around the vehicle . one or more of these individual fire suppression systems may be used on a single vehicle , with or without a networked fire suppression system also being onboard the vehicle . fig7 a schematically shows an embodiment according to the present disclosure of a fire suppression system 700 for a vehicle including a manual initiator 701 that can activate initiation the system 700 at any time or temperature . the system 700 preferably includes a plurality of networked linear temperature sensor cords 100 ( only one is indicated in fig7 a ), a plurality of sources of a fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 ( six sources including gas generator propellants 510 a - 510 f are shown in fig7 a ), and a plurality of manual initiators 701 ( four manual initiators 701 a - 701 d are shown in fig7 a ). the sources of the fire suppression medium 510 are preferably distributed for discharging in the engine compartment 510 a / 510 b and each of the wheel wells 510 c - 510 f . alternate or additional sources may also be positioned in other locations on the vehicle . the manual initiator 701 a is preferably located in the crew compartment of the vehicle , e . g ., within reach of the driver . alternate or additional manual initiators may be positioned around the exterior of the vehicle . for example , the manual initiator 701 b may be positioned on the vehicle exterior , e . g ., proximate an entrance to the crew compartment at the back of the vehicle , and / or manual initiators 701 c / 701 d may be positioned on the either of the vehicle &# 39 ; s exterior sides . fig7 b and 7c are perspective views of examples of the manual initiators 701 shown in fig7 a . fig7 b shows an embodiment according to the present disclosure that includes a pull handle 702 for initiating the cord 100 coupled to the manual initiator 701 and fig7 c shows an embodiment according to the present disclosure that includes a rotary handle 703 for initiating the cord 100 coupled to the manual initiator 701 . in the event of a fire that does not reach the auto - ignition temperature , the manual initiators 701 can be manually activated . the manual initiators 701 are preferably positioned in non - hazardous areas and coupled to the sources of fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 with the linear temperature sensor cords 100 . an example of a manual initiator is part number 813633 - 3 manufactured by pacific scientific energetic materials co . ( hollister , calif .). a method for suppressing a fire will now be described . embodiments according to the present disclosure preferably include a linear temperature sensor cord 100 that , when exposed to a fire having a temperature that exceeds the auto - ignition temperature of the cord 100 , initiates combustion of the cord &# 39 ; s core 101 . this core combustion propagates along the cord 100 to a source of a fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 that is preferably positioned in a location to discharge the fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 to suppress the fire . core combustion may propagate in a network of the cords 100 to initiate or actuate one or more suppression medium sources . likewise , individual suppression medium sources may be activated or initiated in response to core combustion from one or more of the cords 100 . core combustion may provide adequate pressure and / or heat to activate or initiate the fire suppression medium source , or a boost initiator 500 may couple the cord 100 to the source for increasing the pressure and / or heat from the cord 100 , and thereby provide sufficient pressure and / or heat to activate or initiate the source . the fire suppression medium sources preferably include a propellant 510 that is initiated to produce a fire suppression medium , a pressurized fire suppression medium 520 that is released by rupturing a sealing disk , or a pressurized fire suppression medium 530 that is released by opening a valve . embodiments according to the present disclosure discharging the fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 without an electrical signal . accordingly , a fire or damage that disrupts electric power or circuits will not in turn adversely affect the fire suppression performance of embodiments according to the present disclosure . a method of providing a fire suppression system onboard a vehicle will now be described . embodiments according to the present disclosure preferably include a linear temperature sensor cord 100 that is routed into or through compartments or other locations on the vehicle such as engine compartments , crew compartments , wheel wells , fuel tanks , cargo holds , etc . the cord 100 may include an end positioned in a compartment or may include a loop or segment disposed in a compartment . ends of the cord 100 are preferably enclosed by a cup 401 , coupled to a boost initiator 500 at a source of a fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 , coupled directly to the source of the fire suppression medium 510 / 520 / 530 , coupled to one or more manual initiators 701 , or networked with one or more other cords 100 via a juncture 403 a or a manifold 403 b . portions of the cord ( s ) 100 may be shielded from impact or abrasion with or without an appreciable effect on the temperature sensitivity of the cord 100 . for example , one or more portions of a cord 100 may be cinctured by a tube 202 or a sheath 203 with minimal impact on the ability of the cord 100 , and / or an insulator 600 may make one or more portions of the cord 100 less sensitive to the ambient temperature . cords 100 may be bent or otherwise formed into shapes that follow a selected route and may be supported with respect to vehicle along that route by resilient clips , wires , etc . the route that the cord ( s ) follow may also extend on external surfaces of the vehicle . embodiments according to the present disclosure may also be applicable to other environments such as kitchens , warehouses , or any structure in which it is preferable to provide fire suppression capabilities during electrical power outages . embodiments according to the present disclosure may also be applicable anywhere electricity for a fire suppression system is not available . embodiments according to the present disclosure may provide an elongated fire sensor rather than a conventional sensor that is located at a specific position and coupled by wires to a discharge controller . in contrast to these conventional sensors , the entire length of the linear temperature sensor cord 100 may provide fire sensing capabilities in addition to transmitting a signal to discharge a fire suppression medium . embodiments according to the present disclosure may also be used to break an electrical circuit . for example , a fire in a particular space may be sensed by an embodiment of the cord according to the present disclosure . the cord may be disposed throughout the space rather than using a conventional sensor ( s ) disposed at discrete locations . in response to auto - igniting the cord , an embodiment of the boost initiator according to the present disclosure may cut electrical power to the space . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , but that various modifications can be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments . | 0 |
several preferred embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a sorting apparatus according to the first embodiment of this invention . a number of sort processors 106 constituting the sorting apparatus of this embodiment each include , as shown in fig1 a front end sort core portion 102 , a back end sort core portion 103 , and a decoder 130 for designating a memory , which is to be used as a local memory , for the front end and back end sort core portions 102 , 103 . the decoder 130 supplies an access switching bit to the front end and back end sort core portions 102 , 103 to designate front end and back end internal storages 104 , 105 or external memories 107 , 108 , 109 to be used . the decoder 130 designates the access switching bit according to a selection signal ( 1 )-( 4 ) from an external source . this embodiment is characterized in that the access switching bit for changeover between the front end and back end internal storages 104 , 105 and the external memories 107 , 108 , 109 is designated by the decoder 130 . accordingly it is possible to designate from outside so that access will be made to the internal storages if the switching bit is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and to the external memories if the switching bit is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. it is therefore possible to make access to the front end and back end internal storages 104 , 105 and external memories 107 , 108 , 109 successively . fig2 is a detailed block diagram showing the front end and back end sort core portions 102 , 103 of fig1 . as shown in fig2 each of the front end and back end sort core portions 102 , 103 includes a local memory address generating block 100 . each sort core portion 102 , 103 also includes an error address register 170 , a comparator 171 , a 2 - to - 1 selector 172 , and an address translator 173 . the sorting apparatus of the first embodiment is designed so as to make a self - diagnosis by a diagnostic program at the start of the system . in the diagnostic program at the start of the system or in the memory read cycle during the actual operation , if an ecc ( error correction code ) 2 - bit error is detected , an unable - to - continue - sort - operation error will be reported to a host unit , which is a sorter drive unit serving as an interface between a host computer and the sorting apparatus . fig3 is a flow diagram showing such an error recovery procedure . as shown in fig3 when this unable - to - continue - sort - operation error is reported , the host unit issues a temporary stop signal for every step of the sorting apparatus to store in an error address register 170 an address at which the error has occurred ( step st3 - 2 ). if an ecc error occurs once again at the same address stored in the error address register while ` retry ` is set , namely , while ` yes ` is selected at step st3 - 3 ( if ` yes ` is selected at step st3 - 5 ), the comparator 171 detects this . at that time , the address translator 173 of fig2 designates empty areas of the front end and back end storages 104 , 105 according to a detection signal outputted from the comparator 171 . in other words , the empty areas are used as an alternative memory ( step st3 - 6 ). thus an address signal designating the empty areas will be outputted via the selector 172 . if no coincidence is found by the comparator 171 ( if ` no ` is selected at step st3 - 5 ), an address signal will be outputted from address buses 110 , 120 via the selector 172 . if the address to be stored in the error address register 170 is to be processed by an error recovery system , it will be held until a reset signal is inputted . the comparison of the comparator 172 will be executed at every memory access after retry . if coincidence is found as a result of the comparison , the address translator 173 will output an address signal to the front end and back end internal storages 104 , 105 . according to the first embodiment , since the unused portions in the front end and back end internal storages 104 , 105 are used as an alternative memory , it is not necessary to change any part with a new one , during which the apparatus must be stopped , even when a faulty portion is found in the external local memory . fig4 is a block diagram showing one of the sort processors 106 used in a sorting apparatus according to the second embodiment . as shown in fig4 according to the sort processor 106 of the second embodiment , switching signals outputted from the sort core portion 102 as local memory address signals are supplied to the front end internal storage 104 via an internal bus 110 and to the external memory via an external bus 120 , respectively . the data read from the front end internal storage 104 is inputted to the front end sort core portion 102 via an internal read bus 115 . in this embodiment , for data writing , a block pointer , which indicates the next address , is stored in the local memory together with the data . a feature of this embodiment is that the front and back end internal storages 104 , 105 are used as a high - speed buffer storage . in merge sort , addresses are continuously accessed . therefore , the data stored in the external memory 107 can be read after it has been read from the front end or back end internal storage 104 , 105 . in this embodiment , with a view to this point , every time data is read from the front end internal storage 104 , data from the external memory 107 will be transferred to the front internal storage 104 . when access is made to the external memory 107 , the data transferred to the front end internal storage 104 will be read . fig5 is a diagram showing the access timing in the case where the front end internal storage 104 is used as a high - speed buffer storage . in fig5 the boxes shown on the left side indicate the front end internal storages 104 serving as high - speed buffer storages , while the boxes shown on the right side indicate the external memories 107 . the operation of the sorting apparatus of the second embodiment will now be described in detail . fig5 shows the block transfer of data between the front end internal storage 104 and the external memory 107 as mentioned above . in the example of operation shown in fig5 a string a is stored in the external memory 107 , and it will then be read before the next string b is stored there . in fig5 time lapses vertically , i . e ., from ( 1 ) toward ( 6 ). at ( 2 ) of fig5 the front end or back end sort core portion 102 , 103 reads one block of data from the front end internal storage 104 . then at ( 3 ), one block of data is transferred from the external memory 107 to the front end internal storage 104 . since the block of data read at ( 2 ) will not read again , another block data read from the external memory 107 will be stored if one block of data has been read from the front end internal storage 104 . according to this embodiment , in the sorting apparatus in which the high - speed front end internal storage 104 and the low - speed external memory 107 are used as local memories , it is possible to make the access time to the external memory 107 considerably short by previously transferring the data of the external memory 107 to the front end internal storage 104 every time the data is read from the external memory 107 . fig6 is a timing diagram showing the operation of the sorting apparatus of this embodiment . in the second embodiment , either the front end internal storage 104 or the external memory is used as a local memory . alternatively only the external memory 107 may be used as a local memory . namely , in this alternative case , since the front end internal storage 104 is unused , not only effective use of hardware but also improved performance can be achieved by using the entire front end internal storage 104 as a high - speed buffer storage for the external memory 107 . fig7 shows the manner of use of a local memory in a sorting apparatus of the third embodiment . in fig7 an address signal from one of adjacent sort core portions will be outputted to the local memory via a buffer 269 , while an address signal from the other sort core portion will be outputted to the same local memory via an inverter 200 . as a result , although the same addresses may be outputted between the adjacent sort core portions 202 , 208 , these addresses would not overlap each other . by allocating the access timing for the local memory shared by the adjacent sort core portions 202 , 203 to the front and back halves of the fundamental clock , it is possible to shift the mutual access timings so that any access conflict can be prevented . according to the third embodiment , it is possible for two sort core portions to share a single local memory . therefore it is possible to reduce unused portions in the local memory . fig8 is a block diagram showing a sorting apparatus according to the fourth embodiment . in a conventional structure , two sorting apparatuses are arranged in opposite directions . whereas in the fourth embodiment , a single local memory is shared by two sorting apparatuses like the third embodiment . specifically , in the third embodiment , a single local memory is shared by a number of sort core portions in one sorting apparatus . in the fourth embodiment , one local memory is shared by different sorting apparatuses . as shown in fig8 the address signals outputted from the sort core portions of one sorting apparatus will be supplied to the local memories 379 , 380 , 390 via inverters 300 . these shared local memories 379 , 380 , 390 are memories whose access speed is more than twice as quick as the non - shared external memories 7 , 8 , 9 ( fig1 .). in this embodiment , since one local memory is shared by two sorting apparatuses , it is possible to reduce unused portions in the local memory so that the sorting apparatus can be manufactured at a reduced cost without impairing the performance . | 6 |
the present invention provides a process for preparation of fesoterodine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , which comprises : the process for preparation of fesoterodine fumarate is shown in the scheme i . in one embodiment of the present invention provides a process for preparing fesoterodine or its enantiomer , or a salt thereof , comprising a step of oxidizing a compound of formula ii or its enantiomer in to compound of formula iii or its enantiomer using metal sulphate , metal acetate and metal persulphate in presence of inorganic acid and organic solvents optionally with water . metal sulphate is selected from the group of copper sulphate , ferrous sulphate , zinc sulphate , magnesium sulphate , manganese sulphate , more preferably ferrous sulphate , coreductant is selected from dialkylsulphides , diaryl sulphides , alkyl aryl sulphides , dialkylsulfoxides , diarylsulfoxides , alkylarylsulfoxides , mono or poly substituted amines , mono or poly substituted phosphines ; more preferably , the coreductant is selected from dimethyl sulphoxide or dimethyl sulphide . metal acetate is selected from the group of sodium acetate , potassium acetate , magnesium acetate , calcium acetate . magnesium acetate , nickel acetate , copper acetate , zinc acetate , iron acetate , more preferably copper acetate . metal persulphate is selected from the group of sodium persulphate , sodium peroxomonosulfate , sodium peroxodisulfate , ammonium persulphate or potassium persulphate more preferably sodium persulphate . organic solvents are selected from the group of dimethyl formamide , chloroform , acetonitrile , tetrahydrofuran , toluene , dimethyl acetamide or mixtures thereof . inorganic acid is selected from the group of sulphuric acid , hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid or hydroiodic acid . wherein hydroxyl protecting group are selected from the group of acetyl , benzoyl , substituted benzoyl , benzyl , substituted benzyl , dimethoxy trityl , methoxy trityl , and the like , more preferably benzyl . the method of the invention makes use of persulphate , which is a stable compound which is not very toxic and has a good oxidizing power . therefore , in one embodiment the present invention provides a process of oxidizing compound a in to compound b in presence of metal persulphate , organic or inorganic coreductant and optionally inorganic acid , wherein , r1 is hydrogen , hydroxy or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl , aryl , aryloxy , alkoxy , hydroxyalkyl , trifluoromethyl , disubstituted amino , nitro , alkylcarbonylamino , alkylcarbonyloxy , halogen , arylalkyloxy , substituted silyloxy , r2 and r3 represent c1 - c6 alkyl groups , which may be the same or different and which together contain at least three carbon atoms , or r2 and r3 may form a ring together with the amine nitrogen . more specifically present invention provides a process as shown in scheme - ii 2 . product obtained is better in terms of yield and purity , compared to other processes . the present invention further illustrated in detail by the below examples which are however not limit to the scope of the invention . charged r -(+)- n , n - diisopropyl - 3 -( 2 - benzyloxy - 5 - methylphenyl )- 3 - phenyl propane amine ( 51 . 0 g ), acetonitrile ( 500 ml ), process water ( 400 ml ) and dmso ( 100 ml ) into the reaction mass and stirred the reaction mass at 30 ± 35 ° c . slowly added cone , sulphuric acid ( 2 . 0 gm ) and stirred the reaction mass at 30 ± 35 ° c . charged copper acetate monohydrate ( 4 . 13 g ), ferrous sulfate heptahyrate ( 13 . 86 g ) and sodium persulfate ( 59 . 36 g ) at 30 ± 5 ° c . the contents were stirred at 80 ° c . for 1 hr followed by further addition of copper acetate monohydrate ( 1 . 02 g ), ferrous sulfate heptahyrate ( 5 . 02 g ) and sodium persulphate ( 17 . 79 g ) at 60 ° c . maintained at 80 ° c . till completion of the reaction . added 10 % aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide ( 275 ml ) to adjust ph 6 . 0 to 7 . 0 between 0 to 5 ° c . followed by lot wise addition of sodium borohydride ( 14 . 18 g ) at 5 ± 3 ° c . after completion of the reaction conc . hydrochloric acid was added and stirred the reaction mass for 90 - 120 min at 35 ± 3 ° c . the product was extracted in dichloromethane ( 200 ml ) and distilled out dichloromethane completely to give 42 . 3 g r -(+)-[ 4 - benzyloxy - 3 -( 3 - diisopropylamino - 1 - phenyl - propyl )- phenyl ]- methanol . yield 78 . 5 %. r -(+)-[ 4 - benzyloxy - 3 -( 3 - diisopropylamino - 1 - phenyl - propyl )- phenyl ]- methanol ( 65 . 0 g ), raney nickel ( 40 g ) and methanol ( 100 ml ) were taken in to a hydrogenator and maintained 4 - 5 kg / cm pressure of hydrogen for 180 - 240 min . the mixture was then filtered and the solvent was removed by vacuum at below 50 ° c . the residue was crystallized in ethyl acetate ( 60 ml ) to give 37 . 0 g r -(+)-[ 4 - hydroxy - 3 -( 3 - diisopropylamino - 1 - phenyl - propyl )- phenyl ]- methanol . yield 72 . 5 %. a solution of r -(+)- 2 -( 3 - diisopropylamino - 1 - phenylpropyl )- 4 - hydroxymethylphenol ( 100 . 0 g ) and triethylamine ( 30 . 0 g ) in 1200 ml dichloromethane has a solution of isobutyryl chloride ( 34 . 0 g ) in 500 ml dichloromethane added under agitation and cooling . following addition agitation takes place for a further 15 minutes at 0 ° c ., then for 30 minutes at room temperature . after completion of the reaction , reaction mass was washed with water ( 250 ml ) and 5 % aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution . the organic phase is separated and concentrated on the rotary evaporator until dry . obtained ester was dissolved in 2 - butanone ( 300 ml ) and then added fumaric acid ( 34 . 0 g ). complete dissolution of the acid on slight heating . cyclohexane ( 75 ml ) was slowly added under agitation until the onset of turbidity . the reaction mass was stirred for 6 - 7 hrs at room temperature and then at 3 ± 3 ° c . for 60 - 90 min . the reaction mass was filtered and washed with cold ( 150 ml ) methylethylketone : cyclohexane mixture ( 75 : 25 ) at 3 ± 3 ° c . the wet cake was dried at 30 ± 3 ° c . under vacuum . yield 71 %. methylethylketone ( 200 ml ) and crude fesoterodine fumarate ( 100 . 0 g ) was charged in to rb flask and warm the reaction mass at 43 ± 2 ° c . to get clear solution . cyclohexane ( 62 . 5 ml ) was added to the reaction mass and reaction mass was stirred for 720 - 840 min at 25 ± 2 ° c . the reaction mass was cooled to 3 ± 3 ° c . for 60 - 90 min and then filtered it . the reaction mass was washed with cold ( 150 ml ) methylethylketone : cyclohexane mixture ( 75 : 25 ) at 3 ± 3 ° c . and then with cyclohexane ( 200 ml ) at 25 ± 3 ° c . the wet cake was dried at 30 ± 3 ° c . under vacuum . yield 90 %. | 2 |
referring now to fig1 - 4 , a sonobuoy 20 comprises , in accordance with the invention , a cylindrical housing 22 with a pair of diametrically opposed fins 24 mounted tangentially to the cylindrical housing 22 . the fins 24 lie substantially in planes which are parallel to a longitudinal axis 26 of the sonobuoy 20 . the sonobuoy 20 is shown deployed in the ocean 28 and , accordingly , an upper chamber 30 of the housing 22 is shown evacuated , a parachute ( seen in fig6 ) and a float 32 having been ejected from the chamber 30 upon the dropping of the sonobuoy 20 into the ocean 28 from an aircraft ( not shown ). a cable 34 secures the sonobuoy 20 to the float 32 , the lower end of the cable 34 being pivotably attached to the interior of the housing 22 at the bottom of the chamber 30 while the upper end of the cable 34 is attached to the float 32 . the top portion of the chamber 30 is open , the opening 36 at the top of the chamber 30 being sufficiently large to permit suspension of the sonobuoy 20 from a pivot 38 by the cable 34 without a contacting of the cable 34 by the rim of the opening 36 . the pivot 38 , the center of buoyancy , and the center of mass all lie along the axis 26 . as seen in fig3 the center of mass and the center of buoyancy lie below the pivot 38 . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the distance between the center of buoyancy and the center of mass is less than approximately 5 % of the total length of the sonobuoy 20 . the distance between the pivot 38 and the center of buoyancy lies within the range of 10 % to 20 % of the total length of the housing 22 . the ratio of the length of the housing 22 to the diameter of the opening is in the range of ratios 3 : 1 to 10 : 1 . the length of the chamber 30 is in the range of 40 % to 60 % of the total length of the housing 22 . the weight of the sonobuoy 20 , as deployed in fig1 is 39 pounds . these dimensions may be increased or decreased from the aforementioned ranges to accommodate specific forms of water turbulence , such as that of a fast moving current . the aforementioned ranges have been found useful for deployment of the sonobuoy 20 in the ocean for submergence at depths ranging from shallow water to hundreds of feet . the plan view of fig4 shows a fin assembly 23 and the dimensions of an individual fin 24 for use with a sonobuoy having the dimensions shown in fig3 . the fin 24 has two parallel sides 41 and 42 which extend laterally from the housing 22 of fig1 a perpendicular side 43 and an inclined side 44 . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , an apex 46 and the side 41 are located adjacent the opening 36 while the side 42 is directed toward the nose 47 of the sonobuoy 20 . a base section 48 of the fin 24 separates the fin 24 into a short rear leg 50 and a longer front leg 52 , the base section 48 also securing the fin 24 to the fin assembly 23 . the pivot 38 , by which the cable 34 is secured to the housing 22 , comprises a boss 54 on a bulkhead 56 which separates the upper chamber 30 from a lower chamber 58 . the cable 34 comprises a set of electrical conductors for communicating electric signals from electronic equipment 60 in the sonobuoy 20 to be coupled via an antenna 62 for communication with the aircraft . the cable 34 has sufficient strength for supporting the sonobuoy 20 . the cable 34 is attached to the boss 54 by means of a woven jacket 64 which tightly adheres to the cable 34 and has an appendage 66 which is tied to the boss 54 . the cable 34 , after passing through the jacket 64 , passes through an aperture in the bulkhead 56 for connection with the equipment 60 . the equipment 60 is powered by a battery 69 and includes circuitry for the transmission and reception of sound waves via a set of transducer elements 68 ( partially shown in fig3 ) circumferentially mounted around the central portion of the housing 22 . coordinate axes 70 adjacent the sonobuoy 20 in fig1 shows the relative orientations of a plane containing the cable 34 and a plane containing one of the fins 24 . fig1 portrays the situation wherein the water of the ocean 28 is in motion , the motion being characterized by the heaving of the float 32 by waves on the surface of the ocean 28 , the motion being further characterized by the heaving of the float 32 by waves on the surface of the ocean 28 , the motion being further characterized by horizontal movement of the water in various strata such that the horizontal movement of water at the depth of the sonobuoy 20 is of a different velocity than the horizontal movement of the water at the surface of the ocean 28 . thus , there is a differential velocity in the horizontal planes between the water velocity at the sonobuoy 20 and the water velocity at the float 32 . as portrayed in fig1 the float 32 is seen to be moving toward the right of the sonobuoy 20 and , accordingly , appears to be towing the sonobuoy 20 . the direction of the towing is shown in the coordinate axes 70 . the direction of tow lines in the plane of the cable 34 and , accordingly , is angled with reference to the plane of a fin 24 as seen also in fig2 . the direction of tow is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 26 of the sonobuoy 20 , the axis 26 being parallel to the z axis of the coordinate axes 70 . the towing of the sonobuoy 20 produces hydrodynamic forces acting along the surface of the sonobuoy 20 in a direction opposite to the direction of tow . the towing speed is generally less than one - half knot . the resultant hydrodynamic pressures are distributed along the surfaces of the sonobuoy 20 and the fins 24 . also a drag is introduced at the opening 36 of the upper chamber 30 . the bulkhead 56 and the boss 54 have been located so that the pivot 38 lies in the transverse plane of the sonobuoy 20 containing the center of the hydrodynamic pressure acting on the sonobuoy 20 . as seen in fig2 a dashed line 71 joining the apices 46 is approximately perpendicular to the direction of the towing by the cable 34 . however , the plane of a fin 24 , as noted above , is inclined relative to the direction of tow because of the difference in length between the rear leg 50 and front leg 52 . testing with numerous fin configurations has shown that the asymmetrical form of a fin , namely , the unequal lengths of the rear leg 50 and front leg 52 , in combination with the symmetrical mounting of the fins 24 about the sonobuoy axis 26 have produced the most stability of all of the tested fin configurations . it is believed that the inclination of the plane of a fin 24 relative to the direction of tow is a major contributing factor to the stability of the sonobuoy 20 . the center of mass may be positioned adjacent the center of buoyancy by placing a weight ( not shown ) in the nose 47 of the sonobuoy 20 . in the preferred embodiment , the center of mass and the center of buoyancy are positioned within approximately one centimeter of each other . the primary moment for urging the sonobuoy 20 to a vertical attitude is provided by the spacing of the pivot 38 and the center of buoyancy , this distance being approximately 13 centimeters in the preferred embodiment of the invention . the dynamic response of the sonobuoy 20 to tensile forces in the cable 34 depends on the hydrodynamic forces and also on the virtual mass of the sonobuoy 20 , the virtual mass including the mass of the water which floods the upper chamber 30 and the mass of the water entrapped by the fins 24 . the size of the fins 24 affects the amount of the water entrapped by the fin 24 as well as the location of the center of hydrodynamic pressure resulting from the towing . increasing the width of the fins 24 , as measured in the direction of the axis 26 of fig1 from the value shown in fig2 raises the center of hydrodynamic pressure for an increased moment about the center of buoyancy to resist a nodding movement of the sonobuoy 20 in a plane of the axis 26 . the dimensions of the sonobuoy 20 utilized in the building of the preferred embodiment of the invention are shown in fig3 . the fins 24 are formed from the blank of the fin assembly 23 and have dimensions which are shown in fig4 . the relative difference in size between the rear leg 50 and the front leg 52 of a fin 24 as well as their respective positions relative to the housing 22 produce hydrodynamic forces which rotate the sonobuoy 20 about its axis 26 to the aforementioned orientation shown by the coordinate axes 70 wherein the plane of a fin 24 is angled to the direction of tow . the water entrapped in the upper chamber 30 and by the fins 24 serves to dampen any motion of the sonobuoy 20 to aid in preserving a stable attitude of the sonobuoy 20 . the fins 24 may be stamped or etched from a plate of tempered stainless steel , type aisi 301 full hardened spring steel , having a thickness of 0 . 38 mm ( millimeters ). the stamping includes the removal of material from the plate to provide points of stress relief to permit the legs of the fins 24 to extend outwardly from the plate when the fin assembly 23 is secured about the top portion of the sonobuoy 20 . referring also to fig5 the manner of securing the fin assembly 23 to the top portion of the sonobuoy 20 is now described . the remaining portion of the plate from which the fins 24 have been formed serves as a band 72 for encircling the upper end of the housing 22 , the band 72 having apertures therein at the locations of the legs 50 and 52 of the fins 24 . the housing 22 has an upper lip 73 and a lower lip 74 for securing the band 72 in its position after attachment to the upper end of the housing 22 . the band 72 is bent circularly around the axis 26 of the sonobuoy 20 , and passed tightly around the housing 22 between the lips 73 - 74 whereupon the ends of the band 72 are spot welded together . to facilitate the welding operation , the ends of the band 72 are positioned in registration with a set of access holes 76 which permit an electrode utilized in the welding operation to pass through the wall of the housing 22 in the upper chamber 30 to contact an end of the band 72 . the material utilized in fabricating the housing 22 differs from that utilized in fabricating the fins 24 , the housing 22 being fabricated of a light weight material such as aluminum . the access holes 76 permit the welding operation to be performed independently of the characteristics of the material from which the housing 22 is formed . the aforementioned thickness of the tempered , spring steel plate of the fin assembly 23 provides rigidity to the fins 24 during rapid movement of the sonobuoy 20 through the water as occurs in the situation wherein the sonobuoy 20 is deployed from an aircraft . a thinner plate may be utilized in the event that the sonobuoy 20 is to be deployed by being lowered from the side of a ship . in addition , a 60 ° angle of attack on the end of the front leg 52 of each fin 24 further facilitates rapid movement of the fins 24 through the water without the generation of hydrodynamic forces which might otherwise unduly bend and twist the fin beyond the yield point of the spring steel leaving a permanent deformation in the shape of the fins 24 . similarly , the stress relief , as shown in fig4 further insures against any undesired deformation of the fin assembly 23 . referring now to fig6 the upper portion of the sonobuoy 20 is shown prior to its entry into the ocean during deployment from an aircraft . a parachute 80 extends upwardly from the top of the sonobuoy 20 for regulating the speed of descent , the parachute 80 being intially stowed within a cover 82 of the sonobuoy 20 . the parachute 80 is secured to the cover 82 and is deployed via an aperture 84 in the cover 82 . the cover 82 is secured to the housing 20 by a plate 86 having tabs 88 which pass through apertures 91 of the cover 82 and apertures 92 of the housing 22 . the plate 86 , as seen in the sectional view thereof , contains a transverse slot 94 which extends across a major portion of the plate 86 to facilitate the bending of the plate 86 upon expansion of the float 32 . the bending of the plate 86 causes a withdrawal of the tabs 88 from the apertures 91 - 92 thereby freeing the plate 86 , the cover 82 , and the float 32 . the upper chamber 30 of the sonobuoy 20 also includes a surface unit 95 , seen also in fig1 which is attached to the float 32 and comprises an inflation assembly 96 , a battery 98 , and a transceiver 100 . the chamber 30 also includes a coil 102 of the cable 34 from which the cable 34 is unwound to pay out the cable 34 upon descent of the sonobuoy 20 below the surface of the ocean 28 of fig1 . the inflation assembly 96 comprises , by way of example , a cartridge of compressed gas which is released by an electrically operated plunger which punctures the cartridge for discharging the gas into the interior of the surface unit 95 from which it enters the float 32 to inflate the float 32 . the battery 98 is activated upon contact with sea water entering the chamber 30 via ports 104 to energize the aforementioned plunger for releasing the gas . during deployment of the sonobuoy 20 beneath the surface of the ocean 28 , the transceiver 100 at the surface of the ocean 28 communicates electrical signals to and from the sonobuoy 20 via the antenna 62 of fig1 and 6 . in operation , upon entry of the sonobuoy 20 into the water of the ocean 28 , the salt water of the ocean 28 enters the ports 104 for activating the battery 98 to provide electric current to the inflation assembly 96 to produce the inflation of the float 32 . upon expansion of the float 32 under pressure of the inflating gas , the plate 86 bends to withdraw the tabs 88 and thereby free the plate 86 . the float 32 then pushes the plate 86 and the cover 82 upward and away from the housing 22 of the sonobuoy 20 to permit the exit of the float 32 from the upper chamber 30 . the transceiver 100 , the battery 98 and the inflation assembly 96 are physically connected to each other and to the float 32 so that they remain at the surface of the ocean 28 upon deployment of the float 32 . as the sonobuoy 20 descends into the ocean 28 , the cable 34 , secured between the transceiver 100 and the pivot 38 , pays out from the coil 102 in a sufficient amount to suspend the sonobuoy 20 at a desired depth beneath the float 32 . also shown in fig6 is the fin assembly 23 secured about the upper end of the housing 22 . during assembly of the sonobuoy 20 , the extended fins 24 of fig5 are bent inwardly and held in contact with the housing 22 to permit emplacement of the cover 82 about the fin assembly 23 . the cover 82 comprises inner and outer cylindrical elements 105 - 106 between which is nested the upper end of the housing 22 with the fin assembly 23 . the inner cylindrical element 105 contacts the tabs 88 for securing the cover 82 to the sonobuoy 20 . the outer cylindrical element 106 confines the fins 24 within the cylindrical geometry of the sonobuoy 20 to permit the launching of the sonobuoy 20 from a cylindrical launching container in the aircraft . upon expulsion of the cover 82 by the expansion of the float 32 , the fins 24 of the fin assembly 23 spring outwardly to the position shown in fig5 . thereupon , the rear leg 50 and the front leg 52 of each fin 24 assume a planar geometry . the base section 48 of each fin 24 , seen in fig4 retains the cylindrical shape of the band 72 so that the front and rear legs 50 and 52 of a fin 24 are angled slightly by typically a few degrees , as seen in fig5 . with the exception of the foregoing slight angularity in the relative orientation of the rear leg 50 and the front leg 52 , these legs 50 and 52 may be regarded as being substantially coplanar as has been described in fig1 . if desired , the cover 82 may include floatation 108 , in the form of a foamed polyurethane grommet , so that the parachute 80 and the cover 82 can float away from the sonobuoy 20 after its deployment . it is understood that the above - described embodiment of the invention is illustrative only and that modifications thereof may occur to those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is desired that this invention is not to be limited to the embodiment disclosed herein but is to be limited only as defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings . [ 0039 ] fig9 is a simple block diagram of a luminance signal generator , which is an embodiment of the present invention . this circuit has an aperture signal generator 100 . the aperture signal generator 100 is provided in parallel with the main system for generating the gamma - corrected luminance signal from the picture signal that is input , such as from an image pickup apparatus , and generates an aperture signal from the picture signal . the luminance signal generator outputs a contour - emphasized output image signal by adding at the adder 42 the luminance signal that is output from the main system and the aperture signal that is output from the aperture signal generator 100 . the picture signal that is input , such as from an image pickup apparatus , is a frequency multiplexed luminance signal and chrominance signal , and an lpf ( denoted hereinafter by y - lpf ) 50 provided in the main system and an lpf ( denoted hereinafter by a - lpf ) 52 provided in the aperture signal generator 100 are both low - pass filters for extracting the luminance signal component from the picture signal , and respectively generate a first luminance signal and a second luminance signal by attenuating the original image signal . fig1 is a frequency characteristic diagram showing the transmission characteristics of the y - lpf 50 and the a - lpf 52 . both filter circuits have a minimum point at ½ the horizontal sampling frequency f h and attenuate the output signal near this point . a characteristic 80 of the y - lpf 50 is set to have a steep attenuation characteristic so that the resolution of the luminance signal is not impaired during filtering . meanwhile , a characteristic 82 of the a - lpf 52 is set to have a gentle attenuation characteristic compared to the characteristic 80 of the y - lpf 50 . this is to avoid the introduction of a type of moiré noise called the jaggy in the second luminance signal used at the aperture signal generator 100 . it should be noted that the circuit configuration can be simplified by supplying the output of the y - lpf 50 to the aperture signal generator 100 and using this to perform aperture signal generation processing without providing the a - lpf 52 . the main system is comprised to include the y - lpf 50 and a y - signal gamma correction circuit 54 for performing gamma correction on its output . at the aperture signal generator 100 , the picture signal is input by the a - lpf 52 and the edge signal generator 56 . the edge signal generator 56 is generally the same as the conventional aperture signal generator that was described using fig2 and extracts a frequency component of a specific frequency band of the luminance signal component extracted from the picture signal ( original image signal ) to generate the aperture signal ( referred to hereinafter as the edge signal to distinguish it from the aperture signal that is ultimately output from the aperture signal generator 100 ). an adder 102 generates a first intermediate image signal by adding the edge signal that is generated by the edge signal generator 56 and the original image signal that is output from the a - lpf 52 . here , the output of the adder 102 is called the edge addition image signal . meanwhile , a subtracter 104 subtracts the edge signal , which is generated by the edge signal generator 56 from the original image signal that is obtained from the a - lpf 52 , to generate a second intermediate image signal . here , the output of the subtracter 104 is called the edge subtraction image signal . the edge addition image signal and the edge subtraction image signal are respectively input by edge signal gamma correction circuits 106 , 108 . the edge signal gamma correction circuits 106 , 108 on the basis of mutually identical non - linear conversion characteristics , perform gamma correction on the input signals . the gamma correction circuits perform a non - linear conversion on the basis of a gamma function γ a ( h ) for suppressing level fluctuations of the output signal with higher input signal levels h . the gamma function γ a of the edge signal gamma correction circuits 106 , 108 and the gamma function γ y of the y signal gamma correction circuit 54 can be shared in common , or the aperture signal generation can also be performed more preferably using a γ a that differs from γ y . the subtracter 110 subtracts the edge subtraction image signal after gamma correction obtained at the edge signal gamma correction circuit 108 from the edge addition image signal after gamma correction obtained at the edge signal gamma correction circuit 106 . the output of the subtracter 110 is input as the aperture signal by an adder 42 from the aperture signal generator 100 , and added with the gamma - corrected original image signal at the y signal gamma correction circuit 54 to yield a contour - emphasized output image signal . the operation of the luminance signal generator will be described next . [ 0048 ] fig1 shows a typical signal waveform of the original image signal that is output from the a - lpf 52 and shows the waveform in which the original image signal rises in two identical p steps at t 1 and t 2 . fig1 shows a typical signal waveform of the edge signal that is output from the edge signal generator 56 . the two step rise of the original image signal is similar , and the rise at either time t 1 or t 2 has an undershoot and overshoot of the same magnitude 6 as the aperture signal . the edge addition image signal and the edge subtraction image signal that are generated after gamma correction from the original image signal and the edge signal are shown in fig1 and 14 . fig1 shows the edge addition image signal that is output after gamma correction from the edge signal gamma correction circuit 106 . it is assumed that the magnitudes of the undershoot and overshoot occurring before and after time t 1 of the edge addition image signal after gamma correction are δ d1 and δ u1 , respectively , and the magnitudes of the undershoot and overshoot occurring before and after time t 2 are δ d2 and δ u2 , respectively . as a result of the non - linear conversion based on gamma correction , the relationships among the magnitudes of the edge signals become : δ u1 & lt ; δ d 1 , δ u2 & lt ; δ d2 , δ d2 & lt ; δ d1 , δ u2 & lt ; δ u1 . meanwhile , fig1 shows the edge subtraction image signal that is output after gamma correction from the edge signal gamma correction circuit 108 . it is assumed that the magnitudes of the inverted signal of the undershoot and inverted signal of the overshoot occurring before and after time t 1 of the edge subtraction image signal after gamma correction are δ d1 and δ u1 , respectively , and the magnitudes of the inverted signal of the undershoot and inverted signal of the overshoot occurring before and after time t 2 are δ d2 and δ u2 , respectively . as a result of the non - linear conversion based on gamma correction , the relationships among the magnitudes of the edge signals become : δ ′ u1 & lt ; δ ′ d1 , δ ′ u2 & lt ; δ ′ d2 , δ ′ d2 & lt ; δ ′ d1 , δ ′ u2 & lt ; δ ′ u1 . furthermore : δ u1 & lt ; δ ′ u1 , δ ′ d1 & lt ; δ d1 . [ 0050 ] fig1 shows a typical signal waveform of the aperture signal that is output from the subtracter 110 . the subtracter 110 subtracts the output of the edge signal gamma correction circuit 108 shown in fig1 from the output of the edge signal gamma correction circuit 106 shown in fig1 to generate the aperture signal shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , the undershoot of the magnitude ( δ d1 + δ ′ d1 ) immediately prior to t 1 and the overshoot of the magnitude ( δ u1 + δ ′ u1 ) immediately subsequent to t 1 are created as aperture signals corresponding to time t 1 . furthermore , the undershoot of the magnitude ( δ d2 + δ ′ d2 ) immediately prior to t 2 and the overshoot of the magnitude ( δ u2 + δ ′ u2 ) immediately subsequent to t 2 are created as aperture signals corresponding to time t 2 . here , the ratio r ≡( δ u1 + δ ′ u1 )/( δ d1 + δ ′ d1 ) of the magnitudes of the overshoot and the undershoot in the aperture signal obtained from the aperture signal generator 100 at time t 1 is compared to the ratio r ′≡ δ u / δ d of the magnitudes of the overshoot and the undershoot in the conventional aperture signal . it can be seen from the comparison of fig7 ( b ) and fig1 that δ u corresponds to δ u1 , and δ d corresponds to δ d1 so that r ′= δ u1 / δ d1 . thus , is obtained . the numerator on the right side is positive since δ u1 & lt ; δ ′ u1 and δ ′ d1 & lt ; δ d1 , resulting in r & gt ; r ′. furthermore , since δ u1 & lt ; δ d1 and δ ′ u1 & lt ; δ ′ d1 , this yields r & lt ; 1 . namely , r ′& lt ; r & lt ; 1 so that according to the aperture signal generator 100 , the difference between the undershoot and the overshoot of the aperture signal in the same contour part is decreased . namely , the problem of the first and second conventional methods is alleviated . the magnitudes of the aperture signal at times t 1 and t 2 will be compared next . for example , the respective magnitudes δ d1 and δ d2 of the undershoot at times t 1 and t 2 will be compared . here , δ d1 = δ d1 + δ ′ d1 and δ d2 = δ d2 + δ ′ d2 . since δ d2 & lt ; δ d1 and δ ′ d2 & lt ; δ ′ d1 as described above , δ d2 & lt ; δ d1 . namely , the absolute value of the contour emphasized part becomes smaller at the high luminance side than at the low luminance side so that the problem of the third conventional method is alleviated . furthermore , since the edge signal gamma correction circuits 106 , 108 are arranged in a stage subsequent to the edge signal generator 56 , the problem of the fourth conventional method does not occur . [ 0055 ] fig1 is a block diagram showing an example of the first modified embodiment . in this configuration , the a - lpf 52 is not provided , and the output of the y - lpf 50 is supplied to the adder 102 and the subtracter 104 . [ 0056 ] fig1 is a block diagram showing an example of the second modified embodiment . in this configuration , the edge signal gamma correction circuits 106 , 108 and the y signal gamma correction circuits 54 are set with mutually differing gamma characteristics , and subtraction of the edge signal from the original image signal by the y signal subtracter 104 is not performed . namely , the edge subtraction image signal is not generated . instead of the edge subtraction image signal , the output of the a - lpf 52 is input as the second intermediate image signal by the edge signal gamma correction circuit 108 . at the subtracter 110 , the difference between the gamma - corrected edge addition image signal and the gamma - corrected original image signal is generated as the aperture signal . conversely , a configuration is also possible in which the adder 102 is not provided so that the edge addition image signal is not generated . [ 0057 ] fig1 is a block diagram of an example of third modified embodiment . in this configuration , the a - lpf 52 given in the configuration shown in fig1 is not provided , and the output of the y - lpf 50 is used as the input to the edge signal gamma correction circuit 108 and the adder 102 . according to the aperture compensation circuit for the image signal of the present invention , a visually preferable contour emphasis is performed regardless of level differences in the luminance signal . 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 |
fig1 to 3 represent one embodiment of the wall plug 10 in accordance with the invention , which here is a chemical wall plug , this wall plug 10 notably being used for the chemical and mechanical fixing of a part to a support material as described in detail with reference to fig4 . the wall plug 10 includes a tubular jacket 12 , here of plastic material , with axis 14 . the jacket 12 is made of thermoplastic , for example , such as polyamide ( for example pa6 ). the jacket 12 extends between an end including an annular bearing flange 16 and another end 18 opposite that with the flange 16 and forming a traction nut , as will be explained hereinafter , thanks to an internal thread 20 that may comprise a single projecting rib inside this end 18 . the jacket 12 is holed , i . e . its tubular wall includes holes , which here are formed by helical slots 22 extending over a major portion of the axial length of the jacket 12 . each slot 22 extends between two adjacent longitudinal strips 24 of material each of which has a helical general shape . the slots 22 have a width that depends on the spacing between these strips 24 of material , which is typically between 0 . 2 and 1 . 5 mm , preferably between 0 . 5 and 1 mm , and for example of the order 0 . 8 - 0 . 9 mm . the strips 24 of material extend between two non - holed annular end portions 26 , 28 of the jacket 12 . the strips 24 of material are joined to the flange 16 by a first annular end portion 26 . this first end portion 26 has on its outside periphery anti - rotation ribs 30 . the second annular end portion 28 has on its inside periphery the aforementioned internal thread 20 . the strips 24 of material are inscribed in a cylinder the outside diameter of which is substantially equal to that of the end portions 26 , 28 . the jacket 12 defines an internal housing 32 that is open at each of its longitudinal ends . taking the jacket 12 in isolation , its housing 32 in fact communicates with the outside via its internal thread 20 and its end including the flange 16 . the wall plug 10 is intended to contain polymerization components and in particular a resin component 36 and a hardener component 38 . in the example shown , the hardener component 38 ( for example a peroxide in powder form ) is situated in a closed capsule 34 , for example of glass , which has an elongate shape and extends inside the housing 32 coaxially with the wall plug 10 and over substantially all its length . the capsule 32 of hardener 38 is embedded in the resin component 36 which therefore extends around the capsule , between the capsule and the tubular wall of the jacket 12 , as well as between the end 18 of the jacket 12 and the adjacent end of the capsule 34 . in accordance with the invention , the housing 32 of the jacket 12 is sealed by a first sock 40 that surrounds the jacket 12 to cover its holes or slots 22 and to cover the end 18 . the sock 40 therefore has two parts , a tubular first part 40 a that extends around the tubular wall of the jacket 12 over substantially all its axial dimension , i . e . extends beyond the axial ends of the strips 24 of material , as far as the annular end portions 26 , 28 , which it overlies , and a transverse second part that forms a first membrane 40 b blocking the end 18 of the jacket 12 . this transverse part or membrane 40 b of the sock 40 therefore prevents accidental exit of the resin component 36 via the end 18 of the jacket . this sock 40 is preferably overmolded onto the jacket 12 . to this end , the jacket 12 may be held by a spindle ( not shown ) engaged axially in the jacket 12 that is housed in a mold ( not shown ) for the overmolding operation . to ensure correct positioning of the jacket 12 in the mold , the latter may include radial fingers ( radial relative to the axis 14 of the wall plug 10 ) intended to bear on the jacket 12 . in the example shown , four fingers bear on the annular end portion 28 of the jacket 12 . because of this bearing engagement , which is maintained during the overmolding operation , the jacket 12 will clearly not be covered with the material of the sock 40 at the level of the bearing areas . in the example shown , these bearing areas 42 are generally t - shaped . the wall plug 10 in accordance with the invention further includes a plug 44 that is configured to be mounted in the end of the jacket 12 including the flange 16 and to block the internal housing 32 of the jacket at this end . the plug 44 has a tubular shape with axis 14 . here it is made of plastic material . the plug 44 is for example made of thermoplastic , such as polyamide ( for example pa6 ). it includes at one of its ends an internal thread 46 that may comprise a single rib projecting inside this end . the plug 44 defines an internal space 48 that is open at each of its longitudinal ends . taking the plug 44 in isolation , its space 48 in fact communicates with the outside via its internal thread 46 and its opposite end . in accordance with the invention , the housing 32 of the jacket 12 is sealed by a second sock 50 that surrounds the plug 44 to cover its tubular wall and to cover the end of the plug including the internal thread 46 . the sock 50 therefore has two parts , a tubular first part 50 a that extends around the tubular wall of the plug 44 over substantially all its axial dimension and a transverse second part that forms a second membrane 50 b for blocking the end of the plug 44 . this transverse part or membrane 50 b of the second sock 50 therefore prevents accidental exit of resin component 36 via the end of the jacket 12 including the flange 16 . this sock 50 is preferably overmolded onto the plug 44 . to this end , the plug 44 may be held by a spindle engaged axially in the plug 44 that is housed in a mold for the overmolding operation . to ensure correct positioning of the plug 44 in the mold , the mold may include radial fingers ( radial relative to the axis 14 of the plug ) intended to bear on the plug , as explained above . in the example shown , these bearing areas are referenced 52 . the plug 44 may be inserted or force - fitted into the end of the jacket 12 . it may have a diameter substantially equal to or slightly greater than the inside diameter of the end portion 26 or the strips 24 of material of the jacket 12 . the tubular portion 50 a of the sock 50 may be designed to deform slightly through compression on mounting the plug 44 and / or to take up any play caused by manufacturing tolerances . the plug 44 may include at its end opposite the membrane 50 b an annular external rim 54 the external periphery of which is intended to cooperate with a cylindrical internal entry surface 56 of the jacket 12 , and in particular the end portion 26 thereof , and is able to come to bear axially on the ends of the strips 24 of material to define a correct position upon mounting the plug 44 in the jacket 12 . the rim 54 of the plug 44 is covered by the sock 50 which forms around this rim an additional thickness or an annular bead 60 . this bead 60 is intended to be compressed between the rim 54 and the surface 56 in the mounted position of the plug 44 in the jacket and to provide a seal between the plug 44 and the jacket 12 . the wall plug 10 is intended to be compressed by a traction screw 70 which here is also a fixing screw , intended to engage the threads 46 , 20 of the wall plug ( the thread 46 of the plug 44 and the thread 20 of the jacket 12 ). the screw 70 includes two axial threaded portions 72 , 74 separated from one another by an annular external flange 76 . the first threaded portion 72 is intended to lie outside the wall plug 10 , after fitting , and to receive a part to be fixed to the screw 70 by a nut to be screwed onto this threaded portion 72 . the flange 76 of the screw 70 is intended to come to bear against the flange 16 of the wall plug 10 which is itself intended to bear against a support material in a hole in which the wall plug 10 is engaged . the second threaded portion 74 of the screw 70 is configured to cooperate with the threads 46 , 20 of the wall plug 10 and is therefore sized accordingly . the threaded portion 74 therefore includes at least one external helical rib the pitch of which is substantially equal to that of the threads 46 , 20 , which is preferably between 1 and 5 mm , and is approximately 3 mm in the example shown . the screw 70 forms a traction element because it is configured to cooperate with the thread 20 of the wall plug to pull the end 18 toward the flange 16 , i . e . to compress the wall plug 10 axially . the end 78 of the screw 70 opposite its threaded part 72 is in the form of a spike to facilitate piercing of the membranes 50 b , 40 b upon introduction of the screw into the wall plug 10 . it is clear that the axial distance l between the flange 76 and the tip of the screw 70 must be greater than the length of the wall plug 10 so that the screw has already pierced the membrane 40 b of the wall plug when its flange 76 bears on the flange 16 of the wall plug 10 . it is also clear that the axial distance l ′ between the flange 76 and the end of the threaded portion 7 situated on the side opposite the flange 76 must be greater than the distance between the flange 16 of the wall plug and its thread 20 so that the screw can cooperate with this thread before its flange 76 comes to bear on that of the wall plug 10 . the combination comprising the wall plug 10 and the screw 70 forms a fixing kit in accordance with the invention . refer from now on to fig4 , which shows diagrammatically the kit after its use to fix a part to a support material 80 . here the support material 80 is a hollow material an exterior wall 81 of which is pierced by a hole 82 having a diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the jacket 12 of the wall plug 10 . the wall plug 10 is introduced into the hole 82 until its flange 16 is pressed against the exterior surface 84 of the wall 81 . then , using a tool and an appropriate screw - driving bit 86 , the screw 70 is driven in rotation . the screw 70 is firstly introduced into the plug 44 of the wall plug 10 until its tip pierces the membrane 50 b . the end of the threaded portion 74 opposite the flange 76 is then able to cooperate with the thread 20 of the plug 44 . as explained above , the screw cannot be introduced into the wall plug by simple movement in axial translation of the screw 70 in the wall plug 10 because the thread 20 of the plug forms retaining means cooperating in axial abutment engagement with the aforementioned end of the threaded portion 74 of the screw to prevent this movement in translation . the screw 70 can be introduced into the wall plug only by rotating the screw to screw it into the plug . during screwing , the screw 70 advances in the wall plug and breaks the capsule 34 of hardener component 38 , which mixes with the resin component 36 . the threaded portion 74 of the screw may therefore be viewed as similar to a lead screw for mixing the polymerization components . this effect is accentuated by the fact that a plurality of turns of the screw are necessary for it to pass axially through the wall plug . rotation of the screw 70 is maintained until its tip pierces the membrane 40 b and the end of the threaded portion 74 opposite the flange 76 cooperates with the thread 20 of the wall plug . continued screwing leads to movement of the end portion 28 of the wall plug , which moves along the screw and approaches the other end portion 26 that is held immobile by virtue of the flange 16 pressing on the exterior surface 84 of the support material 80 . this causes compression and radial expansion of the wall plug 10 to form a knot behind the wall 81 so that the wall plug 10 is already fixed mechanically to the wall 81 . the compression of the wall plug causes tearing of the sock 40 at the level of the slots 22 of the jacket 12 . the mixture of polymerization components is then partly expelled through these slots 22 to form behind the wall 81 a mass that polymerizes to compete by chemical means the fixing of the wall plug to the wall 81 . | 5 |
referring now to the drawings , the process of the present invention will be described . while the description will generally refer to lanthanum compounds , the use of lanthanum is merely for ease of description and is not intended to limit the invention and claims solely to lanthanum compounds . in fact , it is contemplated that the process and the compounds described in the recent specification are equally applicable to lanthanides and rare earth metals other than lanthanum , such as ce and y . turning now to fig1 , a process for making lanthanum oxycarbonate and in particular , lanthanum oxycarbonate tetrahydrate , is shown . first , an aqueous solution of lanthanum chloride is made by any method . one method to make the solution is to dissolve commercial lanthanum chloride crystals in water or in an hcl solution . another method to make the lanthanum chloride solution is to dissolve lanthanum oxide in a hydrochloric acid solution . the lacl 3 solution is placed in a well - stirred tank reactor . the lacl 3 solution is then heated to a temperature between 30 ° c . and 90 ° c . a previously prepared analytical grade sodium carbonate is steadily added with vigorous mixing . the mass of sodium carbonate required is calculated at 6 moles of sodium carbonate per 2 moles of lacl 3 . when the required mass of sodium carbonate solution is added the resultant slurry or suspension is allowed to cure for about 2 hours at 30 to 90 ° c . the suspension is then filtered and washed with demineralized water to produce a clear filtrate . the filter cake is placed in a convection oven at 100 to 120 ° c . for 1 to 5 h or until a stable weight is observed . the initial ph of the lacl 3 solution is 2 , while the final ph of the suspension after cure is 5 . 5 . a white powder is produced . the resultant powder is a lanthanum oxycarbonate hydrate ( la 2 o ( co 3 ) 2 . xh 2 o ) where 2 ≦ x ≦ 4 , including where x is 3 or 4 . an aqueous solution having a volume of 335 ml and containing lanthanum chloride ( lacl 3 ) at a concentration of 29 . 2 weight % as la 2 o 3 was added to a 4 - liter beaker and heated to 80 ° c . with stirring . the initial ph of the lacl 3 solution was 2 . 2 . a volume of 265 ml of an aqueous solution containing 63 . 6 g of sodium carbonate ( na 2 co 3 ) was metered into the heated beaker using a small pump at a steady flow rate for 2 h . using a buchner filter apparatus fitted with filter paper , the filtrate was separated from the white powder product . the filter cake was mixed 4 times with 2 liters of distilled water and filtered to wash away the nacl formed during the reaction . the washed filter cake was placed into a convection oven set at 105 ° c . for 2 h or until a stable weight was observed . fig2 shows a scanning electron micrograph of the product , enlarged 120 , 000 times . the x - ray diffraction pattern of the product ( fig3 ) shows that it consists of hydrated lanthanum oxycarbonate la 2 o ( co 3 ) 2 . xh 2 o , with where 2 ≦ x ≦ 4 , including where x is 3 or 4 . the sample has a surface area measured by the bet method , of 38 . 8 m 2 / g . turning now to fig4 , a process for making anhydrous lanthanum oxycarbonate is shown . first , an aqueous solution of lanthanum chloride is made by any method . one method to make the solution is to dissolve commercial lanthanum chloride crystals in water or in an hcl solution . another method to make the lanthanum chloride solution is to dissolve lanthanum oxide in a hydrochloric acid solution . the lacl 3 solution is placed in a well - stirred tank reactor . the lacl 3 solution is then heated to a temperature between 30 and 90 ° c . a previously prepared analytical grade sodium carbonate is steadily added with vigorous mixing . the mass of sodium carbonate required is calculated at 6 moles of sodium carbonate per 2 moles of lacl 3 . when the required mass of sodium carbonate solution is added the resultant slurry or suspension is allowed to cure at 30 to 90 ° c . the suspension is then washed and filtered removing nacl ( a byproduct of the reaction ) to produce a clear filtrate . the filter cake is placed in a convection oven at 100 to 120 ° c . for 1 to 5 hours or until a stable weight is observed . the initial ph of the lacl 3 solution is 2 . 2 , while the final ph of the suspension after cure is 5 . 5 . a white lanthanum oxycarbonate tetra hydrate powder is produced . next the lanthanum oxycarbonate tetra hydrate is placed in an alumina tray , which is placed in a high temperature muffle furnace . the white powder is heated to 400 to 700 ° c . and held at that temperature for 2 to 5 hours . anhydrous la 2 co 5 is formed . the compound is also designated la 2 o 2 co 3 or ( lao ) 2 co 3 . an aqueous solution having a volume of 335 ml and containing lanthanum chloride ( lacl 3 ) at a concentration of 29 . 2 weight % as la 2 o 3 was added to a 4 - liter beaker and heated to 80 ° c . with stirring . the initial ph of the lacl 3 solution was 2 . 2 . a volume of 265 ml of an aqueous solution containing 63 . 6 g of sodium carbonate ( na 2 co 3 ) was metered into the heated beaker using a small pump at a steady flow rate for 2 h . using a buchner filter apparatus fitted with filter paper , the filtrate was separated from the white powder product . the filter cake was mixed 4 times with 2 liters of distilled water and filtered to wash away the nacl formed during the reaction . the washed filter cake was placed into a convection oven set at 105 ° c . for 2 h or until a stable weight was observed . finally , the lanthanum oxycarbonate was placed in an alumina tray in a muffle furnace . the furnace temperature was ramped to 500 ° c . and held at that temperature for 3 h . the resultant product was determined to be anhydrous lanthanum oxycarbonate la 2 o 2 co 3 , with a surface area of 27 m 2 / g . fig5 shows a scanning electron micrograph of the product , enlarged 60 , 000 times . the x - ray diffraction pattern of the product ( fig6 ) shows that it consists of anhydrous lanthanum oxycarbonate la 2 o 2 co 3 . turning now to fig7 , another process for making anhydrous lanthanum carbonate is shown . first , a solution of lanthanum acetate is made by any method . one method to make the solution is to dissolve commercial lanthanum acetate crystals in water or in an hcl solution . another method to make the lanthanum acetate solution is to dissolve lanthanum oxide in an acetic acid solution . the product solution is further evaporated to form an intermediate product . the evaporation 20 is conducted under conditions to achieve substantially total evaporation . in particular , the evaporation is conducted at a temperature higher than the boiling point of the feed solution but lower than the temperature where significant crystal growth occurs . the resulting intermediate may desirably be an amorphous solid formed as a thin film and may have a spherical shape or a shape in part of a sphere . the term “ substantially total evaporation ” or “ substantially complete evaporation ” refers to evaporation such that the solid intermediate contains less than 15 % free water , preferably less than 10 % free water , and more preferably less than 1 % free water . the term “ free water ” is understood and means water that is not chemically bound and can be removed by heating at a temperature below 150 ° c . after substantially total evaporation or substantially complete evaporation , the intermediate product will have no visible moisture present . the evaporation process may be conducted in a spray dryer . in this case , the product will consist of a structure of spheres or parts of spheres . the spray dryer generally operates at a discharge temperature between about 120 ° c . and 500 ° c . the intermediate product may then be calcined 30 by raising the temperature to a temperature between about 400 ° c . to about 800 ° c . for a period of time from about 2 to about 24 h and then cooled to room temperature . the cooled product may be washed 40 by immersing it in water or dilute acid , to remove traces of any water - soluble phase that may still be present after the calcination step . the temperature and the length of time of the calcination process may be varied to adjust the particle size and the reactivity of the product . the particles obtained after calcination and washing have been used to efficiently remove phosphate from water . the particles may also be used in a device to directly remove phosphate from water . the particles generally have a size between 1 and 1000 μm . the particles consist of individual crystals , bound together in a structure with good physical strength . they form a porous structure . the individual crystals generally have a size between 20 nm and 10 μm . if the evaporation process is conducted in a spray - dryer , the particles consist of spheres or parts of spheres . a solution containing 100 g / l of la as lanthanum acetate is injected in a spray dryer with an outlet temperature of 250 ° c . the intermediate product corresponding to the spray - drying step is recovered in a bag filter . this intermediate product is calcined at 600 ° c . for 4 h . fig8 shows a scanning electron micrograph of the product , enlarged 60 , 000 times . the x - ray diffraction pattern of the product ( fig9 ) shows that it consists of anhydrous lanthanum oxycarbonate la 2 co 5 . the surface area of the sample , measured by the bet method , was 25 m 2 / g . to determine the reactivity of the lanthanum compounds with respect to phosphate , the following tests were conducted . a stock solution containing 13 . 75 g / l of anhydrous na 2 hpo 4 and 8 . 5 g / l hcl was prepared . the stock solution was adjusted to ph 3 by the addition of concentrated hcl . an amount of 100 ml of the stock solution was placed in a beaker with a stirring bar . in separate experiments , the lanthanum oxycarbonates corresponding to examples i , ii and iii of the present invention were added to the solution . the amount of lanthanum oxycarbonate or carbonate was such that the amount of la in suspension was 3 times the stoichiometric amount needed to react completely with the phosphate . samples of the suspension were taken at time intervals through a filter that separated all solids from the liquid . the liquid samples were analyzed for phosphorous . two further experiments were run in the same conditions as those given in the previous paragraph , except that commercial lanthanum carbonate tetra hydrate la 2 ( co 3 ) 3 . 4h 2 o in one case , commercial lanthanum carbonate monohydrate la 2 ( co 3 ) 3 . h 2 o in the other case , were added to the solution . curves showing the amount of phosphorous removed from the solution as a function of time with the different lanthanum compounds are given in fig1 . the figure shows that the rate of removal of phosphate with the different oxycarbonates of this invention is faster than the rate of removal obtained for commercial lithium carbonate tetra hydrate or monohydrate . the particles of lanthanum oxycarbonate made according to the process of the present invention , particularly those made following the methods corresponding to example ii and example iii have the following common properties : they have low solubility in water . their hollow shape gives them a high surface area , providing a fast reaction rate , while the particles themselves are aggregates large enough to be collected on ordinary water filters . they have faster phosphate binding kinetics than commercial grade lanthanum carbonates , as shown in fig1 . because of these characteristics , the products of the present invention have the potential to be used to remove phosphates from swimming pools and other water systems more efficiently than existing compositions and methods . particularly , the products of the present invention have the potential of faster removal of phosphates without forming small , unfiltrable precipitate and without leaving unreacted la salts in solution , and to be used directly in the filtration system of a swimming pool . the oxycarbonate compounds are safe and do not need flocculants or ordinary chemicals . no pool downtime is needed to use them . while the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is to be understood that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , this invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications , and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
1 ) maize material : immature embryos of 17 days post pollination ( 17 dpp ) from maize variety qi 319 . 2 ) strains : e . coli dh5α , dh10b and jm109 , and yeast strains ywam2 ( leu − , his − , trp − ). 4 ) restriction enzymes and modifying enzymes : restriction endonuclease and modifying enzyme are purchased from promega corp ., new england biolab , inc . and gibco corporation . 5 ) chemical reagents : the reagents for yeast culture are purchased from sigma chemical company ltd . and oxford corporation ; the other chemical reagents are made in china ( analytical pure ). 6 ) kits : wizard ™ minipreps dna purification system and wizard ™ maxipreps dna purification system available from promega corp . are used to extract plasmid dna ; dna fragment quick purification / retrieve kit available from ding guo biotechnology ltd . is used to retrieve dna ; rnagents total rna isolation system kit and polyattract mrna isolation system available form promega corp . are used to extract rna ; and superscript ™ plasmid system for cdna synthesis and plasmid cloning kit available from gibcobrl company are used to construct the library . 7 ) synthesis of primers : performed by beijing sai bai sheng bioengineering company and shanghai bioasia biotechnology co ., ltd . the total rna extraction and the mrna isolation are performed according to rnagents total rna isolation system kit and polyattract mrna isolation system available from promega corp ., respectively . weigh 1 g of maize 17 dpp embryos , extract 2 . 834 mg of total rna , and isolate 43 . 7 μg of mrna . 2 ) construction of cdna library with mrna from maize 17dpp embryos . the construction is performed according to the protocol of superscript ™ plasmid system for cdna synthesis and plasmid cloning kit available from gibcobrl company . 5 μg of mrna extracted from 17dpp embryos was used to construct the cdna library . the primer used in reverse transcription is : sal i adapter was added and ligated to the double - strand cdna synthesized : digest the ligation products with not i and construct them into vector ppc86 ( trp + ). the vector was digested with sal i and not i , and purified . the construct was used to transform e . coli . dh10b and a cdna library with the library capacity of 5 . 2 × 10 6 cfu was obtained . prepare 4 l of 2 × lb culture medium ( 20 g / l bacto - tryptone , 10 g / l bacto - yeast extract , 10 g / l nacl , 3 g / l seaprep agarose , adjust to ph 7 . 0 ). autoclave at 121 ° c . for 30 min . incubate at 37 ° c . for 2 hours . add penicillin g to a final concentration of 200 mg / l . to the medium , add the library up to a concentration of 10 6 cfu / l . mix well and aliquot 20 - 30 ml into 50 - ml culture tubes . ice - bath for 1 hour . grow at 30 ° c . for 40 hours . centrifuge at 8000 rpm for 10 min to collect the cells . discard the supernatant . add 200 ml of 2 × lb ( 12 . 5 % glycerol ) to suspend the cells . aliquot into 10 ml / each container and store at − 70 ° c . for later use . 4 ) construction of bait vector harboring 4mer abre and specificity - testing vector containing 4mer mutant abre ( mabre ): synthesize the primers of abre (+) 5 ′ gaagtccacgtggaggtgg3 ′ ( seq id no : 18 ) and abre (−) 5 ′ tcccacctccacgtggact3 ′ ( seq id no : 19 ). remove 20 μl ( 1 μg / μl ) of abre (+) and abre (−) respectively , and mix well . add 4 μl of 3m naoac and 100 μl of absolute ethanol . place at − 20 ° for 30 minutes . centrifuge at 12000 rpm to pellet dna . wash once with 70 % ethanol and dry . add 6 . 5 μl of sterile h 2 o and 1 μl of 10 × t4 polynucleotide kinase buffer . then , anneal . the conditions for annealing are 88 °, 2 min ; 65 °, 10 min ; 37 °, 10 min ; 25 °, 5 min . add 1 . 5 μl of 20 mm atp and 1 μl of t4 polynucleotide kinase . react at 37 ° for 2 hours . extract with each of phenol - chloroform and chloroform once , respectively . precipitate dna with absolute ethanol . then add 2 μl of 10 × ligase buffer , 1 μl of ligase ( 5 units / μl ) and 17 μl of sterile h 2 o to ligate overnight . perform gel electrophoresis with 2 % agarose and isolate the dna fragment of the size of about 80 bp . clone the fragment into vector pbsk + ( digestion with spe i and filling - in ) and carry out sequencing . obtain plasmid pa4 . 5 ′- gaagtaacatgttcggtgg - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 20 ); mabre (−): 5 ′ tcccaccgaacatgttact 3 ′ ( seq id no : 21 ). by the similar method as above , obtain plasmid pma4 . double - digest vector prs315his ( leu + ) with bamh i and xba i and purified . similarly , digest plasmids pa4 and pma4 , and purified . clone 4mer abre and 4mer mabre into prs315his , and obtain bait vector prsa4 ( leu + ) and specificity - testing vector prsma4 ( leu + ), respectively . prepare ywam2 competent cells . transform prsa4 into yeast strain ywam2 ( leu − , his − , trp − ) and obtain the yeast strain ya4 ( his − , trp − ) containing prsa4 . the transformation may be performed according to two hybrid system trafo protocol . screen the library by the transformation of ya4 yeast with 17dpp library dna . spread the transformed cells on his − selective medium and incubate at 28 ° c . for 3 - 5 days . when yeast colonies grow out , extract plasmid dnas . the extraction method refers to method i : quick plasmid dna preparations from yeast ( christine guthrie 1991 ). transform e . coli dh5α with the extracted plasmids and then extract plasmid dnas from the resultant transformants . analyze by enzyme - digestion . perform sequencing and obtain the dna sequences of the positive clones . then analyze the sequences . 6 ) acquirement of the full - length cdna sequences of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 : the full - length cdna sequences of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 are obtained by the method of 5 ′ race . it is operated according to 5 ′ race system for rapid amplification of cdna ends , version 2 . 0 kit available from gibcobrl company . ( seq id no : 9 ) abp2 rv2 : 5 ′- gcgacagcgacgacagatca - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 10 ) abp4 rv2 : 5 ′- agcgccagaagcggaggcca - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 11 ) abp9 rv2 : 5 ′- ccttcaccaggaagtcctcca - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 12 ) auap fw : 5 ′- ggccacgcgtcgactagtac - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 13 ) abp2 rv3 : 5 ′- aggaactcctccagagtcat - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 14 ) abp4 rv3 : 5 ′- tcgtcgaacgtcaacgagtag - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 15 ) abp9 rv3 : 5 ′- aaccaatcctccgttctcacc - 3 ′ the conditions for pcr are 94 ° c . 3 min , 94 ° c . 30 sec , 60 ° c . 30 sec , 72 ° c . 1 min for 35 cycles , and then 72 ° c ., 5 min . isolate the amplified dna fragments with 1 % agarose gel and retrieve the target fragments . ligate it into pgem - t easy vector and transform e . coli . jm109 . identify clones by enzyme - digestion and then perform sequencing . obtain the full - length cdna sequences of the genes of abp2 , abp4 , and abp9 , respectively , which were named as sequences 1 , 3 and 5 in the sequence listing . based upon the cdna sequences , the predicted proteins have the amino acid sequences set forth by sequences 2 , 4 and 6 in the sequence listing . in vivo abre - binding specificity analysis of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 transform plasmids prsa4 ( leu + ) and prsma4 ( leu + ) respectively into ywam2 yeast and obtain ya4 and yma4 yeast strains . transform ya4 and yma4 yeast with each of the abp2 , abp4 and abp9 plasmids obtained through screening the library . incubate on his − selective medium for 3 - 5 days at 28 ° c . only ya4 yeast transformed with abp2 , abp4 or abp9 plasmid can grow while , yma4 yeast transformed with abp2 , abp4 or abp9 plasmid cannot grow . the result means that abp2 , abp4 or abp9 is able to specifically bind to abre element in yeast and activate the expression of the reporter gene his3 , thereby having the ability of growing in his − selective medium ( fig1 b ). in contrast , because abp2 , abp4 or abp9 cannot bind to mabre and thereby cannot activate the expression of the reporter gene his3 that makes yeast not to grow on his − selective medium ( fig1 a ). therefore , abp2 , abp4 and abp9 have the in vivo abre - binding specificity in yeast cells . analysis of in vitro abre - binding specificity of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 ( emsa test ) clone the full - length genes abp2 , abp4 or abp9 into prokaryote expression vector pgex4t - 1 and then transform into strain bl21 . induce the expression with 0 . 3 mm iptg at 37 ° c . for 2 - 3 hours . sds - page electrophoresis shows the specific expression bands of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 . the purification of proteins abp2 , abp4 and abp9 is performed as microspin ™ gst purification module protocol available from pharmacia corporation . the purified proteins are used for the emsa test . use dna 5 ′ end - labeling system of promega corp to label probes . the reaction system is : 1 μl of abre ( or mabre ), 5 μl of t 4 pnk 10 × buffer , 3 μl of γ - 32 p - atp , 2 μl of t 4 pnk ( 10 u / μl ), and 39 μl of h 2 o . react at 37 ° c . for 20 minutes . add 2 μl of 0 . 5m edta and stop the reaction at 68 ° c . for 10 , minutes . then keep at 37 ° c . for 10 minutes . store at 4 ° c . for use . add 4 μl of 5 × binding buffer ( 125 ml hepes - koh ph7 . 6 , 50 % glycerol , 250 mm kcl ). add 4 μg ( 9 μl ) of each of the proteins abp2 , abp4 , abp9 and gst . add 1 μl of 1m dtt , 1 μl of probe of the above - labeled abre ( or n - abre ) and 4 μl of h 2 o . incubate on ice for 30 minutes . add 3 μl of sample buffer ( 0 . 025 % bromophenol blue in sterile h 2 o ) and perform polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis . set up the gel mixture of 9 ml of 30 %, acrylamide , 5 ml of 10 × electrophoresis buffer ( 142 . 7 g / l glycin , 3 . 92 g / l edta , 30 . 28 g / l tris ), 2 . 5 ml of 50 % glycerol , 33 ml of deionized water , 400 μl of 10 % aps , and 25 μl of temed . after completion of polymerization , perform gel electrophoresis with 1 × electrophoresis buffer , including pre - running for 10 minutes ( 300v ), loading the samples and electrophoresis for 1 hour ( 300v ). stick the gel with filter paper to peel , off . seal the peeled gel with saran wrap and expose to x ray film for 1 hour . wash the film , develop for 2 minutes and fix for 5 minutes . the result shows that there exists a band of abre retarded significantly by proteins abp2 , abp4 and abp9 while there does not exist a band of mabre retarded by them ( fig2 ). this means that the products of the genes abp2 , abp4 , and abp9 also have the abre binding specificity in vitro . abre binding specificity and transcription activation function of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 in yeast and maize cells construct the genes abp2 , abp4 and abp9 into yeast expression vector yepgap ( trp + ) to obtain plasmids yepgapabp - 2 , yepgapabp - 4 and yepgapabp - 9 containing the full - length cdna of the genes abp2 , abp4 , and abp9 , respectively . transform them into ya4 and yma4 yeast and incubate the transformed yeast in his − selective medium at 28 ° c . for 3 ˜ 5 days . the result shows that ya4 transformed by plasmid yepgapabp - 2 , yepgapabp - 4 , yepgapabp - 9 can grow ( fig3 b , d and f ) while yma4 transformed by them cannot grow ( fig3 a , c and e ). therefore , abp2 , abp4 and abp9 not only have the abre binding specificity in yeast cells , but also have the transcription activation function . in fig3 , the capital letter a stands for yma4 + abp2 , b for ya4 + abp2 , c for yma4 + abp4 , d for ya4 + abp4 , e for yma4 + abp9 and f for ya4 + abp9 . construction of reporter plasmid : pig46 vector is digested with xho i and filled in with t4 dna polymerase . digest 4mer abre in vector pbluescript ii sk + with sma i and ecl136 ii . retrieve the dna fragment of the size of about 80 bp used to ligate with the vector . transform e . coli dh5α and extract the plasmid . identify through enzyme digestion . the sequencing result shows that abre has been ligated upstream of 35s mini promoter . construction of effector plasmids of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 : the full - length cdna of the genes abp2 , abp4 and abp9 ( xba i , xho i ) is constructed into plant expression vector pbi221 and obtain plasmids pbi221 - abp2 , abp4 and abp9 . co - transform the reporter plasmid and effector plasmid into maize cells by bombardment . the materials for transformation are the maize suspension cells and the transformation method may refer to the practical methods of molecular biology and biotechnology in plant edited by b . r . greenter and j . e . tompson . the result shows that the reporter gene is not expressed when solely transformed with reporter plasmid ( fig4 a ) while it is significantly expressed when co - transformed with pig46 and pbi221 - abp2 , abp4 or abp9 ( fig4 b , c and d ). therefore , the proteins abp2 , abp4 and abp9 not only have the abre binding specificity in maize cells , but also have the transcription activation function . analysis of the expression specificity of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 under abiotic stresses 1 ) treatment of maize materials : take maize seed and imbibe water for 24 hours . after planting in pot , grow at 28 ° c . with 12 hours photoperiod for about 20 days . treat the plants at the development stage of three leaves with different conditions . i . cold treatment : place the maize seedling in a 2 ° c . chamber and grow for 48 hours with 12 hours photoperiod . take out and wash off the soil on the root . freeze with liquid nitrogen and store at − 80 ° c . for use . ii . salt treatment : place maize seedling in 0 . 6 %, 0 . 8 % and 1 % nacl solution , respectively . grow with 12 hours photoperiod for 3 days . take out and wash off the soil on the root . freeze with liquid nitrogen and store at − 80 ° c . for use . iii . drought treatment : place maize seedling in the soil containing 8 % ( prepared by mixing 920 g of dry soil and 80 ml of water ), 10 % and 13 % of water , respectively . grow for 3 days , with 12 hours photoperiod . take out and wash off the soil on the root . freeze with liquid nitrogen and store at − 80 ° c . for use . iv . aba treatment : place maize seedling in the solutions of 10 − 4 m , 10 − 5 m , 10 − 6 m aba respectively ( weigh 5 mg of aba and dissolve in 0 . 1n koh . add into 95 ml of water up to a final concentration of 10 − 4 m ). grow for 24 hours , with 12 hours photoperiod . take out and wash off the soil on the root . freeze with liquid nitrogen and store at − 80 ° c . for use . v . h 2 o 2 treatment : place maize seedling in the aqueous solutions of 10 mm h 2 o 2 ( 1 . 13 ml of 30 % h 2 o 2 / l ), 60 mm h 2 o 2 ( 6 . 78 ml of 30 % h 2 o 2 / l ), 150 mm h 2 o 2 ( 14 . 95 ml of 30 % h 2 o 2 / l ). grow for 24 hours , with 12 hours photoperiod . take out and wash off the soil on the root . deepfreeze with liquid nitrogen and store at − 80 ° c . for use . vi . water treatment : place maize seedling in water . grow for 24 hours with 12 hours photoperiod . freeze and store at − 80 ° c . vii . control : take the non - treated seedling and freeze at − 80 ° c . as the control group . i . take about 200 mg of the treated maize materials and ground under the protection of liquid nitrogen . the method of rna extract refers to rnagents total rna isolation system kit available from promega corp . ii . dissolve rna in 85 μl of water . add 10 μl of 10 × buffer and 5 μl of rq1 rnase free dnase ( 1 u / μl ). incubate at 37 ° c . for 15 minutes to eliminate the dna contamination . iii . add 100 μl of phenol - chloroform to extract once . remove the supernatant and precipitate rna with equal volume of isopropanol . wash once with 70 % ethanol and dissolve in 50 μl of water . iv . adjust the concentration of rna to 1 μg / μl . add 1 μl of oligo dt 18 ( 0 . 5 μg / μl ), 5 μl of rna ( 1 μg / μl ), 1 μl of dntp ( 10 mm ) and 27 μl of h 2 o . treat at 65 ° c . for 5 minutes and at 0 ° c . for 2 minutes . add 10 μl of 5 × buffer , 5 μl of dtt ( 100 mm ), and 10 u of rnase inhibitor ( 40 u / μl ). treat at 42 ° c . for 2 - 5 minutes . add 1 μl of superscipt ii ( 200 u / μl ). react at 42 ° c . for 50 minutes . inactivate at 70 ° c . for 15 minutes for use . the relative quantification of cdna template and the design of interior label primers : based upon the dna sequence of maize actin gene ( maize actin1 gene : accession no . j01238 ) in genbank , design the following primers : mact1 f : 5 ′- caccttctacaacgagctccg - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 22 ) mact1 r : 5 ′- taatcaagg gcaacgtaggca - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 23 ) use the primers to perform the amplification . if it is amplified from cdna , a 405 bp band will be amplified . and if it is amplified from genomic dna , a 512 bp band will be amplified ( containing a intron of 107 bp ). the reaction mixture for pcr : 1 μl of template , 10 μl of 2 × pcr buffer , 1 μl of 10 mm dntp , 1 μl of 10 μm mact1 f , 1 μl of 10 μm mact1 r , 1 u of taq and 6 μl of sterile h 2 o . the conditions for pcr are 94 ° c . 2 min , 94 ° c . 30 sec , 55 ° c . 30 sec , 72 ° c . 30 sec for 30 cycles , and 72 ° c . 5 min . based upon the electrophoresis result of pcr product , dilute the template dna and adjust the amount of template dna to be used . when the bands to be amplified by using mact1 f and mact1 r primers are substantially consistent , the amount of template cdna in the samples is substantially consistent . i . abp2 : design the primers for pcr amplification as follows ( to amplify the fragment of 548 bp ): the pcr system : 1 μl of template , 10 μl of 2 × pcr buffer , 1 μl of 10 mm dntp , 1 μl of 10 μm mact1 f , 1 μl of 10 μm mact1 r , 1 u of taq and 6 μl of sterile h 2 o . the pcr conditions are 94 ° c . 2 min , 94 ° c . 30 sec , 55 ° c . 30 sec , 72 ° c . 30 sec for 30 cycles , and 72 ° 5 min . ii . abp4 : design the primers for pcr amplification as follows ( to amplify the fragment of 632 bp ): the pcr system : 1 μl of template , 10 μl of 2 × pcr buffer , 1 μl of 10 mm dntp , 1 μl of 10 μl mact1 f , 1 μl of 10 μm mact1 r , 1 u of taq and 6 μl of sterile h 2 o . the conditions for pcr are 94 ° c . 2 min , 94 ° c . 30 sec , 55 ° c . 30 sec , 72 ° c . 30 sec for 30 cycles , and 72 ° c . 5 min . iii . abp9 : design the primers for pcr amplification as follows ( to amplify the fragment of 937 bp ): the pcr system : 1 μl of template , 10 μl of 2 × pcr buffer , 1 μl of 10 mm dntp , 1 μl of 10 μm mact1 f , 1 μl of 10 μm mact1 r , 1 u of taq and 6 μl of sterile h 2 o . the conditions for pcr are 94 ° c . 2 min , 94 ° c . 30 sec , 55 ° c . 30 sec , 72 ° c . 50 sec for 30 cycles and 72 ° c . 5 min . the electrophoresis result shows the expression of the genes abp2 , abp4 , and abp9 can be induced by salt ( fig5 a , b and c ), drought ( fig5 j and k ), aba ( l , m and n ), hydrogen peroxide ( f and g ). in fig5 , a stands for ck1 , b for 1 % nacl , c for 0 . 8 % nacl , d for 0 . 6 % nacl , e for 150 mm h 2 o 2 , f for 60 mm h 2 o 2 , g for 10 mm h 2 o 2 , h for h 2 o , i for 13 % h 2 o , j for 10 % h 2 o , k for 8 % h 2 o , l for 10 − 6 m aba , m for 10 − 5 m aba , n for 10 − 4 m aba , o for 4 ° c . and p for ck2 . 1 ) transformation of arabidopsis with the genes abp2 , abp4 and abp9 : the cultivation of arabidopsis vernalize arabidopsis seed at 4 ° c . for 2 - 3 day and plant 7 - 10 seeds in each pot ( the rate of nutritive earth to vermiculite is 2 : 1 ). grow in the greenhouse ( at 22 ° c . with 16 hours light - treatment ). after the arabidopsis grow out the primary bolting , snip off it . when the arabidopsis grow out many secondary boltings and a few of them begin to produce legumen , the plants can be used for transformation . pick a single colony of agrobacterium and inoculate into 3 ml of yeb ( 50 mg / l kan and 50 mg / l refampicin ). incubate at 28 ° c . with rotation at 250 rpm for ) 30 hours . 1 : 400 inoculate the seed culture into 200 ml of fresh yeb ( 50 mg / l kan and 50 mg / l refampicin ) and incubate at 28 ° c . with rotation at 250 rpm for about 14 hours until od 600 is about 1 . 5 . harvest the cells by centrifugation at 7500 rpm at 4 ° c . for 10 minutes . re - suspend the cells in two volumes of liquid ms ( 400 ml ) ( ½ ms salt + 5 % sucrose , ph5 . 7 . sterilized at 121 ° c . for 15 minutes ). immediately before use , add 6 - ba to a final concentration of 0 . 044 μm , vb6 to a final concentration of 1 mg / l , vb 1 to a final concentration of 10 mg / l , and silwet to a final concentration of 0 . 02 %). i . construction of plant expression vectors and transformation of agrobacterium construct genes abp2 , abp4 and abp9 into vectors pbi121 and pzp212 to obtain pzp212 - abp2 , pzp212 - abp4 and pbi121 - abp9 ( fig6 ), respectively . transform jm109 , extract the plasmids and identify with digestion of enzymes . pick out the desired clone , perform dna sequencing and transform it into agrobacterium lba4404 . ii . transformation of arabidopsis dip the bud of arabidopsis into agrobacterium suspension under vacuum ( 25 in hg ) for 5 minutes . after the transformation is over , cover the pot with a plastic bag . place in horizontal direction . let it grow under low light intensity for 24 - 48 hours . then transfer to the normal conditions for further growth . iii . seed collection and screening weigh 25 - 30 mg of seeds collected from above transformation - treated plants and place into 1 . 5 - ml centrifuge tube . add 1 ml of 75 % ethanol ( containing 0 . 05 % tween 20 ) and shake in a shaker for 10 minutes ( 300 rpm ). centrifuge and discard the supernatant . add 1 ml of 95 % ethanol to wash one time , centrifuge and discard the supernatant . repeat once . add 0 . 3 ml of 100 % ethanol and place on sterile filter paper under hood and blow - dry . spread the blow - dried seeds on ½ ms plate ( 50 mg / l kan ) and place at 4 ° c . for 2 days . grow at 22 ° c . and with 16 hours photoperiod . transfer the antibiotics - resistant plants ( t 0 generation ) into pots for further cultivation and collect the seeds to perform the screening of t 1 generation . i . ground 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 g of plant leaves under liquid nitrogen and transfer into 1 . 5 - ml centrifuge tube . ii . add 0 . 7 ml of ctab ( 100 mm tris , 1 . 4 m nacl , 20 mm edta , 2 % ctab , 0 . 1 % mercaptoethanol ) and place at 60 ° c . for 30 minutes . note : turn over at an interval of 10 minutes . iii . add 0 . 7 ml of phenol : chloroform ( 1 : 1 ) and turn over for several times . centrifuge at 10000 rpm for 5 minutes . transfer the supernatant to a fresh centrifuge tube , add equal volume of chloroform : isopentanol ( 24 : 1 ), nix well , and centrifuge at 10000 rpm for 5 minutes . transfer the supernatant to another fresh centrifuge tube . iv . add equal volume of isopropanol and turn over to mix well . centrifuge at 10000 rpm for 10 minutes . discard the supernatant . wash once with 70 % ethanol . vacuum - dry . dissolve in 50 μl of sterile h 2 o for pcr assay . forward primer : 35s promoter : ( seq id no : 30 ) 5 ′- tctgccgacagtggtcccaa - 3 ′ reverse primer : abp2 ( seq id no : 13 ) rv3 : 5 ′- agg aac tcc tcg aga gtc at - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 14 ) abp4 rv3 : 5 ′- tcg tcg aac gtc aac gag tag - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 15 ) abp9 rv3 : 5 ′- aac caa tcc tcc gtt ctc acc - 3 ′ the reaction system ( 20 μl ): 1 μl ( 20 ng ˜ 50 ng ) of dna from transgenic plant , 2 μl of 10 × buffer , 2 μl of mgcl 2 ( 2 . 5 mm ), 0 . 2 μl of taq enzyme , 2 μl of dntp ( 2 . 5 mm ). add 10 μm of each primer . add sterile h 2 o up to the volume of 20 μl . the reaction conditions are 94 ° c ., 5 minutes ; 94 ° c ., 45 second ; 60 ° c ., 45 second ; 72 ° c ., 45 second for 35 cycles . extend at 72 ° c . for 5 minutes . identify the pcr positive plants . survival analysis of transgenic plants of abp2 , abp4 and abp9 under stresses . 1 ) cold tolerance : place the transgenic plants and the non - trangenic plants at − 6 ° c . for 6 hours . then transfer into the normal growth conditions for recovery cultivation . the result shows that the survival rate of the transgenic plant is 80 % while that of the non - transgenic plant is 10 %. therefore , abp2 , abp4 , and abp9 are able to improve the cold tolerance of plants as shown in fig7 . 2 ) salt tolerance : place the transgenic plants and the non - transgenic plants in 600 mm nacl solution and immerse for 3 hours . grow at 22 ° c . for 24 hours , under light . transfer into the normal growth conditions for arabidopsis for recovery cultivation . the result shows that the survival rate of the transgenic plant is 80 % while that of the non - transgenic plant is 15 %. therefore , abp2 , abp4 , and abp9 are able to improve the salt tolerance of plants as shown in fig8 . 3 ) drought tolerance : place the transgenic plants and the non - transgenic plants under the normal growth conditions for arabidopsis . continuously cultivate for 15 - 20 days without supplying water . the result shows that the survival rate of the transgenic plant is 90 % while that of the non - transgenic plant is 5 %. therefore , abp2 , abp4 and abp9 are able to significantly improve the drought tolerance of plants as shown in fig9 , wherein the capital letter a stands for transgenic plant , b for non - transgenic plant . the invention has successfully cloned the genes encoding maize bzip transcription factors abp2 , abp4 , and abp9 , respectively . furthermore , the invention has successfully introduced the genes into arabidopsis and obtains novel arabidopsis with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses . the work will have important theoretic and practical significance to breed new plant varieties with improved tolerance to abiotic stresses . | 2 |
the invention is embodied in a forage harvester otherwise conventional , such as the pull - type machine illustrated in fig1 . the machine includes a main frame 10 supported above the ground on a pair of transport wheels 12 . a forward harvesting unit such as the cornhead 14 illustrated delivers harvested crop material to a feeding and cutterhead assembly 16 which in turn delivers it to a transverse auger conveyor 18 whence a blower 20 discharges it through a discharge spout 22 , only part of which is shown . discharged material may be collected in a trailer ( not shown ) connected to a trailer hitch 24 on the harvester . the forage harvester is drawn and powered by a suitable tractor which is connected to a tongue 26 and a drive shaft assembly 28 , only portions of which are shown in fig1 . a suitable drive train ( not shown ) transmits power from the drive shaft 28 to the components of the forage harvester . the feeding and cutterhead assembly 16 is shown in more detail in fig2 and includes a pair of generally similar but opposite left - and right - hand side sheet assemblies 30 , spaced apart and generally upright , to house the feeding and cutterhead components . the side sheets 30 are suitably reinforced and supported on the forage harvester frame 10 by subframe members not discussed here . each side sheet 30 includes a cutterhead cylinder bore and mount 32 , indicated only schematically , a rigidly attached downstream feed roll assembly pivot 34 , a generally arcuate downstream feed roll assembly clearance slot 36 centered on the pivot 34 , and a larger irregularly - shaped upstream feed roll clearance slot 38 . downstream feed roll and upstream feed roll downstop brackets 40 and 42 respectively are rigidly attached on the outer side of each opposite side sheet 30 , the downstream bracket 40 being located between the feed roll assembly clearance slots 36 and 38 and the upstream downstop bracket 42 being approximately centered below the upstream slot 38 . each downstop bracket has rigidly attached to it on its upper side a cup 44 retaining a downstop bolster 46 made of some slightly resilient material such as hard rubber and projecting somewhat above the upper edge of the cup 44 . upper and lower harvesting unit support arms 48 and 50 respectively are carried by the opposite side sheets 30 adjacent their upper and lower forward corners . journaled between the lower rearward portion of the opposite side sheets 30 is a cutterhead assembly 52 which is generally conventional and includes a cylindrical cutterhead 54 ( shown only in outline ) carrying on its cylindrical periphery a plurality of helically disposed knives and which functions as is well known in cooperation with a stationary shear bar assembly such as that shown at 56 . the cutterhead assembly also includes a casing member 57 wrapping the upper periphery of the cylinder and only a forward portion of which is shown ( fig2 ). a feeding conveyor assembly 58 , between the opposite side sheets 30 and immediately ahead or upstream of the cutterhead assembly 52 consists of a yieldably floating upper conveyor assembly 60 and immediately below it an opposing fixed lower conveyor assembly 62 , the latter consisting of an upstream lower feed roll 64 , and a smaller downstream lower feed roll 66 mounted closely adjacent the shear bar assembly 56 . the treatment of the feed roll surfaces is conventional . the upper feeding conveyor assembly 60 is pivotally mounted and articulated and consists of downstream and upstream feed roll assemblies 68 and 70 respectively . the downstream assembly 68 consists of a pair of opposite radius arms 72 extending alongside the outer surfaces of the opposite side sheets 30 , a transversely extending feed roll shaft 74 and , carried rigidly and concentrically by the shaft a downstream upper feed roll 76 , extending transversely between the opposite side sheets 30 . the downstream feed roll assembly 68 also includes a transverse leveler shaft 78 and an anti - carryover shield 80 . each opposite radius arm 72 has at its downstream end a pivot bore 82 by which the radius arm 72 is journaled on the pivot 34 and a larger upstream pivot bore 84 which houses an anti - friction pivot bearing 86 ( fig4 ). the upper side of each forward or upstream portion of each radius arm 72 comprises a releasable shaft clamp portion 88 having a transversely extending bore 90 of hexagonal cross section embraced by a pair of opposing clamp ears 92 provided with a suitable fastener 94 for tightening the clamp . the hexagonal bore 90 is preferably broached to size so that the hexagonal leveler shaft 78 is easily assembled but gripped securely and rigidly when the clamp is tightened . disposed somewhat forward of the axis of the upstream pivot bore 84 of the radius arm 72 is a rotational stop boss 96 ( fig2 ) protruding from the outer side of the radius arm and forming in effect a downward extension of the clamp portion 88 which itself extends laterally outwards from the outer side of each radius arm 72 . an adjustable stop arm 98 is provided by a forward extension of the radius arm 72 and carries an adjustable threaded stop screw 100 . the anti - carryover shield 80 includes a main rigid arcuate portion 102 partially wrapping the downstream upper feed roll 76 extending laterally to fit closely between the opposite side walls 30 and circumferentially on the forward side of the roll 76 down to approximately the level of the roll axis and attached rigidly to the hexagonal leveler shaft 78 by suitable fastener assemblies 104 . the shield 80 also includes a resilient flap 106 secured to the leveler shaft 78 by the fastener assemblies 104 and a retainer 107 and extending laterally so that its ends make sliding contact with the inner surfaces of the opposite side sheets 30 and rearwardly to end closely adjacent the casing member 57 . the upstream upper feed roll assembly 70 includes opposite left - and right - hand feed roll arms 108 and 110 respectively extending generally parallel but outside of the opposite side sheet assemblies 30 and supporting between them an upstream upper feed roll 112 journaled on a shaft 113 . a laterally extended hub - like portion 114 at the downstream end of the right - hand feed roll arm 110 and seen best in fig4 includes a boss 116 journaled in the pivot bearing 86 of the radius arm 72 and , laterally outward of the boss 116 , a concentric bore 118 housing an anti - friction bearing 120 in which the shaft 74 of the downstream upper feed roll 76 is journaled . a forward portion 122 of the feed roll arm 110 is somewhat hub - shaped , cross drilled to and bored to receive the downstream upper feed roll shaft 113 , the shaft being a tight fit in the right - hand feed roll arm 110 , with a drive pin 124 being used for additional security so that a structurally rigid connection is made between the shaft 113 and the feed roll arm 110 . extending laterally outwards from the feed roll arm 110 approximately midway between the rear and forward hub portions 114 and 122 respectively is a tension spring boss 126 . a toe portion 128 of the feed roll arm 110 extends forwardly of the forward hub portion 122 . the upstream upper feed roll 112 includes , as well as a roll portion 130 extending between the opposite side sheets 30 , bearing sleeves 132 rigidly and concentrically attached to its opposite ends and extending outwards through the side sheet 30 . each sleeve 132 houses a bearing 134 for journaling the roll assembly 112 on the fixed or dead shaft 113 . a feed roll drive sprocket 136 is attached rigidly at the outer end of the left - hand sleeve 132 . the left - hand upstream feed roll arm 108 is generally similar to the right - hand arm 110 , including being rigidly connected to an end of the feed roll shaft 113 , but it has an offset 138 to provide space for a chain drive for the upstream feed roll 112 and also includes a chain tightener mounting boss 140 . a pair of tension springs 142 , each hooked at one end over the spring bosses 126 of the feed roll arms 108 and 110 respectively , and at their other ends to frame members ( not shown ) bias the upper conveyor assembly 60 downwards towards the fixed lower conveyor assembly 62 . the drive input to the feed rolls is conventional and includes a universal joint and sprocket assembly 144 rigidly attached to the downstream upper feed roll shaft 74 at its left - hand end and coupled or connected to an extension 146 ( shown partially in fig3 ) of the forage harvester drive train . the downstream feed roll 76 is thus driven directly while power is transmitted to the upstream feed roll 130 through the sprocket assemblies 144 and 136 by means of a conventional drive chain 148 . in normal forage harvesting operation , the direction of rotation of the feed rolls 64 , 66 , 76 and 130 is , of course , as shown in fig2 but conventional means ( not shown ), connected to the drive train extension 146 , are provided for selectively reversing the driven direction of the rolls . in operation the forage harvester is advanced over a field of crop and the harvesting unit 14 delivers crop material to the bite 150 between the upper and lower upstream feed rolls 130 and 64 respectively and material is fed downstream between the upper and lower conveyor assemblies 60 and 62 respectively . as can be seen in fig2 the uppermost surfaces of fixed lower rolls 64 and 66 and the shear bar assembly 56 are approximately in line and form a conveying surface for feeding material approximately radially to the cutterhead cylinder 54 . in fig2 the upper conveyor assembly 60 is shown in a closed , at rest position -- that is as if no crop was being conveyed and with the upstream feed roll 130 effectively &# 34 ; downstopped &# 34 ; through the engagement of the feed roll arms 108 and 110 with the upstream downstop bolsters 46 in their brackets 42 and with the downstream upper feed roll 76 downstopped through engagement of the adjusting screw 100 with the downstream downstop bolsters 46 in their brackets 40 . when crop material flows both rolls will float , being raised from their stops by the pressure of the crop material mat , the upper conveyor assembly 60 as a whole and the downstream feed roll assembly 68 being anchored by and pivoting about the opposite pivots 34 , while the low friction pivot between the downstream and upstream roll assemblies , 68 and 70 respectively , provided by the anti - friction bearing 86 permits the upstream assembly 70 to find its own level . as can be seen from fig2 the line of action of the spring 142 will approximately perpendicularly bisect a line joining the centers of the downstream and upstream upper feed rolls 76 and 130 respectively over a range of depths of crop mat being conveyed , so that each roll applies approximately equal pressure to the mat and is approximately equally responsive ( under the restraint of the spring 142 ) to overall longitudinal variations in the thickness of the crop mat . the adjusting screw 100 is adjusted as desired to set the minimum downstopped clearance between the downstream feed roll 76 and 66 according to particular operating conditions . such adjustment will necessarily raise or lower the downstream end of the feed roll arms 108 and 110 ( rear hub 114 ), but it will be noted that the upstream upper feed roll 130 is downstopped immediately beneath its axis so that adjustment of the downstream downstop causes only a rocking of the feed roll arms 108 and 110 on their downstop bolster 46 so that the effect of the adjustment on feed roll opening between the upstream feed rolls is insignificant . in any unusual operating condition in which the rear upper feed roll 76 is deflected upwards excessively in relation to the forward upper feed roll 130 , effectively displacing the feed roll arms 108 and 110 somewhat rearwardly , the forward extension 128 of the feed roll arms maintains contact between the feed roll arms and the upstream downstop bolster 46 if required . although , in general , the upper feed rolls can float upwards independently to accommodate longitudinally uneven flows of material , it is desirable that the downstream rolls 66 and 76 be prepared when they are about to receive an unusually thick mat portion conveyed rearwardly by the upstream rolls 64 and 130 . this may happen for example when the feed rolls have been reversed to clear a blockage and the sheared butt - end of a crop mat is represented through the feed rolls , and the mat may present an end face too deep to be accepted by the downstream feed rolls . this problem is overcome through the provision of the differential stop 96 which ensures that any increase in feed opening between the upstream rolls 130 and 64 beyond a certain minimum ( about 3 / 4 of an inch has been found to be effective for example ) is thereafter accompanied by a corresponding opening or increase of opening between the downstream feed rolls 76 and 66 , due to the engagement between the differential stops 96 and the upper surface of the feed roll arms 108 and 110 . upon such engagement , further upward rotation of the feed roll arms 108 and 110 relative to the radius arms 72 is prevented and the upper conveyor assembly 60 pivots upwards as a unit about the pivots 34 so that the opening between the downstream feed rolls 76 and 66 is increased to assist those rolls in receiving the new flow of crop material . thereafter , of course , the upper conveyor assembly can flex , the feed roll arms 108 and 110 rocking , as it were , to adjust to longitudinal variations in the thickness of the crop mat subject always to the limitation that if the upstream feed roll opening is caused to be differentially significantly greater than the downstream feed roll opening momentarily , the differential stop 96 comes into effect to adjust the downstream feed roll height accordingly . the coupled tandem arrangement of the two generally u - shaped rigid subframes represented by the downstream and upstream upper feed roll assemblies , 68 and 70 respectively , provides an articulated upper conveyor assembly 60 which is very resistant to feed roll cocking or lateral misalignment due to lateral unevenness in the crop material mat being conveyed . in the upstream feed roll assembly 70 the rigid connection between the opposite feed roll arms 108 and 110 and the torsionally stiff dead shaft 113 give it the stability to resist a laterally offset cocking force effective on the upstream feed roll 130 and transfer it through the feed roll arm pivot hubs 114 to the subframe represented by the downstream feed roll assembly 68 . in the latter , frame rigidity results from the rigidly clamped non - circular cross section connection between the strong transverse leveler shaft 78 and the opposite radius arms 72 , which also , of course , resists any cocking force applied to the downstream feed roll 76 . as can be seen from the drawings ( fig2 and 3 ) the generous spread of the clamp portions 88 of the radius arms 72 along the length of the ends of the leveler shaft 78 contributes to a rigid and stable attachment of the leveler shaft 78 to the radius arms 72 . the length of the clamp ears 92 is preferably at least equal to the major cross - sectional dimension of the leveler shaft 78 . clearly , in such a tandem arrangement both subframes are required to be rigid if the upstream roll is to be prevented from cocking . it is inevitable that some crop material is not discharged immediately into the auger conveyor 18 but is carried around by the cylinder 54 within the cylinder housing including the casing 57 . the latter , of course , must be terminated far enough above the shear bar assembly 56 to allow room for up and down floating movement of the downstream feed roll 76 and feeding of incoming crop material to the cylinder 54 . consequently , some carried - over crop material is discharged into the downstream upper feed roll 76 at this point and is deflected upwards and forwards by it . but the anti - carryover shield 80 , which , of course , moves with the roll 76 , contains this material and redirects it downwards back into the crop mat between the upper feed rolls . the resilient flap 106 , its ends closely hugging the side walls 30 and its rearward edge remaining close to the outer surface of the casing member 57 as the upper conveyor articulates , serves as a seal to minimize crop material loss particularly in dry conditions when the &# 34 ; blower &# 34 ; effect of the cylinder could cause wide dispersal of material through the gap above the downstream feed roll 76 . as can be seen , the invention provides an articulated conveyor for the feeding system of a forage harvester which may be embodied , as here disclosed , in an assembly comprising only a small number of simple relatively low cost parts without extraneous linkages and sliding joints ( with their potential for lost - motion - producing wear ) but rather with a small number of low friction pivoted joints -- an assembly providing the flexibility to respond rapidly and accommodate widely fluctuating material flows efficiently and conveniently . | 0 |
the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is not intended to limit the implementation of the invention to any particular computer programming language . the present invention may be implemented in any computer programming language provided that the os ( operating system ) provides the facilities that may support the requirements of the present invention . a preferred embodiment is implemented in the c or c ++ computer programming language ( or other computer programming languages in conjunction with c / c ++). any limitations presented would be a result of a particular type of operating system , computer programming language , or data processing system and would not be a limitation of the present invention . the invention provides a method for connection control , a method for processing a request , and a system for processing a resource request that improve connection usage between an application server and a digital resource storage and retrieval system , such as a database . the invention reduces the number of connections between the application server and the digital resource storage and retrieval system , thereby reducing the volume of connection control processing and signaling . the invention also provides for the serialized and sorted delivery of requests to the digital resource storage and retrieval system to reduce the amount of processing demanded of the digital resource storage and retrieval system . fig1 schematically illustrates a typical database access system 10 for accessing a digital resource storage and retrieval system . the database access system 10 comprises an application server 12 that provides a plurality of clients 14 with access to a database 16 . typically , the clients 14 are workstations or stand - alone computers running software application programs that use available programming interfaces and other operating system and software provided functionality to connect to the application server 12 , which exchanges data with the database 16 . a data network 18 interconnects the clients 14 with the application server 12 . the connection between the application server 12 and database 16 ( i . e . the back - end connection ) is not part of the data network 18 . fig2 schematically illustrates principal functional blocks of a resource processor of the application server 12 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention . the resource processor functionality of application server 12 comprises a request processor 20 that is adapted to process requests from the clients 14 that are written to a receive buffer 22 , from one of a plurality of logical input ports 24 . the application server 12 also comprises a transmit buffer 26 and a plurality of logical output ports 28 through which replies to respective requests are returned to the respective clients 14 . the request processor 20 has a parser for inspecting requests and identifying operations to be applied at the database 16 , and logic for determining whether these operations need to be run under transaction control . the request processor 20 further performs queue management . the request processor 20 may further perform access control , and other implementation specific operations as required , in a manner well known in the art . to understand the request processing operation of the application server 12 in greater detail , an exemplary structure for database requests , and how they are applied at a database 16 is described . database requests ( for example queries ) may comprise a plurality of operations usually called statements , or sentences of a predefined query language , such as a structured query language ( sql ). compound database requests require a plurality of database connections to database 16 . each of the database requests specifies one or more operations . each operation applies to a single database object ( a page , a table , a row , a field , a character , etc .). a database object is a modifiable unit of a database 16 . a page is the finest unit of the digital information that is independently retrievable from storage at the database 16 . the processing that an operation performs on an object depends on the keywords and terms of the operation . these operations can usually be classified into two kinds : those that run under transaction control and those that do not . in principle it is possible for a database controller to concurrently handle a plurality of different modes for applying the operations , and these modes could be handled with a straightforward application of the present embodiment . the separation of requests into operations respects atomicity of the operations , so that if one operation cannot be committed or aborted unless a second operation is committed or aborted ( due to potential inconsistency of database 16 ), the two operations are together performed under transaction control . operations that run under transaction control are applied using processing controls that provide for documentation of the processing steps performed during the operation ( e . g . annotations to database pages , logging , etc .). the documentation is used during recovery of database 16 when restarting after a failure , as will be well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art . any operation that requires a change to be made to its database object usually runs under transaction control . conversely , operations that do not modify their respective database objects do not require transaction control for most applications . while this general rule is followed by most database systems such as database 16 , in some cases , read operations may need to be performed under transaction control . further , some fields of a database ( which do not need to be maintained in a consistent state ) may not need to be modified under transaction control . notwithstanding the possible exceptions , operations that require transaction control are for purposes of illustration and explanation herein termed write operations and those that do not are termed read operations . referring again to fig2 , the request processor 20 inspects database requests to retrieve the operations and separates the read operations from write operations . the request processor 20 performs queue management for operation queues . more specifically , two queues ( read queue 32 and write queue 34 ) are provided for temporarily storing the operations , until a connection is available . the read queue 32 and write queue 34 each store operations of the designated type that are waiting for transmission over database connections associated with the request type of the queue . each queue is therefore associated with a respective disjoint set of database connections . in operation , the request processor 20 places the operations retrieved from the database requests of the client 14 into the appropriate queue , for retrieval and processing when access to the database 16 becomes available . when a read database connection ( a logical construct using one of the input / output ( i / o ) ports 36 , in this case 36 a ) becomes available , the request processor 20 identifies the next operation in the read queue 32 and sends the identified operation to the database 16 along the connection . likewise , when either of write database connection 1 ( using i / o port 36 b ) or write database connection 2 ( using i / o port 36 c ) becomes available , the next operation in the write queue 34 is forwarded to the database 16 . the i / o ports 36 are identical ; however , the request processor 20 will have designated some i / o ports ( e . g . 36 a ) as being reserved for read operations and others ( e . g . 36 b and c ) as being reserved for write operations . the i / o ports 36 may use a different protocol and type ( usually called the back - end connection ) from those of the input port 24 and output port 28 that are connected to the clients 14 via equipment of the data network 18 . if the protocols and types are different , the request processor 20 provides translation or reformatting as required . further procedures for managing a queue of this kind regarding priority , scheduling , etc . may also be performed by the request processor 20 . the request processor 20 further comprises a connection handler for requesting setup and tear - down of database connections . in accordance with the invention , connections may be created and taken down in a more efficient manner than on a client - connection basis . generally speaking , the connection handler monitors the queues to determine if predefined criteria are met and sets up or tears down database connections accordingly . the request processor 20 therefore may , depending upon certain criteria , throttle or accelerate the rate at which the operations are sent to the database 16 by adding or removing connections . the condition may relate to the number of operations in a corresponding queue , or some other traffic metric . for example , if the connection handler determines that an empirically derived threshold ( or threshold function ) is exceeded in one of the queues , it creates or deletes connections , accordingly . the response rate to the operations and / or the wait time of the objects in queue may also , or alternatively , be monitored to make this determination . other rules for governing the creation and deletion of connections of respective types may also be used . for example , database capacity messages may be used to determine if the application server 12 is the cause of a bottleneck in the database access system 10 or whether the database 16 is being flooded . the response time of the database 16 may be used to judge the capacity of the database 16 . the process flow chart of fig3 schematically illustrates principal steps that may be performed in processing an operation of a request from a client 14 at the application server 12 , in accordance with the invention . the process begins , and in block 100 , the request is received and parsed to identify the operations contained in the request . all similar operations are considered together . if it is determined in block 102 that one or more of the operations are connection requests , it is determined ( in block 104 ) whether a read connection exists . it is assumed that the majority of operations requested are for read operations . therefore , in anticipation of such an operation the procedure verifies that a read connection exists and creates a connection if one does not exist when a connection request is received . this assures that a read connection will have been set up for subsequent read operations , thus imposing a slight performance advantage for read operations , given that read operations are more frequent and less processing intensive than write operations . the steps in creating the connection involve requesting a database connection ( block 106 ), receiving acknowledgement of the connection request ( block 108 ) and thereafter determining that the read connection is established ( block 110 ). in block 112 , once the existence of a read connection is ensured , a reply is sent to the client 14 , to indicate that the connection is established . if it is determined in block 113 that no other operations are contained in the request , the process ends when the request is processed . otherwise the procedure returns to block 102 . if , in block 102 it is determined that the received database request does not comprise any connection request or that these have already been processed , it may be determined ( in block 114 ) that the request comprises at least one read operation . if so , each read operation is placed in a read queue 32 ( block 116 ). if a plurality of operations are extracted from a single request , particularly if a plurality of read connections transport respective operations , care must be taken to ensure that the responses are properly associated to the corresponding operations in a manner known to those skilled in the art . usually such mechanisms make use of operating systems features and lower level protocol processing . once the read operation ( s ) are placed in the read queue 32 , the procedure advances to block 118 , where it is determined if the database request contains a write operation . if one or more write operations are identified ( in block 118 ), it must be first determined whether or not a write connection exists ( in block 120 ), as connection requests are treated as requiring a read connection to be created . if it is determined that no write connection exists , one is created in steps 122 – 126 in a manner similar to that described with respect to the steps for creating a read connection described above with reference to steps 106 – 110 . once a write connection is determined to exist , the write operation ( s ) of the request are placed in the write queue 34 ( block 128 ). if no write operations are contained in the request , or once all of the write operations have been placed in the write connection queue , it is determined ( in block 130 ) if the request contains a signal for the end of a group of operations called a transaction . transactions may be distributed across a plurality of requests from clients 14 . an end transaction request signals the end of the group . in such a case , in accordance with the bias in favor of read connections , any write connections set up to handle the terminated transaction may be eligible to be taken down . accordingly , in block 132 , it is determined if the transaction ( to be terminated ) used a write operation , and ( in block 134 ) whether the ( corresponding ) write queue 34 is empty . if either of these is determined to be false , the transaction is ended ( block 138 ), and the processing of the request is complete . if both ( steps 132 , 134 ) are found true , then the corresponding write connection is taken down ( block 136 ), and the transaction is ended ( block 138 ). consequently , the processing of the request is ended . on the other hand , the read connection ( if established ) is allowed to continue to exist . if none of the previously identified types require further processing ( or all operations associated therewith have been placed in respective queues ), it is determined ( in block 140 ) whether the request contains a disconnect operation . if it does not , the request may be deemed processed , and the process ends until another request is received . otherwise , in block 142 , the connection is taken down . if both the read and write queues are empty ( as determined in block 144 ) the read connection is taken down ( in block 146 ). presumably , any write queues will have been terminated upon completion of a transaction . otherwise there are other connections to client 14 open , and the read connection is not taken down . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that steps of determining if a queue is empty ( 134 , 144 ) may comprise applying a test of the read and write connections , respective protocol buffers , or control information to determine if a request is being sent or waiting to be sent . such a test may be applied only once the database 16 has responded to any pending operations retrieved from the database request . while the invention has thus far been described with reference to a database system , the invention may be applied in a broader set of environments . substantially any application server 12 that receives requests for a resource and supports connections to a source ( i . e . a digital resource storage and retrieval system ) for each of the requests can be improved by concentrating the requests onto fewer connections , and by so doing , serially providing the requests to the source . if there are different types of requests that are handled differently by the source , associated with different modes for requesting the resources , the application server 12 may sort the requests according to type . once the requests are sorted by type , the application server 12 may issue the requests over connections associated with respective ones of the request types . examples of the request modes comprise the previously described transaction control and its alternative , in relation to a database type of source . in other embodiments , different protocols or sets of applications associated with receiving and / or processing the requests may have priority , time sensitivity , history of client 14 , or any other application - related feature that impacts how the request is handled by the source or may be associated with a respective mode . accordingly , the invention may have application to object request brokering systems , differentiated web services deployment , and to systems that manage requests for a service , processor capacity , data , or other managed resources that are received at an application layer or server , and require differentiated handling of the requests at the source . if requests are arriving at the source too quickly or too slowly , the number of connections can also be increased / decreased accordingly . fig4 is a flow chart schematically illustrating principal steps involved in a method of request processing at an application server 12 , in accordance with the invention . the method involves receiving a request from a client 14 ( block 50 ), and parsing the request to identify any separate operations contained therein ( block 52 ). in accordance with the illustrated embodiment the requests are parsed to potentially extract a plurality of operations , depending on the specific request received . each of the operations is further assumed to be one of a first mode and a second mode of requesting resources from the source . once the operations are identified , they are inspected ( block 54 ) to determine which mode of requesting is associated with each operation . the number of modes may be other than two , however only two are illustrated . operations associated with the first mode are issued ( block 56 ) over mode 1 connections . as was the case in the database embodiment , the operations may be queued , subjected to access control procedures , and / or translated prior to being sent to the source . the operation may further be preprocessed and / or sorted in accordance with known techniques for handling requests . the operations associated with the second mode of requesting are sent over mode 2 connections ( block 58 ). fig5 schematically illustrates principal steps in a connection control process that may be used in accordance with the invention to control a flow of requests through the application server 12 that employs a technique for queuing the requests . the control process begins , and in block 80 it is determined whether the queues are empty and whether there are any connections to client 14 through the application server 12 to the source . if the request processing is halted , or there are no connections and empty queues , the control process has no function and so the procedure ends . if it is determined ( at bock 80 ) that the request processing is on - going , then with some predefined frequency , or in response to a predetermined event , a test is applied to determine if a condition is met for adding or deleting connections of one of the predefined types ( block 82 ). as previously explained , the condition can be defined in terms , for example , of the rate at which requests , or operations , are received , the rate of completion of requests at the application server 12 , the volume in an associated queue , or the time taken by the source to respond to an operation . the condition therefore can be determined without requiring explicit feedback from the source . alternatively , recourse to the source may be useful in determining whether to increase or decrease the rate of requests . if the condition is determined not to be met , the control process returns to block 80 , otherwise , in block 84 , the addition or deletion of a selected connection of the identified type is effected . once the addition or deletion is complete , the control process returns to block 80 . this control process allows for modifying the number of connections to the source in a flexible manner , with reduced connection signaling and processing overhead . in the illustrated embodiment , the control process is separated from the request processing operations . alternatively , fig5 shows one method by which that the control process can be integrated with the request processing functions at an application server 12 . the invention therefore has been described with reference to a system and a method for controlling connections between a source and an application server function . the method enables fewer connections between the source and application server 12 than a number of connections of client 14 to the application server 12 . the reduction in connections results in less connection control processing and signaling . the efficiency of supplying the source with request operations in a format that is sorted by type also provides for more efficient handling of the operations . further still , the operations are supplied at a rate that is convenient for the source , improving efficiency at the source . the present invention can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in any combination thereof . apparatus of the invention can be implemented in the computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable system . methods / actions can be performed by a programmable processor executing a programmer &# 39 ; s instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention can be implemented advantageously in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one input device , and at least one output device . each computer program can be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired . in any case , the language can be a compiled or an interpreted language . suitable processors comprise , by way or example , both general and specific micro - processors . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . generally , a computer will comprise one or more mass storage devices for storing data files ; such devices comprise magnetic disks , such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and optical disks . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data comprise all forms of non - volatile memory , including by way of example semi - conductor memory devices such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom and dvd disks . any of the foregoing can be supplemented by , or incorporated in , asics application - specific integrated circuits . programmable processing systems contained in the resource processor shown in fig2 and the application servers 12 shown in fig1 are suitable for implementing or performing the apparatus or methods of the invention . the system may comprise a processor , a random access memory , a hard drive controller and an input / output controller coupled by a processor bus . it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein , consistent with the present invention , without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , the data network 18 may be a public internet , and in some embodiments it may be a private intranet , or it may be a combination of the two . further , the data network 18 may be of any known configuration or type that provides for the communication of data . the data network 18 may further comprise gateway servers , and the application server 12 may serve a plurality of databases 16 and other back end systems . furthermore , in other embodiments , the application server 12 , client 14 and database 16 may all be instantiated on one or more processors or processor systems requiring no data network 18 . an operating system associated with the request processor 20 handles exchange of request and response messages , assignment of ports to handle connections to data network 18 , and other lower level communications functions . depending on the embodiment of the invention , the operating system may take on more or less of the responsibility for connection configuration and control . thus , while the request processor 20 may be embodied as a software application that comprises the connection handler , which requests the addition and removal of the database connections using lower level service primitives , the connection handler may be embodied by lower level processing , or a combination of both . while two queues have been illustrated in fig2 , one queue , a plurality of queues each associated with a priority value , a priority value and a connection type , or a specific connection , can be used in other embodiments . if each of a plurality of read and write database connections is associated with a respective read queue 32 or write queue 34 , the assembling of responses from database 16 to formulate response messages to be sent to clients 14 may be somewhat simplified . however , having only one read queue 32 and one write queue 34 regardless of the number of read and write database connections simplifies the addition and deletion of connections and more evenly distributes delay among the operations . other relationships between queues and connections may be suggested by hardware limitations or by traffic and service requirements or otherwise suggested for use in particular embodiments . in fig3 , the receipt of a connection request in block 102 led to the assurance of the existence of a read queue 32 . the assurance may be relied upon by a connection handler to predict imminent usage and to create connections to handle the predicted demand . in other embodiments assurance of both read and write connections may be performed , especially if a time to setup a connection is substantial . alternatively , the connection types assured may depend on a type , or a history of the client , for example . furthermore , in some embodiments no connection is created until a read or write request is received . the procedures for controlling the connections is preferably optimized to permit a highest usage with a minimum of underutilized capacity . it is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the invention that have been described are merely illustrative of certain application of the principle of the present invention . numerous modifications may be made to the system and method for accessing resources in a database invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 8 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments . fig1 shows a laser printer 1 ( hereinafter , merely referred to as “ printer 1 ”) as the image forming apparatus in the present embodiment . the printer 1 includes a sheet feed portion 10 , an image forming portion 20 , a sheet discharge portion 50 , and a housing 60 . a plurality of pairs of conveying rollers 11 - 13 for nipping and conveying a paper sheet p are provided in a sheet conveyance path extending from the sheet feed portion 10 to the sheet discharge portion 50 . it is noted that in the following description , the front and depth sides of the paper surface in fig1 are referred to as “ front side ” and “ rear side ”, respectively , and the left and right sides of the paper surface in fig1 are referred to as “ left side ” and “ right side ”, respectively . the sheet feed portion 10 is disposed in the housing 60 at a lower position . the sheet feed portion 10 includes a sheet feed cassette 10 a and a pick - up roller 10 b . the sheet feed cassette 10 a stores paper sheets p . the pick - up roller 10 b picks up a paper sheet p from the sheet feed cassette 10 a and feeds it to the outside of the sheet feed cassette 10 a . the paper sheet p fed to the outside of the sheet feed cassette 10 a is supplied to the image forming portion 20 via a pair of conveying rollers 11 . the image forming portion 20 includes a photoconductor drum 21 , a charging unit 23 , an exposure device 25 , a developing device 27 , a transfer unit 28 , a fixing unit 29 , and a toner container ( not shown ), wherein the photoconductor drum 21 is an example of the image carrying member . the image forming portion 20 causes the charging unit 23 to charge the circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum 21 , then causes the exposure device 25 to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drum 21 by irradiating the surface of the photoconductor drum 21 with laser light based on the document sheet image data ( for example , image data of a document sheet image received from an external terminal ). the electrostatic latent image formed ( carried ) on the surface of the photoconductor drum 21 is developed by the developing device 27 as a toner image . subsequently , the image forming portion 20 causes the transfer unit 28 to transfer the toner image to the paper sheet p supplied from the sheet feed portion 10 , and supplies the paper sheet p after the transfer to the fixing unit 29 . the fixing unit 29 includes a fixing roller 29 a and a pressure roller 29 b that are disposed to face each other . a heater is embedded in the fixing roller 29 a . in the fixing unit 29 , the paper sheet p supplied from the image forming portion 20 is pressed between the fixing roller 29 a and the pressure roller 29 b , thereby the toner image is thermally fixed to the paper sheet p . the paper sheet p , to which the toner image has been thermally fixed by the fixing unit 29 , is conveyed by the rollers 29 a and 29 b toward the downstream side . the paper sheet p output from the fixing unit 29 is discharged to the sheet discharge portion 50 via the plurality of pairs of conveying rollers 12 , 13 . as shown in fig2 , the housing 60 includes a frame 61 and sheet metals 62 . in the whole view , the housing 60 has an approximate rectangular parallelepiped shape , and the frame 61 constitutes the framework of the housing 60 . six sheet metals 62 are provided in total , and the sheet metals 62 form the front and rear , left and right , and upper and lower walls respectively . fig2 shows only a sheet metal 62 a which forms the rear wall of the housing 60 ( hereinafter this sheet metal is referred to as “ rear sheet metal ”). as shown in fig3 , the rear sheet metal 62 a is disposed at a position close to the fixing unit 29 which is a component of the image forming portion 20 . the rear sheet metal 62 a is covered with an external cover 63 provided in the outside of the printer 1 . the external cover 63 is fixed to the frame 61 ( see fig2 ) by bolts ( not shown ). a rectangular - shaped exhaust outlet 63 f is provided in an upper - left part of the external cover 63 . the exhaust outlet 63 f is covered with a louver 64 . the external cover 63 is disposed in rear of the rear sheet metal 62 a , separated by a predetermined distance therefrom . in addition , there is formed , between the external cover 63 and the rear sheet metal 62 a , an equipment storage space s having a thickness in the front - rear direction . back to fig2 , in the equipment storage space s , an exhaust fan 100 , a drum driving motor 30 , a conveyance clutch 72 , a sheet feed conveyance motor 71 , a board box 80 , and the like are disposed . these equipments are fixed to a surface of the rear sheet metal 62 a on the external cover 63 side , by bolts or the like . the board box 80 is attached to an upper - left ( upper - right , in fig2 ) part of the rear sheet metal 62 a . the board box 80 stores various boards such as a power board , an engine board , a main board , and the like . the exhaust fan 100 is attached to an upper - right ( upper - left , in fig2 ) part of the rear sheet metal 62 a . the exhaust fan 100 includes a fan casing 101 and an impeller 102 stored in the fan casing 101 . the fan casing 101 is composed of a case in the shape of a rectangular box . an air inlet 101 a ( see fig3 ) is provided in the front surface of the fan casing 101 , and an air outlet 101 b is provided in the rear surface of the fan casing 101 . the exhaust fan 100 is configured to generate , with the rotation of the impeller 102 , an airflow that mainly flows from the front side to the rear side . the fan casing 101 is attached to the rear sheet metal 62 a such that the air inlet 101 a overlaps ( mates ) with an opening 62 f formed in the rear sheet metal 62 a . the opening 62 f is formed in the rear sheet metal 62 a at a position close to the fixing roller 29 a . the space of the inside of the housing 60 communicates with the equipment storage space s via the opening 62 f . the drum driving motor 30 is a motor for driving the photoconductor drum 21 . the drum driving motor 30 includes an output shaft 30 a ( see fig2 ), a rotor 30 b , and a starter ( not shown ). the rotor 30 b is cylindrical and integrally rotatably coupled with the output shaft 30 a in the equipment storage space s . the starter is disposed coaxially with the rotor 30 b . the output shaft 30 a penetrates through the rear sheet metal 62 a , and an end of the output shaft 30 a is integrally rotatably coupled with the photoconductor drum 21 . when the drum driving motor 30 is activated , it is heated since a coil thereof is electrically conducted . in addition , when the drum driving motor 30 is activated , it is heated due to the friction of the bearing . the conveyance clutch 72 is configured to switch between a power transmission state and a power interruption state . in the power transmission state , the conveyance clutch 72 transmits the power of a conveyance motor ( not shown ) to the pairs of conveying rollers 12 , 13 . in the power interruption state , the conveyance clutch 72 interrupts the transmission of the power . the conveyance clutch 72 is composed of an electromagnetic clutch . a controller ( not shown ) controls the conductive state and non - conductive state of an excitation coil of the conveyance clutch 72 . when the excitation coil is in the conductive state , the power of the conveyance motor is transmitted to the pairs of conveying rollers 12 , 13 via the conveyance clutch 72 . on the other hand , when the excitation coil is in the non - conductive state , the transmission of the power is interrupted . the conveyance clutch 72 is heated when the excitation coil is electrically conducted by the controller . the sheet feed conveyance motor 71 is a motor for driving the pick - up roller 10 b . the sheet feed conveyance motor 71 is activated and controlled by the controller . when the sheet feed conveyance motor 71 is activated , it is heated since a coil thereof is electrically conducted . in addition , when the sheet feed conveyance motor 71 is activated , it is heated due to the friction of the bearing . the above - described drum driving motor 30 , conveyance clutch 72 , and sheet feed conveyance motor 71 are heat generating equipments 70 stored in the equipment storage space s , and these heat generating equipments 70 are disposed below a duct 90 which is described below . as shown in fig3 to 5 , the air outlet 101 b of the exhaust fan 100 and the exhaust outlet 63 f formed in the external cover 62 are connected with each other via the duct 90 . the duct 90 is formed in a shape of a rectangular frame extending in the front - rear direction . a rear end of the duct 90 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the exhaust outlet 63 f formed in the external cover 63 ( see fig5 ). it is noted that , with the attachment of the external cover 62 to the housing 60 , the whole part of a front end of the duct 90 , except for a cut 90 f ( described below ), abuts the peripheral edge of the air outlet 101 b of the exhaust fan 100 ( see fig3 ). the duct 90 includes a top wall 90 a , a bottom wall 90 b , a left wall 90 c , and a right wall 90 d . the top wall 90 a and the bottom wall 90 b face each other in the up - down direction . the left wall 90 c and the right wall 90 d face each other in the left - right direction . the cut 90 f is formed in , among the walls of the duct 90 , the bottom wall 90 b which is located on the heat generating equipments ( in the present embodiment , the drum driving motor 30 , conveyance clutch 72 , and sheet feed conveyance motor 71 ) side . as shown enlarged in fig6 , the cut 90 f is formed at the center of a front end of the bottom wall 90 in the left - right direction . in a plan view , the cut 90 f is opened toward the front side , and is elongated in the left - right direction . the cut 90 f functions as a communicating portion 97 that allows the inside and outside of the duct 90 to communicate with each other . in the printer 1 configured as described above , when the exhaust fan 100 is activated , high - temperature air in the housing 60 heated by the heat of the fixing roller 29 a is guided through the opening 61 d formed in the rear wall 62 a to the air inlet 101 a of the fan casing 101 ( see fig3 ). the air then flows into the fan casing 101 from the air inlet 101 a , flows into the duct 90 from the air outlet 101 b of the fan casing 101 , and then after flowing through the duct 90 , is discharged to the outside of the printer 1 from the exhaust outlet 63 f formed in the external cover 63 . during this operation , in the duct 90 , an airflow flowing from the housing 60 side to the exhaust outlet 63 f side ( from the front side to the rear side ) at a relatively high speed is formed . as a result , high - temperature air that remains around the heat generating equipments 70 ( in the present embodiment , the drum driving motor 30 , conveyance clutch 72 , and sheet feed conveyance motor 71 ) is dragged by the high - speed airflow and caused to flow into the duct 90 from the cut 90 f formed in the bottom wall 90 b of the duct 90 . the high - temperature air that has flown into the duct 90 is discharged from the exhaust outlet 63 f , together with the high - speed airflow . as a result , it is possible to prevent the high - temperature air from remaining around the heat generating equipments 70 , and prevent the heat generating equipments 70 from failing . in this configuration , since the exhaust fan 100 , which is originally aimed to exhaust heat from the housing 60 , is used to prevent air from remaining around the heat generating equipments 70 , there is no need to install an additional exhaust fan . as a result , it is possible to reduce the product cost by restricting increase in the number of parts . fig7 shows embodiment 2 . embodiment 2 is different from embodiment 1 in that it includes guide plates 91 , 92 for guiding an airflow into the duct 90 . it is noted that the same component elements as those shown in fig5 are assigned the same reference numbers , and description thereof is omitted . that is , in the present embodiment , a first guide plate 91 and a second guide plate 92 are attached to the bottom wall 90 b of the duct 90 . the first guide plate 91 includes an inclined plate 91 a and a vertical plate 91 b . the inclined plate 91 a is inclined from a right end of the bottom wall 90 b to a lower right . the vertical plate 91 b extends from a lower end of the inclined plate 91 a downward . the second guide plate 92 projects forward from a left end of the bottom wall 90 b . in the state where the external cover 63 is attached to the housing 60 , a flow guide passage 95 is formed by the external cover 63 , the first guide plate 91 , the second guide plate 92 , the rear sheet metal 62 a , and a right wall 80 a of the board box 80 . the flow guide passage 95 communicates with the inside of the duct 90 via the cut 90 f . the flow guide passage 95 guides air around the heat generating equipments 70 to the cut 90 f , and causes the air to flow into the duct 90 from the cut 90 f . as described above , in embodiment 2 , the guide plates 91 , 92 are configured to guide high - temperature air around the heat generating equipments 70 to the cut 90 f . as a result , it is further possible to prevent high - temperature air from remaining around the heat generating equipments . fig8 shows embodiment 3 . embodiment 3 is different from the above - described embodiments in that the external cover 63 includes an intake opening 63 g . it is noted that the same component elements as those shown in fig5 and 7 are assigned the same reference numbers , and description thereof is omitted . that is , in the present embodiment , the external cover 63 is provided with the intake opening 63 g in addition to the exhaust outlet 63 f . the intake opening 63 g is provided to take in air from the outside of the printer 1 into the equipment storage space s . the intake opening 63 g is formed in a lower - right part of the external cover 63 , below the exhaust outlet 63 f . the intake opening 63 g is formed in the external cover 63 at a position close to the sheet feed conveyance motor 71 ( a heat generating equipment ). as a result , in embodiment 3 , driving the exhaust fan 100 causes the outside air to flow into the equipment storage space s from the intake opening 63 g formed in the external cover 63 . the outside air that has flown into the equipment storage space s passes the circumference of the heat generating equipments 70 , flows into the duct 90 from the cut 90 f formed in the duct 90 , and is discharged to the outside of the printer 1 from the exhaust outlet 63 f . accordingly , by providing the intake opening 63 g , an airflow flowing from the heat generating equipments 70 side to the duct 90 side ( from below to above ) is formed . it is thus possible to prevent high - temperature air from remaining around the heat generating equipments 70 . in addition , in embodiment 3 , the duct 90 is disposed above the heat generating equipments 70 by paying attention to the fact that the high - temperature air around the heat generating equipments 70 easily rises due to the density difference from the surrounding air . with this configuration , the high - temperature air around the heat generating equipments 70 is easily guided into the duct 90 disposed above the heat generating equipments 70 . fig9 shows embodiment 4 . the present embodiment is different from the above - described embodiments in the configuration of the drum driving motor 30 . that is , in the present embodiment , a plurality of impellers 30 c are formed on the circumferential surface of the rotor 30 b of the drum driving motor 30 . the plurality of impellers 30 c are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction . with this configuration , the impellers 30 c rotate together with the rotor 30 b , thereby airflows are forcibly generated around the drum driving motor 30 . as a result , it is possible to further prevent high - temperature air , which has been warmed by the heat of the drum driving motor 30 ( a heat generating equipment 70 ), from remaining around the drum driving motor 30 . in the above - described embodiments , as an example of the heat generating equipments 70 , the drum driving motor 30 , sheet feed conveyance motor 71 , and conveyance clutch 72 are explained . however , not limited to this , the heat generating equipments 70 may be composed of , for example , an electric board and the like . in the above - described embodiments , the communicating portion 97 is composed of the cut 90 f . however , not limited to this , the communicating portion 97 may be composed of a through hole . in the above - described embodiments , the duct 93 is fixed to the external cover 63 . however , not limited to this , the duct 93 may be fixed to , for example , the rear sheet metal 62 a . in the above - described embodiments , the guide plates 91 , 92 are fixed to the duct 93 . however , not limited to this , the guide plates 91 , 92 may be fixed to , for example , the rear sheet metal 62 a . in the above - described embodiments , only one exhaust fan 100 is provided however , not limited to this , a plurality of exhaust fans 100 may be provided . in the above - described embodiments , the laser printer 1 of the electrophotography is explained as an example of the image forming apparatus . however , the present invention is not limited to this . that is , the image forming apparatus may be , for example , an image forming apparatus of the inkjet method . in that case , the image forming portion may include one or more ink heads for ejecting ink onto a paper sheet , and the like . the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments 1 to 4 . the present invention includes configurations made by appropriately combining embodiments 1 to 4 . | 1 |
the invention is concerned with the component of a “ bandwidth ” resource scheduler that queues the “ direct ” consumers of that resource for access to it . bandwidth resources are typified by a resource management mechanism that grants exclusive access to the resource for some period of time to “ direct ” resource consumers . there are two types of resource consumer . “ direct ” resources consumers and “ indirect ” resource consumers . when applied to cpu cycles , threads , or processes depending on the system , are “ direct ” consumers of cpu cycles . users are an example of “ indirect ”, via their threads and processes , consumers of cpu cycles . an aspect of the invention allows fair sharing of access to the resource amongst “ indirect ” consumers as well as “ direct ” consumers . it does this by controlling the ordering of the consumer queue and in some cases , the length of access granted on each occasion . in this context , fair sharing does not necessarily mean equal sharing but incorporates the concepts of “ reservations ” and “ shares ”. a “ reservation ” allows the allocation of fixed proportions of the resource to high level , indirect , consumers . “ shares ” are used to allocate the remaining resource , after “ reservations ” to other consumers on a proportional basis . “ shares ” may be allocated to consumers at all levels and are hierarchically nested i . e . a “ direct ” consumer &# 39 ; s shares entitle it to a proportion of its immediate owner &# 39 ; s shares and so on . as the resources are generally ephemeral in nature and valuable , when an entity is not generating sufficient demand to use its “ reservation ” or “ share ” the unwanted resource access is distributed amongst other entities in proportion to their “ reservations ” or “ shares ” so that there is no wastage of the resource . the following embodiments of the invention are generic , and gloss over certain details of integration into specific operating systems . the invention scheduler has been integrated into several such operating systems and tested with excellent results . aspects of the invention scheduler have proven to be superior to the existing schedulers in the areas for which they were designed to excel . for purposes of the following invention embodiments however , applications are ignored . threads , also known as lightweight processes ( lwps ), as the schedulable entities are likewise ignored in the description of the following invention embodiments , but it should be noted that the workings would be similar and their application as part and parcel in the invention provide a higher granularity of controlling processes , which is not possible in some existing schedulers . in all the arrangements described the basic fair sharing is done at the entity level rather than the owner level and , if it is required , fair sharing amongst higher level entities is achieved by modifying the entity level fair sharing . the resulting scheduler is very flexible , allowing different types of sharing to be achieved by a single scheduler . additionally , fair sharing amongst high level entities can be short term , long term or both . the selection between which type of fair sharing is in force can be made on a running system . the type of high level entities among which fair sharing could be implemented is quite diverse and includes users , projects , processes and entity groups . in another aspect , as currently envisaged , it concerns a method of determining the relative priority to be used when allocating schedulable resources to an owner &# 39 ; s share holding entity , by calculating : ( 1 ) an entity &# 39 ; s usage as the number of the resources indivisible units ( ticks ) that the entity is receiving per unit of time , that is a number between zero and the number of indivisible units that are available for consumption at each indivisible instant of time , ( 2 ) the entity &# 39 ; s entitlement as a ratio of the product of the number of indivisible units that are available for consumption at each indivisible instant of time and the number of shares held by that entity at that time , to the total number of shares held by all live entities at that time , that is a number between zero and the number of indivisible units that are available for consumption at each indivisible instant of time , and ( 3 ) the entity &# 39 ; s priority , at instants of time when there are more active entities than there are units available for consumption , in ascending order of their ratio of usage to entitlement , at that time . a typical computer system contains of one or more processors ( cpus ), network bandwidth , main memory , other resources and one or more processes . at any moment in time a cpu can only be performing work by executing the instructions of a particular process . each instruction takes a finite duration to perform . it requires an overhead elapse of time to change from having a cpu work for one process to working for another process , therefore it is normal to allow a process to use a cpu for a continuous run of instructions so that the scheduling overhead is small compared to the useful work performed . in a ts computer system , there can be many more processes than cpus , and yet it is desired that all processes should be able to make steady progress through their intended workloads . one factor , which assists in solving the problem of competition of the processes for cpus , is that sometimes processes need to wait for an external event . some examples of this are : delivery of a result to or from another process , human action at a keyboard or other input device , the elapse of an intended time delay , the arrival of a specific date and time , the transmittal of data to or from an external destination ( screen , network , disk ). a second factor involves perception : if a process is allowed to make progress in a rapid sequence of short bursts then this can appear to be continuous progress provided we don &# 39 ; t look too closely and just regard the average rate of progress over a sufficiently long interval . processes undergo state changes in their managed progression over the course of performing their primary objective while in a particular hardware environment . these typical high level state transitions are shown in fig1 . a process , which never needs to wait , is said to be cpu - bound , it exhibits a demand of 1 . 0 , and if given unobstructed access to a cpu it would use that cpu at 100 % capacity continuously . a process which sometimes waits ( sleeps ) for events exhibits a demand , which ranges from 0 . 0 to 1 . 0 depending on the frequency , regularity , and duration of those waits . consider the occupation cpu by such a process : instantaneously , while it is running it has a demand of 1 . 0 and while sleeping a demand of 0 . 0 ; suppose , for example it does a perfectly regular cycle of running for 68 ms alternated with a sleep of 32 ms , if we inspect the run / sleep state enough times during any continuous 100 ms we will conclude that process has an average demand of about 0 . 68 ( equally spaced or randomly selected sample points will give , statistically , the same result ) and from the information given it can also be said that the 100 ms - average demand in this case is exactly 0 . 68 . the same 0 . 68 demand will also be found if any sufficiently long duration of cycles is sampled ( equally or randomly )— provided the duration is sufficient that any discrepancy due the partial first and last cycles sampled is dominated by the number of complete cycles between them . if multiple processes are allowed to compete for use the same cpu , as in a ts system , there is an opportunity for each process to run while other processes are sleeping . however , it is not usually the case that the run / sleep cycles will mesh perfectly — at times they will all be sleeping and the cpu is idle , at other times multiple processes may become ready to run ( runnable ) but each runnable process cannot resume running immediately if the cpu is already occupied they will be delayed and hence will only complete their work at a slower average rate than if unobstructed . unless special action is taken , any cpu - bound processes or processes which have appreciably long bursts of continuous running can greatly impair the provision of steady progress to other processes . ts systems address this problem by imposing some upper limit ( the time slice quantum , it may vary depending on circumstances ) such that a process is preempted , and removed from control of a cpu if it runs continuously for more than a quantum so that other runnable processes ( if any ) may also have up to a quantum duration of running . ts systems usually also associate an importance rating ( niceness ) with processes so that by varying the quantum and / or by making biased choices from among runnable processes which one will be given a quantum next , the more important processes may receive cpu at a rate averaging closer to their unobstructed demand than lower importance processes . a process is a collection of memory containing data and instructions for operating upon that data . a process has a lifecycle : it is initially created by the actions of usually some other process , it then alternately runs and sleeps , until eventually it exits . the exit may be voluntary because all work for this process is complete , due to an error condition caused by the process , or by the action of another process . the process is usually created in a runnable state . when a cpu is available it will be selected to run . while running the process may yield use of the cpu by exiting ( upon request , or demand ) or may go to sleep . while sleeping , some external event triggers the wakeup , which is transition to the runnable state . the process generally cycles around from running to sleeping to runnable spending time mainly running or sleeping , or delayed in the runnable state if another process currently has the cpu . the interrupted state is transient : while a process is running it may be necessary for the system to temporarily use the cpu for a few moments to do actions such as updating a timer or completing a disk i / o ; although the execution of process instructions is suspended they will be resumed as soon as the interrupt is completed , unless an additional decision is taken to preempt — the process is removed from the cpu but since it would continue running if it could , it is returned directly to the runnable state . interrupts may be nested , however it is always the originally interrupted process , which continues running unless the preemption is done . the work performed during interrupt state need not be related to the work of the interrupted process however it is often counted as running time for that process . we can mostly neglect the interrupt state except that it is the means by which preemptions are performed . fig2 shows the unobstructed state transitions timing diagram for a process , p 1 . demand is either 1 or 0 . this timeline show the demand curve for process p 1 . notice that p 1 has an unusually long burst of continuous demand at one point . this simple timeline for one process basically shows the demand load as a process switches from non - running to running states . this process changes dramatically as other processes , “ the mix ”, are added to the run queue , the “ runnable state ”. the delays which are introduced by the scheduler to produce equable sharing among runnable processes are also instrumental in distributing work among processes and available resources . these delays can come in the form of interrupts , sleep request , i / o requests or quantum expiration state changes . switching processes among the states also carries a system burden and therefore system cost . some available resource bandwidth will be wasted thru under utilization while others will not be able to service demand fast enough . it can be appreciated that a scheduler that can anticipate the myriad of factors to keep processes serviced and running without thrashing around between resources and processes will produce a system which is more efficient and more responsive . fig3 shows a possible timeline for process p 1 and p 2 in competition for a cpu . it could be that p 2 created p 1 . during a time when p 1 in running , p 2 also become runnable but is delayed until p 1 can be preempted . as shown by the previous demand curve in fig2 p 1 would continue running but is now delayed while p 2 has a turn . once p 2 goes to sleep , p 1 completes the long burst of usage then continues normally . meanwhile p 2 is waiting , perhaps for the event that p 1 has exited , when p 1 exits p 2 is again made runnable , runs and exits . conventional scheduling can be viewed in the context of cpu function . fig4 is a high level diagram of the cpu activity of the state transitions . for this simple embodiment , interrupt states are not shown . when certain events occur , a scheduling decision must be made : for example , in the running a process state , the current process using the cpu may go to sleep , or yield the cpu . alternatively , control of the cpu may be preempted . from the idle state , one or more processes are made runnable during interrupt processing . scheduling examines the state of the previously running process ( if any ) and any currently runnable processes . the scheduler then does the following : continues running the previous process , return to the idle state , or switches control of the cpu to a different process to run . this is the standard approach . an embodiment of the invention which is described in greater detail below takes a different approach in deciding which process will run next . in a ts system , the dispatcher is responsible managing the details of giving processes control of cpus ; for monitoring the duration of time spent running ; for wresting the cpu from cpu bound processes at the end of a time slice quantum ; and for selecting which runnable process will be run on a cpu when it becomes available . the dispatcher is also responsible for implementing any cpu affinity bindings , that is , in a multi - cpu system there may be constraints about which processes may or may not use which cpus — when selecting a next process for a cpu it is just a matter of ignoring runnable processes which are ineligible due to affinity even if other data would indicate they are most deserving to be run next . the dispatcher has involvement with each process state transition to or from the running state ; and interacts with the scheduler in a cooperative manner to inform it of these events and to be influenced in the control actions that it makes . the set of runnable processes is usually managed as a priority ordered , “ run queue ” ( most unix systems ) or as an unordered list with an associated priority calculation function ( linux ). in both cases , it is the scheduler , which provides the priority value . the linux method means that there is less lag between when the priority is calculated and when it is used but it is unclear if this makes a practical difference or what the efficiency tradeoff is between repeated recalculation of a priority which may well have the same result and a lagged value ; most schedulers also do an update scan of processes on the run queue to prevent marooning . even linux schedulers include an update , which adjusts one of the inputs to the priority calculation function . a decision about how long the process will be allowed to run before preemption is usually made when the process is given a cpu . the dispatcher will either ask the scheduler for a time slice length and arrange for a preemption interrupt at that future point in time , or notify the scheduler that a time slice is beginning allow the scheduler to determine the interrupt . if no eligible process can be found to be run then the dispatcher will either loop continuously looking for a process , use a specialized instruction to pause the cpu , which is still able to service interrupts , or give control to a dedicated lowest priority “ idle ” process . when some process becomes runnable due to an event notified via an interrupt , or by actions of another cpu , the idle cpu will be prompted to make another scan for runnable processes , find one , and select it . in the event of a process termination , the dispatcher will notify the scheduler of the exit and initiate deletion of any data structures involved in keeping track of the process lifetime . since the cpu that was running the process that exits becomes available , the dispatcher will then search to select another process . as mentioned above , some systems may use interval timing and an end of time slice interrupt to preempt a running process . the majority of systems use a more frequent clock interrupt ( often 100 times per second , a “ tick ”) to sample the running state of the interrupted process ; this mechanism involves notification to the scheduler that the interrupted process was found to be running . by counting the tick reports the dispatcher or scheduler can arrange to preempt the process if it doesn &# 39 ; t yield soon enough . the need to preempt a process arises when the process is observed to have reached the end of a time slice or the scheduler may provoke an earlier preemption because it knows a higher priority process has just rejoined the run queue . the process to be preempted is subjected to a forced interrupt so that dispatcher code can remove it from the cpu , make a fresh selection scan , and set the newly selected process running in a newly started time slice . it is possible that the preempted process and the newly continued process are the same ; when they are not the same , the still runnable preempted process is returned to the run queue with a recalculated priority . although some implementations do not always make a clear division , it is possible to identify part of the overall dispatching and scheduling scheme which we term the scheduler — it is involved with high level policy . the policy “ controls ” the dispatcher , but indirectly , mainly through the priorities assigned to runnable processes and also through timeslice lengths and preemption decisions to achieve a desired distribution of cpu availability to the competing processes . the scheduler influences the dispatcher selection of which process to run next through priority values assigned to the runnable processes . this assignment is either dynamic ( e . g . in linux calculated during the dispatcher selection scan ( s )) or relies on a priority assigned whenever the process is placed on the run queue ( e . g . at process creation , wakeup , or preemption ); usually assigned with a regular low frequency update scan to avoid marooning . a decision about how long the process will be allowed to run before preemption is usually made when the process is given a cpu . the dispatcher will either ask the scheduler for a time slice length and arrange for a preemption interrupt at that future point in time , or by notifying the scheduler that a time slice is beginning allow the scheduler to determine an interrupt . the scheduler plays a part in process creation so that it becomes aware of the new process ( child ) and the relationship of it to the parent process , which spawned the new process . some scheduler related characteristics of processes are inherited from parent to child . the scheduler must assign an initial priority to the runnable child and for memory performance reasons is usually expected to influence whether the parent or child runs first immediately after the spawn . delete any data structures involved in keeping track of the process lifetime . if accounting for usage , it may also be appropriate for the scheduler to accrue the partial timeslice , which ends with the exit . as mentioned above , some systems may use interval timing and an end of timeslice interrupt to preempt a running process . the majority of systems use a more frequent clock interrupt ( often 100 times per second , a “ tick ”) to sample the running state of the interrupted process ; this mechanism involves notification to the scheduler that the interrupted process was found to be running . by counting the - tick reports the scheduler can arrange to preempt the process if it doesn &# 39 ; t yield soon enough . the dispatcher notifies the scheduler that the process is going to sleep . the scheduler may use this moment as a convenient point in time to account for the early end of the time slice , which the process was part way through . the need to preempt a process arises when the process is observed to have reached the end of a time slice or the scheduler may provoke an earlier preemption because it knows a higher priority process has just rejoined the run queue . the process preempted is subjected to a forced interrupt and once removed from the cpu will be replaced in the run queue . when notified of the preemption , the scheduler can use this as the actual moment at which the process time slice ends . when a process wakes , it must be first returned to the run queue and this implies the need for a priority calculation to position the process correctly among other runnable processes . a key feature of the present invention scheduler that differentiates it from other fair share schedulers is that basic fair sharing is done at the process level rather than the user level and that , if it is required , fair sharing among higher level entities is achieved by modifying the process level fair sharing . the principal benefit provided by this configuration is that the resulting scheduler is very flexible , allowing different types of sharing to be achieved by a single scheduler . additionally , fair sharing among high level entities can be short term , long term or both . the selection between which type of fair sharing is in force can be made on a running system . the type of high level entities among which fair sharing could be implemented is diverse and includes users , projects , groups and process groups . in contrast to conventional ts schedulers , an aspect of the invention considers the aggregate demand of multiple processes and enables a hierarchical approach to scheduling . aggregation implies a need to classify processes so that those which have the same classification can be counted together as an aggregate entity ( ae ). if multiple classifications are made , then the processes can be aggregated in a nested hierarchy of ae types . the data used for classification can be any of : the observed behavior of processes , observable attributes of the process , requests from the process or other sources to deem a particular classification for a given process ( es ), inheritance of classification from a process to processes that it creates , combinations of these methods including rule - based approaches . classification may be determined dynamically , from time to time in response to particular events , or set once upon first discovery of the process . thus an aspect of the invention provides the advantage of creating accounting entity hierarchies which are used to provide a mechanism for dynamic classification at a finer granularity . fig5 is a simplified block diagram illustrating the structure of various accounting entity hierarchies . in ( a ) and ( b ), we suppose that each process can be regarded as being owned by a particular user ; and that users may act within one or more groups a process can also be regarded a member of a group . thus , each process belongs to a particular “ u : g ” classification ( a rue )— the set of possible rues is the cross product of the set of users and the set of groups . rues can in turn be aggregated according to user ( as in ( a )) or group ( as in ( b )). hierarchy ( c ) shows a more complete possibility , here each process may use a number of threads to perform work ( threads are thus the real consumers of cpu capacity )— a thread belongs to the process wherein it was started ; and additionally an application classification applied to processes leads to a three - way cross product for the set of possible rues . hierarchy ( a ) is sufficient for explanation of how an aspect of the invention scheduling works : the low level aes , processes , are the cpu capacity consumers ; above processes are rues — each rue is the collection of processes with a particular classification of user and group ; the high level aes represent rues aggregated by user — each user ae is the collection of processes of a user regardless of group classification . fig6 is a simplified diagram illustrating a simple accounting entity hierarchy &# 39 ; s example . in fig6 is shown that there are seven processes owned by two users acting in two groups , and using classification hierarchy ( a ) as defined in fig5 above . the following entity hierarchy serves to illustrate an example of scheduler &# 39 ; s operation in managing the process of sharing resources among entities and the need for and aspect of the invention . first , in the case when all processes have cpu - bound demand , under normal ts , the system will distribute cpu capacity , in time slice quanta , in rotation , between the seven processes . this results in 14 . 3 % of capacity used by each process if they all have equal niceness ; under the same assumptions if the number of such processes increases or decreases the available cpu capacity is divided equally between n processes each receives ( 100 / n ) %. if processes are given non - default niceness then they receive more or less than an equal portion in a way which is difficult to calculate or describe here as it is outside the scope of this embodiment . it can be said that processes competing at equal niceness will receive equal portions . there is no bias to the distribution of cpu based on classification . under a sharing ts scheduler , we wish to control the portion of cpu given to each process classification , based on some policy which views the different classifications as being more or less important or deserving of receiving a portion of the scarce resource : cpu capacity . this is sometimes termed fair sharing although it is meant to signify equal sharing . suppose , in the above seven process scenario of fig6 the policy provides as a first consideration , that each u is equally entitled to cpu , next that each rue of a u is equally entitled to share in that u &# 39 ; s share , and finally that each process of a rue is equally entitled to share in that rue &# 39 ; s share . for the given mix of processes and their classifications , local entitlements can be calculated for each user , rue and process — each local entitlement is the fraction of the entitlement above it which each ae deserves . the cpu share , which devolves to each process , is the product of the local entitlements above it . these are all tabulated and shown in table 1 . if a process is removed from contention , then according to the policy there is only a localized rebalance of entitlements . in table 2 therefore , p 7 is removed which increases the portion due to p 5 and p 6 : likewise , when the last process of a user is removed , the local u entitlement of all remaining users rises , and consequently so does the cpu share of each remaining process . conversely , if processes are added to the mix or existing processes change from one classification to another corresponding reassignments of the local entitlements according to the policy , leads to a corresponding allocation of cpu portions for the processes . since processes are the cpu consumers , it is always necessary to have some policy for allocating cpu portions between them . however , it is not necessary to apply the above hierarchical entitlement scheme at all levels or uniformly across a level , even if full classification is still performed for accounting purposes . if the rue basis for sharing is removed from the policy statement we get the results found in table 4 below . thus , one may state a policy saying that u 2 is twice as deserving as u 1 and that any g 2 use is half as important as g 1 use ; but again with the full hierarchy operative and still equal sharing between processes of identical classification . this leads to the table 6 results below . the use of shares to express entitlement policy has been used in a number of fair share schedulers and is also used in an aspect of the invention as well . the difference with the use of shares in an aspect of the invention and previous schedulers is that shares are also used at the process level and therefore distinguished here as a marked improvement . shares are a convenient way to express policy about proportioning of entitlement between entities . the local entitlement of an entity among a set of sharing peers is the ratio of the shares for the entity to the sum of shares for the set of sharing peers . for example , the policy represented in the entitlements in the scenario above can also be represented by shares . note that share numbers shown in table 7 below only need be commensurate among each set of sharing peers . provided additional processes , rues , or users are assigned equivalent numbers of shares when they are added to the above scenario , the sharing policy is preserved . likewise if processes and their shares are removed along with those of any resulting process - less rues or users . fig7 is a simplified diagram example illustrating the possible state trajectories to and from the scheduler run queue . the runnable state 709 for a process has finer detail which is the position or priority of the process or entity while it is delayed on the run queue 709 , before the dispatcher selects it to run . depending on the scheduler , a newly created process may first join the run queue 709 at potentially any level . the number of priority levels may be any convenient number , and typically an even number . until it eventually exits 703 , the process circulates from the run queue , to running state 701 , then back to the run queue 709 with a possible sojourn in the sleeping state 705 for this simple embodiment . while delayed in the run queue and depending on scheduler actions , the process may move up or down the priority levels until it is selected to run . the priority at which the process rejoins the run queue and the priority it has when selected to run may be anywhere in the priority range . the trajectories 707 will vary depending on many factors and some of the complexity in ascertaining the optimal trajectories and the possible scenarios are included as further aspects of the scheduler according to the invention which are covered in more detail below . while a process is delayed in the run queue , most schedulers will increase the process priority over time so that it does not become marooned by the continual arrival of higher priority processes . so most priority transitions in the run queue tend to be upwards ; but this does not preclude possible downward moves under certain circumstances . the priority aging may be stratified so that , for example , there are reserved bands of priorities at the high and low ends with most ordinary processes constrained to a middle band . the high band processes will then be run as soon as possible and therefore as fast as possible , receiving as much available cpu capacity as possible up to their demand ; the low band processes will run only when there is spare cpu capacity not demanded by any higher process . the scheduler has no influence over the duration of a sleep . the scheduler has only indirect control over the duration of time a process is delayed in the run queue — this depends on the mix of other process priorities in the run queue , and if currently running processes sleep or have to be preempted . the future demand pattern of a process is usually not known — process behavior can change over time as it moves through different phases of work . the demand pattern often also depends on external events which have variable timing . the fact that a process previously yielded before elapse of a time slice may be used to guess that the process will continue to behave at less than 100 % demand , but there is no guarantee of this . the fact that a process ran until it was preempted may imply that it is truly cpu - bound or just that the assigned quantum was shorter than some natural amount of work that the process does between sleeps . some processes exhibit highly regular simple periodic demand patterns , others may have complex patterns resulting from a summation of multiple underlying simple periodic demand . the periods have a wide range , from microseconds to days . still other processes are best described as having unpredictable or chaotic demand , especially when viewed over a fine timescale . the choice of time slice quantum has two opposing considerations : for processes with high demand , longer quanta give better utilization of the cpu hardware ( memory “ cache ” warmth ) and reduced overheads due to the switching between processes ; when interactive processes are present short quanta give improved responsive feel . accordingly , an aspect of the invention provides a solution to a major problem of ts scheduling concerns ; namely how to orchestrate priority assignments , time slice quanta , and preemption so that the run rates of a mix of processes with complex and diverse demand patterns are controlled according to a given ts policy . fig8 is a high - level block diagram illustrating a scheduling feedback loop . this feedback loop of the invention plays a central role in changing the behavior of the present scheduler to solve the problem of setting appropriate process priorities . an aspect of the present scheduler uses a feedback mechanism to try to match an entity &# 39 ; s usage of cpu resources with its entitlement to cpu resources . in order to do this , both a well behaved metric for the entities resource usage and a method to determine its entitlement are required . an aspect of the current invention presents a novel bandwidth resource usage metric and mathematically rigorous means for determining entitlement under various bandwidth resource sharing policies . another aspect of the present invention uses a state estimator function to reconstruct state information from measured usage of prior cycles , thereby generating a single variable estimate for each entity &# 39 ; s future demand for resource bandwidth . the kalman estimator is employed to aid prediction of what priority to set each process in order to meet its shares and resource entitlements as well as to meet all the other competing objectives in a in a timely fashion . the invention scheduler uses active feedback in the a kalman filter to calculate entitiy priority values for processes in the run queue based on anticipated usage , allotted shares of bandwidth resources and current usage rates . thus , the predictive nature of the usage metric model in conjunction with the timely measured usage and policy resource allocation numbers for entities in the entity hierachies , provide a means for generating relative process priorities which smooth bandwidth usage load . the following rigorous mathematical example concerns the allocation of a bandwidth resource , namely cpu ticks , to processes in which the following terms are given special meanings as indicated : active processes are processes that are either currently being run by a cpu or are on a run queue awaiting processing by a cpu . live processes are processes that are capable of consuming cpu resources . they are not necessarily active but may be asleep or otherwise incapable of running . all active processes are live processes . a critical aspect of the invention scheduler is the application of a kalman filter for estimating the value of a scalar quantity . some particular assumptions and simplification of a kalman filter presented in this embodiment have been made to reduce the kalman filter to a bare minimum for estimating the value of a scalar metric using a constant covariance matrix and can be described by the following paragraphs below . when reduced to the bare minimum the kalman filter for estimating the value of a scalar quantity using a constant covariance matrix can be described by the following equation where { overscore ( x )} n is the estimate of the scalar value after n samples , x n is the n th sample measurement , κ is a damping factor such that 0 ≦ κ ≦ 1 and { overscore ( x )} 0 = 0 . because when κ = 0 then { overscore ( x )} n = 0 for all n and when κ = 1 then { overscore ( x )} n = x n for all n other than zero , the limits on the value of κ need to be changed to 0 & lt ; κ & lt ; 1 for practical systems . when the scalar quantity being estimated is a constant the value of { overscore ( x )} n asymptotically approaches the value of that constant as n increases . suppose that all measurements are exact then after n measurements the difference between the estimate and the true value of the scalar is given by the relation where γ is the true value of the scalar . ( in the case where the measurements contain small random errors this relation changes to approximate equality rather than exact equality .) the difference between the estimate of the scalar &# 39 ; s value and the true value halves every ln½ / ln ( 1 − κ ) samples and this value is known as the filter &# 39 ; s response half - life . after some time the difference between the estimate and the true value becomes negligible and the filter is said to be stable . in the case where a filter such as that described in equation 1 has already stabilized on an estimate of a scalar value and that value changes , the response of the filter to the change is the same as that described in the previous paragraph . that is , the difference between the estimate of the new value of the scalar and its actual value halves every ln½ / ln ( 1 − κ ) samples . with a suitable value for κ , filters of this type are quite useful for estimating the current value of a scalar whose value is changing over time with a very low overhead in the amount of memory required . additionally , filters of this type are well behaved and the values of the estimate are bounded below by zero and above by the largest measured value . for these reasons equation 1 has been chosen as the basis for the bandwidth resource usage in general and in this specific embodiment , cpu usage . the quantity that the cpu usage metric is required to measure is the amount of cpu time , in cpu ticks , that some entity is receiving per unit of time . because of the unusual nature of this quantity the cpu usage metric will not strictly speaking be a kalman filter , but it will behave like one . in particular , it will be well behaved with well defined limits and its responsiveness will be predictable . by making the simplifying assumptions that the entity whose cpu usage is being estimated is a process and that the system is not threaded ( i . e . the process can receive at most one cpu tick during any time period of one tick duration ), replacing the term ( 1 − κ ) by α , replacing { overscore ( x )} n with the usage { overscore ( υ )} n metric and reordering equation 1 the equation where ρ is the proportion of a cpu tick received by the process during the period of time between the ( i − 1 ) th and ith samples . if these samples are taken one tick apart the units of { overscore ( υ )} i will be ticks per tick and the relation will describe the bounds of { overscore ( υ )} i and the half life response time for the metric will be ln½ / lnα ticks . the requirement to take a sample every tick for each entity is quite onerous but , due to the fact that the typical entity will generally go for a number of ticks without receiving any cpu ticks and then receive several ticks at once ( its time slice ), the sampling requirement can be considerably lightened . if the constant ρ c is used to replace the variable proportion and ρ equation 3 is expanded and simplified , the equation υ _ i + n = α n υ _ i + ( 1 - α ) ρ c ∑ j = 0 n - 1 α j ( 5 ) can be derived to calculate the usage metric after n constant measurements of value ρ c . by noticing that the summation term in this equation is the geometric series and that ∑ j = 0 n α j = 1 - α n + 1 1 - α ( 6 ) when an entity has endured a period of n ticks without receiving any cpu ticks the substitution ρ c = 0 can be made in equation 7 to give the equation as a means of determining the current cpu usage metric in terms of the value of that metric at the start of the period of cpu tick drought ( the famous exponential decay equation ). similarly , when the entity has just received n whole ticks the substitution ρ c = 1 can be made leading to the equation as a means for determining the current cpu usage metric in terms of the value of that metric at the start of a sequence of n whole cpu ticks received by the entity . to further generalize , take the case where an entity receives n whole ticks and a portion of a tick equal to ρ where 0 ≦ ρ ≦ 1 with the last being received in the mth tick after some arbitrary time and the usage metric was last updated in the lth tick after that same arbitrary time and l ≦ m . in these circumstances , the equation holds giving a general method for calculating the cpu usage metric that only needs to be applied at the end of receipt of series cpu ticks . at the beginning of the derivation of equation 10 the simplifying assumption that the entity receiving cpu ticks could receive at most one cpu tick during each time period of one tick duration was made . clearly this assumption will not hold for multi threaded processes ( or users ) on systems that have more than one cpu ( if that isn &# 39 ; t an oxymoron ). although no formal proof has been attempted , extensive numerical experimentation has shown that when separate applications of equation 10 , when and as ticks are received , are made for each cpu the resultant metric is stable . it has a response time equal to ln½ / lnα and the relation holds ( for all m ) where n c is the number of cpus on line . further , in the stable state , the value of the metric is an accurate measure of the number of cpu ticks that the entity is receiving per tick . the fact that the decay and growth terms in equation 10 are totally independent of each other is the prime reason for this desirable behaviour . the function υ s ( s , t ) is defined as a function that returns the usage metric for the instance s of an entity drawn from the set of entities s at time t . for any given set of entities s a common damping factor α s is used and this means that the only information that must be retained for each entity s is the value of the usage metric { overscore ( υ )} τ s , s for that entity and the time at which it was last updated τ s . the definition of υ s ( s , t ) then becomes υ s ( s , t )= α s t − τ s { overscore ( υ )} τ s , s ( 12 ) ( see equation 8 ) where { overscore ( υ )} τ s , s and τ s are updated as and when s receives cpu ticks using equation 10 . fig9 is graphical representation illustrating the process run rates . for the figure scenario in fig7 we wish to measure the run rate of a process with a variable run / sleep behavior . the square run / sleep markers are at 1 902 when the process is running 701 and when at 0 901 when the process is not running . on the horizontal axis , the chart shows 41 units of time , sometimes called ticks . at time 16 the process becomes cpu bound for a while , then rests ( time 25 to 32 ), and finally resumes a pattern similar to the behavior at times 8 to 15 . in the following discussion we define : r t = 1 if the process run for time t and r t = 0 if it did not . the long term average 906 ( at time t : ( ∑ t = 1 t r t } / t ) has settled at just below 0 . 6 at time 41 because the process has been running for 26 / 41 or 58 . 5 % of the time . notice how the long term average 906 becomes increasingly unresponsive to the shorter - term variations in r . this metric is of no particular use for making short - term decisions ; the averages for processes , which started at different times , should not be compared . a moving average 908 ( the chart shows a six time unit moving average , at time t : ( ∑ t = t - 5 t r t ) / 6 , valid for t ≧ 6 ) gives a better idea of the short term trend behavior of r , however it can be expensive to compute because n samples of history have to be maintained per process to calculate the n unit moving average . alternate process run rates are shown 904 910 912 using different usage metrics illustrating the affects of usage metrics on run rate response or lack thereof . the reader will appreciate that the usages exhibit no over or undershoot in achieving their allocated bandwidth resources , cpu usage in the case of this embodiment . this aspect of the invention is expounded to greater depth below . the usage metric curves in fig1 show a family of estimates of the moving average made with the calculation that an aspect of the invention uses . the parametric usage metric curves show a family of estimates of the usage moving average made with the calculation above mentioned method . the general form of the usage scaler is : x m = x l α m − l +( 1 − α n ), m ≧ l , 0 ≦ n ≦ m − l to derive the estimate at time m from an earlier estimate at time l if n units of usage were received at times m - n + 1 ( n & gt ; 0 ) through m and no usage received at times l + 1 through m - n ( n & lt ; m − l ). this formula is derived from the application of a kalman filter to estimate the scalar x , the parameter α determines the response time of the filter ; the value ln ( 0 . 5 )/ ln ( α ) is termed the half life response time of the filter . the three usage metric curves in fig1 are for α of 0 . 6 ( 1002 ), 0 . 85 ( 1004 ), and 0 . 95 ( 1006 ) with respective half lives of approximately 1 . 4 , 4 . 27 , and 13 . 5 , and their corresponding respective actual run usage plots shown in curves 1008 1010 and 1012 . fig1 shows the kalman active feedback loop that the scheduler uses to keep the relative priorities of all entities at precisely the optimal levels . this approach achieves usage levels that smoothly and efficiently reach optimal bandwidth usage and allotment by controlling the scheduled entities 1102 requesting various resource bandwidth . the controller process also includes the accounting entity tracking function which logs the usage of resources for each entity . the first stage in the active feedback loop 1104 is the component which provides the means to calculate an entity &# 39 ; s usage as the number of the resource &# 39 ; s indivisible units that a particular entity is receiving per unit of time , that is a number between zero and the number of indivisible units that are available for consumption at each indivisible instant of time . the next high level element 1106 provides means to calculate the entity &# 39 ; s entitlement as a ratio of the product of the number of indivisible units that are available for consumption at each indivisible instant of time and the number of shares held by that entity at that time , to the total number of shares held by all live entities at that time , that is a number between zero and the number of indivisible units that are available for consumption at each indivisible instant of time . the entity entitlements and share policies are managed in tiers which are associated with the entity hierarchy such that allocation policies can be more equitably applied at tier levels corresponding to the entity hierarchy levels and anticipated usage levels . entity entitlements are based on shares used , shares issued , policy settings for resource bandwidth and reservations , number of cpu &# 39 ; s online , adjustment scales . another aspect of the invention in the feedback loop 1108 provides a means for measuring past demand usage and estimating future scheduled usage via the kalman filter component . the kalman filter generates a single variable measurement of estimated future usage for each entity from the entire entity hierarchy using the moving average model mentioned above . the moving average model is described in detail above with reference to fig9 and 10 above and is used to estimate the scalar x for the usage metric , the parameter α for the response time of the filter ; and the filter half life response time of the filter as well as the usage metric . another aspect of the invention is shown by component 1110 which provides a means for recalculating the entity &# 39 ; s priority , at instants of time when there are more active entities than there are units available for consumption , in ascending order of their ratio of usage to entitlement . these are then compared to desired usage ratios and adaptively mapped to process priorities in a stable feedback loop . the foregoing variables and factors are used in mapping relative priority 1112 for processes in the process queue . the relative priority is used when allocating schedulable resources to a bandwidth resource consuming entity , such that relative priorities for entities as a result of the anticipated usage and entitlement of these entities having the same range of values are achieved . the level of priorities at which to set processes according to past demands and allotted resource constraints are a critical factor in scheduling job mix of processes . small changes in priorities may make big differences in system usage . traditional fair share schedulers attempt to track the historical usage and make adjustments to priorities based on that . this turns out to inadequate for various reasons , the biggest reason is that the priorities that are derived by these ts schedulers using these methods do not respond quickly enough to address the current usage adequately , generating lags between actual usage and measured usage . an aspect of the invention uses an estimator function such as found in the kalman filter , to track usage more closely and provides information about the future implications of usage through this estimator model . the speed of recovery gets increasingly better with the filter half - life . the use of the kalman filter for measuring past demand usage and smoothing of future scheduled usage through setting of priorities provides the advantage of a dramatic increase in scheduler performance . the kalman filter , in accordance with an aspect of the invention , generates single variable measurement of estimated usage , then it compares that to desired usage and adaptively maps processes to priorities in a stable feedback loop . this provides the advantage that processes are allocated the bandwidth component resources they need and are entitled to more precisely and in the most efficient time frame . conventional fair share schedulers use only very approximate methods to measure historical usage . kay & amp ; lauder type fair share schedulers traditionally employ a bandwidth usage half - life to decay process priority . this is inadequate to anticipate the future priorities for processes . in contrast , an aspect of the invention employs usage half - life to decay historic usage values for input to calculating and setting process priorities so that the usage is more in line with set resource usage rates . another problem is that fair share schedulers such as those of kay and lauder use constraint bounds to keep processes from overshooting or undershooting their load bounds . the bounds are too constrictive and the algorithm is numerically unbounded . an aspect of the invention provides the advantage of a numerical scheme which is stable and bounded , providing little or no overshoot or undershoot . thus , the system being scheduled need not retain excess margin to account for the too high too low swings in process usage . the added benefit here is that a smaller computer system running the invention algorithm can be used to satisfy demand to the same degree as a larger system running a less efficient scheduler . meaningfully optimal control of any system is predicated on the fact the necessary calculations must be accomplished within a time interval dictated by the system dynamics . conventional fair share schedulers generally make the mistake of applying this loosely . an aspect of the invention manages a tighter control of load or usage , operating more efficiently and providing optimal use of resources . this tighter control provides a more even result and a more full use of all bandwidth component resources in the system because there are fewer losses from speeding up and slowing down . thus , usage as a function of time is smoother . this advantage may be expanded to any resource allocation model managing bandwidth type resources . the tight load following characteristics achieved by the foregoing aspects of the invention enable users , applications and processes to be guaranteed a percentage of cpu time or other selected bandwidth resources . another advantage provided by the invention is that it prevents particular parts of the workload on a system from saturating a service to the exclusion of other parts , unless it is deemed to be more important and allocated more shares . thus , some consumers can be guaranteed a specific absolute rate of access to a service if deemed necessary . the invention also enables the scheduler to smooth out work load from among a varied job mix in such a manner as to reduce resource waste , while meeting demand with a quicker and more equitable response . appendix a shows universal modeling language ( uml ) diagrams of the detailed design of a scheduler according to an aspect of the invention . while this invention has been described and illustrated with reference to the foregoing particular embodiments , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments , but on the contrary , is intended to cover various other modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the following claims . for example , a scheduler as described herein can be implemented for various different kinds of computing applications for management of bandwidth or time based resources , such as pda &# 39 ; s , cell phones as well as other wireless applications . the scheduler according to the invention also enables organizations to move applications which currently have their own dedicated systems on to one large system , while ensuring that no application will be able to dominate the new system to the disadvantage of the others . another area where this capability is useful is in large isps where it is necessary to ensure that resource use is fairly shared among clients according to the level of service that they have purchased . by improving resource allocation , it is possible to generate more usage out of a computing system , thereby providing a way for a smaller computing system to meet the demand of a larger computing system employing a less efficient scheduler . therefore , persons of ordinary skill in this field are to understand that all such equivalent arrangemts and systems are included within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 6 |
early detection of breast cancer offers the promise of easier treatment ( smaller surgeries , less radiation or chemotherapy ) and improved survival . conventional screening ( physical examination and mammography ) has a less - than desirable sensitivity and specificity . a sensitive assay to identify biomarkers using non - invasively collected specimens is therefore ideal for breast cancer detection . while saliva is a source of easily accessible bodily fluids , there has been little effort to study its value in cancer diagnosis . protein , as well as rna , can be detected in saliva . the present invention discloses the diagnostic / prognostic significance of nine salivary biomarkers s100a8 ( seq id no : 1 ) ( s100 calcium binding protein a8 , also referred to as myloid - related protein 8 ( mrp8 ) or s100a9 ( mrp14 )), csta ( seq id no : 2 )( cystatin a ), grm1 ( seq id no : 3 )( glutamate receptor , metabotropic 1 ), tpt1 ( seq id no : 4 )( tumor protein , translationally - controlled 1 ), grik1 ( seq id no : 5 ) ( glutamate receptor , ionotropic , kainate 1 ), h6pd ( seq id no : 6 )( hexose - 6 - phosphate dehydrogenase or glucose 1 - dehydrogenase ), igf2bp1 ( seq id no : 7 )( insulin - like growth factor 2 mrna binding protein 1 ), mdm4 ( seq id no : 8 )( mdm4 , transformed 3t3 cell double minute 4 ; hdmx ; mdmx ; mrp1 ; mgc132766 ; dkfzp781b1423 ), and ca6 ( carbonic anhydrase vi ) and combinations thereof , in breast cancer detection . detection of these and other biomarkers in saliva are useful for diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer . methods for detecting salivary biomarkers ( proteins and nucleic acids ) include techniques such as elisa , pcr , for example , rt - pcr or mass spectroscopy , alone or in combination with other markers . any specific probe can be used for detection , such as an antibody , a receptor , a ligand , rt - pcr etc . mass spectroscopy can also be used for protein detection . thus , the present invention can be used alone or as a complement to traditional antigen analysis to enhance the diagnosis of breast and other cancers . “ s100a8 ,” “ csta ,” “ grm1 ,” “ tpt1 ,” “ grik1 ,” “ h6pd ,” “ igf2bp1 ,” “ mdm4 ,” and “ ca6 ” refer to nucleic acids , e . g ., gene , pre - mrna , mrna , and polypeptides , polymorphic variants , alleles , mutants , and interspecies homologs that have an amino acid sequence that has greater than about 60 % amino acid sequence identity , 65 %, 70 %, 75 %, 80 %, 85 %, 90 %, preferably 91 %, 92 %, 93 %, 94 %, 95 %, 96 %, 97 %, 98 % or 99 % or greater amino acid sequence identity , preferably over a region of over a region of at least about 25 , 50 , 100 , 200 , 500 , 1000 , or more amino acids , to a polypeptide encoded by a referenced nucleic acid or an amino acid sequence described herein . the nucleic acids and proteins of the invention include both naturally occurring or recombinant molecules . the nucleic acid or protein sequence is provided , for example , in seq id nos : 1 - 9 . “ cancer ” refers to human cancers and carcinomas , sarcomas , adenocarcinomas , lymphomas , leukemias , etc ., including solid and lymphoid cancers , kidney , breast , lung , kidney , bladder , colon , ovarian , prostate , pancreas , stomach , brain , head and neck , skin , uterine , testicular , esophagus , and liver cancer , including hepatocarcinoma , lymphoma , including non - hodgkin &# 39 ; s lymphomas ( e . g ., burkitt &# 39 ; s , small cell , and large cell lymphomas ) and hodgkin &# 39 ; s lymphoma , leukemia , and multiple myeloma . “ therapeutic treatment ” and “ cancer therapies ” refers to chemotherapy , hormonal therapy , radiotherapy , and immunotherapy . the terms “ overexpress ,” “ overexpression ” or “ overexpressed ” interchangeably refer to a protein that is transcribed or translated at a detectably greater level , usually in a cancer cell , in comparison to a normal cell . the term includes overexpression due to transcription , post transcriptional processing , translation , post - translational processing , cellular localization ( e . g , organelle , cytoplasm , nucleus , cell surface ), and rna and protein stability , as compared to a normal cell . overexpression can be detected using conventional techniques for detecting mrna ( i . e ., rt - pcr , pcr , hybridization ) or proteins ( i . e ., elisa , immunohistochemical techniques , mass spectroscopy ). overexpression can be 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 %, 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 % or more in comparison to a normal cell . in certain instances , overexpression is 1 - fold , 2 - fold , 3 - fold , 4 - fold or more higher levels of transcription or translation in comparison to a normal cell . the terms “ cancer - associated antigen ” or “ tumor - specific marker ” or “ tumor marker ” interchangeably refers to a molecule ( typically protein or nucleic acid such as rna ) that is expressed in the cell , expressed on the surface of a cancer cell or secreted by a cancer cell in comparison to a normal cell , and which is useful for the diagnosis of cancer , for providing a prognosis , and for preferential targeting of a pharmacological agent to the cancer cell . oftentimes , a cancer - associated antigen is overexpressed in a cancer cell in comparison to a normal cell , for instance , about 1 . 2 - fold over expression , about 2 - fold overexpression , about 3 - fold overexpression or more in comparison to a normal cell . oftentimes , a cancer - associated antigen is a cell surface molecule that is inappropriately synthesized in the cancer cell , for instance , a molecule that contains deletions , additions or mutations in comparison to the molecule expressed on a normal cell . oftentimes , a cancer - associated antigen will be expressed exclusively on the cell surface of a cancer cell and not synthesized or expressed on the surface of a normal cell . exemplified cell surface tumor markers include the proteins c - erbb - 2 and human epidermal growth factor receptor ( her ) for breast cancer , psma for prostate cancer , and carbohydrate mucins in numerous cancers , including breast , ovarian and colorectal . it will be understood by the skilled artisan that markers may be used singly or in combination with other markers for any of the uses , e . g ., diagnosis or prognosis of breast cancer , disclosed herein . the terms “ identical ” or percent “ identity ,” in the context of two or more nucleic acids or polypeptide sequences , refer to two or more sequences or subsequences that are the same or have a specified percentage of amino acid residues or nucleotides that are the same ( i . e ., about 60 % identity , preferably 65 %, 70 %, 75 %, 80 %, 85 %, 90 %, 91 %, 92 %, 93 %, 94 %, 95 %, 96 %, 97 %, 98 %, 99 %, or higher identity over a specified region , when compared and aligned for maximum correspondence over a comparison window or designated region ) as measured using a blast or blast 2 . 0 sequence comparison algorithms with default parameters described below , or by manual alignment and visual inspection ( see , e . g ., ncbi web site hypertext transfer protocol :// www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / blast / or the like ). such sequences are then said to be “ substantially identical .” this definition also refers to , or may be applied to , the compliment of a test sequence . the definition also includes sequences that have deletions and / or additions , as well as those that have substitutions . as described below , the preferred algorithms can account for gaps and the like . preferably , identity exists over a region that is at least about 25 amino acids or nucleotides in length , or more preferably over a region that is 50 - 100 amino acids or nucleotides in length . for sequence comparison , typically one sequence acts as a reference sequence , to which test sequences are compared . when using a sequence comparison algorithm , test and reference sequences are entered into a computer , subsequence coordinates are designated , if necessary , and sequence algorithm program parameters are designated . preferably , default program parameters can be used , or alternative parameters can be designated . the sequence comparison algorithm then calculates the percent sequence identities for the test sequences relative to the reference sequence , based on the program parameters . a “ comparison window ”, as used herein , includes reference to a segment of any one of the number of contiguous positions selected from the group consisting of from 20 to 600 , usually about 50 to about 200 , more usually about 100 to about 150 in which a sequence may be compared to a reference sequence of the same number of contiguous positions after the two sequences are optimally aligned . methods of alignment of sequences for comparison are well - known in the art . optimal alignment of sequences for comparison can be conducted , e . g ., by the local homology algorithm of smith & amp ; waterman , adv . appl . math . 2 : 482 ( 1981 ), by the homology alignment algorithm of needleman & amp ; wunsch , j . mol . biol . 48 : 443 ( 1970 ), by the search for similarity method of pearson & amp ; lipman , proc . nat &# 39 ; l . acad . sci . usa 85 : 2444 ( 1988 ), by computerized implementations of these algorithms ( gap , bestfit , fasta , and tfasta in the wisconsin genetics software package , genetics computer group , 575 science dr ., madison , wis . ), or by manual alignment and visual inspection ( see , e . g ., current protocols in molecular biology ( ausubel et al ., eds . 1987 - 2005 , wiley interscience )). an example of algorithm that is suitable for determining percent sequence identity and sequence similarity are the blast and blast 2 . 0 algorithms , which are described in altschul et al ., nuc . acids res . 25 : 3389 - 3402 ( 1977 ) and altschul et al ., j . mol . biol . 215 : 403 - 410 ( 1990 ), respectively . blast and blast 2 . 0 are used , with the parameters described herein , to determine percent sequence identity for the nucleic acids and proteins of the invention . software for performing blast analyses is publicly available through the national center for biotechnology information ( hypertext transfer protocol :// www . ncbi . nlm . nih gov /). this algorithm involves first identifying high scoring sequence pairs ( hsps ) by identifying short words of length w in the query sequence , which either match or satisfy some positive - valued threshold score t when aligned with a word of the same length in a database sequence . t is referred to as the neighborhood word score threshold ( altschul et al ., supra ). these initial neighborhood word hits act as seeds for initiating searches to find longer hsps containing them . the word hits are extended in both directions along each sequence for as far as the cumulative alignment score can be increased . cumulative scores are calculated using , for nucleotide sequences , the parameters m ( reward score for a pair of matching residues ; always & gt ; 0 ) and n ( penalty score for mismatching residues ; always & lt ; 0 ). for amino acid sequences , a scoring matrix is used to calculate the cumulative score . extension of the word hits in each direction are halted when : the cumulative alignment score falls off by the quantity x from its maximum achieved value ; the cumulative score goes to zero or below , due to the accumulation of one or more negative - scoring residue alignments ; or the end of either sequence is reached . the blast algorithm parameters w , t , and x determine the sensitivity and speed of the alignment . the blastn program ( for nucleotide sequences ) uses as defaults a wordlength ( w ) of 11 , an expectation ( e ) of 10 , m = 5 , n =− 4 and a comparison of both strands . for amino acid sequences , the blastp program uses as defaults a wordlength of 3 , and expectation ( e ) of 10 , and the blosum62 scoring matrix ( see henikoff & amp ; henikoff , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 89 : 10915 ( 1989 )) alignments ( b ) of 50 , expectation ( e ) of 10 , m = 5 , n =− 4 , and a comparison of both strands . “ nucleic acid ” refers to deoxyribonucleotides or ribonucleotides and polymers thereof in either single - or double - stranded form , and complements thereof . unless otherwise indicated , a particular nucleic acid sequence also implicitly encompasses conservatively modified variants thereof ( for example , degenerate codon substitutions ) and complementary sequences , as well as the sequence explicitly indicated . specifically , degenerate codon substitutions may be achieved by generating sequences in which the third position of one or more selected ( or all ) codons is substituted with mixed - base and / or deoxyinosine residues ( batzer et al ., nucleic acid res . 19 : 5081 ( 1991 ); ohtsuka et al ., j . biol . chem . 260 : 2605 - 2608 ( 1985 ); rossolini et al ., mol . cell . probes 8 : 91 - 98 ( 1994 )). the term nucleic acid is used interchangeably with gene , cdna , mrna , oligonucleotide , and polynucleotide . a particular nucleic acid sequence also implicitly encompasses “ splice variants ” and nucleic acid sequences encoding truncated forms of cancer antigens . similarly , a particular protein encoded by a nucleic acid implicitly encompasses any protein encoded by a splice variant or truncated form of that nucleic acid . “ splice variants ,” as the name suggests , are products of alternative splicing of a gene . after transcription , an initial nucleic acid transcript may be spliced such that different ( alternate ) nucleic acid splice products encode different polypeptides . mechanisms for the production of splice variants vary , but include alternate splicing of exons . alternate polypeptides derived from the same nucleic acid by read - through transcription are also encompassed by this definition . any products of a splicing reaction , including recombinant forms of the splice products , are included in this definition . nucleic acids can be truncated at the 5 ′ end or at the 3 ′ end . polypeptides can be truncated at the n - terminal end or the c - terminal end . truncated versions of nucleic acid or polypeptide sequences can be naturally occurring or recombinantly created . the term “ amino acid ” refers to naturally occurring and synthetic amino acids , as well as amino acid analogs and amino acid mimetics that function in a manner similar to the naturally occurring amino acids . naturally occurring amino acids are those encoded by the genetic code , as well as those amino acids that are later modified , e . g ., hydroxyproline , . gamma .- carboxyglutamate , and o - phosphoserine . amino acid analogs refers to compounds that have the same basic chemical structure as a naturally occurring amino acid , i . e ., an . alpha . carbon that is bound to a hydrogen , a carboxyl group , an amino group , and an r group , e . g ., homoserine , norleucine , methionine sulfoxide , methionine methyl sulfonium . such analogs have modified r groups ( e . g ., norleucine ) or modified peptide backbones , but retain the same basic chemical structure as a naturally occurring amino acid . amino acid mimetics refers to chemical compounds that have a structure that is different from the general chemical structure of an amino acid , but that functions in a manner similar to a naturally occurring amino acid . amino acids may be referred to herein by either their commonly known three letter symbols or by the one - letter symbols recommended by the iupac - iub biochemical nomenclature commission . nucleotides , likewise , may be referred to by their commonly accepted single - letter codes . “ conservatively modified variants ” applies to both amino acid and nucleic acid sequences . with respect to particular nucleic acid sequences , conservatively modified variants refers to those nucleic acids which encode identical or essentially identical amino acid sequences , or where the nucleic acid does not encode an amino acid sequence , to essentially identical sequences . because of the degeneracy of the genetic code , a large number of functionally identical nucleic acids encode any given protein . for instance , the codons gca , gcc , gcg and gcu all encode the amino acid alanine thus , at every position where an alanine is specified by a codon , the codon can be altered to any of the corresponding codons described without altering the encoded polypeptide . such nucleic acid variations are “ silent variations ,” which are one species of conservatively modified variations . every nucleic acid sequence herein which encodes a polypeptide also describes every possible silent variation of the nucleic acid . one of skill will recognize that each codon in a nucleic acid ( except aug , which is ordinarily the only codon for methionine , and tgg , which is ordinarily the only codon for tryptophan ) can be modified to yield a functionally identical molecule . accordingly , each silent variation of a nucleic acid which encodes a polypeptide is implicit in each described sequence with respect to the expression product , but not with respect to actual probe sequences . as to amino acid sequences , one of skill will recognize that individual substitutions , deletions or additions to a nucleic acid , peptide , polypeptide , or protein sequence which alters , adds or deletes a single amino acid or a small percentage of amino acids in the encoded sequence is a “ conservatively modified variant ” where the alteration results in the substitution of an amino acid with a chemically similar amino acid . conservative substitution tables providing functionally similar amino acids are well known in the art . such conservatively modified variants are in addition to and do not exclude polymorphic variants , interspecies homologs , and alleles of the invention . the following eight groups each contain amino acids that are conservative substitutions for one another : 1 ) alanine ( a ), glycine ( g ); 2 ) aspartic acid ( d ), glutamic acid ( e ); 3 ) asparagine ( n ), glutamine ( q ); 4 ) arginine ( r ), lysine ( k ); 5 ) isoleucine ( i ), leucine ( l ), methionine ( m ), valine ( v ); 6 ) phenylalanine ( f ), tyrosine ( y ), tryptophan ( w ); 7 ) serine ( s ), threonine ( t ); and 8 ) cysteine ( c ), methionine ( m ) ( see , e . g ., creighton , proteins ( 1984 )). a “ label ” or a “ detectable moiety ” is a composition detectable by spectroscopic , photochemical , biochemical , immunochemical , chemical , or other physical means . for example , useful labels include fluorescent dyes , electron - dense reagents , enzymes ( for example , as commonly used in an elisa ), biotin , digoxigenin , or haptens and proteins which can be made detectable , e . g ., by incorporating a radiolabel into the peptide or used to detect antibodies specifically reactive with the peptide . the tem ) “ recombinant ” when used with reference , e . g ., to a cell , or nucleic acid , protein , or vector , indicates that the cell , nucleic acid , protein or vector , has been modified by the introduction of a heterologous nucleic acid or protein or the alteration of a native nucleic acid or protein , or that the cell is derived from a cell so modified . thus , for example , recombinant cells express genes that are not found within the native ( non - recombinant ) form of the cell or express native genes that are otherwise abnormally expressed , under expressed or not expressed at all . the phrase “ stringent hybridization conditions ” refers to conditions under which a probe will hybridize to its target subsequence , typically in a complex mixture of nucleic acids , but to no other sequences . stringent conditions are sequence - dependent and will be different in different circumstances . longer sequences hybridize specifically at higher temperatures . an extensive guide to the hybridization of nucleic acids is found in tijssen , techniques in biochemistry and molecular biology — hybridization with nucleic probes , “ overview of principles of hybridization and the strategy of nucleic acid assays ” ( 1993 ). generally , stringent conditions are selected to be about 5 - 10 ° c . lower than the thermal melting point ( tm ) for the specific sequence at a defined ionic strength ph . the t m is the temperature ( under defined ionic strength , ph , and nucleic concentration ) at which 50 % of the probes complementary to the target hybridize to the target sequence at equilibrium ( as the target sequences are present in excess , at t m , 50 % of the probes are occupied at equilibrium ). stringent conditions may also be achieved with the addition of destabilizing agents such as formamide . for selective or specific hybridization , a positive signal is at least two times background , preferably 10 times background hybridization . exemplary stringent hybridization conditions can be as following : 50 % formamide , 5 × ssc , and 1 % sds , incubating at 42 ° c ., or , 5 × ssc , 1 % sds , incubating at 65 ° c ., with wash in 0 . 2 × ssc , and 0 . 1 % sds at 65 ° c . nucleic acids that do not hybridize to each other under stringent conditions are still substantially identical if the polypeptides which they encode are substantially identical . this occurs , for example , when a copy of a nucleic acid is created using the maximum codon degeneracy permitted by the genetic code . in such cases , the nucleic acids typically hybridize under moderately stringent hybridization conditions . exemplary “ moderately stringent hybridization conditions ” include a hybridization in a buffer of 40 % formamide , 1 m nacl , 1 % sds at 37 ° c ., and a wash in 1 × ssc at 45 ° c . a positive hybridization is at least twice background . those of ordinary skill will readily recognize that alternative hybridization and wash conditions can be utilized to provide conditions of similar stringency . additional guidelines for determining hybridization parameters are provided in numerous reference , e . g ., and current protocols in molecular biology , ed . ausubel , et al ., supra . for pcr , a temperature of about 36 ° c . is typical for low stringency amplification , although annealing temperatures may vary between about 32 ° c . and 48 ° c . depending on primer length . for high stringency pcr amplification , a temperature of about 62 ° c . is typical , although high stringency annealing temperatures can range from about 50 ° c . to about 65 ° c ., depending on the primer length and specificity . typical cycle conditions for both high and low stringency amplifications include a denaturation phase of 90 ° c .− 95 ° c . for 30 sec - 2 min ., an annealing phase lasting 30 sec .- 2 min ., and an extension phase of about 72 ° c . for 1 - 2 min . protocols and guidelines for low and high stringency amplification reactions are provided , e . g ., in innis et al . ( 1990 ) pcr protocols , a guide to methods and applications , academic press , inc . n . y .). “ antibody ” means a protein comprising one or more polypeptides substantially encoded by all or part of the recognized immunoglobulin genes . the recognized immunoglobulin genes , for example in humans , include the kappa ( κ ), lambda ( λ ) and heavy chain genetic loci , which together compose the myriad variable region genes , and the constant region genes mu ( μ ), delta ( δ ), gamma ( γ ), epsilon ( ε ) and alpha ( α ), which encode the igm , igd , igg , ige , and iga isotypes respectively . antibody herein is meant to include full length antibodies and antibody fragments , and may refer to a natural antibody from any organism , an engineered antibody or an antibody generated recombinantly for experimental , therapeutic or other purposes as further defined below . antibody fragments include fab , fab ′, f ( ab ′) 2 , fv , scfv or other antigen - binding subsequences of antibodies and can include those produced by the modification of whole antibodies or those synthesized de novo using recombinant dna technologies . the term “ antibody ” refers to both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies . antibodies can be antagonists , agonists , neutralizing , inhibitory or stimulatory . biomarkers may originate from epidemiological studies , animal studies , pathophysiological considerations and end - organ experiments . ideally , a biomarker will have a high predictive value for a meaningful outcome measure , can be or is validated in appropriately designed prospective trials , reflects therapeutic success by corresponding changes in the surrogate marker results , and should be easy to assess in clinical practice . biomarkers can be used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools or used alone . the term “ surrogate marker ,” “ biomolecular marker ,” “ biomarker ” or “ marker ” ( also sometimes referred to herein as a “ target analyte ,” “ target species ” or “ target sequence ”) refers to a molecule whose measurement provides information as to the state of a subject . in various exemplary embodiments , the biomarker is used to assess a pathological state . measurements of the biomarker may be used alone or combined with other data obtained regarding a subject in order to determine the state of the subject . in one embodiment , the biomarker is “ differentially present ” in a sample taken from a subject of one phenotypic status ( e . g ., having a disease ) as compared with another phenotypic status ( e . g ., not having the disease ). in one embodiment , the biomarker is “ differentially present ” in a sample taken from a subject undergoing no therapy or one type of therapy as compared with another type of therapy . alternatively , the biomarker may be “ differentially present ” even if there is no phenotypic difference , e . g . the biomarkers may allow the detection of asymptomatic risk . a biomarker may be over - expressed ( over - abundant ) or under - expressed ( under abundant ) relative to a control . the biomarker can be an allelic variant , truncated or mutated form of a wild - type nucleic acid or protein . the biomarker can be a splice variant . a biomarker may be determined to be “ differentially present ” in a variety of ways , for example , between different phenotypic statuses if the mean or median level ( particularly the expression level of the associated mrnas as described below ) of the biomarker in the different groups is calculated to be statistically significant . common tests for statistical significance include , among others , t - test , anova , kruskal - wallis , wilcoxon , mann - whitney and odds ratio . as described herein , a biomarker may be , for example , a small molecule , an analyte or target analyte , a nucleic acid , a protein , a metabolite or any derivative thereof or any and all combinations of these molecules , with proteins and nucleic acids finding particular use in the invention . as will be appreciated by those in the art , a large number of analytes may be detected using the present methods ; basically , any biomarker for which a binding ligand , described below , may be made may be detected using the methods of the invention . in various embodiments , the biomarkers used in the panels of the invention can be detected either as proteins or as nucleic acids ( e . g . mrna or cdna transcripts ) in any combination . in various embodiments , the protein form of a biomarker is measured . as will be appreciated by those in the art , protein assays may be done using standard techniques such as elisa assays . in various embodiments , the nucleic acid form of a biomarker ( e . g ., the corresponding mrna ) is measured . in various exemplary embodiments , one or more biomarkers from a particular panel are measured using a protein assay and one or more biomarkers from the same panel are measured using a nucleic acid assay . as will be appreciated by those in the art , there are a large number of possible proteinaceous target analytes and target species that may be detected using the present invention . the term “ protein ,” “ polypeptide ” or “ oligopeptide ” refers to at least two or more peptides or amino acids joined by one or more peptide bonds . a protein or an amino acid may be naturally or nonnaturally occurring and may be also be an analog , a derivative or a peptidomimetic structure . the term “ protein ” refers to wild - type sequences , variants of wild - type sequences and either of these containing analogs or derivatized amino acids . in various embodiments , variants of the sequences described herein , including proteins and nucleic acids based on e . g . splice variants , variants comprising a deletion , addition , substitution , fragments , preproprotein , processed preproprotein ( e . g . without a signaling peptide ), processed proprotein ( e . g . resulting in an active form ), nonhuman sequences and variant nonhuman sequences may be used as biomarkers . in various embodiments , the biomarker is a nucleic acid . the term “ nucleic acid ” or “ oligonucleotide ” or grammatical equivalents herein means at least two nucleotides covalently linked together . a nucleic acid of the present invention will generally contain phosphodiester bonds , although in some cases , as outlined below , for example in the use of binding ligand probes , nucleic acid analogs are included that may have alternate backbones . biomarkers can also be bacterial nucleic acids or proteins . over 700 species of bacteria have been identified to exist within the mouth . the presence , absence , or level of 16s rrna from bacteria in a sample may correlate with a disease or condition . “ bacteria ” refers to small prokaryotic organisms ( linear dimensions of around 1 μm ) with non - compartmentalized circular dna and ribosomes of about 70 s . “ 16s rna ” refers to a nucleic acid component of the 30s subunit of prokaryotic ribosomes ; the gene that encodes the 16s rrna or the 16s rrna itself . bacterial strains of species or phylotypes have less than about a 2 % difference in 16s rrna . closely related species or phylotypes generally have between about a 2 % and about a 4 % difference in 16s rrna , whereas a genus often has between about a 5 % and about a 10 % difference in 16s rrna . to resolve the identity of bacterial populations , probes on a microarray can be designed , for example , to take advantage of conserved features of the 16s rrna gene . for example , probes complementary to the more conserved features regions identify species in a large phylogenetic group , each group corresponding to a higher taxon ( for example , domain , phylum , class , order , or family ). probes complementary to more variable regions distinguish genera and species . biomarkers can also include micro rnas . “ micrornas ” ( mirs ) refers to a class of small naturally occurring non - coding rnas ( 18 - 24 nucleotides ) that regulate gene expression . many micrornas are well conserved across species and they are present in a broad range of species : plants , nematodes , fruit flies and humans . micrornas have partially or perfect complementary sequence to one or more messenger rna molecules ( mrnas ) and their main function is to negatively regulate the expression of genes . in particular , micrornas bind to the 3 ′ untranslated regions of mrnas ( 3 - utr ) thus leading to down regulation of mrnas in a variety of ways such as mrna cleavage , translational repression and deadenylation . a variety of experimental approaches and different techniques have been used to identify new micrornas , as well as to study their expression pattern in the different biological processes . the cloning and identification of new micrornas have been successfully done from size fractioned rna samples using small rna cloning approaches . other approaches is as putative micrornas homologues to micrornas that already have been described in other species or using computational approaches alone or in combination with microarray analysis and sequence - directed cloning . one of the first techniques used for detection and profiling of micrornas was northern blotting , where hybridization is done with a complementary 32p , digoxigenin - labeled oligo or modified locked - nucleic - acid ( lna ) oligonucleotides after gel separation . other techniques that have been developed to specifically detect micrornas are a modified invader assay ( a synthetic oligonucleotide , the probe , which is in an appropriate overlap - flap structure is enzymatically cleavage by a structure - specific 5 * nuclease ) and in situ hybridization ( using fluorescent - labeled complementary probes containing chemically modified nucleotides e . g . lnas ). another widely used technique for detection and profiling of micrornas is the use of oligonucleotide micro - array based detection platforms either with dna capture probes or using modified locked - nucleic - acid ( lna ) oligonucleotides in which the ribose moiety is modified with an extra bridge that connects the 2 ′- 0 and 4 ′- c atoms . in addition , quantitative real - time pcr ( reverse transcriptase / polymerase chain reaction using taqman or sybr green technology ) has been used for detection and profiling of precursor or mature micrornas . this technique is sensitive and requires low amounts of starting material for the detection of individual mature micrornas . taqman microrna arrays have been developed that provide the sensitivity of the qrt - pcr , while at the same time enables the simultaneously detection of different micrornas in one sample . biomarkers can also include metabolites . “ metabolite ” or “ small molecule ” refers to organic and inorganic molecules which are present in a sample . the term does not include large macromolecules , such as large proteins ( e . g ., proteins with molecular weights over 2 , 000 , 3 , 000 , 4 , 000 , 5 , 000 , 6 , 000 , 7 , 000 , 8 , 000 , 9 , 000 , or 10 , 000 ), large nucleic acids ( e . g ., nucleic acids with molecular weights of over 2 , 000 , 3 , 000 , 4 , 000 , 5 , 000 , 6 , 000 , 7 , 000 , 8 , 000 , 9 , 000 , or 10 , 000 ), or large polysaccharides ( e . g ., polysaccharides with a molecular weights of over 2 , 000 , 3 , 000 , 4 , 000 , 5 , 000 , 6 , 000 , 7 , 000 , 8 , 000 , 9 , 000 , or 10 , 000 ). the metabolites of the cell are generally found free in solution . a “ metabolic profile ”, or “ small molecule profile ”, means a complete or partial inventory of small molecules within a targeted cell , tissue , organ , organism , or fraction thereof ( e . g ., cellular compartment ). the inventory may include the quantity and / or type of small molecules present . the “ small molecule profile ” may be determined using a single technique or multiple different techniques . a metabolic profile can be developed by analyzing a sample using for example , techniques such as gc - ms ( gas chromatography - mass spectrometry ) and lc - ms ( liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry ). any combination of the biomarkers described herein is used to assemble a biomarker panel , which is detected or measured as described herein . as is generally understood in the art , a combination may refer to an entire set or any subset or subcombination thereof . the term “ biomarker panel ,” “ biomarker profile ,” or “ biomarker fingerprint ” refers to a set of biomarkers . as used herein , these terms can also refer to any form of the biomarker that is measured . thus , if cystatin a is part of a biomarker panel , then either cystatin a mrna , for example , or protein could be considered to be part of the panel . while individual biomarkers are useful as diagnostics , combination of biomarkers can sometimes provide greater value in determining a particular status than single biomarkers alone . specifically , the detection of a plurality of biomarkers in a sample can increase the sensitivity and / or specificity of the test . thus , in various embodiments , a biomarker panel may include 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 or more types of biomarkers . in various exemplary embodiments , the biomarker panel consists of a minimum number of biomarkers to generate a maximum amount of information . thus , in various embodiments , the biomarker panel consists of 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 or more types of biomarkers . where a biomarker panel “ consists of ” a set of biomarkers , no biomarkers other than those of the set are present . in exemplary embodiments , the biomarker panel consists of 2 biomarkers disclosed herein . in various embodiments , the biomarker panel consists of 3 biomarkers disclosed herein . in various embodiments , the biomarker panel consists of 4 biomarkers disclosed herein . in various embodiments , the biomarker paenl consists of 5 biomarkers disclosed herein . in various exemplary embodiments , the biomarker panel comprises cystatin a . in various exemplary embodiments , the biomarker panel comprises carbonic anhydrase vi . in various exemplary embodiments , the biomarker panel comprises or consists of two or more of the biomarkers selected from the group of s100a8 , csta , grm1 , tpt1 , grik1 , h6pd , igf2bp1 , mdm4 , and ca6 . in various exemplary embodiments two or more of the biomarkers selected from the group of s100a8 , csta , grm1 , tpt1 , grik1 , h6pd , igf2bp1 , mdm4 , and ca6 can be combined with 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 or more additional biomarkers . it should be understood that in this embodiment , the biomarker panel can include any combination of s100a8 , csta , grm1 , tpt1 , grik1 , h6pd , igf2bp1 , mdm4 and the remainder of these markers . a biomarker can also be a clinical parameter . the term “ clinical parameter ” refers to all non - sample or non - analyte biomarkers of subject health status or other characteristics , such as , without limitation , age , ethnicity , gender , family history , height , and weight . the biomarkers of the invention show a statistically significant difference in breast cancer diagnosis . in various embodiments , diagnostic tests that use these biomarkers alone or in combination show a sensitivity and specificity of at least about 85 %, at least about 90 %, at least about 95 %, at least about 98 % and about 100 %. biomarkers generally can be measured and detected through a variety of assays , methods and detection systems known to one of skill in the art . the term “ measuring ,” “ detecting ,” or “ taking a measurement ” refers to a quantitative or qualitative determination of a property of an entity , for example , quantifying the amount or concentration of a molecule or the activity level of a molecule . the term “ concentration ” or “ level ” can refer to an absolute or relative quantity . measuring a molecule may also include determining the absence or presence of the molecule . various methods include but are not limited to refractive index spectroscopy ( ri ), ultra - violet spectroscopy ( uv ), fluorescence analysis , electrochemical analysis , radiochemical analysis , near - infrared spectroscopy ( near - ir ), infrared ( ir ) spectroscopy , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( nmr ), light scattering analysis ( ls ), mass spectrometry , pyrolysis mass spectrometry , nephelometry , dispersive raman spectroscopy , gas chromatography , liquid chromatography , gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry , liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry , matrix - assisted laser desorption ionization - time of flight ( maldi - tof ) combined with mass spectrometry , ion spray spectroscopy combined with mass spectrometry , capillary electrophoresis , colorimetry and surface plasmon resonance ( such as according to systems provided by biacore life sciences ). see also pct publications wo / 2004 / 056456 and wo / 2004 / 088309 . in this regard , biomarkers can be measured using the above - mentioned detection methods , or other methods known to the skilled artisan . other biomarkers can be similarly detected using reagents that are specifically designed or tailored to detect them . different types of biomarkers and their measurements can be combined in the compositions and methods of the present invention . in various embodiments , the protein form of the biomarkers is measured . in various embodiments , the nucleic acid form of the biomarkers is measured . in exemplary embodiments , the nucleic acid form is mrna . in various embodiments , measurements of protein biomarkers are used in conjunction with measurements of nucleic acid biomarkers . methods for detecting mrna , such as rt - pcr , real time pcr , branch dna , nasba and others , are well known in the art . using sequence information provided by the database entries for the biomarker sequences , expression of the biomarker sequences can be detected ( if present ) and measured using techniques well known to one of ordinary skill in the art . for example , sequences in sequence database entries or sequences disclosed herein can be used to construct probes for detecting biomarker rna sequences in , e . g ., northern blot hybridization analyses or methods which specifically , and , preferably , quantitatively amplify specific nucleic acid sequences . as another example , the sequences can be used to construct primers for specifically amplifying the biomarker sequences in , e . g ., amplification - based detection methods such as reverse - transcription based polymerase chain reaction ( rt - pcr ). when alterations in gene expression are associated with gene amplification , deletion , polymorphisms and mutations , sequence comparisons in test and reference populations can be made by comparing relative amounts of the examined dna sequences in the test and reference cell populations . in addition to northern blot and rt - pcr , rna can also be measured using , for example , other target amplification methods ( e . g ., tma , sda , nasba ), signal amplification methods ( e . g ., bdna ), nuclease protection assays , in situ hybridization and the like . in one embodiment in the present invention are biochip assays . by “ biochip ” or “ chip ” herein is meant a composition generally comprising a solid support or substrate to which a capture binding ligand ( also called an adsorbent , affinity reagent or binding ligand , or when nucleic acid is measured , a capture probe ) is attached and can bind either proteins , nucleic acids or both . generally , where a biochip is used for measurements of protein and nucleic acid biomarkers , the protein biomarkers are measured on a chip separate from that used to measure the nucleic acid biomarkers . for nonlimiting examples of additional platforms and methods useful for measuring nucleic acids , see publications us / 2006 / 0275782 , us / 2005 / 0064469 and de10201463 . in various embodiments , biomarkers are measured on the same platform , such as on one chip . in various embodiments , biomarkers are measured using different platforms and / or different experimental runs . by “ binding ligand ,” “ capture binding ligand ,” “ capture binding species ,” “ capture probe ” or grammatical equivalents herein is meant a compound that is used to detect the presence of or to quantify , relatively or absolutely , a target analyte , target species or target sequence ( all used interchangeably ) and that will bind to the target analyte , target species or target sequence . generally , the capture binding ligand or capture probe allows the attachment of a target species or target sequence to a solid support for the purposes of detection as further described herein . attachment of the target species to the capture binding ligand may be direct or indirect . in exemplary embodiments , the target species is a biomarker . as will be appreciated by those in the art , the composition of the binding ligand will depend on the composition of the biomarker . binding ligands for a wide variety of biomarkers are known or can be readily found using known techniques . for example , when the biomarker is a protein , the binding ligands include proteins ( particularly including antibodies or fragments thereof ( f ab s , etc .) as discussed further below ) or small molecules . the binding ligand may also have cross - reactivity with proteins of other species . antigen - antibody pairs , receptor - ligands , and carbohydrates and their binding partners are also suitable analyte - binding ligand pairs . in various embodiments , the binding ligand may be nucleic acid . nucleic acid binding ligands find particular use when proteins are the targets ; alternatively , as is generally described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 270 , 163 ; 5 , 475 , 096 ; 5 , 567 , 588 ; 5 , 595 , 877 ; 5 , 637 , 459 ; 5 , 683 , 867 ; 5 , 705 , 337 and related patents , hereby incorporated by reference , nucleic acid “ aptamers ” can be developed for binding to virtually any biomarker . nucleic acid binding ligands also find particular use when nucleic acids are binding targets . there is a wide body of literature relating to the development of binding partners based on combinatorial chemistry methods . in these embodiments , when the binding ligand is a nucleic acid , preferred compositions and techniques are outlined in pct publication wo / 1998 / 020162 , hereby incorporated by reference . in various exemplary embodiments , the capture binding ligand is an antibody . these embodiments are particularly useful for the detection of the protein form of a biomarker . detecting or measuring the level ( e . g . the transcription level ) of a biomarker involves binding of the biomarker to a capture binding ligand , generally referred to herein as a “ capture probe ” when the mrna of the biomarker is to be detected on a solid support . in that sense , the biomarker is a target sequence . the term “ target sequence ” or “ target nucleic acid ” or grammatical equivalents herein means a nucleic acid sequence that may be a portion of a gene , a regulatory sequence , genomic dna , cdna , rna including mrna and rrna , or others . as is outlined herein , the target sequence may be a target sequence from a sample , or a secondary target such as a product of an amplification reaction such as pcr etc . in some embodiments , measuring a nucleic acid can thus refer to measuring the complement of the nucleic acid . it may be any length , with the understanding that longer sequences are more specific . the target sequence may also comprise different target domains ; for example , a first target domain of the sample target sequence may hybridize to a first capture probe , a second target domain may hybridize to a label probe ( e . g . a “ sandwich assay ” format ), etc . the target domains may be adjacent or separated as indicated . unless specified , the terms “ first ” and “ second ” are not meant to confer an orientation of the sequences with respect to the 5 ′- 3 ′ orientation of the target sequence . for example , assuming a 5 ′- 3 ′ orientation of the target sequence , the first target domain may be located either 5 ′ to the second domain , or 3 ′ to the second domain . when nucleic acids are used as the target analyte , the assays of the invention can take on a number of embodiments . in one embodiment , the assays are done in solution format , using any number of solution based formats . in one embodiment , end - point or real time pcr formats are used , as are well known in the art . these assays can be done either as a panel , in individual tubes or wells , or as multiplex assays , using sets of primers and different labels within a single tube or well . in addition to pcr - based solution formats , other formats can be utilized , including , but not limited to for example ligation based assays utilizing fret dye pairs . in this embodiment , only upon ligation of two ( or more ) probes hybridized to the target sequence is a signal generated . in many embodiments , the assays are done on a solid support , utilizing a capture probe associated with the surface . as discussed herein , the capture probes ( or capture binding ligands , as they are sometimes referred to ) can be covalently attached to the surface , for example using capture probes terminally modified with functional groups , for example amino groups , that are attached to modified surfaces such as silanized glass . alternatively , non - covalent attachment , such as electrostatic , hydrophobic / hydrophilic adhesion can be utilized . as is appreciated by those in the art and discussed herein , a large number of attachments are possible on a wide variety of surfaces . in this embodiment , the assays can take on a number of formats . in one embodiment , the target sequence comprises a detectable label , as described herein . in this embodiment , the label is generally added to the target sequence during amplification of the target in one of two ways : either labeled primers are utilized during the amplification step or labeled dntps are used , both of which are well known in the art . the label can either be a primary or secondary label as discussed herein . for example , in one embodiment , the label on the primer and / or a dntp is a primary label such as a fluorophore . alternatively , the label may be a secondary label such as biotin or an enzyme ; for example , in one embodiment , the primers or dntps are labeled with biotin , and then a streptavidin / label complex is added . in one embodiment , the streptavidin / label complex contains a label such as a fluorophore . in an alternative embodiment , the streptavidin / label complex comprises an enzymatic label . for example , the complex can comprise horseradish peroxidase , and upon addition of tmb , the action of the horseradish peroxidase causes the tmb to precipitate , causing an optically detectable event . this has a particular benefit in that the optics for detection does not require the use of a fluorimeter . in alternate embodiments , the solid phase assay relies on the use of a labeled soluble capture ligand , sometimes referred to as a “ label probe ” or “ signaling probe ” when the target analyte is a nucleic acid . in this format , the assay is a “ sandwich ” type assay , where the capture probe binds to a first domain of the target sequence and the label probe binds to a second domain . in this embodiment , the label probe can also be either a primary ( e . g . a fluorophore ) or a secondary ( biotin or enzyme ) label . in one embodiment , the label probe comprises biotin , and a streptavidin / enzyme complex is used , as discussed herein . as above , for example , the complex can comprise horseradish peroxidase , and upon addition of tmb , the action of the horseradish peroxidase causes the tmb to precipitate , causing an optically detectable event . detection of a target species in some embodiments requires a “ label ” or “ detectable marker ” ( as described below ) that can be incorporated in a variety of ways . thus , in various embodiments , the composition comprises a “ label ” or a “ detectable marker .” in one embodiment , the target species ( or target analyte or target sequence ) is labeled ; binding of the target species thus provides the label at the surface of the solid support . in embodiments finding particular use herein , a sandwich format is utilized , in which target species are unlabeled . in these embodiments , a “ capture ” or “ anchor ” binding ligand is attached to the detection surface as described herein , and a soluble binding ligand ( frequently referred to herein as a “ signaling probe ,” “ label probe ” or “ soluble capture ligand ”) binds independently to the target species and either directly or indirectly comprises at least one label or detectable marker . by “ label ” or “ labeled ” herein is meant that a compound has at least one molecule , element , isotope or chemical compound attached to enable the detection of the compound . in general , labels fall into four classes : a ) isotopic labels , which may be radioactive or heavy isotopes ; b ) magnetic , electrical , thermal ; c ) colored or luminescent dyes ; and d ) enzymes ; although labels include particles such as magnetic particles as well . the dyes may be chromophores or phosphors but are preferably fluorescent dyes , which due to their strong signals provide a good signal - to - noise ratio for decoding . suitable dyes for use in the invention include , but are not limited to , fluorescent lanthanide complexes , including those of europium and terbium , fluorescein , rhodamine , tetramethylrhodamine , eosin , erythrosin , coumarin , methyl - coumarins , pyrene , malacite green , stilbene , lucifer yellow , cascade blue , texas red , alexa dyes and others described in the 6th edition of the molecular probes handbook by richard p . haugland , hereby expressly incorporated by reference . additional labels include nanocrystals or q - dots as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 544 , 732 incorporated by reference . in various embodiments , a secondary detectable label is used . a secondary label is one that is indirectly detected ; for example , a secondary label can bind or react with a primary label for detection , can act on an additional product to generate a primary label ( e . g . enzymes ), or may allow the separation of the compound comprising the secondary label from unlabeled materials , etc . secondary labels include , but are not limited to , one of a binding partner pair ; chemically modifiable moieties ; nuclease inhibitors , enzymes such as horseradish peroxidase , alkaline phosphatases , lucifierases , etc . secondary labels can also include additional labels . in various embodiments , the secondary label is a binding partner pair . for example , the label may be a hapten or antigen , which will bind its binding partner . for example , suitable binding partner pairs include , but are not limited to : antigens ( such as proteins ( including peptides )) and antibodies ( including fragments thereof ( f ab s , etc . )); proteins and small molecules , including biotin / streptavidin ; enzymes and substrates or inhibitors ; other protein - protein interacting pairs ; receptor - ligands ; and carbohydrates and their binding partners . nucleic acid - nucleic acid binding proteins pairs are also useful . in general , the smaller of the pair is attached to the ntp for incorporation into the primer . preferred binding partner pairs include , but are not limited to , biotin ( or imino - biotin ) and streptavidin , digeoxinin and abs , and prolinx ™ reagents . in the sandwich formats of the invention , an enzyme serves as the secondary label , bound to the soluble capture ligand . of particular use in some embodiments is the use of horseradish peroxidase , which when combined with 3 , 3 ′, 5 , 5 ′- tetramethylbenzidine ( tmb ) forms a colored precipitate which is then detected . in some cases , the soluble capture ligand comprises biotin , which is then bound to a enzyme - streptavidin complex and forms a colored precipitate with the addition of tmb . in various embodiments , the label or detectable marker is a conjugated enzyme ( for example , horseradish peroxidase ). in various embodiments , the system relies on detecting the precipitation of a reaction product or on a change in , for example , electronic properties for detection . in various embodiments , none of the compounds comprises a label . as used herein , the term “ fluorescent signal generating moiety ” or “ fluorophore ” refers to a molecule or part of a molecule that absorbs energy at one wavelength and re - emits energy at another wavelength . fluorescent properties that can be measured include fluorescence intensity , fluorescence lifetime , emission spectrum characteristics , energy transfer , and the like . signals from single molecules can be generated and detected by a number of detection systems , including , but not limited to , scanning electron microscopy , near field scanning optical microscopy ( nsom ), total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy ( tirfm ), and the like . abundant guidance is found in the literature for applying such techniques for analyzing and detecting nanoscale structures on surfaces , as evidenced by the following references that are incorporated by reference : reimer et al , editors , scanning electron microscopy : physics of image formation and microanalysis , 2nd edition ( springer , 1998 ); nie et al , anal . chem ., 78 : 1528 - 1534 ( 2006 ); hecht et al , journal chemical physics , 112 : 7761 - 7774 ( 2000 ); zhu et al , editors , near - field optics : principles and applications ( world scientific publishing , singapore , 1999 ); drmanac , pct publication wo / 2004 / 076683 ; lehr et al , anal . chem ., 75 : 2414 - 2420 ( 2003 ); neuschafer et al , biosensors & amp ; bioelectronics , 18 : 489 - 497 ( 2003 ); neuschafer et al , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 289 , 144 ; and the like . thus , a detection system for fluorophores includes any device that can be used to measure fluorescent properties as discussed above . in various embodiments , the detection system comprises an excitation source , a fluorophore , a wavelength filter to isolate emission photons from excitation photons and a detector that registers emission photons and produces a recordable output , in some embodiments as an electrical signal or a photographic image . examples of detection devices include without limitation spectrofluorometers and microplate readers , fluorescence microscopes , fluorescence scanners ( including e . g . microarray readers ) and flow cytometers . in various exemplary embodiments , the binding of the biomarker to the binding ligand is specific or selective , and the binding ligand is part of a binding pair . by “ specifically bind ” or “ selectively bind ” or “ selective for ” a biomarker herein is meant that the ligand binds the biomarker with specificity sufficient to differentiate between the biomarker and other components or contaminants of the test sample . the term “ solid support ” or “ substrate ” refers to any material that can be modified to contain discrete individual sites appropriate for the attachment or association of a capture binding ligand . suitable substrates include metal surfaces such as gold , electrodes , glass and modified or functionalized glass , plastics ( including acrylics , polystyrene and copolymers of styrene and other materials , polypropylene , polyethylene , polybutylene , polycarbonate , polyurethanes , teflon , derivatives thereof , etc . ), polysaccharides , nylon or nitrocellulose , resins , mica , silica or silica - based materials including silicon and modified silicon , carbon , metals , inorganic glasses , fiberglass , ceramics , getek ( a blend of polypropylene oxide and fiberglass ) and a variety of other polymers . of particular use in the present invention are the clondiag materials described below . frequently , the surface of a biochip comprises a plurality of addressable locations , each of which comprises a capture binding ligand . an “ array location ,” “ addressable location ,” “ pad ” or “ site ” herein means a location on the substrate that comprises a covalently attached capture binding ligand . an “ array ” herein means a plurality of capture binding ligands in a regular , ordered format , such as a matrix . the size of the array will depend on the composition and end use of the array . arrays containing from about two or more different capture binding ligands to many thousands can be made . generally , the array will comprise 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 or more types of capture binding ligands depending on the end use of the array . in the present invention , the array can include controls , replicates of the markers and the like . exemplary ranges are from about 3 to about 50 . in some embodiments , the compositions of the invention may not be in array format ; that is , for some embodiments , compositions comprising a single capture ligand may be made as well . in addition , in some arrays , multiple substrates may be used , either of different or identical compositions . thus for example , large arrays may comprise a plurality of smaller substrates . accordingly , in one aspect , the invention provides a composition comprising a solid support comprising a capture binding ligand for each biomarker of a biomarker panel . in various embodiments , the capture ligand is a nucleic acid . in various embodiments , the capture binding ligand is an antibody . in various embodiments , the composition further comprises a soluble binding ligand for each biomarker of a biomarker panel . a number of different biochip array platforms as known in the art may be used . for example , the compositions and methods of the present invention can be implemented with array platforms such as genechip ® ( affymetrix ), codelink ™ bioarray ( amersham ), expression array system ( applied biosystems ), sureprint microarrays ( agilent ), sentrix ® ld beadchip or sentrix ® array matrix ( illumina ) and verigene ( nanosphere ). in various exemplary embodiments , detection and measurement of biomarkers utilizes colorimetric methods and systems in order to provide an indication of binding of a target analyte or target species . in colorimetric methods , the presence of a bound target species such as a biomarker will result in a change in the absorbance or transmission of light by a sample or substrate at one or more wavelengths . detection of the absorbance or transmission of light at such wavelengths thus provides an indication of the presence of the target species . a detection system for colorimetric methods includes any device that can be used to measure colorimetric properties as discussed above . generally , the device is a spectrophotometer , a colorimeter or any device that measures absorbance or transmission of light at one or more wavelengths . in various embodiments , the detection system comprises a light source ; a wavelength filter or monochromator ; a sample container such as a cuvette or a reaction vial ; a detector , such as a photoresistor , that registers transmitted light ; and a display or imaging element . in various exemplary embodiments , a clondiag chip platform is used for the colorimetric detection of biomarkers . in various embodiments , a clondiag arraytube ( at ) is used . one unique feature of the arraytube is the combination of a micro probe array ( the biochip ) and micro reaction vial . in various embodiments , where a target sequence is a nucleic acid , detection of the target sequence is done by amplifying and biotinylating the target sequence contained in a sample and optionally digesting the amplification products . the amplification product is then allowed to hybridize with probes contained on the clondiag chip . a solution of a streptavidin - enzyme conjugate , such as poly horseradish peroxidase ( hrp ) conjugate solution , is contacted with the clondiag chip . after washing , a dye solution such as o - dianisidine substrate solution is contacted with the chip . oxidation of the dye results in precipitation that can be detected colorimetrically . further description of the clondiag platform is found in monecke s , slickers p , hotzel h et al ., clin microbiol infect 2006 , 12 : 718 - 728 ; monecke s , berger - bächi b , coombs c et al ., clin microbiol infect 2007 , 13 : 236 - 249 ; monecke s , leube i and ehricht r , genome lett 2003 , 2 : 106 - 118 ; monecke s and ehricht r , clin microbiol infect 2005 , 11 : 825 - 833 ; german patent de 10201463 ; us publication us / 2005 / 0064469 and clondiag , arraytube ( at ) experiment guideline for dna - based applications , version 1 . 2 , 2007 , all incorporated by reference in their entirety . one of skill in the art will appreciate that numerous other dyes that react with a peroxidase can be utilized to produce a colorimetric change , such as 3 , 3 ′, 5 , 5 ′- tetramethylbenzidine ( tmb ). for information on specific assay protocols , see www . clondiag . com / technologies / publications . php . in various embodiments , where a target species is a protein , the arraytube biochip comprises capture binding ligands such as antibodies . a sample is contacted with the biochip , and any target species present in the sample is allowed to bind to the capture binding ligand antibodies . a soluble capture binding ligand or a detection compound such as a horseradish peroxidase conjugated antibody is allowed to bind to the target species . a dye , such as tmb , is then added and allowed to react with the horseradish peroxidase , causing precipitation and a color change that is detected by a suitable detection device . further description of protein detection using arraytube is found in , for example , huelseweh b , ehricht r and marschall h - j , proteomics , 2006 , 6 , 2972 - 2981 ; and clondiag , arraytube ( at ) experiment guideline for protein - based applications , version 1 . 2 , 2007 , all incorporated by reference in their entirety . transmission detection and analysis is performed with a clondiag at reader instrument . suitable reader instruments and detection devices include the arraytube workstation ats and the atr 03 . in addition to arraytube , the clondiag arraystrip ( as ) can be used . the arraystrip provides a 96 - well format for high volume testing . each arraystrip consists of a standard 8 - well strip with a microarray integrated into the bottom of each well . up to 12 arraystrips can be inserted into one microplate frame enabling the parallel multiparameter testing of up to 96 samples . the arraystrip can be processed using the arraystrip processor asp , which performs all liquid handling , incubation , and detection steps required in array based analysis . in various embodiments , where a protein is detected , a method of using the arraystrip to detect the protein comprises conditioning the as array with buffer or blocking solution ; loading of up to 96 sample solutions in the as wells to allow for binding of the protein ; 3 × washing ; conjugating with a secondary antibody linked to hrp ; 3 × washing ; precipitation staining with tmb ; and as array imaging and optional data storage . those skilled in the art will be familiar with numerous additional immunoassay formats and variations thereof which may be useful for carrying out the method disclosed herein . see generally e . maggio , enzyme - immunoassay , ( crc press , inc ., boca raton , fla ., 1980 ); see also u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 727 , 022 ; 4 , 659 , 678 ; 4 , 376 , 110 ; 4 , 275 , 149 ; 4 , 233 , 402 ; and 4 , 230 , 767 . in general , immunoassays carried out in accordance with the present invention may be homogeneous assays or heterogeneous assays . in a homogeneous assay the immunological reaction usually involves the specific antibody ( e . g ., anti - biomarker protein antibody ), a labeled analyte , and the sample of interest . the signal arising from the label is modified , directly or indirectly , upon the binding of the antibody to the labeled analyte . both the immunological reaction and detection of the extent thereof can be carried out in a homogeneous solution . immunochemical labels which may be employed include free radicals , radioisotopes , fluorescent dyes , enzymes , bacteriophages , or coenzymes . in a heterogeneous assay approach , the reagents are usually the sample , the antibody , and means for producing a detectable signal . samples as described above may be used . the antibody can be immobilized on a support , such as a bead ( such as protein a and protein g agarose beads ), plate or slide , and contacted with the specimen suspected of containing the antigen in a liquid phase . the support is then separated from the liquid phase and either the support phase or the liquid phase is examined for a detectable signal employing means for producing such signal . the signal is related to the presence of the analyte in the sample . means for producing a detectable signal include the use of radioactive labels , fluorescent labels , or enzyme labels . for example , if the antigen to be detected contains a second binding site , an antibody which binds to that site can be conjugated to a detectable group and added to the liquid phase reaction solution before the separation step . the presence of the detectable group on the solid support indicates the presence of the antigen in the test sample . examples of suitable immunoassays include immunoblotting , immunofluorescence methods , immunoprecipitation , chemiluminescence methods , electrochemiluminescence ( ecl ) or enzyme - linked immunoassays . antibodies can be conjugated to a solid support suitable for a diagnostic assay ( e . g ., beads such as protein a or protein g agarose , microspheres , plates , slides or wells formed from materials such as latex or polystyrene ) in accordance with known techniques , such as passive binding . antibodies as described herein may likewise be conjugated to detectable labels or groups such as radiolabels ( e . g ., 35 s , 125 i , 131 i ), enzyme labels ( e . g ., horseradish peroxidase , alkaline phosphatase ), and fluorescent labels ( e . g ., fluorescein , alexa , green fluorescent protein , rhodamine ) in accordance with known techniques . using any of the methods and compositions described herein , a sample can be assayed to determine levels of a biomarker panel . thus , in one aspect , the invention provides a method of assaying a sample from a patient to determine concentrations of a biomarker panel in the sample . in some embodiments , the method comprises contacting the sample with a composition comprising a solid support comprising a capture binding ligand or capture probe for each biomarker of a biomarker panel . the invention further provides kits for use in determining breast health or breast cancer status for a number of medical ( including diagnostic and therapeutic ), industrial , forensic and research applications . kits may comprise a carrier , such as a box , carton , tube or the like , having in close confinement therein one or more containers , such as vials , tubes , ampoules , bottles , pouches , envelopes and the like . in various embodiments , the kits comprise one or more components selected from one or more media or media ingredients and reagents for the measurement of the various biomarkers and biomarker panels disclosed herein . for example , kits of the invention may also comprise , in the same or different containers , one or more dna polymerases , one or more primers , one or more suitable buffers , one or more nucleotides ( such as deoxynucleoside triphosphates ( dntps ) and preferably fluorescently labeled dntps ) and labeling components . the one or more components may be contained within the same container , or may be in separate containers to be admixed prior to use . the kits of the present invention may also comprise one or more instructions or protocols for carrying out the methods of the present invention . the kits may also comprise a computer or a component of a computer , such as a computer - readable storage medium or device . examples of storage media include , without limitation , optical disks such as cd , dvd and blu - ray discs ( bd ); magneto - optical disks ; magnetic media such as magnetic tape and internal hard disks and removable disks ; semi - conductor memory devices such as eprom , eeprom and flash memory ; and ram . the computer - readable storage medium may comprise software encoding references to the various therapies and treatment regimens disclosed herein . the software may be interpreted by a computer to provide the practitioner with treatments according to various measured concentrations of biomarkers as provided herein . in various embodiments , the kit comprises a biomarker assay involving a lateral - flow - based point - of - care rapid test with detection of risk thresholds , or a biochip with quantitative assays for the constituent biomarkers . the compositions and methods of the present invention can be used in the prognosis , diagnosis and treatment of disease in a subject . the invention provides compositions and methods for laboratory and point - of - care tests for measuring biomarkers in a sample from a subject . the invention can be generally applied for a number of different diseases . in exemplary embodiments , the disease is breast cancer . the biomarkers and biomarker panels disclosed herein can be used in methods to diagnose , identify or screen subjects that have , do not have or are at risk for having disease ; to monitor subjects that are undergoing therapies for disease ; to determine or suggest a new therapy or a change in therapy ; to differentially diagnose disease states associated with the disease from other diseases or within sub - classifications of disease ; to evaluate the severity or changes in severity of disease in a patient ; to stage a subject with the disease and to select or modify therapies or interventions for use in treating subjects with the disease . in an exemplary embodiment , the methods of the present invention are used to identify and / or diagnose subjects who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic for a disease . in this context , “ asymptomatic ” or “ presymptomatic ” means not exhibiting the traditional symptoms or enough abnormality for disease . in various embodiments , a method of determining a prognosis of a disease in a subject , diagnosing a disease in a subject , or treating a disease in a subject comprises taking a measurement of a biomarker panel in a sample from the subject . in various exemplary embodiments , the biomarker panel consists of two or more of s100a8 , csta , grm1 , tpt1 , grik1 , h6pd , igf2bp1 , mdm4 , and / or ca6 . the term “ disease status ” includes any distinguishable manifestation of the disease , including non - disease . for example , disease status includes , without limitation , the presence or absence of disease , the risk of developing disease , the stage of the disease , the progression of disease ( e . g ., progress of disease or remission of disease over time ), the severity of disease and the effectiveness or response to treatment of disease . a “ subject ” in the context of the present invention is an animal , preferably a mammal . the mammal can be a human , non - human primate , mouse , rat , dog , cat , horse , or cow , but are not limited to these examples . in various exemplary embodiments , a subject is human and may be referred to as a patient . mammals other than humans can be advantageously used as subjects that represent animal models of a disease or for veterinarian applications . a subject can be one who has been previously diagnosed or identified as having a disease , and optionally has already undergone , or is undergoing , a therapeutic intervention for a disease . alternatively , a subject can also be one who has not been previously diagnosed as having a disease . for example , a subject can be one who exhibits one or more risk factors for a disease , or one who does not exhibit a disease risk factor , or one who is asymptomatic for a disease . a subject can also be one who is suffering from or at risk of developing a disease . in certain embodiments , the subject can be already undergoing therapy or can be a candidate for therapy . as will be appreciated by those in the art , the biomarkers may be measured in using several techniques designed to achieve more predictable subject and analytical variability . the term “ sample ” refers to a specimen or culture obtained from a subject and includes fluids , gases and solids including for example tissue . in various exemplary embodiments , the sample comprises saliva . as will be appreciated by those in the art , virtually any experimental manipulation or sample preparation steps may have been done on the sample . for example , wash steps and / or fragmentation may be applied to a sample . in various embodiments , a biomarker panel is measured directly in a subject without the need to obtain a separate sample from the patient . in one aspect , the invention provides a method of diagnosing a subject for a disease comprising taking a measurement of a biomarker panel ; and correlating the measurement with the disease . the term “ correlating ” generally refers to determining a relationship between one type of data with another or with a state . in various embodiments , correlating the measurement with disease comprises comparing the measurement with a reference biomarker profile or some other reference value . in various embodiments , correlating the measurement with disease comprises determining whether the subject is currently in a state of disease . the quantity or activity measurements of a biomarker panel can be compared to a reference value . differences in the measurements of biomarkers in the subject sample compared to the reference value are then identified . in exemplary embodiments , the reference value is given by a risk category as described further below . in various embodiments , the reference value is a baseline value . a baseline value is a composite sample of an effective amount of biomarkers from one or more subjects who do not have a disease , who are asymptomatic for a disease or who have a certain level of a disease . a baseline value can also comprise the amounts of biomarkers in a sample derived from a subject who has shown an improvement in risk factors of a disease as a result of treatments or therapies . in these embodiments , to make comparisons to the subject - derived sample , the amounts of biomarkers are similarly calculated . a reference value can also comprise the amounts of biomarkers derived from subjects who have a disease confirmed by an invasive or non - invasive technique , or are at high risk for developing a disease . optionally , subjects identified as having a disease , or being at increased risk of developing a disease are chosen to receive a therapeutic regimen to slow the progression of a disease , or decrease or prevent the risk of developing a disease . a disease is considered to be progressive ( or , alternatively , the treatment does not prevent progression ) if the amount of biomarker changes over time relative to the reference value , whereas a disease is not progressive if the amount of biomarkers remains constant over time ( relative to the reference population , or “ constant ” as used herein ). the term “ constant ” as used in the context of the present invention is construed to include changes over time with respect to the reference value . the biomarkers of the present invention can be used to generate a “ reference biomarker profile ” of those subjects who do not have a disease according to a certain threshold , are not at risk of having a disease or would not be expected to develop a disease . the biomarkers disclosed herein can also be used to generate a “ subject biomarker profile ” taken from subjects who have a disease or are at risk for having a disease . the subject biomarker profiles can be compared to a reference biomarker profile to diagnose or identify subjects at risk for developing a disease , to monitor the progression of disease , as well as the rate of progression of disease , and to monitor the effectiveness of disease treatment modalities . the reference and subject biomarker profiles of the present invention can be contained in a machine - readable medium , such as but not limited to , analog tapes like those readable by a vcr ; optical media such as cd - rom , dvd - rom and the like ; and solid state memory , among others . measurements of the biomarker panels of the invention can lead a practitioner to affect a therapy with respect to a subject . thus , the invention provides methods of treating a disease in a subject comprising taking a measurement of a biomarker panel in a sample from the subject , and affecting a therapy with respect to the subject . the terms “ therapy ” and “ treatment ” may be used interchangeably . in certain embodiments , the therapy can be selected from , without limitation , initiating therapy , continuing therapy , modifying therapy or ending therapy . a therapy also includes any prophylactic measures that may be taken to prevent disease . in certain embodiments , treatment comprises administering a disease - modulating drug to a subject . the drug can be a therapeutic or prophylactic used in subjects diagnosed or identified with a disease or at risk of having the disease . in certain embodiments , modifying therapy refers to altering the duration , frequency or intensity of therapy , for example , altering dosage levels . in various embodiments , effecting a therapy comprises causing a subject to or communicating to a subject the need to make a change in lifestyle , for example , increasing exercise , changing diet , reducing or eliminating smoking and so on . the therapy can also include surgery , for example , mastectomy . measurement of biomarker levels allow for the course of treatment of a disease to be monitored . the effectiveness of a treatment regimen for a disease can be monitored by detecting one or more biomarkers in an effective amount from samples obtained from a subject over time and comparing the amount of biomarkers detected . for example , a first sample can be obtained prior to the subject receiving treatment and one or more subsequent samples are taken after or during treatment of the subject . changes in biomarker levels across the samples may provide an indication as to the effectiveness of the therapy . to identify therapeutics or drugs that are appropriate for a specific subject , a test sample from the subject can also be exposed to a therapeutic agent or a drug , and the level of one or more biomarkers can be determined . biomarker levels can be compared to a sample derived from the subject before and after treatment or exposure to a therapeutic agent or a drug , or can be compared to samples derived from one or more subjects who have shown improvements relative to a disease as a result of such treatment or exposure . thus , in one aspect , the invention provides a method of assessing the efficacy of a therapy with respect to a subject comprising taking a first measurement of a biomarker panel in a first sample from the subject ; effecting the therapy with respect to the subject ; taking a second measurement of the biomarker panel in a second sample from the subject and comparing the first and second measurements to assess the efficacy of the therapy . additionally , therapeutic or prophylactic agents suitable for administration to a particular subject can be identified by detecting a biomarker ( which may be two or more ) in an effective amount from a sample obtained from a subject and exposing the subject - derived sample to a test compound that determines the amount of the biomarker ( s ) in the subject - derived sample . accordingly , treatments or therapeutic regimens for use in subjects having a disease or subjects at risk for developing a disease can be selected based on the amounts of biomarkers in samples obtained from the subjects and compared to a reference value . two or more treatments or therapeutic regimens can be evaluated in parallel to determine which treatment or therapeutic regimen would be the most efficacious for use in a subject to delay onset , or slow progression of a disease . in various embodiments , a recommendation is made on whether to initiate or continue treatment of a disease . in various exemplary embodiments , effecting a therapy comprises administering a disease - modulating drug to the subject . the subject may be treated with one or more disease - modulating drugs until altered levels of the measured biomarkers return to a baseline value measured in a population not suffering from the disease , experiencing a less severe stage or form of a disease or showing improvements in disease biomarkers as a result of treatment with a disease - modulating drug . additionally , improvements related to a changed level of a biomarker or clinical parameter may be the result of treatment with a disease - modulating drug . a number of compounds such as a disease - modulating drug may be used to treat a subject and to monitor progress using the methods of the invention . in certain embodiments , the disease - modulating drug comprises the beneficial effects of these and other drugs can be visualized by assessment of clinical and laboratory biomarkers . any drug or combination of drugs disclosed herein may be administered to a subject to treat a disease . the drugs herein can be formulated in any number of ways , often according to various known formulations in the art or as disclosed or referenced herein . in various embodiments , any drug or combination of drugs disclosed herein is not administered to a subject to treat a disease . in these embodiments , the practitioner may refrain from administering the drug or combination of drugs , may recommend that the subject not be administered the drug or combination of drugs or may prevent the subject from being administered the drug or combination of drugs . in various embodiments , one or more additional drugs may be optionally administered in addition to those that are recommended or have been administered . an additional drug will typically not be any drug that is not recommended or that should be avoided . in exemplary embodiments , one or more additional drugs comprise one or more glucose lowering drugs . the therapy chosen by a practitioner can depend on the concentrations of biomarkers determined in a sample . in various exemplary embodiments , the therapy depends on which category from a range of categories particular to each biomarker the measured concentration of each biomarker falls in . in various exemplary embodiments , the therapy depends on the combination of risk levels for different symptoms or diseases that are indicated by a biomarker panel . with respect to concentration measurements of a biomarker , the term “ category ” refers to a subset of a partition of the possible concentrations that a biomarker may have . each category may be associated with a label or classification chosen by the practitioner . the labels may be refer to , for example , the risk level of an individual for having or being subject to a disease state . the categories and labels may be derived from the current literature or according to the findings of the practitioner . each biomarker of a biomarker panel can thus be associated with a discrete set of categories , for example , risk categories . combining one category from each biomarker forms a “ decision point .” in various exemplary embodiments , the complete set of decision points comprises all possible n - tuples of categories , wherein n is the number of biomarkers in the biomarker panel . this complete set will have m 1 × m 2 × . . . m n possible decision points , wherein in is the number of categories for biomarker i . every decision point can be associated with a condition or a disease state , which is not necessarily unique . that is , one or more decision points can be associated with the same disease state . the association of every possible decision point with a condition or disease state can be referred to as a “ disease classification matrix ” or a “ disease classification tree .” thus , by correlating a measurement of a biomarker panel with a decision point , the practitioner can classify the condition or disease state of a patient . every decision point can also be associated with a particular therapy , which is not necessarily unique . that is , one or more decision points can be associated with the same therapy . the association of every possible decision point with one or more therapies can be referred to as a “ therapy decision matrix ” or “ therapy decision tree .” each decision point can be associated with more than one type of information . for example , both disease state and therapy can be indicated by a decision point . the articles “ a ,” “ an ” and “ the ” as used herein do not exclude a plural number of the referent , unless context clearly dictates otherwise . the conjunction “ or ” is not mutually exclusive , unless context clearly dictates otherwise . the term “ include ” is used to refer to non - limiting examples . the following examples are offered to illustrate , but not to limit the invention . unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected with previously established protocols . subjects were asked to refrain from eating , drinking , smoking , or oral hygiene procedures for at least 30 minutes before the collection . lipstick was wiped off , and the subject rinsed her mouth once with plain water . typically , patients donated approximately 5 - 10 ml of saliva . samples were then centrifuged at 2 , 600 g for 15 minutes at 4 ° c . the supernatant was then stored at − 80 ° c . until use . of note , protease inhibitors cocktail , containing 1 μl aprotinin , 10 μl pmsf ( phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride ) and 3 μl sodium orthovanadate ( all from sigma , st . louis , mo .) were added to each 1 ml saliva sample . rna was isolated from 330 μl of saliva supernatant using magmax ™ viral rna isolation kit ( ambion , austin , tex .). this process was automated using kingfisher ® ml technology ( thermo fisher scientific , waltham , mass . ), followed by turbo ™ dnase treatment ( ambion , austin , tex .) to remove contaminating dna . 90 μl of extracted rna ( out of 100 μl ) was concentrated to 11 μl and was linearly amplified using the riboamp ® rna amplification kit ( molecular devices , sunnyvale , calif .). after purification , cdna was transcribed and biotinylated using genechip ® expression 3 ′- amplification reagents for in vitro transcription labeling ( affymetrix , santa clara , calif .). approximately 20 μg of labeled rna were subsequently submitted for genechip ® analysis using an affymetrix human genome u133 plus 2 . 0 array . chip hybridization and scanning were performed using the miame ( minimum information about a microarray experiment ) criteria . all affymetrix human genome u133 plus 2 . 0 array data generated in this study were uploaded to the geo database , accession number gse20266 . the cel files from all databases were imported into the statistical r 2 . 7 . 0 ( hypertext transfer protocol :// www . r - project . org ) with same and roc packages . the probe logarithmic intensity error estimation ( plier ) expression measures were computed after background correction and quantile normalization for each microarray dataset . probeset - level quantile normalization was performed across all samples to make the effect sizes similar among all datasets . finally , for every probeset , significance analysis of microarray ( sam ) was applied to identify differential expression between the cancer and healthy control samples . the probesets were then ranked by the false discovery rate ( fdr ) corrected p - values . the biomarker candidates generated by microarray profiling were subjected to further screening by real - time quantitative rt - pcr ( qpcr ) on the same set of samples used for the microarray analysis . to accomplish this , total rna was reverse - transcribed using reverse transcriptase and gene - specific primers using the following thermal cycling conditions : 1 min at 60 ° c ., 30 min at 50 ° c ., 2 min at 95 ° c ., followed by 15 cycles of 15s at 95 ° c ., 30s at 50 ° c ., 10 s at 72 ° c . these steps were followed with a final extension of 5 min . at 72 ° c . and then cooling to 4 ° c . the preamplified product was cleaned using exosap - it ( usb corporation ) and diluted 1 / 40 in water . 2 μl of the cdna was used for qpcr . qpcr was carried out in a 96 - well plate in a reaction volume of 10 μl using power sybr ®- green master mix ( applied biosystems , foster city , calif .) for 15 min at 95 ° c . for initial denaturing , followed by 40 cycles of 95 ° c . for 30 s and 60 ° c . for 30 s in the abi 7500ht fast real time pcr system ( applied biosystems , foster city , calif .). all qpcrs were performed in duplicate for all candidate mrna . the specificity of the pcr was confirmed according to the melting curve of each gene , and the average threshold cycle ( ct ) was examined . amplicon lengths were around 100 - 130 by for the outer primer pairs used in preamplification and 60 - 80 bp for the inner primer pairs used in qpcr . rt - qpcr primers were designed using primer express 3 . 0 software ( applied biosystems , foster city , calif .). all primers were synthesized by sigma - genosys ( woodlands , tex . ), and the amplicons were intron spanning whenever possible . raw data were normalized by subtracting gapdh ct values from the biomarker ct values to generate δct . the mann - whitney rank sum test was used for between - group biomarker comparisons . gene symbol primer name primer sequences ( 5 ′- 3 ′) atxn3 atxn3 - of gaaaaacagcagcaaaagca atxn3 - if gggggacctatcaggacaga atxn3 - ir caagtgctcctgaactggtg atxn3 - or ccaagtgctcctgaactggt grik1 grik1 - of ccggactggtcctttctgta grik1 - if ccggactggtcctttctgta grik1 - ir agcgttgaaagagagacactg grik1 - or cagtgagattcccagttcttcc grm1 grm1 - of gcagggaatgccaattctaa grm1 - if tggcaagtctgtgtcatggt grm1 - ir gccacatatgctgtcccttg grm1 - or gccgtctcattggtcttcac tpt1 tpt1 - of taccgtgaggatggtgtgac tpt1 - if caaatgtggcaattattttgga tpt1 - ir gatgacaagcagaagccagtt tpt1 - or gatgacaagcagaagccagt rgs13 rgs13 - of ctcacggtggagcagaattt rgs13 - if ctcacggtggagcagaattt rgs13 - ir gggactgtggctggatgtaa rgs13 - or tgggttcctgaatgttcctg s100a8 s100a8 - of tcaggaaaaagggtgcagac s100a8 - if tcaggaaaaagggtgcagac s100a8 - ir tggaagttaactgcaccatca s100a8 - or acgcccatctttatcaccag cldn15 cldn15 - of ttgtaccccggaaccaagta cldn15 - if cggaaccaagtacgagctg cldn15 - ir cacccaggatggagatcagt cldn15 - or ctgggtcctcgtcagagc igf2bp1 igf2b p1 - of agaatttgacggcagctgag igf2bp1 - if ccaggtcatcgtgaaaatca igf2bp1 - ir atcttccgttgagccatctg igf2bp1 - or atgtctcggatcttccgttg csta csta - of acggaaaattggaagctgtg csta - if cattaaggtacgagcaggtga csta - ir tttgtccgggaagacttttg csta - or tttgtccgggaagacttttg mdm4 mdm4 - of gtggcagtgtactgaatgcaa mdm4 - if tggcagtgtactgaatgcaa mdm4 - ir aaggcccaacaacgaaaac mdm4 - or tcagacgtggagagagaatgg h6pd h6pd - of ggcacaagcttcaggtcttc h6pd - if gtcgtgggccagtaccagt h6pd - ir gtggaagctgtctggcttct h6pd - or gtggaagctgtctggcttct gapdh gapdh - of cattgccctcaacgaccactt gapdh - if accactttgtcaagctcatttcct gapdh - ir caccctgttgctgtagccaaat gapdh - or atgtgggccatgaggtcca of = outer forward , if = inner forward , ir = inner reverse , or = outer reverse . all primers were designed using primer express 3 . 0 software ( applied biosystems , fostercity , calif .). the specificity of primers was checked using ncbi &# 39 ; s genbank blast search . the data analysis for qpcr was performed using the 2 − ct method , where gapdh is used as the reference gene . the qpcr based gene expression values between two groups were compared using the non - parametric wilcoxon test . to normalize for rna input , qpcr was also performed for gapdh . raw data were normalized by subtracting gapdh ct values from the marker ct values to provide δct and then analyze with the stats , utilities packages from r 2 . 7 . 0 ( world wide web . r - project . org ) and the roc package from bioconductor 2 . 2 ( world wide web . bioconductor . org ). statistical comparisons were made with the use of the mann - whitney u test with consideration of two different distributions for control and pancreatic cancer groups . biomarkers that differentiated between groups of subjects ( p value & lt ; 0 . 05 ) were identified and compared by area under curve ( auc ) value . the auc is based on constructing a receiver operating characteristic ( roc ) curve which plots the sensitivity versus one minus the specificity . the auc value is computed by numerical integration of the roc curve . the range of this value can be 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 . a value of 0 . 5 indicates that the biomarker is no better that a coin toss , while 1 . 0 indicates the relatively best diagnostic accuracy . saliva from 13 healthy control subjects and 13 breast cancer subjects were centrifuged at 2600 g at 4 ° c . for 15 minutes . saliva supernatant from the 13 health control subjects and 13 breast cancer subjects were pooled to form a control sample and a cancer sample for proteomic profiling . 250 μg of proteins in the pooled saliva samples were precipitated by methanol and then resuspended in 2 - d cell lysis buffer ( 30 mm tris - hcl , ph 8 . 8 , containing 7m urea , 2m thiourea and 4 % chaps detergent ). the total proteins of each pooled sample , breast cancer and control , were labeled with the cyanine dyes cy2 and cy5 respectively . the two labeled sample sets were then combined and subjected to two - dimensional difference gel electrophoresis . after loading the labeled samples , isoelectric focusing ( ief ) ( ph3 - 10 ) was run following the protocol provided by amersham biosciences . the ipg strips were rinses in the sds - gel running buffer before transferring to 13 . 5 % sds - gels . the sds - gels were run at 15 ° c . until the dye front ran out of the gels . gel images were scanned immediately following the sds - page using typhoon trio ™ ( amersham biosciences ). the fold change of the protein expression levels was obtained from in - gel decyder ™ analysis . spots with fold changes larger than 1 . 5 on the gel were cut and then were washed multiple times to remove staining dye and other chemicals . gel spots were dried to absorb maximum volume of digestion buffer . dried 2d gel spots were rehydrated in digestion buffer containing sequencing grade modified trypsin ( promega , usa ). proteins were digested in - gel at 37 ° c . overnight . digested peptides were extracted from the gel with tfa extraction buffer and with shaking . the digested tryptic peptides were desalted using c - 18 zip - tips ( millipore ). the desalted peptides were mixed with chca matrix ( α - cyano - 4 - hydroxycinnamic acid ) and spotted into wells of a maldi plate for maldi - tof ms ( abi4800 ) identification . protein identification was based on peptide fingerprint mass mapping ( using ms spectra ) and peptide fragmentation mapping ( using ms / ms spectra ). combined ms and ms / ms spectra were submitted for database search using gps explorer software equipped with the mascot search engine to identify proteins from primary sequence databases . four proteins ( carbonic anhydrase vi , psoriasin , transthyretin and cyclophilin a ) identified in the 2 - d gel analysis ( above ) were subjected to western blot analysis on the original sample set . reduced protein samples ( 15 μs total protein per lane ) were loaded onto a 10 % bis - tris gel and run at 150v in mes sds running buffer for one hour . pre - stained protein standard ( invitrogen ) was used to track protein migration . the proteins were transferred to nitrocellulose membrane by using iblot ® ( invitrogen ). the membrane was then washed in wash buffer containing 10 mm tris - hcl , ph 7 . 6 , 150 mm nacl , and 0 . 1 % ( v / v ) tween ®- 20 ( sigma - aldrich ) before blocking for one hour in wash buffer containing 5 % non - fat dry milk . after further washes in wash buffer , the membrane was incubated with primary antibody ( mouse anti - human carbonic anhydrase vi ( lifespan biotech ) at 1 μg / ml , mouse anti - psoriasin ( abeam ) at 1 μg / ml , mouse anti - actin ( sigma - aldrich ) at 1 μg / ml according to manufacturers instructions in blocking buffer at room temperature for 2 h . the membrane was then washed before applying the secondary antibody ( anti - mouse igg peroxidase - linked species specific whole antibody from sheep , ge healthcare ) according to manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions for one hour at room temperature . finally , the membrane was washed and visualized using ecl plus ™ detection kit ( ge healthcare ). the signal intensity of the bands was measured using image j software ( nih , bethesda , md ., usa ). the intensity of a band representing the protein of interest was divided by the intensity of it corresponding ( 3 - actin expression on the same blot for normalization . the protein expression pattern of carbonic anhydrase vi and psoriasin was further tested by western blot with a new subject sample set including 31 cancer subject samples and 62 control subject samples . all the samples were coded with a random number from 1 to 93 and used for blind testing by western blot . the distribution of carbonic anhydrase vi shows significant difference in the cancer group as compared to the control group ( p = 0 . 009949 ). a patient undergoing routine dental care is screened during the visit . for example , a 62 year old female patient , and former smoker , prior to oral exam is asked to provide a saliva sample . a saliva sample is collected and analyzed either at the point of care or is submitted for analysis by a reference laboratory . the saliva sample is tested for the biomarkers of the instant invention and optionally other biomarkers . results from the analysis are provided to the dental professional and the patient is informed as to whether she has breast cancer . all references , publications , patent applications , issued patents , accession records and databases cited herein , including in any appendices , are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes . | 2 |
fig1 is a conceptual block diagram illustrating a profiling counter system 100 implemented in dedicated hardware using an internal module or system memory . in some implementations , system 100 can include a time measurement circuit that includes profiling identifier ( p_id ) register 102 , profiling clock source 104 , counter 106 , counter array 108 and p_id stack 110 . in some implementations , when building the software code the compiler / tool - chain can modify the prologue and epilogue of each function in the software code to be profiled to uniquely identify the function . the instrumentation can include a single write instruction to write a unique p_id for the function to p_id register 102 . the p_id can be a positive integer . p_ids can be consecutive integers ( e . g ., 1 , 2 , 3 . . . n ) based on the order the functions are encountered in the source code starting from the beginning of the source code . for example , a first function ( e . g ., a main { } function ) encountered in the source code could have a p_id of 1 , a next function a p_id of 2 , a next function a p_id of 3 and so forth . using a single write instruction for instrumentation will have a minimal impact on time overhead . the user can choose to instrument only parts of the source code or the whole source code tree . the p_id register 102 can be a memory mapped register in a devices memory map . in some implementations , profiling is performed by counter 106 counting a number of instruction cycles since the last write operation to p_id register 102 . when a new write to p_id register 102 is completed the p_id previously stored in p_id in register 102 and the new counter value are latched to one or more buffers ( e . g ., separate buffers ) before counter 106 is reset to start the next count sequence for the new p_id stored in p_id register 102 . after the counter value is latched , the counter value can be added to the previously accumulated counter value in counter array 108 for the p_id . the index in this array can be the p_id or it can be a hash of the p_id . an example syntax in the programming language “ c ” could be counter_array [ pid ]= counter_array [ pid ]+ counter_buffer , where counter_array is a one - dimensional counter array 108 , p_id is an index and counter_buffer holds the counter value to be added to the accumulated counter value stored at counter_array [ p_id ]. for example , a first function ( p_id = 1 ) has an accumulated counter value stored at counter_array [ 1 ]. using the above syntax , the total number of cycles spent inside a function is counted and stored in the counter array 108 at a position determined by the value of p_id . this profiling data can , at any given time , be uploaded to a post - processor ( e . g ., a personal computer ) and presented to a user as a bar graph or any other suitable display . to handle the case where a function calls another function ( i . e ., a nested function ) or may be interrupted by an interrupt routine there is a need for a data structure p_id stack 110 . p_id stack 110 can be a last in , first out ( lifo ) queue . in some implementations , when a “ 0 ” ( return value ) is written to p_id register 102 , the previous p_id is “ popped ” from p_id stack 110 . any p_id different from “ 0 ” is “ pushed ” onto p_id stack 110 . p_id stack 110 can be implemented inside a hardware module of the ic device to increase speed . an example p_id stack 110 has a stack depth of 32 and consumes 64 bytes of memory , assuming a 16 - bit p_id . an example stack operation is as follows . a first function p_id = 1 calls a second function p_id = 2 , which calls a third function p_id = 3 . when p_id = 2 is written to profiling register 102 , p_id = 1 is pushed to p_id stack 110 . when p_id = 3 is written to profiling register 102 , p_id = 2 is pushed to p_id stack 110 . when p_id = 0 is written to profiling register 102 , p_id = 2 is popped from p_id stack 110 and placed in profiling register 102 . when p_id = 0 is again written to profiling register 102 , p_id = 1 is popped from p_id stack 110 and placed in profiling register 102 . in some implementations , additional functionality can be initiated or accessed upon writing “ 0 ” to p_id register 102 . for example , a feature can be implemented to compare the measured counter value in counter_buffer to a maximum value stored in a separate array . if the measure value is larger than the maximum value , the maximum value can be updated so that the longest execution time for a function can be determined . in some implementations , upon a “ 0 ” being written to p_id register 102 , a separate call counter function can count how many times each function in the software program is called . a post - processor ( e . g ., personal computer ) can then calculate an average cycle count per function execution . to allow continuous non - intrusive operation , in some implementations an overflow bit can be assigned to the counter value for each p_id . when the overflow bit is set it can be signaled to an interface for an on - chip debug or event system . when the on - chip debug system or event system reads the overflow bit , the overflow bit can be automatically cleared ( e . g ., set to zero ). a separate array can be used to store overflow bits which can be aggregated into a single bit that indicates that at least one count for a function has overflowed . a separate bit can indicate loss of data when double overflow occurs . after the debug system reads the counter array , the array can be cleared ( e . g ., set to zero ). in some implementations , an alternative approach to indexing and adding counter values is for counter 106 to be pre - loaded with the accumulated counter value stored in counter array 108 , such that the accumulated counter value is added to the current counter value during the counting stage rather than as a separate , post - counting , stage in the profiling process . an example syntax in “ c ” for counter pre - loading is given by : this latter approach enable use of an execution time trigger point to break the code execution , signal an event to the user or cause a system reset when a function has exceeded a maximum time . an example syntax in “ c ” for a trigger point is given by : fig2 is a conceptual block illustrating a profiling counter system 200 implemented using a co - processor . in some implementations , system 200 can include a time measurement circuit that includes p_id register 102 , profiling clock source 104 , counter 106 and interface 202 . co - processor 204 handles indexing and adding operations , including accessing accumulated values from memory adding current counter values and writing the new accumulated counter value to counter_array 108 . host interface 206 provides an interface between co - processor 204 and post - processing device , such as an on - chip debug system . interface 202 between counter 106 and p_id register 102 can be a mailbox system , a queue , direct memory access ( dma ) or another interface with a certain amount of buffering . counter 106 and p_id may be merged into one 32 - bit word , where for example 8 bits are used for p_id and 24 bits are used for counter values . in some implementations , on - chip profiling can use a set of arrays or an array of “ structs ” to keep values , including but not limited to : 1 ) a counter temporary array for storing interruptions and function calls within functions ; 2 ) a max value array for storing the maximum execution times ; 3 ) a total array for storing total number of cycles for each p_id ; 4 ) a call counter array for storing number of times each p_id is called ; and 5 ) an overflow bit array for storing the overflow bit for each . in a practical system these arrays can be implemented in system memory or in local memory of the co - processor if a limited number of p_ids is supported . in some implementations , a separate memory interface can be implemented when using system memory . the separate memory interface can be configured to handle system memory bus access delays ( e . g ., memory read access time , bus arbitrations , etc .). if delay caused by the separate memory interface influences the counter value , the separate memory interface can include logic that measures the delay caused by the separate memory interface and adds the delay to the counter value . accounting for system memory bus access delays may occur , for example , in implementations where the counter is pre - loaded with a previous counter value , as described above . fig3 is a conceptual block diagram illustrating a profiling counter system 300 for a single channel . in some implementations , system 300 can include a time measurement circuit that includes interrupt level counter 302 , clock source 304 and counter 306 . system 300 can also include dma channel 308 . system 300 can be implemented using internal memory of a hardware module with a limited number of p_ids that can be monitored . “ single channel ” means monitoring one function . referring to the operation of system 300 , system 300 will start counting when a start bit is written . the write instruction can be in a prologue of a function or any other desired location in the code where the user may want to measure time consumption . counter 306 will keep counting until a stop bit is written . interrupt level counter 302 can be used to pause the counting if interrupts are detected . interrupt level counter 302 will be incremented by one at the start of each interrupt prologue and will be decremented by one at each return from an interrupt . by using a counter instead of single bit , multiple priority levels can be supported ( a high priority interrupt interrupting a low priority one ). counter 306 will continue counting when the interrupt level counter is zero . when the stop bit is written the result can be written to a memory buffer using dma . after each pass through the instrumented code , the counter value is stored separately and can be transferred to a post - processor that is embedded in the code on the ic device or sent to a host system ( e . g ., personal computer ) for calculating average max / min values or other analysis functions . fig4 is a flow diagram of a process 400 of profiling software code using the profiling counter system described in reference to fig1 . in some implementations , process 400 can begin by obtaining a software function identifier ( 402 ). process 400 can continue by starting a counter in response to a start signal indicative of a start point of the function in source code ( 404 ). the start signal can be generated while compiled source code of the function is executing on the ic device . process 400 can continue by detecting a stop signal indicative of a stop point of the function in the source code ( 406 ). process 400 can continue by indexing a counter array using the function identifier ( 408 ), reading a stored counter value from the counter array ( 410 ), adding a current counter value from the counter to the stored counter value ( 412 ), resetting the counter ( 414 ), and storing the function identifier in a data structure ( 416 ). for example , the data structure can be a lifo queue . fig5 is a flow diagram of a process 500 of profiling software code using the profiling counter system described in reference to fig2 . in some implementations , process 500 can begin by obtaining a software function identifier ( 502 ). process 500 can continue by starting a counter in response to a start signal indicative of a start point of the function in source code ( 504 ). the start signal can be generated while compiled source code of the function is executing on the ic device . process 500 can continue by detecting a stop signal indicative of a stop point of the function in the source code ( 506 ). process 500 can continue by configuring a co - processor in the ic device for latching the profiling data in an interface ( 508 ), resetting the counter ( 510 ), using a co - processor to access the latched profiling data ( 512 ), using the co - processor to index a counter array to obtain a stored counter value for the function ( 514 ), and using the co - processor to add the counter value to the stored counter value to obtain a total counter value for the function ( 516 ). while this document contains many specific implementation details , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope what may be claimed , but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments . certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment . conversely , various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub combination . moreover , although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such , one or more features from a claimed combination can , in some cases , be excised from the combination , and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub combination or variation of a sub combination . | 6 |
the polyamines of the present invention possess virtually the same biological activities as the corresponding polyamines described in u . s . patent application ser . nos . 07 / 834 , 345 filed feb . 12 , 1992 ; 07 / 066 , 227 filed jun . 25 , 1987 ; and 06 / 936 , 835 filed dec . 2 , 1986 . polyamines corresponding to those of the invention wherein r 1 and r 2 are hydrogen are metabolized by the body when administered to human and non - human patients . the metabolic products of these polyamines are more toxic than the parent compounds . the steric hindrance provided by the r 2 groups renders the polyamines of the present invention difficult to metabolize , thereby extending the half - life of the polyamine drug in the body and reducing the potential toxic side effects accompanying the metabolic products thereof . referring to fig1 the polyamines of the present invention are prepared by the novel method described below . compound ( i ) is prepared by the conjugate addition of an alkyl amine with an appropriate unsaturated nitrile to produce an intermediate nitrile amine according to the reaction scheme : an alternate synthesis of compound ( i ) is found in kurihara et al , j . pharm . soc . japan , vol . 75 , pages 1267 - 1269 ( 1955 ); and chem . abs ., vol . 50 : 8636b ( 1956 ). the cyano group of the intermediate is then reduced ( e . g ., h 2 , raney nickel in methanolic nh 3 ) to produce the intermediate : the latter is reacted with a suitable reagent which provides an amine protective group on the nitrogen atoms thereof [ e . g ., tosyl ( ts ) chloride , mesitylene sulfonyl chloride , and the like ], thereby producing a compound of the formula : a compound having termini which can n - alkylate the anion of compound ( iii ), e . g ., dibromobutane , is then reacted with compound ( iii ) ( in nah , dmf ) to produce a tetratosyl polyamine having the formula : the protective tosyl ( ts ) groups are removed ( e . g ., na , nh 3 , thf ) to yield the polyamine : the polyamines are preferably utilized as their acid addition salts with pharmaceutically acceptable acids , e . g ., hcl , p - toluene sulfonic acid , methylene sulfonic acid , and the like . in the structural formulae set forth herein , the terms “ aryl ” and “ aralkyl ” are intended to embrace any aromatic group whose chemical and physical properties do not adversely affect the biological activities of the polyamines and which do not adversely affect the efficacy and safety of the polyamines for therapeutic applications . the anti - neoplastic activity ( l1210 ) of the polyamines of the present invention was compared with that of the corresponding n 1 , n 4 - unsubstituted polyamines according to the following method and was found to be of about equal quality . murine l1210 leukemia cells were maintained in logarithmic growth as a suspension culture in rpmi 1640 containing 2 % hepes - mops buffer and 10 % fetal calf serum as described by porter et al , science , vol . 219 , pages 1083 - 1085 ( 1983 ). cultures were treated while in logarithmic growth ( 0 . 5 to 1 × 10 5 cells / ml ) with the test compounds at concentrations ranging from 10 − 6 to 10 − 2 m . after 48 and 96 hours , cells were counted by electronic particle analysis and viability determinations with trypan blue . the invention is illustrated by the following non - limiting examples , wherein silica gel 60 ( 70 - 230 mesh ) was used for column chromatography . proton nmr spectra were recorded on a varian em - 390 instrument and were run in chcl 3 or d 2 o with chemical shifts given in parts per million downfield from an internal tetramethylsilane or hod ( δ4 . 7 ) standard , respectively ( coupling constants are in hertz ). 3 -( n - ethylaino ) butanenitrile ( i ). 50 % naoh ( w / w , 32 ml ) was cautiously added to ethylamine hydrochloride ( 44 . 13 g , 0 . 54 mol ) at 0 ° c . crotononitrile ( cis and trans , 25 ml , 0 . 31 mol ) was added to the cold suspension over 3 min ., and the mixture was stirred for 18 hours ( 0 ° c . to room temperature ). the reaction was heated on a boiling water bath for 1 hour 20 min . and allowed to cool . ether ( 100 ml ) was added , and then 1 n naoh ( 50 ml ) was added . the layers were separated , and the aqueous phase was further extracted with ether ( 2 × 100 ml ). the combined organic portion was washed with brine ( 50 ml ). the brine was extracted with ether ( 4 × 50 ml ) and all of the organic extracts were evaporated in vacuo . a short path distillation of the crude product afforded 19 . 25 g ( 55 %) of i bp 38 - 45 . 50 ° c ./ 0 . 06 mm . nmr δ 1 . 00 - 1 . 32 ( m , 7 h ), 2 . 42 ( d , 2 h , j = 6 ), 2 . 63 ( q , 2 h , j = 7 ), 3 . 03 ( sextet , 1 h , j = 6 ). n - zthyl - 1 - nothyl - 1 , 3 - diaminopropane dihydrochloride ( ii ). raney nickel ( w - 2 grade , 13 . 18 g ) and then concentrated nh 4 oh ( 50 ml ) were added to a solution of i ( 19 . 21 g , 0 . 171 mol ) in methanol ( 207 ml ) in a 500 ml parr bottle . the suspension was cooled to 0 ° c ., and ammonia was gently bubbled in for 40 min . hydrogenation was carried out on a parr shaker for 10 hours at 50 - 55 psi . the catalyst was filtered off ( celite ) and the filtrate was concentrated . bulb to bulb distillation of the crude product , up to 66 ° c ./ 0 . 005 mm , followed by addition of etoh and concentrated hcl ( 35 ml ), and evaporation and drying gave 29 . 11 g ( 90 %) of ii as a white solid . nmr ( d 2 o ) δ 1 . 28 - 1 . 55 ( m , 6 h ), 1 . 8 - 2 . 5 ( m , 2 h ), 3 . 12 - 3 . 75 ( m , 5 h ). n , n ′- bis ( p - toluenesulfonyl )- n - ethyl - 1 - methyl - 1 , 3 - diazinopropane ( iii ). a solution of p - toluenesulfonyl chloride ( 17 . 01 g , 89 . 2 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 300 ml ) was added to a solution of ii ( 8 . 89 g , 47 . 0 mmol ) in 1 n naoh ( 300 ml ) which had been cooled to 0 ° c . after addition was complete , the biphasic mixture was stirred for 14 hours ( 0 ° c . to room temperature ). the layers were separated and the aqueous portion was extracted with ch 2 l 2 ( 2 × 50 ml ). the combined organic phase was washed with 1 n hcl ( 2 × 100 ml ) and h 2 o ( 100 ml ) and evaporated in vacuo . column chromatography on silica gel eluting with 3 % etoh / chcl 3 produced 7 . 46 g ( 39 %) of iii . nmr δ 0 . 77 ( d , 3 h , j = 7 ), 1 . 15 ( t , 3 h , j = 7 ), 1 . 45 - 1 . 76 ( m , 2 h ), 2 . 40 ( s , 6 h ), 2 . 79 - 3 . 25 ( m , 4 h ), 3 . 70 - 4 . 08 ( m , 1 h ), 5 . 47 ( t , 1 h , j = 7 ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 81 ( m , 8 h ). anal . calcd . for c 20 h 28 n 2 o 4 s 2 : c , 56 . 58 ; h , 6 . 65 ; n , 6 . 60 . found : c , 56 . 60 ; h , 6 . 64 ; n , 6 . 65 . n 1 n 12 - diethyl - 1 , 12 - dimethyl - n 1 , n 4 , n 9 , n 12 - tetra ( p - toluenesulfonyl ) spermine ( iv ). sodium hydride ( 80 % in oil , 0 . 45 g , 15 . 0 imol ) was added to a solution of iii ( 4 . 98 g , 11 . 7 mmol ) in dmf ( 95 ml ). the suspension was stirred for 6 min . at room temperature . 1 , 4 - dibromobutane ( 0 . 65 ml , 5 . 44 mmol ) was introduced and the reaction mixture was heated at 80 ° c . for 4 . 5 hours . after cooling to 0 ° c ., excess etoh was cautiously added to quench residual nah , and solvents were removed under high vacuum . 1 n naoh ( 100 ml ) was added to the residue , followed by extraction with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 × 100 ml ). the combined organic phase was washed with h 2 o ( 100 ml ) and evaporated in vacuo . column chromatography on silica gel eluting with 1 . 5 % ch 3 oh / chcl 3 led to 2 . 55 g ( 52 %) of iv as a white amorphous solid . nmr δ 0 . 91 ( d , 6 h , j = 7 ), 1 . 24 ( t , 6 h , j = 7 ), 1 . 45 - 1 . 95 ( m , 8 h ), 2 . 37 and 2 . 39 ( 2 s , 12 h ), 2 . 9 - 3 . 3 ( m , 12 h ), 3 . 63 - 4 . 05 ( m , 2 h ), 7 . 1 - 7 . 8 ( m , 8 h ). n 1 , n 12 - diethyl - 1 , 12 - dimethylspermine ( v ). a solution of iv ( 2 . 54 g , 2 . 81 mmol ) in dry thf ( 150 ml ) was cooled to − 78 ° c . under n 2 . ammonia ( 450 ml ) was condensed using a dry ice condenser and then sodium ( 2 . 93 g , 0 . 127 mol ) was added in portions . after the reaction was stirred for 1 day (− 78 ° c . to room temperature ), etoh ( 100 ml ) was added at 0 ° c ., and solvents were removed , followed by extraction with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 × 200 ml ). the organic portion was evaporated and the residue was distilled ( bulb to bulb , up to 123 ° c ./ 0 . 005 mm ), followed by the addition of etoh and concentrated hcl ( 2 ml ) and evaporation , giving crude tetra - hydrochloride salt ( v ). the product was converted to its tetra ( tert - butoxycarbonyl ) derivative ( boc - on , net 3 , aq thf ), which was purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with 4 % etoh / chcl 3 . boc group removal ( tfa ), extraction as above and treatment with ethanolic hcl furnished 0 . 38 g ( 31 %) of v as a white solid . nmr ( d 2 o ) δ 1 . 2 - 1 . 5 ( m , 12 h ), 1 . 68 - 2 . 37 ( m , 8 h ), 2 . 98 - 3 . 67 ( m , 14 h ). anal . calcd . for c 16 h 42 cl 4 n 4 ; c , 44 . 45 ; h , 9 . 79 ; n , 12 . 96 . found : c , 44 . 37 , h , 9 . 73 , n , 12 . 94 . | 2 |
unless otherwise stated , the terms used in the specification and claims have the following meanings . “ c 1 - 8 alkyl ” refers to a saturated aliphatic straight - chain and branched - chain hydrocarbon group including 1 to 8 carbon atoms , such as methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , tert - butyl , sec - butyl , n - pentyl , 1 , 1 - dimethylpropyl , 1 , 2 - dimethylpropyl , 2 , 2 - dimethylpropyl , 1 - ethylpropyl , 2 - methylbutyl , 3 - methylbutyl , n - hexyl , 1 - ethyl - 2 - methylpropyl , 1 , 1 , 2 - methylpropyl , 1 , 1 - dimethylbutyl , 1 , 2 - dimethylbutyl , 2 , 2 - dimethylbutyl , 1 , 3 - dimethylbutyl , 2 - ethylbutyl , 2 - methylpentyl , 3 - methylpentyl , 4 - methylpentyl , 2 , 3 - dimethylbutyl , n - heptyl , 2 - methylhexyl , 3 - methylhexyl , 4 - methylhexyl , 5 - methylhexyl , 2 , 3 - dimethylpentyl , 2 , 4 - dimethylpentyl , 2 , 2 - dimethylpentyl , 3 , 3 - dimethylpentyl , 2 - ethylpentyl , 3 - ethylpentyl , n - octyl , 2 , 3 - dimethylhexyl , 2 , 4 - dimethylhexyl , 2 , 5 - dimethylhexyl , 2 , 2 - dimethylhexyl , 3 , 3 - dimethylhexyl , 4 , 4 - dimethylhexyl , 2 - ethylhexyl , 3 - ethylhexyl , 4 - ethylhexyl , 2 - methyl - 2 - ethylpentyl , 2 - methyl - 3 - ethylpentyl and various branched chain isomers thereof , etc . the alkyl can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , the substituent can be substituted on any available connection points , and preferably the substituent group ( s ) is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , cyano , nitro , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 , wherein the c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl and 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl are each optionally substituted with one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , cyano , nitro , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ cycloalkyl ” refers to a saturated or partially unsaturated , monocyclic or polycyclic hydrocarbon substituent , “ c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl ” refers to a cycloalkyl group including 3 to 8 carbon atoms . “ 5 - to 7 - membered cycloalkyl ” refers to a cycloalkyl group including 5 to 7 carbon atoms , for example : non - limiting examples of monocyclic cycloalkyl groups include cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclopentenyl , cyclohexyl , cyclohexenyl , cyclohexadienyl , cycloheptyl , cycloheptatrienyl , cyclooctyl , etc . polycyclic cycloalkyl group includes a cycloalkyl having a spiro ring , fused ring and bridged ring . “ spiro cycloalkyl ” refers to a polycyclic group with rings connected through one common carbon atom ( called a spiro atom ), wherein these rings can contain one or more double bonds , but none of the rings has a completely conjugated π - electron system . according to the number of spiro atoms shared between the rings , the spiro cycloalkyl is divided into mono - spiro cycloalkyl , di - spiro cycloalkyl and poly - spiro cycloalkyl , non - limiting examples of mono - spiro cycloalkyl include : “ fused cycloalkyl ” refers to an all - carbon polycyclic group in which each ring in the system shares an adjacent pair of carbon atoms with another ring , wherein one or more rings can contain one or more double bonds , but none of the rings has completely conjugated π - electron system . according to the number of rings , the fused cycloalkyl is divided into bicyclic , tricyclic , tetracyclic and polycyclic fused cycloalkyl . non - limiting examples of fused cycloalkyl include : “ bridged cycloalkyl ” refers to an all - carbon polycyclic group in which any two rings in the system share two disconnected carbon atoms , wherein the rings can contain one or more double bonds , but none of the rings has a completely conjugated n - electron system . according to the number of rings , bridged cycloalkyl is divided into bicyclic , tricyclic , tetracyclic and polycyclic bridged cycloalkyl . non - limiting examples of fused cycloalkyl include : the cycloalkyl can be fused to the ring of aryl , heteroaryl or heterocyclyl , wherein the ring connected with the parent structure is cycloalkyl . non - limiting examples include indanyl , tetrahydro - naphthyl , benzo cycloheptyl , etc . the cycloalkyl can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , preferably the substituent is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , cyano , nitro , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ heterocyclyl ” refers to a saturated or partially unsaturated monocyclic or polycyclic hydrocarbon substituent , wherein one or more ring atoms are heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen , oxygen and s ( o ) p ( wherein p is an integer from 0 to 2 ), but the cyclic part does not include — o — o —, — o — s — or — s — s —, and the remaining ring atoms are carbon . “ 5 - to 7 - membered heterocyclyl ” refers to a heterocyclyl group including 5 to 7 ring atoms , and “ 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl ” refers to a heterocyclyl group including 3 to 8 ring atoms . non - limiting examples of monocyclic heterocyclyl include pyrrolidinyl , piperidinyl , piperazinyl , morpholinyl , thiomorpholinyl , homopiperazinyl , etc . polycyclic heterocyclyl group includes a heterocyclyl having a spiro ring , fused ring and bridged ring . “ spiro heterocyclyl ” refers to a polycyclic heterocyclyl group with rings connected through one common atom ( called a spiro atom ) shared between the rings , wherein one or more ring atoms are heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen , oxygen and s ( o ) p ( wherein p is an integer from 0 to 2 ), and the remaining ring atoms are carbon . these rings can contain one or more double bonds , but none of the rings has a completely conjugated π - electron system . according to the number of spiro atoms shared between the rings , the spiro heterocyclyl is divided into mono - spiro heterocyclyl , di - spiro heterocyclyl and poly - spiro heterocyclyl . non - limiting examples of spiro heterocyclyl include : “ fused heterocyclyl ” refers to a polycyclic heterocyclyl group in which each ring in the system shares an adjacent pair of atoms with another ring , wherein one or more rings can contain one or more double bonds , but none of the rings has a completely conjugated π - electron system , wherein one or more ring atoms are heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen , oxygen and s ( o ) p ( wherein p is an integer from 0 to 2 ), and the remaining ring atoms are carbon . according to the number of rings , fused heterocyclyl is divided into bicyclic , tricyclic , tetracyclic and polycyclic fused heterocyclyl . non - limiting examples of fused heterocyclyl include : “ bridged heterocyclyl ” refers to a polycyclic heterocyclyl group in which any two rings in the system share two disconnected carbon atoms . the rings can contain one or more double bonds , but none of the rings has a completely conjugated π - electron system , wherein one or more ring atoms are heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen , oxygen and s ( o ) p ( wherein p is an integer from 0 to 2 ), and the remaining ring atoms are carbon . according to the number of rings , bridged heterocyclyl is divided into bicyclic , tricyclic , tetracyclic and polycyclic bridged heterocyclyl . non - limiting examples of bridged heterocyclyl include : the heterocyclyl can be fused to the ring of aryl , heteroaryl or cycloalkyl , wherein the ring connected with the parent structure is heterocyclyl , and non - limiting examples include : the heterocyclyl can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , preferably the substituent is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , cyano , nitro , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ aryl ” refers to an all - carbon monocyclic ring or polycyclic fused ring ( namely , a ring in the system shares an adjacent pair of carbon atoms with another ring ) with a conjugated π - electron system . “ 5 - to 7 - membered aryl ” refers to an all - carbon aryl including 5 to 7 carbon atoms , such as phenyl and naphthyl . the aryl may be fused to the ring of a heteroaryl , heterocyclyl or cycloalkyl , wherein the ring connected with the parent structure is aryl , and non - limiting examples include : the aryl can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , preferably the substituent is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , cyano , nitro , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ heteroaryl ” refers to a heteroaromatic system comprising 1 to 4 heteroatoms , wherein the heteroatom comprises nitrogen , oxygen or s ( o ) p ( wherein p is an integer from 0 to 2 ). “ 5 - to 7 - membered heteroaryl ” refers to a heteroaromatic system including 5 to 7 ring atoms . “ 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl ” refers to a heteroaromatic system including 5 to 10 ring atoms , such as furyl , thienyl , pyridyl , pyrrolyl , n - alkyl pyrrolyl , pyrimidinyl , pyrazinyl , imidazolyl , tetrazolyl , etc . the heteroaryl can be fused to the ring of aryl , heterocyclyl or cycloalkyl , wherein the ring connected with the parent structure is heteroaryl , and non - limiting examples include : the heteroaryl can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , preferably the substituent is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , cyano , nitro , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ alkenyl ” refers to an alkyl group as defined above that has at least two carbon atoms and at least one carbon - carbon double bond , “ c 2 - 8 alkenyl ” refers to a straight - chain or branched - chain alkenyl including 2 to 8 carbon atoms , for example , vinyl , 1 - propenyl , 2 - propenyl , 1 -, 2 - and 3 - butenyl etc . the alkenyl can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , preferably the substituent is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , cyano , nitro , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ alkynyl ” refers to an alkyl group as defined above that has at least two carbon atoms and at least one carbon - carbon triple bond , “ c 2 - 8 alkynyl ” refers to a straight - chain or branched - chain alkynyl including 2 to 8 carbon atoms , for example , ethynyl , 1 - propynyl , 2 - propynyl , 1 -, 2 - and 3 - butynyl , etc . the alkynyl can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , preferably the substituent is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , cyano , nitro , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ alkoxy ” refers to — o -( alkyl ), wherein the alkyl group is as defined above , “ c 1 - 8 alkoxy ” refers to an alkoxy including 1 to 8 carbon atoms , and non - limiting examples include methoxy , ethoxy , propoxy , butoxy , etc . the alkoxy can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , preferably the substituent is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ cycloalkoxy ” refers to — o -( unsubstituted cycloalkyl ), wherein the cycloalkyl group is as defined above . “ c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy ” refers to a cycloalkoxy including 3 to 8 carbon atoms , and non - limiting examples include cyclopropyloxy , cyclobutyloxy , cyclopentyloxy , cyclohexyloxy , etc . the cycloalkoxy can be substituted or unsubstituted . when substituted , preferably the substituent is one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium , halogen , hydroxy , c 1 - 8 alkyl , c 2 - 8 alkenyl , c 2 - 8 alkynyl , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , 3 - to 8 - membered heterocyclyl , c 5 - 10 aryl , 5 - to 10 - membered heteroaryl , c 1 - 6 alkoxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkoxy , — s ( o ) p r 11 , — c ( o ) r 11 , — c ( o ) or 11 , — nr 12 r 13 and — c ( o ) nr 12 . “ deuterium ” is heavy hydrogen . it is a stable form isotope of hydrogen , and the element symbol is “ d ” “ halogen ” refers to fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine . “— s ( o ) p r 11 ” refers to r 11 - substituted sulfur , sulfinyl , sulfonyl . “ ” refers to a mixture with an uncertain ratio of α -, β - configuration product , preferably a mixture mainly comprising α - configuration , more preferably a mixture comprising more than 90 % by weight of α - configuration . the “ α - configuration ” is also shown by “ ”, and the β - configuration is also shown by “ ”. “ optional ” or “ optionally ” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance can , but need not occur . its meaning includes the instances in which the event or circumstance does or does not occur . for example , “ heterocyclyl optionally substituted by alkyl ” means that the alkyl can be , but need not be present . its meaning includes the instances in which heterocyclyl is substituted or unsubstituted by alkyl . “ substituted ” refers to one or more hydrogen atoms of the group , preferably up to 5 , more preferably 1 to 3 hydrogen atoms , each independently substituted by a corresponding number of substituent groups . it goes without saying that the substituents exist in their only possible positions . the person skilled in the art can determine whether the substitution is possible or impossible by experiment or theory without paying too much effort . for example , the combination of amino or hydroxy having free hydrogen and carbon atoms having an unsaturated bonds ( e . g . olefinic ) may be unstable . a “ pharmaceutical composition ” refers to a mixture comprising one or more compounds described in the present invention or physiologically / pharmaceutically acceptable salts or prodrugs thereof and other components such as physiologically / pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and excipients . the purpose of a pharmaceutical composition is to facilitate administration of a compound to an organism , which will help absorption of the active ingredient , thereby realizing biological activity . the following examples are used to further describe the present invention , but these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . structures of compounds were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) and / or liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry ( lc - ms ). nmr chemical shifts ( δ ) are given in 10 − 6 ( ppm ). nmr was determined by a bruker avance - 400 instrument . the solvents were deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso - d 6 ), deuterated chloroform ( cdcl 3 ) and deuterated methanol ( cd 3 od ). the internal standard was tetramethylsilane ( tms ). lc - ms was determined by an agilent 1200 infinity series mass spectrometer . high performance liquid chromatography ( hplc ) was determined by an agilent 1200dad high pressure liquid chromatography spectrometer ( sunfire c18 150 × 4 . 6 mm chromatographic column ). for thin - layer silica gel chromatography ( tlc ), yantai huanghai hsgf254 or qingdao gf254 silica gel plate was used . the dimension of the plates used in tlc was 0 . 15 mm to 0 . 2 mm , and the dimension of the plates used in product purification was 0 . 4 mm to 0 . 5 mm . column chromatography generally used yantai huanghai 200 to 300 mesh silica gel as a carrier . the known starting materials used in the examples of the present invention can be synthesized by methods known in the art or are commercially available from abcr gmbh & amp ; co . kg , acros organics , aldrich chemical company , darui chemical company , etc . argon or nitrogen atmosphere means that a reaction flask is equipped with about a 1 l volume argon or nitrogen balloon . hydrogen atmosphere means that a reaction flask is equipped with about a 1 l hydrogen balloon . for pressure hydrogenation reactions , parr 3916ekx hydrogenated instrument and clear blue ql - 500 hydrogen generator or hc2 - ss hydrogenated instrument was used . the hydrogenation reaction was usually conducted by vacuumizing , and filling with hydrogen , repeatedly for three times . for the microwave reaction , an anton paar monowave 300 microwave reactor was used . unless otherwise stated , the following reactions were under nitrogen or argon atmosphere . unless otherwise stated in the examples , the solution refers to an aqueous solution . unless otherwise stated in the examples , the reaction temperature was room temperature . room temperature is the optimum reaction temperature , and ranged from 20 ° c . to 30 ° c . the reaction progress in the examples was monitored by thin layer chromatography ( tlc ), and the system of developing solvent included : dichloromethane and methanol system , n - hexane and ethyl acetate system . the volume ratio of solvent was adjusted according to the polarity of the compound . the elution system for purification of the compounds by column chromatography and thin layer chromatography included : a : dichloromethane and methanol system , b : n - hexane and ethyl acetate system . the volume ratio of solvent was adjusted according to the polarity of the compound , and a small amount of ammonia and acetic acid can be added . to a dried flask , 5 - iodo - 2 - chlorobenzoic acid ( 20 . 0 g , 70 . 8 mmol ) and dichloromethane ( 60 ml ) were added . the reaction mixture was stirred , then oxalyl chloride ( 9 . 8 g , 77 . 9 mmol ) and dmf ( 0 . 2 ml ) were slowly added dropwise , and some bubbles were observed . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 7 hours . the solvent and excess oxalyl chloride were removed by rotary evaporation to give a gray solid , which was used directly in the next step without further purification . the above crude 2 - chloro - 5 - iodobenzoyl chloride was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 60 ml ), then 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 9 . 9 g , 73 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred in an ice - water bath , and aluminium trichloride ( 10 . 1 g , 77 mmol ) was added in batches . the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 hours at room temperature . the reaction solution was poured into ice water , the organic phase was separated , and the aqueous phase was extracted with etoac . the organic phases were combined , and washed successively with 1m hydrochloric acid , 1m koh aqueous solution and saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give the title product ( 28 g , yield of two steps : 98 . 7 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 72 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 35 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 16 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 92 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 4 . 31 ( m , 4h ). ( 2 - chloro - 5 - iodophenyl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methanone ( 28 g , 69 . 9 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of dichloromethane ( 30 ml ) and acetonitrile ( 100 ml ), then triethylsilane ( 45 ml , 282 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred in an ice - water bath , and bf 3 . et 2 o ( 18 ml , 143 mmol ) was added dropwise under n 2 . the reaction mixture was heated to 50 ° c . for 16 hours , 4m koh aqueous solution was added after it was cooled . the organic phase was separated , and the aqueous phase was extracted with etoac . the organic phases were combined and washed successively with 2m koh solution and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the product ( 26 . 2 g , yield : 97 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 08 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 80 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 24 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 92 ( s , 2h ) 6 -( 2 - chloro - 5 - iodobenzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 5 . 0 g , 12 . 95 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 20 ml ) and toluene ( 20 ml ). the reaction mixture was cooled to − 78 ° c ., then a solution of n - buli in n - hexane ( 1 . 6 m , 12 . 5 ml , 20 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at this temperature for 40 minutes . a solution of ( 3r , 4 s , 5r , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( trimethylsilyloxy )- 6 - trimethylslyloxymethyl - tetrahydropyran - 2 - one ( 6 . 5 g , 14 . 25 mmol ) in toluene ( 15 ml ) was added dropwise to the above system . the reaction mixture was stirred at − 78 ° c . for 2 hours , then a solution of msoh ( 3 . 0 g , 31 . 2 mmol ) in methanol ( 6 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . saturated sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution was added , the reaction mixture was extracted with etoac , the organic phase was washed twice with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 2 . 4 g , yield : 41 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , meod ) δ 7 . 37 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 70 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 60 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 06 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 90 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 54 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 2 . 89 ( s , 3h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 2 -( 4 - chloro - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 -( hydroxymethyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 2 . 3 g , 5 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ), then dmap ( 0 . 061 g , 0 . 51 mmol ) and imidazole ( 1 . 05 g , 15 . 5 mmol ) were added , and then tbscl ( 1 . 2 g , 7 . 65 mmol ) was added in batches under n 2 . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . saturated ammonium chloride aqueous solution was added , the organic phase was separated and washed successively with water and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 2 . 28 g , yield : 79 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 37 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 75 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 2 hz ), 4 . 21 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 95 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 09 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 87 ( br , 1h ), 2 . 28 ( br , 1h ), 0 . 91 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 12 ( s , 3h ), 0 . 09 ( s , 3h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 6 -((( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) methyl )- 2 -( 4 - chloro - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 2 . 4 g , 4 . 23 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 21 ml ) and dmf ( 7 ml ), then 60 % sodium hydride ( 761 mg , 19 . 1 mmol ) was added at 0 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes , then benzyl bromide ( 3 . 6 g , 21 . 2 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 5 hours . saturated ammonium chloride aqueous solution was added , the reaction mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate , the organic phase was washed successively with water and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 3 . 3 g , yield : 93 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 53 - 6 . 93 ( m , 16h ), 7 . 00 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 6 hz , 2h ), 6 . 66 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 95 - 4 . 83 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 72 ( d , j = 10 . 7 hz , 1h ), 4 . 50 ( d , j = 10 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 23 - 3 . 60 ( m , 13h ), 3 . 06 ( s , 3h ), 0 . 93 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 11 ( s , 3h ), 0 . 78 ( s , 3h ). tert - butyldimethyl ((( 2r , 3r , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - chloro - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - yl ) meth oxy ) silane ( 2 . 5 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 8 ml ), then acetyl chloride ( 38 mg , 0 . 45 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour , and concentrated under reduced pressure , then the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 1 . 6 g , yield : 73 . 7 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 31 ( m , 13h ), 7 . 20 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 73 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 89 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 68 ( d , j = 10 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 46 ( d , j = 10 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 20 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 80 ( m , 7h ), 3 . 29 ( d , j = 9 . 2 hz , 1h ), 3 . 08 ( s , 3h ). oxalyl chloride ( 263 mg , 1 . 38 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 3 ml ), then a solution of dmso ( 215 mg , 2 . 76 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 2 ml ) was added after it was cooled to − 78 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred at this temperature for 30 minutes , then a solution of (( 2r , 3r , 4 s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - chloro - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - yl ) methanol ( 1 . 0 g , 1 . 38 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 4 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at − 78 ° c . for 1 hour , then triethylamine ( 697 mg , 6 . 9 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was slowly warmed up to room temperature , and stirred at room temperature for another 30 minutes . 1 m hydrochloric acid was added in an ice - water bath . the reaction solution was separated , and the aqueous phase was extracted with dichloromethane . the organic phases were combined and washed with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give the crude title product ( 902 mg , yield : 90 %). ( 2s , 3 s , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - chloro - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - carbaldehyde ( 200 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 , 4 - dioxane ( 10 ml ), then paraformaldehyde ( 40 mg , 1 . 5 mmol ) and 85 % koh aqueous solution ( containing koh ( 68 mg , 1 . 2 mmol )) were added under stirring under n 2 . the reaction mixture was heated to 50 ° c . and stirred for 2 hours , then cooled and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated by rotary evaporation ( the bath temperature was below 50 ° c .). the resulting residue was dissolved in dichloromethane , the mixture was washed with saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 116 mg , yield : 55 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 44 - 7 . 16 ( m , 16h ), 7 . 02 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 95 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 64 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 22 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 00 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 83 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 66 ( t , j = 11 . 4 hz , 1h ), 3 . 24 ( d , j = 9 . 9 hz , 1h ), 3 . 07 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 95 ( dd , j = 11 . 4 , 2 . 2 hz , 1h ). (( 3 s , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - chloro - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 , 2 - diyl ) dimethanol ( 50 mg , 0 . 066 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of tetrahydrofuran ( 0 . 5 ml ) and methanol ( 5 ml ), then o - dichlorobenzene ( 147 mg , 1 mmol ) and pd / c catalyst ( 25 mg , 10 %) were added successively under n 2 . the reaction mixture was purged three times with hydrogen and stirred at room temperature under normal pressure under hydrogen for 3 hours . the reaction mixture was filtered through celite , and the filtrate was concentrated to dryness . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the final product ( 21 . 7 mg , yield : 73 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , meod ) δ 7 . 36 ( d , j = 2 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 27 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 59 ( dd , j = 11 . 6 , 1 . 2 hz ), 6 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 07 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 04 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 3 . 87 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 73 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 53 ( m , 4h ). to a 50 ml flask , 2 - bromo - 5 - iodobenzoic acid ( 50 g , 150 mmol ) was added , then purged with n 2 three times and anhydrous dichloromethane ( 500 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then a catalytic amount of dmf ( 2 . 0 ml ) was added , and then oxalyl chloride ( 19 . 4 ml , 229 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 3 hours . when the reaction system became a clear solution , the stirring was stopped . then , dichloromethane and excess oxalyl chloride were removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was used directly in the next step . the crude product obtained above was dissolved in anhydrous dichloromethane ( 500 ml ) after purging with n 2 , then benzodioxine ( 21 . 9 ml , 181 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then alcl 3 ( 24 g ) was added in batches . the reaction mixture was slowly warmed up to room temperature overnight . the reaction mixture was poured into ice , and then extracted with dichloromethane ( 300 ml × 3 ). the reaction solvent was removed by rotary evaporation to give a white solid ( 68 g ), which was used directly in the next step . ( 2 - bromo - 5 - iodophenyl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methanone ( 68 g ) was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 500 ml ). then , triethylsilane ( 76 . 8 ml , 481 mmol ) was added after the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., and then boron trifluoride etherate ( 58 . 8 ml , 464 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . the reaction was quenched with a saturated solution of nahco 3 , then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 300 ml × 3 ). the reaction solvent was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography , then further recrystallized with ethyl acetate and petroleum ether to give a white solid ( 40 g , total yield of three steps : 62 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 43 ( d , j = 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( dd , j = 8 . 3 , 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( d , j = 2 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 82 - 6 . 76 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 69 - 6 . 61 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 92 ( s , 2h ). 6 -( 2 - bromo - 5 - iodobenzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 5 g , 11 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 20 ml ) and toluene ( 20 ml ) in a dry ice - acetone bath , then n - buli in n - hexane ( 1 . 6 m , 11 ml , 17 . 6 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred at this temperature for 1 hour . a solution of ( 3r , 4 s , 5r , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( trimethylsilyloxy )- 6 - trimethyl silyloxymethyltetrahydropyran - 2 - one ( 6 g , 12 . 8 mmol ) in toluene ( 10 ml ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred at − 70 ° c . for 2 hours , and a solution of msoh ( 2 . 7 g , 27 . 8 mmol ) in methanol ( 5 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature and stirred overnight . saturated sodium bicarbonate solution was added , and the aqueous phase was extracted with etoac . the organic phase was washed three times with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a pale yellow foamy solid ( 2 . 52 g , yield : 43 . 7 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 47 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 34 ( t , j = 11 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 18 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 65 ( dd , j = 10 . 5 , 2 . 1 hz , 2h ), 4 . 17 ( d , j = 30 . 4 hz , 4h ), 4 . 06 - 3 . 78 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 62 ( dt , j = 19 . 7 , 9 . 4 hz , 2h ), 3 . 23 ( d , j = 9 . 3 hz , 1h ), 2 . 97 ( s , 3h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 2 -( 4 - bromo - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 -( hydroxymethyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ), then pyridine ( 3 . 2 g , 40 mmol ), ac 2 o ( 4 . 1 g , 40 mmol ) and dmap ( 61 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) were added successively . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was dissolved in etoac , the mixture was washed successively with 1m hydrochloric acid ( two times ) and saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a yellow foamy solid ( 2 . 9 g , yield : 87 . 2 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 48 ( dd , j = 14 . 0 , 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 71 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 63 - 6 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 49 ( t , j = 9 . 7 hz , 1h ), 5 . 15 ( t , j = 9 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 87 ( d , j = 10 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 27 ( dd , j = 12 . 2 , 5 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 20 - 4 . 10 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 02 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 98 ( d , j = 2 . 8 hz , 3h ), 1 . 89 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 3h ), 1 . 75 ( s , 3h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5r , 6r )- 6 -( acetoxymethyl )- 2 -( 4 - bromo - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triyl triacetate ( 595 mg , 0 . 894 mmol ), cyclopropylboronic acid ( 100 mg , 1 . 16 mmol ), palladium acetate ( 10 mg , 0 . 0447 mmol ) and k 3 po 4 ( 663 mg , 3 . 13 mmol ) were dissolved in a mixed solvent of toluene ( 4 ml ) and water ( 0 . 2 ml ). the reaction mixture was purged with n 2 for 15 minutes , then pcy 3 ( 25 mg , 0 . 0894 mmol ) was added , and then n 2 was sequentially purged for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was heated to 100 ° c . and reacted in a sealed tube for 6 hours , then cooled , diluted with etoac , and then washed successively with water and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a white foamy solid ( 415 mg , yield : 74 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 33 - 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 15 ( d , j = 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 98 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 61 - 6 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 58 ( t , j = 9 . 7 hz , 1h ), 5 . 28 - 5 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 97 ( d , j = 10 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 34 ( dd , j = 12 . 2 , 4 . 9 hz , 1h ), 4 . 29 - 4 . 17 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 03 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 11 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 10 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 06 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 95 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 74 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 91 - 0 . 76 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 70 - 0 . 50 ( m , 2h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5r , 6r )- 6 -( acetoxymethyl )- 2 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triyl triacetate ( 1 . 65 g , 2 . 63 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 9 ml ), methanol ( 6 ml ) and water ( 3 ml ), then lioh . h 2 o ( 122 mg , 2 . 9 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the organic solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was dissolved in etoac , then washed successively with 5 % nahso 4 aqueous solution and saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a white foamy solid ( 1 . 22 g , yield : 100 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 39 - 7 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 00 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 68 - 6 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 22 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 17 - 3 . 84 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 24 ( d , j = 9 . 3 hz , 1h ), 3 . 14 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 74 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 87 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h ), 0 . 63 ( t , j = 5 . 2 hz , 2h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5 s , 6r )- 2 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 -( hydroxymethyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 1 . 22 g , 2 . 66 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 15 ml ), then imidazole ( 543 mg , 7 . 98 mmol ) and dmap ( 33 mg , 0 . 27 mmol ) were added , and then tbscl ( 420 mg , 2 . 79 mmol ) was added in batches under n 2 . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . a saturated ammonium chloride aqueous solution was added , the organic phase was separated and washed with saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a pale yellow foamy solid ( 1 . 26 g , yield : 82 . 7 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 99 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 74 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 60 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 22 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 18 - 3 . 86 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 69 ( d , j = 3 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 27 ( dd , j = 9 . 2 , 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 3 . 13 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 02 - 0 . 80 ( m , 11h ), 0 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 0 . 07 ( s , 3h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5 s , 6r )- 6 -((( tert - butyldimethylslyl ) oxy ) methyl )- 2 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 1 . 26 g , 2 . 2 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 12 ml ) and dmf ( 4 ml ), then nah ( 60 %, 396 mg , 9 . 9 mmol ) was added in batches in an ice water bath . the reaction mixture was heated to room temperature and stirred for 30 minutes . bnbr ( 1 . 88 g , 11 mmol ) was added dropwise in an ice water bath , then the reaction mixture was heated to room temperature and stirred overnight . a saturated ammonium chloride aqueous solution and etoac were added . the organic phase was separated and washed with water and saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a white viscous substance ( 1 . 38 g , yield : 74 %). tert - butyldimethyl ((( 2r , 3r , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - yl ) methoxy ) silane ( 1 . 38 g , 1 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 15 ml ), then accl ( 0 . 02 ml , 0 . 25 mmol )) was added in an ice - water bath . the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour , then concentrated under reduced pressure to give a yellow foamy solid ( 1 . 2 g , yield : 100 %). oxalyl chloride ( 52 mg , 0 . 41 mmol ) was dissolved in dcm ( 1 . 5 ml ) at room temperature in a dry ice - acetone bath . then , a solution of dmso ( 42 mg , 0 . 54 mmol ) in dcm ( 1 . 5 ml ) was added dropwise , and the temperature was controlled at about − 70 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred for 25 minutes , then a solution of (( 2r , 3r , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - yl ) methanol ( 200 mg , 0 . 27 mmol ) in dcm ( 2 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at − 70 ° c . for 1 hour , then triethylamine ( 136 mg , 1 . 35 mmol ) was added dropwise . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes . 1m hydrochloric acid was added in an ice - water bath . the mixture was extracted with dcm , the organic phase was washed twice with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a white foamy solid , which was used directly in the next step . ( 2s , 3 s , 4 s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - carbaldehyde ( 170 mg , 0 . 23 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 , 4 - dioxane ( 6 ml ), then paraformaldehyde solution ( 33 mg , 1 . 1 mmol ) and potassium hydroxide ( 55 mg , 0 . 98 mmol ) were added under n 2 . the reaction mixture was heated to 50 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction solution was left to stand , filtered , then the filtrate was concentrated to dryness below 50 ° c . the resulting residue was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 50 ml ), the mixture was washed with saturated brine ( 50 ml × 2 ), then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography ( eluent pe : ea = 5 : 1 ˜ 3 : 1 ) to give the title product (( 3s , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 , 2 - diyl ) dimethanol ( 100 mg , a yellow oil , yield : 56 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 hz , cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 22 - 7 . 47 ( m , 15h ), 7 . 08 - 7 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 01 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 69 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 58 - 6 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 90 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 73 ( q , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 35 - 4 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 17 - 4 . 26 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 4 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 07 ( d , j = 9 . 6 hz , 1h ), 3 . 92 - 4 . 02 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 90 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 77 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 33 ( d , j = 9 . 6 hz , 1h ), 3 . 16 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 93 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 87 - 1 . 00 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 63 - 0 . 73 ( m , 2h ). (( 3s , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 , 2 - diyl ) dimethanol ( 50 mg , 0 . 066 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent ( 6 ml ) of tetrahydrofuran and methanol ( v : v = 1 : 5 ), then 10 % pd / c ( 25 mg ) was added . the reaction mixture was purged with hydrogen three times and stirred at room temperature for 3 hours , then filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography ( ch 2 cl 2 : meoh = 25 : 1 - 15 : 1 ) to give the title product ( 1s , 2s , 3s , 4r , 5s )- 5 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 1 -( hydroxymethyl )- 6 , 8 - dioxabicyclo [ 3 . 2 . 1 ] octane - 2 , 3 , 4 - triol ( 25 mg , a white solid , yield : 83 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 hz , cd 3 od ): δ 7 . 31 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 97 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 69 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 56 - 6 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 17 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 15 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 4 . 05 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 87 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 57 - 3 . 72 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 88 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 81 - 0 . 87 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 53 - 0 . 58 ( m , 2h ). to a 50 ml flask , 5 - bromo - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran - 7 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 0 g , 4 . 1 mmol ) was added , then anhydrous dichloromethane ( 15 ml ) was added after purging with n 2 three times . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then a catalytic amount of dmf ( 1 drop ) was added , and then oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 53 ml , 6 . 1 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 3 hours . when the reaction solution became a clear solution , the stirring was stopped . dichloromethane and excess oxalyl chloride were removed by rotary evaporation , and the crude product was used directly in the next step . the crude product obtained above was dissolved in anhydrous dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) after purging with n 2 , then benzodioxine ( 0 . 6 ml , 5 . 0 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then alcl 3 ( 0 . 65 g , 5 . 0 mmol ) was added in batches . the reaction mixture was slowly warmed up to room temperature and stirred overnight , then poured into ice . the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 30 ml × 3 ), and the organic phase was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to obtain a white solid ( 1 g , yield : 68 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 37 - 7 . 31 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 29 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 , 2 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 83 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 4 . 53 ( t , 0 . 1 = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( ddd , j = 8 . 1 , 6 . 1 , 2 . 8 hz , 4h ), 3 . 16 ( t , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ). ( 5 - bromo - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran - 7 - yl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methanone ( 1 g , 2 . 8 mmol ) was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 20 ml ). the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then triethylsilane ( 1 . 4 ml , 9 . 0 mmol ) was added , and then boron trifluoride etherate ( 1 . 1 ml , 9 . 0 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . the reaction was quenched with a saturated solution of nahco 3 , then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 30 ml × 3 ), and the reaction solvent was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a colorless oily liquid ( 810 mg , yield : 85 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 18 - 7 . 08 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 97 ( dd , j = 6 . 9 , 5 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 81 - 6 . 73 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 72 - 6 . 64 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 55 ( dd , j = 10 . 8 , 6 . 7 hz , 2h ), 4 . 30 - 4 . 17 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 74 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 18 ( t , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ). to a 50 ml flask , the product obtained in the previous step was added ( 400 mg , 1 . 16 mmol ), then dissolved in anhydrous thf ( 15 ml ) after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was cooled in a dry ice - acetone bath , then n - buli solution ( 1 . 2 mmol ) was slowly added dropwise . the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 . 0 hour , then a solution of 6 -(( 5 - bromo - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran - 7 - yl ) methyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 664 mg , 1 . 2 mmol ) in toluene ( 5 . 0 ml ) was slowly added dropwise . the reaction mixture was slowly warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 3 hours . the reaction mixture was quenched with ammonium chloride aqueous solution and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 30 ml × 3 ), then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , and then the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a colorless oily liquid ( 190 mg , yield : 20 %). to a 25 ml flask , the product obtained in the previous step ( 190 mg , 0 . 25 mmol ) was added , then dissolved in acetonitrile ( 10 ml ) after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was stirred and cooled in an ice - salt bath , then triethylsilane ( 0 . 35 ml , 2 . 25 mmol ) was added , and then boron trifluoride etherate ( 0 . 2 ml , 1 . 5 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred for 2 . 0 hours , then the reaction was quenched with a saturated solution of nahco 3 . the reaction mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 20 ml × 3 ), the organic phase was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , and the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a colorless oily liquid ( 80 mg , yield : 43 %). to a 25 ml flask , the product obtained in the previous step ( 80 mg , 0 . 1 mmol ) and pentamethylbenzene ( 280 mg , 1 . 5 mg ) were added , then dissolved in anhydrous dichloromethane ( 10 ml ) after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was stirred and cooled in a dry ice - acetone bath , then boron trichloride ( 0 . 8 ml , 0 . 6 mmol ) was slowly added dropwise . the reaction mixture was stirred for 2 . 0 hours , then methanol ( 10 ml ) was added , and the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 4 . 5 mg , yield : 10 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , meod ) δ 7 . 05 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 87 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 71 - 6 . 62 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 53 ( t , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 4 . 19 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 98 - 3 . 89 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 57 ( dd , j = 10 . 2 , 9 . 1 hz , 1h ), 3 . 34 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 26 - 3 . 13 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 96 ( ddd , j = 10 . 2 , 6 . 4 , 3 . 7 hz , 1h ). ms : calculated value ( c 23 h 26 o 7 s ) ( m + hcoo − ): 491 . 1376 ; measured value : 490 . 9 . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 11 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 58 - 6 . 56 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 19 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 92 - 3 . 77 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 71 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 42 ( t , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 3 . 10 - 3 . 07 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 19 ( s , 3h ). 2 - bromo - 5 - iodo - benzoic acid ( 5 . 0 g , 15 . 3 mmol ) and oxalyl chloride ( 4 . 0 ml , 46 . 5 mmol ) were dissolved in dichloromethane ( 30 ml ), then the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., and then 2 drops of n , n - dimethylformamide were slowly added . the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature and then stirred for 1 hour until the reaction system became clear . the solvent and excess oxalyl chloride were removed under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was dried in vacuo to give 2 - bromo - 5 - iodobenzoyl chloride ( 5 . 25 g , a pale yellow oil , yield : nearly 100 %). 2 - bromo - 5 - iodobenzoyl chloride ( 5 . 25 g , 15 . 2 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ), then 1 , 4 - benzodioxine ( 2 . 14 g , 15 . 7 mmol ) was added , and then aluminium trichloride ( 2 . 4 g , 18 mmol ) was added in batches in an ice bath . when the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature , the reaction system became black , and then stirred for another 3 hours . the reaction mixture was poured into ice water , the organic phase was separated , and the aqueous phase was extracted with dichloromethane . the organic phases were combined , then dried over anhydrous potassium carbonate , and the desiccant was filtered off . the filtrate was concentrated to give the title product ( 2 - bromo - 5 - iodophenyl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methanone ( 6 . 95 g , a pale yellow oil , yield : early 100 %). ( 2 - bromo - 5 - iodophenyl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methanone ( 6 . 95 g , 15 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of dichloromethane ( 60 ml ) and acetonitrile ( 60 ml ). then , an aqueous solution of triethylsilane ( 9 ml , 56 mmol ) was added in an ice bath after purging with n 2 , and then boron trifluoride etherate ( 7 ml , 55 mmol ) was slowly added dropwise . the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature , and slowly became clear . after 4 hours , the solvent and excess triethylsilane was removed . the crude product was purified by column chromatography ( petroleum ether ) to give 6 -( 2 - bromo - 5 - iodobenzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 6 . 1 g , a white solid , yield : nearly 91 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 38 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 80 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 66 ( d , j = 6 . 8 hz , 2h ), 4 . 25 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 93 ( s , 2h ). to a 100 ml flask , 6 -( 2 - bromo - 5 - iodobenzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 1 . 68 g , 3 . 89 mmol ) was added , then thf ( 10 ml ) and toluene ( 10 ml ) were added as a solvent after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath for 5 minutes , then n - buli ( 2 . 5 ml , 3 . 90 mmol ) was slowly added dropwise . the reaction mixture was stirred for 0 . 5 hour , then a solution of ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tribenzyloxy - 6 - benzyloxymethyltetrahydrothiopyran - 2 - one ( 1 . 80 g , 3 . 24 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran was added . after the reaction mixture was stirred for 3 hours , the solvent was removed . the resulting residue was purified by flash column chromatography to give ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -(( benzyloxy ) methyl )- 2 -( 4 - bromo - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl ) tetrahydro - 2h - thiopyran - 2 - ol ( a foamy solid 1 . 58 g , yield : 55 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 56 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 23 ( m , 14h ), 7 . 15 ( dt , j = 15 . 3 , 7 . 6 hz , 5h ), 6 . 71 ( dd , j = 13 . 8 , 6 . 6 hz , 4h ), 6 . 61 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 4 . 95 - 4 . 77 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 64 ( d , j = 10 . 7 hz , 1h ), 4 . 51 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 46 ( d , j = 10 . 4 hz , 1h ), 4 . 16 ( d , j = 11 . 8 hz , 4h ), 4 . 12 ( d , j = 7 . 1 hz , 1h ), 4 . 05 ( dd , j = 16 . 8 , 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 3 . 94 ( dd , j = 17 . 0 , 8 . 4 hz , 3h ), 3 . 85 ( d , j = 10 . 3 hz , 1h ), 3 . 61 ( d , j = 9 . 8 hz , 1h ), 3 . 49 ( d , j = 10 . 4 hz , 1h ). to a 50 ml flask , ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -(( benzyloxy ) methyl )- 2 -( 4 - bromo - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl ) tetrahydro - 2h - thiopyran - 2 - ol ( 2 . 0 g , 2 . 30 mmol ) was added , then dichloromethane ( 15 ml ) and acetonitrile ( 15 ml ) were added as a solvent after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was placed in an ice bath for 10 minutes , then triethylsilane ( 3 . 0 ml , 18 . 8 mmol ) and boron trifluoride etherate ( 1 . 8 ml , 14 . 3 mmol ) was added . after the reaction mixture was stirred for 3 hours , the solvent was removed . the resulting residue was purified by flash column chromatography to give 6 -( 2 - bromo - 5 -(( 2s , 3r , 4r , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -(( benzyloxy ) methyl ) tetrahydro - 2h - thiopyran - 2 - yl ) benzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 1 . 20 g , an oil , yield : 62 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 , ppm ): δ 7 . 51 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 24 ( m , 1514 ), 7 . 19 - 7 . 09 ( m , 5h ), 6 . 74 - 6 . 66 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 60 ( dd , j = 8 . 2 , 2 . 1 hz , 1h ), 4 . 93 - 4 . 84 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 60 ( t , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 50 ( d , j = 10 . 9 hz , 3h ), 4 . 26 - 4 . 15 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 04 ( d , j = 15 . 4 hz , 1h ), 3 . 89 ( ddd , j = 15 . 2 , 13 . 5 , 9 . 0 hz , 4h ), 3 . 82 - 3 . 75 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 69 ( dd , j = 9 . 7 , 2 . 8 hz , 1h ), 3 . 51 ( t , j = 8 . 9 hz , 1h ), 3 . 09 ( ddd , j = 10 . 4 , 5 . 2 , 2 . 9 hz , 1h ). to a 25 ml flask , 6 -( 2 - bromo - 5 -(( 2s , 3r , 4r , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -(( benzyloxy ) methyl ) tetrahydro - 2h - thiopyran - 2 - yl ) benzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 0 . 4 g , 0 . 47 mmol ), cyclopropylboronic acid ( 60 mg , 0 . 62 mmol ), tricycloethylphosphine ( 60 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ) and potassium phosphate ( 365 mg , 1 . 72 mmol ) were added , then toluene ( 8 ml ) and water ( 0 . 4 ml ) were added after purging with n 2 . then , palladium acetate ( 30 mg , 0 . 13 mmol ) was added under n 2 . the reaction mixture was heated to 100 ° c . and refluxed overnight , then poured into water and extracted with ethyl acetate . the organic phases were combined , and washed with saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate , and the solvent was removed . the resulting residue was purified by flash column chromatography to give the title product 6 -( 2 - cyclopropyl - 5 -(( 2s , 3r , 4r , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -(( benzyloxy ) methyl ) tetrahydro - 2h - thiopyran - 2 - yl ) benzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 260 mg , an oil , yield : 69 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 , ppm ): δ 7 . 34 - 7 . 23 ( m , 16h ), 7 . 21 - 7 . 08 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 98 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 6 . 70 - 6 . 62 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 55 ( dd , j = 8 . 3 , 2 . 1 hz , 1h ), 4 . 93 - 4 . 84 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 60 ( d , j = 10 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 54 - 4 . 45 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 25 - 4 . 11 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 05 ( d , j = 38 . 2 hz , 1h ), 3 . 92 ( td , j = 15 . 5 , 7 . 4 hz , 3h ), 3 . 81 ( dt , j = 8 . 4 , 6 . 3 hz , 2h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 66 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 51 ( t , j = 9 . 0 hz , 1h ), 3 . 09 ( ddd , j = 10 . 3 , 5 . 2 , 2 . 9 hz , 1h ), 1 . 85 ( m , 1h ) 0 . 87 ( dt , j = 15 . 8 , 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 0 . 62 ( dd , j = 5 . 4 , 1 . 7 hz , 2h ). to a 50 ml flask , 6 -( 2 - cyclopropyl - 5 -(( 2s , 3r , 4r , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -(( benzyloxy ) methyl ) tetrahydro - 2h - thiopyran - 2 - yl ) benzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 260 mg , 0 . 32 mmol ) and pentamethylbenzene ( 715 mg , 4 . 81 mmol ) were added . then , dichloromethane ( 10 ml ) was added after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath and stirred for 10 minutes , then boron trichloride ( 2 . 0 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred for 3 hours , then the reaction was quenched with anhydrous methanol , and the reaction system became yellow . after the reaction mixture was stirred for 0 . 5 hour , the solvent was removed . the resulting residue was purified by reverse phase column chromatography to give ( 2s , 3r , 4r , 5 s , 6r )- 2 -( 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 -( hydroxymethyl ) tetrahydro - 2h - thiopyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 65 mg , an oil , yield : 45 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , meod ): δ 7 . 07 - 6 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 84 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 6 . 59 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 52 - 6 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 06 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 92 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 84 ( dd , j = 11 . 5 , 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 56 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 15 ( t , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 2 . 89 ( ddd , j = 10 . 1 , 6 . 4 , 3 . 7 hz , 1h ), 1 . 71 ( tt , j = 8 . 4 , 5 . 4 hz , 1h ), 0 . 82 - 0 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 53 - 0 . 34 ( m , 2h ). 2 - methyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid ( 20 . 0 g , 0 . 13 mol ), benzyl bromide ( 58 . 5 g , 0 . 34 mol ) and potassium carbonate ( 46 . 9 g , 0 . 34 mol ) were dissolved in acetone ( 500 ml ). the reaction mixture was heated to 60 ° c . and refluxed overnight . after the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , anhydrous potassium carbonate was filtered off , and the filtrate was concentrated to give a pale yellow solid . the solid was further recrystallized to give benzenemethyl 4 - benzyloxy - 2 - methyl - benzoate ( 34 g , a white solid , yield : 79 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 98 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 29 ( m , 1014 ), 6 . 87 - 6 . 77 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 31 ( s , 214 ), 5 . 10 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 61 ( s , 3h ). benzenemethyl 4 - benzyloxy - 2 - methyl - benzoate ( 34 g , 0 . 1 mol ), sodium bromide ( 11 . 64 g , 0 . 11 mol ) and potassium hydrogen persulfate ( 70 g , 0 . 11 mol ) were dissolved in a mixed solvent of acetone ( 250 ml ) and water ( 250 ml ). after the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 hours , the color of the reaction system changed from red to white . sodium sulfite solution and ethyl acetate were added to the reaction mixture , the organic phase was separated and washed with saturated brine , and then dried and concentrated to give a mixture of benzenemethyl 4 -( benzyloxy )- 5 - bromo - 2 - methylbenzoate and benzenemethyl 4 -( benzyloxy )- 3 - bromo - 2 - methylbenzoate ( 35 g , an oil , yield : 85 %). the mixture of benzenemethyl 4 -( benzyloxy )- 5 - bromo - 2 - methylbenzoate and benzenemethyl 4 -( benzyloxy )- 3 - bromo - 2 - methylbenzoate ( 35 g , 85 . 2 mmol ) was dissolved in the mixed solvent of tetrahydrofuran ( 50 ml ) and sodium hydroxide ( 150 ml ). the reaction mixture was heated to 100 ° c . and refluxed overnight . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , then hydrochloric acid aqueous solution was added , and then ethyl acetate was added . the organic phase was separated , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a pale yellow solid . the solid was further recrystallized with ethyl acetate to give 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzoic acid ( 13 g , a white solid , yield : 48 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 77 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 03 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 49 ( d , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 7 . 42 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 35 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 27 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 36 ( s , 3h ). to a 100 ml flask , 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzoic acid ( 4 . 3 g , 13 . 4 mmol ) and methanol ( 30 ml ) were added , then 10 drops of concentrated sulfuric acid were added as a catalyst . the reaction mixture was heated to 80 ° c . and refluxed overnight . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , then the solvent was removed . the resulting residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate , the organic phase was washed successively with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a white solid . the solid was purified by flash column chromatography to give methyl 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzoate ( 3 . 4 g , white solid , yield : 75 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 40 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 30 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 71 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 13 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 79 ( d , j = 3 . 1 hz , 3h ), 2 . 50 ( s , 3h ). to a 50 ml flask , methyl 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methyl - benzoate ( 2 . 0 g , 6 . 0 mmol ) was added , then dichloromethane ( 40 ml ) was added as a solvent after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath for 10 minutes , then diisobutylaluminium hydride ( 12 ml , 12 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 . 5 hours , then methanol ( 5 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred for 5 minutes , then a saturated solution of sodium tartrate was added . after the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 0 . 5 hour , ethyl acetate and water were added . the organic phase was separated and washed with saturated brine , then dried and concentrated to give 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzenemethanol ( 1 . 88 g , a white solid , yield : nearly 100 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 46 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 41 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 2h ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 07 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 53 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 23 ( s , 3h ). to a 100 ml flask , 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzenemethanol ( 1 . 88 g , 6 mmol ) and 2 - iodoxybenzoic acid ( 3 . 4 g , 12 mmol ) were added , then dimethyl sulfoxide ( 20 ml ) and tetrahydrofuran ( 20 ml ) were added as a solvent . the reaction mixture was heated to 40 ° c . and stirred for 2 hours . water and ethyl acetate were added , then the organic phase was separated and washed successively with water , saturated sodium bicarbonate solution and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzaldehyde ( 1 . 82 g , a white solid , yield : nearly 100 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 , ppm ): δ 10 . 01 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 41 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 28 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 71 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 16 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 55 ( s , 3h ). to a 50 ml flask , fresh magnesium ribbon ( 100 mg , 4 . 2 mmol ) was added , then tetrahydrofuran ( 4 ml ) and a small amount of iodine were added after purging with n 2 , and then a small amount of a solution of 6 - bromine - 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine in tetrahydrofuran was added . the reaction mixture was heated to 40 ° c ., then the remaining 6 - bromo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - benzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 645 mg , 3 mmol ) was added dropwise after successfully initiating the reaction . the reaction mixture was stirred for about 40 minutes , then a solution of 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzaldehyde ( 305 mg , 1 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran was added in an ice bath . the reaction mixture was stirred for 3 hours , then inorganic substance was filtered off through short column of silica gel , and then the filtrate was concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by flash column chromatography to give ( 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylphenyl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl )- methanol ( 430 mg , an oil , yield : nearly 97 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 73 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 48 ( d , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 7 . 39 ( dd , j = 10 . 0 , 4 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 32 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 74 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 72 ( d , j = 5 . 6 hz , 1h ), 5 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 14 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 4 . 24 ( s , 4h ), 2 . 15 ( s , 3h ). ( 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylphenyl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl )- methanol ( 430 mg , 0 . 98 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of dichloromethane ( 8 ml ) and acetonitrile ( 7 ml ), then triethylsilane ( 1 ml , 6 . 26 mmol ) and boron trifluoride etherate ( 0 . 6 ml , 4 . 75 mmol ) were added successively in an ice bath after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature , and the color of the reaction system slowly became light . after the reaction mixture was stirred for 2 hours , the solvent and excess triethylsilane was removed . the crude product was purified by column chromatography ( 12 % ethyl acetate ) to give 6 -( 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 200 mg , a white solid , yield : nearly 48 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 48 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 7 . 39 ( dd , j = 10 . 1 , 4 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 31 ( dd , j = 13 . 4 , 6 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 27 ( d , j = 6 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 80 - 6 . 73 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 59 ( dd , j = 5 . 6 , 2 . 1 hz , 2h ), 5 . 12 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 17 ( s , 3h ). to a 50 ml flask , 6 -( 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - bromine - 2 - methylbenzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 400 mg , 0 . 94 mmol ) was added , then thf ( 4 ml ) and toluene ( 4 ml ) were added as a solvent after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath for 5 minutes , then n - buli ( 0 . 75 ml , 1 . 5 mmol ) was slowly added . after the reaction mixture was stirred for 0 . 5 hour , a solution of ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tribenzyloxy - 6 - benzyloxymethyltetrahydrothiopyran - 2 - one ( 573 mg , 1 . 03 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran was added . after the reaction mixture was stirred for another 2 hours , the solvent was removed . the resulting residue was purified by flash column chromatography to give ( 3r , 4s , 5 s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tribenzyloxy - 2 -[ 2 - benzyloxy - 5 -( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl - 4 - methylphenyl ]- 6 - benzyloxymethyltetrahydrothiopyran - 2 - ol ( 210 mg , a foamy solid , yield : 25 %). to a 50 ml flask , ( 3r , 4s , 5 s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tribenzyloxy - 2 -[ 2 - benzyloxy - 5 -( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl - 4 - methylphenyl ]- 6 - benzyloxymethyltetrahydrothiopyran - 2 - ol ( 210 mg , 0 . 23 mmol ) was added , then dichloromethane ( 7 ml ) and acetonitrile ( 5 ml ) were added as a solvent after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was placed in an ice bath for 10 mintures , then triethylsilane ( 1 ml , 6 . 26 mmol ) and boron trifluoride etherate ( 0 . 6 ml , 4 . 75 mmol ) were added . after the reaction mixture was stirred for another 3 hours , a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution was added to quench the reaction . the organic phase was separated , and the aqueous phase was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 50 ml × 2 ). the organic phases were combined , then dried and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by flash column chromatography ( 10 % ethyl acetate ) to give 6 -[ 4 - benzyloxy - 2 - methyl - 5 -(( 2 s , 3r , 4r , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tribenzyloxy - 6 - benzyloxymethyltetrahydrothiopyran - 2 - yl ) benzyl ]- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 100 mg , an oil , yield : 48 %). to a 50 ml flask , 6 -[ 4 - benzyloxy - 2 - methyl - 5 -(( 2s , 3r , 4r , 5s , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tribenzyloxy - 6 - benzyloxymethyltetrahydrothiopyran - 2 - yl ) benzyl ]- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 98 mg , 0 . 11 mmol ) and pentamethylbenzene ( 297 mg , 2 mmol ) were added , then dichloromethane ( 8 ml ) was added as a solvent after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath for 10 minutes , then boron trichloride ( 1 ml , 1 mmol ) was slowly added . after the reaction mixture was stirred for 3 hours , the reaction was quenched with anhydrous methanol , and the color of the reaction system became yellow . the reaction mixture was stirred for another 0 . 5 hour , then the solvent was removed . the resulting residue was purified by reverse phase column chromatography to give ( 2 s , 3r , 4r , 5s , 6r )- 2 -( 5 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methylphenyl )- 6 -( hydroxymethyl ) tetrahydro - 2h - thiopyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 15 mg , an oil , yield : 31 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , meod , ppm ): δ 7 . 06 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 69 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 64 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 59 - 6 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 31 ( t , j = 13 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 18 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 02 - 3 . 93 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 93 - 3 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 77 ( q , j = 6 . 4 hz , 3h ), 3 . 64 ( t , j = 9 . 6 hz , 1h ), 3 . 36 - 3 . 27 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 02 ( ddd , j = 10 . 1 , 6 . 3 , 3 . 8 hz , 1h ), 2 . 09 ( s , 3h ). {( 3 s , 4 s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tribenzyloxy - 6 -[ 4 - cyclopropyl - 3 -( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - ylmethyl ) phenyl ]- 2 - hydroxymethyl - 6 - methoxytetrahydropyran - 2 - yl }- methanol ( 256 mg , 0 . 34 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of tetrahydrofuran ( 5 ml ) and methanol ( 20 ml ) ( v : v = 1 : 10 ), then 10 % pd / c ( 50 mg ) was added , and then the reaction mixture was purged with hydrogen three times . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 hours , then filtered . then , the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 93 mg , a white solid , yield : 60 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , meod ) δ 7 . 41 - 7 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 16 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 70 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 61 - 6 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 18 ( d , j = 5 . 3 hz , 5h ), 3 . 91 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 84 ( dd , 14 . 3 , 10 . 3 hz , 2h ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 59 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 60 - 2 . 49 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 47 ( dd , j = 15 . 4 , 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 0 . 91 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 3h ). to a 50 ml flask , 5 - bromo - 2 - methylbenzoic acid ( 4 . 3 g , 20 mmol ) was added , then anhydrous dichloromethane ( 30 ml ) was added after purging with n 2 . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then a catalytic amount of dmf ( 0 . 5 ml ) was added , and then oxalyl chloride ( 5 ml , 58 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 3 hours until the reaction solution became a clear solution , and then the stirring was stopped . dichloromethane and excess oxalyl chloride were removed by rotary evaporation to give a pale yellow oil ( 4 . 8 g , 100 . 0 %), which was used directly in the next step . the crude product obtained above was dissolved in anhydrous dichloromethane ( 120 ml ) after purging with n 2 , then benzodioxine ( 2 . 72 g , 20 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then alcl 3 ( 3 . 5 g , 26 mmol ) was added in batches . the reaction mixture was slowly warmed up to room temperature and stirred overnight . the reaction mixture was poured into ice and extracted with dichloromethane ( 150 ml × 3 ). the reaction solvent was removed by rotary evaporation to give a white solid ( 6 . 4 g , yield : 96 . 0 %), which was used directly in the next step . ( 5 - bromo - 2 - methylphenyl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methanone ( 6 . 4 g , 19 . 2 mmol ) was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 100 ml ). the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then triethylsilane ( 11 . 0 ml , 67 . 2 mmol ) was added , and then boron trifluoride etherate ( 7 . 5 ml , 58 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . the reaction was quenched with a saturated solution of nahco 3 , then the reaction mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 100 ml × 3 ). then , the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 5 . 6 g , yield : 92 . 0 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 23 ( dd , j = 9 . 7 , 2 . 1 hz , 2h ), 7 . 01 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 59 ( dt , j = 3 . 9 , 2 . 0 hz , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 82 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 18 ( s , 3h ). 6 -( 5 - bromo - 2 - methylbenzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 5 . 5 g , 17 . 2 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 20 ml ) and toluene ( 20 ml ). the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath , then n - buli in n - hexane ( 1 . 6 m , 20 ml , 31 mmol ) was slowly added . after the reaction mixture was stirred at this temperature for 1 hour , a solution of ( 3r , 4 s , 5r , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( trimethylsilyloxy )- 6 - trimethylsilyloxymethyltetrahydropyran - 2 - one ( 8 g , 17 . 2 mmol ) in toluene ( 10 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at − 70 ° c . for 2 hours , then a solution of msoh ( 4 . 5 g , 46 . 8 mmol ) in methanol was added , and then naturally warmed up to room temperature and stirred overnight . a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution was added , the aqueous phase was extracted with etoac , the organic phase was washed three times with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a pale yellow foamy solid . ( 3 . 8 g , yield : 52 . 0 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 26 - 7 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 07 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 111 ), 6 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 55 ( dd , j = 12 . 3 , 3 . 9 hz , 2h ), 5 . 30 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 16 ( d , j = 11 . 3 hz , 4h ), 3 . 96 - 3 . 80 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 63 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 27 ( d , j = 9 . 1 hz , 1h ), 3 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 17 ( s , 3h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5 s , 6r )- 2 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - methylphenyl )- 6 -( hydroxymethyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 3 . 8 g , 8 . 7 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 30 ml ), then imidazole ( 1 . 8 g , 26 . 4 mmol ) and dmap ( 106 . 3 mg , 0 . 87 mmol ) were added , and then tbscl ( 1 . 46 g , 9 . 7 mmol ) was added in batches under n 2 . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . a saturated aqueous ammonium chloride solution was added , the organic phase was separated and washed with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a pale yellow foamy solid ( 4 . 2 g , yield : 88 . 0 %). ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 6 -((( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) methyl )- 2 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - methylphenyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 4 . 2 g , 7 . 7 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 36 ml ) and dmf ( 12 ml ). the reaction mixture was placed in an ice - water bath , then nah ( 60 %, 1 . 54 g , 38 . 4 mmol ) was added in batches under n 2 . the reaction mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 30 minutes , then bnbr ( 7 . 23 g , 42 . 3 mmol ) was added dropwise in an ice - water bath . the reaction mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred overnight . a saturated aqueous ammonium chloride solution and etoac was added , the organic phase was separated and washed successively with water and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a white solid ( 3 . 9 g , yield : 63 %). tert - butyldimethyl ((( 2r , 3r , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - methylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - yl ) meth oxy ) silane ( 3 . 9 g , 4 . 8 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 30 ml ), then accl ( 21 mg , 0 . 15 mmol )) was added in an ice - water bath . the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour , then concentrated under reduced pressure to give a white foamy solid ( 3 . 2 g , yield : 95 . 0 %). oxalyl chloride ( 762 mg , 6 mmol ) was dissolved in dcm ( 10 ml ) at room temperature . the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath , a solution of dmso ( 625 mg , 8 mmol ) in dcm ( 10 ml ) was added dropwise , and the temperature was controlled at about − 70 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred for 25 minutes , then a solution of (( 2r , 3r , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - methylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - yl ) methan of ( 1 . 4 g , 2 . 0 mmol ) in dcm ( 5 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at − 70 ° c . for 1 hour , then triethylamine ( 2 g , 20 mmol ) was added dropwise . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes , then 1 m hydrochloric acid was added in an ice - water bath . the mixture was extracted with dcm , the organic phase was washed twice with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a white foamy solid ( 1 . 4 g , yield : 98 %), which was used directly in the next step . ( 2s , 3s , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - methylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - carbaldehyde ( 1 . 4 g , 2 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 , 4 - dioxane ( 30 ml ), then paraformaldehyde solution ( 300 mg , 10 mmol ) and potassium hydroxide ( 504 mg , 9 mmol ) were added under n 2 . the reaction mixture was heated to 50 ° c . and stirred for 2 hours . the reaction solution was left to stand overnight , then filtered , and then the filtrate was concentrated below 50 ° c . the resulting residue was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 200 ml ) and washed with saturated brine ( 100 ml × 2 ), and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 130 mg , a yellow oil , yield : 9 . 0 %). (( 3 s , 4 s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - methylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 , 2 - diyl ) dimethanol ( 74 mg , 0 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of tetrahydrofuran ( 3 ml ) and methanol ( 30 ml ) ( v : v = 1 : 10 ), then 10 % pd / c ( 50 mg ) was added . the reaction mixture was purged with hydrogen three times and stirred at room temperature for 3 hours . the reaction mixture was filtered , then the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give the title product ( 40 mg , a white solid , yield : 93 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , meod ) δ 7 . 36 ( dd , j = 9 . 1 , 4 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 14 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 70 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 61 - 6 . 54 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 18 ( s , 5h ), 3 . 89 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 84 ( dd , j = 15 . 6 , 10 . 3 hz , 2h ), 3 . 67 ( ddd , j = 16 . 1 , 10 . 1 , 2 . 4 hz , 4h ), 2 . 20 ( s , 3h ). to a 50 ml flask , 2 - bromo - 5 - iodobenzoic acid ( 50 g , 150 mmol ) was added , then anhydrous dichloromethane ( 500 ml ) was added after purging with n 2 three times . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then a catalytic amount of dmf ( 2 . 0 ml ) was added , and then oxalyl chloride ( 19 . 4 ml , 229 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 3 hours . when the reaction solution became a clear solution , the stirring was stopped . dichloromethane and excess oxalyl chloride were removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was used directly in the next step . the crude product obtained above was dissolved in anhydrous dichloromethane ( 500 ml ) after purging with n 2 , then benzodioxine ( 21 . 9 ml , 181 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then alcl 3 ( 24 g ) was added in batches . the reaction mixture was slowly warmed up to room temperature and stirred overnight . the reaction mixture was poured into ice , then extracted with dichloromethane ( 150 ml × 3 ). the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation to give a white solid ( 68 g ), which was used directly in the next step . ( 2 - bromo - 5 - iodophenyl )-( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methanone ( 68 g ) was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 500 ml ). the reaction mixture was cooled to 0 ° c ., then triethylsilane ( 76 . 8 ml , 481 mmol ) was added , and then boron trifluoride etherate ( 58 . 8 ml , 464 mmol ) was slowly added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . the reaction was quenched with a saturated solution of nahco 3 . the reaction mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 300 ml × 3 ), and the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography , and then further recrystallized with ethyl acetate and petroleum ether to give a white solid ( 40 g , total yield of three steps : 62 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 43 ( d , j = 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( dd , j = 8 . 3 , 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( d , j = 2 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 82 - 6 . 76 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 69 - 6 . 61 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 92 ( s , 2h ). 6 -( 2 - bromo - 5 - iodobenzyl )- 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxine ( 5 g , 11 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 20 ml ) and toluene ( 20 ml ). the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath , then n - buli in n - hexane ( 1 . 6 m , 11 ml , 17 . 6 mmol ) was slowly added . after the reaction mixture was stirred at this temperature for 1 hour , a solution of ( 3r , 4 s , 5r , 6r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( trimethylsilyloxy )- 6 - trimethylsilyloxymethyltetrahydropyran - 2 - one ( 6 g , 12 . 8 mmol ) in toluene ( 10 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at − 70 ° c . for 2 hours , and a solution of msoh ( 2 . 7 g , 27 . 8 mmol ) in methanol ( 5 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature and stirred overnight . a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution was added , the aqueous phase was extracted with etoac , the organic phase was washed three times with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a pale yellow foamy solid ( 2 . 52 g , yield : 43 . 7 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 47 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 34 ( t , j = 11 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 18 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 65 ( dd , j = 10 . 5 , 2 . 1 hz , 2h ), 4 . 17 ( d , j = 30 . 4 hz , 4h ), 4 . 06 - 3 . 78 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 62 ( dt , j = 19 . 7 , 9 . 4 hz , 2h ), 3 . 23 ( d , j = 9 . 3 hz , 1h ), 2 . 97 ( s , 3h ). ( 3r , 4 s , 5 s , 6r )- 2 -( 4 - bromo - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 6 -( hydroxymethyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 2 . 5 g , 5 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ), then pyridine ( 3 . 2 g , 40 mmol ), ac 2 o ( 4 . 1 g , 40 mmol ) and dmap ( 61 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) were successively added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was dissolved in etoac , and washed twice with 1 m hydrochloric acid , then washed with saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a yellow foamy solid ( 2 . 9 g , yield : 87 . 2 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 48 ( dd , j = 14 . 0 , 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 71 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 63 - 6 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 49 ( t , j = 9 . 7 hz , 1h ), 5 . 15 ( t , j = 9 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 87 ( d , j = 10 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 27 ( dd , j = 12 . 2 , 5 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 20 - 4 . 10 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 02 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 98 ( d , j = 2 . 8 hz , 3h ), 1 . 89 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 3h ), 1 . 75 ( s , 3h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5r , 6r )- 6 -( acetoxymethyl )- 2 -( 4 - bromo - 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl ) phenyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triyl triacetate ( 3 . 0 g , 4 . 51 mmol ), ethylboronic acid ( 666 mg , 9 . 01 mmol ), palladium acetate ( 202 mg , 0 . 902 mmol ) and k 3 po 4 ( 3 . 35 g , 15 . 79 mmol ) were dissolved in a mixed solvent of toluene ( 50 ml ) and water ( 10 ml ). the reaction mixture was purged with n 2 for 15 minutes , then pcy 3 ( 505 mg , 1 . 8 mmol ) was added , and then n 2 was sequentially purged for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was heated to 100 ° c . and reacted in a sealed tube for 6 hours , then cooled , diluted with etoac , washed successively with water and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a white foamy solid ( 2 . 5 g , yield : 90 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 30 ( dd , j = 8 . 0 , 1 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 20 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 15 ( d , j = 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 56 - 6 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 58 ( t , j = 9 . 7 hz , 1h ), 5 . 23 ( t , j = 9 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 98 ( d , j = 10 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 35 ( dd , j = 12 . 2 , 4 . 9 hz , 1h ), 4 . 28 - 4 . 18 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 04 ( ddd , j = 10 . 2 , 4 . 8 , 2 . 4 hz , 1h ), 3 . 91 ( d , j = 16 . 5 hz , 2h ), 3 . 13 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 57 ( q , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 2 . 11 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 06 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 95 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 84 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 14 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5r , 6r )- 6 -( acetoxymethyl )- 2 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triyl triacetate ( 2 . 88 g , 4 . 7 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 15 ml ), methanol ( 10 ml ) and water ( 5 ml ), then lioh . h 2 o ( 236 mg , 5 . 6 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the organic solvent was removed under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was dissolved in etoac , washed successively with 5 % nahso 4 aqueous solution and saturated brine , and then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a white foamy solid ( 2 . 0 g , yield : 95 %). ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 2 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 6 -( hydroxymethyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 2 . 0 g , 4 . 48 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 30 ml ), then imidazole ( 915 mg , 13 . 44 mmol ) and dmap ( 55 mg , 0 . 45 mmol ) were added , and then tbscl ( 743 mg , 4 . 93 mmol ) was added in batches under n 2 . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . a saturated ammonium chloride aqueous solution was added , the organic phase was separated and washed with saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a pale yellow foamy solid ( 2 . 5 g , yield : 98 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 24 - 7 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 07 ( dd , j = 5 . 5 , 2 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 45 ( dd , j = 4 . 2 , 2 . 4 hz , 2h ), 4 . 08 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 77 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 62 - 3 . 50 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 16 ( d , j = 9 . 3 hz , 2h ), 2 . 99 ( ddd , j = 8 . 9 , 4 . 1 , 1 . 7 hz , 4h ), 2 . 46 ( q , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 1 . 01 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h ), 0 . 02 - 0 . 04 ( m , 6h ). ( 3r , 4s , 5s , 6r )- 6 -((( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) methyl )- 2 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 2 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 3 , 4 , 5 - triol ( 2 . 5 g , 4 . 5 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of thf ( 15 ml ) and dmf ( 5 ml ). the reaction mixture was placed in an ice - water bath , then nah ( 60 %, 802 mg , 20 . 06 mmol ) was added in batches . the reaction mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 30 minutes , then bnbr ( 7 . 23 g , 42 . 3 mmol ) was added dropwise in an ice - water bath . the reaction mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred overnight . a saturated ammonium chloride aqueous solution and etoac were added , the organic phase was separated and washed successively with water and saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography to give a white viscous substance ( 2 . 9 g , yield : 79 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 36 - 7 . 30 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 23 - 7 . 14 ( m , 10h ), 7 . 10 ( dd , j = 4 . 4 , 2 . 3 hz , 4h ), 6 . 96 ( dd , j = 6 . 6 , 2 . 9 hz , 2h ), 6 . 60 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 48 - 6 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 86 - 4 . 78 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 65 ( d , j = 10 . 7 hz , 1h ), 4 . 33 ( d , j = 10 . 3 hz , 1h ), 4 . 13 - 4 . 05 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 90 - 3 . 70 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 63 - 3 . 54 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 25 ( d , j = 9 . 6 hz , 1h ), 3 . 03 ( d , j = 3 . 7 hz , 3h ), 2 . 51 ( ddd , j = 14 . 8 , 7 . 4 , 3 . 9 hz , 2h ), 1 . 06 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h ), 0 . 86 - 0 . 83 ( m , 9h ), 0 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 0 . 00 ( s , 3h ). tert - butyldimethyl ((( 2r , 3r , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - yl ) methoxy ) silane ( 1 . 5 g , 1 . 81 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 15 ml ), then accl ( 21 mg , 0 . 15 mmol )) was added in an ice - water bath . the reaction mixture was naturally warmed up to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour , then concentrated under reduced pressure to give a yellow foamy solid ( 1 . 2 g , yield : 93 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 38 - 7 . 28 ( m , 12h ), 7 . 18 ( dd , j = 6 . 7 , 3 . 6 hz , 4h ), 7 . 06 - 6 . 99 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 58 - 6 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 99 - 4 . 82 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 69 ( d , j = 10 . 7 hz , 1h ), 4 . 39 ( d , j = 10 . 3 hz , 1h ), 4 . 23 - 4 . 16 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 99 - 3 . 64 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 35 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 3 . 14 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 67 - 2 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 17 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h ). oxalyl chloride ( 318 mg , 2 . 51 mmol ) was dissolved in dcm ( 15 ml ) at room temperature . the reaction mixture was placed in a dry ice - acetone bath , then a solution of dmso ( 260 mg , 3 . 34 mmol ) in dcm ( 5 ml ) was added dropwise , and the temperature was controlled at about − 70 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred for 25 minutes , then a solution of (( 2r , 3r , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) meth yl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - yl ) methanol ( 1 . 2 g , 1 . 67 mmol ) in dcm ( 5 ml ) was added . the reaction mixture was stirred at − 70 ° c . for 1 hour , then triethylamine ( 843 mg , 8 . 35 mmol ) was added dropwise . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes , then 1 m hydrochloric acid was added in an ice - water bath . the mixture was extracted with dcm , the organic phase was washed twice with saturated brine , then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to give a white foamy solid ( 1 . 2 g , yield : 100 %), which was used directly in the next step . ( 2s , 3s , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 - carbaldehyde ( 1 . 2 g , 1 . 67 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 , 4 - dioxane ( 15 ml ), then paraformaldehyde solution ( 230 mg , 7 . 68 mmol ) and potassium hydroxide ( 393 mg , 7 . 01 mmol )) were added under n 2 . the reaction mixture was heated to 50 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction solution was left to stand and filtered , then the filtrate was concentrated below 50 ° c . the resulting residue was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 50 ml ), and washed with saturated brine ( 50 ml × 2 ), then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and filtered , the filtrate was concentrated . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography ( eluent pe : ea = 5 : 1 ˜ 3 : 1 ) to give the title product (( 3 s , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 (( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 , 2 - diyl ) dimethanol ( 200 mg , a yellow oil , yield : 16 . 6 %). (( 3s , 4s , 5r )- 3 , 4 , 5 - tris ( benzyloxy )- 6 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 6 - methoxytetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 2 , 2 - diyl ) dimethanol ( 180 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of tetrahydrofuran ( 5 ml ) and methanol ( 10 ml ) ( v : v = 1 : 10 ), then 10 % pd / c ( 90 mg ) was added . the reaction mixture was purged with hydrogen three times and stirred at room temperature for 3 hours , then filtered , and then the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure . the resulting residue was purified by column chromatography ( ch 2 cl 2 : meoh = 25 : 1 ˜ 15 : 1 ) to give the title product ( 1 s , 2s , 3 s , 4r , 5 s )- 5 -( 3 -(( 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ b ][ 1 , 4 ] dioxin - 6 - yl ) methyl )- 4 - ethylphenyl )- 1 -( hydroxymethyl )- 6 , 8 - dioxabicyclo [ 3 . 2 . 1 ] octane - 2 , 3 , 4 - triol ( 80 mg , a white solid , yield : 76 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , meod ) δ 7 . 43 - 7 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 19 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 6 . 70 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 64 - 6 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 24 - 4 . 13 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 93 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 84 ( dd , j = 19 . 4 , 10 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 60 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 60 ( q , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 1 . 10 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 3h ). the following method was used to determine the inhibitory activity of the compounds of the present invention on sglt1 and sglt2 . the experimental method is summarized as follows : sglt1 and sglt2 transiently transferred hek293 cells ( prepared according to the existing literature “ diabetes , 57 , 1723 - 1729 , 2008 ”, wherein cdna of sglt1 and sglt2 was purchased from origene company ) were seeded in a 96 - well plate . the density of the cells was 1 - 1 . 5 × 10 4 . the cells were cultured at 37 ° c . and 5 % co 2 for 48 hours , and then washed twice with 200 μl sodium - free buffer . 90 μl sodium - containing buffer of the test compound at different concentrations was added to the well . each test compound was repeated in three wells for each concentration . the cells were cultured at 37 ° c . for 15 minutes , then 10 μl ( in number 0 . 1 μci [ 14 c ]) methyl α - d - glucopyranoside was added to each well of the 96 - well plate . the cells were further cultured at 37 ° c . for 2 hours , then the supernatant was discarded . the cells were washed twice with pre - chilled sodium - free buffer and then dissolved in 100 μl naoh ( 200 mm ). 100 μl scintillation solution was added , and mixed well . scintiloscope was used for the quantitative detection of 14 c . ic 50 values of the compounds of various examples were calculated from the aggregation rate at different concentrations . the compounds of the present invention had significant inhibition effects on sglt2 ; some compounds also inhibited sglt1 , especially compounds of examples 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 , and 9 . finally , it should be noted that the above examples are merely provided for describing the technical solution of the present invention , but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred examples , the person skilled in the art would understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions of the technical solution of the present invention can be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention , which should be included into the claims of the present invention . | 2 |
a process has been discovered for the n - demethylation of a variety of n - methyl morphinan compounds . in particular , the process comprises replacing the n - methyl substituent of an n - methyl morphinan substrate with a carboxylic acid ester substituent or a carboamide substituent to form an n - carboxylic acid ester morphinan derivative or an n - carboamide morphinan derivative , respectively . the resulting n - carboxylic acid ester or n - carboamide derivative may then be converted to yield other morphinan derivatives such as , for example , the opiate antagonist , naltrexone or naloxone . for purposes of illustration , reaction scheme 1 depicts the n - demethylation of n - methyl morphinan substrate ( 1 ) and the formation of an n - substituted morphinan derivative ( 2 ) in accordance with one aspect of the present invention : r 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , hydrocarbyl , and substituted hydrocarbyl ; r 2 , r 3 , and r 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , halogen , hydroxyl , {—} or 8 , hydrocarbyl , and substituted hydrocarbyl ; r 6 is an atom selected from the group consisting of oxygen and nitrogen ; r 8 is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl and substituted hydrocarbyl ; l is halogen ; y is an atom selected from the group consisting of oxygen , nitrogen , and sulfur ; z is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl and substituted hydrocarbyl ; and n is 1 or 2 . in a preferred embodiment , the substituents of reaction scheme 1 comprise : r 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , substituted alkyl , substituted alkenyl , substituted aryl , acyl , alkoxycarbonyl , acetal , ether , silyl ether , and alkylsulfonyl ; r 2 , r 3 , and r 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , halogen , hydroxyl , acyl , alkyl , alkenyl , aryl , substituted alkyl , substituted alkenyl , substituted aryl , and alkoxycarbonyl ; r 6 is selected from the group consisting of oxygen and nitrogen ; l is selected from the group consisting of chloro and bromo ; y is oxygen ; z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl , alkenyl , alkylaryl , aralkyl , aryl , substituted alkyl , substituted alkenyl , substituted alkylaryl , substituted aralkyl , and substituted aryl ; and n is 1 or 2 . in a further iteration of this embodiment , r 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , methyl , alkyl , acyl , alkoxycarbonyl , and alkylsulfonyl . in an exemplary iteration of this embodiment , z is selected from the group consisting of methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , tert - butyl , phenyl , benzyl , methoxymethyl , vinyl , and 2 - chloroethyl . the process of the invention comprises treating an n - methyl morphinan substrate ( compound 1 ) with a demethylating agent to form an n - substituted morphinan ( compound 2 ). in general , the substrate for the n - demethylation reaction ( compound 1 ) may be any n - methyl morphinan compound . in preferred embodiments , compound 1 may be thebaine , oripavine , or a derivative of each of these compounds . when compound 1 comprises thebaine , r 1 is methyl , r 2 , r 3 , and r 4 are each hydrogen , and y is oxygen . alternatively , when compound 1 comprises oripavine , r 1 is hydrogen , r 2 , r 3 , and r 4 are each hydrogen , and y is oxygen . one of skill in the art will appreciate that the oxygen attached to c ( 3 ) of oripavine or another n - methyl morphinan substrate may be protected with an oxygen protecting group . the oxygen protecting group may be alkoxycarbonyl , acyl , acetal , ether , ester , silyl ether , alkylsulfonyl , or arylsulfonyl . exemplary oxygen protecting groups include allyl , triphenylmethyl ( trityl or tr ), benzyl , methanesulfonyl , p - toluenesulfonyl , p - methoxybenzyl ( pmb ), p - methoxyphenyl ( pmp ), methoxymethyl ( mom ), β - methoxyethoxymethyl ( mem ), tetrahydropyranyl ( thp ), ethoxy ethyl ( ee ), methylthiomethyl ( mtm ), 2 - methoxy - 2 - propyl ( mop ), 2 - trimethylsilylethoxymethyl ( sem ), benzoate ( bz ), allyl carbonate , 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethyl carbonate ( troc ), 2 - trimethylsilylethyl carbonate , trimethylsilyl ( tms ), triethylsilyl ( tes ), triisopropylsilyl ( tips ), triphenylsilyl ( tps ), t - butyldimethylsilyl ( tbdms ), and t - butyldiphenylsilyl ( tbdps ). a variety of protecting groups for the oxygen and the synthesis thereof may be found in “ protective groups in organic synthesis ” by t . w . greene and p . g . m . wuts , john wiley & amp ; sons , 1999 . in the process , compound 1 is contacted with a demethylating agent . in general , the demethylating agent may be a hydrocarbylhaloformate or a n , n - dihydrocarbylformamide . mixtures of hydrocarbylhaloformates or mixtures of n , n - dihydrocarbylhaloformamides and at least one hydrocarbylhaloformate may also be employed . in one embodiment , the n - demethylating agent may be a hydrocarbylhaloformate having the formula lc ( o ) oz , wherein l and z are as defined above . in a preferred embodiment utilizing a hydrocarbylhaloformate demethylating agent , l may be chloro or bromo and z may be methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , tert - butyl , phenyl , benzyl , methoxymethyl , vinyl , or 2 - chloroethyl . in an exemplary embodiment , the hydrocarbylhaloformate may be a c 1 - 8 alkyl chloroformates ( e . g ., c 1 to c 8 alkyl ), phenyl chloroformate , benzyl chloroformate , or a combination thereof . in another embodiment , the demethylating agent may be a n , n - dihydrocarbylformamide having the formula c ( o ) nz 2 , z is as defined above . in an exemplary embodiment , the n , n - dihydrocarbylformamide may be n , n - dimethylformamide , n , n - diethylformamide , n , n - dipropylformamide , n , n - dibutylformamide , n , n - diisobutylformamide , and the like . to minimize the formation of byproducts , the demethylating agent is preferably maintained in relatively low concentration relative to the n - methyl morphinan substrate . in a batch reaction , for example , this can be achieved by incremental addition of the n - demethylating agent to a reaction mixture containing the n - methyl morphinan substrate . regardless of whether the reaction is carried out in a batch , continuous , or semi - continuous mode , it is generally preferred that the reaction mixture contain less than about 1 equivalent to about 3 equivalents of the demethylating agent for each equivalent of the n - methyl morphinan substrate . to facilitate the n - demethylation of the n - methyl morphinan substrate , the reaction is typically carried out in the presence of a proton acceptor . in general , the proton acceptor has a pka of between about 7 and about 13 , preferably between about 8 and about 10 . representative proton acceptors that may be employed include , but are not limited to , borate salts ( such as , for example , na 3 bo 3 ), di - and tri - basic phosphate salts ( such as , for example , na 2 hpo 4 and na 3 po 4 ), bicarbonate salts ( such as , for example , nahco 3 , khco 3 , mixtures thereof , and the like ), hydroxide salts ( such as , for example , naoh , koh , mixtures thereof , and the like ), carbonate salts ( such as , for example , na 2 co 3 , k 2 co 3 , mixtures thereof , and the like ), organic bases ( such as , for example , pyridine , triethylamine , diisopropylethylamine , n - methylmorpholine , n , n - dimethylaminopyridine , and mixtures thereof ), organic buffers ( such as , for example , n -( 2 - acetamido )- 2 - aminoethane sulfonic acid ( aces ), n -( 2 - acetamido )- iminodiacetic acid ( ada ), n , n - bis ( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) glycine ( bicine ), 3 -( cyclohexylamino )- 1 - propanesulfonic acid ( caps ), 2 -( cyclohexylamino ) ethanesulfonic acid ( ches ), 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 1 - piperazinepropanesulfonic acid ( epps ), 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazine - 1 - ethanesulfonic acid ( hepes ), 2 -( 4 - morpholinyl ) ethanesulfonic acid ( mes ), 4 - morpholinepropanesulfonic acid ( mops ), 1 , 4 - piperazinediethanesulfonic acid ( pipes ), [( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - bis ( hydroxymethyl ) ethyl ) amino ]- 1 - propanesulfonic acid ( taps ), 2 -[( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - bis ( hydroxymethyl ) ethyl ) amino ] ethanesulfonic acid ( tes ), salts and / or mixtures thereof , and the like ), and combinations thereof . where the proton acceptor is an organic buffer , the organic buffer preferably lacks a hydroxy - substituted nitrogen atom , as this substituent may compete for reaction with a hydrocarbylhaloformate reactant . in one embodiment , the proton acceptor is selected from the group consisting of nahco 3 , khco 3 , k 2 co 3 , naoh , koh , and mixtures thereof . in a preferred embodiment , the proton acceptor is nahco 3 , khco 3 , or a combination thereof . to enable the reaction to proceed at a commercially desirable rate , it is generally preferred that the reaction mixture contain at least about 1 equivalent of proton acceptor for each equivalent of the n - methyl morphinan substrate . in a preferred embodiment , the reaction mixture contains about 1 . 5 equivalents to about 6 equivalents of proton acceptor per equivalent of n - methyl morphinan substrate . in one particularly preferred embodiment , the reaction mixture contains about 1 . 5 equivalents to about 3 equivalents of sodium or potassium bicarbonate , or a combined mixture thereof , per equivalent of n - methyl morphinan substrate . the solvent system for the n - demethylation reaction preferably includes an organic solvent . representative organic solvents include , but are not limited to , alkane and substituted alkane solvents ( including cycloalkanes ), aromatic hydrocarbons , esters , ethers , ketones , combinations thereof , and the like . specific organic solvents that may be employed , include , for example , acetonitrile , benzene , butyl acetate , t - butyl methylether , t - butyl methylketone , chlorobenzene , chloroform , dichloromethane , cyclohexane , dichloromethane , dichloroethane , diethyl ether , ethyl acetate , fluorobenzene , heptane , hexanes , isobutylmethylketone , isopropyl acetate , methylethylketone , methyltetrahydrofuran , pentyl acetate , n - propyl acetate , tetrahydrofuran , toluene , combinations thereof , and the like . in an exemplary embodiment , the organic solvent may be benzene , chloroform , diethyl ether , ethyl acetate , n - propyl acetate , heptane , hexane , and / or toluene . in addition to the organic solvent , the solvent system may additionally contain a protic solvent , whereby the solvent system is a two phase , organic phase / protic phase solvent system . where a two phase , organic / protic solvent system is employed , the solvent system preferably includes water as a protic solvent . in general , water tends to suppress the formation of unwanted side products in the n - demethylation reaction . the solvent may alternatively , or additionally , comprise other protic solvents such as alcohol or other water - miscible solvent ; thus , for example , the protic solvent phase may be water , a water / alcohol mixture , or a water / water - miscible solvent mixture . representative alcohols for the water / alcohol mixture include , for example , methanol , ethanol , isopropyl alcohol , isobutyl alcohol , t - butyl alcohol , n - propyl alcohol , n - butyl alcohol , and combinations thereof . other water - miscible solvents for the water / water - miscible solvent mixture include , for example , acetonitrile , 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n , n - dimethylacetamide , n , n - formamide , acetone , tetrahydrofuran , and combinations thereof . in general , the amount of organic solvent in the solvent system is sufficient to solubilize the n - methyl morphinan substrate , resulting in a substantially homogeneous reaction mixture . the reaction mixture typically includes from about 0 . 5 equivalents to about 20 equivalents of the organic solvent for each equivalent of the n - methyl morphinan substrate , preferably from about 1 equivalent to about 5 equivalents . where a two - phase system is employed including water , the water generally occupies from about 0 . 1 % to about 50 % of the total reaction volume , preferably from about 1 % to about 20 %. if present in combination with water , the volume of alcohol or water - miscible solvent is generally from about 0 . 05 % to about 50 % of the volume of water , preferably from about 1 % to about 10 %. to form the reaction mixture , the n - methyl morphinan substrate is typically combined with the organic solvent ( or the two - phase solvent system ) prior to the addition of the n - demethylation agent and the proton acceptor . alternatively , however , the solvent ( s ), the n - demethylation agent , and the proton acceptor may be combined and thereafter added to the reaction vessel containing the n - methyl morphinan substrate . the temperature of the reaction mixture for the n - demethylation reaction will typically be within the range of about − 40 ° c . to about 85 ° c . more typically , the reaction will be carried out at a temperature between about − 25 ° c . and about 65 ° c . still more typically , the reaction will be carried out at a temperature of about − 20 ° c . and to about 40 ° c . in one preferred embodiment , the reaction is carried out at a temperature between about − 15 ° c . and about 40 ° c ., for example , between 0 ° c . and 40 ° c . the reaction is typically performed under pressure , and preferably in an inert atmosphere ( e . g ., nitrogen or argon ). typically , the reaction is allowed to proceed for a sufficient period of time until the reaction is complete , as determined by chromatography ( e . g ., hplc ). in this context , a “ completed reaction ” generally means that the reaction mixture contains a significantly diminished amount of the substrate , and a significantly increased amount of product compared to the amounts of each present at the beginning of the reaction . in general , the reaction proceeds for about 1 hour to about 24 hours , and more typically , for about 2 hours to about 8 hours . the n - substituted morphinan product ( compound 2 ) may be an n - carboxylic acid ester morphinan compound , wherein r 6 is oxygen and n is 1 . alternatively , the n - substituted morphinan product ( compound 2 ) may be an n - carboamide morphinan compound , wherein r 6 is nitrogen and n is 2 . compound 2 may be isolated from the reaction mixture by methods known in the art , i . e ., for example , by filtration and / or centrifugation . the purity of compound 2 is typically at least 90 % as determined by chromatography ( e . g ., hplc ). in exemplary embodiments , the purity of compound 3 is at least 95 %, at least 96 %, at least 97 %, at least 98 %, at least 99 %, or greater than 99 . 5 % as determined by chromatography . the yield of compound 2 may range from about 65 % to about 95 % ( mol / mol ). the process described herein may be used to produce a n - substituted morphinan compound that has a (−) or (+) stereochemistry configuration , with respect to the rotation of polarized light . in one embodiment , therefore , the n - methyl morphinan substrate corresponds to formula 1 (−) and the n - substituted morphinan product corresponds to formula 2 (−): wherein n , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 6 , and z are as described above . in another embodiment , the n - methyl morphinan substrate corresponds to formula 1 (+) and the n - substituted morphinan product corresponds to formula 2 (+): wherein n , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 6 , and z are as described above . in yet another embodiment , the n - methyl morphinan substrate and the n - substituted morphinan product may be an enantiomeric mixture of the respective (−) and (+) enantiomers . furthermore , each chiral center of the compounds may have an r or an s configuration . for ease of discussion , the ring atoms of the core morphinan structure referenced herein are numbered as follows : as illustrated in the core morphinan structure , there are four chiral carbons comprising any of the compounds utilized in the process of the invention , i . e ., carbons 5 , 13 , 14 , and 9 . thus , the configuration of the n - methyl morphinan substrate and the n - substituted morphinan product may be rrrs , rrss , srrs , srss , rsrr , rssr , ssrr , or sssr , with respect to c ( 5 ), c ( 13 ), c ( 14 ), and c ( 9 ). in an exemplary embodiment , the configuration of n - methyl morphinan substrate and the n - substituted morphinan product may be (−) rsrr or (+) srss . the n - substituted morphinan products of the present invention may be end products themselves , or intermediates that may be further derivatized in one or more steps to yield further morphinan intermediates or end products . for instance , the n - carboxylic acid ester morphinan compound may be subsequently converted to commonly utilized nor - morphinan intermediates , such as noroxymorphone and noroxycodone which , in turn , may be further derivatized to form other commercially valuable morphinan compounds ( e . g ., buprenorphine , dihydroetorphine , diprenorphine , etorphine , nalbuphene , nalmefene , naloxone , and naltrexone . general reaction schemes for the preparation of such commercially valuable morphinans are disclosed , among other places , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 368 , 326 to rice , the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein . as previously described , the n - carboxylic acid ester morphinan product used as a starting material for this further derivatization may be the (−) enantiomer , the (+) enantiomer , or an enantiomeric mixture of the two . for purposes of illustration , reaction scheme 2 depicts the preparation of noroxymorphone ( 9 ) from n - carboxylic acid ester nororipavine ( 7 ) and reaction scheme 3 depicts the preparation of noroxycodone ( 10 ) from n - carboxylic acid ester northebaine ( 4 ), wherein r 311 is an oxygen protecting group and z is as defined above in connection with reaction scheme 1 . as shown in reaction schemes 2 and 3 , step a involves the oxidation of the n - carboxylic acid ester odpavine ( 7 ) or n - carboxylic acid ester northebaine ( 4 ) to form an α , β - unsaturated morphinan - 6 - one ( 8 ) or ( 8a ). in general , the oxidation involves the treatment of the n - carboxylic acid ester oripavine ( 7 ) or n - carboxylic acid ester northebaine ( 4 ) with an oxidizing agent . a variety of oxidizing agents may be used in this step for the oxidation of the c ( 6 ) and the c ( 14 ) positions of the n - carboxylic acid ester oripavine ( 7 ) or n - carboxylic acid ester northebaine ( 4 ). examples of oxidizing agents that may be used include , but are not limited to , dichromates ( e . g ., ammonium dichromate , potassium dichromate , sodium dichromate , and the like ); bromates ( e . g ., barium bromate , magnesium bromate , potassium bromate , sodium bromate , and the like ); chlorates ( e . g ., ammonium chlorate , barium chlorate , calcium chlorate , potassium chlorate , sodium chlorate , and the like ); chlorates ( e . g ., copper chlorite , lead chlorite , potassium chlorite , sodium chlorite , and the like ); chloroisocyanuric acids ( e . g ., trichloroisocyanuric acid , and the like ); chromates ( e . g ., potassium chromate , and the like ); chromium oxides ( e . g ., chromic anhydride ( chromium trioxide )); dichromates ( e . g ., sodium dichromate , potassium dichromate , and the like ); hydrogen peroxide ; hypobromites ( e . g ., sodium hypobromite , and the like ); hypochlorites ( e . g ., calcium hypochlorite , potassium hypochlorite , sodium hypochlorite , and the like ); hypoiodites ( e . g ., sodium hypoiodite , potassium hypoiodite , and the like ); inorganic peroxides ( e . g ., barium peroxide , calcium peroxide , cesium peroxide , lithium peroxide , magnesium peroxide , potassium peroxide , rubidium peroxide , sodium peroxide , strontium peroxide , and the like ); iodates ( e . g ., calcium iodate , potassium iodate , sodium iodate , zinc iodate , and the like ); iodine oxides ( e . g ., diiodine pentaoxide , and the like ); lead oxides ( e . g ., lead dioxde , and the like ); manganese dioxide ; nitrates ( e . g ., ammonium nitrate , ammonium cerium nitrate , barium nitrate , potassium nitrate , silver nitrate , sodium nitrate , and the like ); nitric acid ; nitrites ( e . g ., potassium nitrite , sodium nitrite , and the like ); perchlorates ( e . g ., ammonium perchlorate , potassium perchlorate , sodium perchlorate , and the like ); periodates ( e . g ., potassium periodate , sodium periodate , and the like ); periodic acids ( e . g ., metaperiodic acid , and the like ); permanganates ( e . g ., ammonium permanganate , magnesium permanganate , potassium permanganate , sodium permanganate , and the like ); peroxoborates ( e . g ., ammonium peroxoborate , and the like ); perchloric acid ; peroxodisulfates ( e . g ., ammonium peroxodisulfates , potassium peroxydisulfate , and the like ); peroxyacids ( e . g ., peroxyacetic acid , peroxybenzoic acid , peroxyformic acid , trifluoroperacetic acid , and the like ); organic peroxides ( e . g ., benzoyl peroxide , and the like ); tetroxides ( e . g ., osmium tetroxide , ruthenium tetroxide , and the like ); and oxygen . as the oxygen source , air may also be used -. in one particular embodiment , the oxidizing agent is a peroxyacid ; thus , for example , the oxidizing agent may be peroxyacetic acid , peroxybenzoic acid , peroxyformic acid , or trifluoroperacetic acid . typically , a slight excess of the oxidizing agent is employed . in step b of reaction schemes 2 and 3 , the α , β - unsaturated morphinan - 6 - one ( 8 ) or ( 8a ) is reduced to form compound 8r or compound 8ar , respectively . generally , the reduction is carried out to reduce the α , β - unsaturation between the c ( 7 ) and the c ( 8 ) ring carbon atoms and to remove the carboxylic acid ester moiety (— c ( o ) oz ) from the nitrogen atom . depending on the particular substituents , i . e ., depending upon the nature of r 311 and z , additional treatment of the compound with a hydrolyzing agent may be performed to remove the hydroxy protecting group , r 311 , and the carboxylic acid ester moiety , — c ( o ) oz . a wide variety of reducing approaches may be employed in step b including , for example , chemical reduction , catalytic reduction , and the like . representative reducing agents for use in chemical reduction include hydrides ( e . g ., hydrogen iodide , hydrogen sulfide , lithium aluminum hydride , sodium borohydride , sodium cyanoborohydride , and the like ), or combinations of a metal ( e . g ., tin , zinc , or iron ) or a metal compound ( e . g ., chromium chloride , chromium acetate , and the like ) with an organic or inorganic acid ( e . g ., formic acid , acetic acid , propionic acid , trifluoroacetic acid , p - toluenesulfonic acid , hydrochloric acid , and the like ), samarium iodide , and others . representative reducing agents for use in catalytic reduction methods with hydrogen include commonly used catalysts such as , for example , platinum catalysts ( e . g ., platinum black , colloidal platinum , platinum oxide , platinum plate , platinum sponge , platinum wire , and the like ), palladium catalysts ( e . g ., palladium black , palladium on barium carbonate , palladium on barium sulfate , colloidal palladium , palladium on carbon , palladium hydroxide on carbon , palladium oxide , palladium sponge , and the like ), nickel catalysts ( e . g ., nickel oxide , raney nickel , reduced nickel , and the like ), cobalt catalysts ( e . g ., raney cobalt , reduced cobalt , and the like ), iron catalysts ( e . g ., raney iron , reduced iron , ullmann iron , and the like ), and others . in one particular embodiment , the α , β - unsaturated morphinan - 6 - one ( 8 ) or ( 8a ) is reduced using catalytic reduction ( e . g ., pd / c catalyzed transfer hydrogenation ). step c of reaction schemes 2 and 3 involves a hydrolysis reaction to form noroxymorphone ( 9 ) or noroxycodone ( 10 ). where a hydrolyzing agent is used to assist in the removal of the hydroxy protecting group , r 311 , and / or the carboxylic acid ester moiety , — c ( o ) oz , a variety of aqueous hydrolyzing agents may be employed , provided the particular hydrolyzing agent selected does not affect any other positions or bonds present on the morphinan . in general , conventional hydrolyzing agents may be employed , such as sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid , methanesulfonic acid , trifluoroacetic acid , p - toluenesulfonic acid , benzenesulfonic acid , trifluoromethanesulfonic acid , hydrochloric acid , or hydrobromic acid . those of skill in the art will appreciate that other n - substituted morphinan products may be derivatized to other intermediate or end products using steps a , b , and c , as outlined above in reaction schemes 2 and 3 , or using other derivatization methods known in the art . other end product and intermediate morphinans of interest that may be derived from n - carboxylic acid ester morphinan products from reaction scheme 1 include a wide range of opiate receptor agonists and antagonists , and intermediates thereof , generally corresponding to formula ( 100 ): wherein - a 6 - a 7 - a 8 - a 14 - corresponds to formulae ( s ), ( t ), ( u ), ( v ), ( w ), ( x ), ( y ), or ( z ): r 11 and r 22 are independently hydrogen , substituted and unsubstituted acyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , alkoxyaryl , alkyl , alkylamino , alkylthio , alkynyl , amino , aryl , arylalkoxy , carboalkoxy , carbonyl , carboxyalkenyl , carboxyalkyl , carboxyl , cyano , cyanoalkyl , cycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , cycloalkylether , halo , haloalkoxy , haloalkyl , heteroaryl , heterocyclic , hydroxyalkyl , hydroxy , protected hydroxy , or nitro ; r 14 is hydrogen , acyloxy , hydroxy , protected hydroxy , or together with r 62 or r 63 forms an ethylene bridge ; r 17 is hydrogen , alkyl , alkoxy , alkylenecycloalkyl , allyl , alkenyl , acyl , formyl , formyl ester , formamide , or benzyl ; r 17a and r 17b are independently hydrogen , alkyl , cycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , aryl , or benzyl ; r 18 and r 19 are independently hydrogen , substituted and unsubstituted acyl , alkenyl , alkoxy , alkoxyaryl , alkyl , alkylamino , arylthio , alkylthio , alkynyl , amino , aryl , arylalkoxy , carboalkoxy , carboxyalkenyl , carboxyalkyl , carboxyl , cyano , cyanoalkyl , cycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , halo , haloalkoxy , haloalkyl , heteroaryl , heterocyclic , hydroxyalkyl , hydroxy , or nitro , or r 18 and r 19 together form keto ; r 33 is alkoxy , acyloxy , hydroxy , or protected hydroxy ; r 61 is alkoxy , acyloxy , hydroxy , or protected hydroxy ; r 62 and r 63 are independently hydrogen , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , allyl , alkoxy , alkylthio , acyloxy , or aryl , together form keto , together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a ketal , dithioketal , or monoketal , or one of r 62 and r 63 , together with r 14 , forms an ethylene bridge ; r 71 and r 81 are independently hydrogen , hydrocarbyl , substituted hydrocarbyl , or halo ; and x is oxygen , sulfur , — s ( o )—, — s ( o 2 )—, — c ( r 18 )( r 19 )—, — n ( r 17 )—, or — n + ( r 17a r 17b )—. in a particular embodiment , the products and intermediates produced according to the present invention are useful in the preparation of a morphinan compound corresponding to formula ( 100 ) wherein x is — n ( r 17 )— or — n + ( r 17a r 17b )—, and r 17 , r 17a , and r 17b , if present , are defined as above . for purposes of clarity , the carbon atoms of formulae ( s ), ( t ), ( u ), ( v ), ( w ), ( x ), ( y ), and ( z ) corresponding to a 6 , a 7 , a 8 , and a 14 of formula ( 100 ), respectively , have been identified ( by indicating with an arrow which carbon atom corresponds to each ). further , wavy lines have been included in formulae ( s ), ( t ), ( u ), ( v ), ( w ), ( x ), ( y ), and ( z ) to indicate the points of attachment to the polycyclic ring of formula ( 100 ). as previously noted in connection with reaction schemes 2 and 3 , exemplary intermediate morphinans that may be produced include , for example , noroxymorphone ( i . e ., formula ( 100 ) wherein r 11 , r 17 , and r 22 are hydrogen , r 33 is hydroxy , x is — n ( r 17 )—, and - a 6 - a 7 - a 8 - a 14 - corresponds to formula ( y ) wherein r 14 is hydroxy , r 62 and r 63 together form keto , and r 7 , and r 8 , are hydrogen ) ( which corresponds to formula ( 101 ) below ) and noroxycodone ( i . e ., formula ( 100 ) wherein r 11 , r 17 , and r 22 are hydrogen , r 33 is methoxy , x is — n ( r 17 )—, and - a 6 - a 7 - a 8 - a 14 - corresponds to formula ( y ) wherein r 14 is hydroxy , r 62 and r 63 together form keto , and r 71 and r 81 are hydrogen ) ( which corresponds to formula ( 102 ) below ), and salts , intermediates , and analogs thereof . exemplary end product morphinans that may be derived from noroxymorphone , noroxycodone , or otherwise from n - carboxylic acid ester morphinan ( 2 ) of reaction scheme 1 include , for example , nalbuphine , nalmefene , naloxone , naltrexone , naltrexone methobromide , 3 - 0 - methyl naltrexone , and the salts , intermediates , and analogs thereof . exemplary examples are presented below : the term “ acyl ,” as used herein alone or as part of another group , denotes the moiety formed by removal of the hydroxy group from the group cooh of an organic carboxylic acid , e . g ., rc ( o )—, wherein r is r 1 , r 1 o —, r 1 r 2 n —, or r 1 s —, r 1 is hydrocarbyl , heterosubstituted hydrocarbyl , or heterocyclo , and r 2 is hydrogen , hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl . the term “ acetal ,” as used herein , refers to a moiety in which two bonded oxygens are to the same carbon ; one of the other r groups of an acetal carbon is hydrogen . the term “ acyloxy ,” as used herein alone or as part of another group , denotes an acyl group as described above bonded through an oxygen linkage ( o ), e . g ., rc ( o ) o — wherein r is as defined in connection with the term “ acyl .” the term “ alkyl ” as used herein describes groups which are preferably lower alkyl containing from one to eight carbon atoms in the principal chain and up to 20 carbon atoms . they may be straight or branched chain or cyclic and include methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , hexyl and the like . the term “ alkaryl ” or “ alkylaryl ” as used herein describes groups which are preferably aryl groups having a lower alkyl substituent , such as toluyl , ethylphenyl , or methylnapthyl . the term “ alkenyl ” as used herein describes groups which are preferably lower alkenyl containing from two to eight carbon atoms in the principal chain and up to 20 carbon atoms . they may be straight or branched chain or cyclic and include ethenyl , propenyl , isopropenyl , butenyl , isobutenyl , hexenyl , and the like . the term “ alkynyl ” as used herein describes groups which are preferably lower alkynyl containing from two to eight carbon atoms in the principal chain and up to 20 carbon atoms . they may be straight or branched chain and include ethynyl , propynyl , butynyl , isobutynyl , hexynyl , and the like . the term “ aralkyl ” as used herein describes groups which are preferably lower alkyl containing from one to eight carbon atoms having an aryl substituent , such as benzyl , phenylethyl , or 2 - napthylmethyl . the term “ aromatic ” as used herein alone or as part of another group denotes optionally substituted homo - or heterocyclic aromatic groups . these aromatic groups are preferably monocyclic , bicyclic , or tricyclic groups containing from 6 to 14 atoms in the ring portion . the term “ aromatic ” encompasses the “ aryl ” and “ heteroaryl ” groups defined below . the term “ aryl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group denote optionally substituted homocyclic aromatic groups , preferably monocyclic or bicyclic groups containing from 6 to 12 carbons in the ring portion , such as phenyl , biphenyl , naphthyl , substituted phenyl , substituted biphenyl or substituted naphthyl . phenyl and substituted phenyl are the more preferred aryl . the term “ ether ,” as used herein , denotes an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl , aryl , substituted alkyl , or substituted aryl groups , i . e ., of the general formula ror ′. the terms “ halogen ” or “ halo ” as used herein alone or as part of another group refer to chlorine , bromine , fluorine , and iodine atoms . the term “ heteroatom ” refers to atoms other than carbon and hydrogen . the terms “ heterocyclo ” or “ heterocyclic ” as used herein alone or as part of another group denote optionally substituted , fully saturated or unsaturated , monocyclic or bicyclic , aromatic or non - aromatic groups having at least one heteroatom in at least one ring , and preferably 5 or 6 atoms in each ring . the heterocyclo group preferably has 1 or 2 oxygen atoms and / or 1 to 4 nitrogen atoms in the ring , and is bonded to the remainder of the molecule through a carbon or heteroatom . exemplary heterocyclo groups include heteroaromatics as described below . exemplary substituents include one or more of the following groups : hydrocarbyl , substituted hydrocarbyl , hydroxy , protected hydroxy , acyl , acyloxy , alkoxy , alkenoxy , alkynoxy , aryloxy , halogen , amido , amino , cyano , ketals , acetals , esters and ethers . the term “ heteroaryl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group denote optionally substituted aromatic groups having at least one heteroatom in at least one ring , and preferably 5 or 6 atoms in each ring . the heteroaryl group preferably has 1 or 2 oxygen atoms and / or 1 to 4 nitrogen atoms in the ring , and is bonded to the remainder of the molecule through a carbon . exemplary heteroaryls include furyl , benzofuryl , oxazolyl , isoxazolyl , oxadiazolyl , benzoxazolyl , benzoxadiazolyl , pyrrolyl , pyrazolyl , imidazolyl , triazolyl , tetrazolyl , pyridyl , pyrimidyl , pyrazinyl , pyridazinyl , indolyl , isoindolyl , indolizinyl , benzimidazolyl , indazolyl , benzotriazolyl , tetrazolopyridazinyl , carbazolyl , purinyl , quinolinyl , isoquinolinyl , imidazopyridyl and the like . exemplary substituents include one or more of the following groups : hydrocarbyl , substituted hydrocarbyl , hydroxy , protected hydroxy , acyl , acyloxy , alkoxy , alkenoxy , alkynoxy , aryloxy , halogen , amido , amino , cyano , ketals , acetals , esters and ethers . the terms “ hydrocarbon ” and “ hydrocarbyl ” as used herein describe organic compounds or radicals consisting exclusively of the elements carbon and hydrogen . these moieties include alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , and aryl moieties . these moieties also include alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , and aryl moieties substituted with other aliphatic or cyclic hydrocarbon groups , such as alkaryl , alkenaryl and alkynaryl . unless otherwise indicated , these moieties preferably comprise 1 to 20 carbon atoms . the “ substituted hydrocarbyl ” moieties described herein are hydrocarbyl moieties which are substituted with at least one atom other than carbon , including moieties in which a carbon chain atom is substituted with a hetero atom such as nitrogen , oxygen , silicon , phosphorous , boron , sulfur , or a halogen atom . these substituents include halogen , heterocyclo , alkoxy , alkenoxy , aryloxy , hydroxy , protected hydroxy , acyl , acyloxy , nitro , amino , amido , nitro , cyano , ketals , acetals , esters and ethers . the terms “ oxygen protecting group ” as used herein denote a group capable of protecting a free oxygen atom ( i . e ., the oxygen of a hydroxyl group ) that , subsequent to the reaction for which protection is employed , may be removed without disturbing the remainder of the molecule . the term “ silyl ether ,” as used herein , denotes a moiety in which a silicon atom is covalently bonded to an alkoxy group . the general structure is r 1 r 2 r 3 si — o — r 4 , wherein r 4 is an alkyl group or an aryl group , and r 1 - r 3 are independently hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl . when introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments ( s ) thereof , the articles “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ” and “ said ” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements . the terms “ comprising ”, “ including ” and “ having ” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements . as various changes could be made in the above compounds , products and methods without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and in the examples given below , shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . oripavine was reacted with three different concentrations of ethyl chloroformate ( clco 2 et ). three samples of oripavine were prepared . for each , 0 . 3 g of oripavine was added to 5 ml of chloroform ( chcl 3 ) with stirring . once in solution , the mixtures were cooled to about 0 - 5 ° c . five ml of saturated nahco 3 was added with stirring to each mixture . a different amount of clco 2 et was added to each mixture , i . e ., 1 , 2 or 3 equivalents of clco 2 et ( as shown in table 1 ). each mixture was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature after addition of the ethyl chloroformate and then sampled for hplc to determine if the reaction has gone to completion . as shown in table 1 , the reaction was complete when oripavine was reacted with three equivalents of clco 2 et ( sample # 3 ). for this sample , the organic solution was washed with 5 % nahco 3 ( 9 ml ), 5 % hoac ( 9 ml ), and then water ( 9 ml ). the organic layer was reduced to dryness under a partial vacuum to give 0 . 4 g of solid . to determine the correct ratio for thebaine and ethyl chloroformate an experiment similar to that described in example 1 was performed . for each sample , 0 . 31 g of thebaine was dissolved in 5 ml of chcl 3 . once in solution , the mixtures were cooled to about 0 - 5 ° c . five ml of saturated nahco 3 was added with stirring to each mixture . clco 2 et ( as shown in table 2 ) was added to each mixture , which were stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature and then sampled for hplc to determine if the reaction has gone to completion . as shown in table 2 , the reaction was complete when thebaine was reacted with three equivalents of clco 2 et ( sample # 3 ). this sample was washed with 5 % nahco 3 ), 5 % hoac , and water as described above . the organic layer was reduced to dryness under a partial vacuum to give 0 . 4 g of solid . | 2 |
the apparatus 2 for burning solid fuel and providing heat energy therefrom , as shown in fig1 of the drawings , comprises a burner 4 and a heat exchanger 6 interconnected by a fire chamber 32 extending below the burner and the heat exchanger , according to a preferred embodiment of the subject invention . in the embodiment shown in fig1 the burner 4 and heat exchanger 6 are arranged in parallel to each other . the burner 4 may be employed to receive and contain a supply of solid fuel or solid fuel particles 7 . by way of example , particulate or pelletized fuels consisting or containing sawdust , wood shavings , wood chips , babassu palm and other arboreal parts and products , bark , tree trimmings , agricultural waste and other solid fuels may be employed in the burners or heating apparatus according to the subject invention . even coal , coke and firewood may be so employed . in fact , it is a special feature of the subject invention that it permits the use of inferior coal and of rather green firewood without generation of the customary effluvia , tar and clinker deposits generally associated with such uses . in addition to almond shells , walnut shells , rice hulls and other agricultural waste products , combustible refuse and garbage not only can be disposed of safely and efficiently by the burning methods and apparatus of the subject invention , but may be employed to generate heat energy at the same time . the burner 4 has a silo 8 for containing a supply of solid fuel particles 7 above a grating 10 . in the illustrated preferred embodiments , the grating supports the solid fuel against gravitational force . within the broad scope of the subject invention , embodiments are conceivable in which the solid fuel is positioned at one side of a grating which may , for instance , extend vertically or at an angle other than as shown in any of the drawings . in either case , the solid fuel particles 7 are positioned at one side 11 of the grating 10 . the grating 10 is installed below an outlet region of the silo 8 so as to support the solid fuel particles contained in the silo against gravitational force sufficiently to impede the free flow of particles from the silo or vessel 8 . according to an embodiment of the invention , the grating may have or include a slanted portion and , to this end , may , for instance , be of a conical or pyramidal configuration . the grating 10 has a pattern of apertures or slits for the escape of ashes into the fire chamber 32 . the method according to the subject invention includes a step of lighting a layer 13 of solid fuel particles 7 on or at the grating 10 to discharge combustible gas from the fuel . a pilot pipe or aperture 14 may be provided for lighting the solid fuel layer 13 . combustible gas or a torch may be introduced through the aperture 14 or another ignitor may be employed for lighting the fuel layer 13 on the grating 10 . as more fully disclosed below , combustible gas discharged by the lit fuel layer 13 is drawn through the grating 10 or slits 12 to a side 15 of the grating opposite the mentioned one side 11 . the drawn gas from the ignited fuel particles is burned at such opposite side 15 or in the fire chamber 32 . where the supply of solid fuel 7 is positioned on the top 11 of the grating 10 as shown in the drawings , the gas discharged by ignited fuel particles is drawn downwardly through the grating and is burned below such grating . this , according to the subject invention , is thus just the opposite of conventional furnaces , where the burning of gas discharged from ignited fuel takes place on the same side of the grating on which the ignited fuel is located . this principle of the subject invention also applies if the grating extends vertically or at any angle to the force of gravity . in that case , the solid fuel is also positioned at one side of the grating and gas discharged from ignited fuel at that one side of the grating is drawn through the grating to the opposite side thereof for burning at that opposite side of the grating . even though the grating 10 supports the fuel particles 7 against gravitational force , some of the lowermost particles can roll or creep along the slanted top surface 11 of the frustoconical or pyramidal grating structure . the particles are this distributed in an ignited layer over the top surface of the grating and are burned to ashes by the time they reach the grating circumference . it is a special feature of the illustrated preferred embodiment of the subject invention , that combustible gases are expelled from fuel particles at the grating 10 by the most efficient process of dry distillation . in practice , this permits achievement of the highest temperature , inhibiting a formation of tar and noxious effluvia for all practical purposes . also , the combustion is most complete in this manner and does not result in the formation of clinker or other formations which would obstruct the grating apertures 12 . rather , the fuel particles are completely burned and any fine ashes formed thereby are easily removed from the fire chamber 32 below the grating . burner 4 and heat exchanger 16 are provided with water jackets 16 . since combustible gas discharged by ignited fuel particles is drawn into and burned in the fire chamber 32 , the water jacket for the burner 4 may be minimal , covering only the fuel outlet region at the grating . the fire chamber 32 is connected by pipes or passages 17 in the heat exchanger 6 to an exhaust duct 38 . in the illustrated embodiment , the passages 17 rise through the heat exchanger from the fire chamber 32 at the bottom thereof to the exhaust duct 38 at the heat exchanger top . the duct 38 , in turn , issues into a chimney or flue 42 for an emission of flue gas and similar non - combustibles . in practice , combustible gas discharged from fuel particles preferably by dry distillation at the upper side 11 of the grating 10 is drawn through such grating by providing at the opposite side 15 of the grating a pressure lower than a pressure at the one side 11 of the grating . in other words , what may be called an &# 34 ; underpressure &# 34 ; is provided at the lower side 15 of the grating relative to the upper side 11 thereof . in this respect , the illustrated preferred embodiments of the subject invention provide a flue 42 and a passage including the fire chamber 32 , the heat exchanger pipes 17 and the exhaust duct 38 , extending from the opposite side 15 of the grating 10 to the flue 42 . as an important feature of the subject invention , the lower side 15 , from which the combustible gas passage extends , is at the side of the grating opposite the top side 11 on which the fuel supply is deposited by means of the silo 8 . this is thus just the opposite from conventional furnaces in which combustible gas rises through the fuel supply . however , contrary to conventional practice , the subject invention draws the combustible gas through the grating 10 on which the fuel 7 is located , and further through the passage 32 , 17 and 38 to the flue 42 . in many practical applications , the flue 42 or a chimney connected thereto will provide a natural draft for the proper functioning of the illustrated embodiments . on the other hand , natural convection may be aided by injecting into the flue 42 an additional gas having a temperature lower than an inside temperature of the flue . for instance , a secondary pipe 48 of a diameter smaller than the diameter of the flue , may be inserted into the flue so as to extend from the outside of the flue into and partially through the flue , in order to conduct outside air into the flue . in this manner , the temperature difference between the inside of the flue and the outside air will improve convection currents in the flue , thereby increasing the draft with which combustible gas is drawn through the grating 10 to the lower side 15 thereof and through the fire chamber 32 . according to the illustrated embodiments , the auxiliary pipe 48 has a smaller diameter than the flue 42 and extends into such flue upwardly , leaving a hollow - cylindrical space 19 for the exhaust of flue gas from the heat exchanger . in situations where the provision of an auxiliary pipe is not of itself sufficient to establish the desired draft , a blower 46 may be provided for injecting outside air or another suitable gas via the pipe 48 into the flue 42 . a damper 44 may be provided in an intake 21 of the blower 46 in order to provide for a regulation of the draft in the fire chamber 32 and flue 42 . in cases where the blower 46 is not necessary , the damper 44 may be provided in or at the secondary pipe 48 . according to the subject invention , combustible gas drawn from the fuel particles is burned in the passage to the flue on the side of the grating opposite the side on which the fuel particles are located . in the illustrated preferred embodiments , drawn combustible gas , symbolically illustrated at 22 , is burned in the space below , or at the opposite side 15 , of the grating 10 and in the region of the fire chamber 13 adjacent thereto . in practice , a special ignitor in the fire chamber is unnecessary for this purpose , as the combustible gas is lit from the layer 13 of ignited fuel particles or by the grating 10 heated thereby . the burning of combustible gas is preferably completed in the fire chamber 32 whereby only non - combustible gases will rise through the heat exchanger 6 , thereby heating the water in the jacket 16 for use of the heat energy thus provided in any desired manner . to sustain combustion , oxygen or air is drawn through primary supply passage 26 to the grating region and through a secondary passage 34 to the fire chamber area . automatically operating or adjustable dampers 28 and 30 may be provided in these passages for a regulation of the combustion process in the fire chamber 32 extending from the bottom of the grating 10 to the bottom of the heat exchanger 6 . the flue 42 may be equipped with an automatic or adjustable exhaust valve 40 , without disturbing the establishment and maintenance of the requisite negative presssure at the lower or opposite side 15 of the grating 10 . by the supply of primary air via passage 26 , solid fuel 7 is gasified at the first side 11 of the grating and the resulting combustible gas if drawn according to the subject invention through the grating to the opposite side 15 thereof , in order to ignite in the fire chamber 32 upon mixture with secondary air or oxygen drawn through the passage 34 . the solid fuel 7 burns out and forms into ashes which pass through slits 12 to the other side 15 of the grating . in the illustrated preferred embodiments , the ashes thus fall into the fire chamber 32 and are easily removed therefrom upon opening of a fire chamber door 23 , preferably during intervals when the burner is not in use . if desired , an archimedes screw or other automatic conveyor ( not shown ) may be employed for removing ashes from the fire chamber . similarly , an automatic conveyor ( not shown ) may be employed for continually supplying solid fuel particles to the silo 8 . in most cases , satisfactory operation will be obtained with a stationary grating . in some situations and with some fuels , continual movement of the grating according to an embodiment of the subject invention is , however , more advantageous . by way of example , the embodiment shown in fig1 uses a vibrator or motor 20 in order to move the grating 10 relative to stationary stirring bars 18 which prevent the movement of the grating to be imparted to the fuel supply as a whole . by way of example , the motor 20 may include a worm gear ( not shown ) driven from the outside of the burner or an electric vibrator , all of which may be of conventional design . the grating 10 may thus rotate slowly , shake or vibrate , whatever is best for the particular fuel . the goal in this respect is to distribute ignited fuel particles in a layer over the effective area 11 of the grating , whereby the grating is uniformly heated to induce dry distillation and complete gasification of fuel particles 7 . throats 24 of restricted cross - section in the primary air passages 26 promote such dry - distillation effect . as seen in the top view of the grating shown in fig2 an arrangement of concentric grating slits or aperture segments 12 is presently preferred . as shown in the partial cross - section of fig3 the slits 12 , according to one illustrated embodiment , extend at a predetermined angle 25 to a horizontal plane through the sloped grating section . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 the sum of the angle 25 and of the slope of the conical portion of the grating at 11 , relative to the horizontal plane , is less than 90 degress . the grating according to the cross - section of fig3 is particularly well suited for fuel material with high volatility , including brown coal briquet , lignite and sub - bituminous coal . according to the further embodiment shown in fig4 the bars or portions 27 of the grating 10 between the slits 12 are rounded at the slits 12 where they face the upper grating side 11 . in this manner , fuel pellets or other fuel particles of a similar configuration can move into the hot grating for gasification therein , but are securely retained thereat until complete gasification , whereby the resulting ashes fall easily through the slots 12 . in general terms , the grating according to fig4 represents an example of a grating structure having tapered slits 12 therethrough . the grating structure shown in the partial cross - section of fig5 is particularly useful for fuel materials with low volatility , such as sawdust and babassu palm cuttings . according to fig5 the bars or portions 29 of the grating between the slits 12 provide platforms 31 on which fuel particles can rest pending gasification , in order to fall through the slits as ash upon completed exhaustion of combustible gases therefrom . the furnace or stove 50 shown in fig6 and 7 is similar in principle and practically identical in many respects to the burner , fire chamber and exhaust portions of the apparatus shown in fig1 . the same also applies to a common detail of fig1 and 8 . accordingly , like reference numerals have been employed for like or functionally equivalent parts as among fig1 and 6 to 8 , and reference should be had to the above description of fig1 for a further description of such like or functionally equivalent components beyond what will presently be described relative thereto . at present , the apparatus of fig1 has been implemented in practice for industrial use , while the stove 50 according to fig6 to 8 has been destined for home use and agricultural applications , such as green houses and the like . however , no such dichotomy is intended as far as the utility of the subject invention and its embodiments is concerned . like the apparatus of fig1 the stove of fig6 and 7 has a silo 8 for the containment of solid fuel particles 7 at a burner 4 . on top of the silo 8 , the stove 5 has a lid 51 , so that the silo region may be closed throughout the intervals between replenishment of fuel in the silo . a similar lid , may , of course , also be provided on top of the silo 8 in the apparatus of fig1 . it should , however , be understood in this respect that the operation of both the apparatus 2 shown in fig1 and the stove 50 shown in fig6 is characterized by the drawing of the combustible gas through the grating structure away from the silo and solid fuel particles . this , in practice , prevents the burning process from backfiring into the silo 8 or from otherwise exposing stored fuel above the ignited bottom layer 13 to premature ignition . in the stove 50 , a horizontal grating 52 has been shown . indeed , such a flat grating may also be employed in the burner 4 of fig1 and may thus provide the desired grating apertures or slits 12 . on the other hand , any of the grating embodiments shown in fig1 to 5 may also be employed in the stove 50 of fig6 to 8 . the goal and accomplishment in either case is an ideally complete gasification of the solid fuel particles , without formation of tar and clinker and other contaminants which , for instance , could impede the removal of ash through the grating slits 12 . the stove according to fig6 to 8 is again operated by lighting a layer 13 of solid fuel particles 7 on or at the grating 52 to discharge combustible gas from the fuel . as in the case of fig1 a pilot tube or aperture 14 may be provided for lighting the solid fuel layer with the aid of a combustible gas or torch or another ignitor . as before , combustible gas discharged by the lit fuel layer 13 is drawn in the same direction as the ash descending from such particles , namely from the first side 11 of the grating , through grating slits 12 to the side 15 opposite the grating 52 . oxygen or air is supplied to the combustion via passages 24 and 26 and a butterfly valve 28 , which may , for instance , be of an automatic type , swinging freely in a corresponding aperture of the stove housing . if desired , the butterfly valve 28 could be positioned in the side of the silo 8 above the fuel particles 7 . the passage 24 may then be closed . again , the fire chamber 32 is located at the opposite side 15 of or below the grating 52 and gases drawn from the fuel particles are burned in such fire chamber . if desired , a controllable secondary air passage similar to the passage 34 shown in fig1 may also be employed in the stove 50 , such as at the door 23 or other boundary of the fire chamber . if desired , the stove 50 may also be equipped with a heat exchanger structure having a water jacket 16 and / or internal passages 17 . however , the embodiment of fig6 to 8 has a simplified heat exchanger portion including parts of the housing 54 through which heat is radiated from a passage 55 of the fire chamber extending beyond the opposite side 15 of the grating to the flue 42 . as in the embodiment of fig1 the flue 42 in fig6 to 8 is spaced from and elevated with respect to the grating 52 . in addition , the embodiment shown in fig6 to 8 provides the space 55 as an upperwardly slanted passage from the opposite side 15 of the grating to the flue 42 . this , in practice , enhances the creation of the desired negative or underpressure at the second side 15 of the grating , relative to the fuel silo 8 and first side 11 . accordingly , combustible gas discharged by fuel particles at the grating 52 is vigorously drawn through such grating to the second side 15 thereof , for burning in the fire chamber 32 and extended passage 55 to the flue 42 . as shown in the detail view of fig8 the stove 50 of fig6 and 7 may be equipped with a secondary pipe 48 in order to augment the draft of combustible gases through the grating 52 into the fire chamber and extended passage 55 . as in the embodiment of fig1 a blower 46 may additionally be employed for that purpose . there thus may be injected into the flue 42 an additional gas , such as air , having a temperature lower than the inside temperature of the flue . according to an embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig6 combustible materials may be fed to the fire chamber 32 or to the drawn burning gas for combustion at the opposite side of the grating 15 . in other words , whilst fuel particles 7 are fed to a first side 11 of the grating 52 , other fuel or combustible material , such as firewood logs 56 , may be fed to the fire chamber 32 for combustion at the opposite side 15 of the grating 52 . for safety reasons , it is preferable that the silo lid 51 be closed when the fire chamber door 23 is opened for the insertion of firewood 56 or other combustibles into the fire chamber 32 . according to a related embodiment of the subject invention , the stove 50 has a secondary silo or compartment 57 for the reception of combustible refuse garbage or waste 58 . the secondary compartment 57 has a lid 59 which may be opened for an addition of waste 58 . even when such waste is moist , it is safely and thoroughly burned in the fire chamber , like the firewood 56 , by the high heat of the flames existing therein . refuse which up to now had to be picked up from the home may thus safely and conveniently be disposed of , and generate heat energy at the same time . fig9 shows an improved grating structure 61 according to a further aspect of the subject invention which may be employed in either or both of the apparatus of fig1 and 6 to 8 . according to fig9 the grating structure 61 is composed of distinct grating elements 62 and 63 , and such grating elements are spaced from each other between the above mentioned one grating side 11 and opposite other grating side 15 . similarly , the above mentioned grating passages or slits 12 are jointly provided by passages 64 and 65 in the grating elements 62 and 63 , respectively . in the case of fig9 and in all other cases herein illustrated , it is important to know , as a significant feature of the subject invention , that the ash resulting from the gasification process is caused to penetrate the grating in the same direction as the gas discharged by the fuel particles . in other words , when the dual grating 61 is employed in the burner 4 in fig1 or the stove 50 in fig6 gas discharged by the lit layer 13 of fuel particles 7 is drawn through the grating structure in the same direction as the ashes resulting from the gasification or dry distillation of fuel particles . accordingly , combustible gases 22 are drawn through grating apertures 64 and 65 in series for ignition in a fire chamber at the lower or second side 15 of the grating . the dual grating 61 shown in fig9 may be considered as composed of a top or primary grating 62 and a lower or secondary grating 63 . the secondary grating 63 is located between the primary grating 62 and the fire chamber 32 , thereby enabling the primary grating to attain a higher temperature , than if the secondary grating were not present . this , in turn , enhances the dry - distillation effect imposed on the layer 13 of solid fuel particles on the primary grating . accordingly , the fuel particles are gasified to the maximum possible extent , producing an optimum of combustible gases for heat generation in and at the fire chamber , and leaving only thin ashes which easily penetrate the apertured grating structure for convenient removal from the fire chamber , without clogging the grating by a clinker formation . the flame temperature in the fire chamber is thus very high , whereby any carbage or other refuse 58 is thoroughly burned without noxious tar formations or smoke forming in or leaving the furnace . in this and every other respect , the subject invention thus meets all of its objects . the subject extensive disclosure suggests and renders apparent to those skilled in the art various modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the invention and equivalents thereof . | 5 |
described herein is an approach to select appropriate digital waveforms samples and timing of a local oscillator ( lo ) waveform in order to mix the lo waveform with a target echo and acquire target information inside a frequency range of a receiver . the techniques described herein allow a system to accommodate large doppler shifts in signal without having to increase the receiver bandwidth required . for example , the techniques described herein are applicable to a coherent ladar ( laser detection and ranging ), which uses a linear frequency modulated ( lfm ) chirp optical transmit signal . in a coherent heterodyne system using lfm signals , an intermediate signal is formed by transmitting a lfm signal to an object , and optically heterodyning or mixing the received signal from the object with a local lfm signal at the receiver . the frequency of this intermediate signal formed after mixing is referred to as the intermediate frequency ( if ). the local lfm signal is referred to as the local oscillator ( lo ) signal . the intermediate frequency produced from the mixed lo and received signal shifts in frequency with both range to object and relative velocity between sensor and object . the techniques described herein represent the entire range of doppler frequency shifts as a lo signal comprised of digital waveform samples , and adjust the start and stop of the frequency modulation of the lo signal to compensate for target doppler shifts , while simultaneously adjusting the timing of the lo relative to the transmit signal to account for if frequency shifts due to range , enabling the receiver to accommodate very large target doppler shifts without having to increase the receiver bandwidth necessary to capture signal information from the target . the frequency range over which the lo signal is modulated is adjusted independently of the frequency range of the transmit signal . in one example , the techniques described herein allows for systems using 100 % duty cycle to maintain nearly complete overlap of the received and lo chirps , while accommodating a range of doppler shifts limited only by the variability of the lo start and stop frequency . referring to fig1 , a ladar environment 100 includes a ladar sensor 102 at a location , l s , to detect a target 104 at a location , l t with a range to target , r t . the range to target , r t , is a length of a vector pointing from the ladar sensor 102 to the target 104 . the ladar sensor 102 is disposed on a sensor platform 106 traveling at a velocity , v p . a line 108 between the ladar sensor 102 and the target 104 and a nadir axis 110 form a squint angle , θ s . the nadir axis corresponds to an axis where the doppler shift with respect to the ladar sensor 102 is zero . for example , a target above the nadir axis 110 ( i . e ., in front of the sensor 102 or where the sensor 102 is moving towards ) would have a blue doppler shift while a target below the nadir axis 110 ( behind the sensor 102 or where the sensor 102 is moving away from ) would have a red doppler shift . the nadir axis 110 is 90 degrees ( orthogonal ) to the sensor velocity ( velocity of the platform ) vector , v p . for example , if you have a sensor on an aircraft , the nadir axis 110 will change as the aircraft turns or changes its flight profile or directional heading . in one example as described herein , the sensor platform velocity vector , v p is determined first and then the nadir axis 110 is determined from the sensor platform velocity vector , v p . the squint angle , θ s relative to the nadir vector is measured and a doppler value of the target is determined using the sensor platform velocity , v p and the squint angle , θ s . a gps sensor 112 and a high precision angular resolver 114 are also disposed on the sensor platform 106 . the angular resolver measures the angle between the nadir axis 110 , and the range to target vector 108 . referring to fig2 a , the ladar sensor , 102 , is required to accommodate a very large range of target signal doppler offsets , 220 , and minimize the amount of intermediate frequency ( if ) bandwidth , 224 , that must be acquired and processed . for the technique described herein , a linear frequency modulation ( fm ) chirp signal or lo waveform 202 may be represented by a set of digital samples , 204 , that spans the entire range of target doppler frequency offsets , 220 . given a target echo 206 , a desired lo waveform 208 is determined . the desired lo waveform 208 has a corresponding subset of digital samples 210 and is synthesized by clocking the digital samples 210 through a high speed digital to analog converter . the lo waveform 202 has a chirp slope of t , which is the change in frequency , δ f , per unit of time , δ t . a doppler estimate of the target echo , f de , is used to determine the subset of digital samples 210 corresponding to the desired lo waveform 208 starting at a time , two . the time , t wo is the doppler estimate , f de , divided by the chirp slope , μ . a lo waveform bandwidth , bw lo is also used to determine the subset of digital samples 210 of the desired lo waveform 208 . the bw lo is controlled by a number of waveform samples clocked from memory to a digital to analog converter ( dac ). referring to fig2 b and 2c , a target signal 216 a is a received optical signal plus a blue doppler shift and has a potential doppler offset 220 . the signal 216 a has a desired optical lo waveform 218 a . a target signal 216 b is a received optical signal less a red doppler shift and has a potential doppler offset 220 . the signal 216 b has a desired lo waveform 218 b . as will be shown herein , knowledge of the sensor platform velocity v p and the squint angle , θ s , enables a selection of the subset of digital samples 210 a corresponding to the desired lo waveform 218 a in order to generate the proper optical heterodyne to generate a radio frequency signal 230 a inside a receiver radio frequency bandwidth 224 and enables selection of the subset of digital samples 210 b corresponding to the desired lo waveform 218 b in order to generate the proper optical heterodyne to generate a radio frequency signal 230 b inside the receiver radio frequency bandwidth 224 . referring to fig3 , an example of a process to determine appropriate digital waveforms samples is a process 300 . process 300 determines an estimate of a position of a sensor ( 302 ). for example , an estimate of the position of the sensor 102 , l se is determined . for example , the gps receiver 112 is used to determine an estimate of the position of the sensor 102 , l se . an estimate of the position , l se , is determined since the sensor 102 is traveling on the sensor platform 106 , and an exact position of the sensor l s is not known . process 300 determines a location of the target , l t ( 304 ). for example , the sensor 102 determines the position of the target 104 , l t . process 300 determines an estimate of the range to target , r te ( 306 ). for example , the estimate of the range to target , r te , is the difference between the estimate of the location of the sensor , l se , and the location of the target , l t . process 300 converts the estimate of the range to target , r te , to an estimate of the time to target , t re ( 308 ). for example , the t re is equal to two times the r te divided by the speed of light . process 300 determines an estimate of the velocity of the sensor platform , v pe ( 310 ). for example , the gps receiver 112 is used to determine an estimate of the velocity of the platform 106 , l se . process 300 determines an estimate of a squint angle , θ se ( 312 ). for example , the squint angle , θ se , is determined based on the estimate of the location of the sensor , l se . process 300 determines an estimate of the doppler value , f de ( 314 ). for example , the estimate of the doppler value , f de , is determined from : f de =( 2 v pe / λ l )( cos θ se ), where λ l is the laser wavelength of the ladar sensor 102 . process 300 determines the digital samples of the lo waveform to use to form optical heterodyne ( 316 ). for example , the digital samples of the lo waveform to use is based on the estimate of the doppler value , f de and the lo waveform bandwidth , bw lo . process 300 generates a signal with in a bandwidth of a receiver using the optical heterodyne ( 318 ). referring to fig4 , a computer 400 includes a processor 402 , a volatile memory 404 , a non - volatile memory 406 and a user interface ( ui ) 408 ( e . g ., a mouse , a keyboard , a display , a touch screen and so forth ). the non - volatile memory 406 stores computer instructions 412 , an operating system 416 and data 418 ( e . g ., digital samples of lo waveform 204 ). in one example , the computer instructions 412 are executed by the processor 402 out of volatile memory 404 to perform all or part of the processes described herein ( e . g ., the process 300 ). the processes described herein ( e . g ., the process 300 ) are not limited to use with the hardware and software of fig4 ; they may find applicability in any computing or processing environment and with any type of machine or set of machines that is capable of running a computer program . the processes described herein may be implemented in hardware , software , or a combination of the two . the processes described herein may be implemented in computer programs executed on programmable computers / machines that each includes a processor , a non - transitory machine - readable medium or other article of manufacture that is readable by the processor ( including volatile and non - volatile memory and / or storage elements ), at least one input device , and one or more output devices . program code may be applied to data entered using an input device to perform any of the processes described herein and to generate output information . the system may be implemented , at least in part , via a computer program product , ( e . g ., in a non - transitory machine - readable storage medium ), for execution by , or to control the operation of , data processing apparatus ( e . g ., a programmable processor , a computer , or multiple computers )). each such program may be implemented in a high level procedural or object - oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system . however , the programs may be implemented in assembly or machine language . the language may be a compiled or an interpreted language and it may be deployed in any form , including as a stand - alone program or as a module , component , subroutine , or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment . a computer program may be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network . a computer program may be stored on a non - transitory machine - readable medium that is readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer for configuring and operating the computer when the non - transitory machine - readable medium is read by the computer to perform the processes described herein . for example , the processes described herein may also be implemented as a non - transitory machine - readable storage medium , configured with a computer program , where upon execution , instructions in the computer program cause the computer to operate in accordance with the processes . a non - transitory machine - readable medium may include but is not limited to a hard drive , compact disc , flash memory , non - volatile memory , volatile memory , magnetic diskette and so forth but does not include a transitory signal per se . the processes described herein are not limited to the specific examples described . for example , the process 300 is not limited to the specific processing order of fig3 . rather , any of the processing blocks of fig3 may be re - ordered , combined or removed , performed in parallel or in serial , as necessary , to achieve the results set forth above . the processing blocks in fig3 associated with implementing the system may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the functions of the system . all or part of the system may be implemented as special purpose logic circuitry ( e . g ., an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) and / or an asic ( application - specific integrated circuit )). elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above . other embodiments not specifically described herein are also within the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
this invention is a handy disposable and transparent cover that is employed to maintain an operational keyboard of a personal computer in a sanitary condition and in working order . one of the principal enemies of a computer is dust or dirt that may foul the moving parts of the keyboard , and accordingly , it is important to keep those parts as free from such contamination as possible . in some instances the fear of contamination has been so critical to the operation of the keyboard that the computer had to be contained in a dust - free atmosphere that was a very expensive installation . personal computers for home and family use have become so commonplace that computers are operated in all sorts of atmospheres regardless of their sensitivity to dust . at the same time the computers have been greatly improved and made less sensitive to dirty atmospheres . accordingly , it is usually thought to be sufficient protection against dust contamination merely to drape a cloth or other cover over the keyboard when it is not in use . it is an object of this invention to provide a keyboard cover that does not have to be removed every time the computer is placed in operation , and then put back over the keyboard when computer is shut down . this invention permits the operator to forget about the keyboard cover except when a deliberate cleaning procedure is undertaken . for normal everyday operations the operator employing this invention merely turns on the computer and starts typing commands , and when he or she is finished , the computer is turned off . there is no need to take off a dust cover or put one on the keyboard ; these operations are no longer necessary . the covers of this invention remain in place over the keyboard all the time regardless of whether the computer is in operation or at rest . it is , of course , always possible for the cover to be removed entirely from the keyboard should the operator wish to do so ; or if the keyboard is being used by different operators , as at a library or other public place , or even at offices where different persons share the use of a computer . this invention envisions portable packages of clear keyboard covers that may be carried in a pocket or purse , and readily produced to provide a sanitary cover whenever necessary or desirable . there are three principal styles of covers that may be selected by the operator , and the packages of this invention may enclose only a single style or a mixture of two or three of these styles , depending on the merchandiser &# 39 ; s choice of how best to market the covers . these covers are particularly useful in medical or dental offices where patients need to be protected against contamination . in fig1 of the attached drawings there is shown a typical prior art keyboard layout of the various letters , numbers , and symbols found on most keyboards of modern computers . it is , of course , the prerogative of the computer designer to select which and how many letters , numbers , and symbols to employ . different computers may have slightly different keyboards , but generally , they all will be quite similar in size and content , thus making the keyboard covers of this invention also similar in size and shape . the keyboard 20 comprises a frame 32 with a number of holes or openings through which keys 21 extend upwardly with a face having embossed thereon a letter , number , or a symbol . the face is touched by the operator &# 39 ; s finger to cause the computer usually to show on its screen the letter , number , or symbol of the touched key . the spaces between the keys 21 and the frame 32 are dust catchers which should be protected to prevent any buildup of dust that might interfere with the operation of the computer . in accordance with this invention a thin film of clear plastic material 23 is draped over and fastened to keyboard 20 to intercept any and all dust settling around the keys 21 . that dust can be brushed off the cover 23 and allowed to fall to the floor . most keyboards are enclosed by the frame 32 which covers substantially all of the lower surfaces of the keyboard , including the levers that connect each key 21 to a transmitter that causes the appropriate letter , number , or symbol to appear on the screen . generally the only opening on the bottom of the frame 32 is for one or two folding legs 22 that provide a tilting keyboard face for the comfort of the operator . in fig3 - 5 there are shown three views of a transparent disposable single - sheet cover 23 employed to protect a keyboard 20 . cover 23 is sufficiently large to overlie the upper surface of the keyboard 20 and extend a bit beyond the outer edges of the keyboard . the cover has two parallel strips of adhesive on the inner surface of the cover ; i . e ., the surface that faces and touches the upper surface of the keyboard . the adhesive employed on this cover should be that which merely prevents the cover from sliding laterally , but does not form a tight cohesive bond with the keyboard frame or the keys . the adhesive should form only a temporary bond to the keyboard so that it may permit the cover to be easily removed from the keyboard when not needed and yet may be sufficiently tacky to attach the cover to the keyboard the next time the cover is used without applying any more adhesive to the cover . there are rubbery adhesives that can be applied to the cover in a thin line and are capable of lightly bonding the cover to the keyboard and will remain intact when the cover is stripped from the keyboard ready for future use without applying any additional adhesive . a package of covers 23 is illustrated in fig5 and indicated by numeral 33 . in fig4 it may be seen that the cover 23 is sufficiently wide that it completely encloses the upper surfaces of the keyboard so as to prevent any dust from the atmosphere from settling in the narrow spaces around the keys . two lines of adhesive 24 are shown on the cover 20 and positioned so as to contact the keyboard frame 32 and not interfere with the operation of any key . the lateral edges of the cover may extend beyond the lateral sides of the keyboard so as to lie flat on the surface supporting the keyboard . generally this arrangement will prevent any floating dust from settling on the keyboard . it is , however , contemplated that in some instances the operator may wish to trim the cover edges to some limits so that the cover may be adhered to the keyboard frame without extending beyond the face of the keyboard . in fig6 - 9 there are two other embodiments of covers shown . both of these embodiments employ two sheets of plastic film , in contrast to that shown in fig3 - 5 where the cover includes only a single sheet of clear thin plastic film . the cover 25 in fig6 and 7 is an envelope having three closed sides 31 and one open side 26 into which the keyboard 20 is shown to be entering in fig6 and 7 . the open side 26 is not shown to be closable by any specific means in these drawings , but it should be apparent that open side 26 can be closed by the use of adhesive strips near the open edge ; by spaced snaps or zipper means , by velcro tapes , or the like . generally , the open side may be a sufficient barrier to dust by simply allowing the open sides to rest quietly by gravity against each other . the envelope style of this embodiment may be prepared by folding a single sheet of plastic film against itself and heat - sealing two edges to produce the envelope . the same envelope can be produced by cutting two pieces of film to the same size and heat - sealing along three sides of the cut film . many different films may be employed for this embodiment , such as polyethylene , polypropylene , polyacrylonitrile , polyester , polyfluorocarbons , and the like . it is preferable that the film be transparent , tough , and reasonably limp in thickness of about 1 - 3 mils . a third style of cover is desirable in some embodiments of this invention , and this style is shown in fig8 and 9 of the drawings . this style is a tubular sleeve into which an end of the keyboard may slide . as explained above with respect to the style of fig6 and 7 , this cover may be made by folding a sheet of film to make two layers and heat - sealing one edge to make a tubular cover with two open ends into which the keyboard may be introduced . the same tubular cover can be made from two identical rectangular pieces of film that are heat - sealed along two parallel opposite sides so as to result in a tubular cover with two opposite open ends into which the keyboard may be slid to be covered on both top and bottom by separate layers of the film . if the tube is long enough , the open ends will automatically collapse onto each other and form a reasonably good seal against the entry of contamination that might foul the working parts of the keyboard . the covers of this invention must be transparent in order to allow the letters , numbers , or symbols on the keys to be readily seen . some typists know their keyboard so well that they need not see a key to know which letter , number , or symbol it represents , but this skill is not common to most computer operators , and so it is necessary that the cover be transparent so as to readily identify which key to strike . it has already been mentioned that the adhesive which attaches the cover to the keyboard frame should be tacky to attach the cover to the keyboard , but it should be sufficiently easy to separate the film from the keyboard without destroying the adhesive . this allows the cover to be attached and removed numerous times without destruction of the film or the adhesive if the cover is used in a non - sterile environment . these are competing features and there will be times when it will be necessary to throw away a used cover and employ a new cover to prevent the spread of contamination . there is also a choice to be made by the user of film thickness to be used for the cover . some typists have a very light touch when striking a key , and such a typist might which to select a heavier or lighter film gauge for the cover so as to interfere as little as possible with the touch and feel of the typist operating the keys . a heavier thickness might interfere with striking the keys by a typist with a light touch . any typist with a heavy touch might tend to cause two keys to operate when only one was intended . still other reasons may be present to individual typists when selecting the film thickness preferred . in any event , the covers of this invention can be made in different thicknesses so as to suit the desires of each individual typist . however , flexibility and cost of the film may be factors to consider , e . g ., the thinnest and least costly film may be preferable if the cover is to be used for only one patient and then thrown away in favor of a film of longer life . while the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments , it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is intended , therefore , by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
[ 0029 ] fig2 is a block diagram depicting a catv return path 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention . at the catv return path transmitter 210 , a signal encoder 213 is coupled to receive and encode the data signal output of the a / d converter 112 . the encoded data signal ( output by the encoder 213 ) is provided to the optical transmitter 114 for transmission to a hub 220 . at the hub 220 , the signal receiver 122 recovers and generates a local replica of the encoded data signal , and a signal decoder 223 is coupled to receive and decode the encoded data signal . the output of the decoder 223 , which is a decoded data signal , is provided to a d / a converter 124 for conversion into analog signals . in this embodiment , the signal encoder 213 and signal decoder 223 allow digital data to be transmitted across the optical link at a lower rate than n * f bits per second ( where n is the number of bits and f is the sampling frequency of the a / d converter 112 ) without significant loss of performance . one implementation of the signal encoder 213 is shown in fig3 . in the present example , the input signal from the a / d converter are n - bit samples ax with bit a n − 1 , being the most significant and bit ao the least significant . with 2 &# 39 ; s complement representation of the value , bit a n − 1 is a sign bit and bits a n − 2 to a 0 are the amplitude with extended sign . the output of the encoder 213 is n − 1 bit samples to be transported . these n − 1 bit samples are referred to herein as transport samples . with reference still to fig3 bits a n − 2 and a n − 3 are examined to determine if the amplitude of the n - bit sample is larger than the maximum value of the a / d converter divided by four . if the amplitude is larger than the maximum value of the a / d converter divided by four , the selection bit output of the signal encoder 213 is set to a ‘ 1 ’. if the amplitude is equal to or less than the maximum value of the a / d converter divided by four , then the selection bit is set to a ‘ 0 ’. if the n - bit sample is a positive number and either a n − 2 or a n − 3 is equal to ‘ 1 ’, the selection bit is set to ‘ 1 ’. if the n - bit sample is a positive number and both a n − 2 and a n − 3 are equal to ‘ 0 ’, the selection bit is set to ‘ 0 ’. if the n - bit sample is a negative number and either a n − 2 or a n − 3 is equal to ‘ 0 ’, the selection bit is set to ‘ 1 ’. if the n - bit sample is a negative number and both a n − 2 and a n − 3 are equal to ‘ 1 ’, the selection bit is set to ‘ 0 ’. if the selection bit is ‘ 1 ’, a “ large ” sample is present and the most significant n − 2 bits ( i . e ., a n − 1 to a 2 ) are transmitted with the selection bit concatenated for a total of n − 1 bits . as an example , consider a “ large ” 10 - bit a / d sample , ax , and a corresponding 9 - bit transport sample , tx , shown in fig4 a . this “ large ” 10 - bit a / d sample has an amplitude larger than the maximum value of the a / d converter divided by four . as shown , the selection bit ‘ 1 ’ and the most significant n − 2 bits ( bit a 9 to a 2 ) of ax are mapped to bits t 8 to t 0 of tx . [ 0033 ] fig4 b illustrates a relationship between a “ small ” 10 - bit a / d sample , ax , and a corresponding transport sample , tx . as shown , the least significant n − 3 bits ( e . g ., a 0 to a n − 4 ), together with the sign bit and the selection bit ‘ 0 ’, are mapped to bits t 0 to t 8 of tx . that is , for a “ small ” sample whose amplitude is smaller than the maximum value of the a / d converter divided by four , the transmitted bits are : a 0 to an 4 , a n − 1 and the selection bit ‘ 0 ’ for a total of n − 1 bits . [ 0034 ] fig5 is a block diagram depicting the signal decoder 223 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the input signal is the transport sample , tx , with n − 1 bits . the input signal , tx , is a local replica of the encoded signal . the output is an n bit sample , dx , for conversion into analog signals by the d / a converter 124 . in operation , the signal decoder 223 examines the transport sample , tx . if the selection bit is a ‘ 1 ’, a “ large ” sample has been received . the signal decoder 213 then removes the selection bit t 8 . the d / a sample , dx , is constructed by mapping the bits t 0 through t n − 3 to the most significant bits of dx and padding the least two significant bits of dx with ‘ 1 ’ and ‘ 0 ’. as an example , a “ large ” d / a sample , dx , constructed from a transport sample tx is shown in fig6 a . in some other embodiments the “ large ” d / a sample is padded with bits other than ‘ 10 ’. if the selection bit is a “ 0 ”, a small sample has been received . the signal decoder 223 removes the selection bit t n − 2 ( t n − 2 is t 8 in our example using 10 - bit samples ). the d / a sample dx is constructed by mapping the bits t 0 through t n − 3 to the least significant d 0 through d n − 3 bits and extending the sign bit t n − 3 ( t 7 in our example ) to fill the d n − 1 through d n − 2 bits of the sample dx . a small d / a sample , dx , constructed from a transport sample tx is shown in fig6 b . a preferred embodiment of the present invention , a catv return path 200 that transports 10 - bit a / d samples of a catv return path signal in 9 - bit transport samples , has been described above . in another embodiment , the catv return path transports return path signals using a / d samples and transport samples that have a different member of bits . furthermore , in an embodiment described above , the selection bit gives an offset of two bits between the large and small samples . in other embodiments of the invention , the selection bit may provide an offset of any number of bits between a large and a small sample . for instance , in one embodiment , a selection bit of ‘ 1 ’ indicates that n − k most significant bits of the a / d samples are transported , and a selection bit of ‘ 0 ’ indicates that the n −( k + 1 ) least significant bits of the a / d samples and their sign bits are mapped to the transport samples . in that embodiment , each transport sample will include n − k + 1 bits , for a saving of k − 1 bits per sample . in yet another embodiment , multiple selection bits are used . for this embodiment , the range of possible values for a n - bit digital sample , i . e ., the maximum positive value to the maximum negative value , is divided into eight equal size sub - ranges , including four positive and four negative . the smallest positive and negative ranges of values are designated as “ small ” and , more specifically , as either “ small positive ” or “ small negative .” the next largest range of values , both positive and negative , is designated as “ medium .” the next two largest ranges of values , positive and negative , are designated as “ large .” based on the size of the sample ( small positive , small negative , medium , or large ), a 2 - bit code is generated . the 2 - bit code is concatenated with a number of bits from the original sample to create a transport sample determined by the value of the 2 - bit code , as will be described next . referring to fig7 this embodiment of the signal encoder 213 is shown . in this embodiment , instead of a 2 &# 39 ; s complement representation of the value , the samples are in offset - binary format . like a 2 &# 39 ; s complement representation , offset - binary format is another method for representing signed numbers , and also uses bit a n − 1 as a sign bit and bits a n − 2 to a 0 as the amplitude . an offset - binary number is derived by determining the largest - possible value for an n - bit sample , dividing that value in half , and assigning the quotient to be the zero value . to determine a positive offset - binary number , the absolute value of the number is added to the zero value , and to determine a negative offset - binary number , the absolute value is subtracted from the zero value . the net effect is to add an offset equal to half the value of the total range . for example , the following table shows how to determine an offset - binary representation of two numbers , + 22 and − 7 , using an eight - bit representation : c ) 1000 0000 ( offset binary 0 ) + 0001 0110 ( binary 22 ) = 1001 0110 ( offset binary + 22 ) d ) 1000 0000 ( offset binary 0 ) − 0000 0111 ( binary 7 ) = 0111 1001 ( offset binary − 7 ) thus , for a 10 - bit sample , the greatest integer than can be represented in offset - binary is + 511 ( 11 1111 1111 ( offset binary + 51 ) ), and the greatest negative number is − 511 ( 01 1111 1111 ( offset binary − 511 ) ), for a range of 1023 . because this is not divisible into 8 equal parts , a set of seven ranges of 128 each , and one range of 127 , are used instead . the size types and ranges are as follows : size type integer values binary - offset values small positive 0 - 10 0000 0000 127 10 0111 1111 medium positive 128 - 10 1000 0000 255 10 1111 1111 large positive 256 - 11 0000 0000 511 11 1111 1111 small negative (− 1 )- 01 1111 1111 (− 128 ) 01 1000 0000 medium negative (− 129 )- 01 0111 1111 (− 256 ) 01 0000 0000 large negative (− 257 )- 00 1111 1111 (− 511 ) 00 0000 0001 from these sizes and their corresponding binary - offset values , a correlation can be made that the first three bits dictate what size a sample will be . in other words , the encoder can examine bits a n − 1 through a n − 3 of the sample to determine which of the eight sizes an n - bit sample falls within . bits a n − 1 through a n − 3 are equal to “ 100 ” for a small positive sample , “ 101 ” for a medium positive sample , and “ 110 ” or “ 111 ” for a large positive sample . similarly , bits a n − 1 through a n − 3 are equal to “ 011 ” for a small negative sample , “ 010 ” for a medium negative sample , and “ 000 ” or “ 001 ” for a large negative sample . these bits are also referred to herein as the prefix bits of the digital sample . because two bits are used for the selection code in this embodiment , only four types of sizes can be coded . thus , positive and negative sign values are only coded for small samples ( i . e ., small positive and small negative ), whereas medium and large sample values are not coded with a sign value . in this embodiment , if the n - bit sample is small negative or small positive , bits a n − 4 through a 0 are concatenated with the 2 - bit selection code and transmitted as a n − 1 bit transport sample t x . if the n - bit sample is medium , bits a n − 3 through a 1 are concatenated with the 2 - bit selection code and transmitted , for a total of n − 1 bits . bit a 0 is not transmitted in this case , and is thus lost . finally , if the n - bit sample is large , bits a n − 2 through a 2 are concatenated with the 2 - bit selection code and transmitted , again as n − 1 bit transport sample t x . in this case , bits a 1 and a 0 are not transmitted and are therefore lost . thus , referring back to fig7 this logic flow is shown for the encoder 213 . the encoder receives an n - bit a / d sample , and divides it into four possible subsets : the bits used for selection coding ( bits a n − 1 through a n − 3 ); the bits for a small sample ( bits a n − 4 through a 0 ); the bits for a medium sample ( bits a n − 3 through a 1 ); and the bits for a large sample ( bits a n − 2 through a 2 ). the subsets corresponding to the various sample sizes are provided to a multiplexor . the bits for selection coding are provided to logic that generates the 2 - bit selection code , c 1 , c 0 , in a manner that will be described below . the 2 - bit selection code is used as the select signal for the multiplexor , to select from among the various sample subsets , and is then concatenated with the selected subset . in one embodiment , the 2 - bit selection code is concatenated as the most - significant bits of the resultant transport sample , but in other embodiments may be concatenated as the least - significant bits or may be inserted elsewhere in the sample subset . the result is the n − 1 bit transport sample , t x , having bits t n − 2 through t 0 . as shown in fig8 once the n − 1 bit transport sample t x has been transmitted and received , the receiving signal decoder 223 receives a local replica of the transport sample . as described , the 2 - bit selection code of the transport sample ( bits t n − 2 and t n − 3 , in one embodiment ) designates whether the sample is small positive , small negative , medium , or large . the first three bits of the recreated digital sample ( i . e ., d n − 1 , d n − 2 , d n − 3 ) can be determined from the 2 - bit selection code , plus zero , one or two of the most significant remaining bits ( depending on whether the digital sample is small , medium or large ), in accordance with the logic detailed above ( e . g ., a small negative sample contains “ 011 ” as the first three bits ). thus , the logic for generating d n − 1 , d n − 2 , d n − 3 receives selection code bits t n − 2 and t n − 3 as well as bits t n − 4 and t n − 5 . the three recreated bits d n − 1 , d n − 2 , d n − 3 are also referred to herein as a representation of the selection bits . in other embodiments , the representation of the selection bits may be the selection bits themselves , with no encoding , or may be more or less bits than the number of selection bits , encoded by another encoding scheme . the first - three bits of the d / a sample are then concatenated with bits t n − 4 . . . t 0 of the transport sample ( also referred to as the non - selection bits ), or a subset of t n − 4 . . . t 0 , depending on the 2 - bit selection code , as explained in further detail below . ( in another embodiment , the representation may be selectively truncated instead ). then , depending on the selection code , the result is padded with the requisite number of padding bits ( e . g ., “ 0 ” bits ) as the least - significant bits . for some selection codes , however , no padding is necessary . finally , the result is output as n - bit d / a sample d n − 1 . . . d 0 for conversion into analog signals by the d / a converter 124 . the d / a sample d x will be an exact copy of the original a / d sample a x for small positive and small negative samples . for medium and large samples , the sample d x will be a close approximation of the original sample a x . in the case of a medium sample , the least - significant bit of d x will be lost , and replaced with a “ 0 ” bit . for a large sample , the two least - significant bits of d x will be lost and replaced with “ 0 ” bits . the added “ 0 ” bits are also referred to as padding bits . in an alternate embodiment , the padding bit for medium samples is a “ 1 ” bit , and the padding bits for large samples are “ 01 ”. in yet other alternate embodiments , the padding bits for large samples are “ 10 ” or “ 11 ”. fig9 a - d show the relationship between the original a / d sample , the transport sample , and the d / a sample . in this example , the a / d and d / a samples are 10 bits each , while the transport sample is 9 bits . all four samples sizes are shown . [ 0055 ] fig9 a shows a small positive sample as it passes through the encoder and decoder . if the a / d sample is in offset - binary format , bits a 9 through a 7 will be “ 100 ,” as shown in the table above . this results in a 2 - bit selection code of “ 00 ”, as shown by the first two bits of the transport sample . sample bits a 6 through a 0 are concatenated with the selection code . after the transport sample passes through the decoder , the original sample is re - created exactly , such that no bits are lost . [ 0056 ] fig9 b shows a small negative sample as it passes through the encoder and decoder . if the a / d sample is in offset - binary format , bits a 9 through a 7 will be “ 011 .” this results in a 2 - bit selection code of “ 01 ,” as shown by the transport sample . again , sample bits a 6 through a 0 are concatenated with the selection code . also , again , after the transport sample passes through the decoder , the original sample is re - created exactly , such that no bits are lost . [ 0057 ] fig9 c shows a medium sample as it passes through the encoder and decoder . if the a / d sample is in offset - binary format , bits a 9 through a 7 will be “ 010 ” if it is a negative sample , or “ 101 ” if it is a positive number . this results in a 2 - bit selection code of “ 10 ”, as shown in the transport sample . in order to properly distinguish between “ medium negative ” and “ medium positive ” samples , bits a 7 through a 1 are sent in the transport sample ( even though a 7 is also used in part to determine the selection code ), along with the 2 - bit concatenated selection code . this means that bit a 0 is lost , and will subsequently be replaced with a “ 0 ” bit in the decoder . [ 0058 ] fig9 d shows a large sample as it passes through the encoder and decoder . if the a / d sample is in offset - binary format , bits a 9 through a 7 will be “ 000 ” or “ 001 ” if it is a negative sample , or “ 110 ” or “ 111 ” if it is a positive sample . this results in a 2 - bit selection code of “ 11 ”, as shown in the transport sample . in order to properly distinguish between the four possible large samples , bits a 8 through a 2 are sent in the transport sample along with the concatenated 2 - bit selection code . this means that bits a 1 and a 0 are lost , and will subsequently be replaced with “ 0 ” bits in the decoder . in an alternative embodiment that utilizes multiple selection bits , each combination of selection bits is used to select different offsets . for instance , in one embodiment , selection bits of ‘ 11 ’ indicate that the n − 3 most significant bits ( e . g ., a 8 . . . a 3 , when n = 10 ) of the a / d samples are transported in the transport samples , selection bits of ‘ 10 ’ indicate that the n − 3 most significant bits other than the msb ( e . g ., a 8 , a 7 . . . a 2 ) are transported in the transport samples , and so on . in yet another embodiment of the invention , a block of samples ( e . g ., three consecutive samples ) are encoded by the same set of selection bits . the offset for the largest sample in the block is determined first . all samples in the block are then encoded using one set of selection bits . for instance , consider the example where a block consists of three consecutive 10 - bit samples , and where a 2 - bit offset between “ large ” samples and “ small ” samples ” is used . in this example , a n − 2 and a n − 3 of the largest sample in the block are examined to determine whether the amplitude of the largest sample in the block is larger than the maximum value of the a / d converter divided by four . if so , the n − 3 most significant bits of all three samples , including each sample &# 39 ; s sign bit , and one selection bit , are mapped to the transport bits of the transport samples . if not , the n − 3 least significant bits of all three samples , including each sample &# 39 ; s sign bit , are mapped to the transport bits of the transport samples . in this way , even fewer bits are required to be transported across the optical link , and the optical receivers / transmitters can operate at a lower clock rate . in the examples described above , 1 - or 2 - bit selection codes are utilized in the transport sample . in other embodiments , however , the selection code can be an x - bit code , thus separating the range of a / d values in different ways than has been described above . in general , the number of distinct possible sizes for an n - bit sample value using an x - bit code is 2 x . depending upon the way in which the ranges of a / d values are segmented , and the number of code bits used , different levels of compression may be achieved along with different degrees of error in the regenerated signal . also in the example described above , 10 - bit a / d and d / a samples are used . in other embodiments , any size a / d and d / a samples may be used , and the a / d and d / a samples can be different sizes . the technique described above may be applied in a similar way to smaller or larger a / d samples , but will still result in a transport sample that is one bit shorter than the a / d sample . in other embodiments , the transport sample can be even smaller than n − 1 bits , for example n − 2 bits , at a cost of greater loss of information from the a / d sample . while the present invention has been described with reference to a few specific embodiments , the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention . various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . for instance , embodiments of the present invention described above were implemented by hardware logic ( e . g ., field programmable gate array ( s )). however , a person of ordinary skill in the art would realize that portions of the present invention can be implemented as a program executable by a digital signal processor . | 7 |
the present invention provides a process for applying a substance to a textile substrate which comprises contacting the substrate with an aqueous liquid containing ( a ) the substance to be applied to the substrate , ( b ) a compound of formula ( i ) ## str1 ## or mixture thereof , wherein r 1 is an aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon group containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms , r 2 is hydrogen or an aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon group containing up to 12 carbon atoms and n is a number such that the group . paren open - st . c 2 h 4 o . paren close - st . n comprises 35 to 90 % of the molecular weight of each compound of formula ( i ), and ( c ) a compound of formula ( ii ) ## str2 ## or mixture thereof , wherein each r is , independently , an aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon group containing 5 to 13 carbon atoms and preferred compounds of formula ( i ) are those which have an hlb ( hydrophilic - lipophilic balance ) value in the range 8 to 18 , more preferably 10 to 18 , most preferably 11 to 16 . in the compounds of formula ( i ), r 1 is preferably an alkyl or cycloalkyl group . more preferably , it is a linear or branched alkyl group . most preferably , it is alkyl of 7 to 10 carbon atoms , especially octyl or nonyl . r 2 is preferably hydrogen or an alkyl or cycloalkyl group , more preferably hydrogen or an alkyl group which may be different from but is preferably the same as r 1 . most preferably , r 2 is hydrogen . when r 2 is other than hydrogen , r 1 and r 2 are preferably in the 2 - and 4 - positions on the phenylene ring relative to the -- o . paren open - st . c 2 h 4 o . paren close - st . n h group . when r 2 is hydrogen , r 1 is preferably in the 2 - or 4 - position on the phenylene ring , with the 4 - position usually predominating . preferably , n is a number ( typically an average number when a mixture of compounds of formula ( i ) is present ) such that the group . paren open - st . c 2 h 4 o . paren close - st . n comprises 45 to 90 %, especially 50 to 87 %, of the total molecular weight of the compound of formula ( i ). of particular interest are those compounds of formula ( i ) wherein r 1 is octyl or nonyl , r 2 is hydrogen and n is a number from 5 to 30 , whereby the group . paren open - st . c 2 h 4 o . paren close - st . n comprises about 50 to 87 % of the total molecular weight of the compound . the most preferred compounds of formula ( i ) are the compounds wherein r 1 is octyl , r 2 is hydrogen and n is 5 to 9 and especially the compound wherein r 1 is nonyl , r 2 is hydrogen and n is 9 . in the compounds of formula ( ii ), each r , independently , is preferably an aliphatic hydrocarbon group , more preferably an alkyl group , especially c 7 - 9 alkyl . x is preferably an alkali metal cation , more preferably potassium or , especially , sodium . the most preferred compound of formula ( ii ) is dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate . preferably , the compounds of formula ( i ) and formula ( ii ), respectively , are present in the aqueous medium in a weight ratio in the range 1 : 1 to 15 : 1 , more preferably 3 : 1 to 12 : 1 , most preferably 4 . 5 : 1 to 9 : 1 . the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) should be present in the aqueous liquid in a total amount which is effective to enhance the ability of the aqueous liquid , particularly such aqueous liquid which contains a substance to be applied to a textile substrate , to wet the substrate . as will be obvious to a person skilled in the art , this total amount will vary somewhat , depending on the degree of hydrophobicity of the particular substrate and the length of time in which the desired wetting of the substrate must be achieved . preferably , for an aqueous liquor , such as a dyebath or optical brightener bath , the total amount of compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) will be at least 0 . 5 gram , more preferably at least 1 gram , most preferably at least 3 grams per liter of the total aqueous liquor , e . g . the complete dyebath . amounts in excess of 30 g / l usually do not provide any further improvement . the total amount of compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) should be kept below that which will cause objectionable foaming under the particular physical conditions to which the aqueous liquor is subjected during the textile treatment process and is preferably no greater than 30 g / l , more preferably no greater than 20 g / l and most preferably no greater than 15 g / l , based on the total volume of the aqueous liquor . amounts in the range 5 to 12 g / l have worked very well . for an aqueous paste , such as a printing paste , where it is often preferred to measure the amounts of the components in grams per kilogram , the total amount of compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) is preferably at least 0 . 5 , more preferably at least 1 , most preferably at least 3 g / kg and preferably no greater than 30 g / kg , more preferably no greater than 20 g / kg and most preferably no greater than 15 g / kg , based on the total weight of the paste . the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) may be added to the aqueous liquid separately or , preferably , in admixture with one another . when a compound of formula ( i ) which is sufficiently water - soluble is added separately from a compound of formula ( ii ), it can be added , as is , directly to the aqueous liquid ( i . e . the main body of aqueous liquid with which the textile material is to be contacted ) or it can be premixed with a separate quantity of water to form an aqueous concentrate , preferably containing at least 20 % of the compound of formula ( i ), by weight , which concentrate is then added to the aqueous liquid . some such aqueous concentrates are commercially available , for example as igepal ca - 887 and igepal co - 887 nonionic surfactants from rhone - poulenc , which are 70 % solutions of compounds of formula ( i ) in which n is 30 , r 2 is hydrogen and r 1 is octyl and nonyl , respectively , in water . use of an aqueous concentrate is suitable regardless of whether it comprises a solution of a compound of formula ( i ) which is normally a solid or an aqueous mixture of a compound of formula ( i ) which is a liquid at normal temperatures . when a compound of formula ( i ) which is not sufficiently water - soluble is added to the aqueous liquid separately from the compound of formula ( ii ), it is added directly , but preferably only when the aqueous liquid is maintained under continuous agitation or contains one or more other compounds which will enhance the solubility of the compound of formula ( i ) in the aqueous liquid . by &# 34 ; sufficiently water - soluble &# 34 ; as used herein is generally meant that the compound will dissolve in water to the extent required to produce a solution of a desired concentration without excessive heating , agitation and / or consumption of time . this will , of course , be somewhat subjective , depending on the particular circumstances , but can readily be determined by a person skilled in the art . preferably , a compound which is &# 34 ; sufficiently water - soluble &# 34 ; is one which readily dissolves in water to the extent required at a temperature of 70 ° c . or less . compounds of formula ( ii ) are generally solids at normal temperatures . when such a compound , e . g . dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , is added to the aqueous liquid separately from a compound of formula ( i ), it is preferably added in a liquified state in the form of a concentrated solution such as can be produced by mixing such compound of formula ( ii ) in a sufficient amount of a mixture of water and other co - solvents such as propylene glycol and / or one or more alcohols , such as ethanol or 2 - ethylhexanol . preferably , such a concentrated solution contains at least 20 %, more preferably at least 40 % of the compound of formula ( ii ), by weight . examples of such concentrated solutions are a mixture comprising 70 % dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , 16 % water and 14 % propylene glycol , by weight , and a mixture comprising 65 % dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , 1 - 2 % ethanol , 4 - 6 % 2 - ethylhexanol and the balance water , which mixtures are also commercially available as aerosol ot - 70pg and aerosol to - tg surfactants , respectively , from cytec industries . when the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) are added to the aqueous liquid in admixture with one another , such mixtures can be formed by various methods . according to one method , a compound of formula ( ii ) is dissolved directly in a compound of formula ( i ) which is a liquid at normal temperatures . this is a preferred method when the compound of formula ( i ) is not sufficiently water - soluble by itself according to another method , a compound of formula ( ii ) is dissolved in an aqueous concentrate of a sufficiently water - soluble compound of formula ( i ) as described above . according to other methods , a compound of formula ( ii ) in a liquified state , as described above , is mixed with a compound of formula ( i ) which is a sufficiently water - soluble liquid or with an aqueous concentrate of a sufficiently water - soluble compound of formula ( i ) as described above . mixing is preferably effected at elevated temperatures , e . g . in the range 35 ° to 70 ° c ., more preferably 45 ° to 60 ° c . the process of this invention can be used in the treatment of any fibrous textile material for which improved wetting is desired , including relatively easily wettable materials such as cotton and wool . however , it is especially advantageous for the treatment of textile materials which are more resistant to wetting , such as polyolefins , synthetic polyamides , e . g . nylon 6 and nylon 6 / 6 , polyesters , e . g . polyethylene terephthalate , and polyacrylonitrile . of particular interest are polypropylene , nylon and polyester . the textile material may be in any form , e . g . thread , yarn , knitted goods , woven goods , fleece or tufted or cut pile carpeting . preferably , it is in a form which is suitable for treatment in a continuous process . of particular interest are tapes ( e . g . as used for trim in the textile industry ) and carpeting . the substance which is preferably in the aqueous liquid with the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) and which is to be applied to the textile material may be any substance which is suitable for application from an aqueous medium to the particular textile material being treated and which is compatible with the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ). substances which come to mind include dyes , optical brightening agents and reserving agents , including direct or sulfur dyes for cellulosic materials , acid dyes for wool and nylon , pre - metalized dyes for cationic - dyeable nylon , and disperse dyes for polyester and polypropylene , which dyes are well known in the art and many of which are described in the colour index , and anionic and non - ionic optical brightening agents , such as those described in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 970 , 647 ; 4 , 025 , 507 ; 4 , 108 , 887 and 4 , 252 , 604 , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . of particular interest are the dyeing of polyester or polypropylene with disperse dyes and , especially , the dyeing and printing of nylon with acid dyes . the process of this invention can be carried out in a manner which is conventional for applying a particular substance to a particular textile substrate from an aqueous medium , except for the presence in the aqueous medium of the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ). it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art which application method is appropriate , depending on the substrate and the substance to be applied thereto . excellent results have been obtained when the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) have been used without any other wetting agent . the improved wetting achieved by employing a combination of compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) is particularly advantageous in continuous processes . a preferred dyeing or brightening process is the pad - steam process wherein the textile substrate is drawn through an aqueous bath containing a suitable dye or optical brightening agent along with the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) and any conventional adjuvants which may be necessary or desirable , such as an acid to give the appropriate ph , then between squeeze rolls set at a pressure to achieve the desired pick - up of dye - or brightener - containing liquor for the particular type of substrate , e . g . 30 to 60 % based on the weight of the substrate , and then through a steamer to fix the dye or optical brightening agent on the substrate . the temperature and ph of the bath , the concentration of dye or optical brightening agent therein and the duration of the steaming will depend on the particular textile material and dye or brightener employed and the result , e . g . depth of shade , desired and can be readily determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art . after the steaming , the dyed or brightened substrate can be washed , rinsed and dried in conventional manner . in dyeing nylon with acid dyes it is preferred , but not essential , to steam the substrate directly after padding , whereas an intermediate drying step is preferred when dyeing a substrate with a disperse dye . for the continuous dyeing of carpet an aqueous dye liquor containing the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) can be applied at ambient temperature from an applicator to a length of carpet continuously passing beneath said applicator to give a wet pick - up of 150 to 450 %, by weight , followed by steaming of the thus - treated carpet for a sufficient time to fix the dye , e . g . 6 to 8 minutes , and rinsing . continuous printing can be carried out in a manner which is conventional for printing a particular substrate , except that the printing paste contains , as a wetting agent , an effective combined amount of compounds of formula ( i ) and ( ii ) as described above . suitable printing methods include flat bed , rotary and screen printing . it is often advantageous to include an effective amount of a defoaming agent , such as 2 - ethylhexanol or a silicone compound . instead of containing a dye , the printing paste may contain a reserving agent , such as a triazine derivative in aqueous dispersion sold by clariant corporation under the trademark sandospace s , whereby selected areas of the substrate are rendered non - substantive or less substantive to a dye which is subsequently applied by exhaust dyeing and a space dyeing effect is obtained . the present invention also provides compositions comprising a mixture of compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) described above . with respect to the compositions of this invention , the same preferences apply with respect to the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ), e . g . for r , r 1 , r 2 , n and x , and their weight ratios as are stated above in the description of the process . a composition of this invention may be in the form of a textile treatment composition , e . g . a dyebath or printing paste as described above . preferably , it is in the form of a premixed composition , as described above , which is suitable for mixing with an aqueous liquid to form a composition for use in treating a textile material and which has a total content of compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) in the range 20 to 100 %, more preferably 35 to 100 %, by weight . the compositions of this invention can be produced according to the methods described above for adding compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) to an aqueous liquid or for mixing them together prior to adding them to an aqueous liquid with which a textile substrate is to be contacted . compounds of formula ( i ) can be produced by well known methods for polyoxyethylating a suitable substituted phenol , e . g . by condensation under suitable conditions of heat and pressure using an alkaline catalyst , such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide , and a sufficient amount of ethylene oxide to introduce the desired weight percent of oxyethylene units in a manner analogous to that disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 1 , 970 , 578 and 2 , 774 , 709 , the disclosures of which , particularly column 2 , lines 28 - 44 and examples 1 - 3 of the latter , are incorporated herein by reference . suitable substituted phenols , can be produced by methods well known in the art for introducing one or more substituents onto the phenol molecule . for example , alkyl phenols can be produced by warming a mixture of phenol and the appropriate alcohol or olefin , such as isomers of octene or nonene , in the presence of sulfuric acid . other substituted phenols can be made in an analogous manner . compounds of formula ( i ) are also commercially available as igepal co and igepal ca oxyethylated nonylphenol and octylphenol nonionic surfactants , respectively , from rhone - poulenc . compounds of formula ( ii ) are also commercially available . for example , aerosol to brand of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate surfactants can be obtained from cytec industries . alternatively , this compound and other compounds of formula ( ii ) can be produced by the processes described in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 028 , 091 , the disclosure of which , particularly page 1 , second column , lines 32 - 47 and the examples , especially examples 2 - 6 , is incorporated herein by reference . the compositions of this invention are useful for improving the wetting ability of aqueous dyebaths and printing pastes and other aqueous textile treatment liquors and can be used to provide the compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) for the processes described above . the compositions of the invention , when used in quantities sufficient to provide a total combined amount of compounds of formulae ( i ) and ( ii ) as called for above , provide unexpectedly improved continuous dyeing and printing results as compared with compound ( s ) of formula ( i ) alone or compound ( s ) of formula ( ii ) alone in an amount equal to said total combined amount . in the following examples , which illustrate this invention , all parts and percentages are by weight , unless otherwise stated , and all temperatures are in degrees celsius . a ) to 82 . 5 parts of a solution comprising 70 % of a compound of formula ( i ), in which r 1 is 4 - octyl , r 2 is hydrogen and n is 30 , ( 87 % ethylene oxide ; hlb 17 . 4 ) and 30 % water at 50 ° is added , with stirring , 17 . 5 parts of a solution comprising 70 % dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , 14 % propylene glycol and 16 % water . stirring is continued until mixing is complete and the resulting solution is then cooled to room temperature . b ) nylosan navy n - rbl conc . powder , 125 dye ( c . i . acid blue 125 ), the product of part ( a ) above , water and formic acid ( 80 %) are mixed together in amounts sufficient to produce a dyebath containing 30 g / l of the dye and 10 g / l of the product of part ( a ) and having a ph of 2 . 5 . the resulting dyebath is heated to 320 . a length of narrow ( 1 . 0 cm .) woven nylon tape , as used for trim , is drawn through the heated dyebath and then between two squeeze rollers set at a pressure to achieve a pick - up of 45 % dye liquor , based on the dry weight of the tape . the thus - treated tape is steamed at 100 ° for 3 minutes , rinsed with tap water , washed at 82 ° in water containing an effective amount of a suitable detergent , e . g . 3 g / l of a scouring detergent comprising ethoxylated tallow alkylamine , methylated n - alkyl propylene diamine ethoxylate , ethoxylated castor oil and sodium hexametaphosphate , thoroughly rinsed again with tap water and dried . the resulting dyeing of the tape is evaluated visually and is rated &# 34 ;+++++&# 34 ; on a 5 - point scale from &# 34 ;+&# 34 ; for poor to &# 34 ;+++++&# 34 ; for excellent . the same rating system is used in examples 2 to 6 . a ) to 82 . 5 parts of a compound of formula ( i ), in which r 1 is 4 - octyl , r 2 is hydrogen and n is 9 , ( 65 % ethylene oxide ; hlb 13 ) at 50 ° is added , with stirring , 17 . 5 parts of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate . stirring is continued until dissolution of the sulfosuccinate is complete and the resulting solution is then cooled to room temperature . b ) the procedure of part ( b ) of example 1 is repeated , except that the product of part ( a ) of this example is used instead of the product of part ( a ) of example 1 . the resulting dyeing of the tape is rated &# 34 ;+++++&# 34 ;. a ) the procedure of part ( a ) of example 2 is repeated , except that in the compound of formula ( i ) n is 5 ( 50 % ethylene oxide ; hlb 10 . 0 ). b ) the procedure of part ( b ) of example 1 is repeated , except that the product of part ( a ) of this example is used instead of the product of part ( a ) of example 1 . the resulting dyeing is rated &# 34 ;+++++&# 34 ;. a ) the procedure of part ( a ) of example 3 is repeated , except that 90 parts of the compound of formula ( i ) and 10 parts of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate are employed . b ) the procedure of part ( b ) of example 1 is repeated , except that the product of part ( a ) of this example is used in place of the product of part ( a ) of example 1 . the resulting dyeing is rated &# 34 ;+++++&# 34 ;. a ) the procedure of part ( a ) of example 3 is repeated , except that 93 . 75 parts of the compound of formula ( i ) and 6 . 25 parts of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate are employed . b ) the procedure of part ( b ) of example 1 is repeated , except that the product of part ( a ) of this example is used in place of the product of part ( a ) of example 1 . the resulting dyeing is rated &# 34 ;++++&# 34 ;. a ) to 33 parts of a compound of formula ( i ) in which r 1 is 4 - nonyl , r 2 is hydrogen and n is 9 ( 65 % ethylene oxide ; hlb 13 . 0 ) are added 57 parts of water and 10 parts of a mixture comprising 70 % dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , 16 % water and 14 % propylene glycol . the mixture is stirred at 50 ° until dissolution is complete and the resulting solution is cooled to room temperature . b ) the procedure of part ( b ) of example 1 is repeated , except that the product of part ( a ) of this example is used instead of the product of part ( a ) of example 1 . the resulting dyeing of the tape is rated &# 34 ;+++++&# 34 ;. one hundred twenty - five milliliters of water containing , as a dispersing agent , 0 . 25 g . of a 35 % aqueous solution of an ammonium salt of a polymer produced by reacting sulfonated ditolyl ether , sulfonated diisopropylnaphthalene and formaldehyde are heated to 120 ° and 1 . 75 g . of foron black rd - rbs ( granules ) disperse dye from clariant corporation are dispersed therein . heating is discontinued and preparation of the dyebath is completed by the addition of 0 . 25 g . of 90 % formic acid ( to ph 3 . 6 ), 6 . 25 g . of the product of part ( a ) of example 6 , 1 . 5 g . of modified aromatic hydrocarbon disperse dye carrier ( arrocar - 933 from arrow engineering , inc .) and sufficient water to bring the total volume to 250 ml .. the resulting disperse dyebath is applied to a sample of polyester pile carpeting to a wet pick - up of 400 % and the thus - treated sample is steamed for 8 minutes at 100 °. it is then rinsed with cold water followed by warm ( 49 °) water followed by cold water and dried . a level dyeing with excellent color yield is obtained . example 7 is repeated with the following changes : 1 ) the product of part ( a ) of example 6 is replaced with 2 . 5 g . of the product of part ( a ) of example 3 prepared by mixing 82 . 5 parts of a compound of formula ( i ) in which r 1 is 4 - octyl , r 2 is hydrogen and n is 5 with 17 . 5 parts of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate ; 2 ) the carrier is omitted ; and 3 ) the polyester pile carpeting is a &# 34 ; carrier - free &# 34 ; polyester . an excellent dyeing is obtained . forty grams of nylosan navy n - rlb conc . powder 125 acid dye are pasted with 50 g . of urea and 30 g . of thiodiethylene glycol . to the resulting paste are added 245 g . of hot water and the resulting mixture is heated to boiling and then added to 600 g . of a 10 % aqueous guar gum solution followed by addition of a mixture of 30 g . of ammonium sulfate and 5 g . of a product according to part ( a ) of any of examples 1 - 6 . the resulting printing paste is screen printed on woven nylon textile material , which is then dried at 93 ° and steamed for 20 minutes at 100 ° and atmospheric pressure in an autoclave . the printed textile material is then rinsed with cold water until the rinse water is clear , washed at 49 ° in water containing 1 g / l of sodium carbonate and 6 g / l of a detergent comprising ethoxylated tallow alkylamine , methylated n - alkyl propylene diamine ethoxylate and sodium hexametaphosphate , rinsed again and dried . part ( b ) of example 1 is repeated , except that the product of part ( a ) of that example is omitted from the dyebath . the resulting dyeing is characterized by undesired frosting and poor dye yield and is rated &# 34 ;+&# 34 ;. part ( b ) of example 1 is repeated , except that 10 g / l of a mixture comprising 70 % dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , 14 % propylene glycol and 16 % water is used instead of 10 g / l of the product of part ( a ) of that example . the resulting dyeing has dull color and lower dye yield than the dyeings obtained according to examples 1 - 4 and is rated &# 34 ;+++&# 34 ;. part ( b ) of example 3 is repeated , except that 10 g / l of the compound of formula ( i ) of that example is used instead of 10 g / l of the product of part ( a ) of that example . the resulting dyeing is characterized by poor dye yield and undesired frosting and is rated &# 34 ;++&# 34 ;. example 8 is repeated , except that the product of part ( a ) of example 3 is replaced with 2 . 5 g . of the compound of formula ( i ) used in that example . the resulting dyeing is decidedly inferior to the dyeing of example 8 . | 3 |
as was stated in the objects of the present invention related earlier in the present specification , the present invention is to protect the phosphorescent coating of a cathode ray tube from burns . as previously described , &# 34 ; burns &# 34 ; may be generated by permanently damaging the phosphor of the cathode ray tube if the intensity of the irradiated spot is too great and / or stays in one position on the tube face for too long a period of time . it is thus recognized that an attempt to prevent such burns involves sensing both the rate of change of the deflection beam of the scanned cathode ray tube as well as monitoring the brightness value of a spot generated by the electron beam of the cathode ray tube . with this in mind , the present invention takes the rate of change of beam deflection into consideration , monitoring this rate as well as the brightness level of the spot of the electron beam and then compares these with a predetermined relationship of these values which , if exceeded , the electron beam is extinguished in order to protect the phosphor of the cathode ray tube . in the present invention , the rate of change of the deflection of the electron beam is attained by taking a derivative of the voltage waveform as seen at the feedback resistance in the deflection yoke of the cathode ray tube . this is illustrated in fig1 wherein reference numeral 10 indicates the feedback resistance of the horizontal coil 11 of the deflection yoke and 12 indicates the feedback resistance of the vertical coil 13 of the deflection yoke of the cathode ray tube 14 . differentiators 16 and 18 are connected to the feedback resistances 10 and 12 respectively to obtain the derivative of the voltage waveform on these resistors . it should be appreciated that this measure of the waveform gives the rate of change of deflection since the magnetic deflection field of the crt is generated by the current in the deflection yoke and it is strictly a function of the number of turns in the yoke and the current flowing therethrough . as should be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the current is related to the voltage by the feedback to resistance r f where by ohms law v f = i × r f . in order that deflection in both the vertical and horizontal loads may be monitored , the absolute values of each of the derivatives of the horizontal and vertical voltage waveform are summed in summing amplifier 20 . the brightness level of the electron beam of the crt is conveniently monitored off of the brightness level control 22 of the instrument . it is common in devices employing cathode ray tubes for image production that a brightness level control is available for manual adjustment by an operator or viewer . as is in the case of the electron microscope , such a brightness level control is provided in a potentiometer , the controlling knob of which occurs on the face of the control panel of the instrument . thus , by picking off the reference voltage at voltage wipers 24 of brightness level control potentiometer , the brightness level may be monitored and supplied to divider circuit 26 . thus , divider circuit 26 divides the sum of the absolute values of the rates of change of deflection of the beam of the crt by the brightness level of the electron beam . it may be recognized that taking the sum of the absolute value of the rate of change of the deflection is not the most exact method of determining movement of the electron beam in the scan pattern . a more exact or more correct method for determining the vector sum of deflection would be d =√ h 2 + v 2 wherein d is the total deflection vector and h is the horizontal rate and v is the vertical rate . it may be recognized , however , that the use of the illustrated preferred and less accurate approach minimizes the cost of the electrical circuitry required . it should be recognized that it is within the skill of those skilled in the art to substitute summing and square root circuits to accurately measure horizontal and vertical rate and obtain the square root thereof , should specific application require a more accurate measurement of the rate of deflection of the electron beam . this may occur as in those installations wherein it is necessary to operate the cathode ray tube at brightness levels very close to the maximum tolerable by the phosphor . in such instances , a slight change in deflection rate not discernable by the absolute value method particularly described herein may be discerned by the square root method and adequate monitoring of deflection rate achieved . the signal representing the measure of deflection rate divided by brightness is then supplied to comparator 28 wherein the value of the divider circuit 26 is compared with a reference value from potentiometer 30 . the output of comparator 28 is then supplied to the control of the electron beam and a blanking control 32 . blanking to the crt beam is conveniently accomplished by causing a switch to activate in response to a signal which indicates the quotient of deflection rate over brightness exceeding the tolerable level signaling existing cathode ray tube circuitry for blanking the beam . turning now to fig2 a specific preferred embodiment is illustrated as embodied in the display of a scanning electron microscope . reference numeral 40 indicates the vertical absolute value detector and derivative circuit receiving its input from terminal t1 which in turn is connected to the feedback resistor for the vertical coil of the yoke . as illustrated , the vertical derivative circuit includes various coupling resistors and capacitors connected to an operational amplifier being one - fourth of an a1 741 integrated circuit . the output of the vertical absolute value and derivative circuit is applied to summing amplifier 42 which is also a portion of the same ic a1 741 , the input to the summing amplifiers on terminal 14 thereof as is illustrated . additionally , input thereto is the output of the horizontal absolute value and derivative circuit 44 which , similar to the vertical circuit , receives its input from the feedback resistor of the appropriate horizontal yoke indicated at terminal t2 . likewise , various coupling resistors and capacitors are connected to an operational amplifier being also one - fourth of an a1 741 integrated circuit . the output of summing amplifier 42 is supplied to the divider circuit 46 which , in the illustrated embodiment , is a 4205j ic , again illustrated with various coupling resistance and capacitance , input of the summing amplifiers on terminal 3 of the ic of the divider circuit . also input thereto , however , on terminal 6 is the output of the brightness level control 48 , the operative elements of which include an operational amplifier , again a portion of the ic a1 741 and various coupling resistance and capacitance . the output of the divider circuit is then input to comparator 50 which is an n5556v integrated circuit . comparator 50 is connected to a threshold level device 52 being a combination of variable and fixed resistance and voltage source as illustrated . the output of the comparator is supplied to the base of a switching transistor 2n3903 . when the level of the output of the comparator indicates the input exceeding the set threshold level , a voltage is applied to the base of the switching transistor 54 which in turn supplies a signal over conductor 56 to an enabling terminal t3 which in turn is coupled to the blanking circuit of the cathode ray tube . additionally coupled to the output of the comparator circuit may be light emitting diode enabling indicators 60 which may alternately depend upon the ouput level of the comparator indicated as a red or green light indicating the state of the enabling circuit of the cathode ray tube protect device . in fig2 the following list of components by designation is provided : ______________________________________r . sub . 1 , r . sub . 2 , r . sub . 28 , r . sub . 29 5 k ohmsr . sub . 3 470 kr . sub . 4 , r . sub . 9 , r . sub . 10 , r . sub . 11 , r . sub . 31 10 kr . sub . 5 , r . sub . 33 1 k variabler . sub . 6 200r . sub . 7 , r . sub . 22 , r . sub . 24 1 kr . sub . 8 470r . sub . 12 680r . sub . 13 2 . 2 mr . sub . 14 , r . sub . 16 4 . 7kr . sub . 15 5 k variabler . sub . 17 , r . sub . 18 5 . 1 kr . sub . 19 , r . sub . 20 100r . sub . 21 200r . sub . 23 20 k variabler . sub . 25 , r . sub . 32 47r . sub . 26 , r . sub . 27 100 kr . sub . 30 220 kr . sub . 34 2 kr . sub . 35 1 . 2 kr . sub . 36 2 . 2 kc . sub . 1 82 pf 10 % c . sub . 2 5 pf 10 % c . sub . 3 50 mfc . sub . 4 , c . sub . 6 , c . sub . 7 , c . sub . 8 , c . sub . 9 , c . sub . 13 1 mfc . sub . 5 . 01 mfc . sub . 10 . 1 mfc . sub . 11 . 068 mf 10 % c . sub . 12 200 pf 10 % cr . sub . 1 , cr . sub . 2 , cr . sub . 4 , cr . sub . 5 , cr . sub . 6 , cr . sub . 7 in 914cr . sub . 3 led indicatorq . sub . 1 2n3903______________________________________ while particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . therefore , the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the preferred active compounds of the present invention are in an ionized , salt form or as the free base of the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof ( provided , for the aerosol or pump spray compositions , they are soluble in the spray solvent ). these compounds are soluble in the non - polar solvents of the invention at useful concentrations or can be prepared as pastes at useful concentrations . these concentrations may be less than the standard accepted dose for these compounds since there is enhanced absorption of the compounds through the oral mucosa . this aspect of the invention is especially important when there is a large ( 40 - 99 . 99 %) first pass effect . as propellants for the non polar sprays , propane , n - butane , iso - butane , n - pentane , iso - pentane , and neo - pentane , and mixtures thereof may be used . n - butane and iso - butane , as single gases , are the preferred propellants . it is permissible for the propellant to have a water content of no more than 0 . 2 %, typically 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 %. all percentages herein are by weight unless otherwise indicated . it is also preferable that the propellant be synthetically produced to minimize the presence of contaminants which are harmful to the active compounds . these contaminants include oxidizing agents , reducing agents , lewis acids or bases , and water . the concentration of each of these should be less than 0 . 1 %, except that water may be as high as 0 . 2 %. suitable non - polar solvents for the capsules and the non - polar sprays include ( c 2 - c 24 ) fatty acid ( c 2 - c 6 ) esters , c 7 - c 18 hydrocarbon , c 2 - c 6 alkanoyl esters , and the triglycerides of the corresponding acids . when the capsule fill is a paste , other liquid components may be used instead of the above low molecular weight solvents . these include soya oil , corn oil , other vegetable oils . as solvents for the polar capsules or sprays there may be used low molecular weight polyethyleneglycols ( peg ) of 400 - 1000 mw ( preferably 400 - 600 ), low molecular weight ( c 2 - c 8 ) mono and polyols and alcohols of c 7 - c 18 linear or branch chain hydrocarbons , glycerin may also be present and water may also be used in the sprays , but only in limited amount in the capsules . it is expected that some glycerin and water used to make the gelatin shell will migrate from the shell to the fill during the curing of the shell . likewise , there may be some migration of components from the fill to the shell during curing and even throughout the shelf - life of the capsule . therefore , the values given herein are for the compositions as prepared , it being within the scope of the invention that minor variations will occur . the preferred flavoring agents are synthetic or natural oil of peppermint , oil of spearmint , citrus oil , fruit flavors , sweeteners ( sugars , aspartame , saccharin , etc . ), and combinations thereof . the active substances include the active compounds selected from the group consisting of cyclosporine , sermorelin , octreotide acetate , calcitonin - salmon , insulin lispro , sumatriptan succinate , clozepine , cyclobenzaprine , dexfenfluramine hydrochloride , glyburide , zidovudine , erythromycin , ciprofloxacin , ondansetron hydrochloride , dimenhydrinate , cimetidine hydrochloride , famotidine , phenytoin sodium , phenytoin , carboprost thromethamine , carboprost , diphenhydramine hydrochloride , isoproterenol hydrochloride , terbutaline sulfate , terbutaline , theophylline , albuterol sulfate and neutraceuticals , that is to say nutrients with pharmacological action such as but not limited to carnitine , valerian , echinacea , and the like . in another embodiment , the active compound is an anti - arrhythmic , anti - hypertensive , heart regulator , cardiovascular agent , plaque stabilization agent , vasodilator , anti - anginal , anti - coagulant , anti - hypotensive , anti - thrombotic , drug for treating congestive heart failure , p - fox ( fatty acid oxidation ) inhibitor , or a mixture thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is an anti - arrhythmic . suitable anti - arrhythmics for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , adenosine , amiodarone , bepridil , bretylium , digitoxin , digoxin , diltiazem , disopyramide , dofetilide , d - sotolol , flecainide , lidocaine , mexiletine , milrinone , phenytoin , pilsicainide , procainamide , propafenone , propranolol , quinidine , tocainide , dofetilide , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is an anti - hypertensive . suitable anti - hypertensives for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , acebutolol , alfuzosin , amlodipine , atenolol , amlodipine / benazepril , barnidipine benazepril , bepridil , betaxolol , bisoprolol , bosentan , candesartan , captopril , cariporide , carvedilol , celiprolol , cilazapril , clonidine , diltiazem , doxazosin , enalapril , eplerenone , eprosartan , esmolol , felodipine , fenoldopam , fosinopril , guanfacine , imidapril , irbesartan , isradipine , labetalol , lercanidipine , lisinopril , losartan , manidipine , methyldopa , metoprolol , moxonidine , nadolol , nicardipine , nicorandal , nifedipine , nitrendipine , nosoldipine , omapatrilat , perindopril erbumine , pindolol , prazosin , propranolol , quinapril , ramipri , sotalol , spirapril , tamsulosin , telmisartan , terazosin , torsemide , trandolapril , valsartan , vatanidipine , midodrine , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is a heart regulator . suitable heart regulators for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , digoxin , digitoxin , dobutamine , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is a cardiovascular agent . suitable cardiovascular agents for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , edaravone , iloprost , levosimendan , molsidomine , tezosentan , tirilazad , ym087 , adenosine , avasimibe , fenofibrate , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is a plaque stabilization agent . a suitable plaque stabilization agent for use in the buccal sprays of the invention includes , but is not limited to , avasimibe . in one embodiment the active compound is a vasodilator . suitable vasodilators for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , buflomedil , cilostazol , dipyridamole , diazoxide , hydralazine , minoxidil , naftidrofuryl , nicorandil , nitroprusside , alprostadil , apomorphine , phentolamine mesylate , sildenafil , tadalafil , vardenifil , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is an anti - anginal . suitable anti - anginals for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , amilodipine , amyl nitrite , atenolol , bepridil , diltiazem , erythrityl tetranitrate , felodipine , isosorbide dinitrate , isradipine , metoprolol , nadolol , nicardipine , nifedipine , nimodipine , pentaerythritol tetranitrate , propranolol , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is an anti - coagulant . suitable anti - coagulants for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , abeiximab , ardeparin , argatroban , bivalirudin , clopidogrel , dalteparin , danaparoid , desirudin , dipyridamole , enoxaparin , eptifibatide , fondaparinux , h376 / 95 , lepirudin , melagatran , nadroparine , nafamostat mesilate , pentosan , pentoxifylline , reviparin , sarpogrelate , snac / snad - heparin , ticlopidine , tinzaparin , tirofiban , warfarin , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is an anti - hypotensive . suitable anti - hypotensives for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , midodrine , dobutamine , fludrocortisone , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is an anti - thrombotic . suitable anti - thrombotics for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , aspirin , abciximab , enoxaparin , integrelin , ticlopidine , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is a drug for treating congestive heart failure . suitable drugs for treating congestive heart failure for use in the buccal sprays of the invention include , but are not limited to , amrinone , benazepril , bumetanide , captopril , digitoxin , digoxin , dobutamine , dopamine , enalapril , ethacrynic acid , fosinopril , furosemide , hydralazine , lisinopril , mihinone , minoxidil , moexipril , quinapril , ramipril , torsemide , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment the active compound is a p - fox inhibitor . a suitable p - fox inhibitor for use in the buccal sprays of the invention includes , but is not limited to , ranolazine . the formulations of the present invention comprise an active compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” refers to salts prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non - toxic acids or bases including organic and inorganic acids or bases . when an active compound of the present invention is acidic , salts may be prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non - toxic bases . salts derived from all stable forms of inorganic bases include aluminum , ammonium , calcium , copper , iron , lithium , magnesium , manganese , potassium , sodium , zinc , etc . particularly preferred are the ammonium , calcium , magnesium , potassium , and sodium salts . salts derived from pharmaceutically acceptable organic non - toxic bases include salts of primary , secondary , and tertiary amines , substituted amines including naturally occurring substituted amines , cyclic amines and basic ion - exchange resins such as arginine , betaine , caffeine , choline , n , n dibenzylethylenediamine , diethylamine , 2 - diethylaminoethanol , 2 - dimethyl - aminoethanol , ethanolamine , ethylenediamine , n - ethylmorpholine , n - ethylpiperidine , glucamine , glucosamine , histidine , isopropylamine , lysine , methyl - glucosamine , morpholine , piperazine , piperidine , polyamine resins , procaine , purine , theobromine , triethylamine , trimethylamine , tripropylamine , etc . when an active compound of the present invention is basic , salts may be prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non - toxic acids . such acids include acetic , benzenesulfonic , benzoic , camphorsulfonic , citric , ethane - sulfonic , fumaric , gluconic , glutamic , hydrobromic , hydrochloric , isethionic , lactic , maleic , mandelic , methanesulfonic , mucic , nitric , pamoic , pantothenic , phosphoric , succinic , sulfuric , tartaric , p - toluenesulfonic , etc . particularly preferred are citric , hydrobromic , maleic , phosphoric , sulfuric , and tartaric acids . in the discussion of methods of treatment herein , reference to the active compounds is meant to also include the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . while certain formulations are set forth herein , the actual amounts to be administered to the mammal or man in need of same are to be determined by the treating physician . the invention is further defined by reference to the following examples , which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting . the following are examples of certain classes . all values unless otherwise specified are in weight percent . cns active amines and their salts : including but not limited to tricyclic amines , gaba analogues , thiazides , phenothiazine derivatives , serotonin antagonists and serotonin reuptake inhibitors | 0 |
referring to fig1 of the drawings the motor has a stator 1 of high permeability steel laminations with pole pieces 2 , 3 , 8 and 9 carrying windings m 1 and m 2 , the windings m 1 of alternate poles combining to form one phase winding and the windings m 2 combining to form the second phase winding . the size and shape of the arcuate faces of the stator pole pieces 2 is such that the cross - sectional area of the path offered to magnetic flux in the machine is a minimum at the arcuate faces of the stator poles which define one side of the airgap between the connected arcuate faces of the poles of the stator 1 and rotor 5 , where this airgap is of minimal width . the rotor 5 of high permeability steel laminations has half the number of poles of the stator . the angular extent of the rotor pole surface is approximately twice that of the stator . approximately half of the rotor pole surface is undermined by deep trapezoidal slots 6 such that the rectangular portions remaining can , due to saturation , sustain a gap flux density of only one half of that provided by the unslotted pole surface 7 . advantageously the slots in one half the total number of laminations are displaced in position by one half a slot pitch . it will be seen that as the slotted zone 6 , moving anti - clockwise , begins to overlap the pole 2 , the windings m 1 being excited , a flux increase linear with angular displacement is obtained . the said flux increase is caused to be mainly independent of the current intensity in the windings 3 by means of the magnetic saturation occuring in the rotor steel teeth 6 &# 39 ;, of uniform cross - section , formed by the punching of trapezoidal slots 6 . the ampere - turns of the winding m 1 is caused to be almost totally developed across the rotor teeth 6 &# 39 ; by selecting a radial airgap of not exceeding 10 % of the distance in meters given by 4π × 10 - 7 times the working ampere - turns per pole divided by the saturation flux - density ( in tesla ) of the ferro - magnetic material of the rotor . when the slotted zone 6 , 6 &# 39 ; is fully aligned with the stator pole 2 , the flux has reached one half of its maximum value . further angular movement causes the unslotted pole surface 7 to overlap with stator pole 2 forming a saturated zone which has approximately double the saturation flux density of the slotted zone . the increase of flux with rotation continues linearly because the slotted rotor surface now moving away from under the stator pole represents only half the flux - carrying capacity of the unslotted surface now entering . in order that the said linear increase of flux with rotation shall continue until full alignment of the unslotted pole surface 7 of the rotor with the stator pole 2 is approached , magnetic saturation requires to be confined to the neighbourhood of the mechanically variable interface or overlap between stator and rotor poles . this is achieved by dimensioning the maximum cross - sectional area of the said variable interface , which area corresponds to the area of a stator pole face , to be less than the cross - section available to magnetic flux elsewhere in the magnetic flux path , and so cause the major constriction to flux to be located adjacent to the interface . therefore , the dimension d 1 of the stator pole periphery is made about 20 % less than the stator pole width d 2 by tapering the pole tips inwards as shown . the yoke thickness d 3 is made about 60 % of the pole width d 2 , these figures making some provision for leakage flux as will be clear to those skilled in the art . to achieve a 90 ° &# 34 ; working stroke &# 34 ; per phase , so that torque can be developed continuously by sequential excitation of the phases , the rotor pole face arc is made 100 ° and the stator pole face arc is made 50 °. ideally , in an assumed absence of fringing flux , rotor pole face arc of 90 ° and stator pole face arc of 45 ° would be appropriate . the requirements can be generalised for machines having larger numbers of poles : the rotor pole arc ( here 100 °) should slightly exceed the stator pole pitch ( here 90 °); the rotor may have nay even number of poles , the stator requiring twice the said even number of poles ; the total of the rotor pole - face peripheries and the total of the stator pole face peripheries should each exceed , by about 10 %, half the total periphery available . the periphery of the rotor interpolar space ( approximately 80 ° ) considerably exceeds that the stator pole face ( here 50 °) so that a large airgap exists in the flux path of phase 1 when the rotor is in the maximum reluctance position for phase 1 . this gives desirably low pole fluxes in the said position . hence the mechanical output work at constant current is about 80 % of the theoretically maximum value . by contrast , in prior art stepping motors the corresponding mechanical work per step is typically well under one half of the theoretically possible value . in order to largely retain the above favourable magnetization characteristic in other embodiments , the peripheral interpolar space should exceed by at least 20 % the peripheral extent of each stator pole face . the angular position of the rotor , appropriate for suppression of the current in the phase windings m 1 and initiation of current in the phase windings m 2 is detected by a shaft - driven position sensor , which may be of electro - magnetic , optical or magneto - diode type , and may include provision to automatically advance the initiation of switching as the speed increases . an alternative rotor construction uses the lamination shapes illustrated in fig2 . laminations 5 &# 34 ; of short pole arc corresponding to that of the stator poles are interleaved with laminations 5 &# 39 ; having approximately double the pole arc of laminations 5 &# 34 ;. the combination gives a pole surface having two densities of ferro - magnetic material in the required ratio of 2 : 1 . advantageously the rotors of fig1 and 2 may be given a cylindrical outline of reduced windage loss by the filling of the interpolar spaces with a suitable material . referring to fig3 m 1 and o 1 indicate the closely coupled main and auxiliary windings pertaining to one phase of the motor of fig1 . m 2 and o 2 are a similar pair of windings pertaining to the second phase . m 1 and m 2 are the main phase windings and occupy the major part of the winding space . the auxiliary windings 0 1 and 0 2 , designated &# 34 ; overwind &# 34 ;, have the function of returning inductively stored energy to the battery 10 . main thyristor 28 connects winding m 1 to the battery 10 . free - wheel thyristor 39 presents a short - circuit to winding m 1 . during the period of increasing rotor overlap , the current in m 1 is kept within limits by sequential switching of 28 and 29 , 39 being commutated automatically by 28 . commutation thyristor 29 , capacitor 25 , inductor 26 and auxiliary thyristor 27 is a commutating circuit with the function of force commutating thyristor 28 . 33 is a diode which , made conducting by both thyristors 39 and 28 beingsimulatneously blocked , causes the winding ampere - turns to decay rapidly as inductively stored energy is returned to the battery . the thyristors 31 , 30 , 40 and diode 32 have corresponding functions in being simultaneously to the second phase winding m 2 and o 2 . the mode of operation will be clear to one familiar with d . c . chopper regulators . referring to fig1 a , illustrating waveforms at low speed , the segments 51 correspond to the rise of current in the main winding m 1 ( of fig3 ) when the main thyristor 28 is conducting . the segments 52 correspond to the fall of current in the main winding when the free - wheel thyristor 39 is conducting . the upper current limit 53 and the lower current limit 54 are effective during the period of positive torque when pole overlap is increasing . the segment 55 corresponds to the more rapid fall of current in the overwinding 0 1 ( of fig3 ) when the diode 33 conducts , this switching being initiated by signals from a shaft - driven phase sensor . fig1 b shows the corresponding waveforms for the phase windings m 2 and o 2 ( fig3 ). in a less efficient mode of operation , the free - wheel thyristors 39 and 40 are omitted . in fig1 a segment 51 &# 39 ; corresponds to the rise of current in the main winding m 1 ( of fig3 ). the speed voltage is such that the upper current limit 3 is not reached . segment 55 &# 39 ; corresponds to the decay of current in the over - winding o 1 . fig1 b shows corresponding conditions in the windings of the other phase . the free - wheel thyristors 39 and 40 are inoperative and all switching is initiated by a shaft - driven phase sensor . the preferred mode of operation of the improved electrodynamic system according to the invention will be evident from the following more detailed description with reference to the block diagram in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , the motor has its shaft 32 connected to a position sensor 33 and a mechanical load 34 in which the mechanical work output is absorbed . a controller made up of a power section 36 and a control section 37 has output terminals 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , connected to correspondingly numbered terminals of the motor main and auxiliary windings . a battery dc source 10 has its positive terminal connected to power input terminal 19 of the power section 36 and its negative terminal to power input terminal 20 of the power section 36 . a signal generated by position sensor 33 corresponding to the angular position of shaft 32 and hence to the angular position of the motor rotor is coupled to the control section 37 as indicated by the broken line 25 . a signal representative of a desired torque is also applied to control section 37 as indicated by arrow 38 . referring to the power circuit fig3 the complete system fig4 and to fig1 the system operation will now be described . s . c . r . s 30 , s . c . r . s , 29 , 39 . winding assuming initially that the desired torque signal 38 is zero and the motor is stopped with the rotor 6 in the position relative to poles 2 and 8 shown in fig1 . this initial position is taken merely for convenience in explanation , the system produces torque at rest with any rotor position . poles 2 and 3 are each wound with one half the turns of winding m 1 and one half the turns of winding o 1 , the corresponding half windings on each pole being connected in series or parallel to form the complete windings m 1 and o 1 shown in fig3 . a signal from position sensor 33 to control section 37 in fig1 enables gate signals to be directed to single or combinations of silicon controller rectifiers ( s . c . r . s ) 27 , 28 , 29 , 39 under supervision of control section 37 fig1 which are associated with winding m 1 and inhibits direction of gate signals to s . c . r . s30 , 31 and 40 . as the desired torque signal is zero a gate signal will be applied by control section 37 to s . c . r . s29 , 39 . commutating capacitor 25 will be charged from the battery 10 through the windings m 1 and s . c . r . 29 with the upper plate positive with respect to the lower plate . as is known , due to the inductance associated with winding m 1 the voltage on capacitor 25 will tend to rise to approximately twice the voltage of battery 10 . the charging voltage of capacitor 25 is limited to that of battery 10 by s . c . r . 39 conducting as the potential of its anode rises above the cathode which is connected to battery postive terminal 19 . both s . c . r . s then self - commutate . if now the desired torque signal changes to some positive value , gate signals are directed by control section 37 to s . c . r . s 28 and 27 . the circuit formed by commutation capacitor 35 , inductor 36 and s . c . r . 27 reverses the charge on capacitor 25 . s . c . r . 27 self - commutates when this occurs . simultaneous with the reversed process current starts to rise in the circuit comprising battery 10 winding m 1 and s . c . r . 28 , and motoring torque is produced . when the current , sensed by any sensing means associated with the circuit has risen to a level corresponding to that set in control section 37 by the desired torque signal 38 a gate signal is directed to s . c . r . 29 which causes forced commutation of s . c . r . 28 by discharging capacitor 25 througn it , a gate signal is also directed to s . c . r . 39 . when s . c . r . 28 commutates , capacitor 25 recharges until s . c . r . 39 conducts and s . c . r . 29 self - commutates . the winding current now &# 34 ; free wheels &# 34 ; through the short current path provided by s . c . r . 39 until it falls to some predetermined value when control section 37 again directs gate signals to s . c . r . s 28 and 27 causing the current to start to rise again in winding m 1 and the charge on capacitor 25 to reverse . this process repeats giving a current in m 1 , the torque causing rotation of the rotor 5 and shaft 32 until the rotor 6 fig1 comes with its maximum iron density section under poles 2 and 3 . at this time the signal from the position sensor 33 indicates to control section 37 the end of the working stroke for this winding , this information is momentarily stored in the control section 37 . the current in m 1 at this time may be being supplied from the battery 10 via s . c . r . 28 or may be free - wheeling through s . c . r . 39 . if the current in winding m 1 is rising a gate signal is directed by the control section 37 to s . c . r . 29 but not as before also to s . c . r . 39 . s . c . r . 28 is forced to commutate as before and capacitor 25 recharges . this time however as s . c . r . 39 is not gated the voltage at winding m 1 terminal 12 rises above that of positive battery terminal 19 to a level defined by the turns ratio of m 1 / o 1 multiplied by the voltage of battery 10 . when this level is reached , as windings m 1 and o 1 are closely coupled , terminal 13 of winding o 1 will tend to rise above the voltage of battery 10 and diode 32 will conduct . the residual energy stored in the magnetic field originally associated with winding m 1 will now appear as a current flow back to the battery 10 as the field collapses , the circuit being that of winding o 1 and diode 33 and battery 10 . if however the current in winding m is free - wheeling through s . c . r . 39 control section 37 will first direct a gate signal to s . c . r . 28 causing it to conduct thus commutating s . c . r . 39 . a gate signal is also directed to s . c . r . 27 to reverse the charge on capacitor 25 . immediately after this a gate signal is directed to s . c . r . 29 to commutate s . c . r . 23 and energy recuperation back to battery 10 takes place as already described . once s . c . r . 29 has been gated the information from the position sensor 33 already stored in control section 377 inhibits further direction of gate signals to s . c . r . s 28 , 29 , 39 and enables gate signals to be directed to s . c . r . s 30 , 31 and 40 . immediately s . c . r . s 27 and 31 are gated causing the growth of current in winding m 2 and reversal of charge on capacitor 25 . control section 37 operation on s . c . r . s 30 , 31 and 40 associated with winding m 2 is as already described for winding m 1 . when the maximum from density section of rotor 5 comes into alignment with pole 9 fig1 operation of winding m 2 is terminated as described for winding m 1 and winding m 1 is energised , thus producing continuous rotation of shaft 32 . if the desired torque signal is set to its maximum value and the condition of load 35 is such as to allow maximum speeed with full power operation of the motor the current in whichever winding is energised will not rise above the upper level set by control section 37 and will remain essentially constant until terminated by control section 23 gating the appropriate s . c . r . either 29 or 30 as directed by position sensor 33 . in this mode of operation the current waveforms will be as in fig6 control section 37 advancing the switching from m 1 to m 2 relative to rotor 5 position as speed increases . alternately this advance may be accomplished manually by moving the stationary portion of position sensor 33 to provide torque control at high speed . this mode is similar to field weakening control in a chopper fed series rotor . a less efficient mode of low speed operation is also possible in which s . c . r . s 39 and 40 are omitted . in this mode when the current in the operating winding rises above the upper value set by control section 37 and the appropriate series s . c . r . 29 or 31 is forced to commutate , free - wheeling occurs via the appropriate auxiliary winding o 1 or o 2 and series diode back to the battery 10 . due to the more rapid rate of fall of current , the current ripple frequency is increased over the previously described mode of operation resulting in higher commutation and motor losses which may be acceptable in applications where mainly full speed operation is required . the term &# 34 ; electric power source &# 34 ; used herein is intended to include any source or sink of electric power , according to the context . | 7 |
a rotary - drum washing machine with a horizontal drum axis 1 has an oscillatory washer unit 2 with a drive motor 3 driving the washing drum , not shown in detail , by way of a belt drive 4 . further components connected with the washer unit 2 , such as a transmission , are not shown for reasons of simplicity . the oscillatory washer unit 2 is suspended by means of helical tension springs 7 on a washing machine housing 6 supported on a machine stand 5 formed by a main frame . the tension springs 7 are on the one hand secured to loops 8 arranged in the upper area of the washer unit 2 . on the other hand , they are suspended on loops 9 provided on side walls 10 of the housing 6 . instead of the washer unit 2 being suspended on tension springs 7 , a known support of the washer unit 2 may be provided by way of so - called telescopic spring struts ( not shown ) on the machine stand 5 , as known from u . s . pat . no . 4 , 991 , 412 . it is of decisive importance that the suspension or support of the washer unit 2 is freely oscillarory . further , vibration dampers 11 are arranged between the washer unit 2 and the machine stand 5 , which are frictional dampers . in the example of embodiment specified in the following , the vibration damper 11 has a housing 12 . the housing 12 essentially consists of a cylindrical tube 13 closed at one end by means of a bottom 14 . on the outside of the bottom 14 , an articulated bush 15 is provided as an articulating element , by means of which the vibration damper 11 is mounted on a bearing 16 on the washer unit 2 such that the vibration damper 11 is arranged to be pivotable relative to the washer unit 2 about a pivot axis 17 which extends parallel to the drum axis 1 . each vibration damper 11 further has a tappet 18 , having in like manner at its outer end an articulated bush 19 , of which the pivot axis 20 , in the same way as the pivot axis 17 , is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 21 of the respective vibration damper 11 . by this articulated bush 19 the vibration damper 11 is pivotably seized in a bearing 22 arranged on the machine stand 5 in such a manner that the pivot axis 20 also extends parallel to the drum axis 1 . the tappet 18 substantially consists of a comparatively thin - walled metal pipe 23 , the end of which is located outside the housing 12 and is provided with the articulated bush 19 , on which a cover 24 is formed , with which this articulated bush 19 is connected by means of a crimp 25 on the pipe 23 . as opposed to this , the housing 12 is injection - molded in one piece from plastic material . on its inside wall 26 , the housing 12 has guide ribs 27 , which project radially inward and run parallel to the axis 21 , and which extend substantially over the length of the inside wall 26 . these guide ribs 27 are disposed at equal angular sections relative to each other , there being at least three guide ribs ; four guide ribs 27 are provided in the exemplary embodiment , disposed at a distance of 90 ° to each other . for the insertion of the tappet 18 into the housing 12 to be facilitated , the pipe 23 is provided with a radial necking 28 at its end opposite to the articulated bush 19 . at the end 29 on the tappet exit side , which is opposite to the articulated bush 15 , the housing 12 has a damping housing 30 consisting of an annular cylindrical housing section 31 and a stop collar 32 . the annular cylindrical housing section 31 has an inside diameter greater than what corresponds to the outside diameter of the pipe 23 of the tappet 18 . the stop collar 32 is formed by a transition area between the housing section 31 and the pipe 13 , which is formed in one piece with the damping housing 30 and -- as mentioned -- is made from plastic material . at its free end opposite to the stop collar 32 , the damping housing 30 is closed by an annular cover 33 . in the damping housing 30 , an annular damping element 34 is disposed displaceably in the direction of the axis 21 . it has a circular cylindrical outer surface 35 which is guided , with slight clearance , on guide ribs 36 of the damping housing 30 that run parallel to the axis 21 . on its inside turned toward the pipe 23 of the tappet 18 , it is provided with annular stop flanges 37 at both ends , a cylinder ring recess 38 being formed between the flanges 37 . a friction lining 39 is disposed in this recess 38 , consisting for instance of a polyurethane foam , the open or opened cells of which housing a lubricant . the stop flanges 37 prevent the friction lining 39 from slipping out of the recess 38 in the direction of the axis 21 . the friction lining 39 bears with friction against the pipe 23 of the tappet 18 . between the recess 38 and the outer surface 35 of the damping element 34 , annular cylindrical recesses 40 , 41 are formed concentrically of the axis 21 , of which the recess 40 is open toward the stop collar 32 and the other recess 41 toward the cover 33 . an annular rib 42 is located between the two recesses 40 , 41 . from its two axial ends , the damping element 34 is loaded by prestressed helical compression springs 43 , 44 , of which one helical compression spring 43 penetrates into the recess 40 and supports itself on the annular rib 42 . it also supports itself on the stop collar 32 . the other helical compression spring 44 penetrates into the recess 41 , from there supporting itself on the annular rib 42 . its other end supports itself of the cover 33 . for the helical compression springs 43 , 44 to be guided laterally firmly in the stop collar 32 on the one hand and in the cover 33 on the other , these are provided with annular , groove - type recesses 45 . consequently , the stop collar 32 and the cover 33 are the abutments for the compression springs 43 , 44 . the two helical compression springs 43 , 44 are substantially of identical design . when they are completely compressed , they submerge largely , but not completely in the respective recess 40 or 41 , i . e . the damping element 34 can move substantially over the free length l of the damping housing 30 between the latter &# 39 ; s stop collar 32 and cover 33 . as regards the maximally possible length s of the damping element 34 from its central position of rest shown in the drawing , it can be said that s is slightly less than ( l - x )/ 2 , x being the length of the damping element 34 in the direction of the axis 21 . the compression springs 43 , 44 are dimensioned and prestressed such that when one compression spring 43 or 44 is completely compressed , i . e . when the damping element 34 is completely displaced by the length s out of its central position of rest , the other compression spring 44 , 43 is still prestressed . the cover 33 is permanently exposed to forces which result from the prestressed load of the compression springs 43 , 44 and which slightly exceed the frictional forces maximally occurring between the damping element 34 and the tappet 18 . to this end , the outer edge 46 of the cover 33 is provided with an annular groove 47 , to which is allocated an annular ring 48 projecting from the annular cylindrical housing 31 in the direction toward the axis 21 . after insertion of the compression spring 43 , the damping element 34 and the compression spring 44 in the damping housing 30 , the cover 33 is put on and elastically locked into engagement with the annular ring 48 . this is possible due to the fact that the cover 33 too consists of an elastic plastic material . when the cover 33 is locked into place , the two compression springs 43 , 44 are prestressed . the embodiment according to fig5 and 6 differs from the embodiment according to fig3 and 4 only in the way the cover 33 &# 39 ; is fixed to the housing section 31 &# 39 ;. all the other parts are identical so that identical reference numerals are used in fig5 and 6 , there being no need of renewed description . on the outside of the annular cylindrical housing section 31 &# 39 ; of the damping housing 30 &# 39 ;, retaining projections 49 are formed , to which correspond clips 50 formed on the cover 33 &# 39 ;. when the cover 33 &# 39 ; is mounted in the way described , then the clips 50 slide over the retaining projections 49 , backing them up elastically , whereby the cover 33 &# 39 ; is firmly , but releasably united with the housing section 31 &# 39 ;. the housing 12 is provided with vents 51 . | 5 |
an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of fig1 to 8 . in fig1 numeral 1 denotes an indoor - side wall surface . the wall surface 1 is fitted with an indoor unit 2 which is connected to an outdoor unit ( not shown ). the indoor unit 2 comprises a case assembly , which is composed of a rear case 3 and a front case 4 , as well as a heat exchanger 6 and a cross - flow fan 7 in the case assembly . the exchanger 6 and the fan 7 are fixed to the rear case 3 . the heat exchanger 6 has a substantially l - shaped structure , bent in the middle with respect to the height direction , and a dust collector 8 is mounted on the upper front portion of the exchanger 6 . a first suction aperture 10 is formed in the top portion of the front case 4 so as to face the upper front portion of the heat exchanger 6 . the suction aperture 10 is fitted with first and second louvers 11 and 12 for use as open - close means for opening and closing the aperture 10 . these louvers are spaced in the depth direction . as shown in the enlarged views of fig2 and 3 , the first and second louvers 11 and 12 are driven by means of a louver drive mechanism 15 , which is located at the upper portion of the front case 4 . as shown in fig2 the drive mechanism 15 comprises a servomotor 17 fixed to the upper portion of the front case 4 , a first connecting rod 18 which is driven in the direction of the arrow as the servomotor 17 operates , and a first driven lever 20 connected to the other end portion of the first rod 18 and pivotable around an axis 19 . the mechanism 15 further comprises a second driven lever 21 connected to the first lever 20 and pivotable around the same axis 19 , a second connecting rod 22 connected to the distal end portion of the second lever 21 , and a third driven lever 24 connected to the other end of the second rod 22 and pivotable around an axis 23 . the servomotor 17 is connected to the controller indicated by 25 in fig2 and the drive mechanism 15 operates on the basis of control signals supplied from by the controller 25 . as shown in fig5 an arm 26 for holding the first louver 11 is fixed to a pivot 21a of the second driven lever 21 . as the driven lever 21 pivots , the first louver 11 pivots around the axis 19 , thereby opening or closing the first suction aperture 10 , as shown in fig3 . as shown in fig5 moreover , an arm 29 for holding the second louver 12 is fixed to a pivot 24a of the third driven lever 24 . as the driven lever 24 pivots , the second louver 12 pivots around the axis 23 , thereby opening or closing the first suction aperture 10 , as shown in fig3 . the third driven lever 24 is a little longer than the second driven lever 21 , so that an elevation angle θ 2 of the second louver 12 is always wider than an elevation angle θ 1 of the first louver 11 . the relation between the respective elevation angles θ 1 and θ 2 of the first and second louvers 11 and 12 is such that rear extensions l 1 and l 2 of the louvers 11 and 12 intersect each other at a point ( c ) outside the rear case 3 which constitutes the indoor unit 2 , as shown in fig4 . thus , suction air currents can be effectively prevented from running against one another in the indoor unit 2 , so that the first louver 11 can be effectively prevented from lowering the rectifying capability of the second louver 12 . the first and second driven levers 20 and 21 shown in fig2 are elastically connected to each other in the pivoting direction . this is done in order to prevent the servomotor 17 or the louver drive mechanism 15 from being broken by an extraordinary load which may be applied thereto if the first or second louver 11 or 12 is disabled or restrained from opening or closing the aperture by a ceiling or the like which engages the louver . referring now to fig5 and 6 , a method for this connection will be described . fig5 is a plan view of the louver drive mechanism 15 . in fig5 numerals 20 and 21 denote the first and second driven levers , respectively . both these driven levers 20 and 21 are pivotable around the same axis 19 . also , the levers 20 and 21 are connected to each other by means of first and second torsion coil springs 31 and 32 for use as elastic members . specifically , as shown in fig6 a rocking center portion 20a of the first driven lever 20 is in the shape of a cup whose base portion is penetrated by a through hole , and is bent inward at about 180 ° so that a small - diameter portion 20b is formed thereon . a cylindrical connecting ring 34 , whose outer and inner diameters are substantially equal to those of the small - diameter portion 20b , is inserted in the cup - shaped rocking center portion 20a of the first driven lever 20 . first and second pins 35a and 35b protrude from the longitudinal middle portion of the outer surface of the ring 34 in a manner such that they are spaced at a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction . the first torsion coil spring 31 is fitted on one end side of the connecting ring 34 , and one twisted end thereof is hooked to the first pin 35a . the second torsion coil spring 32 is fitted on the other end portion of the ring 34 , one twisted end thereof is hooked to the second pin 35b . then , the connecting ring 34 , combined with the first and second torsion springs 31 and 32 , is inserted into the rocking center portion 20a of the first driven lever 20 , and the other twisted end of the spring 31 is hooked to the bottom wall of the center portion 20a . then , the second driven lever 21 is combined . the lever 21 is designed so that a lever portion 21b extends from the axial middle portion of the rod - shaped pivot 21a . one end side of the pivot 21a of the lever 21 is passed through the respective through holes of the rocking center portion 20a of the first driven lever 20 and the connecting ring 34 , and a stopper 35 is fitted on the projected end of the lever 20 . thereupon , the first and second driven levers 20 and 21 are elastically connected to each other in the rocking direction . the first and second torsion coil springs 31 and 32 are designed so that they are not twisted by a load which acts thereon as the first and second louvers 11 and 12 are driven , but are twisted against the driving force of the servomotor 17 when the louvers 11 and 12 are restrained from rocking or pivoting . the first and second driven levers 20 and 21 thus connected are attached to a frame 36 , which is fixed in the front case 4 . more specifically , the outer peripheral surface of the rocking center portion 20a of the first driven lever 20 is rotatably held by means of the frame 36 , and the other end portion of the pivot 21a of the second driven lever 21 penetrates the frame 36 so as to be rotatably held thereby . the aforesaid arm 26 for holding the first louver 11 is fixed to the other end portion of the pivot 21a of the second driven lever 21 which penetrates the frame 36 . meanwhile , the third driven lever 24 , which is not provided with any mechanism for the aforementioned elastic connection , simply operates in association with the second driven lever 21 through the medium of the second connecting rod 22 . accordingly , the first louver 11 and the second louver 12 which is attached integrally to the third lever 24 through the arm 29 , always operate in association with each other . referring now to fig1 a suction grill 14 for use as a front panel , arranged on the front of the front case 4 , will be described . the suction grill 14 , which is formed separately from the front case 4 , is provided with a second suction aperture 13 in the middle with respect to the height direction . a substantially l - shaped arm 14a for holding the suction grill 14 is formed integrally with the upper portion of the grill 14 . the distal end of the arm 14a is pivotally mounted on the upper portion of the front case 4 . thus , the suction grill 14 can be opened and closed . when the grill 14 is opened , the heat exchanger 6 is exposed to the front side of the front case 4 . the respective centers of rocking motion of the first louver 11 and the suction grill 14 are situated on the same axis 19 . the distance from the axis 19 to the upper end of the grill 14 is longer than the distance from the axis 19 to the distal end of the first louver 11 . accordingly , the path ( d ) of rocking motion of the upper end of the suction grill 14 never intersects that of the distal end portion of the first louver 11 . thus , there is no possibility of the upper end of the grill 14 and the distal end of the louver 11 coming into contact with each other to break the louver 11 when the suction grill 14 is opened . referring now to fig7 the connection of the servomotor 17 and an electrical parts box 37 in the rear case 37 . as mentioned before , the servomotor 17 is fixed in the front case 4 . on the other hand , the parts box 37 , which is used to control the indoor unit 2 , is contained in the rear case 3 . the controller 25 mentioned above is housed in the parts box 37 . a motor - side connector 39 , which is attached to the distal end of a lead wire from the servomotor 17 , is led out to the front side of the front case 4 with the suction grill 14 open . a supply - side connector 40 on the electrical parts box 37 is designed so that it is exposed to the front of the front case 4 , with the suction grill 14 open , when the case 4 is attached to the rear case 3 . thus , the motor - side connector 39 can be attached to or detached from the supply - side connector 40 with the front case 4 combined with the rear case 3 . when an operating switch of the air conditioner is first turned on , the controller 25 actuates the servomotor 17 , to thereby open the first and second louvers 11 and 12 . when the servomotor 17 is operated in the state shown in fig2 the first connecting rod 18 is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow . following this action of the rod 18 , the first driven lever 20 pivots around the axis 19 . when the first and second louvers 11 and 12 are unloaded , the first and second torsion coil springs 31 and 32 cannot be twisted , so that , as shown in fig3 the second and third driven levers 21 and 24 pivot around their respective axes 19 and 23 , thereby opening the louvers 11 and 12 through the medium of the arms 26 and 29 , respectively . thereupon the first suction aperture 10 is opened , so that air in a room is sucked into the front case 4 through the aperture 10 . the suction air is rectified downward from the front by the first and second louvers 11 and 12 , and is efficiently introduced into the heat exchanger 6 , as shown in fig1 to be regenerated thereby . the regenerated air is blown off into the room through a blow - off aperture in the lower portion of the front case 4 , by means of the cross - flow fan 7 . when the operating switch is turned off , the controller 25 causes the servomotor 17 to rotate in the reverse direction . since the drive mechanism 15 operates in the manner opposite to that mentioned above , the first and second louvers 11 and 12 are shut , whereby the first suction aperture 10 is closed . in the first place , the suction grill 14 is opened before starting inspection of a filter attached to the grill 14 or a filter of the dust collector 8 . when inspecting the first and second louvers 11 and 12 or the drive mechanism 15 therefor , in the next place , the motor - side connector 39 , which is exposed to the front side of the front case 4 , is first removed from the supply - side connector 40 after opening the suction grill 14 , and the front case 4 is then removed from the rear case 3 , as shown in fig7 . by doing this , the first and second louvers 11 and 12 and the louver drive mechanism 15 , including the servomotor 17 , can be removed in one with the front case 4 . after the maintenance is finished , the front case 4 is attached to the rear case 3 , the motor - side connector 39 is connected to the supply - side connector 40 , and the suction grill 14 is then closed , reversely following the aforesaid steps of procedure . first , when the air conditioner is nonoperating , that is , when the operating switch is off , the first suction aperture 10 is closed by the first and second louvers 11 and 12 , there is only a slight possibility of dust collecting at the aperture 10 or entering the heat exchanger 6 through the aperture 10 . thus , the effectiveness of the exchanger 6 is less liable to be lowered when the air conditioner is operating , that is , when the switch is on . this is a great effect because the filters and the heat exchanger 6 can be protected from dust during the off - season when the air conditioner is not in use , in particular . secondly , the first and second louvers 11 and 12 at the first suction aperture 10 are swingable so that their elevation angles are variable , and the elevation angle θ 2 of the second louver 12 is always wider than the elevation angle θ 1 of the first louver 11 . as will be mentioned later , therefore , the room air can be sucked in effectively . fig8 is a graph showing the result of an experiment on the relationship between the increase of air quantity and the difference between the respective elevation angles of the louvers 11 and 12 . in fig8 the axes of ordinate and abscissa represent the air quantity increase (%) and the difference ( θ 2 - θ 1 ) between the elevation angles of the louvers 11 and 12 , respectively . supposing the case where the elevation angles of the louvers 11 and 12 are equal ( θ 2 - θ 1 ) as a reference (= 0 %), as shown in fig8 it was confirmed that the air quantity proportionally decreases down to 2 % with θ 2 & lt ; θ 1 and increases up to about 2 % with θ 2 & gt ; θ 1 . since the first and second louvers 11 and 12 have a multi - blade structure , moreover , they can enjoy a high rectifying efficiency , which provides an effect of lowering the level of noises , such as whistling sounds . since the suction air currents never run against one another in the in the indoor unit 2 , as mentioned before , the rectifying capability of the second louver 12 cannot be lowered by the first louver 11 . with this multi - blade structure , furthermore , the rise of the louvers can be lowered despite the use of substantially the same air intake for a single - blade structure , so that restrictions on the level of the location of the indoor unit 2 can be relaxed . thirdly , the indoor unit 2 may be installed in a wrong position such that the first or second louver 11 or 12 engages the ceiling as it is opened , and therefore , its opening operation cannot be completed . in such a case , a force which is greater than the louver driving force acts between the first and second louvers 11 and 12 . as a result , the second torsion coil spring 32 is twisted against its restoring force , thereby absorbing the rotation of the servomotor 17 . thus , the servomotor 17 can be protected against an extraordinary load . during the closing operation of the first and second louvers 11 and 12 , moreover , some obstacle may be caught between the louver 11 or 12 and the first suction aperture 10 , thereby preventing the closing action of louvers . in this case , a force which is greater than the louver driving force acts between the first and second driven levers 20 and 21 . as a result , the first torsion coil spring 31 is twisted against its restoring force this time , thereby absorbing the rotation of the servomotor 17 . thus , the servomotor 17 can be protected against an extraordinary load . in this manner , the first and second louvers 11 and 12 and the louver drive mechanism 15 can be effectively prevented from being broken . fourthly , the first and second louvers 11 and 12 may possibly be open when the suction grill 14 on the front case 4 must be opened to be ready for maintenance . since the suction grill 14 never interferes with the distal end portion of the first louver 11 , however , these members can be effectively prevented from being damaged . fifthly , the servomotor 17 of the louver drive mechanism 15 according to the present invention is fixed to the front case 4 , although the operation units , including the cross - flow fan 7 , heat exchanger 6 , etc ., are conventionally mounted on the rear case side . further , the motor - side connector 39 associated with the servomotor 17 and the supply - side connector 40 on the rear case 3 can be easily attached to or detached from each other by opening the suction grill 14 of the front case 4 . in this arrangement , the first and second louvers 11 and 12 and the louver drive mechanism 15 can be prearranged for maintenance by only removing the front case 4 . in removing the front case 4 , moreover , there is no need of the troublesome operation for attaching or detaching the connectors 39 and 40 while holding the case 4 . thus , the efficiency of operations for maintenance , disassembly , and assembly is improved . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above , and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in the above - described embodiment , the first and second louvers 11 and 12 are used as the open - close means for opening and closing the first suction aperture 10 . alternatively , however , a shutter may be used to prevent dust or the like from entering the indoor unit 2 , for example . although the servomotor 17 is used as the drive mechanism for the first and second louvers 11 and 12 according to the foregoing embodiment , moreover , it may be replaced with , for example , a linear motor . according to the embodiment described above , furthermore , the first and second torsion coil springs 31 and 32 are used as the elastic members for connecting the first and second driven levers 20 and 21 . alternatively , however , rubber or the like may be used for this purpose , for example . further , the first and second driven levers 20 and 21 may be connected with the same result by using elastically twistable shaft members . | 5 |
while particular examples have been selected in the following description for the purposes of illustration , one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various modifications can be made in the materials and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention , which is defined more particularly in the appended claims . while it is anticipated that the method of the present invention is useful with any of the heteropolyacid catalysts described above , the preferred catalyst for use in the present invention is 10 - molybdo - 2 - vanadophosphoric acid which may be prepared as described by tsigdinos and hallada in inorganic chemistry 7 , 437 ( 1968 ). in particular , this catalyst , having the empirical formula h 5 pv 2 mo 10 o 40 was prepared as follows : sodium metavanadate ( 24 . 4 grams ) was disolved in 100 milliliters of boiling water and then mixed with 7 . 1 grams of na 2 hpo 4 dissolved in 100 milliliters of water . after the solution was cooled , 5 milliliters of 98 % sulfuric acid was added causing the resulting solution to develop a red color . an addition of 121 grams of na 2 moo 4 . 2h 2 o disolved in 200 milliliters of water was then made while the solution was virgously stirred . 85 milliliters of 98 % sulfuric acid was then added slowly and the hot solution allowed to cool to room temperature . the 10 - molybdo - 2 - vanadophosphoric acid was then extracted into 500 milliliters of diethyl ether . air was passed through the heteropoly etherate ( bottom layer ) to free it from ether . the solid residue was disolved in water , concentrated to first appearance of crystals in a rotary evaporator , and then allowed to crystalize further . the red , crystaline product was filtered , washed with a little cold water , and air dired . the catalyst was calcined over night at 220 ° c . in an automatic furnace ( thermolyne type model 2000 ) with a constant flow of air . the final catalyst acquired a reddish - brown color and gave a clear , red , acidic solution ( ph of approximately 1 ) when dissolved in water . referring now to fig1 a laboratory scale apparatus for use in performing the method of the present invention is illustrated . this apparatus comprises a reactor designated generally 100 and a series of collection traps designated generally 102 , 104 , 106 and 108 . reactor 100 comprises a glass reactor vessel 110 which is fed through side arm 112 and which exhausts through output conduit 114 . this reactor is fitted with an axially disposed thermometer well 116 . reactor vessel 110 contains a catalyst bed 118 located within the reactor flow stream between glass bead packings 120 and 122 . in a preferred embodiment , the catalyst bed comprises 50 % h 5 pv 2 mo 10 o 40 deposited on a suitable silica substrate , such as celite 408 silica which is sold by the johns - manville company , denver . colo . during use , the reactor is submerged in a salt bath ( not shown ) filled with 60 % zncl 2 , 20 % nacl , and 20 % kcl , heated to the desired temperatures . an isco pump model 314 was used to feed a premixed aqueous isobutylene oxide solution to a pre - heater where the liquid feed was vaporized and passed on to the catalyst bed . oxygen and nitrogen were simultaneously fed into the reactor using a flow meter , model 10a1460 , which may be obtained from fisher and porter . the reaction products produced in reactor 100 were collected in the recovery train comprising traps 102 , 104 , 106 and 108 . condensation trap 102 comprises collection vessel 140 containing a dual port stopper 142 for receiving conduit 114 and tube 144 which are journaled therethrough . collection vessel 140 is partially immersed in ice contained within beaker 146 . reaction products 148 are thus collected by condensation within collecting vessel 140 . those products which do not condense as liquids within reaction vessel 140 are passed through tube 144 to collection trap 104 , which similarly comprises collection vessel 150 , stopper 152 and ice water container 154 for further fascilitating the collection of condensed reaction products 158 . as shown in fig1 gaseous products not collected in trap 104 pass through conduit 156 to carbon dioxide collection trap 106 . carbon dioxide collection trap 106 similarly comprises a collection vessel 160 fitted with a dual apertured rubber stopper 162 . collection vessel 160 contains a sodium hydroxide solution for collecting carbon dioxide , the amount of which can be subsequently determined by back titrating with an acid . after passing through output tube 164 to a drying tube 168 for removing water vapor from the process stream , the stream is fed through input tube 170 to the collection vessel 172 of volatile products trap 108 . volatile products trap 108 further comprises a container 174 which holds a dry ice / acetone bath in which at least a portion of collection vessel 172 is immersed . the process stream is then vented through exhaust tube 180 . total acids ( isobutyric acid , acetic acid and methacrylic acid ) recovered from traps 1 and 2 were then determined by titrating the aqueous solutions with 0 . 101m naoh using phenolphthalein as the indicator . as mentioned above , carbon dioxide collected in trap ii ( 106 ) was determined by back titration such as with 0 . 10n hcl . the reaction products collected by traps 1 and 2 were further subjected to gas chromatographic analysis to determine the percent conversion and , where appropriate , the percent selectivity of the reaction . gas chromatographic analysis was also used to determine carbon dioxide , oxygen , and , where appropriate , carbon monoxide , using n 2 as the standard . as used herein , percent conversion equals the moles of isobutylene oxide reacted divided by the moles of isobutylene oxide acid supplied times 100 . in each instance , 100 % conversion of isobutylene oxide was obtained . as used herein , percent selectivity refers to the number of moles of a given end product recovered divided by the number of moles of starting material ( isobutylene oxide ) reacted times 100 . since 100 % of the isobutylene oxide utilized in the reactions described herein in fact reacted , the percent selectivity values equal the percent of given reaction product found in the reaction mixture . using the 50 % h 5 pv 2 mo 10 o 40 / celite 408 catalyst referred to above , runs of isobutylene oxide at various temperatures were conducted , which runs are summarized in table 1 : table i * __________________________________________________________________________ iborun # temp . conversion mma iba hoac ma acetone hcho co . sub . 2__________________________________________________________________________104 - 24 278 ° c . 100 % 7 % 1 % 13 % 53 % 5 % 9 % 5 % 104 - 28 280 ° c . 100 % 8 % 1 % 13 % 60 % 5 % 3 % 6 % 104 - 30 280 ° c . 100 % 8 % 1 % 13 % 59 % 6 % 3 % 6 % 104 - 36 290 ° c . 100 % 9 % 1 % 11 % 54 % 6 % 3 % 7 % 104 - 40 300 ° c . 100 % 11 % 1 % 15 % 52 % 7 % 6 % 7 % 140 - 44 305 ° c . 100 % 12 % 1 % 18 % 41 % 5 % 6 % 11 % 104 - 46 326 ° c . 100 % 11 % 0 % 25 % 37 % 3 % 2 % 17 % 104 - 48 330 ° c . 100 % 12 % 0 % 25 % 38 % 3 % 4 % 18 % __________________________________________________________________________ * reaction conditions : feed ratio ibo / h . sub . 2 o / o . sub . 2 / n . sub . 2 = 1 / 75 / 2 / ( moles ); contact time = 1 second ; all percents are percents of carbon content of substrate . as seen from table i , methacrolein is the major product , below 300 ° c ., with less than 10 % methacrylic acid being produced at that temperature . by increasing the temperature of the reaction to 330 ° c ., greater percentages of acetic acid and carbon dioxide are obtained while the yield of methacyrlic acid increases from 7 to 12 %. since methacrolein can be readily oxidized to methacrylic acid ( for example through subsequent hetropolyacid catalytic oxidation ), it is presently preferred to maximize the yields of methacrylic species ( methacrylic acid and methacrolein ). in table i , such species are maximized at 280 ° c . where such species comprise 68 % of the reaction products . from the foregoing description , one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the reaction of the present invention should be conducted at sufficient temperatures to facilitate the conversion of the subject substrate to the desired end products ( s ), but below the temperature at which substantial decomposition of the subject catalyst occurs . for example , at atmospheric pressures , the temperature of the bath in which the catalyst is contained should be maintained between about 280 °- 350 ° c ., and more preferably between 280 °- 320 ° c . additionally , the subject reactions may be run at pressures between 5 - 50 psig , preferably 10 - 30 psig . it is also preferred to use an inert diluent gas to bring the system up to proper operating pressures and to otherwise maintain favorable reaction conditions . such inert diluents include any gas which is otherwise inert to the system , including , for example , argon , helium , nitrogen , carbon dioxide and excess steam . in any event , the subject reactions should be run with enough steam to stabilize the catalyst by , for example , maintaining the hydration of the catalyst . contact time of the substrate with the catalyst should be controlled to achieve optimum percentages of conversion at desired selectivities . such contact times typically range between 0 . 1 - 10 seconds preferably between 0 . 5 - 5 seconds . in performing the subject reactions , sufficient oxygen should be introduced to accomplish the desired oxidation . generally , 0 . 1 - 25 , preferably 1 - 12 , molar equivalents of oxygen per mole of substrate should be introduced with the substrate to carry out the subject oxidation . one of ordinary skill will further recognize that various catalyst supports other than silica may be used with the disclosed catalyst . see for example , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 146 , 574 , column 3 , lines 47 - 66 , which patent is hereby incorporated by reference . one of ordinary skill will further recognize that while a heteropolyacid catalyst is preferred , other metal oxide catalysts may be used to accomplish the subject conversion . such catalysts include oxides of the metals of groups iv a , v a , vi a , vii a , viii , i b of the periodic table of elements , as well as thallium , tin , lead , arsenic , antimony , bismuth , phosphorous , cerium , uranium and thorium . as seen from the above , a novel method for converting isobutylene oxide to a reaction product comprising methacrolein and methacrylic acid is provided , which , under preferred reaction conditions , approaches a combined yield of 70 %, while producing side products comprising acetic acid , acetone , formaldehyde , carbon dioxide , and in some instances , a minor amount of isobutyric acid . | 2 |
referring now to the figures , an embodiment of the apparatus for developing electrostatic latent image of the present invention will be described below . in the following description , the word &# 34 ; developer &# 34 ; refers to a two - component mixture of toner and carrier , which is different from the toner only . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of the apparatus for developing electrostatic latent image of the present invention . fig2 is a plan view of the apparatus . in the figures , the number 1 indicates a photoreceptor drum , and 11 is a casing for the apparatus 10 . the casing has a rotatable developing sleeve 13b with a magnetic roll 13a built in , developer height limiting plate 16 ( blade ) which can restrict the thickness of the developer d adhered onto the sleeve 13b , a main stirring means 12 for the developer d , a first developer carrying means 14 which can carry the toner or the developer d in the developing apparatus 11 from one end thereof to the other in a lateral direction thereof , and a second developer carrying means 15 which can carry the toner or the developer d in a direction opposite to that of the first developer carrying means 14 . the rotatable developing sleeve 13b , which is arranged in the vicinity of the photoreceptor drum 1 , makes the toner in the developer d to be electrostatically attracted and adhered to the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1 . thus the electrostatic latent image is developed as visible toner image . the main stirring means 12 has a plurality of elliptic stirring blades 12b fixed aslant to a rotating axis 12a thereof . the stirring blades 12b can stir the developer d and toner to mix . at the same time , the stirring blades 12b can level the mixture in the axial direction . the main stirring means 12 also has a plain member 12c arranged along the rotating axis 12a . the plain member 12c can fully stir the developer . the plain member 12c also can scrape up a part of the developer d in the radial direction of the main stirring means 12 to put it into the first developer carrying means 14 . the first developer carrying means 14 comprises a receiving member 141 , a carrying screw 142 longitudinally passing the receiving member 141 , and a limiting plate 143 provided between the main stirring means 12 and the carrying screw 142 which can restrict amount of the circulating developer d . the carrying screw 142 , as shown in fig2 is a metal spiral screw comprising at least one sheet of thin metal plate wound like coil around and attached to a metal shaft of the first developer carrying means 14 . the carrying screw 142 has a narrow screw pitch and a sharp lead slant angle . thus , its curved surface provides a large carrying force of developer . the receiving member 141 has a plurality of holes which can drop the developer d on a bottom thereof . diameters of the holes become larger toward the direction of carrying the developer d . this allows the developer d to be dropped down at an equal rate of drop during carrying of the developer d . the most down - stream holes in the carrying direction are made rather large to prevent the developer from being packed against one wall of the apparatus by the carrying screw 142 . this allows overflow developer to be dropped well down . the receiving member 141 also has a partition wall 71c formed , over which the developer scraped up by the main carrying means 12 can be put down to the carrying screw 142 . the partition wall 71c form a developer inlet 145 together with the limiting plate 143 . there are an inlet for supplying fresh toner t and another inlet for entering the cycled toner to the up - stream side of the developer carried by the carrying screw 142 . the casing 11 of the apparatus 10 is attached to a toner supply unit 20 on the upper right thereof which can supply fresh toner t into the casing 11 . the toner supply unit 20 comprises a lid 24 for covering a toner supply container 30 which can be connected to the casing 11 , a toner supply roller 21 having a spiral screw , a hopper 22 for containing the toner t , a vibration plate 23 , and a partition plate 25 . a recess of the casing 11 and receiving member 141 form a room . in the room a carrying screw 151 which is the second developer carrying means 15 is provided . the carrying screw 151 is made of resin , and has a wide screw pitch and a low slant angle . thus , the carrying screw 151 provides features of a little toner carrying force in an axial direction thereof and a greater toner carrying force in a direction perpendicular to an axis thereof . the above - mentioned developing sleeve 13b is a thin - wall cylinder of stainless steel , an outside surface of which is made rough by sandblast treatment . it , as shown by arrow in fig1 can be revolved counterclockwise at a speed two to three times the image carrier drum 1 . when an image is developed in an developing area e , the developing sleeve 13b is set in place so that an outside surface thereof can be kept around 0 . 5 mm away from a outside surface of the image carrier drum 1 . on the magnetic roll 13a arranged inside the developing sleeve 13b are arranged in place a main magnet n1 involved in development a north pole of which is directed outward , a plurality of sub - magnets s1 , s2 , s3 and s4 for carrying the developer d south poles of which are directed outward , a submagnet n2 between the sub - magnets s1 and s2 , and a sub - magnet n3 between the sub - magnets s1 and s2 . the above - mentioned developer height limiting plate 16 can limit to a required amount , or to a desired thickness , the developer d that is carried as adhered to the outside surface of the developing sleeve 13b by the sub - magnets s1 through s4 , n2 and n3 of the magnetic roll 13a . the developer can be raised up in the developing area e by the mentioned main magnet n1 . this process allows supply of the amount of the toner t required to adhere for the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier drum 1 . in the apparatus according to the present invention , a protruded portion 11a is provided in the vicinity of the outside surface of the developing sleeve 13b on the inner surface of the bottom of the casing 11 . the protruded portion 11a extends almost entire width of the casing 11 in the crosssectional view of fig1 . it should be noted that the casing 11 is formed of synthetic resin , and that the protruded portion 11a is formed and integrated with that casing . a gap s between an edge of the protruded portion 11a and the outside surface of the developing sleeve 13b is set a little greater than the brush height of the developer d on the developing sleeve 13b . according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the mentioned protruded portion 11a is provided in a position in the vicinity of one of the sub - magnets arranged inside the developing sleeve 13b , for example , near the submagnet n3 . the position selected is from a reason that the sub - magnet provides a density of magnetic flux so high that the developer can be strongly adhered to the outside surface of the developing sleeve 13b by the magnetic force there . the developer d contained in the recess of the casing 11 can be conveyed by the outside surface of the rotating developing sleeve 13b by the sub - magnets of the magnetic roll 13a as attracted thereby and adhered thereto . the developer d limited to a desired thickness by the limiting plate 16 , is carried to the developing area , and is contacted with the electrostatic latent image on the image carrying drum 1 in the area . after development the developer is adhered by the sub - magnet s4 to the rotating developing sleeve 13b . then , it is carried through a developer receiver 11g and the gap s formed with the sub - magnet n3 and the protruded portion 11a . in the gap s , the developer layer on the developing sleeve 13b is strongly adhered by the sub - magnet n3 to the outside surface thereof . it should be noted that since the gap s is as narrow as or a little wider than the thickness of the developer layer , it can restrict the developer to pass . restriction effect at the gap s by the developer layer can shut out the blowing off of the developer at the opening caused by the revolving main stirring means 12 in the casing 11 of the apparatus . this prevents the developer from leaking out to the developer receiver 11g . as explained above , the apparatus according to the present invention has a protruded portion to form a narrow gap on the bottom of the casing of the apparatus near the opening at the developing sleeve and in the vicinity of a pole of one sub - magnet of the developing sleeve . since the narrow gap can close with the developer layer on the developing sleeve , it can prevent the developer stirred in the casing from leaking out . that is , the narrow gap prevents scattering and dropping of the developer . this is effective in keeping the inside of the apparatus clean . also , it makes possible to obtain a high quality duplicate without dirty background . another preferred variation of the above - mentioned embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention is described below . fig3 shows a cross - sectional view of a center section of the casing 11 and the developing roller 13 . fig4 shows a cross - sectional view taken from plane a -- a of fig3 . as shown in fig4 the gap between the protruded portion 11a of the inside bottom wall of the casing 11 and the developing roller 13 is not uniform , but it is made wider around a center section than sections near side walls 11b of the casing 11 . more specifically , a gap l3 between an inner surface 11d of the protruded portion 11a and the outside surface of the developing roller 13 is made parallel or slightly slanted in an axial section d near the side walls 11b each . the gap l3 is 1 . 6 to 2 . 0 mm , which is determined a little wider than the height of the developer formed on the outside surface of the developing roller 13 in the vicinity of the protruded portion 11a . a gap l4 between a central inner surface 11e of the protruded portion 11a and the outside surface of the developing roller 13 in axial section e is determined 2 . 4 to 2 . 8 mm . difference of the gap l4 at the central section and the gap l3 at the side sections is 0 . 4 to 1 . 2 mm . the inside wall portions 11d and 11e are gently connected with slant inside walls 11f respectively . the protruded portion 11a is provided in close vicinity to any one of the sub - magnets arranged inside the mentioned developing sleeve 13b , for example , the sub - magnet n3 shown . the position selected is due to a fact that the sub - magnet provides a density of magnetic flux so high that the developer can be strongly adhered to the outside surface of the developing sleeve 13b by the magnetic force there . the casing is formed of the material that is composed mainly of denatured polyphenylene - ether resin ( denatured ppe ), and that has glass fiber of 20 % by weight mixed therewith to reinforce . such a casing features high strength and relatively small thermal deformation . in general use , the mentioned casing 11 may increase to room temperature plus 55 degrees celsius , that is , to 80 degrees celsius . with this temperature rise , the casing 11 , as shown in fig6 ( b ), will be deformed to make a gap l1 narrower . as shown in fig4 however , of the casing 11 of the apparatus according to the present invention , the protruded portion which is particularly needed to have a precise gap to the outside surface of the developing roller 13 , is made wider on the central section than that of the side sections . thus , even if the inside walls 11e and 11f of the protruded portion 11a is deformed by the maximum temperature rise , the gap on the central section can be kept within a required limit , that is , it becomes equal to or approximate to the gap l3 at the side sections . this means that the inner surface at the central section of the protruded portion will not make lesser gap to the outside surface of the developing roller 13 than predetermined , thereby being free of abnormal closing to it . the developer d contained in recess of the casing 11 is attracted by the mentioned magnetic roll 13a to adhere to the outside surface of the rotating developing sleeve 13b . the developer d is carried by the developing sleeve 13b as mounted thereon . the developer d , then , is limited its thicknes to a desired thickness by the limiting plate 16 , and is carried to the developing area e . it is contacted with the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier drum 1 in the area . the developer which lost some toner can be adhered by the sub - magnet s4 in the rotating developing sleeve 13b . then , it is carried through a developer receiver 11g and the gaps l3 and l4 in which the sub - magnet n3 is faced to the protruded portion 11a . in the gaps , the developer layer on the developing sleeve 13b is strongly adhered by the sub - magnet n3 to the outside surface thereof . it should be noted that since the gaps are as narrow as or a little wider than the thickness of the developer layer , it can restrict the developer to pass . by the restriction effect of the protruded portion 11a , the developing sleeve 13b , and the developer layer , the spilling of the developer caused by the revolving main stirring means 12 in the casing 11 of the apparatus from the opening of the gap s to the developer receiver 11g can be prevented . as explained above , the apparatus according to the present invention has a protruded portion to form a gap needed on the bottom of the casing of the apparatus near the opening on the developing sleeve and in the vicinity of the developing sleeve . the gap is made wider on the central section of the protruded portion than on the both side sections . the gap can be kept within a limit even if the casing is deformed with its operating temperature increasing to the maximum one . since the gap can always close the developer layer on the developing sleeve irrespective of temperature increase , it can prevent the developer stirred in the casing from leaking out . that is , the narrow gap prevents scattering and dropping of the developer . this is effective in keeping the inside of the apparatus clean . also , it makes possible to obtain a high quality duplicate without dirty background . | 6 |
referring to fig1 , an embodiment of an electronic device 100 comprises a housing 10 ( only a part is shown ), and a lens module 30 mounted in the housing 10 . the housing 10 defines a through hole 11 for mounting the lens module 30 . the through hole 11 comprises an inner sidewall 13 . the housing 10 forms a first fixing portion 131 at the sidewall 13 . in the illustrated embodiment , the fixing portion 131 is an annular depression defined in the sidewall 13 away from an outer surface of the housing 10 . the lens module 30 comprises a barrel 31 , and a lens 33 mounted in the barrel 31 . the barrel 31 matches with the through hole 11 in dimensions , and is made of metallic material . in the illustrated embodiment , the electronic device 100 may be a mobile phone . the barrel 31 may be made of aluminum alloy . referring to fig2 , the barrel 31 comprises a containing portion 311 , and a flange 313 extending outwardly from an end edge , along a radial direction of the containing portion 311 . the containing portion 311 is substantially a hollow cylinder , and comprises an inner sidewall 3111 and an outer sidewall 3113 . the inner sidewall 3111 defines a first latching portion 3115 at middle position of the inner sidewall 3111 to engage with the lens 33 . the flange 313 defines a plurality of first locking portions 3131 along the peripheral of the flange 313 . the plurality of first locking portions 3131 are spaced from each other , and extend through the flange 313 . in the illustrated embodiment , the first latching portion 3115 is an annular groove . each of the plurality of first locking portions 3131 is a circular through hole for the barrel 31 to latch with the lens 33 . referring also to fig3 , the lens 33 may be made of resin materials or plastic materials . in the illustrated embodiment , the lens 33 may be made of acrylic . the lens 33 may be mounted in the barrel 31 by insert molding . the lens 33 with the barrel 31 are assembled with the housing 10 by insert molding . the lens 33 is engaged in the containing portion 311 of the barrel 31 that is fixed to the housing 10 . the lens 33 comprises a main body 331 , an extending portion 333 , a second latching portion ( not shown ), an identification portion 335 , a second fixing portion 337 , and a plurality of second locking portions 339 . the main body 331 is a cylindrical body received in the containing portion 311 . the extending portion 333 extends outwardly , along a radial direction of the body 331 . the second latching portion extends outward from a side surface of the main body 331 , and is received in the first latching portion 3115 correspondingly . the second fixing portion 337 extends outwardly from a side surface of the extending portion 333 below the second latching portion . the second fixing portion 337 is received in the first fixing portion 131 of the housing 10 correspondingly . the second fixing portion 337 is locked with the first fixing portions 131 . the identification portion 335 is a cutout defined in the extending portion 333 for indentifying a direction of the lens module 30 to the housing 10 during assembly . the plurality of second locking portions 339 are posts formed on the extending portion 333 , and are fixed in the plurality of first locking portions 3131 correspondingly . in the illustrated embodiment , the second latching portion is an annular protrusion , and received in the first latching portion 3115 , and the second fixing portion 337 is an annular protrusion , and received in the first fixing portion 131 . during assembling , a mold ( not shown ) may be provided . the mold may comprise a mold core ( not shown ), and the mold core may form a protruding portion ( not shown ) for forming the identification portion 335 of the lens . first , the barrel 31 is inserted to the through hole 11 of the housing 10 , and the outer sidewall 3113 of the barrel 31 is abutted against the inner sidewall 13 of the housing 10 . the housing 10 with the barrel 31 is placed into the mold core , and then molten acrylic material is injected into the mould for forming the lens 33 . second , the mold may be opened . third , the mold may be cooled down . at this time , the lens 33 , the barrel 31 , and the housing 10 are combined together to form the electronic device 100 . because the lens 33 of the lens module 30 was inserted into the barrel 31 by insert molding , the lens 33 can be evenly formed . the performance of the lens may not be affected by the molding processing . the lens 33 is tightly connected with the barrel 31 and the housing 10 . therefore , dusts may not enter the lens module , and a lifetime of the lens module 30 may be increased . furthermore , since each of the plurality of first locking portions 3131 is locked with each of the plurality of second locking portions 339 , rotating of the lens 33 in the barrel 31 may be avoided . finally , processes of assembling the lens 33 may be omitted . it is noted that the first latching portion 3115 can be other shapes , such as a protrusion , or a serration . accordingly , a shape of the second latching portion can be a corresponding groove , or a corresponding serration . the first fixing portion 131 can be other shapes , such as a protrusion , or a serration . accordingly , a shape of the second fixing portion 337 can be a corresponding groove , or a corresponding serration . each of the plurality of first locking portions 3131 can be other shape , such as a protrusion , or a serration . accordingly , a shape of each of the second locking portions 339 can be a corresponding groove , or a corresponding serration . the identification portion 335 can be other shapes , such as a protrusion . in other embodiments , the plurality of first locking portions 3131 or the first latching portion 3115 can be omitted . the housing 10 and the barrel 31 can be integrated together , thus the first fixing portion 131 can be omitted . alternatively , the barrel 31 can be fixed in the housing by an adhesive tape after the lens 33 is inserted in the barrel 31 , thus the first fixing portion 131 can be omitted . it is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description , and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages . | 6 |
the defibrillation and cpr assembly according to the invention combines traditional aed ( automatic external defibrillation ) functions with cpr prompting , and thus transforms a defibrillator into a resuscitation device that combines prompts for clearing a patient &# 39 ; s airway , breathing , chest compression , and defibrillation . thus , the combined defibrillation and cpr assembly combines all of these aspects of resuscitation into a single protocol . with reference to fig1 , a defibrillation electrode pad 10 , which includes high - voltage apex defibrillation electrode 12 and high - voltage sternum defibrillation electrode 14 , is placed on the patient &# 39 ; s chest 16 and includes a region 18 on which a user may press to perform cpr . legends on pad 10 indicate proper placement of the pad with respect to the patient &# 39 ; s collarbones and the chest centerline and the proper placement of the heel of the rescuer &# 39 ; s hand . a low - profile button panel 20 is provided on the electrode assembly . button panel 20 has buttons 22 , including buttons a ( airway help ), b ( breathing help ), c ( circulation help ) and pause , and may also include adjacent light emitting diodes ( leds ) 24 that indicate which button has been most recently pressed . button panel 20 is connected by a cable 23 to a remote resuscitation control box 26 , shown in fig2 . button panel 20 provides rigid support underneath buttons a , b , c , and pause against which the switches can be pushed in order to ensure good switch closure while the electrode rests on a patient . button panel 20 includes components that make electrical contact with silver / silver - chloride electrical circuit components screen - printed on a polyester base of defibrillation electrode pad 10 , as is described in detail below . a pulse detection system based on shining light through the patient &# 39 ; s vascular bed , e . g ., a pulse oximetry system 52 , is incorporated into defibrillation electrode pad 10 . pulse oximetry system 52 includes a red light - emitting diode , a near - infrared light - emitting diode , and a photodetector diode ( see fig5 ) incorporated into defibrillation electrode pad 10 in a manner so as to contact the surface of the patient &# 39 ; s chest 16 . the red and near - infrared light - emitting diodes emit light at two different wavelengths , which is diffusely scattered through the patient &# 39 ; s tissue and detected by the photodetector diode . the information obtained from the photodetector diode can be used to determine whether the patient &# 39 ; s blood is oxygenated , according to known noninvasive optical monitoring techniques . in an alternative embodiment , the pulse detection system is a phonocardiogram system for listening to the sound of the victim &# 39 ; s heart , rather than a pulse oximetry system . the phonocardiogram system includes a microphone and an amplifier incorporated within the electrode pad . because a heart sound can be confused with microphone noise , the signal processing that must be performed by the microprocessor inside the control box will be more difficult in connection with a phonocardiogram system than in connection with a pulse oximetry system . nevertheless , there are programs available that can enable the microprocessor to determine whether an ecg signal is present as opposed to microphone noise . pulse oximetry is a well - developed , established technology , but it requires good contact between the light sources and the victim &# 39 ; s skin so that light can shine down into the victim &# 39 ; s vascular bed . many victims have lots of chest hair , which can interfere with good contact . it may be desirable for different types of electrode pads to be available at a given location ( one having a pulse oximetry system and one having a phonocardiogram system ) so that a rescuer can select an appropriate electrode pad depending on the nature of the victim . in an alternative embodiment , instead of providing a low - profile button panel , a button housing can be provided that is affixed to an edge of the defibrillation electrode . the housing may be in the form of a clamshell formed of single molded plastic element having a hinge at an edge of the clamshell around which the plastic bends . the two halves of the clamshell can be snapped together around the electrode assembly . the resuscitation control box ( fig2 ) includes an internal charge storage capacitor and associated circuitry including a microprocessor , an further includes off / on dial 28 , and a “ ready ” button 30 that the rescuer presses immediately prior to application of a defibrillation shock in order to ensure that the rescuer is not in physical contact with the patient . the microprocessor may be a risc processor such as a hitachi sh - 3 , which can interface well with displays and keyboards , or more generally a processor capable of handling dsp - type ( digital signal processing ) operations . the resuscitation control box has printed instructions 32 on its front face listing the basic steps a , b , and c for resuscitating a patient and giving basic instructions for positioning the defibrillation electrode pad on the patient . a speaker orally prompts the user to perform various steps , as is described in detail below . for example , the resuscitation control box instructs the user , by audible instructions and also through a display 34 on the resuscitation control box , to check the patient &# 39 ; s airway and perform mouth - to - mouth resuscitation , and if the patient &# 39 ; s airway is still blocked , to press the a ( airway help ) button on the button panel ( fig1 ), upon which the resuscitation control box gives detailed prompts for clearing the patient &# 39 ; s airway . if the patient &# 39 ; s airway is clear and the patient has a pulse but the patient does not breathe after initial mouth - to - mouth resuscitation , the resuscitation control box instructs the user press the b ( breathing help ) button , upon which the resuscitation control box gives detailed mouth - to - mouth resuscitation prompts . if , during the detailed mouth - to - mouth resuscitation procedure , the rescuer checks the patient &# 39 ; s pulse and discovers that the patient has no pulse , the resuscitation control box instructs the user to press the c ( circulation help ) button . during the circulation procedure , the resuscitation control box receives electrical signals from the defibrillation electrodes and determines whether defibrillation or cpr should be performed . if the resuscitation control box determines that defibrillation is desirable , the resuscitation control box instructs the user to press the “ ready ” button on the resuscitation control box and to stand clear of the patient . after a short pause , the resuscitation control box causes a defibrillation pulse to be applied between the electrodes . if at any point the resuscitation control box determines , based on the electrical signals received from the electrodes , that cpr is desirable , it will instruct the user to perform cpr . thus , the key controls for the system are on the electrodes attached to the patient rather than the resuscitation control box . this is important because it enables the rescuer to remain focused on the patient rather than the control box . the resuscitation control box gets its information directly from the electrodes and the controls on the electrodes . the resuscitation control box can sense electrical signals from the patient &# 39 ; s body during pauses between cpr compressions . also , as is described below , a compression - sensing element such as an accelerometer or a force - sensing element is provided in the region of the defibrillation electrode pad on which the user presses to perform cpr . the purpose of the compression - sensing or force - sensing element is to allow the resuscitation control box to prompt the user to apply additional compression or force , or to prompt the user to cease cpr if the user is performing cpr at an inappropriate point in time . referring to fig4 , according to one embodiment of the invention , each electrode 12 , 14 ( only electrode 12 is shown ) of defibrillation electrode pad 10 includes a polymer - based ink containing a silver / silver - chloride suspension , which is screen - printed on a polyester or plastic base 36 . the ink is used to carry the defibrillation current . the screen - printing process first involves applying a resist layer to the polyester base 36 . the resist layer is basically a loose mesh of nylon or the like , in which the holes have been filled in at some locations in the mesh . then , the silver / silver - chloride ink is applied as a paste through the resist layer in a squeegee - like manner . the ink squeezes through the screen and becomes a solid layer . the ink may then be cured or dried . the silver / silver - chloride ink provides good conductivity and good monitoring capabilities . thus , the ink can be applied as pattern , as opposed to a solid sheet covering the entire polyester base . for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 330 , 526 describes an electrode in which the conductive portion has a scalloped or daisy shape that increases the circumference of the conductive portion and reduces burning of the patient . a conductive adhesive gel 38 covers the exposed surface of each electrode . in addition , electrical circuit components are also be screen printed on the base , in the same manner as flat circuit components of membrane - covered , laminated panel controls . referring to fig3 , a rigid piece 40 of hard plastic , such as pvc or polycarbonate , is laminated beneath substrate 36 and supports buttons a , b , c , and pause . the rigid plastic piece 40 is glued onto substrate 36 . buttons a , b , c , and pause consist of small metal dome snap - action switches that make contact between an upper conductive ink trace 42 and lower conductive ink traces 44 , 46 , 48 , and 50 . buttons a , b , c , and pause serve as controls that can be activated by the user that are physically located either on or immediately adjacent to the electrode assembly itself . each of buttons a , b , c , and pause may be associated with an adjacent light - emitting diode ( led ). for example , leds may be glued , using conductive epoxy , onto silver / silver - chloride traces on substrate 36 . an embossed polyester laminate layer 54 covers conductive ink trace 42 of buttons a , b , c , and pause , and a foam layer 56 is laminated beneath rigid plastic piece 40 . referring again to fig4 , defibrillation electrode pad 10 includes an extension piece that is placed directly over the location on the patient &# 39 ; s body where the rescuer performs chest compressions . this extension piece includes substrate 36 , and a semi - rigid plastic supporting member 58 laminated underneath substrate 36 that covers the chest compression area . semi - rigid supporting member 58 provides somewhat less rigidity than rigid plastic piece 40 provided at the location of buttons a , b , c , and pause ( illustrated in fig3 ). in embodiments having a force - sensing element , a polyester laminate 60 , and a force - sensing resistor having two layers of carbon - plated material 62 and 64 , are laminated between polyester substrate 36 and semi - rigid supporting member 58 . a suitable construction of the force - sensing resistor is illustrated in the fsr integration guide & amp ; evaluation parts catalog with suggested electrical interfaces , from interlink electronics . the electrical contact between the two carbon - plated layers of material increases with increased pressure , and the layers of force - sensing resistive material can provide a generally linear relationship between resistance and force . conductive ink traces 66 and 68 provide electrical connections to the two layers of the force - sensing resistor . during chest compressions , the rescuer &# 39 ; s hands are placed over the extension piece , and the force - sensing resistor of the extension piece is used to sense the force and the timing of the chest compressions . the force - sensing resistor provides information to the resuscitation control box so that the resuscitation control box can provide the rescuer with feedback if the rescuer is applying insufficient force . the resuscitation control box also provides coaching as to the rate at which cpr is performed . in certain situations , the resuscitation control box indicates to the rescuer that cpr should be halted because it is being performed at an inappropriate time , such as immediately prior to application of a defibrillation shock when the rescuer &# 39 ; s hands should not be touching the patient , in which case the resuscitation control box will also indicate that the rescuer should stay clear of the patient because the patient is going to experience a defibrillation shock . as is noted above , during cpr the rescuer pushes on the patient &# 39 ; s chest through the extension piece in the vicinity of the electrodes . if the resuscitation control box were to perform analysis during the chest compressions , the chest compressions would be likely to affect the sensed electrical rhythm . instead , during the pauses between sets of compressions ( for example , the pause after every fifth chest compression ), the resuscitation control box can perform an electrocardiogram ( ecg ) analysis . the resuscitation control box might discover , for example , that the patient who is undergoing cpr is experiencing a non - shockable rhythm such as bradycardia , in which case the cpr is required in order to keep the patient alive , but then the resuscitation control box may discover that the rhythm has changed to ventricular fibrillation in the midst of cpr , in which case the resuscitation control box would instruct the rescuer to stop performing cpr so as to allow the resuscitation control box to perform more analysis and possibly apply one or more shocks to the patient . thus , the invention integrates the rescuer into a sophisticated scheme that allows complex combinations of therapy . in an alternative embodiment , a compression - sensing element such as an accelerometer may be used in place of a force - sensing element . the accelerometer , such as a solid - state adxl202 accelerometer , is positioned at the location where the rescuer performs chest compressions . in this embodiment , the microprocessor obtains acceleration readings from the accelerometer at fixed time intervals such as one - millisecond intervals , and the microprocessor integrates the acceleration readings to provide a measurement of chest compression . the use of an accelerometer is based on the discovery that it is more important to measure how deeply the rescuer is compressing the chest than to measure how hard the rescuer is pressing . in fact , every victim &# 39 ; s chest will have a different compliance , and it is important that the chest be compressed about an inch and a half to two inches in a normal sized adult regardless of the victim &# 39 ; s chest compliance . fig5 is a circuit diagram illustrating the circuit interconnections between the defibrillation electrode pad of fig1 through the cable to the resuscitation control box of fig2 . sternum electrode 14 is connected to hv + at the resuscitation control box , and apex electrode 12 is connected to hv −. a ground gnd is connected to the upper conductive ink trace of buttons a , b , c , and pause and to one of the layers of the force - sensing resistor . the other layer of the force - sensing resistor is connected to cpr_force , and the lower conductive ink traces associated with buttons a , b , c , and pause are connected to button_detect through resistors r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , and r 4 . as an alternative to the use of a force - sensing resistor , a compression - sensing accelerometer 76 may be employed , in which case cpr force is replaced by cpr_accel connected to accelerometer 76 . red light - emitting diode 70 , near - infrared light - emitting diode 72 , and photodetector diode 74 of the pulse oximetry system are connected to rled , iled , and isense respectively , as well as ground agnd . as an alternative to the use of a pulse oximetry system , a phonocardiogram system may be employed , in which case rled , iled , and isense is replaced by sense connected to microphone 78 and amplifier 80 . fig6 - 9 illustrate the routine of the resuscitation system described above , which is based on steps a , b , and c ( airway , breathing , and circulation ). because step c includes defibrillation as well as chest compressions , all of the aspects of resuscitation are tied together in one protocol ( actually , if defibrillation were considered to be a step d distinct from step c , the sequence of steps would be a , b , d , c ). the first thing the rescuer must do upon arriving at the patient is to determine whether the patient is unconscious and breathing . the rescuer opens the patient &# 39 ; s airway , administers breaths to the patient if the patient is not breathing , and checks to determine whether a pulse is present . if there is no pulse , rather than perform chest compressions as in standard cpr , the rescuer allows the resuscitation control box to analyze the patient &# 39 ; s electrical rhythm , and if the resuscitation control box determines that the rhythm is shockable , the resuscitation control box causes one or more shocks to be applied to the patient , and then the rescuer performs chest compressions . thus , the invention provides a first response system that can keep the patient viable until an advanced life support time arrives to perform advanced techniques including pacing , further defibrillation , and drug therapy . if the resuscitation control box determines that it should apply one or more defibrillation shocks to the patient , it is important that the rescuer not be anywhere near the patient when the shocks are applied to the patient . prior to application of each shock , the resuscitation control box instructs the rescuer to please press the “ ready ” button when everybody is clear of the patient . the pressing of the “ ready ” button verifies that the rescuer &# 39 ; s hands are off of the patient . when the resuscitation control box detects a shockable rhythm , the resuscitation control box provides shocks of appropriate duration and energy ( such as a sequence of shocks of increasing energy from 200 joules to 300 joules to the highest setting , 360 joules , with the resuscitation control box performing analysis after each shock to determine whether another shock is required ). if the defibrillation therapy is successful , the patient &# 39 ; s rhythm is typically converted from ventricular fibrillation , ventricular tachycardia , or ventricular flutter to bradycardia , idio - ventricular rhythm , or asystole , all of which require cpr . it is rare to convert to a normal rhythm . once the resuscitation control box has caused defibrillation shocks to be applied to the patient , the resuscitation control box automatically senses the patient &# 39 ; s condition , and depending on the patient &# 39 ; s condition will either prompt the responder to perform cpr or will not prompt the respond to perform cpr . defibrillation equipment can be somewhat intimidating to rescuers who are not medical professionals because the equipment can lead the rescuer to feel responsibility for having to save a loved one &# 39 ; s life . it is important that the defibrillation equipment reduce this sense of responsibility . in particular , when the rescuer presses the “ ready ” button , rather than apply a shock immediately that will cause the patient &# 39 ; s body to jump dramatically , the resuscitation control box will thank the rescuer and instruct the rescuer to remain clear of the patient and then wait for about two seconds ( the resuscitation control box may describe this period to the rescuer as being an internal safety check , even if no substantial safety check is being performed ). this process has an effect similar to a conversation that hands responsibility to the resuscitation control box , which makes the decision whether to apply the shock . thus , the system maintains the rescuer safety features of a semi - automatic external defibrillator , because the rescuer must press the “ ready ” button before each shock , while appearing to operate more as a fully automatic external defibrillator because the time delay immediately prior to each shock leaves the rescuer with the impression that operation of the equipment is out of the hands of the rescuer . the use of cpr prompts in combination with the defibrillation also adds to the sense that the rescuer is simply following instructions from the resuscitation control box . with reference to fig6 - 9 , when the rescuer turns the resuscitation control box on ( step 101 ), the resuscitation control box first informs the rescuer that the rescuer can temporarily halt prompting by pressing the pause button ( step 102 ), and then , after a pause , instructs the rescuer to check responsiveness of patient , and if the patient is non - responsive to call an emergency medical service ( ems ) ( steps 103 , 104 ). the resuscitation control box then instructs the rescuer to check the patient &# 39 ; s airway to determine whether the patient is breathing ( steps 105 - 107 ). after a pause , the resuscitation control box then instructs the rescuer that if the patient is breathing the patient should be placed on the patient &# 39 ; s side , unless trauma is suspected , and that the rescuer should press the pause button ( steps 108 - 109 ). then the resuscitation control box instructs the rescuer to perform mouth - to - mouth resuscitation if the patient is not breathing ( steps 110 - 114 ). then the resuscitation control box instructs the rescuer to press an airway help button a if the patient &# 39 ; s airway is blocked , so that the resuscitation control box can give prompts for clearing obstructed airways ( steps 115 of fig6 b and 147 - 158 of fig9 a - 9b ). next , after a pause ( step 116 a ), if the resuscitation control box does not include pulse oximetry or phonocardiogram capability ( step 116 b ), the resuscitation control box instructs the rescuer to check the patient &# 39 ; s pulse ( step 117 ). after another pause , the resuscitation control box instructs the rescuer to press a breathing help button b if the patient &# 39 ; s pulse is okay but the patient is not breathing , so that the resuscitation control box can give prompts for assisting the patient &# 39 ; s breathing ( steps 118 and 119 of fig7 a and 140 - 146 of fig8 ). light - emitting diodes adjacent the various buttons indicate which button has been pressed most recently ( only one light remains on at a time ). the resuscitation control box next prompts the rescuer to contact an emergency medical system ( step 120 ) and to open the patient &# 39 ; s shirt or blouse and attach the adhesive pads ( steps 122 f - 122 h ). if the resuscitation control box does include pulse oximetry or phonocardiogram capability ( step and 116 b ), the resuscitation control box prompts the rescuer to open the patient &# 39 ; s shirt or blouse and attach the adhesive pads ( steps 121 and 122 a ). if the pulse oximetry or phonocardiogram system does not provide a valid pulsatile reading ( step 122 b ), then the flow chart proceeds to step 117 . if the pulse oximetry or phonocardiogram system does provide a valid pulsatile reading and detects a pulse ( steps 122 b and 122 c ), then the resuscitation control box begins the breathing help routine ( steps 122 d of fig7 b and step 140 of fig8 ). if the pulse oximetry or phonocardiogram system does not detect a pulse , then the resuscitation control prompts the rescuer to contact an emergency medical system ( step 122 e ), measures the impedance of the patient to determine whether it is within an acceptable range for application of shocks ( step 123 ) and determines whether the patient &# 39 ; s rhythm is shockable ( steps 124 ). if the rhythm is shockable , the resuscitation control box causes a sequence of shocks to be applied to the patient , each shock requiring the rescuer first to press the “ ready ” button on the resuscitation control box ( steps 124 - 131 ). after the last shock in the sequence , or if the rhythm is non - shockable , the resuscitation control box prompts the rescuer in cpr ( steps 132 - 139 ). the flowchart then returns to step 117 . fig8 shows the steps 140 - 146 for prompting the rescuer to assist the patient &# 39 ; s breathing . after 12 breaths have been completed ( step 144 ), the pulse oximetry or phonocardiogram system attempts to detect a pulse ( step 145 a ), or , if the system does not include a pulse oximetry or phonocardiogram system , the resuscitation control box prompts the rescuer to check the patient &# 39 ; s pulse . if no pulse is present , the resuscitation control box prompts the rescuer to press a circulation help button c ( step 145 b ) that brings the rescuer back to the circulation portion of the flowchart . otherwise , if a pulse is detected , then the flow chart of fig8 returns to step 142 . the combined defibrillation and cpr resuscitation assembly provided by the invention can be less intimidating than conventional aeds because the assembly is not devoted solely to defibrillation . moreover , the resuscitation assembly is less intimidating because it accommodates common skill retention problems with respect to necessary techniques ancillary to defibrillation such as mouth - to - mouth resuscitation and cpr , including the appropriate rates of chest compression , the proper location for performing compressions , the proper manner of tilting the patient &# 39 ; s head . in addition , because the rescuer knows that it may never even be necessary to apply a defibrillation shock during use of the resuscitation assembly , the rescuer may be more comfortable using the resuscitation assembly for mouth - to - mouth resuscitation and cpr . unlike previous cpr prompting devices , the rescuer would be required to place the electrode assembly on top of the patient , but the rescuer would do this with the belief that the resuscitation assembly will be sensing the patient &# 39 ; s condition and that the likelihood that the resuscitation assembly is actually going to apply a shock is low . if , during this resuscitation process , the resuscitation control box instructs the rescuer to press the “ ready ” button so that a defibrillation shock can be applied , the rescuer will likely feel comfortable allowing the shock to be applied to the patient . basically , the resuscitation assembly simply tells the rescuer what to do , and by that point , given that the rescuer is already using the assembly , the rescuer is likely simply to do what the rescuer is told to do . essentially , the rescuer will be likely to view the resuscitation assembly as simply being a sophisticated cpr prompting device with an additional feature incorporated into it , and since rescuers are less likely to be intimidated by cpr prompting devices than aeds , they will be likely to use the resuscitation assembly according to the invention when it is needed . other embodiments are within the following claims . for example , in other embodiments the system can perform pacing in addition to defibrillation . pulse detection methods other than pulse oximetry and phonocardiogram may be employed . any method capable of detecting a victim &# 39 ; s pulse can be used with the aspects of the invention calling for pulse detection . | 0 |
referring now to the drawing , wherein like reference numerals refer to like structures , the planetary gear winch of the invention broadly comprises a prime mover 50 , a plurality of planetary gear reduction stages 100 , 200 and 300 , respectively , and a winch drum 400 . the prime mover 50 will usually , but not necessarily , be represented by a high torque d . c . electric motor . where a d . c . motor is employed as the prime mover 50 , it will also usually be preferred to employ power supply circuitry therefor which results in shunting of the current directly across the terminals of the motor during periods of inactivity thereof . this causes the prime mover 50 to act as a generator during such periods of inactivity , thus to further act as a dynamic supplemental brake for the winch drum 400 . the output shaft 51 of prime mover 50 is secured to a sun gear 101 which represents the power input to the first planetary gear reduction stage 100 . stages 200 and 300 represent the penultimate and final planetary gear reduction stages , respectively , of the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing . planetary gear reduction stages 100 , 200 and 300 comprises sun gears 101 , 201 and 301 , respectively ; a plurality of planet gears 102 , 202 and 302 respectively , said planet gears of each stage being arranged about and in engagement with their corresponding sun gears 101 , 201 and 301 . additionally , a fixed &# 34 ; reaction &# 34 ; ring gear 600 is disposed over and in engagement with each of the planet gears 102 , 202 and 302 of stages 100 , 200 and 300 . planet gears 102 and 202 are carried by planet carriers 103 and 203 , respectively . said carriers 103 and 203 each comprise a sturdy metallic plate member 104 or 204 to which plate members there are affixed a number of appropriately positioned axle stubs 105 or 205 extending perpendicularly therefrom and to which axle stubs the corresponding planet gears 102 or 202 are journalled . in planetary gear winches of the prior art the sun gear of each planetary gear reduction stage , other than the first stage , is usually rigidly affixed to the planet carrier of the preceding planetary gear reduction stage . in the three - stage planetary gear reduction train shown in the drawings , this rigid fixation of the sun gear to the preceding stage planet carrier is preserved in respect of sun gear 201 of the penultimate planetary gear reduction stage 200 . said sun gear 201 is , accordingly , rigidly affixed to the downstream surface of plate member 104 of the planet carrier 103 of the first planetary bger reduction stage 100 . in the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing , the final planetary gear reduction stage 300 differs from the preceding planetary gear reduction stages 200 and 100 in that the final stage planet carrier 303 is defined by the upstream end flange 401 of winch drum 400 . accordingly , the planet gears 302 of the final planetary gear reduction stage 300 are journalled to axle stubs 305 which extend perpendicularly upstream from the upstream surface of end flange 401 . it should be noted and understood , however , that the foregoing differences in the construction of the final planetary gear reduction stage 300 of the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing , while representing one generally suitable arrangement for coupling the final planetary gear reduction stage to the winch drum 400 , is not critical in respect of the invention and is shown and described merely by way of illustration . as mentioned previously , in planetary gear winches of the prior art it is conventional to rigidly affix the sun gear of each planetary gear reduction stage ( other than that of the first stage ) to the planet carrier of the preceding stage . in the present invention , however , the sun gear 301 of the final planetary gear reduction stage 300 is not rigidly affixed to the planet carrier 203 of penultimate planetary gear reduction stage 200 . rather , plate member 204 of planet carrier 203 is provided with a centrally located internal gear 206 which is sized so as to slidably receive the upstream end portion of sun gear 301 in driving relationship therewith . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the plate member 204 of the penultimate planetary gear reduction stage planet carrier 203 is provided with a retainer ring 207 jutting outwardly from the downstream surface thereof , said ring 207 coaxially surrounding the internal gear 206 . the internal diameter of retainer ring 207 is sufficient to receive the upstream end of sun gear 301 therein in a loose slip - fit relationship therewith . the principal function of retainer ring 207 is to loosely retain the upstream end of sun gear 301 therein in the second &# 34 ; disengaged &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; freewheel &# 34 ; position of the arrangement of the invention and to thereby maintain axial alignment of said gear 301 relative to the internal gear 206 . this , of course , serves to minimize difficulty in remeshing of gears 206 and 301 upon operation of the arrangement of the invention into the first &# 34 ; engaged &# 34 ; condition . generally speaking , this alignment function has been found to be adequately served where the internal diameter of the retainer ring 207 is greater by a few thousandths of an inch than the diameter of the sun gear 301 . as a further aid to the engagement of gears 206 and 301 , it is also desirable that the upsteam ends 306 of the teeth of sun gear 301 be chamfered and / or that the downstream edges 208 of the involute tooth surfaces on internal gear 206 each be chamfered . sun gear 301 of final planetary gear reduction stage 300 is journalled to the interior end of selector shaft 500 , said shaft passing in a freely slidable manner through passageway 405 formed through the axis of rotation of drum element 406 of winch drum 400 and terminating exteriorly thereof . the downstream end portion of drum element 406 first passes through and is affixed to downstream end flange 408 . thereafter , said downstream end portion of drum element 406 passes through and is journalled to a suitably sturdy end frame element 701 of winch frame 700 . the downstream end of selector shaft 500 passes through the downstream end of element 406 and is affixed to a manipulative control member 501 , which member 501 can conveniently take the form of an easily grasped knob . in addition , the selector shaft 500 and the drum element 406 are provided with mutually cooperative two - position stop means so as to define both &# 34 ; engaged &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; disengaged &# 34 ; stroke limits for the selector shaft 500 . in the particular embodiment shown in the drawing said two - position stop means comprises an elongate wind member 502 affixed to the upstream end of control member 501 . cooperating with said wing member 502 , the downstream end of drum element 406 comprises an elongate recess 407 which is shaped to receive wing member 502 therein . the length of selector shaft 500 defined between sun gear 301 and wing member 502 is selected such that , when wing member 502 is received and bottomed within the recess 407 , the upstream end portion of sun gear 301 is placed in mesh with the internal gear 206 . this association , of course , defines the first or &# 34 ; engaged &# 34 ; position of the arrangement of the invention whereby the winch drum 400 is in driven relationship with the planetary gear train and the prime mover 50 . in order to provide means by which the length dimension of selector shaft 500 between the sun gear 301 and wing member 502 can be conveniently adjusted , it is preferred that said wing member 502 and control member 501 be threaded to receive the correspondingly threaded downstream end portion of selector shaft 500 . adjustment of the aforementioned length dimension can then be had by rotating selector shaft 500 inwardly or outwardly relative to the wing member 502 / control member 501 combination and then tightening set screw 503 , thereby securing the wing member 502 at a fixed position relative to the selector shaft 500 . the depth of recess 407 controls the dimension of the stroke of selector shaft 500 between the first &# 34 ; engaged &# 34 ; and second &# 34 ; disengaged &# 34 ; positions thereof . accordingly , the depth of the recess 407 is selected such that , when control member 501 is pulled outwardly and selector shaft 500 and wing member 502 rotated to be crosswise with respect to recess 407 and the upstream surface of wing member 502 brought into contact with the downstream end of drum element 406 , there results a translation of the sun gear 301 from internal gear 206 sufficient to bring said gears 301 and 206 out of mesh . this defines the second or &# 34 ; disengaged &# 34 ; position of the arrangement of the invention whereby the winch drum 400 is in the freewheel mode and line may be unwound therefrom without interference from the drive train of the winch . of course , utilizing the preferred embodiment wherein the planet gear carrier 203 of the penultimate planetary gear reduction stage 200 comprises retainer ring 207 , the depth of recess 407 should also be selected such that , in the second or &# 34 ; disengaged &# 34 ; position of selector shaft 500 , the upstream end portion of sun gear 301 will be out of mesh with internal gear 206 but will also remain within the confines of said retainer ring 207 . desirably selector shaft 500 is also provided with means to continuously bias same towards the first &# 34 ; engaged &# 34 ; position thereof . said biasing means can conveniently take the form shown in the drawing wherein selector shaft 500 is provided with a circumferential groove or raceway 505 at a location within the passageway 405 of drum element 406 . nested within said groove 505 is a sturdy washer 506 . a compression spring 507 of suitable length and compression properties is disposed over the selector shaft 500 and is maintained in a compressed state between washer 507 and the downstream end portion of drum element 406 , thereby establishing a continuous bias of the selector shaft 500 towards the first &# 34 ; engaged &# 34 ; position . the functional roles played by this biasing means are to aid in maintaining the arrangement of the invention in the selected mode of operation ; to ensure that , in the first &# 34 ; engaged &# 34 ; mode , wing member 502 is firmly bottomed in recess 407 , thereby to assure firm and accurate meshing of the upstream end portion of sung gear 301 within internal gear 206 ; and to ensure that , in the second &# 34 ; disengaged &# 34 ; position , wing member 502 is securely bottomed on the downstream end surface of drum element 406 . where the planetary gear winch arrangement of the invention is in the first &# 34 ; engaged &# 34 ; position and is also experiencing a substantial line load , sun gear 301 is inherently very firmly in mesh with the internal gear 206 of planet carrier 203 . in this loaded condition of the winch the selector shaft 500 and sun gear 301 carried thereon cannot normally be manually withdrawn to the second &# 34 ; diesngaged &# 34 ; position without relatively extreme effort on the part of the operator . this of course , represents a substantial benefit accuring to the invention since it mitigates strongly against accidental disengagement and release of the winch drum when under a line load and serves to allow such disengagement to occur only when the winch drum 400 is in the unloaded state . in the embodiment of the invention wherein the planet carrier of the final planetary gear reduction stage is defined by upstream end flange 401 of the winch drum 400 there usually occurs a very light drag or resistance to rotation of the winch drum in the second &# 34 ; disengaged &# 34 ; condition . this light drag is occasioned by bearing friction and the presence of the usual grease or viscous oil lubricant serving the planetary gear stages and is geneficial since it mitigates against overrunning of the winch drum during unwinding of line therefrom . | 1 |
referring to fig1 the illustrated garden lighting equipment includes a base 11 in which a battery is housed , and a roof 12 having a solar cell 2 on its upper surface and a known fluorescent lamp 4 thereunder . fig2 shows an alternative embodiment especially for use in public parks . the letters appearing on the board supported by a pair of poles 13a and 13b proudly say that the equipment uses solar energy . the poles 13a and 13b also support a reflection board 14 whose top portion is slightly bent and protruded like eaves with the fluorescent lamp 4 on its surface and a battery box 15 on its back . the two poles 13a and 13b are jointed at 16 on which the solar cell 2 is rotatatively supported . fig3 shows a further modified version of the embodiment in the form usable as a bench . a battery box 17 constitutes a seat 18 , and supports a pole 19 in an erect manner , along which pole 19 four solar cells 2a to 2d and four fluorescent lamps 4a to 4d are supported in zig - zag . the seat 18 has a removable portion 18a through which a battery is loaded or unloaded . a battery 1 is charged with electrical energy from the solar cell 2 via a diode 6 , which is adapted to prevent a reverse electrical flow . an inverter 3 converts a d . c . current from the battery 1 into a high voltage a . c . current for lighting the lamp 4 . for the lamp 4 a fluorescent lamp , a low - pressure sodium lamp , a low pressure mercury lamp , an incadescent lamp and any other known lamp can be employed . the inverter 3 can be omitted , depending upon the type . a logical operation circuit 7 includes a not circuit 71 adapted to invert an output voltage ( a ) of the solar cell 2 into ( a ), an rs flip - flop 72 switchable when the output voltage ( a ) of the solar cell 2 is at high level and reset by a reset signal ( c ), and an and gate 73 whose input only relies on an output ( d ) of the flip - flop 72 when the same is at &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and an inverted signal ( a ). the logical operation circuit 7 is supplied with a d . c . power from the battery 1 via a constant - voltage circuit 8 . the output of the and - gate 73 is a sunset signal , which is fed back to the reset input of the flip - flop 72 via a contact a 2 . a switch controller includes a keep relay 9 , a first transistor q 1 driven by the sunset signal ( e ), and a second transistor q 2 driven by an output signal ( f ) of a timer 5 . the keep relay 9 includes a make coil l 1 , a break coil l 2 and contacts a 1 and a 2 . the first transistor q 1 controls the exciting current for the make coil l 1 , and the second transistor q 2 controls the exciting current for the break coil l 2 . the contact a 1 controls the current supply from the battery 1 to the inverter 3 . the timer 5 produces desired output signals ( f ) a predetermined period of time after it is supplied with a driving power from the load of the contact a 1 . the reference numeral 10 designates terminals for external connection to a portable radio , a loud speaker and so forth . fig6 shows a further alternative embodiment which is particularly designed so as to prevent the battery 1 from becoming overdischarged . the battery 1 is provided with an extra circuit 40 at its positive terminal , which circuit is adapted to prevent the battery 1 from being overdischarged . the circuit 40 includes a zener diode 41 , a transistor 42 and an output terminal ( g ). when the voltage at the battery 1 is higher than the required value , the base of the transistor 42 is , in spite of a voltage drop at the zener diode 41 , maintained at a sufficient potential to keep the same on , but when the voltage at the battery 1 falls below the required value , the transistor 42 goes off . when the transistor 42 is on , the output terminal ( g ) of the circuit 40 is at a low potential , but when it is off , its potential goes high , thereby driving the or - gate 43 to energize the second transistor q 2 . thus the break coil l 2 for the keep relay 9 is excited to close the contact a 1 . referring to fig5 a typical example of the operation will be explained : in the daytime , even if it is cloudy or raining , the solar cell 2 receives sunlight to some extent , so that the input signal ( a ) of the logical operation circuit 7 is at high level . accordingly , the ( a ) is maintained &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, thereby keeping the and - gate 73 closed . likewise , the setting signal ( b ) for the flip - flop 72 is at high level , and the output ( d ) thereof is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, which means that the flip - flop 72 stands by for sunset . when the ground is sunlit with no substantial cloud to the extent that the output voltage of the solar cell 2 is higher than that of the battery 1 , the battery 1 is charged through the diode 6 . when after sunset it is getting dark , the not circuit 71 has an output ( a ) of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, and the and - gate 73 has an output ( e ) of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, thereby energizing the first transistor q 1 to excite the make coil l 1 for the keep relay 9 . thus the contacts a 1 and a 2 are closed . with the contact a 1 being closed , the fluorescent lamp 4 is lit , and at the same time the timer 5 is started . after the set period of time , for example 6 hours , has passed , the output ( f ) of the timer 5 is converted from a low level to a high level , thereby energizing the second transistor q 2 to excite the break coil l 2 for the keep relay 9 . thus the contacts a 1 and a 2 are opened . with the contact a 2 being opened , the flip - flop 72 is reset , and the and - gate 73 is closed , so that the sunset signal ( e ) becomes a trigger , which is only effective during a time lag occurring in the contact . this means that the energizing of the first transistor q 1 continues momentarily . likewise , the energizing of the second transistor q 2 immediately ceases as the timer 5 is deenergized because of the exciting of the break coil l 2 . in this way the electrical energy is economically used in the whole controlling system with the use of solar energy . under the climatic conditions of japan it has been demonstrated that under the system of the invention a 4 w fluorescent lamp can be lit for 6 hours with the use of a solar cell of 16 v , 12 w and a battery of 12 v , 90 ah . | 8 |
an embodiment of the receiver of the present invention for determining distance from the transmitter using the magnetic dipolar absorption of oxygen at 62 . 4 ghz will be discussed below . the transmitter ( 1 ) according to fig3 uses a gunn or impatt oscillator ( 5 ), with for instance 30 effective mw , in the u - band . pcm modulation ( max . data 10 mbits / sec , expandable ) is managed by a microcomputer with a 10 mhz clock frequency ( indicated by block ( 17 ) in the receiver ( 2 ) of fig5 ) and fsk by frequency shifting (+ 150 mhz ). the microcomputer 17 can be simple in structure because of being limited to a sequential transmission of preprogrammed data ; a memory capacity of 16 kilobytes is sufficient for sequential transmission of a data file of 600 sites with their geographic location . the telemetric fsk transmission does not alter the pcm data . connection by waveguide or direct radiation by horn ( 6 ) can be made to the focal point of a parabolic reflector ( 7 ) located for instance under a plastic radome . propagation of the beam is in a straight line , with any returns by slightly concave mirrors ( 25 ) as in fig2 . an embodiment of the receiver ( 2 ) is now described according to fig5 . only the reception head needs to be changed for optional use of a laser for transmitting the signal to the receiver , such as to provide directional vector data . the dielectric antenna ( 8 ) functions as a waveguide - fresnel lens and concentrates the electromagnetic radiation ( 3 ) intercepted on its surface on a u - band resonating gold / copper microstrip line ( 10 ), with detection by a schottky diode ( 11 ) ( 60 / 75 ghz diode ) connected to the input of a logarithmic amplifier ( 13 ). the dioper or dieletric antenna ( 8 ) includes the lens ( 9 ), the microstrip ( 10 ) and the dielectric diode ( 11 ). the output of the diode ( 11 ) can be provided to a differential amplifier ( not shown ), and from there to a logarithmic amplifier ( 13 ). also shown are a summing amplifier ( 14 ), an analog - to - digital converter ( 15 ), a decoder ( 16 ), a microprocessor ( 17 ) equipped with a nonvolatile memory ( 18 ), the magnetic direction sensor ( 19 ), the lcd display ( 20 ), the safety battery ( 21 ), the trigger comparator ( 22 ), and the keyboard ( 23 + 24 ). a first output of the amplifier ( 13 ), consisting of variable amplitude pulse trains , namely , the pcm data supplied by the transmitter ( 1 ) from which the user holding the receiver ( 2 ) selects particular information for storage , is connected on one hand to the schmidt trigger comparator ( 22 ) and from there to the decoder ( or shift register ) ( 16 ), and the decoder ( 16 ) is connected according to known means of the prior art to the digital logic processing unit ( 17 ) having for instance an si prom memory ( 18 ). the decoder ( or shift register ) ( 16 ) is controlled by the clock of the cpu 17 and is synchronized on the fsk pulses , the acquisition of data being asynchronous . on the other hand , another output of the amplifier ( 13 ) is connected to an fsk demodulator , composed of a sample and hold circuit ( not shown ), a summing amplifier ( 14 ) and a a - d converter ( 15 ). an output of the a - d converter ( 15 ) is connected to the cpu ( 17 ). the receiver ( 2 ) includes the keyboard ( 23 + 24 ) and an lcd display ( 20 ). extraction of the telemetric data involves solving the equation v tel = 2 . 34 v r e l , where v r is the amplitude of a binary element of data coming out of the logarithmic amplifier ( 13 ) ( i . e ., whose output voltage is proportional to the logarithm of the voltage input to the logarithmic amplifier ( 13 ). extraction of the telemetric data involves solving the equation v tel = 2 . 34 v r e l , where v r is the amplitude of a binary element of data coming out of the logarithmic amplifier ( 13 ) ( i . e ., whose output voltage is proportional to the logarithm of the voltage input to the logarithmic amplifier ( 13 )). coming out of the logarithmic amplifier ( 13 ), the decoder ( 16 ), controlled by an automatic threaded adjustment comparator ( 22 ), shunts the v tel fsk pulses to an analogue counter ( op ampli ) ( not shown ) for input to the microprocessor ( 17 ) as indicated . the electric signal ( voltage or current ) proportional to l is converted into a digital number for example by an a / d converter such as converter ( 15 ), supplied by instance by i 2 l technology , or for instance by an algorithm for counting integration time under control of the cpu . as a function of the magnetic field components vx , vy along the two reference axes x and y as detected by the four - pole detector ( 19 ), namely in relation to the north / south axis of the earth &# 39 ; s magnetic field and to the receiver &# 39 ; s own sensing axes for the magnetic field ( namely the x and y axes of the detector ( 19 )). then , the cpu ( 17 ) computes the distance from the transmitter , and the relative direction of the desired site whose coordinates have been extracted by the demodulation in the receiver ( 2 ) from the train of pulses passing in the shift register of the receiver ( 2 ). among other things , the receiver comprises a resonant line of the trapped inverted microstrip type ( 10 ), itself coupled to a schottky detector ( 11 ). in the case of using an arf laser transmitter , the resonant antenna would involve a fluorescent dielectric diopter coupled with at least a photodiode . the following elements of the structure of the receiver , as in fig5 are independent of the nature of the radiation transmitted by the source : the logarithmic amplifier ( 13 ); the summing amplifier ( 14 ) and ad converter ( 15 ); the pcd decoder ( 16 ); and the cpu microprocessor ( 17 ) equipped with a nonvolatile ram memory ( 18 ) ( either of the cmos type with backup battery , or of the earom type , or of the magnetic bubble type ). the cpu microprocessor ( 17 ) receives the sequential data of the pcd decoder ( 16 ), the telemetric data of the ad converter ( 15 ), the program of the user of the keyboard ( in the case of programmable cards ) and controls the liquid crystal display lcd ( 20 ). the active circuits are installed in the form of &# 34 ; chips &# 34 ; or in the form of micropackages on a printed circuit , whose lower face comprises a group of silicon photovoltaic cells providing the power supply for the unit . in the case of using ramcmos , a backup battery ( 21 ) ( lithium , mercury or silver oxide ) is provided within the thickness of the circuit . the lcd display ( 20 ) and the keyboard ( 23 + 24 ) are installed on the side of the active circuits and connected by soldering or a strip of conductive elastomer . for angular guiding by a thin - layer magnetoelectronic compass , the detector ( 19 ) of the direction of the magnetic field is connected to the analog - to - digital converter adc ( 15 ) using a differential amplifier ( 12 ). the design of the diopter depends on the transmitting source ( 3 ) that is used . in the case of a laser source , its function is that of a semicylindrical of fresnel lens ( 9 ) which concentrates the light received on one or more photodiodes ( 11 ) added to the circuit . in the case of using a microwave band source , its role is more complex since it simultaneously constitutes a dielectric lens ( 9 ) and a dielectric resonator resonating in the u - band with the suspended line ( 10 ) formed by cathode sputtering , and completed with a gallium arsenide schottky diode ( 11 ). the groove metal part ( 34 ) as indicated in fig6 and 7 is added to the pritned circuit . a tuning screw ( 28 ) is also included as indicated in fig7 . the entire unit constitutes a trapped inverted microstrip resonator . fig8 indicates a top view of the magnetic direction sensor ( 19 ), for determining the components of the magnetic field along the x and y axes by means of the pole pieces 29 and the magnetodiodes ( 30 ). the sectional view along one of these axes is indicated in fig9 . embodiments satisfying various ergonomic features are indicated according to fig1 , 11 , 12 and 13 . the previously described feasibilities and others of this invention can be provided a number of different ways and have a multitude of appliations . this is the object of the following description of the illustrated ergonomic embodiments of the invention given by way of example only , in correlation with the accompanying drawings . the individual portable receivers have exterior dimensions on the order of about ten centimeters long , about a halfdozen centimeters wide and a few millimeters thick . fig1 shows a &# 34 ; standard &# 34 ; programmable card version of the receiver ( 2 ) with an 86 × 54 mm size . on the front is provided an lcd display ( 20 ) with a mobile directional symbol ( 31 ), a keyboard equipped with sensitive programming keys ( 23 ) and function keys ( 24 ). fig1 illustrates the back . the small bulk of the receiver makes it easy to handle and gives it good storage compatibility with cards presently on the market . the main users would be tourists , travellers , motorists , residents , consumers , etc . fig1 shows a &# 34 ; standard &# 34 ; or prreprogrammed card version of the receiver ( 2 ) with an 86 × 54 mm size . on the front is provided an lcd display ( 20 ) with a mobile directional symbol ( 31 ). this embodiment has no function or programming key . it is preprogrammed for one purpose or several identical purposes . it is used without manipulation , with for instance an advertising image instead of the writing of the keyboard ( 23 + 24 ). the back is also as shown in fig1 . fig1 shows a &# 34 ; business &# 34 ; card version of the receiver ( 2 ), its larger 125 × 65 mm size ( which dimensions are reversible for the particular applications while still being pocket - sized ) giving it a larger screen for professional use . on the front there is an lcd display ( 20 ) on which letters , numbers and / or directional signals ( 31 ) can appear . in the lower part , a space can be reserved for the display of the manipulations . reprogrammable sensitive keys can be provided on which colors and / or operational indicators can be provided to appear , such keys including programming keys ( 23 ) or function keys ( 24 ). the set of keys can also be provided so as to form a sensitive surface which permits a &# 34 ; finger writing &# 34 ; function , to draw characters and words with a finger . fig1 shows an example of the back of any of the disclosed group of cards . the diopter ( 8 ) has the function of collecting the wave coming from the digital sequential transmitter . the fm receiver ( 32 ) has the function of collecting the wave coming from the fm transmitter ( for example , between 104 - 108 mhz ). the speaker ( 33 ) broadcasts the transmissions in frequency modulation . the color for the display can be selected according to convention , not only geographic , but also within each specialty for which the device might be used . actually , although certain colors symbolize the elements , i . e . red = fire , green = the plant kingdom , and water , they also symbolize space , i . e . blue = the vertical dimension , are = the horizontal dimension , grey = the center of this space . generally black symbolizes time and white timelessness , therefore the receiver display can be provided so that the location of the user is shown in grey in the center of a chromatic field of the display , between various pairs of colors which might be formed &# 34 ; opposite &# 34 ; colors corresponding to respective &# 34 ; opposite &# 34 ; directions , such as yellow and blue , red and green , white and black , etc . according to a first practical and ergonomic aspect of this invention , the manipulation process to establish dialogue between a receiver and its user comes from a syllogism combining a chromatic ( color - coded ) operational chart ( charts a1 to a4 below ) appearing on the receiver and the sensitivity of the user , to devise and then use a new language suited for discerning selective orientation , data and classification . this is generally characterized in that the receiver has a flexible keyboard equipped with sensitive keys ( 23 = 24 ) and that on these keys appear , for example the seven primary colors , violet , dark blue ( indigo ), cyan ( light blue ), green , yellow , orange , and red as well as black , grey and white . it results from these arrangements that by defining statements dependent on coloring as well as tactile norms , on , from and to a colorimetric stationary reference number or numbers , a new declarative abstract language is obtained to orient oneself , inform oneself and classify one &# 39 ; s surroundings , etc . this is equivalent to designing an expert vectorial minisystem . according to this manipulation process , a new language pertaining to coding is worked out , then used . this is characterized in that the basic operational chart takes into account an organization of colors and natural order of numbers by giving for example the following operational chart no . a1 . ______________________________________magenta - 1 blue - 2 cyan - 3red - 4 grey - 5 green - 6orange - 7 yellow - 8 white - 9 black - 0______________________________________ it results from these arrangements that colorimetric and / or numeric names ( in black and white ) can be made by combining tints and thus coding data able to be received and interpreted by the receiver as well as by the user . the keys of the telephone and of the videotex could have the same colors . the manipulation process also uses the symbolism of the colors of the basic operational chart a1 for orientation . this is characterized in that the four cardinal points are represented by the four fundamental tints : blue and yellow , red and green , opposite colors whose center is grey points opposite the other colors ( except black ). the application of this process provides the following operational chart no . a2 : ______________________________________northwest north high north east ( magenta - 1 ) ( blue - 2 ) ( cyan - 3 ) west left center east right ( red - 4 ) ( grey - 5 ) ( green - 6 ) southwest south low southeast ( orange - 7 ) ( yellow - 8 ) ( white - 9 ) ______________________________________ it results from these arrangements that the receiver has a compass function with nine areas , the four cardinal points , the four intermediate directions therebetween and the center ( the latter depending on the case : the town center of activity , the center of interest , the center of attraction , the center of activity , the center of one &# 39 ; s preoccupations , &# 34 ; the self &# 34 ;). on the inside , the four cardinal points can be used to signify high , low , left and right . the manipulation process and its applications to chromatic programming is characterized in that it takes into account the activities and in some cases states of mind of the user . the types of manipulations of the basic operational chart are referred to as divergent and convergent . an example of a divergent type of operational chart is the following chart no . a3 : ______________________________________departure lodging leisure activity ( magenta - 1 ) ( blue - 2 ) ( cyan - 3 ) shell - rent man want ( red - 4 ) ( grey - 5 ) ( green - 6 ) product reach objective ( orange - 7 ) ( yellow - 8 ) ( white - 9 ) ______________________________________ it results from the arrangement of operational chart no . a3 that first pressing the grey key , labelled &# 34 ; man &# 34 ; and indicating for instance &# 34 ; me &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; i want &# 34 ;, triggers a deliberate intention . several practical ways are possible for continuing to input what is desired , the peripheral colors being either the representation of the pattern of action , or of deliberation on the part of the user . an example of convergent manipulation is shown by the following operational chart no . a4 : ______________________________________departure lodging leisure activity ( magenta - 1 ) ( blue - 2 ) ( cyan - 3 ) assistance man advice ( red - 4 ) ( grey - 5 ) ( green - 6 ) job restaurants arrival ( orange - 7 ) ( yellow - 8 ) ( white - 9 ) ______________________________________ it results from the arrangement of operational chart no . a4 that a sense of focusing of the peripheral colors toward the center grey provides eight manipulations that can be carried out going from the intention or the desire of the surrounding context represented by the colored keys to &# 34 ; the self &# 34 ; represented by the center grey key labelled &# 34 ; man &# 34 ;. according to another aspect of the invention , a reprogramming of the keys of the operational chart is characterized by the fact that it can be performed as a result of the transmission received by the receiver carried by the user . consequently , the redistribution of the statements according to colors can , depending on the needs , provide and correspond to letters or words , figures or numbers , musical notes or chords , symbols or formulas , as well as to objects , properties , relations , states , actions events , scenarios , inferences , schedules , etc . it also results than an adaptation of the system for chromatic definitions of respective objects in various businesses participates then in the same way as other functions ( data processing , administration , production , standardization , communication , circulation , etc .) in the creation or in the complementing of an automated overall management system . the colorimetric and / or numeric designations could be displayed along with traditional notice of the block panels or tables of the subject matter to which any particular embodiment of the invention is directed , i . e . they could appear on maps , guidebooks , phone directories , files , etc ., as well as on catalogs , messages and advertising spots for products . such designations could be made on the basis of mnemonic and classification references . since these colorimetric designations can also take into account existing chromatic codings , a standardized classification would organize the group of services desired by the users of the invention . a basic coding planned on the national level could give the same colors to each city hall , to each pharmacy , etc . a basic chromatic standardization planned on a larger scale would , without the barrier of languages , make it possible for each individual in any country to find routes , places , lodging , restaurants , services , businesses , correspondents , etc . private locations , covered or closed such as to limit transmission , can use combinations of colors according to their own criteria . the basic colorimetric operational chart is , in some ways , a chromatic menu and the statements which have been assigned to it can be defined for a directional and data purpose for tourists , motorists , consumers and residents . although particular purposes have been described and particular embodiments of a system for transmission and reception of data according to the invention have been shown , it should be understood that this invention is in no way limited to these embodiments and to these purposes . thus , this transmission and reception system includes not only directional , data and classifying functions but also the performing of diagnostics . this is characterized in that the differential absorption of the electromagnetic radiation in the u - band can also be used to detect an anomaly of the presence of oxygen such as by percolation into the region between the transmitter and receiver . hence it results that the receiver and the transmitter form what might be termed an applicator ( comprising parts 2 , 5 , 6 and 7 ) in the u - band . if involving transmission through the body of a living being irradiated by said applicator , it allows diagnosing an anomaly of percolation of oxygen , a clinical symptom of a cancerous tumor or of a pulmonary oedema . also in the directional case , it is also prospective , i . e . that the purpose to be reached as a function of established criteria is not essentially geographic but also physical . covered further by the invention is a system for data transmission of said type in which the data vectorial waves are either light of the laser type , or electromagnetic of the microwave and frequency modulation type , or coming from a combination of all or part of the transmissions of these waves . it should be understood that the system of the invention is not limited to the case where the receivers are equipped only with the sole functions of reception and data processing , but that it also extends to the case where the receivers would themselves be transmitters , making possible an interrogation and optionally a dialogue with the transmitters or with other users . covered also by the invention is that if the four variations offered for the basic operational chart are worked out to establish a simple and fast dialogue for the majority of individuals to obtain data during their movements , the system , of course , allows other variations on the same theme and / or on professional applications and that on this operational chart more , fewer , or no colors can appear . thus it should be understood that the scope of the invention is defined by the contents of this disclosure in its generic sense , and that any technical ergonomic or esthetic equivalents can be implemented without thereby going outside the scope of the invention . | 6 |
turning now to the drawings and more particularly to fig1 , a home appliance in the form as a range is illustrated generally at 10 and includes a prior art support structure 22 . the range 10 includes a floor - standing box - like range body 12 having a cooktop 14 mounted on an upper portion of the range body 12 . the range body 12 defines dual cavities ( not shown ) for cooking which may include a steamer compartment and an oven . both cavities are covered by doors 16 , 18 . a control panel 20 extends the width of the range body 12 intermediate the cooktop 14 and the doors 16 , 18 . the entire structure is supported on a support surface , such as a floor using support members 22 . typically , the support members 22 include threaded cylinders such as bolts that are threadedly engaged with the range frame and project downwardly toward the floor with feet attached to spread the weight of the range and to protect the floor . the height of the range may be adjusted by rotating the support legs inwardly or outwardly , with respect to the range frame . even though the height adjustment arrangement is effective , the range remains with an unfinished appearance with the threaded support members 22 exposed to view . the present invention according to the preferred embodiment is illustrated in fig2 fitted to a range 10 as generally depicted in fig1 . as seen in fig2 , leg support covers 24 in the form of a first wall member 26 having a second wall member 42 fitted telescopically therein not only provide a finished look to the range 10 but do so in a manner that makes installation a straightforward matter and conforms to any and all height adjustments possible with the range 10 . turning now to fig3 , the support leg cover is illustrated generally at 24 and includes a planar platform 56 , a first wall member 26 and a second wall member 42 . the planar platform 56 is formed with a number of openings 58 . some of these openings are configured to pass the threaded cylindrical support leg therethrough for mounting the platform 56 to the range 10 . side walls 60 project down and away from the generally rectangular platform 56 and two projections 62 are on each of the side walls 60 . the first wall member 26 is formed as a generally three - sided structure having a front wall 34 and two side walls 30 , 32 projecting generally perpendicularly away from the front wall 34 . two short rear walls 36 , 38 extend inwardly toward one another from each of the side walls 30 , 32 in a generally perpendicularly manner so that a sharp structure is not readily engaged by installation or maintenance personnel . the short rear walls 36 , 38 leave an open back 40 . as seen in fig3 , each of the corners at the wall junctions are somewhat rounded for a smoother appearance and enhanced pliancy when the side walls 30 , 32 are spread slightly for installation . openings 28 are provided in the side walls at positions configured to engage the projections 62 . the second wall member 42 is formed similarly to the first wall member 26 with a front wall 48 and two side walls 44 , 46 projecting generally perpendicularly away from the front wall 48 . two short back walls 50 , 52 project generally perpendicularly away from the side walls 44 , 46 respectively and , in the manner of the first wall member 26 , form an open back 54 . the second wall member 42 is slightly smaller than the first wall member 26 so that it will fit telescopically inside the first wall member 26 as seen in fig5 and 6 . turning to fig4 , the first wall member 26 is attached to the platform 56 using the projections 62 fitted within the holes 28 in the first wall member 26 . with reference to fig5 and 6 , the second wall member 44 is telescopically received within the first wall member 30 so that the second wall member 42 may move vertically relative to the first wall member 26 to thereby provide height adjustability . this assembly creates an overlapping region 64 where the second wall member 42 contacts the first wall member 26 . fig5 illustrates the leg support cover from the back showing the open back structure that allows the present support leg cover to be mounted to the range without lifting the range or tilting the range . fig6 illustrates the leg support cover from the front and highlights the finished nature of the leg support cover providing a neat appearance for the range 10 . fig7 illustrates the relationship between the first wall member 26 , the platform 56 , the range body 12 and the threaded support member 68 which , includes a molded plastic foot 70 to protect the support surface , typically a kitchen floor , and to provide enhanced support for the range 10 . there , the platform 56 is mounted to the range frame 66 using the threaded support member 68 through one of the holes 58 in the platform 56 as seen in fig3 . returning to fig7 , the first wall member 26 is snapped in place by spreading the side walls 30 , 32 slightly and engaging the projections 62 with the holes 28 in the first wall member 26 . in operation , and with reference to fig8 , during assembly , the platform 56 is mounted to the range frame 66 with the threaded support member 68 projecting away from the platform 56 and the projections 62 projecting laterally away from the support walls 60 of the platform 56 . as seen in fig9 , the first wall member 26 is snapped onto the platform 56 with the projections 62 . the second wall member 42 may be moved upwardly and telescoped into the first wall member 26 to provide the finished structure seen in fig1 . in operation and with reference to fig1 , the wall members 26 , 42 are assembled in a telescoping manner with the dual - wall assembly snapped onto the platform 56 after the range 10 is in place . therefore , during installation of the range , the threaded support member 68 may be screwed inwardly or outwardly with respect to the frame 66 to achieve the desired range height prior to installation of the support leg cover 24 of the present invention . the assembly consisting of the first wall 26 with the second wall member 42 telescoped inside may then be snapped in place on the platform 56 mating the holes 28 in the first wall member 26 with the projections 62 . the second wall member 42 may then be moved downwardly relative to the first wall member 26 to fully cover the support leg 68 and the support foot 70 . this final action achieves the finished look seen in fig2 . by the above , the present invention provides a home appliance in the form of a range that includes a support leg cover that can be attached without lifting or tilting the range and can be installed from the front . so long as the platform is installed , the open backs of the first wall member and the second wall member allow the wall members to be snapped into place on the platform from the front without lifting or tilting the range . further , the second wall slips upwardly into the first wall and is out of the way when leveling the range . alternately , the range can be leveled without any walls attached to the platform at all with the walls being attached after height adjustment is accomplished . the sliding nature of the second wall into the first wall provides a self - adjusting leg cover height . further , the first wall member snaps into place without external fasteners using the projections on the platform walls and the holes in the first wall member . the present invention provides a home appliance with a support leg cover that is easy to install , conforms to different range heights and hides the leveling leg for a neat and finished appearance . it will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of a broad utility and application . while the present invention is described in all currently foreseeable embodiments , there may be other , unforeseeable embodiments and adaptations of the present invention , as well as variations , modifications and equivalent arrangements , that do not depart from the substance or scope of the present invention . the foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude such other embodiments , adaptations , variations , modifications and equivalent arrangements , the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof . | 0 |
referring to the drawings in detail , and in particular to fig1 and 2 , the hair roller in accordance with the present invention is designated by numeral 10 . hair roller 10 comprises a generally cylindrical sleeve 12 , a first cap 14 , a second cap 16 , both caps detachably secured to the tube 12 . the caps 14 and 16 are rotationally secured on opposite ends of an interior shaft 18 . each of the caps 14 or 16 is formed circular in shape , with an exterior side 20 and an interior side 22 . formed in the interior side 22 and extending a distance into the thickness of the cap 14 or 16 is a spiral groove 24 which begins on the outer circumference of the cap 14 or 16 and extends in a spiral fashion , terminating adjacent a center of each cap . as will be appreciated , the noncontinuous circles which are formed by the groove 24 gradually reduce in diameter from the greatest diameter occupied by the groove most adjacent to the outer circumference of the cap 14 or 16 , to the smallest diameter adjacent the center of the cap . cap 14 ( or both caps 14 and 16 ) is provided with an indicia 15 on the outer surface 20 dividing the circumference into a plurality of segments in order to assist a user in the amount of rotation to be applied to the cap ( s ) in order to achieve a certain diameter of the tube 12 . optionally , numbers , for example , from 0 to 4 can be inscribed on the surface ( s ) 20 to further facilitate easy selection of the tube 12 diameter size , with the smallest number designating the smallest diameter and with the largest number designating the largest possible diameter which can be achieved for the tube 12 . the central shaft 18 extends between the two caps , whereby the caps are secured to opposite ends of the shaft 18 at the centers of the caps . a central opening 25 is formed in each of the caps to receive the end of the shaft 18 therein . each opening 25 is sized and shaped to frictionally engage in a tight fit a non - circular projection 27 of the shaft 18 therethrough . projections 27 are provided with slots 29 which terminate before reaching enlarged diameter annular flanges 31 formed on opposite ends of the shaft 18 . the flanges 31 act as a stop means for the caps 14 and 16 and prevent disengagement of the caps from the shaft 18 . a resilient flexible band 32 is engaged at one of its ends within a slot 31 of either cap 14 or 16 . the second end of the band 32 is left non - engaged until the hair lock is rolled on the tube 12 . then the second end of the band 32 is stretched and engaged , under tension within a slot 29 of the second projection 27 , thus securing the hair lock and the roller 10 together . the band 32 has thickened ends 34 , the diameter of which , even in a compressed state , is at least slightly greater than the size of the slot 29 . in this manner , the band remains engaged within the slots 29 , once it is secured therein . the caps 14 and 16 are adapted for free rotational movement about the shaft 18 and can be completely disengaged from the shaft 18 , if so desired . the sleeve or tube 12 is formed from a substantially rectangular piece of flexible resilient material , such as plastic , and is thermo - processed to retain its generally cylindrical shape . a first outer edge 26 of the sleeve 12 overlaps , to a certain degree , the portion of the tube 12 when shaped into a cylinder . the inner longitudinal edge 28 of the sleeve 12 extends through the length of the tube 12 but on the interior side thereof . the plastic sheet is formed with a plurality of tiny projections 36 on its outer surface 38 which give the surface 38 a &# 34 ; rough &# 34 ; feeling . use of the &# 34 ; rough &# 34 ; instead of a &# 34 ; smooth &# 34 ; surface assists in retaining the hair on the tube 12 . a plurality of holes 40 are formed in the tube 12 , so as to expedite drying of hair rolled on the roller 10 by improving the access of air to the hair . in order to prevent bending of the edge 26 during rotation of the caps 14 and 16 , a stiffening piece 42 is secured along at least a part of the edge 26 . the outermost ends of the edge 26 are left of the original thickness , so as not to interfere with movement of transverse edges 44 and 46 of the tube 12 within the grooves 24 . during assembling , the transverse edges 44 and 46 are forced into the grooves 24 of the opposite caps 14 and 16 and are engaged therein . by rotating the caps 14 and 16 the tube 12 is forced into engagement with the spiral groove 24 , moving the inner edge 28 towards the center of the caps 14 and 16 . in this manner the outermost edge 26 , when the roller unit is assembled , appears adjacent an outermost end of the spiral groove 24 . continuous rotation of the caps 14 and 16 causes the edge 28 further into the groove 24 , until it reaches its center , pulling the entire sheet which forms the sleeve 12 , and forcing the edge 26 further into the groove 24 . in this manner , the tube 12 eventually presents a smaller outside diameter on its outer surface , until it reaches a minimum diameter when the transverse length of the sleeve 12 extends itself through the groove 24 . as will be appreciated , the groove 24 in its longitudinal dimension is longer than the transverse length of the sheet from which the sleeve 12 is formed . this allows the tube 12 to be formed of the smallest necessary diameter currently acceptable for the rolling of hair or alternatively , it can assume its less tightly rolled diameter , wherein the edge 28 is closer to the outermost edge of the groove 24 . when the necessary diameter tube 12 is reached , through rotation of the caps 14 and 16 , the hair roller 10 is used in a conventional manner , that is the hair is rolled on the outer circumference of the tube 12 and is secured by the rubber band 32 . referring now to fig3 and 4 , another embodiment of the hair roller is illustrated . the roller 10 is seen to further comprise a resilient band securing knob 50 which is frictionally engaged on the outwardly extending portion 27 of the shaft 18 . in this embodiment the portion 27 is made long enough to accommodate the thickness of the knob 50 , and the central opening 52 fits over the portion 27 . a groove 54 is formed int eh disk - shaped knob 50 and extends from the outer circumference thereof inwardly , not reaching the opening 52 . the groove 54 receives one end of the flexible , resilient securing band 32 . the second end of the band 32 is engaged in the slot 29 of the projection 27 adjacent the cap 14 . the hair is rolled on the roller 10 while the knob 50 is disengaged . after the hair is rolled , the knob 50 is manipulated , pulling and stretching the band 32 until the knob 50 is adjacent the cap 16 . the knob is then snapped on the projection 27 to secure the roller 10 and the user &# 39 ; s head . the operation of the tube 12 is similar in both the first and second embodiments . the hair roller unit of the present invention is formed of lightweight material such as lightweight plastic , requirements being that the sheet from which the tube 12 is made should be flexible and manageable and retain its outer cylindrical form , that the caps 14 and 16 be made of sufficiently strong plastic to allow cutting of the grooves 24 through substantially entire width thereof , and that the shaft 18 be strong enough to withstand possible bending forces which may be applied to it during rotation of the caps 14 and 16 engaged on the shaft ends . alternatively , the shaft 18 can be formed from aluminum or other similar material if desired . the tube 12 can be made of various colors and textures , while retaining its basic physical shape . it is preferable that the grooves 24 do no extend to the outside surface 20 of the caps 14 and 16 , so as to prevent disengagement and shifting of the tube 12 , when secured within the groove 24 . many changes and modifications can be made within the design of the hair roller in accordance with the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof . i therefore pray that my rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
the following description is of exemplary embodiments of the invention only , and is not intended to limit the scope , applicability or configuration of the invention in any way . rather , the following description is intended to provide a convenient illustration for implementing various embodiments of the invention . as will become apparent , various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth herein . it should be appreciated that the description herein may be adapted to be employed with alternatively configured devices having different shapes , components , delivery mechanisms and the like and still fall within the scope of the present invention . thus , the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation . various outlet orientation compensating means are disclosed herein in the exemplary context of air fresheners . that being said , the present invention may be used with any vapor - dispensing products . such products typically include a volatizable material and a transport system configured to facilitate evaporation of the volatizable material into the surrounding air . exemplary volatizable materials include fragrances , air fresheners , deodorizers , odor eliminators , odor counteractants , insecticides , insect repellants , medicinal substances , disinfectants , sanitizers , mood enhancers , and aroma therapy compositions . thus , “ air freshener ” as used herein refers to any vapor dispensing device similarly described in connection with polarized dual - outlet receptacles . that being said , such air fresheners may be used in connection with any configuration or orientation of receptacle . air fresheners may be passive in operation , i . e ., they may operate by ambient evaporation without the need for additional energy input to the system , or they may be active , requiring additional energy input , for example , in the form of heating elements or fans . conventional air fresheners often include a refillable or replaceable reservoir . an exemplary air freshener according to the present invention comprises a low profile dispensing device that resembles a standard dual electrical outlet and includes a base member having at least one pair of electrical prongs for insertion into an electrical wall outlet , a secondary electrical outlet , and a heating element for heating a volatile material . a replaceable or refillable reservoir containing volatile material is attachable to the base member and associated with a dispenser , e . g ., an emanator pad . the device further includes orientation compensating means allowing for upright orientation of the reservoir , base member , dispenser and / or other components independent of the orientation of the wall outlet ( e . g ., upright , horizontal , or inverted ). “ upright ,” as used herein refers to a target or default orientation . orientational and / or operational independence of the reservoir or dispenser relative to the outlet orientation may be accomplished by numerous configurations . for example , briefly , one embodiment includes a base member configured to be oriented independent of an outlet orientation . another embodiment includes a reservoir configured to be oriented independent of a base member orientation . another embodiment includes a reservoir and associated dispenser configured to operate in multiple orientations . yet another embodiment includes a pair of sleeved wicks configured for alternate operation depending upon orientation . in sum , any number of air freshener components may be configured to accommodate multiple wall outlet orientations or multiple air freshener orientations . for example , with reference to fig1 , an exemplary embodiment of an air freshener device 2 includes a base 4 , and a reservoir 6 . base 4 includes electrical prongs ( not shown ) for insertion into a wall outlet , a pair of secondary outlets 8 , heating elements 10 and 12 , and a gravity switch 14 . heating elements 10 and 12 are electrically connected through gravity switch 14 to the electrical prongs on base 4 . gravity switch 14 is configured to selectively supply power to heating elements 10 and 12 based upon the orientation of base 4 . gravity switch 14 may be activated by a weight or fluid acting under the influence of gravity . for example , heating element 10 may be powered with base 4 in an upright orientation while heating element 12 may be powered with base 4 in an inverted orientation . in an alternative embodiment , heating elements 10 and 12 may be simultaneously powered regardless of the orientation of base 4 . heating elements 10 and 12 may be further configured to operate periodically or continuously . in another embodiment , selective activation of heating elements 10 and 12 may be manual or automatic through use of any other suitable control or sensor . any number of heating elements may be used , configured , and located to suitably volatize dispersible materials with the device in multiple orientations . with reference now to fig2 a – 2c , another embodiment of device 2 is shown including an emanator 16 configured for multiple or universal orientation ( s ). exemplary emanators 16 include an absorbent pad , evaporation surface , porous material or the like . as shown in fig2 a , emanator 16 may be disposed along a side portion of reservoir 6 or base 4 and configured to dispense a substantially consistent quantity of volatile material regardless of the orientation of reservoir 6 and / or base 4 . for example , emanator 16 may be symmetrically aligned with respect to an axis common to device 2 in multiple orientations . further to this example , emanator 16 may be supplied by wicks ( not shown ) extending to either vertical end of reservoir 6 , accommodating multiple orientations of reservoir 6 . alternatively , emanator 16 may be configured in any manner suitable to allow for controlled dispensing of volatile materials with the reservoir in at least an upright and an inverted orientation . for example , as shown in fig2 b , emanator 16 may be disposed in multiple locations around the periphery of base 4 or reservoir 6 or may be configured as a substantially continuous ring . in yet another embodiment shown in fig2 c , emanators 16 are placed at each longitudinal end of device 2 for cooperation with heating elements 10 and 12 on base 4 , as shown in fig1 . as described above , emanators 16 may be selectively supplied with heat and / or volatile material according to the orientation of device 2 . in various other embodiments of device 2 , any number of device components may be configured to accommodate various wall outlet or device component orientations . one such exemplary embodiment , includes spacing reservoir 6 a sufficient distance from base 4 to allow sufficient air flow past emanator 16 and / or providing an enlarged emanator 16 to accommodate any excess or variations in the transport or dispersion of volatile materials resulting from the various device orientations . alternatively , use of a smaller quantity of volatile material , as with a smaller reservoir 6 or smaller emanator 16 , may serve to reduce leakage in the event that device 2 is inverted . similarly , in embodiments employing a wick to transport volatile material from reservoir 6 to emanator 14 , the wick may be configured to meter capillary transport regardless of device orientation , for example by altering the composition or porosity of the wick . in another embodiment , the composition of the volatile material may be selected to achieve substantially uniform delivery regardless of orientation , for example , by use of a gel instead of an oil carrier . in another embodiment shown in fig3 , base 4 is comprised of a base plate 18 and a removable , reversible outlet body 20 having a first polar outlet 22 and a second polar outlet 24 coupled to at least one of a first and second pair of polar prongs 26 . outlet body 20 has a symmetrical profile , e . g ., rectangular , and includes electrical outlets 22 and 24 . a first symmetrical opening 28 in base plate 18 and a second symmetrical opening 30 in reservoir 6 accommodate the corresponding symmetrical profile of outlet body 18 in both the upright and inverted orientation . use of a symmetrical outlet body 20 and corresponding opening 28 allows base plate 18 to be attached to outlet body 20 in an upright orientation regardless of whether outlet body 20 is upright or inverted . that being said , any suitable combination of outlet body profiles and complimentary openings 28 and 30 may be used such that outlet prong pairs 26 on outlet body 20 are first inserted into a wall outlet according to the orientation of the wall outlet and then base plate 18 and / or reservoir 6 are then attached to outlet body 20 in the upright position . with continued reference to fig3 , outlet body 20 further includes electrical contacts 32 for communicating power to heating element ( s ) 10 by means of electrical leads 34 on base plate 18 . electrical contacts 32 are located along a centerline of outlet body 20 to contact heating element leads 34 located along a centerline of base plate 18 with outlet body 20 in either the upright or the inverted position . thus , reservoir 6 and base plate 18 may both be removable and rotatable relative to outlet body 20 . electrical leads 34 and electrical contacts 32 may be further configured as the means of attachment between base plate 18 and outlet body 20 . this may be accomplished , for example , by configuring electrical contacts 32 to securely receive or otherwise attachably engage heating element leads 34 . for example , in one embodiment , electrical leads 34 include protruding posts and electrical contacts 32 include grooves for receiving the protruding posts . electrical contacts 32 of outlet body 20 and electrical leads 34 of base plate 18 may be configured in any suitable manner to allow for proper orientation of heating element 10 and / or other dispensing mechanism relative to an upright , inverted , or rotated outlet body 20 . alternatively , base plate 18 or reservoir 6 may be press - fitted , snap - fitted , slidably fitted or otherwise suitably attached to outlet body 20 to cause electrical leads 34 to engage electrical contacts 32 . reservoir 6 and base plate 18 may be separately attachable to outlet body 20 . alternatively , reservoir 6 may attach to base plate 18 and the combination may then attach to outlet body 20 . it is understood that reservoir 6 , base plate 18 , and outlet body 20 may be assembled and attached in any suitable manner . that being said , any of the embodiments described herein may be used with purely passive delivery systems as well , i . e ., without the need for heating element 10 , electrical contacts 32 , electrical leads 34 , fans , or the like . for example , a simple wick and emanator 16 associated with reservoir 6 may be maintained upright by any number of means described herein . in accordance with one embodiment , device 2 is specifically configured to accommodate an inverted outlet by means of inverted polar prongs . this may be done by reversing the positions of the larger and smaller prongs . thus , a reservoir , emanator , and wick may be maintained upright without further structural modifications . in another embodiment shown in fig4 , outlet body 20 including polar electrical prongs 26 may be maintained in an upright orientation by use of an inverter adapter 36 interposed between the upright outlet body 20 and an inverted wall outlet . polar electrical prongs 26 on inverted adapter are geometrically inverse to those of outlet body 20 allowing for upright orientation of outlet body 20 . with reference now to fig5 , still another embodiment includes an outlet body 20 having a pair polar prongs 26 integrated into a rotator ( s ) 38 moveable between multiple positions to allow for multiple orientations of the device relative to a wall outlet . for example , a single pair of polar prongs 26 may be rotated as desired between 0 and 360 degrees , while two pairs of polar prongs may be jointly rotated 180 degrees by turning rotator ( s ) 38 . in another embodiment , two pairs of polar prongs 26 are fixed to a single rotator 38 . any means of reorienting polar prongs 26 with respect to outlet body 20 , whether now known or later developed , may be used in conjunction with the present invention . another exemplary embodiment includes a baffle ( s ) adjacent emanator 16 to absorb and / or divert any leaked , condensed , or excess volatile dispersible materials released in a given orientation of the device . baffles may be associated with emanator 16 or any other dispensing mechanism or other device component . one exemplary baffle is composed of an absorptive material placed in close proximity to emanator 16 . baffle may be any material or structure configured to absorb , stop , divert , or otherwise contain leaked or condensed volatile materials . in one embodiment , baffles are provided on two sides of emanator 16 , one to contain leakage , the other to contain condensation . with reference now to fig6 , accommodation of multiple outlet orientations is accomplished by a first wick 102 encased in a first sleeve 104 and a second wick 106 encased in a second sleeve 108 . wicks 102 and 106 communicate dispersible materials from reservoir 6 to emanators 16 located at opposite ends , i . e ., top and bottom , of reservoir 6 . sleeves 104 and 108 are composed of an impermeable material and configured to selectively enable or block capillary transport through wicks 102 and 106 . wicks 102 and 106 extend to opposite ends of reservoir 6 such that wick 102 is in contact with dispersible materials while wick 106 is shielded by sleeve 108 in the upright orientation , and the inverse relationship exists in a second orientation . in one embodiment , sleeves 104 and / or 108 may extend the full length of wick 102 and 106 or beyond such that wicks 102 and 106 contact dispersible materials within the sleeve . alternatively , sleeves 104 and 108 may include any means to allow absorption of dispersible materials , for example , perforations or other openings towards one end or a bell formation around and / or past the end of wicks 102 and 106 to allow increased contact with dispersible materials in a given orientation . in yet another embodiment shown in fig7 , two separate reservoir compartments 110 and 112 within reservoir 6 contain two distinct dispersible materials . wick 102 is in communication with one of the two dispersible materials in a first reservoir orientation . conversely , wick 106 is in communication with the other dispersible material in a second reservoir orientation . in other words , in an upright orientation , a portion of a wick 102 is in contact with the dispersible materials of first reservoir compartment 110 while a portion of wick 106 is maintained above the dispersible materials of second reservoir compartment 112 . inverting reservoir 6 causes a portion of wick 106 to contact the dispersible materials of second reservoir compartment 112 and further causes wick 102 to be withdrawn or isolated from the dispersible materials of first reservoir compartment 110 . wicks 102 and 106 may supply a common emanator 16 or separate emanators 16 . by using two distinct dispersible materials and separate emanators 16 , alternate dispersions such as varying scents may be obtained simply by reorienting reservoir 6 . as discussed above , wicks 102 and 106 need not extend beyond sleeves 104 and 108 to contact the dispersible materials . for example , in one embodiment , sleeves 104 and 108 may be dimensioned to provide an open annular chamber around a length of wicks 102 and 106 . accordingly , dispersible liquids may flow into the annular chamber up to the level of the liquid in reservoir 6 . in one embodiment , wicks 102 and 106 and sleeves 104 and 108 may be configured at an angle within reservoir 6 such that liquids may flow from the annular chamber as reservoir 6 is rotated between positions . any suitable means of allowing contact or blocking contact with dispersible materials by wicks 102 and 106 may be used in accordance with the present invention . by configuring sleeves 104 and 108 to extend the length of wicks 102 and 106 , a greater volume of reservoir 6 and / or reservoir compartments 110 and 112 may be filled with dispersible materials . in other words , because the full length of wicks 102 and 106 are shielded , the fluid level may likewise rise to the full length of a shielded wick before fluid transport begins . finally , while the present invention has been described above with reference to various exemplary embodiments , many changes , combinations and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention . for example , the various components may be implemented in alternate ways . these alternatives can be suitably selected depending upon the particular application or in consideration of any number of factors associated with the operation of the system . in addition , the techniques described herein may be extended or modified for use with other types of devices . these and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention . | 0 |
the taxane of the present invention , compound 3102 , has the following chemical structure : compound 3102 is active against cancers both in vitro and in vivo in a manner superior to conventionally used taxanes with respect to certain tumor types , including paclitaxel and / or docetaxel sensitive and resistant tumor lines . whether or not used in combination with other agents , pharmaceutical compositions comprising compound 3102 may be used to treat those cancers indicated for treatment with taxol ® and / or taxotere ®. without being limiting , pharmaceutical compositions comprising compound 3102 may be used , either solely or in combination , to treat breast cancer , non - small cell lung cancer , prostate cancer , ovarian cancer , and aids - related kaposi &# 39 ; s sarcoma . the compound is reasonably well tolerated whether administered orally or intravenously and can be effective as a single or multiple dose with improved toxicity profiles . it is believed that the mechanism of action of compound 3102 includes microtubule polymerization , resulting in a block in the g 2 / m phase of the cell cycle and programmed cell death , known as apoptosis . this compound is highly efficacious in a number of human tumor nude mouse xenograft models , including those which are refractory / resistant to paclitaxel and taxotere ® ( docetaxel ). compound 3102 can be effectively dosed via the intravenous and oral routes on a single or multidose schedule . in the majority of xenograft models tested , compound 3102 shows superior efficacy to paclitaxel and taxotere ® when administered as an oral dose and on a multi - dose schedule , either every 4 days or every 7 days . compound 3102 shows a wide therapeutic index in these mouse xenograft models . doses well below the maximum tolerated dose , as indicated by body weight loss , still maintain efficacy . the compound displays superior bioavailability orally as demonstrated by efficacy observed in xenograft models and in a favorable toxicity profile when dosed both orally and iv in sprague - dawley rats . the superior efficacy and wide therapeutic index in multiple dosing regimens suggests an opportunity for increased dose intensity in the clinic particularly when dosed weekly in human studies . compound 3102 may be obtained by treatment of a β - lactam with an alkoxide having the taxane tetracyclic nucleus and a c13 metallic oxide substituent to form compounds having a β - amido ester substituent at c13 ( as described more fully in holton u . s . pat . no . 5 , 466 , 834 ), followed by removal of the hydroxy protecting groups . the β - lactam has the following structural formula ( 1 ): wherein p 2 is a hydroxy protecting group , x 3 is 2 - furyl , and x 5 is isobutoxycarbonyl and the alkoxide has the structural formula ( 2 ): wherein m is a metal or ammonium , p 7 is a hydroxy protecting group and r 10 is cyclopropylcarbonyloxy . the alkoxide of structural formula ( 2 ) may be prepared from 10 - deacetylbaccatin iii ( or a derivative thereof ) by selective protection of the c7 hydroxyl group and then esterification of the c10 hydroxyl group followed by treatment with a metallic amide . in one embodiment of the present invention , the c7 hydroxyl group of 10 - deacetylbaccatin iii is selectively protected with a silyl group as described , for example , by denis , et . al . ( j . am . chem . soc ., 1988 , 110 , 5917 ). in general , the silylating agents may be used either alone or in combination with a catalytic amount of a base such as an alkali metal base . alternatively , the c10 hydroxyl group of a taxane can be selectively acylated in the absence of a base , as described , for example in holton et al ., pct patent application wo 99 / 09021 . acylating agents which may be used for the selective acylation of the c10 hydroxyl group of a taxane include substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl anhydrides . while the acylation of the c10 hydroxy group of the taxane will proceed at an adequate rate for many acylating agents , it has been discovered that the reaction rate may be increased by including a lewis acid in the reaction mixture . preferred lewis acids include zinc chloride , stannic chloride , cerium trichloride , cuprous chloride , lanthanum trichloride , dysprosium trichloride , and ytterbium trichloride . zinc chloride or cerium trichloride is particularly preferred when the acylating agent is an anhydride . processes for the preparation and resolution of the β - lactam starting material are generally well known in the art . for example , the β - lactam may be prepared as described in holton , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 430 , 160 ( col . 9 , lines 2 - 50 ) or holton , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 649 , 632 ( col . 7 , line 45 — col . 8 , line 60 ), which are both hereby incorporated by this reference in their entirety . the resulting enatiomeric mixtures of β - lactams may be resolved by a stereoselective hydrolysis using a lipase or enzyme as described , for example , in patel , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 879 , 929 ( col . 16 , lines 1 — col . 18 , line 27 ) or patel , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 567 , 614 or a liver homogenate as described , for example , in holton , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 548 , 293 ( col . 3 , lines 30 - 61 ). by way of example , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 649 , 632 discloses the preparation of a β - lactam having a furyl substituent at the c4 position of the β - lactam . the taxane of the instant invention is useful for inhibiting tumor growth in mammals including humans and is preferably administered in the form of a pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective antitumor amount of the compound of the instant invention in combination with at least one pharmaceutically or pharmacologically acceptable carrier . the carrier , also known in the art as an excepient , vehicle , auxiliary , adjuvant , or diluent , is any substance which is pharmaceutically inert , confers a suitable consistency or form to the composition , and does not diminish the therapeutic efficacy of the antitumor compounds . the carrier is “ pharmaceutically or pharmacologically acceptable ” if it does not produce an adverse , allergic or other untoward reaction when administered to a mammal or human , as appropriate . the pharmaceutical compositions containing the antitumor compound of the present invention may be formulated in any conventional manner . proper formulation is dependent upon the route of administration chosen . the compositions of the invention can be formulated for any route of administration so long as the target tissue is available via that route . suitable routes of administration include , but are not limited to , oral , parenteral ( e . g ., intravenous , intraarterial , subcutaneous , rectal , subcutaneous , intramuscular , intraorbital , intracapsular , intraspinal , intraperitoneal , or intrasternal ), topical ( nasal , transdermal , intraocular ), intravesical , intrathecal , enteral , pulmonary , intralymphatic , intracavital , vaginal , transurethral , intradermal , aural , intramammary , buccal , orthotopic , intratracheal , intralesional , percutaneous , endoscopical , transmucosal , sublingual and intestinal administration . pharmaceutically acceptable carriers for use in the compositions of the present invention are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are selected based upon a number of factors : the particular antitumor compound used , and its concentration , stability and intended bioavailability ; the disease , disorder or condition being treated with the composition ; the subject , its age , size and general condition ; and the route of administration . suitable carriers are readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art ( see , for example , j . g . nairn , in : remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical science ( a . gennaro , ed . ), mack publishing co ., easton , pa ., ( 1985 ), pp . 1492 - 1517 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference ). the compositions are preferably formulated as tablets , dispersible powders , pills , capsules , gelcaps , caplets , gels , liposomes , granules , solutions , suspensions , emulsions , syrups , elixirs , troches , dragees , lozenges , or any other dosage form which can be administered orally . techniques and compositions for making oral dosage forms useful in the present invention are described in the following references : 7 modern pharmaceutics , chapters 9 and 10 ( banker & amp ; rhodes , editors , 1979 ); lieberman et al ., pharmaceutical dosage forms : tablets ( 1981 ); and ansel , introduction to pharmaceutical dosage forms 2nd edition ( 1976 ). the compositions of the invention for oral administration comprise an effective antitumor amount of the compound of the invention in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . suitable carriers for solid dosage forms include sugars , starches , and other conventional substances including lactose , talc , sucrose , gelatin , carboxymethylcellulose , agar , mannitol , sorbitol , calcium phosphate , calcium carbonate , sodium carbonate , kaolin , alginic acid , acacia , corn starch , potato starch , sodium saccharin , magnesium carbonate , tragacanth , microcrystalline cellulose , colloidal silicon dioxide , croscarmellose sodium , talc , magnesium stearate , and stearic acid . further , such solid dosage forms may be uncoated or may be coated by known techniques ; e . g ., to delay disintegration and absorption . the antitumor compound of the present invention may also be preferably formulated for parenteral administration , e . g ., formulated for injection via intravenous , intraarterial , subcutaneous , rectal , subcutaneous , intramuscular , intraorbital , intracapsular , intraspinal , intraperitoneal , or intrasternal routes . the compositions of the invention for parenteral administration comprise an effective antitumor amount of the antitumor compound in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . dosage forms suitable for parenteral administration include solutions , suspensions , dispersions , emulsions or any other dosage form which can be administered parenterally . techniques and compositions for making parenteral dosage forms are known in the art . suitable carriers used in formulating liquid dosage forms for oral or parenteral administration include nonaqueous , pharmaceutically - acceptable polar solvents such as oils , alcohols , amides , esters , ethers , ketones , hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof , as well as water , saline solutions , dextrose solutions ( e . g ., dw5 ), electrolyte solutions , or any other aqueous , pharmaceutically acceptable liquid . suitable nonaqueous , pharmaceutically - acceptable polar solvents include , but are not limited to , alcohols ( e . g ., α - glycerol formal , β - glycerol formal , 1 , 3 - butyleneglycol , aliphatic or aromatic alcohols having 2 - 30 carbon atoms such as methanol , ethanol , propanol , isopropanol , butanol , t - butanol , hexanol , octanol , amylene hydrate , benzyl alcohol , glycerin ( glycerol ), glycol , hexylene glycol , tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol , lauryl alcohol , cetyl alcohol , or stearyl alcohol , fatty acid esters of fatty alcohols such as polyalkylene glycols ( e . g ., polypropylene glycol , polyethylene glycol ), sorbitan , sucrose and cholesterol ); amides ( e . g ., dimethylacetamide ( dma ), benzyl benzoate dma , dimethylformamide , n -( β - hydroxyethyl )- lactamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide amides , 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , or polyvinylpyrrolidone ); esters ( e . g ., 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 2 - pyrrolidinone , acetate esters such as monoacetin , diacetin , and triacetin , aliphatic or aromatic esters such as ethyl caprylate or octanoate , alkyl oleate , benzyl benzoate , benzyl acetate , dimethylsulfoxide ( dmso ), esters of glycerin such as mono , di , or tri - glyceryl citrates or tartrates , ethyl benzoate , ethyl acetate , ethyl carbonate , ethyl lactate , ethyl oleate , fatty acid esters of sorbitan , fatty acid derived peg esters , glyceryl monostearate , glyceride esters such as mono , di , or tri - glycerides , fatty acid esters such as isopropyl myristrate , fatty acid derived peg esters such as peg - hydroxyoleate and peg - hydroxystearate , n - methylpyrrolidinone , pluronic 60 , polyoxyethylene sorbitol oleic polyesters such as poly ( ethoxylated ) 30 - 60 sorbitol poly ( oleate ) 2 - 4 , poly ( oxyethylene ) 15 - 20 monooleate , poly ( oxyethylene ) 15 - 20 mono 12 - hydroxystearate , and poly ( oxyethylene ) 15 - 20 mono ricinoleate , polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters such as polyoxyethylene - sorbitan monooleate , polyoxyethylene - sorbitan monopalmitate , polyoxyethylene - sorbitan monolaurate , polyoxyethylene - sorbitan monostearate , and polysorbate ® 20 , 40 , 60 or 80 from ici americas , wilmington , del ., polyvinylpyrrolidone , alkyleneoxy modified fatty acid esters such as polyoxyl 40 hydrogenated castor oil and polyoxyethylated castor oils ( e . g ., cremophor ® el solution or cremophor ® rh 40 solution ), saccharide fatty acid esters ( i . e ., the condensation product of a monosaccharide ( e . g ., pentoses such as ribose , ribulose , arabinose , xylose , lyxose and xylulose , hexoses such as glucose , fructose , galactose , mannose and sorbose , trioses , tetroses , heptoses , and octoses ), disaccharide ( e . g ., sucrose , maltose , lactose and trehalose ) or oligosaccharide or mixture thereof with a c 4 - c 22 fatty acid ( s )( e . g ., saturated fatty acids such as caprylic acid , capric acid , lauric acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid and stearic acid , and unsaturated fatty acids such as palmitoleic acid , oleic acid , elaidic acid , erucic acid and linoleic acid )), or steroidal esters ); alkyl , aryl , or cyclic ethers having 2 - 30 carbon atoms ( e . g ., diethyl ether , tetrahydrofuran , dimethyl isosorbide , diethylene glycol monoethyl ether ); glycofurol ( tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol polyethylene glycol ether ); ketones having 3 - 30 carbon atoms ( e . g ., acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone ); aliphatic , cycloaliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons having 4 - 30 carbon atoms ( e . g ., benzene , cyclohexane , dichloromethane , dioxolanes , hexane , n - decane , n - dodecane , n - hexane , sulfolane , tetramethylenesulfon , tetramethylenesulfoxide , toluene , dimethylsulfoxide ( dmso ), or tetramethylenesulfoxide ); oils of mineral , vegetable , animal , essential or synthetic origin ( e . g ., mineral oils such as aliphatic or wax - based hydrocarbons , aromatic hydrocarbons , mixed aliphatic and aromatic based hydrocarbons , and refined paraffin oil , vegetable oils such as linseed , tung , safflower , soybean , castor , cottonseed , groundnut , rapeseed , coconut , palm , olive , corn , corn germ , sesame , persic and peanut oil and glycerides such as mono -, di - or triglycerides , animal oils such as fish , marine , sperm , cod - liver , haliver , squalene , squalane , and shark liver oil , oleic oils , and polyoxyethylated castor oil ); alkyl or aryl halides having 1 - 30 carbon atoms and optionally more than one halogen substituent ; methylene chloride ; monoethanolamine ; petroleum benzin ; trolamine ; omega - 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( e . g ., alpha - linolenic acid , eicosapentaenoic acid , docosapentaenoic acid , or docosahexaenoic acid ); polyglycol ester of 12 - hydroxystearic acid and polyethylene glycol ( solutol ® hs - 15 , from basf , ludwigshafen , germany ); polyoxyethylene glycerol ; sodium laurate ; sodium oleate ; or sorbitan monooleate . other pharmaceutically acceptable solvents for use in the invention are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art , and are identified in the chemotherapy source book ( williams & amp ; wilkens publishing ), the handbook of pharmaceutical excipients , ( american pharmaceutical association , washington , d . c ., and the pharmaceutical society of great britain , london , england , 1968 ), modern pharmaceutics , ( g . banker et al ., eds ., 3d ed . )( marcel dekker , inc ., new york , n . y ., 1995 ), the pharmacological basis of therapeutics , ( goodman & amp ; gilman , mcgraw hill publishing ), pharmaceutical dosage forms , ( h . lieberman et al ., eds .,)( marcel dekker , inc ., new york , n . y ., 1980 ), remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences ( a . gennaro , ed ., 19th ed . )( mack publishing , easton , pa ., 1995 ), the united states pharmacopeia 24 , the national formulary 19 , ( national publishing , philadelphia , pa ., 2000 ), a . j . spiegel et al ., and use of nonaqueous solvents in parenteral products , journal of pharmaceutical sciences , vol . 52 , no . 10 , pp . 917 - 927 ( 1963 ). preferred solvents include those known to stabilize the antitumor compound , such as oils rich in triglycerides , for example , safflower oil , soybean oil or mixtures thereof , and alkyleneoxy modified fatty acid esters such as polyoxyl 40 hydrogenated castor oil and polyoxyethylated castor oils ( e . g ., cremophor ® el solution or cremophor ® rh 40 solution ). commercially available triglyceride - rich oils include intralipid ® emulsified soybean oil ( kabi - pharmacia inc ., stockholm , sweden ), nutralipid ® emulsion ( mcgaw , irvine , calif . ), liposyn ® ii 20 % emulsion ( a 20 % fat emulsion solution containing 100 mg safflower oil , 100 mg soybean oil , 12 mg egg phosphatides , and 25 mg glycerin per ml of solution ; abbott laboratories , chicago , ill . ), liposyn ® iii 20 % emulsion ( a 20 % fat emulsion solution containing 100 mg safflower oil , 100 mg soybean oil , 12 mg egg phosphatides , and 25 mg glycerin per ml of solution ; abbott laboratories , chicago , ill . ), natural or synthetic glycerol derivatives containing the docosahexaenoyl group at levels between 25 % and 100 % by weight based on the total fatty acid content ( dhasco ® ( from martek biosciences corp ., columbia , md . ), dha maguro ® ( from daito enterprises , los angeles , calif . ), soyacal ®, and travemulsion ®. ethanol is a preferred solvent for use in dissolving the antitumor compound to form solutions , emulsions , and the like . additional minor components can be included in the compositions of the invention for a variety of purposes well known in the pharmaceutical industry . these components will for the most part impart properties which enhance retention of the antitumor compound at the site of administration , protect the stability of the composition , control the ph , facilitate processing of the antitumor compound into pharmaceutical formulations , and the like . preferably , each of these components is individually present in less than about 15 weight % of the total composition , more preferably less than about 5 weight %, and most preferably less than about 0 . 5 weight % of the total composition . some components , such as fillers or diluents , can constitute up to 90 wt . % of the total composition , as is well known in the formulation art . such additives include cryoprotective agents for preventing reprecipitation of the taxane , surface active , wetting or emulsifying agents ( e . g ., lecithin , polysorbate - 80 , pluronic 60 , polyoxyethylene stearate , and polyoxyethylated castor oils ), preservatives ( e . g ., ethyl - p - hydroxybenzoate ), microbial preservatives ( e . g ., benzyl alcohol , phenol , m - cresol , chlorobutanol , sorbic acid , thimerosal and paraben ), agents for adjusting ph or buffering agents ( e . g ., acids , bases , sodium acetate , sorbitan monolaurate ), agents for adjusting osmolarity ( e . g ., glycerin ), thickeners ( e . g ., aluminum monostearate , stearic acid , cetyl alcohol , stearyl alcohol , guar gum , methyl cellulose , hydroxypropylcellulose , tristearin , cetyl wax esters , polyethylene glycol ), colorants , dyes , flow aids , non - volatile silicones ( e . g ., cyclomethicone ), clays ( e . g ., bentonites ), adhesives , bulking agents , flavorings , sweeteners , adsorbents , fillers ( e . g ., sugars such as lactose , sucrose , mannitol , or sorbitol , cellulose , or calcium phosphate ), diluents ( e . g ., water , saline , electrolyte solutions ), binders ( e . g ., starches such as maize starch , wheat starch , rice starch , or potato starch , gelatin , gum tragacanth , methyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , sodium carboxymethyl cellulose , polyvinylpyrrolidone , sugars , polymers , acacia ), disintegrating agents ( e . g ., starches such as maize starch , wheat starch , rice starch , potato starch , or carboxymethyl starch , cross - linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone , agar , alginic acid or a salt thereof such as sodium alginate , croscarmellose sodium or crospovidone ), lubricants ( e . g ., silica , talc , stearic acid or salts thereof such as magnesium stearate , or polyethylene glycol ), coating agents ( e . g ., concentrated sugar solutions including gum arabic , talc , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , carbopol gel , polyethylene glycol , or titanium dioxide ), and antioxidants ( e . g ., sodium metabisulfite , sodium bisulfite , sodium sulfite , dextrose , phenols , and thiophenols ). dosage form administration by these routes may be continuous or intermittent , depending , for example , upon the patient &# 39 ; s physiological condition , whether the purpose of the administration is therapeutic or prophylactic , and other factors known to and assessable by a skilled practitioner . dosage and regimens for the administration of the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention can be readily determined by those with ordinary skill in treating cancer . it is understood that the dosage of the antitumor compounds will be dependent upon the age , sex , health , and weight of the recipient , kind of concurrent treatment , if any , frequency of treatment , and the nature of the effect desired . for any mode of administration , the actual amount of antitumor compound delivered , as well as the dosing schedule necessary to achieve the advantageous effects described herein , will also depend , in part , on such factors as the bioavailability of the antitumor compound , the disorder being treated , the desired therapeutic dose , and other factors that will be apparent to those of skill in the art . the dose administered to an animal , particularly a human , in the context of the present invention should be sufficient to effect the desired therapeutic response in the animal over a reasonable period of time . preferably , an effective amount of the antitumor compound , whether administered orally or by another route , is any amount which would result in a desired therapeutic response when administered by that route . preferably , the compositions for oral administration are prepared in such a way that a single dose in one or more oral preparations contains at least 20 mg of the antitumor compound per m 2 of patient body surface area , or at least 50 , 100 , 150 , 200 , 300 , 400 , or 500 mg of the antitumor compound per m 2 of patient body surface area , wherein the average body surface area for a human is 1 . 8 m 2 . preferably , a single dose of a composition for oral administration contains from about 20 to about 600 mg of the antitumor compound per m 2 of patient body surface area , more preferably from about 25 to about 400 mg / m 2 ′ even more preferably , from about 40 to about 300 mg / m 2 , and even more preferably from about 50 to about 200 mg / m 2 . preferably , the compositions for parenteral administration are prepared in such a way that a single dose contains at least 20 mg of the antitumor compound per m 2 of patient body surface area , or at least 40 , 50 , 100 , 150 , 200 , 300 , 400 , or 500 mg of the antitumor compound per m 2 of patient body surface area . preferably , a single dose in one or more parenteral preparations contains from about 20 to about 500 mg of the antitumor compound per m 2 of patient body surface area , more preferably from about 40 to about 400 mg / m 2 , and even more preferably , from about 60 to about 350 mg / m 2 . however , the dosage may vary depending on the dosing schedule which can be adjusted as necessary to achieve the desired therapeutic effect . it should be noted that the ranges of effective doses provided herein are not intended to limit the invention and represent preferred dose ranges . the most preferred dosage will be tailored to the individual subject , as is understood and determinable by one of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation . the concentration of the antitumor compound in a liquid pharmaceutical composition is preferably between about 0 . 01 mg and about 10 mg / ml of the composition , more preferably between about 0 . 1 mg and about 7 mg / ml , even more preferably between about 0 . 5 mg and about 5 mg / ml , and most preferably between about 1 . 5 mg and about 4 mg per ml . in one embodiment , the concentration of 3102 in this formulation is 2 to 4 mg / ml . relatively low concentrations are generally preferred because the antitumor compound is most soluble in the solution at low concentrations . the concentration of the antitumor compound in a solid pharmaceutical composition for oral administration is preferably between about 5 weight % and about 50 weight %, based on the total weight of the composition , more preferably between about 8 weight % and about 40 weight %, and most preferably between about 10 weight % and about 30 weight %. in one embodiment , solutions for oral administration are prepared by dissolving an antitumor compound in any pharmaceutically acceptable solvent capable of dissolving the compound ( e . g ., ethanol or polyethylene glycol ) to form a solution . an appropriate volume of a carrier which is a surfactant , such as cremophor ® el solution , polysorbate 80 , solutol hs15 , or vitamin e tpgs , is added to the solution while stirring to form a pharmaceutically acceptable solution for oral administration to a patient . for example , the resulting compositions may contain up to about 15 % ethanol and / or up to about 15 % surfactant , more typically , the concentrations will be about 7 . 5 - 15 % by volume ethanol with an equal volume of surfactant and distilled water in the range of 75 - 90 % by volume . for taste purposes , a fraction of the distilled water can be replaced by a diluted cherry or raspberry syrup , preferably , about 10 - 30 % syrup with the remainder water . in one embodiment , the concentration of 3102 in this formulation is 2 to 4 mg / ml . if desired , such solutions can be formulated to contain a minimal amount of , or to be free of , ethanol , which is known in the art to cause adverse physiological effects when administered at certain concentrations in oral formulations . in a preferred embodiment , the solution comprises about 10 % ethanol , about 10 % surfactant selected from polysorbate 80 ( e . g ., tween 80 ®), polyethoxylated caster oils ( e . g ., cremophor ®), and mixtures thereof , and about 80 % distilled water . in another embodiment , powders or tablets for oral administration are prepared by dissolving an antitumor compound in any pharmaceutically acceptable solvent capable of dissolving the compound ( e . g ., ethanol or polyethylene glycol ) to form a solution . the solvent can optionally be capable of evaporating when the solution is dried under vacuum . an additional carrier can be added to the solution prior to drying , such as cremophor ® el solution . the resulting solution is dried under vacuum to form a glass . the glass is then mixed with a binder to form a powder . the powder can be mixed with fillers or other conventional tabletting agents and processed to form a tablet for oral administration to a patient . the powder can also be added to any liquid carrier as described above to form a solution , emulsion , suspension or the like for oral administration . emulsions for parenteral administration can be prepared by dissolving an antitumor compound in any pharmaceutically acceptable solvent capable of dissolving the compound ( e . g ., ethanol or polyethylene glycol ) to form a solution . an appropriate volume of a carrier which is an emulsion , such as liposyn ® ii , liposyn ® iii , or intralipid ® emulsion , is added to the solution while stirring to form a pharmaceutically acceptable emulsion for parenteral administration to a patient . for example , the resulting composition may contain up to about 10 % ethanol and / or more than about 90 % carrier , more typically , the concentration will be about 5 - 10 % by volume ethanol and about 90 - 95 % by volume carrier . in one embodiment , the concentration of 3102 in the dosing solution is about 1 - 2 mg / ml . if desired , such emulsions can be formulated to contain a minimal amount of , or to be free of , ethanol or cremophor ® solution , which are known in the art to cause adverse physiological effects when administered at certain concentrations in parenteral formulations . in a preferred embodiment , the emulsion comprises about 5 % ethanol and about 95 % carrier ( e . g ., intralipid 20 %, liposyn ii 20 %, or a mixture thereof ). in this preferred embodiment , the emulsion is free of agents which are known to cause adverse physiological effects , such as polyethoxylated caster oils ( e . g ., cremophor ®) and polysorbate 80 ( e . g ., tween 80 ®). solutions for parenteral administration can be prepared by dissolving an antitumor compound in any pharmaceutically acceptable solvent capable of dissolving the compound ( e . g ., ethanol or polyethylene glycol ) to form a solution . an appropriate volume of a carrier which is a surfactant , such as cremophor ® solution , polysorbate 80 , or solutol hs15 , is added to the solution while stirring to form a pharmaceutically acceptable solution for parenteral administration to a patient . for example , the resulting composition may contain up to about 10 % ethanol and / or up to about 10 % surfactant , more typically , the concentration will be about 5 - 10 % by volume ethanol with an equal volume of surfactant and saline in the range of 80 - 90 % by volume . if desired , such solutions can be formulated to contain a minimal amount of , or to be free of , ethanol or cremophor ® solution , which are known in the art to cause adverse physiological effects when administered at certain concentrations in parenteral formulations . in a preferred embodiment , the solution comprises about 5 % ethanol , about 5 % polysorbate 80 ( e . g ., tween 80 ®) or polyethoxylated caster oils ( e . g ., cremophor ®), and about 90 % saline ( 0 . 9 % sodium chloride ). to minimize or eliminate potential adverse effects ( e . g ., hypersensitivity reactions ), a patient receiving this embodiment is preferably pretreated with dexamethasone , diphenhydramine , or any other agent known in the art to minimize or eliminate these adverse reactions . other suitable parenteral formulations include liposomes . liposomes are generally spherical or spheroidal clusters or aggregates of amphiphatic compounds , including lipid compouds , typically in the form of one or more concentric layers , for example monolayers or bilayers . the liposomes may be formulated from either ionic or nonionic lipids . liposomes from nonionic lipids are also referred to as niosomes . references for liposomes include : ( a ) liposomes second edition : a practical approach , edited by v . torchillin and v . weissig , oxford university press , 2003 ; ( b ) m . malmstein , surfactants and polymers in drug delivery , marcel dekker inc ., 2002 ; and ( c ) muller et al ., emulsions and nanosuspensions for the formulation of poorly soluble drugs , medpharm scientific publishers , 1998 . if desired , the emulsions or solutions described above for oral or parenteral administration can be packaged in iv bags , vials or other conventional containers in concentrated form and diluted with any pharmaceutically acceptable liquid , such as saline , to form an acceptable taxane concentration prior to use as is known in the art . the terms “ hydroxyl protecting group ” and “ hydroxy protecting group ” as used herein denote a group capable of protecting a free hydroxyl group (“ protected hydroxyl ”) which , subsequent to the reaction for which protection is employed , may be removed without disturbing the remainder of the molecule . a variety of protecting groups for the hydroxyl group and the synthesis thereof may be found in protective groups in organic synthesis , 3rd edition by t . w . greene and p . g . m . wuts , john wiley and sons , 1999 . exemplary hydroxylprotecting groups include methoxymethyl , 1 - ethoxyethyl , benzyloxymethyl , ( β - trimethylsilylethoxy ) methyl , tetrahydropyranyl , 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethoxycarbonyl , t - butyl ( diphenyl ) silyl , trialkylsilyl , trichloromethoxycarbonyl and 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethoxymethyl . as used herein , “ ac ” means acetyl ; “ bz ” means benzoyl ; “ tes ” means triethylsilyl ; “ tms ” means trimethylsilyl ; “ lah ” means lithium aluminum hydride ; “ 10 - dab ” means 10 - desacetylbaccatin iii ; “ thf ” means tetrahydrofuran ; “ dmap ” means 4 - dimethylamino pyridine ; “ lhmds ” means lithium hexamethyldisilazanide ; “ tesci ” means triethylsilyl chloride ; “ cptc - ci ” means cyclopentanecarbonyl chloride ; “ dmf ” means n , n - dimethylformamid ; “ mop ” means 2 - methoxypropene ; “ iproc ” means n - isopropoxycarbonyl ; “ iproc - ci ” means isopropyl chloroformate ; and “ lda ” means lithium diisopropylamide . compound 3102 was evaluated for its ability to stabilize microtubules in living tumor cells in vitro , the result of which is cell death and which is ascribed as the mechanism of action for the anticancer drugs paclitaxel and docetaxel . briefly , approximately 5 , 000 a549 human lung cancer cells in complete tissue culture medium ( rpmi 1640 medium with 10 % fetal calf serum and antibiotics ) were added to wells of slide chambers and allowed to grow and attach overnight . varying dilutions of compound 3102 , paclitaxel and docetaxel in dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso ) were prepared from initial 1 . 0 mm stock solutions and were added to the slide chamber wells and incubated at 37 ° c . for 24 hours . slides were fixed with 10 % formalin containing 3 % glucose for 10 min at room temperature , washed with phosphate buffered solution ( pbs ) and incubated with 2 % triton x - 100 in pbs then stained with a 1 : 1000 dilution of mouse anti - α tubulin for 45 min at 370 ° c ., followed by three washes and stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate ( fitc ) conjugated , goat anti - mouse antibody and similarly incubated for 45 min at 37 ° c . antibody solution was removed , and a propidium iodide / rnase solution was added and the slides incubated at 37 ° c . for and additional 20 min . slides were washed with pbs and distilled water and allowed to air dry . cover slips were mounted to slides with slowfade and the slides examined using fluorescence microscopy . the microtubule matrix of untreated , a549 cells is characterized by a mesh - like network of tubular structures ( microtubules ) ( fig1 ). a549 cells treated with 100 nm of compound 3102 demonstrated formation of “ bundles ” of microtubules , some of which run the entire length of the cell ( fig2 ). nuclei of these cells ( ovoid structures in photograph ) expressed fragmentation which is indicative of apoptosis . similar effects on microtubules and nuclei were observed with paclitaxel and docetaxel treated cells . the results show that compound 3102 induces both microtubule bundling and apoptosis in vitro , a mechanism of action which is consistent with that of paclitaxel and docetaxel . studies were initiated to identify the cell cycle phases within the cell cycle by which compound 3102 was exerting its antiproliferative effect against hct116 cells in comparison to paclitaxel and docetaxel . hct116 human colon carcinoma cells were incubated in the presence or absence of ( 10 . 0 , and 100 . 0 , nm ) of compound 3102 , paclitaxel or docetaxel for 24 and 48 hr . cells were harvested , fixed in 75 % ethanol overnight at 4 ° c . and stained with 0 . 02 mg / ml of propidium iodide ( pi ) together with 0 . 1 mg / ml of rnase a and analyzed on a coulter altra flow cytometer . dna histograms were collected from at least 10 , 000 p . i . stained cells at an emission wavelength of 690 nm . the number of cells in each phase of the cell cycle ( g 1 , s and g 2 / m ) was determined and those in the apoptotic phase were measured by determining the percentage of cells in sub g 1 peak . results : effect of compound 3102 on cell cycle and apoptosis of hct - 116 cells increasing concentrations of compound 3102 , paclitaxel and docetaxel resulted in decreased percentages of cells in g 1 phase , with a concomitant increase in the percentage of cells in s and g 2 / m phases of the cell cycle compared to control ( untreated ) following 24 hr exposure . compound 3102 and paclitaxel induced very similar effects on the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis at 10 . 0 nm , while docetaxel treated cell populations appeared to be both necrotic and apoptotic at this concentration . these results indicate that the mechanism of action of compound 3102 , i . e . blockage of cell proliferation in the g 2 / m phase of the cell cycle and the induction of apoptosis is consistent with that of both paclitaxel and docetaxel . the results are summarized in table 1 below . the in vitro cytotoxic activity of compound 3102 was compared to that of other known taxanes ( paclitaxel and docetaxel ) in both taxane sensitive and taxane resistant / refractory human tumor cell lines . briefly , compound 3102 , paclitaxel and docetaxel were analyzed for their effects on proliferation on hct116 and ht - 29 colon carcinomas , the dld - 1 resistant colon carcinoma , panc - 1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma , pc - 3 and lncap prostate carcinomas , ia9 ovarian carcinoma , and the paclitaxel resistant 1a9 - ptx10 and 1a9 - ptx22 ovarian carcinomas . all cell lines were maintained in rpmi - 1640 tissue culture medium ( tcm ) ( supplemented with antibiotics and 10 % fetal bovine serum ) and cultured at 37 ° c . in humidified air containing 5 % co 2 . to assess the antiproliferative effects of test compounds , tumor cell cultures were first established at 1 × 10 4 cells / ml in tissue culture medium and incubated for 24 hr at 37 ° c . in 10 % co 2 in air in order to allow cells to attach . a volume of 200 μl of medium was removed from each test well and 200 μl of medium containing dilutions ( 0 . 1 , 1 . 0 , 10 . 0 , 100 nm ) of the test agent ( dissolved in tcm and 0 . 1 % dmso ) was added to each well containing tumor cells and the resulting test plate incubated for 72 hr . following incubation , ic 50 values were determined by adding 75 μl of warm growth media containing 5 mg / ml mtt ( 3 -[ 4 , 5 - dimethylthiazol - 2 - yl ]- 2 , 5 - diphenyltetrazolium bromide ) to each well and the cultures returned to the incubator , and left undisturbed for 1 hr . plates were processed and the absorbance of the resulting solutions was measured by a plate reader at 570 nm . the absorbance of test wells was divided by the absorbance of drug - free wells , and the concentration of agent that resulted in 50 % of the absorbance of untreated cultures ( ic 50 ) was determined by analyses of best fit curve of the data . the results of this study ( summarized in table 2 below ) show that compound 3102 retains good potency in various human tumor cell lines including the dld - 1 colon carcinoma which overexpresses p - glycoprotein and which is resistant to both paclitaxel and docetaxel . compound 3102 is at least 5 - fold more potent compared to both paclitaxel and docetaxel in killing dld - 1 tumor cells in vitro . in the ovarian cancer cell lines , 1a9 - ptx10 and 1a9 - ptx22 which have been made paclitaxel resistant due to a specific tubulin mutation ( 1a9 - ptx10 phe -& gt ; ala at β270 , 1a9 - ptx22 ala -& gt ; thr at β364 ), the antitumor activity of compound 3102 was at least 4 to 8 fold more potent compared to that of paclitaxel . in general , ic 50 values of compound 3102 for all cell lines tested were equivalent or slightly superior to those obtained with docetaxel . these results indicate that the in vitro antitumor activity of compound 3102 is superior to that of paclitaxel and that the compound is capable of overcoming paclitaxel resistance mediated by two diverse types of mechanisms in tumor cells , those being overexpression of p - glycoprotein and specific tubulin mutations . the in vitro antitumor activity compound 3102 is at the very least equivalent , or in many cases , superior to that of docetaxel in the cell lines tested . compound 3102 was investigated for its in vivo antitumor activity in a number of experimental tumor models . the models consisted of human tumors implanted into nude mice ( human tumor xenografts ). the models represented human cancers such as colon ( ht - 29 , dld - 1 and sw480 ), pancreatic ( panc - 1 ) melanoma ( a375 ), renal ( 786 - 0 ) and mesothelioma ( msto - 211h ). studies were carried out at piedmont research center , morrisville , n . c . ( ht - 29 , panc - 1 , dld - 1 , a375 and 786 - 0 ) and at taxolog , inc ., tallahassee , fla . ( msto - 211h ). initial studies concentrated on the ht - 29 colon and panc - 1 pancreatic tumor models . in these studies , effective routes of administration ( iv and oral ) and dosing schedules were determined for compound 3102 . in the later of these studies , comparisons were made with the antitumor activities of paclitaxel and docetaxel at their optimum dose and schedule . studies were expanded to determine the efficacy of compound 3102 in additional models of colon ( dld - 1 , sw480 ) pancreatic ( panc - 1 ), melanoma ( a375 ), renal ( 786 - 0 ) and mesothelioma ( msto - 211h ) cancers . the studies described show that compound 3102 is effective at both iv and oral dosing in dramatically slowing the growth of human tumor xenografts in nude mice . in vivo activity of compound 3102 in nude mice bearing ht - 29 human tumor xenografts the protocol for ht - 29 human tumor xenograft studies is described as follows : female athymic nude mice ( harlan ) were 13 - 14 weeks old on day 1 of the study . the animals were fed ad libitum water ( reverse osmosis , 1 ppm ci ) and nih 31 modified and irradiated lab diets consisting of 18 . 0 % crude protein , 5 . 0 % crude fat , and 5 . 0 % crude fiber . the mice were housed on alpha - dri ® bed - o - cobs ® laboratory animal bedding in static microisolators on a 12 - hour light cycle at 21 - 22 ° c . ( 70 - 72 ° f .) and 40 - 60 % humidity . the ht29 colon tumor line used for this study was maintained in athymic nude mice . a tumor fragment ( 1 mm 3 ) was implanted s . c . into the right flank of each test mouse . tumors were monitored twice weekly and then daily as their volumes approached 200 - 400 mm 3 . on day 1 of the study , the animals were sorted into treatment groups with tumor sizes of 108 . 0 - 486 . 0 mm 3 and group mean tumor sizes of 224 . 9 - 230 . 0 mm 3 . tumor size , in mm 3 , was calculated from : where w = width and l = length in mm of the tumor . tumor weight was estimated with the assumption that 1 mg is equivalent to 1 mm 3 of tumor volume . compound 3102 ( lot # hn - 4 - 95 - 4 ) and tl - 2 ( taxotere ®) ( lot # hn - 4 - 8 - 2a ) were provided by taxolog . compound 3102 was dissolved in 50 % ethanol and 50 % cremophor ® el to prepare 10 × stock solutions . these stock solutions were diluted with saline immediately prior to dosing to yield dosing solutions in a vehicle consisting of 5 % ethanol , 5 % cremophor ® el , and 90 % saline ( 5 % e 5 % c in saline ) for oral administration . for intraveneous administration , compound 3102 was dissolved in 100 % ethanol to prepare 20 × stock solutions . these solutions were diluted with 20 % liposyn ® ii on each day of dosing to yield dosing solutions in a vehicle consisting of 5 % ethanol and 95 % liposyn ® ii ( 5 % e95 % l - ii ). paclitaxel ( mayne group ltd ., formerly napro biotherapeutics , inc .) was dissolved in 50 % ethanol and 50 % cremophor ® el to prepare a 10 × stock solution . on each day of dosing , an aliquot of the stock solution was diluted with 5 % dextrose in water ( d5w , ph ˜ 4 . 8 ) to yield a dosing solution containing 5 % ethanol , 5 % cremophor ® el , and 90 % d5w . taxotere ® was dissolved in 50 % ethanol and 50 % tween ® 80 to prepare a 6 . 67 × stock solution . the taxotere ® stock solution was diluted with d5w immediately prior to dosing to yield a dosing solution in a vehicle consisting of 7 . 5 % ethanol , 7 . 5 % tween ® 80 , and 85 % d5w ( 7 . 5 % e 7 . 5 % t in d5w ). mice were sorted into appropriate groups with six mice per group , and treated in accordance with the protocol for each study . some studies included taxotere ® ( tl - 2 ), and paclitaxel groups as positive drug controls . taxotere ® and paclitaxel were always administered at their optimum dose ( 30 mg / kg for both taxotere ® and paclitaxel ), route ( intravenously , iv ) and schedule ( weekly for three cycles , q7dx3 for taxotere ® and every other day for five cycles , qodx5 for paclitaxel ). administration of compound 3102 was either iv or oral ( po ). control group mice received saline vehicle . treatment schedules tested for compound 3102 were once daily ( qdx1 ), every four days times four cycles ( q4dx4 ), or every other day times five cycles ( qodx5 ). each animal was euthanized when its neoplasm reached the predetermined endpoint size ( 1 , 000 mm 3 ). the time to endpoint ( tte ) for each mouse was calculated by the following equation : tte = log 10 ( endpoint volume ) - b m where tte is expressed in days , endpoint volume is in mm 3 , b is the intercept , and m is the slope of the line obtained by linear regression of a log - transformed tumor growth data set . the data set is comprised of the first observation that exceeded the study endpoint volume and the three consecutive observations that immediately preceded the attainment of the endpoint volume . animals that do not reach the endpoint are assigned a tte value equal to the last day of the study . animals classified as treatment - related ( tr ) deaths or nontreatment - related metastasis ( ntrm ) deaths are assigned a tte value equal to the day of death . animals classified as non - treatment - related ( ntr ) deaths are excluded from tte calculations . treatment efficacy was determined from tumor growth delay ( tgd ), which is defined as the increase in the median tte for a treatment group compared to the control group : expressed in days , or as a percentage of the median tte of the control group : treatment may cause partial regression ( pr ) or complete regression ( cr ) of the tumor in an animal . in a pr response , the tumor volume is 50 % or less of its day 1 volume for three consecutive measurements during the course of the study , and equal to or greater than 13 . 5 mm 3 for one or more of these three measurements . in a cr response , the tumor volume is less than 13 . 5 mm 3 for three consecutive measurements during the course of the study . an animal with a cr response at the termination of a study is additionally classified as a long - term tumorfree survivor ( lttfs ). the mean days of survival ( mds ) values were calculated for all groups . mds values were the mean number of days required for the tumor to reach a specified weight ( either 1 . 2 g or 2 . 0 g ), depending on the study . the logrank test was employed to analyze the significance of the difference between the tte values of a drug - treated group and the vehicle - treated control group . the logrank test analyzes the data for all animals except the ntr deaths . the two - tailed statistical analyses were conducted at p = 0 . 05 , using prism 3 . 03 ( graphpad ) for windows . the tumor growth curves show the group median tumor volume as a function of time . when an animal exits the study due to tumor size or tr death , the final tumor volume recorded for the animal is included with the data used to calculate the median volume at subsequent time points . if more than one death occurs in a treatment group , the tumor growth curve for that group is truncated on the day of the last measurement that preceded the second death . studies were initiated to initially determine a route and schedule for administration of compound 3102 to ht - 29 bearing mice . compound 3102 was administered at 120 and 60 mg / kg on a qdx1 schedule ( e52 ) and 30 mg / kg on a q4dx4 schedule ( e51 ). the results of these studies are depicted in fig3 and fig4 and tables 3 and 4 . fig3 shows that compound 3102 administered intravenously at 120 and 60 mg / kg on a schedule of qdx1 is effective in controlling the growth of ht - 29 tumor xenografts with a mds of 38 . 5 and 32 . 4 for 120 and 60 mg / kg , respectively , compared to an mds of only 12 . 1 days for vehicle treated mice . maximum body weight loss in compound 3102 treated mice was minimal (− 5 . 5 % and − 8 . 9 % for 120 and 60 mg / kg treated mice , respectively ) and occurred on day 7 for both treatment groups . at a dose of 30 . 0 mg , using a multi - dose schedule of q4dx4 , compound 3102 was effective in controlling the growth of ht - 29 xenografts for 33 days ( fig4 ). while vehicle treated animals 310 mice initially reached 300 mg on day 7 , then fell to less than 150 mg for the remainder of the study . maximum body weight loss was moderate (− 16 . 2 %) and occurred on day 19 . there was one treatment related death associated with this regimen ( see table 4 ). these initial results indicated that compound 3102 was effective in slowing the growth of ht - 29 human colon tumors as xenografts in nude mice . compound 3102 could be effectively administered i . v . as both a single or multiple dose regimen , with little to moderate weight loss . study ht - 29 e60 and e76 : initial single vs . multiple dosing ( oral ) compound 3102 was initially evaluated in the ht - 29 xenograft model for both single oral dose ( qdx1 ) at 60 and 120 mg / kg and multiple oral dose ( q4dx4 ) at 30 , 45 , and 60 mg / kg . the results are presented in fig5 and fig6 and tables 5 and 6 . the results of these studies show that compound 3102 , when given orally at a single dose , was effective in controlling the growth of ht - 29 tumors , at a dosage of 120 mg / kg and 60 mg / kg ( fig5 ) compared to vehicle control . the mds values for the 120 and 60 mg / kg dose were 35 . 3 and 31 . 8 days , respectively , compared to only 16 . 5 days for vehicle treated mice . maximum body weight loss was observed on day 7 and for only the 120 mg / kg dose group and was minimal ( 5 . 5 %). the results from the oral , multi - dose study were even more encouraging . the results from this study show that a q4dx4 schedule of compound 3102 was highly effective in preventing growth of ht - 29 tumors . mice treated with a dose as low as 30 mg / kg had an mds of 27 . 9 days , compared to 16 . 5 days for vehicle treated controls , with moderate maximum body weight loss (− 7 . 4 %). mice treated with 45 mg / kg never grew out tumors , and this dose was associated with 1 complete response and three partial responses . mice treated at the high dose ( 60 mg / kg ) were associated with 5 partial responses , but no mds values could be calculated as one mouse from the group grew tumor , with an mds value of 14 . 0 days . the results of these studies indicate that compound 3102 can be administered orally , at both a single and multi - dose schedule , which effectively controls ht - 29 tumor growth in mice . a follow - up study was initiated to determine the range of effective dosing for single , oral dosing in the ht - 29 xenografts . the following doses were evaluated , 180 , 150 , 120 , 90 , 60 , 30 and 15 mg / kg . the results of these studies are presented in fig7 and table 7 . treatment at the three higher doses resulted in a substantial delay in the growth of ht - 29 tumors ( mds of 41 . 8 , 42 . 1 and 40 . 5 for 180 , 150 and 120 mg / kg , respectively ) as compared to vehicle treated controls ( mds of 14 . 8 days ). partial responses were observed at 120 and 60 mg / kg . body weight losses were negligible at all doses tested . the results of this study indicate that high doses of compound 3102 are tolerated well in mice and are associated with excellent anti - tumor efficacy in ht - 29 implanted tumors . studies were initiated to further investigate the efficacy of oral multi - dosing of compound 3102 in ht - 29 tumor xenografts ( studies e79 and e80 ). two dosing schedules were evaluated , q4dx4 and q7dx3 . the results are presented in fig8 and fig9 and tables 8 and 9 . compound 3102 , multi - d dosed orally at 70 , 60 and 50 mg / kg was effective in slowing the growth and reducing the tumor volume of ht - 29 tumors implanted in nude mice ( fig8 ). in the two higher dosage groups ( 70 and 60 mg / kg ), compound 3102 treatment resulted in partial regressions of 6 / 6 in each group , while the lowest dosage tested ( 50 mg / kg ) resulted in 4 / 6 partial regressions . all doses were associated with low to moderate body weight loss ( table 8 ). in the q7dx3 multi - dose group , compound 3102 treatment at the two highest doses resulted in 5 / 6 partial regressions at 100 mg / kg and 3 / 6 partial and 2 / 6 complete regressions in the 80 mg / kg group . the highest body weight loss occurred in the high dose group , but this did not exceed 10 % ( table 9 ). the results of these studies indicate that multi - dosing with either q4dx4 or q7dx3 of orally administered compound is highly efficacious and well tolerated in mice . multi - dosing studies with orally administered compound 3102 at two dosing schedules , q4dx4 and q4dx3 were undertaken to compare compound 3102 &# 39 ; s efficacy at various doses with that of paclitaxel and taxotere ® at their respective optimal dosing and schedules in the ht - 29 tumor xenograft model ( study e105 ). results are presented in fig1 and 11 and tables 10 and 11 . orally administered compound 3102 was effective at all doses tested in slowing the growth of ht - 29 tumors , and reducing initial implant size at all doses except for the lowest dose ( 30 mg / kg ) on a q4dx4 schedule . while both paclitaxel and taxotere ® were equally efficacious with orally administered compound 3102 at their optimal dose and schedules , body weight loss for taxotere ®) treated animals exceeded that observed for all doses of compound 3102 ( table 10 ). on a q7dx3 schedule , all doses of orally administered compound 3102 resulted in dramatic slowing of the growth of ht - 29 tumors and reducing tumor implant size ( shrinking established tumors ) except for the two lowest doses ( 30 . 0 mg / kg and 15 . 0 mg / kg ). both paclitaxel and taxotere ® were equally efficacious with orally administered compound 3102 , however , as in the previous study , taxotere ® treated animals experienced severe weight loss at a level which was only exceeded by the highest dose of compound 3102 tested ( 180 mg / kg ) ( table 11 ). the results of these two studies show that orally administered compound 3102 is as efficacious as intravenously administered paclitaxel or taxotere ® ( at their respective optimal dose and schedule ) in treating ht - 29 tumors in mice . in addition , compound 3102 is relatively non - toxic at the therapeutic doses given , as indicated by moderate body weight loss at all doses given except for the highest dose . this is in contrast to the body weight loss exhibited by taxotere ® treated mice in this model . similar anti - tumor efficacy studies as described for ht - 29 were conducted with compound 3102 using panc - 1 human tumor xenografts in nude mice . the methods for conducting these experiments were identical to those for ht - 29 except for the implant used . studies were initiated to initially determine a route and schedule for administration of compound 3102 to panc - 1 bearing mice . compound 3102 was administered intravenously at 120 and 60 mg / kg on a qdx1 schedule ( e59 ) and 30 mg / kg on a multi - dose , qodx5 schedule ( e57 ). paclitaxel at its optimum dose ( 30 mg / kg ) and schedule ( qodx5 ) was also evaluated in the e57 study . the results of these studies are depicted in fig1 and 13 and tables 12 and 13 . compound 3102 administered as a single , iv dose was effective in slowing the growth of panc - 1 human xenografts in nude mice compared to vehicle control ( fig1 ). mds values for compound 3102 were 42 . 9 and 34 . 6 days for 120 mg / kg and 60 mg / kg , respectively , compared to 16 . 2 days for vehicle control . only negligible body weight loss was observed at the highest dose of compound 3102 . for the multi - dose study , compound 3102 was administered , intravenously on a qodx5 schedule which is comparable to that of paclitaxel ( fig1 ). the results show that compound 3102 was effective early on in reducing tumor growth and initial implant size , however , the compound proved to be toxic for panc - 1 tumor implanted mice at the tested dose of 30 mg / kg as evidenced by severe body weight loss ( table 13 ). the results of these two studies demonstrate that compound 3102 can be administered intravenously at high dose ( 120 and 60 mg / kg ) on a qdx1 schedule in mice bearing panc - 1 human tumor xenografts . compound 3102 does not appear to be effective when administered intravenously on a dose and schedule comparable to that of paclitaxel ( 30 mg / kg , qodx5 ). an additional study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of intravenously administered compound 3102 given on a q4dx4 , a qodx5 schedule and to taxotere ® given at its optimal dose and schedule . the results of this study are shown in fig1 and table 14 . the qodx5 and q4dx4 schedules of intravenously administered compound 3102 resulted in complete control of tumor growth and shrinkage in tumor weight of the original tumor implant . while there were 2 partial responses and 1 complete response associated with the 20 mg / kg dose , the 25 mg / kg dose group experienced 4 / 6 treatment related deaths and moderate to severe body weight loss was observed with both doses . on the q4dx4 schedule , however , only a moderate body weight loss was associated with both treatment groups ( 25 and 30 mg / kg ) and 5 complete responses and 1 complete response were observed for each group . taxotere ® treated animals experienced a similar reduction in tumor growth and tumor volume , with moderate body weight loss . these results clearly show that for intravenously dosed compound 3102 , a schedule of q4dx4 and an appropriate dose level contributes to an impressive efficacy and low toxicity observed in the panc - 1 human tumor xenograft model . compound 3102 was evaluated for efficacy in panc - 1 human tumor xenografts as a single dosing oral agent . results of these studies are presented in fig1 and 16 and tables 15 and 16 . an initial study was carried out at two doses , 120 and 60 mg / kg to determine a range in which oral compound 3102 would be efficacious ( study e64 ). fig1 shows that both doses of compound 3102 , when given as single dose , were able to dramatically reduce the tumor growth rate compared to vehicle control . mds values were 44 . 6 days and 32 . 4 days for compound 3102 at 120 mg / kg and 60 mg / kg , respectively ( table 15 ). only a negligible weight loss (− 1 . 2 %) was observed at the highest dose tested . based on the results of the e64 study , an additional study was designed to determine a maximum and minimum efficacious dose for orally administered compound 3102 , single dose . the results of that study are presented in fig1 and table 16 . compound 3102 could be administered orally as a single dose up to 180 mg / kg without evidence of severe weight loss . compound 3102 was clearly efficacious at all doses tested , even at the lower 30 and 15 mg / kg dose levels , with mds values which exceeded that of the vehicle control . partial regressions were observed at the three top doses 180 , 150 and 120 mg / kg ( 1 , 2 and 2 , respectively ). one treatment related death was observed at 60 mg / kg . these results indicate that compound 3102 , when given as a single , oral dose , is highly efficacious in the treatment of panc - 1 tumors in mice . multi - dosing studies with orally administered compound 3102 on a treatment schedule of q4dx4 were undertaken to compare compound 3102 &# 39 ; s efficacy in the panc - 1 tumor xenograft model ( studies e79 and e87 ). these studies were aimed at determining starting dose levels and the data is presented in fig1 and 18 and tables 17 and 18 . the results for study e79 show that orally administered , compound 3102 , on a schedule of q4dx4 was efficacious at all dose levels tested ( fig1 ), particularly at the two higher doses , 60 and 45 mg / kg , with 6 / 6 partial regressions noted for these doses ( table 17 ). the lower dose , 30 mg / kg , was associated with a slowing of panc - 1 tumor growth and 1 partial regression . a moderate body weight loss (− 11 . 1 %) was observed at the 60 mg / kg dose group . study e87 further confirmed these results by demonstrating an even greater level of efficacy at a higher dose of 70 mg / kg ( fig1 ) which was associated mg / kg , were both associated with 6 / 6 partial regressions . body weight loss was only moderate (− 9 . 9 %) which was associated with the 70 mg / kg dose group the data from studies e79 and e87 clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of orally administered compound 3102 given on a multi - dose schedule of q4dx4 with 1 complete regression and 5 partial regressions ( table 18 ). the remaining two doses tested , 50 and 60 mg / kg , were both associated with 6 / 6 partial regressions . body weight loss was only moderate (− 9 . 9 %) which was associated with the 70 mg / kg dose group the data from studies e79 and e87 clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of orally administered compound 3102 given on a multi - dose schedule of q4dx4 multi - dosing studies with orally administered compound 3102 at two dosing schedules , q4dx4 and q7dx3 were undertaken to compare compound 3102 &# 39 ; s efficacy at various doses with that of paclitaxel and taxotere ® at their respective optimal dosing and schedules in the panc - 2 tumor xenograft model ( study e95 ). results are presented in fig1 and 20 and tables 19 and 20 . orally administered compound 3102 was effective at all doses tested in slowing the growth of ht - 29 tumors , and reducing initial implant size at all doses except for the lowest dose ( 30 mg / kg ) on a q4dx4 schedule . while both paclitaxel and taxotere ® were equally efficacious with orally administered compound 3102 at their optimal dose and schedules , body weight loss for taxotere ® treated animals exceeded that observed for all doses of compound 3102 ( table 19 ). on a q7dx3 schedule , all doses of orally administered compound 3102 resulted in dramatic slowing of the growth of ht - 29 tumors and reducing tumor implant size ( shrinking established tumors ) except for the two lowest doses ( 30 . 0 mg / kg and 15 . 0 mg / kg ). both paclitaxel and taxotere ® were equally efficacious with orally administered compound 3102 , however , as in the previous study , taxotere ® treated animals experienced severe weight loss at a level which was only exceeded by the highest dose of compound 3102 tested ( 180 mg / kg ). the results of these two studies show that orally administered compound 3102 is as efficacious as intravenously administered paclitaxel or taxotere ® ( at their respective optimal dose and schedule ) in treating ht - 29 tumors in mice . in addition , compound 3102 is relatively non - toxic at the therapeutic doses given , as indicated by moderate body weight loss at all doses given except for the highest dose . this is in contrast to the body weight loss exhibited by taxotere ® treated mice in this model . the multi - drug resistant , dld - 1 human colon carcinoma was used to evaluate the antitumor activities of orally and intravenously administered compound 3102 using a q4dx4 multi - dose schedule . paclitaxel and taxotere ® were also evaluated in this model at their optimum dose , route ( iv ) and schedule . the results of this study are presented in fig2 and table 21 . oral compound 3102 was highly effective at all doses tested ( 80 , 70 and 50 mg / kg ) in reducing tumor growth in dld - 1 colon xenografts . the highest dose of compound 3102 tested , 80 mg / kg , was especially effective in reducing tumor weight to less than that of the initial implant . compound 3102 at 35 mg / kg given intravenously was similarly effective in controlling tumor growth . paclitaxel and taxotere ®, however , failed to demonstrate significant antitumor activity against dld - 1 tumors , with mds values which were within the range of controls . the results of this study show that oral and iv administered compound 3102 is effective in the treatment of multi - drug resistant , dld - 1 colon tumors in mice . the sw480 human colon carcinoma was used to evaluate the antitumor activities of orally and intravenously administered compound 3102 using a q4dx4 multi - dose schedule . paclitaxel and taxotere ® were also evaluated in this model at their optimum dose , route ( iv ) and schedule . the results of this study are presented in fig2 and table 22 . oral compound 3102 was effective at all doses tested ( 90 , 70 and 50 mg / kg ) in reducing tumor growth in sw480 colon xenografts . the highest dose of compound 3102 tested , 90 mg / kg , was especially effective in reducing tumor growth . compound 3102 at 30 mg / kg given intravenously was similarly effective in controlling tumor growth . one treatment related death was observed for the compound 3102 70 mg / kg dose , and one non - treatment related death occurred in the controls . paclitaxel and taxotere ® were as effective or slightly less effective in controlling tumor growth compared to the lower doses of compound 3102 administered both orally and intravenously ( table 22 ). in addition , there were two non - treatment related deaths in the taxotere ® 30 mg / kg and one non - treatment related and one treatment related death in the taxotere ® 25 mg / kg group . the results of this study show that oral and iv administered compound 3102 is effective in the treatment of sw480 colon tumors in mice . the 786 - 0 human renal carcinoma was used to evaluate the antitumor activities of orally and intravenously administered compound 3102 using a q4dx4 multi - dose schedule . paclitaxel and taxotere ® were also evaluated in this model at their optimum dose , route ( iv ) and schedule . the results of this study are presented in fig2 and tables 23 and 24 . fig2 and table 23 show that both the oral and intravenous administration of compound 3102 resulted in a moderate slowing of the growth of 786 - 0 tumors in nude mice as indicated by their respective mds values which were slightly higher compared to control . paclitaxel and taxotere ® had similar effects . table 24 is a statistical analyses of the group differences as they relate to tumor growth . the data show that both the high dose ( 80 mg / kg ) orally administered 3102 and the 30 mg / kg intravenous 3102 treatment groups were able to significantly slow the growth of 786 - 0 tumors in nude mice , compared to the vehicle control ( groups are significantly different ). taxotere ®, at both dosage levels ( 30 mg / kg and 25 mg / kg ) was also able to slow 786 - 0 tumor growth compared to the vehicle control ( groups are significantly different ). however , paclitaxel treatment did not appear to significantly slow the growth of tumors compared to control . these results show that orally administered , compound 3102 , on a q4dx4 schedule is effective in slowing the growth of 786 - 0 renal tumors in nude mice . compound 3102 was evaluated for antitumor activity in the msto - 211h human mesothelioma mouse xenograft model . compound 3102 was administered orally on a q4dx4 schedule at a dose of 60 mg / kg . taxotere ® was used as a comparator and was administered intravenously at a dose of 30 mg / kg on a q7dx3 schedule . the results are presented in fig2 and 25 . tumors in the vehicle control group reached a maximum tumor wt . of 1250 mg by day 27 . compound 3102 was highly effective in slowing msto - 211h tumor growth and reducing tumor size and weight to below that of the original implant . taxotere ® was only moderately effective in slowing tumor growth , and tumors grew rapidly following the last dose of taxotere ®. body weight changes in the compound 3102 and taxotere ® groups were similar for the first 15 days , however , the compound 3102 group recovered weight more rapidly than the taxotere ® group ( fig2 ). these results show that multi - dosed , orally administered compound 3102 is superior to intravenous taxotere ®, in slowing tumor growth and appears to be less toxic as indicated by a more rapid recovery of body weight . | 0 |
the following description is of certain illustrative embodiments , and the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments , but includes alternatives , equivalents , and modifications such as are included within the scope of the claims . additionally , the illustrative embodiments may include several novel features , and a particular feature may not be essential to practice the systems and methods described herein . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system 100 for modifying security services . the system 100 permits the dynamic addition , modification , and removal of security services in an operating virtual machine , and the system includes an operating system 140 ( also referred to herein as “ os ”), a java virtual machine 130 ( also referred to herein as “ jvm ”), a java authentication and authorization service 135 ( also referred to herein as “ jaas ”), an open services gateway initiative platform 120 ( also referred to herein as “ osgi ”), and a context factory 110 . the system 100 also includes a client application 170 and security providers 1 through n 150 - 1 to 150 - n , where n represents any number of security providers . the os 140 acts as an intermediary between applications and hardware , manages the sharing of resources of a computing device , provides an interface to access those resources , and provides services for other applications . the jvm 130 is a platform - independent environment that converts code ( e . g ., java bytecode ) into machine language for execution . jaas 135 implements authentication and authorization services and enforces access controls on applications and users . jaas 135 allows different modules to be configured into the system , and the different modules can be configured and accessed by applications through the jaas application programming interface (“ api ”). the osgi platform 120 provides a module system and service platform for java and an execution environment that can install , start , stop , update , and uninstall applications and components ( also collectively referred to herein as “ bundles ”) without requiring a reboot of the jvm 130 . bundles can make services available to other bundles . a bundle &# 39 ; s services are added to a services registry so that other bundles can detect and use them , and the removal of a service from the registry can be used to detect the removal of the service . the system 100 also includes security providers that make security services available to other applications , modules , bundles , components , etc . fig1 illustrates security providers 1 - n ( 150 - 1 , 150 - 2 . . . 150 - n , also referred to herein as “ security providers 150 ”) where n represents any positive integer such that the system is capable of operating with the total number of security providers . the security providers 150 may be implemented in bundles and make their services available as osgi services ( including adding the services to the osgi services registry ). the service providers 150 may include login modules and / or provide services that include jaas authentication and authorization services . the client application 170 may also be a bundle , and the client application 170 may request one or more services ( e . g ., authentication , authorization ) from the security providers 150 . the system 100 also includes a context factory 110 in the osgi platform 120 . the context factory 110 registers new security providers 150 and facilitates the access of the security services by the client application 170 . when a security provider 150 is loaded onto the osgi platform and started , the context factory 110 registers the security provider 150 , including registering any service ( s ) provided by the security provider 150 , and registers a classloader for the service provider and / or service ( s ). the context factory 110 receives requests for the security service ( s ) from the client application 170 and returns an interface ( e . g ., a login context ) of the security services to the client application 170 . the client application 170 may then interact with the security service ( s ) and the security provider 150 without the involvement of the context factory 110 ( e . g ., without the context factory 110 acting as a proxy ). thus , the client application 170 can use the normal api of jaas 135 to communicate with the security service ( s ), which simplifies the design of the client application and / or the use of the security service ( s ). fig2 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system 200 for implementing security services . the system 200 includes an os 240 , a jvm 230 , jaas 235 , an osgi platform 220 , a client application 270 , and a security provider 250 . additionally , the system includes a context factory 210 and a custom configuration unit 215 . the custom configuration unit 215 registers the services and classloader of the security provider 250 . the custom configuration unit 215 includes a configuration table 217 that stores data about the security provider 250 , including the classloader and / or the location of the classloader in memory . the data about the security provider 250 may be stored in a respective configuration entry in the configuration table 217 . additionally , in this embodiment , the context factory 210 is a bundle that makes its functionality available to other members of the system as one or more services ( including adding the services to the services register ). furthermore , the custom configuration unit 215 is a bundle and may also make its functionality available as one or more services , though in other embodiments the custom configuration unit 215 may not be a bundle ( e . g ., may be part of the osgi platform 220 ). thus , the system 200 allows the dynamic removal , modification , and addition of the context factory 210 and the custom configuration unit 215 while the jvm is running . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a security device 300 . the security device 300 communicates with computing resource 1 380 without a network and with computing resource 2 390 via a network 370 . the network 370 may include any combination of networks , including the internet , wans , and lans and any combination of wired or wireless networks . additionally , the security device 300 communicates with computing resource 1 380 via wired or wireless means , including , for example , usb , ethernet , serial port , firewire , bluetooth , and wifi . the security device 300 includes one or more processors 301 ( also referred to herein as “ cpu 301 ”), which may be a conventional or customized microprocessor ( s ). the cpu 301 is configured to read and execute computer readable instructions , and the cpu 301 may command / and or control other components of the security device 300 . the security device 300 also includes i / o interfaces 303 , which provide communication interfaces to other devices , including a keyboard , a display device , a mouse , a printing device , a touch screen , a light pen , an optical storage device , a scanner , a microphone , a camera , etc . the security device 300 also includes a memory 305 , which may be volatile or non - volatile , such as rom , ram , and flash memory . the security device 300 further includes a network interface 307 that allows the security device 300 to communicate with the network 370 . the storage device 309 stores data or modules and may include , for example , a hard drive , an optical storage device , a diskette , and / or a solid state drive . the components of the security device 300 are connected via a bus . the security device 300 includes an operating system , which manages the hardware , the processes , the interrupts , the memory , and / or the file system of the security device 300 . the security device 300 also includes a context factory 310 , a custom configuration unit 315 , and a security provider 320 . the context factory 310 , the custom configuration unit 320 , and the security provider 320 may be implemented in computer - executable instructions . computer - executable instructions may be executed by the security device 300 to cause the security device 300 to perform certain operations , including the methods described herein , though for ease of description a member of the security device 300 may be described as performing the operations . computer - executable instructions may include logic and may be implemented in software , firmware , and / or hardware . in other embodiments , the context factory 310 and the custom configuration unit 315 may be combined into a single member or further divided into more members . fig4 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for adding security services . other embodiments of this method and the other methods described herein may omit blocks , may add blocks , may change the order of the blocks , may combine blocks , and / or may divide blocks into separate blocks . additionally , the components of the systems and devices shown in fig1 - 3 ( e . g ., the context factory 110 , the custom configuration unit 215 ) may implement the method shown in fig4 and the other methods described herein . beginning in block 400 , a virtual machine is started , such as a java virtual machine . next , in block 410 , a classloader for a security module is obtained . for example , a security module that includes an associated classloader may be installed as part of a bundle on a virtual machine that includes an osgi platform , and the security module may provide the classloader to a custom configuration unit as a parameter passed in a method call . moving to block 420 , a configuration entry is generated for the security module . the configuration entry indicates the classloader and associates the classloader with the security module and / or any login contexts that can be provided by the security module . finally , in block 430 , the configuration entry is stored , for example in a configuration table in a memory . fig5 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for generating a login context . beginning in block 500 , a request to create a login context is obtained . the request may include , for example , a method call from a client application , bundle , module , component , etc ., such as a multifunction embedded application platform ( meap ) application , and the request may indicate a desired login context . in block 510 , the configuration entry associated with the requested login context is retrieved , for example from a configuration table . next , in block 520 , the jaas classloader is set to the classloader associated with the requested login context , and in block 530 the requested login context is generated . finally , in block 540 , the login context is provided to the requesting application , bundle , module , component , etc . fig6 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for generating a login context . in stage 600 , a login module 699 is registered with a custom configuration unit 693 . depending on the embodiment , the login module 699 may register itself with the custom configuration unit 693 or another application , module , bundle , etc . may register it ( e . g ., a bundle that includes the login module ). in stage 605 , the custom configuration unit 693 records the information associated with the login module in a configuration table . next , in stage 610 , a client application 691 requests a login context from the context factory 695 . in stage 615 , the context factory 695 retrieves the classloader for the requested login context from the custom configuration unit 693 . proceeding to stage 620 , the context factory 695 performs a thread switch , and then in stage 625 requests the login context from jaas 697 . in stage 630 , jaas invokes the login module 699 to generate the login context , using the classloader and classpath associated with the login module 699 . during the thread switch , the context factory 695 and / or jaas 697 are blocked from attempting to generate additional login contexts . moving to stage 635 , the thread is restored , which permits the context factory 695 and / or jaas 697 to attempt to generate additional login contexts , and the generated login context is returned to the client application 691 . finally , in stage 640 the client application 691 requests a login from the login module 699 using the returned login context . using the returned login context , the client application 691 can communicate with the login module and / or jaas without the use of a proxy . thus , the client application 691 may use standard jaas interfaces to perform jaas authentication . the above described systems and methods can be achieved by supplying one or more storage media having computer - executable instructions for realizing the above described operations to one or more computing devices ( e . g ., cpu , mpu ) that may read the computer - executable instructions stored in the storage media and execute them . in this case , the computer - executable instructions when read from the storage media and performed by the one or more computing devices execute the operations of the above described embodiments . thus , the computer - executable instructions or the one or more storage media storing the computer - executable instructions therein constitute an embodiment . any applicable computer - readable storage medium ( e . g ., a floppy disk , a hard disk , an optical disk , a magneto - optical disk , a cd - rom , a cd - r , a magnetic tape , a non - volatile memory card , semiconductor memory ) can be employed as a storage medium for supplying the computer - executable instructions . the computer - executable instructions may be stored in a memory provided on a function - extension board inserted into the computing device or on a function - extension unit connected to the computing device , and a cpu provided on the function - extension board or unit may carry out part or all of the actual processing that realizes the operations of the above - described embodiments . furthermore , when the computer - executable instructions are executed by the one or more computing devices , an operating system working on the computing system may carry out part or all of the actual processing that realizes the operations of the above described embodiments . while the above disclosure describes illustrative embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the above embodiments . to the contrary , the invention covers various modifications and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
fig3 illustrates a system for implementing the invention . local exchange carriers 311 and 329 comprise local offices 319 and 321 – 324 plus telephones connected to these local offices . interexchange carrier 312 may be a plurality of interexchange carriers such as at & amp ; t or sprint . wide area network ( wan ) 313 can be a variety of communication media including but not limited to the internet or an intranet of a corporation in combination with atm switching networks . pbx 300 comprises control computer 301 , switching network 302 , line circuits 303 , telephone 327 – 328 , internet protocol ( ip ) trunk 308 , atm trunk 307 , and trunks 304 , 306 , and 309 . pbx 300 also provides control and switching for remote switching network 316 and its attached soft phones 317 and 318 . remote switching network 316 has analog telephones , digital telephones and softphones connected to it . soft phone 314 is also capable of being connected through wan 313 to pbx 300 . in fig3 , wan 313 comprises atm switches and ip switching and transmission elements . wan 313 has the longest transmission delays for transmitting voice information of any of the units illustrated in fig3 . in wan 313 , atm switches have transmission delays measured in tens of milliseconds ; whereas , ip switches and elements in the aggregate may have transmission delays measured in hundreds of milliseconds . as was set forth in the background of the invention section , the effects of an echo in voice information being transmitted through wan 313 results in a variety of undesirable acoustic effects . in accordance with one aspect of the invention , the interfaces and trunk elements which interface with wan 313 eliminate the echoes before transmission of the voice information to wan 313 . softphone 314 provides an echo cancellation circuit having an echo tail length of advantageously four milliseconds so as to eliminate the effects of an acoustic echo in the handset utilized with softphone 314 . thus , softphone 314 eliminates the near - end echo caused by acoustic echoes before these echoes are transmitted to wan 313 . remote switching network 316 provides near - end echo cancellation for the analog and digital telephone connected to it before transmitting voice information via wan 313 . since the echo cancellation functions provided by remote switching network 316 are designed to eliminate echoes resulting from the attached telephones , these echo cancellation functions can have echo tail length capabilities of approximately eight milliseconds since the echo path lengths to these sets are short . within pbx 300 , atm trunk 307 and ip trunk 308 provide , advantageously , echo cancellation circuits that have adjustable tail lengths so that the tail length for each individual call can be adjusted . fig1 illustrates ip trunk 308 in greater detail . atm trunk 307 would be of a similar design as that for ip trunk 308 with the similar external interface circuit to external interface circuit 1003 being modified for the atm protocol requirements that are well known to one skilled in the art . the adjustable echo tail lengths allow a echo cancellation circuit to provide echo cancellation functions for a larger number of calls . control computer 301 determines the adjustable echo tail length in an echo cancellation circuit in trunks 307 or 308 based on where the call is coming from . for example , telephone 326 attached to local exchange carrier 329 may require a longer tail length than the tail length required for telephone 327 attached directly to pbx 300 via line circuit 303 . note that a later example sets forth the proposition that neither telephone 327 nor 328 causes any echo ; however , it is well - known to those skilled in the art that a telephone connected directly to a pbx may be at some distance from the pbx and may indeed have an echo . for example , if telephone 327 is an analog set , a four wire to two wire hybrid function is provided in line circuit 303 . note , that the four wire refers to the environment within switching network 302 or on digital trunks such as digital trunk 304 . here , both directions of transmission are separate ; where as a two wire refers to the connection to telephone 327 where both direction of the transmission simultaneously occur over the same pair of wires . it is at the hybrid , where four to two wire conversion occurs , that , if the hybrid is not properly balanced , echo returns can occur . because of the large number of calls that can be handled by atm trunk 307 and ip trunk 308 , the echo cancellation circuits of these trunks may at times lack the processing capability of providing long enough echo tails for all of the calls being handled via these trunks . in that case , as is discussed in the next paragraph , the capabilities of digital trunks 304 and 309 can be utilized to provide echo cancellation functions for some of the calls being processed by atm trunk 307 and ip trunk 308 . to provide near - end cancellation of the echoes being received from local exchange carrier 329 via trunks 338 and 339 , digital trunks 309 and 304 are utilized . these digital trunks have echo cancellation circuits that have advantageously maximum echo tail lengths of 96 milliseconds that should handle the echoes resulting from local exchange carrier 329 before the voice information is transmitted via pbx 300 from local exchange carrier 329 to wan 313 . note , one skilled in the art could readily envision that the echo tail lengths cancellation capabilities provided by digital trunks 304 and 309 could be increased . the echo cancellation circuits of the digital trunks are also controlled by control computer 301 to provide echo tails of varying lengths . this capability allows the echo cancellation circuits to provide the echo cancellation functions for a larger number of calls than if the echo tail length was fixed . the echo return delays encountered at the interface to trunks 338 and 339 connected to the local exchange carriers may in the majority of calls be of moderate or short lengths . however , because policies and policies of echoes within a given local exchange carrier are not uniform and are for the most part not subject to regulation , pathological echo paths may be encountered on given calls where delay paths can be long resulting in the need for long tail length cancellation to cover all cases . as will be described later , calls being received via analog trunk 306 utilize the echo cancellation circuits of digital trunks 304 or 309 as needed to provide near - end echo cancellation . in addition , if a call received via analog trunk 306 from local exchange carrier 329 is being transported through switching network 302 to wan 313 via either atm trunk 307 or ip trunk 308 , then the echo cancellation functions of trunks 307 and 308 can be utilized to provide echo cancellation functions . as is well - known in the art , interexchange carrier 312 normally provides echo cancellation with respect to local exchange carrier 311 . however , if interexchange carrier 312 does not provide echo cancellation , then , pbx 300 may use digital trunks 304 and 309 . in addition , atm trunk 307 and ip trunk 308 can be utilized if the echo being received from interexchange carrier 312 is within the echo tail length capacity of the echo cancellation circuits of these trunks . note , it is possible to have the echo cancellation circuit of digital trunk 309 or digital trunk 304 cascaded with the cancellation circuits of either atm trunk 307 or ip trunk 308 . in this situation , both echo cancellations perform their normal operation and do not interfere with each other . the echo canceller first traversed in a connection does the initial cancellation , if it has sufficient echo tail length cancellation capabilities relative to the echo encountered . consider now in greater detail the trunk circuits of pbx 300 . analog trunk 306 is a prior art analog trunk that has no echo cancellation within the trunk itself . within the prior art , if objectionable echoes should be encountered by the communication of calls from analog trunk 306 to local exchange carrier 329 , an external echo canceller would be inserted in link 339 . digital trunks 304 and 309 provide integrated echo cancellation circuits that have long echo cancellation tail lengths which advantageously may be 96 msec . interexchange carrier 312 may provide sufficient echo cancellation for its connections to local exchange carrier 311 . however , local exchange carriers 311 and 329 may not provide adequate echo cancellation in their internal or external operations . nor , in general , does wan 313 provide any echo cancellation functions . echo cancellation circuits 332 and 334 of digital trunks 309 and 304 , respectively , are versatile . for example , echo cancellation circuit 332 of digital trunk 309 can cancel echoes being caused by communication through local exchange carrier 329 to telephone 326 via local offices 322 – 324 . this type of echo cancellation is referred to as forward echo cancellation because it is eliminating echoes being received on the digital trunk &# 39 ; s outgoing link 338 . echo cancellation circuit 334 is identical in design to echo cancellation circuit 332 . in addition , echo cancellation circuits 332 and 334 can be utilized to eliminate echoes in the reverse direction . this type of echo cancellation is referred to as reverse echo cancellation because it is eliminating echoes being received from switching network 302 . the following is an example of echo circuit 334 being utilized in the reverse direction . if analog trunk 306 is communicating a call from telephone 326 in local exchange carrier 329 to interexchange carrier 312 , it is necessary to eliminate the echo being caused by local exchange carrier 329 in pbx 300 . this is done by echo circuit 334 eliminating the echo that is received via switching network 302 , analog trunk 306 and local exchange carrier 329 . in addition , not every call being communicated through digital trunk 304 requires echo cancellation nor is it provided as is determined by control computer 301 . for example , if telephone 327 is communicating a call to telephone 336 of local exchange carrier 311 , interexchange carrier 312 eliminates any echo resulting from local exchange carrier 311 . hence , echo cancellation circuit 334 does not provide any echo cancellation ; thus , saving valuable resources that can be utilized to cancel other echo sources . not only can echo cancellation circuits 332 and 334 be utilized both in the forward and reverse direction but they can be utilized as service circuits for eliminating echoes in calls not being communicated by their respective digital trunks . an example of this type of echo control is when telephone 327 is on a call with telephone 326 of local exchange carrier 329 via local offices 323 – 324 , analog trunk 306 , switching network 302 , and line circuits 303 . to eliminate the echo caused by local exchange carrier 329 , the output of analog trunk 306 into switching network 302 is routed to echo cancellation circuit 334 via switching network 302 . echo cancellation circuits 334 eliminate the echo before the path is returned to switching network 302 and switched to telephone 327 . advantageously , digital trunk 304 can be eliminating echoes for a variety of calls being performed by analog trunk 306 as well as supplying any necessary echo cancellation with respect to interexchange carrier 312 . note , this is also true of digital trunk 309 . similarly , digital trunks 304 and 309 can provide additional echo cancellation for atm trunk 307 and ip trunk 309 . advantageously , the amount of echo cancellation provided by pbx 300 with respect to local exchange carriers 311 and 329 can be tailored to the amount of echo being received back by using different types of trunk circuits or by providing no echo cancellation . for example , connections via local office 323 to telephones such as telephone 325 may not have any echo ; whereas , calls routed via local office 324 to a telephone connected directly to it such as telephone 326 may require echo cancellation . control computer 301 can utilize the information of where the call is being routed within local exchange carrier 329 to provide or not provide echo cancellation . fig4 illustrates pbx 300 placed in the prior art situation that is depicted in fig2 . pbx 300 is communicating through a private line to pbx 401 via local exchange carrier 402 . pbx 401 has only analog trunks to interconnect to local office 319 and local office 321 of local exchange carrier 311 . as previously described with respect to fig3 , pbx 300 interconnects to local exchange carrier 329 via analog trunk 306 and digital trunk 309 . for sake of example , it is assumed that pbx 401 does not have external echo cancellation circuits in its connections to local exchange carrier 311 . as a first example , consider the situation where telephone 325 is communicating via local office 323 and analog trunk 306 on a telephone call established by pbx 300 to telephone 336 via digital trunk 304 , local exchange carrier 402 , pbx 401 and local office 319 of local exchange carrier 311 . assume that no echo is present on the path from switching network 302 to telephone 325 , but an echo does occur in local exchange carrier 311 with respect to telephone 336 . pbx 300 eliminates this echo by utilizing echo cancellation circuit 334 in the forward direction to eliminate the echo that is being received back from local exchange carrier 402 that is actually caused by local exchange carrier 311 . by pbx 300 utilizing digital trunk 304 in the forward direction , a user of telephone 325 has no perception of an echo having occurred . consider a second example that also illustrates the utilization of the echo cancellers in pbx 300 . consider where a telephone call is established from telephone 326 via local office 324 , local office 323 , analog trunk 306 by pbx 300 to telephone 336 via digital trunk 304 , local exchange carrier 402 , pbx 401 , and local office 319 of local exchange carrier 311 . in this example , local exchange carrier 329 causes an echo on its portion of the telephone path , and local exchange carrier 311 introduces an echo in its portion of the telephone path . pbx 300 eliminates the echo resulting from local exchange carrier 311 by utilizing digital trunk 304 in the forward direction . to eliminate the echo being caused by local exchange carrier 329 , pbx 300 utilizes a portion of echo cancellation circuit 332 as a service circuit to eliminate the echo being received by analog trunk 306 being received from local office 323 . this is done by the voice communication received from local office 323 being routed through switching network 302 to echo cancellation circuit 332 which eliminates the echo and transmits the results back through switching network 302 to digital trunk 304 . fig5 illustrates , in block diagram form , echo cancellation circuit 332 of fig3 and 4 . echo cancellation circuits 334 of fig3 and echo cancellation circuit 1002 of fig1 are of a similar design . dsp 501 is illustrated as being a single dsp , but could be a group of dsps . the echo canceller operations are performed by implementing a finite impulse response digital filter within dsp 501 . the implementation of a finite impulse response digital filter for performing echo cancellation is well known by those skilled in the art . dsp 501 is responsive to information from control computer 301 designating the length of the echo tail to allocate resources to perform an echo canceller function that has a tail length as determined by control computer 301 . principally , the determination of the echo tail length is one of allotting memory within dsp 501 that is to be used to perform a particular echo cancellation function on a particular call . dsp 501 controls the operations of the different circuit blocks illustrated in fig5 utilizing control information received from control computer 301 via interface 504 and cable 508 . dsp 501 also transmits control information to control computer 301 via the same path . dsp 501 is also performing all of the control functions required of digital trunk 309 . when echo cancellation circuit 332 is operating in the forward direction that is eliminating echoes being received via trunk 338 , the information being received via cable 519 of link 342 is directed to dsp 501 via multiplexer 507 , cable 511 . the output of dsp 501 is transmitted to switching network 302 via cable 512 , de - multiplexer 502 , cable 514 , multiplexer 503 , cable 509 , and interface 504 . when echo cancellation circuit 332 is operating in the reverse direction , that is eliminating echoes being received from switching network 302 that are caused by external carriers or telephones , dsp 501 receives its input from interface 504 , cable 516 , multiplexer 507 , and cable 511 . dsp 501 transmits its output to interface circuit 316 via link 342 by transmission via cable 512 , de - multiplexer 502 , cable 513 , multiplexer 506 and cable 518 . when echo cancellation circuit 332 is being used as a service circuit by pbx 300 , dsp 501 receives its input via interface 504 , cable 516 , multiplexer 507 , cable 511 . dsp 501 transmits the results back to switching network 302 via cable 512 , de - multiplexer 502 , cable 514 , multiplexer 503 , cable 509 , and interface 504 . fig6 – 9 illustrate , in flowchart form , the operations performed by control computer 301 to eliminate echoes . after being started in block 601 , decision block 602 determines if a call is being set up . if the answer is no , control is transferred to block 603 which performs normal processing before returning control back to decision block 602 . if the answer in decision block 602 is yes , decision block 604 determines whether the call is an internal call between telephones connected directly to pbx 300 . if the answer is yes , control is transferred to block 603 . in the following description , the terms inward and outward trunks are defined in the following manner . if a call is set up from telephone 325 of fig3 into pbx 300 via analog trunk 306 , analog trunk 306 is the inward trunk circuit . if this call is being set up to internal telephone 328 , then there is no outward trunk . however , if the call from telephone 325 is being set up to telephone 336 via digital trunk 304 , then , digital trunk 304 is the outward trunk circuit . if the answer in decision block 604 is no , decision block 605 determines whether the call is a call that is going to be communicated via wan 313 . if the answer is yes , control is transferred to decision block 901 of fig9 . if the answer is no in decision block 605 , control is transferred to decision block 606 . decision block 606 examines internal tables that have been administered to determine if the outward path of the call requires echo cancellation . if the answer is no , control is transferred to decision block 701 of fig7 . if the answer in decision block 606 is yes , decision block 607 determines if the inward call path , is designated as requiring echo cancellation . if the answer is no , control is transferred to decision block 801 of fig8 . if the answer in decision block 607 is yes , decision block 608 determines if the inward trunk circuit has echo cancellation . at this point , it has been determined that both the outward and inward paths require echo cancellation operations . if the answer is no in decision block 607 , block 611 obtains utilization of a portion of another digital trunk to serve as a service circuit to provide the echo cancellation operations before transferring control to decision block 612 . if the answer in decision block 608 is yes , then block 609 properly utilizes the internal echo canceller of the inward trunk circuit before transferring control to decision block 612 . decision block 612 determines if the outward trunk circuit has echo cancellation . if the answer is no , block 613 uses another digital trunk as a service circuit before transferring control to block 616 . if the answer in decision block 612 is yes , block 614 utilizes the internal echo canceller of the outward trunk circuit before transferring control to block 616 . block 616 performs normal call processing . if the answer in decision block 606 is no that the outward call path is not designated as requiring echo cancellation , then it must be determined if the inward call path requires echo cancellation . if the answer in decision block 606 is no , control is transferred to decision block 701 of fig7 . decision block 701 determines if the inward call path is designated as requiring echo cancellation . if the answer is no , control is transferred to block 706 which performs normal processing before returning control back to decision block 602 of fig6 . if the answer in decision block 701 is yes , decision block 702 determines if the inward trunk circuit has echo cancellation . if the answer is yes , block 703 utilizes this internal echo canceller before transferring control to block 706 . if the answer in decision block 702 is no , decision block 704 determines if the outward trunk circuit for the call has an echo canceller . if the answer is yes , control is transferred to block 707 which utilizes the echo canceller of the outward trunk circuit before transferring control to block 706 . if the answer in decision block 704 is no , control is transferred to block 708 which uses the echo canceller of another digital trunk as a service circuit before transferring control to block 706 . returning to fig6 , if the answer in decision block 607 is no that the inward call path is not designated as requiring echo cancellation , then it must be determined if the outward call path requires echo cancellation . if the answer in decision block 607 is no , control is transferred to decision block 801 of fig8 . decision block 801 determines if the outward call path is designated as requiring echo cancellation . if the answer is no , control is transferred to block 806 which performs normal processing before returning control back to decision block 602 of fig6 . if the answer in decision block 801 is yes , decision block 802 determines if the outward trunk circuit has echo cancellation . if the answer is yes , block 803 utilizes this internal echo canceller before transferring control to block 806 . if the answer in decision block 802 is no , decision block 804 determines if the inward trunk circuit for the call has an echo canceller . if the answer is yes , control is transferred to block 807 which utilizes the echo canceller of the inward trunk circuit before transferring control to block 806 . if the answer in decision block 804 is no , control is transferred to block 808 which uses the echo canceller of another digital trunk as a service circuit before transferring control to block 806 . returning to fig6 , if the answer in decision block 605 is yes , that the call is being communicated via wan 313 , then , control is transferred to decision block 901 of fig9 . decision block 901 determines whether the call path either inward or outward requires echo cancellation . in most situations , echo cancellation is only provide for outward calls . if the answer is no , control is transferred to decision block 903 which performs normal processing before returning control back to decision block 602 of fig6 . if the answer is yes , decision block 904 determines the required echo cancellation capacity that is required of the dps unit controlling the echo circuit . this determination is based on the amount of memory that is required for the echo tail length and the processing capacity . decision block 906 then determines if the internal echo canceller has the required capabilities . for example , if the call is being routed through ip trunk 308 , the determination would be made if echo circuit 1002 of fig1 has sufficient capacity . if the answer is yes , decision block 909 performs the setup operation to initialize the dsp of the internal echo canceller for the proper echo tail length before transferring control to decision block 911 . decision block 911 performs normal processing before returning control back to decision block 602 of fig6 . returning to decision block 906 , if the answer is no , block 907 selects and uses a digital trunk such as digital trunk 309 as a service circuit . then , decision block 908 sets up the echo tail length of the echo canceller of the digital trunk before transferring control to decision block 911 . fig1 illustrate , in block diagram form , ip trunk 308 in greater detail . internal interface circuit 1001 provides the interface to switching network 302 , external interface circuit 1003 provides the interface to wan 313 , and echo cancellation circuit 1002 provides the echo cancellation functions . internal interface circuit 1001 provides for interfacing to the time slot interchange subsystem of switching network 302 and in addition , provides for call conferencing and gain adjustments for telephone calls . the operations of internal interface circuit 1001 are well known to those skilled in the art . external interface circuit 1003 provides for interfacing to wan 313 . these functions comprise all functions required for voice - over - ip such as compression of digital samples received from echo cancellation circuit 1002 and packetization of the received digital samples for transmission to wan 313 . external interface circuit 1003 is responsive to packets received from wan 313 to perform depacketization , decompression , and error recovery , etc . the operations of external interface circuit 1003 are well known to those skilled in the art . echo cancellation circuit 1002 is identical in design to echo cancellation circuit 332 . of course , various changes and modifications to the illustrative embodiment described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art . these changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its intended advantages . it is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the following claims except insofar as limited by the prior art . | 7 |
looking at fig1 of the drawings , the prior art bearing - housing assembly comprises the housing 10 having an internal , cylindrical bore 12 which receives a bearing assembly , generally identified as 14 . the housing 10 is a pillow block having elongated bolt holes 16 therethrough for connection to a base ; the elongated bolt holes permit lateral adjustment of the bearing - housing assembly for its use . the bearing assembly 14 comprises an inner race 18 and an outer race generally identified as 20 , the latter being constructed of unconnected and spaced race members 22 . the inner race 18 has an inner bore 23 and space raceways 24 , 24 and each of the outer race members 22 has a raceway 26 . one raceway 24 is radially opposite a raceway 26 and between each pair of radially opposite raceways 24 , 26 is a set of rollers 28 retained in proper spacing in relation to one another by a cage 30 . the outer surfaces 32 of the outer race members 22 are cylindrical and conform to the bore 12 of the housing 10 . the bearing assembly 14 , as described , is retained in the housing by spaced snap rings 34 each received in a groove 36 intersecting the bore 12 of the housing 10 . collars 38 at the opposite ends of the inner race 18 are used to lock the inner race to the shaft ( not shown ) received in the bore 23 of the inner race . between each collar 38 and an outer race member 22 is a grease and dust seal 40 . in order to manufacture such a housing - bearing assembly , it is necessary to assemble the parts in the housing bore . adjustment of the bearing assembly can be accomplished by using shims ( not shown ) with the snap rings 34 , i . e ., the spacing of the outer race members is accomplished when the parts are assembled in the bore 12 . lubricant is introduced in the bearing assembly 14 through a lubricant fitting 42 ; and passageway 44 in the housing 10 , and between the spaced outer race members 22 . upon malfunction of the bearing as described , it is necessary to remove the shaft from the bearing , remove the housing - bearing assembly from its location , and either replace the entire housing - bearing assembly with another such assembly or rebuild the bearing assembly . rebuilding the bearing assembly requires removal of the various parts and reconstruction of the bearing including the adjustment of the spacing of the outer race members . this is time consuming and can lead to unnecessary shutdown of the line in which the assembly is used . contrast this situation with the invention herein , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 , which shows a preassembled , preadjusted and prelubricated bearing cartridge identified with the letter c constructed to replace the bearing assembly 14 of fig1 . the cartridge c of fig2 is received in the cylindrical bore 12 of the housing 10 . the cartridge c comprises an inner race 50 and an outer race 52 . the inner race is generally cylindrical with a cylindrical bore 54 therethrough to receive a shaft ( not shown ). the inner race 50 has spaced raceways 56 , 58 and the outer race has radially oppositely spaced raceways 60 , 62 respectively . a set of rollers 64 spaced by a cage 66 is disposed between inner and outer raceways 56 and 60 , respectively , and a set of rollers 68 spaced by a cage 70 is disposed between inner and outer raceways 58 and 62 , respectively . lubricant and dirt seals 72 , 72 are positioned between the inner and outer races 50 , 52 ; as illustrated , collars 74 surrounding the inner race 50 at the extremities are used to lock the cartridge c to the shaft ( not shown ). the cartridge c is retained in the bore 12 of the housing 10 by snap rings 76 , 76 received in the grooves 36 which intersect the bore 12 . these rings 76 , 76 may be wedge - shaped in section , as illustrated . the outer race 52 is of multiple piece construction , and comprises outer race parts 78 , 80 joined to a central ring member 82 . during the manufacture of the cartridge c , the ring or spacer member is joined to the race parts 78 , 80 so that the assembly is a unitary structure . one and preferable method for joining the parts is to employ electron beam welding techniques . the spacer member is provided with a radial opening 84 for a purpose to be described . generally a jig or fixture is used on which the parts are assembled . the parts are adjusted for proper spacing with the three - part race member in position ; they are held by the jig in their proper positions , and the outer race parts are then joined . after assembly of the parts ( including the positioning of the seals 72 ), lubricant is introduced into the cartridge through the opening 84 which is then stoppered . when the cartridge c is to be used , the stopper for the lubricant passage or opening 84 is removed and the cartridge assembled into the housing . the embodiment illustrated in fig4 differs from that illustrated in fig2 and 3 in that the outer race parts , identified as 86 and 88 , are each provided with a cylindrical extension 90 , 92 respectively , terminating in an annular surface 94 , 96 . the surfaces 94 , 96 are joined together in the manufacture of the cartridge . a radial opening 98 corresponds to the opening 84 of the previous embodiment . when the parts are electron beam welded , the weld is interrupted at the opening 98 . other parts are identified as in fig2 and 3 . the manufacturing steps for the fig4 embodiment are similar to those described for the fig2 and 3 embodiment . | 5 |
embodiments of the invention include a system that is responsive to a request from a wireless device for network content existing under an internet protocol ( ip ). the system retrieves the network content , and converts the network content into a wireless mark - up language and / or protocol for the mobile device . among other advantages , the system can react to the request from the mobile device to deliver the network content “ on the fly ”. this is in contrast to existing systems , which may require the wireless device to access only network sites operating under the corresponding wireless mark - up language and protocol . another embodiment of the invention provides a database management system to store instructions for responding to requests from a mobile device . the instructions enable a content engine to retrieve a network event and / or content from a network site operating under an internet protocol . the instructions also enable the content engine to convert the network event from a format such as html and a protocol such as http to a wap or other wireless protocol with wml / hdml and other wireless language content formats . the instructions are provided in response to a request from the mobile device for a particular network content or event . since the instructions are stored , the content engine is able to access the instructions and quickly respond to the request from the mobile device . another advantage provided by this embodiment is that mobile devices operating under a wireless mark - up language and / or protocol are able to access any network site using stored instructions . this enables a much greater range of sites to be available for the mobile device . in contrast , other systems require that the network sites operate under a specific wireless mark - up language and / or protocol in order to communicate with the mobile device . these other systems require greater programming effort and resources , and are thereby restrictive and more difficult to set - up . another embodiment of the invention provides a programming tool to enable programmers to rapidly build instruction sets for individual ip network sites . the instruction sets are stored so as to be available for mobile devices that request content from the corresponding network site . the instruction sets enable ip network content to be retrieved and converted for delivery to the mobile devices , with minimal programming or computing resources required . in regard to the foregoing description , it is noted that this application also incorporates u . s . patent application ser . no . 60 / 163 , 115 , entitled portal corfiguration in wireless medium , to moeller et al ., filed nov . 2 , 1999 ; and u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 513 , 554 , entitled system and automatic data retrieval on an internet protocol network , to ndili et al ., filed on feb . 25 , 2000 by reference in their entireties . [ 0046 ] fig1 is a block diagram of a system 100 , under an embodiment of the invention . the system 100 includes a database management system ( dms ) 140 , a content engine 110 , and a wireless mobile device 120 . the dms 140 includes a database 145 and a management system 135 . the content engine 110 may access to a user database 125 comprising user - defined parameters . the content engine 110 retrieves network events from a network 115 and signals the network events to mobile device 120 . the mobile device 120 includes any device that can use a wireless medium to access a network such as the internet . possibly , mobile device 120 is wireless access protocol ( wap ) enabled . examples of mobile devices 120 include , but are not limited to , cell - phones , pcs phones , pagers and handheld devices including pocketpc and palm devices . the mobile device 120 communicates with content engine 110 through the wireless medium . the mobile device 120 may include an application for signaling network events or content to the user . for example , the mobile device 120 may include a browser to view network sites in a wireless markup language including for example wireless mark - up language ( wml ), handheld device markup language ( hdml ), compact hypertext mark - up language ( chtml ), mobile mark - up language ( mml ) and other wireless formats . a screen on the mobile device 120 may include user - interactive features and an interface to allow users to interact with a network site after viewing a network event . as used herein , network events include content provided on a network site . content includes all or portions of web pages available on web sites . for example , network content includes text , images , banners , media files accessible on the site , and links to other sites . network pages ( paging , push messaging ) are another example of such content . network events also include electronic messages , as well as web - based events associated with specific sites on the internet . electronic messages include emails , instant messages , files existing as attachments to electronic messages , programmatic notifications of events generated by server - side modules of third parties ( stock alerts ), and multimedia type messages . for example , network events include emails from an http or pop3 protocol . web events may be associated with an html link that accesses the web event . web events also include text or media resources appearing or linked to web pages . network events may also include a series of interactions with server - side modules that are accessible through links . network interactions may include prompts from server - side modules . for example , e - commerce applications provide access to servers that receive purchasing information for a selected item . network events also include real - time information appearing on , for example , a web page the dms 140 includes a database 145 and a management system 135 . the database contains instructions for content engine 110 to retrieve network events from network 115 . the instructions define how the specific network event is retrieved and converted to a medium for the mobile device 120 . in an embodiment , the instructions stored in database 145 specify which network sites are to be accessed in response to a request from a user , what network events are to be retrieved from the network site , and in what manner the network events are to be instructed . the instructions in database 145 may be predetermined or user - defined . the user may access a terminal to configure instructions for dms 140 . the content engine 110 receives instructions from dms 140 to retrieve network events available under an internet protocol ( ip ), and converts the network event to a wireless mark - up language or page for the mobile device 120 . for example , content engine 110 converts network events available under an http / https protocol into a wireless mark - up language available under the wap protocol . in an embodiment , the content engine 110 may be instructed to deliver content from network sites or otherwise modify the content according to user - specified parameters stored in a user database 125 . the user database 125 may be configurable by users operating terminals coupleable to the internet through an http protocol . in one embodiment , each user accesses an account on user database 125 to specify one or more types of network events that need to be retrieved for mobile device 120 . the users may also specify parameters on how the network events are to be converted and transmitted to mobile device 120 . for example , the user may specify the frequency at which a particular network site is to be checked for selected network events . in addition , the user may specify the type of content that should be located and signaled to the wireless device . [ 0055 ] fig1 illustrates communications transmitted between mobile device 120 and other components in system 100 , under an embodiment of the invention . in a request 1 , a user of mobile device 120 specifies a card to be retrieved from network 115 . the card may correspond to an ip network site , such as a web site on the internet . the card may be a number that uniquely defines the address of the network site . the user of mobile device 120 may — specify the card through an input mechanism such as a touchpad , button , or graphic user - interface . in one embodiment , the user configures the mobile device 120 to display one or more use - interactive features , such as a bookmark , to enable an easy input mechanism for accessing the network site . the request 1 may also identify either the user or the device identification . in response to receiving request 1 , content engine 110 signals a request 2 to dms 140 . the request 2 locates instructions for the card specified in request 1 . the dms 140 matches the request 1 to one or more instructions in database 145 . the content engine 110 receives from dms 140 a response 3 . the response 3 includes the instructions specified by request 2 . the card specified in request 1 determines the number of instructions included in communication 2 . the instructions specify the network event or content to be retrieved from the network site identified by the card as well as instructions for processing and preparing the data for display on the mobile device 120 . in an embodiment , once instructions in response 3 are received , content engine 110 signals to retrieve the network events from the specified network site . in an embodiment , content engine 110 may signal 4 user database 125 to retrieve user - defined parameters 5 that affect , access or identify the content or event on the card specified in request 1 . the content engine 110 may signal 4 user database 125 to retrieve user - defined parameters 5 before or after accessing the network site specified by the card . the content engine 110 signals 6 the network 115 to access the network site or sites specified in response 3 . the network event 7 is fetched or received from the network site . the content engine 110 assembles or creates content for mobile device 120 using card build instructions from response 3 and / or user specific and / or defined data from response 5 . the content engine 110 transmits a signal 7 containing the content to the mobile device 120 . in embodiments of the invention , request 1 may cause several communications to occur between content engine 110 , dms 140 , user database 125 , and network 115 . for example , response 3 from dms 140 may contain instructions to retrieve multiple network events or content from the network site specified by the card . the instructions in response 3 may identify network events or content available on the specified network site over a duration of time to be retrieved by content engine 110 . in addition , the user database 125 may provide parameters 5 requiring several interactions between the content engine 110 and the network site specified by the card . as a specific example , a user may specify in request 1 a card to a stock quote site on the internet . the instructions in response 3 may cause content engine to repeatedly retrieve a stock quote from the network site . to identify the stock , the content engine 110 may access user database 125 to identify one or more stocks ( parameters ) previously specified by the user . the stocks are signaled 6 to the network site . the stock quote for each stock specified as a parameter in user database 125 is signaled as network event 7 each time the stock quote is retrieved from the network site . in this way , the user has to only specify a card in the dms 140 to receive several stock quotes and / or other data . in an embodiment such as described , the user does not have to specify the stock from mobile device 120 , or make separate requests for each stock quote . examples of network sites that can be retrieved under the example above include web sites to brokerage houses , stock pages on portals ( yahoo ®, lycos (®), and streaming quote sites . the flexibility of system 100 may be shown with another example . for web sites of brokerage houses , once response 3 is received from dms 140 , content engine 110 accesses user database 125 to retrieve log - in , password , and other account information . the content engine 110 is then able to access the stock quote page of the user &# 39 ; s account automatically , with no input from wireless device 110 other than request 1 . in an embodiment , communications illustrated by numerals 1 - 7 are carried out “ on the fly ”, in response to one another . the communications can simulate a real - time data exchange to the user . the rapid and robust content provided to the user in response to request 1 is in contrast to other devices , which have limited accessible network sites and bandwidth . [ 0065 ] fig2 illustrates a method detailing how content engine 110 interacts with mobile device 120 , under an embodiment of the invention . for illustration , the process is described with reference to an uniform resource locator for an e - commerce site . the process details retrieving a network event or content from an ip network such as the internet , and then transmitting the event or content to mobile device 120 . in step 210 , content engine 110 receives a communication from the mobile device 120 that includes a card corresponding to the url , along with an identifier of the mobile device 120 . the communication is transmitted through a wireless medium . in step 220 , the content engine 110 may signal dms 140 an identification for the card to retrieve instructions for assembling the content available on the url for the mobile device 120 . the content engine 110 may communicate with dms 140 over a network such as the internet . the instructions are for the url of the e - commerce site . instructions that may be provided include commands to “ fetch ” the url , display the header and title for the url , remove header tags , display a welcome message provided on the url , and exact a pertinent section of the web page located by the url . in an embodiment , the selected instructions are based on the identification of the card provided to the dms 140 . in another embodiment , the instructions may also be modified or otherwise configured for the url based on the card identification . in another embodiment the content engine 110 may skip step 220 and proceed to step 230 based on predefined instructions . in step 230 , the content engine 110 accesses the network site located by the url to retrieve specific network events . the network events are identified from the instructions received from dms 140 . the network events may be retrieved from the network site , or other links internal to the network site . for example , the content engine 110 may locate a home page of an e - commerce site , then select categories and locate a merchandise item for transmission to mobile device 120 . in step 240 , content engine 110 converts the network event ( s ) into a wireless format for mobile device 120 . in one embodiment , content engine 110 reformats the network event or content into a wireless format . for web sites , the event and content may be converted from an html format to the hdml , wml or other wireless formats . for example , html tags of the network event or content are programmatically converted into wml , hdml or other wireless mark - up language tags . further details on converting http or other ip protocol events into wap , with hdml , wml , or other wireless formats for wap enabled devices are disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 60 / 163 , 115 , entitled portal corfiguration in wireless medium , to moeller et al ., filed nov . 2 , 1999 , incorporated by reference herein . in step 250 , the content or network event is transmitted in the wireless protocol to mobile device 120 . the network event or content may be formatted or otherwise paginated for a display of mobile device 120 . [ 0071 ] fig3 illustrates another process in which user database 125 is accessed to provide network events and content to mobile device 120 . in step 310 , the content engine 110 receives a card request from the user of mobile device 120 specifying a network site or sites , or resource . in step 320 , instructions for the specified network site or sites , or resource are retrieved from dms 140 . in step 330 , the network site or sites , or resource is accessed . in step 340 , content engine 110 accesses user - database 125 to determine if user - defined parameters exist for the network site . in an embodiment , the user of mobile device 120 provides user - defined parameters . the parameters affect content engine 110 in selecting and accessing the network event for mobile device 120 . the parameters may also affect content engine 110 in configuring and / or delivering the network event to the mobile device 120 . a configurable database for storing parameters for user database 125 is disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 513 , 554 , entitled system and automatic data retrieval on an internet protocol network , to ndili et al ., filed on feb . 25 , 2000 , and incorporated by reference herein . in an embodiment , the user - defined parameters stored in user database 125 are maintained in accounts . the user of mobile device 120 may configure the accounts to include preferred parameters . examples of parameters that may be specified in user database 125 include login and password information to a particular site , such as an e - mail site , or a proprietary information site . a user may also specify as a parameter the frequency in which a network event or content is retrieved once the network site is accessed by content engine 110 . as another example , for an auction site , the user may specify a specific search term or auction item as a parameter . in step 350 , content engine 110 combines instructions and parameters to access the network site and retrieve network events and content . the instructions and parameters combine to control the content engine 110 in accessing the network site specified by the card signaled from the mobile device 120 . in step 360 , content engine 110 converts the network event from the ip protocol with html , xml or other format to wml , hdml or other wireless formats with wap or another wireless protocol . in step 370 , content engine 110 paginates the converted network event or content for mobile device 120 . in step 380 , the network event or content is transmitted to mobile device 120 . [ 0076 ] fig4 illustrates a method performed by content engine 110 in paginating the converted network event into the wireless format . a process such as described with fig4 enables events to be retrieved from ip sites and then converted for mobile devices 120 . the content appearing on mobile device 120 is properly paginated for the screen of the mobile device 120 , with no modification at the network site 115 . the process described with fig4 assumes that content engine 110 has retrieved the network content from the network 115 . in step 410 , a memory allotment is specified for mobile device 120 . the memory allotment depends on the wireless protocol in use , and the desired page size which can be a function of the memory and screen size of target mobile device 120 . the memory allotment may be designated as , for example , 1 . 4k , representing the average memory buffer size of wap enabled mobile phones . alternatively , a user of mobile device 120 may configure the memory allotment depending on the specific type and model of mobile device 120 being used . in an embodiment , the memory allotment is specified through user database 125 . in step 420 , the content retrieved from the ip site is converted and segmented according to the memory allotment . each segment is portioned to correspond approximately to the memory allotment . the size of the segments allows each segment to be displayed in its entirety as one page on mobile device 120 . as an example , if a converted journal article from a web site is 24k in length , the article is segmented roughly into 24 1k segments for a 1k buffer sized mobile device . in step 430 , a page break line or region is located on the retrieved and converted network content corresponding to the boundary of each segment . the content engine 110 may locate a line or region where the 1k break occurs . then in step 440 , each segment is paginated on that page break line or region to ensure that the cut - off to a next segment is made at an appropriate place . if a segment of converted network content retrieved from the ip site is not paginated properly , hdml or wml or other wireless format syntax may fail . in addition , words may be split up incorrectly to appear on different pages of the mobile device 120 . in an embodiment , a free unattached space is located to correctly paginate each segment within the page break region . for html coding , for example , the free unattached space must be positioned outside of tags and tag pairs appearing in that portion of the network content . specifically , the content engine 110 locates spacing outside of html open end and close end tags . as an example , the line of coding appearing in a page break region may be : the content engine 110 identifies spaces before “& lt ; a href ”, and after “& lt ;/ a & gt ;” as places where a legitimate page break may occur . the content engine 110 ignores spaces falling between the opening and closing of the & lt ; a & gt ;. . . & lt ;/ a & gt ; tags . in this way , the page displayed on the screen of mobile device 120 contains entire words and code segments , and is coded appropriately in the wireless mark - up language which could be , for example , wml , hdml or html . to ensure the free unattached space is not between an open and close tag bracket , the content engine 110 may include coding that measures on the page break region the distance between the first located space and an open tag “& lt ;”. the coding then measures the distance between the located space and the close tag “& gt ;”. if the distance between the located space and the open tag is less than the distance between the located space and the close tag , then the located space is considered free and unattached , that is , the located space is not part of any tag . if the distance between the located space and the open tag is greater than the distance between the located space and the close tag , then the located space is considered attached . a next space is then located in the page break region . the next space may correspond to the space appearing to the right of the close tag . the spaces appearing in the page break region are checked in this manner until a free unattached space is located . in addition , this space then needs to be inspected to ensure that it is not within a coupled open tag / close tag pair such as “& lt ; a & gt ;” and “& lt ;/ a & gt ;”. the same distance measuring algorithm is used to ensure that the selected space or chosen page break point is external to a coupled open / close tag pair . once these two conditions are verified , the located space or page break point is then made the location of a page break and the segment is paginated . in step 450 , the segment is sent to mobile device 120 . the next segment may be indicated with a user - interactive feature ( icon ) to show the availability of a next segment . upon activation of the request for the next page , in step 460 , a determination is made as to whether a next segment is the last segment for the network content . if in step 460 , a next segment is a last segment , then the last segment is signaled to mobile device 120 in step 470 as the last segment . if there is another segment , then steps 410 - 460 are repeated . under an embodiment , dms 140 manages a database of instructions that are selectively signaled to content engine 110 in response to content engine 110 receiving a request from mobile device 120 . the instructions stored with dms 140 each include one or more commands pertaining to retrieving and converting ip network content to , for example , a wireless format available under the wap or other wireless protocol . the dms 140 is configured to instruct content engine 110 to retrieve and convert ip network events responsive to inputs from mobile device 120 , without requiring mobile device 120 to communicate using an ip protocol , and without requiring network 115 to provide content using a wap protocol . [ 0087 ] fig5 illustrates a configuration of dms 140 , under an embodiment of the invention . according to this embodiment , dms 140 is organized into a spreadsheet like format . a first column 510 lists card identifications 511 , 512 . a second column 520 lists instruction identifications 521 - 525 . a third column 530 , fourth column 540 , and thru to an nth column 550 list arguments . to make a network site accessible to content engine 110 , a programmer or editor of dms 140 lists cards in the first column 510 , selects instructions for column 520 , and provides arguments for the instructions in columns 530 - 550 . in alternative embodiments , a developer of wireless applications or a user of mobile device 120 may access and configure dms 140 . the instruction identifications 521 - 525 correspond to one or more commands that have to be performed by content engine 110 . examples of instructions that may be specified in column 520 includes : fetch : retrieves content or event from network site , places content into a drop bin ; convert : converts network content in drop bin from ip to wap , places converted content in a display bin ; add text : drops content from dms 140 or drop bin into display bin ; and the instructions listed above are exemplary , and several other instructions may be readily apparent to enable ip network content to be converted to wap content . examples of other instructions that may be used include , but are not limited to skip text , extract phrases , and skip end character . the instructions include one or more commands . for example , convert may include routines to identify and remove html tags from a page retrieved from a web site . in such instances , convert may include commands to insert hdml , wml or other wireless mark - up language tags in appropriate places that correspond to the html tags . certain tags on html pages may be identified and ignored . other wireless mark - up language tags may be added automatically . preferably , the identifiers to the instructions are numeric , and are indicative of the instruction . for example , one or more numerals in the instruction identifier may represent that the instruction involves displaying content . in other embodiments , other symbols may be used to identify the instructions , such as shown by instruction identifiers 524 and 525 . the first column 510 includes cells that list each card multiple times . in an embodiment , a card occupies two or more cells in first column 5 10 . the number of cells occupied by each card corresponds to the number of instructions each card requires . the arguments contained in the third column 530 , fourth column 540 and thru the nth column 550 are for the instructions specified in second column 520 . the arguments may be provided by the programmer for each instruction provided for a card . the arguments may also be predefined for each instruction . the arguments listed in each column 530 - 550 may be specific to certain instructions , or applicable to all instructions for a card . in one of the columns 530 - 550 , the arguments specify a sequence in which the instructions are executed by content engine 110 . for example , when a card is specified by mobile device 120 , the arguments may specify content engine 110 to first fetch network content , then add text , and then convert the network content to wml , hdml or other wireless formats . when another card is specified by mobile device 120 , content engine 110 may specify content engine 110 to first fetch the content , then convert the content to wml , hdml or other wireless formats . in an embodiment , the argument for one of the columns 530 - 550 identifies the url of the ip network site . each card in dms 140 includes at least one instruction specifying the content of the card . in an embodiment , each card may include a fetch instruction . each fetch may include an argument to identify whether the network content or event being retrieved is secure or unsecure . each fetch may also include an argument to identify whether the command is a “ get ” for retrieving content from the ip site , or a “ post ” to provide additional information to the ip network site when retrieving events . each argument for fetch occupies one of the columns 530 - 550 . one or more of the arguments for fetch may be applicable to other instructions . another argument may specify whether user - defined parameters exist for the card . the card may include an additional fetch to retrieve the parameters in the user database 125 . the identification of mobile device 120 may specify the applicable account in user database 125 for the user of mobile device 120 . in an embodiment , fetch to retrieve the user - defined parameters is specified by arguments to be executed before fetch to retrieve network content from the ip site . once the parameters are retrieved from user database 125 , the fetch to retrieve the network content from the ip site includes the user - defined parameters . for example , the parameters may be contained as a tail portion of the url to the ip network site . another example of an argument specified for one or more instructions , including fetch , is a specific memory bin for the instruction to use . additional details on memory bins are provided with fig6 . [ 0103 ] fig6 illustrates memory bins which may be used to retrieve network content and convert the network content from an ip protocol and language to the wireless protocol and language . the memory bins are used by the instructions to retrieve network content and convert network content to the wireless format . an embodiment such as shown by fig6 includes a display bin 615 , and a plurality of drop bins 601 - 612 . for illustration , operation of basic instructions fetch , convert , and add text are shown in combination with drop bins 601 - 612 and display bin 615 to convert data retrieved from ip network sites to a format for mobile device 120 . other instructions may be used , depending on the card . when content engine 110 executes fetch , one of the arguments specify a drop bin 601 - 612 where the network content or event is deposited . one of the drop bins 601 - 612 may be designated as a default . multiple drop bins 601 - 612 may be used when a card requires fetch to be executed multiple times on one or more network sites . when content engine 110 executes convert , the network content from any of the specified bins 601 - 612 is converted to the wireless mark - up language and deposited in display bin 615 . when content engine 110 executes add text , content for mobile device 120 is added to display bin 615 . when all instructions are completed , the content of the display bin 615 is signaled to mobile device 120 . the content may then be signaled to the mobile device 120 in a wireless protocol as illustrated with fig5 and 6 , dms 140 enables content engine 110 to use stored instructions for near real - time retrieval , conversion , construction , and delivery of wap content to mobile device 120 . the stored instructions minimize computation resources required from content engine 110 , so as to enable content engine 110 to provide wap content as an immediate response from a user of mobile device 120 . in one example , dms 140 includes instructions for a brokerage site . the brokerage site is requested by the user of mobile device 120 . the request is identified as a card 511 , 512 in column 510 of fig5 . the card includes arguments identifying the url of the brokerage site in column 530 - 550 . the instructions include a first fetch to retrieve password and login information from user - database 125 . the first fetch is signaled with identification to identify the user account , signaled with the request from mobile device 120 . the first fetch includes arguments to retrieve information from the user - database 125 . a second fetch pushes the password and log - in information to the brokerage account as parameters to the url for that network site . this second fetch retrieves account information from the network site . the account information is dropped in drop bin 601 . the card may subsequently specify a convert instruction to convert the information in memory bin 601 , and to deposit the converted information into display bin 615 . the contents of display bin 615 are then signaled to mobile device 120 . in another example , dms 140 includes instructions for comparison shopping . multiple network sites may be accessed for a single card to present information from multiple network shopping sites . alternatively , one site may be specified in the card which then automatically accesses other shopping sites . the content retrieved from the multiple sites are individually deposited in respective drop bins 601 - 612 . another instruction to compare the contents of the memory bins 601 - 612 may be executed . the comparative result may be placed in a wml , hdml or other wireless formats and placed in display bin 615 . the contents of display bin 615 are then signaled to mobile device 120 . [ 0110 ] fig7 illustrates a system for enabling a programmer to develop instructions for a management system such as described with dms 140 . the system includes a graphic user - interface ( gui ) 710 , a translator 720 , and dms 140 . the dms 140 may be part of a system such as described with fig1 . in an embodiment , the gui 710 displays objects to enable a programmer to select instructions . the instructions may appear as part of a display , or as user - interactive features such as icons . the gui 710 also displays features and objects to enable the programmer to select arguments for the instructions . in addition , the gui 710 may include other features , such as text fields to enable the programmer to add text for delivery to mobile device 120 . the translator 720 converts the selected objects and other input from the programmer for dms 140 . in an embodiment , translator 720 converts selected instructions into the numerical format shown in fig5 . preferably , translator 720 identifies each input from the programmer and locates a position for the input in the chart shown by fig5 . [ 0113 ] fig8 illustrates an exemplary user - interface 800 for use with an embodiment of the invention . the user - interface 800 lists instructions 810 available for dms 140 in one portion . the programmer may select instructions using icons or other user - interactive selection feature . the user - interface 800 may also display argument fields 812 , 814 , and 816 . the argument fields may be in the form of text fields , where the programmer enters argument data for dms 140 . an identifier 820 identifies the card for which the instruction set is being built . the identifier 820 may be a programmer - input , or be automatically generated when the programmer specifies a resource identifier for the set of instructions . as an example , the programmer may specify multiple instructions , including fetch and convert , from one of the listed instructions 810 . the programmer then identifies the url as one of the arguments 812 - 816 . the programmer may also use another of the arguments 812 - 816 to specify whether the card or the instruction is secure or unsecured . similarly , the programmer may use another one of the arguments 812 - 816 to specify whether the information is pushed or retrieved from the network site . other arguments may be added in a similar fashion . an advantage provided with system 700 and user - interface 800 is that programmers may simplify the process of storing instructions in dms 140 . the simplified process enables content engine 110 to retrieve network events and contents from many sites . further , the simplified approach avoids the need for more complicated programming that may otherwise hinder the rapid development of wireless applications . an embodiment of the invention relates to a programmable agent that implements conversion modules for exchanging communications between a mobile device and a network . the conversion modules may be used to make characteristics of a mobile device conform with characteristics of the network site being requested , where differences in the characteristics would otherwise preclude communications between the mobile device and the network site . embodiments of the invention include conversion modules that convert the communication protocol , programming and mark - up language , and / or natural language format of communications exchanged between the mobile device and the network . according to these embodiments , the agent identifies the mobile device to implement the conversion modules and to render network pages based on the type of mobile device detected and its profile . the use of specific conversion modules is intended to be exemplary . alternative embodiments may implement other types of conversion modules to make the mobile device conform with other characteristics of the network site . in an embodiment , the mobile device is wap enabled , programmed in languages such as hdml , wml , or chtml , and includes a natural language format for countries and geographic regions such as japan , united states of america , and france . the agent is implemented with or coupled to an engine to receive a communication from that mobile device . in response , the agent routes the communication to appropriate conversion modules , retrieves content from the network site , and routes the content to appropriate conversion modules so that the network page can be rendered as requested on the mobile device . in this way , the agent enables the mobile device to access network sites regardless of protocol , language , or programming differences between the mobile device and the requested network sites . in an embodiment , as illustrated by fig9 an agent 950 is a module within content engine 910 . the mobile device 920 is coupleable to content engine 910 via a wireless network 908 . a network 905 is accessible to the content engine 910 . the network 905 includes target sites that the content engine 910 can access when requested by mobile device 920 . in one embodiment , network 905 is the internet , and wireless network 908 is a wap link . the content engine 910 also includes a protocol module 922 , a programming and mark - up language module 924 , and a natural language module 926 . preferably , each module accesses a database 940 to retrieve an instruction set for performing a stated task or function of the module . the instructions that are retrieved are based on the type of communication being exchanged between the mobile device and a selected network site . the modules may identify the mobile device and the network site being requested in selecting instructions for retrieval . each module may also have all necessary instructions built - in , obviating the need for a database . the protocol module 922 is programmed to convert the protocol of a communication exchanged between the mobile device 920 and wireless network 908 . for example , the protocol module 922 may convert a wap communication from the mobile device 920 to an ip communication , or convert protocol from network 905 from the ip protocol to the wap protocol . the programming module 924 uses an instruction set retrieved from database 940 to convert communications between the mobile device and the network from one language to another . the programming and mark - up language of the mobile device 920 may , for example , be one of hdml , wml , chtml . the programming and mark - up language of the network sites may , for example , be one of html and javascript , xml , or chtml . the natural language module 926 uses an instruction set retrieved from database 940 to convert communications between the mobile device and the network from a format designed for a first type of natural language to a format designed for a second type of natural language . natural language renders to human spoken languages , or dialect . network sites , such as web sites , are often formatted to reflect a specific natural language . the natural language used by the network sites often corresponds to the geographic region or country of the network sites . each natural language format includes specific letter characters , and other features to reflect cultural language differences in the manner data is to be entered or displayed . for example , network sites programmed for a japanese audience include formatting to display japanese characters , as well as formatting to receive japanese characters as entry . further , the japanese characters may be formatted to appear vertically on a page . [ 0125 ] fig9 illustrates an example where mobile device 920 makes a request 911 for content from a network site . for this example , the network site being requested is assumed to have a different programming and mark - up language and human language format . for example , the mobile device 920 may be an hdml type device formatted to display english web sites . the request may be for a html or chtml site formatted to provide content in japanese . the request 911 is received by agent 950 . the agent 950 uses the request 911 to identify the type of mobile device . the agent 950 can determine other characteristics of the mobile device when the mobile device is identified . in one embodiment , request 911 can be used to identify the programming and mark - up language and the natural language of the mobile device 920 . the agent 950 also determines the programming and mark - up language of the network site being requested . the agent 950 makes a determination as to whether the programming and mark - up language and the natural language used by the mobile device 920 matches the same characteristics of the network site . in performing its functions , agent 950 may access database 940 to determine characteristics of the mobile device 920 , as well as the network site being requested . the agent 950 may use request 911 to determine the type of mobile device , the programming and mark - up language for that type , the natural language being used , and the protocol in which the mobile device 920 uses to communicate . upon receiving request 911 , agent 950 may determine the communication protocol and programming and mark - up language used by the network site . in one embodiment , information about a particular network site is pre - stored in database 940 . in another embodiment , agent 950 may query the network site to retrieve the identification information . in the example where mobile device 920 is an hdml type device , request 911 is routed through protocol module 922 . the protocol module 922 converts request 911 from a wap communication to an ip communication . for example , if internet access is desired , the protocol module 922 converts request 911 into http . the agent then causes request 911 to be routed to programming and mark - up language module 924 . the programming module 924 converts the request 911 from hdml to the language used by the requested network site . as mentioned , the language of the requested site may be identified using database 940 , or separately by agent 950 signaling a query to the network site . in an embodiment , the programming module is adapted to convert the communication from hdml to html or chtml . examples of hdml to chtml conversions is provided in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 686 , 125 , entitled system for converting wireless communications for a mobile device , filed oct . 10 , 2000 , said application being hereby incorporated by reference . in an embodiment , request 911 is signaled to the requested network site . the agent 950 remembers the natural language of the mobile device 920 when response 912 is received from the network site . the agent 950 also receives the response from the network site . in this way , response 912 can be recognized as having a different natural language format . then , response 912 is signaled to natural language module 926 . if the natural language of the requested network site is identified to be japanese , the natural language of the network site is converted by natural language module 926 to english . this process may use instruction sets provided by database 940 . among some of the conversion steps that may be performed , converting the natural language of the response 912 includes reformatting input features to recognize a character set from arabic alphanumeric characters . the response 912 is signaled to programming module 924 to convert the response from the language of the network site to the language identified of mobile device 920 . in an embodiment , response 912 is identified by agent 950 as being in html or chtml . the response 912 is then converted to hdml for mobile device 920 . the protocol of response 912 is identified by agent 950 and converted by protocol conversion module 922 to the protocol of mobile device 920 . in an embodiment , response 912 is communicated to engine 910 using the http protocol . the protocol conversion module 922 converts the response 912 to wap . the response is then signaled to mobile device 920 . the mobile device 920 is able to use the communication protocol of the network . in addition , mobile device 920 can communicate with network sites programmed in languages other than the one used by the mobile device . further , the natural languages used by the network sites do not preclude the mobile device 920 from accessing the network sites . an embodiment of the invention enables a system for developing an agent to implement specific conversion modules , according to characteristics defined by an operator . the agent may be made particular to a specific network site , and equipped to identify a plurality of characteristics of the mobile device . as an example , a web site may host a business application for employees or customers . an operator may desire to make the web - site accessible to mobile devices having certain characteristics . further , the operator may wish to accommodate formats of different types of devices . [ 0138 ] fig1 illustrates a process for identifying characteristics of mobile devices accessing a select network - site , and for converting the identified characteristics to enable communications between the mobile device and network site . in this embodiment , the conversion engine 910 is associated with a particular network site . that is , communications from mobile devices have to be directed to the network site in order for the process to be implemented . the conversion engine 910 may be implemented with the server hosting the network site , or may be included as a system remote to that server . in step 1010 , a request is received from mobile device 920 . the request includes identification for mobile device 920 . in step 1020 , the protocol characteristics of the mobile device are identified . in step 1025 , the protocol conversion instructions for converting between the protocol identified for the mobile device 920 ( i . e . wap ) and the protocol ( i . e . ip ) of the network site are retrieved . in step 1030 , the protocol conversion instructions are implemented , so that the request from the mobile device is converted to the protocol of the network site . in an embodiment , the steps of retrieving and implementing the protocol conversion instructions are implemented by protocol conversion module 922 . this may involve converting wap requests to ip requests such as http or pop3 / smtp . in step 1035 , the programming and mark - up language of mobile device 920 is identified from the request . for example , the programming and mark - up language of the mobile device may be identified as being one of either wml , hdml or chtml . in step 1040 , instructions for converting the programming and mark - up language of the mobile device 920 to that of the network site ( i . e . html ) are retrieved from database 940 . the instructions are implemented in step 1045 . in an embodiment , the steps of retrieving and implementing the conversion instructions for the programming and mark - up language are performed using programming and mark - up language module 924 . in step 1050 , the natural language format of the mobile device 920 is identified from the request . for example , the request may identify the mobile device 920 by a useragent identifier . the type of device may be matched to a natural language format using a look - up table . in another example , the request may contain a two letter language identifier . the request signaled from mobile device 920 to the network site is provided a response from the network site in step 1055 . the response may be in the form of a network page . in step 1060 , a determination is made as to whether the natural language format of the mobile device 920 matches that of the content requested from the network site . if the determination is negative , then in step 1065 , instructions for converting the network language format to the natural language format of the network site are retrieved . in step 1070 , the instructions are implemented , so that content is formatted for the natural language of the mobile device . in step 1075 , programming and mark - up language conversion is done and the converted network content is then signaled to the mobile device 920 . as an example of an embodiment described with fig9 and 10 , an html coded web - site includes japanese and english style natural language formats . the target audience of wireless visitors is intended to include wap devices , programmed in , for example , wml , hdml , or chtml wireless mark - up languages . the wireless visitors may be expected to use one of either english or japanese formatted devices . the agent 950 is instructed to identify each mobile device , and to route communications from the mobile device to a protocol conversion module , as well as a programning module for converting the specific language format of the communication from the mobile device 920 to that of the network site . the agent 950 is also programmed to convert the response from the network site to the programming and mark - up language of the mobile device 920 . if mobile device 920 is determined to be a japanese formatted device , agent 950 will direct the network page to natural language module 926 , which retrieves instructions from database 940 . the instructions are implemented to convert the english format on the network site to japanese format . the network page is also sent to protocol conversion module 922 , to convert the protocol from ip to wap . embodiments such as described with fig9 and 10 may be used to mobilize content on network sites . for example , the content on the network site may be made accessible for an audience using mobile devices 920 . the mobilization of the network site may be a one - time event , requiring only that agent 950 recognize select types of programming and mark - up languages , natural language formats , communication protocols , and / or other communication exchange characteristics . it may also be real - time , performed with each mobile request . the instruction sets retrieved in embodiments described with fig9 ad 10 may be implemented in the manner described in fig1 . to this end , an operator - interface 1100 may be implemented to enable operators to identify conversion modules for a particular network site . an operator - interface 1100 enables users to create a stack 1105 . the operator selects a network address for each stack 1105 . each stack 1105 is characterized by one or more communication characteristics . the stack is called when a subscriber of a service uses the mobile device 920 to request the network site associated with stack 1105 . in an embodiment , each stack 1105 includes selection fields 1110 , 1120 , and 1130 . the first selection field 1110 may be used by the operator to select a programming conversion module matching the programming of the mobile device . for example , the operator may select hdml this enables agent 950 to route communications to and from an hdml type mobile device 920 through program conversion module 924 . the program conversion module 924 is signaled to retrieve instructions from database 940 for converting communications to and from hdml . examples of selection fields 1110 - 1130 include user - interactive features such as menus and text - fields . the second selection field 1120 may be used to select a natural language format . examples of selections that can be made for the second selection field 1120 include japanese , english , french or german . communications from the network site may then be formatted to account for the selected natural language format . the third selection field 1130 may be used to specify a third characteristic for communications between a network site and a mobile device . for example , the third selection field 1130 may be used to select a communication protocol , screen size , communication rate etc . in addition , an embodiment may provide selectable commands that can be associated with each stack 1105 . the commands may be listed or otherwise provided in a command region on 1140 of the operator - interface 1100 . for example , the commands may include add text . the operator may select this command and type in a message that is to appear when the stack is selected . other examples of commands that may be used with each stack are provided in the description of fig5 . it will be appreciated that the network site provides mobile solutions for an expected audience using mobile devices , while minimizing the amount of bandwidth required to provide the solutions . for example , by transmitting only the smaller converted content across the wireless network , bandwidth efficiency and use is maximized . further , the extra heavy content of the network site is not needlessly accessed by mobile devices . an advantage provided with an embodiment of the invention is that the operator requires minimal skill to create stack 1105 . the use of operator - interface 1100 provides a gui - oriented , intuitive , and friendly mechanism for enabling operators to provide the mobile solutions . further , mobile solutions can be provided with reduced coding , and virtually no conversion time . programming is not needed by operators to make network content accessible to a wide and select range of mobile devices . the foregoing description of various embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many modifications and equivalent arrangements will be apparent . | 6 |
please refer to fig2 . fig2 is a functional block diagram of an optical mouse 50 according to the present invention . please note that an optical pointing device ( i . e . an optical mouse ) is taken as an example to describe the technical characteristics of the present invention ; however , the present invention is not limited to be applied to an optical pointing device . the present invention can be applied to any device with an image capturing mechanism , such as a fingerprint recognition device or other types of image recognition devices . as shown in fig2 , the optical mouse 50 is coupled to a host 60 ( i . e ., a computer ). in the present embodiment , the optical mouse 50 comprises a light - emitting component 52 , a light - guiding component 53 , a sensor 55 ( i . e ., a ccd ) and a control component 56 . a light - emitting diode ( led ) chip 61 in the light - emitting component 52 is utilized for emitting a light ray l 1 . the light - guiding component 53 defines a straight light - guiding path for guiding the light ray l 1 toward a surface ( i . e ., a surface on which the optical mouse 50 lies ). the light - guiding component 53 defines another straight light - guiding path for guiding a light ray l 2 towards the sensor 55 , wherein the light ray l 2 is the light ray l 1 reflected by the surface . next , the sensor 55 can continuously detect the light rays l 2 to generate a plurality of images d corresponding to the surface . afterwards , the control component 56 determines a direction and a displacement of the movement of the optical mouse 50 according to the images d , and generates a corresponding pointing signal sp to inform the host 60 . it should be noted that in this embodiment of the present invention , the light ray l 1 is emitted by the led chip 61 of the light - emitting component 52 , so the light rays l 1 , l 2 are in the visible spectrum . however , in other embodiments of the present invention , the light - emitting device of the light - emitting component 52 is not limited to be the led chip 61 , and it can also be an infrared ray module or a laser diode . when these devices are utilized , the light rays l 1 , l 2 are outside the visible spectrum . for example , if the light ray l 1 is emitted by an infrared ray module of the light - emitting component 52 , the light rays l 1 and l 2 are infrared rays ( ir ), which are invisible light . the description of the light - emitting component 52 will be detailed in the following paragraph . please refer to fig2 and fig3 . fig3 is a cross - sectional diagram of the optical mouse 50 shown in fig2 . the optical mouse 50 on a surface 80 is utilized for detecting its own movement on the surface 80 and generating a pointing signal s p according to the movement . as shown in fig3 , the optical mouse 50 comprises the following components installed in the housing 51 of the optical mouse 50 : the light - emitting component 52 , the light - guiding component 53 , a diaphragm 54 , the sensor 55 , a conducting support 57 , a protecting component 58 and a lens 63 . please note that the operations and functions of the control component 56 are well known to those skilled in the art , and therefore the control component 56 is not shown in fig3 . this omission does not affect the present invention . the conducting support 57 is utilized for fixing the light - emitting component 52 and the sensor 55 , and further for transmitting power to the light - emitting component 52 and the sensor 55 . in addition , as shown in fig3 , the conducting support 57 is connected to the diaphragm 54 for fixing the diaphragm 54 . the protecting component 58 is utilized for protecting the sensor 55 and the diaphragm 54 , and for fixing the corresponding positions of the sensor 55 and the diaphragm 54 . in this embodiment of the present invention , the light rays l 1 , l 2 are in the visible spectrum , so the protecting component 58 is made of a transparent resin , meaning the transparent resin is utilized for sealing up and fixing the sensor 55 and the diaphragm 54 . moreover , the lens 63 is installed on one side of the protecting component 58 for adjusting the optical path of the light ray l 2 that is to be guided towards the sensor 55 . please note that the lens 63 and the protecting component 58 can be individual components , meaning that the lens 63 is attached to the protecting component 58 . however , the protecting component 58 and the lens 63 can be formed as a whole . for example , during a process of forming the protecting component 58 using the transparent resin , the lens 63 can be formed on one side of the protecting component 58 . as shown in fig1 , the diaphragm 28 and the lens 18 of the optical mouse 10 according to the prior art cannot be integrated as a whole ; however , the diaphragm 54 and the conducting support 57 of the optical mouse 50 according to the present invention can be integrated using a diaphragm component embedded technology . the protecting component 58 and the lens 63 formed as a whole are utilized for protecting and fixing the diaphragm 54 and the sensor 55 . therefore , according to the present invention , the protecting component 58 can be utilized for connecting the lens 63 and the diaphragm 54 , so that before the light ray l 2 arrives at the sensor 55 , the number of times the light ray l 2 passes through an interface ( where each interface is formed by a different medium ) can be reduced . please note that in other embodiments of the present invention , if the light rays l 1 and l 2 are outside the visible spectrum ( i . e ., an infrared ray ), the protecting component 58 is composed of opaque material ( s ), and the sensor 55 and the diaphragm 54 are positioned in the opaque material ( s ). the light - emitting component 52 comprises a light emitting diode ( led ) chip 61 and a lens 62 , where the led chip 61 is utilized for emitting a light ray l 1 . the lens 62 is installed on the led chip 61 for adjusting an optical path of the light ray l 1 . for example , through utilizing the lens 62 , light rays emitted by the led chip 61 having different directions can be adjusted to be parallel with each other . as shown in fig3 , the light - guiding component 53 comprises a plurality of channels 75 and 76 , respectively utilized for defining straight light - guiding paths . therefore , the light ray l 1 is guided by the straight light - guiding path defined by the channel 75 toward the surface 80 through a hole of the base 78 . the light ray l 2 reflected from the surface 80 is guided by the straight light - guiding path defined by the channel 76 toward the sensor 55 . it should be noted that the placement angle of the light - emitting component 52 shown in fig3 is different from that of the light - emitting component 12 in fig1 . therefore , the light ray l 1 emitted by the light - emitting component 52 can be directly guided toward the surface 80 through the straight light - guiding path . the other functions of the light - guiding component 53 will be detailed in the following paragraph . the diaphragm 54 , installed in the protecting component 58 , is utilized for filtering the light ray guided toward the sensor 55 . hence , the desired light ray l 2 can successfully pass through the diaphragm 54 and arrive at the sensor 55 . the sensor 55 senses the light ray l 2 to generate a plurality of images d corresponding to the surface 80 . as mentioned above , the control component 56 ( shown in fig2 ) generates the pointing signal sp according to the plurality of images . as shown in fig3 , instead of passing through many interfaces formed by different mediums , the light ray l 1 can be directly guided toward the surface 80 . hence , in contrast to the prior art , the intensity of the light ray l 1 can be preserved as much as possible and the light uniformity received by the surface 80 can be improved . in addition , the light ray l 2 only needs to pass through the lens 63 , and then directly arrive at the sensor 55 . therefore , in contrast to the prior art , the number of times the light ray l 2 passes through an interface becomes less . in conclusion , for the optical mouse 50 according to the present invention , a decrease in light intensity of the light rays l 1 and l 2 incurred by transmission processes is less comparing with the prior art , meaning that is less . as mentioned above , the light - guiding component 53 is mainly utilized for defining the straight light - guiding paths . the light - guiding component 53 can be further utilized for assisting in fixing the protecting component 58 , the light - emitting component 52 and the base 78 ( a part of the housing 51 ). in the present embodiment , the light - emitting component 52 is installed in the channel 75 , meaning that a goal of fixing the position of the light - emitting component 52 can be achieved using the channel 75 . in addition , the channel 75 not only controls the angle of the light ray guided toward the surface 80 and the size of the light spot , but also absorbs light rays that are not parallel with the straight light - guiding paths . therefore , the light rays l 1 that can arrive at the image formation area of the surface 80 is more parallel to the straight light - guiding path corresponding to the channel 75 . the functions of the channel 76 are listed as follows : ( 1 ) fixing the lens 63 in the channel 76 to achieve a goal of fixing the protecting component 58 . ( 2 ) fixing the correlative positions of the base 78 and the sensor 55 . ( 3 ) absorbing the light rays that are not parallel with the straight light - guiding path corresponding to the channel 76 , and also absorbing the light rays ( the noises ) not reflected from the image formation area of the surface 80 . for absorbing undesired light rays , the light - guiding component 53 according to the present invention is made of an opaque material , such as a black plastic material . in other words , the light - guiding component 53 can absorb many undesired light rays , only allowing the light rays that are more parallel with the straight light - guiding paths ( the channels 75 , 76 ) to pass through , such as the light rays l 1 , l 2 . in this way , the sensor 55 can obtain clear images to improve the performance of the optical mouse 50 . as shown in fig3 , the light - guiding component 53 is installed on the base 78 ; however , the light - guiding component 53 and the base 78 also can be integrated into a single component . please refer to fig4 . fig4 is a cross - sectional diagram of another embodiment of the light - guiding component 53 shown in fig3 . the base 78 and the light - guiding component 53 shown in fig3 are formed in an integrated manner ; that is , the base of the housing 51 is designed to be the light - guiding component 53 and to comprise the channels 75 and 76 . in other words , in the present embodiment , a flat surface of the light - guiding component 53 corresponding to the surface 80 is utilized as the base of the optical mouse 50 . in this way , the cost of the optical mouse 50 according to the present invention can be significantly reduced and the structure design of the optical mouse 50 can become simpler . in contrast to the prior art , there are two major advantages and improvements of the present invention . one of the advantages and improvements is that a placement angle of a light - emitting component is adjusted so that a light ray can be directly guided toward a surface of an object , and then re - directed toward a sensor . in this way , repeated reflection and refraction of the light can be avoided and the light ray does not need to pass through many interfaces formed by different mediums , so the intensity of the light ray will not be weakened . the other advantage is that a light - guiding component is utilized for absorbing an undesired light ray ( a noise ). hence , a better quality of an image formation of the sensor can be obtained , meaning that the performance of the optical mouse can be improved . 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 |
schematically illustrated in fig1 is a system 11 for controlling the operation of a fuel burner 12 . included in the system 11 is a resistive heating element 13 that can ignite fuel emanating from the burner 12 after being heated to ignition temperature by current supplied by a power supply 14 . also included in the system 11 is a flame sensing circuit 15 that detects and responds to flame rectified current passing between the heater element 13 and the grounded burner 12 . the flame sensing circuit 15 is shown in greater detail in fig2 and is descibed more fully below . an ignitor coupling circuit 16 interconnects the heater element 13 with both the power supply 14 and the flame sensing circuit 15 . as also described more fully below , the system 11 prevents the flow of current between the power supply 14 and the flame sensing circuit 15 thereby permitting the simultaneous use of the heater element 3 as both a source of ignition and as an electrode for deriving flame rectified current . the system 11 also includes a start - up circuit 17 and a valve control circuit 18 . as described below , the start - up circuit 17 can be activated to produce a predetermined heating period during which a heating signal is applied to the coupling circuit 16 and a given ignition period during which an ignition signal is applied to the flame sensing circuit 15 . in response to the heating signal , the coupling circuit induces the flow of current between the power supply 14 and the element 13 so as to produce heating thereof to ignition temperature . after a period required for the element 13 to reach ignition temperature , the ignition signal from the start - up circuit 17 causes the flame sensing circuit 15 to activate the valve control circuit 18 and induce opening of a valve 19 that supplies fuel to the burner 12 . after ignition of fuel emanating from the burner 12 , the flow of flame rectified current between the element 13 and the flame sensing circuit 15 occurs via the coupling circuit 16 which additionally prevents the loss of that current into the power supply 14 . thus , the heater element 13 serves the dual functions of an ignitor for igniting fuel at the burner 12 and an electrode for deriving flame rectified current for the flame sensing circuit 15 . referring now to fig2 there is shown in greater detail the circuits depicted by blocks in fig1 . the start - up circuit 17 includes a basic multi - vibrator consisting of a pair of transistors q1 and q2 and associated resistors r1 - r10 , capacitors c1 , c2 , and diodes , cr1 - cr4 . included in the flame sensing circuit 15 is a conventional multi - vibrator consisting of a pair of transistors q3 and q4 and associated resistors r11 - r14 , capacitors c3 - c5 and diodes cr4 and cr5 . also included in the flame sensing circuit 15 is a detector network composed of a primary energy storing capacitor c6 , a pair of resistors r15 , r16 and a secondary winding 21 of a transformer t1 . a reignition mechanism composed of a secondary storage capacitor c7 and resistors r17 and r18 also is included in the flame sensing circuit 15 . the valve control circuit 18 includes three transistors q5 - q7 , the primary winding 22 of the transformer t1 , a relay winding k1 and its associated contacts 23 , a solenoid 20 associated with the valve 19 , resistors r19 - r22 , a metal oxide varistor r23 , capacitors c8 and c9 and a pair of diodes cr6 and cr7 . forming the coupling circuit 16 are a pair of transistors q8 , q9 , a relay winding k2 and its associated contacts 24 , 25 , resistors r24 , r25 , capacitors c10 - c12 , diodes cr8 and cr9 and a lead 26 connected to a terminal 27 of the heater element 13 . finally , a heater secondary winding of an isolation transformer t2 comprises the power supply 14 and is connected to terminals 27 , 28 of the heater element 13 by the contacts 24 , 25 . a control secondary winding 32 of the isolation transformer t2 is connected to the circuits 15 - 18 by a thermostatic switch ts . in response to a call for heat indicated by closure of the thermostat ts , the start - up circuit 17 first activates the ignitor coupling circuit 16 with a heating signal to initiate energization of the heater element 13 and subsequently produces an ignition signal that is applied to the flame sensing circuit 15 . in response to the ignition signal , the sensing circuit 15 activates the valve control circuit 18 which in turn opens the valve 19 to initiate gas flow to the burner 12 . this operation occurs in the following manner . current from the supply 32 flows through the thermostat ts , the diode cr10 , the resistors r1 , r2 , the diode cr4 so as to charge the capacitor c1 through the resistor r7 and the diode cr3 into the base of the transistor q2 . this current flow turns on the transistor q2 . conversely , a current attempt to flow through the resistors r8 , r6 , r5 , and r4 to the base of the transistor q1 . the capacitor c2 , however , acts as a delay preventing an immediate turn on of the transistor q1 . in addition , the turned on transistor q2 serves as a short to ground for current flow through the resistors r5 , r6 . with the transistor q1 turned off , a heating signal is supplied from its collector through the diode cr9 and the resistor r25 into the bases of the transistors q9 and q8 . accordingly the transistor q8 is turned on to draw energizing current through the relay k2 and initiates a heating period . the activation of the relay k2 induces closure of contacts 24 , 25 , thereby connecting the heating element 13 to the heater secondary 14 . the resultant current flow produces heating of the element 13 which can consist , for example , of a silicon carbide rod . after a period of , for example , 45 seconds , sufficient for the element 13 to reach fuel ignition temperature , the capacitor c1 is charged to a level that provides insufficient current flow to maintain conduction of the transistor q2 . that time period is determined by the time constant of the capacitor c1 and the resistors r1 , r2 and r7 . with the transistor q2 switched off , its collector current is diverted through the resistors r6 , r5 , and r4 into the base of the transistor q1 which switches on virtually tying the plus side of the capacitor c1 to ground . the capacitor c1 then provides an ignition signal that energizes the oscillator in the sensing circuit 15 . power for the oscillator is drawn from the capacitor c1 through the resistor r3 and the transistor q1 to ground and from ground through the transistors q3 , q4 and their collector and base components and finally back through the resistor r10 . power to amplify the output of the oscillator is taken from the collector of the transistor q3 which is connected to the base of the transistor q5 . the resistor 19 normally biases the transistor q5 in a switched on condition which in turn maintains the transistors q6 and q7 in the off state . however , with the oscillator running , the current taken from the resistor r12 pulls current away from the resistor r19 so as to turn off the transistor q5 . current is then allowed to flow through the resistor r20 and the base of the transistor q6 which is switched on and draws current through the base of the transistor q7 through the resistor r21 . thus , the transistor q7 is switched on and off at the frequency of the oscillator and produces current through the resistor 24 that pulses the transformer t1 . with the transistor q7 on the relay k1 is powered by transformer action through the diode cr7 . when the transistor q7 is switched off , additional power is supplied to the relay k1 through flyback action of the collapsing transformer field through the diode cr6 . the capacitor c9 functions as a filter for the relay k1 . energization of the relay k1 closes the contacts 23 to energize the solenoid 20 which in turn opens the valve 19 to initiate fuel flow to the burner 12 . fuel emanating from the burner 12 is then ignited by the heater element 13 . to insure that the heater element 13 will remain at ignition temperature during the ignition period , a means is provided for maintaining heating current flow for a period after the transistor q1 has been switched on to initiate the ignition period . this means comprises the capacitor c10 , the charge in which continues to supply base current for the transistor q9 and thereby maintain energization of the relay k2 . the capacitor c10 provides an additional heating period of , for example , ten seconds after initiation of the ignition period established by switching on of the transistor q1 . discharge of the capacitor c10 terminates the heating period by de - energizing the relay k2 to disconnect the heater element 13 from the supply 14 . discharge of the capacitor c1 terminates the ignition period by eliminating the application of an ignition signal to the sensing circuit 15 . in the event that flame is not established at the burner 12 during the ignition period , the discharge of the capacitor c1 eliminates power for operating the oscillator in the sensing circuit 15 . consequently , the transistor q5 is switched on to thereby switch off the transistors q6 and q7 and de - energize the relay k1 . this in turn opens the contacts 23 and de - energizes the solenoid 20 to close the valve 19 and interrupt any additional fuel flow to the burner 12 . in this locked out condition , a subsequent try for ignition can be accomplished only by reopening and closing of the thermostat ts . assuming however , that flame is established at the burner 12 during the ignition period , the sensing circuit 15 detects that flame and provides power to the oscillator that maintains a flow of fuel . as is well known , flame functions as a leaky diode which in this instance appears between the heater element 13 and the grounded burner 12 . thus , the ac voltage applied to the element 13 by the secondary winding 21 produces a rectified current flow tht charges the capacitor c6 . the direction of that current flow is such that the transformer side of the capacitor c6 is positive and the side connected to the heater element 13 by the lead 26 is negative . the charge on the capacitor c6 is transferred through the resistor r16 to the capacitor c5 which acts to filter out any ac provided by the transformer t1 . the capacitor c6 then supplies the oscillator with power through the resistor r13 . once the oscillator is started and flame continues , there exists a self - generating loop that insures a continued flow of fuel . however , if flame is subsequently lost , the flame rectified current is low and the capacitor c6 quickly discharges eliminating any source of power for the oscillator . to minimize nuisance lookouts after losses of flame , the present invention provides a means for reignition in the sensing circuit 15 . the reignition function is provided in the sensing circuit 15 by the capacitors c5 , c7 and the resistor r17 . when flame is lost , the very small capacitors c7 and c5 quickly discharge and the oscillator stops in a very short period of , for example , less than a second , to thereby close the valve 19 and interrupt fuel flow to the burner 12 . however , the capacitor c5 discharges into the oscillator and a discharge path for the capacitor c7 exists through the resistor r18 to the base of the transistor q2 to ground , and through the oscillator . the resultant current flow turns on the transistor q2 initiating a complete new start - up sequence in the manner described above . in the event tht the subsequent start - up cycle fails to re - establish flame , system lockout will occur as above described . obviously , many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | 5 |
an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the attached drawings . as illustrated in fig1 , a laser printer 1 has a main body casing ( printer body ) 2 . a side wall at the front of the main body casing 2 has a cartridge installing / removing port 3 and a front cover 4 that opens and closes the installing / removing port 3 . the front of the laser printer 1 is on the forward side in the fore - aft direction . the upper sides , lower sides , right sides , and left sides of the laser printer 1 placed on a flat surface and a developing cartridge 7 ( described later ) installed in the main body casing 2 of the laser printer 1 are defined as viewed from the front . a process cartridge 5 is installed at a position a little apart from the center in the main body casing 2 toward the front . the process cartridge 5 is inserted into the main body casing 2 through the installing / removing port 3 with the front cover 4 open , and is removed from the main body casing 2 . the process cartridge 5 has a drum cartridge 6 and the developing cartridge 7 , which is an example of a cartridge that is removably installed in the drum cartridge 6 . the drum cartridge 6 has a drum frame 8 . a photosensitive drum 9 is rotatably held at the rear end of the drum frame 8 . a charger 10 and a transfer roller 11 are held in the drum frame 8 . the charger 10 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 9 and the transfer roller 11 is disposed below the photosensitive drum 9 . in the drum frame 8 , a portion in front of the photosensitive drum 9 is a cartridge installation part 12 . the developing cartridge 7 is installed in the cartridge installation part 12 . the developing cartridge 7 has a housing 13 in which toner is included . a toner room 14 and a developing room 15 , which mutually communicate , are adjacently formed fore and aft in the housing 13 . an agitator 16 is provided in the toner room 14 so as to be rotatable about an agitator rotational axis line 17 extending in the right and left direction . the toner in the toner room 14 is stirred by the rotation of the agitator 16 and is fed from the toner room 14 to the developing room 15 . in the developing room 15 , a developing roller 18 is provided so as to be rotatable about a developing rotational axis line 20 extending in the right and left direction and a supply roller 19 is also provided so as to be rotatable about a supply rotational axis line 21 extending in the right and left direction . the developing roller 18 is disposed so that part of its circumferential surface is exposed from the rear end of the housing 13 . the developing cartridge 7 is installed in the drum cartridge 6 so that the circumferential surface of the developing roller 18 comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 9 . the supply roller 19 is disposed so that its circumferential surface comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the developing roller 18 from its lower side on the front side . the toner in the developing room 15 is supplied by the supply roller 19 to the circumferential surface of the developing roller 18 and is supported on the circumferential surface of the developing roller 18 as a thin layer . in the main body casing 2 , an exposure unit 22 including a laser and the like is disposed above the process cartridge 5 . during the formation of an image , the photosensitive drum 9 is rotated at a fixed speed clockwise as viewed from the left side . the circumferential surface ( front surface ) of the photosensitive drum 9 is uniformly charged due to the discharging of the charger 10 when the photosensitive drum 9 rotates . the exposure unit 22 is controlled according to image data , and a laser beam is emitted from the exposure unit 22 . for example , the laser printer 1 is connected to a personal computer ( not shown ), and the image data is sent from the personal computer to the laser printer 1 . the laser beam passes between the charger 10 and the developing cartridge 7 and is incident on the uniformly charged circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 9 , selectively exposing the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 9 . this exposure selectively removes charges from exposed parts of the photosensitive drum 9 , forming an electrostatic latent image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 9 . when the photosensitive drum 9 rotates and the electrostatic latent image faces the developing roller 18 , toner is supplied from the developing roller 18 to the electrostatic latent image and the electrostatic latent image is developed as a toner image . a paper supply cassette 23 that stores paper p is provided at the bottom of the main body casing 2 . a pickup roller 24 used to feed out paper from the paper supply cassette 23 is provided above the paper supply cassette 23 . a transport path 25 , which is s - shaped as viewed from a side , is formed in the main body casing 2 . the transport path 25 extends from the paper supply cassette 23 through the photosensitive drum 9 and transfer roller 11 to a paper ejection tray 26 formed on the upper surface of the main body casing 2 . the toner image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 9 is transferred to the paper p that passes between the photosensitive drum 9 and the transfer roller 11 by the effect of a bias applied to the transfer roller 11 . on the transport path 25 , a fixing unit 27 is provided downstream of the transfer roller 11 in the direction in which the paper p is transported . the paper p on which the toner image has been transferred is transported along the transport path 25 and passes through the fixing unit 27 . in the fixing unit 27 , the toner image is heated and pressurized to fix it to the paper p as an image . the paper p , on which the image has been formed in this way , is further transported along the transport path 25 and is ejected onto the paper ejection tray 26 . the housing 13 of the developing cartridge 7 has a first side wall 41 ( see fig2 ) and a second side wall 42 ( see fig1 ) that face each other with a spacing therebetween in the right and left direction , as shown in fig1 and 2 . a gear cover 43 is attached to the external side surface ( left surface ) of the first side wall 41 used as an example of a cover , as shown in fig2 and 3 . a gear train 44 is provided inside the gear cover 43 , as shown in fig4 . the gear train 44 includes an input gear 45 used as an example of a driving input member , a developing gear 46 , a supply gear 47 , an intermediate gear 48 , an agitator gear 49 used as an example of a transmitting member , and a reset gear 50 used as an example of a rotating member . the input gear 45 is positioned at an upper portion at the rear end of the first side wall 41 . the input gear 45 is disposed so as to be rotatable about an input gear rotational axis 51 ( see fig2 ) that extends in the right and left direction . the input gear rotational axis 51 is held to the first side wall 41 so as not to be rotatable . the input gear 45 integrally has a large - diameter gear part 52 , a small - diameter gear part 53 , and a coupling part 54 as shown in fig4 . the large - diameter gear part 52 , small - diameter gear part 53 , and coupling part 54 are placed in that order from the same side as the first side wall 41 . the large - diameter gear part 52 is formed in a discoid shape , which has a central axis line that matches the central axis line of the input gear rotational axis 51 . many gear teeth are formed over the entire circumferential surface of the large - diameter gear part 52 . the small - diameter gear part 53 is formed in a discoid shape , which has a central axis line that matches the central axis line of the input gear rotational axis 51 , the small - diameter gear part 53 having a smaller diameter than the large - diameter gear part 52 . many gear teeth are formed over the entire circumferential surface of the small - diameter gear part 53 . the coupling part 54 is formed in a columnar shape , which has a central axis line that matches the central axis line of the input gear rotational axis 51 , the circumferential surface of the coupling part 54 having a smaller diameter than the circumferential surface of the small - diameter gear part 53 . a linkage recess 55 is formed in the left side surface of the coupling part 54 . with the developing cartridge 7 installed in the main body casing 2 , the distal end of a driving output member 56 ( see fig3 ) provided in the main body casing 2 is inserted into the linkage recess 55 . the driving output member 56 is provided so as to be advanceable and retractable in the right and left direction . with the developing cartridge 7 installed in the main body casing 2 , the driving output member 56 advances to the right and its distal end is inserted into the linkage recess 55 . thus , the driving output member 56 and linkage recess 55 are mutually joined so as not to be relatively rotatable . when the driving output member 56 is rotated , therefore , the rotational force of the driving output member 56 is received by the input gear 45 as a driving force and the input gear 45 is thereby rotated together with the driving output member 56 . the developing gear 46 may be placed below and behind the input gear 45 as shown in fig4 . the developing gear 46 is attached to a developing roller axis 57 of the developing roller 18 so as not to be relatively rotatable . the developing roller axis 57 is rotatably attached to the first side wall 41 ; the central axis line of the developing roller axis 57 is the developing rotational axis line 20 ( see fig1 ), which is the rotational axis line of the developing roller 18 . gear teeth are formed over the entire circumferential surface of the developing gear 46 ; the gear teeth have been engaged with the gear teeth of the large - diameter gear part 52 of the input gear 45 . the supply gear 47 may be placed below the input gear 45 as shown in fig4 . the supply gear 47 is attached to a supply roller axis 58 of the supply roller 19 ( see fig1 ) so as not to be relatively rotatable . the supply roller axis 58 is rotatably attached to the first side wall 41 ; the central axis line of the supply roller axis 58 is the supply rotational axis line 21 ( see fig1 ), which is the rotational axis line of the supply roller 19 . gear teeth are formed over the entire circumferential surface of the supply gear 47 ; the gear teeth of the supply gear 47 be engaged with the gear teeth of the large - diameter gear part 52 of the input gear 45 . the intermediate gear 48 may be placed above and in front of the input gear 45 as shown in fig4 . the intermediate gear 48 is disposed so as to be rotatable about the central axis line of an intermediate gear rotational axis 59 extending in the right and left direction . the intermediate gear rotational axis 59 is held to the first side wall 41 so as not to be rotatable . the intermediate gear 48 integrally has a small - diameter part 60 , which is formed in a discoid shape with a relatively small outer diameter , and a large - diameter part 61 , which is formed in a columnar shape with a relatively large outer diameter , as shown in fig3 . the small - diameter part 60 and large - diameter part 61 are placed in that order from the same side as the first side wall 41 . the central axis lines of the small - diameter part 60 and large - diameter part 61 match the central axis line of the intermediate gear rotational axis 59 . gear teeth are formed over the entire circumferential surface of the small - diameter part 60 . gear teeth are formed over the entire circumferential surface of the large - diameter part 61 ; the gear teeth of the large - diameter part 61 have been engaged with the gear teeth of the small - diameter gear part 53 of the input gear 45 . the agitator gear 49 may be placed below and in front of the intermediate gear 48 as shown in fig4 . the agitator gear 49 is attached to an agitator rotational axis 62 so as not to be relatively rotatable . the agitator rotational axis 62 passes through the first side wall 41 and second side wall 42 ( see fig1 ) in the right and left direction and is rotatably held to the first side wall 41 and second side wall 42 . in the housing 13 , the agitator 16 is attached to the agitator rotational axis 62 . accordingly , the agitator 16 and agitator gear 49 use the central axis line of the agitator rotational axis 62 as the agitator rotational axis line 17 ( see fig1 ), so they are rotatable together with the agitator rotational axis 62 . the agitator gear 49 integrally has a large - diameter gear part 64 and a small - diameter gear part 65 . the large - diameter gear part 64 is formed in a discoid shape , which has a central axis line that matches the central axis line of the agitator rotational axis 62 . gear teeth are formed over the entire circumferential surface of the large - diameter gear part 64 . the gear teeth of the large - diameter gear part 64 have been engaged with the gear teeth of the small - diameter part 60 of the intermediate gear 48 . the small - diameter gear part 65 is formed on a side opposite to the first side wall 41 with respect to the large - diameter gear part 64 , has a discoid shape , which has a central axis line that matches the central axis line of the agitator rotational axis 62 , and has a smaller diameter than the large - diameter gear part 64 . gear teeth 66 are formed over the entire circumferential surface of the small - diameter gear part 65 . the reset gear 50 may be placed above and in front of the agitator gear 49 as shown in fig4 . the reset gear 50 is disposed so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis 67 extending in the right and left direction , as shown in fig5 . the rotational axis 67 is held to the first side wall 41 so as not to be rotatable . the reset gear 50 integrally has a missing tooth gear part 68 used as an example of a passive part and a cylindrical boss 69 , which is cylindrical . the missing tooth gear part 68 is formed in a discoid shape , which has a central axis line that matches the central axis line of the rotational axis 67 . gear teeth 70 are formed on part of the circumferential surface of the missing tooth gear part 68 . specifically , a portion having a central angle of about 185 degrees is formed on the circumferential surface of the missing tooth gear part 68 as a missing tooth part 71 , and gear teeth 70 are formed on a portion having a central angle of about 175 degrees outside the missing tooth part 71 . the gear teeth 70 are engaged with the gear teeth 66 of the small - diameter gear part 65 of the agitator gear 49 at some rotational position of the reset gear 50 . the cylindrical boss 69 , which protrudes from the left end surface of the missing tooth gear part 68 to the left , is formed in a cylindrical shape , which has a central axis line that matches the central axis line of the missing tooth gear part 68 . the rotational axis 67 is inserted into the cylindrical boss 69 so as to be relatively rotatable . accordingly , the reset gear 50 is rotatably supported with the rotational axis 67 acting as a fulcrum . on the left end surface of the missing tooth gear part 68 of the reset gear 50 , a detection protrusion 81 is provided on a portion where the missing tooth gear part 68 has the missing tooth part 71 as the circumferential surface . the detection protrusion 81 has a main body 811 and a swinging or pivot part 812 . the main body 811 , which is formed in a rectangular plate shape , protrudes from the missing tooth gear part 68 to the left in the tangential direction of a circular track drawn by the detection protrusion 81 when the reset gear 50 rotates ( simply referred to below as the tangential direction ). a columnar swinging axis part 813 is integrally formed at the proximal end of the swinging part 812 , the central axis line of the swinging part 812 extending in the tangential direction . the swinging axis part 813 , used as an example of a rotational axis , of the swinging part 812 is held to the distal end of the main body 811 so as to be rotatable about the central axis line of the main body 811 . accordingly , the detection protrusion 81 is attached so as to be changeable between a extended state ( shown in fig1 ) in which the swinging part 812 extends from the distal end of the main body 811 to the left and a collapsed state ( shown in fig4 ) in which the swinging part 812 is bent with respect to the main body 811 through 90 degrees toward the outside of the rotational radial direction of the reset gear 50 . a gear cover 43 integrally has an opposite wall 82 , which faces the first side wall 41 from the left side , and a circumferential wall 83 , which extends toward the first side wall 41 from the circumferential edge of the opposite wall 82 , as shown in fig3 . the gear cover 43 is made of , for example , a resin . the opposite wall 82 has an opposite part 84 , which faces the reset gear 50 from the left side as shown in fig3 and 5 . the opposite part 84 has a circular shape as viewed from a side . a round hole 85 , which is a through - hole , is formed at the center of the opposite part 84 . a substantially cylindrical boss part 86 is formed , which protrudes from the circumferential edge of the round hole 85 toward the inside of the gear cover 43 ( to the right ), as shown in fig5 . the part 86 is inserted into the cylindrical boss 69 of the reset gear 50 and the distal end ( right end ) of the part 86 is inserted into the distal end of the rotational axis 67 . on the inner surface of the opposite part 84 , a recess 87 , which has a circular shape concentric with the round hole 85 and is one step deeper , is formed on a side opposite to the first side wall 41 ( on the left side ), as shown in fig5 . accordingly , a cylindrical side wall 88 , which is linked to the inside and outside of the recess 86 , is formed on the inner surface of the opposite part 84 . on the side wall 88 , a protrusion extending cam 89 used as an example of a protrusion extending cam member is formed so as to protrude toward the inside as shown in fig2 and 5 . the protrusion extending cam 89 , disposed between a position in front of the round hole 85 and a position above the round hole 85 , has an arc shape having a central angle of about 90 degrees as viewed from a side , as shown in fig2 . the protrusion extending cam 89 is also sloped so as to separate from the first side wall 41 as the protrusion extending cam 89 approaches from the position in front of the round hole 85 to the position above the round hole 85 . the opposite part 84 used as an example of a protrusion falling cam member has a substantially arc - shaped opening 90 , which extends along the side wall 88 , inside the side wall 88 . a spacing is provided between the round hole 85 and the inner end edge of the opening 90 in a radial direction of the opposite part 84 . the inner end edge of the spacing has a semicircular part 901 in a semicircular shape and a linear part 902 , used as an example of an edge , that linearly extends and is linked to the downstream of the semicircular part 901 in its rotational direction r ( described later ) and intersects the circular track drawn by the detection protrusion 81 when the reset gear 50 rotates . the opposite wall 82 has an opening 91 through which the coupling part 54 of the input gear 45 is exposed . a detection mechanism 101 that detects the detection protrusion 81 is provided in the main body casing 2 as shown in fig2 . the detection mechanism 101 includes an actuator 102 and an optical sensor 103 that has a light emitting element and a photosensitive element . the actuator 102 integrally has a swinging axis 104 extending in the right and left direction , an abutting lever 105 extending downward from the swinging axis 104 , and a light shielding lever 106 extending backward from the swinging axis 104 . the swinging axis 104 is rotatably held to , for example , the inner wall ( not shown ) of the main body casing 2 . the abutting lever 105 and light shielding lever 106 intersect at an angle of about 80 degrees , centered around the swinging axis 104 . the actuator 102 is swingably attached so as to be changeable between a non - detecting state ( state shown in fig2 ), in which the abutting lever 105 extends forward and downward from the swinging axis 104 and the light shielding lever 106 extends backward and downward , and a detecting state ( state shown in fig1 ), in which the abutting lever 105 extends backward and the light shielding lever 106 extends backward . the actuator 102 is biased by a spring force of a spring ( not shown ) so that the actuator 102 is placed in the non - detecting state when external forces other than the spring force are not applied . the optical sensor 103 has the light emitting element and photosensitive element that are placed opposite to each other in the right and left direction . an optical path of the optical sensor 103 , which extends from the light emitting element to the photosensitive element , is blocked by the light shielding lever 106 of the actuator 102 , and the actuator 102 placed in the detecting state is positioned at a position to which the light shielding lever 106 is retracted from the optical path . when the light shielding lever 106 is retracted ( shifted ) from the optical path extending from the light emitting element to the photosensitive element , an on signal is output from the optical sensor 103 . a microcomputer ( not shown ) is electrically connected to the optical sensor 103 . as shown in fig3 and 4 , when the developing cartridge 7 is a new one , the detection protrusion 81 is positioned at an initial position below and in front of the cylindrical boss 69 ( rotational axis 67 ) of the reset gear 50 . in this initial state , about half of the detection protrusion 81 is placed inside the gear cover 43 , and the detection protrusion 81 is placed in the collapsed state . the most downstream gear tooth 70 of the row of the gear teeth 70 of the reset gear 50 in the rotational direction r has been engaged with the gear teeth 66 of the agitator gear 49 . when the developing cartridge 7 is installed in the main body casing 2 , a warm - up operation starts for the laser printer 1 . in the warm - up operation , the driving output member 56 ( see fig2 ) is inserted into the coupling part 54 ( linkage recess 55 ) of the input gear 45 , and the driving force is supplied from the driving output member 56 to the input gear 45 , rotating the input gear 45 . due to the rotation of the input gear 45 , the developing gear 46 , supply gear 47 , and intermediate gear 48 are rotated and the developing roller 18 and supply roller 19 are rotated . due to the rotation of the intermediate gear 48 , the agitator gear 49 is rotated and the agitator 16 ( see fig1 ) is rotated . due to the rotation of the agitator 16 , the toner in the developing cartridge 7 is stirred . when the new developing cartridge 7 is a new one , the gear teeth 66 of the agitator gear 49 and the gear teeth 70 of the reset gear 50 have been mutually engaged ; when the agitator gear 49 is rotated , therefore , the reset gear 50 follows the rotation and is rotated in the rotational direction r , which is counterclockwise as viewed from the left side . before and immediately after the new developing cartridge 7 is installed in the main body casing 2 , the actuator 102 is placed in a to - be - detected state as shown in fig2 , the abutting lever 105 faces the opening 90 of the gear cover 43 in the right and left direction , and the optical path of the optical sensor 103 is blocked by the light shielding lever 106 . thus , an off signal is output from the optical sensor 103 . when the reset gear 50 rotates , the detection protrusion 81 moves in the rotational direction r . the swinging part 812 of the detection protrusion 81 abuts the protrusion extending cam 89 during the movement as shown in fig6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 . the swinging part 812 then receives a force from the protrusion extending cam 89 during the subsequent rotation of the reset gear 50 ; the force causes the swinging part 812 to change from a state in which the swinging part 812 is bent with respect to the main body 811 to a state in which the swinging part 812 extends to the left . as a result , the detection protrusion 81 changes from the collapsed state to the extended state as shown in fig1 , 11 , and 12 . when the rotation of the reset gear 50 proceeds , the detection protrusion 81 abuts the abutting lever 105 . when the rotation of the reset gear 50 further proceeds , the detection protrusion 81 pushes the abutting lever 105 backward , shifting the actuator 102 from the to - be - detected state to the detecting state as shown in fig1 . as a result , the light shielding lever 106 is removed from the optical path of the optical sensor 103 , which extends from the light emitting element to the photosensitive element , and an on signal is output from the optical sensor 103 . accordingly , detection of the detection protrusion 81 by the optical sensor 103 is achieved . when the reset gear 50 further rotates and the detection protrusion 81 is released from the abutting lever 105 , the actuator 102 returns from the detecting state to the to - be - detected state . as a result , the optical path of the optical sensor 103 , which extends from the light emitting element to the photosensitive element , is blocked by the light shielding lever 106 and the output signal from the optical sensor 103 is switched from the on signal to an off signal . when the reset gear 50 further rotates , the detection protrusion 81 abuts the downstream end edge of the opening 90 of the gear cover 43 in the rotational direction r as shown in fig1 , that is , the linear part 902 . due to the subsequent rotation of the reset gear 50 , the detection protrusion 81 receives a force from the linear part 902 . this force bends the swinging part 812 of the detection protrusion 81 toward the outside of the rotational radial direction of the reset gear 50 and protrudes into the inside of the gear cover 43 . as a result , the detection protrusion 81 changes from the extended state to the collapsed state as shown in fig1 . then , when the rotation of the reset gear 50 further proceeds , the gear teeth 70 of the reset gear 50 are disengaged from the gear teeth 66 of the agitator gear 49 and the missing tooth part 71 of the reset gear 50 faces the gear teeth 66 , as shown in fig1 . accordingly , the rotation of the reset gear 50 stops and the detection protrusion 81 is positioned at a terminal position . as described above , when the new developing cartridge 7 is installed in the main body casing 2 for the first time , an on signal is output from the optical sensor 103 . therefore , if an on signal is output from the optical sensor 103 after the developing cartridge 7 has been installed in the main body casing 2 , it can be determined that the developing cartridge 7 is a new one . when an old developing cartridge 7 ( a developing cartridge 7 that has been installed in the main body casing 2 at least once ) is installed in the main body casing 2 , the rotational position of the reset gear 50 is a position at which the gear teeth 70 have already been disengaged from the gear teeth 66 , so even if the warm - up operation of the laser printer 1 is started , the reset gear 50 does not rotate . therefore , if an on signal is not output from the optical sensor 103 within a prescribed time after the developing cartridge 7 has been installed in the main body casing 2 , it can be determined that the developing cartridge 7 is an old one . as described above , the input gear 45 is provided in the casing of the developing cartridge 7 . the input gear 45 is rotated by a rotation driving force supplied from the outside . when the input gear 45 rotates , the rotation driving force is output from the input gear 45 . the developing cartridge 7 has the reset gear 50 that receives the rotation driving force output from the input gear 45 and rotates . the detection protrusion 81 is provided at a position apart from the rotational center of the reset gear 50 . the detection protrusion 81 is changeable between the extended state and the collapsed state with respect to the reset gear 50 . if the detection protrusion 81 is placed in the collapsed state when , for example , the developing cartridge 7 is installed in or removed from the main body casing , the detection protrusion 81 can be made less likely to come into contact with other members and the wear and damage of the detection protrusion 81 , which is caused by the contact , can thereby be reduced . even if the detection protrusion 81 is placed in the extended state , when the detection protrusion 81 abuts another member and a force is applied to the detection protrusion 81 , the detection protrusion 81 changes from the extended state to the collapsed state . accordingly , it can be reduced that the detection protrusion 81 is strongly rubbed and the wear of the detection protrusion 81 can thereby be reduced . since the force applied to the detection protrusion 81 can be released , the damage to the detection protrusion 81 can also be reduced . the detection protrusion 81 is placed in the collapsed state at the initial position , which is a position before the reset gear 50 rotates , that is , in a state in which the detection protrusion 81 is positioned at the initial position before the reset gear 50 receives the rotation driving force from the input gear 45 . accordingly , the detection protrusion 81 can be made less likely to come into contact with other members when , for example , the developing cartridge 7 is carried or the developing cartridge 7 is installed in the main body casing 2 , and the wear and damage of the detection protrusion 81 , which is caused by the contact , can thereby be reduced . the detection protrusion 81 is provided so as to be rotatable about the swinging axis part 813 . the swinging axis part 813 extends in the tangential direction of the circular track drawn by the detection protrusion 81 when the reset gear 50 rotates . accordingly , the detection protrusion 81 can be made changeable between the state in which the detection protrusion 81 stands on the circular track and the state in which the detection protrusion 81 falls down in a radial direction of the circular track . the developing cartridge 7 has the protrusion extending cam 89 , which is used to change the detection protrusion 81 from the collapsed state to the extended state . accordingly , when the reset gear 50 is rotated after the developing cartridge 7 has been installed in the main body casing 2 , the detection protrusion 81 can be changed from the collapsed state to the extended state , enabling the detection mechanism 101 to detect the detection protrusion 81 placed in the extended state . the developing cartridge 7 has the agitator gear 49 used to transmit the rotation driving force , which is output from the input gear 45 , to the reset gear 50 . the missing tooth gear part 68 to which the rotation driving force is transmitted from the agitator gear 49 is formed on the reset gear 50 . the transmission of the rotation driving force from the agitator gear 49 to the missing tooth gear part 68 is discontinued at least when the detection protrusion 81 is positioned at the terminal position . accordingly , it is possible to stop the detection protrusion 81 at the terminal position and to maintain the state in which the detection protrusion 81 is stopping at the terminal position . the developing cartridge 7 has the opposite part 84 with the linear part 902 used to change the detection protrusion 81 from the extended state to the collapsed state . accordingly , it is possible to change the detection protrusion 81 from the extended state to the collapsed state and place the detection protrusion 81 in the collapsed state at the terminal position . when the developing cartridge 7 is removed from the main body casing 2 , therefore , the detection protrusion 81 is made less likely to come into contact with other members and the wear and damage of the detection protrusion 81 , which is caused by the contact , can thereby be reduced . the linear part 902 intersects a circular track drawn by a portion of the detection protrusion 81 , which moves when the reset gear 50 rotates , the portion first abutting the protrusion falling cam member . when the detection protrusion 81 moves while sliding on the linear part 902 due to the rotation of the reset gear 50 , the detection protrusion 81 superiorly changes from the extended state to the collapsed state . although an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described so far , the present disclosure is not limited to the structure described above . in the structure described above , the detection protrusion 81 is placed in the collapsed state with it positioned at the terminal position , as shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , however , the detection protrusion 81 may be placed in the extended state with it positioned at the terminal position . in this case , it is desirable to predetermine the terminal position so that with the detection protrusion 81 positioned at the terminal position , the central axial line of the swinging axis part 813 extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction a in which the developing cartridge 7 is installed in and removed from the main body casing 2 . accordingly , when the developing cartridge 7 is removed from the main body casing 2 , if the detection protrusion 81 abuts another member and a force is applied to the detection protrusion 81 , the detection protrusion 81 changes from the extended state to the collapsed state . therefore , it can be reduced that the detection protrusion 81 is strongly rubbed and the wear of the detection protrusion 81 can thereby be reduced . since the force applied to the detection protrusion 81 can be released , the damage to the detection protrusion 81 can also be reduced . in addition , in the structure according to the embodiment described above , the reset gear 50 has the missing tooth gear part 68 and the gear teeth 70 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the missing tooth gear part 68 . instead of the missing tooth gear part 68 , a main body 181 in a sector plate shape centered around the cylindrical boss 69 and a resistance applying member 182 wound on the outer circumference of the main body 181 may be provided as shown in fig1 , at least the outer circumferential surface of the resistance applying member 182 being made of rubber or another material having a relatively large frictional coefficient . in this case , gear teeth may or may not be formed on the circumferential surface of the small - diameter gear part 65 of the agitator gear 49 . the main body 181 and resistance applying member 182 are formed so as to have a size that prevents a portion 182 b , which is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the resistance applying member 182 and is recessed relatively inside in a radial direction , from coming into contact with the small - diameter gear part 65 and allows an arc surface 182 a , which is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the resistance applying member 182 and is placed relatively outside in a radial direction , to come into contact with the circumferential surface of the small - diameter gear part 65 . although the developing cartridge 7 in the structure according to the embodiment described above has the gear cover 43 , the gear teeth 70 may be eliminated ( a structure in which the reset gear 50 is exposed may be used ) as long as the detection protrusion 81 provided on the reset gear 50 is changeable between the extended state and the collapsed state . while certain aspects of the disclosure have been shown and described with reference to certain illustrative embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . fig3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a line on glass ( log ) type liquid crystal display according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig4 is a detailed plan view of the liquid crystal display panel shown in fig3 . referring to fig3 and 4 , a log - type liquid crystal display according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) panel 106 having a liquid crystal cell matrix , a data tcp 112 having a data drive ic 114 mounted thereon to be connected to the lcd panel 106 , and a gate tcp 108 having a gate drive ic 110 mounted thereon to be connected to the lcd panel 106 . the data drive ic 114 is connected , via the data tcp 112 and data pads 160 of the lcd panel 106 , to the data lines dl . the data drive ic 114 converts digital pixel data into analog pixel signals to be applied to the data lines dl . the gate drive ic 110 is connected , via the gate tcp 108 and gate pads 162 of the lcd panel 106 , to the gate lines gl . the gate drive ic 110 sequentially applies a scan signal having a gate high voltage vgh to the gate lines gl so that the liquid crystal cells arranged in the matrix configuration can be selected line - by - line . further , the gate drive ic 110 applies a gate low voltage vgl to the gate lines gl in the remaining interval excluding a time interval when the gate high voltage vgh has been supplied . the lcd panel 106 includes a picture display part having a liquid crystal cell matrix , and a pad part located outside of the picture display part . the picture display part includes liquid crystal cells , defined between the gate lines gl and the data lines dl , to thereby display a picture . this picture display part includes a lower substrate 102 provided with a thin film transistor array along with the gate lines gl and the data lines dl , an upper substrate 104 provided with a color filter array , and a liquid crystal injected between the lower substrate 102 and the upper substrate 104 . the pad part is an outer area of the lower substrate 102 that does not overlap with the upper substrate 104 . the data pads 160 extended from the data lines dl and the gate pads 162 extended from the gate lines gl are located at the pad part area . further , at the outer area of the lower substrate 102 , a plurality of log - type signal lines 126 for delivering gate driving signals to the gate drive ic 110 are positioned . the log - type signal lines 126 include signal lines for supplying direct current voltage signals from the power supply , such as a gate low voltage signal vgl , a gate high voltage signal vgh , a common voltage signal vcom , a ground voltage signal gnd and a supply voltage signal vcc . the log - type signal lines 126 include signal lines for also supplying gate control signals from the timing controller , such as a gate start pulse gsp , a gate shift clock signal gsc and a gate enable signal goe . first log pads 132 are extended from one end of the log - type signal lines 126 . the first log pads 132 are connected to first supply pads 130 of the first data tcp 112 for supplying the gate driving signals . second log pads 138 are extended from the other end of the log - type signal lines 126 . the second log pads 138 are connected to second supply pads 134 of the gate tcp 108 . output pads of the data tcp 112 are connected to the data pads 160 extended from the data lines dl while output pads of the gate tcp 108 are connected to the gate pads 162 extended from the gate lines gl . the log signal pads including each of the first and second log pads 132 and 138 are formed integral to the dummy pad adjacent thereto to result in each log signal pad having a larger area than those in the related art arrangements . in other words , each of the first and second log pads of the related art have a width similar to the first and second supply pads corresponding to them , respectively . on the other hand , each of the first and second log pads 132 and 138 according to embodiments of the present invention differ from the related art arrangements because they have a larger width than the first and second supply pads 130 and 134 corresponding to them . by providing each of the first and second log pads 132 and 138 with a larger area than their corresponding first and second supply pads 130 and 134 , their relative alignment margin region is advantageously widened . as a result , in the event that there is a misalignment between the liquid crystal display panel provided with the first and second log pads 132 and 138 and one or more of the tcps provided with the first and second supply pads 130 and 134 respectively , the log pads 132 and 138 having a larger area than the respective supply pads increases the possibility for a proper contact area between the supply pads 130 and 134 and the log pads 132 and 138 even in the event of a misalignment between the two portions . as a result of this advantageous feature of this embodiment , contact difficulties between the supply pads 130 and 134 and the log pads 132 and 138 caused by such misalignment can be prevented . any of the first and second log pads 132 and 138 connected with the first and second supply pads of the driving tcps , including the gate tcp 108 and the data tcp 112 , respectively can have a plurality of input terminals 170 and 172 , as shown in fig4 , for example . in particular , the log signal pads 132 and 138 for supplying the gate high voltage signal vgh , the gate low voltage signal vgl , the common voltage signal vcom , the ground voltage signal gnd and the supply voltage signal vcc each have at least two input terminals 170 and 172 , as shown in fig4 . moreover , the log signal pads 132 and 138 having at least one input terminal have a larger contact area with the supply pad than the related art signal pads having a single input terminal . in other words , a contact area of the plurality of input terminals of the first log pads 132 with respective output terminals of the first supply pads 130 connected to the first log pads 132 is widened in comparison to the related art arrangements , so that a contact resistance , which is inversely proportional to the area , can be lowered . also , a contact area of the plurality of input terminals of the second log pads 138 with respective output terminals of the second supply pads 134 connected to the second log pads 138 is widened in comparison to the related art arrangements , so that a contact resistance inversely proportional to the area can also be lowered . moreover , areas of the first and second log pads 132 and 138 are widened in comparison to the related art arrangements , so that pad resistance thereof also can be reduced . as a result , a line resistance of the log - type signal line 126 connected with the first and second log pads 132 and 138 becomes relatively low . as described above , according to embodiments of the present invention , each the log signal pads has a relatively wide area . moreover , each of the log signal pads of embodiments of the present invention have at least one input terminal . accordingly , a contact resistance between a log signal pad and its corresponding supply pad becomes relatively low . as a result , it is possible to reduce a line resistance of the log - type signal line connected to the log signal pad . also , this arrangement results in the facilitation of making proper alignment of a supply pad with a log signal pad when they are connected together . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a block diagram of the dma controller of a first embodiment of the invention . in this figure , reference numeral 1 represents an arbitration circuit , reference numeral 2 - 1 represents a sequencer , reference numeral 3 represents a cyc register , reference numeral 4 represents a cyc counter , reference numeral 5 represents a trn counter , reference numeral 6 represents an src address counter , reference numeral 7 represents a dst address counter , reference numeral 8 represents a control register , reference numeral 9 represents an src address register , and reference numeral 10 represents a dst address register . the arbitration circuit 1 arbitrates access to a system bus , controls the sequencer 2 - 1 , abandons access to the system bus , and performs other operations . according to instructions given from the arbitration circuit 1 , the sequencer 2 - 1 controls dma transfer . the sequencer 2 - 1 can access various registers and counters by way of a bus 100 provided within the dma controller . to the cyc register 3 , a cpu writes the number of data transfer cycles to be performed in response to a single dma transfer request . the cyc counter 4 is for counting the number of data transfer cycles that have actually been performed . to the trn counter 5 , the cpu writes the number of dma transfer requests that are going to be made . in the src address counter 6 , the address of the data transfer source location is specified . in the dst address counter 7 , the address of the data transfer destination location is specified . to the src address register 9 , the cpu writes the start address of the data transfer source location . to the dst address register 10 , the cpu writes the start address of the data transfer destination location . to the control register 8 , the cpu writes various items of information on dma transfer . it is to be noted that , when the cpu has access to the system bus , it can access the registers and counters provided within the dma controller by way of the system bus . according to instructions given from the sequencer 2 - 1 , the cyc counter 4 , trn counter 5 , src address counter 6 , and dst address counter 7 update the values held in them . moreover , as needs arise , under the control of the sequencer 2 - 1 , the values held in the cyc counter 4 , src address counter 6 , and dst address counter 7 are rewritten with the values held in the cyc register 3 , src address register 9 , and dst address register 10 , respectively . moreover , as needs arise , the cpu rewrites the values held in the cyc register 3 , trn counter 5 , src address register 9 , and dst address register 10 . now , how the arbitration circuit 1 operates will be described specifically . when there is a request for dma transfer ( specifically , when an input signal dmareq is asserted ), the arbitration circuit 1 requests access to the system bus from the cpu ( specifically , it asserts an output signal busreq ). when the arbitration circuit 1 is permitted access to the system bus by the cpu ( specifically , when an input signal busack is asserted ), it issues a dma transfer start command to the sequencer 2 - 1 ( specifically , it asserts a start signal targeted at the sequencer 2 - 1 ), and also asserts an output signal dmaack . moreover , when the arbitration circuit 1 is notified of the end of dma transfer by the sequencer 2 - 1 , it frees the system bus ( specifically , it negates the output signal busreq ), and also negates the output signal dmaack . moreover , when the arbitration circuit 1 is notified of the occurrence of an underflow by the sequencer 2 - 1 , it frees the system bus ( specifically , it negates the output signal busreq ), also negates the output signal dmaack , and in addition instructs the sequencer 2 - 1 to wait ( specifically , it negates the start signal targeted at the sequencer 2 - 1 ). now , an example of how the sequencer 2 - 1 operates will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in fig2 . first , when a dma enable flag within the control register 8 is set ( y in # 101 ), the value held in the cyc counter 4 is updated with the value held in the cyc register 3 , the value held in the src address counter 6 is updated with the value held in the src address register 9 , and the value held in the dst address counter 7 is updated with the value held in the dst address register 10 (# 102 ). here , the cpu is so configured as to first write the information necessary for dma transfer to the registers and counters provided within the dma controller and then set the dma enable flag ( i . e . permit the dma controller dma transfer ). next , when the sequencer 2 - 1 is instructed to start dma transfer by the arbitration circuit 1 ( i . e . when the start signal is asserted ) ( y in # 103 ), it reads into its own buffer the data at the address corresponding to the value held in the src address counter 6 (# 104 ). next , the value held in the src address counter 6 is updated , and the value held in the cyc counter 4 is decremented by 1 (# 105 ). next , the sequencer 2 - 1 writes the data read in # 104 to the address corresponding to the value held in the dst address counter 7 (# 106 ). next , the value held in the dst address counter 7 is updated (# 107 ). next , whether the value held in the trn counter 5 equals 0 or not is checked (# 108 ). if , in # 108 , the value held in the trn counter 5 is found to equal 0 ( y in # 108 ), the flow proceeds to # 109 described later . otherwise , i . e . if the value held in the trn counter 5 is found not to equal 0 ( n in # 108 ), the flow proceeds to # 110 described later . in # 109 and # 110 , whether an underflow has occurred in the cyc counter 4 or not is checked . if , in # 109 , an underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( y in # 109 ), the sequencer 2 - 1 resets the dma enable flag within the control register 8 , and in addition notifies the arbitration circuit 1 of the end of dma transfer (# 111 ). on completion of # 111 , the flow proceeds to # 101 described earlier ( i . e . the sequencer 2 - 1 enters into a state waiting for the cpu to permit dma transfer ). otherwise , i . e . if no underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( n in # 109 ), the flow proceeds to # 104 described earlier . as described earlier , when the arbitration circuit 1 is notified of the end of dma transfer by the sequencer 2 - 1 , it frees the system bus ( specifically , it negates the output signal busreq ), and also negates the output signal dmaack . if , in # 110 , an underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( y in # 110 ), the sequencer 2 - 1 decrements the value held in the trn counter 5 by 1 , also updates the value held in the cyc counter 4 with the value held in the cyc register 3 , and in addition notifies the arbitration circuit 1 of the occurrence of the underflow in the cyc counter 4 (# 112 ). on completion of # 112 , the flow proceeds to # 103 described earlier ( i . e . the sequencer 2 - 1 enters into a state waiting for the arbitration circuit 1 to command the starting of dma transfer ). otherwise , i . e . if no underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( n in # 110 ), the flow proceeds to # 104 described earlier . as described earlier , when the arbitration circuit 1 is notified of the occurrence of the underflow in the cyc counter 4 by the sequencer 2 - 1 , it frees the system bus ( specifically , it negates the output signal busreq ), also negates the output signal dmaack , and in addition instructs the sequencer 2 - 1 to wait ( specifically , it negates the start signal targeted at the sequencer 2 - 1 ). next , another example of how the sequencer 2 - 1 operates will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in fig3 . here , such steps as are found also in the flow chart shown in fig2 are identified with the same step numbers , and their explanations will not be repeated . on completion of # 107 described earlier , whether an underflow has occurred in the cyc counter 4 or not is checked (# 113 ). if , in # 113 , an underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( y in # 113 ), the sequencer 2 - 1 decrements the value held in the trn counter 5 by 1 (# 114 ). otherwise , if no underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( n in # 113 ), the flow proceeds to # 104 described earlier . on completion of # 114 , whether an underflow has occurred in the trn counter 5 or not is checked (# 115 ). if , in # 115 , an underflow is found to have occurred in the trn counter 5 ( y in # 115 ), the flow proceeds to # 116 described later . otherwise , i . e . if no underflow is found to have occurred in the trn counter 5 ( n in # 115 ), the flow proceeds to # 117 described later . in # 116 , the sequencer 2 - 1 resets the dma enable flag within the control register 8 , and in addition notifies the arbitration circuit 1 of the end of dma transfer . on completion of # 116 , the flow proceeds to # 101 described earlier ( i . e . the sequencer 2 - 1 enters into a state waiting for the cpu to permit dma transfer ). as described earlier , when the arbitration circuit 1 is notified of the end of dma transfer by the sequencer 2 - 1 , it frees the system bus ( specifically , it negates the output signal busreq ), and also negates the output signal dmaack . in # 117 , the sequencer 2 - 1 updates the value held in the cyc counter 4 with the value held in the cyc register 3 , and in addition notifies the arbitration circuit 1 of the occurrence of the underflow in the cyc counter 4 . on completion of # 117 , the flow proceeds to # 103 described earlier ( i . e . the sequencer 2 - 1 enters into a state waiting for the arbitration circuit 1 to command the starting of dma transfer ). as described earlier , when the arbitration circuit 1 is notified of the occurrence of the underflow in the cyc counter 4 by the sequencer 2 - 1 , it frees the system bus ( specifically , it negates the output signal busreq ), also negates the output signal dmaack , and in addition instructs the sequencer 2 - 1 to wait ( specifically , it negates the start signal targeted at the sequencer 2 - 1 ). through the operations described above , in this first embodiment , if it is assumed that the value set in the cyc register 3 is x and that the value set in the trn counter 5 is y , x + 1 dma transfer cycles are performed in response to a single dma transfer request , and thereafter the dma controller remains in a stand - by state until a new request for dma transfer occurs . eventually , when a due number of dma transfer cycles have been performed in response to y + 1 dma transfer requests , the dma controller ends its operation ; that is , it performs ( x + 1 )×( y + 1 ) dma transfer cycles in total . thus , in a case where a dma transfer cycles are performed in response to a single dma transfer request and in addition b dma transfer requests are made in succession ( i . e . a × b dma transfer cycles are performed in total ), it is only once that the cpu needs to set appropriate addresses in the src address register 9 and the dst address register 10 and set the values held in the cyc register 3 and the trn counter 5 respectively to a − 1 and b − 1 . this helps alleviate the burden on the cpu and thereby accordingly reduce the lowering of overall system performance . in the operation of the sequencer 2 - 1 described above , the step of updating the value held in the src address counter 6 and the step of decrementing the value held in the cyc counter 4 by 1 may be performed after the writing of the data ; that is , the order of # 105 and # 106 may be reversed . alternatively , # 105 may be performed after # 107 . fig4 shows a block diagram of the dma controller of a second embodiment of the invention . the dma controller of the second embodiment is designed to cope with cases where the address of the source location or of the destination location is single and fixed . in this figure , reference numeral 2 — 2 represents a sequencer , reference numeral 11 represents an address counter , and reference numeral 12 represents an address register . here , such circuit blocks as are found also in the dma controller of the first embodiment shown in fig1 and described earlier are identified with the same reference numerals , and their explanations will not be repeated . according to instructions given from the arbitration circuit 1 , the sequencer 2 — 2 controls dma transfer . the sequencer 2 — 2 can access various registers and counters by way of a bus 100 provided within the dma controller . according to instructions from the sequencer 2 — 2 , the cyc counter 4 , trn counter 5 , and address counter 11 update the values held in them . moreover , as needs arise , under the control of the sequencer 2 — 2 , the values held in the cyc counter 4 and address counter 11 are rewritten with the values held in the cyc register 3 and address register 12 . moreover , as needs arise , the cpu rewrites the value held in the address register 12 . now , how the sequencer 2 — 2 operates will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in fig5 . first , if the dma enable flag within the control register 8 is set ( y in # 201 ), the value held in the cyc counter 4 is updated by the value held in the cyc register 3 , and the value held in the address counter 11 is updated with the value held in the address register 12 (# 202 ). next , when the sequencer 2 — 2 is instructed to start dma transfer by the arbitration circuit 1 ( y in # 203 ), it refers to the control register 8 to recognize which of the source location address and the destination location address is fixed to a single address (# 204 ). next , if the source location address is found to be fixed ( s in # 204 ), the data at the source location address is read out onto the bus , and simultaneously the data on the bus is written to the address corresponding to the value held in the address counter 11 (# 205 ). on completion of # 205 , the flow proceeds to # 207 described later . it is to be noted that , when the source location address is found to be fixed , the data at the source location address is read out onto the bus as a result of the arbitration circuit 1 asserting the output signal dmaack . on the other hand , if the destination location address is found to be fixed ( d in # 204 ), the data at the address corresponding to the value held in the address counter 11 is read out onto the bus , and simultaneously the data on the bus is written to the destination location address (# 206 ). on completion of # 206 , the flow proceeds to # 207 described later . it is to be noted that , when the destination location address is found to be fixed , the data on the bus is written to the destination location address as a result of the arbitration circuit 1 asserting the output signal dmaack . in # 207 , the value held in the cyc counter 4 is decremented by 1 , and in addition the value held in the address counter 11 is updated . on completion of # 207 , whether the value held in the trn counter 5 equals 0 or not is checked (# 208 ). if the value held in the trn counter 5 is found to equal 0 ( y in # 208 ), the flow proceeds to # 209 described later . otherwise , i . e . if the value held in the trn counter 5 is found not to equal 0 ( n in # 208 ), the flow proceeds to # 210 described later . in # 209 and # 210 , whether an underflow has occurred in the cyc counter 4 or not is checked . if , in # 209 , an underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( y in # 209 ), the sequencer 2 - 1 resets the dma enable flag within the control register 8 , and in addition notifies the arbitration circuit 1 of the end of dma transfer (# 211 ). on completion of # 211 , the flow proceeds to # 201 described earlier ( i . e . the sequencer 2 - 1 enters into a state waiting for the cpu to permit dma transfer ). otherwise , i . e . if no underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( n in # 209 ), the flow proceeds to # 204 described earlier . as described earlier , when the arbitration circuit 1 is notified of the end of dma transfer by the sequencer 2 — 2 , it frees the system bus ( specifically , it negates the output signal busreq ), and also negates the output signal dmaack . if , in # 210 , an underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( y in # 210 ), the sequencer 2 - 1 decrements the value held in the trn counter 5 by 1 , also updates the value held in the cyc counter 4 with the value held in the cyc register 3 , and in addition notifies the arbitration circuit 1 of the occurrence of the underflow in the cyc counter 4 (# 212 ). on completion of # 212 , the flow proceeds to # 203 described earlier ( i . e . the sequencer 2 - 1 enters into a state waiting for the arbitration circuit 1 to command the starting of dma transfer ). otherwise , i . e . if no underflow is found to have occurred in the cyc counter 4 ( n in # 210 ), the flow proceeds to # 204 described earlier . as described earlier , when the arbitration circuit 1 is notified of the occurrence of the underflow in the cyc counter 4 by the sequencer 2 — 2 , it frees the system bus ( specifically , it negates the output signal busreq ), also negates the output signal dmaack , and in addition instructs the sequencer 2 — 2 to wait ( specifically , it negates the start signal targeted at the sequencer 2 — 2 ). through the operations described above , in this second embodiment , it is possible to achieve the same effect as achieved in the first embodiment described earlier , and in addition to reduce the number of registers and counters needed , although the second embodiment is applicably only in cases where data transfer is possible either from a fixed particular source location address or to a fixed particular destination location address . it is possible to omit the src address register 9 and the dst address register 10 in the first embodiment and the address register 12 in the second embodiment by making the cpu write data directly to the src address counter 6 , the dst address counter 7 , and the address counter 11 , respectively . in the embodiments described above , the number of dma transfer requests that are going to be made is written directly to the trn counter 5 by the cpu . however , it is also possible , instead , to provide a trn register so that the number of dma transfer requests that are going to be made is written to this trn register by the cpu and that the value held in the trn counter 5 is updated with the value held in the trn register at the time point when dma transfer is permitted . this eliminates the need for the cpu to set repeatedly the number of dma transfer requests that are going to be made in the dma controller as long as the same number of dma transfer requests are made repeatedly . | 6 |
methods and apparatuses for regular expression searching are described . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth . however , it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known circuits , structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of this description . reference throughout this 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 . thus , the appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ” or “ in an embodiment ” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . furthermore , the particular features , structures , or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of a regular expression search engine 102 . in one embodiment , the search engine 102 is implemented as hardware , for example , as an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) or as a programmable logic array ( pla ). in alternate embodiments , the search engine can be implemented as a combination of hardware and software . incoming characters 170 are processed by root node processor 100 , which checks each incoming character to determine whether the character is a potential root character of a string of interest . as used herein a “ string of interest ” is a string of characters being searched for within a string of data . the data can be , for example , network packet , files , or any type of data . in general , when root node processor 100 identifies a character that is a potential root node , root node processor activates a finite state automaton ( fsa ) to identify whether or not the incoming data matches a particular string of interest . in one embodiment , every character is checked to determine whether the character is a “^” character or a “\ w ” character . the “^” character indicates the beginning of a string or , if qualified by a “\ n ” character or a “\ r ” character , indicates the beginning of a line . the “\ w ” character indicates a non - alphanumeric character . in one embodiment , a regular expression matches a string if any of the alternatives of the regular expression match . alternatives are separated by the “|” character ( i . e ., the “ vertical bar ” character ), and are evaluated left - to - right , stopping on the first complete match . an alternative matches if every item in the alternative matches in the order the items occur . in one embodiment , an item includes an assertion and / or a quantified atom . assertions are : “^” matches the beginning of the string ( or line , if “$*” set ). “$” matches the end of the string ( or line if “$*” set ). “\ b ” matches on word boundary ( between “\ w ” and “\ w ”). “\ b ” matches on non - word boundary . in one embodiment , a quantified atom includes one of the following followed by a quantifier that indicates the number of times the atom must or may occur . if there is no quantifier , the atom must occur only once . “{ n , m }” must occur at least n times but no more than m times . “{ n ,}” must occur at least n times . “{ n }” must match exactly n times . “*” must occur 0 or more times ( same as “{ 0 ,}”). “+” must occur 1 or more times ( same as “{ 1 ,}”). “?” must occur 0 or 1 time ( same as “{ 0 , 1 }”). acceptable atoms include the following . a regular expression in parentheses matches whatever the regular expression matches . a “.” matches any character except “\ n ”. a list of characters in square brackets (“[ ]”) matches one of a class of characters . a caret (“^”) at the beginning of the list negates the class . character ranges may be indicated using “ a - z ” notation . “\ b ” indicates a backspace character class . “\-” indicates a hyphen character . “\ n ” indicates a newline character . “\ r ” indicates a carriage return . “\ t ” indicates a tab . “\ f ” indicates a form feed . “\ d ” indicates a digit ( same as “[ 0 - 9 ]”). “\ d ” indicates a non - digit . “\ w ” indicates a word character ( same as “[ 0 - 9a - z_a - z ]”). “\ w ” indicates a non - word character . “\ s ” indicates a whitespace character . “\ s ” indicates a non - whitespace character . additional and / or different string definitions can also be used to define a regular expression search . in general , a regular expression search is a flexible search definition that allows for a search of a large number of potential strings . in one embodiment , for each character , an existence list is maintained in root existence table 110 . the character is used as an index to one of 256 entries in root existence table 110 . in one embodiment , the entries of root existence table 110 includes an existence list pointer ( elp ) that is used to indicate information related to an active root . one embodiment of a root existence table is described in greater detail below with respect to fig4 . the elp is returned to root node processor 100 for use in further processing . in one embodiment , an elp value of zero indicates that the corresponding character is not a valid root . in one embodiment , the root node processor 100 passes the elp to an active list processor ( alp ) 160 . the active list processor 160 maintains a root active list ( ral ) 120 and a state active list ( sal ) 150 . the state active list 150 maintains a list of all the active nodes . the root active list 120 is a list maintained for handling root characters . in one embodiment , the entries of the root active list 120 include a node pointer ( np ) that points to a node corresponding to the next character in the string of interest . one embodiment of a root active list is described in greater detail below with respect to fig5 . the elp points to an entry in the root active list 120 . the active list processor 160 retrieves the entry pointed to by the elp for further processing . in one embodiment , the active list processor 160 passes the np corresponding to the retrieved entry to an active node processor ( anp ) 130 for further processing . in one embodiment , the active node processor 130 maintains a tree table structure 140 . each entry in the tree table structure 140 corresponds to a character in the string of interest . one embodiment of a tree table structure is described in greater detail below in respect to fig6 . the np points to an entry in the tree table structure ( tts ) 140 . the active node processor 130 retrieves the entry pointed to by the np for further processing . in one embodiment , after an entry is fetched from the tree table structure 140 , the entry is compared to the current character in the data stream . if there is no match , the corresponding fsa may be aborted . if there is a match , the node is inserted into the state active list 150 . the active list processor 160 retrieves entries corresponding to the nodes in the state active list 150 when the next character in the data stream is fetched . when a string of characters 170 in a data stream match a string of interest being searched for , the match 180 may be reported by the active node processor 130 . fig2 illustrates an exemplary state diagram of one embodiment of a finite state automaton ( fsa ). in one embodiment , the strings ( or patterns ) searched for are specified as a collection of one or more regular expressions ; however , other definitions can also be used . in the example illustrated in fig2 , the following strings are searched for : where “.” indicates any value except a new line and “*” indicates a general wildcard . other expression indicators can also be used . in this example , the fsa begins at state s 0 at 202 . if a root character of a data stream matches the root character , “ g ”, of the fsa , then the fsa is activated . the fsa moves to state s 1 at 204 . the next character in the data stream is compared to the next character , “ e ”, of the string of interest . at any time there is no match , the fsa is aborted . if there is a match , the fsa moves to state s 2 at 206 . then , the next character in the data stream is compared to the next character , “ t ”, of the string of interest . if there is a match , the fsa moves to state s 3 at 208 . then , the next character in the data stream is compared to “.*”. if there is a match , the fsa moves to state s 4 at 210 . since “. *” may consume more than one character , the fsa may stay at state s 4 until a character in the data stream does not match “. *” or matches one of the next characters in the strings of interest , “ a ” or “ b ”. if a character in the data stream matches “ a ”, then the fsa moves to state s 5 at 212 . s 5 is a terminal state , indicating that a is the last character in a string of interest , and characters in the data stream have matched the string “ get . * a ”. if a character in the data stream matches “ b ”, then the fsa moves to state s 6 at 214 . s 6 is a terminal state , indicating that b is the last character in a string of interest , and characters in the data stream have matched the string “ get . * b ”. once a terminal state has been reached , the result of a match may be reported . in one embodiment , the active node processor 130 generates a report indicating any matched strings of interest . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of a node tree 300 . the root node 310 indicates the potential root characters of a string of interest . the root node 310 has one or more children . there are two types of children : primary and secondary . primary children can consume only one character in a string , such as “[ gg ]” or “[ pqrt ]”. secondary children can consume zero or more characters in a string , such as “[ ab ]*” or “.*”. the root node 310 has one primary child , node 320 . node 320 has one primary child , node 330 . node 330 has one secondary child , node 340 . node 340 has two primary children , nodes 350 and 360 . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of a root existence table 110 . in this embodiment , root existence table 110 contains three fields : the entry 400 , existence list pointer 410 ( elp ), and existence count ( ec ) 420 . the entry 400 corresponds to a root character in a string of interest . the elp 410 points to a corresponding entry in the root active list 120 that contains more information about the root node . the ec 420 indicates the number of children the root node has . additional and / or different fields can also be included in root existence table 110 . fig5 illustrates an embodiment of a root active list 120 . root active list 120 contains additional information about the root nodes . in this embodiment , root active list 120 contains six fields : the entry 500 , node pointer ( np ) 510 , secondary child list pointer ( sclp ) 520 , secondary child count ( scc ) 530 , pre - qualifier ( pq ) 540 , and repeat bit ( r ) 550 . the entry 500 indicates the number assigned to the root node . the np 510 points to an entry in tree table structure 140 that corresponds to a primary child of the root node . the sclp 520 points to an entry in the tree table structure 140 that corresponds to a secondary child of the root node . the scc 530 indicates how many secondary children the root node has . the pre - qualifier 540 indicates any conditions before qualifying the node . the repeat bit 550 indicates if more than one character can be consumed by the root node . additional and / or different fields can also be included in root active list 120 . fig6 illustrates an embodiment of a tree table structure 140 . in this embodiment , the tree table structure 140 contains seven fields : the entry 600 , child list pointer ( clp ) 610 , child count ( cc ) 620 , secondary child list pointer ( sclp ) 630 , secondary child count ( scc ) 640 , valid bit ( va ) 650 , unique bit ( u ) 660 , terminal bit ( t ) 670 , virtual bit ( vi ) 680 , and qualifier ( q ) 690 . additional and / or different fields can also be included in tree table structure 140 . the entry 600 indicates the number assigned to the node . the clp 610 points to an entry in tree table structure 140 that corresponds to a primary child of the node . the cc 620 indicates how many primary children the node has . the sclp 630 points to an entry in tree table structure 140 that corresponds to a secondary child of the node . the scc 640 indicates how many secondary children the node has . the valid bit 650 indicates whether the node is valid . the valid bit is used to support dynamic deletion of nodes in the tree . if a node is deleted , the node is no longer valid . the unique bit 660 indicates whether the node is unique . if a node is unique and qualifies , then other children of the parent do not have to be explored . the terminal bit 670 indicates whether the node is terminal . a node is terminal if the node is the end of a string or pattern of interest . the virtual bit 680 indicates that the node is a virtual node and does not consume a character . the qualifier 690 is a 256 - bit vector that indicates which characters will qualify the node . if a character in the data stream qualifies a node , indicating a match between the character in the data stream and a corresponding character in a string of interest , the corresponding fsa will move to the next state , and the next child node will be retrieved from the table tree structure 140 and compared to the next character in the data stream . an illustrative example of a string search will now be described . for purposes of illustration , assume that the followings strings or patterns are being searched for : [ gg ] [ ee ] [ tt ]. * a [ gg ] [ ee ] [ tt ]. * b [ dd ] [ bb ] [ cc ]. * xyz [ pp ] [ oo ] [ ss ] [ tt ]. * a b c where “.” indicates any value except a new line , “*” indicates a general wildcard , and “[ gg ]” indicates both uppercase and lowercase “ g ”. assume that the root existence table 110 , the root active list 120 , and the tree table structure 140 contain entries as shown in fig4 , 5 , and 6 respectively . in this example , a data stream containing a data string “ getxyab ” is to be examined to determine if there is a match with any of the strings being searched for . the root character “ g ” is retrieved from the data string “ getxyab ”. the root node processor 100 checks the root existence table 110 to determine whether “ g ” is a root character being searched for . since there is at least one string with a root character of “ g ” being searched for , there is an entry in the root existence table 110 that corresponds to “ g ”. therefore , the root existence table 110 returns the existence list pointer 410 to the root node processor 100 . the root node processor 100 passes the existence list pointer 410 to the active list processor 160 . the existence list pointer 410 points to an entry in the root active list 120 containing information about the root node that corresponds to the root character “ g ”. as shown in fig4 , the existence list pointer 410 for entry “ g ” points to entry 5 in the root active list 120 . therefore , the active list processor 160 accesses the root active list 120 and retrieves entry 5 . as shown in fig5 , the node pointer 510 corresponding to entry 5 points to entry 7 in the tree table structure 140 . the active list processor 160 passes the node pointer 510 to the active node processor 130 . at this point , the processing of the root character “ g ” is done . the next character “ e ” is retrieved from the data string “ getxyab ”. the root node processor 100 checks the root existence table 110 to determine whether “ e ” is a root character being searched for . since none of the strings being searched for have a root character of “ e ”, the root existence table 110 returns a “ 0 ” to root node processor 100 , indicating that no entry corresponding to a root character of “ e ” exists in the table . next , the active node processor 130 uses the node pointer 510 to determine which entry to look up in the tree table structure 140 . the node pointer 510 points to entry 7 . therefore , the active node processor 130 retrieves entry 7 from the tree table structure 140 . the child list pointer 610 of entry 7 points to entry 13 in the tree table structure 140 , indicating that node 13 is a child of node 7 . therefore , the active node processor 130 retrieves entry 13 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ e ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 13 . there is a match , so node 13 is inserted into the state active list 150 . at this point , the processing of the character “ e ” is done . the next character “ t ” is retrieved from the data string “ getxyab ”. the root node processor 100 checks the root existence table 110 to determine whether “ t ” is a root character being searched for . since none of the strings being searched for have a root character of “ t ”, the root existence table 110 returns a “ 0 ” to root node processor 100 , indicating that no entry corresponding to a root character of “ t ” exists in the table . next , the active list processor 160 retrieves the first entry from the state active list 150 , which corresponds to node 13 . the active list processor 160 passes this information to active node processor 130 . active node processor 130 retrieves entry 13 from the tree table structure 140 . the child list pointer 610 of entry 13 points to entry 16 in the tree table structure 140 , indicating that node 16 is a child of node 13 . therefore , the active node processor 130 retrieves entry 16 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ t ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 16 . there is a match , so node 16 is inserted into the state active list 150 . at this point , the processing of the character “ t ” is done . the next character “ x ” is retrieved from the data string “ getxyab ”. the root node processor 100 checks the root existence table 110 to determine whether “ x ” is a root character being searched for . since none of the strings being searched for have a root character of “ x ”, the root existence table 110 returns a “ 0 ” to root node processor 100 , indicating that no entry corresponding to a root character of “ x ” exists in the table . next , the active list processor 160 retrieves the first entry from the state active list 150 , which corresponds to node 16 . the active list processor 160 passes this information to active node processor 130 . active node processor 130 retrieves entry 16 from the tree table structure 140 . the child list pointer 610 and child count 620 are 0 , indicating that node 16 has no primary children . however , the secondary child count 640 is 1 , indicating that node 16 has one secondary child . the secondary child list pointer 630 points to entry 27 , indicating that node 27 is a secondary child of node 16 . therefore , the active node processor 130 retrieves entry 27 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ x ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 27 . there is a match , so node 27 is inserted into the state active list 150 with the repeat bit set , indicating that node 27 may consume more than one character . the child count of entry 27 is two , indicating that node 27 has two children : nodes 35 and 36 . therefore , the active node processor 130 retrieves entries 35 and 36 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ x ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 35 . there is no match . the character “ x ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 36 . there is no match . at this point , the processing of the character “ x ” is done . the next character “ y ” is retrieved from the data string “ getxyab ”. the root node processor 100 checks the root existence table 110 to determine whether “ y ” is a root character being searched for . since none of the strings being searched for have a root character of “ y ”, the root existence table 110 returns a “ 0 ” to root node processor 100 , indicating that no entry corresponding to a root character of “ y ” exists in the table . next , the active list processor 160 retrieves the first entry from the state active list 150 , which corresponds to node 27 . the active list processor 160 passes this information to active node processor 130 . active node processor 130 retrieves entry 27 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ y ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 27 . there is a match , so node 27 is re - inserted into the state active list 150 with the repeat bit set , indicating that node 27 may consume more than one character . the child count of entry 27 is two , indicating that node 27 has two children : nodes 35 and 36 . therefore , the active node processor 130 retrieves entries 35 and 36 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ y ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 35 . there is no match . the character “ y ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 36 . there is no match . at this point , the processing of the character “ y ” is done . the next character “ a ” is retrieved from the data string “ getxyab ”. the root node processor 100 checks the root existence table 110 to determine whether “ a ” is a root character being searched for . since none of the strings being searched for have a root character of “ a ”, the root existence table 110 returns a “ 0 ” to root node processor 100 , indicating that no entry corresponding to a root character of “ a ” exists in the table . next , the active list processor 160 retrieves the first entry from the state active list 150 , which corresponds to node 27 . the active list processor 160 passes this information to active node processor 130 . active node processor 130 retrieves entry 27 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ a ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 27 . there is a match , so node 27 is re - inserted into the state active list 150 with the repeat bit set , indicating that node 27 may consume more than one character . the child count of entry 27 is two , indicating that node 27 has two children : nodes 35 and 36 . therefore , the active node processor 130 retrieves entries 35 and 36 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ a ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 35 . there is a match . since the terminal bit of entry 35 is 1 , indicating that one of the strings to be searched for terminates with character “ a ”, a string to be searched for has been found , and this result may be reported . since the unique bit of entry 35 is 1 , indicating that the node is unique , no other children of entry 27 need to be explored . therefore , the processing of the character “ a ” is done . the next character “ b ” is retrieved from the data string “ getxyab ”. the root node processor 100 checks the root existence table 110 to determine whether “ b ” is a root character being searched for . since none of the strings being searched for have a root character of “ b ”, the root existence table 110 returns a “ 0 ” to root node processor 100 , indicating that no entry corresponding to a root character of “ b ” exists in the table . next , the active list processor 160 retrieves the first entry from the state active list 150 , which corresponds to node 27 . the active list processor 160 passes this information to active node processor 130 . active node processor 130 retrieves entry 27 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ b ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 27 . there is a match , so node 27 is re - inserted into the state active list 150 with the repeat bit set , indicating that node 27 may consume more than one character . the child count of entry 27 is two , indicating that node 27 has two children : nodes 35 and 36 . therefore , the active node processor 130 retrieves entries 35 and 36 from the tree table structure 140 . the character “ b ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 35 . there is no match . the character “ b ” is compared to the qualifier of entry 36 . there is a match . since the terminal bit of entry 36 is 1 , indicating that one of the strings to be searched for terminates with character “ b ”, a string to be searched for has been found , and this result may be reported . since the unique bit of entry 36 is 1 , indicating that the node is unique , no other children of entry 27 need to be explored . therefore , the processing of the character “ b ” is done . the end result is that the data stream containing “ getxyab ” matches two of the strings being searched for : “ get . * a ” and “ get . * b ”. the result of these matches may be reported by one of the processors . in one embodiment , portions of the regular expression search can be implemented as sequences of instructions executed by an electronic system . the sequences of instructions can be stored by the electronic device or the instructions can be received by the electronic device ( e . g ., via a network connection ). fig7 illustrates an embodiment of an electronic system . the electronic system illustrated in fig7 is intended to represent a range of electronic systems , for example , computer systems , network access devices , etc . alternative electronic systems can include more , fewer and / or different components . electronic system 700 includes bus 701 or other communication device to communicate information , and processor 702 coupled to bus 701 to process information . while electronic system 700 is illustrated with a single processor , electronic system 700 can include multiple processors and / or co - processors . electronic system 700 further includes random access memory ( ram ) or other dynamic storage device 704 ( referred to as memory ), coupled to bus 701 to store information and instructions to be executed by processor 702 . memory 704 also can be used to store temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor 702 . electronic system 700 also includes read only memory ( rom ) and / or other static storage device 706 coupled to bus 701 to store static information and instructions for processor 702 . data storage device 707 is coupled to bus 701 to store information and instructions . data storage device 707 such as a magnetic disk or optical disc and corresponding drive can be coupled to electronic system 700 . electronic system 700 can also be coupled via bus 701 to display device 721 , such as a cathode ray tube ( crt ) or liquid crystal display ( lcd ), to display information to a computer user . alphanumeric input device 722 , including alphanumeric and other keys , is typically coupled to bus 701 to communicate information and command selections to processor 702 . another type of user input device is cursor control 723 , such as a mouse , a trackball , or cursor direction keys to communicate direction information and command selections to processor 702 and to control cursor movement on display 721 . electronic system 700 further includes network interface 730 to provide access to a network , such as a local area network . instructions are provided to memory from a storage device , such as magnetic disk , a read - only memory ( rom ) integrated circuit , cd - rom , dvd , via a remote connection ( e . g ., over a network via network interface 730 ) that is either wired or wireless providing access to one or more electronically - accessible media , etc . in alternative embodiments , hard - wired circuitry can be used in place of or in combination with software instructions . thus , execution of sequences of instructions is not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software instructions . an electronically - accessible medium includes any mechanism that provides ( i . e ., stores and / or transmits ) content ( e . g ., computer executable instructions ) in a form readable by an electronic device ( e . g ., a computer , a personal digital assistant , a cellular telephone ). for example , a machine - accessible medium includes read only memory ( rom ); random access memory ( ram ); magnetic disk storage media ; optical storage media ; flash memory devices ; electrical , optical , acoustical or other form of propagated signals ( e . g ., carrier waves , infrared signals , digital signals ); etc . in the foregoing specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense . | 8 |
the invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying figures . it should be kept in mind that the following described embodiments are only presented by way of example and should not be construed as limiting the inventive concept to any particular physical configuration or order . fig1 illustrates a lateral view of an exemplary embodiment of a phreatic surface measurer terminal 1 according to the present invention . as illustrated , terminal 1 can include first and a second springs 2 , 3 through which tape measure 4 passes , said tape measure being provided with at least one electrical wire . in one embodiment , a single wire can be provided with tape measure 4 , with the single wire carrying a signal from the sensor . alternatively , plural wires can be provided to carry current and / or one or more signals . also , notably , a single spring may be utilized to the extent desired . according to an exemplary aspect of the invention , second spring 3 can have a longer pitch in its end portion to allow the outflow of water or foams away from sensor 8 . according to another exemplary aspect of the invention , first and second springs 2 , 3 can each include a connector or connecting device 5 ( such as a pin - based connector , for example ), which can have , for example , first and second connector elements 6 , 7 . connector 5 can allow , for example , easy separation of terminal 1 from tape measure 4 . further , adherence to any present hygienic rules or guidelines can be facilitated therefrom . of course , however , connector 5 can be a provided in a one - piece design to the extent desired . according to a further exemplary aspect of the invention , connector elements 6 , 7 can have a substantially cylindrical shape , although alternative shapes can be utilized as long as they do not defeat the function of the present invention . further , second connector element 7 can be tapered at one end and can be connected to first connector element 6 by a partial insertion therein . still yet further , first and second connector elements 6 , 7 can be connected by any means desired within the spirit of the present invention , such as , for example and not in limitation , via a fixed joint , a crimp , at least one screw , at least one screw ring nut , or a weld . according to yet another exemplary aspect of the invention , connector elements 6 , 7 can have respective ends 6 ′, 7 ′ that can be connected to springs 2 , 3 . for example , ends 6 ′, 7 ′ can have a diameter slightly larger than the respective spires of springs 2 , 3 . accordingly , ends 6 ′, 7 ′ can be introduced within springs 2 , 3 such that the helicoidal spires of springs 2 , 3 can connect connector elements 6 , 7 to springs 2 , 3 , respectively . furthermore , one or both of springs 2 , 3 can be welded to connector elements 6 , 7 , respectively , where permanent connections are sought . indeed , any connecting methodology within the spirit of the invention may be utilized to connect connector elements 6 , 7 to springs 2 , 3 . according to yet a further exemplary aspect of the invention , at the free end of spring 2 can be sensor 8 , which can be coupled to containment element 9 ( or coupler 9 ). containment element 9 can couple tape measure 4 to sensor 8 . further , it can permit coupling with the end section of said spring 2 . additionally , containment element 9 can include a section that can enter within the end section of spring 2 causing a widening of its helicoidal spire . in still yet another exemplary aspect , a suitable weight can be determined based on the suitable choice of the spring length . reference in now made to fig2 , which illustrates an exemplary assembling of terminal 1 . it is illustrated that connector elements 6 , 7 , as well as sensor 8 and containment element 9 , can be fixed to the ends of springs 2 , 3 via the widening of the respective helicoidal spire sections . further , it is evident that springs 2 , 3 protect tape measure 4 substantially acting as a protective ( e . g ., steel ) layer , thus maintaining the overall flexibility of terminal 1 . in still yet a further exemplary aspect of the invention , springs 2 , 3 can be made from steel , which can provide an optimum flexibility for the desired use of terminal 1 when the at least one wire has a reduced diameter ( about 0 . 5 - 1 . 0 mm , for example ). fig3 and 4 illustrate exemplary embodiments of connector 5 , which as noted above can include connector elements 6 , 7 . in another exemplary aspect , connector element 6 can include an inner section within which connector element 7 can connect , for example and not in limitation , by way of a groove . notably , the at least one wire or the ground of electrical ends accompanying tape measure 4 can be connected to springs 2 , 3 , which can be formed from steel , for example and not in limitation . further , first and second connector elements 6 , 7 can connect with each other in a threaded manner to the extent desired . for example , an inner section of connector element 6 and an outer section of connector element 7 can each be provided with compatible threads , and therewith engage in a screw - like manner . in still a further exemplary aspect of the invention , the present invention can include a break - away feature at any connection or coupling point of the terminal , such that an upward force can be applied if the terminal or portion thereof becomes stuck within a hole or well , with the terminal or a portion thereof separating from the measurer . this feature can be advantageous where the terminal becomes stuck or otherwise fixed at a point below the surface , thereby leaving the stuck terminal or a portion thereof below the surface while salvaging components of the measurer . accordingly , a new terminal or portion thereof can be re - attached to the measurer for subsequent measurements . based on this disclosure , it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is a phreatic surface measurer terminal . according to one embodiment , such a terminal can include one or more springs to , inter alia , provide a convenient means for interchanging sensors whilst maintaining a desired overall flexibility of the terminal . an additional advantage of the present invention is that the use of one or more springs , due to the additional weight thereof , not only provides protection of the tape measure , but also avoids the need to add additional weights to a terminal . a further advantage of the present invention is that such a terminal expedites the quick outflow of water , foam , and / or other liquid away from the sensor after desired measurements are obtained . it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the manner of making and using the claimed invention has been adequately disclosed in the above - written description of the exemplary embodiments and aspects taken together with the drawings . it should be understood , however , that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific embodiments , aspects , arrangement , components , and respective shapes thereof shown and described above , but may be susceptible to numerous variations within the scope of the invention . for example , a wide variety of connection and attachment mechanisms and / or techniques may be employed to connect or otherwise couple the various elements of the disclosed terminal , and are considered within the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative and enabling , rather than restrictive . therefore , it will be understood that the above description of the embodiments of the present invention are susceptible to various modifications , changes , and adaptations , and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims . | 6 |
fig1 illustrates the principles in accordance with which radial deformation will occur when a rotationally symmetrical body 1 is rotated rapidly about an axis of rotation 2 . the radial deformation δr which occurs when a rotationally symmetrical body of small radial extension , i . e . a thin - walled sleeve or annulus , is rotated at high speed can be expressed as in the case of a rotating body ( fig1 ) which forms an angle with the axis of rotation , the following expressions can be written when using the designations used in the figure : ## equ1 ## since r b & gt ; r a and δr is proportional to r 3 , δr b & gt ; δr a , which in turn means that α . sub . ω & gt ; α 0 . this shows that the radially inner and radially outer parts of the body are deformed to mutually different extents , therewith generating torque , as shown by the broken line curvature of the body 1 in fig1 . as will be seen from the above equation relating to radial deformation , in addition to being obtained owing to mutually different rotational radii of different parts of the body 1 such torque can also be obtained by changing the ratio of ρ / e over the body , thereby obviating the need to incline the body to the axis of rotation 2 . naturally , these two functions can be combined . the equation is slightly different in the case of a body which has substantial radial extension . the manner in which the radius , density and young &# 39 ; s modulus influences the formation of the body , however , does not change . these facts can be utilized , in accordance with the invention , in conjunction with screw joints , e . g . in connection with ultracentrifuges , in a manner to obtain variable relative deformation of the two components of the screw joint , axially along the screw threads , and therewith obtain a more uniform distribution of the load over the various screw threads as stated in the introductory portion of the present specification . the ultracentrifuge illustrated in fig2 includes a centrifuge body 3 having a lid 4 , which is held in place by means of a screw - threaded locking ring 5 , the screw threads of which are in screw engagement with an internal screw thread on the centrifuge body 3 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig2 the centrifuge body 3 is embraced by an external fibre bandage 6 . although this bandage is not a necessary feature of the invention , its presence does afford important advantages in connection with an optimisation of the screw joint , as explained below . it will be understood that the greater the flank angle of the screw threads , the easier it is to distribute the load over a plurality of screw threads . on the other hand , it will also be seen to be true that the greater the flank angle , the greater the forces that are transmitted radially between the inner and the outer parts of the screw joint . since it is desirable that the two screw - joint components are , and remain , well centred in relation to one another , in the absence of pronounced radial clearance between said radially inner and radially outer component parts , it is necessary for the outer part of the screw joint to exhibit a much greater rigidity radially in rotation than the inner part of the screw joint . furthermore , since the outer part of the screw joint is located at a greater median radius from the rotational axis than the inner part thereof , it is necessary for the ratio ρ / e in respect of the outer part to be smaller than that of the inner part . this can be achieved with the aid of the illustrated fibre bandage 6 . this applies to all embodiments of the various figures in these drawings . the upper part of the locking ring 5 of the fig2 embodiment merges with a deformation ring 7 , which forms an acute angle with the rotational axis 8 . located at the upper extremity of the deformation ring 7 is an upstanding flange 9 , by means of which the locking ring 5 can be fitted to and removed from the centrifuge with the aid of a suitable friction tool . the reference 10 identifies a circumferential groove which facilitates deformation of the locking ring 5 and controls the location at which deformation takes place . fig3 is an enlarged sectional view of the screw joint , illustrating screw - thread engagement of the locking ring 5 with the centrifuge body 3 and also illustrating the state of the screw joint when the centrifuge is stationary and not subjected to load . it will be seen that in this case all of the screw threads are in essentially uniform engagement with one another . fig4 is a sectional view similar to that of fig3 but with the centrifuge in rotation , the lid 4 being therewith subjected to a force f as a result of this rotation and as a result of the mass located in the centrifuge . torque will occur when the force f acts on the locking ring 5 at a given radial distance from the force - transferring screw joint . the screw joint illustrated in fig4 represents a pressure joint , wherewith the first screw threads will normally take up the heaviest load . because of the torque generated by the force f , the last screw threads in the upper part of the screw joint illustrated in fig4 will also take - up a heavy load . when the centrifuge is rotated at high speeds , the deformation ring 7 will strive to take a new position of equilibrium and , similar to the body 1 of the fig1 embodiment , will tend to rotate in the direction of the arrow a . it will be understood from the aforegoing that the reason for this tendency towards rotation is because parts or portions of the deformation ring 7 located at a greater radial distance from the rotational axis are deformed to a greater extent than those parts which lie closer to said axis . thus , there is generated a torque which deforms the locking ring 5 in a manner to increase the radial distance between the upper screw threads of the illustrated embodiment , therewith lightening the load thereon . consequently , because the torque resulting from the force f and movement of the deformation ring 7 in the direction of the arrow a , the centrally located screw threads of the screw joint will engage each other more firmly , whereas the screw engagement of the screw threads at the two extremities of the screw joint will slacken slightly . this means that the load on the outer screw threads will decrease and that the load on the intermediate screw threads will increase to a corresponding extent . the centrifuge body 3 of the ultracentrifuge illustrated in fig5 is provided with an external screw thread which co - acts with an external locking ring 11 intended for holding the lid 4 in its intended position . the locking ring 11 of the fig5 embodiment is provided with an external reinforcing fibre - bandage 12 , in addition to the fibre bandage 6 . when the centrifuge rotates , this screw joint is placed under tension which normally means that the outer screw threads at the two extremities of the screw joint will be subjected to the highest load . the load on the bottom screw threads of the illustrated screw joint , however , will decrease as a result of the tendency of the deformation ring 13 to bend in the direction of the arrow b when the centrifuge is rotated at high speeds . this movement results in torque which causes radial deformation of the lower end of the locking ring 11 , which in turn increases the radial distance between mutually co - acting screw threads at said end , whereas the depth of engagement of the intermediate screw threads increase . correspondingly , the force f from the lid generates torque which relieves the load on the upper screw threads to some extent . thus , this embodiment will also afford equalization of the load on the various screw threads , by re - distributing the load from the outer screw threads to the intermediate screw threads . fig6 is a schematic sectional view of part of a centrifuge having an internal lid - locking ring 14 , in accordance with fig2 . in this embodiment , however , the locking ring 14 is provided with an outwardly directed deformation ring 15 , which tends to move in the direction of the arrow c such that the penetration depth between the upper screw threads increases , said screw threads thus taking - up a greater part of the load and therewith partially relieving the load on the remaining screw threads . a corresponding effect is also obtained with the embodiment illustrated in fig7 which incorporates an inwardly and downwardly directed deformation ring 16 , as illustrated by means of the arrow d . the locking ring of the fig7 embodiment , however , is more rigid in the radial direction than the locking ring of the fig6 embodiment , due to the fact that the homogenous ring has more material on a smaller radius . as will be understood from the aforegoing , the distribution of load between the various screw threads of the screw joint depends , in all cases , essentially on the extent to which the axially directed force f acts on the screw joint and also on the flank angles of the screw threads . in this regard , fig8 illustrates an embodiment in which the load on the uppermost screw threads of the illustrated screw joint is decreased as a result of movement of the deformation ring 17 in the direction e while increasing the load on the most central screw threads of the joint . in this embodiment , the deformation ring 17 is mounted directly on the centrifuge body 3 , which is connected to an inner locking ring 18 via the screw joint . fig9 illustrates a similar embodiment , although in this case the deformation ring 19 is directed outwardly and downwardly , which results in a tendency toward movement in the direction of the arrow m . this movement results in more of the load being transferred to the uppermost screw threads of the illustrated screw joint . the function of the aforedescribed embodiments is all based on the provision of a deformation ring which defines an acute angle with the axis of rotation , therewith to subject the screw joint to deforming torque . according to the formula given in the introduction , there can be used instead of a deformation ring having parts located at mutually different radial distances from the axis of rotation , a ring in which values of the relationship ρ / e vary in the axial direction . this can be achieved in practice by means of a ring whose rigidity varies in the axial direction . an example of one such ring is illustrated in fig1 , in which the reference numerals 3 and 6 identify a centrifuge rotor body and a fibre bandage respectively , as in the earlier embodiments , whereas the reference 20 indicates a combined locking and deformation ring . in this embodiment , the deformation ring includes a part which projects upwardly over the centrifuge rotor body 3 , this part having formed axially therein slots 21 which reduce the rigidity of said part in a tangential direction . thus , when in rotation , the upper part of the ring 20 will tend to move outwardly in the direction of the arrow g , therewith giving rise to deforming torque , which causes a greater part of the load transferred by the screw joint to be placed on the upper screw threads of the illustrated screw joint . an embodiment having a corresponding function is illustrated in fig1 , in which the free , upper part of the combined locking and deformation ring 22 is supplemented with a stiffening ring 23 of a composite material , suitably a material that incorporates carbon fibres . as a result , the upper part of the ring 22 will be highly rigid in a radial direction , whereas the lower , screw - threaded part of the ring will have a lower radial rigidity . consequently , a relative torque is obtained in the direction of the arrow h , causing the load on the uppermost screw threads of the illustrated screw joint to be relieved . this lightening of the load on the uppermost screw threads is further amplified by the fact that the screw - threaded portion of the rotor body 3 is deformed radially to a greater extent than the upper end of the deformation ring 22 , due to the greater radius of the rotor body . fig1 a and 12b show a partly sectional side view and a top - plan view respectively of an embodiment of a combined locking and deformation ring 24 . the upper end of the ring 24 is rigidly connected with radially and inwardly projecting ballast devices 25 , which slope downwardly in a manner to form an acute angle with the axis of rotation . as a result of centrifugal forces these devices tend to move in the direction of the arrow i and therewith distribute part of the load from the upper screw threads of the illustrated screw joint to the most central screw threads thereof . the embodiment illustrated in fig1 incorporates an external locking ring 26 screwed onto the rotor body 3 of the centrifuge . in this embodiment both the screw - threaded part and a flange 28 projecting upwardly from the associated deformation ring 27 are each embraced by a reinforcing , composite ring 29 and 30 respectively . thus , as a result of movement in the direction of the arrow k , the deformation ring 27 will transfer load from the underlying screw threads to the uppermost screw threads of the illustrated screw joint . furthermore , the deformation ring 27 causes a decrease in the stress concentrations at the transition between the locking ring 26 and the deformation ring 27 , which is highly beneficial . fig1 illustrates an ultracentrifuge with which a lid 31 is screwed directly onto the rotor body 3 of the centrifuge . the lid 31 of this embodiment is provided on its lower edge with a deformation ring 32 and a groove 33 which reduces the flexural rigidity of the ring . this screw joint is under tension and the deformation ring 32 is caused to move in the direction of the arrow l , therewith relieving the load on the heavily loaded lower screw threads of the joint and transferring a corresponding load to the most central screw threads . since the lid of this embodiment extends radially in towards the axis of rotation 8 , the lid is extremely rigid or inflexible and therefore requires no composite ring . a number of solutions to the problem of equalizing the load on the screw threads of a screw joint have been presented in the aforegoing . it will be understood , however , by those skilled in this art that further variants are conceivable and that selective combinations of the illustrated embodiments can be employed . furthermore , although all of the illustrated and described screw joints have been used in conjunction with ultracentrifuges , it will be understood that corresponding techniques can be applied in all cases where a screw joint is used in conjunction with rapidly rotating objects . the design of the deformation rings used can also be varied as desired and said rings may also be manufactured as separate elements and connected rigidly with the desired component of the screw joint . in the case of special applications , both components of the screw joint may each be provided with an individual deformation ring . | 1 |
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