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the present invention provides cyclic precursors useful in the synthesis of plasmalogens and derivatives thereof , the precursor being represented by the compound of formula a : wherein r 1 and r 2 are the same or different saturated , unsaturated , or polyunsaturated hydrocarbon chains , and optionally derived from fatty acids ; and r 3 is hydrogen or a lower alkyl group . in certain non - limiting embodiments , r 1 , r 2 or both r 1 and r 2 are c 1 - c 28 alkyl chains comprising up to 6 double bonds . for instance , without wishing to be limiting , r 1 can be a c 1 - c 20 alkyl group , more preferably a c 14 alkyl group . in other non - limiting embodiments , r 2 is a c 1 - c 28 alkenyl group , more preferably a c 21 alkenyl group with 1 to 6 double bonds . in further non - limiting embodiments , r 3 is a c 1 - c 3 alkyl group , such as but not limited to methyl , ethyl and propyl . the present invention also provides a process for preparing cyclic precursors useful in the synthesis of plasmalogens and derivatives thereof , the precursors being represented by compounds of formula a as described above . in certain embodiments , yet without wishing to be limiting in any way , these cyclic precursors can provide several advantages for efficient synthesis of plasmalogens . for instance , the polarity and solubility of the cyclic intermediate can increase the ease of purification of the intermediate . the cyclic intermediate is also , in certain embodiments , stable under both chromatographic conditions and under hplc conditions ; and can be hydrolyzed to produce plasmalogens in aqueous media . the present invention further provides a process for preparing plasmalogens as represented by compounds of formula b wherein r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are as described above , from the cyclic precursors as represented by compounds of formula a . this synthetic route can , in certain preferred embodiments , yield high purity of plasmalogen , and at reduced cost as compared to other methods through the use of generally abundant and inexpensive reagents . the process also has the advantage that , in certain embodiments , no downstream processing is required . in addition , because a highly pure plasmalogen product can be obtained in certain non - limiting embodiments of the described process , the relative amount of plasmalogen that is needed in the end application ( s ) is reduced , which can further reduce costs . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that each of the embodiments of the invention described herein may be utilized individually or combined in one or more manners different than the ones disclosed above for the production of plasmalogens . in addition , those skilled in the art will be able to select a suitable temperature in view of the reaction conditions being used , in further embodiments of the invention encompassed herein . the literature referred to herein establishes knowledge that is available to those with skill in the art . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention relates . all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each was specifically and individually incorporated by reference . although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention , the preferred methods and materials are described herein . in the case of inconsistencies , the present disclosure , including definitions , will control . in addition , the materials , methods , and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting . the term “ about ” is used herein to mean approximately , in the region of , roughly , or around . when the term “ about ” is used in conjunction with a numerical range , it modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth . the term “ comprises ” is used herein to mean “ includes , but is not limited to .” in one embodiment of the invention , cyclic precursors for plasmalogen synthesis represented by compounds of formula a are provided : wherein r 1 and r 2 are the same or different saturated , unsaturated , or polyunsaturated hydrocarbon chains , and optionally derived from fatty acids ; and r 3 is hydrogen or a lower alkyl group . in certain non - limiting embodiments , r 1 , r 2 or both r 1 and r 2 are c 1 - c 28 alkyl chains comprising up to 6 double bonds . for instance , without wishing to be limiting , r 1 can be a c 1 - c 20 alkyl group , more preferably a c 14 alkyl group . in other non - limiting embodiments , r 2 is a c 1 - c 28 alkenyl group , more preferably a c 21 alkenyl group with 1 to 6 double bonds . in further non - limiting embodiments , r 3 is a c 1 - c 3 alkyl group , such as but not limited to methyl , ethyl and propyl . r 1 and r 2 can , in certain embodiments , be derived from any saturated , unsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids , or from alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl halides . in a preferred embodiment , r 1 is derived from iodotridecane , r 2 is derived from docosahexanoic acid , and r 3 is hydrogen such that the compound of formula a is : in further non - limiting embodiments , and in addition to iodotridecane , the alkyl halides may alternately be chlorotridecane , bromotridecane , fluorotridecane . in yet further embodiments , the term “ lower alkyl group ” may refer to a c 1 - 3 alkyl group , preferably a straight chain alkyl group such as methyl , ethyl or propyl . in another non - limiting embodiment , a 9 - step synthetic process is provided for preparing cyclic precursors for plasmalogen synthesis , wherein the cyclic precursors are represented by compounds of formula a . the synthetic process is depicted in scheme a : in this synthetic process , the primary alcohol in solketal of formula 1 is coupled with allyl bromide to produce a compound represented by formula 2 . ketal in the compound represented by formula 2 is deprotected to obtain a compound represented by formula 3 . the diol of the compound represented by formula 3 is protected as a tbdms ether to obtain a compound represented by formula 4 . the compound represented by formula 4 is reacted with a haloalkane , preferably yet not limited to iodotridacene , in the presence of sec - buli to produce a compound represented by formula 5 . the tbdms ether in the compound of formula 5 is deprotected to produce the compound represented by formula 6 . the primary alcohol present in the compound represented by formula 6 is protected with tdbms to obtain a compound represented by formula 7 . a fatty acid , preferably but not limited to dha , is esterified at the sn2 position of the compound represented by formula 7 in the presence of edc . hcl / dmap to produce a compound represented by formula 8 . the compound represented by formula 8 is deprotected in the presence of excess acoh to produce a compound represented by formula 9 . a cyclic phosphoethanolamine group is added to the compound represented by formula 9 to produce a compound represented by formula a , using a two step protocol , wherein pocl 3 is added to the compound represented by formula 9 to produce a dichlorophosphate intermediate , which is then quenched with ethanolamine to give the cyclic phosphoethanolamine . in another non - limiting embodiment , a process is provided for preparing plasmalogens as represented by the compounds of formula b described herein , using the cyclic precursors as represented by the compounds of formula a described herein . this process is depicted in scheme b : in a preferred yet non - limiting embodiment , r 1 is derived from iodotridecane , r 2 is derived from docosahexanoic acid , and r 3 is hydrogen such that the compound of formula b obtained is : this conversion of the cyclic plasmalogen precursor of formula a to the plasmalogen of formula b is a single step process and is carried out in aqueous media . the following provides examples of certain preferred embodiments of the synthetic processes described herein for producing the cyclic plasmalogen precursor of formula a , and the plasmalogen of formula b . a non - limiting example of a process for production of the cyclic plasmalogen precursor of formula a in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted in scheme c : a non - limiting example of a process for production of the plasmalogen of formula b in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted in scheme d : in a preferred embodiment of the invention , iodotridecane is the haloalkane used in the process of synthesizing the plasmalogen precursor . the iodotridecane can be obtained by chemical synthesis . the process for the same is explained in the details below . in the first step of the synthetic process the primary alcohol present in propargyl alcohol as represented by formula ( i ) was protected by ether bond formation , by reacting it with dha / ptsa and resulting in a compound represented by formula ( ii ). the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in a non - limiting embodiment , the raw materials used for this process are illustrated in table 1 : to a solution of propargyl alcohol ( 1 g , 16 . 93 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 15 ml ), ptsa ( 3 mg , 0 . 16 mmol ) and dhp ( 3 ml , 33 . 86 mmol ) were added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . after completion of starting materials , the reaction mixture was quenched with nahco 3 and extracted with dichloromethane ( 100 ml × 2 ), washed with water ( 100 ml × 2 ), and brine ( 100 ml × 1 ). the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 10 % etoac in hexane ) to furnish compound ( ii ) ( 2 . 078 g , 87 %) as a light brown liquid . the compound represented by formula ( ii ) was alkylated with iododecane to obtain a compound represented by formula ( iii ). the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in a non - limiting embodiment , the raw materials used for this process are illustrated in table 2 : to a solution of compound represented by formula ( ii ) ( 2 . 07 g , 14 . 5 mmol ) in thf ( 40 ml ), hmpa ( 3 . 78 ml , 21 . 7 mmol ) and n - buli ( 2 . 5 m , 7 . 54 ml , 18 . 86 mmol ) were added drop wise at − 78 ° c . after 1 hour , iododecane ( 3 . 8 ml , 17 . 4 mmol ) in thf was added drop wise at − 78 ° c . and stirred at room temperature for 16 h . after completion of starting materials , the reaction mixture was quenched with ice and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 30 ml × 3 ), washed with water ( 25 ml × 1 ), brine ( 25 ml × 1 ) and dried over anhy . na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 10 % dichloromethane in hexane ) to furnish compound represented by formula ( iii ) ( 1 . 94 g , 47 %) as a light yellow liquid . hydrogenation of the compound represented by formula ( iii ) resulted in a compound represented by formula ( iv ). the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in a non - limiting embodiment , the raw materials used for this process are illustrated in table 3 : to a solution of the compound represented by formula ( iii ) ( 870 mg , 3 . 06 mmol ) in ethyl acetate ( 10 ml ), 10 % pd / c ( 100 mg ) was added and the reaction was stirred under hydrogen atmosphere for 12 h . after completion of starting material , the reaction mass was filtered through a celite ™ pad and washed with ethyl acetate ( 30 ml × 2 ) twice . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , 5 % ethyl acetate in hexane ) to furnish the compound represented by formula ( iv ) ( 800 mg , 90 %) as a colorless liquid . thp present in the compound of formula ( iv ) was deprotected to produce the compound represented by formula ( v ). the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in a non - limiting embodiment , the raw materials used for this process are illustrated in table 4 : to a solution of compound represented by formula ( iv ) ( 1 . 1 g , 3 . 82 mmol ) in methanol ( 10 ml ), ptsa ( 65 mg , 0 . 37 mmol ) was added and the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . after completion of starting material , the reaction mixture was quenched with nahco 3 and concentrated , extracted with ethyl acetate ( 50 ml × 2 ) washed with water ( 100 ml × 1 ), brine ( 50 ml × 1 ) and dried over na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , 30 % dichloromethane in hexane ) to furnish the compound represented by formula ( v ) ( 700 mg , 90 %) as a colorless liquid . the compound of formula ( v ) was converted to iodotridecane by iodination of the primary alcohol present in the compound of formula ( v ). the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in a non - limiting embodiment , the raw materials used for this process are illustrated in table 5 : to a solution of tridecanol ( 1 . 08 g , 5 . 31 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ), triphenyl phosphine ( 1 . 53 g , 5 . 84 mmol ) and imidazole ( 0 . 39 g , 5 . 84 mmol ) were added and cooled to 0 ° c . i 2 ( 1 . 48 g , 5 . 84 mmol ) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 h . after completion of starting materials , the reaction mixture was evaporated and diluted with hexane and passed through a celite ™ pad . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent hexane ) to furnish iodotridecane ( 1 . 43 g , 84 %) as a low melting solid . synthesis of a cyclic plasmalogen precursor of formula a by the 9 - step chemical synthetic process in a preferred embodiment of the invention , a 9 - step synthetic process is provided for production of the novel cyclic plasmalogen precursor represented by formula a wherein r 1 is derived from iodotridecane , r 2 is derived from docosahexanoic acid and r 3 is hydrogen ( see scheme c ). each of the 9 - steps in the chemical synthetic process will now be described in detail by way of the following example . in the first step of the synthetic process , solketal of formula 1 was coupled to allyl bromide in the presence of nah to produce a compound of formula 2 . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 88 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 1a : to an ice cold suspension of nah ( 60 % in oil , 12 . 1 g , 302 mmol ) in thf ( 200 ml ), solketal ( 20 g , 151 . 3 mmol ) and allyl bromide ( 15 . 7 ml , 166 . 46 mmol ) were sequentially added at 0 ° c . and stirred at room temperature for 4 h . after the completion of starting material , the reaction mixture was quenched with meoh ( 10 ml ) and ice , extracted with etoac ( 200 ml × 3 ), washed with h 2 o ( 200 ml × 2 ), brine solution ( 200 ml × 1 ) and dried over anhy . na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to furnish a compound represented by formula 2 ( 23 g , 88 %) as a pale yellow liquid which was carried to the next step without further purification . the compound of formula 2 obtained above was deprotected to obtain a compound represented by formula 3 . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 97 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 2a : to a solution of compound 2 ( 23 g , 132 . 9 mmol ) in 3n aq . hcl ( 69 ml ) was added and stirred at 80 ° c . for 4 h . after completion of starting material , the reaction mixture was cooled and co - distilled with toluene . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 3 % meoh - etoac to furnish compound 3 ( 17 g , 97 %) as a colorless liquid . the diol of the compound of formula 3 obtained above was protected as a tbdms ether to obtain a compound represented by formula 4 . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 84 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 3a : to a solution of the compound represented by formula 3 ( 3 . 8 g , 28 . 7 mmol ) in dmf ( 30 ml ), im ( 5 . 87 g , 86 . 25 mmol ) and tbdmsc1 ( 13 g , 86 . 25 mmol ) were added sequentially at 0 ° c . and stirred at room temperature for 16 h . after completion of starting material , the reaction mixture was extracted with ether ( 200 ml × 3 ), washed with water ( 200 ml × 2 ), brine ( 200 ml × 1 ) and dried over anhy . na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent hexane ) to furnish compound represented by formula 4 ( 8 . 7 g , 84 %) as a colorless liquid . the compound represented by formula 4 was reacted with iodotridecane in the presence of sec - buli to produce a compound represented by formula 5 . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 37 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 4a : to a solution of the compound represented by formula 4 ( 1 g , 2 . 7 mmol ) in thf ( 25 ml ), sec - buli ( 2 . 37 ml , 3 . 32 mmol ) was added drop wise at − 78 ° c . and stirred for 5 min and iodotridecane ( 1 . 03 g , 3 . 32 mmol ) ( synthesized in house ) in thf ( 5 ml ) was added drop wise and stirred at room temperature for 1 h . after completion of reaction , the reaction mixture was quenched with ice cold water and extracted with etoac ( 200 ml × 2 ) and washed with water ( 200 ml × 2 ), brine ( 200 ml × 1 ) and dried over anhy . na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 20 % dcm - hexane ) to furnish the compound represented by formula 5 ( 550 mg , 37 %) as a colorless liquid . the compound represented by formula 5 obtained above was deprotected of tdbms ether to produce a compound of formula 6 . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 100 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 5a : to an ice cold solution of compound represented by formula 5 ( 3 . 5 g , 6 . 44 mmol ) in thf ( 60 ml ), tbaf ( 25 . 76 ml , 25 . 76 mmol ) was added drop wise and stirred at room temperature for 3 h . after the completion of starting material , the reaction mixture was quenched with ice and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 200 ml × 2 ), washed with water ( 200 ml × 2 ), brine ( 200 ml × 1 ) and dried over anhy . na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 30 % etoac - hexane ) to furnish the compound represented by formula 6 ( 2 g , 100 %) as an off white solid . primary alcohol present in the compound represented by formula 6 was protected with tdbms to obtain a compound represented by formula 7 . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 74 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 6 : to an ice cold solution of the compound represented by formula 6 ( 2 g , 6 . 36 mmol ) in dcm ( 100 ml ), tea ( 2 . 2 ml , 15 . 9 mmol ), dmap ( 780 mg , 6 . 36 mmol ) and tbdmsc1 ( 1 g , 6 . 99 mmol ) were added sequentially at 0 ° c . and stirred at room temperature for 16 h . after the completion of starting material , the reaction mixture was quenched with ice and extracted with dichloromethane ( 100 ml × 3 ), washed with water ( 100 ml × 2 ), brine ( 100 ml × 1 ) and dried over anhy . na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 4 % etoac - hexane ) to furnish the compound represented by formula 7 ( 2 g , 74 %) as a colorless liquid . dha was esterified at the sn2 position of the compound represented by formula 7 in the presence of edc . hcl / dmap to produce a compound represented by formula 8 . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 73 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 7a : to an ice cold solution of the compound represented by formula 7 ( 2 g , 4 . 67 mmol ) in dcm ( 100 ml ), dha ( 1 . 68 g , 5 . 13 mmol ), edc . hcl ( 1 g , 5 . 60 mmol ) and dmap ( 57 mg , 0 . 46 mmol ) were added sequentially and stirred at room temperature for 16 h . after the completion of starting materials , the reaction mixture was extracted with dcm ( 100 ml × 2 ) and washed with water ( 100 ml × 2 ), brine ( 100 ml × 1 ) and dried over anhy . na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 4 % etoac - hexane ) to furnish the compound represented by formula 8 ( 2 . 5 gm , 73 %) as a pale yellow liquid . the compound represented by formula 8 was deprotected in the presence of excess acoh to produce a compound represented by formula 9 . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 95 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 8a : to an ice cold solution of the compound represented by formula 8 ( 2 . 5 g , 3 . 38 mmol ) in thf ( 30 ml ), acoh ( 2 . 02 ml , 33 . 8 mmol ) and tbaf ( 10 . 14 ml , 10 . 14 mmol ) were added at 0 ° c . and stirred at room temperature for 2 h . after the completion of starting materials , the reaction mixture was quenched with ice and extracted with etoac ( 100 ml × 2 ) and washed with water ( 100 ml × 2 ), brine ( 100 ml × 1 ) and dried over anhy . na 2 so 4 . the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 30 % etoac - hexane to furnish the compound represented by formula 9 ( 2 gm , 95 %) as a pale yellow liquid . a cyclic phosphoethanolamine group was added to the compound represented by formula 9 to produce a compound represented by formula a , using a two step protocol , wherein pocl 3 was added to the compound represented by formula 9 to produce a dichlorophosphate intermediate , which was quenched with ethanolamine to give the cyclic phosphoethanolamine . the yield of the compound obtained in this reaction step was 26 %. the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment , the raw materials used for this step are illustrated in table 9a : to an ice cold solution of pocl 3 ( 0 . 03 ml , 0 . 33 mmol ) in hexane ( 2 ml ), tea ( 0 . 15 ml , 1 . 12 mmol ), and the compound represented by formula 9 ( 70 mg , 0 . 11 mmol ) in trichloroethylene ( 4 ml ) were added at 0 ° c . drop wise and stirred for 30 min and 1 h at room temperature . the reaction mixture was filtered through a small celite ™ pad , washed with toluene ( 4 ml ) and the filtrate was evaporated under reduced pressure . the crude material obtained was dissolved in thf ( 8 ml ) ethanolamine ( 20 . 5 mg , 0 . 33 mmol ) and tea ( 0 . 62 ml , 4 . 4 mmol ) in thf ( 5 ml ) were added at 0 ° c . drop wise to the reaction mixture and stirred at room temperature for 30 min . the reaction mixture was filtered through a celite ™ pad and washed with etoac ( 10 ml ). the combined organic extracts were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the crude product which was purified by column chromatography ( 100 - 200 mesh silica gel , eluent 60 % etoac - hexane ) to furnish the compound represented by formula a ( 22 mg , 26 %) as a colorless liquid . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , a one step synthetic process is provided for conversion of a compound represented by formula a as obtained above to a compound represented by formula b . an example of this method is described in detail below . a compound of formula a as obtained above , comprising a cyclic phosphoethanolamine , was converted to a compound represented by formula b in the presence of thf and h 2 o . the reaction scheme involved in this process is as follows : in an exemplary embodiment of this step , the compound represented by formula a was dissolved in thf and stirred with water overnight , and we expect the disappearance of one of the two peaks in our analysis . as expected , hplc and lcms analysis indicated a single peak at retention time 17 . 44 , with the mass 748 corresponding to the compound represented by formula b . however , lcms analysis of the compound of formula b sample which was stirred with a drop of acetic acid was not clean suggesting decomposition of the product in acidic medium . the preferred embodiments of the invention described above are merely exemplary of the invention , which can be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific details relating to the reagents and reaction conditions disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as an example . it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims .	2
the induction heating cooking apparatus of the invention as represented in fig1 comprises in a preferred embodiment a pair of inversely parallel connected semiconductor switching devices such as thyristors 11 and 12 which receive low frequency energy from an alternating voltage source 10 through a power line 13 including a power input switch 15 and a filter inductor 16 in series , and a power line 14 . as will be described hereinbelow the thyristors 11 and 12 are alternately brought into conduction in response to gating control pulses supplied from the gating control circuit 20 depending on the polarity of the power source . in response to conduction of any one of the thyristors , a forward halfwave oscillating current flow is produced in a commutating circuit comprised of a series - connected capacitor 17 and an induction heating work coil 18 which is adapted to inductively couple with an inductive utensil . the commutating circuit is so designed that it produces a backward commutating current pulse in the next half - cycle which finds its passage through the other thyristor , thus completing a cycle of high frequency oscillation in the ultrasonic frequency range . the capacitor 19 connected across the power lines 13 and 14 is for the purpose of bypassing the high frequency oscillation to avoid undesirable consequences of radio frequency interference . in accordance with the invention the thyristors 11 and 12 are supplied simultaneously with control pulses of equal duration which varies as a function of the magnitude of inductive utensil load through leads 25 , 26 , 27 and 28 . to accomplish this gating control as well as to ensure safe operation of the apparatus , the gating control circuit 20 receives input signals from various points of the inverter circuit over conductors 21 and 22 to detect the polarity of the input power source , over conductor 23 to detect the voltage at the anode of thyristor 11 and over conductor 24 through which the voltage across the work coil 18 is sensed . details of the gating control circuit 20 are illustrated in fig2 . the control circuit 20 includes a rectifier 30 connected to conductor 23 to provide a rectified output of the potential at the anode of thyristor 11 which retains its polarity during each half - cycle of the low frequency input energy . the output from the rectifier 30 is shaped into rectangular pulses by means of a wave shaper 31 to serve as input energy for a storage circuit or ramp generator 32 which may be comprised of a capacitor in series with a resistor in a conventional integrator configuration to generate a linear ramp voltage in response to each input rectangular pulse . a comparator 33 compares the instantaneous voltage level of the ramp generator output with a reference voltage from a dc voltage source 34 to trigger a flip - flop 35 when the instantaneous level of the ramp voltage reaches the reference level . this results in a high voltage output from the flip - flop 35 which energizes a switching circuit 36 to apply a dc potential from a voltage source 37 to a pulse transformer 38 to produce a trigger current in the primary winding 39 . control pulses are induced in the secondary windings 40 and 41 of the transformer so that thyristors 11 and 12 are simultaneously supplied with gating pulses through conductors 25 to 28 . assuming for describing the operation of the apparatus that the potential at the power line 13 is positive with respect to the power line 14 , the voltage at the anode of thyristor 11 has a positive polarity waveform as shown in fig3 a . in response to operation of the power switch 15 , a positive voltage 51 at the anode of thyristor 11 is converted into a positive going pulse 52 ( fig3 c ) which appears at the output of the waveshaper 31 to generate a ramp voltage 53 ( fig3 d ). when the reference voltage as indicated by a chain - dot line 54 is reached , the comparator 33 generates an output pulse 55 ( fig3 e ) which produces a pulse 56 ( fig3 i ) at the q output of flip - flop 35 and as a result positive gating control pulses 57 ( fig3 j ) are produced in the secondary of the pulse transformer 38 as described above . since the power line 13 is assumed to be positive , the thyristor 11 is rendered conductive in response to the control pulse 57 , which results in the generation of a positive forward halfwave current 58 ( fig3 b ) which lasts for a period smaller than the period of the gating pulse 57 . energy is stored in the commutating circuit which produces a backward negative halfwave current pulse 59 that commutates through the thyristor 12 . when the thyristor 11 is turned on , the voltage at its anode as sensed by the rectifier 30 is dropped to a zero voltage level and rises again to the initial level at the end of the backward commutating current . therefore , the pulse 57 serves to trigger a series of events as described above to repeat through the action of a feedback loop constituted by the aforesaid circuit elements . the gating control pulse is switched off by resetting the flip - flop 35 when the magnitude of the backward commutating current reaches its maximum level . this is accomplished by detecting when a derivative of the backward commutating current reaches zero . the derivative of the backward current is obtained from the voltage across the work coil 18 or the voltage across the capacitor 17 . in the present embodiment , the voltage across the work coil is detected by means of a comparator 42 of the zero crossing detector 50 to deliver a pulse whenever the input voltage is above the zero reference level . the zero crossing detector 50 further includes a polarity sensor 43 connected to receive potentials across the leads 21 and 22 to generate rectangular high and low level pulses depending on whether the polarity of the source voltage is positive or negative . the output signals from the comparator 42 and polarity sensor 43 are supplied to an exclusive or gate 44 to reverse the polarity of the output from the comparator 42 in the presence of the positive polarity of the input power source 10 . during the positive half - cycle of the power source , the potential across the work coil 18 appears as indicated in fig3 f so that the comparator 42 generates a positive pulse when the input waveform is above the zero level , and this positive pulse is reversed in polarity by the exclusive or gate 44 to produce a pulse 60 as indicated in fig3 h whose trailing edge corresponds to the occurrence of the maximum value of the backward commutating current pulse 59 . the termination of the gating control pulse 57 results in the generation of negative going induced pulses 62 in the secondary windings of the transformer 38 . these pulses are also supplied to the control gates of the thyristors in the same way as the gating control pulses are supplied , but for the purpose of negatively biasing the thyristor 11 . this allows a rapid discharge of the residual carriers present in the semiconductive body of the thyristor 11 which has carried the forward current so that its turn - off time is reduced with the resultant increase in the dv / dt capability of the deice to the reapplication of an anode voltage at the beginning of the next firing operation . the reduced turn - off time serves to raise the upper frequency limit of the apparatus and provides an additional interval for commutation of backward current . the application of the negative bias to the control gate of the thyristor 12 which is now conducting has no effect thereon . however , the turn - off time of the thyristor 12 is also reduced since it is negatively biased by the reapplication of a voltage 63 ( fig3 a ). to assure safe operation of the apparatus , the control circuit 20 further includes a second zero crosspoint detector 45 which receives its input signal from the conductor 21 to detect the zero crossing point of the input power source for the purpose of providing a rapid discharge path to the storage capacitor of the ramp generator 32 in response to the occurrence of each zero crosspoint so that during a short interval of time at or near the zero voltage of the input power source the induction apparatus is prevented from initiating high frequency oscillation , whereby misfiring of the thyristors , which would otherwise occur during such periods , is avoided . as an alternative source of information to determine the terminating point of the gating control pulses , it is also possible to use the voltage across the commutating capacitor 17 rather than the voltage across the work coil 18 since the voltage waveform across the capacitor 17 crosses the zero voltage level in synchronism with the voltage across the work coil 18 as illustrated in fig3 g . during the negative half cycle of the source voltage , that is , the voltage at power line 13 is negative with respect to the power line 14 , the waveform of the voltage at the anode of thyristor 11 is reversed to appear as illustrated in fig4 a and the thyristor 12 is the first that conducts initially in the sequence of subsequent firing operations and produces a negative forward halfwave pulse 64 ( fig4 b ). the waveform of the voltage across the work coil 18 is also reversed to appear as indicated in fig4 f and in this case the comparator 42 generates a negative going pulse in response to that voltage being below the zero voltage level , while the polarity sensor 43 delivers a negative output pulse to the exclusive or gate 44 so that the output from the latter is a negative pulse 65 ( fig4 h ) comparable to the pulse 60 obtained during the positive half cycle of the power source . therefore , the operation of the apparatus during the negative half cycle of the input power is analogous to that during the positive half cycle with the exception that the waveforms shown in fig3 a , 3b , 3f , 3g are reversed as shown in the corresponding parts of fig4 a , 4b , 4f and 4g . with an increase in the magnitude of the inductive load the cycle of the forward current increases while the cycle of the backward commutating current decreases . the duration of the gating control pulse is varied accordingly to allow sufficient period to the reverse - biased thyristor to fire to carry backward commutating current even when load changes occur during operation of the apparatus . therefore , commutation of backward current flow is always assured even when load changes occur . since the commutation of current represents a negative power , which means that a certain amount of power is returned to the input power side of the apparatus , it is advantageous from the standpoint of power savings to control the length of the gating control pulses in accordance with the induction current as described above . in a practical embodiment of the invention , the commutating circuit is tuned to a frequency above 20 khz and this corresponds to a commutation interval of approximately 10 microseconds which must be greater than the reduced turn - off time of the thyristor due to the application of the negative bias potential . if the commutation interval is smaller than the reduced turn - off time of the thyristor which was conductive during the forward half - cycle would be fired again by the reapplication of an anode voltage at the end of the commutation . for 20 khz operation , the minimum time period allowed for rendering the backwardly biased thyristor conductive is 5 to 6 microseconds . since the maximum turn - on time of a thyristor is usually 3 microseconds , backward current commutation is always assured for other frequency operations even though load size varies in a wide range . the function of the comparator 33 is for the purpose of establishing a constant interval between successive firing instanses such that the anode voltage of the forward current - carrying thyristor may rise to a sufficient level to cause it to conduct in subsequent firing operation . the foregoing description shows only a preferred embodiment of the invention . various modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art without deviating from the scope of the invention which is only defined in the appended claims .	7
referring now to fig1 a top plug 10 according to the present invention is shown which has a body 12 with a plurality of flexible wipers 14 formed integrally of and extending from the body 12 . a top member 18 extends across the top of the body 12 and a bottom member 17 extends around the bottom of the body 12 . a non - rotation device 20 according to the present invention has a main member 21 with threads 26 for threadedly engaging a threaded opening 16 in the body 12 of the plug 10 . an empty chamber 15 is in the center of the body 12 . a plurality of teeth 22 extend from a recessed portion 23 of the main member 21 of the device 20 . herein and in the appended claims &# 34 ; protrusion &# 34 ; is meant to include a variety of shapes including bevelled , pointed , squared , rounded and non - pointed shapes whereas &# 34 ; teeth &# 34 ; is a narrower term indicating a pointed structure . a ring 30 having a face 31 extending from the main member 21 defines the periphery of the recessed portion 23 and partially extends into an opening 15 in the bottom member 17 of the plug 10 . a shoulder 32 of the main member 21 abuts a face 13 of the body 12 of the plug 10 . in another preferred embodiment the device 20 is disposed so that the face 31 is flush with a face 19 of the bottom member 17 . referring now to fig2 a bottom plug 40 according to the present invention has a body 42 with a plurality of wipers 44 formed integrally of and extending from the body 42 . a top member 48 extends around the top of the body 42 and a bottom member 47 extends around the bottom of the body 42 . a non - rotation device 50 according to the present invention ( like the previously described device 20 ) has a main member 51 with threads 56 for threadedly engaging a threaded opening 46 in the body 42 of the plug 40 . a plurality of teeth 52 extend from a recessed portion 53 of the main member 51 of the device 50 . a ring 60 extending from the main member 51 defines the periphery of the recessed portion 53 and partially extends into an opening 45 in the bottom member 47 of the plug 40 . a groove 54 , partially defined by a shoulder 58 , in the top of the main member 51 of the device 50 is suitable for receiving and holding a portion of a diaphragm or other object for closing off a channel 64 which extends longitudinally through the device 50 and is in fluid communication with a channel 41 extending longitudinally through the plug 40 . a shoulder 62 of the main member 51 abuts a face 43 of the body 42 of the plug 40 . another non - rotation device 70 according to the present invention has main member 71 with threads 76 for threadedly engaging a threaded opening 49 in the body 42 of the plug 40 . a plurality of teeth 72 extend from a recessed portion 73 of the main member 71 of the device 70 . a ring 80 extending from the main member 71 defines the periphery of the recessed portion 73 and extends to the top of the top member 48 of the body 42 of the plug 40 . a groove 74 , partially defined by a shoulder 78 , in the bottom of the main member 71 is suitable for receiving and holding a portion of a diaphragm or other object for closing off a channel 84 which extends longitudinally through the device 70 and is in fluid communication with the channel 41 of the plug 40 . a shoulder 82 of the main member 71 abuts a face 45 of the body 42 of the plug 40 . referring now to fig3 a , 3b , and 3c , a non - rotation device 100 has a main body 101 with a threaded periphery 106 for threaded engagement with a female - threaded opening in an apparatus such as a plug or other well apparatus or tool . of course it is within the scope of this invention to provide a device without a threaded periphery and to connect , attach , adhere , or incorporate such a non - rotation device in an apparatus or tool by any appropriate and effective method and means . a plurality of teeth 102 extend from a recess 103 defined by a floor 105 and a side wall 107 of a ring 110 which encircles the upper portion of the main body 101 . the teeth 102 extend from the side wall 107 ( the outer edge of the recess 103 ) inwardly to the inner edge of an opening 114 ( see fig3 a ) which extends longitudinally through the plug and through which fluid flow is permitted . a circular groove 104 is disposed in the bottom of the device 100 and is configured to receive and hold a portion of a frangible diaphragm which closes off the opening 114 to fluid flow until it is broken , e . g . by the force of cement . ( the &# 34 ; upper portion &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; bottom &# 34 ; of the device 100 refer to its orientation as presented in fig3 b -- of course it may be inverted as shown in fig2 device 50 ). the side wall 107 as shown in fig3 b is perpendicular to the floor 105 , but it is within the scope of this invention for the wall 107 to slope from the ring 110 to the floor 105 ; it could mirror the angle of the teeth . it is preferred that the distance a ( fig3 b ) from the floor 105 to the top of the ring 110 be greater than the distance b from the top of the ring to the top of the teeth so that when two of the devices such as device 100 are disposed adjacent each other with their teeth interengaged , the two rings such as rings 110 meet , contact , and bear any load on the devices while the teeth are prevented from contacting the floor of the recess of the adjacent device . in this way the rings bear a load on the devices rather than the teeth and damage due to such loading on the teeth is eliminated . in one embodiment the distance a is 0 . 56 inches and the distance b is 0 . 531 inches . as shown in fig3 a , it is preferred that the teeth 102 have a constant cross - section from the inner edge of the ring 110 to the outer edge of the opening 114 ; i . e ., their dimensions are substantially constant from the outer edge of the recess to the inner edge of the opening . such teeth are relatively stronger as they approach the opening 114 than would be teeth whose cross - section diminishes from the outer edge of the device towards its interior . the use of a ring such as the ring 110 serves to buttress the outer edge of the teeth , protecting them and strengthening the device . also , in some prior art devices , teeth with a diminishing cross - section are shorter the nearer they are to a device &# 39 ; s center . it is much easier for shorter teeth to either fail to engage or to ratchet across each other . the device 100 as shown in fig3 a has six teeth . it is within the scope of this invention to provide a device with one or more teeth , but it is preferred that a number of teeth be provided and spaced apart so that the space between teeth at the inner edge of an opening ( such as a space 111 between the teeth 102 of device 100 ) and the area between teeth ( such as an area 113 between the teeth 102 of the device 100 ) can accommodate foreign objects and debris which , if it were present on the teeth of prior art devices would inhibit or prevent proper tooth interengagement . the size of a foreign object which can be accommodated in the area 113 is determined by the size of that area . if only one tooth is used , a larger object can be accommodated ; but if , e . g ., ten teeth were used , the size of such an object would be smaller . objects from above encountering a pointed tip of a tooth will move and be diverted into one of the areas 113 . since teeth ( or other protrusions ) according to the present invention are partially within the device , a minor disengagement of a bouncing drill bit or of adjacent apparatuses with such devices will not result in the disengagement of the teeth of the two devices . teeth in prior art devices that simply extend from a top surface of the device are more easily disengaged . referring now to fig3 c , the tooth 102 has a cross - sectional profile that includes a perpendicular side , side 119 ; a slanted side , side 120 ; and a base , side 121 . the angles between sides are : angle 116 - 40 °; angle 118 - 90 °; and angle 117 - 30 °. this profile is advantageous because the torque of drill out will be transmitted through a right angle ( 118 ) and angle 116 will give support against tooth failure . there will be only a minimal force component ( or none ) trying to force the teeth up or down to disengage them . although angles 116 and 117 are shown with a preferred extent , workable preferred ranges for these angles are : angle 116 , 20 to 70 degrees ; angle 117 , 20 to 70 degrees ; angle 118 , 90 to 45 degrees . as shown in fig3 b , the outer edge of the teeth 102 is bevelled inwardly , see bevel 112 , to facilitate the interengagement of the teeth on adjacent devices . as shown in fig3 b the bevel 112 is 30 ° from normal , but any bevel which provides this facilitation may be used . as shown in the modified version of the device 100 in fig3 d , a cut - out , scoop , indentation , or recessed area 115 is provided so that when the device 100 is emplaced within a material that sets up , e . g . concrete or which hardens , e . g . a thermosetting material or plastic , some of the material enters and sets within the recess to inhibit or prevent movement of the device 100 with respect to the material . although one recess is shown , it is within the scope of this invention to use one or more recesses ; it is also within the scope of this invention to position the recess or recesses as desired on the device . the recess may be configured as desired . the recess 115 is like a pocket in the body of the device 100 , but it is within the scope of this invention to employ recesses of different shapes , including but not limited to an elongated recess or a groove partially or entirely encircling the device 100 . a projection 109 extending from the device 100 is also used to inhibit or prevent movement of the device 100 with respect to materials as already described . one or more projections may be employed and it or they may be disposed as desired on the device 100 within the scope of this invention ; also although the projection 109 is shown as finger - like , any desirable configuration may be used . a non - rotation device 140 as shown in fig4 a , 4b , and 4c is very similar in structure and operation to the device 100 previously described ; but the device 140 has a plurality of teeth 142 with a slightly different cross - sectional profile . as shown in fig4 c , a tooth 142 with sides 159 , 160 , and 161 , as viewed from the end , forms a triangle with angles of 50 ° ( angle 156 ); 75 ° ( angle 158 ); and 55 ° ( angle 157 ). a tooth with this profile has strength for engagement and when torque is applied . although angles 156 , 157 , and 158 are shown with a preferred extent , workable preferred ranges for these angles are as follows ; angle 156 , 20 to 70 degrees ; angle 157 , 20 to 70 degrees ; and angle 158 , 90 to 45 degrees . the non - rotation device 140 has a main body 141 with a threaded periphery 146 for threaded engagement with a female - threaded opening in another apparatus . a plurality of teeth 142 extend from a recess 143 defined by a floor 145 and a side wall 147 of a ring 150 which encircles the upper portion of the main body 141 . the teeth extend radially from the side wall 147 ( see fig4 a ) inwardly to the edge of an opening 154 which extends longitudinally through the device and through which fluid flow is permitted . a circular groove 144 is disposed in the bottom of the device 140 and is configured to receive and hold a portion of a frangible diaphragm which closes off the opening 154 to fluid flow until it is broken . referring now to fig5 a plug set and float shoe are shown according to the present invention . a top plug 210 is disposed above , but not yet in contact with , a bottom plug 240 . the bottom plug 240 is disposed above , but not yet in contact with , a float shoe 300 . the top plug 210 is similar to the plug 10 , previously described . the plug 210 has a body 212 with a plurality of wipers 214 extending therefrom . a non - rotation device 220 ( like the non - rotation device 20 ) is threadedly engaged in an opening 216 in the bottom of the body 212 by threads 226 on the periphery of a main member 221 of the device 220 . a plurality of teeth 222 extend from a recess 223 defined by a floor 225 and a side wall 227 of a ring 230 which encircles the top of the main member 221 . the teeth 222 are like the teeth 22 and 142 previously described . the bottom plug 240 is like the plug 40 , previously described . the plug 240 has a body 242 with a plurality of wipers 244 extending therefrom . a non - rotation device 250 ( like the non - rotation device 50 ) is threadedly engaged in an opening 246 in the bottom of the body 242 by threads 256 on the periphery of a main member 251 of the device 250 . a plurality of teeth 252 extend from a recess 253 defined by a floor 255 and a side wall 257 of a ring 260 which encircles the bottom of the main member 251 . the teeth 252 are like the teeth 52 and 142 previously described . the plug 240 has a non - rotation device 270 ( similar to the non - rotation device 70 ) which is threadedly engaged in an opening 276 in the top of the body 242 by threads 286 on the periphery of a main member 271 of the device 270 . a plurality of teeth 272 extend from a recess 273 defined by a floor 275 and a side wall 277 of a ring 280 which encircles the top of the main member 271 . the teeth 272 are like the teeth 72 and 142 previously described . a circular groove 274 is disposed in the bottom of the main member 271 . an upstanding shoulder 281 of a frangible diaphragm 282 is held in the groove 274 to maintain the diaphragm 282 in place over an opening 284 that extends longitudinally through the device 270 . fluid flow is permitted through the opening 284 when it is not closed off by the diaphragm 282 . the float shoe 300 has an outer tubular body 302 which is threadedly connected to a casing joint 287 . an amount of hardened cement 303 surrounds a check valve 304 mounted substantially in the center of the float shoe 300 . a non - rotation device 310 as shown is mounted on the check valve 304 in the cement 303 , but it could be mounted so as not to contact the check valve . the non - rotation device 310 has a main member 311 and a plurality of teeth 312 which extend upwardly from a recess 313 defined by a floor 315 and a side wall 317 of a ring 320 which extends around the top of the main member 311 . the teeth 312 are like the teeth 72 and 142 previously described . an opening 314 extends longitudinally through the device 310 and permits fluid flow therethrough . the check valve 304 itself is a typical prior art valve having a main body 310 with a plunger 306 that is urged upwardly by a spring 305 to close off flow through the valve by closing off a channel 308 in and through the valve body . the opening 308 is in fluid communication with the opening 314 in the device 310 , which itself is in fluid communication with the interior of the casing joint 287 . pockets 316 and 318 in the main member 311 of the device 310 have cement 303 in them . the cement inhibits movement of the device 310 with respect to the cement 303 , particularly during drill out . a non rotation device 400 as shown in fig6 a and 6b is similar to devices 100 and 140 , previously described ; but it has a load bearing ring 402 located centrally of the device around an opening 404 of a flow channel 406 through the device . the device 400 has a main body 408 with a threaded periphery 410 for threaded engagement with a female - threaded opening in another apparatus . a plurality of teeth 412 extend from a recess 414 defined by a floor 416 , a side wall 418 of the ring 402 which encircles the opening 404 , and a side wall 420 of a lip 422 extending around the device &# 39 ; s outer periphery . the teeth 412 extend radially from the side wall 420 inwardly to the edge of the ring 402 . the tip 424 of the lip 422 is tapered to a point . by using a reverse taper on an adjacent apparatus ( e . g . a plug ) better centering of two adjacent devices or apparatuses is achievable and a better seal may be obtained between the two . although the load members ( rings ) shown in these preferred embodiments are circular and continuous , it should be understood that it is within the scope of this invention to provide discrete upstanding members ( one or more ) which extend sufficiently upward from the recess of the device to take some or all of the load off of the teeth when two devices meet . as shown in fig7 a , 7b and 7c , teeth for an anti - rotation device according to the present invention may have a surface comprising a plurality of subsurfaces and an inwardly tapering lip may be provided around a device &# 39 ; s recess to facilitate engagement and sealing . teeth 512 ( shown to scale ) of an anti - rotational device 500 according to the present invention have a body member 514 defined by a substantially straight side surface 509 and a surface 503 comprised of sub - parts 504 , 505 and 506 . the anti - rotation device 500 a main body member 516 , a load bearing ring 518 , and a recess 520 . this device is similar to those previously described herein . it has an inwardly tapering lip 522 extending around the outer periphery of the recess 520 . in conclusion , therefore , it is seen that the present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein are well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth at the outset . certain changes can be made in the method and apparatus without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention . it is realized that changes are possible and it is further intended that each element recited in any of the following claims is to be understood as referring to all equivalent elements for accomplishing substantially the same results in substantially the same or equivalent manner . it is intended to cover the invention broadly in whatever form its principles may be utilized . the present invention is , therefore , well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as others inherent therein .	4
before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings . the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . the use of “ including ,” “ comprising ,” or “ having ” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items . unless specified or limited otherwise , the terms “ mounted ,” “ connected ,” “ supported ,” and “ coupled ” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings , connections , supports , and couplings . further , “ connected ” and “ coupled ” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings . fig1 and 2 illustrate a three - wheeled motorcycle or trike 10 having an engine 12 , handlebars 14 , a frame 16 , a single rear wheel 20 , first and second front wheels 22 , 24 , and headlights 26 . the rear wheel 20 is rotatably mounted to a rear portion of the frame 16 , and the front wheels 22 , 24 are coupled to the frame 16 via a leaning suspension system 18 . the frame 16 includes a front bulkhead 40 and a main bulkhead 42 defining the front portion of the frame 16 . the front bulkhead 40 is connected to the main bulkhead 42 to stiffen and strengthen the entire suspension system 18 . the engine 12 is coupled to the rear wheel 20 through a drive assembly ( not shown ) to propel the trike 10 . the handlebars 14 are pivotally coupled to the front portion of the frame 16 and coupled to the front wheels 22 , 24 through a steering system to controllably turn the front wheels 22 , 24 . the illustrated embodiment is for a trike 10 having two steerable front wheels 22 , 24 and a single , driven rear wheel 20 . it should be noted that it is within the scope of the invention to employ the suspension of the present invention in a vehicle having two rear wheels and a single front wheel . also , in other embodiments , the suspension can be used for the front wheel , the rear wheels , or both the front and rear wheels in a vehicle having four wheels , such as an atv . fig3 illustrates a front view of the trike 10 of fig1 , showing the leaning suspension system 18 in an upright position . this position illustrates the orientation of the suspension system 18 while the trike 10 tracks a straight line on a flat surface . fig4 illustrates the same front view of the trike 10 as fig3 , but in a leaning configuration . this view shows how the suspension system 18 is oriented when the trike 10 is turning , or tracking an arcuate path . it should be noted that in order to highlight the different positions of the suspension system 18 between fig3 and 4 , the handlebar 14 and wheel 22 , 24 positions are illustrated in the same , center , straight - forward position for both fig3 and 4 . although this position is correctly illustrated in fig3 , the handlebar 14 position and the wheel 22 , 24 positions in fig4 should be pivoted and turned , respectively , toward or into the direction of the turn . referring to fig5 and 6 , the leaning suspension system 18 includes a transverse beam 30 , upper control arms 32 , lower control arms 34 , spring dampers 36 , hydraulic actuators 38 , and spindles 44 . the spindles 44 each include upper and lower pins 102 , 100 , as well as means for rotatably coupling to one of the front wheels 22 , 24 , such as a hole 101 for receiving a wheel axle 103 . the structure of the spindle 44 is well known to those skilled in the art . the transverse beam 30 is rigid and remains substantially horizontal during operation of the trike 10 . the transverse beam 30 has a center pivot point 60 , end pivot points 62 , and intermediate pivot points 64 . the transverse beam 30 is pivotally coupled to the main bulkhead 42 at the center pivot 60 . the center pivot 60 is positioned to coincide with the longitudinal centerline of the trike 10 and defines a pivot axis that is parallel to the vehicle centerline . the end pivot points 62 are pivotally coupled to upper pivots 70 on the spring dampers 36 . with reference to fig3 and 4 , the vehicle lean a and the pivot angle b of the substantially horizontal transverse beam 30 are illustrated . as shown in fig4 , the transverse beam 30 defines a line between its pivot points 62 , and this line defines the pivot angle b relative to the horizontal riding surface . in fig3 , the vehicle is upright ( i . e ., a lean angle a of 0 degrees ) and the transverse beam 30 is horizontal ( i . e ., parallel to the horizontal riding surface with a pivot angle b of 0 degrees ). in fig4 , the vehicle is leaning to the right approximately 30 degrees with respect to vertical ( i . e , a lean angle a of 30 degrees ), and the transverse beam 30 remains substantially horizontal while pivoting only approximately 5 degrees relative to horizontal ( i . e ., pivot angle b of 5 degrees ). as used herein , the transverse beam 30 is said to be substantially horizontal when the pivot angle b is less than 10 degrees relative to horizontal , more specifically less than 5 degrees relative to horizontal , and even more specifically less than 3 degrees relative to horizontal . the lower control arms 34 have trunnions 80 rotatably coupled to one end and adapted to rotatably receive the lower pin 100 on the spindles 44 . these trunnions 80 allow the suspension to operate independent of wheel steering by permitting the spindles 44 to pivot and turn regardless of the position of the lower control arms 34 . the two remaining ends of the lower control arms 34 include front and rear pivot points 82 , 84 that are pivotally connected to the main bulkhead 42 . a central pivot 86 is located centrally on the lower control arms 34 and is adapted to pivotally couple to lower pivot points 72 on the spring dampers 36 . the upper control aims 32 also have trunnions 80 rotatably coupled to one end and adapted to rotatably receive the upper pin 102 on the spindles 44 . these trunnions 80 allow the suspension to operate independent of wheel steering . the two remaining ends of the upper control arms 32 include front and rear pivot points 90 , 92 that are pivotally connected to the main bulkhead 42 . in the illustrated embodiment , the transverse beam 30 is positioned between the front and real pivots 90 , 92 on the upper control arms 32 . in other embodiments , the transverse beam 30 could he positioned in front of the front pivots 90 , behind the rear pivots 92 , or coupled to a different location than the upper control arms 32 ( i . e . coupled to a different bulkhead ). as mentioned above , the spring dampers 36 include upper and lower pivot points 70 , 72 connecting the transverse beam 30 to the lower control arms 34 . the spring dampers 36 include a shock absorbing member surrounded by a biasing member . this style of spring damper 36 is well known to those skilled in the art , and will not be discussed in further detail . alternative embodiments may utilize a different method of biasing and shock absorbing , such as leaf springs , coil springs , or air springs . the hydraulic actuators 38 include upper and lower pivot points 110 , 112 . the illustrated embodiment shows the upper pivot points 110 of the hydraulic actuators 38 are pivotally coupled to the intermediate pivot points 64 on the transverse beam 30 at a location between the center pivot point 60 and one of the end pivot points 62 . other embodiments could include the hydraulic actuators 38 pivotally coupled to the end pivot points 62 and the spring damper 36 pivotally coupled to the transverse beam 30 at a location between the center pivot point 60 and one of the end pivot points 62 . the hydraulic actuators 38 and spring dampers can also be pivotally coupled to other points along the transverse beam 30 . the hydraulic actuators 38 shown in the illustrated embodiment include a cylinder having top and bottom fluid ports 114 , 116 . a piston ( not shown ) exists at the end of a shaft 118 within each cylinder . when hydraulic fluid is forced into the top fluid port 114 by a hydraulic pump ( not shown ), the internal piston is forced down , and the shaft 118 retracts . while this is happening , hydraulic fluid is being forced out of the bottom fluid port 116 and into a reservoir ( not shown ). when hydraulic fluid is forced into the bottom fluid port 116 , the internal piston is forced up , and the shaft 118 extends . while this is happening , hydraulic fluid is being forced out of the top fluid port 114 and into the reservoir . the hydraulic actuators 38 act to control the vertical orientation of the trike 10 . when entering a turn , one of the hydraulic actuators 38 extends in length while the other retracts , moving the trike 10 into a leaning position as illustrated in fig4 . when the trike 10 is leaving the turn , the hydraulic actuators 38 act to bring the trike 10 back to a vertical orientation as illustrated in fig3 . the hydraulic actuators are controlled by a leaning suspension control system that monitors at least one characteristic of the trike such as handlebar position ( i . e ., steering angle ), speed , acceleration , etc . safety features can be present to ensure the trike 10 is returned to the vertical orientation when the engine 12 is turned off , or if there is a malfunction in the control of the hydraulic system . the substantially horizontal orientation of the transverse beam 30 is maintained by the influence of the spring dampers 36 . the lower control arms 34 are connected to the front wheels 22 , 24 through the spindles 44 and to the transverse beam 30 by the spring dampers 36 . the front wheels 22 , 24 , and thus the lower control arms 34 , remain substantially parallel to the road during normal operation . the road is generally substantially planar for the width of the trike 10 meaning that as long as both front wheels 22 , 24 are in contact with the road , whether cornering or tracking a straight line , the spring dampers 36 will bias the transverse beam 30 to a position that is substantially parallel to the road . the hydraulic actuators 38 connect the frame 16 to the transverse beam 30 , and control the lean of the trike 10 . as the hydraulic actuators 38 extend , they push the frame 16 away from the transverse beam 30 , initiating lean . the biasing force from the spring dampers 36 acting on the transverse beam creates a larger moment about the central pivot 86 than the hydraulic actuators 38 , so extension of the hydraulic actuators 38 moves the frame 16 with respect to the beam 30 . the steering system includes spindles 44 , tie rods 46 , and the steering box 48 . the handlebars 14 are coupled to the steering box 48 such that when an operator turns the handlebars 14 , an output shaft ( not shown ) on the steering box 48 rotates . the output shaft is pivotally coupled to a first end of each tie rod 46 . the second end of each tie rod 46 is pivotally coupled to one of the spindles 44 . as the output shaft on the steering box 48 rotates , the tie rods 46 follow , pulling one spindle 44 and pushing the other . the spindles 44 are rotatably coupled to the upper and lower control arms 32 , 34 by upper and lower pins 102 , 100 . thus the pushing or pulling action initiated by the tie rods 46 causes the spindles 44 , and thus the front wheels 22 , 24 , to rotate about the upper and lower pins 102 , 100 . using hydraulic actuators 38 as discussed affords some major advantages to trikes . first , since the lean of the trike 10 is controlled by the hydraulic actuators 38 , the upper and lower control arms 32 , 34 , spring dampers 36 , and steering components are free to act normally , regardless of the trike &# 39 ; s 10 lean . this allows the trike 10 to absorb bumps while tracking an arcuate path in the same manner it would if it were tracking a straight line , making for a consistent suspension action , even while turning . referring to fig7 and 8 , the headlight bracket 130 includes a top surface 131 that defines an aperture 132 , and matching front and rear surfaces 134 defining apertures 136 that include counter bores . the headlight bracket 130 defines a space between the front and rear surfaces 134 allowing the headlight bracket 130 to straddle an end of the transverse beam 30 . the apertures 136 allow the headlight bracket 130 to be coupled to the transverse beam by threading a fastener ( not shown ) through the apertures 136 , the transverse beam 30 , and the upper pivot point 70 of the spring damper 36 . this fastener defines the end pivot points 62 at each end of the transverse beam 30 . the headlight 26 includes a housing 150 , a retaining ring 152 , a reflective portion 154 , a lens 156 , and a trim ring 158 . the retaining ring 152 is of a diameter slightly less than that of the interior of the housing 150 , and is intended to be positioned within the housing 150 where it will fit to a predetermined depth . at this depth , the retaining ring 152 could be held in place by tabs ( not shown ) protruding from the inside of the housing 150 , or by a friction fit . the reflective portion 154 is concave in shape , and is also of a diameter slightly less than that of the interior of the housing 150 . an aperture 155 is defined by and is located substantially in the center of the reflective portion 154 . the aperture 155 is adapted to receive a bulb 160 . a boot 164 is adapted to receive the bulb and provide a seal for wires to leave the housing . when the bulb 160 is positioned within the aperture 155 and connected to a power source the reflective portion 154 will direct most of the generated light into a beam in a forward direction . the reflective portion 154 is positioned in the housing 150 , and rests against spacers 162 that are in abutment with the retaining ring 152 . the lens 156 is generally disk - shaped and is made of a clear material such as plastic or glass . the diameter of the lens 156 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the reflective portion 154 . this allows the lens 156 to be positioned inside of the reflective portion , where it can protect the bulb 160 while still allowing the light generated by the bulb 160 to be transmitted . the trim ring 158 includes a break and a fastener 159 joining the two ends of the trim ring 158 . the inner surface of the trim ring 158 has a concave shape with the front and rear edges extending towards the center of the trim ring 158 . when assembled , the front and rear edges of the trim ring 158 will surround the reflective portion 154 and the lens 156 . tightening the fastener 159 will decrease the diameter of the trim ring 158 and hold the reflective portion 154 and the lens 156 together . the housing 150 is adapted to couple to the top surface 131 of the headlight bracket 130 . this is accomplished via a mounting block 166 and a mounting pivot 168 . the mounting block 166 can be coupled to the housing 150 by any suitable fastener . a fastener ( not shown ) can be threaded into the mounting pivot 168 through the aperture 132 defined by the top surface 131 of the headlight bracket 130 . the mounting block 166 is coupled to the mounting pivot by means of a pin or any suitable fastener ( not shown ). these fasteners are ideally of the locking variety , which can allow rotation of the mounting pivot 168 with respect to the mounting bracket 130 , and rotation of the mounting block 166 with respect to the mounting pivot 168 , while still holding the pieces tightly together . this affords both rotation and tilting of the headlights 26 to aim them . as mentioned above , the transverse beam 30 remains substantially horizontal , even when the trike 10 is leaning . by coupling the headlights 26 to the transverse beam 30 , they also will main substantially horizontal . this provides an operator of the trike 10 with consistent lighting while in motion , including while cornering , focuses the headlight on the road directly in front of the trike 10 , and reduces glare for oncoming motorists .	1
next , the preferred first embodiment of the present invention will be explained . [ 0034 ] fig1 is a figure showing a cooling system for a vehicle of the preferred embodiment to which the present invention is applied . to a control unit 100 there are connected a rotational speed sensor 25 which detects the rotational speed ( revolutions per minute ) of the engine 20 of the vehicle , a coolant temperature sensor 85 which detects the temperature of the coolant of the engine 20 , a discharge pressure sensor 95 which detects the pressure of the refrigerant which is flowing in a condenser 90 of an air conditioning system , and an external temperature sensor 110 . the coolant of the engine 20 is cooled by a radiator 80 which is disposed in the engine room . the condenser 90 and a radiator 80 are disposed as overlapped in the longitudinal direction ( the front and the rear direction ) of the vehicle , and a motor fan 70 is disposed behind them , so that the condenser 90 and the radiator 80 are cooled by a current of external air created by the motion of the vehicle and by the action of the motor fan 70 . the external temperature sensor 110 is arranged in the path of the air as it comes in to the condenser 90 and so on . the engine 20 is connected or linked to a alternator ( alt ) and to the compressor of an air conditioning system ( comp ), and refrigerant which has been compressed by the compressor 30 absorbs heat within an evaporator 53 of a cooling unit 50 which is disposed within the passenger compartment of the vehicle , and discharges heat at the condenser 90 . the alternator 10 is connected to a battery ( bat ) 40 and to the control unit 100 , and supplies them with operating electrical power . when the engine 20 is stopped , the battery 40 supplies operating electrical power to the control unit 100 . during engine cooling , the coolant for the engine is circulated through the heater core 54 of the cooling unit 50 . a blower fan 51 is provided to the heater core 54 and the evaporator 53 , so as to blow air whose temperature has been regulated into the passenger compartment of the vehicle . a rotational speed sensor 55 which detects the rotational speed of the blower fan 51 , a switch for the air conditioning system ( an air conditioner switch ) 115 , and a vehicle speed sensor 120 are connected to the control unit 100 . next , the flow of a control procedure for the motor fan which is executed by the control unit 100 will be explained . [ 0043 ] fig2 and 3 are flow charts showing this motor fan control procedure flow . in a first step 100 , it is detected whether or not an ignition switch not shown in the figures is turned on and the engine has been started , and then the flow of control continues to the step 101 . in this step 101 , the value of the engine rotational speed as detected by the rotational speed sensor 25 and the value of the external temperature as detected by the external temperature sensor 110 are read in . in the next step 102 it is checked whether the air conditioner switch 115 is on or off , and if it is on then the flow of control proceeds to the next step 103 , while if it is off then the flow of control is transferred to the step 125 . in the step 103 the value of the pressure of the air conditioner refrigerant as detected by the discharge pressure sensor 95 is read in . in the next step 104 the value of the temperature of the coolant of the engine as detected by the coolant temperature sensor 85 is read in . in the next step 105 , a first command value x for the duty ratio of the motor fan for satisfying a requirement for performance of the air conditioner is calculated from the refrigerant pressure which was read in in the step 103 , by using the map giving the relationship between the refrigerant pressure and the duty ratio of the motor fan shown in fig4 a . the characteristic shown in the map in fig4 a is that the duty ratio is set to a constant value of about 30 % when the refrigerant pressure is below a value p1 , while it rises linearly with respect to the refrigerant pressure when the refrigerant pressure is between p1 and p2 ; and the duty ratio is kept at a constant value of 100 % when the refrigerant pressure is above p2 . in the next step 106 , a second command value y for the duty ratio of the motor fan for satisfying a requirement for engine cooling is calculated from the engine coolant temperature which was read in in the step 104 , by using the map giving the relationship between the engine coolant temperature and the duty ratio of the motor fan shown in fig4 b . the characteristic shown in the map in fig4 b is that the duty ratio is set to 0 % ( so that the motor fan is not driven ) when the coolant temperature is below a value t1 , while it rises linearly with respect to the coolant temperature when the coolant temperature is between t1 and t2 ; and the duty ratio is kept at a constant value of 100 % when the coolant temperature is above t2 . in the next step 107 , the above described first duty ratio command value x and second duty ratio command value y are compared together . and the flow of control proceeds to the next step 108 if the first command value x is greater than or equal to the second command value y , while it is transferred to the step 109 if the first command value x is less than the second command value y . in the step 108 , the first command value x is taken as a first target value d1 for the duty ratio of the motor fan . in the step 109 , the second command value y is taken as a first target value d1 for the duty ratio of the motor fan . by doing this , the maximum one of the first command value x and the second command value y is employed as the first target value d1 , so that it is possible to satisfy both requirements for engine cooling and also requirements for performance of the air conditioning system . in the next step 110 , based upon the first target value d1 for the duty ratio and upon the external temperature which was read in in the step 101 , a target refrigerant pressure for the compressor which is considered ideal is calculated , using the map of refrigerant pressure shown in fig5 . in the map of fig5 the relationship between the duty ratio , the refrigerant pressure , and the external temperature is determined , and this relationship exhibits the characteristics that the refrigerant pressure is low when the duty ratio becomes high , while the refrigerant pressure becomes high when the external temperature becomes high . the meaning of this is that , when the duty ratio of the motor fan becomes high , the amount of draft produced by the motor fan becomes great , and the cooling performance of the condenser is relatively enhanced , so that the pressure of the refrigerant which is expelled by the compressor may be reduced without problem . furthermore , when the external temperature becomes high , the cooling performance is deteriorated in accordance therewith , so that it is necessary to compensate for this deterioration or correct this deterioration . in the next step 111 , the amount i1 of electric current to be generated by the alternator is calculated from the first target value d1 , using the map which gives the relationship between the duty ratio of the motor fan and the amount of electric current of the alternator shown in fig6 . the map of fig6 shows the characteristic in which according to the magnitude of the duty ratio , the magnitude of the electric current which is required to generate in order to drive the motor fan at this duty ratio becomes greater . in the next step 112 in fig3 the torque ti1 of the alternator is calculated from the electric current i1 which is to be generated and the engine rotational speed , using the map giving the relationship between the electric current generated by the alternator and torque shown in fig7 . the map of fig7 shows the characteristic in which at one particular engine rotational speed ( in other words , at one particular alternator rotational speed ), according to the magnitude of the electric current generated by the alternator , the torque which is required to generate this electric current becomes greater . a map of this type is provided for each value of the engine rotational speed . in the next step 113 , the compressor torque tc1 is calculated from the first target value d1 , using the map giving the relationship between the duty ratio of the motor fan and the torque of the compressor shown in fig8 . the map of fig8 shows the characteristic in which at one particular engine rotational speed ( in other words , at one particular compressor rotational speed ) and at one particular value of external temperature , the relationship between the duty ratio of the motor fan and the torque of the compressor when the condenser is being cooled by the motor fan which is being driven at this duty ratio is defined , and in which the required torque diminishes as the duty ratio becomes greater . a map of this type is provided for each combination of values of the engine rotational speed and the external temperature . in the next step 114 , the total torque t1 is calculated by adding together the torque ti1 of the alternator and the torque tc1 of the compressor . in the next step 115 , the value of the external temperature detected by the external temperature sensor 110 is read in . although the value detected for the external temperature has already been read in in the step 101 , accuracy is improved by reading it in again in this step for a second time . in the next step 116 , the rotational speed of the blower fan is read in from the rotational speed sensor 55 . in the next step 117 , a corrected total torque t1 ′ is calculated by performing correction on the total torque t1 of the alternator and the compressor together , as calculated in the step 114 , using a total torque correction value taken from the correction map shown in fig9 based upon the external temperature and the rotational speed of the blower fan . in the correction map of fig9 the correction value is set so that the total torque t1 becomes higher when the external temperature becomes higher , or when the rotational speed of the blower fan becomes higher . this is because , when the external temperature or the rotational speed of the blower fan becomes higher than the conditions when the target refrigerant pressure was set in the step 110 , the required torque becomes greater to this extent , since it is necessary to perform more cooling due to this factor . furthermore , since it is necessary to generate more electric current for the blower fan when the rotational speed of the blower fan becomes greater , the required torque also becomes greater to this extent . in the next step 118 a second target value d2 for the duty ratio for the motor fan is obtained , so as to make the corrected total torque t1 ′ of the torque of the alternator and the torque of the compressor together to be a minimum , in consideration of the operational states of the alternator and of the compressor . in concrete terms , the duty ratio of the motor fan is changed by a little bit at a time from the first target value d1 , and , after having calculated the electric current i2 to be generated by the alternator in the same manner as in the step 111 described above , the torque ti2 of the alternator is calculated in the same manner as in the step 112 , and the torque tc2 of the compressor is calculated in the same manner as in the step 113 described above . finally , the total t2 of ti2 and tc2 is calculated and the duty ratio of the motor fan when t2 is less than t1 ′ is obtained , and this procedure is repeated , and the duty ratio when t2 attains its minimum is taken as the second duty ratio target value d2 . and , after calculating this second target value d2 , the target refrigerant pressure for the compressor which is considered ideal is obtained using the map shown in fig5 . in the step 119 , the magnitudes of the first target value d1 and the second target value d2 are compared together . and if the second target value d2 is greater than or equal to the first target value d1 then the flow of control proceeds to the next step 120 , while if the second target value d2 is less than the first target value d1 then the flow of control is transferred to the step 121 . in the step 120 , the motor fan is controlled with a duty ratio equal to the second duty ratio target value d2 . in this case , the torque load imposed upon the engine becomes a minimum , and moreover the operational states of the alternator and the compressor are optimized , since a duty ratio for the motor fan ( in other words d2 ) is used which does not exert any influence upon the performance of the air conditioner . on the other hand , in the step 121 , the motor fan is controlled with a duty ratio equal to the second duty ratio target value d1 . in the next step 122 , the value of the refrigerant pressure of the compressor is read in from the discharge pressure sensor 95 . in the next step 123 , the deviation is obtained between the target refrigerant pressure which was obtained in the step 110 or the step 118 , and the refrigerant pressure which has been detected . in the next step 124 , the duty ratio d of the motor fan is corrected so as to cancel this deviation . on the other hand , if in the check in the step 102 it is determined that the air conditioner switch sw is off , then the flow of control is transferred to the step 125 of the fig2 flowchart , and the detected value of the coolant temperature is read in , in the same manner as in the step 104 . in the next step 126 , the second command value y is calculated from the coolant temperature which was read in in the step 125 , in the same manner as in the step 106 . in the next step 127 , the second command value y is taken as being the first target value d1 . here , since the air conditioner switch sw is off , the second target value d2 in consideration of the operational state of the compressor is not calculated . in the next step 128 , the target refrigerant pressure of the compressor is calculated corresponding to the first target value d1 , from the map of fig5 . and , after controlling the motor fan based upon the duty ratio of the first target value d1 in the step 121 , and after correction on the duty ratio thereafter has been performed , the flow of control returns , and the above describe control procedure is repeated . with this preferred embodiment of the present invention constituted as described above , since the total torque of the alternator and the compressor is brought to the minimum while satisfying the requirements for engine coolant temperature and for air conditioner performance , accordingly the value of the load upon the engine is reduced , so that it is possible to anticipate an improvement in fuel economy ( fuel efficiency ). in particular , in the calculation of the second target value , since the total torque of the alternator and the compressor is corrected based upon the external temperature and upon the rotational speed of the blower fan , accordingly , even if the external temperature or the cooling requirement of the cooling unit within the vehicle passenger compartment changes , the engine can drive the alternator and the compressor with the minimum torque , so that it becomes possible to enhance the fuel economy of the vehicle without experiencing any influence from the cooling requirement within the vehicle passenger compartment . furthermore , when calculating the target refrigerant pressure for the compressor in correspondence to the first and the second target values for duty ratio which have been calculated and controlling the motor fan , it becomes possible for the compressor to operate in the ideal state , since , if deviation has occurred between the actual refrigerant pressure and the target refrigerant pressure , the duty ratio is corrected so as to make the actual refrigerant pressure approach towards the target refrigerant pressure . although , in the above described preferred embodiment , the explanation was made in terms of an example in which a second target value d2 for the duty ratio for the motor fan was obtained so that the corrected total torque t1 ′ of the torque of the alternator and the torque of the compressor became a minimum , the present invention is not to be considered as being necessarily limited by this detail . it would be acceptable to employ a duty ratio which is a value greater than the first target value d1 , and which corresponds to a total torque which is merely smaller than the total torque of the torque of the alternator and the torque of the compressor corresponding to the first target value d1 . in this case as well , it is possible to enhance the fuel economy of the vehicle . in the following , the second embodiment of the present invention will be explained based upon the figures . [ 0084 ] fig1 is an overall structural system figure showing the control device for a cooling fan according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig1 , this cooling fan control device comprises an engine 1 , an alternator ( generator ) 2 , an air conditioning device ( air conditioner ) 3 , an electrically driven cooling fan 4 , and a control unit ( c / u ) 5 . the heat which is generated by the engine 1 is absorbed by engine cooling water which passes through a water jacket , and then this heat which has been absorbed is radiated via a radiator ( not shown in the figures ). the alternator 2 is mechanically connected to an output shaft of the engine 1 , and is driven by the drive power of the engine 1 and generates electricity . this alternator 2 , the electrically driven cooling fan 4 , and a battery 6 are electrically connected together via a regulator 7 . and the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is operated by the electrical power which is generated by the alternator 2 being supplied to the electrically driven cooling fan 4 via the regulator 7 . the air conditioner 3 comprises a compressor 8 which is mechanically connected to the output shaft of the engine 1 and which is driven by the drive power of the engine 1 so as to suck in refrigerant , compress it , and discharge it at high temperature and high pressure , a condenser 9 which cools and liquefies the refrigerant which has been discharged from this compressor 8 , a receiver / drier 10 which temporally accumulates the refrigerant which has been liquefied by this condenser 9 , an expansion valve 11 which sprays out the refrigerant which has been liquefied as a mist and evaporates it , and an evaporator 12 which is cooled by passage of this evaporated refrigerant ; and these are connected together by a refrigerant conduit 13 . and a cooling air flow is created by a draft being passed through the evaporator by a blower fan 14 . it should be understood that an electromagnetic clutch ( not shown in the figure ) is connected to the compressor 8 , and thereby it is arranged to enable transmission or interruption of drive power from the engine 1 . the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is operated by receiving supply of electrical power , and sends a cooling air flow ( for heat transfer ) to the condenser 9 . by doing this the engine performance is maintained and over heating is avoided , and the heat dissipation performance of the condenser 9 is elevated so that the performance of the air conditioner is maintained . to the control unit ( c / u ) 5 there are inputted detection signals from various detection sensors such as a water temperature sensor 21 which detects the temperature of the cooling water of the engine , an external air temperature sensor 22 which detects the external air temperature , a discharge pressure sensor 23 which detects the pressure of the refrigerant which is discharged from the compressor 8 ( its discharge pressure ), an after - evaporator draft temperature sensor 24 which detects the temperature of the air flow which passes through the evaporator 12 ( the after - evaporator draft temperature ), and an electric current sensor 25 which detects the electric current from the alternator 2 , and the like , and signals ( on / off , and required cooling performance ) from an air conditioner switch 26 . and the control unit ( c / u ) 5 performs a predetermined calculation procedure based upon the detection signals which are input from the various detection sensors , and thereby executes engine control such as fuel injection control and the like . furthermore , in order to obtain the cooling performance which is required by the air conditioner switch 26 , the control unit ( c / u ) 5 performs engagement and disengagement of the electromagnetic clutch according to the external air temperature , the after - evaporator draft temperature , and the like , so as to drive or to stop the compressor 8 ( i . e . to execute control of the air conditioner 3 ). moreover , the control unit ( c / u ) 5 performs variable control of the electrically driven cooling fan 4 via a fan drive unit , according to the operational state of the air conditioner 3 and the external air temperature . here , the control of the electrically driven cooling fan which is executed by the control unit ( c / u ) 5 in this embodiment will be explained in detail . in this control , first , when operating the air conditioner 3 , a target discharge pressure for the compressor 8 is set , and an operating duty ratio for the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is set so as to maintain the discharge pressure at this target discharge pressure ( hereinafter this will be termed “ the operating duty ratio for this discharge pressure ”). the target discharge pressure which is set here is the most appropriate discharge pressure which will make the total of the drive load of the compressor 8 forth is required cooling performance and the drive load of the electrically driven cooling fan 4 for cooling the condenser 9 ( in other words , the total load ) to be a minimum ; and , in concrete terms , it is set in the following manner . in other words , since the compressor 8 is driven by the output of the engine 1 , the drive power for driving the compressor 8 ( the compressor drive power ) constitutes a load upon the engine 1 . and it is possible to convert the compressor discharge pressure ( the compressor drive power ) into the drive load of the compressor 8 , since this compressor drive power is given by the discharge pressure minus the intake pressure ( which is constant ). furthermore , since the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is operated by the electrical power from the alternator 2 , and this alternator 2 is driven by the output of the engine 1 to generate electricity , accordingly it is possible to obtain the drive power for driving the alternator 2 , in other words the load upon the engine 1 , from the electrical power which is consumed by the electrically driven cooling fan 4 ( for example , from the integrated value of the electric current which is detected by the electric current sensor 25 ); and , due to this , it is possible to convert the electrical power which is consumed by the electrically driven cooling fan 4 into the drive load of the alternator 2 for obtaining the electrical power for operating the electrically driven cooling fan 4 . on the other hand , when the condenser 9 of the air conditioner 3 is cooled by the electrically driven cooling fan 4 , the condensation temperature of the refrigerant in this condenser 9 , in other words the condensation pressure , drops . as a result , the discharge pressure of the compressor drops , and the drive load of the compressor 8 is reduced . by the above , in the cooling performance which is required from the air conditioner 3 , when , by varying the operating duty ratio of the electrically driven cooling fan 4 ( the fan operational duty ratio ), its amount of air flow , in other words the cooling effect of the condenser 9 , is increased , then the drive load of the compressor 8 ( its discharge pressure ) is reduced , while the drive load of the alternator 2 ( the consumption of electrical power by the electrically driven cooling fan 4 ) is increased . accordingly , by varying the fan operational duty ratio , it is possible to find the operational point ( the most suitable point ) at which the total of the drive load of the compressor and the drive load of the alternator ( in other words the operational load of the electrically driven cooling fan ) becomes a minimum . and by operating at this most suitable point , in other words by controlling the fan operational duty ratio so as to keep ( so as to maintain ) the compressor discharge pressure at this time ( i . e . the target discharge pressure ), it becomes possible to keep the engine load which accompanies operation of the air conditioner 3 at the minimum limit , and accordingly it is possible to anticipate an improvement of fuel economy . fig1 a - 11 c show the above described relationship and most suitable point ; and fig1 a through 11c respectively show the cases in which the external air temperature is low , medium , and high . it should be understood that , in fig1 a - 11 c , the broken line shows the drive load of the compressor 8 , the single dotted line shows the drive load of the alternator 2 for operating the electrically driven cooling fan 4 , and the solid line shows the total of these loads . and the most suitable point is obtained for each external air temperature , a target discharge pressure map ( fig1 ) is constructed and stored by taking the most suitable compressor discharge pressure according to the external air temperature , and the target discharge pressure is set by referring to this map . by this means , since the target discharge pressure is set without providing a plurality of maps , the control parameter does not change due to switching of maps . accordingly , it is possible to ensure a stabilized fan operating characteristic , since the target discharge pressure which is set changes continuously according to change of the cooling performance which is demanded from the air conditioning device . furthermore , since a plurality of map are not provided , the capacity of memory can be reduced . accordingly , if the discharge pressure which has been detected by the discharge pressure sensor 23 is higher than the target discharge pressure , then the “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” is set in the direction to increase the current operational duty ratio , while , if it is lower than the target discharge pressure , then the “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” is set in the direction to decrease the current operational duty ratio . it should be understood that examples of the behavior of the fan operational duty ratio and the compressor discharge pressure when the air conditioner 3 is being operated are shown in fig1 . next , the operational duty ratio of the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is set so that the engine cooling water temperature maintains a target engine cooling water temperature ( in the following this will be termed the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ”). it should be understood that this target engine cooling water temperature is set in advance according to the characteristics of the vehicle and the engine and so on , and is stored in memoru . accordingly , as shown in fig1 , if the engine cooling water temperature which has been detected by the water temperature sensor 21 is higher than the target engine cooling water temperature , then the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” is set in the direction to increase the current operational duty ratio , while , if it is lower than the target engine cooling water temperature , then the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” is set in the direction to decrease the current operational duty ratio . it should be understood that examples of the behavior of the fan operational duty ratio and the engine cooling water temperature when the air conditioner 3 is stopped are shown in fig1 . and the “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” and the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” are compared together , and the one whose demand value is the higher is taken as the final operational duty ratio , and this is outputted to operate the electrically driven cooling fan 4 . it should be understood that , when the air conditioner 3 is stopped , the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” is set as the final operational duty ratio . [ 0102 ] fig1 and 16 are flow charts for the electrically driven cooling fan control which has been explained above , and they are executed repeatedly at a predetermined time interval . in fig1 , in the step 1 ( s 1 in the figure , and the same henceforward ), the state of the air conditioner switch 27 is read in . in the step 2 , a decision is made as to whether or not the air conditioner 3 is being operated ( the switch 27 is on ) or is stopped ( the switch 27 is off ). and , if the air conditioner is being operated , the flow of control proceeds to the step 3 . in the step 3 , the engine cooling water temperature is read in from the water temperature sensor 21 , the external air temperature is read in from the external air temperature sensor 22 , and the discharge pressure is read in from the discharge pressure sensor 23 . and in the steps 4 through 8 the “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” is set , while in the steps 9 through 13 the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” is set . in the step 4 , a decision is made as to whether or not the discharge pressure which has been read in is greater than a predetermined pressure pu . this decision is one which is performed , for example , in order to protect the compressor 8 , and from that point of view an upper limit pressure is set as the predetermined pressure . and , if the discharge pressure is greater than the predetermined pressure pu , the flow of control proceeds to the step 5 , and the maximum value ( duty ratio 100 %) is set as an “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” during emergency , and the flow of control proceeds to the step 14 . by doing this , the electrically driven cooling fan 4 comes to cool the air conditioner 3 ( the condenser 9 ) with its maximum air flow amount ( so that the maximum cooling effect is obtained ). on the other hand , if the discharge pressure is less than the predetermined pressure pu , then the flow of control proceeds to the step 6 . in the step 6 , the target discharge pressure is set according to the external air temperature , by referring to a map like that shown in fig1 . in the step 7 , the discharge pressure which has been read in and the target discharge pressure which has been set are compared together . and if the discharge pressure is different from the target discharge pressure the flow of control proceeds to the step 8 , while if the discharge pressure and the target discharge pressure are in agreement then the flow of control proceeds straight to the step 14 . in the step 8 , the normal “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” is set . in concrete terms , if the discharge pressure which has been read in is greater than the target discharge pressure , then a predetermined duty ratio ( for example , a 1 %) is added to the current operational duty ratio , while , if the discharge pressure which has been read in is less than the target discharge pressure , then a predetermined duty ratio ( for example , b 1 %) is subtracted from the current operational duty ratio . in the step 9 , a decision is made as to whether or not the engine cooling water temperature which has been read in is greater than a predetermined temperature tu . this decision is one which is performed , for example , in order to avoid overheating and maintain engine performance , and from that point of view an upper limit temperature is set as the predetermined temperature . and , if the engine cooling water temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature tu , the flow of control proceeds to the step 10 , and the maximum value ( duty ratio 100 %) is set as an “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” during emergency , and the flow of control proceeds to the step 14 . by doing this , the electrically driven cooling fan 4 comes to cool ( the radiator of ) the engine 1 with its maximum air flow amount ( so that the maximum cooling effect is obtained ). on the other hand , if the engine cooling water temperature is less than the predetermined temperature tu , then the flow of control proceeds to the step 11 . in the step 11 , the target engine cooling water temperature which has been stored is read in . in the step 12 , the engine cooling water temperature which has been read in and the target engine cooling water temperature are compared together . and if the engine cooling water temperature is different from the target cooling water temperature the flow of control proceeds to the step 13 , while if the engine cooling water temperature and the target engine cooling water temperature are in agreement then the flow of control proceeds straight to the step 14 . in the step 13 , the normal “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” is set . in concrete terms , if the engine cooling water temperature which has been read in is greater than the target engine cooling water temperature , then a predetermined duty ratio ( for example , a 2 %) is added to the current operational duty ratio , while , if the engine cooling water temperature which has been read in is less than the target engine cooling water temperature , then a predetermined duty ratio ( for example , b 2 %) is subtracted from the current operational duty ratio . and , in the step 14 , the “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” and the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” are compared together , and the larger one of these duty ratios is selected as the operational duty ratio for the electrically driven cooling fan 4 . on the other hand , if in the step 2 the air conditioner 3 is stopped , then the flow of control proceeds to the step 15 of fig1 , and the engine cooling water temperature is read in from the water temperature sensor 21 . and , in the steps 16 through 20 , the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” is set in the same manner as in the steps 9 through 13 , and this is taken as the operational duty ratio for the electrically driven cooling fan 4 . moreover , although the compressor 8 of this second embodiment is one of an on / off type which is switched over between being driven and being stopped , in addition to this , it would also be possible for it to be of a type whose discharge capacity could be varied . with the second embodiment described above , beneficial effects are obtained as described below . ( 1 ) when for example the temperature around the vehicle ( for example , the external air temperature ) increases , the load of the compressor is also increased , since this entails increase of the heat load upon the evaporator 12 and reduction of the heat dissipation performance of the condenser 9 . thus , in the above described embodiment , it is possible to set with good accuracy the target discharge pressure in correspondence to the drive load of the compressor 8 which changes according to the external temperature , since the target discharge amount is set according to the external air temperature . ( 2 ) since the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is controlled either according to the “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” or according to the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ”, in other words , either according to the compressor discharge pressure or according to the cooling water temperature , whose rates of change are comparatively gentle , accordingly the fan operation characteristic ( state ) is stabilized . ( 3 ) since , when operating the air conditioner , the “ operational duty ratio according to discharge pressure ” and the “ operational duty ratio according to water temperature ” are compared together , and the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is controlled according to the one of these whose demand value is the higher , accordingly it is possible to operate the electrically driven cooling fan 4 in the most appropriate manner and to ensure the required amount of air flow . ( 4 ) since , when operating the air conditioner , the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is operated at its maximum control amount ( i . e . its operational duty ratio is 100 %) when the compressor discharge pressure as detected by the discharge pressure sensor 23 is above the predetermined pressure pu , accordingly the maximum fan cooling effect is ensured , and it is possible to protect the compressor 8 from abnormal increase of discharge pressure ( i . e . it is possible to prevent increase of load of the compressor 8 and deterioration of its performance ). ( 5 ) since the electrically driven cooling fan 4 is operated at its maximum control amount ( i . e . its operational duty ratio is 100 %) when the engine cooling water temperature as detected by the water temperature sensor 21 is above the predetermined temperature tu , accordingly the maximum fan cooling effect is ensured , and it is possible to prevent excessive increase of the temperature of the engine ( i . e . it is possible to prevent overheating ). the above described embodiment is given by way of example , and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the disclosure of the following priority application is herein incorporated by reference :	1
this invention is described in further details below by referring to some of its embodiments . rhenium powder with mean particle size of 3 . 55 μm and purity of 99 . 99 %, and yttrium oxide powder with mean particle size of 5 . 7 μm and purity of 99 . 9 % were mixed in dry state for 30 minutes by means of a shaker - mixer . a binder was added to this mixture powder to granulate . obtained grains of mixture powder of rhenium ( re ) and yttrium oxide ( y 2 o 3 ) were pressurized in a mold to become compressed powder of 2 mm in diameter and 4 mm in length ( compressed powder density 65 to 75 %), and it was presintered in hydrogen stream ( 500 ° c .× 15 minutes ) and sintered ( 2 , 200 ° c .× 30 minutes ) by conventional method , and an electrode material made of a sinter of 1 . 7 mm in diameter and 3 . 5 mm in length was obtained . the obtained electrode material was press - fitted into a copper - made chip holder to be used as the cathode , and a water - cooled copper plate was used as the anode , and an arc test was conducted by using the test apparatus shown in fig1 and fig2 to measure the consumption . the results are shown in fig3 . in the drawings , numeral 1 is a torch , 2 is an electrode , 2a is an electrode material , 3 is a water - cooled copper plate , 4 is a cutting power source , 5 is an air regulator , 6 is a compressor , 7 is a nozzle , and 8 is a plasma arc . the test conditions in fig3 were a current of 25 a , a voltage of 95 v , an air pressure of 3 . 5 kg / cm 2 , and a duration of 5 minutes . the consumption is expressed in the unit of cubic millimeters ( mm 3 ). as understood from fig3 the electrode material of this invention is small in consumption as compared with the conventional electrode materials made from zirconium or hafnium . the preferable range of chemical composition is , as clear from fig3 - 95 for rhenium , or more preferably , 60 - 90 . fabrication of this electrode material is relatively easy , and there is no problem in the availability of the materials . in this electrode material , a stable plasma arc was obtained , the consumption was small , and the cut section was straight and smooth when used as a cutting electrode , while the cutting width was small and the cutting speed was fast . ruthenium powder with mean particle size of 15 . 0 μm and purity of 99 . 9 %, and yttrium oxide powder with mean particle size of 5 . 7 μm and purity of 99 . 9 % were mixed in dry state for 30 minutes by means of a shaker - mixer . a binder was added to this mixture powder to granulate . obtained grains of mixture powder of ruthenium ( ru ) and yttrium oxide ( y 2 o 3 ) were pressurized in a mold to become compressed powder of 2 mm in diameter and 4 mm in length ( compressed powder density 65 to 75 %), and it was presintered in hydrogen steam ( 500 ° c .× 15 minutes ) and sintered ( 2 , 100 ° c .× 30 minutes ) by conventional method , and an electrode material made of a sinter of 1 . 8 mm in diameter and 3 . 5 mm in length was obtained . the obtained electrode material was press - fitted into a copper - made chip holder to be used as the cathode , and a water - cooled copper plate was used as the anode , and an arc test was conducted by using the test apparatus shown in fig1 and fig2 to measure the consumption . the results are shown in fig4 . the test conditions in fig4 were a current of 25 a , a voltage of 95 v , an air pressure of 3 . 5 kg / cm 2 , and a duration of 5 minutes . the consumption is expressed in the unit of cubic millimeters ( mm 3 ). as understood from fig4 the electrode material of this invention is small in consumption as compared with the conventional electrode materials made from zirconium or hafnium . the preferable range of chemical composition is , as clear from fig4 to 98 % for ruthenium , or more preferably 50 to 96 %. fabrication of this electrode material is relatively easy , and there is no problem in the availability of the materials . in this electrode material , a stable plasma arc was obtained , and the consumption was small , and the cut section was straight and smooth when used as a cutting electrode , while the cutting width was small and the cutting speed was fast .	1
the principle of construction of a reflector 1 in accordance with the invention is illustrated in fig1 . this figure shows a reference frame of orthonormal coordinates ordinates o , x , y , z . the axis of z is the axis of propagation of electromagnetic energy . the origin o of the reference frame corresponds for example to the aperture of a primary source . although not shown in the drawings , said primary source can be a single - polarization rectangular horn . the aperture of the primary source produces uniform illumination with polarization , the electric field being for example parallel to the axis ox . the field radiated in space by a source of this type is parallel to the axis ox at all points . on a sphere 3 having a center o , the electric field lines are circles 4 included in horizontal planes . fig1 shows in full lines the portion 41 of the circle 4 corresponding to real illumination . this corresponds to the directivity of the radiation sources . in fig1 a straight line 5 passes through the origin o and through a point 42 of the portion 41 of the circle 4 . let α denote the angle formed between the straight line 5 and the axis oy . if the point 42 of the circle 4 is made to describe the entire portion 41 , a portion of cone having an axis oz is obtained . the intersection 6 of said cone with the non - planar reflector 1 for all circles 4 corresponds to the metallizations to be formed on the reflector 1 in order to make this latter perfectly reflecting for radiations having horizontal polarization , the electric field being parallel to ox . the metallizations are formed successively in a series of horizontal circles 4 forming part of the sphere 3 . by way of example , the metallizations are round - section wires . in an alternative embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention , the wires are included in a dielectric material . the diameter of the wires , their spacing as well as the thickness of the dielectric are chosen in a manner known to those versed in the art . this choice is the same as for the known type of reflector consisting of parallel wires . in another alternative embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention , metallic surfaces are formed by deposition of metallic thin films on a dielectric . this form of construction utilizes the same techniques as those employed in the fabrication of printed circuits . for the sake of enhanced clarity of the figure , only one metallic surface is illustrated . the explanatory diagram of fig2 permits determination of the lines of current induced in the auxiliary reflector 1 . in the example illustrated , the auxiliary reflector 1 is a hyperbolic reflector . the current lines obtained on the reflector 1 are sections of said reflector produced by the cones having a vertex o applied against circles included in horizontal planes . in the example illustrated in fig2 these cones are cones of revolution , the vertex of which is located at the focus o of the hyperboloid of revolution 1 . the lines 6 of current induced in the auxiliary reflector 1 are the plane sections of said reflector . the cone of revolution having a vertex o , an axis oy and a semivertical angle α corresponds to the equation : equation ( 3 ) defines a line - pencil of planes having the parameter α which pass through the fixed line 73 represented by the equations : let 11 be the hyperboloid of revolution corresponding to the auxiliary reflector . let 7 and 70 be the asymptotes to the hyperboloids of revolution 11 included in the plane represented by the equation x = 0 . the point 8 of intersection of the lines 7 and 70 is the center of symmetry of the hyperboloid of revolution 11 . let j be the projection of the focus 0 of the hyperboloid of revolution 11 on the line 70 . the letter i designates the projection of the point j on the axis oz and the intersection of the line 73 with the plane having the equation x = 0 . the current lines 6 on the auxiliary reflector 1 are defined as the intersections of said reflector 1 with the planes represented by equation ( 3 ). by replacing the surface of the auxiliary reflector 1 by a layer of wires which closely follows the current lines 6 , the device thus constructed is strictly equivalent to the auxiliary reflector 1 in the case of the radiation which has induced the current line 6 . fig3 shows one example of construction of a radar antenna in accordance with the invention . the antenna of fig3 comprises a first source 9 and a second source 15 of electromagnetic radiation . the sources 9 and 15 are rectangular - aperture horns , for example . the sources 9 and 15 operate with polarizations which are orthogonal with respect to each other . the antenna further comprises an auxiliary reflector 1 and a principal reflector 74 . the source 9 corresponds to the principal channel of the antenna illustrated . in the case of the source 9 , the antenna is of the cassegrain type , the waves 19 transmitted with horizontal polarization , for example , are reflected first from the auxiliary reflector 1 , then from the principal reflector 74 . replacement of an entirely metallized reflector by the auxiliary reflector 1 in accordance with the invention does not in any way disturb the operation of the channel corresponding to the source 9 . the reflector 1 is perfectly reflecting for the waves produced by the source 9 . the radiation source 15 corresponds to a supplementary channel added to the antenna . in the case of this source , the antenna behaves as a monoreflector antenna . the radiation 115 produced by the source 15 with vertical polarization , for example , passes through the auxiliary reflector 1 before being reflected from the principal mirror 74 . the auxiliary reflector 1 in accordance with the invention does not constitute an obstacle and does not produce any shadow effect for the radiation emitted by the source 15 . it should be mentioned that optimization of the auxiliary reflector 1 for the channel corresponding to the source 9 does not permit perfect transparency of said reflector in the case of the channel corresponding to the source 15 . however , this is not very objectionable in the case of an auxiliary channel .	7
the invention will now be described in detail in relation to a preferred embodiment and implementation thereof which is exemplary in nature and descriptively specific as disclosed . as is customary , it will be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended . the invention encompasses such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated method , and such further applications of the principles of the invention illustrated herein , as would normally occur to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates . with reference then to fig1 and 2 , shown is the base 10 . similar to the shape of a horseshoe , the base 10 has a pair of parallel , vertical members 14 a which curve and join at their distal ends 18 to form a rounded top 12 . integrally formed to the vertical members 14 a are the horizontal members 14 b . as termed herein , the horizontal members 14 b and vertical members 14 a make up the l - shaped arms 14 of the base 10 . the l - shaped arms 14 can be held more rigid by using a rigid support plate 13 fixed near the proximal ends 19 of the horizontal members 14 b , and / or by also including a rigid base plate 11 connected to the vertical members 14 a . a mounting bracket 16 is fixed to each of the horizontal members 14 b , preferably near the transition point 15 from horizontal to vertical , although the exact location may vary depending on the design of the golf cart 2 . the mounting brackets 16 facilitate the attachment of the base 10 to the golf cart 2 underbody . for instance , bolts ( not shown ) may be inserted through holes 17 of the mounting brackets 16 , and the base 10 can be bolted underneath the rear 22 of the golf cart 2 near the bumper 20 ( see fig2 ). if not bolted directly to the bumper 20 , it is typical for there to be accommodating metal components underneath the rear of the golf cart for allowing the base 10 to be attached thereto in similar fashion . it is also fairly typical for the base 10 to come pre - installed with the golf cart 2 . in use then , base 10 is fixed to the golf cart 2 to be upstanding from the golf cart bumper 20 . with reference then to fig1 - 10 , the article carrier 3 includes a support rack 30 made up of a pair of rigid , parallel rack arms 32 . similar to the base 10 , the rack arms 32 curve and join to form a rounded rack top 39 . the rack arms 32 have a rack arm front edge 34 and a rack arm rear edge 33 . a shelf 36 is fixed to the bottom of the support rack 30 . shown in this embodiment and not limited thereto , the shelf 36 is generally rectangular with its surface comprising an aluminum grate . the grate can be made out of other materials , other than aluminum . the shelf 36 acts as a means for situating the bottom of articles such as grocery bags or golf bags thereon . the shelf underside 50 may include additional supporting means such as metal beams 51 . as shown , metal beams 51 are arranged on the underside 50 of shelf 36 about the perimeter of underside 50 and also angularly spanning a width of the underside 50 . the supporting means may also be arranged in any other manner depending on weight and supporting needs , such as by using a criss - cross configuration or generally linear configuration ( not shown ). any articles may further be secured to the article carrier 3 and / or shelf 36 by means of the cross bar 31 . the cross bar 31 is a horizontal bar attached to the support rack 30 near the rack top 39 . the crossbar 31 can have attached thereto any means for securing the top portions of articles , such as golf bags . such means may include the strap assembly shown in fig8 and 9 for example . this bag holder 80 generally contains straps 81 which can be buckled down using buckles 82 after encircling a golf bag or other article . the bag holder 80 can be attached by being screwed or bolted to the crossbar for example . the crossbar 31 is also suited to aid in the placement and removal of the article carrier 3 when no other handle means are included on the article carrier 3 . further on the article carrier 3 and with reference particularly to fig3 and 6 , a horizontal distal bar 37 spans the width formed by the rack arms 32 and is perpendicularly fixed to the rack arm rear edge 33 ( or at slight angles if decoratively desired ), proximate to the rack top 39 . a medial bar 35 also spans the width formed by the rack arms 32 and is horizontally displaced perpendicular to the rack arms 32 . however , the medial bar 35 is fixed to the rack arm front edge 34 as opposed to the rear edge 33 , and it is generally medially situated along the rack arms 32 . a horizontal proximal bar 38 is horizontally situated near the bottom of the rack arms 32 and fixed to the rack arm rear edge 33 in similar position as the distal bar 37 . as a result of this configuration , the support rack 30 can be retained on base 10 by gravity . the article carrier 3 is retained on base 10 with the vertical members 14 a of base 10 situated between the bars , as follows . in use then , base 10 is bolted or otherwise mounted to the underside of the golf cart 2 , near the rear bumper 20 . the article carrier 3 , with or without the bag holder 80 ( depending on what is being carried ), is then lifted up over the rounded top 12 of base 10 and the base 10 is allowed to penetrate into the support rack 30 , passing over the proximal bar 38 , under the medial bar , then over the distal bar 37 until the rack top 39 of the article carrier 3 rests in an unattached manner on the rounded top 12 of base 10 . by being unattached but still retained on the base 10 by gravity during use , the article carrier 3 can subsequently be lifted off and removed from the base when not needed . although not shown , a handle , strap , angle brace , or other type of attachment may be mounted to the article carrier 3 to aid in the removal and attachment of the article carrier 3 to the base 10 . for example a handle or strap may be positioned on the side of the article carrier 3 or a rigid , angular brace may be fixed between the support rack 30 and shelf 36 . without the article carrier 3 , golf cart weight is minimized , and importantly , only the slim rounded base is exposed at the rear of the golf cart 2 instead of the bulky , sharp - cornered and sharp - edged portions of the article carrier 3 , resulting in both an aesthetically pleasing appearance of the golf cart 2 and a safer rear end 22 . additionally , and as shown in fig1 , the present invention retains the carried articles off the rear 22 of the golf cart 2 and not directly on the golf cart floor , allowing more space for rear - seated passengers in four - person golf carts .	1
fig1 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . in this figure , mode - locked light source 101 produces light at various wavelengths that are all harmonically related to one another . the mode - locked light source is typically a mode - locked semiconductor laser , examples of which can be found in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 018 , 536 , filed on feb . 9 , 1999 , the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference . these mode - locked semiconductor lasers are capable of emitting discrete wavelengths of light separated by a distance on the order of approximately 15 mm . once the light is emitted , it is coupled into optical demultiplexer 102 that acts as a wavelength filter and separator . in one embodiment , optical demultiplexer 102 can select a first wavelength for a first path , a second wavelength for a second path , and can discard the remaining wavelengths . optical modulator 103 can receive the light traveling along the first path , modulate that light with data , and output that light . in one embodiment of the present invention , optical modulator 103 can be a mach - zehnder modulator . in general , optical modulator 103 can be any type of optical modulator that is practicable for the data rates and carrier wavelengths discussed herein . optical multiplexer 104 can then receive , in one input , the data - modulated light from the first path , and in another input , the unmodulated light from the second path . this light can be combined and filtered in optical multiplexer 104 , and transmitted over a fiber - optic cable to processing electronics 105 . processing electronics 105 can receive the combined signal , and by subtracting one of the signals from the other , can either upconvert or downconvert from the baseband data , thus creating a signal appropriate for transmission over a wireless network . finally , the data can be passed to transmitter 106 for transmission over a wireless network . thus , in one embodiment of the present invention , the mode - locked semiconductor laser produces a mode - locked spectrum of narrow optical wavelengths , with each mode separated by an amount equivalent to a millimeter - wave frequency such as , for example , 0 . 16 nm or 20 ghz at approximately 1550 nm . in one embodiment , optical demultiplexer 102 can be , for example , a wavelength division multiplexer ( wdm ) designed to separate out two of the modes in the spectrum that are , for example , 60 ghz apart . one of the modes can be modulated with high - data - rate ( greater than 1 gbps ) baseband data , while the other is left unmodulated . optical multiplexer 104 can also be a wdm , and combines the modulated and unmodulated signals . processing electronics 105 can include , in one embodiment of the present invention , a photodiode detector that provides the difference between the two signals . the difference can be , for example , a modulated 60 ghz signal with a bandwidth equal to the baseband data rate . the signal can then be filtered , amplified , and transmitted from a suitable antenna . fig2 is a block diagram of the functional aspects of an embodiment of the present invention . in this figure , the mode - locked laser source 201 produces a mode - locked spectrum of narrow optical wavelengths , each mode separated by an amount equivalent to , for example , a millimeter - wave frequency . for example , but not the only example , the modes can be spaced by approximately 0 . 48 nm at 1550 nm , which is equivalent to approximately 60 ghz . optical multiplexer 202 can separate out two of the modes in the spectrum . one skilled in the art will appreciate that , while fig2 shows optical multiplexer 202 selecting adjacent modes , in practice , the selected modes do not have to be adjacent , as long as the selected modes are appropriately spaced . in one embodiment of the present invention , optical modulator 203 can modulate one of the modes with a data rate that can be a high data rate ( e . g ., greater than a gigabit per second ), while the other mode is left unmodulated . optical multiplexer 204 can combine the modulated and unmodulated signals , and the circuitry 205 can provide the difference between the two signals . the difference can be , in this example approximately 60 ghz with a bandwidth equal to the baseband data rate . the signal can then be filtered , amplified , and transmitted from a suitable antenna . the modulated signal can be received in the customary way , using a receiving antenna and a low - noise downconverter to recover the data . as discussed above , mode - locked semiconductor laser 101 or 201 can be any type of mode - locked semiconductor laser . for example , mode locked semiconductor laser 101 or 201 can be the mode - locked laser disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 018 , 536 . as another example , mode - locked semiconductor laser 101 or 201 can be a semiconductor racetrack laser . semiconductor ring lasers have attracted considerable attention in the last decade because they provide compact light sources with high spectral purity , but do not require cavity definition by facet etching . as a result , these lasers can be monolithically integrated with other active or passive components to construct composite optical / electronic systems incorporating lasers , amplifiers , passive waveguides and branches , and detectors . the fabrication is relatively simple and cost - effective , and enables large - scale integration . in addition , unlike the simple fabry - perot or dfb type lasers , the lithography and the processing involved accurately defines the geometry of the laser cavity and its length . thus , improved characteristics such as operating wavelength definition and tuning , spectral purity , and pulse repetition rate in mode - locked lasers , as well as concurrent operation of monolithically - integrated laser arrays with different characteristics are possible . the semiconductor racetrack laser can perform in both a continuous - wave ( cw ) and single - mode operation , and can be made of materials such as ingaasp / inp . passive mode - locked operation in a similar geometry has been demonstrated by incorporating saturable absorbing sections within the laser cavity , and were observed operating at frequencies ranging from 28 ghz to over 100 ghz . active mode locking in a ring geometry can also be performed with a repetition rate of 9 ghz . the semiconductor racetrack laser exhibits cw single - mode operation with a side - mode suppression ratio ( smsr ) better than 25 db for a drive current ranging from threshold , at ith = 73 ma , to approximately twice the threshold value . in one embodiment of the present invention , the operating wavelength , which is determined by the material system , and to a second extent , by the vertical layered structure , can be 1 . 598 μm . a schematic configuration of the racetrack laser is shown in fig3 . several features of this design include the following . by using this geometry , as opposed to a circular geometry , the coupling is enhanced from the laser to the straight sections that deliver the light generated inside the resonator to the other parts of the circuit . the straight segments of the racetrack and the straight external channels running in parallel to them form directional couplers with a coupling ratio that depends on the interaction length . in another embodiment of the present invention , the racetrack geometry can be implemented in an algaas / gaas material system . any known fabrication can be used to make the device . for example , a fabrication method , in which the guiding channels and the racetrack itself are defined by deep mesa etching below the active region or guiding layer , can be used to make the device . deep etching is required for a strong confinement of the guided light , thereby reducing the bending and scattering loss in the curved sections of the racetracks . since deep etching results in strong lateral mode confinement , it is necessary to form a very small gap between the ring resonator and the output coupling channels , on the order of 0 . 1 μm , to enable sufficient light coupling . this , however , implies high fabrication tolerance and stringent constraints that tend to prohibit standard lithography and mass production . to alleviate this problem , an approach can be used in which the deep etching for waveguide definition is performed everywhere except in the coupling region . there , shallow etching is performed to a depth that is sufficient to define the two parallel channels , but is stopped just above the guiding layer to enable a stronger extension of the evanescent field from one channel to the other . as a result , the coupling is enhanced between the racetrack and the output channels , thus eliminating the need to bring the two into close proximity . in addition , this approach provides improved definition of the coupling region . this is shown in fig3 by the elevated regions 301 between the racetrack 302 and the straight channels , indicating shallow etching in the coupling regions . by using this fabrication technique , bending and scattering loss in the curved sections of the racetrack , where the etching is deep , is reduced , and at the same time , strong and accurately defined coupling from the racetrack to the other parts of the photonic circuit due to the shallow etching in the coupling regions is maintained . the schematic drawing of the epitaxial structure is shown in fig4 , according to one embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , three compressively strained ingaasp quantum wells are imbedded in a 716 nm wide waveguide region . the waveguide region also contains a stepped refractive index profile made up of two compositions of ingaasp , e . g .= 1 . 13 ev and 1 . 00 ev . cladding layers of the inp ( e . g .= 1 . 35 ev ) confine the optical mode to the waveguide layer . an ingaasp etch - stop layer is positioned in the p - cladding layer to set the ridge height in a ridge waveguide laser to a value that will support the fundamental lateral optical mode . in one embodiment of the present invention , the fabrication process for the ring laser involves a number of steps that are not standard to conventional ridge waveguide laser processing . these steps include liftoff metal deposition of closely spaced lines and both shallow and deep etching with no feature undercutting . fig5 shows the schematic diagram of the wafer view shown in cross section taken at the coupling region between the ring and the straight sections , according to one embodiment of the present invention . in the figure , one can see the bi - level etching on both sides of the guiding channels . this is done by first defining the planar waveguiding geometry using a reactive timed h2 - ch4 plasma etch to remove the p - cladding layer ( inp ) down to the upper boundary of the guiding layer . the coupling region is then covered by a second dielectric layer , si3n4 . in one embodiment , racetrack lasers were fabricated with directional couplers having four different lengths : 50 μm , 100 μm , 150 μm , and 200 μm . the l - i curves for these devices are shown in fig6 , according to various embodiments of the present invention . it is shown that the threshold current for all of the devices is nearly the same , which indicates that the main sources of loss in these lasers are within the resonator itself and could be attributed to wall roughness scattering , bending loss and mode transitions at the boundary between the straight and the curved segments of the resonators . the differential quantum efficiency is significantly better for the 100 μm long coupler . the threshold current value for the 100 μm long coupler is ith = 73 ma , which is less than half the value demonstrated previously for inp ring lasers , and comparable to the values obtained for algaas racetrack lasers . the cw spectrum of the racetrack laser with the 100 μm long coupler is shown in fig7 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . the laser exhibits single - mode operation with a side - mode suppression ratio of better than 26 db . this characteristic is demonstrated for current levels ranging from threshold to nearly twice the threshold current . as shown in fig8 , at a drive current of 140 ma the spectrum changes abruptly to multi - mode , indicating transition to a self - pulsating passively mode - locked operation . racetrack semiconductor lasers are particularly suitable for applying mode - locking techniques . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the generic structure includes incorporating one or two saturable absorbing sections within the laser cavity . for example , fig9 shows a photograph of a racetrack laser with two saturable absorber sections fabricated in gaalas / gaas qw laser , according to an embodiment of the present invention . the cavity circumference is 3 . 1 mm and each of the saturable absorber sections is 50 μm long with 20 μm gap zones between the contacts on each side . the mode - locking operation can be explained as follows : if all the sections that inject current to the cavity are forward biased , the laser operates in cw mode exhibiting , usually , a single - mode spectrum as shown in fig8 . if the voltage to the saturable absorber section is reversed and increased , there is a point beyond which the overall gain in a round trip is below threshold and therefore cw operation is prohibited . a region of operation exists , however , at which there is sufficient gain in the gain section to generate enough photons that are injected into the saturable absorber section and bleach them to saturation via optical pumping . this , momentarily , provides a lasing condition and thus creates a fair amount of photons by stimulated emission that are flushing through the saturable absorber sections . this stream of photons , in turn , will cause stimulated emission within the saturable absorber section that will drain them back to the high - loss state and lasing is again inhibited . the result of this dynamic is viewed in the form of two strong light pulses that propagate clockwise and counterclockwise , respectively , in the cavity . as the front end of each light pulse arrives at a saturable absorber section , it bleaches it and enables the passage of the main part of the pulse which , in turn , causes enough stimulated emission to shut it off behind the pulse until the next time the pulse arrives . as light is coupled out of the cavity by the directional coupling region , a pulse train with pulse separation equivalent to the cavity round trip time is generated . for example , when the saturable absorber sections of the device shown in fig9 were biased at − 4v , while the gain section was pumped with an injection current of 190 ma , the laser generated a pulse train with a periodicity of 40 ps . the calculated spectrum of that device is shown in fig1 showing that it exhibits multi - mode - lock operation with a corresponding mode separation of 25 ghz . the advantages of the racetrack laser structure for generating high - frequency mode - locked signals are apparent . the oscillation frequency is set up by the round trip time that is determined by the optical path length of the laser waveguide cavity . thus , the pulse frequency can be designed with a high degree of accuracy by the lithography of the device . as it is a monolithic structure it does not rely on an extended cavity configuration with external reflectors and thus the generated signal is less susceptible to acoustical noise . because no output facets are required , several devices can be monolithically integrated to form a composite system . for example , an array of racetrack lasers , each having different circumferences , together with optical filters for frequency selection , can be manufactured on a single chip to provide a bank of frequencies . a successful demonstration of the system proposed here can set the stage for a monolithic system with all the optical and optoelectronic components required for the rf signal generation manufactured monolithically on a single chip . the present invention has been described in terms of several embodiments solely for the purpose of illustration . persons skilled in the art will recognize from this description that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described , but may be practiced with modifications and alterations limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims . for example , the invention is not limited to mode - locked lasers both described and incorporated into this specification . rather , any mode - locked laser that is practicable for the purposes described herein can be used .	7
now referring to fig1 a , there is shown one simple current comparator proposed by freitas and current ( freitas and k . current , “ a cmos current comparator circuit ,” electronics letters , vol . 19 , no . 17 , aug . 1983 , pp . 694 - 697 ), the converter converts in a single step and with a pre - determined current threshold a current i in into a two - level voltage v out . the threshold current i th is set up by applying a voltage v g3 at the gate of the transistor t 3 of fig1 a . for the sake of clarity , transistor t 1 and transistor t 2 are considered to be identical . therefore , transistor t 1 and transistor t 2 create a basic current source ; current i 1 is equal to current i 2 . if the current i 1 is equal to current i 3 , transistors t 2 and t 3 are in a saturation mode , the output voltage is therefore approximately v dd / 2 . if the current i 1 is larger than i th , transistor t 2 is in the triode mode and transistor t 3 is in the saturation mode ; the output voltage is set at a low level ( v ol ). finally , if the threshold current i th is larger than the current i 1 , transistor t 2 is in the saturation mode , transistor t 3 is in the triode mode ; the output voltage is set at a high level ( v oh ). unfortunately , this comparator does not meet the requirement of an accurate analog low - level current comparison due to the problem of transistor mismatch , i . e . the physical parameters of identically designed transistor devices being different . if identically designed current comparator cells are fabricated in different places on a semiconductor base , the transistor mismatch may cause a deviation in the threshold of the comparison ; as the transconductance of transistor t 3 is different for each cell . applying the same voltage v g3 at the gate of transistor t 3 results in different threshold currents i th ; also , the transistor mismatch may cause the current transfer ratio i 2 / i 1 to be significantly different for each cell and the predetermined threshold current is in fact compared to i 2 instead of i 1 , which causes another threshold deviation ; furthermore , the ratio i 1 / i in may be significantly different as for each cell , the input current source has a resistance r s which may be different from that of the others . all these contribute to a significant discrepancy of comparison threshold . fig1 b shows such a discrepancy in the transfer characteristics of three such identically designed cells . it is known that the current mismatch between any two transistors of small geometry may be as much as 20 % in the weak inversion region ( f . forti and m . e . wright . “ measurement of mos current mismatch in the weak inversion region ,” ieee j . solid state circuits , vol . 29 , no , 2 , february 1994 , pp . 138 - 142 ). taking all factors into consideration . a threshold variation of up to 50 % in identically designed current comparator cells may be expected . if the comparator is intended to be used in an a / d converter or in an optical sensor matrix , wherein the threshold must be substantially the same , extra threshold current set - up is necessary , now referring to fig2 there is shown one embodiment of the present invention , according to step 20 , the adaptive compensation comprises a set - up step wherein the apparatus is set - up . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the switch k is closed during the set - up step . according to step 22 , the configuration performed during the set - up step 20 is memorized . according to step 24 , a current to be compared to a threshold current value is applied . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the switch k is opened when a current to be compared is applied . according to step 26 , an output is generated according to the comparison results . now referring to fig3 there is shown one embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment of the invention , a current to a two level voltage converter is shown . this current to a two level voltage converter comprises the converter described in fig1 . a switch k and two transistors are further used to implement a special adaptive procedure . according to step 20 of fig2 the information of the threshold is collected by injecting one of the two currents to be compared at the input and memorized by turning on the switch k to close the loop formed by the transistors t 2 - t 5 . the gate voltages v g3 and v g4 are then set - up and the current flowing through t 3 is established according the input current an equilibrium is obtained and transistors t 2 and t 3 are working in the saturation region . the equilibrium is created , in this embodiment , by a negative voltage - based feedback . as the equilibrium is reached , the switch k may be turned off according to step 24 of fig2 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the set - up time is about 2 ns for a current of 1 na and for a submicron cmos . the apparatus may now work with the other current to be compared if the input current i in is smaller than the first current , t 3 will be in the triode region while t 2 is in the saturation region ; the output is at a high level v oh . if the input current is larger than the threshold current , t 3 is in the saturation region , while t 2 is in the triode region ; the output is at a low level v ol . if a circuit comprises several such current comparator cells , a single current source has to be applied to each cell for the threshold current set - up . thus , all cells will be set - up with the same current source , despite the non - uniformity of the transistor parameters of the cells , the operation performed , in one embodiment of the present invention , is based on the transistor nominal characteristics , however , it is insensitive to the effect of the transistor mismatch . since the transistor size ratio does not affect the operation accuracy , the designer is free to select a design that will optimize a specific aspect such as speed or power dissipation for instance . furthermore , as the circuit operation does not involve any charge accumulation , no linear capacitor is required and no significant delay is therefore introduced . in another embodiment of the present invention , two extra transistors t 6 and t 7 may be added according to the embodiment illustrated in fig4 in order to give more flexibility to the system . in fact , without t 6 and t 7 , the minimum current difference \| i in − i th \| required to switch from the output voltage v out from one value to the other is affected by the finite output resistance of the transistors t 2 and t 3 . it is desirable to obtain a determined output voltage level even if the two currents are close to each other . in the circuit shown in fig4 two constant voltages v n and v p may be applied at the gate of transistors t 6 and t 7 in order to set the operating points v d2 and v d3 at the drains of transistors t 2 and t 3 . if t 6 and t 7 set the operating points v d2 and v d3 of transistors t 2 and t 3 in the saturation region near the triode region , as shown in fig5 a small difference \| i in − i th \| may drive quickly one of the transistor in the triode region and the output voltage level will be determined ; the transition zone between one output voltage and the other output voltage is narrower than when transistors t 6 and t 7 are not used . transistors t 6 and t 7 by allow , by setting the operating points v d2 and v d3 at the drains of transistors t 2 and t 3 , an accurate control of the width of the transition period between one output voltage and the other . for certain type of signal detection , this feature may be desirable . when the switch k is turned from on to off , the charge injection effect may modify the established v g3 and shift the equilibrium point . in one embodiment of the invention , shown in fig4 a measure has been taken in order to reduce the effect of the charge injection . the charge injection occurs at the node v g5 , making a variation of δv g5 , which is transferred to v g3 with an attenuation coefficient , approximately equal to 1 /( 1 +( gm 4 / gm 5 )), wherein gm 4 and gm 5 are respectively the transconductance of transistors t 4 and t 5 . by maximizing the ratio gm 4 / gm 5 , this effect may be avoided . such maximization may be performed by changing the size of transistors t 4 and t 5 . moreover , certain measures , such as dummy switch charge cancellation ( k . r . stafford , r . a . blanchard and p . r . gray . “ a completely monolithic sample / hold amplifier using compatible bipolar and silicon - gate fet devices ,” ieee j . solid - state circuits , vol . sc - 9 , december 1974 , pp381 - 387 ) may be taken in order to reduce δv g5 , so that the critical node v g3 is doubly protected . now referring to fig6 there is shown another embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment of the present invention , a comparison between two currents is performed . switches k 1 and k 2 allow the injection of either current i in1 or current i in2 inside the comparator . switch k is used to select the current comparison reference , which may be either current i in1 or current i in2 . now referring to fig7 a , there is shown the output voltage versus the input current of three apparatus , which are designed identically and each of which converts a current signal into a two level voltage signal with a threshold non - identical to that of the others due to the non - identical physical parameters of the devices employed . the simulation has been performed using hspice with the transistor models of a 0 . 35 μm cmos technology . the switch k is replaced by two nmos transistors , one of them being connected as a dummy switch to reduce the effect of charge injection . in order to evaluate the ability of the cells to have a uniform threshold across the entire comparator matrix , the sizes of the corresponding transistors in the cells are made different . for example , t 3 of cell 0 and t 3 of cell 1 have a geometric mismatch of more than 20 %. the simulation is performed in two steps . the first step , of which the results are illustrated in fig7 a is to test the transfer characteristics of the cells without any compensation . for this purpose , t 4 and t 5 are disconnected from the cells . by adjusting v g3 of a cell , for example cell 0 , a threshold current of 10 na is set in this cell . the same v g3 is then applied to all cells , due to the size variation in the corresponding transistors of various cells , the threshold for comparison is very different from cell to cell . fig7 a shows the transfer characteristics of the output voltage v out versus the input current i in of the three different cells . the variation in the threshold , δi th / i th is about 50 %. the second step is to test the efficiency of the proposed compensation method by including t 4 and t 5 in the circuit as shown in fig3 . with an input current of 10 na applied to all the cells , the threshold set - up process is performed . fig7 b shows the transfer characteristics of the same three cells obtained after the set - up process . the variation in the threshold δi th / i th of the cells is less than 1 %. in another embodiment of the present invention , pnp and npn transistors may be used , with a current feedback in order to create the equilibrium .	7
in the following description , various aspects of the invention will be described . for the purposes of explanation , specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that there are other embodiments of the invention that differ in details without affecting the essential nature thereof . therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the figure and described in the specification , but only as indicated in the accompanying claims , with the proper scope determined only by the broadest interpretation of said claims . the configurations disclosed herein can be combined in one or more of many ways to provide an improved network analyzer for real - time analysis of network parameters . in accordance with the description herein , examples include configurations ranging from thermal drift of amplifiers , to microwave imaging of moving objects , characterizing materials on conveyors , characterizing plasma buildup , and many more . the methods and apparatus disclosed herein can be incorporated with components from network analyzers known in the art , such as network analyzer described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 14 / 605 , 084 entitled “ vector network analyzer ”, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . use of a wideband signal ( instead of , for example , a swept signal ), allows instantaneous , i . e . real time measurement and characterization of the dut network parameters . a single period of the received signal waveform is adequate for this . however , if longer acquisition time is permitted , multiple periods of the signal waveform may be averaged in order to improve the signal - to - noise ratio . for example , a multi - tone 1 - 3 ghz “ comb ” signal of 200 sub - carriers equally spaced by 10 mhz has a time period of 100 ns , thus acquisition time is of the order of 100 ns ; signals over several periods of 100 ns each may be averaged . in some cases , the multi - tone signals may have large peak - to - average ratio , thus potentially harming the efficiency of the source drive amplifiers . it is therefore preferable to use well - designed signal waveforms having small peak - to - average ratio . such signal waveforms are well known in the art , e . g . chirp waveforms and complementary sequences . furthermore , the proposed multi - tone signals may be compressed in a controlled or uncontrolled way ( e . g . by the power amplifier ) without affecting operation . this is because , even after compression , the signal remains still a multi - tone signal , however with different amplitudes and phases , and perhaps some spectral growth . the amplitudes and phases generated by compression may be compensated for example by comparison with , or division by , the said reference signal . the time period of the instantaneous wideband signal waveform can be adapted to the time scale of the variations that need to be characterized . for fast phenomena , a shorter time period can be used . as a consequence , assuming a multi - tone “ comb ” signal , the frequency comb will have lower density of spectral lines . for example , a 100 ns multi - tone signal has a comb spacing of 10 mhz while a 50 ns signal has a comb spacing of 20 mhz . in some applications , a non - equally spaced transmitted multi - tone may be used in order to reduce the effect of inter - modulations . modern data converters allow generating and sampling waveforms in the ghz range . this means that the instantaneous bandwidth of a real - time network analyzer based on the proposed methods and systems can be in a range of few ghz . there is a recurring tradeoff between the sampling frequency and resolution . for example , use of a periodic waveform 100 nsec long will allow measurements over a 10 mhz grid . use of a waveform 1 microsecond long will allow 1 mhz grid , at the expense of time resolution . reference is made to fig1 illustrating a set - up for measuring and analyzing in real time parameters of a network , in accordance with embodiment of the disclosed subject matter . the network analyzer ( 101 ) comprises at least one signal generator ( 105 ) for signal generation and at least one receiver channel ( 106 ) for signal acquisition and measurement . the measurements are obtained by a processing or calculating unit ( 108 ) configured to calculate the network parameters . a real time network analyzer implementation according to some embodiments further includes a test set ( 102 ) comprising one or more bridges ( 107 ) and multiple receiver channels ( 106 ) to allow simultaneous acquisition and measurement of network parameters of a device under test ( 103 ). in some embodiments , the processing unit includes one or more hardware central processing units ( cpu ) that carry out the device &# 39 ; s functions . in still further embodiments , the digital processing unit further comprises an operating system configured to perform executable instructions . in some embodiments , the processing unit is optionally connected a computer network . in further embodiments , the processing unit is optionally connected to the internet such that it accesses the world wide web . in still further embodiments , the processing unit is optionally connected to a cloud computing infrastructure . in other embodiments , the processing unit is optionally connected to an intranet . in other embodiments , the processing unit is optionally connected to a data storage device . in some embodiments , the processing unit includes one or more non - transitory computer readable storage media encoded with a program including instructions executable by the operating system of an optionally networked digital processing device . in further embodiments , a non - transitory computer readable storage medium is a tangible component of a digital processing device . in accordance with some embodiments , the continuous - wave ( cw ) signal source of a network analyzer , which is typically swept over a frequency range of interest , is replaced with an instantaneous wideband signal source , preferably covering instantaneously all the frequency range of interest . the wideband signal source preferably generates a multi - tone “ comb ” of equally spaced sub - carrier frequencies , resulting in a periodic time - domain signal . for example , to cover the 1 - 3 ghz frequency band of interest ( i . e . the band to be analyzed ), a multi - tone “ comb ” signal of 200 sub - carriers equally spaced by 10 mhz , with the lowest frequency at 1 ghz and time period of 100 ns is generated . reference is made to fig2 a illustrating a method ( 200 ) for generating the wideband signal in accordance with some embodiments . the method comprises : using a digital waveform memory ( 202 ) which is periodically read out using for example an address counter ( 201 ). the resulting digital signal is converted by a digital - to - analog converter ( dac ) ( 203 ) and filtered , using an antialias filter ( 204 ), to suppress aliasing . optionally , the wideband signal can be translated to a higher frequency by mixing it with the output of an auxiliary transmit oscillator , using a regular or a quadrature type modulator . this translation is required when the frequency range to be analyzed is at a very high frequency , which cannot be covered directly by the generated wideband signal . for example , to analyze the frequency range of 11 - 13 ghz , a signal of 1 - 3 ghz is frequency translated to that range , by mixing it with the output of a 10 ghz auxiliary transmit oscillator . reference is made to fig2 b illustrating a method 210 for generating a frequency up - converted wideband signal frequency , in accordance with embodiments . the method comprises using a digital waveform memory ( 212 ) which is periodically read out using for example an address counter ( 211 ), generating and outputting two digital signals in quadrature relation one to the other ( i / q ). the signals are further converted by the dual digital - to - analog converter ( 213 ) and filtered , using dual antialias filters ( 214 ), suppress aliasing . the resulting signals output from the filters ( 214 ) to a quadrature modulator ( 215 ), where they are frequency - up - converted and output as a frequency up - converted wideband signal . on the receive side , each of the plurality of receivers may down - convert the signal to a wideband baseband , ( in case it was up - converted at the transmit stage ) by mixing the received signal with the output of an auxiliary receive oscillator , the mixer being of a regular or quadrature mixer type . for example , a received signal of for example 11 - 13 ghz is frequency down - converted to a 1 - 3 ghz range or to a different range , e . g . 0 - 2 ghz , using an auxiliary receive oscillator of frequency 10 ghz or 11 ghz accordingly . the auxiliary transmit oscillator and the auxiliary receive oscillator may have in some cases the same frequency or different frequencies . for example , frequency offset between the oscillators can be used to avoid upper sideband subcarriers and lower sideband subcarriers folding onto each other during reception . reference is made to fig3 a and 3b which are high level schematic block diagrams illustrating a periodic signal analyzing receiver ( 300 ) of a network analyzer and steps of a method ( 310 ) for real time processing one or more wideband signals , in accordance with embodiments . as illustrated in fig3 a , a wideband baseband signal is sampled and converted to digital data using , for example , wideband sampling data converters ( 301 ), e . g . wideband analog - to - digital converters ( adcs ). at least one period of the signal is stored in a non - transistory storage memory such as a “ snapshot ” memory ( 302 ), and then output to a frequency response calculation unit configured to convert the stored signal to the frequency domain using , for example , a fourier transform processor ( 303 ). in some cases , a fast fourier transform ( fft ) algorithm is used , but other numerical methods such as “ chirp z - transform ” ( czt ) may be used . according to some embodiments , for real time network analysis , as schematically illustrated in fig1 , a reference signal ( 110 ) is received on one channel , and one or more incoming signals ( 111 , 112 ) from the device under test ( dut ) are received on other channels . computing the ratio of fourier coefficients between different received channels ( e . g . incoming signal - channels ( 111 , 112 ) versus a reference channel ( 110 )), the relevant network parameters ( e . g . the scattering parameters ) at each frequency are calculated by , for example , the processing unit ( 108 ). reference is made to fig3 b illustrating a method ( 310 ) for real time processing one or more wideband signals , in accordance with embodiments . step ( 320 ) includes sampling and converting the wideband signal to digital data by for example a wideband sampling data converter . step ( 330 ) includes storing at least one period of the converted wideband signal in a non - transitory storage memory and step ( 340 ) includes converting the at least one period of the converted wideband signal to frequency domain by a frequency response calculation unit such as fourier transform processor . reference is made to fig4 a illustrating an embodiment ( 400 ) where the wideband sampling data converter is replaced by a sub - sampling data converter ( 401 ), thus reducing the processed signal bandwidth . according to some embodiments , at least one multiple of n periods of the signal ( which was sub - sampled by a factor of n ) is stored in a “ snapshot ” non - transitory memory ( 402 ), followed by conversion of the signal to frequency domain using for example a fourier transform processor ( 403 ). usually a fast fourier transform ( fft ) algorithm is used , but other numerical methods such as “ chirp z - transform ” ( czt ) may be used . it is noted that due to aliasing , the fourier transform coefficients e . g . spectral lines ) are permuted and should be reordered by a spectral line deinterleaver ( 404 ) for further processing . for example , a 1 - 3 ghz bandwidth would typically require a wideband adc with 8 gs / sec sampling rate . assume that a waveform with a period of 10 nsec is used . such waveform has spectral components each 100 mhz . at the 8 gs / sec there are 80 samples per period . however , in an embodiment having a slower adc , say ⅓ of the 8 gs / sec , 2 . 666 gs / sec , we can acquire 80 samples representing 3 periods of the waveform , perform the fourier transform and get the resulting spectral lines . due to aliasing , the spectral lines are a permuted version of the original 80 spectral lines , and yet all the 80 spectral lines are discernible and can be reordered into the original order and then analyzed . it is worth noting that three periods of 10 nsec are still just 30 nsec , which meet the “ real - time ” notion . reference is made to fig4 b illustrating an embodiment ( 410 ) where the time domain sub - samples are deinterleaved by a sample deinterleaver ( 405 ) into an order that represents the order of the original , the not - sub - sampled signal , then converted to frequency domain for example by a fourier transform processor ( 403 ). an example illustrating the need for deinterleaving is shown in fig4 c , referencing to the same waveform of 80 samples and acquiring 80 samples representing 3 periods of the waveform . the signal samples ( 421 ) at the original sampling rate ( e . g . 8 gs / sec ) are schematically shown on a time line ( 420 ). by sub - sampling by a factor of 3 ( e . g . 2 . 66 gs / sec ) we get the signals ( 431 ) in the order of 0 , 3 , 6 . . . 78 from the first period , 1 , 4 , 7 . . . 79 from the second period and 2 , 5 , 8 . . . 77 from the third period , schematically shown on a time line ( 430 ). the sample deinterleaver ( 405 ) output delivered to the fourier transform processor ( 403 ) will be the samples in the proper sequential order of 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 . . . 79 . another method , according to some embodiments , comprises enabling the use of narrower sampling data converter to compress the bandwidth of the received signals by using a wideband signal as local oscillator ( rxlo ) of the receiver frequency down - converter , instead of a conventional cw local oscillator . reference is made to fig5 a schematically showing a part of a network analyzer ( 500 ) of fig1 comprising a transmitter ( 501 ) configured to generate a wideband signal at an appropriate frequency and with time periodicity t 1 and a local oscillator ( 502 ) configured to generate a wideband signal at an appropriate frequency and with time periodicity t 2 for down - conversion by down - converters ( 504 ) of three received signals ( 110 , 111 , 112 ). the down - converters ( 504 ) according to one embodiment , include a mixer and a low - pass filter . reference is made to fig5 b , illustrating signals in the frequency domain with the received signal a multi - tone “ comb ” at sub - carrier spacing δf 1 , where δf 1 = 1 / t 1 , shown in graph ( 510 ), one way to do so is to use as local oscillator ( rxlo ) for frequency down - conversion to baseband a multi - tone comb signal with sub - carrier spacing δf 2 = 1 / t 2 , shown in graph ( 520 ) as opposed to δf 1 where \| δf 1 − δf 2 \|= δf and δf is an intermediate frequency , typically much smaller than δf 1 and δf 2 . as a result , the down - converted signal shown in graph ( 530 ) is a multi - tone signal with sub - carrier spacing of δf as opposed δf 1 ( the spacing of the original transmitted signal ), the result being a bandwidth compression by a factor of δf 1 / δf and as such a narrower band sampling data converter ( by the same factor ) can be used . specifically , in some cases , the transmitted signal may include a discrete comb at frequencies f 0 = δf 1 · n , n = 0 , 1 , 2 . . . ( where f 0 is the frequency of the transmit auxiliary oscillator ) and rxlo is a scaled comb with frequencies at f 0 − if 0 +( δf 2 )· n ( where if 0 is an offset frequency — can be null , implementation dependent ). after the received mixer , the resulting down - converted signal yields sub - carriers at if 0 + n · δf , ( or if 0 − n · δf depending of the downconversion upper side or lower side ) i . e . spacing of δf as opposed δf 1 ( the spacing of the original transmitted signal ). according to another embodiment to obtain a received baseband bandwidth compression the following method is utilized . suppose the transmitted signal is a multi - tone comb with sub - carriers separated δf 1 apart , i . e . f 0 + δf 1 · n , n = 0 , 1 , 2 . . . and only k of them can fit into the receiver &# 39 ; s baseband bandwidth . this limitation is typically due to the bandwidth of the sampling data converter . the rxlo is chosen as a multi - tone comb signal with sub - carrier spacing δf 1 · k − δf , i . e . f 0 − if 0 +( δf 1 · k − δf )· n . the first k sub - carriers of the received signal are demodulated by the first sub - carrier of the rxlo signal , i . e . to if 0 + m · δf 1 ( m = 0 , . . . , k − 1 ). the next k sub - carriers are demodulated by the second rxlo sub - carrier , i . e ., to if 0 + m · δf 1 + δf thus a shift of δf with respect to the first set . the next k sub - carriers are demodulated by the third rxlo sub - carrier i . e . to if 0 + m · δf 1 + 2 · δf thus a shift of 2δf with respect to the first set , and so on . a similar derivation is achieved when the rxlo is chosen as a multi - tone comb signal with sub - carrier spacing δf 1 · k + δf . reference is made to fig6 illustrating another method ( 600 ) of processing a received signal in accordance to embodiments . the method may include obtaining the time domain system impulse response by correlating the received signal with a template waveform selected such that the correlation between the transmitted signal waveform and the template waveform is an approximated delta - function . the received wideband signal is converted to digital data using , for example , wideband sampling data converters ( 601 ), e . g . wideband analog - to - digital converters ( adcs ) and then temporarily stored in a “ snapshot ” non - transitory memory ( 602 ). the stored signal is correlated with a template waveform , in correlator ( 606 ) and the correlation result is fed to an impulse response extractor ( 607 ) generating the time domain impulse response of the system , which is then converted to the frequency domain using for example a fourier transform processor ( 603 ). according to this configuration it is possible to work with nonperiodic signal waveforms or use a shorter fragment of a waveform for estimating the system response . it is noted that periodic waveforms can be used as well , using cyclic correlation for the processing . in the above description , an embodiment is an example or implementation of the inventions . the various appearances of “ one embodiment ,” “ an embodiment ” or “ some embodiments ” do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments . although various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment , the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination . conversely , although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity , the invention may also be implemented in a single embodiment . reference in the specification to “ some embodiments ”, “ an embodiment ”, “ one embodiment ” or “ other embodiments ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some embodiments , but not necessarily all embodiments , of the inventions . it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is not to be construed as limiting and are for descriptive purpose only . the principles and uses of the teachings of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the accompanying description , figures and examples . it is to be understood that the details set forth herein do not construe a limitation to an application of the invention . furthermore , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out or practiced in various ways and that the invention can be implemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description above . it is to be understood that the terms “ including ”, “ comprising ”, “ consisting ” and grammatical variants thereof do not preclude the addition of one or more components , features , steps , or integers or groups thereof and that the terms are to be construed as specifying components , features , steps or integers . if the specification or claims refer to “ an additional ” element , that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element . it is to be understood that where the claims or specification refer to “ a ” or “ an ” element , such reference is not be construed that there is only one of that element . it is to be understood that where the specification states that a component , feature , structure , or characteristic “ may ”, “ might ”, “ can ” or “ could ” be included , that particular component , feature , structure , or characteristic is not required to be included . where applicable , although state diagrams , flow diagrams or both may be used to describe embodiments , the invention is not limited to those diagrams or to the corresponding descriptions . for example , flow need not move through each illustrated box or state , or in exactly the same order as illustrated and described . methods of the present invention may be implemented by performing or completing manually , automatically , or a combination thereof , selected steps or tasks . the descriptions , examples , methods and materials presented in the claims and the specification are not to be construed as limiting but rather as illustrative only . meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are to be commonly understood as by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs , unless otherwise defined . the present invention may be implemented in the testing or practice with methods and materials equivalent or similar to those described herein . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention , but rather as exemplifications of some of the preferred embodiments . other possible variations , modifications , and applications are also within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention should not be limited by what has thus far been described , but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents . all publications , patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification , to the same extent as if each individual publication , patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference . in addition , citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention . to the extent that section headings are used , they should not be construed as necessarily limiting .	7
fig1 shows the basic features of the dispensing tube and spring clamp assembly . the main part of the assembly is a hinged jaw spring clamp 10 comprising two mutually opposed lever arms 11a and 11b which each have a jaw end 12 and a handle end 13 and a central portion 14 which connects the ends . the central portions 14 are hinged together by hinge means 15 with the handle ends 13 being biased apart while the jaw ends 12 are simultaneously biased together by resilient spring means 16 . at least one of said lever arms has a hole 17 therethrough adjacent to the handle end 13 which serves as a tubing guide . the jaw end of the same lever arm has an additional tubing guide 18 in the form of a collar member with a hole 19 therethrough for tubing . the additional tubing guide is fixedly attached at an edge 20 thereof to the jaw end 12 of the said same lever arm and is sufficiently upstanding from the jaw end to readily admit a delivery tube 21 through the hole therein , with the dispensing end of the tube extending beyond the collar member 18 . fig2 shows a top view of the lever arm of the spring clamp which features the handle end 13 with the adjacent hole 17 through which is trained the dispensing tube 21 which then passes over the central portion 14 of the lever arm to the additional tubing guide 18 and is trained therethrough . the additional tubing guide is attached at an edge 20 thereof , as by brazing or welding , to the jaw end 12 of the lever arm upon which it is positioned . in the particular embodiment of the present invention shown in fig1 and fig2 the basic clamp employed is commonly available and known as a &# 34 ; pony clip # 3201 &# 34 ;. a flat metal washer has been brazed to the outer side of the tip of the clip to form the additional tubing guide at the tip . the angle between the plane of the washer in the direction of flatness and the plane of the length of the handle is approximately a right angle , but , since the exact angle is not critical , the angle may vary from normal , i . e . 90 ° by about 45 ° in either direction . the delivery tube in this embodiment is approximately 1 / 8 inch i . d . ( inside diameter ), but the size of the tube may range from about 1 / 128 inch i . d . to about 1 inch i . d . as may be dictated by the nature and use of the material being dispensed . the delivery tube commonly is attached to a pressurized canister or cylinder of material to be dispensed through the delivery tube , and when not in use , it is convenient to secure the dispensing tube assembly to another object by means of the spring clamp . it is an essential feature and advantage of this invention that , when in use , the dispensing tube assembly provides a secure means to hold and direct the dispensing end of the delivery tube . another advantage of the novel modified spring clamp is that it is easily used interchangeably with various delivery tubes , e . g ., fixedly attached to various pressurized canisters or cylinders .	5
fig1 shows a portion of a gas turbine engine 10 , for example , a high pressure compressor section . the engine 10 has blades 15 that are attached to a hub 20 that rotate about an axis 30 . stationary vanes 35 extend from an outer case or housing 40 , which may be constructed from a nickel alloy , and are axially interspersed between stages of the turbine blades 15 , which may be constructed from titanium in one example . a first gap 45 exists between the blades 15 and the outer case 40 , and a second gap 50 exists between the vanes 35 and the hub 20 . air seals 60 ( fig2 ) are positioned in at least one of the first and second gaps 45 , 50 . further , the air seals 60 may be positioned on : ( a ) the outer edge of the blades 15 ; ( b ) the inner edge of the vanes 35 ; ( c ) an outer surface of the hub 30 opposite the vanes 35 ; and / or ( d ) as shown in fig2 , on the inner surface of outer case 40 opposite the blades 15 . it is desirable that the gaps 45 , 50 be minimized and interaction between the blades 15 , vanes 35 and seals 60 occur to minimize air flow around blade tips or vane tips . in one example shown in fig2 , the air seal is integral with and supported by a substrate , in the example , the outer case 40 . that is , the air seal 60 is deposited directly onto the outer case 40 without any intervening , separately supported seal structure , such as a typical blade outer air seal . the tip of the blade 5 is arranged in close , proximity to the air seal 60 . it should be recognized that the seal provided herein may be used in any of a compressor , a fan or a turbine section and that the seal may be provided on rotating or non - rotating structure . the seal can also be for a turbine pump in a gas pipeline , a water or oil seal in a pump or other application . the air seal 60 can include a bond coat 65 deposited onto the outer case 40 . the bond coat 65 may comprise an alloy , such as a mcraly composition . in another exemplary embodiment , the bond coat 65 can be optional , if it is used , the bond coat 65 can be a nickel aluminum composite powder . a composite topcoat 70 acts as an abradable layer that is deposited on the bond coat 65 opposite the outer case 40 . in an exemplary embodiment , the metallic bond coat 65 may be replaced by an adhesive layer if the abradable layer is pre - formed . the exemplary abradable seal 60 can be employed in a variety of applications , such as , for bearing compartments , under - platform seals , cantilevered vane seals , rotating airfoil / blade seals , as well as air and oil seals . referring also to fig3 , 5 and 6 , the coating 70 can comprise a matrix alloy based on al , cu , ni , co , and the like . in addition , the coating can include filler phases comprising hbn , max phases , bentonite , and the like . in an alternative embodiment at fig3 and 4 , the composite abradable coating 70 consists of a material that is a single distribution of a hexagonal boron nitride (“ hbn ”) 100 or soft ceramic material or other soft phase clad with a metallic - based alloy cladding 102 ( such as a ni based alloy , though others such as cobalt , copper and aluminum are also contemplated herein ). feed stock used to provide the air seal 60 abradable coating 70 is made of composite powder particles of ni alloy and hbn in which the metal is plated onto the hbn in a chemical cladding process , the metal clad hbn particles are used at a variable ratio with additional metal particles , fugitive pore formers , such as carbon or graphite particles or additional soft phase material ( such as bentonite agglomerated hbn ) in the composite powder to adjust and target the coating properties during manufacture . in an exemplary embodiment , the additional metal particles may be the same composition as the plating or different . the additional particles can be alloying elements such as al , cr , si , b which may serve as a processing aid or modify the matrix alloy to provide some desired property such as oxidation resistance . it may be desirable to add cr and / or al and the like , as separate particles . the composition of these particles may advantageously combine with the matrix metal to improve oxidation resistance or other property ( by diffusion during heat treatment or in service . other compounds such as a relatively soft ( 3 or less or preferably less than 2 on the mohs hardness scale ) ceramic like bentonite clay ( e . g ., a montmorillonite ) may be substituted for the hbn . the matrix 102 of ni based alloy may be coated upon the hbn 100 before application . in an exemplary embodiment , the metal cladding may also be produced as discrete elemental layers in order to facilitate manufacturing as it is difficult to co - deposit multiple elements as an alloy in the cladding process . the volume fraction of hbn in the composite coating 104 is about 50 - 80 %. the target metal content of the coating may be around 50 % by volume or less . in one example , a volume fraction of hbn in the range of 75 - 80 % is used . the target metal fraction can be on the order of 10 - 36 % by volume . some porosity , 0 . 5 to 15 volume % is normal coatings depending on the application process and material . a low volume fraction of fugitive may be desirable to further reduce density and rub forces without substantially affecting roughness and gas permeability ( e . g ., less than about 25 volume %). an additional volume fraction may be porosity which can be inherent in the application process or intentionally induced by application parameter selection or the addition of a fugitive material . example fugitive materials are carbon and graphite powders . the low volume fraction of metal in combination with the hbn limits the ductility of a surface layer that forms by mechanical alloying due to plastic deformation as it is rubbed by an airfoil tip ( or other rotating element ) which results in good abradability . low volume fraction of metal and poor bonding with the hbn also produces a low modulus composite that is somewhat flexible and compliant to part deformation and thermal expansion contributions to stress . the low modulus keeps stresses low . in another exemplary embodiment shown at fig5 and 6 , the top coat 70 comprises a max phase solid . in an exemplary embodiment the coating includes max phase particles 110 . the max phase particles 110 can include ternary carbide or nitride matrix material that may include max phases which are defined by the formula m n − 1 ax n where n is a number from 1 to 3 . m is an early transition metal element , a is an a group element , and x is carbon ( c ) or nitrogen ( n ). early transition metals are any element in the d - block of the periodic table , which includes groups 3 to 12 on the periodic table . a - group elements are mostly group iia or iva . the metal matrix is at least one of a low , medium , and high melting point metal or metal alloy . low melting point metals or metal alloys are those approximately in the range of from 100 degrees centigrade to 300 degrees centigrade . medium melting point metals or metal alloys are those approximately in the range of 300 degrees centigrade to 1000 degrees centigrade . high melting point metals or metal alloys are those in the range of 1000 degrees centigrade and greater . maxmet materials are characterized by excellent mechanical properties and improved toughness , high damage tolerance , high thermal stability and improved erosion resistance . the max phase particles 110 can be encapsulated in a metallic shell 115 to form a maxmet composite material 120 . the metallic shell 115 can comprise any variety of materials depending on the end use of the abradable composite seal 60 . in an exemplary embodiment , the metallic shell 115 can comprise a ni shell material for use with ni - based abradable composite materials . in another exemplary embodiment the metallic shell 115 can comprise an al shell for use with al based abradable composite materials . besides ni and al , depending on the applications , other metals , such as w , co , hf , cr , and the like , can be applied as a coating layer . the air seal 60 can be deposited through a variety of methods into a net shape with very low material waste . in an exemplary embodiment , the abradable layer could be produced by melting a powder feedstock with a laser beam or other form of concentrated energy to build up sequential fused deposits of the material . feedstock material can vary depending on the desired end product . materials can be metal based powders as well as wire feedstock . alternative concentrated energy can also include energy beams , such as , electron beams or electric arcs . the application process can include forming three - dimensional structures defined by cad solid models using layer - by - layer deposition . the net shaped structure of the seal 60 can be defined by a computer generated model , and this information is then sliced into a large number of deposition layers ( e . g . hundreds or thousands of layers ). a laser is then guided by each layer of information , over a fine metal powder layer to melt together the metal particles . a layer of fresh powder is then swept over the previous layer and melted in a second laser pass to deposit the next layer . the process is repeated for the subsequent layers . conveniently , the metal powder may be fed as a stream of powder directly into the laser beam at the point of deposition , and then rastered with the laser . one or more embodiments have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made . the layer - by - layer deposition procedure provides great control over the structure of the layer . it also allows seals to be formed with enhanced uniformity and repeatability , and with low incidence of manufacturing defects . the process reduces the need to make additional finishing steps , since the initial manufacturing steps produce a near net shaped product . feedstock wastage may be 10 % or less , compared with about 80 % typical for thermal spraying . the near net shape deposition eliminates the need for masking and much of the post machining processes . using an energy beam to build up sequential deposits of the fused feedstock allows precise control of the structure of the seal . product variability can be reduced . also the structure of the seal can be tailored throughout the seal &# 39 ; s thickness to meet the attributes required for the intended operational environment . in one embodiment , the coating provides a strong continuous network of metal matrix that is discontinuously filled with soft phase like hbn or hbn agglomerates . this is accomplished in an efficient manner by metal cladding hbn or hbn agglomerates and depositing them by net shaped direct metal laser sintering . the metal cladding results in a distributed soft phase that is surrounded by an interconnected metal matrix . the interconnectivity of the matrix provides high strength and toughness for the relatively low volume fraction or metal . target metal fraction is on the order of 10 - 36 v %. the low volume fraction of metal in combination with the hbn limits ductility of the smeared ( mechanically alloyed ) layer resulting in good abradability . the present coating structure and composition results in improved toughness , erosion resistance for a given metal content while maintaining abradability . the composition and structure provides low roughness and low gas permeability due to near fully dense coating structure . roughness can be reduced due to the well distributed phases and low porosity compared with conventional coating composite structures . the improved process reduces raw material cost and eliminates manufacturing operations for reduced part cost and lead time . it is estimated that feedstock powder usage can be reduced ˜ 5 × and part lead time decreased by a week . the abradable coating will have low gas permeability , reduced density , favorable erosion resistance and a smooth surface finish . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .	5
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . as shown in fig1 , a hydrodynamic pressure bearing 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a hub 110 , a sleeve 120 and a fluid circulating member 130 . the hub 110 serves to mount recording media ( not shown ) such as a hard - disk thereon and rotate it , and it has an annular hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a being formed in central portion thereof . also , the hub 110 has an shaft portion 111 and a rim portion 115 formed on the inside and outside respectively with respect to the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a . the shaft portion 111 is integrally extended from an inner central portion of the hub 110 , and an end portion thereof is tapered to be easily rotated . the rim portion 115 is integrally extended from a shaft portion 111 of the hub 110 , and an end portion thereof is extended to be longer than the end portion of the shaft portion 111 . the sleeve 120 serves to rotatably support the hub 110 , and it has a shaft combining portion 121 and a hydrodynamic pressure generating portion 125 formed on the central portion and both rim thereof , respectively . the shaft combining portion 121 has an upper portion formed with a shaft combining recess 121 a thereon , into which the shaft portion 111 is inserted , and a lower portion being downwardly extended and fixedly combined with the base 140 of the spindle motor ( not shown ). the hydrodynamic pressure generating portion 125 is integrally formed with the shaft combining portion 121 , and it is inserted into the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a formed in the hub 110 . wherein , the hydrodynamic pressure generating portion 125 has an annular shape corresponding to the space 110 a so as to be inserted into the space 110 a in closely contact . also , the hydrodynamic pressure generating portion 125 has a plurality of hydrodynamic pressure generating recesses 125 a with a predetermined shape formed on an upper surface , an outer periphery surface and a lower surface , respectively , and the fluid outlet 125 b slantingly formed on a portion connected with the shaft combining portion 121 . in this embodiment , the fluid outlet 125 b is formed slantingly , but alternately , it may be formed in certain structures , which the fluid well flows out , and the fluid outlet 125 b may be disposed not in the fluid circulating member 130 but on the lower hydrodynamic pressure surface of the sleeve 120 , between the lower hydrodynamic pressure surface and the side surface of the sleeve 120 , or to connect with the side surface of the sleeve 120 . also , in this embodiment , the hydrodynamic pressure generating recesses 125 a is formed in the sleeve 120 , alternately , the recesses 125 a may be formed on an inner periphery surface of the hub 110 face to the corresponding portion of the sleeve 120 or , alternately they may be formed on both the sleeve 120 and the inner periphery surface of the hub 110 in turn . the fluid circulating member 130 serves to repeatedly re - circulate the fluid flowing out through the fluid outlet 125 b formed in the sleeve 120 toward the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a . also , the member 130 has a stopper 131 not only supporting the sleeve 120 , particularly the hydrodynamic pressure generating portion 125 but also providing the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a , and a sealing cap 135 sealing a lower surface of the stopper 135 so as to prevent outward leakage of the fluid . the stopper 131 has an annular shape , and a first hub combining portion 132 and a sleeve supporting portion 133 integrally formed with each other . the first hub combining portion 132 is fixedly combined with an inner periphery surface of the rim portion 115 of the hub 110 , thereby the stopper 131 being rotated together with the hub 110 . the sleeve supporting - portion 133 is extended from the first hub combining portion 131 and has a portion of the lower surface slantingly formed from a free end thereof . the slope formed on the sleeve supporting portion 133 may range from 0 ° to 90 °. also , the sleeve supporting portion 133 has the free end disposed adjacent to a slant portion of the shaft combining portion 121 of the sleeve 120 , and a fluid sending hole 131 formed on a portion adjacent to the first hub combining part 131 to pass through the stopper 131 up and down . the sealing cap 135 has an annular shape , and a second hub combining portion 136 and a fluid keeping portion 137 . the second hub combining portion 136 is fixedly combined with an inner periphery surface of the rim portion 115 of the hub 110 , thereby the sealing cap 135 being rotated together with the hub 110 . wherein , the second hub combining portion 136 is also fixedly combined with a lower surface of the first hub combing portion 132 of the stopper 131 . the fluid keeping portion 137 is located below the sleeve supporting portion 133 of the stopper 131 , and it has a free end disposed adjacent to the slanting portion of the shaft combining part 121 of the sleeve 120 . wherein , between the supporting portion 133 and the keeping portion 137 , is made with a fluid keeping space 130 a illustrated in wedge shape in the drawings . further , wherein , the fluid keeping space 130 a has an angle of the upper surface thereof ranging from 0 ° to 90 ° since the sleeve supporting portion 133 of the stopper 131 has the slanting surface ranging from 0 ° to 90 °. next , with reference to fig2 , the process of circulating the fluid in the hydrodynamic pressure bearing 100 of fig1 will be explained in detail . the fluid 150 is injected into the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a provided between the hub 110 and the sleeve 120 at the time of manufacturing of the hydrodynamic pressure bearing 100 or of injecting of additional fluid . at this time , the fluid 150 is injected through a portion indicated by “ a ” or “ b ” portion , and air or bubble in the space 110 a flows out through the “ b ” or “ a ” portion during the injection of the fluid 150 . first , once the hub 110 begins to rotate under a condition of the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a filled with the fluid 150 , the fluid 150 flows into the sleeve 120 , particularly the central portion ( changeable depending on the design criteria ) of the hydrodynamic pressure generating portion 125 along the hydrodynamic pressure generating recess 125 a . thereafter , while the flow of the fluid is accelerated , the hydrodynamic pressure is generated between the hub 110 and the sleeve 120 , that is , in the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a where the hub 110 and the sleeve 120 set opposite each other , and thereby the hub 110 being raised from the sleeve 120 and rotated under that state . next , while the certain time lapses away , the fluid 150 is gradually heated by the frictional heat caused by the rotation of the hub 110 and then expanded , a portion of the expanded fluid 150 flows out through the fluid outlet 125 b formed in the sleeve 120 . the out fluid 150 on this wise is kept by the fluid circulating member 130 , particularly the stopper 131 until it reaches a designed amount , and if it exceeds the designed amount , it flows to the fluid keeping space 130 a provided between the stopper 131 and the sealing cap 135 . next , when centrifugal force is generated in the stopper 131 and sealing cap 135 rotating together with the hub 110 by the rotating force of the hub 110 , it is applied to the fluid 150 kept in the fluid keeping space 130 a having wedge shape . at this time , the fluid applied with centrifugal force gradually flows into the fluid keeping space 130 a , that is into a portion where an area becomes narrower in wedge shape , and the pressure p 1 at that portion becomes greater than the pressure p 2 between the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a and the stopper 131 , and thereby the fluid 150 flowing from down to up along the fluid sending hole 131 a and finally flowing into the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a . at this time , the fluid 150 is also applied with capillary force due to the wedge shape of the fluid keeping space 130 a , and this force helps the fluid 150 to flow into the hydrodynamic pressure generating space 110 a . like this way , the fluid 150 can be circulated in arrow direction by centrifugal force and capillary force . according to the hydrodynamic pressure bearing of the present invention , even though exterior conditions such as viscosity of fluid or heat caused by the rotation of the shaft etc . exceed the design range thereof , fluid may be kept in the bearing without outflow since the fluid present in the hydrodynamic pressure generating space provided in the bearing is repeatedly circulated . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	5
the compounds of the formula ( i ) of this invention may be prepared as described in the following reaction schemes . unless otherwise indicated , in the reaction schemes and discussion that follow , x and y are defined as above . scheme i illustrates methods of preparing compounds of the formula i wherein ring a is phenyl . methods analogous to these can be used to prepare compounds of the formula i wherein ring a is other than phenyl . such methods will be understood by those of skill in the art . referring to scheme i , a compound of formula v is reacted with 4 - fluorobenzaldehyde ( vi ) in the presence of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal carbonate or bicarbonate to form the corresponding ether of formula iv . this reaction is typically conducted in a reaction - inert solvent such as dimethyl formamide ( dmf ), methylpyrrolidone or dimethylacetamide , at a temperature from about 100 ° c . to about 170 ° c ., preferably at about 150 ° c . the resulting compound of formula iv is then oxidized to the corresponding phenolic alcohol compound of formula iii using a peracid , such as peracetic , trifluoroacetic , perbenzoic or m - chloroperbenzoic acid , in an inert organic solvent , such as dichloromethane . as an alternative , and especially when the x - bearing phenyl ring is a pyridyl ring , this oxidation may be carried out using hydrogen peroxide , preferably 30 % strength , and boric acid , with a small amount of sulfuric acid , in an inert solvent such as tetrahydrofuran or dioxane , at a temperature from room temperature to the reflux temperature of the solvent , for 1 to 24 hours . the phenolic alcohol compound of formula iii is then treated with a haloalkyl - substituted benzylic alcohol of formula vi under conditions suited to form a haloalkylphenoxy aryl compound of formula ii . this reaction is preferably carried out using a dialkyl azodicarboxylate in the presence of a trialkyl or triaryl phosphine . more preferably , the dialkyl azodicarboxylate is a diethyl azodicarboxylate , diisopropyl azodicarboxylate , or diisobutyl azodicarboxylate , and the phosphine is tri - n - butylphospine , triphenylphospine , or tri - p - tolylphospine . the reaction is typically performed in a dipolar ether such as thf , at a temperature from about 50 ° c . to about 120 ° c ., preferably at about the reflux temperature of thf . the compound of formula ii is treated with an aminoacetic ester such as n - methyl glycine ethyl ester ( sarcosine ethyl ester ) in the presence of an organic base such as diisopropylethylamine or diethylamine . this reaction is typically conducted in a reaction - inert solvent such as n - methylpyrrolidinone or dimethyl formamide , at a temperature from about room temperature to about 150 ° c ., preferably at about 90 ° c . then , the resulting ester is hydrolyzed using an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate or an alkali metal hydroxide , preferably an alkali metal hydroxide , such as lithium hydroxide , in water , a mixture of water , an alcohol containing one to four carbons and / or an ethereal solvent such as tetrahydrofuran to form the corresponding carboxylic acid of formula i . the hydrolysis reaction can be carried out in situ or after isolating the ester from the alkylation reaction . in either case , the hydrolysis is carried out using the same or similar solvent as that used in the alkylation reaction and is carried out under the same or similar conditions . scheme ii illustrates methods of preparing compounds of the formula i wherein ring a is in the 3 -( or meta ) position . methods analogous to these can be used to prepare compounds of the formula i wherein ring a is other than phenyl . such methods will be understood by those of skill in the art . referring to scheme ii , 3 - benzyloxyphenol is reacted with an aryl boronic acid using cupric acetate , cupric trifluoroacetate , or a related copper salt , a base such as pyridine , triethylamine , or an organic amine base , and dimethylsulfoxide or methylene chloride as solvent under an oxygen atmosphere at room temperature to 100 ° c . for 12 to 100 hours to afford intermediate vii . compound vii is then reacted to intermediate viii by treating it with ammonium formate and palladium in ethanol or a higher alcohol . the reaction may also be carried out using palladium under a hydrogen atmosphere , or using boron tribromide in methylene chloride at − 78 ° c . to room temperature for 1 to 24 hours . intermediate viii is then processed to compound ix as detailed above in scheme 1 for compound ii . compound ix is then reacted as detailed in scheme 1 to produce the compound of formula i . the compounds of formula i and the intermediates shown in the above reaction schemes can be isolated and purified by conventional procedures , such as recrystallization or chromatographic separation . in so far as the compounds of formula ( i ) of this invention can contain basic substituents , they are capable of forming a wide variety of different salts with various inorganic and organic acids . although such salts must be pharmaceutically acceptable for administration to animals , it is often desirable in practice to initially isolate the base compound from the reaction mixture as a pharmaceutically unacceptable salt and then simply convert to the free base compound by treatment with an alkaline reagent and thereafter convert the free base to a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt . the acid addition salts of the base compounds of this invention are readily prepared by treating the base compound with a substantially equivalent amount of the chosen mineral or organic acid in an aqueous solvent or in a suitable organic solvent , such as methanol or ethanol . upon careful evaporation of the solvent , the desired solid salt is readily obtained . the acids which are used to prepare the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts of the aforementioned base compounds of this invention are those which form non - toxic acid addition salts , i . e ., salts containing pharmaceutically acceptable anions , such as the hydrochloride , hydrobromide , hydroiodide , nitrate , sulfate or bisulfate , phosphate or acid phosphate , acetate , lactate , citrate or acid citrate , tartrate or bi - tartrate , succinate , maleate , fumarate , gluconate , saccharate , benzoate , methanesulfonate , ethanesulfonate , benzenesulfonate , ptoluenesulfonate and pamoate ( i . e ., 1 , 1 ′- methylene - bis -( 2 - hydroxy - 3 - naphthoate )) salts . all compounds of the invention have an acidic group and are capable of forming base salts with various pharmaceutically acceptable cations . examples of such salts include the alkali metal or alkaline - earth metal salts and , particularly , the sodium and potassium salts . these salts are all prepared by conventional techniques . the chemical bases which are used as reagents to prepare the pharmaceutically acceptable base salts of this invention are those which form non - toxic base salts with the herein described acidic derivatives . these particular non - toxic base salts include those derived form such pharmaceutically acceptable cations as sodium , potassium , calcium and magnesium , etc . these salts can easily be prepared by treating the aforementioned acidic compounds with an aqueous solution containing the desired pharmaceutically acceptable cation , and then evaporating the resulting solution to dryness , preferably under reduced pressure . alternatively , they may also be prepared by mixing lower alkanoic solutions of the acidic compounds and the desired alkali metal alkoxide together , and then evaporating the resulting solution to dryness in the same manner as before . in either case , stoichiometric quantities of reagents are preferably employed in order to ensure completeness of reaction and maximum production of yields of the desired final product . the compounds of the present invention exhibit significant glycine transport inhibiting activity and therefore are of value in the treatment of a wide variety of clinical conditions that are characterized by the deficit of glutamateric neurotransmission in mammalian subjects , especially humans . such conditions include the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and other psychoses , and cognitive deficits . the compounds of the formula ( i ) of this invention can be administered via either the oral , parenteral ( such as subcutaneous , intraveneous , intramuscular , intrasternal and infusion techniques ), rectal , intranasal or topical routes to mammals . in general , these compounds are most desirably administered to humans in doses ranging from about 1 mg to about 2000 mg per day , although variations will necessarily occur depending upon the weight and condition of the subject being treated and the particular route of administration chosen . however , a dosage level that is in the range of from about 0 . 1 mg to about 20 mg per kg of body weight per day is most desirably employed . nevertheless , variations may still occur depending upon the species of animal being treated and its individual response to said medicament , as well as on the type of pharmaceutical formulation chosen and the time period and interval at which such administration is carried out . in some instances , dosage levels below the lower limit of the aforesaid range may be more than adequate , while in other cases still larger doses may be employed without causing any harmful side effects provided that such higher dose levels are first divided into several small doses for administration throughout the day . the compounds of the present invention may be administered alone or in combination with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or diluents by either of the above routes previously indicated , and such administration can be carried out in single or multiple doses . more particularly , the novel therapeutic agents of the invention can be administered in a wide variety of different dosage forms , i . e ., they may be combined with various pharmaceutically acceptable inert carriers in the form of tablets , capsules , lozenges , troches , hard candies , powders , sprays , creams , salves , suppositories , jellies , gels , pastes , lotions , ointments , aqueous suspensions , injectable solutions , elixirs , syrups , and the like . such carriers include solid diluents or fillers , sterile aqueous media and various nontoxic organic solvents , etc . moreover , oral pharmaceutical compositions can be suitably sweetened and / or flavored . in general , the therapeutically effective compounds of this invention are present in such dosage forms at concentration levels ranging about 5 . 0 % to about 70 % by weight . for oral administration , tablets containing various excipients such as microcrystalline cellulose , sodium citrate , calcium carbonate , dicalcium phosphate and glycine may be employed along with various disintegrants such as starch and preferably corn , potato or tapioca starch , alginic acid and certain complex silicates , together with granulation binders like polyvinylpyrrolidone , sucrose , gelatin and acacia . additionally , lubricating agents such as magnesium stearate , sodium lauryl sulfate and talc are often very useful for tabletting purposes . solid compositions of a similar type may also be employed as fillers in gelatine capsules ; preferred materials in this connection also include lactose or milk sugar as well as high molecular weight polyethylene glycols . when aqueous suspensions and / or elixirs are desired for oral administration , the active ingredient may be combined with various sweetening or flavoring agents , coloring matter or dyes , and , if so desired , emulsifying and / or suspending agents as well , together with such diluents as water , ethanol , propylene glycol , glycerin and various like combinations thereof . for parenteral administration , solutions of a compound of the present invention in either sesame or peanut oil or in aqueous propylene glycol may be employed . the aqueous solutions should be suitably buffered ( preferably ph & gt ; 8 ) if necessary and the liquid diluent first rendered isotonic . these aqueous solutions are suitable for intravenous injection purposes . the oily solutions are suitable for intra - articular , intra - muscular and subcutaneous injection purposes . the preparation of all these solutions under sterile conditions is readily accomplished by standard pharmaceutical techniques well - known to those skilled in the art . additionally , it is also possible to administer the compounds of the present invention topically when treating inflammatory conditions of the skin and this may preferably be done by way of creams , jellies , gels , pastes , ointments and the like , in accordance with standard pharmaceutical practice . the compounds of the present invention were assayed for their activity in inhibiting glycine reuptake in synaptosomes by first preparing synaptosomes and then measuring neurotransmitter reuptake activity as follows : male sprague dawley rats were decapitated and the brains removed . the whole brains were dissected out and placed in ice cold sucrose buffer ; 1 gram in 20 mls ( 320 mm sucrose containing 1 mg / ml glucose , 0 . 1 mm edta and brought up to ph 7 . 4 with tris base ). the tissue was homogenized in a glass homogenizing tube with a teflon pestle at 350 rpms using a potters homogenizer . the homogenate was centrifuged at 1000 × g for 10 min at 4 ° c . the resulting supernatant was recentrifuged at 17 , 000 × g for 20 min at 4 ° c . the final pellet was resuspended in an appropriate volume of sucrose buffer containing 5 mm alanine , to yield less than 10 % uptake . the uptake assays were conducted in 96 well matrix plates . each well contained 25 μl of solvent , inhibitor or 10 mm glycine for nonspecific uptake , 200 μl of [ 3 h ]- glycine ( 40 nm final ), made up in modified krebs containing 5 mm alanine and glucose ( 1 mg / ml ) and 25 μl of synaptosomes . the plates were then incubated at room temperature for the 15 min . the incubation was terminated by filtration through gf / b filters , using a 96 well brandel cell harvester . the filters were washed with modified krebs buffer and either counted in a liquid scintillation counter or in a lkb beta plate counter . compounds of the invention analyzed by this assay have been found to have significant activity in inhibiting glycine reuptake in synaptosomes , having ic 50 values more potent than 10 μm . the present invention is illustrated by the following examples . however , it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details of these examples . melting points were taken with a buchi micro melting point apparatus and uncorrected . infrared ray absorption spectra ( ir ) were measured by a shimazu infrared spectrometer ( ir - 470 ). 1 h and 13 c nuclear magnetic resonance spectra ( nmr ) were measured in cdcl 3 by a varian nmr spectrometer ( unity , 400 mhz for 1 h , 100 mhz for 13 c ) unless otherwise indicated and peak positions are expressed in parts per million ( ppm ) downfield from tetramethylsilane ( δ ). the peak shapes are denoted as follows : s , singlet ; d , doublet ; t , triplet ; m , multiplet ; br , broad . as described in synthesis , 63 , ( 1991 ): to a 125 ml round - bottomed flask equipped with condenser and nitrogen gas inlet were added 1 . 07 ml ( 10 mmol ) 4 - fluorobenzaldehye , 1 . 22 ml ( 10 mmol ) 3 - trifluoromethylphenol , 1 . 66 g ( 12 mmol ) potassium carbonate , and 10 ml dry n - methylpyrrolidin - 2 - one . the reaction was heated at 150 ° c . for 14 hours ( h ), and the black mixture cooled to room temperature , poured into water , and extracted into ethyl acetate . the organic layer was washed with several portions of water , brine , then dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated . the residue was filtered through silica gel with hexane / ethyl acetate to afford a yellow oil , 2 . 46 g ( 92 . 5 %). 1 h - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 7 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 305 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 4 - 7 . 6 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 84 ( m , 2h ), 9 . 92 ( s , 1h ). 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 117 . 24 , 118 . 36 , 121 . 54 , 121 . 62 , 123 . 52 , 130 . 97 , 132 . 28 , 155 . 89 , 162 . 26 , 190 . 85 ( signals for the cf 3 and adjacent carbon not visible in this scan ). as described in synthesis , page 63 , 1991 : to a 125 ml round - bottomed flask equipped with condenser and a nitrogen inlet were added 2 . 46 g ( 9 . 25 mmol ) [ 4 -( 3 - trifluoromethyl ) phenoxy ] benzaldehyde , 2 . 39 g ( 11 . 1 mmol ) m - chloroperbenzoic acid ( 80 %), and 25 ml dry methylene chloride . the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 8 hr , filtered , and the filtrate washed with aqueous sodium bisulfite solution , aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , dried over sodium sulfate , and evaporated . the residue was taken up in 50 ml methanol , treated with 3 drops concentrated hydrochloric acid , and stirred at room temperature for 14 h . the residue after evaporation was filtered through silica gel using ethyl acetate and hexane to afford 2 . 48 g ( 100 %) of an oil . 1 h - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 6 . 84 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 90 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 05 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 14 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 35 ( m , 1h ). 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 114 . 17 , 116 . 80 , 119 . 03 , 120 . 56 , 121 . 61 , 130 . 33 , 148 . 96 , 153 . 12 , 159 . 23 ( signals for the cf 3 and adjacent carbon not visible in this scan ). to a 125 ml round - bottomed flask equipped with a nitrogen inlet were added 0 . 50 g ( 2 . 93 mmol ) 3 - chloro - 1 - phenylpropanol , 745 mg ( 2 . 93 mmol ) [ 4 -( 3 - trifluoromethyl ) phenoxy ] phenol , 0 . 64 ml ( 3 . 22 mmol ) diisopropylazodicarboxylate , 0 . 85 g ( 3 . 22 mmol ) triphenylphosphine , and 15 ml dry tetrahydrofuran . the reaction was refluxed for 14 h , cooled , and evaporated . the residue was chromatographed on silica gel using ethyl acetate in hexane as eluant to afford 486 mg ( 41 %) of an oil . 1 h - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 2 . 21 and 2 . 47 ( multiplets , 2h ), 3 . 61 and 3 . 82 ( multiplets , 2h ), 5 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 85 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 04 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 2 - 7 . 4 ( m , 7h ). 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 41 . 53 , 41 . 58 , 77 . 70 , 117 . 55 , 119 . 19 , 119 . 22 , 119 . 26 , 120 . 78 , 121 . 12 , 126 . 17 , 128 . 24 , 129 . 05 , 130 . 35 , 140 . 89 , 149 . 63 , 158 . 90 ( signals for the cf 3 and adjacent carbon not visible in this scan ). to a 125 ml round - bottomed flask equipped with condenser and nitrogen inlet were added 486 mg ( 1 . 20 mmol ) 3 - phenyl - 3 -[ 4 -( 3 - trifluoromethyl - phenoxy )- phenoxy ]- 1 - chloropropane , 184 mg ( 1 . 20 mmol ) sarcosine ethyl ester hydrochloride , 0 . 416 ml ( 2 . 40 mmol ) diisopropylethylamine , and 6 ml dry n - methylpyrrolidinone . the reaction was heated at 90 - 95 ° c . for 60 h , cooled , and poured into water . after extracting with ethyl acetate , the organic layer was washed with water ( 3 times ) and brine , dried over sodium sulfate , and evaporated . the residue was chromatographed on silica gel using methylene chloride / methanol as eluant to afford 250 mg ( 43 %) of an oil . 1 h - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 1 . 22 ( t , j = 7 , 3h ), 1 . 99 and 2 . 18 ( multiplets , 2h ), 2 . 38 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 24 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 12 ( q , j = 7 , 2h ), 5 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 83 ( s , 4h ), 7 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 10 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 2 - 7 . 4 ( m , 7h ). 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 14 . 46 , 36 . 88 , 42 . 51 , 53 . 46 , 58 . 82 , 60 . 69 , 78 . 99 , 11444 , 117 . 48 , 119 . 11 , 120 . 69 , 121 . 09 , 126 . 20 , 127 . 87 , 128 . 86 , 130 . 30 , 141 . 91 , 149 . 28 , 155 . 25 , 155 . 27 , 158 . 99 ( signals for the cf 3 and adjacent carbon not visible in this scan ). to a 125 ml round - bottomed flask equipped with condenser and nitrogen inlet were added 250 mg ( 0 . 514 mmol ) {[ 3 -( 4 -( 3 - trifluoromethyl ) phenoxy ) phenoxy )- 3 - phenylprop - yl ] methylamino }- acetic acid ethyl ester , 6 ml tetrahydrofuran , a solution of 100 mg lithium hydroxide hydrate in 10 ml water , and enough methanol to afford a solution . the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 1 h , evaporated , and taken up in water to ph 1 with 6 n hydrochloric acid . the aqueous layer was extracted with several portions of methylene chloride , and the organic layer washed with brine , dried over sodium sulfate , and evaporated to a foam , 225 mg ( 38 %). 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 32 , 41 . 76 , 54 . 53 , 56 . 62 , 78 . 02 , 114 . 45 , 117 . 61 , 119 . 28 , 120 . 77 , 121 . 11 , 123 . 92 ( q , j = 269 , cf 3 ), 126 . 14 , 128 . 46 , 129 . 16 , 130 . 40 , 132 . 17 ( q , j = 29 ), 140 . 10 , 149 . 76 , 154 . 26 , 158 . 71 , 167 . 44 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 24 no 4 f 3 . hcl : c 60 . 55 , h 5 . 08 , n 2 . 82 . found : c 60 . 65 , h 5 . 64 , n 2 . 60 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 36 , 41 . 73 , 54 . 45 , 56 . 67 , 78 . 02 , 117 . 32 , 117 . 98 , 118 . 29 , 120 . 10 , 126 . 17 , 128 . 36 , 129 . 01 , 129 . 11 , 130 . 33 , 132 . 45 , 132 . 64 , 140 . 34 , 151 . 52 , 153 . 38 , 155 . 75 , 167 . 66 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 no 4 hcl . 1 / 4h 2 o : c 67 . 26 , h 6 . 43 , n 3 . 14 . found : c 67 . 04 , h 7 . 00 , n 2 . 96 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 38 , 41 . 54 , 41 . 93 , 54 . 55 , 56 . 39 , 77 . 96 , 114 . 96 , 117 . 33 , 119 . 30 , 120 . 02 , 126 . 18 , 128 . 35 , 129 . 10 , 140 . 32 , 151 . 19 , 152 . 34 , 153 . 05 , 155 . 65 , 167 . 18 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 no 5 . hcl . h 2 o : c 63 . 09 , h 6 . 35 , n 2 . 94 . found : c 62 . 84 ; h 6 . 43 , n 3 . 34 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 35 , 41 . 86 , 53 . 69 , 54 . 46 , 56 . 60 , 78 . 00 , 117 . 45 , 119 . 20 , 120 . 69 , 126 . 13 , 127 . 73 , 128 . 45 , 129 . 15 , 129 . 76 , 140 . 17 , 150 . 51 , 153 . 89 , 156 . 88 , 167 . 56 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 24 h 24 no 4 cl . hcl . h 2 o : c 60 . 01 , h 5 . 67 , n 2 . 92 . found : c 60 . 16 , h 5 . 36 , n 2 . 69 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 39 , 41 . 60 , 42 . 01 , 54 . 66 , 56 . 47 , 78 . 03 , 112 . 87 , 117 . 50 , 119 . 59 , 120 . 86 , 124 . 68 , 126 . 20 , 126 . 71 , 127 . 23 , 127 . 88 , 128 . 43 , 129 . 16 , 129 . 99 , 130 . 02 , 134 . 45 , 140 . 23 , 150 . 80 , 153 . 82 , 156 . 09 , 167 . 06 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 28 h 27 no 4 hcl . 3 / 2h 2 o : c 66 . 59 , h 6 . 19 , n 2 . 77 . found : c 66 . 37 , h 6 . 01 , n 2 . 82 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 24 . 35 , 33 . 04 , 33 . 59 , 41 . 63 , 42 . 05 , 54 . 70 , 55 . 75 , 56 . 36 , 78 . 02 , 117 . 33 , 118 . 13 , 120 . 25 , 126 . 18 , 127 . 66 , 128 . 37 , 129 . 12 , 140 . 26 , 143 . 51 , 151 . 45 , 153 . 38 , 155 . 95 , 166 . 82 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 27 h 31 no 4 . hcl . 3 / 4h 2 o : c 67 . 07 , h 6 . 98 , n 2 . 90 . found : c 67 . 32 , h 7 . 22 , n 2 . 73 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 31 . 73 , 33 . 34 , 34 . 46 , 41 . 81 , 54 . 57 , 56 . 56 , 78 . 06 , 117 . 44 , 117 . 74 , 120 . 37 , 125 . 77 , 126 . 27 , 126 . 67 , 128 . 38 , 129 . 15 , 140 . 40 , 145 . 76 , 151 . 35 , 153 . 49 , 155 . 73 , 167 . 50 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 28 h 33 no 4 . hcl . 2h 2 o : c 64 . 67 , h 7 . 36 , n 2 . 69 . found : c 64 . 89 , h 7 . 18 , n 2 . 70 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 23 . 21 , 23 . 48 , 28 . 90 , 29 . 71 , 33 . 04 , 33 . 39 , 41 . 68 , 42 . 10 , 53 . 71 , 54 . 65 , 55 . 81 , 56 . 44 , 78 . 03 , 115 . 85 , 117 . 33 , 118 . 56 , 120 . 12 , 126 . 22 , 128 . 35 , 129 . 11 , 130 . 31 , 131 . 80 , 138 . 75 , 140 . 29 , 151 . 53 , 153 . 27 , 155 . 56 , 167 . 10 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 28 h 31 no 4 . hcl . 3 / 2h 2 o : c 66 . 07 , h 6 . 93 , n 2 . 75 . found : c 66 . 36 , h 7 . 10 , n 2 . 80 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 39 , 41 . 67 , 53 . 71 , 54 . 32 , 56 . 62 , 78 . 10 , 117 . 18 , 117 . 54 , 121 . 49 , 123 . 06 , 124 . 47 ( q , j = 33 ), 124 . 59 ( q , j = 270 , cf 3 ), 127 . 17 , 127 . 21 , 128 . 46 , 129 . 15 , 140 . 13 , 149 . 36 , 154 . 44 , 161 . 25 , 167 . 86 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 24 no 4 f 3 . hcl . h 2 o : c 58 . 43 , h 5 . 30 , n 2 . 73 . found : c 58 . 80 , h 5 . 22 , n 2 . 85 . prepared as in example 1 , in 93 % yield , as a solid , mp 60 - 61 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 22 . 84 , 22 . 99 , 23 . 47 , 25 . 82 , 29 . 73 , 33 . 89 , 41 . 58 , 53 . 74 , 58 . 74 , 68 . 16 , 77 . 65 , 115 . 28 , 115 . 99 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 19 , 119 . 25 , 124 . 34 , 126 . 05 , 127 . 85 ( d , j = 8 ), 128 . 73 , 136 . 45 , 136 . 48 , 139 . 52 , 151 . 86 , 152 . 94 , 155 . 27 , 162 . 50 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 80 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 28 h 31 no 4 f : 464 . 2238 . found : 464 . 2218 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 29 , 20 . 87 , 33 . 51 , 41 . 57 , 53 . 99 , 58 . 39 , 77 . 6 , 116 . 00 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 24 , 118 . 43 , 119 . 16 , 127 . 69 , 127 . 91 ( d , j = 7 ), 129 . 41 , 132 . 20 , 133 . 31 , 133 . 33 , 136 . 25 , 136 . 28 , 152 . 51 , 152 . 54 , 152 . 85 , 162 . 50 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 65 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 29 no 4 f : 438 . 2081 . found : 438 . 2111 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 14 . 38 , 16 . 43 , 20 . 93 , 21 . 07 , 21 . 24 , 33 . 38 , 41 . 72 , 54 . 36 , 57 . 76 , 60 . 63 , 115 . 35 , 115 . 97 ( d , j = 21 ), 117 . 25 , 127 . 89 ( d , j = 8 ), 129 . 73 , 131 . 12 , 134 . 51 , 136 . 23 , 136 . 26 , 149 . 22 , 151 . 59 , 152 . 83 , 162 . 50 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 53 , 171 . 46 , 175 . 44 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 29 h 30 no 4 f : 452 . 2238 . found : 452 . 2255 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 22 . 87 , 23 . 00 , 23 . 49 , 29 . 75 , 33 . 36 , 41 . 69 , 54 . 36 , 56 . 96 , 60 . 66 , 78 . 12 , 115 . 16 , 117 . 34 , 119 . 36 , 124 . 26 , 126 . 07 , 126 . 21 , 128 . 30 , 128 . 60 , 129 . 08 , 139 . 45 , 140 . 45 , 151 . 71 , 153 . 08 , 155 . 37 , 168 . 25 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 28 h 31 no 4 . hcl . h 2 o : c 67 . 26 , h 6 . 85 , n 2 . 80 . found : c 67 . 45 ; h 6 . 89 , n 2 . 69 . prepared as in example 1 , in 100 % yield , as a solid , mp 53 - 55 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 32 , 20 . 87 , 33 . 77 , 41 . 49 , 53 . 71 , 58 . 62 , 60 . 59 , 78 . 26 , 117 . 13 , 118 . 46 , 119 . 11 , 126 . 07 , 127 . 67 , 128 . 22 , 129 . 04 , 129 . 37 , 132 . 17 , 133 . 15 , 140 . 73 , 152 . 30 , 152 . 92 , 153 . 00 , 168 . 82 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 29 no 4 . hcl . h 2 o : c 65 . 88 , h 6 . 80 , n 2 . 96 . found : c 66 . 08 ; h 6 . 96 , n 2 . 93 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 21 . 70 , 26 . 33 , 27 . 10 , 33 . 34 , 34 . 85 , 41 . 87 , 44 . 02 , 54 . 31 , 59 . 00 , 77 . 66 , 116 . 06 ( d , j = 21 ), 117 . 27 , 118 . 13 , 119 . 54 , 120 . 27 , 127 . 92 ( d , j = 8 ), 128 . 06 , 136 . 27 , 136 . 30 , 142 . 90 , 151 . 61 , 153 . 25 , 155 . 94 , 155 . 97 , 162 . 58 ( d , j = 246 ), 169 . 80 , 176 . 69 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 25 . 62 , 34 . 90 , 41 . 62 , 45 . 45 , 53 . 75 , 58 . 93 , 60 . 60 , 116 . 01 ( d , j = 21 ), 117 . 25 , 118 . 15 , 120 . 22 , 127 . 89 ( d , j = 9 ), 128 . 36 , 136 . 49 , 141 . 17 , 151 . 58 , 153 . 34 , 155 . 92 , 162 . 52 , ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 96 , 171 . 36 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 26 . 32 , 27 . 09 , 29 . 65 , 33 . 66 , 34 . 82 , 41 . 71 , 43 . 99 , 53 . 99 , 59 . 10 , 78 . 18 , 117 . 14 , 118 . 05 , 120 . 29 , 126 . 04 , 128 . 00 , 128 . 30 , 129 . 09 , 140 . 53 , 142 . 77 , 151 . 37 , 153 . 50 , 156 . 02 , 168 . 57 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 30 h 36 no 4 : 474 . 2645 . found : 474 . 2642 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 14 . 40 , 25 . 60 , 33 . 71 , 34 . 88 , 41 . 69 , 45 . 44 , 53 . 89 , 60 . 59 , 78 . 22 , 117 . 14 , 118 . 08 , 120 . 22 , 126 . 04 , 128 . 30 , 129 . 07 , 140 . 60 , 141 . 05 , 151 . 38 , 153 . 53 , 155 . 99 , 168 . 66 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 29 h 34 no 4 : 460 . 2488 . found : 460 . 2513 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 14 . 38 , 21 . 39 , 33 . 41 , 41 . 60 , 54 . 01 , 58 . 53 , 60 . 60 , 64 . 41 , 64 . 60 , 77 . 63 , 111 . 94 , 112 . 64 , 115 . 98 ( d , j = 21 ), 117 . 21 , 119 . 11 , 120 . 45 , 127 . 93 ( d , j = 8 ), 135 . 62 , 136 . 21 , 136 . 24 , 145 . 06 , 146 . 00 , 151 . 62 , 153 . 07 , 162 . 49 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 79 , 171 . 41 , 174 . 46 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 27 fno 6 : c 468 . 1822 . found : 468 . 1795 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 14 . 40 , 29 . 63 , 33 . 73 , 41 . 79 , 54 . 00 , 59 . 06 , 64 . 44 , 64 . 64 , 72 . 80 , 78 . 21 , 111 . 86 , 112 . 51 , 117 . 05 , 119 . 20 , 120 . 42 , 126 . 03 , 128 . 29 , 129 . 07 , 135 . 56 , 140 . 50 , 145 . 03 , 146 . 19 , 151 . 40 , 153 . 39 , 168 . 40 , 171 . 37 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 27 no 6 : c 450 . 1916 . found : 450 . 1911 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 30 . 31 , 33 . 91 , 41 . 77 , 53 . 92 , 72 . 10 , 112 . 50 , 115 . 99 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 09 , 118 . 70 , 118 . 89 , 120 . 27 , 121 . 23 , 127 . 83 ( d , j = 8 ), 129 . 71 , 136 . 41 , 140 . 86 , 150 . 51 , 151 . 59 , 153 . 00 , 162 . 55 ( d , j = 245 ). hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 27 fno 5 : c 452 . 1874 . found : 452 . 1879 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 30 . 32 , 33 . 72 , 41 . 80 , 54 . 02 , 59 . 25 , 72 . 08 , 78 . 15 , 117 . 02 , 118 . 73 , 118 . 82 , 120 . 17 , 121 . 19 , 126 . 03 , 128 . 24 , 129 . 05 , 129 . 66 , 140 . 57 , 140 . 98 , 150 . 47 , 150 . 48 , 151 . 43 , 153 . 22 , 168 . 36 , 171 . 36 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 28 no 5 : c 434 . 1968 . found : 434 . 1950 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 62 , 41 . 58 , 53 . 87 , 58 . 96 , 104 . 22 , 104 . 26 , 106 . 71 , 110 . 57 , 116 . 03 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 36 , 119 . 30 , 120 . 36 , 124 . 98 , 127 . 93 ( d , j = 24 ), 136 . 24 , 136 . 27 , 144 . 34 , 151 . 11 , 151 . 34 , 153 . 56 , 156 . 84 , 162 . 52 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 87 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 24 fno 5 . 5 / 4h 2 o : c 66 . 11 , h 5 . 66 , n 2 . 97 . found : c 66 . 26 , h 5 . 45 , n 2 . 64 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 27 . 62 , 33 . 77 , 41 . 49 , 53 . 69 , 58 . 59 , 71 . 74 , 78 . 30 , 104 . 55 , 104 . 58 , 109 . 91 , 109 . 94 , 116 . 71 , 117 . 18 , 120 . 03 , 126 . 07 , 128 . 28 , 129 . 06 , 129 . 17 , 140 . 56 , 150 . 69 , 153 . 66 , 154 . 60 , 162 . 21 , 168 . 80 , 171 . 32 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 27 no 5 . 5 / 4h 2 o : c 68 . 48 , h 6 . 52 , n 3 . 07 . found : c 68 . 18 , h 6 . 50 , n 2 . 86 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 27 . 60 , 29 . 65 , 33 . 87 , 41 . 49 , 53 . 61 , 58 . 68 , 71 . 72 , 104 . 61 , 109 . 91 , 115 . 97 ( d , j = 21 ), 116 . 76 , 117 . 26 , 120 . 02 , 120 . 34 , 127 . 90 ( d , j = 25 ), 129 . 19 , 136 . 41 , 150 . 83 , 153 . 44 , 154 . 51 , 161 . 25 , 162 . 47 ( d , j = 245 ), 169 . 04 , 171 . 31 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 26 fno 5 . 3 / 2h 2 o : c 65 . 26 , h 6 . 11 , n 2 . 93 . found : c 65 . 07 , h 6 . 21 , n 2 . 75 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 91 , 41 . 81 , 53 . 96 , 58 . 96 , 116 . 16 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 28 , 117 . 77 , 121 . 50 , 121 . 76 , 124 . 47 , 127 . 85 , 133 . 24 ( q , j = 34 ), 135 . 96 , 148 . 75 , 154 . 79 , 159 . 51 , 162 . 63 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 64 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 22 f 7 no 4 : 546 . 1516 . found : c 546 . 1525 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 71 , 41 . 63 , 53 . 92 , 59 . 01 , 116 . 08 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 38 , 118 . 72 , 120 . 67 ( q , j = 256 ), 120 . 83 , 122 . 70 , 127 . 84 ( d , j = 8 ), 136 . 14 , 144 . 21 , 150 . 55 , 153 . 84 , 156 . 76 , 162 . 55 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 75 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 23 f 4 no 5 : 494 . 1591 . found : 494 . 1591 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 70 , 41 . 63 , 53 . 88 , 58 . 77 , 60 . 59 , 78 . 16 , 78 . 22 , 117 . 31 , 118 . 64 , 120 . 68 ( q , j = 256 ), 120 . 84 , 122 . 67 , 126 . 01 , 128 . 37 , 129 . 12 , 140 . 38 , 144 . 14 , 150 . 34 , 154 . 13 , 156 . 89 , 168 . 66 , 174 . 31 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 24 f 3 no 5 : 476 . 1685 . found : 476 . 1683 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 63 , 41 . 51 , 53 . 82 , 58 . 90 , 77 . 63 , 101 . 47 , 101 . 53 , 101 . 62 , 108 . 35 , 111 . 03 , 111 . 07 , 112 . 50 , 116 . 00 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 24 , 119 . 54 , 127 . 87 ( d , j = 8 ), 136 . 29 , 143 . 52 , 148 . 46 , 152 . 09 , 152 . 48 , 153 . 11 , 162 . 48 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 75 , 171 . 41 . anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 24 fno 6 . 3 / 4h 2 o : c 64 . 30 , h 5 . 50 , n 3 . 00 . found : c 64 . 27 , h 5 . 50 , n 2 . 83 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 73 , 41 . 66 , 53 . 87 , 58 . 96 , 78 . 19 , 101 . 45 , 101 . 52 , 101 . 60 , 108 . 34 , 111 . 01 , 117 . 11 , 119 . 57 , 126 . 02 , 128 . 29 , 129 . 08 , 140 . 51 , 143 . 46 , 148 . 41 , 148 . 45 , 151 . 92 , 152 . 62 , 153 . 38 , 168 . 43 , 171 . 36 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 26 no 6 : 436 . 1760 . found : 436 . 1730 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 77 , 41 . 53 , 53 . 71 , 55 . 48 , 58 . 73 , 78 . 20 , 104 . 08 , 108 . 32 , 110 . 10 , 117 . 19 , 120 . 83 , 126 . 05 , 128 . 28 , 129 . 08 , 130 . 21 , 140 . 60 , 150 . 50 , 153 . 93 , 159 . 56 , 161 . 04 , 168 . 87 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 28 no 5 : 422 . 1968 . found : 422 . 1961 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 80 , 41 . 58 , 53 . 73 , 55 . 47 , 58 . 81 , 77 . 65 , 104 . 17 , 108 . 32 , 110 . 15 , 116 . 00 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 25 , 120 . 83 , 127 . 85 ( d , j = 8 ), 130 . 23 , 136 . 34 , 150 . 69 , 153 . 67 , 159 . 47 , 161 . 04 , 162 . 55 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 85 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 fno 5 : 440 . 1874 . found : 440 . 1883 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 69 , 41 . 49 , 53 . 72 , 58 . 61 , 60 . 52 , 78 . 26 , 110 . 51 , 114 . 60 , 115 . 65 , 117 . 39 , 119 . 26 , 120 . 53 ( q , 257 ), 121 . 14 , 121 . 81 , 126 . 04 , 128 . 31 , 129 . 07 , 130 . 52 , 140 . 47 , 149 . 62 , 150 . 20 , 154 . 43 , 159 . 61 , 168 . 99 , 171 . 28 , 174 . 21 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 25 f 3 no 5 : 476 . 1685 . found : 476 . 1682 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 77 , 41 . 68 , 53 . 92 , 58 . 93 , ( 1 signal missing in this region ), 110 . 61 , 114 . 76 , 115 . 76 , 116 . 11 ( d , j = 21 ), 117 . 43 , 120 . 5 ( q , j = 257 ), 121 . 19 , 123 . 29 , 127 . 84 ( d , j = 8 ), 130 . 57 , 136 . 13 , 149 . 89 , 150 . 26 , 154 . 11 , 159 . 52 , 162 . 58 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 68 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 24 f 4 no 5 : 496 . 1591 . found : 496 . 1600 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 41 , 41 . 79 , 54 . 29 , 56 . 11 , 58 . 77 , 78 . 13 , 112 . 86 , 117 . 13 , 118 . 95 , 120 . 04 , 121 . 21 , 124 . 39 , 126 . 08 , 128 . 34 , 129 . 09 , 140 . 41 , 146 . 20 , 151 . 13 , 151 . 85 , 153 . 12 , 168 . 78 , 175 . 05 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 28 no 5 : 422 . 1968 . found : 422 . 1961 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 83 , 41 . 70 , 53 . 87 , 56 . 13 , 58 . 95 , 112 . 84 , 115 . 99 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 14 , 118 . 98 , 120 . 05 , 121 . 21 , 124 . 42 , 127 . 88 ( d , j = 8 ), 136 . 40 , 146 . 16 , 151 . 14 , 151 . 94 , 153 . 01 , 162 . 53 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 64 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 fno 5 : 440 . 1874 . found : 440 . 1863 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 74 , 41 . 45 , 53 . 63 , 56 . 06 , 56 . 09 , 56 . 45 , 56 . 48 , 58 . 49 , 78 . 23 , 103 . 84 , 109 . 80 , 111 . 88 , 117 . 16 , 119 . 41 , 126 . 07 , 128 . 24 , 129 . 04 , 140 . 65 , 145 . 18 , 150 . 00 , 151 . 63 , 151 . 97 , 153 . 33 , 168 . 82 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 30 no 6 : 452 . 2073 . found : 452 . 2083 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 85 , 41 . 54 , 53 . 69 , 56 . 08 , 56 . 11 , 56 . 45 , 56 . 48 , 58 . 71 , 103 . 92 , 109 . 86 , 111 . 87 , 115 . 99 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 21 , 119 . 38 , 127 . 88 ( d , j = 8 ), 136 . 44 , 145 . 26 , 150 . 03 , 151 . 52 , 152 . 19 , 153 . 07 , 162 . 49 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 84 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 29 fno 6 : 470 . 1979 . found : 470 . 1965 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 29 . 66 , 33 . 56 , 41 . 64 , 53 . 90 , 59 . 02 , 64 . 32 , 64 . 65 , 78 . 15 , 107 . 84 , 111 . 76 , 117 . 15 , 117 . 75 , 119 . 78 , 126 . 08 , 128 . 27 , 129 . 08 , 139 . 55 , 140 . 64 , 144 . 06 , 151 . 73 , 151 . 97 , 153 . 42 , 168 . 88 , 171 . 39 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 28 no 8 : 450 . 1917 . found : 450 . 1905 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 29 . 65 , 33 . 88 , 41 . 54 , 53 . 66 , 58 . 67 , 64 . 30 , 64 . 64 , 77 . 70 , 107 . 88 , 111 . 78 , 116 . 01 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 19 , 117 . 77 , 119 . 75 , 127 . 86 ( d , j = 8 ), 136 . 42 , 136 . 45 , 139 . 60 , 144 . 07 , 151 . 86 , 151 . 89 , 153 . 20 , 161 . 49 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 85 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 27 fno 6 : 468 . 1822 . found : 468 . 1829 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 60 , 33 . 72 , 41 . 71 , 54 . 02 , 55 . 85 , 58 . 89 , 77 . 58 , 114 . 02 , 114 . 88 , 116 . 02 ( d , j = 22 ), 118 . 34 , 119 . 00 , 120 . 09 , 127 . 78 ( d , j = 8 ), 131 . 07 , 136 . 34 , 149 . 65 , 152 . 00 , 153 . 29 , 155 . 07 , 162 . 52 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 50 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 29 fno 5 : 454 . 2030 . found : 454 . 2018 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 75 , 41 . 58 , 53 . 63 , 58 . 77 , 60 . 57 , 77 . 63 , 101 . 53 , 101 . 62 , 108 . 35 , 111 . 08 , 117 . 12 , 119 . 55 , 127 . 53 , 129 . 25 , 133 . 95 , 139 . 19 , 143 . 53 , 148 . 46 , 152 . 13 , 152 . 49 , 153 . 09 , 168 . 83 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 25 clno 6 : 470 . 1370 . found : 470 . 1370 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 58 , 41 . 70 , 54 . 03 , 55 . 44 , 55 . 51 , 58 . 95 , 77 . 83 , 104 . 09 , 108 . 30 , 110 . 12 , 114 . 47 , 117 . 31 , 120 . 82 , 127 . 35 , 130 . 21 , 132 . 26 , 150 . 50 , 153 . 83 , 159 . 53 , 159 . 57 , 161 . 02 , 168 . 45 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 30 no 6 : 452 . 2073 . found : 452 . 2061 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 77 , 41 . 62 , 53 . 70 , 55 . 50 , 58 . 81 , 77 . 62 , 104 . 20 , 108 . 35 , 110 . 18 , 117 . 18 , 120 . 85 , 127 . 55 , 129 . 29 , 130 . 24 , 134 . 00 , 139 . 13 , 150 . 74 , 153 . 60 , 159 . 45 , 161 . 05 , 168 . 78 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 clno 5 : 456 . 1578 . found : 456 . 1578 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 59 , 41 . 68 , 53 . 99 , 55 . 43 , 55 . 84 , 59 . 02 , 77 . 86 , 114 . 44 , 114 . 93 , 117 . 25 , 119 . 28 , 120 . 01 , 127 . 34 , 132 . 37 , 151 . 27 , 152 . 26 , 153 . 14 , 155 . 62 , 159 . 49 , 168 . 43 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 30 no 6 : 452 . 2073 . found : 452 . 2075 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 73 , 41 . 70 , 53 . 80 , 55 . 84 , 58 . 92 , 77 . 58 , 114 . 96 , 117 . 11 , 119 . 27 , 120 . 11 , 127 . 53 , 129 . 28 , 133 . 99 , 139 . 14 , 151 . 13 , 152 . 55 , 152 . 84 , 155 . 71 , 168 . 57 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 clno 5 : 456 . 1578 . found : 456 . 1580 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 65 , 41 . 54 , 53 . 70 , 55 . 71 , 58 . 83 , 60 . 52 , 69 . 70 , 78 . 85 , 115 . 03 , 115 . 93 ( d , j = 22 ), 116 . 82 , 117 . 00 , 119 . 77 , 120 . 55 , 124 . 16 , 128 . 01 ( d , j = 8 ), 135 . 87 , 135 . 89 , 148 . 37 , 150 . 16 , 152 . 84 , 156 . 10 , 162 . 57 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 92 , 171 . 29 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 26 clfno 5 : 474 . 1485 . found : 474 . 1500 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 29 . 64 , 33 . 91 , 41 . 63 , 53 . 84 , 58 . 75 , 77 . 59 , 114 . 19 , 116 . 04 ( d , j = 22 ), 116 . 56 , 118 . 99 , 121 . 53 , 122 . 11 , 127 . 78 ( d , j = 8 ), 129 . 76 , 131 . 83 , 136 . 40 , 148 . 28 , 153 . 94 , 158 . 58 , 162 . 52 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 64 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 fno 4 : 424 . 1924 . found : 424 . 1910 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 29 . 62 , 29 . 89 , 33 . 53 , 41 . 67 , 54 . 01 , 55 . 42 , 58 . 95 , 77 . 84 , 101 . 48 , 101 . 60 , 108 . 33 , 110 . 99 , 114 . 45 , 117 . 29 , 119 . 57 , 127 . 36 , 132 . 31 , 143 . 45 , 148 . 44 , 151 . 89 , 152 . 64 , 153 . 34 , 159 . 50 , 168 . 53 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 28 no 7 : 466 . 1866 . found : 466 . 1854 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 50 , 41 . 62 , 53 . 97 , 55 . 39 , 55 . 42 , 55 . 81 , 58 . 99 , 79 . 20 , 114 . 43 , 115 . 05 , 116 . 93 , 117 . 19 , 119 . 82 , 120 . 54 , 124 . 19 , 127 . 52 , 131 . 81 , 148 . 58 , 150 . 33 , 152 . 70 , 156 . 07 , 159 . 66 , 168 . 62 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 29 . 65 , 33 . 66 , 41 . 92 , 54 . 18 , 55 . 49 , 55 . 86 , 56 . 20 , 77 . 79 , 102 . 52 , 106 . 93 , 114 . 54 , 114 . 76 , 118 . 34 , 120 . 70 , 127 . 31 , 132 . 28 , 140 . 29 , 143 . 47 , 151 . 98 , 152 . 08 , 154 . 45 , 155 . 16 , 159 . 61 , 168 . 20 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 27 h 32 no 7 : 482 . 2179 . found : 482 . 2188 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 50 , 41 . 54 , 53 . 94 , 55 . 47 , 56 . 17 , 58 . 98 , 60 . 65 , 77 . 67 , 102 . 62 , 102 . 77 , 107 . 11 , 107 . 62 , 108 . 62 , 116 . 09 ( d , j = 22 ), 122 . 43 , 127 . 94 ( d , j = 8 ), 130 . 08 , 136 . 30 , 136 . 33 , 138 . 57 , 152 . 61 , 155 . 04 , 159 . 96 , 160 . 96 , 162 . 55 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 93 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 29 fno 6 : 470 . 1979 . found : 470 . 1987 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 73 , 41 . 61 , 53 . 78 , 55 . 79 , 56 . 14 , 58 . 82 , 60 . 57 , 77 . 62 , 102 . 43 , 106 . 75 , 114 . 73 , 116 . 04 ( d , j = 21 ), 118 . 31 , 120 . 65 , 127 . 79 ( d , j = 8 ), 136 . 36 , 140 . 39 , 151 . 96 , 154 . 26 , 155 . 16 , 162 . 57 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 70 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 29 fno 6 : 470 . 1979 . found : 470 . 2000 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 44 , 41 . 56 , 53 . 99 , 55 . 45 , 56 . 13 , 58 . 95 , 60 . 63 , 78 . 07 , 102 . 51 , 102 . 69 , 107 . 08 , 107 . 64 , 108 . 58 , 122 . 39 , 126 . 07 , 128 . 38 , 129 . 14 , 130 . 02 , 138 . 39 , 140 . 50 , 152 . 52 , 155 . 24 , 160 . 01 , 160 . 92 , 168 . 87 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 30 no 6 : 452 . 2073 . found : 452 . 2073 . prepared as in example 1 , in 100 % yield , as a solid , mp 60 . 1 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 47 , 41 . 56 , 53 . 97 , 55 . 84 , 56 . 16 , 58 . 97 , 60 . 64 , 78 . 08 , 102 . 49 , 106 . 90 , 114 . 76 , 118 . 28 , 120 . 76 , 126 . 07 , 128 . 37 , 129 . 13 , 140 . 22 , 140 . 56 , 151 . 99 , 152 . 06 , 154 . 50 , 155 . 12 , 168 . 76 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 30 no 6 : 452 . 2073 . found : 452 . 2081 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 92 , 29 . 65 , 33 . 53 , 41 . 57 , 54 . 01 , 55 . 53 , 58 . 71 , 104 . 07 , 108 . 16 , 110 . 11 , 113 . 93 , 117 . 71 , 122 . 54 , 125 . 98 , 128 . 36 , 128 . 64 , 129 . 12 , 130 . 18 , 140 . 49 , 149 . 93 , 151 . 82 , 159 . 73 , 161 . 02 , 168 . 59 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 26 h 30 no 5 : 436 . 2124 . found : 436 . 2103 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 29 . 65 , 33 . 51 , 41 . 69 , 54 . 08 , 55 . 49 , 56 . 16 , 58 . 91 , 77 . 77 , 102 . 55 , 102 . 72 , 107 . 14 , 107 . 64 , 108 . 63 , 114 . 54 , 122 . 38 , 127 . 35 , 130 . 03 , 132 . 29 , 138 . 39 , 152 . 51 , 155 . 23 , 159 . 60 , 160 . 04 , 160 . 93 , 168 . 51 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 27 h 32 no 7 : 482 . 2179 . found : 482 . 2187 . prepared as in example 1 , in 98 % yield , as a solid , mp 77 . 5 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 29 . 64 , 33 . 48 , 41 . 57 , 53 . 95 , 56 . 10 , 58 . 95 , 78 . 07 , 102 . 46 , 107 . 02 , 116 . 42 , 122 . 16 , 126 . 03 , 128 . 38 , 129 . 13 , 129 . 59 , 138 . 67 , 140 . 51 , 152 . 49 , 155 . 12 , 158 . 68 , 168 . 75 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 28 no 5 : 422 . 1968 . found : 422 . 1972 . prepared as in example 1 , in 100 % yield , as a solid , mp 139 . 5 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 79 , 41 . 65 , 53 . 80 , 56 . 11 , 58 . 83 , 60 . 59 , 77 . 61 , 102 . 46 , 106 . 90 , 116 . 08 ( d , j = 22 ), 116 . 44 , 122 . 15 , 122 . 22 , 127 . 79 ( d , j = 8 ), 129 . 60 , 136 . 31 , 136 . 34 , 138 . 85 , 152 . 53 , 154 . 89 , 158 . 63 , 162 . 55 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 67 , 171 . 37 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 fno 5 : 440 . 1874 . found : 440 . 1876 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 90 , 33 . 55 , 41 . 48 , 42 . 16 , 53 . 93 , 58 . 69 , 65 . 37 , 77 . 00 , 114 . 06 , 116 . 10 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 50 , 118 . 02 , 122 . 37 , 122 . 78 , 127 . 84 ( d , j = 7 ), 128 . 72 , 129 . 81 , 136 . 35 , 150 . 38 , 151 . 49 , 158 . 33 , 162 . 55 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 76 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 94 , 33 . 65 , 41 . 46 , 53 . 83 , 58 . 79 , 113 . 95 , 117 . 54 , 117 . 98 , 122 . 38 , 122 . 67 , 126 . 00 , 128 . 33 , 128 . 68 , 129 . 11 , 129 . 79 , 140 . 66 , 150 . 19 , 151 . 81 , 158 . 46 , 168 . 78 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 96 , 29 . 65 , 33 . 63 , 41 . 76 , 54 . 14 , 55 . 86 , 59 . 03 , 112 . 50 , 113 . 89 , 114 . 91 , 116 . 12 , 119 . 99 , 121 . 12 , 125 . 97 , 128 . 34 , 128 . 51 , 129 . 12 , 139 . 92 , 140 . 54 , 151 . 12 , 151 . 42 , 151 . 72 , 155 . 57 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 94 , 33 . 54 , 41 . 47 , 53 . 90 , 58 . 90 , 114 . 01 , 117 . 58 , 119 . 12 , 122 . 36 , 126 . 00 , 127 . 53 , 128 . 36 , 128 . 82 , 129 . 12 , 129 . 70 , 140 . 54 , 149 . 82 , 152 . 01 , 157 . 14 , 168 . 88 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 16 . 94 , 20 . 85 , 33 . 55 , 41 . 43 , 53 . 87 , 58 . 85 , 113 . 97 , 116 . 99 , 118 . 24 , 121 . 85 , 126 . 05 , 128 . 29 , 128 . 57 , 129 . 09 , 130 . 28 , 132 . 27 , 140 . 71 , 150 . 83 , 151 . 51 , 155 . 98 , 168 . 90 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 74 , 41 . 50 , 53 . 62 , 58 . 83 , 78 . 85 , 116 . 01 ( d , j = 21 ), 116 . 91 , 118 . 20 , 118 . 56 , 121 . 19 , 123 . 55 , 124 . 21 , 127 . 99 ( d , j = 8 ), 129 . 96 , 135 . 82 , 135 . 85 , 149 . 02 , 151 . 38 , 157 . 29 , 162 . 55 ( d , j = 246 ), 169 . 03 , 171 . 28 , prepared as in example 1 , in 100 % yield , as a solid , mp 129 . 3 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 14 . 39 , 33 . 58 , 41 . 53 , 53 . 70 , 58 . 56 , 78 . 85 , 116 . 02 ( d , j = 21 ), 117 . 01 , 117 . 65 , 118 . 86 , 120 . 58 , 124 . 17 , 128 . 04 ( d , j = 8 ), 130 . 48 , 133 . 29 , 135 . 78 , 135 . 81 , 148 . 64 , 152 . 13 , 154 . 78 , 162 . 62 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 84 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 75 , 41 . 60 , 53 . 75 , 58 . 70 , 78 . 86 , 116 . 11 ( d , j = 21 ), 116 . 92 , 118 . 31 , 119 . 77 , 121 . 33 , 124 . 36 , 127 . 98 ( d , j = 9 ), 128 . 56 , 129 . 96 , 135 . 66 , 149 . 32 , 151 . 00 , 156 . 05 , 162 . 68 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 81 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 56 , 41 . 45 , 53 . 63 , 58 . 52 , 77 . 03 , 77 . 36 , 77 . 67 , 106 . 79 , 110 . 83 , 111 . 38 , 119 . 34 , 123 . 65 , 126 . 01 , 128 . 25 , 129 . 08 , 129 . 95 , 130 . 29 , 140 . 26 , 156 . 74 , 158 . 49 , 158 . 84 , 168 . 75 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 24 h 26 no 4 : 392 . 1862 . found : 392 . 1866 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 70 , 41 . 59 , 53 . 69 , 58 . 84 , 60 . 61 , 76 . 95 , 77 . 05 , 77 . 27 , 77 . 59 , 106 . 75 , 110 . 81 , 111 . 51 , 116 . 02 ( d , j = 22 ), 119 . 39 , 123 . 74 , 127 . 79 ( d , j = 8 ), 129 . 95 , 130 . 33 , 136 . 08 , 156 . 69 , 158 . 61 , 162 . 49 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 70 , 171 . 37 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 24 h 25 fno 4 : 410 . 1768 . found : 410 . 1788 . following scheme ii : to a 50 ml round - bottomed flask equipped with gas inlet and reflux condenser were added 800 mg ( 4 . 0 mmol ) 3 - benzyloxyphenol , 1 . 1 g ( 8 . 0 mmol ) 4 - tolyl boronic acid , 726 mg ( 4 . 0 mmol ) cupric acetate , 1 . 6 ml ( 20 mmol ) dry pyridine , 900 mg molecular sieves , and 10 ml dry dimethylsulfoxide . the reaction was stirred under an atmosphere of dry oxygen at room temperature for 24 hr . the reaction was then taken up in ethyl acetate , washed with several portions of water , washed with brine , dried over sodium sulfate , and evaporated . the residue was chromatographed on silica gel using hexane / ethyl acetate as eluant to afford 602 mg ( 52 %) of the product as an oil . 1 h - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 2 . 3 ( s , 3h ), 5 . 00 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 4 - 6 . 7 ( m , 3h ), ( 6 . 8 - 7 . 4 ( m , 10h ). following scheme ii : to a 50 ml round - bottomed flask equipped with reflux condenser and n 2 inlet were added 602 mg ( 2 . 07 mmol ) 3 -( 4 - tolyloxy )- phenol - o - benzyl ether , 600 mg ( 15 mmol ) ammonium formate , 200 mg 20 % palladium hydroxide on carbon , and 20 ml ethanol . the reaction was refluxed for 1 hr , cooled , and filtered through celite with ethanol . the filtrate was concentrated and the residue chromatographed on silica gel using hexane / ethyl acetate as eluant to afford 185 mg ( 45 %) of the product as an oil . 1 h - nmr δcdcl 3 ): 2 . 33 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 45 ( t , j = 2 , 1h ), 6 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 94 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 13 ( m , 3h ). 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 20 . 96 , 105 . 70 , 110 . 04 , 110 . 69 , 119 . 765 , 130 . 52 , 130 . 60 , 133 . 56 , 154 . 37 , 156 . 94 , 159 . 47 . the remaining steps were carried out as in example 1 to afford the final product , with in 100 % yield in the final step , as a foam . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 20 . 94 , 33 . 67 , 41 . 54 , 42 . 17 , 53 . 71 , 58 . 46 , 65 . 38 , 106 . 29 , 110 . 42 , 111 . 02 , 116 . 01 ( d , j = 21 ), 119 . 64 , 127 . 81 ( d , j = 8 ), 130 . 26 , 130 . 48 , 133 . 47 , 136 . 06 , 136 . 09 , 154 . 18 , 158 . 59 , 159 . 23 , 162 . 49 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 62 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 fno 4 : 424 . 1924 . found : 424 . 1917 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 29 . 65 , 33 . 52 , 41 . 56 , 53 . 83 , 55 . 82 , 58 . 49 , 65 . 41 , 105 . 61 , 110 . 07 , 110 . 36 , 115 . 05 , 116 . 01 ( d , j = 21 ), 121 . 29 , 127 . 81 ( d , j = 8 ), 130 . 24 , 136 . 03 , 149 . 58 , 156 . 26 , 158 . 55 , 159 . 88 , 162 . 48 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 6 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 fno 5 : 440 . 1873 . found : 440 . 1856 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 68 , 41 . 45 , 53 . 59 , 58 . 57 , 60 . 59 , 77 . 74 , 106 . 78 , 111 . 24 , 111 . 38 , 117 . 46 , 120 . 56 , 125 . 97 , 128 . 29 , 128 . 58 , 129 . 09 , 129 . 43 , 129 . 90 , 130 . 40 , 140 . 22 , 155 . 45 , 158 . 14 , 158 . 88 , 168 . 75 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 24 h 25 clno 4 : 426 . 1472 . found : 426 . 1476 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 80 , 41 . 61 , 53 . 70 , 58 . 78 , 60 . 59 , 77 . 57 , 106 . 73 , 111 . 14 , 111 . 50 , 116 . 06 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 48 , 120 . 65 , 127 . 75 ( d , j = 8 ), 128 . 76 , 129 . 50 , 129 . 92 , 130 . 45 , 135 . 96 , 155 . 37 , 158 . 28 , 158 . 65 , 162 . 52 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 62 , 171 . 36 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 24 h 24 clfno 4 : 444 . 1370 . found : 444 . 1355 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 79 , 41 . 02 , 53 . 94 , 56 . 04 , 58 . 86 , 60 . 60 , 105 . 03 , 109 . 98 , 110 . 14 , 112 . 99 , 116 . 00 ( d , j = 21 ), 121 . 30 , 121 . 71 , 127 . 74 ( d , j = 8 ), 130 . 12 , 136 . 05 , 143 . 48 , 144 . 47 , 11 . 65 , 158 . 50 , 159 . 33 , 162 . 47 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 35 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 fno 5 : 440 . 1873 . found : 440 . 1852 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 32 , 41 . 62 , 53 . 95 , 58 . 53 , 60 . 64 , 77 . 69 , 107 . 92 , 111 . 70 , 116 . 01 ( j = 21 ), 117 . 79 , 122 . 57 , 122 . 87 , 127 . 92 ( d , j = 8 ), 129 . 91 , 131 . 84 , 135 . 99 , 136 . 02 , 155 . 18 , 156 . 34 , 157 . 46 , 162 . 49 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 72 , 171 . 44 , 174 . 59 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 25 h 27 fno 4 : 424 . 1924 . found : 424 . 1941 . prepared as in example 71 , in 100 % yield , as a solid , mp 55 - 57 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 15 . 49 , 33 . 40 , 41 . 47 , 53 . 77 , 55 . 45 , 58 . 90 , 77 . 61 , 103 . 92 , 108 . 09 , 108 . 33 , 109 . 88 , 111 . 87 , 115 . 93 ( d , j = 22 ), 122 . 58 , 127 . 89 ( d , j = 8 ), 130 . 28 , 131 . 81 , 136 . 06 , 154 . 95 , 156 . 37 , 158 . 68 , 161 . 09 , 162 . 43 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 72 . prepared as in example 71 , in 100 % yield , as a solid , mp 63 - 65 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 15 . 55 , 33 . 35 , 41 . 38 , 53 . 73 , 55 . 78 , 58 . 85 , 77 . 01 , 106 . 18 , 110 . 46 , 114 . 96 , 115 . 87 ( d , j = 22 ), 119 . 91 , 121 . 44 , 127 . 87 ( d , j = 8 ), 131 . 60 , 136 . 17 , 136 . 20 , 150 . 44 , 155 . 66 , 156 . 31 , 156 . 62 , 162 . 36 ( d , j = 245 ), 168 . 76 . prepared as in example 71 , in 100 % yield , as a solid , mp 185 - 188 ° c . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 15 . 49 , 33 . 59 , 41 . 48 , 53 . 67 , 58 . 73 , 60 . 59 , 76 . 98 , 101 . 38 , 101 . 66 , 106 . 41 , 108 . 35 , 110 . 75 , 110 . 93 , 115 . 90 ( d , j = 21 ), 121 . 54 , 127 . 80 ( d , j = 8 ), 131 . 61 , 136 . 13 , 136 . 16 , 143 . 55 , 148 . 49 , 151 . 75 , 156 . 32 , 162 . 43 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 63 . following scheme i : prepared as in example 1 in 11 . 5 % yield as an oil . 1 h - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 6 . 99 ( dd , j = 1 , 8 , 1h ), 7 . 06 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 75 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 9 . 95 ( s , 1h ). following scheme i : to a 100 ml round - bottomed flask equipped with condenser and n 2 inlet were added 3 . 1 g ( 50 . 2 mmol ) boric acid , 10 ml tetrahydrofuran , 2 . 3 ml ( 20 mmol ) 30 % hydrogen peroxide , and 1 ml concentrated sulfuric acid . to the reaction was added a solution of 2 . 0 g ( 10 mmol ) 4 -( pyridin - 2 - yloxy )- benzaldehyde in 10 ml tetrahydrofuran dropwise over 5 minutes . the reaction was stirred 3 hr at 60 ° c ., cooled , filtered , and the filtrate neutralized with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution . the mixture was extracted into 2 × ethyl acetate , and the organic layer washed with brine , dried over sodium sulfate , and evaporated . the residue was chromatographed on silica gel using hexane / ethyl acetate as eluant to afford 180 mg ( 9 . 6 %) of the product as a solid . 1 h - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 6 . 72 ( d , j = 9 , 2h ), 6 . 87 ( d , j = 9 , 2h ), 6 . 9 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 8 . 15 ( m , 1h ). 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 111 . 55 , 117 . 17 , 118 . 46 , 122 . 38 , 140 , 285 , 146 . 78 , 147 . 21 , 153 . 96 , 164 . 55 . the remaining steps were carried out as in example 1 with an 81 % yield in the final step , as a foam . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 60 , 41 . 57 , 53 . 85 , 58 . 02 , 111 . 42 , 116 . 00 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 02 , 118 . 48 , 122 . 38 , 127 . 89 , ( d , j = 9 ), 136 . 26 , 136 . 23 , 139 . 60 , 147 . 67 , 148 . 06 , 154 . 27 , 162 . 49 ( d , j = 245 ), 164 . 04 , 168 . 61 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 23 h 24 fn 2 o 4 : 411 . 1720 . found : 411 . 1747 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 75 , 41 . 69 , 53 . 88 , 58 . 49 , 78 . 18 , 117 . 45 , 120 . 78 , 124 . 24 , 124 . 64 , 126 . 03 , 128 . 43 , 129 . 16 , 140 . 28 , 140 . 57 , 143 . 81 , 149 . 83 , 154 . 32 , 154 . 92 , 168 . 58 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 23 h 25 n 2 o 4 : 393 . 1814 . found : 393 . 1804 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 82 , 41 . 77 , 53 . 93 , 59 . 03 , 78 . 22 , 111 . 93 , 117 . 45 , 122 . 10 , 126 . 00 , 128 . 42 , 129 . 15 , 140 . 31 , 147 . 63 , 151 . 14 , 155 . 17 , 165 . 54 , 169 . 02 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 33 . 70 , 41 . 79 , 53 . 99 , 59 . 06 , 60 . 59 , 116 . 08 ( d , j = 21 ), 117 . 46 , 120 . 76 , 124 . 27 , 124 . 77 , 127 . 83 ( d , j = 8 ), 136 . 07 , 140 . 44 , 143 . 76 , 149 . 95 , 154 . 08 , 154 . 85 , 162 . 54 ( d , j = 246 ), 168 . 88 . hrms calc &# 39 ; d . for c 23 h 24 fn 2 o 4 : 411 . 1720 . found : 411 . 1747 . 13 c - nmr ( δ , cdcl 3 ): 34 . 05 , 41 . 79 , 53 . 82 , 59 . 01 , 111 . 93 , 116 . 11 ( d , j = 22 ), 117 . 48 , 122 . 14 , 127 . 84 ( d , j = 9 ), 136 . 13 , 147 . 79 , 151 . 23 , 154 . 97 , 162 . 56 ( d , j = 246 ), 165 . 46 , 169 . 14 .	2
in a first embodiment of the method of the present invention , transformation of the nitrile group into the amidino function occurs over the amidoxime intermediate of general formula ( iia ) by means of hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of sodium carbonate in alcoholic - aqueous solution at reflux temperature , advantageously by boiling for 2 to 20 hours , preferably 4 to 10 hours , a compound of formula ( iii ) with a one to 5 - fold excess of hydroxylamine hydrochloride / 0 . 5 - 0 . 6 equiv . sodium carbonate in an alcoholic - aqueous , preferably ethanolic - aqueous solution . however , the transformation of nitrile ( iii ) with hydroxylamine hydrochloride can also occur at room temperature in the presence of triethylamine in alcoholic solution , with or without addition of a further organic solvent , such as methylene chloride . subsequent reduction of the amidoxime function is performed either with hydrogen gas or with ammonium formiate ( which is advantageously applied in an at least 4 - fold excess ) either by directly starting from unsubstituted amidoxime , or over the acetylated amidoxime manufactured in situ with acetanhydride in the presence of hydrochloric acid , advantageously at 20 to 60 ° c ., in an alcoholic - aqueous solution , preferably in an ethanolic - aqueous solution , advantageously in the ratio of 1 : 1 to 20 : 1 , preferably 3 : 1 to 10 : 1 , ideally 5 : 1 , in the presence of pd / c , advantageously 1 to 50 %, preferably 5 to 30 % pd / c ( approx . 10 %), advantageously at normal pressure and a temperature between 10 and 50 ° c ., preferably between 20 and 30 ° c ., ideally at room temperature . however , reduction can also occur by hydrogenation in the presence of pd / c in an alcoholic , acetic acid - containing solution at a pressure of about 1 - 3 bar . in a second embodiment of the method of the present invention , transformation of 3 - cyanophenylalanine derivatives of general formula ( iii ) into 3 - amidinoderivatives of general formula i occurs over the amidrazone intermediate of general formula ( iib ) by boiling , advantageously for 2 to 20 hours , preferably for 4 to 10 hours , a compound of formula ( iii ) with an excess of hydrazine in alcoholic , preferably ethanolic solution . reduction of the amidrazone intermediate ( iib ) into the corresponding amidine ( i ) occurs under the same conditions as those starting from amidoxime ( iia ). further objects of the present invention are compounds of general formula ( ii ) as represented in fig1 , in particular those of the following formulas ( iv ) and ( v ) as ( l )- or ( d )- enantiomers , and as ( e )- or ( z )- isomers or ( e / z )- mixtures , and as free bases or as salts thereof formed with acids . the following examples further explain the improved methods of synthesis of the present invention and the synthesis of new intermediates , however without restricting the invention . analysis of the eluates and products obtained according to the examples was carried out with 1 h - nmr , hplc electrospray ms or elementary analysis . the enantiomeric excess was determined according to known methods using hplc and chiral analytical columns . the starting compounds of general formula ( iii ) and their manufacture are known ( e . g . wo 00 / 17158 ). 75 . 4 g ( 0 . 126 mol ) of n - α - 2 , 4 , 6 - triisopropylphenylsulfonyl - 3 - cyano -( l )- phenylalanine - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl piperazide was dissolved in 1 . 5 l of ethanol , the solution was mixed with 32 . 5 g ( 0 . 47 mol ) of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and with a solution of 25 . 4 g ( 0 . 24 mol ) of na 2 co 3 in 0 . 5 l of water and refluxed for 6 hours ( 80 ° c .). the crude product obtained after evaporation of the solvent was taken up in 1 . 5 l of ethyl acetate and extracted with water ( 3 × 0 . 5 l ), washed with saturated nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and the solvent was evaporated . yield : 71 . 3 g ( 90 %). 71 . 3 g ( 0 . 113 mol ) of the n - α - 2 , 4 , 6 - triisopropylphenylsulfonyl - 3 - oxamidino -( l )- phenylalanine - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl piperazide obtained under ( a ) was dissolved in 0 . 71 l of ethanol and the solution was mixed with a suspension of 14 . 2 g of 10 % palladium coal in 140 ml of water . injection of hydrogen until saturation was followed by hydration until complete transformation at normal pressure ( approx . 5 hours ). the suspension was filtered over celite , washed with ethanol / water ( 9 : 1 ) and the solvent was evaporated . the crude product obtained was purified over silica gel 60 ( ethyl acetate / 2 - propanol , 8 : 2 ) and finally transformed into the corresponding hydrochloride over amberlite ira - 400 ( cl − form ) in 2 - propanol / water ( 8 : 2 ). yield : 65 . 4 g ( 89 %), ee - value : 99 . 9 % of the ( l ) form . 71 . 3 g ( 0 . 113 mol ) of the n - α - 2 , 4 , 6 - triisopropylphenylsulfonyl - 3 - oxamidino -( l )- phenylalanine - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl piperazide was dissolved in 0 . 71 l of ethanol , the solution was mixed with 45 . 6 g ( 0 . 46 mol ) of acetic anhydride and stirred for 10 min . at room temperature . afterwards , 0 . 46 l of 1 n hcl was added and the thereby warm becoming solution was further stirred for 10 min . after cooling to room temperature , 29 g ( 0 . 46 mol ) of ammonium formiate was added and the mixture was stirred for 5 min . after addition of a suspension of 14 . 2 g of 10 % pd / c in 140 ml of water , the mixture was stirred for 24 hours at room temperature . after hplc check of the reaction completion , the suspension was filtered over celite , washed with a 1 : 9 mixture of water / ethanol and the solvent was evaporated . the crude product was taken up in 1 . 5 l of etoac , washed with 3 portions of 0 . 5 l each of 1n hcl , water and saturated nacl , and dried over na 2 so 4 . after chromatographic purification over silica gel 60 with ethylacetate / 2 - propanol ( 8 : 2 ) and subsequent ion exchange chromatography over amberlite ira - 400 ( cl − form ) in 2 - propanol / water ( 8 : 2 ) for the conversion into the corresponding hydrochloride , 62 . 5 g ( 85 %) of product was obtained . ee value : 99 . 9 % of the ( l ) form . 2 . 3 g ( 3 . 6 mmol ) of nα - 2 , 4 , 6 - triisopropylphenylsulfonyl -( l )- 3 - cyanophenylalanyl - nipecotinic acid benzylamide was dissolved in 45 ml of ethanol and the solution was mixed with 0 . 94 g ( 13 . 6 mmol ) of hydroxylamine hydrochloride followed by a solution of 0 . 74 g ( 7 mmol ) of na 2 co 3 in 15 ml of water and refluxed for 6 hours ( 80 ° c .). the crude product obtained after evaporation of the solvent was taken up in 100 ml of ethylacetate , extracted with water ( 3 × 30 ml ), washed with saturated nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 and filtered , and the solvent was evaporated . yield : 2 . 1 g ( 87 %). 2 . 1 g ( 3 . 1 mmol ) of the n - α - 2 , 4 , 6 - triisopropylphenylsulfonyl -( l )- 3 - oxamidino - phenylalanyl - nipecotinic acid benzylamide obtained under ( a ) was dissolved in 20 ml of ethanol and the solution was mixed with a suspension of 0 . 4 g of 10 % palladium coal in 5 ml of water . injection of hydrogen until saturation was followed by hydration at normal pressure until complete transformation ( approx . 4 hours ). the suspension was filtered over celite , washed with ethanol / water ( 9 : 1 ) and the solvent was evaporated . the crude product obtained was purified over silica gel 60 ( ethylacetate / 2 - propanol , 8 : 2 ) and finally converted into the corresponding hydrochloride over amberlite ira - 400 ( cl − form ) in 2 - propanol / water ( 8 : 2 ). yield : 1 . 74 g ( 85 %), ee value : 99 . 7 % of the ( l ) form . 75 . 4 g ( 0 . 126 mol ) of n - α - 2 , 4 , 6 - triisopropylphenylsulfonyl - 3 - cyano -( l )- phenylalanine - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl piperazide was dissolved in 1 . 5 l of ethanol , the solution was mixed with 18 . 1 g ( 0 . 47 mol ) of a 100 % hydrazine hydrate solution and refluxed for 6 hours ( 80 ° c .). the crude product obtained after evaporation of the solvent was taken up in 1 . 5 l of ethylacetate , extracted with water ( 3 × 0 . 5 l ), washed with saturated nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 and filtered , and the solvent was evaporated . yield : 65 . 7 g ( 83 %). 65 . 5 g ( 0 . 104 mol ) of the n - α - 2 , 4 , 6 - triisopropylphenylsulfonyl - 3 - amidrazono -( l )- phenylalanine - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl piperazide obtained under ( a ) was dissolved in 0 . 66 l of ethanol and the solution was mixed with a suspension of 13 . 1 g of 10 % palladium coal in 130 ml of water . injection of hydrogen gas until saturation was followed by hydration at normal pressure until complete transformation ( approx . 5 hours ). the suspension was filtered over celite and washed with ethanol / water ( 9 : 1 ), and the solvent was evaporated . the crude product obtained was purified over silica gel 60 ( ethylacetate / 2 - propanol , 8 : 2 ) and finally converted into the corresponding hydrochloride over amberlite ira - 400 ( cl − form ) in 2 - propanol / water ( 8 : 2 ). yield : 54 . 1 g ( 80 %), ee value : 99 . 8 % of the ( l ) form .	2
the binding of the present invention consists of a uni - flexible sole plate 1 attached securely to the ski or other equipment 15 at the forward end of the sole plate 1 with a toe clamp plate 2 , and mounting screws 3 . the heel portion of the sole plate 1 is sandwiched between a heel clamp plate 4 below , and a heel top plate 5 above , which are fastened securely together with heel plate screws 6 and nuts 7 . toe brackets 8 and 9 are inserted , one into each side , in the channels of the toe clamp plate 2 , and are held securely in place when the toe clamp plate 2 is tightened down against the sole plate 1 and the ski 15 with mounting screws 3 . heel brackets 10 and 11 are inserted , one into each side , in the channels of the heel clamp plate 4 , and are held securely in place when the heel clamp plate 4 is tightened up against the sole plate 1 , and the heel top plate 5 with heel plate screws 6 and nuts 7 . this assembly is clearly shown in fig1 , and 5 . an alternate arrangement of the parts could have the sole plate attached to the ski or other equipment at a point forward of the toe clamp plate , and the toe clamp plate and toe brackets would be attached to the sole plate with nuts , bolts , and top plate in the same manner as the heel clamp plate . a toe strap 12 is attached to the toe brackets 8 and 9 , as shown in fig3 . fig6 shows an alternate method of attaching the toe strap 12 . a heel strap 13 is attached to the heel brackets 10 and 11 , and held in position by the slotted heel pad 14 , as shown in fig4 . fig5 shows both the toe strap 12 and heel strap 13 in a side elevation view . the uni - flexible sole plate 1 may be of sheet plastic or any other material that will flex easily about an axis lying in the plane of the sheet surface , but which resists flexure about an axis perpendicular to the sheet surface . other desirable properties include resistance to cracking and breakage when flexed continually at low winter temperatures , and a resistance to physical deterioration when exposed to sunlight , water , and other environmental factors present during winter skiing . the uni - flexible sole plate 1 may also consist of a combination of parts that together form a hinge , or series of connected hinge joints mechanically providing the required uni - directional flexure , thus allowing the heel to lift , but preventing lateral heel movement . the toe brackets 8 and 9 , and the heel brackets 10 and 11 provide raised portions at each side of the toe and heel to restrain the toe and heel , preventing lateral movement of the foot . the toe and heel brackets are illustrated in the drawings as formed from wire . formed wire brackets require the use of a toe clamp plate 2 to secure the wire toe brackets to the toe portion of the sole plate 1 , and a heel clamp plate 4 and heel top plate 5 to secure the wire heel brackets to the heel portion of the sole plate 1 . alternately , the toe brackets 8 and 9 and heel brackets 10 and 11 could be stamped from sheet metal or moulded from plastic or other materials , in which case the toe clamp plate 2 , and heel clamp plate 4 would not be required because sheet metal or plastic toe and heel brackets can be provided with the necessary holes for direct attachment to the sole plate . however , formed wire toe and heel brackets represent the preferred embodiment because they provide smoothly rounded strap attachment points , they allow a wide adjustment range and easy assembly , and they are generally cheaper to manufacture than stamped or moulded parts . the raised portions of the toe brackets 8 and 9 extend upward on each side of the toe , generally perpendicular to the plane of the sole plate 1 , and adjacent to the sides of the boot . the upward extending portions of the toe brackets are formed at an angle converging toward a point forward of the toe , matching the usual shape of the toe portion of a boot , as shown in fig2 . the forwardly converging raised toe bracket portions prevent the boot from sliding forward in the binding , and prevent lateral movement of the toe . the raised portions of the heel brackets 10 and 11 extend upward on each side of the heel and prevent lateral movement of the heel . a toe strap 12 passes through the toe brackets 8 and 9 , and the ends are fastened together on top of the toe as shown in fig3 . a cross section of a similar toe strap arrangement is shown in fig6 . the toe strap in fig6 is attached to one of the toe brackets by means of a short loop of strap . other strap configurations may also be used , such as separate toe strap sections attached to each toe bracket and openably fastened together over the toe . in the preferred embodiment , shown clearly in fig3 and 6 , the toe strap is fastened together with square rings 16 , and a release loop 17 , provided for easy opening , is attached to the lower ring . alternate toe strap fastening means such as round rings and rings of other shapes , tabler buckles , tongue buckles , and web strap buckles may also be used . the heel strap 13 prevents the foot from sliding backward , keeping the toe firmly locked under the toe strap , and the heel portion of the sole plate 1 up against the heel . when the sole plate 1 is held firmly up against the heel by the heel strap 13 , the heel brackets 10 and 11 prevent lateral movement of the heel relative to the ski or other equipment . in the preferred embodiment a single strap is passed around the right side of the ankle , behind the heel , through the raised portion of the left heel bracket , back around the heel , through the raised portion of the right heel bracket , back behind the heel , and up around the left side of the ankle where it is fastened to the other end of the heel strap . the three portions of the strap passing behind the heel are threaded through a heel pad 14 in the area of strap intersection , thus holding the heel strap in position and providing a cushion where the heel strap passes behind the heel of the boot . fig4 and 5 clearly show the preferred arrangement of the heel strap 13 , and the heel pad 14 . other heel strap configurations , such as separate heel strap sections attached to each heel bracket , crossing behind the heel , passing around each side of the ankle , and openably fastened together may also be used without departing materially from the heel strap configuration illustrated in the figures . in the preferred embodiment the heel strap is openably fastened together with square rings 16 , and a release loop 17 , provided for easy opening , is attached to the lower ring in the same manner as described and illustrated for the toe strap . alternate heel strap fastening means such as round rings and rings of other shapes , tabler buckles , tongue buckles , and web strap buckles may also be used . the binding of the present invention may be easily adjusted to fit boots over a wide range of sizes and shapes . loosening the mounting screws 3 that pass through the toe clamp plate 2 allows the toe brackets 8 and 9 to be adjusted to any desired spacing normally required . two or more sets of mounting holes in the toe portion of the sole plate 1 allow two or more major length adjustments . loosening the heel plate screws 6 allows the heel brackets to be adjusted to any desired spacing normally required . two or more sets of heel plate holes in the heel portion of the sole plate 1 plus the option of turning the entire assembly of heel clamp plate 4 , and heel top plate 5 around 180 ° allows four or more minor length adjustments . the heel strap 13 provides a final exact length adjustment when it is pulled snug and fastened . i have illustrated the present invention as a ski binding because this represents a particularly prominent use of the invention . however , this invention may be used for any application where there is a need to attach a persons foot to an object in such manner as to allow the heel to freely raise , and where there is a requirement to restrain lateral movement of the foot relative to the attached equipment . furthermore , the heel strap arrangement in combination with any conventional means of restraining movement of the toe , such as a toe strap located ahead of the widest part of the foot or other material bracketing or enveloping the toe , thus restraining forward , upward , and lateral movement of the toe , and with a flexible , non - elastic connecting means provided beneath the foot to act as a sole plate connecting the heel strap to the toe restraining means , may be used for any application where lateral restraint is not as critical as is required for skiing . a snowshoe binding is a good example of such an application of the present invention requiring less lateral restraint . the foregoing disclosure has described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of the present invention . a few alternate configurations have also been described briefly and other changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is intended that this invention include all such changes and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims .	0
fig1 - 3 illustrate an integrated cleaning and cutting device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure . the integrated cleaning and cutting device comprises a case 1 , a cover 2 covering the case 1 , a basket 3 received in the case 1 and a basket shelter 4 mounted on the basket 3 . the case 1 is sealed by the cover 2 to avoid the cleaning fluid spilling out of the case 1 at the time of cleaning salad material such as fruits or vegetables contained therein . the basket shelter 4 prevents the fruits or vegetables sliding out of the basket 3 , and drives the basket 3 to rotate in the case 1 . the basket 3 has a plurality of palings 5 to allow the cleaning fluid to flow throughout . referring to fig2 , 3 , 4 , 5 and 11 , a drive mechanism is coupled to the cover 2 for driving the basket 3 rotating in the case 1 . specifically , a convex bulge 6 protrudes upwardly from a middle bottom of the case 1 . corresponding to the bulge 6 of the case 1 , a concave dent 7 is defined in a middle bottom of the basket 3 . the basket 3 is rotatably received in the case 1 with the bulge 6 inserted in the dent 7 . the basket 3 and the case 1 have no other parts contacted with each other except the attachment of the bulge 6 and the dent 7 . in an alternative embodiment , a shaft can be formed in the middle bottom of the case 1 to match an axle hole defined in the middle bottom of the basket 3 to render the basket 3 rotates in the case 1 around the shaft . the drive mechanism comprises a shaft 21 rotatably inserted in the middle of the cover 2 , and a wheel 22 bringing the shaft 21 to rotate . a handle 23 is formed on the wheel 22 . the bottom end of the shaft 21 is connected with the center of the basket shelter 4 , and the top end of the shaft 21 is engaged with the wheel 22 via gears to form a planet gear mechanism . in detail , as shown in fig2 , 3 and 11 , a chuck 33 is located beneath the cover 2 and rotatably connects the shaft 21 and the cover 2 together . after the shaft 21 inserted through the middle of the basket shelter 4 , a nut 34 is engaged with the bottom end of the shaft 21 to rigidly connect the shaft 21 and the basket shelter 4 together . a plurality of claws 35 are formed at bottom end of the handle 23 . a hole 36 is defined in a top surface of the wheel 22 biasing the center thereof . the claws 35 are inserted into the hole 36 to thereby secure the handle 23 on the wheel 22 eccentrically . as shown in fig2 , 3 , 5 and 11 , a receiving room 24 is defined in the top of the cover 2 for receiving the wheel 22 therein . a sleeve 25 is formed at the center of the receiving room 24 . a spindle 26 is formed at the middle bottom of the wheel 22 and rotatably received in the sleeve 25 , whereby the wheel 22 can rotate in the receiving room 24 around the sleeve 25 when driving the handle 23 along a circumferential direction of the wheel 22 . the top end of the shaft 21 is exposed in the receiving room 24 and forms a plurality of external gears 28 thereon . a plurality of internal gears 27 are formed in an inner side of the side walls of the wheel 22 to engage with the external gears 28 of the shaft 21 . a planet gear mechanism is thus obtained between the shaft 21 and the wheel 22 after the wheel 22 is positioned in the receiving room 24 , and the shaft 21 is rotated following the rotating of the wheel 22 . a diameter of the internal gears 27 of the wheel 22 is larger than that of the external gears 28 of the shaft 21 , thus , the rotating speed of the shaft 21 is greater than that of the wheel 22 , whereby a high rotating speed of the shaft 21 ( i . e ., of the basket 3 ) is easily performed , and the cleaning fluid contained in the case 1 is stirred adequately by the basket 3 , which is beneficial for cleaning the salad material in the case 1 . in an alternative embodiment , the external gears can be formed outside of the spindle 26 and engaged with the internal gears formed on the shaft 21 to perform the rotating of the shaft 21 following the rotating of the wheel 22 , and the speed ratio of the shaft 21 to the wheel 22 can be designed to obtain a desired rotating speed of the basket 3 . in another alternative embodiment , the spindle 26 can also be aligned with the shaft 21 , that is , the wheel 22 can be directly connected with the top end of the shaft 21 , wherein the wheel 22 can bring the shaft 21 to rotate . in use , the salad material such as various kinds of fruits and vegetables are put into the basket 3 . cleaning fluid such as water or cleaning solution is filled in the case 1 . the basket 3 with the salad material is put into the case 1 and sealed with the cover 2 . preferably , the basket 3 and the basket shelter 4 are configured to be revolving bodies , such that the basket shelter 4 conveniently engages with the basket 3 . in addition , edges of the basket shelter 4 connecting to the basket 3 are configured to be waved in shape , which automatically guides the basket shelter 4 to engage with the basket 3 . further , the bottom face of the basket shelter 4 is uneven , which can force the salad material floating in the cleaning fluid to move up and down , to adequately clean the salad material . during cleaning , the shaft 21 is rotated following the rotating of the wheel 22 by driving the handle 23 . the basket shelter 4 rotates via the shaft 21 due to the connection with the bottom end of the shaft 21 , which also drives the basket 3 to rotate around the bulge 6 in the case 1 , since the basket shelter 4 also connects the basket 3 . the cleaning fluid in the case 1 is stirred by the basket 3 , on which the plurality of palings 5 are formed , to clean the salad material . then , the salad material can be taken out from the case 1 at one time by taking out the basket 3 , instead of taking out pieces of salad material one by one . at last , the cleaning fluid is poured out from the case 1 . in the present embodiment , a transverse hole 30 is defined in a side wall of the receiving room 24 to communicate with a vertical hole 31 defined in the top surface of the cover 2 . a brake block 32 made of elastic material is received in the vertical hole 31 . the rotation of the wheel 22 and the basket 3 can be actively stopped by pressing the block 32 to deform and protrude from the transverse hole 30 to scrub the side wall of the wheel 22 . thus , the continuous rotation of basket 3 in the case 1 causing spilling of the cleaning fluid after opening the cover 2 can be prevented . referring to fig4 , 5 and 6 , a cutting mechanism is furnished on the cover 2 for cutting the salad material . due to the drive mechanism on the cover 2 being a planet gear mechanism , the wheel 22 can be located on a lateral side of the cover 2 instead of the center thereof , and the cutting mechanism can be located on another lateral side of the cover 2 to fully exploit the space of the cover 2 and form a compact construction . specifically , a step 41 is formed at the other lateral side of the cover 2 , with an opening 42 defined therein . the cutting mechanism comprises a cutting board 44 detachably fitted in the opening 42 of the step 41 , with a plurality of blades 43 mounted thereon . corresponding to the opening 42 , a plurality of blanking holes 8 are defined in the basket shelter 4 for the cut salad material to fall into the case 1 . the salad material is cut into a predetermined shape by the blades 43 when sliding on the cutting board 44 . as shown in fig6 , the salad material is cut into strips with a cross - section thereof being rectangular in shape . fig7 shows a cutting board 44 of the device in accordance with a second embodiment , and the salad material is cut by such a cutting board 44 into strips with a cross - section thereof being petaling in shape . fig8 shows a cutting board 44 of the device in accordance with a third embodiment , and the salad material is cut by such a cutting board 44 into flakes . as described above , the device can be equipped with different cutting boards 44 having different blades 43 to cut the salad material into different shapes , adding to the artistic appearance of the salad . referring to fig6 , 7 and 8 , a plurality of guiding grooves 45 are preferably defined in the cutting board 44 , an elongated direction of which being aligned with the sliding direction of the salad material . therefore , the salad material is guided to slide in a single direction and a changeable sliding direction caused by an uneven force is prevented to ensure a uniform shape of the cut salad material . referring to fig4 , 6 and 9 , a slideway 46 is defined above the opening 42 of the step 41 for a scrub board 47 sliding therein . a plurality of pins 48 protrude downwardly from the bottom of the scrub board 47 . specifically , a secondary step 49 formed in one side of the step 41 and a baffle plate 50 formed at an opposite side of the step 41 cooperatively define the slideway 46 therebetween . corresponding to the slideway 46 , a slide rail 51 is formed at the bottom of the scrub board 47 . when cutting the salad material , the pins 48 of the scrub board 47 are inserted into the salad material , and the scrub board 47 with the salad material is slid in the slideway 46 back and forth to thereby cut the salad material into a desired shape such as flakes or strips etc . referring to fig5 , the plurality of blanking holes 8 are preferably arranged circumferentially in the basket shelter 4 . in the present embodiment , a plurality of concaved portions are formed in the basket shelter 4 due to a plurality of orientation grooves 29 being defined in the edges of the basket shelter 4 connecting the basket 3 . the blanking holes 8 are defined preferably in the bottoms of the concaved portions to be configured as a funnel shape , such that the cut salad material easily falls into the basket 3 and does not fall between the case 1 and the basket 3 along the basket shelter 4 . referring to fig6 , 9 and 10 , a tubal grab handle 52 extends upwardly from the scrub board 47 for conveniently operating the scrub board 47 to slide in the slideway 46 . a scrub rod 53 is inserted in the grab handle 52 . in detail , a tunnel 54 is defined in the grab handle 52 for embedding the scrub rod 53 therein . similar to the pins 48 of the scrub board 47 , a plurality of pins 55 extend downwardly from the bottom of the scrub rod 53 . the scrub rod 53 can be barely utilized with the pins 55 thereof inserting into the salad material to directly slide back and forth on the cutting board 44 when the salad material has a large volume , while the salad material becomes thin after being cut for a moment , the remaining salad material can be removed off the scrub rod 53 and secured on the bottom of the scrub board 47 to slide in the slideway 46 for further cutting . thus , the salad material with different thicknesses is conveniently cut in the device . referring to fig1 , 2 and 3 , the step 41 , in which the cutting mechanism is set forth , is mounted by a lateral cover 56 . the lateral cover 56 is consistent with the cover 2 to form a uniform appearance of the device , functioning as a shield to prevent dusts entering into the device , and to avoid damage by the blades 43 of the cutting board 44 when the cutting mechanism is not in use . 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 , the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure .	8
the below discussion uses several terms that may become confusing . the discussion uses the term ‘ media ’ and ‘ media device ’ to refer to a non - volatile memory device that contains ‘ content .’ ‘ content ’ includes any type of experiential content and includes , but is not limited to , movies , television shows , recorded performances , video files , audio files , and games . the media may include removable media , such as flash memory drives , so - called ‘ thumb ’ drives , memory cards , embedded flash memory , and memory sticks , but no limitation is intended , nor should any be implied by these examples . the media device may interface with a ‘ playback device ,’ where a playback device is any device having a controller , also referred to as a processor or a system on a chip ( soc ), a memory and the ability to interface with the media , whether as embedded media or removable media . examples include , but are not limited to , televisions , video projectors , digital video recorders , set - top boxes , kiosks , personal computers , and mobile computing devices including smart phones , media players , netbooks and tablet computers . while the below discussion may include examples and principles generally associated with the simple non - autonomous peering ( snap ) system set out in the patent and applications above , those examples are merely to aid in the understanding of the embodiments here and to provide examples of possible implementations of the embodiments here . the embodiments described here allow confidential variations to constants and other cryptographic calculations to be quickly and easily changed , even on a movie - by - movie basis . the embodiments hide these details even from manufacturers , until they are actually deployed in the field . one should note that the spdc approach discussed in the background and the approach discussed here could be used in the same system . the components of spdc operate at a much higher level than firmware , and the embodiments here allow changing of low - level cryptographic functions . fig1 shows a content distribution system 10 having a renewable content protection . an issue that arises in downloadable content in widely distributed systems lies in the ability to refresh or renew the content protection used to ensure that the content does not become compromised . by providing a renewable protection scheme , the content distribution system allows for updating the protection scheme periodically and / or when the current protection scheme becomes compromised . in fig1 , the content preparation and delivery module 20 prepares content for delivery to consumer devices across the network 22 . content preparation and delivery may include snap - related features , such as the snap striping and binding scheme discussed in the patent and applications mentioned above , or any other type of encryption , coding or protection scheme intended to prevent pirating of the content . the content preparation and delivery system may also provide such services as purchase , rental and subscription of the content , licensing accounting and payouts to content providers , updating content libraries , etc . the playback device 30 , as mentioned above , may be any type of playback or content access device . the playback device , as that term is used here , includes a player 31 and the media 40 , which may be removable or embedded . the player 30 has a processor or system on a chip ( soc ) 32 that performs many of the processes that will be the subject of further discussion . the player 30 has variant storage 36 for storing variations of cryptographic functions , discussed in more detail later . the player 31 also interfaces to a media device 40 , which may consist of removable media such as a memory stick , sd card or thumb drive , or may be an embedded device . the media device or media 40 has a variant store 42 and variant selector 44 employed in the renewable protection scheme as will be discussed in more detail further . in the snap environment example , the player 31 will generally be a certified snap - compliant device that has a soc that is identified by unique keys installed by device manufacturer 60 . likewise , the media device 40 has unique keys installed by media manufacturer 50 . the purpose of these keys is to allow cryptographic authentication between the player 31 and the media device 40 to form the playback device 30 . also , it allows authentication between the content preparation and delivery 20 and the media device 40 . in one embodiment , the cryptographic authentication is based on media key blocks , such are used in aacs and cprm . however , other cryptographic protocols , such as public / private key , are within the scope of this invention . the variant storage 36 and 42 store a predetermined number of variants . a ‘ variant ’ as that term is used here is a particular version of a microcode that is used to derive the necessary keys and / or functions to access the content . a ‘ microcode function ’ as used here refers to a set of firmware instructions , algorithms and constants used by a player to perform cryptographic and other media - related functions . upon manufacture , the playback device 30 may have stored in it some predetermined number of these variants . these variants are stored encrypted in the player device 30 and the media device 40 . in addition , there may be several different types of variants . in the snap system , for example , different types of variants may exist . a first variant may be used to derive a unique code related to the media device , and a second variant may use that in conjunction with another unique identifier for the media to verify the media . a third variant may be used to derive the keys to unlock or decrypt the content that is downloaded to the media . other types of variants may be used , or the example variants given may not be used in any particular system depending upon the protection needs of the content . because the predetermined number of variants may be exhausted over time , the renewable protection scheme provides for a means to renew the variants as needed . the system generally accomplishes this by transmitting new variants with the downloaded content . the media device 40 of fig1 stores the downloaded content for playback by the playback device . the media has a variant store 42 in which more variants are stored . in addition , the media persistent stores some sort of variant selector 44 . this allows the soc of the playback device to determine what variant to use in deriving the various microcode function variants . a particular example of this variant selector is discussed in detail below . the variant selector may be stored in the variant storage 42 or may be anywhere on the media . for example , imagine a system in which variant # 1 was initially deployed for all content . either due to the lapse of some predefined period or due to a concern that variant # 1 had been compromised , variant # 2 becomes active . the variant selector downloaded with new content identifies variant # 2 . if the playback device does not have variant # 2 , being originally only provisioned with variant # 1 , the playback device can access the persistent store of the media to access variant # 2 . in the snap - specific embodiments mentioned above , the variant selector 44 consists of a selection file . the selection file specifies the variant file to be used to access the content files and the key used to decrypt the variant file . a variant file contains the microcode function variant to be used to access the content files . because the selection file contains a cryptographic key , it must be delivered only after a successful cryptographic authentication between the player device 30 and media device 40 . for example , in cprm , this could be achieved by storing the selection file in the cprm media device &# 39 ; s protected area . however , other methods of delivering secret information after authentication are well known and within the scope of this invention . note that because variants are unique to the instruction set of the soc 32 , if there is more than one type of soc supported by the system , each variant must come is several flavors , one for each type of soc . if a variant is being delivered in on the media device 40 in variant storage 42 , it must be delivered in all the flavors of soc supported by the system . it is possible that variants will be deployed on existing media in variant storage 42 , and a new soc type may be defined in the system . in that case , the variants deployed on the media devices will not contain a flavor suitable for the new soc type . in order for a playback device 30 with a new type soc 32 to play content on old media devices 40 , such a playback device 30 must have all variants in its own variant storage 36 that were previously delivered in media device variant storage 42 . fig2 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of this process . upon download of the content , or insertion of a media device to which content had been previously downloaded such as at a kiosk , the playback device accesses the persistent store of the media to determine the specified variant at 70 . note that this process may repeat for each type of variant needed in any given protection scheme , and a selector may be provided with each content file , such as one for each movie , where a particular movie uses a different variant from other movies stored on the same media . once the version or number of the specified variant is determined , the stored variants on the playback device are accessed at 72 . this part of the process may become optional , as the device may become ‘ aware ’ that the specified variant version will not exist in the stored variants and it may go straight to the media to retrieve the correct variant . alternatively , the player may not be provisioned with any variants . at 74 , the playback device , meaning the processor or soc on the playback device , determines whether or not the playback device has the specified variant . as mentioned previously , this portion may become optional as time progresses and the stored variants become obsolete , or if the playback device did not have any variants provisioned at manufacture . if the playback device has the matching variant , that variant is used to access the content or perform other cryptographic or media - related operations at 84 . as discussed previously , this may repeat as needed to access different types of variants . returning to 74 , if the playback device does not find a matching variant , the playback device accesses the persistent store on the media at 80 . this demonstrates the renewability of this content protection scheme , where new variants and new selectors can be deployed on the media either periodically or after a suspected compromise of the deployed variants occurs . the new variant is then used to access the content at 84 . it is possible that more than the predetermined number of variants will have been deployed and after that a new platform or playback device is authorized . the new player added later would be provisioned with all variants released to date . in the particular example of a snap system , one can see how the variant would be used to access the content , shown at 84 in fig2 . fig3 shows an example of a snap - specific embodiment . at 100 , the variant is used to decrypt media verification microcode . in this example , the media verification is a two - step process . a first type of variant is used to decrypt a defect map of the media . as mentioned previously , the manufacturer of the media may provide some sort of unique id code for the media . the defect map undergoes a form of ‘ obfuscation ’ and then encryption that can be decrypted and decoded by the appropriate variant and compared to the actual defect map of the media to ensure that they match . this function is derived at 102 . the second step in the media verification process is to use the hardware defect map and some other characteristic of the media , such as its serial number , to derive a hardware authentication code ( hac ) at 104 . this is then compared to the existing hac to further ensure that the media is valid at 106 . another type of variant provides the function that recovers the keys to decrypt the actual content . in the snap example , the content has been segmented , encrypted and striped in each instance of the content file . the keys provided are specific to the particular instance having the particular encryption and segments of the content stored on the media . once the appropriate variant is used , the keys are obtained at 108 and the stripes are decrypted at 110 . however , as mentioned above , the different types and numbers of variants used , as well as the different numbers of versions of the variants depend upon the content distribution system and the protection needs of that content . no limitation is intended , nor should any be implied , to the specific examples given above . in this manner , the content protection scheme can be renewed indefinitely for the content distribution system . this allows the system to be scalable , robust and less likely to fall prey to pirates . while the above discussion focused on renewable microcode functions , one skilled in the art will understand that it applies to other cryptographic concepts such as media key bundles ( mkbs ) and public / private key pairs . although there has been described to this point a particular embodiment for a method and apparatus for renewable security transactions in a snap environment , it is not intended that such specific references be considered as limitations upon the scope of this invention except in - so - far as set forth in the following claims .	6
fig1 is a schematic diagram of the construction of a print monitoring apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . this print monitoring apparatus is comprised of a defect position discrimination unit 3 for discriminating the position of a defect on a print web 2 transported out of a printing unit 1 , a defect memory unit 5 for storing defect position information e as well as record information such as the defect occurrence time , the number of successive occurrence pages , a roll paper name and the number of used pages , and a printer 30 provided as a display unit for displaying the stored information . as shown in fig3 and 4 , the defect position discrimination unit 3 is comprised of a monitoring sensor 6 which converts optical information on a plurality of pixels divided on the print web 2 into electrical signals , a reference data memory m0 for storing reference data bi preliminarily prepared for each print , an inspection data memory m1 for storing actual inspection data ai , a subtractor 7 for subtraction between reference data bi and inspection data ai respectively stored in the reference data memory m0 and the inspection data memory m1 , and allowance data α , and a position information conversioin unit 9 for converting defect information discriminated by the comparator 8 into information on the position on the print web 2 . a changeover switch 10 is provided between the monitoring sensor 6 , the reference data memory m0 and the inspection data memory m1 . the changeover switch 10 is operated to selectively transmit detection data obtained from the monitoring sensor 6 to the reference data memory m0 or the inspection data memory m1 . in this embodiment , if it is determined that a print obtained by trial printing performed initially in a printing process is free from defects and normal , the changeover switch 10 is operated to establish a connection through a terminal a , so that the information on this normal print is stored as reference data bi in the reference data memory m0 . to use measurement data which is to be inspected after the preparation of reference data bi , the changeover switch 10 is operated to establish a connection through a terminal b , so that the measurement data is stored in the inspection data memory m1 . subtraction between inspection data ai and reference data bi is executed in the subtractor 7 with respect to each pixel by a synchronous signal generated when inspection data ai corresponding to one printing page on the printing web 2 is prepared in the inspection data memory m1 , and the result of this operation is output as inspection output data ( ai - bi ). this inspection output data ( ai - bi ) is compared with allowance data α with respect to each pixel in the comparator 8 . a pixel ii monitored or observed with a result that inspection output data ( ai - bi )& gt ; allowance data α is thereby determined as a defective pixel to output a determination result fi . the monitoring sensor 6 is a line sensor extending in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the print web 2 and scans a print surface thereof with respect to linear detection areas having a predetermined width to observe contaminations . detection - unit pixel ii is defined as one of a plurality of sections of each linear detection area , as shown in fig1 . light receiving elements of a light receiving device such as a ccd are disposed in correspondence with pixels ii . if the direction of the flow of the print web 2 is y - axis and a direction perpendicular to the y - axis , is x - axis , the position of one of pixels ii on one print surface p formed by a plate cylinder can be determined in an xy - coordinate matrix . determination output fi is converted into information e ( xe , ye ) on the defect position on print web 2 by the position information conversion unit 9 . the defect memory unit 5 is comprised of a defect information register 51 , a file management unit 52 and a defect file 53 , as shown in fig2 . the defect information register 51 has , as shown in fig3 a defect position area 511 , a time area 512 , a number - of - used - roll - pages area 513 , a roll paper name area 514 and a number - of - successive - pages area 515 . defect position information e from the defect position discrimination unit 3 is written in the defect position area 511 , and time information c1 form a calender timer 516 is written in the time area 512 . information c2 on the number of used roll pages which is obtained from print page count pulses cp and supplied by a printing page conuter 517 is written in the umber - of - used roll - pages area 513 , and information c3 on roll paper name updating is read to the roll paper name area 514 at each roll paper replacement time . information c4 on the number of pages through which defects are successively observed and monitored is read to the number - of - successive - pages area 515 . time information c1 , number - of - used - roll - pages information c2 , and roll paper name updating information c3 , each provides as record information , are written in the defect information register 51 by timings determined by a register writing signal p1 supplied from a first one - shot pulse generating circuit 519 . the writing of number - of - successive - pages information c4 in the successive page area 515 is controlled on the basis of an output value from a flip flop 518 and an output value from an and circuit 521 supplied with a later - described third timing signal t3 . the content of the defect information register 51 is written in the defect file 53 by a defect file writing signal p2 supplied from a second one - shot pulse generation circuit 520 . a process of this embodiment will be described hereunder with reference to a timing chart shown in fig5 . for process timing , first , second , third and fourth timing signals t1 , t2 , t3 , and t4 are generated by a synchronous signal based on a signal from a plate cylinder rotation sensor 40 as shown in fig5 . the rise of the signal from the plate cylinder rotation sensor 40 is synchronized with a plate cylinder gap start position . inspection data ai to be measured is sampled for a period of time from a rise of the first timing signal t1 to the next rise of the same , i . e ., a period of time corresponding to one print page p . reference data bi and inspection data ai are compared by subtraction with respect to each pixel for the whole of one print page p in synchronization with this period of time of t1 , and determination output fi is obtained as the result of the subtraction comparison as mentioned above . that is , if the difference between inspection data ai and reference data bi is greater than the value of allowance data α ( ai - bi & gt ; α ), it is determined that there is a defect , and determination output fi is converted into a matrix information as defect position information e indicating the position of defective pixel fi in the printed image . this operation is performed until the next second timing signal t2 is supplied . in the example shown in the timing chart of fig5 the time interval between the first timing signal t1 and the second timing signal t2 corresponds to one pulse of clock cp . however , this period of time is selected as desired according to the time required for this operation . this defect position information e is displayed in a matrix ( xe , ye ) as mentioned above . if the inspected pixel unit is constituted of 5 × 1 pixels , i . e ., has a size of5 mm in the x - axis direction corresponding to the widthwise direction of the print web 2 and 1 mm in the y - axis direction corresponding to the direction of the web 2 flow , the defect occurrence position is , actually , ( 5 × xe , ye ). however , the actual defect position may be displayed for this display . in such a case , the arrangement may be such that the with δx and the length δy of inspection - unit pixel ii defined as shown in fig1 are stored in a memory and are multiplied by the number of pixels i and the number of scanning lines observed before the defect position . defect position information e obtained in this manner is stored together with time information c1 in synchronization with the second timing signal t2 . next , third timing signal t3 is input . at this time , however , the flip flop 518 is not set , the output from the and circuit 521 is at a low level l , and the value of number - of - successive - pages information c4 is not counted and is still &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. when fourth timing signal t4 is input , the flip flop 518 is set so that the output therefrom rises and register writing signal p1 is generated from the one - shot pulse generation circuit 519 . in synchronization with this register writing signal p1 , number - of - used - roll - pages information c2 and roll paper name information c3 are written in the defect information register 51 . defect position information e on all defective pixel of one print page is recorded in the defective position area 511 . next , processing for discriminating defect position information fi is performed with respect to the second print page . if it is also determined with respect to the second print page that there is a defect , the output from the and circuit 521 is set to a high level h in synchronization with third timing signal t3 , and second page defect position information e is written in the defect position area 511 of the defect information register 51 and is logically combined with the first page defect position information e already written . data of information e on the positions of defects detected through the first and second pages if thereby recorded in the defect position are 511 without omission . the present value in the number - of - successive - pages area 515 is incremented by &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; by the output from the and circuit 521 parallel to the operation of defect position information e . the number of successive page is thereby updated . it is set to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; since it is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; at the stage of first page information writing . if it is determined with respect to the second print page that there is no defect , no defect position information e is supplied by the timing of third timing signal t3 . therefore , the information in the defect position area 511 is not changed by logical addition of it and the defect position information written in the defect information register 51 . only the present value in the number - of - successive - pages area is incremented by &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to update the number of successive pages . it is updated to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; since it is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; at the time of first page information writing . in a case where defects are successively observed and monitored in the first and second pages but there is no defect in the third page , the number of successive pages is set to &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; by being updated at the time of the second and third pages . when fourth time signal t4 is input , the flip flop 518 is inverted to reduce the output level , and defective file writing signal p2 is thereby generated from the second one - shot pulse generation circuit 520 . data in the defect information register 51 is written in the defect file 53 through the file management unit 52 by triggering with this defect file writing signal p2 . needless to say , the top address and other values for writing in the defective file 53 are separately controlled , and the data in the defect information register 51 is stored in a time series manner by setting each part of it in the period of time from the occurrence of a defect to the restoration to the normal state as one record , as shown in fig6 . a printer control unit 54 always monitors the printed operation through a printer status signal , and sends a data request to the file management unit when print outputting is enabled . the file management unit 52 effects management of the process of outputting prints of the records in the defect file 53 as well as management of the defect file 53 . if there are some records not output yet when a data request is sent from the printer control unit 54 , the data to be output by printing printed is transmitted to the printer control unit 54 . the printer control unit 54 transmits the received print - output data to the printer 30 , and teh printer 30 performs output processing . defect records thus obtained are output from the printer 30 one by one , and the operator can judge the kind of defect based on these recordings . examples of terms for method of determining the kind of defect are listed below . 2 a spatter of ink onto the print sheet between the final printing unit and the drier 3 a spatter of water onto the print sheet between the final printing unit and the drier 4 a drop of tar onto the print sheet , an accumulation of tar in the drier furnace 1 a spatter of ink onto a roller , a printing plate and the print sheet between the first printing unit and the final printing unit 2 a spatter of water onto a roller , a printing plate and the print sheet between the first printing unit and the final printing unit 1 wild formation of print paper in connection with 1 in the above item ( 1 ) 1 a change in density in connection with 3 in the above item ( 2 ) it is thereby possible for the operator to easily suppose causes of defects from the records of the defects . that is , the record at the time of the occurrence of a defect is displayed by the defect record memory unit and the record display unit , such as a printer , and the operator can thereby confirm a periodicity and other characteristic of the defect and can easily ascertain production hindrance causes , inclusive of those relating to the printing machine and the print sheet , thus improving the maintenance operation facility . in the above - described embodiment , a defect record is displayed to enable discrimination of the kind of defect , and a modified construction of the present invention will be described hereunder . fig7 and 8 schematically show the construction of a printing monitoring apparatus in accordance with the modified construction of the present invention . a detection sensor 100 serves to observe or monitor contaminations or the like caused on a print surface 101 . a contamination may accidentally be caused on the print surface 101 by ink spattering , water or oil dropping , or the like , and it is therefore necessary to observe the print surface . the detection sensor 100 extends in a direction ( longitudinal direction x of the print surface ) perpendicular to the direction in which the print surface travels ( the direction of the print surface flow ), and has a plurality of light receiving elements ( or one element ) 201 arranged at suitable intervals in the longitudinal direction x of the print surface . the light receiving elements 201 detect reflected light from the print surface 101 . photoelectric currents generated by the light receiving elements 201 are converted into voltages of reflection density information by current - voltage logarithmic conversion effected by logarithmic conversion units 202 , which voltages are amplified to desired levels . the reflection density information obtained with respect to pixels is sent to sample and hold amplifiers 203 which are supplied with a sample signal from an encoder unit 204 . the sample signal is formed by the encoder unit 204 in accordance with the pixel size in the web flow direction x in correspondence with the movement of the print surface 101 . by the plurality of light receiving elements and the sample and hold amplifiers 203 , a frame of the print surface 101 is divided into fine pixels e , t pixels in the longitudinal direction x and m pixels in the flowing direction y , as shown in fig9 . the reflection density information sampled and held in correspondence with the pixels by the sample and hold amplifiers 203 is time - shared by a multiplexer 205 to be successively sent to an a / d converter 206 . a plurality of multiplexers 205 and a / d converters 206 may be used in a parallel processing manner to reduce the processing time . the reflection density information with respect to the pixels is converted from analog values into digital values by the a / d converter 206 . the digital values of the converted reflection density information are stored in a memory unit 208 at predetermined memory positions with respect to the pixel positions under the control of memory controller 207 . the memory unit 208 is divided according to memory contents into the following sections : a memory 209 ( white sheet surface matrix section dw ( i )), a memory 210 ( white surface allowance value matrix section dwa ( i )), a memory 211 ( reference value matrix section ds ( i , j )), a memory section 212 ( allowance value matrix section da ( i , j )), a memory 213 ( image determination matrix section z1 ( i , j )), a memory 214 ( image determination matrix section z2 ( i , j )), a memory 215 ( measured value matrix section dk ( i , j )), a memory 216 ( determination result matrix section dout ( i , j )), a memory 217 ( product matrix section zd1 ( i , j )), a memory 218 ( product matrix section zd2 ( i , j )), a memory 219 ( added matrix section z1 sum ( i )), a memory 220 ( added matrix section z2 sum ( i )), a memory 221 ( added matrix section zd1 sum ( i )), a memory 222 ( added matrix section zd2 sum ( i )), a memory 223 ( percent defective matrix section err1 ( i )), a memory 224 ( percent defective matrix section err2 ( i )), a memory 225 ( number - of - light - receiving - elements memory 201 ), a memory 226 ( print surface flow direction resolution value memory m ), a memory 227 ( predetermined number - of - pages memory n ), a memory 228 ( maximum matrix section max ( i , j )), and a memory 230 ( coefficient memory α ). an operation unit 231 effects operations ( addition , substraction , multiplication , division , comparison ) designated for memory contents extracted through the memory controller 207 . the operation unit 231 , the memory controller 207 and the memory unit 208 described above constitute a central processor 235 . a defect content discrimination unit 232 discriminates the content of a defect based on based on values in the percent defective matrix sections err1 ( i ), i . e ., memories 223 and 224 in the memory unit 208 obtained by operation processing of the operating unit 203 and a percent defective discrimination value 234 stored in the percent defective discrimination section 232 , and generates a discrimination signal . the discrimination signal is sent to a printing control unit 233 . the printing control unit 233 performs operations of displaying to the operator , stopping the printing machine , instructing a printing machine adjustment unit , and the like . the percent defective discrimination value 234 can be rewritten from the printing control unit . a procedure for determining the content of a defect in the print surface 101 will be described hereunder with reference to fig1 to 12 . a desired number of white sheet pages ( white ground ) are prepared ( which number is determined according to the capability of the print monitoring apparatus and the changing state of the printing machine ). reflection density information on the pixels of a first pge , i . e ., reflection density values are stored in the memory 215 at predetermined positions and are simultaneously stored in the memories 228 and 229 . each of the values of information on the second page and subsequent pages is additionally stored in the memory 215 , is compared with the value preliminarily stored in the memory 228 to be stored by replacing the preceding value in the memory 228 if it is larger than the preceding value , and is compared with the value preliminarily stored in the memory 229 to be stored by replacing the preceding value if it is smaller than the preceding value . this operation is repeated with respect to the predetermined number of pages ( n pages ) stored in the memory 227 ( predetermined - number - of - pages memory ). after the completion of processing of the predetermined number of pages , the contents of the memory 215 are divided by the value n in the memory 227 to obtain mean values of the pixels which are stored in the memory 215 . of these contents of the memory 215 , all the values for the flow direction pixels at each longitudinal direction pixel position are added , and values thereby obtained are divided by the value in the memory 226 and are store in the memory 209 . a white sheet surface matrix dw ( i ) is thereby formed in the memory 209 . the reason for forming the white sheet surface matrix by combining the data in the flow direction into dw ( i ) is because a considerable dispersion of the reflection density due to light source non - uniformity , receiving light source non - uniformity , light receiving element non - uniformity and the like of the monitoring apparatus is exhibited in the longitudinal direction while no substantially large dispersion occurs in the flow direction . for the same reason , some other matrices are combined with respect to the longitudinal direction pixels . each group of flow direction pixel e combined with respect to the longitudinal direction pixels constitutes a unit region f . next , of the contents of the memory 228 , all the values for the flow direction pixels at each longitudinal direction pixel position are added , and values thereby obtained are divided by the value in the memory 226 and are stored in the memory 210 . then , of the contents of the memory 229 , all the values of the flow direction pixels at each longitudinal direction pixel position are added , values thereby obtained are divided by the value in the memory 226 , and the contents of the memory 210 are rewritten by subtracting the divided values from the receding values in the memory 210 . the contents of the memory 210 are further rewritten by multiplying the value in the memory 210 for each pixel by the value α in the memory 230 ( coefficient memory ). a white sheet surface allowance value matrix dwa ( i ) is formed in the memory 210 in this manner . when the printing operator recognizes that goods prints have been obtained after printing adjustment operations , reference data is preferred by using such prints as reference print pages . reflection density values of the pixels of the first reference print page are stored in the memory 211 at the predetermined positions and are simultaneously stored in the memories 228 and 229 at predetermined positions . each of the value of information on the second reference print page and subsequent pages is additionally stored in the memory 211 , is compared with the value previously stored in the memory 228 to be stored by replacing the preceding value in the memory 228 if it is larger than the preceding value , and is compared with the value previously stored in the memory 229 to be stored by replacing the preceding value if it is smaller than the preceding value . this operation is repeated with respect to the predetermined number of pages ( n pages ) stored in the memory 227 . after the completion of processing of the predetermined number of pages , the contents of the memory 211 are divided by the value n in the memory 227 to obtain mean values of the pixels which are stored in the memory 211 by replacing the preceding values . in this manner , a reference value matrix ds ( i , j ) is formed in the memory 211 . next , the contents of the memory 229 are subtracted from those of the memory 228 and the resulting values are stored in the memory 212 . the contents of the memory 212 are rewritten by multiplying the values thereof by the value α of the memory 30 ( coefficient memory ). an allowance value matrix da ( i , j ) is thereby formed in the memory 212 . the difference between the reference value matrix ds ( i , j ) and the white sheet surface matrix dw ( i ) is obtained with respect to all the flow direction pixels at each longitudinal direction pixel position . if the absolute value of this difference is smaller than the value of the white sheet surface allowance value matrix dwa ( i ), the corresponding pixel is determined as a white ground portion ( non - image portion ). in this case , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is set in the corresponding position z1 ( i , j ) in the memory 213 , while &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is set in the corresponding position z2 ( i , j ) in the memory 214 . if the absolute value of the difference is greater than the value of the white sheet surface allowance value matrix dwa ( i ), corresponding pixel is determined as an image portion . in this case , &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is set in the corresponding position z1 ( i , j ) in the memory 213 , while &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is set in the corresponding position z2 ( i , j ) in the memory 214 . in this manner , an image determination matrix z1 ( i , j ) having image information is formed in the memory , while an image determination matrix z2 ( i , j ) having white ground information is formed in the memory 214 . next , all the values of the image determination matrix z1 ( i , j ) for the flow direction pixels at each longitudinal direction pixel position are added and the added values are stored in the memory 219 . also , all the values in the memory 214 for the flow direction pixels at each longitudinal direction pixel position are added and the added values are stored in the memory 220 . in this manner , an added matrix z1 sum ( i ) is formed in the memory 219 and an added matrix z2 sum ( i ) is formed in the memory 220 . in the above description , it is assumed that the value n in the predetermined - number - of - pages memory , i . e ., memory 227 and the value α in the coefficient memory 230 are always equal . however , these may have difference between the case of the white sheet surfaces and the case of the reference surface . next , the following processing is performed with respect to the print surface to be observed or monitored to determine defectives . reflection density values of the pixels of the print surface 101 are stored in the memory 215 at the predetermined positions to form a measured value matrix dk ( i , j ) in the memory 215 ( where k represents the k - th print page ). the measured value matrix dk ( i , j ) and the reference value matrix ds ( i , j ) are compared with each other . if a difference therebetween is greater than corresponding value of the allowance values matrix da ( i , j ), it is determined that the corresponding print page is defective , and &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is set as a content of the memory 216 . in the other case , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is set in the memory 216 . a determination result matrix dout ( i , j ) is thereby formed in the memory 216 . the values of the image determination matrix z1 ( i , j ) and the determination result matrix dout ( i , j ) with respect to the pixels are multiplied and the result of this multiplication is stored in the memory 217 . also , the values of the image determination matrix z2 ( i , j ) and the determination result matrix dout ( i , j ) with respect to the pixels are multiplied and the result of this multiplication is stored in the memory 218 . a product matrix zd1 ( i , j ) indicating the position of a defective pixel observed or monitored in the image portion of the print surface is formed in the memory 217 . similarly , a product matrix zd2 ( i , j ) indicating the position of a defective pixel monitored in the white ground portion , i . e ., the non - image portion of the print surface is formed in the memory 218 . all the values of the product matrix zd1 ( i , j ) for the flow direction pixels at each longitudinal direction pixel position are added and the added values are stored in the memory 221 . also , all the values of the product matrix zd2 ( i , j ) for the flow direction pixels at each longitudinal direction pixel position are added and the added values are stored in the memory 222 . an added matrix zd1 sum ( i ) thereby formed in the memory 221 , and an added matrix zd2 sum ( i ) is thereby formed in the memory 222 . next , the contents of the added matrix zd1 sum ( i ) are divided by the corresponding values of the product matrix zd1 ( i , j ), and the divided values are stored in the memory 223 at the positions corresponding to the pixels . also , the contents of the added matrix zd2 sum ( i ) are divided by the corresponding values are stored in the memory 224 at the positions corresponding to the pixels . a percent defective matrix err1 ( i ) for the image portion of the print surface is thereby formed in the memory 223 , and a percent defective matrix err2 ( i ) for the white ground portion of the print surface is thereby formed in the memory 224 . there are four possible cases of the relationship between the values of the percent defective matrices err1 ( i ) and err2 ( i ) and the percent defective distinction value 234 determined by the defect content discrimination unit 232 with respect to the longitudinal direction pixels according to the values of the percent defective matrices err1 ( i ) and err2 ( i ) 1 a case where err1 ( i ) is greater and err2 ( i ) is also greater ; 2 a case where err1 ( i ) is greater while err2 ( i ) is smaller ; 3 a case where err1 ( i ) is smaller while err2 ( i ) is greater ; and 4 a case where err1 ( i ) is smaller and err2 ( i ) is also smaller . in the case 1 , it is indicated that many defects have occurred on the white ground portion of the print surface and other defects have occurred on the image portion . it is therefore considered that a streak of a contamination having a density higher than that of the image portion has occurred on the print surface . in the case 3 , it is indicated that many defects have occurred on the white ground portion of the print surface is recognized while defects in the image portion are not so many . it is therefore considered that a streak of a contamination having a density lower than that of the image portion has occurred on the print surface . thus , in the case 1 or 3 , it is determined that the streak of a contamination has occurred on the print surface . in the case 2 , it is indicated that many defects have occurred on the image portion of the print surface while defects in the white ground portion are not so many . it is therefore considered that an image formation failure has occurred . that is , a streak of an image portion having a density different from that of the reference image exists in the formed image . in the case 2 , therefore , it is determined that a streak - like density unevenness has occurred in the image portion of the print surface . in the case 4 , defects in each of the image portion and the white ground portion of the print surface are not so many , and it is therefore determined that dots of a contamination are formed on the print surface . if the defect content is streak - like density unevenness as determined in the case 2 , the following processing is further performed by the defect content discrimination unit 232 . if the control width of an ink supply unit of the printing machine is , for example , 30 mm , and if the longitudinal direction pixel width of the observation apparatus is , for example , 5 mm , 30 ÷ 5 = 6 pixels constitute an image portion within the control width of the ink supply unit . in this case , if the detect content determination result is 2 , and if the same result is obtained with respect to , for example , six pixels successive in the longitudinal direction , this defect is determined as streak - like density unevenness due to the control width of the ink supply unit . the above - described steps ( steps 1 to 8 ) are executed to know the content of a defect in the print surface as well as to confirm the occurrence of the defect . the defective observation steps ( steps 4 to 8 ) are repeated with respect to each print surface of the second and subsequent pages , and data thereby obtained is used in a feedback manner for automatic adjustment of the printing machine adjusting unit , automatic stop and so on to prevent occurrence of many defects and to contribute to the improvement in the availability factor of the printing machine . this modification has been described with respect to an example of a process in which even if the print image is a monochromic or four - color print , the image is not recognized as colors but simply as changes in density . however , needless to say , the arrangement may be such that color separation processing is performed in a sensor unit and the same method as that described above is used for processing of each color so that more detailed printing error information can be obtained . as described above , the percent defectives and the percent defective discrimination value are compared to separate kinds of print defect into transitory defects , such as a spatter of ink , and a drop of water or oil dropping , and continuous defects , such as streak - like density unevenness and streak - like contaminations . in the case of a continuous defect , an operation for instructing the operator to adjust the printing machine , effecting automatic adjustment or stopping the printing machine is performed to prevent occurrence of many defects , thereby contributing to the improvement in the availability factor of the printing machine .	1
the prior art showing in fig1 has been previously explained . the device of the present invention shown in fig2 and 4 comprises a first transmitter sensor body indicated generally at 20 , which , as shown , is a housing for electronic circuitry and a sensor assembly . the sensor assembly includes a sensing element and the electronic components that are needed for receiving the signals from the sensor and providing a output that indicates a parameter being sensed and which can be used for further process control . in this form , the transmitter sensor body 20 has an interior chamber 21 in which a differential pressure sensor 22 is mounted . sensor 22 has a housing 23 with an interior chamber 24 divided into chamber portions 26 and 27 with a deflecting or sensing diaphragm 25 . the diaphragm 25 is made to deflect under pressure differentials and the position of the diaphragm relative to the surfaces of the housing forming the interior chamber portions 26 and 27 is detected by sensing means , such as capacitive sensing . the transmitter sensor body 20 may have other types of sensors , such as semiconductor pressure sensors or strain gauge or piezoresistive sensing therein , if desired . the pressure acting on the sensing means comprising diaphragm 25 is provided from an isolator transmitter body indicated generally at 30 that receives the fluid pressure to be sensed and transmits such pressure to the sensor diaphragm . the isolator transmitter body , in the form shown , comprises a plate - like member that has a first isolator diaphragm 32 and a second isolator diaphragm 33 that enclose chambers 34 and 35 . the chambers open to passageways 36 and 37 , that in turn open through ports 36a and 37a to an exterior surface 38 that is an interface surface mating with an interface surface 39 of the first mentioned transmitter body including the sensor . the isolator diaphragms have surfaces opposite from the chambers 34 and 35 that are open to receive pressure from a pressure source which will act on the exterior surfaces of the isolator diaphragms . a substantially noncompressible fluid , such as silicone oil , fills the passageways 36 and 37 and the chambers 34 and 35 . in order to transfer pressure acting on the isolator diaphragms to the sensing diaphragm 25 , the housing 23 has tubes 40 and 41 connected to chambers 26 and 27 , respectively , that pass through the wall 42 of the transmitter sensor body 20 . the tubes 40 and 41 extend outwardly from the transmitter body and have ports 44 and 45 at their outer ends . the extension of the tubes from the surface 39 will fit down into the passageways 36 and 37 when the two transmitter bodies are assembled together as shown in fig3 . separate extrusile material ring seals indicated at 48 and 49 , respectively , surround the ports 44 and 45 . in particular , in the form shown , the ring seals surround the extensions of the tubes 40 and 41 outwardly beyond the interface surface 39 . as shown , recesses 53 and 54 are formed in the interface surface . the recesses have base surfaces that extend radially from the tubes 40 and 41 and are larger than the extrusile material rings before sealing the transmitter bodies together . the extrusile material preferrably is a metal that will extrude under compression . initially , the rings 48 and 49 extend beyond the interface surfaces so they will be engaged by the transmitter isolator body interface surface and compressed . o - rings 58 also are provided for sealing the recesses 53 and 54 . the passageways 36 and 37 have slightly tapered outer portions forming the ports 36a and 37a , so that when the bodies are forced together the extrusile material will extrude tightly against the tapered surfaces , and against the outwardly extending portions of the tubes 40 and 41 to provide a seal around the aligning ports of the transmitter body portions , comprising the transmitter sensor body and the transmitter isolator body . the transmitter isolator body 30 is fastened to and compressed against surface 39 of the wall 42 through the use of cap screws shown at 56 , that fit into threaded openings in the wall 42 . in order to connect sources of fluid pressure to the isolator diaphragms , an adapter plate indicated generally at 60 will be fastened to the outer surface of the transmitter isolator body with suitable cap screws 61 . this adapter plate has passageways 62 and 63 , respectively , that can be coupled using standard flange adapters , to pressure sources . the transmitter assembly requires only two &# 34 ; wetted &# 34 ; bodies , that is , the transmitter sensor body and the transmitter isolator body , which carry the noncompressible fluid for transmitting movement from the isolator diaphragms to the sensing diaphragm . when the bodies 20 and 30 shown in fig2 are to be assembled , the chamber portions 26 and 27 , on opposite sides of the sensing diaphragm 25 , and the tubes 40 and 41 can be filled with silicone oil by inverting the body and , if necessary , evacuating the chamber portions to draw in oil . because only one body is involved , the task is simplified . capillary action will retain the oil in the tubes 40 and 41 and the chambers 26 and 27 when the transmitter sensor body is inverted . the passageways 36 and 37 and the chambers under the isolator diaphragms 32 and 33 can be filled by gravity , through the passageways 36 and 37 . a vacuum pump indicated generally at 65 can be coupled to the passageways 62 and 63 and by controlling the amount of vacuum the deflection of the slack isolator diaphragms ( which are corregated and easily moved ) can be controlled so that the volume in the passageways 36 and 37 and the chambers 34 and 35 under the isolator diaphragms can be controlled . when the passageways are filled with fluid , the surface tension of the oil will provide a slight crown . then , the transmitter isolator body 30 is clamped against the transmitter sensor body using the cap screws 56 . the extrusile material ring seals 48 and 49 at the interface will extrude under compression loads to seal around the ports leading to the tubes 40 and 41 , and provide a positive seal , with some of the oil in the passageways 36 and 37 being squeezed out as the end portion of tubes 40 and 41 extend into the passageway ends , and also as the extrusile material is extruded into place to form the seals . the vacuum can be released after extrusion , and the slack isolator diaphragm will not move significantly . fig3 shows a typical seal at the interface after the transmitter bodies are assembled . the extrusile material rings ( soft metal ) extrude to form metal to metal , permanent seals . the recesses 53 and 54 permit the extrusile material to be extruded radially so the interface surfaces have adequate contact . the sealing method avoids introduction of undesired air bubbles in the isolation fluid . in fig4 an exterior view of a typical transmitter assembly is shown in exploded form . in this form , the connections between the two transmitter bodies is the same as that previously shown , but includes an electronics and sensor transmitter body indicated generally at 70 , that has a flange surface 71 , with tubes 72 and 73 , respectively , leading to the sensor and corresponding to the tubes 40 and 41 . the isolator transmitter body indicated generally at 75 has a mating flange 76 that will mate or interface with the flange surface 71 . the isolator transmitter body has the isolator diaphragms on opposite sides thereof . one of the isolator diaphragms is shown at 77 . the passageways on the interior of the isolator transmitter body are the same as those shown schematically in fig2 . when the flange 76 is placed against the flange 71 , and suitable cap screws 78 are used for tightening the isolator transmitter body down , the extrusile material seals 79 will be extruded to seal the aligning ports and passageways in the two transmitter bodies and form the seals that are needed for operation . suitable , conventional flanges typically shown at 80 and 81 , respectively can be clamped onto the isolator housing 77 on opposite sides to overlie the isolator diaphragms . the flanges are connected to desired sources of pressure through ports indicated generally at 84 and 85 , respectively . seals 86 and 87 can be used for sealing the flanges 80 and 81 onto the isolator body 75 surrounding the isolator diaphragm 77 . having a selection of differently configured sensors in the transmitter sensor body , for example sensors of different pressure ranges , that can mate with a selection of transmitter isolator bodies 75 that perhaps have different types of isolator diaphragms 77 thereon , permits making assemblies of transmitters that can easily be varied as desired . the transmitter bodies form subassemblies which are inexpensive and can be stocked as separate modular bodies . the final assembly of the transmitter consists of bolting two bodies together while the passageways are oil filled . the customer &# 39 ; s order can determine which type of transmitter sensor body is fitted on the respective transmitter isolator body . low cost coplanar wetted parts , medium cost process grade wetted parts , and flush diaphragms all can be accomodated by selecting the isolator body . the present invention also has the advantage of simplifying the oil filling process , in that by applying the vacuum to the isolator diaphragms when the oil is filled in , the volume of oil can be controlled . gravity will hold the oil in the isolator passageways and chambers . the sensor transmitter body will retain the oil due to capillary action , and then when the extrusile ring is extruded , it will extrude into the provided recess surrounding the ports or passageways between the transmitter bodies and will form a metal to metal seal . this metal to metal seal eliminates contamination problems encountered with welding or brazing of the tubes , as done in the previous devices , and also eliminates damage due to the heat from the welding . the extruded seal is much more reliable than devices built with organic o - rings in contact with the process fluids . in this type of a transmitter , a small leak of the silicone oil which is normally the isolation fluid fill , is disastrous , since the total oil volume is very low in these pressure transmitters . thus , the positive extruded seals forming metal to metal seals are desired . the total oil volume also can be kept lower with the present invention than with conventional prior art approaches so that the effect of expansion and contraction of the oil is minimized due to the lower volume . a minute amount of air that may be present at the time of filling will be absorbed by the silicone oil and not cause a problem . there is no need for separate fill tubes with the present arrangement . in fig5 a modified form of the invention is shown . a portion of a transmitter 100 is shown in cross section and includes a first transmitter body 102 which comprises a sensor 104 which has a central chamber divided by a diaphragm and tubes 106 and 108 filled with substantially incompressible fluid for transferring pressure to the sensor . the transmitter includes an output circuit ( not shown ) as explained above . the first transmitter body 102 further comprises a ring 110 having holes therethrough for receiving tubes 106 and 108 and bolts 112 . a second transmitter body 114 has a pair of isolator diaphragms 116 disposed thereon for receiving process fluid pressures . a pair of passageways 118 extend from tapered inlets to the chambers enclosed by the isolator diaphragms . the passageways 118 and chambers are filled with substantially incompressible fluid for coupling pressure from the isolator diaphragms 116 through tubes 106 and 108 to the sensor 104 . the tubes 106 and 108 have portions which extend outwardly from the ring 110 and which portions surrounded by extrusile seals 120 . the outwardly extending portions of the tubes 106 and 108 are inserted into the respective passageways 118 . the bolts 112 are screwed into the second transmitter body 114 and tightened to compress the extrusile seals 120 between the ring 110 and the second transmitter body 114 . the isolator diaphragms 116 are thus fluidly coupled to transmit pressure through substantially incompressible fluid to the sensor 104 and air is excluded from the tubes 106 and 108 and the passageways 118 . the second transmitter body 114 has walls which define a chamber to receive the body 102 comprising the sensor 104 , tubes 106 , 108 and ring 110 . in fig6 a portion of a transmitter 100 is shown in fragmentary cross section . a first transmitter body 122 comprises a sensor 124 with an interior chamber and tubes 126 and 128 filled with substantially incompressible fluid as explained above . the first transmitter body further comprises a main body 130 and retainer plates 130a ( one of which is shown ) having holes therethrough for receiving tubes 126 , 128 and bolts 132 . a second transmitter body 134 has a pair of isolator diaphragms 136 disposed thereon ( one is shown ) for receiving process fluid pressures . a passageway 138 extends from a tapered inlet port to the respective chamber defined by the isolator diaphragms 136 . the passageways 138 and chambers are filled with substantially incompressible fluid for coupling pressure from the isolator diaphragms 136 to the sensor 124 . the tube 126 has an end portion which is surrounded by an extrusile seal 140 . the end portion of the tubes is inserted into the aligned passageway 138 . the bolt 132 is screwed into the second transmitter body 134 to compress the extrusile seal 140 between the first transmitter body 122 and the second transmitter body 134 . the isolator diaphragm 136 thus transmits a pressure through the substantially incompressible fluid to the sensor 124 . air is excluded from the tube 126 and the passageway 138 . a bolt 138 further provides mechanical fastening between the first and second transmitter bodies 122 , 134 . the mechanical fastening function and the sealing force are provided by separate bolts 132 , 138 to increase reliability of the seal . the connection of tube 128 to its respective passageway 138 and chamber enclosed by a second diaphragm 136 is identical to that shown for tube 126 . in fig7 a further modified form of the invention includes a transmitter 200 , a portion of which is shown . a sensor 202 with an interior chamber and tubes 204 in a first transmitter body 206 are connected together and the sensor and tubes 204 are filled with a substantially incompressible fluid for coupling pressure to the sensor . the tubes 204 have outer ends which will lead into passageways leading to chambers defined by isolator diaphragms 208 in a second transmitter body 210 . extrusile seals 212 surround the outer end portion of tubes 204 and the seals 212 will be extruded to seal the fluid connection between the sensor 204 and the isolator diaphragm as explained in connection with fig3 . bolts 214 urge the first and second transmitter bodies together to compress and extrude the seals 212 . a second set of extrusile seals 216 are provided in the first transmitter body to seal the interior cavity 218 of the first transmitter . screws 220 are used to force ring 222 against the seals 216 to compress and seat the seals . the ring 222 operates similarly to ring 110 in fig5 to extrude the seals into place . the interior cavity 218 , which typically contains electronic circuits and controls , is sealed from process fluid contamination by both sets of seals to provide a higher degree of safety . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 to 3 show a processing method of a tube body in sequence according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the first embodiment of the present invention is to finish an end portion of an outer cylinder 2 ( tube body ) of a hydraulic damper as shown in fig1 and 12 to be thin and in a predetermined dimension by plastic working . at the end portion of the outer cylinder 2 after finishing work , as shown in fig4 , a first diameter expanding portion 2 a functioning as a fixing portion of a rod guide 4 and a second diameter expanding portion 2 b functioning as a fixing portion of a oil seal 5 are formed in continuity . further , a taper surface 2 c in a chamfer formation is formed at an inner edge of an opening end of the outer cylinder 2 . an inner diameter da of the first diameter expanding portion 2 a is made to be slightly larger than an inner diameter d 0 of the other portion ( hereinafter general portion ) while an inner diameter db of the second diameter expanding portion 2 b is set slightly larger than the inner diameter da of the first diameter expanding portion 2 a . on the other hand , an external diameter of the end portion of the outer cylinder 2 is made to be the same with an external diameter of the general portion , whereby thickness of the first diameter expanding portion 2 a is made to be thinner than thickness of the general portion while thickness of the second diameter expanding portion 2 b is made to be thinner than the thickness of the first diameter expanding portion 2 a . to perform a processing method of the present invention , as shown in fig1 , the following should be prepared in advance : a base tube 10 with the inner and outer diameter of the general portion of the outer cylinder 2 ; and a mandrel 11 capable to press - in an end portion of the base tube 10 . here , a kind of the base tube 10 can be optionally chosen ; the based tube 10 may be a seamless tube or a welded tube . in case that an electroseamed tube is applied as the welded tube , caution should be given . an outer periphery surface of the electroseamed tube is smooth , but the inner periphery surface thereof has weld beads such as convex beads or concave beads thereon . the mandrel 11 is provided with , as well shown in fig3 , a minimum diameter portion 12 placed at the most tip thereof and a maximum diameter portion 13 placed at the most base thereof opposite to the minimum diameter portion 12 . between the minimum diameter portion 12 and the maximum diameter portion 13 , the following forming portions are provided in continuity : a first forming portion 14 having the same diameter of the inner diameter da of the first diameter expanding portion 2 a ; a second forming portion 15 having the same diameter of the inner diameter db of the second diameter expanding portion 2 b ; and a taper formation 16 having the same formation with the taper surface 2 c . the minimum diameter portion 12 of the mandrel 11 has an external diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the base tube 10 while the maximum diameter portion 13 has an external diameter approximately the same with an external diameter of the base tube 10 . further , between the taper formation 16 and the maximum diameter portion 13 , an abutting portion 13 a , to which the end portion of the base tube 10 is abutted when the mandrel 11 is pressed into the base tube 10 , is provided . hereinafter , embodiments of the processing method of the present invention will be described according to figures . first , as shown in fig1 a , a base portion of the base tube 10 is to be supported by a chuck 21 of a chuck unit 20 provided within a rotation ironing process apparatus while the mandrel 11 is to be supported by a pressurized device ( not shown ) shiftable relative to the chuck unit 20 . this fig1 a is thus regarded as a retaining process in the present invention . the rotation ironing process apparatus is provided with a pair of roller dies 22 / 22 , each of the roller dies 22 / 22 is rotatable and placed to face each other with the base tube 10 retained by the chuck 21 between . the pair of roller dies 22 / 22 is supported by a driving device ( not shown ), so that each of the pair of roller dies 22 / 22 can come closer toward or away from each other . further , the roller dies 22 / 22 are shiftable in parallel along the base tube 10 . this roller dies 22 / 22 are not directly provided with a driving apparatus but is rotated by rotation of the base tube 10 , that is , by friction between the roller dies 22 / 22 and the base tube 10 . here , needless to say , it is optional to provide the driving apparatus directly to the roller dies 22 / 22 so as to rotate the roller dies 22 / 22 by their own . next , as shown in fig1 b , the mandrel 11 is pressed into a tip end portion ( the most end portion where mandrel 11 is inserted ) of the base tube 10 retained by the chuck 21 . the press - in of the mandrel 11 should be performed in consideration that the base tube 10 will be extended following a rotation ironing process ; a certain clearance should be thus provided between the abutting portion 13 a of the maximum diameter portion 13 and the tip end portion of the base tube 10 . accordingly , the inner surface of the end portion of the base tube 10 is to be expanded so as to make a stepped formation by means of the first and second forming portion 14 / 15 of the mandrel 11 ( hereinafter the end portion means the portion where the stepped formation is formed ). this process shown in fig1 b will be regarding as a tube - expanding process of the present invention . following the tube expanding process described above , as shown in fig1 c , the chuck unit 20 will rotate the base tube 10 in a predetermined speed , and then , as shown in fig2 d , the pair of roller dies 22 / 22 is each shifted toward each other . the roller dies 22 / 22 then abut to a portion adjacent to the end portion of the base tube 10 . through this abutment , each of the roller dies 22 / 22 will roll over the outer periphery of the base tube 10 rotated . next , as shown in fig2 e , the pair of the roller dies 22 / 22 are shifted in parallel toward the tip end portion of the base tube 10 . ironing will be thus performed over the end portion of the base tube 10 by the pair of the roller dies 22 / 22 in collaboration with the mandrel 11 . with this ironing process , the outer periphery of the end portion of the base tube 10 evenly flattens to be equal to the outer periphery of the general portion of the base tube 10 , whereby thickness of the end portion of the base tube 10 can be also reduced at the same time . on the other hand , the inner surface of the end portion of the base tube 10 is finished to have a multistage formation according to the nose portion of the mandrel 11 having the stepped formation hereinbefore described . these sequential processes shown in fig1 c , fig2 d and fig2 e will be regarded as a rotation ironing process of the present invention . the pair of roller dies 22 / 22 will stop its shift when reaching to the maximum diameter portion 13 of the mandrel 11 , and then , as shown in fig2 f , the mandrel 11 is pulled out from the base tube 10 while the pair of the roller dies 22 / 22 are shifted so as to be detached from each other . the sequential work over the end portion of the base tube 10 is here completed . the outer cylinder 2 finished through the above process has its inner surface of the end portion , as shown in fig4 , with the desired stepped formation sequentially provided with the first diameter expanding portion 2 a , the second diameter expanding portion 2 b and the tape surface 2 c . the inner roughness of the processed end portion of the outer cylinder 2 will be also in a good condition . accordingly , the rod guide 4 and the oil seal 5 can be smoothly fitted into the end portion of the outer cylinder 2 . hereinbelow , assembling processes of the rod guide 4 , etc . and a curling process are explained with reference to fig5 first , the inner cylinder 1 sub - assembled with the bottom valve bv is inserted into the outer cylinder 2 , and then the piston rod 3 installed with the piston 8 and the piston valve pv is inserted into the inner cylinder 1 . next , the rod guide 4 sub - assembled with all kinds of seals or a guide bushing is inserted into the piston rod 3 so as to fit the rod guide 4 to the piston rod 3 . at this time the oil seal 5 is also inserted . if necessary , oil or gas can be enclosed . second , while abutting a roller 30 over the tip end portion of the outer cylinder 2 , the outer cylinder 2 is rotated so as to perform a full - curling process . here , it is not necessary to perform the full - curling process as shown in figures , but another processes can be applied such as : an oscillating curl process producing a full - curling by rotating inclined dies and abutting the dies over the end surface of the outer cylinder 2 ; or a process producing partial curling portions by partially caulking the outer cylinder 2 , may be 4 portions , in a circumferential direction . that is , as long as the parts such as the rod guide 4 are not pulled out from the outer cylinder 2 , any methods ( curling the tip end portion of the outer cylinder 2 inside ) can be applied . here , thickness of the second diameter expanding portion 2 b is considerably reduced whereby the second diameter expanding portion 2 b is hardened due to advancement of a structural denseness ; however , it does not affect facilitation of the curling process . especially , in the oscillating curl process , advancement of the structural denseness hereinabove described is prominent ; however , by performing the above - described oscillating curl process in a full circumference , the full - curling can be performed in such a manner as to squash the structurally dense portions ( hardened portions ) in an axial direction . accordingly , bending of the bended segment 2 a ( fig1 ) can be easily and smoothly performed . in general vehicle shock absorbers ( cylinder devices ), it is usual to use a tube having thickness approximately between 2 . 5 mm to 3 . 5 mm . considering such a tube , and supposing a thickness reduction rate of a cylinder as more than 30 %, it is still possible to obtain the high strength tube without cracks with the oscillating curl process in a full circumference . further , necessary removing force of a sealing means including rod guides or seals in a vehicle shock absorber is 25 kn in general . in the above case of the oscillating curl process , the removing force more than 25 kn can be obtained . further , the following result has been verified by experiments : 1 ) removing force of 42 kn can be obtained in case that thickness is 2 . 5 mm and a thickness reduction rate is 35 %; 2 ) removing force of 60 kn can be obtained in case that thickness is 2 . 9 mm and a thickness reduction rate is 41 %; and removing force of 65 kn can be obtained in case that thickness is 3 . 2 mm and a thickness reduction rate is 47 %. here , if the thickness reduction rate is too high , it is possible to get materials too hardened thereby occurring cracks . based on this result , the upper limit of the thickness reduction rate should be set approximately 50 %. the first diameter expanding portion 2 a functioning as the fitting portion of the rod guide 4 is secured with enough thickness , whereby strength deterioration thereof is limited , and there is no problem for strength with respect to the outer cylinder 2 . on the other hand , the external diameter of the outer cylinder 2 is finished to have a evenly flat surface with the outer periphery of the general portion of the base tube 10 , the cap 7 conventionally applied can be used as it is . see fig1 . in addition , since weld beads are pressed into flat with the rotation ironing process , welded tubes can be applied as the base tube 10 with no qualitative negative impact . accordingly , those welded tubes at less price can be used , contributing to the reduction of manufacturing cost . in the above first embodiment , the mandrel 11 with two steps made by the first forming portion 14 and the second forming portion 15 having different diameters was applied , but the number of the steps provided at the nose of the mandrel 11 is optional . if desired for thinner tubes , only one step may be applied , or if desired for more thick tube , three steps or more can be applied . further , in the embodiments hereinabove described , the pair of the roller dies 22 / 22 facing toward each other is used for the rotation ironing process ; however , the number of the roller die 22 to be provided is also optional . three roller dies 22 may be applied . here , in case three roller dies 22 or more are applied , those roller dies 22 should be evenly arranged around the base tube 10 . in addition , the present invention is applicable with a planetary ball die instead of the roller die . in the first embodiment , the roller dies 22 / 22 are shifted along the base tube ; however , the present invention is not limited thereto . instead , the base tube itself may be shifted without shifting the roller dies 22 / 22 in an axial direction . still further , in the first embodiment , shift of the rotating shaft of the roller dies 22 / 22 in a radial direction is restricted while the roller dies 22 / 22 shift in an axial direction . the inner surface of the base tube 10 is thus processed to form the outer shape of the mandrel 11 , and the outer diameter of the base tube 10 is formed evenly . the present invention is not limited to the above structure , but for example , as shown with a long dashed short dashed line in fig6 , the roller dies 22 / 22 may be shifted in the axial and radial directions along the mandrel 11 , enabling to decrease a reduction rate of tube thickness . by adjusting the shifting amount in a radial direction , the reduction rate of the tube thickness can be controlled . in case that the reduction rate of the tube thickness is modified and if the outer diameter of the base tube 10 needs to be even , cutting work may be performed on the outer periphery of the base tube 10 ( cutting process ). in this case , a tool bit 23 ( hereinafter described in details ) as shown in fig1 can be shifted in an axial direction along the base tube 10 . furthermore , the reduction rate of the tube thickness can be also modified by a method shown in fig7 . that is , the outer periphery of an end portion 40 of the outer cylinder 2 ( tube body ) is cut in advance so as to reduce the outer diameter of the outer cylinder 2 ( diameter reduction process ). and then the same process in the first embodiment is applied . next , a processing method of a tube body in a second embodiment will be described with reference to fig8 to 10 . the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals , and explanations thereto will be omitted . in the second embodiment , as shown in fig8 , the taper formation 16 and the abutting portion 13 a in the first embodiment are modified to be a diameter expanding portion 16 a connecting the taper formation 16 and the abutting portion 13 a with a smooth inclined surface . in the second embodiment , as the same with the process shown in fig1 a , the base portion of the base tube 10 is to be supported by the chuck 21 of the chuck unit 20 provided within the rotation ironing process apparatus while the mandrel 11 is to be supported by a pressurized device ( not shown ) shiftable relative to the chuck unit 20 . this fig1 a is thus the retaining process in the present invention . the rotation ironing process apparatus is provided with the pair of roller dies 22 / 22 , each of the roller dies 22 / 22 is rotatable and placed to face each other with the base tube 10 retained by the chuck 21 between . the pair of roller dies 22 / 22 is supported by the driving device ( not shown ), so that each of the pair of roller dies 22 / 22 can come closer toward or away from each other . further , the roller dies 22 / 22 are shiftable in parallel along the base tube 10 . those roller dies 22 / 22 are not directly provided with a driving apparatus but rotated by rotation of the base tube 10 , that is , by friction between the roller dies 22 / 22 and the base tube 10 . here , it is optional to provide the driving apparatus directly to the roller dies 22 / 22 so as to rotate the roller dies 22 / 22 by their own . next , as shown in fig9 c ′, the mandrel 11 is pressed into the tip end portion of the base tube 10 retained by the chuck 21 . the press - in of the mandrel 11 is performed until the end portion of the base tube 10 is abutted to the diameter expanding portion 16 a ( abutting portion 13 a ) accordingly , the inner surface of the end portion of the base tube 10 is to be expanded into a stepped formation by the first and second forming portions 14 / 15 of the mandrel 11 ( tube - expanding process ). the base tube 10 will be rotated through operation of the chuck unit 20 at a predetermined speed . following the tube - expanding process , the pair of roller dies 22 / 22 is each shifted toward each other and then abut to a portion adjacent to the end portion of the base tube 10 . through this abutment , each of the roller dies 22 / 22 will roll over the outer periphery of the base tube 10 rotated and shift in parallel toward the tip end portion of the base tube 10 . see fig9 e ′. ironing will be thus performed over the end portion of the base tube 10 by the pair of the roller dies 22 / 22 in collaboration with the mandrel 11 . with this ironing process , the outer periphery of the end portion of the base tube 10 evenly flattens to be equal to the outer periphery of the general portion of the base tube 10 , whereby thickness of the end portion of the base tube 10 can be also reduced at the same time . on the other hand , the inner surface of the end portion of the base tube 10 is finished to have a multistage formation according to the nose portion of the mandrel 11 having the stepped formation . these sequential processes shown in fig9 c ′ and fig9 e ′ will be regarded as a rotation ironing process of the present invention . in the second embodiment , the tip end of the base tube 10 is extended along the diameter expanding portion 16 a so as to form a thin padding portion 24 . in fig1 g , the tool bit 23 is abutted to the base tube 10 from a radially outward direction so as to cut the thin padding portion 24 ( end cutting process ). as a result , as shown in fig1 h , a desired stepped portion , wherein the inner end surface of the base tube 10 has the first diameter expanding portion 2 a , the second diameter expanding portion 2 b and the taper surface 2 c formed in continuity , is finished . the rest of the procedure is the same with the first embodiment . in case that low - cost welded tubes are used , it is possible that sizes thereof may not be constant so that processes of the end portion of the base tube 10 may be hampered in the first embodiment . however , in the second embodiment , even if the sizes of the base tube 10 are each different , the processes can be adjusted by cutting the thin padding portion 24 . accordingly , tubes with less accuracy can be applied . the other functional effects are the same with the first embodiment , whereby detail explanation will be omitted .	5
fig1 is a diagram showing an example of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention . this ozone gas concentration apparatus includes adsorbing cylinders 2 in which adsorbents 1 for selectively adsorbing ozone gas , such as silica gel , are filled , a gas introduction passage 4 for connecting each adsorbing cylinder 2 and an ozone raw - material gas source 3 such as an oxygen gas storage vessel so as to communicate with each other , a concentrated ozone gas derivation passage 5 for concentrated ozone gas derived from each adsorbing cylinder 2 , and a gas discharge passage 6 for through - gas derived from each adsorbing cylinder 2 . in this embodiment , two adsorbing cylinders 2 are arranged parallel to each other , and are configured such that one of the adsorbing cylinders 2 is performing an adsorption step while the other thereof is performing a desorption step . the gas introduction passage 4 is connected to the respective adsorbing cylinders 2 through corresponding gas introduction valves 7 , and an ozone generator 8 and a mass flow controller 9 are arranged in the gas introduction passage 4 in this order from an upstream side thereof . the switching of the gas introduction valves 7 is controlled in such a way that ozone - oxygen mixture gas generated in the ozone generator 8 is supplied alternatively to the respective adsorbing cylinders 2 at a constant flow amount . meanwhile , the concentrated ozone gas derivation passage 5 is connected to the respective adsorbing cylinders 2 through corresponding gas derivation valves 10 . in the concentrated ozone gas derivation passage 5 , a diaphragm vacuum pump 11 that serves as a decompression generation section , a buffer tank 13 , a mass flow controller 14 , and a passage open / close valve 15 are arranged in this order from the side of the adsorbing cylinder . the switching of the gas derivation valves 10 is controlled in such a way that the adsorbing cylinders 2 communicate with the diaphragm vacuum pump 11 alternatively . in addition , the switching of a passage switching valve 12 can alternately switch between a state where an outlet 11 b of the vacuum pump 11 communicates with the buffer tank 13 and a state where the outlet 11 b of the vacuum pump 11 communicates with the gas discharge passage 6 through a connection passage 16 . the gas introduction passage 4 and the concentrated ozone gas derivation passage 5 are joined together at a location that is closer to the adsorbing cylinders 2 than the locations of the gas introduction valve 7 and the gas derivation valve 10 , and joint passages 17 thereof are connected to the corresponding adsorbing cylinders 2 . the gas discharge passage 6 is connected to the respective adsorbing cylinders 2 through corresponding gas - discharge valves 18 . an ozone decomposer 19 is disposed in the gas discharge passage 6 , and an outlet of this ozone decomposer 19 is connected to the upstream side of the ozone generator 8 in the gas introduction passage 4 so as to communicate with the ozone generator 8 . the gas discharge valve 18 attached to each adsorbing cylinder 2 is opened and closed in relation to the open or close operation of the gas introduction valve 7 attached to the adsorbing cylinder 2 that is the same as that to which the gas discharge valve 18 is attached . accordingly , the gas discharge valve 18 is opened when ozone - oxygen mixture gas is supplied to a corresponding one of the adsorbing cylinders 2 , so that oxygen gas which has not been adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 and remaining part of ozone gas which has not been adsorbed thereto are supplied to the ozone decomposer 19 . parts of the gas discharge passage 6 connected to the adsorbing cylinders 2 which are located upstream of the gas discharge valves 18 ( or located closer to the adsorbing cylinders 2 than the gas discharge valves 18 ) are connected to each other through a communication passage 21 having a passage open / close valve 20 at a midway point thereof so as to communicate with each other . likewise , the joint passages 17 connected to the respective adsorbing cylinders 2 are connected to each other through another communication passage 21 having another passage open / close valve 20 at a midway point thereof so as to communicate with each other . the cross - section areas of the communication passages 21 are configured to allow a large amount of ozone - oxygen mixture gas to flow through these passages , by comparing the total passage cross - section area of the communication passages 21 with an amount of ozone - oxygen mixture gas to be supplied . in this case , it is assumed that a single communication passage 21 is provided on a side of the adsorbing cylinders 2 from which the ozone - oxygen mixture gas is discharged or a side thereof which is closer to the joint passages 17 , only the passage cross - section of this communication passage 21 may become a target to be considered . in fig1 , reference numerals 22 to 26 denote an ozone concentration detector that is attached to the inlet portion of the ozone decomposer 19 in the gas discharge passage 6 , another ozone concentration detector that is attached to the outlet side of the mass flow controller 14 in the concentrated ozone gas derivation passage 5 , a pressure gage that indicates inner pressures of the adsorbing cylinders 2 and the buffer tank 13 , a bypass passage that connects the downstream side of the mass flow controller 9 disposed in the gas introduction passage 4 and the inlet portion of the ozone concentration detector 22 in the gas discharge passage 6 so as to communicate with each other , and a flow passage breaking valve that is attached to the bypass passage 25 , respectively . in the ozone gas concentration apparatus configured above , ozone - oxygen mixture gas generated in the ozone generator 8 is supplied to one of the adsorbing cylinders 2 while the gas introduction valve 7 and the gas discharge valve 18 for the one adsorbing cylinder 2 are opened and the gas derivation valve 10 therefor is closed . as a result , the ozone - oxygen mixture gas passes through the adsorbing cylinder 2 . at this time , the adsorbent 1 in the adsorbing cylinder 2 is maintained at the so - called “ normal temperature state ” ( or a state of being naturally left as it is ) without being given any thermal energy , such as heating or cooling energy , from the exterior . when the ozone - oxygen mixture gas is supplied to the adsorbing cylinder 2 , an ozone gas component therein is adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 , and in turn , remaining part of the ozone gas which has not been adsorbed thereto and oxygen gas that serves as carrier gas are fed into the ozone decomposer 19 through the gas discharge passage 6 . when the ozone - oxygen mixture gas that flows through the adsorbing cylinder 2 during a predetermined period is adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 by a predetermined amount , the gas introduction valve 7 for the adsorbing cylinder 2 through which the ozone - oxygen mixture gas has flowed up to this time and a gas discharge valve 18 therefor are closed . simultaneously , the gas derivation valve 10 for the adsorbing cylinder 2 that has performed the desorption step is closed . following this , one or both of the passage open / close valves 20 in the respective communication passages 21 that connects the parts of the gas discharge passage 6 and that connects the parts of a joint passage 17 are opened . as a result , the adsorbing cylinder 2 having a higher inner pressure which has completed the adsorption step communicates with the adsorbing cylinder 2 having a lower inner pressure which has completed the desorption step , so that the respective inner pressures in the adsorbing cylinders 2 and 2 are equalized . during this equalizing operation , the gas introduction passage 4 extending from the ozone generator 8 to the adsorbing cylinder 2 is blocked . even in this case , however , by opening a flow passage breaking valve 26 in the bypass passage 25 , the ozone - oxygen mixture gas is fed to the gas discharge passage 6 through the bypass passage 25 . this can prevent the blockage of the gas introduction passage 4 . the passage open / close valves 20 are closed , and in turn , a gas derivation valve 10 for the adsorbing cylinder 2 that has performed the adsorption step is opened , so that this adsorbing cylinder 2 communicates with the vacuum pump 11 . in response , the inner pressure in the adsorbing cylinder 2 decreases , and the ozone component is vacuum - desorbed from the adsorbent 1 in the adsorbing cylinder 2 . at this time , the gas introduction valve 7 and the gas discharge valve 18 for the adsorbing cylinder 2 that has performed the desorption step are opened . in response , ozone - oxygen mixture gas generated by the ozone generator 8 is supplied to one of the adsorbing cylinders 2 . as a result , the ozone - oxygen mixture gas flows through the one adsorbing cylinder 2 , so that the ozone gas is adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 therein . by temporarily storing the concentrated ozone gas in the buffer tank 13 which has been desorbed from the adsorbing cylinder 2 , the concentration of the ozone gas can be averaged in the buffer tank 13 even if the concentration of the ozone gas desorbed from the adsorbing cylinder 2 is varied . this enables ozone gas to be supplied to ozone consumption equipment and the like while the concentration thereof is maintained within a predetermined range . in this case , concentrated ozone gas supplied to the buffer tank 13 is an ozone gas component that is desorbed in the adsorbing cylinder 2 after an oxygen gas component having been absorbed to an adsorbent 1 therein is desorbed preferentially and is then transferred to the other adsorbing cylinder 2 during the pressure equalization process . accordingly , this concentrated ozone gas is highly pure . thus , the ozone gas stored in the buffer tank 13 can have a middle or high level of purity , namely , have a concentration of 20 vol % to 90 vol %. while one of the adsorbing cylinders 2 is performing the desorption operation , the other is performing the adsorbing operation . in addition , the two adsorbing cylinders 2 and 2 perform the adsorbing and desorbing operations by turns , so as to continuously extract concentrated ozone gas . it should be noted that multiple couples of adsorbing cylinders 2 may be used . by controlling the switching timing of individual valves for multiple couples of adsorbing cylinders 2 , the concentrated ozone gas can be extracted continuously . it is preferable that highly pure silica gel containing a small amount of metal component be used as an adsorbent of this embodiment . however , an ordinary adsorbent such as silica gel , zeolite or the like may also be used . in the case where ozone utilization equipment permits a predetermined variation range of the concentration of ozone gas , the buffer tank 13 may be omitted and concentrated ozone gas that has been attracted and discharged into the vacuum pump 11 may be supplied to the equipment directly . the two adsorbing cylinders 2 with an internal volume of 1 liter , in each of which highly pure silica gel of 650 grams was filled as the ozone gas adsorbent 1 , were arranged parallel to each other . the parts of the gas discharge passage 6 connected to both adsorbing cylinders 2 and 2 communicated with each other through a communication passage 21 having a bore of ⅜ inches . likewise , the parts of the joint passage 17 connected to both adsorbing cylinders 2 communicated with each other through the communication passage 21 having a bore of ⅜ inches . then , ozone - oxygen mixture gas was supplied to each adsorbing cylinder 2 through the gas introduction passage 4 with a supply amount of 14 . 71 slm , and the apparatus was operated under the condition that an adsorption pressure was 100 kpa · g and ultimate pressure upon desorption was − 90 kpa · g in each absorbing cylinder 2 . further , the ozone was concentrated under the condition that pressure equalization steps were 0 , 0 . 5 , 1 , and 1 . 5 seconds and one adsorption - desorption switching cycle time was 40 seconds . the result is shown in table 1 and fig2 and 3 . as is evident from table 1 and fig2 , the concentration of ozone to which a pressure equalization process of 1 . 5 seconds ( process 4 ) is applied is much different from that to which no pressure equalization process ( process 1 ) is applied . specifically , the ozone concentration is greatly changed from 405 g / m 3 to 534 g / m 3 ( the concentration ratio is changed from 3 . 12 to 4 . 11 ). as is evident from fig3 , the initial desorption pressure of ozone to which no pressure equalization process ( process 1 ) is applied is 100 kpa · g , whereas the initial desorption pressure of ozone to which a pressure equalization process of 1 . 5 seconds ( process 4 ) is applied is reduced to approximately 10 kpa · g . when the initial desorption pressure exceeds 30 kpa · g , a tendency can be found out , where ozone gas is more likely to self - decompose due to the rapid pressure increase immediately after ozone starts being desorbed with the vacuum pump 11 . therefore , the configuration of example 1 decreases pressure applied to the concentrated ozone gas derivation passage 5 by performing the pressure equalization step . thus , the configuration of example 1 is believed to be able to prevent the vacuum pump ( decompression generation section ) 11 from increasing the pressure rapidly and ozone gas from self - decomposing . this makes it possible to concentrate ozone gas safely with the adsorption pressure of 30 kpa · g or more . as for the pressure difference between the absorbing cylinders upon completion of the pressure equalization step in example 1 , the process 1 with the pressure equalization time of 0 second , the process 2 with the pressure equalization time of 0 . 5 seconds , the process 3 with the pressure equalization time of 1 . 0 seconds , and the process 4 with the pressure equalization time of 1 . 5 seconds show 190 kpa , 130 kpa , 70 kpa , and 10 kpa , respectively . thus , the pressure difference decreases in this order . however , when the process with the pressure equalization time of 2 . 0 seconds is performed , the pressure difference becomes 0 . accordingly , even when the process time is prolonged lasting 2 . 0 seconds or longer , the further improvement of the concentration ratio is not observed anymore . it is desirable that the pressure equalization step be terminated and the adsorption and desorption steps be switched , before the pressure difference reaches 0 kpa , preferably , at the time when the pressure difference reaches approximately 10 % of the initial pressure difference . as the process step time is longer , the ozone concentration increases more gradually , as shown in fig2 . therefore , even before the pressure difference reaches 0 kpa , it is more preferable that timing when the pressure difference reaches approximately 40 % or less of the initial pressure difference be regarded as timing of terminating the pressure equalization step , and the adsorption and desorption steps be switched at this timing . for example , as for the process 3 in which the pressure equalization time was set to 1 . 0 second , the pressure difference upon completion of the pressure equalization step corresponds to approximately 37 % of the initial pressure difference . in the case of a normal pressure increase in which raw - material ozone gas is supplied to the adsorbing cylinder at 14 . 71 slm , the pressure increase rate becomes approximately 20 kpa / sec . in contrast , in example 1 using the two communication passages 21 each having a bore of ⅜ inches , the pressure increase rate is 60 kpa / sec during the pressure equalization step . by performing the pressure equalization step , part of ozone gas in one adsorbing cylinder 2 that has completed the adsorption may leak into the other adsorbing cylinder 2 that has completed the desorption . however , any significant decrease in ozone amount is not observed in example 1 . the reason for this is as follows . the process 4 has the higher initial pressure increase rate . then , looking at a retention time during which the adsorption pressure is equal to or more than a predetermined value ( 100 kpa · g ), the process 1 without the pressure equalization process and the process 4 with the pressure equalization process show 30 seconds and 33 seconds , respectively , in a cycle of 40 seconds . thus , the process 4 has the longer retention time , and therefore , the adsorbed amount thereof is increased . consequently , it is considered that this increase in the absorption amount makes up for the decrease in the ozone amount . moreover , during the desorption , the process 4 with the pressure equalization process of 1 . 5 seconds is performed at lower pressure than the process 1 without the pressure equalization process is . it is considered that the above described effect upon adsorption and desorption contributes to the increase in the concentration of ozone , because ozone of higher concentration can be extracted in the process 4 . as described above , the cross - section of the gas flow passage of each communication passage 21 that is used to equalize the pressure is set so as to allow gas to flow therethrough whose flow amount is greater than an amount of ozone - oxygen mixture gas , or adsorption raw - material gas , to be supplied . this makes it possible to greatly concentrate ozone gas without considerably decreasing the ozone amount . it should be noted that a single communication passage 21 may be used . alternatively , a plurality of communication passages 21 may be used . in this case , the communication passages 21 are designed in view of the total cross - section thereof . similar to example 1 described above , the two adsorbing cylinders 2 with an internal volume of 1 liter , in each of which highly pure silica gel of 650 grams was filled as the ozone gas adsorbent 1 , were arranged parallel to each other . the parts of the gas discharge passage 6 connected to both adsorbing cylinders 2 communicated with each other through a communication passage 21 having a bore of ⅜ inches . likewise , the parts of the joint passage 17 connected to both adsorbing cylinders 2 communicated with each other through the communication passage 21 having a bore of ⅜ inches . then , ozone - oxygen mixture gas was supplied to the adsorbing cylinders 2 through the gas introduction passage 4 with a supply amount of 14 . 71 slm , and the apparatus was operated under the condition that an adsorption pressure was 100 kpa · g and ultimate pressure upon desorption was − 90 kpa · g in each absorbing cylinder 2 . an adsorption - desorption switching cycle was set to 40 seconds . then , a gas introduction valve 7 and a gas derivation valve 10 for an adsorbing cylinder 2 that had completed the adsorption were closed . furthermore , a depressurizing step was added , in which the gas discharge valve 18 for the adsorbing cylinder 2 was opened during a predetermined period . after this depressurizing step , a pressure equalization step was performed . it should be noted that during the depressurizing step , the adsorbing cylinder 2 on a desorption side continued a desorption step . a result of concentrating ozone while the durations of depressurizing step and the pressure equalization step are varied is shown in table 2 and fig5 . referring to table 2 and fig5 , the post - adsorption pressure is decreased by performing the depressurizing step . it can be been seen from example 2 that as the depressurization time is prolonged , the post - depressurization pressure is decreased in the adsorbing cylinder 2 on the adsorption side . employing the pressure equalization step alone limits the upper value of the adsorption pressure . in example 1 , for example , it is considered that post - adsorption pressure that became 30 kpa · g or less after the pressure equalization was performed with post - desorption pressure of − 90 kpa · g , namely , approximately 150 kpa · g is the upper limit of the adsorption pressure . however , introducing the depressurizing enables the adsorption step to be performed at adsorption pressure of more than 150 kpa · g ( and less than the withstand pressure of the ozone generator ), thereby further increasing the concentration of ozone gas and an ozone amount , and improving the concentration ratio of ozone gas . example 2 showed only the experimental example in which the concentration of the concentrated ozone gas was up to 550 g / m 3 , but this present configuration can generate concentrated ozone gas of approximately 700 g / m 3 . furthermore , the present configuration can also easily generate ozone gas of extremely high concentration , such as that of 1710 g / m 3 ( 80 vol %) or 1930 g / m 3 ( 90 vol %), by developing negative pressure at the subsequent stage of the decompression generation section . the present invention is applicable to not only a semiconductor manufacturing field that requires the stable supply of ozone gas having a high concentration , but also various fields using ozone gas .	1
for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device , and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . referring now more particularly to fig6 there is shown a horizontal construction 20 having a base plate 21 with a first pair of parallel horizontal wooden beams 22 and 23 along with a second pair of parallel horizontal wooden beams 24 and 25 mounted thereatop . the first pair of wooden beams 22 - 23 will now be described it being understood that a similar description applies to the second pair of wooden beams 24 and 25 . beams 22 and 23 ( fig5 ) have adjacent ends 26 and 27 mountingly received in a boot 28 secured by tension member 29 to a second boot 30 mountingly receiving the opposite ends 31 and 32 of beams 22 and 23 . boots 28 and 30 along with cable 29 are produced from metal whereas beams 22 and 23 are wooden . boot 28 ( fig3 ) is identical to boot 30 and has a flat metal wall 33 with the opposite edge portions 34 and 35 perpendicularly arranged therewith and extending in the same direction therefrom . walls 34 and 35 extend the length of wall 33 . a pair of ears 36 and 37 extend perpendicularly away from wall 33 in the same direction as walls 34 and 35 being positioned at the opposite bottom corners of wall 33 and spaced apart on opposite sides of a third ear 38 likewise extending perpendicularly away from wall 33 . the combined lengths of ears 36 through 38 equals the width of wall 33 thereby providing two separate regions 39 and 40 to receive the opposite spaced apart ends of beams 22 and 23 . a hole 41 is provided in wall 33 intermediate portions 39 and 40 to receive the threaded end 42 ( fig5 ) of cable 29 with the opposite end 43 of the cable extending through an aperture in boot 30 similar to aperture 41 . thus , by placing the opposite end portions of the wooden beams within portions 39 and 40 of the two boots , and by positioning the cable between the beams to extend through the boots , the beams 22 and 23 may be placed in compression by placing cable 29 under tension . a pair of hexagonal shaped conventional fasteners 44 and 45 are threaded onto ends 42 and 43 adjacent boots 28 and 30 to place the rod - like member or cable 29 under tension . base plate 21 includes a flat wall 46 having four brackets 47 , 48 , 49 and 50 extending perpendicularly therefrom at the center portion of the wall and arranged at 90 ° intervals therearound . each bracket is identical and thus the description of bracket 48 will apply equally to brackets 47 , 49 and 50 . bracket 48 ( fig2 ) includes a pair of opposite converging edges 51 and 52 terminating at the distal end 53 of the bracket . a slot 54 having a rounded bottom 55 is provided in distal end 53 and is positioned equidistant between edges 51 and 52 . brackets 47 through 50 are normally co - planar with wall 46 but are bendable upward to the position shown in fig2 to be adjacent the boot associated therewith . for example , in the construction shown in fig6 brackets 48 and 50 extend upwardly adjacent boots 55 and 30 whereas brackets 47 and 49 lie in the same plane as wall 46 . the slot 54 provided in each bracket receives a threaded fastener fixedly mounted to the associated boot thereby connecting the bracket and adjacent boot together . a d - shaped hole 56 ( fig3 ) receives a conventional bolt 57 ( fig7 ) having a d - shaped cross section with the head of the bolt located inwardly of boot 30 in turn connected to tension cable 29 . bolt 37 extends through bracket 50 and is in meshing engagement with a pair of conventional nuts 58 and 59 positioned on the opposite sides of bracket 50 to prevent relative motion between bracket 50 and bolt 57 . by rotating nuts 58 and 59 , the spacing between bracket 50 and boot 30 or the end of beam 22 may be controlled . thus , bolt 57 provides an adjustment means to connect the boot with the bracket and is operable to horizontally position the associated beams 22 and 23 relative to base plate 21 . a similar bolt is provided on boot 55 and bracket 48 providing a second adjustment means to also position the second pair of beams 24 and 25 relative to the base plate . the alternate embodiment of the construction is shown in fig1 with the vertical construction 60 including a pair of vertically extending walls or beams 61 and 62 upon which is mounted a base plate 63 . plate 63 ( fig8 ) has a pair of upwardly opening cavities 64 and 65 mountingly receiving the bottom ends of a pair of vertical wood beams 66 and 67 ( fig1 ). a cap 68 is mounted on the top end of beams 66 and 67 and has a pair of downwardly opening cavities 69 and 70 ( fig1 ) providing means to receive the top ends of the beams . a rod like member or cable 71 has opposite ends secured to eyebolts 72 and 73 in turn mounted to plate 63 and cap 68 . the opposite ends of cable 71 are looped through eyebolts 72 and 73 and secured to the main body of the cable by a clamp or other conventional fastening means . bolts 72 and 73 extend respectively through plate 63 and cap 68 and are in meshing engagement with conventional nuts 74 and 75 which may be rotated to increase or decrease the spacing between eyebolts 72 and 73 to control the tension in cable 71 . as plate 63 and cap 68 are pulled together by the tension cable 71 , columns 66 and 67 are placed in compression . a pair of threaded fasteners 77 and 78 having enlarged bottom ends to contact respectively the top ends of beams 66 and 67 are threadedly mounted to cap 68 and extend respectively into cavities 69 and 70 . bolts 77 and 78 provide an adjustment means on cap 68 which extends donwardly to contact the top ends of columns 66 and 67 even though the columns are of unequal length while at the same time horizontally leveling cap 68 . cavities 69 and 70 ( fig1 ) are surrounded respectively by walls 80 and 81 providing a stop means to limit relative motion between the top ends of the columns and cap 68 . the construction disclosed herein is designed to be constructed with common stock lumber to create a rigid frame without sawing or nailing frame members . the adjustable beam or column is made by placing metal abutments or boots on either end of two or more lumber pieces and securing them by a cable tightened from boot to boot . the adjustment of length is accomplished by the mechanical displacement of the boot within the beam or column union . length deviations of up to + or - 3 / 8 &# 34 ; in the common stock lumber are easily accommodated by the system . the beam or column union is designed so that bearing forces are wood on metal on wood . in the free standing condition , there is no stress placed on the boots or unions other than the cable tension securing the beam or column ends . the primary function of the boot union assembly is to position supporting members exactly . as load is placed on the frame , the forces on the members are compressive . bending forces on beams are held by the normal beam characteristics of the lumber enhanced by the tensile strength of the cable . lateral forces are held by the normal wall construction as in any structure or by the cross cabling in the free standing state . the columns have an internal cavity from bottom to top whereby a cable secured in the foundation can be tightened to the uppermost union . additional members are designed to ease door , window and roof assembly . further , it can be appreciated that the vertical construction shown in fig1 can be used in combination with the horizontal construction shown in fig6 . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the prefered embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected .	4
a plant belonging to the genus epimedium sp . is extracted with a mixed solvent of water and a water - miscible organic solvent or with water , and the obtained extract is concentrated under reduced pressure . as the water - miscible organic solvent there can be used , for example , lower alcohols such as methanol , ethanol and isopropanol , ketones such as acetone and water - miscible ethers such as dioxane and the like . a mixture of two or more of these water - miscible solvents may also be used . furthermore , lower aliphatic acids such as acetic acid having a concentration lower than 1 normality , water - miscible lower amines such as ethanolamine at a concentration lower than 1 mol / l and alkaline hydroxides easily soluble in water such as sodium hydroxide having a concentration lower than 1 normality can be used as the extraction solvent . with regard to the mixing ratio of water and the organic solvent , it is preferred that the amount of the organic solvent be smaller than 50 % by volume . in view of the concentration operation , it is preferred that the operation of obtaining the intended aqueous extract be carried out by using a mixed solvent of a water - miscible organic solvent and water . in the present invention , commercially available herb of barrenwort may be used as it is , but it is preferred that it be used after it has been finely divided into pieces . barrenwort is allowed to stand in the above - mentioned extraction solvent at room temperature for several to several tens of hours , and filtration is then carried out to obtain a filtrate . the residue is subjected to extraction and filtration in the same manner , and these operations are repeated . all the obtained filtrates are combined and concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain an aqueous extract . the extraction is usually effected at room temperature , but may be effected while heating in order to shorten the extraction time . this extraction with heating is preferably carried out on a water bath at a water bath temperature of 35 ° to 55 ° c . for 4 to 6 hours using a reflux condenser . it may be effected according to the percolation method . the amount of the solvent used is 5 to 15 times ( v / w ) that of the plant belonging to the genus epimedium sp . the extraction residue is preferably subjected to extraction under the same conditions 3 or more times using the solvent in an amount 0 . 4 to 0 . 6 times ( v / v ) that of the solvent first used . the separation may be accomplished by paper filtration or centrifugalization or the like , but better results are obtained when suction filtration is carried out by using commercially available filter aids for example radiolite ( supplied by showa chemical industry co ., ltd ., japan ), celite ( supplied by wako junyaku industry co ., ltd ., japan ) or fibra cel ( supplied by johns manville co ., ltd ., u . s . a . ), etc . the reduction of the pressure is accomplished by conventional manners for example an aspirator or a vacuum pump or the like . an extraction vessel having the inner surface lined with glass or covered with enamel or an extraction vessel made of stainless steel is used . the so obtained aqueous extract is then defatted . the defatting operation is ordinarily accomplished by adding one or more organic solvent selected from lower aliphatic esters such as ethyl acetate , halogenated hydrocarbons such as chloroform , water - immiscible ethers such as diethyl ether and aliphatic hydrocarbons such as n - hexane and the like , sufficiently shaking the mixture and collecting the aqueous layer alone . the obtained aqueous layer is subjected to the same operation again and is heated on a water bath to remove the organic solvent left in a small amount , and then filtered to obtain a defatted aqueous extract . it is preferred that the solvent be used in an amount 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 times ( v / v ) that of the aqueous extract for each operation and the operation be repeated 3 to 5 times . there may be adopted a method in which the defatting operation is first conducted and the extraction operation with a mixed solvent of a water - miscible organic solvent and water or with water is then carried out . then , a high - molecular compounds - containing fraction is collected from the defatted aqueous extract by fractional precipitation , dialysis or other conventional manners . these known manners may be used in combination for collection of the high - molecular compounds - containing fraction . the collected fraction is concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain the intended extract . this operation will now be described in detail with reference to the following two specific embodiments . ( 1 ) a water - miscible organic solvent is added to the defatted aqueous extract at room temperature to effect the precipitation . the amount of the solvent used is not smaller than that of the aqueous extract ( v / v ). the deposited precipitate is recovered by filtration and is washed with a water - miscible organic solvent in an amount 5 to 20 times ( v / w ) that of the precipitate . the washed precipitate is poured into water in an amount 20 to 50 times ( v / w ) that of the precipitate . then , a water - miscible organic solvent is added to the solution in an amount 3 or more times ( v / v ) that of the solution to effect precipitation again . the formed precipitate is recovered by filtration and dried under reduced pressure to obtain the intended extract . as the water - miscible organic solvent , there may be used , for example , lower alcohols such as methanol and ethanol and ketones such as acetone and the like . a mixture of two or more of these organic solvents may also be used . the so obtained extract may be purified by extraction with water . more specifically , the extract is mixed with water in an amount 20 or more times ( v / w ) that of the extract at room temperature , and the mixture is sufficiently stirred and is then filtered . the filtrate is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure to obtain a purified extract . at this operation , separation of the precipitate from the filtrate is accomplished by paper filtration or by centrifugalization . ( 2 ) the defatted aqueous extract is charged in a semipermeable membrane such as a cellulose tube for dialysis , and dialysis is carried out by using distilled water or city service water as the external liquid and the internal liquid ( the portion which includes high - molecular compounds - containing fraction ) is collected . better results are obtained when the external liquid is stirred by a stirrer or is kept running . it is preferred that the dialysis be conducted for about 1 week if the operation is carried out while keeping the external liquid running . in addition to this dialysis method , there may be adopted the gel filtration , the ultrafiltration , the ultracentrifugalization and the reverse osmosis . two or more of these methods may be adopted in combination . from the industrial viewpoint , it is preferred that the dialysis operation be carried out by using a dialysis apparatus including a hollow fiber membrane , for example pva hollow fiber dialyzer ( supplied by kuraray co ., ltd ., japan ), sf filtration system ( supplied by kuraray co ., ltd ., japan ) or nitto module ( supplied by nitto denko co ., ltd ., japan ) or the like . the salting - out operation may be conducted as the preliminary treatment before the dialysis operation . more specifically , a known water - soluble salt is added to the defatted aqueous extract to a saturation concentration , and the deposited precipitate is recovered and dissolved in water and the dialysis operation is then carried out . as the salt to be used for the salting - out operation , there may be used , for example , chlorides such as sodium chloride , calcium chloride and aluminum chloride , nitrates such as potassium nitrate , calcium nitrate and aluminum nitrate , and sulfates such as ammonium sulfate and magnesium sulfate and the like . the so obtained internal liquid ( the portion which includes high - molecular compounds - containing fraction ) is concentrated to about 1 / 10 . a water - miscible organic solvent is added to the concentrated liquid in an amount 3 or more times ( v / v ) that of the concentrated liquid . the deposited precipitate is recovered by filtration and dried under reduced pressure to obtain the intended extract . as in the case of the embodiment ( 1 ) above , the so obtained extract may be purified by extraction with water . the so obtained extract according to the present invention has the following characteristics . ( b ) weakly - acidic ( ph of about 6 . 5 ) ( when 100 mg of the extract is dissolved in 50 ml of water ) ( b ) insoluble in methanol , ethanol , acetone , ethyl acetate , diethyl ether , hexane and chloroform positive to ( a ) anthrone - sulfuric acid reaction , ( b ) bial &# 39 ; s reaction , ( c ) molisch &# 39 ; s reaction and ( d ) skatol reaction but negative to ( a ) ninhydrin reaction , ( b ) 2 , 4 - dnp reaction , ( c ) seliwanoff &# 39 ; s reaction and ( d ) naphthoresorcinol reaction when 20 mg of the extract is hydrolyzed by adding sulfuric acid ( 1 - n h 2 so 4 , 5 ml ) to the solution to make the normality of the solution unity , heated for 2 hours at 100 ° c ., then neutralized by adding barium hydroxide to the solution , and subjected to paper chromatographic analysis , arabinose and galactose are detected . infrared absorption spectrum is shown in fig1 . ν max kbr ( cm - 1 ) 3400 , 1600 , 1400 , 1100 ultraviolet absorption spectrum is shown in fig2 . λ max h . sbsp . 2 o ( nm ) 280 , 325 in order to confirm the utility of the extract of the present invention , the following tests were carried out . as the experimental animal , 7 - to 10 - weeks - old female mice of the icr / jcl strain ( having a body weight of 27 ± 3 g ) were used . after passage of 2 days from treatment of the sample , the intraperitoneal injection of the mice of the sample - treated group and the mice of the control group [ treated with phosphate buffered physiological saline solution having a ph value of 7 . 0 ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; pbs &# 34 ;)] were washed with rpmi - 1640 medium [ g . e . moore , the journal of the american medical association , 199 , pages 519 - 524 ( 1967 )] ( supplied by nissui seiyaku co ., ltd ., japan ) to collect peritoneal exhaust cells ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; pec &# 34 ;), and the collected cells were pooled respectively . the pec were washed one time with rpmi - 1640 medium , and then suspended in 10 % fbs - rpmi - 1640 medium ( culture medium formed by adding 10 % of fetal bovine serum to rpmi - 1640 medium ). the cell suspension was adjusted to 1 × 10 6 cells per ml by using turk solution . then 2 ml of the so obtained pec suspension was charged in a td - 15 bottle having 4 cover glass sheets attached thereto and culturing was conducted at 37 ° c . for 60 minutes in a 5 % co 2 incubator , and 0 . 1 ml of a suspension of staphylococcus aureus 209p having a concentration of 4 × 10 8 cells per ml was added and culturing was further conducted for 20 minutes to effect phagocytosis . after culturing , the culture liquid was washed 3 times with hanks &# 39 ; solution [ j . h . hanks and r . e . wallace , proceedings of the society for experimental biology and medicine , 71 , page 196 ( 1949 )] ( supplied by nissui seiyaku co ., ltd ., japan ). the macrophage - adhering cover glass sheets were fixed by methanol and subjected to giemsa staining to obtain samples for counting the number of phagocytized bacteria and 200 macrophages were counted in each cover glass sheet microscopical observation with oil immersion objective ( 1000 to 2000 magnifications ) to determine the phagocytosis ratio and mean phagocytized bacteria number ( phagocytized bacteria number i ). furthermore , the number of bacteria phagocytized by 100 phagocytizing macrophages was counted to determine the mean phagocytized bacteria number ( phagocytized bacteria number ii ). ## equ1 ## the test was carried out in the same manner as described in ○ 1 above except that salmonella enteritidis 116 - 45 was used as the test bacteria and culturing was conducted for 60 minutes after addition of the bacteria suspension . calculation was conducted in the same manner as described in ○ 1 above . the obtained results are shown in table 1 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________results of macrophage phagocytosis test ○ 1 ○ 2 salmonella aureus enteritidis__________________________________________________________________________test 1 control phagocytosis ratio (%) 37 . 3 ± 2 . 3 ( 1 ) 28 . 67 ± 0 . 29 ( 1 ) mice phagocytized bacteria number i 1 . 29 ± 0 . 14 ( 1 ) 0 . 48 ± 0 . 06 ( 1 ) phagocytized bacteria number ii 3 . 55 ± 0 . 33 ( 1 ) 1 . 78 ± 0 . 13 ( 1 ) sample - phagocytosis ratio (%) 55 . 73 ± 4 . 25 ( 1 . 49 ) 40 . 5 ± 2 . 6 ( 1 . 41 ) treated mice phagocytized bacteria number i 2 . 79 ± 0 . 47 ( 2 . 18 ) 0 . 93 ± 0 . 18 ( 1 . 94 ) phagocytized bacteria number ii 4 . 99 ± 0 . 57 ( 1 . 41 ) 2 . 37 ± 0 . 32 ( 1 . 33 ) test 2 control phagocytosis ratio (%) 24 . 8 ± 2 . 1 ( 1 ) 16 . 0 ± 1 . 5 ( 1 ) mice phagocytized bacteria number i 0 . 59 ± 0 . 04 ( 1 ) 0 . 25 ± 0 . 06 ( 1 ) phagocytized bacteria number ii 2 . 39 ± 0 . 19 ( 1 ) 1 . 31 ± 0 . 07 ( 1 ) sample - phagocytosis ratio (%) 33 . 1 ± 8 . 9 ( 1 . 34 ) 18 . 5 ± 1 . 5 ( 1 . 16 ) treated mice phagocytized bacteria number i 0 . 91 ± 0 . 36 ( 1 . 54 ) 0 . 36 ± 0 . 02 ( 1 . 44 ) phagocytized bacteria number ii 2 . 59 ± 0 . 39 ( 1 . 08 ) 1 . 37 ± 0 . 06 ( 1 . 05 ) test 3 control phagocytosis ratio (%) 26 . 83 ± 2 . 57 ( 1 ) 28 . 67 ± 0 . 29 ( 1 ) mice phagocytized bacteria number i 0 . 76 ± 0 . 11 ( 1 ) 1 . 78 ± 0 . 13 ( 1 ) sample - phagocytosis ratio (%) 42 . 63 ± 3 . 36 ( 1 . 59 ) 35 . 50 ± 3 . 10 ( 1 . 24 ) treated mice phagocytized bacteria number i 1 . 37 ± 0 . 35 ( 1 . 80 ) 0 . 68 ± 0 . 06 ( 1 . 42 ) phagocytized bacteria number ii 3 . 09 ± 0 . 51 ( 1 . 02 ) 1 . 97 ± 0 . 10 ( 1 . 11 ) __________________________________________________________________________ note 1 . in table 1 , each value indicates mean value ± standard deviation value . 2 . each parentheisized value is the activation index . 3 . in test 1 , the extract prepared in example 12 given herinafter was subcutaneously injected on the back of a mouse at a rate of 32 μg / 0 . 1 ml ( pbs )/ mouse , and one group consisted of 10 mice . 4 . in test 2 , the extract prepared in example 25 given hereinafter was subcutaneously injected on the back of a mouse at a rate of 48 μg / 0 . 1 ml ( pbs )/ mouse , and one group consisted of 10 mice . 5 . in test 3 , the extract prepared in example 36 given hereinafter was subcutaneously injected on the back of a mouse at a rate of 40 . 5 μg / 0 . ml ( pbs )/ mouse , and one group consisted of 10 mice . the sample was treated into the intraperitoneal injection 7 - weeks - old male mice of the icr / jcl strain ( having a body weight of 30 ± 2 g ) everyday during a period of 5 days . in order to examine influences on the phagocytosis in the reticuloendothelial system , colloidal carbon ( pelikan acting carbon c 11 / 1431a supplied by gunther wagner co ., ltd ., west germany ) was injected into tail veins of the respective mice of the treated group and control group after passage of 24 hours from the last treatment , and the clearance from blood was examined according to the following procedures . more specifically , colloidal carbon was diluted with a physiological saline solution containing 3 % of gelatin so that the carbon concentration was reduced to 1 / 2 and the dilution was injected into the tail vein at a rate of 10 ml / kg . then , 0 . 010 ml of blood was collected by a heparin - treated microppipette according to the eyepit puncture method and immediately transferred into 2 ml of 0 . 1 % na 2 co 3 to dissolve the blood . the absorption at 650 nm was measured by hitach double beam model 124 ( supplied by hitachi co ., ltd ., japan ). the phagocytic index was determined by injecting the colloidal carbon dilution into the vein , collecting blood after passage of 2 minutes ( t 1 ) and 20 minutes ( t 2 ) and performing calculation based on the carbon concentrations ( c 1 and c 2 : after passage of 2 minutes and 20 minutes , respectively ) in samples bloods according to the following formulae : ## equ2 ## table 2______________________________________results of reticuloendothelial function test k . sub . 2 . sup . 20 t 1 / 2 ( min . ) ______________________________________test 1 control mice 0 . 0137 ± 0 . 0039 23 . 945 ± 7 . 793 sample - treated mice 0 . 0224 ± 0 . 0096 16 . 281 ± 7 . 762test 2 control mice 0 . 0163 ± 0 . 0081 23 . 505 ± 13 . 595 sample - treated mice 0 . 0219 ± 0 . 0104 15 . 948 ± 5 . 430test 3 control mice 0 . 0063 ± 0 . 0009 48 . 550 ± 6 . 899 sample - treated mice 0 . 0115 ± 0 . 0020 27 . 120 ± 5 . 111test 4 control mice 0 . 0165 ± 0 . 0064 21 . 377 ± 10 . 619 sample - treated mice 0 . 0223 ± 0 . 0095 15 . 834 ± 5 . 969______________________________________ note 1 . in table 2 , each value indicates mean value ± standard deviation value . 2 . in test 1 , one group consisted of 12 mice , and the extract obtained in example 12 given hereinafter was treated at a rate of 65 μg / 0 . 1 ml ( pbs )/ mouse / day . 3 . in test 2 , one group consisted of 12 mice , and the extract prepared in example 25 given herinafter was treated at a rate of 97 μg / 0 . 1 ml ( pbs )/ mouse / day . 4 . in test 3 , one group consisted of 6 mice , and the extract prepared in example 26 given hereinafter was treated at a rate of 132 μg / 0 . 1 ml ( pbs )/ mouse / day . 5 . in test 4 , one group consisted of 22 mice , and the extract prepared in example 36 given hereinafter was treated at a rate of 82 μg / 0 . 1 ml ( pbs )/ mouse / day . in each of the tests 1 through 4 , the phagocytic index was increased by treatment of the extract of the present invention and the half - value period in blood was shortened . thus , it has been confirmed that the activity of catching colloidal carbon in the reticuloendothelial system is enhanced by treatment of the extract of the present invention . macrophages are divided into free type and fixed type , and free type cells are present in the bone marrow , blood , peritoneal cavity and alveolus and fixed type cells are present mainly in the spleen , lymph node and liver . the phagocytic activity test ○ 1 on staphylococcus aureus and the phagocytic activity test ○ 2 on salmonella enteritidis are tests made on the free type cells , and the reticuloendothelial test ○ 3 is a test made on the fixed type cells . from the foregoing test results , it has been confirmed that the numbers of bacteria and foreign matters to be phagocytized by both the free type macrophages and the fixed type macrophages are increased by treatment of the extract of the present invention . ( a ) as the experimental animal , 7 - to 10 - weeks - old female mice of the balb / c strain having a body weight of 22 ± 2 g were used . on the day when the sample was treated , bc - 47 cells ( the strain derived from the bladder cancer rat of the aci strain and cultured in generations in a test tube ) were applied to the intraperitoneal injection at a rate of 1 × 10 7 cells per mouse in both the treated group and the control group ( treated with 0 . 1 ml of pbs ) to effect immunization . after 7 days from the immunization , the peritoneal cavity of each mouse of the above two groups and the mormal mouse group was washed with rpmi - 1640 medium to collect pec . the collected cells were pooled respectively , and the pec were washed 2 times with rpmi - 1640 medium , centrifugally washed 1 time with 20 % fbs - rpmi - 1640 medium and then suspended in the latter - mentioned medium . with respect to each group , the pec concentration was adjusted to 3 . 2 × 10 5 cells per ml by cell number counting using trypan blue . ( b ) bc - 47 cells cultured in a test tube were suspended in 20 % fbs - rpmi - 1640 medium to form a living cell suspension having a concentration of 8 × 10 4 living cells per ml . ( c ) in a horizontal bottom type microplate for culturing of cells [ model n - 1480 having 96 holes ( wells ), supplied by nunc co ., ltd ., sweden ], 0 . 1 ml per hole of th pec suspension ( 3 . 2 × 10 4 cells ) and 0 . 1 ml per hole of the test tube - cultured bc - 47 cell suspension ( 8 × 10 3 cells ) were subjected to culturing at 37 ° c . for 24 hours in a 5 % co 2 incubator , and then , 0 . 05 μci of 14 c thymidine was added to each hole and culturing was conducted under the same conditions for 24 hours . ( d ) after completion of culturing , each hole was washed with pbs and bc - 47 cells adhering and growing on the bottom face of the hole were collected on a filter paper by a cell harvester of the mini - mush type ( supplied by dynaetech co ., ltd ., england ). the quantity of 14 c caught in the bc - 47 cells in each hole ( the number of 14 c atoms destroyed per minute , dpm ) was measured by a liquid scintillation counter ( model lsc - 673 supplied by aloka co ., ltd ., japan ). the propagation inhibition ratio was calculated according to the following formula : ## equ3 ## wherein a indicates the quantity ( m ) ( dpm / hole ) of 14 c caught in bc - 47 cells cultured singly and b denotes the quantity ( m ) ( dpm / hole ) of 14 c caught in bc - 47 cells cultured together with pec of the normal mouse , the immunized mouse or the immunized and sample - treated mouse . wherein c designates the propagation inhibition ratio ( m ) of the immunized and sample - treated mouse and d stands for the propagation inhibition ratio ( m ) of the immunized mouse ( the sample was not treated ). table 3__________________________________________________________________________enhanced action of cellular immunity caught quantity of propagation activation . sup . 14 c ( dmp ) inhibition ratio (%) index__________________________________________________________________________test 1 bc - 47 cells cultured singly 30884 . 3 ± 349 . 7 0 -- normal mice 27365 . 3 ± 926 . 3 11 . 39 -- immunized mice 22284 . 3 ± 939 . 1 27 . 85 1 immunized and sample - treated mice 16862 . 8 ± 725 . 8 45 . 40 1 . 63test 2 bc - 47 cells cultured singly 11208 . 2 ± 411 . 1 0 -- normal mice 9905 . 4 ± 429 . 6 11 . 62 -- immunized mice 6081 . 6 ± 819 . 0 45 . 74 1 . 00 immunized and sample - treated mice 2920 . 3 ± 176 . 1 73 . 95 1 . 62test 3 bc - 47 cells cultured singly 11208 . 2 ± 411 . 1 0 -- normal mice 9905 . 4 ± 429 . 6 11 . 62 -- immunized mice 6649 . 83 ± 819 . 0 40 . 67 1 . 00 immunized and sample - treated mice 3960 . 2 ± 310 . 7 64 . 67 1 . 59__________________________________________________________________________ note 1 . in test 1 , the extract prepared in example 12 given hereinafter was subcutaneously injected on the back of a mouse at a rate of 32 μg / 0 . 1 ml ( pbs )/ mouse , and one group consisted of 10 mice . 2 . in test 2 , the extract prepared in example 25 given hereinafter was subcutaneously injected on the back of a mouse at a rate of 32 μg / 0 . 1 ml ( pbs )/ mouse , and one group consisted of 10 mice . 3 . in test 3 , the extract prepared in example 36 given hereinafter was subcutaneously injected on the back of a mouse at a rate of 40 . 5 μg / 0 . ml ( pbs )/ mouse , and one group consisted of 10 mice . from the foregoing results , it has been confirmed that by treatment of the extract of the present invention , propagation of bc - 47 cells in mice can be inhibited and the cellular immunity to bc - 47 cells can be enhanced . the acute toxicity was tested according to the lichfield - wilcoxon method ( j . pharm . exp . ther ., 96 , 99 ( 1949 )) by using male mice of the icr / jcl strain . it was found that the ld 50 value ( mg / kg ) of the extract prepared in example 12 to 36 given hereinafter is 1990 to 2050 . ( intraperitoneal injection ) from the foregoing test results , it will readily be understood that the extract of the present invention is effectively used for preventing and inhibiting infectious diseases in patients having a reduced immunoactivity , for example , old patients or patients suffering from cancers while administered in combination with carcinostatic agents or for remedy of bacteria - infectious diseases while administered in combination with chemotherapeutic agents , or the extract of the present invention is administered to patients having reduced function of the liver for eliminating foreign substances ( for example , medicines ) so as to enhance the reduced function . the extracts of the present invention may be administered to human body orally , by injection ( intravenously , subcutaneously or intramuscularly ) or in any other manner . when the extracts of the present invention are employed in the form of solid preparations for oral administration , the preparations may be tablets , granules , powders , capsules or the like . the preparations may contain additives , for example , an excipient such as a saccharide or cellulose preparation , a binder such as starch paste or methyl cellulose , a filler , a disintegrator and so on , all being ones usually used in the manufacture of medical preparations . in case the extracts of the present invention are employed as oral liquid preparations , they may be of any form selected from aqueous preparations for internal use , suspensions , emulsions , syrups , etc ., and further they may be in the form of dried porducts which are dissolved prior to the use . when the extracts of the present invention are orally administered to adults , they may be employed in a dose of 3 to 20 mg / kg per day . here , of course , the dose may be increased or decreased appropriately depending on the conditions of disease , the age of the patient , the form of the preparation administered , etc . the extracts of the present invention may be injected in the form of aqueous solutions , suspensions or oily or aqueous emulsions , but usually the injections are prepared by dissolving or suspending them in aqueous liquid media such as sterile water of physiological saline solutions . if necessary , conventionally used dissolving agents , stabilizers , preservatives , additives for preparing isotonic solutions , etc . may be added to the injections . the thus obtained injection preparations are administered intravenously , intramuscularly , subcutaneously or in any other appropriate manner . when the injections are administered to adults parenterally , they may contain 0 . 1 to 5 mg / kg per day . of course , this dose level is increased or decreased appropriately depending on the conditions of disease , the age of the patient , the form of the preparation administered and the method of administration . the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the following examples that by no means limit the scope of the present invention . 40 of 50 % ethanol ( v / v ) was added to 5 kg of finely divided commercially available barrenwort ( epimedium koreanum nak . of korea growth ), and heating extraction was carried out at 50 ° c . for 6 hours on a water bath by using a reflux condencer . after extraction , the mixture was filtered while the mixture was still warm and the residue was further extracted 3 times in the same manner as the above , each time using 20 l of fresh 50 % ethanol ( v / v ). all the recovered filtrates were combined and then concentrated at 45 ° c . under reduced pressure to obtain 30 l of an aqueous extract . this extract was charged in a separating funnel and 20 l of ethyl acetate was added thereto , and the mixture was shaken sufficiently and only the aqueous layer was recovered . the aqueous layer was further extracted 3 times in the same manner as the above , each time using 20 l of fresh ethyl acetate . the aqueous layer was concentrated under reduced pressure and the residual ethyl acetate was removed by distillation , and the residue was filtered to obtain 22 . 5 l of a defatted aqueous extract . 20 l of water was added to 2 kg of finely divided commercially avilable barrenwort ( epimedium koreanum , nak . of korea growth ), and heating extraction was carried out at 50 ° c . for 6 hours on a water bath by using a reflux condencer . after extraction , the mixture was filtered while the mixture was still warm , and the residue was further extracted 3 times in the same manner as the above , each time using 10 l of water . all the filtrates were combined and then concentrated at 45 ° c . under reduced pressure to obtain 12 l of an aqueous extract . then , 9 . 0 l of a defatted aqueous extract was obtained from the so obtained aqueous extract in the same manner as described in example 1 . 20 l of 50 % ethanol ( v / v ) was added to 2 kg of finely divided commercially available barrenwort ( epimedium marcranthum m . et . d , var . violaceum fr . of japan growth ), and the mixture was allowed to stand still at room temperature overnight . then , the mixture was filtered and the residue was further extracted 3 times in the same manner as the above , each time using 10 l of fresh 50 % ethanol ( v / v ). all the filtrates were combined and then concentrated at 45 ° c . under reduced pressure to obtain 12 l of an aqueous extract . then , 9 . 0 l of a defatted aqueous extract was obtained from the so obtained aqueous extract in the same manner as described in example 1 . 20 l of water was added to 2 kg of finely divided commercially available barrenwort ( epimedium macranthum , m . et . d , var . violaceum fr . of japan growth ), and the mixture was allowed to stand still at room temperature overnight and was filtered and the residue was further extracted 3 times in the same manner as the above , each time using 10 l of fresh water . all the filtrates were combined and then concentrated at 45 ° c . under reduced pressure to obtain 12 l of the aqueous extract . then , 9 . 0 l of a defatted aqueous extract was obtained from the so obtained aqueous extract in the same manner as described in example 1 . 16 l of ethyl acetate was added to 2 kg of finely divided commercially available barrenwort ( epimedium sagittatum bak . of china luta growth ), and heating extraction was carried out at 50 ° c . on a water bath for 6 hours by using a reflux condencer . after extraction , the mixture was filtered while the mixture was still warm and the residue was further extracted 2 times in the same manner as the above , each time using 16 l of fresh ethyl acetate . the residue left after removal of the ethyl acetate - soluble portion was air - dried , and 16 l of water was added thereto . the mixture was extracted at 50 ° c . for 6 hours on a water bath by using a reflux condencer . then , the residue was further extracted and filtered 2 times in the same manner as the above , each time using 16 l of fresh water . the filtrates were combined , concentrated at 45 ° c . under reduced pressure and filtered to obtain 9 . 0 l of an aqueous extract . in the same manner as described in example 1 , 2 kg of finely divided commercially available barrenwort ( epimedium koreanum nak . of korea growth ) is treated except that the extracting solvent and defatting solvent were changed as indicated below . the obtained results are shown below . ______________________________________ amount of defatted defatting aqueousexample no . extracting solvent solvent extract ( l ) ______________________________________6 50 % methanol ( v / v ) ethyl acetate 9 . 07 50 % acetone ( v / v ) ethyl acetate 9 . 08 50 % dioxane ( v / v ) ethyl acetate 9 . 09 50 % ethanol ( v / v ) chloroform 9 . 010 50 % ethanol ( v / v ) diethyl ether 9 . 011 50 % ethanol ( v / v ) n - hexane 9 . 0______________________________________ 13 . 5 l of ethanol was added to 4 . 5 l of the defatted aqueous extract obtained in example 1 , and the mixture was stirred and allowed to stand still overnight and the deposited precipitate was recovered by filtration . the precipitate was washed with 100 ml of ethanol and dissolved in 400 ml of water , and 1 . 6 l of ethanol was added to the solution and the deposited precipitate was recovered by filtration . the recovered precipitate was dried under reduced pressure to obtain 10 g of an intended extract . then , the extract was extracted with 500 ml of water and filtered , and the filtrate was concentrated and dried under reduced pressure to obtain 8 g of a purified extract in the form of brown powder . the extracts of the present invention and purified extracts of the present invention were obtained from 4 . 5 l each of the defatted aqueous extracts obtained in examples 2 through 11 in the same manner as described in example 12 . the obtained results are shown below . ______________________________________ amount of amount of employed , defatted intended purifiedexample no . aqueous extract extract ( g ) extract ( g ) ______________________________________13 aqueous extract 17 . 5 14 . 0 obtained in example 214 aqueous extract 8 . 8 7 . 0 obtained in example 315 aqueous extract 10 . 5 7 . 5 obtained in example 416 aqueous extract 9 . 3 7 . 5 obtained in example 517 aqueous extract 9 . 3 7 . 5 obtained in example 618 aqueous extract 8 . 9 7 . 1 obtained in example 719 aqueous extract 8 . 8 7 . 0 obtained in example 820 aqueous extract 8 . 9 7 . 1 obtained in example 921 aqueous extract 9 . 0 7 . 2 obtained in example 1022 aqueous extract 8 . 1 6 . 5 obtained in example 11______________________________________ the defatted aqueous extract ( 4 . 5 l ) obtained in example 1 was treated in the same manner as described in example 12 except that methanol was used as the precipitating solvent instead of ethanol , to obtain 4 . 6 g of an intended extract and 2 . 6 g of a purified extract . the defatted aqueous extract ( 4 . 5 l ) obtained in example 1 was treated in the same manner as described in example 12 except that acetone was used as the precipitating solvent instead of ethanol , to obtain 8 . 8 g of an intended extract and 6 . 4 g of a purified extract . the defatted aqueous extract ( 4 . 5 l .) obtained in example 1 was charged in a cellulose tube for dialysis ( visking tube supplied by union carbide co ., ltd ., u . s . a .) and dialysis was conducted in running water for 1 week . the internal liquid ( the portion which included high - molecular compounds - containing fraction ) was concentrated under reduced pressure to 500 ml . 2 . 0 l of ethanol was added to the concentrated liquid and the deposited precipitate was recovered by filtration . the recovered precipitate was dried under reduced pressure to obtain 12 g of an intended extract . then , the extract was extracted with 500 ml of water and filtered , and the filtrate was concentrated and dried under reduced pressure to obtain 10 g of a purified extract in the form of brown powder . in the same manner as described in example 25 , the defatted aqueous extracts ( 4 . 5 l each ) obtained in examples 2 through 11 were treated to obtain intended extracts and purified extracts of the present invention . the obtained results are shown below . ______________________________________ amount of amount of employed , defatted intended purifiedexample no . aqueous extract extract ( g ) extract ( g ) ______________________________________26 aqueous extract 12 . 0 10 . 0 obtained in example 227 aqueous extract 10 . 0 8 . 0 obtained in example 528 aqueous extract 11 . 2 10 . 0 obtained in example 629 aqueous extract 10 . 6 9 . 0 obtained in example 730 aqueous extract 10 . 6 8 . 6 obtained in example 831 aqueous extract 10 . 6 8 . 8 obtained in example 932 aqueous extract 10 . 8 8 . 6 obtained in example 1033 aqueous extract 9 . 8 8 . 0 obtained in example 11______________________________________ the defatted aqueous extract ( 4 . 5 l .) obtained in example 3 was dialyzed by a pva hollow fiber dialyzer including a polyvinyl alcohol hollow fiber membrane ( model kl - 1 - 30 supplied by kuraray co ., ltd ., japan ). 1 . 6 l . of ethanol was added to the so obtained , concentrated liquid ( 400 ml ) and the deposited precipitate was recovered by filtration . the recovered precipitate was dried under reduced pressure to obtain 10 . 6 g of an intended extract . then , the extract was extracted with 500 ml of of water and filtered , and the filtrate was concentrated and dried under reduced pressure to obtain 8 . 5 g of a purified extract . in the same manner as described in example 34 , the deffatted aqueous extract obtained in example 4 was treated to obtain 6 . 1 g of an intended extract , and 4 . 5 g of a purified extract . the defatted aqueous extract ( 4 . 5 l ) obtained in example 1 was gradually mixed , with stirring , with ammonium sulfate until the saturation concentration of ammonium sulfate was reached , and the mixture was allowed to stand still overnight . the deposited precipitate was recovered by filtration , air - dried and extracted with 6 l . of water . the extract was charged in a cellulose tube for dialysis ( visking tube supplied by union carbide co ., ltd ., u . s . a .) and dialysis was conducted in running water for 6 days . the internal liquid ( the portion which included high - molecular compounds - containing fraction ) was concentrated under reduced pressure to 500 ml . 2 . 0 l of ethanol was added to the concentrated liquid and the deposited precipitate was recovered by filtration . the recovered filtrate was dried under reduced pressure to obtain 8 . 1 g of an intended extract . then , the extract was extracted with 500 ml of water and filtered , and the filtrate was concentrated and dried under reduced pressure to obtain 6 . 0 g of a purified extract . it was confirmed that the intended extracts obtained in examples 12 through 36 have the foregoing characteristics .	0
the cheese composition of the product , and as used in the process , can be either a natural cheese , a cheese food or an imitation cheese . natural cheeses , such as cheddar cheese , blue cheese , roquefort cheese , brie cheese and cream cheese , may be used , among others , and the particular cheese is not critical to the invention , but only provides the cheese flavor of the resulting cheese spread . however , instead of natural cheese , a cheese food may be used to flavor the composition . as is well known in the art , cheese foods are mixtures of natural cheeses and other dairy products to modify the properties of the cheese food composition . since cheese foods are well known to the art ( standards of identity have been established ), it is not necessary to describe those cheese foods in detail , but as is also known in the art , these cheese foods can have a variety of flavors , including the flavors of natural cheeses and including additional flavors , such as flavors derived from bacon bits , jalapeno peppers , and the like . however , it is also possible to use imitation cheese compositions , many of which are commercially available . generally speaking , these imitation cheese compositions are based on either naturally flavored or imitation flavored gels of caseinates , e . g . sodium caseinate and calcium caseinate . however , it is preferred that the cheese composition is a natural cheese , since this provides the best flavor , as well as the best mouth feel and texture . as noted above , the ratio of the water - in - oil emulsion and oil - in - water emulsion of the prior patent , which forms the spreadable butter - like composition , to the cheese composition can vary between 9 : 1 and 1 : 4 , and while this is a very broad range , the composition still remains stable . however , the spreading properties of the resulting composition within that range will vary considerably . thus , when the ratio of the emulsions to the cheese composition is about 9 : 1 , the spreading properties will be essentially the same as the spreading properties of the prior patent . however , since this amounts to only about 10 % cheese composition in the mixture , the cheese flavor of the resulting spread is considerably reduced . on the other hand , when the ratio of the emulsions of the prior patent to the cheese composition is about 1 : 4 , very intense cheese flavors will be produced , but the spreading properties will be considerably reduced , and the spreading properties of the composition will be more like that of the cheese composition used in the mixture . for balancing of flavor intensity and spreading properties , the ratio of the emulsions of the prior patent to the cheese composition in the mixture is more preferably about 5 : 1 to 1 : 2 , and more preferably about 2 : 1 to 1 : 1 . as briefly noted above , in order to make a stable homogeneous mixture of the butter - like spread of the prior patent and the cheese composition , a modification of the process of the prior patent must be made . thus , the process of the prior patent is conducted in the same manner as described in the prior patent through the steps of preparing the feed of liquid dairy product to the process and concentrating that feed to a fat content of at least 40 % by removing water , lactose and ash therefrom . at this point in the process of the prior patent , the cheese composition is mixed with the concentrate of the process of the prior patent , in the ratios described above . however , in order to make a stable and homogeneous mixture of the concentrate and the cheese composition , the mixture must be heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the fat in the mixture , i . e . both the fat in the concentrate and the fat in the cheese composition . this results in the ability , later in the process , to have an intimate mixture of the fats of the two systems , which fats will provide the spreading and flavor properties of the resulting composition . if natural cheese is used , then the melting point of the butterfat in both the concentrate and the cheese composition will be about 95 ° f . or slightly above , and that temperature could be used for that melting purpose . however , especially with natural cheeses , the melting point of the fat can vary somewhat , and for that reason , it is preferred to heat the mixture to at least about 110 ° f . and up to about 130 ° f . in order to insure that complete melting has taken place . on the other hand , when natural cheese is used , or even some cheese food compositions and imitation cheese foods , there remains in those compositions some enzymatic and biological activity . it is , therefore , preferable to suppress that enzymatic and biological activity during the heating step , by heating the mixture to a temperature sufficient to suppress any enzymes and biologics in the mixture . to this end , it is preferable to heat the mixture to at least 130 ° c . and more preferably to at least 140 ° c ., which will largely destroy any enzymes . however , where biologics may also be contained in the mixture , it is more preferable to heat the mixture to between 160 ° f . and 180 ° f . for about 1 to 10 minutes . this will ensure pasteurization of the mixture , although lesser conditions may well be used , i . e . 160 ° f . to 170 ° f . for between 3 and 5 minutes . when heating the mixture , the heating should be conducted in a slow manner . as is known in the art , particles of cheese can &# 34 ; case harden &# 34 ; when heated too rapidly , and this will cause difficulty in achieving a homogeneous mixture of the cheese composition and the spreadable composition of the prior patent . the rate of increase of temperature will depend upon the particular cheese composition being used in the mixture , but these temperatures are well known to the art and can be chosen for any particular cheese . however , generally speaking , a temperature rise of approximately 5 to 15 degrees in 10 to 30 minutes is generally acceptable . after the mixture is heated , it is cooled to at least below a temperature where &# 34 ; case hardening &# 34 ; of the cheese is no longer a problem . this , as noted above , will vary will the particular cheese but , generally speaking , should be at least below 140 ° f . ( if heated to above that temperature during the heating step ) and more preferably to a temperature below 110 ° f ., although cooling to about room temperature or slightly above is preferred . after cooling , the process of the present invention follows the process of the prior patent , as noted above , in that the mixture is then homogenized and a phase reversal of the concentrate in the mixture is performed , according to the disclosure of the prior patent . after this phase reversal takes place , the mixture forms a cheese - like spread , with the taste of that spread being , largely , determined by the cheese composition incorporated therein . the only exception to the foregoing is that in the prior patent , it is disclosed that either single - stage or two - stage conventional dairy homogenizers may be used with total homogenization pressures of between about 800 and 2500 psi , although for various compositions those pressures can vary considerably . in the present process , while a two - stage homogenizer can be used , it is preferred to use a single - stage homogenizer . if a two - stage homogenizer is used , then it is preferred that the second stage be operated at the minimum pressures of that particular homogenizer . in the present process , as is in the process of the prior patent , the pressures of the homogenizer will affect the spreading properties of the composition . in the present process , the homogenization pressure can be considerably lower than that of the prior patent , i . e . down to 200 psi , although the upper range , i . e . 2500 psi , can be used with the present process . however , it is preferred that the homogenization pressures of the present process be between about 400 and 1500 psi , in order to keep the spreading properties in a more desirable range , and even more preferably at pressures between 500 and 1200 psi . also , to keep the spreading properties in a more desirable range , similar to that of cheese food , it is preferred that the ratio of the concentration to the cheese composition be between about 5 : 1 and 1 : 1 and that the cheese composition is a softer cheese composition , as opposed to the harder cheese compositions . for example , the softer cheeses of cheddar cheese , roquefort cheese , blue cheese , brie cheese and cream cheese provide better spreading properties , as opposed to the harder cheeses such as parmesan cheese , italian cheese and the like . after the process , the cheese spread may be packaged in any desired means , such as tubs , glass containers , and the like . the composition then is quite useful for making hors d &# 39 ; oeuvres , cheese sauces , cheese toppings , or simply spreading on crackers and the like for immediate consumption . the taste is quite like the cheese composition used in preparing the present composition , with the intensity of that cheese flavor being essentially dependent upon the amount of cheese composition used therein , as explained above . especially with higher amounts of cheese composition used in the present composition , the melting properties of the present composition will be more like that of the cheese composition used therein . thus , for example , when the cheese composition is natural cheddar cheese , and the ratio of the concentrate to the cheese composition used in producing the present composition is about 1 : 1 , then the present composition will have melting properties very similar to natural cheddar cheese , but will have spreading properties much greater than natural cheddar cheese , i . e . the present composition can be spread with an ordinary table knife . this allows the present composition to be easily used in manners similar to uses of natural cheddar cheese , for example , in making cheeseburgers , macaroni and cheese and the like . the composition can also be used for making cheese - flavored fillings , e . g . a cheese - flavored filling for hot dogs , snack crackers and rings , tortellini , tortaloni and the like . the composition can also be used to prepare other cheese - flavored fillings such as pie and cake fillings . for example , the composition can be formulated with conventional ingredients for making a cheesecake filling , e . g . sugar , spices , lemon juice , thickeners , etc ., and such a filling can be placed in a conventional crumb pastry or a cake cone or the like to make a multi - serving or a single serving cheesecake .	0
various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are implemented on a computer system including one or more processors and one or more memory units . in this regard , according to exemplary embodiments , steps of the various methods described herein are performed on one or more computer processors according to instructions encoded on a computer - readable medium . fig1 is a block diagram of the voice transformation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the source is the voice from a speaker 101 . through a microphone 102 , the voice is converted into electrical signal , and recorded in the computer as pcm ( pulse code modulation ) signal 103 . the pcm signal 103 is then segmented by segmenter 104 into frames 105 , according to segment points 110 . there are two methods to generate the segment points . the first one is to use an electroglottograph ( egg ) 106 to detect the glottal closure instants ( gci ) 107 directly ( see fig2 ). the second one is to use a glottal closure instants detection unit 108 to generate gci from the voice waveform . the glottal closure instants ( gci ) 107 and the voice signal ( pcm ) 103 are sent to a processing unit 109 , to generate a complete set of segment points 110 . the details of this process is shown in fig3 . the voice signal in each frame 105 proceeds through a fourier analysis unit 111 to generate amplitude spectrum 112 . the amplitude spectrum 112 proceeds through an orthogonal transform unit 113 to generate timbre vectors 114 . in exemplary embodiments , laguerre functions are the most appropriate mathematical functions for converting the amplitude spectrum into a compact and convenient form ( see fig4 ). data structure of a timbre vector is shown in fig5 . after the pcm signal 103 is converted into timbre vectors 114 , a number of voice manipulations can be made according to specifications 115 by voice manipulator 116 , so as to generate new timbre vectors 117 , then the voice can be regenerated using the new timbre vectors 117 . in detail , the steps are as follows : laguerre transform 118 is used to regenerate amplitude spectrum 119 ; the phase generator 120 ( based on kramers - kronig relations ) is used to generate phase spectrum 121 ; fft ( fast fourier transform ) 122 is used to generate an elementary acoustic wave 123 , from the amplitude spectrum and phase spectrum ; then those elementary acoustic waves 123 are superposed according to the timing information 124 in the new timbre vectors , each one is delayed by the time of frame duration 125 of the previous frame . the output wave in electric form then drives a loudspeaker 126 to produce an output voice 127 . fig2 shows the process of speech generation , particularly the generation of voiced sections , and the properties of the pcm and egg signals . air flow 201 comes from the lungs to the opening between the two vocal cords , or glottis , 202 . if the glottis is constantly open , there is a constant air flow 203 , but no voice signal is generated . at the instant the glottis closes , or a glottal closure occurs , which is always very rapid due to the bernoulli effect , the inertia of the moving air in the vocal track 204 generates a d &# 39 ; alembert wave front , then excites an acoustic resonance . the actions of the glottis is monitored by the signals from a electroglottograph ( egg ) 205 . when there is a glottal closure , the instrument generates a sharp peak in the derivative of the egg signal , as shown as 207 in fig2 . a microphone 206 is placed near the mouth to generate a signal , typically a pulse code modulation signal , or pcm , as shown in 209 in fig2 . if the glottis remains closed after a closure , as shown as 208 , then the acoustic excitation sustains , as shown as 210 . fig3 shows the details of processing unit 109 to generate the segmentation points . the input data is the pcm signal 301 - 303 and egg signal 304 , produced by the source speaker 101 . when there are clear peaks in the egg signal , such as 304 , corresponding to pcm signal 301 , those peaks are selected as the segmentation points 305 . for some quasi - periodic segments of the voice 302 , there is no clear egg peaks . the segmentation points are generated by comparing the waveform 302 with the neighboring ones 301 , and if the waveform 302 is still periodic , then segmentation points 306 are generated at the same intervals as the segmentation points 305 . if the signal is no longer periodic , such as 303 , the pcm is segmented according to points 307 into frames with an equal interval , here 5 msec . therefore , the entire pcm signal is segmented into frames . the values of the voice signal at two adjacent closure moments may not match . the following is an algorithm that may be used to match the ends . let the number of sampling points between two adjacent glottal closures be n , and the original voice signal be x 0 ( n ). the smoothed signal x ( n ) in a small interval 0 & lt ; n & lt ; m is defined as where m is about n / 10 . otherwise x ( n )= x 0 ( n ). direct inspection shows that the ends of the waveform are matched , and it is smooth . therefore , no window functions are required . the waveform in a frame is processed by fourier analysis to generate an amplitude spectrum . the amplitude spectrum is further processed by a laguarre transform unit to generate timbre vectors as follows . where k is an integer , typically k = 0 , 2 or 4 ; and the associated laguerre polynomials are and κ is a scaling factor to maximize accuracy . the norm of the vector c is the intensity parameter i , to recover phase spectrum φ ( ω ) from amplitude spectrum a ( ω ), kramers - kronig relations are used , the output wave for a frame , the elementary acoustic wave , can be calculated from the amplitude spectrum a ( ω ) and the phase spectrum φ ( ω ), fig4 shows the laguerre function . after proper scaling , twenty - nine laguerre functions are used on the frequency scale 401 of 0 to 11 khz . the first laguerre function 402 actually probes the first formant . for higher order laguerre functions , such as the laguerre function 403 , the resolution in the low - frequency range is successively improved ; and extended to the high - frequency range 404 . because of the accuracy scaling , it makes an accurate but concise representation of the spectrum . fig5 shows the data structure of a timbre vector including the voicedness index ( v ) 501 , the frame duration ( t ) 502 , the intensity parameter ( i ) 503 , and the normalized laguerre coefficients 504 . there are many possible voice transformation manipulations , including , for example , the following : timbre interpolation . the unit vector of laguerre coefficients varies slowly with frames . it can be interpolated for reduced number of frames or extended number of frames for any section of voice to produce natural sounding speech of arbitrary temporal variations . for example , the speech can be made very fast but still recognizable by a blind person . timbre fusing . by connecting two sets of timbre vectors of two different phonemes and smear - averaging over the juncture , a natural - sounding transition is generated . phoneme assimilation may be automatically produced . by connecting a syllable ended with [ g ] with a syllable started with [ n ], after fusing , the sound [ n ] is automatically assimilated into [ ng ]. fig6 shows the principles of the timbre fusing operation . original timbre vectors from the first phoneme 601 include timbre vectors a , b , and c . original timbre vectors from the second phoneme 602 include timbre vectors d and e . the output timbre vectors 603 through 607 are weighed averages from the original timbre vectors . for example , output timbre vector d ′ is generated from timbre vector c , d , and e using the binomial coefficients 1 , 2 , and 1 ; output timbre vector c ′ is generated from original timbre vectors a , b , c , d , and e using the binomial coefficients 1 , 4 , 6 , 4 , and 1 . as a very simple case is shown here , the number of timbre vectors involved can be a larger number of 2 n + 1 , for example , 9 , 17 , 33 , or 65 for n = 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 . pitch modification . the state - of - the - art technology for pitch modification of speech signal is the time - domain pitch - synchronized overlap - add ( td - psola ) method , which can change pitch from − 30 % to + 50 %. otherwise the output would sound unnatural . here , pitch can be easily modified by changing the time of separation t , then using timbre interpolation to compensate speed . natural sounding speech can be produced with pitch modifications as large as three octaves . intensity profiling . because the intensity parameter i is a property of a frame , it can be changed to produce any stress pattern required by prosody input . change of speaker identity . first , by rescaling the amplitude spectrum on the frequency axis , the head size can be changed . the voice of an average adult speaker can be changed to that of a baby , a child , a woman , a man , or a giant . second , by using a filter to alter the spectral envelop , special voice effects can be created . using those voice manipulation capabilities and timbre fusing ( see fig6 ), high - quality speech synthesizers with a compact database can be constructed using the parametric representation based on timbre vectors ( see fig7 ). the speech synthesis system has two major parts : database building part 101 ( the left - hand side of fig7 ), and the synthesis part 121 ( right - hand side of fig7 ). in the database building unit 701 , a source speaker 702 reads a prepared text . the voice is recorded by a microphone to become the pcm signal 703 . the glottal closure signal is recorded by an electroglottograph ( egg ) to become egg signal 704 . the origin and properties of those signals are shown in fig2 . the egg signal and the pcm signal are used by the processing unit 705 to generate a set of segment points 706 . the details of the segmenting process , or the function of the processing unit , is shown in fig3 . the pcm signal is segmented by the segmenter 707 into frames 708 using the segment points 706 . each frame is processed by a unit of fourier analysis 709 to generate amplitude spectrum 710 . the amplitude spectrum of each frame is then processed using a laguerre transform unit 711 to become a unit vector , representing the instantaneous timbre of that frame , to become the basis of timbre vectors 712 . the laguerre functions are shown in fig4 . the structure of the timbre vector is shown in fig5 . the timbre vectors of various units of speech , such as , for example , phonemes , diphones , demisyllables , syllables , words and even phrases , are then stored in the speech database 720 . in the synthesis unit 721 , the input text 722 together with synthesis parameters 723 , are fed into the frontend 724 . detailed instructions about the phonemes , intensity and pitch values 725 , for generating the desired speech are generated , then input to a processing unit 726 . the processing unit 726 selects timbre vectors from the database 720 , then converts the selected timbre vectors to a new series of timbre vectors 727 according to the instructions from the process unit 726 , and using timbre fusing if necessary ( see fig6 ). each timbre vector is converted into an amplitude spectrum 729 by laguerre transform unit 728 . the phase spectrum 731 is generated from the amplitude spectrum 729 by phase generator 730 using a kramers - kronig relations algorithm . the amplitude spectrum 729 and the phase spectrum 731 are sent to a fft ( fast fourier transform ) unit 732 , to generate an elementary acoustic wave 733 . those elementary acoustic waves 733 are than superposed by the superposition unit 735 according to the timing information 734 provided by the new timbre vectors 727 , to generate the final result , output speech signal 736 . the parametric representation of human voice in terms of timbre vectors can also be used as the basis of automatic speech recognition systems . to date , the most widely used acoustic features , or parametric representation of human speech in automatic speech recognition is the mel - cepstrum . first , the speech signal is segmented into frames of fixed length , typically 20 msec , with a window , typically hann window or hamming window , and a shift of 10 msec . those parametric representations are crude and inaccurate . features that cross the phoneme borders occur very often . the parametric representation based on timbre vectors is more accurate . especially , a well - behaved timbre distance δ between two frames can be defined as where c ( 1 ) n and c ( 2 ) n are elements of the normalized laguerre coefficients of the two timbre vectors ( see fig5 ). experiments have shown that for two timbre vectors of the same phoneme ( not diphthong ), the distance is less than 0 . 1 . for timbre vectors of different vowels , the distance is 0 . 1 to 0 . 6 . furthermore , because of the presence of the voicedness index v ( see fig5 ), vowels and unvoiced consonants are well separated . because of the intensity parameter i , silence is well separated from real sound . for the recognition of tone languages such as mandarin , cantonese , that etc ., pitch is an important parameter ( see , for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 751 , 905 and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 510 , 410 ). the frame duration t provides a very accurate measure of pitch ( see fig5 ). therefore , using parametric representation based on timbre vectors , the accuracy of speech recognition can be greatly improved . fig8 shows a block diagram of an automatic speech recognition system based on timbre vectors . the first half of the procedure , converting speech signal into timbre vectors , is similar to step 102 through step 114 of fig1 for voice transformation . the voice from a speaker 801 is recorded in the computer as pcm signal 803 . the pcm signal 803 is then segmented by segmenter 804 into frames 805 , according to segment points 810 . there are two methods to generate the segment points . the first one is to use an electroglottograph ( egg ) 806 to detect the glottal closure instants ( gci ) 807 directly ( see fig2 ). the second one is to use the glottal closure instants detection unit 808 , to generate gci from the voice waveform . the glottal closure instants ( gci ) 807 and the voice signal ( pcm ) 803 are sent to a processing unit 809 , to generate a complete set of segment points 810 . the details of this process are shown in fig3 . the voice signal in each frame 805 proceeds through a fourier analysis unit 811 to generate amplitude spectrum 812 . the amplitude spectrum 812 proceeds through a laguerre transform 813 to generate timbre vectors 814 . the timbre vectors 814 are streamed into acoustic decoder 815 , to compare with the timbre vectors stored in the acoustic models 816 . possible phoneme sequence 817 is generated . the phoneme sequence is sent to language decoder 818 , assisted with language model 819 , to find the most probable output text 820 . the language decoder 818 may be essentially the same as other automatic speech recognition systems . because the accuracy of the inventive parametric representation is much higher , the accuracy of the acoustic decoder 815 may be much higher . for using the speech recognition system in a quiet environment , the pcm signals generated through a microphone can be sufficient . in noisy environments , the addition of an electroglottograph 806 can substantially improve the accuracy . in ordinary speech recognition systems , adaptation for a given speaker by recording a good number ( for example 100 ) of spoken sentences from a given speaker and processing it can improve the accuracy . because of the simplicity of the timbre - vector parametric representation , it is possible to use a single recorded sentence from a given speaker to improve the accuracy . while this invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments outlined above , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the exemplary embodiments of the invention , as set forth above , are intended to be illustrative , not limiting . various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
various implementations of the present disclosure are discussed below in the context of chipraid - ecc capability for a memory . the systems and techniques described in this disclosure are generally applicable to any memory system for which it is desirable to provide chipraid - ecc capability . while specific implementations of memory and memory controllers are illustrated and described , many other memory and memory controller implementations may exist that include components different than those illustrated and described below . fig1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system 100 that includes a memory controller 101 in which an ecc controller 102 may be utilized to provide chipraid - ecc capability for a memory 103 . the memory controller 101 may include multiple system ports 104 a , 104 b and 104 c , an arbiter 105 , and a command scheduler 106 . the system ports 104 a , 104 b , 104 c may connect the memory controller 101 to other components of the system 100 , such as a central processing unit ( cpu ) 110 , a graphics processor 111 , and a direct memory access ( dma ) controller 112 . the arbiter 105 may perform arbitration of memory access requests from the system ports 104 . the command scheduler 106 may schedule memory access requests from the ecc controller 102 based on various factors , such as memory bank status , access priority , and access type ( e . g ., read or write ). the memory controller 101 includes a memory interface 107 that connects the memory controller 101 to the memory 103 . the memory interface 107 may be configured to connect with a non - ecc memory , an ecc memory , or a non - conventional or custom memory . in some implementations , the memory interface 107 may be 32 bits or 64 bits wide to connect with a non - ecc memory . in some implementations , the memory interface 107 may be 40 bits or 72 bits wide to connect with an ecc memory . in some implementations , the memory interface 107 may be 48 bits wide to connect with a custom memory that provides 48 bits at a time . in some implementations , the memory interface 107 may be 80 bits wide to connect with a custom memory that provides 64 bits of data , 8 bits of ecc , and 8 bits of checksum . the memory 103 may include any memory system for which it is desirable to provide chipraid - ecc capability . in some implementations , the memory 103 may include a volatile memory , such as random - access memory ( ram ), including a dynamic random - access memory ( dram ), a static random - access memory ( sram ), a double data rate random - access memory ( ddr ram ), or other similar devices . in some implementations , the memory 103 may include a non - volatile memory , such as a flash memory or other similar persistent storage devices . the memory controller 101 and the memory 103 can be included in an integrated circuit device , such as a system on chip ( soc ) device . the memory 103 may be a non - ecc memory or an ecc memory . a non - ecc memory is an integrated circuit device without ecc circuitry built into the device , whereas an ecc memory is an integrated circuit device with ecc circuitry built into the device . ecc circuitry built into an ecc memory may include an ecc controller , an additional memory chip , and a wider interface . even though an ecc memory may include an additional memory chip and a wider interface , a non - ecc memory and an ecc memory can provide the same data throughput . the memory 103 includes multiple memory devices 103 ( 1 ), 103 ( 2 ) to 103 ( n ). examples of such memory devices include modules , chips , or disks . the memory 103 includes one or more independent sets of memory devices connected to the same address and data buses . each independent set of memory devices is referred to as a rank . only one rank of the memory 103 may be accessed at a time . in some implementations , the memory devices 103 ( 1 ), 103 ( 2 ) to 103 ( n ) may be × 4 memory devices . each × 4 memory device has a data width of 4 bits . a set of eight × 4 memory devices may form a rank to provide access to 32 bits of data at a time . a set of sixteen × 4 memory devices may form a rank to provide access to 64 bits of data at a time . a set of eighteen × 4 memory devices may form a rank to provide access to 72 bits of data at a time . in some implementations , the memory devices 103 ( 1 ), 103 ( 2 ) to 103 ( n ) may be × 8 memory devices . each × 8 memory device has a data width of 8 bits . a set of four × 8 memory devices may form a rank to provide access to 32 bits of data at a time . a set of five × 8 memory devices may form a rank to provide access to 40 bits of data at a time . a set of six × 8 memory devices may form a rank to provide access to 48 bits of data at a time . a set of eight × 8 memory devices may form a rank to provide access to 64 bits of data at a time , a set of nine × 8 memory devices may form a rank to provide access to 72 bits of data at a time . the ecc controller 102 provides chipraid - ecc capability for the memory 103 . the ecc controller 102 may receive a programming input that the ecc controller 102 uses to provide chip - raid ecc capability . in some implementations , the programming input may be values specified by software or firmware executed by the memory controller 101 or the ecc controller 102 . in some implementations , the programming input may be received from an external source , e . g ., a user of the system 100 , while the ecc controller 102 is processing data . fig2 is a flowchart showing examples of operations 200 performed by an ecc controller , e . g ., the ecc controller 102 of fig1 , to process a data word that is to be stored in a memory using chipraid - ecc . at 202 , the ecc controller receives the data word that is to be stored in a memory such as memory 103 of fig1 . a data word as used in this disclosure is the largest unit of data , not including ecc information , that can be transferred to and from the memory in a single operation . for example , a data word may include 32 bits or 64 bits of data received from a . system component , e . g ., cpu 110 , graphics processor 111 , or dma controller 112 of fig1 . at 204 , the ecc controller generates one or more bits of ecc information for the data word . the ecc information may include ecc bits that can be used to detect and correct bit errors in the data word . the ecc controller may generate a set of ecc bits ( referred to ecc segments ) for each data block ( e . g ., 1 byte of data , 4 bytes of data , 8 bytes of data , 16 bytes of data , or other numbers of bytes of data ) of the data word . the data block size and ecc segment size may be variable based on , for example , factors that affect integrity of a data signal . factors that affect the integrity of the data signal may include data rate , clock frequency , temperature , or power consumption level at which the memory is operating . other factors that affect the integrity of the data signal may include external radiation and noise . the data block size and the ecc segment size may be programmable and may be based on the programming input to the ecc controller . the programming input may specify , for example , a number of ecc bits to generate for the data word , the data block size , or the ecc segment size . the ecc controller 102 may use any suitable ecc algorithm to generate the ecc segments for each data block of the data word , such as enhanced hamming code , sec - ded , or bose - chaudhuri - hocquenghem ( bch ) code . using enhanced hamming code or sec - ded to protect a data block may provide the data block with 1 - bit error correction and 2 - bit error detection . using bch code to protect a data block may provide the data block with 2 - bit error correction . for example , the ecc controller may generate a 6 - bit ecc segment for a 1 - byte block of data using enhanced hamming code , which provides 1 - bit error correction and 2 - bit error detection for the 1 byte of data . as another example , the ecc controller may generate a 8 - bit ecc segment for 1 - byte block of data using bch code , which provides 2 - bit error correction and 2 - bit error detection for the 1 byte of data . as yet another example , the ecc controller may generate a 2 - byte ecc segment for an 8 - byte block of data , which provides 2 - bit error correction and 3 - bit error detection for 8 bytes of data . other data block sizes and ecc segment sizes are possible . in general , the ability to correct errors in a data word is dependent upon which ecc algorithm is used to generate the ecc segments and how many bits are in an ecc segment . rmw can be avoided using chipraid - ecc to protect data written to a memory when only a portion of the data word is being modified . rmw can be avoided by generating a 1 - byte ecc segment for a 1 - byte block of data , which provides 1 - bit error correction and 2 - bit error detection for the 1 byte of data . when a portion of an encoded word is modified , the ecc controller can write the modified bytes of data and the corresponding modified bytes of ecc information to the memory directly without performing rmw operations because 1 byte of data corresponds to 1 byte of ecc information . to write the bytes of data and the bytes of the ecc information , the ecc controller can use a data mask , or write strobe , to indicate the bytes of the encoded word that are to be updated and the bytes of the encoded word that are not to be updated . at 206 , the ecc controller may optionally interleave bits of one or more data words including the data word , which may create a more uniform distribution of errors . in some implementations , the ecc controller may interleave bits of a first portion of the data word and bits of a second portion of the data word and distribute the interleaved data word across two encoded words . for example , the ecc controller may interleave every bit of the first portion and the second portion of the data word . the ecc controller may distribute the interleaved data word across two encoded words . as another example , the ecc controller may interleave every other bit of the first portion and the second portion of the data word to form the two encoded words . the first encoded word includes odd bits of the first portion of the data word and odd bits of the second portion of the data word . the second encoded word includes even bits of the first portion of the data word and even bits of the second portion of the data word . in some implementations , the ecc controller may interleave bits of the data word and bits of one or more other data words and distribute the interleaved data words across two or more encoded words in a similar fashion as described above for interleaving portions of the data word . for example , the ecc controller may interleave the data word and one other data word and distribute the interleaved data words across two encoded words . the ecc controller may interleave the data word and three other data words and distribute the interleaved data words across four encoded words . the ecc controller may interleave the data word and seven other data words and distribute the interleaved data words across eight encoded words . interleaving multiple data words provides the capability to correct multi - bit errors in a wordline of the memory that are associated with different data words . a wordline as used in this disclosure refers to a row of a memory device . the number of data words to interleave may be programmable and may be based on the programming input to the ecc controller . the programming input may specify , for example , the number of data words to interleave , the number of multi - bit errors to provide protection against , or the number of bits of a data word to store in a wordline of a memory device . at 208 , the ecc controller may optionally interleave bits of ecc information generated for one or more data words , including the ecc information generated for the data word . in some implementations , the ecc controller may interleave bits of a first portion of the ecc information and bits of a second portion of the ecc information and distribute the interleaved ecc information across two encoded words . for example , the ecc controller may interleave every bit of the first portion and the second portion of the ecc information . the ecc controller may distribute the interleaved ecc information across two encoded words . as another example , the ecc controller may interleave every other bit of the first portion and the second portion of the ecc information to form two encoded words . the first encoded word includes odd bits of the first portion of the ecc information and odd bits of the second portion of the ecc information . the second encoded word includes even bits of the first portion of the ecc information and even bits of the second portion of the ecc information . in some implementations , the ecc controller may interleave bits of the ecc information and bits of ecc information generated for one or more other data words and distribute the interleaved ecc information across two or more encoded words in a similar fashion as described above for interleaving multiple data words . the number of ecc words to interleave corresponds to the number of data words to interleave , which may be programmable and may be based on the programming input to the ecc controller , as described above . fig3 shows an example of data formats of encoded words that include interleaved data and interleaved ecc information . the ecc controller receives a data word 302 . the data word 302 may be a 64 - bit data word ( the bytes are referenced in fig3 using base 4 numbers ). the ecc controller generates ecc information 304 for the data word 302 . the ecc controller may generate 6 bits of the ecc information 304 for each byte of the data word 302 to generate 48 bits of ecc information . the ecc controller interleaves a first portion 306 of the data word and a second portion 308 of the data word . for example , the ecc controller may interleave bytes d 00 and d 10 as follows : d 00 ′[ 7 : 0 ]={ d 10 [ 6 ], d 00 [ 6 ], d 10 [ 4 ], d 00 [ 4 ], d 10 [ 2 ], d 00 [ 2 ], d 10 [ 0 ], d 00 [ 0 ]} and d 10 ′[ 7 : 0 ]={ d 10 [ 7 ], d 00 [ 7 ], d 10 [ 5 ], d 00 [ 5 ], d 10 [ 3 ], d 00 [ 3 ], d 10 [ 1 ], d 00 [ 1 ]}. the ecc controller may interleave bytes d 01 , d 11 , d 02 , d 12 , d 03 , d 13 in a similar fashion to generate d 01 ′, d 11 ′, d 02 ′, d 12 ′, d 03 ′, d 13 ′. in this implementation , the odd bits of the first portion 306 and the odd bits of the second portion 308 are interleaved , and the even bits of the first portion 306 and the even bits of the second portion 308 are interleaved . the ecc controller interleaves a first portion 310 of the ecc information and a second portion 312 of the ecc information . for example , the ecc controller may interleave the 6 bits of ecc information e 00 and the 6 bits of ecc information e 10 as follows : e 00 ″[ 5 : 0 ]={ e 10 [ 4 ], e 00 [ 4 ], e 10 [ 2 ], e 00 [ 2 ], e 10 [ 0 ], e 00 [ 0 ]} and e 10 ′[ 5 : 0 ]={ e 10 [ 5 ], e 00 [ 5 ], e 10 [ 3 ], e 00 [ 3 ], e 10 [ 1 ], e 00 [ 1 ]}. the ecc controller may interleave e 01 , e 11 , e 02 , e 12 , e 03 , e 13 in a similar fashion to generate e 01 ′, e 11 ′, e 02 ′, e 12 ′, e 03 ′, e 13 ′. in this implementation , the odd bits of the first portion 310 and the odd bits of the second portion 312 are interleaved , and the even bits of the first portion 310 and the even bits of the second portion 312 are interleaved . the ecc controller forms two 64 - bit encoded words 314 and 316 . encoded word 314 includes a first portion of the interleaved data word and a first portion of the interleaved ecc information . encoded word 316 includes a second portion of the interleaved data word and a second portion of the interleaved ecc information . the two encoded words 314 and 316 may each include a 1 - byte checksum cs 0 and cs 1 , which will be described in more detail later in this disclosure . interleaving the data word and ecc information distributing the interleaved data word and ecc information across two encoded words may provide protection for some multi - bit error situations . for example , the encoded word 314 may have 2 bits that are in error . the error may have occurred when the encoded word 314 was being read from a memory , and bits d 00 ′[ 0 ] and d 00 ′[ 1 ] became flipped while being read . the 2 - bit error in the encoded word 314 may not be correctable without de - interleaving the encoded word . since bit d 00 ′[ 0 ] corresponds to bit d 00 [ 0 ] of the first portion 306 and bit d 00 ′[ 1 ] corresponds to bit d 10 [ 0 ] of the second portion 308 , the encoded word 314 is de - interleaved to generate the first portion 306 and the second portion 308 . the first portion 306 has 1 bit that is in error , and the second portion 308 has 1 bit that is in error . the single bit errors in each of the first portion 306 and the second portion 308 can now be corrected . returning to fig2 at 210 , the ecc controller may optionally interleave data blocks of the data word and ecc segments of the ecc information for storage in the memory . for example , an encoded word may be arranged such that a 1 - byte data block is followed by its corresponding 6 - bit ecc segment . as another example , an encoded word may be arranged such that a 1 - byte data block is followed by its corresponding 1 - byte ecc segment . as yet another example , an encoded word may be arranged such that an 8 - byte data block is followed by its corresponding 2 - byte ecc segment . data blocks and ecc segments having sizes other than those described above may be interleaved . when 1 byte of data is interleaved with 1 byte of ecc information and a portion of the encoded word is modified , the ecc controller can write the modified bytes of data and the corresponding modified bytes of ecc information to the memory directly without performing rmw operations . to write the bytes of data and the bytes of the ecc information , the ecc controller can use a data mask , or write strobe , to indicate the bytes of the encoded word that are to be updated and the bytes of the encoded word that are not to be updated . at 212 , the ecc controller generates one or more bytes of additional ecc information . the additional ecc information may include checksum bits or parity bits that can be used to detect and correct errors in the encoded word . the ecc controller 102 may use any suitable algorithm to generate checksum bits , such as raid 5 or raid 6 . using raid 5 , the ecc controller may generate checksum bits for an encoded word by computing an xor across all data bytes and ecc bytes of an encoded word . using raid 5 to generate checksum bits protects data from errors caused by the failure of one memory device . using raid 6 , the ecc controller may generate two different sets of checksum bits for an encoded word . the first set of checksum bits is generated by computing an xor across all data bytes and ecc bytes of the encoded word , as in raid 5 . the second set of checksum bits is generated by computing an xor across shifted versions of the data bytes and shifted versions of the ecc bytes of the encoded word . using raid 6 to generate two different sets of checksum bits protects data from errors caused by the failure of two memory devices . in the example of fig3 , the ecc controller generates a 1 - byte checksum cs 0 for the encoded word 314 and a 1 - byte checksum cs 1 for the encoded word 316 . to generate each checksum , the ecc controller computes an xor across all data bytes and ecc bytes of the corresponding encoded word . for example , cs 0 is computed as follows : cs 0 = d 00 ′[ 7 : 0 ] xor d 01 ′[ 7 : 0 ] xor d 02 ′[ 7 : 0 ] xor d 03 ′[ 7 : 0 ] xor e 0 ′[ 24 : 16 ] xor e 0 ′[ 15 : 8 ] xor e 0 ′[ 7 : 0 ] where e 0 ′[ 24 : 0 ]={ e 03 ′[ 5 : 0 ], e 02 ′[ 5 : 0 ], e 01 ′[ 5 : 0 ], e 00 ′[ 5 : 0 ]}. the ecc controller computes cs 1 for encoded word 316 in a similar fashion . returning to fig2 at 214 , the ecc controller distributes the encoded word and the one or more checksums across memory devices in the same rank . the ecc controller may distribute the bits of the encoded word across the memory devices such that each memory device stores more than one bit of the data word , the ecc information , or both the data word and the ecc information . the ecc controller may distribute the bits of the data word across two or more memory devices and the bits of ecc information across two or more other memory devices . the ecc controller may distribute the bits of the encoded word across the memory devices in accordance with the programming input to the ecc controller . the programming input may specify the number of bits of the encoded word to store in a wordline of each memory device . the ecc controller may determine how to distribute the data word and the ecc information across memory devices based on a length of the data word , a length of the ecc information , a length of the encoded word , an interface width of the memory , a width of each memory device of the memory , and a number of memory devices in a rank . in some implementations , the ecc controller distributes the bits of the data word across a first set of the memory devices that are designated for storing only data bits and distributes the bits of the ecc information across a second , different set of memory devices that are designated for storing only ecc information . in some implementations , the ecc controller distributes the bits of the data word and the ecc information such that one or more memory devices store only checksum bits , and the remaining memory devices store both data bits and ecc bits . for a memory device that stores both data bits and ecc bits , the data bits and ecc bits are stored in separate locations of the memory device . in some implementations , the data bits and ecc bits may be stored in different banks of the memory device . in some implementations , the data bits and ecc bits may be stored in the same wordline of the memory device , but in different sections of the wordline . fig4 - 7 show examples of memories that include memory devices that are designated for storing only data bits or only ecc information . fig4 shows an example of a 64 - bit memory 402 that includes eight × 8 memory devices , e . g ., device 0 , device 1 , device 2 , device 3 , device 4 , device 5 , device 6 , and device 7 , that are in the same rank . each of the memory devices provides access to 8 bits at a time . the set of eight memory devices provides access to 64 bits at a time . the encoded word 404 includes a 32 - bit data word , 24 ecc bits , and an 8 - bit checksum . each 6 bits of the 24 ecc bits correspond to a byte of the data word , e . g ., e 0 [ 0 : 5 ] corresponds to d 0 [ 7 : 0 ]. the encoded word 404 is distributed across the eight memory devices such that each memory device stores only data bits or only ecc information . each memory device stores a byte of either the data word or the ecc information . for example , byte d 0 is stored in device 0 , byte d 1 is stored in device 1 , byte d 2 is stored in device 2 , byte d 3 is stored in device 3 , a first byte of ecc information e [ 24 : 16 ] is stored in device 4 , a second byte of ecc information e [ 15 : 8 ] is stored in device 5 , a third byte of ecc information e [ 7 : 0 ] is stored in device 6 , and a checksum cs is stored in device 7 . the ecc information e [ 24 : 0 ] includes the 6 - bit ecc segments e 0 , e 1 , e 2 , e 3 such that e [ 24 : 0 ]={ e 3 [ 5 : 0 ], e 2 [ 5 : 0 ], e 1 [ 5 : 0 ], e 0 [ 5 : 0 ]}. fig5 and 6 show examples of 72 - bit memories 502 , 602 that include nine × 8 memory devices , e . g ., device 0 , device 1 , device 2 , device 3 , device 4 , device 5 , device 6 , device 7 , and device 8 , that are in the same rank . each of the memory devices provides access to 8 bits at a time . the set of nine memory devices provides access to 72 bits at a time . in fig5 and 6 , each of the encoded words 504 , 604 includes a 32 - bit data word , 32 ecc bits , and an 8 - bit checksum . each byte of the 32 bits of ecc information corresponds to a byte of the data word , e . g ., e 0 [ 7 : 0 ] corresponds to d 0 [ 7 : 0 ]. each of the encoded words 504 , 604 are distributed across nine memory devices such that each memory device stores only data bits or only ecc information . in the examples of fig5 and fig6 , rmw can be avoided when only a portion of the data word is being modified because 1 byte of data corresponds to 1 byte of ecc information . when a portion of an encoded word is modified , the ecc controller can write the modified bytes of data and the corresponding modified bytes of ecc information to the memory directly without performing rmw operations . to write the bytes of data and the bytes of the ecc information , the ecc controller can use a data mask , or write strobe , to indicate the bytes of the encoded word that are to be updated and the bytes of the encoded word that are not to be updated . in the example of fig5 , the encoded word 504 is distributed across the nine memory devices so that byte d 0 is stored in device 0 , byte d 1 is stored in device 1 , byte d 2 is stored in device 2 , byte d 3 is stored in device 3 , byte e 0 is stored in device 4 , byte e 1 is stored in device 5 , byte e 2 is stored in device 6 , byte e 3 is stored in device 7 , and a checksum cs is stored in device 8 . in the example of fig6 , the encoded word 604 is formed by interleaving the data bytes and the ecc byes . in other words , the encoded word 604 is arranged in a format where each byte of the data word is followed by its corresponding ecc byte . the encoded word 604 is distributed across the nine memory devices so that that byte d 0 is stored in device 0 , byte e 0 is stored in device 1 , byte d 1 is stored in device 2 , byte e 1 is stored in device 3 , byte d 2 is stored in device 4 , byte e 2 is stored in device 5 , byte d 3 is stored in device 6 , byte e 3 is stored in device 7 , and a checksum cs is stored in device 8 . fig7 shows an example of a 48 - bit memory 702 that includes six × 8 memory devices , e . g ., device 0 , device 1 , device 2 , device 3 , device 4 , and device 5 , that are in the same rank . each of the memory devices provides access to 8 bits at a time . the set of six memory devices provides access to 48 bits at a time . the encoded word 704 includes a 32 - bit data word , 8 ecc bits , and an 8 - bit checksum . the 8 ecc bits are generated for the entire 32 - bit data word . the encoded word 704 is distributed across the eight memory devices such that each memory device stores only data bits or only ecc information . each memory device stores a byte of either the data word or the ecc information . for example , byte d 0 is stored in device 0 , byte d 1 is stored in device 1 , byte d 2 is stored in device 2 , byte d 3 is stored in device 3 , byte ecc is stored in device 4 , and a checksum cs is stored in device 5 . the checksum cs protects the data word from errors caused by the failure of any one of the six memory devices . fig8 and 9 show examples of memories that store checksum bits in one or more memory devices and both data bits and ecc bits in each of the remaining memory devices . fig8 shows an example of a 72 - bit memory 802 that includes nine × 8 memory devices , e . g ., device 0 , device 1 , device 2 , device 3 , device 4 , device 5 , device 6 , device 7 , and device 8 , that are in the same rank . each of the nine memory devices has multiple banks , e . g ., bank 0 to bank 7 . each of the memory devices provides access to 8 bits at a time . the set of nine memory devices provides access to 72 bits at a time . device 0 through device 7 are designated for storing both data bits and ecc bits . device 8 is designated for storing checksum bits cs . each memory device that stores both data bits and ecc bits may store the bits as shown in either device 804 or device 806 . in device 804 , the data bits and ecc bits are stored in different banks of the memory device . in device 806 , the data bits and ecc bits are stored in the same wordline , but in different sections of the wordline . the ratio of data bits to ecc bits is based on the ecc algorithm used to generate the ecc bits . for example , the ratio may be 8 bytes of data to 1 byte of ecc , 8 bytes of data to 2 bytes of ecc , 4 bytes of data to 1 byte of ecc , and other ratios of data to ecc . the data and the ecc may each be distributed evenly across the eight memory devices that are designated for storing both data and ecc bits . other implementations for distributing the bits across memory devices that are designated for storing both data and ecc bits are possible . fig9 shows an example of a 72 - bit memory 902 that includes eighteen × 4 memory devices , e . g ., device 0 through device 17 , that are in the same rank . each of the memory devices provides access to 4 bits at a time . the set of 18 memory devices provides access to 72 bits at a time . device 0 through device 15 are designated for storing both data bits and ecc bits . device 16 is designated for storing a first checksum cs 1 corresponding to each encoded word . device 17 is designated for storing a second checksum cs 2 corresponding to each encoded word . any suitable algorithm , such raid 6 , may be used to generate the checksums cs 1 and cs 2 . using raid 6 to generate the two different checksums cs 1 and cs 2 protects data from errors caused by the failure of any two of the memory devices in the memory 902 . a few implementations have been described in detail above , and various modifications are possible . the disclosed subject matter , including the functional operations described in this specification , can be implemented in electronic circuitry , computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations of them , such as the structural means disclosed in this specification and structural equivalents thereof including system on chip ( soc ) implementations . while this specification contains many specifics , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of 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 implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation . conversely , various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination . moreover , although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such , one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination , and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination . similarly , while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order , this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order , or that all illustrated operations be performed , to achieve desirable results . in certain circumstances , multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous . moreover , the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations . other implementations fall within the scope of the following claims .	6
referring to fig1 there is shown a gas detector 10 comprising a housing 12 through which gas can flow . a solid - electrolyte 14 in contact with a sensing electrode 16 and a counter electrode 18 and detection circuitry 20 are also provided . a platinum ( pt ) screen 21a , supported by the housing 12 and rubber pads , such as 21b , is pressed against the electrode 16 and connects the electrode 16 to the detection circuit 20 . the sensor is the combination of the electrolyte 14 and electrodes 16 and 18 . the gas flows through inlet 22 into a sample chamber 24 and exits through outlet 26 . electrodes 18 , e . g ., silver ( ag ), and 16 , usually a porous noble metal , such as platinum black , contact electrolyte 14 and are connected to detector circuitry 20 . part of the gas in chamber 24 reaches the interface between electrolyte 14 and sensing electrode 16 , and gives rise to an electrochemical reaction which generates an electrical current that is measured by detection circuit 20 . the detector circuitry , including an adjustable potentiostat , is well known in the art as , for example , disclosed in bard & amp ; faulkner , electrochemical methods , pp . 563 , 556 , wiley . the electrolyte in one preferred embodiment of the invention is a silver tungstate - silver iodide material having the chemical composition ag 2 wo 4 . 4agi . this material can be produced by mixing stoichiometric quantities of commercially available powdered ag 2 wo 4 and agi , melting the mixture at a temperature of 500 °- 600 ° c ., allowing the melt to cool , and grinding it to a powder with a mortar and pestle . in one specific example , a 0 . 001 - inch thick by 0 . 4 - inch diameter silver disc was inserted in a 0 . 5 - inch diameter die and covered with a 0 . 1 - inch thick layer of powdered ag 2 wo 4 . 4agi . this was covered in turn with a thin layer of powdered silver ( ii ) oxide ( ag 2 o 2 ), and the assembly was compressed in the die at 16 , 000 psi for four minutes . the resulting pellet was covered on the silver oxide side with a thin layer of pt black and compressed at slightly less than 300 psi for 30 seconds . the resulting sensor structure was inserted into the cavity of the housing 12 of fig1 with the pt black sensing electrode 16 contacting the platinum screen 21a . the housing 12 was covered with black tape so as to prevent light from reaching the light - sensitive component , agi , of the sensor pellet . in order to detect different gases , the sensing electrode is electrically biased at different potentials . in order to differentiate between different compounds , arrays or a plurality of sensors at different biases can be used . for example , methylhydrazine or carbon monoxide can be detected with a pt black sensing electrode biased at a potential of about 0 . 4 v relative to the silver counter electrode , whereas detection of methane requires a potential of about 0 . 8 v or higher . to protect the agi component of the solid - electrolyte from oxidation at the potential of 0 . 8 v or higher , a thin buffer layer of ag 2 o 2 was interposed between the pt black and the ag 2 wo 4 . 4agi . then air containing methylhydrazine or methane was passed through the sensor . the compounds were present in various concentrations and produced the results shown in the following table i . fig2 a , 2b , and 2c illustrate some of the sensor responses that are listed in the table . table i______________________________________responses of a silver tungstate - silveriodide ( ag / ag . sub . 2 wo . sub . 4 . 4agi / ag . sub . 2 o . sub . 2 / pt ) sensorsensing electrode sensor responsepotential * ( v ) gas tested ( microampers ) ______________________________________0 . 40 100 ppmv ≠ ch . sub . 3 n . sub . 2 h . sub . 3 0 . 31 #, a0 . 80 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 2 . 40 # 0 . 80 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 86 #, b0 . 80 9 . 1 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 10 #, b0 . 80 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( humidified ) 1 . 25 #, c0 . 80 9 . 1 % ch . sub . 4 ( humidified ) 0 . 25 #, c0 . 80 2 % ch . sub . 4 ( humidified ) 0 . 063 #, c0 . 90 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 35 0 . 90 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( humidified ) 0 . 25 ______________________________________ * potential relative to the silver counter and reference electrode 18 ≠ ppmv = parts per million by volume # measured on the third day following sensor construction ** measured 8 months following sensor construction a see fig2 a b see fig2 b c see fig2 c in a second preferred embodiment of the invention , the electrolyte has the chemical composition ce 0 . 95 ca 0 . 05 f 2 . 95 . this material can be produced by a ) mixing solutions of cerous nitrate and calcium chloride , in a stoichiometric ratio , with an excess of hydrofluoric acid , and b ) filtering , washing , and drying the resulting precipitate . the dried precipitate can be ground to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle prior to introduction in a pelletizing die . in one specific example , a 0 . 001 - inch thick by 0 . 4 - inch diameter disc of tin foil was introduced into a 0 . 5 - inch diameter pelletizing die and covered with a 0 . 1 - inch thick layer of finely powdered ce 0 . 95 ca 0 . 05 f 2 . 95 . after compressing the powder at 16 , 000 psi for four minutes , a thin layer of pt black was added and pressed into the pellet at slightly less than 300 psi for 30 seconds . the resulting sensor pellet was inserted in the cavity of the housing 12 of fig1 with the pt black sensing electrode 16 contacting the platinum screen 21a and the tin foil counter electrode contacting a silver disc 18 . then air containing carbon dioxide , water vapor or methane was passed through the sensor and produced the responses listed in the following table ii . table ii______________________________________responses of a cerium calcium fluoride ( sn / ce . sub . 0 . 95 ca . sub . 0 . 05 f . sub . 2 . 95 / pt ) sensorsensing electrode sensor responsepotential * ( v ) gas tested ( microampers ) ______________________________________0 . 40 200 ppmv co 1 . 75 # 0 . 40 dry air 0 # 0 . 40 humidified air , 10 % rh ≠ 0 # 0 . 40 humidified air , 50 % rh ≠ 0 # 0 . 40 humidified air , 100 % rh ≠ 0 # 0 . 80 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 049 0 . 80 9 . 1 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 025 0 . 80 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( humidified ) 0 . 049 ** 1 . 75 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 017 ≠≠ 1 . 75 9 . 1 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 001 ≠≠ ______________________________________ * potential relative to the tin counter and reference electrode ≠ rh = relative humidity # measured one day after sensor construction ** measured two days after sensor construction ≠≠ measured six days after sensor construction in another specific example , a cerium calcium fluoride sensor prepared in the same manner as in the immediately preceding example , elicited the responses listed in the following table iii . table iii______________________________________responses of a second cerium calciumfluoride ( sn / ce . sub . 0 . 95 ca . sub . 0 . 05 f . sub . 2 . 95 / pt ) sensorsensing electrode sensor responsepotential * ( v ) gas tested ( microampers ) ______________________________________0 . 40 100 ppmv ch . sub . 3 n . sub . 2 h . sub . 3 0 . 90 ≠ 1 . 0 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 21 ≠ 1 . 0 9 . 1 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 013 ≠ 1 . 0 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( humidified ) 0 . 12 ≠ 1 . 0 9 . 1 % ch . sub . 4 ( humidified ) 0 . 006 ≠ 0 . 90 100 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 015 # 0 . 90 9 . 1 % ch . sub . 4 ( dry ) 0 . 004 # ______________________________________ * potential relative to the tin counter and reference electrode ≠ measured one day after sensor construction # measured eight months after sensor construction the occasional deviations from proportionality between the measured methane concentrations and the response currents may be due to a saturation effect at concentrations above about 10 % methane . thus it is seen that the ag 2 wo 4 . 4agi - and ce 0 . 95 ca 0 . 05 f 2 . 95 - based sensors respond to the presence of the listed analytes . furthermore , the response can be varied by varying the potential of the sensing electrode . as can be seen from tables i , ii , and iii , the sensing electrode potential required to elicit a response to the readily oxidizable compounds , such as co or ch 3 n 2 h 3 , is only about 0 . 4 v , whereas a potential of 0 . 8 v or higher is required to elicit a response to ch 4 . at the higher potential , these sensors respond not only to methane but also to the more readily oxidizable compounds , such as co and ch 3 n 2 h 3 . therefore , to distinguish between methane and the more readily oxidizable compounds , it is necessary to use an array of at least two such sensors , one of which is biased at the methane sensing potential while the other is biased at a potential that is below that required for methane detection ( e . g ., 0 . 4 - 0 . 6 v ). it has been found from the foregoing that the characteristics of a solid - state ambient - temperature sensor of the present invention include those listed below : 1 . the sensor is amperometric in that the current flow upon exposure to a measured analyte tends to be approximately proportional to the analyte concentration . 2 . the electrolyte is substantially liquid - free ( i . e ., free of aqueous or non - aqueous liquids ) and water insoluble . 3 . the current flow in the electrolyte is ionic rather than electronic . 5 . although the sensitivities of these sensors tend to degrade with time , both the ag 2 wo 4 . 4agi - and the ce 0 . 95 ca 0 . 05 f2 . 95 - based sensors have remained responsive to methane after a period of eight months ( see tables i and iii ). the preceding examples demonstrate the longevity that can be achieved with solid - state amperometric sensors comprising an electrolyte that is ionically conductive at room temperature and is substantially free of hygroscopic or water - soluble components . several other solid electrolytes meeting these requirements are listed in table iv . these and other similar electrolytes should also yield fairly long - lasting ambient - temperature electrochemical sensors . table iv______________________________________room temperature conductivities andwater - solubilities of several solidelectrolytes ionic solubility at 20 ± conductivity 5 ° c . in 100 ml ofelectrolyte ( ohm - cm ). sup .- 1 h . sub . 2 o ( g ) ______________________________________ce . sub . 0 . 95 ca . sub . 0 . 05 f . sub . 2 . 95 ca . 0 . 1 & lt ; 0 . 001pb . sub . 0 . 78 bi . sub . 0 . 25 f . sub . 2 . 25 ca . 10 . sup .- 4 & lt ; 0 . 06ag . sub . 2 wo . sub . 4 . 4agi 0 . 04 & lt ; 0 . 01ag . sub . 2 cro . sub . 4 . 4agi 0 . 02 & lt ; 0 . 001ag . sub . 2 seo . sub . 4 . 3agi 0 . 06 & lt ; 0 . 03ag . sub . 2 hgs . sub . 2 6agi 0 . 15 very slightly solubleag . sub . 1 . 95 hg . sub . 0 . 40 te . sub . 0 . 65 i . sub . 1 . 35 0 . 09 very slightly solubleag . sub . 1 . 80 hg . sub . 0 . 45 se . sub . 0 . 70 i . sub . 1 . 30 0 . 10 very slightly solubleag . sub . 3 hgse . sub . 2 . agi 0 . 045 very slightly solubleag . sub . 3 po . sub . 4 . 4agi 0 . 02 & lt ; 0 . 0003ag . sub . 4 p . sub . 2 o . sub . 7 . 15 agi 0 . 09 insoluble______________________________________ although the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments , it is not to be so limited as changes and modifications can be made which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	6
because the intramolecular sn2 ′ type cyclization is a fast reaction , the overall slow reaction is presumably due to the high activation energy in the aldol reaction of the phenolic enolate ( fig1 ). it is known that microwave irradiation can accelerate many reactions . see , e . g ., chadick , s ., tetrahedron , 1995 , 51 ; galema , s . a ., chem . soc . rev ., 1997 , 26 , 233 . a much faster reaction was indeed observed when the reaction mixture was placed in a sealed 60 ml teflon pressure vessel ( savillex corp .) filled with argon , and irradiated in a microwave oven ( panasonic model nn5740 ( 1200 w )). after only 3 minutes of irradiation , compound 4a ( b = et ) was isolated in 23 % yield ( entry 3 ). however , the yield did not improve with longer irradiation time or with the addition of more aldehyde 3a . after screening a few different reaction conditions , it was found that the reaction between 6 and 3a in the presence of cacl 2 . 2h 2 0 , net 3 , and etoh provided 50 % yield of the desired product 4a , and it took only 20 minutes of microwave irradiation ( table 1 , entry 4 ). when no microwave irradiation was used , the yield of compound 4a was only 5 % ( table 1 , entry 5 ). in entry 6 , the mixture of compound 3a ( 2 . 0 eq .) and compound 6 ( 1 . 0 eq .) were irradiated for 20 minutes . then another 1 . 0 eq . of compound 3a was added and the mixture was irradiated again for 20 minutes . using these conditions , compound 4a was isolated in 70 % yield . it should be noted that in the absence of cacl 2 . 2h 2 0 , net 3 , and etoh , only trace amount of compound 4a was isolated when the reaction was run in pyridine ( table 1 , entry 7 ). see , subburaj , k ., et al ., bull . chem . soc . jpn ., 1999 , 72 , 259 . table 1 various conditions for the formation of 2h - bezopyran , the core structure of daurichromenic acid ( 4a , b = et ) entry conditions yield 1 5 ( 1 . 2 eq . ), ca ( oh ) 2 ( 0 . 83 eq . ), meoh , reflux , 4 d 15 % 2 5 ( 1 . 2 eq . ), ca ( oh ) 2 ( 0 . 83 eq . ), meoh , sealed 32 % tube , 90 ° c ., 1d 3 5 ( 1 . 2 eq . ), ca ( oh ) 2 ( 0 . 83 eq . ), meoh , 23 % microwave irradiation , 1 min × 3 4 5 ( 1 . 2 eq . ), cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , ( 0 . 83 eq . ), net 3 ( 3 . 32 50 % eq . ), etoh , microwave irradiation , 1 min × 20 5 5 ( 1 . 2 eq . ), cacl 2 . 2h 2 o ( 0 . 83 eq . ), net 2 ( 3 . 32 eq . ), etoh , & lt ; 5 % reflux , 2d 6 i ) 5 ( 2 . 0 eq . ), cacl 2 . 2h 2 o ( 0 . 83 eq . ), net 3 70 % ( 3 . 32 eq . ), etoh , microwave irradiation , 1 min × 20 ; ii ) 5 ( 1 . 0 eq . ), microwave irradiation , 1 min × 20 7 5 ( 2 . 0 eq . ), pyridine , microwave irradiation , 25 min & lt ; 5 % the hydrolysis of the ethyl ester functionality of compound 4a ( b = et ) to daurichromenic acid ( 1 ) proved to be difficult . the best conditions for ester ( 3m naoh in meoh / h 2 o at 40 ° c . for 3 days ) provided daurichromenic acid ( 1a ) in 40 % yield . the alternative approach is outlined in fig2 . formylation of orcinol 8 with pocl 3 and dmf gave aldehyde 9 ( 98 %), which was oxidized to the corresponding carboxylic acid 10 ( naclo 2 , 90 %). see , xie , l ., et al ., j . med . chem ., 2001 , 44 , 664 and nicolaou , k . c . et al ., chem . eur . j ., 2000 , 6 , 3095 . but microwave irradiation of the mixture of compounds 10 and 3a failed to provide any desired product 1a . therefore , the β - trimethylsilyl ethyl ester 11 was synthesized , that can be easily deprotected to yield the carboxylic acid . reaction of 10 with 2 -( trimethylsilyl ) ethanol under mitsunobu conditions afforded ester 11 in 90 % yield ( rousch , w . r ., j . amer . chem . soc ., 1997 , 119 , 11331 . a mixture of compound 11 , aldehyde 3a ( 2 eq . ), cacl 2 , net 3 , and etoh was sealed in a teflon pressure vessel and was irradiated in the microwave oven for 20 times at 1 minute . the desired product 12 was isolated in 60 % yield . treatment of compound 12 with tbaf gave daurichromenic acid ( 1a ) in 95 % yield . compound 1a was irradiated with a low - pressure mercury lamp for about 5 days to afford a mixture of rhododaurichromanic acids a ( 40 %) ( 5a ) and b ( 20 %) ( 6a ) ( based on recovered starting material ). the physical data of synthetic daurichromenic acid , and rhododaurichromanic acids a and b are identical to those reported by kashiwada , y ., tetrahedron , 2001 , 53 , 1559 . the absolute structures of these three compounds were determined based on extensive spectroscopic examination and x - ray crystallographic analysis . daurichromenic acid ( 1a ) demonstrates highly potent anti - hiv activity in acutely infected h9 cells with an ec 50 value of 5 . 67 ng / ml and therapeutic index ( ti ) of 3 , 710 . rhododaurichromanic acids a ( 2 ) also shows relatively potent anti - hiv activity with an ec 50 value of 0 . 37 mg / ml and a ti of 91 . 9 . pharmaceutically acceptable salts of these compounds and their analogs may be obtained using standard procedures well known in the art , for example by reacting a sufficiently basic compound such as an amine with a suitable acid affording a physiologically acceptable anion . alkali metal ( for example , sodium , potassium or lithium ) or alkaline earth metal ( for example calcium ) salts of carboxylic acids can also be made . the compounds of the present invention can be formulated as biocidal ( anti - bacterial , fungicidal , anti - viral or herbicidal compositions ). for example , pharmaceutical compositions and administered to a mammalian host , such as a human patient in a variety of forms adapted to the chosen route of administration , i . e ., orally or parenterally , by intravenous , intramuscular , topical or subcutaneous routes . thus , the present compounds may be systemically administered , e . g ., orally , in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle such as an inert diluent or an assimilable edible carrier . they may be enclosed in hard or soft shell gelatin capsules , may be compressed into tablets , or may be incorporated directly with the food of the patient &# 39 ; s diet . for oral therapeutic administration , the active compound may be combined with one or more excipients and used in the form of ingestible tablets , buccal tablets , troches , capsules , elixirs , suspensions , syrups , wafers , and the like . such compositions and preparations should contain at least 0 . 1 % of active compound . the percentage of the compositions and preparations may , of course , be varied and may conveniently be between about 2 to about 60 % of the weight of a given unit dosage form . the amount of active compound in such therapeutically useful compositions is such that an effective dosage level will be obtained . the tablets , troches , pills , capsules , and the like may also contain the following : binders such as gum tragacanth , acacia , corn starch or gelatin ; excipients such as dicalcium phosphate ; a disintegrating agent such as corn starch , potato starch , alginic acid and the like ; a lubricant such as magnesium stearate ; and a sweetening agent such as sucrose , fructose , lactose or aspartame or a flavoring agent such as peppermint , oil of wintergreen , or cherry flavoring may be added . when the unit dosage form is a capsule , it may contain , in addition to materials of the above type , a liquid carrier , such as a vegetable oil or a polyethylene glycol . various other materials may be present as coatings or to otherwise modify the physical form of the solid unit dosage form . for instance , tablets , pills , or capsules may be coated with gelatin , wax , shellac or sugar and the like . a syrup or elixir may contain the active compound , sucrose or fructose as a sweetening agent , methyl and propylparabens as preservatives , a dye and flavoring such as cherry or orange flavor . of course , any material used in preparing any unit dosage form should be pharmaceutically acceptable and substantially non - toxic in the amounts employed . in addition , the active compound may be incorporated into sustained - release preparations and devices . the active compound may also be administered intravenously or intraperitoneally by infusion or injection . solutions of the active compound or its salts can be prepared in water , optionally mixed with a nontoxic surfactant . dispersions can also be prepared in glycerol , liquid polyethylene glycols , triacetin , and mixtures thereof and in oils . under ordinary conditions of storage and use , these preparations contain a preservative to prevent the growth of microorganisms . the pharmaceutical dosage forms suitable for injection or infusion can include sterile aqueous solutions or dispersions or sterile powders comprising the active ingredient which are adapted for the extemporaneous preparation of sterile injectable or infusible solutions or dispersions , optionally encapsulated in liposomes . in all cases , the ultimate dosage form should be sterile , fluid and stable under the conditions of manufacture and storage . the liquid carrier or vehicle can be a solvent or liquid dispersion medium comprising , for example , water , ethanol , a polyol ( for example , glycerol , propylene glycol , liquid polyethylene glycols , and the like ), vegetable oils , nontoxic glyceryl esters , and suitable mixtures thereof . the proper fluidity can be maintained , for example , by the formation of liposomes , by the maintenance of the required particle size in the case of dispersions or by the use of surfactants . the prevention of the action of microorganisms can be brought about by various antibacterial and antifungal agents , for example , parabens , chlorobutanol , phenol , sorbic acid , thimerosal , and the like . in many cases , it will be preferable to include isotonic agents , for example , sugars , buffers or sodium chloride . prolonged absorption of the injectable compositions can be brought about by the use in the compositions of agents delaying absorption , for example , aluminum monostearate and gelatin . sterile injectable solutions are prepared by incorporating the active compound in the required amount in the appropriate solvent with various of the other ingredients enumerated above , as required , followed by filter sterilization . in the case of sterile powders for the preparation of sterile injectable solutions , the preferred methods of preparation are vacuum drying and the freeze drying techniques , which yield a powder of the active ingredient plus any additional desired ingredient present in the previously sterile - filtered solutions . for topical administration , the present compounds may be applied in pure form , i . e ., when they are liquids . however , it will generally be desirable to administer them to the skin as compositions or formulations , in combination with a dermatologically acceptable carrier , which may be a solid or a liquid . useful solid carriers include finely divided solids such as talc , clay , microcrystalline cellulose , silica , alumina and the like . useful liquid carriers include water , alcohols or glycols or water - alcohol / glycol blends , in which the present compounds can be dissolved or dispersed at effective levels , optionally with the aid of non - toxic surfactants . adjuvants such as fragrances and additional antimicrobial agents can be added to optimize the properties for a given use . the resultant liquid compositions can be applied from absorbent pads , used to impregnate bandages and other dressings , or sprayed onto the affected area using pump - type or aerosol sprayers . thickeners such as synthetic polymers , fatty acids , fatty acid salts and esters , fatty alcohols , modified celluloses or modified mineral materials can also be employed with liquid carriers to form spreadable pastes , gels , ointments , soaps , and the like , for application directly to the skin of the user . examples of useful dermatological compositions which can be used to deliver the compounds of formula i to the skin are known to the art ; for example , see jacquet et al . ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 608 , 392 ), geria ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 992 , 478 ), smith et al . ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 559 , 157 ) and wortzman ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 820 , 508 ). useful dosages of the compounds of formula i can be determined by comparing their in vitro activity , and in vivo activity in animal models . methods for the extrapolation of effective dosages in mice , and other animals , to humans are known to the art ; for example , see u . s . pat . no . 4 , 938 , 949 . generally , the concentration of the compound ( s ) of formula i in a liquid composition , such as a lotion , will be from about 0 . 1 - 25 wt -%, preferably from about 0 . 5 - 10 wt -%. the concentration in a semi - solid or solid composition such as a gel or a powder will be about 0 . 1 - 5 wt -%, preferably about 0 . 5 - 2 . 5 wt -%. the amount of the compound , or an active salt or derivative thereof , required for use in treatment will vary not only with the particular salt selected but also with the route of administration , the nature of the condition being treated and the age and condition of the patient and will be ultimately at the discretion of the attendant physician or clinician . for example , doses and dosage forms useful to treat mammals infected with hiv or other viral infections are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 567 , 703 . dosages for humans and other mammals can be extrapolated from dosages effective in mice by the methods disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 294 , 430 . in general , however , a suitable dose will be in the range of from about 0 . 5 to about 100 mg / kg , e . g ., from about 10 to about 75 mg / kg of body weight per day , such as 3 to about 50 mg per kilogram body weight of the recipient per day , preferably in the range of 6 to 90 mg / kg / day , most preferably in the range of 15 to 60 mg / kg / day . the compound is conveniently administered in unit dosage form ; for example , containing 5 to 1000 mg , conveniently 10 to 750 mg , most conveniently , 50 to 500 mg of active ingredient per unit dosage form . ideally , the active ingredient should be administered to achieve peak plasma concentrations of the active compound of from about 0 . 5 to about 75 μm , preferably , about 1 to 50 μm , most preferably , about 2 to about 30 μm . this may be achieved , for example , by the intravenous injection of a 0 . 05 to 5 % solution of the active ingredient , optionally in saline , or orally administered as a bolus containing about 1 - 100 mg of the active ingredient . desirable blood levels may be maintained by continuous infusion to provide about 0 . 01 - 5 . 0 mg / kg / hr or by intermittent infusions containing about 0 . 4 - 15 mg / kg of the active ingredient ( s ). the desired dose may conveniently be presented in a single dose or as divided doses administered at appropriate intervals , for example , as two , three , four or more sub - doses per day . the sub - dose itself may be further divided , e . g ., into a number of discrete loosely spaced administrations ; such as multiple inhalations from an insufflator or by application of a plurality of drops into the eye . in conclusion , the present invention provides a highly efficient total syntheses of daurichromenic acid , rhododaurichromanic acids a and b and analogs thereof . the versatility of microwave technology in the synthesis of 2h - benzo [ b ] pyrans ( chrom - 3 - enes ) has been demonstrated . all publications and patents are incorporated by reference herein , as though individually incorporated by reference . the invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described , for it should be understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention defined by the statements .	2
fig1 a shows an elevational view of container 10 substantially comprised of upper surface 11 and lower surface 12 , formed of a waterproof plastic material of a suitable gauge to withstand the elements throughout a winter season , for example . dotted line l represents the imaginary dividing line between the upper half 11 and the lower half 12 of the container 10 . the container is preferably formed of a substantially transparent plastic but may be translucent or opaque , if desired . in use , the container 10 is positioned so that the surfaces 11 and 12 are arranged one above the other , with surface 12 resting upon the roof ( see fig2 , and 5 ). surfaces 11 and 12 may be formed of sheets which are bonded along their longitudinal side edges to create a sleeve defining a hollow interior space . alternatively , the sleeve may be produced so as to be seamless , or may be folded over and joined along one longitudinal seam . the lower surface 12 is perforated at regular intervals with small holes 12 a ( fig1 a - 1 c ). fig1 b and 1 c are plan views of the upper and lower surfaces . the two surfaces ( sheets ), in one embodiment , are integrally joined at opposite sides along their length and their ends are left open to permit the annular space created therein to be packed with salt . one of the ties 14 ( see fig4 ) is employed to close off the container near one end thereof . the container is then filled with salt . subsequent to filling the hollow interior space with salt , the opposite end of the container is closed employing the remaining ones of the ties 14 . the ties 14 , 14 are positioned along the dotted guide lines 15 and 16 ( shown in fig1 a ). procedurally , one end of sleeve 10 is closed using one of the ties 14 . the ties 14 ( see fig4 ) are knurled along surface 14 a forming a saw - tooth - like surface . one end 14 b of the tie is provided with an opening 14 c , through which the end 14 d is inserted . the tie is pulled tight , closing one end of the container 10 . the opening 14 c is designed to prevent the end 14 d from being pulled out of the opening , as is conventional . however , any other suitable ties may be utilized , if desired . the dotted lines 15 , 16 printed on the container , serve as guides to identify where the ties should be located and the level to which the salt should be filled . with one end of the container being closed , the container is filled with rock salt or other suitable granular material suitable for melting snow and ice and / or significantly lowering the temperature at which water freezes . the still - open end of container 10 is then sealed using the remaining tie , placed at guide line 16 . fig3 shows a sectional view of the waterproof container packed with salt s . the ends of the flexible container are tied with cable ties 14 , 14 to retain the salt within the container ( see fig1 b , 1 c , and 3 ). fig2 shows a sectional view of the waterproof container packed with salt 3 , the container with salt positioned on a somewhat inclined portion of a roof r adjacent to a roof drain 19 with the lower surface 12 resting on the roof and perforated surface portion 12 a of the container being arranged so that as many of the openings 12 a as is practicable are on the bottom and facing the surface of the roof . the invention comprises an apparatus for use on a roof comprising a water - proof container which may be of any shape . the lower surface 12 of the container ( which is placed in contact with the surface of the roof r ), is perforated at regular intervals with a plurality of relatively small holes 12 a as shown in fig1 b , 1 c , and 3 . the container is filled , preferably with common salt or rock salt 3 ( or other granular material suitable for melting ice ) and the ends of the container are tied with cable ties 14 or other securing means to retain the salt within the container as shown in fig3 . the container may be generally cylindrical , spherical or rectangular in shape . the container may be fabricated of a flexible material such as a sheet of plastic or from a rigid material such as rigid plastic or polyfoam . since the material is quite flexible , it is quite simple to substantially “ flatten ” the upper and lower surfaces . the ends e 1 , e 2 of the container are held against the roof by a suitable adhesive tape epoxy or glue 21 , 22 , ( preferably water - proof ) able to withstand the elements normally encountered during the winter months . as the water or melting snow flows along the roof , generally in the direction of flow f , it comes into contact with the perforated surface 12 and is drawn through the perforations 12 a and into the interior of the container by the absorbing action of the salt packed in the interior space of the container . some of the salt dissolves in the water , producing a saline solution which subsequently flows out through the perforations 12 a and onto the surface of the roof r , and eventually towards the roof drain 19 . the dissolved salt in the saline solution reduces the freezing point of water to below 30 degrees fahrenheit and prevents melting snow or fresh snow from freezing in the gutter and roof drain 19 . the water carrying the dissolved salt flows beneath and / or around the container 10 . the small openings in the lower surface 12 of the container substantially retains the salt within the container while allowing the water to be initially drawn into the container and thereafter the saline solution to freely flow into and out of the container . in the preferred embodiment , the openings 12 a have a diameter of the order of { fraction ( 3 / 16 )} inch . limiting the perforations 12 a to the downstream portions of surfaces , as opposed to providing spaced openings of substantially the entire area of surfaces 11 , 12 increases the useful operating life of the de - icer without reducing operating efficiency . a similar action takes place on upstream surface 11 wherein water , snow or ice enters perforations 12 a , being drawn by the salt s into the interior of the container . the container filled with salt s is held on the surface of the roof r by an adhesive tape or removable adhesive epoxy or glue applied in the regions 20 , 21 ( see fig5 ). alternatively , heavy objects , such as bricks b may be placed upon regions 20 , 21 to hold the container in place . the roof de - icer apparatus 10 thus prevents the formation of ice dams in the region of the roof and gutter adjacent to the roof drain whereby melting snow and ice would otherwise tend to accumulate and prevent the drainage of water through the roof drain 19 , and thereby preventing melting ice and water form accumulating and re - freezing in the drainage system , as well as the gutter and downspout . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , a de - icer kit , adapted for sale in stores , comprises plastic sleeve 10 having perforations 12 a along bottom surface 12 . dotted guide lines 15 and 16 ( printed in red in the preferred embodiment ), arranged perpendicular to the length of sleeve 10 , and located approximately 6 inches inward from each end of the sleeve , as shown in fig1 a , are provided as guides to indicate the location at which the sleeve should be closed off by the ties 14 . in addition , a line 18 ( made of a contrasting color , such as blue , in the preferred embodiment ) is printed along the upper side 11 of the sleeve and mid - way between the imaginary dividing lines ( see line l in fig1 ) which lie between the upper and lower sides 11 and 12 of the container 10 , the blue line 18 identifying to the installer , the top side of the container 10 . the kit preferably includes a simple set of instructions which sets forth the following : place cable tie across one ( red ) dotted line ( 15 ) and fasten securely . fill sleeve ( 10 ) with rock salt to a level slightly below the other ( red ) dotted line ( 16 ). close the other end of the sleeve ( 10 ) at the second ( red ) dotted line ( 16 ) with the other cable tie ( 14 ). position sleeve ( 10 ) containing the rock salt with the perforations of the sleeve on surface 12 placed down and on the surface of the roof approximately one to two feet from the roof drain opening , in path of water and melting snow and positioned downstream relative to the normal flow toward the roof drain . the “ blue ” line 18 should be located facing upwardly ( to the sky ) and lie mid - way between the sides of the container ( shown as imaginary line l ). the container is thus placed so that the blue line is substantially equidistant from the sides of container 10 . retain both ends of sleeve ( 10 ) upon the surface of the roof with adhesive tape , enclosed . or place a weight such as a brick b on top of each end portion of the sleeve ( 10 ) extending between the dotted lines and the ends thereof to hold container 10 in place on the surface of roof ( nails brads or other piercing objects should not be used to prevent damage to the roof and to prevent the unwanted flow of water through such openings ). another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig6 and 6 a which comprises a solid block of pressed salt 30 which is coated with a water - proof material , such as wax , forming a water - proof layer along top surface 30 a and at least partially along the upper portions of the side surfaces , such as for example , the side surfaces 30 b and 30 c as shown in fig6 . the other side surfaces are coated in a like manner . the block of pressed salt , which is preferably in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped , is typically of a weight which is sufficient to retain its position along a sloping roof , as shown in fig6 a . the water - proof coatings reduce the loss from rain and air moisture , but does not effect the efficiency of the unit . the use of the embodiment 30 , shown in fig6 greatly simplifies the portability and installation of the device as it is so to speak , fully assembled and self - ballasted , i . e ., is of a weight which is sufficient to retain the member 30 on a sloping roof without the need for additional hold - down devices , adhesives , or the like . block 30 is preferably dipped in melted wax to provide the water - proof coating , shown in fig6 . however , any other suitable water - proof material capable of withstanding outdoor weather conditions may be used . the block 30 need not be a rectangular parallelepiped so long as at least one surface thereof is substantially flat . it can thus be seen that the present invention provides a unique and yet simple and inexpensive apparatus and method for preventing the icing up of roofs and the blockage of gutters , downspouts , roof drains and the like . a latitude of modification , change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure , and in some instances , some features of the 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 spirit and scope of the invention described herein .	4
the embodiment of the present invention will be explained hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings . [ 0042 ] fig1 is a schematic block diagram of the brushless motor relating to the present invention . a motor body 1 has a well - known structure that a magnet ( not shown in the drawing ) is attached to a rotor ( not shown in the drawing ) installed so as to rotate and a plurality of drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c for acting rotary power to the rotor are installed and to the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c of the motor body 1 , one end of a first wire connection means 2 is connected . the first wire connection means 2 , serving as a first connecting port , is composed of wires 2 a , 2 b , and 2 c respectively connected to the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c and electrically connected to a first drive circuit 4 for exclusively driving and controlling the motor body 1 . in the state shown in the drawing , the first drive circuit 4 for controlling start - up operation and steady - rotating operation is connected to the first wire connection means 2 , thus a control current from a speed / phase control circuit 4 a for controlling the speed and phase is supplied to the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c of the motor body 1 via the wires 2 a , 2 b , and 2 c by switching the coil by a driver circuit 4 b and controls start - up operation and steady - rotating operation . in the first wire connection means 2 , a second wire connection means 3 , serving as a second connecting port , composed of wires 3 a , 3 b , and 3 c respectively branched in the middle of the wires 2 a , 2 b , and 2 c is installed . the second wire connection means 3 is in a free state when the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c and the first drive circuit 4 are electrically connected by the first wire connection means 2 and when the first wire connection means 2 is connected to the first drive circuit 4 , the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c can be electrically connected to a different drive circuit from the first drive circuit 4 . the brushless motor shown in this embodiment , in addition to the first wire connection means 2 for electrically connecting to the first drive circuit 4 for exclusively driving and controlling the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c , has the second wire connection means 3 for electrically connecting to a different drive circuit from the first drive circuit 4 in the motor body 1 at the same time , so that a drive circuit for executing control which cannot be executed by the first drive circuit 4 can be additionally connected without exchanging the first drive circuit 4 , thus a brushless motor capable of easily expanding the control function can be obtained . next , the control method for such a brushless motor will be explained . [ 0048 ] fig2 shows an example that in the state shown in fig1 a control brake circuit 5 for controlling deceleration as a second drive circuit is additionally connected to the second wire connection means 3 and the drive circuits 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c are electrically connected to the control brake circuit 5 . the control brake circuit 5 can supply a control current from a brake control circuit 5 a for operating on the basis of a brake instruction from a control unit not shown in the drawing to the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c via the wires 3 a , 3 b , and 3 c of the second wire connection means 3 by switching the coil by a driver circuit 5 b and the rotor of the motor body 1 is forcibly decelerated in a short time by this brake control . in this state , at the time of start - up operation and steady - rotating operation of the motor body 1 , the first drive circuit 4 connected to the first wire connection means 2 controls start - up operation and steady - rotating operation . on the other hand , when the rotor is stopped , the control brake circuit 5 which is the second drive circuit additionally connected to the second wire connection means 3 brakes the rotation of the motor body 1 and executes deceleration control . such deceleration control , as shown in fig3 can be executed by additionally connecting a forced brake circuit 6 in place of the control brake circuit 5 . the forced brake circuit 6 has a short circuit 6 a for short - circuiting the counter electromotive voltage of the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c generated by the rotation of the rotor , and when the short circuit 6 a is operated on the basis of a brake instruction from a control unit not shown in the drawing , it takes the rotational energy of the rotor and brakes the rotation of the rotor , and the rotor of the motor body 1 is forcibly decelerated by this forced brake control and stopped in a short time . also in this state , at the time of start - up operation and steady - rotating operation of the motor body 1 , the first drive circuit 4 connected to the first wire connection means 2 controls start - up operation and steady - rotating operation . on the other hand , when the rotor is stopped , the control brake circuit 6 which is the second drive circuit additionally connected to the second wire connection means 3 brakes the rotation of the motor body 1 and executes deceleration control . [ 0054 ] fig4 shows an example that in the state shown in fig1 a start support circuit 7 for executing support at the start of the motor body 1 as a second drive circuit is additionally connected to the second wire connection means 3 and the drive circuits 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c are electrically connected to the start support circuit 7 . the start support circuit 7 can supply a control current from a speed control circuit 7 a for operating on the basis of a start instruction from a control unit not shown in the drawing to the drive coils 1 a , 1 b , and 1 c via the wires 3 a , 3 b , and 3 c of the second wire connection means 3 by switching the coil by a driver circuit 7 b and at the start of the motor body 1 , rotational energy is supplied also from the start support circuit 7 , thus the start time can be shortened . therefore , in this state , at the start of the motor body 1 , rotational energy is supplied from the first drive circuit 4 connected to the first wire connection means 2 and rotational energy is also supplied from the start support circuit 7 which is the second drive circuit connected to the second wire connection means 3 , so that the motor body 1 can reach the stationary rotation in a short time . particularly , when the start load becomes large due to deterioration of the motor body 1 , by additionally connecting the start support circuit 7 using the second wire connection means 3 , the start time can be recovered . the start support circuit 7 additionally connected to the second wire connection means 3 may just execute start support , so that the phase control function may not be installed always and only by adding an inexpensive control circuit , the start time can be shortened easily . as mentioned above , according to the control method for the brushless motor relating to the present invention , optimal drive control can be executed in each mode respectively from control of start - up operation and steady - rotating operation to control of deceleration and the efficiency and reliability of the motor can be improved . in the embodiment explained above , the wire connection means for the brushless motor has two wire connection means in total including the first wire connection means 2 electrically connectable to the first drive circuit 4 and the second wire connection means 3 electrically connectable to the second drive circuit . however , the wire connection means for the brushless motor may have three or more wire connection means such as the third , fourth , . . . wire connection means ( serving as the third , fourth , . . . connecting port ), electrically connectable to three or more drive circuits such as the third , fourth , . . . drive circuits . further , in this case , in the control method for the brushless motor , for example , the first drive circuit for controlling start - up operation and steady - rotating operation is electrically connected to the first wire connection means , and the second drive circuit for controlling deceleration is electrically connected to the second wire connection means , and moreover the third drive circuit for controlling start support is electrically connected to the third wire connection means , thus more thorough drive control can be executed in each mode of start , stationary rotation , and deceleration . further , the second , third , . . . wire connection means are not limited to those branched from the wires 2 a , . . . of the first wire connection means 2 and may be those that one end is directly connected to each of the drive coils 1 a , . . . in the same way as with the first wire connection means 2 . further , the wires of the second , third , . . . wire connection means are not limited to those of the same number as that of wires 2 a , . . . of the first wire connection means 2 and may be properly increased or decreased depending the number of drive circuits additionally connected . furthermore , each wire connection means is not limited to the one that the end thereof is bared and may be properly provided with a connection means such as a connector for connecting to each drive circuit . [ 0064 ] fig5 shows an example of a light deflection device using the brushless motor explained above . a light deflection device 100 shown in this embodiment is incorporated into , for example , a beam scanning optical device , deflects laser light by rotation of the polygonal mirror 16 , and is fixed on the device side by a base plate 20 . a flange 15 uses a material of aluminum or iron , and a disk 15 a is installed at the end of a cylindrical part 15 b , and one end face 16 a of the polygonal mirror 16 is in contact with a reference plane 15 a 1 of the disk 15 a for loading the mirror , and the disk 15 a is assembled so as to rotate together via an elastic member 17 between the disk 15 a and a mirror holding plate 6 . the cylindrical part 15 b of the flange 15 is joined and integrated to an outer cylinder bearing 12 b by a means such as shrink fitting so as to structure a rotor and the polygonal mirror 16 is installed on the rotor so as to form a mirror unit 101 . the mirror unit 101 lies between a lower thrust bearing 10 , an upper thrust bearing 11 , and an inner cylinder bearing 12 a and is inserted into a shaft 20 a of the base plate 20 and a screw 14 is screwed and attached to the shaft 20 a via a plate 13 . on the base plate 20 , a fixing yoke 50 is installed and moreover a printed board 30 , serving as a stator , with drive coils 40 attached is installed . a permanent magnet 50 for generating torque is arranged opposite to the drive coils 40 , and the permanent magnet 50 is installed in a concavity 60 a formed in a circular mirror holding plate 60 via an adhesive , and a polygonal motor is structured by the aforementioned arrangement relation . a revolving shaft 12 is composed of the inner cylinder bearing 12 a and the outer cylinder bearing 12 b , and the outer cylinder bearing 12 b can rotate for the inner cylinder bearing 12 a , and the flange 15 is joined to the outer cylinder bearing 12 b by the cylindrical part 15 b . in this embodiment , the bearing structure is a dynamic pressure bearing structure composed of the lower thrust bearing 10 , the upper thrust bearing 11 , the inner cylinder bearing 12 a , and the outer cylinder bearing 12 b and a dynamic pressure generation groove is formed in both or either of the lower thrust bearing surface and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder bearing 12 a . the device is structured so that when the cylindrical part 15 b of the flange 15 is joined to the outer cylinder bearing 12 b of the revolving shaft 12 , the joining strength is increased and moreover when the outer periphery of the cylindrical part 12 b is set as an attaching reference for the central revolving shaft , the central accuracy of the shaft of the polygonal mirror 16 is improved . the cylindrical part 15 b of the flange 15 is joined to the outer cylinder bearing 12 b of the revolving shaft 12 preferably by shrink fitting or may be joined by another press fitting . such joining eliminates the turning angle of the polygonal mirror 16 at the time of attaching and the accuracy for the shaft center can be improved more surely . for preparation , after joining the flange 15 and the outer cylinder bearing 12 b , the mirror loading reference plane 15 a 1 for attaching the polygonal mirror 16 to the disk 15 a is cut , and the polygonal mirror 16 is inserted into the cylindrical part 15 b of the flange 15 , and one end face 16 a of the polygonal mirror 16 is made contact with the reference plane 15 a 1 . between the other end face 16 b of the polygonal mirror 16 and the mirror holding plate 6 , the elastic member 17 such as a plate spring lies , and the end face of the cylindrical part 15 b of the flange 15 and the mirror holding plate 60 are joined and fixed by a joining member 61 such as a screw , and the pressing force to the polygonal mirror 16 by the elastic member 17 is stabilized , and the polygonal mirror 16 is fixed free of distortion . to the respective drive coils 40 , one end of the first wire connection means 2 for electrically connecting to the first drive circuit is connected , and the second wire connection means 3 is branched from the first wire connection means 2 , and electrical connection with a different drive circuit from the first drive circuit is enabled . the constitution of the first wire connection means 2 and the second wire connection means 3 and the control method using the means are described above , so that the explanation thereof will be omitted here . further , also in the light deflection device 100 , as mentioned above , the second wire connection means 3 is not limited to the one branched from the first wire connection means 2 . furthermore , with respect to the wire connection means , wire connection means such as the third , fourth , . . . electrically connectable to the third , fourth , . . . drive circuits respectively may be provided and in the same way , by the third and fourth drive circuits , more thorough drive control can be executed in each mode of start - up , steady - rotation , and deceleration . according to the present invention , it becomes possible to provide a brushless motor rich in expandability of a control function capable of easily adding control which cannot be executed by one drive circuit . further , according to the present invention , it becomes possible to provide a control method for a brushless motor capable of executing optimal drive control respectively in each mode from control of start - up operation and steady - rotating operation to control of deceleration and improving the efficiency and reliability of the motor . still further , according to the present invention , it becomes possible to provide a light deflection device rich in expandability of a control function capable of easily adding control , which cannot be executed by one drive circuit . still further , according to the present invention , it becomes possible to provide a control method for a light deflection device capable of executing optimal drive control respectively in each mode from control of start - up operation and steady - rotating operation to control of deceleration and improving the efficiency and reliability of the motor .	6
the present invention will be described below in greater detail on the basis of embodiments thereof illustrated by the appended drawings . an avoidance trajectory is updated by solving an optimization problem in real time for each predetermined time interval ( tc , seconds ). fig1 shows a starting time of computation in one update cycle and an initial time of the calculated avoidance trajectory . by setting the initial time after a constant time interval ( tm , seconds ) has elapsed since the starting time of computation , it is possible to update the safe trajectory that reflects a time required for computations and a reaction time of the pilot after the trajectory has been presented . as shown in fig2 , in one update cycle , an optimal avoidance trajectory with a constant flight - path angle and an optimal avoidance trajectory with a constant heading angle are determined by discretization for ( n + 1 ) nodes each , and the trajectory for which the number of nodes present in the turbulent region is smaller is selected . when the number of nodes present in the turbulent region is the same for both trajectories , a trajectory with a smaller deviation from the reference trajectory is selected . equation ( 1 ) is used as an indicator of deviation from the reference trajectory . k = σ k = 1 n [{ x ( k )− x r ( k )} 2 +{ y ( k )− y r ( k )} 2 + σ { h ( k )− h r ( k )} 2 ] ( 1 ) where k is an index of points ( nodes ) that divide the trajectory , x , y are coordinates of the avoidance trajectory in a horizontal plane , h is an altitude of the avoidance trajectory , x r , y r are coordinates of the reference trajectory in the horizontal plane , h r is an altitude of the reference trajectory , and σ is a weight factor applied to reference trajectory deviation in the altitude direction . when the respective avoidance trajectories are calculated , a two - stage solution method is used by which initially an estimated solution of a global optimum solution is found by solving a semidefinite programming problem and then an appropriate local optimum solution is found by solving a convex quadratic programming problem based on the estimated solution . the state equation of the aircraft is represented by eq . ( 2 ). where γ is a flight - path angle , ψ is a heading angle , ω is a rate of turn , v is a velocity , t γ is a time constant of the flight - path angle , t ω is a time constant of the rate of turn , t v is a time constant of the velocity , γ c is a command for flight - path angle , ω c is a command for rate of turn , and v c is a command for velocity . fig3 shows a local coordinate system 1 used when determining an avoidance trajectory with a constant flight - path angle and a local coordinate system 2 used when determining an avoidance trajectory with a constant heading angle . in the local coordinate system 1 , an estimated position of the aircraft at the initial time obtained from the past trajectory computation results is taken as an origin point , the direction indicated by a vector obtained by projecting the estimated velocity vector of the aircraft at the initial time ( referred to hereinbelow as initial velocity vector ) on a horizontal plane is taken as an x axis , a vertical direction is taken as a z axis , and a direction forming a right - handed orthogonal system with these axes is taken as an y axis . the local coordinate system 2 is obtained by rotating the local coordinate system 1 about the y axis and matching the x axis with the direction of the initial velocity vector of the aircraft at the initial time . a position coordinate of the aircraft in the local coordinate system 1 is represented by * 1 , and a position coordinate of the aircraft in the local coordinate system 2 is represented by * 2 . * 1 : ( x , y , h ),* 2 : ({ tilde over ( x )},{ tilde over ( y )},{ tilde over ( h )}) ( 3 ) the avoidance trajectories with a constant flight - path angle and a constant heading angle are represented by conducting equidistant discretization with ( n + 1 ) nodes in the x axis direction in the local coordinate system 1 and local coordinate system 2 . by using the local coordinate system 1 when computing the trajectory with a constant flight - path angle , it is possible to determine the altitude and velocity in each node in advance from eq . ( 4 ) before the optimization computation . where δ { tilde over ( x )} is a distance between the nodes in the x axis direction of the local coordinate system 1 , and h 0 , v 0 , γ 0 are values of h , v , γ designated in the initial point of the trajectory . likewise , by using the local coordinate system 2 when computing the trajectory with a constant heading angle , it is possible to determine the y coordinate value and velocity in each node in advance from eq . ( 5 ) before the optimization computation . where δ x is a distance between the nodes in the x axis direction of the local coordinate system 2 . thus , by using the local systems 1 and 2 of coordinates , it is possible to determine some variables in advance , reduce the number of variables that are the objects of optimization , and reduce the computational load . in the optimization , a linearized differential equation is presented as an equality constraint condition of eq . ( 6 ) as an approximation of the state equation of eq . ( 2 ). where χ is a variation amount from the initial value ( ψ 0 ) of the heading angle , that is , χ = ψ 0 ; γ is a variation amount from the initial value ( γ 0 ) of the flight - path angle , that is , γ = γ − γ 0 ; γ c is a command relating to γ , that is , γ c = γ c − γ 0 . as for the size of the rectangular solid a limiting a region in which an avoidance trajectory can be present in each update cycle of avoidance trajectory , a rectangular solid is set such as shown in fig4 . thus , an initial position that is a present position of the fuselage is taken as an end surface , an axial position of the fuselage is taken as a central position of the end surface , and a length in the fight direction , height , and width are set correspondingly to the resolution of the detection means . turbulence information is considered to be measured in any region inside the rectangular solid and the avoidance trajectory to be determined is also assumed to be limited to the inner space of the rectangular solid . in addition to this condition , constraints are imposed on a rate of turn and a command thereof , a flight - path angle and a command thereof , and a flight - path angle rate in order to obtain an avoidance trajectory physically suitable for the flight . moreover , constraints are also imposed on a variation amount χ ( k ) of a heading angle to limit a range in which linearization of the heading angle is appropriate . these constraint conditions are represented by inequality ( 7 ) below . where g is a gravitational acceleration ; χ max is an allowed value of variation amount of the heading angle from the initial value ; φ max is a maximum allowed bank angle ; γ min , γ max are a minimum allowed value and a maximum allowed value of the flight - path angle ; { dot over ( γ )} min , { dot over ( γ )} max are a minimum allowed value and a maximum allowed value of the flight - path angle rate . the turbulent region that should be avoided ( moderate turbulent region and severe turbulent region ) is represented by a plurality of ( the number l of ) rectangular solids in the local coordinate system 1 or 2 . the number l and the size and arrangement of each rectangular solid vary with time , depending on the measurement results obtained with the doppler lidar . further , the size of each rectangular solid also depends on the doppler lidar resolution . by using the above - described discretization method for representing the avoidance trajectory , it is possible to formulate the constraints for turbulent region avoidance represented by rectangular solids in the if - then syntax of eq . ( 9 ), rather than eq . ( 8 ) using a conventional logical sum ( or ). \| x ( k )− c x ( l )\|≧ r x ( l ) or \| y ( k )− c y ( l )\|≧ r y ( l ) or \| h ( k )− c h ( l )\|≧ r h ( l )( k = 1 , . . . , n , l = 1 , . . . , l ) ( 8 ) where ( x ( k ), y ( k ), h ( k )) are position coordinates of the aircraft subjected to discretization , ( c x ( l ), c y ( l ), c h ( l )) are central coordinates of the l - th rectangular solid region , and ( r x ( l ), r y ( l ), r h ( l )) are half lengths of sides in the x , y , h directions in the l - th rectangular solid region . if \|{ tilde over ( x )}( k )−{ tilde over ( c )} x ( l )\|≦{ tilde over ( r )} x ( l ) and \|{ tilde over ( h )}( k )−{ tilde over ( c )} h ( l )\|≦{ tilde over ( r )} h ( l ), then \|{ tilde over ( y )}( k )−{ tilde over ( c )} y ( l )\|≧{ tilde over ( r )} y ( l ) ( k = 1 , . . . , n , l = 1 , . . . , l ) if \| x ( k )− c x ( l )\|≦ r x ( l ) and \| y ( k )− c y ( l )\|≦ r y ( l ), then \| h ( k )− c h ( l )\|≧ r h ( l ) ( k = 1 , . . . , n , l = 1 , . . . , l ) ( 9 ) where ( x ( k ), y ( k ), h ( k )) are position coordinates of the aircraft subjected to discretization ( local coordinate system 1 ), ( c ( l ), c y ( l ), c h ( l )) are central coordinates of the l - th rectangular solid region ( local coordinate system 1 ), ( r x ( l ), r y ( l ), r h ( l )) are half lengths of sides in the x , y , h directions in the l - th rectangular solid region ( local coordinate system 1 ), ( x ( k ), y ( k ), h ( k )) are position coordinates of the aircraft subjected to discretization ( local coordinate system 2 ), ( c x ( l ), c y ( l ), c h ( l )) are central coordinates of the l - th rectangular solid region ( local coordinate system 2 ), and ( r ( l ), r ( l ), r h ( l )) are half lengths of sides in the x , y , h directions in the l - th rectangular solid region ( local coordinate system 2 ). in the formula using the conventional logical sum , the number of constraint conditions relating to turbulence avoidance is proportional to n × l , whereas in the formulation in the if - then syntax in accordance with the present invention , no constraint condition is used when a preamble condition ( if portion ) is not fulfilled . therefore , the number of essential constraint conditions can be made substantially less than n × l and the computation speed , which is important for real time computations , can be increased . further , since extra variables for representing a logical sum , as in the conventional method , are not required , a large contribution is made to the increase in computation speed . the cost function that should be minimized in the optimization problem is a value obtained by combining the sum of squares of deviational errors from the reference trajectory and the sum of squares of variation rates of control inputs , those sums of squares being assigned with weight factors . with the cost function of this format , it is possible to determine an avoidance trajectory that has a small deviation from the reference trajectory and that can be followed by smooth operations of the pilot . further , in the below - described convex quadratic programming problem , the sum of time - variable δ ( k ) ( k = 1 , . . . , n ) that is an indicator of the degree to which the avoidance condition for the turbulent region is not fulfilled is also assigned with a weight factor and combined with the above - described value . this additional term makes it possible to determine a trajectory such that will be as far as possible from the center of the turbulent region and will make it possible to slip out of the turbulent region within a short time . the constraints of the optimization problem are represented by eqs . ( 6 ), ( 7 ), and ( 9 ), eqs . ( 6 ) and ( 7 ) are linear equations , whereas eq . ( 9 ) is a nonlinear and a non - convex equation . therefore , a plurality of local optimal solutions can be present . finding directly a global optimal solution for such a problem will require a high computational load and real - time computations are difficult . accordingly , in accordance with the present invention , the problem is initially solved by relaxing the constraints represented by eq . ( 9 ) to the following eq . ( 10 ). where p yy ( k ), p hh ( k ) are optimization variables introduced for relaxation . the cost function in this problem can be given by eq . ( 12 ) on the basis of auxiliary variables satisfying eq . ( 11 ). σ k = 0 n { ω c ( k )− ω ( k )} 2 ≦{ tilde over ( v )} σ k = 0 n { γ c ( k )− γ ( k )} 2 ≦ v ( 11 ) j ={ tilde over ( q )} 1 σ k = 1 n { p yy ( k )= 2 { tilde over ( y )} r ( k ){ tilde over ( y )}( k )+{ tilde over ( y )} r ( k ) 2 }+{ tilde over ( q )} 2 { tilde over ( v )}, j = q 1 σ k = 1 n { p hh ( k )= 2 h r ( k ) h ( k )+ h r ( k ) 2 }+ q 2 v , ( 12 ) in accordance with the present invention , the optimization problem is initially solved by taking eq . ( 12 ) as a cost on the basis of constraints represented by eqs . ( 6 ), ( 7 ), ( 10 ), and ( 11 ). this problem is a semidefinite programming problem and therefore an algorithm of reliable convergence by infinite number of iterative computations can be used . as a result , reliability in real time computations is high . as described in e . frazzoli , z .- h . mao , j .- h . oh , and e . feron , “ resolution of conflicts involving many aircraft via semidefinite programming ,” journal of guidance , control , and dynamics , vol . 24 , no . 1 , pp . 79 - 86 , 2001 , the solution of this semidefinite programming problem becomes a probabilistically average value of a global optimal solution in the optimization problem in which constraints are not relaxed and therefore can be considered as a good evaluation solution of the global optimal solution . accordingly , by using the estimation solution , it is possible to use eq . ( 13 ) instead of eq . ( 10 ) as a constraints equation , and a convex quadratic programming problem of minimizing the cost function of eq . ( 14 ) can be eventually constituted on the basis of the constraints represented by eqs . ( 6 ), ( 7 ), and ( 13 ). by solving such convex quadratic programming problem , it is possible to obtain a local optimal solution for the optimization problem in which constraints are not relaxed . further , since the convex quadratic programming problem also uses the algorithm of reliable convergence by infinite number of iterative computations , reliability of real - time computations is high . where y spd ( k ), h sdp ( k ) are y ( k ), h ( k ) determined as solutions of the semidefinite programming problem . j ={ tilde over ( q )} 1 σ k = 1 n {{ tilde over ( y )}( k )−{ tilde over ( y )} r ( k )} 2 +{ tilde over ( q )} 2 σ k = 0 n { ω c ( k )− ω ( k )} 2 +{ tilde over ( q )} 3 σ k = 1 n δ ( k ) j = q 1 σ k = 1 n { h ( k )− h r ( k )} 2 + q 2 σ k = 0 n { γ c ( k )− γ ( k )} 2 + q 3 σ k = 1 n δ ( k ) ( 14 ) where { tilde over ( q )} s , q s , are positive weight factors . when an avoidance trajectory with a constant heading angle is computed , the rate of turn at the initial time of the trajectory is sometimes not zero . in such cases a segment is inserted for causing the convergence of the rate of turn to zero at a constant flight - path angle . the transition of state variables in this segment is determined by repeating calculations with eq . ( 15 ) till ω ( k + 1 ) converges to zero . the initial time and initial state in the avoidance trajectory with a constant heading angle is replaced with end time and state in this segment . turbulences are classified into three groups according to intensity thereof . for example , an fh - factor ( a factor obtained by emitting a laser beam forward , acquiring a wind velocity u toward a measurement object area , differentiating the wind velocity u in this direction with respect to time , and converting to a dimensionless value by dividing by the gravitational acceleration g ) defined in japanese patent application laid - open no . 2007 - 232695 , “ turbulence detection method ”, published on sep . 13 , 2007 , can be used as a factor representing the intensity of turbulence , and the correlation between this factor and the degree of fuselage shaking is found from flight data . the degree of fuselage shaking is classified on the basis of a root mean square of vertical acceleration into shaking caused by a weak turbulence ( less than 0 . 1 g ), shaking caused by a moderate turbulence ( equal to or greater than 0 . 1 g and less than 0 . 3 g ), and shaking caused by a severe turbulence ( equal to or greater than 0 . 3 g ). according to this classification , a weak turbulent region is handled similarly to a region in which no turbulence is present , that is , not as an avoidance object . the moderate turbulent region generates an avoidance trajectory assuming usual steering with a bank angle of equal to or less than 30 degrees . the severe turbulent region generates an avoidance trajectory assuming emergency steering with a bank angle equal to or less than 60 degrees . fig5 to 7 show an example of results obtained in simulation of turbulent region avoidance . a moderate turbulent region is assumed to be detected and the maximum value of bank angle is set to 30 degrees . the aircraft velocity is taken to decrease from the initial value of 255 m / s to 240 m / s ( vc in eq . ( 2 )), and the rectangular solid defined in fig4 is taken to have the following dimensions : d = 10 km , w = 7 . 279 km , and h = 1 . 750 km . the trajectory update period ( tc ) is 10 s , margin time ( tm ) is 15 s , upper and lower limits of the flight - path angle are ± 1 . 15 deg , upper and lower limits of variation rate of the flight - path angle with time are ± 0 . 45 deg / s , and time constants in eq . ( 2 ) are tγ = 3 s , tω = 3 s , and tω = 10 s . in eq . ( 1 ), is taken as 100 , and weight factors in eqs . ( 12 ) and ( 14 ) are as follows : in fig5 , the reference trajectory is shown by a dot line and the obtained optimal trajectory is shown by a solid line . with the optimal trajectory , the turbulent region represented by a single rectangular solid can be reliably avoided and reliable return to the reference trajectory after the avoidance can be confirmed . fig6 shows the time history of flight - path angle at which the trajectory shown in fig5 is realized , and fig7 shows the time history of rate of turn at which the trajectory shown in fig5 is realized . fig8 to 10 illustrate results obtained in another avoidance simulation relating to the same turbulent region as in example 1 . set values of parameters are the same as in example 1 , except that a is changed to 1 . in fig8 , the reference trajectory is shown by a dot line and the obtained optimal trajectory is shown by a solid line . the obtained optimal trajectory is a trajectory in which the heading angle is constant and only the flight - path angle is changed over the entire region . as a result , where safe avoidance is possible in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction , which of the direction is intended can be changed by changing the weight factor of trajectory deviation . fig9 shows the time history of flight - path angle at which the trajectory shown in fig8 is realized , and fig1 shows the time history of rate of turn at which the trajectory shown in fig8 is realized . fig1 to 13 show simulation results obtained with same parameter settings as in example 1 with respect to a case in which three turbulent regions are artificially set . in fig1 , the reference trajectory is shown by a dot line and the obtained optimal trajectory is shown by a solid line . the obtained optimal trajectory is a trajectory in which the flight - path angle is constant and only the heading angle is changed over the entire region ; the three turbulent regions are reliably avoided . since there is a freedom of selecting whether to avoid each turbulent region on the left side or on the right side , a total of at least eight optical avoidance trajectories can be assumed to be locally present in this problem , but the obtained avoidance trajectory becomes the appropriate trajectory with the smallest deviation from the reference trajectory from among all these trajectories . fig1 shows the time history of flight - path angle at which the trajectory shown in fig1 is realized , and fig1 shows the time history of rate of turn at which the trajectory shown in fig1 is realized . fig1 to 16 show simulation results obtained with same parameter settings as in example 1 with respect to a case in which ten turbulent regions are artificially set . in fig1 , the reference trajectory is shown by a dot line and the obtained optimal trajectory is shown by a solid line . the optimal trajectory is a combination of segments with a constant flight - path angle and segments with a constant heading angle , and a turbulent region represented by ten rectangular solids is completely avoided . further , it is possible to confirm that the flight - path angle and heading angle after the avoidance have returned to those of the reference trajectory . fig1 shows the time history of flight - path angle at which the trajectory shown in fig1 is realized , and fig1 shows the time history of rate of turn at which the trajectory shown in fig1 is realized . fig1 to 19 show an example of simulation performed to simulate an actually appearing turbulent region . the parameter settings are identical to those of example 1 , except that d = 20 km , w = 14 . 56 km , and h = 3 . 500 km . in fig1 , the reference trajectory is shown by a dot line and the obtained optimal trajectory is shown by a solid line . safe avoidance in the direction in which no turbulence is present is performed and the method in accordance with the present invention can be confirmed to be effective with respect to an actual turbulent region . fig1 shows the time history of flight - path angle at which the trajectory shown in fig1 is realized , and fig1 shows the time history of rate of turn at which the trajectory shown in fig1 is realized . the turbulence avoidance operation assist device in accordance with the present invention can be advantageously used as a danger avoidance means for minimizing damage when a turbulence is detected ahead of an aircraft and also can be used for avoiding a danger region in which ice crystals or volcano ash is distributed in the region in the flight direction .	6
an illustration of a 3gpp 8 - state parallel concatenated convolutional code ( pccc ), with coding rate ⅓ , constraint length k = 4 is illustrated in fig3 . an implementation using siso log - map decoders is illustrated in fig4 . in accordance with an exemplary embodiment , a diversity processing turbo codes decoder includes two parallel blocks 40 a , 40 b of turbo codes decoders for each path of received data rxda and rxdb . each identical turbo codes decoder block 40 a , 40 b has concatenated max log - map siso decoders a 42 and b 44 connected in a feedback loop with interleaver memory 43 and interleaver memory 45 . the soft output of turbo codes decoder block 40 a is fed - back into the input of turbo codes decoder block 40 b . conversely , the soft output of turbo codes decoder block 40 b is fed - back into the input of turbo codes decoder block 40 a . the sum of the two outputs z 1 , z 3 of the turbo codes decoder block 40 a , 40 b is fed into the hard - decoder to generate output y data . signals ra 2 , ra 1 , ra 0 are received soft decision signals of data path a from the system receiver . signals xo 1 and xo 2 are output soft decision signals of the log - map decoders a 42 and b 44 , respectively , which are stored in the interleaver memory 43 and memory 45 module . signals z 2 and z 1 are the output of the interleaver memory 43 and interleaver memory 45 . z 2 is fed into log - map decoder b 44 and z 1 is looped back into log - map decoder a 42 through adder 231 . signals rb 2 , rb 1 , rb 0 are received soft decision signals of data path b from the system receiver . signals xo 1 and xo 2 are output soft decision of the log - map decoders a 42 and b 44 , respectively , which are stored in the interleaver memory 43 and memory 45 module . signals z 4 and z 3 are the output of the interleaver memory 43 and interleaver memory 45 . z 4 is fed into log - map decoder b 44 and z 3 is looped back into log - map decoder a 42 through adder 231 . in accordance with the invention , signal z 3 is fed back into log - map decoder a 42 of block 40 a through adder 231 , and signal z 1 is fed back into log - map decoder a 42 of block 40 b through adder 231 for diversity processing . each interleaver memory 43 , 45 , shown in fig2 , includes one interleaver 201 and a dual - port ram memory 202 . input memory blocks 41 , 48 , 49 , shown in fig2 , include dual - port ram memory 211 . control logic module ( clsm ) 47 consists of various state - machines , which control all the operations of the turbo codes decoder . the hard - decoder module 46 outputs the final decoded data . more particularly , as illustrated in fig3 ra 0 , rb 0 are data bits corresponding to the transmit data bit u , ra 1 , rb 1 are the first parity bits corresponding to the output bit of the first rsc encoder , and ra 2 , rb 2 are interleaved second parity bits corresponding to the output bit of the second rsc encoder . in accordance with the invention , corresponding ones of data bits ra 0 , rb 0 are added to the feedback signals z 1 and z 3 , then fed into the decoder a . corresponding ones of data bits ra 1 , rb 1 are also fed into decoder a for decoding the first stage of decoding output x 01 . z 2 and corresponding ones of ra 2 , rb 2 are fed into decoder b for decoding the second stage of decoding output x 02 . in accordance with the invention , as shown in fig6 the turbo codes decoder utilizes a sliding window of block n 61 on the input buffers 62 to decode one block n data at a time , the next block n of data is decoded after the previous block n is done in a circular wrap - around scheme for pipeline operations . in another embodiment , the sliding window of block n is used on the input buffer memory so that each block n data is decoded at a time one block after another in a pipeline scheme . in accordance with the invention , the turbo codes decoder decodes an 8 - state parallel concatenated convolutional code ( pccc ), and also decodes a 16 - states superorthogonal turbo codes sotc with different code rates . the turbo codes decoder also decodes a higher n - state parallel concatenated convolutional code ( pccc ) as illustrated in fig4 the turbo codes decoder functions effectively as follows : received soft decision data ( rxda [ 2 : 0 ]) is stored in three input buffers memorys 48 , 49 , 41 to produce data bits ra 0 , ra 1 , and ra 2 that correspond to data words . each output data word ra 0 , ra 1 , ra 2 contains a number of binary bits . received soft decision data ( rxdb [ 2 : 0 ]) is stored in three input buffers memorys 48 , 49 , 41 to produce rb 0 , rb 1 , and rb 2 that correspond to data words . each output data word rb 0 , rb 1 , rb 2 contains a number of binary bits . a sliding window of block n is imposed onto each input memory to produce corresponding ones of ra 0 , rb 0 , ra 1 , rb 1 , ra 2 , and rb 2 output data words . in accordance with the method of the invention , when an inpuot data block of size n is ready , the turbo decoder starts the log - map decoder a , in block 40 a , to decode the n input data based on the soft - values of ra 0 , z 1 , z 3 and ra 1 , then stores the outputs in the interleaver memory a . the turbo decoder also starts the log - map decoder b , in block 40 a , to decode the n input data based on the soft - values of ra 2 and z 2 , in pipelined mode with a delay latency of n , then stores the output in the interleaver memory . when an input data block of size n is ready , the turbo decoder starts the log - map decoder a , in block 40 b , to decode the n input data based on the soft - values of rb 0 , z 1 , z 3 and rb 1 , then stores the outputs in the interleaver memory a . the turbo decoder also starts the log - map decoder b , in block 40 b , to decode the n input data based on the soft - values of rb 2 and z 4 , in pipelined mode with a delay latency of n , then store the outputs in the interleaver memory . the turbo decoder performs iterative decoding for l number of times ( l = 1 , 2 , . . . , m ). the log - map decoder a receives the sum of ( z 1 and z 3 and corresponding ones of ra 0 , rb 0 as inputs . the log - map decoder a also receives corresponding ones of ra 1 , rb 1 as inputs . the log - map decoder b receives the data z 2 and r 2 as inputs . when the iterative decoding sequences is complete , the turbo decoder starts the hard - decision operations to compute and produce soft - decision outputs . as shown in fig7 siso log - map decoders 42 , 44 include a branch metric ( bm ) computation module 71 , a state metric ( sm ) computation module 72 , a log - map computation module 73 , a bm memory module 74 , a sm memory module 75 , and a control logic state machine module 76 . soft - value inputs enter the branch metric ( bm ) computation module 71 , where euclidean distance is calculated for each branch , the output branch metrics are stored in the bm memory module 74 . the state metric ( sm ) computation module 72 reads branch metrics from the bm memory 74 and computes the state metric for each state , the output state - metrics are stored in the sm memory module 75 . the log - map computation module 73 reads both branch - metrics and state - metrics from bm memory 74 and sm memory 75 modules to compute the log maximum a posteriori probability and produce soft - decision output . the control logic state - machine module 76 provides the overall operations of the decoding process . as shown in fig7 which is one example of 3gpp turbo codes decoder , the log - map decoder 42 44 functions effectively as follows : the log - map decoder 42 , 44 reads each soft - values ( sd ) data pair input , then computes branch - metric ( bm ) values for all paths in the turbo codes trellis 80 as shown in fig8 a ( and trellis 85 in fig8 b ). the computed bm data is stored into bm memory 74 . the process of computing bm values is repeated for each input data until all n samples are calculated and stored in bm memory 74 . the log - map decoder 42 44 reads bm values from bm memory 74 and sm values from sm memory 75 , and computes the forward state - metric ( sm ) for all states in the trellis 80 as shown in fig8 a ( and trellis 85 in fig8 b ). the computed forward sm data is stored into sm memory 75 . the process of computing forward sm values is repeated for each input data until all n samples are calculated and stored in sm memory 75 . the log - map decoder 42 44 reads bm values from bm memory 74 and sm values from sm memory 75 , and computes the backward state - metric ( sm ) for all states in the trellis 80 as shown in fig8 a ( and trellis 85 in fig8 b ). the computed backward sm data is stored into the sm memory 75 . the process of computing backward sm values is repeated for each input data until all n samples are calculated and stored in sm memory 75 . the log - map decoder 42 44 then computes log - map posteriori probability for u = 0 and u = 1 using the bm values and sm values from bm memory 74 and sm memory 75 . the process of computing log - map posteriori probability is repeated for each input data until all n samples are calculated . the log - map decoder then decodes data by making soft decision based on the posteriori probability for each stage and produces soft - decision output , until all n inputs are decoded . the branch metric ( bm ) computation module 71 computes the euclidean distance for each branch in the 8 - states trellis 80 as shown in the fig8 a based on the following equations : where sd 0 and sd 1 are soft - value input data and g 0 and g 1 are the expected input for each path in the trellis 80 . g 0 and g 1 are coded as signed antipodal values , meaning that 0 corresponds to + 1 and 1 corresponds to − 1 . therefore , the local euclidean distances for each path in the trellis 80 are computed by the following equations : as shown in the exemplary embodiment of fig9 the branch metric computing module includes one l - bit adder 91 , one l - bit subtracter 92 , and a 2 ′ complemeter 93 . the euclidean distances is computed for path m 1 and m 5 . path m 2 is 2 ′ complement of path m 1 . path m 6 is 2 ′ complement of m 5 . path m 3 is the same path m 2 , path m 4 is the same as path m 1 , path m 7 is the same as path m 6 , path m 8 is the same as path m 5 , path m 9 is the same as path m 6 , path m 10 is the same as path m 5 , path m 11 is the same as path m 5 , path m 12 is the same as path m 6 , path m 13 is the same as path m 2 , path m 14 is the same as path m 1 , path m 15 is the same as path m 1 , and path m 16 is the same as path m 2 . the state metric computing module 72 calculates the probability a ( k ) of each state transition in forward recursion and the probability b ( k ) in backward recursion . fig1 shows the implementation of state - metric in forward recursion with add - compare - select ( acs ) logic . fig1 shows the implementation of state - metric in backward recursion with add - compare - select ( acs ) logic . the calculations are performed at each node in the turbo codes trellis 80 ( fig8 a ) in both forward and backward recursion . fig1 shows the forward state transitions in the turbo codes trellis 80 ( fig8 a ). fig1 shows the backward state transitions in the turbo codes trellis 80 ( fig8 a ). each node in the trellis 80 as shown in fig8 a has two entering paths : one - path 84 and zero - path 83 , from the two nodes in the previous stage . in an exemplary embodiment , the acs logic includes an adder 132 , an adder 134 , a comparator 131 , and a multiplexer 133 . in the forward recursion , the adder 132 computes the sum of the branch metric and state metric in the one - path 84 from the state s ( k − 1 ) of previous stage ( k − 1 ). the adder 134 computes the sum of the branch metric and state metric in the zero - path 83 from the state ( k − 1 ) of previous stage ( k − 1 ). the comparator 131 compares the two sums and the multiplexer 133 selects the larger sum for the state s ( k ) of current stage ( k ). in the backward recursion , the adder 142 computes the sum of the branch metric and state metric in the one - path 84 from the state s ( j + 1 ) of previous stage ( j + 1 ). the adder 144 computes the sum of the branch metric and state metric in the zero - path 83 from the state s ( j + 1 ) of previous stage ( j + 1 ). the comparator 141 compares the two sums and the multiplexer 143 selects the larger sum for the state s ( j ) of current stage ( j ). time ( k − 1 ) is the previous stage of ( k ) in forward recursion as shown in fig1 , and time ( j + 1 ) is the previous stage of ( j ) in backward recursion as shown in fig1 . the log - map computing module calculates the posteriori probability for u = 0 and u = 1 , for each path entering each state in the turbo codes trellis 80 corresponding to u = 0 and u = 1 or referred as zero - path 83 and one - path 84 . the accumulated probabilities are compared and the u with larger probability is selected . the soft - decisions are made based on the final probability selected for each bit . fig1 a shows the implementation for calculating the posteriori probability for u = 0 . fig1 b shows the implementation for calculating the posteriori probability for u = 1 . fig1 shows the implementation of compare - and - select for the u with larger probability . fig1 shows the implementation of the soft - decode compare logic to produce output bits based on the posteriori probability of u = 0 and u = 1 . the equations for calculating the accumulated probabilities for each state and compare - and - select are shown below : sum_s 01 = sm 3 i + bm 7 + sm 1 j sum_s 02 = sm 4 i + bm 9 + sm 2 j sum_s 03 = sm 7 i + bm 15 + sm 3 j sum_s 05 = sm 2 i + bm 6 + sm 5 j sum_s 06 = sm 5 i + bm 12 + sm 6 j sum_s 07 = sm 6 i + bm 14 + sm 7 j sum_s 10 = sm 1 i + bm 3 + sm 0 j sum_s 11 = sm 2 i + bm 5 + sm 1 j sum_s 12 = sm 5 i + bm 11 + sm 2 j sum_s 14 = sm 0 i + bm 2 + sm 4 j sum_s 15 = sm 3 i + bm 8 + sm 5 j sum_s 16 = sm 4 i + bm 10 + sm 6 j as shown in fig7 the control logic module controls the overall operations of the log - map decoder . the control logic state machine 171 , referred as clsm , is shown in fig1 . the clsm module 171 ( fig1 ) operates effectively as follows . initially , the clsm module 171 operates in idle state 172 . when the decoder is enabled , the clsm module 171 transitions to calc - bm state 173 , where the branch metric ( bm ) module starts operations and monitors for completion . when branch metric calculations are completed , referred to as bm - done , the clsm transitions to calc - fwd - sm state 174 , where the state metric module ( sm ) begins forward recursion operations . when the forward sm state metric calculations are completed , referred to as fwd - sm - done , the clsm transitions to calc - bwd - sm state 175 , where the state metric module ( sm ) begins backward recursion operations . when backward sm state metric calculations are completed , referred to as bwd - sm - done , the clsm transitions to calc - log - map state 176 , where the log - map computation module begins calculating the maximum a posteriori ( map ) probability to produce soft decode output . when log - map calculations are completed , referred to as log - map - done , the clsm module 171 transitions back to idle state 172 . the branch - metric memory 74 and the state - metric memory 75 are shown in fig7 as the data storage components for bm module 71 and sm module 72 . the branch metric memory module is a dual - port ram that contains m - bits of n memory locations as shown in fig1 . the state metric memory module is a dual - port ram that contains k - bits of n memory locations as shown in fig1 . data can be written into one port while reading at the other port . as shown in fig4 the interleaver memory a 43 stores data for the first decoder a 42 and interleaver memory b 45 stores data for the second decoder b 44 . in iterative pipelined decoding , the decoder a 42 reads data from interleaver memory b 45 and writes results data into interleaver memory b 43 , the decoder b 44 reads data from interleaver memory a 43 and write results into interleaver memory b 45 . as shown in fig2 , the de - interleaver memory 41 includes a de - interleaver module 201 and a dual - port ram 202 , which contains m - bits of n memory locations . the interleaver is a turbo code internal interleaver as defined by 3 gpp standard etsi ts 125 222 v3 . 2 . 1 ( 2000 - 05 ), or other source . the interleaver permutes the address input port a for all write operations into dual - port ram module . reading data from output port b are done with normal address input . as shown in fig2 , the interleaver memory 43 45 comprises of a dual - port ram 211 , which contains m - bits of n memory locations . the input buffer interleaver memory module uses an interleaver to generate the writeaddress sequences of the memory core in write - mode . in read - mode , the memory core readaddress are normal sequences . as shown in fig4 the turbo decoder control logics module 47 , referred to as tdclsm , controls the overall operations of the turbo codes decoder . log - map a 42 starts the operations of data in memory b 45 . at the same time , log - map b starts the operations in memory a 43 . when log - map a 42 and log - map b 44 finish with block n of data , the tdclsm 47 starts the iterative decoding for l number of times . when the iterative decoding sequences are completed , the tdclsm 47 transitions to hard - dec to generate the harddecode outputs . then the tdclsm 47 transitions to start decoding another block of data . turbo codes decoder performs iterative decoding and diversity processing by feeding back the output z 1 , z 3 of the second log - map decoder b into the corresponding first log - map decoder a before making decision for hard - decoding output . as shown in fig2 , the counter 233 counts the preset number l times .	7
fig1 a shows a delta robot 1 according the present invention with three rotary actuators 2 , 3 , 4 that are mounted on a robot frame 5 . the rotary drives 2 , 3 , 4 all have a crank 6 that is rotated for changing the position of the dual arms 7 , 8 , 9 connected to these cranks 6 . the dual arms 7 , 8 , 9 are all connected to an end effector 10 . the arms 7 , 8 , 9 are all double constructed as this enables to control not only the position but also the orientation of the end effector 10 . here the end effector 10 is embodied as a platform . as also illustrated in fig2 the rotary actuators 2 and 3 are connected to the frame 5 with their axes of movement 11 , 12 parallel to each other . the parallel axes of movement 11 , 12 of two of the actuators 2 , 3 results in a field of activity 13 of the end effector 10 that has a oval shape . fig1 b shows the delta robot 1 wherein the field of activity 13 , also referred to as the “ working volume ”, of the end effector 10 is further indicated . the oval shape as shown in fig1 a reduces in size when the effector 10 reaches lower , as indicated by the tapered field of activity 20 . further attention is drawn to the position of the third rotary actuator 4 being located above the “ parallel ” lower rotary actuators 2 , 3 . such positioning of the actuator 4 enables a compact build of the frame / actuator assembly 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 . an axis of movement 13 of the higher rotary actuator 4 is perpendicularly intersecting the axes of movement 11 , 12 of the two lower actuators 2 , 3 . the arms 7 , 8 connecting to the two lower actuators 2 , 3 are shorter than the arms 9 connected to the higher actuator 4 . fig3 a shows a schematic view on the orientation of the actuators 2 , 3 , 4 of the robot 1 as shown in fig1 and 2 . also the axes of movement 11 , 12 , 13 of the actuators 2 , 3 , 4 are shown in this figure . in line with the schematic view of fig3 a in fig3 b is an schematic view shown on an alternative orientation of actuators 30 , 31 , 32 with axes of movement 33 , 34 , 35 . here the axes of movement 33 , 34 of the actuators 30 , 31 are parallel but now the axis of movement 35 of the actuator 32 is crossing the axes of movement 33 , 34 of the actuators 30 , 31 . the actuators 30 , 31 , 32 are all placed in a single plane . also this first alternative configuration of the actuators 30 , 31 , 32 is part of the present invention . a choice for the orientation as shown in this figure can for instance be made in case there is limited space in height on the location where a delta robot is to be placed but still the advantages of the present invention are sought for . in fig3 c a second alternative orientation of actuators 40 , 41 , 42 with axes of movement 43 , 44 , 45 is shown . here the axes of movement 43 , 44 of the actuators 40 , 41 are placed in line ( and are thus also parallel ). the axis of movement 45 of the actuator 42 is crossing the axes of movement 43 , 44 of the actuators 40 , 41 . in fig3 d a third alternative orientation of actuators 50 , 51 , 52 with axes of movement 53 , 54 , 55 is shown . here the axes of movement 53 , 54 of the actuators 50 , 51 are placed substantially in line ( and are thus also substantially parallel ). the angle enclosed by the axes of movement 53 , 54 of the actuators 50 , 51 is less than 20 °, preferably less than 15 °, even more preferably less than 10 °. in fig3 e a fourth alternative orientation of actuators 500 , 501 , 502 with axes of movement 503 , 504 , 505 is shown . here the axes of movement 503 , 505 of the actuators 500 , 502 are placed substantially in line ( and are thus also substantially parallel ). the angle enclosed by the axes of movement 503 , 505 of the actuators 500 , 502 is less than 20 °, preferably less than 15 °, even more preferably less than 10 °. in fig3 f a robot according to the invention is shown wherein the actuators comprise two rotary actuators ( 510 , 511 ) with their axis of movement ( 512 , 513 ) substantially parallel and one linear actuator ( 514 ). the use of linear actuators may save space , resulting in the possibility of placing multiple robots closer together . fig3 g discloses a robot according to the invention wherein the actuators comprise two linear actuators ( 520 , 521 ) with their axes of movement ( 522 , 523 ) substantially parallel and one rotary actuator ( 524 ). the use of linear actuators may save space , resulting in the possibility of placing multiple robots closer together . fig4 shows schematic top view of an assembly of robots 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 according the present invention with their with the fields of activity 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 separated from each other . the robots 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 are located above two conveyor belts 68 , 69 moving in the direction as indicated by arrows p1 , p2 . on conveyor 68 individual products 70 are supplied and the successive robots 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 pick individual products 70 from the conveyor belt 68 and place these individual products 70 in packages 71 as empty supplied by the conveyor belt 69 to be filled after passage of the complete assembly of robots 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 with the individual products 70 . as the fields of activity 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 of the robots 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 are separated from each other there is no possibility of undesired interference of the robots 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 . also schematically shown is a common control unit 72 steering the robots 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 . fig5 shows a schematic view of an assembly of robots 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 according to the prior art and an assembly of robots 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 according to the present invention which are placed above two conveyor belts 88 , 89 . the effective placement of the robots of the present invention reduced the required footprint on the factory , as indicated by the difference between x and y , while maintaining the handling capacity of the assembly .	1
the present invention relates to a two stage process for the preparation of substituted phenol esters in which a c 2 - c 3 alkanoic anhydride is reacted with a c 6 - c 18 aliphatic carboxylic acid and a substituted phenol is then added to the reaction product to give the substituted c 6 - c 18 acyloxy benzene . the c 6 - c 18 aliphatic carboxylic acid may itself be substituted or unsubstituted . substituted phenols , to which the process of the invention can be applied , have the formula ## str3 ## wherein x can be ( i ) -- cooh ( iv ) ## str4 ## ( v ) -- n + r 1 r 2 r 3 y - wherein m is alkali metal , or alkaline earth metal , each of r 1 , r 2 and r 3 is a c 1 - c 3 alkyl group , a is 0 or 1 and y is a hydrophilic group selected from halide , methosulphate and ethosulphate radicals . where a is 0 in substituents ( iv ) and ( v ), x is preferably in the 3 - or m - position , but where a is 1 in ( iv ) and ( v ) and for substituents ( i ), ( ii ) and ( iii ), regardless of the value of a , the substituent is preferably in the 4 - or p - position . preferred substituted phenols are those in which a is 0 and x is ( i ) or ( iii ) with m being sodium , and also where a is 1 and x is ( v ) with r 1 and r 2 being methyl . the carboxylic acids utilized in the process of the invention are substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic carboxylic acids containing from about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms and can be acyclic or ring - containing in type ; the acyclic acids can be linear or non - linear and the ring structure may be either alicyclic or aromatic , an example of the latter being hydrocinnamic acid ( 3 - phenyl propionic acid ). the carboxylic acids preferably contain from 6 to 12 carbon atoms , and most preferably from about 8 to about 10 carbon atoms , the preferred acids having at least five carbon atoms including the carbonyl carbon arranged in a linear or substantially linear configuration . ` substantially linear ` is intended to refer to a hydrocarbyl moiety having no more than approximately 25 % methyl branching . linear aliphatic carboxylic acids can be synthetic or natural in origin , a preferred source of linear c 8 - c 10 carboxylic acid being the ` light ` fraction of coconut fatty acid , composed principally of a mixture of c 8 and c 10 fatty acids . non - linear aliphatic carboxylic acids are produced by synthetic techniques , such as those disclosed in kirk - othmer encyclopaedia of chemical technology 3rd edition 4 pp 861 - 863 . although both acetic and propionic anhydrides can be used in the process of the invention , acetic anhydride is highly preferred for reasons of reactivity , availability , cost and ease of processing . acid anhydrides in which the acyl group has 3 carbon atoms are insufficiently reactive for the purposes of the invention . in accordance with the invention a catalyst is used in the second stage of the reaction to reduce the severity of the reaction conditions and is preferably also used in the first stage to reduce the reaction time for formation of the c 6 - c 18 acid anhydride . both strong acid and base catalysts can be employed . strong acid catalysts such as sulphuric acid , perchloric acid , fluorosulphonic acid , tri - fluoromethylsulphonic acid and toluenesulphonic acid are preferred . catalyst is normally added in an amount of from about 0 . 1 % to about 5 % based on the weight of substituted phenol . in the process according to the broadest aspect of the invention the c 6 - c 18 carboxylic acid is mixed or dissolved in the c 2 - c 3 alkanoic anhydride to form a clear solution which is heated under reflux conditions (≈ 140 ° c .) to form the c 6 - c 18 acid anhydride . in one aspect of this stage of the process of the invention , a considerable excess of acetic anhydride is used relative to that required stoichiometrically ( acid : anhydride = 2 : 1 molar ). molar ratios of anhydride to acid of at least about 3 : 1 and more conveniently in the range from about 4 : 1 to about 6 : 1 permit the employment of the anhydride as a reaction medium . this maximizes the formation of a c 6 - c 18 acid anhydride whilst keeping the formation of mixed c 2 - c 3 -- c 6 - c 18 acid anhydride to a minimum but requires a relatively long reaction time ( 6 - 8 hours ). in another aspect of the process , approximately stoichiometric quantities of c 6 - c 18 aliphatic carboxylic acid and c 2 - c 3 alkanoic anhydride are used ( viz . a molar ratio of about 2 : 1 ), which leads to c 6 - c 18 carboxylic acid remaining unconverted at the end of the reaction . however , the reaction time is shorter ( 2 - 3 hours ) and the presence of unreacted c 6 - c 18 carboxylic acid is not believed to be a disadvantage in a &# 34 ; one pot &# 34 ; reaction , as c 6 - c 18 carboxylic acid is itself formed as a by - product in the second stage of the process and serves as an additional reaction medium therefor . the progress of the reaction to form c 6 - c 18 acid anhydride can be followed by glc analysis , and when complete , reflux is discontinued and the excess c 2 - c 3 alkanoic anhydride is removed by distillation under reduced pressure ( 10 - 25 mm hg ) at a temperature in the range 40 ° c .- 100 ° c . this also removes the c 2 - c 3 carboxylic acid byproduct and any mixed anhydride which has formed during the reaction . typical yields of the c 6 - c 18 acid anhydride are in the range from about 90 to about 95 % although the anhydride is not isolated but is retained in the reactor for the second stage of the process . the c 6 - c 18 acid anhydride is then raised to a temperature at which it is in liquid state in order to allow dispersion therein of the ingredients for the second stage of the process . anhydrides of carboxylic acids containing from about 6 to about 9 carbon atoms are liquid at ambient temperatures whereas those of acids having from about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms in the molecule require heating to make them liquid and heating to a temperature of about 75 ° c . maximum is adequate for this purpose . the substituted phenol and the catalyst are then added to the anhydride and dispersed therein . the molar ratio of the anhydride to the substituted phenol is normally close to 1 : 1 but can be varied in the range from about 0 . 75 : 1 to about 1 . 5 : 1 . the reaction completeness and the product purity tend to be enhanced by an excess of anhydride but too large an excess requires subsequent recovery of the unreacted anhydride . conversely an excess of the substituted phenol , although permitting efficient usage of the anhydride , may give rise to lower than optimum product purity arising from difficulties in separating unreacted substituted phenol from the reaction product . in general , a slight excess of anhydride e . g . about 1 . 1 - 1 . 25 × molar , is preferred . most of the substituted phenols useful in the process of the invention are only slightly soluble in the anhydride and will remain primarily in the form of dispersed solids . these dispersed solid materials must be finely divided in order to maximize the surface area available for reaction . preferably the solids should be less than 100 microns in particle size , more preferably less than 50 microns and ideally should be as fine as possible . conventional comminution techniques can be used in order to achieve the desired particle size . the reaction mixture is then heated with agitation for about 1 - 6 hours at a temperature dependent on the catalyst system employed . basic catalysts require a temperature in the range from about 180 ° to about 220 ° c . whilst strong acid catalysts employ milder conditions of from about 80 ° to about 120 ° c . the reaction mixture thickens as the reaction progresses but does not solidify completely as , for every mole of anhydride that reacts , a mole of carboxylic acid is released and serves as a fluid medium . progress of the reaction can be monitored by glc determination of the ratio of c 6 - c 18 carboxylic acid to anhydride . when the reaction is complete the reactor contents are dispersed in diethyl ether or petroleum ether and the solid product recovered by filtration . the byproduct c 6 - c 18 carboxylic acid can be recovered from the filtrate by evaporation of the solvent , recycling both solvent and carboxylic acid to their respective points of use in the process . the process of the invention can be illustrated by the reaction of nonanoic acid with acetic anhydride to form nonanoic anhydride which in turn is reacted with a substituted phenol . a 1000 ml flask was charged with 158 g nonanoic acid ( 1 mole ) and 306 g acetic anhydride ( 3 . 8 moles ). the flask was fitted with a conventional overhead condenser and distillate collection vessel which was also connected to a water pump capable of providing a reduced pressure of 10 - 25 mm mercury in the system . the mixture formed a clear mobile solution and was heated to 150 ° c . under reflux at atmospheric pressure for eight hours . reflux was then discontinued and the condenser adjusted to permit the volatile components of the reaction mixture to be distilled . heating was reduced and the water pump was turned on to reduce the system vapor pressure to 15 mm mercury and the excess acetic anhydride , byproduct acetic acid and a small quantity of mixed acetic - nonanoic anhydride were removed at a reactor temperature of 40 ° c . to 100 ° c . when distillate collection had ceased , the vacuum was released and heating discontinued . the product was a pale yellow liquid which was mobile at ambient temperature ( 20 ° c .). glc analysis showed the product to be 94 % nonanoic anhydride . 10 g ( 0 . 034 mole ) of the nonanoic anhydride product was then added to a 250 ml stirred flask and 5 . 3 g ( 0 . 027 mole ) sodium phenol sulphonate of particle size & lt ; 100μ , together with 0 . 18 g ( 0 . 0018 mole ) sulphuric acid was dispersed therein . the mole ratio of anhydride : sulphonate was 1 . 24 : 1 . the temperature was raised to 90 °- 100 ° c . and maintained at that value for four hours during which time the consistency of the reaction mixture thickened considerably . after this time the reactor contents were cooled to 40 ° c . and dispersed in 200 ml diethyl ether . the solid was filtered off and subjected to two further washes before being dried and analysed to give 12 . 90 g of sodium nonanoyloxybenzene sulphonate ( yield = 96 % based on the phenol sulphonate ). nmr analysis showed a purity of 97 %. 12 . 5 g ( 0 . 042 mole ) of the nonanoic anhydride product prepared above was added to a 250 ml stirred flask and 4 . 70 g ( 0 . 034 mole ) p - hydroxybenzoic acid ( mole ratio of anhydride : acid = 1 . 24 : 1 ) and 0 . 13 g ( 0 . 0013 mole ) sulphuric acid added to the anhydride to form a mobile dispersion . this was heated to 90 °- 100 ° c . and maintained at this temperature for 3 hours before being cooled to 40 ° c . and dispersed in 200 ml petroleum ether . after filtration the solid was subjected to two further washes before being dried and analyzed to give a yield of 80 %, based on the p - hydroxybenzoic acid , and a purity of 99 +%. acid catalyzed preparation of sodium nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate with product heel 29 . 8 g ( 0 . 10 mole ) nonanoic anhydride , 17 . 6 g ( 0 . 090 mole ) anhydrous sodium phenol sulphonate , ( mole ratio of anhydride : sulphonate = 1 . 11 : 1 ), 0 . 1 g ( 0 . 001 mole ) sulphuric acid and 1 . 5 g ( 0 . 0045 mole ) previously formed sodium nonanoyloxybenzene sulphonate were added to a 250 ml three necked flask . the flask was fitted with a mechanical stirrer and an argon gas feed to provide an inert atmosphere and was immersed in a temperature controlled oil bath set at 100 ° c . agitation was started and the flask heated for two hours . the flask contents became progressively thicker and after 30 - 45 minutes were no longer effectively mixed by the stirrer although agitation was maintained throughout the two hour period . at the end of the reaction period the flask was allowed to cool and the contents mixed with 100 ml diethyl ether and filtered . the precipitate was washed twice with 150 ml portions of ether and then vacuum dried . the white powder product weight 31 . 0 g ( 97 . 7 % based on sodium phenol sulphonate ) and nmr spectroscopic analysis gave a purity & gt ; 99 %. base catalyzed preparation of sodium nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate with product heel 95 g ( 0 . 31 mole ) nonanoic anhydride , 56 . 8 g ( 0 . 29 mole ) anhydrous sodium phenol sulphonate ( mole ratio of anhydride : sulphonate = 1 . 07 : 1 ), 0 . 216 g ( 0 . 004 mole ) sodium methoxide in xylene ( 0 . 09 / ml ) and 4 . 2 g ( 0 . 0125 mole ) previously formed sodium nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate were added to a 1000 ml flask . the flask was fitted with an agitator and an argon gas feed to provide an inert atmosphere and was immersed in a temperature - controlled oil bath set at 200 ° c . the contents of the flask were heated and stirred for two hours during which time they thickened to a pasty solid . after two hours the flask was allowed to cool , 100 ml diethyl ether was added to the contents and stirred and the mixture was then filtered . the filtered solids were washed twice with an additional 150 ml ether and were then vacuum dried to give 97 . 2 g of a white solid product , a yield of 95 . 6 % based on the sodium phenol sulphonate . nmr spectroscopic analysis showed the purity of the product to be & gt ; 99 %.	2
referring to fig1 there is shown a control valve assembly having a proportioning valve 1 disposed in a casing 2 , in which a deceleration sensing valve 3 according to the invention is also disposed . the casing 2 is formed with a bore 4 in which a plunger 6 of the proportioning valve 1 is slidably fitted in liquid tight manner by means of a seal member 5 . the plunger 6 is urged to the left by a spring 8 which is interposed between the right - hand end face of a portion 6a of the plunger having an increased diameter which is formed intermediate its ends and the left - hand end face of a plug 7 which blocks the righthand opening of the bore 4 . the left - hand end of the plunger 6 is provided with a rod 9 , which loosely extends through an opening 10 into a chamber 11 whenever the plunger 6 is urged to the left by the spring 8 to assume its non - operative position shown in fig1 the opening 10 communicating with the bore 4 . received with the chamber 11 is a valve body 12 which is adapted to be subject to a thrust from the rod 9 and which is urged by a spring 13 in a direction to seat on a valve seat 14 which is formed around the opening 10 . however , it is to be noted that the resilience of the spring 8 is greater than that of the spring 13 , so that the plunger 6 is normally maintained in its non - operative position shown , with the valve body 12 being held apart from the valve seat 14 by means of the rod 9 . the casing 2 is formed with an input port 15 which is connected to a master cylinder , not shown , and which also communicates with a chamber 16 in which the spring 8 is received . the chamber 16 communicates with the chamber 11 which contains the valve body 12 through a passage 17 which is formed to extend through the casing 2 . the casing is also formed with an output port 19 which is connected to a rear wheel cylinder , not shown . the chamber 16 also communicates with the output port 19 through the opening 10 and through a passage 18 which is defined around the step between the plunger 6 and the rod 9 . the deceleration sensing valve 3 includes a chamber 20 and a ball - shaped valve body 21 which is received therein in a freely rollable manner . it is to be noted that by mounting the casing 2 on the vehicle chassis , not shown , with an angle of inclination , θ , the valve body 21 normally assumes its downmost position within the chamber 20 . the uppermost portion of the chamber 20 which contains the valve body 21 communicates with the chamber 11 containing the valve body 12 of the proportioning valve 1 through a valve mechanism 22 and passages 23 , 17 . on the other hand , the downmost portion of the chamber 20 communicates with a chamber 26 which is formed in the left end portion of the plunger portion 6a having an increased diameter , through a valve seat 24 on which the valve body 21 seats by gravity and through another passage 25 . as shown in exaggerated form in fig2 the valve mechanism 22 includes a disc - shaped member 28 which is centrally formed with a through - opening 27 in substantial alignment with the axis thereof , and an elastic member 29 formed of a material such as rubber and which is disposed to surround the periphery of the member 28 and having a flexible portion 29a located adjacent to the passage 23 and adapted to block the through - opening 27 under its own resilience . the combination of the disc - shaped member 28 and the elastic member 29 contitutes together a valve body 30 . the valve body 30 is biased in one direction by a spring 31 so as to close normally the passage 23 . accordingly , the valve mechanism 22 becomes open whenever a liquid brake pressure prevailing within the chamber 11 exceeds a given value to allow the brake pressure to be introduced into the chamber 20 . subsequently , when the brake pressure within the chamber 11 decreases , the hydraulic fluid introduced into the chamber 20 is displaced toward the chamber 11 through the opening 27 and a clearance formed between the disc - shaped member 28 and the flexible portion 29a which is then flexed under the pressure thereof . as illustrated in fig3 a valve mechanism having the same function can be formed by providing a pair of parallel branch paths 23a , 23b in the passage 23 , with a check valve 70 or 71 disposed in each branch path to permit a flow in the opposite direction from the other . it will be understood that the check valve 71 corresponds to the flexible portion 29a mentioned above . a reference numeral 32 shown in fig2 represents a retainer functioning as an ambient for the spring 31 , numeral 33 an opening formed in a shank portion of the retainer , and numeral 34 a stop ring which supports the retainer . in fig1 reference numeral 35 represents an air vent valve . in operation , when a brake pedal , not shown , is depressed to produce a liquid brake pressure within the master cylinder , the brake pressure is transmitted through the input port 15 to the output port 19 through a path including the chamber 16 , passage 17 , chamber 11 , opening 10 and passage 18 , allowing the pressure to be introduced into the rear wheel cylinder . during an initial phase of a braking operation when the liquid brake pressure is low , the plunger 6 of the proportioning valve 1 is not operated , so that a liquid brake pressure which is substantially equal to the liquid brake pressure introduced into the front wheel cylinder which is connected to the master cylinder , namely an input liquid brake pressure p in , is introduced into the rear wheel cylinder , as indicated by a rectilinear curve a in fig4 . when the vehicle is empty , a liquid brake pressure of a relatively low magnitude is sufficient to cause the deceleration of the vehicle to exceed the given value , as indicated at point a in fig4 whereby the ball - shaped valve body 21 rolls to the left , as viewed in fig1 under its own inertia to move away from the valve seat 24 . when the liquid brake pressure increases under such condition to a value indicated by point b in fig4 the hydraulic fluid forces the valve body 30 of the valve mechanism 22 to open to permit a fluid flow into the chamber 20 through the passages 17 , 23 and thence into the chamber 26 through the clearance formed between the valve body 21 and the valve seat 24 and through the passage 25 . as mentioned previously , since part of the chamber 26 is formed in the left - hand end of the plunger portion 6a having an increased diameter , the brake pressure introduced into this chamber urges the plunger to the right against the resilience of the spring 8 . as the liquid brake pressure further increases to a value indicated by a point c in fig4 the bias applied to the plunger 6 to urge it to the right , or the bias applied by the liquid brake pressure introduced into the chamber 26 , combined with the bias applied by the liquid brake pressure which acts upon the left - hand end face of the plunger 6 , exceeds the sum of the resilience of the spring 8 and the bias applied to the plunger 6 to urge it to the left by the liquid brake pressure introduced into the chamber 16 , whereby the plunger 6 moves to the right , allowing the valve body 12 to seat on the valve seat 14 . thereupon , a further increase in the liquid brake pressure which is introduced into the rear wheel cylinder through the opening 10 is prevented . subsequently , as the liquid brake pressure further increases , the bias applied to the left - hand end face of the plunger 6 does not increase since the valve body 12 seats on the valve seat 14 while the biases applied by the liquid brake pressure introduced into the chambers 16 , 26 continues to increase . since the surface area of the plunger 6 which is subject to the hydraulic pressure prevailing in the chamber 16 is chosen to be greater than the surface area of the plunger which is subject to the hydraulic pressure prevailing in the chamber 26 , the plunger 6 then moves to the left , thus moving the valve body 12 away from the valve seat 14 . as a result , the liquid brake pressure acting on the left - hand end face of the plunger 6 and hence supplied to the rear wheel cylinder increases to cause a movement of the plunger 6 to the right , thus causing the valve body 12 to again be seated on the valve seat 14 . in this manner , the plunger 6 reciprocates to the left and right as the liquid brake pressure continues to increase , causing the liquid brake pressure p out supplied to the rear wheel cylinder to be increased with respect to the input brake pressure p in at a low increase rate which depends on the difference of the surface areas subject to the respective hydraulic fluids ( see recilinear curve portion b shown in fig4 ). in contrast to the braking characteristic of the vehicle when it is empty , when the vehicle is loaded , the deceleration of the vehicle remains at a small value as the liquid brake pressure increases to a value which is sufficient to force the valve body 30 of the mechanism 22 open ( see point b in fig4 ). hence the valve body 21 is maintained in engagement with the valve seat 24 by gravity . when the valve body 30 is forced open under this condition to permit flow of the fluid brake pressure into the chamber 20 , the hydraulic fluid maintains the valve body 21 against the valve seat 24 as a result of a pressure differential between the pressure prevailing in the chamber 20 and the pressure prevailing in the passage 25 and the chamber 26 . consequently , the valve body 21 cannot be moved away from the valve seat 24 even if the liquid brake pressure further increases and causes the deceleration of the vehicle to exceed the given value . since no liquid brake pressure is introduced into the chamber 26 on the left - hand side of the plunger portion 6a under this condition , the only bias applied to the plunger 6 to cause it to move to the right is obtained by the liquid brake pressure applied to the left - hand end face of the plunger 6 . consequently , the plunger 6 cannot move to the right if the liquid brake pressure increases to point c , in contradistinction to the operation when the vehicle is empty . in this instance , operation of the plunger 6 is avoided if the surface area on the right - hand end of the plunger portion 6a which communicates with the chamber 16 is greater than that on the left - hand end of the plunger 6 . hence , liquid brake pressure which is substantially equal to that produced within the master cylinder can be introduced into the rear wheel cylinder ( see rectilinear curve a &# 39 ; shown in fig4 ). on the other hand , if the relationship of the surface areas mentioned above is designed to be opposite from that mentioned above , the operation of the proportioning valve 1 can be initiated at a liquid brake pressure ( see point d shown in fig4 ) which is greater than the corresponding value effective when the vehicle is empty , by an amount which depends on the magnitude of the difference in the surface areas ( see rectilinear curve c shown in fig4 ). in either instance , a braking characteristic can be obtained which is appropriate when the vehicle is loaded . fig5 shows a liquid pressure sensing valve according to another embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , the valve mechanism 22 mentioned above is omitted , and instead a piston 41 is slidably fitted in a bore 40 which communicates with the passage 25 , with a rod 42 mounted on the piston 41 to thrust the valve body 21 mentioned above . in addition , a spring 44 is interposed between the piston 41 and a plug 43 which blocks the bore so that the valve body 21 is normally prevented from seating on the valve seat 24 by the presence of the rod 42 . in other respects , the arrangement is similar to that shown in fig1 . in this embodiment , the liquid brake pressure is immediately introduced into the chamber 20 , passage 25 and the chamber 26 through the passage 23 as soon as it is produced , and the pressure acts on the left - hand end face of the piston 41 , tending to move it to the right . consequently , a pressure of a given value must be obtained before the piston 41 moves to the right , and thus when the vehicle is empty and is decelerated the valve body 21 rolls to the left under its inertia before this given valve is reached so that a subsequent movement of the piston 41 to the right still will not allow the valve body 21 to seat on the valve seat 24 , thus allowing a similar braking characteristic to be obtained as mentioned in connection with the previous embodiment when the vehicle is empty . by contrast , when the vehicle is loaded , the liquid brake pressure of this given value causes the piston 41 to move to the right to allow the valve body 21 to be seated on the valve seat 24 before the valve body 21 has a tendency to roll to the left under its inertia caused by the deceleration of the loaded vehicle , and the subsequent increase in the liquid brake pressure caused by the deceleration of the loaded vehicle maintains the valve body 21 seated on the valve seat 24 , thus allowing the desired braking characteristic to be obtained as in the previous embodiment when the vehicle is loaded . it will be seen from the above description of the two embodiments that the controlled pressure which is produced in the passage 25 downstream of the deceleration sensing valve 3 of the invention is high and low when the vehicle is empty and loaded , resectively , in a manner opposite to that of the conventional deceleration sensing valve initially mentioned . thus , the manner of utilizing the controlled pressure is opposite from that of the prior art , but a variety of proportioning valves which are suitable for use with the invention can be easily constructed . fig6 shows proportioning valve 50 in accordance with an additional embodiment which is provided with a second spring 51 so that the resilience of the second spring does not act on the proportioning valve when the vehicle is empty , but acts when the vehicle is loaded , thus allowing different braking characteristics to be obtained when the vehicle is empty and loaded . specifically , the proportioning valve 50 is constructed essentially in the same manner as the conventional proportioning valve so that it becomes operative whenever the liquid brake pressure exceeds a given value to reduce the rate of increase of the liquid brake pressure to a given value . in fig6 the proportioning valve 50 includes a chamber 52 in which a controlled liquid brake pressure from the deceleration sensing valve 3 is introduced . one end of a piston 53 is disposed in the chamber 52 , and the second spring 51 is interposed between a plate 54 fixedly mounted on the other end of the piston 53 and a retainer 55 which is disposed in the casing 2 . the plate 54 is located opposite to one end of a plunger 56 which is slidably fitted into a bore formed in the piston 53 to constitute the proportioning valve 50 . in other respects , the arrangement is similar to that shown in fig1 except that a deceleration sensing valve shown in fig5 is used and that a communication is maintained between the chambers 16 , 11 through the chamber 20 of the deceleration sensing valve , and accordingly corresponding parts are designated by like reference numerals . in operation , when the vehicle is empty , as a liquid brake pressure of a high magnitude is introduced into the chamber 52 , both the piston 53 and the plate 54 move to the right , with the plate 54 located out of interference with the plunger 56 . as a consequence , only the resilience of the spring 8 acts on the plunger 56 , allowing the proportioning valve 50 to initiate its operation at a low brake pressure . on the other hand , when the vehicle is loaded , a liquid brake pressure of a high magnitude is not introduced into the chamber 52 , so that both the piston 53 and the plate 54 remain in their non - operative positions shown . the proportioning valve 50 tends to initiate its operation at a low brake pressure in a similar manner as when the vehicle is empty , but the right - hand end of the plunger 56 moves into abutment against the plate 54 before the plunger 56 can move an enough stroke to the right to permit the valve body 12 to be seated on the valve seat 14 , with the resilience of the second spring 51 acting on the plunger 56 . consequently , the proportioning valve 50 cannot operate at the described low brake pressure , but initiates its operation only when a higher liquid pressure is obtained . alternatively , the operation of the proportioning valve 50 can be entirely prevented by using a stronger spring for the second spring 51 . accordingly , it will be apparent that the braking characteristic as illustrated in fig4 can be achieved with this form of proportioning valve . fig7 shows another embodiment of proportion valve 60 in which the lift of the valve body 12 can be adjusted to attain the different braking characteristics when the vehicle is empty and loaded . specifically , the proportioning valve 60 shown houses the valve body 12 within a plunger 61 as a deviation from that mentioned previously . however , a proportioning valve of such construction is also known in the art . in the conventional proportion valve , a rod 62 which is used to thrust the valve body 12 is fixedly mounted on the casing 2 , but in accordance with the invention , the rod 62 is connected to a piston 63 for movement therewith . the piston 63 is urged by a spring 64 in one direction so that the degree of extension of the rod 62 or the lift of the valve body 12 from the valve seat 14 is normally at its maximum . the passage 25 downstream of the deceleration sensing valve 3 is connected in communication with a chamber 65 formed in the left - hand end face of the piston 63 . in other respects , the arrangement is similar to that shown in fig1 and corresponding parts are designated by like reference numerals . with this form of proportioning valve , as a liquid pressure of an increased magnitude is introduced into the chamber 65 when the vehicle is empty , the piston 63 and the rod 62 move to the right to decrease the lift of the valve body 12 while when the vehicle is loaded , the lift of the valve body 12 is maintained at its initial value since the rod 62 does not move to the right . accordingly , the magnitude of the liquid pressure which is required to move the plunger 61 against the resilience of the spring 68 until the valve body 12 becomes seated on the valve seat 14 is greater when the vehicle is loaded , resulting in the braking characteristics as indicated by rectilinear curves b and c in fig4 to be obtained . while the invention has been shown and described herein with reference to specific embodiments thereof , it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but a number of modifications , changes and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited solely by the appended claims .	1
referring particularly to fig3 the apparatus has a base 10 supported on feet 11 . fastened to this base is the body 13 of the machine which is recessed as at 14 for the reception of various operating parts . an electric motor 15 is mounted by means of plate 16 on the rear side of the body 13 and is equipped with a brake designated generally 17 for stopping the motor . the motor is preferably a gear motor having a low revolution output on shaft 18 which extends through opening 19 in the plate 16 and through opening 20 in the recessed portion of the body 13 . this shaft 18 has affixed thereto a cam 21 that operates the link closing tool designated generally 25 which is located in the recessed portion 14 of the body . at the upper end of recess 14 , the body is notched as at 26 to provide clearance for the link bar . a guide member 27 having a notch 28 aligning with notch 26 is secured in the recess 14 of the body portion 13 by means of screws 23 passing through cover plate 22 and openings 29 that are threaded into openings 30 in the body portion 13 . member 27 is recessed as at 31 about the notch 28 and provides a slideway for slidably receiving and guiding the link closing tool 32 . this tool is removably mounted in the upper portion 33 of a slide which is guided along the side walls 34 of the recessed portion 14 . the upper portion 33 is loosely connected by cap screws 36a to a lower slide portion 35 while springs 36 urge the portions 33 and 35 ( see fig4 ). the portion 35 is guided in its vertical movement by engagement with the sides 37 of the recess 14 , and is held in the slideway by a plate 65 secured across slideway 31 by cap screws 66 ( see fig3 ). this plate insures that tool 32 is retained in its slideway 31 . springs 38 extending through openings 39 in the body engage recesses 39a in the part 35 and urge it downwardly . these springs exert a force on the part 35 much greater than the force of springs 36 . cam 21 below the part 35 is engaged by a rotatable follower 40 to lift the link operating tool 32 upwardly for closing the link as will presently appear . open - ended links 48 are fed upon the end 45a of the oval bar 45 which has a raised portion 46 and is suspended from plate 47 so that the links 48 ( see fig3 and 4 ) will freely slide along this feeding bar 45 . the plate 47 is secured to the raised portion 46 of the bar by screws 49 through openings 50 , while the plate itself is secured by screws 51 to the upper end of the body 13 by threading in two holes 52 . this arrangement places the bar 45 in the aligned recesses 26 and 28 so that bar 45 leads to and directs links 48 to the slideway 31 for the tool 32 . in order to feed the links 48 along the bar 45 there is a u - shaped pusher 55 which engages the rearmost link on the bar 45 . this pusher 55 has a flange 56 secured by screws 57 to z - shaped bracket 61 which in turn is fastened by screws 57a to block 58 . the block 58 is urged by a helical spring 59 , having a suitable abutment ( not shown ) to slide along rod 60 which is mounted in the body 13 and act as the force to urge the links forwardly in the machine . the z - shaped bracket 61 mounts a handle 62 that extends upwardly so as to enable the block and its link pusher 55 to be moved rearwardly to an extent to expose the end 45a of the feeding bar 45 and allow additional links to be placed thereon . a front plate 65 is mounted by means of screws 66 through openings 67 into openings 68 to act as a closure and retainer for the link closing tool 25 . plate 22 serves as a stop to limit the forward movement of the links 48 ( see fig3 ) and yet permit discharge of a formed link such as the link shown in fig7 as the cut - out 22a is formed to pass only a desired radius . when the link is discharged from the machine , the next adjacent link will be moved to engage the plate 22 and into the slot left by the removed link and will be located just above the link manipulating tool 32 and will be against the plate 22 of the machine to act as a stop for it . this is accomplished by the proper shaping and location of cut - out portions 22a , 65a in line with anvil 70 . for example , as seen in fig5 the lower corners of the link will positively engage the inner face of plate 22 until formed as seen in fig7 . top plate 47 will have a semi - circular anvil 70 or forming tool extending forwardly with recesses 71 on either side of it . assuming the link has just been discharged , a link 48 will be fed forwardly to be stopped by plate 22 and will be moved into position in the slideway 31 left by the discharged closed link , to be in position to be engaged by the link operating tool 32 as seen in fig4 . this link will be located as shown in fig4 in the arcuate portions 72 on either side of the central arcuate recess 73 , the link being engaged at its curved portions as seen in fig4 and also the link will be centralized below the anvil 70 . at this point the tool 32 will be raised mechanically by the motor 15 and its cam 21 so as to raise the link so its inner surface will be against the anvil 70 with a &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; or cushioned action in view of the springs 36 separating driven parts 33 from the drive part 35 where the tool will momentarily stop by the cam shape so that the operator may place over the open ends of the link the parts of the pieces of jewelry or the like 75 ( see fig6 ) to be attached together and then the cam will proceed to further raise the link 48 as now seen in fig6 so that the arcuate portion 73 of the tool 32 will carry the link into further closing position as seen in fig6 and finally into closed position as shown in fig7 whereupon the completed link with additions will be removed from the machine . the tool 32 under urgance of springs 38 will be permitted to be lowered by the cam and a new link will be urged by spring 59 into the space in the slideway above the tool 32 and at the same time , a second cam 77 will open the switch 78 in the circuit to the motor 15 and the motor will come to rest by action of brake 17 ready for a new cycle to be performed which will be initiated by the foot switch 80 in the circuit shown in fig8 . the cam has been described as being rotated by an electric gear motor 15 . in this situation , the momentary actuation of the foot switch 80 closes the circuit to the motor and once the cam 77 rotates , switch 78 maintains a circuit until the cycle is completed . similarly , a hydraulic motor would have an identical operation . one of the unique features illustrated is the provision of a fine adjustment that will adapt the cam stroke to the linking operation . to accomplish this , an eccentric screw 82 is provided that will rock the body 13 relative to the cam 21 . once adjusted , body 13 and motor plate 16 fasteners will hold the apparatus in adjusted position . another unique feature of the invention lies in the ability to close links into an oval by merely changing the shape of the anvil to a shape as seen in fig8 . here a flat bottom portion of anvil 70 &# 39 ; and a flattening of the link blank at 48 &# 39 ; are all that is required to form oval links , all in one device .	1
in formulae [ i ], [ ii ], [ iii ], [ iv ], and [ v ], examples of the c 1 - c 4 alkyl group represented by r 1 or r 2 include methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , sec - butyl , and tert - butyl groups ; examples of the halogen atom represented by r 2 include fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine atoms ; examples of the c 1 - c 4 alkoxy group represented by r 2 include methoxy , ethoxy , n - propoxy , isopropoxy , n - butoxy , isobutoxy , sec - butoxy , and tert - butoxy groups ; and examples of the alkali metal represented by m include lithium , sodium , potassium , and cesium . in an embodiment of the present invention , the production method can include steps of adding a compound of formula [ ii ] to a polar solvent , such as n , n - dimethylformamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide , n - methylpyrrolidone , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - imidazolidinone , acetonitrile , or dimethyl sulfoxide , further adding a base , such as sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate , or cesium carbonate , to the polar solvent in an amount of 1 . 0 to 3 . 0 times by mole , preferably 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 times by mole , relative to an amount of the compound of formula [ ii ], and stirring the mixture at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 60 ° c . for 5 minutes to 2 hours , preferably at a temperature of 30 ° c . to 50 ° c . for 10 to 30 minutes , to prepare a suspension ( hereinafter , referred to as suspension 1 ) of the compound of formula [ iii ]. the method can also include steps of adding a compound of formula [ v ] to a polar solvent , such as n , n - dimethylformamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide , n - methylpyrrolidone , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - imidazolidinone , acetonitrile , or dimethyl sulfoxide , further adding a halogenating agent , such as thionyl chloride , thionyl bromide , or phosphorus oxychloride , to the polar solvent in an amount of 1 . 0 to 1 . 5 times by mole , preferably 1 . 0 to 1 . 1 times by mole , relative to an amount of the compound of formula [ v ], and stirring the mixture at a temperature of − 5 ° c . to 30 ° c . for 5 minutes to 1 hour , preferably at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 10 ° c . for 20 to 40 minutes , to prepare a solution of the compound of formula [ iv ]. the method can also include a step of dropwise adding the resulting solution to suspension 1 , and stirring the mixture with heating at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 100 ° c . for 1 to 20 hours , preferably at a temperature of 60 ° c . to 80 ° c . for 2 to 16 hours , for a reaction to produce a compound of formula [ i ]. after the reaction , the reaction solution may be distilled under reduced pressure to remove 50 % to 95 % of the organic solvent , iced water may be poured into the solution , and the mixture may be stirred for 5 to 30 minutes , preferably to 20 minutes , to precipitate crystals , followed by collection of the crystals by filtration . the collected crystals may be washed with water and then dried . thus , the target compound of formula [ i ] can be significantly easily prepared at a high yield and with a high purity . in another embodiment , the production method of the present invention can include steps of adding a compound of formula [ ii ] to a polar solvent , such as n , n - dimethylformamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide , n - methylpyrrolidone , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - imidazolidinone , acetonitrile , or dimethyl sulfoxide , further adding a base , such as sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate , or cesium carbonate , to the polar solvent in an amount of 1 . 0 to 3 . 0 times by mole , preferably 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 times by mole , relative to an amount of the compound of formula [ ii ], stirring the mixture at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 60 ° c . for 5 minutes to 2 hours , preferably at a temperature of 30 ° c . to 50 ° c . for 10 to 30 minutes to prepare a suspension , and then dropwise adding a compound of formula [ iv ] to the suspension , and stirring the mixture with heating at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 100 ° c . for 1 to 20 hours , preferably at a temperature of 60 ° c . to 80 ° c . for 2 to 16 hours , for a reaction to produce a compound of formula [ i ]. after the reaction , the reaction solution may be distilled under reduced pressure to remove 50 % to 95 % of the organic solvent , iced water may be poured into the reaction solution and the mixture may be stirred for 5 to 30 minutes , preferably 10 to 20 minutes , to precipitate crystals , followed by collection of the crystals by filtration . the collected crystals may be washed with water and then dried . thus , the target compound of formula [ i ] can be significantly easily prepared at a high yield and with a high purity . in the production method of the present invention , an alkali metal hydride that reacts with a compound of formula [ ii ] is not particularly limited , but includes lithium hydride , sodium hydride , potassium hydride , and cesium hydride . in the production method of the present invention , an alkali metal carbonate that reacts with a compound of formula [ ii ] is not particularly limited , but includes sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate , and cesium carbonate . in the production method of the present invention , an amount of the alkali metal hydride or the alkali metal carbonate that reacts with a compound of formula [ ii ] is not particularly limited , but is , for example , 1 . 0 to 3 . 0 times by mole , preferably 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 times by mole , relative to an amount of the compound of formula [ ii ]. in the production method of the present invention , the reaction of a compound of formula [ ii ] with an alkali metal hydride or an alkali metal carbonate is not particularly limited , but is performed by , for example , stirring them in a polar solvent , such as n , n - dimethylformamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide , n - methylpyrrolidone , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - imidazolidinone , acetonitrile , or dimethyl sulfoxide , for example , at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 60 ° c . for 5 minutes to 2 hours , preferably at a temperature of 30 ° c . to 50 ° c . for 10 to 30 minutes . in the production method of the present invention , the reaction between a compound of formula [ iii ] and a compound of formula [ iv ] is not particularly limited , but is performed by , for example , dropwise adding a solution of a compound of formula [ iv ] to a suspension of a compound of formula [ iii ], and stirring the mixture with heating , for example , at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 100 ° c . for 1 to 20 hours , preferably at a temperature of 60 ° c . to 80 ° c . for 2 to 16 hours . in the production method of the present invention , the halogenating agent that reacts with a compound of formula [ v ] is not particularly limited , but includes thionyl chloride , thionyl bromide , or phosphorus oxychloride . the halogenating agent is used in an amount of , for example , 1 . 0 to 1 . 5 times by mole , preferably 1 . 0 to 1 . 1 times by mole , relative to the amount of the compound of formula [ v ]. in the production method of the present invention , the reaction between a compound of formula [ v ] and a halogenating agent is not particularly limited , but is performed , for example , in a polar solvent , such as n , n - dimethylformamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide , n - methylpyrrolidone , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - imidazolidinone , acetonitrile , or dimethyl sulfoxide , for example , at a temperature of − 5 ° c . to 30 ° c . for 5 minutes to 1 hour , preferably at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 10 ° c . for 20 to 40 minutes . in the production method of the present invention , the compound of formula [ iv ] produced by a reaction between a compound of formula [ v ] and a halogenating agent can react , without being isolated , with a compound of formula [ iii ]. in the production method of the present invention , the polar solvent that is used in the reaction between a compound of formula [ ii ] and an alkali metal hydride or alkali metal carbonate may be the same as or different from the polar solvent that is used in the reaction between a compound of formula [ v ] and a halogenating agent , preferably , they are the same . the nicotinic acid derivative represented by formula [ ii ] to be used in the production method of the present invention can be instantly synthesized from known compounds in accordance with , for example , the method described in jp - a - 2010 - 083861 . the alcohol derivative represented by formula [ v ] to be used in the production method of the present invention can be instantly synthesized from known compounds in accordance with , for example , the method described in journal of medicinal chemistry , vol . 43 , p . 1826 ( 2000 ). the compound of formula [ i ] produced by the production method of the present invention is useful as an agricultural fungicide . the present invention will now be further described by examples , but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following examples . 4 - phenoxybenzyl alcohol ( 4 . 00 g ) was dissolved in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 10 ml ), and the solution was cooled to 5 ° c . thionyl chloride ( 1 . 45 ml ) was dropwise added to this solution , and the mixture was then stirred for 30 minutes to prepare solution ( i ). 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) was suspended in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 60 ml ). potassium carbonate ( 5 . 53 g ) was added to the suspension , followed by stirring at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . solution ( i ) was dropwise added to the resulting suspension , followed by stirring with heating at 80 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature , and the n , n - dimethylformamide ( 40 ml , 57 %) was removed by distillation under reduced pressure . iced water ( 100 ml ) was added to the residue , followed by stirring at room temperature for minutes . precipitated crystals were collected by filtration and were dried to give 6 . 41 g ( yield : 96 %) of the target product ( compound 2 shown in table 1 ). according to purity analysis by liquid chromatography , the purity of thus obtained target product was high , 99 . 6 %. a melting point thereof was 122 ° c . to 124 ° c . 1 h - nmr ( cdc1 3 ) δppm : 2 . 38 ( 3h , s ), 5 . 25 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 06 - 6 . 72 ( 2h . br ), 6 . 44 ( 1h , d ), 6 . 99 - 7 . 04 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 12 ( 1h , t ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 41 ( 4h , m ), 8 . 04 ( 1h , d ) synthesis of 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid - 4 - phenoxybenzyl 4 - phenoxybenzyl alcohol ( 4 . 00 g ) was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 10 ml ), and the solution was cooled to 5 ° c . thionyl chloride ( 1 . 45 ml ) was dropwise added to this solution , and the mixture was then stirred for 30 minutes to prepare solution ( i ). 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) was suspended in acetonitrile ( 50 ml ), and potassium carbonate ( 5 . 53 g ) was added to the suspension , followed by stirring at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . solution ( i ) was dropwise added to the resulting suspension , followed by reflux for 16 hours . the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature and was concentrated under reduced pressure . iced water ( 200 ml ) was added to the residue , followed by stirring at room temperature for 10 minutes . precipitated crystals were collected by filtration and were dried to give 6 . 05 g ( yield : 91 %) of the target product ( compound 2 shown in table 1 ). according to purity analysis by liquid chromatography , the purity of thus obtained target product was high , 98 . 9 %. a melting point thereof was 122 ° c . to 124 ° c . 1 - nmr ( cdc1 3 ) δppm : 2 . 38 ( 3h , s ), 5 . 25 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 06 - 6 . 72 ( 2h . br ), 6 . 44 ( 1h , d ), 6 . 99 - 7 . 04 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 12 ( 1h , t ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 41 ( 4h , m ), 8 . 04 ( 1h , d ) 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) was suspended in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 60 ml ), and potassium carbonate ( 5 . 53 g ) was added to the suspension , followed by stirring at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . 4 - phenoxybenzyl chloride ( 4 . 37 g ) was dropwise added to the resulting suspension , followed by stirring with heating at 80 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature , and the n , n - dimethylformamide ( 35 ml , 58 %) was removed by distillation under reduced pressure . iced water ( 100 ml ) was added to the residue , followed by stirring at room temperature for 10 minutes . precipitated crystals were collected by filtration and were dried to give 6 . 42 g ( yield : 96 %) of the target product ( compound 2 shown in table 1 ). according to purity analysis by liquid chromatography , the purity of thus obtained target product was high , 99 . 7 %. a melting point thereof was 122 ° c . to 124 ° c . 1 ii - nmr ( cdc1 3 ) δppm : 2 . 38 ( 3ii , s ), 5 . 25 ( 2ii , s ), 6 . 06 - 6 . 72 ( 2h . br ), 6 . 44 ( 1h , d ), 6 . 99 - 7 . 04 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 12 ( 1h , t ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 41 ( 4h , m ), 8 . 04 ( 1h , d ) the 4 - phenoxybenzyl chloride used in example 3 was synthesized by the following process . synthesis of 4 - phenoxybenzyl chloride 4 - phenoxybenzyl alcohol ( 20 . 0 g ) was dissolved in toluene ( 100 ml ), and thionyl chloride ( 13 . 1 g ) was added to the solution over 30 minutes at room temperature . after 2 hours , the reaction solution was concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was distilled to give 16 . 7 g ( yield : 76 %) of the target product . a boiling point thereof was 137 ° c / 3 mmhg . 4 -( 4 - methylphenoxy ) benzyl alcohol ( 4 . 26 g ) was dissolved in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 10 ml ), and the solution was cooled to 5 ° c . thionyl chloride ( 1 . 45 ml ) was dropwise added to this solution , and the mixture was then stirred for 30 minutes to prepare solution ( i ). 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) was suspended in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 60 ml ), and potassium carbonate ( 5 . 53 g ) was added to the suspension , followed by stirring at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . solution ( i ) was dropwise added to the resulting suspension , followed by stirring with heating at 80 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature , and the n , n - dimethylformamide ( 45 ml , 64 %) was removed by distillation under reduced pressure . iced water ( 100 ml ) was added to the residue , followed by stirring at room temperature for minutes . precipitated crystals were collected by filtration and were dried to give 6 . 42 g ( yield : 92 %) of the target product ( compound 4 shown in table 1 ). according to purity analysis by liquid chromatography , the purity of thus obtained target product was high , 99 . 1 %. a melting point thereof was 94 ° c . to 96 ° c . 1 h - nmr ( cdc1 3 ) δppm : 2 . 33 ( 3h , s ), 2 . 40 ( 3h , s ), 5 . 27 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 08 - 6 . 82 ( 2h , br ), 6 . 44 ( 1h , d ), 6 . 90 - 7 . 00 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 14 ( 2h , d ), 7 . 37 ( 2h , d ), 8 . 02 ( 1h , d ) 4 - phenylmethyl benzyl alcohol ( 3 . 96 g ) was dissolved in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 10 ml ), and the solution was cooled to 5 ° c . thionyl chloride ( 1 . 45 ml ) was dropwise added to this solution , and the mixture was then stirred for 30 minutes to prepare solution ( i ). 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) was suspended in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 60 ml ), and potassium carbonate ( 5 . 53 g ) was added to the suspension , followed by stirring at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . solution ( i ) was dropwise added to the resulting suspension , followed by stirring with heating at 80 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature , and the n , n - dimethylformamide ( 40 ml , 57 %) was removed by distillation under reduced pressure . iced water ( 100 ml ) was added to the residue , followed by stirring at room temperature for minutes . precipitated crystals were collected by filtration and were dried to give 6 . 08 g ( yield : 91 %) of the target product ( compound 8 shown in table 1 ). according to purity analysis by liquid chromatography , the purity of thus obtained target product was high , 98 . 3 %. a melting point thereof was 106 ° c . to 108 ° c . 1 h - nmr ( cdc1 3 ) δppm : 2 . 40 ( 3h , s ), 3 . 99 ( 2h , s ), 5 . 25 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 10 - 6 . 74 ( 2h , br ), 6 . 43 ( 1h , d ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 22 ( 4h , m ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 34 ( 5h , m ), 8 . 02 ( 1h , d ) 4 -( 2 - pyridyloxy ) benzyl alcohol ( 4 . 02 g ) was dissolved in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 10 ml ), and the solution was cooled to 5 ° c . thionyl chloride ( 1 . 45 ml ) was dropwise added to this solution , and the mixture was then stirred for 30 minutes to prepare solution ( i ). 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) was suspended in n , n - dimethylformamide ( 60 ml ), and potassium carbonate ( 5 . 53 g ) was added to the suspension , followed by stirring at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . solution ( i ) was dropwise added to the resulting suspension , followed by stirring with heating at 80 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature , and the n , n - dimethylformamide ( 50 ml , 71 %) was removed by distillation under reduced pressure . iced water ( 100 ml ) was added to the residue , followed by stirring at room temperature for minutes . precipitated crystals were collected by filtration and were dried to give 6 . 13 g ( yield : 91 %) of the target product ( compound 6 shown in table 1 ). according to purity analysis by liquid chromatography , the purity of thus obtained target product was high , 98 . 5 %. a melting point thereof was 120 ° c . to 121 ° c . 1 h - nmr ( cdc1 3 ) δppm : 2 . 40 ( 3h , s ), 5 . 31 ( 2h , s ), 6 . 10 - 6 . 91 ( 2h , br ), 6 . 46 ( 1h , d ), 6 . 89 ( 1h , d ), 7 . 00 ( 1h , t ), 7 . 16 ( 2h , d ), 7 . 43 ( 2h , d ), 7 . 67 - 7 . 72 ( 1h , t ), 8 . 03 ( 1h , d ), 8 . 20 ( 1h , d ) synthesis of 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid - 4 - phenoxybenzyl 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) and thionyl chloride ( 15 ml ) were mixed and stirred with heating at 85 ° c . for 1 hour . the target acid chloride was partially decomposed and made the reaction solution turn brown . an excess amount of the thionyl chloride was removed by distillation from the reaction solution . the residue was cooled to room temperature , and tetrahydrofuran ( 30 ml ), 4 - phenoxybenzyl alcohol ( 4 . 00 g ), and triethylamine ( 6 . 06 g ) were added to the residue . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour , and water ( 80 ml ) was added thereto . insoluble matters were removed by filtration , and the filtrate was subjected to liquid separation . the organic layer was washed with saturated saline , dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate , and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography ( hexane : ethyl acetate = 2 : 1 ) to give 1 . 23 g ( yield : 18 %) of the target product . a melting point thereof was 122 ° c . to 124 ° c . synthesis of 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid - 4 - phenoxybenzyl 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) was suspended in methylene chloride ( 100 ml ), and the suspension was cooled to 5 ° c . oxalyl chloride ( 2 . 58 ml ) and n , n - dimethylformamide ( several drops ) were added to this suspension , followed by stirring for 2 hours to prepare solution ( i ). 4 - phenoxybenzyl alcohol ( 4 . 00 g ) was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 100 ml ), and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 3 . 36 g ) was added thereto . the resulting solution was cooled to 5 ° c ., and solution ( i ) was dropwise added thereto , followed by stirring for 1 hour . water ( 200 ml ) was added to the reaction solution , followed by being subjected to liquid separation . the organic layer was washed with saturated saline , dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate , and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography ( hexane : ethyl acetate = 2 : 1 ) to give 2 . 47 g ( yield : 37 %) of the target product . a melting point thereof was 122 ° c . to 124 ° c . 2 - amino - 6 - methyl nicotinic acid ( 3 . 04 g ) was suspended in 1 , 2 - dichloroethane ( 50 ml ). 4 - phenoxybenzyl alcohol ( 4 . 00 g ), 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide ( 4 . 60 g ), and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 2 . 92 g ) were added to the suspension , followed by stirring with heating at 70 ° c . for hours . the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature and subjected to liquid separation using 1 , 2 - dichloroethane ( 100 ml ) and water ( 150 ml ). the organic layer was washed with saturated saline , dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate , and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography ( gradient of hexane / ethyl acetate ) to give 3 . 87 g ( yield : 58 %) of the target product . a melting point thereof was 121 ° c . to 123 ° c . compounds of the present invention which were produced according to similar methods to the method of example 1 are shown below . as described above , the production method of the present invention is an industrially valuable method of producing an agricultural fungicide i . e . 2 - aminonicotinic acid benzyl ester derivative .	2
fig1 represents a coding device according to the preferred embodiment . the coding device comprises a preanalysis module 1 which receives as input the frame sequences originating from the video stream to be coded . the video stream is also transmitted to the input of a module 3 for reorganizing the frames . the output of the frames reorganization module 3 is connected to the input of a coding loop 4 whose output is connected to an entropy coding module 5 which delivers the coded video data stream as output . the preanalysis module 1 is connected as output to the input of a coding control module 2 which provides the entropy coding module 5 with control data , which provides the frames reorganization module 3 with the type of frame to be coded and which provides the coding loop 4 with the type of coding structure , namely a coding of frame or field type . the entropy coding module 5 provides the coded video steam as output . the coding loop 4 is a coding loop in accordance with the coding loops defined in the h . 264 standard . according to other embodiments , this coding loop may obey other coding standards such as mpeg - 2 for example or any other type of coding . the functions of the various modules are detailed with reference to the following figures . fig2 represents a decomposition into functional blocks of the preanalysis module 1 and coding control module 2 represented in fig1 . the functional blocks represented may or may not correspond to physically distinguishable entities . for example , these modules or some of them may be grouped together into a single component or constitute functionalities of one and the same piece of software . conversely , certain modules may possibly be composed of separate physical entities . the modules 6 and 7 are preanalysis modules and the modules 8 , 9 and 10 are modules allowing the control of coding . fig3 explains the correlation scheme used by the module 6 . the module 6 performs an evaluation of the spatial activity as indicated hereinbelow . the module 6 performs an intra - field correlation of the current frame by measuring the intra - field correlation of each field of the frame . the intra - field correlation of the even field is denoted clntra [ 0 ] and the intra - field correlation of the odd field is denoted clntra [ 1 ] as indicated in fig3 . cintra ⁡ [ 0 ] = ∑ j = 0 j = nblines / 2 - 1 ⁢ ⁢ ∑ i = 0 i = nbpels - 1 ⁢  fn - / ( j * 2 , i ) - fn - / ( j * 2 + 1 , i )  cintra ⁡ [ 1 ] = ∑ j = 0 j = nblines / 2 - 1 ⁢ ⁢ ∑ i = 0 i = nbpels - 1 ⁢  fn ⁡ ( j * 2 , i ) - fn ⁡ ( j * 2 + 1 , i )  the module 6 performs an evaluation of the temporal activity as indicated hereinafter . the period between two fields is denoted t . for a signal at 50 hz , the field period is { fraction ( 1 / 50 )} s and in the case of a 60 hz signal , the field period is { fraction ( 1 / 60 )} s . the module 6 performs a measurement of the inter - field correlation between the first field of the current frame and the last field of the previous frame denoted c_t [ 0 ]. c_t ⁡ [ 0 ] = ∑ j = 0 j = nblines - 1 ⁢ ⁢ ∑ i = 0 i = nbpels - 1 ⁢  fn - 1 ⁡ ( j , i ) - fn - 2 ⁡ ( j , i )  the module 6 performs a measurement of the inter - field correlation between the first field of the current frame and the first field of the previous frame denoted c — 2t [ 0 ]. c_ ⁢ 2 ⁢ t ⁡ [ 0 ] = ∑ j = 0 j = nblines - 1 ⁢ ⁢ ∑ i = 0 i = nbpels - 1 ⁢  fn - 1 ⁡ ( j , i ) - fn - 3 ⁡ ( j , i )  the module 6 performs a measurement of the inter - field correlation between the second field of the current frame and the first field of the current frame denoted c_t [ 1 ]. c_t ⁡ [ 1 ] = ∑ j = 0 j = nblines - 1 ⁢ ⁢ ∑ i = 0 i = nbpels - 1 ⁢  fn ⁡ ( j , i ) - fn - 1 ⁡ ( j , i )  the module 6 performs a measurement of the inter - field correlation between the second field of the current frame and the second field of the previous frame denoted c — 2t [ 1 ]. c_ ⁢ 2 ⁢ t ⁡ [ 1 ] = ∑ j = 0 j = nblines - 1 ⁢ ⁢ ∑ i = 0 i = nbpels - 1 ⁢  fn ⁡ ( j , i ) - fn - 2 ⁡ ( j , i )  the module 6 provides the module 7 with the inter - field and intra - field correlation measurements . the module 7 comprises a progressive / interlaced decision module 11 and a module 12 for calculating the weighted temporal activity . the module 11 determines whether the current sequence received at the input of the coding device has come from a progressive source ( a film for example ) or from an interlaced video source . for this purpose , it performs the following comparison : if ( 0 . 9 ( c_intra [ 0 ]+ c_intra [ 1 ])& gt ; c_t [ 1 ]), then the sequence is considered to be progressive , otherwise the sequence is considered to be interlaced . the module 12 performs a calculation of the temporal activity weighted by the spatial activity . the coding of frame type is appropriate for frame sequences with weak motion , that is to say frame sequences whose temporal activity is weak . the coding of field type is appropriate , conversely , for frame sequences with strong motion , that is to say frame sequences whose temporal activity is strong . the temporal activity is weighted by the spatial activity . specifically , when the sequences are very textured and therefore exhibit strong spatial activity , the coding of frame type , keeping all the lines , gives better results than a coding in field mode which keeps only one line out of two . the weighted temporal activity is calculated according to the following formula : act = 1 + min ⁢ { c_t ⁡ [ 0 ] , c_t ⁡ [ 1 ] } 2 + 0 . 5 max ⁢ { size_frame , ( c_int ⁢ ⁢ ra ⁡ [ 0 ] + c_int ⁢ ⁢ ra ⁡ [ 1 ] ) } the values 2 and 0 . 5 are given by way of indication and may be modified in other embodiments . thereafter , the coding is performed according to a field mode or a frame mode as a function of the value of act and of the detection of the type of coding , progressive or interlaced , performed by the module 11 . the choice of the coding is carried out by the module 8 which receives as input the sequence type detected and the weighted temporal activity . if the module 11 has detected an interlaced sequence for the pair of current fields ( the frame ), and for the pair of previous fields , then the current frame can be coded using a coding of field type , otherwise , the current frame will be coded using a coding of frame type . if act & gt ; 3 , the frame is coded in field mode . otherwise , the frame is coded in frame mode . in other embodiments the threshold value equal to 3 may be different . a modification of the value of the threshold may make it possible to favour one or the other of the coding modes . thereafter the module 8 performs the choice of the structure of the group of pictures ( gop ). if the module 8 has taken the field mode coding decision , then the gop will include a single b frame between each p frame . the only possible gop structure is then i 0 , 0 i 0 , 1 b 1 , 0 b 1 , 1 p 2 , 0 p 2 , 1 b 3 , 0 b 3 , 1 p 4 , 0 p 4 , 1 b 5 , 0 b 5 , 1 p 6 , 0 p 6 , 1 . where i , j in x i , j respectively represent the frame number and the field number . the length of the gop is not fixed . if the module 8 has taken the decision to code the frame in frame mode , then the number of consecutive b frames within the gop may be greater than 1 . in this case , the module 8 calculates firstly , the optimal number of consecutive b frames by calculating the optimal i / p period t i / p opt , that is to say the period between an i frame and the following p frame . the values 7 , 2 and 0 . 5 are given by way of indication and may be modified in other embodiments . thereafter the module 8 calculates the actual number of b frames : the actual number of consecutive b frames is sometimes different from the optimal number of b frames depending on the constraints of the application . the maximum i / p period may in fact be imposed by requirements for short processing time in the coding / decoding chain . the i / p period is thus bounded by the interval [ 2 , max i / p period ]. the value 2 corresponds to a b type frame between an i type frame and a p type frame . the module 8 transmits the type proposal and frame structure to the final decision module 9 . the module 9 also receives via the module 10 the history of decisions regarding the last few frames coded . if the structure and the type of coding of the current gop are different from those proposed by the module 8 , the module 9 will take no account of this last proposal unless the structure of the current gop and the type of coding can be modified . in this case , one and the same gop can contain frames coded as a field structure or as a frame structure . according to a preferred embodiment , the gop can be shortcut so as to make it possible to switch from a coding of field type to a coding of frame type or vice versa . in this case , each gop possesses a coding structure , of frame or field type , and an associated gop structure , that are constant . when there is a change of structure , then the gop is changed by coding the first frame in intra mode . this yields high - performance coding quality and great stability and also facilitates the implementation of bit rate regulation for closed - loop coding . the module 9 thereafter transmits the information necessary for the coding to the frames reorganization module 3 represented in fig3 and to the coding loop 4 represented in fig4 as well as control data to the entropy coding module 5 represented in fig5 . the control data consist for example of high - level parameters indicating the entropy coding mode (“ cabac ” or “ cavlc ” under h . 26l coding ), the number of reference frames for the predictions , the size of the frame ( width , height ), the profile and the level . more precisely , the coding control module 2 transmits the type in which the following frame should be coded ( intra , bi - predictive or predictive ) to the frames reorganization module 3 and transmits the structure of the frame ( field or frame ) to the coding loop 4 . according to a preferred embodiment of the invention , the frame of type i is always coded in field mode ( with the second field of the frame coded as p type with respect to the first field ), regardless of the structure and the mode of coding of the current gop , onwards of the moment at which the sequence is considered to be of interlaced type . according to a preferred embodiment of the invention , when the number of b frames inserted exceeds 2 ( sequences with weak motion ), the b frames will be used as possible reference frames for the other b frames . fig4 represents an example of a group of pictures according to this preferred embodiment . the period between an i frame and a p frame is 4 , that is to say there are 3 b frames between an i frame and a p frame . the central frame b 2 , lying between the other two b frames , is a reference frame for the coding of the two b frames surrounding it . this frame b 2 is coded , before the frame b 1 , on the basis of the previous frame 10 of the current gop and of the following frame p 4 of the current gop . the frame b 1 is coded on the basis of the previous frame 10 of the following frame b 2 and of the following frame p 4 . the frame b 3 is coded on the basis of the frame 10 , of the frame b 2 , of the frame p 4 .	7
a feature of the present invention is to provide the use of a conductive bidimensional perovskite as an interface between the substrate and the dielectric perovskite . a bidimensional perovskite is defined as having a crystal axis along which mesh parameter “ c ” is very different from the mesh parameters (“ a ” and “ b ”) of the other axes which are , as for them , of the same order of magnitude . the perovskite of the present invention is selected to have mesh parameters “ a ” and “ b ” close to most of the dielectric perovskites to be deposited by epitaxy . preferably , this perovskite exhibits a quadratic crystal structure , which gives it a capacity to grow along the axis of parameter “ c ”. its growth on a silicon substrate , be it oxidized or not , is thus favored . another feature of the present invention is that the interface is formed of a single conductive material . it can then form the electrode of the capacitive element and directly receive the conventional dielectric perovskite . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the selected perovskite is a nickel - based perovskite . for example , strontium lanthanum nickelate of formula la ( 2 − x ) sr x nio ( 4 ± y ) . the deposition of such a perovskite directly on a silicon oxide substrate is performed according to an embodiment of the present invention by laser ablation under the following conditions . the substrate is brought to a temperature ranging between 650 and 750 ° c ., for example , 700 ° c . the assembly is processed in a residual oxygen atmosphere between 0 . 05 and 0 . 5 millibars , for example , 0 . 1 millibar . strontium lanthanum nickelate further has the feature of being a product existing in solid form , which enables using a single target for the laser ablation . the thickness of the deposition ranges , preferably , between 200 and 700 nanometers . the minimum limit aims at avoiding interactions with the underlying substrate . the maximum limit preserves the stability of the obtained layer . preferably , the thickness will be on the order of from 200 to 300 nanometers . the other features of the laser ablation deposition are within the abilities of those skilled in the art according to the application . as a specific example , a cooling under oxygen at a pressure of approximately 100 millibars or more may be provided . the wavelength of the used laser will preferably be smaller than 300 nanometers . its frequency will range between 1 and 20 hertz and the duty cycle will be selected for a pulse duration ranging between 10 and 20 nanoseconds . such ablation conditions are a preferred , though non - limiting , embodiment . it should be noted that the present invention enables deposition of the two perovskites ( conductive interface perovskite to form the electrode and insulating perovskite of the dielectric ) without opening the laser ablation chamber . this contributes to optimizing the manufacturing process . an advantage of the present invention is that the perovskite can be deposited indifferently on silicon , metal , or an amorphous oxide ( for example , sio 2 ). another advantage of the present invention is that the perovskite which has been grown on the above - mentioned substrate enables epitaxial deposition of an insulating perovskite to form the dielectric of the capacitive element . all the previously - mentioned perovskite families can be deposited by epitaxy on an interface according to the present invention . the conductivity of the bidimensional perovskite used as an interface according to the present invention can be adjusted by the dopant rate ( in the above example , strontium ) and / or the oxygen content . considering the above example of ablation deposition , it has been possible to deposit an la 0 , 9 sr 1 , 1 nio 4 perovskite with a crystal orientation quality greater than 95 % on an sio 2 or silicon substrate in a plane 100 with a conductivity on the order of one milliohm . centimeter . an insulating ba ( 1 − x ) sr x tio 3 perovskite deposition by the same method on the above - mentioned interface has exhibited a very good orientation ( mismatch of 4 % in mesh parameters ). of course , the present invention is likely to have various alterations , modifications , and improvements which will readily occur to those skilled in the art . in particular , other deposition conditions than those indicated hereabove may be provided , provided to respect a deposition by laser ablation of the conductive perovskite interface for a deposition immediately overlying a dielectric perovskite by epitaxy . further , other materials than those indicated as an example hereabove may be used . it should however be noted that , to obtain the advantages of the present invention , the conductive perovskite interface must be deposited directly on a silicon , metal , or amorphous oxide substrate and directly receive the dielectric perovskite of the capacitive element . this last perovskite deposited by epitaxy may however be formed of several layers according to the desired thickness . such alterations , modifications , and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure , and are intended to be within the spirit and the scope of the present invention . accordingly , the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting . the present invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and the equivalents thereto .	7
fig1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle 13 , in this case a car , with a vehicle load carrier box 10 mounted on cross bars 11 of a roof rack 12 of the vehicle 13 . the roof rack 12 is mounted on the roof 14 of the vehicle . the vehicle 13 has a longitudinal axis l 1 which extends in a direction perpendicular to a transverse axis t 1 of the vehicle . the cross bars 11 extends parallel with the transverse axis t 1 and across the roof 14 of the vehicle 13 . the vehicle 13 further has a forward end 15 and a backward end 16 . as noticed , the vehicle load carrier box 10 is opened and ready to be loaded with a load , such as luggage , skies , clothes , bags , suitcases , food or the like . the vehicle load carrier box 10 comprises a base member 20 and a closeable lid 40 which together defines a confined storage void . the base member 20 and the closeable lid 40 are formed by a rigid material , e . g . thermoplastic material such as polypropylene , polyethylene , polyurethane , and / or a carbon fiber reinforced polymeric material , carbon fiber , aluminum or the like . turning to fig2 , the base member 20 includes a floor 21 surrounded by a side wall 22 which defines a load carrier void . the side wall 22 can be said to comprise a first and a second transverse side wall 23 , 24 and a first and a second longitudinal side wall 25 , 26 . in the shown embodiments , the first and the second transverse side wall 23 , 24 and the first and the second longitudinal side wall 25 , 26 are equivalent with a first and a second transverse end and a first and a second longitudinal end of the base member . the first transverse side wall 23 is positioned towards the forward end 15 of the vehicle 13 while the second transverse side wall 24 is positioned towards the backward end 16 of the vehicle 13 . the forward and backward ends 15 , 16 of the vehicle are indicated in fig2 and 3 with the reference numbers 15 and 16 . a lid 40 is displaceable connected , in this case pivotally , to the base member 20 . the lid 40 can be positioned in an open position , as shown in fig1 , 2 and 3 , and a closed position ( not shown ). the lid 40 together with the base member 20 forms a confined storage void which dependent on the position of the lid 40 , can be defined as opened or closed . the lid 40 is preferably pivotally connected to the base member 20 using hinges or a flexible material such as leather or a woven material . a first and a second hinge arm 41 , 42 is arranged at each transverse end to support the lid 40 in an opened position with respect to the base member 20 . the hinge arms 41 , 42 can in an embodiment be reinforcement strut lid lifters . as mentioned , a confined storage void is formed by the lid 40 and the base member 20 . the lid 40 comprises a lid roof 50 and a side wall 51 surrounding the lid roof 50 , which together defines a load carrier void of the lid 40 . the surrounding side wall 51 includes a first and a second transverse side wall 53 , 54 and a first and a second longitudinal side wall 55 , 56 . in the shown embodiments , the first and the second transverse side wall 53 , 54 and the first and the second longitudinal side wall 55 , 56 are equivalent with a first and a second transverse end and a first and a second longitudinal end of the base member . as the vehicle load carrier box 10 is in the closed position , the surrounding side walls 51 of the lid 40 is positioned adjacent the side wall 22 of the base member 20 thus forming a confined storage compartment . the periphery of the lid 40 is just somewhat larger than the periphery of the base member 20 so that the surrounding side wall 51 of the lid 40 partly overlaps the surrounding side wall 21 of the base member 20 when the lid 40 is closed . the vehicle load carrier box 10 thus further comprises at least one flexible safety material 60 attached to the lid 40 . if cargo or luggage , or any other load , is accidentally displaced inside of the vehicle load carrier box 20 , it could be a potential risk for damaging the vehicle load carrier box 20 . in a worst case scenario , the surrounding walls of the vehicle load carrier box 20 could be penetrated by the parts of the load accidentally , e . g . during a collision with another vehicle . after the vehicle load carrier box 20 is loaded , the load is thus secured inside of the vehicle load carrier box 10 , and thus substantially prevented from being accidentally displaced , simply by closing the lid 40 . the flexible safety material 60 should preferably be a sheet like material , for example with a length to width ratio ( length : width ) of between 10 : 1 to 10 : 5 . the flexible safety material is advantageously adapted to be positioned on any load , such as luggage , bags , suitcases , skies or the like which are positioned inside of the vehicle load carrier box . more specifically is it intended to cover any load positioned in the load carrier void of the base member 20 . the flexible safety material can be a cloth , woven , net or the like . in fig1 - 3 the flexible safety material 60 is illustrated as a net 61 . the flexible safety material 60 can have elastic properties or substantially no elastic properties , or simply no elastic properties . advantageously both flexible and elastic properties are present . the flexible safety material 60 , and the flexible net 61 , has in the shown embodiments in fig1 - 3 , a first and a second transverse end 63 , 64 and a first and a second longitudinal end 65 , 66 , thus a substantially rectangular form . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 the flexible safety material 60 is attached only to the lid 40 , and thus not to the base member 20 . the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 has a flexible safety material 60 which is attached to the lid 40 at a plurality of attachment points 62 . the attachment points 62 can be fixed , i . e . permanent or be temporarily i . e . the flexible safety material 60 can be detachable . optionally some of the attachment points 62 can be permanent and some of the attachment points 62 can be temporarily . the attachment points 62 can further be elastic or non elastic , although elastic is preferable . in the embodiment shown in fig3 , the flexible safety material 60 is partly attached to the lid 40 of the vehicle load carrier box 20 . because the flexible safety material 60 is partly attached to the lid 40 , a user which has loaded e . g . luggage into the vehicle load carrier box 20 , can simply close the lid 40 to superpose the flexible safety material 60 on the luggage . an advantageous embodiment is shown in fig3 . same features in fig1 , 2 and 3 are referred to with the same reference number . in fig3 , the flexible safety material 60 is partly attached to the lid 40 and partly to the base member 20 . to improve the safety of the vehicle load carrier box 20 , the flexible safety material 60 is at least attached in the proximity of the first transverse side wall 23 of the base member 20 . advantageously the first transverse end 63 of the flexible safety material 60 is attached in the proximity of the first transverse side wall 23 of the base member 20 and preferably along the first transverse side wall 23 of the base member 20 . advantageously the second transverse end 64 of the flexible safety material 60 is attached in the proximity of the second transverse side wall 54 of the lid 40 and preferably along the second transverse side wall 54 of the lid 40 . in fig2 , the flexible safety material 60 , in this case a net 61 , is attached to the first transverse side wall 23 of the base member 20 . the flexible safety material 60 is advantageously attached with at least three attachment points or preferably substantially along the whole length of the first transverse side wall 23 of the base member 20 as shown in fig3 . from a crash safety perspective , it is very advantageous that the flexible safety material is attached at least in the proximity of the first transverse end 23 of the base member 20 as this will prevent any luggage or load from escaping the vehicle load carrier box 10 during a severe collision . optionally , the flexible safety material 60 is attached to the lid 40 at the second transverse side wall 54 of the lid 40 and at least partly along the first and second longitudinal side walls 55 , 56 of the lid 40 , i . e . on the side walls or in the near proximity of the side walls . the vehicle load carrier box 10 can be have a drag reducing outer surface structure to reduce the wind resistance imparted by the vehicle load carrier box 10 . the lid 40 or the base member 20 can of course be provided with a lock . the load , e . g . luggage , is generally placed on the floor 21 of the base member 20 during loading of the vehicle load carrier box 10 . after placing the luggage on the floor 21 of the base member 20 , the lid 40 is closed , thus confining the luggage within the vehicle load carrier box 10 . due to that the flexible safety material 60 is attached to the lid 40 , the flexible safety material 40 is positioned onto the luggage as the flexible safety material 60 as the lid 40 is closed , and can impart the luggage with a downwardly force component or optionally just be positioned over the luggage . in the embodiment shown in fig1 - 3 , the flexible safety material 60 effectively prevents the luggage from escaping the confined luggage compartment within the vehicle load carrier box 10 in case of a collision or the like , without a user having to arrange the flexible safety material in any specific way after loading . the embodiment shown in fig3 has been found to the very effective in cases of frontal collisions between a vehicle , like the vehicle 13 , and another object such as another vehicle , as the flexible safety material 60 will effectively prevent or at least make it more difficult for any object to penetrate through the surrounding side wall 51 of the lid 40 due to its inherent inertia . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the flexible safety net 60 is attached to both the lid 40 and the base member 20 thus enabling a user to displace parts of the flexible safety material 60 when moving the lid 40 between the opened and closed position . this improves the crash safety aspect to the vehicle load carrier box as the flexible safety net will better retain the objects inside of the vehicle load carrier box . in fig3 , the flexible safety material 60 is attached at attachment points 62 and at selected locations along the length of the lid 40 , specifically along parts of the second longitudinal side wall 56 of the lid 40 . an elastic strap 63 is arranged in the proximity of the intersection between the first transverse side wall 53 and the second longitudinal side wall 56 of the lid 40 , to retain the flexible safety material 60 to the lid 40 in that section . this keeps the flexible safety net 60 to the lid 40 and enables a user to load the vehicle load carrier box 10 without being obstructed by the flexible safety material 60 .	8
dinitrotoluene presents unique problems in its conversion to toluenediamine via catalytic hydrogenation . dinitrotoluene is particularly sensitive to reaction conditions and , if present in concentrations & gt ; 2 % by weight in the reaction feed and in the reaction zone in conventional processes , a temperature excursion can lead to industrial explosion . accordingly , dinitrotoluene , in contrast to nitroaromatics in general , has been hydrogenated at low concentration , e . g ., & lt ; 0 . 5 % by weight at reaction temperatures of from 140 ° to 170 ° c . solvents , such as methanol , have been included in the reaction medium to mitigate against temperature excursions by promoting hydrogenation . the safety problems in dinitrotoluene hydrogenation have long been considered in commercial operations . for example , the general trend in commercial manufacture has been back mixed catalytic hydrogenation in stirred tank reactors employing dinitrotoluene concentrations of less than 0 . 2 % by weight or in the region designated a in fig1 . at higher dinitrotoluene concentrations , especially with nickel based catalysts , the rate of dinitrotoluene hydrogenation can decline because the nitroaromatic compounds act to oxidize the nickel catalyst . under high temperature reaction conditions , e . g ., 150 ° to 170 ° c ., as employed in backmixed hydrogenation vessels , catalyst deactivation can quickly lead to higher dinitrotoluene concentrations in the reaction medium which then can lead to a temperature excursion , and then , possibly to the types of explosions referred to above . that is a condition that must be avoided as illustrated by the decomposition data for dinitrotoluene in fig2 . a high mass transfer rate in the reaction process is particularly critical because extended dinitrotoluene contact with the catalyst tends to cause catalyst deactivation . achieving a high mass transfer rate in the hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene is difficult ( six moles hydrogen are required for conversion of dinitrotoluene to toluenediamine ) and further the high mass transfer rate is compounded by the relatively low hydrogen solubility in the toluenediamine reaction product . high mass transfer has been achieved in backmixed reactions , by increasing hydrogen pressure and effecting optimum sparging and agitation . it has been found that dinitrotoluene can be continuously hydrogenated readily in a high void volume reactor having a void space & gt ; 65 % and sometimes & gt ; 80 % employing a monolith catalyst and yet accommodate safety issues presented by high inlet dinitrotoluene feed concentrations . surprisingly , one can also effect conversion of dinitrotoluene to toluenediamine without concomitant catalyst deactivation and substantial byproduct formation if one adheres to a set of prescribed conditions . adiabatic operation via plug flow is a key to the continuous hydrogenation process . one key to the hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene is the use of a monolith catalyst which is sufficiently active to initiate or &# 34 ; kick off &# 34 ; the dinitrotoluene hydrogenation at low temperature ( 100 °- 140 ° c . and preferably from 100 ° to 120 ° c .) to permit a significant temperature rise in the reactor through adiabatic operation . such a catalyst should be capable of effecting a reaction rate of from & gt ; 1 . 5 and preferably & gt ; 2 , gmole dnt / m 3 catalyst second at 130 ° c . and a hydrogen pressure of 1600 kpa . adiabatic conditions and an active monolith catalyst component permit temperature acceleration throughout the reaction zone for continuous hydrogenation . a differing temperature profile from batch processes and from previous nitroaromatic hydrogenation processes employing a monolith catalyst allows for continuous hydrogenation . in addition , the differing reactor temperature profile provided by operating under adiabatic conditions allows for utilization of the heat of reaction to control reaction conditions and , surprisingly , stability of the reaction medium . adiabatic hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene maintains stability of the reaction medium because of the immediate and continual formation of aminonitrotoluene . aminonitrotoluene is an order of magnitude more stable than dinitrotoluene . thus , as the dinitrotoluene reacts quickly to aminonitrotoluene prior to reaching exit reaction temperatures of 135 ° c . and above and generally less than 170 ° c ., one can essentially avoid the safety problems associated with other processes and significant byproduct formation . the feed to the reactor system is comprised of a mixture of toluenediamine , water , and dinitrotoluene and thus essentially non solvent , i . e ., less than 30 % by weight . by nonsolvent it is meant that the feedstock is comprised essentially of dinitrotoluene and a carrier comprised of dinitrotoluene hydrogenation reaction product components . in the backmixed hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene , and in some of the other procedures , a solvent ( other than dinitrotoluene hydrogenation reaction products in which dinitrotoluene is soluble ) is required for generating a hydrogenation feedstock , the common solvent being methanol . it is usually present in an amount of from 30 to 70 % by weight of the feedstock . of course , in the present process , solvents may be used , e . g ., up to about 30 % by weight of the feedstock but preferably less than 5 % by weight and most preferably none is used . as is known from a backmixed operation , the use of solvents requires additional recovery steps and therefore such use should be avoided . high dinitrotoluene feed concentrations and controlled flow rates through the high void volume reactor can be used in the hydrogenation process . the concentration of the dinitrotoluene in the feed typically is in the range designated b in fig1 and is in contrast to the typical dinitrotoluene concentration ( designated a ) for the back mixed hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene . more specifically , the dinitrotoluene concentration in the feedstock is within a range to the reactor from 0 . 2 to 3 %, preferably 1 to 2 % by weight . a key to reducing the quantity of byproducts produced in the hydrogenation process is control of the inlet temperature to the reactor at high dinitrotoluene concentrations . it is important to operate on the low side of the operable inlet temperatures , e . g ., 100 ° to 120 ° c . at dinitrotoluene concentrations of from about 1 to 2 % by weight dinitrotoluene . temperatures greater than about 140 ° c . tend to permit dinitrotoluene to react with itself to produce unwanted byproducts . that is in addition to the safety problems that may be created ( note fig2 which shows the high decomposition rate of dinitrotoluene at temperatures of 140 ° c . and above ). thus , inlet temperatures from 130 ° to 140 ° c . are best used when the dinitrotoluene feed concentration is from 0 . 5 to 1 % by weight and inlet temperatures of 100 ° to 120 ° c . when dinitrotoluene concentrations range from 1 to 2 % and slightly higher . the adiabatic conditions for effecting hydrogenation of the dinitrotoluene to toluenediamine range are controlled to provide an exit temperature of from 135 ° to180 ° c . and particularly from about 145 ° to 165 ° c . by operating the reactor under adiabatic conditions and thus effecting a temperature rise through the reactor within a range of at least 20 ° c . to about 75 ° c . and preferably between 25 ° c . and 50 ° c ., continuous hyrogenation may be effected , byproduct formation can be minimized and process safety enhanced . in operation , the hydrogen pressure will range from about 1000 to 9000 kpa and typically from about 3000 to 6000 kpa . because the dinitrotoluene is somewhat of a catalyst poison , catalyst activity is lengthened by operating at high hydrogen pressures to facilitate accelerated hydrogenation of the dinitrotoluene . it has been found that preferred conditions are such that the ratio of dinitrotoluene in parts per million by weight ( ppm ) divided by the total hydrogen pressure in kpa should be below 8 , preferably below about 6 . when the ratio begins to exceed 6 , the amount of unreacted dinitrotoluene and byproduct in the reaction product from the monolith reactor may become unacceptable leading to greater catalyst deactivation and to greater load on the polishing reactor . the former is largely a function of residence time while the latter is a function of inlet temperature . a ratio of from about 2 - 6 ( dinitrotoluene ppm / kpa ) is preferred . the superficial liquid and gas velocities in the monolith channels are maintained to effect a 90 % or greater conversion per pass of dinitrotoluene . typically , the superficial velocity through the monolith ranges between 0 . 1 to 1 meter per second with residence times of from 10 to 120 seconds in order to achieve such conversion . as dinitrotoluene concentration increases it is sometimes necessary to increase the residence time but often that results in increased levels of byproducts . monolith catalysts employed in the adiabatic process described herein consist of a porous substrate or base metal substrate coated with a catalytic metal . often the monoliths are based upon a honeycomb of long narrow capillary channels , circular , square or rectangular , whereby gas and liquid are co - currently passed through the channels under a laminar flow regime . the flow of gas and liquid in these confined channels and under these conditions promotes &# 34 ; taylor &# 34 ; flow with bubbles of gas squeezing past the liquid . this capillary action promotes very high initial gas - liquid and liquid - solid mass transfer . accordingly , a concentrated dinitrotoluene feed can be quickly reduced in dinitrotoluene concentration , thus creating a highly efficient and intensive reactor with a significantly reduced pressure drop vis - a - vis a fixed bed reactor . the pressure drop within an effective monolith reactor can range from 2 kpa / m to 200 kpa / m for combined gas / liquid superficial velocities between 0 . 1 to 2 meters / second for 50 % gas holdup in a monolith reactor having 400 cpi ( cells per square inch ). typical dimensions for a honeycomb monolith range from cell wall spacings of from 1 to 10 mm between the plates . alternatively , the monolith may have from 100 to 600 cpi . channels may be square , hexagonal , circular , elliptical , etc . in shape . catalytic metals suited for the hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene are impregnated or directly coated onto the monolithic substrate or from a washcoat which has been deposited onto the monolith . the catalytic metals include those group vi and viii metals of the periodic table and conventionally used in the hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene . examples of catalytic metal components include cobalt , raney or sponge nickel , palladium , platinum , copper , and so forth . often a mixture of metals are employed , one example being palladium and nickel . for a monolith catalyst impregnated with a washcoat the composition of catalytic metals are typically identified as a weight percent within the washcoat itself . the washcoat may be applied in an amount of from 1 to 20 % of the monolith total weight . typical catalyst metal loadings , then , range from 0 . 1 to 25 % by weight and preferably from 1 to 10 % by weight of the wash coat . the catalytic metals may be incorporated into the monolith in a manner generally recognized by the art . incipient wetness from a salt solution of the catalytic metal is one example of a method for incorporating a metal catalytic component on the monolith substrate or via the washcoat . a preferred monolith catalyst employs a mixture of palladium and nickel , the concentration range based on a 10 % washcoat being from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 % palladium and from 5 to 20 % nickel . although not intending to be bound by theory , the process design is such that the dinitrotoluene is introduced at concentrations approaching the plateau of the reaction rate curve where the reaction rate is highest ( area b of fig1 ). decomposition of dnt is minimized by utilizing a reduced inlet feed temperature . as the feedstock proceeds through the high void volume reactor containing the monolith catalyst and one maintains a ratio of dinitrotoluene to hydrogen pressure ( ppm to h 2 kpa ) sufficiently low , 2 - 6 , the temperature of the stream as it proceeds through the reactor bed increases this driving the reaction toward completion and this is done without substantial byproduct production . because of the heat generated , dinitrotoluene is converted in a single pass to conversions greater than 90 %. adiabatic operation and plug flow operation of the monolith reactor permits enhanced safety because there is a corresponding increase in aminonitrotoluene and toluenediamine concentration in the stream as it moves through the reactor an increases in temperature . thus , by maintaining the inlet temperature of the feed at the lowest point in the overall reactor system and hydrogen concentration ( pressure ) sufficiently high to effect essentially instantaneous hydrogenation of the dinitrotoluene , coupled with the high dinitrotoluene concentration one can enhance continuous production through adiabatic operation . to facilitate an understanding of the process , reference is made to fig3 . the process for the hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene to form toluenediamine comprises feeding a dinitrotoluene through line 2 for combination with a carrier comprised of hydrogenation reaction product . the carrier is introduced to the dinitrotoluene or via line 4 , thereby generating a feed composition comprising from about 0 . 2 to 3 % by weight dinitrotoluene , preferably between 1 and 2 %. the feed is then conveyed via line 6 where it is combined with hydrogen via line 8 to generate an inlet feed which is introduced through line 10 to a high void volume catalyst bed 12 . although the inlet is shown as an upper portion of the high void volume catalyst bed 12 , feed can also be introduced at the bottom of the bed and passed upwardly through the bed . high void volume catalyst bed 12 is fitted with a monolith catalyst having a 10 % by weight of an alumina washcoat applied thereon , 400 cpi ( square shape ), the wash coat containing 1 % palladium and 10 % nickel based upon the weight of the washcoat . the feed stock introduced via line 10 is preheated to a temperature preferably between about 100 ° to 120 ° c . and pressurized to a operational pressure ranging from about 1600 to 8000 kpa , typically , 3000 to 6500 kpa . the two phase mixture of hydrogen and liquid dinitrotolueneldinitrotoluene hydrogenation reaction product is passed through the monolith catalyst under adiabatic conditions . the heat of reaction causes the temperature of the feed stock to rise as it passes from one end of the reactor to the other and depending upon feed concentration , the preferred final exit temperature will range between 145 ° and 165 ° c . the elevated temperature enhances the rate of reaction per unit volume of the catalyst and leads to a corresponding decrease in the dinitrotoluene concentration as it proceeds from the inlet to outlet . the hydrogenation reaction product is removed via line 14 where the excess hydrogen is disengaged from the liquid hydrogenation product in disengagement tank 15 . the liquid product is removed via line 13 where it is pumped via recirculation pump 16 through a shell and tube heat exchanger . heat is removed from the hydrogenation reaction product and recovered as high pressure steam . the cooled hydrogenation reaction product is removed from the shell and tube heat exchanger via line 18 and split with one portion returned to the reactor section of the process via line 4 and the other removed via line 20 to a polishing reactor 22 and then reduced in pressure through valve 24 . the polishing reactor is provided ( e . g ., conventional stirred tank reactor with suspended nickel catalyst or a small monolith reactor ) to complete the hydrogenation of unreacted dinitrotoluene in the hydrogenation reaction product . there is generally unreacted dinitrotoluene in the reaction product which is converted to toluenediamine at low temperature . this final processing is referred to as polishing and completes the conversion of residual dinitrotoluene to essentially 100 %. the resulting mixture of toluenediamine and water is removed via line 26 where it is charged to a distillation recovery system not shown . the procedure for recovering toluenediamine from the hydrogenation reaction product is conventional to that employed in the prior art . the following examples are intended to illustrate various embodiments of the invention and are not intended to restrict the scope thereof . the reactor is comprised of a cylindrical monolith reactor bed , approximately 5 meters high and 0 . 5 meters in diameter with a total volume of 1 . 00 m 3 . the catalyst bed is made from a commercial 400 cpi cordierite monolith support having square shaped cells with a 10 % alumina washcoat and a catalyst metal loading of 10 % nickel and 1 % palladium based on the washcoat . the reactor system is set up similar to fig3 with the excess hydrogen gas being recycled to the inlet of the reactor using a compressor ; no polishing reactor is used for purposes of demonstrating this process . the dinitrotoluene feed is continuously fed as a molten liquid and no solvent is employed . the toluenediamine and water product are continuously removed . hydrogen is fed in excess of the stoichiometric requirement . a variety of process conditions are varied including feed rate , recycle ratio , pressure inlet temperature , exit temperature . the reactor design is simulated to provide an estimated gas / liquid mass transfer rate of 10 and a mass transfer rate of 1 . these conditions are set forth in table 1 . the results with respect to conversion of dinitrotoluene to toluenediamine , byproducts and conversion are set forth in table 2 . catalyst activity is defined as the slope of the linear low concentration range of the reaction rate ( gmole dinitrotoluene /( m 3 monolith catalyst second )) vs . the concentration ( gmole dinitrotoluene /( m 3 liquid phase )) as illustrated in region a of fig1 . to aid in understanding the layout of the data in the tables , the following is provided : runs 4 - 6 are a repeat of runs 1 - 3 but at higher pressure . runs 7 - 9 are a repeat of runs 4 - 6 but at reduced residence time . run 10 is essentially a repeat of run 8 but at reduced residence time and a higher pressure . runs 11 - 14 show the effect of increased inlet temperature and a corresponding increase in pressure at feed concentrations similar to run 1 - 3 . runs 16 - 31 show the general effect of a mass transfer coefficient of 1 compared to runs 1 - 15 and 31 - 34 which are based upon a mass transfer coefficient 1 - 10 . runs 15 - 19 are similar to runs 1 - 3 and run 12 , but at an intermediate pressure . runs 20 - 23 are similar to runs 4 - 6 , but at a reduced gas / liquid mass transfer rate . runs 24 - 27 show the effects of inlet increased temperature at high pressure with reduced gas / liquid mass transfer at a dnt concentration of ˜ 1 . 3 % by weight . run 28 shows the effect of a low inlet temperature and low inlet dnt concentration at low gas - liquid mass transfer . ( compare to run 6 .) runs 31 - 34 show the effect of residence time and high pressure at moderate dinitrotoluene concentrations , i . e ., from about 1 . 4 to 3 . 2 %. table 1__________________________________________________________________________ inlet feed inlet inlet inlet ratio gas / liq . mass rate inlet dinitrotoluene dinitrotoluene total dinitrotoluene / residence transfer catalyst mole /( m . sup . 3 temp . conc . conc . pressure pressure time coeff . kla activity run sec ) ° c . mole / m . sup . 3 ppm kpa ppm / kpa seconds seconds . sup .- 1 seconds . sup .- 1__________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 . 00 110 237 43134 1600 27 . 0 119 10 . 0 0 . 3 2 2 . 00 110 142 25844 1600 16 . 2 71 10 . 0 0 . 3 3 2 . 00 110 71 12922 1600 8 . 1 36 10 . 0 0 . 3 4 2 . 00 110 237 43134 4800 9 . 0 119 10 . 0 0 . 3 5 2 . 00 110 142 25844 4800 5 . 4 71 10 . 0 0 . 3 6 2 . 00 110 71 12922 4800 2 . 7 36 10 . 0 0 . 3 7 6 . 00 110 237 43134 4800 9 . 0 40 10 . 0 0 . 3 8 6 . 00 110 144 26208 4800 5 . 5 24 10 . 0 0 . 3 9 6 . 00 110 76 13832 4800 2 . 9 12 10 . 0 0 . 3 10 9 . 00 110 150 27300 6400 4 . 3 16 10 . 0 0 . 3 11 2 . 00 120 71 12922 1600 8 . 1 36 10 . 0 0 . 3 12 2 . 00 130 71 12922 1600 8 . 1 36 10 . 0 0 . 3 13 2 . 00 130 71 12922 4800 2 . 7 36 10 . 0 0 . 3 14 2 . 00 140 71 12922 4800 2 . 7 36 10 . 0 0 . 3 15 2 . 00 110 237 43134 3200 13 . 5 119 1 . 0 0 . 3 16 2 . 00 110 142 25844 3200 8 . 1 71 1 . 0 0 . 3 17 2 . 00 110 72 13104 3200 4 . 1 36 1 . 0 0 . 3 18 2 . 00 120 72 13104 3200 4 . 1 36 1 . 0 0 . 3 19 2 . 00 130 72 13104 3200 4 . 1 36 1 . 0 0 . 3 20 2 . 00 110 71 12922 4800 2 . 7 36 1 . 0 0 . 3 21 2 . 00 110 142 25844 4800 5 . 4 71 1 . 0 0 . 3 22 2 . 00 110 237 43134 4800 9 . 0 119 1 . 0 0 . 3 23 2 . 00 110 142 25844 6400 4 . 0 72 1 . 0 0 . 3 24 2 . 00 110 71 12922 6400 2 . 0 36 1 . 0 0 . 3 25 2 . 00 120 71 12922 6400 2 . 0 36 1 . 0 0 . 3 26 2 . 00 130 71 12922 6400 2 . 0 36 1 . 0 0 . 3 27 2 . 00 140 71 12922 6400 2 . 0 36 1 . 0 0 . 3 28 3 . 00 110 73 13286 4800 2 . 8 24 1 . 0 0 . 3 29 3 . 00 110 143 26026 4800 5 . 4 48 1 . 0 0 . 3 30 3 . 00 100 143 26026 4800 5 . 4 48 1 . 0 0 . 3 31 12 . 00 120 141 25662 8000 3 . 2 12 10 . 0 0 . 5 32 12 . 00 120 141 25662 6400 4 . 0 15 10 . 0 0 . 5 33 12 . 00 120 178 32396 6400 5 . 1 30 10 . 0 0 . 5 34 6 . 00 140 78 14200 6400 2 . 2 13 10 . 0 0 . 5__________________________________________________________________________ table 2______________________________________ exit final dinitro - dinitrotoluene exit toluene dinotrotoluene yield to by - temp . conc . conversion / pass toluenediamine products run ° c . ppm % % wt % ______________________________________ 1 180 0 100 . 0 % 83 . 7 % 16 . 3 2 159 2 100 . 0 % 97 . 4 % 2 . 6 3 135 49 99 . 6 % 99 . 5 % & lt ; 0 . 5 4 187 0 100 . 0 % 91 . 4 % 8 . 6 5 160 0 100 . 0 % 99 . 0 % 1 . 0 6 135 1 100 . 0 % 99 . 5 % & lt ; 0 . 5 7 187 50 99 . 9 % 91 . 4 % 8 . 6 8 160 345 98 . 7 % 98 . 9 % 1 . 0 9 135 975 99 . 8 % 99 . 5 % & lt ; 0 . 5 10 150 1463 94 . 6 % 98 . 8 % 1 . 0 11 145 47 99 . 6 % 99 . 3 % 0 . 7 12 155 43 99 . 7 % 98 . 3 % 1 . 7 13 155 1 100 . 0 % 99 . 4 % 0 . 6 14 165 1 100 . 0 % 98 . 5 % 1 . 5 15 179 0 100 . 0 % 82 . 2 % 17 . 8 16 159 25 99 . 9 % 96 . 9 % 3 . 1 17 135 153 98 . 8 % 99 . 7 % & lt ; 0 . 5 18 145 145 98 . 9 % 99 . 2 % 0 . 8 19 155 128 99 . 0 % 98 . 0 % 2 . 0 20 135 10 99 . 9 % 99 . 8 % & lt ; 0 . 5 21 160 0 100 . 0 % 97 . 9 % 2 . 1 22 182 0 100 . 0 % 85 . 6 % 14 . 4 23 160 0 100 . 0 % 98 . 4 % 1 . 6 24 135 3 100 . 0 % 99 . 8 % & lt ; 0 . 5 25 145 3 100 . 0 % 99 . 6 % & lt ; 0 . 5 26 155 3 100 . 0 % 99 . 0 % 1 . 0 27 165 3 100 . 0 % 97 . 7 % 2 . 3 28 135 372 97 . 2 % 99 . 7 % & lt ; 0 . 5 29 159 116 99 . 6 % 97 . 8 % 2 . 2 30 150 137 99 . 5 % 99 . 1 % 0 . 9 31 169 296 98 . 8 % 99 . 0 % 1 . 0 32 166 3 100 . 0 % 99 . 1 % 0 . 9 33 181 0 100 . 0 % 97 . 0 % 3 . 0 34 167 46 99 . 7 % 99 . 0 % 1 . 0______________________________________ a few observations can be made from the runs reported in tables 1 and 2 , and that is that byproduct formation is directly proportional to inlet dnt concentration and inlet temperature . when the concentration of dnt exceeds about 3 % by weight , byproduct formation is too high . this is true even with increased hydrogen pressure which would promote gas transfer and also with reduced residence time ( note runs 1 , 4 , 7 , and 22 ). runs 1 through 6 show the relationship of inlet dinitrotoluene concentration to exit temperature by virtue of adiabatic operation . the effect of increased pressure does not substantially effect exit temperature , but does result in reduced byproduct formation . runs 2 , 3 , 5 , and 6 show clearly that byproduct levels of less than 3 % and preferably less than 1 % can be achieved by adiabatic operation at inlet dnt concentrates of ˜ 2 . 5 % and less . the effect of dinitrotoluene concentration to pressure is noted from these few examples and is expressed in the dinitrotoluene / pressure ratio range of 2 to 6 is preferred . runs 7 - 10 show the effect of residence time in relation to runs 1 through 3 , and these runs show that the reduced residence time results in a slight decrease in byproduct formation . at concentrations of dinitrotoluene of less than about 2 . 5 %, there is little change in byproduct formation at the reduced residence time . runs 16 - 28 show the effect of reactor geometry to the hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene and byproduct formation . the lower gas / liquid mass transfer coefficient of 1 , which is on the low side of reactor design , shows that there is slightly greater byproduct formation relative to a reactor where the gas / liquid mass transfer coefficient is higher , i . e . 10 . ( compare run 21 to run 5 .) at a dnt inlet concentration of approximately 1 . 3 % by weight , byproduct formation was substantially the same . ( compare run 20 to run 6 .) runs 31 - 34 show the effects of catalyst activity on performance , and runs 10 and 32 compare favorably and show that byproduct formation can be maintained at less than 1 % by weight with excellent conversion . to summarize , the results show that hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene on a continuous basis employing a reactor system containing a monolith catalyst can be safely utilized when operated under adiabatic conditions . the results show that dinitrotoluene concentrations greater than about 3 % by weight generally result in excessive byproduct formation ; e . g ., greater than about 3 % by weight even at higher pressures . preferred feed concentrations appear to be from about 1 to 2 % by weight and inlet temperatures ranges from about 100 ° to 140 ° c ., with preferred ranges of from about 110 ° to 130 ° c . pressures from 1600 to 8400 kp may be used . at these inlet temperatures and preferred feed concentrations , the adiabatic temperature rise within the reactor will range from about 25 ° to 50 ° c . which permits control over the reaction without excessive byproduct formation . the results show that the monolith catalyst having a wash coat of palladium and nickel is effective in the continuous hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene . under the conditions shown a single pass through the catalyst bed is sufficient to achieve dinitrotoluene conversions in excess of 95 % and toluenediamine yields in excess of 98 %. the results also reveal that an isothermal process for the hydrogenation of dnt incorporating a catalyst of the type described herein would lead to excessive byproduct formation or extended cycle times or excessive reactor sizes .	1
the present invention will be illustrated in further detail with reference to an example below , which is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . in the present example , the efficacy of an interferon β treatment on subjects was evaluated by analyzing gene expression levels in the subjects , and further analyzing the results with reference to a database including data of a patient group in which the presence or absence of the efficacy had been clinically clarified . in the database , the data of the ten patients mentioned above were used . the efficacy on five new subjects who had been treated with - the interferon β was evaluated . the five subjects were patients synthetically diagnosed as relapsing - remitting ms comprehensively based on the results of mrt tests , evoked potential tests , spinal tap and clinical findings . at the time when the blood was drawn before treatment and three months after the initiation of the treatment , they were in remission with relatively mitigated symptoms . each 2 milliliters of the peripheral blood was drawn from each subject using a paxgene blood rna system ( available from qiagen k . k . ), and total rna was extracted from the peripheral blood in a yield of 5 to 10 micrograms . next , 5 micrograms of the total rna was subjected to annealing with an oligo ( dt ) 24 primer having a t7 promoter sequence , and a first strand dna was synthesized . next , a second strand dna having the t7 promoter sequence was synthesized using the first strand dna as a template . an rna was synthesized using a t7 rna polymerase and the second strand dna as a template . next , 6 micrograms of the amplified rna was subjected to annealing with a random hexamer and to a reverse transcription reaction to incorporate cy5 - dctp in its strand to thereby yield a fluorescence - labeled cdna . a control sample was prepared in the following manner . each 4 milliliters of the peripheral blood was drawn from each of three healthy volunteer subjects using a paxgene blood rna system ( available from qiagen k . k . ), and total rna was extracted from the peripheral blood . each 10 micrograms of the total rnas of the three subjects were mixed , the mixture was subjected to the rna amplification reaction and reverse transcription reaction and thereby yielded fluorescence - labeled cdna as a common control sample . the cy5 - cdna prepared from each patient sample and the cy3 - cdna as the common control sample were mixed in equal proportions of 4 micrograms each , and the mixture was placed on the dna chip ( drug response dna chip , available from hitachi , ltd .) for hybridization at 62 ° c . for 12 hours . after rinsing , fluorescence intensities of individual spots were determined using a scanner ( available from gsi lumonics inc . under the trade name of scanarray 5000 ). the ratios of expression intensities in individual genes between the control sample and each of the patient samples were determined using digitizing software . ( available from gsi lumonics inc , under the trade name of quantassay ). a total of fifteen samples including the samples of the five subjects and the samples of the ten patients mentioned above were subjected to agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis using , as indices , changes with time of the expression levels of genes of ccr5 , cxcr3 , ccr4 ,. ccr3 , ccr8 , cxcr5 , mip - 1α , ip - 10 , tarc , mdc , sdf - 1 , il4 , il10 , il12a , il12b , il18 , tgfa , tgfb1 , tgfb2 , and tgfb3 in addition to the genes shown in table 1 . the data used herein were derived from the blood drawn before treatment and three months after the initiation of the treatment . the results are shown in fig4 . the ten patients mentioned above have identification numbers of no . 1 to no . 10 , respectively , and the new five subjects have identification symbols of a , b , c , d , and e , respectively . fig4 shows that the subject d among the new five subjects was in a group very near to that of the patient no . 10 , and the other four subjects were classified into another group . it is evaluated that the interferon β treatment will have sufficient efficacy on the patient d among the new five subjects , since that on the patient no . 10 exhibited sufficient efficacy , as described above . in contrast , the results of mrt tests and clinical findings of the new five subjects show that only the subject d exhibited remarkable improvement in symptoms six months after the initiation of the interferon β treatment . as is described above , the evaluation by means of gene expression very satisfactorily agrees with the results based on the mri tests and clinical findings , demonstrating that the present invention is very effective . the present invention has been accomplished based on the study on an evaluation method of the efficacy by determining a specific gene cluster in leukocytes derived from the peripheral blood of patients with ms by means of a simple and easy procedure such as dna chips . the evaluation method of the present invention can easily and precisely evaluate the interferon β treatment . while the present invention has been described with reference to what are presently considered to be the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions .	2
referring to fig1 , an exemplary embodiment of a filter 10 made according to the teachings and principles of the present invention is depicted . the filter 10 is exemplary of a transmission filter and is exemplary of the numerous shapes and configurations of the possible filters that may be made according to the teachings of the invention . the filter 10 includes a filter frame 12 that forms or defines numerous frame sections 14 . as illustrated , each section 14 may define numerous possible shapes and configurations depending on the desired application . the frame 12 may be made of numerous materials , including a nylon material , such as 33 % glass filled nylon 6 / 6 . the frame 12 may include a track or channel 16 in which a silicone or rubber material may be added during a liquid injection molding process . the silicone or rubber material forms a seal around each of the sections 14 . as illustrated , the track 16 containing the silicone or rubber material forms a continuous track that extends around each of the sections 14 and the silicone or rubber material prevents any leaking around each of these sections . the frame 12 may also include one or more mounting holes 18 that serve to mount the filter 10 at the desired location , such as to the inlet side of a transmission pump . a mesh screen 20 is formed with the frame 12 using a plastic molding process , as described below . the mesh screen 20 may be made of numerous materials , including a polyester or nylon material , as well as stainless steel , or other suitable material . the mesh screen 20 is configured to extend across the sections 14 and serves as a filtering media to filter contaminants from a fluid or liquid , such as transmission fluid , as the fluid or liquid passes through the mesh screen 20 . referring to fig2 , a cross - section of a known tool 30 that is used to hold the mesh screen in position during the plastic molding process includes tool halves 32 , 34 each having planar , opposing surfaces 36 , 38 . as known , the surfaces 36 , 38 hold the mesh screen during the molding process while the injected plastic material flows through cavities 40 , 42 to form the frame 12 . the frame 12 and accompanying mesh screen 20 are then placed in a mold for the liquid injection molding process during which the silicone or rubber material that forms the seal is added to the track 16 , and the frame 12 is squeezed in the mold to define the final configuration of the filter 10 . fig3 shows a cross - section of the molded frame 12 with the mesh screen 20 extending between the frame 12 as formed by the known tool 30 of fig2 . as illustrated , the mesh screen 20 is planar or flat to match the shape of the opposing surfaces 36 , 38 , and is held in position by the frame 12 . with the use of the type of tool 30 depicted in fig2 , as the plastic material that forms the frame 12 begins to expand or change shape , as a result of the plastic material being heated to approximately 300 degrees fahrenheit during the liquid injection molding process and squeezed , the mesh screen 20 , because it is flat or planar , will have a tendency to be stretched between the frame 12 sections , sometimes to the point of tearing or ripping of the mesh screen . more specifically and by way of example , if the frame material consists of a nylon material having a coefficient of thermal expansion ranging from 1 . 0 × 10 (− 5 ) in ./ in ./° f . to 5 . 0 × 10 (− 5 ) in ./ in ./° f ., when this material is exposed to a temperature of approximately 300 degrees fahrenheit , the material may expand linearly approximately 0 . 0003 to 0 . 015 inches . this degree of linear expansion may result in the tearing or ripping of the mesh screen that is molded with the frame 12 . referring to fig4 , a cross - section of a tool 50 that may be used with the teachings of the invention is depicted and includes tool halves 52 , 54 . the half 52 defines a recess surface 56 , and the half 54 defines a boss surface 58 . the recess surface 56 may define angled wall surfaces 59 that join with a flat bottom wall surface 61 . the boss surface 58 may define angled wall surfaces 63 that join with a flat top wall surface 65 . the recess surface 56 and boss surface 58 are mating in that the surfaces 63 and 65 of the boss surface 58 will seat within the surfaces 59 and 61 of the recess surface 56 , as illustrated by fig4 . the recess and boss surfaces are used to hold the mesh screen 20 in position during the molding process . importantly , the recess and boss surfaces also intentionally deform the mesh screen 20 to form a dome shaped profile , as illustrated by fig5 , thus creating an “ oil - canned ” effect . as discussed below , the “ oil - canned ” effect permits the mesh screen 20 to stretch or expand during the molding process , thereby reducing , if not eliminating the possibility of tearing or ripping of the mesh screen 20 as the plastic frame material expands . it should be understood that the recess surface 56 and boss surface 58 may have other shapes and configurations , including spherical , angular , flat or curvilinear surfaces , or a combination of these surfaces , that still provide the desired “ oil canned ” effect or intentional deformation of the mesh screen . it is also contemplated that the tool 50 may be used with all the sections 14 ( fig1 ) to intentionally deform the mesh screen 20 within each of these sections . referring to fig4 , the tool 50 also defines cavities 60 , 62 through which flows the plastic material to form the frame 12 during the plastic molding process . the frame 12 and accompanying mesh screen 20 is then placed in a mold for the liquid injection molding process during which the rubber or silicone material is added to the track 16 of the frame 12 and then squeezed in the mold to define the final configuration of the filter 10 . referring to fig5 , there is shown a cross - section of the frame 12 with the deformed mesh screen 20 extending between the frame 12 . the mesh screen 20 is intentionally deformed at 70 by the tool 50 to provide the mesh screen with a dome - shaped profile and thus the “ oil canned ” effect . with this configuration , as the plastic material that forms the frame 12 and sections 14 begins to expand or change shape , as a result of the heating and squeezing of the plastic material as described above , the dome - shaped , deformed mesh screen 20 , due to the additional mesh screen material as well as its non - planar shape , will be able to stretch or be put in tension , thereby reducing if not eliminating the potential for tearing or ripping of the mesh screen . it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular mesh screen deformation depicted at 70 , which shows a generally dome - shaped deformation . rather , the invention contemplates any deformation of the mesh screen 20 that still permits the expansion of the mesh screen . indeed , any non - planar or non - linear deformation of the mesh screen is contemplated with the invention to achieve the benefits of the invention . referring to fig6 there is depicted a cross - section of another exemplary tool that may be used with the teachings of the invention . tool 71 includes tool halves 72 , 74 that in use define a cavity 75 formed by raised surface walls 76 and 77 and planar surface wall 81 of the tool half 72 , and raised surface walls 78 and 79 and planar surface wall 83 of the tool half 74 . with this embodiment , the mesh screen 20 is deformed or squeezed between opposing surface walls 77 and 78 and also between opposing surface walls 76 and 79 during the molding process . the squeezing of the mesh screen is performed adjacent to the frame 12 and for a distance of approximately 1 to 2 millimeters from the frame 12 . the intentional deformation of the mesh screen 20 at this location causes the mesh screen to displace toward the center or middle of the mesh screen to create the “ oil - canned ” effect , as illustrated by fig7 . similar to the above embodiment , the “ oil - canned ” effect permits the mesh screen 20 to stretch or expand during the molding process , thereby reducing , if not eliminating the possibility of tearing or ripping of the mesh screen 20 as the plastic frame material expands or changes shape . similar to the above embodiment , the tool 71 further defines cavities 80 , 82 through which flows the plastic material to form the frame 12 during the plastic molding process . as described above , the frame 12 and accompanying mesh screen 20 are then placed in a mold for the liquid injection molding process during which the rubber material is added to the track 16 of the frame 12 and squeezed in the mold to form the final configuration of the filter 10 . referring to fig7 , there is shown a cross - section of the frame 12 with the deformed mesh screen 20 extending between the frame 12 . with the use of the tool 71 , the mesh screen 20 is intentionally deformed or squeezed at mesh portions 84 and 86 by the surface walls 76 , 77 , 78 and 79 of the tool halves 72 , 74 . as indicated above , the mesh screen 20 material will be pushed or displaced toward a middle portion 88 that will have a relatively thicker cross - section then the portions 84 and 86 . with this configuration , as the plastic material that forms the frame 12 and sections 14 begins to expand or change shape , as a result of the heating and squeezing of the plastic material as described above , the deformed mesh screen 20 will be able to stretch , thereby reducing if not eliminating the potential for tearing or ripping of the mesh screen . with the principles and teachings of the invention , the amount and degree of mesh screen deformation can be controlled . also , the invention provides that the “ oil canned ” effect will be present , thereby reducing if not eliminating the likelihood of the mesh screen ripping or tearing when the plastic material that forms the frame expands or changes shape . in addition , the retention forces on the mesh screen of the final configuration of the filter are improved , thereby permitting more fluid force against the mesh screen during use of the filter without ripping or tearing of the mesh screen . variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention . it should be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and / or drawings . all of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention . the embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention . the claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art . various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims .	1
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the teachings of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the teachings of the present disclosure . while the present invention is described in connection with one of the embodiments , it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to this embodiment . on the contrary , it is intended to cover alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as covered by the appended claims . fig1 illustrates a common and well known structure of fiber optic confocal sensor 100 . the confocal sensor 100 is comprised of a light source 104 coupled to optical fiber 124 and to fiber optic coupler 116 . rays 136 emitted from optical fiber 128 via imaging lens 144 are imaged on the surface of substrate 148 . the back reflected light 140 is coupled to the emitting optical fiber 128 and reaches light detector 112 via coupler 116 and optical fiber 132 . the intensity measured by light detector 112 is a function of the distance , z , 160 to substrate 148 . the principle of this disclosure is described herein . the signal measured by the detector , vd , is proportional and is a function of few parameters : vd ( λ , z ) α io × g ( λ , z )× ρ ( λ )× t ( λ , z ). where , α represents a proportional sign . io is the intensity of the light that impinges on the sample . ρ ( λ ) is the reflectivity of the sample . t ( λ , z ) is the optical transmittance of the medium between the sample and the imaging lens . z is the distance to the sample . g ( λ , z ) is a function describing the overall optical response of the confocal system . it is a function of the distance , z , and of the wavelength λ , and defined also by optical parameters of the confocal system such as the numerical aperture of the lens and of the diameter of the fiber &# 39 ; s core . fig2 is graph describing typical and well known confocal signal where a symmetrical curve describes vd ( λ , z ) as a function of the distance z . such a curve is measured by simultaneously reading vd ( λ , z ) and while scanning with the confocal system along the z axis and at known positions . the best focus is defined at the maximum 204 of the symmetrical function . the graph describes the ambiguity of a typical confocal system . a single value of vd ( λ , z ) corresponds to two different values of the position z . the scan along the z axis can be done in several techniques , for example by using an autofocus system embedded within a compound lens 336 , constructed from several optical elements , where some of them can be moved and controlled in order to change and adjust the lens focal distance . the signal , vd ( z ), as can be seen from the equation , is dependent also on the reflectivity , ρ ( λ ), of the sample and the optical transmittance , t ( λ , z ), of the medium . this means that at best focus , different intensities will be measured for samples having different reflectivity . furthermore , for a specific sample and although positioned at best focus , the intensity measured by the detector , will change if the sample reflectivity or the optical transmittance of the medium change during the measurement procedure . in such cases , therefore , one has to repeatedly scan the peak in order verify the position of the best focus . fig3 describes the basic principle of the present invention using a fiber optic confocal system where at least two coupled light source and detector units 344 and 348 are used . light sources 304 ( from unit 344 ) and 308 ( from unit 348 ) each emitting different wavelengths . light source 304 is coupled via fiber optic coupler 320 to detector 312 . first detector 312 is constructed to be sensitive just to wavelength λ 1 , emitted by first light source 304 . second light source 308 is coupled via fiber optic coupler 324 to second detector 316 . second detector 316 is constructed to be sensitive just to wavelength λ 2 , emitted by second light source 308 . units 344 and 348 are further coupled by fiber optic coupler 328 to emit combined light via a single output port 332 . output optical port 332 is imaged via a dispersive optical element 336 on substrate 148 . due to the dispersion of 336 the wavelengths are focused on two different planes , shifted relative to each other by δz . processor 340 forms a response function vd ( λ 1 , z ), which is a function of the applied wavelength λ 1 and the distance z between the lens 336 and substrate 148 . similarly , processor 340 forms a response function vd ( λ 2 , z ), using a different wavelength λ 2 . processor 340 computes along a defined range , a ratio response function which is a division of function vd ( λ 1 , z ) and function vd ( λ 2 , z ). the computed ratio response function is an absolute and monotonic function of the distance z . hence the ambiguity ( related to common confocal systems ) of the function vd (( λ , z ) where one value fits two different z positions is omitted . furthermore , consider the case where the reflectivity ; ρλ 1 ρλ 2 , and the and optical transmittance ; t ( λ 1 , z ) t ( λ , z ), are identical or change in the same way . in such a case the ratio signal , vd ( λ 1 , z )/ vd ( λ 2 , z ), will be independent or less sensitive to the reflectivity , ρ , and to the transmittance t . g ( λ , z ), describing the optical response of the confocal system is a function of optical parameters such as the numerical aperture of the lens and of the diameter of the fiber &# 39 ; s core . by adjusting these optical parameters , the ratio vd ( λ 1 , z )/ vd ( λ 2 , z ) may be controlled , achieving for example the right dynamic range and accuracy . assuming for simplicity the case where the optical response of the confocal system is the same , both for λ 1 and λ 2 , and described by a gussian function g ( λ , z ). fig4 a describes a lateral shift along the z axis between normalized function g ( λ 1 , z ) and normalized function g ( λ 2 , z ). this lateral shift is due to the dispersion of the imaging lens . fig4 b describes the ratio between g ( λ 1 , z ) and g ( λ 2 , z ). practically , optical detectors such as 312 and 316 can be made to be sensitive just to a single wavelength by using different types of detectors . one can also use identical detectors where adequate band pass filters are inserted in front of the detectors . different bandpass filters can be used , for example , filters based on thin film technology or filters made from fiber bragg gratings . different optical fibers and fiber optic couplers can be used in order to implement the invention . for example , multi and single mode optical fibers and couplers , wavelength and polarization dependent fiber optic couplers and fiber optic elements can be used . measurement can be done simultaneously by activating the light sources and measuring detected signals at the same time . measurements can also be done by sequentially activating the different light sources and performing measurement with their related detectors . when operating in simultaneously sequential mode , there is no need to spectrally isolate the light detectors , since measurements are done at different times . the basic principle of the invention was described via a fiber optic confocal system , described by fig3 . however , the principle can be implemented by using free space optics or by using a hybrid system where both fiber optic elements and free space optics are used . in the case of free space optics the output port 332 maybe for example a pin hole aperture . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention , but rather as exemplifications of some of the preferred embodiments . other possible variations , modifications , and applications are also within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention should not be limited by what has thus far been described , but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents .	6
referring more particularly to the drawings , shown in fig1 and 2 is one embodiment of a capacitive pressure transducer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . the capacitive pressure transducer of fig1 and 2 is substantially the same and may be made in a substantially similar manner except for those differences noted in the following description as the capacitive pressure transducers disclosed in application for u . s . pat ., ser . no . 666 , 188 , assigned to a common assignee . in particular , in fig1 and 2 , the capacitive pressure transducer 2 comprises an upper non - conductive diaphragm 4 and a lower non - conductive diaphragm 6 . provided on the upper and lower diaphragms 4 and 6 are upper and lower diaphragm electrodes 8 and 10 . both the upper and lower diaphragm electrodes 8 and 10 comprise central circular portions 12 and 14 of conductive material provided on the inside surface of the diaphragms 4 and 6 and conductive paths 16 and 18 extending respectively from the central circular portion 12 of the upper diaphragm electrode 8 and the central circular portion 14 of the lower diaphragm electrode 10 . in addition , the conductive paths 16 and 18 are provided such that they do not overlap . the upper and lower diaphragms 4 and 6 are then sealed together in spaced apart relationship by any suitable means to form a cavity 20 . a backfill or in other words a very small absolute pressure is sealed within the cavity 20 . in practice , non - conductive diaphragms 4 and 6 may be made from alumina . furthermore , the conductive material can be a thin metalized layer . in particular , the electrodes 8 and 10 consisting of central portions 12 and 14 and conductive paths 16 and 18 can be formed by screening a metallic paste onto the non - conductive diaphragms 4 and 6 and firing the diaphragms 4 and 6 . in addition , the non - conductive diaphragms 4 and 6 may be sealed together by a fired glass frit . in operation , the very small absolute pressure provided in cavity 20 has a positive temperature coefficient and the modulus of elasticity of the diaphragms 4 and 6 has a negative temperature coefficient . accordingly , since the modulus of elasticity has a negative temperature coefficient and the small absolute pressure or backfill provided in the cavity 20 has a positive temperature coefficient as a result of boyle &# 39 ; s law , the negative temperature coefficient effects of the modulus of elasticity are compensated for by the effect of the positive temperature coefficient of the backfill in cavity 20 , as shown in fig3 . in particular , as shown in fig3 the error in the capacitance of a capacitive pressure transducer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is substantially less than that of a prior art capacitive pressure transducer without backfill over the useful range from 50 to 100 % of the full scale applied pressure . accordingly , it should be apparent that with this simple low cost improvement , a capacitive pressure transducer which has substantially better temperature stability over the useful range can be produced . referring to fig4 shown therein is a second embodiment 22 of a capacitive pressure transducer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . since the capacitive pressure transducer is similar to that of fig1 and 2 , like elements in fig4 are given like reference numerals and a description of their interconnection and operation will be omitted . as previously stated , the second embodiment of the capacitive pressure transducer shown in fig4 is substantially the same as that shown in fig1 and 2 except that the lower diaphragm 6 has been replaced by a reference plate 26 having a reference electrode 30 comprising a central portion 34 and a conductive path 38 . in this embodiment , the effects of the small absolute pressure provided in the cavity 20 are the same as those previously described and the positive temperature coefficient of the small absolute pressure or backfill reduces or compensates for the effects of the negative temperature coefficient of the modulus of elasticity of the material from which the upper diaphragm 4 is made . it should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the upper and lower diaphragms 4 and 6 and the reference plate 26 need not be made in a circular shape but could be also made triangular , square , rectangular , etc . in addition , the central portions 8 , 10 and 34 need not always be circular and may be other shapes such as square , rectangular , elliptical , etc . furthermore , the electrodes in a single transducer may be of different shape . in all cases it is understood that the above described embodiments are merely illustrative of but a few of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the present invention . numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with these principles by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a transceiver utilizes a combination of frequency planning , circuit design , layout and implementation , differential signal paths , dynamic calibration , and self - tuning to achieve robust performance over process variation and interference . this approach allows for the full integration of the transceiver onto a single ic for a low cost , low power , reliable and more compact solution . this can be achieved by ( 1 ) moving external bulky and expensive image reject filters , channel select filters , and baluns onto the rf chip ; ( 2 ) reducing the number of off - chip passive elements such as capacitors , inductors , and resistors by moving them onto the chip ; and ( 3 ) integrating all the remaining components onto the chip . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , the described exemplary embodiments of the transceiver do not require integration into a single ic and may be implemented in a variety of ways including discrete hardware components . as shown in fig1 , a described exemplary embodiment of the transceiver includes an antenna 8 , a switch 9 , a receiver 10 , a transmitter 12 , a local oscillator ( lo ) generator ( also called a synthesizer ) 14 , a controller 16 , and a self - testing unit 18 . all of these components can be packaged for integration into a single ic including components such as filters and inductors . the transceiver can operate in either a transmit or receive mode . in the transmit mode , the transmitter 12 is coupled to the antenna 8 through the switch 9 . the switch 9 provides sufficient isolation to prevent transmitter leakage from desensitizing or damaging the receiver 10 . in the receive mode , the switch 9 directs signal transmissions from the antenna 8 to the receiver 10 . the position of the switch 9 can be controlled by an external device ( not shown ) such as a computer or any other processing device known in the art . the receiver 10 provides detection of desired signals in the presence of noise and interference . it should be able extract the desired signals and amplify it to a level where information contained in the received transmission can be processed . in the described exemplary embodiment , the receiver 10 is based on a heterodyne complex ( i - q ) architecture with a programmable intermediate frequency ( if ). the lo generator 14 provides a reference signal to the receiver 10 to downconvert the received transmission to the programmed if . a low if heterodyne architecture is chosen over a direct conversion receiver because of the dc offset problem in direct conversion architectures . dc offset in direct conversion architectures arises from a number of sources including impedance mismatches , variations in threshold voltages due to process variations , and leakage from the lo generator to the receiver . with a low if architecture , ac coupling between the if stages can be used to remove the dc offset . the transmitter 12 modulates incoming data onto a carrier frequency . the modulated carrier is upconverted by the reference signal from the lo generator 14 and amplified to a sufficient power level for radiation into free space through the antenna 8 . the transmitter uses a direct conversion architecture . with this approach only one step of upconversion is required this leads to a reduction in both circuit complexity and power consumption . the controller 16 performs two functions . the first function provides for adaptive programming of the receiver 10 , transmitter 14 and lo generator 16 . by way of example , the transceiver can be programmed to handle various communication standards for local area networks ( lan ) and personal area networks ( pan ) including homerf , ieee 802 . 11 , bluetooth , or any other wireless standard known in the art . this entails programming the transceiver to handle different modulation schemes and data rates . the described exemplary embodiment of the transceiver can support modulation schemes such as binary phase shift keying ( bpsk ), quadrature phase shift keying ( qpsk ), offset quadrature phase shift keying ( oqpsk ), multiple frequency modulations such as m level frequency shift keying ( fsk ), continuous phase frequency shift keying modulation ( cfsk ), minimum shift keying modulation ( msk ), gaussian filtered fsk modulation ( gfsk ), and gaussian filtered minimum shift keying ( gmsk ), phase / amplitude modulation ( such as quadrature amplitude modulation ( qam )), orthogonal frequency modulation ( such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ( ofdm )), direct sequence spread spectrum systems , and frequency hopped spread spectrum systems and numerous other modulation schemes known in the art . dynamic programming of the transceiver can also be used to provide optimal operation in the presence of noise and interference . by way of example , the if can be programmed to avoid interference from an external source . the second function provides for adaptive calibration of the receiver 10 , transmitter 14 and lo generator 16 . the calibration functionality controls the parameters of the transceiver to account for process and temperature variations that impact performance . by way of example , resistors can be calibrated within exacting tolerances despite process variations in the chip fabrication process . these exacting tolerances can be maintained in the presence of temperature changes by adaptively fine tuning the calibration of the resistors . the controller 16 can be controlled externally by a central processing unit ( cpu ), a microprocessor , a digital signal processor ( dsp ), a computer , or any other processing device known in the art . in the described exemplary embodiment , a control bus 17 provides two way communication between the controller 16 and the external processing device ( not shown ). this communication link can be used to externally program the transceiver parameters for different modulation schemes , data rates and if operating frequencies . the output of the controller 16 is used to adjust the parameters of the transceiver to achieve optimal performance in the presence of process and temperature variations for the selected modulation scheme , data rate and if . the self - testing unit 18 generates test signals with different amplitudes and frequency ranges . the test signals are coupled to the receiver 10 , transmitter 12 and lo generator 14 where they are processed and returned to the self - testing unit 18 . the return signals are used to determine the gain , frequency characteristics , selectivity , noise floor , and distortion behavior of the receiver 10 , transmitter 12 and lo generator 14 . this is accomplished by measuring the strength of the signals output from the self - testing unit 18 against the returned signals over the tested frequency ranges . in an exemplary embodiment of the self - testing unit 18 , these measurements can be made with different transceiver parameters by sweeping the output of the controller 16 through its entire calibrating digital range , or alternatively making measurements with the controller output set to a selected few points , by way of example , at the opposite ends of the digital range . in the described exemplary embodiment , the self - testing unit 18 is in communication with the external processing device ( not shown ) via the control bus 17 . during self - test , the external processing device provides programming data to both the controller 16 and the self - testing unit 18 . the self - testing unit 18 utilizes the programming data used by the controller 16 to set the parameters of the transceiver to determine the gain , frequency characteristics , selectivity , noise floor , and distortion behavior of the receiver 10 , transmitter 12 and lo generator 14 . fig2 shows a block diagram of the transceiver in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . the described exemplary embodiment is integrated into a single ic . for ease of understanding , each component coupled to the controller is shown with a “ program ” designation or a “ calibration ” designation . these designations indicate whether the component is programmed by the controller or calibrated by the controller . in practice , in accordance with the described exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the components that are programmed receive the msbs and the components that are calibrated receive the lsbs . the components requiring both programming and calibration receive the entire digital output from the controller . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , any number of methodologies may be used to deliver programming and calibration information to the individual components . by way of example , a single controller bus could be used having the programming and or calibration data with the appropriate component addresses . the receiver 10 front end includes a low noise amplifier ( lna ) 22 which provides high gain with good noise figure performance . preferably , the gain of the lna 22 can be set by the controller ( not shown ) through a “ select gain ” input to maximize the receivers dynamic range . the desirability of dynamic gain control arises from the effect of blockers or interferers which can desensitize the lna . conventional filter designs at the input of the lna 22 may serve to sufficiently attenuate undesired signals below a certain power level , however , for higher power blockers or interferers , the lna 22 should be operated with low gain . the output of the lna 22 is downconverted to a low if frequency by the combination of complex if mixers 24 and a complex bandpass filter 26 . more particularly , the output of the lna 22 is coupled to the complex if mixers 24 which generate a spectrum of frequencies based upon the sum and difference of the received signal and the rf clocks from the lo generator . the complex bandpass filter passes the complex if signal while rejecting the image of the received signal . the image rejection capability of the complex if mixers 24 in cooperation with the complex bandpass filter 26 eliminates the need for the costly and power consuming preselect filter typically required at the input of the lna for conventional low if architectures . the output of the complex bandpass filter 26 is coupled to a programmable multiple gain stage amplifier 28 . the amplifier 28 can be designed to be programmable to select between a limiter and an automatic gain control ( agc ) feature , depending on the modulation scheme used in the transceiver . the limiting amplifier can be selected if the transceiver uses a constant envelope modulation such as fsk . agc can be selected if the modulation is not a constant envelope , such as qam . in addition , the bandwidth of the amplifier 28 can be changed by the controller to accommodate various data rates and modulation schemes . the output of the amplifier 28 is coupled to a second set of complex if mixers 30 where it is mixed with the if clocks from the lo generator for the purpose of downconverting the complex if signal to baseband . the complex if mixers 30 not only reject the image of the complex if signal , but also reduces some of the unwanted cross modulation spurious signals thereby relaxing the filtering requirements . the complex baseband signal from the mixers 30 is coupled to a programmable passive polyphase filter within a programmable low pass filter 32 . the programmable low pass filter 32 further filters out higher order cross modulation products . the polyphase filter can be centered at four times the if frequency to notch out one of the major cross modulation products which results from the multiplication of the third harmonic of the if signal with the if clock . after the complex baseband signal is filtered , it either is passed through an analog - to - digital ( a / d ) converter 34 to be digitized or is passed to an analog demodulator 36 . the analog demodulator 36 can be implemented to handle any number of different modulation schemes by way of example fsk . embodiments of the present invention with an fsk demodulator uses the a / d converter 36 to sample baseband data with other modulation schemes for digital demodulation in a digital signal processor ( not shown ). the lo generator 14 provides the infrastructure for frequency planning . the lo generator 14 includes an if clock generator 44 and an rf clock generator 47 . the if clock generator includes an oscillator 38 operating at a ratio of the rf signal ( f ocs ) high stability and accuracy can be achieved in a number of ways including the use of a crystal oscillator . the reference frequency output from the oscillator 38 is coupled to a divider 40 . the divider 40 divides the reference signal f osc by a number l to generate the if clocks for downconverting the complex if signal in the receiver to baseband . a clock generator 41 is positioned at the output of the divider 40 to generate a quadrature sinusoidal signal from the square wave output of the divider 40 . alternatively , the clock generator 41 can be located in the receiver . the divider 40 may be programmed by through the program input . this feature allows changes in the if frequency to avoid interference from an external source . the output of the divider 40 is coupled to the rf clock generator 47 where it is further divided by a number n by a second divider 42 . the output of the second divider 42 provides a reference frequency to a phase lock loop ( pll ) 43 . the pll includes a phase detector 45 , a divide by m circuit 46 and a voltage controlled oscillator ( vco ) 48 . the output of the vco 48 is fed back through the divide by m circuit 46 to the phase detector 45 where it is compared with the reference frequency . the phase detector 45 generates an error signal representative of the phase difference between the reference frequency and the output of the divide by m circuit 46 . the error signal is fed back to the control input of the vco 48 to adjust its output frequency f vco until the vco 48 locks to a frequency which is a multiple of the reference frequency . the vco 48 may be programmed by setting m via the controller through the program input to the divide by m circuit 46 . the programmability resolution of the vco frequency f vco is set by the reference frequency which also may be programmed by the controller through the program input of the divider 42 . in the described exemplary embodiment , the vco frequency is sufficiently separated ( in frequency ) from the rf frequency generated by the transmitter 12 to prevent vco pulling and injection lock of the vco . transmitter leakage can pull the vco frequency toward the rf frequency and actually cause the vco to lock to the rf signal if their frequencies are close to each other . the problem is exasperated if the gain and tuning range of the vco is large . if the frequency of the rf clocks is f lo , then the vco frequency can be defined as : f vco = nf lo /( n + 1 ). this methodology is implemented with a divide by n circuit 50 coupled to the output of the vco 48 in the pll 43 . the output of the vco 48 and the output of the divide by n circuit 50 are coupled to a complex mixer 52 where they are multiplied together to generate the rf clocks . a filter 53 can be positioned at the output of the complex mixer to remove the harmonics and any residual mixing images of the rf clocks . the divide by n circuit can be programmable via the controller through the select input . for example , if n = 2 , then f vco =( ⅔ ) f lo , and if n = 3 , then f vco =( ¾ ) f lo . a vco frequency set at ⅔ the frequency of the rf clocks works well in the described exemplary embodiment because the transmitter output is sufficiently separated ( in frequency ) from the vco frequency . in addition , the frequency of the rf clocks is high enough so that its harmonics and any residual mixing images such as f vco × 1 −( 1 / n )), 3f vco × 1 +( 1 / n ), and 3f vco × 1 −( 1 / n )) are sufficiently separated ( in frequency ) from the transmitter output to relax the filtering requirements of the rf clocks . the filtering requirements do not have to be sharp because the filter can better distinguish between the harmonics and the residual images when they are separated in frequency . programming the divide by n circuit 50 also provides for the quadrature outputs of the divide by n circuit . otherwise , with an odd number programmed , the outputs of the divide by n circuit 50 would not be quadrature . for an odd number , the divider 50 outputs will be differential , but will not be 90 degrees out of phase , i . e ., will not be i - q signals . in the described exemplary embodiment , the rf clocks are generated in the in the lo generator 14 . this can be accomplished in various fashions including , by way of example , either generating the rf clocks in the vco or using a polyphase circuit to generate the rf clocks . regardless of the manner in which the rf clocks are generated , the mixer 52 will produce a spectrum of frequencies including the sum and difference frequencies , specifically , f vco ×( 1 +( 1 / n )) and its image f vco ×( 1 −( 1 / n )). to reject the image , the mixer 52 can be configured as a double quadrature mixer as depicted in fig3 . the double quadrature mixer includes one pair of mixers 55 , 57 to generate the q - clock and a second pair of mixers 59 , 61 to generate the i - clock . the q - clock mixers utilizes a first mixer 55 to mix the i output of the vco 48 ( see fig2 ) with the q output of the divider 40 and a second mixer 57 to mix the q output of the vco with the i output of the divider . the outputs of the first and second mixers are connected together to generate the q - clock . similarly , the i - clock mixers utilizes a first mixer 59 to mix the i output of the divider with the q output of the vco and a second mixer 61 to mix the q output of the divider with the i output of the vco . the outputs of the first and second mixers are connected together to generate the i - clock . this technique provides very accurate i - q clocks by combination of quadrature vco and filtering . because of the quadrature mixing , the accuracy of the i - q clocks is not affected by the vco inaccuracy , provided that the divide by n circuit generates quadrature outputs . this happens for even divide ratios , such as n = 2 . optimized performance is achieved through frequency planning and implemented by programmable dividers in the lo generator to select different ratios . based on fig2 , all the dependencies of the frequencies are shown by the following equation : f lo = f rf −( m × f osc / nl )( 1 + 1 / n )− f osc / l turning back to fig2 , the transmitter 12 includes a complex buffer 54 for coupling incoming i - q modulated baseband signals to a programmable low - pass filter 56 . the low - pass filter 56 can be programmed by the controller through the select input . the output of the low - pass filter 56 is coupled to complex mixers 58 . the complex mixers 58 mixes the i - q modulated baseband signals with the rf clocks from the lo generator to directly upconvert the baseband signals to the transmitting frequency . the upconverted signal is then coupled to an amplifier 60 and eventually a power amplifier ( pa ) 62 for transmission into free space through the antenna . a bandpass filter ( not shown ) may be disposed after the pa 62 to filter out unwanted frequencies before transmission through the antenna . in the described exemplary embodiment , the transmitter can be configured to minimize spurious transmissions . spurious transmissions in a direct conversion transmitter are generated mainly because of the nonlinearity of the complex mixers and the dc offsets at the input to the complex mixers . accordingly , the complex mixers can be designed to meet a specified iip3 ( input intercept point for the 3 rd harmonic ) for the maximum allowable spurs over the frequency spectrum of the communications standard . the dc offsets at the input to the complex mixers can be controlled by the physical size of the transistors . in addition , the transmitter can be designed to minimize spurious transmission outside the frequency spectrum of the communications standard set by the fcc . there are two sources for these spurs : the lo generator and the transmitter . these spurs can be are suppressed by multiple filtering stages in the lo generator and transmitter . specifically , in the lo generator , due to the complex mixing of the vco signal with the output of the divide by n circuit , all the spurs are at least f vco / n away from the rf clocks . by setting n to 2 , by way of example , these unwanted spurs will be sufficiently separated ( in frequency ) from the transmitted signal and are easily removed by conventional filters in the lo generator and transmitter . thus , the spurs will be mainly limited to the harmonics of the transmitted signal , which are also sufficiently separated ( in frequency ) from the transmitted signal , and therefore , can be rejected with conventional filtering techniques . for further reduction in spurs , a dielectric filter may be placed after the pa in the transmitter . in exemplary embodiments of the present invention , a differential amplifier can be used to provide good noise immunity in low noise applications . although the differential amplifiers are described in the context of a low noise amplifier ( lna ) for a transceiver , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the techniques described are likewise suitable for various applications requiring good noise immunity . accordingly , the described exemplary embodiments of an lna for a transceiver is by way of example only and not by way of limitation . the described lna can be integrated into a single chip transceiver or used in other low noise applications . in the case of transceiver chip integration , the lna should be relatively insensitive to the substrate noise or coupling noise from other transceiver circuits . this can be achieved with a single - to - differential lna . the single - ended input provides an interface with an off - chip single - ended antenna . the differential output provides good noise immunity due to its common mode rejection . fig4 shows a schematic of a single - to - differential amplifier having two identical cascode stages that are driven by the same single - ended input 64 . the input 64 is coupled to a t - network having two series capacitors 82 , 84 and a shunt inductor 72 . the first stage includes a pair of transistors 74 , 78 connected between the shunt inductor 72 and a dc power source via an inductor 68 . the second stage includes a complimentary pair of transistors 76 , 80 connected between ground and the dc power source via an inductor 70 . the gate of the one of the transistors 80 in the second stage is connected to the output of the t - network at the capacitor 84 . a bias current is applied to the gate of each transistor . this configuration provides an input that is well matched with the antenna because the parallel connection of the t - network with the source of the transistor 78 transforms the 1 / gm ( transconductance ) of the transistor to a resistance ( preferably 50 ohms to match the antenna ). by adjusting the values of t - network components , the matching circuit can be tuned for different frequencies and source impedances . the input capacitor 82 of the t - network further provides decoupling between the antenna and the amplifier . for dc biasing purposes , the shunt inductor 72 provides a short circuit to ground allowing both stages of the amplifier to operate at the same dc drain current . the output capacitor 84 provides dc isolation between the gate bias applied to the transistor 80 of the second stage and the source 82 of the transistor 78 in the first stage . in operation , a signal applied to the input of the amplifier is coupled to both the source 82 of the transistor 78 of the first stage and the gate 83 of the transistor 80 of the second stage . this causes the gain of each stage to vary inversely to one another . as a result , the signal voltage applied to the input of the amplifier is converted to a signal current with the signal current in the first stage being inverted from the signal current in the second stage . moreover , the two stages will generate the same gain because the gm of the transistors should be the same , and therefore , the total gain of the amplifier is twice as much as conventional single - to - differential amplifiers . a differential lna can also be used to provide good noise immunity in low noise applications , such as the described exemplary embodiment of the transceiver . in fig4 ( a ), an exemplary differential lna is shown having a cascode differential pair with inductive degeneration . in the described exemplary embodiment , the differential lna can be integrated into a single chip transceiver or used in other similar applications . in the case of transceiver chip integration , an off chip coupler ( not shown ) can be used to split the single - ended output from the antenna into a differential output with each output being 180 ° out of phase . the lna input can be matched to the coupler , i . e ., a 50 ohm source , by lc circuits . a shunt capacitor 463 in combination with a series inductor 465 provides a matching circuit for one output of the coupler , and a shunt capacitor 467 in combination with a series inductor 469 provides a matching circuit for the other output of the coupler . at 2 . 4 ghz ., each lc circuit may be replaced by a shunt capacitor and transmission line . in the described exemplary embodiment , the lc circuits are off - chip for improved noise figure performance . alternatively , the lc circuits could be integrated on chip . however , due to the high loss of on chip inductors , the noise figure , as well as gain , could suffer . the differential output of the coupler is connected to a differential input of the lna via the lc matching circuits . the differential input includes a pair of input fet transistors 471 , 473 with inductive degeneration . this is achieved with an on chip source inductor 475 connected between the input transistor 471 and ground , and a second on chip source inductor 479 connected between the input transistor 473 and ground . the on chip inductive degeneration provides a predominantly resistive input impedance . in addition , the fet noise contribution at the operating frequency is reduced . the outputs of the input transistors 471 , 473 are coupled to a cascode stage implemented with a pair of transistors 481 , 486 , respectively . the cascode stage provides isolation between the lna input and its output . this methodology improves stability , and reduces the effect of the output load on the lna input matching circuits . the gates of the cascode transistors 481 , 486 are biased at the supply voltage by a resistor 488 . the resistor 488 reduces instability that might otherwise be caused by parasitic inductances at the gates of the cascoded transistors 481 , 486 . since the described exemplary embodiment of the lna uses a differential architecture , the resistor does not contribute noise to the lna output . the output of cascoded transistor 481 is coupled to the supply voltage through a first inductor 490 . the output of the cascoded transistor 486 is coupled to the supply voltage through a second inductor 492 . the lna is tuned to the operating frequency by the output inductors 490 , 492 . more particularly , these inductors 490 , 492 resonate with the lna output parasitic capacitance , and the input capacitance of the next state ( not shown ). embodiments of the present invention integrated into a single integrated circuit do not require a matching network at the lna output . the gain of the lna can be digitally controlled . this is achieved by introducing a switchable resistor in parallel with each of the output inductors . in the described exemplary embodiment , a series resistor 494 and switch 496 is connected in parallel with the output inductor 490 , and a second series resistor 498 and switch 500 is connected in parallel with the output inductor 492 . the switches can be fet transistors or any other similar switching devices known in the art . in the low gain mode , each resistor 494 , 498 is connected in parallel with its respective output inductor 490 , 492 , which in turn , reduces the quality factor of each output inductor , and as a consequence the lna gain . in the high gain mode , the resistors 494 , 498 are switched out of the lna output circuit by their respective switches 496 , 500 . in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a programmable / tunable complex filter is used to provide frequency planning , agility , and noise immunity . this is achieved with variable components to adjust the frequency characteristics of the complex filter . although the complex filter is described in the context of a transceiver , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the techniques described are likewise suitable for various applications requiring frequency agility or good noise immunity . accordingly , the described exemplary embodiment for a complex filter in a transceiver is by way of example only and not by way of limitation . the described complex filter can be integrated into a single chip transceiver or used in other low noise applications . in the case of transceiver chip integration , the off - chip filters used for image rejection and channel selection can be eliminated . a low - if receiver architecture enables the channel - select feature to be integrated into the on - chip filter . however , if the if lies within the bandwidth of the received signal , e . g . less than 80 mhz in the bluetooth standard , the on - chip filter should be a complex filter ( which in combination with the complex mixers ) can suppress the image signal . thus , either a passive or an active complex filter with channel select capability should be used . although a passive complex filter does not dissipate any power by itself , it is lossy , and loads the previous stage significantly . thus , an active complex filter with channel select capability is preferred . the channel select feature of the active complex filter can achieve comparable performance to conventional band - pass channel - select filters in terms of noise figure , linearity , and power consumption the described exemplary embodiment of the complex filter accommodates several functions in the receiver signal path : it selects the desired channel , rejects the image signal which lies inside the data band of the received signal due to its asymmetric frequency response , and serves as a programmable gain amplifier ( pga ). moreover , the complex filter center frequency and its bandwidth can be programmed and tuned . these capabilities facilitate a robust receiver in a wireless environment , where large interferers may saturate the receiver or degrade the signal - to - noise ratio at the demodulator input . the attenuation of the received signal at certain frequencies can also be enhanced by introducing zeros in the complex filter . an exemplary embodiment of the complex filter includes a cascade of biquads . each biquad comprises a 2 &# 39 ; nd order bandpass filter . the total order of the filter is the sum of orders of the cascaded biquads . the order of the filter can be programmable . by way of example , four cascaded biquads 83 , 85 , 87 , 89 can be used with each of the cascaded biquads having an individually controlled bypass switch . referring to fig5 , a bypass switch 91 is connected across the input stage biquad 83 . similarly , a bypass switch 93 is connected across the second stage biquad 85 , a bypass switch 95 is connected across the third stage biquad 87 , and a bypass switch 97 is connected across the output stage biquad . with this configuration , the order of the filter can be programmed by bypassing one or more biquads . a biquad that is bypassed contributes a zero order to the filter . in the described exemplary embodiment , the bypass switches are operated in accordance with the output from the controller 16 ( see fig2 ). an 8 &# 39 ; th order filter can be constructed by opening the bypass switches 91 , 93 , 95 , 97 via the digital signal from the controller output . the complex filter can be reduced to a 6 &# 39 ; th order filter by closing the bypass switch 97 to effectively remove the output stage biquad from the complex filter . similarly , the complex filter can be reduced to a 4 &# 39 ; th order filter by closing bypass switches 95 , 97 effectively removing the third stage biquad and output stage biquad . a 2 &# 39 ; nd order filter can be created by closing bypass switches 93 , 95 , 97 effectively removing all biquads with the exception of the input stage from the circuit . fig6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a biquad stage of the complex filter . the biquad stage includes two first order resistor - capacitor ( rc ) filters each being configured with a differential operational amplifier 94 , 96 , respectively . the first differential operational amplifier 94 includes two negative feedback loops , one between each differential output and its respective differential input . each feedback loop includes a parallel rc circuit ( 98 , 106 ), ( 108 , 100 ), respectively . similarly , the second differential operational amplifier 96 includes two negative feedback loops , one between each differential output and its respective differential input . each feedback loop includes a parallel rc circuit ( 102 - 110 ), ( 112 - 104 ), respectively . this topology is highly linear , and therefore , should not degrade the overall iip3 of the receiver . the rc values determine the pole of the biquad stage . the differential inputs of the biquad stage are coupled to their respective differential operational amplifiers through input resistors 114 , 116 , 118 , 120 . the input resistors in combination with their respective feedback resistors set the gain of the biquad stage . preferably , some or all of the resistors and capacitors values can programmable and can be changed dynamically by the controller this methodology provides a frequency agile biquad stage . the two first order rc filters are cross coupled by resistors 86 , 88 , 90 , 92 . by cross - coupling between the two filters , a complex response can be achieved , that is , the frequency response at the negative and positive frequencies will be different . this is in contrast to a real - domain filter , which requires the response to be symmetric at both positive and the negative frequencies . this feature is useful because the negative frequency response corresponds to the image signal . thus , the biquad stage selects the desired channel , whereas the image signal , which lies at the negative frequency is attenuated . for the resistor values shown in fig6 , the biquad stage outputs are : fig7 shows the frequency response for the complex biquad filter . after the received signal is downconverted , the desired channel in the i path lags the one in the q path , that is , v ii =− jv iq , and therefore : this shows a passband gain of a 122 at a center frequency of 2q / rc 124 , with a 3 - db bandwidth of 2rc 126 . thus , the quality factor of the second - order stage will be q . for the image signal however , the signal at the i branch leads , and as a result : which shows that the image located at 2q / rc is rejected by therefore , the biquad stage has an asymmetric frequency response , that is , the desired signal may be assigned to positive frequencies , whereas the image is attributed to negative frequencies . in general , the frequency response of the biquad stage is obtained by applying the following complex - domain transformation to a normalized real - domain lowpass filter : where ω 0 is the bandpass ( bp ) center frequency , and bw is the lowpass ( lp ) equivalent bandwidth , equal to half of the bandpass filter bandwidth . for instance , for a second - order biquad stage ( as shown in fig6 ), ω 0 = 2q / rc , and bw = 1 / rc . the biquad stage is designed by finding its lp equivalent frequency response using equation ( 5 ). once the lp poles are known , the bp poles are calculated based on equation ( 5 ). assume that the lp equivalent has n poles , and p i , lp = αi + jβ i is the ith pole . from equation ( 5 ), the bp pole will be : p i , bp = bw · p i , lp + jω 0 = α i · bw + j ( ω 0 + β i · bw ) ( 6 ) the complex filter is realized by cascading n biquad stages . therefore , similar to real - domain bandpass filters , an nth order complex filter uses 2 × n integrators . based on equation ( 3 ), each biquad stage has a pole equal to − 1 / rc + j2q / rc . thus : since the lp equivalent poles are located in the left - half plane , a i is always negative . the above equations set the value of q and rc in each stage . the gain of each biquad stage can be adjusted based on the desired gain in the complex filter , and noise - linearity trade - off : increasing the gain of one biquad stage lowers the noise contributed by the following biquad stages , but it also degrades the linearity of the complex filter . in addition to image rejection , the complex frequency transformation of the biquad stage ( equation ( 5 )) provides for its frequency response to be symmetric around its center frequency as shown in fig7 . this is in contrast to regular bandpass filters which use the following real - domain transformation : this symmetric response in the biquad stage ensures a uniform group delay across the data band . the described exemplary embodiment of the biquad stage can be modified to obtain a sharper rejection or notch at an undesired signal at a specific frequency . this can be achieved in the biquad stage by adding zeros . assume that the input resistors at the biquad input ( r i 114 in fig6 ) is replaced with an admittance y i . for the received signal , the frequency response of the biquad stage will be equal to : fig8 shows yi having resistor r z 128 and capacitor c z 130 . in order to have a zero located at jω axis in the frequency response , y i should contain a term such as 1 − ω / ω z . if y i is simply made of a resistor r z in parallel with a capacitor c z , then the input admittance will be equal to : which is not desirable , since the zero will be in the left - half plane , rather than the jω axis . fig9 shows yi with the capacitor c z 132 connected to the q input 134 and the resistor r z connected to the i input 136 . now the current i will be equal to : which indicates that the filter will have a zero equal to 1 / r z c z at the jω axis . fig1 shows a single biquad stage modified to have a zero at the jω axis . the biquad stage includes capacitors 138 , 140 , 142 , 144 . the combination of capacitors 138 , 140 , 142 , 148 and resistors 116 , 118 determines a complex zero with respect to the center frequency . the transfer function for the received signal will be : equation ( 14 ) is analogous to equation ( 3 ), with the difference that now a zero at a / rc z is added to the biquad stage of the complex filter . by knowing the lp equivalent characteristics of the biquad stage , the poles are calculated based on equation ( 6 ). the value of q and rc in each biquad stage is designed by using equation ( 7 ) and equation ( 8 ). if the normalized lp zeros are at ± ω z , lp , then the biquad stage should be realized with two biquad stages cascoded , and the frequency of zeros in the biquad stages will be ( equation ( 5 )): if the differential i and q inputs connected to the zero capacitors are switched , the biquad stage will have zeros at negative frequencies ( image response ). this property may be exploited to notch the image signal . in addition to channel selection and image rejection , the described exemplary embodiment of the complex filter can provide variable gain , bandwidth , and center frequency . in addition , an automatic tuning loop can be implemented to adjust the center frequency . these features result in a high quality receiver which can dynamically support different communication standards , modulation schemes and data rates . by changing the gain of the biquad stages , the complex filter can perform as a pga in the signal path of the receiver . this assures that the output swing of the complex filter remains constant when the receiver input signal changes . moreover , adaptivity is achieved through dynamic programming of the bandwidth and center frequency . by way of example , when the receive environment is less noisy , the transmitter may switch to a higher data rate , and the bandwidth of the complex filter should increase proportionally . the center frequency , on the other hand , may be changed to increase the receiver immunity to blockers and other interferers . the center frequency of each biquad stage is equal to 2q / rc . the quality factor , q , is precisely set , since it is determined by the ratio of two resistors ( r f and r c in fig1 ), which can be accurately established when the resistors are implemented on - chip . however , the rc product varies by temperature and process variations , and therefore , may be compensated by automatic tuning methods . referring to fig1 ( a ), each capacitor can be implemented with a capacitor 148 connected in parallel with a number of switchable capacitors 150 , 152 , 154 , 156 . the capacitance , and thereby the center frequency of the complex filter , can be varied by selectively switching in or out the capacitors based on a four - bit binary code . each bit is used to switch one of the parallel capacitors from the circuit in the described exemplary embodiment , the capacitor 148 provides a capacitance of c u / 2 . capacitor 150 provides a capacitance of c u / 2 . capacitor 152 provides a capacitance of c u / 4 . capacitor 154 provides a capacitance of c u / 8 . capacitor 156 provides a capacitance of c u / 16 . this provides ± 50 % tuning range with ± 3 % tuning accuracy . due to discrete nature of the tuning scheme , there may be some error in the center frequency (± 1 /( 2 × 2 n ) for n - bit array ). this inaccuracy can be tolerated with proper design . referring to fig1 ( b ), each resistor can be implemented with a series of switchable resistors 158 , 160 , 162 , 164 , 166 . resistor 166 provides a resistance of r u . resistor 164 provides a resistance of 2 r u . resistor 162 provides a resistance of 4 r u . resistor 160 provides a resistance of 8 r u . resistor 158 provides a resistance of 16 r u . in the described exemplary embodiment , the resistance can be varied between r u and 31 × r u in incremental steps equal to r u by selectively bypassing the resistor based on a five - bit binary code . the center frequency of the complex filter can be adjusted by setting 1 / r u c u equal to a reference frequency generated , by way of example , the crystal oscillator in the controller . the filter is automatically tuned by monotonic successive approximation as described in detail in section 4 . 0 herein . once the value of r u c u is set , the complex filter characteristics depends only on four - bit code for the capacitors and the four - bit code for the resistors . for example , assume that the value of the resistors in the biquad stage of fig6 is as following : r i = n a r u , r f = n q r u , and rc = n q r u . likewise , assume that c = n c c u where n c is a constant , and that 1 / r u c u = ω u . the value of ω u is set to a reference crystal by a successive approximation feedback loop . the filter frequency response for the received signal will be : therefore , the biquad stage gain ( a ), center frequency ( ω 0 ), and bandwidth ( bw ) will be equal to : the above equations show that the characteristics of the biquad stage is independently programmed by varying n a , n f , and n q . for instance , by setting n f , the gain of the biquad stage changes from n f / 31 to n f by changing n a from 1 to 31 . alternatively , a low power i - q monolithic bandpass filter can be used for the complex filter of the described exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the i - q monolithic bandpass filter is useful for short - range communication applications . it also provides low power monolithic bandpass filtering for high data rates such as bluetooth and homerf applications . the i - q monolithic bandpass filter can be fully incorporated in monolithic channel select filters for 1 - mhz data rates . fig1 is a block diagram of the i - q monolithic bandpass filter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the i - q monolithic bandpass filter includes a cascode of selectively intertwined biquads 168 and polyphase circuits 170 . the biquads can be the same as the biquads described in section 1 . 2 . 1 herein , or any other biquads known in the art . similarly , the polyphase circuits can also be any conventional polyphase circuits known in the art . the biquad circuits can be 2 &# 39 ; nd order lowpass filters , which in conjunction with the polyphase circuits , exhibit a 1 - mhz bandwidth bandpass filter with more than 45 db rejection for all frequencies beyond 2 mhz away from the center of the band . the number of biquads determines the order of the i - q monolithic bandpass filter . the polyphase filters are for wider bandwidth and image rejection . the number of polyphase filters determines the number of zeros in the frequency response of the i - q monolithic bandpass filter . in the described embodiment , an 8 &# 39 ; th order butterworth filter is implemented in conjunction with selective side band filtering of polyphase circuits to create a low if i - q monolithic bandpass filter . the described embodiment of the i - q monolithic bandpass filter does not suffer excessive group delay despite large bandwidth . the input ip3 can be better than 5 dbm with a gain of more than 20 db and the noise figure can be less than 40 db . in fully integrated embodiments of the present invention , the i - q monolithic bandpass filter can have on chip tuning capability to adjust for process , temperature and frequency variations . in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a programmable multiple gain amplifier is used in the receiver path between the complex filter and the complex if mixer ( see fig2 ). the programmable multiple gain amplifier can be designed to be programmable to select between a limiter and an agc feature . the programmable multiple gain amplifier , when operating as a limiter provides a maximum gain for frequency modulation applications . the programmable multiple gain amplifier , operating as an agc , can be used for applications utilizing amplitude modulation . fig1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the programmable multiple gain amplifier with an rssi output . the rssi output provides an indication of the strength of the if signal . the programmable multiple gain amplifier includes three types of amplifiers . the input buffer is shown as a type i amplifier 900 and the type iii amplifier 904 serves as the output buffer . the core amplifier is shown as a direct - coupled cascade of seven differential amplifiers 930 , 931 , 932 , 933 , 934 , 935 , 936 . the core amplifier includes seven bypass switches 930 ′, 931 ′, 932 ′, 933 ′, 934 ′, 935 ′, 936 ′, one bypass switch connected across each differential amplifier . the bypass switches provide programmable gain under control of the controller ( see fig2 ). when the programmable gain amplifier is operating as a limiter , all the bypass switches will be opened by the controller . conversely , when the programmable gain amplifier is operating in the agc mode , the output gain of the core amplifier will be varied by controlling the bypass switch positions to prevent saturation of the core amplifier by large signals . in the described exemplary embodiment , the rssi signal is fed back to control the bypass switch positions through a digital agc loop in the external processing device . the agc loop provides information to the controller 16 via the control bus 17 regarding the optimum gain reduction ( see fig2 ). the controller translates the information from the external processing device into a digital signal for controlling the bypass switch positions of the core amplifier accordingly . the larger the rssi signal , the greater the gain reduction of the core amplifier will be and the more bypass switches that will be closed by the controller . in one embodiment of the programmable gain amplifier , the type i and type iii amplifiers can be the same . fig1 shows one possible construction of these amplifiers . in this configuration , transistors 952 , 954 provide amplification of the differential input signal . the differential input signal is fed to the gates of transistor amplifiers 952 , 954 , and the amplified differential output signal is taken from the drains . the gain of the transistor amplifiers 952 , 954 is set by load resistors 956 , 958 . transistors 960 , 962 provide a constant current source for the transistor amplifiers 952 , 954 . the load resistors 956 , 958 , connected between the drain of their respective transistor amplifiers 952 , 954 and a common gate connection of transistors 960 , 962 , provides a bias current source to common mode feedback . turning back to fig1 , the type ii core amplifier 902 includes a direct - coupled cascade of seven differential amplifiers 930 , 931 , 932 , 933 , 934 , 935 , 936 , each with a voltage gain , by way of example , 12 db . the voltage at the output of each differential amplifier 930 , 931 , 932 , 933 , 934 , 935 , 936 is coupled to a rectifier 937 , 938 , 939 , 940 , 941 , 942 , 943 , 944 , respectively . the outputs of the rectifiers are connected to ground through a common resistor 945 . the summation of the currents from each of the rectifiers flowing through the common resistor provides a successive logarithmic approximation of the input if voltage . with a 12 db gain per each differential amplifier , a total cascaded gain of 84 db is obtained . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , any number of differential amplifiers , each with the same or different gain , may be employed . the input dynamic range of an rssi is explained using the following derivation . throughout this section , assume each rectifier has an ideal square law characteristic and its transfer function is : now , assume that s is the maximum input range of one differential amplifier and rectifier combination , whichever is smaller . this is determined with the lowest of the two values v i and v l that are the maximum input range of each differential amplifier , and the maximum input range of the rectifier , respectively . therefore , the rssi maximum input level is s , and the ideal rssi minimum input level is s / a n , where a is the gain of each differential amplifier and n is the number of the differential amplifiers . thus , the ideal dynamic range is calculated as follows : however , in the case of a large amount of gain , the input level will be limited with the input noise and the dynamic range will also be limited to : if each differential amplifier has the same input dynamic range v l and each full - wave rectifier has similar input dynamic range v i , then the dynamic range of the logarithmic differential amplifier and the total rssi circuitry are the same . the logarithmic approximations are provided by piecewise linear summation of the rectified output of each differential amplifier . this is done by segmentation of the input voltage by the power of 1 / a . successively , each differential amplifier will reach the limiting point as the input signal grows by the power of a . assuming each rectifier is modeled as shown in equation ( 20 ), the logarithmic approximation is modeled as following : up to the last m stages of the differential amplifier are all being limited and the rest of the differential amplifiers are in the linear gain region . therefore , the rssi is shown to be : a 2 β 2 ν in 2 + a 4 β 4 ν in 4 + . . . + a 2 ( n - m ) β 2 ( n - m ) ν in 2 ( n - m ) + mβ 2 s 2 = rssi ( 25 ) the above equation is a first order approximation to the logarithmic function shown in equation ( 28 ) according to the first two terms of the taylor expansion at a given operating point . the following calculates the constant c from the maximum and minimum of the rssi : to find the relation between the gain of a differential amplifier , the gain of a rectifier , and the maximum input range of the combined differential amplifier and the rectifier , the rssi will be calculated for the two consecutive differential amplifier and rectifier combinations ( see equations ( 33 ) and ( 34 )) for both ideal rssi equations ( 32 ) and approximated rssi equation ( 27 ): fig1 ( a ) shows a schematic diagram for an exemplary embodiment of the differential amplifier used in the type ii core amplifier . the differential input signal is fed to the gates of transistor amplifiers 955 , 957 . the amplified differential output signal is provided at the drains of the transistor amplifiers 955 , 957 . the gain of the transistor amplifiers is set by load transistors 958 , 860 , each connected between the drain of one of the transistor amplifiers and a power source . more particularly , the gain of the differential amplifier is determined by the ratio of the square root of transistor amplifiers - to - load transistors . the sources of the transistor amplifiers 955 , 957 are connected in common and coupled to a constant current source transistor 952 . in the described exemplary embodiment , the controller provides the bias to the gate of the transistor 952 to set the current . an exemplary embodiment of the full - wave rectifier with two unbalanced source - coupled pairs cross - coupled is shown in fig1 ( b ). in this embodiment , the differential input signal is fed to an unbalanced pair of transistors . one of the differential input pairs is fed to the gates of the unbalanced transistor pair 968 , 966 and the other differential input pair is fed to the gates of the other unbalanced transistor pair 964 , 962 . the drains of transistors 968 , 962 are connected in common and provide one of the differential output pairs . the drains of transistors 964 , 966 are connected in common and provide the other differential output pair . transistors 968 , 964 are connected in a common source configuration and coupled to a constant current source transistor 965 . transistors 962 , 966 are also connected in a common source configuration with the common source connected to a current source transistor 967 . the gates of the current sources 965 , 967 are connected together . in the described exemplary embodiment , the controller provides the bias to the common gate connection to set the current . transistors 970 and 971 provide a current - mirror load to cross - coupled transistors 968 , 962 . similarly , transistors 972 , 973 provide a current - mirror load to cross - coupled transistors 962 , 964 . the current through the cross - coupled transistors 962 , 964 is the sum of the current through the load transistor 972 and the current through the load transistor 971 which is mirrored from the load transistor 970 . the current through the cross - coupled transistors 962 , 962 is also mirrored to load transistor 973 for the rssi output . when the transistors 962 , 964 , 966 , and 968 are operating in the saturation region , the following equations are shown for the differential output current di sqb1 where k is the ratio of the two unbalanced source - coupled transistors : the full - wave rectifier includes two unbalanced differential pairs with a unidirectional current output . one rectifier 976 taps each differential pair and sums their currents into a 10 kw resistor r l . the square law portion of equation ( 41 ) multiplied by the resistance provides the β 2 s 2 of equation ( 42 ): by plugging the v i from equation ( 42 ) and replacing β 2 s 2 from equation ( 38 ), the following relation is obtained : for δrssi = 1v , n = 7 stages , r l = 10000ω , and k = 4 , from the above equation i o is calculated to be 12 ma . therefore , each rectifier will be biased with two 12 ma current sources ( one 12 ma current source for the i signal and a second 12 ma current source for the q channel ). this results in an approximately logarithmic voltage , which indicates the received signal - strength ( rssi ). the if down conversion to baseband signal can be implemented using four fully balanced quadrature mixers as shown in fig1 ( a ). this mixer configuration includes both quadrature inputs from the programmable multiple stage amplifier and quadrature if clocks from the lo generator . this configuration produces single sideband , quadrature baseband signals , with minimum number of spurs at the output . these characteristics aid in relaxing the baseband filtering as well as simplifying the demodulator architecture . an if mixer buffer 352 buffers the if clock ( clk_i , clk_q as shown in fig1 ( a )). the outputs of the limiters are coupled to the quadrature clocks of the if mixers ( i_in for mixer 322 , i_in for mixer 323 , q_in for mixer 324 , q_in for mixer 325 ) and the if clocks are coupled to the data input of the if mixers . this configuration minimizes spurs at the output of the if mixers because the signal being mixed is the if clocks which is a clean sine wave , and therefore , has minimal harmonics . the limiting action of the programmable multiple stage amplifier on the i and q data will have essentially no effect on the spurs at the output of the if mixers . fig1 b shows the if mixer clock signal spectrum which contains only odd harmonics . the if signals do not have even harmonics in embodiments of the present invention using a fully differential configuration . the bandwidth of the m &# 39 ; th (= 2n + 1 ) harmonic is directly proportional to mfs , whereas its amplitude is inversely proportional to mfs . fig1 c shows the sinusoidal input spectrum of the if clocks . fig1 d shows the if mixer output spectrum . a clock generator can be used to generate a quadrature sinusoidal signal with controlled amplitude . the clock generator can be located in the receiver , or alternatively the lo generator , and provides a clean sinusoidal if from the square wave output of the divider in the lo generator for downconverting the if signal in the receiver path to baseband . fig1 shows a block diagram and signal spectrum of a clock generator . a sinusoidal signal is generated from a square - wave using cascaded polyphase . fig1 shows a clock generator block diagram . the clock generator outputs clk_i and clk_q for the if mixer buffer ( see fig1 ). the clock generator includes a polyphase filter at 3fs 360 , a polyphase filter at 5fs 362 , and a low pass filter 364 . fig1 a shows the input clock signal spectrum . fig1 b shows the spectrum at 3fs 366 and at 5fs 368 polyphase . fig1 c shows the sinusoidal signal generation after the low pass filter 364 . in fully integrated embodiments of the present invention , the controller can provide self calibration to generate precise signal levels with negligible dependency on the process variations . the two polyphase filters 360 , 362 with rc calibration can be used to remove the first two odd harmonics of the signal . the remaining harmonics can be filtered with an on chip tunable low pass filter . the output of the clock generator block is a quadrature sinusoidal signal with controlled signal level . this spectrally clean signal is used at the input of complex if mixers to downconvert the if signal to baseband . the first major spurs out of downconversion process is at 4 times the if frequency . a self calibrated 4fs polyphase filter can be used after the complex if mixers to reduce the spurious and improve the linearity of the demodulator . the polyphase filter can be implemented with two back to back polyphase to reject both positive phase and the negative phase . built - in programmability can also be included for operating with other frequencies . this capability enables the demodulator to be highly flexible . it can support wide range of incoming if frequencies and with different modulation schemes . following the polyphase filter , a quadrature lowpass filter can be used to remove unwanted spurs . the lowpass filter can be programmable and designed to minimize group delay distortion without sacrificing high frequency filtering characteristics . in fully integrated embodiments of the present invention , the controller can provide on chip rc calibration to minimize any process variation . the programmability of the polyphase filter and the low pass filter adds a new degree of flexibility to the system ; it can be used to accommodate different data bandwidths . fig2 shows a baseband spectrum filtering before the discriminator . fig2 ( a ) shows the signal spectrum at polyphase input , i . e ., the frequency spectrum of the polyphase filter . fig2 ( b ) shows the signal spectrum at polyphase output , i . e . the frequency spectrum of the low pass filter . fig2 ( c ) shows the signal spectrum at the low pass filter output . the demodulator may take on various forms to accommodate different modulation schemes . one embodiment of the demodulation used in connection with the present invention includes a low power , monolithic demodulator for high data rates in frequency modulated systems . this demodulator can provide data recovery for well over 1 - mhz data rates . the demodulator can be fsk or gmsk demodulator . fsk is digital frequency modulation . gmsk is a specific type of fsk . gmsk stands for gaussian filtered fsk modulation , which means that gmsk has gaussian filtering at the output of frequency modulation . gmsk has more stringent requirements than fsk . the data rate is higher for gmsk and the modulation index is low for gmsk relative to fsk . the described embodiment of the demodulator is a low power , fully integrated fsk / gmsk demodulator for high data rates and low modulation index . the fsk operates with the programmable gain stage amplifier as a limiter , and therefore , does not require oversampling clocks or complex agc blocks . fig2 is a block diagram of an exemplary high data rate frequency demodulator in accordance with the present invention . the demodulator performs a balanced quadrature demodulation . differentiators 329 , 330 convert the baseband signal to a signal having an amplitude proportional to the baseband signal frequency . one differentiator 329 converts the i signal and the other differentiator 330 converts the q signal . the i signal output of the differentiator 329 is coupled to a multiplier 331 where it is multiplied by the q signal input into the demodulator . the q signal output of the differentiator 330 is coupled to a multiplier 332 where it is multiplied by the i signal input into the demodulator . the multipliers 331 , 332 produce a single ended dc signal . the dc signals are summed together by summation circuit 333 . a peak detector / slicer 334 digitizes the dc signal from the summation circuit , thereby producing discrete zeros and ones . the frequency discrimination can be performed using a differentiator as shown in fig2 . a differential input signal is coupled to the input of an amplifier 340 through capacitors 341 , 342 . a feedback resistor 343 , 344 is coupled between each differential output . its operation is based on generating an output signal level linearly proportional to the incoming signal frequency . in other words , the higher the incoming frequency , the larger signal amplitude output by the differentiator . therefore , it is desirable to have a spur free signal at the input of this stage . high frequency spurs can degrade the performance of the differentiator . by using the polyphase filter in conjunction with the lowpass filter ( see fig2 ) before the demodulator , a nearly ideal baseband signal is input to the differentiator . the capacitors 341 , 342 in the signal path with the resistive feedback operation of the amplifier is proportional to the time derivative of the input . for a sinusoidal input , v ( in )= a · sin ( ωt ), the output will be v ( out ): d / dt ( v ( in ))= to · a · cos ( ωt ). thus , the magnitude of the output increases linearly with increasing frequency . the controller provides rc calibration to keep the differentiation gain process invariant . in order to reduce the effect of any high frequency coupling to the differentiator input , the differentiator gain is flattened out for frequencies beyond the band of interest . in addition to frequency discrimination , the differentiation process adds a 90 degrees phase shift to the incoming signal . this phase shift is inherent to differentiation process . since the output is in quadrature phase with the input ( except for differing amplitude ), cross multiplication of the input and output results in frequency information . fig2 shows an exemplary analog multiplier 331 , 332 with zero higher harmonics in accordance with the present invention . buffers one 334 and two 335 are added to a gilbert cell to linearize the voltage levels . buffers one 334 and two 335 convert the two inputs into two voltage levels for true analog multiplication using a gilbert cell . the gilbert cell is comprised of transistors 336 , 338 , resistors 340 , 342 and cross - coupled pairs of transistors 344 , 346 and transistors 348 , 350 . by cross multiplying the input and the output signals to the differentiator , the amplitude information is generated . since the signals are at baseband , it can be difficult to filter out any spurs resulting from the multiplication process . linearized buffers can be used to minimize spurs by providing a near ideal analog multiplier . on chip calibration can also be used to control the multiplication gain and to minimize process variation dependency . in order to accommodate high data rates such as 1 mhz and beyond , all the stages should have low phase delays . in addition , matching all the delays in quadrature signals can be advantageous . the output of the multiplier is a single ended dc signal which is a linear function of the frequency . this analog output can represent multilevel fsk with arbitrary modulation index . the minimum modulation index is only limited by wireless communication fundamentals . an exemplary peak detector / slicer for frequency data detection is shown in fig2 . the differential input signal is coupled to a peak detector 346 which detects the high peak . the differential input signal is also coupled to a second peak 347 detector which detects the low valley of the signal . the outputs of the peak detectors are coupled to a resistor divider network 348 , 349 to obtain the average of the output signal . the average signal output from the resistor divider network is used as the calibrated zero frequency to obviate frequency offset problems due to the frequency translation process from if to baseband . a differential amplifier 345 is used to digitize the frequency information by comparing the differential input signal with the calibrated zero frequency . the output of the amplifier is a logic “ 1 ” if the baseband frequency is greater than the calibrated zero frequency and a logic “ 0 ” if the baseband frequency is less than the calibrated zero frequency . the output is amplified through several inverters 350 which in turn generate digital rail to rail output . in an exemplary embodiment of the invention , the pa is a differential pa as shown in fig2 . the symmetry of the differential pa in conjunction with other features supports implementation in a variety of technologies including cmos . the described embodiment of the differential pa can be a fully integrated class a pa . a balun 610 is used to connect the pa to an antenna or a duplexer . the balun converts the differential signal to a single - ended output . the described embodiments of the differential pa is a two stage device . the two stages minimize backward leakage of the output signal to the input stage . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , any number of stages can be implemented depending on the particular application and operating environment . equal distribution of gain between the two stages helps prevents oscillation by avoiding excess accumulation of gain in one stage . a cascode architecture may be incorporated into the pa to provide good stability and insulation . the input stage or pre - amplifier of the power amplifier includes an input differential pair comprising amplifying transistors 612 , 614 . transistor 616 is a current source that biases the input differential pair . the presence of a current source provides many positive aspects including common mode rejection . the current is controlled by the voltage applied to the gate of transistor 616 . the gate voltage should be chosen to prevent the transistor 616 from operating in the triode region . triode operation of transistor 616 has a number of drawbacks . primarily , since transistor 616 is supposed to act as a current source , its operation in the triode region can cause distortion in the current flowing into the transistor 612 and the transistor 614 , and consequently gives rise to nonlinearity in the signal . secondly , the triode behavior of transistor 616 will depend on temperature and process variations . therefore , the circuit operation will vary over different process and temperature corners . cascode transistors 618 , 620 provide stability by isolating the output from the input . as a result , no change in the input impedance occurs over frequency . the gates of the cascode transistors 618 , 620 devices are biased through a bond wire . a resistor 622 in series with the gates of the cascode transistors prevents the inductance associated with the bonding from resonating with the input capacitive of the transistors , thereby improving stability . the resistor 622 in combination with the gates of transistors 618 , 620 also improves common mode rejection and makes the transistor input act like a virtual ground at rf . resistor 623 isolates the power supply from the pa and provides common mode rejection by increasing the symmetry of the differential pa . inductors 624 , 626 tune out the capacitance at the drains of the transistors 618 , 620 . at the tuning frequency , the impedance seen at the drains of the transistors 618 , 620 is high , which provides the high gain at the tuning frequency . the differential output of the input stage is provided at the drains of the cascode transistors 618 , 620 to ac coupling capacitors 628 , 630 . capacitor 628 couples the drain of transistor 618 with the gate of transistor 632 . capacitor 630 couples the drain of transistor 620 with the gate of transistor 634 . the transistors 632 , 634 provide amplification for the second stage of the pa . resistors 636 , 638 are biasing resistors for biasing the transistors 632 , 634 . in the output stage of the pa , the current level is higher and the size of the current source should be increased to maintain the same bias situation . however , large tail devices can lower the common mode rejection . accordingly , instead of a current source , an inductor 640 can be used to improve the headroom . the inductor 640 is a good substitute for a current source . the inductor 640 is almost a short circuit at low frequencies and provides up to 1 kohm of impedance at rf . by way of example , a 15 nh inductor with proper shielding ( to increase the q ) and a self - resonance frequency close to 4 . 5 ghz can be used for optimum high frequency impedance and sufficient self - resonance . inductors 622 , 624 tune out the capacitance at the drains of transistors 632 , 634 . capacitors 642 , 644 are ac coupling capacitors . inductors 646 and capacitor 648 match the output impedance of the pa to the antenna , by way of example , 50ω . similarly , inductors 650 and capacitor 652 match the output impedance of the pa to the antenna . balun 610 is a differential to single - ended voltage converter . resistance 654 is representative of the load resistance . capacitances associated with bias resistors may also be addressed . consider a typical distributed model for a polysilicon (“ poly ” for short ) resistor . around 4ff to substrate can be associated with every kilo - ohm of resistance in a poly resistor . this means that , for example in a 20 kohm resistor , around 80ff of distributed capacitance to the substrate exists . this can contribute to power loss because part of the power will be drained into the substrate . one way of biasing the input stage and the output stage is through a resistive voltage divider as shown in fig2 ( a ). the biasing of the input stage is shown for the transistor 616 in fig2 , however , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the same biasing circuit can be used for the transistor 614 ( fig2 ) . one drawback from this approach , however , is that the gate of the transistor will see the capacitance from the two resistors 658 , 660 of the voltage divider . capacitor 662 is a coupling capacitor , which couples the previous stage to the voltage divider . switch 664 is for powering down the stage of the power amplifier that is connected to the voltage divider . the switch 664 is on in normal operation and is off in power down mode . fig2 ( b ) is similar to fig2 ( a ), except that fig2 ( b ) includes resistor 666 . dc - wise the fig2 ( a ) and fig2 ( b ) circuits are the same . however , in ac , not only is the resistance seen from the gates of transistors 634 , 632 towards the resistive bias network bigger , but the capacitance is smaller because the capacitance is caused by resistor 666 and not resistors 660 , 658 . since there is less capacitance , there is less loss of the signal . from fig2 , transistors 618 , 620 in the input stage and transistors 632 , 634 in the output stage can be biased by the resistive voltage divider shown in fig2 ( b ). fig2 shows an exemplary bias circuit for the current source transistor 616 of fig2 . to fix the bias current of the circuit over temperature and process variation , a diode - connected switch transistor 672 may be used with a well - regulated current 670 . the voltage generated across the diode - connected transistor 672 is applied to the gate of the current source transistor 616 . because of the mirroring effect of this connection and since all transistors move in the same direction over temperature and process corners , the mirrored current will be almost constant . the reference current is obtained by calibration of a resistor by the controller . the calibrated resistor can be isolated from the rest of the pa to prevent high frequency coupling through the resistor to other transceiver circuits . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , the exemplary bias circuit is not limited to the current source transistor of the pa and may be applied to other transistors requiring accurate biasing currents . fig2 shows an exemplary power control circuit . the power control circuit can provide current scaling . the power control circuit changes power digitally by controlling the bias of the current source transistor 616 of the first differential pair 612 , 614 in the pa ( fig2 ). the power control circuit can be used in any application requiring different power levels . the power control is done by applying different voltage levels to the gate of the current source in the first stage ( input stage or preamplifier ) of the pa . a combination of current adjustment in both stages ( input stage and output stage ) of the pa can also be done . different voltage levels are generated corresponding to different power levels . in one embodiment of the invention , the power control circuit has four stages as shown in fig2 . alternatively , the power control circuit can have any number of stages corresponding to the number of power levels needed in an application . the power control circuit includes transistor pairs in parallel . transistors 674 , 676 , 678 , 680 are switch transistors and are coupled to diode - connected transistors 682 , 684 , 686 , 688 , respectively . the switch transistors 674 , 676 , 678 , 680 are coupled to a current source 670 . each diode - connected transistor 682 , 684 , 686 , 688 can be switched into the parallel combination of by turning its respective switching transistor on . conversely , any diode - connected transistor can be removed from the parallel combination by turning its respective switch transistor off . the current from the current source 670 is injected into a parallel combination of switch transistors 674 , 676 , 678 , 680 . the power level can be incremented or decremented by switching one or more switch transistors into the parallel combination . by way of example , a decrease in the power level can be realized by switching a switch transistor into the parallel combination . this is equivalent to less voltage drop across the parallel combination , which in turn corresponds to a lower power level . a variety of stages are comprehended in alternative embodiments of the invention depending on the number of power levels needed for a given application . a thermometer code from the controller can be applied to the power control circuit according to which the power level is adjusted . as described above , the output of the pa can be independently matched to a 50 ohm load . the matching circuit ( inductors 646 , 650 and capacitors 648 , 652 ) is connected to the balun . any non - ideality of the balun , bond wire impedance , pin / pcb capacitance , and other parasitics can be absorbed by the matching circuits . high - q inductors can be used where possible . the loss in efficiency may also be tolerable with low power applications . in another embodiment of the present invention , the balun can be eliminated by a single - ended to differential pa . fig2 shows the output stage of a single - ended to differential pa . the output stage includes resistors 690 , 692 , inductors 694 , 696 , 698 , and transistors 700 , 702 . coupling capacitor 704 couples the output stage to an lc circuit , the lc circuit including inductor 706 and capacitor 708 . coupling capacitor 710 couples the second stage to a cl circuit , the cl circuit comprising capacitor 712 and inductor 714 . the transistors 700 , 702 provide amplification of the differential signal applied to the output stage of the pa . the output of the amplifying transistors 700 , 702 produces two signals 180 degrees out of phase . the lc circuit is used to match the first output to a 100 ohm load 718 and to shift the phase of the signal by 90 degrees . the cl circuit is deployed to match the second output to a 100 ohm load 720 , and to shift the phase of the signal in the opposite direction by 90 degrees . since the two outputs were out of phase by 180 degrees at the beginning and each underwent an additional 90 degrees of shift ( in opposite directions ) the two signals appearing across the two 100 ohm loads will be in phase . in an ideal situation , they will also be of similar amplitudes . this means that the two nodes can be connected together to realize a single - ended signal matched for a 50 ohm load 716 . unlike the differential pa , the differential to single - ended configuration does not enjoy the symmetry of a fully differential path . accordingly , with respect to embodiments of the present invention integrated into a single ic , the effect of bond wires should be considered . because of stability and matching issues , a separate ground ( bond wire ) for the matching circuit should be used . the bond wires should be small and the matching should be tweaked to cancel their effect . the bias current to the amplifying transistors 700 , 702 for embodiments of the present invention integrated into a single ic can be set in a number of ways , including by way of example , the bias circuit shown in fig2 . the voltage generated across the diode - connected transistor 672 is applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor 700 . a similar bias circuit can be used for biasing the amplifying transistor 702 . alternatively , the bias circuit of the amplifying transistors 700 , 702 for single ic embodiments can be set with a power control circuit as shown in fig2 . the current source is connected directly the amplifying transistor 700 . by incrementally switching the diode - connected transistors 682 , 684 , 686 , 688 into the parallel combination , the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor 700 is incrementally pulled down toward ground . conversely , by incrementally switching the diode - connected transistors 682 , 684 , 686 , 688 out of the parallel combination , the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor 700 is incrementally pulled up toward the source voltage ( not shown ). a similar power control circuit can be used with the amplifying transistor 702 . in another embodiment of the present invention , a pa is integrated into a single ic with digitally programmable circuitry and on - chip matching to an external antenna , antenna switch , or similar device . fig3 shows an exemplary pa with digital power control . this circuit comprises two stages . the input stage provides initial amplification and acts as a buffer to isolate the output stage from the vco . the output stage is comprised of a switchable differential pair to steer the current towards the load . the output stage also provides the necessary drive for the antenna . the power level of the output stage can be set by individually turning on and off current sources connected to each differential pair . transistors 722 , 724 provide initial amplification . transistor 726 is the current source that biases the transistors 722 , 724 . inductors 728 , 730 tune out the capacitance at the drains of the transistors 722 , 724 . at the tuning frequency , the impedance seen at the drains is high , which provides high gain at the tuning frequency . capacitors 732 , 736 are ac coupling capacitors . capacitor 732 couples the drain of transistor 724 with the gate of transistor 734 . capacitor 736 couples the drain of transistor 722 with the gate of transistor 738 . resistors 740 , 742 are biasing resistors for biasing the gates of the transistors 734 , 738 . transistors 734 , 738 are amplifying transistors in the output stage of the pa . transistor pairs 744 , 746 , transistor pairs 748 , 750 , and transistor pairs 752 , 754 each provide additional gain for the signal . each pair can be switched in or out depending on whether a high or low gain is needed . for maximum gain each transistor pair in the output stage of the pa will be switched on . the gain can be incrementally decreased by switching out individual transistor pairs . the pa may have more or less transistor pairs depending on the maximum gain and resolution of incremental changes in the gain that is desired . transistor 756 has two purposes . first , it is a current source that biases transistors 734 , 738 . second , it provides a means for switching transistors 734 , 738 in and out of the circuit to alter the gain of the output stage amplifier . each transistors 758 , 760 , 762 serves the same purpose for its respective transistor pair . a digital control , word from the controller can be applied to the gates of the transistors 756 , 758 , 760 , 762 to digitally set the power level . this approach provides the flexibility to apply ramp up and ramp down periods to the pa , in addition to the possibility of digitally controlling the power level . the drains of the transistors 756 , 758 , 760 , 762 are connected to a circuit that serves a twofold purpose : 1 ) it converts the differential output to single ended output , and 2 ) it matches the stage to external 50 ohm antenna to provide maximum transferable gain . inductors 764 , 766 tune out the capacitance at the drains of transistors 752 , 754 . capacitor 768 couples the pa to the load 770 . inductor 772 is a matching and phase - shift element , which advances the phase of the signal by 90 °. capacitor 794 is a matching and phase - shift element , which retards the phase of the signal by 90 °. capacitor 796 is the pad capacitance . the bonding wire 798 bonds the pa to the load resistance 770 ( e . g ., the antenna ). in embodiments of the present invention utilizing a low - if or direct conversion architecture , techniques are implemented to deal with the potential disturbance of the local oscillator by the pa . since the lo generator has a frequency which coincides with the rf signal at the transmitter output , the large modulated signal at the pa output may pull the vco frequency . the potential for this disturbance can be reduced by setting the vco frequency far from the pa output frequency . to this end , an exemplary embodiment of the lo generator produces rf clocks whose frequency is close to the pa output frequency , as required in a low - if or direct - conversion architectures , with a vco operating at a frequency far from that of the rf clocks . one way of doing so is to use two vco 864 , 866 , with frequencies of f 1 and f 2 respectively , and mix 868 their output to generate a clock at a higher frequency of f 1 + f 2 as shown in fig3 ( a ). with this approach , the vco frequency will be away from the pa output frequency with an offset equal to f 1 ( or f 2 ). a bandpass filter 876 after the mixer can be used to reject the undesired signal at f 1 − f 2 . the maximum offset can be achieved when f 1 is close to f 2 . an alternative embodiment for generating rf clocks far away in frequency from the vco is to generate f 2 by dividing the vco output by n as shown in fig3 ( b ). the output of the vco 864 ( at f 1 ) is coupled to a divider 872 . the output of the divider 872 ( at f 2 ) is mixed with the vco at mixer 868 to produce an rf clock frequency equal to : f lo = f 1 ′( 1 + 1 / n ), where f 1 is the vco frequency . a bandpass filter 874 at the mixer output can be used to reject the lower sideband located at f 1 − f 1 / n . in another embodiment of the present invention , a single sideband mixing scheme is used for the lo generator . fig3 shows a single sideband mixing scheme . this approach generates i and q signals at the vco 864 output . the output of the vco 864 is coupled to a quadrature frequency divider 876 should be able to deliver quadrature outputs . quadrature outputs will be realized if the divide ratio ( n ) is equal to two to the power of an integer ( n = 2 n ). the i signal output of the divider 876 is mixed with the i signal output of the vco 864 by a mixer 878 . similarly , the q signal output of the divider 876 is mixed with the q signal output of the vco 864 by a mixer 880 . although a single sideband structure uses two mixers , this should not double the mixer power consumption , since the gain of the single sideband mixer will be twice as much . by utilizing a gilbert cell ( i . e ., a current commutating mixer ) for each mixer 878 , 880 , the addition or subtraction required in a single sideband mixer can be done by connecting the two mixers 878 , 880 outputs and sharing a common load ( e . g ., an lc circuit ). the current from the mixers is added or subtracted , depending on the polarity of the inputs , and then converted to a voltage by an lc load ( not shown ) resonating at the desired frequency . fig3 shows an lo generator architecture in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . this architecture is similar to the architecture shown in fig3 , except that the lo generator architecture in fig3 generates i - q data . in a low - if system , a quadrature lo is desirable for image rejection . in the described embodiment , the i and q outputs of the vco can be applied to a pair of single sideband mixer to generate quadrature lo signals . a quadrature vco 48 produces i and q signals at its output . buffers are included to provide isolation between the vco output and the lo generator output . the buffer 884 buffers the i output of the vco 48 . the buffer 886 buffers the q output of the vco 48 . the buffer 888 combines the i and q outputs of the buffers 884 , 886 . the signal from the buffer 888 is coupled to a frequency divider 890 where it is divided by n and separated into i and q signals . the i - q outputs of the divider 890 are buffered by buffer 892 and buffer 894 . the i output of the divider 890 is coupled to a buffer 892 and the q signal output of the divider 890 is coupled to a buffer 894 . a first mixer 896 mixes the i signal output of the buffer 892 with the i signal output of the buffer 884 . a second mixer 897 mixes the q signal output from the buffer 894 with q signal output from the buffer 886 . a third mixer 898 mixes the q signal output of the buffer 894 with the i signal output of the buffer 884 . a fourth mixer 899 mixes the i signal output from the buffer 892 with the q signal output from the buffer 886 . the outputs of the first and second mixers 896 , 897 are combined and coupled to buffer 900 . the outputs of the third and fourth mixers 898 , 899 are combined and coupled to buffer 902 . lc circuits ( not shown ) can be positioned at the output of each buffer 900 , 902 to provide a second - order filter which rejects the spurs and harmonics produced due to the mixing action in the lo generator . embodiments of the present invention which are integrated into a single ic may employ buffers configured as differential pairs with a current source to set the bias . with this configuration , if the amplitude of the buffer input is large enough , the signal amplitude at the output will be rather independent of the process parameters . this reduces the sensitivity of the design to temperature or process variation . the lower sideband signal is ideally rejected with the described embodiment of the lo generator because of the quadrature mixing . however , in practice , because of the phase and amplitude inaccuracy at the vco and divider outputs , a finite rejection is obtained . in single ic fully integrated embodiments of the present invention , the rejection is mainly limited to the matching between the devices on chip , and is typically about 30 - 40 db . since the lower sideband signal is 2 × f 1 / n away in frequency from the desired signal , by proper choice of n , it can be further attenuated with on - chip filtering . because of the hard switching action of the buffers , the mixers will effectively be switched by a square - wave signal . thus , the divider output will be upconverted by the main harmonic of vco ( f 1 ), as well as its odd harmonics ( n × f 1 ), with a conversion gain of 1 / n . in addition , at the input of the mixer , because of the nonlinearity of the mixers , and the buffers preceding the mixers , all the odd harmonics of the input signals to the mixers will exist . even harmonics , both at the lo and the input of the mixers can be neglected if a fully balanced configuration is used . therefore , all the harmonics of vco ( n × f 1 ) will mix with all the harmonics of input ( m × f 2 ), where f 2 is equal to f 1 / n . because of the quadrature mixing , at each upconversion only one sideband appears at the mixer output . upper or lower sideband rejection depends on the phase of the input and lo at each harmonic . for instance , for the main harmonics mixed with each other , the lower sideband is rejected , whereas when the main harmonic of the vco mixes with the third harmonic of the divider output signal , the upper sideband is rejected . table 1 gives a summary of the cross - modulation products up to the 5 th harmonic of the vco and input . in each product , only one sideband is considered , since the other one is attenuated due to quadrature mixing , and is negligible . all the spurs are at least 2 × f 1 / n away from the main signal located at f 1 ×( 1 + 1 / n ). the vco frequency will be f 1 / n away from the pa output . thus , by choosing a smaller n better filtering can be obtained . in addition , the vco frequency will be further away from the pa output frequency . the value of n , and the quality factor ( q ) of the resonators ( not shown ) positioned at the output of each component determine how much each spur will be attenuated . the resonator quality factor is usually set by the inductor q , and that depends merely on the ic technology . higher q provides better filtering and lower power consumption . the maximum filtering is obtained by choosing n = 1 . moreover , in this case , the frequency divider is eliminated . this lowers the power consumption and reduces the system complexity of the lo generator . however , the choice of n = 1 may not be practical for certain embodiments of the present invention employing a low - if receiver architecture with quadrature lo signals . the problem arises from the fact that the third harmonic of the vco ( at 3f 1 ) mixed with the divider output ( at f 1 ) also produces a signal at 2f 1 which has the same frequency as the main component of the rf clock output from the lo generator . with the configuration shown in fig3 , the following relations hold for the main harmonics : which show that at the output of the mixers , quadrature signals at twice the vco frequency exist . for the vco third harmonic mixed with the divider output , however , the following relations hold : cos ( ω 1 t )· ⅓ cos ( 3ω 1 t )− sin ( ω 1 t )· ⅓ sin ( 3ω 1 t )→− ⅓ cos ( 2ω 1 t ) ( 47 ) cos ( ω 1 t )· ⅓ sin ( 3ω 1 t )− sin ( ω 1 t )· ⅓ cos ( 3ω 1 t )→− ⅓ sin ( 2ω 1 t ) ( 48 ) the factor ⅓ appears in the above equations because the third harmonic of a square - wave has an amplitude which is one third of the main harmonic . comparing equation ( 46 ) with equation ( 48 ), the two products are added in equation ( 46 ), while they are subtracted in equation ( 47 ). the reason is that for the main harmonic of the vco , quadrature outputs have phases of 0 and 90 °, whereas for the third harmonic , the phases are 0 and 270 °. the same holds true for equation ( 45 ) and equation ( 47 ). the two cosines in equation ( 45 ) and equation ( 47 ), when added , give a cosine at 2ω 1 with an amplitude of 2 / 3 , yet the two sinewaves in equation ( 46 ) and equation ( 48 ) when added , give a component at 2ω 1 with an amplitude of 4 / 3 . therefore , a significant amplitude imbalance exists at the i and q outputs of the mixers . when these signals pass through the nonlinear buffer at the mixers output , the amplitude imbalance will be reduced . however , because of the am to pm conversion , some phase inaccuracy will be introduced . the accuracy can be improved with a quadrature generator , such as a polyphase filter , after the mixers . a polyphase filter , however , is lossy , especially at high frequency , and it can load its previous stage considerably . this increases the lo generator power consumption significantly , and renders the choice of n = 1 unattractive for embodiments of the present invention employing a low - if receiver architecture with quadrature lo signals . for n = 2 , the lo generator output will have a frequency of 1 . 5f 1 , and the closest spurs will be located ± f 1 away from the output . these spurs can be rejected by positioning lc filters ( not shown ) at the output of each circuit in the lo generator . a second - order lc filter tuned to f 0 , with a quality factor q , rejects a signal at a frequency of f as given in the following equation : the following discussion changes based on the q value . considering a q of about 5 for the inductor , with f 0 = 1 . 5f 1 , the spur located at 2 . 5f 1 is rejected by about 15 db by each lc circuit . this spur is produced at the lo generator output due to the mixing of the vco third harmonic ( at 3f 1 ) with the divider output ( at 0 . 5f 1 ). this signal is attenuated by 10 db since the third harmonic of a square - wave is one third of the main harmonic , 15 db at the lc resonator at the mixers output tuned to 1 . 5f 1 , and another 15 db at the output of the buffers ( 900 , 902 in fig3 ). this gives a total rejection of 40 db . when applied to the mixers in the transmitter , this lo generator output will upconvert the baseband data to 2 . 5f 1 . with lc filters ( not shown ) positioned at the upconversion mixers and pa output in the transmitter , another 15 + 15 = 30 db rejection is obtained ( fig3 ). the spur located at 0 . 5f 1 is produced because of the third harmonic of the divider output ( at 1 . 5f 1 ) is mixed with the vco output ( at f 1 ). because of the hard switching action at the divider output , the third harmonic is about 10 db lower than the main harmonic at 0 . 5f 1 . the buffer at the divider output tuned to 0 . 5f 1 ( 892 , 8943 in fig3 ), rejects this signal by about 22 db ( equation ( 24 )). this spur can be further attenuated by lc circuits at the mixer and its buffer output by ( 2 )( 22 )= 44 db . the total rejection is 76 db . fig3 ( a ) shows a signal passing through a limiting buffer 910 ( such as the buffers implemented in the lo generator ). when a large signal at a frequency of f accompanied with a small interferer at a frequency of δf 902 away pass through a limiting buffer , at the limiter output the interferer produces two tones ± δf 914 , 916 away from the main signal , each with 6 db lower amplitude . therefore , the spur at 2 . 5f 1 will actually be 10 + 15 + 15 + 6 = 46 db attenuated when it passes through the buffer , instead of the 40 db calculated above . it will also produce an image at 0 . 5f 1 which is 10 + 15 + 22 + 6 = 53 db lower than the main signal . this will dominate the spur at 0 . 5f 1 because of the third harmonic of the divider mixed with the vco signal , which is more than 75 db lower than the main signal . since the buffer is nonlinear , another major spur at the lo generator output is the third harmonic of the main signal located at 3 × 1 . 5f 1 . this signal will be 10 + 22 = 32 db lower than the main harmonic . the 22 db rejection results from an lc circuit ( not shown ) tuned to 1155f 1 ( equation ( 49 )) in the buffer . this undesired signal will not degrade the lo generator performance , since even if a perfect sinewave is applied to upconversion ( or downconversion ) mixers , due to hard switching action of the buffer , the mixer is actually switched by a square - wave whose third harmonic is only 10 db lower . thus , if a nonlinear pa is used in the transmitter , even with a perfect input to the pa , the third harmonic at the transmitter output will be 10 + 22 + 10 = 42 db lower . the first 10 db is because the third harmonic of a square - wave is one third of the main one , the 22 db is due to the lc filter at the pa output , and the last 10 db is because the data is spread in the frequency domain by three times . any dc offset at the mixer input in the transmitter is upconverted by the lo , and produces a spur at f 1 . this spur can be attenuated by 13 db for each lc circuit used ( equation ( 49 )). in addition , the signal at the mixer input in the transmitter is considerably larger ( about 10 - 20 times ) than the dc offset . thus the spur at f 1 will be about 13 + 13 + 26 = 52 db lower than the main signal . all other spurs given in table 1 are more than 55 db lower at the lo generator output . the dominant spur is the one at 2 . 5f 1 which is about 46 db lower than the main signal . choosing n & gt ; 2 may not provide much benefit for single ic embodiments of the present invention with the possible exception that the on - chip filtering requirements may be relaxed . when using an odd number for n , further disadvantages may be realized because the divider output will not be in quadrature thereby preventing single sideband mixing . in addition , for n & gt ; 2 the divider becomes more complex and the power consumption increases . nevertheless , in certain applications , n = 4 may be selected over n = 2 so that the divider quadrature accuracy will not depend on the duty cycle of the input signal . when choosing n equal to 2 n , such as n = 2 , quadrature signals are readily available at the divider output despite quadrature phase inaccuracies at the output of the vco . assume that the vco outputs have phase of 0 and 90 °+ q , where q is ideally 0 , and that the divider produces perfect quadrature outputs . at the lo generator outputs the following signals exist : v out — i = cos ( ω 2 t )· cos ( ω 1 t + θ )− sin ( ω 2 t )· sin ( ω 1 t ) ( 50 ) v out — q = cos ( ω 2 t )· sin ( ω 1 t )+ sin ( ω 2 t )· cos ( ω 1 t + θ ) ( 51 ) where ω 1 is the vco radian frequency , and ω 2 is the divider radian frequency , equal to 0 . 5ω 1 . by simplifying equation ( 25 ) and equation ( 26 ), the signals at the output of mixers will be : the above equations show that regardless of the value of θ , the outputs are always in quadrature . however , other effects should be evaluated . first , a spur at ω 1 − ω 2 = 0 . 5ω 1 is produced at the output . this spur can be attenuated by 2 × 22 = 44 db by the lc filters at the mixer and its buffer outputs . thus , for 60 db rejection , the single sideband mixers need to provide an additional 16 db of rejection ( about 0 . 158 ). based on equation ( 53 ), tan ( θ / 2 )= 0 . 158 , or θ ˜ 18 °, phase accuracy of better than 18 ° can generally be achieved . second , phase error at the vco output lowers the mixer gain ( term cos ( θ / 2 ) in equation ( 52 ) or ( 53 )). for a phase error of 18 °, the gain reduction is , however , only 0 . 1 db , which is negligible . for θ = 90 ° ( a single - phase vco ), both sidebands are equally upconverted at the mixer output . however , the lc filters reject the lower sideband by about 44 db . the mixer gain will also be 3 db lower . this will slightly increase the power consumption of the lo generator . if θ = 180 ° ( the vco i and q outputs are switched ), the lower sideband is selected , and the desired sideband is completely rejected . similarly , the lo generator will not be sensitive to the phase imbalance of the divider outputs if the vco is ideal . however , if there is some phase inaccuracy at both the divider and vco outputs , the lo generator outputs will no longer be in quadrature . in fact , if the vco output has a phase error of q , and the divider output has a phase error of q 2 , the lo generator outputs will be : this shows that the outputs still have phases of 0 and 90 °, but their amplitudes are not equal . the amplitude imbalance is equal to : if θ 1 and θ 2 are small and have an equal standard deviation , that is , the phase errors in the vco and divider are the same in nature , then the output amplitude standard deviation will be : where σ a is the standard deviation of the output amplitude , and θ θ is the phase standard deviation in radians . equation ( 57 ) denotes that the phase inaccuracy in the vco and divider has a second order effect on the lo generator . for instance , if θ 1 and θ 2 are on the same order and about 10 °, the amplitude imbalance of the output signals will be only about 1 . 5 %. in this case , the lower sideband will be about 15 db rejected by the mixers , which will lead to a total attenuation of about 22 + 22 + 15 = 59 db . this shows that the lo generator is robust to phase errors at the vco or divider outputs , since typically phase errors of less than 5 ° can be obtained on chip . phase errors in the divider can originate from the mismatch at its output . moreover , for n = 2 , if the input of the divider does not have a 50 % duty cycle , the outputs will not be in quadrature . again , the deviation from a 50 % duty cycle in the divider input signal may be caused due to mismatch . typically , with a careful layout , this mismatch is minimized to a few percent . the latter problem can also be alleviated by improving the common - mode rejection of the buffer preceding the divider ( 888 in fig3 ). one possible way of doing so is to add a small resistor at the common tail of the inductors in the buffer . for a differential output , this resistor does not load the resonator at the buffer output , since the inductors common tail is at ac ground . a common - mode signal at the output is suppressed however , since this resistor degrades the lc circuit quality factor . the value of the resistor should be chosen appropriately so as not to produce a headroom problem in the buffer . embodiments of the present invention that are fully integrated onto a single ic can be implemented with a wide tuning range vco with constant gain . in a typical ic process , the capacitance can vary by 20 %. this translates to a 10 % variation in the center frequency of the oscillator . a wide tuning range can be used to compensate for variation . variations in temperature and supply voltage can also shift the center frequency . to generate a wide tuning range , two identical oscillators can be coupled together as shown in fig3 . this approach forces the oscillation to be dependent on the amount of coupling between the two oscillators . in the described exemplary embodiment of the vco shown in fig3 , the tuning curve is divided into segments with each segment digitally selected . this approach ensures a sufficient amount of coupling between the two oscillators for injection lock . in addition , good phase noise performance is also obtained . the narrow frequency segment prevents the gain of the vco from saturating . the segmentation lowers the vco gain by the number of segments , and finally by scaling the individual segments , a piecewise linear version of the tuning curve is made resulting in a constant gain vco . fig3 shows a block diagram of the wide tuning range vco comprising two coupled oscillators where the amount of coupling transconductance is variable . the wide tuning range vco comprises two resonators 800 , 802 and four transconductance cells , g m cells 804 , 806 , 808 , 810 . the transconductance cells are driver that converts voltage to current . the transconductance cells used to couple the oscillators together have a variable gain . the first vco 800 provides the i signal and the second vco provides the q signal . the output of the first vco 800 and the output of the second vco 802 are coupled to transconductance cells 806 , 807 , respectively , combined , and fed back to the first vco 800 . the transconductance cell 807 used for feeding back the output of the second vco to the first vco is a programmable variable gain cell . similarly , the output of the second vco 802 and the output of the first vco 800 are coupled to transconductance cells 805 , 804 , respectively , combined , and fed back to the second vco 802 . the transconductance cell 804 used for feeding back the output of the first vco to the second vco is a programmable variable gain cell . the gain of the programmable variable gain transconductance cells 804 , 807 can be digitally controlled from the controller fig3 shows a schematic block diagram of the wide - tuning range vco described in connection with fig3 . the wide - tuning range vco includes individual current sources 810 , 812 , 814 , 816 , cross - coupled transistors 818 , 820 with resonating inductors 826 , 828 , and cross - coupled transistors 822 , 824 with resonating inductors 830 , 832 . two differential pairs couple the two sets of oscillators . differential pair 834 , 836 are coupled to the drains of transistors 824 , 822 , respectively . differential pair 838 , 840 are coupled to the drains of transistors 818 , 820 . tank # 1 comprises inductors 826 and 828 . tank # 2 comprises inductors 830 and 832 . transistors 818 and 820 form a cross - coupled pair that injects a current into tank # 1 that is exactly 180 degrees out of phase with v 1 . likewise , transistors 822 and 824 form a cross - coupled pair that injects a current into tank # 2 that is exactly 180 degrees out of phase with v 2 . the first set of coupling devices 834 , 836 injects a current into tank # 2 that is in - phase with v 1 . the second set of coupling devices 838 , 840 injects a current into tank # 1 that is in phase with v 2 . the tank impedances causes a frequency dependent phase shift . by varying the amplitude of the coupled signals , the frequency of oscillation changes until the phase shift through the tanks results in a steady - state solution . varying the bias of the current source controls the gm of the coupling devices . current sources 812 , 816 provide control of vco tuning . current sources 810 , 814 provide segmentation of the vco tuning range . fig3 ( a ) shows the typical tuning curve of the wide tuning range vco before and after segmentation . the horizontal axis is voltage . the vertical axis is frequency . fig3 ( b ) shows how segmentation is used to divide the tuning range and linearize the tuning curve . the linear tuning curves correspond to different vco segments . the slope of the linear tuning curves is a result control of vco tuning . the horizontal axis is voltage . the vertical axis is frequency . fig3 ( a ) shows how the vco of fig3 can be connected to the divider before being upconverted to the rf clock frequency in the lo generator . the i output signal of the vco is coupled to buffer 884 and the q output signal of the vco is coupled to buffer 886 . buffer 888 combines the i - q data from the buffer 884 and the buffer 886 to obtain a larger signal . the large signal is coupled to a divider 50 where it is divided in frequency by n to get quadrature signals . in another embodiment of the present invention , a polyphase filter 892 follows a single - phase vco as shown in fig3 ( b ). this approach uses a single phase vco 48 with a polyphase filter 892 to get quadrature signals . the output of the vco 48 is coupled to a buffer 888 . the buffer provides sufficient drive for the polyphase filter 892 . a multiple stage polyphase filter can be used to obtain better phase accuracy at a certain frequency range . embodiments of the present invention that are fully integrated into a single ic , the required frequency range is mainly set by the process variation on the chip and the system bandwidth . any amplitude imbalance in the signals at the vco and divider output will only cause a second order mismatch in the amplitude of the lo generator signals , and the output phase will remain 0 and 90 °. if the standard deviation of the amplitude imbalance at the vco and divider are the same and equal to σ a , then the standard deviation of the lo generator output amplitude imbalance ( σ a ) will be : the reason phase inaccuracy is more emphasized here is that because of the limiting stages in the lo generator and the hard switching at the mixers lo input , most of the errors will be in phase , rather than amplitude . although the phase or amplitude inaccuracy at the mixers input or lo has only a second order effect on the lo generator , any mismatch at the mixers outputs or the following stages will directly cause phase and amplitude imbalance in the lo generator outputs . this mismatch will typically be a few percent , and will not adversely impact the transceiver performance , since in a low - if or direct conversion architectures the required image rejection is usually relaxed . the controller performs adaptive programming and calibration of the receiver , transmitter and lo generator ( see fig2 ). an exemplary embodiment of the controller in accordance with one aspect of the present invention is shown in fig3 . a control bus 17 provides two way communication between the controller and the external processing device ( not shown ). this communication link can be used to externally program the transceiver parameters for different modulation schemes , data rates and if operating frequencies . in the described exemplary embodiment , the external processing device transmits data across the control bus 17 to a bank of addressable registers 900 - 908 in the controller . each addressable register 900 - 908 is configured to latch data for programming one of the components in the transmitter , receiver lo generator . by way of example , the power amplifier register 900 is used to program the gain of the power amplifier 62 in the transmitter ( see fig2 ). the lo register 902 is used to program the if frequency in the lo generator . the demodulator register 903 is used to program the demodulator for fsk demodulation , or alternatively in the described exemplary embodiment , program the a / d converter to handle different modulation schemes . the agc register 905 programs the gain of the programmable multiple stage amplifier when in the agc mode . the filter registers 901 , 904 , 906 program the frequency and bandwidth of their respective filters . the transmission of data between the external processing device and the controller can take on various forms including , by way of example , a serial data stream parsed into a number of data packets . each data packet includes programming data for one of the transceiver components accompanied by a register address . each register 900 - 908 in the controller is assigned a different address and is configured to latch the programming data in the each data packet where the register address in that data packet matches its assigned address . the controller also may include various calibration circuits . in the described exemplary embodiment , the controller is equipped with an rc calibration circuit 907 and a bandgap calibration circuit 908 . the rc calibration circuit 907 can compensate an integrated circuit transceiver for process , temperature , and power supply variations . the bandgap calibration circuit can be used by the receiver , transmitter , and lo generator to set amplifier gains and voltage swings . the programming data from the addressable registers 900 - 908 and the calibration data from the rc calibration circuit 907 and the bandgap calibration circuit 908 are coupled to an output register 909 . the output register 909 formats the programmability and calibration data into a data packets . each data packet includes a header or preamble which addresses the appropriate transceiver component . the data packets are then transmitted serially over a controller bus 910 to their final destination . byway of example , the output register 909 packages the programming data from the power amplifier register 900 with the header or preamble for the power amplifier and outputs the packaged data as the first data packet to the controller bus 910 . the second data packet generated by the output register 909 is for the programmable low pass filter in the transmitter . the second data packet includes two data segments each with its own header or preamble . the first segment consists of both programmability and calibration data . because the programmability feature requires a large dynamic range as far as programming the programmable low pass filter to handle different frequency bands , and the calibration feature is more of a fine tuning function of the programmable low pass filter once tuned requiring a much smaller dynamic range , a single digital word containing both programming and calibration information can be used with the most significant bits ( msb ) having the programming information and the least significant bits ( lsb ) having the calibration information . to this end , the output register 909 combines the output of the low pass filter register 901 with the output of the rc calibration circuit 907 with the low pass filter register output constituting the msbs and the rc calibration circuit output constituting the lsbs . a header or preamble is attached to the combined outputs identifying the data packet for rc calibration of the programmable low pass filter in the transmitter . similarly , the second segment of the second data packet is generated by combining the low pass filter register output ( as the msbs ) with the bandgap calibration circuit output ( as the lsbs ) and attaching a header or preamble identifying the data packets for bandgap calibration of the programmable low pas filter . the third data packet generated and transmitted by the output register 909 can program the dividers in the lo generator to produce different if frequencies . the third data packet can be a single segment of data with a header or preamble identifying the lo generator for programming each divider . alternatively , the third data packet can include any number of data segments with , in one embodiment , different programming data for each divider in the lo generator . each data segment would include a header or preamble identifying a specific divider in the lo generator . the fourth data packet generated and transmitted by the output register 909 could include the programming data output from the demodulator register 904 with the appropriate header or preamble . the output of the complex bandpass filter register 904 can be combined with the output from the rc calibration circuit 907 to form the first segment of the fifth data packet . the output of the complex bandpass filter register 904 can also be combined with the output of the bandgap calibration circuit 908 to form the second segment of the fifth data packet . each segment can have its own header or preamble indicating the type of calibration data for the complex bandpass filter . the sixth data packet generated and transmitted by the output register 909 can be the output data from the agc register 905 accompanied by a header or preamble identifying the data packet for the programmable multiple stage amplifier in the receiver . the output of the polyphase filter register 906 can be combined with the output from the rc calibration circuit 907 to form the first segment of the seventh data packet . the output of the polyphase filter register 906 can also be combined with the output of the bandgap calibration circuit 908 to form the second segment of the seventh data packet . each segment can have its own header or preamble indicating the type of calibration data for the polyphase filter . finally , the output register 907 can configure additional data packets from the output of the rc calibration circuit 907 and , in separate data packets , the output of the bandgap calibration circuit 908 with appropriate headers or preambles . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , other data transmission schemes can be used . by way of example , the separate output registers for each transceiver component could be used . in this embodiment , each output register would be directly connected to one or more transceiver components . rc calibration circuits can provide increased accuracy for improved performance . embodiments of the present invention that are integrated into a single ic can utilize rc calibration to compensate for process , temperature , and power supply variation . for example , variations in the absolute value of the rc circuit in a complex filter can limit the amount of rejection that the filter can provide . in the described exemplary embodiments of the present invention , an rc calibration circuit in the controller can provide dynamic calibration of every rc circuit by providing a control word to the transmitter , receiver and lo generator . fig3 shows an exemplary rc calibration circuit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the calibration circuit uses the reference clock from the lo generator to generate a 4 - bit control word using a compare - and - increment loop until an optimum value is obtained . the 4 - bit control provides an efficient technique for calibrating the rc circuits of the transceiver with a maximum deviation from its optimal value of only 5 %. transistors 172 , 174 , 176 . 178 , 180 , 182 form a cascode current source with a reference current i ref 184 . with the gates of the transistors 172 and 178 tied to their respective sources , a fixed reference current i ref 184 can be established . by tying the gates of the transistors 174 , 180 to the gates of the transistors 172 , 178 , respectively , the current through resistor r c 186 can be mirrored to i ref 184 . similarly , by tying the gates of the transistors 176 , 182 to the gates of the transistors 174 , 180 , respectively , the current through resistor r c 186 can be mirrored to a tunable capacitor c c 188 . the calibration circuit tunes the absolute value of the rc to a desired frequency by using this cascode - current source to provide identical currents to the on - chip reference resistor r c 186 and to the tunable capacitor c c 188 generating the voltages v res 190 and v cap 192 , respectively . embodiments of the present invention that are integrated into a single ic can use an off - chip reference resistor r c to obtain greater calibration accuracy . the current through the tunable capacitor is controlled by a logic control block 195 via switch s 2 193 . during the charging phase , switch s 2 193 is closed and switch s 1 is open to charge the tunable capacitor c c 188 to v cap . the voltage held on the tunable capacitor 188 v cap is then compared , using a latched comparator 198 , to a voltage generated across the reference resistor 186 . the value of the tunable capacitor c c 188 is incremented in successive steps by the logic control block 195 until the voltage held by the tunable capacitor c c matches the voltage across the reference resistor 186 , at which point the 4 - bit control word for optimal calibration of the rc circuits for the transmitter , receiver , and lo generator is obtained . more particularly , once the voltage v cap reaches the voltage v res , the output of the comparator output 198 switches . the switched comparator output is detected by the control logic 195 . the control logic 195 opens switch s 2 193 and closes switch s 1 194 causing the tunable capacitor 188 c c to discharge . the resultant 4 - bit control word is latched by the control logic 195 and coupled to the transceiver , receiver , and lo generator . c p 200 compensates for the parasitic capacitance loading of the capacitive branch . by choosing c c 188 to be much larger than c p 200 , the voltage error at node v cap 192 caused by charging the parasitic capacitance becomes negligible . the clock signals used by the calibration circuit are generated by first dividing the reference clock down in frequency , and then converting the result into different phases for the charging , comparison , increment , and discharging phases of calibration . embodiments of the present invention that are integrated onto a single ic can obtain an accurate rc value because capacitor scaling and matching on the same integrated circuit can be well - controlled with proper layout technique . the described rc calibration circuit provides an rc - tuning range of approximately + 40 %, which is sufficient to cover the range of process variation typical in semiconductor fabrication . an rc calibration circuit using polyphase filtering is an alternative method for calibrating rc circuits in the transmitter , receiver , and lo generator . the rc calibration using polyphase filtering circuit includes an auto - calibration algorithm in which the capacitors or the rc circuits in the transceiver , receiver and lo generator can be calibrated with a control word generated by comparing the signal attenuation across two tunable polyphase filters . the calibrated rc value obtained as a result of this algorithm is accurate to within ± 5 % of its optimal value . fig4 shows an exemplary embodiment of the rc calibration circuit using polyphase filtering . the rc calibration circuit uses the reference clock from the lo generator to adjust the rc value in two polyphase filters 280 , 282 in successive steps until an optimum value has been selected . in this process , the two polyphase filters 280 , 282 provide signal rejection that is dependent upon the value of ω =( rc ) − 1 to which they are tuned by control logic 286 . initially , the first filter ( polyphase a ) 280 is tuned to a frequency less than the frequency of the reference clock ( reference frequency ), and the second filter ( polyphase b ) 282 is tuned to a frequency greater than the reference frequency by control logic 286 . the signals at the outputs of the polyphase filters are detected with a received - signal - strength - indicator ( rssi ) block 284 , 285 in each path . a filter is coupled to rssi block 284 and the polyphase b filter is coupled to rssi block 285 . with an input dynamic range of 50 db , the rssi circuit is designed to detect the levels of rejection provided by the polyphase filtering . the outputs of rssi block 284 and rssi block 285 are coupled to a comparator 280 where the level of signal rejection of each polyphase filter is compared by comparator 280 . the outputs of the rssi blocks are also coupled to the control logic 286 . the control logic 286 determines from the rssi outputs which polyphase filter has a lower amount of signal suppression . then , the control logic 286 adjusts the frequency tuning of that filter in an incremental step via the control logic 286 . this is done by either increasing the tuned frequency of the first filter ( polyphase a ) filter 280 , or by decreasing the tuned frequency of the second filter ( polyphase b ) 282 by changing the appropriate 4 - bit control word . this process continues in successive steps until the 4 - bit control word in each branch are identical , at which point , the rc values of the two polyphase filters are equal . this results in a change of state of the comparator 288 output . the change in state of the comparator output disables the control logic 286 locking up the 4 - bit control word for optimum calibration of the rc circuits in the transmitter , receiver and lo generator . the 4 - bit control word provides a maximum deviation of only ± 5 %. in the described exemplary embodiment , the frequency of the input signal x in is derived from the reference frequency and is chosen to be , by way of example , 2 mhz . this input signal x in is obtained by initially dividing the reference clock down in frequency , followed by a conversion into quadrature phases at the control logic 286 . by dividing the reference clock by a factor greater than two with digital flip - flops ( not shown ), the input signal at x in is known to be differential with well - defined quadrature phases . two branches of polyphase filtering are used in this algorithm . two 4 - bit control words are used to control the value of the capacitances in each polyphase filter . the initial control words set the capacitance in the first filter ( polyphase a ) to its maximum value and the capacitance in the second filter ( polyphase b ) to its minimum value . this provides an initial condition in which the filters have maximum signal suppression set at frequencies ( ω low and ω high ) that are approximately ± 40 % of the frequency of the input signal x in for the case of nominal process variation . for a sinusoidal input x in , the calibration circuit depicted in fig4 would require only a single - stage polyphase filter in each branch . the single - stage filters would attenuate the sinusoid input signal , generating outputs at x a and x b with the dominant one still at the same frequency as the input signal . however , the reference clock from the lo generator is a digital rail - to - rail clock . because the input is not a pure sinusoid , multiple - stage filters may provide greater calibration accuracy . in the case of a single - stage filter with a digital clock , the filter would suppress the fundamental frequency component at ω in to a significant degree but the harmonics would pass through relatively unaffected . the rssi block would then detect and limit the third harmonic component of the input signal at 3ω in , as it becomes the dominant frequency component after the fundamental is suppressed . this could result in an inaccurate calibration code . a three - stage polyphase filter can be used in each branch to suppress the fundamental frequency component of x in as well as the 3rd and 5th harmonics . the first stage of the polyphase filter can provide rejection of the fundamental frequency component . the second stage can provide rejection of the 3rd harmonic . the third stage can provide rejection of the 5th harmonic . at the same time , the higher harmonics of the input signal x in can be suppressed with an rc lowpass filter in a buffer ( not shown ) preceding the polyphase filters . as a result , the dominant frequency component of the signals x a and x b remains at the input frequency ω in , which is then properly detected by the rssi blocks . a calibration clock used for the control logic runs at a frequency of 250 khz . the reference clock can be divided down inside the controller , or alternatively in the control logic . this clock frequency has been selected to allow the rssi outputs to settle after the capacitance value in one of the polyphase filters has been incremented or decremented . for a clock frequency of 250 khz and a 4 - bit control word generating 2 4 possible capacitance values , the calibration is completed within ( 250 khz ) − 1 ( 2 4 − 1 )= 60 μs . during the calibration process the calibration circuitry draws 4 ma from a 3 - v supply , and the rc calibration circuitry can be powered down when the optimal rc value has been selected to reduce power consumption . in the transmitter , receiver and lo generator , metal - insulator - metal ( mim ) capacitors can be used as the calibration component for the rc circuits . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , other capacitor technologies may be used . the mim capacitors are generally characterized by a low bottom - plate parasitic capacitance to substrate of 1 %. a parallel capacitor array can be used in calibrating each rc circuit as shown in fig4 . the parallel array is much smaller in area than a series array for the same capacitor value . complementary mos switches or other switches known in the art , can be used in the capacitor array . the capacitor array can include any number of capacitors . in the exemplary embodiment , the capacitor array capacitors 290 , 292 , 294 , 296 , 298 are connected in parallel . switches 300 , 302 , 304 , 306 are used to switch the capacitors 292 , 294 , 296 , 298 , respectively , in and out of the capacitor array . in the described embodiment , capacitor 290 is 2 . 4 pf , capacitor 292 is 2 . 4 pf , capacitor 294 is 1 . 2 pf , capacitor 296 is 0 . 6 pf , capacitor 298 is 0 . 3 pf . the switch positions are nominally selected to produce an equivalent capacitance equal to 4 . 8 pf . a code of “ 0111 ” means that capacitors 294 , 296 , 298 are switched out of the capacitor array and capacitors 290 , 292 are in parallel . the switches can be binary - weighted in size and the switch sizes can be chosen according to tradeoffs regarding parasitic capacitances and frequency limitations based on the on - resistance of the cmos switches . the capacitive error resulting from the parasitic capacitance in each capacitive array does not result in frequency error between the three polyphase stages of the rc calibration circuit in the controller . this is because by using same capacitor array in each filter , and by scaling the resistance accordingly in each case . scaling resistances , relative to those in the fundamental polyphase filter , by factors of ⅓ and ⅕ in the 3 rd and 5 th harmonic filters respectively , are achieved with a high degree of accuracy with proper layout . similarly , rc tuning in all other blocks utilizing the calibrated code is optimized when an identical capacitive array is used , scaling only the resistance value in tuning to the desired frequency . the capacitors in the capacitive arrays are laid out in 100ff increments to improve the matching and parasitic fringing effects . in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a bandgap reference current is generated by a bandgap calibration circuit . the bandgap reference current is used by the receiver , transmitter , and lo generator to set amplifier gains and voltage swings . the bandgap calibration circuit generates an accurate voltage and resistance . an accurate bandgap reference current results from dividing the accurate voltage by the an accurate resistance . bandgap calibration circuits can provide increased accuracy for improved performance . embodiments of the present invention that are integrated onto a single ic can utilize bandgap calibration circuits to compensate for process , temperature , and power supply variations . for example , variations in the absolute value of the resistance in a bandgap reference may result in deviations from optimal performance in sensitive circuitry that rely on accurate biasing conditions . in the described exemplary embodiment of the transceiver , a bandgap calibration circuit in the controller 16 provides an effective technique for self - calibration of resistance values in the transmitter , receiver and lo generator . the calibrated resistance values obtained as a result of the algorithm employed in the bandgap calibration circuit generate a bias current that varies by only + 2 % over typical process , temperature , and supply variation . embodiments of the present invention which are integrated into a single ic can use the described bandgap calibration circuit to provide accurate on - chip resistors by comparing the on - chip resistances to an off - chip reference resistor with a low tolerance of 1 %. using this method , trimming of on - chip resistance values with a total tolerance of 2 % can be achieved . fig4 shows an exemplary embodiment of the bandgap calibration circuit . the bandgap calibration circuit uses the reference clock provided from the lo generator and a reference resistor r ref 236 to adjust a tunable resistance value r poly 238 in a compare - and - increment loop until an optimum value is obtained . in embodiments of the present invention which are integrated into a single ic , the reference resistor r ref 236 can be off - chip to provide improved calibration accuracy . a 4 - bit control word is output to accurately calibrate the resistors in the transmitter , receiver and lo generator within ± 2 %. transistors 227 , 226 , 228 , 230 , 232 , 234 form a cascode current with a reference current i ref . the transistors 224 , 230 each have their gates tied to their respective sources to set up the reference current i rff . by tying the gates of the transistors 224 , 230 , respectively to the gates of the transistors 226 , 232 , the reference current i ref is mirrored to the reference resistor r ref 236 . similarly , by tying the gates of the transistors 228 , 234 , respectively to the gates of the transistors , the reference current i ref is also mirrored to the tunable resistor r poly 238 . the voltage generated across the tunable resistor r poly 238 is compared , using a latched comparator 240 , to the voltage generated across the reference resistor r ref 236 . the value of the tunable resistor r poly 236 is incremented in successive steps , preferably , every 0 . 5 μs , through the utilization of control logic 242 that is clocked , byway of example , at 2 mhz . this process continues until the voltage v poly across the tunable resistor r poly 238 matches the voltage v ref across the off - chip reference resistor r ref 236 causing the output of the comparator to change states and disable the control logic 242 . once the control logic is disabled , the 4 - bit control word can be used to accurately calibrate the resistors in the transmitter , receiver and lo generator . the clock signals used by the calibration circuit are generated by first dividing the reference clock input into the controller from the lo generator down in frequency , and then converting the result into different phases for the comparison and increment phases of calibration . this bandgap calibration circuit provides accurate resistance values for use in various on - chip circuit implementations because resistor scaling and matching on the same integrated circuit can be well controlled with proper layout techniques . the bandgap calibration circuit provides a resistor tuning range of approximately + 30 %, which is sufficient to cover the range of process variation typical in semiconductor fabrication . with a 4 - bit control word generating 24 possible resistance values , the calibration is completed within ( 2 mhz )− 1 ( 24 − 1 )= 7 . 5 ms . the calibration circuit can be powered down when the optimal resistance value has been obtained . the bandgap calibration circuit can be used for numerous applications . by way of example , fig4 shows a bandgap calibration circuit 244 used in an application for calibrating a bandgap reference current that is independent of temperature . the 4 - bit control word from the bandgap calibration circuit is coupled , by way of illustration , to the receiver . the 4 - bit control word is used to calibrate resistances in a proportional - to - absolute - temperature ( ptat ) bias circuit 246 , and also in a v be ( negative temperature coefficient ) bias circuit 248 . the outputs of these block ( s are two bias voltages , v p 250 and v n , 252 that generate currents exhibiting a positive temperature coefficient , and a negative temperature coefficient , respectively . when these currents are summed together using the cascode current mirror formed by transistors 254 , 256 , 258 , 260 , the result is a current i out displays a ( ideally ) zero temperature coefficient . in the transmitter , receiver and lo generator non - silicided polysilicon resistors can be used . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , other resistor technologies can also be used . non - silicided polysilicon resistors have a high sheet resistance of 200 - ω / square along with desirable matching properties . a switching resistor array as shown in fig4 can be used to calibrate a resistor . the array includes serial connected resistors 208 , 210 , 212 , 214 , 216 , which , by way of example , have resistances of 2200ω , 1100ω , 550ω , 275ω , and 137ω , respectively . the resistors 210 , 212 , 214 , 216 include a bypass switch for switching the resistors in and out of the array . the switch positions are nominally selected to produce an equivalent of 3025ω . this resistance value has been chosen as a convenience to match the value used in generating an accurate bandgap reference current . a 4 - bit calibration code 206 is used to control the total resistance in this array . as seen in fig4 , the resistances are binary - weighted in value and the accurate scaling of each incremental resistance results by placing the largest resistor ( 2200ω ) 208 in series to generate each value . in the described embodiment , the incremental resistances shown in fig4 are chosen so that the total resistance in the array covers a range 30 % above and below its nominal value , with a maximum resistance error of + 2 % determined by the incremental resistance switched by the lsb . the range of resistance covered by the array is sufficient to cover typical process variations in a semiconductor process . a series resistive array may be desirable opposed to a parallel resistive array because of the smaller area occupied on the wafer . cmos switches are one of several different types of switch technology that can be used . the sizing of the switches entails a tradeoff between the on - resistance of each switch and the frequency limitations that result from the parasitic capacitances associated with each switch . for calibration resistors in the bandgap reference circuits , large switches are used to minimize the effect of the on - resistance of each switch , as frequency limitations are not a concern for this application . embodiments of the present invention that are integrated into a single ic can be implemented with a variety of technologies including , by way of example , cmos technology . heretofore , cmos capacitors between two nodes with similar voltages ( i . e ., floating capacitors ) have been problematic . in the described exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a mos capacitor is used between two nodes having similar voltages for signals with no dc information . the capacitor is made of two mos capacitors in series with a large resistor in between to ground for biasing . fig4 is a block diagram of the floating mos capacitor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , the capacitor comprises two similar devices 858 , 860 in series . each mos transistor has its source and drain connected together . the connected drain - source terminal of the mos transistor 858 constitutes the input of the cmos capacitor and the connected drain - source terminal of the mos transistor 860 constitutes the output of the cmos capacitor . the gates of each mos transistor are connected through a common resistor 862 to a bias source ( not shown ). in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , an integrated matching circuit can be used to connect the lna in the receiver to the pa in the transmitter . as the level of integration in radio communication circuits tend to grow , more functions are embodied on the same chip and off - chip components are used less than ever . presence of external components not only augments the manufacturing costs , but also increases the pin count on the main chip . the antenna switch is an example of such components . this switch is used to connect the receiver to antenna in reception mode and the transmitter to antenna in transmission mode . in the described exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the antenna switch can be eliminated , and the input of the receiver can be tied to the output of the transmitter . this approach has various applications including , but not limited to , single chip integration . since the antenna is usually single - ended , differential applications generally require a mechanism to convert the antenna signal from single - ended to differential for connection to the differential low noise amplifier ( lna ) or the differential pa . the circuit implementation for a single - ended to differential lna is shown in fig4 and 47 . lc circuit , 646 , 648 and the cl circuit 652 , 650 matches the pa to the antenna when the pa is on and the lna is off ( as shown in fig4 ), and matches the lna to the antenna when the lna is on and the pa is off ( as shown in fig4 ). since the lna is off and it only introduces a capacitive loading to the pa . the matching circuit can be designed to compensate for this additional capacitance . in operation , during the transmit mode , a differential voltage across the drains of the pa transistors 634 , 632 is generated . the two drains assert 180 - degree out of phase voltages and they are combined through the lc and cl matching circuits to yield a single - ended voltage at the output . the lc circuit shifts the phase of the output signal from the transistor 634 by 90 degrees . the cl circuit shifts the phase of the signal output from the transistor 632 by 90 degrees in the opposite direction . consequently , both signals are in - phase when combined at the output of the matching circuits . although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described , it should not be construed to limit the scope of the appended claims . for example , the present invention can be into a single integrated circuit , can be constructed from discrete components , or can include one or more integrated circuits supported by discrete components . those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications may be made to the described embodiments . moreover , to those skilled in the various arts , the invention itself herein will suggest solutions to other tasks and adaptations for other applications . it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , reference being made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention .	7
hereinafter , an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings . fig2 is a flowchart showing a video signal transmitting method according to the present invention . all mbs of a kth frame are encoded ( step 200 ). the encoding is performed by a variable length coding ( vlc ) method . bit streams with respect to all the mbs encoded in the kth frame are generated and stored ( step 202 ). the number and positions of the resynchronization markers to be inserted into predetermined positions of the stored bit streams are determined ( step 204 ). the resynchronization markers are inserted into the determined positions of the bit stream and are transmitted ( step 206 ). the above processes are repeated for all frames ( step 208 ). a process of determining the number and positions of the resynchronization markers to be inserted , described in the step 204 , is as follows . first , the number of resynchronization markers to be inserted into the respective gobs is determined . the number r j 0 of resynchronization markers assigned to a jth gob is determined as shown in the following equation . r j = nint  ( r f × n j n f ) ( 1 ) wherein , n j and n f represent the number of mbs which are not skipped in a jth gob and the number of mbs which are not skipped in a frame , respectively . r f is the number of resynchronization markers assigned to a frame and is determined by the error generation frequency of a network . the expression nint nint  ( r f - n j n f ) is a nearest integer truncation operator . for example , nint ( 5 . 2 )= 5 and nint ( 5 . 6 )= 6 . the number r j of resynchronization markers assigned to the jth gob is determined by the expression r j = max { min ( r j , n j − 1 ), 0 }. this is because r j should be corrected since at least one skipped marker exists between the resynchronization markers in the case of a gob in which r j & gt ; n j . the positions into which the resynchronization markers assigned in the jth gob are inserted are determined as follows . for example , when there is a bit error in a kth mb of the jth gob , all mbs from the kth mb to the next resynchronization marker cannot be correctly decoded due to loss of vcl decoding synchronization . then , correct decoding is performed after the next resynchronization marker . due to the above - described error , error propagation cost e j can be represented by the number of lost mbs in the jth gob . e j = ∑ i = 1 m  c  ( i , j ) ( 2 ) wherein , c  ( i , j ) = { 1 ,  i th mb is not skipped in j th gob 0 ,  i th mb is skipped in j th gob c ( i , j ) is a binary complement of a coded macro - block indication ( cod ) in an h . 263 syntax . cod is 1 if the ith mb is a skipped mb and 0 if the ith mb is a non - skipped mb . the value m is the number of mbs in the gob . when c ( i , j ) is 0 , it means that the ith mb is skipped and that mb can be decoded without being affected by a channel error by being replaced with the value of the mb in the same position in a previous frame . in order to statistically express the error propagation cost , when it is assumed that the error generation rates of the respective mbs are the same , and when the error generation probability is p e , the following mean error propagation cost { overscore ( e )} o . j can be obtained . e _ 0 , j =  p e  ∑ i = 1 m  e 0  ( i , j ) =  p e  ∑ i = 1 m  ∑ k = i m  c n  ( k , j ) ( 3 ) according to equation 3 , the error propagation cost of each gob depends on the number of non - skipped mbs in the gob . for example , when all the mbs in the gob are skipped , it is not as effective to insert the resynchronization markers . when the number of non - skipped mbs in one gob is larger than the number of non - skipped mbs in another gob , more resynchronization markers should be assigned to the gob having more non - skipped mbs in order to make the two gobs have substantially the same mean error propagation costs . a case in which one resynchronization marker is used in each gob will be compared with a case in which two resynchronization markers are used . it is assumed that all the mbs are non - skipped in order to simplify the explanation . when one resynchronization marker is inserted into each gob , the mean error propagation cost is obtained from equation 3 as follows . e _ 0 , j =  p e  ∑ i = 1 m  ( m - i + 1 ) =  m  ( m + 1 ) 2  p e ( 4 ) if one resynchronization marker is inserted into the gob after the kth mb , the mean error propagation cost is as follows . e _ 1 , j  ( k ) =  p e  ∑ i = 1 k  ( k - i + 1 ) + p e  ∑ i = k + 1 m  ( m - i + 1 ) =  p e 2  ( 2  k 2 - 2  mk + m 2 + m ) ( 5 ) according to equation 5 , the mean error propagation cost varies according to the position of the additional resynchronization marker which is inserted . the position k * of the resynchronization marker which minimizes the mean error propagation cost according to the additionally inserted resynchronization markers is obtained from equation 5 as follows . here , the mean error propagation cost is obtained as follows . e _ 1 , j  ( k * ) = m  ( m + 1 ) 2  p e - m 2 4  p e ( 7 ) according to equation 7 , it is noted that the mean error propagation cost is reduced when one more resynchronization marker is used in the gob . also , according to equation 6 , it is noted that the position of the resynchronization marker which minimizes the mean error propagation cost is in the middle of the gob . assuming that the number of the additionally inserted resynchronization markers is r , that r resynchronization markers are assigned to the jth gob , and that the positions of the respective markers are k 1 , k 2 , . . . , k r , if all the mbs of the jth gob are not skipped , the respective mbs have the same error probability p e . here , the mean error propagation cost is as follows . e _ r , j  ( k 1 , …  , k r ) = ∑ i = 1 k 1  ( k 1 - i + 1 )  p e + ∑ i = k 1 + 1 k 2  ( k 2 - i + 1 )  p e +  … + ∑ i = k r - 1 + 1 k r  ( k r - i + 1 )  p e + ∑ i = k r + 1 m  ( m - i + 1 )  p e = ( 2  ∑ i = 1 r  k i 2 - 2  ∑ i = 1 r - 1  k i  k i - 1 - 2  mk r + m 2 + m )  p e ( 8 ) the position k * i of the resynchronization marker is determined as follows when a solution is obtained by differentiating k i ( i = 1 , 2 , . . . , r ). k i * = m r + 1  i , i ∈ [ 1 , 2 , …  , r ] ( 9 ) according to the characteristic of the skipped mb , m is the number n j of mbs which are not skipped in the jth gob and r is r j . fig3 is a block diagram showing a video signal transmitting apparatus according to the present invention . the video signal transmitting apparatus according to fig3 includes : an encoder 300 ; a frame cod storing unit 302 ; a resynchronization marker generator 304 ; a frame bitstream storage unit 306 ; and a resynchronization marker inserting unit 308 . here , the encoder is an h . 263 encoder . the operation is as follows . the encoder 300 encodes a received video frame . the frame cod storing unit 302 stores the cods of the respective mbs determined in the encoder 300 . the resynchronization marker generator 304 determines the number and insertion positions of the resynchronization markers assigned to the respective gobs following each step of the flow chart of fig2 with reference to the cods of the respective mbs stored in the frame cod storing unit 302 and generates the resynchronization markers . here , the resynchronization markers can be inserted in a data structure shown in fig4 . a resynchronization marker field 400 is comprised of 17 bits , i . e ., 16 continuous “ 0 ” s and one of “ 1 ”. a gn field 402 comprised of five bits denotes gob numbers . a flag 404 comprised of one bit is “ 1 ”. an mba field 406 comprised of five bits denotes mb numbers counted from the starting point of the gob . a pquant field 408 comprised of 5 bits denotes the quantization step size of a previous mb . the frame bit stream storage unit 306 stores a bit stream generated by the encoder 300 . the resynchronization marker inserting unit 308 inserts the markers generated by the resynchronization marker generator 304 into the corresponding bit stream positions of the frame bit stream storage unit 306 and transmits the inserted markers . a method of recovering a gob in which a video signal , having been transmitted with resynchronization markers inserted into the frame bit stream as mentioned above , is received with generated error is described below . in the present invention , a section , in which an error is generated , is searched for by checking mbs between the resynchronization markers inserted into the gob . then , data of the searched error section is deleted . the error is concealed by replacing the erroneous section with the last previously recovered and error free section . the received video signal is decoded and recovered from the transmitted motion vector of each macro block . here , when an error is generated in the motion vector of a macro block to be recovered , the prediction of the motion vector is performed by replacing the motion vector of the current macro block in which the error is generated with the motion vector recovered immediately before the current macro block . also , when an error is generated in a field showing the position of the macro block in the gob header or the slice header , a parity bit which can be used to check the parity of a corresponding field is inserted and transmitted in the present invention to determine whether an error is generated in the field showing the position of the macro block . the above - mentioned parity bit is inserted into the gob or the slice header and is transmitted . a receiver determines whether there is an error in the field showing the position of the macro block by performing a parity check . according to the present invention , it is possible to prevent error propagation by inserting the resynchronization markers in predetermined positions according to whether the macro blocks are skipped in the respective gobs when the video signal is transmitted using an error - prone mobile network or radio network . also , it is possible to prevent error propagation in the gob by concealing macro blocks between the resynchronization markers when the erroneous macro block is recovered . also , it is possible to determine whether an error is generated in the field showing the position of the macro block by inserting the parity bit into the same position in the gob header or the slice header .	7
an embodiment of the communication methods of the invention is detailed in the flow chart 40 of fig2 b and the process steps of this flow chart are illustrated in a respective diagram 60 of fig2 a . a description of these figures is enhanced by preceding it with a glance at a conventional data frame 20 as shown in fig1 . the frame 20 carries data 22 and , to control the routing of this data , it also carries control information which may include a frame number , source and destination addresses and error codes as well as information that facilitates packet sequencing , acknowledgments and retransmission requests . this type of information is indicated generally in fig1 as an address 22 , identification 24 and error codes 26 . in addition , flags 28 are generally used to denote the frame &# 39 ; s beginning and end . this control information is typically grouped into a header 30 and a trailer 32 . the diagram 60 of fig2 a includes data frames 62 in which , for simplicity , the control information of fig1 is simply included in a control field 63 designated by the letter “ c ”. although such control information is generally grouped into headers and trailers as in fig1 it is sufficient for the invention that such information is carried by the data frames regardless of its location within the frames . in a first process step 41 of fig2 b , data frames are formed to each carry n data packets and a frame error code ( e . g ., a cyclic redundancy code ). these data frames are subsequently transmitted in process step 42 . to illustrate , fig2 a shows exemplary data frames 62 a , 62 b and 62 c . for illustrative purposes , it is assumed that n = 2 so that each data frame includes two data packets and the frame error code is included in the control information 63 . broken forming arrow 64 indicates forming and transition of the data frames to the position of data frame 62 b from where frames are transmitted ( as indicated by the broken transmit arrow 66 ) to a received position of data frame 62 c . in a third process step 43 of fig2 b , received data frames are checked with their respective error codes and , in a fourth process step 44 , data packets of error - free data frames are routed through the communication system ( to addresses contained in each frame &# 39 ; s control field 63 ). this routing is indicated by a broken routing arrow 68 in fig2 a . in process step 45 of fig2 b , data frames that were found in error in process step 44 are retransmitted . this step is exemplified in fig2 a by the data frame 62 d which is being retransmitted as indicated by a broken retransmitting arrow 70 . a first method portion of the flow chart 40 of fig2 b terminates with step 46 in which the checking , routing and retransmitting steps ( 43 , 44 and 45 ) are repeated until all data packets are routed . in fig2 a , this last step is illustrated by showing the data frame 62 d in a received position 62 d ′ where it is now found to be error - free and accordingly , is routed as indicated by another broken routing arrow 72 . a feedback feature of the invention is illustrated in fig2 b by process steps 47 and 48 along a feedback path 49 . in step 47 , the results of the checking step 43 are used to determine an error rate ( e . g ., a bit error rate ). this error rate is then used in step 48 to update a value for n that improves the data throughput . as further explained below , n is generally changed inversely to changes in bit error rate . feedback steps 47 and 48 are illustrated in fig2 a by a broken feedback arrow 74 which symbolizes that n is updated from two to three so that the forming , transmitting and routing processes of broken arrows 64 , 66 and 68 are now conducted with data frames 62 e , 62 f and 62 g that each carry three data packets . if it is known that a low - noise transmission link is to be used , the methods of fig2 b permit the selection of a large value for n so that the overhead of each frame &# 39 ; s control field 63 is spread over a larger number of data packets with a consequent increase in data throughput . on the other hand , n can be selected to have a lower value for operation in a high - noise transmission link in which a larger number of data retransmissions will be required . this latter selection will reduce the degradation of data throughput caused by the retransmissions . if it is anticipated that noise conditions will be changing in a transmission link , the feedback path 49 of fig2 b facilitates a constant updating of n to best counter the changed conditions . as will be shown below by the exemplary test results of fig4 n is preferably changed inversely to changes in error rate , e . g ., lowering n improves data throughput in the high error rate conditions of noisy transmission links and raising n improves data throughput in low error rate conditions . preferably , the processes of the feedback path 49 are repeated over time ( e . g ., periodically or continuously ) to deliver the best data throughput that can be provided as noise conditions change in the transmission link . another embodiment of the communication methods of the invention is detailed in the flow chart 80 of fig3 b and the process steps of this flow chart are illustrated in a respective diagram 100 of fig2 a . fig3 a and 3b are respectively similar to fig2 a and 2b with like elements indicated by like reference numbers . fig3 b shows that this method embodiment has the same initial process steps 41 , 42 , 43 and 44 as that of fig2 b and fig3 a shows the same initial forming , transmitting and routing functions as does fig2 a . in process step 82 of fig3 b , however , data frames that were found in error in process step 43 are inserted into a data frame of the forming step 41 . this step is exemplified in fig2 a by the broken insertion arrow 102 leading to a data frame 104 which now contains two new data packets and two older data packets that require retransmitting . a first method portion of the flow chart 80 terminates with step 83 in which the transmitting , checking , routing and inserting steps ( 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 and 82 ) are repeated until all data packets are routed . in fig2 a , this last step is illustrated by showing the data frame 104 being retransmitted as indicated by a broken retransmitting arrow 106 ( although this is termed a retransmitting arrow , two of the data packets are being transmitted for the first time ). from a received position 104 ′, the data frame is now found to be error - free and accordingly , is routed as indicated by another broken routing arrow 108 . similar to the flow chart 40 of fig2 b , the method of fig3 b also has a feedback feature . this is illustrated by process steps 84 and 85 along a feedback path 86 in fig3 b . in step 84 , the results of the checking step 43 are used to determine an error rate and this error rate is used in step 85 to update a value for n that improves the data throughput . feedback steps 86 and 85 are illustrated in fig3 a by broken feedback arrow 110 which symbolizes that n is updated from two to three so that the forming , transmitting and routing processes of broken arrows 64 , 66 and 68 are now conducted with data frames 112 a , 112 b and 112 c that each carry three data packets . if it is known that a low - noise transmission link is to be used , the methods of fig2 b permit the selection of a large value for n so that the overhead of each frame &# 39 ; s control field 63 is spread over a larger number of data packets with a consequent increase in data throughput . on the other hand , n can be reduced for operation in a high - noise transmission link in which a larger number of data retransmissions will be required . this reduces the degradation of data throughput caused by the retransmissions . the inserting step 82 of fig3 b ( 102 in fig3 a ) facilitates an additional improvement of data throughput in the high error rate conditions of noisy transmission links because it spreads the overhead of each frame &# 39 ; s control field 63 over an even larger number of data packets . although it is unlikely that the inserting step would be repeated with the same data packets ( i . e ., finding the four data packets of data frame 104 ′ in fig3 a to be in error and therefore inserting them into a packet of the forming step to generate a frame of six data packets ), the program of a processor that is generally programmed in accordance with fig3 b can be modified to terminate this type of repetitive process at a desired point . table 120 of fig4 illustrates an analysis of data throughput when using process steps 41 through 46 of fig2 b . the table addresses three selections of n ( in particular , n = 1 , 3 and 5 ) for process step 41 and shows the data throughput achieved with each of these selections when a transmission link imposes bit error rates of 0 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 10 . 0 and 25 . 0 per cent ( expressed differently , bit error rates of 1 . 00e − 06 , 6 . 25e − 06 , 1 . 25e − 05 and 3 . 13e − 05 ). in this analysis , a packet size of 8000 bytes was assumed so that a data frame carries 8000 , 24 , 000 and 40 , 000 bytes of data in the respective cases of n = 1 , 3 and 5 . transmission overhead ( control field 63 in fig2 a ) was assumed to be 7 , 000 bytes — one part of this overhead is for handling acknowledgment ( ack ). in an error - free environment , therefore , a byte subtotal of 15 , 000 , 31 , 000 and 47 , 000 bytes would be used in the respective cases of n = 1 , 3 and 5 . the averages of bytes required for frame retransmission were calculated for each of the four assumed bit error rates and each of the three selections of n . these entries summed with the byte subtotal described above yielded the capacity usage byte numbers of the table . throughput was then calculated as the ratio of packet size to capacity usage . it is noted that throughput is highest for n = 5 for bit error rates of 0 . 8 % and 5 . 0 % and highest for n = 3 when the bit error rate rose to 10 . 0 % and 25 . 0 %. this trend indicates that throughput can be improved by reducing n in high bit error rate conditions and increasing n in low bit error rate conditions ( i . e ., changing n inversely to bit error rate ). in the invention , this adjustment of n for realizing increased throughput in different conditions is facilitated by the processes of the feedback paths 49 and 86 of fig2 b and 3b . the inserting process 82 of fig3 b provides further process flexibility for increasing throughput in different bit error rate conditions . the teachings of the invention can be practiced with various communication systems . fig5 for example , illustrates a communication system 140 which is especially suited for routing data between a plurality of data source / sinks 142 . as shown , exemplary data source / sinks include telephones 143 , mobile units 144 , computers 145 , facsimile 146 , television receivers 147 and video cameras 148 . the communication system 140 is formed from a plurality of data - interconnection modules 150 , at least one transmission link 152 and transceivers 154 . as shown in fig5 exemplary transmission links include a wireless link 156 , a wire link ( such as a twisted pair 158 or a coaxial cable 159 ) and an optical link 160 . the transceivers associated with the wireless and wire links include conventional structures for these link types ( e . g ., low - noise amplifiers , upconverters , downconverters , filters and power amplifiers ). in addition , the transceivers associated with the optical link can include conventional optical structures ( e . g ., laser sources , optical modulators and optical detectors ). exemplary data - interconnection modules are routers , switches and bridges and accordingly , the modules 150 can comprise one or all of these structures . switches are used to transfer data signals between communication circuits . bridges are generally configured to form connections between communication networks . they link network segments and pass data frames across the link . routers are configured to connect similar or different communication networks that are served by multiple communication paths . they select from the multiple paths , buffer packets for retransmission in each network and insure that signals reach their destination . the communication system 140 can form various transmission paths between the data source / sinks 142 . for example , appropriate commands to data - interconnection modules 150 a and 150 b can establish a communication path 164 between data source / sinks 142 a and 142 b . one of these data source / sinks may operate only as a data source and the other as a data sink so that the path 164 is a simplex path . alternatively , the path 164 can be a duplex path for coupling modules that each act as both a data source and a sink . if carrying only simplex communication paths , the transceivers 154 may each be replaced by a transmitter 166 or a receiver 168 as indicated by the broken replacement arrow 169 . the communication system 140 further includes processors 170 ( e . g ., microprocessors ) that are programmed to configure the system &# 39 ; s structures so as to generate desired communication paths ( e . g ., the path 164 ) and route data over these paths . these processors are therefore programmed in accordance with process steps of fig2 b and 3b and can be included in appropriate structures . the communication path 164 , for example , is shown to be using the wireless link 156 and to facilitate this path , the processors 170 are preferably part of the transceivers 154 that are associated with this link . the preferred embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications , variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results , all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
the described embodiments employ a divider having cascading high speed and low speed stages . the high speed stage exhibits more high speed robustness , while the low speed stage exhibits more programmability in timing . in this manner , the divider final output duty cycle is better than that of a simple counter - based programmable divider , the speed limit is at least as high as a simple prescaler divider . the described embodiments thus address the problem of continuous division , where an input clock signal may be divided by an integer k ( k = n , n + 1 , . . . , m ). in one embodiment , a bypass mode enables the use of only the high speed stage and a portion of the low speed stage , which limits continuous division but allows for power savings . the described embodiments achieve continuous division by dividing the counting region into two parts : a first part in which the high speed stage operates in a first mode of operation and a second part in which the high speed stage operates in a second mode of operation . a splitting point between these modes of operation is decided by a secondary running programmable divider that starts at the same time as a primary programmable divider , but stops at some point before the primary programmable divider stops . this allows for more divider ratios to be available between np and ( n + 1 ) p , where n and n + 1 are the two modes of operation of the high speed stage . during the time that the secondary programmable divider is running / counting , if the high speed stage is in mode n , the final divider ratio programmable step is n . similarly , during the time that the secondary programmable divider is running / counting , if the high speed stage is in mode n + 1 , the final divider ratio programmable step is n + 1 . if these two cases ( in which the final divider programmability steps can be n or n + 1 ) are combined , two different formulas for the final divider ratio are produced . these two formulas provide finer complementary coverage for incremental unit steps between np and ( n + 1 ) p . although there is some redundancy for the two formulas , the additional glue logic overhead that is used to support them is minimal . in this case , a unit step programmable divider ratio can be achieved ( e . g ., 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , . . . ) with speed and duty cycle performance that is comparable to conventional dividers such as the divider 100 illustrated in fig1 ( e . g ., 9 , 12 , 15 , . . . ). fig2 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a divider 200 . in particular , fig2 presents a high - level view of the divider 200 . the divider 200 may be integrated into the logic fabric of an integrated circuit such as , for example , a programmable logic device ( pld ) or an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ). a pld , in turn , may comprise a field programmable gate array ( fpga ), or the like . as illustrated , the divider 200 comprises a high speed divider 202 and a plurality of programmable low speed dividers 204 1 - 204 n ( hereinafter collectively referred to as “ low speed dividers 204 ”). in addition , the divider 200 comprises an overflow detection block 206 and a formula control block 208 . the low speed dividers include a primary low speed divider 204 n and a secondary low speed divider 204 1 that runs in parallel with the primary low speed divider 204 n . the secondary low speed divider 204 1 splits the region of the primary low speed divider &# 39 ; s counting into two parts ( where / when the split occurs is programmed by the secondary low speed divider 204 1 ). as such , different lengths of the primary low speed divider &# 39 ; s region will be in divide - by - n or divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode . this difference is achieved by toggling the high speed divider &# 39 ; s operation mode when either of the low speed dividers 204 overflows ( e . g ., as detected by the overflow detection block 206 ). the formula control block 208 sets the starting mode of the high speed divider 202 , which in turn sets the programmability step sizes in the overall final divider ratios . the overhead in this design includes one parallel programmable low speed divider ( i . e ., the secondary low speed divider 204 1 ) and simple logic for overflow detection and formula select ( i . e ., overflow detection block 206 and formula control block 208 ). the result is speed and duty cycle performance that is comparable to conventional dividers , but with dramatically improved divider ratio programmability , as discussed above . in operation , the low speed dividers 204 are highly programmable . when an overflow happens in one of the low speed dividers 204 , the overflow is detected by the overflow detection block 206 , which will the toggle the high speed divider &# 39 ; s frequency division mode from modulus one to modulus two . if the divider ratio of the secondary low speed divider 204 1 is swept from decimal value one to the full divider ratio of the primary low speed divider 204 n , the overall final divider ratio will be spread between np and ( n + 1 ) p , with some offset being added to account for counters overflow and reset consuming some clock cycles . different step sizes in the formulas from np to ( n + 1 ) p ( or , conversely , from ( n + 1 ) p to np ) can generate much finer complementary coverage for the continuous division ratios than is possible using a conventional divider ( such as that illustrated in fig1 ). this kind of unit step programmability for high speed frequency dividers is useful in supporting multiple protocols and high speed applications by integrated circuits and field programmable gate arrays . since the high speed design requirement is localized to the high speed divider 202 alone , and since the high speed divider 202 has only two modes of operation , the overall design of the divider 200 provides both high speed robustness and unit step divider ratio programmability . fig3 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a divider 300 . in particular , the divider 300 is a more detailed illustration of the divider 200 illustrated in fig2 . in the illustrated embodiment , the divider 300 is a double formula frequency divider . as illustrated , the divider 300 comprises a first stage 302 and a second stage 304 , coupled by simple glue logic in the form of a plurality of multiplexers and logic gates . the glue logic provides slow programmable divider overflow detection and divider ratio formula control . overflows in slow programmable dividers will trigger toggling between the two modes of operation ( i . e ., divide - by - n and divide - by -( n + 1 )) in the high speed divider , as discussed in greater detail below . formula control sets the programmability step sized in n or n + 1 , thus forming two separate formulas for fine complementary coverage of continuous division between low and high divider ratios . in one embodiment , the first stage 302 comprises a high - speed dual modulus divider , while the second stage 304 comprises two parallel low - to medium - speed dividers . a primary low speed divider functions as a second cascading stage , while a secondary low speed divider runs in parallel with the primary low speed divider but can be programmed to stop at any time before the primary low speed divider stops . the secondary low speed divider will generate a difference seed for the portion it is running for the final overall divider ratio ( formula control allows this seed to be n or n + 1 ). thus , additional programmability is generated from the portion of the final overall divider ratio that is run by the secondary low speed divider , which can run in n or n + 1 mode , as discussed in greater detail below . the first stage 302 of the divider 300 comprises a prescaler 308 . in one embodiment , the prescaler 308 is a ( n + 1 )/ n dual - modulus prescaler . the prescaler 308 is thus capable of dividing an incoming clock signal by either n or ( n + 1 ), as selected by a modulus control signal ( mc ). the second stage 304 controls the mode of the prescaler 308 , as discussed in greater detail below . the prescaler 308 comprises an input that is coupled to the output of a clock ( not shown ). in one embodiment , the clock is a voltage - controlled oscillator whose output is indicated by the signal “ vcoclk .” the prescaler 308 also comprises an input for the modulus control signal that is coupled to an output of a first multiplexer 316 . the first multiplexer 316 selects a formula for the final overall divider ratio , as discussed in further detail below . the prescaler 308 further comprises an output that is coupled to an input of a second multiplexer 318 . another input of the second multiplexer 318 is coupled directly to the output of the clock . yet another input of the second multiplexer 318 is coupled to a bypass control signal ( bypassprescaler ); when the bypass control signal goes high ( e . g ., one ), the output of the clock passes directly through the second multiplexer 318 ( i . e ., the output of the prescaler 308 is bypassed ). the second stage 304 of the divider 300 comprises a primary programmable counter 310 , and a secondary programmable counter 312 , and a flip flop 314 . the primary programmable counter 310 and the secondary programmable counter 312 are not symmetric . the primary programmable counter 310 and the secondary programmable counter 312 start simultaneously , but the secondary programmable counter 312 stops before ( or at least no later than ) the primary programmable counter 310 . the secondary programmable counter 312 runs in parallel with the primary programmable counter 310 to trigger different modulus modes in the prescaler 308 . this provides additional programmability , since the whole counting region of the primary programmable counter 310 is split into divide - by - n mode and divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode . in one embodiment , the primary programmable counter 310 has a size of p , where p is the decimal value of the programmable binary control bus to the primary programmable counter 310 . this indicates that the primary programmable counter 310 divides an incoming clock signal from the prescaler 308 by p + 1 ( i . e ., can count up to the value of p - bit + 1 clock rising edges from the divided down clock provided by the prescaler 308 ). in further embodiments , the primary programmable counter 310 can be any number of bits . the primary programmable counter 310 comprises an input that is coupled to an output of the second multiplexer 318 . in addition , the primary programmable counter 310 comprises an output that is coupled to a reset ( rst ) input of the primary programmable counter 310 , to a reset ( rst ) input of the secondary programmable counter 312 , and to a clear ( clr ) input of the flip flop 314 . thus , when the primary programmable counter 310 counts to its maximum value , it will sense an overflow and generate a pulse with a width of one clock cycle from the divided down clock ( provided by the prescaler 308 ). this pulse serves as a reset signal to return the primary programmable counter 310 , the secondary programmable counter 312 , and the flip flop 114 to their initial ( e . g ., all counter elements are zero ) states . in one embodiment , the secondary programmable counter 312 has a size of s , where s is the decimal value of the programmable binary control bus to the secondary programmable counter 312 . this indicates that the secondary programmable counter 312 divides an incoming clock signal from the prescaler 308 by s + 1 ( i . e ., can count up to the value of s - bit + 1 clock rising edges from the divided down clock provided by the prescaler 308 , where s ≦ p ). the secondary programmable counter 312 need not necessarily be the same number of bits as the primary programmable counter 310 . in some embodiments , the secondary programmable counter 312 can be any number of bits , as long as the decimal value of s is less than or equal to the decimal value of p . an input of the secondary programmable counter 312 is coupled to the output of an or gate 320 . one of the inputs of the or gate 320 is , in turn , coupled to the output of the second multiplexer 318 . another input of the or gate 320 is coupled to an output of the flip flop 314 , as discussed in greater detail below . as discussed above , a reset input of the secondary programmable counter 312 is coupled to the output of the primary programmable counter 310 . the output of the secondary programmable counter 312 is coupled to an input of the flip flop 314 . in one embodiment , the flip flop 314 is an asynchronous - reset d - type flip flop . as discussed above , the clock ( clk ) input of the flip flop 314 is coupled to an output of the secondary programmable counter 312 . as also discussed above , a reset input of the flip flop 314 is coupled to the output of the primary programmable counter 310 . complementary outputs of the flip flop 114 are coupled to the two inputs of the first multiplexer 316 . in addition , a q output of the flip flop 314 is coupled to an input of the or gate 320 , as discussed above . the first multiplexer 316 comprises , as discussed above , two inputs that are coupled to the complementary outputs of the flip flop 314 . two additional inputs of the first multiplexer are coupled , respectively , to the formulaselect signal ( discussed above ) and to a bypassformulacontrol signal . if the bypassformulacontrol signal is enabled , the section of the divider 300 that controls formula selection ( i . e ., the secondary programmable counter 312 , the flip flop 314 , the first multiplexer 316 , and the or gate 320 ) is bypassed and powered down . this would reduce the divider 300 to a simple high speed divider ( prescaler 308 ) cascaded with a single , low speed programmable divider ( primary programmable counter 310 ) in which all divider ratios are multiples of n . the output of the first multiplexer 316 is , as discussed above , coupled to the modulus control input of the prescaler 308 . the divider 300 thus comprises a fast , dual - modulus divider ( prescaler 308 ) cascading with slower , counter - based programmable dividers ( primary programmable counter 310 and secondary programmable counter 312 ). additional programmability is generated because the primary and secondary programmable counters 310 and 312 run in parallel , the shorter ( secondary ) programmable counter is used to trigger operation mode changes in the high speed prescaler 308 , thus the upper stream high speed prescaler 308 has different seeds in the whole primary programmable counter &# 39 ; s counting region . the programmability step sizes can be controlled to n or n + 1 , which generates double formulas . the two formulas together provide fine complementary coverage for continuous division between low and high divider ratios . when n , p , and s are properly selected , unit step incremental frequency divider ratio programmability can be generated without any speed or duty cycle performance degradation . this is not possible in conventional divider designs . the extra hardware and extra time budgeting in the high - speed design is negligible . fig4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the prescaler 308 of fig3 in more detail . in particular , fig4 illustrates one embodiment of the prescaler 308 . as illustrated , the prescaler 308 comprises a first flip flop 400 and a second flip flop 402 coupled by an or gate 404 and an and gate 406 . the or gate 404 and the and gate 406 collectively form a buffer . an input of the first flip flop 400 is coupled to the clock , discussed above . another input of the first flip flop 400 is coupled to an output of the second flip flop 402 , as discussed in greater detail below . a reset ( rst ) input of the first flip flop 400 is coupled to a reset signal source ( not shown ). an output of the first flip flop 400 is coupled to an input of the and gate 406 . another input of the and gate 406 is coupled to an output of the or gate 404 . an output of the and gate 406 is coupled to an input of the second flip flop 402 . an input of the second flip flop 402 is coupled to the output of the and gate 406 , as discussed above . a reset ( rst ) input of the second flip flop 402 is coupled to the reset signal source . the complementary output ( q ) of the second flip flop 402 is coupled to an input of the first flip flop 400 . in addition , the complementary output ( q ) of the second flip flop 402 is also coupled to an input of the or gate 404 . another input of the or gate 404 is coupled to a modulus control ( mc ) signal that ultimately controls whether the prescaler 308 operates in divide - by - n or divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode . in one embodiment , when the modulus control signal is low ( e . g ., zero ), the prescaler 308 operates in divide - by - n mode . when the modulus control signal is high ( e . g ., one ), the prescaler 308 operates in divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode . fig5 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 500 for dividing a clock frequency . the method 500 may be implemented , for example , by the divider 300 illustrated in fig3 . as such , reference is made in the discussion of the method 500 to various components of fig3 . it will be appreciated , however , that application of the method 500 is not limited to the divider configuration illustrated in fig3 . the method 500 is initialized in step 502 . in one embodiment , the method 500 is initialized after either a reset of the divider 300 or a pulse of a divided clock . for example , the divider 300 may reset when the signal being output on the q output of the flip flop 314 is low ( e . g ., zero ). in step 504 , the incoming clock signal ( vcoclk ) is received on the input of the prescaler 308 . references to “ clock cycles ” in the following discussion indicate cycles of this incoming clock signal . in step 506 , the first multiplexer 316 selects a divider formula . the divider formula is selected based on the output of the flip flop 314 . in one embodiment , there are two potential divider formulas that can be selected . the first divider formula is 2n +( n + 1 )( p )−( s ). the second divider formula is 2 ( n + 1 )+ n ( p )+( s ). the first multiplexer 316 selects the divider formula in accordance with the formulaselect signal (“ formsel ”) received over one of its inputs . in one embodiment , when the select signal is one , the first divider formula is selected . when the select signal is zero , the second divider formula is selected . in either case , the binary value of the secondary programmable counter 312 is less than or equal to the binary value of the primary programmable counter 310 . for example , assuming that the select signal is zero , the second divider formula is selected . further , for the sake of example , n is assumed to be equal to three ( such that the prescaler is a 4 / 3 prescaler ), s is assumed to be equal to three , and p is assumed to be equal to five . in step 508 , the prescaler 308 enters a first divide - by mode in accordance with the selected divider formula . the selected divider formula determines whether the first divide - by mode of the prescaler 308 ( i . e ., the mode by which the prescaler 308 will initially divide the incoming clock signal ) will be n or ( n + 1 ). in one embodiment , if the first divider formula is selected , the first divide - by mode is divide - by - n mode . if the second divider formula is selected , the first divide - by mode is divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode . for instance , continuing the example above , the prescaler 308 would enter divide - by four mode . at this time , the outputs of the primary programmable counter 310 and the secondary programmable counter 312 would be low ( e . g ., zero ). in step 510 , the prescaler 308 outputs a signal ( i . e ., a rising edge ) to the second multiplexer 318 . specifically , the prescaler 308 waits either n or ( n + 1 ) clock cycles , depending on the first divide - by mode ( i . e ., the prescaler 308 waits n clock cycles in divide - by - n mode and waits ( n + 1 ) clock cycles in divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode ). for instance , continuing the example above , the prescaler 308 would output the rising edge signal every four cycles of the vcoclk signal . the divided clock signal ( divclk ) remains at zero in this case . after the corresponding number of clock cycles have occurred , the prescaler 308 outputs the rising edge signal . in step 512 , the primary programmable counter 310 and the secondary programmable counter 312 start counting in response to every rising edge signal from the prescaler 308 . in particular , the primary programmable counter 310 and the secondary programmable counter 312 count each rising edge signal received from the prescaler 308 . for instance , continuing the example above , the primary programmable counter 310 and the secondary programmable counter 312 should count “ one ” every four cycles of the vcoclk signal . in step 514 , the secondary programmable counter 312 stops counting and outputs a high ( e . g ., one ) signal . specifically , the secondary programmable counter 312 overflows after ( s )( n or n + 1 ) clock cycles ( i . e ., n when the first divide - by mode is divide - by - n mode and ( n + 1 ) when the first divide - by mode is divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode ) or after s high signals from the prescaler 308 . for instance , continuing the example above , the output of the secondary programmable counter 312 would change from low to high after ( 3 )( 4 )= 12 clock cycles . once the secondary programmable counter 312 overflows , it stops counting and outputs the high signal . in step 516 , the flip flop 314 outputs high , and or gate 320 stops the clock to the secondary programmable counter 312 . when the secondary programmable counter 312 stops , its output remains high . in particular , the high signal output by the secondary programmable counter 312 triggers a loading clock for the flip flop 314 , which causes the q output of the flip flop 314 to go high . continuing the example above , the q output changes from low ( e . g ., zero ) to high ( e . g ., one ). the q output of the flip flop 314 controls the or gate 320 that provides input to the secondary programmable counter 312 . in step 518 , the prescaler 308 switches to a second divide - by mode . the second divide - by mode is whichever mode was not selected as the first divide - by mode . thus , if the first divide - by mode was divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode , then the second divide - by mode is divide - by - n mode . for instance , continuing the example above , the prescaler changes to divide - by - three mode , and now outputs a high signal every three cycles of the vcoclk signal . in step 520 , the primary programmable counter 310 stops counting , and its output changes from low to high ( divclk ). specifically , after the secondary programmable counter 312 stops counting , the primary programmable counter 310 continues to count for another ( p − s )( n or n + 1 ) cycles ( n when the second divide - by mode is divide - by - n mode and ( n + 1 ) when the second divide - by mode is divide - by -( n + 1 ) mode ). for instance , continuing the example above , the primary programmable counter 310 stops counting after ( 5 - 3 )( 3 )= 6 additional clock cycles . in step 522 , the primary programmable counter 310 outputs a final output signal ( divclk ). the final output signal comprises the vcoclk signal divided by an amount indicated by the selected divider formula ( based on whether formsel = 0 or 1 , as discussed above ). thus , continuing the example above , the divclk signal divides the vcoclk signal by 2 ( 3 + 1 )+ 3 ( 5 )+( 3 )= 26 . in step 524 , the primary programmable counter 310 , the secondary programmable counter 312 , and the flip flop 314 reset . specifically , the high signal ( divclk ) from the primary programmable counter 310 causes the primary programmable counter 310 , the secondary programmable counter 312 , and the flip flop 314 to reset . for instance , continuing the example above , the q output of the flip flop 314 once again goes low , and the output of the primary programmable counter 310 ( divclk ) remains high for ( n + 1 ) clock cycles . this high divclk signal functions as an internal reset for the primary programmable counter 310 and the secondary programmable counter 312 , which causes the outputs of the primary programmable counter 310 and the secondary programmable counter 312 to go low . the method 500 then returns to step 508 , where the prescaler 308 re - enters the first divide - by mode . the method 500 then proceeds as discussed above . as discussed above , the divider 300 is also capable of operating in a mode in which the formula control functionality is bypassed ( i . e ., in accordance with the bypassformulacontrol signal ). additionally , the divider 300 may operate in a mode in which the prescaler 308 is bypassed . in prescaler bypass mode ( triggered by receipt of a bypassprescaler signal by the second multiplexer 318 ), the prescaler 308 is bypassed . only the primary programmable counter 310 performs frequency division in this case . thus , the divider 300 is reduced to a simple counter - based frequency divider . this may be useful , for example , when it is known in advance that the input clock signal vcoclk is reduced to only extremely low speed operation . the prescaler bypass mode can then cover extremely low divider ratios , such as those omitted in fig7 ( e . g ., divider ratios 1 - 7 ), since extremely low input clock frequencies usually require only extremely low divider ratios for low power operation . in formula control bypass mode ( triggered by receipt of a bypassformulacontrol signal by the first multiplexer 316 ), the section of the divider 300 that controls formula selection ( i . e ., the secondary programmable counter 312 , the flip flop 314 , the first multiplexer 316 , and the or gate 320 ) is bypassed and powered down . thus , the divider 300 is reduced to a simple high speed divider ( prescaler 308 ) cascaded with a single , low speed programmable divider ( primary programmable counter 310 ) in which all divide ratios are multiples of n . this may be useful , for example , when only a simple divider ratio is required ( e . g ., divide - by - 15 , where the prescaler 308 is set to divide - by - 3 and the primary programmable counter 310 is set to divide - by - 5 ). the section of the divider 300 that controls formula selection is bypassed and powered down to save power . if formula control bypass mode is selected , then the divider 300 uses the following divider ratio : f = np , if formsel = 1 ; and f =( n + 1 ) p , if formsel = 0 . in this case , p is the value of the p - bits in the primary programmable counter 310 . fig6 is a timing diagram illustrating the timing of the various signals for the two divider formulas discussed above . the timing diagram illustrates the timing of the various signals discussed above with respect to fig5 . in particular , the timing diagram for the formsel = 0 case follows the example discussed with respect to fig5 , while the timing diagram for the formsel = 1 case illustrates the opposite case ( i . e ., where the prescaler 308 would start in the divide - by - n mode ). by adjusting the values of the formsel signal , the primary programmable counter 310 , and the secondary programmable counter 312 , the divide ratio of the divider can be adjusted . in one embodiment , divide ratios from eight to 256 can be achieved through different permutations of the values of the formsel signal , the primary programmable counter 310 , and the secondary programmable counter 312 . fig7 , for example is a look up table illustrating the divide ratios for different permutations of the values of the formsel signal , the primary programmable counter 310 , and the secondary programmable counter 312 . in particular , fig7 illustrates the permutations that can achieve divide ratios from eight to twenty . further permutations of these values can accomplish higher divide ratios . fig8 is a high level block diagram of a general purpose computer or a computing device suitable for use in performing some or all of the functions described herein . the general purpose computer may incorporate , for example , in integrated circuit including a divider . as depicted in fig8 , the general purpose computer 800 comprises a processor element or processing elements 802 ( e . g ., a central processing unit ( cpu )), a memory 804 ( e . g ., a random access memory ( ram ) and / or a read only memory ( rom )), a divider module 805 for dividing clock frequencies received from a logic fabric of an integrated circuit , and various input / output devices 806 ( e . g ., storage devices , including but not limited to , a memory device , a tape drive , a floppy drive , a hard disk drive or a compact disk drive , a receiver , a transmitter , a speaker , a display , a speech synthesizer , an output port , and a user input device ( such as a keyboard , a keypad , a mouse , and the like )). the described embodiments can be implemented in a combination of software and hardware ( e . g ., using application specific integrated circuits ( asic ), a general purpose computer , one or more portions of a pld , or any other hardware equivalents such as microprocessors ). in one embodiment , one or more steps of the present module or process for dividing clock frequencies received from a logic fabric of an integrated circuit may be loaded into memory 804 and executed by processor 802 to implement the functions as discussed above . as such , the present module or process 805 for dividing clock frequencies of the described embodiments can be stored on a non - transitory computer readable storage medium ( e . g ., ram memory , magnetic or optical drive or diskette and the like ). it should be noted that although not explicitly specified , one or more steps of the methods described herein may include a storing , displaying and / or outputting step as required for a particular application . in other words , any data , records , fields , and / or intermediate results discussed in the methods can be stored , displayed , and / or outputted to another device as required for a particular application . furthermore , steps or blocks in the accompanying figures that recite a determining operation or involve a decision , do not necessarily require that both branches of the determining operation be practiced . in other words , one of the branches of the determining operation can be deemed as an optional step . while the foregoing describes exemplary embodiments in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention , other and further embodiments in accordance with the one or more aspects of the present invention may be devised without departing from the scope thereof , which is determined by the claims that follow and equivalents thereof . claims listing steps do not imply any order of the steps . trademarks are the property of their respective owners .	7
embodiments of the present invention relate , in general , to the field of electronic communication devices . a preferred embodiment relates to a portable communication device , such as a mobile phone , including one or more accessories , e . g . a headset , microphone , camera , arm wrist sensor etc . however , for the sake of clarity and simplicity , most embodiments outlined in this specification are related to a mobile phone . embodiments of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . like reference signs refer to like elements throughout . the present disclosure is directed to a method and system that uses signals recorded by different sensors to improve the possibility to align signals received within a mobile communication system , where some of the sensors are located on different devices , by using correlation techniques . for example , one device may be a mobile phone and the other device may be a wireless / wired devices that communicates with the mobile phone , such as a headset . sensor data from accessories may be sent to the mobile phone for processing in the phone over serial links , such as bluetooth and / or usb . sensor data from an accessory are usually combined with sensor data from other accessories or the mobile phone to get additional information . by the nature of the serial communication between the mobile phone and the accessory , there will be an undetermined time delay , latency , between the different data sets , this delay often needs to be determined and accounted for . according to one aspect of the invention it may be useful to know the relative orientation between the sensors , i . e . a sensor included in a headset and a sensor included in the mobile phone to be able to determine in what direction the wearer is looking . in an exemplary embodiment of the invention , as shown in fig1 , a system , 10 , includes at least two mobile communication devices 11 , 12 , for example a mobile phone and a headset , and a signal processing unit , a cpu , 13 . the devices 11 , 12 are equipped with at least one motion sensor unit , not shown , and preferably the same kind of sensors . the sensor units may include accelerometers or other motion sensing devices , such as gyros and magnetometers , or any environmental sensor e . g . 50 / 60 - hz signal from surrounding electricity , light sensors , etc . for monitoring the activity or movement of the devices 11 , 12 . a first sensor unit , may be located in a mobile phone , and a second sensor unit , may be located in a headset . the signal processing unit 13 , is configured to receive and process sensor data signals 14 , 15 collected from each of the sensor units within the system , 10 . the signal processing unit 13 may be located in one of the communication devices . in the system , as shown in fig2 , sensor data signals 14 , 15 from the sensor unit may be transferred over i . e . bluetooth to the signal processing unit 13 in which the sensor data received from the sensor unit in the first device , i . e . headset , is combined with sensor data from the sensor unit in the second device , i . e . mobile phone . it is anticipated that other protocols may be used over the wireless link . sensor data may be an electrical signal representing i . e . the sound output signal from a microphone , a light output signal from a camera or a movement signal from a movement sensor , i . e . an accelerometer . sensor data from the sensor units will experience time delays due to e . g . the nature of the serial connection and will vary over time due to circumstances such as bluetooth traffic intensity . a delay compensation block is required before the at least two sensor data signals , 14 , 15 can be processed . if the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are located in similar environments , i . e . if the sensor output of the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are similar , but not necessarily identical , the similarity of the sensor data may be used to calculate the time delay , δt , between reception time , δt 1 , of the sensor data from the first sensor unit and reception time , δt 2 , of the sensor data from the second sensor unit . one example of similar environment is when the user wearing a mobile phone and a headset is travelling by car , bus or other transportation vehicles . the time delay , δt , will be calculated according to formula 1 . δt can be determined in a processing unit , cpu , by continuously evaluating and finding the maximum for the normalized time shifted correlation functions between the signals , sensor data , from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit , according to formula 2 . in which f 1 is the function of the sensor data of the first sensor unit and f 2 is the function of sensor data of the second sensor unit , n is the number of points in the data series , f 1 and f 2 are the mean values of the sensor data from the first and second sensor unit , respectively , σ f 1 and σ f 2 are the standard deviations of the sensor data from the first and second sensor unit , respectively . if the sensor data is multidimensional , the dimensionality could for example be decreased to one by using the magnitude of the sensor data . this may be used when calculating the delay , δt , in which case it is not necessary to compare more than one dimension . by continuously calculating the delay , δt , sensor data can at any time be combined in an ideal way and time delays be accounted for . in a first example , sensor data 14 from an movement sensor in a headset 11 and sensor data 15 from a movement sensor in a mobile phone 12 , as shown in fig2 , are used . the sensor data could look something like the two artificial series 21 , 22 of accelerometer sensor data , as shown in fig3 , where sensor data graph 21 may be a sensor data signal from the mobile phone 12 and sensor data graph 22 may be a sensor data signal from the headset 11 . the units on the y - axis show the arbitrary units and the unit on the x - axis shows the number of samples . both accelerometers have the same sample rate in this example . the time shifted correlation function of sensor data 23 received from the first and second sensor units as a function of δt is shown in fig4 . a distinct maximum 24 is found , which gives δt . once the latency or delay alignment has been done , the above described method can also be utilized to align the magnitude of a low accuracy sensor to an accurate sensor by calculating a scaling factor between the readings of the two sensor units . an example would be a cheap accelerometer in a headset that could be calibrated towards a more accurate accelerometer in a mobile phone when the system has been aligned due to the latency / delay , δt , the relative movement , rotation or linear , between the devices within the system may be determined . this may be useful when the at least two devices moves related to each other . in one embodiment a two dimensional relative orientation between at least two sensor units , comprised in the communication devices , may be determined . two consecutive , non - parallel movements 19 , 20 , same movement each time in both system , are needed . the first movement could be a common rotation , or a common translation , and the second movement could be a common rotation or a common translation . prerequisite for the determination of the relative orientation is that the sensor data has been aligned , as disclosed above , and that the sensors are in a similar environments , i . e . the sensor readings are similar but not necessarily identical . in one embodiment may a similar environment be the surrounding static gravitation , i . e . the earth gravitation . it may be possible to determine the angles of the movement , θ and φ , and the direction of the static acceleration 19 , 20 of a device relative the static gravitation . the relative orientation between the at least two devices is however not possible to be determined based only on the static gravitation . in one embodiment may a similar environment be any environmental sensor e . g . 50 - or 60 - hz signal from surrounding electricity , light sensors , etc . the 50 - or 60 - hz signal is a 3 dimensional electromagnetic vector , radiated by surrounding electric wires and surrounding equipment . the vectors from electric radiation may have different direction in the two measurement points for the devices , thus this vectors may only be used for alignment in time . for alignment time we the measured electromagnetic 50 - or 60 - hz signal in the two measurement spots for the devices has to belong to radiation from the same phase . there are normally 3 - phase electric systems and there is often multiple overlaid fields , delayed 120 degrees apart . determining if the measured electromagnetic 50 - or 60 - hz belong to radiation from the same phase may be done by correlation of disturbances , i . e . if there is a dirac by some current change , or a specific harmonic pattern well correlated in the two measurements , then it may be concluded that they origin from the same phase , and then the measurements can be used for alignment in time between the at least two devices . to be able to determine the relative orientation between at least two devices , i . e . the relative orientation between the reference co - ordinate systems of the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit , a movement of the devices or a perturbation of the sensor readings i . e . acceleration , is needed . the perturbation of the sensor readings for each sensor units should ideally be identical , but using statistical methods it is only necessary that the perturbations are similar over time , as long as the perturbation timescale is much faster than the timescale of the change in orientation of the sensor units relative each other . a real life example with a near ideal conditions would be a headset and a mobile phone with accelerometers on a table in a boat during a storm . the relative orientation of the headset and the mobile phone is constant and the acceleration perturbation is large due to the rocking of the boat . a more realistic , but still feasible , situation would be a headset worn by a person with the mobile phone in the pocket of a user , who is walking . a stepwise process regarding how to define relative orientation between two devices is disclosed below and sensors for determination of linear movement and / or rotational movement in each device are used in this process . in the first step , the first found linear or rotational movement that is enough correlated between the two devices 11 , 12 is used to determine a first reference axis 16 a , 17 a within a reference co - ordinate system 16 , 17 , one in each device 11 , 12 . if the movement is linear , the reference axis is directed in the direction of the linear movement . if the movement is a rotation , the reference axis is the rotation axis . enough correlated is defined by a predetermined value , which is determined dependent of which application the alignment is used for . the value is also dependent on the availability of sensor data and what demands are sat on the precision of the definition of the relative orientation . the first reference axis 16 a , 17 a is determined as an axis in the direction of the first found enough correlated movements within each devices 11 , 12 . the first reference axis are parallel to each other . one dimension is now defined in the reference co - ordinate system 16 , 17 within each device 11 , 12 . the first determined reference axis may be stored in an internal memory within each device . in the second step , a second linear or rotational movement is found . the second found movement should be enough correlated between the two devices , but not parallel to the first found movement . this found second movement is used to determine the second reference axis 16 b , 17 b within each reference co - ordinate systems 16 , 17 . the second reference axis is determined as an axis in the direction of the second found movement in a plane that may be perpendicular towards the direction of the first reference axis . the relative orientation between the two devices is determined by combining the reference co - ordinate systems of each device , 18 . the first and second step may be repeated continuously by finding linear or rotational movements that are enough correlated in each system . the found movements may then be used to recalculate the latest determined at least first and second reference axis . consecutively , the found linear or rotational movement that is enough correlated between the at least two devices are used to fine tune the previously determined relative orientation between the at least two devices 11 , 12 , and to compensate for deviations in the calculation of reference axis 16 a , 16 b , 17 a , 17 b . this increases the precision of the system . it may also be possible to pre - set when and how often this recalculation step may be performed . as an alternative embodiment , the following method may be used to defining the relative orientation between two devices in a system described above . in the first step , two angles , θ and φ , are defined which are used for transforming the reference co - ordinate system 16 of the first sensor unit , into the reference co - ordinate system 17 of the second sensor unit , as shown in fig2 . in the second step , sensor data 14 , 15 from both sensor units are collected and sampled during perturbation of the acceleration . in the third step , the collected sensor data is aligned by using the time delay . in the forth step , the environment is investigated . if the correlation degree of the collected sensor data set is high , the devices experience similar environment and the sensor data can be used . if there is no correlated sensor data it is an indication that the devices do not experience similar environments . in the fifth step a 2d correlation function is set up a to sample the rotational space spanned by the two angles , θ and φ . in the sixth step the correlation is maximized for finding the two angles , θ and φ . the above described methods may be used for more than two devices . in one embodiment , e . g . a gamming environment , the system may include a network of wearable sensors attached , for example , to a user &# 39 ; s arms and / or legs . the method and system according to the invention may allow the user &# 39 ; s to interact with the game . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” “ comprising ,” “ includes ” and / or “ including ” when used herein , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . unless otherwise defined , all terms ( including technical and scientific terms ) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . it will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein . the foregoing has described the principles , preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention . however , the invention should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive , and not as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above . the different features of the various embodiments of the invention can be combined in other combinations than those explicitly described . it should therefore be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims .	7
as used herein , where the indefinite article “ a ” or “ an ” is used with respect to a statement or description of the presence of a step in a process disclosed herein , unless the statement or description explicitly provides to the contrary , the use of such indefinite article does not limit the presence of the step in the process to one in number . as used herein , when an amount , concentration , or other value or parameter is given as either a range , preferred range , or a list of upper preferable values and lower preferable values , this is to be understood as specifically disclosing all ranges formed from any pair of any upper range limit or preferred value and any lower range limit or preferred value , regardless of whether ranges are separately disclosed . where a range of numerical values is recited herein , unless otherwise stated , the range is intended to include the endpoints thereof , and all integers and fractions within the range . it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific values recited when defining a range . as used herein , the terms “ comprises ,” “ comprising ,” “ includes ,” “ including ,” “ has ,” “ having ,” “ contains ” or “ containing ,” or any other variation thereof , are intended to cover a non - exclusive inclusion . for example , a composition , a mixture , 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 composition , mixture , 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 ). as used herein , the term “ about ” modifying the quantity of an ingredient or reactant employed refers to variation in the numerical quantity that can occur , for example , through typical measuring and liquid handling procedures used for making concentrates or use solutions in the real world ; through inadvertent error in these procedures ; through differences in the manufacture , source , or purity of the ingredients employed to make the compositions or carry out the methods ; and the like . the term “ about ” also encompasses amounts that differ due to different equilibrium conditions for a composition resulting from a particular initial mixture . whether or not modified by the term “ about ”, the claims include equivalents to the quantities . the term “ about ” may mean within 10 % of the reported numerical value , preferably within 5 % of the reported numerical value . as used herein , the term “ biomass ” refers to any hemicellulosic or lignocellulosic material and includes materials comprising hemicellulose , and optionally further comprising cellulose , lignin , starch , oligosaccharides and / or monosaccharides . as used herein , the term “ lignocellulosic ” means , comprising both lignin and cellulose . lignocellulosic material may also comprise hemicellulose . in some embodiments , lignocellulosic material contains glucan and xylan . as used herein , the term “ miscible ” refers to a mixture of components that , when combined , form a single phase ( i . e ., the mixture is “ monophasic ”) under specified conditions ( e . g ., component concentrations , temperature ). as used herein , the term “ monophasic ” refers to a reaction medium that includes only one liquid phase . some examples are water , aqueous solutions , and solutions containing aqueous and organic solvents that are miscible with each other . the term “ monophasic ” can also be used to describe a method employing such a reaction medium . as used herein , the term “ biphasic ” refers to a reaction medium that includes two immiscible liquid phases , for example , an aqueous phase and a water - immiscible organic solvent phase . the term “ biphasic ” can also be used to describe a method employing such a reaction medium . as used herein the term “ water - miscible organic solvent ” refers to an organic solvent that can form a monophasic solution with water at the temperature at which the reaction is carried out . as used herein , the term “ metal halide ” refers to a compound generally described by the formula mx n , where m is a metal cation of valence + n , x is a halogen , and n ranges from + 1 to + 3 . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . in case of conflict , the present specification including definitions , will control . in the processes disclosed herein , one or more sugars is contacted with aqueous solution containing a water - miscible organic solvent , acid , and a salt containing an anion which is a halide (“ halide - containing salt ”) to produce a reaction mixture that , under suitable reaction conditions , produces a mixture comprising 5 -( hydroxymethyl ) furfural . the sugar can be in solution , e . g ., an aqueous solution . the sugar can be in a liquid solution or suspension of a biomass feedstock material , such as plant material . the sugar is present in the reaction mixture at about 0 . 1 weight percent to about 50 weight percent based on the weight of the reaction mixture . in some embodiments , the sugar is present in the reaction mixture at a weight percentage between and optionally including any two of the following values : 0 . 1 , 1 , 5 , 10 , 15 , 20 , 25 , 30 , 35 , 40 , 45 , and 50 weight percent . suitable sugars include monosaccharides , disaccharides , oligosaccharides , and polysaccharides , comprising c 6 sugar units ( hexoses ). the content of c 6 sugar units can be 100 % of the total sugars , or less on a molar basis , such as 90 , 80 , 70 , 60 , 50 , 40 , 30 , 20 or 10 %. preferred sugars are hexoses such as fructose , tagatose , sorbose , psicose , allose , altrose , glucose , mannose , gulose , idose , galactose and talose ; disaccharides such as sucrose , maltose , lactose , cellobiose , and derivatives thereof ; and polysaccharides such as maltodextrins , inulin , cellulose , starch , and derivatives thereof . in some embodiments , the sugars are obtained from lignocellulosic material , e . g ., in a feedstock . suitable feedstocks include , for example , corn grain , corn cobs , corn husks , corn stover , grasses , wheat , wheat straw , barley , barley straw , hay , rice straw , switchgrass , waste paper , sugar cane bagasse , sorghum , soy , trees , branches , roots , leaves , wood chips , sawdust , shrubs , bushes , vegetables , fruits , flowers , and mixtures of any two or more thereof . products and by - products from the milling of grains are also suitable . the halide - containing salt is present in the reaction mixture at about 0 . 1 to about 2 weight percent based on the weight of the reaction mixture . in some embodiments , the halide - containing salt is present in the reaction mixture at a weight percentage between and optionally including any two of the following values : 0 . 1 , 0 . 2 , 0 . 3 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 5 , 0 . 6 , 0 . 7 , 0 . 8 , 0 . 9 , 1 . 0 , 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 , 1 . 3 , 1 . 4 , 1 . 5 , 1 . 6 , 1 . 7 , 1 . 8 , 1 . 9 , and 2 . 0 weight percent . in some embodiments , the halide - containing salt is a metal halide . in some embodiments , the metal halide is a metal chloride , a metal bromide , or a metal iodide . in some embodiments , the metal halide is an alkali halide , an alkaline earth halide , or a transition metal halide . mixtures of metal halides can also be used . in some embodiments , the metal halide is nacl , nai , nabr , licl , lii , libr , kcl , kbr , ki , mgcl 2 , mgbr 2 , mncl 2 , mnbr 2 , rbcl , rbbr , zncl 2 , znbr 2 , bacl 2 , babr 2 , cscl , csbr , cocl 2 , cobr 2 , cacl 2 , cabr 2 , nicl 2 , nibr 2 , crcl 2 , crcl 3 , cucl , cubr , cui , cuci 2 , cubr 2 , alcl 3 , fecl 2 , febr 2 , fecl 3 , febr 3 , vcl 3 , mocl 3 , lacl 3 , pdcl 2 , ptcl 2 , ptcl 4 , rucl 3 , rhcl 3 , or a mixture of any two or more of these . in some embodiments the metal halide is nabr . it is desirable not to exceed an amount of metal halide at which the aqueous solution becomes biphasic . in some embodiments , the halide - containing salt is an ionic liquid , which contains an anionic portion and a cationic portion . the anionic portion of the ionic liquid is a halide , including bromide , chloride and iodide . suitable ionic liquids include members of the 1 - r 1 - 3 - r 2 imidazolium class of compounds , wherein r 1 and r 2 are alkyl groups containing from 1 to 10 carbons . suitable imidazolium salts containing a halide anion are 1 - ethyl - 3 - methylimidazolium chloride [ emim ] cl and [ emim ] br , and 1 - butyl - 3 - methylimidazolium cloride [ bmim ] cl and [ bmim ] br . other ionic liquids suitable for use include tetralkylammonium salts ( e . g ., n , n , n , n - tetraalkylammonium salts such as tetrabutylammonium bromide ) and phosphonium salts ( e . g ., p , p , p , p - tetraalkylphosphonium salts ) and pyridinium salts ( e . g ., n - alkylpyridinium salts ) that include a stoichiometric amount of a suitable halide anion . the acid can be a homogeneous or heterogeneous acid . suitable homogeneous acids include mineral acids such as , for example , h 2 so 4 , hcl , h 3 po 4 , and hno 3 . in some embodiments , the acid is a heterogeneous acid . suitable heterogeneous acids include zeolites ( hy - zeolite , mordenite , faujasite , beta zeolite , aluminosilicates like mcm - 20 and mcm - 41 , montmorillonite , and derivatives thereof ), heteropolyacids ( such as 12 - tungstophosphoric acid , 12 - molybdophosphoric acid , 12 - tungstosilicic acid , 12 - molybdosilicic acid and derivatives thereof ), sulfated zirconias , solid metal phosphates ( such as zirconium , titanium , niobium , and vanadyl phosphates ), and acidic resins , such as ion - exchange resins ( amberlyst 15 , amberlyst 70 , and dowex - type ion exchange resins and derivatives thereof ). when a homogeneous acid is used , it is present in the reaction mixture at about 0 . 01 m to about 2 m . in some embodiments , the homogeneous acid is present at about 0 . 1 m to 0 . 5 m , or about 0 . 1 m to 0 . 75 m , or about 0 . 1 m to 1 m . in some embodiments , the homogeneous acid is present at a molarity between and optionally including any two of the following values : 0 . 01 m , 0 . 05 m , 0 . 1 m , 0 . 15 m , 0 . 2 m , 0 . 25 m , 0 . 3 m , 0 . 35 m , 0 . 4 m , 0 . 45 m , 0 . 5 m , 0 . 55 m , 0 . 6 m , 0 . 65 m , 0 . 7 m , 0 . 75 m , 0 . 8 m , 0 . 85 m , 0 . 9 m , 0 . 95 m , 1 . 0 m , 1 . 5 m , and 2 . 0 m . when a heterogeneous acid is used , it is present in the reaction mixture at about 0 . 01 weight percent to about 30 weight percent based on the weight of the reaction mixture . in some embodiments , the heterogeneous acid is present in the reaction mixture at a weight percentage between and optionally including any two of the following values : 0 . 01 , 0 . 05 , 0 . 1 , 0 . 25 , 0 . 5 , 0 . 75 , 1 , 1 . 5 , 2 , 2 . 5 , 3 , 3 . 5 , 4 , 4 . 5 , 5 , 5 . 5 , 6 , 6 . 5 , 7 , 7 . 5 , 8 , 8 . 5 , 9 , 9 . 5 , 10 , 15 , 20 , 25 , and 30 weight percent . the water - miscible organic solvent is present in the reaction mixture at about 10 weight percent to about 99 weight percent based on the weight of the reaction mixture . in some embodiments , the water - miscible organic solvent is present in the reaction mixture at about 50 weight percent to about 95 weight percent , or about 70 weight percent to about 95 weight percent . in some embodiments , the water - miscible organic solvent is present in the reaction mixture at a weight percentage between and optionally including any two of the following values : 10 , 15 , 20 , 25 , 30 , 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 , 55 , 60 , 65 , 70 , 75 , 80 , 85 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 and 95 weight percent . in some embodiments the water - miscible organic solvent is an ether . examples of suitable ethers include : tetrahydrofuran (“ thf ”), dioxane , 2 - methoxy - methylethoxy - propanol , and dimethyl ether . mixtures of ethers can also be used . in some embodiments , the ether is thf . in other embodiments , the water - miscible organic solvent is acetonitrile , acetone , methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , dimethylsulfoxide , n , n - dimethylformamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide , sulfolane , diethyleneglycol , and ethylene glycol . the reaction mixture is heated at a reaction temperature within the range from about 80 ° c . to about 190 ° c . for a time sufficient to effect a reaction to produce 5 -( hydroxymethyl ) furfural . in some embodiments , the reaction mixture remains monophasic at the reaction temperature and is monophasic at the conclusion of the reaction . in some embodiments , the reaction mixture is biphasic at the reaction temperature and is monophasic at the conclusion of the reaction . the period of time for heating is within the range of about 1 minute to about 10 hours . in some embodiments , the temperature is between and optionally including any two of the following values : 80 , 85 , 90 , 95 , 100 , 105 , 110 , 115 , 120 , 125 , 130 , 135 , 140 , 145 , 150 , 155 , 160 , 165 , 170 , 175 , 180 , 185 , and 190 ° c . in some embodiments , the reaction mixture is heated at a temperature within the range from about 110 ° c . to about 140 ° c . the appropriate temperature varies , depending on factors including type of feedstock , feedstock particle size , and component concentrations , and is readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art . in some embodiments , the reaction mixture is heated for a period of time between and optionally including any two of the following values : 1 min , 5 min , 10 min , 0 . 25 h , 0 . 33 h , 0 . 42 h , 0 . 5 h , 0 . 75 h , 1 h , 2 h , 3 h , 4 h , 5 h , 6 h , 7 h , 8 h , 9 h , and 10 h . in some embodiments , the reaction mixture is heated for about 5 minutes to about 4 hours . the appropriate amount of time varies , depending upon conditions such as temperature , type of feedstock , feedstock particle size , component concentrations ; and is readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art . in some embodiments , the reaction mixture is pressurized under an inert gas . suitable inert gases include nitrogen and argon . the reaction is pressurized between and optionally including any two of the following values : 25 psi , 50 psi , 100 psi , 150 psi , 200 psi , 250 psi , 300 psi , 350 psi , 400 psi , 450 psi , and 500 psi . in some embodiments , the reaction mixture is pressurized at 400 psi . in some embodiments , the reaction is run under autogenous pressure . the processes disclosed herein can be performed in any suitable vessel , such as a batch reactor or a continuous reactor . the suitable vessel may be equipped with a means , such as impellers , for agitating the reaction mixture . reactor design is discussed , for example , by lin , k .- h ., and van ness , h . c . ( in perry , r . h . and chilton , c . h . ( eds . ), chemical engineer &# 39 ; s handbook , 5th edition ( 1973 ) chapter 4 , mcgraw - hill , ny ). the contacting step may be carried out as a batch process , or as a continuous process . after the reaction mixture has been heated for the appropriate period of time as recited above , the hmf thereby produced is recovered by an appropriate method known in the art , such as , for example , chromatography , extraction , distillation , adsorption by resins , separation by molecular sieves , or pervaporation . in some embodiments , distillation is used to recover the hmf from the reaction mixture . in some embodiments , extraction is used to recover the hmf from the reaction mixture . the methods disclosed herein are illustrated in the following examples . from the above discussion and these examples , one skilled in the art can ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention , and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various uses and conditions . all commercial reagents were used as received . all chemicals were obtained from sigma - aldrich ( st . louis , mo .) unless stated otherwise . amberlyst 70 was obtained from rohm and hass ( midland , mich . ), tetrahydrofuran and nacl were obtained from emd chemicals ( gibbstown , n . j . ), and 1 - butyl - 3 - methylimidazolium bromide ([ bmim ] br ) was purchased from acros ( geel , belgium ). the following abbreviations are used in the examples : “° c .” means degrees celsius ; “ rpm ” means revolutions per minute ; “ wt %” means weight percent ; “ g ” means gram ; “ min ” means minute ( s ); “ μl ” means microliter ; “ wt %” means weight percent ; “ rv ( s )” means reaction vessel ( s ); “ psi ” means pounds per square inch ; “ mg / g ” means milligram per gram ; means micrometer ; “ ml ” means milliliter ; “ mm ” means millimeter and “ ml / min ” means milliliter per minute ; “ thf ” means tetrahydrofuran ; “ hmf ” means 5 - hydroxymethylfurfural ; “ mpa ” means megapascal . all reactions were performed in an endeavor parallel pressure reactor ( biotage llc , charlotte , n . c ., usa ). the glass reaction vessel ( rv ) inserts were prepared for each sample as specified with a total weight of 5 g . the reaction vessels were loaded into the reactor block ( up to eight at a time ) and the stirring was set at 450 rpm . the rvs were purged with nitrogen three times , pressurized to 100 psi ( 0 . 69 mpa ) and then heated to the specified reaction temperature over a period of 15 min . the pressure was then increased to 400 psi ( 2 . 76 mpa ) and the rvs were left in this state for the specified time before heating was shut off and the rvs were left to cool below 50 ° c . the rvs were then removed from the reactor block and the samples were transferred to glass vials where they were diluted with water for a total mass of 14 - 20 g . all reaction samples were then analyzed for the presence of hmf using hplc . each cooled reaction sample was transferred to a glass vial and diluted with water to a mass between 14 - 20 g . one gram of the diluted reaction sample was then added to a second glass vial . to this second vial was added one gram of 2 - hexanol in distilled water ( 5 mg / g ) as the internal standard . a solution of 1 % sodium bicarbonate in water was also added to the vial to bring the sample weight up to 5 g . the sample was mixed thoroughly and 1 ml was then filtered through a 0 . 2 μm filter ( ghp acrodisc 13 mm syringe filter , pall life sciences , port washington , n . y .). the soluble products in the reaction mixture , namely hexoses ( glucose , fructose ) and hmf were measured by hplc ( 1200 series , agilent technologies , santa clara , calif .) using an aminex hpx - 87p column ( 300 mm × 7 . 8 mm , bio - rad laboratories , hercules , calif .) fitted with a guard column and detected using a ri detector . the column and guard column were held at 80 ° c . and the ri detector was held at 55 ° c . injection volume was 20 μl and sample run times were 60 minutes in length with a 0 . 6 ml / min flow rate using a water mobile phase . concentrations were determined from a standard calibration curved developed for each of the analytes with 2 - hexanol . retention time of hmf using this hplc method was 35 . 4 min . synthesis of hmf from fructose using aqueous thf with and without 1 % nabr fructose ( 0 . 25 g , 5 wt %) was loaded into the reaction vessels with amberlyst 70 ( 0 . 25 g ) and sodium bromide ( 0 . 05 g , 1 wt %). the solvent was 92 % thf in water and was added in the appropriate amount to bring the reaction sample to a total of 5 g . all reactions samples were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 minutes as described in the general methods , except for sample 34 - 5 which was heated for 30 mins . upon completion , the reaction samples were analyzed via hplc as described in the general methods . as shown in table 1 , hmf yields were higher when the dehydration reaction was run in aqueous thf solvent containing sodium bromide . synthesis of hmf from fructose using 100 % water with 1 % nabr versus aqueous thf with 1 % nabr fructose ( 0 . 25 g , 5 wt %) was loaded into the reaction vessels with amberlyst 70 ( 0 . 25 g ) and sodium bromide ( 0 . 05 g , 1 wt %, if required ). the solvent was either 100 % water or 90 % thf in water and was added in the appropriate amount to bring the reaction sample to a total of 5 g . reactions were run in duplicate . all reactions samples were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 minutes as described in the general methods . upon completion , the reaction samples were analyzed via hplc as described in the general methods . as shown in table 2 , hmf yields were higher when run in aqueous thf solvent containing sodium bromide . synthesis of hmf from fructose in aqueous thf varying the halide salt fructose ( 0 . 25 g , 5 wt %) was placed in a reaction vessel , along with amberlyst 70 ( 0 . 25 g ), halide salt ( 0 . 05 g , 1 wt %), water ( 0 . 35 g ), and thf ( 4 . 1 g ). all reactions samples were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 minutes as described in the general methods , upon completion , the reaction samples were analyzed via hplc as described in the general methods . the reaction without any salt was carried out at two different temperatures and the sample containing nabr was carried out in duplicate . as shown in table 3 , hmf yield was higher in the presence of a salt with a halide counteranion versus the samples that did not contain a halide salt . examination of varying the thf concentration in water on the yield of hmf from fructose with 1 wt % nabr fructose ( 0 . 25 g , 5 wt %) was loaded into the vials in the presence of amberlyst 70 ( 0 . 25 g ), sodium bromide ( 0 . 05 g , 1 wt %) and a solvent system composed of thf in water ( 0 - 100 %). the vials were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 minutes as described in the general methods and all the reaction samples were prepared for analysis by hplc as described in the general methods . as the percentage of thf in water increased , the yield of hmf also increased ( table 4 ). examination of varying the wt % halide salt loading on the synthesis of hmf from fructose fructose ( 0 . 25 g ) was loaded into reaction vessels along with amberlyst 70 ( 0 . 25 g ) and a solvent system composed of 70 % thf in water . sodium bromide was added in amounts between 1 - 1 . 5 wt %. the reaction samples were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 min according to the procedure described in the general methods . samples were run in duplicate . the reaction samples were analyzed by hplc as described in the general method . samples 54 - 1 through 54 - 4 were monophasic at the start of the reaction and samples 54 - 5 and - 6 were initially biphasic . as shown in table 5 , the hmf yield remained approximately the same for 1 - 1 . 5 % nabr added to the reaction samples . comparison of hmf yield from fructose at 10 wt % sugar loading with varying the fructose : resin ratio — in either 100 % water or 90 % thf in water , with or without 1 % nabr fructose at 10 wt % loading was placed into reaction vessels along with amberlyst 70 ( at a 1 : 1 or 1 : 2 wt % ratio compared to fructose ), nabr ( 0 . 05 g ), and either 100 % water or 90 % thf in water as the solvent . the reactions samples were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 min according to the procedure described in the general methods . the reaction samples were analyzed by hplc as described in the general method . at both 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 fructose to resin ratios , the hmf yield was higher in the aqueous thf solvent system compared to the hmf yield in 100 % water ( table 6 ). the hmf yield was the highest in aqueous thf with nabr with a higher fructose : resin ratio ( compare 55 - 1 versus 55 - 10 ). comparison of hmf yield from fructose at 30 wt % sugar loading with varying the fructose : resin ratio — in either 100 % water or 90 % thf in water , with or without 1 % nabr fructose at 30 wt % loading was placed into reaction vessels along with amberlyst 70 ( at a 1 : 1 or 1 : 6 wt % ratio compared to fructose ), nabr ( 0 . 05 g ), and either 100 % water or 90 % thf in water as the solvent . the reactions samples were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 min according to the procedure described in the general methods . the reaction samples were analyzed by hplc as described in the general method . at both 1 : 1 and 6 : 1 fructose to resin ratios , the hmf yield was higher in the aqueous thf solvent system compared to the hmf yield in 100 % water ( table 7 ). the hmf yield was the highest in aqueous thf with nabr with a higher fructose : resin ratio ( compare 55 - 3 versus 55 - 8 ). hmf formation from fructose using various acids in aqueous thf with and without 1 wt % nabr fructose ( 0 . 25 g ) was loaded into the reaction vessels along with acid ( hcl , h 2 so 4 , or h 3 po 4 ), 100 % water or 90 % thf in water as solvent , and 1 wt % sodium bromide , if required . all reaction samples were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 minutes as described in the general methods . upon completion , the reaction mixtures were analyzed using hplc as described in the general methods . all samples were run in duplicate . as shown in table 8 , hmf was formed in the presence of various adds . the hmf yields were highest in aqueous thf containing 1 wt % nabr . examination of hmf formation from fructose in various solvents — with and without nabr the reaction vessels were loaded with fructose ( 0 . 25 g ), amberlyst 70 ( 0 . 25 g ), 90 % 1 , 4 - dioxane or acetonitrile in water , and nabr , if required . the reaction vessels were heated to 130 ° c . for 20 minutes as described in the general methods . upon completion , the reaction mixtures were analyzed using hplc as described in the general methods . as seen in table # 9 , the hmf yield was higher in both 1 , 4 - dioxane and acetonitrile in the presence of nabr . examination of hmf formation from fructose in aqueous thf while varying the wt % loading of nabr the reaction vessels were loaded with 0 . 25 g fructose , 0 . 25 g amberlyst 70 , and the desired amount of sodium bromide in 90 % thf in water , up to a total of 5 g . the reaction vessels were heated up to 130 ° c . for 20 minutes as described in the general methods . upon completion , the vials were analyzed using hplc as described in the general methods . the samples were run in duplicate and the hmf yields were averaged . as shown in table # 10 , the highest hmf yield was seen with 1 wt % loading nabr . time and temperature optimization of hmf formation from fructose using amberlyst 70 and 1 wt % nabr in aqueous thf the reaction vessels were loaded with 0 . 25 g fructose , 0 . 25 g amberlyst 70 , and 1 wt % sodium bromide in 90 % thf in water . the reaction vessels were heated to the desired temperature for the designated amount of time as described in the general methods . they were analyzed using hplc as described in the general methods . the results of this experiment are shown in table # 11 . examination of hmf formation from various sources of c6 sugars in aqueous thf or water , with and without 1 wt % nabr the reaction vessels were loaded with 0 . 25 g sugar , 0 . 25 g amberlyst 70 , and 1 wt % nabr , in 90 % thf in water . the samples were heated up to 130 ° c . for 20 minutes as described in the general methods . after the samples were cooled to room temperature , the reaction mixtures were analyzed using hplc as described in the general methods . as shown in table # 12 , it can be seen that different sources of c6 sugars provide a higher hmf yield in the presence of nabr in aqueous thf .	2
a common procedure is used in the following examples 1 , 2 , and 3 , which relate to recombinant production of proteins identified as 2325p4 , 2325p6 , and 2728 in patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 239 , 257 b1 . this is procedure will be described first at a general level and then in more detail . thereafter , each example will be given . at a general level , fourteen oligonucleotides for each gene ( seven representing the top dna strand and seven for the bottom dna strand ) were synthesized . the oligonucleotides were cautiously designed so that : a ) after annealing , complementary oligonucleotides had an overhang at the 5 ′ end of each pair , each such overhang being 7 oligonucleotides long ; and b ) each such overhang had at least three nucleotide mismatches with the overhang of an unfitting pair of oligonucleotides . seven pairs of oligonucleotides , representing both strands of the full - length gene , were obtained after annealing . the duplex oligonucleotides were ligated in three steps to form full - length dna of the protein of interest . this full - length dna was then subjected to pcr . the pcr primers were chosen to : a ) incorporate a xbai restriction site at the 5 ′ end of the gene and a bamhi restriction site at the 3 ′ end of the gene . these sites were selected so the dna could be cloned into a pet - 11d plasmid vector at these sites . b ) include a translation initiation codon immediately before the first nucleotide of the gene . c ) incorporate a translation termination codon immediately after the last nucleotide of the final codon of the gene . the purified gene thus produced was inserted into a pet11d plasmid vector between xbai and bamhi restriction sites . the insert positive clones were identified and used to express recombinant protein . in each instance , the expressed protein had an additional methionine residue at position − 1 . this was cleaved in vitro using aeromonas aminopeptidase to yield the desired protein . more specifically , in each instance fourteen oligonucleotides were synthesized and gel purified by genosys siotechnologies , inc . ( the woodlands , tex .). each oligonucleotide was phosphorylated at its 5 ′ end using t4 polynucleotide kinase enzyme and its reaction buffer from new england biolabs , inc . ( beverly , mass .). the desired dna was extracted with phenol : chloroform solution ( eastman kodak company , rochester , n . y .) and unincorporated ratp was removed by ethanol precipitation . each solution of complementary oligonucleotides ( 20 μg each , for a total of 40 μg ) was mixed and annealed to form duplex oligonucleotides . annealing was carried out by placing a tube containing the complementary oligonucleotides in a beaker containing boiling water and then transferring the beaker to a cold room for approximately 18 hours with gentle stirring . the annealed duplex oligonucleotides were then agarose gel purified using a jetsorb dna extraction kit from genomed inc . ( research triangle park , n . c .). the duplex oligonucleotides ( approximately 10 μg each ) were mixed and ligated together in three separate ligation steps at 16 ° c . for 18 hours using t4 dna ligase enzyme from new england biolabs , inc . ( beverly , mass .). as above , the dna in each ligation reaction mixture was precipitated with ethanol after extracting it with phenol : chloroform solution . this produced full - length double stranded dna of the protein of interest . this product , which was the desired gene , was amplified using pcr and purified from agarose gel using a jetsorb dna extraction kit . the purified gene was then digested with xbai and bamhi restriction enzymes followed by its ligation into a pet11d plasmid vector ( novagen ) that had also been digested with xbai and bamhi restriction enzyme from stratagene ( la jolla , calif .). ( it will be understood that the use of a pet11d vector , and of xbai and bamhi restriction sites , is only preferred and not necessary . another vector , and other restriction sites , could be used instead .) then , the ligated reaction mixture was used to transform e . coli strain xl1 - blue ( stratagene ) competent cells . the clones were identified for the insert dna of the desired protein in the plasmid dna preparations by restriction enzyme analysis . the recombinant plasmid dna was then used as described below to transform the expression host to express the target gene . e . coli bl21 ( de3 ) competent cells ( novagen , madison , wis .) were used as an expression host and transformed with the plasmid dna . ( another expression host could have been used instead .) the recombinant protein was expressed by induction with iptg . most of the expressed protein was found in the inclusion bodies and some was also present in the soluble fraction . to purify the recombinant protein , the bacterial pellet containing the inclusion bodies was resuspended , sonicated and centrifuged using the procedure of schultz and baldwin ( protein science 1 , 910 - 916 , 1992 ), modified as discussed below . the inclusion bodies were washed with 50 mm tris - hcl buffer , ph 8 . 5 containing 300 mm sodium chloride and centrifuged . the proteins present in the pellet were then denatured with 6 m guanidine - hcl in 100 mm tricine buffer , ph 8 . 5 . thereafter , the proteins were reduced and fully unfolded by adding 0 . 1 m reduced glutathione followed by incubation on at room temperature under nitrogen for 3 h . then , the proteins were refolded by 10 times dilution with nanopure water followed by incubation at 4 - 5 ° c . for 18 h . the refolded protein was then purified by cation exchange chromatography on sp - sepharose . the sp - sepharose column was eluted with a linear sodium chloride gradient ( 0 - 0 . 3 n ) in 0 . 15 m sodium acetate buffer , ph 5 . 0 . finally , the homogeneity of the purified proteins was checked by 10 - 20 % sds - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . although these steps were preferred to increase the yield of the desired protein , they are not necessary to the invention and may be omitted . finally , as stated above , the initial methionine residue at position 1 was cleaved in vitro by aeromonas aminopeptidase . this produced the desired protein . example 1 relates to a protein identified as 2325p4 in patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 239 , 257 b1 , which has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 1 and the nucleotide sequence of seq id no : 2 . in an initial step , oligonucleotides seq id no : 3 , seq id no : 4 , seq id no : 5 , seq id no : 6 , seq id no : 7 , seq id no : 8 , seq id no : 9 , seq id no : 10 , seq id no : 11 , seq id no : 12 , seq id no : 13 , seq id no : 14 , seq id no : 15 , and seq id no : 16 were synthesized and purified as discussed above . in the next step ( shown at the top of fig1 and described in detail above ), pairs of oligonucleotides were mixed and annealed to form duplex oligonucleotides a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 , a6 , and a7 . these annealed oligonucleotides a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 , a6 , and a7 were then agarose gel purified as discussed above . the annealed and purified oligonucleotides were then mixed and ligated together in three separate ligation steps shown tin the center of fig1 using the procedure described above . this produced full - length dna . 1 μg of the full - length dna was subjected to pcr with primers seq id no : 3 and seq id no : 16 . as discussed above , the primers provide xbai and bamhi restriction sites permitting the gene to be inserted in a pet11d vector . the gene of the 2325p4 protein was agarose gel purified as discussed above . the purified 2325p4 gene was then digested with xbai and bamhi restriction enzyme and ligated into a pet11d plasmid vector as discussed above . then , as discussed above , the ligated reaction mixture was used to transform e . coli xl1 - blue competent cells , and the recombinant plasmid pet11d - 2325p4 dna was then used to transform the expression host to express the target gene as discussed above . the expressed protein has the amino acid sequence shown in seq id no : 59 , in which an additional n - terminal methionine residue is followed by lysine , the first amino acid of the 2325p4 protein . the n - terminal additional methionine residue was cleaved as stated above to yield 2325p4 recombinant protein having the amino acid sequence seq id no : 1 . as stated in patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 239 , 257 b1 , 2325p4 protein inhibited growth of human submaxillary gland carcinoma ( a - 253 ) cells and human bladder carcinoma ( t - 24 ) cells . example 2 relates to a protein identified as 2325p6 in patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 239 , 257 b1 , which has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 17 and the nucleotide sequence of seq id no : 18 . in an initial step , oligonucleotides seq id no : 19 , seq id no : 20 , seq id no : 21 , seq id no : 22 , seq id no : 23 , seq id no : 24 , seq id no : 25 , seq id no : 26 , seq id no : 27 , seq id no : 28 , seq id no : 29 , seq id no : 30 , seq id no : 31 , and seq id no : 32 were synthesized and purified as discussed above . in the next step ( shown at the top of fig2 and described in detail above ), pairs of oligonucleotides were mixed and annealed to form duplex oligonucleotides a8 , a9 , a10 , a11 , a12 , a13 , and a14 . these annealed oligonucleotides a8 , a9 , a10 , a11 , a12 , a13 , and a14 were agarose gel purified as discussed no above . the annealed oligonucleotides were mixed and ligated together in three separate ligation steps shown in the center of fig2 using the procedure described above . this produced full - length dna . 1 μg of the full - length dna was subjected to pcr with primers seq id no : 32 and seq id no : 33 . as discussed above , the primers provide xbai and bamhi restriction sites permitting the gene to be inserted into a pet11d plasmid vector . the double stranded full - length pcr product , namely the gene of the 2325p6 protein , was purified from agarose gel and ligated into a pet - 11d plasmid vector at xbai and bamhi restriction site , all using the procedure discussed above . then , using the same procedure described above , e . coli xl1 - blue competent cells were transformed and the recombinant plasmid pet11d - 2325p6 dna was used to transform the expression host ( e . coli bl12 ( de3 ) competent cells ) to express the target gene . the expressed protein has the amino acid sequence shown in seq id nd : 60 , in which an additional n - terminal methionine amino acid is followed by lysine , the first amino acid of the 2325p6 protein . the n - terminal additional methionine residue was cleaved as stated above to yield 2325p6 recombinant protein having the amino acid sequence seq id no : 17 . as stated in patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 239 , 257 b1 , 2325p6 protein inhibited growth of human submaxillary gland carcinoma ( a - 253 ) cells and human bladder carcinoma ( t - 24 ) cells . example 3 relates to a protein identified as 2728 in patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 239 , 257 b1 , which has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 34 and the nucleotide sequence of seq id no : 35 . in an initial step , oligonucleotides seq id no : 36 , seq id no : 37 , seq id no : 38 , seq id no : 39 , seq id no : 40 , seq id no : 41 , seq id no : 42 , seq id no : 43 , seq id no : 44 , seq id no : 45 , seq id no : 46 , seq id no : 47 , seq id no : 48 , and seq id no : 49 were synthesized and purified as discussed above . in the next step ( shown at the top of fig3 and described in detail above ), pairs of oligonucleotides were mixed and annealed to form duplex oligonucleotides a15 , a16 , a17 , a18 , a19 , a20 , and a21 . these annealed oligonucleotides a15 , a16 , a17 , a18 , a19 , a20 , and a21 were agarose gel purified as discussed above . the annealed oligonucleotides were mixed and ligated together in three separate ligation steps shown in the center of fig3 using the procedure described above . this produced full - length dna . 1 μg of the full - length dna was subjected to pcr with primers seq id no : 33 and seq id no : 49 . as discussed above , the primers provide xbai and bamhi restriction sites permitting the gene to be inserted into a pet11d plasmid vector . the double stranded full - length pcr product , namely the gene of the 2728 protein , was purified from agarose gel and ligated into a pet11d plasmid vector , all using the procedure described above . then , using the same procedure described above , e . coli xl1 - blue competent cells were transformed and the recombinant plasmid dna pet11d - 2728 was used to transform the expression host cell ( e . coli bl21 ( de3 ) competent cells ) to express the target gene . the expressed protein has the amino acid sequence shown in seq id no : 61 , in which an additional n - terminal methionine amino acid is followed by lysine , the first amino acid of the 2728 protein . the n - terminal additional methionine residue was cleaved as stated above to yield 2728 recombinant protein having the amino acid sequence seq id no : 34 . as stated in patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 239 , 257 b1 , 2728 protein inhibited growth of human submaxillary gland carcinoma ( a - 253 ) cells and human bladder carcinoma ( t - 24 ) cells . as stated above , the protein identified as 2325p4 in patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 239 , 257 b1 has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 1 and the nucleotide sequence of seq id no : 2 . the process for making pet22b - 2325p4 dna is illustrated in fig4 . the above - described pet11d - 2325p4 plasmid dna ( consisting of 2325p4 dna cloned in a pet - 11d vector ) was used as a template for amplification using forward and reverse dna primers in pcr to produce 2325p4 dna in a form suitable for cloning into a pet22b plasmid between the msci and bamhi restriction sites . the forward primer , which is constructed to have seq id no : 50 , was designed to incorporate a msci restriction site at the 5 ′ end of the gene . the reverse primer , which is constructed to have seq id no : 10 , was designed to have a stop codon flanked by a bamhi site at the 3 ′ end of the gene . these primers were used in a single step of pcr amplification . the amplified dna was then digested with msci and bamhi restriction enzyme and cloned into pet22b plasmid digested with msci and bamhi restriction enzymes . the newly constructed plasmid was named pet22b - 2325p4 dna . pet11d - 2325p4a dna has been synthesized by replacing the isoleucine residue at position 44 of pet11d - 2325p4 dna with valine using site - directed mutagenesis . 2325p4a protein has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 51 and the nucleotide sequence of seq id no : 52 . primers were designed to generate dna fragments containing a ) an xbai restriction site at the 5 ′ terminus and b ) a stop codon flanked by a bamhi site at the 3 ′ terminus , and mismatched primers were synthesized to change the isoleucine residue at position 44 to valine . the full - length gene off 2325p4a was made in two steps of pcr amplifications using a perkin elmer dna thermal cycler , pcr reagents and dna polymerase . in the first step of pcr amplification as shown in fig5 , two separate pcr reactions were performed using pet11d - 2325p4 dna as a template . in the first pcr reaction , amplification was carried out using primers seq id no : 33 and seq id no : 54 and in the second pcr reaction , amplification was carried out using primers seq no id : 16 and seq id no : 53 . these two pcr reactions resulted in two overlapping dna fragments , both bearing the same mutation in the overlapping region introduced via primer mismatch . in the second step of pcr amplification , the two overlapping half - fragments were mixed together with primers seq id no : 33 and seq id no : 16 to produce full - length 2325p4a dna containing the desired mutation . then , the amplified full - length 2325p4a dna was gel purified and digested with xbai and bamhi restriction enzymes and subsequently cloned into pet11d plasmid cut with xbai and bamhi restriction enzymes . the newly constructed plasmid was named pet11d - 2325p4a dna . recombinant 2325p4a protein was expressed and purified using e . coli bl21 ( de3 ) competent cells in the same way as described above in examples 1 , 2 , and 3 . the protein as expressed has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 68 , with an initial methionine residue that is cleaved in vitro using aeromonas aminopeptidase to yield the protein having the amino acid sequence seq id no : 51 . this protein is active against a - 253 cells . commonly - owned patent no . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 175 , 003 b1 discusses the concept of “ cysteinizing ” therapeutically active rnases it would be advantageous to “ cysteinize ” the 2324p4 protein disclosed in the above - referenced &# 39 ; 257 patent to facilitate conjugation of a targeting moiety thereto . the 2325p4 protein has now been cysteinized by replacing the threonine residue at position 71 with cysteine using site - directed mutagenesis to form 2325p4 - cys71 , which has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 55 and the nucleotide sequence of seq id no : 56 . primers were designed to generate dna fragments containing a ) an xbai restriction site at the 5 ′ terminus and b ) a stop codon flanked by a bamhi site at the 3 ′ terminus , and mismatched primers were synthesized to change the threonine residue at position 71 to cysteine . the full - length gene of 2325p4 - cys71 was made in two steps of pcr amplifications using a perkin elmer dna thermal cycler , pcr reagents and dna polymerase . in the first step of pcr amplification as shown in fig6 , two separate pcr reactions were performed using pet - 11d - 2325p4 dna as a template . in the first pcr reaction , amplification was carried out using primers seq id no : 33 and seq id no : 58 , and in the second pcr reaction , amplification was carried out using primers seq no id : 16 and seq id no : 57 . these two pcr reactions resulted in two overlapping dna fragments , both bearing the same mutation in the overlapping reaction introduced via primer mismatch . in the second step of pcr amplification , the two overlapping half - fragments were mixed together with primers seq id no : 33 and seq id no : 16 to produce full - length 2325p4 - cys7l dna containing the desired mutation . then , the amplified full - length 2325p4 - cys71 dna was gel purified and digested with xbai and bamhi restriction enzymes and subsequently cloned into pet - 11d plasmid cut with xbai and bamhi restriction enzymes . the newly constructed plasmid was named pet11d - 2325p4 - cys71 dna . recombinant 2325p4 - cys7l protein was expressed and purified using e . coli el21 ( de3 ) competent cells in the same way as described above in examples 1 , 2 , and 3 . the protein as expressed has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 69 , with an initial methionine residue that is cleaved in vitro using aeromonas aminopeptidase to yield the protein having the amino acid sequence seq id no : 55 . this protein is active against a - 253 cells . quite obviously , a targeting moiety can be conjugated to the cysteine residue at position 71 of the 2325p4 - cys7l protein to direct it to a particular cell receptor of interest . the selection of an appropriate moiety is within the skill of a person skilled in the art . a fusion gene ( hege - linker - 2325p4 - cys71 dna ) cloned in pet22 plasmid vector has been synthesized and expressed . the recombinantly produced hegf - linker - 2325p4 - cys71 fusion protein has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 70 and the nucleotide sequence of seq id no : 71 . a ) the sequence of hegf protein ( resides 1 to 53 ) b ) the sequence of the linker ( residues 54 to 62 ); and c ) the sequence or the 2325p4 - cys7l protein sequence ( residues 63 to 176 ) the full - length gene of hegf - linker - 2325p4 - cys71 was synthesized as shown in fig7 , using three steps of pcr amplification carried out using a perkin elmer dna thermal cycler , pcr reagents , and dna polymerase . pet22b - hegf dna and pet11d - 2325p4 - cys71 dna were used as templates for amplification . in the first step of pcr amplification , the plasmid pet22b - hegf dna was used as a template for amplification using primers seq id no : 72 and seq id no : 74 . the primer of seq id no : 74 has the c - terminal nucleotide sequence of hegf , followed by the nucleotide sequence of the linker . in the second step of pcr the plasmid pet11d - 2325p4 - cys71 dna was used as a template for amplification using primers seq id no : 16 and seq id no : 73 . as stated above , the primer of seq id no : 16 was designed to generate a stop codon flanked by a bamhi site at the 3 ′ terminus . the primer of seq id no : 73 contains the nucleotide sequence of the linker , followed by the n - terminal nucleotide sequence of 2325p4 - cys71 dna . these two pcr reactions resulted in two overlapping dna fragments in the third pcr step , these two overlapping fragments were mixed together with primer seq id no : 72 and seq id no : 16 to produce full - length hegf - linker - 2325p4 - cys71 dna . the amplified full - length hegf - linker - 2325p4 - cys71 dna was agarose gel purified as above , digested with bamhi restriction enzyme , and finally ligated into pet22b plasmid cut with msci and bamhi restriction enzymes . e . coli bl21 ( de3 ) competent cells were transformed with pet22b - hegf - linker - 2325p4 - cys71 plasmid dna and the recombinant protein was expressed and as in examples 1 , 2 , and 3 above . the protein as expressed has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 70 . this protein is active against a - 253 cells . a surprising result occurred when the 2325p4 protein was expressed in e . coli bl21 ( de3 ) competent cells from pet22b - 2325p4 plasmid as discussed above in example 1 . four separate bioactive proteins were expressed , and all of them were active against a - 253 cells . the first of these was the 2325p4 protein , which has the amino acid sequence shown in seq id no : 1 . the second protein was the 2325p4 protein preceded by a two residue long leader sequence having the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 62 ( the second protein therefore has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 63 ). the third protein was the 2325p4 protein preceded by a seven residue long leader sequence having the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 64 ( the third protein therefore has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 65 ). the fourth protein was the 2325p4 protein preceded by a twenty - two residue long leader sequence having the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 66 ( the fourth protein therefore has the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 67 ). each of these leader sequences is derived from the pelb leader sequence of the pet22b vector . to a person skilled in the art , the fact that all four of these proteins remained active is very strong evidence that any protein protein made up of the 2325p4 protein preceded by at least one and at most all of the residues in the seven residue long leader sequence of seq id no : 64 in order will be active as well . and , the same is true of any protein made up of the 2325p4 protein preceded by at least one and at most all of the residues in the twenty two residue long leader sequence of seq id no : 66 in order . in other words , since the leader sequences of seq id no : 64 and seq id no : 66 did not affect the activity of the 2325p4 protein , any person ordinarily skilled in the art would expect that shortened versions of these leader sequences would , when likewise attached at the n - terminal end of the 2325p4 protein , leave the bioactivity of the 2325p4 protein unaffected . furthermore , given that the 2325p6 and 2728 proteins are also active against a - 253 and t - 24 cells , a person skilled in the art would conclude that adding all or any similarly - shortened shortened part of the seq id no : 64 or the seq id no : 66 leader sequences to the n - terminal end of the 2325p4 protein , to the n - terminal end of the 2325p6 protein , or to the n - terminal end of the 2728 protein , would also produce a bioactive protein . this is because these proteins are highly homologous and have highly similar activities against the same cancer cells . although one or more preferred embodiments have been described above , the invention is defined only by the following claims :	2
referring to the drawings , the reference numeral 20 designates generally a display hook according to the invention . the display hook comprises a base plate 21 , which can be of a known , conventional type , adapted to be supported on a display wall ( not shown ) of conventional type . the illustrated base plate is intended to be suspended on a metal cross bar ( not shown ). however , the base plate may also be configured for mounting on a perforated panel , slat board or other display panel arrangement . the illustrated base plate , designed for support on a metal cross bar , advantageously is provided with a through opening 22 at the bottom , for the reception of a locking pin 23 which extends under the bar and inhibits lifting of the hook off of the cross bar by unauthorized parties . the main portion of the display hook 20 is formed of a continuous length of wire and comprises a vertical portion 24 , which is welded or otherwise fixed to the base plate 21 , an outwardly extending upper arm 25 and an outwardly extending lower arm 26 which extends generally parallel to but spaced below the upper arm , as shown in fig1 . in the illustrated form of the invention , the upper arm 25 of formed with a downwardly extending portion 27 at its forward extremity , and a label mounting plate 28 is welded to the portion 27 . the mounting plate provides a fixed surface for securing labels with pricing and other product information . alternative label mounting arrangements may be employed , such as pivoting label holders supported on a cross bar at the end of the upper arm 25 . whatever arrangement is provided for the display of labels will also serve the functions of protecting the outer end of the arm 25 and of forming a positive stop means at the outer end of the arm . in accordance with an aspect of the invention , the lower arm 26 of the display hook is formed with three separate sections . a first or back section 29 extends from the base plate 21 for approximately one - half the length of the lower arm , and is of relatively straight configuration such that carded or other merchandise suspended thereon can easily slide along the first section . a second or intermediate section 30 is integrally joined with the first section 29 and extends to a position a short distance from the end extremity if the lower arm 26 . the intermediate section 30 is configured in a sharply angular form . in the illustrated example , the angular form consists of a plurality of connected v - shaped segments 31 . the v - shaped segments 31 preferably are formed with sharp connecting curves 32 , 33 at the bottom and top . in the illustrated example , the intermediate section 30 is formed with four sets of connected v - shaped segments 31 . preferably , the v - shaped segments are aligned in a common vertical plane with the upper arm 25 . the arrangement is such that , to remove an item of carded merchandise from the back section 29 of the lower hook , the item has to be moved vertically upward and downward four times in order for it to pass over the intermediate section 30 of the lower arm . this slows down the removal of the merchandise item and thus inhibits a “ quick strike ” action of a shoplifter . moreover , the several connected v - shaped sections make it next to impossible for a shoplifter to strip a display hook of its entire inventory . in the illustrated embodiment of the invention , the lower arm 26 also includes a forward section 34 joined integrally with the intermediate section 30 and extending forwardly therefrom to a point a short distance behind the label mounting plate 28 . the forward section 34 desirably is straight and substantially coaxial with the back section 29 . at its forward extremity 35 , the forward section 34 has a lateral extension 36 that serves as a position stop for an item of merchandise at a forwardmost position on the lower arm while enabling the merchandise to be removed from the hook by a lateral motion along the extension . pursuant to an aspect of the invention , the illustrated display hook 20 is advantageously used in combination with a locking device 40 , which preferably but not necessarily is of the type which forms the subject matter of the before mentioned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 957 , 555 , the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference . the described locking device comprises a body 41 containing a rotor element 42 that can be rotated between “ lock ” and “ unlock ” positions by an insertable / removable key 43 . the upper portion 44 of the lock body 41 has a recess 45 for engaging the upper arm 25 of the hook , and a retaining plate 46 which secures the lock body to the upper arm 25 while allowing it to rotate about the arm . as shown in fig3 , the lock body 41 includes a second recess 47 positioned to receive the back or forward sections 29 , 34 of the hook 20 when the lock body is rotated to a position in which the lower recess 47 is directly below the upper recess 45 . the lock rotor 42 includes a locking arm 48 which , when the rotor is in its “ lock ” position , closes off the recess 47 and secures the lock body 41 to the lower arm 26 of the display hook . when the lock body is secured to the lower arm , any merchandise suspended on the lower are and positioned behind the lock body will be locked on the display hook . the lock can be released by rotation of the rotor to opening the recess 47 and allow the lock body to be rotated out of the way . this , of course , requires the presence of an authorized person with a key . in the form of locking device 40 shown , the upper portion of the lock body is advantageously formed with an integral tubular extension 49 . one portion 50 of the extension is aligned with the upper recess 45 and is arranged to receive a portion of the upper arm 25 when the lock body is mounted on the arm . a second portion 51 of the extension is positioned laterally beyond the open side of the recess 45 and has a downwardly opening slot 52 . the slot 52 can be flexed open to fit over the upper arm 25 on enable the lock body to be installed thereon . the length of the tubular extension is such as to define a desired forwardmost position of the lock body 41 at a distance back of the label mounting plate 28 , as shown in fig4 , whereby the lock body engages the lower arm 26 directly in front of the v - shaped sections 31 of the lower arm intermediate section 30 . in accordance with an aspect of the invention , the locking device 40 can be located in various positions on the display hook 20 , as determined by the storekeeper to be consistent with the level of shoplifting threat that exists at the particular store location . in an upscale area , in which shoplifting is a negligible threat , and / or where the value of the displayed merchandise is relatively low , the storekeeper has the option of locating the locking device 40 at a backmost position on the back section 29 of the hook , as shown in fig6 , such that none of the displayed merchandise is locked and the customers may freely serve themselves in the selection of merchandise . should circumstances indicate a moderate , but not high , level of threat , the storekeeper may opt to position the locking device at the forward end of the back section 29 , as shown in fig5 . in this position , all merchandise items supported on the back section 29 will be locked and can be removed only by or with the attendance of a authorized store person with a key . in this configuration , however , the storekeeper can place one or several product items in front of the lock , hanging in the v - shaped sections 31 of the intermediate section 30 and / or on the forward section 34 . and items on the forward section 34 will , of course be easily removable , and items on the intermediate section will be removable , but less easily . should the storekeeper deem the threat of loss high or very high , he or she has the further option of positioning the locking device 40 on the front section 34 of the lower arm 26 . in this lock position , the storekeeper can place all of the merchandise behind the lock , or optionally leave an item suspended from the section 34 in front of the lock . when the locking device is positioned on the forward section 34 , the lateral extension 36 of the forward section serves as a positive stop and thus will prevent the lower portion of the locking device , when locked , from being pulled forwardly over the end of the forward section to release merchandise . a storekeeper &# 39 ; s objective is always to sell as much merchandise as possible , consistent with holding “ shrinkage ” from shoplifting at tolerable levels . the invention gives the storekeeper unique tools to optimize the balance of customer accommodation and freedom to chose , with maintaining a desirable level of control over product loss , through the combination of an advantageous display hook configuration in conjunction with the use of a positionable locking device . this enables as much merchandise as the store owner is willing to risk , given the store location and surrounding circumstances , to be made directly accessible to the customer , with the option to require the presence of store personnel to release any greater amount of the displayed product . the storekeeper &# 39 ; s options apply to both the character of the surrounding neighborhood and to the value of the displayed merchandise , and both can be evaluated in the determination of an optimal location for placement of the locking device on a particular merchandise hook . it will be understood , of course , that the embodiments of the invention herein specifically disclosed are intended to be representative of the invention but not limiting as to the manner in which it may be carried out .	8
the present disclosure discusses the manufacturing of the molecules shown in fig1 bis ( 2 - methoxyethyl )- 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 - tetracyano - 1 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 , 10 - hexazaanthracene 101 and fig2 bis ( 2 - methoxyethoxyethyl )- 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 - tetracyano - 1 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 , 10 - hexazaanthracene 201 . the goal is to manufacture molecules 101 and 201 through practical , direct , and straightforward pathways that could be expanded for multi - gram scale production . molecules of this type had been previously manufactured but only on small scale with simple alkyl substitution and never with oxygen functionality . fig3 shows how the core structure of the desired tetracyanohexaazaanthracene 307 framework had previously been manufactured . the process begins with 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 301 which is reacted in a ammonia nh3 302 and tetrahydrofuran thf 303 mixture at 15 degrees celsius ; through dimerization of 2 - amino - 3 - chloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 304 in refluxing dimethylformamide [ dmf ] 306 using triethylamine 305 to pick up the eliminated hcl ; however the yields were always poor [ j . juang , k . fukunishi and m . matsuoka j . heterocyclic chem ., 34 . 653 ( 1997 )]. following the synthesis of the 307 , fig4 shows that substitution of both the 9 & amp ; 10 hydrogens with alkyl groups had previously been accomplished using the corresponding alkyl bromide 401 in refluxing dmf 306 solvent — again using triethylamine 305 to absorb hcl , though again in poor yield . very large molar excesses of the alkyl bromide 401 were also necessary , the temperature was high [ dmf reflux ; 160 ° c .] and the reflux period was several days . substituted root tetracyanohexaazaanthracene 402 is shown with r embodiments represented as ch3 403 , n - butyl 404 , and n - octyl 405 . these characteristics suggested the construction of compounds 101 and 201 would not be simple and application to large scale might be problematic . to explore the synthetic paths to both the bis ( 2 - methoxyethyl ) derivative 101 and bis ( 2 - methoxyethoxyethyl ) derivative 201 , we accomplished the traditional sequence by first construction of dicyano - dichloropyrazine 304 , converting this to core framework 307 and then using alkylation of 307 with 2 - methoxyethyl bromide [ ch 3 — o — ch 2 ch 2 — br ] 501 in dmf 306 / tea 305 giving 101 and 2 ( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) ethyl bromide [ ch 3 — o — ch 2 ch 2 — o — ch 2 ch 2 — br ] 601 in dmf 306 / tea 305 giving 202 . the synthesis was productive but yields were , as expected , very low . also , the synthetic process was tedious and expensive because both reagents are expensive and need to be used in 10 - 20 fold excess to give reasonable reaction rates . further , even with excess alkylating reagents the sequence required two long heating periods ; the first for the conversion of pyrazine 304 to tricyclic 307 and the second alkylation of 307 to give 101 or 201 . note that the process cannot easily be separated , though there are two sequential steps . once 307 is produced , its transformation to 101 starts to proceed . the present disclosure explores an alternative , as shown in fig7 . rather than prepare the simple dicyano - amino - chloropyrazine 304 , we elected to construct the now substituted 5 , 6 - dicyano - 2 - methoxyethylamino - 3 - chloropyrazine 703 using 2 - methoxyethylamine 701 in place of ammonia in tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) 702 at − 15 . the very high reactivity of the halogens of 301 provided the very nicely crystalline derivative 703 in yields of 80 % as a single bright blue fluorescent spot on thin layer chromatography ( tlc ) or using column chromatography . upon refluxing derivative 703 in dmf 306 / tea 305 for 6 - 8 hours , 101 was afforded in only very modest yield . never - the - less , the two long heating steps had been converted to one . as we monitored the progress of the conversion of 703 into 101 using tlc or column chromatography , it was noted that a significant new non - fluorescent spot appeared in addition to the bright yellow spot of tricyclic 101 . isolation of this material and determination of it &# 39 ; s mass spectrum showed the formation of a material eventually identified as hydroxypyrazine 802 , as shown in fig8 . also shown is hydroxypyrazine intermediate 801 . clearly , the dmf 306 solvent had intervened in the reaction and dmf 306 was competing for the reactive halogen of 703 rather than allowing the dimerization of 703 to 101 . this intervention was clearly the reason for the low yields in the conversion of 703 to 101 . thus , we explored many numerous alternative solvents including other amide solvents such as n - methylpyrrolidone , dimethylacetamide . fig9 shows the discovered reaction pathway : diglyme [ ch 3 — o — ch 2 ch 2 — o — ch 2 ch 2 — och 3 ; diethyleneglycol dimethyl ether ; bp 160 ] 901 and diisopropylethylamine [ dipea ] 902 was an excellent medium and solvent to accomplish the transformation of 703 to 101 . refluxing pyrazine 703 in diglyme 901 with dipea 902 afforded good [ 60 - 70 %] yields of substituted tricyclic 101 . the reaction can be followed easily by tlc or column chromatography and isolation by cooling to room temperature and upon pouring the reaction mix into ice / water , a brownish - yellow - orange solid precipitates almost pure without chromatography . this material has been used extensively in our cv and charge / discharge experiments . though the construction of bis ( 2 - methoxyethyl ) tricyclic 101 was accomplished it remained to be determined if a similar sequence could be established for the synthesis of 201 . 2 - methoxyethylamine is commercially available inexpensively . the required corresponding 2 - methoxyethoxyethylamine is not . several attempts to synthesize this material failed including the gabriel synthesis using the phthalimide intermediate . the failure in each attempt involved the very high water solubility of the aminodiether . fig1 shows a new preparation of the required amine 1001 through the construction of the p - toluenesulfonate ester of monoglyme [ ch 3 — o — ch 2 ch 2 — o — ch 2 ch 2 — oh ] 1002 . upon treatment of this material with a very large excess of aqueous ammonia at room temperature for several days followed by rotoevaporation of the aqueous solution yields the p - toluenesulfonate salt of 2 - methoxyethoxyethylamine 1002 . the salt 1002 is taken up in thf and evaporated to remove traces of water by azeotropic processes . the salt 1002 along with dichloropyrazine 301 was dissolved in thf and treated with dipea 902 [ 2 equivalents ] at − 15 ° celsius gave good yields of the corresponding substituted 2 - methoxyethoxyethylamino chloro pyrazine 1003 . using the same procedure as in the conversion of 703 to 101 ( refluxing 1003 in diglyme 901 with dipea 902 to yield 201 ), the more highly oxygenated side - chain aminopyrazine 1003 is converted to 201 . in order to explore routes that would allow the construction of unsymmetrical derivatives of the tetracyano hexaaza tricyclic we have also explored the combination of a disubstituted diaminopyrazine with the dicyanodichloropyrazine 301 , as shown in fig1 . in the event , dicyanodichloropyrazine 301 was treated with 2 equivalents of 2 - methoxyethylamine 701 ( in thf 702 at − 15 degrees celsius ) and the substitution of both halogens accomplished in a sequential way to give substituted diaminopyrazine 1101 ( 703 is shown as an intermediate in fig1 ). this was then caused to react with dichloro - dicyanopyrazine 301 to give the exactly the same tricyclic structure 101 as produced by the dimerization of pyrazine 703 . many other side - chains and derivatives can thus be designed , constructed and explored . fig1 shows the reaction pathway . a 500 ml erlenmeyer flask was charged with a magnetic stir bar and to this setup was introduced 375 ml of anhydrous 1 , 4 - dioxane 1201 . the dioxane is cooled in ice / water mixture and after well cooled and with good stirring , 15 ml of oxalyl chloride [ 171 mmol ; d = 1 . 45 ] 1202 is added slowly . the combination will be exothermic . the mixture is allowed to stand until well chilled and a n 2 sweep is established . to the well stirred mixture is added , in small [˜ 2 g or smaller ] portions over an hour , a total of 15 g [ 139 mmol ] of purified damn 1203 in the solid state . after the last portion is added the flask is sealed with parafilm and stirring continued for ˜ 1 hour followed by then warming in a water bath to 50 ° c . for some 3 - 4 hours during which time the solution and thick suspension turned light yellow . the thick suspension is cooled to room temperature and placed in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator [˜− 20 ° c .] for about an hour [ not longer or dioxane solvent may freeze ]. the solid was filtered by suction on a sintered - glass filter , washed with cold ether and dried . the material can be crystallized from boiling water . yield ˜ 85 %. fig1 shows the reaction pathway . this reaction should be carried out in a fume hood . in a 500 ml round - bottomed flask with a 24 / 40 ground - glass joint attached to an efficient reflux condenser and under a nitrogen atmosphere , a magnetically stirred slurry consisting of 8 . 10 g ( 0 . 050 mol ) of 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 - tetrahydro - 5 , 6 - dioxo - 2 , 3 - pyrazinedicarbonitrile , 4 . 0 ml of dimethylformamide 306 and 160 ml of thionyl chloride 1301 was heated . gas evolution began at ca . 62 ° [ so2 & amp ; hcl gasses evolved ]. after about 3 . 5 hours , the solid had dissolved and the temperature had risen to 70 °. after cooling to room temperature , a dry ice / acetone bath was applied until the temperature of the reaction medium was − 65 °. the crystals which formed were collected by rapid filtration of the cold slurry through a sintered - glass filter under a nitrogen blanket . the solid was washed twice with 150 - ml portions of cold diethyl ether and air - dried to give 7 g ( 70 %) of 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 301 , mp 180 - 182 °. crystallization of the product may be accomplished if dark , from ˜ 50 ml of chloroform with carbon treatment to give 5 . 5 g of purified product . fig1 shows the reaction pathway . a solution of 5 . 00 g ( 25 . 1 mmoles ) of 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 301 in 40 ml of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran was cooled to between − 15 ° and − 20 ° [ bath temperature ] in a dry ice / acetone bath and a solution of 3 . 95 g ( 52 . 6 mmoles ) of 2 - methoxyethylamine 701 in 30 ml of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran 702 was added drop - wise , with good magnetic stirring over a period of about 30 minutes . after warming to ˜ 5 ° for an additional 15 minutes , the still cold reaction mixture was poured , with good agitation , into 400 ml of ice / water mix having ˜ 5 ml of 10 % hcl added , producing an oil which rapidly crystallized to a yellow solid . the solid was filtered , washed well with water and air - dried to give 4 . 1 g of yellow solid 2 -( 2 - methoxyethylamino )- 3 - chloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 1401 , mp 111 °.- 113 °. the product was purified by crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane to give the purified product as pale yellow crystals , mp 113 °- 114 °. exact mass 237 . 1 [ calc 237 . 04 ] tlc or column chromatography in ethyl acetate on silica plates shows an intense blue fluorescent spot at rf ˜ 0 . 65 ; a trace of the double addition 2 , 3 - bis ( 2 - methoxyethylamino )- 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine can often be seen at rf ˜ 0 . 45 . this same process may also be used with 2 -( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) ethylamine to afford the more extended derivative . fig1 shows the reaction pathway . in a 100 ml round - bottom flask with 14 / 20 glass joint and attached to an air - condenser having a magnetic stir - bar was add 4 . 8 g [ 0 . 02 mole ] of 2 ( 2 - methoxyethylamino )- 3 - chloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 1401 and 25 ml of diglyme 901 [ diethyleneglycol dimethylether ]. the reaction was stirred for about an hour until all the solid had dissolved . to this solution was added 6 . 2 g of diisopropylethylamine 902 drop - wise with stirring . the reaction was then brought to reflux using a sand - bath at ˜ 180 ° celsius . all under a nitrogen sweep . the solution acquired an orange yellow color as heating took place . reaction was monitored by tlc or column chromatography [ silica plates ] using ethyl acetate ; the bright blue fluorescent starting material spot at rf : 0 . 65 slowly faded and was converted to a bright yellow spot at rf : 0 . 98 . after 5 hours the starting material spot had disappeared and the new yellow spot at solvent front in tlc or column chromatography predominated . solution cooled to rt and poured , with good stirring into 400 ml of water / ice mixture having ˜ 5 ml of 10 % hcl . brown - yellow mixture was allowed to stand ˜ 24 hrs and filtered by suction and washed with water . material was dried in vac . drying oven at 70 °. there was obtained 4 . 1 g of yellow brown powder . exact mass 402 . 2 [ calc 402 . 13 ]. fig1 shows the reaction pathway . a solution of 5 . 00 g ( 25 . 1 mmoles ) of 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 301 in 40 ml of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran 702 was cooled to between − 15 ° and − 20 ° [ bath temperature ] in a dry ice / acetone bath and a solution of 8 g ( 104 mmoles ) of 2 - methoxyethylamine 701 in 30 ml of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran 702 was added drop - wise , with good magnetic stirring over a period of about 30 minutes . after warming to ˜ 5 ° for an additional 15 minutes , the still cold reaction mixture was poured , with good agitation , into 500 ml of ice / water mix having ˜ 5 ml of 10 % hcl added , producing an oil which rapidly crystallized to a yellow solid . the solid was filtered , washed well with water and air - dried to give 4 . 7 g of pale yellow solid 2 , 3 - bis ( 2 - methoxyethylamino )- 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 1101 . rf : 0 . 45 in ethyl acetate on silica plates . the amount of primary amine can be reduced by half by substituting another amine such as diisopropylethylamine to react with the hcl generated during the reaction . thus , instead of 8 g of 2 - methoxyethylamine 701 , one can use 4 g of 2 - methoxyethylamine 701 and 5 g diisopropylethylamine mixture in 30 ml thf 702 . fig1 shows the reaction pathway . in a 100 ml round - bottom flask having a magnetic stir - bar and with 14 / 20 glass joint attached to an air - condenser was add 0 . 48 g [ 0 . 002 mole ] of 2 , 3 - bis ( 2 - methoxyethylamino )- 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 1101 , 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanopyrazine 301 and 5 ml of diglyme 901 [ diethyleneglycoldimethylether ]. the reaction was stirred for about an hour until all the solids had dissolved . to this solution was added 0 . 6 g of diisopropylethylamine 902 drop - wise with stirring . the reaction was then brought to reflux using a sand - bath at ˜ 180 °. all under a nitrogen sweep . the solution acquired a dark gray orange color as heating took place . reaction was monitored by tlc or column chromatography [ silica plates ] using ethyl acetate ; the bright blue fluorescent starting material spot at rf : 0 . 45 slowly faded and was converted to a bright yellow spot at rf : 0 . 98 identical to the material formed from dimerization . after 5 hours the starting material spot remained though the yellow spot corresponding to the expected product at solvent front in tlc or column chromatography was present . solution cooled to rt and poured , with good stirring into 40 ml of water / ice mixture having ˜ 0 . 5 ml of 10 % hcl . dark mixture was allowed to stand ˜ 24 hrs and filtered by suction and washed with water . material was dried in vac . drying oven at 70 °. there was obtained 0 . 6 g of yellow brown powder having both starting material and desired tetracyanodipyrazinepyrazine . exact mass 402 . 2 [ calc 402 . 13 ]. fig1 shows the reaction pathway . in a 500 ml erlenmeyer flask 38 g of p - toluenesulfonyl chloride 1801 was dissolved in 90 ml of dichloromethane 1802 with stirring using a magnetic stirrer . to this solution was added 24 g of 2 -( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) ethanol 1803 . the solution was cooled in an ice / water mixture and to this clear , cold , slightly yellow solution was added , with good stirring 20 . 4 g of triethylamine 1804 , drop - wise by pipette . the amine 1804 was added over ˜ 20 min . at the end of the addition , crystals of triethylamine hydrochloride had started to deposit from the solution . reaction was allowed to stir over night . the reaction solution was then poured into ˜ 200 ml of ice / water containing 10 ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid . the mixtures was stirred well , and the organic layer removed by separatory funnel . the aqueous layer was extracted with another 40 ml of dichloromethane 1802 and added to the previous . the combined organic layers were washed with saturated salt solution and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate . after decanting from na 2 so 4 and roto - evaporation , there was obtained 50 . 4 g of pale , tan oil . upon several cooling , warming sequences in a dry - ice / acetone bath while under vacuum , the oil crystallized . the tosylate is a solid at 0 ° but melts to a syrup at room - temperature . yield 50 . 4 g [ theory 54 g ]. the whole of the 2 -( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) ethyl tosylate 1805 [ 50 g ] was dissolved in 100 ml of methanol 1806 and this solution was added with good stirring to 300 ml of concentrated aqueous ammonia 1807 in a 500 ml erlenmeyer flask . after about ⅔ of the addition , incremental amounts of methanol were required to maintain a clear solution as the methanol / tosylate solution was added . total volume at the end of the addition was ˜ 500 ml . the reaction flask was covered and allowed to stir for ˜ 4 days . from the beginning of the addition of the tosylate to the ammonia solution , a distinct yellow hue was observed . as the reaction proceeded , this color faded . at the end of the reaction period the clear solution was transferred to a beaker and allowed to stand in the hood to allow ammonia and methanol to evaporate for ˜ 24 hrs . the remaining water / methanol / ammonia was then removed through roto - evaporation and the residual syrup taken up in tetrahydrofuran and the thf / water azeotrope removed successively . finally the syrup was taken up in thf and filtered from the crystalline residual ammonium tosylate salt [˜ 5 g ]. evaporation of the thf on roto - evaporator yielded 48 g of light tan syrup : 2 -( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) ethyl ammonium tosylate salt . mass spectral data for both negative 1002 and positive ions 1001 were observed at 171 and 131 respectively . all patents and publications mentioned in the prior art are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . all patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference , to the extent that they do not conflict with this disclosure . while the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the disclosed or illustrated embodiments but , on the contrary , is intended to cover numerous other modifications , substitutions , variations , and broad equivalent arrangements . o - 3 - chloropyrazine used in the next step .	2
the method according to the invention , applied to a synchronous alternating - current permanent - magnet machine , is as follows . considering a permanent - magnet anisotropic machine , the method entails writing the equations of the machine in the reference system coupled to the stator of said machine . the equations of the machine are produced by a matrix of the inductances of the machine , in which there is a fixed part and a part that depends on the electrical angle of the machine . assuming the simplest case , in which the variation according to the angle is sinusoidal , there is therefore a matrix of inductances that is determined by a fixed part and by a part in which the inductances are linked sinusoidally to the variation of the angle . at this point it is necessary to define a park matrix with fixed axes , and the park transform is applied to the equations mentioned above , written in the reference system coupled to the stator of the machine , so as to describe said equations according to axes α and β . park := 2 3 · ( 1 - 1 2 - 1 2 0 3 2 - 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 ) the park transform therefore produces the matrix of inductances transformed in the reference system α , β . ( ls0 + lm0 0 0 0 ls0 + lm0 0 0 0 ls0 - 2 · lm0 ) + ( 3 2 · lm2 · cos  ( 2 · θ ) 3 2 · lm2 · sin  ( 2 · θ ) 0 3 2 · lm2 · sin  ( 2 · θ ) - 3 2 · lm2 · cos  ( 2 · θ ) 0 0 0 0 ) -& gt ; ( ls0 + lm0 + 3 2 · lm2 · cos  ( 2 · θ ) 3 2 · lm2 · sin  ( 2 · θ ) 0 3 2 · lm2 · sin  ( 2 · θ ) ls0 + lm0 - 3 2 · lm2 · cos  ( 2 · θ ) 0 0 0 ls0 - 2 · lm0 ) at this point a high - frequency voltage is injected into the motor and , by applying the principle of overlapping effects , it is possible to ignore the effect of the sinusoidal counter - electromotive force in the equations of the machine with fixed axes . for example , for a 50 - hz machine , the injected high - frequency voltage can be a voltage at 800 hz , with a switching frequency of 10 khz , which overlaps the voltage dispensed by the machine control system . at this point the current of the motor is measured and the current linked to the injected voltage is extracted by filtering . essentially , the injected high - frequency voltage can be broken down into the two components along the axes α and β . the equations of the injected voltage contain the derivative with respect to time of the flux with respect to the axes α and β , respectively , and therefore by integrating these equations one obtains the fluxes along the axes α and β , which are given by the product of the matrix of inductances along the axes α and β and the current , along the axes α and β , linked to the injected voltage a system of two equations in the unknowns sin ( 2θ ) and cos ( 2θ ) is thus obtained .  { φ   α - ls0 - lm0 = 3 2 · lm2 · sin  ( 2 · ϑ ) · i   β + 3 2 · lm2 · cos  ( 2 · ϑ ) · i   α φ   β - ls0 - lm0 = 3 2 · lm2 · sin  ( 2 · ϑ ) · i   α - 3 2 · lm2 · cos  ( 2 · ϑ ) · i   β the determinant of the matrix det = - ( 3 2  lm2 ) 2  ( i α 2 + i β 2 ) which is constituted by the product of the inductances of the machine , along the axes α and β , and the injected current along the axes α and β , linked to the injected voltage , is constantly negative and nonzero if the injected current is not nil . the system of equations described above therefore allows to obtain sin ( 2θ ) and cos ( 2θ ). at this point , the problem is to obtain sin ( θ ) from sin ( 2θ ) and cos ( θ ) from cos ( 2θ ). the filtering step performed to measure the current of the motor and thus extract the current linked to the injected voltage can be obtained by implementing a hardware or software filter that is suitable to obtain only the currents produced by the injection of high - frequency voltage , without thereby altering their information content , eliminating the components at the frequency of the fundamental and those derived from high - frequency pulse width modulation . for example , it is possible to use second - order bandpass filters implemented analogically or digitally in the processor . it is noted that when the rotor is locked ( i . e ., the frequency of the fundamental is zero ), filtering is practically useless and the results are highly valid . therefore , the method described above allows to determine the initial position of the motor , minus a 180 ° angle , and also allows to control the machine when the rotor is locked ( torque control with locked rotor ). once sin ( 2θ ) and cos ( 2θ ) have been determined , there are two possible solutions for sin ( θ ) and cos ( θ ). this means that the position of the rotor is known in terms of orientation , but its orientation is not known , i . e ., the magnetic north and south of the rotor are not known . in order to define the direction of the position of the rotor , when the machine starts it is sufficient to inject a very small voltage for a very short time in the direction of the axis cc , thus obtaining a small movement of the rotor , and then observe the change in position ; the north of the rotor tends to align with the axis α , and therefore the variation of sin ( 2θ ) and cos ( 2θ ) that is observed allows to define the direction of the rotor position . from that moment onward , at each step k of the observation algorithm , one chooses from the two possible solutions for sin ( θ ) and cos ( θ ) the solution that is closest to the one found in the preceding step , i . e ., k − 1 , while the other solution is spaced by an angle θ which is equal to approximately 180 °. in greater detail , assuming that one has two mutually different values of the angle θ , and assuming that the correct solution of the equations is the first value , for example the north pole is close to the axis α , at 45 °, if a positive voltage is applied along the α axis , the cosine of the angle increases , while the sine decreases , because the north pole tends to align with the axis α . if instead the solution is the second one found ( i . e ., the south pole is close to the axis a , at 45 °, and therefore the north pole is at 225 °), the cosine of the angle is seen to decrease , while the sine increases because the south pole tends to move away from the axis α . in practice it has been found that the method according to the invention allows to determine the position of the rotor of a permanent - magnet anisotropic alternating - current machine without using a position sensor for said rotor . the method according to the invention , moreover , can be implemented with computational resources that are commonly available in ordinary hardware platforms used for motor control . furthermore , the method for determining the electrical angle θ , starting from the sine and cosine of the angle 2θ , obtained by means of the method according to the invention , is performed without resorting to pre - calculated tables of machine inductances as a function of rotor position and by using solving algorithms that are extremely simple with respect to known solutions .	7
fig1 shows a satellite 1 in earth orbit 2 . the satellite 1 has a central body 3 with system center of mass at s . the two solar panels 4 , 5 are attached to the central body 3 through drive motors 6 , 7 ( see fig2 ). the first solar panel extending in the one direction ( along the satellite body fixed y - axis ) away from the satellite body , and a second solar panel extending in the opposite direction ; solar panels extending basically symmetrical and coaxial in opposite directions away from the satellite are normally coplanar . the coordinate frame xoyozo passing through the satellite center of mass s represents the orbital reference frame . the nodal line represents the reference line in orbit for the measurement of the true anomaly , θ . the x o - axis is taken along normal to the orbital plane , y o - axis points along the local vertical and z o - axis represents the third axis of this right handed frame taken . the orientation of the satellite is specified by a set of three successive rotations : α ( pitch ) about the x 0 - axis , φ about the new roll axis and finally γ about the resulting yaw axis . the corresponding principal body - fixed coordinate axes for satellite are denoted by s - xyz . herein the term “ solar panel ” denotes the set of cells converting the light energy into electrical energy by photovoltaic effect , for example the structure supporting these components , the mechanisms coupled to the structure to enable it to be stowed before the satellite reaches its orbital position , to deploy it and to hold it in the deployed position , and all the additional components which , in the orbital configuration , are fixed to the structure and which have various functions , for example thermal protection flaps which limit heat losses from the satellite during phases in which the solar panel is not deployed or surfaces for increasing the light impinging on the photovoltaic devices ( shadow uniformization screens , for example ). the satellite 1 is provided with a pitch attitude control system compatible with any other known means of satellite control in roll and in yaw , in particular solar control , for example of the type described in one of the following references , namely , french patents 2 , 655 , 167 , 2 , 656 , 586 , 2 , 531 , 547 , or french patent 2 , 530 , 046 , or u . s . pat . no . 4 , 325 , 124 . as explained below , this pitch control is decoupled from roll / yaw attitude control . also , the present invention is compatible with philosophy underlying the teachings of the references mentioned above , hereby incorporated by way of reference , which is to add only minimum items to the satellite , or even none at all . coupled to a device of the same kind as those mentioned above , the invention makes it possible to use srp to control the attitude of the satellite about its pitch axis . it will be appreciated that attitude control about at least one of the roll , pitch and yaw axes is provided totally or partially by a system utilizing solar pressure on surfaces of the satellite ; it will be realized that the invention proposes a novel combination of components known and already proven in orbit over a period of many years such as solar panel rotation devices ( all geosynchronous satellites ). the remainder of the description discloses how the invention achieves pitch control of the satellite . it may be recognized that in elliptic orbits the satellite pitch motion directly gets affected in the first order approximation as compared to its counterparts roll and yaw motions . so , in order to suitably control the attitude of the satellite in elliptic orbits , we must ensure the control of the pitch motion . in fact , if there are no disturbances to the roll and yaw motions , they would never get excited due to the pitch motion or eccentricity as well . as our focus in this investigation is to devise a control strategy to counter the adverse effect of eccentricity on the satellite attitude , the control of pitch motion is considered and the roll and yaw motions remain uncontrolled . assuming no roll and no yaw motions , we write the pitch motion of the satellite as ( 1 + e cos θ ) α ″− 2 e sin θ ( 1 + α ′)− 3 ( k yx − k zx ) cos α sin α = { circumflex over ( t )} sx [( 1 − e 2 )/ 1 + e cos θ )] 3 ( 1 ) where a , e = semi - major axis and eccentricity of the system center of mass ; k 1 =( i x − i y )/ i z ; k 2 =( i x − i z )/ i y ; k yx = i y / i x = 1 − k 1 ( k 2 − 1 )/( k 1 k 2 − 1 ) ; k zx = i z / i x =( k 2 − 1 )/( k 1 k 2 − 1 ); i k = principal centroidal moment of inertia of satellite about k - axis , k = x , y , z ; { circumflex over ( t )} sx = t sx /( i x ω 2 ); t sx = torque due to solar radiation pressure ; θ = true anomaly ; ω =( μ / a 3 ) 1 / 2 ; μ = earth &# 39 ; s gravitational constant ; (. )′, (. )″= d (. )/ dθ and d 2 (. )/ dθ 2 , respectively . next , we derive the control torque due to solar radiation pressure . the force acting on the plate - j due to the solar radiation pressure is given as where ρ s + ρ t + ρ d = 1 ; a j = surface area of solar panel - j exposed to impinging photons ; p = nominal solar radiation pressure constant at 1 astronomical unit from the sun ; ρ d , ρ s , ρ t = fractions of impinging photons diffusely reflected , specularly reflected , and transmitted , respectively ; considering a highly reflective surface ( i . e ., ρ d = 0 ; no absorption , specular reflection only ), the preceding expression ( 2 ) simplifies to s ⊥ j = s xj ⁢ i ^ + s yj ⁢ j ^ + s zj ⁢ k ^ ; s xj = sin ψ sin ( i − ε s ); s yj =− cos ψ cos ( θ + α )− sin ψ cos ( i − ε s ) sin ( θ + α ); s zj = cos ψ sin ( θ + α )− sin ψ cos ( i − ε s ) cos ( θ + α ) cos γ ; i = satellite orbit inclination with respect to the equatorial plane ; ε s = angle between the equatorial and the ecliptic planes ; ψ = solar aspect angle or the angle between the direction of the sun and the nodal line . we consider the axis of the solar panel - j is initially aligned to the k o - axis . the angle β j denotes rotation about the i o - axis . thus , the torque exerted by the solar panel - j on the satellite is where r j = distance between the system center of mass s and the center of pressure for solar panel - j , j = 1 , 2 . assuming the cross - sectional area of the panel and the distance between the system center of mass s and the center of pressure for both the solar panels being the same ( i . e ., a j = a , r j = r ), the components of the total solar torque about the satellite body axes can be written as t ^ sx = c ⁡ [  s ⊥ 1 · n ⊥ 1  ⁢ ( s ⊥ 1 · n ⊥ 1 ) ⁢ cos ⁢ ⁢ β 1 -  s ⊥ 2 · n ⊥ 2  ⁢ ( s ⊥ 2 · n ⊥ 2 ) ⁢ cos ⁢ ⁢ β 2 ] , ( 6 ) where c = 2ρ s par /( i x ω 2 ) is dimensionless solar parameter with a view to devise suitable control laws using solar radiation pressure , the nonlinear and non - autonomous system equations of motion eq . ( 1 ) along with eq . ( 6 ) is simplified by considering small amplitude librations and low eccentricities , and ignoring the second and higher order terms in α , and e . the resulting equations of motion of the system are α ″− 3 ( k yx − k zx ) α = 2 e sin θ + 2 c \| d 1 \| d 2 ( β 1 − β 2 ) ( 7 ) d 1 = cos ψ sin θ − sin ψ cos ( i − ε s ) cos θ ( 8 ), and d 2 = cos ψ cos θ + sin γ cos ( i − ε s ) sin θ ( 9 ). as per the preceding eq . ( 7 ), the deterioration of the satellite pitch response may be chiefly attributed to the periodic excitation term 2e sin θ . our strategy is to devise a suitable control laws so as the neutralized this excitation , i . e ., using eqs . ( 8 – 9 ), we can write d 1 d 2 as as per eq . ( 12 ), the term d 1 d 2 varies as θ changes and it gets zero when θ =− φ / 2 leading to ( β 1 − β 2 ) infinite . in order to remove this anomaly , we take the average value of the term d 1 d 2 as substituting \| d 1 d 2 \| avg in eq . ( 11 ), we get the open - loop control law as the eq . ( 16 ) ensures the preceding condition ( 10 ) only to some extend as the average value of the term d 1 d 2 can not cancel the excitation due to eccentricity completely . it is also proper to mention here that the smaller the value of e , more rigorous is expected to be the eccentricity neutralization . the maximum solar panel deflection using the controller law eq . ( 16 ) is as per the preceding eq . ( 17 ), the \| β j \| max is directly proportional to eccentricity e and inversely proportion to c and b . next , we formulate simple criteria to find the satellite in the earth shadow as the proposed control strategy would become ineffective whenever the satellite is in the earth shadow . we consider the earth is a perfect sphere and the sun is assumed to be at infinite distance from the earth . applying geometrical relations , we find the conditions for the satellite to be in the earth &# 39 ; s shadow as cos ξ & lt ; 0 and r e − r ( 1 − cos 2 ξ ) 1 / 2 & gt ; 0 ( 18 ), where cos ξ = cos ψ cos θ + sin ψ cos ( i − ε s ) sin θ ; r = orbital radius = a ( 1 − e 2 )/( 1 + e cos θ ); r e = earth radius . to know whether the satellite is in the earth &# 39 ; s shadow or not , we define δ as in the case the satellite is under the earth &# 39 ; s shadow , { circumflex over ( t )} sx = 0 . in order to study the performance of the proposed controller , the detailed system response is numerically simulated using the system equation of motion eq . ( 1 ) and the control laws eq . ( 16 ) with the initial conditions : α o = φ o = γ o = 0 deg . the inclination between the equatorial and ecliptic plane is takes as ε s = 23 . 5 deg . the integration is carried out using the international mathematical and statistical library ( imsl ) routine ddaspg based on the petzoid - gear bdf method . we first examine the effect of orbital eccentricity on satellite attitude response ( fig4 ). it is found that the attitude angles of the satellite without control are \| α \| max = 0 . 5 deg , 4 . 6 deg , 235 . 6 deg for eccentricity of 0 . 001 , 0 . 01 and 0 . 1 , respectively , in 10 orbits . in fact , in the case of e = 0 . 1 , the satellite attitude response becomes unstable . however , the proposed control strategy based on open - loop control law negates the disturbances caused by eccentricity and dramatically improves the attitude response making \| α \| max reduces to 0 . 015 deg , 0 . 17 deg , 5 deg for e = 0 . 001 , 0 . 01 and 0 . 1 , respectively and that is to say that the attitude response improves by a factor of more than 25 times . it is remarkable to see that even the unstable response in the third case turns out to be stable once with the application of the proposed solar controller . the rotation angle \| β j \| max for the solar panel as per eq . ( 17 ) for these cases are found as 0 . 0196 deg , 0 . 196 deg , and 1 . 96 deg , respectively . the β 1 response in fig4 shows the similar values . we just show the β 1 response in fig5 as β 2 response with regard to eq . ( 16 ) would be opposite of β 1 response . thus , rotating the solar panel by fraction of a degree , it is possible to achieve high satellite attitude performance . a simple open - loop control strategy for rotating solar plates to cause proper solar radiation pressure torque is developed by the analytical approach to neutralize the excitation caused by eccentricity . the open - loop control law only takes the information about the true anomaly and the sun angle , and eccentricity . the performance of the proposed control strategy is verified by the numerical simulation of the governing nonlinear equations of motion . results of the numerical simulation state that the proposed attitude control strategy dramatically improves the performance of the satellite without any control approximately by a factor of more than 20 times in general . it is found that the controller requires rotation of the solar panel by fraction of a degree only to impart such a high attitude performance . the performance of the proposed controller remains almost unaffected by changes in solar control parameter c , sun angle , ψ , and orbital inclination i . however , very small value of c on order of 1 / 100 affects the attitude performance considerably as expected . with regard to the effect of satellite mass distribution parameters , the proposed control strategy can only stabilize the satellites with mass distribution parameter k 1 & gt ; k 2 or in other words , the satellites having favorable gravity gradient mass distribution configurations can be stabilize by the proposed controller . increasing e deteriorates the performance of the controller . however , it can successfully stabilize the satellite even in the eccentricity as high as 0 . 1 . even considering the earth shadow effect , the controller is able to stabilize the satellites in geostationary or higher earth orbits . thus , the proposed open - loop control strategy may be useful for satellites in elliptic orbits . the effects of mass moment of inertia distribution parameters k 1 and k 2 on the system attitude response are shown in fig6 . as the parameters are changed from k 1 = 0 . 3 , k 2 = 0 . 2 to k 1 = 0 . 9 , k 2 = 0 . 5 , the satellite attitude response without control gets affected with \| α \| max = 1 . 6 deg being the lowest for the case of k 1 = 0 . 9 , k 2 = 0 . 5 . this phenomenon is due to the fact that the mass distribution parameter k 1 = 0 . 9 , k 2 = 0 . 5 corresponds to k yx − k xx =− 0 . 73 and thus it is the most favorable gravity gradient mass distribution . however , with the proposed control law , the satellite attitude response remain virtually unaffected with \| α \| max = 0 . 17 deg . the plots in fig6 show the insensitivity of the controller . it is to be mentioned here that we have only considered the cases of k 1 & gt ; k 2 and k 1 , k 2 & gt ; 0 , which are the favorable gravity gradient configurations for the stable satellite pitch motion . in fact , the satellite attitude motion without control for the cases of k 1 & lt ; k 2 and k 1 , k 2 & gt ; 0 or k 1 & gt ; k 2 and k 1 , k 2 & lt ; 0 , would be unstable . even applying the solar radiation pressure using the proposed open - loop controller can not make the system stable . this limitation of the controller can be attributed to the fact that the controller as per eq . ( 10 ) only neutralize the excitation caused by eccentricity and it does not remove the excitation caused by gravity - gradient forces . next , we examine the effect of solar parameter c on the controller performance ( fig7 ). the satellite attitude response remains almost the same with \| α \| max = 0 . 14 deg as the parameter c is changed from 10 to 1 . by decreasing c further by a factor of 10 , the satellite attitude response gets slightly affected with \| α \| max = 0 . 32 deg stating the robustness of the controller . with regard to the solar panel rotation angle \| β j \|, \| β j \| max angles are 0 . 098 deg , 0 . 98 deg , and 9 . 8 deg for c = 10 , 1 , and 0 . 1 , respectively . these values and trend match exactly with eq . ( 17 ) which state that \| β j \| max is inversely proportional to c . the slight deterioration in satellite attitude response is due to decrease of solar pressure control torque as per eq . ( 6 ) by decreasing c , even though the control law eq . ( 16 ) takes care of changes in c by making corresponding changes in \| β j \| max . fig8 shows the effect of the solar angle ψ on the controller performance . as ψ is increased from 45 deg to 135 deg , the satellite attitude angle \| α \| max remains almost unchanged with \| α \| max = 0 . 15 . however , the pattern of β 1 response gets changed keeping \| β j \| max almost constant with 0 . 2 deg . for the case of ψ = 90 deg , β 1 never have positive value . substituting ψ = 90 deg in eq . ( 16 ), we get the term cos ( i − ε s ) with orbit inclination i = 0 deg has positive sign and therefore , the term sgn [ cos ( i − ε s ) sin θ ] has the same sign as of sin θ and that is why β j sign remains unchanged in eq . ( 20 ). next , we investigate the effect of orbital inclinations on the controller performance ( fig9 ). we change i = 45 deg to i =− 45 deg . however , the attitude response remains unaffected with \| α \| max = 0 . 14 deg . finally , for an appreciation about the efficacy of the proposed control strategy , we apply the proposed strategy to a typical satellite with moment of inertias as i x = 400 kg - m 2 , i y = 300 kg - m 2 , and i z = 500 kg - m 2 . the solar panel considered has following specifications : a = 0 . 25 m 2 , r = 3 m . the values of constant parameters are μ = 3 . 9860015 × 10 14 , and p = 4 . 563 × 10 − 6 n / m 2 . we also consider the earth shadow effect described in section iii . as we can find from eq . ( 18 ), the earth shadow effect is more pronounced when the solar angle ψ = 0 or 180 deg . therefore , we consider the worst situation of ψ = 0 and apply our control strategy . we take two cases : the first one being the satellite in the orbit of semi - major axis a = 42241 km while in the second case , the satellite has a semi - major axis a = 9378 km . as per fig1 , the attitude angle \| α \| max in the first case is 0 . 1 deg and it is far better than the case without control 4 . 2 deg . however , in the second case although the response is still better than the system without control , but \| α \| max increases to 1 . 1 deg . with regard to the solar panel rotation angle \| β j \|, \| β j \| max angle is 0 . 3 deg in the first case while in the second case it increases to 25 . 4 deg . this increase is because of the increase in values of c from 3 . 24 in the first case to 0 . 0354 in the second case . thus , with the decrease of c approximately by 100 times , the \| β j \| max as per eq . ( 17 ) will increase by 100 times that is what we observed here . we find in fig1 that the attitude response in the second case has deteriorated and \| α \| max has increased by 10 times compared to the first case . this deterioration is due to decrease c as well as because of the fact that the controller in the second case remains off more often ( i . e ., 24 % of the orbit ) compared to the first case ( i . e ., 5 % of the orbit ). we can theoretically calculate the size of the eclipse region for satellite in a circular orbit as thus , we find that the earth shadow effect is more sever in medium or lower earth orbits compared to the geostationary or higher earth orbits and the proposed control strategy is not very attractive for the satellites in these orbits . the invention also applies to any satellite in respect of which the necessary calculations are carried out in whole or in part on the ground .	6
referring to the drawing in detail , wherein like numerals indicate like elements , there is shown in fig1 a form of a cabinet designated generally as 10 . the cabinet may assume other forms such as a desk having a plurality of vertically disposed drawers . the cabinet 10 includes a frame . as illustrated , the cabinet frame includes front vertically disposed corner members 12 and 12 &# 39 ; with an intermediate member 16 therebetween . the frame also includes rear vertical corner members 14 , 14 &# 39 ; with a rear intermediate member 22 disposed therebetween . the members 12 , 12 &# 39 ; and 16 are horizontally coupled together in a rigid manner such as by way of a bottom brace 18 and a top brace 20 . the braces 18 and 20 extend through member 16 and are fixedly secured to the members 12 and 12 &# 39 ; in any convenient manner such as by welding . the rear members 14 , 14 &# 39 ; and 22 are rigidly coupled together by way of a bottom brace 24 and a top brace 26 as described above . members 12 and 14 are rigidly interconnected together by a plurality of runners 28 . members 16 and 22 are rigidly coupled together by a plurality of runners 28 and 30 as shown more clearly in fig4 . members 12 &# 39 ; and 14 &# 39 ; are rigidly coupled together by a plurality of runners 30 . the runners 28 and 30 are identical except that runners 28 are of the left hand while runners 30 are of the right hand . the runners act as a track for drawers . the cabinet 10 as illustrated includes a plurality of drawers designated 32 - 39 . the drawers in the manner in which they cooperate with their associated runners or tracks are identical . hence , only drawer 36 will be described in detail . drawer 36 has a longitudinally extending groove 40 on one side wall and a similar groove 42 on the opposite side wall . each runner 28 is received in a groove 40 and each runner 30 is received in a groove 42 . at the rear end of the grooves 40 , 42 adjacent the corners of the drawer 36 , there is provided a limit stop 44 having a projection 46 . see fig2 and 3 . the height of projection 46 is substantially less than the height of the grooves 40 , 42 so that the drawer 36 may be completely removed from the cabinet 10 when desired . in fig5 there is illustrated a runner or track 28 . the runner 28 is generally c - shaped in section with a top wall 50 connected to a bottom wall 52 by a vertically disposed bight 53 . the bight 53 is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the members 12 and 14 . the top wall 50 is cut at two locations with the portion 54 between the cuts being bent so as to extend upwardly as a continuation of the bight 53 . portion 54 contacts the outer surface of the side wall of the drawer 36 . a similar portion 55 on runner 30 cooperates with portion 54 to guide the drawer 36 . portions 54 , 55 are spaced from one another by a distance slightly greater than the width of the drawer 36 . except for portions 54 , 55 , the runners 28 and 30 extend into their associated grooves 40 , 42 respectively . a limit stop 56 in the form of a pin extends inwardly from the bight 53 . limit stop 56 is adapted to cooperate with the projection 46 on limit stop 44 in groove 40 . runner 30 is provided with a similar limit stop 57 . a notch 58 is provided on the bottom wall 52 at the edge thereof remote from the bight 53 . a portion of the metal cut from notch 58 is bent upwardly to form a third limit stop 60 . limit stop 60 is below the elevation of limit stop 56 and is longitudinally spaced from limit stop 56 on the runner 28 . see fig5 . portions 54 , 55 are preferably permitted to remain as part of the runners for strength and to keep the drawer 36 from being grossly misaligned in that portion of the runners . the cut out area formerly occupied by portions 54 , 55 allows the rear of the drawers 36 , when adjacent thereto to drop when the front is lifted . the notch 58 allows limit stop 46 pass beneath limit stop 56 when the front of the drawer is lifted , and an outward pulling force is applied . when drawer 36 is pulled horizontally outwardly , it will be prevented from being completely withdrawn by contact between limit stops 56 and 46 . if it is desired to completely remove drawer 36 so that it may be moved to another location for loading or unloading , drawer 36 is pulled out until limit stop 56 contacts limit stop 46 . then an upward force is applied to the front of the drawer 36 so as to slightly pivot the drawer and cause the limit stop 46 to pass beneath the limit stop 56 . thereafter , the drawer 36 is easily removed . if an upward force is applied to the front of the drawer 36 while pulling the drawer 36 outwardly , the drawer 36 will be prevented from inadvertently being pulled completely out by contact between limit stops 60 and 46 . under normal operating conditions , without any upward force being applied to the drawer , limit stop 46 will pass over limit stop 60 until it contacts limit stop 56 . thus , it will be seen that the present invention provides a third or auxiliary limit stop to prohibit inadvertent complete removal of the drawer 36 from its runners 28 , 30 . the third limit stop does not require the use of any moveable parts or any additional parts since it is formed out of existing structure . that is a distinct advantage since it minimizes cost and contributes to the simplicity of the cabinet . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and , accordingly , reference should be made to the appended claims , rather than to the foregoing specification , as indicating the scope of the invention .	0
the method presented in this work exploits residual dipolar splittings between 14 n ( i = 1 ) and a “ spy ” nucleus with s = ½ such as 13 c , in combination with scalar j couplings . the residual splitting d ( 14 n , 13 c ), which decreases in inverse proportion to the static field strength b 0 , is on the order of d ≈ 30 hz for 14 nh 3 + 13 c α hrcoo − in zwitterionic amino acids at b 0 = 9 . 4 t ( 400 mhz for protons ), while j ( 14 n , 13 c ) couplings in l - alanine are about 3 . 1 and 4 . 0 hz for 14 nh 3 + r and 14 nh 2 r respectively , and around 8 hz in peptide bonds . [ 37 ] if the magic angle is adjusted very accurately , [ 38 ] and if proton decoupling is optimized , [ 39 , 40 ] the 13 c α lines of amino acids can be as narrow as 18 hz , so that the residual dipolar splitting can readily be observed . [ 38 ] even when the splittings are masked by inhomogeneous broadening , due to slight errors in the adjustment of the magic angle , temperature gradients , or magnetic susceptibility effects , the residual dipolar splittings can still be exploited , provided that they are larger than the homogeneous (‘ refocusable ’) line - width 1 /( πt 2 ′). in amino acids , the time constant t 2 ′( 13 c α ) of spin - echo decays can be as long as 50 ms , so that 1 /( πt 2 ′)= 6 hz is not exceptional for 13 c α . the pulse sequence and coherence transfer pathways for the novel two - dimensional correlation nmr methods are illustrated in fig1 . after exciting carbon - 13 single - quantum coherence c x =( t c 11 + t c 1 − 1 )/ 2 in the usual manner by cross - polarization from protons , a delay τ ≈ ½d leads to a state that can be described by a product of irreducible tensor operators t c 11 t n 20 . this state can also be represented by a product of cartesian operators c x ( n z 2 − 2e n / 3 ), where the unity operator e n ensures that the product operator is traceless and orthonormal . for simplicity , we can loosely speak of a doubly - antiphase operator c x n z 2 . however , it turns out that irreducible tensor operators are more convenient to describe heteronuclear multiple - quantum coherences . a radio - frequency pulse applied in the center of the 14 n spectrum can lead to a partial conversion into t c 11 t n 1 ± 1 and t c 11 t n 2 ± 1 ( corresponding to 14 n single - quantum coherences ) or into t c 11 t n 2 ± 2 , corresponding to 14 n double - quantum coherences . henceforth , we shall speak of nitrogen - 14 single - uantum ( sq ) or double - quantum ( dq ) spectroscopy , which are distinct in their coherence transfer pathways ( fig1 ), and of course in the appearance of the spectra . in either case , a π pulse applied to 13 c in the middle of the evolution interval t 1 not only interconverts t c 1 + 1 and t c 1 − 1 to refocus the carbon chemical shifts , but also eliminates the effects of inhomogeneous decay , so that the attenuation of the signal by irreversible dephasing of the carbon - 13 coherences is determined by the factor exp {-( τ exc + t 1 + τ rec )/ t 2 ′( c )}. terms containing t c 1 − 1 are converted into t c 1 + 1 by the π pulse at t 1 / 2 and therefore cannot contribute to any observable pathways , unless a z - filter is inserted prior to signal observation . note that in the fixed intervals τ exc and τ rec , the inhomogeneous decay with a time constant t 2 *& lt ;& lt ; t 2 ′ does not contribute to signal losses . the heteronuclear coherences t c 11 t n 1 ± 1 and t c 11 t n 2 ± 1 or t c 11 t n 2 ± 2 are allowed to evolve freely during the evolution interval t 1 prior to symmetrical reconversion into observable single quantum coherence t c 1 − 1 . the experiment is repeated for n rotor - synchronized increments t 1 = nδt 1 with δt 1 = 1 / ν rot and n = 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . , n , in the manner of two - dimensional spectroscopy . the time - domain signals s ( t 1 , t 2 ) are fourier transformed with respect to t 1 to yield a 14 n spectrum in the ω 1 domain , and with respect to t 2 to produce a 13 c spectrum in the ω 2 domain . the coherence transfer pathways in fig1 show that both single - and double quantum experiments lead to pure two - dimensional absorption line shapes since they retain two mirror - image pathways with respect to the 14 n coherence order ρ n . note that , in contrast to most other 2d experiments , the t 1 period is defined as the interval between the centers of the two 14 n pulses , rather than as a period of free precession . its initial duration corresponds to one rotor period , so that a first - order phase correction must be applied to the ω 1 domain . the initial free evolution interval between the pulses is 1 / ν rot − τ p . the nitrogen - 14 single - and double - quantum coherences evolve in the t 1 interval under the effect of the quadrupolar interaction and the chemical shift . the single - quantum coherences are affected by both first - and second - order quadrupole interactions , while the double - quantum coherences are affected only by second - order quadrupole effects . synchronization of the increments δt 1 with the spinner period 1 / ν rot leads to aliasing in the ω 1 domain , so that the spinning sidebands coincide with the center bands . the spinning sidebands can be observed separately if smaller time increments are chosen . many variants of the experiments can be conceived . for example , optional ( π / 2 ) φ pulses applied to 13 c at the beginning and at the end of the evolution period can convert t s 11 t i 22 into t s 10 t i 22 and back . complementary experiments with different phases φ of the 13 c pulse can be used . this variant allows one to avoid the t 2 - decay of the t s 11 term in the t 1 interval . another variant uses a z - filter before the detection period so that the excitation and reconversion are symmetrical even when there is a distribution of residual dipolar splittings . this improves the spectra if τ rec & lt ; ½d , so that the reconversion into in - phase c x coherence is not complete . fig2 and fig3 show simulations of sq and dq powder patterns as a function of the excitation and reconversion intervals τ exc = τ rec and of the 14 n pulse length τ p . the thick lines show the spectra expected for ideal single - and double - quantum excitation . for quadrupole parameters that are typical for amino acids , the optimum τ p for sq excitation is about half as for dq excitation . in the experimental sq and dq spectra of fig4 , the 14 n patterns have line - widths on the order of a few khz , determined by the anisotropy of the second order quadrupole interaction . the sq spectra are about twice as narrow at the dq spectra . for l - alanine in fig4 a , the residual dipolar splitting d ( 14 n , 13 c ) is barely resolved at 9 . 4 t . the fact that 14 n coherences can be excited efficiently even in the absence of a resolved residual dipolar splitting is demonstrated in fig4 b for glycine . fig5 shows how the two crystallographic ally inequivalent 13 c sites i and ii in powdered l - leucine correlate with non - degenerate 14 n quadrupole parameters estimated to c q i = 1 . 2 mhz , η q i = 0 . 3 , c q ii = 1 . 1 mhz , η q ii = 0 . 1 . again , the sq spectra are about twice as narrow at the dq spectra . fig6 shows a challenging example of a tripeptide l - ala - l - ala - gly . the terminal 14 nh 3 + group ( site ii ) has similar parameters as in fig4 , except that is this case the sq spectrum is broader than the dq spectrum , which indicates motional broadening . [ 41 ] on the other hand , the amide groups — co 14 nh 13 c α — have quadrupole parameters c q i and c q iii of at least 3 mhz . it is remarkable that signals could be excited and observed with a 14 n rf strength of only 60 khz for such large quadrupole interactions . the sensitivity is largely determined by the quantum yield of two - way coherence transfer . the efficiency of the conversion of t c 11 t n 20 into t c 11 t n 2 ± 1 or t c 11 t n 2 ± 2 and back under mas is determined by the amplitude ω 1 n n and duration τ p of the 14 n pulse . numerical calculations ( neglecting relaxation ) with integration over all crystallite orientations show that with c q = 1 . 2 mhz , η q = 0 , ν rf n = 60 khz , τ p = 15 μs , d = 30 hz , and τ exc = τ rec = 15 ms , the efficiency of the two - way coherence transfer to sq or dq and back is about 5 %. experiments indicate an efficiency of 2 % for sq or dq spectra for the first t 1 increment , compared with a simple 13 c cpmas spectrum . the experiments work in principle with 13 c in natural abundance . the sensitivity can be boosted by a factor of about 100 by 13 c enrichment , as we have done to optimize the experimental conditions . in principle , the experiment can work with any s = ½ “ spy ” nucleus such as phosphorus - 31 , nitrogen - 15 , silicon - 29 , etc ., provided that there is a non - vanishing residual dipolar splitting and / or scalar coupling between the spy nucleus and 14 n . in some cases , the j coupling may be larger than d . even protons could be used as spy nuclei , provided the broadening due to homonuclear dipolar proton - proton couplings does not mask the residual dipolar splittings . it is possible to contemplate the indirect detection of other quadrupolar nuclei with s = 3 / 2 , 5 / 2 etc ., such as 35 cl , 17 o , etc ., provided that one can exploit a residual dipolar splitting with suitable spy nuclei . fig7 and fig8 show how the line shapes depend on the quadrupole asymmetry parameter η q and on the relative orientation θ qd , φ qd of the internuclear nitrogen - carbon vector with respect to the principal axis system of the quadrupole tensor . it is possible to determine these parameters by analysis of the line - shapes . indeed , the efficiency of the 14 n single - or double - quantum excitation ( and hence the line - shapes ) depends on the magnitude of the quadrupole tensor and on its relative orientation with respect to the 13 c - 14 n dipole - dipole interaction . the samples were packed in 2 . 5 mm outer diameter zro 2 rotors ( sample volume ca . 11 μl ), and spun at 30 khz in a bruker triple resonance cp - mas probe where one channel was adapted for nitrogen - 14 resonance , using the 9 . 4 t wide - bore magnet ( 13 c and 14 n larmor frequencies of 100 . 6 and 28 . 9 mhz ) of an advance 400 spectrometer . the magic angle was adjusted within 0 . 004 °. [ 38 ] cross - polarization ( cp ) was used with a constant proton rf amplitude ν rf h = 85 khz while ν rf c was ramped . two - pulse phase - modulation ( tppm ) proton decoupling was used during the entire experiment with an rf amplitude 100 khz , pulse - widths of 3 . 9 μs , and a phase difference between two successive pulses of 35 °. the rf amplitude of the 14 n pulses was calibrated by direct detection of 14 nh 4 no 3 , which has a very small quadrupole splitting . the 14 n pulses had an amplitude of ν rf n = 60 khz using a 500 w amplifier . the samples of l - alanine ( 14 nh 4 + 13 c α hch 3 coo − ), glycine ( 14 nh 4 + 13 c α h 2 coo − ), l - leucine ( 14 nh 4 + 13 c α hrcoo − ) with r = ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) 2 and the tri - peptide l - ala - l - ala - gly , all enriched in the 13 c α positions , were purchased from cambridge isotope laboratories , and used without further purification . fig1 shows pulse sequence and coherence transfer pathways for the excitation of 14 n single - or double - quantum coherences in two - dimensional correlation experiments for solids rotating at the magic angle . the sequence starts with cross - polarization from protons to carbon - 13 to generate c x magnetization , followed by an interval τ exc ≈ ½d where the residual dipolar splitting d and the scalar coupling j between 14 n and 13 c lead to anti - phase coherences t c 11 t n 10 and t c 11 t n 20 . in the 14 n single - quantum experiment ( sq ), these are converted into heteronuclear coherences t c 11 t n 11 and t c 11 t n 21 by applying an rf pulse of duration τ p to the 14 n nuclei , while in the 14 n double - quantum experiment ( dq ), one excites heteronuclear coherences t c 11 t n 22 . the evolution period t 1 is defined as the separation between the centers of the two rf pulses applied to the 14 n nuclei , with a duration t 1 = nt rot ( n = 1 , 2 , . . . n ). in this interval , the coherences evolve chiefly under the second - order quadrupole interaction , before being converted back into observable c x magnetization . the coherence transfer pathway diagrams show that pure two - dimensional line shapes are obtained . the sq experiment uses a simple phase alternation of the first 14 n pulse with addition and subtraction of the 13 c signals , while the dq experiments requires a 4 - step cycle of the phase of the first 14 n pulse ( 0 , 90 , 180 , 270 °), again with addition and subtraction of the 13 c signals . in addition , the first 1 h pulse may be phase - alternated , and the 13 c π pulse may be exorcycled . fig2 shows simulations of 14 n single - quantum ( sq ) powder patterns that result from the pulse sequence of fig1 for different excitation intervals τ exc and 14 n pulse lengths τ p . the radio - frequency ( rf ) field amplitude is ν rf = 60 khz , the quadrupolar parameters are c q = 1 . 2 mhz and η q = 0 . 2 , the dipolar interaction corresponds to a typical 14 n - 13 c bond length ( d cn = 667 hz ) leading to a residual dipolar splitting d ≈ 25 hz at 9 . 4 t . the powder pattern drawn with a thick line represents the ideal line - shape of the single - quantum 14 n mas spectrum obtained with ideal excitation and rotor synchronized acquisition . fig3 shows simulations of 14 n double - quantum ( dq ) powder patterns with the same parameters as in fig2 . the powder pattern drawn with a thick line represents the ideal line shape for the double - quantum 14 n mas spectrum obtained with ideal excitation and rotor synchronized acquisition . fig4 shows ( a , b ) experimental 13 c cpmas and two - dimensional 14 n / 13 c correlation spectra showing isotropic 13 c chemical shifts along the horizontal ω 2 axis ( δ 2 labeled in ppm with respect to tms ) and 14 n ( c , d ) single - and ( e , f ) double - quantum signals along the vertical ω 1 axis ( δ 1 labeled in ppm with respect to 14 nh 4 no 3 ). ( a ) in l - alanine ( 14 nh 4 + 13 c α hch 3 coo − ) the 13 c cpmas spectrum reveals an ill - resolved residual dipolar splitting ( see expansion ); ( b ) in glycine ( 14 nh 4 + 13 c α h 2 coo − ) there is no visible residual dipolar splitting . nevertheless , the 14 n single - and double - quantum coherences can be excited efficiently and the projections onto the δ 1 axis ( g - j ) reveal characteristic second - order quadrupolar powder patterns . for l - alanine c q ≈ 1 . 2 mhz and η q ≈ 0 . 3 ; for glycine c q ≈ 1 . 2 mhz and η q ≈ 0 . 5 . under our experimental conditions the t 2 ′( 13 c α ) values are found to be 28 and 23 ms for l - alanine and glycine , respectively . the cpmas spectra ( a , b ) result from averaging 8 transients with relaxation intervals of 5 s . the two - dimensional spectra result from averaging ( c , d ) 32 and ( e , f ) 96 transients for each of ( c , d ) 512 and ( e , f ) 170 t 1 increments δt 1 = 1 / ν rot = 33 . 33 μs , with a relaxation interval of 3 s . the intervals τ exc = τ rec were 16 ms , while τ p was ( c , d ) 11 μs and ( e , f ) 15 μs . the cp contact times for l - ala and gly were 0 . 5 and 1 ms , respectively . fig5 shows ( a ) experimental 13 c cpmas and two - dimensional 14 n / 13 c correlation spectra obtained with ( b ) single - and ( c ) double - quantum methods of l - leucine that has two magnetically inequivalent sites i and ii for 14 n and 13 c α . the projections onto the δ 1 axis ( right ) reveal second - order quadrupolar powder patterns that resembles simulated patterns with c q i ≈ 1 . 2 mhz , c q ii ≈ 1 . 1 mhz , η q i ≈ 0 . 3 , and η q ii ≈ 0 . 1 . the t 2 ′ values of the two 13 c α sites in l - leu are found to be ( i ) 26 and ( ii ) 22 ms . the cpmas spectrum ( a ) results from averaging 8 transients with a relaxation interval of 5 s . the two - dimensional spectra result from averaging ( b ) 32 and ( c ) 96 transients for each of ( b ) 400 and ( c ) 190 t 1 increments of δ t 1 = 1 / ν rot = 33 . 33 μs , with a relaxation interval of 3 s . the intervals τ exc = τ rec were 16 ms , while τ p was ( b ) 11 μs and ( c ) 23 μs . the cp contact time was 0 . 6 ms . fig6 shows ( a ) experimental 13 c cpmas and two - dimensional 14 n / 13 c correlation spectra obtained with ( b ) single - and ( c ) double - quantum methods for the tripeptide l - ala - l - ala - gly where all 13 c α are enriched . for the amide sites ( i ) and ( iii ), 14 n sq and dq signals can be observed ( projections on the right ) despite very large first - order quadrupole couplings ( c q i ≈ c q iii ≈ 3 mhz ) and very short t 2 ′( 13 c α )= 14 , 11 and 8 ms for sites i , ii and iii respectively . the projections of the nh 3 + group of the first l - alanine onto the δ 1 axis ( d , e ) reveal powder patterns that correspond to c q ii ≈ 1 . 3 mhz , and η q ii ≈ 0 . 3 . the line widths of all three sites in the sq spectrum are broadened , most probably by local molecular motions . the cpmas spectrum ( a ) results from averaging 8 transients with a relaxation interval of 5 s . the two - dimensional spectra result from averaging ( b ) 4096 and ( c ) 8192 transients for each of ( b ) 16 and ( c ) 20 t 1 increments δt 1 = 1ν rot = 33 . 33 μs , with a relaxation interval of 2 . 5 s . the intervals τ exc = τ rec were 6 ms , while τ p was ( b ) 11 μs and ( c ) 24 μs . the cp contact time was 0 . 5 ms . the projections of the n - terminal 14 n resonances onto δ 1 axis ( d , e ) were extracted from two - dimensional spectra recorded with ( d ) 64 ( e ) 96 t 1 increments each with ( d ) 128 and ( e ) 1024 transients . fig7 shows simulations of sq and dq 14 n spectra for c q = 1 . 2 mhz and η q = 0 , 0 . 5 and 1 , appropriate for b 0 = 9 . 4 t , τ exc = 15 ms , ν rf n = 60 khz , ν rot = 30 khz , τ p = 10 μs for sq and τ p = 20 μs for dq . the powder patterns drawn with thick lines represent spectra assuming ideal single - or double - quantum excitation and rotor synchronized acquisition . fig8 shows simulations of sq and dq 14 n spectra for c q = 1 . 2 mhz and η = 0 . 5 , appropriate for b 0 = 9 . 4 t , τ exc = 15 ms , ν rf n = 60 khz , ν rot = 30 khz , τ p = 10 μs for sq and τ p = 20 μs for dq , as a function of the polar angles θ qd , φ qd of the internuclear vector r ( 14 n , 13 c ) with respect to the principal axis system of the quadrupole tensor . for larger values of θ qd , the sensitivity of the line shapes to φ qd is more pronounced . to summarize , we have shown that by transferring coherence between 14 n and 13 c in solid powdered samples , one can indirectly detect the single - or double - quantum transitions of 14 n nuclei . under fast magic - angle spinning , the spectra are determined predominantly by second - order quadrupole interactions . the orientation of the principal components of the quadrupole tensor can be readily rationalized in terms of electronic charge distributions . in many respects , quadrupole tensors are more straightforward to relate to the local environment than chemical shift tensors . [ 42 ] quadrupole tensors can give direct insight into the electronic charge distribution in molecules . for example , the extent of “ pyramidalisation ” of nitrogen atoms in peptide bonds would be much easier to assess if one could determine nitrogen - 14 quadrupole tensors instead of nitrogen - 15 chemical shift tensors . nitrogen - 14 nmr could become an important tool for biology , chemistry and material science . the new method bears a close analogy to earlier work on the indirect detection of nitrogen - 15 nmr , [ 43 ] which was originally published without a catchy name , but later dubbed heteronuclear single quantum correlation ( hsqc ). j . mason , in “ encyclopaedia of nuclear magnetic resonance ”, edited by d . m . grant and r . k . harris ( wiley , chichester , 1996 ), vol . 5 , p . 3222 . r . blinc , m . mali , r . osredkar , a . prelesnik , j . seliger , l . zupancic , l . ehrenberg , j . chem . phys . 1972 , 57 , 5087 . d . t . edmonds , c . p . summers , journal of magnetic resonance 1973 , 12 , 134 . r . e . stark , r . a . haberkorn , r . g . griffin , j . chem . phys . 1978 , 68 , 1996 . r . a . haberkorn , r . e . stark , h . van willigen , r . g . griffin , j . am . chem . soc . 1981 , 103 , 2534 . c . a . mcdowell , a . naito , d . l . sastry , k . takegoshi , journal of magnetic resonance 1986 , 69 , 283 . a . naito , s . ganapathy , p . raghunathan , c . a . mcdowell , j . chem . phys . 1983 , 79 , 4173 . a . naito , c . a . mcdowell , j . chem . phys . 1984 , 81 , 4795 . k . ermolaev , b . m . fung , j . chem . phys . 1999 , 110 , 7977 . a . k . khitrin , b . m . fung , j . chem . phys . 1999 , 111 , 8963 . h . j . jakobsen , h . bildsoe , j . skibsted , t . giavani , j . am . chem . soc . 2001 , 123 , 5098 . t . giavani , h . bildsoe , j . skibsted , h . j . jakobsen , j . phys . chem . b 2002 , 106 , 3026 . t . giavani , h . bildsoe , j . skibsted , j . jakobsen hans , journal of magnetic resonance 2004 , 166 , 262 . a . pines , d . j . ruben , s . vega , m . mehring , phys . rev . lett . 1976 , 36 , 110 . p . brunner , m . reinhold , r . r . ernst , j . chem . phys . 1980 , 73 , 1086 . m . reinhold , p . brunner , r . r . ernst , j . chem . phys . 1981 , 74 , 184 . t . k . pratum , m . p . klein , journal of magnetic resonance 1983 , 55 , 421 . m . bloom , m . a . legros , can . j . phys . 1986 , 64 , 1522 . r . tycko , p . l . stewart , s . j . opella , j . am . chem . soc . 1986 , 108 , 5419 . r . tycko , s . j . opella , j . am . chem . soc . 1986 , 108 , 3531 . r . tycko , s . j . opella , j . chem . phys . 1987 , 86 , 1761 . r . tycko , in “ encyclopedia of nuclear magnetic resonance ”, edited by d . m . grant and r . k . harrs ( wiley , chichester , 1996 ), vol . 5 , p . 3425 . a . llor , j . virlet , chem . phys . lett . 1988 , 152 , 248 . a . samoson , e . lippmaa , a . pines , mol . phys . 1988 , 65 , 1013 . k . t . mueller , b . q . sun , g . c . chingas , j . w . zwanziger , t . terao , a . pines , journal of magnetic resonance 1990 , 86 , 470 . l . marinelli , s . wi , l . frydman , j . chem . phys . 1999 , 110 , 3100 . c . p . grey , w . s . veeman , chem . phys . lett . 1992 , 192 , 379 . c . p . grey , a . p . eijkelenboom , w . s . veeman , solid state nucl . magn . reson . 1995 , 4 , 113 . c . p . grey , a . j . vega , j . am . chem . soc . 1995 , 117 , 8232 . s . wi , l . frydman , j . am . chem . soc . 2001 , 123 , 10354 . k . takegoshi , t . yano , k . takeda , t . terao , j . am . chem . soc . 2001 , 123 , 10786 . j . g . hexem , m . h . frey , s . j . opella , j . am . chem . soc . 1981 , 103 , 224 . a . naito , s . ganapathy , c . a . mcdowell , j . chem . phys . 1981 , 74 , 5393 . r . k . harris , a . c . olivieri , prog . nmr spectrosc . 1992 , 24 , 435 . c . a . mcdowell , in “ encyclopedia of nuclear magnetic resonance ”, edited by d . m . grant and r . k . harrs ( wiley , chichester , 1996 ), vol . 5 , p . 2901 . s . antonijevic , g . bodenhausen , angew . chem . int ed . 2005 , 44 , 2935 . a . e . bennett , c . m . rienstra , m . auger , k . v . lakshmi , r . g . griffin , j . chem . phys . 1995 , 103 , 6951 . g . de paepe , b . elena , l . emsley , j . chem . phys . 2004 , 121 , 3165 . s . e . ashbrook , s . antonijevic , a . j . berry , s . wimperis , chem . phys . lett . 2002 , 364 , 634 . c . gervais , m . profeta , v . lafond , c . bonhomme , t . azais , h . mutin , j . pickard chris , f . mauri , f . babonneau , magn . reson . chem . 2004 , 42 , 445 . g . bodenhausen , d . j . ruben , chem . phys . lett . 1980 , 69 , 185 .	6
fig1 is an exploded perspective view of an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment for facilitating adsorption of biomolecules onto solid matrix supports by forced filtration . microfuge assembly 11 is configured for processing in a swinging bucket rotor , forcing filtration by centrifugation , although other methods of forced filtration could also be used , for example pressure transfer or vacuum transfer . assembly 11 is for relatively large bimolecule - bearing sample solutions , generally above 10 microgram . in the preferred mode , assembly 11 filter base 13 has a sample cavity 15 about 14 mm . in diameter and about 5mm . deep . there are a plurality of openings , such as opening 17 , that lead through the bottom of the sample cavity into a lower cylindrical portion 19 . portion 19 fits into cylindrical reservoir 21 which serves to collect filtrate during centrifugation . a cut - off filter membrane 23 , in the preferred mode having a diameter of about 14 mm ., fits in the sample cavity in filter base 13 and covers the openings through the filter base . in general , the filter membrane serves as a sieve of a desired pore size depending on the particular biomolecule that has been chosen for separation and immobilization . also the membrane should be relatively inert to the biomolecule that one is trying to isolate . for the binding of proteins , for example , the filter membrane is preferrably a low protein binding , amino acid free , low molecular weight cut - off material , such as plgc cellulosic discs made by millipore corporation , part no . plgc 01400 . the filter membrane is to allow low molecular weight constituents of a sample volume , such as solvents , salts , reagents , et al , to pass into reservoir 21 while retaining high molecular weight components , i . e . proteins . a typical cut - off value is 10 kilodalton ( kd ), although higher or lower cut - off values can be used depending on the size of the biomolecules to be immobilized . a biomolecule - binding support 25 , also about 14 mm . in diameter , is positioned adjacent to and on top of the cut - off membrane , and an o - ring 27 is positioned above the binding membrane to prevent leakage around the two membranes . for protein and nucleic acid separations , the preferred biomolecule - binding supports at the present time are the immobilon ™ and immobilon n ™ pvdf transfer membranes described above , respectively . those skilled in the art will appreciate that in the general case , the particular support material should be chosen according to the particular kind of biomolecule to be immobilized , and that the material should have a particular affinity for that biomolecule . that affinity could be due to different kinds of binding between the materials , eg . hydrogen bonding , or covalent bonding , or due to van der waals forces , or even ligand - receptor binding systems of various kinds such as with antigen - antibody reactions , biotin - aviden systems , carbohydrate - lectin systems or enzyme - substrate type interactions . also , in the preferred mode , it is desirable to select a support such that the binding be easily reversed under specified conditions , so that immobilized sample can be removed from the support for subsequent processing . in the preferred embodiment , a sample tube 29 with a flanged end 31 fits into sample cavity 15 over the o - ring , the biomolecule - binding membrane , and the cut - off membrane . the flanged end contacts the o - ring in assembly , and urges the o - ring and two membranes against the bottom of the sample cavity in the filter base . there is a cap 33 for capping the open end of the sample tube and two clips 35 and 37 for holding the assembly together while processing . the elements described , with the exception of the membranes and the o - ring , are molded plastic materials , selected to be inert to the chemicals used in the procedures described . fig2 is a partial elevation section through the center of microfuge assembly 11 , assembled . the assembly is shown held by clip 35 such that flange 31 compresses o - ring 27 urging the peripheral edges of the membranes together and against the bottom of sample cavity 15 . a sample is placed in sample tube 29 on the membrane and the assembly is centrifuged in a swinging bucket rotor such that the force of centrifugation is in the direction of arrow 39 . the assembly is held in the swinging bucket rotor against shoulder 41 so that the force of centrifugation tends to hold the assembly together . a sample in the sample tube during centrifugation is forced against the membranes in the sample cavity , and low molecular weight materials pass through both membranes , pass through the openings in the base , such as opening 17 , and are collected in reservoir 21 . high molecular weight components are prevented from passing the cut - off membrane , and therefore retained in the sample cavity of the filter base . the retained sample material is concentrated in high molecular weight components , i . e . biomolecules , and moreover retained in intimate contact with the biomolecule binding membrane . additionally , the force of centrifugation urges the concentrated sample material into and throughout the pores of the binding membrane . this is quite unlike a conventional blotting procedure , where the sample material is brought into intimate contact with the internal surface areas of the binding membrane &# 39 ; s matrix principally by the relatively small forces of capillary action . in the case of electroblotting , the electrophoretic force aids in bringing the proteins into intimate contact with the membrane &# 39 ; s matrix . the compression of the o - ring around the periphery of the membranes in the apparatus prevents leakage of sample material around the outside of the membranes and assures that all material must pass through the membranes or be retained . it is believed that the concentration of the sample in the vicinity of the binding membrane , leaving the retained portion rich in the biomolecules of interest , and the action of the force of centrifugation in urging the concentrated retained material into and throughout the binding membrane is responsible for the measurably greater efficiency of capture , greater yield , and shorter processing times than experienced with conventional methods . fig3 in an exploded perspective view of another microfuge assembly according to an alternative preferred embodiment . microfuge assembly 43 is for relatively small amounts of biomolecule - bearing sample solutions , generally smaller than 10 micrograms , and is configured for processing in a swinging bucket rotor similar to assembly 11 of fig1 . microfuge assembly 43 incorporates 5 . 5 mm diameter discs . filter base 45 is substantially cylindrical with an open flanged end 47 and a partly closed end 49 which has a pattern of openings to allow materials to pass through end 49 . in the preferred mode , a 5 . 5 mm diameter cut - off membrane 51 fits into the filter base against end 49 and a binding support 53 , also 5 . 5 mm diameter , fits into the filter base on top of membrane 51 . for protein and nucleic acid immobilizations , the preferred cut - off membrane is of the same plgc material as used for microfuge assembly 11 and the biomolecule - binding support is of the pvdf material described for the microfuge assembly 11 for protein and nucleic acid immobilizations . also , in the alternative preferred embodiment , a cylindrical sample tube 55 of about 5 mm outside diameter and about 4 mm inside diameter fits into filter base 45 such that one end contacts the binding membrane on top of the cut - off membrane against the partially closed end of the filter base . with the sample tube and membranes in place , the filter base fits into a collector reservoir 57 that has a snap cap 59 retained by a thin strap 61 . the snap cap has a plug portion 63 that snaps into opening 65 of the filter base in assembly , and urges against one end of sample cylinder 55 , urging the other end of cylinder 55 against the membranes and the partially closed end of the filter base . the materials of the elements of microfuge assembly 43 , except the membranes , are typically of molded plastic , like those of assembly 11 . the pressure supplied by the snap cap urging the sample cylinder against the membranes makes a seal around the outer periphery of the membranes so that sample material placed inside the sample cylinder is forced during centrifugation to pass through the membranes or be retained . no material can leak around the membranes into the collector reservoir . the assembly is mounted in a swinging bucket rotor for centrifugation by shoulder 67 of reservoir 57 . the force of centrifugation is in the direction of arrow 69 . the force of centrifugation forces low molecular weight components of a sample mixture to pass through both membranes , the partly closed end of the filter base , and into the collector reservior . components with molecular weight above the cut - off number of the cut - off membrane , i . e . biomolecules , are retained in intimate association with the binding support . removal of lower molecular weight components increases the concentration of higher molecular weight components in the sample material retained . it is believed that the increased concentration of biomolecules and the induced intimate contact with the binding membrane is responsible for greater efficiency of capture , greater yield , and shorter processing times than experienced with conventional methods , just as in the centrifugation of samples in microfuge assembly 11 . the apparatus described with the aid of fig1 fig2 and fig3 are partly commercially available assemblies for filtration by centrifugation , and are altered for operation according to the invention . alterations include the use of a cut - off membrane and a binding support , in combination , and provision of peripheral sealing to prevent leakage around the membranes during centrifugation . centrifugation is convenient and is the preferred method of urging sample material through the membranes , but there are other ways that pressure might be applied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , an apparatus similar to microfuge assembly 11 could be used with cap 33 replaced with a tubing to conduct inert gas from a pressure source . inert gas under pressure could be used to urge sample material through the membranes in such an apparatus . also , the sample tube could be fitted with a piston and the piston used to induce pressure to force part of the sample through the membranes . similarly , vacuum ( or suction ) with an appropriate configuration may also be employed for forcing the sample through the binding membrane . an exemplary procedure for binding proteins using microfuge apparatus 11 is as described in the following paragraphs : after plgc and pvdf membranes are cut to size ( 14 mm diameter ) the plgc membrane is soaked in di water for 20 minutes and a pvdf membrane , which is hydrophobic , is soaked in 100 % methanol for at least 5 minutes . after soaking , the plgc membrane is placed in the filter base &# 34 ; shiny side up &# 34 ; followed by the pvdf membrane . the o - ring is placed on the upper ( pvdf ) membrane using clean forceps , the sample tube is inserted onto the o - ring , and the clips are assembled to lock the sample tube into the filter base , compressing the o - ring . after assembly , the membranes are wet with 200 micro - liters of di water and the sample is carefully added to the pvdf membrane surface . if the pvdf membrane appears to have dried before the sample is added , 200 micro - liter of 100 % methanol is added , the excess is removed , then the di water and the sample are added , and the cap is placed on the sample tube . following addition of the sample , the assembly is inserted into the collector reservoir , placed in a swinging bucket rotor , and centrifuged ( ca . 3000 × g ) to dryness . centrifugation times vary somewhat , depending on the volume and the initial concentration of the sample , but a time from 1 to 3 hours is typical . after first centrifugation , the sample is washed to remove salts and other contaminants by addition of 1 ml of 20 % methanol and centrifuged again to dryness . the wash is repeated so that at least 3 ml of 20 % methanol passes through the sample . if the membranes are not dry after the washing steps , they are vacuum dried or exposed to air to dryness . another nice feature of this centrifuging approach is that sample is never lost . hence , sample that was not immobilized and passed through both membranes can be recentrifuged as described to capture those biomolecules that were not captured earlier . the pvdf disc with sample attached is ready after the washing and final drying for sequencing , amino acid analysis , or fragmentation , or any combination of these or other analysis procedures . the pvdf membranes can also be stored , for example in a dessicator at 4 degrees c ., for future use . membranes should be completely dry prior to the washing steps described above , otherwise unbound proteins may be washed away during subsequent centrifugation . protein recovery has been quantified using microfuge assembly 11 and the centrifugation procedure described above , through experiments with ratio - labeled proteins . for the recovery experiment , methylated - 14 c labeled proteins purchased from new england nuclear and other suppliers were used , and free 14 c was removed by gel filtration onto pvdf membrane prior to centrifugation . the proteins used in the experiment were myosin , phosphorylase - b , methemoglobin , ovalbumin , carbonic anhydrase , casein , beta - lactoglobulin , cytochrome - c , aprotinin , and insulin . after binding to pvdf was accomplished , the relative amounts of labeled proteins in the binding membrane , the cut - off membrane , and in the filtrate and collector reservoir were measured . both membranes were placed in separate scintillation vials containing 0 . 5 ml extraction buffer ( 62 mm tris - hcl , 2 % np40 , 3 % sds , 6m urea , 0 . 2 % beta - mercaptoethanol , and 10 % glycerol , ph 6 . 8 ) and tightly sealed . vials were incubated at 100 degrees c . for about 20 minutes and allowed to cool at room temperature . scintillation cocktail ( 10 ml ) econoline ™ was added prior to 14 c counting . the distribution of radioactivity in the filtrate and collector reservoir , the cut - off membrane , and the pvdf membrane is shown in fig4 . less than 10 % of the total counts were found in the filtrate and collector reservoirs . extraction of radioactivity is a function of time and varies from protein to protein . for example , methemoglobin , casein , or aprotinin require 20 minutes at 100 degrees c . for 90 % recovery , while only 10 minutes is required for other proteins . those skilled in the art will appreciate the utility of using these two types of filters together , i . e . molecular sieve to concentrate the materials of interest and a binding membrane to capture those materials , for many kinds of biomolecules other than proteins . as has been already pointed out , nucleic acids are of particular importance , and binding membranes have already been developed and used not just for immobilization but also for hybridization experiments . also , a large number of laboratories are presently performing experiments to investigate the interaction of dna - binding proteins . the identification of these biomolecules are directly involved in gene regulation at the nuclear ( chromosomal ) level and require specific dna promoter regions located at the n - terminal region of the untranslated dna . the following example is a description another experimental procedure where this combination of filters is useful in the case of dna - binding proteins . before proceeding , it should be understood that thyroid hormone is known to bind to growth hormone promoter sites . rat pituitary cells grown in culture were used as a source of rna and protein . specific protein from the nuclear pituitary cell extract ( gh1 ) was centrifuged onto a number of binding membranes to adsorb the protein for later use in the binding assay . this was performed in a low salt buffer ( 50 mm nacl ) so as to optimize binding conditions , for this portion the preferred binding membrane is problott ™ on pglc , although immobilon , nitrocellulose , deae - cellulose , or derivatized nylon , for example , could also be used in the combination . use of the two - filter combination of the invention greatly facilitates the percentage of protein bound . synthetic oligonucleotides ( 18 base pairs ) of the promoter site to the dna that binds to the receptor of thyroid hormone are than labeled with p 32 ( nick translated ) and centrifuged onto some of the binding membranes having the growth hormone extract attached thereto . washing and centrifugation with high salt concentrations ( 1 - 1 . 5m nacl ) is sequentially performed to remove non - specifically bound labeled dna . the radioactivity of the samples that have been treated with dna can then be compared with the samples that have not been treated with dna as a control quantitate the assay . finally , if desired , the protein can be subjected to chemical cleavage ( ie . cnbr ), eluted from the membrane , purified and sequenced while monitoring the radioactivity . as another example , the apparatus of the invention can accomodate applications for dna isolation and amplification of selected genomic dnas , which provides for a very quick and easily performed screening tool . serum from patients is centrifuged to a clear plasm and is treated with rnase and proteinase k to extract rna and protein . sample is then centrifuged in the described apparatus using a derivatized nylon membrane for the binding support . the membrane is then washed with an appropriate 1x buffer and then eluted off ( the affinity for binding dna is generally much less for nylon than other membrane supports ) in a high salt buffer ( e . g . 2 ×) and then either fragmented or subjected directly to pcr to amplify the selected dnas for cloning / sequencing etc . as an alternative , the dna could be subjected to pcr in situ on the nylon support . it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that there are many changes that may be made in the apparatus and methods described in the preferred embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the apparatus described , for example , is based on apparatus commercially available , and alterations and additions were made to existing systems . the use of available apparatus as a starting point was merely a convenience and is not meant to be a restriction on the concept of the invention , since other apparatus could be provided in place of the available apparatus . the sizes of the particular components chosen are for convenience also , and were chosen to accomodate sample sizes frequently encountered . other sizes may also be useful . similarly other filter cut - offs may also be useful , depending on the size of the biomolecules to be immobilized . for example , although low molecular weight cut offs have not been investigated in detail , cut off filters as low a 3 kd have been found in practice to be particularly useful as well . centrifugation was found to be a convenient and efficient way to cause the filtration and concentration to take place , however , as indicated earlier , other ways of forcing the samples through the membranes may be suitable in other embodiments . it should also be appreciated that the apparatus and method are applicable to other kinds of biomolecules as well , not just proteins and nucleic acids , for example lipids and carbohydrates , including complexes and conjugates thereof . similarly , there are many different binding supports that can be used depending on the particular biomolecule to be bound . some examples of these binding support membranes include derivatized glass bends , derivatized nylon , parchment , macrocyclic polyethers , polyvinylbutyral resins , polyvinylalcoholcollagen , polyvinylidene difluoride , and other polymers . there are many other alterations that may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	1
fig1 shows a rotor which according to the invention can be installed in a mixer similar to that of fig1 . also shown in fig1 is a drive mechanism for the rotor . the rotor comprises a rotor shaft 10 on which a plurality of processing implements 20 having paddle - shaped processing regions 21 are tiltably mounted on swing axes 22 extending perpendicularly to the rotor axis . the implements 20 are mounted in pairs in respective planes which are perpendicular to the rotor axis , which planes are spaced a uniform axial distance apart . the upper end of the rotor 10 is rigidly fixed to a rotatable drive shaft 30 which presents a belt pulley 31 rigidly fixed to its upper end for rotation therewith . the drive shaft 30 and thereby the rotor are rotatable via the pulley 31 with the aid of a drive motor ( not shown ). the drive shaft 30 is mounted in a fixed bearing housing 33 with the aid of antifriction bearings 32 . seals 34 are disposed on the axial ends of the bearing housing 33 between the housing 33 and the drive shaft 30 , to exclude soils from the bearing housing which might adversely affect the bearings . the drive shaft 30 has a thoroughgoing cylindrical bore 35 extending along its axis of rotation . this bore is continued in the rotor shaft by a thoroughgoing recess 13 extending along the rotational axis of the rotor shaft . a cylindrical rack 40 is axially slidably disposed in the cylindrical bore 35 and recess 13 , which rack 40 enables the implements 20 to be rotated around their respective swing axes 22 , as will be described in more detail below . the axial upper end of the cylindrical rack 40 is rotatably accommodated in a bearing 42 disposed on a pivoted lever 41 . lever 41 is provided with articulated links 43 on its two ends , to form two double joints . the end of one articulated link 43 which end is farthest from the lever 41 is pivotally mounted to a drive housing 50 , whereas the other articulated link 43 ( which link is mounted on the other end of lever 41 ) has a distal end pivotally mounted to a piston jack 44 . this arrangement enables the cylindrical rack 40 , which is rotatable but is fixed to the bearing 42 in the axial direction , to be displaced axially in the cylindrical bore 35 and the recess 13 , namely by operating the jack 44 . as will be explained with reference to fig2 and 3 , the described axial displacement of the cylindrical rack 40 can work a tilting of the implements 20 around their respective swing axes 22 . for this purpose each implement 20 has an essentially cylindrically shaped continuation 23 on its proximal end directed toward the rotor shaft , which continuation engages a bore 11 provided in the rotor shaft , which continuation engages a bore 11 provided in the rotor shaft , which bore extends perpendicularly ( but in a non - intersecting manner ) to the rotor axis at a radial distance a from the rotor axis . to limit the penetration of the implement 20 into its corresponding bore 11 , a detent 24 is provided on the implement 20 , which detent can come to abut against a correspondingly formed detent surface 12 on the rotor shaft 10 . the cylindrical continuation 23 of the implement 20 has a circular cross section in the neighborhood of the detent 24 which cross section is accurately fitted to that of the cylindrical bore 11 . with further progression along the continuation 23 in the direction away from the main body of the implement 20 , the cross section of the continuation 23 becomes narrower , such that at the distal end of the continuation which distal end is directed away from the detent 24 of the continuation engages a correspondingly narrowed part of the bore 11 in rotor shaft 10 , also with an accurate fit . as may be seen particularly well from the cross sectional view of fig3 a toothed ring 29 is rigidly fixed to the continuation 23 of implement 20 along the segment of continuation 23 having reduced cross section . the tooted ring 29 and bore 11 are disposed in the rotor shaft 10 such that the toothed ring 29 engages the rack 40 extending in the recess 13 . in this way the implement 20 can be tilted around a rotational axis 22 which passes through the center of the cylindrical continuation 23 , by means of an axial displacement of the cylindrical rack 40 , whereby the pitch angle of the paddle - shaped processing region 20 can be changed with respect to a plane extending perpendicularly to the rotor axis . as may be seen particularly clearly in fig3 processing implements 20 disposed in a same radial plane with respect to the rotor shaft 10 are disposed essentially parallel to each other , with opposite axial orientations . thereby one can change the pitch of both such implements equally with respect to the rotational direction , with the use of a single cylindrical rack 40 . to avoid problems with the tilting of the implements 20 via the cylindrical rack 40 , which problems may be caused by the mounting of the implements 20 with the aid of mounting screws 26 , it is advantageous if the cylindrical continuation 23 is slightly longer than the corresponding bore 11 in the rotor shaft . then penetration of material undergoing processing into the cavity formed by the bore can be prevented by installing seal rings in grooves 28 encircling the cylindrical continuation 23 ( see fig3 ). in the embodiment of a rotor usable in according to the invention which embodiment is illustrated in fig1 the pitches of all of the processing implements 20 are adjusted with the use of only a single cylindrical rack 40 . if it is desired that the control of the pitch of a given implement 20 be , for example , a function of the altitude of the implement , a plurality of cylindrical racks generally similar to rack 40 may be provided in the recess 13 and the cylindrical bore 35 , which racks may extend coaxially therein ( or for simplicity may be mounted on a single bar therein but be of different gear pitches or gear ratios ). if the toothed rings 29 of the implements 20 disposed at the respective altitudes were correspondingly configured , one would achieve adjustment of the impelling pitches of the implements 20 which could be independently different for each such altitude . fig4 to 8 illustrate various processing steps which could be executed in the course of a materials processing operation . if via the cylindrical rack 40 the implements 20 are oriented such that their pitch angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotor shaft is zero ( fig4 ), the boundary layers of the material being processed which are in contact with the rotor and the implements thereof will be impelled in a direction which is essentially perpendicular to the rotor shaft 10 . thus with this orientation of the implements 20 the material being processed will undergo essentially a shear action ( cutting , and , to a greater or lesser extent , application of shear stress ) and intermixing . after satisfactory intermixing of the material has been achieved in this way ( for example , of a possibly non - liquid raw material and one or more liquids to be intermixed therewith ), the pitch of the implements 20 can be changed to that shown in fig5 with the aid of the cylindrical rack 40 . here the pitch with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotor axis is such that the material being processed ( particularly its interface in contact with the rotor and the implements 20 thereof ) is impelled axially downward as the rotor is rotated , resulting in the desired densification of the material . using the pitches illustrated in fig4 and 5 , and with suitable choices of the respective processing times , one can reliably provide both a satisfactory intermixing and a sufficient densification of the material being processed with only a single rotor , in a single operation , and for any admissible combination of characteristics of the material . the processing time can be minimized if the characteristics of the material can be determined ( for example , by a measuring device ), wherein this information is used in controlling the pitch of the implements 20 . if necessary , the processing implements 20 may also be oriented in the pitch shown in fig6 at some time during the processing of the material . in fig6 the pitch with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor is such that the boundary layer of the material being processed , which layer is in contact with the rotor and implements 20 thereof , is impelled upward . by this expedient one can additionally achieve deaggregation / disintegration of the material . using the opposed pitches of the processing implements 20 which pitches are illustrated in fig7 one can have deaggregation of the material occurring in the lower region of the rotor while in the upper region the material is propelled away from engagement by the rotor . the resulting circulation of the material increases the rate of overall intermixing of the material . finally , with the orientations of the processing implements 20 shown in fig8 one can have shearing ( cutting and shear stressing ) of the material in the upper region , which promotes intermixing , while in the lower region as a result of an appropriate pitch of the implements 20 the material which has been intermixed in the upper region is impelled axially downward into the lower region , where densification is accomplished . in particular , these orientations of the implements 20 may be used as fixed orientations with which the device is operated in a continuous flow mode ( rather than a batch mode ), wherein the ( possibly non - liquid ) raw material and the other components to be intermixed are added continuously in the desired proportions and material is discharged from an exit opening at a rate corresponding to the rate of the feeding . with this mode of operation it is unnecessary for the pitches of the various processing implements 20 to be adjustable , but rather the implements may be fixed to the rotor shaft at these orientations . fig9 shows alternative means of controlling the pitches of the processing implements 20 . here the teeth 45 on the cylindrical rack ( which rack extends through the cylindrical bore 35 and the recess 13 ) are present only on certain axial segments of the bar of which the rack is comprised , namely in the region of altitudes at which the implements 20 are disposed . this configuration for the cylindrical rack 40 and toothed rings 29 allows convenient limitation of the range of tilting of the implements 20 , which range may be , for example , - 45 ° to + 45 ° with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotor shaft 10 . such a limitation may be useful to ensure that the rotor does not encounter excessive resistance to its rotation via forces exerted by the material being processed , namely forces acting against implements 20 which have unintentionally been oriented at an excessive pitch . the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth in detail above . multifarious variant embodiments can be conceived which comprise refinements and / or otherwise do not depart from the scope of the invention . for example , the implements in an inventive device may further be supplied with impingement surfaces which enhance or cause disintegration and deaggregation of the material being processed . further , a plurality of rotors can be employed in a single inventive device . also , other processing means can be disposed in or on the vessel , for example , cooling and heating means .	1
[ 0041 ] fig1 shows only part of a belt - driven conical pulley transmission , i . e ., the part of the belt - driven conical pulley transmission 1 at the driving or input end that is driven by a motor , such as an internal combustion engine . in the case of a fully implemented belt - driven conical pulley transmission , a complementary driving end part of the progressively adjustable transmission is allocated to this input end part , both sides being interconnected by a drive belt such as a plate link chain 2 for torque transmission . the belt - driven conical pulley transmission 1 features a shaft 3 at the input end , which , in the design displayed here , has a single - piece fixed conical disk 4 . this axially fixed conical disk 4 is located along the axial length across from shaft 3 and adjacent to an axially displaceable cone disc 5 . in fig1 the plate link chain 2 at the drive end conical disk pair 4 , 5 is displayed in an outer radial position which is a result of the axially displaceable conical disk 5 being moved to the right in the figure and this movement of the axially displaceable conical disk 5 leads to a movement of the plate link chain 2 in a radial direction toward the outside , whereby the gear is shifted into high gear . the axially displaceable conical disk 5 can also be shifted to the left in the figure in a known manner . in this position the plate link chain 2 is displayed in an inner radial position ( referenced as 2 a ) and the belt - driven conical pulley transmission is shifted into low gear . in fig1 the torque generated by a driving motor , which is not closely described , is introduced into the drive end part of the belt - driven conical pulley transmission , which is displayed in fig1 through a gear 6 located on shaft 3 , which is located on shaft 3 through a rolling contact bearing in the form of a ball bearing 7 absorbing axial and radial forces , which is fixed on shaft 3 through a disk 8 and a shaft nut 9 . between the gear 6 and the axially displaceable conical disk 5 , a torque sensor 10 is located to which a spacer configuration 13 is arranged , which contains an axially fixed spacer 11 and an axially displaceable spacer 12 . between the two spacers 11 , 12 there are roll bodies that are , for embodiment , designed as the balls 14 displayed in the figure . a torque introduced through the gear 6 leads to the development of a swing angle between the axially fixed spacer 11 and the axially displaceable spacer 12 , causing the spacer 12 to shift axially . specifically it is based on this arranged acceleration ramps on which the balls 14 roll up and thus , together , provide for an axial offset of the spacers against one another . the torque sensor 10 contains two pressure chambers 15 , 16 . the first pressure chamber 15 is provided for impact of a hydraulic fluid depending on the torque introduced , and the second pressure chamber 16 is supplied with hydraulic fluid depending on the gear ratio of the transmission . a piston / cylinder unit 17 with two pressure chambers 18 , 19 is provided for generating the force which presses with a normal force against the plate link chain 2 between the axially fixed conical disk 4 and the axially displaceable conical disk 5 . the first pressure chamber 18 serves , in connection with pressure chamber 15 of the torque sensor 10 , which is controlled in relation to the torque , to increase or decrease the force which presses against the plate link chain 2 between the cone disks 4 , 5 , and the second pressure chamber serves to change the force pressing on the plate link chain 2 in relation to the gear ratio . the shaft 3 contains three channels for supplying hydraulic fluid to the pressure chambers . through said channels , hydraulic fluid is being fed into the pressure chambers by a pump , which is not shown . through a discharge channel 21 , the hydraulic fluid can drain from the shaft 3 and be reintroduced into the cycle . the force applied in the pressure chambers 15 , 16 , 18 , and 19 causes the axially displaceable conical disk 5 on the shaft to shift in relation to the torque and the gear ratio to the shaft 3 . the shaft 3 features centering surfaces 22 for accommodating the shifting conical disk 5 , which serve as a sliding seat for the shifting conical disk 5 . as can easily be seen in fig1 the belt - driven conical pulley transmission 1 features one acoustic vibration damping unit 23 each in the area of the bearings of the conical disk 5 on the shaft 3 . to that end , the acoustic vibration damping unit might feature an annular body and a vibration damping insert or consists solely of a vibration damping insert . [ 0053 ] fig2 shows a bearing assembly 100 of a shaft 102 , whereby the shaft is seated so it can be revolved by the bearing 103 located near a housing 101 of a transmission . the inner bearing ring 103 a is located on a lug 102 a of the shaft . the outer bearing ring 103 b is located axially between a shoulder 105 of the housing 101 and a safety panel 106 connected to the housing . it is accommodated in such a way that the outer bearing ring has some clearance 110 in the axial direction , so that it can move slightly in the radial direction . between the outer bearing ring 103 b and a cylindrical receiver surface 121 is a vibration damping device 120 , arranged like a spring clip element . said vibration damping device is preferably made out of sheet metal with projections protruding in the radial direction pursuant to the fig5 a and 5 b . the spring clip element is designed as an open ring and features a gap 130 , see fig5 a or 5 b . in another embodiment , the rings can be designed as closed rings without the gap . the spring ring elements are modulated in their radial span so that there are areas 140 in which the rings protrude further to the outside in the radial direction and areas 141 in which the rings reach further to the inside in the radial direction . the spring ring element might feature a progressive force path as a function of the excursion , as a spring characteristic . in the embodiment shown in fig2 the dimensions of the scope of the potential shift of the bearing rings are proportionally excessively enlarged compared to the diameter of the bearing to better illustrate the invention . it is advantageous if a shift between 0 . 05 mm and 1 mm , preferably 0 . 1 mm and 0 . 3 can occur . to limit the extent to which shifting can occur , the lateral walls of the retainer of the outer bearing ring and in the safety panel stops 106 are developed through the edges 150 and 151 . the spring rings can be manufactured out of metal , i . e . through precision blanking or bending . preferably , the metal is a spring steel or spring steel sheet . [ 0058 ] fig3 and 4 show sections of bearing assemblies pursuant to the invention where the bearing with its outer bearing ring and / or inner bearing ring is accommodated such that it can shift in both the axial and radial directions . furthermore , elastic elements 220 and 221 are provided in the axial direction between the bearing ring 205 and the lateral face 210 on the one hand and the lateral face 211 on the other hand , which clamp the bearing ring axially while allowing it to shift marginally . the elastic elements 220 and 221 can be o - rings or other annular elements manufactured out of an elastic material such as plastic , rubber , elastomers , or metal . furthermore the elastic element can be composed of a layered material consisting of different materials . [ 0060 ] fig4 shows an embodiment of an axially elastic accommodation where the axially elastic elements 230 and 231 are designed as disk - like or annular elements . as it turns out , it is useful when the elastic element consists of two metal layers on the outside with an elastic layer sandwiched in between . it is beneficial if the vibration damping material features good internal damping characteristics . this can , for embodiment , be an elastomer or a fiber reinforced material . [ 0061 ] fig5 a and 5 b show radial elastic rings 180 and 190 , which are metal bands with radial formations 181 and 192 . the radial formations can be in the form of corrugations or pleats , with the radial formations extending radially inwardly in the case of the element shown in fig5 a , and extending radially outwardly in the case of the element shown in fig5 b . in the case of a metal element , the radial formations can be formed using a process such as a deep - drawing process . pursuant to another embodiment shown in fig6 the acoustic decoupling of the shaft from the housing is achieved by providing a circular assembly 210 between the outer bearing ring 201 and the housing receiver 200 of the outer bearing ring , which is essentially composed of several layers . in this embodiment the multi - layer element is composed of two metal layers 210 a and 210 c with an elastic layer 210 b sandwiched between them . however , the middle layer 210 b could also be made out of metal , such as sheet metal . in the case of the embodiment displayed here , the multi - layer construction serves , on the one hand , to reflect the sound waves at the outer layers of the respective materials and thus reduce the transmission intensity , i . e . reduce noise . on the other hand , joint damping as well as material damping occurs . the joint damping occurs due to the relative movements of the individual layers against one another and their contact surfaces . if the interposed sheet metal shown in this version is additionally shaped in such a way that the ridges between the slits are bent slightly , vibration damping occurs as well , which is caused by the spring action present . [ 0064 ] fig7 shows a bearing assembly 300 of a shaft 302 with the shaft rotatable on a bearing 303 located near a housing 301 of a transmission . the inner bearing ring 303 a is located on a lug 302 a of the shaft . the outer bearing ring 303 b is located axially between a shoulder 305 of the housing 301 and a safety panel 306 connected to the housing . it is accommodated in such a way that the outer bearing ring has some play 310 in the axial direction , so that it can move slightly in the radial direction . between the outer bearing ring 303 b and a cylindrical retainer surface 321 , there is a vibration damping device 320 like a radial shaft spring . this vibration damping device , preferably according to fig8 is in the form of an assemblage of individual , side - by - side ring - shaped springs identified by reference numerals 321 through 326 . the individual spring rings 321 through 326 are designed as open rings and include a gap 330 . in another embodiment , the rings can be designed as closed rings without the gap . the individual rings are modulated in their radial span so that there are areas 340 in which the rings protrude further to the outside in the radial direction and areas 341 in which the rings reach further to the inside in the radial direction . it is advantageous if these areas , spread out over the length of the rings , are staggered against one another from ring to ring , forming a contact surface on the radial inside and radial outside , to allow contact with the bearing ring and / or the contact surface , so that a uniform contact pattern is created . the radial shaft spring might feature a progressive force curve as a function of the excursion , as a spring characteristic , which can also be created through an axially stacked arrangement of spring rings . this can be achieved using several identical spring rings or different types of spring rings , which allow for a different characteristic curve of the spring characteristic . the different types of spring rings can be generated , for embodiment , by modulating the thickness of the clips or the projections or shafts in the radial direction . furthermore the radial shape of the rings can be formed in different ways to produce varying characteristics . furthermore , the thickness of the individual rings can vary , so that individual rings are blocked when the bearing ring shifts , limiting further shifts . the rings can also be shaped in such a way that some rings are blocked sooner than others . in the embodiment shown in the fig7 and 8 , the dimensions of the scope of the potential shift of the bearing rings is enlarged out of proportion , compared to the diameter of the bearing , to better illustrate the invention . it is advantageous if a shift of 0 . 05 mm and 1 mm , preferably in the range of 0 . 1 mm and 0 . 3 , can occur . to limit the extent to which shifting can occur , stops are formed in the lateral walls of the receptor of the outer bearing ring and in the safety panel 306 by the edges 350 , 351 . furthermore , some rings can only be formed as stiff rings without any elastic qualities . the spring rings can be manufactured out of metal , i . e . through precision blanking or bending . preferably , the metal is a spring steel or spring steel sheet . it is furthermore advantageous if the spring rings feature a slight axial stiffness , which is aided by the fact that the rings are stacked . the claims included in the application are illustrative and are without prejudice to acquiring wider patent protection . the applicant reserves the right to claim additional combinations of features disclosed in the specification and / or drawings . the references contained in the dependent claims point to further developments of the object of the main claim by means of the features of the particular claim ; they are not to be construed as a waiver of independent , objective protection for the combinations of features of the related dependent claims . although the subject matter of the dependent claims can constitute separate and independent inventions in the light of the state of the art on the priority date , the applicants reserve the right to make them the subject of independent claims or separate statements . they can , moreover , also embody independent inventions that can be produced from the independent developments of the subject matter of the included dependent claims . the exemplary embodiments are not to be considered to be limitations of the invention . on the contrary , many changes and variations are possible within the scope of the invention in the existing disclosure , in particular such variants , elements , and combinations and / or materials which , for example , are inventive by combining or modifying single features that are in combination and are described individually in relation to the general specification and embodiments as well as the claims and shown in the drawings , as well as elements or method steps that can be derived by a person skilled in the art in the light of the disclosed solutions of the problem , and which by means of combined features lead to a new object or new method steps or sequences of method steps , as well as manufacturing , testing and operational procedures .	5
referring to fig1 and 2 , the heating - cooling apparatus 10 has a first module 12 and a second module 14 , both constructed of thin , flexible , thermally conductive material in an upper layer 20 and lower layer 22 which are bonded together at the edges to form a hermetically sealed substantially planar envelope . in a preferred embodiment , the thermally conductive material is a metal foil , such as one composed substantially of aluminum or copper , or a metallized plastic film , such as aluminized mylar . the edges of the material may be bonded together by any suitable means , including soldering , heat sealing , fold sealing and the use of adhesives . the material is preferably relatively thin , about 0 . 003 inch in thickness . the first ( cooler ) module 12 contains a vaporizable substance which may be liquid , or in a preferred embodiment , may be fixed in a solid form by incorporation into another substance . vapor is in equilibrium with the vaporizable substance at low pressure at ordinary ambient temperatures . the vaporizable substance may be water , and in a particularly preferred embodiment water is fixed into a distributed film or gel by incorporation into a starch - acrylic polymer , such as the material denominated by the trademark water lock model j550 ( grain processing corporation , muscatine , iowa 52761 ). the upper 20 and lower layers 22 of the cooler module 12 are provided with suitable means for supporting module 12 from vacuum - driven collapse so as to cut off the flow of vapor . suitable means may include an internal structural lattice , mesh or other space - filling insert for separating the layers 20 , 22 of module 12 . on the other hand , the layers 20 , 22 themselves may be configured to provide the necessary support . for example , as shown in fig1 - 4 , the upper 20 and lower layers 22 may be corrugated into alternating narrow strips 24 and flutes 26 . the flutes 26 in this embodiment may be semicircular in cross - section . the upper and lower layers 20 , 22 are fitted together with the concave surfaces of the flutes 26 facing inwardly so that communicating channels are formed within the cooler module 12 through which the vaporizable substance can circulate . in the embodiment shown in fig3 the upper 20 and lower 22 layers are oriented so that the corrugation of one layer is substantially orthogonal to the corrugation of the other , so that all passages are interconnected into a single cavity without the necessity of providing header - tubes the edges of both layers that are parallel to the longitudinal axes of flutes 26 extend centrally in the assembled module 10 to form vertical flanges 28 and when the flutes 26 of the upper 20 and lower 22 layers lie perpendicular to each other , the vertical flange 28 of each layer covers the open ends of the flutes 26 of the other and may be fastened in place to hermetically seal the module 12 . non - reactive rigid beads 29 may be used to provide support for cooler module 12 , either alone or , as shown in fig2 in conjunction with the separate structural or integral means discussed above . after cooler module 12 is assembled , air is evacuated so that the pressure within is the vapor pressure of the vaporizable substance the second ( heater ) module 14 is packed with a desiccant or sorbent material , after which it is evacuated . in a preferred embodiment , the sorbent is multiform type 4a desiccant ( multiform desiccants , inc ., buffalo , n . y . 14213 ) in the form of 1 / 16 inch diameter beads . the sorbent within provides rigidity to heater module 14 , and supports the upper 20 and lower layers 22 against atmospheric pressure after the module is evacuated . thus , use of sorbent in bead form obviates the need for the structural features of the cooler module 12 modules 12 , 14 may also be constructed of sufficient rigidity to provide support on their top surfaces for objects , e . g ., food portions , to be cooled and heated , respectively . in such case , heater module 14 may need additional structure to prevent collapse . referring to fig1 and 2 , the heater 14 and cooler 12 modules are joined by a conduit 30 and a valve 32 interposed in conduit 30 allows fluid communication between modules 12 , 14 and through conduit 30 only when valve 32 is open . conduit 30 between modules 12 , 14 is preferably of flexible material such as heavy - walled tubing , such as plastic tubing , and resilient enough to remain patent without internal support . the interposed valve 32 must have the capacity to isolate heater 14 and cooler 12 modules from each other so as to maintain a static condition from the time the apparatus is assembled until it is operated . in order to do this , the closed valve 32 must maintain the pressure of water vapor in the cooler module 12 against the virtual vacuum of the heater module 14 . over the range of expected ambient temperatures , the pressure of water vapor would not be expected to exceed about 4 in . h g or 2 lbs per sq . in . in the cooler module 12 . such a pressure difference can be supported by a foil membrane or similar barrier . however , the apparatus can be operated more conveniently by providing a valve 32 of frangible material having a diameter large enough to form a sealing barrier within conduit 30 , and contoured to be inserted easily into a short section of flexible tubing which serves as the conduit 30 . to open valve 32 , the conduit 30 tubing can be pressed flat to crush the barrier when released , the conduit 30 tubing regains its shape and patency to allow vapor to pass through . examples of such frangible valves are a hollow glass sphere 42 ( fig5 ) or a brittle disk 52 in a hollow cylindrical body 54 ( fig6 ). fig5 shows a glass sphere 42 installed as a valve in heavy walled plastic tubing conduit 30 . the sphere 42 , which is open at one side 44 to permit evacuation of air , has a diameter slightly greater that of the inside diameter of the tubing in order to provide a tight seal insertion of the sphere 42 and seating against the wall of the tubing is facilitated by first applying a film of lubricant to the sphere 42 or within the conduit 30 tubing . fig6 shows the alternative frangible valve configuration , a hollow cylindrical glass tube 54 with a membrane occlusion 52 . the entire assembly 10 can be disposed of after a single use . after assembly and prior to its use , the heating - cooling apparatus 10 is in a static condition with the heater module containing the sorbent evacuated and the cooler module containing water vapor in equilibrium with water . the two modules 12 , 14 are isolated from each other by means of a closed , single use valve 32 within the conduit 30 between them . the operation of the device 10 is initiated when the valve 32 is opened . opening valve 32 between the heating 14 and cooling 12 modules causes a drop in pressure in the cooling module 12 because vapor in the cooling module 12 flows through conduit 30 into the evacuated heating module 14 . this drop in pressure causes the liquid in the cooling module to boil at ambient temperature generating additional vapor . this liquid - to - gas phase change can occur only if the liquid absorbs a quantity of heat equal to the latent heat of vaporization of the evaporated liquid from the cooling module 12 . this process causes the temperature of the cooling module 12 to drop . the cooling module , in turn , removes heat from its environment , including substances with which it is in contact or proximate . operation of the device not only refrigerates the cooler module 12 by evaporation but at the same time heats the heater module 14 by combined condensation energy and heat of chemical reaction of vapor with the sorbent . vapor produced in the cooler module 12 flows into the heater module 14 following the pressure gradient . within the heater module 14 , the water vapor is absorbed or adsorbed by the sorbent in an exothermic process in which the heat evolved is roughly ( in view of various heat transfer gains and losses of the process ) equivalent to the heat of vaporization absorbed in the cooler module during the corresponding liquid - to - gas phase change . further , according to the invention , the sorbent selected may also be a substance which is also capable of chemically reacting with water in an exothermic reaction . this chemical reaction together with physical absorption or adsorption releases a quantity of heat in the heater module 14 which is greater than the heat absorbed by the cooler module 14 to vaporize the quantity of water taking part in the reaction . the net effect is that the temperature gradient with respect to ambient temperature in the heater module 14 is greater than that in the cooler module 12 . the operation of the device is self - regulating . after a short transition period , a steady state condition is reached in which the heating 14 and cooling 12 modules and the volumes that make up their environments remain at a constant temperature for a period of time . as the water in cooling module 12 vaporizes and escapes , module 12 cools . as it cools , the rate of vaporization decreases and vapor pressure within the cooling module 12 falls , slowing the transfer of water vapor to the heater module 14 . within the heater module 14 , absorption of water vapor by the sorbent releases heat . as the temperature of the heater module 14 rises , the volume of free , non - absorbed water vapor in module 14 expands and creates a counter pressure against the vapor pressure of cooler module 12 , also slowing the transfer of water vapor into heater module 14 , and consequently slowing the heat producing reactions , and stabilizing the temperature . as heat is transferred from heater module 14 into its surroundings , its internal temperature falls , and the volume of the free , non - absorbed vapor within it contracts , drawing more vapor from cooling module 12 , which cools , and into the heater module 14 which generates additional heat when the vapor reacts with the sorbent . if air is present in the modules , it dilutes the vapor , reducing the temperature gradients of both modules , and decreasing the efficiency of self - regulation . for this reason , air is preferably evacuated from the assembly before operation . the important components of the present invention are the vaporizable substance and the sorbent . the vaporizable substance and the sorbent must be complementary ( i . e ., the sorbent must be capable of absorbing or adsorbing the vapor produced by the vaporizable substance ), and suitable choices for these components would be any combination able to make a useful change in temperature in a short time , meet government standards for safety , and be compact . the vaporizable substances used in the present invention preferably have a high vapor pressure at ambient temperature , so that a reduction of pressure will produce a high vapor production rate . the vapor pressure at 20 ° c . is preferably at least about 9 mm hg , and more preferably is at least about 15 or 20 mm hg . moreover , for some applications ( such as cooling of food products ) the vaporizable substance should conform to applicable government standards in case any discharge into the surroundings , accidental or otherwise , occurs . liquids with suitable characteristics for various uses of the invention include various alcohols , such as methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol ; ketones or aldehydes , such as acetone and acetaldehyde ; water ; freons , such as freon c318 , 114 , 21 , 11 , 114b2 , 113 , and 112 ; acetone dimethyl ketal ; chlorocarbon compounds , such as allyl chloride , ethyl chloride , ethylene chloride , methylene chloride , boron trichloride , and methyl chloride ; carbon disulfide ; hydrogen sulfide ; and other hydrocarbon compounds , such as isoprene , carbon suboxide , butane , and cyclobutene . the sorbent material used in heater module 14 is preferably capable of absorbing or adsorbing all the vapor produced by the vaporizable substance , and also preferably will meet government safety standards for use in an environment where contact with food may occur . suitable sorbents for various applications may include barium oxide , magnesium perchlorate , calcium sulfate , calcium oxide , activated carbon , calcium chloride , glycerine , silica gel , alumina gel , calcium hydride , phosphoric anhydride , phosphoric acid , potassium hydroxide , sulfuric acid , lithium chloride , ethylene glycol , and sodium sulfate . the composition of the sorbent determines the ratio between the heat generated in heater module 14 and the heat absorbed in cooler module 12 . in a preferred embodiment , molecular sieve multiform type 4a desiccant generates 1 . 8 times the heat content of water vapor it absorbs , and a drop of 30 ° f . in the cooler module is accompanied by a rise of 54 ° f . in the heater module . the match of hot and cold temperature levels is ideal for preparing combinations of foods that are customarily served heated and chilled . given a standard ambient temperature of 75 ° f ., when the heater module 14 reaches an equilibrium temperature of 129 ° f ., the cooler module 12 reaches an equilibrium temperature of 45 ° f . food chilled to 45 ° f . is palatably cold and food heated to 129 ° f . is palatably warm , but not unpleasantly hot . the disparity between the ambient - cold and ambient - hot differences is due to the disparity between the standard ambient temperature , 75 ° f . and what the human senses perceive as ambient food temperature , 98 . 6 ° f ., namely , body temperature . preferably , the sorbent generates at least 1 . 5 times the heat content of the vapor it absorbs or adsorbs . while the composition of the sorbent determines the ratio between hot and cold gradients , the amount of vaporizable substance in the cooler module will determine , under conditions of constant ambient temperature and insulating conditions , the equilibrium temperatures of each module , and the length of time those temperatures can be maintained . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the temperature changing device of the present invention may be advantageously adapted to be placed into a food container 60 having separate zones defined by pockets 62 , 64 for separate hot and cold food portions . such containers may be made of foam , paper , cardboard , or plastic , but are preferably made of a biodegradable substance having insulative qualities . the container should be lightweight , inexpensive , non - bulky , and disposable . preferably , the container includes a top 66 ( shown in phantom in fig2 ) for preventing heat transfer from the hot and cold food portions . the amount of vaporizable substance required for a specific application is determined empirically . first , the heat required to maintain an enclosure of interest for a fixed length of time is measured by metering the power delivered . next , this power requirement can be converted to thermal units , such as btu &# 39 ; s or calories , and a quantity of liquid corresponding to that thermal quantity in its latent heat of vaporization is calculated . a quantity of liquid slightly in excess of this will be required in cooler module 12 . a corresponding quantity of sorbent , slightly in excess of that required to absorb or adsorb this quantity of liquid , will be necessary in heater module 14 . the limiting equilibrium temperature in heater module 14 is the temperature at which sorbent would react with an equivalent amount of liquid under conditions of perfectly efficient contact . the actual equilibrium temperature is the limiting temperature corrected by a factor for the inefficient delivery of vapor from cooler module 12 . the inefficient flow of vapor causes the reaction to persist over a longer length of time and delivers less thermal energy per unit time . because the supply of vapor is regulated to a reasonably constant rate by the temperature of both the heater 14 and cooler 12 modules in a type of thermal feedback , a constant temperature can be maintained for an extended period of time . equilibrium temperatures and their duration will be influenced by the insulation conditions in the cavities enclosing both modules . the examples demonstrate in part the effect of insulation . the transition time that is required to initiate the flow of vapor and the chemical reactions and to bring the modules to equilibrium temperatures is a function of the design of the apparatus and the thermal properties of its components . in the embodiments described in the examples , transition time is a satisfactorily small factor of total operating time . the heat required to maintain a closed , empty styrofoam container of dimensions 4 . 75 × 4 . 75 × 1 . 75 and wall thickness 0 . 070 in . at 56 ° f . temperature rise for 30 minutes was determined by placing a temperature sensor together with a small electrical heater inside the box , bringing the temperature to 56 ° f . temperature rise about one hour , and metering the power delivered . under these conditions , 10 watts , or 31 . 4 btu of power was required the sorbent to be used in the heat modules generated 1 . 8 times the latent heat of vaporization of water ; thus a quantity of water having a latent heat of 23 btu or 10 ml of water in the form of a distributed film of water lock model j550 starch - acrylic polymer ( grain processing corporation , muscatine , iowa 52761 ) was placed in cooler module 12 . a quantity of 85 grams of multiform desiccants , inc . ( buffalo , n . y . 14213 ) type 4a desiccant in 1 / 16 diameter beads was placed in heater module 14 . both heater 14 and cooler 12 modules were constructed of 0 . 003 inch thick copper foil sheet in dimensions to fit the styrofoam test cavities . the copper sheet was soldered at the edges to provide an airtight seal . the modules were joined by a conduit of heavy - walled plastic tubing in which a frangible valve in a closed position had been inserted . both modules were evacuated , reducing the pressure in heater module 14 to a virtual vacuum and that in cooler module 12 to the vapor pressure of water at ambient temperature . a test of the apparatus was carried out in the open air at 71 ° f . without insulation . the device was activated by breaking open valve 32 to start the flow of vapor . after a 5 minute starting transient , the temperature of the cooler module had fallen to 28 ° f . below ambient , and the temperature of the heater module had increased to 52 ° f . over ambient . the temperatures were maintained for 45 minutes . the test was repeated , under approximately the same conditions as example 1 , but with each of the modules encased in a styrofoam box identical to that described . the temperature of the heater module chamber increased to 134 ° f . and that of the cooler modules chamber decreased to 44 ° f . the equilibrium chamber temperatures were maintained for over 30 minutes .	5
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus in which developing apparatuses according to an aspect of the invention are installed . an image forming apparatus 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment is a so - called tandem - type color image forming apparatus in which image forming units 11 ( specifically 11 y , 11 m , 11 c , and 11 b ) of four colors ( in the present exemplary embodiment these are yellow , magenta , cyan , and black ) are arranged in a vertical direction inside an apparatus casing 2 , and provided thereunder is a paper supply cassette 51 , in which papers 50 are accommodated for supply , and a paper transport path 52 , which is a transport path for the papers 50 from the paper supply cassette 51 , is arranged in a vertical direction along locations corresponding to each of the image forming units 11 . the image forming units 11 form toner images for yellow , magenta , cyan , and black in order from the upstream side of the paper transport path 52 and are provided with process cartridges 12 , in which various process units are incorporated , and an exposure device 21 that irradiates a scanning light for image forming onto each of the process cartridges 12 . each of the process cartridges 12 is in a form of an integrated cartridge including a photosensitive drum 13 , a changing roller 14 that charges the photosensitive drum 13 in advance , a developing apparatus 30 that develops , with a corresponding color toner ( in the present exemplary embodiment having a negative polarity for example ), an electrostatic latent image that has been exposed and formed by the exposure device 21 on the photosensitive drum 13 that has been charged , and a cleaning device 15 that removes waste toner on the photosensitive drum 13 . the exposure device 21 houses inside a case a semiconductor laser , a polygon mirror , an imaging lens , and a mirror , which are not shown in the diagram , and uses the polygon mirror to deflect and scan the light from the semiconductor laser such that a light image is guided to exposure points on the photosensitive drum 13 via the imaging lens and the mirror . further still , a transport belt 53 is arranged so as to rotate and move along the paper transport path 52 in locations corresponding to the photosensitive drums 13 of the image forming units 11 . the transport belt 53 is constructed using a belt material ( rubber or resin ) that is capable of achieving electrostatic adsorption of the papers 50 and is arranged spanning a pair of tensioning rollers 54 and 55 . a paper adsorption roller 56 is arranged at an entrance site ( a site opposing the tensioning roller 54 ) of the transport belt 53 , and the paper 50 is adsorbed to the transport belt 53 by applying a high - voltage adsorption voltage to the paper adsorption roller 56 . furthermore , transfer rollers 57 are arranged respectively on a rear surface side of the transport belt 53 corresponding to the photosensitive drum 13 of each of the image forming units 11 , and the photosensitive drum 13 and the paper 50 on the transport belt 53 are caused to contact each other by the transfer roller 57 . and a predetermined transfer bias is applied as appropriate by a transfer bias power source between the transfer rollers 57 and the photosensitive drums 13 . furthermore , a pickup roller 61 that takes out the papers 50 with a predetermined timing is arranged near the paper supply cassette 51 , and this feeds in the papers 50 to transfer positions via transport rollers 62 and registration rollers 63 . a fixing device 64 is provided on the paper transport path 52 positioned on a downstream side of the image forming unit 11 b , which is positioned the farthest downstream , and multiple discharge rollers 66 for discharging the papers are provided on the downstream side of the fixing device 64 , and discharged papers are collected in a collecting tray 67 , which is formed on an upper area of the apparatus casing 2 . in the thus - configured image forming apparatus , image forming is carried out by the following processes . in each of the image forming units 11 ( 11 y , 11 m , 11 c , and 11 b ), the photosensitive drum 13 is charged by the charging roller 14 , and after a latent image has been formed on the photosensitive drum 13 by the exposure device 21 , a visible image ( toner image ) is formed by the developing apparatus 30 . meanwhile , the paper 50 from the paper supply cassette 51 is drawn out by the pickup roller 61 with a predetermined timing , then fed into an adsorption position of the transport belt 53 via the transport rollers 62 and the registration rollers 63 , then fed into the transfer positions while adsorbed to the transport belt 53 . the toner images on the photosensitive drum 13 of each of the image forming units 11 are successively transferred to the paper 50 by the transfer rollers 57 , then after the unfixed toner images of each of the color components on the paper 50 are fixed by the fixing device 64 , the now - fixed paper 50 is discharged to the collecting tray 67 . each of the process cartridges 12 is equipped with components such as the photosensitive drum 13 , the charging roller 14 , the developing apparatus 30 , and the cleaning device 15 . fig2 to fig4 are diagrams showing the developing apparatus 30 according to the present exemplary embodiment . fig2 is a perspective view of the developing apparatus 30 , fig3 is an exploded perspective view of principal components , and fig4 is a cross - sectional view as seen from a direction of arrows iv and iv shown in fig2 . the developing apparatus 30 is equipped with a casing 31 having chambers divided into a developer accommodating unit 35 and a developing unit 36 , and an opening 31 a , an agitating auger 41 and a supply auger 42 arranged in the developer accommodating unit 35 , and a trimmer member 44 , and a paddle 45 arranged in the developing unit 36 . a portion of the magnet roller 43 is arranged near the photosensitive drum 13 so as to be exposed from the opening 31 a of the casing 31 . the trimmer member 44 regulates the amount of developer held on the surface of the magnet roller 43 . the paddle 45 returns the developer released from the magnet roller 43 after developing is completed to the supply auger 42 side . rotation from a same drive source is transmitted via gears to the agitating auger 41 , the supply auger 42 , the magnet roller 43 , and the paddle 45 such that each part is rotationally driven . the casing 31 is constituted by a lower side housing 32 , an upper side housing 33 , and side covers 34 on the left and right . the inside of the casing 31 in which these parts 32 to 34 are assembled is divided into the developer accommodating unit 35 and the developing unit 36 . a developer g is filled inside the developer accommodating unit 35 . in the casing 31 , grooves are formed at sites that constitute a boundary between the developer accommodating unit 35 and the developing unit 36 as shown in fig4 . these grooves are constituted by a lower groove 37 formed in lower side housing 32 and an upper groove 38 formed in the upper side housing 33 , while grooves formed in the side covers 34 are omitted from the diagrams . when the cartridge is unused , a partitioning frame 46 onto which a peel - off seal 47 has been stuck is inserted into the grooves . it should be noted that the inside of the casing 31 is divided into the developer accommodating unit 35 and the developing unit 36 by this partitioning frame 46 . as shown in fig6 , the shape of the lower groove 37 involves a groove width whose entrance is w 1 and whose interior is w 2 , with a groove depth whose deep portion is h 1 and whose shallow portion is h 2 , thus forming a stepped groove . specifically , w 1 is 3 . 5 mm , w 2 is 1 . 5 mm , h 1 is 4 mm , and h 2 is 3 . 5 mm . description is given based on fig5 regarding the partitioning frame 46 and the peel - off seal 47 . the partitioning frame 46 has a connecting hole 46 a , and a flange unit 46 b ( see fig4 ) is formed on one of its long sides . furthermore , the thickness of the part of the partitioning frame 46 that fits into the lower groove 37 is formed having a thickness substantially equivalent to the groove width w 2 . the casing 31 and the partitioning frame 46 are formed using an abs resin ( engineering plastic ) for example . an outer circumferential surface of the peel - off seal 47 is stuck to a surface of one side of the partitioning frame 46 using an adhesive so as to block the connecting hole 46 a . the length of the peel - off seal 47 is two times or more longer than the partitioning frame 46 so as to be stuck there traversing a lengthwise direction of the partitioning frame 46 twice . with the peel - off seal 47 , a front side in fig5 is a turn - back unit 47 a , and from a starting point until the turn - back unit 47 a is a first half that is adhered to the partitioning frame 46 , and from the turn - back unit 47 a until its free end is a second half , and this free end extends to the outside via a seal passing path ( not shown in drawings ) of the side cover 34 . when peeling off the peel - off seal 47 from the partitioning frame 46 , the first half of the peel - off seal 47 is peeled off in order from its forward side from the partitioning frame 46 by pulling the free end that extends outside from the side cover in a direction of arrow a such that the turn - back unit 47 a moves successively rearward , and by peeling off the first half from the partitioning frame 46 , the peel - off seal 47 is completely peeled off such that the connecting hole 46 a is communicatively opened . as shown in fig6 and fig7 , a feature of the developing apparatus 30 according to the present exemplary embodiment is that an elastic body 48 is provided having an adhesion layer ( not shown in drawings ) on one or both sides positioned on an other side surface of the partitioning frame 46 from the part of the partitioning frame 46 that is inserted into the lower groove 37 . for example , the elastic body 48 may be formed as a plate body using real sealer sp for toner seals ( polyurethane foam made by bridgestone corporation ) as a material . as shown in fig7 , the elastic body 48 is provided in multiple locations at predetermined intervals , and while the partitioning frame 46 is inserted into the lower groove 37 , adhesion is improved between one side surface of the partitioning frame 46 and the lower groove 37 since a pushing force is applied to the partitioning frame 46 from the elastic body 48 . results of testing are shown in which leakage of developer is measured for a developing apparatus 30 in which the elastic body 48 is provided in the lower groove 37 and a developing apparatus 30 ′ in which the elastic body 48 is not provided . focusing on the developer that leaks when a developing apparatus in a storage state is used , the inventors carried out testing in which amounts of the developer g adhering to the magnet roller 43 are measured after predetermined vibration is applied to the developing apparatus 30 in certain positions . first , a position in which leakages could be considered to occur often is surmised as a case where the magnet roller 43 faced downward in a gravity direction , and in this position a test 1 is carried out in which three developing apparatuses 30 ′ are subjected for 20 minutes to random vibrations of frequencies from 5 hz to 100 hz and an amplitude of 3 cm , and as a result no remarkable leakage of developer is detected . converse to this , a test 2 is carried out in which vibrations are applied under the aforementioned conditions in a case where the magnet roller 43 faced upward in the gravity direction , and as a result , leakages as shown in table 1 are detected . further still , a test 3 is carried out in which vibrations are applied under the aforementioned conditions while the magnet roller 43 faced downward in the gravity direction after vibrations are applied under the aforementioned conditions while the magnet roller 43 faced upward in the gravity direction , and as a result , leakages as shown in table 2 are detected . namely , it is considered that since gravity of the developer g inside the developer accommodating unit 35 is applied to the partitioning frame 46 while the magnet roller 43 faced downward in the gravity direction in test 1 , the partitioning frame 46 adhered to the groove with no leeway and as a result there is no leakage in this state . on the other hand , since the gravity of the developer g did not act on the partitioning frame 46 such that there is leeway between the groove and the partitioning frame 46 while the magnet roller 43 faced upward in the gravity direction in test 2 , the developer g that swirled up inside the developer accommodating unit 35 escaped between the vibrating partitioning frame 46 and the groove , and it is considered that once the developer had escaped once a passageway is formed such that the developer g leaked out . further still , in the case of test 3 where vibration is applied while the magnet roller 43 faced upward in the gravity direction after which vibration is applied while the magnet roller 43 faced downward in the gravity direction , it is considered that the developer g leaked through the already formed passageway . next , results of carrying out testing identical to tests 2 and 3 are shown for the developing apparatus 30 according to the present exemplary embodiment . as is clear from comparing the test results in tables 1 and 2 and tables 3 and 4 , it is evident that occurrences of leakages of the developer g from the developer accommodating unit 35 are remarkably improved by providing the elastic body 48 . as described above , with the developing apparatus 30 according to the present exemplary embodiment , by providing the elastic body 48 having an adhesion layer ( not shown in drawings ) on one or both sides positioned on the other side surface of the partitioning frame 46 from the part of the partitioning frame 46 that is inserted into the lower groove 37 , the amount of developer g that leaks out from the developer accommodating unit 35 to the developing unit 36 side can be almost eliminated as is evident from the test results . as a result , in an operation of peeling off the peel - off seal 47 from the partitioning frame 46 when replacing the developing apparatus 30 , a user or service personnel and a surrounding area thereof can be reliably prevented from being smeared by developer . furthermore , of the front and back surfaces of the partitioning frame 46 , since the elastic body 48 is provided so as to be positioned on a surface side of the partitioning frame 46 where the peel - off seal 47 does not stick , the peel - off seal 47 is prevented from contacting or sandwiching the elastic body 48 and becoming an obstacle to the peel - off operation of the peel - off seal 47 when pealing off the peel - off seal 47 from the partitioning frame 46 , and therefore the peel - off seal 47 can be reliably prevented from becoming severed . further still , to improve the adhesion between the partitioning frame 46 and the lower groove 37 , an entire circumference thereof may be secured using an adhesive , but in this case costs are increased and the casing 31 cannot be reused . in contrast to this , with the developing apparatus 30 according to the present exemplary embodiment , the adhesion between the partitioning frame 46 and the lower groove 37 is improved by the elastic body 48 , such that cost reductions can be achieved and reuse of the casing 31 can also be achieved . in the foregoing exemplary embodiment , description is given regarding a case where the elastic body 48 is provided to a closely contact section , but the present invention is not limited to this and this may be a protrusion 49 as shown in fig8 and fig9 . the protrusion 49 may be formed at the lower side housing 32 where the lower groove 37 is formed , or may be formed at the partitioning frame 46 , or may be formed at both of these members . furthermore , instead of the elastic body 48 , an adhesive may also be applied . in this case , it is necessary to determine the amount to be applied taking care so that it does not stick out from the lower groove 37 . further still , the closely contact section may be a member that increases adhesion of the partitioning frame 46 to the lower groove 37 such as double - sided tape or a sponge and the like . further still , in the foregoing embodiment and modified example 1 , multiple instances of the elastic body 48 , the protrusions 49 , and the adhesive are provided with the closely contact section at predetermined intervals on the lower groove 37 , but the present invention is not limited to this , and the closely contact section may be configured as a sheet - shaped member extending across the lower groove 37 lengthwise . in the foregoing exemplary embodiment and modified examples 1 and 2 , the closely contact section is provided between the lower groove 37 of the lower side housing 32 and the partitioning frame 46 , but naturally a closely contact section may also be provided in a groove of the upper side housing 33 or the side covers 34 . in the foregoing exemplary embodiment , the peel - off seal 47 is used as a partition that blocked the connecting hole 46 a of the partitioning frame 46 , but the present invention is not limited to this , and a slidable partitioning panel may be used in the partitioning frame 46 as the partition . furthermore , the closely contact section is provided positioned on a surface side of the front and back sides of the partitioning frame 46 where the peel - off seal 47 is not adhered , but this may be provided positioned on a surface of the front and back sides of the partitioning frame 46 where the peel - off seal 47 is adhered . the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . obviously , many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art . the embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications , thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents .	6
referring to fig1 -- 3 , a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown as a tester 10 . the tester 10 measures the conditions of an electrical conductor 12 having first and second wires 14 , 16 . as shown in fig1 the tester 10 includes an outer case 18 , positive and negative test leads 20 , 22 , and a display 24 . the case 18 is comprised of plastic and molded to fit within the palm of a user &# 39 ; s hand ( shown in phantom lines ). the case 18 further includes at least one lead holder 26 for engaging and disengaging the leads 20 , 22 . in this way , both the case 18 and one of the leads 20 , 22 may be held conveniently in one hand of the user while another of the leads 20 , 22 may be held in the other hand of the user of the device 10 . the tester 10 includes no external buttons or other manual input devices . the tester 10 sets forth a voltage reading on the display 24 . the tester 10 also activates an internal acoustic alarm or transducer 38 when the leads 20 , 22 have a substantially continuous ( low resistance ) current path between them . the tester 10 also activates an internal , vibrating tactile transducer 40 when the leads 20 , 22 are interconnected to an alternating ( ac ) voltage . see fig1 and 2 . as shown in fig1 the display includes a primary section 42 , to display a numerical representation of the voltage measured between the leads 20 , 22 , and first and second secondary display segments 44 , 46 to show whether the voltage between the leads 20 , 22 is an alternating ( ac ) or direct ( dc ) voltage . fig2 exhibits the main functional feature blocks of the present invention . the tester 10 includes an input 48 , which is interconnected to a power supply 50 , a continuity tester 52 , and an alternating current / direct current ( ac / dc ) detector 54 . the power supply 50 is also interconnected to a phase control 56 as well as an ac / dc converter 58 , an analog to digital ( a / d ) converter 60 , and a counter and display 62 . the power supply 50 includes the tactile transducer 40 , which allows the case 18 to vibrate when the leads 20 , 22 are interconnected to an alternating voltage source . the power supply 50 includes no independent power source . rather , it takes power to operate from the wires 14 , 16 . the power supply 50 provides a regulated power to the phase control 56 , ac / dc converter 58 , a / d converter ( 60 , and counter and display 62 . the continuity tester 52 is substantially electrically independent of the other blocks of the tester 10 . the alarm 38 of the continuity tester 52 provides an audible sound if there is substantial electrical continuity between the leads 20 , 22 of the tester 10 . a battery 64 powers the continuity tester 52 . thus , even if all other blocks of the tester 10 fail , the continuity tester 52 will continue to provide a signal when continuity is sensed . the ac / dc detector 54 ( or voltage type sensor ) detects whether the voltage at the leads 20 , 22 is an alternating or direct voltage . when the voltage monitored is alternating , the detector 54 provides an alternating voltage signal to the phase control 56 . the phase control 56 monitors the alternating power supplied by the power supply 50 . during a preselected phase , or segment , of such voltage ( such as , for example , between 165 ° to 180 ° of a 360 ° cycle ), the phase control 56 provides a phase control signal to the power supply 50 . the power supply 50 , in turn , only periodically activates the tactile transducer 40 ( such as , for example , between 165 ° to 180 ° of a 360 ° cycle ). thus , a lower power ( and lower cost ) tactile transducer 40 may be used to indicate the existence of an alternating current voltage . upon sensing the voltage at the leads 20 , 22 , the ac / dc detector provides an alternating or direct signal to the ac / dc converter 58 , which , in turn , advises the a / d converter 60 of the nature of the sensed voltage . the a / d converter 60 provides a digital signal , representative of the analog voltage supplied at the leads 20 , 22 , to the counter and display 62 . thus , the counter and display 62 cooperates with the a / d converter 60 to measure the voltage and set forth a representation of the voltage . as shown in the detailed circuit diagram of fig3 a - c , the preferred embodiment of the present invention uses readily available components , which are obtainable from a larger variety of vendors . accordingly , the tester 10 may substantially be manufactured without relying on a &# 34 ; single source &# 34 ; for any one component . further , the components are generally adapted for lower power applications , thus reducing overall the cost of the tester 10 . the power supply 50 is interconnected to the positive and negative leads 20 , 22 and includes a full wave rectifier 66 , the tactile transducer 40 , a study , or substantially constant , current source 68 , and a voltage hold circuit 70 . the rectifier 66 includes four diodes 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 to provide a fully rectified signal when the leads 20 , 22 are interattached to an ac voltage signal . the rectifier 66 also includes first and second light emitting diodes ( leds ) 76 , 78 that are in series with the steady current source 68 . the first light emitting diode 76 is interconnected to the positive lead 20 , and the second light emitting diode 78 interconnected to the negative lead 22 . accordingly , when the positive lead 20 is interconnected to a positive , direct voltage source , and the negative lead 22 is interconnected to ground , only the first led 76 will illuminate . conversely , if the negative wire is interconnected to a positive , direct voltage source , and the positive lead 22 is interconnected to ground , the second led 78 will illuminate . if an ac voltage signal is detected , both the first and second leds 76 , 78 will illuminate . because the leds 76 , 78 are in series with the steady current source 68 , the illumination and power dissipation of the leds is substantially constant , regardless of the voltage applied between the leads 20 , 22 . the tactile transducer 40 is in series with the steady current source 68 ( or current limiting circuit ) such that a lower - power transducer may be used . the transducer 40 includes a lower power ( e . g . 12 volt ) coil 80 and a magnet 82 attached to the case 18 of the tester 10 . since the magnet 82 increases the flux of the field created by the coil 80 , the magnet 82 helps to allow a smaller relay to be used to vibrate the case 18 of the tester 10 . when a current is supplied through the coil 80 , the magnet 82 and the attached case 18 are pulled in by the coil 80 . when the leads 20 , 22 momentarily stop exhibiting a voltage , the coil 80 stops pulling on the magnet 82 , and the elasticity of the case 18 moves the magnet 82 and case away from the coil 80 . when the leads 20 , 22 are again at different voltages , the coil 80 again pulls the magnet 82 to vibrate the case . the rectifier 66 provides a full wave voltage signal to the a / d converter along a rectified line 84 . the steady current source 68 comprises first and second field effect transistors 86 , 88 in series , as well as a zener diode 90 , first and second current limiting resistors 92 , 94 , and a phase - controlled transistor 96 . the second transistor 88 has a drain 100 , gate 104 , and a source 108 . since the transistors 86 , 88 are in series , each of the transistors 86 , 88 need only bear approximately one - half the voltage applied between the positive and negative leads 20 , 22 of the tester 10 . accordingly , lower - cost transistors may be used . the zener diode 90 is interconnected , in a parallel relationship , with both the gate 104 and source 108 of the second transistor 88 as well as the resistors 92 , 94 and phase - controlled transistor 96 . thus , when current is flowing through the transistors 86 , 88 , the zener diode 90 holds the voltage from the gate 104 to ground to approximately nine volts . the voltage between the gate 104 and source 108 of the second transistor 88 is approximately three volts . accordingly , the voltage between the source 108 and ground is approximately six volts when the tester 10 is in operation . with the transistor 96 off , representing a substantially open circuit , current flows through the first and second resistors 92 , 94 to ground , as well as charging the voltage hold circuit 70 . thus , current is limited to no more than several milliamps . when the transistor 96 receives a phase enable signal , it briefly turns on , however , and the current , for a relatively brief period of time , is limited to no more than several hundred milliamps . in the preferred embodiment , for example , the current ranges from approximately 110 milliamps ( with the transistor 96 on ) to approximately 0 . 3 milliamps ( with the transistor 96 off ). the phase enable signal that turns on the transistor 96 on continues for only a predetermined phase , or segment , of the each cycle of an alternating voltage signal applied to the leads 20 , 22 . in the preferred embodiment , this phase occurs approximately between the 165 ° and 180 ° of each 360 ° alternating voltage cycle applied to the leads 20 , 22 . longer segments , up to , for example , 45 °, or shorter segments , down to , for example , 5 °, could also be employed . the voltage hold circuit 70 maintains a substantially constant voltage source for other elements of the tester 10 . the voltage hold circuit 70 is a 6 - volt power source , regardless of the action of the transistor 96 . the voltage hold circuit 70 will continue to power the counter and display and counter 62 , for example , both between phase enable signals as well as when the leads 20 , 22 have be removed from the wires 14 , 16 . the display and counter 62 may continue to display a voltage reading until the leads 20 , 22 are again applied to wires having a substantial voltage between them or the hold circuit 70 becomes discharged ( after , for example , 15 or 20 minutes ). the ac / dc detector 54 is connected to the leads 20 , 22 and includes first and second or gates , 110 , 112 , first and second nand gates 114 , 116 , a dc line 118 , an ac line 120 , and first and second capacitors 122 , 124 . the gates 110 , 112 provide a &# 34 ; neater ,&# 34 ; more abrupt , square wave - signal for use by the phase control 56 and the rest of the tester 10 . if the second lead 22 is interconnected to ground and the first lead 20 is interconnected to a positive dc voltage , the dc line 118 will provide a positive dc voltage ( and the dc segment 46 of the display 24 will set forth a designation of a direct voltage ). if the first and second capacitors 122 , 124 are each being charged when the first and second leads 20 , 22 alternatively become positive with respect to each other , the ac line 20 will supply a positive signal to display ( and the ac segment 44 of the display 24 will set forth a designation of an alternating voltage ). the ac / dc converter 58 includes first and second electronic switches 126 , 128 , a voltage compensation circuit 130 , a timing capacitor 132 , a differential amplifier 134 , and a converter output line 136 . the amplifier 134 has first and second inputs 138 , 140 . the second input 140 is interconnected to an input resistor 144 . when a positive signal is provided on the ac line 120 , the tint switch 126 is closed , and the second switch 128 is open . the second input 140 to the amplifier 134 is the output voltage , as reduced by the &# 34 ; i - r drop &# 34 ; across the resistor 144 . the voltage on the rectified line 84 is supplied to the first input 138 of the amplifier 134 . the compensation circuit 130 raises the voltage supplied to the first input 138 of the amplifier 134 , to compensate for the diode voltage drops occurring within the rectifier 66 . with a dc voltage applied to the leads 20 , 22 , and , thus , a positive signal on the dc line 118 and a negative signal on the ac line 120 , the first input 138 corresponds to the dc voltage on the rectified line 84 , the first switch 126 is open , and the second switch 128 is closed . the relatively low voltage of the capacitor 132 is applied to the second input 140 of the amplifier ( as lowered by the &# 34 ; i - r drop &# 34 ; across the resistor 143 ). accordingly , the capacitor 132 is more quickly charged . when the amplifier 134 initially begins providing an output , the capacitor 132 begins charging . the capacitor 132 provides a steadily increasing voltage signal , along the converter output line 136 , to the a / d converter 60 . referring to fig3 a , the capacitor 132 ( 10 microfarads ) acts like a filter , but the voltage across it is determined by the ratio of the 15 . 4 kilohm resistor and the 1 megohm resistor in parallel with the 10 microfarad capacitor 132 . as shown in fig3 b , the phase control 56 includes first and second input lines 146 , 148 , an electronic switch 150 , a phase capacitor 152 , a charging amplifier 154 , a comparator 156 , and a phase signal lead 158 . the phase control 56 receives a signal from the ac / dc detector 54 , along the lead 146 , that corresponds to the voltage on the first lead 20 . the signal for an ac voltage is a square wave representing beginning at every cycle of the a c input . the switch 150 thus periodically allows the phase capacitor 152 to be charged by the charging amplifier 154 . when the capacitor 152 achieves a sufficient charge , the comparator 156 changes state and , if supplied with a low signal on the line 148 ( indicating an ac input ) the phase control 56 will then provide a phase signal , along the phase lead 158 , to the power supply 50 . the phase signal may occur , for example , during a predetermined segment of the ac input voltage cycle shortly before the 180 ° phase of the positive lead 20 . only during this brief interval is the phase - controlled transistor 96 turned on . thus , the duty cycle of the coil 80 is reduced , allowing a lower - cost coil to be used . like the voltage on the capacitor 132 , the voltage build up on the capacitor 152 is substantially constant , using a standard ramp and pedestal technique . the time that the capacitor 152 requires to charge may be timed with a reasonable degree of accuracy , so that it reaches a specific charge adequate to change the state of the comparator 156 when the phase of the input voltage is at 165 °. as shown in fig3 b , the a / d converter 60 includes a ramp and pedestal circuit 160 , 12 - stage binary counter 162 , clock 164 , temperature compensated constant current source circuit 166 , and comparator 168 . the ramp and pedestal circuit 160 includes a capacitor 170 that charges at a constant rate . as shown in fig3 c , the counter and display 62 includes a digital counter 172 ( comprised of three 74hc160 integrated circuits ), a display driver 174 ( comprised of three mc14543b integrated circuits ), and a liquid crystal display 176 , as well as ac and dc driven 178 , 180 . the clock 164 supplies pulses to the binary counter 162 , which provides timing signals for the operation of the tester 10 , including the backplane lighting for the display 24 , an enable signal for the digital counter 172 , and a load signal for the display driver 174 . the temperature compensation circuit 166 provides a substantially constant current source to the capacitor 170 , and , thus , a stable base for comparison by the comparator 168 . the counter 172 effectively times the interval for the comparator 168 to change state ( and , thus , the time for the capacitor 132 to charge ) indicating the voltage being supplied to the leads 20 , 22 . thus , when the charge on the capacitor 132 is large enough and the comparator 168 changes state , the count stops . upon receiving a load signal , the stopped count , representing a voltage in digits , is loaded into the liquid crystal display 176 . the ac and dc drivers 178 , 180 drive the ac and dc segments 44 , 46 of the display 24 . as shown in fig3 a the continuity detector 52 is substantially electrically independent from the rest of the tester 10 . it includes it own power source , in the form of a 4 . 5 volt battery 64 , as well as the audible alarm or transducer 38 . if a substantially closed circuit is detected between the leads 20 , 22 , the transducer 38 is powered by the battery 64 , through the circuit , to give off a sound . if a large alternating voltage in the circuit should power the transducer 38 ( in addition to the battery 64 ), the transducer 38 is only cyclically activated and produces a warbling tone . a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described herein . it is to be understood , of course , that changes and modifications may be made in the preferred embodiment without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention , as defined by the appended claims .	6
the present invention is directed to a fluid vacuum safety device 50 for use in a pump assisted fluid circulation system for the purposes of alleviating an intense vacuum that builds in the system when one or more of the suction intake ports of the circulation system become obstructed . referring to fig6 a typical fluid circulation system of the type commonly found in swimming pools and hot tubs is shown . a reservoir of water w is contained within a structure having side walls 2 and a bottom 4 . a main drain 6 having a drain cover grating is provided on the bottom 4 . at least one skimmer box 8 is provided along one or more of the side walls 2 at the water surface level sl . a drain suction intake line 10 leads from the main drain 6 to a main suction intake line 20 . a skimmer suction intake line 12 has an open end 13 in the skimmer box 8 which is maintained below the water surface level sl . the skimmer suction intake line 12 feeds into the main intake line 20 . the main intake line 20 is directed to a pump 24 which may have a screen trap 26 connected to the main intake line 20 , just prior to the intake of the pump 24 . a main output line 28 leads to a filter 30 . one or more return lines 32 extend from the filter 30 back to the water reservoir w to return water that is circulated through the system back to the reservoir w . fig6 shows the fluid vacuum safety device 50 properly installed in - line along the main suction intake line 20 of the circulation system , prior to the intake of the pump 24 and screen trap 26 . if an object or person is caused to be sucked onto one of the open ends of the suction intakes , such as the open end 13 of the skimmer suction intake 12 , the drain plate 7 or , if the drain plate is removed , the drain suction intake line 10 at the main drain 6 , a vacuum will instantly develop throughout the intake lines , including the main suction intake line 20 . the fluid vacuum safety device 50 is designed to react to this situation to immediately eliminate the vacuum in the system and , accordingly , the suction force at the open ends of each of the suction intake lines , including the skimmer suction intake 13 and the main drain intake 6 . upon reaching a predetermined vacuum level , which happens quite rapidly when one of the intakes becomes obstructed , the fluid vacuum safety device 50 causes air from atmosphere to be rapidly introduced into the main intake line 20 and throughout the other intake lines , thereby removing all suction force at the open suction intake ends 13 and 16 in the reservoir w . the air introduced into the system interrupts the prime of the pump 24 , thereby eliminating any further source of suction . referring to fig1 - 5 , a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown . the principal components of the fluid vacuum safety device 50 are shown in fig1 and include a sensor circuit 120 which senses the vacuum level in the fluid circulation system . the output of sensor circuit 120 is applied to an analyzer circuit 130 that allows the selective setting of a particular vacuum level ( a predetermined vacuum level ) by control circuit 140 that will define a trip point or emergency condition in the system . the analyzer circuit output is applied to the control circuit 140 for further processing and control of operational relays or contactors 150 . an isolated power supply 160 furnishes voltage for the circuitry . the sensor circuit 120 is depicted in fig2 and utilizes a strain gauge 122 ( sg1 ) to sense the vacuum in the pump return line 20 . the four internal elements , r1 , r2 , r3 , and r4 , in the strain gauge 122 form a bridge circuit . at 0 &# 34 ; of mercury vacuum pressure , the bridge circuit 122 is balanced and the output of the bridge is 0 , with the junction of r1 / r3 being equal to the junction r2 / r4 . the output of the junctions are applied to the inputs of ic1 , an operational amplifier 124 . when the bridge is balanced , the output of the operational amplifier 124 is approximately one - half the power supply voltage . as vacuum increases , the bridge becomes unbalanced and the r1 / r3 and r2 / r4 junctions change voltage levels in a direct relationship to vacuum pressure level in the system . this small change in voltage is amplified by the operational amplifier 124 and provides a useable level for the analyzer circuit 130 . resistor r5 sets the minimum gain of the operational amplifier , while the adjustable resistor r6 sets the maximum gain . the ability to control gain is necessary due to the wide variations of vacuum levels found in different systems . in a preferred embodiment , the operational amplifier 124 is a type 741 ic . the analyzer circuit 130 , as shown in fig3 contains a resistor ladder network 132 composed of resistors r1 - r9 . both r1 and r9 are variable resistors . resistors r2 - r8 are all equal value resistors . in this manner , a high point and a low comparator point can be set via the r9 and r1 resistors , respectively , leaving six other equally valued comparator points between the high and low points . the voltages derived from this ladder network 132 are applied to the positive inputs of the comparator circuits 134 ( ic1 ) and 136 ( ic2 ). the output of the sensor circuit 120 is applied to the negative inputs of the comparators 134 , 136 . the normal output of the sensor circuit 120 is approximately one - half of the supply voltage . r9 is adjusted so that the positive input of comparator 136 is slightly above the steady state output of the sensor circuit 120 . under these conditions , the comparators are in the off state and their outputs are high . as vacuum is applied to the sensor circuit 120 , the output voltage will increase in a linear manner . the voltage increase is applied to the negative inputs of all eight comparator circuits of 134 and 136 . as the voltage increases , the first comparator at the junction of r8 and r9 will go into conduction . as the increase continues , each of the comparators will act in a like manner . if the voltage continues to increase to its design maximum , all eight comparator circuits will be conducting . any comparator that is conducting will have a low output . the comparators have an open collector output circuit and each is connected to the power supply 160 via an led 138 and series current limiting resistor 139 ( rp1 ). this condition will cause the led connected to each individual comparator to illuminate and indicate the level of vacuum reached . the output of each comparator is also connected to a spst switch contained in the switch bank 137 ( sw1 ). these switches each represent one of the eight comparator circuits . the switch that is connected to the comparator representing the preselected level of vacuum at which corrective action is desired is placed in the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position , and the output of the comparator is connected to the output line of the analyzer 130 . in this manner , an alarm condition will be achieved whenever the preset vacuum level is attained . the single switch that is selected as the trip level will always be illuminated since the led that corresponds to the selected level is connected to that switch and current will flow through the resistor contained in 139 , the led contained in 138 , the switch contained in 137 , and the input voltage clamp circuitry contained in the control circuitry 140 , described hereinafter . the sensor circuit 120 and the analyzer circuit 130 require a power supply voltage that is slightly higher than that required for the control circuitry 140 . this requires that the output of the analyzer circuit 130 be clamped at the maximum level of the input voltage allowed by the circuitry of the control circuit 140 . a clamp diode is utilized at the input of the control circuit 150 and completes the current path that allows the illumination of the selected switch on the switch bank 137 . referring to fig4 the control and relay circuitry 140 is shown , in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the fluid vacuum safety device 50 . the input signal to the control circuitry 140 is the output of the analyzer circuit 130 and is applied to an inverter 141 to generate a true or high signal under an alarm or off - normal condition . the output of the inverter 141 is connected to a three input and gate 142 . the second input to this and gate 142 is the q &# 39 ; output of the service timer 143 . the service timer 143 is a 555 type timer and is set by the momentary activation of the service switch 144 . when this switch 144 is activated , the set input to timer 143 starts the timer cycle . this makes the q &# 39 ; output of the timer 143 false and applies a false to the and gate 142 . in this manner , any signal from the analyzer circuitry 130 is negated while in the service mode . when service is completed , the service person should momentarily activate the &# 34 ; service reset &# 34 ; switch 145 which will activate the timer 143 , reset circuitry , and restore normal conditions to the system . if the switch 145 is not pressed / activated , the timer 143 will time out and normal operation will be restored after a predetermined period of time . the third input to the and gate 142 is connected to another timer 146 which is also a 555 type timer . this particular timer 146 is started when power is turned on and applied to the device 50 . the q &# 39 ; output of this timer 146 holds off the and gate 142 for a short duration when the system initially starts in order to allow the pump of the fluid circulation system to reach prime . at the end of this duration , two of the and inputs are in a true state . this is a normal operation . if an alarm condition should be encountered , the alarm input to the and gate will go true . with all three inputs true , the output of the and gate 142 will go true and activate the set input to the latch 147 . the latch 147 remains in a set state until it is manually reset via the alarm reset switch 148 . when the latch 147 is set , the relay 149 is activated and the normally closed ( n / c ) contacts open . this drops the power to the contactor that allows the pump of the circulation system to run . at the same time , the normally open ( n / o ) contacts close and provide power to operate the vacuum breaker 170 ( see fig5 ) which will allow the release of any object held to the open ends of the intake lines ( return lines ) leading from the reservoir w to the pump 24 . once this happens , the pump 24 cannot be restarted until the alarm reset switch 148 is activated . it should be noted at this point that the device 50 can be configured with additional relay contacts to allow the use of various warning devices and indicators which are activated at the preset vacuum pressure level ( alarm condition ). referring to fig5 the device 50 , in accordance with the first preferred embodiment , is shown wired along with a vacuum breaker 170 to other components of a fluid circulation system . the diagram of fig5 is representative of a preferred configuration of components for use in the fluid circulation system of swimming pools and hot tubs . in fig5 the fluid vacuum safety device 50 is shown wired to the vacuum breaker 170 and other components . when the timer 180 of the system goes active , power is applied to the transformer 190 , which supplies low voltage ac to the safety device 50 . one side of the low voltage ac is also supplied to the contactor 200 and the vacuum breaker 170 . if conditions are normal , the low voltage ac circuit will be completed to the contactor 200 which will allow the motor 210 of the pump 24 to run . once the initial time period for pump start - up is complete , the safety device 50 monitors operating conditions . if an off - normal condition is encountered , the safety device 50 will break the circuit to the contactor 200 and complete the circuit to the vacuum breaker 170 , thereby introducing air from atmosphere into the suction intake lines ( return lines ) of the system and eliminating vacuum pressure between the pump 24 and open ends of the suction intake lines . this state will be maintained until the device 50 is manually reset after the off - normal condition has been cleared . with the incorporation of additional contacts , other indicators or warning devices can be added . referring now to the remaining drawing figures , the fluid vacuum safety device is shown in accordance with an alternative embodiment and is indicated as 50 &# 39 ;. the safety device 50 &# 39 ; includes a base unit 52 defined primarily by an inverted t - section formed of pvc having a main through passage 54 defined along the bottom of the inverted t and having opposite open ends 55 , 55 &# 39 ; which connect in - line to the main intake line 20 , as seen in fig6 . during normal operating conditions , water flow will travel in the direction of the arrow 56 in the through conduit 54 towards the pump 24 . the inverted t - section of the base unit 52 further includes an upwardly extending vent port 60 extending upwardly from the through passage 54 , in fluid communication therewith , to a top open end 62 . the top open end 62 is surrounded by an annular flange 64 having an o - ring seal 67 fitted to a top face 68 . a frangible membrane 70 rests on the o - ring 67 in covering relation to the open top 62 of the vent port 60 . the frangible membrane 70 may be provided with an increased thickness about its outer periphery , defining a surface engaging rim 72 . the central zone 74 within the surrounding rim 72 extends across and completely covers the open top 62 of the vent port 60 and is of a reduced thickness relative to the rim 72 . the frangible membrane 70 , and particularly the central zone 74 , may be formed of glass or other materials having shattering or disintegrating characteristics . the thickness of the central zone 74 of the frangible membrane 70 will vary depending upon both the desired predetermined negative pressure at which the frangible membrane is caused to implode and disintegrate , as well as the diameter of the opening 62 which the central zone 74 covers and the material characteristics of the membrane . nonetheless , the central zone 74 is thin ( in most instances less than 1 / 8 &# 34 ; thick ) and will implode and disintegrate in response to the suction force ( indicated by the arrow 76 ) as occurs when one or more suction intakes become obstructed . the ideal vacuum pressure at which the frangible membrane 70 disintegrates is approximately 20 in . hg . when the frangible membrane 70 is caused to disintegrate , as a result of the suction force of the vacuum condition in the through passage 54 and vent port 60 , air from atmosphere is able to quickly enter through the open top 72 to fill the intake lines of the fluid circulation system , thereby eliminating the vacuum . the frangible membrane 70 is maintained in place , in covering relation to the open end 62 , by a fitting 80 having a lower annular face 82 which opposes the flange 64 , sandwiching the rim 72 of the frangible membrane 70 therebetween , as seen in fig7 . the o - ring 67 absorbs pressure to prevent the frangible membrane 70 from cracking as the fitting 80 is advanced towards the flange 64 and against the rim 72 of the frangible membrane 70 . a female coupling 84 is provided to facilitate attachment of the fitting 80 to the base unit 52 , enabling threaded advancement and withdrawal of the fitting 80 relative to the flange 64 and frangible membrane 70 . threads 85 about the outer periphery of the fitting 80 intermesh with corresponding threads 86 on the inner face of the female coupling 84 . an inwardly directed flange 87 on the lower open end of the female coupling 84 engages the underside of the flange 64 of the vent port . the fitting 80 further includes a flat ledge 88 which proceeds inward to a reduced diameter extension 89 . the fitting 80 is open at both the opposite ends and has a larger diameter between the annular face 82 compared to a top open end 90 . the ledge 88 on the fitting 80 is provided with a plurality of air inlet holes 94 which extend from the top ledge 88 through the thickness of the fitting 80 to provide air flow communication between the exterior atmosphere and an inner chamber 96 above the frangible membrane 70 . once the frangible membrane 70 disintegrates , air from atmosphere enters through the air inlet holes 94 and through the top opening 62 of the vent port 60 and throughout the suction intake lines of the system to eliminate the vacuum . an electrical switching device 100 can be fitted to the fluid vacuum safety coupling 50 , as shown in fig7 and 9 . to facilitate attachment of the electrical switching device 100 , a female coupling 102 can be fitted to the device 100 for threaded engagement with an exterior threaded surface 91 on the reduced diameter extension 89 of the fitting 80 . the bottom portion of the electrical switching device 100 has a sensing assembly 104 which extends through the open end 90 of the fitting 80 . the sensor assembly 104 may be provided with a plunger or rod 106 which extends downwardly so that a distal end thereof engages a top surface of the frangible membrane 70 . a biasing element within the device 100 may be used to urge the plunger 106 downwardly against the frangible membrane 70 . this plunger 106 serves as an indicator to the electrical switching device 100 , indicating the status of the frangible membrane 70 . disintegration of the frangible membrane 70 results in further downward extension of the plunger 106 , thereby activating the electrical switching device 100 . the electrical switching device 100 may trigger an audible alarm housed within the device 100 and / or at a remote location via a hard wired or wireless connection . the electrical switching device 100 can further be used to shut off the pump 24 . still further , the electrical switching device 100 can be used to activate virtually any electronic component to perform a desired function once the frangible membrane 70 is shattered . while the instant invention has been shown and described in accordance with preferred embodiments thereof , representing a best mode of the invention at the time of filing of the application for patent , it is recognized that variations , modifications and changes may be made to the instant disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as set forth in the following claims and within the doctrine of equivalents .	0
a preferred embodiment of the invention is directed to a hydraulically actuated junction plate with integral mechanical override . in a preferred embodiment , the assembly comprises of a hydraulic actuating cylinder , which is designed with a hollow piston rod equipped with a machined screw profile in one ( 1 ) end . the rod bore contains a mechanical screw with an acme thread profile upset allowing for the screw to rotate through the piston bore . in turn , the mechanical screw is machined with a broached spline profile ( female ) in one end to accept a male spline which is allowed to slip - in and out - of the screw spline bore creating a slip - joint action between the screw and the male spline . in a preferred embodiment , the mechanical screw is arranged with a flange end for attachment to the junction plate half containing the hydraulic and electrical couplers and the female spline end for interface to the male drive spline in a preferred embodiment , the male drive spline 62 is machined with an r . o . v . drive profile nut and is captured in the r . o . v . intervention female receptacle ( bucket ) 61 designed to accommodate the r . o . v . end effector tooling unit , as shown in fig3 a , 3 b , and 4 . by rotating the drive spline , the mechanical screw drives both the hydraulic cylinder piston which when bottoms out in the cylinder bore , overrides the hydraulics and drives the junction plate in forward ( in ) or reverse ( out ). in a preferred embodiment , the cylinder piston rod is also equipped with a flange boss containing and anti - rotation rod , which slides in a bushing contained in a flange , which is integral to the cylinder . this alleviates the potential for the piston rod and piston to rotate in the cylinder due to the torque transferred from the screw during rotation . in a preferred embodiment , the initial application for the junction box assembly relates to a subsea blow out preventer stack discrete hydraulic control pod . the control pod interfaces to the surface control manifold via hydraulic hose bundles containing separate pilot lines . the hose bundle terminates at a fixed junction box at the top of each control pod and is supported by individual hose - to - wireline clamps attached to a wireline . the wireline also attaches to the pod top and is used for running and retrieving each individual pod for repair . during running and retrieving operations , the hose bundle is pulled and spooled on to its storage reel along with the wireline subjecting the hose bundle to damage and in turn rig downtime and in many cases hose bundle replacement cost . in a preferred embodiment , application of the disconnectable junction box assemblies allows for the existing hose bundle to remain static by clamping it to the marine riser and retrieving the pod independently of the hose bundle . in a preferred embodiment directed to a b . o . p . stack application , the existing hose bundle terminates at a fixed junction box assembly mounted to the lower marine riser package ( l . m . r . p .). in turn , a flexible hose bundle length is run to the disconnectable junction box assembly dynamic ( or movable ) half . the flexible hose bundle individual pilot or supply hoses interface with balanced couplings located on the junction plate face . individual assigned pilot hoses are connected to the hydraulic cylinder ports for operation of the extend / retract functions from the surface unit . the assemblies are adaptable to all existing subsea control pods and systems using discrete hydraulic hose bundle assemblies . the preferred embodiments described below are depicted in fig1 a , 2 b , 3 a , and / or 3 b . in another preferred embodiment , the invention comprises a cylinder 10 having an outer wall 12 having an inner surface 14 and an outer surface 16 , a first fluid region 18 , a first fluid port 20 in the wall at the location of the first fluid region , a second fluid region 22 adjacent to the first fluid region , a second fluid port 24 in the wall at the location of the second fluid region , a longitudinal channel 26 extending through a central radial region the first and second fluid regions , first face 19 at the end of the first fluid region , and a second face 21 at the end of the second fluid region this embodiment further comprises a first fluid line 30 coupled to the first fluid port , and a second fluid 32 line coupled to the second fluid port . in a preferred embodiment , the first and second faces comprised one or more elastemeric sealing members 31 to provide a fluid seal with a member , such as a piston , which may travel through the longitudinal channel . in a preferred embodiment the elastomeric sealing members are o - rings . hydraulic fluid can be injected into either the first or second fluid region through the first or second fluid port and ejected from the other of the first or second fluid region through the respective fluid port . this embodiment of the invention further comprises a piston 34 extending through the central channel of the cylinder and having a distal end 36 protruding beyond either first or second fluid region , a proximal end 38 protruding beyond the fluid region of the cylinder opposite the region beyond which the distal end protrudes , and a threaded central longitudinal channel 40 . this embodiment of the invention further comprises a diaphragm 42 mounted on the piston and sized such that it extends radially outward from the outer surface of the piston to the inner surface of the cylinder outer wall . the diaphragm comprises a first face 44 defining a boundary of the first fluid region , and a second face 46 defining a boundary of the second fluid region . in the preferred embodiment shown in fig1 , hydraulic fluid entering the first fluid region through the first fluid port causes the diaphragm and piston to move longitudinally toward the second fluid region . the movement of the diaphragm and piston toward the second fluid region causes hydraulic fluid to exit through the second fluid port and through the second fluid line . in fig2 a , the piston is shown fully extended in the direction of the second fluid region . conversely , hydraulic fluid entering the second fluid region through the second fluid port causes the diaphragm and piston to move longitudinally toward the first fluid region , thereby causing fluid to exit through the first fluid port and the first fluid line . in fig2 b , the piston is shown fully retracted in the direction of the first fluid region . the first and second fluid lines can be connected to a source of hydraulic fluid and a valve system of the type known to those skilled in the art such that the injection of hydraulic fluid can be alternated , as a user desires , through either the first fluid line or the second fluid line . longitudinal movement of the piston and the diaphragm can be reciprocated by alternating which of the first or second fluid line is the hydraulic fluid injection or inlet line , and which of the first or second fluid line is the hydraulic fluid ejection or outlet line . as the diaphragm reciprocates longitudinally , the volume of the first fluid region and the volume of the second fluid region change . the total volume of the first and second fluid region will remains constant . the use of hydraulic fluid injected into either the first fluid region or the second fluid region , as described above , is an embodiment of hydraulic actuation of the present invention . in a preferred embodiment , the threaded central longitudinal channel of the piston comprises the female threads . this embodiment of the invention further comprises a screw member 50 comprising a threaded region 52 rotatably mounted in the central longitudinal channel of the piston , a distal region 54 extending beyond the distal end of the piston , and a proximal region 56 extending beyond the proximal end of the piston . in a preferred embodiment , the central longitudinal channel of the piston comprises female threads and the threaded region of the screw member comprises matable male threads . rotation of the screw member with respect to the piston results in longitudinal movement of the screw member relative to the piston . in such relative motion , the screw member may move longitudinally while the piston remains in a fixed longitudinal position . alternatively , in such relative motion , the piston may move longitudinally while the screw member remains in a fixed longitudinal position . the screw member further comprises at least one internally positioned longitudinal spline receptacle 58 , such as a keyway . such a spline receptacle is shown in fig3 a and 3 b . in other preferred embodiments , the screw member may contain several longitudinal spline receptacles . in a preferred embodiment , the screw member contains at least two spline receptacles positioned on radially opposite sides of the screw member . in general , increasing the number of spline receptacles makes it easier to align a splined member with the screw member . the distal region of the screw member is adapted to be connectable to a junction plate half 59 which may contains hydraulic and / or electrical couplers . such adaptation may be accomplished , in a preferred embodiment , by having a flange member 60 attached to the distal end region of the screw member . in another preferred embodiment , as shown in fig1 , the junction plate half 59 is attached to the flange member 60 . in a preferred embodiment , the invention further comprises a drive spline 62 having , a distal section 64 inserted in the spline receptacle of the screw member such that rotation of the spline member causes rotation of the screw member , and a proximal section 66 opposite the distal section , comprising a coupling member 68 attached to the end of the proximal section . in a preferred embodiment , the distal section of the drive spline comprises a conical end region . in a preferred embodiment , the coupling member 68 is a hexagonal head adapted to be received within a hexagonal socket , as shown in fig3 a and 3 b . those skilled in the art will be familiar with hexagonal sockets or buckets 61 commonly used on r . o . v .&# 39 ; s 63 that are suitable to be coupled to the coupling member such that the rotation of the socket causes rotation of the coupling member . in fig4 , the coupling member 68 is contained within female receptacle 61 that is attached to the r . o . v . 63 . in a preferred embodiment , rotation of the coupling member causes rotation of the drive spline , which in turn causes rotation of the screw member , resulting in longitudinal movement of the screw member relative to the piston , as described above . such longitudinal movement of the screw member results in longitudinal movement of a junction plate attached to the distal region of the screw member . the use of mechanical torque to rotate the coupling member , resulting in the combined rotational and longitudinal movement described above , provides a means for mechanical override and / or operation of the present invention . this mechanical override mode can be used to operate the present invention in the absence of hydraulic fluid pressure . thus , as explained above , longitudinal movement of the screw member can be achieved by hydraulic actuation , or by rotational movement of the coupling member . in a preferred embodiment , the invention further comprises a flexible bellows 70 extending between the coupling member and the proximal end of the piston . the foregoing disclosure and description of the inventions are illustrative and explanatory . various changes in the size , shape , and materials , as well as in the details of the illustrative construction and / or a illustrative method may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention .	4
the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure or the application and uses of the present disclosure . furthermore , there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description . fig1 shows a high - lift system from the state of the art , comprising a central drive unit 2 or power control unit ( pcu ) which in each case by way of a transmission shaft train 4 is connected to actuator devices 6 in a left - hand wing half and in a right - hand wing half . the central drive unit 2 comprises a position sensor 8 which is also named “ feedback position pickoff unit ” ( fppu ). furthermore , for reasons of redundancy the central drive unit 2 is driven by two motors that are supplied with power by two different hydraulic systems . as an example fig1 shows a “ green ” hydraulic system 10 and a “ yellow ” hydraulic system 12 , which in the figures are designated “ g ” ( green ) and “ y ” ( yellow ). in order to hold the system in the prescribed position and in order to counteract , during the method , any load - induced undesirable rotation of the central drive unit 2 if there is a loss of pressure by one of the hydraulic systems 10 or 12 , corresponding pressure loss brakes (“ pressure off brakes ”, pob ) 14 are arranged which when pressure is applied are opened , and when pressure drops are closed . for the purpose of monitoring the high - lift system for asymmetries between high - lift flaps 16 , which as an example are designed as trailing edge flaps , or between high - lift flaps 18 of two wing halves so - called asymmetry position sensors 20 (“ asymmetry position pick - off units ” appu ) 20 are used , which are located at the end of each of the transmission shaft trains 4 . furthermore , in the outer regions of each of the wing halves in each case a further wing tip brake (“ wing tip brake ”, wtb ) 22 is arranged . the central drive unit 2 is in connection with two control computers ( slat / flap control computer 1 and slat / flap control computer 2 , sfcc 1 , sfcc 2 ) 24 and 26 which monitor deflection of the flaps 16 and 18 by way of the position sensor 8 and the asymmetry sensors 20 , and thereafter control the central drive unit 2 . the control computers 24 and 26 obtain the target value to be set , for example by way of an actuating lever 28 that can be operated by a pilot , which actuating lever 28 is connected to the control computers 24 and 26 . the high - lift system according to the present disclosure , shown in fig2 , differs from the state of the art shown in fig1 in that two separate and mechanically independent drive units 32 that can be operated independently of each other and that are arranged in a region of a wing root 30 are used , with each drive unit 32 by itself supplying mechanical power to a transmission shaft train 34 of a left - hand wing half or of a right - hand wing half , in which wing halves several actuator devices 36 a - 36 d for moving high - lift flaps 16 and 18 are arranged and connected to the respective transmission shaft train 34 . as an example , in fig2 the respective drive unit 32 is arranged in the direction of the wingspan , i . e . from a wing root towards the outside in the extension along the wingspan in front of a first actuator device 36 a so that the respective transmission shaft train 34 extends from the respective drive unit 32 to a wing tip through several actuator devices 36 a - 36 d . as an alternative to this , the drive units 32 could be situated between a first actuator device 36 a and a second actuator device 36 b , as indicated by dashed lines . from the drive unit 32 a shaft piece in the form of a section of a transmission shaft would extend to the first actuator device 36 a . because of the separation into two drive units 32 that are independent of each other the latter can be dimensioned so that they are significantly smaller than an individual central drive unit 2 . both drive units 32 together should have an overall weight that is only slightly above the weight of an individual central drive unit . by being able to do without a number of shaft joints or angular gear arrangements , since it is not necessary to deflect rotation , in a wing root , of a central drive unit by means of several deflections in several spatial directions to corresponding junctions within a wing , the overall weight of both transmission shafts 34 together is significantly reduced when compared to that of a single centrally controlled transmission shaft train . in the final analysis this results in the overall weight of the design of fig2 being lower than that of fig1 . in addition to the weight advantage it should , in particular , be stressed that by individually controlling the two drive units 32 by way of a roll compensation function in the two control computers 24 and 26 or by way of a separate , additional , roll compensation unit 38 , roll compensation can be carried out . this takes place in the form of superimposing distance increments for generating differential rolling moment by means of the high - lift flaps 16 and 18 by way of the individual , specified , actuating distances . in this way , asymmetries due to tolerances in the manufacture of the aircraft can be compensated for , and in the case of engine malfunction this can result in reducing the load on ailerons and rudders , which again provides the primary actuating surfaces of the aircraft with more roll authority for this malfunction state . if there is a generally present reduced roll authority of the actuating surfaces of ailerons and spoilers , due to a malfunction of one or several of these actuating surfaces , by means of roll compensation with the use of the high - lift flaps 16 and 18 controllability of the aircraft can be improved . by comparing the actual positions supplied by the individual position sensors 40 by means of the control computers 24 and 26 , it is possible to detect whether there is any asymmetry between the flaps 16 and 18 of the two wing halves 44 and 46 so that the respective drive unit 32 that moves ahead can be braked in order to counteract defect - induced asymmetries and in so doing counteract roll moment that is to be compensated for by way of ailerons , or to ensure synchronous symmetrical extension . in this process , superimposed distance increments are to be taken into account which are input by the roll compensation unit 38 and which are desirable . as a result of smaller dimensioning of the drive units 32 , doing without all the transmission shaft components plus a wing box to the wing root 30 , the weight of the high - lift system according to the present disclosure is lower than that of a high - lift system from the state of the art . furthermore , as a result of separate control and the integrated option of roll compensation based on the omitted rigid mechanical coupling of the actuator devices of the individual wing halves , additional functions can be carried out which otherwise would have necessitated manual setting , or the like , of the actuator devices . fig3 shows an aircraft 42 with a high - lift system each for articulating leading edge flaps 48 and trailing edge flaps 16 and 18 , with each high - lift system comprising two separate drive units 32 , each driving an independent transmission shaft train on each wing half 44 , 46 . finally , fig4 shows a representation of a method according to the present disclosure that comprises moving high - lift flaps and the characteristic of roll compensation . by transmitting 50 a movement signal from the control computers 24 and 26 to the individual drive units 32 the drive units 32 are driven , which results in rotation of the transmission shafts 34 and thus movement 52 of the high - lift flaps . after a stop signal has been transmitted 54 , stopping 56 of the drive units 34 takes place . parallel to this , in order to ensure the correct position of the high - lift flaps and in order to avoid asymmetry errors or the like , measuring 58 of the current position of the high - lift flaps 16 and 18 of the left - hand wing half 44 and measuring 60 of the current position of the high - lift flaps 16 and 18 of the right - hand wing half 46 takes place . comparing 62 the present positions with target positions provides a result as to whether the transmission shafts 34 have carried out adequate rotation to reach the target positions . when said target position is reached a stop signal is emitted 54 , which results in the drive units 32 stopping . furthermore , because the actual positions of the high - lift flaps 16 and 18 of both wing halves 44 and 46 are available , and by comparing the actual positions of opposite high - lift flaps 16 and 18 , it is easily possible to detect 64 any asymmetry in order to then emit 54 a stop signal . if there is any asymmetry due to tolerances in the manufacture of the aircraft , if asymmetry is desired , or if the primary control surfaces are to be supported , by means of a roll compensation unit 38 a distance increment , i . e . an additional actuating distance , which leads to asymmetry , for particular high - lift flaps of a wing half 44 and 46 is superimposed 66 on the target position so that this does not result in switching a drive unit 32 off as a result of asymmetry . while at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description , it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist . it should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples , and are not intended to limit the scope , applicability , or configuration of the present disclosure in any way . rather , the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment , it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents .	1
in disc brake construction , some discs are made of metal such as brass or steel , these materials giving a disc of high tensile strength and hardness . a disadvantage of these is the weight of the metal and the tendency of the disc to warp at high operating temperatures . metals have relatively low heat capacity and the discs heat up rapidly during extended braking loads . reinforced carbon or graphite is therefore a preferred disc material for some applications , having less weight and considerably greater heat capacity than the metals . for some applications , the desirable properties of both types of material may be combined by using a metallic disc which engages with friction surfaces of carbon or graphite . after a carbonaceous disc brake assembly has been in operation for some time , the braking surfaces become worn and the braking efficiency decreases . attempts made to apply new friction surfaces to the worn discs have usually been unsatisfactory , due to the difficulty of attaining a strong bond between the new material and the old surface . the present invention therefore provides a method whereby the new material is attached as a continuous unit , the material forming a continuous friction structure on the wearing surface of the disc and being firmly bonded thereto . the new friction surface comprises a flexible strip or tape of a wear resistant material such as a refractory or ceramic in fibrous form . materials of this sort may include carbides or nitrides of boron or silicon , silica or alumina , aluminum silicate , or refractory metals such as tungsten , molybdenum and the like . a preferred tape for this purpose is one of carbonaceous material such as carbon or graphite fibers . whatever the material used , the tape must be flexible enough to permit forming against the brake disc surface and must be sufficiently permeable to allow the penetration of resinous material during impregnation . the tape must be of sufficient length to circumvent the periphery of the brake disc at least once , but should preferably be long enough to circumvent the disc periphery as much as 5 to 10 times . since dimensional tolerances are often important in brake disc assembly , it may be necessary to reduce the peripheral diameter of the brake disc sufficiently to compensate for the thickness of the tape which is added . in a similar way , the thickness of the worn surface of the disc may also require reduction to compensate for the added thickness of the tape surface . the tape should be wide enough to cover at least one wearing surface of the disc when the tape is folded over . this is shown in the end view of fig1 where the brake disc 10 , rotating on shaft 11 , has the tape 12 wrapped around its outer periphery at 13 . in this case , the disc has wearing surfaces on both sides and the tape 12 is wide enough to cover both of these surfaces when folded , as shown in end view fig2 to form friction surfaces 14 . while an untreated tape may be used , the method preferably uses a carbonaceous tape which has been treated with an additive such as finely divided ditungsten boride , either before or after wrapping on the disc . other additive materials which can be used with the tape to enhance the oxidation resistance , frictional qualities or other properties include boron , niobium , silicon , tantalum , titanium , tungsten and zirconium ; other borides of tungsten , and borides and niobium , silicon , silicon , tantalum , titanium and zirconium ; carbides of boron , niobium , silicon , tantalum , titanium , tungsten and zirconium ; and nitrides of aluminum , boron , niobium , silicon , tantalum , tungsten and zirconium . the additives are used as finely divided particles preferably having particle sizes of 250 microns or smaller and are held in place on the tape by a temporary binder . binders such as phenolic condensation products , urea condensation products , expoxy resins , dextrose or coal tar pitch may be used ; however a polymer of liquid furfuryl alcohol is preferred . the tape is then wound around the outer periphery of the disc , care being taken that it overlaps the disc equally on both sides , as shown in fig1 . the overlap is then cut , for example at 45 ° radial angle intervals around the periphery and folded over onto the surface of the disc , as shown in the side view in fig3 . a small amount of material may have to be trimmed off at each cut so that the friction surfaces formed do not overlap at the cut lines 16 . the tape is then pressed against the surfaces of the disc and further impregnated with a suitable binder , such as those previously described . the impregnated tape is cured at about 150 ° c and under about 100 psi . pressure to give a friction surface as shown at 14 in fig2 and 3 . if a carbonaceous tape is used , the carbonaceous surface is then further strengthened by baking it in a protective atmosphere of nitrogen , raising the temperature to about 800 ° c . during the baking cycle care must be exercised in raising the temperature of the surface so that the temperature is raised at a rate of about 5 ° c per hour until the article or surface is 450 ° c , then the rate of temperature increase is raised to about 20 ° c per hour until the article is at 800 ° c . at the completion of this baking cycle , the surface is cooled and impregnating and baking cycles may be repeated up to as much as six times , using an impregnant preferably consisting of equal parts of a liquid furfuryl alcohol prepolymer and furfural , catalyzed with about 3 % by weight of maleic anhydride . at the completion of the third baking cycle the temperature of the surface may be raised to about 1650 ° c . the higher baking temperature , by reducing the volatiles remaining in the carbonaceous bond , strengthens the bond and improves the ability of the surface to absorb more resin during subsequent impregnation cycles . while the method of the invention has been described in terms of the application of new friction surfaces to a brake disk rigidly attached to a driving means , it is not restricted to this type of disc but may also be applied to those discs which contain peripheral driving recesses . discs of this type are used in assemblies where the discs must be free to move in an axial direction and the rotary motions of the discs are controlled by the engagement of the peripheral slots . a disc of this type is shown in partial side view in fig4 . here the disc 18 contains driving recesses upon the inner periphery . with this type of disc , the tape is applied to the outer periphery to form the new friction surface 20 . tape cutting , folding and impregnation steps are the same as those described previously . the method of the invention may also be applied to a disc 22 having keyways in its outer periphery , as shown in fig5 . the method is essentially the same , with a carbonaceous tape first being wound on a mandrel which is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the disc opening 24 . the wound cylinder of tape 20 is then inserted in the disc opening , the tape cut at 45 ° c intervals on both sides and then folded over both sides of the disc as previously described to give the friction surface 20 . a partial side view of the completed disc is shown in fig5 . while the discs shown in these drawings have the new friction surfaces applied to both sides , the method is not limited to this application but may also be employed for attaching a new friction surface to only one side of a disc , if desired . the method would then involve the application of a narrower tape to the disc periphery with a tape overlap on one side of the disc only . cutting , folding , pressing and impregnation would be the same as previously described . while the method of the invention is highly successful for resurfacing worn brake discs of carbonaceous material , it may also be employed for new brake discs as well when it is desired to provide a special reinforcement for the frictional wearing surfaces of the discs . although the tape overlaps have been described as being cut at 45 ° radial angle intervals around the disc periphery , additional cuts may be made if desirable to give a better fit of the tape sections to the disc surface . the cuts may also be spaced to allow succeeding tape sections to overlap and cover the cuts made in the lower sections , thus minimizing the possibility of coating failure at the cut lines . since the new friction material is applied as a continuous tape , which is then firmly bonded by additional resin impregnation and baking , the resulting friction surface is a strong one and as such displays a high resistance to the disintegrating effect of the frictional stresses generated during brake operation . by using the method of the invention , a carbonaceous brake disc is provided , the disc having at least one periphery and at least one wearing surface . a flexible tape circumvents the periphery of the disc at least once , the tape overlapping and covering the wearing surface of the carbonaceous disc to form a friction surface thereon . the tape may be long enough to circumvent the disc 5 to 10 times , thus building up a friction surface increasing thickness and durability . the tape is a wear resistant material such as a refractory or ceramic in fibrous form , a preferable tape material being of carbon or graphite fibers . before winding on the disc , the tape may be treated with suitable additives to enhance such properties as oxidation resistance and frictional qualities in the finished brake disc . this type of construction increases the effectiveness of the disc friction surface and permits replacement of this surface when it becomes worn without affecting the structure of the underlying disc .	5
turning to fig1 an embodiment 10 of the present invention comprises a cable 12 , an outer casing 14 , a fluid directing assembly 16 , a cleaning tool 18 ( preferably a brush with axially extending bristles ), a cable - drive means 20 and an air source 22 . the cable 12 is disposed within the outer casing 14 , with a proximal end 24 of the cable 12 extending from a proximal end 26 of the casing 14 and a distal end 28 extending from a distal end 30 of the casing . for most hvac duct applications , the cable 12 is preferably a bi - directionally braided steel cable approximately 1 / 4 &# 34 ; in diameter . the cable should have sufficient length to allow access to all portions of the duct system , taking into account the availability of multiple access points into the duct system . the casing 14 comprises a flexible steel core with a rubber jacket and has an inner diameter that permits approximately 1 / 32 &# 34 ; tolerance on each side of the cable . in general , the spacing between the cable 12 and the inner surface of the casing 14 should be sufficient to allow the cable 12 to spin within the casing 14 , without allowing undue movement of the cable within the casing . the air directing assembly 16 is connected to the distal end 30 of the casing 14 by means of a compression fitting 32 , the details of which are well - known to persons of skill in the art . as discussed below in greater detail , the air - directing assembly 16 allows air from the casing to be injected into the duct in either a forward or rearward direction , through selected nozzles or orifices 34 . the proximal end 24 of the cable 12 is connected to the shaft 36 of the drive means 20 , which can be a direct current motor contained within a housing 38 . alternatively , the drive means 20 can be any suitable turbine , motor or engine capable of spinning the cable 12 within the casing 14 . the proximal end 26 of the casing 14 is connected to the housing 38 by a quick - connect fitting 40 . an air tube 42 , in fluid communication with the interior of the casing 14 , allows air or other fluid to be injected into the proximal end of the casing 14 , in a manner that is well known in the art . air ( or other fluid ) is provided to the tube 42 through a fitting 44 that extends from the housing 38 . compressed air is provided to the fitting 44 through a hose 46 from the air source 22 , usually a standard air compressor . the specifics of the various connections between the motor 20 and the cable 12 , between the casing 14 and the housing 38 , and between the air tube 42 and the casing 14 , are all well known in the art and need not be addressed here in great detail . in an alternative embodiment of the claimed invention , the brush 18 is pneumatically or hydraulically driven , rather than cable driven . in this embodiment , the air or other fluid that is forced through the casing 14 causes the brush to spin , by impacting fins or blades associated with the shaft on which the brush is mounted . in this embodiment , the cable 12 is not necessary . as illustrated in fig1 the fluid - directing assembly 16 generally comprises a hollow housing 48 , having an axial internal passage or bore 50 defined therein by a side wall 52 , usually cylindrical in shape . the housing has a first end 54 and a second end 56 . a plurality of nozzles 34 extend through the wall 52 , extending from the internal passage 50 through the outer surface of the wall 52 , with at least two of the nozzles being directed in different directions . in one embodiment , the plural nozzles include a first plurality of nozzles arranged around a first circumference of the housing , generally directed in a forward direction ( i . e ., towards the brush at the end of the cable ), and a second plurality of nozzles arranged around a second circumference of the housing , generally directed in a rearward direction ( i . e ., away from the brush ). as described below in greater detail , the invention includes means for selectively closing the second plurality of nozzles when the first plurality of nozzles is open , and for closing the first plurality of nozzles when the second plurality of nozzles is open , to direct fluid in a desired direction as it exits the housing through the nozzles . the distal end 30 of the casing is connected to the first end 54 of the housing by a compression fitting 32 , with the interior of the casing 14 in direct fluid communication with the interior passage 50 of the housing 48 through an opening 58 in the end 54 of the housing . the cable 12 extends through the housing 48 , terminating in a cleaning tool adapter 60 that extends through a second opening 62 at the second end 56 of the housing . a brush 18 or other cleaning tool is attached to the adapter 60 , as described more fully below . turning to fig2 the details of a particular embodiment of the fluid directing assembly 28 are shown . in this embodiment , the housing 48 comprises a cylindrical sleeve 64 , having an axial bore 66 therein , in combination with a collar 68 having an axial bore 70 therein . the sleeve 64 has a threaded region on each end of its outer surface . the collar 68 includes a threaded region on the inner surface of its bore , such that the collar 68 can be threaded onto one end of the sleeve 64 , with the respective bores 66 and 70 of the sleeve and collar forming the unitary internal passage 50 , shown in fig1 . the sleeve 64 is made of brass or steel , and includes a faceted radial flange 71 on its outer surface for accepting a wrench , to aid in assembly of the housing . the sleeve has a length of approximately 1 and 1 / 4 inches . when the collar 68 is attached to the sleeve 64 , a lateral face 72 of the flange 71 abuts the adjacent end of the collar , with an o - ring 76 positioned between the lateral face of the flange and the end of the collar to ensure a fluid seal between the sleeve and the collar . the bore 66 of the sleeve 64 includes an inwardly extending ridge 78 , which acts as a stop for the distal end of the casing 14 when the casing is fastened to the sleeve , as described below . the collar 68 is made of nylon or other suitable material . in one embodiment , the outer diameter of the collar is about 11 / 2 inches , and the inner diameter of the bore is preferably about 3 / 4 inches , with a length of approximately 2 and 3 / 8 inches . however , it will be readily appreciated by persons of skill in the art that the outer diameter of the collar ( and of the sleeve ) must be less than the inner diameter of whatever duct or pipe is being cleaned . a first plurality of nozzles 34 - a extend through the collar 68 , extending from the internal passage 50 to the outer surface of the collar , generally directed in a rearward direction , i . e ., towards the proximal end of the casing . a second plurality of orifices 34 - b extend in a similar manner , generally directed in a forward direction , i . e ., towards the brush . each of the plural nozzles has an inner diameter of approximately 1 / 16th inches . in some embodiments , the first plurality and second plurality of orifices are inclined approximately 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the bores . in certain embodiments , the first plurality of nozzles includes eight nozzles , spaced equally about the circumference of the collar , with the axis of each nozzle parallel to the axis of the internal passage 50 of the housing 48 . similarly , the second plurality of nozzles includes eight nozzles , equally spaced around the collar , with the axis of each nozzle parallel to the axis of the internal passage 50 of the housing 48 . each of the first plural nozzles may intersect one of the second plural nozzles . however , the various nozzles do not necessarily intersect one another as they extend through the collar . the distal end of the casing 14 is attached to sleeve 64 by means of a compression fitting 32 , operating in cooperation with a brass insert 82 in a manner that is well - known to persons skilled in the art . the cable 12 extends from the distal end of the casing 14 , into the internal passage 50 , where it terminates in a cleaning tool adapter 60 , which is crimped or otherwise integrated onto the end of the cable . the adapter 60 comprises a first portion 84 , having a first diameter , and a second , wider , portion 86 having an expanded diameter in relation to the first portion . the second , wider portion of the adapter 60 has an axial bore 88 therein , for receiving the shaft 114 of a brush assembly ( shown in fig3 ). when the shaft 114 of the brush 18 is inserted into the bore 88 , a pair of holes 90 on opposite sides of the bore 88 align with a corresponding bore 116 in the shaft of the brush ( shown in fig3 ). a pin ( not shown ) is then inserted through the aligned holes to hold the brush in place . a bronze guide bushing 92 encircles the adapter 60 near the distal end of the collar 68 , to stabilize the adapter 60 within the collar . a spacer ring 94 , with a plurality of radially extending bores 95 therein , encircles the first , narrower , portion of the adapter 60 , between the adjacent end of the sleeve and the second , wider portion of the adapter . the spacer bore prevents the adapter from shifting its axial position within the housing . the spacer ring is preferably nylon or other suitable material , with four equally spaced bores . a hard rubber ring seal 96 is positioned between the brush adapter and the inner surface of the collar at the distal end of the collar , to seal the internal passage at that end of the collar . the ring seal should fit tightly within the inner bore of the collar 68 to hold the seal in place , while providing sufficient clearance with respect to the adapter 60 to allow that adapter to spin within the housing in a normal manner . to control the direction of air leaving the air - directing assembly , the apparatus includes nozzle - closing means for selectively closing the first plurality of nozzles when the second plurality of nozzles is open and for selectively closing the second plurality of nozzles when the first plurality of nozzles is opened . in the particular embodiment shown in fig2 the nozzle closing means is an o - ring 98 positioned about the circumference of the collar , such that the o - ring will selectively cover the outer opening of either the first or second plurality of nozzles . to hold the o - ring 98 in position , the outer surface of the collar 68 defines a first detent groove 100 around the periphery of the collar , intersecting the first plurality of nozzles , and a second detent groove 102 around the periphery of the collar , intersecting the second plurality of nozzles . the first and second detent grooves 100 and 102 are separated by a ridge 104 extending around the circumference of the collar . to change the direction of the airflow leaving the collar , an operator simply rolls the o - ring 98 into the appropriate detent groove 100 or 102 , closing whichever set of nozzles is appropriate . this allows an operator quickly and easily to change the direction of airflow from the collar , without the need for any special tools . to ensure a thorough seal of the nozzles , the o - ring 98 should fit tightly about the collar , with an inner diameter in its relaxed state that is slightly less than the outer diameter of the collar inside the respective detent grooves . while the o - ring structure described above is a suitable nozzle closing means , any of a variety of equivalent means can be used to close the nozzles . for instance , any device or structure associated with the surface of the housing that will selectively seal one set of holes , while leaving others open , can be used . alternatively , individual plugs can be used to plug individual nozzles . in the embodiment shown in fig1 the air flow pattern in the apparatus 10 begins with air ( or other fluid ) being injected into the casing at its proximal end . the air flows through the casing 14 , into the interior passage 50 of the housing 48 . turning to fig2 the air flows through the bore 66 of the sleeve 64 , between the inner surface of the sleeve 64 and the outer surface of the cable 12 , and into the bore 70 of the collar 68 . within the collar , the air flows through the plural holes 95 in the spacer ring 94 , and into the space between the inner surface of the collar and the outer surface of the brush adapter 60 . the air is then injected into the duct through the desired nozzles 34 - a or 34 - b . in operation , the distal end of the apparatus , including the brush and the air directing housing , is inserted into a duct . a vacuum is pulled from one end of the duct , while the brush and cable are spun via the drive means 20 . at the same time , a fluid ( preferably air ) is injected into the duct in the manner describe above . the speed of the brush , or the rotational direction of the brush , can be controlled by means of a control knob or foot pedal associated with the motor , in a manner that is well known to person skilled in the art . turning to fig3 and 4 , in an embodiment of the present duct cleaning system , the brush 18 comprises a first plurality of bristles 106 , and a second plurality of relatively longer , thinner bristles 108 . the shorter , stiffer bristles 106 support the weight of the distal end of the assembly 10 , maintaining the brush 18 centered within the duct . they also provide vigorous , aggressive cleaning of firmly caked materials . the longer , thinner and more flexible bristles 108 are able to reach into the far recesses of square or rectangular ducts , providing thorough cleaning of all surfaces within the duct . as shown in fig3 the bristles are connected to the brush 18 by entertwining them in a twisted pair of steel cables 110 and 112 , one end of which is attached to the end of the shaft 114 of the brush 18 . in one embodiment , the shaft comprises a single length of double stranded cable , which is bent at its mid - point to form a two side - by - side double stranded lengths , which are then twisted about one another in the manner shown in fig4 to hold the bristles 106 and 108 in place between the twisted lengths . in one embodiment , the shorter bristles 106 are radially extending polypropylene bristles that are approximately 7 inches long , with a diameter of approximately 36 / 1000th inches and a bristle density of about 40 bristles per axial inch of brush , and the longer bristles are radially extending polypropylene bristles approximately 13 inches long , with a diameter of approximately 16 / 1000 inches . in another embodiment , the shorter bristles 106 are approximately 11 inches long , with a diameter of approximately 45 / 1000 inches and a bristle density of about 24 bristles per axial inch of brush and the longer bristles are radially extending polypropylene bristles approximately 13 inches long , with a diameter of approximately 16 / 1000 inches . the bristle density of the second plurality of bristles is preferably about 120 bristles per axial inch . the first and second plurality of bristles can be segregated from one another along the axial length of the brush or can be uniformly dispersed among one another . preferably , the brush 18 includes about 3 inches of longer bristles , with about 21 / 2 inches of shorter bristles on each side of the longer bristles . although the present invention has been described by reference to various preferred embodiments , persons of skill in the art will recognize that various modifications may be made to those embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims . by way of example only , while the invention is generally described as a means for cleaning hvac ducts , it is generally applicable for cleaning any type of enclosed space , such as a pipe or other similar structure . in addition , any of a variety of cleaning tools , including drill bits , abrasive tools , grinding tips , steel brushes , buffing tools , flare cone tools , spring arm tools , and the like can be used . moreover , while the invention has been generally described by reference to an air injection system , it may also be used with any other suitable gas or liquid .	5
technical solutions in embodiments of the invention will be described clearly and fully below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the invention , and apparently the described embodiments are merely a part of but not all the embodiments of the invention . all the other embodiments which will occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art based upon the described embodiments of the invention without any inventive effort shall come into the claimed scope of the invention . in the embodiments of the invention , a base station and a user equipment establish a mode to acquire transmission occasions at which an mcch change notification is transmitted over a pdcch ; and the user equipment receives the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station for at least n times at the occasions and further acquires new information carried over an mcch according to the mcch change notification . since the base station transmits the mcch change notification over the pdcch at the same occasions for all the user equipments , the base station can enable all the user equipments to acquire the mcch change notification simply by transmitting the mcch change notification for n times during an mcch modification period without transmitting the mcch change notification at paging occasions of the respective user equipments to thereby improve the efficiency of transmitting the mcch change notification ; furthermore , the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification are acquired in the established acquisition mode , and the paging occasions of the user equipments can be obviated to thereby lower the probability that the mcch change notification is processed in error due to an excessive number of network identifiers over the pdcch . in the embodiments of the invention , the base station may transmit , a notification period in which the mcch change notification is transmitted , a notification allocation offset and specific sub - frame positions at which the notification is transmitted , to the user equipment over the pdcch , and in turn the user equipment may calculate the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification according to the received notification period and notification allocation offset , where the notification period or the notification allocation offset may be transmitted from the base station to the user equipment or calculated according to parameters determined directly in a system or a specification or parameters specified in another system . furthermore , the base station may alternatively pre - establish with the user equipment the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification and subsequently transmit the mcch change notification at the established transmission occasions , and the user equipment may receive the mcch change notification at the established transmission occasions . an embodiment of the invention provides a method for transmitting a multicast control channel change notification , which as illustrated in fig1 includes the following steps . in the step 101 , a base station acquires transmission occasions of the mcch change notification . the base station may pre - establish with a user equipment the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification , and then the base station may simply transmit the mcch change notification directly at the established transmission occasions ; or the base station may firstly notify the user equipment about a notification period of the mcch change notification , a notification allocation offset and specified sub - frame positions of a system frame at which the mcch change notification is transmitted , and the user equipment may acquire the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification according to the foregoing contents notified from the base station , where the sub - frame position may be a parameter issued from the base station to the ue or a parameter specified definitely in the system or may be derived in a system specified calculation method . in the step 102 , the base station transmits the mcch change notification for at least n times to the user equipment at the transmission occasions during an mcch modification period , where n is a predetermined number of times that the mcch change notification is transmitted . an embodiment of the invention provides a method for receiving a multicast control channel change notification , which as illustrated in fig2 includes the following steps . in the step 201 , transmission occasions of the mcch change notification are acquired . a user equipment may pre - establish with a base station the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification , and then the user equipment may simply transmit the mcch change notification directly at the established transmission occasions ; or the user equipment may firstly receive a notification period of the mcch change notification , a notification allocation offset and specified sub - frame positions of a system frame at which the mcch change notification is transmitted , all of which are notified from the base station , and then acquire the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification according to the foregoing contents notified from the base station , where the sub - frame position may be a parameter issued from the base station to the user equipment or a parameter specified definitely in the system or may be derived in a system specified calculation method . in the step 202 , the mcch change notification is received for at least n times at the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification if no mcch change notification is received during an mcch modification period . in the embodiment of the invention , a specific value of n may be predetermined as needed in practice and , for example , may be set in the following way but will not be limited thereto : n = the shortest mcch modification period / a repetition period of the mcch change notification where the repetition period of the mcch change notification is the shortest time interval during an mcch modification period at which the mcch change notification is transmitted repeatedly , and the shortest mcch modification period is the shortest mcch transmission period among a plurality of mbsfn areas covering the base station / cell . the methods for transmitting and receiving a multicast control channel according to the embodiments of the invention will be introduced in details below in connection with the particular embodiments . in the embodiments of the invention , the notification period notified from the base station to the user equipment may be set flexibly as needed in practice , and particularly when it has been specified in the system that the notification period of the mcch change notification is equal to a paging period of the system or an mcch modification period or a period specified in another system or a multiple thereof , then the user equipment and the base station acquire the notification period of the mcch change notification as specified in the system , so this parameter of the notification period of the mcch change notification may not necessarily be notified to the user equipment . the notification allocation offset may be set flexibly as needed in practice , for example , to 0 , 1 , or 2 . when no notification allocation offset is set in the system , the system defaults this parameter to 0 . in this application scenario , the base station may further notify the user equipment about a notification transmission window , which may also be referred to as a notification reception window , including a series of consecutive sub - frames , e . g ., multicast / broadcast over single frequency network ( mbsfn ) sub - frames , and the base station and the user equipment transmit and receive the mcch change notification respectively in the sub - frames in the notification transmission window ; and the base station and the user equipment calculate transmission occasions of the mcch change notification in the notification period in an established acquisition mode and transmit and receive the mcch change notification respectively at the occasions . the size of the notification transmission window is k , where a specific value of k is the number of sub - frames or mbsfn sub - frames in the notification transmission window and ranges from 1 to n . furthermore , the system specified sub - frame position at which the mcch change notification is transmitted may be a parameter issued from the base station to the ue , or a parameter specified definitely in the system and understandable consistently to the base station and the user equipment according to the specification of the system , or may be derived in a system specified calculation method . the mode to acquire the transmission occasions of the notification in the embodiment of the invention will vary with a relationship between the magnitudes of the notification period and a system frame number ( sfn ) cycle of the user equipment . particularly the sfn ranges from 0 to 1023 representing 10 to 10240 ms , that is , the maximum system frame number ( max sfn ) is 10 . 24 seconds , i . e ., the length of the sfn cycle , and the notification period may be greater or less than the sfn cycle or the notification period may be equal to the sfn cycle . scenarios of the notification period being less than or equal to the max sfn , i . e ., the sfn cycle , will firstly be introduced below . in these scenarios , a user equipment may acquire an mcch change notification in two modes , and an introduction will firstly be made below of a first mode which particularly as illustrated in fig3 and fig4 includes the following steps . in the step 301 , a base station notifies a user equipment about a notification period in which an mcch change notification is transmitted over a pdcch , a notification allocation offset and a notification transmission window and establishes with the user equipment a mode to acquire transmission occasions of the mcch change notification . particularly the notification period is less than or equal to the max sfn , and the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification are acquired in the following mode : where the sfn is a current system frame number , the notificationperiod is the notification period , and the notificationallocationoffset is the notification allocation offset defaulted to 0 . a sub - frame position specified with respect to the sfn satisfying the equation above is a transmission occasion of the mcch change notification . in the step 302 , the base station calculates the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification , transmits the mcch change notification to the user equipment over the pdcch at the occasions and transmits repeatedly the mcch change notification to the user equipment in the sub - frames in the notification window starting from the occasions . specifically the base station calculates as in the equation ( 1 ) above , derives an occasion satisfying the equation ( 1 ) and the corresponding sfn , transmits the mcch change notification over the pdcch at the occasion and transmits repeatedly the mcch change notification to the user equipment in the sub - frames in the notification transmission window . during an mcch modification period , the base station transmits the mcch change notification for at least n times to the user equipment in the notification transmission window according to the calculated transmission occasions at which the mcch change notification is transmitted . the transmission occasion is a specified sub - frame position of the system frame , and a specific value of the size k of the notification transmission window is the number of sub - frames or mbsfn sub - frames in the notification transmission window and ranges from 1 to n . in the step 303 , the user equipment calculates as in the equation ( 1 ) the occasions at which the base station transmits the mcch change notification , monitors the pdcch and the sub - frames in the notification transmission window from the occasions and acquires the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station . particularly the user equipment will not monitor any more other sub - frame in the notification transmission window once receiving the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station correctly . a user equipment acquires an mcch change notification in a second mode in a process as illustrated in fig5 and fig6 including the following steps . in the step 501 , a base station notifies a user equipment about a notification period in which an mcch change notification is transmitted over a pdcch and a notification allocation offset and establishes with the user equipment a mode to acquire transmission occasions of the mcch change notification . particularly the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification are acquired in the same mode as in the step 201 : where the sfn is a current system frame number , the notificationperiod is the notification period , and the notificationallocationoffset is the notification allocation offset defaulted to 0 . in the step 502 , the base station calculates the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification and transmits the mcch change notification to the user equipment at the transmission occasions of the notification before an mcch modification boundary in the notification period . particularly the next mcch modification boundary refers to the boundary between the current mcch modification period and the next mcch modification period . the base station transmits the mcch change notification once to the user equipment in each notification period . during an mcch modification period , the base station transmits the mcch change notification for at least n times to the user equipment at the calculated transmission occasions at which the mcch change notification is transmitted , and a specific value of n is less than or equal to the number of transmission occasions of the notification before the next mcch modification boundary . in the step 503 , the user equipment calculates as in the equation ( 1 ) the occasions at which the base station transmits the mcch change notification , monitors the pdcch at the occasions and acquires the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station . when the notification period is less than the max sfn , the base station may transmit the mcch change notification to the user equipment at a plurality of transmission occasions of the mcch change notification before the next mcch modification boundary . in this application scenario , the user equipment will not receive any more other mcch change notification transmitted before the next mcch modification boundary from the base station once receiving the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station correctly . scenarios of a notification period being greater than the max sfn , i . e ., the sfn cycle , will be introduced below , and in these scenarios , a base station transmits a counter n or a counter m to a user equipment over an mcch to assist the user equipment in locating correctly transmission occasions of an mcch change notification , and the parameter n and the parameter m correspond to two modes in which the user equipment acquires the mcch change notification , each of which will be introduced below . in a first mode , a user equipment acquires an mcch change notification in a process as illustrated in fig7 and fig8 , where n is a scaling factor of a current sfn , which is a positive integer greater than or equal to 0 taking the following value : where n max =┌ notificationperiod / maxsfn ┐, referred to as the scaling factor of the maximum sfn , represents notification mod maxsfn . particularly the user equipment acquires the mcch change notification in a process including the following steps . in the step 701 , a base station notifies the user equipment about a notification period in which the mcch change notification is transmitted over a pdcch , a notification allocation offset and a notification transmission window and establishes with the user equipment a mode to acquire transmission occasions of the mcch change notification . the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification are acquired in the following mode : as can be apparent from the introduction above , n is the scaling factor of the current sfn and incremented by 1 as each sfn cycle elapses , the notificationperiod is the notification period , and the notificationallocationoffset is the notification allocation offset . in the step 702 , the base station calculates the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification by determining the times of system frames in sfn cycles with the sfn scaling factor n satisfying the equation ( 2 ) as the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification and transmits the mcch change notification to the user equipment over the pdcch and in sub - frames in the notification window at each of the transmission occasions . during an mcch modification period , the base station transmits the mcch change notification for at least n times to the user equipment at the calculated transmission occasions at which the mcch change notification is transmitted . the transmission occasion is a specified sub - frame position of a system frame , and a specific value of the size k of the notification transmission window is the number of sub - frames or mbsfn sub - frames in the notification transmission window and ranges from 1 to n . particularly the base station calculates as in the equation ( 2 ) a plurality of occasions satisfying the equation ( 2 ), transmits the mcch change notification to the user equipment over the pdcch at each of the occasions satisfying the equation ( 2 ) and transmits repeatedly the mcch change notification in each of the sub - frames or mbsfn sub - frames in the notification transmission window from the occasions . in the step 703 , the user equipment calculates as in the equation ( 2 ) the occasions at which the base station transmits the mcch change notification , monitors the pdcch and the sub - frames in the notification transmission window at the occasions and acquires the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station . after acquiring the occasions at which the base station transmits the mcch change notification , the user equipment will update the value automatically as each sfn cycle elapses and monitor the transmitted notification at the occasion satisfying the equation ( 2 ). the user equipment will not monitor any more other sub - frame in the notification transmission window once receiving the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station correctly as in the step 203 . in a second mode , m is an mcch repetition period counter ( mcchrpcount ), and as illustrated in fig9 and fig1 , m is transmitted over the mcch in each mcch repetition period and is incremented by 1 upon each transmission thereof during an mcch modification period . the user equipment acquires the mcch change notification in a process , as illustrated in fig9 , including the following steps . in the step 901 , a base station notifies the user equipment about a notification period in which the mcch change notification is transmitted over a pdcch and a notification allocation offset and establishes with the user equipment a mode to acquire transmission occasions of the mcch change notification . the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification are acquired in the following mode : in the step 902 , the base station calculates the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification by determining the times of system frames in the m th mcch repetition periods satisfying the equation ( 3 ) as the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification and transmits the mcch change notification to the user equipment over the pdcch and in sub - frames in a notification window at each of the transmission occasions . during an mcch modification period , the base station transmits the mcch change notification for at least n times to the user equipment at the calculated transmission occasions at which the mcch change notification is transmitted . a specific value of n is less than or equal to the number of transmission occasions of the notification before the next mcch modification boundary . in the step 903 , the user equipment calculates as in the equation ( 3 ) the occasions at which the base station transmits the mcch change notification , monitors the pdcch at the occasions , acquires the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station and will not monitor the pdcch any longer once receiving the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station correctly . with the method according to the embodiments of the invention , the base station and the user equipment acquire the same transmission occasions of the mcch change notification , the base station transmits the mcch change notification for at least n times to the user equipment at the occasions during an mcch modification period , and the user equipment receives the mcch change notification for at least n times at the occasions if no mcch change notification is received during an mcch modification period , thereby improving the efficiency of transmitting and receiving the mcch change notification and lowering the probability that the user equipment fails to receive correctly the notification due to a poor channel condition or another reason ; furthermore , the occasions can obviate paging occasions of the user equipments to thereby lower the probability that the mcch change notification is processed in error due to an excessive number of network identifiers over the pdcch . an embodiment of the invention provides a device for transmitting a multicast control channel ( mcch ) change notification which as illustrated in fig1 includes : an occasion acquisition unit 11 configured to acquire transmission occasions of an mcch change notification ; and a notification transmission unit 12 configured to transmit the mcch change notification for at least n times to a user equipment at the transmission occasions acquired by the occasion acquisition unit during an mcch modification period , where n is a predetermined number of times that the mcch change notification is transmitted . the occasion acquisition unit 11 is configured to acquire a notification period and a notification allocation offset of the mcch change notification ; and acquire the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification according to a system frame number ( sfn ) and the acquired notification period and notification allocation offset . when the notification period is less than or equal to the maxsfn , the occasion acquisition unit 11 performs a modulo operation on the sfn and the notification period and acquires specified sub - frame positions of the system frame as the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification when the result of the operation is equal to the notification allocation offset ; and when the notification period is greater than the maxsfn , the occasion acquisition unit 11 performs a modulo operation on the sfn and the notification period and acquires specified sub - frame positions of the system frames in sfn cycles with an sfn scaling factor n satisfying the equation of ( n * maxsfn + sfn ) mod notificationperiod = notificationaollcationoffset as the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification . the notification transmission unit 12 is configured to acquire one or more predetermined notification transmission windows and transmit the mcch change notification for at least n times in sub - frames or multicast / broadcast over single frequency network ( mbsfn ) sub - frames in the notification transmission window or windows from the specified sub - frame positions of the system frame , where a specific value of the size k of the notification transmission window is the number of sub - frames or mbsfn sub - frames in the notification transmission window and ranges from 1 to n . the occasion acquisition unit 11 is further configured to perform a modulo operation on an mcch repetition period and the notification period and acquire the starting time of the m th period satisfying the equation of ( m * mcchrepetitionperiod ) mod notificationperiod = notificationallocationoffset as the transmission occasion of the mcch change notification , where m is a counter of mcch repetition periods . the notification transmission unit 12 is further configured to transmit the mcch change notification over the pdcch at least at n transmission occasions of the mcch change notification before the next mcch modification boundary , where a specific value of n is less than or equal to the number of transmission occasions of the mcch change notification before the next mcch modification boundary . the value of n may be set in the following way but will not be limited thereto : n = the shortest mcch modification period / the repetition period of the mcch change notification where the repetition period of the mcch change notification is the shortest time interval during an mcch modification period at which the mcch change notification is transmitted repeatedly , and the shortest mcch modification period is the shortest mcch transmission period among a plurality of mbsfn areas covering the base station / cell . an embodiment of the invention provides a user equipment as illustrated in fig1 including : an occasion acquisition unit 21 configured to acquire transmission occasions of an mcch change notification ; and a notification reception unit 22 configured to receive the mcch change notification for at least n times at the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification if no mcch change notification is received during an mcch modification period , where n is a predetermined number of times that the mcch change notification should be received . the occasion acquisition unit 21 is configured to acquire a notification period and a notification allocation offset of the mcch change notification ; and acquire the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification according to a system frame number ( sfn ) and the acquired notification period and notification allocation offset . when the notification period is less than or equal to the maxsfn , the occasion acquisition unit 21 performs a modulo operation on the sfn and the notification period and acquires specified sub - frame positions of the system frame as the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification when the result of the operation is equal to the notification allocation offset ; and when the notification period is greater than the maxsfn , the occasion acquisition unit 21 performs a modulo operation on the sfn and the notification period and acquires specified sub - frame positions of the system frames in sfn cycles with an sfn scaling factor n satisfying the equation of ( n * maxsfn + sfn ) mod notificationperiod = notificationaollcationoffset as the transmission occasions of the mcch change notification . the notification reception unit 22 is configured to acquire at least one predetermined notification transmission window , monitor sub - frames or multicast / broadcast over single frequency network ( mbsfn ) sub - frames in the notification transmission window from the specified sub - frame positions of the system frame and acquire the mcch change notification transmitted from the base station ; and to receive the mcch change notification for at least n times in the notification transmission window if no mcch change notification is received during an mcch modification period , where a specific value of the size k of the notification transmission window is the number of sub - frames or mbsfn sub - frames in the notification transmission window and ranges from 1 to n . the notification reception unit 22 is further configured to stop monitoring a pdcch for a specific rnti or m - rnti in the sub - frames or the mbsfn sub - frames in the notification transmission window once receiving the mcch change notification correctly . the occasion acquisition unit 21 is configured to perform a modulo operation on an mcch repetition period and the notification period and acquire the starting time of the m th repetition period satisfying the equation of ( m * mcchrepetitionperiod ) mod notificationperiod = notificationallocationoffset as the transmission occasion of the mcch change notification , where m is a counter of mcch repetition periods . the notification reception unit 22 is further configured to monitor the pdcch at least at n transmission occasions of the mcch change notification before the next mcch modification boundary and attempt to receive the mcch change notification . the notification reception unit 22 is further configured to stop monitoring the pdcch for a specific rnti or m - rnti at the other transmission occasions of the notification before the next mcch modification boundary once receiving the mcch change notification correctly . the value of n may be set in the following way but will not be limited thereto : n = the shortest mcch modification period / the repetition period of the mcch change notification where the repetition period of the mcch change notification is the shortest time interval during an mcch modification period at which the mcch change notification is received repeatedly , and the shortest mcch modification period is the shortest mcch transmission period among a plurality of mbsfn areas covering the base station / cell . with the device and the user equipment according to the embodiments of the invention , the base station and the user equipment acquire the same transmission occasions of the mcch change notification , the base station transmits the mcch change notification for at least n times to the user equipment at the occasions during an mcch modification period , and the user equipment receives the mcch change notification for at least n times at the occasions if no mcch change notification is received during an mcch modification period , thereby improving the efficiency of transmitting and receiving the mcch change notification and lowering the probability that the user equipment fails to receive correctly the notification due to a poor channel condition or another reason ; furthermore , the occasions can obviate paging occasions of the user equipments to thereby lower the probability that the mcch change notification is processed in error due to an excessive number of network identifiers over the pdcch . from the foregoing description of the embodiments , those skilled in the art can understand clearly that the invention can be practiced in software plus a necessary general hardware platform and of course alternatively in hardware but the former implementation will be preferred in numerous scenarios . based upon such understanding , the technical solution of the invention essentially or the part thereof contributing to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device ( e . g ., a personal computer , a server , or a network device ) to perform the method according to the embodiments of the invention . those skilled in the art can appreciate that the drawings are merely schematic diagrams of preferred embodiments and the modules or the flows in the drawings may not necessarily be required to practice the invention . those skilled in the art can appreciate the modules in the device according to the embodiments can be distributed in the device of the embodiments as described in the embodiments or located in one or more other devices than the embodiments while being adapted correspondingly . the modules in the foregoing embodiments can be integrated into a module or further split into a plurality of sub - modules . the serial numbers of the foregoing embodiments of the invention are merely for the sake of the description but will not indicate any precedence of one embodiment over the other . the foregoing disclosure merely relates to several embodiments of the invention , but the invention will not be limited thereto , and any modifications which will occur to those skilled in the art shall come into the claimed scope of the invention .	7
referring to fig1 and 2 , an insole or midsole device 1 is shown . device 1 has a dorsal surface contacting the underside of a foot . a proprioceptive catalyst 4 is located in the midsection of device 1 , substantially aligned with the apex of the foot &# 39 ; s arch system . the apex of the arch system is shown at the target area “ a ” shown in fig1 and 2 , and is defined as the intersection of the navicular 5 , lateral cuneiform 6 , and the cuboid 7 bones , or slightly medial thereof . as will be understood by those of skill in the art , a wearer &# 39 ; s foot comprises the bones of the foot , interconnected by ligaments . a layer of muscle is attached to the bones by tendons , and covered by a thick layer of fat tissue which is finally covered by a layer of skin . the proprioceptive catalyst 4 has an area and perimeter 9 defined by an anterior arc , a posterior arc , a medial arc , and a lateral arc . preferably , the anterior are has its maximum point lateral to the 2 nd metatarsal and medial to the 3 rd metatarsal , and does not extend in an anterior direction more that 70 % of the total foot length , nor less than 60 %; the posterior arc has its maximum point medial to the literal tubercle of the calcancus and lateral to the medial tubercle , and does not extent in a posterior direction at any point less that 15 % of the foot &# 39 ; s total length or greater that 25 % of the foot &# 39 ; s total length ; the medial and lateral arcs do not exceed the medial and lateral boundaries created by the foot itself ; and the proprioceptive catalyst 4 is entirely within the periphery set by the metatarsal heads , calcaneus , and lateral and medial borders of the foot . proprioceptive catalyst 4 is an asymmetric dome with its apex aligned with target area “ a ”, as described above , when viewed from where a sagittal plane . the height the catalyst 4 at the apex should ensure that , when a user is at rest , target area “ a ” is at a height between 5 . 28 % and 7 . 6 % of the foot &# 39 ; s total length . the present inventor has found that this corresponds to an actual catalyst height of in the range of 1 % to 5 % of the foot &# 39 ; s length , with an ideal ration of approximately 3 . 6 % of a wearer &# 39 ; s foot length . preferably , catalyst 4 should be manufactured in such a fashion , and of such a material , that it displays certain preferred compression and rebound characteristics . for example , when the catalyst is subjected to the vertical forces of a person standing at rest , the catalyst will display a deflection between 40 % and 100 % of its maximum height . a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig3 and 7 . referring to fig3 and 4 , the device 1 interfaces with an undercarriage 11 from a sagittal plane view through section a - a ′. undercarriage 11 has a heel region 3 and midfoot region 10 . the midfoot region 10 defines a catalyst 4 supported by a resilient member in the form of a doomed cantilever spring device 12 . cantilever legs 13 flex and compress into voids 14 , thereby allowing compression of the the legs 13 without the legs 13 interfering with each other during compression . the apex 8 of the catalyst , in the form of a cantilever spring device 12 provides a positioning aperture 17 aligned with a positioning pion 18 in the device 1 . positioning apertures 15 are also aligned with positioning pins 16 of the device 1 to ensure the proper placement and maintenance of placement of the catalyst 4 and its apex 8 . vertical side walls 23 of the positioning pins 16 and the positioning apertures 15 act to prevent anterior / posterior and medial / lateral shifting of the inserted mechanism as provided in fig3 , 5 and 6 . the apertures 15 and corresponding placement pins 16 can be located at any location on the device 1 and the undercarriage 11 as seen fit by design and functionality . differences in body weight , activity and foot type can be compensated for by the selection of materials for fabrication of the undercarriage 11 and the cantilever spring device 12 , or the thickness of the undercarriage 11 and the cantilever spring device 12 . the undercarriage 11 and the cantilever spring device 12 can be formed through injection moulding or vacuum forming and stamping . polymers such as delrin , hytrel and zytel from e . i . dupont , pvc , pebax or layered fabric and resin combinations such as fiberglass or graphite can provide the desired physical and material properties . an advantage of device 1 is the high flex fatigue characteristics of the materials of choice . this will enable the device 1 , and in particular the catalyst 4 , to be used for much longer periods of time than that disclosed in other shoe insole or midsole units that utilize proprioceptive feedback mechanisms in the human body to increase the structural integrity of the human foot . the desire regulation of the vertical maximum distance from the supporting surface of the device 1 to the apex 8 of the catalyst 4 occurs as forces are applied vertically to the cantilever mechanism at is apex 8 . fig5 illustrates an alternative design to the cantilever spring device 12 where the legs 13 of the cantilever spring device 12 deflect and move away from the centre region . a rear finger 20 on the spring device 12 in fig5 can be molded as an integral part of the undercarriage 11 or permanently affixed to an undercarriage 11 . each leg 13 of the cantilever spring device 12 has a foot 19 that permits it to smoothly elongate without becoming obstructed by friction between the lower surface of the foot 19 and the layer of the inside of the shoe with which ii is in contact . this embodiment as illustrate in fig5 also incorporates positioning pins 18 and 16 , and positioning apertures 15 and 17 and their inherent vertical sidewalls 23 to ensure the proper placement of the catalyst 4 and its apex 8 which maintains the catalyst in its position . fig6 shows a further configuration for the resilient member supporting catalyst 4 of the present invention . it involves the incorporation of a coiled spring device 21 to be aligned to the target area of the apex 8 of the foot &# 39 ; s arch system as defined and to be affixed to or designed as an integral part of the undercarriage 11 . this is illustrated in fig6 where a perspective view of the coied spring device 21 is shown . again the incorporation of positioning pins 16 and the positioning apertures 15 and the vertical sidewalls 23 created therein prevent any medial / lateral and anterior / posterior shifting of the mechanism and ensure its proper placement . it is believed that the specific characteristics that are desired the cantilever spring mechanisms of the present invention can be attained in at least two different ways . the first of these is to use the design , particularly the design characteristics of the legs 13 as a constant , and adopt different grades of the aforementioned polymers , or similar . the calculation of the vertical force being applied and the use of trigonometry will allow the simple calculation of the force vector representing that going down the legs 13 , and this can be used to determine the desired polymer , or grade of polymer , based on its flex modulus : f =( kx ); where f is the force being applied vertically at the apex 8 , k is the spring constant which can be provided through the flex modulus , and x is the distance that the spring changes in length , in this case the difference between the resting height “ h + x ” and the height “ h ” when the cantilever is compressed through the application of a vertical force applied at the target area . the second method of attaining the desired rebound and compression characteristics would be to hold the polymer of choice as a constant and alter the thickness of the legs 13 as shown in fig3 and 5 . the use of the flex modulus information , relative to material thickness , will be able to provide the necessary information as to determine the ideal material thickness . the benefit of this , is its ability to provide a variable deflection rate . that is the cantilever mechanism 12 can be designed to react equally efficiently when subjected to varying forces through varying thickness of the legs 13 . an example of which is the integration of thicker legs 13 if the application is such that it provides an activity or an environmental stress characteristic of greater vertical loading , such as the activity of basketball compared to walking , or 150 kg athlete compared to a 80 kg athlete , both having the same shoe size . the benefits of the improved rehabilitative catalyst of the present invention are generally threefold . first , the position pins 16 and the positioning apertures 15 and their complimentary vertical sidewalls 23 ensure the proper placement of the catalyst 4 and the maintenance of the placement . second , by properly integrating a resilient member with the polymers and materials of choice as discussed , the catalyst is capable of showing extremely high durability characteristics . third , the resilient member can be designed to obtain the desired compression and spring characteristics required for a particular application . the maintenance of these properties is benefical because : i ) the rebound characterisitics ensure that the catalyst 4 will return to its original apex height 8 , thereby ensuring contact with the apex of the foot &# 39 ; s arch system . this contact provides a catalyst to stimulate the proprioceptive mechanism necessary for the proper restructuring of the foot &# 39 ; s arch systems &# 39 ; musculosketal characteristics . ii ) the compression characteristics allow the human foot &# 39 ; s arch system to deflect in a natural manner and thereby the human arch system an act as a natural cushioning mechanism . this also prevents any bracing effects from occurring . iii ) the compression characteristics allow the human foot arch system to deflect in a natural manner thereby allowing eccentric contractions of the foot &# 39 ; s plantar musculature to occur . this regulates the velocity of arch deflection as well as allows the series and parallel spring characteristics of the muscle to store energy and contribute that stored energy to effective propulsion . in another aspect of the invention it is desirable to redesign the geometric nature of the plantar aspect of the device 1 in the region of the catalyst 4 to facilitate the easy removal and insertion of an appropriately shaped resilent member 26 , as per a few of the options presented in fig1 , 13 , 16 , and 17 , to provide the necessary rebound , compression and deflection traits necessitated by the wearer and to provide vertical walls 25 and 31 thereby ensuring proper positioning of the resilient member 26 and catalyst and to ensure the proper maintenance of the desired position . the insertable resilient member 26 allows for customization of the catalyst in the same manner as discussed with reference to the legs 13 of the spring device . the resilient member 26 can be provided in a variety of foam type materials of a variety of heights , hardnessess and compression sets to address body weight requirements , foot type characteristics , or activity of usage . previous inventions have featured a catalyst having a receptacle in the form of a cavity having no vertical walls to ensure proper positioning of the filler object or insert 26 or mechanism and to ensure the proper maintenance of the desired position . the removal and insertion of resilient members into the aforementioned curvilinear cavity has revealed two shortcomings , the first of these was that when a lower strength adhesive system was used that facilitated the ease of removal and insertion of the resilient member the resilient member was predisposed to shift out of position when subjected to the medial / lateral shearing forces that are characteristic of normal gait . this shifting prevented the resilient member from being maintained in the desired position as outlined . the second shortcoming was evident when an adhesive system of adequate strength was used to ensure the positional maintenance of the resilient member . the adhesives used proved to display tensile strength properties far in excess of the surrounding devide 1 material and the resilient member . attempts to dislodge the resilient member for the purpose of inserting a newer resilient member as necessitated by the foot re - structuring initiated by the invention , proved to cause substantial damage to the device 1 material to the extent rendering the device 1 unusable . fig8 through 19 reveal options that are available with respect to the redesign of a system that ensures the proper placement of the resislient member 26 , the maintenance of that placement and the easy removal and insertion of the resilient member 26 . fig8 thorugh 10 reveal an device 1 , with a forefoot region 2 , a heel region 3 and with an catalyst 4 with a distinct apex 8 , the target area aligned with the anatomical region encompassing the intersection of the navicular 5 , lateral cuneiform 6 , and the cuboid 7 bones . the plantar surface of the device 1 in the region set forth by the boundaries of the caralyst 4 is charcterized by a geometric cavity 24 . the cavity displays vertical walls 25 for resisting medial - lateral shifting of the resilient member 26 and vertical walls 31 for resisting anterior - posterior shifting of the rsilient member 26 . the preferred embodiment as detailed in fig8 through 10 reveal a geometric cavity 24 of a rectangular nature and a resilient member 26 of a corresponding rectangular nature with vertical side walls 27 designed to engage with the vertical sidewalls 25 and 31 of the cavity 24 . fig1 through 13 show a device 1 , with a forefoot region 2 , a heel region 3 and with a catalyst 4 with an apex 8 , the apex aligned witha target area in the foot defined by the anatomical region encompassing the intersection of the navicular 5 , lateral cuneiform 6 , and the cuboid 7 bones . the plantar surface of the deive 1 in the region set forth by the boundaries of the catalyst 4 is characterized by a geometric cavity 24 . the cavity displays vertical walls 25 for engaging with vertical sidewalls 27 of the resilient member 26 for resisting medial - lateral shifting of the filler resilient member 26 and vertical walls 31 for engaging with the vertical sidewalls 27 of the resilient member 26 for resisting anterior - posterior shifting of the resilient member 26 . the preferred embodiment as detailed in fig1 through 13 reveals a geometric cavity 24 of a pyramidal stacked rectangular nature and a resilient member 26 of a corresponding pyramidal stacked rectangular nature . in reference to this configuration it is possible to have the rectangular layers 30 each as an insatiable filler object or insert layer and therefore each of a different material and / or differing material properties . in this manner the variable rate deflection concept outlined earlier can be attained while maintaining and ensuring the proper positioning of the catalyst 4 , apex 8 and the resilient member 26 . this variable deflection benefit an also be achieved through the method as provided in fig8 through 10 by allowing the resilient member 26 to be constructed through the application of stacked layers where each layer is capable of displaying individual deflection , compression and reboudn characteristics . fig1 through 16 display a geometric configuration consistent with fig8 through 10 with the exception of the anterior and posterior most ends of the resilient member 26 , and the anterior and posterior walls of the geometric cavity 24 , are curvilinear in nature . the geometric cavity 24 can also be designed to facilitate the insertion of an appropriately matching shaped resilient member other than of foam type material providing the desired rebound , deflection and rebound characteristics . the resilient member can take the form of a compressive mechanical system such as coil spring devices , bi - value spring devices , cantilever spring devices , or fluid filled structures , including gas filled structures . the resilient member is designed to fill the geometric cavity such that the vertical sidewalls 25 and 31 of the geometric cavity 24 engage the resilient member and ensure the proper permanent placement of the resilient member . the compressive nature of the resilient member can be linear in nature or can provide a vaiable rate of deflection . fig1 through 19 illustrate a mechanism allowing a resilient member 26 of similar shape and design as the curvilinear geometric cavity 24 to be inserted into the curvilinear geometric cavity 24 without risk of the resilient member 26 deviating from its desired position . in this aspect of the disclosure apertures 29 are present in the catalyst 4 area of the device 1 which are aligned to receive positiongin and security ribs 28 designed as an integral characteristic of the resilient member 26 . the positioning and security ribs 28 have vertical sidewalls 27 which engage with the vertical sidewalls 25 an 31 of the insole or midsole to prevent any medial - lateral shifting or posterior - anterior shifting of the position of the resilient member 26 . fig2 reveals a preferred method of ensuring the presence of vertical sidewalls 31 and 25 in the geometric cavity 24 necessary to secure the resilient member 26 and providing an intrinsic cantilever effect . vertical sidewalls 31 and 25 extend vertically downwardly from a maximum height , a predetermined distance , such that the distance is less than the maximum vertical distance from the inside maximum height of the geometric cavity 24 and the plantar supporting surface of the insole 1 . the lower portion of the geometric cavity 24 is characterized by sidewalls 36 that are tapered . this design further utilizes the material properties of the insole body to provide a futher cantilevler effect as well as allowing a pumping action upon compression capable of circulating air throughout the in - shoe environment . in another aspect of the invention , device 1 as described , has a heel region 3 comprised of a tapered skive 32 , as shown in fig2 , wherein the maximum skive thickness corresponds with the sagittal plane midline of the calaneus and tapers by means of a sagittal angle to a level equal to the maximum thickness of the device 1 at the posterior most part of the device 1 . in this the tapered 32 serves to reduce the velocity of the foot once it is planted on the ground at heal strike in normal heel to toe ambulation . this functions as a precaution by allowing the foot to be slowly lowered unto the catalyst 4 . in doing so , any risk of impact related injury to the foots arch system is reduced as well as increasing the intial comfort of the device 1 by allowing the pressure application to be more gradual . the tapered skive provided for in other inventions are sufficiently able to perform effectively during an uni - directional ambulation but was designed such that it was not very effective in reducing the impact velocity when the foot was planted medially or laterally as in multi - directional sports . the purpose of slowly lowering the foot onto the catalyst 4 is still maintained during uni - directional ambulation through the sagittal plane taper created by the slope existing from the anterior most edge 33 and the posterior most edge of the device 1 , and this effect can now also be provided for when the insole or midsole device 1 is used in multi - directional sports by the design addition of the medial skive 34 and the lateral skive 35 . again this serves to function as a precaution by allowing the foot to be slowly lowered unto the catalyst 4 . in doing so , any risk of impact related injury to the foot &# 39 ; s arch system is reduced , as well as increasing the initial comfort of the insole or midsole 1 by allowing the pressure application to be more gradual . a non - symmetric altering of the medial and lateral skive 34 and 35 such that their angulations are different can be desirable for the design and creation of sport specific insole or midsoles . it is understood that the above embodiments are illustrative of the invention and can be varied or amended with departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	0
the following detailed description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention . for purposes of explanation , specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required to practice the invention . descriptions of specific applications are provided only as representative examples . various modifications to the preferred embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art , and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the scope of the invention . the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown , but is to be accorded the widest possible scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein . fig1 a is a schematic cross sectional view of a wind turbine 100 , according to one embodiment . the wind turbine 100 , as shown , is a vertical axis wind turbine . therefore , a core axis 102 of the wind turbine 100 is substantially in a vertical plane relative to the earth . the wind turbine 100 may have a turbine rotor 104 and a turbine support 106 within and concentric to the turbine rotor 104 . the turbine rotor 104 rotates around the core axis 102 of the turbine support 106 in response to wind engaging one or more blades 108 , shown schematically . the kinetic energy from the wind is captured by the blades 108 thereby rotating the turbine rotor 104 . the turbine core support 106 may remain stationary as the turbine rotor 104 rotates around the axis 102 . in order to reduce the effects of friction between the rotating turbine rotor 104 and the turbine support 106 , one or more sets of magnets 110 are used to reduce the weight force of the turbine rotor 104 acting on the turbine support 106 . a generator 112 may be located proximate the wind turbine 100 in order to convert the mechanical energy of the rotating turbine rotor 104 into electric power . the turbine rotor 104 , as shown in fig1 a , comprises a central axis 113 that is substantially centered around the axis 102 . the turbine rotor 104 , may include a top 114 and a bottom 116 extending out from the central axis 113 . as shown , the central axis 113 supports the top 114 and the bottom 116 . the top 114 and / or the bottom 116 , as shown , extends radially away from the central axis 113 . in fig1 b a top view of the wind turbine 100 is shown . the top view shows the top 114 extending a first radius r 1 away from the axis 102 . the bottom 116 may extend the same distance as the top 114 from the axis 102 ; however , it should be appreciated that the distance the top 114 and bottom 116 extend from the axis 102 may vary depending on design conditions . the top 114 , as shown in fig1 a and 1b , extends over the top of a support shaft 118 of the turbine support 106 ; however , it should be appreciated that other suitable configurations for the top 114 may be used . the turbine rotor 104 may have alternative designs to the one shown in fig1 . for example , the turbine rotor 104 may not cover the top of the support shaft 118 , as shown in fig2 . further , the turbine rotor 104 may simply include the top 114 and the bottom 116 and be held together by the blades 108 . further still , the top 114 and / or the bottom 116 may not be shaped in a circular pattern , but instead may extend as supports over each of the blades 108 in an effort to save money on materials and reduce the weight of the turbine rotor 104 . the turbine rotor 104 may have any suitable design capable of supporting the blades 108 and rotating around the axis 102 . the bottom 116 of the turbine rotor 104 may include one or more of the magnets 110 . the one or more magnets 110 located in the bottom 116 of the turbine rotor 104 provide an opposing force against one or more magnets 110 located on the turbine support 106 . the opposing force created by the one or more magnets 110 reduces the weight load of the turbine rotor 104 on the turbine support 106 , as will be discussed in more detail below . the turbine support 106 may be any suitable shape capable of supporting the weight of the turbine rotor 104 and stabilizing the turbine rotor 104 as it rotates about the axis 102 . the turbine support 106 , as shown in fig1 a , includes a base 120 and the support shaft 118 . the base 120 may rest under the bottom 116 of the turbine rotor 104 . the base 120 typically acts as a support between a surface 124 , such as the ground or bed rock , and the turbine rotor 104 . the base 120 may include a platform 122 adjacent the turbine rotor 104 and a bottom member 123 adjacent the surface 124 . the base 120 may be any suitable shape so long as the base is capable of supporting the weight of the turbine rotor 104 . the surface 124 , as shown in fig1 a , is the ground ; however , it should be appreciated that the surface 124 may be any suitable surface for supporting the base 120 including , but not limited to , a trailer , a boat , a rail car as illustrated in fig3 , a top of a building , a top of a parking garage , a top of a stadium , and the like . the platform 122 typically provides the support for the wright of the turbine rotor 104 . the platform 122 may include one or more magnets 110 a which provide an opposing force against the one or more magnets 110 b located on the bottom 116 of the turbine rotor 104 , as will be described in more detail below . the base 120 and / or the platform 122 may extend the same radial distance from the axis 102 as the turbine rotor 104 . alternatively , the base 120 may extend a shorter radial distance from the axis 102 than the turbine rotor 104 , or , in another alternative embodiment , may extend a longer radial distance from the axis 102 than the turbine rotor 104 . it should be appreciated that the platform 122 may be any suitable shape capable of providing a vertical support surface for the turbine rotor 104 . the support shaft 118 of the turbine support 106 may provide for stabilization of the turbine rotor 104 . the support shaft 118 , as shown in fig1 a and 1b is located radially inside the central axis 113 of the turbine rotor 104 . fig1 a shows the support shaft 118 as a substantially solid shaft which is slightly smaller than the interior of the central axis 113 of the turbine rotor 104 . alternatively , as shown in fig2 , the support shaft 118 may define an opening that allows for an interior access way 202 . the support shaft 118 allows the turbine rotor 104 to rotate in response to the wind while preventing the turbine rotor 104 from moving substantially in the direction perpendicular to the core axis 102 . the support shaft 118 may include one or more magnets 110 c which provide an opposing force against one or more magnets 110 d located on the central axis 113 of the turbine rotor 104 . the magnet 110 c located on the support shaft 118 may act to stabilize the turbine rotor as will be discussed in more detail below . the wind turbine 100 may include a connector 126 , shown schematically in fig1 a and 3 . the connector 126 may secure the turbine rotor 104 to the turbine support 106 while allowing the turbine rotor 104 to rotate . fig1 a shows the connector 126 as a pin type connection which is secured to the support shaft 118 and penetrates an opening in the top 114 of the turbine rotor 104 . a head of the pin may rest on the top 114 of the turbine rotor 104 . the opening may be large enough to not engage the pin as the turbine rotor 104 rotates about the turbine support 106 . the head may simply provide an upward travel limit for the turbine rotor 104 . thus , typically the turbine rotor 104 may not engage the connector 126 ; however , in the event that the turbine rotor 104 lifts off of the turbine support 106 , the head will stop it from becoming detached from the wind turbine 100 . it should be appreciated that any suitable arrangement for securing the turbine rotor 104 to the turbine support 106 may be used . the one or more sets of magnets 110 c , 110 d reduce friction between the turbine support 104 and the turbine rotor 106 by creating a space between the turbine support 104 and the turbine rotor 106 . the magnets replace the role of roller bearings in prior wind turbines . the one or more magnets 110 a , 110 b positioned on the bottom 116 of the turbine rotor 104 and the platform 122 of the turbine support may include one or more levitation magnets and one or more stabilization magnets . the levitation magnets supply an opposing force between the bottom 116 of the turbine rotor 104 and the platform 122 . the opposing force created by the levitation magnets may create a force on the turbine rotor 104 substantially opposite to a gravitational force on the turbine rotor 104 . the levitation magnets can provide a large enough opposing force to lift the turbine rotor 104 off of the platform 122 thereby eliminating friction between the platform 122 and the turbine rotor 104 . specifically , a space may be created between the platform 122 and the bottom 116 of the turbine rotor 104 as a result of the opposing force . alternatively , the opposing force created by the levitation magnets may only negate a portion of the gravitational force , so that the friction force between the platform 122 and the turbine rotor 104 is reduced . the stabilization magnets 110 d , 110 c , as shown in fig1 a , are designed to provide an opposing force between the central axis 113 and the support shaft 118 . the stabilization magnets may be located directly on the interior of the central axis 113 and the exterior of the support shaft 118 . the stabilization magnets may maintain a space between the inner diameter of the central axis 113 and the outer diameter of the support shaft 118 . therefore , during rotation of the turbine rotor 104 there may be no friction between the central central axis 113 of the turbine rotor 104 and the support shaft 118 . it should be appreciated that other means of reducing the friction between central central axis 113 and the support shaft 118 may be used including , but not limited to , a bearing . friction may be eliminated between the turbine rotor 104 and the turbine support 106 using both the levitation magnets and stabilization magnets . the one or more sets of magnets 110 may be any magnets suitable for creating an opposing force including but not limited to a permanent magnet , an electromagnet , permanent rare earth magnet , ferromagnetic materials , permanent magnet materials , magnet wires and the like . a permanent rare earth magnet may include samarium cobalt ( smco ) and / or neodymium ( ndfeb ). further , the one or more magnets 110 may be arranged in any suitable manner so long as they reduce the friction between the turbine rotor 104 and the turbine support 106 . fig1 a , 2 , and 3 show the one or more sets of magnets 110 as a series of permanent magnets spaced apart from one another ; however , it should be appreciated that an electromagnet may be used in order to magnetize a portion of the turbine rotor 104 and the turbine support 106 . further , in an alternative embodiment , a portion of the turbine rotor 104 and the turbine support 106 may be magnetized to provide the opposing force . thus in an alternative embodiment , the entire platform 122 and / or base 120 may be magnetized to provide an opposing force on the bottom 116 of the turbine rotor 104 which may also be magnetized . the blades 108 may be any suitable blade capable of converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy . in one embodiment , the blades 108 are made from a thin metal material , however , it should be appreciated that blades may be any suitable material including , but not limited to , a poly - carbon , a fabric , a synthetic material . the blades 108 may be fixed to the turbine rotor 104 in a static position . alternatively , the blades 108 may be moveably attached to the turbine rotor 104 . for example , a connection between the blades 108 and the turbine rotor 104 may allow the angle of the blades 108 to adjust in relation to the turbine rotor 104 . the angle may adjust manually or automatically in response to the wind conditions at the location . the turbine rotor 104 provides mechanical energy for the one or more generators 112 as the turbine rotor 104 rotates about the axis 102 . in one embodiment , a generator gear 128 is moved by a portion of the turbine rotor 104 as the turbine rotor 104 rotates . as shown in fig1 a , an outer edge 130 of the gear 128 may be proximate an edge of the turbine rotor 104 . in one embodiment , the gear 128 engages the turbine rotor 104 with a traditional gear and / or transmission device capable of transferring rotation to the gear 128 . in an additional or alternative embodiment , the gear 128 may be a magnetic gear . the magnetic gear is a gear that moves in response to a magnetic force between the turbine rotor 104 and the magnetic gear . at least one of the gear 128 and / or the proximate portion of the turbine rotor 104 may be magnetized . thus , as the turbine rotor 104 rotates proximate the gear 128 the magnetic force moves the gear 128 in response to the turbine rotor 104 rotation . the magnetic gear allows the turbine rotor 104 to rotate the gear 128 without any friction between the two components . fig3 shows the magnetic gear according to one embodiment . a rotor gear component 300 may protrude from the outer surface of the turbine rotor 104 . the rotor gear component 300 may extend beyond the outer diameter of the turbine rotor 103 and rotate with the turbine rotor 104 . as shown , the rotor gear component 300 is a plate extending around an outer diameter of the turbine rotor 104 ; however , it should be appreciated that any suitable configuration for the rotor gear component 300 may be used . the gear 128 may include one or more gear wheels 302 which extend from the gear to a location proximate the rotor gear component 300 . as shown in fig3 , there are two gear wheels 302 which are located above and below a portion of the rotor gear component 300 . as the turbine rotor 104 rotates , the rotor gear component 300 rotates . a portion of the rotor gear component 300 may pass in between two portions of one or more gear wheels 302 . any of the rotor gear component 300 , and the one or more gear wheels 302 may be magnetized . the type of magnet used to produce the magnetic force for the magnetic gear may be any magnet described herein . the magnetic force between the components of the magnetic gear move the gear 128 , thereby generating electricity and / or power in the generator 112 . the generators 112 may be located at various locations proximate the turbine rotor 104 . fig1 b shows three generators 112 located around the perimeter of the turbine rotor 104 . it should be appreciated that any suitable number of generators 112 may be used around the perimeter of the turbine rotor 104 . further , the generator 112 may be located at other locations proximate the turbine rotor including , but not limited to , proximate the shaft 102 of the turbine rotor , in line with the axis 102 above and / or below the turbine rotor 104 , and the like . the generator 112 may be any suitable generator for converting mechanical energy into power including , but not limited to , electric generators , motors , linear generators , and the like . in one embodiment , one or more of the generators 112 is a linear synchronous motor ( lsm ). the lsm motor may advance the turbine support 120 and may double as a braking system . the power generated by the generator may be fed directly to a power grid . further , it should be appreciated that the power may alternatively or additionally be used on site or stored . the stored power may be used at a later date when demand for the power is higher . examples of power storage units include , but are not limited to , batteries and generating stored compressed air , a flywheel system , a magnetically levitated flywheel system , hydraulic accumulators , capacitors , super capacitors , a combination thereof , and the like . the one or more magnets 110 reduce and potentially eliminate friction between the turbine rotor 104 and the turbine support 106 . this friction reduction allows the scale of the wind turbine 100 to be much larger than a conventional wind turbine . in a conventional wind turbine the larger the wind turbine , the more friction is created between the moving parts . the amount of friction eventually limits the effective size of a conventional wind turbine . in one example , the wind turbine may have an outer diameter of 1000 ft . in a preferred embodiment , a fixed wind turbine 200 , as shown in fig2 , has an outer diameter of about 600 ft . and is capable of producing more than 1 gwh of power . a smaller portable wind turbine 304 , shown in fig3 , may be adapted to transport to remote locations . the portable version may have a diameter of greater than 15 ft . and a height of greater than 15 ft . in a preferred embodiment , the portable version has an outer diameter of about 30 ft . and a height of about 25 ft . and is capable of producing 50 mwh of power . it should be appreciated that the size and scale of the wind turbine may vary depending on a customers need . further , it should be appreciated that more than one wind turbine may be located on the same portable transports system , and / or at one fixed location . although , the overall size of the wind turbine 100 may be much larger than a traditional wind turbine , the amount of power one wind turbine 100 produces is much larger than a traditional wind turbine . therefore , the total land use required for the wind turbine 100 may be reduced over that required for a traditional wind farm . the embodiment shown in fig2 shows the fixed wind turbine 200 , according to one embodiment . the fixed wind turbine 200 may have a turbine support 106 which extends over the turbine rotor 104 . the one or more magnets 110 may be on an upper portion 201 of the turbine support 106 in addition to the locations described above . the fixed wind turbine 200 may include an interior access way 202 , according to one embodiment . it should be appreciated that any of the wind turbines 100 , 200 and 304 may include an interior access way 202 . the interior access way 202 allows a person to access the interior of the turbine support 106 . the interior access way 202 may extend above and / or below the turbine rotor 104 in order to give the person access to various locations in the fixed wind turbine 200 . the interior access way 202 may allow a person to perform maintenance on the magnets 110 and other components of the wind turbine 100 , 200 , and 304 . further , the interior access way 202 may have a means for transporting persons up and down the interior access way 202 . the means for transporting persons may be any suitable item including , but not limited to , an elevator , a cable elevator , a hydraulic elevator , a magnetic elevator , a stair , a spiral staircase , an escalator , a ladder , a rope , a fireman pole , a spiral elevator , and the like . the spiral elevator is an elevator that transports one or more persons up and down the interior access way 202 in a spiral fashion around the interior of the interior access way 202 . for example , the spiral elevator may travel in a similar path to a spiral staircase . the elevator and / or spiral elevator may use magnetic levitation to lift the elevator up and down . the upper portion 201 of the turbine support 106 may include an observation deck 204 . the observation deck 204 may extend around the perimeter of the wind turbine 100 , 200 and / or 304 , thereby allowing a person to view the surrounding area from the observation deck 204 . the observation deck 204 may also serve as a location for an operator to control various features of the wind turbine , as will be discussed in more detail below . the upper portion 201 of the turbine support 106 may further include a helipad 206 . the helipad 202 allows persons to fly to the wind turbine 100 , 200 , and / or 304 and land a helicopter ( not shown ) directly on the wind turbine . this may be particularly useful in remote locations , or locations with limited access including , but not limited to , the ocean , a lake , a industrial area , a tundra , a desert , and the like . the upper portion 201 of the turbine support 106 may further have one or more cranes 208 . the cranes 208 allow an operator to lift heavy equipment . the crane 208 may be a tandem crane capable of rotating around the diameter of the wind turbine . the crane may assist in the construction of the wind turbine 100 . fig4 shows a top view of the wind turbine 100 in conjunction with one or more wind compressors 400 . the wind compressors 400 are each an obstruction configured to channel the wind toward the wind turbine 100 . as illustrated in fig5 , a wind compressor 400 is positioned on either side of the wind turbine 500 so as to redirect the flow of wind towards the wind turbine 500 . the wind compressor 400 funnels the wind 506 into the wind turbine 500 . the convergence of the winds towards the wind turbine 500 creates a venturi effect thereby increasing the speed and force of the winds upon the wind turbine 500 . this venturi effect on the wind turbines increases the rpms or rotation speed of the rotors which translates into increased electrical energy produced by the generators 112 ( fig1 a ). this increase in wind energy and force upon the turbine blades 108 is thus translated from the wind turbine 500 to the generator 112 resulting in an increased output of electricity . this invention 400 increases the efficiency and ultimate output of the wind turbine 100 , 500 up to , beyond 1000 - 2000 megawatts ( mgw ) per hour or 1 gigawatt ( gw ) per hour . known wind turbines produce between 2 - 4 mgw / hour . the wind compressor 400 may be any suitable obstruction capable of re - channeling the natural flow of wind towards the wind turbines 100 , 400 . suitable wind compressors include , but are not limited to , a sail , a railroad car , a trailer truck body , a structure , and the like . structurally the obstructions comprise a shape and size to capture and redirect a body of wind towards the wind turbine . in one embodiment an obstruction such as a sail , which comprises a large area in two dimensions but is basically a flat object , must be anchored to avoid displacement by the force of the wind . other obstructions , such as the rail road car or trailer truck , should have enough weight to avoid wind displacement . each of the wind compressors 400 may be moveably coupled to a transporter 403 , or transport device to move the compressor 400 to a location or position that captures the wind flow as the direction of wind changes and directs the wind flow towards the wind turbine . the transporter may be any suitable transporter 403 capable of moving the wind compressor 400 including , but not limited to , a locomotive to move a rail car , a automobile , a truck , a trailer , a boat , a sino trailer , a heavy duty self propelled modular transporter 403 and the like . each of the transporters 403 may include an engine or motor capable of propelling the transporter 403 . the location of each of the wind compressors 400 may be adjusted to suit the prevailing wind pattern at a particular location . further , the location of the wind compressors 400 may be automatically and / or manually changed to suit shifts in the wind direction . to that end , the transporter 403 may include a drive member for moving the transporter 403 . the transporter 403 may be in communication with a controller , for manipulating the location of each of the transporters 403 in response to the wind direction . a separate controller may be located within each of the transporters 403 . one or more pathways 402 , shown in fig4 , may guide transporters 403 as they carry the wind compressors 400 to a new location around the wind turbine 100 . the one or more pathways 402 may be any suitable pathway for guiding the transporters including , but not limited to , a railroad , a monorail , a roadway , a waterway , and the like . as shown in fig4 , the one or more pathways 402 are a series of increasingly larger circles which extend around the entire wind turbine 100 . it should be appreciated that any suitable configuration for the pathways 402 may be used . as described above , the size of the wind turbine 100 may be greatly increased due to the minimized friction between the turbine rotor 104 and the turbine support 106 . thus , the pathways 402 may encompass a large area around the wind turbine 100 . the wind compressors 400 as a group may extend out any distance from the wind turbine 100 , only limited by the land use in the area . thus , a large area of wind may be channeled directly toward the wind turbine 100 thereby increasing the amount of wind engaging the blades 108 . in one aspect of this invention , the controller may be a single controller 404 capable of controlling each of the transporters 403 from an onsite or remote location . the controller ( s ) 404 may be in wired or wireless communication with the transporters 403 . the controller ( s ) 404 may initiate an actuator thereby controlling the engine , motor or drive member of the transporter 403 . the controller ( s ) may comprise a central processing unit ( cpu ), support circuits and memory . the cpu may comprise a general processing computer , microprocessor , or digital signal processor of a type that is used for signal processing . the support circuits may comprise well known circuits such as cache , clock circuits , power supplies , input / output circuits , and the like . the memory may comprise read only memory , random access memory , disk drive memory , removable storage and other forms of digital memory in various combinations . the memory stores control software and signal processing software . the control software is generally used to provide control of the systems of the wind turbine including the location of the transporters 403 , the blade direction , the amount of power being stored versus sent to the power grid , and the like . the processor may be capable of calculating the optimal location of each of the wind compressors based on data from the sensors . one or more sensors 310 , shown in fig3 and 5 , may be located on the wind turbines 100 , 200 , 304 and / or 500 and / or in the area surrounding the wind turbines . the sensors 310 may detect the current wind direction and / or strength and send the information to a controller 312 . the sensors 310 may also detect the speed of rotation of the turbine rotor 104 . the controller 312 may receive information regarding any of the components and / or sensors associated with the wind turbines . the controller 312 may then send instructions to various components of the wind turbines , the wind compressors and / or the generators in order to optimize the efficiency of the wind turbines . the controller 312 may be located inside the base of the tower , at the concrete foundation , a remote location , or in the control room at the top of the tower . it should be appreciated that the wind compressors may be used in conjunction with any number and type of wind turbine , or wind farms . for example , the wind compressors 400 may be used with one or more horizontal wind turbines , traditional vertical wind turbines , the wind turbines described herein and any combination thereof . fig5 shows a schematic top view of two wind compressors 400 used in conjunction with multiple wind turbines 500 . the wind compressors 400 are located on two sides of the wind turbines 500 . the wind turbines 500 represent any wind turbine described herein . the wind compressors 400 engage wind 504 which would typically pass and not affect the wind turbines 500 . the wind 504 engages the wind compressors 400 and is redirected as a directed wind 506 . the directed wind 506 leaves the wind compressor 400 at a location that optimally affects at least one or the wind turbines 500 . the wind compressors 400 may shield a portion of the wind turbines 500 from an engaging wind 508 in order to increase the affect of the wind on the wind turbines 500 . the engaging wind 508 is the wind that would directly engage the wind turbines 500 . for example , the wind compressors 400 shown in fig5 shield a portion 509 of a vertical wind turbine which would be moving in the opposite direction to the wind 504 . the redirected wind 506 and the engaging wind 506 then engage an upstream side 510 of each of the wind turbines 500 . this arrangement may greatly increase the effectiveness of the wind turbines 500 . although the wind compressors 400 are shown on each side of the wind turbines 500 , it should be appreciated that any arrangement that increases the productivity of the wind turbine 500 may be used . fig6 shows a front view of the wind compressor 400 according to one embodiment . the transporter supporting the wind compressor is shown as a trailer 600 . the trailer supports a rigging 602 . the rigging 602 supports a sail 604 . fig7 shows a side view of the wind compressor 400 , according to one embodiment . the sail 604 is full blown and shown in a mode of the wind engaging the sail 604 . the rigging 602 , as shown in fig6 and 7 includes multiple poles extending in a substantially vertical direction from the transporter . the multiple poles are configured to couple to the sail 604 . the poles may couple to the sail 604 proximate two sides of the sail 604 . in one embodiment , two poles may be spaced apart from one another in order to allow the sail to extend a large distance between the poles . as shown , the poles vary in height ; however , it should be appreciated that any arrangement of the poles may be used . further , the rigging may be any suitable structure capable of supporting the sail 604 . the sail 604 is any suitable surface intended to deflect wind . as shown , the sail is a flexible material held by the rigging . the flexible material may be any flexible material including , but not limited to , a canvass , a cloth , a polycarbon , a metal , a glued and molded sail , a mylar , and the like . further , the sail may be a solid non - flexible material which deflects wind that engages the sail . the non - flexible material may not require the rigging . preferred methods and apparatus for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the skilled artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated processes and apparatus may be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims .	5
one embodiment of the present invention provides four linear arrays 12 in the wings . these arrays 12 are designed to measure the target location over an angle of 0 to 14 degrees in the axis of the wing 14 . such an embodiment is illustrated in fig1 and fig3 . for purposes of illustration , these are contrasted with known configurations illustrated in fig2 and 4 . the measurements from each sensor are independent of each other in that their signals need not be summed to determine the target location . such an embodiment eliminates the need to fly an optical bench composed of the wings as alignment is not required among the four sensors . in addition , the measurement of target angle coincident with the wing axis places the measurement on the inherently stiff axis of the wing . motion in the cross axis will not significantly impact the measurement allowing significant relaxation of wing stiffness requirements . one embodiment of the present invention uses 4 linear ( 1 - d ) arrays of ingaas pin diodes 12 mounted in the wings . ingaas pin diodes have lower sensitivity but are inherently uniform and are less expensive than avalanche photodiodes used by known systems . lower cost silicon pin diode arrays can also be utilized dependent given signal return or available aperture area . the loss in sensitivity in using these less expensive and lower sensitivity detectors is compensated by increasing the aperture of the sensor as well as eliminating the 91 % signal loss of known fiber optics . the sensors are designed to collect energy return from a laser designator illuminating a target . location of the target is determined from the position of light focused on a sensing array . in order to determine the position to subpixel levels , the “ image ” of the designator return is purposely defocused to cover multiple pixels . the defocused distribution of the light on the array allows sensing of target location at resolutions far greater than the inherent resolution determined from the spacing of the pixels . the subpixel location of the target can be determined in two dimensions with a two dimensional array . a two dimensional array , however , requires an optical system with a circular aperture , an inconvenient form factor when mounted in a wing . this invention describes an alternative method that measures the two dimensional position of the target using 1 - dimensional arrays more appropriate for mounting in the leading edge of a wing . as with the two dimensional array , the relative amplitude of the designator return across the pixels in the array determines the location . the one - dimensional array is constrained to a single dimension of measurement requiring a minimum of two sensors to uniquely measure a target location in two dimensions . the defocus of the optical system is critical to subpixel measurement accuracy . systems that rely on the defocus are typically calibrated to the actual distribution of the defocus . the systems are therefore sensitive to changes in defocus distribution . in addition , the current wing mounted system relies on the accurate summation from four independent apertures . the defocus distribution in this system is also sensitive to any shift in alignment between the apertures requiring the wings to act as an optical bench . the sensitivity to optical defocus is proportional to the number of pixels . a greater number of pixels increases the inherent angular resolution and therefore reduces the sub - pixel measurement accuracy reducing sensitivity to optical variations . however , adding additional pixels to a 2 - d array causes the processing to increase as the square of the number of pixels in a single dimension while a system of 2 one - dimensional arrays causes the number of pixels to grow proportionally . for instance , an existant system samples horizontally and vertically with three pixels across for a total of 9 pixels while a system using 2 1 - d arrays will only equivalently require 6 pixels . increasing the system sampling to 5 pixels , the 2 - d array requires 25 pixels while using 2 1 - d arrays uses only 10 pixels . the low cost in additional pixels allows the 1 - d system to significantly reduce sensitivity to optical variation for much lower cost than the 2 - d array . a greater number of pixels also reduces sensitivity to signal to noise . generally , there is a relationship between signal to noise and reported sub - pixel location in units of pixels . the resultant error in angle is determined by the ifov of the pixel multiplied by the variation in units of pixels . using more pixels to cover a given field of view reduces the ifov and therefore reduces the required signal for a desired angular accuracy . the 1 - d array allows greater flexibility in pixel count allowing reduction in required signal received . processing for subpixel location typically involves a center of mass computation commonly called a centroid . the accuracy of the centroid typically requires additional processing to correct errors that are dependent on the shape of the blur on the array . this correction can be implemented in a two - dimensional lookup table . the centroid itself is computationally simple . the known systems , in contrast to the embodiments of the present invention , use an iterative computation to determine the angle to target based on relative amplitude of sensor pixel values . this is a computationally intense operation requiring a dedicated processor . this choice in computation allows subpixel locations to be determined closer to the edge of the array than the conventional centroiding approach , this allows expansion of usable field of view without the additional cost of a greater number of pixels . determination of angle to target , by one embodiment of the present invention , will require the combined information from two of the four sensors , dependent on detected quadrant for the target . a single sensors measurement of angle position will have an error that is dependent on the distance of the target off the axis coincident with the sense axis for that array . the distance off the axis is determined by the orthogonal sensor , though its error is also dependent on the distance off of its axis . the errors in the horizontal and vertical measurement of target are predictable and monotonic allowing correction through a two dimensional lookup table . such a lookup table takes the horizontal and vertical measurements as input and generates a corrected horizontal and vertical measurement . the optical system for a 1 - d sensor in one embodiment is long and narrow for mounting in the leading edge of a wing . such a system would benefit from an asymmetric prescription to maximize resolution in the long axis and provide a wide field of view in the narrow axis . the sharper optical curvature required for wide angle viewing coincides nicely with the shape required for aerodynamics . the increase in aperture area required to recover loss in detector sensitivity with the pin diodes is accommodated in the long dimension along the wing . using an existing system as a basis , the field of regard for the system would be 0 to 14 degrees in the horizontal and +/− 14 degrees in the vertical . the vertical field of regard requirement actually varies along the length of the array as the true field of view requirement is a 14 degree radius . the field of regard can actually be sized based on the particular system requirements . the optical systems configured according to one embodiment of the present invention are illustrated in fig5 a through 7c are imaging in one axis and non - imaging in the orthogonal axis . the imaging axis of the optical system , illustrated in fig5 a provides a blur of known size in the long dimension of the detector array 28 from a target source in the field of view such that its position along the array can be correlated with a horizontal input angle . the non - imaging axis of the optical system , illustrated in fig5 b , collects light from a target source any wherein the vertical field of view and distributes it in the short dimension of the detector array . the narrow non - imaging axis of the optical systems is designed to act as an integrator , homogenizing the light from a source at any angle in the vertical field of view ( vfov ) by a waveguide 30 comprised of total internal reflecting ( tir ) surfaces , causing it to be spread over the full narrow dimension of the detector 28 . the integration effect is accomplished by multiple reflections in the waveguide 30 over its narrow dimension as light passes from the input to the output side of the optical system as illustrated in fig6 . adding a taper 32 to the waveguide from input to output allows the detector &# 39 ; s vertical height to be narrower than the input aperture , in another embodiment in fig7 a - 7c show a cylinder lens used to reduce the size of the integrated vertical field relative to the input aperture , and in fig7 c , a method for the optical system to be folded for packaging into a form factor compatible with mounting in the leading edge of a wing . an asymmetric lens system will require the wing sweep that is almost normal to the body . the ideal wing sweep of one embodiment of the present invention would be approximately 7 degrees , the 60 degree wing sweep of known systems will likely not be acceptable . consideration must be made in the aerodynamic design in order to accommodate the reduced sweep . the foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure . it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by the claims appended hereto .	5
in the following description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural , logical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the following description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limited sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims . a silicon in - plane micron - size electrically - driven resonant cavity light emitting device ( rcled ) is based on slotted waveguide . the device consists of a micro - ring resonator formed by a si / sio 2 slot - waveguide with a low - index electroluminescent material ( such as erbium - doped sio 2 or other types of electroluminescent materials including rare earth metals ) in the slot region . the geometry of the slot - waveguide permits the definition of a metal - oxide - semiconductor ( mos ) configuration for the electrical excitation of the active material . simulations predict a quality factor q as high as 33 , 000 for a 40 - μm - radius electrically - driven micro - ring rcled capable to operate at a very low bias current of 1 . 5 na . lasing conditions are also discussed . an electrically - driven si light emitting device ( led ) is desirable since it can be considered as the natural interface between photonics and electronics such as cmos technology . in addition , emission at approximately 1 . 5 - μm - wavelength is also desirable for applications in the telecommunication field . si leds based on metal - oxide - semiconductor ( mos ) structures with er implanted in the thin gate oxide have shown external quantum efficiencies as high as 10 %, which is comparable to that of standard iii - v semiconductors leds . by current injection through the mos structure , energetic ( hot ) electrons can excite er ions by impact ionization and generate electroluminescence at 1 . 54 μm . an optical cavity can enhance the external quantum efficiency of leds and it is an essential element for a laser . in order to be employed with the aforementioned er - doped sio 2 active material for on - chip applications , an optical cavity should : 1 ) permit electrical injection , 2 ) present a high optical mode - active material overlap , 3 ) be made of cmos - compatible materials , 4 ) be micron - size , and 5 ) exhibit a high quality - factor q . a planar waveguide - based cavity , such as a ring or disk resonator , can provide a long light - matter interaction path . however , er - doped sio 2 has low refractive index and , therefore , a conventional strip waveguide using this material as the core would present two important drawbacks : a ) waveguides would require a large cross - section area , which makes difficult current injection through the thick oxide , and b ) the low - index - contrast system sio 2 / air does not facilitate miniaturization . a novel guided - wave slot structure , enables concentration of a large fraction of the guided mode into a thin low - index layer ( slot ) sandwiched between two high - index strips . in on embodiment , two doped si strips ( electrodes ), sandwich a thin er - doped - sio 2 slot layer ( gate oxide ). current injection through the gate oxide results in generation of light in the oxide - slot region where the guided - mode is strongly confined . in one embodiment , 50 - μm - diameter high - q (˜ 20 , 000 ) optical resonator in silicon - on - insulator based on slot - waveguides had losses as low as 10 db / cm . using these advantageous characteristics of the slot - waveguide geometry , compact electrically - driven resonant cavity light - emitting devices ( rcled ) for si microphotonics are obtained . fig1 a shows a schematic diagram of a mos slot waveguide light emitting device 100 . it consists of a micro - ring resonator formed by a slot - waveguide 110 , also referred to as a body . in one embodiment , the slot - waveguide 110 includes a pair of high index of refraction rings of silicon 115 , 116 that sandwich a concentric ring 120 of er - doped - sio 2 , referred to as the slot layer 120 . the slot layer 120 has a relatively low index of refraction compared to the high index si rings 115 , 116 . in one embodiment , anode sections 130 , 135 are formed outside of the slot - waveguide 110 , and a cathode 140 is formed inside the slot - waveguide 110 . in one embodiment , both the anode 135 and cathode 140 are p + doped . one or more waveguides 150 , 152 may be formed adjacent the slot - waveguide 110 such that they are optically coupled to the slot - waveguide 120 for providing light output from the slot - waveguide . the positioning of the anode and cathode areas may be altered such that they still provide current injection via the slot layer 120 when current flows from anode to cathode . sio 2 may be used to cover the whole device as shown at 160 . a schematic cross - section of the slot - waveguide 110 forming the ring is illustrated in fig1 b . a silicon - on - insulator ( soi ) platform comprises a silicon substrate 210 with a buried oxide layer 215 . in one example embodiment , a 60 - nm - wide er - doped - sio 2 region ( slot ) 120 is sandwiched between two 300 - nm - tall and 180 - nm - wide p - type doped ( p = 10 18 cm − 3 ) si stripes corresponding to rings 115 , 116 . thin 50 - nm - thick slabs or strips 220 , 222 are introduced for defining highly doped p - type ( p = 10 19 cm − 3 ) si regions corresponding to anodes 130 , 135 and cathode 140 . the slabs 220 and 222 provide some separation between the silicon rings and electrodes in one embodiment . the optical mode characteristics of the slot - waveguide may be calculated by employing a beam propagation method ( bpm ). the transmission characteristics of an example bus - coupled micro - ring were calculated by using the transfer matrix method . the refractive indexes of undoped si and sio 2 ( and er - doped sio 2 ) were assumed to be 3 . 48 and 1 . 46 , respectively . the real refractive index and absorption coefficient of the doped si regions due to the free - carrier dispersion are calculated by using the relations : δ n = δn e + δn h =−[ 8 . 8 × 10 − 22 · δn + 8 . 5 × 10 − 18 ·( δ p ) 0 . 8 ] ( 1 ) δα = δα e + δα h = 8 . 5 × 10 − 18 · δn + 6 . 0 × 10 − 18 · δp ( 2 ) δn e is the refractive index change due to electron concentration change ; δn h is the refractive index change due to hole concentration change ; δα e ( in cm − 1 ) is the absorption coefficient variations due to δn ; δα h ( in cm − 1 ) is the absorption coefficient variation due to δp . a two - dimensional ( 2 - d ) semiconductor device modeling software , atlas from silvaco , was employed to calculate the dc electric - field across the gate oxide of the biased structures . fig2 illustrates the optical field distribution for the quasi - te ( major e - field component perpendicular to the si / slot interface ) for an example slot - waveguide constructed in accordance with fig1 a and 1b . results shown and described in the present application are not represented as average , best case or worse case . they are simply results obtained from one or more example devices constructed in accordance with the described embodiments . the operating wavelength was 1 . 54 μm . the optical field is strongly confined in the low - index slot region 120 . the maximum normalized power in the slot 120 ( with respect to the total power in the waveguide ) was estimated to be around 30 %. the effective refractive index was calculated to be n eff = 1 . 9659 + j9 . 24 × 10 − 6 . the imaginary part ( absorption constant ) of n eff represents an absorption coefficient of 3 . 2 db / cm . note that the latter value is smaller than that exhibited by the doped ( p = 10 18 cm − 3 ) si rings ( 6 db / cm ). this is because only a small fraction of the optical mode is located in the highly lossy si regions , as revealed in fig2 . this is a unique feature of the slot - waveguide that enables the use of high - index lossy materials ( for example , for defining electrodes ) without introducing excessive optical losses , which is especially useful in the design of high performance electro - optic devices . fig3 shows the quasi - te optical mode distribution in a bent slot - waveguide turning to the left (− x axis ) with a radius of curvature of 40 μm . it is seen that the optical field is still strongly concentrated in the slot region and slightly shifts to the right side (+ x axis ) due to the bending effect . the effective refractive index of the bent slot - waveguide was calculated to be n eff , bend = 1 . 9666 + j9 . 99 × 10 − 6 , which corresponds to an absorption coefficient of α bend = 3 . 5 db / cm . in addition to losses due to free - carrier absorption , radiation loss ( α rad ) associated with the bend must be considered . bpm simulations revealed radiation loss of 2 . 9 db / cm for a radius of curvature of 40 μm . in order to estimate the performance of an example micro - ring resonator 110 illustrated in fig1 a , the following parameters were used : radius ( r )= 40 μm , power - coupling coefficient (\| κ \| 2 )= 0 . 025 , and optical losses α = α scattering + α bend + α rad . α scattering represents the optical losses in the slot - waveguide due to scattering at the sidewalls of the si rails , which has been experimentally determined to be ˜ 10 db / cm . thus , α = 16 . 4 db / cm and the total internal loss in the ring , a i = α2πr = 0 . 41 db . the ring radius should satisfy the condition 2πr = m ( λ emission / n eff , bend ), where m is an integer , in order to have a resonance at the emission wavelength λ emission = 1540 nm . fig4 shows the transmittance characteristics of the micro - ring 110 . the calculated quality factor q , defined as the ratio of the resonance frequency ( ω r ) to the full width at half maximum of the resonance ( δω ), is q = ω r / δω = 3 . 3 × 10 4 . this value is two orders of magnitude higher than that exhibited by vertical fabry - perot cavities formed by multilayer si / sio 2 distributed bragg reflectors . since the emission wavelength , which corresponds to the er ions sharp luminescence , is in resonance with the cavity mode , the emitted light can be enhanced by orders of magnitude . note also that the calculated q corresponds to a passive ring ; if optical gain is achieved in the active material a narrower resonance peak , and higher q , could be obtained . laser oscillation may occur if the following condition is satisfied : a ( 1 −\| κ \| 2 )= 1 , where a is the inner circulation factor . for \| κ \| 2 = 0 . 025 , a = 1 . 0256 , which corresponds to a net optical gain of 8 . 64 db / cm . since the internal loss is α = 16 . 4 db / cm , the total optical gain needed for lasing would be 25 db / cm . at present , the material system er 3 + in sio 2 has exhibited optical gain when optically pumped , and the maximum total gain achieved so far is smaller than the calculated of 25 db / cm . lasing may be obtained with further reductions in waveguide losses through improvements in the processing of the slot - waveguides in order to reduce scattering , which is estimated to be the main source of loss in the proposed structure . fig5 shows the 2 - d distribution of the dc electric field for an applied voltage ( v anode − v cathode ) of 20 v . the transverse electric field in the slot region is nearly uniform and most of the applied voltage drops across the er - doped sio 2 . this assures a uniform current injection through the gate oxide . the high conductivity of the doped ( p = 10 18 cm − 3 ) si strips 220 , 222 permits placement of the lossy electrode regions ( p = 10 19 cm − 3 ) 130 , 135 , and 140 far from the waveguide core , reducing significantly the optical losses of the waveguide . carrier transport through the gate oxide in the studied devices can be attributed to fowler - nordheim ( f - n ) tunneling . assuming an experimental value of 2 ma / cm 2 for the f - n current density needed to produce electroluminescence saturation in er - doped sio 2 mos devices , the bias current for the slot - waveguide ring led would be i = j · a ring =( 2 ma / cm 2 )·( 2π40 μm0 . 3 μm )= 1 . 5 na , where a ring is the area of the vertical surface of the active region ( slot 120 ). thus , if the needed voltage to achieve such a current density is 20 v , the power consumption would be only 30 nw . this small power consumption arises from the small area of the active area . besides the vertical slot - waveguide configuration of fig1 a and 1b , other configurations may be used such as a horizontal configuration 600 shown in fig6 a . the horizontal configuration 600 is formed on an oxide layer 605 formed on a silicon substrate 610 in one embodiment . a first silicon ring 615 is formed and supports a slot 620 , followed by a second silicon ring 625 . slabs 630 are formed on either side of the first silicon ring and the cathode 635 is also formed spaced from the rings . further slabs 640 are formed on either side of the second silicon ring 625 along with anode 645 . in the horizontal configuration 600 , the device would operate under quasi - tm polarization ( major e - field component perpendicular to the si / slot interface ), as illustrated in fig6 b . the complex refractive index of the slot - waveguide shown in fig6 a was calculated to be n eff = 2 . 1198 + j1 . 11 × 10 − 5 , which corresponds to an absorption coefficient of 3 . 9 db / cm . this value is slightly larger than that exhibited by the vertical configuration due to the presence of more doped si regions . the horizontal configuration can be advantageous in order to reduce scattering losses induced by imperfections at the si / sio 2 interfaces . this is because a horizontal slot - waveguide could be fabricated by ion implantation ( oxygen and erbium ions ), deposition or lateral overgrowth epitaxial techniques , which would lead to much smoother interfaces than that produced by reactive ion etching techniques , used for the fabrication of vertical slot - waveguides . besides a micro - ring resonator , a fabry - perot ( f - p ) microcavity defined by dbrs , such as that shown schematically in fig7 may also be utilized for optical feedback . in this embodiment , a slot waveguide 710 is formed substantially straight with a slot portion 712 sandwiched by silicon portions 713 and 714 . an anode 715 and cathode 720 are disposed on either side of the slot waveguide 710 . distributed bragg reflectors 725 and 730 are formed on both ends of the slot waveguide 710 . similar f - p cavities based on conventional strip photonic wire have been demonstrated on soi substrates , exhibiting q & gt ; 1400 . fig8 a and 8b illustrate different views of a light emitting disk resonator 800 formed by a horizontal ( stacked layers ) er - doped slot structure . in one embodiment , an insulating layer 810 is formed of sio 2 or other material , and supports an undoped si layer 815 . a p ++ doped ring anode 820 is formed in the si layer 815 , and an er doped sio 2 disk 825 is formed surrounded by the ring anode 820 . an n + doped polysilicon layer 830 is then formed on top of the disk 825 , followed by formation of an n ++ doped cathode ring 835 supported by the n + doped polysilicon layer 830 . in one embodiment , the cathode ring 835 is supported by the outer top portion of the n + doped polysilicon layer 830 . the n + doped polysilicon layer 830 and si layer 815 , sandwich the er doped disk 825 , creating a light emitting slot waveguide . injection currents created by a voltage across the anode 820 and cathode rings induce the er doped sio 2 disk 825 to emit light . the abstract is provided to comply with 37 c . f . r . § 1 . 72 ( b ) to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure . the abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims .	7
the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are intended to describe some , but not necessarily all , examples or embodiments of the invention only and does not limit the scope of the invention in any way . the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are intended to describe some , but not necessarily all , examples or embodiments of the invention only and does not limit the scope of the invention in any way . a number of the drawings in this patent application show anatomical structures of the male reproductive and / or urinary system . in general , these anatomical structures are labeled with the following reference letters : fig1 a shows a sagittal section of a male human body through the lower abdomen showing the male urinary tract . the male urinary tract comprises a pair of tubular organs called ureters ( ur ) that conduct urine produced by the kidneys . the ureters empty into the urinary bladder . the urinary bladder is a hollow muscular organ that temporarily stores urine . it is situated posterior to the pubic bone . the inferior region of the urinary bladder has a narrow muscular opening called the bladder neck which opens into a soft , flexible , tubular organ called the urethra . the muscles around the bladder neck are called the internal urethral sphincter . the internal urethral sphincter is normally contracted to prevent urine leakage . the urinary bladder gradually fills with urine until full capacity is reached , at which point the sphincter relaxes . this causes the bladder neck to open , thereby releasing the urine stored in the urinary bladder into the urethra . the urethra begins at the bladder neck , terminates at the end of the penis , and allows for urine to exit the body . the region of the urethra just inferior to the urinary bladder is completely surrounded by the prostate gland . the prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system and is usually walnut shaped . clinically , the prostate is divided into lobes . the lateral lobes are located lateral to the urethra ; the middle lobe is located on the dorsal aspect of the urethra , near the bladder neck . most commonly in bph , the lateral lobes become enlarged and act like curtains to close the urethral conduit . less commonly , the middle lobe grows in size and becomes problematic . because of its superior location near the bladder neck with respect to the urethra , an enlarged middle lobe acts like a ball valve and occludes fluid passage . fig1 b shows a coronal section through the lower abdomen of a human male showing a region of the male urinary system . the prostate gland ( pg ) is located around the urethra at the union of the urethra and the urinary bladder . fig2 a through 2h show various alternate approaches to deploy implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . specific examples of implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) useable in this invention are shown in other figures of this patent application and are described more fully herebelow . fig2 a shows a first trans - urethral approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 a , an introducing device 200 is introduced in the urethra through the urethral opening of the penis . introducing device 200 comprises an elongate body 202 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 204 . one or more working device ( s ) 206 is / are then introduced through distal opening 204 into the urethra . the working device ( s ) 206 penetrate the urethral wall and thereafter one or more lobes of the prostate gland . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 206 may further penetrate the prostate capsule and enters the pelvic cavity . working device ( s ) 206 are also used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 b shows a second trans - urethral approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 b , an introducing device 210 is introduced in the urethra through the urethral opening uo of the penis . introducing device 210 comprises an elongate body 212 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 214 . one or more working device ( s ) 216 is / are insertable through distal opening 214 into the urethra . working device ( s ) 216 penetrate ( s ) the urethral wall inferior to the prostate gland and enters the pelvic cavity . thereafter , working device ( s ) 216 penetrate ( s ) the prostate capsule cp and thereafter one or more lobes of the prostate gland . in some applications of the method the working device ( s ) 216 may further penetrate the urethral wall enclosed by the prostate gland eg and enters the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 216 may then be used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 c shows a third trans - urethral approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 c , an introducing device 220 is introduced in the urethra through the urethral opening uo of the penis . introducing device 220 comprises an elongate body 222 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 224 . introducing device 220 is positioned such that distal opening 224 is located in the urinary bladder ub . thereafter , a one or more working device ( s ) 226 is / are introduced through distal opening 224 into the urinary bladder ub . working device ( s ) 226 penetrate ( s ) the wall of the urinary bladder ub and thereafter penetrate ( s ) one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , the working device ( s ) 226 may further penetrate the prostate capsule and enter the pelvic cavity . working device ( s ) 226 may then be used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 d shows a transperineal approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 d , an introducing device 230 is introduced in the pelvic cavity percutaneously through the perineum . introducing device 230 comprises an elongate body 232 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 234 . introducing device 230 is positioned such that distal opening 234 is located in the pelvic cavity adjacent to prostate gland . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 236 is / are introduced through distal opening 234 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 236 penetrate ( s ) the prostate capsule cp and thereafter penetrate ( s ) one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , the working device ( s ) 236 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland pg and enter the urethral lumen . working device 236 may then be used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 e shows a percutaneous / transvesicular approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 e , an introducing device 240 is introduced percutaneously through the abdominal wall . introducing device 240 comprises an elongate body 242 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 244 . after passing through the abdominal wall , introducing device 240 is advanced through the wall of the urinary bladder ub such that distal opening 244 is located in the urinary bladder ub . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 246 is / are introduced through distal opening 244 into the urinary bladder ub . one ore more working device ( s ) 246 are advanced through the wall of the urinary bladder ub and into the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 246 may further penetrate through the prostate gland capsule and enter the pelvic cavity . working device ( s ) 246 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 f shows a percutaneous trans - osseus approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 f , an introducing device 250 is introduced percutaneously through the abdominal wall . introducing device 250 comprises an elongate body 252 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 254 . introducing device 250 is used to penetrate a pelvic bone ( e . g . the pubic bone pb ). thereafter , introducing device 250 is positioned such that distal opening 254 is located adjacent to the prostate gland pg . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 256 is / are introduced through distal opening 254 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 256 penetrate the prostate capsule and thereafter penetrate one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 256 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland and enter the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 256 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 g shows a percutaneous suprapubic approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 g , an introducing device 260 is introduced in the pelvic cavity percutaneously in a trajectory that passes superior to the pubis bone . introducing device 260 comprises an elongate body 262 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 264 . introducing device 260 is then positioned such that distal opening 264 is located in the pelvic cavity adjacent to prostate gland . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 266 is / are introduced through distal opening 264 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 266 penetrate the prostate capsule cp and thereafter penetrate one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 266 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland and enter the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 266 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 h shows a percutaneous infrapubic approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland . in fig2 h , an introducing device 270 is introduced in the pelvic cavity percutaneously in a trajectory that passes inferior to the pubis bone . introducing device 270 comprises an elongate body 272 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 274 . introducing device 270 is introduced percutaneously in the pelvic cavity in a trajectory that passes inferior to the pubic bone . introducing device 270 is then positioned such that distal opening 274 is located in the pelvic cavity adjacent to prostate gland . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 276 is / are introduced through distal opening 274 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 276 penetrate the prostate capsule cp and thereafter penetrate one or more lobes of the prostate gland pg . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 276 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland pg and enter the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 276 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig2 i shows a trans - rectal approach that may be used to implant tissue compression devices ( s ) to compress the prostate gland pg . in fig2 i , an introducing device 280 is introduced in the rectum . introducing device 280 comprises an elongate body 282 comprising a lumen that terminates distally in a distal opening 284 . introducing device is then advanced such that it penetrates the rectal wall and enters the pelvic cavity . introducing device 280 is then positioned such that distal opening 284 is located in the pelvic cavity adjacent to prostate gland . thereafter , one or more working device ( s ) 286 is / are introduced through distal opening 284 into the prostate gland pg . working device ( s ) 286 penetrate the prostate capsule cp and thereafter penetrate one or more lobes of the prostate gland . in some applications of the method , working device ( s ) 286 may further penetrate the urethral wall surrounded by the prostate gland and enter the urethral lumen . working device ( s ) 286 is / are then used to deploy and implant implantable tissue compression device ( s ) ( e . g ., one or more clips , anchoring elements , tensioning members , etc .) to compress the prostate gland pg , thereby relieving constriction of the urethra . fig3 a to 3f show various examples of devices and systems that are useable to treat conditions where the prostate gland pg is compressing a region of the urethra such that the urethra does not expand normally during micturition and urine outflow is impeded . fig3 a shows the perspective view of an introducer device 300 . introducer device 300 comprises an outer body 301 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . body 301 comprises a working device lumen 302 . distal end of working device lumen 302 emerges out of the distal end of body 301 . in one embodiment , distal end of working device lumen 302 has a bent or curved region . proximal end of working device lumen 302 emerges out of a first flexible tube 304 . the proximal end of first flexible tube 304 comprises a stasis valve 306 . body 301 further comprises a cystoscope lumen 308 . distal end of cystoscope lumen 308 emerges out of the distal end of body 301 . proximal end of cystoscope lumen 308 emerges out of a second flexible tube 310 . the proximal end of second flexible tube 310 comprises a stasis valve 312 . cystoscope lumen 308 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a first side port 318 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . working device lumen 302 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a second side port 320 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . fig3 b shows a perspective view of an injecting needle . injecting needle 330 is used for injecting one or more diagnostic or therapeutic substances . in some applications of the invention , the injecting needle 330 may be used to inject local anesthetic in the urethra , prostate gland and / or tissues near the prostate gland . specific examples of target areas for injecting local anesthetics are the neurovascular bundles , the genitourinary diaphragm , the region between the rectal wall and prostate , etc . examples of local anesthetics that can be injected by injecting needle 330 are anesthetic solutions e . g . 1 % lidocaine solution ; anesthetic gels e . g . lidocaine gels ; combination of anesthetic agents e . g . combination of lidocaine and bupivacaine ; etc . injecting needle 330 comprises a hollow shaft 332 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . in this example , the distal end of hollow shaft 332 comprises a sharp tip 334 . the proximal end of hollow shaft 332 has a needle hub 336 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . in one embodiment , needle hub 336 comprises a luer lock . fig3 c shows an example of an introducing device or introducing sheath 340 . introducing sheath 340 comprises a hollow , tubular body 342 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . tubular body 342 further comprises two marker bands : a proximal marker band 344 and a distal marker band 346 . the marker bands can be seen by a cystoscope . in one embodiment , proximal marker band 344 and distal marker band 346 are radiopaque . the position of proximal marker band 344 and distal marker band 346 is such that after introducing sheath 340 is placed in an optimum location in the anatomy , proximal marker band 344 is located in the urethra where it can be seen by a cystoscope and distal marker band 346 is located in the prostrate gland or in the wall of the urethra where it cannot be seen by a cystoscope . tubular body 342 further comprises a series of distance markers 348 on the outer surface of tubular body 342 . the proximal end of tubular body 342 further comprises a hub 350 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . in one embodiment , hub 350 comprises a luer lock . fig3 d shows a perspective view of a trocar . trocar 360 comprises a tubular trocar body 362 . the proximal end of trocar body 362 comprises a hub 364 . trocar body 362 and hub can be constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . distal end of trocar body 362 ends in a sharp trocar tip 366 . fig3 e shows a perspective view of an anchor delivery device . anchor delivery device 370 comprises a body 372 having a distal opening 373 . a section of the distal region of body 372 has been removed to show a view of the anchor assembly . body 372 encloses a distal anchor 374 and a proximal anchor 376 . proximal anchor 376 and distal anchor 374 can have a variety of designs including , but not limited to the designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . proximal anchor 376 and distal anchor 374 can be constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . in one embodiment , shown in fig3 f and 3g , proximal anchor 9976 and distal anchor 9974 comprise splayable elements that expand in a radially outward direction when a radial compression force , as enacted by body lumen 9972 , on proximal anchor 9976 and distal anchor 9974 is removed . the splayable elements can be made of suitable super - elastic materials such as nickel - titanium alloys etc . proximal anchor 9976 and distal anchor 9974 are connected to each other by a tension element 9978 . tension element 9978 can be made of suitable elastic or non - elastic materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , suture materials , titanium etc . or polymers such as silicone , nylon , polyamide , polyglycolic acid , polypropylene , pebax , ptfe , eptfe , silk , gut , or any other braided or mono - filament material . tension element 9978 can have a variety of designs including the designs shown in fig5 a through 5f . as shown in fig3 e , the proximal end of proximal anchor 9976 is connected by an attachment mechanism 9980 to a torquable shaft 9982 . the proximal end of torquable shaft 9982 is attached to a control button 9984 . control button 9984 can be used to deploy proximal anchor 9976 by sliding control button 9984 along groove 9985 in the distal direction . control button 9984 is then used to deploy distal anchor 9974 by turning control button 9984 in the circumferential direction along groove 9985 . fig3 h shows a perspective view from the proximal direction of a particular embodiment of the attachment mechanism of fig3 e . attachment mechanism 380 comprises a circular plate 386 made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . polycarbonate , pvc , pebax , polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep etc . the proximal face of circular plate 386 is connected to torquable shaft 382 . circular plate 386 further comprises a semicircular groove 388 . one end of semicircular groove 388 comprises an enlarged region 390 . a knob 392 located on the proximal portion of proximal anchor 376 slides on semicircular groove 388 . the size of knob 322 is larger than the size of semicircular groove 388 but smaller than size of enlarged region 390 . this keeps proximal anchor 376 attached to circular plate 386 . when control button 384 is turned in the circumferential direction along groove 385 , torquable shaft 382 is turned . this turns circular plate 386 causing knob 392 to slide on the groove 388 . ultimately , knob 392 reaches enlarged region 390 . this releases knob 392 from circular plate 386 thereby releasing proximal anchor 376 from anchor delivery device 370 . fig4 a through 4h show a coronal section through the prostate gland showing the various steps of a method of treating prostate gland disorders by compressing a region of the prostate gland using the kit shown in fig3 a through 3f . in fig4 a , introducer device 300 is introduced in the urethra through the urethral opening at the tip if the penis . a cystoscope is inserted in introducer device 300 through cystoscope lumen 308 such that the lens of the cystoscope is located in the distal opening of cystoscope lumen . the cystoscope is used to navigate introducer device 300 through the urethra such that the distal region of introducer device 300 is located in a target region in the prostatic urethra . thereafter in fig4 b , injecting needle 330 is advanced through working device lumen 302 such that the distal tip of injecting needle 330 penetrates into a region of the urethral wall or the prostate gland . injecting needle 330 is then used to inject one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents into the urethral wall or the prostate gland . this step may be repeated one or more times to inject one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents in one or more regions of the urethral wall and / or the prostate gland . in one method embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to inject an anesthetic in one or more regions of the urethral wall and / or the prostate gland . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver energy in the form of radiofrequency energy , resistive heating , laser energy , microwave energy etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver alpha antagonist agents , such as phenoxybenzamine , prazosin , doxazosin , terazosin , tamsulosin , alfuzosin etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver anti - androgen , such as flutamide or 5 - alpha reductase inhibitors , such as finasteride , dutasteride , 3 - oxosteroid compounds , 4 - aza - 3 - oxosteroid derivatives of testosterone etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver anti - inflammatory agents , such as rapamycin , paclitaxel , abt - 578 , everolimus , taxol etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver ablative agents such as methyl alcohol etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver energy in the form of radiofrequency energy , resistive heating , laser energy , microwave energy etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver alpha antagonist agents , such as phenoxybenzamine , prazosin , doxazosin , terazosin , tamsulosin , alfuzosin etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver anti - androgen , such as flutamide or 5 - alpha reductase inhibitors , such as finasteride , dutasteride , 3 - oxosteroid compounds , 4 - aza - 3 - oxosteroid derivatives of testosterone etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver anti - inflammatory agents , such as rapamycin , paclitaxel , abt - 578 , everolimus , taxol etc . in another embodiment , injecting needle 330 is used to deliver ablative agents such as methyl alcohol etc . in step 4 c , injecting needle 330 is withdrawn from introducer device 300 . thereafter , introducer sheath 340 and trocar 360 are advanced through working device lumen 302 . in the example shown , introducer sheath 340 and trocar 360 are advanced till the distal tip of trocar 360 penetrates the capsule of the prostate gland and the distal end of introducer sheath 340 is located outside the prostate gland in the pelvic cavity . thereafter , trocar 360 is withdrawn from working device lumen 302 leaving introducer sheath 340 in place . in fig4 d , anchor delivery device 370 is introduced through the lumen of introducer sheath 340 till the distal end of body 372 protrudes through the distal tip of introducer sheath 340 . in step e , distal anchor 374 is deployed . it should be noted that the anchor may be carried to the site and deployed from within an introducer , on the outside of an introducer , or it may be the distal tip of the introducer itself . thereafter , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 so that distal anchor 374 is anchored on the outer surface of the prostate capsule . this step may be used to create tension in the tension element 378 . in one method embodiment , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 such that the distal end of anchor delivery device 370 is located in the prostate gland . in another method embodiment , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 till the distal end of anchor delivery device 370 is located in the urethral wall or the urethral lumen . in step 4 f , proximal anchor 376 is deployed . proximal anchor 376 may be deployed in the prostate gland , in the urethral wall or in the urethral lumen . proximal anchor 376 is still attached by attachment mechanism 380 to anchor delivery device 370 . the proximal anchor may be pre - loaded on the tension element , or may subsequently be loaded by the operator on the tension element . fig4 g through 4h show the steps of deploying proximal anchor 376 in the prostate gland . in fig4 g , proximal anchor 376 is separated from anchor delivery device 370 . this separation may be achieved via numerous means including cutting , melting , un - locking a link , or breaking the tensioning element at a desired location . ideally this residual end of the tensioning element will not protrude substantially into the lumen of the urethra . thus proximal anchor 376 and distal anchor 374 are anchored in the anatomy . thereafter , anchor delivery device 370 and introducer sheath 340 are both pulled in the proximal direction and are withdrawn into introducer device 300 . thereafter , introducer device 300 is pulled in the proximal direction to pull it out of the urethra . in fig4 h , the steps from fig4 a through 4g are repeated in a second region of the prostate gland if desired to implant two or more sets of anchoring devices . alternatively , fig4 g ′ through 4 h ′ show the steps of deploying proximal anchor 376 in the urethra . after the step in fig4 f , in fig4 g ′, proximal anchor 376 is separated from anchor delivery device 370 in the urethra . thus proximal anchor 376 and distal anchor 374 are anchored in the urethra and the prostate capsule respectively . thereafter , anchor delivery device 370 and introducer sheath 340 are both pulled in the proximal direction and are withdrawn into introducer device 300 . thereafter , introducer device 300 is pulled in the proximal direction to pull it out of the urethra . in fig4 h ′, the steps from fig4 a through 4 g ′ are repeated optionally in a second region of the prostate gland to implant two or more sets of anchoring devices . it should be understood that this method and devices may be applied to any lobe ( middle or lateral lobes ) of the prostate and further more may be used multiple times in the same lobe to achieve the desired effect . fig4 h ″ shows a coronal section through the prostate gland showing the final deployed configuration of an embodiment of bone anchoring devices for treating prostate gland disorders by compressing a region of the prostate gland . in the method of deploying this device , introducer sheath 340 and trocar 360 are advanced till the distal tip of trocar 360 penetrates a bone in the abdomen ( e . g . the pelvic bone , etc .) and the distal end of introducer sheath 340 is located outside the bone . thereafter , trocar 360 is withdrawn from working device lumen 302 leaving introducer sheath 340 in place . thereafter , anchor delivery device 370 is introduced through the lumen of introducer sheath 340 until the distal end of body 372 touches the bone through the distal tip of introducer sheath 340 . thereafter , distal anchor 374 is implanted in the bone . distal anchor 374 may comprise a variety of designs including , but not limited to designs of distal tips of kirschner wires . examples of such kirschner wire distal tips are spiral drill tips , lancer tips , threaded trocar tips , lengthwise knurled tips , 3 - sided trocar tips , 4 - sided trocar tips , thereafter , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 . this step creates tension in the tension element 378 . in another method embodiment , anchor deliver device 370 is pulled in the proximal direction along with introducer sheath 340 till the distal end of anchor delivery device 370 is located in the urethral wall or the urethral lumen . the remaining method steps are similar to steps 4 f through 4 h . one or more anchors disclosed in this patent application may be implanted in anatomical locations that include , but are not limited to : a location within prostatic lobe ; a location within peripheral zone of prostate ; a location within prostatic capsule ; a location between prostatic capsule and pubic fascia ; a location within the pubic fascia ; a location within the levator ani muscle a location within the obturator internus muscle ; a location within the pelvic bone ; a location within the periostium of pelvic bone ; a location within the pubic bone ; a location within the periostium of pubic bone ; a location within the symphysis pubica ; a location within the urinary bladder wall ; a location within the ischiorectal fossa ; a location within the urogenital diaphragm ; and a location within the abdominal fascia . fig4 i and 4j show a crossection of the urethra through the prostate gland pg showing the appearance of the urethral lumen before and after performing the method shown in fig4 a through 4h . fig4 i shows a crossection of the urethra through the prostate gland showing the appearance of the urethral lumen in a patient with bph . fig4 j shows a crossection of the urethra through the prostate gland pg showing the appearance of the urethral lumen after performing the procedure shown in fig4 a through 4h . the urethral lumen shown in fig4 i is larger than the urethral lumen in fig4 j . fig5 a through 5f show perspective views of some designs of the tension elements that can be used in the embodiments disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . fig5 a shows a perspective view of a tension element 500 comprising a single strand of an untwisted material . examples of materials that can be used to manufacture tension element 500 include but are not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . fig5 b shows a perspective view of a tension element 502 comprising one or more serrations 504 or notches . serrations 504 may be aligned in a particular direction to allow relatively easy movement of an outer body along tension element 502 in one direction and offer significant resistance to movement of the outer body along the tension element in the other direction . fig5 c shows a perspective view of a tension element 506 comprising multiple filaments 507 of a material twisted together . examples of materials that can be used include to manufacture multiple filaments 507 include but are not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . multiple filaments 507 may be coated with a coating 508 including , but not limited to a lubricious coating , antibiotic coating , etc . it is also possible for the tension element to comprise a composite braided structure in a plastic / metal or plastic / plastic configuration to reduce profile and increase strength . such materials could have preset levels of elasticity and non - elasticity . fig5 d shows a perspective view of a tension element 509 comprising a flexible , elastic , spiral or spring element . examples of materials that can be used include to manufacture tension element 509 include but are not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . fig5 e shows a perspective view of a tension element 510 comprising a screw threading 511 on the outer surface of tension element 510 . screw threading 511 enables tension element 510 to be screwed through an outer element to advance or withdraw tension element through the outer element . fig5 f shows a perspective view of a tension element 512 comprising a hollow shaft 514 comprising one or more collapsible regions 516 . a collapsible region 516 comprises one or more windows 518 . windows 518 are cut in hollow shaft 514 in such a way that several thin , collapsible struts 520 are created between adjacent windows 518 . when tension element 512 is compresses along its length , collapsible struts 520 are deformed in the radially outward direction to create one or more anchoring regions . fig5 g shows a perspective view of an anchoring device 522 comprising a tension element and two anchors . distal end of a tension element 524 is attached to a distal anchor 526 . proximal end of tension element 524 is attached to a proximal anchor 528 . fig5 h shows a perspective view of a tensioning element device comprising a detachable region . anchoring device 530 comprises a first anchor 532 and a second anchor 534 . first anchor 532 and second anchor 534 may comprise a variety of anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . in one embodiment , one or both of first anchor 532 and second anchor 534 comprise a substantially flat plate . the substantially flat plate may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . first anchor 532 and second anchor 534 are connected to a tensioning element . the tensioning element comprises two flexible members : a first tensioning member 536 and a second tensioning member 538 . the distal end of first tensioning member 536 is connected to first anchor 532 and the proximal end of second tensioning member 538 is connected to second anchor 534 . proximal end of first tensioning member 536 and distal end of second tensioning member 538 are connected to a releasable member 540 . releasable member 540 can be releasably connected to a deploying device . in one embodiment of a method using anchoring device 530 , first anchor 532 is deployed out of an anatomical tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ) into a first anatomical cavity ( e . g . the pelvic cavity ). thereafter , second anchor 534 is deployed into a second anatomical cavity ( e . g . the urethral lumen ). thereafter , releasable member 540 is released from the deploying device to deliver anchoring device 530 in a target region . fig5 i shows a perspective view of a tensioning element comprising telescoping tubes . tensioning element 544 may comprise two or more telescoping tubes . in this example , tensioning element 544 comprises three telescoping tubes : a first telescoping tube 546 , a second telescoping tube 548 and a third telescoping tube 550 . second telescoping tube 548 slidably fits into a lumen of first telescoping tube 546 . similarly third telescoping tube 550 slidably fits into a lumen of second telescoping tube 548 . the telescoping tubes have a locking mechanism to prevent a telescoping tube from completely disengaging from another telescoping tube . the telescoping tubes may be made from a variety of biocompatible materials including , but not limited to plastics , metals etc . all the components of the systems disclosed herein ( including but not limited to the tensioning elements , inner and outer anchor members ) may be coated or embedded with therapeutic or diagnostic substances ( e . g ., drugs or therapeutic agents ) or such therapeutic or diagnostic substances may be introduced into or near the prostate or adjacent tissue through a catheter , cannula needles , etc . examples of therapeutic and diagnostic substances that may be introduced or eluted include but are not limited to : hemostatic agents ; antimicrobial agents ( antibacterials , antibiotics , antifungals , antiprotozoals ; antivirals ; antimicrobial metals ( e . g ., silver , gold , etc . ); hemostatic and / or vasoconstricting agents ( e . g ., pseudoephedrine , xylometazoline , oxymetazoline , phenylephrine , epinephrine , cocaine , etc . ); local anesthetic agents ( lidocaine , cocaine , bupivacaine ,); hormones ; anti - inflammatory agents ( steroidal and non - steroidal ); hormonally active agents ; agents to enhance potency ; substances to dissolve , degrade , cut , break , weaken , soften , modify or remodel connective tissue or other tissues ; ( e . g ., enzymes or other agents such as collagenase ( cgn ), trypsin , trypsin / edta , hyaluronidase , and tosyllysylchloromethane ( tlcm )); chemotherapeutic or antineoplastic agents ; substances that prevent adhesion formation ( e . g ., hyaluronic acid gel ); substances that promote desired tissue ingrowth into an anchoring device or other implanted device ; substances that promote or facilitate epithelialization of the urethra or other areas ; substances that create a coagulative lesion which is subsequently resorbed causing the tissue to shrink ; substances that cause the prostate to decrease in size ; phytochemicals that cause the prostate to decrease in size ; alpha - 1a - adrenergic receptor blocking agents ; 5 - alpha - reductase inhibitors ; smooth muscle relaxants ; agents that inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone , etc . specific examples of antitumor agents ( e . g ., cancer chemotherapeutic agents , biological response modifiers , vascularization inhibitors , hormone receptor blockers , cryotherapeutic agents or other agents that destroy or inhibit neoplasia or tumorigenesis ) that may be delivered in accordance with the present invention include but are not limited to ; alkylating agents or other agents which directly kill cancer cells by attacking their dna ( e . g ., cyclophosphamide , isophosphamide ), nitrosoureas or other agents which kill cancer cells by inhibiting changes necessary for cellular dna repair ( e . g ., carmustine ( bcnu ) and lomustine ( ccnu )), antimetabolites and other agents that block cancer cell growth by interfering with certain cell functions , usually dna synthesis ( e . g ., 6 mercaptopurine and 5 - fluorouracil ( 5fu ), antitumor antibiotics and other compounds that act by binding or intercalating dna and preventing rna synthesis ( e . g ., doxorubicin , daunorubicin , epirubicin , idarubicin , mitomycin - c and bleomycin ) plant ( vinca ) alkaloids and other anti - tumor agents derived from plants ( e . g ., vincristine and vinblastine ), steroid hormones , hormone inhibitors , hormone receptor antagonists and other agents which affect the growth of hormone - responsive cancers ( e . g ., tamoxifen , herceptin , aromatase inhibitors such as aminoglutethamide and formestane , trriazole inhibitors such as letrozole and anastrazole , steroidal inhibitors such as exemestane ), antiangiogenic proteins , small molecules , gene therapies and / or other agents that inhibit angiogenesis or vascularization of tumors ( e . g ., meth - 1 , meth - 2 , thalidomide ), bevacizumab ( avastin ), squalamine , endostatin , angiostatin , angiozyme , ae - 941 ( neovastat ), cc - 5013 ( revimid ), medi - 522 ( vitaxin ), 2 - methoxyestradiol ( 2me2 , panzem ), carboxyamidotriazole ( cai ), combretastatin a4 prodrug ( ca4p ), su6668 , su11248 , bms - 275291 , col - 3 , emd 121974 , imc - 1c11 , 1m862 , tnp - 470 , celecoxib ( celebrex ), rofecoxib ( vioxx ), interferon alpha , interleukin - 12 ( il - 12 ) or any of the compounds identified in science vol . 289 , pages 1197 - 1201 ( aug . 17 , 2000 ) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference , biological response modifiers ( e . g ., interferon , bacillus calmette - guerin ( bcg ), monoclonal antibodies , interluken 2 , granulocyte colony stimulating factor ( gcsf ), etc . ), pgdf receptor antagonists , herceptin , asparaginase , busulphan , carboplatin , cisplatin , carmustine , cchlorambucil , cytarabine , dacarbazine , etoposide , flucarbazine , fluorouracil , gemcitabine , hydroxyurea , ifosphamide , irinotecan , lomustine , melphalan , mercaptopurine , methotrexate , thioguanine , thiotepa , tomudex , topotecan , treosulfan , vinblastine , vincristine , mitoazitrone , oxaliplatin , procarbazine , streptocin , taxol , taxotere , analogs / congeners and derivatives of such compounds as well as other antitumor agents not listed here . additionally or alternatively , in some applications such as those where it is desired to grow new cells or to modify existing cells , the substances delivered in this invention may include cells ( mucosal cells , fibroblasts , stem cells or genetically engineered cells ) as well as genes and gene delivery vehicles like plasmids , adenoviral vectors or naked dna , mrna , etc . injected with genes that code for anti - inflammatory substances , etc ., and , as mentioned above , macrophages or giant cells that modify or soften tissue when so desired , cells that participate in or effect the growth of tissue . fig6 a through 11a show various examples of anchor designs and / or anchoring device designs . fig6 a and 6b show examples of a crumpling anchor 600 . in fig6 a , crumpling anchor 600 comprises a substantially flattened body 602 . body 602 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . further , in any of the implantable tissue compression devices , any or all of the anchors , the tensioning element ( s ) and any other components may be coated , impregnated , embedded or otherwise provided with substance ( s ) ( e . g ., drugs , biologics , cells , etc .) to reduce the likelihood of infection , inflammation , treat the prostatic adenoma directly or enhance the likelihood of endothelialization , deter adhesion formation , promote healing or otherwise improve the likelihood or degree of success of the procedure . such substance ( s ) may be released primarily at the time of delivery or may be released over a sustained period . examples of such substances are listed above and include but are not limited to certain metals with bacteriostatic action ( i . e . silver , gold , etc . ), antibiotics , antifungals , hemostatic agents ( i . e . collagen , hyaluronic acid , gelfoam , cyano - acrylate , etc . ), anti - inflammatory agents ( steroidal and non - steroidal ), hormonally active agents , stem cells , endothelial cells , genes , vectors containing genes , etc . body 602 may be non - woven or woven . body 602 may have a variety of shapes including , but not limited to square , rectangular , triangular , other regular polygonal , irregular polygonal , circular etc . body 602 may have a substantially one dimensional , two dimensional or three dimensional shape . the material chosen for this device may have hemostatic properties to reduce bleeding from the implantation tract or site . distal end of body 602 is connected to the distal end of tension element 604 . body 602 further comprises one or more attachment means 606 . attachment means are used to create a channel in the body 602 through which tension element 604 passes . crumpling anchor 600 is introduced through a region of tissue ( e . g . through prostate gland tissue ) into a cavity or lumen e . g . pelvic cavity , urethral lumen etc . in fig6 b , tension element 604 is pulled in the proximal direction . the causes crumpling ( e . g ., collapsing ) of the crumpling anchor 600 between the tissue and the distal end of tension element 604 . this process prevents tension element 604 in the tissue and prevents further movement of tension element 604 in the proximal direction . fig7 a and 7b show an example of a deployable anchor 700 in an undeployed configuration and a deployed configuration , respectively . this deployable anchor 700 comprises one or more anchoring arms 702 . anchoring arms 702 may be made from a variety of elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials etc . typical examples of such materials include but are not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . anchoring arms 702 are connected to a central hub 704 . central hub in turn is connected to the distal end of a tension element 706 . in fig7 a , anchoring arms 702 are folded inside a hollow deploying sheath 708 . this reduces the undeployed diameter of anchoring arms 702 and also prevents unwanted anchoring of anchoring arms 702 . in fig7 b , deploying sheath 708 is pulled in the proximal direction . this releases anchoring arms 702 from the distal end of deploying sheath 702 . this causes anchoring arms 702 to open in the radially outward direction . anchor 700 can then anchor to tissue and resist movement of tension element 706 in the proximal direction . fig8 a and 8b show sectional views of an undeployed configuration and a deployed configuration respectively of a “ t ” shaped deployable anchor . anchor 8110 comprises an elongate region 802 . elongate region 802 may be made from a variety of elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials etc . typical examples of such materials include but are not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . middle section of elongate region 802 is connected to the distal end of a tension element 804 to form a “ t ” shaped anchor . in one embodiment , middle section of elongate region 802 is connected to the distal end of a tension element 804 by a hinge . in fig8 a , elongate region 802 is folded inside a hollow deploying sheath 806 . this reduces the undeployed diameter of the distal region of anchor 8110 and also prevents unwanted anchoring of elongate region 802 to tissue . in fig8 b , deploying sheath 806 is pulled in the proximal direction . this releases elongate region 802 from the distal end of deploying sheath 806 . this in turn causes elongate region 802 to twist and orient itself perpendicular to the distal end of a tension element 804 . anchor 800 can then anchor to tissue and resist movement of tension element 804 in the proximal direction . anchoring arms 702 in fig7 a and 7b can have a variety of configurations including , but not limited to configurations shown in fig9 a through 9d . fig9 a shows a distal end view of an embodiment of an anchor comprising two triangular arms . anchor 900 comprises two anchor arms 902 . anchor arms 902 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . anchor arms 902 are connected to a tension element 904 . in one embodiment , anchor arms 902 are connected to a central hub , which in turn is connected to tension element 904 . the arms in each of these devices may be folded or contained prior to deployment through the use of a sheath or grasping or mounting device . fig9 b shows a distal end view of an embodiment of an anchor comprising four rectangular arms . anchor 906 comprises four anchor arms 908 . anchor arms 908 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . anchor arms 908 are connected to a tension element 910 . in one embodiment , anchor arms 908 are connected to a central hub , which in turn is connected to tension element 910 . fig9 c shows a distal end view of an embodiment of an anchor comprising a mesh or a woven material . anchor 912 comprises four anchor arms 914 . anchor arms 914 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . anchor arms 914 are connected to a tension element 916 . in one embodiment , anchor arms 914 are connected to a central hub , which in turn is connected to tension element 916 . a layer of porous material 918 is located between anchor arms 914 . porous material 918 comprises a plurality of pores that allow for tissue ingrowth . porous material 918 may also help to distribute the pressure on anchor arms 914 over a wider area . porous material 918 can be made of variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . porous material 918 may be non - woven or woven . any of the arms or struts in one or more anchoring devices may comprise bent or curved regions . for example , fig9 d shows a distal end view of an embodiment of an anchor comprising four curved arms . anchor 920 comprises four curved anchor arms 922 . curved anchor arms 922 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . curved anchor arms 922 are connected to a tension element 924 . in one embodiment , curved anchor arms 922 are connected to a central hub which in turn is connected to tension element 924 . fig1 a shows a distal end view of an anchor comprising a spiral element having a three dimensional shape . anchor 1000 comprises a three dimensional spiral element 1002 . diameter of spiral element 1002 may be substantially constant or may substantially vary along the length of spiral element 1002 . spiral element 1002 may be made of an elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials . spiral element 1002 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . spiral element 1002 is connected to a central hub 1004 , which in turn is connected to a tension element . in one embodiment , spiral element 1002 is directly connected to a tension element without using central hub 1004 . fig1 a ′ shows a side view of the anchor in fig1 a . fig1 a ′ shows anchor 1000 comprising spiral element 1002 connected to central hub 1004 which in turn is connected to a tension element 1006 . fig1 b shows a distal end view of an anchor comprising a spiral element having a two dimensional shape . anchor 1000 comprises a two dimensional spiral element 1010 . spiral element 1010 may be made of an elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials . spiral element 1010 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . spiral element 1010 is connected to a central hub 1012 which in turn is connected to a tension element . in one embodiment , spiral element 1010 is directly connected to a tension element without using central hub 1012 . fig1 b ′ shows a side view of the anchor in fig1 b . fig1 b ′ shows anchor 1008 comprising spiral element 1010 connected to central hub 1012 which in turn is connected to a tension element 1014 . fig1 c shows a distal end view of an anchor comprising one or more circular elements . in fig1 c , anchor 1016 comprises an inner circular element 1018 and an outer circular element 1020 . a series of radial arms or struts 1022 connect inner circular element 1018 to outer circular element 1020 and to a central hub 1024 . central hub 1024 may have a lumen 1026 . anchor 1016 may be substantially two dimensional or three dimensional . fig1 c ′ shows a perspective view of the anchor in fig1 c . fig1 c ′ shows an anchor 1016 comprising an inner circular element 1018 , an outer circular element 1020 and series of radial arms or struts 1022 connecting inner circular element 1018 to outer circular element 1020 and to a central hub 1024 . central hub 1024 is connected to a tension element . fig1 d shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an anchoring device comprising an outer ring . anchor 1040 comprises a central hub 1042 and an outer ring 1044 . in one embodiment , central hub 1042 acts as a plug to plug an opening in the anatomy to reduce or prevent bleeding or leakage of fluids . central hub 1042 is connected to outer ring 1044 by one or more bars or struts 1046 . in one embodiment , central hub 1042 is connected to an inner ring 1048 which in turn is connected to outer ring 1044 by one or more bars or struts 1046 . central hub 1042 further comprises a locking element 1050 . locking element 1050 comprises a lumen 1052 through which a tension element can slide . after positioning anchor 1040 in a desired position with respect to the tension element , locking element 1050 is used to securely attach anchor 1040 on the tension element . locking element 1050 may comprise a design disclosed including various locking designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . anchor 1040 may be made from a variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . fig1 e shows a partial perspective view of an anchoring device comprising a hemostatic element . anchor 1060 comprises a central hub 1062 . in one embodiment , central hub 1062 acts as a plug to plug an opening in the anatomy to reduce or prevent bleeding or leakage of fluids . central hub 1062 comprises a cinching mechanism to allow central hub 1062 to cinch on to a tension element 1064 passing through central hub 1062 . the free end 1066 of tension element 1064 is severed to minimize the presence of tension element 1064 in the anatomy . anchor 1060 further comprises an outer ring 1068 . central hub 1062 is connected to outer ring 1068 by one or more struts 1070 . anchor 1060 further comprises a mesh or porous element 1072 between outer ring 1068 and struts 1070 . the mesh or porous element 1072 may be concave shaped as shown in fig1 e . mesh or porous element 1072 allows for tissue ingrowth over a period of time thus providing additional securing of anchor 1060 to tissue . fig1 a shows a perspective view of a device having a set of anchors comprising a curved sheet . anchoring device 1100 may comprise one or more anchors comprising a curved sheet . in this example , anchoring device 1100 comprises a first anchor 1102 and a second anchor 1104 . first anchor 1102 and second anchor 1104 may comprise elastic , super elastic or shape memory materials . first anchor 1102 and second anchor 1104 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the concave surface of first anchor 1102 is connected to a first end of a tension element 1106 . second end of tension element 1106 is connected to the convex surface of second anchor 1104 . in one embodiment of a method to deploy anchoring device 1106 , first anchor 1102 is deployed out of an anatomical tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ) into a first anatomical cavity ( e . g . the pelvic cavity ). thereafter , second anchor 1104 is deployed into a second anatomical cavity ( e . g . the urethral lumen ). this method embodiment has the advantage of using the natural curvature of first anchor 1102 and second anchor 1104 to distribute pressure on first anchor 1102 and second anchor 1104 over a large area . fig1 a through 17i show further examples of anchor designs and / or anchoring device designs . fig1 a shows a perspective view of an anchor comprising an arrowhead . anchor 1200 comprises an arrowhead 1202 . arrowhead 1202 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . arrowhead 1202 may comprise a sharp distal tip . arrowhead 1202 may have a three dimensional or a substantially two dimensional design . proximal region of arrowhead 1202 is wider that the distal region of arrowhead 1202 to resist motion of arrowhead 1202 along the proximal direction after it is deployed in a tissue . proximal region of arrowhead 1202 is connected to a tension element 1204 . fig1 b shows a crossectional view of an anchor comprising a cup - shaped element that encloses a cavity . anchor 1208 comprises a cup - shaped element 1210 . proximal , concave surface of cup - shaped element 1210 encloses a cavity . cup - shaped element 1210 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . proximal region of cup - shaped element 1210 is connected to a tension element 1212 . fig1 c shows a perspective view of an anchor comprising a screw . anchor 1216 comprises a screw 1218 . screw 1218 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . screw 1218 may comprise a sharp distal tip . proximal region of screw 1218 may be wider that the distal region of screw 1218 to resist motion of screw 1218 along the proximal direction after it is deployed in a tissue . screw 1218 comprises a thread rolled thread including , but not limited to wood screw style thread , double lead thread , tapping style thread , tapered wood thread etc . proximal region of arrowhead 1202 is connected to a tension element 1204 . fig1 a and 13b show perspective views of an uncollapsed state and a collapsed state respectively of an anchor comprising a collapsible region . in fig1 a , anchor element 1300 is in an uncollapsed state . anchor element 1300 comprises a hollow shaft 1302 comprising one or more collapsible regions . a collapsible region comprises one or more windows 1304 . windows 1304 are cut in hollow shaft 1302 in such a way that several thin , collapsible struts 1306 are created between adjacent windows 1304 . in fig1 b , anchor element 1300 is in a collapsed state . when anchor element 1300 is compresses along its length , collapsible struts 1306 are deformed in the radially outward direction to create one or more anchoring regions . fig1 c and 13d show perspective views of an undeployed state and a deployed state respectively of an anchor comprising radially spreading arms . in fig1 c , anchor 1312 comprises a hollow tube 1314 . hollow tube 1314 is made from suitable elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials such as metals including , but not limited to titanium , stainless steel , nitinol etc . ; suitable elastic polymers etc . u - shaped slots 1316 are cut in hollow tube 1314 in such a way that arms 1318 are created within u - shaped slots 1316 . in this embodiment , u - shaped slots are substantially parallel to the axis of hollow tube 1314 . in absence of an external force , arms 1318 tend to spread in a radially outward direction . anchor 1312 is kept in an undeployed state by enclosing anchor 1312 in a sheath . anchor 1312 is deployed by removing the sheath to allow arms 1318 to spread in a radially outward direction as shown in fig1 d . hollow tube 1314 may comprise one or more cinching elements . cinching elements may be located on the proximal region , distal region or a middle region of hollow tube 1314 . the cinching element or elements may comprise cinching mechanisms including , but not limited to cinching mechanisms disclosed in fig2 a through 29p . fig1 e shows perspective views of an alternate embodiment of an undeployed state of an anchor comprising radially spreading arms . in fig1 c , anchor 1320 comprises a hollow tube 1322 . hollow tube 1322 is made from suitable elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials such as metals including , but not limited to titanium , stainless steel , nitinol etc . ; suitable elastic polymers etc . u - shaped slots 1324 are cut in hollow tube 1322 in such a way that arms 1326 are created within u - shaped slots 1324 . in this embodiment , u - shaped slots are at an angle to the axis of hollow tube 1322 as shown in fig1 e . fig1 a and 14b show perspective views of anchoring devices comprising an adhesive delivering element . fig1 a shows a perspective view of an anchoring device 1400 comprising a hollow shaft 1402 with a shaft lumen . hollow shaft 1402 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . distal end of shaft lumen ends in a delivery opening 1404 . when an adhesive is injected through the shaft lumen , it emerges out of anchoring device 1400 through delivery opening 1404 . hollow shaft 1402 may also comprise an attachment element 1406 such as a porous woven or non - woven circular sleeve securely attached to hollow shaft 1402 . the circular sleeve may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the adhesive flowing out through delivery opening comes into contact with attachment element 1406 and securely attaches attachment element 1406 to surrounding tissue . fig1 b shows a perspective view of an anchoring device 1408 comprising a hollow shaft 1410 with a shaft lumen . hollow shaft 1410 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . distal end of shaft lumen ends in a delivery opening 1412 . when an adhesive is injected through the shaft lumen , it emerges out of anchoring device 1408 through delivery opening 1412 . hollow shaft 1410 may also comprise an attachment element 1414 such as porous foam securely attached to hollow shaft 1410 . the porous foam may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the adhesive flowing out through delivery opening comes into contact with attachment element 1414 and securely attaches attachment element 1414 to surrounding tissue . typical examples of adhesives that can be used with anchoring device 1400 and anchoring device 1408 include but are not limited to cyanoacrylates , marine adhesive proteins , fibrin - based sealants etc . fig1 a and 15b show two configurations of an anchoring device comprising a ratcheted tension element . anchoring device 1500 comprises a distal anchor . distal anchor may comprise a design selected from the variety of designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . in this particular example , distal anchor comprises a series of radial arms 1502 connected to a central hub 1504 . the proximal end of central hub is attached to a ratcheted tension element 1506 . a proximal anchor is located on ratcheted tension element 1506 proximal to the distal anchor . proximal anchor may comprise a design selected from the variety designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . in this particular example , distal anchor comprises a series of radial arms 1508 connected to a central hub 1510 . central hub 8368 has a central lumen through which ratcheted tension element 1506 can slide . ratcheted tension element 1506 has ratchets arranged such that proximal anchor can slide easily over ratcheted tension element 1506 in the distal direction but cannot slide easily in the proximal direction . in fig1 b , proximal anchor slides over ratcheted tension element 1506 in the distal direction . this causes a compression of tissue between distal anchor and proximal anchor . the compression of tissue can be maintained since proximal anchor cannot slide easily in the proximal direction . in one embodiment of a method using anchoring device 1500 , distal anchor is introduced via an anatomical lumen ( e . g . the urethral lumen ) and through a tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ) into an anatomical cavity ( e . g . the pelvic cavity ). thereafter , proximal anchor is advanced along ratcheted tension element 1506 till it encounters a wall ( e . g . the urethral wall ) of the anatomical lumen . anchoring device 1500 may be made from various materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . fig1 shows a perspective view of an anchor comprising a trocar lumen . anchor 1600 comprises a hollow shaft 1602 comprising a lumen . a trocar 1604 or a penetrating device can pass through hollow shaft 1602 such that the distal tip of trocar 1604 emerges out through the distal end of hollow shaft 1602 . distal end of hollow shaft 1602 comprises a tapering region 1606 with a smaller distal diameter and a larger proximal diameter . tapering region 1606 further comprises a series of sharp projections 1608 located on the proximal end of tapering region 1606 . projections 1608 may be projecting in the proximal direction , radially outward direction etc . projections 1608 prevent the movement of anchor 1600 in the proximal direction after it has penetrated through a tissue . anchor 1600 may also comprise a sleeve 1610 located proximal to tapering region 1606 . sleeve 1610 is made of a porous material that has a plurality of pores that allow for tissue ingrowth thus anchoring sleeve 1610 firmly in tissue . sleeve 1610 may also help to distribute the pressure on tapering region 1606 over a wider area . sleeve 1610 may be non - woven or woven . sleeve 1610 can be made of variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . fig1 a shows a perspective view in the undeployed state of an anchor comprising a rigid or partially flexible t element and a crumpling element . in fig1 a , anchoring device 1700 comprises a distal , t element 1702 . the t element 1702 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . further it may be a composite material or have cut out sections to allow it to be flexible in certain dimensions but rigid in other dimensions . in this example , t element 1702 is in the form of a hollow cylinder . the proximal end of t element 1702 is in contact with the distal end of a delivery rod 1704 . delivery rod 1704 is hollow and is used to deliver t element 8266 in a target anatomical region . a trocar 1705 can pass through delivery rod 1704 and through t element 1702 such that the distal tip of trocar emerges through the distal end of rigid element 1702 . the t - element could also be contained within a lumen of the trocar or may be the trocar itself of the t element 1702 is connected to the distal end of a flexible tension element 1706 . various connection means are possible such as the tension element being tied or crimped to the t element , or passing through a loop in the t element , or being adhered by adhesive or weld , or by being made of a continuous material which becomes the t element . although the t element is shown as a t , any shape which is larger in at least one dimension compared to its other dimensions could appropriately be released and cause to change it &# 39 ; s orientation to produce an anchoring effect . examples of materials that can be used to manufacture tension element 1706 include but are not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . a substantially flattened body 1708 is located on the distal region of tension element 1706 . tension element 1706 is threaded through body 1708 in such a way that tension element 1706 can slide through body 1708 . body 1708 may be non - woven or woven . body 1708 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . body 1708 may have a variety of shapes including , but not limited to square , rectangular , triangular , other regular polygonal , irregular polygonal , circular etc . body 1708 may have a substantially one dimensional , two dimensional or three dimensional shape . fig1 b and 17c show various steps of a method to deploy the anchoring device shown in fig1 a . in fig1 b , anchoring device 1700 is introduced in an anatomical cavity ( e . g . the pelvic cavity ) through a tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ). thereafter , trocar 1705 is withdrawn by pulling trocar 1705 in the proximal direction . thereafter , delivery rod 1704 is withdrawn by pulling delivery rod 1704 in the proximal direction . thereafter , tension element 1706 is pulled in the proximal direction . tension element 1706 in turn pulls t element 1702 in the proximal direction . in fig1 c , rigid element 1702 is pulled against a wall of the tissue ( e . g . the prostate gland ) but is unable to penetrate the tissue because of its size . this causes body 1708 to crumple because of compression of body 1708 between the wall of the tissue and rigid element 1702 . crumpled body 1708 may be designed to cause tissue ingrowth or epithelialization in body 1708 as well as healing , hemostasis or a more even force distribution . fig1 d and 17e show perspective views of an undeployed and deployed configuration of an anchor comprising a rigid or partially flexible t element with one or more openings or perforations . fig1 d shows a perspective view of an anchoring device 1720 comprising an anchor 1722 . anchor 1722 comprises a tubular body . the tubular body may comprise one or more openings or perforations 1724 in the tubular body . openings or perforations 1724 increase the flexibility of anchor 1722 . this makes it easier to navigate anchoring device 1720 through the anatomy before reaching its target location . further it enables anchoring device 1720 to be passed through a tight bend in the anatomy or through a delivery device . within tubular body of anchor 1722 is trocar tip 1727 that is fixedly attached to tensioning element 1728 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 d , anchor 1722 comprises a lumen . a length of the distal end of deployment element 1726 passes through the proximal end of the lumen and abuts trocar tip 1727 that enables anchor 1722 to puncture tissue . in an alternate embodiment trocar tip is fixedly attached to elongate deployment element 1726 and is retracted fully into element 1729 upon anchor deployment . in an alternate embodiment , distal tip of deployment device 1726 is not exposed through the distal end of anchor 1722 . distal end of anchor 1722 comprises a sharp tip to enable anchor 1722 to puncture tissue . anchoring element 1720 further comprises a tension element 1728 attached to tubular body 1722 . in this embodiment , distal end of tension element 1728 attached to the inner surface of the trocar tip 1727 . proximal region of tension element 1728 passes through deployment element 1726 . anchor 1722 is deployed by pushing in a distal direction one elongate deployment element 1726 , that runs within lumen of anchor 1722 abutting trocar tip 1727 distally , in tandem with another elongate deployment element 1729 that abuts the proximal end of anchor 1722 . anchoring device 1720 punctures tissue to transport anchor 1722 through a first anatomical location ( e . g . a prostate gland ) to a second anatomical location ( e . g . the pelvic cavity , urethra etc .). thereafter , deployment element 1726 is withdrawn by pulling deployment element 1726 in the proximal direction . thereafter , tension element 1728 is pulled in the proximal direction . this causes anchor 1722 to anchor in tissue as shown in fig1 e . proximal portion of tension element 1728 emerges out of anchor 1722 through a lengthwise groove in anchor 1722 to create a t shaped anchor as shown in fig1 e . tension on tensioning element 1728 causes trocar tip 1727 to retract into lumen 1722 . in the example shown , the first anatomical location is the prostate gland pg and the second anatomical location is the pelvic cavity . anchoring device 1720 can be made from a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals such as synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . tension element 1728 may then be connected to any one of the other anchoring elements such as anchor 10 d . fig1 f and 17g show perspective views of an undeployed and deployed configuration of an anchor comprising a stent . anchor 1730 comprises a self - expanding stent and a tension element 1734 . distal end of tension element 1734 is attached to stent 1732 . in one embodiment , distal end of tension element 1734 is attached on the mid section of stent 1732 . stent 1732 may comprise various designs including , but not limited to metallic tube designs , polymeric tube designs , spiral designs , chain - linked designs , rolled sheet designs , single wire designs etc . stent 1732 may have an open celled or closed celled structure . a variety of fabrication methods can be used for fabricating stent 1732 including but not limited to laser cutting a metal or polymer element , welding metal elements etc . a variety of materials can be used for fabricating stent 1732 including but not limited to metals , polymers , foam type materials , super elastic materials etc . a variety of features can be added to stent 1732 including but not limited to radiopaque coatings , drug elution mechanisms etc . anchor 1730 is introduced through a sheath 1736 into a target anatomy . thereafter , sheath 1736 is withdrawn . this causes stent 1732 to revert to its natural shape as shown in fig1 g and act as an anchor . fig1 h and 17i show perspective views of an undeployed and deployed configuration of an anchor comprising a spring . anchor 1740 comprises an elastic spring 1742 and a tension element 1744 . distal end of tension element 1744 is attached to spring 1742 . in one embodiment , distal end of tension element 1744 is attached on the mid section of spring 1742 . a variety of materials can be used for fabricating spring 1742 including but not limited to metals , polymers , foam type materials , super elastic materials etc . a variety of features can be added to spring 1742 including but not limited to radiopaque coatings , drug elution mechanisms etc . anchor 1740 is introduced through a sheath 1746 into a target anatomy to reduce the profile of spring 1742 . thereafter , sheath 1746 is withdrawn . this causes spring 1742 to revert to its natural shape as shown in fig1 i and act as an anchor . fig1 a through 22e show various embodiments of mechanisms to deploy one or more anchors . fig1 a shows a crossection of an anchor deploying mechanism comprising a screw system . fig1 a shows an anchor deploying mechanism comprising an anchor 1800 comprising an anchor body 1802 and anchoring elements 1804 attached to anchor body 1802 . anchor body 1802 comprises an inner lumen . inner lumen of anchor body 1802 comprises screw threading . anchoring elements 1804 may have various designs including , but not limited to anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . anchor body 1802 and anchoring elements 1804 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the anchor deploying mechanism further comprises a deploying shaft 1806 . distal region of deploying shaft 1806 comprises a screw threading such that deploying shaft 1806 can be screwed into anchor body 1802 . fig1 b shows the method of deploying an anchor comprising a screw mechanism . deploying shaft 1806 is rotated to release the distal region of deploying shaft 1806 from anchor body 1802 after positioning anchor 1800 in a desired location . such a mechanism can be used to deploy one or more anchors . in one embodiment , more than one anchors are located on deploying shaft 1806 . the anchors can be sequentially deployed by rotating deploying shaft 1806 . deploying shaft 1806 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . in one embodiment , the anchor deploying mechanism is located inside an outer sheath . fig1 a and 19b show a crossectional view of an anchor deploying system comprising an electrolytic detachment element . fig1 a shows a crossection of an anchor deploying mechanism comprising a deployable anchor 1900 . deployable anchor 1900 comprises an anchor body 1902 and anchoring elements 1904 attached to anchor body 1902 . anchoring elements 1904 may have various designs including , but not limited to anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . anchor body 8402 and anchoring elements 8404 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . proximal region of deployable anchor 1900 further comprises an electrolyzable element 1906 . electrolyzable element 1906 is made of a length of metallic wire e . g . steel wire . proximal region of electrolyzable element 1906 is electrically connected to a deploying shaft 1908 . proximal region of deploying shaft 1908 is further connected to a first electrode . the anchor deploying system further comprises a second electrode 1910 connected to a bodily region of the patient to be treated . in fig1 b , the first electrode is connected to a positive terminal of a power supply and the second electrode is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply to form an electrical circuit . electrical current flowing between electrolyzable element 1906 and second electrode 1910 causes metallic ions from electrolyzable element 1906 to dissolve into surrounding anatomy . this causes electrolyzable element 1906 to detach from deploying shaft 1908 . fig2 shows a perspective view of an anchor deploying system comprising a looped ribbon . the anchor deploying system comprises a deployable anchor 2000 . deployable anchor 2000 comprises an anchor body 2002 and anchoring elements 2004 attached to anchor body 2002 . anchoring elements 2004 may have various designs including , but not limited to anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . anchor body 2002 and anchoring elements 2004 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . proximal region of deployable anchor 2000 further comprises a looping lumen 2006 . a looped ribbon 2008 is looped through looping lumen 2006 . looped ribbon 2008 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . looped ribbon 2008 extends to a proximal region where it can be cut by a user . in a method of deploying deployable anchor 2000 , a single cut is made in looped ribbon 2008 at a proximal region . this turns looped ribbon 2008 into a straight ribbon . the straight ribbon can then be pulled in the proximal direction to remove it from deployable anchor 2000 . looped ribbon 2008 may also be in the form of a looped monofilament or multifilament wire or suture . fig2 a shows a crossectional view of an anchor deploying system comprising a locked ball . the anchor deploying system comprises a deployable anchor 2100 . deployable anchor 2100 comprises an anchor body 2102 . deployable anchor 2100 may have various designs including , but not limited to anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this document . proximal end of anchor body 2102 is connected to a thin shaft 2104 . proximal end of thin shaft 2104 comprises a locking ball 2106 . anchor body 8428 , thin shaft 2104 and locking ball 2106 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . the anchor deploying system further comprises an outer locking sheath 2108 . distal end of locking sheath 2108 comprises an opening 2110 . diameter of opening 2110 is greater than the diameter of thin shaft 2104 but greater than diameter of locking ball 2106 . thus , locking ball 2106 is locked in locking sheath 2108 . the anchor deploying system further comprises a deploying shaft 2112 located within locking sheath 2108 . deploying shaft 2112 can be pushed in the distal direction within locking sheath 2108 by a user . locking sheath 2108 and deploying shaft 2112 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . in one embodiment , distal region of locking sheath 2108 comprises one or more longitudinal grooves or windows to allow distal region of locking sheath 2108 to expand easily in the radial direction . fig2 b and 21c show a method of deploying an anchor comprising a locked ball . in fig2 b , deploying shaft 2112 is pushed in the distal direction by a user . this causes distal end of deploying shaft 2112 to push locking ball 2106 in the distal direction . this in turn causes locking ball 2106 to exert a force on the distal end of locking sheath 2108 . this force causes opening 2110 to enlarge and release locking ball 2106 . in fig2 c , locking ball 2106 is released by locking sheath 2108 thus releasing deployable anchor 2100 . fig2 a through 22c show various views of an anchor deploying system comprising two interlocking cylinders . the anchor deploying system comprises a proximal interlocking cylinder and a distal interlocking cylinder . the distal interlocking cylinder is located on an anchor to be deployed . fig2 a shows a perspective view of a proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 comprising a locking element 2202 located on the distal end of proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 . in this example , locking element 2202 comprises a solid cylinder with a ninety degree bend . proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 and locking element 2202 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . fig2 b shows a crossectional view of the anchor deploying system comprising proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 interlocked with a distal interlocking cylinder 2204 . distal interlocking cylinder 2204 comprises a groove 2206 which locks locking element 2202 . locking element 2202 can be unlocked from distal interlocking cylinder 2204 by turning proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 . distal interlocking cylinder 2204 may be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene , teflon etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . fig2 c shows a crossectional view through plane a - a in fig2 b . fig2 c shows distal interlocking cylinder comprising groove 2206 . also shown is locking element 2202 located in groove 2206 . turning proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 turns locking element 2202 . at a particular orientation , distal region of locking element 2202 can pass easily through groove 2206 unlocking proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 from distal interlocking cylinder 2204 . fig2 d and 22e show the steps of a method of unlocking the two interlocking cylinders from the anchor deploying systems of fig2 a through 22c . in fig2 d , locking element 2202 of proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 is locked in groove 2206 of distal interlocking cylinder 2204 . in fig2 e , proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 is turned in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to unlock locking element 2202 from groove 2206 . thereafter , proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 is pulled in the proximal direction to separate proximal interlocking cylinder 2200 from distal interlocking cylinder 2204 . fig2 a shows a perspective view of a distal end of an anchoring device that has an imaging modality . anchoring device 2300 comprises an elongate shaft 2302 comprising a lumen . elongate shaft 2302 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials such as metals , polymers etc . the lumen of shaft 2302 terminates in a window 2304 located on the distal region of shaft 2302 . anchoring device further comprises an imaging modality such as a cystoscope , an ultrasound imaging system etc . in this example , the imaging modality is a cystoscope 2306 . distal end of cystoscope 2306 is located in window 2304 to allow visualization of the anatomy adjacent to window 2304 . in one embodiment , cystoscope 2306 is permanently fixed to anchoring device 2300 . in another embodiment , cystoscope 2306 can be introduced through the proximal region of anchoring device 2300 . anchoring device 2300 further comprises a puncturing device 2308 . puncturing device 2308 comprises a sharp distal tip and a lumen that holds an anchor . anchoring device 2300 further comprises an anchor deployment device 2310 . distal end of anchor deployment device 2310 is detachably attached to the anchor . fig2 b through 23g show various steps of a method for compressing an anatomical region using the anchoring device of fig2 a . in fig2 b , anchoring device 2300 is introduced in an anatomical region such that distal end of anchoring device 2300 is located adjacent to a target anatomical region to be treated . in one method embodiment , anchoring device 2300 is introduced transurethrally into the prostatic urethra . thereafter , puncturing device 2308 is advanced to puncture the anatomical region . in this example , puncturing device 2308 punctures the prostate gland pg such that distal end of puncturing device 2308 is located in the pelvic cavity . puncturing device comprises an anchor located in the lumen of puncturing device 2308 . the anchor comprises a distal anchor 2312 , a tension element 2314 connected at one end to distal anchor 2312 and a proximal anchor 2316 that can slide over tension element 2314 . puncturing device 2308 comprises a groove at the distal end such that tension element exits puncturing device 2308 through the groove . puncturing device 2308 further comprises a pusher 2318 that can push distal anchor 2312 out of puncturing device 2308 . proximal anchor 2316 is detachably attached to the distal region of anchor deployment device 2310 . proximal anchor 2312 , distal anchor 2316 and tension element 2314 may comprise designs including , but not limited to the designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . the imaging modality may be used to verify the accurate placement and working of anchoring device 2300 . in fig2 c , pusher 2318 is pushed in the distal direction to push distal anchor 2312 out of puncturing device 2308 . distal anchor 2312 is thus deployed in the anatomy e . g . in the pelvic cavity surrounding the prostate gland pg . thereafter , in step 23 d , puncturing device 2308 is withdrawn by pulling it in the proximal direction . in step 23 e , tension element 2314 is pulled in the proximal direction through anchor deployment device 2310 . thereafter , in step 23 f , tension element 2314 is pulled further in the proximal direction such that the anatomical region between proximal anchor 2316 and distal anchor 2312 is compressed . thereafter , in step 23 g , proximal anchor 2316 is securely locked on to tension element 2314 . further in step 23 g , proximal anchor 2316 is detached from anchor deployment device 2310 . the detachment can be performed by a variety of mechanisms including , but not limited to the anchor detachment mechanisms disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . further in step 23 g , excess length of tension element 2314 is removed . this removal can be done using a variety of methods including , but not limited to the methods disclosed elsewhere in this patent application such as cutting , delinking , melting , and breaking . thereafter , anchoring device 2300 is withdrawn from the anatomy . it should be understood that these deployment steps may be repeated in the same , opposing or neighboring tissues to essentially tack up the encroaching tissue ( i . e . prostatic tissue , tumor , relaxed tissue , expanded tissue or growth ). it may be desired that over time both anchors become completely embedded within the tissue and covered to prevent encrustation , clotting or other tissue or body - fluid interaction — this may be facilitated by the processes , therapeutic agents and coatings described elsewhere in the application . although these anchors are shown on either side of the tissue , it may be possible to deploy either or both of them within the body of the tissue itself to help bury them and eliminate the possibility that they may interact with other parts of the body . it should further be noted that in the case of application to the prostate , that this technique may be used on any of the lateral or middle lobes to compress or hold the prostate gland pg away from the lumen of the urethra . if removal of the intra or para luminal anchor is required , it may be possible to resect that region completely , capturing the anchor embedded within the tissue and removing it en - bloc , severing the tether in the process . in the case of prostate applications , such removal may be accomplished with a standard resectoscope system . in other regions , and energized rf or sharp curette or blade may be used to resect the anchor minimally invasively . alternatively if engagement with the locking mechanism is still achievable , it may be possible to simply unlock the tether , releasing the anchor . lastly , if applying additional tension at some point after the procedure is required , it may be possible to engage and grasp the tether as it exits the locking device in the anchor and apply additional tension . fig2 a through 24 c ′ show various steps of a method of compressing an anatomical region using a device with deploying arms deployed through a trocar . in fig2 a , an anchoring device 2400 is introduced in an anatomical region . anchoring device 2400 comprising a distal anchor 2402 is introduced in the anatomy . distal anchor 2402 comprises a hollow shaft . distal end of distal anchor 2402 comprises one ore more outwardly curling or spreading arms 2404 . curling or spreading arms 2404 are made of an elastic , springy , super - elastic or shape memory material such that they tend to curl or spread in a radially outward direction in absence of an external force . anchoring device 2400 further comprises a proximal anchor comprising a variety of designs including , but not limited to the designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . in this example , proximal anchor is designed similar to anchor 1040 in fig1 d . anchor 1040 can slide along proximal region of distal anchor 2402 . anchor 1040 can also be attached to distal anchor 2402 after a desired positioning between anchor 1040 and distal anchor 2402 is achieved . anchoring device 2400 is delivered through a trocar 2406 . trocar 2406 comprises a sharp distal tip 2408 that can penetrate through tissue . the proximal region of distal tip 2408 comprises one ore more grooves or notches such that distal ends of curling or spreading arms 2404 can be temporarily held together by distal tip 2408 to allow for easy introduction into a target anatomy . anchoring device 2400 is introduced into a target tissue to be compressed such that curling or spreading arms 2404 are distal to the target tissue and anchor 1040 is proximal to the target tissue . fig2 a ′ shows the distal end view of the anchoring device 2400 . in fig2 b , trocar 2406 is pushed in the distal direction relative to proximal anchor 2402 . this releases the distal ends of curling or spreading arms 2404 causing them to curl or spread outwards . fig2 a ′ shows the distal end view of the anchoring device 2400 with released curling or spreading arms 2404 . in fig2 c , anchor 1040 is pushed in the distal direction over distal anchor 2402 to compress tissue between anchor 1040 and distal anchor 2402 . thereafter , anchor 1040 is attached to the hollow shaft of distal anchor 2402 . thereafter trocar 2406 is withdrawn from the anatomy . in the above embodiment , the tethering function is performed by the shaft of the distal anchor , and the force is created by the curling arms . this tension may be pre - set into the arms through heat forming . it should be noted that any mechanism capable of expanding from within a tubular shape and capable of applying retrograde forces on the tissue are within the scope of this invention such as expandable flanges , balloons , cages , molly - bolt - like structures , stent - like structures and springs . fig2 d shows a crossection through the deployed anchoring device 2400 of fig2 a . in one anchoring device embodiment , anchoring device 2400 comprises a distal anchor such as the distal anchor described in fig1 a instead of distal anchor 2412 . fig2 a shows a perspective view of a spring clip that can be used to spread the anatomy . clip 2500 comprises two or more spreading arms 2502 . spreading arms 2502 may be curved or straight . distal ends of spreading arms 2502 may comprise a flattened region . the proximal ends or curved arms 2502 are connected to each other by a heel region 2504 . heel region 2504 may be made from the same material as curved arms 2502 . in an undeployed configuration , spreading arms 2502 are held close to each other . when clip 2500 is deployed , spreading arms 2502 tend to expand away from each other thus spreading the anatomical region or regions between spreading arms 2502 . clip 2500 can be made of suitable elastic , super - elastic or shape memory biocompatible materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , etc . fig2 b through 25f show various steps of a method of spreading an anatomical region or regions using the spring clip of fig2 a . in fig2 b , a delivery tool 2506 comprising a clip 2500 is introduced in the anatomy and positioned near the target anatomy to be spread . delivery tool 2506 comprises an elongate hollow body 2508 comprising a lumen . distal end of body 2508 may comprise a blunt , atraumatic end . distal region of body 2508 comprises a slot 2510 that is in fluid communication with the lumen of body 2508 . delivery tool may further comprise an outer sheath 2512 and an imaging modality 2514 . imaging modality 2514 may be permanently attached to delivery tool 2506 or may be introduced into delivery tool 2506 by a user . in this example , imaging modality 2514 is a cystoscope . in fig2 c , clip 2500 is introduced into the anatomy by pushing clip 2500 out of slot 2510 such that the distal ends of spreading arms 2502 emerge first . slot 2510 is designed such that spreading arms 2504 are biased towards each other as they emerge out of slot 2510 . in fig2 d , clip 2500 is further advanced such that distal tips of spreading arms 2502 penetrate into the tissue to be spread . in fig2 e , clip 2500 is advanced further such that the biasing forces on spreading arms 2502 are removed . spreading arms 2502 tend to spread away from each other thus spreading the tissue between them . clip 2500 is detachably attached to delivery tool 2506 by a detaching mechanism 2516 including , but not limited to the several detaching mechanisms disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . in fig2 f , detaching mechanism 2516 is used to detach clip 2500 from delivery tool 2506 or deploy clip 2500 in the target anatomy . in this example , distal region of delivery tool 2506 is inserted transurethrally into the prostatic urethra . clip 2500 is then delivered into the anterior commissure to spread the two lateral lobes of the prostate gland pg apart . in one method embodiment , an opening in the commissure is made prior to the method of fig2 b through 25g . in another embodiment , the spreading force exerted by spreading arms 2502 cause cutting of the anterior commissure . clip 2500 may be placed completely sub - urethrally or a small amount of heel region 2504 remains in the urethra . the embodiments of anchoring devices wherein a sliding anchor is slid over a tension element may comprise one or more cinching elements . these cinching elements may be present on the sliding anchors , on the tension elements etc . a cinching element may be a separate device that cinches to a tension element . in doing so , it increases the effective diameter of that region of the tension element and prevents the tension element from sliding through a sliding anchor . cinching elements may allow only unidirectional motion of the sliding anchor over the tension element or may prevent any substantial motion of the sliding anchor over the tension element . typical examples of such cinching mechanisms include , but are not limited to mechanisms described in the fig2 series . for example , fig2 a and 26b show a crossectional view and a perspective view respectively of a mechanism of cinching a tension element or tether to an anchor . in fig2 a , cinching mechanism 2600 comprises an outer base 2602 . outer base 2602 comprises one or more grooves created by the presence of two or more leaflets 2604 . leaflets 2604 are biased along a first axial direction as shown in fig2 a . when a tension element 2606 is located in the one or more grooves , cinching mechanism 2600 allows motion of tension element 2606 only along the first axial direction and prevents substantial movement of tension element 2606 in the opposite direction . fig2 c and 26d show a partial section through a cinching mechanism comprising a cam element . in fig2 c , cinching mechanism 2610 comprises an outer body 2612 made of suitable biocompatible metals , polymers etc . body 2162 comprises a cam 2614 located on a pivot 2616 . cam 2614 may comprise a series of teeth to grip a tension element 2618 passing through body 2612 . in one embodiment , body 2162 comprises an opening 2620 located proximal to cam 2614 . proximal region of tension element 2618 passes out of body 2612 through opening 2620 . cinching mechanism 2610 allows movement of body 2162 over tension element 2618 in the proximal direction . in fig2 d , body 2162 is moved over tension element 2618 in the distal direction . motion of tension element 2618 over cam 2614 causes cam 2614 to turn in the anti - clockwise direction . this causes tension element 2618 to be pinched between cam 2614 and body 2612 . this in turn prevents further motion of body 2162 over tension element 2618 . fig2 e shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising a locking ball . cinching mechanism 2630 comprises an outer body 2632 comprising a lumen . a tension element 2634 passes through the lumen of outer body 2632 . the lumen of outer body gradually reduces in the proximal direction as shown in fig2 e . a locking ball 2636 is present in the lumen . motion of outer body 2632 over tension element 2634 in the distal direction pushes locking ball 2636 in the proximal region of outer body 2632 . a proximal end region 2638 of a small diameter prevents locking ball 2636 from falling out of outer body 2632 . the large lumen diameter in the proximal region of outer body 2632 allows free motion of locking ball 2636 . thus , presence of locking ball 2636 does not hinder the motion of outer body 2632 over tension element 2634 in the proximal direction . when outer body 2632 is moved over tension element 2634 in the proximal direction , locking ball 2636 is pushed in the distal region of outer body 2632 . the small lumen diameter in the proximal region of outer body 2632 constricts motion of locking ball 2636 . this causes a region of tension element 2634 to be pinched between anchoring ball 2636 and outer body 2632 . this in turn prevents further motion of outer body 2632 over tension element 2634 in the proximal direction . this mechanism thus allows unidirectional motion of outer body 2632 is over tension element . fig2 f shows a side view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising multiple locking flanges . in this embodiment , cinching mechanism 2644 comprises a body 2646 comprising a lumen lined by a first locking flange 2648 and a second locking flange 2650 . first locking flange 2648 and second locking flange 2650 are biased in the proximal direction as shown . a tension element 2652 passes through the lumen of body 2646 . first locking flange 2648 and second locking flange 2650 together allow the movement of body 2646 over tension element 2652 in the distal direction , but prevent movement of body 2646 over tension element 2652 in the proximal direction . similar cinching mechanisms may be designed comprising more than two locking flanges . fig2 g shows an end view of body 2646 comprising a lumen lined by first locking flange 2648 and second locking flange 2650 . body 2646 may be made of suitable biocompatible metals , polymers etc . fig2 h shows a side view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising a single locking flange . in this embodiment , cinching mechanism 2656 comprises a body 2658 comprising a lumen lined by a locking flange 2660 . locking flange 2660 is biased in the proximal direction as shown . a tension element 2662 passes through the lumen of body 2658 . locking flange 2660 allows the movement of body 2658 over tension element 2662 in the distal direction , but prevents movement of body 2658 over tension element 2662 in the proximal direction . fig2 i shows an end view of body 2658 comprising a lumen 2662 lined by locking flange 2660 . body 2658 may be made of suitable biocompatible metals , polymers etc . fig2 j shows an end view of a cinching mechanism comprising a crimping lumen . cinching mechanism 2670 comprises a body 2672 comprising a crimping lumen 2674 . crimping lumen 2674 is in the form of an arc with a gradually reducing size as shown in fig2 j . a tension element 2676 passes through crimping lumen 2674 . in fig2 j , tension element 2676 is locked in a region of crimping lumen 2674 of a diameter smaller than the diameter of tension element 2676 . tension element 2676 can be unlocked from crimping lumen 2674 by rotating body 2672 in the anti - clockwise direction . similarly , rotating body 2672 in the clockwise direction causes an unlocked tension element 2676 to be locked into crimping lumen 2674 . in an alternate embodiment , cinching mechanism comprises a disk shaped body comprising a central lumen . central lumen is large enough to allow a tension element to slide easily through the central lumen . one or more radially oriented slits emerge from the central lumen . the radially oriented slits have a diameter that is of the same size or is slightly smaller than the diameter of the tension element . to lock cinching mechanism to the tension element , the tension element is forced through one of the radially oriented slits . the friction between the disk shaped body and the tension element prevents or resists sliding of tension element through the disk shaped body . to unlock cinching mechanism from the tension element , the tension element is moved back to the central lumen . in another alternate embodiment , cinching mechanism comprises a disk shaped body comprising a small central lumen . the central region of the body comprises three or more triangular flaps biased together out of the plane of the body . the ends of the triangular flaps together form the central lumen that is of the same size or is slightly smaller than the diameter of the tension element . tension element can pass easily through the central lumen in the direction of the bias of the triangular flaps . but , tension element cannot pass or encounters substantial resistance when the tension element is pulled through the central lumen in the opposite direction . fig2 k and 26l show crossections of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising a crimping anchor in the undeployed and deployed configurations respectively . cinching mechanism 2680 comprises a crimping anchor 2680 comprising a lumen . crimping anchor 2680 can be made of a variety of biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc ., polymers , etc . a tension element 2684 passes through the lumen of crimping anchor 2680 . the lumen of an undeployed crimping anchor 2680 is larger than the diameter of tension element 2684 . in fig2 l , crimping anchor 2680 is deployed by compressing the middle section of crimping anchor 2680 such that crimping anchor 2680 compresses tension element 2684 . friction between crimping anchor 2680 and tension element 2684 prevents relative motion between crimping anchor 2680 and tension element 2684 . crimping anchor 2680 may be a component of a sliding anchor or may be a stand - alone device used to prevent or restrict motion of a sliding anchor over a tension element . fig2 m shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising an element providing a tortuous path to a tension element . in this example , cinching mechanism 2686 comprises a spring 2688 . a tension element 2690 is passed through spring 2688 such that the path of tension element 2690 through spring 2688 is tortuous . when spring 2688 is moved over tension element , motion of tension element 2690 through the tortuous path generates high frictional forces that prevent or reduce motion of spring 2688 over tension element 2690 . the frictional forces are strong enough to resist motion of spring 2688 over tension element 2690 after deploying cinching mechanism 2686 in the anatomy . a user can move spring 2688 over tension element 2690 by applying a force that overcomes the resistive frictional forces that prevent movement of spring 2688 over tension element 2690 . similarly , other cinching mechanisms comprising a tortuous path can be used instead of spring 2688 . examples of such mechanisms are solid elements comprising tortuous lumens , elements comprising multiple struts or bars that provide a tortuous path etc . in another embodiment the cinching mechanism comprises a knot on one or more tensioning element . said knot can be advanced fully tightened or can be loose when advanced and tightened in situ . fig2 n shows a crossectional view of an embodiment of a locking mechanism comprising a space occupying anchor securely attached to a tension element . locking mechanism 2692 comprises a hollow element 2694 comprising a lumen . hollow element 2694 is a component of a sliding anchor that slides over tension element 2696 . tension element 2696 comprises a space occupying anchor 2698 comprising a tapering distal end 2699 . anchor 2698 is securely attached to tension element 2696 . diameter of anchor 2698 is larger than the diameter of the lumen of hollow element . due to this , anchor 2698 cannot pass through hollow element 2694 effectively locking the position of tension element 2696 with respect to the position of hollow element 2694 . fig2 o and 26p shows a partial sectional view and a perspective view of an embodiment of a cinching mechanism comprising a punched disk . cinching mechanism 2602 ′ comprises a disk 2604 ′ comprising a punched hole 2606 ′. punched hole 2606 ′ is made by punching disk 2604 ′ along the proximal direction such that the punching action leaves an edge that is biased along the proximal direction as shown in fig2 o . disk 2604 ′ can slide over a tension element 2608 ′ along the distal direction . however , motion of disk 2604 ′ over tension element 2608 ′ along the proximal direction is substantially resisted by the proximally biased edges of punched hole 2606 ′. excess lengths of tension elements or other severable regions of one or more devices disclosed in this patent application may be cut , severed or trimmed using one or more cutting devices . for example , fig2 q and 26r show a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cutting device before and after cutting an elongate element . in fig2 q , cutting device 2610 ′ comprises an outer sheath 2612 ′ comprising a sharp distal edge 2614 ′. outer sheath 2612 ′ encloses an inner sheath 2616 ′. inner diameter of outer sheath 2612 ′ is slightly larger than outer diameter of inner sheath 2616 ′ such that inner sheath 2616 ′ can slide easily through outer sheath 2612 ′. inner sheath 2616 ′ comprises a lumen that terminates distally in an opening 2618 ′. an elongate severable device passes through the lumen and emerges out of opening 2618 ′. an example of an elongate severable device is a tension element 2620 ′. in the method of cutting or trimming tension element 2620 ′ the desired area of tension element 2620 ′ to be cut or severed is positioned near opening 2618 ′ by advancing or withdrawing cutting device 2610 ′ over tension element 2620 ′. thereafter , outer sheath 2612 ′ is advanced over inner sheath 2616 ′ to cut tension element 2620 ′ between sharp distal edge 2614 ′ and an edge of opening 2618 ′. inner sheath 2616 ′ and outer sheath 2612 ′ may be substantially rigid or flexible . they may be made of suitable materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . fig2 s show a crossectional view of a second embodiment of a cutting device for cutting an elongate element . cutting device 2622 ′ comprises an outer sheath 2624 ′ comprising a lumen that opens in an opening 2626 ′ in outer sheath 2624 ′. outer sheath 2624 ′ encloses an inner sheath 2628 ′ that comprises a lumen and a sharp distal edge 2630 ′. inner diameter of outer sheath 2624 ′ is slightly larger than outer diameter of inner sheath 2628 ′ such that inner sheath 2628 ′ can slide easily through outer sheath 2624 ′. an elongate severable device passes through the lumen of inner sheath 2628 ′ and emerges out of distal end of inner sheath 2628 ′ and out of outer sheath 2624 ′ through opening 2626 ′. an example of an elongate severable device is a tension element 2632 ′. in the method of cutting or trimming tension element 2632 ′ the desired area of tension element 2632 ′ to be cut or severed is positioned near opening 2626 ′ by advancing or withdrawing cutting device 2622 ′ over tension element 2632 ′. thereafter , inner sheath 2628 ′ is advanced through outer sheath 2624 ′ to cut tension element 2632 ′ between sharp distal edge 2630 ′ and an edge of opening 2626 ′. inner sheath 2628 ′ and outer sheath 2624 may be substantially rigid or flexible . they may be made of suitable materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . in a third embodiment of a cutting device for cutting an elongate element , the cutting device comprises an outer hollow sheath . outer hollow sheath has a distal end plate comprising a window . an elongate severable device passes through the window . an example of an elongate severable device is a tension element . an inner shaft can slide and rotate within outer hollow sheath . distal end of inner shaft comprises a blade that is usually located away from the window and adjacent to the distal end plate of the outer hollow sheath . in the method of cutting or trimming tension element the elongate severable device , the desired area of the elongate severable device to be cut or severed is positioned near the window . this is done by advancing or withdrawing the cutting device over the elongate severable device . thereafter , the inner shaft is rotated within outer hollow sheath such that the blade cuts the elongate severable device between a sharp edge of the blade and an edge of the window . inner shaft and outer hollow sheath may be substantially rigid or flexible . they may be made of suitable materials including , but not limited to pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . the end plate and the blade are preferentially rigid . they may be made of suitable materials including , but not limited to metals like stainless steel , polymers like polycarbonate , polyimide , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep etc . the anchoring devices disclosed herein may be used in a variety of configurations depending on the location of the disease process , ease of procedure etc . fig2 a through 27d show axial sections through the prostate gland pg showing various configurations of anchoring devices comprising distal anchors 2700 and a tension element 2702 that is anchored at a suitable location such that a sufficient tension exists in tension element 2702 . fig2 and 28a show perspective views of an embodiment of an anchoring device comprising an elongate element comprising multiple barbs or anchors . fig2 shows a perspective view of anchoring device 2800 comprising an elongate element 2802 . elongate element 2802 can be made of several biocompatible materials including , but not limited to synthetic fibers e . g . various grades of nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyester , aramid etc . ; metals e . g . various grades of stainless steel , titanium , nickel - titanium alloys , cobalt - chromium alloys , tantalum etc . ; natural fibers e . g . cotton , silk etc . ; rubber materials e . g . various grades of silicone rubber etc . elongate element 2802 may comprise natural or artificial suture materials . examples of such materials include but are not limited to polyamide ( nylon ), polypropylene , polyglycolic acid ( pga ), polylactic acid ( pla ) and copolymers of polylactic acid , polyglycolic acid and copolymers of polyglycolic acid , copolymers of pla and pga , silk , polyester , silicone , collagen , polymers of glycolide and lactide . a particular example of a suture is the nordstrom suture which is a highly elastic silicone suture . in one embodiment , the suture material is bioabsorbable . elongate element 2802 comprises two sets of projections such as barbs , anchors or hooks . in the example shown , elongate element 2802 comprises a set of distal barbs 2804 and a set of proximal barbs 2806 . distal barbs 2804 are oriented in the proximal direction and proximal barbs 2806 are oriented in the distal direction as shown in fig2 . fig2 a shows a magnified view of the region 28 a of anchoring device 2800 showing proximal barbs 2806 . fig2 b through 28e show a coronal section through the prostate gland pg showing various steps of a method of treating the prostate gland pg using the device of fig2 . in fig2 b , introducer device 300 of fig3 a comprising a working device lumen and a cystoscope lumen 308 is introduced into the urethra such that the distal end of introducer device 300 is located in the prostatic urethra . thereafter , a hollow puncturing device 2808 is inserted in the working device lumen of introducer device . puncturing device 2808 is advanced such that distal end of puncturing device 2808 penetrates the prostate gland pg . in fig2 c , anchoring device 2800 is introduced through puncturing device 2808 into the prostate gland pg . thereafter , puncturing device 2808 is pulled in the proximal direction . simultaneously , anchoring device 2800 is pulled in the proximal direction to anchor distal barbs 2804 in the anatomy . in fig2 d , puncturing device 2808 is pulled further in the proximal direction to expose the entire anchoring device 2800 . thereafter , in step 28 e , the proximal end of anchoring device 2800 is detached to deploy anchoring device 2800 in the anatomy . thus , tissue between distal barbs 2804 and proximal barbs 2806 is anchored to anchoring device 2800 . fig2 a shows an axial section of the prostate gland pg showing a pair of implanted magnetic anchors . in fig2 a , a first magnetic anchor 2900 and a second magnetic anchor 2902 are implanted in the prostate gland pg on either side of the urethra . like poles of first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 face each other such that there is magnetic repulsion between first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 . this causes the urethral lumen to widen potentially reducing the severity of bph symptoms . fig2 b through 29d show a coronal section through the prostate gland pg showing the steps of a method of implanting magnetic anchors of fig2 a . in fig2 b , a deployment device 2904 is advanced trans - urethrally . deployment device 2904 comprises a sharp distal tip 2906 and first magnetic anchor 2900 . distal tip 2906 of deployment device 2904 penetrates prostatic tissue and implants first magnetic anchor 2900 in the prostate gland pg . similarly , another deployment device 2908 comprising a sharp distal tip 2920 is used to implant second magnetic anchor 2902 in the prostate gland pg . first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 are implanted on opposite sides of the urethra such that like poles of first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 face each other . this causes magnetic repulsion between first magnetic anchor 2900 and second magnetic anchor 2902 . this causes the urethral lumen to widen potentially reducing the severity of bph symptoms . in one embodiment , deployment device 2904 can be used to deploy multiple magnetic anchors . fig3 a shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue using a device inserted into the prostate gland pg from the urethra . cutting device 3000 comprises an outer body 3002 comprising a side port 3004 . outer body 3002 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . cutting device 3000 further comprises an access device 3006 that can be deployed out of side port 3004 . access device 3006 can be retracted back into side port 3004 . typical examples of elements that can be used as access device 3006 are needles , trocars etc . access device 3006 may be made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . access device 3006 penetrates the walls of the urethra and enters the prostate gland pg by creating an access channel in the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3000 further comprises a cutting element 3008 that is introduced into the prostate gland pg through the access channel in the prostate gland pg . in one embodiment , cutting element 3008 enters the prostate gland pg through access device 3006 . cutting element 3008 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting element 3008 may be moved through prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting element 3008 ; one or more articulating elements located on cutting element 3008 ; motion of cutting device 3000 along the urethra etc . cutting element 3008 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including peripheral zone , transition zone , central zone or prostatic capsule . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting element 3008 and access device 3006 are withdrawn into cutting device 3000 . thereafter , cutting device 3000 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cutting device 3000 comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 b shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue using a device that accesses outer surface of the prostate gland pg by passing through the walls of the urethra distal to the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3020 comprises an outer body 3022 comprising a side port 3024 . outer body 3022 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . cutting device 3020 is advanced into the urethra such that side port 3024 is located distal to the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3020 further comprises an access device 3026 that can be deployed out of side port 3024 . access device 3026 can be retracted back into side port 3024 . typical examples of elements that can be used as access device 3026 are needles , trocars etc . access device 3026 may be made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . access device 3026 is deployed from side port 3024 in a desired orientation such that access device 3026 penetrates the wall of the urethra . access device 3026 is advanced further such that distal end of access device 3026 is located near the prostate gland pg . thereafter , a cutting element 3028 is introduced through access device 3026 to the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting element 3028 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting element 3028 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting element 3028 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting element 3028 ; motion of cutting element 3028 along access device 3026 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting element 3028 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into access device 3026 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting element 3028 and access device 3026 are withdrawn into cutting device 3020 . thereafter , cutting device 3020 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cutting device 3020 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 c shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue using a device that accesses outer surface of the prostate gland pg by passing through the wall of the urinary bladder . cutting device 3040 comprises an outer body 3042 comprising a side port 3044 . outer body 3042 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . cutting device 3040 is advanced into the urethra such that side port 3044 is located inside the urinary bladder . cutting device 3040 further comprises an access device 3046 that can be deployed out of side port 3044 . access device 3046 can be retracted back into side port 3044 . typical examples of elements that can be used as access device 3046 are needles , trocars etc . access device 3046 may be made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . access device 3046 is deployed from side port 3044 in a desired orientation such that access device 3046 penetrates the wall of the urinary bladder . access device 3046 is advanced further such that distal end of access device 3046 is located near the prostate gland pg . thereafter , a cutting element 3048 is introduced through access device 3046 to the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting element 3048 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting element 3048 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting element 3048 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting element 3048 ; motion of cutting element 3048 along access device 3046 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting element 3048 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into access device 3046 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting element 3048 and access device 3046 are withdrawn into cutting device 3040 . thereafter , cutting device 3040 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cutting device 3040 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 d shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue using a device that accesses outer surface of the prostate gland pg by passing through the walls of the urethra enclosed to the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3060 comprises an outer body 3062 comprising a side port 3064 . outer body 3062 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . cutting device 3060 is advanced into the urethra such that side port 3064 is located in the region of the urethra enclosed by the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3060 further comprises an access device 3066 that can be deployed out of side port 3064 . access device 3066 can be retracted back into side port 3064 . typical examples of elements that can be used as access device 3066 are needles , trocars etc . access device 3066 may be made from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . etc . access device 3066 is deployed from side port 3064 in a desired orientation such that access device 3066 penetrates the prostate . thereafter , a cutting element 3068 is introduced through access device 3066 such that the distal region of cutting element can access the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting element 3068 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting element 3068 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting element 3068 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting element 3068 ; motion of cutting element 3068 along access device 3066 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting element 3068 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into access device 3066 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting element 3068 and access device 3066 are withdrawn into cutting device 3060 . thereafter , cutting device 3060 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cutting device 3060 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue by a percutaneous device that accesses the prostate gland pg through an incision in the abdomen . in this method , a cannula 3100 is introduced percutaneously into the lower abdomen . cannula 3100 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers etc . cannula 3100 is advanced into the abdomen such that it passes below the pubic bone . the distal end of cannula 3100 is positioned near the prostate gland pg . thereafter , a cutting device 3102 is advanced through distal end of cannula 3100 to the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3102 can be retracted back into cannula 3100 . cutting device 3102 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting device 3102 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting device 3102 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting device 3102 ; motion of cutting device 3102 along cannula 3100 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting device 3102 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into cannula 3100 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting device 3102 is withdrawn into cannula 3100 . thereafter , cannula 3100 is withdrawn from the urethra . in one device embodiment , cannula 3100 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 shows a coronal section of a region of the male urinary system showing the general working environment of a method of treating prostate disorders by cutting prostrate tissue by a percutaneous device that penetrates the urinary bladder and accesses the outer surface of the prostate gland pg through an incision in the urinary bladder . in this method , a cannula 3200 is introduced percutaneously into the lower abdomen . cannula 3200 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers etc . cannula 3200 is advanced into the abdomen such that it passes above the pubic bone . the distal end of cannula 3200 enters the urinary bladder . thereafter , an access device 3202 is advanced through cannula 3200 such that access device 3202 penetrates the urinary bladder wall as shown in fig4 . thereafter , a cutting device 3204 is advanced through distal end of access device 3202 to the outer surface of the prostate gland pg . cutting device 3202 can be retracted back into access device 3202 . cutting device 3202 comprises one or more cutting modalities such as electrosurgical cutter , laser cutter , mechanical cutter e . g . a knife edge etc . cutting device 3202 is used to cut one or more regions of the prostate gland pg including prostatic capsule , peripheral zone , transition zone or central zone . cutting device 3202 may be moved relative to prostate tissue by several mechanisms including one or more deflecting or bending elements located on cutting device 3202 or access device 3202 ; motion of cutting device 3202 along access device 3202 etc . in one method embodiment , cutting device 3202 cuts prostatic capsule while being withdrawn into access device 3202 . after the desired region or regions of the prostate gland pg are cut , cutting device 3202 is withdrawn into access device 3202 . access device 3202 is then withdrawn into cannula 3200 . thereafter , cannula 3200 is withdrawn from the urinary bladder . in one device embodiment , cannula 3200 further comprises an endoscope or means for inserting an endoscope . fig3 series shows a perspective view of a prostate treatment kit to cut prostate tissue . fig3 a shows a perspective view of an introducer device . introducer device 3300 comprises a first tubular element 3302 enclosing a working device lumen 3304 . first tubular element 3302 can be made of suitable biocompatible materials such as pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep and eptfe etc . the proximal end of working device lumen 3304 comprises a first stasis valve 3306 . the distal end of working device lumen 3304 comprises a deflection mechanism . the deflection mechanism is used to bend the distal region of working device lumen 3304 . one example of deflection mechanism is a pull wire and a deflection dial 3310 to adjust the magnitude and / or the direction of deflection caused by the pull wire . similarly , other deflection mechanisms can be used in the introducer device instead of a pull wire . introducer device 3300 further comprises a second tubular element 3312 which encloses a cystoscope lumen 3314 . a cystoscope can be introduced through cystoscope lumen 3314 into the urethra . typical examples of cystoscopes that can be used with introducer device are those manufactured by olympus , pentax , storz , wolf , circon - acmi , etc . these may have pre - set angles ( i . e . 0 , 30 , 70 , 120 degrees ) or may be flexible scopes where in the tip may be deflectable . the proximal end of cystoscope lumen 3314 comprises a second stasis valve 3316 . the cystoscope is inserted through the proximal end of cystoscope lumen 3314 and emerges out into the urethra from the distal end of cystoscope lumen 3314 . the cystoscope can then be used to visualize the anatomy and various instruments during a procedure . working device lumen 3314 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a first side port 3318 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . cystoscope lumen 3314 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a second side port 3320 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . fig3 b shows a perspective view of an injecting needle . injecting needle 3330 is used for injecting one or more diagnostic or therapeutic agents in the anatomy . in one method embodiment , injecting needle 3330 is used to inject local anesthetic in the urethra and / or prostate gland pg . specific examples of target areas for injecting local anesthetics are the neurovascular bundles , the genitourinary diaphragm , the region between the rectal wall and prostate , etc . examples of local anesthetics that can be injected by injecting needle 3330 are anesthetic solutions e . g . 1 % lidocaine solution ; anesthetic gels e . g . lidocaine gels ; combination of anesthetic agents e . g . combination of lidocaine and bupivacaine ; etc . injecting needle 3330 comprises a hollow shaft 3332 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . the length of hollow shaft 3332 can range from to centimeters . the distal end of hollow shaft 3332 comprises a sharp tip 3334 . the proximal end of hollow shaft 3332 has a needle hub 3336 made of suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . like stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . ; polymers e . g . polypropylene etc . in one embodiment , needle hub 3336 comprises a luer lock . fig3 c shows a perspective view of a guiding device . guiding device 3338 comprises an elongate body 3340 comprising a sharp distal tip 3342 . in one embodiment , guiding device 3338 is a guidewire . distal end of elongate body 3340 may comprise an anchoring element to reversibly anchor guiding device 3338 into tissue . examples of suitable anchoring elements are barbs , multipronged arrowheads , balloons , other mechanically actuable members ( e . g . bendable struts ), screw tips , shape memory elements , or other suitable anchor designs disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . fig3 d shows a perspective view of a rf cutting device . cutting device 3343 comprises an inner sheath 3344 and an outer sheath 3346 . inner sheath 3344 comprises a lumen of a suitable dimension such that cutting device 3343 can be advanced over guiding device 538 . outer sheath 3346 can slide on inner sheath 3344 . outer sheath 3346 also comprises two marker bands : a proximal marker band 3348 and a distal marker band 3350 . the marker bands can be seen by a cystoscope . in one embodiment , proximal marker band 3348 and distal marker band 3350 are radiopaque . the position of proximal marker band and distal marker band 3350 is such that after cutting device 3343 is placed in an optimum location in the anatomy , proximal marker band 3348 is located in the urethra where it can be seen by a cystoscope and distal marker band 3350 is located in the prostrate gland pg or in the wall of the urethra where it cannot be seen by the cystoscope . cutting device 3343 further comprises a cutting wire 3352 that is capable of delivering electrical energy to the surrounding tissue . the distal end of cutting wire 3352 is fixed to the distal region of outer sheath 3344 . the proximal end of cutting wire 3352 is connected to a distal region of outer sheath 3346 and is further connected to a source of electrical energy . in fig3 d , cutting wire 3352 is in an undeployed configuration . fig3 d ′ shows the distal region of cutting device 3343 when cutting wire 3352 is in a deployed configuration . to deploy cutting wire 3352 , inner sheath 3344 is moved in the proximal direction with respect to outer sheath 546 . this causes cutting wire 3352 to bend axially outward thus deploying cutting wire 3352 in the surrounding anatomy . fig3 e shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a plugging device to plug an opening created during a procedure . plugging device 3354 comprises a tubular shaft 3356 comprising a distal opening 3358 . distal opening 3358 is used to deliver one or more plugging materials 3360 in the adjacent anatomy . plugging material 3360 may comprise a porous or non - porous matrix formed of a biodegradable or non - biodegradable material such as a flexible or rigid polymer foam , cotton wadding , gauze , hydrogels , etc . examples of biodegradable polymers that may be foamed or otherwise rendered porous include but are not restricted to polyglycolide , poly - l - lactide , poly - d - lactide , poly ( amino acids ), polydioxanone , polycaprolactone , polygluconate , polylactic acid - polyethylene oxide copolymers , modified cellulose , collagen , polyorthoesters , polyhydroxybutyrate , polyanhydride , polyphosphoester , poly ( alpha - hydroxy acid ) and combinations thereof . in one embodiment , plugging material 3360 comprises biocompatible sealants including but not limited to fibrin sealants , combination of natural proteins ( e . g . collagen , albumin etc .) with aldehyde cross - linking agents ( e . g . glutaraldehyde , formaldehyde ) or other polymeric , biological or non - polymeric materials capable of being implanted with the body , etc . plugging device 3354 may be introduced in the anatomy by various approaches including the approaches disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . plugging device 3354 may be introduced in the anatomy through a cannula , over a guiding device such as a guidewire etc . in the embodiment shown in fig3 e , plugging material 3360 is preloaded in plugging device 3354 . plugging material 3360 is introduced through distal opening 3358 by pushing plunger 3362 in the distal direction . in another embodiment , plugging device 3354 comprises a lumen that extends from the proximal end to distal opening 3358 . plugging material 3360 may be injected through the proximal end of the lumen such that it emerges out through distal opening 3358 . fig3 f through 33n show various alternate embodiments of the electrosurgical cutting device in fig3 d . fig3 f and 33g show perspective views of the distal region of a first alternate embodiment of an electrosurgical cutting device in the undeployed and deployed states respectively . fig3 f show an electrosurgical cutting device 570 comprising an elongate shaft 3372 . shaft 3372 is made of an electrically insulating material . electrosurgical cutting device 3370 further comprises an electrosurgical cutting wire 3374 . electrosurgical cutting wire 3374 can be made of a variety of materials including , but not limited to tungsten , stainless steel , etc . distal end of cutting wire 3374 is attached to distal region of shaft 3372 . the proximal region of cutting wire 3374 can be pulled in the proximal direction by an operator . in one embodiment , electrosurgical cutting device 3370 is introduced in the target anatomy through a sheath 3376 . in fig3 f , electrosurgical cutting device 3370 is deployed by pulling cutting wire 3374 in the proximal direction . this causes distal region of shaft 3372 to bend . thereafter , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3374 to cut tissue . this may be accompanied by motion of electrosurgical cutting device 3370 along the proximal or distal direction . fig3 h and 33i show perspective views of the distal region of a second alternate embodiment of an electrosurgical cutting device in the undeployed and deployed states respectively . electrosurgical cutting device 3380 comprises an elongate sheath 3382 comprising a lumen . distal region of sheath 3382 has a window 3384 . electrosurgical cutting device 3380 further comprises an electrosurgical cutting wire 3386 located in the lumen . distal end of cutting wire 3386 is fixed to the distal end of sheath 3384 . proximal end of cutting wire 3386 can be pushed in the distal direction by a user . in fig3 i , cutting wire 3386 is deployed by pushing cutting wire 3386 in the distal direction . this causes a region of cutting wire 3386 to bend in the radially outward direction and thus emerge out of window 3384 . thereafter , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3386 to cut tissue . this may be accompanied by motion of electrosurgical cutting device 3380 along the proximal or distal direction . fig3 j through 33l show perspective views of the distal region of a second alternate embodiment of an electrosurgical cutting device showing the steps of deploying the electrosurgical cutting device . electrosurgical cutting device 3390 comprises an elongate sheath 3391 comprising a lumen 3392 . in fig3 j , an electrosurgical cutting wire 3394 is introduced through lumen 3392 such that it emerges out through the distal opening of lumen 3392 . in fig3 k , cutting wire 3394 is further advanced in the distal direction . distal end of cutting wire 3394 has a curved region so that cutting wire 3394 starts to bend as it emerges out of lumen 3392 . in fig3 l , cutting wire 3394 is further advanced in the distal direction to fully deploy cutting wire 3394 . thereafter , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3394 to cut tissue . this may be accompanied by motion of electrosurgical cutting device 3390 along the proximal or distal direction . fig3 m through 33n show perspective views of the distal region of a third alternate embodiment of an electrosurgical cutting device showing the steps of deploying the electrosurgical cutting device . electrosurgical cutting device 3395 comprises an elongate sheath 3396 comprising a lumen . cutting device 3395 further comprises a cutting wire 3398 located in the lumen of elongate sheath 3396 . the proximal end of cutting wire 3398 is connected to a source of electrical energy . distal end of cutting wire 3398 is connected to the inner surface of the distal region of elongate sheath 3396 . cutting wire 3398 may be made from suitable elastic , super - elastic or shape memory materials including but not limited to nitinol , titanium , stainless steel etc . in fig3 n , electrosurgical cutting device 3395 is deployed by pushing the proximal region of cutting wire 3398 in the distal direction . this causes a distal region of cutting wire 3398 to emerge from the distal end of elongate sheath 3396 as a loop . thereafter , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3398 to cut tissue . this may be accompanied by motion of electrosurgical cutting device 3395 along the proximal or distal direction . electrosurgical cutting device 3395 can be used to cut multiple planes of tissue by withdrawing cutting wire 3398 in elongate sheath 3396 , rotating elongate sheath 3396 to a new orientation , redeploying cutting wire 3398 and delivering electrical energy through cutting wire 3398 . the devices 33 h through 33 n may be introduced by one or more access devices such as guidewires , sheaths etc . fig3 shows a perspective view of the distal region of a balloon catheter comprising a balloon with cutting blades . balloon catheter 3400 can be introduced into a lumen or in the tissue of an organ to be treated using one or more of the introducing methods disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . balloon catheter 3400 comprises a shaft 3402 . shaft 3402 may comprise a lumen to allow balloon catheter 3400 to be introduced over a guidewire . in one embodiment , shaft 3402 is torquable . shaft 3402 comprises a balloon 3404 located on the distal end of shaft 3402 . balloon 3404 can be fabricated from materials including , but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate , nylon , polyurethane , polyvinyl chloride , crosslinked polyethylene , polyolefins , hptfe , hpe , hdpe , ldpe , eptfe , block copolymers , latex and silicone . balloon 3404 further comprises one or more cutter blades 3406 . balloon catheter 3400 is advanced with balloon 3404 deflated , into a natural or surgically created passageway and positioned adjacent to tissue or matter that is to be cut , dilated , or expanded . thereafter , balloon 3404 is inflated to cause cutter blades 3406 to make one or more cuts in the adjacent tissue or matter . thereafter balloon 3404 is deflated and balloon catheter 3400 is removed . cutter blades 3406 may be energized with mono or bi - polar rf energy . balloon catheter 3400 may comprise one or more navigation markers including , but not limited to radio - opaque markers , ultrasound markers , light source that can be detected visually etc . fig3 shows a perspective view of the distal region of a balloon catheter comprising a balloon with cutting wires . balloon catheter 3500 can be introduced into a lumen or in the tissue of an organ to be treated using one or more of the introducing methods disclosed elsewhere in this patent application . balloon catheter 3500 comprises a shaft 3502 . shaft 3502 may comprise a lumen to allow balloon catheter 3500 to be introduced over a guidewire . in one embodiment , shaft 3502 is torquable . shaft 3502 comprises a balloon 3504 located on the distal end of shaft 3502 . balloon 3504 can be fabricated from materials including , but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate , nylon , polyurethane , polyvinyl chloride , crosslinked polyethylene , polyolefins , hptfe , hpe , hdpe , ldpe , eptfe , block copolymers , latex and silicone . balloon 3504 further comprises one or more radiofrequency wires 3506 . balloon catheter 3500 is advanced with balloon 3504 deflated , into a natural or surgically created passageway and positioned adjacent to tissue or matter that is to be cut , dilated , or expanded . thereafter , balloon 3504 is inflated and an electrical current is delivered through radiofrequency wires 3506 to make one or more cuts in the adjacent tissue or matter . thereafter the electrical current is stopped , balloon 3504 is deflated and balloon catheter 3500 is removed . radiofrequency wires 3504 may be energized with mono or bi - polar rf energy . balloon catheter 3500 may comprise one or more navigation markers including , but not limited to radio - opaque markers , ultrasound markers , light source that can be detected visually etc . fig3 a and 36b series show perspective views of an undeployed state and a deployed state respectively of a tissue displacement device . fig3 a shows a tissue anchoring device 3600 in the undeployed state . anchoring device 3600 comprises an elongate body having a proximal end 3602 and a distal end 3604 . anchoring device 3600 may be made of a variety of elastic or super - elastic materials including , but not limited to nitinol , stainless steel , titanium etc . anchoring device 3600 is substantially straight in the undeployed state and has a tendency to become substantially curved in the deployed state . anchoring device 3600 is maintained in the undeployed state by a variety of means including , but not limited to enclosing anchoring device 3600 in a cannula or sheath , etc . fig3 b shows tissue anchoring device 3600 in the deployed state . anchoring device 3600 comprises a curved region . when anchoring device 3600 changes from an undeployed state to a deployed state , the anatomical tissue adjacent to the central region of anchoring device 3600 is displaced along the direction of motion of the central region . anchoring device 3600 can be deployed by a variety of methods including , but not limited to removing anchoring device 3600 from a sheath or cannula , etc . in one embodiment , anchoring device 3600 is made from a shape memory material such as nitinol . in this embodiment , anchoring device 3600 is maintained in the undeployed state by maintaining anchor device 3600 in a temperature lower than the transition temperature of the super - elastic material . anchoring device 3600 is converted to the deployed state by implanting anchoring device 3600 in a patient such that the device is warmed to the body temperature which is above the transition temperature of the super - elastic material . fig3 c and 36d show a coronal view and a lateral view respectively of a pair of deployed tissue displacement devices of fig3 a and 36b implanted in the prostate gland pg . in fig3 c , two anchoring devices are implanted in the prostate gland pg near the prostatic urethra in a patient with bph . a first anchoring device 3600 is introduced on a first side of the urethra and is deployed there as shown . similarly , a second anchoring device 3606 comprising a proximal end 3608 and a distal end 3610 is introduced on the other side of the urethra and is deployed there as shown . first anchoring device 3600 and second anchoring device 3606 change into the deployed curved configuration . this causes prostate gland pg tissue near the central regions of first anchoring device 3600 and second anchoring device 3606 to be displaced radially away from the urethra . this displacement of prostate gland pg tissue can be used to eliminate or reduce the compression of the urethra by an enlarged prostate gland pg . fig3 d shows a lateral view of the urethra enclosed by the prostate gland pg showing deployed first anchoring device 3600 and second anchoring device 3606 . the various cuts or punctures made by one ore more cutting devices disclosed in this patent application may be plugged or lined by a plugging or space filling substance . fig3 e through 36h show an axial section through a prostate gland showing the various steps of a method of cutting or puncturing the prostate gland and lining or plugging the cut or puncture . fig3 e shows a section of the prostate gland showing the urethra , the lateral lobes and the middle lobe surrounded by the prostatic pseudocapsule . in fig3 f , one or more cuts are made in a region of the prostatic pseudocapsule . in addition , one or more cuts may be made in a region of between two lobes of the prostate gland . in fig3 g , a plugging material 3619 is introduced in the one or more regions of the prostate gland that are cut or punctured . plugging material 3619 may be delivered through one or more delivery devices including , but not limited to the device disclosed in fig3 e . plugging material 3619 may comprises a material such as plugging material 3360 . the various cuts or punctures made by one ore more cutting devices disclosed in this patent application may be spread open by a clipping device . for example , fig3 h shows an axial section through a prostate gland showing a clip for spreading open a cut or punctured region of the prostate gland . spreading device 3620 comprises a body having a central region and two distal arms . spreading device 3620 may be made of a variety of elastic or super - elastic materials including , but not limited to nitinol , stainless steel , titanium etc . spreading device 3620 has a reduced profile in the undeployed state by maintaining distal arms close to each other . spreading device 5000 is maintained in the undeployed state by a variety of means including , but not limited to enclosing spreading device 3620 in a cannula or sheath , etc . when spreading device 3620 changes from an undeployed state to a deployed state , the distance between the two distal arms increases . this causes any anatomical tissue between two distal arms to spread along the straight line between two distal arms spreading device 3620 can be deployed by a variety of methods including , but not limited to removing spreading device 3620 from a sheath or cannula , etc . in one embodiment , spreading device 3620 is made from a shape memory material such as nitinol . in this embodiment , spreading device 3620 is maintained in the undeployed state by maintaining anchor device 3620 in a temperature lower than the transition temperature of the super - elastic material . spreading device 3620 is converted to the deployed state by implanting spreading device 3620 in a patient such that the device is warmed to the body temperature which is above the transition temperature of the super - elastic material . stretching of prostate gland tissue can be used to eliminate or reduce the compression of the urethra by an enlarged prostate gland or to prevent cut edges of a cut from rejoining . more than one spreading device 3620 may be used to treat the effects of an enlarged prostate or to eliminate or reduce the compression of the urethra by an enlarged prostate gland or to prevent cut edges of a cut from rejoining . fig3 a through 37k show an embodiment of a method of treating prostate gland disorders by cutting a region of the prostate gland using the devices described in fig3 a through 33e . in fig3 a , introducer device 3300 is introduced in the urethra . it is advanced through the urethra such that the distal tip of introducer device 3300 is located in the prostatic urethra . thereafter , injecting needle 3330 is introduced through introducer device 3300 . the distal tip of injecting needle 3330 is advanced such that injecting needle 3330 penetrates the prostate gland . injecting needle 3330 is then used to inject a substance such as an anesthetic in the prostate gland . thereafter , in fig3 b , injecting needle 3330 is withdrawn from the anatomy . the distal region of introducer device 3300 is positioned near a region of the prostate gland to be punctured . thereafter , in fig3 c , first tubular element 3302 is bent or deflected with a bending or deflecting mechanism such as the bending mechanism in fig3 c ″ and 37 c ′″ to align the distal region of first tubular element 3302 along a desired trajectory of puncturing the prostate gland . fig3 c ′ shows the proximal region of introducer device 3300 . a cystoscope 3700 is introduced through second stasis valve 3316 such that the distal end of cystoscope 3700 emerges through the distal end of introducer device 3300 . cystoscope 3700 is then used to visualize the anatomy to facilitate the method of treating prostate gland disorders . fig3 c ″ shows a perspective view of the distal region of an embodiment of introducer device 3300 comprising a bending or deflecting mechanism . in this embodiment , first tubular element 3302 comprises a spiral cut distal end and a pull wire . in fig3 c ′″, the pull wire is pulled by deflection dial 3310 . this deflects the distal tip of first tubular element 3302 as shown . after the step in fig3 c , guiding device 3338 is introduced through first tubular element 3302 . guiding device 3338 is advanced through first tubular element 3302 such that the distal tip of guiding device 3338 penetrates into the prostate gland . in one method embodiment , guiding device 3338 is further advanced such that the distal tip of guiding device 3338 penetrates through the prostate gland and enters the urinary bladder . in one embodiment , distal region of guiding device 3338 comprises an anchoring element 3702 . anchoring element 3702 is deployed as shown in fig3 e . thereafter , guiding device 3338 is pulled in the proximal direction till anchoring element 3702 is snug against the wall of the urinary bladder . cystoscope 3700 can be used to visualize the steps of penetrating the prostate gland by guiding device 3338 and deploying anchoring element 3702 . if guiding device 3338 is not positioned in a satisfactory position , guiding device 3338 is pulled back in introducer device 3300 . the deflection angle of distal end of first tubular lumen 3302 is changed and guiding device 3338 is re - advanced into the urinary bladder . fig3 e ′ shows a perspective view of an embodiment of anchoring element 3702 . anchoring element comprises a hollow sheath 3704 . distal region of hollow sheath 3704 is attached to distal region of guiding device 3338 . a number of windows are cut in the distal region of hollow sheath 3704 such that several thin , splayable strips are formed between adjacent windows . pushing hollow sheath 3704 in the distal direction causes splayable strips to splay in the radially outward direction to form an anchoring element . in fig3 f , cutting device 3343 is advanced over guiding device 3338 into the prostate gland . in fig3 g , cutting device 3343 is positioned in the prostate gland such that proximal marker band 3348 can be seen by cystoscope 3700 but distal marker band 3350 cannot be seen . thereafter , in fig3 h , relative motion between outer sheath 3343 and inner sheath 3344 causes cutting wire 3352 to deploy outward in the axial direction . in one embodiment , this step is carried out by moving outer sheath 3343 in the distal direction while the inner sheath 3344 is stationary . in another embodiment , this step is carried out by moving inner sheath 3344 in the proximal direction while outer sheath 3343 is kept stationary . also during step , electrical energy is delivered through cutting wire 3352 to cut tissue . in fig3 i , cutting device 3343 is pulled in the proximal direction such that the deployed cutting wire 3352 slices through tissue . thereafter , cutting wire 3352 is withdrawn again in cutting device 3343 . cutting device 3343 is then removed from the anatomy . in fig3 j , plugging device 3354 is introduced over guiding device 3338 through the puncture or opening in the prostate gland . thereafter , in fig3 k , anchoring element 3702 is undeployed and guiding device 3343 is withdrawn from the anatomy . thereafter , plugging device 3354 is used to deliver one or more plugging materials in the adjacent anatomy . the plugging materials can be used to plug or line some or all of the cuts or punctures created during the method . fig3 a to 38d show various components of a kit for treating prostate gland disorders by compressing a region of the prostate gland . fig3 a shows the perspective view of an introducer device 3800 . introducer device 3800 comprises an outer body 3801 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals like stainless steel , nichol plated brass , polymers like pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . body 3801 comprises a working device lumen 3802 . distal end of working device lumen 3802 emerges out of the distal end of body 3801 . proximal end of working device lumen 3802 incorporates lock thread 3803 such that introducer device may join with other devices . device lumen 3802 may comprise one or more side ports e . g . a first side port 3804 and a second side port 3805 for the introduction or removal of one or more fluids . fig3 b shows a perspective view of a bridge device 3806 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals like stainless steel , nichol plated brass , polymers like pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . bridge device may insert into introducer lumen 3802 and lock into place by threadably mating thread lock 3807 with thread 3803 . bridge may incorporate port 3808 for cystoscope with locking means 3809 that joins to cystoscope when inserted . bridge device may incorporate one or more working lumens . working lumen 3810 emerges out of the distal end of body 3806 . in one embodiment , distal end of working device lumen 3810 has a bent or curved region . proximal end of lumen 3810 emerges from port 3811 that may incorporate fluid stasis valve 3812 and a luer lock . working lumen 3813 emerges distally in straight fashion through blunt obturator 3814 at distal end of body 3806 and emerges proximally through second port that may incorporate fluid stasis valve and luer lock . fig3 c shows a perspective view of a distal anchor deployment device 3815 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to polymers like polycarbonate , pvc , pebax , polyimide , braided pebax , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel , nichol plated brass , and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . deployment device 3815 comprises handle 3816 , which incorporates movable thumb ring pusher 3817 and anchor deployment latch 3818 ; and distal shaft 3819 which has trocar point 3820 at distal end . mounted on distal shaft 3819 is distal anchor 3821 that incorporates tether 3822 . tether 3822 can be made of suitable elastic or non - elastic materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , suture materials , titanium etc . or polymers such as silicone , nylon , polyamide , polyglycolic acid , polypropylene , pebax , ptfe , eptfe , silk , gut , or any other monofilament or any braided or mono - filament material . proximal end of tether 3822 may incorporate hypotube 3823 . distal anchor 3821 is constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , braided pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . deployment device 3815 is inserted into bridge working lumen 3810 . advancement of thumb ring 3817 extends distal shaft 3819 through distal end of working lumen 3810 , preferably into tissue for deployment of distal anchor 3821 . depth of distal shaft deployment can be monitored on cystoscope by visualizing depth markers 3824 . once distal shaft 3819 is deployed to desired depth , anchor deployment latch 3818 is rotated to release distal anchor 3821 . retraction of thumb ring 3817 then retracts distal shaft 3819 while leaving distal anchor 3821 in tissue . bridge 3806 is then disconnected from introducer device 3800 and removed . fig3 d shows the proximal anchor delivery tool 3825 constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to polymers like polycarbonate , pvc , pebax , polyimide , braided pebax , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , metals like stainless steel , nichol plated brass , and fluoropolymers like ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe etc . proximal anchor delivery tool 3825 comprises handle 3826 , which incorporates anchor deployment switch 3827 in slot 3828 and tether cut switch 3829 ; and distal shaft 3830 which houses hypotube 3831 . lumen of hypotube 3831 emerges proximally at port 3832 which may incorporate a luer lock . mounted on the hypotube and distal shaft is the proximal anchor 3833 with cinching hub 3834 . proximal anchor 3833 is constructed from suitable biocompatible materials including , but not limited to metals e . g . stainless steel 304 , stainless steel 306 , nickel - titanium alloys , titanium etc . or polymers e . g . pebax , braided pebax , polyimide , braided polyimide , polyurethane , nylon , pvc , hytrel , hdpe , peek , ptfe , pfa , fep , eptfe or biodegradable polymers e . g . polyglycolic acid , poly ( dioxanone ), poly ( trimethylene carbonate ) copolymers , and poly ( ε - caprolactone ) homopolymers and copolymers etc . fig3 e shows a close - up perspective view of proximal anchor 3833 mounted on hypotube 3831 and distal shaft 3830 of proximal anchor delivery tool 3825 . hypotube 3831 biases open the cinching lock 3835 of cinching hub 3834 . in order to deploy proximal anchor 3833 , hypotube 3823 is loaded into hypotube 3831 until it exits proximal port 3832 . hypotube 3823 is then stabilized while proximal anchor delivery tool 3825 is advanced into introducer device lumen 3802 and advanced to tissue target . because hypotube 3831 biases open cinching lock 3835 , the proximal anchor delivery tool travels freely along tether 3822 . once proximal anchor 3833 is adequately apposed to urethral wall of prostate , anchor deployment switch 3827 is retracted . during retraction of switch 3827 , hypotube 3831 is retracted proximal to cinching hub 3834 and tether 3822 is tightened . when switch 3827 is fully retracted or desired tension is accomplished , tether 3822 is cut within cinching hub 3834 by advancing cutting switch 3829 . any of the anchoring devices disclosed herein may comprise one or more sharp distal tips , barbs , hooks etc . to attach to tissue . various types of endoscopes can be used in conjunction with the devices disclosed herein such as flexible scopes that are thin , flexible , fibre - optic endoscopes and rigid scopes that are thin , solid , straight endoscopes . the scopes may have one or more side channels for insertion of various instruments . further they may be used with in conjunction with standard and modified sheaths intended for endoscopic and transurethral use . local or general anesthesia may be used while performing the procedures disclosed herein . examples of local anesthetics that can be used are anesthetic gels e . g . lidocaine gels in the urethra ; combination of anesthetic agents e . g . combination of lidocaine and bupivacaine in the urethra ; spinal anesthetics e . g . ropivacaine , fentanyl etc . ; injectable anesthetics e . g . 1 % lidocaine solution injected into the neurovascular bundles , the genitourinary diaphragm , and between the rectal wall and prostate ; etc . an optional trans - rectal ultrasound exam may be performed before and / or during the procedures disclosed herein . in this exam , a device called ultrasound transducer is inserted into the rectum . the ultrasound transducer is then used to image the prostate gland pg using ultrasound waves . the devices may be modified so that they are more visible under ultrasound such as etched surfaces . other imaging devices may also be optionally used such as mri , rf , electromagnetic and fluoroscopic or x - ray guidance . the anchoring devices or delivery devices may contain sensors or transmitters so that certain elements may be tracked and located within the body . the tethering devices may be used as cables to temporarily transmit energy to the distal and / or proximal anchors during deployment . the invention has been described hereabove with reference to certain examples or embodiments of the invention but various additions , deletions , alterations and modifications may be made to those examples and embodiments without departing from the intended spirit and scope of the invention . for example , any element or attribute of one embodiment or example may be incorporated into or used with another embodiment or example , unless to do so would render the embodiment or example unsuitable for its intended use . also , where the steps of a method or process are described , listed or claimed in a particular order , such steps may be performed in any other order unless to do so would render the embodiment or example un - novel , obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art or unsuitable for its intended use . all reasonable additions , deletions , modifications and alterations are to be considered equivalents of the described examples and embodiments and are to be included within the scope of the following claims .	0
fig1 shows a heavy goods vehicle 10 that comprises a substantially flat floor panel 12 whose position is indicated by a dashed line . the floor panel 12 is connected to the vehicle frame by spot welds for example . the panel 12 may comprise any material that provides a certain degree of rigidity , such as steel , aluminium , plastic or composite material . fig2 shows the acoustic transmission from a known , un - embossed panel 11 and an embossed panel 13 according to an embodiment of the invention . the acoustic transmission of the panel changes when it has been embossed . the frequency of the first vibration mode of the inventive embossed panel 13 is for example higher than frequency of the first vibration mode of the non - embossed panel 13 as can be seen from the position of the first two peaks on the left hand side of fig2 . the inventive panel 13 has namely been embossed with a mode shape that shifts the frequency of the first vibration mode to a frequency band that is not as disruptive for people in the vicinity of the panel . fig3 is a graph that may be used to identify the frequency , or frequencies , at which the most noise is transmitted by a floor panel 12 and thereafter to select the mode shape that reduces or eliminates noise transmission at that frequency or at those frequencies . the graph shows the vibration frequencies produced by an engine and transmitted to a floor panel 12 when the engine is operating at its most common rpm range 14 ( 1200 to 1800 rpm for example ). the floor panel vibrates , causing the air within the passenger compartment to vibrate and thus generating unwanted vibrations and noise . a frequency band 16 defines the frequencies at which the most noise is transmitted into the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle , such as 25 - 30 hz ( which is the idle rotational speed of the 6 - cylinder engine of a heavy goods vehicle ) or 30 - 100 hz ( which corresponds to said vehicle &# 39 ; s 3rd order ). by modifying the topography of the floor panel 12 , its natural frequency is shifted upwards and so the floor panel no longer resonates when subjected to frequencies in frequency band 16 . the target frequency band into which the natural frequency of the floor panel 12 is to be shifted is to frequency band 18 so that acoustic radiation from the floor panel caused by the engine is more acceptable . the target frequency band is of course different for different engines . even though the embossed floor panel will radiate acoustic energy at this higher frequency , high frequency problems are easier to solve than low frequency problems . fig4 shows how an optimal mode shape ( φtotai ) 20 can be determined according to an embodiment of the invention . fig4 shows three vibration modes ( φi , φ 2 and φ 3 ) of the substantially flat floor panel 12 , namely 22 , 24 and 26 . the absolute values 28 , 30 and 32 of these three modes are calculated and multiplied by factors c1 c2 and c3 respectively before being added to obtain the resultant mode shape 20 . the resultant mode shape φtotai , is then imprinted on the panel 12 . since absolute values have been used , the convex parts of the embossed panel will all protrude in the same direction . fig5 shows a substantially rectangular panel 34 according to an embodiment of the invention which has been embossed with an optimal mode shape whose contours were determined using a substantially flat panel 12 . the inventive and aesthetically pleasing embossed panel 34 will excite vibration in a specific mode with low acoustic radiation efficiency with respect to the input of vibrations in a predetermined frequency band that results in noise . the noisiest vibration modes of the embossed panel 34 are for example located at frequencies at which engine excitation is passed through quickly during startup . it should be noted that the inventive panel can be of any regular or irregular shape and that reinforcement means will not be necessary since the rigidity of the panel 34 is increased by the embossment pattern . fig6 is a flow chart showing the steps of a method according to an embodiment of the invention . the method comprises the steps of determining one or more vibration modes of a structural element and amplifying the , or each vibration mode by a factor greater than zero or less than zero but not equal to zero to obtain a mode shape that corresponds to a single amplified vibration mode or a superposition of amplified vibration modes . the vibration / acoustic and / or physical properties of a structural element having each of said mode shapes is then determined and the mode shape having the desired properties for a particular application are selected and the structural element is embossed with that mode shape . the steps of the method can be applied iteratively in finite steps until a desired objective has been reached , as shown by the dashed arrow in fig6 . some calculations were made on a 1 m 2 simply supported steel panel ( 1005 × 1005 × 0 . 8 mm ) using fem . the absolute values of the first 9 vibration modes of the steel panel were embossed onto nine panels of the same dimensions , i . e ., a different mode was embossed on each panel , using three different amplification factors and the modes of each embossed steel panel were studied . the results showed that mode no . 4 provided the panel having the greatest rigidity . the embossed panel having a mode shape corresponding to mode 4 had a first mode at 121 , 159 and 194 hz for maximum embossing depths of 30 , 40 and 50 mm respectively . the first mode of the non - embossed , flat 1 m 2 steel panel appeared at a frequency of 3 . 8 hz . so using an amplification factor that resulted in a maximum embossing depth of 40 mm increased the frequency of the first mode by a factor of about 42 after the flat panel had been embossed .	1
in this patent application body adornments such as necklaces , bracelets , anklets , waist chains are termed “ necklaces ”. flexible chains , wire cables , bands , filaments , cords , strings , which are a component of the necklaces are termed “ strands ”. baubles , bangles , pendants , trinkets , and beads which are strung on a strand are termed “ beads ”. fig1 shows a necklace 10 of this invention . the ends of the strand 60 may be connected by the interaction of a loop connector 12 with a hook connector 15 . the loop connector 12 is comprised of a cylindrical loop threaded end 13 which is fixed to a first end 62 of the strand 60 . a loop connector loop 14 is connected to the loop threaded end 13 . loop connector threads 11 are cut into the surface of the loop threaded end 13 . the loop connector 12 outer diameter 22 is small enough to allow passage of the threaded connector 30 bore ( not visible in fig1 ) and bead 70 bore ( not visible in fig1 ) over the loop connector 12 , thereby allowing stringing of the threaded keeper 30 and bead 70 over the strand 60 . the hook connector 15 is comprised of a hook threaded end 16 which is fixed to a second end 64 of the strand 60 . a hook connector ring 17 is attached to the hook threaded end 16 . a hook connector hook 18 is connected to the hook connector ring 17 . visible on the hook connector hook 18 is the movable hook connector latch 19 and the hook connector latch handle 20 . any suitable connectors which enable the connection of the first and second ends of the strand may be used provided that at least one connector has a diameter small enough to allow the passage over that connector of beads 70 and threaded keepers 30 . beads 70 having a cylindrical bore ( not visible in fig1 ) are strung on the strand 60 and are free to slide back and forth on the strand . the movement of beads 70 is restrained by a threaded keeper 30 and a hinged keeper 40 . the keepers are removably fixed on bands ( not visible in fig1 ) which are fixedly attached to the strand 60 . the function of the threaded keeper 30 and hinged keeper 40 is to restrain the free movement of the beads 70 on the strand 60 , thereby preventing bunching and keeping the beads in a desirable distribution on the necklace . the threaded keeper 30 has a distinctive ornamental pattern 38 on the outer surface . the hinged keeper 40 has a distinctive ornamental pattern 48 on the outer surface which is easily distinguished from the ornamental pattern 38 of the threaded keeper 30 . the distinct ornamental patterns allow the necklace wearer to easily distinguish between the threaded and hinged keepers when the necklace is being assembled or in use . the beads 70 have a cylindrical bore ( not visible in fig1 ) which is large enough to pass over the loop connector 12 . any desirable number and type of beads may be used . any desirable number of bands can be fixed on the strand and any desired number of threaded keepers and or hinged keepers may be used with the necklace . fig2 is a cross sectional view of the threaded keeper 30 taken along line 2 — 2 in fig1 . visible in fig2 is the threaded keeper bore 32 which is of adequate size to pass over a threaded band ( not visible in fig2 ) and over at least one of the connectors , ( 12 and 15 in fig1 ). the interior of the bore 32 is threaded 34 with a thread capable of interaction with and passage over the threaded keeper ( not visible in fig2 ) and the threaded portion of at least one of the connectors by rotation . alternatively , the threaded keeper is mounted on and retained by the threaded band or threaded portion of at least one of the connectors when it is not rotated . the threaded keeper decoration 38 in the example in fig2 is grooves which encompass the circumference of the cylindrical threaded connector 30 . the outer dimension , in this example , the diameter of the threaded keeper 36 , is larger than the bore of the beads ( not shown in fig2 ). fixation of the threaded keeper 30 on a threaded band therefore restricts the movement of the beads on the strand and prevents bunching of the beads on the strand . although the threaded keeper 30 shown in fig1 and 2 is cylindrical , threaded keepers may be spherical , or have the shape of any geometric solid having three dimensions , providing the threaded bore and outer dimension has the characteristics described above . fig3 a is a perspective view of the hinged keeper 40 in the open position . the hinged keeper 40 is comprised of a left shell 42 and a right shell 43 which are linked together by a hinge 44 . the left shell 42 is comprised of a front wall 47 having a hemispheric front wall notch 41 , a back wall 52 having a hemispheric back wall notch 51 , a web 49 connecting the front wall 47 and back wall 52 , and a top wall 50 which covers the u - shaped structure formed by the ends of the front wall 47 , web 49 and back wall 52 . the hemispheric front and back wall notches 41 and 51 , respectively , have a diameter slightly larger than one half the diameter of the strand . the right shell 43 is a mirror image of left shell 42 except that the right shell has a friction latch 45 connected to the right shell top wall . the friction latch 45 interacts with the left shell top wall 50 when the hinged keeper 40 is in the closed position and reversibly retains the hinged keeper 40 in the closed position . the hinged keeper decoration element 48 on the outer surface of the hinged keeper is shown in fig3 a . fig3 b is a plan view of the hinged keeper 40 in the closed position . visible in fig3 b is the left shell 42 , hinge 44 , right shell 43 , and hinged keeper decoration element 48 . the hinged keeper 40 is retained in the closed position by the friction latch 45 . the user can open the closed hinged keeper by inserting two fingernails into the junction between the left shell and right shell at the friction latch . when the hinged keeper is in the closed position , the left shell hemispheric front wall notch 41 and the right shell hemispheric front wall notch 52 together form a hinged keeper bore 53 having a diameter which is slightly larger than the diameter of the strand but smaller than the diameter of a band ( not shown in fig3 b ). the outer dimension of the hinged keeper , in this example , the diameter of the hinged keeper when closed 46 , is larger than the bore of the beads ( not shown in fig2 ). closure of the hinged keeper 40 on a band , threaded or unthreaded , which is attached to a strand , therefore restricts the movement of beads on the strand and prevents bunching of the beads . although the hinged keeper 40 shown in fig1 , 3 a and 3 b is cylindrical , hinged keepers may be spherical , or have the shape of any geometric solid having three dimensions , providing bore and outer dimension have the characteristics described above . fig4 is a plan view of the necklace with the keepers and beads in cross section taken along the plane of the necklace . visible in fig4 are the strand 60 , loop connector 12 , and hook connector 15 . a threaded band 71 having threads 72 on the outer surface is shown fixed to the strand 60 . the diameter and thread dimensions of the threaded band 70 are suitable for the threaded fixation of the threaded keeper 30 by its threads 34 . the bore 32 of the threaded keeper 30 is large enough to enable the threaded keeper to be moved over the threaded band 71 by rotation of the threaded keeper 30 . the bore 32 of the threaded keeper 30 is large enough to allow passage of the threaded keeper 30 over an unthreaded band 76 . a hinged keeper 40 is shown in fig4 in the closed position closed over an unthreaded keeper 76 . the bore 53 of the hinged keeper 40 is small enough to prevent movement of the hinged keeper 40 when the hinged keeper 40 is closed over an unthreaded band 76 . also shown in fig4 are beads 70 which are strung on the strand 60 . the bores 78 of the beads 70 are large enough to allow movement of the beads 70 over at least one of the connectors 12 and 15 , over the threaded bands 71 , and over the unthreaded bands 76 . the bores 78 of the beads 70 are not large enough to allow passage over the threaded keepers 30 and hinged keepers 40 when they are attached to the threaded bands 71 and unthreaded bands 76 , respectively . fig5 shows the necklace without beads and without keepers . visible in fig5 are the strand 60 , loop connector 12 , and hook connector 15 . a threaded band 71 having threads 72 on the outer surface is shown fixed to the strand 60 . the diameter and thread dimensions of the threaded band 70 are suitable for the threaded fixation of the threaded keeper 30 by its threads 34 . the bore 32 of the threaded keeper is large enough to pass over the threaded keeper if the threaded keeper is manually rotated against the threaded band . a threaded keeper may be moved over a threaded band by rotating the threaded keeper against a threaded band thereby engaging the band and keeper threads and then disengaging the band and keeper threads . an unthreaded band 76 is shown fixed to the strand . the bore 53 of the hinged keeper is smaller than the diameter of the band . a hinged keeper 40 may be removably fixed to either an unthreaded or threaded band . a band , threaded or unthreaded , is fixed to the strand preferably by compression on the strand , by interaction with the links of a chain , or by adhesive , or any other suitable means of fixation of a band on a strand . the diameter the threaded band is larger than the bore of the threaded and hinged keepers , thus preventing the movement of a threaded keeper past a threaded band unless the threaded keeper is rotated into engagement of the band and keeper threads , and preventing the movement of a closed hinged keeper past a threaded band . the diameter of an unthreaded band is large enough to prevent the movement of a closed hinged keeper past an unthreaded band but small enough to allow the movement of a threaded keeper past the unthreaded band . fig6 a is a front view of a spherical threaded keeper 100 . the threaded keeper bore 132 is oriented at either end of the front view of the spherical threaded keeper 100 . fig6 b is a side view of a spherical threaded keeper 100 . the bore 132 is visible in the side of the spherical threaded keeper 100 . fig7 a is a front view of a spherical hinged keeper 200 . the hinged keeper bore 253 is oriented at either end of the front view of the spherical threaded keeper 200 . the intersection 290 between the upper and lower shells is shown in fig7 a . fig7 b is a side view of a spherical hinged keeper 200 . the bore 253 is visible between the upper and lower shells and the intersection 290 between the upper and lower shells and the hinge 644 connecting the upper and lower shells are shown in fig7 b . fig8 a is a front view of a cubical threaded keeper 300 . the threaded keeper bore 332 is oriented at either end of the front view of the spherical threaded keeper 300 . fig8 b is a side view of a cubical threaded keeper 300 . the bore 332 is visible in the side of the cubical threaded keeper 300 . fig9 a is a front view of a cubical hinged keeper 400 . the hinged keeper bore 453 is oriented at either end of the front view of the spherical threaded keeper 400 . the intersection 490 between the upper and lower shells is shown in fig9 a . fig9 b is a side view of a cubical hinged keeper 400 . the bore 453 is visible between the upper and lower shells and the intersection 490 between the upper and lower shells shells and the hinge 444 connecting the upper and lower shells are shown in fig9 b . fig1 a is a front view of a pyramid - shaped threaded keeper 500 . the threaded keeper bore 532 is oriented at either end of the front view of the pyramid - shaped threaded keeper 500 . fig1 b is a side view of a pyramid - shaped threaded keeper 500 . the bore 532 is visible in the side of the pyramid - shaped threaded keeper 500 . fig1 a is a front view of a pyramid - shaped hinged keeper 600 . the hinged keeper bore 653 is oriented at either end of the front view of the pyramid - shaped threaded keeper 600 . fig1 b is a side view of a pyramid - shaped hinged keeper 600 . the bore 653 is visible between the upper and lower shells and the intersection 690 between the upper and lower shells and the hinge 644 connecting the upper and lower shells are shown in fig7 b . in use , the wearer strings beads and one or more threaded keepers on a strand having one or more threaded bands . the order of the beads and keepers is chosen in order to provide the desired distribution of beads on the necklace . the use of a hinged keeper provides additional flexibility for the wearer , as the hinged connector can be attached after the beads and the threaded keeper have been strung . the arrangement of beads and keepers may be altered by simply restringing the components on the strand . any suitable strong , flexible material may be used for the strand , or rigid material may be used in the form of a chain . a preferred material of construction is silver . other suitable materials include bronze , steel , copper , plastic , and silk . any suitable strong , hard material may be used for construction of the bands . a preferred material of construction is silver . other suitable materials include stainless steel , copper , and plastic . any suitable strong , hard material may be used for the keepers . a preferred material of construction is silver . other suitable materials include bronze , steel , copper , and plastic . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the examples and embodiments described herein are by way of illustration and not of limitation , and that other examples may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention , as set forth in the appended claims .	0
referring now to fig1 of the drawings , there is illustrated a wall section , indicated generally at 20 , for a building structure . fig1 illustrates individual panel members by the general designation 22 each of which is provided with a plastic core 24 , an optional outer wall mesh member 26 plus an optional inner wall mesh member 28 . mesh members 26 , 28 may be fixedly secured to each other through the plastic core 24 or hung on the plastic core 24 by suitable hooks , not shown , and are also optionally secured to the i - beam flanges by welding or other means . following erection and placement of the mesh , a concrete 29 or plastic 31 or other coating is applied manually or pneumatically to the mesh covered surfaces of the panel as seen in fig1 a . these materials bond firmly to the plastic material and to the mesh , allowing then a structural member of great strength to be formed . vertically disposed i - beams are indicated generally at 30 thereby providing a vertical column . these i - beams 30 are preferably regularly spaced along wall section 20 . the i - beams are secured to a suitable foundation or concrete slab 32 in conventional manner . the i - beams themselves include end flange members 34 which separate optional adjacent mesh members 26 from and along the outer wall and adjacent optional mesh members 28 from and along the inner walls . this lifting of the mesh away from the wall places the mesh 26 and 28 in the best position for reinforcing the coatings to be applied to the surfaces . a central or interconnecting web member 36 carries the end flange members . as can be seen in both fig2 and 3 , a horizontally disposed i - beam 38 is affixed to the columnar i - beams 30 in the plane of wall section 20 and on top of a plate member along the upper wall of the wall section . the columnar i - beams 30 and the horizontal i - beams 38 may be metallic , but could also be made of fiberglass , concrete , or wood in any combination . alternately , the i - beams could be replaced by square or rectangular wooden or plastic or metallic building shapes . fig3 also illustrates a roof panel member indicated generally at 40 . roof panel member 40 is provided with a central plastic core 42 , an upper or outer mesh member 44 and an optional lower or inner mesh member 46 . a truncated optional panel member indicated generally at 48 provides an overhang for the roof . the truncated panel member 48 may be provided with an upstanding or elevated end lip member 50 and elevated side lip members 52 with these lip members provided on at least three sides of the roof structure so as to provide restraining means for a layer of concrete which is poured atop the upper surface of the roof panel member 40 . while roof panel member 40 is generally provided with straight sides , it may be tapered as in the roof panel members illustrated in fig5 . thus , it will be seen that the roof panel members may taper inwardly as the panel structure approaches an apex of the roof structure . fig4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of the individual panel members and is designated 22a in fig5 . in fig4 a reinforced concrete column member is indicated generally at 54 which is in the plane of wall section 20 . the panel member 22a is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 56 so as to receive reinforced concrete therein . the reinforced concrete in groove 56 establishes a perimeter beam for the structure extending around the four sides thereof . the pouring of the concrete on an in situ basis is effected prior to placement of the roof panel members 40a , or following placement of the roof panel members 40a , with the aid of a plurality of apertures 58 which provide conduits for the concrete that provides a layer thereof atop the roof panel members designated 40a in fig4 and 5 . these apertures 58 extend entirely through the roof panel members 40a . optionally , the panel members 40a may be provided with an air conditioning duct 51 and an optional soffit member 53 . fig7 also shows an air conditioning duct 51 , soffit member 53 and a grill member 55 . with the ducts for heating , ventilating and air conditioning located outside the enclosed perimeter of the house , these ducts may be brought into communication with the inside of the house by openings cut through the perimeter walls . as can also be seen in fig4 and 9 , roof members 48a and intermediate floor panel members 40a may be also provided with longitudinally extending channels 60 to receive reinforced concrete therein . for relatively short spans , the channel 60 is not required , the concrete and the plastic forming a composite beam . additionally , as will be observed in fig9 and 10 , at least one laterally extending conduit 62 is provided in fluid communication with the longitudinally extending channel means 60 , and the columns 54 , and is poured together with the extension of the reinforced column 54 , joining together the entire structure . preferably , a laterally extending conduit such as is illustrated at 62 is provided at opposite ends of the roof panel member 40a . while the reinforced conduit itself is not illustrated in fig4 and 5 , it is illustrated in fig8 - 10 at 64 . reference to fig6 illustrates a typical building manufactured in accordance with the present invention . as is illustrated , the invention is applicable to multi - story buildings as well as to single story buildings . this figure illustrates the general relationship between the reinforced concrete column members 54 and the reception of individual panel members 22 therebetween . the building illustrates optional tapered rafters 66 with the roof panel members removed for purposes of clarity . the tapered rafters are not required for short spans , and , if employed , may be tapered or parallel sided . the specific construction for the peak of the building is not critical insofar as the present invention is concerned and may be effected in any conventional manner , with or without a reinforced concrete ridge beam 89 . referring now to fig1 and 12 , there are illustrated two methods of forming the concrete column members 54 . in the fig1 embodiment , two molded panel members 22b having top and bottom major surfaces , are provided with cooperating corner grooves which extend for the height of the panel members 22b . the panel members are abutted so as to align the cooperating corner grooves or notches 68 and the previously installed and anchored reinforcing by vertical rebars 90 , and establish at least a major portion of a mold cavity . the mold cavity in this instance may be completed by straddling the adjacent grooves of the abutting panel members with a temporary form member 70 to complete the mold cavity , then pouring the concrete into the cavity so as to form a concrete column and permanently establish a portion of a wall with the abutting panel members of the concrete column . or , following attachment of the outer mesh 26 to the appropriately located vertical rebar 90 , the cavity formed may be filled with gunite at the same time that surface 22b is concreted over mesh 26 , binding the entire structure . alternatively , the panel members 22b may be removed and other panel members supplied . in the embodiment of fig1 , cooperating longitudinal grooves 72 are provided in the sides of panel members 22c between the top and bottom major surfaces thereof so as to complete the mold cavity for reception of concrete . the cavity will be formed around previously placed and anchored vertical rebars 90 , following which the concrete is poured or tremied into the mold cavity . again it is possible either to leave the panel members 22c in place forming a permanent portion of a wall or to remove the panel members 22c and utilize other panel members . the rebar should be previously located so that the mesh can be attached prior to the guniting or plastering of the outer vertical wall sections , thereby joining the entire structure when the column and the vertical wall surfaces are gunited . in the embodiment of fig1 a , the panel members are not provided with end grooves . instead the panels are positioned a distance apart equal to the width of the vertical column members and a temporary formwork 70 spans the gap in the rear between the adjacent panels . the rebars 90 are placed in position and the mesh in front of the panels is secured to the reinforcing rebars . the column member is then formed by guniting through the mesh to fill the cavity . after the reinforced concrete hardens , the temporary form member 70 is removed . returning now to the illustration in fig8 the reinforced concrete column members 54 illustrated in this figure may be formed by either of the methods illustrated in fig1 and 12 after which the concrete is poured atop the flat roof or intermediate floor panel members 40a at the same time filling the optional longitudinally extending channels 60 . the laterally extending channel or conduit 62 flowing into the area designated 64a immediately above columns 54 are filled at the same time , firmly joining the conduit 62 to the columns 54 . fig1 illustrates a core structure 22d for a modular panel member which comprises a heat insulating plastic member 24 which is molded with top and bottom major surfaces and which has a rigid strip member 76 embedded therewithin . the rigid strip member 76 is provided with substantially v - shaped corrugations which have ridges substantially coincident with the top major surface of the molded plastic core 24 and troughs which are substantially coincident with the bottom major surface of plastic core 24 . to facilitate the foaming of the molded plastic core 24 , the rigid strip member 76 may also be provided with a plurality of apertures 77 , either randomly or regularly placed . while the reinforcement provided by rigid strip member 76 will prevent bending about one axis , in order to prevent bending at 90 degrees thereto , the rigid strip member 76 is provided with slots 78 at a plurality of locations so as to provide parallel lines of slots which then receive a plurality of tension members 80 thereby inhibiting bending about two plans 90 degrees with respect to each other . while the drawing depicts the deposition of a plurality of tension members 80 in the ridges of the rigid strip member 76 , it is also possible to provide a similar set of tension members 80 in the troughs of the rigid strip member 76 . tension members may be rods , wires , fiberglass , or plastic . fig1 illustrates another core structure for a modular panel member designated 22e . in this panel member a heat insulating plastic member 24 is molded with parallel top and bottom major surfaces and a honeycomb member indicated generally at 82 is embedded therewithin . the honeycomb member 82 has cell members which extend between the top and bottom major surfaces of the heat insulating plastic member 24 and an optional frame means 84 may extend around the sides and ends of the core structure , or may be placed within the perimeter of the plastic core rectangle , thereby forming framed openings for doors and windows . fig1 and 16 illustrate two preferred building panels for roof structures . in both embodiments a core construction of styrofoam or similar core material is illustrated at 24 and a thin layer of reinforced concrete 64 is applied atop the styrofoam core . in both embodiments a relatively thin tensile member is secured to the bottom of the styrofoam core . in the fig1 embodiment , the relatively thin tensile member is a metal mesh member 46 and in the fig1 embodiment , the relatively thin tensile member is fiberglass . the tensile members may be then covered with plaster or concrete , forming a composite beam type structure . the panel members of the present invention permit all openings to be either cast in or cut in either before or after the covering operations . provisions may be made for air conditioning and other duct work including electrical conduit raceways or other devices for inserting electrical cables or the like . the panels may also be ducted for water and sewer connection . as is generally known , composite structure are employed in many different ways in the construction process . the foregoing deals with a non - conventional application of construction materials , and in particular with the utilization of expanded polystyrene ( or polyurethane or similar ), which serves not only as a formwork to receive a deck or wall or roof slab , but also serves to cooperate with a concrete or reinforced concrete slab to resist externally applied loads . finally , the same expanded plastic foam couplies as an insulating thermal material of superior quality . in the function of cooperating to resist an externally applied load , the material when joined to a reinforced concrete slab which absorbs compressive forces , assists in achieving longer spans than would be the case without the foam . the resistance of the reinforced concrete slab above would be calculated by the formula : in the case of the composite section the same formula would apply , but considering that the upper reinforced concrete section may now be multiplied by a factor n : in the particular case of the roof of a building , if the polystyrene thickness is three or five times the thickness of the reinforced concrete roof slab , the factor n will allow much longer clear spans than would be the case without the plastic over which the slab is poured . the addition of a tension member at the bottom of the slab greatly increases this effect . the tension member could be a steel or plastic mesh located at the bottom of the plastic section , or could be metal , fiberglass , or similar strands applied to the bottom of the plastic , as long as a firm adherance is achieved . while presently preferred embodiments of the inventions have been illustrated and described , it will be recognized that the invention may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the claims which follow .	4
in the following discussion , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details . in other instances , well - known elements have been illustrated in schematic or block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail . additionally , for the most part , specific details , and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not considered necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention , and are considered to be within the understanding of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art . fig1 is a cross - section elevation of a horizontal well bore 100 , illustrating an embodiment of the invention employing a top eccentric reamer 102 and a bottom eccentric reamer 104 . the top reamer 102 and bottom reamer 104 are preferably of a similar construction and may be angularly displaced by approximately 180 ° on a drill string 106 . this causes cutting teeth 108 of the top reamer 102 and cutting teeth 110 of the bottom reamer 104 to face approximately opposite directions . the reamers 102 and 104 may be spaced apart and positioned to run behind a bottom hole assembly ( bha ). in one embodiment , for example , the eccentric reamers 102 and 104 may be positioned within a range of approximately 100 to 150 feet from the bha . although two reamers are shown , a single reamer or a larger number of reamers could be used in the alternative . as shown in fig1 , the drill string 106 advances to the left as the well is drilled . as shown in fig2 , the well bore 100 may have a drill diameter d1 of 6 inches and a drill center 116 . the well bore 100 may have a drift diameter d2 of 5⅝ inches and a drift center 114 . the drift center 114 may be offset from the drill center 116 by a fraction of an inch . any point p on the inner surface 112 of the well bore 100 may be located at a certain radius r1 from the drill center 116 and may also be located at a certain radius r2 from the drift center 114 . as shown in fig3 , in which reamer 102 is shown having a threaded center c superimposed over drift center 114 , each of the reamers 102 ( shown ) and 104 ( not shown ) preferably has an outermost radius r3 , generally in the area of its teeth 108 , less than the outermost radius r d1 of the well bore . however , the outermost radius r3 of each reamer is preferably greater than the distance r d2 of the nearer surfaces from the center of drift 114 . the cutting surfaces of each of the top and bottom reamers preferably comprise a number of carbide or diamond teeth 108 , with each tooth preferably having a circular cutting surface generally facing the path of movement p m of the tooth relative to the well bore as the reamer rotates and the drill string advances down hole . in fig1 , the bottom reamer 104 begins to engage and cut a surface nearer the center of drift off the well bore 100 shown . as will be appreciated , the bottom reamer 104 , when rotated , cuts away portions of the nearer surface 112 a of the well bore 100 , while cutting substantially less or none of the surface 112 b farther from the center of drift , generally on the opposite side of the well . the top reamer 102 performs a similar function , cutting surfaces nearer the center of drift as the drill string advances . each reamer 102 and 104 is preferably spaced from the bha and any other reamer to allow the centerline of the pipe string adjacent the reamer to be offset from the center of the well bore toward the center of drift or aligned with the center of drift . fig4 is a magnification of the downhole portion of the top reamer 102 as the reamer advances to begin contact with a surface 112 of the well bore 100 nearer the center of drift 114 . as the reamer 102 advances and rotates , the existing hole is widened along the surface 112 nearer the center of drift 114 , thereby widening the drift diameter of the hole . in an embodiment , a body portion 107 of the drill string 106 may have a diameter d b of 5¼ inches , and may be coupled to a cylindrical portion 103 of reamer 102 , the cylindrical portion 103 having a diameter d c of approx . 4¾ inches . in an embodiment , the reamer 102 may have a “ drift ” diameter d d of 5⅜ inches , and produce a reamed hole having a diameter d r of 6⅛ inches between reamed surfaces 101 . it will be appreciated that the drill string 106 and reamer 102 advance through the well bore 100 along a path generally following the center of drift 114 and displaced from the center 116 of the existing hole . fig5 illustrates the layout of teeth 110 along a downhole portion of the bottom reamer 104 illustrated in fig1 . four sets of teeth 110 , sets 110 a , 110 b , 110 c and 110 d , are angularly separated about the exterior of the bottom reamer 104 . fig5 shows the position of the teeth 110 of each set as they pass the bottom - most position shown in fig1 when the bottom reamer 104 rotates . as the reamer 104 rotates , sets 110 a , 110 b , 110 c and 110 d 110 a , 110 b , 110 c and 110 d pass the bottom - most position in succession . the sets 110 a , 110 b , 110 c and 110 d of teeth 110 are arranged on a substantially circular surface 118 having a center 120 eccentrically displaced from the center of rotation of the drill string 106 . each of the sets 110 a , 110 b , 110 c and 110 d of teeth 110 is preferably arranged along a spiral path along the surface of the bottom reamer 104 , with the downhole tooth leading as the reamer 104 rotates ( e . g ., see fig6 ). sets 110 a and 110 b of the reamer teeth 110 are positioned to have outermost cutting surfaces forming a 6⅛ inch diameter path when the pipe string 106 is rotated . the teeth 110 of set 110 b are preferably positioned to be rotated through the bottom - most point of the bottom reamer 104 between the rotational path of the teeth 110 of set 110 a . the teeth 110 of set 110 c are positioned to have outermost cutting surfaces forming a six inch diameter when rotated , and are preferably positioned to be rotated through the bottom - most point of the bottom reamer between the rotational path of the teeth 110 of set 110 b . the teeth 110 of set 110 d are positioned to have outermost cutting surfaces forming a 5⅞ inch diameter when rotated , and are preferably positioned to be rotated through the bottom - most point of the bottom reamer 104 between the rotational path of the teeth 110 of set 110 c . fig6 illustrates one eccentric reamer 104 having a drift diameter d3 of 5⅝ inches and a drill diameter d4 of 6 1 / 16 inches . when rotated about the threaded axis c , but without a concentric guide or pilot , the eccentric reamer 104 may be free to rotate about its drift axis c2 and may act to side - ream the near - center portion of the dogleg in the borehole . the side - reaming action may improve the path of the wellbore instead of just opening it up to a larger diameter . fig7 illustrates a reaming tool 150 having two eccentric reamers 104 and 102 , each eccentric reamer having a drift diameter d3 of 5⅝ inches and a drill diameter d4 of 6 1 / 16 inches . the two eccentric reamers may be spaced apart by ten hole diameters or more , on a single body , and synchronized to be 180 degrees apart relative to the threaded axis of the body . the reaming tool 150 having two eccentric reamers configured in this way , may be able to drift through a 5⅝ inch hole when sliding and , when rotating , one eccentric reamer may force the other eccentric reamer into the hole wall . an eccentric reaming tool 150 in this configuration has three centers : the threaded center c coincident with the threaded axis of the reaming toll 150 , and two eccentric centers c2 , coincident with the drift axis of the bottom eccentric reamer 104 , and c3 , coincident with a drift axis of the top eccentric reamer 102 . fig8 and 9 illustrate the location and arrangement of sets 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 of teeth on another reamer embodiment 200 . fig8 illustrates the relative angles and cutting diameters of sets 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 of teeth . as shown in fig8 , sets 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 of teeth are each arranged to form a path of rotation having respective diameters of 5⅝ inches , 6 inches , 6⅛ inches and 6⅛ inches . fig9 illustrates the relative position of the individual teeth of each of sets 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 of teeth . as shown in fig9 , the teeth of set 2 are preferably positioned to be rotated through the bottom - most point of the reamer between the rotational path of the teeth of set 1 . the teeth of set 3 are preferably positioned to be rotated through the bottom - most point of the reamer between the rotational path of the teeth of set 2 . the teeth of set 4 are preferably positioned to be rotated through the bottom - most point of the reamer between the rotational path of the teeth of set 3 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of a reamer 300 having four sets of teeth 310 , with each set 310 a , 310 b , 310 c , and 310 d arranged in a spiral orientation along a curved surface 302 having a center c2 eccentric with respect to the center c of the drill pipe on which the reamer is mounted . adjacent and in front of each set of teeth 310 is a groove 306 formed in the surface 302 of the reamer . the grooves 306 allow fluids , such as drilling mud for example , and cuttings to flow past the reamer and away from the reamer teeth during operation . the teeth 310 of each set 310 a , 310 b , 310 c , and 310 d may form one of four “ blades ” for cutting away material from a near surface of a well bore . the set 310 a may form a first blade , or blade 1 . the set 310 b may form a second blade , blade 2 . the set 310 c may form a third blade , blade 3 . the set 310 d may form a fourth blade , blade 4 . the configuration of the blades and the cutting teeth thereof may be rearranged as desired to suit particular applications , but may be arranged as follows in an exemplary embodiment . turning now to fig1 , the tops of the teeth 310 in each of the two eccentric reamers 300 , or the reamers 102 and 104 , rotate about the threaded center of the reamer tool and may be placed at increasing radii starting with the # 1 tooth at 2 . 750 ″ r . the radii of the teeth may increase by 0 . 018 ″ every five degrees through tooth # 17 where the radii become constant at the maximum of 3 . 062 ″, which corresponds to the 6⅛ ″ maximum diameter of the reamer tool . turning now to fig1 a - 12d , the reamer tool may be designed to side - ream the near side of a directionally near horizontal well bore that is crooked in order to straighten out the crooks . as shown in fig1 a - 12d , 30 cutting teeth numbered 1 through 30 may be distributed among sets 310 a , 310 b , 310 c , and 310 d of cutting teeth forming four blades . as plotted in fig1 , the cutting teeth numbered 1 through 8 may form blade 1 , the cutting teeth numbered 9 through 15 may form blade 2 , the cutting teeth numbered 16 through 23 may form blade 3 , and the cutting teeth numbered 24 through 30 may form blade 4 . as the 5¼ ″ body 302 of the reamer is pulled into the near side of the crook , the cut of the rotating reamer 300 may be forced to rotate about the threaded center of the body and cut an increasingly larger radius into just the near side of the crook without cutting the opposite side . this cutting action may act to straighten the crooked hole without following the original bore path . turning now to fig1 , the reamer 300 is shown with the teeth 310 a of blade 1 on the left - hand side of the reamer 300 as shown , with the teeth 310 b of blade 2 following behind to the right of blade 1 , the teeth 310 c of blade 3 following behind and to the right of blade 2 , and the teeth 310 d of blade 4 following behind and to the right of blade 3 . the teeth 310 a of blade 1 are also shown in phantom , representing the position of teeth 310 a of blade 1 compared to the position of teeth 310 d of blade 4 on the right - hand side of the reamer 300 , and at a position representing the “ side cut ” made by the eccentric reamer 300 . turning now to fig1 a - 14d , the extent of each of blade 1 , blade 2 , blade 3 , and blade 4 is shown in a separate figure . in each of the fig1 a - 14d , the reamer 300 is shown rotated to a different position , bringing a different blade into the “ side cut ” position sc , such that the sequence of views 14 a - 14 d illustrate the sequence of blades coming into cutting contact with a near surface of a well bore . in fig1 a , blade 1 is shown to cut from a 5¼ ″ diameter to a 5½ ″ diameter , but less than a full - gage cut . in fig1 b , blade 2 is shown to cut from a 5⅜ ″ diameter to a 6 ″ diameter , which is still less than a full - gage cut . in fig1 c , blade 3 is shown to cut a “ full gage ” diameter , which may be equal to 6⅛ ″ in an embodiment . in fig1 d , blade 4 is shown to cut a “ full gage ” diameter , which may be equal to 6⅛ ″ in an embodiment . the location and arrangement of sets of teeth on an embodiment of an eccentric reamer as described above , and teeth within each set , may be rearranged to suit particular applications . for example , the alignment of the sets of teeth relative to the centerline of the drill pipe , the distance between teeth and sets of teeth , the diameter of rotational path of the teeth , number of teeth and sets of teeth , shape and eccentricity of the reamer surface holding the teeth and the like may be varied . having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments , it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations , modifications , changes , and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and , in some instances , some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features . many such variations and modifications may be considered desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention .	4
an improved window according to the present invention is shown generally as ( 10 ) in fig1 . as shown , the window ( 10 ) includes a window frame ( 12 ) having a first side jamb ( 14 ), a second side jamb ( 16 ), a sill ( 18 ) and a head jamb ( 20 ). provided within the frame ( 12 ) is a first sash ( 22 ) and a second sash ( 24 ). as the improvement of the present invention may be incorporated into either the first sash ( 22 ) or second sash ( 24 ), description will be limited to incorporation of the invention into the second sash ( 24 ). as shown in fig1 , the second sash ( 24 ) has a first stile ( 26 ), a second stile ( 28 ), a bottom rail ( 30 ) and a top rail ( 32 ). the improved corner bracket of the present invention is shown generally as ( 34 ) in fig2 . the corner bracket ( 34 ) is preferably molded of a nylon material but , of course , may be constructed of any suitable material known in the art . as shown in fig2 , the corner bracket ( 34 ) has a first longitudinally extending leg ( 36 ) and a second longitudinally extending leg ( 38 ), coupled together by a corner piece ( 40 ) integrally molded therewith . the corner bracket ( 34 ) is provided with an inward face ( 42 ), an outward face ( 44 ), and side faces ( 46 ). the inward face ( 42 ) and side faces ( 46 ) are preferably provided with fins ( 48 ), which may be of any suitable size and dimensions for the purposes of retaining the corner bracket ( 34 ) within the rails ( 30 ) and ( 32 ), and stiles ( 26 ) and ( 28 ). the inward face ( 42 ) and side faces ( 46 ) are also preferably provided with recesses ( 49 ) for retaining a sealing material ( 50 ), such as a urethane reactive hot melt or similar flowable adhesive , such as those known in the art , between the corner bracket ( 34 ) and the interior surfaces ( 52 ) of the sash ( 24 ). fig2 and 3 . the recesses ( 49 ) may be of any suitable dimensions , but are preferably in fluid communication with the lateral and internal abutting edge of the rail ( 32 ) and stile ( 28 ) within which it is positioned . accordingly , when the sealing material ( 50 ) is injected , as explained more fully below , the sealing material ( 50 ) creates a fluid - tight seal along the lateral and internal edges of the rail ( 32 ) and stile ( 28 ). preferably , the recesses ( 49 ) do not extend along the outer abutting edge of the rail ( 32 ) and stile ( 28 ). since the outer abutting edge is typically shielded by the window frame ( 12 ), little moisture enters the sash ( 24 ). additionally , since this arrangement allows for the influx and egress of fluid , the sash does not develop pressure as the temperature increases , and any moisture entering the sash ( 24 ) simply weeps out from the bottom corners . as shown in fig2 , the outward face ( 44 ) of the corner bracket ( 34 ) is provided with a pin receiver ( 54 ), constructed of a plurality of brackets . the first bracket ( 56 ) defines a generally square opening ( 58 ) to accommodate the square body ( 60 ) of a tilt latch pin ( 62 ). the body ( 60 ) may be of any dimensions , but is preferably constructed to prevent rotation within the bracket ( 56 ). the first bracket ( 56 ) is also provided with a nib ( 64 ), extending into the opening ( 58 ), which engages with a keyway ( 66 ) provided on the body ( 60 ) of the tilt latch pin ( 62 ). the second bracket ( 68 ) is provided with a similar opening ( 70 ) and nib ( 72 ). the second bracket ( 68 ) may be of a weaker construction than the first bracket ( 56 ), as the first bracket ( 56 ) must bear the brunt of force to which the tilt latch pin ( 62 ) is subjected . the third bracket ( 74 ) of the pin receiver ( 54 ) is provided with a circular opening ( 76 ), sized to accommodate a catch ( 78 ) and shaft ( 80 ) coupled to the body ( 60 ) of the tilt latch pin ( 62 ). as shown , the catch ( 78 ) is preferably of a frusto - conical construction , with a plurality of slits ( 82 ) to allow the portions of the catch ( 78 ) to resiliently bias away from an orientation in which the pieces touch one another . accordingly , as the catch ( 78 ) moves through the circular opening ( 76 ) of the third bracket ( 74 ), the pieces ( 84 ) of the catch ( 78 ) are biased together , thereby decreasing the diameter of the catch ( 78 ) and allowing the catch ( 78 ) to pass through the circular opening ( 76 ) of the third bracket ( 74 ). once the catch ( 78 ) has passed through the circular opening ( 76 ), the pieces ( 84 ) bias toward their original configuration , thereby preventing removal of the catch ( 78 ) from the circular opening ( 76 ). once the tilt latch pin ( 62 ) is provided through the opening ( 58 ) of the first bracket ( 56 ) and opening ( 70 ) of the second bracket ( 68 ), a coil spring ( 86 ) is fitted over the catch ( 78 ) and shaft ( 80 ) before the catch ( 78 ) is passed through the circular opening ( 76 ) of the third bracket ( 74 ). the coil spring ( 86 ) is preferably provided with a diameter larger than the shaft ( 80 ), but smaller than the width of the body ( 60 ). accordingly , when the tilt latch pin ( 62 ) is properly inserted , the catch ( 78 ) prevents the pin ( 62 ) from becoming dislodged from the third bracket ( 74 ), and the coil spring ( 86 ) biases the body ( 60 ) of the tilt latch pin ( 62 ) away from the coil spring ( 86 ). the tilt latch pin ( 62 ) is provided with a tilt latch ( 88 ) having a catch ( 90 ) and a tapered end ( 92 ). as shown in fig3 , the first leg ( 36 ) of the corner bracket ( 34 ) is provided with an interior ( 94 ) defined by an interior surface ( 96 ) of the second stile ( 28 ). similarly , the first leg ( 36 ) is provided within an interior ( 98 ) defined by an interior surface ( 100 ) of the top rail ( 32 ) of the sash ( 24 ). the corner bracket ( 34 ) and fins ( 48 ) attached thereto are sized and dimensioned to snuggly fit the corner bracket ( 34 ) within the stile ( 28 ) and top rail ( 32 ) of the sash ( 24 ). preferably , the corner bracket ( 34 ) is sealed within the sash ( 24 ). the corner bracket ( 34 ) may either be provided with the sealing material ( 50 ) or may , alternatively , be wrapped with a sealing tape , such as that known in the art . the sealing material ( 50 ) may be provided around the corner bracket ( 34 ) to seal the area between the corner bracket ( 34 ) and the interior surfaces ( 96 ) and ( 100 ) of the sash ( 24 ). alternatively , the sealing material ( 50 ) may be injected into the sash ( 24 ) around the corner bracket ( 34 ) after the corner bracket ( 34 ) has been installed in the sash ( 24 ). the fins ( 48 ) work to retain the corner bracket ( 34 ) within the sash ( 24 ) and to hold the stile ( 28 ) and top rail ( 32 ) together , while the recesses ( 49 ) act to retain the sealing material ( 50 ) between the corner bracket ( 34 ) and sash ( 24 ). as shown in fig3 , the stile ( 28 ) is provided with a slot ( 102 ) sized to accommodate the tilt latch pin ( 62 ). the top rail ( 32 ) is provided with a slot ( 104 ) sized to accommodate a molded nylon operator ( 106 ), a portion of which is coupled within a well ( 108 ) provided in the tilt latch pin ( 62 ). the operator ( 106 ) preferably rests within the slot ( 104 ) which is sized longer than the operator ( 106 ) to allow the operator to move relative to the slot ( 104 ). the operator ( 106 ) allows a user ( not shown ) to move the tilt latch pin ( 62 ) against the bias of the spring ( 86 ) to draw the tilt latch pin ( 62 ) into the top rail ( 32 ). when the operator ( 106 ) is released , the spring ( 86 ) biases the tilt latch pin ( 62 ) toward its original orientation . as shown in fig4 , the corner bracket ( 34 ) may also be used in association with a pivot terminal pin ( 110 ). the pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) is also provided with a body ( 112 ) and a shaft ( 114 ), coupled to a frusto - conical catch ( 116 ). as described above , the catch ( 116 ) includes a plurality of pieces ( 118 ) separated by slots ( 120 ), which allow the pieces ( 118 ) to be moved toward one another and bias apart . as shown , the body ( 112 ) of the pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) is much longer , but is still provided with a keyway ( 122 ) to coact with the nibs ( 64 ) and ( 72 ) of the corner bracket ( 34 ). the pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) is also provided with a pivot terminal ( 124 ) having a shaft ( 126 ) and a head ( 128 ). the head ( 128 ) and shaft ( 126 ) are preferably of a rounded , rectangular construction , having a width greater than their height . as shown in fig5 , a corner bracket ( 34 ) may be inserted into an interior ( 130 ) of the bottom rail ( 30 ) and an interior ( 132 ) of the first stile ( 26 ). once the sealing material ( 50 ) has been provided around the corner bracket ( 34 ), the pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) may be inserted into the corner bracket ( 34 ) through a slot ( 134 ) provided in the stile ( 26 ). the close proximity of the catch ( 116 ) to the body ( 112 ) of the pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) closely matches the width of the third bracket ( 74 ), thereby locking the pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) in place , once the catch ( 116 ) extends through the third bracket ( 74 ). this construction prevents the pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) from either becoming inadvertently dislodged from the corner bracket ( 34 ), or inadvertently becoming introduced further into the bottom rail . once the second sash ( 24 ) has been provided with four corner brackets ( 34 ), two tilt latch pins ( 62 ) and two pivot terminal pins ( 110 ), the second sash ( 24 ) is tilted to place the head ( 128 ) of the pivot terminal ( 124 ) into a substantial vertical orientation , sufficient to allow the head ( 128 ) to fit within a rail ( 136 ), such as those known in the art , provided along the frame ( 12 ) of the window ( 10 ). the rail ( 136 ) is provided with overhanging lips ( 138 ) to retain the head ( 128 ) when the second sash ( 24 ) is tilted vertical . once the head ( 128 ) has been positioned within the rail ( 136 ), the opposite pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) is also provided within a similar rail ( 136 ) provided on the opposite side of the frame ( 112 ). once the heads ( 128 ) have been so oriented , the second sash ( 24 ) is leveled and then tilted upward . as the tapered end ( 92 ) of the tilt latch pins ( 62 ) come in contact with the frame ( 12 ), the taper causes the tilt latch pins ( 62 ) to retract into the top rail ( 32 ) against the bias of the spring ( 86 ). once the second sash ( 24 ) has been tilted into a full , upright position , the spring ( 86 ) biases the catch ( 90 ) into the rail ( 136 ), whereafter the catch ( 90 ) prevents the tilt latch pins ( 62 ) from becoming inadvertently dislodged from the rail ( 136 ). when it is desired to remove the second sash ( 24 ) from the frame ( 12 ), the operator ( 106 ) is actuated against the bias of the spring ( 86 ) to draw the tilt latch pins ( 62 ) into the top rail ( 32 ) sufficient to allow the catch ( 90 ) to pass by the rail ( 136 ). the second sash ( 24 ) is thereafter tilted outward to a horizontal position , whereafter the second sash ( 24 ) is tilted diagonally to dislodge the head ( 128 ) of the pivot terminal pin ( 110 ) from the rail ( 136 ) of the frame ( 12 ). although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof , it is also to be understood that it is not to be so limited , since changes and modifications can be made therein which are within the full , intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims . for example , it should be noted that the corner bracket ( 34 ) may be provided with any means suitable for receiving the pins ( 62 ) and ( 110 ), and that this invention may be utilized to construct sashes , screens , doors or other frames of any dimension , construction or orientation .	4
the present invention will be illustrated in further detail with reference to preferred embodiments . materials for the releasing layer are not specifically limited and include silicone materials and non - silicone materials , but it is preferable that the releasing layer includes fluorine for small static friction and kinetic friction . such non - silicone materials include , for example , fluorine materials and organic - inorganic composite materials comprising a polysiloxane and a fluorine polymer . the silicone materials include , but are not limited to , curable silicone resins ( e . g ., those cured by heat or radiation ) such as ks - 847 ( h ) and ks - 776 ( trade names , available from shin - etsu silicones ) and ysr - 3022 , tpr - 6700 , tpr - 6720 and tpr - 6721 ( trade names , available from toshiba silicone corporation ). materials other than these silicone materials are defined as the non - silicone materials herein . ceramic green sheets for use in the present invention are prepared , for example , by applying a ceramic slurry containing a ceramic powder , dispersing agent , binder , plasticizer , antistatic agent and dispersion medium to a support . the type and composition of the ceramic powder constituting the ceramic slurry are not specifically limited , and such ceramic powders include , for example , powders of dielectric ceramics such as barium titanate , strontium titanate and lead titanate ; powders of magnetic ceramics such as ferrite ; powders of piezoelectric ceramics ; powders of insulative ceramics such as alumina and silica ; and powders of other ceramics . the particle size of the ceramic powder used is not specifically limited , but a mean particle size as determined by electron microscopic observation is preferably from about 0 . 01 to 1 μm when the invented method is applied to a very thin ceramic green sheet having a thickness of , for example , from about 0 . 3 to 3 μm . the ceramic powder may further comprise various additives . for example , when the ceramic powder mainly contains barium titanate , it may further comprise glasses , magnesium oxide , manganese oxide , barium oxide , rare earth metal oxides , calcium oxide and other components . additionally , the ceramic powder may further comprise impurities which are derived from raw materials or are contaminated during the manufacturing process . the medium ( dispersion medium or solvent ) constituting the ceramic slurry for use in the present invention is not specifically limited and includes , for example , toluene , xylene and other aromatic mediums ; ethyl alcohol , isopropyl alcohol , butyl alcohol and other alcohol media , and other various media . each of these media can be used alone or in combination . additionally , other organic media or water can also be used as the medium . the binder includes , but is not limited to , polyvinyl butyral resins , cellulosic resins , acrylic resins , vinyl acetate resins and poly ( vinyl alcohol ) resins . the type and amount of the binder should be preferably selected depending on the type of a target ceramic green sheet . the ceramic slurry may further comprise a plasticizer . such plasticizers include , but are not limited to , polyethylene glycol , phthalic esters and alkyd resins . the type and amount of the plasticizer should be preferably selected depending on the type of a target ceramic green sheet . the ceramic slurry may further comprise a dispersing agent and / or an antistatic agent . such dispersing agents and antistatic agents for use in the present invention may be any of those generally used in ceramic slurries . plural plies of the resulting ceramic green sheet manufactured by the invented manufacturing method with a base metal inner electrode are laminated , cut and fired to yield a sintered compact , and outer electrodes are formed on the sintered compact to thereby yield multilayer ceramic electronic parts . in this case , base metal materials for constituting the base metal inner electrode are not specifically limited and include , for example , nickel , copper and other base metal materials . the electrode formed from the base metal material may be a printed electrode formed by , for example , screen printing or a metal foil electrode formed by thin film formation process . the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to several examples below , which are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . a support ( a carrier film ) was prepared by forming an organic - inorganic composite material layer 100 nm thick as a releasing layer on a top surface of a base support , which organic - inorganic composite material layer was composed of a fluorine polymer and polysiloxane , and which base support was composed of a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) film 50 μm thick having such smoothness that the maximum projection height in both surfaces of the film was 0 . 9 μm . the support ( carrier film ) had a surface free energy of 27 mj / m 2 , a coefficient of static friction of 0 . 20 and a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0 . 25 . the maximum projection heights indicated in example 1 and the following examples and comparative examples were measured using an optical interferometric surface profiling instrument ( resolution in plane : 1 μm , resolution in height direction : 0 . 1 nm ). next , a ceramic slurry was prepared by dispersing a commercially available dielectric ceramic powder having a particle size of 0 . 2 μm ( available from sakai chemical co ., ltd . under the trade name of “ bto 2 ”), a dispersing agent ( available from nippon oils & amp ; fats corporation under the trade name of “ malialim ”), a binder ( polyvinyl butyral available from sekisui chemical co ., ltd . ), a plasticizer ( di - 2 - ethylhexyl phthalate ( dop )) and an antistatic agent into a dispersion medium . the resulting ceramic slurry was applied to a top surface of the above - prepared carrier film to thereby yield a ceramic green sheet . in the present example , the ceramic slurry was applied by the doctor blade process to thereby yield a ceramic green sheet 3 μm thick . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor having the structure shown in fig1 was manufactured by the following method : ( 1 ) initially , a ni paste was screen - printed on the above - prepared ceramic green sheet to thereby yield an electrode - carrying sheet 11 having a printed inner electrode for constituting an electrical capacity on its top surface . ( 2 ) next , as shown in fig2 predetermined plies ( 70 plies in this example ) of electrode - carrying sheet 11 were laminated , and ceramic green sheets ( outermost - layer sheets ) 21 carrying no electrode were laminated and compressed on both upper and lower sides of the laminate to thereby form a laminate ( unfired laminate ) 1 a , in which the inner electrodes 2 were alternately derived from the right and left sides of the laminate 1 a . ( 3 ) the laminate 1 a was cut to a predetermined size using a dicer and was subjected to debinder and firing operations . the debinder operation was performed by subjecting the laminate to a heat treatment in an atmosphere of nitrogen gas . the firing operation was performed by heating the laminate at a predetermined temperature in a weakly reducing atmosphere . ( 4 ) a conductive paste containing silver as a conductive component was then applied and baked on both side edges of the fired laminate ( ceramic device ) 1 to thereby constitute outer electrodes 3 a and 3 b which electrically communicated with the inner electrodes 2 ( fig1 ). thus , a multilayer ceramic capacitor containing ni as the inner electrodes 2 as shown in fig1 was obtained . the short - circuit rate ( short circuit occurrence ) of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured — it was satisfactory and was 0 . 7 %. the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied x7r characteristic specified by eia ( the electronic industries association ) specifications . a ceramic green sheet was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , except that the thickness of the resulting ceramic green sheet was changed to 2 μm . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor was manufactured by the same method as in example 1 . the short - circuit rate of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured and found to the satisfactory at 1 . 1 %. the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied the x7r characteristic . a ceramic green sheet was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) film having such smoothness that the maximum projection height in both surfaces was 0 . 3 μm was used and that the thickness of the resulting ceramic green sheet was changed to 0 . 3 μm . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor was manufactured by the same method as in example 1 . the short - circuit rate of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured . it was satisfactory and was 3 . 6 %. the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied the x7r characteristic . a ceramic green sheet was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , except that a support ( a carrier film ) was prepared by forming a silicone - based material layer 100 nm thick as a releasing layer on the base support . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor was manufactured by the same method as in example 1 . the short - circuit rate of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured . it as satisfactory and was 0 . 8 %. the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied the x7r characteristic . a support ( a carrier film ) was prepared by forming an organic - inorganic composite material layer 100 μm thick as a releasing layer on a top surface of a base support . in this procedure , the organic - inorganic composite material layer included a fluorine polymer and polysiloxane , and the base support included a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) film 50 μm thick having such smoothness that the maximum projection height in both surfaces was 2 . 2 μm . the support ( carrier film ) had a surface free energy of 27 mj / m 2 , a coefficient of static friction of 0 . 16 and a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0 . 20 . a ceramic green sheet 3 μm thick was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , except that the above - prepared support ( carrier film ) was used . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor was manufactured by the same method as in example 1 . the short - circuit rate of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured . it was high and was 51 %. however , the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied the x7r characteristic . a ceramic green sheet 2 μm thick was prepared using the same support as in comparative example 1 in the same manner as in example 2 . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor was manufactured by the same method as in example 1 . the short - circuit rate of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured to find that it was high at 76 %. however , the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied the x7r characteristic . a support ( a carrier film ) was prepared by forming an organic - inorganic composite material layer 100 μm thick as a releasing layer on a top surface of a base support . in this procedure , the organic - inorganic composite material layer was composed of a fluorine polymer and a polysiloxane , and the base support was composed of a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) film 50 μm thick having such smoothness that the maximum projection height in both surfaces was 1 . 3 μm . the support ( carrier film ) had a surface free energy of 27 mj / m 2 , a coefficient of static friction of 0 . 18 and a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0 . 22 . a ceramic green sheet 3 mm thick was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , except that the above - prepared support ( carrier film ) was used . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor was manufactured by the same method as in example 1 . the short - circuit rate of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured to find that it was high at 16 %. however , the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied the x7r characteristic . a ceramic green sheet 2 μm thick was prepared using the same support as in comparative example 3 in the same manner as in example 2 . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor was manufactured by the same method as in example 1 . the short - circuit rate of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured to find that it was high and was 28 %. however , the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied the x7r characteristic . a base support without any releasing layer on its top surface was used . this support was composed of a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) film 50 μm thick , had such smoothness that the maximum projection height in both surfaces was 0 . 9 μm , and the top surface of the support to be coated with a ceramic slurry had a surface free energy of 55 mj / m 2 , a coefficient of static friction of 0 . 31 and a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0 . 37 . a ceramic green sheet 3 mm thick was prepared in the same manner as in example 1 , except that the aforementioned support was used . using the above - prepared ceramic green sheet , a multilayer ceramic capacitor was manufactured by the same method as in example 1 . the short - circuit rate of the resulting multilayer ceramic capacitor was measured to find that it was satisfactory and was 1 %. the temperature characteristic of electrostatic capacity satisfied the x7r characteristic . however , in this comparative example 5 , it took two to three times longer to peel off the ceramic green sheet from the support than that of example 1 , thus markedly deteriorating production efficiency . a support ( carrier film ) was prepared by forming a silicone releasing layer on a top surface of a base support . in this procedure , the base support was composed of a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) film 50 μm thick having such smoothness that the maximum projection height in both surfaces was 0 . 9 μm . the support ( carrier film ) had a surface free energy of 16 mj / m 2 , a coefficient of static friction of 0 . 64 and a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0 . 56 . an attempt was made to provide a ceramic green sheet under the same condition as in example 1 , except that the above - prepared support was used . however , the support ( carrier film ) could not be transported ( i . e ., rolled up and unwound ) under the conditions in this comparative example 6 , and a ceramic green sheet could not be prepared . tables 1 and 2 show the maximum projection height of the both surfaces of the support , short - circuit rate , type of the releasing layer , coefficient of friction of the top surface of the support , evaluation of transporting property of the support , surface free energy of the support , and evaluation of releasing property of the support in examples 1 to 4 and comparative examples 1 to 6 . the maximum projection height in the both sides ( both surfaces ) of the support shown in table 1 were measured with a surface profiling instrument of optical interferometric system ( in - plane resolution : 1 μm , height resolution : 0 . 1 μm ). while the present invention has been described with reference to what are presently considered to be the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and examples . on the contrary , the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements in , for example , the types of ceramic powders , dispersing agents , binders , plasticizers , antistatic agents , solvents , preparation methods ( dispersing methods ) of the ceramic slurry , specific structures and compositional materials of the support included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions .	7
referring to fig1 , a first conventional phacoemulsification system 10 includes a platform 12 is associated with a handpiece 14 . the handpiece 14 includes a hollow needle 16 that is connected to the platform 12 and is vibrated at known ultrasonic frequencies so that when its tip 18 is inserted into proximal to a cataractous lens within the eye ( not shown ), it can emulsify the lens contained therein . a bottle 20 provides through a tube 22 an infusion fluid that flows around the needle 16 through a sleeve 24 and exits , as at 26 adjacent to the tip 18 . the pressure of the fluid at the exit points 26 can be controlled in this system 10 only by raising or lowering the bottle 20 . a somewhat more sophisticated system 30 is shown in fig2 . system 30 includes a platform 32 that is connected to handpiece 34 also having a hollow needle 36 surrounded by a sleeve 38 and having an emulsification tip 40 . infusion fluid is provided from the platform 32 to the sleeve 38 and this fluid is then ejected near tip 40 , as at 42 . in this system , the infusion fluid is provided by a bag 44 to a pump 46 . the pump 46 then forces the fluid through tube 48 to the sleeve 38 . the platform 32 also includes a sensor 50 that senses the fluid pressure through the line ( tubing ) as it leaves the pump 46 . the operation of the pump 46 is controlled by a control servo 52 which receives an input from the surgeon indicative of the desired fluid pressure and another input from the sensor 50 . ideally , this feedback - type control scheme should be able to control the pressure of the fluid as it is ejected at 42 . however , in practice it has been found that this scheme is less than ideal because there has a substantial and measurable lag between the time that surgeon sets a desired pressure demand as an input for the servo and the time the loop adjusts itself to the desired pressure . as a result , the pressure at the fluid exit points 52 can be either much higher or much lower than desired for a considerable time , leading to complications within the eye . a system 100 constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in fig3 . as shown in this figure , the system 100 includes a platform 102 associated with a handpiece 104 . the handpiece includes a needle 106 terminating a tip 108 used for emulsification . a sleeve 110 surrounds the needle 106 and provides fluid near the tip 108 through exit ports 110 . the needle 106 is vibrated at ultrasonic frequencies by a conventional ultrasonic generator disposed in the platform 102 ( not shown ). the sleeve may be disposable . the infusion fluid originates from a bag 114 and is pushed by a pump 116 through fluid tube 118 . the pump 116 is controlled by a servo 120 . importantly , a sensor device 122 is disposed adjacent to one of the exit ports along or in the sleeve 112 . the sensor device 122 is arranged to measure the instantaneous fluid pressure at that point . the pressure information from sensor device 122 is transmitted to an information relay ( such as an re transceiver or repeater ) 124 . the relay 124 then transmits the pressure information to a receiver 126 in the platform 102 . the pressure information is then provided to a servo 120 . the platform 102 is also provided with a surgeon interface 128 that receives demand information from the surgeon . the interface 128 may include a dial or a digital keypad used by the surgeon to set a certain fluid pressure or request a pressure increase or decrease . the servo 120 then uses the pressure information and a demand signal from the interface 128 to control the operation of the pump 116 . since the pressure information originates directly from the fluid exit port 112 , it is much more accurate or current then in the prior art and hence the system 130 operates much faster and more reliably . in one embodiment of the invention , instead of using relay 124 , the pressure information from the sensor device 122 is transmitted to the receiver 126 by a hard wire , an rf transmission , etc . sensor device 122 is preferably a miniaturized ic chip that can be mounted at a location preferably near one of the exit ports 112 . for example , device 122 can be mounted on the inner or outer wail of sleeve 110 . the information relay or repeater 124 is disposed preferably outside the eye but near enough so that it can be within the transmitting range of device 122 . in the embodiment described above , the infusion fluid for the handpiece 104 is pressurized directly and controlled using a pump 116 , which may be , for example , a peristaltic pump . in an alternate embodiment , instead of using a direct pressurizing means , an air ( or gas ) pump may be used , as shown in fig3 a . in this figure , a pressurized vessel 140 holds an infusion fluid 142 . this fluid 142 is fed to the handpiece 104 as described in conjunction with fig3 . the vessel 140 is pressurized by an air pump 144 that is operated by a control signal from the servo 120 . fig5 shows a block diagram of a first embodiment 120 a of the sensor device . it includes a power supply 150 , a sensor element 152 , a preamplifier and filter 154 , a mixer 156 , an impedance matching network 158 and an antenna 160 . the sensor element 152 is preferably a mems - type pressure sensor in communication with the infusion fluid within or exiting from the sleeve 110 . the sensor output is conditioned and amplified by preamplifier and filter 154 and fed to a mixer 156 . the mixer 156 further receives an rf signal from a local oscillator 162 . the resulting re signal is fed to an impedance matching network 158 and output by antenna 160 . while the output signal from the antenna could be transmitted straight to the platform 102 , or it can be transmitted through a repeater 124 as discussed above . the rf output signal is received by an antenna 126 a incorporated into platform 102 and then fed to the receiver 126 and servo 120 as discussed above . the power supply 150 can be either a battery , a supercapacitor or other conventional static power source . alternatively , power to the sensor device 122 can be provided by an active source . for example , in fig5 such as an inductor 170 is provided in an external excitation member 172 . excitation member 172 is disposed outside the eye during surgery and is provided power from an external power source 174 . during surgery , the inductor 170 generates a magnetic field that in turn generates a current through internal inductor 176 . the inductor 176 with a capacitor 178 form an active power source 150 a for the sensor device shown in fig4 . fig6 shows several other alternative embodiments . in this figure sensor 120 c is a digital device as opposed to the analog device shown in fig4 . the sensor element 152 generates sensor data that , after processing by the amplifier and filter 154 is provide to an adc 202 . the digital sensor data from the adc is sent out either directly or fed to a microprocessor 204 . the microprocessor then generates corresponding digital output data that is fed to the impedance matching network 158 and then to antenna 160 . in one embodiment this output data is sent either directly to the receiver of the platform 102 either directly , or via repeater 124 . in this configuration , power for the sensor device 120 c is provided by battery 150 a . in another embodiment , rfid technology is used to query and power the sensor device 120 c . for this purpose , an external rfid transceiver 192 is provided that is positioned during surgery adjacent to the surgery site . the sensor device 120 c includes an rfid receiver and tank circuit 200 feeding a charging circuit 202 . when activated , the rfid transceiver sends a query to the rfid receiver 200 in the form of an rf signal . this rf signal is preferably continuous . the rfid receiver 200 receives the rf signal and uses its energy to power a charging circuit 202 . the charging circuit then generates power that is either used to energize the other elements of the device 120 c directly , or is used to charge battery 150 a . then , in response to the query , the sensor element detects the respective fluid pressure and generates a corresponding output signal indicative of this instantaneous fluid pressure . in one embodiment , the output signal from the antenna 160 is transmitted to the platform 102 directly or via repeater 124 . in another embodiment , the rfid external transceiver 192 also acts as the repeater 124 . in this case , the antenna 160 is part of the rfid receiver 200 and the output signal is sensed by the transceiver 192 which then transmits it to the platform 102 . numerous modifications may be made to this invention without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims .	0
fig2 shows carrier 11 , loop 16 , loop attachment 18 , flap 12 , the back side of the carrier 19 , strap 20 , strap attachment 22 , slits 24 , and handle cut outs 26 . loop attachment 18 can secure loop 16 to back side 19 and strap attachment 22 can secure strap 20 to back side 19 by glue , heat sealing or any other method known to those skilled in the art . fig1 shows carrier 11 attached to case 30 against side wall 31 by inserting handle 32 through handle cut outs 26 and slits 24 in strap 20 . carrier 11 has front side 10 , back side 19 ( fig2 ), closure flap 12 , fastener 14 , and sides of the carrier 27 . carrier 11 is attached to case 30 using strap 20 . handle 32 is inserted through one of a plurality of slits 24 and handle cut outs 26 on strap 20 . the choice of which of the slits and cut outs selected , in which handle 32 is to be inserted through depends on the size , shape and especially the thickness of the case to which carrier 11 is to be attached . strap 20 is preferably inserted through loop 16 before the carrier is attached to case 30 . loop 16 provides added stability to the back side 19 of carrier 11 especially when attached to larger or oddly shaped cases . it should be understood that in the process of attaching and manufacturing loop 16 to carrier 11 , loop 16 should be wide enough to allow strap 20 under it , but still keep the body of carrier 11 close to the case it is attached to in order to provide enhanced stability when used with large and / or oddly shaped cases . in the preferred embodiment , strap attachment 22 is mounted on the lower one third of the back side 19 in order to accommodate cases of various sizes and shapes . this permits the strap to extend directly to the case handle . however , to add stability , the strap usually is inserted through loop 16 to provide added stability as the strap 20 would then extend from the top portion of back side 19 . in one embodiment , flap 12 is constructed as an extension of back side 19 to project over front side 10 . this provides a means to secure the contents of carrier 11 inside the carrier . moreover , flap 12 provides protection from the elements such as rain . on the inside cover of flap 12 and the front side 10 , of carrier 11 is at least one fastener 14 . fastener can be of snap , hook and loop , clasp or any other fastener known to those skilled in the art . the sides of the carrier 27 can be expandible to accommodate articles of various thickness . in the preferred embodiment , carrier 11 is sized to carry sheets of music . fig3 shows the back side of the carrier 19 with strap 20 secured under loop 16 . this configuration enhances stability especially when carrier 11 is attached to a large and / or oddly shaped case . fig4 shows the inside of the carrier 11 . specifically , fig . 4 shows the interior with pockets 13 and 15 . there can be a plurality of pockets of different sizes and shapes inside carrier 11 . the pockets accommodate pencils , business cards , calculators , cell phones and other object which need to be carried . the pockets can also be attached to the inside face of the front side 10 . alternately , the pockets could be attached to the outside of front side 10 , under or on flap 12 . fig5 shows a partial perspective view of strap 19 attached to the handle 32 with the remainder of carrier 11 cut away . strap 16 conforms to the contours of case 30 . fig5 illustrates that the carrier 11 is adjacent only to one side of case 30 and does not interfere with the use of the handle 32 . this allows the user to freely open the case 30 without interference from carrier 11 . moreover , fig5 illustrates the interaction of handle 32 and strap 20 . handle 32 is inserted through strap 20 . specifically , slit 24 permits entry of the top of the handle 32 through strap 20 and handle cut outs 26 allow carrier 11 to be securely attached to case 30 . strap 20 , slit 24 and handle cut out 26 can be reinforced as needed with a suitably strong material along the periphery thereof . excess may be trimmed or the excess may be folded under for future use with larger cases . in one embodiment , front wall 10 and back wall 19 are made of generally orthogonal pieces of material that are joined at their periphery . the joint can be by staples , glue , heat sealing or any other method known to those skilled in the art . in the preferred embodiment , carrier 11 is constructed partially or completely of transparent polyurethane material because of water resistance , transparency , ease of manufacture and relative low cost . the material is chosen to provide adequate protection to articles stored inside . however , carrier 11 could be made from nylon , leather or any other suitable material known to those skill in the art . as illustrated in fig6 - 8 , a combination of transparent and non - transparent materials could be used such as a transparent polypropylene material that is formed into a window with a woven nylon material forming the remainder of the body . a nylon peripheral border can also be included around the edges of the invention for structural and aesthetic purposes . this would serve the aesthetic function as well as to protect the edges of the invention from fraying or other damage . a logo can also be included as desired through molding , glue , stitching or other methods . in the embodiment shown in fig6 - 8 , carrier 100 comprises a translucent front panel 106 , an closure flap 102 , rear panel 108 , perferrably formed from a nylon or equivalent fabric , fastening straps 110 and hook and loop closure fasteners 104 . the periphery 116 is formed from a nylon or equivalent fabric welt 116 . the bag can be of any shape and size appropriate . a method is also disclosed in carrying sheet music in a translucent folder . the folder , shown in fig1 - 5 , would have generally orthogonal walls and in one embodiment , would have expandible sides to accommodate articles of varying thickness . the sides of the folder can be joined by glue , staples , heat sealing or any other method known to those skilled in the art . the back side 19 would extend over the folder &# 39 ; s front side 11 to form a closure 12 in the form of a flap which keeps the sheet music and related articles securely inside the folder with a fastener . the folder is attached to a strap 20 having a plurality of slots . the strap 20 is attached to the back side of the folder . the user places the back side 19 of the folder 10 adjacent case 30 . the user then decides which of the plurality of slots 24 in strap 20 is appropriate to accommodate the shape and size of the case . once the appropriate slot is selected , the user then inserts the case handle through the slot so the strap lies over the handle . the user then inserts sheet music or other documents and things inside the carrier and securely fastens the flap to ensure the articles are protected and secure . an alternate embodiment would enable a user to provide added stability to the carrier while attached to the case . this may be needed if the case is oddly shaped and / or sized . before the user attaches the carrier to the case , the user inserts the strap 20 though loop 16 on the back of the folder . the user then places the carrier adjacent the case to determine which slot 24 in strap 20 is appropriate to place over the handle . once the user places the handle through the appropriate slot , the loop then serves to provide added stability to the carrier while attached to the case . fig6 - 8 illustrate another embodiment of the invention . illustrated here are folder 100 , flap 102 , front panel 106 , back panel 108 , a hook and loop closure 104 , logo 114 , hook and loop straps 110 , loops 112 and nylon border 116 . folder 100 is attached to a case handle by using straps 110 . straps 110 are attached at or near the bottom of back panel 108 . at least one strap is used to enhance stability and security to the case handle . depending on the size and shape of the case , loops 112 can be used with straps 110 . loops 112 are attached at or near the top of back panel 108 . at least one loop 112 can be provided in different positions on the back panel 108 to accommodate cases of different shape and size . each of the straps 110 are inserted through a loop 112 . this serves to abut the back panel 108 to a side of the case before the straps are attached to the case handle . straps 100 are constructed from hook and loop material so that the straps may be engaged to securely fasten thereof . once the straps engage the handle , the excess hook and loop strap is trimmed and the strap is pressed together so that the hook and loop fasteners become engaged . it should be understood that in the process of attaching and manufacturing the loop to the folder , the loop should be wide enough to allow the strap under it , but still keep the body of the folder close to the case it is attached to in order to provide enhanced stability to large and / or oddly shaped cases . also included is a method of using the above embodiment . this method is directed toward carrying sheet music in a folder having a translucent front panel . the folder has generally orthogonal walls and in one embodiment , has expansible sides to accommodate articles of varying thickness . the sides of the folder can be joined by glue , staples , heat sealing or another other method known to those skilled in the art . the folder &# 39 ; s backside extends upwardly into a flap which extends over the front of the folder . this flap keeps the sheet music and related articles securely inside the folder with at least one fastener . the folder has at least one hook and loop strap extending upwardly from the back surface of the folder . a plurality of strap engaging loops is fastened to the back surface near the top thereof . the user places the backside of the folder adjacent to the case . the user then decides which of the loops to insert the strap though . this would be determined by the size and shape of the case . once the loops , if any , are selected , the user inserts the straps through the loops . the straps are then wrapped around the handle and back inter contact with a lower portion of the strap . the excess hook and loop strap is then trimmed and the folder is securely attached to the case . the user can then insert sheet music documents , manuscripts or music related articles inside the carrier and securely fasten the flap to ensure the articles are secure . while there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention and the methods of use , it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein . the disclosure herein has applicability to the field of supplementing the carrying capacity of cases equipped with at least one handle . in compliance with the statute , the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features . it is to be understood , however , that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown or described , since the means and construction shown or described comprise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect . the invention is , therefore , claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims , appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents .	0
fig3 schematically illustrates the circuitry of a power converter of a hybrid power filter in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention applied to a three - phase , three - wire power system . a power source 1 of the three - phase , three - wire power system supplies a three - phase , three - wire power to a load 3 . a hybrid power filter 2 electrically connects to the load 3 in parallel , and filters harmonic currents generated from the load 3 . referring again to fig3 , in the illustrated first embodiment , the hybrid power filter 2 is applied to the three - phase , three - wire power system . generally , the hybrid power filter 2 consists of a passive power filter 20 and a power converter 21 serially connected thereto . the passive power filter 20 includes one or more three - phase single - tuned harmonic filter connected to each other . the single - tuned harmonic filter consists of an inductor and an ac capacitor . the three - phase single - tuned harmonic filter is selectively tuned to a major harmonic frequency of the load 3 . the passive power filter 20 is used to lower the power capacity of the power converter 21 . still referring again to fig3 , the power converter 21 includes a power electronic switch set 210 and a dc capacitor 211 . the power converter 21 is used to improve the filtering effect of the passive power filter 20 , and to protect the passive power filter 20 from damage due to resonance and the injection of neighboring harmonic current . the power electronic switch set 210 has a double - arm bridge configuration , each arm of which includes a pair of power electronic switches . the power electronic switch consists of a power switching device ( such as igbt and power mosfet ) and a diode . the double - arm bridge configuration for power electronic switch set 210 contains a pair of dc terminals and a pair of ac terminals . a connection point between the two power electronic switches of each arm of the bridge configuration is regarded as one of the two ac terminals . the other two terminals of the bridge configuration are the two dc terminals . connected between the two dc terminals of the power electronic switch set 210 is the dc capacitor 211 regarded as an energy buffer capacitor which accumulates a dc voltage for normal operation of the power converter 21 . each phase of the passive power filter 20 is provided with the ac capacitor which can effectively block the dc current from the power converter 21 . accordingly , when the power converter 21 is applied to the three - phase , three - wire power system , only the double - arm bridge configuration for the power electronic switch set 210 is required . the power source 1 of the three - phase , three - wire power system includes three power lines , wherein two power lines connect with the two ac terminals of the double - arm bridge configuration of the power electronic switch set 210 via the two phases of passive power filter 20 . alternatively , the other power line of the power source 1 directly connects with a negative terminal of the dc capacitor 211 of the power converter 21 via the other phase of passive power filter 20 . in operation , switching the power electronic switch set 210 controls the compensation current supplied from the two phases of the passive power filter 21 , which is connected to the two ac terminals of the double - arm bridge configuration of the power electronic switch set 210 , to be injected into a power line of the power system . the sum of three - phase currents of the three - phase , three - wire power system is zero . in the illustrated first embodiment , if the two output phase currents of the hybrid power filter 2 can be controlled to obtain the two accurate compensation currents , it results in the other phase ( third phase ) of the hybrid power filter 2 supplying an accurate compensation current . the three - phase compensation currents from the hybrid power filter 2 are injected into the three power lines of the three - phase , three - wire power system . consequently , the three - phase currents supplied from the power source 1 are approximated as nearly sinusoidal waveforms . turning now to fig4 , it illustrates a schematic circuitry of a power converter of a hybrid power filter in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention applied to a three - phase , three - wire power system . reference numerals of the second embodiment of the present invention have applied the identical numerals of the first embodiment , as shown in fig3 . the construction of the hybrid power filter in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention has similar configuration and same function as that of the hybrid power filter of the first embodiment shown in fig3 and detailed descriptions may be omitted . referring to fig4 , in the illustrated second embodiment , the ac capacitors of the passive power filter 20 can effectively block the positive or negative dc current from the power converter 21 . in comparison with the illustrated first embodiment , one of the power lines of the power source 1 in the illustrated second embodiment directly connects through the one phase of passive power filter 20 to a positive terminal of the dc capacitor 211 of the power converter 21 rather than the negative terminal . as has been discussed in the illustrated first embodiment , the hybrid power filter 2 has one less arm than the conventional three - phase three - wire power converter and therefore one less pair of power electronic switches . fig5 schematically illustrates the circuitry of a power converter of a hybrid power filter in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention applied to a single - phase power system . the power source 1 of the single - phase power system supplies a single - phase power to the load 3 . the hybrid power filter 4 electrically connects to the load 3 in parallel , and filters harmonic current generated from the load 3 . referring again to fig5 , in the illustrated first embodiment , the hybrid power filter 4 is applied to the single - phase power system . generally , the hybrid power filter 4 consists of a passive power filter 40 and a power converter 41 serially connected thereto . the passive power filter 40 includes one or more single - phase single - tuned harmonic filter sets connected each other . the single - tuned harmonic filter consists of an inductor and an ac capacitor . the single - tuned filter is selectively tuned to a major harmonic frequency of the load 3 . the passive power filter 40 is used to lower the power capacity of the power converter 41 . still referring again to fig5 , the power converter 41 includes a power electronic switch set 410 and a dc capacitor 411 . the power converter 41 is used to improve the filtering effect of the passive power filter 40 , and to prevent damage to the passive power filter 40 from resonance and the neighboring harmonic current injection . the power electronic switch set 410 has a single - arm bridge configuration and the arm includes a pair of power electronic switches . the power electronic switch consists of a power switching device ( such as igbt and power mosfet ) and a diode . the single - arm bridge configuration for a power electronic switch set contains a pair of dc terminals and an ac terminal . a connection point between the two power electronic switches of the single - arm bridge configuration is regarded as an ac terminal . the other two terminals of the bridge configuration are the two dc terminals . connected between the two dc terminals of the power electronic switch set 410 is the dc capacitor 411 acting as an energy buffer capacitor which accumulates a dc voltage for normal operation of the power converter 41 . the passive power filter 40 is provided with the ac capacitor which can effectively block the dc current from the power converter 21 . accordingly , when the power converter 41 is applied to the single - phase power system , only the single - arm bridge configuration for the power electronic switch set 410 is required . the power source 1 of the single - phase power system includes two power lines , wherein one power line connects with the ac terminal of the single - arm bridge configuration of the power electronic switch set 410 via the passive power filter 40 . alternatively , the other power line of the power source 1 directly connects with a negative terminal of the dc capacitor 411 of the power converter 41 . in operation , switching the power electronic switch set 410 controls the compensation current from the single phase of the hybrid power filter 4 . the compensation current from the hybrid power filter 4 is injected into the power line of the single - phase power system . consequently , the single - phase current supplied from the power source 1 is approximated as a nearly sinusoidal waveform . fig6 schematically illustrates the circuitry of a power converter of a hybrid power filter in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention applied to a single - phase power system . reference numerals of the second embodiment of the present invention have applied the identical numerals of the first embodiment , as shown in fig5 . the construction of the hybrid power filter in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention has a similar configuration and same function as that of the hybrid power filter of the first embodiment shown in fig5 and detailed descriptions may be omitted . referring to fig6 , in the illustrated second embodiment , the ac capacitors of the passive power filter 40 can effectively block the positive or negative dc current from the power converter 41 . in comparison with the illustrated first embodiment , one of the power lines of the power source 1 in the illustrated second embodiment directly connects with a positive terminal of the dc capacitor 411 of the power converter 41 rather than the negative terminal . as mentioned in the discussion of the illustrated first embodiment , the hybrid power filter 4 has one less arm than the conventional single - phase power converter and one less pair of power electronic switches fig7 schematically illustrates the circuitry of a power converter of a hybrid power filter in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention applied to a three - phase , four - wire power system . a power source 1 of the three - phase , four - wire power system supplies a three - phase , four - wire power to a load 3 . the three - phase , four - wire power system includes three power lines r , s , t and a neutral power line n . a hybrid power filter 5 electrically connects to the load 3 in parallel , and filters the harmonic currents generated from the load 3 . referring again to fig7 , in the illustrated first embodiment , the hybrid power filter 5 is applied to the three - phase , four - wire power system . generally , the hybrid power filter 5 consists of a passive power filter 50 and a power converter 51 serially connected thereto . the passive power filter 50 includes one or more three - phase single - tuned harmonic filters connected each other . the single - tuned harmonic filter consists of an inductor and an ac capacitor . the three - phase single - tuned harmonic filter is selectively tuned to a major harmonic frequency of the load 3 . the passive power filter 50 is used to lower the power capacity of the power converter 51 . still referring again to fig7 , the power converter 51 includes a power electronic switch set 510 and a dc capacitor 511 . the power converter 51 is used to improve the filtering effect of the passive power filter 50 , and to protect the passive power filter 50 from the damage of resonance and the neighboring harmonic current injection . the power electronic switch set 510 has a triple - arm bridge configuration , each arm of which includes a pair of power electronic switches . the power electronic switch consists of a power switching device ( such as igbt and power mosfet ) and a diode . the triple - arm bridge configuration for power electronic switch set contains a pair of dc terminals and three ac terminals . a connection point between the two power electronic switches of each arm of the bridge configuration is regarded as one of the three ac terminals . the other two terminals of the bridge configuration are the two dc terminals . connected between the two dc terminals of the power electronic switch set 510 is the dc capacitor 511 acting as an energy buffer capacitor which accumulates a dc voltage for normal operation of the power converter 51 . each phase of the passive power filter 50 is provided with an ac capacitor which can effectively block the dc current from the power converter 21 . accordingly , when the power converter 51 is applied to the three - phase , four - wire power system , only the triple - arm bridge configuration for the power electronic switch set 510 is required . the power source 1 of the three - phase , four - wire power system includes three power lines r , s , t and a neutral power line n . three of the power lines r , s , t connect with the three ac terminals of the triple - arm bridge configuration of the power electronic switch set 510 via the passive power filter 50 . alternatively , the neutral power line n directly connects with a negative terminal of the dc capacitor 511 . in operation , switching the power electronic switch set 510 controls accurately the three - phase compensation currents from the hybrid power filter 5 . the sum of three - phase currents of the three - phase , three - wire power system is the current of the neutral line . in the illustrated first embodiment , if the three phases of the hybrid power filter 5 can be controlled to obtain the three accurate compensation currents , it results in the neutral power line of the hybrid power filter 5 supplying an accurate compensation current . the three - phase compensation currents from the hybrid power filter 5 are injected into the three - phase , four - wire power system . consequently , the three - phase currents supplied from the power source 1 are approximated as nearly sinusoidal waveforms . fig8 schematically illustrates the circuitry of a power converter of a hybrid power filter in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention applied to a three - phase , four - wire power system . reference numerals of the second embodiment of the present invention are identical to corresponding reference numerals of the first embodiment , as shown in fig7 . the construction of the hybrid power filter in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention has similar configuration and same function as that of the hybrid power filter of the first embodiment shown in fig7 and detailed descriptions may be omitted . referring to fig8 , in the illustrated second embodiment , the ac capacitors of the passive power filter 50 can effectively block the positive or negative dc current from the power converter 21 . in comparison with the illustrated first embodiment , the neutral power line of the power source 1 in the illustrated second embodiment directly connects with a positive terminal of the dc capacitor 511 of the power converter 51 rather than the negative terminal . as has been discussed in the illustrated first embodiment , the hybrid power filter 5 has one less arm than the conventional power converter and one less pair of power electronic switches . although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferred embodiment , it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention , as set forth in the appended claims .	7
referring now to the drawings and , first , particularly to fig1 thereof , there is shown therein that section of a sheet - processing printing machine which includes a delivery 1 following a final processing station . such a processing station may be a printing unit or a post - treatment unit , for example , a varnishing or coating unit . in the example at hand , the final processing station is an offset printing unit 2 with an impression cylinder 2 . 1 . the latter guides a respective sheet 3 , in a processing direction indicated by the rotational arrow 5 , through a nip between the impression cylinder 2 . 1 and a blanket cylinder 2 . 2 cooperating with the impression cylinder 2 . 1 , and then transfers the sheet 3 to a chain conveyor 4 . as the sheet 3 is being guided , grippers which are arranged on the impression cylinder 2 . 1 , and are provided for gripping the sheet 3 at a gripper margin thereof located at the leading end of the sheet , are opened so as to release the sheet 3 . the chain conveyor 4 has two conveying chains 6 , respectively , of which one revolves along a respective side wall of the chain delivery 1 during operation . a respective conveying chain 6 wraps around a respective one of two synchronously driven drive chain or sprocket wheels 7 , the axes of rotation of which are aligned with one another and , in the example at hand , the chain 6 is guided over a respective deflecting chain wheel 8 which is located downline of the drive chain wheels 7 , as viewed in the processing direction . extending between the two conveying chains 6 are gripper systems 9 , borne by the conveying chains , with grippers 9 . 1 , which pass through gaps formed between the grippers arranged on the impression cylinder 2 . 1 , and thus receive a respective sheet 3 , the gripper margin at the leading end of the sheet 3 being gripped in the process , immediately before the grippers arranged on the impression cylinder 2 . 1 are opened , transport the sheet beyond a sheet - guiding device 10 to a sheet brake 11 and open thereat in order to transfer the sheet 3 to the sheet brake 11 . the latter imparts to the sheets 3 a depositing speed which is lower than the processing speed , and releases the sheets 3 after they have reached the depositing speed , with the result that a respective , then decelerated sheet 3 finally comes into contact with leading - edge stops 12 and then , abutting against the latter and against trailing - edge stops 13 , which are located opposite the leading - edge stops , forms a sheet pile or stack 14 , together with preceding and / or following sheets 3 , it being possible for the pile 14 to be lowered , by a lifting mechanism , to the same extent as the pile 14 grows in height . of the lifting mechanism , fig1 illustrates only a platform 15 , which bears the pile 14 , and lifting chains 16 , which bear the platform 15 and are represented in phantom . along the paths of the conveying chains 6 , respectively , between the drive chain or sprocket wheels 7 , on the one hand , and the deflecting chain or sprocket wheels 8 , on the other hand , the conveying chains 6 are guided by chain - guide rails , which thus determine the paths of the chain strands . in the example at hand , the sheets 3 are transported by the chain strand which is at the bottom in fig1 . the section of the chain path through which the chain strand passes is followed alongside by a sheet - guiding surface 17 which faces towards the chain path and is formed on the sheet - guiding device 10 . a carrying - air cushion is preferably formed , during operation , between the sheet - guiding surface 17 and the sheets 3 guided thereover . for this purpose , the sheet - guiding device 10 is provided with blast or blowing - air nozzles which open out into the sheet - guiding surface 17 . fig1 symbolically shows only one of the blast - air nozzles in the form of a stub 18 , as a representative of all thereof . in order to prevent the printed sheets 3 in the pile 14 from mutually adhering , a dryer 19 and a powder sprayer 20 are provided on the path of the sheets 3 from the drive chain wheels 7 to the sheet brake 11 . in order to avoid excessive heating of the sheet - guiding surface 17 by the dryer 19 , a coolant circuit is integrated in the sheet - guiding device 10 and is indicated symbolically in fig1 by an inlet stub 21 and an outlet stub 22 on a coolant tray 23 assigned to the sheet - guiding surface 17 . in a region including the deflecting chain or sprocket wheels 8 , the chain - guide rails of a respective conveying chain 6 are borne by a respective guide plate 24 . in a manner not illustrated herein , the respective guide plate 24 is connected releasably to a respective side wall 32 of the delivery 1 , on an inner side of the side wall 32 , so that the conveying chains 6 can be retensioned if an elongation thereof should occur . the grippers 9 . 1 of the respective gripper system 9 , during operation , pass through a gripper path which is determined by the paths of the chain strands and , under the action of a non - illustrated spring arrangement , the grippers 9 . 1 are prestressed into a closed position thereof . in order to open the grippers 9 . 1 , a respective gripper system 9 is equipped with a non - illustrated roller lever device which can be actuated by an actuating element 25 so that it temporarily opens the normally closed grippers 9 . 1 when the roller lever device comes into contact with the actuating element 25 . in a respective adjustable basic position of the actuating element 25 , the grippers 9 . 1 open at a first gripper - path location , which is determined by the basic position , and release a respective sheet 3 for forming the sheet pile 14 while , in the aforementioned extreme position , the sheets 3 are released at a second gripper - path location , which is located downline from the first location , as viewed in the processing direction , with the result that the sheets 3 which are released , rather than coming into contact with the leading - edge stop 12 , move beyond the latter and pass on to a suitable intercepting device 26 , which serves for accommodating sample sheets or rejects . german patent 195 19 374 discloses an advantageous configuration of such an intercepting device , of which use is preferably made herein . the actuating element 25 is adjustable between the aforementioned basic positions and an extreme position by a linkage mechanism 31 ( note fig2 ), which is described in greater detail hereinafter , and has an actuating cam 28 which is pivotable relative to a pivot axis 27 and cooperates , in the manner explained hereinbefore , with the aforementioned roller lever arrangement . the basic positions and the extreme position are assumed in corresponding pivot positions of the actuating element 25 . as is apparent , in particular , from fig2 in the instant configuration , the pivot axis 27 of the actuating element 25 is disposed eccentrically relative to the axis of rotation 29 of the deflecting chain or sprocket wheels 8 which are represented in phantom in this figure . at that side of the delivery 1 whereat the actuating element 25 is disposed , in order to mount the latter , in a manner which is not illustrated here , a hub rotatably bearing one of the deflecting chain wheels 8 and being formed with an eccentric bore , is fastened on the corresponding guide plate 24 , and an actuating shaft 30 , which is connected to the actuating element 25 so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto and which forms the pivot axis 27 , is rotatably accommodated in the eccentric bore . the linkage mechanism 31 , which is provided for adjusting the actuating element 25 , is arranged outside one of the side walls 32 and is assigned to that side wall 32 which has the actuating element 25 assigned to the inner side thereof . the framework of the linkage mechanism 31 is formed by the guide plate 24 bearing the aforementioned hub , and by the hub , the guide plate 24 in particular , as has been mentioned hereinbefore , being arranged on the inner side of the side wall 32 which bears it . the guide plate 24 and the side wall 32 bearing it are not illustrated in fig2 because , otherwise , they would cover the linkage mechanism 31 and an actuating drive 36 for the linkage mechanism 31 , the actuating drive 36 likewise being arranged outside the side wall 32 . the linkage mechanism 31 includes a first rocker link 33 , a second rocker link 34 and a connecting rod 35 connecting these rocker links articulatedly to one another . the first rocker link 33 is connected , fixed against rotation relative thereto , to one end of the actuating shaft 30 , which projects outwardly beyond the side wall 32 , the actuating shaft 30 extending through an opening in the side wall 32 , and being articulatedly connected , in a manner which is not illustrated in the drawing , to the framework of the linkage mechanism 31 . the second rocker link 34 articulates with the guide plate 24 by a further framework - mounted articulation . this framework - mounted articulation is formed by a stay bolt 37 connected to the guide plate 24 . via the connections of the first rocker link 33 and of the actuating element 25 to the actuating shaft , so as to be fixed against rotation relative to the latter , the actuating element 25 is not only fixed to the first rocker link 33 but is also adjustable together therewith . in a non - illustrated alternative configuration , a functionally analogous linkage mechanism is arranged within the side walls 32 of the delivery 1 , and a rocker link corresponding to the first rocker link 33 is preferably formed as an actuating element . in a preferred configuration , the actuating drive 36 is formed by an actuating cylinder 38 which , for the purpose of being operatively connected to the linkage mechanism 31 , is likewise arranged on the outer side of that side wall 32 to which the actuating element 25 is assigned . a piston - rod head 39 of the actuating cylinder 38 is articulated on the linkage mechanism 31 , more precisely stated , preferably so that this articulated connection and the articulated connection between the connecting rod 35 and the second rocker link 34 have a common geometrical articulation axis . the actuating cylinder 38 is supported on the guide plate 24 via a further articulated connection . this articulated connection is realized , in a manner analogous to the framework - mounted articulation of the second rocker link 34 , by a stay bolt 40 , which is borne by the guide plate 24 , extends through an opening formed in the side wall 32 bearing the guide plate , and projects outwardly beyond the side wall 32 . [ 0040 ] fig2 illustrates the actuating element 25 in one of the adjustable basic positions thereof , which is described in greater detail hereinafter and , accordingly , the linkage mechanism 31 in one of the starting positions thereof . in these starting positions , the second rocker link 34 and the connecting rod 35 assume at least an approximately dead - center position . in order to adjust the linkage mechanism 31 , the latter is articulated on the piston - rod head 39 in the manner described hereinbefore . the piston - rod head is screwed onto a piston rod 42 of the actuating cylinder 38 and secured by a lock nut . in the example illustrated in fig2 the piston rod 42 assumes a position wherein the second rocker link 34 and the connecting rod 35 assume a dead - center position wherein the second rocker link 34 and the connecting rod 35 extend in opposite directions . in this position of the piston rod 42 , the piston - rod head 39 is supported , via damping rings 43 , on a stop 44 provided on the actuating cylinder 38 . the stop 44 has a sleeve - like construction , is screwed , via an internal thread thereof , onto a threaded sleeve 45 which is coaxial with the piston rod 42 and is connected to the actuating cylinder 38 so as to be fixed against rotation relative thereto , and is provided with a toothing formation 46 on the circumference thereof . the stop 44 , which is disposed on the actuating cylinder 38 in this way , has a basic position illustrated in fig2 wherein the second rocker link 34 and the connecting rod 35 assume the aforedescribed dead - center position thereof . of the hereinaforementioned roller lever arrangement , which is arranged on a respective gripper system 9 and can be actuated by the actuating element 25 in order to open the grippers 9 . 1 , fig2 shows only the roller 41 which cooperates with the actuating cam 28 , more precisely , at a location , on the path over which the roller passes in the direction of the arrow indicated in fig2 at which the roller 41 opens the grippers 9 . 1 . the aforementioned location is determined by the position of the actuating element 25 and , in relation to those locations at which the grippers 9 . 1 open with the actuation of the roller 41 by the actuating element 25 , the locations being possible in dependence upon different pivot positions of the actuating element 25 , is located as far as possible upline , as viewed in the travel direction of the traveling roller 41 and of the grippers 9 . 1 , respectively , which is represented by the associated arrow in fig2 when the linkage mechanism 31 assumes the position illustrated in fig2 i . e ., when the second rocker link 34 and the connecting rod 35 assume the aforementioned extended dead - center position . the actuating cam is formed so that , as illustrated in fig2 in the case of pivoting in a counter - clockwise direction and with an adjustment of the linkage mechanism 31 from the starting position thereof assumed at the aforementioned dead - center position and corresponding to a starting position of the possible basic positions of the actuating element 25 , the actuating cam , as it proceeds farther downline , comes into actuating contact with the roller 41 , by which the grippers 9 . 1 are opened . in order to produce such actuating contact at locations of the gripper path which are farther downline than the location corresponding to the aforementioned basic position , the piston rod 42 is supported on the stop 44 in positions which are slightly extended in relation to the configuration shown in fig2 . for this purpose , the stop 44 is rotated relative to the threaded sleeve 35 in a manner corresponding to that of an adjusting nut so that the piston rod 42 is displaced in the direction of an extension stroke of the actuating cylinder 38 . as a result , the actuating element 25 is pivoted continuously , in a counter - clockwise direction , as viewed in fig2 out of the starting position illustrated in fig2 . furthermore , the actuating cam 28 is constructed so that the roller 41 , within an adjustment range for the possible basic positions of the actuating element 25 , as it proceeds farther downline from the location illustrated in fig2 comes into the aforementioned actuating contact with the actuating cam 28 , and so that the roller 41 , with farther - reaching pivoting of the actuating element 25 beyond the adjustment range , remains out of contact with the actuating cam 28 and comes into contact with the latter again when the actuating element 25 , with pivoting thereof in the same direction , has reached an extreme position , due to an extension stroke of the actuating cylinder 38 , the extension stroke being from a position of the piston rod 42 which corresponds to a basic position of the actuating element 25 . an extension stroke of the actuating cylinder 38 thus adjusts the linkage mechanism 31 in the direction of an extreme position corresponding to an extreme position of the actuating element 25 , and a return stroke of the actuating cylinder , which may be limited by a stop 44 , adjusts the linkage mechanism 31 into a starting position corresponding to one of the basic positions of the actuating element 25 , which is adjustable by the stop 44 . the linkage mechanism 31 , the actuating cylinder 38 and the stop 44 which is adjustable relative thereto , are arranged so that the return stroke of the actuating cylinder 38 ends , at the latest , as the aforementioned dead - center position is reached . all of the adjustable starting positions and the extreme position of the linkage mechanism 31 are thus reached without passing through this dead - center position . the rotation of the stop 44 for adjusting the basic positions of the actuating element 25 is preferably effected by a servomotor . for this purpose , a mount 47 is fastened onto the actuating cylinder 38 . a servomotor 48 is flanged onto the mount 47 . this servomotor is in operative connection with a gearwheel 49 with an axis of rotation parallel to the piston rod 42 , and the gearwheel 49 is in engagement with the toothing formation provided on the stop 44 . a servomotor drive of the gearwheel 49 , with an appropriate direction of rotation and an appropriate number of revolutions , thus causes an adjustment of the stop 44 in the direction of the extension stroke and of the return stroke of the actuating cylinder 38 , respectively , within the limits corresponding to the aforementioned adjustment range for the possible basic positions of the actuating element 25 . the adjustment of the basic positions of the actuating element 25 is performed in order to adjust or match the location of the release of the sheets provided for forming the sheet pile 14 to be adapted to the given process conditions during the production run of the printing machine . these include , in particular , the processing speed , the format and the weight per unit area of the sheets 3 being processed . the actuating cylinder 38 is preferably double - acting and , with corresponding activation , retains the linkage mechanism 31 in the respectively adjusted starting position . with activation in the opposite direction , the actuating cylinder 38 executes an extension stroke , which pivots the actuating element 25 into the extreme position thereof . this extreme position is likewise adjustable . for this purpose , the first rocker link 33 is provided with a stop surface 50 which , in abutment against an adjustable stopper 51 , limits an adjustment from a starting position of the linkage mechanism 31 . the stopper 51 is likewise borne by a stay bolt 52 which is fastened onto the guide plate 24 and extends through a cutout formed in the side wall 32 bearing the guide plate 24 . for the through - passage of the aforementioned stay bolts 37 , 40 and 52 and of the hub bearing the actuating shaft 30 and fastened onto the guide plate 24 , through the side wall 32 , the cutouts which are provided are additionally dimensioned so that the guide plate 24 can be displaced for retensioning of the conveying chains 6 . the aforementioned openings are indicated by broken lines in fig2 wherein the side wall 32 is not illustrated . the configuration of the linkage mechanism 31 and of the actuating drive 36 which has been described thus far allows the basic positions of the actuating element 25 to be precision - adjusted and , furthermore , allows the actuating forces occurring during contact between the roller 41 and the actuating cam 28 to be supported in an optimized manner in the basic positions of the actuating element 25 along with relatively small supporting forces on the actuating cylinder 38 . furthermore , the roller 41 comes into contact with the actuating cam 28 in the extreme position of the actuating element 25 due to the construction of the pivoting region of the actuating element 25 between a basic position and an extreme position , and due to the construction of the actuating cam beneath a lever arm which is relatively short when compared with the length of the pivot axis 27 of the actuating element 25 .	1
generally , the security film of fig1 which is flexible , comprises , in laminated sequence , a moisture permeable polyester stratum 12 , an elastomeric polyurethane bonding stratum 14 , a moisture permeable polyester stratum 16 and a pressure sensitive adhesive stratum 18 . all of these strata are optically clear and transparent . typically polyester strata 12 and 16 are of the type sold by dupont under the trademark mylar or by i . c . i . under the trademark melinex . typically polyurethane bonding stratum 14 is formed as an elastomer by casting a mixture of an isocyanate containing component and a hydroxyl containing component on one of the faces of polyester strata 12 , 16 , then superposing another of the faces thereon and compressing the two strata during heat curing . typically pressure sensitive adhesive 18 is composed of a mixture of synthetic and natural rubbers , e . g . neoprene and latex , a tackifier such as terpene , and an organic solvent such as toluene or methyl ethyl ketone . this pressure sensitive adhesive is optically clear and transparent . preferably , polymeric strata 12 and 14 each ranges in thickness from 0 . 5 to 5 mils , elastomeric bonding stratum 14 ranges in thickness from 0 . 2 to 0 . 4 mils and pressure sensitive adhesive 18 ranges in thickness from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 mils . as shown in fig1 following stripping of a silicone release stratum 20 from pressure sensitive adhesive stratum 18 , a clear aqueous detergent 22 is applied to pressure sensitive stratum 18 in order to deactivate the pressure sensitive adhesive during application of the film shown at 10 , to a window 24 . during such superposition , the aqueous detergent coat serves as a lubricant to permit smoothing of the film and elimination of air pockets between the film and the window . following application of the film to the window , the aqueous detergent diffuses through the edges of the interface between the film and the window and through the film itself . in order to facilitate such evaporation , preferably all of the strata of the film are selected for their vapor permeability , the pressure sensitive adhesive in particular being vapor permeable but insoluable with respect to water . in other words , the detergent is polar and the pressure sensitive adhesive is non - polar . the alternative embodiment of fig3 comprises , in laminated sequence , a moisture permeable polyester stratum 32 , an elastomeric polyurethane bonding stratum 34 , a moisture permeable polyester stratum 36 , a pressure sensitive adhesive stratum 38 , and a release stratum 42 , all analogous to their counterparts in the embodiment of fig1 . in addition , this alternative embodiment comprises a vapor deposited aluminium coat 40 that is characterized by a visible light transmission of 5 % to 60 % and a thickness of no more than 300 angstrom units . in a modification of the embodiment of fig2 one or both of the polyester strata contains an ultraviolet absorbent , for example , a dispersed substituted benzophenone of the type sold by antara chemicals under the trademark uvinul . alternative heavier duty security films embodying the present invention are shown in fig3 and 4 . the security film of fig4 comprises in laminated sequence a polyester stratum 46 , a polyurethane stratum 48 , a polyester stratum 50 , a polyurethane stratum 52 , a polyester stratum 54 , a pressure sensitive adhesive stratum 56 and a release stratum 58 . the security film of fig5 comprises all of the strata of fig4 designated 60 , 64 , 66 , 68 , 70 , 72 , and 74 , and additionally an interposed vapor deposited aluminum coat 62 . in fig4 and 5 , the polyester strata , polyurethane strata , vapor deposited strata , pressure sensitive strata and release strata are analogous to their counterparts in fig1 and 3 . in operation of each of the security films of fig1 and 4 , the security film is applied at 76 to the inside or outside face of a window pane 78 . when in position , the security film of fig1 or 4 is capable of preventing fragmentation of window 78 when it is cracked or otherwise damaged by an external impact or explosion at a position 80 . when in position , the security film of fig2 or 5 , in addition to serving the function of that of fig1 or 4 , serves as a solar control window for reduction of transmission of infrared , visible and ultraviolet radiation . the present invention accordingly comprises a security film for application to an ordinary window pane in order to render it splinter proof . since certain changes may be made in the foregoing disclosure without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved , it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawing or described in the foregoing specification be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	2
the invention provides a single epitaxial layer , transit - time microwave oscillator device capable of generating signals up to and including the terahertz frequency range . in one preferred embodiment , the oscillating signals have frequencies in the range of from about 500 to about 999 ghz . in another preferred embodiment , the oscillating signals have frequencies in the range of at least about 1 terahertz . referring to the figure , there is shown a cross - sectional view of the preferred oscillator structure according to the invention . it comprises a substrate 2 of semi - insulating material or semi - conducting material of a first conductivity type . suitable substrate materials include silicon carbide , gallium nitride , gallium aluminum nitride , silicon , gallium phosphide , lithium metagalate , lithium metaaluminate , sapphire , and scandium nitride . attached to the substrate is a buffer layer 4 . the buffer layer comprises a semiconductor material which is either a cubic 43 m or hexagonal 6 mm crystallographic point group member or an alloy thereof , according to hermann - mauguin notation . in the preferred embodiment , the buffer layer comprises a silicon carbide or group iii nitride semiconductor material having a high doping of a second conductivity type . suitable materials for the buffer layer non - exclusively include binary , tertiary and quaternary group iii nitrides such as aluminum nitride , thallium nitride , boron nitride , indium nitride , gallium nitride and aluminum gallium nitride . on the buffer layer is an epitaxial layer 6 which also comprises the same type of semiconductor material as the buffer layer , but is doped with a different doping of a second conductivity type than the doping of the buffer layer . in using these wide bandgap materials as the buffer and epitaxial layers , terahertz frequencies are now possible . this is true because the fundamental common relationship amongst these groups of materials is the direct proportionality between the operating frequency and the saturation velocity v sat . another underpinning relation is the inverse proportionality between frequency and the depletion region width . therefore , because these materials exhibit saturation velocities in excess of 2 × 10 7 cm / s coupled with submicron device processing which can yield depletion regions of approximately 10 - 7 m , the present invention is capable of generating greater than terahertz frequencies . these relations providing for this terahertz frequency capability is shown mathematically through the following large signal behavior relation : ## equ1 ## where θ d is drift angle , l is the depeletion region width , and v sat is the saturation velocity . in the most preferred embodiment , buffer layer 4 is heavily doped with an n + type doping and epitaxial layer 6 is doped differently with an n type doping . in this case , the substrate is a semi - insulating material or a semi - conducting material of the p conductivity type . in an alternate embodiment , buffer layer 4 is heavily doped with an p + type doping and / epitaxial layer 6 is doped differently with a p type doping . in this case , the substrate is a semi - insulating material or a semi - conducting material of the n conductivity type . in the preferred embodiment , the n + type or p + type doping of the buffer layer is at least two orders of magnitude higher than the corresponding doping of the epitaxial layer or is linearly graded , in the lateral dimension , to the corresponding doping of the epitaxial layer . each of the buffer layer and the epitaxial layer are preferably grown on the substrate by molecular beam epitaxy or metal organic chemical vapor deposition techniques which are well known in the art . each layer preferably has a thickness in the range of about 10 to about 500 angstroms , with the preferred thickness range being from about 20 to about 200 angstroms . the epitaxial deposition of the layers on the substrate is preferably conducted in an ultra - high vacuum system at a temperature of from about 350 ° c . to about 800 ° c . in order to form the epitaxial layer in desired areas on the buffer layer , either the epitaxial layer can be selectively grown or preferably a full epitaxial layer is formed and then lithographically etched by well - known techniques . for example , a photoresist layer may be laid down on the surface of the epitaxial layer . the photoresist layer is imagewise exposed to ultraviolet radiation through a mask and developed . the exposed areas are then removed leaving a positive photoresist image on the surface of the epitaxial layer . by removing the layer underlying exposed portions of the photoresist composition , corresponding portions of the epitaxial layer are uncovered . the uncovered epitaxial layer areas are then etched away . then the balance of the photoresist is removed . on the epitaxial layer is a first electrical contact 8 . on the buffer layer , but spaced from the epitaxial layer is a second electrical contact 10 . optionally on the opposite side of the substrate 2 is a third electrical contact 12 . each of these contacts may comprise a suitable refractory metal , for example , aluminum , gold , silver , titanium , tungsten , molybdenum or an alloy thereof , among others . first electrical contact 8 is deposited on top of the epitaxial layer , and a second electrical contact is deposited on the buffer layer spaced a distance away from the remaining epitaxial layer . optionally , a third electrical contact is deposited on the opposite side of the substrate , separated from the buffer layer . each of the electrical contacts may be applied by any convenient method including epitaxial deposition , sputtering or e - beam gun by methods all well known in the art . the electrical contacts typically have a thickness ranging from about 100 angstroms to about 250 angstroms . the first , second and third contacts may be ohmic , schottky or diffused contacts . in operation , the device is connected in an electric circuit , such as a tank circuit , wherein the first electrical contact is forward biased with a d . c . voltage of from about 1 to about 5 volts , preferably about 2 volts . the second electrical contact is reverse biased with a d . c . voltage of from about 1 to about 5 volts , preferably about 2 volts . in the preferred embodiment , the third electrical contact is grounded . a forward biased active region is a critical condition for operation of the device . forward biasing of the first electrical contact junction injects charge carriers into the epitaxial layer 6 and energizes initially encountered valence charge carriers in the epitaxial and buffer layers . a multiplication of charged carriers , such as electrons , energized by encounters with initially energized charge carriers diffuse toward the second electrical contact in a sufficient quantity to establish a current . the second electrical contact junction , which is reverse biased , attracts these charge carriers and sweeps them out of the device . once a resonance peak is reached , a self induced regular oscillation commences since not only are charge carriers injected from the first electrical contact into the epitaxial layer , but a reverse stream of carriers may flow back to the first electrical contact . because of the high saturation velocity of the epitaxial layer , charge carriers move back and forth quickly , i . e ., at frequencies up to and including terahertz frequencies . the use of a highly or linearly graded doped buffer layer to separate the second electrical contact from the epitaxial layer and the first electrical contact serves to alleviate contact resistivity , and hence thermal degeneration , by lowering the schottky barrier height which the charge carriers must overcome . it is within the ability of the skilled artisan to tailor contact resistivity by varying the level of doping in the buffer layer . in the preferred embodiment , the third electrical contact is used either to establish yet another electron flow path to a separate circuit or to ground . grounding is preferred to establish an optimum operating environment for the device by eliminating current leakage , body effect spurious currents and buildup of heat in the substrate which reduces device efficiency . the device according to the present invention is preferably connected in a tank circuit which receives the oscillating signal from the second electrical contact , maintains its frequency , amplifies it and calibrates it for use , such as in a radar receiver , logic device , burglar alarm or proximity alarm system .	7
fig1 shows a perspective view of a child push chair frame 1 according to the disclosure . in the present embodiment , the child push chair frame 1 comprises two rear wheels 3 and 3 ′ which are rotatably connected to one another via a common rear axle 5 . the child push chair frame 1 further comprises two front wheels 7 and 7 ′ which , like the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ are also rotatably connected to one another via a common front axle 9 . each rear wheel 3 , 3 ′ is at least indirectly connected to an associated front wheel 7 , 7 ′ by means of a connecting piece 11 or 11 ′. the connecting pieces 11 and 11 ′ can also be configured integrally in the form of a u - shaped , bow - shaped or rectangular strut design . thus , one connecting piece 11 , 11 ′ is associated with each wheel pair . relative to an imaginary central plane m of the child push chair frame 1 , the child push chair frame thus has a total of two connecting pieces 11 , 11 ′, each of which connects a rear wheel 3 to a front wheel 7 or the front axle 9 and the rear axle 5 . in the event that only one front wheel is provided , two connecting pieces 11 , 11 ′ connect the two rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ to one and the same front wheel . each of the connecting pieces 11 , 11 ′ comprises a joint 13 which is arranged essentially half way between the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ and the front wheels 7 , 7 ′ and therefore effectively in the middle of the connecting pieces 11 , 11 ′. a connecting piece 11 , 11 ′ is thus preferably configured in two parts , both the parts being pivotably connected to one another via the joint 13 . in order to bring about a pivot movement of the connecting piece 11 , 11 ′ about a rotary axis d of the joint 13 , in the present embodiment of the invention , a foot actuating mechanism 15 is provided . with the help thereof , a user of the child push chair frame can effect a folding movement of the connecting piece 11 , 11 ′ with a foot while initiating a rotary movement of the sections of the connecting piece 11 , 11 ′ about the rotary axis d . the folding movement of the connecting piece 11 , 11 ′ and , in particular , a displacement of the joint 13 takes place in the direction of the arrow r , so that the separation a between the front wheels 7 , 7 ′ and the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ is reduced . the direction r in which the joint 13 moves during the folding process of the connecting piece 11 , 11 ′ corresponds to a direction pointing away from the ground . the child push chair frame 1 also comprises an essentially u - shaped pusher 17 , which is provided for pushing the child push chair frame 1 by a user . for this purpose , the pusher comprises a handle region 19 which has a height adjustment device 21 . the height adjustment device 21 can cooperate , for example , by means of a bowden cable or similar mechanism . in particular , the height adjustment device 21 is actuated by means of a spring - mounted push button or similar mechanism . by means of the height adjustment device 21 , the pusher 17 can be displaced in the direction of the limb 23 of the u - shaped pusher 17 ( see arrow with the reference sign 25 ). for this purpose , the distal ends 27 of the pusher 17 are guided in a pusher receptacle 29 , wherein the dimension of the height adjustment overall is delimited by clamping means 31 which are provided on the pusher receptacle 29 . thus if the clamping means 31 are closed , the pusher 17 can only be displaced within certain limits in the direction of the arrow 25 in the pusher receptacle 29 . the child push chair frame 1 further comprises a central axle 33 which essentially extends in the axial direction of the rear axle 5 or in the direction of the front axle 9 and thus essentially parallel to the rear axle and the front axle 9 . the length of the central axle 33 essentially matches the length of the rear and / or front axle . fig1 also makes clear that the central axle is arranged essentially half way between the rear axle 9 and the front axle 5 and thus essentially at the height of the joint 13 . in the height direction , however , there is a separation between the joint 13 and the central axis m . the child push chair frame 1 also comprises fastening means 35 , 35 ′ which are configured herein in the form of holding arms which extend essentially perpendicularly to the central axle 33 and are arranged at opposite ends of the central axle 33 . the fastening means 35 , 35 ′ serve for receiving a child push chair upper part , in particular a carrying shell , a child pocket , a high chair frame , a child car seat or the like . depending on the child push chair upper part that is to be mounted , the fastening means 35 , 35 ′ can be differently designed or , particularly , exchangeable in the form of adapter elements on the child push chair frame 1 , for example by means of a dovetail guide . the child push chair frame 1 also comprises stabilizing struts arranged between the axles , wherein between each front wheel 7 , 7 ′ and the central axle 33 at least one , in the present case two , front stabilizing struts 37 are provided , whereas between the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ and the central axle 33 , in the present case two rear stabilizing struts 39 are provided on each side of the central plane m . on both sides of the central plane m , in the operational state of the child push chair frame 1 shown in fig1 , the stabilizing struts 37 , 39 form an essentially triangular arrangement together with the connecting pieces 11 , 11 ′. in the region of the central axle 33 , the front stabilizing struts 37 open into a front bearing portion 41 , whereas the rear stabilizing struts open into a rear bearing portion 43 . in the present embodiment , the bearing portions 41 , 43 are configured to be essentially cylindrical , each being arranged concentrically relative to the central axle 33 . two bearing portions 41 , 43 are arranged on each side of the central plane m of the child push chair frame 1 . the stabilizing struts can be , in particular , injection moulded , screwed , pushed or similar , into the bearing portions 41 , 43 . the front and rear bearing portions 41 , 43 are each arranged at the ends of the central axle 33 , wherein on each side of the central axle 33 , a rear bearing portion 43 is arranged , in the axial direction of the central axle 33 , directly adjoining a front bearing portion 41 , and the bearing portions 41 , 43 consequently adjoin one another . the bearing portions 41 , 43 therefore serve to accommodate the proximal ends of the stabilizing struts 37 , 39 . the opposite distal ends of the stabilizing struts 37 , 39 , however , are connected to the wheels or the associated axles , wherein the connection between the front stabilizing struts 37 and the front wheels 7 , 7 ′ or the front axle 5 can be fixed , particularly immovably , whereas the connection between the rear stabilizing struts 39 and the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ or the rear axle 5 is preferably ( rotatingly ) movable . the front and rear bearing portions 41 , 43 are part of a switching unit 45 which is configured as a compact multi - part unit , wherein a switching unit 45 is arranged at each end of the central axle 33 . apart from the bearing portions 41 , 43 , each switching unit 45 comprises an actuating portion 47 which is arranged directly adjoining a bearing portion , in the present case , adjoining the rear bearing portion 43 along or on the central axle 33 . the housing of the actuating portion 47 is connected to the pusher receptacle 29 . it is also conceivable for an integral connection to be provided between the pusher receptacle and the housing of the actuating portion 47 . the actuating portion 47 comprises a through opening ( not shown in fig1 ), which is configured such that the limbs 23 and , in particular , the distal ends 27 of the pusher 17 can be displaced through the actuating portion 47 and can emerge at the opposite side of the actuating portion 47 , i . e . the side facing the ground . a displacement of the pusher 17 of this type in the direction of the arrow 25 is only possible , however , if the clamping means 31 are open and consequently , the restriction of the height adjustability of the pusher 17 is cancelled . in particular , the through opening can be configured integrally in the pusher receptacle 29 . in a normal operational state of the child push chair frame 1 shown in fig1 , the rear bearing portion 43 and front bearing portion 41 are non - rotatably connected to one another . a corresponding non - rotatable connection is achieved by means of an associated operating state of the switching unit 45 , for example , by means of a locking or blocking connection between the two bearing portions 41 , 43 . by means of a displacement of the pusher 17 in the actuating portion 47 , the non - rotatable connection between the bearing portions 41 , 43 can be released . the fixed angular position of the stabilizing struts 37 and 39 relative to one another shown in fig1 has been released in this operating state of the switching unit 45 , so that a displacement of the joint 13 of the connecting pieces 11 , 11 ′ in the direction r is also possible . during a corresponding movement of the joint 13 , the separation a between the front wheels 7 , 7 ′ and the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ is simultaneously reduced , such that the child push chair frame 1 can be converted into a compact transportation state or a “ stand - alone ” state in which the child push chair frame 1 is capable of standing independently . fig1 also makes clear that the fastening means 35 , 35 ′ are connected to the rear bearing portion 43 . as aforementioned , the connection can be made by means of a dovetail guide or a similar form - fitting connection , so that the fastening means are interchangeably mounted on the child push chair frame . suitable means configured as a dovetail guide can be connected , particularly integrally , to the rear bearing portion 43 . naturally , a corresponding connection to the front bearing portion 41 or another element of the child push chair frame 1 is also possible . once the limbs 23 of the pusher 17 have been introduced sufficiently far into the actuating portion 47 , not only is the non - rotatable connection between the rear and front bearing portion 41 , 43 released , but the pusher 17 can then also be pivoted about the central axle 33 in the direction of the front wheels 7 , 7 ′ and can latch in there in a suitable locking position . in order to re - create the non - rotatable connection between the front bearing portion 41 and the rear bearing portion 43 , firstly , the pusher 17 must subsequently be displaced back into an original use position shown in fig1 . in order to enable a rotary movement of the pusher 17 about the central axle 33 , the actuating portion 47 is rotatably mounted relative to the bearing portions 41 , 45 and relative to the central axle 33 at or on the central axle 33 . the switching unit 45 consists overall of a compact unit which comprises three mutually separate elements , specifically the front bearing portion 41 , the rear bearing portion 43 and the actuating portion 47 , in order to ensure easy conversion of the child push chair frame 1 , for example , for transportation . the switching unit 45 can have at least two operating states between which switching is possible by a hand - operated displacement of the pusher 17 . in a first operating state of the switching unit 45 , a non - rotatable connection exists between the front and the rear bearing portion 41 , 43 , whilst in the second operating state , a rotatable connection exists between the front and the rear bearing portion 41 , 43 . fig2 a - 2 d show the child push chair frame 1 in different operating states . fig2 a shows the conventional operational state of the child push chair frame 1 shown in fig1 for conveying a baby or child with the aid of a child push chair upper part ( not shown ). fig2 b shows the child push chair frame 1 in an operational state in which the limbs 23 of the pusher 17 in the released state of the clamping means 31 are guided through the actuating portion 47 and thus a non - rotatable connection between the front bearing portion 41 and the rear bearing portion 43 has been released . in this operating state , the stabilizing struts 37 and 39 are consequently mounted rotatable relative to one another about the central axle 33 . fig2 c shows the child push chair frame 1 in a storage state capable of standing , in which , although the size of the child push chair frame 1 is significantly reduced , the child push chair frame 1 can still stand independently in that a small separation a is maintained between the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ and the front wheels 7 , 7 ′. fig2 d shows a further operating state of the child push chair frame 1 in which the connecting pieces 11 , 11 ′ have been folded together to the maximum extent with the aid of the joint 13 so that the separation between the front wheels 7 , 7 ′ and the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ is reduced to the maximum extent . in this position , the child push chair frame 1 cannot stand independently . however , it has an even smaller space requirement than the operating state shown in fig2 c . in the operating state of fig2 d , the pusher 17 must not necessarily be pushed through the actuating portion 47 . rather , it is also conceivable to extend the pusher 17 , following folding together of the child push chair frame 1 , back to the normal operational state so that , as in the state shown in fig2 d , a child push chair upper part ( not shown ) can be connected to the child push chair frame 1 and a user can push or pull the child push chair frame 1 on two wheels . this operational state is particularly advantageous if the child push chair is to be conveyed over rough terrain . reduction of the child push chair frame 1 to two wheels is advantageous in this case and facilitates movement overall . fig2 a - 2 d make clear that the present disclosure enables the production of a plurality of operational states of a single child push chair frame 1 . it is therefore also possible , aside from the operational state shown in fig2 c , to achieve a minimum space requirement for the transportation of the child push chair frame 1 . at the same time , in the state shown in fig2 d , by pulling or pushing on two wheels , the child push chair frame 1 can be used on difficult terrain . for each operating state , for simplified use , corresponding locking or arresting positions are provided . the switching unit 45 which enables simple and flexible conversion of the child push chair frame 1 into the states shown in fig2 a - 2 d , is described in greater detail below by reference to fig3 to 10 . fig3 shows a perspective view of a portion of the child push chair frame 1 of fig1 . it is readily recognisable in fig3 that the fastening means 35 , 35 ′ are connected to the switching unit 45 . also indicated in fig3 is a child push chair upper part 49 , which is connected to the fastening means 35 , 35 ′. also recognisable is a through opening 51 which is arranged in the actuating portion 47 . in the event that a non - rotatable connection between the front bearing portion 41 and the rear bearing portion 43 is to be released , the pusher 17 ( not shown in fig3 ) or the distal ends 27 thereof must be pushed through the through openings 51 . fig4 shows an end face view of the actuating portion 47 , wherein the cover 53 of the housing of the actuating portion 47 shown in fig3 has been removed . the figure makes clear that the pusher receptacle 29 extends into the actuating portion 47 and is held there with the aid of guide elements 55 . the guide elements 55 are preferably connected integrally with the pusher receptacle 29 and are held locally fixed in the actuating portion 47 by blocking elements 56 . fig5 shows a corresponding perspective representation without the housing of the actuating portion 47 . on the side facing toward the rear bearing portion 43 , the pusher receptacle 29 is at least partially open so that the ( actuating ) bolt 57 visible in fig6 can project into the interior of the pusher receptacle 29 . it is also clear that the through opening 51 is configured in the pusher receptacle 29 . fig6 and 7 show an end face view and a perspective representation of the switching unit 45 , wherein for better clarity , the pusher receptacle 29 is not shown in the actuating portion 47 . the bolt 57 is essentially arranged centrally in the actuating portion 47 along the central axle 33 and is spring mounted therein . the distal end 59 of the bolt 57 is configured conically and extends , by means of a corresponding cut - out , into the pusher receptacle 29 ( not shown in fig6 and 7 ). due to the conical configuration of the distal end 59 of the bolt 57 , on displacement of the limb 23 of the pusher 17 sufficiently far into the pusher receptacle 29 , a displacement of the bolt 57 against the spring force can be brought about . furthermore , the pusher 17 and , in particular , the limb 23 thereof cooperates with an elongate actuating element 61 which , on extension of the pusher 17 in the direction of the arrow 63 , also cooperates with a displacement plate 65 , the displacement of which is determined by guide elements 67 . the guide elements 67 are firmly installed in the actuating portion 47 . on displacement of the actuating element 61 in the direction of the arrow 63 , a displacement of the displacement plate 65 also takes place in the direction of the arrow 63 , wherein the displacement is carried out against a spring force of two spring elements 69 . the bolt 57 extends through an elongate or oval through bore in the displacement plate 65 so that the bolt 57 extending through the displacement plate 65 does not block a movement of the displacement plate 65 in the direction of the arrow 63 . a displacement of the actuating element 61 in the direction of the arrow 63 takes place first on displacement of the pusher 17 sufficiently far in the pusher receptacle 29 with a clamping means 31 opened . fig8 shows another end face view of the switching unit 45 , wherein for reasons of clarity , the pusher receptacle 29 and the displacement plate 65 and further elements of the actuating portion 47 are not shown . fig8 and 9 make clear that a circular disk element 71 is in contact with the rear bearing portion 43 and has two point - symmetrically arranged , circular sector - shaped grooves 73 , 73 ′ at each end of which , in each case , a locking cut - out 75 , 75 ′ is arranged . furthermore , the circular disk element 71 is penetrated by the bolt 57 . the actuating element 61 is connected to the bolt 77 which penetrates the circular disk element 71 and latches in a locking cut - out 75 through the force of the spring elements 69 which act on the displacement plate 65 ( not shown in fig8 and 9 ). on displacement of the actuating element 61 and a resulting displacement of the displacement plate 65 against the force of the spring elements 69 , the bolt 77 is introduced into the groove 73 or 73 ′. in this operating state , the pusher 17 can rotate along the groove 73 or 73 ′ about the bolt 57 until the opposite end of the groove 73 , 73 ′ is reached . the bolt 77 then latches into the opposite locking cut - out 75 . in this operating state , the pusher 17 is latched such that the bolt 57 remains in its pushed - in position until the pusher 17 is rotated back into its original position . the displacement of the bolt 47 along the central axle 33 causes , by means of a suitable mechanical apparatus , the release of a non - rotatable connection between the front bearing portion 41 and the rear bearing portion 43 . an exemplary representation of a mechanism of this type is shown in fig1 . the drawing makes clear that on displacement of the bolt 57 against a spring ( not shown in fig1 ), a driver element 79 is displaced in the direction of the central axle 33 , and said driver element acts against a blocking insert 81 . the blocking insert 81 is configured anchor - shaped so that it can engage in form - fitting manner in a complementary - shaped opening of the front bearing portion 41 and is displaceably mounted on the central axle 33 . the blocking insert 81 comprises a plurality of bolts 83 which can engage in corresponding recesses of the rear bearing portion 43 to block a rotary connection between the rear and the front bearing portion when the bolt 57 is not displaced by the pusher 17 against the spring force in the central axle 33 . a displacement of the blocking insert 81 is brought about by the driver element 79 when the pusher 17 is introduced into the actuating portion 47 and the spring - mounted bolt 57 is thereby displaced along the central axle 33 . preferably , the blocking insert 81 is thereby also displaced against a spring force so that on release of the bolt 57 , the blocking insert 81 is displaced again in the direction of the rear bearing portion 43 in order thus to re - establish the non - rotatable connection between the two bearing portions ( first operating state of the switching unit 45 ). as soon as the blockage between the bearing portions 41 and 43 is released ( second operating state of the switching unit 45 ), both the bearing portions 41 , 43 are mounted on the central axle 33 rotatable relative to one another , so that the angle between the rear and the front stabilizing struts 37 , 39 is changeable . in this operating state , the connecting piece 11 , 11 ′ can be folded between the front wheels and the rear wheels by means of the joint 13 such that the separation a between the front wheels 7 , 7 ′ and the rear wheels 3 , 3 ′ is reduced in order to create either a transportation state of the child push chair frame 1 or an operating state of the child push chair frame 1 . fig1 clearly shows that the blocking insert 81 can be introduced in form - fitting manner into a correspondingly configured cut - out in the front bearing portion 41 . in the present exemplary embodiment , the switching unit 45 is configured essentially substantially cylindrical like its component elements ( front bearing portion 41 , rear bearing portion 43 and actuating portion 47 ). fundamentally , however , another form is also conceivable . fig1 shows a detailed representation of the foot actuating mechanism 15 . the foot actuating mechanism 15 is fastened to the rear axle 5 and is , in particular , mounted rotatably thereon . the foot actuating mechanism 15 herein also has an opening into which one end of the connecting piece 11 ′ projects . if a shoe is placed on the stepping surface 85 of the foot actuating mechanism 15 , the foot actuating mechanism 15 rotates about the rear axle 5 , so that two partial portions 87 and 87 ′ of the connecting piece 11 ′ are no longer arranged at an angle of 180 ° to one another . in this way , the joint 13 is displaced in the direction of the arrow r against the force of a spring element 89 which is arranged spirally in the joint 13 and ensures that the child push chair frame 1 can unfold from a folded - together state shown in fig2 c or 2 d semi - automatically through the force of the spring element 89 back into the operational state . as indicated in the introductory part , in place of the foot actuating element 15 , an apparatus actuated by hand for actuating the joint 13 can be provided . a corresponding mechanism could be carried out , for example , by actuating the bolt 57 by means of the pusher 17 . overall , embodiments provide an advantageous child push chair frame 1 which can be converted into various advantageous operational states . the respective state of the child push chair frame can be fixed by means of suitable locking positions of the two bearing portions 41 , 43 relative to one another . for this purpose , for example , the bearing portions 41 , 43 can have corresponding arresting means in suitable angular positions to one another . by means of the central switching units 45 , one of which is arranged at either end of a central axle 33 , by a simple actuation through displacement of the pusher 17 , the non - rotatable connection between the bearing portions 41 , 43 of the switching units 45 can be released , in order thus to instigate a folding procedure of the child push chair frame 1 . preferably , the two bearing portions 41 and 43 are rotatable relative to one another such that they are arrestable in at least two different angular positions and thus in different positions . in this way , not only can a standing - capable operating state of the child push chair frame 1 be achieved , but it is also possible , by means of a further arresting position , to achieve complete folding - together and therefore a conversion of the child push chair frame 1 to a minimal size . in the respective positions , the pusher 17 can either be pushed in or pulled out , so that essentially , use of the child push chair is possible in both the operational states , provided a child push chair upper part 49 is connected to the child push chair frame 1 . fig1 shows an embodiment wherein the fastening means 35 firmly connected to the front bearing portion 41 for fastening a child push chair upper part 49 comprise an elastically pre - tensioned locking bolt 90 which corresponds with a locking recess 91 arranged on the outer periphery of the rear bearing portion 43 and , together with this locking recess 91 , forms a “ soft lock ”. this locking mechanism defines the “ parking position ” of the child push chair frame in which the front 37 and rear 39 stabilizing struts are not fully folded together . according to fig1 , the switching unit 45 comprises a locking pin 92 which , in the spread - apart travelling position of the stabilizing struts , is situated within a locking recess 93 . by means of an actuating pusher 94 which is mounted longitudinally displaceable within the pusher receptacle 29 , the locking pin 92 can be moved out of the locking recess 93 , specifically in a circular arc - shaped guide section 95 and , together with the pusher 17 , into an end position 96 in which the front 37 and rear 39 stabilizing struts are fully folded together . together with the pusher 17 , the rear stabilizing struts 39 are foldable in the direction of the front stabilizing struts 37 . the circular arc - shaped guide section 95 is arranged within the rear bearing portion 43 which is connected to the rear stabilizing struts 39 . with the pusher 17 fully driven in , the aforementioned actuating pushers 94 can be moved by switching projections 197 mounted thereon into the aforementioned unlocking position . in this way , the switching unit 45 can be unlatched by the pusher 17 . the circular arc - shaped guide section 95 can have another locking recess 97 shortly before the end stop 96 in which the locking bolt 92 can be introduced if needed , specifically by means of a spring force ( spring 98 ) acting on the locking bolt 92 . in this way , the parking position of the child push chair frame can be fixed . the unlatching is then carried out in the same way as the unlatching in the spread - apart travelling position of the child push chair frame . according to another alternative embodiment shown in fig1 a to 14 e , this comprises a switching unit 45 wherein a displacement plate 65 which has at one end one , preferably two , locking projections 99 or at the opposite end , a further locking projection 100 . these locking projections 99 , 100 correspond with associated locking recesses 101 , 102 on a switching disk 103 of the switching unit 45 . by means of the pusher 17 , the aforementioned projections 99 , 100 are brought into an unlatching position ( fig1 b , arrow 108 in fig1 a ). thereafter , the switching disk 103 can be rotated relative to the displacement plate 65 ( arrow 104 in fig1 c ) until the one locking projection 100 engages in a recess 106 of a spring - loaded hook 105 . in this position , the front and rear stabilizing struts 37 , 39 are fully folded together and locked in the transportation position ( fig1 d ). for unlocking , the displacement plate 65 is moved by means of the pusher 17 into an unlatching position . the small latching projection 100 then moves out of the associated recess 106 on the locking hook 105 ( arrow 107 in fig1 d ), so that the switching disk 103 can be turned back into the original position , specifically into a position in which the front and rear stabilizing struts 37 , 39 are again fully spread apart ( fig1 a ). the displacement plate ( 65 ) is movable against an elastic pre - tension out of the locking position . another embodiment , shown in fig1 a and 15 b , further differentiates between a locking projection 109 connected to the displacement plate ( 65 ) and a pin - like projection 111 guided within a circular arc - shaped guide section 110 . this pin - like projection 111 is configured to serve as a rotation stop and to bear transverse loads . in the end positions of the stop pin 111 , the locking projection 109 is transverse load - free . the locking projection 109 therefore serves only to define the latching position in the fully spread - apart position of the stabilizing struts 37 , 39 and does not bear any transverse loads .	1
referring to fig2 , a portable telephone according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an antenna 1 that captures a radio signal into the portable telephone when a base station ( not shown ) calls the portable telephone , a reception circuit 3 that receives the radio signal captured through the antenna 1 , and a demodulation circuit 6 that demodulates the signal received by the reception circuit 3 to produce a received digital signal . a combination of the reception circuit 3 and demodulation circuit 6 forms a receiving means . the portable telephone further includes a modulation circuit 4 that modulates a carrier signal according to a transmission digital signal received from a control section 7 to produce a transmission signal that can be transmitted over a radio channel , and a transmission circuit 2 that transmits the transmission signal received from the modulation circuit 4 as a radio signal . a combination of the transmission circuit 2 and modulation circuit 4 forms a transmitting means . the portable telephone is further provided with a reception level measuring circuit 5 that measures a reception electric field intensity of the received signal on the currently used radio channel . the portable telephone is configured in such a way that the measurement result is output from the reception level measuring circuit 5 to the control section 7 . the portable telephone is further provided with a display section 8 that displays a status of the portable telephone according to the output of the control section 7 for the user of the portable telephone . the control section 7 controls the reception circuit 3 , the modulation circuit 4 and the display section 8 . the control section 7 includes a signal decoding section 72 that decodes a reception digital signal received from the demodulation circuit 6 to produce received data , a signal coding section 71 that encodes transmission data to produce a transmission digital signal , and a program - controlled processor ( here , called cpu ) 73 that controls the signal decoding section 72 and signal coding section 71 and analyzes a reception signal level measured by the reception level measuring circuit 5 . an operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to fig2 to fig6 , taking a tdma ( time division multiple access )- based digital portable telephone as an example . referring to fig5 , it is assumed that the portable telephone is on standby , that is , waiting for an incoming call while periodically receiving a broadcast signal from a base station . here , the broadcast signal includes information designating a plurality of available radio channels . when a user on the calling side calls the portable telephone , a call signal is notified to a base station ( step a ). then , the base station sends a paging signal to the portable telephone ( step b ). the portable telephone captures the paging signal from the base station through the antenna 1 and receives the radio signal by the reception circuit 3 . the demodulation circuit 6 demodulates the received signal into a reception digital signal and sends the demodulated signal to the control section 7 . the control section 7 decodes the reception digital signal through the signal decoding section 72 and the cpu 73 analyzes the decoded signal and recognizes it as a paging signal addressed to the own portable telephone . the cpu 73 sends a radio condition report signal as a response signal to the paging signal ( step c ). more specifically , the signal coding section 71 encodes the radio condition report signal to output it to the modulation circuit 4 . the modulation circuit 4 converts the coded radio condition report signal to a radio transmission signal , which is transmitted to the base station through the transmission section 2 and the antenna 1 . upon receipt of the radio condition report signal from the portable telephone , the base station selects a communication radio channel suitable for the portable telephone and sends a radio channel designation signal to the portable telephone ( step d ). when the portable telephone receives the radio channel designation signal from the base station , the control section 7 controls the reception circuit 3 so that the reception circuit 3 can receive a radio signal having a frequency of the designated radio channel . after the channel is switched to the radio channel designated by the base station , the reception circuit 3 receives a call setup signal from the base station ( step e ). the call setup signal includes in most cases the telephone number of the caller though this depends on the telephone type on the caller side . after receiving the call setup signal , the portable telephone sends a call signal as a response signal to the call setup signal to the base station ( step f ). upon receipt of the call signal from the portable telephone , the base station sends a ringing tone to the caller to inform the caller that the portable telephone takes the call ( step g ). after sending the call signal to the base station , the reception level measuring circuit 5 of the portable telephone measures a reception electric field intensity of each of the neighboring radio channels previously specified by the base station at the timings as shown in fig3 . hereafter , the transmission / reception timing will be described in the case where the portable telephone is traveling at high speed . as shown in fig3 , reception of a signal from the base station and transmission of a signal to the base station by the portable telephone are performed at different timings . in fig3 , the receiving timing “ reception 1 ” is a time period during which the portable telephone can continuously receive a radio signal from the base station and is a period of approximately 6 . 6 milliseconds . the timing of “ transmission 1 ” to transmit a signal to the base station is specified by the timing of “ reception 1 ”. between “ reception 1 ” and “ transmission 1 ” exists a no - communication segment ( displayed as “ idle ” in fig3 ). the cpu 73 performs frequency changeover control on the reception circuit 3 at the timings of the start and end of the above - described idle period . assuming that a radio channel specified by the base station is a channel ch 0 , the cpu 73 measures reception electric field intensity of the channel ch 1 , one of the neighboring radio channels , using the reception level measuring circuit 5 . furthermore , the cpu 73 performs changeover control on the reception circuit 3 again so that the frequency of the radio channel ch 0 can be received at the timing of the next transmission . thus , the tdma - based digital portable telephone repeats “ reception ”, “ idle ” and “ transmission ” at intervals of 20 milliseconds . and the portable telephone measures reception electric field intensity of a sequential one of the neighboring radio channels specified by the network side every 20 milliseconds . next , an algorithm of checking the moving speed of the portable telephone by the cpu 73 will be described referring to fig4 . the cpu 73 starts the moving speed check processing of the portable telephone at a timing after transmission of a call signal . first , the cpu 73 initializes a register ( sum ), channel counter n and measurement counter m so that sum = 0 and n = m = 1 ( step a 1 ). the register sum is used to store an accumulation value of variations in measured reception electric field intensity on the neighboring radio channels . the channel counter n is used to count the number of neighboring radio channels subjected to the measurement . the measurement counter m is used to count the number of times the measurement has been made in a predetermined time period . the cpu 73 stores a reception electric - field intensity measured within an idle time by the reception level measuring circuit 5 into a register called rssi ( step a 2 ). the cpu 73 then determines whether the measurement of reception electric field intensity is the first measurement , that is , m = 1 ( step a 3 ). if it is the first measurement ( yes at step a 3 ), the cpu 73 transfers the measured reception field intensity stored in the rssi to a variable chn 1 ( step a 4 ). here , the measured reception electric field intensity of one of the neighboring radio channels is represented by chnm , where “ n ” and “ m ” are explained above . therefore , chn 1 means the value of reception electric field intensity measured at a n - th selected one of the neighboring radio channels in the case of m = 1 . thereafter , the cpu 73 increments the channel counter n by 1 ( step a 5 ). the cpu 73 then determines whether the channel counter n exceeds the number ( n ) of the neighboring radio channels : n & gt ; n , that is , the above transfer from rssi to chn 1 has completed for all the neighboring radio channels ( step a 6 ). then , if the above transfer operation has not completed for the number of neighboring radio channels to be measured , the cpu 73 selects a subsequent one of the neighboring radio channels and repeats the steps a 2 - a 5 until n & gt ; n , that is , the first ( m = 1 ) measurement has been completed for all of the n neighboring radio channels to be measured . after the first measurement has been completed for the n neighboring radio channels to be measured ( yes at step a 6 ), the cpu 73 increments the measurement counter m by 1 ( step a 7 ) and initializes the channel counter n to 1 ( step a 8 ) before going back to the step a 2 . then , the cpu 73 starts the 2nd ( m = 2 ) measurement of reception electric field intensity of each of the neighboring radio channels . in this case , since the measurement counter m is not 1 ( no at step a 3 ), the cpu 73 transfers the measured reception field intensity from the rssi to ch 12 where n = 1 and m = 2 ( step a 9 ). thereafter , the cpu 73 calculates sum = sum +\| chnm − chn ( m − 1 )\| ( step a 10 ). in this case , the cpu 73 calculate the absolute value of a difference between the rssi of the 1st measurement ( ch 11 ) and that of the 2nd measurement ( ch 12 ) for the same neighboring radio channel ch 1 ) and adds the calculated absolute value to the sum to produce an updated sum . the cpu 73 then increments the channel counter n ( step a 11 ) and determines whether the above transfer operation has completed for the n neighboring radio channels to be measured , that is , n & gt ; n ( step a 12 ). if it is determined that the above transfer operation has not been completed , the cpu 73 repeats the steps a 2 , a 3 , a 9 to a 11 until the above transfer operation has been completed . if the transfer operation has been completed for the neighboring radio channels to be measured ( yes at step a 12 ), the cpu 73 increments the measurement counter m by 1 ( step a 13 ) and resets the channel counter n to 1 ( step a 14 ). in this manner , the cpu 73 repeats the steps a 2 , a 3 , a 9 to a 14 until the measurement counter m reaches the predetermined measurement times m ( step a 15 ). when the measurement counter m exceeds the predetermined measurement times m ( yes at step a 15 ), the cpu 73 compares the resultant sum with an empirically predefined threshold ( step a 16 ). if the sum is equal to or greater than the threshold ( yes at step a 16 ), the cpu 73 determines that the portable telephone is traveling at high speeds ( step a 17 ) because the accumulated variation of reception electric field intensities is large . if the sum is smaller than the threshold ( no at step a 16 ), the cpu 73 determines that the portable telephone is traveling at low speed or at rest ( step a 18 ) because the accumulated variation of reception field intensities is small . thereafter , the moving speed check procedure is terminated . going back to fig5 , when the cpu 73 determines that the portable telephone is traveling at high speeds ( step b 1 ), the cpu 73 displays the telephone number of the caller and call arrival time on the display section 8 of the portable telephone ( step b 2 ). at the same time , the cpu 73 outputs a high - speed traveling notification signal to the signal coding section 71 so as to notify the base station that the portable telephone is traveling at high speeds . the high - speed traveling notification signal is transmitted to the base station through the transmission means ( step h in fig5 ). when receiving the high - speed traveling notification signal from the portable telephone , the base station announces to the caller that the portable telephone is traveling at high speeds . thereafter , the base station sends a disconnection signal to terminate communication to the portable telephone ( step i ). when the portable telephone receives the disconnection signal from the base station , the cpu 73 outputs a release signal to the signal coding section 71 . the signal coding section 71 outputs a coded release signal to the modulation circuit 4 . the modulation circuit 4 modulates this release signal and the transmission circuit 2 transmits the modulated release signal to the base station via the antenna 1 ( step j ). upon receipt of the release signal from the portable telephone , the base station sends a release completion signal back to the portable telephone as a response to the release signal ( step k ). and the portable telephone is placed in a standby state . fig6 illustrates a sequence control when it is determined that the portable telephone is traveling at low speeds or at rest , where the same sequence control as indicated by the steps a to g in fig5 is denoted by the same reference symbol and the details will be omitted . referring to fig6 , if it is determined that the portable telephone is traveling at low speeds or at rest ( step c 1 ), normal incoming call occurrence is displayed on the display section 8 ( step c 2 ). however , the high - speed traveling notification signal described above is not notified to the base station . also in the case , the above - described notification indicating that the portable telephone is traveling is not announced to the caller . then , after operation of response to the incoming call by the user , the cpu 73 sends a response signal to the base station ( step 11 ). in response to this response signal , the base station sends a response acknowledgment signal to the portable telephone ( step m 1 ). and thereby it is possible to enter into voice communication and the portable telephone can communicate with the caller via the base station . another embodiment of the present invention can be formed by changing a portion of the moving speed detection algorithm as shown in fig4 . in fig4 , the absolute value of a variation of reception electric field intensity for a sequentially selected radio channel between a currently measured and the previously measured ones is accumulated for all the neighboring radio channels . however , the present invention is not limited to such a moving speed detection algorithm . for example , it is also possible to accumulate the absolute values of variations of reception electric field intensity for only neighboring radio channels having a reception electric field intensity equal to or higher than a minimum level necessary to receive signals by the portable telephone . and an average value is calculated by dividing the accumulated variation value by the number of times the measurement has been carried out . thus the moving speed of the portable telephone can be estimated by comparing the average variation value with a predetermined threshold as described above . using such a moving speed detection algorithm makes it possible to eliminate the undesired variation components of reception electric field intensity caused by unnecessary channels , disturbance noise , etc . as described above , the portable telephone according to the present invention measures the reception electric field intensity for a plurality of neighboring radio channels specified by the base station beforehand through the reception level measuring circuit at intervals over time . then , the portable telephone compares the accumulated absolute values of variations of the measurement results with an empirically predefined threshold and determines whether the portable telephone is traveling at high speeds or not . this allows the portable telephone itself to estimate the moving speed at a time when an incoming call is received . this also allows the portable telephone to estimate the moving speed using only the function already provided for the portable telephone . that is , the portable telephone requires no additional functions such as detecting the moving speed using gps or sending location information from the base station , making it possible to easily check the moving speed of the portable telephone . moreover , the user of the portable telephone need not set beforehand so that the user is prevented from responding to a call during operation of the car . even in the case where the user forgets to make such a setting beforehand , the portable telephone itself can automatically detect that the portable telephone is traveling . further , suppressing a ringing tone , etc . can prevent operation errors due to a sudden incoming call tone . furthermore , while traveling in a train , etc ., automatically suppressing an incoming call beep sound also has effects from the standpoint of etiquette . furthermore , controlling the reception section beforehand so as to match the radio channel specified when a radio channel specification signal is received makes it possible to efficiently and accurately measure reception electric field intensity .	7
referring to fig1 apparatus 10 includes scleral cup 11 that communicates with negative pressure source 12 via conduit or confined flow passageway 13 . negative pressure source 12 can be a pump such as a syringe having barrel 14 within which is received a reciprocating plunger 15 actuated by means of plunger rod 23 . alternatively , negative pressure source 12 can be a power - driven vacuum pump or a similar device . three - way valve 16 is provided in conduit 13 between scleral cup 11 and negative pressure source 12 , as well as check valve 17 which permits the maintaining of a predetermined negative pressure within conduit 13 and scleral cup 11 when the latter is applied to the eye of a patient . negative pressure indicator 18 , such as a vacuum gauge or the like , is operably associated with conduit 13 so as to give an indication of negative pressure within scleral cup 11 . alternatively , indicator 18 can be a pressure transducer associated with a transcriber . pressure release valve 19 is provided in auxiliary conduit 20 which permits communication between conduit 13 and ambient atmosphere . in this manner , when valve 19 is opened , negative pressure within conduit 13 and within scleral cup 11 applied to the eye of a patient can be vented to the atmosphere , i . e ., released . preferably pressure release valve 19 is a needle valve or the like that permits a controlled release of the negative pressure at a desired rate over an extended period of time . three - way valve 16 is optional but desirable in that additional flexibility is imparted to the present apparatus . for instance , valve 16 can be used to hold negative pressure within scleral cup 11 after the latter has been applied to the eye of a patient by closing off communication with main conduit 13 . also , with valve 16 closed , negative pressure can be built up within that portion of conduit 13 defined by valve 16 and check valve 17 to a desired value before any negative pressure is applied to the eye through scleral cup 11 . three - way valve 16 additionally can serve as a rapid pressure release valve , if desired . check valve 17 facilitates the maintenance of negative pressure within conduit 13 and also permits the build - up of greater negative pressure within conduit 13 by moving plunger or piston 15 through a plurality of reciprocating strokes . in order to release the positive pressure generated by plunger 15 within barrel or bore 14 and against check valve 17 during a compression stroke , pressure relief valve 21 is provided in conduit 13 between check valve 17 and plunger or piston 15 . pressure relief valve 21 can be a conventional flapper valve or reed valve , or can be associated with plunger 15 in any other operable manner to provide pressure relief during the compression stroke , e . g ., by being built into plunger 15 instead of being mounted on end segment 22 of conduit 13 . to facilitate manipulation and use of scleral cup 11 , distal end segment 24 of conduit 13 preferably is flexible , for example , a piece of flexible tubing . the preferred configuration of scleral cup 11 is illustrated in fig2 . scleral cup 11 preferably is a hollow housing or member including conical head portion 25 with rim 29 formed in an edge of the wall defining the head portion , defining a circular opening or mouth of cup 11 that is adapted to be placed on the sclera of an eye and hollow stem portion 26 unitary with hed portion 25 . usually stem portion 26 is cylindrical and distal end 28 thereof is adapted for connection to flexible end segment 24 of conduit 13 . head portion 25 at the apex merges into stem portion 26 and portions 25 and 26 together define central through passageway 27 by means of which the negative pressure generated within conduit 13 is transmitted to the eye that is being studied . rim 29 is rounded and has peripheral surface 30 beveled inwardly for optimum contact with but minimal contact on the eye when scleral cup 11 is in use . preferably the height of the conical head portion is about the same as the diameter of central through passageway 27 at the base of conical head portion 25 . the shape and size of scleral cup 11 is selected on the basis of its efficacy to efficiently increase intraocular pressure while minimizing the potential for damage to the sclera , patient discomfort , and the effects of spurious forces , as well as for its ease of application . in this regard , it is desirable to maximize the force that can be applied to the eye by a given , preferably relatively soft partial vacuum ( relatively low negative relative pressure ), in order to avoid damage to the portion of the eye experiencing the vacuum . to this end , it is preferable to maximize the ratio of the area enclosed by rim 29 over which the negative pressure can be applied to the area of contact between the rim and the sclera . at the same time , it is desirable to minimize the contact pressure between rim 29 and the sclera produced by this force , in order to avoid damage to the conjunctiva and sclera contacted by the rim . further , to aid in ease of attachment , increase patient comfort , minimize spurious effects arising from interaction of the cup with the eyelids , and permit forward fixation , the cup should have an outside diameter at the base of conical head section 25 corresponding to the spherical segment of the sclera of the forward fixated in vivo human eye which is readily accessable . inasmuch as there is variation in the dimensions of eyes , it will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art that as a practical matter these conditions cannot be met exactly using a singlesized eye cup . these competing requirements can be substantially met in the case of the human eye with a cup having a diameter of between 9 and 10 millimeters as the inside dimension at the base of conical head section 25 and a diameter of about 13 millimeters as the outside dimension ( i . e ., a cup having an outside diameter of about 13 millimeters and a wall thickness on the order of 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 millimeters ). for such a cup , the scleral contact surface , rim 29 , should be beveled inwards to have a concave radius of curvature of about 13 millimeters in order to optimally minimize contact pressure . the material of construction for scleral cup 11 is not overly critical and can be metal or plastic . a particularly preferred material of construction is a transparent acrylic resin such as those commercially available from e . i . dupont de nemours & amp ; co . of wilmington , del ., under the designation &# 34 ; lucite &# 34 ;. use of the apparatus of the present invention is illustrated in fig3 where scleral cup 11 is shown applied to sclera 31 . initially , valves 16 and 19 ( fig1 ) are closed and negative pressure within conduit 13 is built up to an intermediate value of the order of about 50 to 75 mm hg . cup 11 is then applied to sclera 31 and valve 16 is opened to transmit the negative pressure to the eye . as a result , cup 11 is held in place by the negative pressure which can then be adjusted to the desired value while other measurements , e . g ., intraocular pressure and pulse , are being made . after the desired measurements have been completed , the negative pressure within cup 11 and conduit 13 is vented to ambient atmosphere by opening needle valve 19 ( and / or valve 16 ). when the pressure within cup 11 reaches about atmospheric , cup 11 is removed from sclera 31 by simply lifting cup 11 off the eye . the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings are intended as illustrative and are not to be taken as limiting . still other variations , modifications , and rearrangements of parts within the spirit and scope of this invention are possible and will readily present themselves to those skilled in the art .	0
fig1 shows a turret 1 projecting upwardly through a well 2 located within the body of a ship 3 . ascending pipes 4 conduct the well stream into a choke or manifold chamber 5 of the turret 1 . the well stream is conducted further from the manifold 5 through a swivel 6 mounted on an operative foundation 9 at the top of the turret 1 . fig3 shows the swivel &# 39 ; s structure . each swivel 6 has a stationary part 31 mountable on a swivel foundation 9 mounted , for example , at the top of a turret 1 , and a rotary part 32 so contrived so as to allow piping 7 , 10 extending between the swivel 6 and the ship 3 ( toll shown in fig3 ) to turn freely in any horisontal direction so as to correspond to the rotation of the ship 3 . fig1 shows inlet pipes 16 at the lower edge of the swivel ( or swivel stack ) 6 coupled with connecting tubes or spool pieces 18 to the turret &# 39 ; s piping system 35 at the lower edge or portion of the foundation 9 . outlet pipes 10 extending from the swivel &# 39 ; s rotatable portion ( numbered 32 in fig3 but not numbered in fig1 ) are coupled to an externally directed piping system 7 arranged on a framework 8 longitudinally directed along and mounted on the ship &# 39 ; s deck 16 . though preferably longitudinally directed , the framework 8 , in accordance with the invention , could also be only generally so directed , or even transversely directed , particularly on a ship having a very substantial beam . an automatous ( self - moving ) trolley 13 is suspended in a longitudinally directed track 14 preferably mounted on the ship &# 39 ; s centerline and along the lower edge of the framework 8 . the trolley 13 has a rack and pinion operation in this embodiment . the trolley 13 is movable from the turret 1 to a first location at which the track 14 intersects with a sled track 12 arranged and directed athwartship ( laterally across the ship ). a reserve swivel 11 is stored along or on the sled track 12 , and more particularly on a swivel storing foundation 45 on a slidable support or sled 17 . fig2 is a top view showing the relationship of the sled track 12 to the trolley track 14 . the longitudinally directed track 14 has two parallel rails 15 ( shown in fig3 ) upon which the trolley 13 moves along the length of the ship . fig2 indicates a sled path or track 12 arranged athwartship . two sleds or slidable storage supports 17 are shown . sleds are the preferred , but not required , embodiment . the reserve swivel 11 is normally stored on one of the sleds 17 at one side of the trolley track 14 . the other sled 17 is usually kept unloaded so as to be immediately available to receive a demounted swivel . to facilitate its immediate availability , this other sled 17 is advantageously placed directly under track 14 . each sled 17 is independently displaceable along track 12 to move swivels 6 and 11 between the first location and a second location located to one side of the track 14 . fig3 shows the trolley 13 , which lifts the swivel 6 , with a support / guide frame 19 for controlling lateral swing or oscillation of the swivel 6 during lifting . the trolley 13 is equipped with a main winch 26 , preferably a synchronized double main winch 26 , for lifting the swivel 6 or 11 . the trolley 13 also has a smaller winch 20 which lifts or lowers a lifting jack 21 at a constant tension by means of wire 58 and hook 73 . as shown in fig3 the trolley 13 is mounted by wheels 36 onto the rails 15 of track 14 . the support / guide frame 19 includes a framework 22 permanently mounted at and extending vertically downwardly from a lower edge of a trolley 13 . the frame 19 further includes a lifting jack 21 . the jack 21 is preferably guided by a set of two wheels 18 , thereby providing lateral support for the jack 21 in an x & amp ; y plane while facilitating vertical movement in a z plane . fig 3b shows the preferred form of these wheels 18 . respective longitudinally and transversely directed wheels 48 and 49 run along a rail system 23 to move and stabilize the jack 21 . the rail system 23 is longitudinally mounted on the framework 22 to facilitate vertical movement of the jack 21 . the rail system 23 is preferably mounted on the one side of the frame 22 facing the turret 1 . the jack 21 is equipped with two pairs of mainly parallel holding arms 24 and 27 . the upper arms 24 are advantageously connectable to the swivel 6 at a position ( i . e . a pivot 25 ) somewhat above the swivel &# 39 ; s center of gravity . the arms 24 and 27 have hooks 38 and 39 at each of their respective free ends . correspondingly , an upper diametrically spaced pair of pivots 25 and a lower diametrically spaced pair of pivots 29 are mounted on the swivel &# 39 ; s rotating outer part 32 . hooks 38 of each upper arm 24 extend so as to engage the pivots 25 . similarly , the hooks 39 engage pivots 29 . as pictured in fig3 the preferred embodiment for each upper arm 24 is that one end is connected in the vertical plane to jack 21 , while the vertical position of hooks 38 is adjustable by a turnbuckle 37 on a rod ( not numbered ) connected to each respective arm 24 . the preferred embodiment for each lower arm 27 is that extendable / retractable outer portions are provided via a screw - nut connection ( or turnbuckle ) 44 . this increases or decreases the effective length of each lower arm 27 . the benefit is that hook - up of the swivel 6 and 11 and the lower arms 27 is easier , since the arms 27 can be longitudinally positioned relative to the upper arms 24 after they are engaged . the upper arms 24 connect to the swivel 6 or 11 nearest its center of gravity and consequently bear the greatest lateral support load ; therefore preferably only the lower arms 27 are equipped with adjustable outer portions / turnbuckles 44 . hydraulic cylinders 34 operate the lower two arms 27 . in the embodiment of fig3 each hydraulic cylinder 34 is connected to a respective arm 27 by a rod ( not numbered ), conveniently extending from the hydraulic cylinder 34 at about a 45 degree angle relative to the jack 21 . the cylinder 34 extends or retracts the rod thus lifting or lowering arm 27 . it is important that the arms 27 can be lowered and positioned out of the way of the swivel 6 and 11 while its stationary part 31 is centered by other devices of the guiding system onto the foundation 9 or 45 . the upper arm pair 24 is operable by hydraulic cylinder 28 ( see fig3 a ), and is shown fixed to the jack 21 . an upwardly extending rod ( not numbered ), connected to a respective arm 24 and to the jack 21 and projecting conveniently at about 45 degrees from the jack 21 , is equipped with the turnbuckle 37 . suitable actuating means can via the turnbuckle 37 , raise or lower the outer part of the upper arms 24 . the arm pairs 24 and 27 can be independently laterally pushed ( in a vertical plane defined by raising or lowering the swivel ) by the respective hydraulic cylinders 28 and 33 ( see fig3 a ). this facilitates adjustment of both the swivel &# 39 ; s lateral position relative to the foundation 9 or 45 and lateral inclination during lifting and installation . the extent of lateral pushing is determined by the accuracy of trolley &# 39 ; s positioning of the swivel 6 at the point of a hook - up operation ( on the foundation 9 of the turret 1 the foundation 45 of the sled 17 ), and the radial play in the turret &# 39 ; s bearing system ( turret 1 having therefore a somewhat varying physical location relative to the deck the ship 3 ). fig3 shows diametrically spaced rings 40 projecting from a lowest portion of the swivel &# 39 ; s stationary portion 31 . each ring 40 is penetratable by a projection consisting of a peg or lug 42 extending at least generally vertically from the foundations 9 or 45 and a conical funnel 43 mounted atop the lug 42 . the two lugs 42 are spaced on opposite sides of the foundations 9 or 45 to thereby define a desired position for the swivels 6 and 11 . the lugs 42 and rings 40 function as part of a guiding system to center the swivel &# 39 ; s stationary part 31 relative to the foundations 9 and 45 . conceivably , the swivel could also be centered by use of complementarily interlocking guiding devices . fig3 d also shows in enlargement a preferred embodiment of the ring 40 - lug 42 interlock . the ring 40 is connected by a bar 58 to the swivel 6 or 11 , and has rounded or curved outer and interior surfaces forming a frustum 56 tapering evenly upwards to an upper edge defining a hole . a sleeve 57 is optionally mounted on this upper edge to provide better contact with lug 42 as it penetrates the hole . as the swivel 6 or 11 is lowered , the lug 42 is guided by the tapering interior surface through the hole defined by the upper edge of the ring 40 . the lug 42 can advantageously be a frustum . further fine adjustment of the swivel &# 39 ; s position is provided for by other devices within the guiding system , specifically a centering system 52 comprising bolts 53 at the lower side of the swivels 6 and 11 and corresponding holes 55 at the top of foundations 9 and 45 . a bottom part 54 of each bolt 53 is shown in fig3 c frustum and each hole 55 is complementarily tapered . the bolts 53 screw in to adjust the swivel position . the clearance between the upper part of the tapered holes 55 and the bottom part or frustum 54 ( with the bolt 53 in its initial unscrewed position ) corresponds to the clearances between the lug 42 and the rings 40 . fig3 also shows one of two lifting hooks 47 connected at one end to the trolley &# 39 ; s main winch 26 . the hooks 47 are parallel and horizontally spaced from each other to correspond to the diameter of the swivel 6 or 11 at an upper swivel portion from which diametrically spaced lifting shanks 46 project . the invention operates to replace a swivel with the following general steps : 2 . trolley 13 is driven to the first location on sled track 12 where the demounted swivel 6 is mounted on foundation 45 on a sled 17 that is subsequently pushed to one side ; 4 . reserve swivel 11 is lifted by trolley 13 over the center of the turret 1 ; 5 . the swivel 11 is lowered to fasten it to the foundation 9 at the top of turret 1 ; and positioning trolley 13 and adjusting the arms 24 and 27 relative to pivots 25 and 29 of swivel 6 ; lowering jack 21 ( 50 in the alternative embodiment pictured in fig4 ) such that the upper hooks 38 are connectable to the swivel &# 39 ; s upper pivots 25 ; adjusting the longitudinal positioning by driving the trolley 13 along the ship in the longitudinal direction , and / or by adjusting turnbuckles 44 to extend or retract the lower arms 27 ; lifting jack 21 to firmly connect upper hooks 38 and pivots 25 and ; lifting the lower arms 27 under the lower pivots 29 by activating respective hydraulic cylinders 34 and adjusting the lateral positioning of lower arms 27 via hydraulic cylinders 33 . at this point in the procedure , deviation in the longitudinal positioning may cause the arms 24 and 27 to be either too far from or too close to the pivots 25 and 29 to safely lift the swivel 6 or 11 . lower arms 27 may be then adjusted lengthwise by pushing the arms 27 out or in via , e . g ., an eccentric axle upon which the arms 27 are mounted ( fig5 ). the swivel 6 is then ready to be lifted away from the turret 1 . the jack 21 is lifted at a constant tension or pull by the winch 20 . this engages arms 24 and 27 and the respective pivots 25 and 29 , but the main winch 26 does the major portion of the lifting . consequently , the frame 19 ( 51 as shown in fig4 ) can be relatively lightweight and designed to support only lateral forces . the trolley 13 is then driven from the turret 1 to the first location at the sled path 12 . before the swivel 6 is lowered , the stationary part 31 of the swivel 6 is turned so that the rings 40 are generally properly positioned to engage lugs 42 on the foundation 45 on sled 17 . as it is lowered , the position or inclination of the swivel 6 can be further laterally or longitudinally adjusted by activating the hydraulic cylinders 28 and 33 ( displacing upper and lower arms 24 , 27 ) and / or by moving the trolley 13 . lowering is suspended when the cones 43 ( of lugs 42 ) and rings 40 engage or overlap the lower part 56 of the ring 40 . the lower arms 27 are then disengaged so as to be out of the way . swivel 6 is then lowered further so that lugs 42 slide into respective rings 40 and thereby guide the swivel 6 into the correct position relative to the fastening arrangement ( not shown ). the support 17 and its foundation 45 now holds the swivel 6 . the support 17 is shoved to one side athwartship of the frame structure 8 to a second position at which the swivel 6 may be stored or disassembled . preferably the disconnected swivel is stored on the other side of the sled track 12 and , reserve swivel 11 is slid on a support 17 to the first location for lifting . to mount the reserve swivel 11 on the turret 1 , the foregoing procedure is sequentially and operationally reversed as to the activities connected with raising and lowering . before lifting , the reserve swivel &# 39 ; s inner stationary portion 31 , from which the rings 40 project , is turned , e . g . by winches , to an approximately correct direction relative to the lugs 42 on foundation 9 . when suspended , the swivel &# 39 ; s longitudinal and lateral position relative to the foundation 9 is adjusted by the trolley 13 and the hydraulically operated cylinders 28 and 33 , respectively . as the swivel 11 descends , lugs 42 and rings 40 and the centering system 52 ( these being two steps ) adapt the swivel &# 39 ; s position appropriately relative to the foundation 9 and the piping system 7 , 10 and 18 . fig4 shows a lifting arrangement with an alternatively structured guiding frame 51 ( compare to frame 19 shown in fig3 ). the jack 21 , shown in fig3 as essentially a two - dimensional structure , is a three - dimensional structure 50 in fig4 . the jack 50 fits around and encloses rectangular frame 22 . frame 50 is vertically displaceable along frame 22 by means of wheels or bearing units 78 and 79 ( see fig4 a ). frames 22 and 50 have correspondingly suitable rails . this improves the support , particularly when the jack 50 is below the framework 22 . the three - dimensional jack 50 combined with the three dimensional wheel or bearing system as shown in fig4 a provides for a far better torsional or twisting strength when jack 50 is below fixed framework 22 . this embodiment is advantageous where the foundation 9 and the foundation 45 are at different heights . the upper arms 24 can also be structured to be raised and lowered when not in use . this saves space . fig6 and 6a show another alternative embodiment for the jack 21 or for the frame 50 . the jack &# 39 ; s main component is a frame 80 to which upper and lower arms 24 and 27 are fixed . the frame 80 itself is displaceable horizontally or laterally via bearings 83 and 84 by means of vertically spaced pusher rods 74 and 75 extending from the jack and the frame . these may be driven by hydraulic cylinders 81 and 82 replacing hydraulic cylinders 28 and 33 . bearings 83 and 84 provide for requisite vertical and longitudinal horizontal load transfer between hooks 38 and 39 and the jack and frame . the advantage of this embodiment is that lateral movement is performed by a separate structure 80 ( the frame ), and the hooks 38 , 39 will be parallel and will align better with the pivots 25 and 29 , independently of the relative inclination of the swivel 6 or 11 and the jack and , frame . another advantage is that the arms 24 and 27 need joints for rotation only , and that the rods connected to these arms need to have joints permitting rotation only in one plane ( longitudinally ). as illustrated in fig5 each lower arm 27 and / or each upper arm 24 can be mounted on a respective independently hydraulically rotatable crankshaft 60 . this permits adjustment of the arms 24 and 27 in a longitudinal plane both prior to and during lifting . as shown in fig5 hooks 38 and 39 on arms 24 and 27 are displaced by the hydraulic cylinders 34 and 72 connected to respective supports 76 . the cylinders 34 , 72 act to control the height of the hooks 38 and 39 . hydraulic cylinders 64 connected to a support 65 and rods 63 directly engage the crankshaft 60 . bearings 62 mounted on jack 21 facilitate rotation of the crankshaft 60 . as the crankshaft 60 turns , the effective length of arms 24 and 27 changes . this embodiment gives each arm 24 and 27 a controlled longitudinally directed stroke in extension or retraction . a screw - cylinder rack system 66 and 67 moves the arms 27 laterally . a rack 66 has a cylindrical shape that lets the camshaft ( at 61 ) be at any angle . a screw 67 is rotated by a motor 68 . a thrust bearing 69 converts rotation of the screw 67 into lateral movement of the cylindrical rack 66 independently of the camshaft ( at 61 ) angle . the screw - cylinder rack system 66 and 67 may be substituted by the hydraulic cylinders 28 and 33 in fig3 . the benefit of this embodiment is the capability to control the swivel &# 39 ; s bottom relative to the foundation 9 or 45 before setting it in place . this fine adjustment can be done by remote operation and without using the motor of the trolley 13 . it is particularly advantageous to adjust the swivel &# 39 ; s positioning by using the lower arms 27 , since they are the least restrained by the weight of the swivel and since they may need adjustment after the upper arms 24 have been hooked up . an alternative arrangement for extending or retracting the length of the arms 24 and 27 may be performed by using servo operated cylinders in the arms 24 and 27 ( instead of turnbuckles 44 in fig3 ).	1
referring to the drawings , fig1 and fig3 depict a collet attachment apparatus 10 mounted to a machine tool 8 , preferably a lathe , for securing collet 32 , where preferably collet 32 is a spring type having a tapered external surface 34 and an opposite internal threaded surface 38 for mating to a drawbar 30 . a collet holder 12 engagingly encompasses the collet 32 . a nose collet adapter chuck 18 , which attaches to master chuck 48 engagingly encompasses the collet holder 12 . master chuck 48 is standard to all machine lathe type tools . the collet holder 12 is an annular configuration machined and ground on its inside diameter to fit collet 32 having a plurality of collet holder bores 14 a - f for accepting a plurality of collet holder bolts 16 a - f for attachment to nose collet adapter chuck 18 . positioning screws 20 a - d in combination with tapped cavities 22 a - d permit radial adjustment of collet holder 12 for indications of collet 32 on a workpiece 44 within 0 . 0002 tir ( total indicator reading ). nose collet adapter chuck 18 secures to master chuck 48 through a plurality of nose collet adapter chuck bores 24 a - c and corresponding nose collet adapter bolts 26 a - c . nose collet adapter chuck 18 has a plurality of equidistant flat linear chordal surfaces 49 a - c for accepting pressure from a plurality of corresponding radially sliding gripping jaws 50 a - c minimizing movement of drawbar 30 . collet 32 as viewed from fig2 has collet holding cavity 33 for holding machining member 44 by lateral movement of drawbar 30 which releases pressure or causes pressure between a tapered internal surface 46 of collet holder 12 and a tapered external surface 34 of collet holder 32 . collet 32 has a central cylindrical section 36 having a laterally located plurality of key slots 40 for accepting a drive pin 28 , functioning to lock the collet 32 during its rotational mode . collet slots 42 a - c cut radially and equidistantly into collet 32 creating the spring effect at collet holding cavity 33 . rear spindle draw tube adapter 56 is attached to a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator 54 by a plurality of bores 84 a - f and bolts 82 a - f . hydraulic or pneumatic actuator 54 is a standard component to all lathe type machine tools . rear spindle draw tube adapter 56 encompasses drawbar 30 which moves laterally when actuated by hydraulic or pneumatic actuator 54 . bushing 58 is provided to minimize surface wear on drawbar 30 during lateral movement . hydraulic or pneumatic actuator 54 is attached to head stock 52 , which encompasses a gearing mechanism ( not shown ) for regulation of rotations per minute ( r . p . m .) of machine tool 8 . generally a foot pedal ( not shown ) is used to actuate hydraulic or pneumatic actuator 54 which by being secured to hydraulic actuator drawbar 86 shown in fig1 and fig6 causes hydraulic actuator drawbar 86 to move either laterally left 100 or laterally right 102 as machine tool 8 is viewed in fig1 . when hydraulic actuator drawbar 86 moves laterally left 100 , it causes drawbar 30 to move likewise laterally left 100 and conversely , when hydraulic actuator drawbar moves laterally right 102 , it causes drawbar 30 to move laterally right 102 . when drawbar 30 moves laterally left 100 , compressive pressure is exerted on external surface 34 of collet holder 32 causing the closure of collet holder 32 on workpiece 44 . when drawbar 30 moves laterally right 102 , compressive pressure is relieved from external surface 34 of collet holder 32 from workpiece 44 . during this lateral movement process , rear spindle draw tube adaptor 56 will contact second knurled spring faced lock ring 66 during the lateral left 100 movement of drawbar 30 stopping said lateral movement . likewise , when drawbar 30 moves laterally right 102 when rear spindle draw tube adapter 56 contacts first knurled spring faced lock ring 60 . the said lateral movement ceases . during this process of lateral movement either to the left or to the right , collet attachment apparatus 10 is in a static and non - rotational mode . the rotational mode of collet attachment apparatus 10 occurs when an operation is desired on workpiece 44 . this rotational motion occurs to collet attachment apparatus 10 by causing drawbar 30 and likewise all attached components including collet 32 to rotate . first knurled spring faced lock ring 60 has a plurality of threaded bores 76 a - f located radially and equidistantly on drawbar 30 for acceptance of a plurality of set screws 77a and 77b making it possible to lock first knurled spring faced lock ring 60 into a plurality of laterally located machine lock slots 74 after first knurled spring faced lock ring 60 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the diameter of collet holding cavity 33 by exerting or releasing pressure thereon between tapered internal surface 46 of collet holder 12 and tapered external surface 34 of collet holder 32 . helical spring lock washers 59 may be located around drawbar 30 between first knurled spring faced lock ring 60 as viewed from access window 67 and second knurled spring faced lock ring 66 to cushion the opening process of spring collet 32 . a releasably locking member 61 consists of an engaging pin 64 , release lever 62 , lock lever spring 63 and release lever pivot pin 65 , which operate to lock drawbar 30 during rotation and prevent any relative rotation of drawbar 30 . engaging pin 64 is engaged into or out of lock slots 74 by depression or release of release lever 62 . lock lever spring 63 prevents release lever 62 from disengaging from lock slots 74 during rotational mode of collet 32 . second knurled spring faced lock ring 66 locks to drawbar 30 via a plurality of threaded bores 78 a - f for acceptance of a plurality of set screws 79a and 79b after adjustment of the diameter of collet holding cavity 33 and coordinates with first knurled spring faced lock ring 60 to define the axial or lateral movement distance boundaries of drawbar 30 . knurled draw tube nut 68 locks to drawbar 30 through a plurality of threaded bores 80 a - d for acceptance of a plurality of set screws ( not shown ). knurled draw tube nut 68 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise for controlling the axial movement of collet 32 allowing collet 32 to be removed or inserted into collet holder 12 . coolant drain openings 75 allow coolant ( various cutting oils ) to exit from draw bar 30 .	8
referring to fig1 , a gravity fed water purification system 100 comprises a feed water container 102 ( untreated water container ), and a purified water container 104 ( treated water container ). the entire water purification system 100 may be supplied as a unit and can be located at the point of use , such as in a dwelling . untreated water desired to be purified can be loaded into the feed water container 102 . the feed water container 102 contains a prefilter 106 in the interior thereof . the prefilter can be of conventional design that may include ceramic filters , bag filters , and / or carbon filters . the prefilter may initially remove particulates of specific size , and / or remove any odors or color , and any non - soluble particulates . the prefilter 106 is connected to a cartridge 108 that contains the water purification medium , such as a polymer having heterocyclic n - halamine moieties . the feed water container 102 is attached to the purified water container 104 in an integral manner to prevent untreated water from bypassing the prefilter 106 and cartridge 108 . cartridge 108 is interior to the purified water container 104 . untreated water fed to the feed water container 102 travels through the prefilter 106 and into the cartridge 108 , where the untreated water contacts the purification medium and is thereby treated . the treated water exits the cartridge 108 and is collected in the purified water container 104 . the purified water can be dispensed through faucet 110 . the orientation of the water purification system is such to take advantage of gravity . the force of gravity is the force that drives the water through the prefilter 106 and the cartridge 108 . the shape and size of the feed water container 102 and purified water container 104 can be of any dimensions to accommodate the design capacity , pressure , and flow rate through the prefilter 106 and cartridge 108 . referring now to fig2 and 3 , the cartridge 108 comprises an inlet head cap 112 , a compression ring 124 , a bulkhead 134 , a purifier vessel 132 , a dwell chamber 142 , an outer skin 116 , gasket 130 , interposed between the inlet head cap 112 and bulkhead 134 ; and gasket 150 , interposed between the purifier vessel 132 and bulkhead 134 . the inlet head cap 112 comprises a neck 152 that can attach to a variety of outlet nozzles typically found on prefilters . the inlet head cap 112 is attached to the prefilter 106 in an integral manner via the neck 152 . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the disclosure that attaching the inlet head cap 112 to the prefilter 106 can be achieved in a variety of ways . specifically , in the embodiment described herein , the inlet head cap 112 is attached to the prefilter 106 via a threaded connection 118 provided on neck 152 . the inlet head cap 112 is designed to have an axial fluid flow path leading from the threaded inlet 118 to a compression ring 122 . a pair of cylindrical walls extend downward from the inlet head cap , thusly forming the neck portion 152 and axial fluid flow path . the walls of the neck come together to create a flattened lower surface that during use , will press against the upper surface of the compression ring 124 . the compression ring 124 has a cylindrical sidewall with a plurality of holes 128 . the water flow path is diverted by the compression ring 124 from the generally axial flow produced by the inlet head cap 112 to a generally radial flow at the compression ring 124 . directly below the compression ring 124 , a purifier vessel 132 that contains the purification medium , is provided . the purifier vessel 132 is designed with a generally open upper end to receive untreated water flowing through the compression ring 124 , and a generally closed lower end , that is capable or discharging the treated water . the open end has a horizontal flange 136 that is formed perpendicular to the cylindrical sidewall of the purifier vessel 132 . a plurality of pegs 140 is spaced along the upper circular surface of the horizontal flange 136 . the pegs 140 define a plurality of spaces between adjacent pegs to allow untreated water to flow therethrough and into the purifier vessel 132 . the upper ends of the pegs 140 define the perimeter of a circle , wherein the ends of the pegs 140 are configured to mate with a groove 126 formed underneath the compression ring upper surface . the lower end of the purifier vessel 132 has a plurality of holes 156 generally distributed in a radial pattern to distribute the treated water from the lower end of the purifier vessel . the water leaving the purifier vessel is distributed in a generally radial direction after travelling generally axially through the main portion of the purifier vessel . the underside of the purifier vessel horizontal flange 136 is in contact with the gasket 150 , which rests on a depressed surface 138 formed in the center of the bulkhead 134 . gasket 150 is a compressible gasket having a hardness of about 20 to about 80 units measured with a shore a durometer . gasket 150 is made from a non - leaching material , such as ethylene propylene diene monomer ( epdm ), which is suitable for potable water applications . the main body of the purifier vessel 132 passes through a center hole provided in the bulkhead 134 . the bulkhead 134 is circular and can have a gradual slope from the outermost perimeter to the center hole . the untreated water from the compression ring 124 flows through the compression ring holes 128 and is distributed on the upper side of the bulkhead 134 . the untreated water thus collects evenly around the perimeter of the open end of the purifier vessel 132 . the water is channeled into the purifier vessel 132 through the spaces between the pegs 140 . the purifier vessel 132 may be tapered as illustrated , or may be of a constant diameter . the untreated water contacts the purification medium within the purifier vessel 132 . the treated water exits the purifier vessel 132 at the outlet holes 156 in a generally radial manner . after passing through the purifier vessel 132 , the treated water flows into the dwell chamber 142 . the dwell chamber 142 is provided for additional treatment residence time with the residual halogen species . suitable minimum residence times are about 2 to about 5 minutes . the dwell chamber 142 is a container with a closed lower end , and outlet holes 144 provided at an upper location on the vertical walls of the dwell chamber 142 . the treated water accumulates in the dwell chamber 142 as the level builds upward in the dwell chamber 142 in a generally axial manner . the water is allowed to reach the uppermost portion of the dwell chamber 142 , which is directly beneath the bulkhead 134 . dwell chamber holes 144 allow the water to exit the dwell chamber 142 from an upper location thereof in a generally radial direction . the dwell chamber outlet holes 144 are large enough not to impede flow and create additional pressure drop . the dwell chamber 142 is provided within the interior of the outer skin 116 , and exterior to the purifier vessel 132 . the outside diameter of the dwell chamber 142 is smaller than the inside diameter of the outer skin 116 , so that an annular space is formed between the dwell chamber 142 and the outer skin 116 . both the dwell chamber 142 and the outer skin 116 can be tapered at an angle to match the taper of the purifier vessel 132 . alternatively , the purifier vessel 132 , the dwell chamber 142 , and the outer skin 116 , can be provided as components having a constant diameter . the treated water generally flows downward in an axial direction in the annular space between the dwell chamber 142 and the outer skin 116 . the water is discharged from the outer skin 116 in a generally radial direction through holes 146 in the lower portion of the outer skin 116 . the treated water exiting the outer skin 116 is collected in the purified water container 104 , shown in fig1 . the bulkhead 134 can have horizontal circular grooves on its underside that can mate with a horizontal circular ring on the dwell chamber 142 , or on the outer skin 116 , to attach the dwell chamber 142 and outer skin 116 to the bulkhead 134 . the dwell chamber 142 and outer skin 116 can be attached to the bulkhead 134 with adhesives , sonic welding , snap together fasteners , or other suitable means . the outer skin 116 is exterior the dwell chamber 142 . the outer skin 116 is sealed at the upper end to the bulkhead 134 , and has outlet holes 146 located at a lower portion thereof . treated water exits the outer skin 116 in a generally radial direction from holes 146 , after having passed through the annular section in between the dwell chamber 142 and outer skin 116 . bulkhead 134 separates the untreated water above the bulkhead 134 in the inlet head cap 112 from treated water below the bulkhead 134 . the inlet head cap 112 has threads 148 located at the interior side of the lower end of the inlet head cap 112 . the threads 148 mate with corresponding threads 154 on the bulkhead 134 . gasket 130 is provided at the union of the inlet head cap 112 with the bulkhead 134 . gasket 130 is generally incompressible so as to allow slippage of the inlet head cap 112 and the bulkhead 134 for ease of taking apart . as the inlet head cap 112 is screwed to the bulkhead 134 , the flattened surface 120 of the neck portion 152 presses against the compression ring 124 . in turn , the compression ring 124 presses down on the purifier vessel 132 that abuts the bulkhead 134 , and compresses the gasket 150 against the bulkhead 134 , thus sealing the untreated water side of the bulkhead 134 from the treated water side . during operation , the compression ring 124 uniformly transfers the compressive force from the inlet head cap 112 to the underlying purifier vessel 132 . the compression ring 124 uniformly redistributes the water flow into the inlet of the purifier vessel 132 in a generally radial manner . the compression ring 124 also can provide a uniform water level to evenly distribute the untreated water equally to all sides of the purifier vessel 132 . the water flows into the purifier vessel 132 in the spaces between adjacent pegs 140 . the compressive forces ensure that the purifier vessel 132 is properly sealed for use as a water purifier without bypassing untreated water . the compression ring 124 seals to the purifier vessel 132 by transferring the compressive force created by fastening the inlet head cap 112 to the bulkhead 134 via a gasketed threaded system comprising a mated thread 148 and gasket 130 . the compressive force is transferred to the compression ring 124 from the inlet head cap 112 via the neck 152 to the purifier vessel &# 39 ; s pegs 140 , thus pushing down on the purifier vessel 132 . the compressive force is transferred from the purifier vessel &# 39 ; s 132 horizontal flange 136 to the bulkhead &# 39 ; s seat portion 138 . the result is a watertight seal that is easily disassembled by hand . the segmented pegs 140 that extend from the top of the flange 136 of the purifier vessel 132 serve two purposes . the first purpose is to transfer the compressive force from the compression ring 124 down to the flange 136 . the second purpose is to provide the end user with a means to easily remove and insert the purifier vessel 132 when required . removal of the purifier vessel 132 can allow recharging polystyrene hydantoin and / or replacing of the entire purifier vessel 132 and / or quickly and easily inserting the purifier vessel 132 into the cartridge during initial manufacture . the compressible gasket 150 that underlies the flanged portion of the purifier vessel 132 and bulkhead 134 is of an appropriate durometer and thickness to allow for adequate compression and sealing of the purifier vessel 132 to the bulkhead 134 so as to prevent any water from bypassing the purifier vessel 132 . the shape of the purifier vessel 132 has a geometry that allows for even plug flow through the purification medium bed . in one embodiment , the aspect ratio , defined as the ratio of the length to the largest inner diameter dimension of the purifier vessel 132 is greater than or equal to 3 . higher aspect ratios may be used , but at ratios above 4 . 5 , the pressure across the bed purification medium bed can increase to a point where it may impede water flow and reduce the performance of the overall cartridge . the slight taper from inlet to outlet of the purifier vessel 132 can be used to improve manufacturability , but is not required . the purifier vessel walls are impermeable so that water cannot permeate into the other portions of the cartridge prior to traveling through the entire biocidal purification medium bed . a purification medium bed with an aspect ratio equal to or greater than 3 ensures that the water will flow through the purification medium bed within the purifier vessel 132 efficiently and in a plug flow fashion . retaining elements ( not shown ) of a permeable material , such as nonwoven mesh , or monofilament filter cloth , can be attached to the inlet end of the purifier vessel 132 and the outlet end of the purifier vessel 132 , that are capable of holding particle sizes on the order of about 50 to about 750 microns in diameter . the outlet end of the purifier vessel 132 can have a nonwoven batt that overlies the inside of the outlet holes of the purifier vessel 132 to retain the purification medium within the purifier vessel 132 . the batt is porous enough not to impede flow from the medium , while fine enough to retain the purification medium within the purifier vessel 132 . in one embodiment of the cartridge , the purifier vessel 132 can hold about 10 to about 50 grams of a purification medium . post - purification treatment of the treated water after exiting the purifier vessel 132 can take place in the dwell chamber 142 and outer skin 116 . the residence time spent within the dwell chamber provides an opportunity to post treat the treated water . water level rises in the dwell chamber 142 , then flows radially out of the dwell chamber 142 and down through the annular space created between the dwell chamber 142 and the outer skin 116 . the annular space can be filled with a variety of water treatment media for additional post - purification treatment of water . the annular space can provide a means to customize the cartridge for the specific local needs of the water to be treated . the volume of the annular space can be adjusted either by increasing the diameter and / or length of the dwell chamber 142 or outer skin 116 . the annular space can be filled with media that is capable of removing heavy metals ( e . g ., kdf 55 , iron sulfate , chitosan treated iron granules ), residual organics and halogens ( i . e ., granular activated carbon ) and / or to add mineralization for taste . the annular space provides a means to post - treat the treated water in an economical and compact way . additionally , the bulkhead 134 provides a means for the dwell chamber 142 and outer skin 116 to be properly aligned and attached to the remainder of the cartridge elements . the bulkhead 134 , through its center opening , provides a means to align the purification vessel 134 properly with the dwell chamber 142 and outer skin 116 . the gradually sloping surface of the bulkhead 134 to the central hole results in a water level that is uniformly and substantially the same height all around the entrance to the purifier vessel 132 . the bulkhead 134 provides users with access to the compression ring area without having to remove the entire cartridge from the system . the inlet head cap 112 can be attached to the bulkhead 134 through the use of a frictional seal . the sealing gasket 130 located at the union of the inlet head cap 112 with the bulkhead 134 is made from a material that prevents binding of the bulkhead 134 to the inlet head cap 112 and creates a leak - proof seal , thereby preventing untreated water from bypassing the purifier vessel 132 . in one embodiment , the gasket 130 can be made from polyurethane . the reaction of viruses with halogenated polystyrene hydantoin is substantially irreversible and requires time to demonstrate a certain level of microbial efficacy . in the case of bacteria , however , the inactivation could be reversed if inadequate time ( i . e ., volume ) is used . for the cartridge herein described , the medium free volume of the dwell chamber 142 is about 300 cubic centimeters . this volume is suitable for the inactivation of both viruses and bacterium to meet efficacy levels of 4 - log and 6 - log reductions respectively recommended by the epa and who . it should be noted that the contact time in the dwell chamber 142 of the present invention is not analogous to conventional holding tanks and conventional dwell chambers . holding tanks contain non - potable water that passes through a high residual biocidal halogen such as iodine resin or chlorine tablets during which time the water acquires a concentration of biocides suitable for purification , typically on the order of 14 ppm iodine or 9 ppm free chlorine . the mechanism for purification then takes place within the holding tanks in which the halogen attaches and inactivates or lyses organisms . typical times in such holding tanks are on the order of 30 minutes to 70 minutes . using the chlorinated polystyrene hydantoin beads described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 548 , 054 , the residual halogen concentration leaving the purification vessel 132 and residing in dwell chamber 142 , is on the order of 0 . 1 ppm to 0 . 5 ppm by weight free chlorine ( cl 2 ). even at holding tank sizes of 70 minutes , such low residual free chlorine concentrations are inadequate to achieve 4 - log inactivation of halogen resistant viruses such as poliovirus . however , use of chlorinated polystyrene hydantoin beads achieves 4 - log inactivation even at the low levels of residual chlorine , such as less than 1 ppm . additionally , because of the low flow rate normally achieved in gravity feed devices , the flow character through the dwell chamber 142 is quiescent and laminar . the water surface level is horizontal thereby achieving uniform filling of the dwell chamber 142 . the majority of the pressure generated from the height of the water is consumed when the water passes through the prefilter . the remaining pressure is sufficient for water to flow through the purification vessel 132 , dwell chamber 142 , annular space and exit at the outlet of the outer skin 116 . it should be appreciated that volumes and shapes of these components can be varied to achieve different flow rates and different inactivation levels . without the proper design of the dwell chamber 142 , the annulus could not be used to house additional treatment media . however , the cartridge 108 does not require additional media in order to purify non - potable water to purification standards , such as those specified by the epa and who . in addition to the annulus , additional post - treatment media can be added at a bottom interior location in the outer skin 116 . after passing through the annulus and the outer skin 116 , the treated , purified water exits the cartridge 108 from the bottom of the outer skin 116 through the holes 146 in a generally radial direction . the outer skin 116 further serves to provide an aesthetically pleasing shape to the overall cartridge 108 and to prevent cross - contamination of the treated water during handling . a common problem with many gravity filtration and purification devices is that when handled by the user , the surfaces on which treated waters flow can be easily contaminated by contaminated hands , thus rendering the cartridge useless in the goal of purifying water . it should also be noted that the outer skin 116 of the cartridge 108 forms several functions . firstly , the outer skin 116 provides a means for the end user to handle the cartridge 108 while removing the purification vessel 132 from the inlet head cap 112 . secondly , the outer skin 116 ensures that none of the treated water or treatment surface of the dwell chamber 142 will be contaminated during routine handling of the cartridge 108 . cross - contamination is a chronic problem with many water filter and treatment devices and it is highly recommended by the who to avoid and minimize cross - contamination as the treated water would be rendered unsuitable for drinking . ideally , the purification medium used in the purifier vessel should be stable at ambient temperature within the cartridge 108 . the purification medium should be insoluble in water so that it cannot be consumed by persons drinking the treated water . the purification medium should control and / or inactivate a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms . the purification medium should not leach hazardous and / or harmful chemicals into the water . the purification medium should provide residual free halogen species at a low level so as not to impart an undesirable odor , taste , or produce subsequent reaction by - products , such as trihalomethanes . the purification medium should be effective under a broad range of water ph and temperatures . the purification medium should provide biocidal effects for relatively long periods of use requiring simple and easy operation for the user . the purification medium should be regenerable and rechargeable as needed with commonly available sources so as to increase the cost effectiveness of the cartridge . the purification medium may need to be periodically recharged . the halogen depleted polystyrene hydantoin can be halogenated with either chorine or bromine . as a result , a variety of sources of free chlorine , such as sodium hypochlorite or calcium hypochlorite according to the methods described by u . s . pat . no . 6 , 548 , 054 can be used to rechlorinate the polystyrene hydantoin . to fully take advantage of the performance of the halogenated polystyrene hydantoin beds , the cartridge 108 must allow for the end user to recharge the medium . in one embodiment , the end user can remove the purification vessel 132 from the inlet head cap 112 . once removed , the purifier vessel 132 that contains the halogen - depleted polystyrene hydantoin can be quickly recharged in situ according to u . s . pat . no . 6 , 548 , 054 . once recharged , the purifier vessel 132 can be reinserted within the bulkhead 134 and sealed for leak - proof operation . the materials of manufacture for the components of the cartridge are of chlorine - resistant polymers and / or plastics , such as polypropylene or polycarbonate . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	2
and now the invention will be described in detail , with reference to the various figures in which like numerals refer to like parts . turning now to fig1 a tig welding torch 2 is shown in a conventional configuration , along with the invention attached . feed wire 4 is delivered through wire feed tube 16 to close proximity of arc tip 6 where an electrical arc causing the welding process initiates . hyperbaric tig welding , also known as gas tungsten arc welding is widely used as a technique for making the root pass and some subsequent passes in manual hyperbaric welding procedures . an automatic feed welding torch , sometimes commonly known as a mig which provides for the automatic feed of feed wire through the center of the gas cup and the wire being fed is used as the arc electrode . the wire in a mig welder is consumed in the welding process . a mig welder has a preselected delivery rate of the wire to the joint to be welded . in both mig and tig welders , a stream of inert gas , such as argon , is delivered to the weld area through gas cup 8 which assists in evacuating any air containing oxygen from the close proximity to the weld site thereby eliminating certain problems , as is well known to those skilled in the art of arc welding . in a tig welding device , the inert gas delivered through handle 12 to the gas cup 8 may be adjusted through valve 14 such as the delivery rate of the inert gas is satisfactory to the operator . in most existing tig welders , welding wire is usually applied by hand . the welding operator will normally cut strips of welding wire , most commonly found in the diameters of { fraction ( 3 / 32 )}″, ⅛ ″, or { fraction ( 5 / 32 )}″, into short strips so that they may be manipulated freely by the welder . the welding material wire is applied to the joint and used as welding material which is melted by the arc from the electrode to the grounded metal . unlike a mig welding device , electrode 6 is not consumed in the welding process and therefore , no automatic wire feed mechanisms have been applied to feed a wire through the center of gas cup 8 in a tig welding torch . welding wire used in tig welding in the above diameter has sufficient stiffness and rigidity to be self - supporting in the strips cut by the welding operator . in existing mig welders , welding wire is normally supplied in dimensions such as 0 . 030 ″, 0 . 035 ″, 0 . 040 ″ and other similar small diameters . as such , welding wire used in such operations is more highly flexible and does not have the rigidity necessary to allow an operator to feed the wire by hand using a tig torch . the present invention provides for a means to clamp on an automatic wire feed mechanism , as shown in fig1 which also allows for an adjustment of the speed of delivery of wire 4 through tube 16 . the wire feed speed of a mig torch is pre - selected by the operator and is not adjustable in the welding process . if the operator of a mig welding device desires to change the delivery rate of the material wire , normally they would stop the welding operation , move to the control device on the welding machine normally located a certain distance from the welding head , and turn the speed up or down . in a mig machine , because of the wire feed mechanism and the fact that the wire also is the electrode for carrying the current to conduct the welding operation , the welding torch head cannot be further than approximately than twenty - five feet from the welding apparatus . otherwise , malfunctions occur , there are practical problems in the wire feed mechanism because of longer distances , and the results have been generally unsatisfactory . in a tig welding machine , torch 2 can be , and is frequently located many hundreds of feet from the welding machine itself . a gas line and electric current wire are routed from a typical welding machine up through a structure or job where the welding operation is being conducted . a welding operator will carry welding wire to the site of the welding operation and conduct the welding in a conventional fashion . with the present invention , however , a portable device the size of approximately a briefcase or catalog case can contain a spool of welding wire of the desired size , adopted to be fed through a wire feeding device driven by a simple electric , speed controlled motor . the device can operate on conventional 120 volt power or 12 volt portable battery power and may be co - located with the welding torch 2 at the location of the welding operation . the present invention , in the preferred embodiment , provides a speed control pedal 26 which may be remotely located from the wire spool or the automatic feed equipment so that the operator of welding torch 2 can increase or decrease the delivery speed of the wire material while continuing the welding process . [ 0024 ] fig2 illustrates the apparatus used in the preferred embodiment . the apparatus as disclosed provides motor 20 which drives wire feed rollers 18 . rollers 18 is a feed device for material wire 4 which allows the transmission of wire 4 through wire feed tube 16 so that the wire may be presented in the area of the welding arc where the material is needed . an important aspect of the invention is the ability of the operator of the device to control the speed of wire 4 utilizing variable motor speed control pedal 26 , employing the entire system on an existing tig welder . pedal 26 , connected to motor 20 by cable 28 , presents the control information from pedal 26 to the variable speed control of motor 20 . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a simple electric motor can be designed with a variable speed control which allows the motor speed to be continually adjusted while the torque output of the motor remains uniform or constant at any given speed . variable speed electric drills are commonplace example of the type of motor speed control devices which would function well in the application presented . much like a variable speed electric drill , it should be appreciated that pedal 26 may also take the form of a thumb or finger controlled trigger which is attached to handle 12 and connected to motor 20 by an external control cable leading to the handle , similar to cable 28 in fig2 . in such a fashion , the speed control means represented at 26 in fig2 could take the form of a trigger - like or a button - like control mechanism which provides the same function as pedal 26 , but which otherwise allows the operator to control the feed speed of the wire through a hand control rather than a foot control . different operators will prefer different control configurations depending on the situation and the environment in which the welding operation is taking place . the welding apparatus shown in fig2 provides internal room for wire spool 22 to present the source of the welding wire 4 to be fed through roller 18 . wire spool 22 is most commonly provided in a four pound spool of welding wire on a plastic reel . as is presently used in mig welding operations , spool 22 is presently available in a configuration which would lend itself well to a drop - in spool fixture which would allow the rotation of spool 22 about an axis to feed to wire 4 from spool 22 in a conventional fashion shown in fig2 . it is also possible to have a master control speed selector 24 which provides for an overall range of speed to be ultimately controlled by pedal 26 . for example , selector 24 can select a speed range from zero inches per minute to one inch per minute delivery rate for wire 4 . other selectable positions may provide for a range of zero inches per minute to three ( 3 ) inches per minute or zero per inches per minute to five ( 5 ) inches per minute . the wire speed selector provides the ability of the welding torch operator to have a large range of speed variation immediately available , or a slower speed with a more vernier range of control with foot pedal 26 . the operator of the welding torch can engage in continual welding operations while adjusting the speed of delivery of wire 4 without switching the torch off or discontinuing the actual process . as described , the invention allows the operator to adjust the speed using a foot control while allowing both hands to be free to manipulate the work and to operate the torch simultaneously . also , it can be appreciated that pedal 26 may be located at a distance from the wire feeding apparatus so that it is not necessary to operate the welding torch in close proximity to the welding wire material feeding device since pedal 26 is connected through cable 28 which may be of any reasonable length to allow easy movement of the pedal to the area where it is needed . in order to make the invention available to existing tig welders , it can be appreciated that the apparatus described in the present invention must clamp neatly onto welding head handle 12 and gas cup 8 of torch 2 show in fig1 . clamps 30 are used to attach wire feed tube 16 to any convenient location on torch 2 to allow routing of wire 4 up through , and to the vicinity of arc tip 6 . though fig1 illustrates clamp 30 located in two locations on handle 12 , it is not necessary to place clamp 30 on handle 12 if the operator desires to dress feed tube 16 away from torch 2 in a different area or direction . wire tube hanger 32 , clamped to gas cup 8 utilizing gas cup clamp 10 , suspends tube 16 in the proximity of the output of gas cup 8 and arc tip 6 as can be seen in fig1 . clamp fastener 36 , a thumb wheel design or other type of finger adjustable fastening means provides convenience for the welding operator to adjust the configuration of wire feed tube 16 as may be desired . wire tube exit tip 34 are similar to the nozzle tips used on existing mig welding torches which allow for wire 4 to fit though the center of tip 34 when exiting wire tube 16 . tip 34 is sized to correspond to the wire size desired by the welding operator . for example , if using welding wire sized at 0 . 035 ″, tip 34 would provide a center opening which corresponds to use of such wire size so that wire 4 would travel neatly through the tip opening when being driven through tube 16 by the motor driven rollers 18 shown in fig2 . it can also be appreciated that wire tube hanger 32 , affixed to torch 2 with clamp 10 may be adjustable such that the distance between arc tip 6 and the end of wire 4 can be more easily controlled by the welding torch operator . clamp fastener 36 can be of a thumbwheel control design such that manipulation of fastener 36 can control the spacing between arc tip 6 and wire 4 by ultimately causing slight movement in tube hanger 32 as shown in fig1 . essentially , with manipulation of fastener 36 can control the distance between the arc being delivered to the weld site and welding wire 4 as it is presented to the point where welding is occurring . it should also be appreciated by considering the description and the figures of the invention that speed control pedal 26 may be remotely located on welding head handle 12 so that the operator of torch 2 may adjust the speed of the delivery of welding wire 4 using a finger control such as those found on continuously adjustable speed drills or other hand tools . this would be advantageous in a welding operation where the welder was not in a convenient position to utilize a foot pedal such as earlier suggested . the device shown in fig2 may be configured in any convenient package which allows portability and co - location of the wire feed device in the general vicinity of the welding operation . thus , the user of a tig welding apparatus , located many hundreds of feet from the welding machine , may carry the wire feed mechanism to the location and within several minutes attach wire feed tube 16 to torch 2 as show in fig1 . with the above it has been demonstrated the concept and practical application of a wire feed , speed adjustable welding torch accessory which allows retro fitting an existing tig torch for automatic feed with “ hands free ” operation . other useful adaptations of the present invention further include use of other attachment means to affix a welding wire feeding tube mechanism to an existing tig torch handle . it can also be appreciated that adaption of a remote motor speed control means to adjust the feed speed of the welding wire could employ wireless control means , including infrared , radio frequency or other remote control means which are employed in control of a variety of consumer and commercial appliances and devices . using such short range electronic speed control means would eliminate the need for control wires to be connected from the speed adjustment control device to the location of the apparatus containing the wire feed mechanisms . although the invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment and with particular examples that are used to illustrate carrying out the principals of the invention , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations or adaptations of the principal disclosed herein , could be adopted using the same ideas taught herewith . such applications and principals are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed and are otherwise described in the appended claims .	1
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . fig4 is an exploded perspective view of a lift according to the present invention , fig5 is a cross - sectional diagram of a fixed structure of a lift according to the present invention , and fig6 is a layout of a rear side of a base part of a drum type washer according to the present invention . fig7 a is a perspective diagram of a rear side of an assembly of a cover part and a supporter according to the present invention , and fig7 b is a magnified perspective diagram of a fixing part provided to a rear side of a cover part according to the present invention . fig7 c is a layout of a fixing part and a hook part according to the present invention , and fig8 is a perspective diagram of an assembly of a base part and a cover part according to the present invention . referring to fig4 , a drum type washer according to the present invention includes a drum ( cf . ‘ 6 ’ in fig2 ) and at least one lift 100 . the at least one lift 100 preferably includes a cover part 120 , a base part 101 and a supporter 130 . the drum 6 is rotatably provided within a tub . and , the at least one lift 100 is preferably provided to an inner circumference of the drum in a circumferential direction to be projected with an interval of a prescribed angle . the lift 100 plays a role in lifting up a laundry to fall while the drum is rotating . in order to prevent the laundry from being damaged , at least one washing ball 103 is provided to an upper surface of the lift 100 to be smoothly rotated in case of coming contact with the laundry . in this case , the at least one washing ball 103 is installed to have its portion projected and exposed . preferably , the at least one washing ball 103 is formed of a ceramic based material to enable its rotation attributed to friction with the laundry . in order to facilitate a replacement of the washing ball 103 that is broken , it is preferable that the lift 100 can be dissembled . for this , the cover part 120 is detachably assembled to the base part 101 . in this case , each of the cover part 120 and the base part 101 is preferably formed long along a length direction of the drum . in particular , the base part 101 is fixed to the inner circumference of the drum and the cover part 120 is detachably attached to a lower end portion of the base part 101 . a separation - preventing hole 121 is provided to the cover part 120 to enable a portion of the washing ball 103 to be exposed toward an inside of the drum . preferably , a rim of the separation - preventing hole 121 is rounded to come into contact with the washing ball 103 smoothly . so , the washing ball 103 projected toward the inside of the drum via the separation - preventing hole 121 is able to prevent the laundry from being damaged in case of a high - speed rotation of the drum , while being rotated in coming into contact with the laundry . preferably , the cover part 120 is formed tapered toward its front side from its rear side . this is to increase a volume of the drum . by reducing a width of the cover part 120 , the volume of the drum can be increased in proportion to the reduced width without decreasing sizes of the body and drum . meanwhile , if the base part is projected convex upwardly , if the cover part is formed narrow along the area having the washing ball formed therein , and if the cover part is assembled to an upper end of the base part , a gap can be generated from the assembled area . so , a problem that the laundry is stuck in the gap may be caused . to prevent the problem from being caused , the cover part 120 of the present invention is configured convex upwardly in one body to cover the upper portion of the base part 101 completely . preferably , the lift 100 , as shown in fig4 , further includes a supporter 130 supporting a lower portion of the washing ball 103 rotatably . more preferably , the supporter 130 is provided between the cover part 120 and the base part 101 to be detachable under the cover part 120 . a support recess 130 a is formed on the supporter 130 to support the lower portion of the washing ball 103 rotatably . the support recess 130 a has a hemispherical shape having an almost same diameter of the washing ball 103 . so , the washing ball 103 can be rotatably supported between the cover part 120 and the supporter 130 . the supporter 130 , as shown in the drawing , can be independently provided to the base part 101 to be assembled thereto . alternatively , the supporter 130 can be built in one body of the upper portion of the base part 101 . explained in the following description is a structure that the base part 101 is fixed to the inner circumference of the drum . fig5 is a cross - sectional diagram of a fixed structure of a lift according to the present invention , and fig6 is a layout of a rear side of a base part of a drum type washer according to the present invention . referring to fig4 to 6 , hooks 106 are 106 provided to both sides of a lower portion of the base part 101 , respectively . and , recesses are provided to portions of the drum 6 to oppose the hooks 106 , respectively . so , the hooks 106 are elastically fitted into the recesses to be locked together , respectively . hence , a pre - assembly between the base part 101 and the drum is achieved and a position for a locking of a locking member 105 such as a fixing bolt can be automatically aligned . alternatively , the hooks 106 are provided to the drum and the recesses for the hooks 106 can be provided to the lower surface of the base part 101 . a rear portion 101 a of the base part 101 , as shown in the drawings , is projected upward and is fixed to the rear side of the drum by a locking of a fixing member 104 such as a fixing bolt 104 . for this , a locking hole 104 a is formed at the rear portion 101 a of the base part 101 . the fixing member 104 passes through the rear side of the drum to be locked into the locking hole 104 a . preferably , the fixing member 104 is locked to the portion where the spider ( cf . ‘ 8 ’ in fig1 or fig2 ) joining the drum and a bearing housing together in the rear lateral side of the drum . preferably , a locking boss 105 a is provided to a front portion of the base part 101 to be externally locked with the locking member 105 such as a bolt . hence , if the fixing member 105 is locked into the locking boss 105 a to enable the front and rear portions of the base part 101 to be stably fixed to the inner circumference of the drum . referring to fig6 , for the reinforcement of a rear support structure of the lift to which the fixing member 104 is locked , a solidity reinforcing rib 112 a is preferably provided to the rear side of the base part 101 by injection molding . hence , even if an intensive stress is structurally concentrated on the locking hole 104 a , it is able to prevent the locking hole 104 a from being damaged . fig7 a is a perspective diagram of a rear side of an assembly of a cover part and a supporter according to the present invention , fig7 b is a magnified perspective diagram of a fixing part provided to a rear side of a cover part according to the present invention , and fig7 c is a layout of a fixing part and a hook part according to the present invention . referring to fig7 a , a pair of hook parts 135 are provided to both ends of the supporter 130 , respectively . and , a pair of locking parts 123 are provided to a lower surface of the cover part 120 . so , the hook parts 135 are fitted into the locking parts 123 to be fixed thereto , respectively . referring to fig7 b , each of the locking parts 123 includes a first extension 123 a and a second extension 123 b opposing each other . and , the corresponding hook part 135 is fitted into the locking hole 124 between the first and second extensions 123 a and 123 b . a hanging portion 123 c is provided to either the first extension 123 a or the second extension 123 b to catch the fitted hook part 135 . so , if the hook part 135 is pushed between the first and second extensions 123 a and 123 b , the hanging portion 123 c is elastically retreated to enable the hook part 135 to be inserted between the first and second extensions 123 a and 123 b to be locked therein . alternatively , the hook parts 135 are provided to one side of the base part 101 and the locking parts 123 are provided to the lower surface of the cover part 120 . referring to fig7 c , each of the hook parts 135 includes a support portion 135 a , a connecting portion 135 b and an insertion guide portion 135 c . the support portion 135 a extends from the supporter 130 and the connecting portion 135 b extends in a direction vertical to the support portion 135 a . so , the connecting portion 135 b is inserted between a pair of the extensions 123 a and 123 b and is then postured in the locking hole 124 to be fixed thereto . the insertion guide portion 135 c vertically extends from the connecting portion 135 b to be guided along inner walls of the extension portions 123 a and 123 b . preferably , the insertion guide portion 135 c extends in both directions vertical to an end portion of the connection portion 135 b to a prescribed length . alternatively , the insertion guide portion 135 c is able to extend in one direction only . if the fixed supporter 130 is pulled by a prescribed external force , the hook part 135 can be detached from the locking part 123 . so , the hook part 135 can be separated from the fixing part 123 . through this , the supporter 130 can be detached from the cover part 120 with ease . for a more stable fixing structure , as shown in fig4 and fig5 , a locking boss 102 a can be provided to the base part 101 and a locking member 102 such as a bolt locked into the locking boss 102 a can be additionally provided to fix the cover part 120 and the supporter 130 to the base part 101 from the upper side of the cover part 120 . through this , both ends of the supporter 130 can be fixed to the lower surface of the cover part 120 . once the cover part 120 is assembled to the upper side of the base part 101 , the lower surface of the supporter 130 can be stably supported by the upper surface of the base part 101 . for this , it is preferable that the lower surface of the supporter 130 has the same profile of at least one portion of the upper surface of the base part 101 . and , it is a matter of course that a profile portion 108 a , as shown in the drawing , having the same profile of the lower surface of the supporter 130 can be projected or recessed from the upper surface of the base part 101 . fig8 is a perspective diagram of an assembly of a base part and a cover part according to the present invention . referring to fig8 , at least one guide piece 124 is provided to a lower edge of the cover part 120 and at least one guide recess 107 is provided to an edge of the base part 101 . so , the guide piece 124 is inserted in the guide recess 107 to be locked therein . in particular , the cover part 120 postured on a prescribed position of the upper surface of the base part 101 is slid , the guide piece 124 is fitted into the guide recess 107 to prevent the base part 101 from being separated from the cover part 120 . alternatively , the guide piece is provided to the edge of the base part 101 and the guide recess 107 is provided to the lower edge of the cover part 120 . preferably , a first locking piece 109 and a second locking piece 125 are provided to rear side edges of the base part 101 and the cover part 120 to be locked together by having ‘┐’ shapes , respectively . by the first and second locking pieces 109 and 125 , the lower edge of the cover part 120 and the edge of the base part 101 are locked together . preferably , a rib 108 for solidity reinforcement is projected from the lower surface of the base part 101 . a process for assembling the above - configured lift according to the present invention is explained as follows . first of all , the base part 101 is fixed to the inner circumference of the drum . in particular , the hook 106 provided to the base part 101 is pre - assembled to the recess provided to the drum . in doing so , since locking positions of the locking members 104 and 105 are automatically aligned , the locking members 104 and 105 are locked into the aligned positions to enable the base part 101 to be stably fixed to the inner circumference of the drum . preferably , the step of fixing the base part 101 to the drum is carried out before the drum is installed within the tub . subsequently , the washing ball 103 is inserted in the support recess 130 a of the supporter 130 . the supporter 130 is then assembled to the lower surface of the cover part 120 . for this , the hook parts 135 provided to both of the ends of the supporter 130 are fitted into the locking parts 123 provided to the lower surface of the cover part 120 , respectively . so , the supporter 130 is detachably assembled to the lower surface of the cover part 120 . the cover part 120 having the supporter 130 assembled thereto is slid on the base part 101 to be detachable assembled thereto . in particular , the guide piece 124 provided to the lower edge of the cover part 120 is slid into the guide recess 107 provided to the edge of the base part 101 , thereby completing the pre - assembly . the locking member 102 is then locked from the upper side of the cover part 120 , thereby completing the locking between the cover part 120 and the base part 101 . meanwhile , if the washing ball is broken in operating the drum type washer , the cover part and the supporter are disassembled to facilitate the replacement of the broken washing ball . first of all , since the lift is detachably provided within the drum , it is able to replace the washing ball of the lift and the like without dissembling the drum , the tub , the motor assembly and the like . in particular , since the supporter is detachably fixed to the cover part by the hook locking mechanism , it is able to separate the supporter from the cover part with ease . hence , the repair time and cost of the washer can be considerably reduced . secondly , since the hook parts projected in opposite directions from both ends of the supporter are joined to the locking part , it is able to effectively prevent the supporter from rocking back and forth or right to left . thirdly , since the cover part in one body is projected to cover the whole upper portion of the base part , it is able to prevent the laundry from being stuck in the assembled part of the lift . fourthly , unlike the related art lift , the lift of the present invention has the width tapered toward its front side , thereby increasing the volume of the drum . finally , the lift of the washer according to the present invention is applicable to a dryer . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	3
preferred features of exemplary embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the figures . it will be appreciated that the spirit and scope of the invention are not limited to the embodiments selected for illustration . also , it should be noted that the drawings are not rendered to any particular scale or proportion . it is contemplated that any of the configurations and materials described hereafter can be modified within the scope of this invention . generally , systems have been proposed to seal tubes using a pair of jaws , such as electrodes , for compressing tubing and applying radio frequency energy to melt the tubing and form a weld to effect a seal . such systems typically may use a solenoid to compress the tubing as the rf radiation is applied . as the solenoid is activated a coil of the solenoid increases in temperature due to the current applied to the coil . a problem exist in these tube sealing systems that as the solenoid increases in temperature due to the current applied to the coil of the solenoid , compression force of the solenoid significantly decrease because resistance of the coil increases as temperature increases . thus , frequent use of the tube sealing system , reduces the compression force to compress the tubing which significantly reduces the efficiency of the tube sealing system and produces an increased number of defective seals in the tubing being sealed . an improved tubing sealing apparatus is provided to reduce or substantially eliminate the compression force reduction in the solenoid when such a system is heavily ( i . e ., repeatedly ) used . exemplary tube sealers according to aspects of this invention can be adapted to seal tubes such as those illustrated in fig1 a , 1 b and 2 . referring to those figures , a tube portion 2 is illustrated with two ( 2 ) seals 4 , thereby separating an interior 6 of the tube portion 2 into multiple sections or compartments . as is illustrated in fig1 a and 1 b , the tube portion 2 may have a diameter d and a wall thickness t 1 . the dimensions of the tube portion 2 can be varied depending upon the nature of the tube and the use thereof . the tube portion 2 may be a tube used to collect a sample of blood from a donor . if so , the tube portion 2 may be formed from polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) or any another suitable material . the seals 4 in the tube portion 2 are formed by compressing the tube so that its walls come into contact with one another and simultaneously subjecting the tube portion 2 , in the area of a seal 4 , to energy until a seal is formed by heating and softening or melting the tube such that a weld can be formed . referring to fig1 a , 1 b and 2 , the seals 4 formed in tube portion 2 will have a width w , a height h , and a thickness t 2 . it has been discovered that it may be desirable to modify , select , and / or control the “ size ” or “ area ” defined by one or more of the dimensions w , h , and t 2 . generally , there is likely to be some limited flow of the material of the tube in the area of a seal during the formation of the seal . more specifically , the softening or melting of the material of the tube is likely to cause some migration of the material radially outwardly to arrive at a height h of the seal 4 that is greater than diameter d of the tube . also , the width w of the seal 4 will result from some migration of the material of the tube along the axis of the tube . the dimensions w , h , and t 2 of each seal 4 are impacted by various parameters relating to the energy used to form the seal as well as the jaws of the sealer that directly form the seal . these parameters include the degree of compression imparted on the tube by the jaws ( i . e ., the minimum gap between the jaws ), the duration of the compression ( i . e ., the time delay before the jaws are separated ), and the duration over which the radio frequency energy is generated , among other parameters . it has been discovered that it may be beneficial to permit the adjustment of a tube sealer with respect to one or more of these parameters , as will be discussed later in greater detail . referring again to fig1 a and 1 b , a “ good ” or “ successful ” weld or seal 4 across a tubing portion 2 will be likely to exist if the combination of melting of the tubing with the compressive force exerted by the jaws forming the seal force lateral flow of the plastic to develop ears or tab portions disposed on opposite sides of the tubing . such ears or tabs may be indicative of an impermeable seal across the tubing . generally referring to fig3 - 7 , one aspect of this invention provides a dielectric tube sealer 8 adapted to limit radio frequency emissions or emanations during operation . the dielectric tube sealer 8 includes an enclosure such as a cabinet 10 and first and second jaws ( i . e . first and second tube - contacting surfaces ) 42 and 26 , respectively , oriented with respect to the cabinet 10 to receive a tube portion in a space therebetween . the first jaw 42 is fixed and is coupled to a radio frequency generator , and the second jaw 26 is movable with respect to the first jaw 42 and is coupled to ground potential . a shield 12 is positioned adjacent the cabinet 10 and configured to at least partially enclose the first and second jaws 42 and 26 yet permit the introduction of a tube portion to a position between the first and second jaws 42 and 26 . the shield 12 thereby reduces radio frequency emanations from the first jaw 42 , and the shield 12 can be movable with respect to the cabinet 10 to at least partially expose the first and second jaws 42 and 26 . according to another aspect of the invention , a dielectric tube sealer 8 is adapted to detect successful or failed seals . the dielectric tube sealer 8 includes jaws 26 and 42 mounted for movement with respect to one another between ( 1 ) a first position spaced from one another to receive a tube portion and ( 2 ) a second position proximal one another to compress the tube portion , wherein the jaws 26 and 42 in the second position define a gap selected to form a successful seal . the dielectric tube sealer 8 also includes a sensor 204 positioned to detect when the jaws 26 and 42 have moved into the second position . the dielectric tube sealer 8 also includes a timer electrically coupled to the sensor 204 for determining the time delay before the jaws 26 and 42 have moved into the second position . a time delay up to a predetermined time limit indicates a successful seal , and a time delay exceeding the predetermined limit indicates a failed seal . according to another aspect of the invention , a dielectric tube sealer 8 includes a radio frequency generator configured to generate radio frequency for a time period . jaws 26 and 42 are mounted for movement with respect to one another , one of the jaws 26 or 42 being coupled to the radio frequency generator . the dielectric tube sealer 8 also includes a microprocessor or microcontroller 206 configured to control the radio frequency generator . the microcontroller 206 is programmable to select the time period or time periods during which radio frequency is generated by the radio frequency generator , thereby controlling the area of the seal formed in a tube . referring to fig3 - 7 , exemplary features of one embodiment of a tube sealer according to this invention will now be described . the dielectric tube sealer 8 includes a cabinet 10 to which a cover or shield 12 is removably mounted . the dielectric tube sealer 8 also includes a power switch 14 which acts as an on / off switch for the operation of the unit . the dielectric tube sealer 8 further includes a power indicator 16 and a seal indicator 18 , both of which may take the form of an led according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention . the seal indicator 18 will be on when the solenoid is energized . when the shield 12 is off and the unit is inoperable , the seal indicator 18 will flash ( except when the unit is in programming mode as will be described later ). referring specifically to fig4 , which reveals internal features of the dielectric tube sealer 8 , an actuator ( e . g ., solenoid 20 ) is mounted on a mounting platform 22 within an interior of the cabinet 10 . it will be noted that , although cabinet 10 is adapted as a table - top unit , cabinet 10 may also be reconfigured as a hand - held device that is remote from other components that are illustrated within the cabinet 10 in fig3 - 7 . coupled to the solenoid 20 is a ground jaw shaft 24 on which the ground jaw 26 is positioned . a flag 28 is provided as a part of the assembly of the ground jaw shaft 24 in order to actuate a stop sensor 204 , which will be described in further detail later . a fastener 30 , which may take the form of a cap - head screw or any other suitable fastener , is used to make a connection between a wire 32 leading to a radio frequency board ( fig1 ) and the rf jaw 42 ( see rf jaw 42 in fig5 , for example ). a start lever 33 is also provided as a component of the dielectric tube sealer 8 . the start lever 33 has a proximal end 34 and a distal end 36 , wherein the proximal end 34 extends outwardly from the cabinet 10 and the distal end 36 extends inwardly into the interior of cabinet 10 . the proximal end 34 of the start lever 33 is depressed downwardly when a tube is introduced into a position between the ground jaw 26 and the rf jaw 42 , and the distal end 36 of the start lever 33 is pivoted upwardly . a flag ( not shown ) toward the distal end 36 of start lever 33 actuates a start sensor 205 ( fig1 ), details of which will be provided later . the start lever 33 , ground jaw shaft 24 , and connection to the rf jaw 42 each passes through an insulator 40 . according to exemplary aspects of the invention , the insulator 40 is in the form of a block of insulating material . the insulating material may be delrin , for example , or any other suitable insulator . if delrin is used , it is preferably black to provide a uv protectant . the insulator 40 serves two ( 2 ) purposes according to exemplary features of this invention ; namely , it isolates the radio frequency potential applied to the rf jaw from the ground potential of the ground jaw and it provides a low - friction surface through which moving parts ( e . g ., ground jaw shaft 24 ) can slide . referring to fig5 , it will be seen that a portion of the rf jaw 42 extends outwardly beyond the surface of the insulator 40 , thereby exposing a surface of the rf jaw 42 for contact with a tube portion to be sealed . also shown in fig5 is a power supply 44 , which is positioned under the mounting platform 22 . although not shown in fig5 , it has been discovered that there is benefit in selecting a power supply 44 that incorporates a fan for heat dissipation . heat will of course be generated within the cabinet 10 by virtue of the operation of the solenoid 20 and other components of the system . it has been discovered that the positioning of a power supply 44 toward the base of the cabinet 10 can help dissipate significant heat when the power supply 44 is provided with the fan . more specifically , the fan of the power supply 44 exhausts heat downwardly and outwardly through a base portion of the cabinet 10 . referring still to fig5 , the rf jaw remains fixed with respect to the cabinet 10 and the ground jaw 26 moves with respect to the rf jaw 42 by virtue of sliding movement of ground jaw shaft 24 through an aperture in the insulator 40 and the action of the solenoid 20 . more specifically , upon actuation of the dielectric tube sealer 8 to seal a portion of a tube , the solenoid 20 will withdraw the ground jaw shaft 24 toward the interior of the cabinet 10 , thereby moving the ground jaw 26 closer the rf jaw 42 . in that manner , the jaws 26 and 42 have two ( 2 ) positions ; namely , an open position in which the jaws 26 and 42 are separated from one another a distance sufficient to receive a tube , and a closed position in which the jaws 26 and 42 are proximal to one another such that a tube positioned therebetween will be in a compressed state . the gap between the jaws 26 and 42 when the jaws are in the closed position is selected to correspond substantially to the desired thickness t 2 of the seal 4 ( see fig2 ). that gap can be periodically adjusted during calibration of the dielectric tube sealer 8 to ensure that an appropriate thickness t 2 is imparted to a seal . also , the gap can be adjusted to avoid arcing between the jaws , which would otherwise occur if the jaws were too close together . on the other hand , if the jaws are too far apart , the seal of the tube might not be properly formed and might leak . when the jaws 26 and 42 are in the closed position ( not shown ), the flag 28 on the opposite end of the ground jaw shaft 24 will block an optical sensor such as stop sensor 204 to signal that the seal is virtually complete . accordingly , the flag 28 is sized and positioned to actuate such a sensor as the jaws 26 and 42 enter the closed position . for example , when the gap between jaws 26 and 42 is reduced to a predetermined size ( e . g ., 0 . 1 mm - 0 . 2 mm ), the flag 28 will trigger the sensor to indicate full compression of the tubing . although not shown in fig3 - 7 , a controller board , such as the exemplary embodiment of a board shown in fig1 , is mounted in a horizontal position extending rearwardly from the top of the insulator block 40 . standard fasteners can be used to fasten the board to the insulator block 40 or to otherwise mount the board within the cabinet 10 . the sensors for sensing the flags on the start lever 33 and the ground jaw shaft 24 are mounted to the controller board and are positioned on the board in locations selected to correspond to the respective flags on the start lever 33 and ground jaw shaft 24 . referring now to fig6 , it will be seen that the rf jaw 42 is provided with a substantially flat surface 43 for contact with a tube portion to be sealed . similarly , the ground jaw 26 is also provided with a substantially flat surface 27 for contact with the opposite side of the tube portion . these flat surfaces 27 and 43 are sized and oriented so as to impart a predetermined configuration to a seal 4 in a tube portion 2 . it will be appreciated that the widths and other dimensions of the flat surfaces 27 and 43 can be modified so as to alter the configuration of the seal 4 . more specifically , the surfaces 27 and 43 can be modified to impart functional or ornamental features to the surface of the seal , depending upon the particular application or preferences of the end user . also , the texture or finish of the surfaces 43 and 27 can be modified to impart a particular surface feature to the seal . as shown in the figures , the ground jaw shaft 24 is substantially rounded in cross - sectional shape . for example , a cylindrical shape for ground jaw shaft 24 can be selected to correspond to a through - hole formed in the insulator 40 . also , a cylindrical shaft or otherwise rounded shaft may be easier to clean in the instance of leaked fluids because the cylindrical shape will not encourage an accumulation of fluids on the ground jaw shaft 24 . the portion of ground jaw shaft 24 on which the ground jaw 26 is formed is also substantially cylindrical except for the flat surface 27 formed thereon . as is best illustrated in fig5 , it will be seen that the axis of the longitudinally extending portion of the ground jaw shaft 24 is spaced from , but substantially parallel to , the axis of the solenoid 20 . also , the axis of the solenoid 20 corresponds to the position on the rf jaw 42 and ground jaw 26 that contact a tube portion to be sealed . in order to provide this feature , the ground jaw shaft 24 ( extending all the way from the flag 28 extending upwardly beyond the axis of the solenoid to the top of the ground jaw 26 ) forms a substantially “ u ” shaped configuration . such a configuration makes it possible to compress a tube portion along an axis of compression that is common to the axis of the solenoid 20 . the ground and rf jaws are , according to one exemplary embodiment , formed from a metal but can optionally be formed from any conductive material . the jaws can be formed from steel plate or rod by known forming techniques . it has been discovered that the configuration of the rf jaw as a fixed jaw at least partially insulated and located adjacent the cabinet 10 helps to reduce the radio frequency emanations from the dielectric tube sealer 8 . more specifically , the mounting of the rf jaw at least partially within an insulator block such as insulator 40 helps to shield the emanations of radio frequency energy . this can be accomplished by configuring the ground jaw 26 to be the moving jaw that extends outwardly from the cabinet 10 . by exposing the ground jaw 26 as the outer jaw , as opposed to the rf jaw 42 , the radio frequency emanations from the dielectric tube sealer 8 are further reduced . the configuration of the ground jaw shaft 42 as an exemplary “ u ” shaped configuration permits the orientation of the stationery rf jaw 42 in or near the cabinet with the ground jaw 26 extending outwardly beyond the rf jaw 42 . referring now to fig7 , a magnet 46 is mounted to a portion of the shield 12 . although not shown in fig7 , hall effect sensor “ h 1 ” on the control board shown on fig1 corresponds in position to the magnet 46 when the shield 12 is in place and the control board is mounted within the cabinet 10 . by virtue of the hall effect sensor , therefore , the presence or absence of the magnet 46 ( and therefore the presence or absence of the cover or shield 12 ) can be detected . it has been discovered that combined features of the exemplary dielectric tube sealer 8 cooperate to reduce emanations of radio frequency energy during operation of the sealer . although each of the foregoing features helps to reduce radio frequency emanations , the combination of the shield 12 , the at least partial insulation of the stationery rf jaw 42 , and the outward positioning of the movable ground jaw 26 provide significant reductions in rf emanations . also , the configuration of the jaws and the insulator with respect to one another helps to prevent arcing between the jaws ( e . g ., arcing between ground and rf potentials ). more specifically , the extension of jaw 42 outwardly from the insulator 40 helps to prevent bridging of fluids such as blood between the rf jaw 42 and the ground jaw shaft 24 . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures , the shield 12 is removably mounted adjacent the cabinet 10 . removal of the shield 12 facilitates cleaning and maintenance of the jaws and other components of the tube sealer 8 . as will be described later in greater detail , the removal of the shield 12 also facilitates the periodic calibration of the tube sealer to maintain an appropriate seal thickness and facilitates the programming of the tube sealer . while the exemplary shield 12 is removable and replaceable by virtue of a sliding engagement with the insulating block 40 , the tube sealer is configured to prevent its operation while the shield 12 is not in place . contact between the shield 12 and the cabinet ( e . g ., by virtue of the flanges of the shield 12 extending between the insulator 40 and the cabinet 10 ) is optionally provided to ground the shield 12 . the shield 12 may be formed from a conductive material such as a metal . the slot ( not numbered ) in the shield 12 permits a user to insert a portion of the tube to be sealed between the jaws of the dielectric tube sealer 8 . the shape and configuration of the slot and the body of the shield are not important , however . referring now to fig8 a and 8 b , a flow diagram illustrating operation of an exemplary embodiment of a tube sealer according to this invention will now be described . steps 50 - 63 roughly correspond to an exemplary sealing operation of the unit , steps 64 - 67 illustrate exemplary operation of the system in connection with a failed seal , steps 68 - 73 illustrate an exemplary programming mode , and steps 74 and 75 illustrate an exemplary inoperable mode . referring first to the exemplary sealing operation illustrated in steps 50 - 63 in fig8 a and 8 b , the unit is turned on in step 50 , which is followed by a query in step 51 as to whether the cover or shield 12 is in place . this query can be answered , for example , by use of a hall sensor to detect the presence or absence of a magnet 46 on the shield 12 . in step 52 , the mode setting is read from the memory of the sealing unit , and the power led is flashed in step 53 to indicate the mode selected . the number of flashed of the led can indicate the mode . the mode may correspond , for example , to the time delay mode selected in steps 68 - 73 ( described later ). after the mode selected is indicated , the power led is turned on in step 54 . in step 55 , a query asks whether the start switch has been activated . this query can be answered , for example , with the use of an optical sensor such as the start sensor 205 to detect the presence or absence of a flag on a distal end 36 of the start lever 33 , which would indicate that a tube portion has been inserted between the jaws of the sealer , thereby depressing the proximal end 34 of the start lever 33 . if the start switch has been activated , the solenoid and rf generator ( and red seal led ) are turned on in step 56 . step 57 queries whether the limit switch is activated , which can be answered , for example , depending on whether the flag 28 on the ground jaw shaft 24 is sensed by the optical sensor or stop sensor 204 on the control board . if so , the programmed time delay is read in step 58 and the rf generator is turned off after the programmed time delay elapses in step 59 . after a predetermined time ( e . g ., 500 ms ), which may be selected based on the amount of time desired for the seal to cool adequately , the solenoid ( and red seal led ) is turned off in step 60 , and a count is added to the memory for an updated count of complete seals in step 61 . the successful seal is then completed in step 62 and the unit can then be readied to create another seal at step 63 . if at any time during power “ on ” of the sealer the sealer cover 12 is removed , then the seal led remains flashing and the unit will not respond to the start sensor 205 . referring now to the exemplary failed seal mode in steps 64 - 67 , a query is made in step 64 to determine whether 3 seconds , or some other predetermined delay , has elapsed since the solenoid and rf generator were turned on in step 56 . if so , that means that too much time has elapsed since the start of the sealing process without a full seal being indicated by the limit switch . in other words , thereby indicating that the seal has not yet been made . if so , the rf generator and solenoid power are shut off in step 65 , and the seal led flashes 3 times to indicate to the user of the sealer that the seal was unsuccessful in step 66 . if a buzzer is incorporated into the sealer system as an audible indicator to the user and the buzzer is programmed to activate , then the buzzer is sounded in step 66 . in step 67 , a count is added to the memory to updated the count of incomplete seals and the sealer is readied for another attempt at steps 62 and 63 . referring now to the exemplary programming mode in steps 68 - 73 , if the cover is off ( step 51 ) and the limit switch or stop sensor 204 is activated ( step 68 ) during system start up , then the sealer unit scrolls through a menu of available delay times in step 69 . accordingly , the programming mode in steps 68 - 73 is initiated by : ( 1 ) either removing the cover 12 , using start lever 33 to activate the limit switch or , otherwise , pushing the ground jaw 26 in to activate the limit switch , ( 2 ) turning the unit on , and ( 3 ) selecting a delay time . in step 70 , the power led can flash as an indicator of a variety of selectable delay times and / or an audible alarm mode . in one embodiment , six ( 6 ) modes are available for selection . program mode is initiated when the shield 12 is off , the limit switch is activated , and the power is then turned on . if the cover or shield is removed after power up and the limit switch is triggered , the unit will not enter program mode . for example , one flash may correspond to a particular mode with a delay time . as mentioned , the user of the system can activate the limit switch ( step 68 ) by either using start lever 33 or , otherwise , pushing in the ground jaw shaft 24 or ground jaw 26 while the cover is off . while in the programming mode , the system will continue to scroll through the menu of possible delay times until the limit is switch is deactivated at step 71 . in other words , if the limit switch remains activated ( e . g ., by the user retaining the ground jaw shaft 24 in a closed position ) then the system will continue to scroll delay times . upon release of the ground jaw shaft 24 by the user , the limit switch will thereby be deactivated in step 71 and the delay mode selected by the user by deactivating the limit switch is then stored in the memory in step 72 . the various programmed modes may determine the delay times and / or the nature of the indicator with respect to failed and successful seals . for example , a menu of program modes can include modes configured to sound an audible alarm ( e . g ., a buzzer ) in the event of a failed seal . alternatively , modes can dictate a silent , visual alarm depending on the preferences of the end user . in one exemplary embodiment , six ( 6 ) modes are provided to offer three delay times with an audible indicator and three delay times without the audible indicator . the delay times can be , for example , 50 ms , 100 ms , and 150 ms , but a variety of delay times can be provided depending on the material to be sealed , the size of the tubing , the application for the tube sealer , and other factors . as indicated in step 72 , the delay mode selected by the user will correlate to a desired seal width . generally , the longer the delay time ( i . e ., prior to turning off the rf generator ), then the wider the seal may be . after step 72 , the programming mode is concluded at step 73 . referring now to an exemplary inoperable mode of the dielectric tube sealer 8 in steps 74 and 75 , if the cover is off ( step 51 ) and the limit switch is not activated ( step 68 ), then the unit should not be operated by a user and a warning is delivered to the user in the form of the flashing of the seal led in step 74 . as indicated in step 75 , further seal operation is prevented , and the system is returned to the query of whether or not the cover is on ( step 51 ). referring next to fig9 , there is shown an exemplary block diagram of a radio frequency ( rf ) energy generator , generally designated as 100 , for providing rf power to melt and weld a seal across a plastic tube . as shown , rf energy generator 100 includes rf amplifier 101 , coupling coil 107 and jaw / electrode 108 . rf amplifier 101 may include crystal oscillator 102 , monolithic amplifier 103 , current driver 104 , push / pull amplifier 105 , and filter network 106 . these are discussed below . an exemplary electrical circuit of rf amplifier 101 is shown in fig1 , and may include electrical components that are surface mountable on a single board . referring to both fig9 and 10 , there is shown crystal oscillator 102 capable of providing an rf signal at 40 . 68 mhz . the rf signal provided by crystal oscillator 102 may be filtered by a network of components ( r 2 , c 1 , c 2 , c 3 and l 1 ) prior to amplification by monolithic amplifier 103 . the monolithic amplifier , designated as u 1 in fig1 , may be a mav11 monolithic amplifier for providing an amplified rf output that may be adjustable by way of resistive components r 4 , r 5 and r 15 . the rf energy is adjustable largely by potentiometer r 5 . alternatively , resistive components r 4 and r 5 can be removed , allowing the amplifier to run at maximum power , which will be controlled by fixed resistor r 3 . the crystal oscillator and monolithic amplifier may be turned on / off by way of switching transistors q 6 and q 2 . upon activation by rf trigger input signal ( provided from a control circuit , discussed below ), transistors q 6 and q 2 may be turned on , thereby allowing voltage , + v , to saturate transistor q 1 and start rf oscillation . switching transistors q 6 and q 2 will activate monolithic amplifier u 1 to amplify the rf oscillation . the output energy from monolithic amplifier 103 may be filtered by various components including c 5 , c 7 , c 8 , l 2 and l 3 . the filtering advantageously prevents rf energy from feeding into the power supply and noise from reaching a microcontroller residing on the control circuit ( discussed below ). the output energy from monolithic amplifier 103 is further amplified by current driver 104 and push / pull amplifier 105 . current driver 104 may include power amplifier q 3 for driving step - down transformer l 4 ( 5t to 1t ), which effectively lowers the output voltage and increases the current by a five - to - one ratio . the output of step - down transformer l 4 may be provided to push / pull amplifier 105 . in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , the push / pull amplifier may have a configuration that includes transistors q 4 and q 5 for driving step - up transformer l 5 ( 1t to 3t ). the amplified rf output signal from push / pull amplifier 105 may be low pass filtered by filter network 106 and may include components l 6 , l 7 , l 8 , c 13 , c 14 , c 15 , c 16 and c 17 . it will be appreciated that filter network 106 may provide a cut - off frequency for rf harmonics above the baseband frequency of crystal oscillator 102 . completing description of rf amplifier 101 , additional filtering components may be included on the surface mountable rf board , such as d 1 , l 9 , c 11 , c 12 and c 18 . these additional filtering components may further prevent rf noise from reaching the power supply (+ v , for example ) and the microcontroller on the control circuit . in the embodiment shown , the amplified rf output signal is sent to coupling coil 107 , which may be mounted separately from rf amplifier 101 . coupling coil 107 may be included to provide a matching impedance ( 50 ohms ) between filter network 106 and jaw electrode 108 . in this manner , sufficient rf energy may be radiated from jaw electrode 108 to provide efficient melting and welding of the plastic tubing . in the rf circuit of fig1 , monolithic amplifier u 1 , may be configured to provide approximately 8 - 9 db of amplification . coupled between oscillator 102 and current amplifier q 3 , the monolithic amplifier amplifies the low output signal from oscillator 102 and may achieve a maximum output power of 0 . 5 watts , for example . sufficient gain is provided from the monolithic amplifier to directly drive current amplifier q 3 . it will be appreciated that the monolithic amplifier is optionally utilized to provide gain in a single stage that conventionally may require three or more stages of amplification . the monolithic amplifier also requires less filtering . as a result , the rf circuit may be compact and small in size . the monolithic amplifier may , for example , be an mav - 11 amplifier manufactured by mini - circuits in brooklyn , n . y . referring to fig1 , an exemplary embodiment of a control circuit , generally designated as 200 , will now be described . control circuit 200 is adapted for monitoring and controlling the tube sealing operation . the control circuit may also provide status and alerts to the operator ( or user ). as shown , the heart of the control circuit is microcontroller 206 , and , for example , may be avr microcontroller attiny 28l . in the embodiment shown , microcontroller 206 monitors sealer cover sensor 203 , stop sensor 204 and start sensor 205 . in response to these sensors and in response to a programmed method of operation , microcontroller 206 activates buzzer 214 , power on led ( green ) 215 , seal indicator led ( red ) 216 , solenoid 217 and rf trigger output to the rf amplifier board . each of these elements may be activated by way of respective drivers 209 - 213 . of course , a driver may be omitted , if the microcontroller is capable of directly driving the element . as shown , microcontroller 206 is coupled to memory 207 , which may be an eeprom , such as fm 25160 , and is capable of providing over a billion write operations . one such write operation may include microcontroller 206 storing “ good / bad seal ” status into memory 207 . another write operation may include storing the modes of operation . also included may be data port 208 for allowing the user to access memory 207 and obtain status information of a sealing operation . control circuit 200 may also include voltage regulator 201 and reset monitor 202 . as shown , voltage regulator 201 regulates the v + voltage ( for example 13 . 8 v ) and provides vcc voltage to both the microcontroller and the memory . reset monitor 202 may also be included to continuously monitor the vcc voltage from regulator 201 . if the voltage drops below a threshold ( for example 4 . 68 v ), microcontroller 206 may be reset by monitor 202 . describing next the sensor signals provided to the microcontroller , there is shown sealer cover sensor 203 , which may be a hall sensor adapted to sense magnetic fields emanating from a pole magnet 46 disposed on the cover or shield 12 . it will be appreciated that the placement of the hall sensor may be such that if the magnetic fields are absent ( or below a threshold ), the hall sensor may effectively alert the microcontroller that the sealer cover is not in a shielding position . in response to the hall sensor alert , the microcontroller may be programmed to prevent activating the solenoid and the rf trigger signal . start sensor 205 may include a combination of a transistor and a photodiode for sensing that the tube is in proper position for sealing . it will be appreciated that the microcontroller may be programmed to prevent activation of the solenoid and the rf energy until the tube is in proper position . in the example shown , start sensor 205 senses an absence of light that results from depression of a lever 33 after the tube has been placed in position . depression of the lever 33 , in turn , raises a flag that blocks the light from reaching the photodiode . blockage of the light may turn off the transistor and cause activation of a signal to inform the microcontroller that the tube is in position . in a similar manner , stop sensor 204 may include a similar combination of transistor and photodiode for sensing that a limit switch is to be activated . activation of the limit switch may indicate that a preset jaw - gap has been reached ( or a predetermined thickness of the seal has been reached ). activation of the limit switch may result from movement of a flag such as flag 28 of ground jaw shaft 24 into position to block light from reaching the photodiode of stop sensor 204 . upon turning off the photodiode , the transistor may also be turned off , thereby providing an output signal to inform the microcontroller of the limit switch having been activated . turning next to output signals that may be provided by microcontroller 206 , there is shown buzzer 214 that may be activated to alert the user that a step in the method is not successfully completed . for example , if sealing is not successfully completed , the buzzer may be activated . in another embodiment of the invention , the buzzer may be omitted . power - on led ( green ) 215 may be activated by the microcontroller to alert the user that the sealing unit is turned - on . the power - on led may also be controlled from the microcontroller to flash on - and - off . the microcontroller may be programmed to cause the led to flash a predetermined number of times to indicate a mode of operation ( there may be , for example , six modes of operation corresponding to delay times , as discussed previously ). seal indicator led ( red ) 216 may be activated by the microcontroller to alert the user that the rf energy and the solenoid is activated . the microcontroller may also be programmed to cause the seal indicator led to flash , for example , if power to the unit is on and the shield cover 12 is not in position . in addition , the seal indicator led may be programmed to flash a predetermined number of times to indicate , for example , that the rf energy and solenoid power are off . completing the description of control circuit 200 , microcontroller 206 may be programmed to energize solenoid 217 ( item 20 in fig5 ). the solenoid may be , for example , a 12 v solenoid energized by way of driver 212 . the driver may be a transistor - switch that when activated by the microcontroller places a ground potential at one end of the solenoid ( the other end already having a 12 v potential ). microcontroller 206 may be programmed to generate the rf trigger signal for turning on the rf amplifier . although shown as having driver 213 in the path between the microcontroller and switching transistor q 6 ( fig1 ), it will be appreciated that the avr microcontroller attiny 28l may drive the transistor without need for a driver . exemplary physical spacing among the components shown schematically in fig1 are provided in fig1 . the controller board may be positioned within the cabinet or other form of enclosure in such a way that the flags of the start lever and ground jaw correspond to the positions of the optical sensors and such that the position of the hall sensor corresponds to the shield &# 39 ; s magnet . a notch is provided in the insulator 40 at a location corresponding to the magnet 46 of the cover 12 to accommodate the hall sensor . a connector ( such as connector j 1 shown in fig1 ) can be provided for connection between the dielectric tube sealer 8 and an external computer or monitor . for example , a computer can be connected to the dielectric tube sealer 8 by means of the connector to download or upload information . in one exemplary embodiment , a personal digital assistant ( pda ) or other computer , communications , or reading device can be connected to download the counts of failed and successful seals . this count information can be used to monitor the amount of the use of the sealer , to schedule maintenance and calibration of the sealer , etc . also , the recordation of the count helps to track the number of cycles a unit has completed , diagnose problems with the equipment , determine maintenance needs , and make accountings for billing purposes . referring back to fig1 , microcontroller 206 may be programmed to output a pulse width modulated ( pwm ) signal to supply pwm power to solenoid 217 . that is , the pwm signal from microcontroller 206 may control a duty cycle of the power supplied to solenoid 217 . solenoid 217 may be , for example , a 12 v or 13 v solenoid and may have a power rating in the range of 30 - 80 watts , preferably 60 to 70 watts , and a coil of solenoid 217 may have a dc resistance in the range of about 2 . 0 - 5 . 0 ω . moreover , the pwm signal may be at a frequency in the range of between about 250 hz to 5 khz . in a typical tube apparatus that does not include such a pulse width modulation operation , the solenoid heats up during continuous usage and the dc resistance increases at a result of such heating resulting in a reduction in current supplied to the solenoid and a corresponding reduction in compression force exerted by the jaws of the typical tube apparatus . also the coil transfers heat to the plunger which would conduct unwanted heat to the movable ground jaw 26 . by controlling the duty cycle of the pwm power supplied to solenoid 217 , heating of solenoid 217 may be controlled ( i . e ., reduced or substantially eliminated ) and instantaneous compression force produced during on cycles may remain substantially constant throughout all tubing operation of the tubing apparatus . microcontroller 206 outputs the pwm signal to driver 212 . driver 212 is connected with a dc voltage supply , for example , at vcc voltage , such that the dc voltage supply switchably energizes solenoid 217 according to the pwm signal from microcontroller 206 . that is , driver 212 may be , for example , a switch switchably coupling the dc voltage supply to solenoid 217 such that microcontroller 206 may control the switch ( driver 212 ) according to the pwm signal output from microcontroller 206 . fig1 illustrates an alternative embodiment for duty cycle control of solenoid 217 . referring to fig1 , a pulse width modulation ( pwm ) controller 300 maybe included in the tube apparatus . pwm controller 300 includes an input terminal 301 and an output terminal 302 . input terminal 301 may be connected to any mode input device 303 . mode input device 303 may provide , for example , an analog voltage proportional to the desired duty cycle . that is , for example , if a 10v signal from mode input device 303 represented a 100 % duty cycle , then a 5v signal would represent a 50 % duty cycle and soon on . thus , mode input device 303 may be programmed with the selectable modes , and the selected mode selected by the user may be communicated directly to pwm controller 300 without affecting microcontroller 206 . in such a configuration , driver 212 would be coupled to output terminal 302 of pwm controller 300 , instead of microcontroller 206 . driver 212 and solenoid 217 have the same functionality previously described . moreover , a separate mode indicator 304 may be provided , such as an led indicator , a display device or , otherwise , a wireless connectable device , such as a pda ( i . e ., palm pilot ) may be used to indicate the selectable modes and the selected mode . fig1 - 17 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of four ( 4 ) pulse width modulated signals defining four different compression profiles and corresponding delay times defining corresponding heating profiles that are selectable modes by a user . these selectable modes are store in memory and are adjustable according to actual measured compression of the tube portion . a compression profile refers to establishing one or more periods , each having a successively different duty cycle such that the composite force ( i . e ., average force for that period ) provided by solenoid 217 varies during the one or more periods . a heating profile refers to establishing one or more periods during which heating ( e . g ., by radio frequency source ) of the tube portion occurs . referring to fig1 - 17 , the output of microcontroller 206 is represented by a control signal 120 , 125 , 130 or 135 . control signals 120 , 125 , 130 or 135 corresponding to the duty cycle of solenoid 217 for four ( 4 ) different selectable modes ( i . e ., first through fourth modes ). each control signal 120 , 125 , 130 or 135 may be a pulse width modulated signal . that is , microcontroller 206 generates a control signal 120 , 125 , 130 or 135 according to a compression profile , to control the duty cycle of power supplied to solenoid 217 to actuate solenoid 217 and the coupled movable ground jaw 26 , thereby compressing the tube portion . microcontroller 206 controls the duty cycle of power supplied to solenoid 217 for moving ground jaw 26 to adjust the area of the seal formed in the tube portion during compression and / or thickness t 2 of the sealed area . that is , by varying the composite force during the compression operation the area of the seal formed by the compression operation and / or the thickness t 2 of the sealed tube portion may be adjusted to produce improved seals . moreover , the rf generator 100 may generate heat in the tube portion according to the heating profile simultaneously with the compressing of the tube portion to adjust the area of the seal tube portion and / or the thickness t 2 of the sealed tube portion . in an initial period tp 1 , a initial duty cycle of the control signal 120 , 125 , 130 or 135 is 100 %. that is , solenoid 217 is fully turned on . the initial period tp 1 is for a time period that varies according to the mode selected and is in a range of about 70 to 200 milliseconds . after , initial period tp 1 is complete , a heating period tp 2 is commenced . the duration of the heating period tp 2 is based on activation of the limit switch ( i . e ., the duration of the heating period tp 2 is determined based on a time to produce a measured compression of the tube portion ). the duration of the heating period t 2 is an indicator of a good tubing operation being accomplished by the tube apparatus . in the heating period tp 2 , the tube portion is simultaneously heated by rf generator 100 and compressed via solenoid 217 . after , the heating period tp 2 is complete , a sealing period tp 3 is commenced . the duration of the sealing period tp 3 varies according to the mode selected and may be in the range of about 0 to 200 milliseconds . in the sealing period tp 3 , the tube portion is simultaneously heated by the rf generator 100 and compressed via solenoid 217 , however , generally , composite compression force ( i . e ., the average force over the particular period , tp 3 in this case ) is lower in the sealing period tp 3 than in the heating period tp 2 . that is , the duty cycle of solenoid 217 in the sealing period tp 3 is typically less than the duty cycle of solenoid in the heating period tp 2 . after the sealing period tp 3 is complete , a cooling period tp 4 is commenced . the duration of the cooling period tp 4 varies according to the mode selected and may be in the range of about 0 to 500 milliseconds . in the cooling period tp 4 , rf generator 100 is stopped and the composite compression force may remain the same as in the sealing period tp 3 ( i . e ., the duty cycle of solenoid 217 remains the same in the heating and cooling periods tp 3 and tp 4 ). after , the cooling period tp 4 is complete , power to solenoid 217 is stopped ( see period tp 5 ). microcontroller 206 may simultaneously control both the heating profile ( e . g ., a radio frequency energy profile ) for heating of the tube portion and the compression profile for compressing of the tube portion to adjust the area or the thickness t 2 of the sealed tube portion . during the initial , heating and sealing periods tp 1 , tp 2 and tp 3 , simultaneously heating and compressing of the tube portion occurs and during the cooling period tp 4 , only compressing of the tube portion occurs . although it is provided that the duration of the heating period tp 2 is based on a measure compression of the tube portion by activating the limit switch , it is contemplated that the measurement of compression may be provided by measuring impedance changes across ground and rf jaws 26 and 42 . although an initial period tp 1 is shown , it is contemplated that for particular types of tube portions ( for example , very thin walled tube portions ) that the initial period tp 1 may be eliminated . for the four ( 4 ) exemplary selectable modes ( i . e . first through fourth modes ), in heating period tp 2 , the duty cycle of solenoid 217 may be 10 %, 50 %, 70 % and 80 %, respectively . for the first to fourth selectable modes , in sealing and cooling periods tp 3 and tp 4 , the duty cycle of solenoid 217 may be 40 %, 40 %, 48 % and 64 %, respectively . by providing different selectable modes , the user can select a mode to provide , for example , a particular width w and / or thickness t 2 of the sealed tube portion . that is , for a particular tube portion by selecting , for example , the fourth mode a wider sealed tube portion may be realized than , otherwise , if the first mode is selected . although in the exemplary selectable modes specific values are provided for duty cycles in the various periods ( i . e ., the initial period tp 1 , the heating period tp 2 , the sealing period tp 3 and the cooling period tp 4 ), other duty cycles are possible as long as a good seal can be produced . the preferred ranges for duty cycles in the various periods are as follows : ( 1 ) in initial period tp 1 , the duty cycle of solenoid 217 is desirably in the range of about 90 % to 100 %; ( 2 ) in heating period tp 2 , the duty cycle of solenoid 217 is desirably in the range of about 10 % to 90 %; and ( 3 ) in third and fourth periods tp 3 and tp 4 , the duty cycle of solenoid 217 is desirably in the range of about 40 % to 70 %. memory 207 may store the plurality of selectable modes in one or more tables . that is , memory 207 may include the one or more tables for storing the heating profiles and the compression profiles corresponding to the selectable modes . for example , for each selectable mode the one or more tables may include the programmed time delay that is used to turn off rf generator 100 after activation of the limit switch second and third duty cycle settings to set the duty cycle of solenoid 217 in the second and third periods tp 2 and tp 3 , respectively , and first , third and fourth duration settings to set the duration of the initial , cooling and sealing periods tp 1 , tp 3 and tp 4 . by controlling the duty cycle of solenoid 217 , power requirement for sealing the tube portion are reduced . since power requirements are reduced , solenoid 217 may be configured to reduce or eliminate the affect of heating during heavy ( e . g . continuous ) usage . thus , dc resistant of the coil of solenoid 217 may be keep substantially constant such that the instantaneous compression force exerted by movement of ground jaw 26 or the tube portion does not degrade ( i . e ., is not reduced ) over time during heavy usage . if the tube apparatus is operated by battery power or uses a portable generator , this aspect of reducing the power requirements may be especially desirable . since nonlinearities in compression force from solenoid 217 exist , it is contemplated that by varying the duty cycle of solenoid 217 that such nonlinearities may be compensated for , thereby producing a compression force from solenoid 217 that is equivalent to a linear compression force . that is , a typical solenoid has the least compression force for a particular input current when solenoid 217 is fully extended and the most compression force for the particular input current when solenoid 217 is fully retracted . thus , using a varying duty cycle may allow for compensation of this effect to linearize the compression force of solenoid 217 . microcontroller 206 or memory 207 may include program code stored therein for uses by microcontroller 206 to control the tube apparatus , the program code may include a program code segment for controlling the duty cycle of solenoid 217 according to the compression profile to compress the tube portion , thereby controlling the area of the seal formed in the tube portion and or thickness t 2 of the sealed tube portion . it is contemplated that the methods previously described may be carried out within microcontroller 206 or a general purpose computer system instructed to perform these functions by means of a computer - readable medium . such computer - readable media include ; integrated circuits , magnetic and optical storage media , as well as audio - frequency , radio frequency , and optical carrier waves . a plurality of user selectable modes which each may be defined by the heating profile , for example , the programmed delay time for turning off rf generator 100 and the compression profile , for example , the duty cycles of power supplied to solenoid 217 , may be programmed into microcontroller 206 . that is , the selectable modes set the delay time to shut off rf generator 100 after activation of the limit switch ( for example , as shown in fig8 a and 8 b ), and , furthermore , set , for example , the duty cycle of solenoid 217 . fig1 a and 18 b which illustrate a flow diagram showing operation of an exemplary embodiment of a tube apparatus according to this invention will now be described . now referring to fig1 a and 18 b , for brevity , only a brief review of steps which are common with those of fig8 a and 8 b will be included below . steps 64 - 67 which illustrate exemplary operation of the system in connection with a failed seal and steps 74 and 75 which illustrate an exemplary inoperable mode are common between this embodiment and that covered in fig8 a and 8 b and will not be further discussed . steps 50 - 55 , 57 , 61 - 63 , and 151 - 154 roughly correspond to another exemplary sealing operation of the apparatus . further , steps 68 , 70 - 71 , 73 , and 155 and 156 illustrate another exemplary programming mode . referring first to the exemplary sealing operation illustrated in steps 50 - 55 , 57 , 61 - 63 , and 151 - 154 of fig1 a and 18 b , steps 50 - 55 are common between this embodiment and that covered in fig8 a and 8 b and will not be further discussed . after step 55 is complete , if the start switch has been activated , rf generator 100 ( and red seal led ) may be turned on and solenoid 217 may be turned on ( i . e ., having a 100 % duty cycle ) for a predetermined time in step 150 . that is , rf generator 100 may be turned on and may remain on until the limit switch is activated or until an overall time period for making a seal elapse causing an indication of an unsuccessful seal ( see steps 64 and 65 of fig1 a and 18 b ) and solenoid 217 may be turned on for a predetermined time in the range of about 0 to 200 milliseconds . by turning solenoid 217 on initially , a maximum force is applied to compress the tube portion when ground and rf jaws 26 and 42 are fully extended . this compensates for an affect that as solenoid 217 is extend the compression force produced by solenoid 217 is reduced for a constant input current level . after the predetermined time is completed , solenoid 217 is duty cycled ( i . e ., cycled on and off at a switching frequency in the range of about 250 hz to 5 khz ) at a first duty cycle that is between about 10 % and 90 % according to the mode selected by the user in step 151 . step 57 queries whether the limit switch is activated . if so , the programmed time delay of the selected mode is read in step 152 . in step 153 , solenoid 217 is duty cycled at a second duty cycle that is between about 40 % and 64 % according to the mode selected by the user . rf generator 100 is turned off after the programmed time delay of the set mode elapses in step 154 . after a predetermined time ( e . g ., 500 ms ), which may be selected based on the amount of time desired for the seal to cool adequately , solenoid 217 ( and red seal led ) is turned off in step 60 , and a count is added to memory 207 for an updated count of complete seals in step 61 . the successful seal is then completed in step 62 and the apparatus can then be readied to create another seal at step 63 . referring now to the exemplary programming mode in steps 68 , 70 , 71 , 73 , 155 and 156 , if the cover is off ( step 51 ) and the limit switch or stop sensor 204 is activated ( step 68 ) during apparatus start up , then the apparatus scrolls through a menu of available modes in step 155 . accordingly , the programming mode in steps 68 , 70 , 71 , 73 , 155 and 156 is initiated by : ( 1 ) removing the cover 12 , ( 2 ) either using start lever 33 to activate the limit switch or , otherwise , pushing ground jaw 26 in to activate the limit switch , ( 3 ) turning the apparatus on , and ( 4 ) selecting a mode . in step 70 , the power led can flash as an indicator of a variety of selectable modes and / or an audible alarm mode . this embodiment includes four ( 4 ) modes available for selection . each of these modes control both the timing of rf generation and the duty cycle of solenoid 217 during the sealing process of the tube portion received in the apparatus . program mode is initiated when the shield 12 is off , the limit switch is activated , and the power is then turned on . if the cover or shield is removed after power up and the limit switch is triggered , the apparatus will not enter program mode . for example , one flash may correspond to a particular mode with a particular heating profile ( e . g ., a delay time to turn off rf generator 100 after the limit switch is activated ) and a particular compression profile ( e . g ., a first duty cycle for cycling solenoid 217 after a full on predetermined period and a second duty cycle for cycling solenoid 217 after the limit switch is activated for another predetermined period ). the user can activate the limit switch ( step 68 ) by : either using start lever 33 to activate the limit switch or , otherwise , pushing in ground jaw shaft 24 or ground jaw 26 while the cover is off . while in the programming mode , the apparatus will continue to scroll through the menu of possible modes until the limit switch is deactivated at step 71 . in other words , if the limit switch remains activated ( e . g ., by the user retaining ground jaw shaft 24 in a closed position ) then the apparatus will continue to scroll selectable modes . upon release of ground jaw shaft 24 by the user , the limit switch will thereby be deactivated in step 71 and the mode selected by the user by deactivating the limit switch is then stored in the memory 207 as the selected mode in step 156 . the various programmed modes may determine the heating and compression profiles and / or the nature of the indicator with respect to failed and successful seals . for example , a menu of program modes can include modes configured to sound an audible alarm ( e . g ., a buzzer ) in the event of a failed seal . alternatively , modes can dictate a silent , visual alarm depending on the preferences of the end user . as indicated in step 155 , the mode selected by the user will correlate to a desired seal width . generally , the longer the delay time ( i . e ., prior to turning off rf generator 100 ) and the larger the duty cycles of solenoid 217 ( i . e ., the higher the composite compression action of solenoid 217 ), the wider the seal may be . after step 155 , the programming mode is concluded at step 73 . although in the embodiment shown includes four ( 4 ) user selectable modes , it is contemplated that any number of other user selectable modes may be implemented . although in the embodiment shown the user selectable modes are preprogrammed ( i . e ., user selectable according to a scrolled menu ), it is contemplated that an input device , such as a touch pad may be implemented to input setting to microcontroller 206 to set the mode according to unique requirements of the user by allowing the user to adjust any number of parameters established in a preprogrammed selectable mode or , otherwise , to establish a new mode for selection . although exemplary embodiments of a tube sealer and method according to this invention have been described , there are others that support the spirit of the invention and are therefore within the contemplated scope of the invention . for example , although the dielectric tube sealer 8 is embodied as a tabletop unit , the jaw components of the system , and optionally the entire system , can be reconfigured as a hand - held unit to improve upon its portability . also , the configuration of the jaws with respect to the cabinet can be modified . more specifically , although the jaws are shown to be extending outwardly from a cabinet 10 and covered by an external shield 12 , the jaws can be positioned entirely within the interior of a cabinet so long as access to the jaws can be provided for the insertion of a tube portion between them . although the invention has been described with reference to tube sealers to illustrate exemplary features of the invention , this invention applies with equal benefit to all tube apparatus , whether such apparatus are used to seal , connect , weld , join , cut , or otherwise alter or manipulate tubing . for example , exemplary features of this invention can be applied to sterile tube welders or connection devices such as those used in blood bank or blood center applications . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the many possible variations in the illustrated configurations of the invention , and the foregoing recitation of variations should not be considered to be an exhaustive list . it will be appreciated , therefore , that other modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention . the scope of the invention is separately defined in the appended claims .	7
referring to fig1 one embodiment of the invention comprises a communication system 5 that includes two telecommunications networks 10 and 30 , each comprising a collection of geographically dispersed network elements called nodes . inter - network routes 20 , including routes 22 and 23 , connect networks 10 and 30 . network 10 includes a source node 11 , a primary node 12 and a secondary node 13 , which are connected to one another by communication links or routes ( e . g ., fiber , wireless links or routes ). for example , a set of primary routes 14 , including primary routes 15 and 16 , links source node 11 , primary node 12 and secondary node 13 as shown . a secondary route 18 may link source node 11 with secondary node 13 . in all embodiments , a primary route is disjoint from its corresponding secondary route . otherwise , if the primary and secondary routes intersect , a failure at the intersection point ( s ) would be a single failure that would disable both routes , defeating one purpose of the embodiments . network 30 includes a destination node 31 , a primary node 32 and a secondary node 33 , which are connected to one another by communication links or routes ( e . g ., fiber , wireless links or routes ). for example , a set of primary routes 34 , including primary routes 35 and 36 , links destination node 31 , primary node 32 and secondary node 33 as shown . the topology of each network may be a ring or an arbitrary mesh . traffic may be intra - network , i . e ., staying entirely within network 10 or entirely within network 30 , or it may be inter - network , i . e ., originating in network 10 and terminating in network 30 ( or vice versa ). for inter - network traffic that needs to be transmitted with high reliability , it is important that the transition between networks 10 and 30 be effected in a way that has no single point of failure . in the case where networks 10 and 30 are both sonet rings , standard ring inter - working methods have been developed ( see the ansi standard t1 . 105 . 01 - 1998 , sonet automatic protection switching ). the embodiment of fig1 covers the case in which networks 10 and 30 are arbitrary mesh networks and the case in which one is a ring and the other is a mesh . in the example of fig1 it is assumed that source node 11 is the source of the inter - network data and that destination node 31 in network 30 is the destination for the data . in each network , two nodes are selected to be dual - homing nodes . one dual - homing node is designated to be the primary node ( i . e ., nodes 12 and 32 ) and the other is designated to be the secondary node ( i . e ., nodes 13 and 33 ). in each node , a network element , such as a cross - connect , is configured to perform various functions that will be described . still referring to fig1 under normal operation , source node 11 sends a first set of data to primary node 12 in network 10 . primary node 12 performs a drop - and - continue function in a well known manner : node 12 creates a copy of the data from source node 11 ( i . e ., a second set of the data ) and “ drops ” ( i . e ., transmits ) the first set of the data over to one of the dual - homing nodes in network 30 , and primary node 12 “ continues ” ( i . e ., transmits ) the second set of the data onto secondary node 13 . ( if primary node 12 drops to the primary node in network 30 , this is called same - side routing ; if primary node 12 drops to the secondary node in network 30 , this is called opposite - side routing .) fig1 illustrates opposite - side routing . there may exist intermediate nodes between source node 11 and primary node 12 , and between primary node 12 and secondary node 13 ( not shown ). secondary node 13 then drops the second set of the data to the other dual - homing node in network 30 . the net effect is for network 10 to send two sets ( 1 + 1 ) of the inter - network data to network 30 , one to each dual - homing node in network 30 ( i . e ., to nodes 32 and 33 as shown in fig1 ). during normal operation , secondary node 33 in network 30 sends one set of the data to primary node 32 in network 30 . primary node 32 then performs a service selection ( ss ) function 40 : node 32 chooses one of the two incoming sets of data ( i . e ., the data from secondary node 33 in network 30 or the set of data coming directly from secondary node 13 ). primary node 32 then forwards the chosen data set to destination node 31 . the fig1 embodiment is designed to survive any single node or link failure , except for a failure of the source or the destination , which cannot be survived in any case . more specifically , if there is any failure between source 11 and primary node 12 in network 10 , secondary node 13 uses a detector function to detect the failure and notify source node 11 , which uses a selector function 42 to switch its data traffic to an alternate ( protection ) path 18 to secondary node 13 . if secondary node 13 in network 10 fails , source node 11 and primary node 12 in network 10 continue to operate normally . if one of the links or routes between the two networks fails , the nodes in network 10 continue to act normally ; however , if primary node 32 in network 30 was selecting the data set coming directly from network 10 and this data is lost , primary node 32 switches over to selecting the data set from secondary node 33 . similarly , if secondary node 33 in network 30 loses its data set from network 10 , node 33 stops sending data traffic to primary node 32 . if secondary node 33 in network 30 fails , or if any node or link between the primary and secondary nodes in network 30 fails , then all the remaining nodes will continue to act as they would under normal operation , except that if primary node 32 in network 30 was selecting the data set coming from secondary node 33 in network 30 , node 32 will switch over to the data set that received directly from network 10 . if there is a failure between primary node 32 in network 30 and destination node 31 , then destination node 31 detects the failure and notifies secondary node 33 in network 30 , which will uses a selector function 44 to switch data traffic to a protection path 38 to destination node 31 . as may be seen from fig1 in all these cases , the data traffic continues to be transmitted from source node 11 to destination node 31 . referring to fig2 another form of the invention using a drop and continue mode of operation is embodied in a communication system 105 including two telecommunications networks 110 and 130 , each comprising a collection of geographically dispersed network elements , called nodes . inter - network routes 120 , including routes 122 and 123 , connect networks 110 and 130 . network 110 includes a source node 111 , a primary node 112 and a secondary node 113 , which are connected to one another by communication links or routes ( e . g ., fiber , wireless links or routes ). for example , a set of primary routes 114 , including primary routes 115 - 116 , links source node 111 , primary node 112 and secondary node 113 as shown . a secondary route 118 links source node 111 with secondary node 113 , and a secondary route 118 a links primary node 112 with secondary node 113 . network 130 includes a destination node 131 , a primary node 132 and a secondary node 133 , which are connected to one another by communication links or routes ( e . g ., fiber , wireless links or routes ). for example , a set of primary routes 134 , including primary routes 135 - 136 , links destination node 131 , primary node 132 and secondary node 133 as shown . secondary routes 137 - 138 also are provided . the topology of each network 110 and 130 may be a ring or an arbitrary mesh . traffic may be intra - network , i . e ., staying entirely within network 110 or entirely within network 130 , or it may be inter - network , i . e ., originating in network 110 and terminating in network 130 ( or vice versa ). the embodiment of fig2 covers the case in which networks 110 and 130 are arbitrary mesh networks and the case in which one is a ring and the other is a mesh . in the example of fig2 it is assumed that source node 111 is the source of the inter - network data and that destination node 131 in network 130 is the destination for the data . in each network , two nodes are selected to be dual - homing nodes . one dual - homing node is designated to be the primary node ( i . e ., nodes 112 and 132 ) and the other is designated to be the secondary node ( i . e ., nodes 113 and 133 ). in each node , a network element , such as a cross - connect , is configured to perform various functions that will be described . still referring to fig2 under normal operation , source node 111 sends a first set of data to primary node 112 over route 115 in network 110 . primary node 112 performs a drop - and - continue function in a well known manner : node 112 creates a copy of the data from source node 111 ( i . e ., a second set of the data ) and “ drops ” ( i . e ., transmits ) the first set of the data over to primary node 132 , and primary node 112 “ continues ” ( i . e ., transmits ) the second set of the data onto secondary node 113 via route 116 . fig2 illustrates a case of same - side routing . ( there may exist intermediate nodes between source node 111 and primary node 112 , and between primary node 112 and secondary node 113 ( not shown ).) secondary node 113 then drops a set of the data to the other dual - homing node in network 130 ( i . e ., secondary node 133 ). the net effect is for network 110 to send two sets ( 1 + 1 ) of the inter - network data to network 130 , one to each dual - homing node in network 130 ( i . e ., to nodes 132 and 133 as shown in fig2 ). during normal operation , secondary node 133 in network 130 sends the second set of the data to primary node 132 in network 130 via route 136 . primary node 132 then performs a service selection ( ss ) function 140 : node 132 chooses one of the two incoming sets of data ( i . e ., the data from secondary node 133 in network 130 or the set of data from primary node 112 ). primary node 132 then forwards the chosen data set to destination node 131 . the fig2 embodiment is designed to survive any single node or link failure per network , except for a failure of the source or the destination , which cannot be survived in any case . for most failures , two sets of data continue to be sent from network 110 to network 130 . one exemplary failure is shown in fig3 . more specifically , if there is a failure between source 111 and primary node 112 in network 110 ( indicated by the x across route 115 in fig3 ), primary node 112 uses a detector function to detect the failure and notify source node 111 . source node 111 uses a selector function 142 to switch its data traffic to an alternate ( protection ) path 118 to secondary node 113 . the data is routed to primary node 112 over secondary routes 118 and 118 a . primary node 112 generates a second set of the data and sends the second set to secondary node 113 over route 116 . the first set of data is sent (“ dropped ”) by node 112 to primary node 132 over route 122 , and the second set of the data is sent from secondary node 113 to secondary node 133 over route 123 . if primary node 112 fails , then secondary node 113 detects the failure and informs source 111 . source 111 sends its data along route 118 and secondary node 113 now stops receiving data from route 116 and switches over to receive data from route 118 . if secondary node 113 in network 110 fails , source node 111 and primary node 112 in network 110 continue to operate normally , and node 112 drops the first set of data across route 122 as before . if any node or link between the primary and secondary nodes in network 110 fails , then secondary node 113 detects the failure and notifies primary node 112 , which switches its second set of data traffic from route 116 to secondary routes 118 b and 118 . secondary node 113 switches over to receiving data from route 118 and sends this traffic to secondary node 133 over route 123 as before . if one of the links or routes between the two networks fails , the nodes in network 110 continue to act normally ; however , if primary node 132 in network 130 was selecting the data set coming directly from network 110 and this data is lost , primary node 132 switches over to selecting the data set from secondary node 133 . similarly , if secondary node 133 in network 130 loses its data set from network 110 , node 133 stops sending data traffic to primary node 132 . if secondary node 133 in network 130 fails , then all the remaining nodes will continue to act as they would under normal operation , except that if primary node 132 in network 130 was selecting the data set coming from secondary node 133 in network 130 , node 132 will switch over to the data set received directly from network 110 . if any node or link between the primary and secondary nodes in network 130 fails , then primary node 132 detects the failure and notifies secondary node 133 , which switches its data traffic from route 136 to secondary routes 138 and 138 b . primary node 132 switches over to receiving data from route 138 b instead of route 136 and performs its service selection function on the data traffic on route 122 and the data traffic on route 138 b . if there is a failure between primary node 132 in network 130 and destination node 131 ( as indicated by the x across route 135 in fig3 ), then destination node 131 detects the failure and notifies primary node 132 , which sends the first set of data along a secondary route 137 to secondary node 133 that sends a set of the data along a protection path 138 to destination node 131 . as may be seen from fig3 in all these cases , the data traffic continues to be transmitted from source node 111 to destination node 131 . still referring to fig3 if primary node 132 fails , then destination node 131 detects the failure and informs secondary node 133 . secondary node 133 and destination node 131 then re - establish communication along route 138 . referring to fig4 another form of the invention using a dual transmit mode of operation is embodied in a communication system 205 including two telecommunications networks 210 and 230 , each comprising a collection of geographically dispersed network elements , called nodes . inter - network routes 220 , including routes 222 and 223 , connect networks 210 and 230 . network 210 may include a source node 211 , a primary node 212 and a secondary node 213 , which are connected to one another by communication links or routes ( e . g ., fiber , wireless links or routes ). for example , a set of primary routes 214 , including primary routes 215 - 216 , links source node 211 , primary node 212 and secondary node 213 as shown . secondary routes 218 - 219 link source node 211 with primary node 212 and secondary node 213 as shown . network 230 includes a destination node 231 , a primary node 232 and a secondary node 233 , which are connected to one another by communication links or routes ( e . g ., fiber , wireless links or routes ). for example , a set of primary routes 234 , including primary routes 235 - 236 , links destination node 231 , primary node 232 and secondary node 233 as shown . the topology of each network 210 and 230 may be a ring or an arbitrary mesh . traffic may be intra - network , i . e ., staying entirely within network 210 or entirely within network 230 , or it may be inter - network , i . e ., originating in network 210 and terminating in network 230 ( or vice versa ). the embodiment of fig4 covers the case in which networks 210 and 230 are arbitrary mesh networks and the case in which one is a ring and the other is a mesh . in the example of fig4 it is assumed that source node 211 is the source of the inter - network data and that destination node 231 in network 230 is the destination for the data . in each network , two nodes are selected to be dual - homing nodes . one dual - homing node is designated to be the primary node ( i . e ., nodes 212 and 232 ) and the other is designated to be the secondary node ( i . e ., nodes 213 and 233 ). in each node , a network element , such as a cross - connect , is configured to perform various functions that will be described . still referring to fig4 under normal operation , source node 211 receives or generates a first set of data and generates a second set of the data . the first set of the data is sent to primary node 212 over route 215 , and the second set of the data is sent to secondary node 213 over route 216 . primary node 212 transmits the first set of data to primary node 232 over route 222 , and secondary node 213 sends the second set of data to secondary node 233 over route 223 . thus , the network use same - side routing . ( there may exist intermediate nodes between source node 211 and primary node 212 , and between primary node 212 and secondary node 213 ( not shown ).) the net effect is for network 210 to send two sets ( 1 + 1 ) of the inter - network data to network 230 , one to each dual - homing node in network 230 ( i . e ., to nodes 232 and 233 as shown in fig4 ). during normal operation , secondary node 233 in network 230 sends the second set of the data to destination node 231 over route 236 , and primary node 232 sends the first set of the data to destination node 231 over route 235 . destination node 231 then performs a service selection ( ss ) function : node 231 chooses one of the two incoming sets of data ( i . e ., the set of data from secondary node 233 in network 230 or the set of data from primary node 232 . the fig4 embodiment is designed to survive any single node or link failure per network , except for a failure of the source or the destination , which cannot be survived in any case . for most failures , two sets of data continue to be sent from network 210 to network 230 . if there is a failure between source 211 and primary node 212 in network 210 , primary node 212 uses a detector function to detect the failure and notify source node 211 , which uses a selector function to switch the first set of data traffic to an alternate ( protection ) path 218 . if there is a failure between source 211 and secondary node 213 in network 210 , secondary node 213 uses a detector function to detect the failure and notify source node 211 , which uses a selector function to switch the second set of data traffic to an alternate ( protection ) path 219 . in either case , two sets of data continue to be received at nodes 212 and 213 . if secondary node 213 in network 210 fails , source node 211 and primary node 212 in network 210 continue to operate normally . if one of the links or routes between the two networks fails , the nodes in network 210 continue to act normally , and data is delivered to network 230 over the unaffected route . if secondary node 233 in network 230 fails , the first set of data is still delivered to destination node 231 over route 235 . if primary node 232 fails , the second set of data is still delivered to destination node 231 over route 236 . if there is a failure between primary node 232 in network 230 and destination node 231 , then destination node 231 detects the failure and informs primary node 232 . primary node 232 and destination node 231 then re - establish communication along route 239 . if there is a failure between secondary node 233 in network 230 and destination node 231 , then destination node 231 detects the failure and informs secondary node 233 . secondary node 233 and destination node 231 then re - establish communication along route 238 . as may be seen from fig4 in all these cases , the data traffic continues to be transmitted from source node 211 to destination node 231 . while the invention has been described with reference to one or more preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular step , structure , or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its cope . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed , but that the invention will include all embodiment falling within the scope of the appended claims .	7
compounds of formula ( i ) may be prepared by an esterification of an acrylic or methacrylic acid chloride represented by the formula ( iii ) with a 2 - hydroxy - or 2 - hydroxyalkyl - substituted naphthalene or naphthacene represented by the formula ( iv ) or ( iv &# 39 ;). then , the resulting acrylic or methacrylic ester represented by the formula ( v ) or ( v &# 39 ;) is subjected to block polymerization or suspension polymerization , solely or in combination with other copolymerizable monomer , in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile as the catalyst to give a polymer . finally , the thus obtained polymer is reacted with sulfur or selenium in trichlorobenzene , affording the desired polymer . in the final step , about 90 % of the naphthacene ring may be converted to tetrathionaphthacene or tetraselenonaphthacene ring according to the present invention . similar results may be obtained also in the case of naphthalene ring . ## str2 ## as mentioned above , the polymer ( a ) may be either a homopolymer or a copolymer . naphthalene derivatives to be employed in the invention include tetrathionaphthalene acrylate , tetrathionaphthalene methacrylate , tetrathionaphthomethyl acrylate , tetrathionaphthomethyl methacrylate , 2 - tetrathionaphthoethyl acrylate , 2 - tetrathionaphthoethyl methacrylate , 3 - tetrathionaphthopropyl acrylate and 3 - tetrathionaphthopropyl methacrylate . naphthacene derivatives to be employed in the invention include tetrathionaphthacene acrylate , tetrathionaphthacene methacrylate , tetrathionaphthacenomethyl acrylate , tetrathionaphthacenomethyl methacrylate , 2 - tetrathionaphthacenoethyl acrylate , 2 - tetrathionaphthacenoethyl methacrylate , 3 - tetrathionaphthacenopropyl acrylate and 3 - tetrathionaphthacenopropyl methacrylate . copolymerizable monomers are unsaturated ethylenic compounds and are exemplified by alkyl acrylates , alkyl methacrylates , styrene , vinyl chloride , vinyl acetate and acrylonitrile . the amount of such copolymerizable monomers in copolymers should preferably be kept up to 20 molar % in view of photoconductivity . electron acceptors to be employed in the present invention include , for example , inorganic compounds such as iodine , bromine , antimony pentachloride , zinc chloride , iron chloride , aluminium chloride , boron trifluoride and indium chloride ; quinones such as p - benzoquinone , o - chloranil , p - chloranil , o - bromanil , p - bromanil , 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyano - p - benzoquinone , 2 , 6 - dinitro - p - benzoquinone , tetracyano - p - benzoquinone , 2 , 3 - dicyano - p - benzoquinon , trichloro - p - benzoquinone , 2 , 6 - dichloro - p - benzoquinone , 2 , 5 - dichloro - p - benzoquinone , 2 , 3 - dichloro - p - benzoquinone , monochloro - p - benzoquinone , 2 , 5 - dimethyl - p - benzoquinone , methyl - p - benzoquinone , 1 , 2 - naphthoquinone , 1 , 4 - naphthoquinone , 9 , 10 - anthraquinone and 9 , 10 - phenanthrenequinone ; nitro compounds such as 1 , 3 - dinitrobenzene , 1 , 3 , 5 - trinitrobenzene and tetranitromethane ; and tetracyanoethylene , tetracyanoquinodimethane and 2 , 4 , 7 - trinitro - 9 - fluorenone . sensitizers to be employed in the present invention may be those commonly used in electrophotography . they include photosensitizers or dyes represented by methylene blue , crystal violet , rhodamines such as rhodamine g and rhodamine 6g , and victoria blue ; and chemical sensitizers such as maleic acid , phthalic acid , itaconic acid , benzoic acid and acid anhydrides of these acids , p - nitrophenol , o - nitrophenol , 4 - chloro - 2 - nitrophenol and tetrachlorobisphenol a . preferred mixing rate of the compositions according to the present invention will be described hereunder . where an electron acceptor is employed , 1 to 10 moles of the polymer ( a ) ( calculated in terms of the monomer i or ii ) are blended with 1 mole of the electron acceptor . presence of 1 mole or less of the polymer ( a ) will result in a poor film - forming property , whereas presence of 10 moles or more thereof will result in a poor photoconductive property due to an insufficient formation of the charge - transfer complex . where a sensitizer is employed , 1 to 10 ml of a 1 % by weight solution of a photosensitizer or 1 to 10 g of a chemical sensitizer are blended with 10 g of the polymer ( a ). presence of a photosensitizer or a chemical sensitizer beyond the concentration will result in a poor film - forming property , whereas presence thereof below the concentration will result in an insufficient sensitization . the compositions according to the invention may contain a binder resin , if necessary . this is particularly preferable if the film - forming property of the composition consisting only of the polymer ( a ) and the electron acceptor is poor . such binder resins include , for instance , poly ( styrene ), poly ( vinyl chloride ), vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymer , poly ( vinyl acetate ), poly ( vinyl acetal ), phenolic resins , epoxy resins and alkyd resins . incorporation into the composition of such a binder resin should be kept at 10 % or less in order to attain a good photosensitivity . in order to prepare the photoconductive compositions for electrophotography according to the present invention , a solution of a polymer ( a ), an electron acceptor and / or a sensitizer , and a binder resin if required , at a suitable mixing rate is coated on a conductive support such as aluminium plate , then dried . the coating solution may be prepared by various ways . for example , a polymer ( a ) and an electron acceptor are dissolved in a suitable solvent , while a binder resin is dissolved in the same or different kinds of solvent , and finally the both solutions are blended . such solvents include , for instance , benzene , trichlorobenzene , nitrobenzene , acetone , methanol , methylene chloride , trichloroethylene , carbon tetrachloride , methyl cellosolve , tetrahydrofuran , dioxane , dimethylformamide , dimethylacetamide , dimethyl sulfoxide and n - methylpyrrolidone . the amount of the organic photoconductive composition of the present invention to be coated on a support is not critical . usually , it is coated on a support so that a dried film having a 1 to 30 μm thickness may be obtained . in order for the thus prepared photosensitive material to be applied for electrophotography , the photoconductive layer comprising the photosensitive material may be processed according to the conventional electrophotographic processes such as electrification , imagewise exposure and development transfer . the organic photoconductive compositions for electrophotography according to the invention described above have a superior photosensitivity , at the visible range , which is comparable to that of the known poly - n - vinylcarbazole chemically sensitized with 2 , 4 , 7 - trinitro - 9 - fluorenone . the compositions have a low darkdecay rate and a good stability that allows to produce images having a superior reproducibility even after the repeated use over a long period of time . further , materials to be employed have no toxicity , hence may be used safely . the present invention will be explained by the following working examples which by no means limit the scope of the invention . 10 . 0 g of 2 - hydroxynaphthacene and 4 . 2 g of pyridine were added to 150 ml of toluene , then 5 . 5 g of methacryloyl chloride were added dropwise at 10 ° c . over 1 hour . upon completion of addition , the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 5 hours . the solution was washed , in turn , with water and an aqueous alkaline solution , then dried over sodium sulfate . by removing the solvent by distillation , there was obtained methacrylic acid ester of 2 - hydroxytetracene at 92 % yield . a mixture of 5 . 0 g of the methacrylic acid ester , 0 . 5 g of azobisisobutyronitrile , 2 . 0 g of polyvinyl alcohol and 100 ml of water was refluxed , with stirring , at 90 °- 95 ° c . for 2 hours under nitrogen stream . after allowing to cool to room temperature , precipitates were collected by filtration and the solid product was washed with a warm water and dried . the product was purified by reprecipitation with tetrahydrofuran and methanol . number average molecular weight , 190 , 000 ( gel permeation chromatography with a standard poly ( styrene )). 2 . 9 g of the polymer and 4 g of sulfur were added to 150 ml of trichlorobenzene and the mixture was refluxed for 24 hours to complete the reaction . precipitates were collected by filtration and the resulting solid was washed and dried . it was confirmed by nmr spectroscopy and others that 88 % of the naphthacene ring were converted to tetrathiotetracene ring . number average molecular weight , 280 , 000 ( gel permeation chromatography with a standard poly ( styrene )); 1 g of the polymer thus prepared and 0 . 3 g of tetracyanoethylene were dissolved in a 1 : 1 mixture of toluene and trichlorobenzene to give a uniform solution , which was coated on mylar ( trademark for a polyester film ) on which aluminium had been vacuum evaporated to give a thickness of 2 - 8 μm and dried . electrification and decay of the film thus obtained were determined with an electrostatic paper analyzer . the result was 7 . 5 lux sec . when the sensitivity was represented in terms of exposure amount ( unit : lux sec .) necessary for the initial surface electric charge to be decayed by 1 / 2 . the photosensitive films were prepared subjected to repeated electrification and exposure 5 , 000 times in the same conditions as above , after which no abnormality was observed , thus suggesting the superior fatigue resistance . 10 g of the polymer employed in example 1 and 1 g of bis ( 5 - chloro - 2 - hydroxyphenyl ) methane as the chemical sensitizer were added to trichlorobenzene , then 2 ml of 1 % solution of crystal violet in dimethylformamide were added . the solution was coated on mylar on which aluminium had been vacuum evaporated , and dried . measurement of the sensitivity of the film thus obtained performed in the similar manner as in the above - mentioned example showed the value 7 . 1 lux sec . the films prepared were then subjected to repeated electrification and exposure 5 , 000 times in the similar manner as in the above - mentioned example , after which no fatigue that would affect practical use was observed . as specifically described above , the novel organic photoconductive compositions according to the invention possess superior electrification properties such as low darkdecay rate , as well as superior photosensitive properties such as low half - life exposure amount . such superior properties may be maintained during their use over a long period of time . in comparison with the photosensitive film of the invention , 0 . 8 g of pvk and 1 g of tnf were dissolved in 18 ml of o - dichlorobenzene to give a uniform solution , which was coated on mylar on which aluminium had been vacuum evaporated to give a thickness of 3 - 10 μm , and dried . in the same manner as in example 1 , the sensitivity measurement of the pvk - tnf film was performed . the result was 7 . 0 lux sec . this film was subjected to repeated electrification and exposure in the same conditions as above , but , after 1 , 000 time repetitions , abnormality was observed . as seen from the foregoing , the photosensitive film according to the invention , having no toxicity as in the case of the pvk - tnf film , has a good photoconductivity comparable to that of the pvk - tnf film , and has far better reproducibility over a long period of time than the pvk - tnf film .	6

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