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[ 0054 ] fig1 is an illustrative diagram showing in partial cutaway a cap device comprising a fuel cap 10 ( cap ) pertaining to a first embodiment of the invention . in fig1 the fuel cap 10 is attached to a filler neck fn having a filler opening fnb ( tank opening ) for supplying fuel to a fuel tank , not shown . the cap 10 comprises a casing body 20 ( closer ) made of polyacetal or other synthetic resin material , an inner cover 30 closing the upper opening of the casing body 20 , forming a valve chamber 24 ; a regulator valve 35 housed within the valve chamber 24 ; a cover 40 made of nylon or other synthetic resin and mounted on the upper portion of the casing body 20 ; a handle 45 mounted on the upper face of the cover 40 ; a clutch mechanism 60 and the torque transmission mechanism 80 ( interconnecting mechanism ); a tether mechanism 100 ; and a gasket gs installed on the outside rim of the upper portion of the casing body 20 to provide a seal between the casing body 20 and the filler neck fn . in the fuel cap 10 shown in fig2 grasping the handle 45 and raising it upward while rotating allows the fuel cap 10 to be attached to or detached from the filler neck fn to close or open the filler opening fnb . external pressure in the opening direction applied to the cover 40 and the handle 45 in the upper portion of the fuel cap 10 will simply cause it to turn freely , so that the fuel cap 10 does not come away from the filler neck fn . the various parts of the fuel cap 10 pertaining to the present embodiment are described in detail hereinbelow . in fig1 the casing body 20 comprises a substantially round outer tube 21 and a valve chamber molding 22 integrally provided to the interior of the outer tube 21 . the valve chamber molding 22 houses a positive pressure valve and negative pressure valve that function as a regulator valve 35 . the inner cover 30 is welded by an ultrasonic welding technique onto the upper portion of the valve chamber molding 22 to form the valve chamber 24 . the gasket gs is installed to the outside of the bottom edge of a flange 21 b in the upper portion of the casing body 20 . the gasket gs is interposed between a seal retaining portion 21 a of the flange 21 b and the filler opening fnb of the filler neck fn so as to be forced against the seating face of the filler neck fn when the fuel cap 10 is tightened in the filler opening fnb , providing a sealing action . [ 0061 ] fig3 is an illustrative diagram showing the relationship of the casing interlocking portion 20 a of the casing body 20 to the filler neck fn . the casing interlocking portion 20 a is formed on the bottom outside wall of the outer tube 21 . a opening interlocking portion fnc is formed on the inside wall of the filler neck fn . in a portion of the inside wall of the opening interlocking portion fnc is formed a neck insertion notch fnd into which the casing interlocking portion 20 a is insertable in the axial direction . with the casing interlocking portion 20 a aligned with the neck insertion notch fnd and the fuel cap 10 inserted into filler opening fnb of the filler neck fn , turning the fuel cap 10 by a predetermined angle ( about 90 °) causes the casing interlocking portion 20 a to be engaged by the opening insertion notch fnc to attach the fuel cap 10 to the filler neck fn . as shown in fig1 the inner cover 30 has a flange 32 formed on the outside wall of the inner cover 30 , the bottom edge of the flange 32 being ultrasonically welded to the top of the valve chamber molding 22 . the cover 40 comprises an upper wall 41 and a side wall 43 formed at the outside rim of the upper wall 41 , integrally molded in a cup configuration . support projections 43 a extend from the lower interior of the side wall 43 . the support projections 43 a are arranged at six equidistant locations along the inside rim of the side wall 43 . the support projections 43 a mate with the outside rim of the torque member 90 of the torque transmission mechanism 80 to rotatably attach the cover 40 to the casing body 20 via the torque member 90 . the cover 40 attachment structure is described in detail later . [ 0066 ] fig4 is a plan view showing the cover 40 . the cover 40 is made of polyamide ( pa ), polyethylene ( pp ), acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene ( abs ) or polycarbonate ( pc ). the cover 40 is made of conductive resin material so as to constitute part of a ground path , indicated by the double - dotted lines in fig2 . the conductive resin material may be imparted with electrical conductivity by adding a metal filler ( e . g . stainless steel , nickel , chromium , zinc , copper , aluminum , gold , silver , magnesium or titanium filler or some combination thereof ) etc . metal filler content is from 1 to 30 wt %. the reason is that amounts of less than 1 wt % do not give electrical conductivity , whereas in excess of 30 wt % the resin becomes highly viscous in injection molding process of the cover 40 , possibly resulting in injection molding defects due to metal filler clogging or pooling . an indicia portion dp is formed on the surface of the upper wall 43 of the cover 40 . the indicia portion dp comprises of indicia such as text describing function , warning , description line , record or bar code , marked by laser irradiation . 0 . 01 to 3 wt % of carbon is added for the purpose of laser irradiation . marking by laser irradiation is not possible with carbon content below 0 . 01 wt %, whereas in excess of 3 wt % the energy of the laser is absorbed by the cover 40 as a whole , so that localized coloration in the indicia portion dp is not possible . [ 0069 ] fig5 is a perspective view showing parts on top of the fuel cap disassembled . the handle 45 comprises a rectangular handle body 46 with chamfered corners . the handle body 46 is of semicircular configuration having an actuating recess 46 a produced by recessing its outside edge at the center . the actuating recess 46 a serves as a recessed location for inserting a finger to provide ease of operation when the handle 45 has been lowered into the retracted position ( see fig1 ). the handle 45 is rotatably mounted on the upper wall 41 of the cover 40 by means of an axial support mechanism 50 . the axial support mechanism 50 comprises axial support portions 51 , 51 projecting from the upper wall 41 of the cover 40 , and axially supported portions 55 , 56 formed on the handle 45 and rotatably supported by the axial support portions 51 , 52 . [ 0073 ] fig6 is a front view showing the handle 45 detached from the cover 40 . the axial support portions 51 , 52 are members for rotatably supporting the handle 45 and are provided in a pair in the center of the cover 40 . the axial support portion 51 comprises a leg portion 51 a and an axle portion 51 b projecting from the side of the leg portion 51 a , and the handle 45 is rotatable about the axle portion 51 b while supported thereby . the axial support portion 52 comprises a leg portion 52 a and an axle portion 52 b projecting from the top of the leg portion 52 a . an axle hole 52 f is formed in the side of the axle portion 52 b . the axially supported portions 55 , 56 are formed extending from the bottom to the center of the handle 45 and are provided so that the handle 45 may be supported via the axial support portions 51 , 52 provided on the cover 40 . the axially supported portion 55 comprises an opening 55 a open at the bottom and at one side of the handle 45 , and an axle hole 55 b of round cross section communicating with the opening 55 a in the axial direction . the opening 55 a and the axle hole 55 b are configured to axially support the axle portion 51 b of the axial support portion 51 . the axially supported portion 56 comprises an opening 56 a , and has a pin mounting hole 56 g connecting with the opening 56 a . fig7 is a front view showing an enlargement of the area around the axially supported portion 56 of fig6 and fig8 is a diagram viewed in the direction of arrow 8 in fig7 . the pin mounting hole 56 g communicating with the opening 56 a is formed on the side of the opening 56 a . pin mounting hole 56 g passes through the side of the handle 45 . a pin 56 h fits into the pin mounting hole 56 g . the distal end of the pin 56 h has a support insert 56 i for insertion into an axle hole 52 f . [ 0078 ] fig9 is an illustrative diagram illustrating the procedure for assembling the handle 45 to the cover 40 . to assemble the handle 45 to the cover 40 by means of the axial support mechanism 50 , the axial support portion 51 is mated with the axially supported portion 55 , and then the axial support portion 51 is inserted into the opening 56 a of the axially supported portion 56 , the inserting the pin 56 h into the pin mounting hole 56 g ; finally , the support insert 56 i is mated with the axle hole 52 . in this way the handle 45 may be rotatably mounted on the cover 40 via the axial support mechanism 50 . [ 0080 ] fig1 is a sectional view taken along line 10 - 10 in fig7 and fig1 is a sectional view showing the handle 45 prior to being assembled . the handle 45 is urged towards the retracted position by means of the urging mechanism 57 . the urging mechanism 57 comprises a cam 58 projecting from the side of the axial support portion 52 , and a cam support portion 59 provided to the handle 45 . in fig1 , a cam face 58 a of the cam 58 is defined by center axis o 1 , an arcuate face 58 b of substantially semicircular configuration of radius r 1 , a center o 2 offset from center axis o 1 , and a curving convex face 58 c of radius r 2 . the cam support portion 59 is bifurcated so that the cam face 58 a is held between a resilient cam support piece 59 a and a cam support rib 59 b . the resilient cam support piece 59 a is configured as a cantilever piece that resiliently flexes while following the cam face 58 a as the handle 45 rotates . on the inside of the resilient cam support piece 59 a is formed a cam guide face 59 c conforming in shape to the arcuate face 58 b . the cam support rib 59 b is integrally formed with the handle body 46 and is arranged substantially parallel to the resilient cam support piece 59 a . [ 0081 ] fig1 illustrates the procedure for rotating the handle 45 . the handle 45 is supported such that it can rotate within a 90 ° range by means of the axial support mechanism 50 , that is , upraised from the retracted position pressed against the upper wall 41 of the cover 40 as shown in fig1 ( a ) to the position shown in fig1 ( b ), and finally to the upraised handling position shown in fig1 ( c ). when the handle 45 is not in the retracted position it is urged towards the retracted position ( in the direction indicated by the arrow in fig1 ( b )) by means of the urging mechanism 57 . that is , when the handle 45 is positioned at an angle between the retracted position and the handling position , the resilient cam support piece 59 a pushes under spring force against the arcuate face 58 b of the cam 58 , whereby the resilient cam support piece 59 a exerts pushing force towards center o 2 . since this pushing force is eccentric with respect to center axis o 1 ( which is the center of rotation of the handle 45 ), counterclockwise moment m 1 is created . this moment m 1 translates to force rotating the handle 45 about center axis o 1 . the handle 45 is thereby urged in the counterclockwise direction towards the retracted position from any position between the handling position and retracted position . [ 0083 ] fig1 is a perspective view showing the fuel cap 10 disassembled , fig1 is an illustrative diagram illustrating the clutch mechanism 60 in non - interconnected mode , and fig1 is an illustrative diagram illustrating the clutch mechanism 60 in interconnected mode . the clutch mechanism 60 is a mechanism for transmission / non - transmission to the torque transmission mechanism 80 of rotational torque applied to the handle 45 , and comprises a clutch member 70 , a clutch spring 92 and the clutch arm 93 formed on the torque portion 90 , and a cam face 62 formed on the lower face at both sides of the handle 45 . in fig1 , the clutch member 70 is integrally molded by injection molding and comprises a clutch body 71 . the clutch body 71 comprises an upper wall 72 of circular disk shape and a side wall extending downwardly from the outside edge of 72 so that the space surrounded by the upper wall 72 and the side wall 73 forms a storage recess 71 a ( see fig1 ). the upper wall 72 has an annular projection 72 a projecting therefrom . as shown in fig1 this annular projection 72 a prevents the two from becoming wedged together so as to facilitate vertical motion of the clutch member 70 . the upper wall 72 shown in fig1 has buttons 74 , 74 projecting therefrom at locations 180 ° apart with respect to the center of the clutch member 70 . the buttons 74 , 74 are retractably positioned in throughholes 41 a formed in the cover 40 . three the clutch springs 92 are positioned at 120 ° intervals about the circumference on the upper face of the torque member 90 . the clutch springs 92 impart spring force in the vertical direction relative to the clutch member 70 . each the clutch springs 92 comprises an arm 92 a coplanar with the upper face of the torque member 90 and extending in the circumferential direction , and a pushing projection 92 b projecting up from the upper face of the torque member 90 at the distal end of the arm 92 a . the clutch springs 92 are of cantilever design , with one end thereof inclinable within a notch 92 c in the upper face of the torque member 90 , thereby urging the clutch member 70 upwardly . [ 0089 ] fig1 is an illustrative diagram illustrating the relationship of the handle 45 to the button 74 of the clutch member 70 . the upper face of the button 74 is a sloped the pushing face 74 a . a cam face 62 for pushing against the pushing face 74 a is formed on the lower face of the handle 45 at both sides . the cam face 62 is designed so that with the handle 45 in the handling position , the button 74 of the clutch member 70 is pushed downwardly , and so that in the retracted position the button 74 s not pushed downwardly . with this arrangement for the clutch urging mechanism 61 , rotating the handle 45 from the retracted position shown in fig1 to the handling position shown in fig1 causes the cam face to push against the pushing faces 74 a of buttons 74 , 74 , so that the clutch member 70 is pushed downwardly in opposition to the urging force of the clutch springs 92 and moves to the lower position , whereas in the retracted position , force ceases to be applied to buttons 74 , 74 so that the clutch member 70 is returned to its original position by the clutch springs 92 . [ 0092 ] fig1 is a sectional view taken in the vicinity line 17 - 17 in fig1 , and fig1 illustrates operation of the first clutch unit 63 . the first clutch unit 63 is a mechanism for transmitting rotational torque applied to the handle 45 in the closing direction , regardless of whether the handle is in the handling position or retracted position . the first clutch teeth 75 are formed all the way around the inside rim of the side wall 73 of the clutch member 70 . the first clutch teeth 75 comprise a right - angled the interlocking face 75 a extending in the radial direction and a sloping face 75 b inclined a predetermined angle with respect to the interlocking face 75 a ; the teeth are substantially right triangular in shape when viewed in cross section . on the outside rim of the torque member 90 there are provided clutch arms 93 for interlocking with interlocking faces 75 a . the clutch arms 93 are positioned at 120 ° intervals about the circumference on the upper outside rim of the torque member 90 . each the clutch arm 93 comprises an arm 93 a extending along the circumferential direction , and a interlocking end 93 b provided at the distal end of the arm 93 a . the interlocking end 93 b is formed by a surface in the radial direction so as to interlock with a interlocking face 75 a . the interlocking face 75 a is thicker than the interlocking end 93 b so as to normally maintain the interlocked state regardless of whether positioned above ( fig1 ( a )) or below ( fig1 ( b )) the torque member 90 of the clutch member 70 . as shown in fig8 ( a ) and ( b ), when the clutch member 70 is rotated in the clockwise direction , the interlocking end 93 b interlocks with the interlocking face 75 a , creating a torque transmission state in which the torque member 90 rotates in unison therewith in the clockwise direction . this torque transmission state is maintained regardless of whether the handle 45 is in the handling position of fig1 ( a ) or the handling position of fig1 ( b ), since in either state the interlocking face 75 a of the clutch member 70 is in abutment with the interlocking end 93 b . on the other hand when the clutch member 70 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction as illustrated in fig1 ( c ), there results a non - interconnected mode in which the sloping face 75 b of the first clutch teeth 75 follows along the outside face of the arm 93 a so that the torque member 90 does not rotate . in this way the first clutch teeth 75 and clutch arms 93 constitute a one - way clutch mechanism which normally interlocks in the clockwise direction ( closing direction ) to transmit rotational torque , and which does not transmit rotational torque in the counterclockwise direction ( opening direction ). [ 0098 ] fig1 is an illustrative diagram illustrating the second clutch unit 65 . the second clutch unit 65 is a mechanism for transmitting rotational torque applied in the opening direction to the handle 45 , only when the handle is in the handling position . the second clutch teeth 76 are formed all the way around the bottom outside rim of the upper wall 72 of the clutch member 70 . each the second clutch teeth 76 comprises a substantially vertical the interlocking face 76 a and a sloping face 76 b inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the interlocking face 76 a , to produce a substantially right triangular cross section . on the upper face of the torque member 90 are formed second clutch interlocking portions 94 for interlocking with the second clutch teeth 76 . the second clutch interlocking portions 94 are positioned at 120 ° intervals about the circumference in the upper portion of the torque member 90 . each the second clutch interlocking portion 94 comprises a vertical interlocking face 94 a interlocking with a interlocking face 76 a , and a sloping face 94 b abutting a sloping face 76 b . [ 0101 ] fig2 illustrates operation of the second clutch unit 65 . as shown in fig2 ( a ), when the clutch member 70 is positioned upwardly by the spring force of the clutch spring 92 of the clutch mechanism 60 , the interlocking faces 76 a of the clutch member 70 are not interlocked with the interlocking faces 94 a of clutch interlocking portions 94 . therefore the torque member 90 does not rotate even if the clutch member 70 is rotated . as shown in fig2 ( b ), when the clutch member 70 is positioned downwardly in opposition to the spring force of the clutch spring 92 of the clutch mechanism 60 , the interlocking faces 76 a of the clutch member 70 interlock with the interlocking faces 94 a of clutch interlocking portions 94 . turning the clutch member 70 is the counterclockwise direction ( opening direction ) causes the torque member 90 to rotate in unison therewith in the same direction . in this way , the second clutch teeth 76 and second clutch interlocking portions 94 constitute a one - way clutch mechanism that transmits rotational torque only when the torque member 90 is in the down position , while not transmitting rotational torque in the clockwise direction . [ 0104 ] fig2 is a perspective view showing the torque member 90 . the torque member 90 comprises a two - stage disk of resin having a projecting portion and interlocking portion in its center . that is , the torque member 90 comprises a torque plate body 91 . the torque plate body 91 comprises an upper disk 91 a , an annular portion 91 b situated at the outside bottom of the upper disk 91 a , and connector portions 91 c connected at three locations to the annular portion 91 b . the upper disk 91 a comprises a clutch spring 92 which carries the clutch mechanism 60 described earlier , and is provided on its outside edge with clutch arms 93 . as shown in fig2 , the interlocking claws 97 are formed on the inside rim of the annular portion 91 b of the torque member 90 . the interlocking claws 97 are configured as tongue pieces extending towards the center of the torque member 90 and are resiliently deformable in the axial direction . fig2 is a sectional view of the area around the top of the casing body 20 . an interlocking recess 21 c is formed around the upper outside rim of the outer tube 21 of the casing body 20 . the interlocking claws 97 are forced into the interlocking recess 21 c to rotatably mount the torque member 90 on the upper outside rim of the casing body 20 . an interlocking recess 91 d is formed around the outside rim of the annular portion 91 b , allowing the cover 40 of the torque member 90 to be rotatably supported within the interlocking recess 91 d by detaining therein the support projection 43 a on the inside wall of the side wall 43 of the cover 40 ( see fig1 ). the torque transmission mechanism 80 shown in fig1 is a mechanism that enables confirmation that the fuel cap 10 has been attached to the filler neck fn at a predetermined level of rotational torque , by providing the user with a tactile warning if excessive rotational torque above a predetermined level is applied to the handle 45 during the operation of closing the filler opening fnb with the fuel cap 10 . [ 0110 ] fig2 is a perspective view showing the torque transmission mechanism 80 , and fig2 is a plan view showing the torque transmission mechanism 80 . the upper inside rim of the outer tube 21 has formed thereon a body interlocking portion 25 constituting part of the torque transmission mechanism 80 , described later . the body interlocking portion 25 extends around the entire inside circumference of the outer tube 21 and has a peak configuration composed of a first interlocking face 25 a slanted substantially in the circumferential direction and a second interlocking face extending substantially in the radial direction . an inner annular portion 91 e of hollow cylindrical configuration is formed in the bottom of the upper disk 91 a of the torque member 90 , and three the resilient torque pieces 95 are formed at 120 ° intervals about the circumference on the outside edge of the inner annular portion 91 e . as shown in fig2 , the resilient torque pieces 95 take the form of arched cantilever pieces having their support points at the supporting terminal portions 95 a , and having the torque piece interlocking portions 96 projecting from their outside edges , with the spaces 95 c to the inside of the torque piece interlocking portions 96 . each the torque piece interlocking portion 96 has a first interlocking face 96 a formed on a first face thereof and a second interlocking face 96 b formed on a second face . first interlocking face 96 a is configured so as to come into abutment at a vertical face thereof with a first interlocking face 25 a of the body interlocking portion 25 with clockwise rotation of the torque member 90 ; when pushed in the radial direction from the center by a body interlocking portion 25 the torque piece interlocking portions 96 undergoes resilient deformation so as to the constrict space 95 c , as shown in fig2 . as shown in fig2 ( a ), the frangible grooves 98 a constituting part of the frangible portions 98 are formed along the outside edge of the upper disk 91 a of the torque member 90 , between it and the connector portion 91 c . the frangible grooves 98 a are located at three areas in the circumferential direction , these the frangible grooves 98 a being provided along the circumference of a circle connecting the cutout portions between connector portions 91 c in the circumferential direction . referring now to fig2 ( b ), if the cover 40 or the handle 45 should be subjected to a strong external force such as that produced in an automobile collision , the frangible portions 98 supporting the cover 40 will separate at the outside edges thereof or the interlocking claws 97 will detach from the interlocking recess 21 c beginning at the frangible portions 98 . at this time the seal retaining portion 21 a of the casing body 20 supporting the gasket gs is not damaged so that the seal is not lost . an additional reason for providing the torque member 90 with the frangible portions 98 is that by forming the frangible portions 98 in the upper portion of the casing body 20 there are no limitations as to the shape of the seal retaining portion 21 a , making it a simple matter to optimize breaking load for external forces in various directions . [ 0116 ] fig2 is a sectional view of the area around the tether mechanism 100 , fig3 is a plan view of the tether mechanism 100 , and fig3 is a perspective view illustrating the tether mechanism 100 . the tether mechanism 100 is designed to prevent the fuel cap 10 from falling off or becoming lost during fueling , and comprises a tether rotation support 101 , a connector member 110 , and a support end 120 . as shown in fig2 , the tether rotation support 101 is rotatably supported on one end of a support wall 99 of the torque member 90 . specifically , the tether rotation support 101 has an annular configuration extending all the way around the support wall 99 and has an open square cross section defined by an outer the annular outer wall 102 , the floor 103 and annular the inner wall 104 , with an annular recess 101 a therebetween . the outer the annular outer wall 102 is taller than annular the inner wall 104 . the interlocking projections 102 a project from the inside face of the annular outer wall 102 . as shown in fig3 , the interlocking projections 102 a are situated at six locations equal distances apart along the circumference , and when the interlocking claws 99 a of the support wall 99 are snapped into the annular recess 101 a these interlock with the interlocking projections 102 a as shown in fig2 so that the tether rotation support 101 is rotatably supported on the torque member 90 . the tether mechanism 100 is integrally molded by injection molding of thermoplastic elastomer ( tpee ) or thermoplastic resin ( e . g . pp ). as shown in fig3 a first end of the connector member 110 is connected to the tether rotation support 101 , inclined with respect thereto by a predetermined angle α ( 5 °- 180 °). the connector member 110 comprises a connector member body 112 and a flex portion 114 . the flex portion 114 is located in proximity to a first connecting end 110 a at one end of the connector member 110 . flex portion 114 is composed of inverted “ u ” shapes connected together in a substantially “ s ” configuration and is coplanar with the tether rotation support 101 so that when subjected to force in the direction indicated by arrow d 1 in fig3 the connector member body 112 will bend along the outside perimeter of the cover 40 . in fig3 a support end 120 is formed at a second connecting end 110 b at the other end of the connector member 110 . the support end 120 is of tabular configuration fanning out towards the distal end and is formed by twisting at a right angle , i . e . 90 °, with respect to the connector member 110 . a detent projection 122 projects from the support end 120 . as shown in fig3 , the detent projection 122 is rotatably supported on a support portion formed on the back face of the fuel cover fl . when fuel cover fl is opened away from the filler neck fn the fuel cap 10 is suspended via the connector member 110 fixed to the support end 120 . when at this point the fuel cap 10 is released the cover 40 of the fuel cap 10 drops toward the exterior panel of the vehicle , suspended away from the vehicle panel due to the 90 ° bend with respect to the connector member 110 , enabling the fueling operation . that is , the fuel cap is located away from the vehicle panel during fueling and therefore does not interfere with the fuel nozzle and preventing fuel on the casing body 20 from dripping onto the vehicle panel . with the fuel cap 10 removed , the fuel cap 10 is then replaced in the filler opening fnb of the filler neck fn and the handle 45 turned in the closing direction shown in fig3 ; as the tether rotation support 101 is rotatable with respect to the torque member 90 ( fig2 ), and as the connector member 110 is not subjected to any appreciable force from the fuel cover fl or the fuel cap 10 so as to remain slack on a substantially straight line , the opening / closing operation of the fuel cap 10 is not impaired . at this time the connector member 110 flexes at the flex portion 114 so that the connector member body 112 flexes along the outside perimeter of the cover 40 . when fuel cover fl ( fig3 ) is subsequently shut the connector member body 112 is pushed longitudinally from the position illustrated in fig3 in association with the motion of fuel cover fl . longitudinal force on the connector member body 112 is converted to force tending to rotate the tether rotation support 101 in the counterclockwise direction so that the tether rotation support 101 rotates smoothly causing the connector member body 112 to coil around the cover 40 as illustrated in fig3 . since the connector member body 112 coils around the cover 40 in this way it can be accommodated within the space behind the fuel cover fl and does not hinder opening and closing of the fuel cover fl . as shown in fig2 , the tether rotation support 101 of the tether mechanism 100 is supported by a torque member 90 of polyacetal having a smooth surface , enabling it to rotate smoothly about the outside rim of the torque member 90 so that the opening / closing operation of the fuel cap 10 is not impaired . the torque member 90 is moreover fabricated of highly swelling - resistant polyacetal and therefore experiences negligible change in shape that would increase outside diameter , so that the ability of the tether rotation support 101 to rotate is not diminished . further , as the tether rotation support 101 is formed of pliable thermoplastic elastomer ( tpee ) or thermoplastic resin ( pp ) bending thereof at the flex portion 114 can be assured . to assemble the fuel cap 10 , first , the handle 45 is attached to the cover 40 as shown in fig9 . the regulator valve 35 is also installed in the valve chamber 24 of the casing body 20 as shown in fig1 and the flange 32 of the inner cover 30 is ultrasonically welded onto the upper portion of the valve chamber molding 22 . next , as shown in fig2 , the interlocking claws 97 of the torque member 90 are forced into the interlocking recess 21 c of the casing body 20 to attach the torque member 90 to the casing body 20 . the button 74 of the clutch member 70 is aligned with the through - hole 41 a in the cover 40 , attaching the clutch member 70 to the cover 40 and then interlocking the support projection 43 a of the cover 40 with the interlocking recess 91 d to attach the cover 40 onto the torque member 90 . then as shown in fig2 the tether rotation support 101 of the tether mechanism 100 is forced over the interlocking claws 99 a of the support wall 99 to attach the tether mechanism 100 to the torque member 90 . this completes assembly of the fuel cap 10 . following is a description of the opening and closing operation when attaching or replacing the fuel cap 10 in the filler opening fnb of the filler neck fn . with the fuel cap 10 detached from filler opening fnb , the handle 45 is pulled upright with the fingers as shown in fig1 , whereupon the handle 45 rotates about axial support portions 51 , 52 shown in fig1 , in opposition to the spring force of the urging mechanism 57 ( see fig1 ) and the clutch spring 92 ( see fig2 ). rotation of the handle 45 causes the cam face 62 to push against the pushing face 74 a of the button 74 of the clutch member 70 . the clutch member 70 then moves downwardly in opposition to the urging force of the clutch spring 92 of the torque member 90 as shown in fig1 . next , as shown in fig3 the casing interlocking portion 20 a of the casing body 20 is aligned with the neck insertion notch fnd of the filler neck fn and inserted therein in the axial direction . clockwise force is then applied to the handle 45 and is transmitted to the clutch member 70 via the cover 40 , the cover 40 the through - hole 41 a and the button 74 of the clutch member 70 , causing the clutch member 70 to rotate . since the interlocking faces 75 a of the first clutch teeth 75 normally interlock with the interlocking ends 93 b of clutch arms 93 of the torque member 90 as shown in fig1 ( a ), the torque member 90 rotates in tandem with rotation of the clutch member 70 . it should be noted that even if the user does not move the handle 45 to the handling position , i . e ., even with the handle in the retracted position , the interlocking ends 93 b are interlocked with the interlocking faces 75 a as shown in fig1 ( b ) so that rotational torque is transmitted from the clutch member 70 to the torque member 90 . as the torque member 90 rotates , the first interlocking faces 96 a of the torque piece interlocking portions 96 of the torque member 90 press against first interlocking faces 25 a of body interlocking portions 25 at the interlock locations illustrated in fig2 . this causes the handle 45 , the cover 40 , the clutch member 70 , the torque member 90 and the casing body 20 to rotate in unison in the direction of closing the filler opening fnb , with the casing interlocking portions 20 a ( see fig3 ) interlocking with opening interlocking portion fnc with increasing force . when reaction force created by this interlocking force exceeds a predetermined level of rotational torque , the torque piece interlocking portions 96 in the state shown in fig2 now ride over the body interlocking portions 25 . at this point the first interlocking faces 96 a of the torque piece interlocking portions 96 are forced in the radial direction by the reaction force from the first interlocking faces 25 a , causing the resilient torque pieces 95 to resiliently deform so as to constrict the width of the spaces 95 c , so that the torque piece interlocking portions 96 ride up over body interlocking portions 25 . this provides to the user with a tactile warning of over - tightening . in this state the fuel cap 10 is attached to the filler opening fnb at a predetermined level of tightening torque . when the handle 45 is subsequently released it is subjected to spring force created by the resilient cam support piece 59 a pinching the cam face 58 ( see fig3 ) and to the spring force of the clutch spring 92 transmitted to handle via the button 74 , and rotates about axial support portions 51 , 52 to return to the retracted position . in the state shown in fig1 the handle 45 , the cover 40 , and the clutch member 70 are not constrained in the opening direction ( counterclockwise direction ) by the torque member 90 and the casing body 20 , and thus rotate freely . thus , if the cover 40 and / or the handle 45 should be subjected to external force as in a collision , they will simply turn freely without rotational torque being transmitted to casing member 20 through the torque transmission mechanism 80 , so that there is no loss of seal . the procedure for opening the fuel cap 10 is initiated by pulling up the handle 45 as shown in fig1 . this causes the cam face 62 in the lower center of the handle 45 to push against the pushing face 74 a of the button 74 of the clutch member 70 , so that the clutch member 70 moves downwardly . in this state , turning the handle 45 counterclockwise causes the interlocking faces 76 a of the second clutch teeth 76 to interlock with the interlocking faces 94 a of second clutch interlocking portions 94 as shown in fig2 ( b ), so that the torque member 90 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in tandem with rotation of the clutch member 70 in the same direction . in this state , the second interlocking faces 96 b of the torque piece interlocking portions 96 interlock with the second interlocking faces 25 b of body interlocking portions 25 as shown in fig2 . the second interlocking faces 96 b and the second interlocking faces 25 b come into abutment substantially in the radial direction and do not produce center - directed force tending to cause the resilient torque pieces 95 to constrict the spaces 95 c , so that the torque piece interlocking portions 96 do not ride over body interlocking portions 25 , but instead transmit rotational torque applied to the handle 45 to the casing body 20 . as a result the handle 45 , the cover 40 , the clutch member 70 , the torque member 90 and the casing body 20 rotate in unison in the clockwise direction . the casing interlocking portion 20 a then comes away from the opening interlocking portion fnc of the filler neck fn so that the casing body 20 is released from the constraining force of the filler neck fn . the fuel cap 10 can now be removed from the filler neck fn by pulling out in the axial direction . [ 0139 ] fig3 illustrates the return operation of the handle 45 by the clutch spring 92 , and fig3 illustrates the return operation of operation of the handle 45 by the urging mechanism 57 . when opening or closing the handle 45 , the handle 45 is rotated from the retracted position to the handling position ; this is done in opposition to rotational torque returning the handle 45 to the retracted position , due to spring force of the clutch spring 92 and the urging mechanism 57 . rotational torque is normally energized in the return direction is for the following reasons . ( 1 ) as the vehicle is driven the handle 45 is kept flat on the cover so as to not project significantly thereabove , making it more difficult for the handle 45 to be subjected to external force . ( 2 ) chattering of the handle 45 is reduced so that strange noises are not produced during driving . the reason for using two resin springs as the urging mechanism 57 and the clutch spring 92 to produce rotational torque in the return direction is as follows . [ 0143 ] fig3 is a graph illustrating the relationship of angle of rotation to rotational torque applied to the handle . in fig3 , rotational torque produced by the urging mechanism 57 is graphed by a broken line , rotational torque produced by the clutch spring 92 by a dotted and dashed line , and total rotational torque applied to the handle 45 by a solid line . as will be apparent from fig3 , the urging mechanism 57 is set to high rotational torque at small angles of less than 45 °, while the clutch spring 92 is set to high rotational torque at large angles of from 45 ° to 90 °. rotational torque levels are set in this way for the following reason . the spring force produced by the urging mechanism 57 depends on the shape of the cam face 58 a of the cam 58 , making it difficult to produce a shape for a cam that can generate a high level of rotational torque over a wide control range . for the clutch spring 92 to generate rotational torque over a wide control range it would be necessary for the torque member 90 to move with a large stroke . further , where only a single resin spring is used to generate rotational torque over a wide control range it will be necessary for the resin spring to flex appreciably , which over a period of several years may lead to failure . by using instead two resin springs , it is possible to achieve rotational torque for stable return over a wide range of 0 - 90 °. in addition to the working effects described above , the fuel cap 10 affords the following working effects . ( 5 )- 1 in the process of closing the fuel cap 10 , tactile warning is provided when the torque piece interlocking portions 96 of the torque member 90 ride up over body interlocking portions 25 of the casing body 20 as shown in fig2 and 26 , so that the user may determine that the fuel cap 10 has been tightened to a predetermined level of torque , thereby allowing the cap to be attached to a predetermined level of torque regardless of any resilience on the part of the gasket gs etc . ( 5 )- 2 with the fuel cap 10 closing the filler opening fnb as shown in fig1 the clutch member 70 does not move in tandem with the casing body 20 in the opening direction , due to the clutch mechanism 60 , and thus even if the handle 45 should be subjected to force in the opening direction due to some unforeseen external force , it will simply turn freely with respect to the casing body 20 . therefore the casing body 20 will not be subjected to external force applied to the handle 45 and will remain seated in the filler opening fnb . the fuel cap 10 can therefore maintain a seal without becoming loosened by unforeseen external force . ( 5 )- 3 with the fuel cap 10 attached to filler opening fnb as shown in fig1 the handle 45 is placed in the retracted position by spring force and returns to this position from the upraised handling position during the opening / closing operation , and is therefore not susceptible to external force such as that occurring in a vehicle collision or the like , so that it is not subjected to force tending to loosen the fuel cap 10 . additionally , even where the handle 45 is of appreciable size , since it is positioned laying flat on the upper wall 41 of the cover 40 in the closed position , a minimal amount of space around the filler opening is required to accommodate it . ( 5 )- 4 as shown in fig2 , the body interlocking portions 25 of the torque transmission mechanism 80 are formed at equal distances all the way around the inner cover 30 , whereby rotational torque may be transmitted immediately to the casing body 20 without changing the position of the handle 45 , and whereby uniform rotational torque may be transmitted regardless of the position of the torque piece interlocking portions 96 . ( 5 )- 5 with the fuel cap 10 in the closed state , the handle 45 turns freely in the opening direction whereby the user may turn the handle 45 to the desired position , improving ease of opening / closing . ( 5 )- 6 as shown in fig1 with the fuel cap 10 in the closed state the handle 45 can be visually confirmed to be lowered into the retracted position , and it will be readily understood that opening / closing can be accomplished by upraising it , thereby providing superior operation to the button operation arrangement described in the prior art . ( 5 )- 7 as shown in fig1 , the first clutch unit 63 transmits rotational torque even when the handle 45 is not in the handling position , so that even if the user neglects to move the handle 45 to the handling position it is still possible to close the tank opening with the casing body 20 . the first clutch unit 63 ( fig1 ) and the second clutch unit 65 ( fig2 ) turn freely in the opening direction when the handle 45 is in the retracted position , so that the casing body 20 will not be rotated by external force and will not lose seal . the foregoing detailed description of the invention has been provided for the purpose of explaining the principles of the invention and its practical application , thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . the foregoing detailed description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed . modifications and equivalents will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art and are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
the present invention is a variation of a suspension bridge , which is herein termed a modified suspension bridge ( msb ). fig1 shows that the ( msb ) comprises abutments ( ab ), right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) supports , a lower support ( lss ), support cables ( sc ), a tension cable ( tc ), cable directing means ( p ) and a turnbuckle ( tb ). note that said right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) cantered supports are shown extending from said abutments ( ab ) at angles offset from vertical and have said suspension cables ( sc ) fixed to the tops ( t ) thereof , the distal ends of said suspension cables ( sc ) being fixed centrally on the lower support ( lss ). while not limiting , the angle ( θ ) is typically selected to be between 45 and 60 degrees . additional optional suspension cables ( osc ) can also be present as well as an optional handrail ( ohr ). note that the lower support ( lss ) has a cable directing means ( eg . pulley ), ( p ) on each end , which are freely rotating . also note that said tension cable ( tc ) is fixedly attached to the tops of the right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) cantered supports , and that said tension cable ( tc ) passes over said cable directing means ( p ) and passes under said lower support ( lss ). the turnbuckle ( tb ) is included to allow creating tension in said tension cable . note that applying tension in the tension cable via said turnbuckle ( tb ) causes compression is said lower support ( lss ). ( note , the pulleys ( p ) or functional equivalents can be smaller than shown in fig1 so that the tension cable ( tc ) flushly contacts the bottom of the lower support ( lss )). in fact said tension cable ( tc ) can be affixed to the lower support ( lss ) at various lengths therealong to enhance support of the lower support ( lss )). the lower support ( lss ) can be made of many sections which attach to one - another , as can the right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) cantered supports . sectional construction makes assembly more easily handled at remote sites . it is also noted that the lengths of the right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) support below the lower support ( lss ) can be reduced to place the lower support ( lss ) more even with the abutments ( ab ), so as to reduce the need to build ramps to the upper surface of the lower support ( lss ) to allow access thereto in use . that is the lower support ( lss ) can be positioned more like those shown in fig2 and 3 . fig4 shows two half - bridge systems , ( both identified as ( rs ) for consistency with fig1 ), aligned one in front of the other as viewed in side elevation , but offset from one another as viewed in frontal elevation , ( eg . as viewed entry / exit to the bridge at the right side in fig1 ). said half - bridge systems ( rs ) are secured in relative position with respect to one another , via interconnection means and the elongated lower support ( lss ). also shown are the presence of cable directing means ( p ) on each side . other elements in fig1 are not shown in fig4 as fig4 is included only to show how two bridge sections , ( indicatd as ( rs )), orient with respect to one another . to contrast the presently disclosed invention , fig2 and 3 are presented to demonstrate conventional suspension and cable - stayed bridges . fig2 shows a prior art conventional suspension bridge with weights ( w ) present to counter balance the forces supported by suspension cables ( sc ), which project only centrally to the lower support ( lss ). a prior art cable - stayed bridge is generally demonstrated in fig3 . note that the right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) supports are positioned more centrally than is the case in the fig2 suspension bridge , and that suspension cables ( sc ) extend to both the right and left therefrom . the lateral lengths of lower support ( lss ) serve the function of the weights ( w ) in fig2 . note also that the fig3 stayed - cable bridge - right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) supports are placed closer to a spanned creek than are the analogically equivalent right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) supports in fig2 . the invention disclosed in fig1 it should be appreciated provides maximum span distance between right ( rs ) and left ( ls ) supports , it being greater than that provided by the conventional suspension and cable - stayed bridges shown in fig2 and 3 . simultaneously the requirement of counter - weights is eliminated . it is noted that the compressed lower support ( lss ), serves a greater role in providing structural integrity in the disclosed invention than is the case in most bridges . it should be clear that a major difference of the present invention modified suspension bridge ( msb ), compared to more conventional suspension and cable - stayed bridges , is that the tension cable ( tc ) is continuous and that no counter weights ( w ) are required . the lower support ( lss ) is from going down by the suspension cables ( sc ), and its own weight prevents it from . rising . further , affixing said the tension cable ( tc ) to the lower support ( lss ) at locations along the length thereof can stabilize the bridge even further by coupling the compression and tension bearing elements . it is noted that the lower support ( lss ) serves the purpose of what is commonly termed the deck in bridges . having hereby disclosed the subject matter of the present invention , it should be obvious that many modifications , substitutions , and variations of the present invention are possible in view of the teachings . it is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described , and should be limited in its breadth and scope only by the claims . | 4 |
the present invention provides improved methods and apparatus for exploring reachable states of a graph that avoid the above described problems associated with conventional techniques . in one exemplary implementation , the disclosed path - exploration techniques can be embodied using a conventional dfs algorithm with a feasibility check , such as those described in d . dams and k . namjoshi , “ orion : high precision methods for static error analysis of c and c ++ programs ,” referenced above , as modified herein to provide the features and functions of the present invention . states are stored in a cache of visited states when they are first visited by the dfs algorithm . when an error state is encountered and the path to the error state cannot be shown to be feasible , all states on the path are deleted from the cache of visited states . otherwise , they are left in the cache of visited states . it is noted that feasibility is an exemplary property of a path , and the present invention can be extended to other path properties as well , as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art . in addition , while the present invention is illustrated in the context of a control flow graph representing a software program with designated error states , the present invention can be applied to any state machine , and any type of designated states therein , such as networks or communicating elements of a concurrent system , as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill . as previously indicated , a common state exploration algorithm such as dfs can be used to find whether an error state is reachable from some initial state . fig1 illustrates an exemplary graph 100 on which the present invention can operate . as shown in fig1 , the graph 100 is comprised of states s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , s 4 , s 5 and transitions a , b , c , d , e . the state s 1 is the unique initial state ( indicated by an arrow without label ), and s 5 is an error state ( indicated by the circle around it ). the dfs starts with only state s 1 on its stack . assume that the dfs first selects successor state s 2 for exploration . the dfs will then first reach error state s 5 along the path s 1 , s 2 , s 4 , s 5 . assuming this is an infeasible path , the algorithm backtracks to state s 1 , where it then selects s 3 for exploration . from s 3 , state s 4 is reached , which has already been visited , so the dfs backtracks there . the path to s 5 via state s 3 , which may be feasible , is not found using conventional dfs techniques . as indicated above , the dfs explores all states , but not necessarily all paths through a graph . as shown in fig1 , as the dfs processes the graph 100 , one or more data structures stored in memory 180 are maintained , in a known manner . in particular , the dfs typically maintains a stack 150 and a cache 110 of visited states . generally , the stack 150 contains a representation of the current path being processed , from the entry state to a current state . as the dfs visits the reachable states in the graph 100 , the data structures 110 , 150 are maintained in a conventional manner . the data structures 110 , 150 shown in fig1 are populated with data for a time after the state s 5 has been processed and it is determined that there are no states below s 5 to be processed ( no successor states to state s 5 ). it is noted that data elements are only taken from the top of the stack 150 , and the elements in the stack 150 are ordered . the path evaluation routine will eventually backtrack to state s 1 and then resume forward with state s 3 along a new path . fig2 illustrates pseudo - code for an exemplary path - exploration algorithm 200 based on state space caching . the path - exploration algorithm 200 does not employ a visited state cache 110 ( at the cost of revisiting previously visited states ) or a feasibility analysis . generally , the path - exploration algorithm 200 alters the dfs search so as to backtrack only when a state is encountered that is already on the stack . in other words , the path - exploration algorithm 200 does not remember any state that was visited , by not maintaining the visited state cache 110 at all . as shown in fig2 , the path - exploration algorithm 200 collects all paths starting from an initial state s in the set exploredpaths . it is noted that the path - exploration algorithm 200 only backtracks when the encountered state is already on the stack . the function nsuccs returns the number of successors of a given state ( assumed to be ordered ). when nsuccs ( s ) equals k for some state s , then its successors are succ 0 ( s ) through succ k − 1 ( s ). according to one aspect of the invention , a path - exploration algorithm 300 is provided that employs a visited state cache 110 , as well as a feasibility analysis . fig3 illustrates pseudo - code for an exemplary path - exploration algorithm 300 according to one embodiment of the invention . generally , if an error is detected by the path - exploration algorithm 300 , it is determined whether the path to the error state is a feasible path . in addition , upon a determination that a path to an error state is an infeasible path , the path - exploration algorithm 300 removes all states from the visited state cache 110 ( i . e ., the set black , in the algorithm of fig3 ) that are part of the infeasible path . in this manner , the path - exploration algorithm 300 will not remember that a state removed from the visited state cache 110 was previously visited . on the first visit , when it is determined that a path to an error state is an infeasible path , the detected error will not be reported as a result of the infeasibility . on a subsequent visit to a previously visited state , the alternate path may be a feasible path and thus the error may be reportable . as discussed hereinafter , the path - exploration algorithm 300 can be viewed as a variation of a conventional dfs algorithm , in which the stack states are removed from the cache of visited states 110 whenever a path to an error state cannot be shown to be feasible ( line 15 ). as shown in fig3 , the set black is the visited state cache 110 . the stack 150 is initialized at line 2 to an empty sequence . the sets black and output are initialized at lines 1 and 3 , respectively . at line 8 , if the state s belongs to the set 110 of visited states , or is in the stack 150 , then the search backtracks ( backtracking criterion ). otherwise , the state s is added to the cache 110 of visited states at line 10 and pushed onto the top of the stack 150 at line 11 . if the state s is determined to have an error at line 13 , where e is the set of error states , a test is performed at line 14 to determine if the path defined by the stack 150 is feasible , and if so , the error is reported . if , however , it is determined at line 15 that the path defined by the stack 150 is not feasible , then the states associated with the path defined by the stack 150 are deleted from the set 110 of visited states ( black ) at line 15 , in accordance with the present invention . the path - exploration algorithm 300 iterates during lines 19 - 23 over the successor states of state s . in general , the present invention can be considered to provide a policy for maintaining the set 110 of visited states , with the goal of identifying feasible paths leading to error states , or , as noted before , any other property of paths instead of feasibility , and any other property of states instead of being an error state . in general , the algorithms presented in fig2 and 3 will only find non - looping paths having an error . when considering paths with loops , the algorithm may not terminate . this may be avoided by replacing line 8 in fig3 with the following : fig4 is a block diagram of a path evaluation system 400 that can implement the processes of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , memory 430 configures the processor 420 to implement the path evaluation methods , steps , and functions disclosed herein ( collectively , shown as 480 in fig4 ). the memory 430 could be distributed or local and the processor 420 could be distributed or singular . the memory 430 could be implemented as an electrical , magnetic or optical memory , or any combination of these or other types of storage devices . it should be noted that each distributed processor that makes up processor 420 generally contains its own addressable memory space . it should also be noted that some or all of computer system 400 can be incorporated into an application - specific or general - use integrated circuit . as is known in the art , the methods and apparatus discussed herein may be distributed as an article of manufacture that itself comprises a computer readable medium having computer readable code means embodied thereon . the computer readable program code means is operable , in conjunction with a computer system , to carry out all or some of the steps to perform the methods or create the apparatuses discussed herein . the computer readable medium may be a recordable medium ( e . g ., floppy disks , hard drives , compact disks , or memory cards ) or may be a transmission medium ( e . g ., a network comprising fiber - optics , the world - wide web , cables , or a wireless channel using time - division multiple access , code - division multiple access , or other radio - frequency channel ). any medium known or developed that can store information suitable for use with a computer system may be used . the computer - readable code means is any mechanism for allowing a computer to read instructions and data , such as magnetic variations on a magnetic media or height variations on the surface of a compact disk . the computer systems and servers described herein each contain a memory that will configure associated processors to implement the methods , steps , and functions disclosed herein . the memories could be distributed or local and the processors could be distributed or singular . the memories could be implemented as an electrical , magnetic or optical memory , or any combination of these or other types of storage devices . moreover , the term “ memory ” should be construed broadly enough to encompass any information able to be read from or written to an address in the addressable space accessed by an associated processor . with this definition , information on a network is still within a memory because the associated processor can retrieve the information from the network . it is to be understood that the embodiments and variations shown and described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 6 |
identically labeled elements appearing in different ones of the figures refer to the same elements but may not be referenced in the description for all figures . the exemplification set out herein illustrates at least one embodiment , in at least one form , and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any manner . fig1 is a cross sectional view of a shaft bearing assembly 1 , comprising shaft 10 , housing 20 , and bearing sleeve assembly 30 . the term axial refers to forces or directions along a longitudinal axis a of the assembly , and the terms radial refers to forces or directions orthogonal to longitudinal axis a . housing 20 can be any housing known in the art , but , for illustrative purposes is shown as an externally supported , separatable collar - type housing , comprising collar segment 21 , fixing means 23 , such as bolts , and bushing shoulder ring 22 . bearing sleeve assembly 30 comprises rolling element bearing 32 , outer sleeve 34 , inner sleeve 36 , optional snap ring 40 and optional preload spring 38 . in the example embodiment shown , shaft 10 is rotating and housing 20 is fixed , although other arrangements are contemplated by the present invention and will be understood by those skilled in the art . in the example embodiment , bearing sleeve assembly 30 can be pre - assembled separately from shaft bearing assembly 1 , as a sub - assembly , and assembled onto shaft assembly 1 in a single operation . alternatively , inner sleeve 36 can be pressed or otherwise fixedly mounted onto an outer radial surface of shaft 10 , rolling element bearing 32 then fixedly mounted or pressed onto an outer radial surface of inner sleeve 36 , then outer sleeve 34 pressed or otherwise mounted on an outer radial surface of bearing 32 inner sleeve 36 may be axially extended to provide more contact area between sleeve 36 and shaft 10 . in the embodiment shown , rolling element bearing 32 is an angular contact ball bearing , having a high contact angle , for example 40 degrees , though any rolling element bearing is contemplated by the present invention . rolling element bearings are known in the art , and comprise inner and outer rings , with a plurality of rolling elements arranged between raceways on the outer radial surface of the inner ring and the inner radial surface of the outer ring , respectively . in an arrangement wherein axial loading is a greater factor than radial loading , optional preload spring 38 can be placed between outer ring 100 , inner ring 101 and outer sleeve 34 , and can be used in order to axially pre - load bearing 32 , displacing ball 50 to or near its maximum contact angle , such that it is better situated to support thrust or axial loads . in an arrangement wherein radial loading is a greater factor than axial loading , preload spring 38 can be removed from the assembly . similarly , snap ring 40 may be used to axially fix bearing 32 within bearing sleeve assembly 30 . snap ring 40 is placed within groove 42 of outer sleeve 34 . in the embodiment shown , sleeves 34 and 36 are l - shaped , and mirror each other , such that a disc - shaped radial extension 52 of inner sleeve 36 extends radially outwardly from longitudinal cylindrical bearing support section 53 , and is axially opposite to disc shaped radial extension 55 of outer sleeve 34 which extends radially inwardly from longitudinal cylindrical bearing support segment 56 . in this manner , bearing 32 is confined in both axial directions . once bearing sleeve assembly 30 is mounted on shaft 10 , housing 20 is mounted on a radially outer surface of outer sleeve 34 . in the embodiment shown , housing 20 has two separable halves or collars , that can be assembled over sleeve assembly 30 , and supported in position using an external structure , such as a shaft parallel to shaft 10 ( not shown ). in order to remove and replace bearing 32 , housing 20 is removed from the assembly . snap ring 40 and outer sleeve 34 are then removed . bearing 32 is removed from sleeve 36 using any suitable press or other operation inner sleeve 36 can remain on shaft 10 , and a new bearing 32 pressed onto inner sleeve 36 , re - assembling sleeve assembly 30 , as described above . in this manner , no direct additional operations are performed on shaft 10 . in the foregoing description , example embodiments are described . the specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto , without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention . in addition , it should be understood that the figures illustrated in the attachments , which highlight the functionality and advantages of the example embodiments , are presented for example purposes only . the architecture or construction of example embodiments described herein is sufficiently flexible and configurable , such that it may be utilized ( and navigated ) in ways other than that shown in the accompanying figures . although example embodiments have been described herein , many additional modifications and variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is therefore to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . thus , the present example embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . | 5 |
the isophoronediisocyanate used in the method of the invention may be prepared by a wide variety of processes , for example by phosgenation or by a phosgene - free method such as urethane splitting . the oligomerization catalysts used in the method of the invention are saline compounds containing 10 to 97 . 1 wt . % of 1 , 2 , 3 - and / or 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate structures ( calculated as c2n3 ; molecular weight 66 ) in the anion . they are compounds containing triazolate structures of formula ( i ) and / or ( ii ) r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 independently represent hydrogen , fluorine , chlorine , bromine , a nitro group , a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radical , a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic or araliphatic radical which contains up to 20 carbon atoms and optionally up to 3 heteroatoms selected from oxygen , sulphur and nitrogen , wherein the substituents optionally are halogen atoms or nitro groups , r 3 and r 4 in formula ( ii ), combined and together with the carbon atoms of the 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolate five - membered compound and optionally a further nitrogen atom or an oxygen atom , can form anellated rings with 3 to 6 carbon atoms . preferred oligomerization catalysts are those which contain in the anion triazolate structures of general formula ( i ), where r 1 and independently represent hydrogen , fluorine , chlorine , bromine , a nitro group , a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radical , a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic or araliphatic radical which contains up to 12 carbon atoms and optionally up to 3 heteroatoms selected from oxygen , sulphur and nitrogen , wherein the substituents optionally are halogen atoms or nitro groups . similarly preferred oligomerization catalysts are those containing in the anion triazolate structures of general formula ( ii ), where r 3 and r 4 independently represent hydrogen , fluorine , chlorine or bromine or a nitro group , a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radical , an optionally substituted aromatic or araliphatic radical which contains up to 12 carbon atoms and optionally up to 3 heteroatoms selected from oxygen , sulphur and nitrogen and which may optionally be substituted by halogen atoms or nitro groups and , combined and together with the carbon atoms of the 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolate five - membered compound and optionally a further nitrogen atom or an oxygen atom , can form anellated rings with 3 to 6 carbon atoms . salts of 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole , 1 , 2 , 3 - triazole and / or 1 , 2 , 3 - benzotriazole are particularly preferred oligomerization catalysts for the method of the invention . the catalysts used according to the invention may contain a wide variety of cations as counterions to the catalytically active triazolate anions . examples include alkali metal cations such as li + , na + and k + , alkaline earth cations such as mg 2 + and ca 2 + and ammonium or phosphonium cations of general formula ( iii ) r 5 , r 6 , r 7 and r 8 independently represent a hydrogen atom , a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radical , a optionally substituted aromatic or araliphatic radical which contains up to 24 carbon atoms and optionally up to 3 heteroatoms from the oxygen , sulphur and nitrogen range and which may optionally be substituted by halogen atoms or hydroxy groups , and where r 8 may also stand for a radical of formula ( iv ) x represents a double - bonding , optionally substituted aliphatic , cycloaliphatic , araliphatic or aromatic radical with up to 12 carbon atoms . preferred cations are alkaline ions or monovalent ammonium or phosphonium cations of general formula ( iii ), where r 5 , r 6 , r 7 and r 8 independently represent a saturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radical or a optionally substituted aromatic or araliphatic radical with up to 18 carbon atoms . some of the saline compounds used as oligomerization catalysts in the method of the invention are commercially obtainable for example in the form of their sodium salts ; others are easily accessible by normal laboratory methods as demonstrated by the examples . in the method of the invention these catalysts are employed in quantities of 0 . 01 to 3 wt . %, preferably 0 . 1 to 1 wt . % based on the ipdi used . they may be added to the reaction mixture without solvents ; however the catalysts are preferably used dissolved in a suitable organic solvent . the degree of dilution of the catalyst solutions may be chosen freely within a very wide range . solutions from a concentration of 0 . 01 wt . % are catalytically effective . suitable catalyst solvents include those which are inert relative to isocyanate groups , such as hexane , toluene , xylene , benzol chloride , acetic acid ethyl ester , acetic acid butyl ester , diethylene glycol dimethylether , dipropyleneglycol dimethylether , ethyleneglycol monomethyl or ethyl etheracetate , diethyleneglycolethyl and butyletheracetate , propyleneglycol monomethyl etheracetate , 1 - methoxypropyl - 2 - acetate , 3 - methoxy - n - butylacetate , propyleneglycol diacetate , acetone , methylethylketone , methylisobutylketone , cyclohexanone , lactones such as β - propiolactone , γ - butyrolactone , ε - caprolactone and ε - methylcaprolactone , but also solvents such as n - methylpyrrolidone and n - methylcaprolactam , 1 , 2 - propylene carbonate , methylene chloride , dimethyl sulphoxide , triethyl phosphate or any mixtures of such solvents . however the catalyst solvents used in the method of the invention preferably carry groups reactive with isocyanates and are included in the reaction product . some examples of such solvents are mono or multivalent simple alcohols such as methanol , ethanol , n - propanol , isopropanol , n - butanol , n - hexanol , 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexanol , ethylene glycol , propylene glycol , the isomeric butane diols , 2 - ethyl - 1 , 3 - hexanediol or glycerin ; ether alcohols such as 1 - methoxy - 2 - propanol , 3 - ethyl - 3 - hydroxymethyl oxetane , tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol , ethylene glycol monomethylether , ethylene glycol monoethylether , ethylene glycol monobutylether , diethylene glycol monomethylether , diethylene glycol monoethylether , ethylene glycol monobutylether , diethylene glycol , dipropylene glycol or liquid , higher molecular weight polyethylene glycols , polypropylene glycols , mixed polyethylene / polypropylene glycols and monoalkyl ethers thereof ; ester alcohols such as ethylene glycol monoacetate , propylene glycol monolaurate , glycerinmono and diacetate , glycerinmonobutyrate or 2 , 2 , 4 - trimethyl - 1 , 3 - pentanediol - monoisobutyrate ; unsaturated alcohols such as allyl alcohol , 1 , 1 - dimethyl allyl alcohol or oleic alcohol ; araliphatic alcohols such as benzyl alcohol ; n - monosubstituted amides such as n - methyl formamide n - methylacetamide , cyanacetamide or 2 - pyrrolidinone or any mixtures of such solvents . if appropriate the oligomerization reaction in the method of the invention is terminated by means of suitable catalyst poisons at the desired stage of the reaction , for example when 10 to 60 % of the isocyanate groups originally in the starting mixture have reacted . such catalyst poisons include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric , phosphorous or phosphoric acid , acid chlorides such as acetyl chloride , benzoyl chloride or isophthaloyl dichloride , sulphonic acids and sulphonic acid esters , such as methane sulphonic acid , p - toluene sulphonic acid , trifluoromethane sulphonic acid , perfluorobutane sulphonic acid , p - toluene sulphonic acid methylester and ethylester , mono and dialkylphosphates such as monotridecylphosphate , dibutylphosphate and dioctylphosphate , but also silylized acids such as methane sulphonic acid trimethylsilylester , trifluoromethane sulphonic acid trimethylsilylester , phosphoric acid tris -( trimethylsilylester ) and phosphoric acid diethylester trimethylsilylester . the quantity of catalyst poison required to stop the reaction depends on the quantity of catalyst employed ; an equivalent quantity of stopper is generally used , relative to the oligomerization catalyst initially introduced . however if allowance is made for any catalyst losses occurring during the reaction even 20 to 80 equivalent % of catalyst poison , relative to the quantity of catalyst initially introduced , may be enough to stop the reaction . although not generally necessary , additives normally used in polyurethane chemistry may optionally be employed as stabilizers in the method of the invention . some examples of the additives in question include phenolic antioxidants such as 2 , 6 - di - tert .- butyl - 4 - methylphenol , 2 , 4 , 6 - tri - tert .- butylphenol and 3 , 5 - di - tert .- butyl - 4 - hydroxyanisol , or phosphite stabilizers trisubstituted with alkyl and / or aryl radicals , such as triphenyl phosphite , tris ( nonyl - phenyl ) phosphite , diphenylisooctylphosphite , diphenylisodecylphosphite , diisodecylphenylphosphite , diisooctyl - octylphenylphosphite , phenyineopentyl glycol phosphite , 2 , 4 , 6 - tri - tert .- butylphenyl -( 2 - butyl - 2 - ethyl - 1 , 3 - propane diol ) phosphite , triisodecyl phosphite , trilauryl phosphite , tris ( tridecyl ) phosphite , diisodecyl - pentaerythritol diphosphite , distearyl - pentaerythritol diphosphite , bis ( 2 , 4 - di - tert .- butyl - phenyl )- pentaerythritol diphosphite and tetraphenyl - dipropylene glycol diphosphite or any mixtures of such additives . these additives are , if appropriate , added to the reaction mixture in quantities of up to 5 wt . %, preferably up to 3 %, relative to the quantity of ipdi employed . in a special embodiment of the method of the invention additives of this type which are liquid at room temperature , preferably said liquid phosphite stabilizers , preferably act as solvents for the catalysts used . the method of the invention is preferably carried out without solvents , apart from any catalyst solvents used . however it may , if desired , be carried out in the presence of further quantities of solvents which are inert relative to isocyanate groups . some examples of suitable solvents include the non - reactive solvents already described above as possible catalyst solvents , or mixtures thereof which may , if appropriate , be used in quantities of up to 80 wt . % relative to the total quantity of ipdi and added solvent . to carry out the method of the invention ipdi is put in first , optionally in inert gas such as nitrogen , optionally in the presence of a suitable solvent and optionally of a stabilizer of the said type at a temperature of 0 to 100 ° c ., preferably 20 to 60 ° c . an oligomerization catalyst or a solution of an oligomerization catalyst of the above - mentioned type is added in the above - mentioned quantity , and the temperature is adjusted to 20 to 100 ° c . or preferably 25 to 80 ° c . optionally by taking a suitable step ( heating or cooling ). the reaction may optionally be terminated on reaching a defined degree of oligomerization of 10 to 60 wt . %, preferably 10 to 40 %, by adding a catalyst poison of the type mentioned as examples and , if appropriate , by subsequently briefly heating the reaction mixture for example to a temperature above 80 ° c . the “ degree of oligomerization ” refers to the percentage of the isocyanate groups present in the original mixture that is consumed during the reaction according to the invention ( particularly by dimerization , also with trimerization and , if the for example alcoholic catalyst solvents described are used , by reaction with isocyanate groups for example with urethanization ). said degree of oligomerization is generally reached after a reaction time of 30 minutes to 8 hours , preferably 1 to 6 hours . the volatile components of the reaction mixture ( excess monomeric ipdi and any non - reactive solvents and stabilizers used ) are then removed , preferably by thin - layer distillation under a high vacuum and under the gentlest possible conditions , for example at a temperature of 120 to 200 ° c ., preferably 140 to 180 ° c . in a further embodiment of the method of the invention said volatile components are separated from the oligomerization product for example by extraction with appropriate solvents which are inert relative to isocyanate groups , for example aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons such as pentane , hexane , heptane , cyclopentane or cyclohexane . in accordance with the invention light - colored or almost colorless , highly viscous ipdi polyisocyanates having uretdione groups are obtained , their content of isocyanate groups being 16 . 0 to 19 . 0 wt . %, preferably 16 . 7 to 17 . 9 % dependent on the degree of oligomerization , the ipdi polyisocyanates containing less than 5 wt . %, preferably less than 2 % and particularly preferably less than 1 % of monomeric ipdi starting material . the molar proportion of isocyanurate structures in the products of the method according to the invention to the sum of uretdione and isocyanurate groups is preferably a maximum of 10 mol %, more preferably a maximum of 8 mol % and most preferably a maximum of 5 mol %. the distilled materials obtained , which in addition to the non - reacted monomeric ipdi contain any solvents and stabilizers used and optionally active catalyst if catalyst poison is not employed , may be utilized for repeat oligomerization without any problems . in the method of the invention , after partial catalytic oligomerization and termination of the reaction at the intended degree of oligomerization by adding a catalyst poison , separation of the surplus , non - reacted ipdi can optionally be dispensed with . in that case the products obtained from the process are light - colored solutions of ipdi polyisocyanate in up to 70 wt . % monomeric ipdi . the method of the invention makes it possible to prepare ipdi uretdiones which differ from those obtainable by known methods in having hitherto unattained low color numbers , in a simple manner using very low concentrations of toxicologically harmless catalysts and within very short reaction times . ipdi uretdiones prepared according to the invention or solutions thereof in monomeric ipdi are particularly valuable starting materials for the preparation of polyurethane plastics by the polyaddition process and preferably for producing single or two - component polyurethane paints , by virtue of their properties . in a form blocked by known blocking agents from polyurethane chemistry they may also be used for single - component stoving enamels . some examples of suitable blocking agents include oximes known from polyurethane chemistry as blocking agents for isocyanate groups , such as acetone oxime , butanone oxime and cyclohexanone oxime , lactams such as ε - caprolactam , c — h - azide compounds such as malonic acid diethylester and acetic ester , n - heterocycles such as 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole , dimethyl - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole , 3 , 5 - dimethylpyrazol and imidazole and any mixtures of those blocking agents . the ipdi - uretdiones obtainable by the method of the invention are particularly suitable starting components for the preparation of uretdione cross - linking agents for coating powders . 200 ml of dry methanol and 48 ml of a 30 % solution of sodium methanolate in methanol , corresponding to 0 . 25 mol sodium methanolate , were put first into a three - necked flask agitator with a mechanical stirrer , internal thermometer and reflux cooler , with dry nitrogen . 17 . 4 g ( 0 . 25 mol ) of 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole was added in portions at room temperature . when the addition of the 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole had been completed the reaction mixture was agitated for 4 hours at reflux temperature . the solvent was then distilled off at reduced pressure and the oily residue left was mixed with 200 ml of methylene chloride at room temperature . the mixture was agitated for 15 minutes at room temperature and the product precipitated as a solid was filtered off . 22 . 5 g sodium - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate ( yield 98 %) was obtained in the form of a colorless powder . the product was 1 h - nmr spectroscopically pure and free of any 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole included . 17 . 4 g ( 0 . 25 mol ) of 1 , 2 , 3 - triazole was reacted in 200 ml methanol with an equivalent quantity of sodium methanolate solution in methanol by the method described for catalyst 1 . the reaction mixture was processed as described and 22 . 4 g sodium - 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolate was obtained ( yield 98 %) in the form of a virtually colorless powder . the product was pure according to the 1 h - nmr spectrum and free of starting material ( educt ). 29 . 8 g ( 0 . 25 mol ) of benzotriazole was reacted in 200 ml methanol with an equivalent quantity of sodium methanolate solution in methanol by the method described for catalyst 1 . the reaction mixture was processed as described and 34 . 2 g sodium benzotriazoleate was obtained ( yield 97 %) in the form of a virtually colorless powder . the product was pure according to the 1 h - nmr spectrum and free of starting material . 18 . 0 g of a 30 % solution of sodium methanolate in methanol , corresponding to 0 . 1 mol sodium methanolate , was put first into a three - necked flask agitator with a mechanical stirrer , internal thermometer and reflux cooler , at room temperature with dry nitrogen . a solution of 6 . 9 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole in 20 ml methanol was added drop by drop within 20 minutes , then the reaction mixture was agitated for an hour , after which 41 . 3 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of a 71 . 4 % solution of tetrabutylphosphonium chloride in isopropanol ( cyphos 443p , produced by cytec ) was added within 20 minutes . as soon as the addition of the phosphonium salt was started precipitation of sodium chloride commenced . the reaction mixture was agitated for a further hour at room temperature , filtered and finally reduced in a rotary evaporator at a bath temperature of 40 ° c . and a pressure of approx . 1 mbar to a volume of approx . 50 ml . the residue was filtered again , giving 42 . 5 g of a clear , almost colorless solution of tetrabutylphosphonium - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate in a mixture of methanol and isopropanol . the content of active catalyst , obtained by acidimetric titration with 0 . 1 n hcl against phenolphthalein , was 73 % and the ratio of methanol to isopropanol determined by gas chromatography ( gc ) was 25 . 4 : 74 . 6 % ( area %). using the method described for catalyst 4 , 6 . 9 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 1 , 2 , 3 - triazole was reacted , via the intermediate stage of the sodium salt , with an equivalent quantity of the solution of tetrabutylphosphonium chloride in isopropanol described in example 4 . after reduction in a rotary evaporator and filtration 48 . 1 g of a clear , almost colorless solution of tetrabutylphosphonium - 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolate in a methanol / isopropanol mixture was obtained . the content of active catalyst , obtained by acidimetric titration with 0 . 1 n hcl , was 66 . 3 % and the ratio of methanol to isopropanol determined by gc was 35 . 2 : 64 . 8 % ( area %). using the method described for catalyst 4 , 11 . 9 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of benzotriazole was reacted , via the intermediate stage of the sodium salt , with an equivalent quantity of the solution of tetrabutylphosphonium chloride in isopropanol described in example 4 . after reduction in a rotary evaporator and filtration 52 . 1 g of a clear , slightly yellow solution of tetrabutylphosphonium - benzotriazolate in a methanol / isopropanol mixture was obtained . the content of active catalyst , obtained by acidimetric titration with 0 . 1 n hcl , was 69 . 7 % and the ratio of methanol to isopropanol determined by gc was 31 . 6 : 64 . 8 % ( area %). using the method described for catalyst 4 , 6 . 9 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole dissolved in 20 g methanol was reacted first with 18 . 0 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of a 30 % methanol solution of sodium methanolate then with 90 . 8 g of a 25 % solution of benzyltriethylammonium chloride in 2 - ethylhexanol , corresponding to 0 . 1 mol benzyltriethylammonium chloride . after reduction in a rotary evaporator and filtration 94 . 1 g of a clear , slightly yellow solution of benzyltriethylammonium - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate in a methanol / 2 - ethylhexanol mixture was obtained . the content of active catalyst , obtained by acidimetric titration with 0 . 1 n hcl , was 26 . 5 % and the ratio of methanol to 2 - ethylhexanol determined by gc was 5 , 0 : 95 . 0 % ( area %). using the method described for catalyst 4 , 6 . 9 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 1 , 2 , 4 - triazole dissolved in 20 g methanol was reacted first with 18 . 0 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of a 30 % methanol solution of sodium methanolate then with 80 . 6 g of a 50 % solution of methyltrioctylammonium chloride ( aliquat 336 ) in methanol , corresponding to 0 . 1 mol methyltrioctylammonium chloride . after filtration , removal of the solvent in a rotary evaporator and further filtration , 40 . 3 g of methyltrioctylammonium - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate was obtained as a clear , light yellow liquid . the content of active catalyst , obtained by acidimetric titration with 0 . 1 n hcl , was 92 . 3 %. 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were mixed with a solution of 2 g ( 0 . 022 mol ) sodium - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate ( catalyst 1 ) in 25 ml dimethylsulphoxide ( dmso ) at 40 ° c . under dry nitrogen and with agitation , whereupon the temperature of the reaction mixture rose to 43 ° c . owing to the reaction heat produced . after a reaction time of 45 minutes , during which the exothermic effect died down , the nco content of the reaction mixture had dropped to a value of 29 . 4 %, corresponding to a 20 . 1 % degree of oligomerization . the catalyst was deactivated by adding 4 . 6 g ( 0 . 022 mol ) of dibutylphosphate . the turbidity created was filtered off and the clear , colorless reaction mixture was freed from its volatile constituents ( excess diisocyanate and catalyst solvent ) by means of a thin - film evaporator at a temperature of 160 ° c . and a pressure of 0 . 3 mbar . a colorless uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a content of free nco groups of 17 . 6 %, a monomeric ipdi content of 0 . 3 %, a viscosity ( to din 53 018 ) of over 200 000 mpas ( 23 ° c .) and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 8 . the molar ratio of uretdione to isocyanurate groups , obtained by 13 c - nmr spectroscopy , was 96 . 2 : 3 . 8 . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were mixed with a solution of 1 . 2 g ( 0 . 013 mol ) of sodium - 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolate ( catalyst 2 ) in 15 ml dimethylsulphoxide ( dmso ) at 40 ° c . under dry nitrogen and with agitation ; the reaction mixture was slightly heated to approx . 42 ° c . after a reaction time of 2 hours the nco content of the reaction mixture had dropped to a value of 29 . 4 %, corresponding to a 20 . 1 % degree of oligomerization . the catalyst was deactivated by adding 4 . 6 g ( 0 . 022 mol ) of dibutylphosphate . the turbidity created was filtered off and the clear , colorless reaction mixture was freed from volatile constituents ( excess diisocyanate and catalyst solvent ) as described in example 1 . a highly viscous , colorless uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 16 . 9 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 3 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 8 . 13 c - nmr spectroscopy shows the product to be free of isocyanurate groups . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were mixed with a solution of 1 . 3 g ( 0 . 009 mol ) sodium - benzotriazolate ( catalyst 3 ) in 13 ml dimethylsulphoxide ( dmso ) at 40 ° c . under dry nitrogen and with agitation ; the reaction mixture was heated slightly by 2 to 3 ° c . the exothermic effect dies down after about 30 minutes and , after a reaction time of 2 hours the nco content of the mixture had dropped to a value of 29 . 3 %, corresponding to a 21 . 3 % degree of oligomerization . the catalyst was deactivated by adding 1 . 9 g ( 0 . 009 mol ) of dibutylphosphate . the turbidity created was filtered off and the clear , colorless reaction mixture was freed from its volatile constituents ( excess diisocyanate and catalyst solvent ) as described in example 1 . a highly viscous , light yellow uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 16 . 9 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 5 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 9 . the molar ratio of uretdione to isocyanurate structures , obtained by 13 c - nmr spectroscopy , was 94 . 1 : 5 . 9 . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were degassed under vacuum ( 2 mbar ) for 1 hour , then ventilated with dry nitrogen and heated to 40 ° c . 2 . 3 g ( 5 . 1 mmol ) of catalyst 4 ( tetrabutylphosphonium - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate in methanol / isopropanol ) was stirred in , and the reaction mixture was heated to 43 ° c . by the reaction heat produced . 35 minutes later , when the exothermic effect had died down , further catalysis was carried out with an additional 2 . 3 g ( 5 . 1 mmol ) of catalyst solution . after a total reaction time of 1 hour 10 minutes the nco content of the reaction mixture was 32 . 3 %, corresponding to a 14 . 2 % degree of oligomerization . the catalyst was deactivated by adding 2 . 15 g ( 10 . 2 mmol ) of dibutylphosphate and the resultant clear , slightly yellow mixture was freed from excess diisocyanate by thin - layer distillation as described in example 1 . a highly viscous , light yellow uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 17 . 3 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 5 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 9 . the molar ratio of uretdione to isocyanurate structures , obtained by 13 c - nmr spectroscopy , was 96 . 1 : 3 . 9 . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were degassed under vacuum as described in example 4 , ventilated with dry nitrogen and heated to 40 ° c . 2 . 3 g ( 4 . 7 mmol ) of catalyst 5 ( tetrabutylphosphonium - 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolate in methanol / isopropanol ) was stirred in , and the reaction mixture was heated slightly to 42 ° c . by the reaction heat produced . 2 hours later , when the exothermic effect had died down , further catalysis was carried out with an additional 2 . 3 g ( 4 . 7 mmol ) of catalyst solution and again 55 minutes later with 1 . 15 g ( 2 . 3 mmol ) of catalyst solution . after a total reaction time of 5 hours 15 minutes the nco content of the reaction mixture was 29 . 8 %, corresponding to a 20 . 7 % degree of oligomerization . the catalyst was deactivated by adding 2 . 45 g ( 11 . 7 mmol ) of dibutylphosphate and the resultant clear , slightly yellow mixture was freed from excess diisocyanate by thin - layer distillation as described in example 1 . a highly viscous , light yellow uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 17 . 3 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 5 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 8 . the molar ratio of uretdione to isocyanurate structures , obtained by 13 c - nmr spectroscopy , was 94 . 9 : 5 . 1 . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were degassed under vacuum as described in example 4 , ventilated with dry nitrogen and heated to 40 ° c . 2 . 7 g ( 5 . 0 mmol ) of catalyst 6 ( tetrabutylphosphonium - benzotriazolate in methanol / isopropanol ) was stirred in , and the reaction mixture was slightly heated to about 42 ° c . by the reaction heat produced . after a reaction time of 40 minutes , during which the exothermic effect dies down , the nco content of the reaction mixture was 31 . 5 %, corresponding to a 16 . 4 % degree of oligomerization . the catalyst was deactivated by adding 1 . 05 g ( 5 . 0 mmol ) of dibutylphosphate and the resultant clear , light yellow mixture was freed from excess diisocyanate by thin - layer distillation as described in example 1 . a highly viscous , yellow uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 17 . 0 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 3 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 11 . the molar ratio of uretdione to isocyanurate structures , obtained by 13 c - nmr spectroscopy , was 92 . 8 : 7 . 2 . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were degassed under vacuum as described in example 4 , ventilated with dry nitrogen and heated to 40 ° c . 2 . 5 g ( 2 . 5 mmol ) of catalyst 7 ( benzyltriethylammonium - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate in methanol / 2 - ethylhexanol ) was stirred in , and the reaction mixture was heated to about 44 ° c . by the reaction heat produced . when the exothermic effect had died down further catalysis was carried out three times at 45 - minute intervals with an additional 2 . 5 g ( 2 . 5 mmol ) of catalyst solution . after a total reaction time of 3 hours 10 minutes the nco content of the reaction mixture was 29 . 6 %, corresponding to a 20 . 9 % degree of oligomerization . the catalyst was deactivated by adding 2 . 10 g ( 10 . 0 mmol ) of dibutylphosphate and the resultant clear , yellow mixture was freed from excess diisocyanate by thin - layer distillation as described in example 1 . a highly viscous , light yellow uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 17 . 0 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 4 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 10 . the molar ratio of uretdione to isocyanurate structures , obtained by 13 c - nmr spectroscopy , was 96 . 3 : 3 . 7 . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were degassed under vacuum as described in example 4 , ventilated with dry nitrogen and heated to 40 ° c . 0 . 8 g ( 1 . 8 mmol ) of catalyst 8 ( methyltrioctylammonium - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolate ) was stirred in , and the reaction mixture was heated to about 42 ° c . by the reaction heat produced . after a reaction time of 45 minutes , during which the exothermic effect dies down , the nco content of the reaction mixture was 29 . 7 %, corresponding to a 21 . 4 % degree of oligomerization . the catalyst was deactivated by adding 0 . 38 g ( 1 . 8 mmol ) of dibutylphosphate and the resultant clear , colorless mixture was freed from excess diisocyanate by thin - layer distillation as described in example 1 . a highly viscous , almost colorless uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 16 . 9 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 4 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 8 . the molar ratio of uretdione to isocyanurate structures , obtained by 13 c - nmr spectroscopy , was 98 . 8 : 1 . 2 . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were mixed with 20 g ( 2 %) of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( dmap ) as catalyst at room temperature , under dry nitrogen and with agitation . after 20 hours the light yellow reaction mixture , which had a 28 . 7 % nco content corresponding to a 22 . 6 % degree of oligomerization , was freed from volatile constituents by means of a thin - film evaporator at a temperature of 160 ° c . and a pressure of 0 . 3 mbar , without previous addition of a catalyst poison . a highly viscous , light yellow uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 17 . 8 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 3 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 65 . the 13 c - nmr spectrum shows the product to be free of isocyanurate structures . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were successively mixed with 10 g ( 1 %) of triisodecylphosphite as stabilizer and 10 g ( 1 %) of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( dmap ) as catalyst at room temperature , under dry nitrogen and with agitation . after 20 hours the light yellow reaction mixture , which had a 30 . 4 % nco content corresponding to an 18 . 0 % degree of oligomerization , was freed from volatile constituents by means of a thin - film evaporator at a temperature of 160 ° c . and a pressure of 0 . 3 mbar , without previous addition of a catalyst poison . a highly viscous , yellow uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 17 . 5 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 4 % content of monomeric ipdi and a color number ( apha ), determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 23 . 1000 g ( 4 . 50 mol ) of isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) were mixed with 20 g ( 1 %) of triphenylphosphite as stabilizer and 20 g ( 1 %) of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( dmap ) as catalyst at room temperature , under dry nitrogen and with agitation . after 20 hours the light yellow reaction mixture , which had a 28 . 8 % nco content corresponding to a 20 . 8 % degree of oligomerization , was freed from volatile constituents by means of a thin - film evaporator at a temperature of 160 ° c . and a pressure of 0 . 3 mbar , without previous addition of a catalyst poison . a highly viscous , yellowish - brown uretdione polyisocyanate was obtained , with a 17 . 2 % content of free nco groups , a 0 . 4 % content of monomeric ipdi and a hazen color number , determined on a 10 % solution in methylene chloride , of 47 . the comparative examples show that the dimerization process according to the invention requires considerably smaller quantities of catalyst than known state of the art processes yet gives a product with a far lower color number . preparation of a uretdione coating powder hardener ( use according to ep - a 639 598 ) 350 . 0 g ( 1 . 47 gram equivalent ) of the ipdi uretdione polyisocyanate from example 1 , which had a 19 . 2 % content of uretdione groups after hot titration , was put in first under dry nitrogen and heated to 80 ° c . a mixture of 176 . 0 g ( 0 . 88 gram equivalent ) of a commercial ε - caprolactone polyesterdiol started on 1 . 4 butanediol , with an oh number of 280 mg koh / g ( capa 203 , produced by solvay ), 19 . 8 g ( 0 . 44 gram equivalent ) of 1 , 4 - butanediol and 19 . 5 g ( 0 . 15 gram equivalent ) of 2 - ethyl - 1 - hexanol was added within 30 minutes and agitated at a maximum reaction temperature of 100 ° c . until the nco content of the mixture had dropped to a value of 0 . 8 % after about 4 hours . the melt was poured onto a metal sheet to cool it and a polyaddition compound , containing uretdione groups and appropriate for cross - linking coating powders , was obtained in the form of a solid , colorless resin . the product had the following properties : although the invention has been described in detail in the foregoing for the purpose of illustration , it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be limited by the claims . | 2 |
embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to screen printers or stencil printers used to produce printed circuit boards . as understood by those skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention can be used with electronic substrates other than circuit boards , such as electronic components , and with machines other than screen printers such as pick and place machines or dispensing machines . referring to fig1 , a printer 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention that applies solder paste or other materials to substrates , such as circuit boards , is shown . the printer is an improvement over the screen printers described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 324 , 973 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . as shown in fig1 , the printer 100 includes a frame 102 , a controller 104 , a stencil 106 , solder paste cartridges 110 , a dispensing head / squeegee 108 , a board support mechanism 122 , a tractor feed mechanism 114 and a circuit board 116 . the circuit board enters the printer 100 on the tractor feed mechanism 114 . the stencil 106 is attached fixedly to the frame 102 in a position above the position in which the circuit board 116 will enter the printer on the tractor feed mechanism 114 . the dispenser head / squeegee 108 is in proximity to the solder paste cartridges 110 and is attached to the printer 100 in a position above the solder stencil 106 . the solder stencil 106 has apertures through which solder is deposited on the surface of a circuit board . the controller 104 is internal to the mechanisms of the printer 100 . the controller is configured to receive signals from operations in the printer , such as alignment of the board , movement of the stencil , and deposit of the solder paste , and control the printer accordingly . circuit boards 116 fed into the printer 100 typically have a pattern of pads or other , usually conductive surface areas onto which solder paste will be deposited . when directed by the controller of the printer , the tractor feed mechanism 114 supplies boards to a location over the board support mechanism and under the stencil 106 . once arriving at the position under the stencil 106 , the circuit board 116 is in place for a manufacturing operation . to successfully deposit solder paste on the circuit board 116 , the circuit board 116 and the stencil 106 are aligned , via the controller . alignment is accomplished by moving the stencil or circuit board based on readings from the vision inspection system , discussed below . when the solder stencil 106 and the circuit board 116 are aligned correctly , the stencil is lowered toward the board 116 for application of the solder paste through the apertures , or the circuit board can be raised toward the stencil by the support mechanism 122 . the pattern of the apertures on the stencil corresponds to the pattern of conductive surfaces or pads already on the circuit board 116 . the dispenser head / squeegee 108 , positioned above the stencil 106 , can vary the amount of solder paste delivered on the stencil 106 and applied by the squeegee . the squeegee 108 wipes across the stencil , thereby pushing solder paste into the stencil apertures and onto the board 116 . solder paste remains on the circuit board 116 in the preset pattern when the support mechanism supporting the board moves downward away from the position of the stencil , or the stencil moves upward away from the board , under control of the controller . the surface tension between the circuit board 116 and the solder paste causes most of the solder paste to remain on the circuit board when the circuit board 116 and the stencil 106 are separated . a vision inspection system then moves into position over the circuit board 116 to inspect the solder paste deposits to determine whether the solder paste has been accurately placed on the circuit board . inspection aids in ensuring that the proper amount of material has been deposited and that the material has been deposited at the proper locations on the circuit board . the vision inspection system can use fiducials , chips , board apertures , chip edges , or other recognizable patterns on the circuit board to determine proper alignment . after inspection of the circuit board , the controller controls movement of the circuit board 116 to the next location using the tractor feed mechanism , where electrical components will be placed on the circuit board 116 . in addition to vision inspection of the circuit board upon completion of the deposition of solder paste onto the circuit board , in one embodiment of the invention , the stencil is cleaned using a wiper to remove excess solder paste from the surface of the stencil prior to beginning a print cycle on a next circuit board . generally , in known printers , the wiper used to clean the stencil moves over the surface of the stencil after printing has occurred . removal of excess solder paste can occur after each print cycle , or after a number of print cycles when it has been determined that a substantial amount of solder paste is on the surface of the stencil and should be removed . additionally , before the circuit board can move to a next print operation in the printer or otherwise , the circuit board is inspected to determine the accuracy with which solder paste has been deposited on the surface of the circuit board . to accomplish improvements and efficiency in the print cycle , the board inspection process and the stencil cleaning process occur substantially in parallel . during the inspection of at least one of the printed boards , the stencil is moved to a position where a stencil wipe process occurs . referring to fig2 a - 2 g , like numbers referring to like elements , in each of the fig2 a - 2 g , as each represents a printer in a different phase of printing . in fig2 a - 2 g , the printer of fig1 is shown in a series of top perspectives . in fig2 a - 2 g , the wiper remains fixed in position while the stencil is in motion . in fig2 a - 2 g , the printer 100 includes the stencil 106 , the squeegee 108 , the circuit board 116 , a vision probe 130 , a vision gantry 132 , and a fixed wiper 134 . the vision probe 130 is coupled to the vision gantry 132 , which is coupled to the frame of the printer 100 . the vision probe 130 is located between the stencil 106 and the circuit board 116 . the vision probe 130 moves into position over the circuit board 116 via a vision gantry system . the squeegee 108 is coupled to the frame in a position above the stencil 106 . in fig2 a , the circuit board 116 is loaded into the printer 100 . in fig2 b , the circuit board 116 and the stencil 106 are aligned . alignment of the stencil 106 and the circuit board 116 is accomplished by using the vision probe 130 . the vision probe can be , for example , the vision probe discussed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 060 , 063 , entitled , “ viewing and illuminating video probe with viewing means for simultaneously viewing object and device images along viewing axis and translating them along optical axis ,” which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is herein incorporated by reference . also incorporated by reference in its entirety is u . s . pat . no . re 35 , 615 entitled , “ video probe aligning of object to be acted upon ,” which further discusses aspects of the vision probe of the present invention . once aligned , the vision probe 130 is moved from its position to a resting position via the vision gantry 132 , and the circuit board 116 and the stencil 106 come into contact , or substantially close proximity for printing , as shown in fig2 c . printing of solder paste occurs as the squeegee 108 translates over the surface of the stencil 106 and deposits solder paste through the apertures of the stencil 106 , onto the circuit board 116 . the squeegee 108 can make a full forward sweep and come to a resting position in preparation for a next circuit board 116 . alternatively , the squeegee 108 can deposit solder paste on the circuit board and return to its starting position . with solder paste deposited on the surface of the circuit board 116 , the circuit board 116 separates from the stencil 106 by dropping away from the surface of the stencil , shown in fig2 d . alternatively , the stencil can be moved upward away from the surface of the circuit board 116 . having completed printing , the stencil translates , for example toward the back of the printer 100 , to be cleaned . while in most known systems the stencil is fixed in position , in the present printer 100 , the stencil can move in a forward and backward motion . the stencil is cleaned by moving from front to back over the surface of the wiper 134 , as the wiper contacts the surface of the stencil and removes excess solder paste . the stencil moves to the back and over the surface of the wiper by moving backward in the printer 100 , i . e ., in the negative y axis direction , and the stencil moves back into position by moving forward in the positive y axis direction . this motion is the translation of the stencil , although it is possible that translation of the stencil in the printer 100 may occur in the x axis direction alternatively or additionally . the wiper 134 may be fixed in position to a side of the track 136 , which is the track along which the circuit board is transported . the wiper 134 generally contacts the bottom or undersurface of the stencil where deposits of material may become built up . preferably , the wiper 134 is positioned toward the rear of the printer 100 so as not to interfere with the operation of the stencil and vision system . the stencil 106 is positioned at a level above the wiper 134 . as the stencil translates rearward , the wiper 134 cleans the surface of the stencil by contacting the stencil while the stencil travels over the wiper and removes the residual solder paste . referring to fig3 , a side view of the process described in fig2 a - 2 g is shown . from this view , it is more clearly shown that the stencil 106 moves in a forward and backward direction indicated by arrow 190 . as the stencil 106 moves from the first position over the circuit board 116 , it contacts the fixed wiper 134 , leaving a substantial space over the position of the circuit board 116 . thus , the stencil can move in a first direction that is substantially perpendicular to the position of the circuit board , and in a second planar position substantially parallel to the position of the circuit board . with continued reference to fig3 , and referring again to fig2 d , during the time in which the stencil is cleaned by the wiper 134 , or substantially simultaneously , the vision probe 130 moves into a position over the surface of the circuit board 116 to perform an inspection task . the vision probe moves in a forward and back motion as indicated by arrow 192 . the vision probe 130 is restricted in its movements to a position over the circuit board while the stencil is being cleaned , since the stencil is moved toward the rear of the printer 100 , allowing a substantial space over the circuit board for the vision probe 130 to inspect . thus , wiping of the stencil and inspection of the circuit board may be accomplished in parallel . however , it may not be necessary to clean the stencil after each print cycle , so inspection can occur independently of the cleaning of the stencil . referring to fig2 e , upon completion of inspection , the circuit board 116 exits the printer 100 . the circuit board 116 can exit the printer while the stencil continues to be cleaned . the printing of a first circuit board 116 is thereby completed , and the circuit board can continue to a next manufacturing cycle . the printer 100 is prepared to accept a new circuit board 116 via tracks 136 , as is shown in fig2 f , and a next print cycle can begin . while the next circuit board 116 moves into position in the printer , the stencil wipe process is completed and the stencil 106 moves towards the front of the printer 100 to begin the printing cycle for the new circuit board , as is shown in fig2 g . the process of printing a circuit board including stencil wipe and circuit board inspection as depicted in fig2 a - 2 g can be repeated any number of times to correspond to the number of boards in need of the printing of solder paste . the process may be required at the completion of the printing of a single circuit board 116 , or it may be completed after a predetermined number of circuit boards 116 are printed , as inspection and cleaning may not be necessary after each print cycle . due to the relative positioning of the stencil and the vision probe , and the ability of the stencil to translate toward the back of the printer , substantially simultaneous operations can occur , thereby reducing the cycle time necessary to complete the printing operation . in addition to improving the cycle time , quality is not compromised , as the circuit boards continue to be inspected . for example , in some printing cycles , a typical inspection task may take from 20 to 60 seconds to accomplish . wiping of the stencil may occur over a duration of 40 to 60 seconds , depending on the type of wipe process in use . therefore , with the inspection and the stencil wipe working in parallel , both processes may be completed in one minute or less , saving on the order of ½ to 1 minute in cycle time . these cycle periods are exemplary only and may vary depending on the print cycle characteristics for each machine or product . embodiments of the invention describe a fixed wiper positioned below the stencil that cleans the bottom surface of a stencil when the stencil is translated over the wiper blade . in other embodiments of the invention , a wiper is fixed above the surface of the stencil to likewise clean the top surface of the stencil . in still further embodiments of the present invention , the stencil translates to a position over the wiper , and the wiper translates orthogonal to the motion of the stencil when the stencil has moved to be positioned over the wiper . in still further embodiments of the invention , more than one wiper is fixed in a position below the stencil for cleaning . other positions of the wiper in relation to the stencil are envisioned . in embodiments of the invention , the vision inspection probe moves on a gantry system to inspect the board after deposition has occurred . in other embodiments of the invention , after inspection of the first board , a second board loaded into position for printing can be properly aligned using the vision system , while the stencil continues to be cleaned . having thus described at least one illustrative embodiment of the invention , various alterations , modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art . such alterations , modifications and improvements are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended as limiting . the invention &# 39 ; s limit is defined only in the following claims and the equivalents thereto . | 7 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , a buffing apparatus 2 a base 3 supports a tire chuck 4 on which an inflated tire t is rotatably supported about an axis x . a variable speed motor 5 drives the tire t at a speed of between 6 and 30 revolutions per minute . the base 3 supports two buffing devices for cutting portions of the sidewall surfaces of tire t , namely a finish buffing wheel 6 and a rough buffing wheel 6 1 ( fig2 ). both buffing wheels 6 and 6 1 are supported in exactly the same manner and the machine parts employed for controlling the buffing wheels 6 and 6 1 are exactly the same . therefore , only the parts associated with the finish buffing wheel 6 will be described , with the understanding that such descriptions also apply to the corresponding parts associated with the rough buffing wheel 6 1 . in fig1 a pair of guide rods 8 are mounted between end support blocks 10 of the base 3 . a frame 12 slides on the guide rods 8 , being connected to the guide rods through bushings 14 . a threaded shaft 16 is rotatably mounted on the support blocks 10 and threadably engages a threaded collar 18 mounted on the frame 12 . the threaded shaft 16 is driven by a main gear 20 connected through a gear reducer 22 to a motor 24 . the motor 24 thus drives the threaded shaft 16 to move the frame 12 back and forth on the guide rods 8 . the motor 24 , gear reducer 22 and main gear 20 also drive the threaded shaft 16 1 associated with the rough buffing wheel 6 1 and are the only parts that are not duplicated and are used in the operation of both buffing wheels 6 and 6 1 . referring to fig2 and 3 , frame 12 includes a platform 26 and a standing support 28 on which two vertical guide ways 30 are mounted . a carriage 32 is slidably mounted on the guide ways 30 , through bushings 34 . a platform 36 on the carriage 32 supports a motor 38 and also a bearing housing 40 which rotatably supports a threaded shaft 41 . the threaded shaft 41 turns in a threaded ball nut 42 mounted on the platform 26 of frame 12 . a pulley wheel 43 is mounted on the threaded shaft 41 and is connected by a toothed belt 44 to a pulley wheel 45 connected to the motor 38 . thus , the motor 38 rotates the threaded shaft 41 to slide the carriage 32 along the guide ways 30 of the frame 12 . the motor 38 is either a stepper motor or a servo - motor which reacts to commands from a computer control 46 ( shown diagrammatically in fig3 ) to turn the threaded shaft 41 in discreet increments as it moves the carriage 32 along guide ways 30 . a pneumatically operated disc brake 47 is mounted at the top end of the threaded shaft 41 . the brake 47 includes an upper rotating disc 47a keyed to the shaft 41 and a lower stationary disc 47b that moves into engagement with the top disc 47a when the motor 38 is not operating , in order to keep the threaded shaft 41 from rotating . the disc brake 47 is supported on a platform 47c mounted on the platform 36 of carriage 32 . also , as shown in fig1 and 3 , two limit switches 48 are mounted on the standing support 28 , which engage an arm 49 extending from the side of the carriage 32 . the limit switches 48 turn off the motor 38 , which also thereby engages the brake 47 , whenever the carriage 32 reaches its upper or lower limit of travel . as shown in fig2 the platform 36 of the carriage 32 also supports the buffing wheel 6 , connected to a shaft 51 , rotatably mounted in a tubular bearing housing 52 and a drive motor 53 . a pulley wheel 54 mounted on the shaft of drive motor 53 is connected by a belt 55 to a pulley wheel 56 on the opposite end of shaft 51 from the buffing wheel 6 . the pulley wheels 54 and 56 and connecting belt 55 are covered by a housing 57 . a shroud 58 ( fig2 and 3 ) is mounted on the ends of housing 52 and motor 53 . the shroud 58 surrounds the buffing wheel 6 , leaving only the lower grinding surface of the wheel 6 exposed at the opening 60 in the shroud 58 . the shroud 58 is connected at its upper end to a discharge tube ( not shown ), designed to convey away particles of rubber removed from the tire t by the wheel 6 . preferably , there is a baffle 62 ( fig3 ) in the shroud 58 to aid in directing the rubber particles toward the upper end of the shroud . a sensor device 64 , best seen in fig4 and 5 , is mounted on the forward end of the shroud 58 . the sensor device 64 includes a lever 66 that rotates about a pin 67 mounted on the shroud 58 . the lever 66 extends along the side of the shroud 58 and the buffing wheel 6 and terminates at a lower end where a small wheel 68 is mounted . as shown in fig5 the wheel 68 is designed to contact a portion of the tire t at a location that is spaced radially from the white sidewall portion of the tire that is contacted by the buffing wheel 50 . the lever 66 is spring loaded by means of a spring 69 surrounding the pin 67 so that the wheel 68 is naturally forced down onto the surface of the tire t . at its upper end , the lever 66 is connected to a transducer 70 mounted on a bracket 72 connected to the front end of the shroud 58 . the transducer 70 may be either a linear variable differential transformer or a transducer that produces digital pulses , the number of pulses being proportioned to the displacement of the upper end of the lever 66 . as the lever 66 rotates in response to the movement of the wheel 68 on a portion of a rotating tire t , the transducer 70 records the circumferential variations in the portion of the tire t contacted by the wheel 68 . the transducer 70 is connected by wires 74 ( fig3 ) to the computer control 46 , and the circumferential variations in the surface of tire t are fed through wires 74 to the computer control 46 . in the operation of the apparatus 2 , a tire t is mounted on a chuck 4 and rotated by the motor 5 at a speed of between 6 and 30 revolutions per minute . the speed of the tire rotation will depend on the finishing requirements of the final buffing , and it may be desirable to slow the tire down during the final steps of buffing . the rough buffing wheel 6 1 and the finish buffing wheel 6 are moved to the proper radial distance from the axis x of the tire t by operating the motor 24 to move the frames 12 and 12 1 inwardly or outwardly with respect to the axis x . of course , the radial positioning of the wheels 6 and 6 1 depends on the position the letters or stripes on the tire from which material is to be removed . with the drive motors 53 and 53 1 rotating buffing wheels 6 and 6 1 at approximately 8 , 000 revolutions per minute , the computer control 46 activates each of the motors 38 and 381 independently to move the buffing wheels , 6 and 6 1 into their respective buffing positions . these positions will be determined by the initial level of the portion of the tire sidewall to be ground , in relation to the level of the adjacent portion of the tire sidewall on which the wheels 68 and 68 1 on levers 66 and 66 1 are designed to ride . when the wheel 68 strikes the sidewall of the tire t , the transducer 70 will send a signal to the computer control 46 indicating the vertical spacing between the wheel 68 and the buffing wheel 6 . likewise , the wheel 68 1 will signal the computer control 46 to indicate the spacing between the vertical wheel 72 1 and the buffing wheel 6 1 . the computer control 46 will then compare these spacings with the desired levels at which the buffing wheels 6 and 6 1 are to begin buffing . these desired buffing levels are pre - programmed into the computer control 46 . the computer control 46 will send an appropriate command to the motors 38 and 38 1 to move the buffing wheel 6 and 6 1 into their buffing positions . as the tire t rotates , the wheels 68 and 68 1 will move with any variations in the portion of the sidewall surface adjacent to the portions to be buffed . those movements will be sensed by the transducers 70 and 70 1 and communicated back to the computer control 46 , which will operate the motors 38 and 38 1 to adjust the carriages 32 and 32 1 so that both carriages at all times hold the buffing wheels 6 and 6 1 at their desired buffing distances above or below the adjacent surface of the tire sidewall on which the wheels 68 and 68 1 are riding . the rough buffing wheel 6 1 preferably rotates in the same direction as the finish grinding wheel 6 , so that material is removed from the tire in opposite directions as the tire rotates . material is removed from the tire sidewall in small amounts by controlling the desired buffing levels that are pre - programmed into the computer control 46 . as the computer control 46 changes the desired cutting levels the buffing wheels 6 and 6 1 are moved further into the portion of tire sidewall being buffed . however , during any given rotation of the tire , the distance between the cutting level and the level of the adjacent surface portion of the tire sidewall remains constant for each buffing wheel , because of the control obtained by the sensor devices 64 and 64 1 . normally , the computer control 46 will be programmed to cause the finish buffing wheel 6 1 to advance at greater cutting depths into the tire surface than the rough buffing wheel 6 . because the buffing wheels are cutting the tire surface in opposite directions , the finish buffing wheel 6 will remove any burrs or flanges left on the rears of the tire elements being buffed by the rough buffing wheel 6 1 . the computer control 46 may be programmed to execute any desired sequence of rough buffing and finish buffing steps on the sidewall portion of the tire to be ground . the advantage of the present invention is that no matter what those steps are , during each revolution of the tire both the rough buffing wheel 6 1 and the finish buffing wheel 6 will cut the portion of the sidewall to be finished at its own respective desired height above or below the adjacent surface of the sidewall and that height will remain constant , even though the adjacent sidewall surface varies circumferentially in relation to the plane in which the tire t is rotating . while one embodiment of the present invention has been thus shown and described , it will be apparent that changes may be made in the details of the method and apparatus presented , without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims . | 1 |
an essential idea of the invention is as follows . a print task distributed from a host is stored to a preset storage address in the form of a job file . a periodical query on the preset storage address is performed . a target job file is determined when one or plural job files are stored at the storage address . a query on a status of a printer is performed prior to distribution of the target job file . the status of the printer in the process of printing the target job file is detected . error indication information is fed back or an error process is performed if a problem occurs . the invention will be further detailed below with reference to the drawings and the embodiments to make those skilled in the art better understand the solutions of the invention . reference is made to fig1 , which is a flow chart illustrating a print control method according to a first embodiment of the invention . step 101 : a port of a print system is monitored , and a print task is stored to a preset storage address in the form of a job file upon occurrence of the print task at the port of the print system . a periodical query on the preset storage address is performed . the storage address is a storage space on a hard disk of a host , which can be represented in the form of a directory , e . g ., host / printer / print file , indicating that the storage address is a folder “ print file ” in a folder “ printer ” on the host . step 102 : a periodical query on the storage address is performed , and a target job file is determined when one or plural job files are stored at the storage address . the job file or one of the job files at the storage address is determined as the target job file . step s 103 : the target job file is distributed when a printer is in an idle status as a result of a query ; or error status indication information is fed back when the printer is in a failure status . periodical detection of the status of the printer is performed ( for example , periodical retrieval on status data of the printer is performed , and the status of the printer is determined from the status data ). if the printer is in a failure status , error status indication information indicating to a user is fed back to notify immediately the user about the failing printer and prevent a loss of the job file . thus , the user can repair duly the printer in response to the error status indication information . when the printer is in an idle status , the target job file is distributed to the printer . in the embodiment of the invention , the query on the status of the printer is performed prior to the distribution of the job file to the printer , and the indication information is fed back when the printer fails . with this embodiment , the user can know duly and hence deal with the status of the printer to thereby prevent a loss or missing of the job file . it shall be noted that the query on whether one or plural job files are present is performed in the step s 102 by determining whether one or plural files with a preset extension ( that is , the one or plural job files are one or plural files with the preset extension ) are stored at the preset storage address . when one job file is stored at the preset storage address as a result of the query , the job file is determined directly as the target job file . when plural job files are stored at the preset storage address as a result of the query , the respective job files are compared in terms of their storage time , and a job file with the earliest storage time among the plural job files is determined as the target job file . it shall further be noted that the foregoing query on the status of the printer can be a periodical query or a query performed after the target job file is determined . referring to fig2 , storing the job file at the preset storage address in the foregoing embodiment can be performed in the following steps . step s 201 : the print task distributed from the print system is received . step s 202 : the print task is converted into a job file with the preset extension . step s 203 : it is determined whether a job file with the same name as the print task is stored at the preset storage address ; if a job file with the same name as the print task is stored at the preset storage address , the flow goes to the step s 204 ; otherwise , the flow goes to the step s 205 . step s 204 : a number added to the name of the job file is incremented sequentially by one , the job file is stored to the preset storage address , and the flow goes to the step s 206 . step s 205 : the job file is stored to the preset storage address . step s 206 : it is determined whether storage of the present job file has been completed ; if storage of the present job file has been completed , the flow goes to the step s 207 ; otherwise , the flow goes to the step s 201 . step s 207 : flag data indicating completion of storage is added in the job file . those ordinarily skilled in the art can appreciate that the foregoing flow can be performed by a program instructing relevant hardware , which can be stored in a computer readable storage medium . for example , the foregoing flow can be arranged in the form of a program as a supplement to an existing driver for improvement . fig3 illustrates a flow chart of a print control method according to a second embodiment of the invention . after the step s 101 , a process of controlling a job file to be printed particularly includes the following steps . step s 301 : a query on whether one or plural job files are present at the preset storage address is performed ; if one or plural job files are present at the preset storage address , the flow goes to the step s 302 ; otherwise , the flow returns to the step s 301 . step s 302 : the name of a job file with the earliest storage time among the one or plural job files is retrieved . if there are plural job files , these plural job files are compared in terms of their storage time , and the name of one of the job files with the earliest storage time is retrieved ; and if there is only one job file , the name of the job file is retrieved directly . step s 303 : integrality of the job file is determined . if the job file is complete , the flow goes to the step s 304 ; otherwise , the flow goes to the step s 305 . after the name of the job file is retrieved , the job file is opened to read data . if the job file contains a preset end flag , the job file is determined to be complete and thus as a target job file ; otherwise , the job file is determined to be incomplete . step s 304 : the target job file is divided into pages , and the flow goes to the step s 306 . start instruction data , end instruction data , and print data of each page of the target job file are retrieved , respectively , and each page is buffered sequentially in a preset buffer area . step s 305 : the target job file is modified as a file with a preset extension , and the flow goes to the step s 301 . step s 306 : a periodical query on a status of the printer is performed . if the printer is in a failure status , the flow goes to the step s 307 ; otherwise , the flow goes to the step s 308 . step s 307 : error status indication information is fed back . the error status indication information indicates a failure of the printer , e . g ., top cover open , no paper , etc . step s 308 : the page data of the target job file in the buffer area is transmitted to the printer . in the embodiment of the invention , integrality of the job file is determined prior to the distribution of the job file to the printer . when the job file is incomplete , it will not be printed , and the next job file will be performed . moreover , the status of the printer is detected to thereby prevent uncompleted printing of the job file on one hand and prevent an incomplete job file from causing abnormal printing of a subsequent job file on the other hand . fig4 illustrates a flow chart of a third embodiment according to the invention . the present embodiment improves the foregoing second embodiment with addition of the following steps thereto after the step s 308 , in order to prevent uncompleted printing of a page due to a failure of the printer in the process of printing the job file . step s 309 : the status of a print process is detected . it is determined whether printing of a page is valid ; and if printing of a page is valid , the flow goes to the step s 310 ; otherwise , the flow goes to the s 311 . determination of whether printing of a page is valid is determination of whether the page has been printed completely . after the job file is distributed from the host , the status of the print process is detected . a normal process of printing completely a page means that the status of the printer changes from an idle status to an ongoing print status to a normal print end status , and a process of printing incompletely a page means that the status changes from an idle status to a printer error status or from an idle status to an ongoing print status to an unfinished print status . therefore , whether the page has been printed completely ( that is , whether printing of the page is valid ) can be determined from the status of the printer in the print process . step s 310 : it is determined whether the page data is page data of the last page ; and if the page data is page data of the last page , the flow goes to the step s 301 ; otherwise , the flow goes to the step s 308 . a corresponding process is performed as preconfigured to , for example , continue with printing , reprint or delete the present job file . particularly , continuing with printing refers to continuing with printing the next page without processing the present page data , reprinting refers to retransmitting of the page data to the printer , and deleting the present job file refers to deleting the present job file in order to continue with processing the next job file . reprinting can alternatively refer to transmitting the print data of the page to another printer for printing as well as adding reprint information indication to the beginning of the page data . the other printer is generally a backup printer . in the embodiment of the invention , both the status of the printer and the status of the print process are detected after the distribution of the job file to the printer . the error status indication information is fed back or the error process is performed when the printer fails or printing of any page is invalid , thereby preventing a missing or loss of the job file due to the failure of the printer in the print process . reference is made to fig5 , which is a flow chart illustrating a print control method according to a fourth embodiment of the invention . the flow can further go to the step s 312 when the page data is page data of the last page based upon the foregoing embodiment in order to prevent abnormal repeated printing . step s 312 : the target job file is deleted , and the flow goes to the step s 301 . those ordinarily skilled in the art can appreciate that all or a part of the steps in the method according to the foregoing embodiments can be performed by a program instructing relevant hardware , which can be stored in a computer readable storage medium . for example , the method flows of the foregoing embodiments can be a background control program which controls the job file to be printed after the job file is distributed from the host . corresponding to the print control method disclosed as above , the invention further discloses a print control device . reference is made to fig6 , which is a structural schematic diagram illustrating a print control device according to a first embodiment of the invention . the print control device includes a first processing unit 101 and a second processing unit 102 . an operation principle and an operation process of the print control device are as follows . the first processing unit 101 is adapted to monitor a port of a print system , to perform a periodical query on whether a print task occurs at the port of the print system , and to store a print task occurring at the port of the print system to a preset storage address in the form of a job file . the second processing unit 102 is adapted to perform a periodical query on whether one or plural job files are present at the storage address , to determine as a target job file a job file which is the only one present at the storage address or one of the plural job files present at the storage address as a result of the query ; and to perform a query on the status of a printer 200 , and to transmit the target job file when the printer 200 is in an idle status or feed back error status indication information when the printer 200 is in a failure status ( e . g ., top cover open , no paper , etc ., of the printer ). the second processing unit 102 performs the query on whether one or plural job files are present at the storage address by determining whether one or plural files with a preset extension ( that is , the one or plural job files are one or plural files with the preset extension ) are stored at the preset storage address . the query on the status of the printer performed by the second processing unit 102 can be a periodical query or a query performed after the target job file is determined . when plural job files are stored at the preset storage address , the second processing unit 102 retrieves attributes of the respective job files , compares them in terms of their storage time and determines one of the job files with earliest storage time as the target job file . it shall be noted that the target job file is a complete job file , that is , the target job file contains a preset end flag indicating that the file is complete . in the embodiment of the invention , the second processing unit 102 performs the query on the status of the printer 200 and feeds back the indication information when the printer 200 fails . with this embodiment , a user can know duly and hence deal with the status of the printer 200 , thereby preventing a loss or missing of the job file . fig7 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a print control device according to a second embodiment of the invention . based upon the foregoing embodiment , the invention can further includes a third processing unit 103 adapted to divide the target job file transmitted from the second processing unit 102 into pages by retrieving start instruction data , end instruction data , and print data of each page , respectively , of the target job file , to buffer each page sequentially in a preset buffer area , and to transmit each page sequentially to the printer . fig8 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a print control device according to a third embodiment of the invention . in order to prevent uncompleted printing of page due to a failure of the printer in the process of printing the job file , the invention further includes a fourth processing unit 104 based upon the foregoing embodiment , which is adapted to detect the status of the printer in the process of printing the target job file and to perform an error process when failing in printing . determination by the fourth processing unit 104 of the status of the printer in the process of printing the target job file is determination of whether the page has been printed completely , that is , whether printing of the page is valid ( periodical detection of the status of the print process ). a normal process of printing completely a page means that the status of the printer changes from an idle status to an ongoing print status to a normal print end status , and a process of printing incompletely a page means that the status changes from an idle status to a printer error status or from an idle status to an ongoing print status to an unfinished print status . therefore , whether the page has been printed completely ( that is , whether printing of the page is valid ) can be determined by the status of the printer in the print process . the error process refers to a corresponding process performed as preconfigured to , for example , continue with printing , reprint or delete the present job file . particularly , continuing with printing refers to continuing with printing the next page without processing the present page data , reprinting refers to retransmitting a print request to the third processing unit 103 which in turn retransmits the page data to the printer , and deleting the present job file refers to deleting the present job file in order to continue with processing the next job file . reprinting can alternatively refer to transmitting the print data of the page to another printer for printing as well as adding reprint information indication to the beginning of the page data , or refer to transmitting a retransmission request for the third processing unit 103 to transmit the present page data to another printer for printing as well as adding reprint information indication to the beginning of the page data . the other printer is generally a backup printer . fig9 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a print control device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention . the invention further includes a first setting unit 105 and a second setting unit 106 based upon the foregoing embodiment . the first setting unit 105 is adapted to modify the name of the job file ( for example , increment a number added to the name of the job file by one sequentially ) when the first processing unit 101 determines that another file with the same name of the job file is present at the preset storage address . the second setting unit 106 is adapted to add , in the job file , flag data indicating completion of storage to indicate that the file is a complete job file upon completion of storing the file . the first setting unit 105 can be arranged in the first processing unit 101 . fig1 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a print control device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention . the invention can further include a process determination unit 107 and a deletion unit 108 based upon the foregoing embodiment . the process determination unit 107 is adapted to perform periodical retrieval on a detection result of the fourth processing unit 104 , to determine whether printing of the target job file has been completed from whether the present page contains flag data indicating that the job is complete , and to feed back indication information indicating completion of printing upon determining completion of printing the target job file . the deletion unit 108 is adapted to retrieve the indication information and to delete the target job file from the storage address to thereby avoid abnormal repeated printing . it shall be noted that the print control device according to the invention can be arranged in a computer and the storage address can be a storage space in a hard disk of the computer . the foregoing disclosure is merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments of the invention , but the invention will not be limited thereto , and any variations without any inventive effort that can occur to those skilled in the art and modifications and adaptations that can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle of the invention shall fall into the scope of the invention . | 6 |
throughout the following detailed description similar reference characters refers to similar elements in all figures of the drawings . fig1 is a highly stylized pictorial representation of a calibration system generally indicated by the reference character 10 in accordance with the present invention useful for implementing a method also in accordance with the present invention for continuously calibrating the flow meter in each mass flow controller in a printing apparatus p for dispensing a liquid composition on a backplane . the system and the method both utilize a highly accurate positive displacement calibration tool generally indicated by the reference character 12 in accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention . a detailed view of the calibration tool 12 is shown in fig2 . as mentioned earlier , in a standard configuration the printing apparatus p with which the invention is utilized includes a dispensing bar that carries a plurality of sets of dispensing nozzles . elements of the printing apparatus p common to the prior art are indicated herein by alphabetic reference characters . fig1 diagrammatically illustrates a dispensing bar b that carries n sets of dispensing nozzles , respectively indicated by the reference characters d 1 , . . . d n . typically , a bar may carry five or more nozzle sets . each nozzle set d includes a separate nozzle that discharges one of a plurality of different colored liquid compositions . typically , each nozzle set d may contain a nozzle z r , z g , and z b respectively dispensing a red , a green and a blue liquid composition . the printing apparatus p is useful in the fabrication of various organic electronic devices , and is believed to be especially useful to fabricate screens for variously sized display devices , including high density display devices . the nozzle in each nozzle set for a given color are supplied as a group from a communal pressurized supply reservoir for the particular colored liquid composition . fig1 graphically illustrates a diagram of the plumbing between a communal dispensing vessel r holding the liquid supply and the nozzles in one given nozzle group ( e . g ., the group of nozzles z r for the red color liquid ). the plumbing arrangement for each nozzle in the other nozzle groups would be identical . the communal supply vessel r is connected over a supply line s to a manifold m . the line s may typically include standard appurtenances such as valves v , filter ( s ) f and / or connector ( s ) c , as suggested . a given outlet port 1 , 2 , . . . n from the manifold m is connected to a respective nozzle in each nozzle set through a dedicated line l 1 , . . . l n . a portion of the line l adjacent to the nozzle is flexible , as suggested in the drawing . each line l includes a mass flow controller mfc that measures the mass flow rate of the liquid to the nozzle . each mass flow controller mfc itself includes a flow meter fm and a control valve cv . it is the flow meter fm in each line l that requires calibration to insure that the proper amount of liquid is dispensed through the nozzle and deposited on a backplane . a pressure transducer t may be provided adjacent to the fitting connecting the rigid and the flexible portions of each line l . flow from the manifold m into each supply line l is controlled by a supply valve v s while an isolation valve v i serves to separate the mass flow controller mfc from the nozzle . in accordance with the present invention the calibration system 10 includes the positive displacement calibration tool 12 . a representative embodiment of a calibration tool 12 for a printing apparatus having five nozzle groups ( n = 5 ) is shown in fig2 . the calibration tool 12 includes a frame 20 that carries a unitary chamber block 22 . the block is fabricated from a material , such as stainless steel ( e . g ., 304 stainless steel ) that is compatible with the liquid composition . a plurality of cylinders , or fluid chambers , 24 1 . . . 24 5 and respective coaxial counterbored guide channels 26 1 . . . 26 5 are bored into the block 22 . the axis of each chamber 24 is aligned within predetermined precise tolerance ( on the order of +/− 0 . 0001 inches ) with the axis of each of the other chambers . a respective fitting 30 1 . . . 30 5 is coupled to the outlet of each chamber 24 1 . . . 24 5 . in accordance with the present invention each chamber is connected in series to a flow meter in a respective mass flow controller through a respective flow line 16 and a junction 18 ( fig1 ). a piston in the form of an elongated displacer rod 34 1 . . . 34 n ( fig2 ) projects rearwardly from within a respective chamber and is guided in a respective guide channel 26 1 . . . 26 5 formed in the block 22 . each displacer rod 34 is a hardened and ground linear bearing shaft . sealed integrity between the rod and its associated chamber 22 is maintained by a seal 36 . preferably , each displacer rod is within a predetermined close tolerance ( on the order of +/− 0 . 0001 inches ) of the dimension of each of the other displacer rods . of course , it is understood that any suitable piston configuration may be used . the free end of each of the rods 34 1 . . . 34 5 is rigidly connected to a mounting yoke 38 . the yoke 38 is itself connected to the carriage of an actuator 40 . preferable for use as the actuator 40 is the linear encoder with tachometer feedback available from newport corporation as the motorized linear translation stage vp25xa ( 0 . 05 micrometer positioning accuracy with 25 . 4 mm stroke length ). referring again to fig1 the output from the linear encoder is connected over a signal line 42 to a control network 46 . in addition , an output signal from the flow meter fm in each of the meters mass flow controllers mfc 1 . . . mfc n is carried to the control network 46 over a respective signal line 48 1 . . . 48 n . a control output from the network 46 is applied to the flow meter fm in each flow controller over a respective control line 50 1 . . . 50 n . the system and method in accordance with the present invention are operative to calibrate the flow meter fm in each of the mass flow controllers mfc 1 . . . mfc n to correct for the inherent measurement inaccuracies in those instruments . with each supply valve v s open and each isolation valve v i in each supply line s 1 . . . s n closed the yoke 38 and the rods 34 attached thereto are withdrawn ( in the retraction direction of the arrow 52 , fig2 ) from their associated chambers 24 by the actuator 40 . this action permits liquid from the supply vessel r to flow via the manifold m and the open supply valve v s into a chamber in the calibration tool 12 . the states of the supply valves v s isolation valves v i are reversed so that the tool 12 is connected in open fluid communication with the each flow controller and its associated nozzle while being simultaneously isolated from the liquid supply r . the actuator 40 then displaces the yoke 38 to advance each of the rods 34 in unison in the dispensing direction of the arrow 54 ( fig2 ). the forward face of each rod 34 as it advances through its associated chamber acts as a movable abutment that forces a predetermined precise volume of liquid at a precise flow rate through the line 16 , through the meter and to the nozzle . the signal from the linear encoder is applied over the line 42 to the control network . the high machined accuracy of the rod and chamber , coupled with the precise information regarding the displacement of the rods enables the control network to generate a direct measurement of the volumetric flow rate of the liquid dispensed by the pump . ( it should be noted that the fact that the dimension of a given displacer rod may lie outside of the defined tolerance range need not be overly detrimental to the operation of the system . any difference in flow caused by an out - sized displacer rod would repeatably appear from calibration to calibration , and the discrepancy accounted for by the controller 46 .) the control network 46 is operative to compare the volumetric flow rate precisely dispensed from the pump ( the signal on the line 42 ) to a volumetric flow rate measured by a particular meter fm ( the signal on that meter &# 39 ; s output line 48 ) and to provide a correction signal ( on a given line 50 ) that modifies the calibration parameters of that particular meter fm in accordance with the flow rate dispensed from the pump . the functionality of the control network 46 may be implemented using the overall controller for the printer p , or by using a dedicated processor ( e . g ., a personal computer such as a dell ® inspiron ® computer ) operating in accordance with an appropriate program ). the apparatus and method of the present invention is believed superior to the calibration techniques employed by the prior art in a variety of particulars . the calibration system utilizes a positive displacement pump that directly measures the liquid being provided to each flow meter . the calibration of all of the flow meters is accomplished while the positive displacement pump is connected to each flow meter , ( thus , the pump is not operated off - line of the meter being calibrated , as is the case in the “ bucket and stopwatch ” approach in the art ). moreover , since all of the meters are calibrated simultaneously , overall time required for calibration of all of the meters is minimized . those skilled in the art , having the benefit of the teachings of the present invention , may impart modifications thereto . such modifications are to be construed as lying within the scope of the present invention , as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
the example of embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings refers to the application of the lifting device according to this invention on a public transport vehicle , for example a bus . it must be emphasised that the following description , expressly referred to said example of embodiment , is essentially identically applicable in the case of the application of the lifting device according to this invention to other types of vehicles , and also to fixed installations . in the drawings , f refers to the floor of a bus accessible from the outside across a door d and a set of steps of which the intermediate step , located on a lower level with respect to the floor f , is indicated with s . this step s presents a hollow shape and is normally closed ( fig1 and 2 ) by the front extremity of a lifting device according to this invention , generally indicated with numeral 1 , permanently applied and folded away inside the cavity of the step s . with more detailed reference to fig2 the lifting device 1 essentially comprises a stationary supporting frame 2 and a mobile platform , as explained below , with respect to the supporting frame 2 . the supporting frame 2 is generally u - shaped with a rear side 4 and to lateral sides 5 reciprocally connected by two transversal profiles 6 , which define two essentially c - shaped longitudinal sliding guides 7 . as better appears in fig4 and 8 , a first electrical geared motor 8 , operating a worm screw system 9 , extending along one of the lateral sides 5 and which function will be explained in the following description , is fastened to the rear side 4 of the supporting frame 2 . the mobile platform 3 includes two longitudinal sides 10 , consisting of contoured profiles shown in detail in fig9 interconnected by a horizontal base 11 over which a structural plate 12 can be arranged , for example consisting of an embossed aluminium panel . the shape of the sides 10 is complementary to that of the guides 7 in which they slide . an enlargement 13 is arranged on a side 10 near the front side of the platform 2 . this front side consists of a board 14 , which is articulated to the lower parts of the sides 10 of the platform 3 so to rock between an erected position , shown in fig1 - 4 and 7 , 8 , and a folded position , shown in fig5 and 6 , in which it extends essentially along the extension of the base 11 , acting as a front board 14 . a second electrical geared motor 15 , housed inside the enlargement 13 , in the way shown in fig9 and a worm screw system 16 are provided to turn the front board 14 between the erected position and the folded position . the lateral sides of the platform 3 are connected by means of an articulated parallelogram linkage system formed by two pairs of articulated longitudinal arms 17 and a mobile unit , generally indicated with numeral 18 , which also slides with the platform 3 along the sides 5 of the supporting frame 2 . this mobile unit 18 essentially comprises a crossbar 19 , operatively connected to the worm screw system 9 , operated by the motor 8 , which is connected to a third electrical geared motor 20 arranged essentially in central position . this geared motor operates two screw jacks 21 , arranged to multiply the torque of the motor 20 , meshing with the respective worm screws 22 , connected to a pair of respective connecting rods , or rocker arms , 23 fitted on the extremity of a transversal torsion bar 24 . said transversal torsion bar 24 synchronises the movement of the two connecting rods 23 for controlling the two articulated parallelogram arms 17 so to obtain the downwards rotation to the position illustrated in fig5 and 6 and the upwards rotation to the position illustrated in fig7 and 8 from the horizontal configuration shown in fig1 to 4 . a lowered position of the platform 3 corresponds to the downwards rotation related to the supporting frame 2 , while the upwards rotation corresponds to a raised condition of said platform 3 . the rear side of the platform 3 consists of a board 25 mobile between a closed position , shown in fig2 - 6 , in which it extends transversally with respect to the fig7 and 8 . this rear board 25 is actually formed by two pairs of articulated elements 26 , 27 , the first of which pivots on the rear extremities of the lateral sides 10 and the second of which pivots on an extension 28 of the base 11 of the platform 3 . this extension 28 slides telescopically with respect to the base 11 between a retracted position , shown in fig2 to 6 , and an extracted position , shown in fig7 and 8 , in which it acts as a rear slide for the platform 3 , according to the method illustrated below . the movement of the sliding extension 28 between the retracted and extended positions is also controlled by an electrical geared motor , not illustrated in the drawings , similar to the geared motor 15 described above related to the worm screw system . it must be emphasised that both the base 11 and the extension 28 may be made of multiple elements forming the respective extensible and retractable telescopic structures instead of each being made of a single element . an arrangement of this sort ( schematically illustrated in fig1 according to the base 11 of the platform 3 ) considerably reduces the volume of the lifting device 1 . the electrical actuators described above are connected to a control unit , not illustrated in the drawings because known by experts of the sector , for controlling the operation according to a sequential phased cycle . for controlling this cycle , the lifting device 1 according to the invention is conveniently equipped with a remote control unit , for example of the type indicated by numeral 29 in the drawings . this unit may consist of an equivalent remote control device , also of the type employing a magnetic card ( as schematically shown in fig1 ), radio - frequency or infrared remote control , or similar . the control logic of the lifting device 1 according to this invention can acknowledge the presence of the disabled person aboard . the system arranges and operates the devices normally provided aboard vehicles for safely fastening the wheelchair , which may also fold away to avoid hindrance and obstacles to passengers when no disabled person is aboard . normally , i . e . when its use is not required , the lifting device 1 is completely folded away inside the step s . when a disabled person in a wheelchair requires use , by means of the remote control 29 or similar control device , firstly the geared motor 8 is activated which , via the worm screw unit 9 , makes unit 18 — and , consequently , the platform 3 — slide with respect to the supporting frame 2 from the retracted position of fig1 and 2 to the extracted position of fig3 and 4 . in this way , the platform 3 is folds out from inside the frame 2 and , consequently , from the step s , with the arms 17 of the articulated parallelogram systems horizontal , the front board 14 erect and the rear board 25 closed . from this position , the operation of the geared motor 20 causes the downwards rotation of the arms 17 in the articulated parallelogram system , by means of the connecting rods 23 and the torsion bar 24 , to rest the platform 2 on the ground , indicated with reference g , i . e . on the disabled person &# 39 ; s level . having reached this position ( fig5 and 6 ), the geared motor 15 controls , via the worm screw system 16 , the rotation of the front board 14 from the raised position to the lowered position shown in fig5 and 6 , so to form a slide or ramp allowing comfortable access of the wheelchair on the platform 3 . consequently , the front board 14 is returned to the lifted position , and the geared motor 20 is operated again to the control the upwards rotation of the arms 17 of the articulated parallelogram system , so to arrange the platform 3 in the raised position shown in fig7 and 8 . in this position , the platform 3 is arranged essentially on the level of the floor f of the bus , or on a slightly higher level . to allow the passage of the wheelchair from the platform 3 to the floor f , the extension 28 is moved from the retracted position to the extracted position , illustrated in fig7 and 8 , in which it acts as a rear slide connecting the platform 3 and the floor f . by effect of this movement , the articulated elements 26 , 27 of the rear board 25 are distended , arranging essentially longitudinally , as also shown in fig7 and 8 , so to allow the passage of the wheelchair , doubling as lateral guiding boards . finally , the platform 3 is returned , after the extension 28 returns to the starting position , to the retracted condition inside the supporting frame 2 and , consequently , the step s . obviously , the disabled person will be lowered to the ground level by reversing the sequence of operation described above . it appears obvious that the lifting device according to this invention is extremely practical , functional and relatively simple from the construction point of view , considering that no hydraulic actuators and respective service devices are implemented . naturally , numerous changes can be implemented to the construction and forms of embodiment of the invention herein envisaged , all comprised within the context of the concept characterising this invention , as defined by the following claims . as mentioned above , the lifting device according to this invention can be applied in an equally advantageous way to any type of public transport vehicle , in addition to fixed installations , such as museums , public buildings , etc . | 0 |
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 . [ 0036 ] fig3 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention , fig4 illustrates a system for sealing liquid crystal injection inlets of liquid crystal display panels according to the present invention , and fig5 illustrates a tray filled with a sealing material according to the present invention . first of all , a method of fabricating a liquid crystal panel according to the present invention before the sealing process is explained by referring to fig3 as follows . first of all , scan lines ( not shown in the drawing ) for transferring a scan signal and signal lines 17 for transferring a video signal are formed on a first transparent substrate 11 to cross with each other so as to define a plurality of pixel areas , and a thin film transistor is formed on each intersection between the scan and signal lines . the thin film transistor includes a gate electrode 14 extending from the scan line , a gate insulating layer 15 formed on the entire surface of the substrate including the gate electrode 14 , a semiconductor layer 16 formed on the gate insulating layer 15 , a source electrode 17 a extending from the signal line 17 , and a drain electrode 17 b confronting the source electrode 17 a . the thin film transistor plays a role in transferring the video signal to each of the pixel areas selectively in accordance with the scan signal . subsequently , a passivation layer 18 , i . e ., an organic or inorganic insulator , is formed on the entire surface of the substrate including the thin film transistor . a pixel electrode 19 is then formed of an ito based material on the passivation layer so as to be electrically connected to the corresponding thin film transistor . the gate insulating layer 15 and passivation layer 18 can be formed of an inorganic material such sin x , sio x , or the like or an organic material such as bcb ( benzocyclobutene ), acryl based material , or the like . moreover , a black matrix 31 is formed on areas where the scan / signal lines and thin film transistor are formed so as to prevent light leakage . a color filter layer 32 colored by r ( red ), g ( green ), and b ( blue ), respectively , is formed between the black matrix using one of such methods as dye application , electrodeposition , pigment dispersion , print , etc . a common electrode 33 made of an ito based material is then formed on the entire surface of the substrate including the color filter layer 32 . an overcoating layer ( not shown in the drawing ) may further be formed between the color filter layer 32 and common electrode 33 so as to protect the color filter layer 32 as well as planarize the substrate . also , an alignment layer can be formed on at least one of the two substrates for initial alignment of liquid crystals . the alignment layer may be formed by carrying out a rubbing process on a polyamide or polyimide based compound , pva ( polyvinyl alcohol ), polyamic acid , or the like . instead , the alignment layer can be formed by carrying out a photo alignment process on a photo - reactive material such as pvcn ( polyvinylcinnamate ), pscn ( polysiloxanecinnamate ), and celcn ( cellulosecinnamate ) based compounds . thereafter , a sealant 41 is formed outside an active area of one of the two substrates 11 and 12 . in this case , the sealant is mainly a thermo - hardening sealant , and a liquid crystal injection inlet is formed by not forming the sealant 41 in a predetermined area . there are a number of methods , e . g ., a screen printing method , a dispensing method , and the like , for forming the sealant . the screen printing method may cause damage on the alignment layer and the like formed on the substrate since the screen physically contacts the substrate . also , the screen printing method is uneconomical since sealant loss of a large - size substrate increases . therefore , the dispensing method is preferable . subsequently , a spacer 40 is scattered uniformly on one of the substrates 11 and 12 . the first and second substrates 11 and 12 are attached to confront each other and the sealant 41 is then hardened by heating the attached substrates in a pressurized state to make the attached substrates completely adhere to each other . finally , liquid crystals 50 are injected between the first and second substrates 11 and 12 through the liquid crystal injection inlet , thereby completing the liquid crystal display panel . the liquid crystal injection process is explained in detail as follows . first of all , the bonded substrates are placed in a vacuum chamber so as to maintain a vacuum state inside the space between the substrates . the composite is then dipped into a liquid crystal tray . once the vacuum state is established and maintained inside the space between the substrates , liquid crystals are drawn into the space between the substrates by capillary action . when the space between the substrates becomes filled with the liquid crystals to some degree , nitrogen gas ( n 2 ) is injected slowly into the vacuum chamber . a pressure difference between the space of the substrates and surroundings is then generated so that the liquid crystals fill the vacant space between the substrates . thus , the liquid crystal layer is formed between the two substrates . finally , the liquid crystal injection inlet of the liquid crystal display panel , in which the liquid crystal layer is formed , is sealed . the process of sealing the liquid crystal injection inlets according to the present invention is carried out simultaneously by the dip system , which is explained by referring to fig4 and fig5 as follows . referring to fig4 a tray 100 is filled with sealing material 101 from top to bottom . a plurality of liquid crystal display panels 99 are positioned vertically so that liquid crystal injection inlets 102 contact the sealing material 101 . the sealing material 101 thus sticks to each of the liquid crystal injection inlets 102 . the tray 100 , as shown in fig5 has the same shape as the liquid crystal container used for the liquid crystal injection . in this case , an interval between the first and second substrates is narrow , e . g ., 4 ˜ 5 μm and the inner pressure inside the liquid crystal display panel is great . therefore , the liquid crystals are prevented from flowing out through the liquid crystal injection inlet , even when the liquid crystal display panel is positioned vertically . contrary to the method of sealing each liquid crystal display panel , one - by - one , using the syringe type sealing apparatus according to the related art , the process according to the present invention simultaneously seals a plurality of the liquid crystal injection inlets of the liquid crystal display panels as a group , thereby substantially reducing the sealing time . finally , a plurality of the above - sealed liquid crystal display panels are loaded inito a cassette , and then the sealing material is hardened . thus , the liquid crystal display panel is sealed completely thereby preventing the liquid crystals from flowing to the outside . thermo - hardening resins , uv - ray - hardening resins , or the like can be used as the sealing material in the present invention . an epoxy based uv - ray hardening resin is particularly advantageous . after a cleaning process is carried out using ultrasonic waves so as to remove particles and the like adhering to an outer surface of the lc - injected liquid crystal display panel , the exterior of the liquid crystal display panel is inspected and failure / pass of the liquid crystal display panel is determined by applying an electrical signal thereto to complete the fabrication of the liquid crystal display panel . the method of fabricating the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention has the following advantages or benefits . first of all , it is possible to simultaneously seal a plurality of liquid crystal injection inlets of liquid crystal display panels as a group when the present invention is used for a manual sealing by a worker . therefore , the present invention achieves a substantial reduction of the sealing time . the present invention eliminates failure caused by the intake of excessive sealing material due to the delayed sealing time , thereby providing an excellent sealing state of the liquid crystal display panel . moreover , since the present invention simultaneously seals a plurality of the liquid crystal injection inlets of the liquid crystal display panels , the sealing states of the respective liquid crystal display panels is uniform . also , the sealing process time is reduced which improves productivity . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art than 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 . | 6 |
the present invention is implemented as a plurality of energy storage circuits connected in series , see fig1 . three series circuits are shown for illustrative purposes in fig1 although in practice more or less may be so connected . in fig1 the first circuit comprises storage inductor 11a , storage capacitor 13a , magnetic switch 15a and parallel rails 17a and 19a for propelling projectile 21 . as the projectile 21 leaves the parallel rails 17a and 19a it enters and is driven in like manner through parallel rails 17b and 19b by storage inductor 11b , capacitor 13b and magnetic switch 15b . finally , projectile 21 enters parallel rails 17c and 19c and is driven to its final velocity by storage inductor 11c , storage capacitor 13c and magnetic switch 15c . the operation of energy storage and projectile driving will be best understood by detailing the implementation of a single circuit of the present invention with a storage inductor 11 , a storage capacitor 13 , a saturable magnetic switch 15 , and a railgun with parallel rails 17 and 19 for accelerating a projectile 21 , see fig2 . the energy for projectile acceleration is stored in a resonant tank circuit comprising the storage inductor 11 , the storage capacitor 13 and the saturable magnetic switch 15 in its saturated state . the current i m in the storage inductor 11 is at a peak value twice in each cycle and available as a constant current inductive source . the resonant tank storage circuit makes repetitive operation possible when the resonant frequency is chosen equal to half of the desired projectile 21 repetition rate and projectiles are loaded every half cycle or at multiples of half cycles . while the present invention is applicable to many repetitive , high - power systems , only the railgun embodiment will be detailed below for illustrative purposes . at a specific point in the resonant cycle , just past peak current , the projectile 21 is inserted between the rails 17 and 19 and the current entering the storage capacitor 13 is transferred to the rails 17 and 19 by using the magnetic switch 15 . as the capacitor 13 attempts to discharge through the initially low - impedance railgun load , the magnetic switch 15 current goes through zero causing the magnetic switch 15 to unsaturate or &# 34 ; open &# 34 ;. with the magnetic switch 15 in its unsaturated state and the projectile 21 inserted between rails 17 and 19 , the current path is switched from the storage inductor 11 , magnetic switch 15 and storage capacitor 13 path shown in fig2 to the storage inductor 11 , rails 17 and 19 and projectile 21 path shown in fig3 . the current variation through the storage inductor 11 and the voltage variation across the storage capacitor 13 during operation is shown in fig4 and 5 respectively . at peak inductor 11 current prior to projectile 21 insertion , the magnetic switch 15 is saturated and the storage capacitor 13 voltage is zero and charging to a positive value . in order to transfer current from the capacitor - switch circuit branch , the storage capacitor 11 is allowed to charge until its voltage is slightly larger than the maximum voltage expected to be seen across rails 17 and 19 during acceleration . the projectile 21 is then injected into the rails 17 and 19 completing the rail - projectile branch of the circuit , see fig3 . the low rail - projectile impedance and the voltage on the storage capacitor 13 cause the storage capacitor 13 current to drop to zero , unsaturating the magnetic switch 15 and increasing the current in the rails 17 and 19 to the storage inductor 11 value . in the unsaturated state , the magnetic switch 15 impedance is much larger than the impedance of the rails 17 and 19 so that most of the storage inductor 11 current flows into the rail - projectile branch and the capacitor - inductor branch is essentially disconnected from the circuit . negligible energy has been lost in the switching process , the magnetic switch 15 is not subject to erosion , and the projectile 21 is accelerated by a substantially constant current source . projectile acceleration is terminated when the projectile 21 leaves the ends of the rails 17 and 19 . the volt - second capacity of the magnetic switch 15 is designed to be equal to the integral of the difference between the capacitor 13 voltage and the increasing railgun voltage over the acceleration time . at the end of projectile 21 acceleration , the magnetic switch 15 is nearly saturated in the forward direction . as the projectile 21 leaves the rails 17 and 19 , the impedance of the rail - projectile branch increases rapidly due to the increasing inductance of the expanding arc behind the projectile 21 . when the increasing railgun voltage exceeds the residual capacitor 11 voltage , the polarity of the voltage across the magnetic switch 15 reverses the magnetic switch 15 saturates in the initial direction . with the magnetic switch 15 impedance low , the storage inductor 11 current again flows into the storage capacitor 13 , restoring resonant circuit operation . as the current is transferred to the low impedance capacitor - magnetic switch branch , the rail arc extinguishes . the inductive energy stored between the rails 17 and 19 at the end of projectile 21 acceleration can be recovered with resonant recovery circuits such as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 572 , 964 , issued feb . 25 , 1986 , and application ser . no . 655 , 593 . at conventional railgun specifications , the storage capacitor 13 would have to withstand voltages of about 20 kv and have a capacitance of about 0 . 2 f if only one energy storage circuit were used instead of the multiple circuits of the present invention . the storage capacitor 13 would have to store about 40 mj at a maximum current of 2 ma and series inductance of 0 . 1 μh . in order to store the large amount of energy , a mechanical capacitor such as a homopolar generator is desired . however , the capacitance requirement is much lower than possible with conventional homopolars while the voltage requirements are much larger than present day homopolars . the conflict in requirements and available homopolar specifications can be resolved with a low leakage inductance , high current , voltage step up transformer which is used to match the homopolar capacitance and voltage to the railgun system by stepping up the voltage and decreasing the effective capacitance . in addition , multiple primary windings on the transformer can each be driven by a separate homopolar generator so that smaller homopolars and rotational energy sources may be combined . further details on an electromechanical capacitor for energy transfer is given by t . carroll , p . chowduri , and j . marshall in la - ur 83 - 1598 , los alamos national laboratory . information contained therein was presented at the 4th ieee pulsed power conference , june 6 - 8 , 1983 in albuquerque , n . m . and published in ieee pub . no . 83ch1908 - 3 , pp . 435 - 438 . an alternative method for providing the storage capacitance required is to use a double layer electrochemical capacitor . capacitors of this type are presently being used for backup power in computers . the energy density of presently available double layer capacitors is approximately 1 - 2 j per cm 3 . in order to store 40 mj , a volume of about 40 - 20 cubic meters is required which corresponds to a cubic structure of about 3 - 4 meters on a side . the voltage level of each double layer cell is only about one volt with a present thickness of 3 mm / volt . the cell thickness can be reduced to less than 0 . 3 mm / volt because the active region is a membrane with a thickness of less than 0 . 025 mm . thus the stack height required to obtain the required 20 kv is about 6 meters . the voltage gradient is only 30 v / cm and the dimensions are realistic in terms of the proposed application . although the double layer capacitor is practical now for many applications , efforts are continuing to make it a preferred energy storage device in even more critical applications . for example , efforts are being directed to increase the energy density of double layer capacitors to the 10 - 20 j / cm 3 level so that this system can be a factor of ten smaller . additional efforts are being conducted to increase the voltage level of the individual electrochemical cell from 1 volt to several volts so that the required stack height can be reduced to one or two meters . thus double layer capacitors can be used for the subject application today using present technology with significant improvements expected in the future . the energy for acceleration of each projectile is transferred to the circuit as shaft torque through the rotating capacitor with a prime power source . approximately three times the projectile energy is supplied to the system plus the resistive losses between projectiles . thus , the repetitive resonant railgun power supply of the present invention can operate continuously , supplied only by source or multiple sources of torque . the present invention using multiple energy storage systems operating in series , see fig1 reduce the constraints placed on each energy storage component thereby easing fabrication and implementation of same . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto . | 5 |
exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a schematic diagram of a sheet folding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the sheet folding device receives a recording medium ( hereinafter , “ sheet ”) on which an image is formed from an image forming apparatus ( not shown ), and then performs a predetermined folding operation on the sheet . afterward , if post - processing , such as punching or stapling , is to be performed on the sheet by a post - processing device ( not shown ), the sheet folding device discharges the sheet toward the post - processing device . if the post - processing is not to be performed on the sheet , the sheet folding device causes the sheet to be stacked in a stacker 400 arranged in the sheet folding device . the sheet folding device includes a first conveying path 101 , a second conveying path 102 , a third conveying path 103 , a fourth conveying path 104 , a fifth conveying path 105 , a sixth conveying path 106 , and a seventh conveying path 107 through which a sheet is conveyed . each of the conveying paths 101 to 107 is formed by guide plates that are arranged on opposite sides of a sheet in its thickness direction with a predetermined space between the guide plates . the guide plates are arranged to guide a sheet conveyed through each of the conveying paths 101 to 107 . the conveying paths 101 to 107 are directly connected , or are connected through a pair of folding rollers . a first stopper 501 , a second stopper 502 , and a third stopper 503 are arranged in the third conveying path 103 , the fourth conveying path 104 , and the fifth conveying path 105 , respectively . when a sheet is conveyed to each of the conveying paths 103 to 105 , the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with each of the stoppers 501 to 503 whereby each of the stoppers 501 to 503 stops the sheet . fig2 a to 2f are schematic diagrams for explaining sheet folding modes ( a single fold mode , a z fold mode , an outside triple fold mode , an inside triple fold mode , a simple quadruple fold mode , and a gate fold mode ) according to the first embodiment . with the above configuration , the sheet folding device performs a folding operation in each of the sheet folding modes . fig3 a to 3e are schematic diagrams of the sheet folding device for explaining a folding operation in the single fold mode . fig4 a to 4e are schematic diagrams of the sheet folding device for explaining a folding operation in the z fold mode . fig5 a to 5e are schematic diagrams of the sheet folding device for explaining a folding operation in the outside triple fold mode . fig6 a to 6e are schematic diagrams of the sheet folding device for explaining a folding operation in the inside triple fold mode . fig7 a to 7e are schematic diagrams of the sheet folding device for explaining a folding operation in the simple quadruple fold mode . fig8 a to 8e are schematic diagrams of the sheet folding device for explaining a folding operation in the gate fold mode . when the sheet folding device receives a sheet from the image forming apparatus , the sheet is guided to the first conveying path 101 by a first switching claw 301 ( fig3 a ). the sheet is then guided to the third conveying path 103 , so that the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the first stopper 501 that is movable depending on a fold position of the sheet ( fig3 b ). when the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the first stopper 501 , a portion of the sheet is bent . the bending portion is then conveyed through a nip ( a first nip ) formed between a first folding roller 201 and a second folding roller 202 whereby a first folding operation is performed on the sheet . thus , the single fold operation is completed ( fig3 c ). after the single fold operation is completed , the sheet is conveyed through a nip ( a second nip ) formed between the second folding roller 202 and a third folding roller 203 , and a nip ( a third nip ) formed between the third folding roller 203 and a fourth folding roller 204 without entering the fourth conveying path 104 ( fig3 d ). the folding operation is not performed on the sheet at the second nip and the third nip . the sheet is then guided to the seventh conveying path 107 by a third switching claw 303 , and is stacked in the stacker 400 ( fig3 e ). if the post - processing is to be performed on the sheet after the folding operation is performed , the sheet is conveyed through the second nip and the third nip without entering the fourth conveying path 104 , and is guided to the sixth conveying path 106 by the third switching claw 303 , so that the sheet is conveyed toward the post - processing device . alternatively , the sheet can be conveyed toward the post - processing device through the fourth conveying path 104 after the first folding operation is performed by the first folding roller 201 and the second folding roller 202 ( in such a case , the second stopper 502 is removed from the fourth conveying path 104 ). when the sheet folding device receives a sheet from the image forming apparatus , the sheet is guided to the second conveying path 102 by the first switching claw 301 and a second switching claw 302 ( fig4 a ). the sheet is conveyed through the first nip , and is then guided to the fourth conveying path 104 , so that the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the second stopper 502 that is movable depending on a fold position of the sheet ( fig4 b ). when the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the second stopper 502 , a portion of the sheet is bent . the bending portion is conveyed through the second nip whereby a first folding operation is performed on the sheet ( fig4 c ). then , the sheet is guided to the fifth conveying path 105 , so that the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the third stopper 503 that is movable depending on a fold position of the sheet . when the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the third stopper 503 , a portion of the sheet is bent . the bending portion is conveyed through the third nip whereby a second folding operation is performed on the sheet ( fig4 d ). thus , the z fold operation is completed . after the z fold operation is completed , the sheet is guided to the seventh conveying path 107 by the third switching claw 303 , and is stacked in the stacker 400 . alternatively , if the post - processing ( punching , stapling , shifting , or mixed size stacking ) is to be performed on the sheet after the folding operation is performed , the sheet is guided to the sixth conveying path 106 by the third switching claw 303 , and is conveyed toward the post - processing device ( fig4 e ). when the sheet folding device receives a sheet from the image forming apparatus , the sheet is guided to the first conveying path 101 by the first switching claw 301 ( fig5 a ). the sheet is then guided to the third conveying path 103 , so that the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the first stopper 501 ( fig5 b ). when the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the first stopper 501 , a portion of the sheet is bent . the bending portion is then conveyed through the first nip whereby a first folding operation is performed on the sheet ( fig5 c ). then , the sheet is guided to the fourth conveying path 104 , so that the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the second stopper 502 . when the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the second stopper 502 , a portion of the sheet is bent . the bending portion is then conveyed through the second nip whereby a second folding operation is performed on the sheet ( fig5 d ). thus , the outside triple fold operation is completed . after the outside triple fold operation ( an inside triple fold operation or a simple quadruple fold operation ) is completed , the sheet is conveyed through the third nip without entering the fifth conveying path 105 ( fig5 e ). then , the sheet is guided to the seventh conveying path 107 by the third switching claw 303 , and is stacked in the stacker 400 . alternatively , if the post - processing is to be performed on the sheet after the folding operation is performed , the sheet is conveyed through the third nip , and is guided to the sixth conveying path 106 by the third switching claw 303 , so that the sheet is conveyed toward the post - processing device . the inside triple fold operation and the simple quadruple fold operation are performed in almost the same manner as the outside triple fold operation , and therefore detailed explanation on the inside triple fold operation and the simple quadruple fold operation is omitted . each of the processes shown in fig6 a to 6e and fig7 a to 7e corresponds to that shown in fig5 a to 5e . in the inside triple fold operation and the simple quadruple fold operation , the sheet is conveyed through the same conveying paths as in the outside triple fold operation , and the folding operation is performed at the same nip as in the outside triple fold operation . the difference between the outside triple fold operation , the inside triple fold operation , and the simple quadruple fold operation is a fold position of the sheet in the first folding operation . the fold position can be adjusted by changing the position of the first stopper 501 . a fold position of the sheet in the second folding operation is determined depending on the fold position in the first folding operation , and the second folding operation is performed on a corresponding fold position of the sheet . when the sheet folding device receives a sheet from the image forming apparatus , the sheet is guided to the first conveying path 101 by the first switching claw 301 ( fig8 a ). the sheet is then guided to the third conveying path 103 , so that the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the first stopper 501 ( fig8 b ). when the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the first stopper 501 , a portion of the sheet is bent . the bending portion is then conveyed through the first nip whereby a first folding operation is performed on the sheet ( fig8 c ). then , the sheet is guided to the fourth conveying path 104 , so that the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the second stopper 502 . when the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the second stopper 502 , a portion of the sheet is bent . the bending portion is then conveyed through the second nip whereby a second folding operation is performed on the sheet ( fig8 d ). then , the sheet is guided to the fifth conveying path 105 , so that the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the third stopper 503 . when the leading end of the sheet is brought into contact with the third stopper 503 , a portion of the sheet is bent . the bending portion is then conveyed through the third nip whereby a third folding operation is performed on the sheet . thus , the gate fold operation is completed ( fig8 e ). after the gate fold operation is completed , the same operation as in the z fold operation is performed . specifically , the sheet is guided to the seventh conveying path 107 by the third switching claw 303 , and is stacked in the stacker 400 . alternatively , if the post - processing is to be performed on the sheet , the sheet is guided to the sixth conveying path 106 by the third switching claw 303 , and is conveyed toward the post - processing device ( fig8 f ). a first idler roller 603 , a second idler roller 604 , a third idler roller 605 , a fourth idler roller 606 , and a fifth idler roller 607 are arranged in the third conveying path 103 , the fourth conveying path 104 , the fifth conveying path 105 , the sixth conveying path 106 , and the seventh conveying path 107 , respectively . the idler rollers 603 to 607 serve as adjusting members that adjust a space between the guide plates . the adjusting member is not limited to the idler roller , but can be a mylar . fig9 is an enlarged view of a relevant part of the sheet folding device for explaining arrangement of the idler rollers 603 to 607 . the third conveying path 103 is adjusted to have a space d 3 by the first idler roller 603 , the fourth conveying path 104 is adjusted to have a space d 4 by the second idler roller 604 , the fifth conveying path 105 is adjusted to have a space d 5 by the third idler roller 605 , the sixth conveying path 106 is adjusted to have a space d 6 by the fourth idler roller 606 , and the seventh conveying path 107 is adjusted to have a space d 7 by the fifth idler roller 607 . table 1 indicates that the thickness of a sheet conveyed through each of the conveying paths 103 to 107 is different depending on the sheet folding mode . the thickness of a sheet conveyed through the conveying path arranged downstream of the folding rollers is equal to or larger than that of the sheet conveyed through the conveying path arranged upstream of the folding rollers . if the space between the guide plates is the same in all of the conveying paths 103 to 107 , in some conveying paths , the sheet can be conveyed between the guide plates in an unstable manner because of the large space , and in other conveying paths , the sheet can be jammed between the guide plates because of the small space . thus , it is difficult to convey the sheet in a smooth manner . to solve the above problem , the idler rollers are arranged in the conveying paths upstream and downstream of the folding rollers to adjust the space between the guide plates . with this configuration , it is possible to convey the sheet in a stable manner . the idler rollers are arranged such that the space between the guide plates downstream of the folding rollers is equal to or larger than that between the guide plates upstream of the folding rollers . thus , it is possible to convey a folded sheet in a stable manner . the space defined by each of the idler rollers 603 to 607 is determined based on the thickness of a sheet conveyed through each of the conveying paths 103 to 107 . in this manner , it is possible to provide an appropriate space in each of the conveying paths 103 to 107 with respect to the thickness of the conveyed sheet . specifically , the idler rollers 603 to 607 are arranged such that the spaces defined by the idler rollers 603 to 607 are set as follows : thus , the space defined by each of the idler rollers 603 to 607 corresponds to a maximum thickness of a sheet conveyed through each of the conveying paths 103 to 107 , so that it is possible to prevent the possibility that the sheet hits the idler rollers 603 to 607 and gets jammed between the guide plates , and to convey the sheet in a smooth manner in all of the sheet folding modes . however , the thickness of a sheet conveyed through each of conveying paths is different depending on the sheet folding mode . specifically , in the z fold operation , the thickness of the sheet conveyed through the fourth conveying path 104 is sheet thickness × 1 ( because it is an unfolded sheet ), and if the space d 4 is set to sheet thickness × 2 , the space d 4 is larger than the thickness of the sheet . therefore , it is difficult to convey the sheet in a stable manner . to solve such a problem , the idler rollers are movable in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the sheet . with this configuration , it is possible to provide an appropriate space in each of the conveying paths depending on the thickness of a conveyed sheet . the sheet having sheet thickness × 1 or sheet thickness × 2 is conveyed through the fourth conveying path 104 depending on the sheet folding mode . on the other hand , the sheet having sheet thickness × 2 , sheet thickness × 3 or sheet thickness × 4 is conveyed through the seventh conveying path 107 depending on the sheet folding mode . if a moving distance of each of the idler rollers is the same , the space can be too small in some conveying paths , and can be too large in other conveying paths with respect to the thickness of the sheet . therefore , the moving distance of each of the idler rollers 603 to 607 is individually set , so that it is possible to provide an appropriate space in each of the conveying paths . however , in some conveying paths , the sheet having the same thickness is conveyed in all of the sheet folding modes . if a mechanism for moving the idler roller is arranged in all of the conveying paths , the mechanisms become complicated , and the costs are increased . therefore , the idler roller is not movable in the conveying path through which the sheet having the same thickness is conveyed in all of the sheet folding modes , and the idler roller is movable in the conveying path through which the sheet having a different thickness is conveyed depending on the sheet folding mode . specifically , the idler rollers 603 and 605 are not movable . in this manner , it is possible to omit an unnecessary mechanism , and to reduce the costs . furthermore , because the thickness of the sheet conveyed through each of the conveying paths is different depending on the sheet folding mode , the idler rollers are individually moved in the conveying paths , and the moving distance of each of the idler rollers is determined based on the sheet folding mode . in this manner , an appropriate space can be provided in each of the conveying paths depending on the sheet folding mode , and the sheet can be conveyed in a stable manner in all of the sheet folding modes . fig1 is an enlarged view of a relevant part of the sheet folding device for explaining an operation of adjusting the space between the guide plates by moving the second idler roller 604 . when the z fold operation is performed on the sheet , the second idler roller 604 is moved in a direction close to the guide plate that is opposed to the second idler roller 604 , thereby defining the space d 4 . when the single fold operation is performed on the sheet , the second - idler roller 604 is moved in a direction away from the guide plate that is opposed to the second idler roller 604 , thereby forming the space d 4 ′. specifically , the space in each of the conveying paths 103 to 107 is defined as follows : fig1 and 12 are flowcharts for explaining an operation of adjusting the space in each of the conveying paths 103 to 107 by changing positions of the idler rollers 603 to 607 . after a power source ( not shown ) is turned on , initialization is performed ( step s 1 ). the idler rollers 603 to 607 are set to default positions ( step s 2 ), and then enter a standby state . specifically , the default positions of the idler rollers 603 to 607 are defined such that the space d 3 = sheet thickness × 1 , the space d 4 = sheet thickness × 1 , the space d 5 = sheet thickness × 1 , the space d 6 = sheet thickness × 2 , and the space d 7 = sheet thickness × 2 . after a function of setting the sheet folding mode is activated , a set sheet folding mode and positions of the idler rollers 603 to 607 corresponding to the set sheet folding mode are determined . when the idler rollers 603 to 607 are set to these positions , the folding operation is started . for example , if the outside triple fold mode is set ( no at step s 11 , no at step s 13 , and yes at step s 15 ), the idler rollers 603 to 607 are set to the corresponding positions for the outside triple fold mode ( step s 16 ). specifically , the idler rollers 603 to 607 are set to the positions such that the space d 3 = sheet thickness × 1 , the space d 4 = sheet thickness × 2 , the space d 5 = sheet thickness × 1 , the space d 6 = sheet thickness × 2 , and the space d 7 = sheet thickness × 3 . the positions of the idler rollers 603 to 607 as shown in fig1 are determined based on the thickness of a sheet conveyed through each of the conveying paths 103 to 107 as shown in table 1 and the space in each of the conveying paths 103 to 107 as described above . with the configuration and the operation described above , it is possible to convey the folded sheet in a stable manner . fig1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 90 according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the image forming apparatus 90 includes a sheet folding device 70 having the configuration according to the first embodiment and a post - processing device 80 . the image forming apparatus 90 is a copy machine that forms a toner image by an image forming process using an electrophotographic system . the image forming apparatus 90 can be a printer , a facsimile , or a multifunction product ( mfp ) having functions of a copy machine , a printer , and a facsimile . the image forming apparatus 90 can be an inkjet printer . the image forming apparatus 90 includes an automatic document feeder ( adf ) 1 , a feed tray 2 , feeding rollers 3 , a feeding belt 4 , ejecting rollers 5 , an exposure glass 6 , an original - set detecting unit 7 , a first tray 8 , a second tray 9 , a third tray 10 , a first feeding unit 11 , a second feeding unit 12 , a third feeding unit 13 , a longitudinal conveying unit 14 , a photosensitive element 15 , a conveying belt 16 , a fixing unit 17 , a discharging unit 18 , a developing unit 27 , a scanning unit 50 including an exposure lamp 51 , a first mirror 52 , a lens 53 , a coupled charge device ( ccd ) image sensor 54 , a second mirror 55 , and a third mirror 56 , a writing unit 57 including a laser output unit 58 , an imaging lens 59 , and a mirror 60 , the sheet folding device 70 , and the post - processing device 80 . a pile of originals are placed on the feed tray 2 such that the side of the original on which an image is formed faces upward . when a start key of an operation unit ( not shown ) is pressed , the uppermost original is fed from the pile by the feeding rollers 3 and the feeding belt 4 to a predetermined position on the exposure glass 6 . when the original is fed to the predetermined position on the exposure glass 6 , the image on the original is scanned by the scanning unit 50 . after the scanning is completed , the original is ejected to the outside by the feeding belt 4 and the ejecting rollers 5 . when the original - set detecting unit 7 detects that the next original is placed on the feed tray 2 , the next original is fed to a predetermined position on the exposure glass 6 in the same manner as described above . the feeding rollers 3 , the feeding belt 4 , and the ejecting rollers 5 are driven by a conveying motor ( not shown ). sheets stacked on the first tray 8 , the second tray 9 , and the third tray 10 are fed by the first feeding unit 11 , the second feeding unit 12 , and the third feeding unit 13 , respectively , and are conveyed by the longitudinal conveying unit 14 to a position at which the sheet is in contact with the photosensitive element 15 . the photosensitive element 15 is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from the writing unit 57 based on image data obtained by the scanning unit 50 whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive element 15 . the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive element 15 is developed by the developing unit 27 , so that a toner image is formed on the photosensitive element 15 . after the sheet is conveyed to the conveying belt 16 by the longitudinal conveying unit 14 , the sheet is conveyed by the conveying belt 16 that is moved at the same speed as that at which the photosensitive element 15 is rotated , so that the toner image on the photosensitive element 15 is transferred onto the sheet . the sheet having the toner image transferred thereon is then conveyed to the fixing unit 17 where the toner image is fixed to the sheet with heat . the photosensitive element 15 , the conveying belt 16 , the fixing unit 17 , the discharging unit 18 , and the developing unit 27 are driven by a main motor ( not shown ). each of the feeding units 11 to 13 is driven by a driving force transmitted from the main motor via a feeding clutch ( not shown ). the longitudinal conveying unit 14 is driven by a driving force transmitted from the main motor via an intermediate clutch ( not shown ). the discharging unit 18 discharges the sheet having the image formed thereon to the sheet folding device 70 . the sheet folding device 70 performs the folding operation as described in the first embodiment . after the sheet folding device 70 completes the folding operation , the sheet folding device 70 discharges the sheet to the post - processing device 80 . the post - processing device 80 performs post - processing operation , such as sorting of sheets for each original or each copy of originals that is sorted by an image memory , punching , or stapling . the above embodiments are described as preferred embodiments of the present invention . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments , but modifications can be made as appropriate within a scope of technical ideas of the present invention . according to the embodiments , an adjusting member is arranged between guide plates of each of conveying paths arranged upstream and downstream of folding rollers to adjust a space between the guide plates , so that it is possible to convey a sheet in a stable manner . furthermore , according to the embodiments , the space between the guide plates arranged downstream of the folding rollers is equal to or larger than the space between the guide plates arranged upstream of the folding rollers , so that it is possible to convey a folded sheet in a stable manner . moreover , according to the embodiments , the space is determined depending on the thickness of a sheet conveyed through each of the conveying paths , so that it is possible to provide an appropriate space in each of the conveying paths with respect to the thickness of the sheet . furthermore , according to the embodiments , the space corresponds to a maximum thickness of a sheet conveyed through each of the conveying paths , so that it is possible to convey the sheet in a smooth manner without being hit by the adjusting member . moreover , according to the embodiments , the adjusting member is movable in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of a sheet by a driving source , so that the adjusting member can be moved in accordance with change of the thickness of the sheet depending on the sheet folding mode , and an appropriate space can be provided in the conveying path . furthermore , according to the embodiments , a moving distance of the adjusting member in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction is individually set for each of the conveying paths , so that an appropriate space can be provided in each of the conveying paths . moreover , according to the embodiments , the adjusting member only in the conveying path through which a sheet having a different thickness is conveyed is movable in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction , so that it is possible to omit an unnecessary mechanism for moving the adjusting member , and to reduce the costs . furthermore , according to the embodiments , a moving distance of the adjusting member in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction is determined depending on the sheet folding mode , so that an appropriate space can be provided in each of the conveying paths depending on each of the sheet folding modes , and to convey the sheet in a stable manner in all of the sheet folding modes . moreover , according to the embodiments , an idler roller or a mylar can be used as the adjusting member , so that it is possible to convey a sheet without causing damage on the sheet . according to an aspect of the present invention , it is possible to provide a sheet folding device and an image forming apparatus in which a sheet can be conveyed through each of the conveying paths in a stable manner . although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure , the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth . | 6 |
describing now the drawings , it is to be understood that only enough of the construction of the apparatus has been shown as needed for those skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying principles and concepts of the present development , while simplifying the showing of the drawings . turning attention now specifically to fig1 there has been schematically and diagramatically illustrated therein a so - called track or travel path system comprising a number of conveyors f or equivalent structure which receive the material to be conveyed . the conveyors f are self - driven conveyor units movable along a trackless runway or path of travel 2 along a pilot track 3 . therefore , in the context of this disclosure the terms &# 34 ; track &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; track system &# 34 ; are used broadly and are not to be construed in a limiting sense as relating to only track - bound systems as such , rather generally encompass trackless or non - rail - bound systems . the track or travel network is subdivided in conventional manner to form track or travel path sections 8 which may comprise straight travel sections 4 and / or curved travel sections 5 and which may be singly or multiply branched , as generally indicated by reference characters 6 and 7 in fig1 . track or travel path sections 8 may form a functional or spatial unit and with each track or travel section 8 there may be operatively associated a control location or position 15 . as will be explained shortly , at each control location 15 there is provided a receiver of a stationary transmitting and receiving station which provides for signal transmission between the conveyors f and a central system control a . in particular , at each control location 15 there is placed a transponder t which are combined in groups , and each group of transponders t is connected to a common group control unit g . each such travel path section 8 is freely selectable to operate in one of a number of different operational modes constituting a standard mode and an inspection mode for diagnosis and error detection . the intelligence for the operation of the conveyor installation is distributed to the central system control a , the group control units g and , to a lesser extent , the transponders t . furthermore , the central system control or control means a is in signal communication with all conveyors f which are movable between the different control locations or positions 15 via the group control units g and the transponders t . the communicating connections or links are identically designed for all of the conveyors f . the specific design of such a communicating connection or link will be explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the conveyor f1 on the basis of the system configuration illustrated in fig1 . transmitters 10 and 13 and receivers 11 and 12 , respectively , are arranged at the conveyor f 1 and at the transponder t 1 , respectively . the detailed structure thereof is shown in fig3 . as shown , the conveyor f 1 is located within the operative range of the transponder t 1 . consequently , transmission paths or links 27 , 28 exist between the associated transmitters 10 and 13 and the receivers 11 and 12 , respectively . the transponder t 1 and the conveyor f 1 are thus wirelessly and bidirectionally interconnected . this is indicated in detail in fig2 a and 2b . as further shown in fig1 two - wire lines or conductors 22 and 25 are provided between the transponder t1 and the group control unit g1 and between the latter and the central system control a in order to transmit , for example , control commands forming signal telegrams from the central system control a to the group control unit g1 and further to the related transponder t 1 . the control commands are furthermore transmitted to the conveyor f 1 via the transmission path or link 28 ( see fig2 a ). in an analogous manner reporting back telegrams reach the central system control a when sent by the conveyor f 1 . the transmitter 10 at the conveyor f 1 is therefore operatively connected to the receiver 12 at the transponder t 1 via the transmission path or link 27 . the output 34 of the transponder t 1 is connected to the related group control unit g1 via a two - wire line or conductor 23 which communicates with the central system control a via a further two - wire line or conductor 24 . a control line or conductor 29 leads from the group control unit g1 to the transponder t 1 and serves to select the operational mode of the transponder t 1 as well as the power supply to the transponder t 1 during bidirectional signal transmission . the circuit connections and function thereof will be explained in greater detail with reference to fig2 a , 2b and 3 of the drawings . fig2 a shows a transponder , such as the transponder t 1 when switched to function as a responder or answering device . the transmitter 10 at the conveyor f 1 contains a transmitting antenna 10 . 1 which is in communication with the receiving antenna 12 . 1 at the transponder t 1 via the inductive transmission path or link 27 . a carrier wave is transmitted from the transmitting antenna 10 . 1 to the receiving antenna 12 . 1 and may be either unmodulated or modulated . in both cases the carrier wave also transmits electrical energy for the power supply of the transponder t 1 in addition to signals . the transponder t 1 is provided with a transmitter 13 comprising an infrared diode 13 . 1 . in corresponding manner the conveyor f 1 is provided with a receiver 11 comprising a photosensitive diode 11 . 1 . the transmitter 13 and the receiver 11 are in communication via an optical transmission path or link 28 for signal transmission in the reverse direction relative to the transmission path or link 27 . the transponder t 1 further comprises a code generator 16 which contains constant data like , for example , the site or location code , identifying codes for identifying individual conveyors f and the like . an input 16 . 1 of the code generator 16 is connected to the receiver 12 and an output 16 . 2 of the code generator 16 is connected to the transmitter 13 via a multiplexer 30 . the circular arrow 36 illustrates the signal path corresponding to pure transponder operation of the transponder t , and which signal path is formed by an interrogation signal transmitted via the inductive transmission path or link 27 and by the response or answerback signal transmitted by the optical transmission path or link 28 . an output amplifier 18 is provided and serves to control the two - wire line or conductor 23 interconnecting the output 34 of the transponder t and an input 37 of the group control unit g . the control line designated by reference character 29 is connected to a control input 30 . 1 at the multiplexer 30 . as long as there is not carried any voltage by the control line 29 the multiplexer 30 assumes a first position in which the output 16 . 2 of the code generator 16 is connected to the transmitter 13 via the contacts 1 - 2 in the multiplexer 30 . the group control unit g1 and the central system control a are bidirectionally interconnected via the two two - wire lines 24 and 25 . as shown in fig2 a , the transponder t 1 due to the switching state of the multiplexer 30 , is switched into a first operational state in which the transponder t 1 acts as a responder or answering device , in which the transponder t 1 is interrogated by interrogation signals transmitted from the conveyor f 1 through the transmission path or link 27 and responds thereto by transmitting response signals to the conveyor f 1 via the transmission path or link 28 . fig2 b shows the transponder t 1 of fig2 a in a second operational state . in this second operational state the channel through which signals are transferred from the conveyor f 1 to the central system control a is of the same design as in fig2 a . contrary thereto , however , the control line 29 now carries voltage and consequently the multiplexer 30 is switched into a different state in which a connection is established between the contacts 1 and 3 thereof . consequently , the interconnection between the output 16 . 2 of the code generator 16 and the transmitter 13 is broken and instead an input 35 of the transponder t is now connected to the transmitter 13 through the contact 1 - 3 of the multiplexer 30 . there thus exists an additional transmission channel between the group control unit g and the conveyor f 1 which includes the multiplexer 30 , the transmitter 13 and the optical transmission path or link 28 . fig3 shows a detailed block circuit diagram of any one of the transponders t . in the actual case , the transponder t is accommodated in a housing 20 having , for instance , the dimensions 100 × 200 × 20 millimeters and thus can be easily installed without problems in the travel path or track 2 . the receiving antenna 12 . 1 of the receiver 12 extends within the confines of the housing 20 and receives signals as well as electrical energy via the inductive transmission path or link 27 . the receiver 12 has an energy output 12 . 2 to which there is connected an energy supply circuit 40 comprising a rectifier 40 . 1 , a threshold switch 40 . 2 and an output 40 . 3 to supply the individual circuit components with voltage or power . series connected thereto is , firstly , the code generator 16 . this code generator 16 substantially comprises a shift register 16 . 3 designed as a parallel - to - series converter . the shift register 16 . 3 is externally programmable by means of programming inputs 16 . 4 and receives clock pulses via a control line 16 . 5 . a coder 41 operating for instance according to the manchester code is provided and possesses a clock pulse generator 41 . 1 . an output 41 . 2 of the code generator 41 is connected to the contact 2 of the multiplexer 30 , the contact 1 thereof is connected to a current amplifier 31 which supplies current to an input 13 . 3 of the transmitter 13 . in the transmitter 13 there are present the infrared diode 13 . 1 as well as further connections 13 . 2 for connection to further infrared diodes . a fsk - demodulator 17 ( frequency - shift keying demodulator ) is connected on the input side thereof to a data output 12 . 3 of the receiver 12 and on the output side thereof to input 18 . 1 of output amplifier 18 . the output amplifier 18 comprises a further strobe input 18 . 2 which is connected to the output 40 . 3 of the energy supply 40 . an output 18 . 3 of the output amplifier 18 leads to the output 34 of the transponder t , and thus , to the two - wire line 23 connecting the transponder t and the group control unit g . there thus exist two transmission channels from the conveyor f to the group control unit g between the receiving antenna 12 . 1 and the output 34 of the transponder t . a first transmission channel extends via the energy supply 40 and the strobe input 18 . 2 of the output amplifier 18 and serves , for example , for transmitting a presence indication signal which signifies the presence of a conveyor f within the operable range of the transponder t . a second transmission channel is formed by the fsk - demodulator 17 and the input 18 . 1 of the output amplifier 18 and serves for data transfer . in reverse direction there exists a third transmission channel between the input 35 of the transponder t and the infrared diode 13 . 1 which extends from the group control unit g to the conveyor f . this third transmission channel is also designed for data transfer and contains an input amplifier 19 , the multiplexer 30 in a switching position in which there is a connection between the contacts 1 and 3 thereof , as well as the current amplifier 31 . conjointly with the aforementioned second transmission channel for data transfer via the fsk - demodulator 17 there thus results a bidirectional data communication between the conveyor f and the group control unit g in which the data channels are isolated from each other with respect to direction . a further threshold switch 45 is provided between the control line 29 and the multiplexer 30 . this threshold switch 45 is connected to the control input 30 . 1 of the multiplexer 30 and to a supply line 46 for current supply to the transponder t . the not here shown further elements provided at the conveyors f and in the group control units g are structured in such a manner as to be able to cooperate with the transponder t . to these elements there belong , at the conveyor f , the transmitter 10 for generating the electromagnetic field forming the inductive transmission path or link 27 . the transmitting antenna 10 . 1 connected to the transmitter 10 , a standard current source therefore , a fixed or fsk - modulatable oscillator 10 . 2 and a modulator 10 . 3 for possibly modulating the oscillator 10 . 2 in the fsk - mode , see fig2 a . there also belong to the elements on the conveyor f the photosensitive diode 11 . 1 , a controlled pre - amplifier 11 . 2 therefore , a decoder 11 . 3 for the manchester code and a bit - pulse regenerator 11 . 4 for clocking a data receiver 11 . 5 . to the further elements in the group control unit g there belong a line drive and a line receiver which are matched to the transponder t , a further coder for the manchester code , data transmitters and data receivers as well as a switchable source for positive supply voltage for connection to the control line 29 . in the following description the mode of operation of the inventive apparatus will be explained with reference to fig1 a , 2b and 3 and the explanation is based on functions which are typical for the operation of a conveyor installation or system . in the absence of a voltage at the control line 29 for selecting the mode of operation of the transponder t , the multiplexer 30 and thus the transponder t is in a first operational state , and the contacts 1 and 2 in the multiplexer 30 are interconnected . the code generator 16 is accordingly connected to the input 13 . 3 of the transmitter 13 via the contacts 1 and 2 of the multiplexer 30 . in this operational state the transponder t functions as a responder or answering device with simultaneous signal transmission from the conveyor f to the group control unit g which is located at the region of the transponder t . the unmodulated or modulated carrier wave which has a frequency in the kilohertz range , for this purpose induces sufficient voltage in the receiving antenna 12 . 1 to power the code generator 16 designed in accordance with cmos - technology , the coder 41 for the manchester code , the current amplifier 31 as well as the output amplifier 18 . by means of the energy supply circuit 40 there is ensured that the current supply is only released when the current consumption can be safely met . in the code generator 16 containing the shift register 16 . 1 designed as a parallel - to - series converter , a stored eight - bit - word is converted in conventional manner into a serial asynchronous bit current or stream comprising a starting bit , a data byte , a parity bit and a stop bit . the parity bit serves in the usual way to ensure error detection . the manchester coder 41 decreases the current consumption of the code generator 16 by about 50 %, and furthermore enables a simple clock pulse regeneration in the receiver 11 located at the conveyor f . the thus prepared information or data is amplified by the current amplifier 31 . subsequently , the information or data is converted into infrared radiation pulses by the infrared diode 13 . 1 of the transmitter 13 and then transmitted in bits to the photosensitive diode 11 . 1 of the receiver 11 at the conveyor f via the optical transmission path or link 28 . in the code generator 16 constant data is stored for the control of the conveyor f . in the first place constituting part of the constant data is the site or location code which informs the conveyor f about its location within the layout . the conveyor f is thus able to appropriately change the state of its automatic mechanism . thus , the transponder t functions as a responder or answering device which is electromagnetically activated and which optically transmits the code . the interrogation signal and the response or answerback signal are transmitted by electromagnetic induction and in the form of an infrared pulse telegram . since the data stored in the code generator 16 primarily is the location code , in this operational state the transponder t fulfils as a first function that of a location code transmitter . in addition to the aforementioned mode of operation , however , there is also the possibility of simultaneously transmitting with the generation of the site or location code , during a second function of the transponder t , signals which originate from a conveyor f to a group control unit g . in the embodiment of the apparatus which is used with the conveyor installation as previously described with reference to fig1 such signals are mainly signals indicating the presence of the conveyor f and general data . the transmission of the presence indication is based on the recognition that only a transmitting antenna 10 . 1 at a conveyor f induces an electric voltage in the receiving antenna 12 . 1 at the transponder t . since the transmitter 10 at the conveyor f is continuously operated , and thus , continuously emits the carrier frequency as long as the conveyor installation or system 1 is in operation , the energy supply circuit 40 always is supplied with voltage when a conveyor f is present within the operable range of a transponder t . the supply voltage at the output 40 . 3 of the energy supply circuit 40 thus not only energizes the code generator 16 but also provides an indicating signal representative of the presence of a conveyor f . however , the presence indicating signal will only then be further transmitted as a presence indication to the group control unit g if the carrier wave emitted by the conveyor f is unmodulated . it is particularly in this case that no data is present at the data input 18 . 1 of the output amplifier 18 in the transponder t , so that the voltage applied to the strobe input 18 . 2 passes to the output 34 of the transponder t . this voltage is transmitted as a presence indication to the group control unit g via the two - wire line 23 . in this way an unmodulated carrier wave received from the conveyor f activates the code generator 16 and simultaneously transmits a presence indication to the group control unit g . thus , the transponder t simultaneously functions as a location code transmitter and as a presence detector . during this operation of the transponder t the electrical energy required to power the transponder t , the interrogation signal and the presence indication signal are simultaneously transmitted in the form of an unmodulated carrier wave from the conveyor f to the transponder t via the inductive transmission path or link 27 . for transmission of data from the conveyor f to the group control unit g the transmitter 10 at the conveyor f transmits a modulated carrier wave which is emitted by its transmitting antenna 10 . 1 and received by the receiving antenna 12 . 1 of the receiver 12 at the transponder t . contrary to the unmodulated carrier wave , now the modulated carrier wave appears at the data output 12 . 3 of the receiver 12 and thus is applied to the input side of the demodulator 17 . in the demodulation 17 the data is demodulated and applied from the output side thereof to the data input 18 . 1 of the output amplifier 18 of the transponder t . in the output amplifier 18 data signals are now transmitted to the group control unit g instead of the presence indication signal . thus , the code generator 16 is energized and at the same time data is transferred to the group control unit g when a modulated carrier wave is received by the receiving antenna 12 . 1 of the receiver 12 in the transponder t . in this case the transponder t simultaneously functions as a location code transmitter and as a unidirectional data transmitter . during this operation the electrical energy for powering the transponder t , the interrogation signal and the data are conjointly transferred in the form of a modulated carrier wave from the conveyor f to the transponder t via the inductive transmission path or link 27 . when the control line 29 carries voltage , the multiplexer 30 is switched so that now the contacts 1 and 3 are interconnected and the prior connection of the contacts 1 and 2 is interrupted . this provides for a selection of a second mode of operation of the transponder t which thus assumes a second operational state . in this second operational state the code generator 16 is isolated from the transmitter 13 due to the switching of the multiplexer to the described one - three contact connection . now the transponder t can no longer function as a responder or answering device . however , the input 35 of the transponder t is now connected to the transmitter 13 via the contacts 1 and 3 of the multiplexer 30 . data now received from the group control unit g at the input 35 is amplified by the input amplifier 19 and by the current amplifier 31 with respect to voltage and current , respectively . by means of the series connected infrared diode 13 . 1 of the transmitter 13 this data is transformed into infrared radiation pulses for optical transmission to the conveyor f via the transmission path or link 28 . thus , there is present a unidirectional data channel from the group control unit g to the conveyor f via the two - wire line or conductor 22 , the transponder t and the optical transmission path or link 28 . independently thereof there is present in the reverse direction the aforementioned data channel from the conveyor f to the group control unit g via the inductive transmission path or link 27 , the demodulator 17 and the two - wire line or conductor 23 . since both channels can be activated either singly or in combination , each channel is advantageously provided with its own current supply . in particular , the first channel embodying the electromagnetic transmission path or link 27 is powered in known manner by the electromagnetic induction in the receiving antenna 12 . 1 of the receiver 12 and the second channel is powered via the line 46 by the control voltage applied to the multiplexer 30 . in this second operational state , therefore , the inventive apparatus contains a bidirectional data channel with isolated transmission directions at each transponder t provided in the conveyor installation 1 . the data channel connects the conveyors f and the associated group control units g . diversity means can be provided for protecting signal transmission between the central system control a and individual ones of the conveyors f against malfunction and falsification . while there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims . accordingly , | 6 |
fig4 illustrates an amplifier equipped with an anti - pop circuit which can be implemented with simple switches . amplifier 400 is similar to amplifier 200 . amplifier 400 comprises amplifier stage 110 and output stage 420 . like output stage 220 of amplifier 200 , output stage 420 comprises core output stage 160 and a compensation network comprising capacitor 202 and resistor 204 . the described components function essentially the same as that described for amplifier 200 . however , output stage 420 further comprises switch 402 . when closed switch 402 , it drags the output voltage v out to v ss which is shown as ground in fig4 . it should be noted that often v ss is fixed to ground . however , for the purposes of this disclosure ground and v ss are used interchangeably and should be construed to be the low power rail and not necessarily a zero voltage . switch 402 is controlled by a control signal . therefore the switch initially is closed when the control signal is low but the switch is opened when the control signal is high . the control signal should be activated prior to power supply v dd ramping up to avoid an output pop . as v dd increases switch 402 is eventually closed , but during the initial ramp up period , switch 402 may remain open thus permitting some pop to be manifested at the output . in order to maintain generality , v dd is often referred to as the high power voltage or high power rail and v ss is often referred to as the low power voltage , low power rail or ground . it should be noted that notationally , the switches described in each of these diagrams is con rolled by an individual input ( not to be confused with a control signal given to the amplifier ( ctrl ) as described above ). for the sake of notation , these switches are open when the input is low and closed when the input is high . for that reason switch 402 is shown to be controlled by the logical complement of ctrl that is ctrl . however , only switch 402 is not enough for the pop control because , even though output v out , is grounded during the power up ( or power down ) periods , the voltage built up at node a can still tend to drive the v out up through the compensation network , so even though ideally , switch 402 pulls the output voltage to ground , the voltage a node a can still cause a pop at the output , albeit a suppressed pop . fig5 illustrates an amplifier equipped with an improved anti - pop circuit . amplifier 500 is similar to amplifier 200 . amplifier 500 comprises amplifier stage 110 and output stage 520 . like output stage 220 of amplifier 200 , output stage 520 comprises core output stage 160 and a compensation network comprising capacitor 202 and resistor 204 . the described components function essentially the same as that described for amplifier 200 . however , output stage 520 further comprises switch 502 and switch 504 . switch 502 is closed when the control signal is high and switch 504 is opened when the control signal is high . when the control signal is high , the circuit behaves essentially the same as amplifier 200 . compensation capacitor 202 and compensation resistor 204 feed back v out to node a to provide stability to amplifier 500 . however , when the control signal is low such as prior to power up , node a is shunted through capacitor 202 to v ss . furthermore , with switch 502 open , the path from node a to v out through the compensation network is broken . as a result , node a does not influence v out until the circuit is powered up , thus , mitigating any pop at the output . ideally , the control signal is low during any power transition , i . e ., power up or power down . it is also important to note that switch 504 also prevents capacitor 202 from floating . if capacitor 202 was allowed to remain floating , the absolute voltage of each electrode of the capacitor will change due to the changes in the amplifier stage , even though the charge in the capacitor and therefore the voltage across the electrodes of the capacitor will remain unchanged . at the same time . v out should stay at v ss . thus , when switch 502 is closed , the voltage difference between node b of and v out will cause a pop at v out . alternatively , fig6 illustrates an amplifier equipped with an anti - pop circuit . instead of modifying the compensation network as in the manner shown for amplifier 500 . output stage 620 of amplifier 600 comprises switch 602 which when opened breaks the compensation network between resistor 204 and the output of the amplifier rather than between resistor 204 and capacitor 202 as in amplifier 500 . when the control signal is high , amplifier 600 operates normally like that of amplifier 200 . when the control signal is low , switch 604 shunts capacitor 202 to ground through resistor 204 and switch 602 disconnects node a from v out . it should be noted principles of modifying a compensation network to disconnect node a from v out , while simultaneously draining any residual charges in the compensation network can be applied to other compensation networks . furthermore , the placement of the various switches can be varied with the same result . for example , fig7 shows an amplifier comprising an anti - pop circuit where the switch 702 functions similarly to switch 502 of amplifier 500 , but located in a different location in the path between node a and v out . a compensation network with the capacitor and resistor transposed from that shown for amplifiers 200 , 400 , 500 , 600 , and 700 introduces countless more combinations of switch positions . no doubt the various combinations of switch locations and compensation network elements would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art . fig8 illustrates an amplifier with an anti - pop circuit using the principles illustrated in the anti - pop circuits described for amplifiers 400 and 500 . again , amplifier 800 is similar to that described in the previous figures . similar to output stages of previously described amplifiers , output stage 820 incorporates switch 402 to drag down v out as well as switch 502 to break the path between node a and v out . in addition , switch 504 shunts node a to v ss through capacitor 202 . similar to that described for amplifier 400 , switch 402 drags down v out to v ss when the control signal is low . therefore , prior to power up , switch 402 is closed . switch 502 and 504 behave in essentially the same manner as described for amplifier 500 . therefore , when the control signal is high , the amplifier behaves essentially like amplifier 400 . however , when the control signal is low , such as prior to power up or just after power down , v out is dragged to ground , node a is shunted to v ss and the connection between capacitor 202 and resistor 204 is broken . for simplicity , the earlier examples have used a single ended amplifier stage in a single ended amplifier . fig9 a illustrates a two - stage differential amplifier comprising differential amplifier stage 910 and differential output stage 920 having core output stage 960 . differential amplifier stage 910 takes differential inputs v in + and v in − and provides outputs to differential output stage 920 at nodes a + and a − . differential output stage 920 has two output v out + and v out − . to supply stability to a compensation network with a feedback path from v out + to node a − and a compensation network with a feedback path from v out − to node a + are added to differential output stage 920 . in a typical implementation , the differential stage is inverting hence , the voltage v out + is fed back in a compensation network to node a − and node a + . in the example of fig9 a , the compensation networks can be as simple as comprising a capacitor and a resistor . output stage 920 of amplifier 910 comprises a compensation network with resistor 902 and capacitor 904 which provides a path between v out + and node a − and a compensation network with resistor 906 and capacitor 908 which provides a path between v out − and node a + . the paths during power up and power down unfortunately provide a path for a spike to traverse from differential amplifier stage 910 to output v out + and / or output v out − . fig9 b shows a differential amplifier with analogous anti - pop circuitry to the single ended amplifiers described above . amplifier 950 comprises output stage 970 which is similar to output stage 920 , but includes switches for breaking the path from output to the input node via the compensation network . furthermore , it comprises a switch for shunting the capacitor in the compensation network to v ss . more specifically switch 912 is open during power up or power down and breaks the path between v out + and node a − and switch 914 is closed during power up or power down and shunts capacitor 902 to v ss . similarly , switch 916 is opened during power up or power down and breaks the path v out − and node a + and switch 918 is closed during power up or power down and shunts capacitor 906 . during power up or power down the control signal supplied to the switches is low , otherwise it is high . when the control signal is high amplifier 950 behaves like amplifier 900 . while not shown , one of ordinary skill in the art could vary the switch placement and the type of compensation network . furthermore , switches can be placed at each of the differential outputs to pull down v out + and v out − to v ss . another common amplifier implementation is a push - pull output stage . in a typical push - pull output stage , two complementary transistors are placed in series such as shown in fig1 with fet 1102 and fet 1104 . the output is tapped between the two transistors . often , the complementary transistors are an n - channel fet ( nfet ) and a p - channel fet ( pfet ), other configurations include a npn bipolar transistor and a pnp bipolar transistor . quite often the inputs to the transistors ( such as the gate on fet ) require different biasing . because the inputs to the transistors often require different bias voltages . a bias circuit is often used between the amplifier stage and the output stage . the output of the bias circuit generates two voltages one for each transistor in a push - pull output stage . fig1 a illustrates the preliminary stages of an amplifier . preliminary stages 1020 comprises amplifier stage 1010 which behaves similarly to the amplifier stage 110 described above . amplifier stage 1010 receives differential inputs with voltages v in + and v in − and produces an output which is the amplified difference between v in + and v in − . the output having a voltage of v a is separately biased for use by a push - pull output stage , by bias circuit 1012 such as class ab bias control . the outputs of bias circuit 1012 have voltages equal to the input of v a with a fixed bias . specifically , v ap = v a + v bias1 and v an = v a − v bias2 . fig1 b illustrates a circuit diagram for an exemplary bias circuit . the input voltage has a fixed bias added and subtracted with voltage source 1014 and 1016 . the voltage sources maintain a fixed voltage between its two terminals . thus if the potential across voltage source 1014 is v bias1 then v ap = v a + v bias1 and if the potential across voltage source 1016 is v bias2 then v an = v a − v bias2 . one of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that even though voltage sources 1014 and 1016 are symbolically represented by a battery any voltage source circuit can be used . fig1 c illustrates an amplifier with a push - pull output stage . amplifier 1000 comprises preliminary stages 1020 . preliminary stages 1020 receives differential input v in + and v in − and produces an output which is the amplified difference between v in + and v in − , but the output is presented with a bias . at node a p , the output is appropriately biased to control a pfet in push - pull output stage 1060 and at node a n , the output is appropriately biased to control a nfet in push - pull output stage 1060 . the signals at nodes a p and a n are referred to as p_cntl and n_cntl , respectively . in order to stabilize amplifier 1000 , output stage 1030 further comprises compensation network comprising capacitor 1032 and 1034 which provides a feedback path from v out to node a p and a compensation network comprising capacitor 1036 and resistor 1038 which provide a feedback path from v out to node a n . once again , the feedback paths introduced by the compensation networks provide paths for a pop to travel from preliminary stages 1020 to the output v out . fig1 d shows an amplifier with a push - pull output stage and analogous anti - pop circuitry to the amplifiers described above . amplifier 1050 comprises output stage 1070 which is similar to output stage 1030 , but includes switches for breaking the path from the output to each input node via the compensation network . furthermore , it comprises a switch for shunting the capacitor in the compensation network to v ss . more specifically switch 1042 is open during power up or power down and breaks the path between v out and node a p and switch 1044 is closed during power up or power down and shunts capacitor 1032 to v ss . similarly , switch 1046 is open during power up or power down and breaks the path v out and node a n and switch 1048 is closed during power up or power down and shunts capacitor 1036 . during power up or power down the control signal supplied to the switches is low , otherwise it is high . when the control signal is high amplifier 1050 behaves like amplifier 1000 . additional switches can be added to push - pull output stage 1060 . fig1 illustrates in greater detail an example of an amplifier with push - pull output stage . amplifier 1100 comprises amplifier stage 1020 which is similar to that described for amplifiers 1000 and 1050 . furthermore , amplifier 1100 comprises output stage 1120 which comprises a push - pull output stage comprising pfet 1102 and nfet 1104 . as can be seen , node a p is the input that provides pfet 1102 with the p_cntl signal and node a n is the input that provides nfet 1104 with the n_cntl signal . in principle , the p_cntl signal and n_cntl signal represent the same input but are biased differently . though shown specifically as a generic fet , pfet 1102 is often a p - channel metal - oxide - semiconductor fet ( mosfet ) in enhancement mode . likewise , nfet 1104 is often an n - channel mosfet in enhancement mode . in addition to switches 1042 and 1046 breaking the path provided by compensation networks from v out to the respective nodes a p and a n and in addition to switches 1044 and 1046 which shunt capacitors 1032 and 1036 to v ss as described for amplifier 1050 . switch 1106 which is closed during power up and power down pulls v out to v ss output stage having anti - pop circuitry added . switch 1106 operates similarly to switch 402 described for amplifier 800 . in addition , output stage 1120 further comprises switch 1108 which drags the voltage at node a p to v dd , that is p_cntl is v dd when switch 1108 is closed . during power up and power down , switch 1108 is closed , by forcing p_cntl to be v dd , pfet 1102 as a gate - to - drain voltage of zero effectively shutting pfet 1102 . essentially , this insures that no current is flowing through pfet 1102 . this also has the effect of charging capacitor 1042 so that even after the control signal goes high and switches 1108 and 1044 open , p_cntl begins initially at v dd therefore pfet 1102 begins with no current flowing through it , thus preventing a pop from manifesting after the control signal causes switch 1108 and 1044 to open and switch 1042 to close . when the control signal is high , switches 1044 , 1048 , 1106 and 1108 are open and switches 1042 and 1046 are close . hence output stage 1120 , functions as a compensated push - pull output stage . there are several methods to implement a control signal . as mentioned before , the ideal control signal should be low during power up and power down . for example , the control signal could be latched to v dd as soon as v dd reaches a predetermined level , the control signal goes high and as soon as v dd drops below a predetermined level the control signal goes low . however , this simple approach leaves the possibility of an audio pop . fig1 shows the timing of an alternative control signal . at time 1202 , the power supply voltage v dd begins to amp up . prior to this time the control signal is low and remains low . at time 1204 , v dd reaches normal operating level , but the control signal still remains low . up to this time , v out is forced to v ss . a short time later at time 1208 , control signal goes high and the amplifier begins to operate normally . because the amplifier is allowed to completely powered up before activating the control signal any audio pop is completely suppressed . in the power down sequence , at time 1212 , the control signal goes low , however , the power supply voltage v dd remains at normal operating levels . at this point , the amplifier is essentially deactivated and is forced v out is forced to v ss . a short time later at time 1216 , v dd begins to ramp down . at time 1218 , v dd has completely powered down . such timing can be implemented without the need of a second voltage supply . this control signal is a non - overlapping version of power supply signal , v dd . for example , a control signal latched to v dd by way of a delay circuit can delay the control signal going high until a small time interval after v dd has reached normal operating voltage . in many applications , such as this example , the circuitry is controlled by a digital control . as an example a power down bar ( pdb ) signal used to indicate whether the amplifier block is powered up or down . for the power up sequence , the pdb signal goes high at time 1206 shortly there after the control signal goes high . during power down the digital circuitry begins to power down the block . first the control signal goes down at 1212 , then the pdb signal goes down at 1214 and finally the power signal begins to ramp down at 1216 . it should be emphasized that the above - described embodiments are merely examples of possible implementations . many variations and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure . all such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims . | 7 |
in the overall scheme of preparing phs in a limited number of process steps , it has been unexpectedly found that the intermediate product , i . e . 4 - hydroxymethylcarbinol ( hpmc ) can be efficiently prepared by hydrogenating 4 - hydroxyacetophenone ( 4 - hap ) under certain conditions . specifically , it has been found that 4 - hap can be heated under suitable hydrogenation conditions of temperature and pressure in the presence of a suitable palladium catalyst and for a sufficient period of time to form hpmc in relatively high yields . the heating is conducted at a temperature of at least about 20 ° c ., preferably from about 20 ° c . to about 100 ° c ., in the presence of at least a stoiehiometric amount of hydrogen and a catalyst selected from the group consisting of pd / c ; pd / al 2 o 3 ; pd / sio 2 ; and pd / caco 3 . in a preferred embodiment , the reaction is conducted until a substantial completion of hydrogenation is indicated by a lack of h 2 uptake , normally about one to twelve hours . in a preferred embodiment , when pd / c is used , the reaction proceeds at a pressure of from about 14 . 7 psig to about 5 , 000 psig , more preferably at a pressure of from about 50 psig to about 500 psig , and most preferably at a pressure of from about 100 psig to about 400 psig . the hydrogenation conditions also include the use of a suitable solvent / diluent . diluents / solvents which can be used in the present invention include : ( a ) water ; ( b ) hydrocarbons such as benzene , toluene , xylene , and low - boiling point petroleum fractions ; ( c ) inorganic gases such as carbon monoxide , carbon dioxide , nitrogen , helium , and argon ; ( d ) dipolar protic or aprotic solvents ; and ( e ) mixtures thereof . the dipolar aprotie solvents employed are solvents which have a high dielectric constant and a high dipole moment but no acid hydrogen atoms ; for example , such solvents include dimethylsulfoxide ( dmso ), acetonitrile , dimethylformamide ( dmf ), dimethylacetamide , hexamethylphosphoric acid triamide ( hmpt ), and n - methyl pyrrolidone ( nmp ). solvents such as ethanol , methanol , or tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) may be used alone or in combination with the preceding solvents / diluents . water , ethanol , methanol , benzene , and toluene ( and mixtures thereof ) are preferred diluents . the diluents are used in an amount of 2 to 200 mols , preferably 3 to 20 mols per mol of 4 - hap . it is to be understood that any diluent may be used under any temperature and reaction conditions so long as the hydrogenation of 4 - hap is effected smoothly . the amount of catalyst employed is that which is catalytically effective in promoting the reaction . usually , this amount is from about 0 . 001 weight percent to about 10 . 0 weight percent based on the weight of the starting material , i . e . 4 - hap . the length of time which this heating / hydrogenation ( reaction ) step is conducted is not critical and the only requirement is that the heating be conducted for a period sufficient to form hpmc . generally , this period is at least five minutes and may be as long as 25 hours , generally from about one to about twelve hours . after the hydrogenation of 4 - hap , the end product ( hpmc ) is recovered from the reaction product and the residual fraction containing any unreacted 4 - hap can be recycled as the starting material for the next cycle of hydrogenation . the end product ( hpmc ) may be recovered from the reaction product by any method . one example is to recover the hpmc as a polymerized product , i . e . the reaction product is first subjected to a decomposition and a polymerization step to polymerize the hpmc to the resulting polymer -- polyhydroxystyrene ( phs ). the following specific example is supplied for the purpose of better illustrating the invention . this example is not intended , however , to limit or restrict the scope of the invention in any way and should not be construed as providing conditions , parameters , or values which must be utilized exclusively in order to practice the present invention . while the above has been described using 4 - hydroxyacetophenone ( 4 - hap ) as the starting material , it is also within the scope of the present invention to use ( 1 ) other hydroxyacetophenones ( wherein the hydroxy substituents are positioned at different locations on the phenyl ring ), and ( 2 ) substituted hydroxyacetophenones wherein the remaining four hydrogen atoms ( on the phenyl ring ) are selectively replaced by an r group , said r being selected from the group consisting of ( a ) c 1 - c 8 alkyl ; ( b ) c 6 h 5 ; ( c ) halogen ( f , cl , br , i ); ( d ) hydroxy ; and ( e ) or where r is the same as defined above . these hydroxyacetophenones and substituted hydroxyacetophenones are all suitable starting materials for use in the present invention process . the resultant product will be a hydroxyphenylcarbinol or substituted hydroxyphenylcarbinol (&# 34 ; carbinol &# 34 ;). in another facet of the present invention , it was also found that the utilization of a basic material in the hydrogenation step results in substantial increases in the selectivity to the desired product , i . e . the carbinol . the basic material is selected from the group consisting of ( a ) alkali metal hydroxides ( e . g . naoh , koh ); ( b ) alkaline earth metal hydroxides ( e . g . ca ( oh ) 2 ; ( c ) alkali metal carbonates ( e . g . k 2 co 3 ); ( d ) alkali metal alkoxides ( e . g . naoch 3 and koc ( ch 3 ) 3 ); ( e ) alkali metal organic acid salts ( e . g . an ionic organic base such as potassium acetate ); and ( f ) amines ( a non - ionic organic base ) such as pyridine or a tri - lower - alkylamine ( e . g . tripropylamine , trimethylamine , and triethylamine ). such basic material is present in any amount which will achieve the desired end result . thus , an effective amount will be at least 1 ppm ( part per million ), preferably from about 1 ppm to about 10 , 000 ppm , more preferably from about 25 ppm to about 1 , 000 ppm . the exact mechanism is not known , however it was surprising to find that such addition of the basic material to the hydrogenation step resulted in significant increases in selectivity . 4 - hydroxyacetophenone ( 13 . 6 g , 0 . 1 mol ) was charged in a 500 ml zipper autoclave reactor , absolute alcohol ( 100 ml ), and 5 % pd / c ( johnson matthey &# 39 ; s 21r ) ( 1 . 2 g ) was added . the autoclave was first checked for leaks with 100 psig of nitrogen . the autoclave was later pressurized to 300 psig with hydrogen and stirred at 35 ° c . for three hours . during this time , 0 . 095 mole of hydrogen was consumed ( 95 % of the theoretical value ). the reaction was vented and the contents filtered through a millipore filter yielding a colorless solution . concentration of this solution in vacuo gave a solid . traces of ethanol were removed via azeotropic distillation with toluene to afford a white solid ( 13 . 8 g ). liquid chromatographic analysis of the product showed 1 , 4 - hpe ( or hpmc ) ( 99 . 0 %), 4 - hap ( 0 . 2 %), and 4 - ep ( ethylphenol ) ( 0 . 8 %). 1 h nmr spectrum of the product showed it to be mainly 1 , 4 - hpe , with traces of 4 - hap . using the same procedure set forth in example i , examples ii - xii were carried out using different reaction conditions as outlined in table 1 . the results are shown in table 1 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________analytical reaction conditionsexam - ex . std run 4 - hap catalyst type solvent / h . sub . 2ple no . hpmc 4 - hap hsm ep time ( g .) & amp ; amount amount added comments__________________________________________________________________________ii 84 . 79 11 . 08 0 . 00 0 . 57 1 . 6 hrs 12 . 0 0 . 6 g . 5 % pd / c 48 g . meoh 227 45 ° c ., white crystalsiii 74 . 11 0 . 33 0 . 00 16 . 00 1 . 1 hrs 18 . 0 1 . 3 g . 5 % pd / c 42 g . meoh 323 55 ° c ., white crystalsiv 83 . 33 0 . 00 0 . 00 10 . 60 3 . 2 hrs 6 . 0 0 . 2 g . 5 % pd / c 54 g . meoh 108 35 ° c ., white crystalsv 35 . 97 48 . 96 5 . 97 2 . 46 2 . 0 hrs 6 . 9 0 . 6 g . 5 % pd / c 51 g . etoh 270 35 ° c ., rxn psi 300 , white crystalvi 47 . 30 41 . 48 5 . 22 2 . 64 1 . 0 hrs 6 . 0 0 . 6 g . 5 % pd / c 51 g . etoh **** 35 ° c ., rxn psi 300 , white crystalvii 78 . 95 0 . 00 0 . 00 16 . 57 3 . 0 hrs 6 . 0 0 . 6 g . 5 % pd / c 50 g . meoh **** 35 ° c ., rxn psi 300 , white crystalviii 2 . 5 hrs 6 . 0 0 . 6 g . 5 % pd / c 45 . 5 g . meoh / 740 81 ° c ., rxn psi 300 , 5 . 6 g . h . sub . 2 o liquid after rotovapix 86 . 90 0 . 00 *** 10 . 11 2 . 0 hrs 8 . 0 0 . 4 g . 5 % pd / c 53 . 4 g . meoh 780 35 ° c ., rxn psi 300 , white crystalx 81 . 36 0 . 86 *** 3 . 55 2 . 0 hrs 8 . 0 0 . 2 g . 5 % pd / c 53 . 4 g . meoh 530 35 ° c ., rxn psi 300 , white crystalxi 28 . 52 69 . 22 *** 2 . 26 4 . 0 hrs 20 . 0 1 . 0 g . 5 % pd / c 40 g . meoh 390 35 ° c ., rxn psi 300 , white crystalxii 4 . 5 hrs 20 . 0 1 . 0 g . 5 % pd / c 39 . 9 g . meoh 1140 35 ° c ., rxn psi 300 , white__________________________________________________________________________ crystal to a five - gallon stainless steel reactor , a solution of 4 - hydroxyacetophenone ( 2500 g , 18 . 4 moles ) and a 25 % solution of sodium methoxide in methanol ( 39 . 1 g , 0 . 26 moles ) in methanol ( 10 , 000 g , 312 . 5 moles ), and palladium on carbon catalyst ( escat 10 , 125 g ) were charged . the reactor is purged three times with nitrogen ( 100 psi ). hydrogen is then charged to a pressure of 300 psi and the reactor is heated to 45 ° c . the temperature is maintained at 45 ° c . for three hours at a constant hydrogen pressure of 500 psi . the reactor is cooled to 30 ° c . and then discharged ( 12 , 245 g ). the analysis of the solution gave a conversion of 97 . 6 % and a selectivity of 96 . 0 % ( note table 2 ). example xiii was repeated nine times using the conditions set forth in table 2 . the results are shown in table 2 . the results of these examples xiii - xxii are compared to those of examples i - xii ( i . e . without the use of a basic material ) and it can readily be seen that the use of a basic material surprisingly results in a significant increase ( e . g . example vi - 47 . 30 % hpmc vs . example xv - 86 . 4 % hpmc ) in selectivity of the hpmc . table 2__________________________________________________________________________temp pressure % % catalystexample ° c . psig 4 - hap vs 4 - hap conversion selectivity yield__________________________________________________________________________xiii 45 500 20 5 97 . 6 96 . 0 93 . 7xiv 35 300 10 3 92 . 7 96 . 4 89 . 4xv 55 300 30 3 99 . 2 86 . 4 85 . 7xvi 35 700 10 7 99 . 6 93 . 8 93 . 4xvii 45 500 20 5 99 . 4 88 . 8 88 . 3xviii55 700 10 3 92 . 1 95 . 5 88 . 0xix 35 700 30 3 99 . 4 93 . 5 92 . 9xx 35 300 30 7 98 . 2 98 . 0 96 . 2xxi 55 300 10 7 99 . 3 93 . 9 93 . 2xxii 45 500 20 5 98 . 4 96 . 9 95 . 3__________________________________________________________________________ 4 - hydroxyacetophenone ( 13 . 6 g , 0 . 1 mol ) was charged in 500 ml zipper autoclave reactor , absolute alcohol ( 100 ml ), the indicated amount ( table 3 ) of et 3 n ( triethylamine ), and 5 % pd / c ( johnson matthey &# 39 ; s 21r ) ( 1 . 2 g ) was added . the autoclave was first checked for leaks with 100 psig of nitrogen . the autoclave was later pressurized to 300 psig with hydrogen and stirred at 35 ° c . for three hours . during this time , 0 . 095 mole of hydrogen was consumed ( 95 % of the theoretical value ). the reaction was vented and the contents filtered through a millipore filter yielding a colorless solution . concentration of this solution under vacuum gave a solid . traces of ethanol were removed via azeotropic distillation with toluene to afford a white solid ( 13 . 8 g ). liquid chromatographic analysis of the product showed 97 . 8 % conversion and 99 . 2 % selectivity to 4 - hpmc . 1 h nmr spectrum of the product showed it to be mainly 4 - hpmc with traces of 4 - hap . the results are shown in table 3 . example xxiii was repeated four times using the conditions set forth in table 3 . the results are shown in table 3 . table 3__________________________________________________________________________hydrogenation of 4 - hydroxy acetophenone ( 4 - hap ) to4 - hydroxyphenylmethylcarbinol ( 4 - hpmc ) example 4 - hap ( additive ) h . sub . 2 press . convrs . selectivity 4 - hpmcno . ( mole ) solvent catalyst ( g ) ( mole ) t , h t , c psig % 4 - hpmc 4 - ep 4 - vpm yield__________________________________________________________________________ % xxiv 0 . 1 ethanol 5 % pd / c . sup . a ( 1 . 0 ) et . sub . 3 n ( 0 . 01 ) 3 . 3 50 100 55 . 2 83 . 5 0 . 0 3 . 6 46 . 1xxv 0 . 1 ethanol 5 % pd / c . sup . a ( 1 . 0 ) et . sub . 3 n ( 0 . 005 ) 3 . 5 50 150 91 . 4 86 . 5 0 . 0 0 . 9 84 . 2xxvi 0 . 1 ethanol 5 % pd / c . sup . a ( 1 . 3 ) et . sub . 3 n ( 0 . 005 ) 5 . 0 40 200 74 . 9 93 . 7 0 . 0 0 . 4 80 . 4xxvii 0 . 1 ethanol 5 % pd / c . sup . a ( 1 . 2 ) et . sub . 3 n ( 0 . 005 ) 4 . 0 35 250 99 . 4 87 . 3 0 . 0 0 . 6 87 . 5__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . a johnson matthey &# 39 ; s 21r catalyst lot no . 8d4906 was used . although the invention has been illustrated by the preceding examples , it is not to be construed as being limited thereby ; but rather , the invention encompasses the generic area as hereinbefore disclosed . various modifications and embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . | 8 |
as mentioned above , the present invention is based on the unexpected finding that combined administration of a 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist and a 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist reduces food intake more than either agonist or antagonist alone . such combined administration of a 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist and a 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist may also offer several benefits , for instance in the treatment of obesity , as compared to treatment with either agonist or antagonist alone . firstly , the combined administration requires lower doses of each compound to yield similar or improved reduction of food intake than mono - therapy . secondly , the lower doses required by the combined administration may reduce the risk of adverse events . thirdly , the lower doses required by the combined administration may reduce the risk of tolerance development and abuse liability . fourthly , therapy based on two targets may increase the individual therapeutic efficacy relative to therapy based on one target . the risk of non - responsive efficacy ( non - responders ) may be reduced as well . the beneficial effects of the combined administration of this invention is useful not only for the modulation of eating behavior , and for treating over - weight and obesity , but may also be useful for the treatment of cns disorders such as , depression , mania , schizophreniform disorders , anxiety , memory disorders ( such as alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease ) migraine headache , drug addiction , convulsive disorders , personality disorders , post - traumatic stress syndrome , and sleep disorders as well as for treatment of urinary incontinence ( or more generally overactive bladder ), sexual dysfunctions , gastrointestinal disorders and glaucoma . the term “ 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist ” as used herein refers to a compound that causes activation of the serotonin 5 - ht 2c receptor . the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist preferably has an affinity constant , k i , of less than 50 nm , preferably less than 20 nm , and an in vitro intrinsic activity , measured as intracellular ca 2 + levels , greater than 20 %, preferably greater than 50 %, relative to 5 - ht ( 1 μm ). the term “ 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist ” as used herein refers to a compound that causes blockade of the serotonin 5 - ht 6 receptor mediated responses . the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist preferably has an affinity constant , k i , of less than 50 nm , preferably less than 20 nm , and an in vitro intrinsic activity , measured as intracellular camp levels , less than 50 %, preferably less than 20 %, relative to 5 - ht ( 1 μm ). in vitro assays that may be used for determining the affinity and the intrinsic activity , respectively , of 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists and 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists are known in the art and are also given in the experimental part below , as are assays for determining affinity to 5 - ht 2a and 5 - ht 2b receptors . generally , the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists and 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists should be sufficiently selective not to cause any substantial adverse side effects . the terms “ selective ” and “ substantial ” in this context are , however , to be interpreted broadly , the meanings thereof being readily apparent to the skilled person . the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist preferably has a selectivity for the 5 - ht 2c receptor of at least 5 , preferably at least 10 and more preferably at least 20 , relative to the 5 - ht 2a , 5 - ht 2b and 5 - ht 6 receptors , respectively ( measured as the affinity ratios 5 - ht 2a / 5 - ht 2c , 5 - ht 2b / 5 - ht 2c and 5 - ht 6 / 5 - ht 2c ). the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist preferably has a selectivity for the 5 - ht 6 receptor of at least 5 , preferably at least 10 and more preferably at least 20 , relative to the 5 - ht 2a , 5 - ht 2b and 5 - ht 2c receptors , respectively ( measured as the affinity ratios 5 - ht 2a / 5 - ht 6 , 5 - ht 2b / 5 - ht 6 and 5 - ht 2c / 5 - ht 6 ). relevant tests to determine whether a compound is a selective 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist or a selective 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist are known in the art , and are , as mentioned above , also outlined in the experimental part below . compounds known to be 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists are , for example , azetidine and pyrrolidine derivatives of the type described in ep - a - 0863136 ; tricyclic pyrrole derivatives of the type described in ep - a - 0657426 ; 1 - aminoethylindoles of the type described in ep - a - 0655440 ; pyrazinoindoles of the type described in ep - a - 0572863 ; piperazinylpyrazines of the type described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 081 , 542 ; indoline derivatives of the type described in wo 00 / 12475 ; pyrroloindoles , pyridoindoles and azepinoindoles of the type described in wo 00 / 12510 ; indazole derivatives of the type described in wo 00 / 12482 ; pyrroloquinolines of the type described in wo 00 / 12502 ; 2 , 3 , 4 , 4a - tetrahydro - 1h - pyrazino [ 1 , 2 - a ] quinoxalin - 5 ( 6h ) ones of the type described in wo 00 / 35922 ; indazolylpropylamines of the type described in wo 00 / 12481 ; indazoles of the type described in wo 00 / 17170 ; piperazinylpyrazines of the type described in wo 00 / 76984 and in swedish patent applications nos . 0004244 - 0 and 0004245 - 7 , filed on nov . 20 , 2000 ; heterocycle fused γ - carbolines of the type described in wo 00 / 77001 , wo 00 / 77002 and wo 00 / 77010 ; benzofurylpiperazines of the type described in wo 01 / 09111 and wo 01 / 09123 ; benzofurans of the type described in wo 01 / 09122 ; benzothiophenes of the type described in 01 / 09126 ; pyridinylpiperazines of the type described in ep 370560 ; pyrroloquinolines of the type described in bioorg . med . chem . lett . 2000 , 10 , 919 - 921 ; aminoalkylindazoles of the type described in wo 98 / 30548 ; indoles of the type described in wo 01 / 12603 ; indolines of the type described in wo 01 / 12602 ; pyrazino ( aza ) indoles of the type described in wo 00 / 44753 ; tricyclic pyrroles or pyrazoles of the type described in wo 98 / 56768 . currently preferable 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists are of the arylpiperazine and piperazinylpyrazine compound classes , in particular compounds disclosed in wo 00 / 76984 and in swedish patent applications nos . 0004244 - 0 and 0004245 - 7 , filed on nov . 20 , 2000 . compounds known to be 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists are , for example , piperazinylbenzenesulfonamides of the type described in wo 99 / 37623 ; sulfonylbenzene derivatives of the type described in ep - a - 0930302 ; sulfonamide derivatives of the type described in wo 99 / 02502 ; sulfonamide derivatives of the type described in wo 99 / 42465 ; sulfonamide derivatives of the type described in wo 98 / 27081 ; carboxamide derivatives of the type described in wo 98 / 27058 ; sulfonamide derivatives of the type described in ep - a - 0815861 ; pyrrolidonomethylindole derivatives of the type described in wo 99 / 47516 ; bicyclic piperidine and piperazine derivatives of the type described in wo 99 / 65906 ; pyrazolopyrimidine and pyrazolotriazine derivatives of the type described in ep - a - 0941994 ; arylsulfone - substituted hexahydroazepinoindoles of the type described in wo 01 / 05793 ; oxazinocarbazoles of the type described in wo 01 / 09142 ; aminoalkoxycarbazoles of the type described in wo 01 / 17963 ; diphenylsulfones of the type described in the international patent application pct / us00 / 30177 , filed on jun . 20 , 2000 ; and arylsulfonylindoles of the type described in the swedish patent application no . 0003810 - 9 , filed on oct . 20 , 2000 . currently preferable 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists include the azepinoindole compound class , such as the class of arylsulfone - substituted hexahydroazepinoindoles compounds disclosed in wo 01 / 05793 . other preferred 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists include the arylsulfonylindole compound class , such as the compound class described in the swedish patent application no . 0003810 - 9 . the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists and the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists may be the compounds as such or where appropriate the pharmaceutically acceptable salts ( acid or base addition salts ) thereof or stereochemically isomeric forms thereof ( including optical isomers , such as enantiomers and racemates ). the pharmaceutically acceptable addition salts as mentioned above are meant to comprise the therapeutically active non - toxic acid and base addition salt forms which the compounds are able to form . compounds which have basic properties can be converted to their pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts by treating the base form with an appropriate acid . exemplary acids include inorganic acids , such as hydrogen chloride , hydrogen bromide , hydrogen iodide , sulphuric acid , phosphoric acid ; and organic acids such as acetic acid , propanoic acid , hydroxyacetic acid , lactic acid , pyruvic acid , glycolic acid , maleic acid , malonic acid , oxalic acid , benzenesulfonic acid , toluenesulfonic acid , methanesulfonic acid , trifluoroacetic acid , fumaric acid , succinic acid , malic acid , tartaric acid , citric acid , salicylic acid , p - aminosalicylic acid , pamoic acid , benzoic acid , ascorbic acid and the like . exemplary base addition salt forms are the sodium , potassium , calcium salts , and salts with pharmaceutically acceptable amines such as , for example , ammonia , alkylamines , benzathine , and amino acids , such as , e . g . arginine and lysine . the term addition salt as used herein also comprises solvates which the compounds and salts thereof are able to form , such as , for example , hydrates , alcoholates and the like . the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists and the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists may also be prodrugs or forms that may release the active ingredient in question after metabolic tranformation in vivo . conventional procedures for the selection and preparation of suitable prodrug derivatives are described , for example , in “ design of prodrugs ” ed . h . bundgaard , elsevier , 1985 . the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists and the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists may be formulated into various pharmaceutical forms for administrative purposes , either in the same pharmaceutical dosage form , such as in the same tablet , or in separate pharmaceutical dosage forms . in the latter case , however , it may be advantageous to put the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist unit dosage form and the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist unit dosage form in the same package , for example in the same blister . the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists and the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists , in the form of free bases or salt , can be brought into suitable galenic forms , such as compositions for oral use , for injection , for nasal spray administration or the like , in accordance with accepted pharmaceutical procedures . such pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention comprise an effective amount of a 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist and a 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist in association with compatible pharmaceutically acceptable carrier materials , or diluents , as are well known in the art . the carriers may be any inert material , organic or inorganic , suitable for oral , enteral , rectal , percutaneous , subcutaneous or parenteral administration , such as : water , gelatin , gum arabicum , lactose , microcrystalline cellulose , starch , sodium starch glycolate , calcium hydrogen phosphate , magnesium stearate , talcum , colloidal silicon dioxide , and the like . such compositions may also contain other pharmacologically active agents , and conventional additives , such as stabilizers , wetting agents , emulsifiers , flavoring agents , buffers , and the like . the compositions according to the invention can e . g . be made up in solid or liquid form for oral administration , such as tablets , pills , capsules , powders , syrups , elixirs , dispersable granules , cachets , suppositories and the like , in the form of sterile solutions , suspensions or emulsions for parenteral administration , sprays , e . g . a nasal spray , transdermal preparations , e . g . patches , and the like . the dose level of each of the specific 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist and 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist , and the frequency of dosage of the specific combination will vary depending on a variety of factors including the potency of each specific compound employed , the metabolic stability and length of action of that compound , the patient &# 39 ; s age , body weight , general health , sex , diet , mode and time of administration , rate of excretion , drug combination , the severity of the condition to be treated ). the daily dosage may , for example , range from about 0 . 001 mg to about 150 mg per kilo of body weight , preferably from about 0 . 01 mg to about 100 mg per kilo of body weight , especially from about 0 . 1 to about 50 mg per kilo of body weight of each of the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist and of the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist , administered singly or multiply in doses , e . g . dosages of from about 0 . 01 mg to about 1 g each . usually , such a combined dosage is given orally but e . g . parenteral or rectal administration may also be chosen . an exemplary tablet combination formulation may be in the form of either ( a ) two separate tablets , i . e . one tablet containing 10 mg , 20 mg or 50 mg of a 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist , and one tablet containing 10 mg , 20 mg or 50 mg of a 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist ; or ( b ) a combined tablet containing 10 mg , 20 mg or 50 mg of a 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist and 10 mg , 20 mg or 50 mg of a 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist . the invention will now be illustrated further by the following non - limiting experimental section . the free base of the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist ( 2r )- methyl - 1 -{ 3 -[ 2 -( 3 - pyridinyloxy ) ethoxy ]- 2 - pyrazinyl } piperazine , fumarate (“ pnu - 183933f ”) was prepared as described in wo 00 / 76984 . the free base was converted to its fumarate salt , m . p . 126 - 129 ° c . ms m / z 315 ( m ) + . anal . ( c 16 h 2l n 5 o 2 . c 4 h 4 o 4 ) c , h , n . the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist 6 - methyl - 9 -( phenylsulfonyl )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 - hexahydroazepino [ 4 , 5 - b ] indole , hydrochloride (“ pnu - 186053a ”) was prepared as described in wo 01 / 05793 . the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist ( 2r )- 1 -( 3 -{ 2 -[( 2 - ethoxy - 3 - pyridinyl ) oxy ] ethoxy }- 2 - pyrazinyl )- 2 - methylpiperazine , fumarate (“ bvt . 2938f ”) was prepared as described in wo 00 / 76984 . the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist 1 -( phenylsulfonyl )- 4 -( 1 - piperazinyl )- 1h - indole , hydrochloride (“ bvt . 5182c ”) was prepared as described in swedish patent application no . 0003810 - 9 , filed on oct . 20 , 2000 . briefly , bvt . 5182c was prepared according the general procedure depicted in scheme 1 , below , starting from commercially available 4 - piperazinoindole ( compound 1 ) that undergoes steps ( a ) to ( c ) to afford 1 -( phenylsulfonyl )- 4 -( 1 - piperazinyl )- 1h - indole , hydrochloride ( yield 80 %). hplc purity & gt ; 95 %; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ) δ9 . 64 ( br s , 2 h ), 8 . 00 - 7 . 85 ( m , 3 h ), 7 . 79 ( d , j = 3 . 77 hz , 1 h ), 7 . 70 - 7 . 65 ( m , 1 h ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 60 ( m , 3 h ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 22 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 95 ( d , j = 3 . 76 hz , 1 h ), 6 . 81 - 6 . 77 ( m , 1 h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 20 ( m , 4 h ); 13 c nmr ( dmso - d6 ) δ144 . 79 , 137 . 02 , 135 . 22 , 134 . 62 , 129 . 82 , 126 . 85 , 125 . 63 , 125 . 54 , 123 . 49 , 111 . 15 , 107 . 87 , 107 . 76 , 47 . 81 , 42 . 86 ; ms ( poses - fia ) m / z 342 ( m + h ). 4 - piperazinoindole ( 1 eq ), dmap ( 0 . 1 eq ) and et 3 n ( 4 eq ) were dissolved in dmf . ( boc ) 2 o ( 1 . 1 eq ) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature ( 12 h ). dmf was evaporated and the residue was purified by chromatography on silica gel using a mixture of chloroform , methanol and ammonia as eluent . hplc : 100 % purity . ms m / z 302 . 2 ( m + h ). the intermediate 2 ( 1 . 0 eq ) was dissolved in dmf and nah ( 1 . 3 eq ) was added and the suspension was stirred for 0 . 5 h under nitrogen atmosphere . benzenesulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 2 eq ) was added and the reaction was stirred overnight at room temperature . the volatiles were evaporated . the residue was dissolved in dcm , washed with a saturated solution of nahco 3 , dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated to give an oily residue that was purified by chromatography on silica gel using a mixture of hexane and ethylacetate ( 7 : 3 ) as eluent to give tert butyl 4 -[ 1 -( benzenesulfonyl )- 1h - indol - 4 - yl )]- 1 - piperazinecarboxylate ( 3 ). hplc 100 %. nmr ( 1 h and 13 c ) and ms analyses support the stated structure . the boc group on intermediate 3 was removed by dissolving the compound in methanol followed by addition of ether saturated with hcl gas . the hcl salt ( 4 ) was filtered and dried . tablet ingredients mg / tablet 1 . 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist 10 . 0 2 . 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist 10 . 0 3 . cellulose , microcrystalline 57 . 0 4 . calcium hydrogen phosphate 15 . 0 5 . sodium starch glycolate 5 . 0 6 . silicon dioxide , colloidal 0 . 25 7 . magnesium stearate 0 . 75 the active ingredients 1 and 2 are mixed with ingredients 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 for about 10 minutes . the magnesium stearate ( 7 ) is then added , and the resultant mixture is mixed for about 5 minutes and compressed into tablet form with or without film - coating . 5 - ht 2c receptor affinity is determined in competition experiments , where the ability of a compound in serial dilution to displace 3 h - labeled 5 - ht , bound to membranes prepared from a transfected hek293 cell line stably expressing the human 5 - ht 2c receptor protein , is monitored by scintillation proximity assay ( spa ) technology . non - specific binding is defined using 5 μm mianserin . 5 - ht 2a receptor affinity is determined in competition experiments , where the ability of a compound in serial dilution to displace 3 h - labeled ketanserin or lysergic acid diethylamide ( lsd ), bound to membranes prepared from a transfected cho cell line stably expressing the human 5 - ht 2a receptor protein , is monitored by measuring the radioactivity of filtered membrane homogenates on glass fiber filters in a scintillation counter . non - specific binding is defined using 5 μm mianserin . 5 - ht 2b receptor affinity is determined in competition experiments , where the ability of a compound in serial dilution to displace 3 h - labeled 5 - ht , bound to membranes prepared from a transfected cho cell line stably expressing the human 5 - ht 2b receptor protein , is monitored by scintillation proximity assay ( spa ) technology . non - specific binding is defined using 5 μm mianserin . the agonist efficacy at the 5 - ht 2c receptor is determined by the ability of a compound to mobilise intracellular calcium in transfected hek293 cells , stably expressing the human 5 - ht 2c receptor protein , using the calcium - chelating fluorescent dye fluo - 3 ( sigma , st . louis , mo ., u . s . a .). relative efficacy (%) is measured relative to that of serotonin at 1 μm . the radioligand binding assay uses [ 3 h ]- lysergic acid diethylamide ( lsd ). the assay is carried out in 96 - well sample plates by the addition of 11 μl of the test compound at the appropriate dilution ( the assay employs 11 serial concentrations of samples run in duplicate ), 11 μl of radioligand , and 178 μl of a washed mixture of wga - coated spa beads and membranes in binding buffer prepared from hek293 - cells containing cloned human 5 - ht 6 receptor . the plates are shaken for about 5 minutes and then incubated at room temperature for 1 hour . the plates are then loaded into counting cassettes and counted in a scintillation counter . the specifically bound cpm obtained are fit to a one - site binding model using graphpad prism ver . 2 . 0 . estimated ic 50 values are converted to k i ( affinity constant ) values using the cheng - prusoff equation ( cheng , y . c . et al ., biochem . pharmacol . 1973 , 22 , 3099 - 3108 ). the antagonist potency at the 5 - ht 6 receptor is determined by the ability of a compound to antagonize the increase in camp induced by 5 - ht in hek293 cells , stably expressing the human 5 - ht 6 receptor protein , using a camp spa direct screening assay system ( rpa559 , amersham pharmacia biotech , uppsala , sweden ). 5 - ht 2c receptor agonists ( 2r )- methyl - 1 -{ 3 -[ 2 -( 3 - pyridinyloxy ) ethoxy ]- 2 - pyrazinyl } piperazine , fumarate (“ pnu - 183933f ”) and ( 2r )- 1 -( 3 -{ 2 -[( 2 - ethoxy - 3 - pyridinyl ) oxy ] ethoxy }- 2 - pyrazinyl )- 2 - methylpiperazine , fumarate (“ bvt . 2938f ”) were dissolved in saline ( 0 . 9 % nacl ) and diluted in the same vehicle to the appropriate concentration . 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonists 6 - methyl - 9 -( phenylsulfonyl )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 - hexahydroazepino [ 4 , 5 - b ] indole , hydrochloride (“ pnu - 186053a ”) and 1 -( phenylsulfonyl )- 4 -( 1 - piperazinyl )- 1h - indole , hydrochloride ( 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist (“ bvt . 5182c ”) were dissolved and diluted in 25 % cyclodextrin . male mice 8 - 9 weeks old ( c57bl / 6jbom - lep ob ( ob / ob ), bomholtsgaard , denmark ) with an average body weight of 45 g were used . the animals were housed singly in cages at 23 ± 1 ° c ., 40 - 60 % humidity and had free access to water and standard laboratory chow . the 12 / 12 h light / dark cycle was set to lights off at 5 p . m . the animals were conditioned for at least one week before start of study . during experimental sessions , the animals obtained special chow ( bioserv , frenchtown , n . j ., usa dust - free precision pellets weighing 20 mg each ). at the start of the study the animals were transferred to special cages “ operant test cages ” ( habitest modular animal behavior test system ; colbourn instr , allentown , pa ., usa ). these cages consist of a feeder trough with sensors for measurement of food intake , an optic lickometer for registration of water intake and an infrared - based monitor for recording overall general motor activity . the monitors are coupled to a computer , which controls and monitor events continuously . food pellets were weighed to the amount needed for one whole study and water bottles were filled with fresh tap water and weighed . the animals were conditioned to their new environment for three days to establish baseline values . the animals were weighed at 3 p . m . at the start and at the end of the study . the compounds were administered between 4 . 20 and 5 . 00 p . m . before dark onset . three groups of animals received ( i ) 5 - ht 6 antagonist in 25 % cyclodextrin ; ( ii ) 5 - ht 2c agonist in saline ; and ( iii ) the combination 5 - ht 2c agonist / 5 - ht 6 antagonist , respectively . when combined , 5 - ht 6 antagonist or saline was administered 30 min before administration of the 5 - ht 2c agonist or 25 % cyclodextrin . a fourth group received respectively vehicle administered in the same way . the study ended on the fifth day . weighing was performed with a computer - assisted mettler - toledo pr5002 / pr802 balance . each dose group consisted of 12 - 16 animals . data were corrected for food spillage based on the weighed spillage during 22 hours and assumed to be proportional over time . calculations were performed for the data before and after treatment . the values were expressed as % of basal food intake ( mean ± sem ) for the difference between food intake before treatment and 3 h ( 5 pm - 8 pm ), 6 h ( 5 pm - 11 pm ), 12 h ( 5 pm - 5 am ), 21 h ( 5 pm - 2 pm ). the results shown in fig1 indicate that combined treatment with the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist “ pnu - 186053a ” ( 50 mg / kg subcutaneously ) and the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist “ pnu - 183933f ” ( 50 mg / kg per orally ) decreased food consumption significantly more than the compounds given alone . correspondingly , the results shown in fig2 indicate that combined treatment with the 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist “ bvt . 2938f ” ( 5 mg / kg subcutaneously ) and the 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist “ bvt . 5182c ” ( 3 mg / kg subcutaneously ) decreased food consumption , at 12 and 21 hours following administration , significantly more than the compounds given alone . thus , it is apparent that combined therapy with a 5 - ht 2c receptor agonist and a 5 - ht 6 receptor antagonist reduces food intake more efficiently as compared to treatment with either agonist or antagonist alone . | 0 |
fig1 - 5 show generally the preferred method of the present invention and the transfer system of the present invention which is designated generally by the numeral 10 . the method of the present invention involves the use of a first , typically smaller marine vessel 11 that is to be transferred to or from the cargo deck 18 of a second , typically larger marine vessel 12 . the second vessel 12 will receive the first marine vessel 11 and transport it to a selected locale . the first , smaller vessel 11 can then be off loaded . such a transfer enables the two vessels 11 , 12 to travel with the first vessel 11 resting upon a cargo deck 18 of the second vessel 12 . the first vessel 11 can be any vessel that floats and can include for example a hovercraft , an amphibious vessel or any floating vessel that is able to travel upon a surrounding water surface 30 of a surrounding deep water marine environment 29 . as part of the method of the present invention , the first , smaller vessel 11 travels from water surface 30 to the upper surface 19 of cargo deck 18 of second marine vessel 12 . in fig1 and 2 , the first marine vessel 11 is a smaller marine vessel that provides a continuous inflatable wall that surrounds a pressurized volume of air under the hull of the vehicle . vessel 11 can also be of the type that has a continuous inflatable skirt or wall 57 that extends around the periphery of the vessel 11 . such a vessel with continuous inflatable skirt can be seen in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 984 , 754 , which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . the second marine vessel 12 is preferably an air cushion vehicle , hovercraft or surface effect vessel . vessel 12 can be the type that has two spaced apart rigid hulls ( e . g . catamaran ) and that provides sealing members or skirts forward and aft . the second marine vessel 12 provides a hull 13 that can be a single hull or a pair of spaced apart hull members providing a catamaran type hull . hull 13 has a bow 14 and a stem 15 , a port side 16 and a starboard side 17 . in such a catamaran rigid hulled vessel 12 , a pressurized volume of air 28 ( see fig5 ) is trapped under the hull 13 . the pressurized volume of air 28 is trapped in between the two rigid hulls and in between front and rear seals or skirts 21 . such rigid hull catamaran surface effect vessels can be seen in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 987 , 865 and 4 , 714 , 041 , each hereby incorporated herein by reference . in fig3 and 4 , the vessel 12 that is shown is a larger vessel that has spaced apart rigid hulls including a port side hull 22 and a starboard side hull 23 . flexible seals 21 can be provided fore and aft . a pressurized volume of air 28 ( see fig5 ) can be trapped under hull 13 in between the spaced apart rigid hulls 22 , 23 , under the cargo deck 18 , in between fore and aft flexible seals 21 , and above the water surface 30 . hull 13 provides a cargo deck 18 having an upper surface 19 that is receptive of first , smaller vessel 11 according to the method of the present invention . the cargo deck 18 can provide an inclined section 20 that is next to or that communicates with the water surface 30 . inclined section 20 or surface 19 can be positioned near or below water surface 30 when a transfer ( see fig2 and 4 ) of vessel 11 to cargo deck 18 is to take place . in fig4 , cargo deck 18 can provide an inclined section 20 that is near that part of vessel 12 that will receive vessel 11 . in fig3 and 4 , vessel 11 transfers from surrounding deep water marine environment 29 to cargo deck 18 at a position next to stem 15 of hull 13 . however , it should be understood that such a transfer could take place at the bow of vessel 12 , or at another location if desired . hull 13 can provide a superstructure 24 . hull 13 can be propelled using propellers 25 or jets as examples . in the embodiment shown in fig1 - 4 , a propeller 25 can be provided to each of the hulls 22 , 23 . steering is provided with a rudder 26 that is preferably positioned behind each propeller 25 , a rudder 26 is thus mounted on each of the port and starboard hulls 22 , 23 . gate 31 is an optional feature that is shown in fig1 - 4 . gate 31 can be a part of cargo deck 18 that pivots to an open position which is shown in fig1 and 4 . gate 31 can pivot to a closed position as indicated schematically by arrow 33 in fig3 . it should be understood however that gate 31 is an optional feature that can help dampen waves during transfer . in fig1 and 2 , arrow 32 schematically illustrates the forward movement of first vessel 11 toward cargo deck 18 of second vessel 12 . in fig1 and 4 , second vessel 12 is in its lowered or displacement mode , as indicated by the reference line 36 designating the water line relative to the vessel hull 13 . in fig5 , arrows 34 illustrate schematically the elevation of the hull 12 relative to the water surface 30 . reference line 27 in fig5 shows the water line in reference to hull 13 when the hull 13 is on its air cushion 28 for traveling . arrows 34 show that the upper deck 19 of cargo deck 18 has been elevated a distance indicated by arrows 77 in fig5 , i . e . the distance between reference lines 27 and 36 . in order to transfer the vessel 11 to the cargo deck 18 of the vessel 12 , the vessel 12 simply lowers the pressure of the pressurized volume of air that is contained under its hull 13 . for a hovercraft or surface effect ship such as the vessel 12 , this is accomplished by deactivating the powered fans that create the pressurized cushion of air upon which the vessel 12 travels . when a pressure lowering occurs , the vessel 12 is lowered in the water from a higher position shown in fig5 ( reference line 36 ) to the lower position shown in fig4 ( reference line 27 ). in fig5 , reference line 27 indicates the position of the water line when the vessel 12 is supported by the air cushion . in fig5 , a pressurized cushion or pressurized volume of air elevates the vessel 12 to the position shown . in fig1 and 4 , the pressure of the pressurized volume of air has been reduced so that the vessel 12 lowers in the water . this lowering of vessel 12 places cargo deck 18 upper surface 19 at , near or next to the water surface 30 . fig6 - 14 show a more detailed view of a suitable first , smaller marine vessel 11 . first vessel 11 provides a hull 41 having bow 42 and stern 43 portions . the hull 41 provides a port side 44 and a starboard side 45 . a hull periphery 46 is shown for purposes of reference when discussing the movement of the air propulsors or propellers 48 between the inner or inboard position of fig9 and the outer or outboard position of fig8 . a stem ramp 47 is positioned at stern 43 , in between propulsors 48 . ramp 47 is preferably of a width that enables full width loading of three lanes of vehicles 50 when the propulsors 48 are in the outboard position of fig7 and 8 . the hull 41 provides a deck area 49 for containing vehicles 50 . as shown in fig7 , multiple lanes of vehicles 50 are provided so that three vehicles 50 at a time can be loaded to deck area 49 using the three lane stern ramp 47 . a bow ramp 55 is likewise provided for unloading vehicles 50 , three lanes at a time . in fig8 - 14 , the movement of air propulsors or propellers 48 is shown between the inner or inboard position 51 ( fig9 and 11 ) and the outer or outboard position 52 ( fig8 and 10 ). each of the propellers 48 is a variable geometry main propulsor 48 that moves to the position of fig8 and 10 for enabling more efficiency and the position of fig9 and 11 which allows the first vessel 11 to be loaded onto second larger vessel 12 without damage to the propulsors 48 . in fig8 and 9 , reference numbers 53 and 54 are provided on the port and starboard sides of hull 41 . vertical reference line 53 extends upwardly from the periphery 46 of hull 41 . vertical reference line 54 extends upwardly from the inside edge of propulsor 48 . in the position of fig8 , it can be seen that at least a part of each of propulsors 48 is outboard of hull periphery 46 and thus outboard of reference lines 53 and 54 . when the propulsors 48 are in the position of fig8 , the distance between them as indicated by arrow 56 is equal to or wider than the width of the multiple ( e . g . three ) lane stem ramp 47 . in the position of fig9 , it can be seen that at least a part of each of propulsors 48 is inboard of hull periphery 46 and thus inboard of reference lines 53 and 54 . the propulsors 48 in the position of fig8 do not in any way interfere with the loading of vehicles 50 to deck area 49 , including when loading multiple lanes at a time using the full width of multiple lane stem ramp 47 . fig1 - 14 show in more detail the movable connection between the propeller 48 and hull 41 . in fig1 and 11 , a pivotal connection 59 can be used to join propeller 48 to support structure 62 which is connected ( for example , bolted or welded ) to the vessel hull 41 . a motor such as hydraulic cylinder 60 can be used to rotate propeller 48 relative to ships hull 41 as indicated schematically by the arrow 58 in fig9 and 11 . hydraulic cylinder 60 can thus be connected to support structure 62 with pinned connection 61 . a pinned connection 74 can be used to attach hydraulic cylinder 60 to propeller 48 . in fig1 - 14 , alternate methods for driving the propeller blades 66 are illustrated . in fig1 , motor drive 63 interfaces with propeller shaft 65 using a transmission 64 . arrow 67 illustrates that transmission 64 rotates with motor drive 63 and with shaft 65 and fan 48 , as the fan 48 moves in an arcuate path as shown by arrow 67 . similarly , the motor drive 63 in fig1 interfaces with drive shaft 69 using a transmission 68 . a right angle drive 70 connects shaft 69 to propeller shaft 72 using a gear box 71 . in fig1 , a power generator 73 produces electricity that travels via transmission lines 75 to electric motor 76 which rotates propeller shaft 72 to which blades 66 are attached . the following is a list of suitable parts and materials for the various elements of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . parts list part number description 10 vessel transfer system 11 first marine vessel 12 second marine vessel 13 hull 14 bow 15 stern 16 port side 17 starboard side 18 cargo deck 19 deck upper surface 20 inclined section of cargo deck 21 flexible seal or skirt 22 port hull 23 starboard hull 24 superstructure 25 propeller 26 rudder 27 reference line 28 pressurized air volume 29 deep water environment 30 water surface 31 gate section of cargo deck 32 arrow ( vessel 1 launch / recovery ) 33 arrow ( gate movement ) 34 arrow vessel 2 ( on / off cushion ) 35 arrows 36 reference line 41 hull 42 bow 43 stern 44 port side 45 starboard side 46 hull periphery 47 stern ramp 48 propulsors 49 deck area 50 vehicle 51 inner position 52 outer position 53 reference line 54 reference line 55 bow ramp 56 arrow , ramp width 57 inflatable skirt 58 arrow 59 pivot 60 hydraulic cylinder 61 pinned connection 62 support structure 63 motor drive 64 transmission 65 propeller shaft 66 propeller blade 67 arrow 68 transmission 69 drive shaft 70 right angle drive 71 gear box 72 propeller shaft 73 power generator 74 pinned connection 75 transmission 76 electric motor all measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure , at sea level on earth , unless indicated otherwise . the forgoing embodiments are presented by way of example only ; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 8 |
referring now to fig4 , there is shown a much simplified block diagram of a system for processing a modulating digital signal , wherein an “ encoder ” block receives a modulating information stream and outputs an encoded information stream organised in packets consisting of n frame bits , which may be either 64 , 800 or 16 , 200 ; the code employed is the ldpc code of the dvb - s2 standard . in an “ interleaver ” block , said packets are written into an interleaving matrix having a total size n frame ; said matrix is constituted by m × n columns and n frame / m × n rows . a “ demux ” block carries out a permutation of the bits received from the “ interleaver ” block ; such bits are received by the interleaving matrix in groups of m × n bits at a time , where n is the number of bits carried by the constellation ( n = 10 for 1024qam , n = 12 for 4096qam ), and “ m ” is an integer greater than or equal to 1 . the “ demux ” block associates them in m groups of n bits and permutes them according to predetermined schemes by taking into account the type of modulation ( i . e . the qam level ), the code and the type of transmission channel , and then it outputs them . a “ mapper ” block associates the n - ples of bits outputted by the “ demux ” block with the points or coordinates of the constellation , e . g . as shown in fig3 a and 3 b and in fig1 a to 10 m for qam modulations . it is worth pointing out that the blocks shown in fig4 are only those which are essential for understanding the present invention ; it should not therefore be excluded the presence of intermediate blocks , e . g . located between the “ demux ” block and the “ mapper ” block , adapted to perform specific signal processing functions . the present invention proposes particular permutation schemes which may be adopted for the qam modulations and ldpc codes having different code rates provided , for example , by the dvb - s2 standard in association with different types of interleaving . the preferred embodiment of the present invention refers to the 1024qam and 4096qam modulations and to the ldpc code of the dvb - s2 standard . the preferred embodiment of the present invention employs an interleaver which is equal or similar to the one of the dvb - s2 standard as shown in fig2 , with a number of bits / columns dependent on the qam modulation level type . the present invention provides for using a matrix interleaver in the form of a matrix having 2 × n columns and n frame /( 2 × n ) rows , written by columns from top to bottom and read by rows from left to right . in this case , the “ demux ” block operates with m equal to 2 . for 1024qam modulation , the 2 × n bits inputted to the “ demux ” block are permuted as specified in any of fig6 a to 6 d , and are associated with 2 consecutive symbols of 1024qam modulation . given the 2 × n bits b 0 to b 19 , the 2 × n bits carried by the 1024qam constellation y 0 to y 19 are determined by applying the method described in detail below . a first symbol consists of the bits b 0 , b 2 , b 4 , b 6 , b 8 , b 10 , b 12 , b 14 , b 16 , b 18 , and a second symbol consists of the bits b 1 , b 3 , b 5 , b 7 , b 9 , b 11 , b 13 , b 15 , b 17 , b 19 . each symbol is mapped individually by arranging the bits first on the in - phase portion ( i ) from the least significant bit ( lsb ) to the most significant bit ( msb ), and subsequently on the quadrature portion ( q ) from the msb to the lsb , as shown in fig8 a . i b , 1 and q b , 1 respectively designate the arrays of bits associated with the bits i y1 carried by the in - phase component and with the bits q y1 carried by the quadrature component of the first symbol ; i b2 , q b2 , i y2 , q y2 have the same meaning for the second symbol . as an alternative , the bits may be associated with the qam symbols as follows : i y , 1 = i b , 2 , q y , 1 = q b , 2 , i y , 2 = i b , 1 , q y , 2 = q b , 1 . the bits belonging to the pairs ( b 1 , b 3 ) and ( b 11 , b 19 ) are then exchanged ; fig8 b will thus be obtained from the example shown in fig8 a . the two symbols are then interlaced in terms of in - phase and quadrature portions , e . g . as shown in fig8 c , which is obtained from the example of fig8 b . as an alternative , the bits may be associated with the qam symbols as follows : i y , 1 = i b , 2 , q y , 1 = q b , 1 , i y , 2 = i b , 1 , q y , 2 = q b , 2 . afterwards , the bits associated with the even locations y 2 , y 6 , y 10 , y 14 , y 18 or odd locations y 0 , y 4 , y 8 , y 12 , y 16 on the in - phase portion are respectively exchanged with those associated with the even locations y 3 , y 7 , y 11 , y 15 , y 19 or odd locations y 1 , y 5 , y 9 , y 13 , y 17 on the quadrature portion . fig8 d will thus be obtained from the example shown in fig8 c . a first preferred embodiment relating to the 1024qam constellation is the one listed in fig8 d and illustrated in fig6 a , according to which , given the 2 × n bits b 0 to b 19 , the 2 × n bits carried by the 1024qam constellation y 0 to y 19 are determined as follows : y 0 = b 8 , y 1 = b 19 , y 2 = b 13 , y 3 = b 6 , y 4 = b 4 , y 5 = b 15 , y 6 = b 17 , y 7 = b 2 , y 8 = b 0 , y 9 = b 11 , y 10 = b 10 , y 11 = b 9 , y 12 = b 7 , y 13 = b 12 , y 14 = b 14 , y 15 = b 5 , y 16 = b 1 , y 17 = b 16 , y 18 = b 18 , y 19 = b 3 where b 0 and y 0 are the most significant bits [ msb ], and b 19 and y 19 are the least significant bits [ lsb ]. in particular , the “ mapper ” block receives the bits y 0 to y 9 first , followed by the bits y 10 to y 19 . by using the above - mentioned alternatives , three more preferred embodiments can be obtained . the second preferred embodiment is the one shown in fig6 b , wherein the bits y 0 to y 19 are determined as follows : y 0 = b 19 , y 1 = b 8 , y 2 = b 6 , y 3 = b 13 , y 4 = b 15 , y 5 = b 4 , y 6 = b 2 , y 7 = b 17 , y 8 = b 11 , y 9 = b 0 , y 10 = b 9 , y 11 = b 10 , y 12 = b 12 , y 13 = b 7 , y 14 = b 5 , y 15 = b 14 , y 16 = b 16 , y 17 = b 1 , y 18 = b 3 , y 19 = b 18 . the third preferred embodiment is the one shown in fig6 c , wherein the bits y 0 to y 19 are determined as follows : y 0 = b 9 , y 1 = b 10 , y 2 = b 12 , y 3 = b 7 , y 4 = b 5 , y 5 = b 14 , y 6 = b 16 , y 7 = b 1 , y 8 = b 3 , y 9 = b 18 , y 10 = b 19 , y 11 = b 8 , y 12 = b 6 , y 13 = b 13 , y 14 = b 15 , y 15 = b 4 , y 16 = b 2 , y 17 = b 17 , y 18 = b 11 , y 19 = b 0 . the fourth preferred embodiment is the one shown in fig6 d , wherein the bits y 0 to y 19 are determined as follows : y 0 = b 10 , y 1 = b 9 , y 2 = b 7 , y 3 = b 12 , y 4 = b 14 , y 5 = b 5 , y 6 = b 1 , y 7 = b 16 , y 8 = b 18 , y 9 = b 3 , y 10 = b 8 , y 11 = b 19 , y 12 = b 13 , y 13 = b 6 , y 14 = b 4 , y 15 = b 15 , y 16 = b 17 , y 17 = b 2 , y 18 = b 0 , y 19 = b 11 . still referring to the case wherein the “ demux ” block operates with m equal to 2 , there are some permutations which have proven to be advantageous for the 4096qam constellation ; the 2 × n bits inputted to the “ demux ” block are permuted as specified in any of fig7 a to 7 d , for 4096qam modulation encoded according to the ldpc code of the dvb - s2 standard , and are associated with two consecutive symbols of 4096qam modulation . the method for obtaining the configurations shown in fig7 a to 7 d will now be described in detail . given the 2 × n bits b 0 to b 23 , a first symbol consists of the bits b 0 , b 2 , b 4 , b 6 , b 8 , b 10 , b 12 , b 14 , b 16 , b 18 , b 20 , b 22 , and a second symbol consists of the bits b 1 , b 3 , b 5 , b 7 , b 9 , b 11 , b 13 , b 15 , b 17 , b 19 , b 21 , b 23 . each symbol is mapped individually by arranging the bits first on the in - phase portion ( i ) from the lsb to the msb , and subsequently on the quadrature portion ( q ) from the msb to the lsb , as shown in fig9 a . as an alternative , the bits may be associated with the qam symbols as follows : i y , 1 = i b , 2 , q y , 1 = q b , 2 , i y , 2 = i b , 1 , q y , 2 = q b , 1 . the bits belonging to the pairs b 1 , b 3 and b 13 , b 23 are then exchanged ; fig9 b will thus be obtained from the example shown in fig9 a . the two symbols are then interlaced in terms of in - phase and quadrature portions ; for example , the table of fig9 c will thus be obtained from fig9 b . as an alternative , the bits may be associated with the qam symbols as follows : afterwards , the bits associated with the even locations y 2 , y 6 , y 10 , y 14 , y 18 , y 22 or odd locations y 0 , y 4 , y 8 , y 12 , y 16 , y 20 on the in - phase portion are respectively exchanged with those associated with the even locations y 3 , y 7 , y 11 , y 15 , y 19 , y 23 or odd locations y 1 , y 5 , y 9 , y 13 , y 17 , y 21 on the quadrature portion . for example , the table of fig9 d will thus be obtained from fig9 c . a first preferred embodiment relating to the 4096qam constellation is the one listed in fig9 d and illustrated in fig7 a , according to which , given the 2 × n bits b 0 to b 23 , the 2 × n bits carried by the 4096qam constellation y 0 to y 23 are determined as follows : y 0 = b 10 , y 1 = b 23 , y 2 = b 15 , y 3 = b 8 , y 4 = b 6 , y 5 = b 17 , y 6 = b 19 , y 7 = b 4 , y 8 = b 2 , y 9 = b 21 , y 10 = b 13 , y 11 = b 0 , y 12 = b 11 , y 13 = b 12 , y 14 = b 14 , y 15 = b 9 , y 16 = b 7 , y 17 = b 16 , y 18 = b 18 , y 19 = b 5 , y 20 = b 1 , y 21 = b 20 , y 22 = b 22 , y 23 = b 3 by using the above - mentioned alternatives , three more preferred embodiments can be obtained . the second preferred embodiment is the one shown in fig7 b , wherein the bits y 0 to y 23 are determined as follows : y 0 = b 23 , y 1 = b 10 , y 2 = b 8 , y 3 = b 15 , y 4 = b 17 , y 5 = b 6 , y 6 = b 4 , y 7 = b 19 , y 8 = b 21 , y 9 = b 2 , y 10 = b 0 , y 11 = b 13 , y 12 = b 12 , y 13 = b 11 , y 14 = b 9 , y 15 = b 14 , y 16 = b 16 , y 17 = b 7 , y 18 = b 5 , y 19 = b 18 , y 20 = b 20 , y 21 = b 1 , y 22 = b 3 , y 23 = b 22 the third preferred embodiment is the one shown in fig7 c , wherein the bits y 0 to y 23 are determined as follows : y 0 = b 11 , y 1 = b 12 , y 2 = b 14 , y 3 = b 9 , y 4 = b 7 , y 5 = b 16 , y 6 = b 18 , y 7 = b 5 , y 8 = b 1 , y 9 = b 20 , y 10 = b 22 , y 11 = b 3 , y 12 = b 10 , y 13 = b 23 , y 14 = b 15 , y 15 = b 8 , y 16 = b 6 , y 17 = b 17 , y 18 = b 19 , y 19 = b 4 , y 20 = b 2 , y 21 = b 21 , y 22 = b 13 , y 23 = b 0 the fourth preferred embodiment is the one shown in fig7 d , wherein the bits y 0 to y 23 are determined as follows : y 0 = b 12 , y 1 = b 11 , y 2 = b 9 , y 3 = b 14 , y 4 = b 16 , y 5 = b 7 , y 6 = b 5 , y 7 = b 18 , y 8 = b 20 , y 9 = b 1 , y 10 = b 3 , y 11 = b 22 , y 12 = b 23 , y 13 = b 10 , y 14 = b 8 , y 15 = b 15 , y 16 = b 17 , y 17 = b 6 , y 18 = b 4 , y 19 = b 19 , y 20 = b 21 , y 21 = b 2 , y 22 = b 0 , y 23 = b 13 the above - described methods may be used to advantage in a system for transmitting digital signals based on a 1024qam or 4096qam modulator , and particularly in an audio / video digital signal transmitter for broadcasting digital television signals over cable networks . as is apparent to those skilled in the art , if the above - described method is applied in transmission , a reverse method will have to be applied in reception . as known , the transmission of television signals is carried out by radio frequency transmitters , while the reception of television signals occurs through television receivers typically installed in the television service users &# 39 ; homes . | 7 |
fig1 represents the use of an intraoral camera for optical , three - dimensional measurement of the shape of a tooth . the polychromatic light source used for object measurement is a fiber - coupled superluminescent diode 1 having a half - width value in the order of magnitude of approximately 100 nm . the light emitted therefrom is coupled into a fiber 2 . furthermore , a first switchable laser diode 3 and a second switchable laser diode 4 are provided , whose light is used as reference light for calibrating the system and is coupled into the fiber 2 via a y - junction 5 , or y - junction 6 , respectively . the measuring light and reference light emerging from the end of the fiber 2 passes to a collimator lens 7 for the purpose of bundle collimation . this forms at least one approximately plane wave , which passes to a microlens array 8 comprising approximately 100 × 150 microlenses , which form foci which impinge on an adapted and oriented pinhole array 9 . the microlens array 8 and the pinhole array 9 together form a point light source array having a square raster . from the individual pinholes , which represent the point light sources , at least approximately spherical waves , i . e ., diverging beams of light b 1 to bi are propagated , from which at least approximately planar waves , i . e ., collimated beams of light , are formed by means of a second collimator lens 10 and which pass through the beam splitter 11 to impinge on a phase - zone lens 12 having a negative refracting power . the measuring light is transmitted thereto predominantly in the first order of diffraction . on the other hand , the reference light , whose wavelength at the first laser diode 3 is slightly above , and at the second laser diode 4 is slightly below , the spectral distribution of the measuring light , can pass through the phase - zone lens 12 also in the zero order of diffraction . this phase - zone lens 12 is situated in the pupil plane of the measuring lens 14 , which in this case represents the imaging system for the object 18 . the focal length of the measuring lens 14 is in the order of magnitude of from 100 mm to 200 mm . the pupil is defined by the aperture 13 . the measuring light and reference light are focused by means of the measuring lens 14 via the mirror 17 into the object &# 39 ; s physical space . the numerical aperture ( na ) of the measuring lens 14 is in this case na = 0 . 15 . thus it is also possible to scan details of the tooth 18 exhibiting large gradients . due to the wavelength - dependent refracting power of the zone lens 12 , chromatic longitudinal splitting of the measuring light bundle occurs in the object space in the region δz_c , the foci of the long - wave light being furthest from the measuring lens 14 . the focal length of the phase - zone lens 12 for the average wavelength of the superluminescent diode 1 is in the order of magnitude of from 300 mm to 500 mm . thus , depth scanning of a tooth 18 can operate in the order of magnitude of approximately 10 mm . the light reflected at a point p on the tooth 18 passes into the measuring lens 14 . here the measuring light is transmitted through the zone lens 12 , again in the first order of diffraction . at the plate 15 , the reference light is reflected at the surface 16 , where there is a sharp image of the point light sources , and passes again through the measuring lens 14 and aperture 13 , back to the zone lens 12 in the zero order of diffraction , or alternatively in the first order of diffraction . the light transmitted in the zero order of diffraction serves to subsequently form the reference images on the detector matrix 21 . reference light and measuring light are at least partially deflected at the beam splitter 11 and pass through a dispersion prism wedge 19 and a focusing lens 20 to the detector matrix 21 . on this detector matrix 21 there is formed the spectrum of the intensity via the wavelength containing the information on the depth position of each object pin - point measured . the images formed by the reference light of the point light sources created by the pinhole array 9 make it possible to define sub - matrices on the detector matrix 21 numerically , in which sub - matrices the evaluation of each spectrum of measuring light obtained upon measuring a tooth 18 is then carried out . in each case , the spectral region showing the maximum intensity or the mass center of intensity distribution is determined , in which case sub - pixel techniques may also be employed . illustrated here are , for example , the sub - matrix j_k , or sub - matrix 21 a and the assembly of sub - matrices 21 b and 21 c . thus , by rotating both the microlens array 8 and the pinhole array 9 about the optical axis ao relatively to the detector matrix 21 through an acute angle an according to equation ( 1 ) it is possible to form rectangular sub - matrices that almost entirely cover the surface of the detector matrix 21 . by finding the point images produced , by means of reference light of known wavelength , i . e ., foci , from which the spectral reference points pλmax and pλmin can be computed here with sub - pixel accuracy in each sub - matrix , not only their position on the detector matrix 21 is determined with pixel accuracy but also the change in the wavelength is ascertained , that is to say , the spectral sensitivity of the sub - matrix , i . e ., the spectral sensitivity laterally over the pixels of the detector matrix 21 , is ascertained with ultrahigh accuracy . the spacing of the spectral reference points may vary somewhat on account of distortion of the focusing lens 20 particularly in the marginal region of the measuring area . when scanning a tooth 18 , evaluation of the intensity distribution of the light reflected from the tooth 18 in each sub - matrix 21 a , 21 b , 21 c . . . , or in a sub - matrix j_k , the depth position of each object pin - point a , b , c . . . , or an object pin - point pj_k can be determined by computation of the chromatic confocal signal in known manner so that the shape of the tooth 18 can be determined three - dimensionally in a measurement time corresponding to the time frame for creating a single image per camera frame on the detector matrix 21 , which can considerably reduce the measurement errors caused by camera - shake . the period of time required for signal evaluation may be substantially longer than that required for creating the image . when measuring the object by means of the superluminescent diode 1 , the switchable laser diodes 3 and 4 are switched off . it is most advantageous to carry out chromatic calibration by means of the reference light , i . e . by means of the laser diodes 3 and 4 , provided no tooth 18 or any other object is in the region of the measuring set - up , as then no undesirable light from these laser diodes 3 and 4 will impinge via the tooth 18 or other object onto the detector matrix 21 . according to another exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig2 , a triple reflector 23 with a band - stop filter 22 is directly assigned to the beam splitter 11 , which band - stop filter substantially blocks the passage of measuring light in the reference beam path . the light of laser diode 3 and laser diode 4 reflected at the beam splitter 11 on the other hand passes through the band - stop filter 22 , at least partially , is reflected by the triple reflector 23 , passes through band - stop filter 22 a second time and passes through the beam splitter 11 in transmittance and then through the dispersion prism wedge 19 and is focused by means of the focusing lens 20 onto the detector matrix 21 so that sharply defined images are produced on said matrix by means of reference light from the laser diodes 3 and 4 as point light sources , for the purpose of chromatic calibration . two images of the point light sources , i . e . foci , from which the spectral reference points pλmax and pλmin are calculated in this case , each numerically mark a sub - matrix 21 a ( j_k ), 21 b , 21 c . . . on the detector matrix 21 . in this way , the orientation of the spectral axis can be determined with ultrahigh accuracy . by means of sub - matrices 21 a , 21 b , 21 c . . . the laser diode 3 and laser diode 4 are switched off and the measuring light , i . e . the superluminescent diode 1 , is switched on and the measuring procedure for tooth 18 is started . fig3 is a partial view of the system for the condition n = 2 , cf . equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) and the relationship ( 3 ), and shows the formation of sub - matrices as spectral cells having the geometrical midpoints m on a high - pixel detector matrix 21 . the angle α 2 is in this case α 2 = 26 . 57 degrees and the length - to - width ratio of the sub - matrices v 2 = 5 , if it is desired to obtain a coverage by sub - matrices to an extent of 100 %. the spectral axis , the λ axis , lies in the projection plane of the drawings and is in each case oriented in the horizontal direction . this means that in this case the elongated spectral cells , that is to say , the sub - matrices 21 a , 21 b , 21 c . . . are oriented in the projection plane orthogonally to the real or imaginary , parallelly projected wedge edge k ′ of the dispersion prism wedge 19 or to the lines of a diffraction grating , for the purpose of spectral analysis . the parallel straight lines g ′ _k , g ′ _k + 1 ′ _k , g ′ _k + 2 , which join the spectral midpoints m_j_k , m_j_k + 1 , m_j_k + 2 . . . of directly adjacent sub - matrices , and the midpoints m_j_k , m_j_k + 1 , m_j_k + 2 of the sub - matrices are each computed from the pertaining spectral reference points pλmax_j_k , pλmax_j_k + 1 , pλmax_j_k + 2 and pλmin_j_k , pλmin_j_k + 1 , pλmin_j_k + 2 . . . each enclose an angle α 2 = 26 . 57 degrees with the longitudinal axes of the inter - parallel sub - matrices . in addition , in fig3 , the possible intensity distribution is illustrated in the middle line zm of a sub - matrix j_k having an intensity maximum , the lateral position of which is required for the purpose of calculating the depth of the object pin - point , i . e . its z coordinate when the geometrical / optical data of the system are known , while the lateral coordinates of this object pin - point can be computed from the position of the sub - matrix and the geometrical / optical data of the system . fig4 is a partial view of the system for the condition n = 4 , cf . equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) and the relationship ( 3 ), and shows the formation of sub - matrices as spectral cells having the geometrical midpoints m on a high - pixel detector matrix 21 . the angle α 4 is in this case α 4 = 14 . 04 degrees and the length - to - width ratio of the sub - matrices v 4 = 17 , if it is desired to obtain a 100 % coverage by sub - matrices . the smaller the angle α n , the more elongated is the sub - matrix so that typically the spectral resolution and thus also the depth resolution are higher . however , the precision of depth measurement in an object pin - point can improve at a higher spectral resolution only when the available light energy is sufficiently high to excite the detector matrix 21 . in fig1 to 4 it is assumed that in the illustrated section of the detector matrix 21 , precise adjustment of the system has made the spectral axis to be orientated always exactly parallel to the line direction of the detector matrix 21 . | 6 |
the present invention provides a lipidic vector which offers numerous benefits over conventional vectors , and which is produced via a method that itself has several specific advantages . in accordance with one aspect of the present invention , charge - based interactions are exploited ( a ) to combine a therapeutic molecule with a polycation , ( b ) to combine the polycation with an anionic lipidic preparation and , optionally , ( c ) to introduce a ligand , all in order to control the surface charge of the vector and thereby reduce the above - mentioned , non - specific in vivo associations , and to enhance transfectability of targeted cells . in accordance with the present invention , the therapeutic molecule / polycation complex can be quantitatively incorporated into a lipidic vector . the lipidic vector of the present invention can be used to deliver nucleic acids as well as other types of molecules having therapeutic value . illustrative of such therapeutic molecules are drugs , e . g ., hormones , growth factors , secondary metabolites and synthetic pharmaceutical compounds , and antigenic substances useful for raising an immune response . the therapeutic molecule is included in the lipidic vector via charge interaction with the polycation , as in the case of a nucleic acid , or via conjugation , i . e ., by covalent bonding of the therapeutic molecule to the polycation or to a lipid of the lipidic preparation . the covalent bonding can be achieved by conventional methods . preparation of the vector can include the addition of cellular receptor - targeting ligands , fusogenic ligands , nucleus - targeting ligands , or a combination of such ligands , either to the lipidic preparation , to the polycation molecule , or to the complex formed with the therapeutic molecule . &# 34 ; ligand &# 34 ; here denotes a molecule , which is often a peptide , that facilitates connection between a cell or a cellular nucleus and the lipidic vector or the encapsulated complex . fig1 depicts schematically the sequence of events and the principles involved in production of a lipidic vector within the present invention . thus , a therapeutic molecule , which is dna in fig1 is mixed with a polycation so that an excess of positive charge occurs , efficiently condensing the dna in a dna / polycation complex . since the nucleic acid in this vehicle is highly condensed , it is more resistant to nuclease activity . according to fig1 after formation of the dna / polycation complex , the condensed complex is brought into contact with the anionic lipidic preparation . as a result , dna - encapsulating lipidic vectors are obtained which vary in overall charge as a function of the ratio of dna / polycation to lipidic preparation . this charge variation is important generally because a lipidic vector that carries an overall positive charge ( i . e ., is cationic ) will deliver the nucleic acids nonspecifically , since all cell types have negative - charged membranes . in contrast , an anionic lipidic vector which incorporates a targeting ligand , as discussed above , will deliver the nucleic acid to the targeted cell . these principles pertain , according to the present invention , whether the therapeutic molecule is a dna , as shown in fig1 or another molecule of therapeutic value . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the polycation molecule is polylysine ( bromide salt , mol . wt . 25 , 600 ), which can be purchased from sigma chemical corporation ( st . louis , mo .). other polycations can be used , however , including a wide range of short , synthetic cationic peptides . illustrative of other , suitable polycations are protamine , deae - dextran , cationized albumin , polybrene , spermine , polyornithine , histones , a cascade amidoamine &# 34 ; dentritic &# 34 ; polymer , gramicidin s cyclic peptide , and spermidine . haensler and szoka , supra . when an isoelectric complex is formed between the nucleic acid and a polycation , rapid and undesirable aggregation occurs . ( in this regard , &# 34 ; isolelectric &# 34 ; connotes a neutral surface potential rather than strict electrical neutrality .) for example , a dna / polylysine ratio of about 10 . 47 ( wt : wt ) is associated with an isoelectric state and , hence , with aggregation . undesirable aggregation also will occur when slightly charged complexes are formed , especially at high nucleic acid concentrations . considerably less aggregation occurs when the charge balance between the nucleic acid and the polycation of a complex is far from the isoelectric ratio . since the dna / polycation ratio at which isoelectric complexes form changes with ph , a cationic complex can be prepared at a ph where the anionic charge of the nucleic acid is partially neutralized , to increase the cationic / anionic charge ratio . for example , at ph 2 polylysine is fully protonated and , for a dna / polylysine ratio of 1 : 0 . 75 , the cationic charge is greatly in excess . after the complex has formed , the ph can be adjusted to 7 . 4 , where cationic charge is only slightly in excess . this will bring all the polylysine into the complex . no aggregation will occur during the ph adjustment because the complex does not pass through the state where the nucleic acid - to - polycation charge balance is virtually zero (&# 34 ; substantially neutral &# 34 ;). an essentially similar approach applies to the preparation of anionic nucleic acid / polycation complexes , in which case a high ph ( for example , about 10 ) is used to partially neutralize the polycation charge . as a consequence , the overall charge on the complex is shifted away from neutrality during complex formation , avoiding aggregation . it also is possible , pursuant to the present invention , to affect the charge balance of a complex via other &# 34 ; helper &# 34 ; molecules , i . e ., molecules that contribute a charged species or that sequester a charged species in the reaction mixture . examples of suitable anionic helper molecules include ( 1 ) non - monovalent anions such as po 4 3 - , hpo 4 2 - , edta , dtpa , and deferoxamine , ( 2 ) anionic polymers such as polymethacrylic acid and poly glutamic acid , and ( 3 ) anionic detergents such as cholesteryl hemisuccinate ( chems ), cholate , fatty acids and deoxycholate . the category of suitable cationic helper molecules is illustrated by ( 1 ) non - monovalent cations such as ca 2 + , mg 2 + , mn 2 + , al 3 + , and spermidine , ( 2 ) cationic polymers such as polylysine , deae - dextran , spermine , spermidine , protamine , polybrene , cationized proteins , cationic micelles and cationic liposomes , and ( 3 ) cationic detergents such as dc - chol , cetyltrimethylammonium bromide ( ctab ), etc . ( monovalent cations and anions , such as those introduced via high nacl used in previous technology , generally are not effective in this context . adding nacl increases ionic strength and decreases charge interaction , but does not change the charge balance during complex formation .) helper molecules can be removed following complex preparation by dialysis or gel - filtration chromatography . the charge of the helper molecule can also be regulated with ph . after the nucleic acid / polycation complex is formed , it often is useful to bring the complex back to near charge neutrality . this can be achieved , as described above , by addition of an acid or base and by removal or neutralization of a helper molecule . according to one embodiment of the present invention , the liposome preparation is a dope / chem 6 : 4 ( w : w ) mixture , prepared by standard methods , the ph of which has been adjusted to ph 8 . 0 . cholesteryl hemisuccinate ( chems ) can be purchased from sigma chemical company . dioleoylphosphatidylenthanolamine ( dope ) is available commercially from avanti polar lipids , inc . ( alabaster , ala .). according to another embodiment of the invention , an anionic , non ph sensitive liposome preparation is made consisting of a dope / ps ( 8 : 2 ) mixture . phosphatidyl serine ( ps ) was purchased from avanti polar lipids . any amphiphilic lipid can be used for the lipidic preparation . an example of such a preparation is a composition of anionic liposomes prepared by the methodology of chu et al ., pharm . res . 7 : 824 ( 1990 ). other lipidic materials can be substituted to form lipidic vectors such as anionic oil - in - water emulsions or micelles . a lipidic vector of the present invention can be composed of any amphiphiles or their mixtures , such as oil - in - water emulsions and micelles . an example would be the composition tween 80 / chems at a molar ratio of 3 : 1 . another step according to the scheme described in fig1 is the addition of a targeting ligand . the targeting ligand can be added to the lipidic vector by mixing in with the anionic lipidic preparation or by conjugation to either the polycation or to a lipid . the methods employed to achieve the conjugation are standard methods , known to one versed in the art . according to one embodiment of the invention , folate serves as a targeting ligand to the folate receptor ( k d = 1 nm for folic acid ). folate - peg - pe ( folate - peg - phosphatidylethanolamine ) was synthesized as described previously lee & amp ; low , biochim . biophys . acta . 1233 : 134 - 44 ( 1995 ). according to yet another embodiment of the invention , a fusogenic peptide is added to the lipidic preparation . fusogenic peptides are amphipathic helix - forming oligopeptides which have been designed to imitate the behavior of the viral fusion peptide . see , for example , haensler and szoka , supra . in a preferred embodiment , an amphipathic helical oligopeptide is incorporated via charge interaction , to serve as a fusogenic peptide . particularly preferred in this regard is a 20 amino - acid oligopeptide having the sequence glfgaiagfiesilelalel ( seq id no : 1 ), where the underscored amino acids are negatively charged . the salient features of this non - immunogenic molecule , which can be synthesized by standard methods , are that it is a short peptide ( about 20 residues in length ) and is non - helical at neutral ph . at the acidic ph 5 or 6 , which is commonly found in endosomes , the peptide can undergo a conformational change to an amphipathic alpha helix , which can insert into a cellular membrane and form an aqueous pore . the first eleven residues are identical to the influenza viral fusion peptide n - terminal conserved sequence . the remaining portion contains three negatively charged glutamic acid residues in neighboring positions of a helical wheel which confers to this peptide a ph - sensitive trigger . the negative charge of the glutamic acid residues allows for charge - based interaction with the dna / polycation complex . a leucine - zipper motif is incorporated into the design of the molecule to allow several of the peptides to interact with each other , facilitating pore formation after membrane insertion . in accordance with the present invention , the aforementioned 20 - mer peptide , with its three negatively charged glutamic acid residues , was added to a positively charged dna / polylysine complex at a dna / polylysine / 20 - mer peptide ratio of 1 : 0 . 75 : 0 . 4 ( wt : wt : wt ). the resultant complex then was encapsulated into anionic liposomes composed of dope / chems / folate - peg - pe ( 6 : 4 : 0 . 01 ) at a lipid / dna ratio of 12 : 1 ( wt : wt ). these dna - containing liposomes were highly effective in transfecting receptor - bearing kb cells , and remained effective in the presence of 10 % fetal bovine serum . by contrast , liposomes lacking the 20 - mer peptide lost transfection effectiveness in the presence of serum . the present invention is further described by reference to the additional examples below , which are purely illustrative in nature . liposomes which were ph - sensitive and which were composed of dope / chems ( 6 : 4 ) were prepared by the following method . dope and chems ( 50 mg total lipids ) were first dissolved in dry chloroform and then dried into a thin film in a round - bottomed flask . next , the lipid was suspended in 2 . 5 ml deionized h 2 o by vortexing . the suspension then was adjusted to ph 8 and sonicated in a bath - type sonicator for 5 minutes . the resulting liposomes were sized by light scattering and sterilized by filtration through a 0 . 45 μm filter . folate - targeted liposome was prepared by the same method except 0 . 1 mole % folate - peg - pe was included in the lipid composition . ( anionic non - ph - sensitive liposome composed of dope / ps ( 8 : 2 ) were also prepared by the same method . 36 μg poly - l - lysine in 400 μl deionized h 2 o was rapidly mixed with 48 μg prsvluc plasmid dna , plautz et al ., proc . nat &# 39 ; l . acad . sci . usa 90 : 4645 - 49 ( 1993 ), in 400 μl deionized h 2 o , at dna / polylysine weight ratio 1 : 0 . 75 . aliquots of the resulting dna / polylysine complex were then rapidly mixed with various amounts of anionic liposomes in equal volumes of deionized h 2 o . prsvluc plasmid dna and polylysine formed condensed complexes when rapidly mixed . these complexes were stable when the overall charge was either positive or negative ( fig2 ). but when the overall charge was close to neutral , for example , at dna / polylysine ratio of 1 : 0 . 45 , rapid aggregation of the complexes occurred ( see fig2 ). in order to determine whether in the presence of excess positive charge all polylysine molecules were involved in dna complex formation , dna was mixed with polylysine containing trace amount of fluorescent label in the form of florecein isothiocyanate ( fitc ) purchased from sigma , at a weight ratio of 1 : 0 . 75 . the resulting dna / polylysine complex was loaded on the top of a 0 to 30 % sucrose gradient in a ultracentrifuge tube . following 33 min . of centrifugation at 100 , 000 g , all fluorescence sedimented to the bottom of the gradient suggesting that all polylysine molecules were complexed to dna ( uncomplexed dna or polylysine remain on the top of the sucrose gradient ). the average size of the dna / polylysine complexes determined by electron microscopy was ˜ 80 nm . dna / polylysine ( 1 : 0 . 75 ) complex became spontaneously encapsulated when rapidly mixed with dope / chems ( 6 : 4 ) liposomes . the size of the dna - containing liposome was dependent on the charge ratio between the dna / polylysine complex and the anionic liposomes ( fig3 ). when the overall charge was close to neutral , the size of the particles increased over time due to aggregation . a similar charge / size relationship was observed when 0 . 1 mole % folate - peg - pe was included in the anionic liposomes during the preparation of folate - targeted liposomes . in order to compare the liposome preparations described above with standard preparations , a cationic liposome dna / dc - chol complex was prepared according to gao and huang , biochem . biophys . res . comm . 179 : 280 - 85 ( 1991 ). its activity was deemed optimum when prepared at a ratio of 1 μg : 10 nm of dna to liposome . cells were plated in 24 - well plates at 5 × 10 4 cells per well and grown for 24 hr . prior to transfection . to each well , 1 μg plasmid dna in various formulations was added in 200 μl serum - free culture medium . following four hours incubation at 37 ° c ., the medium in each well was replaced with medium containing 10 % fetal bovine serum . after an additional 36 hours incubation , the cells were lysed in 0 1 % triton x - 100 containing 2 mm edta . the lysate was assayed for luciferase activity and protein content . gao and huang , supra . folate receptor ( k d = 1 nm for folic acid ) has recently been identified as a prominent tumor marker , especially in ovarian carcinomas . kb cells , known to vastly overexpress the folate receptor , were transfected with dna - containing , folate - targeted liposomes prepared as described in example 1 ( see fig4 ). at low lipid to dna ratio (& lt ; 6 ), cationic particles were produced . transfection of the kb cells was efficient but could not be inhibited by the addition of 1 mm free folic acid , which suggested that the cellular uptake was due primarily to charge interaction between the dna - containing liposomes and the negatively charged cell surface rather than via the folate receptor . at a lipid to dna ratio of 6 , the transfection efficiency with these liposomes was 13 - times higher than the cationic liposome dna / dc - chol complex ( prepared under optimized conditions of 1 μg : 10 nm dna / liposome ratio . at higher lipid - to - dna ratios (& gt ; 10 ), where anionic particles were formed , however , transfection appeared to be receptor - mediated , since it could be partially blocked by free folic acid . interestingly , even 1 mm folic acid was insufficient to completely block the receptor - mediated transfection . this was probably due to the multivalency of the ligand on the liposomes conferring them much higher affinities than the monovalent folic acid . non - targeted anionic dna - containing liposomes were inactive in cellular transfection ( data not shown ). at lipid to dna ratios of higher than 12 , there was a reduction in transfection activity probably due to dna uptake competition by excess empty folate - conjugated liposomes . the cytotoxicity of various formulations was evaluated by determining the total protein content in the cellular extracts . as shown in fig5 in the cationic range ( lipid / dna & lt ; 6 ) dna - containing liposomes showed very little toxicity compared to cationic liposome dna / dc - chol complexes . cells treated with cationic liposome dna / dc - chol had an 8 - fold lower protein level in the extract . neutral particles ( lipid / dna = 8 ) seemed particularly cytotoxic . in the anionic range ( lipid / dna & gt ; 10 ) cytotoxicity was again very low . but very high lipid - to - dna ratios (& gt ; 16 ) led to higher toxicity levels . by use of these dna - containing liposomes , similar transfection results also were obtained in hela , 2008 , bl6 , cho and el4 cells and t - lymphocytes ; a suspension of cultured t - lymphocytes was not transfectable with the cationic liposome dna / dc - chol complex . acceptable but slightly lower transfection activity in cho cells also was obtained when liposomes containing dope / phosphatidylserine ( 8 : 2 ), a ph - insensitive anionic lipid composition , were used in place of dope / chems liposomes . kb cells were seeded at 5 × 10 4 per well in 24 - well plates and incubated overnight in a co 2 cell culture incubator . liposome preparations containing 1 μg i 125 - labeled plasmid dna and diluted in 200 μl serum - free medium were added in triplicates to each well . after 4 h incubation at 37 ° c ., the cells were washed twice with phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ) and lysed in 300 μl lysis buffer . cellular uptake of dna then was determined , by counting the radioactivity in the lysate , and calibrated with the protein content , ascertained by commassie assay , in the cellular lysate . non - targeted , dna - containing liposomes composed of dope / chems ( 6 : 4 ) were compared with folate - targeted liposomes composed of dope / chems / folate - peg - pe ( 6 : 4 : 0 . 01 ) in the presence or absence of 1 mm free folic acid . as can be seen in fig1 for non - targeted liposomes , a high level of cellular uptake took place only at low lipid - dna ratios , where the overall charge of the dna - containing liposomes was positive . at these lipid / dna ratios , folate targeting did not further enhance the level of cellular uptake . at high lipid / dna ratios ( greater than 10 : 1 ), however , folate - targeted liposomes are taken up by receptor - bearing kb cells in a ligand - specific manner ; that is , the uptake was competitively inhibited by the presence of 1 mm free folic acid . __________________________________________________________________________ # sequence listing - ( 1 ) general information :- ( iii ) number of sequences : 1 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 1 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 20 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 1 :- gly leu phe gly ala ile ala gly - # phe ile glu ser ile leu gluleu # 15 - ala leu glu leu 20__________________________________________________________________________ | 2 |
while the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms , there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated . referring generally to the figures , a hose reel apparatus 10 having an elevated point of operation and a low - entry point for hose retrieval is illustrated . the hose reel apparatus of the preferred embodiment includes an enclosure assembly 12 , a spool assembly 14 , a level - wind assembly 16 , a first gear train 18 , a second gear train 20 , and a crank assembly 22 . the enclosure assembly includes a pair of side panels 24 secured in a substantially parallel arrangement . a front panel 26 extends between the side panels 24 at a front portion thereof to enclose the front portion of the enclosure and a rear panel 28 extends between the side panels at a rear portion thereof to enclose the rear portion of the enclosure . a lid member 30 encloses the top portion of the enclosure . in the preferred embodiment , the side members , front panel and lid member are formed by the process of injection molding to include integral connectors , ribs 46 and gussets 48 . the side panels 24 include integrally formed first connectors 32 along one edge thereof and integrally formed second connectors 34 along a second opposite edge thereof . the first connectors 32 are illustrated herein as at least one outwardly extending locking post 34 being constructed and arranged to cooperate in an interlocking manner with at least one inwardly extending socket 36 positioned along the edges of the front panel for interlocking cooperation therebetween . the locking posts 34 are constructed and arranged to cooperate with the front panel for connecting and maintaining a substantially perpendicular relationship between the front and side panel members . it should also be noted that while the locking posts are illustrated as being rectangular in shape when viewed from the end , other shapes suitable for locating and securing panels together may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention . in a most preferred embodiment , each locking post 34 includes at least one detent or spring lock fastener 38 integrally formed thereto . the spring lock is constructed and arranged to cooperate with a catch surface 40 positioned within each socket for snap - together interlocking engagement . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the snap - type fasteners 38 can be used throughout the hose reel device 10 to mount or secure components to one another , and to facilitate ready assembly of the cart if it is provided in an unassembled manner . referring to fig2 and 4 , the second connectors 34 are illustrated herein as two spaced apart substantially parallel surfaces 42 extending outwardly from an end surface 44 forming a u - shape for connection to an adjacently positioned extruded or blow molded rear panel 28 . in a most preferred embodiment , at least one of the parallel surfaces include a spring lock fastener integrally formed thereto for cooperation with a catch surface positioned in the rear panel . it should be noted that while the locking posts are illustrated as formed on the edges of the side panels , the locking bosses may be formed on the edges of the front or rear panel and the sockets formed into the side panels without departing from the scope of the invention . referring to fig1 - 3 , the lid member is illustrated . the lid member includes a bottom surface 50 constructed and arranged to cooperate with the front panel , the rear panel and the side wall members in a closed position to maintain a weather - tight enclosure . the bottom surface 50 illustrates the ribs 46 and gussets 48 facilitated by injection molding of panels . in addition to the strengthening ribs 46 , the bottom surface of the lid member includes a depending lip 51 extending around the perimeter of the lid and a hinge means integrally formed to a rear portion thereof . the hinge means is illustrated herein as a pair of depending c - shaped members 52 and loop shaped receivers 54 . a latch means 56 is integrally formed to a front portion of the lid member for releasably securing the cover to the front panel . the latch means is illustrated herein as a depending spring - lock 58 that is constructed and arranged to cooperate with apertures 60 positioned in the upper edge of the front panel . it should be noted that other latch means well known in the art may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention . in operation , when the lid is opened a portion of the depending lip 51 pivots to engage an inwardly extending recess 53 . the engagement between the depending lip 51 and the recess 53 control the rotation of the lid and prevent the lid prevent from being removed from the enclosure . strap 47 may also be provided to control rotation of the lid and further tie the lid to the enclosure . integrally formed mounts 49 allow the ends of the strap 47 to be snapped into engagement with the lid and the side panel . injection molding of the panel members offers significant strength , stability and versatility advantages over blow - molding , extrusion or vacuum molding as utilized in the prior art . injection molding facilitates forming thicker and / or thinner portions within the same panel for areas of high or low stress concentrations such as is required with the first and second connectors to facilitate connection to panels manufactured by different methods . it should also be appreciated that the injection molded panels of the instant invention only require a single wall construction , while the extruded or blow molded panels may include two or more walls integrally connected together . it should also be noted that while only the rear panel is illustrated as being an extruded panel , the first and second connectors may be formed along the edges of any injection molded panel , used in construction of the enclosure , for cooperation with an adjacently positioned extruded or blow molded panel . in this manner , an enclosure comprising various combinations of extruded , injection molded and blow molded panels may be constructed for economy , strength and durability . referring to fig8 , a rotatable reel assembly suitable for use with the teachings of the instant invention is illustrated . the rotatable reel assembly 14 is operably connected between the side panels 24 for rotation about an axis of rotation a ( fig4 ). the rotatable reel 14 provides for pick - up , storage and pay - out of an elongated hose member . the spool 14 includes a central hub 62 and a pair of radially extending flanges 64 that are configured to accommodate a length of flexible hose wrapped around the hub 62 between the flanges 64 . in a typical arrangement , the hose reel apparatus 10 may store between 50 to 300 feet of a ⅝ inch common hose . those skilled in the art will recognize that the hose reel apparatus 10 may include a water / air inlet port or in - tube 66 ( fig2 ) and an outlet port or out - tube ( not shown ). typically the in - tube is mounted to the side panel 24 at about the axis of rotation a of the spool 14 . the in - tube is connected to the out - tube by a sliding seal arrangement ( not shown ) so that the in - tube remains fixed to the side panel 24 , while the out - tube rotates with the spool 14 , and the in - tube and out - tube remain in fluid communication with one another . this arrangement permits rotation of the spool 14 without twisting or torquing internal components , while maintaining sealed fluid communication between the water / air supply and the hose . the preferred in - tube and coupling arrangement can be viewed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 998 , 552 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . referring to fig1 , 3 and 6 , the crank assembly 22 is rotatably supported and journaled to one of the side wall members 24 at a position above the axis of rotation a to elevate the point of operation for the device . in an alternative embodiment , the crank assembly 22 is rotatably supported and journaled to one of the side wall members 24 at the axis of rotation a . in this manner , the crank could be directly connected to the reel as is well known in the art . the crank assembly preferably includes a foldable handle 68 for a compact storage and shipping configuration . the foldable handle may include a sleeve 70 that is constructed and arranged to rotate about the handle during operation of the crank . in the preferred embodiment the crank 22 is indirectly connected to the spool assembly via a first gear train 18 to provide rotation thereto . a level - wind assembly 16 is optionally located between the side wall members 24 at a position below the axis of rotation a . the level - wind assembly is operably connected to said spool assembly via a second gear train 20 so that rotation of the spool assembly provides reciprocating movement to a hose guide 28 to uniformly and smoothly wrap a hose onto the spool assembly 14 to provide a compact storage configuration . it should also be noted that the device may be utilized without the level - wind or with a manually operated level - wind ( not shown ) without departing from the scope of the invention . in a preferred embodiment , the level - wind assembly 16 is automatically reciprocated with the reel . the automatic level - wind assembly 16 includes a double - helix lead screw 72 suitably supported and journaled in the side panels 24 for rotational movement and a single guide element 74 extends between the side panels . it should be noted that while a rod is illustrated as the guide element , other structures such as rails , cables , grooves and the like may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention . when the spool 14 is rotated the second gear train 20 illustrated in fig6 , transfers rotary motion from the spool 14 to the double - helix lead screw 72 . a guide 28 cooperates with the double - helix lead screw 72 and slides along the guide element 74 to cause the guide 28 to reciprocate back and forth across the spool 14 facilitating even distribution of the flexible elongate member onto the spool . still referring to fig6 , in order to provide manual rotation of the hose reel 14 and reciprocation of the automatic level - wind assembly 16 , a first gear train 18 is positioned within one of the side panels 24 . the crank assembly 22 ( fig3 ) includes an input shaft ( not shown ) extending inwardly through an opening 76 in an upper portion of the side panel 24 and rotatable with respect thereto . the input shaft is secured to the input gear 78 of the first gear train 18 at a position at or above the axis of rotation a . the spool gear 80 is suitably secured to the spool 14 so as to be rotatable therewith . idler gears 82 a and 82 b are positioned within the side panel 24 to be freely rotating with respect to the side panel and directly meshed with the input gear 78 , one another , and the spool gear 80 to provide gear powering therebetween . thus , rotational movement of the input gear 78 with handle assembly 22 will cause similar rotational movement of the spool gear 80 and spool 14 . preferably the spool gear 80 will be larger in pitch diameter than the pitch diameter of the input gear 78 thereby achieving a torque increasing gear reduction desired by the present invention . it should be noted that while the crank is illustrated herein as connecting to the reel at a position above the axis of rotation , the crank may be directly coupled to the reel or any number of idler gears may be utilized for spacing to place the crank above the axis of rotation without departing from the scope of the invention . still referring to fig6 , the second gear - train 20 utilizes rotation of the spool 14 to cause rotation of the double - helix lead screw 72 . the lead screw gear 84 is suitably secured to the lead screw 72 to be rotatable therewith . idler gears 86 a and 86 b are positioned within the side panel 24 to be freely rotating with respect to the side panel 24 and directly meshed with the spool gear 80 , one another , and the lead screw gear 84 to provide direct gear powering therebetween . thus , rotational movement of the spool gear 80 will cause similar rotational movement of the lead screw gear 84 and reciprocation of the hose guide 28 . preferably the spool gear 80 will be larger than the lead screw gear 84 thereby achieving the desired amount of hose guide 28 travel per spool 14 revolution for a compact hose storage configuration . it should be noted that while the level - wind assembly is illustrated herein as positioned at a lowermost position within the enclosure , the level wind assembly may utilize more or less idler gears for spacing to position the level - wind at any position at or below the axis of rotation without departing from the scope of the invention . referring now to fig3 , the enclosure includes a pair of spaced apart side members 24 and may include a storage bin 88 that extends between the side panels . the storage bin is preferably formed as a single piece having multiple living hinges 90 which facilitate assembly . a pair of tabs 92 extend outwardly from the sides of the storage bin to facilitate connection to storage bin receivers 94 which are preferably integrally formed to the inner surface of the side members 24 . alternatively , the storage bin may be formed of multiple components that are glued or suitably fastened together and attached to the inner surface of the enclosure panels as is known in the art . the storage bin 88 can be used to store various hose attachments , such as , spray heads , nozzles and the like . consumers will recognize the advantage to having the handy storage bin 88 mounted within the enclosure assembly , so that hose attachments can be readily stored with the hose and easily accessed , rather than stored in another location and possibly misplaced or lost . all patents and publications mentioned in this specification 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 . it is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated , it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings / figures included herein . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as those inherent therein . the embodiments , methods , procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments , are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope . changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments . indeed , various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims . | 8 |
the present invention relates to a wave control circuit used to control the operation of various plumbing devices and appliances . an illustrative embodiment of the invention is described herein , with reference to the accompanying drawing figures . a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention may be practiced in a variety of orientations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . fig1 shows an illustrative embodiment of the invention used to control the operation of a plumbing device such as a faucet . the embodiment of the invention consists of a wave control circuit 10 , a plumbing device 20 and at least one sensor 30 . alternatively , all or a portion of the plumbing device 20 may comprise the sensor 30 . as best seen in fig2 , the wave control circuit 10 may include at least one sensor circuit 100 , at least one control circuit 110 , at least one driver circuit 120 , at least one valve 130 , and at least one sensor 30 associated with the plumbing device 20 . control circuit 110 may comprise digital logic circuitry or a microprocessor 160 that executes software instructions built into the microprocessor 160 . in either case , control circuit 110 reads output from sensor circuit 100 to control the flow of fluid through plumbing device 20 . control circuit 110 sends an output signal through driver circuit 120 to control the flow of fluid through plumbing device 20 . driver circuit 120 achieves the proper drive voltage and current necessary to enable or disable valve 130 . valve 130 enables and disables functions of plumbing device 20 . for example , when valve 130 is open , fluid such as water may flow through plumbing device 20 , which is shown in fig1 as a faucet . now referring to fig2 , the wave control circuit 10 is shown to include a sensor circuit 100 , a control circuit 110 , and a driver circuit 120 . the wave control circuit 10 may be communicatively connected to the valves 130 . as best seen in fig2 , the sensor circuit 100 may include a capacitive sensing network that is connected to proximity sensor 30 . the proximity sensor 30 may detect the presence of objects placed within the sensor &# 39 ; s sensing field by capacitive charging and discharging . therefore , when an object is placed within the sensing field of the proximity sensor 30 , the proximity sensor 30 is charged with a potential voltage and then discharged when the object is moved away . when the proximity sensor 30 is discharged , a small current or a voltage drop may be produced and the sensor circuit 100 may detect such a voltage drop . an example of proximity sensor used in such an application may be what is generally referred to as a charge transfer sensor . however , a person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that this is but only one example of the proximity sensor 30 that may be used in the application and other types of sensors may be used to perform the equivalent function . typically charge transfer sensors are used to detect objects in free space ; thus , a very low capacitance field is generally present . however , the presence of running water may change the impedance of the capacitance network and , thus , may change and affect the sensitivity of sensor circuit 100 . to adjust for this possibility , the sensor circuit 100 is put through a recalibration procedure by either power cycling the sensor circuit 100 or engaging a recalibration function of the sensor circuit 100 to adjust to the load impedance presented to the circuit when the water flows . the recalibration accounts for the changed operating conditions and allows the sensor circuit 100 to have identical sensitivity when water is flowing or isn &# 39 ; t flowing through the plumbing device 20 . a person having skill in the art will appreciate that a slight delay may be included before the recalibration . this delay may help to assure that impedance is accurately sensed or measured by the sensor circuit 100 . the control circuit 110 may consist of discrete components such as a sequence of flip - flops , a clock , and logic gates to perform the functions described in fig3 - 5 . in an embodiment of the wave control circuit 10 , the control circuit 110 may further include a control logic circuit and a timer circuit . upon a successful signal ( i . e ., detection of an object ) from sensor 30 , sensor circuit 100 , which is connected to the control logic circuit , may output a high state . the high state of control logic circuit may trigger the timer circuit to create a timing event . such timing event may enable the driver circuit 120 , which subsequently enables or disables valve 130 . the timing event may also be used to recalibrate the sensor circuit 100 while the sensor circuit 100 maintains its high output state . the high output state of the sensor circuit 100 may be maintained until a second signal from the sensor 30 is detected . such second detection may set the output state of sensor circuit 100 to low , which may create another timing signal that disables valve 30 and resets sensor circuit 100 . fig3 represents one possible logical flow for the operation of a hands - free plumbing device such as a faucet . in such an embodiment , the plumbing device 20 may use the proximity sensor 30 of the circuit 100 . as shown in fig3 , the control circuit 110 initializes at step 200 . at 210 , the proximity sensor 30 may determine if an object has been placed within a predetermined proximity to faucet 20 . if it is determined that no object is within the sensing field of proximity sensor 30 , the process loops to point 212 and repeats step 210 . when an object is found within the sensing field of proximity sensor 30 , the logical control 110 may enable the valve 130 to start the flow of water at step 214 . after a short delay at step 216 , the proximity sensor 30 may be recalibrated at step 218 and the logic control 110 may start a first automatic timer at step 220 . at step 230 , the proximity sensor 30 may determine if an object has been placed in proximity to the faucet 20 . if no object is detected within the sensing field of the proximity sensor 30 , the process loops to point 232 to determine if the first automatic timer has expired . if the automatic timer has not expired , the logical control 110 loops back to step 230 . if the automatic timer has expired or an object is found within the sensing field of proximity sensor 30 , the logical control 110 proceeds to step 234 and disables the valve 130 , stopping the flow of water . after a short delay at step 236 , the logical control 110 moves to point 238 and recalibrates the proximity sensor 30 . subsequently , the logical control 110 proceeds to the point 212 . a person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the logical flow of the embodiment of the invention may be modified to incorporate additional features . one such alternate logical flow is described in fig4 , which discloses a hands free mode to control the water temperature of a plumbing device . as illustrated in fig4 , at step 214 , the embodiment of the system is modified to include a hot valve and a cold valve , both of which may be enabled or disabled by logic control 110 or another similar control device or circuit . for example at step 220 , a first timer may be started . the hot / cold control shown at step 250 enables and disables the hot and cold valves to control the water temperature . the initial state of the hot / cold control is the warm state . in the illustrated embodiment , the first timer controls the period on which the hot / cold control is active . this permits the user to cycle through the temperature states and select a desired water temperature . in the warm state , both the hot valve and the cold valve are enabled , resulting in a mixture of hot and cold water flowing to the plumbing device . the volume of hot and cold water flowing to the plumbing device may be selectively varied , thus , resulting in the ability to selectively control the water temperature . for a period of time established by first automatic timer at step 200 , the proximity sensor 30 may attempt to detect objects within the sensor &# 39 ; s sensing field . successful detection of an object causes the hot / cold control shown at step 250 to cycle through several temperature states . the hot / cold control , shown at step 250 , cycles through the warm state , the hot state , and finally the cold state . after changing the state of the hot / cold control at step 250 , the first automatic timer may be reset . when the time period set by first automatic timer expires , the hot / cold control may be disabled and the water temperature cannot be changed . the water flow will then be disabled by either the detection of an object within the sensing field of proximity sensor 30 or the expiration of a time period set by a second automatic timer . if the temperature is changed during the first auto timer period , an appropriate led may be lit to indicate the water temperature chosen . for example a red led may be lit to indicate hot temperature and a green led may be lit to indicate cooler temperature . such an led can be on constantly or may be blinking at a rapid rate . when the first auto timer period ends , and the water temperature cannot be changed , the led may go off or may become a less often blinking indicator ( lower duty cycle ) to conserve energy . when the water is off , the led may also be completely off . now referring to fig5 , another feature of the invention may be a quarts timer control . such an embodiment may include a regulator to control the flow of the water . in this embodiment , for a period of time , proximity sensor 30 attempts to detect objects within the sensing field to enable the quarts timer control , step 260 . once enabled , a user may use the quarts timer control to set the volume of water to be dispensed to a predetermined volume , e . g ., 1 quart , 4 quarts , etc . the quarts timer control may also calculate the volume of water that has already flowed and finally reset the first automatic timer . on subsequent detections while the first automatic timer is active , the quarts timer control cycles through water volume to be dispensed and adjusts the regulator accordingly . at the expiration of the time period set by the first automatic timer , the quarts timer control calculates the time required for the desired volume of water to be dispensed and starts the second automatic timer . the flow of water is disabled by either the detection of an object within the sensing field of proximity sensor 30 or the expiration of the time period set by the second automatic timer . another embodiment of the system may optionally be a hands free bathtub faucet and shower - head . such an embodiment may include proximity sensors in both the faucet and the shower - head . the successful detection of an object within the sensing field of the proximity sensor of either the faucet or the shower head may accordingly enable the flow of water in the appropriate plumbing device . if the activated plumbing device detects an object within the sensing field of the proximity sensor , the plumbing device may accordingly disable the flow of water . however , if the disabled plumbing device detects an object within the sensing field of its proximity sensor , the active plumbing device will be disabled and the next plumbing device will be activated . while the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof . the accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention . the presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims , rather than the foregoing description , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein . | 8 |
in general , according to one embodiment , there is provided a magnetoresistive element comprising : a recording layer having magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to a film surface and having a variable magnetization direction ; a reference layer having magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to a film surface and having an invariable magnetization direction ; a tunnel barrier layer provided between the recording layer and the reference layer ; a functional layer provided on a surface of the recording layer , which is opposite to a surface of the recording layer where the spacing layer is provided , wherein the functional layer contains a rocksalt crystal structure having the ( 100 ) plane parallel to the substrate plane and with lattice parameter along its { 110 } direction being larger than the bcc ( body - centered cubic )- phase co lattice parameter along { 100 } direction ; and an electrode layer provided on a surface of the functional layer , which is opposite to a surface of the functional layer where the recording layer is provided . fig1 is a cross - sectional view showing a configuration of an mtj element 10 as a mtj element according to the first embodiment . the mtj element 10 is configured by stacking an upper electrode 11 , a reference layer 12 , a tunnel barrier layer 13 , a recording layer 14 , a functional layer 15 , and a bottom electrode layer 16 in this order from the top . the recording layer 14 and reference layer 12 each are made of a ferromagnetic material , and have uni - axial magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to a film surfaces . further , directions of easy magnetization of the recording layer 14 and reference layer 12 are also perpendicular to the film surfaces . in another word , the mtj element 10 is a perpendicular mtj element in which magnetization directions of the recording layer 14 and reference layer 12 face in directions perpendicular to the film surfaces . a direction of easy magnetization is a direction in which the internal magnetic energy is at its minimum where no external magnetic field exists . meanwhile , a direction of hard magnetization is a direction which the internal energy is at its maximum where no external magnetic field exists . the recording layer 14 has a variable ( reversible ) magnetization direction . the reference layer 12 has an invariable ( fixing ) magnetization direction . the reference layer 12 is made of a ferromagnetic material having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic energy which is sufficiently greater than the recording layer 14 . this strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be achieved by selecting a material , configuration and a film thickness , such as tbcofe ( 10 nm )/ cofeb ( 2 nm ), or copd ( 10 nm )/ cofeb ( 2 nm ), or multilayer such as ( co / pd ) n / cofeb ( 2 nm ). in this manner , a spin polarized current may only reverse the magnetization direction of the recording layer 14 while the magnetization direction of the reference layer 12 remains unchanged . an mtj element 10 which comprises a recording layer 14 having a variable magnetization direction and a reference layer 12 having an invariable magnetization direction for a predetermined write current can be achieved . the tunnel barrier layer 13 is made of a metal oxide or nitride can be used , such as mgo , mgn , etc . the functional layer 15 may serve to introduce surface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the recording layer 14 . the functional layer 15 is made of an oxide ( or nitride , chloride ) layer which has a rocksalt crystalline as its naturally stable structure thereof will be described later . an example configuration of the mtj element 10 will be described below . the reference layer 12 is made of tbcofe ( 10 nm )/ cofeb ( 2 nm ). the tunnel barrier layer 13 is made of mgo ( 1 nm ). the recording layer 14 is made of cofeb ( 0 . 8 nm )/ copd ( 2 nm )/ cofeb ( 1 . 2 nm ). the functional layer 15 is made of mgo ( 2 . 5 nm ). the bottom electrode layer 16 is made of ta ( 20 nm )/ cu ( 20 nm )/ ta ( 20 nm ). each element written in the left side of “/” is stacked above an element written in the right side thereof . in the recording layer , the first ferromagnetic sub - layer 14 c is made of cofeb ( 0 . 8 nm ) and has a small surface perpendicular anisotropy from the interaction with its immediately adjacent rocksalt crystal mgo tunnel barrier layer . the second amorphous ferromagnetic sub - layer 14 a is made of cofeb ( 1 . 2 nm ) immediately adjacent to the rocksalt crystal functional layer has a strong surface perpendicular anisotropy . the middle ferromagnetic layer 14 b is made of copd ( 2 nm ) which has a moderate crystal perpendicular anisotropy . a perpendicular magnetization of the recording layer is achieved by the combination of the crystal perpendicular anisotropy and surface perpendicular anisotropy . among these perpendicular anisotropies , the surface perpendicular anisotropy strength of the second sub - layer 14 a can be manipulated through applying an electric field on the dielectric functional layer . further as the electric field pointed upward from the top surface of the functional layer is strong enough , the surface perpendicular anisotropy of the second sub - layer 14 a can changed into a surface in - plane anisotropy , which would directly cause a large reduction in the total perpendicular anisotropy in a recording layer , accordingly leading to a much reduced spin transfer current during a write operation . fig2 is a cross - sectional view showing an example configuration of the mtj element 10 according to the second embodiment . the mtj element 10 is configured by stacking an upper electrode 11 , a reference layer 12 , a tunnel barrier layer 13 , a recording layer 14 , a functional layer 15 , and a bottom electrode layer 16 in this order from the top . an example configuration of the mtj element 10 will be described below . the reference layer 12 is made of tbcofe ( 10 nm )/ cofeb ( 2 nm ). the tunnel barrier layer 13 is made of mgo ( 1 nm ). the recording layer 14 is made of co2feal ( 2 . 5 nm )/ cofeb ( 1 . 2 nm ). the functional layer 15 is made of mgo ( 2 . 5 nm ). the bottom electrode layer 16 is made of ta ( 20 nm )/ cu ( 20 nm )/ ta ( 20 nm ). each element written in the left side of “/” is stacked above an element written in the right side thereof . in the recording layer , the first ferromagnetic sub - layer is a half - metal heusler alloy film co2feal ( 2 . 5 nm ) and has a small surface perpendicular anisotropy from the interaction with its immediately adjacent rocksalt crystal mgo tunnel barrier layer . the second amorphous ferromagnetic sub - layer cofeb ( 1 . 2 nm ) immediately adjacent to the rocksalt crystal functional layer has a strong surface perpendicular anisotropy . an optional insertion layer can be added between the first and the second magnetic sub - layers for better crystal structure and thermal property of a heusler alloy film . fig3 is a cross - sectional view showing an example configuration of the mtj element 10 according to the third embodiment . the mtj element 10 is configured by stacking an upper electrode 11 , a reference layer 12 , a tunnel barrier layer 13 , a recording layer 14 , a buffer layer 15 b , a functional layer 15 a , and a bottom electrode layer 16 in this order from the top . an example configuration of the mtj element 10 will be described below . the reference layer 12 is made of tbcofe ( 10 nm )/ cofeb ( 2 nm ). the tunnel barrier layer 13 is made of mgo ( 1 nm ). the recording layer 14 is made of cofeb ( 1 . 5 nm ). the buffer layer 15 b is made of mglio ( 1 . 5 nm ). the functional layer 15 a is made of mgo ( 2 . 5 nm ). the bottom electrode layer 16 is made of ta ( 20 nm )/ cu ( 20 nm )/ ta ( 20 nm ). each element written in the left side of “/” is stacked above an element written in the right side thereof . the buffer layer is a rocksalt crystal mgo with li doping agent , which is a conductive layer . the doping agent can be also selected from other metal elements , such as cr , ti , etc . fig4 is a cross - sectional view showing an example configuration of the mtj element 10 according to the fourth embodiment . the mtj element 10 is configured by stacking an upper electrode 11 , a reference layer 12 , a tunnel barrier layer 13 , a recording layer 14 , a functional layer 15 , and a bottom electrode layer 16 in this order from the top . an example configuration of the mtj element 10 will be described below . the reference layer 12 is made of tbcofe ( 10 nm )/ cofeb ( 2 nm ). the tunnel barrier layer 13 is made of mgo ( 1 nm ). the recording layer 14 is made of an anti - parallel structure cofeb ( 0 . 8 nm )/ cofe ( 0 . 3 nm )/ ru ( 0 . 8 nm )/ cofe ( 0 . 3 nm )/ cofeb ( 1 . 2 nm ). the functional layer 15 is made of mgo ( 2 . 5 nm ). the bottom electrode layer 16 is made of ta ( 20 nm )/ cu ( 20 nm )/ ta ( 20 nm ). each element written in the left side of “/” is stacked above an element written in the right side thereof . while certain embodiments have been described above , these embodiments have been presented by way of example only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions . for an example , the perpendicular mtj element in each embodiment may have reversed layer - by - layer sequence . indeed , the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms ; furthermore , various omissions , substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions . the accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions . | 7 |
the novel process of the present invention will be illustrated in connection with a p channel mosfet , but it is to be understood that the process is equally applicable to n channel mosfets and to other semiconductor structures . with reference to fig1 the surface of a n type semiconductor wafer 10 is masked by a conventional mask 12 to define an active region , and a p type impurity is implanted in a conventional manner and driven , e . g ., by annealing , to form a p channel region 14 . the region of p type impurity 14 , generally referred to as th e base region , is herein referred to as the channel region because it is the region in which the channel forms during operation of the device . as shown in fig2 a n type polarity impurity may then be implanted and driven into the channel area 14 to form a n + source region 16 adjacent the surface of the wafer . a second conventional mask 18 may then be used as shown in fig3 to define the area for two trenches 20 , 22 . the trenches 20 , 22 may then be etched in a suitable conventional manner downwardly through the n + source region 16 and the p channel region 14 into n wafer . the second mask 18 of fig3 may then be removed and a gate oxide layer 24 over all of the exposed upper surface of the semiconductor including the walls and bottom of the trenches 20 , 22 as shown in fig4 . as shown in fig5 a layer of polysilicon 26 may conventionally be provided over the gate oxide later 24 , completely filling the trenches 20 , 22 . as shown in fig6 a third mask 28 may then be provided to define an area larger than the active region defined by the mask 12 to protect the polysilicon layer 26 for establishing a contact at a later time . thereafter , the polysilicon layer 26 left unprotected by the mask 28 may be etched back to leave polysilicon 26 only in the trenches 20 , 22 . a layer of borophosphosilicate glass (&# 34 ; bpsg &# 34 ;) 30 may then be formed over the surface of the semiconductor as shown in fig7 and , as shown in fig8 a fourth mask 32 may be conventionally formed over the bpsg layer 30 to thereby define a the area for a third trench 34 which may be etched through the bpsg layer 30 , the gate oxide 24 , the n + source 16 , and the p channel area 14 into the n semiconductor 10 . once the trench 34 has been etched , a p type impurity may be implanted and driven into the n wafer to thereby form a p + area 35 of higher impurity concentration than the p channel region 14 . as illustrated in fig9 a metal layer 36 may then be formed over both the bpsg area 30 to thereby establish a contact with the n + source region and the p + high concentration region 35 at the bottom of the trench 34 of fig8 . the four mask trench process of the present invention eliminates two masks used in the prior art process , i . e ., the p + mask and the source block mask , and it makes alignment easier to achieve , i . e ., the only alignment required is the contact to the trench . the six mask process of the prior art process results in a structure as shown in fig1 and provides a ready contrast with the structure of the present trench process . in the prior art structure of fig1 , the cell pitch is equal to the length of the gate (&# 34 ; lg &# 34 ;) plus three time the length of the design rule value (&# 34 ; l &# 34 ;) and the width of the source is equal to l . in contrast , the structure of fig1 provides a cell pitch of lg plus 2l , a saving of l and the width of the source is reduced to l / 2 . in addition , the depth d1 of the p + high concentration area or buried layer 35 may be significantly reduced below the depth d2 in fig1 because the depth d2 is necessitated to achieve the lateral diffusion of the p + implant under the source 16 . because of the impact of the lateral diffusion on the channel 14 , the length of the source , and thus the design rule value l , negatively impacts on the pitch of the device . because the length of the source 16 is reduced in fig1 , it is possible to reduce the design rule value l and the pitch . additionally , the depth d1 of the buried layer 35 in fig1 may be greater than the depth d3 of the trench gates 20 , 22 , making it possible for the mosfet to break down at the pn junction 35 and protect the trench gate 26 . with reference to fig1 - 15 in which like numerical references have been retained with the structures of fig1 and 11 to facilitate a comparison therewith , the present invention may be embodied in a planar mosfet ( fig1 ), a trench igbt ( fig1 ), a planar igbt ( fig1 ) and a planar mct ( fig1 ). while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described , it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalence , many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skill in the art from a perusal hereof . | 7 |
fig1 shows a block diagram of a host containing three adapters , two of which are connected to first network and the third being connected to a different network . fig1 illustrates the problems associated with arp processing and helps explain the invention . the host shown in fig1 contains three adapters d , e and f . adapters d and e are attached to the same network , which in fig1 is illustratively assumed to be a token ring lan tr 1 . tr 1 has attached to it workstations ws 1 , ws 2 and ws 3 . adapter f is attached to a different network identified as token ring lan tr 2 . tr 2 has attached to it workstations ws 4 , ws 5 and ws 6 . in conventional arp processing , although adapters d and e are on the same network , if d fails or becomes inactive for any reason , the host ( or adapter e if it is an offload adapter ) will not respond to arp requests for d received over adapter e . this prevents e from being a backup for d , and vice versa . if the host did respond to such arp requests for d , then without additional processing arp replies would be generated for both adapters d and e in the normal situation , thereby resulting in multiple and inconsistent arp replies . assume further that the host of fig1 has one or more virtual ip addresses ( vipas ) v assigned to it and that d has responsibility for responding to arp requests for vipas . in this case , for the same reason as above , if d fails or becomes inactive , the host will not respond to arp requests for v received over e . therefore , the invention is directed to solving the problem of providing backup adapters when two or more adapters on on the same network , and to do it in a way that results in one and only one reply to an arp request . further , the invention is adapted to solve this problem for host adapters , offload adapters and vipas . fig2 pertains to the first embodiment in which a system contains only host adapters and specifically to the steps executed by a host when an adapter x becomes active at the host . the first embodiment relies on the receipt of arp advertisement messages to determine the network that adapters are on . the adapter control block maintained in memory for each adapter is modified to contain a backup adapter field . this field is cleared by step 202 for the adapter x which is becoming active . next , step 204 sends an arp advertisement over the new adapter x . this advertisement maps ip - x to mac - x . all hosts that are on the same network as adapter x will receive the arp advertisement . fig3 shows the steps executed by every host on the same network as x when the host receives the arp advertisement from fig2 . step 304 determines the ip address of the adapter over which the host received the advertisement . step 306 determines the ip address s of the new sending adapter x from the advertisement message . step 307 determines if s is owned by this host . if the answer is no , then this host needs to update its arp cache with the mapping contained in the advertisement . thus , step 309 performs this by mapping ip - 8 from the advertisement with the mac contained in the advertisement . if step 307 determines that s is owned by this host , then this host must determine if it received the advertisement over an adapter other than the one on which it was sent . if so , the receiving adapter is on the same network as the sending adapter x . thus , step 308 determines if ip - r equals ip - s . if they are equal , the advertisement is ignored . if they are unequal , step 310 determines if the receiving adapter r has a backup adapter marked in the adapter control block . if it doesn &# 39 ; t have a backup adapter , step 312 marks s as the backup adapter for r . next , step 314 determines if s has a backup adapter . if not , then r is marked as the backup adapter for s . this ends the processing of an arp advertisement every host receiving the advertisement has updated its arp cache and the sending host has determined if adapters s and r can act as backup adapters for each other . when an adapter x becomes inactive for any reason , then if x has a backup , all hosts must be told of backup . also , if x is marked as a backup for one or more other adapters in the host owning x , then the control blocks pertaining to the other adapters must be updated to remove x as the backup . step 402 of fig4 determines if adapter x has a backup adapter y . if so , then step 404 sends an arp advertisement over adapter y mapping ip - x to mac - y . step 406 locates all adapter control blocks in the host owning x and clears the backup adapter field in any that has x marked as backup . sometimes a host sends an arp request into a network to request the host owning an adapter x with ip address ip - x to reply with its mac address mac x . fig5 shows the steps executed by a host when it receives an arp request associated with ip - a over adapter b . step 502 determines if ip - a equals ip - b . that is , 502 determines if the request is received over the same adapter as the ip address contained in the request . if the answer is yes , step 506 returns a conventional arp reply over the adapter mapping ip a to mac - a . if the answer is no , conventional hosts will not generate a reply . however , step 504 of the invention determines if a backup adapter b is marked in the a control block . if not , nothing more can be done . however , if a has a backup , step 505 determines it adapter a is active . if it is , then it is assumed that a reply will be made to the request that is received over adapter a . thus , no further processing is done on this request . however , if adapter a is not active , then step 506 sends an arp reply to the requester mapping ip - a to mac - b . fig6 shows the steps executed by a host when it receives a reply to an arp request . the arp cache maintained by the host receiving the reply conventionally updates its arp cache to associate the ip address in the reply to the mac address in the reply . the second embodiment relies principally on sending and receiving icmp ( internet control message protocol ) messages with a hop count of one to determine which of separate networks contain specific adapters . this embodiment is also arranged to handle offload adapters and vipas . fig7 is the initial figure of the second embodiment and shows the steps executed by a host when an adapter x becomes active at the host . x should regain ownership of its ip address if another backup adapter has been previously given responsibility ( ip - x associated with mac y ). step 702 determines if a backup adapter is specified in the adapter x control block . if the answer is yes , step 708 determines if the backup adapter is an offload adapter . if that answer is yes , at step 710 the host sends a command to the adapter x to un - register ip - x with mac - y . this causes the adapter x to remove any association of ip - x with mac - y . step 704 clears the backup adapter field in the x control block so that no other adapter is marked as backup for x . any possible backup adapter for x will be determined dynamically shortly . step 706 determines if x is an offload adapter . if it is , step 712 sends a command to the adapter x to register ip - x with mac - x . this causes the adapter to send an arp advertisement into the network containing this association . if the adapter is not an offload adapter , step 714 sends the advertisement into the network itself . next begins the operation of determining what adapters are on what network . step 716 determines if this adapter x is the first adapter to become active on this host . if there are no other active adapters on this host , then this host knows of no other network other than the network on which x is located , so there is no need to determine the network to which x belongs relative to other active adapters . in this case , step 724 creates a new and first network control block for a network pnet - x ( where x in this case is 1 ) and links the network control block to the adapter x control block . all that is known now is that adapter x is active and that it resides in some network designated as pnet - 1 . since x is the only active adapter on this host , it is marked at step 726 as owning all virtual ip addresses adapters on this host for this physical network . an alternative when an adapter becomes active is to assign vipa responsibility to any one of the adapters known to the host at that time . step 728 determines if x is an offload adapter . if so , step 730 sends a message to adapter for each vipa owned by the host , each message maps ip - v with the adapter x . as a result , adapter x sends an arp advertisement message into the network mapping each ip - v to its mac address mac - x . if the adapter is not an offload adapter , step 732 sends the arp advertisements into the network itself . returning to step 716 , if there are active adapters on this host other than x , then it is desired to determine on which , if any , of these networks x resides . for each physical network known to the host ( as evidenced by network control blocks created by the host ) step 718 selects one adapter and sends an icmp message to that adapter via the new adapter x . the icmp message is marked with a hop count of one to prevent routers and other hosts from transmitting the packet off of the physical network . in the preferred embodiment , the icmp message used is an echo request , although any message with a hop count of one can be used . also , step 718 saves the ip address of each selected destination adapter in a list . when all of the echo requests have been sent at step 718 , step 720 starts a timer . the ip address of the new adapter x is included in the timer setup as a parameter to be delivered if a timeout occurs . that is the end of this processing . the network occupied by adapter x will be determined by a reply to the echo request or a timeout of the timer activated by step 720 . fig8 shows the steps executed by a host if and when it receives an icmp echo request . if a request is received over an adapter on the list from 718 , then it is known that the adapter x over which the message was sent in in the same network as the adapter receiving the message . step 802 determines if this receiving host sent the icmp echo request . if it did not , then the echo request offers no information as to what networks the adapters on this host belong . therefore , the echo request is processed in the conventional way at step 808 . if the echo request was sent by this receiving host , step 804 determines if this request contains an ip address that is on the list generated at step 718 . if the answer is no , then again the echo request is just processed conventionally at step 808 . if the ip address is on the list , it is now known that the adapter x , whose ip address is in the echo request , is in the same network as the receiving adapter . step 806 sets the network field of the adapter x control block to point to the same network to which the receiving adapter points . since an adapter can only be in one network , step 807 cancels the timer initiated at 718 . processing of the echo request is completed by step 808 . it is now known which of the active adapters on this host has the capability of acting as backup for the new adapter . an actual backup adapter is not selected at this time . that decision is reserved in the preferred embodiment until it is necessary . this is discussed below with respect to fig1 . fig9 shows the steps executed by a host as a result of a timeout initiated at step 720 . a timeout means that the newly active adapter x from fig7 is not in any network presently known to the host . therefore , the host needs to create a new network control block and link this adapter into it . the ip address of the new adapter x is delivered to step 900 when the timeout occurs . step 902 determines if the adapter x control block is already linked to a network control block . if it is , then the timeout is ignored . if it is not , step 902 branches control to step 724 of fig7 to create a new network identification pnet - x for this adapter and to link the adapter control block to the new pnet network control block . fig1 shows the steps executed by an offload adapter b when it receives an arp request for the mac address associated with an ip address ip - a . step 1002 determines if the host has registered the address ip - a with the offload adapter . if the hoast has not so registered , the adapter ignores the arp request . otherwise , the adapte responds at step 1004 with an arp reply mapping ip - a to mac - b . fig1 shows the steps executed by a host when it receives an arp request over adapter b for the mac address associated with ip - a . step 1102 compares ip - a with ip - b to determine if the request is received over the same adapter to which the request pertains . if so , then step 1106 replies to the arp request in the conventional way mapping ip - a to mac - a . if ip - a does not match ip - b , step 1104 determines if adapter b is marked as a backup for adapter a . if it is , then again step 1106 replies to the request , but in this case it maps ip - a to mac - b . at 1104 , if adapter b is not marked as backup for adapter a , step 1108 determines if ip - a is a vipa address . if ip - a is a vipa address , then step 1110 determines if adapter b is designated as owning responsibility for vipas for that physical network . if it is , then step 1106 replies to the arp request , mapping mac - b to the virtual ip address ip - a . fig1 shows the steps executed by a host it receives a reply to an arp request for the mac address associated with ip - a . step 1202 updates the arp cache of the host in a conventional way to map the mac address in the reply to the ip address in the reply . fig1 shows the steps executed by a host when it receives an an arp advertisement . step 1302 also updates the host arp cache table in a conventional way . fig1 shows the steps executed by a host when an adapter x becomes inactive . step 1402 determines if there is another adapter on this host that also is in the same network as adapter x . this is determined by examining the network control blocks that are linked to the adapter control blocks for adapters that share the same network . if there is no other sharing adapter , no further processing is necessary . if there is , arp caches and backup indications maintained by this host and other hosts need to be updated . step 1406 picks the sharing adapter b or one of the sharing adapters b if there are more than one to backup adapter x and updates the backup field in the adapter x control accordingly . step 1408 determines if adapter b is an offload adapter . if so , step 1410 registers ip - x with adapter b to cause the adapter to advertise to the network a mapping of ip - x to mac - y . otherwise , the host performs the advertising at step 1416 . step 1412 determines if adapter x has been designated as owning responsibility for vipas . if not , then processing is complete . if yes , step 1418 marks the backup adapter b as now owning vipa responsibility . step 1420 now determines if adapter b is an offload adapter . if so , step 1422 registers ip - v with the backup adapter b for each vipa known to the host . this causes adapter b to broadcast an arp advertisement to the network for each of these vipas mapping it to mac - b . if adapter b is not an offload adapter , the host sends these advertisement messages into the network to complete the processing required for this inactive adapter x . skilled artisans in the fields to which the invention pertains will recognize that numerous variations can be made to the embodiments disclosed herein and still remain within the sprit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
in the following , the present invention will be described in more detail with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof referring to fig1 showing , in a somewhat schematic plan view , a part of a shutter disk forming a part of an embodiment of the device of the present invention , constructed as a device for measuring a rotation angle of a steering shaft of a vehicle , and fig2 showing , also in a somewhat schematic illustration , a cross section taken along line ii — ii in fig1 the shutter disk generally designated by 10 is adapted to rotate around its central axis c in accordance with a rotation of a steering shaft of a vehicle ( both not shown ), so as to measure the rotation angle of the steering shaft in a manner described hereinbelow . the shutter disk 10 has a first circular array 14 of notches 12 and a second array 18 of holes 16 as illustrated in fig1 and 2 . in the shown embodiment , the 360 ° angular area of the shutter disk around the central axis c is equally divided into 320 unit angle areas as illustrated in fig1 each unit angle δθ being 1 . 125 °. the notches 12 of the first array 14 are each formed to occupy an angle of 5 times of the unit angle , i . e . 5 . 625 °, with each spacing of the same degree . the holes 16 of the second array 18 are each formed to occupy an angle of three times of the unit angle , i . e . 3 . 375 °, and spaced from adjacent ones by an angle of two times of the unit angle , i . e . 2 , 250 °. in this connection , as will be appreciated after a through review of the present specification and the accompanying drawings , the three times of the unit angle of the opening of each hole 16 and the two times of the unit angle of the spacing between each two adjacent holes 16 may be optionally exchanged with one another such that each similar hole is open for an angle of two times of the unit angle , while each two adjacent ones of such holes are spaced from one another with a spacing corresponding to three times of the unit angle , because the essential function of those holes is to provide two radial edges which traverse the light beam emitted from the light emitting diode 24 or 28 to the corresponding photo transistor 26 or 30 . similarly , as will be also appreciated , the relative angular positioning between the array 14 of the notches 12 and the array 18 of the holes 16 may be optionally changed from that shown in fig1 as long as none of the radial edges of the holes 16 radially aligns with any one of those of the notches 12 , because such variations are only a matter that which of the several possible serial patters of on and off electric pulses available are assigned to indicate which of the left turn and right turn of the shutter disk . it will go without saying that the notches 12 may be replaced by holes of the same angular opening and spacing , while the radial relative position between the array 14 of the notches 12 and the array 18 of the holes 16 may be exchanged oppositely , with or without an accompanying modification that the holes 16 are modified to notches . further , it will be an obvious modification within the scope of equivalence that a third array of holes similar to the array 18 of the holes 16 are provided separately for a below - mentioned third set of light emitting diode and photo transistor , although such a modification will provide no particular advantage . a set of a light emitter 20 and an light receiver 22 forming a first photo sensor ssc are provided adjacent to a radial region of the shutter disk to oppose the first array 14 of the notches 12 . the light emitter 20 may be made of a light emitting diode adapted to emit a light beam toward the light receiver 22 which may be made of a photo transistor . similarly a second set of a light emitter 24 and a light receiver 26 forming a second photo sensor ss 1 are provided adjacent to a radial region of the shutter disk to oppose the second array 18 of the openings 16 . as shown in fig1 as an embodiment , the second set of the light emitter 24 and the light receiver 26 are angulary shifted relative to the first set of the light emitter 20 and the light receiver 22 by an angle of 10 times of the unit angle δθ in the counter - clockwise direction . further , a third set of a light emitter 28 and a light receiver 30 forming a third photo sensor ss 2 are provided adjacent the radial region of the shutter disk also to oppose the second array 18 of the openings 16 . in the shown embodiment , the third set of the light emitter 28 and the light receiver 30 are angulary shifted relative to the first set of the light emitter 20 and the light sensor 22 by an angle of 9 times of the unit angle δθ in the clockwise direction opposite to the second sets of the light emitter 24 and the light receiver 26 with respect to the first set of the light emitter 20 and the light receiver 22 . each set of the light emitters 20 , 24 and 28 and the light receivers 22 , 26 and 30 detects each one of the notches 12 or the holes 16 in accordance with a rotation of the shutter disk 10 , so that each corresponding electric signal is generated to be “ on ” in an angular region in which the corresponding light receiver is irradiated by the cooperating light emitter through each notch 12 or each hole 16 , while the electric signal is made “ off ” in an angular region in which the corresponding light receiver is intercepted from the irradiation of the cooperating light emitter by the non - perforated portion of the shutter disk 10 , whereby the electric signal alternates between “ on ” and “ off ”, while forming an edge between the “ on ” and “ off ” regions of the electric signal at the angular positions corresponding to the radial edges of the notches 12 or the holes 16 . such an alternation of “ on ” and “ off ” of each of the electric signals generated by the photo sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 is shown in fig3 . in referring to fig3 it will be appreciated that the angular position of the shutter disk 10 relative to the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 shown in fig1 corresponds to an assumption that the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 are aligned to position “ b ” or “ l ”, and the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 shift rightward in fig3 according to a counter - clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 10 , i . e . a left turn of the steering , while the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 shift leftward in fig3 according to a clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 10 , i . e . a right turn of the steering . in other words , if the shutter disk 10 is being turned in the counter - clockwise direction , the sensor ssc located at position “ b ” or “ l ” is just going to newly output an “ on ” signal , while the sensor ss 1 located at position “ b ” or “ l ” has already been outputting an “ on ” signal over an angular region of one unit angle , and the sensor ss 2 has already been outputting an “ on ” signal over an angular region of two unit angles . it will be appreciated that such a rectangular pulse shape as shown in fig3 is due to an ideological illustration for the convenience of description , and that the actual electric pulses are obtained by shaping a continually changing curve with a threshold level so that the output is perceived as “ on ” during a period in which the curve rises above the threshold level , while the output is perceived as “ off ” during a period in which the curve sinks below the threshold level . further , in connection with the above - mentioned availability of the modification that the alternate signaling by the array of holes 16 and the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 of “ on ” and “ off ” at a rhythm three and two may be changed to the signaling of “ on ” and “ off ” at a rhythm of two and three , it will be appreciated that such a modification is just to turn over the three ranked diagram of fig3 upside down , as far as such a diagram is concerned . fig4 shows diagrammatically an electrical part of the embodiment , adapted to treat the outputs of the light receivers 22 , 26 and 30 for measuring a rotation angle of the shutter disk 10 . the electrical part generally designated by 32 is essentially constructed by a microcomputer 34 of an ordinary construction , including a central processor unit , a read only memory , a random access memory , input and output port means and a common bus interconnecting these elements . the microcomputer 34 operates the light emitters 20 , 24 and 28 such as light emitting diodes via a drive circuit 36 . the microcomputer receives output signals of the light receivers 22 , 26 and 30 such as photo transistors , and processes these signals in the manner described in detail hereinbelow , outputting a measurement value of the rotation angle of the shutter disk 10 toward other control systems 38 such as a vehicle stability control system or the like . the microcomputer 34 further dispatches an output for actuating a warning device 40 when an error beyond a predetermined limit number of times is detected in the measurement of the rotation angle based upon the output signals from the light receivers 22 , 26 and 30 , as described in detail hereinbelow . in the following , further details of the construction of the device shown in fig1 and 4 will be described in the form of its operation by referring to fig5 - 9 in the form of flowcharts . referring to fig5 showing a basic routine of the operation of the device shown in fig1 and 3 , when the device is put into operation by a closure of an ignition switch of a vehicle ( both not shown ), in step 50 it is judged if the control arrived at this step for the first time . at a first arrival the answer is yes , and the control proceeds to step 100 , and signals are read in from the light receivers 22 , 26 and 30 . the in step 150 , the read - in signals are stored in the particular area of the random access memory of the microcomputer 34 as former data . those data are used as provisional starting data in the control calculations described in detail hereinbelow . then in step 200 , the random access memory is initialized except the above - mentioned particular area . then the control proceeds to step 550 , to output no substantially useful output data in the first control pass , and then the control returns to step 50 . in the second arrival at step 50 by return , the control now proceeds to step 250 , and it is judged if the device is uninitialized . at a first arrival at this step after the closure of the ignition switch , or after the control has once passed through step 700 as described in detail hereinbelow , the answer of step 250 is yes , then the control proceeds to step 500 , and the device is initialized so that the device is ready for a new operation . thereafter , the control returns through step 550 again to step 50 . then the control again proceeds to step 250 , and this time the control proceeds to step 300 , to execute a normal processing such as illustrated in fig6 . referring to fig6 showing a flowchart of the processes executed in the normal operation of the device , in step 310 signals are read in from the light receivers 22 , 26 and 30 . in step 320 , the outputs of the light receivers 22 , 26 and 30 , i . e . outputs of the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 , are discriminated to be “ on ” or “ off ” as shown in fig3 . as described above , the outputs of the light receivers 22 , 26 and 30 are not so regular as illustrated in fig3 but are often ambiguous between “ on ” and “ off ”, as the amount of light received by each of the light receivers inherently changes gradually as a radial edge of each one of the notches 12 or the holes 16 traverses the front of the light receivers 22 , 26 or 30 , while the notches 12 and the holes 16 are liable to a partial closing by a mist of oil or dust . further , as described above the performances of the light emitting diodes or photo transistors are often liable to electrical noises . in step 330 , it is judged if the output of any sensor did change . if none of the outputs of the sensors has changed , the answer is no , and the control returns to step 50 of the flowchart of fig5 . such a re - circulation is continued at a cycle time such as tens of microseconds as usual in this kind of microcomputer controlled device . when the radial edge of either of the notches 12 or the holes 16 traverses the corresponding sensor ssc , ss 1 or ss 2 , it is detected in step 340 , with a simultaneous judgment if more than one outputs of the sensors did simultaneously change . as will be appreciated from the arrangement of the notches 12 and the holes 16 in the shutter disk 10 shown in fig1 a plurality of outputs should never change simultaneously as long as the device is normally operating . therefore , if such a phenomenon occurred , the control is diverted to step 350 , to identify such an error as error a . in this case , the control proceeds to step 600 of fig5 . as described in detail hereinbelow , there are other errors such as errors a - k . when the control proceeds to step 600 due to one of those errors , a fail count cfail is incremented by 1 . then in step 650 , it is judged if the fail count cfail is larger than 3 . if the answer is no , the control proceeds to step 700 , and the device is set with a flag “ uninitialized ”. then in step 750 , the device is also set with a flag “ first time ”. then the control returns to step 50 . therefore , when any one of the errors a - k has occurred , the device is always initialized through step 500 , and returned for further operation . further , when any such error has occurred four times , the fail count cfail reaches 4 , and the control proceeds to step 800 . in step 800 , the error data are output , and the device is stopped . returning to fig6 when the answer of step 340 is no , the control proceeds to step 360 , and it is judged if the change of the output occurred in the sensor ssc . if the answer is yes , the control proceeds to step 370 . if the answer of step 360 is no , the control proceeds to step 390 , and it is judged if the change of the output occurred in the sensor ss 1 , and if the answer is yes , the control proceeds to step 400 , while if the answer is no , the control proceeds to step 430 , thus determining which of the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 has detected one of the radial edges of the notches 12 or the holes 16 . when the control has proceeded to step 370 , i . e . when it was the sensor ssc which was traversed by the one radial edge , an ssc edge processing control such as shown in fig7 is executed . the control executed according to the flowchart of fig7 will be described by also referring to fig1 , assuming that the shutter disk 10 is rotating counter - clockwise and the moment is at position “ b ” of fig1 . in step 371 , it is judged if the outputs of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 are both “ on ”. as will be apparent from the on - off diagrams of fig1 which are the same as those of fig3 at edge positions of the output of the sensor ssc such as positions b , g , l and q the outputs of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 are always both “ on ” if the device is normally operating . therefore , the answer of step 371 is normally yes , and the control proceeds to step 373 . on the other had , if the answer of step 371 is no , there should be an error in at least one of the on - off pulses of the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 . in this case , the control proceeds to step 372 , and the error is identified as error b . in step 373 , it is judged if a parameter herein called “ count ” is 0 . the count is such as shown in the bottom rank of fig1 . as described hereinbelow , the count is reset to 0 when an edge is detected by the sensor ssc ( step 380 ) and is thereafter increased ( s 450 ) or decreased ( s 420 ) by 1 each time when one of the edges of the holes 16 is detected by the corresponding sensor ss 1 or ss 2 , so that it reaches + 4 or − 4 just before the next edge of the notch 12 is detected by the sensor ssc . therefore , when the device is normally operating , the answer of step 373 is no , and the control proceeds to step 375 . according to the conditions described above with respect to the diagram of fig3 in connection with the relationship between the left turn — right turn and the shifting directions of reference positions a - r , the count gradually increases from 0 to + 4 during a normal left turn , while it gradually decreases from 0 to − 4 , both in each span of five times of the unit angle defined by two successive edges detected by the sensor ssc . therefore , when the device is normally operating , the answer of step 375 is yes . then the control proceeds to step 376 . it is herein defined that the rotation angle of the shutter disk 10 increases when it is turned counter - clockwise in accordance with a left turn of the steering shaft , and decreases when the shutter disk 10 is turned clockwise in accordance with a right turn of the steering shaft . in the case of the steering system of a vehicle , the neutral position in the turning of the shutter disk 10 can be determined by other means such as a yaw rate sensor which gives a zero output when the vehicle is running straight forward or by a comparison of rotation speeds of left and right side wheels which become equal to one another when the vehicle is running straight forward . the device of the present invention measures the rotation angle of the shutter disk 10 , i . e . the steering shaft connected therewith , in respect to any standard or neutral position . therefore , when the center of rotation of the shutter disk 10 is adjusted to the neutral position of the steering system , the device of the present invention provides a positive measurement value which gradually increases in positive values as the shutter disk 10 is turned more counter - clockwise , while it provides a measurement value in a negative measurement value the absolute value of which gradually increases as the shutter disk 10 is turned more clockwise . therefore , there are two modes with regard to the change of the rotation angle measured by the device of the present invention according to each of the edges of the notches 12 being detected by the sensor ssc , such as an increase mode due to a left turn of the steering and a decrease mode due to a right turn of the steering . such two modes triggered by the edge of the notches 12 being detected by the sensor ssc are shown in the fourth rank of fig1 , as inc and dec , respectively . similarly , there are two modes with regard to the change of the rotation angle measured by each of the edges of the holes 16 being detected by either of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 , such as an increase mode due to a left turn of the steering and a decrease mode due to a light turn of the steering . such two modes are shown in the fifth rank of fig1 , as inc and dec , respectively . returning to step 376 of fig7 herein the mode of the sensor ssc is set to the increase mode inc , although in the present case it is already in the increase mode . in step 380 , the count is reset to 0 from + 4 . in step 381 , it is judge if a flag called former edge flag is ssc . the former edge flag is to refer to the position of the edges of the notches 12 . as will be noted later in step 388 , when the processes of fig7 was executed by one of the edges of the notches 12 having been traversed , the former edge flag is set to ssc . on the other hand , when a decrease mode processing or an increase mode processing such as shown in fig8 and 9 described hereinbelow , respectively , was executed , the former edge flag is set to not ssc in step 418 or 488 . therefore , as shown in sixth rank of fig1 , the former edge flag is set to ssc only when each one of the edges of the notches 12 was detected , until a next one of the edges of the holes 16 is detected by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 . therefore , in step 381 the answer is still no , and the control proceeds to step 385 . in step 385 , it is judged if the mode last triggered by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is the increase mode . in the present case of a left turn , it is normally constantly in the increase mode . therefore , the control proceeds to step 386 , and the measurement value θc of the rotation angle of the shutter disk 10 is increased by one unit angle δθ . then , in step 388 , the former edge flag is set to ssc , as will be confirmed in fig1 , until the flag is returned to not ssc at the next position “ c ”. then the control proceeds to step 460 of fig6 . the paths of steps 382 , 383 and 384 are provided for a probable irregular case that , although the mode to be triggered by the sensor ssc is correct , an error occurred in the former edge flag such that it is made ssc when the control proceeded to step 282 . in step 460 , the outputs of the sensors are stored , and the control proceeds to step 550 of fig5 . while the shutter disk 10 is being further rotated in the counterclockwise direction until the edge of one of the holes 16 at position “ c ” is detected by the sensor ss 1 , the control circulates through steps 50 , 250 , 300 , 310 , 320 and 330 to return to step 50 , and when the edge of position “ c ” was detected , the control proceeds through step 340 to step 360 . in this case , the judgement of step 360 is no , and then the control proceeds to step 390 . the answer of step 390 is yes , and therefore the control proceeds to step 400 . in step 400 , it is judged if the outputs of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 before the last edge , i . e . the edge at position “ c ”, were “ on ” and “ off ” or “ off ” and “ on ”, respectively . the answer is no , because the outputs of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 are both “ on ” in the angle region between positions “ b ” and “ c ”. therefore , the control proceeds to step 440 , and the increase mode processing shown in fig9 is executed . referring to fig9 in step 441 , it is judged if the count is 0 . as will be confirmed in the bottom rank of fig1 , the count is still 0 as reset to 0 at position “ b ” by step of 380 of fig7 . therefore , the answer is yes , and the control proceeds to step 442 , and it is judged if the mode of the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is the decrease mode dec . when the device is normally operating for the left turn , the mode triggered by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is the increase mode inc set at the end of each previous execution of this increase mode processing , as shown in step 454 described later . therefore , the judgement of step 442 is no , and the control proceeds to step 443 . in step 443 , it is judge if the former edge flag is set at ssc . the former edge flag was set to ssc at the end of the ssc edge processing executed at position “ b ”. therefore , the answer of step 443 is yes , and the control proceeds to step 445 . in step 445 , it is again judged if the former edge flag is ssc . the answer is yes , and the control proceeds to step 446 . in step 44 g , it is judged if the mode by ssc is in the increase mode . the mode of ssc is certainly the increase mode set in step 376 of the preceding execution of the ssc edge processing of fig7 . therefore , the answer is yes , and the control proceeds to step 448 , and herein the former edge flag is set to not ssc . then the control proceeds to step 449 . in step 449 , the measurement value θc of the rotation angle of the shutter disk 10 is increased by one unit angle δθ . then in step 450 , the count is increased by 1 . then in step 451 , it is judged if the count is smaller than 5 . the count should be + 4 at the largest , if the device is normally operating . if , however , the count had increased to 5 or more , the control proceeds to step 452 , identifying an error named error j , and then the control proceeds to step 600 of fig5 . in step 453 , it is judged if the measurement value θc of the rotation angle of the shutter disk 10 was so increased as to be larger than θmax , a predetermined maximum value allowable for the normal operation of the device . when the answer is yes , the control proceeds to step 454 , and the mode triggered by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is set to the increase mode inc . then the control proceeds to step 460 of fig6 . however , if in step 453 the answer is no , the control proceeds to step 455 , to identify an error named error k , and then to proceed to step 600 . after once passing through step 454 , for the time being while the shutter disk 10 rotates in the counter - clockwise direction within the unit angle , the control again circulates through steps 50 , 250 , 300 , 310 , 320 and 330 to return to step 50 . when the shutter disk 10 further rotates in the same direction so far that one of the edges of the holes 16 corresponding to position “ d ” is detected by the second sensor ss 2 , the control along the flowchart of fig6 proceeds through step 340 to step 360 , and then the control further proceeds through steps 390 to step 430 . in step 430 , it is judged if the outputs of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 before the last edge , i . e . before the edge of position “ d ”, were “ on ” and “ off ” or “ off ” and “ on ”, respectively . since the output of the sensor ss 1 in the angle region between positions “ c ” and “ d ” is “ off ”, while the output of the sensor ss 2 in the same angle region is “ on ”, the answer of step 430 is yes , and then the control proceeds to step 440 , so that the processes of the increase mode processing of fig9 are again executed . then , again in step 441 , it is judged if the count is 0 . the count is now 1 , and therefore the control proceeds directly to step 445 , and it is judged if the former edge flag is ssc . at position “ d ”, the former edge flag is already not ssc , and therefore the control directly proceeds to step 449 . in step 449 , the measurement value of θc of the rotation angle by the device is further increased by the unit angle δθ , and then in step 450 , the count is also increased by 1 . in step 451 , it is judged if the count is smaller than 5 , and if the answer is yes the control proceeds to step 453 , whereas if the answer is no , the control proceeds to step 452 , identifying error j , and then the control proceeds to step 600 . in step 453 , it is judged if the measurement value θc of the rotation angle of the shutter disk 10 is not larger than the predetermined maximum value θmax . if the answer is yes , the control proceeds to step 454 , and the mode triggered by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is set to the increase mode inc , and then the control proceeds to step 460 of fig6 . if the answer of step 453 is no , the control proceeds to step 455 , identifing error k , and then the control proceeds to step 600 of fig5 . then , for the time being , the control again circulates through steps 50 , 250 , 300 , 310 , 320 and 330 to return to step 50 . then , when the shutter disk 10 continues to rotate counter - clockwise so far that one of the edges of the holes 16 corresponding to position “ e ” of fig1 is detected by the sensor ss 1 , the control proceeds again through step 340 to step 360 of fig6 and then the control further proceeds through steps 390 and 400 to step 440 , so that the increase mode processing of fig9 is again executed . the control processes triggered at position “ e ” are the same as those triggered at position “ c ”, resulting in a further increase of the measurement value θc by one more unit angle δθ with a further increase of the count by 1 . similarly , when one of the edges of the holes 16 corresponding to position “ f ” of fig1 is detected by the sensor ss 2 , the control along fig6 proceeds through steps 340 , 360 , 390 and 430 to step 440 , and the control processes of fig9 are executed in the same way , again resulting in a further increase of the measurement value θc by one unit angle δθ and a further increase of the count by 1 , so that the count now reaches + 4 . after a further counter - clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 10 for the unit angle δθ , one of the edges of the notches 12 corresponding to position “ g ” of fig1 is detected by the sensor ssc , and the control of the flowchart of fig6 again proceeds through steps 340 and 360 to step 370 . then the controls according to the flowchart of fig7 is again executed . as already described with respect to position “ b ” of fig1 , the control by fig7 proceeds through steps 371 , 373 , 375 , 376 , 380 , 381 , 385 and 386 to step 388 , and then to step 460 of fig6 resulting in the setting of the former edge flag to ssc and a reset of the count to 0 . such a cycle by the five times of the unit angle δθ is repeated as long as the shutter disk 10 is rotated in the counter - clockwise direction . when the shutter disk 10 is rotated in the clockwise direction according to a light turn of the steering shaft , the diagrams of the outputs of the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 , the mode by the sensor ssc , the mode by the sensor ss 1 / ss 2 , the former edge flag and the count change are to be scanned from right to left , i . e . from position “ r ” toward position “ a ” in fig1 . in more detail , assuming that the states of the shutter disk 10 and the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 shown in fig1 correspond to position “ l ” of fig1 during its clockwise rotation , the control according to the flowchart of fig6 proceeds through steps 310 to 360 and to step 370 , and then , in the flowchart of fig7 if the device is normally operating , the control proceeds from step 373 to step 375 , and then to step 377 . since the count in the right turn mode , i . e . during a clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 10 , the count is decreased to − 4 just before position “ l ”, i . e . one of the edges of the notches 12 , is detected by the sensor ssc . therefore , the answer of step 377 is yes , and the control proceeds to step 378 , and the mode triggered by the sensor ssc is set to a decrease mode dec ( indeed , already set at dec , when the shutter disk 10 was being rotated clockwise ). then the control proceeds to step 380 , and the count is reset to 0 . although the control which proceeded to step 374 from a “ no ” judgment in step 373 , after having passed through step 371 , generally proceeds to step 376 from step 375 or to step 378 from step 377 , an error could occur in the count by certain noises . therefore , when the judgment in step 377 is still no , the control proceeds to step 379 , and such an error is identified as error c . in step 381 , it is judged if the former edge flag is ssc . in this right turn mode , the former edge flag is also set to ssc only in an angular region of one unit angle succeeding to each one of the edges of the notches 12 . therefore , the answer of step 381 is no , and the control proceeds to step 385 . as described hereinbelow in the controls through the decrease mode processing shown in fig8 the mode triggered by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is set to a decrease mode dec in its step 424 . therefore , when the control proceeded to step 385 during a normal right turn operation , the answer of step 385 is no , so that the control proceeds to step 387 , and the measurement value θc of the rotation angle is decreased by unit angle δθ . then the control proceeds to step 388 , and the former edge flag is set to ssc . during a further clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 10 until one of the edges of the holes 16 corresponding to position “ k ” of fig1 is detected by the sensor ss 2 , the control according to the flowchart of fig6 circulates through steps 310 , 320 and 330 to return to step 50 of fig5 . and when , the edge of the hole 16 corresponding to position “ k ” was detected by the sensor ss 2 , the control by the flowchart of fig6 proceeds through steps 310 - 360 to step 390 , and further to step 430 . since the outputs of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 before the last edge , i . e . the edge of position “ k ”, are both on , the judgement of step 430 is no , so that the control proceeds to step 410 . then , the decrease mode processing of fig8 is executed . in step 411 of fig8 it is judged if the count is 0 . as will be confirmed by the illustration of the rank of count of fig1 , the count was reset when the controls of fig7 were executed just before . therefore , the answer of step 411 is yes , and the control proceeds to step 412 . in step 412 , it is judged if the mode by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 , i . e . the mode triggered by the edge of the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 , is an increase mode inc . as will be noted in step 424 at the end of the flowchart of fig8 the mode by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 was set to a decrease mode dec at the end of the control according to the flowchart of fig8 executed as triggered by one of the edges of the holes 16 corresponding to position “ m ” when the shutter disk 10 is being continuously rotated clockwise . therefore , the answer of step 412 is no , and the control proceeds to step 413 . in step 413 , it is judged if the former edge flag is ssc . as will be confirmed from the sixth rank of fig1 , at position “ k ” reached from the right side , the former edge flag set to ssc at position “ l ” is still maintained . therefore , the answer of step 413 is yes , and the control proceeds to step 415 in step 415 , it is again judged if the former edge flag is ssc , and since the answer is again yes , the control proceeds to step 416 . in step 416 , it is judged if the mode by the sensor ssc is a decrease mode dec . since the mode of the sensor ssc was set to the decrease mode in step 378 of the flowchart of 7 executed at position “ l ”, the answer of step 416 is yes , and the control proceeds to step 418 , and the former edge flag is set to not ssc . then , in step 419 , the measurement value θc of the rotation angle is decreased by one unit angle δθ , and then in step 420 the count is also decreased by 1 , making the count to − 1 , as confirmed by the last rank of fig1 . in step 421 , it is judged if the count is not so much decreased as being − 5 not probable when the device is normally operating . when the answer is yes , the control proceeds to step 423 . in step 423 , it is judged if the measurement value θc of the rotation angle to be measured is equal to or larger than a minimum limit θmin predetermined to be a normally allowable minimum value thereof . if the answer of step 423 is no , the control proceeds to step 425 , identifying an error named error g , then letting the control proceed to step 600 of fig5 . when the answer of step 423 is yes , the control proceeds to step 424 , and the mode by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is set to a decrease mode dec . therefore , as will be confirmed from the fourth , fifth and sixth ranks of fig1 , when the shutter disk 10 is continuously rotated clockwise , the mode triggered by the edge of the sensor ssc is constantly set to the decrease mode dec , and the mode triggered by the edge of the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is also set to the decrease mode dec . on the other hand , the former edge flag is set to ssc only for an angle region of one unit angle just after one of the edges of the notches 12 was detected by the sensor ssc . when the shutter disk 10 is further rotated clockwise , the control process circulates through steps 310 , 320 and 330 to return to step 50 of fig5 until a next one of the edges of the holes 16 corresponding to position “ j ” is detected by the sensor ss 1 . when the edge of position “ j ” is detected by the sensor ss 1 , the control by the flowchart of fig6 proceeds through steps 310 - 360 to step 390 , and then proceeds to step 400 . since the outputs of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 before the last edge , i . e . the edge at position “ j ”, were “ on ” and “ off ”, respectively , the control proceeds to step 410 , and the control according to the flowchart of fig8 is again executed . in this case , since the count is set already at − 1 , the control proceeds from step 411 directly to step 415 , and since the former edge flag is already set at not ssc , the control again directly proceeds to step 419 , and the measurement value θc of the rotation angle is decreased by one unit angle δθ , and the count is decreased by 1 , so that the count is now set to − 2 . then the count is similarly checked with respect to its normality in step 421 , and it is confirmed if the measurement value θc of the rotation angle is not smaller than the minimum value θmin in step 423 . then in step 424 , the mode to be triggered by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is set to the decrease mode dec , before the control proceeds to step 460 of fig6 . the same controls as those triggered at positions “ k ” and “ j ” are repeated as triggered by the edges of positions “ i ” and “ h ”, respectively , so that each time the count is decreased by 1 , so that the count is − 4 when the edges of the notches 12 corresponding to position “ g ” is detected by the sensor ssc . then , upon detection of the edge of position “ g ”, the control described with respect to the edge corresponding to “ q ” are executed to reset the count to 0 , while setting the former edge flag to ssc . when the steering is reversed from a left turn to a right turn so that the rotation of the shutter disk 10 is reversed from a counter - clockwise rotation to a clockwise rotation at , for example , a position between positions “ j ” and “ k ” as shown in fig1 , the embodiment of the device of the present invention herein shown operates as follows : when the rotation of the shutter disk 10 is reversed from a counter - clockwise rotation to a clockwise rotation when the control proceeded to a position between positions “ f ” and “ k ” as shown in fig1 , the edge of one of the holes 16 detected by the sensor ss 1 at position “ j ” is again detected at position “ j ”. during the return to position “ j ”, the mode triggered with an edge by the sensor ssc , or the mode of ssc , is kept unchanged until one of the edges of the notches 12 corresponding to position “ g ” is detected by the sensor ssc , and thereafter the mode by ssc is set to the decrease mode dec . the mode triggered with an edge by the sensor ss 1 or ss 2 is kept unchanged until one of the edges of the holes 16 corresponding to position “ j ” is detected by the sensor ss 1 , and thereafter the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is set to the decrease mode dec . the former edge flag is kept unchanged at not ssc until one of the edges of the notches 12 corresponding to position “ g ” is detected by the sensor ssc , and then the flag is changed to ssc for an angular region between positions “ g ” and “ f ”, and then the flag is returned to not ssc until it is again set to ssc at position “ b ”. together with such the modes by ssc and ss 1 / ss 2 and the former edge flag , the count once increased up to + 3 at position “ j ” is decreased to + 2 when the edge of one of the holes 16 corresponding to position “ j ” traverses the sensor ss 1 from right to left , and thereafter the count is successively decreased by 1 each time when the edges of the holes 16 corresponding to positions “ i ” and “ h ” traverses the sensors ss 2 and ss 1 , respectively , so that the count is already reduced to 0 before the sensor ssc detects the edge of one of the notches 12 corresponding to position “ g ”, as illustrated in the bottom rank of fig1 . when one of the edges of the notches 12 corresponding to position “ g ” is detected by the sensor ssc , the control proceeds in the flowchart of fig6 from step 310 straight downward through steps 320 , 330 , 340 and 360 to step 370 . then the control is executed according to the flowchart of fig7 . in this case , when the control has proceeded from step 371 to step 373 , the count is 0 , and therefore the control proceeds directly to step 374 . in step 374 , the mode by ssc , i . e . the mode triggered with an edge of the notches 12 by the sensor ssc is changed oppositely , i . e . from the increase mode inc to the decrease mode dec . then in step 380 , the count is reset to 0 , although in this case the count is already set at 0 . in step 381 , it is judged if the former edge flag is ssc . as will be confirmed from the sixth rank of fig1 , the former edge flag was changed from ssc to not ssc at position “ h ” during the former left turn and is still kept at not ssc . therefore , the control proceeds to step 385 , and since the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is already set at dec at position “ j ”, the answer is no , and the control proceeds to step 387 . then the measurement value θc is decreased by one unit angle δθ , and then the control proceeds to step 388 , where the former edge flag is set to ssc , and then the control proceeds to step 460 of fig6 . as will be noted by comparing the angular region between positions “ f ” and “ g ” of fig1 with the angular region between positions “ p ” and “ q ” of fig1 , the operating condition of the device has now been completely set for a normal right turn , so that a further rotation of the shutter disk 10 in the clockwise direction is processed by the device in the same manner as described with respect to the normal right turn shown in fig1 . as described above , the on - off pulses generated by the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 are liable to electrical noises , particularly when the sensors are of the semiconductor constructions such that the light emitter is made of a light emitting diode and the light receiver is made of a photo transistor , with related integral circuits . when such sensors are disturbed by electrical noises , “ on ” and “ off ” pulses generated by the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 are deformed typically such that the leading edge or the trailing edge between the “ on ” and “ off ” states of a pulse generated by one of the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 shifts beyond the leading edge or the trailing edge of an adjacent pulse generated by other of the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 , or an additional pulse is generated between two successive pulses , so that the order of generation of the on - off pulses among the sensors ssc , ss 1 and ss 2 is disturbed , thereby causing an error in the measurement value θc of the rotation angle to be measured . according to the device of the present invention , such an error in the measurement of the rotation angle due to such noises is identified before the measurement proceed for an angle corresponding to five times of the unit angle . fig1 shows an example that a noise occurred such that an on - edge to be generated by the sensor ssc occurred earlier than that to be generated by the sensor ss 2 during a counter - clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 10 , corresponding to a left turn of the steering shaft . ( in the following , the direction of rotation of the shutter 10 will be expressed by the corresponding turning direction of the steeling shaft connected therewith for the brevity of description .) in this case , as shown in fig1 , the performances of the mode by ssc , the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 , the former edge flag and the count proceed normally according to those of the left turn shown in fig1 up to position “ j ”. then , when the shutter disk 10 rotates a small angle further beyond position “ j ”, the output of the sensor ssc changes from “ off ” to “ on ”. at this moment the scanning control through the flowchart of fig6 proceeds through step 330 toward step 340 , and then through step 360 to step 370 , so that the flowchart of fig7 is executed . in the flowchart of fig7 in step 371 it is judged if the output of the sensors ss 1 and ss 2 are both on . therefore , if such an irregularity in the on - off performance of the output of the sensor ssc has occurred at a position before the leading edge of the corresponding on - pulse by the sensor ss 2 , i . e . position “ k ”, it is immediately detected by step 371 , letting the control proceeds to step 372 , thereby identifying the irregularity as error b . in this case , the control proceeds to step 600 of fig5 when one of the on - off pulses to be generated by the sensor ss 1 at position “ j ” has deformed by a noise at a position between positions “ h ” and “ i ” before the on - pulse generated by the sensor ss 2 between positions “ f ” and “ i ” ends at position “ i ” as shown in fig1 , such an irregularity is detected as follows : the performances of the modes by ssc and ss 1 / ss 2 , the former edge flag and the count proceed in the normal manner of left turn shown in fig1 until the irregular on - pulse by the sensor ss 1 occurs . when the irregular on - pulse by ss 1 has occurred , in the flowchart of fig6 the control proceeds from step 360 through step 390 to step 400 , and the judgment is made yes . therefore , the control proceeds to step 410 , and the decrease mode processing of fig8 is executed . in step 411 , the answer is no , and therefore the control proceeds to step 415 , wherein the answer is again no . therefore , the control proceeds through steps 419 , 420 , 421 , 423 and 424 , provided that the answers in steps 421 and 423 are yes , so that the count is decreased by 1 and the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is changed to the decrease mode dec , before the control returns . then , soon the trailing edge of the on - pulse by the sensor ss 2 ends at position i . according to this change of the output of the sensor ss 2 , the control in the flowchart of fig6 proceeds to step 430 , and the judgement is made no . therefore , the control proceeds to step 410 , and the decrease mode processing of fig8 is again executed . in step 411 , the count is now 0 , so that the judgement is yes , and the control proceeds to step 412 , and it is judged if the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is the increased mode inc . however , the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 was already changed to the decrease mode dec by the irregular leading edge of the on - pulse by the sensor ss 1 . therefore , the answer of step 413 is no , and therefore the control proceeds to step 414 , identifying such an error as error d . then the control proceeds to step 600 of fig5 . when an irregularity occurred in an on - pulse generated by the sensor ss 1 as shown in fig1 such that the pulse which should end at position “ h ” has extended to end between positions “ i ” and “ j ”. in this case , the 0 count reset by step 380 of the flowchart of fig7 continues until position i , with the former edge flag being also kept at ssc . then , at position “ i ”, the trailing edge of the on - pulse by the sensor ss 2 terminates . in accordance with this , the control through the flowchart of fig6 proceeds to step 430 , and the judgement is made no . then the control proceeds to step 410 , and the decrease mode processing of fig8 is executed . in step 411 , since the count is 0 , the judgement is yes and the control proceeds to step 412 . since the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is in the increase mode inc , the judgement of step 412 is yes , and therefore the control proceeds to step 415 . the former edge flag is still ssc , and therefore the judgement of step 415 is yes , and the control proceeds to step 416 . the mode by ssc is at the increase mode inc , and therefore the judgment of step 416 is no , and the control proceeds to step 417 , identify such an irregularity as error e . when one of the on - off pulses generated by the sensor ss 2 has deformed as shown in fig1 such that the trailing edge which should end at position “ i ” is extended to end after the leading edge of an adjacent one of the on - off pulses generated by the sensor ss 1 which is detected at position “ j ”, such an irregularity is detected as follows : the measurement of the rotation angle during a left turn proceeds normally up to position “ h ”. at position “ h ”, the mode by ssc is in the increase mode inc , and the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is also at the increase mode inc . the former edge flag set to ssc at position “ g ” was returned to not ssc at position “ h ”. the count was increased to + 1 at position “ h ”. when the shutter disk 10 rotates further in the counter - clockwise direction , at position “ j ” the leading edge of the on - pulse generated by the sensor ss 1 to extend between positions “ j ” and “ m ” is detected by the sensor ss 1 . upon this detection , the control in the flowchart of fig6 proceeds to step 400 , and the judgement of step 400 is made yes . therefore , the control proceeds to step 410 , and the decrease mode processing of fig8 is executed . in the flowchart of fig8 in step 411 , the answer is no , because the count is at + 1 , and therefore the control proceeds to step 415 . the judgement of step 415 is no as will be confirmed by the sixth rank of fig1 . therefore , the control proceeds through steps 419 , 420 , 421 , 423 and 424 , so that count is decreased by 1 to return to 0 , while the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is changed to the decrease mode dec . when the shutter disk 10 rotates a little further so that the trailing edge of the on - pulse by the sensor ss 2 extended beyond position “ j ” is detected by the sensor ss 2 , the control by the flowchart of fig6 proceeds to step 430 , and the judgment is made no , and therefore , the control proceeds to step 410 , and again the decrease mode processing by the flowchart of fig8 is executed . in step 411 , the count is now 0 , so that the control proceeds to step 412 , and it is judged if the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is the increase mode inc . since the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 has been changed to the decrease mode dec at position “ j ”, the answer of step 412 is no , and the control proceeds to step 413 . as is confirmed by the six rank of fig1 , at this stage the former edge flag is set at not ssc . therefore , the judgement in step 413 is no , and the control proceeds to step 414 , identifying such an irregularity as error d . when an irregularity has occurred in one of the on - off pulses generated by the sensor ss 2 as shown in fig1 such that the leading edge an o - pulse which should occur at position “ k ” occurs in advance of the leading edge of an adjacent one of the on - off pulses generated by the sensor ss 1 , it is detected as follows : the normal measurement of the rotation angle in the left turn is carried out in the same manner as shown in fig1 before the leading edge of the irregularly deformed pulse is detected by the sensor ss 2 at the position between positions “ i ” and “ j ”. upon the detection of the leading edge of the irregular pulse , the control by the flowchart of fig6 proceeds to step 430 , and the answer is no , and therefore , the control proceeds to step 410 , and the decrease mode processing shown in fig8 is executed . in step 411 , the answer is no , because the count is already + 2 , and therefore the control proceeds to step 415 . since the former edge flag is set at not ssc , the control proceeds to step 419 , and further through steps 420 , 421 , 423 and 424 . therefore , the count is decreased by 1 , while the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is changed to the decrease mode dec . after a further small counter - clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 10 , a leading edge of the on - pulse is detected by the sensor ss 1 at position “ j ”. upon this detection , the control through the flowchart of fig6 process to step 400 , and the answer is yes , and therefore , the control proceeds to step 410 , and again the decrease mode processing shown in fig8 is executed . in step 411 , since the count is + 1 , the control proceeds to step 415 . since the former edge flag is already not ssc , the judgement is no , and the control proceeds directly to step 419 , and further proceeds through steps 420 , 421 and 423 to step 424 . therefore , the counter is further decreased by 1 , so as to become 0 , and the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is kept to the decrease mode dec . if the shutter disk rotates further in the counter - clockwise direction , the leading edge of the on - off pulse generated by the sensor ssc to extend between positions “ l ” and “ q ” is detected at position “ l ” by the sensor ssc . upon this detection , at position “ l ” the control by the flowchart of fig6 proceeds through step 360 to step 370 , and the control by the flowchart of fig7 is executed . when the control proceeds through step 371 to step 373 , it is judged if the count is 0 . as will be confirmed by the seventh rank of fig1 , the count is at 0 . therefore , the control proceeds to step 374 , and the mode by ssc is changed from the increase mode inc to the decrease mode dec . thereafter , the control proceeds to step 380 , resetting the count to 0 ( although the count is already 0 ), and then to step 381 , and it is judged if the former edge flag is ssc . since the answer is no , the control proceeds to step 385 . the judgement of step 385 is no , and therefore the control proceeds through step 387 to step 388 , and the former edge flag is set to ssc . when the counter - clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 10 further continues until the trailing edge of the on - pulse is detected by the sensor ss 1 at position “ m ”, and the control by the flowchart of fig6 proceeds to step 400 , and according to the judgement of no , control proceeds to step 440 , so that the increase mode processing shown in fig9 is executed . in step 441 , the answer is yes , and therefore the control proceeds to step 442 . since the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is already at the decrease mode dec , the answer is yes , and the control proceeds to step 445 . since the former edge flag is already set to ssc , the answer of step 445 is yes , and the control proceeds to step 446 , and it is judged if the mode by ssc is the increased mode inc . as is confirmed by the fourth rank of fig1 , the mode by ssc is at the decrease mode dec , and therefore the answer is no , and the control proceeds to step 447 , identifying such an irregularity as error i . when an irregularity occurs in one of the on - off pulses generated by the sensor ssc as shown in fig1 such that the trailing edge to be detected at position “ g ” delays beyond position “ h ”, the conditions of the modes by ssc and ss 1 / ss 2 , the former edge flag and the count attained at position “ f ” are extended up to position “ h ”. when the trailing edge of the on - pulse to terminate at position “ h ” is detected by the sensor ss 1 , the control in fig6 proceeds to step 400 , and since the answer of step 400 is no , the control proceeds to step 440 , and the increase mode processing of fig9 is executed . since the judgement of step 441 is no , the control proceeds to step 445 . the judgement of step 445 is again no , and therefore the control proceeds through step 449 to step 450 , and the count is further increased by 1 , so as to become + 5 . therefore , in step 451 , the judgement is no , and the control proceeds to step 452 , identifying such an irregularity as error j . when the trailing edge of one of the on - off pulses generated by the sensor ssc during a clockwise turn of the shutter disk 10 , i . e . during a right turn of the steeling shaft connected therewith , delays as shown in fig1 such that the trailing edge to be detected by the sensor ssc at position “ l ” is not yet detected when the trailing edge at position “ k ” is detected by the sensor ss 2 , the control through the flowchart of fig6 proceeds through step 430 to step 430 , and since the judgement of step 430 is no , the control proceeds to step 410 , and the decrease mode processing of fig8 is executed . in this case , the control proceeds from step 411 directly to step 415 , and since the former edge flag is not ssc , the control proceeds through step 419 , and further to step 420 , so as to decrease the count by 1 , thereby making the count to − 5 . therefore , in step 421 , the judgement becomes no , and the control proceeds to step 422 , identifying such an irregularity as error f during a light turn , similar to error j of fig1 identified during a left turn . when the trailing edge of one of the pulses to be generated by the sensor ss 1 at position “ j ” during a right turn delays behind the leading edge of an on - pulse detected by the sensor ss 2 at position “ i ” as shown in fig2 , the count set to − 1 is maintained up to position i as shown in the bottom rank of fig2 . when the leading edge of the on - pulse is detected by the sensor ss 2 at position “ i ”, the control in the flowchart of fig6 proceeds to step 430 , and since the judgement of step 430 is yes , the control proceeds to step 440 and the increase mode processing of fig9 is executed . in step 441 , the judgement is no , and the control proceeds to step 445 . the judgement in step 445 is again no , and the control proceeds to step 449 , and then to step 450 , where the count is increased by 1 , so that the count is made 0 , thereafter the control returns through steps 451 , 453 , 454 and 460 . when the extended trailing edge is detected by the sensor ss 1 at a position between i and h , the control in the flowchart of fig6 proceeds to step 400 , and since the answer of step 400 is no , the control proceeds to step 440 to execute the increase mode processing of fig9 . in step 441 , the judgement is now yes , so that control proceeds to step 442 , and it is judged if the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 is the decrease mode dec . as will be confirmed by the fifth rank of fig2 , the mode by ss 1 / ss 2 has been changed to the increase mode inc at position “ i ”. therefore , the judgement of step 442 is no , and the control proceeds to step 443 , and it is judged if the former edge flag is ssc . as will be again confirmed by the fourth rank of fig2 , at this stage the former edge flag is not ssc . therefore the judgement of step 443 is no , and the control proceeds to step 444 , identifying such an irregularity as error h . the irregularities of the pulses caused by the electrical noises also occur as an additional pulse generated between two successive regular pulses as exemplarily shown in fig2 - 24 . the operations of the embodiment described with reference to fig1 - 9 for detection and identification of these irregularities will be appreciated on an analogy with the examples of the irregularities shown in fig1 - 20 and the above descriptions , based upon the illustration of the accompanying fourth to seventh ranks of diagrams about the modes by ssc and ss 1 / ss 2 and the count , and the order of the steps executed shown hereinbelow . therefore , any further detailed descriptions are omitted for the brevity of the specification : starting from position “ h ”: 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 400 - 440 - 441 - 442 - 443 - 445 - 446 - 448 - 449 - 450 - 451 - 453 - 454 - 460 - 550 - 50 - 250 - 300 - 310 - 320 - 330 - 340 - 360 - 370 - 371 - 372 ( error b ) starting from position “ g ”: 330 - 340 - 370 - 371 - 373 - 375 - 376 - 380 - 381 - 385 - 386 - 388 - 460 - 550 - 50 - 250 - 300 - 310 - 320 - 330 - 340 - 360 - 370 - 371 - 373 - 374 - 380 - 381 - 382 - 384 - 388 - 460 - 550 - 50 - 250 - 300 - 310 - 320 - 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 400 - 440 - 441 - 442 - 443 - 445 - 446 - 447 ( error i ) starting from position “ h ”: 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 400 - 440 - 441 - 442 - 443 - 445 - 446 - 448 - 449 - 450 - 451 - 453 - 454 - 460 - 550 - 50 - 250 - 300 - 310 - 320 - 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 400 - 410 - 411 - 415 - 419 - 420 - 421 - 423 - 424 - 460 - 550 - 50 - 250 - 300 - 310 - 320 - 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 430 - 410 - 411 - 412 - 413 - 414 ( error d ) starting from position “ i ”: 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 430 - 410 - 411 - 415 - 419 - 420 - 421 - 423 - 424 - 460 - 550 - 50 - 250 - 300 - 310 - 320 - 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 430 - 410 - 415 - 419 - 420 - 421 - 423 - 424 - 460 - 550 - 50 - 250 - 300 - 310 - 320 - 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 400 - 410 - 411 - 415 - 419 - 420 - 421 423 - 424 - 460 - 550 - 50 - 250 - 300 - 310 - 320 - 330 - 340 - 360 - 390 - 430 - 410 - 411 - 412 - 413 - 414 ( error d ) it will be appreciated that the irregularities shown in fig1 - 24 are also detectable and identifiable when they occur during a turn in the direction opposite thereto , as the same or different names of errors according to the cases . further , as will be appreciated from above , all such errors are detected , when occurred , immediately before the measurement proceeds a few times of the unit angle , and the measurement process is initialized so that the errors are not accumulated . further , in the embodiment shown in fig5 when any such error occurred more than three times , the measurement operation of the device is automatically stopped and the record of the errors is shown for attention . although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to a particular embodiment thereof , it will be apparent for those skilled in the art that other various embodiments or modifications about the shown embodiment are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention . | 6 |
this document describes , among other things , techniques that can include systems or methods of obtaining and processing image or other at least two - dimensional ( 2d ) spatial information about light emitted around a fingertip or toe of a subject , such as in response to electromagnetic ( field ) (“ electrical ”) stimulation of the subject ( for brevity , this document emphasizes operation with respect to one or more fingertips , but it is to be understood that like apparatuses and methods can be additionally or alternatively used with one or more of the subject &# 39 ; s toes ). such processing can include mapping the image or other 2d spatial response information to a specified particular body anatomy location , component , or system that is remote from the fingertip at which the image information was obtained ( for brevity , this document emphasizes operation with using at least 2d spatial information , but it is to be understood that like apparatuses and methods can additionally or alternatively be used with other at least 2d spatiotemporal information , such as can include a trend over time of at least 2d spatial information , or frequency content of at least 2d spatial information ). such mapping can include using an eastern medicine meridian mapping or other registration system for associating a luminosity response at the fingertips to a specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system , such as , for example , associating to a selected particular one of : a cardiovascular system , a gastrointestinal / endocrine system , a respiratory system , a renal system , or a hepatic system . such processing , registration , or mapping can be used to generate a physiological status indication that is particular to a specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system . the physiological status indicator can then be provided to a user or an automated process , such as in a textual or pictorial graphic report , or otherwise . by way of overview , the present techniques can include measuring galvanic skin response ( gsr ). a subject &# 39 ; s fingertip can be placed in contact with a transparent electrode , such as a glass electrode . electrical or other electromagnetic impulses can be applied to the glass electrode , such as for generating a localized electromagnetic field around the fingertip . under the influence of this electromagnetic field , and depending on the fingertip skin resistance , ionization can create a very small current within nearby air molecules . this can result in a small burst of visible or other ( e . g ., ultraviolet ) light in a region surrounding the fingertip . an image of this light can be captured , such as by an automated charge - coupled device ( ccd ) digital camera or other camera or imaging device . the light image ( or at least 2d spatial or spatiotemporal response information obtained therefrom ) can be image - processed , such as to assess its intensity level or one or more other analytical criteria . the light intensity , for example , can be a function of the resistance at the junction between the fingertip and the electrode at the time of the measurement . the light intensity can be registered , for example , as a low , normal , or high response . as explained in detail below , the light image or other at least 2d spatial or spatiotemporal information can be processed to generate a physiological status indication that is particular to a specified particular body anatomy location , component , or system that is remote from the fingertip . the physiological status indicator can then be provided to a user or an automated process , such as in the form of a textual or pictorial graphical report , or otherwise . fig1 is a block diagram showing an example of portions of a system 100 and portions of an environment in which it can be used . in an example , the system 100 can include a transparent electrode 102 , which can be configured for receiving a fingertip of a subject , such as on a top surface thereof . an optional removable transparent dielectric barrier 103 can be placed between the fingertip and the electrode 102 during certain measurements , and can be removed or omitted during other measurements . an electromagnetic ( e . g ., electrical ) signal generator 104 can be electrically coupled to the electrode 102 , such as for delivering a suitable electrical ( or other electromagnetic ) stimulation signal to the fingertip for generating visible or other light ( e . g ., light in the visible through uv portions of the electromagnetic spectrum ) about the fingertip , in response to the electrical stimulation . a camera 106 can provide a light detector to detect an at least 2d spatial response such as an image ( or a spatiotemporal response , such as multiple images taken at different times ) of the light generated about the fingertip in response to the electrical stimulation of the fingertip . the image information can be communicated to a computer 108 , such as via a bus 110 . the computer 108 can include a user or other input / output interface 112 , which can allow input from the user or an apparatus or output to the user or an apparatus . the user interface 112 can include a display 114 . the computer 108 can include a memory circuit 116 , such as for providing a tangible nontransitory medium for storing instructions that can be performed by a signal processor circuit such as processor circuit 118 , which can include the memory circuit 116 or can be separate therefrom . the memory circuit 116 can also store image information obtained from the camera , or other 2d spatial or spatiotemporal response information , such as can be derived from such image information . the processor circuit 118 can be configured to provide image processing of the image information obtained from the camera 106 . the processor 118 can provide , include , or be coupled to a microcontroller circuit , such as to control or coordinate operation of the electrical signal generator 104 , the camera 106 , and an optional light - emitting diode ( led ) or other light source 120 . the light source 120 can be used to illuminate the subject &# 39 ; s fingertip , such as to help align or orient the fingertip as desired on the electrode 102 , such as before electrical stimulation and responsive light imaging of the fingertip are performed . the computer 108 can also be configured to communicate with a server or other remote computer 122 , such as over a wired or wireless communications or computer network 124 , such as a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ). one approach to gsr would be to measure the relatively slow about 8 to 10 microampere current flow response of the skin , during a time period that is on the order of 10 to 100 seconds , to a small ( approximately + 2 volt ) dc voltage applied to the skin . the current flow can be translated to a 0 to 100 scale with 50 indicating a normal , healthy person response , less than 50 indicating a weak condition , and more than 50 indicating an irritated situation . an “ indicator drop ” ( i . d .) of the conductance number , after slowly rising to its maximum value , can also be determined . for a normal response ( about 50 ), the i . d . occurs within about 1 to 3 seconds and the electrical resistance then maintains a constant value until the full measurement time elapsed ( about 10 to 20 sec ). when there is an abnormal response ( above or below 50 ), the i . d . can be much longer ( about 20 to 60 seconds ), depending upon how far away from 50 the maximum conductance reading occurred . unlike the above approach , the present techniques need not pass any direct current through the subject &# 39 ; s body . instead , the present techniques can involve measuring light emitted around the finger in response to a small high - frequency alternating current ( ac ) excitation applied to the subject , such as to the subject &# 39 ; s fingertip . the emitted visible or other light can be observed around the entire circumference of the circular or oval contact area of a fingertip , such as for each of the subject &# 39 ; s ten fingertips or toes . the intensity of the light emitted around the finger contact area in response to the applied ac electrostimulation can vary according to the skin resistance of the subject . the ac electrostimulation can be applied to the subject &# 39 ; s fingertip by applying the ac electrostimulation potential to the electrode 102 , on which the fingertip can rest either directly , or separated therefrom by the dielectric 103 . in an example , the electrode 102 can include a transparent glass dielectric portion , upon which the fingertip can be placed , and a transparent conductive portion , such as an indium tin oxide ( ito ) coating , to which the ac electrostimulation signal can be applied by the electrical signal generator 104 . when a fingertip is placed on the dielectric glass portion of the electrode 102 , two dielectrics ( skin and glass ) are situated in non - parallel geometry . when an ac electrostimulation voltage is applied to the fingertip skin , breakdown ionization can occur in the air surrounding the fingertip , because of the energy transfer between the charges in the stratum corneum of the fingertip and the dielectric glass portion of the electrode 102 . the fingertip can act as a leaky dielectric , and some time may pass before ionizing breakdown of air occurs and light is emitted around the fingertip . the light emitted can vary according to one or more factors , which can include the electrolyte or water content of the fingertip . in human tissue , the dielectric response is a function of the electric permeability of the skin and the frequency applied to the voltage used when making a measurement . the dielectric properties of the skin decrease with increasing frequency due to the time required for charges to form and migrate across the interfaces and interact with the opposing electrode . at low frequencies , corresponding to a period on the order of 10 to 100 seconds , conduction current exists , allowing charge to be transferred across the stratum corneum . when the applied voltage is ac at approximately 1000 hz , the impedance slowly increases with time , but to a smaller degree than when dc voltage is applied over a period of time . without being bound by theory , this effect can be attributed to the selective permeability nature of the cell membranes ( which pass positive ions more easily than negative ions ) and the short - circuit channels between the cells . at an approximately 1000 hz repetition rate , with a positive going square wave voltage pulse of 10 microseconds applied , there is time for the charge to build up then break down . with the about 1 millisecond that exists between the voltage pulses , there is almost sufficient time for the charges to decay before the next pulse arrives . thus , variations of finger conductance in the high frequency region can be detectable . the skin , due to its layered structure , can be likened to a capacitor . each cell in the stratum corneum can have an electrical double layer 10 − 6 to 10 − 7 cm thick at each cell wall , and these can polarize to give rise to capacitance under the influence of an electric field . for about 100 layers of cell membrane in parallel that make up the stratum corneum , with a dielectric constant of approximately 50 , a capacitance on the order of 0 . 045 μf / cm 2 can arise , which is within the range observed for skin . this capacitance can vary , such as according to the amount of electrolyte , water , or protein in the skin . the major barrier to the absorption or diffusion of water or electrolytes through the skin is in the outside layers of the epidermis . the overall range of skin permeability is approximately between 0 . 004 and 600 μcm / min ) and , with age , this permeability decreases . absorption is most likely along the “ spot welds ” or desmosomes , which occur at short intervals , creating channels down through the cell membrane layers . these channels act to decrease the leakage resistance between the cell membranes and thus decrease the capacitance of the cell membranes . diffusion through the desmosomes yields a diffusion coefficient for water of d = 2 μcm 2 / sec which is 10 to 20 % of the epidermis bulk value . a cellular membrane includes fixed charge sites , which may be predominantly positively or negatively charged , depending upon the ph of the tissue fluid relative to the iso - electric point ( iep ) of the cells . the iep represents the ph of the solution needed to neutralize the charge state of the surface of the cell . in the instance where the membrane surface is electro - positively charged , h + ions will be absorbed by the membrane surface . it will be selectively permeable to negative ( anions ) only . when the membrane becomes electro - negatively charged it is permeable to positive ( cations ) only . the iso - electric point of a membrane will shift depending on the degree and type of proteins and carbohydrates imbedded in the cell surface . skin is generally found to be electronegatively charged and is therefore primarily permeable to positive ( cations ) ions . this selective permeability nature of the skin is similar in effect to the function of a diode in a circuit . in an example , the electrical signal generator 104 applies a sinusoidal ac electrical signal at a frequency of approximately 1000 hz , a repetition rate of between about 33 hz and 1000 hz , and a duty cycle of between about 5 and 15 microseconds , for a total fingertip electrostimulation exposure duration of between 0 . 5 second and 32 seconds . the camera 106 can capture light emitted around the fingertip , such as during the entire electrostimulation exposure or a portion thereof , such as in one or a series of images . fig2 is a diagram illustrating generally an example of portions of the present techniques that can be used to obtain a particularized response indication ( such as a physiological status indicator ) that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system , which can be remote from the fingertip . at 201 , the fingertip can be illuminated with light from light source 120 . at 202 , a “ live ” image can be captured to help align or orient the fingertip on the electrode 102 . at 203 , the user or automated process can use orientation information from the live image to properly orient the energized image , such as rotationally to within a few degrees . in an example , the processor circuit 118 can be configured to perform image processing that can take the live image of a fingertip and calculate parallel lines along the edges of the live image of the finger as it projects out of the image plane . such parallel lines can then be aligned to a vertical ( longitudinal ) center line of an oval . this can allow the live image to be oriented with respect to the oval using such parallel lines and the longitudinal center line of the oval . the parallel lines and / or oval define a reference direction . when the external edges of the live image of the finger are not clear , or if the finger is very large and therefore there is little of the outward - projecting portion of the finger to be seen in the live image , an automated process may not be able to achieve the correct orientation . in such a case , the user can use information displayed on the display to verify for correct orientation , such as by visually comparing the live image to the energized image and visually assessing the orientation correlation therebetween . at 204 , electrostimulation , such as the ac electrostimulation described above , can be applied by the electrical signal generator 104 to the fingertip , such as to generate visible or other light around the fingertip in response thereto . at 205 , at least two - dimensional ( 2d ) spatial response capture , such as image capture , can be performed . this can include using a light detector such as the camera 106 to acquire the light image obtained in response to the ac electrostimulation . the light image obtained in response to the ac electrostimulation can be referred to as the “ energized ” image . a corresponding light image obtained without such ac electrostimulation , which can be referred to as the “ live ” image can also optionally then be obtained , such as under illumination by the light source 120 ( without accompanying ac electrostimulation ). the live image can later be used to orient the later - obtained energized image , if desired . at 206 , a baseline determination can be made , such as to determine a level of background noise that is present in the light image . first , a centroid of the image can be determined and deemed to correspond to the center of the fingertip . then , the background noise can be determined , such as by using the processor circuit 118 to perform image - processing of the image pixels from the camera 106 to locate the highest gradient in light intensity in the image . this highest gradient in light intensity will occur at the inner edge of the image where the outer perimeter of the fingertip meets the electrode 102 ( or the dielectric 103 ) upon which the fingertip is placed . within such perimeter , any light detected in the image can be deemed noise , since insufficient air is present there to generate an ionizing light response to the ac electrostimulation . all lower intensity pixels within such perimeter can be removed from the image , such as by iteratively processing the image from the centroid of the fingertip outward . such lower intensity pixel removal can continue iteratively until a consistent radius from the centroid of the fingertip to the highest gradient in light intensity is obtained . the magnitude of this radius vector can then be calculated , such as can be expressed as the number of pixels from the centroid of the fingertip image to the inner edge of the image . at 207 , the energized image can be rotationally or translationally oriented , such as automatically , without requiring user intervention . this can be accomplished via signal processing by placing an oval over the live image at a center , which can be calculated as the centroid obtained from the pixels of the live image . the live image centroid can be deemed to correspond exactly to the centroid of the energized image , and these two centroids can be overlaid . the “ live ” image can be used to automatically ( e . g ., without requiring user intervention ) orient ( e . g ., at least one of rotationally or translationally ) an oval onto the “ energized ” image . the oval can be used to establish the reference direction for polar coordinates on the energized image so that a radial sectoring system can be placed on the energized image in the correct orientation . in an example , the live image can allow the user ( or an automated process ) to visualize the finger , including how it projects out of the image plane . this can permit the user ( or an automated process ) to visualize the orientation of the finger in the live image . at 208 , the at least two - dimensional ( 2d ) spatial response , such as the energized image , can be registered to the body , such as for mapping the light intensity information of particular radial sectors of the image ( e . g ., referenced to the centroid of the image ) to a respective corresponding particular body anatomy , location , component , or system , which can be remote from the fingertip . according to an example of the radial sectoring system , the fingers can be numbered , starting with the thumb , which can be designated finger number one , the forefinger ( index finger ) can be designated finger number two , and so forth . table 1 illustrates : ( 1 ) individual fingers ; ( 2 ) examples of radial sectors of the various individual fingers ; ( 3 ) examples of angles defining such radial sectors ; and ( 4 ) particular body anatomy location , component , or system corresponding to the respective radial sectors . in table 1 , the angles describe angular locations of radial rays extending radially outward from the centroid of the fingertip image , with 0 ° corresponding to the reference direction , and with the angle value increasing in a clockwise direction therefrom . at 210 , the properly oriented energized image of a fingertip can be analyzed , such as by using automated image processing that can be provided by the processor circuit 118 , such as described further below . at 212 , a result of analysis at 210 is provided as a particularized response indication ( such as a physiological status indicator ) that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system , which can be remote from the fingertip . fig3 shows an example of such an image - analysis technique . at 302 , for image analysis , the energized image can be broken down into a pixel matrix , for an illustrative ( non - limiting ) example , such as an x = 320 by y = 240 pixel matrix representing the respective x and y positions of pixels in the image . each pixel can include data representing light intensity observed at that pixel location . from the pixel information , in an example , various analysis parameters can be determined , such as by automated image processing of the energized image using the processor circuit 118 . in an example , such analysis parameters can include normalized sector area , average intensity , form - one , form - two , entropy , fractal , reference - subjective , reference - objective , and break , such as described further below . at 303 , a center point location parameter of the energized image can be obtained or determined . in an example , the center point can be determined by first determining contour points of the fingertip boundaries . the contour points can be determined by ( e . g ., working out from the true center of the image ) selecting pixels having an intensity exceeding a specified intensity threshold value . an ellipse can then be fitted to such contour points , such as by using a least - squares analysis to perform the fitting . the ellipse fitting can be iteratively repeated , if desired . at each iteration , one or more outliers among the contour points can be removed . the midpoint of the ellipse can be determined and deemed to be the center point of the energized image . at 304 , a minimum radius parameter of the fingertip energized image can be determined , such as by automated image processing using the processor circuit 118 . the minimum radius parameter of the image can be determined as the smaller principal axis of the ellipse fitted as described above . at 306 , a maximum radius of the fingertip energized image can be determined , such as by automated image processing using the processor circuit 118 . the maximum radius of the image can be determined as the larger principal axis of the ellipse fitted as described above . at 308 , an image angle parameter can be determined , such as by automated image processing using the processor circuit 118 . the image angle can be given by the angle between the major axis and the reference direction on the energized image . if the ellipse is close to a circle ( which is the case when the ratio of the major axis to the minor axis is at or near 1 . 0 ), then the image angle can be declared to be zero . at 310 , a background noise level parameter can be determined , such as by determining a threshold intensity level at which only a specified amount ( e . g ., 0 . 002 % of the pixels in the center region of the image ) exceed the threshold intensity level . in an example , this background noise level can be determined in the center region of the image , which can be taken as the interior of the ellipse ( e . g ., within the minimum radius ), with the ellipse fitted such as described above with respect to 303 ). this threshold intensity level can be declared to be the background noise level . the center region of the image can be used because this should be an area completely devoid of light and therefore representative of what the background of the image should look like . in an example , to calculate the background noise level , intensities can be determined for all “ lit ” pixels within the center region area that is defined by the ellipse fitted as described above with respect to 303 . an iterative calculation can be used to iteratively remove portions of the lit pixels within the center region . in an example , percentages of the lit pixels can removed , such as based on their intensities , until only a specified target amount ( e . g . 0 . 002 %) of the originally - present lit pixels in that center region remain . so , in an illustrative example , if there are 100 lit pixels to start with , of varying intensities , in a first pass through , all lit pixels with intensities less than a threshold value ( e . g ., threshold value = 20 ) can be cleared . those lit pixels that remain , if greater than the specified target amount of 0 . 002 % of the original number of lit pixels that were present in the center region , can be processed in another pass , in which all lit pixels having an intensity value of less than a higher threshold value ( e . g ., threshold value = 30 ) can be removed . if greater than the specified target amount of 0 . 002 % of the original number of lit pixels in the center region are still present in the center region , then another pass can be made . this iterative process can continue until the specified target amount of only 0 . 002 % of the original number of lit pixels within the center region remain . the corresponding intensity level can be declared to be the background noise level . in an example , the background noise level can be between 30 and 45 , in most cases . an inner radius can be determined , as explained above , such as after the background noise has been subtracted from the image . the remaining image has an inner radius that is described by the distance from the center point to the first pixel , in the radial direction from the center , that exceeds the background noise level . this inner radius dimension will be variable along the inner edge of the image due to the size and shape of the finger that created the image . for each calculation , the inner radial distance can be calculated . at 312 of fig3 , a sector area parameter of a particular radial sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as for one or more radial sectors of the energized image . a radial sector can be given by an area between rays , such as adjacent rays , emanating radially outward from the center point of the 2d energized image . the sector area of a particular sector can be determined as the number of pixels within a particular sector and within the fitted ellipse , having an intensity exceeding a specified value , such as exceeding a specified value of the background noise level . at 314 , a normalized sector area parameter of a particular sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as for one or more radial sectors of the energized image . in an example , the normalized sector area can be given by the following relationship : an is the normalized sector area a is the sector area s is the quantity of sectors θ is the radial angle of the sector between end rays at 316 , an average intensity parameter of a particular sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as for one or more radial sectors of the energized image . in an example , the average intensity of a particular sector can be determined by dividing the sum of intensities of all pixels in a particular sector by the number of pixels given by the sector area for that sector . at 318 , an entropy parameter of a particular sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as for one or more radial sectors of the energized image . this can include computing a shannon entropy along a profile . the profile can be created by traversing the image radially with a sweep ray extending from the center point of the fitted ellipse , and sweeping the ray clockwise with respect to the center point of the fitted ellipse , which can serve as a fixed reference . the clockwise sweep of the sweep ray can be performed in steps , such as of ¼ of an angular degree , in an illustrative example , and the profile ( and corresponding shannon entropy ) can be determined along the sweep ray at each such step . for each of the resulting ( e . g ., 360 * 4 = 1440 ) angles , an image profile can be computed , such as by selecting the pixels exceeding the background noise level ( e . g ., as explained above with respect to fig4 ) that intersect with the sweep ray at one of the 1440 ( or other number of ) angles and centered at the ellipse midpoint . thus , a particular image profile can include an angle , a set of pixels extending radially along the profile at that angle , and the intensities associated with the profile pixels . an entropy for a particular sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as by first computing an entropy for each individual profile within that particular sector , and then averaging or otherwise determining a central tendency of each individual profiles to obtain a composite profile for that particular sector . for various pixel positions i along the radial profile ( where the integer i = 1 , 2 , . . . n , and n is the total number of pixels in the radial profile ), the entropy can be expressed as a radial vector e given by the following relationship : δi i is pixel intensity above the background noise level at 320 , a form - one parameter of a particular sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as for one or more radial sectors of the energized image . the particular image profiles determined at the various ( e . g ., 1440 angles ) angular positions , as explained above , can be used in determining the form - one parameter . the active area of the fingertip image can be divided into adjacent concentric regions ( e . g ., annular regions or , in the center , a disk ) that are separated from each other by concentric circular rings ( of different radii ), which can be commonly coaxially centered at the center point of the ellipse . in an example , three such concentric rings can be used to compute three form - one parameters , with corresponding progressively increasing radii of r1 , r2 , and r3 to define boundaries of three concentric regions having respective areas a1 ( area of a disk bounded by r1 ), a2 ( area of a ring between r1 and r2 ), and a3 ( area of a ring between r2 and r3 ). in an example , the form - one parameter of a particular sector can be expressed using multiple form - one parameters , such as form - one 1 for area a1 , form - one 2 for area a2 , and form - one 3 for area a3 . in an example , form - one 1 , form - one 2 , and form - one 3 for each area a1 , a2 , and a3 can represent derivative parameters , respectively providing an indication of the amount of change in pixel intensity along each radial image profile within the respective concentric region a1 , a2 , and a3 . form - one for each area ( e . g ., a1 , a2 , and a3 ) can be determined by computing the maximum value of the derivative along the image profile within the respective concentric region , a1 , a2 , and a3 as indicated above . in an example , the form - one parameters for a particular sector can be expressed as follows : f1 r is the form - one parameter for a region r l r is the perimeter length ( in pixel count ) for region r δi i is the pixel intensity above the background noise level at 322 , form - two can be calculated using a similar calculation ; however it can be carried out for the concentric region having a radius greater than r3 . at 324 , a fractal dimension parameter of a particular sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as for one or more radial sectors of the energized image . the fractal parameter can be determined by computing a mathematical fractal dimension , such as using a box - counting method for a two - dimensional area . the fractal parameter can be represented by : m is the fractal dimension parameter l is the perimeter length ( in pixel count ) of the sector r i is the inner radius ( see step 304 of fig3 ) at 326 , a reference - subjective parameter ( rs ) for a particular sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as for one or more radial sectors of the energized image . rs can provide a comparison measure between a subject &# 39 ; s image sector and a corresponding sector of a subject - specific calibration image ( e . g ., a calibration image that has been taken on the same day as the subject images ). the rs comparison can be determined both with and without the dielectric 103 in place . in an example , the rs parameter can be determined for a particular sector using the following relationship : rs is the reference - subjective parameter s identifies one sector of interest si s is an average intensity of sector s of the subject image ci s is an average intensity of sector s of a calibration image the value 0 . 05 can be subtracted for normalization sa s is the quantity of active pixels in sector s of the subject image sp s is the total quantity of pixels in sector s of the subject image ca s is the quantity of active pixels in sector s of the calibration image cp s is the total quantity of pixels in sector s of the calibration image the value ∈ can be set to a value ( e . g ., 10 − 4 to ensure stability ) at 328 , a reference - objective parameter ( ro ) for a particular sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ) can be computed , such as for one or more radial sectors of the energized image . the ro parameter can also provide a comparison measure between a subject &# 39 ; s image sector and a corresponding sector of a “ perfect ” subject image ( such as has been previously stored and retrieved from a database ). the ro comparison can be determined both with and without the dielectric 103 in place , just as described above for rs , except that the determination of ro can differ by substituting a population - composite healthy person image for the subject - specific calibration image used in the rs computation . the population - composite healthy person image can be determined by generating a composite image from a sample ( e . g ., of tens of thousands ) of human fingertip images from known or presumed healthy subjects . at 330 , a break parameter can be determined . the break parameter , can represent a gap , providing an indication of whether there is a gap in the inner ring bounding a particular concentric region . a gap can be declared to exist when one or more pixels along such inner ring has an intensity that falls below a threshold value , such as the background noise level . the value of the break parameter can correspond to the size ( e . g ., the circumferential length along the inner ring ) of such gap , if any . if a gap exists , the break parameter can be assigned a specified value , such as a value between 0 and 10 . by way of overview , in an example , each of the parameters described above with respect to fig3 ( e . g ., center point , inner radius , fractal , entropy , etc ., which can be denoted ( x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n )) can be calculated from the energized image , assessed for normality within the dataset ( e . g ., using information from a clinical knowledge base representative of a population of patients including using at least some patients other than the subject ), and statistical outliers can be discarded ( or otherwise adjusted ). after such processing , if any , the parameters described above can be combined , for a particular radial sector , into a sector composite parameter for that radial sector , such as by a weighted linear combination ( e . g ., y = a · z 1 + b · z 2 + c · z 3 + . . . + y · z n , where a , b , c , etc . are scaling coefficients , and z 1 . . . z n are the normal distribution z - scores associated with the parameters described above with respect to fig3 .) the normal distribution z - scores can be determined using information from a clinical knowledge base representative of a population of patients including using at least some patients other than the subject . the sector composite parameter then can be scaled , such as to fit within a defined scale ( e . g ., a scale from 0 to 5 , or a scale from 0 to 25 , which can be defined by a population to which the subject is being compared ( e . g ., using information from a clinical knowledge base representative of a population of patients including using at least some patients other than the subject ), or by other sector composite parameters associated with the same subject ). an example is explained in more detail below with respect to fig4 . the acts described with respect to fig4 can be applied after each of the parameters described above with respect to fig3 has been calculated for each of the radial sectors . at 402 , for each parameter ( x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n ) described above with respect to fig3 , a corresponding average value ( μ 1 , μ 2 , . . . , μ n ) or other central tendency of that parameter can be computed across all radial sectors in the energized image . at 404 , for each parameter ( x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n ) described above with respect to fig3 , a corresponding standard deviation value ( σ 1 , σ 2 , . . . , σ n ) ( or variance , or other measure of dispersion or variability ) of that parameter can be computed across all radial sectors in the energized image . then , a first variability range ( e . g ., of +/− one standard deviation ) of that parameter across all the radial sectors in the energized image can be calculated . then , a second variability range ( e . g ., of +/− three standard deviations ) of that parameter across all the radial sectors in the energized image can be calculated . at 406 , for each radial sector , any parameters that fall within the second variability range ( e . g ., fall within +/− three standard deviations ) can be excluded from the next average and standard deviation calculation . from those parameters that have not been so excluded , and a second average and a second standard deviation can be computed across non - excluded radial sectors . at 408 , a normal distribution z - value ( also called a z - score , where z 1 =( x 1 − μ 1 )/ σ 1 ) can be calculated for all parameters ( x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n ), for all sectors , including those that were excluded from the previous average and standard deviation calculation , of the energized image — but using the applied second average and the applied second standard deviation determined at 406 , instead of the average and standard deviation determined at 402 and 404 . at 410 , for each radial sector , the z - scores described above at 408 can be combined into a sector composite parameter , such as by a weighted linear combination , for example : y is the sector composite parameter a , b , c , etc . are scaling weights z 1 . . . z n are unscaled z - scores described above at 408 in an example , the scaling weights associated with the corresponding unscaled z - scores of the parameters can be as follows : area weight = 0 . 5 intensity weight = 25 entropy weight = 1500 form - one weight = 300 form - two weight = 300 rs weight = 3000 fractal weight = 225 break weight = 5000 the break weight can be applied as an on / off rule : it can be applied if a break is present , and not applied if the break is not present . the break weight can be scaled by a specified value , such as a value that can be between 0 and 10 . at 414 - 424 , one or more rules can then be applied to the sector composite parameter , based upon the z - scores of the parameters associated with that radial sector . at 414 a , if any radial sector meets one or more specified criteria , such as a z - score greater than or equal to a specified value ( e . g ., 0 . 9 ) for both area and intensity , then at 414 b the sector composite parameter for that radial sector can be adjusted , such as by adding an additional amount ( e . g ., 5000 ) to the sector composite parameter for that radial sector of the energized image . at 416 a , if any radial sector meets one or more specified criteria , such as a z - score greater than or equal to 0 . 9 for fractal , then at 416 b the sector composite parameter for that radial sector can be adjusted , such as by adding an additional amount ( e . g ., 10 , 000 ) to the sector composite parameter for that radial sector of the energized image . at 418 a , if any radial sector meets one or more specified criteria , such as a z - score greater than or equal to 0 . 9 for each of form - one , form - two , and entropy , then at 418 b the sector composite parameter for that radial sector can be adjusted , such as by adding an additional amount ( e . g ., 7000 ) to the sector composite parameter for that radial sector of the energized image . at 420 a , if any radial sector meets one or more specified criteria , such as a z - score greater than or equal to 0 . 9 for each of form - one and form - two , then at 420 b the sector composite parameter for that radial sector can be adjusted , such as by adding an additional amount ( e . g ., 5000 ) to the sector composite parameter for that radial sector of the energized image . at 422 a , if any radial sector meets one or more specified criteria , such as a z - score greater than or equal to 0 . 9 for each of form - one and entropy , then at 422 b the sector composite parameter for that radial sector can be adjusted , such as by adding an additional amount ( e . g ., 7000 ) to the sector composite parameter for that radial sector of the energized image . at 424 a , if any radial sector meets one or more specified criteria , such as a z - score greater than or equal to 0 . 9 for each of form - two and entropy , then at 424 b the sector composite parameter for that radial sector can be adjusted , such as by adding an additional amount ( e . g ., 10 , 000 ) to the sector composite parameter for that radial sector of the energized image . at 414 - 424 , the one or more rules can be evaluated ( in the priority listed and shown in fig4 ) such that only one of these rules is actually applied and given effect , such that there is no duplicative adjustment to the sector composite parameter from more than one of the rules of 414 - 424 . at 430 , for those body anatomy organs or systems in table 1 that correspond to both a radial sector of the left hand and a radial sector of the right hand , a left to right differential sector composite parameter (“ delta ”) between the respective sector composite parameters for such left - hand and right - hand radial sectors can be computed . if the delta exceeds 50 % of the value of either of the respective sector composite parameters for such left - hand and right - hand radial sectors corresponding to the same body anatomy organ or system , then an additional amount ( e . g ., 20 , 000 ) can be added to the respective sector composite parameters for such left - hand and right - hand radial sectors corresponding to the same body anatomy organ or system . at 432 , the sector composite parameter for each radial sector of the energized image , after adjusting as described above with respect to 414 - 430 , can be scaled , such as by multiplying or dividing the value of the sector composite parameter by a specified normalizing amount ( e . g ., dividing by 100 ). at 434 , the resulting normalized sector composite parameter can be compared to a within - subject curve ( e . g ., a normal distribution curve compiled from all of the sector composite parameters of the same subject ) and also fit to a population - based curve ( e . g ., a normal distribution curve for the same sector composite parameter from a comparable population or subpopulation of subjects , such as using information from a clinical knowledge base representative of a population of patients including using at least some patients other than the subject ). the population - based curve can be based on a comparable subpopulation of patients , such as based upon one or more factors such as medical history , gender , race , or age ). the location of the sector composite parameter within the within - subject curve can be scaled and reported to the user . the location of the sector composite parameter within the population - based curve can also be scaled and separately reported to the user . at 436 , in an example , two statistical modeling analysis methods can be employed to associate and optimize sector relationship to the particularized response indication that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system , wherein the particularized response indication can be indicative of disease etiology , progression , or pattern as well as severity of ‘ issue ’ or abnormality that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system . a first statistical approach can include naïve - bayes analysis , which can produce one or more probabilities and multiplicative factors for each sector and coefficient - parameter combination . these factors can be applied to the 78 sectors . a resultant physiology - specific composite score that can provide a physiological status indicator that is specific to a particular body anatomy location , component , or system can be produced , such as on a scale of 0 to 5 or 0 to 25 ( e . g ., such as for one of five major organ systems , such as cardiovascular system , 0 to 5 or 0 to 25 , renal system , 0 to 5 or 0 to 25 , respiratory system , 0 to 5 or 0 to 25 , gastrointestinal system , 0 to 5 or 0 to 25 , or hepatic system , 0 to 5 or 0 to 25 ). the higher the physiology - specific score for a particular body anatomy location , component , or system , the greater the probabilistic prediction that there is an issue or abnormality with that particular body anatomy location , component , or system . a second statistical approach that can be employed can include logistic regression , such as using information from a clinical knowledge base representative of a population of patients including using at least some patients other than the subject . in an example , one or more multiplicative factors can be calculated for each sector and coefficient - parameter combination . using these probabilistic outcomes for each sector , a ranking can be created for each sector . in an example , using information from a clinical knowledge base representative of a population of patients including using at least some patients other than the subject , such as across a population of several thousand data points these probabilities have been normalized and translated into a scoring system from 0 to 25 . a score of 25 can indicate the highest probability that there is an issue or abnormality with a particular body anatomy , location , component , or system for the particular individual whose image is being analyzed . within a patient - specific or population - based range , such as the 0 to 25 range example , subranges can be defined , such as can respectively represent a normal response ( e . g ., 0 to 10 ), a chronic response ( e . g ., 11 to 16 ), and an emergent or acute response ( e . g ., 17 to 25 ). these subranges can be scaled to correspond to a specified cutoff value in a patient - specific or population - based distribution of such physiology - specific composite scores . for example , the 0 to 10 subrange can correspond to values within a 68 % cutoff value ( inclusive ) on the patient - specific or population - based distribution , the subrange 11 to 16 can be scaled to correspond to values between a 69 % cutoff value and a 95 % cutoff value ( inclusive ), and the subrange 17 to 25 can be scaled to correspond to values that are greater than the 95 % cutoff value . although the above example is described using a scale from 0 to 25 , another scale ( e . g ., 0 to 5 ) can be selected and used . trending over time ( e . g ., over a time period of days , weeks , months , or years ) can be carried out , such as on the physiology - specific composite score , on one or more of its underlying parameters , or on the image or other at least 2d spatial or spatiotemporal response information . in an example , one or more such trends can be analyzed , such as to provide a trend - based physiological status indication or other particularized response indication that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system . in an example , the information generated as discussed above ( e . g ., one or more of the parameters , the physiology - specific composite scores , or the trends ) can be presented to a diagnostician , caregiver , or other user . this can be in the form of one or more textual or pictorial reports , charts , or images that can be displayed or printed or otherwise provided to the user or to an automated process . fig5 shows an illustrative example of a report that can be presented to a user . in the example of fig5 , the physiology - specific composite scores can be presented to a user , such as in association with various particular body anatomy locations , components , or systems ( which can be annotated “ l ” or “ r ” if separate physiologic - specific composite scores are generated from the left and right hands for that particular physiology - specific composite score ). thus , in the illustrative example of fig5 , the scores are presented in visual correspondence with their respective particular body anatomy location , component , or system ( e . g ., one or any combination of eye ( l ), eye ( r ), ear / nose / sinus ( l ), ear / nose / sinus ( r ), jaw / teeth ( l ), jaw / teeth ( r ), cervical spine , thoracic spine , lumbar spine , sacrum , coccyx / pelvis , nervous system , hypothalamus , pituitary , pineal , cerebral cortex , cerebral vessels , immune system , spleen , etc . ), which , in turn can be organized into more generic systems ( e . g ., “ sensory & amp ; skeletal systems ,” “ nervous & amp ; immune systems ”, etc .). in an example , the physiologic specific composite scores that are presented in the user can include both “ physical ” and “ autonomic ” composite scores . the physical composite scores can be determined , such as described above , from energized images that can be acquired with the dielectric barrier 103 in place . the autonomic composite scores can be obtained , such as described above , from the energized images that can be acquired without the dielectric barrier in place . the autonomic composite scores can include a component arising from stress or anxiety of the subject . the physical composite scores can attenuate such a component arising from stress or anxiety of the subject . in the example of fig5 , both the physical and autonomic composite scores can be presented in such a manner so that the user can easily tell whether they fall within a normal range , or whether they fall outside the normal range . likewise , the physical and autonomic composite scores can be presented in such a manner so that the user can easily tell whether they were obtained using left - hand images ( l ) or right - hand images ( r ). in the example of fig5 , this can be accomplished by presenting the composite scores in separate columns that can help make such distinctions , such as : normal physical ( l ), normal physical ( r ), out of range physical ( l ), out of range physical ( r ), out of range autonomic ( l ), out of range autonomic ( r ), normal autonomic ( l ), and normal autonomic ( r ). the particular composite score can be placed within the appropriate column . in the example of fig5 , the user &# 39 ; s attention can be drawn toward the center - most columns to view or compare out of range physical and autonomic values . in an example using a 0 to 25 scale , physiologic - specific composite score values in the range between 0 and 10 inclusive can be considered normal , and can be displayed without any special color , values in the range between 11 and 16 inclusive can be considered representative of chronic electrophysiology conditions or patterns , and can be displayed in a particular color ( e . g ., red ), and values in the range between 17 and 25 inclusive can be considered representative of more emergent or acute electrophysiology conditions or patterns , and can be displayed in a particular color ( e . g ., red ) and otherwise highlighted ( e . g ., with yellow highlighting background ). although the above example is described using a scale from 0 to 25 , another scale ( e . g ., 0 to 5 ) can be selected and used . in an example , a first (“ self - scale ”) report such as illustrated in the example of fig5 can be provided in which “ normal ” and “ out of range ” can be determined with respect to a distribution or baseline of data previously obtained from the same subject , and a second (“ population comparison ”) report such as illustrated in the example of fig5 can be provided in which “ normal ” and “ out of range ” can be determined using information from a clinical knowledge base representative of a population of patients including using at least some patients other than the subject , such as with respect to a distribution or baseline of data previously obtained from a population or subpopulation of subjects . in an example , both such self - scale and population comparison reports can be combined in a textual or pictorial report that can be displayed or otherwise presented to the user or an automated process . in an example , the user can select whether to display one or both of the individual reports or the combined report . fig6 shows another illustrative example of a report that can be presented to a user . in the example of fig6 , the physiology - specific composite scores can be presented in a table , such as shown . the table can be sorted , such as by organ or by side ( left - hand , right - hand ) for both the physical system measurements ( e . g ., determined using energized images obtained without the capacitive barrier ) and the autonomic system measurements ( e . g ., determined using energized images obtained with the capacitive barrier ). in an example , the table presented can be user - filtered , such as by one or more organs , by autonomic or physical , or by or one or more other user - specified display filter characteristics ( e . g ., such as low - to - high or high - to - low physiology - specific composite score ). in the examples shown in fig5 - 6 , or other examples , textual or other explanatory content can also be provided , such as can help the user understand relationships between organ system results , between physical and autonomic results , between left - hand and right - hand results , or to assist user - interpretation in any other way . for example , it is believed that the physiology - specific composite scores of certain particular body anatomy locations , components , or systems interact with other physiology - specific composite scores . in another example , it is also believed that a greater difference between left - hand and right - hand physiologic - specific composite scores for a particular body anatomy location , component , or system , ( or set of such physiology - specific composite scores ) can correlate to a greater likelihood of the presence of a corresponding pathological physiological status . in an example , the information displayed or otherwise presented to the user need not focus on the physiologic - specific composite scores , but can additionally or alternatively include information about one or more parameters , which can optionally be presented together with information about one or more corresponding particular body anatomy locations , components , or systems , or any helpful explanatory test . in an illustrative example , this can include information about the reference - subjective or reference - objective parameters described above , or differences between the reference - subjective or reference - objective parameters , or one or more trends in any of these , such as together with an interpretive explanation of how such information can be influenced by nervous system issues of the subject . in an example , the system described herein can be calibrated for acquiring the energized images as described above . in an example , this calibration can be carried out as explained below , such as on the same day on which the actual energized images are to be acquired from the subject . first , a series of ten energized finger images can be acquired , using a specified manufacture of calibration probe rather than a human finger and then matrix analysis can be performed . each image can be represented by an intensity matrix having two spatial dimensions ( e . g ., x = 320 pixels by y = 240 pixels ) and an intensity dimension . then , the image data can be processed , such as to determine a variability in intensity and geographical location ( finger position ). each of the ten images can be centered with respect to a calibration template image , and then compared against the calibration template image . a respective measure of the difference between the intensity and geographical location of the image and the calibration image can be determined . in an example , the calibration template image can be a calculated composite matrix that can be determined based on calibration images gathered over time from several different cameras and assessed for variability , such as across hundreds of images . in an example , the calibration template image can be established by generating a representative radial profile of 5 degrees from the various calibration images gathered over time , and the representative radial profile can be copied 72 times at 5 degree increments to form a 360 degree calibration template image . in an example , the calibration template image can be a calculated composite matrix that can be determined based on one or more calibration images gathered using a calibration probe of a specified manufacture , such as a specified size , shape , or material ( e . g ., a tungsten - composite solid cylindrical metal probe ). the calibration probe can be placed directly onto the glass electrode , and one or more images can be obtained . in an example , 5 images can be captured , but not recorded , and the following 10 images are captured and recorded . the 10 recorded images of the calibration probe can be analyzed as follows . first , the background noise can be determined , such as by finding the highest intensity gradient in the calibration probe image ( e . g ., the inner edge of the calibration probe image ). then , the lower intensity pixels can be removed until the radius vector is consistent to the inner edge ( highest intensity gradient ). this radius vector can be calculated as the number of pixels from the center of the image to the inner edge of the calibration probe , as represented by the highest intensity gradient . next , from the center of the calibration probe image , rings generated using specified multiples of the length of the inner edge radius vector can be calculated ( e . g ., 1 . 2 •* length of radius vector , 1 . 4 •* length of radius vector , 1 . 8 •* length of radius vector , etc .). such rings can be equally - spaced . within each such ring , the area and average intensity can be calculated , such as described above with reference to similar parameter calculations . the consistency of the area and average intensity for each ring can be analyzed across all 10 recorded calibration probe images , and a range of +/− one standard deviation can be calculated . if the standard deviation falls within a specified range , then an acceptable level of calibration can be declared to exist , and acquisition and processing of actual energized fingertip images can commence . otherwise , an unacceptable level of calibration can be declared to exist , and either : ( 1 ) acquisition and processing of actual energized fingertip images can be inhibited , prevented , or qualified , or ( 2 ) one or more data acquisition or signal processing parameters can be adjusted and used . the apparatuses and methods described herein can include using not only static image capture and analysis ( or other static at least 2d spatial response capture or analysis ), but can additionally or alternatively include using dynamic image capture and analysis , such as at least two ( spatial ) dimensional spatiotemporal response capture or analysis ). in an illustrative example , a static image capture process can include capturing images for an exposure period of 0 . 5 seconds , during which 10 frames per second can be captured , thereby capturing 5 static image frames during the 0 . 5 second exposure period , after an initial specified ramp - up delay , such as can be established by hardware , software , or firmware . in an illustrative example , a dynamic image capture process can include capturing images for an exposure period that can be between 0 . 5 seconds and 30 seconds , such as using a 10 frame per second image capture rate , after an initial 200 millisecond delay , such as can be established by hardware , software , or firmware . this can result in capturing close to 300 image frames during a 30 second exposure period . in an example , dynamic image or spatiotemporal response analysis can include computing the parameters and coefficients ( such as described above ) for each image frame in the dynamic imaging set of images , and optionally performing fourier or harmonic analysis to assess the frequency response of one or more such coefficients and parameters . such frequency domain information can be used in the determination of the physiological status indication or other particularized response indication that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system , such as by statistical comparison to the within - patient distribution or to the population - based distribution . it is believed that such frequency domain information may further improve the sensitivity or specificity of the physiological status indication or other particularized response indication that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system . it is believed that each parameter can provide a unique frequency measure that can be calculated , specific to each person and each organ system for this person , a composite profile of which may be able yield profile information of individuals , such as for later recognition or identification of the subject using the system . the frequency measure of individual parameters , coefficients , or of the composite profile , can be used to provide a baseline measure , to which comparison can be made to determine a physiological status of the subject . example 1 can include subject matter ( such as an apparatus , a method , a means for performing acts , or a storage device or other tangible nontransitory device - readable medium including instructions that , when performed by the device , cause the device to perform acts ) that can include or use obtaining at least two ( spatial ) dimensional ( 2d ) spatial or spatiotemporal response information ( such as an image , a time - series of images , or frequency domain or time - frequency information derived from images or other response information ) of visible or other light ( e . g ., in the electromagnetic spectrum between the visible spectrum and uv spectrum , inclusive ) associated with a body part , such as around a finger or toe of a subject . the spatial response information can be obtained at a light detector capable of providing information about at least first and second spatial dimensions that are orthogonal to each other , and can optionally include a temporal or frequency dimension . the light can be obtained in response to electromagnetic field ( e . g ., electrical ) stimulation of the finger or toe sufficient to produce the light at the light detector around the finger or toe . the spatial response information can be mapped , registered , or otherwise associated to a specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system ( e . g ., that is particular to a selected particular one of : a cardiovascular system , a gastrointestinal / endocrine system , a respiratory system , a renal system , or a hepatic system ) that is remote from the finger or toe at which the image information was obtained . the associating can include radially sectoring the at least 2d spatial response information — which can be included in at least two spatial dimensional spatiotemporal response information , such as a time series of images , for example . a plurality of parameters can be computed ( e . g ., center point , minimum radius , maxim radius , image angle , background noise level , inner radius , area , intensity , form - one , form - two , entropy , fractal , reference - subjective , or break ). computing parameters can include using the radially sectored 2d spatial response information to compute at least one of the parameters ( e . g ., area , intensity , form - one , form - two , entropy , fractal , reference - subjective , or break ), which can be computed for a particular radial sector ( or a specified subset of the radial sectors that is smaller than the set of all radial sectors ). at least one of the parameters can be adjusted ( e . g ., scaled , normalized , discarded ) or compared ( e . g ., to a corresponding threshold value , or to a population or subpopulation distribution of values ) using information from a clinical knowledge base ( e . g ., stored in a memory circuit , a database , or obtained ) representative of a population of patients including using at least some patients other than the subject ( e . g ., in addition or as an alternative to information obtained from the same subject ). the at least one adjusted parameter can be used for using the spatial response information for providing a particularized response indication ( e . g ., a odds ratio or other form of physiological status indicator ) that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system . example 2 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of example 1 to optionally include or use , the particularized response indication indicating a relative risk ( e . g ., using an odds ratio or other indication ) of an abnormal physiological state of the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system relative to at least one of ( 1 ) at least one other particular body anatomy , location , component , or system or ( 2 ) a normal physiological state of the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system . example 3 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 or 2 to optionally include or use , the at least 2d spatial response information being pre - processed , e . g ., before computing the plurality of parameters , such as to attenuate or ignore one or more spatial response artifacts within at least one designated area of the at least 2d spatial response information ( e . g ., within an ellipse or other area corresponding to the outline of the fingertip ). example 4 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 3 to optionally include or use , the signal processor circuit being configured such that the at least 2d spatial response information can be pre - processed , e . g ., before computing the plurality of parameters , such as to automatically orient the at least 2d spatial response information at least one of rotationally or translationally . this can include using the live image to orient the energized image to within a few degrees , as explained above . example 5 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 4 to optionally include or use , the at least 2d spatial response information being pre - processed , e . g ., before computing the plurality of parameters , such as to calibrate the at least 2d spatial response information . such calibration can include using calibration at least 2d spatial response information obtained using a specified manufacture ( e . g ., size , shape , material ) of calibration probe ( e . g ., a solid cylindrical tungsten or other metal calibration probed ) in place of the finger or toe of the subject . example 6 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 5 to optionally include or use , the calibration at least 2d spatial response information to normalize the at least 2d spatial response information across different light detectors . this can help reduce or eliminate variability between measurements made with different apparatuses such as described herein . example 7 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 6 to optionally include or use , the calibration at least 2d spatial response information to adjust at least one of the parameters . example 8 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 6 to optionally include or use , the calibration at least 2d spatial response information for qualifying whether the at least 2d spatial response information is suitable for use for computing at least one of the parameters . example 9 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 7 to optionally include or use , the particularized response indication being exclusive to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system , and being exclusive of other particular body anatomy , locations , components , or systems . example 10 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 9 to optionally include or use , the associating including computing the particularized response indication using both at least 2d spatial light intensity aggregate and density information . example 11 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 10 to optionally include or use , an electrode that can be configured to provide the electromagnetic field or electrical stimulation to the finger or toe of the subject . the stimulation can include ac electrical stimulation . the electrode can be transparent enough to pass at least a portion of the visible or other light around the finger or toe of a subject . the light detector can be included in the apparatus . the light detector can be configured to receive from the electrode the passed at least a portion of the visible or other light around the finger or toe of a subject . the light detector can be configured to provide to the signal processor circuit at least two - dimensional ( 2d ) spatial response information of visible or other light around a finger or toe of a subject . a dielectric barrier can be provided , such as between ( 1 ) the finger or toe of the subject and ( 2 ) the electrode or the light detector . the dielectric barrier can be configured to be transparent enough to pass at least a portion of the visible or other light around the finger or toe of the subject . the particularized response indication can be exclusive to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system , and can be exclusive of other particular body anatomy , locations , components , or systems . the associating can include computing the particularized response indication using both at least 2d spatial light intensity aggregate and density information . the spatial response information can include at least 2d first spatial response information and at least 2d second spatial response information . the associating can include computing the particularized response information using differential or other relative information that can be determined between ( 1 ) the at least 2d first spatial response information , obtained with the presence of a dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector , and ( 2 ) the at least 2d second spatial response information , obtained without the presence of the dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector . example 12 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 11 to optionally include or use , the spatial response information including at least 2d first spatial response information and at least 2d second spatial response information . the associating can include computing the particularized response information using differential or other relative information determined between ( 1 ) the at least 2d first spatial response information , obtained with the presence of a dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector , and ( 2 ) the at least 2d second spatial response information , obtained without the presence of the dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector . example 13 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 12 to optionally include or use the associating including computing the particularized response indication using a trending over time of each of the spatial light intensity aggregate information and the spatial light intensity density information . example 14 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 13 to optionally include or use the associating including computing the particularized response indication using a polynomial relationship of an area and an average intensity of the spatial light intensity information . example 15 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 14 to optionally include or use , determining a physiological status indicator ( e . g ., an odds ratio indicating a relative likelihood of an abnormal physiological state ) using the particularized response information . the physiological status indicator can be provided to a user or automated process . example 16 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 15 to optionally include or use the spatial response information for providing a particularized response indication that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy location , component , or system comprising a selected particular one of : a cardiovascular system , a gastrointestinal / endocrine system , a respiratory system , a renal system , or a hepatic system . example 17 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 16 to optionally include or use , the spatial response information for providing a particularized response indication including determining an entropy parameter of the spatial response information . example 18 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 17 to optionally include or use , the spatial response information for providing a particularized response indication including determining a form - one parameter of the spatial response information that is within a specified centered first annulus region between an inner first radius of the annulus and an outer second radius of the annulus . example 19 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 18 to optionally include or use , the spatial response information for providing the particularized response indication including also determining a form - two parameter of the spatial response information that is within a specified centered second annulus region between the inner first radius of the annulus and an outer third radius of the annulus , wherein the third radius exceeds the second radius . example 20 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 19 to optionally include or use , the spatial response information for providing the particularized response indication includes determining a fractal parameter of the spatial response information using ( 1 ) a perimeter of spatial response pixels exceeding a specified threshold value and ( 2 ) a spatial variation in the perimeter of spatial response pixels exceeding the specified threshold value . example 21 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 20 to optionally include or use , the spatial response information including an at least 2d first spatial response information and an at least 2d second spatial response information , and wherein the translating the spatial response information into a particularized response indication includes using first differential information determined between ( 1 ) the first spatial response , obtained with the presence of a dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector ; and ( 2 ) the second image , obtained without the presence of the dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector ; and wherein the spatial response includes an at least 2d third spatial response and an at least 2d fourth spatial response , and wherein the translating the spatial response information into a particularized response indication includes using second differential information determined between ( 1 ) the third spatial response , obtained as a calibration spatial response with the presence of a dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector ; and ( 2 ) the fourth spatial response , obtained as a calibration image without the presence of the dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector . example 22 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 21 to optionally include or use , the second spatial response , the third spatial response , and the fourth spatial response being obtained from the same subject and same day calibration spatial response . example 23 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 22 to optionally include or use , the first spatial response and the second spatial response being obtained from the same subject , and wherein the third spatial response and the fourth spatial response are obtained by composite information from different subjects . example 24 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 23 to optionally include or use , the spatial response including a first spatial response and a second spatial response , and wherein the translating the spatial response information into a particularized response indication includes computing the particularized response indication using a reference - subjective parameter determined from ( 1 ) a composite intensity and ( 2 ) a spatial extent of active pixels , as determined for each of ( 1 ) the first spatial response , obtained with the presence of a dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector ; and ( 2 ) the second spatial response , obtained without the presence of the dielectric barrier between the finger or toe and the light detector . example 25 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 19 to optionally include or use , the spatial response information for providing a particularized response indication includes computing the physiological status indicator using an reference - subjective parameter determined from ( 1 ) a composite intensity and ( 2 ) a spatial extent of active pixels . example 26 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 25 to optionally include or use , sampling the spatial response information repeatedly over sampling period of interest at a sampling rate exceeding twice a frequency bandwidth of a parameter of interest ; determining a frequency characteristic of the parameter of interest ; and determining the physiological status indication using the frequency characteristic of the parameter of interest . example 27 can include or use , or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of any of examples 1 through 26 to optionally include or use , displaying a visual illustration of the subject ; and labeling the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system with information about the particularized response indicator that is particular to the specified particular body anatomy , location , component , or system . these non - limiting examples can be combined in any permutation or combination . the above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings , which form a part of the detailed description . the drawings show , by way of illustration , specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced . these embodiments are also referred to herein as “ examples .” such examples can include elements in addition to those shown or described . however , the present inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided . moreover , the present inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described ( or one or more aspects thereof ), either with respect to a particular example ( or one or more aspects thereof ), or with respect to other examples ( or one or more aspects thereof ) shown or described herein . in the event of inconsistent usages between this document and any documents incorporated by reference , the usage in this document controls . in this document , the terms “ a ” or “ an ” are used , as is common in patent documents , to include one or more than one , independent of any other instances or usages of “ at least one ” or “ one or more .” in this document , the term “ or ” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or , such that “ a or b ” includes “ a but not b ,” “ b but not a ,” and “ a and b ,” unless otherwise indicated . in this document , the terms “ including ” and “ in which ” are used as the plain - english equivalents of the respective terms “ comprising ” and “ wherein .” also , in the following claims , the terms “ including ” and “ comprising ” are open - ended , that is , a system , device , article , or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim . moreover , in the following claims , the terms “ first ,” “ second ,” and “ third ,” etc . are used merely as labels , and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects . method examples described herein can be machine or computer - implemented at least in part . some examples can include a computer - readable medium or machine - readable medium encoded with instructions operable to configure an electronic device to perform methods as described in the above examples . an implementation of such methods can include code , such as microcode , assembly language code , a higher - level language code , or the like . such code can include computer readable instructions for performing various methods . the code may form portions of computer program products . further , in an example , the code can be tangibly stored on one or more volatile , non - transitory , or non - volatile tangible computer - readable media , such as during execution or at other times . examples of these tangible computer - readable media can include , but are not limited to , hard disks , removable magnetic disks , removable optical disks ( e . g ., compact disks and digital video disks ), magnetic cassettes , memory cards or sticks , random access memories ( rams ), read only memories ( roms ), and the like . the above description is intended to be illustrative , and not restrictive . for example , the above - described examples ( or one or more aspects thereof ) may be used in combination with each other . other embodiments can be used , such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . the abstract is provided to comply with 37 c . f . r . § 1 . 72 ( b ), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure . it is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims . also , in the above detailed description , various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure . this should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim . rather , inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment . the scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . | 0 |
players of gaming machines are allowed to risk residual credits , where a particular gaming system or gaming machine is unable to dispense units of monetary value equivalent to the residual credit . in return for that risk the player is given the chance to win a prize of some significance , such as a jackpot pool . sources of the prizes of a residual credit jackpot which the player undertakes may be jackpots or other prizes . there are two basic types of residual credit jackpots being instant resolution and delayed resolution both of which will be described in further detail below . a player that completes the gambling games and has credits remaining within the gaming system , but which are insufficient to collect as a whole credit may be offered a range of options to use or deal with the remaining or residual credit . the player may continue playing the particular gaming machine until enough credit is raised or realised to enable the machine to pay out units of monetary value that are equivalent to or achieve as much credit owing to the player . alternatively , as in the present invention the player can select a residual credit jackpot redemption feature . the residual credit triggers a prize based on one of the three scenarios which are outlined in the following description . firstly , where the residual jackpot is an instant resolution , the residual stake of the player is calculated as a percentage of the possible prize or prizes , such as a jackpot pool . this is the percentage chance that the residual stake results in winning . a random number is then generated and if this number is less than or equal to the percentage chance to win then an appropriate prize is awarded to the player . referring to the instant resolution in further detail with reference to fig1 at step 100 , the residual credit lottery system is initialised and then at step 102 a prize value is obtained . at step 104 the upper limit of the random number generator range is determined whereby the limit of the range is equivalent to the prize divided by the denomination . the process moves to step 106 where a determination is made of the range of outcomes that would result in a win . thus the winning range upper limit would equal the residual credit divided by the denomination . the process then moves to step 108 where an outcome is generated from the random number generator and a decision is made at step 110 as to whether the outcome has resulted in a win . in other words , if the outcome is a value between 1 and the winning range upper limit , then a prize is awarded at step 112 and the residual credit lottery is terminated at step 114 . if the outcome is not a win , then the process moves to step 114 where the residual credit lottery is terminated . as an example of how the above flow chart works and how the instant resolution is determined , a player may have 50 cents remaining for a system that dispenses dollar coins only . the denomination of the system is 10 cents . the player is offered a selection of residual credit resolution options of which the player selects residual credit jackpot redemption . the single prize award is $ 1 , 000 so that the player has a five in ten thousand chance of winning the $ 1 , 000 prize . this has been determined by the fact that the player has 50 cents remaining and the prize is $ 1 , 000 . the upper range of the random number generation outcome is determined by the prize divided by the denomination which is equivalent to 1 , 000 divided by 0 . 10 equal to 10 , 000 . thus the total range of the random number generation is 1 ≧ outcome ≧ 10 , 000 . the winning range is determined to have an upper limit equivalent to the residual credit which is 50 cents divided by the denomination of 10 cents which gives the result of 5 . therefore , if the outcome is any one of the numerals 1 to 5 , then the player will win the prize of $ 1 , 000 . shown in fig2 is a controller 120 that forms part of the game machine having a processor 122 , data storage means 124 and memory means 126 . linked to the controller 120 is a mechanism 128 that inputs pulses to the controller 120 to indicate that the player has provided sufficient credit in playing . the controller 120 preferably drives a video display screen ( not shown ) and receives input signals from sensors to determine actions of the player . the controller 120 further drives a payout mechanism ( not shown ) which for example may be a coin output . also provided is a random number generator 130 which is input to the controller 120 . the processor 122 specifically determines an upper limit for the random number generating range according to step 104 in fig1 and already has inputs from the mechanism 128 to determine the amount of credit remaining for a player and will also from the memory 126 have access to the denomination of the gaming system or machine . therefore various player outcomes can be set up and calculated knowing the residual credit and denomination . once the random number generator 130 generates a number or an outcome this is then compared by the processor to the outcomes of the player . if a match is determined then a prize is awarded to the player . computer programs that implement a game and game features are stored in memory 126 and runs on a standard gaming console control processor which may be processor 122 . another possible type of residual credit jackpot is that of delayed resolution . in this scenario a residual stake of the player is stored along with residual stakes of other players . the means of associating the ownership of the stake to an individual or a group is also stored along with the respective residual stake . the residual stakes are accumulated until the total of the residual stakes is equal in value to the total of all prizes . each residual individual stake then represents a finite portion of the prize and also represents a percentage chance to win a prize . a random number is then generated by a random number generator and if the number falls into the finite segment that represents a specific stake of a player , then that stake is determined as winning a prize and the player is accordingly awarded a prize . with reference to fig3 the process is described and shown in more detail . firstly , at step 200 the residual credit lottery is created and at step 202 the residual credit lottery is initialised to zero and this initial value is then stored in a storage module 222 ( or equivalently 308 ) for the residual credit lottery . at step 204 , a residual credit upper limit is defined being the prize divided by the denomination . then at step 206 the residual credit lottery initialisation is terminated . at step 210 the player residual credit lottery is commenced and at step 212 the residual credit and unique identity of the owner of the stake is obtained . the total number of residual lottery numbers allocated to a particular player equals the residual credit divided by the denomination . at step 214 a determination is made as to the number and value of outcomes that results in a win . at step 216 each residual lottery value is stored together with the owner identity in a storage module such as 308 . this occurs for all of the players involved in this lottery . at step 218 the residual credit is added to the residual credit lottery in the data storage module 222 ( or 308 ) and at step 220 the player residual credit lottery is terminated . in order to resolve the residual credit lottery 224 , the current value taken from the residual credit lottery data storage module 222 ( or 308 ) is input into a comparator at step 226 which compares that current value to the upper limit of the residual credit derived from step 204 . the process then moves to step 228 where a determination is made as to whether the current value equals the upper limit . if not the process reverts to step 226 but if the current value does equal the residual credit upper limit an outcome is generated by the random number generator at step 230 . at step 232 the generated outcome is compared to all of the residual stakes . at step 234 a determination is made as to whether the generated outcome equals an allocated residual lottery number or numbers . if not , the process returns to step 232 but if the outcome equals one or more of an allocated residual lottery number then the winner is identified at step 236 and the winner contacted to collect the prize at step 238 . as an example of the delayed residual credit jackpot scenario the following can be considered . a player has 60 cents remaining in residual credit for a system that dispenses only dollar coins . the denomination of the system is 10 cents . the player is known to the system and identified under an identification code such as ( xxx . . . xxx ) which is unique to an individual . the total prize is currently worth $ 66 . 10 and a single prize award of $ 100 will be offered that will be resolved when the system accumulates enough residual credit stakes from all of the players when it totals $ 100 . the player is offered a selection of residual credit resolution options of which the player selects residual credit jackpot redemption . the total prize is now worth $ 66 . 70 given that 60 cents of that player is added to the current total prize of $ 66 . 10 . the player identified by ( xxx . . . xxx ) is allocated the numbers 662 , 663 , 664 , 665 , 666 and 667 as the player has a residual credit of 60 cents and the denomination is 10 cents giving the player six numbers so allocated . as the single prize is $ 100 and the denomination is 10 cents , the upper limit of the range will be 1 , 000 numbers . the residual credit upper limit is $ 100 and at step 226 this is compared to the current value of the residual credit lottery formed by the residual amounts of each of the players . thus in fig5 it is noted that the sequence of numbers from 662 up to 667 as a wager belongs to the player identified as ( xxx . . . xxx ). other numbers between 1 and 1 , 000 and outside of the range 662 to 667 would belong to other players . eventually the accumulated prize reaches $ 100 and the range of the random number generation outcome is determined to be between 1 and 1 , 000 . any random number generated that falls in the range 662 through to 667 results in the player identified under code ( xxx . . . xxx ) winning $ 100 . alternatively the numbers allocated to the player need not be sequential as in the above scenario . for example with reference to fig6 out of the 1 , 000 numbers n1 , n3 and n6 may belong to a player identified as ( yyy . . . yyy ) and numbers identified by n2 , n4 and n5 may belong as a total wager to the player identified by ( zzz . . . zzz ). shown in fig4 is an overall game controller 300 that receives inputs from various game machines 302 , 304 , 306 and any number of other game machines operated on by players . it receives updates from each of the game machines on residual credits that are owing to players which cannot be otherwise paid out to the player , for example due to the coin denomination of the machine . it has a data storage means 308 , a memory means 310 and a processor 312 and also receives inputs from a random number generator 314 . a prize limit is set and players that opt to add their residual credit to form a cumulative total of the prize are given outcome values based on the current cumulative total of the prize and this is determined by the processor 312 and stored in the data storage means 308 . player identifications are also stored in the data storage means 308 with the outcome values . once the random number generator 314 generates one or more random outcomes these are compared with the stored player outcomes and any matches are determined by the processor 312 to identify winners . it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described . the present embodiments are , therefore , to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . | 6 |
referring to fig1 , a slot machine 10 of the present invention is shown . the slot machine 10 may have a housing 12 . the housing 12 maybe used to store and protect the internal circuitry of the slot machine 10 . a front panel 14 of the housing 10 may have a window 16 . the window 16 may be used to show the playing area of the slot machine 10 . the playing area may be a plurality of reels 17 as shown in fig1 . alternatively , the playing area may be a video screen or the like . one or more game information displays 19 may be located on the front panel 14 . the game information displays 19 may be used to show the number of credits available , how many credits are being played , and the like . the listing of the above is given as examples and should not be seen in a limiting manner . the front panel 14 may have a currency collector 18 . the currency collector 18 may be used to insert currency in to the slot machine 10 . the currency collector 18 may be a coin input 18 a , or a paper currency collector 18 b . other types of currency collectors 18 may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , a card reading device may be used which may be able to read , a credit card , debit card , casino player &# 39 ; card and the like . one or more display panels 20 may be formed in the front panel 14 . the display panels 20 may be illuminate panels , video screens , or the like . the display panels 20 may be used to show different information about the slot machine 10 and or to attract individuals to the slot machine 10 to play . the display panels 20 may show a name of the slot machine , the payout for the slot machine , directions on how to play the slot machine , and the like . the above listing of the information which may be shown on the display panels 20 is given as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner . the front panel 14 may further have a currency outlet 22 and a collection tray 24 . the currency outlet 22 may be used to dispense winnings from the slot machine 10 . the collection tray 24 may be used to collect all the winnings that may be dispensed from the slot machine 10 . the front panel 14 may have a plurality of input devices 26 . the input devices 26 may be used to activate and rotate the plurality of reels 17 , play a set amount of credits , cash - out , and the like . the above are given as examples . the input devices 26 may serve other features without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the slot machine 10 may also have a lever 28 located on a side panel 30 . the lever 28 may also be used to activate and rotate the plurality of reels 17 . the slot machine 10 may have a plurality of other features . for example , the slot machine may have one or more speakers 32 , a light indicator 34 to signal that help is needed or that a bonus payout has been won , a ticket dispenser 36 for dispensing printed tickets of credits , and the like . referring now to fig2 , a simplified block diagram of a portion of the circuitry of the slot machine 10 is shown . the slot machine 10 may have a wager receiver / counter device 36 . the wager receiver / counter device 36 receives any coins , paper currency , and or casino / credit card inserted into the currency collector 18 . the wager receiver / counter device 36 determines what was inserted into the currency collector 18 and sends this information to a processor 38 . the processor 38 will then provide the proper amount of credits for playing the slot machine . the processor 38 may be coupled to one or more of the game information displays 19 . the game information displays 19 may show the number of credits available , the number of credits being played , and the like . the processor 38 may further be programmed to control operation of the slot machine . hence , the processor may be used to control the operation of the window 16 to show the playing area of the slot machine 10 . thus , the processor 38 may be used to rotate and control the plurality of reels 17 and or video reels in the window 16 . in accordance with one embodiment , the processor 38 may provide multiple credits for each paid credit . for example , if the slot machine is a $ 1 . 00 slot machine , for each dollar paid , the processor 38 may provide 2 credits or more . thus , a player may be given an option of playing additional rounds for a single credit paid or playing multiple credits for a single credit paid . in the above example , the player may have two plays / pulls for a single credit paid or alternatively , play two credits on a single play / pull . in accordance with one embodiment , the player may two plays / pulls for a single credit paid . in this embodiment , the game information displays 19 may show the number of credits and also how many pulls per credit . for example , if the slot machine is a $ 1 . 00 slot machine , for each dollar paid , the processor 38 may provide 2 or more pulls . in this embodiment , the player is not given additional credits . each player is given one credit per the designated payment , one credit for each dollar paid in the present example . however , each player is given multiple pulls per credit regardless if the first and or previous pull was a winning combination . in this embodiment , one of the game information displays 19 may show the total amount of credits , the current number of pulls for the current credit being played , and the like . for example , the game information displays 19 may show that the player is on the 2 nd of 3 pulls for the credit being played . it should be noted , that while the above embodiments may allow a player to receive multiple credits for each paid credit and or multiple plays / pulls for a single credit paid , the slot machine 10 may be programmed to keep the same and or similar payout schedule as current slot machines . hence , while the above embodiments may appear to give players better odds at obtaining a payout , the slot machine 10 may be programmed to give the same and or similar payout schedule as present slot machine . while embodiments of the disclosure have been described in terms of various specific embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the disclosure can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims . | 6 |
fig1 and 2 illustrate exemplary smram memory maps according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention . memory map 100 corresponds to a computer having a non - memory - extended processor . memory map 200 corresponds to a computer having a memory - extended processor . state save areas 102 , 202 are for the purpose of storing the state of a host processor while it is in smm . these state save areas should be located at intel - prescribed offsets from smbase so that the host processor may correctly store and retrieve its state information upon entering and exiting smm , respectively . in the case of the non - memory - extended processor , state save area 102 contains 32 - bit register contents . ( a location for the contents of the eax register is shown by way of example .) in the case of the memory - extended processor , state save area 202 is larger than state save area 102 and contains 64 - bit register contents . ( a location for the contents of the rax register is shown by way of example . the low - order 32 - bits of the rax register correspond to the contents of the eax register , but the offsets of the eax and rax register contents within state save areas 102 and 202 may differ .) smi handler code 104 may be the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory - extended . it may be located anywhere in memory so long as its first instruction is stored at an intel - prescribed location so that the host processor may successfully find a proper starting point upon entering smm . the smi handler code is for the purpose of implementing a variety of smi utility functions exported by the bios firmware . in addition to implementing those functions , it may also implement method 300 to be described below in relation to fig3 . data structure 106 is a register contents table . like the smi handler code , it may be the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended . it may be located anywhere in smram . its purpose is to contain a copy of all or a portion of the contents of state save area 102 / 202 during the handling of an smi . in a preferred embodiment , smi handler code 104 may be written so that it uses only 32 - bit register values and 32 - bit addresses . in this manner , the same smi handler code may be used on both memory - extended and non - memory - extended platforms . thus , in memory map 100 , register contents table 106 may contain , for example , a copy of the entire contents of the eax register at offset 108 from the beginning of the table . in memory map 200 , the location at offset 108 in register contents table 106 would contain just the low - order 32 - bits of the rax register . the specific registers shown in the drawings ( rax and eax ) are shown by way of illustration only . in actual embodiments of the invention , registers other than those shown in the drawings may be chosen for copying into register contents table 106 as appropriate . fig3 illustrates a preferred method for utilizing the memory structures of fig1 and 2 . whenever an smi occurs ( step 300 ), the host processor will save its register contents into its state save area in step 302 . next , the bios determines in step 306 whether or not the host processor is memory - extended . it may do so in a variety of ways . for example , it may check the “ extended feature ” flag after executing a cpuid instruction . alternatively , it may check the smm revision id number stored in state save area 102 / 202 . ( this revision id number is stored at an intel - specified offset within the state save area . the offset is the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended .) after the determination of step 306 has been made , the bios copies all or a portion of the contents of state save area 102 / 202 into register contents table 106 . if step 306 indicated that the host processor was memory extended , then the bios will use the addresses of state save area 202 to perform this function ( step 308 ) and will copy only the low - order 32 bits of whichever register contents are chosen for copying . but if step 306 indicated that the host processor was not memory extended , then the bios will use the addresses of state save area 102 to perform this function ( step 310 ) and will copy the entire 32 bits of whichever register contents are chosen for copying . in step 312 , smi handler 104 performs whichever function was requested by the smi . in doing so , the smi handler may have a need to read from or write to saved register content elements normally found in state save area 102 / 202 . but if so , in the method of fig3 , the smi handler does not access that information directly in the state save area . instead , the smi handler reads from or writes to corresponding entries within register contents table 106 in lieu of those in the state save area . after the smi handler has performed the requested function , and upon exiting smm , bios behavior once again depends on whether or not the host processor is memory extended ( step 314 ). if the host processor is memory extended , then the bios will copy contents from register table 106 back into state save area 202 . if the host processor is not memory extended , then the bios will copy contents from register table 106 back into state save area 102 . finally , the processor exits smm upon executing a rsm instruction in step 320 . fig4 is a memory diagram illustrating smram according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention . in the diagram of fig4 , state save areas 102 / 202 are the same as those in the diagrams of fig1 and 2 . but instead of a register contents table 106 , the embodiment of fig4 uses a register address table 404 . register address table 404 may be located anywhere in smram . smi handler 402 may be the same as smi handler 104 except that the bios differs from that of fig3 regarding initialization and utilization of register address table 404 . smi handler 402 may be located anywhere in memory ( provided the host processor can find the first instruction ), and may be the same regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended . fig5 illustrates a preferred method 500 for initializing the memory structures of fig4 . method 500 may be performed when the host computer is booted , during an smm initialization procedure ( step 502 ), or at any other suitable time . in step 504 , the bios determines whether or not the host processor is memory extended . it may do so using any of the above - described techniques . if the host processor is memory extended , then the bios loads register address table 404 with addresses of all or a portion of the elements in state save area 202 . but if the host processor is not memory extended , then the bios loads register address table 404 with address of all or a portion of the elements in state save area 102 . in either case , the entries of table 404 are stored at the same offsets within the table . the embodiment of fig4 is to be distinguished from that of fig1 and 2 in the following sense : table 404 stores the addresses of elements in the state save area , not their contents , while table 106 stores the contents of elements in the state save area , not their addresses . fig6 illustrates a preferred method 600 for utilizing the memory structures of fig4 . whenever an smi occurs ( step 602 ), the host processor will save its register contents into its state save area in step 604 . in step 606 , smi handler 402 performs whichever function was requested by the smi . in doing so , the smi handler may have a need to read from or write to a saved register content element normally found in state save area 102 / 202 . but if so , in the method of fig6 , the smi handler accesses that element by first looking up the element &# 39 ; s address from table 404 and then accessing the element in the state save area using the looked - up address . because the entries in table 404 are stored at the same offsets in table 404 regardless of whether or not the host processor is memory extended , the same code for smi handler 404 handles either case correctly and efficiently . finally , the processor exits smm upon executing a rsm instruction in step 608 . while the invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , the described embodiments have been presented by way of example and not by way of limitation . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form and details of the described embodiments without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings that show , by way of illustration , specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention . it is to be understood that the various embodiments of the invention , although different , are not necessarily mutually exclusive . furthermore , a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described herein in connection with one embodiment may be implemented within other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , it is to be understood that the location or arrangement of individual elements within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims , appropriately interpreted , along with the full range of equivalents to which the claims are entitled . in the drawings , like numerals refer to the same or similar functionality throughout the several views . one or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device for removing heat from industrial equipment such as vehicular brakes . in an embodiment , the device is used in connection with the brakes on an aircraft . fig1 illustrates an example embodiment of a heat dissipation device 100 . the device 100 includes three primary parts — a heat conducting container 110 , a phase changing and heat absorbing fluid 120 contained within the container 110 , and a capillary or wick structure 130 . in an example embodiment , the container 110 may be manufactured out of any heat conducting material such as copper , aluminum , and stainless steel . the phase changing and heat absorbing liquid 120 may be water , an ethylene glycol - water mixture , toluene , etc . the capillary or wick structure 130 may be made out of copper , steel , aluminum , or nickel mesh . the pore sizes of the mesh may vary from a range of approximately 2 to 30 meshes per linear inch . the mesh may further include fibrous materials such as ceramics and carbon fiber filaments . in a particular embodiment , the capillary , wick , or mesh structure 130 is inserted into the heat conducting container 110 . the container is then filled with the fluid 120 , and the container 110 is sealed under pressure . in an embodiment , the pressure within the container 110 may be suitably reduced below atmospheric pressure . in an embodiment , the liquid is drawn into the container because of negative pressure created in the container by a simple vacuum pump . when the example embodiment is a pipe , the pipe is sealed at one end , the mesh is inserted into the pipe at the open end , the liquid is drawn into the pipe via the negative pressure , and the other end of the pipe is sealed . one end of the pipe is referred to as an evaporator end , and the other end of the pipe is referred to as a condenser end . in an example embodiment in which the heat dissipating device 100 is used in connection with the brakes on an aircraft , the container is adapted to the required length and shape , and it is then inserted into existing heat shields in the aircraft brake drum . this arrangement is illustrated in fig2 , 3 a , and 3 b . referring to fig2 , a brake drum 300 includes one or more heat shields 310 . one or more heat dissipation devices 100 are positioned between the heat shields 310 and the brake drum 300 . fig3 a and 3b illustrate an example of the position of the heat dissipating device 100 and a brake heat shield 310 . in fig3 a , two individual devices 100 a and 100 b are positioned in proximity to a heat shield 310 . in one embodiment , the heat shield is shaped to receive and mate with the devices 100 a and 100 b . in the embodiment of fig2 , the heat from the brake drum will dissipate to the evaporator portion of the heat dissipating devices 100 a and 100 b , as shown in fig3 a . the evaporator portion of the heat dissipating devices are primarily those portions of the devices which are in contact with the brake drum . the liquid in the evaporator portion of the device evaporates , and dissipates via the mesh ( not shown in fig3 a ) to the condenser segment of the heat dissipating devices . in the embodiment of fig3 a , the condenser portion of the heat dissipating devices 100 a and 100 b are those segments that are exposed to cooler atmospheric air . the heated liquid in the condenser portion gives up its heat to the environment surrounding the condenser portion , and the condensed liquid returns to the evaporator segment to begin the cycle again . fig3 b illustrates another embodiment of a heat dissipating device 100 positioned in proximity to a heat shield 310 . the embodiment of fig3 b includes a single heat dissipating device 100 positioned in proximity to a heat shield 310 . the device 100 includes three evaporator segments 325 a , 325 b , and 330 b , and two condenser segments 330 a and 100 . as previously disclosed , the heat from the heat shield will cause the liquid in the evaporator section to evaporate and dissipate to the condenser sections . the liquid will condense in the condenser section , and return via the mesh within the device to the evaporator sections 325 a , 325 b , and 330 b . therefore , in general , heat generated by a brake will be transferred from the brake drum , heat shield , and other components of the brake system to the device 100 . the heat causes the liquid in the evaporator end of the device 100 to vaporize . when this occurs , latent heat dissipates to the condenser end of the pipe , where the heat from the liquid is dissipated to the atmosphere and the liquid condenses . after condensation , the liquid is returned to the evaporator by the mesh via capillary action of the mesh . as shown in fig3 a and 3b , the heat dissipating device 100 may be formed or shaped such as to mate with a heat shield . the heat dissipating device may be secured in place by attachment to the heat shield and brake drum . this can be done via connecting means such as bolts or other means such as welding . in another embodiment , it may be attached and secured to other structures that are part of the brake system or that are in proximity to the brake system . as can be gleaned from fig3 a and 3b , the length and shape of the device 100 are determined by the components of the brake system and the surrounding environment . while the present disclosure deals primarily with heat dissipation devices used in connection with vehicular brakes , one of skill in the art will realize that embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in connection with other apparatuses from which there is a need to remove heat . in the foregoing detailed description of embodiments of the invention , various features are grouped together in one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure . this method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the invention require more features than are expressly recited in each claim . rather , as the following claims reflect , inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment . thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description of embodiments of the invention , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment . it is understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative , and not restrictive . it is intended to cover all alternatives , modifications and equivalents as may be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . the scope of the invention should , therefore , be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . in the appended claims , the terms “ including ” and “ in which ” are used as the plain - english equivalents of the respective terms “ comprising ” and “ wherein ,” respectively . moreover , the terms “ first ,” “ second ,” and “ third ,” etc ., are used merely as labels , and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects . the abstract is provided to comply with 37 c . f . r . 1 . 72 ( b ) to allow a 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 . | 5 |
the various parts of a single handle faucet valve that embodies the invention are best shown by fig3 and they include bonnet 11 , retainer member 13 , retainer peripheral o - ring seal 15 , stem 17 , stem ball o - ring seal 19 , stem bearing member peripheral o - ring seal 21 , stem bearing member 23 , slide member 25 , control disc 27 , inlet porting seal housing 29 , inlet porting disc 31 , inlet port o - ring seals 33 , spout member hub o - ring seals 35 , valve body 37 , spout member hub 39 , and spout member hub bearing ring 41 . the valve body 37 is generally cylindrical , having an open end and a closed end , so that the valve body inner cylindrical wall 43 and planar inner closed end surface 45 define a chamber . the valve body is provided on its exterior with a pair of spaced peripheral grooves 36 for receiving spout member hub o - ring seals 35 . the valve body is also provided at its exterior upper end portion a set of threads 38 for receiving bonnet 11 . the inlet porting disc 31 has a generally cylindrical exterior surface 47 with a first pair of oppositely disposed protuberances 48 at its upper end portion and a second pair of oppositely disposed protuberances 50 displaced 90 ° from the first pair . the exterior surfaces of the protuberances 48 , 50 are cylindrical and are matingly received by the valve body inner cylindrical wall 43 . the first pair of protuberances 48 each has a slot 96 merging with the porting disc upper surface 51 , for a purpose to be hereinafter explained . the inlet porting disc 31 also has a planar lower surface 49 that abuts the valve body inner closed end surface 45 , and a planar upper surface 51 . the valve body closed end is provided hot and cold water inlet openings 53 which are aligned with inlet openings 55 in the inlet porting disc 31 . in the embodiment shown , the inlet porting disc 31 is provided a cavity 57 for matingly receiving the inlet porting seal housing 29 , which incorporates conventional seal elements 59 . the usual inlet port o - ring seals 33 are received by the lower end portion of the inlet openings in the inlet porting disc 31 . the control disc 27 has a planar lower surface 61 which engages the upper surfaces of the inlet porting seal elements 59 . the control disc 27 is provided suitable control openings 63 which merge with planar lower surface 61 and the control disc side surface 65 . the control disc 27 upper side 67 is provided a depression which forms a rack portion 69 for receiving a single gear tooth 71 which is formed on the lower end portion 72 of the stem 17 . the metal slide member 25 has a pair of downturned flanges 73 that are matingly received by the controlled disc side surface 65 and a pair of upturned flanges 75 that are matingly received by a first pair of side surfaces 77 of a stem bearing member base portion 79 . the retainer 13 , stem 17 and stem bearing member 23 make up a cartridge assembly . the retainer member 13 has a generally cylindrical exterior surface including an upper portion 81 , an intermediate portion 83 and a lower portion 85 . the upper portion 81 , which is of smaller diameter than the intermediate portion 83 merges with same to form a shoulder 87 . the intermediate portion 83 is provided a groove 89 to receive the retainer peripheral o - ring seal 15 . the intermediate portion is also provided with a rectangular protrusion 91 which mates with an orientation notch 93 on the upper end of the valve body 37 . the lower portion 85 forms the exterior of a pair of generally rectangular depending legs 95 , each of which carries at its lower end a rectangular protuberance 97 that is matingly received by a respective slot 96 when the retainer member 13 is assembled relative to the inlet porting disc 31 . the retainer member 13 has a generally triangular opening 99 at its upper end portion , the side wall of which serves as a guide for lever portion 101 of the stem 17 . the interior of the retainer member 13 includes a first cylindrical portion 103 which merges with a tapered shoulder portion 105 , which in turn merges with a second cylindrical portion 107 , which in turn merges with an upper stem ball seat 109 . a slot 111 traverses the second cylindrical portion 107 and the upper stem ball seat 109 and is disposed symmetrically with respect to a plane that is a longitudinal bisector of the retainer member 13 and its legs 95 . each leg is provided a rectangular opening 113 at its upper end portion for a purpose to be hereinafter described . the base portion 79 of stem bearing member 23 , which is generally rectangular , has a second pair of side surfaces 115 which are , of course , perpendicular to the first pair 77 . centrally disposed on each of said second side surfaces 115 is a generally rectangular protuberance 117 , for a purpose to be hereinafter described . the base portion 79 of the stem bearing member 23 merges with a cylindrical portion 119 , which is provided a groove 121 to receive the stem bearing member peripheral o - ring seal 21 . the stem bearing member 23 is provided a generally triangular opening 123 to permit passage of the lower end portion 72 of the stem 17 . the side wall 125 of the triangular opening 123 merges with a lower stem ball seat 127 , which in turn merges with a stem bearing member o - ring groove 129 which in turn merges with the upper end surface 131 of the stem bearing member 23 . the lever portion 101 of the stem 17 merges with a stem ball 133 which in turn merges with the stem lower end portion 72 . projecting from the upper hemisphere of the stem ball 133 is a guide pin 135 for a purpose to be hereinafter described . to make up the cartridge assembly above - mentioned , the retainer peripheral o - ring seal 15 is placed in groove 89 and the stem 17 is installed in the retainer 13 , with the lever portion 101 projecting through the triangular opening 99 , the stem ball received in the upper stem ball seat 109 , and the guide pin 135 disposed in the slot 111 . the stem bearing member peripheral o - ring seal 21 is placed in the groove 121 , the stem ball o - ring seal 19 is placed in the stem bearing member o - ring groove 129 and this assembly is inserted into the retainer member first cylindrical portion 103 with the protuberances 117 bearing on the inner surfaces of legs 95 , forcing them to move slightly outwardly until the protuberances 117 are received by respective rectangular openings 113 , at which time the legs 95 return to their normal positions and the stem bearing member 23 is locked on the retainer member 13 . the bonnet 11 is generally cylindrical and is open on one end 137 and is provided an internal flange 139 at the other end portion 141 , with the inner surface of the internal flange 139 forming a shoulder 143 . the bonnet 11 is provided internal threads 145 that merge with its open end and are adapted to be matingly received by the external threads 38 on the valve body 37 . the diameter of the internal flange 39 is greater than the diameter of the retainer member upper portion cylindrical surface 81 but less than the diameter of the retainer member intermediate portion cylindrical surface 83 , so that the bonnet shoulder 143 will engage retainer member shoulder 87 in assembly . to assemble the single handle faucet valve , the inlet porting disc 31 , with inlet port o - ring seals 33 and inlet porting seal housing 29 and conventional seal elements 59 all installed , is placed into valve body 27 so that its planar lower surface 49 is adjacent the valve body closed end surface 45 and so that the porting disc inlet openings 55 are aligned with the valve body hot and cold water inlet openings 53 . the slide member 25 is then installed on the stem bearing member 23 and control disc 27 is installed on the slide , with the stem gear tooth 71 received by the control disc rack portion 69 . this entire assembly is then inserted into the valve body so that legs 95 bottom out on the inlet porting disc planar upper surface 51 with the leg protuberances 97 being received by the respective slots 96 on the inlet porting disc protuberances 48 , and the retainer member rectangular protrusion 91 being received by the valve body orientation notch 93 . next , the spout member hub bearing ring 41 is installed on the valve body ( the valve body having been mounted to a conventional base not shown ) and the spout member hub o - ring seals 35 are installed in respective grooves 36 on the valve body 37 . then the spout member hub 39 is installed on the valve body 37 and the bonnet 11 is threaded onto the valve body . when the bonnet shoulder 143 contacts the retainer member shoulder 87 , and as the bonnet continues downward , the retainer member 13 moves downward with its legs 95 bottomed out on the inlet porting disc upper planar surface 51 , so that the inlet porting disc 31 also moves downward until its planar lower surface 49 bottoms out on the valve body closed end inner surface 45 , at which time the threading of the bonnet 11 onto the valve body 37 is stopped . the depth of the valve body o - ring grooves that receive the inlet port o - ring seals 33 is such that when assembly is completed the o - ring seals 33 are properly compressed for sealing . the interrelation of the valve body orientation slot 93 , retainer member rectangular protrusion 91 , rectangular protuberances 97 of legs 95 , and inlet porting disc slots 96 assures proper alignment of the relevant valve parts . a primary aspect of this invention is the manner in which stem sealing is accomplished . as best seen in fig4 clearance is provided between the stem bearing member protuberances 117 and the retainer member rectangular openings 113 , and between the stem bearing member upper extremity and the retainer member shoulder portion 105 , so that the stem bearing member 23 is allowed limited movement in the directions of the valve body central axis . the showings of fig1 and 5 assume that the single handle faucet valve has been fully installed and is turned on to permit water flow and that the water pressure is sufficient to move the stem bearing member 23 upwardly so that the lower stem ball seat 127 is in contact with the stem ball 133 . whether or not the lower stem ball seat 127 will be in contact with the stem ball 133 will depend on the magnitude of the water pressure . the compression of the stem ball o - ring seal 19 will vary with the magnitude of the water pressure . the stem ball o - ring seal 19 is not subject to excessive compression , due to the fact that upward movement of the stem bearing member 23 is limited by contact of the lower stem ball seat 127 with the stem ball 133 . because the stem ball o - ring seal compression varies with water pressure magnitude and is not subject to excessive compression , wear on the stem ball o - ring seal 19 is minimized . the foregoing disclosure and the showings made in the drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and are not to be interpreted in a limiting sense . | 8 |
the friction gear according to fig2 , comprises the ferrous drive rollers 1 , 2 and the ferrous off - drive roller 3 . rollers 1 , 2 , 3 are completely surrounded by a casing 4 . the drive rollers 1 , 2 are supported within the casing 4 in bearings on adjustable axes 5 , 6 while the off - drive roller 3 is secured to a shaft 7 being likewise supported in bearings in the frontal walls of the casing 4 opposite the roller 3 . at one frontal side the drive rollers 1 , 2 are provided with gear wheels 8 , 9 through which they are driven by a drive ( not shown ) for instance a motor and a common chain . instead of a chain drive , a gear drive can be provided for within or outside the casing . the axes 5 , 6 of the drive rollers 1 , 2 are oppositely polarized socalled magnet axes of a magnetic circuit closing the magnetic system , with part of them being disposed outside the casing 4 together with the further elements of the magnetic system . the further elements of the magnetic system are block magnets 10 , 11 being polarized in parallel to the plane of axis of rollers 1 , 2 with pole shoes 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 being mounted on both sides of the frontal surfaces of the drive rollers 1 , 2 and secured to the axes 5 , 6 by the pole shoes 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 . this gives a completely closed magnetic circuit being practically free of stray , originating from the block magnets 10 , 11 and extending through the pole shoes 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 and through the axes 5 , 6 . the lines of force of the magnetic circuit are exclusively concentrated within the operating air gap in the interior of the circuit between rollers 1 , 2 , and the magnetic circuit is closed by means of off - drive roller 3 being supported on rollers 1 , 2 which results in a strong mutual magnetic attraction of rollers 1 , 2 , 3 and a simultaneous partly relief of the bearings by means of mutual magnetic support , as well as force - locking transmission of the torque . due to the arrangement of the block magnets 10 , 11 and of the pole shoes 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 outside the casing 4 they can be arranged in practically any possible size . thus auxiliary forces for the entrainment of rollers 1 , 2 , 3 can be achieved which could not be reached until now . fig3 shows a friction gear being similar to that of fig1 however , provided with a reinforced and with a connectable and disconnectable magnetic system . in this case , on both sides of the frontal surfaces of drive rollers 1 , 2 block magnets 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 with pole shoes 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 are disposed in pairs outside the casing 4 , said block magnets being oppositely magnetized to one another vertically to the plane of axis of drive rollers 1 , 2 and connected by one short - circuit element 24 , 25 each at the surface opposite the pole shoes 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 . the block magnets 16 , 17 and their pole shoes 20 , 21 respectively are connected to the correspondingly polarized block magnets 18 , 19 and their pole shoes 22 , 23 respectively via the thus oppositely polarized axes 5 , 6 so that also in this case the magnetic circuit is completely closed within the casing 4 . the operating air gap again lies between the drive rollers 1 , 2 . it is also closed by means of the superposition of off - drive roller 3 so that this system is practically free of stray . by means of a switching element being disposed between the pole shoes 20 , 21 and 22 , 23 and consisting of the two segments 26 , 27 conveying the magnetism , and an unmagnetized circuit breaker 28 connecting the segments 26 , 27 to form a rotor , the magnet pairs 16 , 17 and 18 , 19 can be short - circuited via their pole shoes 20 , 21 and 22 , 23 . the axes 5 , 6 then become practically ummagnetized and the magnetic adhesion of the drive rollers 1 , 2 with the off - drive roller 3 is neutralized . the neutralization of the magnetic adhesion can be desirous for repairs or disassemblies of the friction gear . in addition , the magnetic capacity can be adjusted via the switching elements 26 , 27 , 28 from 0 up to the maximum magnetic force depending on the position of the swiching elements 26 , 27 , 28 , i . e . that the magnetic transmission of force is variable . for increasing the magnetic induction the distance between the drive rollers 1 , 2 and thus the air gap can be reduced so that they are closely adjacent to one another with their peripheries , see fig4 . in case of the friction gear of fig5 the magnetic system for drive rollers 1 , 2 and off - drive roller 3 is even reinforced by an increased operating air gap induction by arranging on the pole shoes 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 additional block magnets 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 with analogous poles , their free poles also being connected to short - circuit plates 34 , 35 . the short - circuit plates 24 , 25 and 34 , 35 respectively can also be connected to one another because of constructional reasons . the course of the magnetic lines of force within the magnetic circuit remains unchanged by this . the friction gear of fig5 can be further modified according to fig6 and 7 by providing above the off - drive roller 3 two further drive rollers 36 , 37 instead of two drive rollers 1 , 2 . the bearing of these rollers 36 , 37 by axes 38 , 39 lies also within the casing 4 . in addition , the axes 38 , 39 are in connection with the pole shoes 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 so that they are correspondingly polarized . besides the increase of the driving force on the off - drive roller 3 by means of the arrangement of the drive rollers 1 , 2 , 36 , 37 to the off - drive roller 3 being symmetrical in both directions of the axes , also a practically complete relief of the bearings and thus a reduction of the friction values can be achieved by means of the embodiment of the friction gear . according to fig8 the friction gear can be formed in such a way that it operates with three drive rollers . in modification of the friction gear of fig1 the pole shoes 13 , 15 are then u - shaped with the legs 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 forming auxiliary poles to which the two axes 5 , 6 of the outside drive rollers 1 , 2 disposed within the casing 4 are connected and are correspondingly oppositely polarized to the axis 45 of the drive roller 40 . while the axes 5 , 6 , 45 again constitute the elements of a closed magnetic circuit , the drive rollers 1 , 2 , 40 are magnetically short - circuited by the off - drive roller 3 being in direct touch with them , and mutually attracted by the magnetic adhesion . instead of cylindrical drive rollers , those of a conical form can be used together with a friction wheel or a drive roller being disposed therebetween , see fig1 . here , the magnetic system of fig3 and 4 is taken as a basis . the conical drive rollrs 46 , 47 &# 39 ; are with their axes 5 , 6 also mounted within the casing 4 and connected to the pole shoes 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 of the block magnets 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 being connected to one another in pairs by means of the short - circuit plates 24 , 25 . the conicity of drive rollrs 46 , 47 &# 39 ; with one another is opposite , while the cylindrical off - drive roller 3 being disposed between the drive rollers 46 , 47 &# 39 ; and lying with its axis 7 also within the casing 4 , is displaceable on the drive rollers 46 , 47 &# 39 ; with continuous modification of the rotational speed . fig1 shows a friction gear with more than two drive rollers and more than one off - drive roller . the magnetic system on both sides of the rollers consists of an uneven number of block magnets 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 with pole shoes 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 . at each side of the friction gear the block magnets 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 are connected to one another by a short - circuit plate 57 , 58 , and magnetized oppositely to one another in the vertical plane of axis . thus the axes 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 being again disposed in a closed magnetic circuit obtain alternating polarities together with the drive rollers 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 with adjacent drive rollers forming an operating air gap between one another . due to the supported off - drive rollers 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 the operating air gaps are magnetically short - circuited so that the drive rollers 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 and the off - drive rollers 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 are under strong mutual magnetic attraction . as in the above examples the drive rollers 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 are driven by a common drive , for instance a motor via chain wheels or a common chain or gear wheels , as well as mounted in a common casing together with the off - drive rollers 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , whereby outside said casing the connectable and disconnectable magnetic system is disposed with its block magnets 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 with pole shoes 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 . due to this increased number of drive rollers 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 and off - drive rollers 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 the friction gear is of particular advantage for the simultaneous execution of several working operations with multiple drills . according to fig1 the magnetic system of fig1 is modified so that every second block magnet 48 , 50 is replaced by an auxiliary pole 73 , 74 . instead of a short - circuit plate the block magnets 47 , 49 , 51 with analogous poles are mounted on pole plates 75 , 76 with the auxiliary poles 73 , 74 extending up to the block magnets 47 , 49 , 51 and their pole shoes 52 , 54 , 56 respectively , and operating as corresponding antipoles . the use of auxiliary poles serves the purpose of saving expensive magnetic material in adaptation to every correspondingly necessary magnetic adhesion . the friction gear can further be modified so that the poles 52 , 54 , 56 , 73 , 74 are of different heights and the off - drive rollers 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 are different diameters thus rotating at a different number of revolutions . the friction gear of fig1 and 14 consists of one drive element 77 and one off - drive element 78 each , both being mounted outside the casing 4 with the bearings 79 , 80 being mounted in pole shoes 81 , 82 of the magnetic system and one of the pole shoes 81 , 82 -- in the given example pole shoe 81 -- being partly displaceable by means of a pinion 97 and toothed rack 98 out of the magnetic system . the drive element 77 comprises a crowned roll - off surface . same can also be provided for with the off - drive element 78 instead of with the drive element 77 , or with both elements 77 , 78 . each pole shoe 81 , 82 is disposed between four block magnets 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 and 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 which on their part by means of the short - circuit plates 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 lie as pairs of magnets against the pole shoes 81 , 82 with opposite poles , thus being connected to form a closed magnetic system . each pole shoe 81 , 82 receive a fourfold analogous polarization being transmitted to the drive element 77 and off - drive element 78 via the axes 95 , 96 , with these elements 77 , 78 being at their areas of contact exposed to a strong opposite magnetic attraction , due to the mutually opposite polarities of the pole shoes 81 , 82 . the rotational speed of this friction gear is adjustable by the displacement of the pole shoes 81 . as can be taken from fig1 and 16 , a further modification of the friction gear consists of arranging several block magnets 100 with pole shoes 101 each at the inner periphery of one cylindrical or polygonal short - circuit plate 99 , 102 each . an off - drive roller 103 is assigned to each block magnet 100 , the axis 104 of said roller being mounted in the casing 4 , connecting the short - circuit plates 99 , 102 via pole shoes 101 and block magnets 100 . all off - drive rollers 103 are driven by one single drive roller 105 being supported in the center of the short - circuit plates 99 , 102 in the bearing 106 at the side of the casing . as the block magnets 100 are arranged in the short - circuit plates 99 , 102 with alternating poles , and the axes 104 always only connect analogous poles of the block magnets 100 or their pole shoes 101 respectively , the polarity of the off - drive rollers 103 alternates . the air gaps between the off - drive rollers 103 are bridged by the contact of the off - drive rollers 103 with the drive roller 105 , i . e . the magnetic field is short - circuited and the tangent elements are thus exposed to a strong magnetic attraction . said friction gear can for instance be used as multiple spindle boring mill in case of which boring heads 107 can be mounted on the elongated axes 104 . in addition , the off - drive rollers 103 can be of different diameter according to the destination of the friction gear , so that the rollers 103 rotate at different speeds . if desired , the friction gear can be run in such a way that the off - drive rollers 103 with analogous diameters are actuated as drive rollers , and the drive rollers 105 as off - drive rollers . the friction gear would in that case have the inverse function to what was described above . the driving force is then concentrated to a larger off - drive roller and can correspondingly be used for great and greater boring performances . the magnetic system according to the invention can be applied with equal success in case of multiple stage change - over gears if they operate on the basis of a friction gear . during recent years oil companies working in this field have developed special lubricants , particularly of synthetic type , for improving the lubricated friction , said lubricants being known under the name of traction - liquids . the special character of these traction - liquids resides in the fact that they do not only act as good lubricants but have an extremely improving effect upon friction gear transmissions at the surfaces of contact of two or several bodies with extremely high pressure up to 5000 n / mm 2 ( n = newton units ) or about 502 kp / mm 2 forming at these points by temporary solidification of the usually adequately liquid lubricating film . after passing the point of pressure the lubricating film again liquefies . by means of that recent development in the field of lubricant - research for instance the construction of mechanical continuous friction gears has again become attractive for the achievement of higher performances . said oil can contribute to the further improvement of friction gears also with the magnetic friction wheels according to the invention . | 5 |
the present invention and various features and advantageous details thereof will now be described with reference to the exemplary , and therefore non - limiting , embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . descriptions of known programming techniques , computer software , hardware , network communications , operating platforms and protocols may be omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the invention in detail . it should be understood , however , that the detailed description and the specific examples , while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention , are given by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation . various substitutions , modifications , additions and / or rearrangements within the spirit and / or scope of the underlying inventive concept will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure . before describing embodiments of the invention in detail , it might be helpful to clarify a few terms used in this disclosure . a “ file classification ” can have one or more file attributes and can be associated with one or more volumes . a volume is a mountable share where objects ( e . g ., subject files ) reside on a server . a file attribute is an entity , an instance of a file classification or file system metadata . the term “ file system metadata ” or its acronym “ fsmd ” encompasses file system attributes that embodiments of the invention maintain about files . an exemplary list of file system attributes implementing embodiments of the invention can be found in the user &# 39 ; s guide , storediq appliance 4 . 0 , july 2006 edition , pp . 106 - 125 , attached as appendix a to the present application . fsmd may comprise metadata such as access and creation times , file size , etc . a content - based entity is an instance of data , type of entity , location of entity , or data match . examples of entities can be found in the aforementioned user &# 39 ; s guide . attention is now directed to systems , methods and apparatuses for a classification pipeline configured to provide a set of tagging and extraction services . the classification pipeline disclosed herein may be embodied in computer - executable program instructions residing on computer - readable media . in one embodiment , a system implementing the classification pipeline disclosed herein is programmed with computer - executable program instructions for extracting and / or analyzing the data of files or other objects in the filesystem ( collectively referred to as objects ) or metadata pertaining to these objects , in order that the objects may be classified and / or certain actions taken based on the classification of the object . actions ( e . g ., executing a business policy , harvesting metadata , generating a report , etc .) may be taken based upon the classification of the object or based upon metadata associated with the objects . in embodiments of the invention , the tagging and extraction services provided by the classification pipeline are made available to one or more clients ( i . e ., machines running client software ) through an interface . in the present disclosure , this interface is interchangeably referred to as the “ classification pipeline interface ” or simply “ the interface ”. the interface may be implemented in various ways . for example , it may be implemented as an application web interface or an applications programming interface ( api ). it may be implemented as a single synchronous interface or a set of asynchronous interfaces . one example of a synchronous interface for a classification pipeline is described below with reference to fig1 . one example of a set of asynchronous interfaces for a classification pipeline is described below with reference to fig2 . in both examples , the classification pipeline configuration can be controlled through the interface , which is implemented as an api exposed as a series of xml request and replies over tcp . a synchronous interface implementing embodiments of the invention may comprise two components : the classify object request and the classify object response . the classify object request is designed to pass a set of parameters to the classification pipeline for a single file . the metadata for the specified file is extracted and passed back to the requesting application on the classify object response . the interface of this type may be referred to as an “ object_classify_request interface ”. in one embodiment , the classify object request can pass at least two types of parameters : required and optional . required parameters may include file name ( i . e ., the name of the file to be classified ) and volume ( i . e ., the volume where the file is located .) the file name parameter could be fully qualified relative to the context provided by the volume parameter . in one embodiment , the volume parameter refers to a volume defined within an appliance that is hosting the pipeline ( e . g ., a storediq appliance ), in which case , a volume must first be defined on that appliance ( e . g ., using the storediq user interface ) before it can be given as a parameter . various volume types ( e . g ., cifs , nfs , netware , centera , exchange , etc .) may be implemented in embodiments of the invention . examples of volume configuration options can be found in the aforementioned user &# 39 ; s guide , storediq appliance 4 . 0 , july 2006 edition , pp . 36 - 39 . pipeline profile name — refers to the name of a pipeline profile that is defined on the appliance hosting the classification pipeline . the pipeline profile determines what sets of metadata the client application will receive from the classification pipeline . using the storediq appliance as an example , the pipeline profile is set up in the system configuration tab of the storediq user interface . if no pipeline profile name is passed , the default is to provide all sets of metadata . other configurations are possible . object system metadata — this parameter includes data such as file size , access times , and modified times . the data will vary depending upon the underlying object system ( e . g ., cifs , nfs , netware , etc .). embodiments of the classification pipeline are configured to extract all types of metadata . in cases where user ( s ) inherently have object system metadata “ in hand ” ( e . g ., as a function of learning or acquiring the name of the file to be classified ), the classification pipeline is operable to allow the user ( s ) to pass the user - acquired data into the pipeline . external metadata — this parameter provides a mechanism for client applications to pass in metadata that is not created by the pipeline per se , but can be referenced within the object classification rules engine to assist in the classification processing . there are many different types of metadata , including metadata about electronic documents created by client applications . document metadata describes document attributes such as the title , author , content , location , and date of creation . since it is often possible to view a history of every change ever made to an electronic document during its lifetime , acquiring this type of information can help in “ historicizing ” and / or classifying the document . document metadata can include edits and comments made by the author and other users to a document as well as hidden information about the document . exemplary document metadata may include one or more of the following : text changes , comments , document versions , document revisions , template information , file properties and summary information , author &# 39 ; s name , author &# 39 ; s initials , author &# 39 ; s email address , company or organization &# 39 ; s name , name of the computer on which it is created , name of the hard disk , volume , or network server on which the document is saved , routing information , names of previous authors , hyperlinks , macros , hidden text , and non - visible portions of embedded object linking and embedding ( ole ) objects , etc . fig1 depicts a block diagram illustrating a synchronous integration flow of a classification pipeline according to one embodiment of the present invention . api 120 can be used by any type of software application to interface with the classification pipeline . for example , application 100 may wish to receive information pertaining to a certain object or to a certain location on a particular filesystem . more details on the term “ object ” will be described below with reference to fig3 - 5 . to obtain this information on the object , application 100 may send a & lt ; classify object request & gt ; 102 (“ request 102 ”) to classification pipeline 110 with information pertaining to the object on which application 100 wishes to receive information . the information pertaining to the object sent via request 102 may include information such as the volume on which the object is located or the name of the object . to facilitate the sending of request 102 ( and possibly of response 104 to request 102 ), request 102 may be formulated according to api 120 or any suitable api that classification pipeline 110 is operable to implement . classification pipeline 110 may then obtain or extract metadata on or about the object , and / or classify the object according to a set of classification parameters . in one embodiment , the metadata extracted or obtained on the object may be dependent on a level of service specified in conjunction with classification pipeline 110 . in response to request 102 , classification pipeline 110 may send a & lt ; classify object response & gt ; 104 (“ response 104 ”). response 104 may contain information pertaining to the object on which information was requested in request 102 . this information on the object may be metadata pertaining to the object ( e . g ., pipeline metadata ) or data contained by the object , or a classification of the object , or tagged entities that were found within the content of the object . in one embodiment , metadata in response 104 may be formulated as an xml string . the interaction with classification pipeline 110 depicted in fig1 may occur in a synchronous manner . in other words , application 100 may send request 102 to classification pipeline 110 , which in turn will respond with response 104 to the same application 100 when metadata has been obtained on the object , or the object has been classified . in some cases , however , it may be desirable to have separate , asynchronous interactions , such that a request pertaining to an object may be sent by one application and the metadata or classification information about that object may be sent to , or obtained by , another distinct application , portion of application or location . asynchronous interfaces allow an asynchronous ingest and an asynchronous publish subscribe interface to the pipeline &# 39 ; s output . they may be configured with one or more of the following abilities : get and set volume definitions , get and set file classification definitions , get and set new entity types , and get and set pipeline profile configurations . fig2 depicts a block diagram illustrating an asynchronous integration flow of a classification pipeline according to one embodiment of the present invention . in this example , application 200 may send a & lt ; classify object request & gt ; 202 (“ request 202 ”) to classification pipeline 110 with information pertaining to the object on which application 200 wishes to receive information . the information pertaining to the object sent via request 202 may include information such as the volume on which the object is located or the name of the object . request 202 may also contain information on the location to which a response to request 202 is to be delivered , such as to what application the response should be delivered , what portion of an application the response should be delivered , or if the response should be stored etc . to facilitate the sending of request 202 , request 202 may be formulated according to api 120 or any suitable api that classification pipeline 110 is operable to implement . in response to this initial request 202 , classification pipeline 110 may send a & lt ; classify object response & gt ; 204 (“ response 204 ”) indicating that request 202 has been received by classification pipeline 110 and that information will be delivered to the requested application / location . classification pipeline 110 may then operate to obtain or extract metadata on or about the object , or to classify the object according to a set of classification parameters . in one embodiment , the metadata extracted or obtained on the object may be dependent on a level of service specified in conjunction with classification pipeline 110 . once this information has been obtained , classification pipeline 110 may send a & lt ; classified object assertion & gt ; 206 (“ response 206 ”). response 206 may contain information pertaining to the object on which information was requested in request 202 , and may be sent to the location , application or portion of application specified in request 202 . although response 206 is depicted in fig2 as being sent to application 200 , this is for the convenience of depiction and for the purpose of illustration only . response 206 may be delivered to another application ( not shown ), a location ( not shown ), or a certain procedure or portion of application 202 . this information on the object may be metadata pertaining to the object or data contained by the object , or a classification of the object . in one embodiment , metadata in response 206 may be formulated as an xml string . upon receiving response 206 , application 200 ( or a portion of application 202 ) may send a & lt ; classified object acknowledgement & gt ; 208 (“ response 208 ”) acknowledging that the information pertaining to the object has been received . moving to fig3 , one embodiment of a classification pipeline is depicted . classification pipeline 300 may comprise a plurality of layers through which metadata can be obtained and / or processed for submission to object classification rules engine 326 . the term “ layers ” is representative of the various ways in which the functionality of classification pipeline 300 may be implemented ( e . g ., services , stages , etc .). in one embodiment , the functionality of classification pipeline 300 can be divided into three levels ( object system metadata processing 301 , content - based metadata processing 303 , and entity processing 305 ). object system metadata processing 301 may comprise layers 302 , 304 , and 306 for extracting system - level metadata which pertains to the keeper of the object ( e . g ., the system on which the object resides , the surrounding systems , the type of filesystem on which the object resides , the security settings pertaining to the object , other filesystem information such as user directories , etc .). current filesystems generally provide ample amounts of system metadata . object system metadata extraction 302 may operate to extract raw system metadata pertaining to the location and type of filesystem on which an object resides . this can be done by using the volume parameter passed in on the & lt ; object classification request & gt ;. each volume has a system type . object system metadata extraction 302 may operate to map available attributes based on the system type . the type of volume is extensible ( i . e ., new system types can be readily added ). object system metadata extraction 302 may operate to collaborate , from within the pipeline and based on detailed information extracted thus far , with other software facilities within a network ( e . g ., an enterprise policy engine in an enterprise network ) to aggregate , enrich , and / or augment the extracted metadata ( e . g ., the enterprise policy engine may recursively feed analyzed attributes back into object system metadata extraction 302 ). security extraction 304 may operate to extract an object &# 39 ; s security settings such as access permissions . like system metadata , the security settings are a type of metadata that exist on objects which can be extracted , tagged , and classified via classification pipeline 300 . the extracted security information can be useful for forensic and / or reporting purposes . for example , one might desire to know , while an object is being tagged , how many times the object had been accessed , when and perhaps by whom . in this way , access behavior may be analyzed based on the extracted security information and the historic value ( s ) associated therewith . user directory extraction 306 may operate to extract system metadata pertaining to user directories associated with the object . user directory extraction 306 can enrich the extracted system metadata with directory information ( e . g ., the active directory where an object currently resides on a user computer ). additional system - level processing is possible to extract from the keeper of an object other types of metadata germane to the structure ( e . g ., file type ) of the object ( e . g ., “ sender ” may be germane to “ email ”, “ author ” may be germane to “ document ”, etc .). the keeper of the object refers to the system ( s ) on which the object resides . as an example , a client can simply plug in , insert or otherwise add new metadata extraction algorithm ( s ) or processing layer ( s ) to classification pipeline 300 . content - based metadata processing 303 may comprise layers 308 , 310 , 312 , 314 , 316 and 318 for obtaining metadata on an object based upon the content of the object ( e . g ., free form text of an email or document , etc .). for example , duplicate hash computation 308 may operate to perform a binary hash to detect possible duplicate objects which can then be removed ( also called “ deduplication ”). in one embodiment , another layer ( not shown ) can be added to perform a text - based hash on the content of the object to see if it has changed semantically . this can be done before extractions 314 , 316 , 318 . content typing 310 may operate to determine the type of object by its content and not by its extension . as an example , a file named “ work . doc ” may be an . mp3 file in disguise . determining the type of a document based on what &# 39 ; s in it can help to ensure the accuracy of its classification . text conversion 312 may operate to process and prepare the text of the object for content - based extraction operations ( e . g ., keyword extraction 314 , raw entity extraction 316 , text pattern extraction 318 , etc .). other content - based metadata extraction operations are also possible . in one embodiment , another layer or module ( not shown ) can be added to remove any ambiguity ( also called “ the disambiguity ” layer ”) in the content of the object . as one skilled in the art can appreciate , removing ambiguity ( e . g ., run - on sentences , improper punctuation , extra spaces , tables , dashes or hyphens in words and sentences , etc .) from the content can improve performance . the aforementioned text - based hashing can be performed on the converted text as well . the converted text next is broken down into speech units ( e . g ., names , cities , nouns , verbs , etc .) and goes through a battery of extraction processes ( e . g ., keyword extraction 314 , raw entity extraction 316 , text pattern extraction 318 , etc .). these layers of extraction operate to look for keywords , semantic entities , word units , expressions , text patterns , etc . and extract them from the text based on some predetermined parameters ( e . g ., a client desiring to locate documents discussing patient privacy might specify a list of relevant keywords such as “ patient ” and “ privacy ” based on which keyword extraction 314 is operable to go through the text and tag documents that contain those keywords ). in some embodiments , third party text processing software development kits such as thingfinder ® by inxight software , inc . of sunnyvale , calif . can be used to supplement this functionality . inxight thingfinder ® can automatically identify , tags , and indexes about 35 types of named entities in a document , such as persons , organizations , dates , places , and addresses . entity processing 305 may comprise layers 320 , 322 , and 324 for processing the object and / or metadata previously obtained from the object . in particular , the object and metadata previously obtained may be combined or analyzed to produce further metadata on the object . in embodiments of the invention , filtering / scoping 320 may operate to tag metadata according to predetermined scope ( s )/ filtering rule ( s ), which are user - definable . this can be useful in classifying objects in compliance with privacy policies and / or rules . with this functionality , objects may be included ( scoping ) and / or excluded ( filtering ) from one or more classes . proximity analysis 322 may operate to tag or select an entity ( metadata ) based on its proximity or affinity to another entity or entities . for example , to distinguish from all dates a user may specify for proximity analysis 322 to find dates in proximity to a particular word or entity . as another example , to find names of people who work in hospitals , a user might first create an entity called “ hospital names ” and distinguish from all names only those that are in proximity to hospital names using proximity analysis 322 . these are examples of proximity - based entities . at this point , everything about an object is tagged and there could be a plurality of entities ( extracted as well as created by the layers in the classification pipeline ) of various types . user level entity assertion 324 may operate to normalize these entities and interface with object classification rules engine 326 for submitting objects and their associated data . in this respect , user level entity assertion 324 can be seen as interfacing between the tagging functionality and the classification functionality of classification pipeline 300 . that is , an object may move up or through classification pipeline 300 as metadata concerning the object continues to be collected , enriched , and augmented . once it reaches the last node , in this case , proximity analysis 322 , the tagging aspect of the pipeline is done and user level entity assertion 324 can assert all the data in its aggregate into object classification rules engine 326 . in one embodiment , object classification rules engine 326 is operable to classify objects according to a set of rules which define classes for objects based upon various data , metadata or various combinations associated therewith . each object is classified based on its associated data according to these rules . these classification rules are user - definable and can be expressed in the form of conditions . in one embodiment , a condition has an attribute in terms of a value or value plus instances . in this way , if an object has an entity associated therewith that satisfies a condition , object classification rules engine 326 may classify that object to be a member of a class having that condition . once the class membership is asserted , its class can be expressed in terms of another class ( i . e ., the class becomes the object &# 39 ; s another attribute ). this complex class membership can be interpreted subsequently during class processing . it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the stages or layers 302 - 326 depicted with respect to classification pipeline 300 are exemplary only , and that classification pipeline 300 may include more or fewer stages depending on the functionality of classification pipeline 300 desired . as an example , fig3 a depicts an embodiment of classification pipeline 330 comprising layers 332 , 334 , 336 , 338 , 340 , 344 , and 346 for operating on metadata spaces listed in table 1 below . in one embodiment , layers 332 , 334 , 336 , 338 , 340 , 344 , and 346 are implemented as a set of tagging and extraction services available through a web interface or an api interface . in one embodiment , clients ( e . g ., application 100 ) of the classification pipeline ( e . g ., classification pipeline 110 ) can subscribe to specific metadata spaces listed above by defining a pipeline profile . if no pipeline profile is provided ( e . g ., request 102 contains no pipeline profile ), the classification pipe may be configured to provide all sets of metadata . in embodiments of the invention , any of the above - described layers and options of the classification pipeline can be turned on and off by metadata subscription . as an example , a client may choose to subscribe to a particular profile of the pipeline and configure it accordingly . as another example , a client may choose to tag an object but not classify it . in some cases , a client may desire to have some dimensions of classification that is germane to a particular application domain , but not necessarily part of the classification pipeline . for example , a class may require its members to contain the name “ steve ”, be bigger than one megabyte in file size , be created over one year ago , mention a software product called “ classification pipeline ,” and references the city of austin . in one embodiment , a user can pass the classification requirements in from the application domain to the classification engine ( e . g ., object classification rules engine 326 ) and the classification pipeline ( e . g ., classification pipeline 300 ) can synthesize the user - defined classification requirements with all the tag attributes ( e . g ., name , size , date , text pattern , keyword , etc .) and feed them into the classification engine to assert classification accordingly . in this way , classification can be done based on dynamically inserted requirements from external applications . fig4 depicts an exemplary configuration of one embodiment of the classification pipeline , illustrating by example how embodiments of the classification pipeline disclosed herein may be utilized in conjunction with external applications or data . pipeline configuration can be controlled via an application web interface , or through an api exposed as a series of xml request and replies over tcp . the example shown in fig4 exemplifies pipeline configuration via the api and adopts the following terminology : object - class — consists of one or more conditions , all of which can be combined by an “ and ” and “ or ” boolean operations or instance requirement counts . condition — consists of a single object - attribute and value / occurrence based expression whose scope is constrained by the object - attribute properties . for the purpose of inclusion within an object - class , a condition on an object - attribute has the following dimensions . object - attribute — consists of file system metadata , content based data , and user - defined ( i . e ., custom ) attributes . each object - attribute can have the following properties : base type ( e . g ., string , integer , date , occurrence ) sparse or dense indicator single or multiple instance data values or partial data values ( is , contains , begins with , ends with , regular expression values ) custom object - attributes — object - attributes created by applications ( including the classification pipeline ) users , available for viewing and updating . custom object - attributes can have the following types : there are four types of pipeline configuration objects that control the behavior of the classification pipeline : volumes , pipeline - profile , object - attributes , and object - classes . in the example shown in fig4 , pipeline configuration objects 400 ( volume 410 , object - classes 420 , object - attributes 430 , and pipeline profile 440 ) control the behavior of classification pipeline 300 . volume — a volume is an aggregation of data needed to address a repository of objects somewhere on the network . a volume can include the name of the server , the name of the share , the protocol to be used in communicating with the server , authentication credentials ( if applicable to the protocol ), a starting directory from which subsequent file requests are relative , and an include directory regular expression . the latter two items can allow for specification of subsections of share when it is desirable to logically break up a network share . pipeline - profile — a pipeline - profile comprises a series of options that control which sets of metadata are extracted from an object as it passes through the pipeline . following the example shown in fig3 a , these options may include the following : enable / disable content signature calculation ; enable / disable system metadata extraction ; enable / disable content based object file - type calculation ; enable / disable classification engine ; enable / disable directory resolution ; enable / disable extraction of security information ; enable / disable the extraction of content object - attributes ; and maximum number of content object - attributes to extract per type per object . object - attribute — depending upon implementation , object - attributes can fall into two categories : core or custom . core object - attributes are provided with the classification pipeline and are immutable . the definition of custom object - attributes is controlled by the user . “ person ” and “ address ” are examples of core object - attributes . one embodiment of the invention supports two custom object - attribute types , keyword and regular expression . users can create and modify custom object - attributes of these types . since object - attributes are the vocabulary upon which object - classes are built , the ability to add custom object - attributes allows a user to extend this vocabulary . name — name of the object - attribute ; custom —( boolean ) determines whether object - attribute is of type custom ; base - type — integer , date , string , occurrence ; dense —( boolean ) determines whether the object - attribute is dense or sparse ( i . e ., is it always present ); and multi - instance —( boolean ) determines whether multiple instances are possible . the latter four determine what conditions can be applied to a particular object - attribute . object - class — an object - class is a collection of conditions expressed across object - attributes . each condition within an object - class enumerates value / instance - based expressions across a single object - attribute . an object - class may be associated with one or more volumes and there can be multiple object - classes associated with a given volume . one example of an object - class is defined as a path containing a sub - string “ home ” and the presence of a social security number ( ssn ) and is associated with all volumes . in this case , the conditions are : referring to fig4 , classification pipeline 300 may receive volume 410 specifying a location on a filesystem , a filename or object name , or a profile of an object which may indicate which objects to process through classification pipeline 300 or which may indicate services within classification pipeline 300 are desired . utilizing some of this information , classification pipeline 300 may extract metadata and classification information on the object and pass this metadata or classification to another application . as described above , classification pipeline 300 may be utilized in conjunction with configuration data 400 to tailor classification pipeline . pipeline profile 440 received by classification pipeline 300 may indicate desired layers or services of classification pipeline 300 ( e . g ., extract security information but no hash computation ) or may indicate how classification pipeline 300 is to be set up . other configuration data may include various volumes of filesystems , particular servers , protocols or various access information associated with objects on which classification pipeline 300 is to operate . objects classes may be defined by rules which define classes to which objects may belong . these object classes may be associated with certain volumes or filesystem types such that when files from a particular filesystem or filesystem type are processed by classification pipeline 300 , classification pipeline 300 may determine if these objects are of that class . components of the classification pipeline disclosed herein can be controlled programmatically through an xml over tcp interface . for example , a plurality of methods can be provided to getall , get , create , update , and delete for each of the pipeline configuration objects 400 described above . an exemplary breakdown of methods , parameters , parameter descriptions , types , and return values is attached to this disclosure as appendix c . other implementations are also possible . embodiments of the classification pipeline disclosed herein may be utilized as part of a broader system . one embodiment of such a system 500 is depicted in fig5 . classification pipeline 300 may interface with a set of applications 510 ( e . g ., storediq walkers , storediq event sinks , etc .) designed to provide objects and object data to an ingest queue 520 where objects to be processed by classification pipeline 300 are organized . ingest queue 520 may be operable to implement an api 515 such that information on objects may be provided to ingest queue 520 . for example , if applications 510 which may be provided in conjunction with classification pipeline 300 only cover a certain set of filesystems , the “ external ” api 515 may allow objects in a filesystem outside the set of filesystems to be classified by classification pipeline 300 by passing information on the object , or the object itself , to ingest queue 520 . this information on an object or the object may be passed in by a third party application or any other application that wishes to utilize the capabilities of classification pipeline 300 . from ingest queue 520 objects are then processed by classification pipeline 300 . the processing of these objects may lead to one or more pipeline events 530 . these pipeline events may be the fact that an object has been classified a certain way , that certain metadata of an object comports with certain criteria , etc . based on the pipeline events generated , metadata or other object data may be stored to a repository 540 and / or utilized to implement policies 550 and / or inform applications ( e . g ., a web application external to classification pipeline 300 ) through api 535 . policies may be actions to be taken and may for example be based upon the classification of an object . these policies may be either predefined or user defined , such that system 500 may take user - defined actions based upon a pipeline event . these pipeline events or other results of processing by classification pipeline 300 may also be reported using api 535 as discussed above , such that client applications may receive requested information on objects that have been processed by classification pipeline 300 . fig6 depicts one embodiment of an exemplary architecture for the implementation of a system 600 for processing objects using a cluster of classification pipelines disclosed herein . filesystems ( e . g ., cifs 662 , nfs 664 , netware 666 in a network filesystem environment 660 ) may be accessed by various applications ( e . g ., filesystem walkers 611 , real time event sinks 613 ) to obtain objects as well as information on objects in these filesystems and events pertaining to these systems . these applications may place these events and information into a pipeline queue ( e . g ., ingest queue 620 ) which is managed by a queue manager ( e . g ., ingest queue manager 628 ). additionally , an external interface ( e . g ., api 605 ) may allow external applications ( e . g ., applications 601 ) to provide information on objects in external filesystems to the pipeline queue . from this queue ( e . g ., ingest queue 620 ), the queue manager ( e . g ., ingest queue manager 628 ) may distribute objects to computer nodes ( e . g ., nodes 682 , 684 , 686 ), each which is operable to implement one or more instances of a classification pipeline ( e . g ., classification pipeline 300 ), or a subset thereof . thus , each of the objects in the queue may be processed by an instance of a classification pipeline implemented on a node . the processing of these objects by the instances of the classification pipeline on the various nodes results in the generation of various pipeline events ( e . g ., pipeline events 630 ). the pipeline events may result in the various actions taken by volume subscribers ( e . g ., volume subscribers 690 ) based upon the volume with which the object that caused a pipeline event to be generated is associated . thus , if a pipeline event was generated based upon an object in a certain volume , the pipeline event , object metadata or other information associated with the object may be stored in a repository or storage location ( e . g ., repository 640 ). additionally , the pipeline event , object metadata or other information associated with the object may implement some predefined policies ( e . g ., policies 640 ) and / or be reported to external applications through an external interface ( e . g ., api 625 ), as described above . it will be apparent from the above descriptions that many other architectural arrangements may be implemented and utilized in conjunction with embodiments of the classification pipeline disclosed herein . although the present invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the illustrative embodiments , it should be understood that the description is by way of example only and not to be construed in a limiting sense . it is to be further understood , therefore , that numerous changes in the details of the embodiments of this invention and additional embodiments of this invention will be apparent to , and may be made by , persons of ordinary skill in the art having reference to this description . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents . | 8 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be explained in conjunction with the drawings . fig1 is an overall structural view of a multicolor projecting exposure apparatus utilizing a liquid crystal cell of the laser - written type as an intermediate image medium or photosensitive medium and employing an inventive laser beam scanning device . in fig1 the multicolor projecting exposure apparatus is comprised of a projecting exposure system 62 , an image writing system 61 including the laser beam scanning device and a developing system 63 . the projecting exposure system 62 is comprised of a halogen lamp 29 , a reflecting mirror 28 effective to increase light collecting efficiency , a pair of condenser lenses 30 and 32 for converting light emitted from the halogen lamp 29 into somewhat of a converging light beam ; a filter 31 disposed between the condenser lenses 30 and 32 for cutting off a thermal beam contained in the light beam ; a half mirror 27 for reflecting the light beam from the halogen lamp 29 to a liquid crystal cell on a rotating or rotary disc 33 and for passing a reflected light beam from the liquid crystal cell ; a projecting lens 26 for projecting and focusing the light beam transmitted from the half mirror 27 onto a photosensitive film 21 , a winding roller 22 for winding the photosensitive film 21 , and a back tension roller 43 for uniformly tensioning the photosensitive film 21 . the photosensitive film 21 is composed of a microcapsule sheet produced by the mead company of the u . s . a . the microcapsule sheet is composed of pet film coated uniformly with three different kinds of microcapsules composed of a thin film enclosure made of , for example , gelatin and containing three different color formers a1 , a2 and a3 exhibiting cyan , magenta and yellow tones , respectively , and three different photosensitive compositions b1 , b2 and b3 photosensitive to light having different wavelengths λ1 , λ2 and λ3 corresponding to the respective color formers and effective to change their own viscosity to immobilize the color formers . the image writing system 61 is comprised of a laser beam primary scanning unit including a semiconductor laser ( not shown ), a polygon mirror 41 , a main motor 9 for rotating the polygon mirror 41 , and a reflecting mirror 42 , a bowl screw 38 for driving a base 64 mounting thereon the laser beam primary scanning unit in a secondary scanning direction , a pulse motor 39 for rotating the bowl screw 38 , a flexible coupling 40 connecting between the bowl screw 38 and the pulse motor 39 , a rotary disc 33 ( fig4 shows its plan view ), another pulse motor 34 for rotating the rotary disc 33 around a shaft 37 , a worm wheel 35 for transmitting a driving force from the pulse motor 34 to the shaft 37 , and a bearing 36 for supporting the shaft 37 . the base 64 , bowl screw 38 and pulse motor 39 constitute a secondary scanning unit . as shown in fig4 of plan view , the rotational disc 33 is provided with liquid crystal cells or panels 51 , 52 and 53 for exposures of yellow , cyan and magenta , respectively . the respective liquid crystal panels 51 , 52 and 53 are disposed around the rotational shaft at equi - angular distance of 120 °. each liquid crystal panel can be written thereon by an image by means of a scanned laser beam . the developing system 63 is comprised of a feeding roller 23 for feeding a receiver sheet coated uniformly with developer effective to react with the color formers a1 , a2 and a3 on the photosensitive film to cause color development reaction , a pressing roller 24 for pressing the superposed photosensitive film 21 and receiver sheet to each other , and a pressing spring 25 for applying a pressing force to the pressing roller 24 . fig7 shows a circuit diagram of the image writing system 61 or laser scanning device including a pll - control or feedback circuit of the polygon motor 9 and a driving or feed forward circuit of the pulse motor 39 . the pll - control circuit has the same structure as the conventional circuit shown in fig3 and includes an oscillating source circuit 91 utilizing a quartz resonator and generating an oscillating clock signal effective to regulate the rotation of the polygon mirror as a reference signal or clock pulses . the pulse motor driving circuit shares the common oscillating source circuit 91 , and includes a frequency - dividing circuit 71 for frequency - dividing the basic oscillating signal outputted from the oscillating source circuit 91 to reduce its frequency to a necessary number , a phasing circuit 72 for phasing the output signal from the frequency - dividing circuit 71 to apply phased signal components to respective coils of the pulse motor 39 to set timings of activation of the respective coils , and a current amplifier 73 receptive of the output signal components from the phasing circuit 72 to amplify the same to apply driving current pulses needed to actually drive the pulse motor 39 . next , the operation of the multicolor projecting exposure apparatus will be explained with reference to an explanatory diagram of fig5 . first , the rotational disc 33 is angularly displaced to position the liquid crystal panel 51 for yellow color exposure under the laser beam scanning device . then , the secondary scanning unit is initially moved to a home position as shown in fig6 which shows moving positions of the secondary scanning unit . then , the secondary scanning unit is started to move in the secondary scanning direction by means of the pulse motor 39 . when the pulse motor 39 for driving the bowl screw is applied with n1 number of the driving current pulses and the secondary scanning unit arrives at a position to stop writing , the writing of yellow color image component is started by scanning the laser beam two - dimensionally in the primary and secondary scanning directions . when the pulse motor 39 receives n2 number of the driving current pulses from the starting of writing and the secondary scanning unit arrives at a position to stop writing , the writing operation is stopped while the pulse motor 39 is continuously applied with the driving current pulses . when the pulse motor 39 receives n3 number of the pulses after the termination of writing operation and the secondary scanning unit arrives on a stop position , the application of pulses is terminated to the driving of pulse motor 39 . by such operation , the yellow color image component is written into the liquid crystal panel 51 . in the next step , n1 + n2 + n3 number of driving current pulses are applied to the pulse motor 39 reversely to return the movable secondary scanning unit to its home position . during this operation , the rotational disc 33 is angularly displaced to position the liquid crystal panel 52 for cyan color exposure in place under the laser beam scanning device . thereafter , a cyan color image component is written onto the liquid crystal panel 52 for use in cyan color exposure in a similar manner to the writing operation of yellow color image component onto the first liquid crystal panel for use in the yellow color exposure . further , in similar manner , the returning operation of the secondary scanning unit and the angular displacement of the rotational disc 33 are carried out to switch from the cyan - color - related liquid crystal panel 52 to the magenta - color - related liquid crystal panel 53 . then , using a similar writing operation , the magenta color image component is written into the magenta - color related liquid crystal panel 53 . next , after the writing , the liquid crystal panels are irradiated with light from the halogen lamp 29 . the liquid crystal panels reflect the light and the reflected light is projected onto the photosensitive film 21 through the projecting lens 26 to superpose the yellow , cyan and magenta color image components on the photosensitive film 21 to compose a color image . in detail , the rotational disc 33 is angularly displaced to position the yellow - color - related liquid crystal panel 51 in alignment with the photosensitive film 21 , and projection and exposure of the yellow color image component is carried out onto the film 21 . after the yellow color image component is formed onto the photosensitive film 21 , the rotational disc 33 is angularly displaced and the cyan color image component written in the liquid crystal panel 52 is projected and exposed onto the same portion of the photosensitive film 21 to superpose the yellow and cyan color image components to each other . in the same manner , the magenta color image component of the liquid crystal panel 53 is projected and exposed onto the film so that the yellow , cyan and magenta color image components are superposed to compose the color image . by such an operation , the starting positions of image writing are coincident in the respective liquid crystal panels 51 , 52 and 53 for use in the respective yellow , cyan and magenta color exposures in both the primary scanning direction by means of the optical sensor 8 and of the secondary scanning direction by means of the pulse motor 39 according to the writing timing control shown in fig6 . accordingly , the yellow , cyan and magenta color image components projected onto the photosensitive film 21 are perfectly matched to avoid color dislocation . in the present embodiment , a liquid crystal panel of the laser beam written type is used as an intermediate image - writing medium . however , the medium is not limited to the liquid crystal panel , but other types of medium can be used such as a photosensitive drum and selenium plate . further , while the liquid crystal panels are switched by angular displacement of a rotational disc in the present embodiment , other method and structure can be utilized such as shifting the medium along a guide rail so as to obtain the same function . as described above , according to the present invention , while maintaining the conventional primary scanning system and without providing an additional position sensor , the image can be written and reproduced from a desired position in the secondary scanning direction . | 7 |
the present disclosure is not limited to the particular details of the assemblies depicted , and other modifications and applications may be contemplated . further changes may be made in the assemblies without departing from the true spirit of the scope of the disclosure herein involved . it is intended , therefore , that the subject matter in this disclosure should be interpreted as illustrative , not in a limiting sense . in one embodiment of the present disclosure , as shown in fig1 through 4 , a pallet wrap 100 is configured to retain articles 128 stacked on a pallet 102 . in this example , pallet wrap 100 includes main panel 106 , side straps 120 , top strap 130 , restraint 116 , first pocket 114 , second pocket 112 , and third pocket 110 , and strap connection points 132 . in one embodiment , the main panel 106 of pallet wrap 100 is a piece of material to which the other elements of the device are attached . main panel 106 can be made of vinyl coated polyester mesh but other types of material can also be used . other suitable natural and synthetic materials can also be used such as canvas , nylon , polypropylene , polyethylene , cotton , or composite woven materials as well . as shown in fig1 , main panel 106 is preferably rectangular in shape so as to appropriately interface with a transportation platform such as a pallet . as shown in fig5 through 8 , main panel 106 has an appropriate length such that when pallet wrap 100 is wrapped around a plurality of articles 128 stacked on a transportation platform or pallet 102 , pallet wrap 100 substantially surrounds the plurality of articles 128 . a gap , as shown fig5 , may exist between the ends of main panel 106 when pallet wrap 100 is installed . preferably , the gap is less than twelve inches but other gaps and configurations can be used depending on the size of articles 128 being transported . in one example , pallet wrap 100 is used in conjunction with a traditional size pallet and the main panel 106 of pallet wrap 100 is approximately fourteen feet long and has a height of four feet . other sizes of main panel 106 can also be used as well as other shapes , however , so long as pallet wrap 100 is able to prevent a plurality of articles 128 from unwanted movement or shifting during transportation . as stated above , main panel 106 may have a height of four feet in one example . other heights of main panel 106 may also be used . as shown in fig6 , 7 and 8 , different heights of main panel 106 may be used to create small height pallet wrap 300 , with a height of two feet , medium height pallet wrap 400 , with a height of four feet , and tall height pallet wrap 500 , with a height of six feet . other heights can also be used such that the size of main panel 106 is configured for the needs of a user or to be used to interface with a certain size or shape article 128 . in one embodiment , referring back to fig1 , side straps 120 , top strap 130 , restraint 116 , first pocket 114 , second pocket 112 , and third pocket 110 , and strap connection points 132 may be attached to main panel 106 of pallet wrap 100 . in this embodiment , four side straps 120 extend from a first end of main panel 106 . each side strap 120 can be made of two inch wide nylon webbing material but other sizes and materials can be used . a portion of each side strap 120 is attached to main panel 106 and another portion extends outward from first end of main panel 106 . located on a second edge of main panel 106 are strap connection points 132 . in this example , two rows of four strap connection points 132 are attached to and positioned along and near second end of main panel 106 . each row of strap connection points 132 is configured to interface with the side straps 120 previously described . as can be seen in fig5 , when main panel 106 is wrapped around a plurality of articles stacked on a pallet , side strap 120 interfaces with connection point 132 so as to secure main panel 106 in position around articles 128 . as shown in fig1 , in this example side strap 120 includes pieces of hook and loop fasteners and connection points 132 include a metal d - ring . in this example , when main panel 106 is wrapped around articles 128 on pallet 102 , side strap 120 is inserted through the d - ring on connection point 132 and folded back on itself such that the complimentary pieces of hook and loop fasteners retain side strap 120 in position and keep pallet wrap 100 snugly positioned around articles 128 . in this fashion , in this example , each side strap 120 can be looped through a connection point 132 to retain pallet wrap 100 in a desired position . other configurations of side strap 120 and connection point 132 can also be used , such as , interfacing clips , snaps , hooks , cleats , and the like . as can be seen in fig1 , two rows of connection points 132 may be provided on main panel 106 . in this configuration , a second row of connection point 132 allows for interfacing with side straps 120 such that pallet wrap 120 can be used with varying sizes of pallets or varying loads or sizes of articles 128 that may be stacked on a transportation platform . in this example , two rows of connection points 132 can be included on main panel 106 but in other examples more rows and configurations of connection points 132 or side straps 120 can be provided to as to provide further flexibility of use . as stated above , main panel 106 may also include top strap 134 . top strap 134 may also be a piece of nylon webbing . top strap 134 extends upward from a top edge of main panel 106 . top strap 134 is configured to interface with and connect to top attachment point 108 . in one example , top strap 134 and top attachment point have pieces of interfacing hook and loop fasteners that allow top strap 134 to be secured to top attachment point 108 . as can be seen in fig3 and 4 , top strap 134 is configured so as to extend across a stack of articles 128 that may be located on pallet 102 and attach to an opposite surface of main panel 106 when main panel 106 has been wrapped around articles 128 . top strap 134 further provides stability and restricts movement of articles 128 when installed as described and shown . referring back to fig1 , pallet wrap 100 also includes restraints 116 and restraint attachment points 136 . restraint 116 can also be a length of nylon webbing or other material . restraint 116 , as can be seen , extends downward from a bottom of main panel 106 . in one embodiment , restraint 116 extends downward at an oblique angle from bottom edge of main panel 106 . restraint 116 may include a piece of hook and loop fastener that complimentarily interfaces with a second piece of hook and loop fastener located at restraint attachment point 136 . as can be appreciated , the position of restraint attachment point 136 on main panel 106 is configured such that the two are at complimentary oblique angles such that the two can be easily joined as will be explained . additionally , in one embodiment , inside or attached to restraint 116 is a stiffening member 138 . stiffening member 138 may be foam encased inside of restraint 116 but it may also be a piece of semi - rigid material such as plastic , or other suitable material . stiffening member 138 provides added rigidity to restraint 116 such that restraint 116 can be pushed or fed through openings or under pallet 102 during installation . restraint 116 , in this embodiment , is used to secure pallet wrap 100 to a transportation platform such as pallet 102 . as can be seen in fig5 , when pallet wrap 100 is installed around a plurality of articles 128 on pallet 102 , restraint 116 can be pushed , pulled , or otherwise fed through an opening on pallet 102 . the end of restraint 116 is then attached to restraint attachment point 136 . as can be appreciated , stiffening member 138 assists the user in feeding restraint 116 under pallet 102 . in this manner , pallet wrap 100 is secured to pallet 102 . pallet wrap 100 may include one or more restraints 116 located at each corner or at other locations . in one example , two restraints 116 are provided such that the restraints 116 and complimentary restraint connection points 136 are located at two corners of pallet 102 , at corners diagonally opposite one another . referring now to the embodiment shown on fig1 , restraint 1618 may also include restraint d - ring 1650 . restraint d - ring 1650 is attached at or near to the end of restraint 1618 that is attached to main panel 1608 . in the course of use of pallet wrap 1600 , restraint 1618 may become damaged , torn , or otherwise unusable . restraint d - ring 1650 is provided such that a replacement or additional restraint 1618 can be added to pallet wrap 1600 . this feature allows for continued use of pallet wrap 1600 without the need for repair of the damaged restraint 1618 . instead , a replacement restraint can be provided that can be attached to restraint d - ring 1650 and used as if the damaged restraint 1618 was still operational . other types or configurations of restraint d - ring could also be provided such as additional hood and loop fasteners , clips , cleats , or other suitable attachment means . in addition , restraint d - ring 1650 could be provided separate from restraint 1618 such as separately attached at or near the attachment location of restraint 1618 to main panel 1608 . further provided in the embodiment shown in fig1 is strap grabber 1602 . in this embodiment , strap grabber 1602 is a piece of hook and loop fastener attached to main panel 1608 . strap grabber 1602 can be any suitable releasable fastener that can releasably attach to one of more of the straps associated with pallet wrap 1600 . in this example , strap grabber 1602 is located approximately midway between the top edge and the bottom edge of main panel 1608 . strap grabber 1602 is configured to releasably connect to one or more straps of pallet wrap 1600 so that the free end of a strap can be retained so that the free end of a strap does not interfere during the installation of pallet wrap 1600 . for example , when pallet wrap 1600 is being wrapped around a plurality of articles 128 on a transportation platform , restraint 1618 would likely be dangling at or near the floor . with restraint 1618 in this position , the operator could step on restraint 1618 or restraint 1618 could become tangled around one or more of the other elements of pallet wrap 1600 . to keep restraint 1618 up off of the floor or away from other elements , the free end of restraint 1618 can be attached to strap grabber 1602 . as can be appreciated one or more of the other straps could also be attached to strap grabber 1602 as well . referring back to the embodiment shown in fig1 , pallet wrap 100 may also include first pocket 114 , second pocket 112 , third pocket 110 and one or more rods 104 . first pocket 114 is piece of material , such as nylon webbing , attached to main panel 106 at or near a first end . first pocket is configured such that it can receive rod 104 . rod 104 , in one example is a piece of pvc tubing with an outer diameter of three - quarters of an inch . other types , materials , and sizes of rod 104 can also be used as are known to one of ordinary skill in the art . an opening can be located at an upper end of first pocket 114 such that rod 104 can be inserted into first pocket 114 . in this manner , when installed in first pocket 114 , rod 104 extends along first end of main panel 106 and is retained in this general position . second pocket 112 and third pocket 110 can also be provided similarly to first pocket 114 . second pocket 112 and third pocket 110 , in this example , are located at or near the rows of strap connection points 132 . second pocket 112 and third pocket 110 can also be configured to receive rods 104 . first pocket 114 , second pocket 112 , and third pocket 110 with installed rods 104 provide structure to pallet wrap 100 . when pallet wrap 100 is installed onto a plurality of articles 128 on a transportation platform , the size of main panel 106 can be unwieldy to manipulate and wrap around articles 128 . the structure that can be added to pallet wrap 100 helps during installation , removal and storage of pallet wrap 100 . in one embodiment , and as shown in fig2 , pallet wrap 100 may include reinforcing elements 140 located at or near the locations at which the different elements are attached to main panel 106 . the above - described elements , such as for example , side straps 120 , strap connection points 132 , top strap 134 , and restraint 116 , can be stitched to main panel 106 . in other examples , the elements may be glued , welded , riveted , or the like . reinforcing elements 140 can be located on a back side of main panel 106 , as shown in fig2 . the attachment , whether stitched or otherwise , can then be placed through both the attached element , such as a strap , on the front side of main panel 106 , through main panel 106 and through reinforcing element 140 . in this manner , pallet wrap including the attached elements is more durable and reliable for repeated use . in another embodiment , shown in fig9 and 10 , a pallet wrap is provided with the capability to extend to a larger size such that varying heights of stacked articles 128 can be accommodated . extended pallet wrap 900 can be similar to the configuration of pallet wrap 100 with the addition of extension panel 902 . extension panel 902 can be similar to the main panel 106 of pallet wrap 100 . extension panel can include side straps , d - rings , strap connection points , top straps , pockets and rods as described above . extension panel 902 is configured such that , in a first state , it can be folded over onto main panel 906 as shown in fig9 and 17 . in this configuration , extended pallet wrap 900 is configured to fit a first size of stacked articles , for example a four foot tall stack of articles . extension panel 902 can also be operated in a second state , as shown in fig9 and 18 , in which the extension panel 902 is in an extended position that effectively creates a larger surface for the wrapping of articles . in the second state , extended pallet wrap 900 can be installed onto , for example , a six foot tall stack of articles . fig1 and 18 show extended pallet wrap in use . fig1 shows extended pallet wrap 900 in use in a first state where the size of the articles is at a first height . fig1 shows extended pallet wrap 900 in use where the size of articles is larger than the height in the first state . as shown in fig1 , extension panel 902 is raised such that the additional height can be accommodated . in still another embodiment , as shown in fig1 through 15 , a cart wrap 1100 is provided . in this embodiment , cart wrap 1100 is configured for use with a cart such as a u - boat or similar transportation trolley . in this embodiment , cart wrap 110 includes front section 1102 , front tabs 1104 , back section 1106 , back tabs 1108 , cover section 1110 , cover tabs 1112 , and side secure tabs 1114 . front section 1102 , back section 1106 and cover section 1110 are panels of material that can be a single piece of material or separate pieces of material attached together . front section 1102 , back section 1106 and cover section 1110 can also be made of the same material of different materials . in one embodiment , front section 1102 and back section 1106 are made of vinyl coated polyester mesh and cover section 1110 is made of vinyl . other natural and synthetic materials can also be used as are known to one of ordinary skill in the art . in one embodiment , cover section 1110 is positioned between front section 1102 and back section 1106 . attached to front section 1102 are front tabs 1104 . front tabs 1104 extend outward from side edges of front section 1102 . front tabs , in one example , are made of nylon webbing , but other suitable materials can also be used . cart wrap 1100 can include one or more front tabs 1104 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , six front tabs 1104 extend from front section 1102 . three front tabs can be positioned on each edge of front section 1102 . other configurations can also be used . in a complimentary arrangement , in this embodiment , back tabs 1108 can be positioned along edges of back section 1106 . back tabs 1108 can also be made of nylon webbing or other suitable material . back tabs 1108 extend outward from edges of back section 1106 and include a connection element . connection element can be one or more d - rings as shown but other types of connection elements such as clips , hook and loop fasteners , snaps , buttons , or like can also be used . referring now to fig1 , the bottom side of cart wrap 1100 is shown . cart wrap 110 may also include side secure tabs 1114 . side secure tabs 1114 can be made of nylon webbing but other suitable materials can also be used . side secure tabs 114 extend outward from back section 1106 . in this embodiment side secure tabs are attached to the bottom side of back section 1106 and are positioned and configured in a similar pattern to back tabs 1108 . in this example configuration , reinforcement webbing is not required on bottom side of back section 1106 at the attachment locations . as can be appreciated , the attachment method , either stitching or other method as previously described , can be placed through back tabs 1108 , back section 1106 , and side secure tabs 1114 to provide a durable connection . at the location of attachment of front tabs 1104 on back section 1102 , reinforcements 1116 are located on the bottom side of front section 1102 to increase the durability of the attachment . also , on this embodiment , located in a configuration complimentary to cover tabs 1112 but on the bottom side of cover section 1110 are cover tabs attachment points 1118 . cover tab attachment points can be interfacing pieces of hook and loop fastener material . cover tab attachment points not only can provide increased durability of attachment of cover tabs 1112 to cover section 1110 but also allow cover tabs 1112 to releasably attach to cover tab attachment points as will hereafter be described . as seen in fig1 - 15 , cart wrap 1100 can be removably attached to a mobile transportation cart such as a u - boat or similar transportation trolley . back section 1106 can first be attached to cart 1120 by wrapping back tab 1108 around the outside of side members 1402 of cart 1120 and wrapping side secure tab 1114 from the inside of side members 1402 of cart 1120 and securing the free end of side secure tab 1114 to the d - ring on the end of back tab 1108 . this process is repeated until all complimentary back tabs 1108 and side secure tabs 1114 are connected on either end of cart 1120 . as can be seen in fig1 , the d - ring , or other connector element , located on side secure member is now positioned at a point that is accessible for attachment of front tab 1104 as will be described . in this example , cover section 1110 can be placed on the top of cart 1120 and cover tabs can be wrapped around top member 1404 of cart 1120 and secured to cover tab attachment point 1118 . in this example configuration , front section 1102 is free to be folded over as shown in fig1 . in this configuration , items to be transported on cart 1120 can be loaded or removed from cart 1120 without the need to completely remove cart wrap 1100 from cart 1120 . furthermore , front section can be folded back over the open side of 1120 and secured in position by connecting front tabs 1104 to the d - rings positioned at the sides of cart 1120 on side secure tabs 1114 . as can be appreciated , the steps associated with the installation of cart wrap 1100 can be accomplished in different orders or not at all , depending on the configuration and attachment locations of the different elements . in the embodiment shown , when fully installed on a cart , cart wrap 1100 provides retention of material being transported on cart 1120 . in addition , items can be easily loaded and unloaded by detaching and reattaching front section 1102 to cart 1120 . furthermore , cover section 1110 , front section 1102 , or back section 1106 , if constructed of suitable material , can provide protection from rain , snow , wind , or other elements . the preceding detailed description is merely some examples and embodiments of the present disclosure and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from its spirit or scope . the preceding description , therefore , is not meant to limit the scope of the disclosure but to provide sufficient disclosure to one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention without undue burden . | 1 |
embodiments of circuitry are described for systems and methods for transient thermal modeling of multisource power devices . illustrative embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures . while various details are set forth in the following description , it will be appreciated that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details , and that numerous implementation - specific decisions may be made to the invention described herein to achieve the device designer &# 39 ; s specific goals , such as compliance with process technology or design - related constraints , which will vary from one implementation to another . while such a development effort might be complex and time - consuming , it would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure . for example , selected aspects are depicted with reference to simplified drawings in order to avoid limiting or obscuring the present invention . such descriptions and representations are used by those skilled in the art to describe and convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . various illustrative embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures . fig1 is a block diagram illustration of an integrated circuit 100 comprising functional components operable to implement embodiments of the invention . the integrated circuit 100 comprises a plurality of cores , 102 a , 102 b , . . . , 102 n . it further comprises functional modules 104 a , 104 b , . . . , 104 n . the functional modules 104 a , 104 b , . . . , 104 n can be various modules typically found in an integrated circuit . for example the functional modules may include dedicated graphics processors , input - output multiplexers , etc . the dynamic thermal modeling techniques described herein can be implemented to predict the thermal response for virtually any of the cores or functional modules shown in the integrated circuit 100 of fig1 . in some embodiments of the invention , one of the cores , for example core 102 a , can be used to execute code for processing algorithms to implement the systems and methods disclosed herein . in some embodiments , the executable code is stored in memory 106 , while in other embodiments , it may be stored in firmware inside one of the cores 102 a , 102 b , . . . , 102 n . to maintain predetermined temperature thresholds , the thermal management unit 108 is operable to monitor the real - time power consumption of a plurality of cores and functional modules and , when power consumption reaches a predetermined level , to issue control signal to cause one of the cores , e . g ., core 102 a to initiate execution of a dynamic thermal monitoring algorithm . the control signals issued by the thermal management and control unit 110 also contain codes identifying the specific cores or functional modules that are to be simulated . the power consumption of each of the cores is monitored by corresponding power monitors 103 a , 103 b , . . . , 103 n and the power consumption of the functional blocks 104 a , 104 b , . . . , 104 n are monitored by corresponding power monitors 105 a , 105 b , . . . , 105 n . the outputs of the respective power control monitors are provided to the thermal resistor - capacitor bank controller 112 , which is operable to direct incoming signals to the appropriate rc ladder in the rc ladder corresponding to a particular core or functional block . the respective rc ladders in the thermal rc ladder bank 114 each comprise specific combinations of resistors and capacitors that have been selected accurately predict the thermal response of a specific core or functional model to specific changes in power consumption levels . the specific resistor and capacitor values can be derived from actual testing or from simulations . using techniques discussed in greater detail hereinbelow , the response of the respective rc ladder can be used to predict the thermal response of the core or functional module to the change in power consumption . the response signal from the respective rc ladders are processed by the step impulse response processor 116 , using techniques discussed in greater detail below to provide digital input data for a processor , e . g . core 102 a . the processor 116 uses digital filtering techniques and data processing other processing techniques , discussed below , to generate output data corresponding to the real - time thermal response of the module or core being tested . the processor processes the data and generates a real - time thermal response output signal that may be used by the thermal management control unit 108 to issue predetermined control signals to maintain power consumption within predetermined levels . for example , the thermal management control unit may change the frequency of the clock generator 110 . alternatively , or in conjunction , the thermal management unit 108 may turn off or lower the clock speed of one or more of the cores 102 a , b , . . . , 102 n or the functional blocks 105 a , b , . . . , 105 n . fig2 is an illustration one of the rc ladders 1 , 2 , . . . , n shown in the rc ladder bank 114 of fig2 . as discussed above , each of the resistors and capacitors have values that are selected to generate thermal response signals that correspond to specific cores or modules on the integrated circuit 100 . the thermal impedance , z th , of an rc ladder shown in fig2 is given by the following equation : fig3 is a graphical representation of the change in thermal impedance of a representative system in response to a step function power excitation . the temperature response t ( t ) to an arbitrary power trace input p ( t ), with respect to ambient t 0 , can be calculated using the following equation : fig4 a - c provide graphical illustrations of methods for extracting values of r and c using a time constant spectrum r ( t ). fig4 a is a graphical illustration of the time - domain response of thermal impedance zth ( z ) with respect to ln ( t ). fig4 b is a graphical illustration of the derivative of the curve show in fig4 a . the respective curves can be obtained using the following mathematical relationships . fig4 c is an illustration of the thermal resistance as a function of impedance ( r ( z )). referring to fig5 , it can be seen how the various rc blocks in the rc ladders are used to obtain data samples that can be use to generate a digital representation of the time - constant spectrum shown in fig4 c . in response to a power input signal , each of the various rc combinations is used to generate an output corresponding to a predetermined portion of the mathematical integral of the area under curve 500 . for example , the first and portions 502 a and 502 b correspond to first and second rc pairs 504 a and 504 b , respectively . likewise the “ ith ” and “ nth ” portions correspond to the “ ith ” and “ nth ” rc pairs 504 c and 504 d . the set of the rc combinations shown in fig5 can be used to generate data providing an instantaneous digital representation of the time - spectrum constant curve for further processing to generate a real time representation of the thermal response of the module under test . those of skill in the art will understand that the rc pairs shown in fig5 are analogous to an analog filter . conversion from analog to digital filtering can be accomplished using the following relationship : those of skill in the art will recognize that the response of an infinite impulse response ( iir ) filter “( a i = 0 ) output ” is a function of both inputs and outputs at a present time and a previous time period . however , the response of a finite impulse response filter “( a i = 0 )” output is a function of only input at current and previous time instants . therefore , the response characteristics of the iir filter make well suited to implementations of embodiments of the present disclosure . in a continuous frequency - domain , the complex impedance of the foster thermal rc ladder network is : in discrete frequency - domain ( z - domain ), the transfer function of the foster thermal rc ladder network : extending this formulation to arbitrary number of heat sources , using linear superposition : where n is the number of heat sources . the number of filter stages in general may differ from source to source as a tradeoff between the accuracy of approximation and calculation speed , depending on the location where temperature is calculated . then all time - constants and associated resistances can be re - formulated with the second subscript , j , which enumerates the heat source . the processing of the output signals of the various rc ladders by the rc ladder processor 116 using the mathematical relationships shown above can be accomplished using data processing techniques known by those of skill in the art . fig6 is a flowchart representation 600 of the processing steps for implementing embodiments of the invention as described herein . in step 600 , processing is initiated using the processing techniques described herein . in step 602 , a power excitation input signal is provided to an rc ladder network that comprises a plurality of rc pairs having resistive and capacitive values selected to simulate the thermal response characteristics of a predetermined functional unit of an integrated circuit . in step 604 , the rc ladder generates an analog thermal response output signal in response to the power excitation input signal . in step 606 , the output signal from the rc ladder is processed using a inverse z transform to generate coefficients for an infinite impulse response filter . in step 608 , the analog thermal response output signal is converted to a digital representation of the analog thermal response signal using an infinite impulse response filter . in step 610 , the thermal response signal is analyzed by the thermal management unit 108 to determine whether the operational characteristics of the functional unit should be modifies . if it is determined that the operating characteristics should be modified , processing proceeds to step 612 wherein the functional unit &# 39 ; s are modified accordingly . processing then proceeds to step 614 to determine whether additional test should be formed on the functional unit . if there is a determination to perform additional testing , processing returns to step 602 and the aforementioned steps are repeated . if , however , the resulting of the processing in step 614 is to conduct no further tests , processing is ended in 616 . embodiments of the invention disclosed herein can be fabricated using well known techniques that can be implemented with a data processing system using code ( e . g ., verilog , hardware description language ( hdl ), etc .) stored on a non - transitory computer usable medium . the code comprises data representations of the circuitry and components described herein that can be used to generate appropriate mask works for use in well known manufacturing systems to fabricate integrated circuits embodying aspects of the invention . although the described exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to various examples of a system and method for managing hysteresis in data processing circuits , the present invention is not necessarily limited to the example embodiments . thus , the particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only and should not be taken as limitations upon the present invention , as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein . accordingly , the foregoing description is not intended to limit the invention to the particular form set forth , but on the contrary , is intended to cover such alternatives , modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims so that those skilled in the art should understand that they can make various changes , substitutions and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form . benefits , other advantages , and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments . however , the benefits , advantages , solutions to problems , and any element ( s ) that may cause any benefit , advantage , or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical , required , or essential feature or element of any or all the claims . as used herein , the terms “ comprises ,” “ comprising ,” or any other variation thereof , are intended to cover a non - exclusive inclusion , such that a process , method , article , or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process , method , article , or apparatus . | 6 |
in the arrangements described below , an extended web service allows applications running on pervasive devices to offload some computational tasks to the web service . such offloading may reduce the size of the response received from the web service , thus reducing the airtime and power consumption of the pervasive device . the availability of the extended web service allows each application hosted on the pervasive device to have an associated benefit analysis policy to choose between the base and extended web service . fig3 shows a schematic block diagram of a web services system 1 . the system 1 is simplified for the purposes of aiding understanding . a first pervasive wireless device ( wd 1 ) 10 , such as a pda or cellular mobile telephone , is provided . a second wireless device ( wd 2 ) 30 also is shown . there can , of course , be many such pervasive wireless devices within the system 1 . the devices wd 1 10 and wd 2 30 are in radio communication with a cell sight ( cs ) 40 , between which radio frequency information passes . the cs 40 is in communication with a network 50 . the wireless pervasive device 10 , 30 hosts applications that connect to web services running on remote servers such as servers 70 , 80 , 90 , 100 for various usages such as information retrieval and data processing . typical examples of such applications using the web service are providing the location / address of an atm , hospital or gas station for the given zip code . examples of pervasive devices are two - way pagers , personal digital assistants ( pdas ), cellular phones , smart appliances for the home and smart devices permanently mounted in vehicles . typically , pervasive devices have limited processor speed , memory capacity and communication bandwidth compared to less transportable computing devices such as a desk - top computer . there is frequently a need to maximize the relatively short battery life of portable pervasive devices , which limits the addition of memory capacity or processor power to the pervasive device . pervasive devices 10 , 30 typically have limited processing power and memory compared with computing devices that are not designed to be carried around . in general , the pervasive devices have built - in power supplies such as a battery . accordingly , power consumption is a consideration in designing applications for the pervasive devices 10 , 30 , as it is undesirable for the available power to be exhausted too quickly . the power consumption of the pervasive device 10 , 30 varies between standby operation and airtime . airtime is the time during which the device 10 , 30 is used for conversation and data exchange . standby time is the time in which the pervasive device 10 , 30 is ready to receive or transmit data , but is not actually being used in a call . the devices wd 1 10 and wd 2 30 act as “ clients ” in a client - server context . the servers — providing requested web services to the clients — are formed by a composite server ( cs 1 ) 60 , which is also in communication with the network 50 . the cs 1 60 provides intermediary functionality , having connection with a plurality of dedicated web services servers : ws 1 70 , ws 2 80 and ws 3 90 . a further dedicated web services server ( ws 4 ) 100 , also is in communication with the network 50 . fig9 is a schematic representation of a computer system 300 of a type that is suitable for executing software for the provision of a web service . computer software executes under a suitable operating system installed on the computer system 300 , and may be thought of as comprising various software code means for achieving particular steps . the computer system 300 may be used as any of the servers 60 - 100 . with the modifications described below , the structure of the computer system 300 may also be used in the pervasive devices 10 , 30 . the components of the computer system 300 include a computer 320 , a keyboard 310 and mouse 315 , and a display 390 . the computer 320 includes a processor 340 , a memory 350 , input / output ( i / o ) interfaces 360 , 365 , a video interface 345 , and a storage device 355 . the processor 340 is a central processing unit ( cpu ) that executes the operating system and the computer software executing under the operating system . the memory 350 may include random access memory ( ram ) and read - only memory ( rom ), and is used under direction of the processor 340 . the video interface 345 is connected to display 390 and provides signals for display on the display 390 . user input to operate the computer 320 is provided , for example , from the keyboard 310 and mouse 315 . other types of input , such as a microphone , may also be used . signals may also be output audibly , using one or more speakers ( not shown ). the storage device 355 may include a disk drive or any other suitable storage medium . each of the components of the computer 320 is connected to an internal bus 330 that includes data , address , and control buses , to allow components of the computer 320 to communicate with each other via the bus 330 . the computer system 300 may be connected to one or more similar computers via a input / output ( i / o ) interface 365 using a communication channel 385 to a network , represented in fig9 as the internet 380 . the computer software may be recorded on a portable storage medium , in which case the computer software program is accessed by the computer system 300 from the storage device 355 . alternatively , the computer software can be accessed directly from the internet 380 by the computer 320 . in either case , a user can interact with the computer system 300 using , for example , the keyboard 310 and mouse 315 to operate the programmed computer software executing on the computer 320 . other configurations or types of computer systems can be equally well used to execute computer software that assists in implementing the techniques described herein . furthermore , custom - made devices and specialized hardware such as digital signal processors may be used in the implementation of the described techniques . the handheld pervasive device 10 , 30 may have a similar computational structure to that shown in fig9 . the display 390 and keypad are integrally formed in the pervasive device 10 , which typically does not have a mouse 315 . the i / o interface 365 in device 10 may be a transceiver for sending and receiving signals via a cellular network , and the device 10 further includes a microphone and speaker to process audible inputs and outputs . the application hosted on the wireless pervasive device 10 , 30 connects to the web service over the http and / or https protocol as provided by the pervasive device operating system and software and the network service provider . once the device 10 , 30 is connected to the server hosting the web service , the application can invoke the web service by referring to the name of the service and passing the required input parameters to the web service . typically , web services provide an xml data format to specify the request and the response . the pervasive application , therefore , passes the request parameters encoded in xml as per the syntax specified by the web service . on receiving the parameters , the web service executes the request and prepares the response in pre - defined xml syntax . the response is communicated back to the application via the network 50 . the web service can be implemented to execute the request synchronously or asynchronously . if the web service is synchronous , the application ‘ waits ’ until the time the web service executes the request and prepares the response . on receiving the response , the application parses the xml data and extracts the required information either to process the data further or present a result to the end user . fig4 shows the basic flow sequence and fig5 shows an example application and web service sequence diagram between an application and a web service . fig4 illustrates a base ( or non - extended ) method 400 performed by a client application 401 running on a pervasive device 10 in accessing a web service 402 . the web service 402 has an explicitly defined request and response schema to allow any external third party application to transparently interact with the web service 402 . since the response schema is published in detail , it is programmatically easy for applications to parse and extract information from the same . if the service is developed to cater to the requirements of diverse cross - vendor applications , the service response may require data filtering to extract relevant information at the client end 10 . this may create performance overheads for pervasive applications . in step 404 , the client application 401 composes the request in the format required by the web service 402 . in step 406 , the application 401 invokes the web service 402 and receives a response in the format specified by the web service schema . then , in step 408 , the client application extracts the relevant data from the response xml received from the web service 402 . in step 410 the client application 401 processes the extracted data and prepares a response for display to the user of the pervasive device 10 . fig5 illustrates the base ( or non - extended ) method 500 of requesting a web service , using the atm location example for illustrative purposes . the web service running on a server is ‘ listatmws ’ 502 . in initial step 506 , a client application 506 running on the pervasive device 10 sends a request to the web service for a list of atms near a specified location . the request has the format ‘ listatmnearzip ( string ): string ’. next , in step 508 , software on the server executes to provide a response which may , for example , have the form shown in fig1 . the response is received by the pervasive device 10 , which must then perform further processing 510 , 512 , 514 to extract the desired subset of information relating to amx cards . step 510 , ‘ extractatmforamx ()’, extracts information relating to atms that accept amx cards . step 512 , ‘ sortatmbytxfee ’, then sorts the atm locations according to the respective transaction fees . finally , step 514 , ‘ selectfirstthreeatm ()’, selects the three atms from the head of the list for display on the pervasive device 10 . the resultant output may be that shown in fig2 . typically , while deploying the web service the service developer explicitly defines and publishes the request and response specification ( schema ) of the service to allow any external third party application to transparently interact with the web service . the directory servers are used to register the request and response specification . since the response schema is published in detail , it is programmatically easy for applications to parse and extract information from the same . if the service is developed to cater to the requirements of diverse cross - vendor applications , the service response may require data filtering to extract relevant information at the client end . this may create performance overheads for pervasive applications . the interaction between the application and the service using such a scheme is shown in fig4 and 5 and is described above . to benefit the pervasive devices 10 , 30 , the service interface of the web services is extended in a way that allows the applications running on the pervasive devices to dynamically specify the schema ( syntax ) of the response xml . the extended interface takes the response schema as an added input , in addition to the input parameters required by the ‘ base ’ service interface . this extended interface is also deployed as a web service , coupled with the original service ( a . k . a . base service ). this allows applications running on pervasive devices to ‘ offload ’ part of their ‘ data parsing ’ overheads to the service provider by getting the response transformed to a schema that is not only easy to parse but also relevant to the application , thus saving on the airtime and response processing time at the pervasive device 10 , 30 . the extended interface can also assist to improve the performance further , by allowing the applications to offload part of their ‘ data processing ’ task to the service . this allows the application to pass certain post - processing instructions for the response xml to the service provider . these instructions would otherwise be processed on the pervasive device itself . the post - processing instructions allow further filtering of the response to make the response even more relevant to the application . the current xsl [ http :// www . w3 . org / style / xsl ], xpath [ http :// www . w3 . org / tr / xpath ] and xquery [ http :// www / w3 . org / tr / xquery ] technologies provide certain evaluation and computation functions in the transformation schema . such functions allow applications to specify certain data processing instructions to the web service . this response transformation is illustrated in the first scenario 600 of fig4 . the client application 604 runs on pervasive device 10 , and the web service ‘ listatmws ’ 502 runs on one or more of the servers 60 - 100 , together with the extended interface ‘ extendedlistatmws ’ 606 . in an initial step , the client application 604 sends a request for atm information , together with the desired xsl schema . the format of the request is ‘ listatmnearzipwithxsl ( string , string ): string ’ and the request is sent to the extended service interface 606 . in turn , in step 610 the extended interface 606 sends a request 610 to the web service using the schema expected by the web service , here ‘ listatmnearzip ( string ): string ’. in step 508 the web service extracts the requested information ( e . g . the result seen in fig1 ) and returns the result to the extended interface 606 . in step 612 the extended interface 606 transforms the response according to the specified xsl schema ‘ transformresponse ( string response , string xsl ): string ’. the output of step 612 is sent to the pervasive device 10 , which performs step 614 , ‘ extractatmanddisplay ()’, which extracts the atm information and displays it for the user . thus , although the final output to the user is the same , method 600 requires less memory usage and data processing in the pervasive device 10 than method 500 . the web service interface can further be extended to benefit the pervasive applications if the service request parameter schema is complex and resource intensive for the pervasive application to compose due to the hierarchical nature of the xml data model . the concept of data transformation can be applied to allow applications to send request xml parameter in a format ( schema ) that is simple to construct and compose for the pervasive application even though the simple schema may not be compliant with the service request parameter schema . the extended service interface allows applications to send an xsl ( extensible stylesheet language ) associated with the request xml parameter that can translate the application - specified request xml to the xml compatible with the web service specification at the service provider node . this allows applications to offload “ data composition ” overheads to formulate the complex request parameters required to interact with the service . the second scenario 602 , in which the extended service interface 606 transforms both the request and the response is shown in fig4 . in a first step 620 , a client application 604 running on pervasive device 10 sends a service request to the extended service interface 606 ‘ extendedlistatmws ’. the request has the format : in step 622 the extended service interface 606 transforms the request to match the schema 15 required by the web service 502 ‘ listatmws ’. step 622 may have the format ‘ transformrequest ( string request , string reqxsl ): string ’. the transformed request is sent to the web service 502 and , in step 508 , the web service 502 issues the required information , for example the response shown in fig1 . next , in step 626 (‘ transformresponse ( string response , string xsl ): string ’), the extended service interface 606 transforms the response into the form required by the client application 604 . the transformed response carries processed xml elements as attributes , thus making response parsing easy and fast for pervasive application 604 . finally , in step 628 the client application 604 extracts and displays the atm information . the described methods allow the application 604 to efficiently exchange request and response xml data with the web service 502 in a format that is efficient for the application 604 . the xsl can alternatively be also passed as request header to the web service . the extended web service 606 provides a wrapper over the base web service 502 and is used to accept requests that are meant for base web service 502 . the interface of the extended web service 606 is the same as that of the base service 502 , having an additional two xsl parameters to : a . transform the response of the base web service 502 ; and b . compose the request to the base web service 502 using the request parameters provided by the client application 604 . the extended web service 606 is a facade to which the application 604 connects to invoke the base web service 502 . the interaction between the application 604 and the extended web service 606 is similar to the interaction with the base web service 502 , as described above . the additional xsl parameters passed to the extended service 606 are used to transform and compose data , thereby transferring data parsing , data processing , data composing tasks to the server . in the scenarios described above , the extended web service 606 receives the xsl from the client application 604 at runtime . alternatively , the schemas used by the extended web service 606 may be retrieved from a local or remote database . for example , having identified what client application 604 or pervasive device 10 is seeking to use the web service 502 , the extended web service 606 may retrieve an appropriate xsl from a database . in a further alternative , the schema may be dynamically generated by the extended web service 606 based on the runtime environment characteristics of the pervasive device 10 and the application requirements . in the example used to illustrate the advantage of the proposed service extension , the web service 502 provides the list of atms near the given zip and country code . different applications may consume different parts of the response to provide certain business or information value to the end user . one such application , offered by amx corporation , may use this service to list atms accepting amx cards near the given zip and country code to its card holders . such an application can provide a schema that allows the service provider to filter out atms that do not accept amx cards , and further transform the response to a syntax that is less hierarchical and easy to parse and consume by the application . if the atms accepting amx cards charge a transaction fee , then the amx application filters the results to show three atm locations in ascending order of transaction fee . this requires data sorting at the device end . however , using the existing xsl and xpath standards , the application can offload such data processing tasks to the extended service 606 . in this case , for example , the xsl can be specified to first select atms that accept amx cards ( using xsl : for - each element of xsl ), and then sort the list in ascending order of the transaction fee ( using xsl : sort element of xsl ) and then construct the response with first three atm elements from the sorted list ( using xsl : if element and position method of xsl ). the xsl thus allows offloading part of the application logic to the service to improve service response time and resource utilization . this method also eliminates the earlier described overhead where the service response size is so large that the pervasive application 10 , 30 cannot receive or parse the response due to the limited memory capacity of the pervasive device 10 , 30 . an xsl that can offload the described processing is shown in fig7 and the response produced by the extended service using the xsl is shown in fig8 . the new response is transformed to carry processed xml elements as attributes , thus making response parsing easy and fast for pervasive application . the support required to offload data filtering and processing tasks from the application 604 to the service 606 requires additional computation and resources from the service provider . in a commercial setup where services are offered for a fee , an extended deployment to benefit the clients may demand an additional fee over the base service . the extra cost to use the extended service is to be borne by the end user using the service . end users having devices with ample resources may not see enough benefit to pay an extra cost to use the extended service , until the point when their device is low on available resources . this leads to a requirement to allow pervasive applications perform benefit analysis to dynamically choose between the base service 502 and extended service 606 to optimize the resource utilization and amount spent to interact with the service . using the extended service 606 may reduce the time required for the user to obtain a response from the web service . the reduced processing time may decrease the power consumed by the pervasive device 10 in obtaining the desired information . the development of the extended service 606 may be implemented , for example , as a plugin for ibm ™ websphere studio application developer ( wsad ) ide ( ibm , db2 and websphere are trademarks of international business machines corporation ). the plugin adds a new command to extend the web service 502 and generates the code required for xml transformation for the extended service 606 using the xslt libraries . the command may offer to create two extended services . the first extended service allows application 604 to pass the response xsl for response transformation while the second extended service allows the application 604 to pass both request and response xsl for transforming the request and response respectively . | 7 |
referring to fig2 - 5 , apparatus 10 for producing ethanol through the fermentation of carbohydrate - containing substances is shown . the apparatus 10 includes a pit 12 in which material to be fermented is placed , a sediment trap 40 for filtering solid material from ethanol - containing pit drainage , a storage reservoir 50 for storing pit drainage , distillation equipment 60 for separating the pit drainage into connected ethanol and a mixture of water and enzymes , and a storage reservoir 80 for storing the separated water / enzyme mixture for subsequent use in another fermentation process . the pit 12 is built by forming a generally rectangular opening in the earth . the bottom of the pit 12 is provided with a bed of gravel 14 . the sides of the pit 12 ( fig3 ) are insulated with insulating sheets 16 made of expanded synthetic resinous material such as that marketed under the mark styrofoam . the remainder of the pit 12 is formed of reinforced concrete having a bottom wall 18 , side walls 20 , end walls 22 inclined from the horizontal ( fig5 ), and end aprons 24 . the end walls 22 and the aprons 24 permit conventional farm machinery such as tractors and wagons to be driven into the pit 12 . the bottom wall 18 includes a plurality of parallel grooves 26 within which heating pipes 28 are disposed . the pipes 28 are made of one - half inch diameter steel tubing which are connected at their ends to a hot water supply manifold 30 and a hot water return manifold 32 . the pipes 28 and the manifolds 30 , 32 convey heated water so as to heat the contents of the pit 12 and promote the fermentation process . the notches 26 are sufficiently deep that the pipes 28 are below the surface of the bottom wall 18 . accordingly , equipment such as tractors can be driven into the pit 12 without damaging the pipes 28 . also , the pipes 28 cannot be damaged by scraper blades because the pipes 28 are below the surface of the bottom wall 18 . one end of the pit 12 is deeper than the other . this is indicated by the dimension &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; in fig5 and by the dimension &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; in fig5 . in a typical application , dimension a is on the order of 3 . 5 feet , and dimension b is on the order of 2 . 5 feet . the width of the pit 12 is on the order of 20 feet , and the spacing between adjacent pipes 28 is on the order of two feet . the length of the pit 12 from apron to apron is about 60 feet . in order to sustain the loads which can be expected to be imposed upon the pit 12 , the gravel bed 14 is approximately four inches thick , and the bottom wall 18 is approximately six inches thick . the insulating sheets 16 are on the order of four inches thick . in order to seal the pit 12 during the fermentation , process , a cover 34 is provided . the cover 34 is sealed at the edges of the pit 12 by dirt mounds 36 . the cover 34 may be a commercially available swimming pool cover consisting of an ultravoilet stabilized plastic film , air bubbles entrapped between layers of plastic film to provide heat - insulating qualities , and a backing of a solar selective coating to absorb solar radiation and thereby provide additional heat during the daytime . the cover includes a small hose ( not shown ) for venting the pit 12 as carbon dioxide gas is produced during the fermentation process . the sediment trap 40 is located adjacent the lower end of the pit 12 at one corner . the sediment trap 40 includes a gate 42 for controlling the discharge of liquids from the pit 12 . the sediment trap 40 in the form of a trough - like structure 44 . a plurality of screens 46 are placed in the trough 44 . the screens 46 are vertically oriented and are supported in spaced location to each other by a plurality of guides 48 . the screens 46 can be removed easily from the trough 44 for cleaning . liquid passing from the pit 12 through the trough 44 also passes through the screens 46 , thereby filtering solids from the liquid . the storage reservoir 50 receives liquid , or wash , drained from the pit 12 . the wash is pumped into the reservoir 50 through conduits 52 , 54 by means of a pump 56 . the reservoir 50 largely is identical to the reservoir 80 . a detailed discussion of the reservoir 80 will be set forth subsequently . from the reservoir 50 , the wash is conveyed by gravity through a conduit 58 to the distillation equipment 60 . although the wash can be separated into ethanol and non - ethanol components by the use of semipermeable membranes and chemical dewatering compounds , a distillation process is preferred . the distillation equipment includes commercially available components such as a boiler 62 , a first distillation column 64 , a second distillation column 66 , and a condenser 68 . a supply of water is provided for the boiler 62 through a conduit 70 . hot water from the boiler 62 is conveyed to the hot water supply manifold 30 by way of a conduit 72 . water passing through the pipes 28 is returned to the boiler 62 from the hot water return manifold 32 by way of a conduit 74 . as has been mentioned already , hot water supplied to the pipes 28 from the boiler 62 serves to heat the pit contents during the fermentation process . wash from the storage reservoir 50 is conveyed through the conduit 58 to the condenser 68 where the wash is pre - heated . from the condenser 68 , the wash is conveyed to the first distillation column 64 and then to the second distillation column 66 . distilled ethanol is conveyed from the second distillation column 66 to the condenser 68 by way of a conduit 76 . concentrated ethanol discharged from the condenser 68 is conveyed to a fuel tank ( not shown ) for subsequent use as a fuel . concentrated wash ( distilland from the distillation process ) is conveyed to the storage reservoir 80 by way of a conduit 78 . the distilland essentially is a mixture of water and hydrolyzing agents such as enzymes . the distilland is usable in subsequent fermentation processes . the reservoirs 50 , 80 are largely identical , and include a cylindrical steel tank 82 having a diameter of approximately 20 feet , a height of approximately 12 . 5 feet , and a capacity of approximately 30 , 000 gallons . each tank 82 is supported atop a concrete platform 84 . the outer surface of the tank 82 is painted with a solar selective coating to absorb solar radiation and thereby pre - heat the contents of the tank 82 before distillation or before being returned to the pit 12 , as the case may be . the entire outer surface of each tank 82 is encapsulated within an ultraviolet stabilized plastic film 86 supported by spaced structural members 88 , 90 which may take the form of two - by - fours . the film 86 is spaced from the outer surface of the tank 82 several inches so as to provide a &# 34 ; greenhouse &# 34 ; effect to assist in heating the contents of the tank 82 . the reservoir 80 , but not the reservoir 50 , includes a drain pipe 92 extending outwardly of the tank 82 near its bottom . the drain pipe 92 is supported by braces 94 and includes a valve 96 for controlling discharge of the contents of the reservoir 80 through the conduit 92 . as can be seen in fig3 the conduit 92 extends slightly over the pit 12 so that the water / enzyme mixture stored in the reservoir 80 can be discharged into the pit 12 when desired . the apparatus 10 described thus far can produce approximately 5 , 000 gallons of 190 proof ethanol every three days . the capacity of the apparatus 10 can be increased if an additional pit 12 is provided . the additional pit , identical in construction to the pit 12 , could be provided to the left of the reservoirs 50 , 80 as viewed in fig2 . if an additional pit 12 is employed , the output of the apparatus 10 essentially can be doubled . the procedure for producing ethanol utilizing the drive - through pit fermentation process according to the invention can be broken down into several steps . referring to fig1 these steps are : 1 . carbohydrate - containing material such as corn , sugar cane , sorghum , and the like is chopped using conventional farm equipment . this equipment might include a row crop tractor , an ensilage chopper , and one or more wagons . in short , the same farm equipment presently used by farmers to chop silage can be used to chop the carbohydrate - containing material used with the invention . 2 . the chopped carbohydrate - containing material is dumped into the pit 12 and packed . conventional farm equipment such as a tractor and scraper blade are used to spread and pack the chopped material into the pit 12 . yeast is sprinkled in with the material as the pit 12 is filled . 3 . the contents of the reservoir 80 are discharged into the pit 12 so as to flood the pit 12 with a dilute solution of enzymes such as amylase and / or hydrolyzing solvents such as mineral acids . sufficient solution is added to completely cover the contents of the pit with at least six inches of liquid . 4 . the top of the pit 12 is sealed with the cover 34 and the dirt mounds 36 . the hose included with the cover 34 is placed into the sediment trap 40 to permit carbon dioxide gas to escape during the fermentation process . 5 . the contents of the pit 12 are fermented at 120 degrees fahrenheit for three days . heat is provided by pumping hot water from the boiler 62 through the manifolds 30 , 32 and the conduits 28 located in the bottom wall 18 of the pit 12 . heat also is provided by the thermal characteristics of the cover 34 . the insulating materials 14 , 16 positioned around the walls 18 , 20 of the pit 12 assist in making the heating process more efficient . 6 . after fermentation is completed , the gate 42 is opened and the pit 12 is drained into the trough 44 . solids are filtered out of the wash by the screens 46 and the wash is pumped into the wash storage reservoir 50 . drainage of the pit 12 can be speeded by driving a tractor or other vehicle over the contents of the pit 12 and squeezing out the last remaining liquids . 7 . the wash is drained from the reservoir 50 and is distilled by the distillation equipment 60 into 190 proof ( 95 %) ethanol . the ethanol is stored in a fuel tank ( not shown ) and the distilland , consisting essentially of water and enzymes , is pumped into the storage reservoir 80 . 8 . the solid residue remaining in the pit 12 is removed by using conventional farm equipment such as a tractor and front end loader . the residue either can be fed to livestock or used as fertilizer . although the basic chemical reactions employed to produce ethanol according to the invention do not differ from those of fermentation steps employed for many years previously , the method and apparatus according to the invention permits the entire bulk of a plant , including its stock , leaves , and grain , to be processed into ethanol . the method and apparatus according to the invention thereby offers several distinct advantages over methods previously employed to make ethanol . these advantages include the production of more ethanol per acre of land since the entire plant , not just its grain , can be processed into ethanol . moreover , the use of conventional farm equipment such as tractors and wagons can be used , thereby significantly reducing the investment required by farmers . additionally , the ability to utilize two or more crops per year from the same piece of land is made possible because fully matured crops are not required in the process . yet an additional advantage of the method and apparatus according to the invention is that the pit 12 and the reservoirs 50 , 80 function as solar collectors , thereby increasing the efficiency of the overall process . although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in some particularity , it will be appreciated that many variations and modifications in the preferred embodiment may be made without deviating from the invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | 8 |
a tube is generally shown at 10 of fig1 . the tube includes a shaft 14 disposed between opposing distal ends 12 . referring also to fig2 , the shaft 14 defines a shaft diameter 16 and the opposing distal ends 12 define a yoke diameter 18 as will be explained further herein below . the shaft 14 defines the shaft diameter 16 that is narrower than the yoke diameter 18 by way of roll or cold forming elements 19 and 20 . the roll forming elements 19 , 20 forcibly engage the shaft 14 to reduce the shaft diameter 16 from the yoke diameter 18 , which is substantially identical to the original tube diameter ( not shown ) prior to roll forming the shaft 14 . the roll forming elements 19 and 20 provide force in the direction of f 3 and f 4 substantially , narrowing the diameter of the tube to achieve a predetermined shaft diameter 16 . two , and possibly three roll forming elements 19 , 20 can be used to form the shaft 14 to the predetermined shaft diameter 16 . during the forming process , the tube is elongated in a direction of force arrows f 1 and f 2 as represented in fig2 . the elongation of the tube 10 aligns the material grain of the tube 10 in the directions of arrows f 1 and f 2 . alignment of the material grain provides an increase in tube strength in addition to the cold working increase in material strength . it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various materials may be used including steel , aluminum , copper , and variations thereof . it is also contemplated by the inventor that certain polymeric materials may also be used to form the integrated drive shaft of the present invention . furthermore , the shaft 14 may be formed from extrusion dies , and flow forming . the opposing distal end 12 includes a yoke wall 21 having a yoke wall thickness 22 as will be explained further herein below . the shaft 14 includes a shaft wall 23 having a shaft wall thickness 24 that is less than the yoke wall thickness 22 . while roll forming , the shaft wall thickness 22 is decreased from the yoke wall thickness 24 , which is substantially the same thickness as the original tube thickness prior to forming . referring now to fig3 , the distal end 12 of the shaft 14 has been formed into a yoke 27 . it should be understood by those of skill in the art that this embodiment includes both opposing distal ends 12 being formed into a yoke 26 . one yoke 18 engages in driving element such as , for example , an axial driven transmission element ( not shown ) and the other yoke 18 engages in a driven element such as , for example , a differential ( not shown ). each yoke 27 includes opposing ears 28 , each defining an aperture 30 . each aperture 30 receives a pin or cruciform to engage an opposing yoke to establish a universal joint as is known to those of skill in the art . it is further possible to form a cardon joint ( not shown ). therefore , an integrated shaft providing connecting features is established where increased wall thickness is provided at the yoke 26 and where a substantial portion of the forces known to cause failure , in such as , for example , drive shafts of automobiles is known to occur . furthermore , the reduced wall thickness of the shaft 14 , relative to the yoke 26 , provides a means for reducing the overall weight of a typical driveshaft of an automotive vehicle by providing wall thickness only where necessary . the integrated shaft 10 of the present invention may also be used for steering columns and other devices where driving elements transfer rotational force to driven elements . referring to fig4 , and 6 , a seal is provided to prevent contamination from entering the shaft 14 through the yoke 27 in the instance of the integrated shaft 14 being used in an exterior environment . the seal 32 is affixed to the shaft 14 by way of welding , or interference fit , or equivalent . an alternative embodiment is shown in fig7 through 11 . in this embodiment , it is contemplated that a thinner yoke wall thickness may be used . as best represented in fig8 , a flange 34 is formed at the opposing distal ends 12 of the shaft 14 . the flange 34 effectively doubles the thickness of the distal ends 12 of the shaft 14 . as represented in fig9 , the flange distal end 12 is machined or otherwise cut by laser , water jet , or mechanical device to form an alternative yoke 36 . similar to that stated above , alternative ears 38 are formed defining apertures 40 so that the alternative yoke 36 functions as set forth above . while fig8 represents the flange being formed onto an exterior surface 42 of the shaft 14 it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the flange 34 may also be formed into an inner surface 44 of the shaft 14 . it should also be understood by those skilled in the art that the seal 32 described above is also included in this alternative embodiment , when necessary . a still further embodiment is shown in fig1 , 13 and 16 . in this embodiment , an alternative shaft 46 is formed having ribs 48 extending lengthwise on the alternative shaft 46 to provide additional strength to the alternative shaft 46 . it should be understood to those skilled in the art that the ribs 48 may be formed on an inner surface , outer surface , or both inner and outer surface of the alternative shaft 46 . the ribs 48 may be formed by the roll forming elements 19 , 20 set forth above , or by way of an alternative or subsequent forming operation . a still further embodiment is shown in fig1 and 15 . in this embodiment , an integrated shaft 50 includes a yoke 26 on only a single distal end . the integrated shaft 50 is received by a second integrated shaft 52 having a larger diameter so that the shaft provides axial movement to collapse upon impact of the vehicle . as shown in fig1 , the alternative shaft ribs 51 engage alternative shaft ribs 53 disposed upon the second integrated shaft 52 for locking engagement providing rotational movement between the first integrated shaft 50 and the second integrated shaft 52 . while the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation while material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
referring to fig1 , the underside of drawer 102 is shown . undermount drawer slide clip mounting apparatus 100 is mounted on the underside of the drawer adjacent drawer face 104 . the front mounted location allows for easy adjustment by hand without disengaging the drawer from the drawer slide assembly . the drawer slide assembly is comprised of three slidingly engaged rails as is common in the art . drawer rail 106 is removably engaged with mounting apparatus 100 and slidingly engaged with intermediate rail 108 . intermediate rail 108 is slidingly engaged with cabinet rail 110 ( fig6 a and 6b ). cabinet rail 110 is mounted to the cabinet carcass with conventional mounting hardware such as wood screws . drawer rail 106 includes tab 114 and is further fitted with shoe 112 . tab 114 defines slot 115 . both shoe 112 and tab 114 are positioned on the front end of drawer rail 106 . referring to fig2 and 3 , undermount drawer slide clip mounting apparatus 100 is comprised of base 202 slidingly engaged with bonnet 204 . base 202 is a generally flat , rectangular plate rigidly mounted to the underside of the drawer with convention mounting hardware such as wood screws through holes 212 and 213 . base 202 includes ends 208 and 210 . end 208 is mounted adjacent drawer face 104 . end 208 includes holes 214 and 215 . hole 214 passes completely though base 202 while hole 215 may or may not pass completely through . recess 218 is a rectangular shaped cutout beneath hole 215 . saddles 226 and 227 project from base 202 near the longitudinal midpoint of base 202 . bridge 220 extends from end 208 adjacent hole 215 , projects along an edge of base 202 , and reconnects to base 202 adjacent saddle 227 forming block 234 . bridge 220 includes teeth 230 and recess 232 . spindle 240 is a threaded shaft with knob 242 adjacent collar 250 on one end and barrel 244 on the opposite end . spindle 240 has threaded section 246 flanked by two bare sections 248 and 249 . bare sections 248 and 249 are seated in saddles 226 and 227 respectively . collar 250 is adjacent saddle 226 . barrel 244 is adjacent saddle 227 . height adjuster 252 is adjustably engaged with base 202 at bridge 220 . height adjuster 252 is comprised of arms 254 and 256 extending generally parallel to each other from ramp 258 . opposite ramp 258 , arm 254 includes hook 260 . opposite ramp 258 , arm 256 includes teeth 262 adjacent extension 264 . teeth 262 are sized to engage teeth 230 and hook 260 is sized to engage recess 218 . lever arm 228 is generally elbow shaped and comprised of strike 238 on one end and trigger 239 on an opposite end . pivot hole 236 is displaced between the ends at the elbow bend . lever arm 228 is pivotally connected between base 202 and bonnet 204 with screw 207 through pivot hole 236 . bonnet 204 is a generally flat , rectangular plate slidingly engaged with base 202 . screws 206 and 207 affix bonnet 204 to base 202 through oblong holes 222 and 224 respectively . stanchions 310 and 312 extend from bonnet 204 . each stanchion includes a hole to receive screws 206 and 207 . the generally rectangular , hollow shape of box 313 forms channel 314 adjacent stanchion 312 . one side wall of box 313 includes gap 315 . block 316 is positioned adjacent stanchion 310 and includes threaded slot 322 . the threads of threaded slot 322 are sized to engage threaded section 246 of spindle 240 . arm 318 extends from bonnet 204 and further includes slot 320 . the longitudinal axes of channel 314 and threaded slot 322 are generally parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of slot 320 . in the preferred embodiment , stanchions 310 and 312 , box 313 , block 316 , and arm 318 are all integrally formed with bonnet 204 . catch 330 is sized to be slidably engaged with channel 314 . catch 330 includes notch 332 adjacent angled edge 333 on a first end and spring 334 on an opposite end . disposed between the two ends of catch 330 is slot 336 . slot 336 is sized to accommodate strike 238 of lever arm 228 . referring additionally to fig4 and 5 , depth adjuster 270 is comprised of housing 272 fitted with cover 274 . housing 272 has a generally rectangular shaped , hollow body including pivot hole 294 . stanchions 297 and 298 extend from one side of housing 272 . stanchion 298 includes a hole sized to receive screw 308 . adjacent pivot hole 294 is rib 296 . partially surrounding pivot hole 294 and integrally formed into opposing sidewalls of housing 272 are arcuate guides 306 . cover 274 is a z - shaped , generally rectangular plate releasably fitted to housing 272 . cover 274 includes pivot hole 280 and arcuate slot 282 . adjacent arcuate slot 282 , cover 274 further includes an arcuate strip of teeth 291 . lever 276 includes axel 284 on a first end and teeth 290 adjacent extension 292 on its opposite end . teeth 290 are sized to engage teeth 291 . lever 276 is pivotally engaged with housing 272 and cover 274 by axel 284 through pivot holes 294 and 280 . surrounding axel 284 is collar 286 . collar 286 is sized to rotate freely between arcuate guides 306 and further includes teeth 288 . plunger 278 has a hollow , t - shaped body where face 302 is positioned along the top of the “ t ”. plunger 278 further includes slot 304 sized to accommodate rib 296 of housing 272 and teeth 300 sized to engage teeth 288 of lever 276 . depth adjuster 270 is rigidly connected to base 202 by screw 308 through hole 214 and the hole in stanchion 298 . stanchion 297 is fitted to hole 215 . in the preferred embodiment , components of undermount drawer slide clip mounting apparatus 100 including base 202 , bonnet 204 , lever arm 228 , spindle 240 , height adjuster 252 , depth adjuster 270 , and catch 330 are manufactured of a molded plastic such as polystyrene , pvc ( polyvinyl chloride ), or nylon . in use , clip mounting apparatus 100 is affixed to the underside of the drawer , adjacent drawer face 104 , with screws through holes 212 and 213 . to releasably clip the drawer to drawer rail 106 , lever arm 228 is pivoted about pivot hole 236 by applying a force to trigger 239 in a direction generally parallel to the bottom surface of the drawer towards the drawer slide assembly . trigger 239 is sized and shaped to be manipulated by hand without tools . strike 238 projects through gap 315 , abuts catch 330 within slot 336 , and slides catch 330 within channel 314 against the bias of spring 334 . tab 114 of drawer rail 106 is slidingly inserted into slot 320 and the front end of drawer rail 106 slides over ramp 258 on height adjuster 252 . trigger 239 is released allowing notch 332 to pass through slot 115 and under shoe 112 . angled edge 333 assists in the alignment of notch 332 with slot 115 . to adjust the vertical position of the drawer relative to the cabinet carcass , a force is applied to extension 264 in a direction towards the bottom of the drawer . teeth 262 are released from their engagement with teeth 230 . as long as teeth 262 and teeth 230 are disengaged , height adjuster 252 is free to slide relative to base 202 in a direction generally parallel with the opening and closing direction of the drawer . sliding height adjuster 252 towards drawer rail 106 causes the front end of drawer rail 106 to move up ramp 258 and thus the drawer in an upward direction relative to the cabinet carcass . sliding height adjuster away from drawer rail 106 causes the front end of drawer rail 106 to move down ramp 258 and thus the drawer in a downward direction relative to the cabinet carcass . hook 260 engaged with recess 218 limits the sliding movement of height adjuster 252 and prevents height adjuster 252 from becoming disengaged with base 202 . once the desired drawer height is reached , the force on extension 264 is released and teeth 262 reengage teeth 230 . to adjust the horizontal position of the drawer relative to the cabinet carcass , a rotational force is applied to spindle 240 via knob 242 . during rotation , the spindle &# 39 ; s horizontal position relative to base 202 is prevented from changing by barrel 244 abutting saddle 227 and collar 250 abutting saddle 226 . threaded section 246 interacts with threaded slot 322 . as spindle 240 rotates , bonnet 204 moves horizontally with respect to base 202 . drawer rail 106 is releasably clipped to bonnet 204 via arm 318 and slot 320 . once the desired horizontal position is reached , rotation of spindle 240 is stopped . as shown in fig6 a and 6b , when the drawer is in a closed position , cabinet rail 110 abuts face 302 on plunger 278 . the position of plunger 278 and thus face 302 determines the depth of the drawer relative to the cabinet carcass . to adjust the depth the drawer closes to relative to the cabinet carcass , plunger 278 is extended from or retracted within housing 272 . as plunger 278 extends from housing 272 , the closed position of the drawer relative to the cabinet carcass is extended further out of the cabinet carcass . to extend plunger 278 out of housing 272 , a force is applied to extension 292 to release teeth 290 from engagement with teeth 291 . once the teeth are disengaged , lever 276 is pivoted about pivot hole 280 via axel 284 . rotation of collar 286 is confined by arcuate guides 306 . teeth 288 engaged with teeth 300 convert the rotational movement of lever 276 into linear movement of plunger 278 . movement of extension 292 from point 340 to point 342 translates into extending plunger 278 from housing 272 resulting in a closed position where the position of the drawer relative to the cabinet carcass is extended further out of the cabinet carcass . movement of extension 292 from point 342 to point 340 translates into retracting plunger 278 back into housing 272 resulting in a closed position where the position of the drawer relative to the cabinet carcass is retracted , or less extended out of the cabinet carcass . once the desired depth is achieved , the force on extension 292 is removed and teeth 290 reengage with teeth 291 . it is understood that extension 292 may also be positioned anywhere between points 340 and 342 along arcuate slot 282 to effect different drawer closing depths . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept . it is understood , therefore , that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments herein , but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims . | 0 |
the purpose of the safety circuit is to permit operating an electrical or other device when the device is in a safe environment . the environmental parameters that could be monitored include , but are not limited to , ph , temperature , humidity , gas concentration , particulate concentration , conductivity , resistance , electrical charge , light intensity , salinity , radiation , and any other environmental parameter capable of being measured . the sensor will typically be a gas sensor . although any type of gas may be sensed , typically the gases may be : propane vapor , gasoline vapor , hydrogen , oxygen , other explosive or flammable gases ; or carbon monoxide , freon , or other toxic gases . this system uses a regulated power supply to provide power to both the logic circuit and to the sensor . the sensor provides an output signal which will vary depending on the environmental parameter that the sensor is designed to detect . the logic circuit receives the signal from the sensor . when the logic circuit detects a signal indicating that a safe environment is present , the logic circuit will indicate a safe condition to the power control circuitry . a safe environment is an environment where the environmental variable being monitored is safe for both personnel and the equipment ( which the safety circuit controls ) to operate . upon receiving an indication of a safe condition , ( including proper and safe operation of the safety circuit ) the power control circuit will act to permit the operation of the electrical or other device that is controlled by the safety circuit . a safe condition is a safe environment together with the proper and safe operation of the safety circuit . for example , if a safety circuit with an explosive gas sensor was installed in a portable drill , and if the operator inadvertently took the portable electric drill into an area which had an explosive concentration of propane gas , the circuit would prevent the drill from being operated by preventing the electricity from reaching the motor . referring now to the drawings in detail , wherein like numerals indicate the same elements throughout the views , fig1 shows a block diagram of safety circuit 10 . safety circuit 10 is comprised of the following functional blocks : power supply 20 , sensor 40 , logic circuit 60 , and control circuit 80 . power supply 20 supplies the power to both sensor 40 and logic circuit 60 . power supply 20 typically provides the proper voltage for both logic circuit 60 and sensor 40 . logic circuits typically operate on between 3 and 5 volts and thus power supply 20 should provide an output at the proper voltage for the logic circuits utilized . additionally , sensors 40 utilized with this circuit typically have voltage requirements from 5 to 25 volts dc . however some sensors that may be interfaced with this circuit may require different voltages . therefore , power supply 20 will typically have a second voltage output if the sensor 40 requires a different voltage than the logic circuit 60 . sensor 40 is any sensor that is required or desired to be used in a specific application . typically , a single sensor will be used , however , there are safety circuits that can effectively use two or more sensors connected either in series or parallel . when two or more sensors 40 are employed , the sensors 40 may be identical sensors 40 placed in two different locations so that a larger area is monitored . alternatively , the sensors 40 may monitor two different environmental variables , for example , both a conductivity sensor 40 and a ph sensor 40 could be used to monitor a steam system for proper operation . typically , the sensor 40 selected will be used to detect an explosive gas mixture in the atmosphere . there are , however , applications for sensors capable of detecting other environmental parameters . for example : using a toxic gas sensor on the safety circuit to prevent inadvertent entry to a room into which a toxic gas has leaked ; or using both temperature and humidity sensors in the safety circuit to shut down a steam system on indications of a steam rupture . logic circuit 60 contains the appropriate circuits necessary to determine when a safe environment is present based on the signal provided by the sensor . since this is a safety device , it is preferred that the logic circuit use redundant logic subcircuits . additionally , since this is a safety circuit each logic subcircuit should provide an affirmative signal indicating that the environmental parameter measured is in the safe range . when the environment is safe and all the upstream portions of the circuit are operating properly the output of the logic circuit is a signal which will cause the power control circuit 80 to permit the device to which the safety circuit 10 is attached from operating . typically the safety circuit 10 will be used in or on an electric device and the power control circuit 80 would permit the electrical power to energize this device . fig2 provides a circuit diagram for the preferred embodiment of a safety circuit 10 in accordance with the present invention . the safety circuit 10 has the same basic components as shown in the functional block diagram ( fig1 ). these components are : power supply 20 , sensor 40 , logic circuit 60 , and power control circuit 80 . power supply 20 is a regulated power supply that typically supplies a relatively constant voltage to the sensor 40 and logic circuit 60 . the power supply is designed to provide the appropriate power level for the sensor 40 , the logic circuit 60 , and if required , the appropriate voltage for the rest of the electrical circuit ; including , the power control circuit 80 . in the preferred embodiment power control circuit 80 does not use any power from the power supply 20 . control circuit 80 receives its power directly from the same source as the device which safety circuit 10 controls . sensor 40 will use the output of power supply 20 to provide power for the sensing element and , if required , for a heating or other element of the sensor . power supply 20 also provides power to the op amps and to the resistors used in a voltage divider to set a “ safe ” window voltage to which the output of sensor 40 is compared in logic circuit 60 . the design and manufacturing of regulated power supplies providing specific output voltages is well known and thus will not be described in detail . the sensor 40 samples the environment around the sensor and provides a detection signal to the logic circuit 60 . sensors 40 that are used to detect flammable or explosive atmospheres typically have a heating element which maintains the sensor at a specific temperature and a sensing element whose resistance varies with the concentration of flammable or burnable materials in the atmosphere . fig3 a shows a typical response curve for a combustible gas sensor . the resistance of this sensor lowers as the concentration of a combustible gas increases . the resistance of the sensing element of the sensor 40 will determine voltage of the signal that is input to the logic circuit 60 . additionally , the resistance of the sensing element in combustible gas sensors will vary with the temperature / humidity of the air around the sensor as shown in fig3 b . thus , the voltage of the output signal from sensor 40 will depend upon the environment around the sensor and the input voltage from power supply 20 . during safe conditions , the voltage of the output signal from sensor 40 stays within a relatively narrow band . since this is a safety circuit , logic circuit 60 is formed primarily from two identical lm393 window comparators 62 , 64 . each window comparator has two op amps that are wired in a logical “ or ” configuration . the voltage range over which the comparators 62 , 64 will produce a high output is determined by the values selected for resistors r 7 , r 8 , and r 9 for comparator 64 and resistors r 18 , r 19 , and r 20 for comparator 62 . some sensors 40 used to measure environmental parameters other than temperature have output voltages that are subject to undesired temperature variations ( fig3 b ). if the output voltage of sensor 40 is subject to undesired temperature variations , then a thermistor th 1 is added to resistors r 7 , r 8 , and r 9 to shift the “ safe ” voltage window for comparator 64 to compensate for the temperature dependence of sensor 40 . similarly , a thermistor th 2 is added to resistors r 18 , r 19 , and r 20 for comparator 62 . it is preferred that the temperature response curve of thermistors th 1 and th 2 compensate for the temperature dependency of sensor 40 over the expected operating temperatures of safety circuit 10 . when the voltage output of the gas sensor 40 is in the safe range , the output of both window comparators will be high . when the voltage output of the sensor 40 is outside the “ safe ” window the logic circuit will act as if an unsafe environment existed . thus , the output of one or both window comparators 62 , 64 will be low when the voltage output from sensor 40 is outside the “ safe ” window . for example , in the present circuit the voltage output of a sensor 40 may fall below the safe range either due to a failure of sensor 40 or power supply 20 , or due to a low voltage condition . when the voltage input to window comparators 62 , 64 is below the safe window the output of op amp u 2 a of comparator 64 and op amp u 3 a of comparator 62 will go low , forcing the output of each window comparator 62 , 64 to be low . thus , the output of logic circuit 60 to power control circuit 80 will be low . alternately , when the sensor 40 is a combustible gas sensor and , senses an unsafe condition , the sensor &# 39 ; s 40 output voltage increases due to the explosive or flammable gas in the atmosphere reducing the resistance of the sensing element in sensor 40 , with the voltage input to comparators 62 , 64 is above the “ safe ” window , the output of op amp u 3 b of comparator 62 and u 2 b of comparator 64 will go low with the same result as discussed above when op amps u 2 a and u 3 a go low . power control circuit 80 is also constructed in a redundant fashion . power circuit 80 has two switch circuits 82 , 84 ; two triac pulse detection circuits 86 , 88 ; two over current protection circuits 90 , 92 ; an one idec rssan relay r 1 . only one relay r 1 is used , since a failure of relay r 1 would cause the circuit to fail in a safe manner by preventing the operation of the equipment attached to or controlled by safety circuit 10 . switch circuit 82 is coupled to and receives an input from window comparator 62 and switch circuit 84 is coupled to and receives an input from window comparator 64 . when there are no faults within power control circuit 80 , and a “ safe ” condition exists , a high output ( safe condition ) from the comparator 62 will actuate switch circuit 82 and a high output ( safe condition ) from comparator 64 will actuate switch circuit 84 . both switch circuits 82 and 84 are coupled to and provide a low resistance current path to relay r 1 . when both switch circuits 82 and 84 are triggered , current will flow to relay r 1 causing relay r 1 to energize , closing contacts 94 that will permit the electric or other device to which safety circuit 10 is connected to operate . additionally , the preferred embodiment has an artisan 436 u . s . a . time delay relay ( not shown ). this relay typically has a one minute time delay upon energizing the circuit 10 and time delay relay . this one minute time delay will prevent erroneous response of safety circuit 10 while circuit 10 is warming up . additionally there is a two minute time delay after safety circuit 10 removes power from the device due to the detection of an unsafe condition . switch circuits 82 and 84 are triggered by high outputs from window comparators 62 , 64 of logic circuit 10 . for example , a high output form window comparator 62 will cause current to flow through a h11j3 opto - isolator u 6 provided that pulse detection circuit 88 is sensing pulses across triac q 2 . thus , a voltage will be applied to diac cr 8 , when the voltage applied to diac cr 8 reaches diac &# 39 ; s cr 8 break over voltage , diac cr 8 will allow current to flow through diac cr 8 and trigger triac q 2 . diac means either a diac or an assembly of diodes or other devices that will permit a large enough voltage to develop across the triac , during the portion of the ac cycle when the opto - isolator is forward biased , to trigger the opto - isolator before the triac is triggered . when triac q 2 is triggered , triac q 2 will permit current flow through triac q 2 . since this circuit uses an ac power source , triac q 2 will pulse because diac cr 8 will not constantly trigger triac q 2 . as a further safety feature there are two triac pulse detection circuits 86 , 88 . these circuits sense the voltage across the triac in each switch circuit 82 , 84 . the pulse detection circuit 86 senses the voltage across triac q 2 in switch circuit 82 and pulse detection circuit 88 senses the voltage across triac q 1 in switch circuit 84 . when switch circuit 82 is activated the voltage across the triac q 2 will pulse , indicating that the triac q 2 has been triggered and is functioning properly . the triac q 1 in switch circuit 84 will behave in a similar manner . when detection circuit 86 detects that triac q 2 of switch circuit 82 is turned on and functioning properly , the detection circuit 86 will permit switch circuit 84 to be activated . similarly , when detection circuit 88 detects that triac q 1 of switch circuit 84 is triggered and functioning properly , the detection circuit 88 will permit switch circuit 82 to be activated . for example , when triac q 1 pulses there is a time period where triac q 1 has a voltage difference and a time period when triac q 1 does not have a voltage difference across triac q 1 . when there is a voltage difference across triac q 1 , a 4933 opto - isolator is 02 will permit current flow . thus , a 1re capacitor c 1 will discharge and the voltage between the base of and the collector of a 2n3906 transistor q 3 will permit current to flow through transistor q 3 . with current flowing through transistor q 3 , current will flow through opto - isolator u 6 to ground . when triac q 1 is permitting current to flow , there will not be a voltage difference across triac q 1 . thus , opto - isolator tor is 02 will prevent current to flow through opto - isolator is 02 to ground and capacitor c 1 will recharge . during the initial portion of the capacitor &# 39 ; s c 1 recharge the voltage between the base and the collector of transistor q 3 will be low enough that transistor q 3 will continue to permit current to flow through transistor q 3 . capacitor c 1 is sized to accommodate the pulse length of the triac q 1 selected , so that before the voltage rise across capacitor c 1 is sufficient to turn off transistor q 1 , the triac q 1 has a voltage across the triac q 1 and capacitor c 1 is discharged . however , if triac q 1 stops pulsing but does not have a voltage drop across the triac q 5 , then the capacitor c 1 will continue to charge and the voltage across capacitor c 1 and across the base and collector of transistor q 3 will increase until transistor q 3 turns off . with no current passing through transistor q 3 , no current will flow through opto - isol ator u 6 resulting in switch circuit 82 turning off or preventing switch circuit 82 from turning on . pulse detection circuit 86 will operate in a similar fashion to that described above . if the detection circuit 86 does not detect a pulsing voltage across triac q 2 , then the pulse detection circuit 86 would prevent switch circuit 84 from accuating or turn off switch circuit 84 if this circuit was already operating . if there is a short or fault within power control circuit 80 which causes a high current within control circuit 80 , then either or both current protection circuits 90 , 92 will operate to protect power control circuit 80 . protection circuit 90 protects power control circuit 80 by shunting the output from window comparator 62 to ground . the shunting of the output from window comparator 62 to ground will cause switch circuit 82 to see a low input , which results in switch circuit 82 turning off . similarly , protection circuit 92 will cause switch circuit 84 to turn off . for example , the current protection circuit 90 operates by using the voltage developed across resistor r 22 to trigger a h11j3 opto - isolator u 7 . resistor r 22 is selected so that when the current through resistor r 22 exceeds safe levels then the voltage across resistor r 22 will trigger opto - isolator u 7 . when u 7 is triggered the output of window comparator 62 of logic circuit 60 is stunted to ground with the result described above the power supply 20 provides power to gas sensor 40 and to logic circuit 60 . sensor 40 will provide a steady or relatively steady output signal to logic circuit 60 . this signal will fall within the “ safe ” voltage window of the window comparators 62 , 64 of logic circuit 60 . the window comparators 62 , 64 will produce a high output which accuates switch circuits 82 , 84 of power control circuit 80 . upon accuation of both switch circuits 82 , 84 relay r 1 is energized . energizing relay r 1 will permit the device to which the circuit is attached to function . when there is a low voltage supplied to power supply 20 , the voltage regulator vr 1 fails to provide a high enough voltage , or sensor 40 fails to send an output signal , then the voltage input to window comparators 62 , 64 of logic circuit 60 will be below the “ safe ” voltage window . this input to window comparators 62 , 64 will result in an overall low output from window comparators 62 , 64 resulting in a low signal to switch circuits 82 and 84 of power control circuit 80 . a low input to switch circuits 82 and 84 will prevent these circuit from operating or if operating to turn off . when switch circuits 82 or 84 are off relay ri will be deenergized and the contacts in the motor controller for the electric device will remain open and the device will not start . when over - current protection circuit 90 detects an over current condition it shunts the output from the window comparator 62 to ground . as a result of this shunt switch circuit 82 will see a low input and will turn off . when switch circuit 82 is off relay r 1 will be deenergized with the results as described above over protection circuit 92 will function in a similar manner to that described above . high current in power control circuit 80 would typically be caused by a short circuit or a fault to ground within the circuit . in the event that there is an unsafe environment detected by that gas sensor 40 , sensor 40 will typically produce a high voltage output that will be above the “ safe ” voltage window of window comparators 62 , 64 . a voltage input to logic circuit 60 above the “ safe ” voltage window for comparators 62 , 64 will cause window comparators 62 , 64 to have a low output with the results described above . if a short develops across triac q 2 of switch circuit 82 either due to a failure or due to an over voltage condition , then the pulse detection circuit 86 will not detect the pulsing of the triac q 2 . when detection circuit 86 no longer detects the pulsing of the triac q 2 , then the detection circuit 86 will prevent switch circuit 84 from operating . without both switch circuits 82 , 84 operating , relay r 1 will be de - energized and , as a result , the attached electrical device will either shut down or not be permitted to start . a short across triac q 1 of switch circuit 84 would cause detection circuit 88 to act in a similar fashion and produce similar results . in summary , numerous benefits have been described which result from employing the concepts of the invention . the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto . | 6 |
referring now to these drawings and first to fig1 - 6 , there is illustrated an improved wall assembly 10 according to the invention . wall assembly 10 includes a floor runner 12 , a ceiling header 14 , and studs 16 extending between the runner and header , when the wall assembly is installed , the runner is secured to the floor 18 and the header to the ceiling 20 by screws 22 . one or both sides of the wall assembly is / are covered by wall panels 24 . in the particular wall assembly shown , wall panels are installed on one side only of the wall assembly , although the broken lines illustrate that wall panels may be installed on both sides . according to the present invention , the wall panels 24 are held in place in the wall assembly magnetically in such a way that the panels may be removed and replaced quickly and easily by even unskilled persons , such as office workers , to permit movement of the wall assembly from one place to another as well as storage of the wall when not in use . moreover , any selected wall panel may be removed and replaced without disturbing the adjacent panels . to these ends , the invention provides novel magnetic clips 26 which are mounted on the wall studs 16 and cooperate with magnetic means 27 on the wall panels 24 to secure the panels to the wall assembly . these magnetic clips constitute a primary feature of the invention . each magnetic clip 26 comprises a bracket 28 and magnetic means 30 on the bracket which cooperate with the wall panel magnetic means 27 to magnetically secure the adjacent wall panels to the wall assembly . referring now in more detail to the magnetic clips 26 , each clip bracket 28 has a flat mounting portion 32 and at least one end portion 34 which is turned relative to the mounting portion so as to extend beyond one side , the normally rear or back side , of the mounting portion . the clip bracket is attached to a wall stud 16 with the bracket mounting portion 32 seating against the side of the stud facing the respective wall panels 24 and with the bracket end portion or portions extending laterally beyond and toward the opposite side of the stud . depending on the arrangement of a wall assembly 10 , it may have one or two extreme end studs 16 , such as the left - hand stud in fig1 . the bracket 28 of a magnetic clip 26 for installation on such an end stud may have either one or two end portions 34 depending upon the wall arrangement and the space available between the end stud and any adjacent structure . in any event , a magnetic clip 26 will be mounted on such an end stud with its single end portion 34 or one end portion extending beyond the stud toward the adjacent intermediate stud of the wall assembly , i . e ., beyond the right side of the left - most stud in fig1 toward the second from the left stud . the magnetic means 30 of the magnetic clip 26 comprise a magnetic member 36 on each bracket end portion 34 . the magnetic means 27 on each wall panel 24 comprise magnetic members 38 , in this case magnetic strips , secured to the back side of each wall panel 24 adjacent to its vertical edges . the magnetic clips 26 and magnetic members are arranged in such a way that when a wall panel is placed in position on the wall assembly the panel is held in place by the magnetic attraction between the clip and panel members . in the embodiment of fig1 - 6 , the magnetic clip bracket 28 has a flat mounting portion 32 . each bracket end portion 34 includes a section 40 at right angles to and extending beyond the rear side of the mounting portion and an out - turned terminal portion 42 parallel to the mounting portion . each magnetic member 36 of the magnetic clip 26 comprises a magnet assembly flat rectangular permanent magnet 44 between two flat rectangular , magnetically permeable pole plates 46 which project edgewise slightly beyond the edges of the magnet . each magnetic assembly 36 , or magnet as it will be hereafter referred to , is secured , face to face , to the outer side of a right angle end section 40 of the clip bracket 28 by a fastener 48 . each magnet 36 has one edge adjacent and parallel to its bracket terminal portion 42 which keeps the magnet from turning on the fastener 48 . the opposite edge off the magnet is substantially coplanar with and preferably projects just slightly beyond the bracket mounting portion 32 . each fastener 48 loosely secures its magnet 36 to the respective bracket end section 40 in such a way that the magnet has limited freedom of movement both edgewise and parallel to the fastener 48 . the bracket is constructed of a non - magnetic material so as to not restrict this freedom . as shown best in fig3 each wall stud 16 is a channel having parallel flanges 50 joined by a web 52 . the floor runner 12 is an upwardly opening channel having upstanding flanges 54 joined by a web 56 which seats on and is secured to the floor 18 . the ceiling header 14 is an extrusion having inner depending flanges which are slotted at intervals to form pairs of laterally aligned depending fingers 58 , and outer depending flanges 60 . the studs are vertically positioned , usually at uniform intervals , along the floor runner 12 and ceiling header 14 with the stud flanges 50 parallel to the sides of the wall assembly . the lower ends of the studs are positioned within and secured to the floor runner channel , as shown best in fig6 . the upper stud ends are positioned within the ceiling header channel with the header fingers 58 positioned between and secured to the stud flanges 50 . each magnetic clip 26 is mounted on its stud at the side of the stud , i . e ., the stud flange 50 , to which wall panels 24 are to be installed . in the drawings , this is the front side in fig1 bottom side in fig5 and right side in fig6 . as mentioned earlier and shown in broken lines in fig5 and 6 , however , wall panels may be installed on both sides of the wall assembly . referring particularly to fig3 and 5 , each magnetic clip is placed on its stud with the mounting portion 32 of the clip bracket 28 seating against the adjacent stud side or flange and with its end portions 34 extending laterally beyond and toward the opposite side of the stud in straddling relation to the stud . as mentioned earlier , the magnetic clips mounted on the end studs , such as the left - hand stud in fig1 may have only one bracket end portion and magnet . each clip is secured to its stud by a fastener 62 extending through the clip bracket mounting portion 32 and adjacent stud flange 50 . several magnetic clips 26 are mounted along each stud . the width of the wall panels 24 substantially equals the center - to - center spacing between the studs 16 . the wall panels are installed on the wall assembly with their upper ends engaging within the space 64 between the ceiling header fingers 58 and outer flanges 60 and their lower ends close to or seating against the floor runner flanges 54 . the several wall panels are disposed edge to edge with the adjacent vertical edges of each pair of adjacent panels overlying a common intervening stud 16 and with the adjacent magnetic members or strips 38 on the panel in contact with the adjacent magnetic clip magnets 36 . the wall panels 24 are thus magnetically held in place in the wall assembly by the magnetic attraction between the magnetic clips 26 and wall panel magnetic members 38 . the panels may be quickly and easily removed by pulling outwardly on the lower ends of the panels sufficiently to enable the upper panel ends to be withdrawn from the ceiling header space 64 . in this regard , it will be observed in fig6 that the width of the space 64 is greater than the thickness of the panels so as to enable the lower ends of the panels to be pulled outwardly . installation of the panels is accomplished by reversing this procedure . since adjacent panels do not interfit in any way , any one or more panels may be removed and replaced without disturbing the adjacent panels . the modified magnetic clip 26a of fig7 and 8 is similar to the magnetic clip 26 and like the latter clip includes a non - magnetic bracket 28a having a mounting portion 32a and end portions 34a offset to the same side of the mounting portion . each clip end portion 34a has an end section 40a and a terminal section 42a . unlike clip 26 , the terminal sections 42a of clip 26a are disposed in a common plane parallel to and offset to one side ( the rear side ) of the clip mounting portion 32a . each clip magnet 36a is generally flat and rectangular and includes a magnetic channel 46a containing a permanent magnet 44a and is loosely secured to a clip bracket end section 42a by a fastener 48a . the magnets 36a are disposed substantially in a common plane parallel to the clip bracket mounting portion 32a with their front faces substantially flush with or , preferably , projecting slightly forwardly of the mounting portion . the modified magnetic clip 26a is installed on a stud 16 in the same way as the magnetic clip 26 with the clip mounting portion 32a secured to the stud by a fastener 62a and with the clip bracket end portions 42 extending laterally beyond and toward the opposite side of the stud . the clip magnets 36a engage the magnetic members or strips 38 on the adjacent wall panels to magnetically hold the panels in position . | 4 |
fig1 illustrates an example of the basic structure of a high speed memory . in the example shown , eight control pins 1a - h are used to transfer control and address information between an external bus ( not shown ) and the memory device 6 . eight data pins 2a - 2h transfer data between the external bus and the memory . a memory device may have more or fewer address and data pins depending on the required address and data bandwidth . wires 3a - 3b distribute row address information and wires 4a - 4b distribute column address information from the control pins 1 via the control logic 7 to the entire memory 6a - 6h . each of the data pins 2 has i / o circuitry 5 associated with it , through which the data pins 2 communicate with the memory 6 . the memory 6 includes portions of the memory 6a - 6h , each of which is associated with one of the data pins 2a - 2h . fig2 illustrates the basic structure of a single data pin and the circuitry used to communicate with the portion of the memory associated with the data pin in a single data rate system . the data pin 2a provides data to an input receiver 8 and receives data from an output driver 9 . data to be written to the portion of the memory 6a associated with the data pin 2a is provided serially to an input shift register 10 via the input receiver 8 . the data is then presented to the portion of the memory 6a associated with the data pin 2a in parallel on the write data lines 11a - 11h . data being read from the portion of the memory 6a associated with the data pin 2a is read from the portion of the memory 6a on the parallel read data lines 12a - 12h into the output shift register 13 . the data is then shifted serially out to the data pin via the output driver 9 . redundant columns of memory cells may be provided to be used as substitutes when memory cells in regular columns are damaged . fig3 illustrates one prior art column redundancy scheme , in which one or more spare columns 15 is provided for each sub - portion 14 of the memory associated with each pair of read / write data lines 11 - 12 . if a regular column in the sub - portion associated with a pair of read / write data lines includes a damaged cell , a spare column 15 is substituted for the regular column : read operations from the damaged cell , and write operations to the damaged cell are suppressed , and the data is written to and read from the corresponding cell in the spare column instead . however , matching the addresses for the redundant column and suppressing access to the damaged cell location is relatively complex and consequently may limit the speed of the memory . additionally , this approach requires a relatively large number of spare columns -- at least one for each pair of read / write data lines . furthermore , this may not be sufficient if there is more than one damaged cell within the memory associated with a single pair of read / write data lines . another prior art approach is illustrated in fig4 in which one or more spare columns 16 are added in the portion of the memory 6a associated with each data pin 2a . an eight - to - one multiplexor 17 , consisting of 8 tristate drivers 17a - 17h , is placed between the input shift register 10 and the memory 6a . the input shift register 10 provides data to a regular column within the portion of the memory 6a associated with the data pin 2a . the multiplexor 17 selectively provides one data bit to a spare column 16 . a sixteen - to - eight multiplexor 18 , consisting of smaller two - to - one multiplexors 18a - 18h , is placed between the output shift register 13 and memory 6a , so that the multiplexor 18 can select between reading data from a regular column and reading from a spare column 16 . the multiplexors 17 - 18 enable data from a spare column to be multiplexed during read or write operations to a damaged cell , so that a cell in a spare column 16 can substitute for a damaged cell at any bit of the input shift register 10 or the output shift register 13 . while this approach is more flexible and may require fewer spare columns than the approach illustrated in fig3 the large number of multiplexors and the lengthy wires required add substantial complexity and delay . fig5 illustrates one embodiment of the invention for a single data rate system , wherein data is transmitted on only one edge of the clock . as in the approach illustrated in fig4 one or more spare columns 16 is included at the same place in the array 6a , preferably near the wires connecting the input shift register 10 to the input receiver 8 and the output shift register 13 to the output driver 9 . a multiplexor 19 is provided between the spare columns 16 and the output driver 9 . when data must be read from the spare column due to a damaged cell in a regular column , the multiplexor 19 selects the spare column 16 only for the bit time corresponding to the read from the damaged cell . in addition , a wire 20 is provided between the input receiver 8 and the spare column 16 . when data must be written to the spare column 16 , the incoming data is latched during the bit time when it passes the spare column 16 . this column redundancy scheme may be used for either single data rate systems , where data is transmitted on only one edge of the clock , or for double data rate systems , where data is transmitted on both edges of the clock . however , in a double data rate system , changes may be made to the input circuitry associated with each data pin to relax the timing requirements for the shifting circuitry . an embodiment of the invention for a double data rate system with modified input circuitry is illustrated in fig6 . the memory device includes an even input shift register 21 and an odd input shift register 22 , as well as an even output shift register 23 and an odd output shift register 24 . the even input shift register 21 inputs even bits which are transmitted relative to the rising edge of the clock , and the odd input shift register 22 inputs odd bits which are transmitted relative to the falling edge of the clock . similarly , the even output shift register 23 outputs even bits , and the odd output shift register 24 outputs odd bits . an even input receiver 25 receives the even bits from the data pin 2a and provides them to the even input shift register 21 , and an odd input receiver 26 receives the odd bits from the data pin 2a and provides them to the odd input shift register 22 . one or more spare columns 16 is included in the same place in the array 6a . preferably near the wires connecting the shift registers 21 - 24 with the input receivers 25 - 26 and the output multiplexor / driver 27 . a multiplexor 28 multiplexes data from one or more spare columns 16 and the even output shift register 23 , and permits data to be read from a spare column 16 if a cell in portion of the array associated with an even shift register bit is damaged . a second multiplexor 29 multiplexes data from one or more spare columns 16 and the odd output shift register 24 , and permits data to be read from a spare column 16 if a cell in portion of the array associated with an odd shift register bit is damaged . the output of the first multiplexor 28 and the second multiplexor 29 is provided to an output multiplexor and driver 27 , which switches between accepting even bits from the first multiplexor 28 on the rising edge of the clock and accepting odd bits from the second multiplexor 29 on the falling edge of the clock . the output multiplexor and driver 27 provides the stream of alternating even and odd bits to the data pin 2a . a third multiplexor 30 receives data from the even input receiver 25 and the odd input receiver 26 . when , due to a damaged cell in a regular column , an even bit must be written to the spare column 16 , the even bit is selected by the multiplexor 30 on the rising edge of the clock . the even bit is then latched into the spare column during the bit time before the even bit is to enter the even input shift register 21 -- that is , as the even bit passes the input of the multiplexor 30 . similarly , when an odd bit must be written to the spare column 16 , it is selected by the multiplexor 30 on the falling edge of the clock and latched into the spare column during the bit time before the odd bit is to enter the odd input shift register 22 . the foregoing description , for purposes of explanation , used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the invention . in other instances , well known circuits and devices are shown at the logic gate level in order to avoid unnecessary distraction from the underlying invention . thus , the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , as obviously many modifications and variations are possible on view of the above teachings . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications , the thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
a system or a method is described with which a respiratory signal or a signal of the cardiac activity is robustly identifiable . fig2 shows such a system 100 , which can be implemented in a patient couch 200 . the system has a multiplicity of radar sensors 110 a and 110 b which in the example shown are arranged in two different subsections 120 a and 120 b . both the subgroups of the radar sensors 110 in the subsections 120 a and 120 b are physically separated from each other . both subsections can , for example , be 50 cm long and 40 cm wide but other proportions are also conceivable . altogether , the two subsections are dimensioned such that a respiratory signal or a cardiac signal can be detected in a subject who can be moved into an imaging device 300 ( shown only in a diagrammatic view ) either feet - first , i . e . with the feet in the direction of the edge a , or head - first . the couch 100 may be part of the imaging device . the imaging device 300 may be an mr system or ct system of a known type . as the subject can either be moved into the imaging device 300 in a supine position or face - down , the subsections 120 a and 120 b must be designed such that the cardiac movement can be detected in both a face - down and a supine position . the ribcage of the subject can therefore be located either in the subsection 120 a or in the subsection 120 b . the two subsections 120 a and 120 b are preferably arranged symmetrically to one another so that a face - down and a supine position or a position in which the subject is moved feet - first or head - first into the imaging device can be covered . however , more than two subsections 120 a and 120 b can also be provided . each subsection 120 a , 120 b can in turn be divided into three subsections , each with a subsection for the detection of respiration and two subsections for the detection of cardiac activity depending on a face - down or supine position . radar sensors can be used as sensors ; alternatively coils can also be used that are designed such that bodies in the vicinity of the coils generate another magnetic field in the coils . when using radar sensors , in principle they can all be controlled simultaneously so that they all transmit and receive simultaneously . however , care should be taken so that the radar signals transmitted by one radar sensor are not received by another radar sensor . it is therefore conceivable for all radar sensors in a very fast cycle to each be activated only briefly , so that at any one time only one radar sensor is ever briefly active . furthermore , it is possible that , at any one time , only radar sensors are activated that are far enough away from each other so as to geometrically exclude mutual disturbances . at any one time , therefore , only one subgroup is active . this active subgroup can be , for example , a group of sensors in the subsection 120 a , and another group of sensors in the subsection 120 b , or various groups in a subsection that are far enough away from each other for a radar sensor of one subgroup not to receive the reflection signal that has been sent by a radar sensor of another subgroup . all the radar sensors can be briefly active in succession until the sequence recommences . in doing so , depending on the position of the subject , the radar sensors are now dynamically assigned to a group for the detection of respiration or to a group for the detection of cardiac activity , wherein the sensors which are not assigned to either of the two groups can be deactivated . as described in detail below , the signals of the individual groups are each added to generate a cardiac activity signal 155 or a respiratory activity signal 156 which can be supplied by an evaluation unit 150 , subsequently described in more detail , to an imaging device 300 . how the cardiac activity signal or the respiratory activity signal can be generated and how the respiratory and cardiac signals can be separated is explained below with reference to fig3 and 4 . in a learning phase , as noted above the various radar sensors can be individually controlled , either in succession or simultaneously , depending on the respective spacing of the sensors . in connection with fig3 , the determination of a cardiac activity signal is explained with the use of the movement signals that are detected by the radar sensors 110 a and 110 b . the movement signals are detected in step s 30 . then the signals can be filtered with a high pass filter or band pass filter to pass all the signal components in the typical cardiac rate range of 35 per minute to 200 per minute , i . e . between approx . 0 . 58 hz and 3 . 3 hz . as a result of this filtering , cardiac movement signals that essentially contain the signal components on the basis of the cardiac movement are thus generated in step s 31 . then the radar signal that detects the cardiac activity with the highest amplitude is determined from the filtered signals . this determination can take place in the time range of the signal , as well as in the frequency range , wherein the highest peak or the highest amplitude in the frequency range is decisive . this corresponds to the step s 32 of fig3 of the determination of the cardiac reference signal . with reference to fig2 , this may be the sensor with the reference character 110 h , for example . in the presence of a total of n movement sensors , all the additional n − 1 sensors can then be assessed with regard to the similarity of the signals to the reference signal of the reference sensor 110 h . this can be done , for example , with the use of a cross - correlation , wherein all the signals filtered in the cardiac rate range can be assessed for similarity , or only signals from sensors in the vicinity which are at a predetermined distance from the reference sensor . in the example shown in fig2 , it may be useful , for example , not to take the sensors of the subsection 120 b into consideration if the cardiac reference sensor 110 h is located in the subsection 120 a . the cross - correlation function is as follows : r xy ( k )= σ n =−∞ ∞ x ( n )· y ( n + k ) ( 1 ) the cross - correlation function r xy describes the similarity between two temporal signals , namely the signals x and y , as a function of the time n . this determination of the cardiac addition signals takes place in step s 33 with reference to fig3 . in this step s 33 , all the signals which have an adequate relationship to the cardiac reference signal are taken into consideration , adequate here meaning similar up to a limit or threshold value . this limit or threshold value may also be selected and altered by a user of the system of fig2 as a function of the quality of the respective signals . thus only signals with adequate similarity are taken into consideration , so that signals with a poor signal - to - noise ratio are not taken into consideration . then the cardiac reference signal can be added to the cardiac addition signals to form the cardiac activity signal , as shown in step s 34 of fig3 . similarly , the respiratory activity signal can be generated , as explained below with reference to fig4 . the movement signals detected by the sensors 110 a , 110 b are recorded ( s 40 ). then the signals are filtered with a low pass filter or band pass filter to pass all the signal components in the typical respiratory frequency range between 0 . 16 hz and 0 . 5 hz , or to suppress the other signal or frequency components . this is with reference to step s 41 in fig4 : determination of the respiratory movement signal for the individual sensors . in a step s 42 the respiratory reference signal is then determined , wherein in turn either in the time or frequency range the highest amplitude in the time or frequency range which forms the respiratory reference signal is established . in step s 43 , the respiratory addition signals that are sufficiently similar to the respiratory reference signal are then determined . all n − 1 signals of the radar sensors filtered in the respiratory frequency range can in turn be correlated with the signal of the respiratory reference sensor filtered in the respiratory frequency range using the above equation ( 1 ) where k = 0 . the signals that have a greater similarity than a limit or threshold value can then be used as respiratory addition signals to obtain the activity signal in step s 44 . instead of cross - correlation , another cross - covariance function can be used as shown below in equation ( 2 ). g xy ( k )= σ n =−∞ ∞ [ x ( n )− μ x ]·[ γ ( n + k )− μ y ] ( 2 ) with the cross - covariance function , mean - adjusted signals are used , wherein the mean - adjusted signals are totaled to determine the respective activity signal . altogether , for equation ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) only a finite number of samples is added to determine the cross - correlation or cross - covariance function . in another embodiment , not only k = 0 is used for the evaluation of the equation as a number , but a range which , for example , corresponds to half a second . the adequate relationship then to be measured is then determined according to the maximum peak occurring in the band of n used . this takes into account that the signals of the radar sensors may have a small phase delay or lag between them which may be caused by the movement sequences in the body , or by various transmission delays in the hardware used . the addition in step s 34 or in step s 44 must be accordingly corrected by this k for each radar sensor . the processing steps shown with regard to fig3 and 4 may be performed in an evaluation computer 150 shown in fig2 , which has at least one processor 151 and one memory 152 . the evaluation computer receives the movement signals via the input - output unit 153 , via which it also controls the sensors 110 . the evaluation computer 150 can finally transmit the respiratory activity signal 155 and / or the cardiac activity signal 156 to the imaging device 300 . the components of the evaluation computer 150 can be designed as hardware components , as software components or as a combination of the two . both the filters for the generation of the respective addition signals can be provided as separate units , or the associated functions can be performed by the processor unit 151 . fig5 , for example , shows a radar sensor signal in which the signal of cardiac activity , which has a higher frequency , outweighs the respiratory activity . in selecting the respective sensors , which may provide an addition signal which is sufficiently similar to the respective reference signal , not all the signals need to be assessed by all the sensors of fig2 . in the example described , the two reference sensors are located in one of the two subsections 120 a , 120 b . for example , with sensor signals from the subsection 120 b , it is impossible to assess at all whether they create addition signals as it is highly unlikely that a sensor in the subsection 120 b still supplies cardiac movement signals with an acceptable signal - to - noise ratio . furthermore , subgroups 121 or 122 can be created as a function of the position of the respective reference sensor . subgroup 121 may , for example , create the subgroup of sensors , the signals of which are only or are first assessed for similarity . subgroup 122 may create the group of sensors in which respiratory addition sensors are sought . in fig5 the amplitude or the peak 51 of cardiac activity is higher than the amplitude or the peak 52 . fig6 shows a frequency range of a sensor signal in which the peak of the respiratory signal 61 is higher than the peak 62 of the cardiac signal . the sensor , the signal of which is shown in fig6 , could for example be located under the other half of the ribcage but not far from the sternum . fig5 and 6 also show clearly that in principle the two signals can be separated from one another by appropriate filters such as low pass in relation to band pass or high pass . the aforementioned processing steps can be performed by the evaluation unit 150 or its processor 151 , wherein programs may be found in the storage unit 152 which perform the aforementioned steps during execution by the processor . the system or method described supplies automatic signals for any position of the subject without the attachment of sensors to the subject . these signals describe the cardiac or respiratory movement well and can thus be used to trigger imaging . although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art , it is the intention of the applicant to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of the applicant &# 39 ; s contribution to the art . | 0 |
preferred are hydrazone derivatives of formula ( i ) or the physiologically compatible salts thereof wherein x denotes sulfur and a stands for hydrogen . particularly preferred are hydrazone derivatives of formula ( i ) or the physiologically compatible salts thereof wherein x denotes sulfur , a stands for hydrogen , r1 denotes a saturated or unsaturated ( c 1 - c 12 )- alkyl group , a hydroxy -( c 1 - c 12 )- alkyl group , an amino -( c 1 - c 12 )- alkyl group , or a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group , and r2 and r3 independently of each other denote hydrogen , a saturated or unsaturated ( c 1 - c 12 )- alkyl group , a cyano group , a nitro group , an amino group , a ( c 1 - c 12 )- alkylamino group , a ( c 1 - c 12 )- dialkylamino group , a c ( o ) o —( c 1 - c 12 )- alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group or a naphthyl group , or r2 and r3 together with the remainder of the molecule form a carbocyclic , unsaturated , substituted or unsubstituted ring system . 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - tert . butyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 -( 4 - tolyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - methoxy ) phenyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - ethoxy ) phenyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - bromophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 3 - bromophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 3 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -[( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 - yl ]- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 -( 2 - naphthalenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , ethyl 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 4 - thiazolecarboxylate , 3 , 4 , 5 - trimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 5 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 5 - ethyl - 3 - methyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - bromophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 4 -( 4 - tolyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 5 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 4 - phenyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 5 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 4 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , ethyl 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 4 - thiazolecarboxylate , 4 - amino - 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 5 - thiazolecarbonitrile , 3 - ethyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , ethyl 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - ethyl - 4 - methylthiazolecarboxylate , 5 - methyl - 3 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 - propyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 3 - propyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - butyl - 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hydroxyethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hydroxyethyl - 4 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hydroxyethyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - aminoethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - aminoethyl - 4 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - aminoethyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - methyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - p - biphenylyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - methoxy ) phenyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - tert . butyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 5 - methyl - 3 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 4 , 5 - triphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 -( phenylmethyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - methyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - tert . butyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - phenyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , ethyl 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 -[( phenylamino ) carbonyl ]- 4 - methylthiazolecarboxylate , 3 - methyl - 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 - tetrahydro - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 6 - chloro - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 7 - chloro - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 6 - hydroxy - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 5 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 7 - methoxy - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 5 , 6 - dimethoxy - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 5 - ethoxy - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 6 - ethoxy - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 5 - nitro - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 6 - nitro - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 5 - acetamido - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 6 - acetamido - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 5 - anilino - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 6 - anilino - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 6 - benzothiazolecarboxylic acid , 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 4 - benzothiazolesulfonic acid , 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 5 - benzothiazolesulfonic acid , 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 6 - benzothiazolesulfonic acid , 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 7 - benzothiazolesulfonic acid , 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - n , n , 3 - trimethyl - 6 - benzothiazolesulfonamide , [( 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 6 - benzothiazolyl ) oxy ] acethydrazide , 3 - methylnaphtho [ 2 , 3 - d ] thiazole - 2 ( 3h )- one hydrazone , 3 - ethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 6 - ethoxy - 3 - ethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - propyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - butyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hexyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hydroxyethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - aminoethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - p - methylbenzyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 6 - benzothiazolecarboxylic acid , 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 6 - methoxy - 3 ( 2h )- benzothiazolepropanesulfonic acid , 6 - hexadecyloxy - 2 - hydrazono - 3 ( 2h )- benzothiazolepropanesulfonic acid , ethyl 2 - keto - 3 - benzothiazoline acetate hydrazone , 3 - acetyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 2 - hydrazono - 3 ( 2h )- benzothiazole carboxaldehyde , 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone hydrazone , 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzoxazolone hydrazone , 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzoxazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - methyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 4 -( 4 - methoxy ) phenyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - methyl - 4 -( 4 - nitrophenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 4 -[( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl ) 4 - yl ]- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone n - acetyl - 3 - methyl - 4 -( 2 - naphthalenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone ethyl n - acetyl - 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 4 - thiazolecarboxylate n - acetyl - 3 , 4 , 5 - trimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 , 4 ,- dimethyl - 5 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 , 5 ,- dimethyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - methyl - 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - ethyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 4 - methyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 4 - p - biphenylyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 4 -( 4 - methoxy ) phenyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 4 - tert . butyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 , 4 , 5 - triphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - ethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - butyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - hexyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - p - methylbenzyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzoxazolone hydrazone , n - acetyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzoxazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - methyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 4 -( 4 - methoxy ) phenyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - methyl - 4 -( 4 - nitrophenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 4 -[( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl ) 4 - yl ]- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone n - formyl - 3 - methyl - 4 -( 2 - naphthalenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone ethyl n - formyl - 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 4 - thiazolecarboxylate n - formyl - 3 , 4 , 5 - trimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 , 4 ,- dimethyl - 5 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 , 5 ,- dimethyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - methyl - 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - ethyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 4 - methyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 4 - p - biphenylyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 4 -( 4 - methoxy ) phenyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 4 - tert . butyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 5 - methyl - 3 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 , 4 , 5 - triphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - ethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - butyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - hexyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - p - methylbenzyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- oxazolone hydrazone , n - formyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzoxazolone hydrazone and n - formyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzoxazolone hydrazone . among the compounds of formula ( i ), the following thiazolone hydrazone derivatives are particularly preferred : 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - tert . butyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 -( 4 - tolyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - methoxy ) phenyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - ethoxy ) phenyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - bromophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 3 - bromophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 3 - chlorophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -[( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 - yl ]- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , ethyl 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 4 - thiazolecarboxylate , 3 , 4 , 5 - trimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 5 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 5 - ethyl - 3 - methyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - bromophenyl )- 3 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 4 -( 4 - tolyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 5 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 4 - phenyl - 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 5 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 4 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , ethyl 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 4 - thiazolecarboxylate , 4 - amino - 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - methyl - 5 - thiazolecarbonitrile , 3 - ethyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , ethyl 2 - hydrazono - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - ethyl - 4 - methylthiazolecarboxylate , 5 - methyl - 3 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 - propyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 3 - propyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - butyl - 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 -( 2 - methylpropyl )- 4 , 5 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - methyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - tert . butyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - phenyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hydroxyethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hydroxyethyl - 4 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hydroxyethyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - aminoethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - aminoethyl - 4 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - aminoethyl - 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - methyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 , 5 - dimethyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - p - biphenylyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 -( 4 - methoxy ) phenyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 4 - tert . butyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 5 - methyl - 3 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 , 4 , 5 - triphenyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 - tetrahydro - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - methyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - ethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - butyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hexyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone , 3 - hydroxyethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone and 3 - aminoethyl - 2 ( 3h )- benzothiazolone hydrazone . some of the compounds of formula ( i ) are commercially obtainable . they can , however , also be prepared by methods of synthesis known from the literature , for example by the procedure described in research disclosure october 1978 , pages 42 - 44 , no . 17434 , or in analogy with the method described in de 1 049 381 b . suitable as couplers are , in particular , the following compounds or salts thereof : n -( 3 - dimethylaminophenyl ) urea , 2 , 6 - diaminopyridine , 2 - amino - 4 -[( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- anisole , 2 , 4 - diamino - 1 - fluoro - 5 - methylbenzene , 2 , 4 - diamino - 1 - methoxy - 5 - methylbenzene , 2 , 4 - diamino - 1 - ethoxy - 5 - methylbenzene , 2 , 4 - diamino - 1 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy )- 5 - methylbenzene , 2 , 4 - di [( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- 1 , 5 - dimethoxybenzene , 2 , 3 - diamino - 6 - methoxypyridine , 3 - amino - 6 - methoxy - 2 -( methylamino ) pyridine , 2 , 6 - diamino - 3 , 5 - dimethoxypyridine , 3 , 5 - diamino - 2 , 6 - dimethoxypyridine , 1 , 3 - diaminobenzene , 2 , 4 - diamino - 1 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy ) benzene , 1 , 3 - diamino - 4 -( 2 , 3 - dihydroxypropoxy ) benzene , 1 , 3 - diamino - 4 -( 3 - hydroxypropoxy )- benzene , 1 , 3 - diamino - 4 -( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) benzene , 2 , 4 - diamino - 1 , 5 - di ( 2 - hydroxyethoxy )- benzene , 1 -( 2 - aminoethoxy )- 2 , 4 - diaminobenzene , 2 - amino - 1 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy )- 4 - methyl - aminobenzene , 2 , 4 - diaminophenoxyacetic acid , 3 -[ di ( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ] aniline , 4 - amino - 2 - di [( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- 1 - ethoxybenzene , 5 - methyl - 2 -( 1 - methylethyl ) phenol , 3 -[( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ] aniline , 3 -[( 2 - aminoethyl ) amino ] aniline , 1 , 3 - di ( 2 , 4 - diaminophenoxy )- propane , di ( 2 , 4 - diaminophenoxy ) methane , 1 , 3 - diamino - 2 , 4 - dimethoxybenzene , 2 , 6 - bis -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) aminotoluene , 4 - hydroxyindole , 3 - dimethylaminophenol , 3 - diethylaminophenol , 5 - amino - 2 - methylphenol , 5 - amino - 4 - fluoro - 2 - methylphenol , 5 - amino - 4 - methoxy - 2 - methylphenol , 5 - amino - 4 - ethoxy - 2 - methylphenol , 3 - amino - 2 , 4 - dichlorophenol , 5 - amino - 2 , 4 - dichlorophenol , 3 - amino - 2 - methylphenol , 3 - amino - 2 - chloro - 6 - methylphenol , 3 - aminophenol , 2 -[( 3 - hydroxyphenyl ) amino ] acetamide , 5 -[( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- 4 - methoxy - 2 - methylphenol , 5 -[( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- 2 - methylphenol , 3 -[( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ] phenol , 3 -[( 2 - methoxyethyl ) amino ] phenol , 5 - amino - 2 - ethylphenol , 5 - amino - 2 - methoxyphenol , 2 -( 4 - amino - 2 - hydroxyphenoxy ) ethanol , 5 -[( 3 - hydroxypropyl ) amino ]- 2 - methylphenol , 3 -[( 2 , 3 - dihydroxypropyl ) amino ]- 2 - methylphenol , 3 -[( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- 2 - methylphenol , 2 - amino - 3 - hydroxypyridine , 2 , 6 - dihydroxy - 3 , 4 - dimethylpyridine , 5 - amino - 4 - chloro - 2 - methylphenol , 1 - naphthol , 2 - methyl - 1 - naphthol , 1 , 5 - dihydroxynaphthalene , 1 , 7 - dihydroxynaphthalene , 2 , 3 - dihydroxynaphthalene , 2 , 7 - dihydroxynaphthalene , 2 - methyl - 1 - naphthol acetate , 1 , 3 - dihydroxybenzene , 1 - chloro - 2 , 4 - dihydroxybenzene , 2 - chloro - 1 , 3 - dihydroxybenzene , 1 , 2 - dichloro - 3 , 5 - dihydroxy - 4 - methylbenzene , 1 , 5 - dichloro - 2 , 4 - dihydroxybenzene , 1 , 3 - dihydroxy - 2 - methylbenzene , 3 , 4 - methylenedioxyphenol , 3 , 4 - methylenedioxyaniline , 5 -[( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl ) amino ]- 1 , 3 - benzodioxole , 6 - bromo - 1 - hydroxy - 3 , 4 - methylenedioxybenzene , 3 , 4 - diaminobenzoic acid , 3 , 4 - dihydro - 6 - hydroxy - 1 , 4 ( 2h )- benzoxazine , 6 - amino - 3 , 4 - dihydro - 1 , 4 ( 2h ) benzoxazine , 3 - methyl - 1 - phenyl - 5 - pyrazolone , 5 , 6 - dihydroxyindole , 5 , 6 - dihydroxyindoline , 5 - hydroxyindole , 6 - hydroxyindole , 7 - hydroxyindole and 2 , 3 - indolinedione . suitable persulfate salts are , for example , potassium persulfate , sodium persulfate or ammonium persulfate as well as mixtures thereof . the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) contains the persulfate salts in a total amount from about 0 . 01 to 10 weight percent and preferably from about 0 . 1 to 5 weight percent . besides the compounds of formula ( i ) and the couplers , the colorant of the invention can optionally also contain other common , physiologically harmless direct dyes from the group of cationic and anionic dyes , disperse dyes , azo dyes , quinone dyes and triphenylmethane dyes . the direct dyes are contained in the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) in an amount from about 0 . 01 to 10 weight percent and preferably from about 0 . 1 to 5 weight percent . besides the compounds of formula ( i ), the colorants of the invention can optionally contain other common developers , for example : 1 , 4 - diaminobenzene ( p - phenylenediamine ), 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 - methylbenzene ( p - toluylenediamine ), 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 -( thiophen - 2 - yl ) benzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 -( thiophen - 3 - yl ) benzene , 4 -( 2 , 5 - diaminophenyl )- 2 -[( diethylamino ) methyl ] thiophene , 2 - chloro - 3 -( 2 , 5 - diaminophenyl ) thiophene , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 -( pyridin - 3 - yl ) benzene , 2 , 5 - diaminobiphenyl , 2 , 5 - diamino - 4 ′-( 1 - methylethyl )- 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl , 2 , 3 ′, 5 - triamino - 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 - methoxymethylbenzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 - aminomethylbenzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 -[( phenylamino ) methyl ] benzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 -{[ ethyl -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ] methyl } benzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 - hydroxymethylbenzene , 4 -[ di ( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ] aniline , 4 -{[( 4 - aminophenyl ) methyl ] amino } aniline , 4 -[( 4 - aminophenylamino ) methyl ] phenol , 1 , 4 - diamino - n -( 4 - pyrrolidin - 1 - ylbenzyl ) benzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - n - furan - 3 - ylmethylbenzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - n - thiophen - 2 - ylmethylbenzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - n - furan - 2 - ylmethylbenzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - n - thiophen - 3 - ylmethylbenzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - n - benzylbenzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 -( 1 - hydroxyethyl )- benzene , 1 , 4 - diamino - 2 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) benzene , 1 , 3 - bis -[( 4 - aminophenyl )( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- 2 - propanol , 1 , 8 - bis -( 2 , 5 - diaminophenoxy )- 3 , 6 - dioxaoctane , 2 , 5 - diamino - 4 ′- hydroxy - 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl , 2 , 5 - diamino - 2 ′- trifluoromethyl - 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl , 2 , 4 ′, 5 - triamino - 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl , 4 - aminophenol , 4 - amino - 3 - methylphenol , 4 - methylaminophenol , 4 - amino - 2 -( amino - methyl ) phenol , 4 - amino - 2 -[( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ] methylphenol , 4 - amino - 2 -( methoxymethyl ) phenol , 5 - aminosalicylic acid , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 - tetraaminopyrimidine , 2 , 5 , 6 - triamino - 4 -( 1h )- pyrimidone , 4 , 5 - diamino - 1 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 1h - pyrazole , 4 , 5 - diamino - 1 - pentyl - 1h - pyrazole , 4 , 5 - diamino - 1 -( phenylmethyl )- 1h - pyrazole , 4 , 5 - diamino - 1 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) methyl - 1h - pyrazole , 2 - aminophenol , 2 - amino - 6 - methylphenol , 2 - amino - 5 - methylphenol , 1 , 2 , 4 - trihydroxy - benzene , 2 , 4 - diaminophenol , 1 , 4 - dihydroxybenzene or 2 -{[( 4 - aminophenyl ) amino ] methyl }- 1 , 4 - diaminobenzene . the compounds of formula ( i ) and the couplers and additional developers are contained in the ready - o - use colorant ( a ) in a total amount from about 0 . 01 to 10 weight percent , and preferably from about 0 . 1 to 5 weight percent , each . as a rule , the compounds of formula ( i ) and the couplers are stored separately from each other and only shortly before use are they mixed with each other and with the persulfate salt . if the compounds of formula ( i ), the couplers and the persulfate salt are solids , however , it is also possible to package them together and to prepare the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) shortly before use by mixing the compounds of formula ( i ), the couplers and the persulfate salt with water or with a liquid preparation containing the other ingredients of the agent . as a rule , the colorant of the invention thus consists of several components that are mixed with each other before use . preferably , the agent is in the form of a 2 - component kit consisting of a dye carrier composition ( a1 ) containing the compound of formula ( i ) and another dye carrier composition ( a2 ) containing the couplers and the persulfate salts . or the agent is in the form of a 3 - component kit consisting of a dye carrier composition ( a1 ) containing the compound of formula ( i ), another dye carrier composition ( a2 ) containing the couplers , and a third component ( a3 ) containing the persulfate salts . another object of the present invention is a multicomponent kit consisting of an agent of component ( a1 ), an agent of component ( a2 ), the persulfate possibly being packaged as component ( a3 ) separately from component ( a2 ), and optionally an agent for adjusting the ph ( alkalinizing agent or acid ). naturally , the agents of component ( a1 ) and ( a2 ) can also consist of several individual components that are mixed together only just before use . also possible is a 2 - component kit the first component of which consists of the compounds of formula ( i ), the couplers and the persulfate salts and optionally other common powdered cosmetic additives ( provided the afore - said contituents are solids ) and the second component of which is water or a liquid cosmetic preparation optionally containing an agent for adjusting the ph . particularly preferred , however , is a 2 - component kit consisting of an agent of component ( a1 ) and an agent of component ( a2 ). the aforesaid direct dyes can be contained in component ( a2 ) in a total amount from about 0 . 02 to 20 weight percent and preferably from 0 . 2 to 10 weight percent , whereas the additional developers and the couplers can each be contained in a particular dye carrier composition [ component ( a1 ) or component ( a2 )] in a total amount from about 0 . 02 to 20 weight percent and preferably from about 0 . 2 to 10 weight percent . the components ( a1 ) and ( a2 ) and the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) can be formulated , for example , as a solution , particularly an aqueous or aqueous - alcoholic solution , or as a cream , a gel or an emulsion . their composition consists of a mixture of the compound of formula ( i ) or of the couplers and the additives commonly employed for such preparations . the additives to the colorants commonly used in solutions , creams , emulsions , gels or aerosol foams are , for example , solvents such as water , lower aliphatic alcohols , for example ethanol , n - propanol and isopropanol or glycols such as glycerol and 1 , 2 - propanediol , moreover wetting agents or emulsifiers from the classes of anionic , cationic , amphoteric or nonionic surface - active substances , such as the fatty alcohol sulfates , ethoxylated fatty alcohol sulfates , alkylsulfonates , alkylbenzenesulfonates , alkyltrimethyl - ammonium salts , alkylbetaines , ethoxylated fatty alcohols , ethoxylated nonylphenols , fatty alkanolamides , ethoxylated fatty esters , furthermore thickeners such as the higher fatty alcohols , starch or cellulose derivatives , perfumes , hair pretreatment agents , conditioners , hair swelling agents , preservatives , moreover vaselines , paraffin oil and fatty acids and also hair - care agents such as cationic resins , lanolin derivatives , cholesterol , pantothenic acid and betaine . the said constituents are employed in amounts commonly used for such purposes , for example the wetting agents and emulsifiers at a concentration from about 0 . 5 to 30 weight percent [ always based on component ( a1 ) or ( a2 )], the thickeners in an amount from about 0 . 1 to 25 wt . % [ always based on component ( a1 ) or ( a2 )] and the hair - care agents at a concen - tration from about 0 . 1 to 5 . 0 weight percent [ always based on component ( a1 ) or ( a2 )]. the ph of the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) and of the dye carrier compositions ( a1 ) and ( a2 ) is from about 3 to 12 and preferably from 3 to 10 , the ph of the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) as a rule being established upon mixing the individual components [ for example component ( a1 ) with component ( a2 )]. the ph of the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) and of the dye carrier compositions ( a1 ) and ( a2 ) is preferably from about 3 to 7 when diaminobenzene derivatives are used as couplers , and from about 6 to 10 when derivatives of aminophenol or dihydroxybenzene are used as the couplers . if necessary , however , to adjust the ph of components ( a1 ) and ( a2 ) and of the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) to the value desired for coloring , it is also possible to use alkalinizing agents , for example ammonia , alkali metal hydroxides , alkaline earth metal hydroxides , alkali metal acetates , alkaline earth metal acetates , alkali metal carbonates or alkaline earth metal carbonates , or else acids , for example lactic acid , acetic acid , tartaric acid , phosphoric acid , hydrochloric acid , citric acid , ascorbic acid or boric acid . the ready - to - use colorant is prepared just before use by mixing components ( a1 ) and ( a2 ) or ( a1 ), ( a2 ) and ( a3 )— optionally by also adding an alkalinizing agent or an acid . the colorant is then applied to the fibers , particularly to human hair . depending on the desired color depth , this mixture is then allowed to act for about 5 to 60 minutes and preferably from about 15 to 30 minutes at a temperature from about 20 to 50 ° c . and particularly from about 30 to 40 ° c . the fibers are then rinsed with water , optionally washed with a shampoo and then dried . the colorant of the invention imparts to the fibers , particularly keratin fibers , for example to human hair , a uniform , particularly brilliant , intense and lasting coloration , with a wide range of yellow to blue shades being possible . the requirement for resistance to perspiration is met to an unusually high degree . the following examples will explain the subject matter of the invention in greater detail without limiting its scope to these examples . 21 g ( 200 mmol ) of 4 - methyl - 3 - thiosemicarbazide in 1000 ml of acetone was heated at reflux for 2 hours . to the solution was then added dropwise 20 . 4 g ( 220 mmol ) of chloroacetone . the reaction mixture was heated at reflux for 7 hours and then concentrated . the resulting crude product was recrystallized from acetone . this gave 23 g of an orange powder ( 63 % of the theoretical ). melting point 139 - 139 . 6 ° c . 1 h - nmr ( dmso , 300 mhz ): δ = 6 . 72 [ s , broad , 1h , h — c ( 5 )]; δ = 3 . 67 ( s , 3h , n — ch3 ); δ = 2 . 27 [ d , j = 0 . 9 hz , 3h , ch3 - c ( 4 )]; δ = 2 . 17 ( s , 3h , ch3 ); δ = 2 . 07 ( s , 3h , ch3 ). 13 c - nmr ( dmso , 300 mhz ): 169 . 16 ; 164 . 14 ; 139 . 02 c ( 4 ); 103 . 36 c ( 5 ); 34 . 47 ( ch 3 n ); 24 . 60 ; 19 . 91 ; 13 . 53 ( ch 3 — c ( 4 ). ms ( esi ): 184 ( m + + 1 ) 3 . 5 g ( 19 mmol ) of 3 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone -( 1 - methylethylidene ) hydrazone from step a in 60 ml of 6m hydrochloric acid was heated at 50 ° c . for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was then concentrated , and the crude product was recrystallized from ethanol . this gave 2 g ( 60 % of the theoretical ) of a pink powder . melting point 156 . 4 - 156 . 6 ° c . 1 h - nmr ( dmso , 300 mhz ): δ = 6 . 58 [ q , j = 0 . 9 hz , 1h , h — c ( 5 )]; δ = 3 . 41 ( s , 3h , n — ch3 ); δ = 2 . 18 [ d , j = 0 . 9 hz , 3h , ch3 - c ( 4 )]; ms ( esi ): 144 ( m + + 1 ) 13 c - nmr ( dmso , 300 mhz ): 172 . 30 c ( 2 ); 138 . 79 c ( 4 ); 101 . 43 c ( 5 ); 32 . 92 ( ch 3 n ); 13 . 40 ch 3 —( c4 ). step a : 4 mmol of substituted thiosemicarbazide in 20 ml of acetone was heated at reflux for 2 hours . to the solution was then added dropwise 4 . 4 mmol of α - chloroketone . the reaction mixture was heated at reflux for 7 hours and then concentrated . the resulting 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone - 1 -( methylethylidene ) hydrazone derivative was recrystallized from acetone . step b : 2 mmol of the 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone - 1 -( methylethylidene ) hydrazone derivative from step a in 10 ml of 6m hydrochloric acid was heated at 50 ° c . for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was then concentrated , and the crude product was recrystallized from ethanol or butanol . 1 h - nmr ( dmso / d 2 o , 300 mhz ): δ = 7 . 49 - 7 . 42 ( m , 5h , phenyl ); δ = 6 . 84 [ s , 1h , h — c ( 5 )]; δ = 3 . 31 ( s , 3h , n — ch 3 ). esi - ms : 205 [ m ] + ( 100 ) 1 h - nmr ( dmso / d 2 o , 300 mhz ): δ = 6 . 55 [ s , 1h , h — c ( 5 )]; δ = 3 . 60 ( s , 3h , n — ch 3 ); δ = 1 . 31 [ s , 9h , ( ch 3 ) 3 ]. esi - ms : 185 [ m ] + ( 100 ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso / d 2 o , 300 mhz ): δ = 6 . 58 [ s , 1h , h — c ( 5 )]; δ = 5 . 94 - 5 . 81 ( m , 1h , allyl ); δ = 5 . 22 ( dd , 1h , j = 0 . 9 hz , j = 10 . 5 hz , allyl ); δ = 4 . 94 ( dd , 1h , j = 0 . 9 hz , j = 17 . 1 hz , allyl ); δ = 4 . 57 ( m , 2h , n — ch 2 ); δ = 2 . 16 [ s , 3h , ch 3 — c ( 4 )]. esi - ms : 169 [ m ] + ( 100 ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso / d 2 o , 300 mhz ): δ = 7 . 50 - 7 . 42 ( m , 5h , phenyl ); δ = 6 . 81 [ s , 1h , h — c ( 5 )]; δ = 5 . 77 - 5 . 63 ( m , 1h , allyl ); δ = 5 . 15 ( dd , 1h , j = 0 . 9 hz , j = 10 . 5 hz , allyl ); δ = 4 . 80 ( dd , 1h , j = 0 . 9 hz , j = 17 . 1 hz , allyl ); δ = 4 . 40 ( m , 2h , n — ch 2 ); δ = 1 . 27 [ s , 9h , ch 3 — c ( 4 )] esi - ms : 231 [ m ] + ( 100 ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso / d 2 o , 300 mhz ): δ = 6 . 55 [ s , 1h , h — c -( 5 )]; δ = 5 . 90 - 5 . 77 ( m , 1h , allyl ); δ = 5 . 21 ( d , 1h , j = 9 . 0 hz , allyl ); δ = 4 . 81 - 4 . 75 ( m , 3h , allyl ); δ = 1 . 31 [ s , 9h , ( ch 3 ) 3 ] esi - ms : 211 [ m ] + ( 100 ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso / d 2 o , 300 mhz ): δ = 3 . 55 ( s , 3h , n — ch 3 ); δ = 2 . 16 ( s , 3h , ch 3 ); δ = 2 . 12 ( s , 3h , ch 3 ). esi - ms : 157 [ m ] + ( 100 ). at room temperature ( 20 - 25 ° c .) or with slight heating ( 35 - 40 ° c . ), the above components were uniformly mixed with one another . when necessary , the ph of the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) was adjusted to the value indicated in table 1 with sodium hydroxide , sodium carbonate , ammonia or citric acid . the ready - to - use hair colorant was applied to bleached hair and uniformly distributed with a brush . after an exposure time of 30 min at 40 ° c ., the hair was rinsed with lukewarm water washed with a shampoo , rinsed with lukewarm water and then dried . the amount of coupler used and the colorations obtained are summarized in the following table 1 . at room temperature ( 20 - 25 ° c .) or with slight heating ( 35 - 40 ° c . ), the above components were uniformly mixed with one another . when necessary , the ph of the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) was adjusted to the value indicated in table 2 with sodium hydroxide , sodium carbonate , ammonia or citric acid . the ready - to - use hair colorant was applied to bleached hair and uniformly distributed with a brush . after an exposure time of 30 min at 40 ° c ., the hair was rinsed with lukewarm water washed with a shampoo , rinsed with lukewarm water and then dried . the amount of coupler used and the colorations obtained are summarized in the following table 2 . at room temperature ( 20 - 25 ° c .) or with slight heating ( 35 - 40 ° c . ), the above components were uniformly mixed with one another . when necessary , the ph of the ready - to - use colorant ( a ) was adjusted to the value indicated in table 3 with sodium hydroxide , sodium carbonate , ammonia or citric acid . the ready - to - use hair colorant was applied to bleached buffalo hair and uniformly distributed with a brush . after an exposure time of 30 min at 40 ° c ., the hair was rinsed with lukewarm water washed with a shampoo , rinsed with lukewarm water and then dried . the amount of 2 ( 3h )- thiazolone hydrazone of formula ( i ) ( 1b - 1g ) and of coupler used and the colorations obtained are summarized in the following table 3 . | 0 |
the lower saturated aliphatic monohydroxyl alcohols which are useful herein to accomplish the rapid filtration of ethylene - vinyl ester powders from their aqueous dispersions can be selected from among any of the monohydroxyl alkanols which are miscible with water at the levels used , e . g ., alkanols having from one to three carbon atoms such as methanol , ethanol , n - propanol and isopropanol . while the use of methanol as an anti - coalescing agent to improve filtration speed provides acceptable results , it is preferred to employ a higher alcohol when the filter cake is to be used for solid - phase alcoholysis since it has been found that the rate of alcoholysis is significantly higher with alcohols of increasing chain length . the primary alcohols are preferred for use herein and of these , ethanol , n - propanol , n - butanol and isobutanol are especially preferred , although excellent results are obtained with the secondary alcohol , isopropanol . the quantities of anti - coalescing alcohol employed will , of course , vary according to the tendency of the ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer powder to resist rapid filtration and form agglomerates , which as stated above , is a function of the vinyl ester content and particle size distribution of the interpolymer . other factors influencing the level of use of the anti - coalescing alcohol include the concentration of the interpolymer powder in the dispersion media , the nature and amount of the dispersing agent ( s ) and the presence of diluents , e . g , water , in the anti - coalescing alcohol . simple and routine experimentation can readily establish the optimum quantity of anti - coalescing alcohol required for a particular filtration operation . for many ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer powder dispersions , from about 0 . 2 parts to about 30 parts alcohol per part of dispersion by weight will provide entirely acceptable results with from about 0 . 5 parts to about 2 . 0 parts alcohol being preferred . it is also preferred that the anti - coalescing alcohol be provided in the most concentrated form commercially available . the alcohol - wet filter cake can , if desired , be washed with additional portions of anti - coalescing alcohol in order to remove any vestiges of dispersing agent and / or water accompanying the freshly filtered resin . the alcohol - containing filtrate , following purification and reconcentration of the alcohol by known and / or conventional means , is advantageously recycled to recover a further amount of ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer powder from aqueous dispersions of the same . the ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymers which are susceptible to treatment with an anti - coalescing alcohol in accordance with this invention are normally solid at room temperature . preferably , such interpolymers comprise copolymers of ethylene and a vinyl ester such as vinyl formate , vinyl acetate , vinyl trimethylacetate , vinyl propionate , vinyl butyrate , vinyl trifluoroacetate , and the like . the interpolymers contain at least about 30 % vinyl ester by weight and can contain up to about 95 % vinyl ester by weight . partially hydrolyzed ethylene - vinyl ester copolymers are also suitable for use herein provided they contain at least about 30 % unhydrolyzed vinyl ester groups by weight . minor amounts of one or more other monomers copolymerizable with ethylene , i . e ., amounts of up to 10 % by weight of total comonomers , can be contained in the interpolymer as , for example , another vinyl ester , carbon monoxide , methyl acrylate , n - butyl acrylate , di - n - butyl maleate , diethyl itaconate , acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , fumaric acid , and so forth . while the invention herein is described and illustrated in connection with the rapid filtration of ethylene - vinyl acetate interpolymers , it is understood that the advantages of this invention are also conferred upon the rapid filtration of other ethylene - vinyl ester copolymers which are present in aqueous dispersion media , especially copolymers made therein by emulsion or dispersion copolymerization of ethylene and vinyl acetate . the advantages of this invention are particularly realized when the filtered ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer particles are to be employed as source materials for conversion by solid phase alcoholysis into vinyl alcohol - containing interpolymers . the very high surface area presented by the non - coalesced alcohol - wet ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer filter cakes of this invention results in efficient and rapid alcoholysis of the interpolymers and provides free flowing hydrolyzed powders even after drying . moreover , the alcohol - wet resin particles constituting the filter cakes herein remain swollen throughout the alcoholysis reaction , a factor which has been observed to facilitate contact of the alcoholysis catalyst with the resin , and therefore the rate with which a predetermined level of alcoholysis can be obtained . when the resin dispersions of this invention are prepared by a melt dispersion technique employing a surfactant or emulsifier to achieve dispersion of the resin in an aqueous medium ( see , for example , u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 418 , 265 ; 3 , 422 , 049 ; and 3 , 522 , 036 , each of which is incorporated by reference herein ), it is generally advantageous to recover the resin particles admixed with a residual amount of the surfactant as the presence of the latter appears to further enhance contact of the alcoholysis catalyst with the resin . accordingly , it is further within the scope of the present invention to directly alcoholyze the alcohol - wet ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer filter cake obtained in accordance with this invention to provide non - blocking ethylene - vinyl ester - vinyl alcohol terpolymers and ethylene - vinyl alcohol copolymers . advantageously , the particles comprising the alcohol - wet ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer filter cake will have diameters averaging less than 500 microns . in general , the particle size of the alcohol - wet ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer does not suffer substantial change during the alcoholysis process , that is , the particle size of the alcoholyzed product is set in the dispersion process . the alcohol selected for accomplishing the alcoholysis reaction herein is selected from the same group of alcohols recited above as suitable anti - coalescing agents . for simplicity of operation it is generally preferred to alcoholyze the alcohol - wet ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer filter cake with a lower saturated aliphatic mono - hydroxyl alcohol which is the same as the anti - coalescing alcohol added to the aqueous dispersion of interpolymer to improve the rate of filtration of the latter . in order to maintain the freshly filtered interpolymer in the wet condition , it may be necessary from time to time to add additional quantities of alcohol , or , preferably to keep the alcohol - wet particles in closed container , where they will retain their identity for prolonged periods . as recognized in the art , any of a variety of alkaline materials can be utilized as catalysts for the alcoholysis reaction . the preferred catalyst is an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal alkoxide of the alcoholyzing alcohol added to the filter cake , e . g , sodium ethoxide , potassium isopropoxide , potassium - t - butoxide , magnesium ethoxide , and the like . these catalysts can be added as such or can be prepared in situ by the reaction of the alcoholyzing alcohol with the appropriate alkali or alkaline earth metal . additionally , compounds such as lithium hydroxide , sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , magnesium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide may be used as catalysts . although widely varying proportions of ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer particles and alcoholyzing alcohol can be employed herein , it is generally preferred to employ only as much of the alcohol as is necessary to achieve the desired level of alcoholysis within a reasonable reaction time . ratios of 1 . 5 : 1 to 3 : 1 alcohol to dry polymer by weight are entirely suitable and provide good results . it is recognized that residual anti - coalescing alcohol present in the interpolymer filter cake will constitute a part , and possibly even all , of the requisite alcoholyzing alcohol for a particular alcoholysis operation , it being necessary in the latter case to only add catalyst . the alcoholyzing alcohol , in the presence of the basic catalyst , effects alcoholysis of the vinyl ester repeating units in the interpolymer , reacting with the same to form vinyl alcohol repeating units in the interpolymer and the by - product acetic ester of the alcoholyzing alcohol . the alcoholyzing alcohol is present in the reaction medium in an amount at least stoichiometrically equivalent to the number of moles of the vinyl ester repeating units to be alcoholyzed . alcoholysis temperatures of from about 0 ° c . to about 150 ° c ., and preferably from about 30 ° c . to about 100 ° c ., can be employed . the alcoholysis reaction can be conducted at ambient pressure or at superatmospheric pressures of up to about 5 , 000 p . s . i . reaction times can be broadly varied ; thus , the alcoholysis can be carried out for periods of from about 1 second to 2 hours and preferably , from about 15 seconds to 15 minutes . the alcohol - wet ethylene vinyl ester interpolymer particulate mass is combined with the alcoholysis medium with the temperature , pressure and reaction times regulated as aforesaid . the medium is desirably maintained substantially free of water and the reaction is carried out under a dry , preferably inert , atmosphere . accordingly , washing of the ethylene - vinyl ester interpolymer particles with a highly concentrated or anhydrous alcohol prior to carrying out the alcoholysis reaction is desirable as this preliminary step will have the effect of removing most if not all of the residual water associated with the freshly filtered resin . although it is preferred to employ the same alcohol for the washing procedure which was employed in the filtration procedure and which will be employed for the hydrolysis reaction , such alcohol can be different from the alcohol ( s ) used in the latter operations . the following examples are illustrative of rapid filtration processes employing a coagulating alcohol in accordance with this invention . filtration of a 30 ml aqueous dispersion ( 33 . 46 % solids content by weight ) of ethylene - vinyl acetate interpolymer particles containing about 40 % vinyl acetate by weight was attempted . filtration proceeded very slowly and could not be completed due to blinding and packing of the filter . to the same dispersion were added 30 ml of methanol to prevent coalescence of the interpolymer particles . an additional 15 ml of methanol were added to the dispersion under agitation in a waring blender . the dispersion was then filtered , washed with methanol and kept in the methanol - wet state . filtration was fairly rapidly accomplished although some minor agglomeration of resin particles was noted . in place of the addition of methanol in example 1 , ethanol in an identical filtration procedure , and isopropanol in another identical filtration procedure , were employed . both anti - coalescing alcohols provided good rates of filtration and still smaller quantities of particle agglomerates which were entirely acceptable for such uses of the particles as previously disclosed herein . a blend of 30 % pvc powder with the foregoing alcohol - wet filter cakes provided a free - flowing powder following drying . both alcohol - wet filter cakes were ideally suited for hydrolysis employing 10 % weight solutions of koh / ethanol . to 342 g of a 47 . 65 % solids dispersion of a vinyl acetate - ethylene copolymer containing about 40 % vinyl acetate by weight was added 544 ml ethanol ( 429 . 4 g ) and filtration was carried out using whatman filter paper no . 541 . filtration was complete within 5 minutes and the ethanol - wet filter cake contained 78 . 1 % solids by weight . to 299 . 3 g of the same resin dispersion were added 426 g water and filtration was carried out , again , with whatman filter paper no . 541 . filtration required 46 minutes for completion and coalescence of resin particles was observed . 25 grams of the methanol - wet filter cake prepared in accordance with examples 1 - 3 containing approximately 48 % solids , was charged to a small waring blender with 55 . 1 grams of 5 . 7 % methanolic potassium hydroxide and reacted with agitation for 5 minutes at a temperature ranging from 24 ° to 54 ° c . whereupon the reaction was terminated with water and acetic acid . the release of characteristic ester odor was noticed during the reaction , and the recovered polymer powder evidenced a residual vinyl acetate level of 35 . 8 percent by weight . 264 g of an ethanol - wet ethylene - vinyl acetate resin ( about 33 % vinyl acetate content by weight ) filter cake ( 67 . 19 % solids by weight ) containing 0 . 64 % water and 0 . 13 % residual surfactant ( pluronic f98 of basf wyandotte ind . chem . group , a nonionic surfactant of ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic base formed by condensing propylene oxide with propylene glycol and having a hydrophilic - lipophilic balance of 27 . 5 ) was alcoholyzed by the addition to the filter cake of 350 ml ( 314 . 65 g ) of 11 % koh ( actual ) in ethanol ( 0 . 0215 % water by weight in ethanol ). the filter cake was stirred in a flask placed in a water bath heated to 55 °- 60 ° c . the temperature of the contents of the flask increased from 55 ° to 67 ° c . over a period of 15 minutes indicating the progress of the alcoholysis reaction . after 30 minutes total alcoholysis reaction time , the vinyl acetate content was reduced to 2 . 14 %. no significant change in particle size distribution of the hydrolyzed resin compared to the resin prior to hydrolysis took place as shown below : ______________________________________particle particle size distributiondiameter weight , percent ( microns ) before alcoholysis after alcoholysis______________________________________ & lt ; 74 49 . 0 51 . 4 74 - 106 7 . 5 7 . 1106 - 149 12 . 4 9 . 0149 - 250 23 . 4 25 . 1250 - 420 7 . 2 7 . 1420 0 . 4 0 . 4______________________________________ 25 grams of the ethanol wet filter cake of example 2 , containing approximately 48 % solids , was charged to a waring blender with 55 grams of 5 . 7 % ethanolic potassium hydroxide and reacted with agitation for 5 minutes at a temperature ranging from 24 ° to 53 ° c ., whereupon the reaction was terminated with water and acetic acid . the recovered polymer powder evidenced a residual vinyl acetate level of 25 . 9 % by weight . in another run , the reaction was allowed to proceed for fifteen minutes , whereupon residual vinyl acetate of the recovered polymer was 7 . 7 % by weight . in a similar manner , 57 grams of 10 % ethanolic potassium hydroxide was used in the solid state alcoholysis to a final temperature of 57 ° c . at five minutes ; and the resultant hydrolyzed eva polymer evidenced a residual vinyl acetate level of 13 . 5 % by weight . in a further run , 57 grams of 15 % ethanolic koh solution was employed ; and residual vinyl acetate level was determined to be 4 . 0 % by weight in the resulting ethylene - vinyl acetate - vinyl alcohol terpolymer . | 2 |
as shown in fig1 the preferred embodiment of hanger assembly 1 includes an object support member 10 and a support rod 20 , hooked beneath a tooth 13 ( fig5 , and 7 ) integral to support member 10 and projecting away from the fence - abutting wall 14 of support 10 . support rod 20 ( fig2 and 3 ), ideally constructed from a single piece of metal wire , is generally u - shaped , with a support - member connecting bite 22 and two parallel arms 21 bent at their &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; ends to form fence - engaging hooks 23 ( fig4 and 6 ). each leg 21 is first bent rearwardly at 21a ( i . e ., rearwardly as viewed in fig1 ) at approximately 30 ° from the vertical to define a rearwardly sloping upper leg portion 21b ( fig1 , 5 , 6 and 7 ), and is then bent laterally outwardly and downwardly to about 60 ° from the vertical , and back forwardly to define the downwardly and forwardly angled hook 23 . each of the hooks bends away from its counterpart on the adjacent leg 21 . hooks 23 are not bent back to the plane of upper legs 21b , but rather is bent slightly more toward the vertical . at the ends of hooks 23 , there is about a one - half inch ( 1 / 2 &# 34 ;) gap between the plane of legs 21b and the plane of hooks 23 . this helps &# 34 ; seat &# 34 ; the wire form in notches , v - grooves , and the like and cause the butt - end of wire form 23 to dig into the back side of wood privacy fences ( normally 1 &# 34 ; thick ). object support member 10 , as seen in fig4 and 5 , preferably has a generally dish - shaped configuration , including an outer rim 15 , a downwardly and inwardly sloping annular wall 16 , and an inner rim 17 having several v - shaped drainage notches 18 , and a circular opening 19 , the combination of said structures being suitable for accommodating pots of various sizes . the diameters of opening 19 , the outer diameter of inner rim 17 and the outer diameter of the top of annular sloped wall 16 are 3 inches , 4 inches and 41 / 2 inches respectively to accommodate 3 - inch , 4 - inch , 5 - inch and 6 - inch pots . object support member 10 also has two integral , structural reinforcing ribs 11 . these ribs 11 flank support - rod connecting slot 12 ( fig1 and 4 ). ribs 11 serve not only to strengthen , but also to channel water and liquid fertilizers away from and off the face of object support 10 . also integral to support member 10 , as depicted in fig2 and 7 , is fence - abutting wall 14 , which extends downward from object support member 10 approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane of outer rim 15 , abutting the edges of the structural support ribs 11 . finally , the preferred embodiment of object support member 10 includes an integral tooth 13 protruding first inward from the fence - abutting wall 14 and then downward , generally parallel to said fence - abutting wall 14 . the entire object support member 10 is stamped of a single piece of metal . to complete the entire hanging assembly 1 ( fig1 ), support rod 20 is attached to and suspends object support member 10 from a fence by connecting tooth 13 ( fig5 , and 7 ). bite portion 22 of rod 20 is inserted down through slot 12 in support 10 and is passed beyond the tip of tooth 13 . bite 22 is then slipped in behind tooth 13 and is moved up relative to support 10 until bite 22 is seated against the base of tooth 13 . tooth 13 thus prevents rod 20 from being displaced from slot 12 ( fig4 ). hanging assembly 1 can be mounted to a chain - link , board or similar fence ( fig1 depicting a chain - link fence in &# 34 ; phantom &# 34 ; lines ) by means of the angled hooks 23 of the support rod 20 , which are placed behind the fence 2 . fence - abutting wall 14 , as seen in fig1 press against the fence 2 , preventing the lateral motion of the suspended hanger assembly 1 . once mounted to a suitable fence , a plant or similar ornamentation may be placed either in or upon object support member 10 ( fig1 ). a pot , for example , placed upon inner rim 17 will abut downwardly sloping annular wall 16 , preventing the pot from sliding off object support member 10 . if , in the alternative , a pot or similar ornamentation is placed in opening 19 , inner rim 17 acts as a rest either for the lip of the pot , or the wall of the pot whose circumference prevents it from passing through opening 19 . of course , it is understood that the above is merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that various changes , alterations , and modifications , apparent to those skilled in the art , can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects thereof . | 0 |
reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended for purposes of illustration and should not be construed to limit the invention in any manner . embodiments of the invention may be implemented in computer systems or networks . by way of example , fig1 illustrates an exemplary system 1 including a server device 2 and client devices 3 a - 3 c ( generally “ client devices 3 ”) connected by a network 4 . the network 4 may comprise a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ), an intranet , the internet , and / or any other network . a user interface program 5 allows users to receive information from and input information into the server device 2 . client devices 3 may include internet browser programs to display the user interface screens and to enable the user to enter input . an organization may implement the system 1 of fig1 to handle data management in some or all of the organization &# 39 ; s business activities . this includes , but is not limited to , applications such as supply chain management ( scm ), customer relationship management ( crm ), financials ( fi ), etc . fig2 is a block diagram of an exemplary user - interface - architecture 10 , consistent with an embodiment of the invention . the architecture 10 may be used to implement the user interface program 5 . it may comprise a model - view - controller paradigm , a strategy in object oriented programming for separating the presentation of data ( view ) 11 from the data maintenance ( model ) 12 and the application flow control ( controller ) 13 . the model 12 is the representation of the logical structure of data in the application , the view 11 includes logic for generating web pages and the controller 13 consists of all object classes for communicating between model 12 and view 11 . the controller 13 may include a page - rendering controller 14 to provide page - rending information to the view 11 , and a page data controller 15 for modifying the data stored in the model 12 according to the input , which may be provided by the user . referring now to fig3 , the composition of an exemplary user interface ( ui ) is described . consistent with an embodiment of the invention , a user interface framework may be provided that introduces standardization to the process of creating user interfaces for web applications in order to achieve code reusability . the raw model used for the screen layout may be based on the assumption that a web application , shown , for example , in browser window 20 , is made up of a navigation menu ( or feature menu ) 21 , any given number of screen - frames 22 and / or any given number of graphical user interface ( gui ) components 23 - 27 contained in the screen - frames 22 . the gui components 23 - 27 may include any required number of different components 26 - 27 that may be configured to display business data and / or any other type of data . in one embodiment , the user interface framework provides all the components required to set up a screen layout . the components may include a tray component , a tab - strip component , a toolbar component , a text area component , a form - box component , a selection - box component , a chart component , a table - view component , and / or a table - view - for - time - series component . the components may be predefined and stored in a repository for later use . further , application screens may be designed using these components as screen building blocks . in fig3 , an exemplary composition of a user interface application screen is shown . in a browser window 20 , the user interface or ui is composed of a navigation menu 21 and an application screen - frame 22 . the application screen - frame 22 is composed of a first toolbar component 23 , a second toolbar component 24 , a selection - box component 25 , a form - box component 26 , and a table - view - for - time - series 27 . the application screen further includes a title bar , which is set on top of it . consistent with an embodiment of the invention , the framework may further provide a set of database tables where the layout settings and the components properties are stored . fig4 shows a screen shot of an exemplary transaction defining screen layout . a set of transactions is used to build the screen by changing the settings and properties stored in the database tables and to establish a relationship to the business data or other data that have to be contained by respective components . fig5 shows a screen shot of exemplary transaction defining methods in specialized classes . establishing the relationship between screen components and business data or other data includes generating the required specialized classes by inheriting from super - classes provided by the user interface framework . the user interface framework may provide all the basic characteristics for the correct communication to the scripting language used , which may be bsp , etc ., plus all additional features provided by the user interface framework itself . there may be a group of components that do not require this inheriting process , as they may not contain business data and may only require predefined content . these components may include the tray component , the tab - strip component , selection - box component and / or the toolbar component . usually , their content is subject to configuration only . other components require the inheriting process , as they do contain business data and / or other types of data . these components may include the table - view component , the table - view - for - time - series component , the form - box component , and / or the chart component . fig6 shows a class diagram of an exemplary ui framework . the class diagram 29 shows the relationship between an application 30 and its constituents 31 - 36 . every application 30 may include a navigation menu 31 and at least one screen - frame 32 containing one or more gui components 33 . in one embodiment , two different classes of gui components may be provided : one that requires specialization 34 and one that does not require specialization 35 . also , every application 30 may include at least one application model 36 . each application model 36 may provide a set of different application models 37 - 40 for different applications and backend systems 41 . specializing a required class by inheriting allows creating objects that have the properties of the super - class provided by the framework , and additionally contain the event - handlers required to elaborate the data as a result of a user activity . for example , in an application screen layout with at least a toolbar component including a save - button and a table - view component containing user editable business data , selecting and clicking the save - button may be required to start the process of saving the user changes in the business data into the respective backend database of the business application . the set of database tables of the ui framework may define that , when the save - button is pressed , an event savetodatabase has to be propagated to the table - view component . the table - view component may perform a particular action or method with a particular name defined by the application developer , when the event savetodatabase has been received . the component may be an object of a class created by the application developer and perform actions programmed by the application developer . the table - view component may include internal attributes that represent the business data in a gui - like format . the format of the attributes can vary with the component , but usually is a simple structure . after the action has been performed , all the components present in the visible screen may be called and the page rendered accordingly . therefore , there is no need to have detailed knowledge about the underlying scripting language used to create the html page output . it is only required to have knowledge about the structure and where to put the data in every particular component . the layout is configured separately . the merging of the business data and layout data is done within the ui framework . referring now again to fig4 and 5 and returning to the above - described example , the following is an exemplary process that can be performed for a component based - application : model the screen - frames and name them . choose one name or id for the application appid . choose the ids for the screen - frames scrid and the ids for the classes , which will contain business data appdataid . create the specialized classes for the application , for the application model , and for the components requiring specialization by inheritance . set the application specialized classes . set the model specialized classes . assign the application model object ( appdataid ) to its application id ( appid ). set the components specialized classes . set the screen layout . assign the application model object to the gui components . define all possible fieldnames ( e . g ., location , product , etc .). configure the components . define the event propagation . the ui framework may also support pattern - based screens and / or mixed pattern - components screens . the procedure for creating a pattern may be similar to the one used for creating a component - based screen and can be performed by any application developer . there is no need of a pattern developer profile . the ui framework , consistent with embodiments of the invention , can provide high flexibility and allow any application developer to use , create , and change patterns , and generate screens accordingly . both free - style and pattern - based user interfaces are supported . there is no knowledge required regarding the scripting language used , for example , bsp , jsp , asp , etc . the reutilization of written code is maximized . the separation of application data and user interface ( ui ) can be achieved by usage of a model - view - controller paradigm , a common criterion followed in the software design community . under this assumption it is always possible to switch from one user interface to another one , maintaining the application logic intact . a frequent problem in connection with software products is the code responsibility . in the event of customers reporting bugs , it is very important to quickly identify the responsible developer . thus , the response time required for the correction can be minimized and the whole maintenance process can be simplified . as a matter of fact , better code and smarter software architectures can signify for remarkable savings in a long - term horizon . embodiments of the present invention may be implemented bearing this in mind in order to separate the responsibilities of application developers from the responsibilities of ui framework developers . moreover , embodiments of the invention may allow a user to change the layout settings at runtime , and to store those changes . therefore , so - called personalization may be achieved . that is , the capability to change the properties of layout elements ( color , element position , default page , etc .) according to the user &# 39 ; s preference at runtime and retrieving the web page in that state at the next session logon . for instance , the order of the columns in a table - view can be changed according to the planning practice of a particular procurement department . a number of embodiments of the invention have been disclosed . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . furthermore , other embodiments of the invention , including modifications and adaptations of the disclosed embodiments , will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein . additionally , although aspects of the present invention are described for being stored in memory , one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects can also be stored on other types of computer - readable media , such as secondary storage devices and / or other forms of ram or rom . therefore , it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with a true scope and spirit of the invention be indicated by the following claims . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 where the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown , in perspective , we can observe that the anchor 10 basically comprises a shank assembly 20 , a release mechanism 30 and a fluke assembly 40 . the shank assembly 30 is composed of two elongated flat rods 21 which are spaced apart from each other by spacer 22 on one end and the other end of the shank assembly terminates with 21 forming a fork with hole 23 substantially towards the end of rods 21 . spacer assembly 22 is basically a pin 25 riveted to the ends of rod 21 and washers 24 sandwiching chain lever 32 . pin 25 is inserted through an opening 31 of chain lever 32 and lever 32 is kept in place by a couple of washers 24 on each side of lever 32 . lever 32 pivots around pin 25 and is pivotally connected to tripping lever 35 which has a fork termination with holes 36 and a riveted pin 37 on one end and the other end being attached to a sliding bar 38 inserted and protruding through a longitudinal slot 26 in said rod 21 and kept in place by a headed termination 39 . an elongated flat pivoted member 50 rests on one end on said sliding bar 38 and the other end having stoppers 51 firmly secured , preferably welded , to member 50 . as shown in fig1 a and 1b , axle 70 is provided with an integrally built u - shape protrusion 71 positioned in the center of axle 70 and sandwiched between the fork termination of shank assembly 20 . member 50 is pivotally mounted in the center of axle 70 and is capable of rotating around it . by virtue of u - shaped protrusion 71 in axle 70 , when member 50 , and consequently stoppers 51 , rotate it will cause fluke assembly 40 to rotate when stoppers 51 come in contact with protrusion 71 since flukes 42 are rigidly attached to axle 70 . and , when fluke assembly 40 pivots around axle 70 , member 50 will follow , from the same transmission of forces . in practice , the rotation of the fluke assembly 40 is caused by tripping palm 41 , by digging in the seabed of flukes 42 or by the unequal weight distribution of fluke assembly 40 . rotation of the fluke assembly 40 will induce rotation of member 50 , as mentioned above , causing it to meet sliding bar 38 on which it rests , thereby preventing any further rotational movement of fluke assembly 40 . once you start pulling chain 80 to dislodge anchor 10 , the vessel will travel towards the anchor making the angle a formed between the seabed plane and chain 80 to increase from about 20 or 30 degrees to about 70 degrees , where tripping lever 35 is pulled enough to make member 50 trip and suddenly releasing the force being applied by stopper 51 to protrusion 71 allowing member 50 and fluke assembly 40 to rotate freely , as shown in fig2 . before tripping , flukes 42 could move out a maximum of 45 degrees with respect to the axis of shank assembly 20 . after tripping , assuming we are still trying to dislodge the anchor , the fluke assembly 40 will rotate from the 45 degree maximum angle of the flukes in the preferred embodiments towards a 180 degree angle with respect to the shaft assembly 20 . the benefits derived are obvious since it will allow the user to pull the flukes out in the opposite direction . this will prevent the user from being forced to pass the vessel over the anchor risking that the anchor cable could get caught with the propeller . also , if power is not being used and the anchor is being pulled without other help , it is harder to pull the boat towards the anchor as the angle of the anchor cable with respect to the seabed approaches 90 degrees . mathematically , if we call &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; the longitude of the cable and &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; the horizontal distance from the vessel to a point that is on the sea surface , perpendicularly above the anchor , then the rate of change of force , &# 34 ; f &# 34 ;, with respect to &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; is inversely proportional to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. ## equ1 ## therefore , it is submitted that the present mechanism permits dislodging an anchor with a minimum of force required . the tripping angle a , of course , may be adjusted through the selection of dimensions for member 50 and / or tripping lever 35 . it is worthwhile noting that the present invention may be practiced with a simplified version of the preferred embodiment which eliminates tripping lever 35 , as shown in fig4 . here , we are using the end of chain lever 32 that is not connected to the chain 80 as our tripping member , provided , of course , that said lever 35 is of sufficient length as to be able to intercept member 50 when angle a is less than the desired critical tripping angle . another alternative embodiment is shown in fig3 and 3a , wherein hinged tripping palm 43 is hingedly mounted to axle 72 which is parallel to axle 70 . the hinged tripping palm 43 in this embodiment pivots around said axle 72 an angle of about 60 degrees and it basically performs the same function as the fixed tripping palms 41 of the above mentioned preferred embodiment . stopper 44 for hinged tripping palms 43 keeps said members from rotating more than 60 degrees , in the preferred embodiment , while still performing the needed tripping function . it is believed the foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention . different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention . it is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative , and not in a limiting sense , except as set forth in the following appended claims . | 1 |
in the figures like numbers refer to like objects and the thickness of materials have been exaggerated to clarify relationships in the drawings . receptacle 1 is formed from a single flat sheet having adjacent panels and tabs foldably joined to each other at fold lines , shown as long - short dashed lines . rectangular bottom panel 2 is foldably joined to side panels 3 and end panels 4 . gusset panels 5 and 6 span the space between side panels 3 and end panels 4 at the corners of bottom panel 2 . inside gusset panels 5 are foldably joined to end panels 4 and outside gusset panels 6 are foldably joined to side panels 3 . gusset panels 5 and 6 are foldably joined to each other along lines extending diagonally from the corners of bottom panel 2 and substantially bisecting the space between side panels 3 and end panels 4 . latch slots 11 are provided along the fold line between inside gusset panel 5 and outside gusset panel 6 . lock slots 12 are provided in outside gusset panel 6 , as shown in fig1 . end panels 4 have foldably secured thereto locking tabs 9 and vertical latch tabs 7 . vertical latch tabs 7 have foldably secured thereto horizontal latch tabs 8 . the fold lines between vertical latch tabs 7 and horizontal latch tabs 8 are diagonals such that horizontal latch tabs 8 will , in the folded position , lie along vertical latch tabs 7 to facilitate the insertion of latch tabs 8 into latch slots 11 . in fig2 and 3 the assembly of the corner gussets of receptacle 1 is illustrated . inside gusset panel 5 is brought into opposition with outside gusset panel 6 and thereafter , the opposed panels are folded over end panel 4 . horizontal latch tab 8 is folded into opposition with vertical latch tab 7 and the free end of horizontal latch tab 8 is inserted between gusset panels 5 and 6 and into latch slot 11 to achieve the configuration shown in fig2 . thereafter horizontal latch tab 8 is drawn through latch slot 11 drawing with it vertical latch tab 7 until latch tabs 7 and 8 are again coplanar as shown in fig3 . locking tab 9 is then inserted into lock slot 12 , as shown in fig3 to complete the assembly of a gusseted corner of receptacle 1 . the gusseted corners of prior art one piece seamless receptacles presented a number of deficiencies that are cured by this invention . first , the prior art gusseted corners are secured in place in pairs adjacent tot he end panels of the receptacles . the procedure for folding and securing the pairs of gusseted corners is generally awkward and difficult to achieve . the gusseted corner latching means of this invention permits the easy folding and latching in place of one gusseted corner at a time . second , the prior art gusseted corners exhibit retained resilience in the folds of the gusseted corners which urges the ends of the receptacle outward and often results in unwanted disengagement of the closures and disassembly of the receptacle . the latching and locking tabs of this invention serve to restrain and limit the bowing pressures that the folds can exert while providing superior structural strength and integrity to the corners . in fig4 the free ends of the horizontal latch tabs 8 are shown to be joined by means of tape 15 . the joining of tabs 8 serves to further strengthen the gusseted corners and to further restrict the degree of bowing of the end panels of receptacle 1 . joined horizontal tabs 8 can serve as convenient carrying handles or pulls for sliding receptacle 1 on a flat surface as , for instance , when removing receptacle 1 from a shelf . it is known in the art to provide integral covers for one piece seamless receptacles having gusseted corners . the latching and locking means of this invention provides a structure for securing an integral cover in the closed position . receptacle 21 of fig5 is similar to receptacle 1 of fig1 . long top panel 22 is foldably secured to one side panel 3 of receptacle 21 and short top panel 23 is foldably secured to the opposite side panel 3 . the combined lengths of the top panels 22 and 23 are such that long top panel 22 overlaps short top panel 23 when the tops are in the closed position as shown in fig6 . as shown in fig5 outside closure tabs 25 are foldably joined with long top panel 22 and inside closure tabs 26 are foldably joined to outside closure tabs 25 . the length and location of the fold lines between outside closure tabs 25 and inside closure tabs 26 is such that when receptacle 21 is assembled and top panel 22 is in the closed position , the fold lines will lie along and be coextensive with joined horizontal latching tabs 8 as shown in fig6 and 7 . inside closure tabs 26 and outside closure tabs 25 reenforce latching tabs 8 to provide receptacle 21 with conveniently located , sturdy , and reliable carrying and / or pull handles . the length of short top panel 23 is substantially the same as the height of side panel 3 . as shown in fig8 when receptacle 21 is resting on a flat surface , with short top panel 23 opposed to side panel 3 and with closure tabs 24 folded back over the ends of receptacle 21 , short top panel 23 is prevented from moving up to obstruct access to the inside of receptacle 21 , due to closure tabs 24 engaging the flat surface . that is , closure tabs 24 engage the flat surface and restrict the movement of short top panel 23 . when receptacle 21 is in the closed configuration it may be sometimes difficult to disengage inside closure tab 26 . this invention provides inside closure tabs 26 with opening tabs 27 , as illustrated in fig5 and7 , to provide a pull for disengaging inside closure tabs 26 . the inventor has provided an enabling disclosure which teaches the best mode of practicing the invention known to the inventor . however , the scope of this invention should not be limited to the embodiments disclosed herein , but should only be limited by the appended claims and all equivalents thereto which would become apparent to one skilled in the art . | 1 |
the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention will be made in reference to the accompanying drawings . in the following description , explanation of related functions or constructions known in the art are omitted for the sake of clarity in understanding the concept of the invention that would otherwise obscure the invention with unnecessary detail . scanning confocal acoustic diagnostic ( scad ) is utilized to detect regions of interest ( roi ) for identification of bone deterioration and fracture . a low intensity pulse ultrasound ( lipus ) device is implemented within the diagnostic scad , to provide localized treatment upon identification of a bone defect region . the lipus guided by the scad . enhanced local treatment using lipus device is obtained by combining the scad and lipus transducers . focused ultrasound transducers for therapeutic use at the scad guided bone deterioration location preferably operate in a frequency range of 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 mhz . in the present invention , an mlipus oscillatory force is applied in a focal region , to elevate the tissue therapy us level . the thermal application includes cavitations , radiation force , microstreaming and dynamic shear force , wherein a particle , such as a cell , within the focal region experiences transfer of momentum from the us wave . a us wavelength close to medium particle size , such as osteoblasts , osteoclasts , and osteocytes , generates local pressure wave gradients and initiates oscillatory fluid flow in the focal region exposed to the us wave . dynamic acoustic radiation force resulting from an intensity - modulated focused transducer and frequency mediated pressure gradient is optimized using deformation measurements . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , mlipus is applied at 1 . 5 mhz , 1 . 45 mhz , or dual frequency combinations having a frequency difference of approximately 0 . 01 ˜ 0 . 05 mhz , and modulated at combinations of 1 . 5 mhz and 1 . 45 mhz . the repetition frequency is preferably applied at steps of 0 . 5 khz , 1 khz , 1 . 25 khz , 1 . 5 khz and 2 . 25 khz , to control overall acoustic energy under 100 mw / cm 2 while optimizing effective energy at the treated region . thus , mlipus effectively mediates the local fluid acoustic streaming and fluid flow , as well as velocity gradients . the velocity and the velocity rate are used to calculate shear force , providing an expected mlipus optimized shear force in a range of 0 . 1 - 10 dyn / cm 2 , for bone cell activation . to overcome hurdles that include soft tissue and cortical shell interference , improved qualitative us is obtained by utilizing an image based scad system that increases the resolution , sensitivity , and accuracy in diagnosing osteoporosis through confocal acoustics to improve signal / noise ratio , and through extracting surface topology to accurately calculate uv . the image based scad system minimizes the scanning time while maintaining resolution via micro - processor controlled and phased array electronic confocal scanning , e . g ., in deep bone tissue scan , and increases bua accuracy by incorporating cortical shell attenuation in roi . the image based scad system validates structural and strength properties using micro - ct , nano - identification and mechanical testing ; predicts local trabecular bulk stiffness and microstructure of bone ; and generates a physical relationship between ut parameters and bone quality . the image based scad system , combined with the lipus device , provides guided us treatment for early , accelerated fracture healing . in the present invention , a combined lipus / scad system provides focused therapeutic us at an identified defect region for nondestructive treatment of osteopenia and fracture . the scad generates acoustic images in a region of interest in the skeleton , including cortical and trabecular bone , provides guided treatment , and monitors longitudinal healing process . the invention targets critical skeletal sites that are significantly affected by disuse osteopenia and potentially at risk of fracture , i . e ., hip , spine and wrist regions . in a preferred embodiment , us transducers are combined in the diagnostic mode of the scad with focused lipus us transducers for guided therapeutic application in a detected region of interest of bone deterioration . the transmitted us is preferably configured at characteristic frequencies of 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 mhz . the us transducer is preferably constructed with piezoelectric traducers sandwiched between layers of gold , and the focus lens was made by silicon composite material for better water coupling for tissue and ultrasound . the transducers are preferably designed to a constant focus length of 20 - 150 mm for multiple scan sites . the lipus is preferably controlled at 30 - 60 mw / cm 2 , comparable to diagnostic us intensities used in sonogram ( fetal monitoring ) procedures . however , since the lipus is applied in a guided mode with scad , the us energy is directly targeted to the roi and performs an effective treatment . the combined diagnostic unit is , in a preferred embodiment , provided in a portable treatment unit with the specifications set out in table 1 . rat model fracture healing was utilized to evaluate the accelerating fracture healing of another preferred embodiment of the present invention . in the rat model , evaluation was performed on eighteen animals divided into four groups , under disuse conditions using hind - limb suspension ( hls ), with standard fractures performed at a left femur and k - wire applied to the femur from a knee condyle . the first two groups include an age match fracture ( amf ) without hls , with the group one receiving us treatment with signal output , amf ( n − 5 ), and the second group receiving sham ultrasound control , without signal output ( n = 5 ). groups three and four included hind limb suspension with femur fracture , with group three receiving us treatment , hls + lipus ( n = 4 ) and group four not receiving us treatment , hls only ( n = 4 ). results obtained from the groups are shown in fig1 and 2 . on the following day , lipus was applied to all groups at 1 . 5 mhz , 1 khz pulsed , a 20 % duty cycle , and 30 mw / cm 2 intensity , sata , for 20 minutes a day , five days a week , for a total of three weeks . two percent isoflurane anesthesia is given to those groups when treated with ultrasound , as well as to the sham control group . at one - week intervals , x - rays were taken of the fractured femur for tracking of the healing procedure . after the third week , bone samples were harvested and the k - wire carefully removed from the femur , the callus density and quality was examined with microct scan ( scanco uct40 ) in the resolution of 18 um , 5 mm ( 278 slices ), covering the callus region . the protocol is able to calculate newly mineralized callus within the contour lines . the callus mineralization distribution shown in fig1 exhibits in group three , i . e . the suspended rats treated with ultrasound , a small peak distribution between 750 and 800 mg ha / ccm points , indicating a callus mineralization much higher than the other three groups , as shown in fig2 . the other three groups , however , did not display a significant difference between each other , other than group four , the suspended rats without ultrasound treatment , showing slightly less mineralization area around 600 mg ha / ccm point , making group four the lowest in high mineralization area (& gt ; 400 mg ha / ccm ), compared to other groups , as shown in fig2 . ct scan settings of 0 . 8 , 1 , 250 were chosen and applied to each callus , to threshold the ct pictures , and the average bv / tv as well as the standard deviation of each group is abstained and compared , listed in table 2 . the sham control group data was used as the baseline to calculate the difference change percentages after three weeks . as shown and described above , the hind limb suspension group with ultrasound treatment developed superior callus mineralization quality , over 20 % better than the other groups , and the suspended group without ultrasound treatment exhibited the worst bone mineralization among the groups , showing that the us treatment promoted bone mineralization . for the two unsuspended groups without ultrasound treatment , development of callus mineralization was mostly similar , which is not unreasonable since a three weeks recovery after fracture is shorter than normally required for broken bone recovery in rats . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof . | 0 |
the present invention is directed to a method of separating one or more polymeric components from a multi - component polymeric material . the method is particularly useful in separating one or more reclamation polymers from a mixed polymer waste stream . the method of the invention uses differences in temperature profiles between polymeric components to enable separation . for example , below the glass transition temperature , energy dissipation by the amorphous phase of a glassy or semi - crystalline polymer is greatly reduced and the material becomes much more brittle . in many mixed material streams , one material is far more brittle than others below specific temperatures . as another example , some adhesives embrittle or degrade at increased , or above - ambient , temperatures . when a material is in a brittle state it is more prone to be fractured to a reduced particle size if subjected to grinding . by grinding a stream of mixed polymeric materials at a temperature that allows one or more components within the stream to be fractured , separation of the polymeric materials becomes possible . similarly , by imparting a high level of mechanical energy to the material at higher or lower temperatures , the reduced adhesion due to the adjusted temperature is not sufficient to withstand delamination . the high level of mechanical energy may be induced by impact , shear , and / or ultrasonic forces , for example . this does not necessarily result in reduced sizes for the individually separate components but provides the needed separation nonetheless . in the method of the invention , the multi - component polymeric material , or mixed polymer waste stream , can be cooled using suitable liquid , gas , or solid agents . in one embodiment , for example , the material can be cooled by adding liquid nitrogen or other suitable coolant in the liquid or gaseous state to the material , thus cooling the material to a prescribed temperature range . in other embodiments , the multi - component polymeric material can be heated using suitable liquid , gas , solid , or radiation agents . for example , the material may be heated through radiation using either infrared or microwave radiation . the prescribed temperature range is a range at which decombination of the polymer mixture occurs . as defined herein , the term “ decombination ” refers to a separation of components of a mixture , which components are initially in intimate contact with each other due to chemical or physical forces , into a weakly agglomerated form . once separated into a weakly agglomerated form the components are no longer in intimate contact , but may still be weakly adhere to one another . in one embodiment , for example , the prescribed temperature range is the range below a glass transition temperature of a targeted reclamation polymer or polymers and above a glass transition temperature of other material ( s ) in the mixture , or is suitably low to facilitate separation due to a loss of adhesion . the prescribed temperature range varies depending on the polymers present in the mixture . while in the prescribed temperature range , the mixture is ground or otherwise exposed to high levels of mechanical energy . liquid nitrogen may be added to the mixture or another suitable cooling or heating technique may be used while the mixture is in a grinding device or similar device that provides sufficient mechanical energy to initiate separation to initially cool or heat the mixture . thus , the mixture may be exposed to mechanical forces prior to adjusting the temperature as well as while the temperature is changing . alternatively , the mixture may first be heated or cooled and then transferred to a grinding device or similar device that provides sufficient mechanical energy to initiate separation . in yet another embodiment , the mixture may be heated or cooled to reach the prescribed temperature range , then allowed to cool or heat to return to ambient temperature such that the mechanical energy may act upon the mixture at ambient temperature . the feasibility of such timing is specific to the polymers within the mixture . in some embodiments , depending upon the polymers within the mixture , the temperature may need to be raised or lowered only a moderate amount , such as ± 10 degrees celsius , to achieve a temperature within the prescribed temperature range . grinding or otherwise imparting mechanical energy to the mixture in the prescribed temperature range fractures the reclamation polymer to a smaller particle size and / or different geometry than the remaining polymers in the mixture or provides delamination , thus enabling separation of the reclamation polymer from the remainder of the mixture . more specifically , as a result of grinding , the reclamation polymer may be reduced to a powder while the remaining material having a lower glass transition temperature may remain fibrous . alternatively , the laminate material is delaminated to such an extent that each of the laminate layers or components is mutually separated . the reclamation polymer can be separated from the remaining particles by screening , using fluidized beds , or any other suitable method of separation based on particle size . the method of the invention is particularly suitable for separating mixed polymer waste streams , such as nonwoven - elastic composite materials , from such processes as stretch - bond laminating processes as disclosed , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 720 , 415 to vander wielen et al ., and vertical filament laminating processes as disclosed , for example , in pct publication wo 01 / 88245 to welch et al ., published nov . 22 , 2001 . the method of the invention is also well suited to separating mixed polymer waste streams resulting from the manufacture of a variety of materials such as nonwoven fabric made with multi - component polymeric strands . the method can be used to separate polypropylene , polyethylene , and / or linear low density polyethylene , for example , from such waste streams . one example of a nonwoven material made with multi - component polymeric strands is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 336 , 552 , issued aug . 9 , 1994 , to strack , et al . more particularly , this material is a nonwoven fabric made with multi - component polymeric strands including a blend of polyolefin and ethylene alkyl acrylate copolymer . using the method of the invention to separate the waste material resulting from making this material , a polypropylene portion can be reduced to a powder while leaving a polyethylene portion in a fibrous or fibrillar form since polypropylene has a higher glass transition temperature than polyethylene . although polyethylene would likely suffer some extent of size reduction , it should maintain a fibrous shape that would enable separation from the polypropylene portion through the use of screens or a fluidized bed . specific geometries of particles that lend feasibility to the separation process can be achieved by fracturing or grinding or delaminating the mixture at specific temperatures . since polypropylene has a higher glass transition temperature than polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene , polypropylene can be fractured to powder form while polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene remains fibrous , thus enabling reclamation of the polypropylene . alternatively , when applying the method of the invention to a mixture that includes polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene along with a polymer having an even lower glass transition temperature , the polyethylene and / or linear low density polyethylene can also be reduced to a powder form using liquid nitrogen and a grinder , thus enabling reclamation of the polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene . while in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof , and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention . | 8 |
refer now to the drawings wherein depicted elements are , for the sake of clarity , not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by the same reference numeral through the several views . referring to fig2 of the drawings , the reference numeral 200 generally designates a system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the system 200 generally comprises a phased locked loop ( pll ) 202 , intermediate circuitry 204 , and drivers 300 - 1 to 300 - n . pll 202 can generally operate to provide one or more clock signals to intermediate circuit 204 ( which can be comprised of a variety of different types of circuit ). the intermediate circuitry 204 can then distribute signals to divers 300 - 1 to 300 - n for transmission across differential transmission lines 206 - 1 to 206 - n ( respectively ). turning to fig3 , an example of the drivers 300 ( which is generally the same as each of drivers 300 - 1 to 300 - n ) can be seen . driver 300 is generally divided into an input stage 302 and three output stage 304 , 306 , and 308 . this driver 300 takes advantage of the characteristics of bipolar and cmos transistors so that the supply voltage can be between about 1 . 8v and about 3 . 3v ( which is provided on supply rail vdd ). the input stage is generally comprised of differential input pairs of cmos transistors m 5 / m 6 and m 7 / m 8 , resistors r 1 and r 1 , and current sources 310 and 312 . the first input stage 304 is generally comprised of resistors r 4 and r 5 , diode - connected pnp transistors q 1 and q 2 , and current sources 314 and 316 . the second input stage 306 is generally comprised of pnp transistors q 3 and q 4 , resistors r 5 and r 6 and current mirror q 7 , q 8 , r 10 , and r 11 , and the third output stage 308 generally comprises resistors r 8 , r 9 , r 14 , and r 15 , transistors q 5 and q 6 , and current mirror q 9 , q 10 , r 12 , and r 13 . alternatively , transistors m 5 and m 6 can be replaced with bipolar transistors . in operation , differential input signals are received by input terminals inm and inp so that an output signal having a differential current can be provided by or carried by output terminals outp and outm . the state of the differential signal ( which does not need to be fully rail - to - rail for switching ), as applied to terminals inm and inp , influences the direction of the differential current carried by terminals outp and outm . the relative currents carried by the terminals outp and outm generally comprise the differential current with the direction of the differential current being related to the relative directions carried by terminals outp and outm . for a state of the differential input signal where a high signal is applied to input terminal inp and a low signal is applied to input terminal inm , a first current would travel out through terminal outp , and a second current would travel in through terminal outm . to accomplish this , the high and low signals are applied to the gates of nmos transistors m 5 and m 6 , respectively . as a result , high and low signals are respectively applied to the gates of transistors m 7 and m 8 ( which are coupled to the drains of transistors m 6 and m 5 , respectively ). current , then , flows through resistor r 4 and diode - connected pnp transistor q 1 , which is mirrored by pnp transistors q 5 and q 6 . because the collector of pnp transistor q 5 is coupled to terminal outp , the first current is carried out of the driver 300 by terminal outp . additionally , because the collector of pnp transistor q 6 is coupled to the diode - connected npn transistor q 10 , the current mirrored by pnp transistor q 6 is provided to diode - connected npn transistor q 10 and mirrored by npn transistor q 9 ( which is coupled to terminal outm at its collector ), allowing the second current to be carried into the driver 300 by terminal outm . alternatively , for a state of the differential input signal where a low signal is applied to input terminal inp and a high signal is applied to input terminal inm , the first current would travel in through terminal outp , and the second current would travel out through terminal outm . to accomplish this , the high and low signals are applied to the gates of nmos transistors m 6 and m 5 , respectively . as a result , high and low signals are respectively applied to the gate of transistors m 8 and m 7 . current , then , flows through resistor r 5 and diode - connected pnp transistor q 2 , which is mirrored by pnp transistors q 3 and q 4 . because the collector of pnp transistor q 4 is coupled to terminal outm , the second current is carried out of the driver 300 by terminal outm . additionally , because the collector of pnp transistor q 3 is coupled to the diode - connected npn transistor q 7 , the current mirrored by pnp transistor q 3 is provided to diode - connected npn transistor q 7 and mirrored by npn transistor q 8 ( which is coupled to terminal outp at its collector ), allowing the first current to be carried into the driver 300 by terminal outp . as shown , driver 300 also includes several other features that enhance its operation . for example , current sources 314 and 316 are coupled to the gates and collectors of diode - connected pnp transistors q 1 and q 2 , respectively . these current sources 316 and 314 ( which are coupled to supply rail vss that is typically at ground ) are provided to allow a standing current to remain in transistors q 1 and q 2 ( partially saturated ), which , in turn , causes a quiescent current to remain in transistors q 3 to q 10 . by providing current sources 314 and 316 , small swing differential signals may be applied to transistors m 7 and m 8 , and much more rapid switching can take place because of the partial saturation of transistors q 1 through q 10 . additionally , resistors r 14 and r 15 are coupled between terminals outp and outm so as to provide a common mode voltage to common mode terminal vcm . as a result of the configuration of the driver 300 , several advantages over conventional lvds drivers can be realized . for example , in systems ( such as system 200 ), there is better channel - to - channel isolation or reduced electromagnetic interference because of small - differential swings ( which are generally not rail - to - rail ) that generate minimal aggressor noise and because the fully - differential signaling is more immune to noise from adjacent channels . additionally , there is lower additive jitter and less phase noise at a 1 mhz offset by avoiding the use of short - channel cmos devices in a critical path . moreover , driver 300 maintains a generally constant amplitude at high frequencies ( i . e ., up to 100 mhz ). additionally , the supply voltage is scalable ( generally down to about 1 . 8v ), and the phase noise remains generally constant across the supply . 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 . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention . | 7 |
fig1 shows a block diagram of an output preconditioning system according to the present invention . the output preconditioning system includes a level sense circuit 10 , a preconditioning circuit 13 , a control circuit 18 and a data output driver 16 . level sense circuit 10 is coupled to a circuit output 20 so that level sense circuit 10 can sense ( a ) the high voltage level at circuit output 20 if circuit output is above a second reference voltage or ( b ) the low voltage level if circuit output 20 is below a first reference voltage . preconditioning circuit 13 has a latch circuit 12 and a driver - and - clamp circuit 14 . latch circuit 12 latches the value from level sense circuit 10 . driver - and - clamp circuit 14 takes the value from latch circuit 12 and pulls up or pulls down circuit output 20 to an intermediate voltage level when circuit output 20 is either below a first reference voltage or above a second reference voltage , respectively . both latch circuit 12 and driver - and - clamp circuit 14 are controlled by control circuit 18 . driver - and - clamp circuit either acts as an active pull - up or pull - down clamp as appropriate . driver - and - clamp circuit 14 is disabled when the actual data arrives from data output driver 16 . control circuit 18 determines when latch circuit 12 should latch , when driver - and - clamp circuit 14 should be enabled or disabled and when data output driver 16 should be enabled or disabled . fig2 is an output preconditioning system according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the output preconditioning system shows the various components of the circuits in detail . the output preconditioning system includes a level sense circuit 70 , a preconditioning circuit 71 including a latch circuit 73 and a driver - and - clamp circuit 72 , control circuits 74 and 75 , and a data output driver circuit 76 . a load cs10 may be a heavy capacitive load or a light capacitive load . in the prior art , when cs10 is a light capacitive load , circuit output 98 can oscillate before the actual data arrives at circuit output 98 . however , the present invention prevents such oscillation of circuit output 98 , by incorporating latch circuit 73 . in fig2 level sense circuit 70 includes a first inverter i1 , a second inverter i2 and a third inverter i3 . inverter i1 has a low trip point and is used to enable the pull - up path of the preconditioning system . inverter i2 has a high trip point and is used to enable the pull - down path of the preconditioning system . when circuit output 98 is below the low trip point , the output of i1 is high and the output of i3 is low while the output of i2 is high . when circuit output 98 is above the high trip point , the output of i2 is low , while the output of i1 is low and the output of i3 is high . if circuit output 98 is between the high trip point of i2 and the low trip point i1 , the output of i2 is high , the output of i3 is high , and preconditioning circuit 71 is inactive so that circuit output 98 remains at its level . it will be appreciated that inverter i1 acts as a comparator in that it compares its input signal to its low trip point , where this trip point acts as a reference voltage ( in effect ); the input signal to inverter i1 is the circuit output 98 which is , in effect , compared to the reference voltage which is the trip point of inverter i1 . similarly , inverter i2 acts as a comparator in that it compares its input signal to its high trip point , where the high trip point acts as another reference voltage ; the input signal to inverter i2 is the circuit output 98 which is compared to another reference voltage which is the trip point of inverter i2 . it will be appreciated that a voltage level comparator circuit may replace the two inverters which have different trip points . when a pchg 62 signal goes low , analog switches s1 and s2 are off , and values of the output of i3 and the output of i2 are latched by a latch device l1 and a latch device l2 , respectively . during this time , an olat signal 63 is high , and an olatb signal 64 is low . since analog switches s1 and s2 are turned off , latch devices l1 and l2 are isolated from circuit output 98 . because latch devices l1 and l2 can be decoupled from circuit output 98 , latch circuit 73 can prevent circuit output 98 from oscillation . driver - and - clamp circuit 72 includes a first nand gate a3 , an inverter 93 , a second nand gate a4 , an inverter 94 , and a driver 95 . nand gate a3 has two inputs . one of the inputs is coupled to the output of l1 , and the other input is coupled to pchg signal 62 of control circuit 74 through an inverter i4 . inverter 93 includes a p - channel transistor p1 , an n - channel transistor c1 and an n - channel transistor n1 . each of the transistors has a drain , a source and a gate . the gates of p1 and n1 are coupled to the output of a3 , the gate of c1 is coupled to v cc . the source of p1 is coupled to v cc . the source of n1 is coupled to ground . p1 , c1 and n1 are connected in series . the drain of n1 and the source of c1 are the output of inverter 93 . nand gate a4 also has two inputs where the first input is coupled to the output of latch device l2 , and the second input is coupled to pchg signal 62 through inverter i4 . inverter 94 includes a p - channel transistor p2 and an n - channel transistor n2 where the gates of p2 and n2 are coupled to the output of nand gate a4 , and the drains of p2 and n2 are coupled to each other and become the output of inverter 94 . driver 95 includes an n - channel transistor n3 coupled to circuit output 98 , an n - channel transistor c2 coupled to circuit output 98 and an n - channel transistor n4 . the gate of n4 is coupled to the output of inverter 94 , the source of n4 is coupled to ground . transistors n3 , c2 and n4 are connected in series , and the drain of n3 is coupled to v cc while the gate of n3 is coupled to the output of inverter 93 , and the gate of c2 is coupled to the drain of c2 . components a3 , 93 and n3 are used to pull up circuit output 98 while components a4 , 94 , c2 and n4 are used to pull down circuit output 98 . first , the pull - up process is described . when circuit output 98 is below the trip point of i1 , i3 outputs a low signal , latch device l1 outputs a high signal . when pchg signal 62 outputs a low signal and the l1 output is high , nand gate a3 produces a low signal . while c1 is already on ( the gate of this n - channel mosfet is coupled to vcc ), the low signal of a3 turns on p1 , thereby turning on transistor n3 . the high output of inverter 93 is clamped to v cc subtracted by threshold voltage of c1 . circuit output 98 is clamped to an intermediate voltage level which is less than or equal to v cc subtracted by the threshold voltage of c1 and by the threshold voltage of n3 or v cc - 2 v tn . whether circuit output 98 reaches v cc - 2 v tn is determined by how long driver - and - clamp circuit 72 stays active and is determined by output load . pchg signal 62 enables driver - and - clamp circuit 72 . if pchg signal 62 stays low for a relatively long period of time , or output capacitive load is relatively small , then circuit output 98 will reach v cc - 2 v tn . when pchg signal 62 becomes high , nand gate a3 turns off transistor n3 , and nand gate a4 turns off transistor n4 , thereby disabling driver - and - clamp circuit 72 from circuit output 98 . when circuit output 98 is below the trip point of i1 , the output of i2 is high . when pchg signal 62 ( by being low ) turns off switch s2 , l2 latches a high signal from the output of i2 and outputs a low signal to a4 . when pchg signal 62 becomes low , because l2 outputs a low signal , a4 outputs a high signal , turning on transistor n2 and turning off transistor n4 . thus , the pull - down path is disconnected from circuit output 98 . second , the pull - down process is described . when circuit output 98 is above the trip point of i1 , i3 outputs a high signal . when pchg signal 62 disables analog switch s1 , l1 latches a high signal and outputs a low signal , and nand gate a3 of outputs a high signal . transistor n1 turns on because the output of a3 is high . the output of inverter 93 becomes low , and transistor n3 is off . thus , the pull - up path of the driver - and - clamp circuit is disabled . at the same time , when circuit output 98 is above the high trip point of i2 , i2 outputs a low signal . when pchg signal 62 is low , analog switch s2 disconnects the output of i2 from latch device l2 , latch device l2 latches the output of i2 , and the output of l2 is high . when pchg signal 62 becomes low , nand gate a4 outputs a low because the output of l2 is high . when the output of a4 is low , transistor p2 turns on , and the output of 94 turns on transistor n4 . circuit output 98 thereby is clamped to an intermediate voltage level which is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage of c2 above ground . thus , when circuit output 98 is below the trip point of i1 , the pull - up path comprising i1 , i3 , s1 , l1 , a3 , 93 and n3 pulls up circuit output 98 to an intermediate voltage level . when circuit output 98 is above the trip point of i2 , the pull - down path comprising i2 , s2 , l2 , a4 , 94 , c2 and n4 pulls down circuit output 98 to another intermediate voltage level . however if circuit output 98 is greater than the trip point of i1 and less than the trip point of i2 , preconditioning circuit 72 is disabled and circuit output 98 maintains its voltage level . it will be appreciated that in a typical embodiment where vcc and vss are the voltage rails , that : vcc & gt ;( high trip point of i 2 )& gt ;( the intermediate voltage levels )& gt ;( low trip point of i 1 )& gt ; vss . while preconditioning circuit 71 is active , olat 63 is high and olatb 64 is low so that the data cannot be sent to circuit output 98 . data driver circuit 76 includes an n - channel transistor n8 and another n - channel transistor n9 . transistor n8 has a drain , a gate and a source . the drain of n8 is coupled to v cc , the gate of n8 is coupled to i5 of control circuit 74 , and the source of n8 is coupled to circuit output 98 . the drain of n9 is coupled to circuit output 98 and to source of n8 , the gate of n9 is coupled to inverter i6 of control circuit 75 , and the source of n9 is coupled to ground . when preconditioning circuit 71 is active , olat 63 is high and olatb 64 is low so that data signals d 61 and d / 60 are disconnected from data output driver circuit 76 . it should be noted that d / or d is an inverted signal of d . to send data to circuit output 98 , olat 63 must be low , and olatb must be high . when olat 63 is low and olatb 64 is high , analog switch s4 turns on , and signal d / 60 can be transmitted to gate on n8 . when d / 60 is high , the gate of n8 is low , and thus , transistor n8 is off . when d / 60 is low , the output of i5 is high , turning on n8 and pulling up circuit output 98 to v cc - v tn where v tn is the threshold voltage of n8 . in addition , when olat 63 is low and olatb 64 is high , analog switch s6 is on . when d 61 is high , the output of i6 is low , turning off transistor n9 . when d 61 is low , the gate of n9 is high , turning on transistor n9 and pulling down circuit output 98 to ground . control circuits 74 and 75 control latch circuit 73 by turning on or turning off analog switches s1 and s2 and control driver - and - clamp circuit 72 by supplying either a high signal or a low signal to the second input of each of nand gates a3 and a4 . control signals olat 63 and olatb 64 control whether data values d 61 and d / 60 are to be sent to data driver circuit 76 . fig3 a shows a typical timing diagram of control signals pchg 62 , olat 63 and olatb 64 , data signal d 61 , and an output signal at circuit output 98 . during the time period of t1 , level sense circuit 70 senses the voltage level of circuit output 98 . circuit output 98 is initially at a logic 0 which is lower than the low trip point of i1 . in this example , the output of i3 is low , and the output of i2 is high . during the time period of t1 , pchg 62 is high , as shown as a region 101 , olat 63 is high ( a region 108 ), olatb 64 is low ( a region 113 ), and circuit output 98 is low ( a region 117 ). during t1 , analog switches s1 and s2 are turned on , and the output values of i3 and i2 are transmitted to latch devices l1 and l2 . during the period of t2 , pchg 62 goes low ( a region 102 ), the output values of i3 and i2 are latched by l1 and l2 , olat 63 stays high ( a region 109 ), olatb 64 stays low ( a region 114 ), circuit output 98 is pulled up to an intermediate level ( a region 118 ). during t2 , because pchg 62 is low as shown as region 102 , driver - and - clamp circuit 72 becomes active . in this case , because l1 outputs 1 and l2 outputs 0 , the pull - up path is active while the pull - down path is inactive . thus , driver - and - clamp circuit 72 pulls up circuit output 98 as shown in region 118 . during the period of t3a , pchg 62 becomes high , olat 63 becomes low , olatb 64 becomes high , sending data d / 60 and d 61 to data driver circuit 76 , thereby charging circuit output 98 according to the data . data d / 60 and d 61 are transmitted to data driver circuit 76 only when pcgh 62 is high , olat 63 is low and olatb 64 is high , as in period t3a . as a result , the values of d / 60 and d 61 during periods t1 , t2 , t3b and t4 do not affect circuit output 98 . during the period including t3b , t4 and t5 , the process of sensing the voltage of circuit output 98 , latching the output value of level sense circuit 70 , driving and clamping circuit output 98 repeats . during the time period of t4 and t5 , because circuit output 98 is high ( a region 119 ), the driver - and - clamp circuit pulls down circuit output 98 to an intermediate voltage as shown as a region 120 , and eventually transistor n9 of data driver circuit 76 pulls down circuit output 98 to a logic 0 ( a region 121 ). fig3 b presents a waveform at circuit output 98 . although , in fig3 a , the waveform of circuit output 98 shows a step between a logic 0 and logic 1 , in reality , when the time period t2 is very short , the waveform will look more like the one shown in fig3 b where the distinction between having a preconditioning circuit and not having a preconditioning circuit is not distinctive from the waveform . region 125 of fig3 b corresponds to regions 118 and 122 in fig3 a . fig4 a presents another embodiment of a level sense circuit . this level sense circuit includes a comparator 140 , a comparator 141 and an inverter 142 . the level sense circuit in fig4 a uses two reference voltages v ref1 and v ref2 . the positive inputs of 140 and 141 are coupled to a circuit output node , while the output of comparator 140 is coupled to analog switch s1 , and the output of inverter 142 is coupled to analog switch s2 of latch circuit 73 in fig2 . v ref1 is less than v ref2 so that when a circuit output is lower than v ref1 , comparator 140 outputs a low signal , and inverter 142 outputs a high signal . when the circuit output is greater than v ref2 , comparator 140 outputs a high signal , and the inverter 142 outputs a low signal . fig4 b shows an example of comparators 140 and 141 in fig4 a . fig5 presents a second embodiment of a driver - and - clamp circuit according to the present invention . driver - and - clamp circuit 72 &# 39 ; shown in fig5 is identical to driver - and - clamp circuit 72 of fig2 except that the gate of c1 &# 39 ; is connected to v ref3 instead of vcc so that when the circuit output is pulled up to an intermediate voltage level , that intermediate level voltage can be either less than or equal to v ref3 subtracted by the threshold voltage of c1 &# 39 ; and the threshold voltage of n3 &# 39 ; or v ref3 - 2v tn . in fig6 a third embodiment of a driver - and - clamp circuit is shown according to the present invention . in this example , the pull - down path circuitry comprising a4 &# 34 ;, p2 &# 34 ;, n2 &# 34 ;, c2 &# 34 ; and n4 &# 34 ; are the same as the pull - down path circuitry of driver - and - clamp circuit in fig2 . however , the pull - up path circuitry has an inverter including a p - channel transistor p1 &# 34 ; and an n - channel transistor n1 &# 34 ;, an n - channel transistor n5 &# 34 ; and an n - channel transistor n3 &# 34 ;. in this example , the gates of pi &# 34 ; and n1 &# 34 ; are connected to the output of a3 &# 34 ;. each of transistors n5 &# 34 ; and n3 &# 34 ; has a drain , a gate and a source . the drain of n5 &# 34 ; is coupled to vcc , the gate of n5 &# 34 ; is connected to the drains of p1 &# 34 ; and n1 &# 34 ;. the source of n5 &# 34 ; is connected to the drain of n3 &# 34 ; while the gate of n3 &# 34 ; is connected to v ref3 &# 34 ;. the source of n3 &# 34 ; is connected to the drain of c2 &# 34 ; and to a circuit output node . when the circuit output is pulled up to an intermediate level , the intermediate level can be less than or equal to v ref3 &# 34 ; subtracted by the threshold voltage of n3 &# 34 ; or v ref3 &# 34 ;- v tn . fig7 presents a fourth embodiment of a driver - and - clamp circuit according to the present invention . driver - and - clamp circuit 72 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; is identical to drive - and - clamp circuit 72 &# 34 ; of fig6 except that n5 &# 34 ; of fig6 is replaced by a p - channel transistor p3 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; and that nand gate a3 &# 34 ; fig6 is replaced by an and gate a3 . while the present invention has been particularly described with reference to fig1 through 7 , it should be understood that the figures are for illustration only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention . many changes and modifications may be made to the invention , by one having ordinary skill in the art , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed herein . | 7 |
an expansible watch band according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 a and 1b , generally designated as 10 . at each end of the band 10 is provided with a crimped portion 12 adapted to be in engagement with a watch casing ( not shown ), in the conventional manner . the band 10 is made up of four band parts , p , q 1 , q 2 and r , in which the band parts q 1 and q 2 are the same . each of the band parts p , q 1 , q 2 and r is made up of a number of inter - engaging links . the band part p is made up of a number of links 14 a inter - engaged with one another to allow the band part p to expand and contract in the conventional manner . in particular , because of the construction of the links 14 a , the band part p is biased towards the contracted configuration , which is thus also the stable configuration . a cross sectional view of the link 14 a is shown in fig2 a . as to the band parts q 1 and q 2 , each is made up of a link 14 b and a number of links 14 a . in this example , the lengths of the band parts q 1 and q 2 are the same . it is of course possible for the lengths of the band parts q 1 and q 2 to be different , or to provide several of such band parts q 1 and q 2 , to increase the freedom in adjusting the length of the band 10 . again , the band parts q 1 and q 2 are movable between an expanded configuration and a stable contracted configuration . turning to the band part r , such is made up of a link 14 b engaged with a number of links 14 a , again allowing the band part r to expand and contract , in the conventional manner . a cross section view of the link 14 b is shown in fig2 b , and a perspective view thereof is shown in fig2 c . it can be seen that the link 14 b has a slightly curved upper surface 16 and two opposite end walls 18 . on each end wall 18 is formed two holes 20 , of which only part of one is shown in fig2 c . the link 14 b has a cavity 22 sized and configured to receive an engagement pin 24 , a side view of which being shown in fig2 d . the engagement pin 24 has a central thicker portion 24 a and two narrower end portions 24 b . each of the end portions 24 b is movable axially relative to the central portion 24 a between a retracted position and an extended position . the end portions 24 b are biased towards the respective extended position by a spring ( not shown ) in the central portion 24 a . the extent to which the end portions 24 b may be moved towards the central portion 24 a is governed by a respective narrow collar 24 c extending radially from the respective end portion 24 b . as shown in fig2 b , each of the end portions 24 b of the engagement pin 24 is received respectively within a hole 20 on the end wall 18 of the link 14 b . [ 0018 ] fig2 e shows in more detail the manner in which the link 14 a is engaged with the link 14 b . at the link 14 a adjacent to the link 14 b , a crimped portion 26 is formed to provide a channel 28 for releasably receiving the engagement pin 24 . the engagement pin 24 may thus be received within the link 14 b for releasable engagement therewith . [ 0019 ] fig3 a to 3 c show the manner in which the length of the band 10 may be adjusted . in these figures , in order to enhance clarity , the links 14 b are shown as hatched . it should however be appreciated that the outward appearance of the links 14 b and 14 a may be essentially identical to each other , to provide a homogeneous look . as shown in fig3 a , a user may use an implement with a sharp end to act on one of the end portions 24 b of the engagement pin 24 , against the biasing force of the spring in the central portion 24 a of the engagement pin 24 , and to push the engagement pin 24 slightly sideward . the engagement pin 24 , thus out of engagement with one of the holes 20 of the link 14 b , will allow the band part r to be detached from the rest of the band 10 , as shown in fig3 b . if necessary , the engagement pin 24 may also be detached from the crimped portion 26 . in the same way , the engagement between the band parts q 1 and q 2 may be released , thus detaching the band part q 1 from the band parts q 2 and p , as shown in fig3 c . the band parts q 2 and p and the band part r may be releasably engaged with each other by having the engagement pin 24 received within the crimped portion 26 of the band part q 2 . one end portion 24 b of the engagement pin 24 is then received within a hole 20 of the link 14 b of the band part r another end portion 24 b of the engagement pin 24 is then pressed axially towards the central portion 24 a to allow the engagement pin 24 to be wholly received within the cavity of the link 14 b . when the engagement pin 24 is aligned with both the appropriate holes 20 , the other end portion 24 b will move to its extended position under the biasing force of the spring in the engagement pin 24 to engage the other hole 20 , and thereby to engage the band part q 2 , and thus the band part p with which it is engaged , with the band part r . if desired , e . g . to further reduce the length of the resultant band , the band part q 2 may similarly be detached from the band part p , and the band parts p and r be releasably engaged with each other . it can be seen that , by way of the arrangement in the present invention , the length of the band 10 may be easily adjusted , even by the end user , by using a very simple hand implement . it should be understood that the above only illustrates and describes an example whereby the present invention may be carried out , and that modifications and / or alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention . it should also be understood that various features of the invention which are , for brevity , described here in the context of a single embodiment , may be provided or separately or in any suitable sub - combination . | 0 |
a novel optimized mine ventilation system will be described hereinafter . although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiment ( s ), it is to be understood that the embodiment ( s ) described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby . an embodiment of the optimized mine ventilation system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings . the following describes a summary of the optimized mine ventilation system functionality and links to external systems with references to fig3 . a third party machinery and personnel tracking system provides real - time data on the machinery location and operating status and on personnel location [ fig3 , item ( 55 )]. from the dynamic tracking status of each machinery a ventilation demand is calculated for each defined mine work zones as per the following [ fig3 , items ( 56 , 57 )]: cfm or m3 / s per diesel hp when diesel is “ on ”. cfm or m3 / s per diesel hp when diesel is “ off ”. this permits operations to have air available for machinery stopped at a location with personnel around . cfm or m3 / s per diesel hp when the diesel is “ off ” and its hydraulic - electric is “ on ”. those three parameters are configurable per machinery by the surface or underground operators . the system calculates the aggregate demand for each zone parent - child relationship from the zone definition database [ fig3 , item ( 57 )]. for example , the total demand for a level is equal to the total demand for all related ore extraction zones and service areas plus the total demand related to machinery and personnel directly tracked on the level . the system sets to a minimum the personnel ventilation demand requirement per zone and overrules the machinery calculation if the personnel demand is higher . if the calculated personnel and machinery total demand while on vod control mode , the vod controller will set the zone flow to a minimum air flow as defined by the ventilation engineer . the mine ventilation layout , fans and air flow regulators are created in the form of an electronic process and instrumentation diagram using the simsmarttm engineering suite modeling and simulation tool . parametric information for all layout and control elements present on the diagram is configured in the diagram database [ fig3 , item ( 52 )]. the diagram is compiled into a run - time engine execution environment [ fig3 , item ( 51 )]. the run - time engine environment executes in real - time all physics , characteristic , mathematics and logic based equations . the simsmart ™ engineering suite run - time engine is responsible for the following tasks : as described above , to calculate the dynamic ventilation air flow demand and summarized per defined mine area such as an ore extraction zone , a level , a service area and other workplaces . to model the ventilation network and establish an air flow mass balance . the air density , pressure and temperature are preferably compensated for depth . the real - time model execute real - time calculations for pressure , fluid velocity , flow , temperature , several other fluid properties , fan speed and regulator position [ fig3 , items ( 53 )]. to execute controls in manual , semi - automatic and vod mode to optimize the air distribution and fan energy consumption based on the calculated dynamic air flow demand [ fig3 , item ( 54 )]. to provide the required logic for fans and air flow regulators setpoint scheduling [ fig3 , items ( 63 )]. to declare and handle alarm and special event conditions . the following physics calculation assumptions describe the basic concepts and equations used for the simulation model components and the real - time resolution of the differential equations matrix [ fig3 , item ( 51 )]: the simulation model uses compressible air flow with a polytropic process . this is a process which occurs with an interchange of both heat and work between the system and its surroundings . the nonadiabatic expansion or compression of a fluid is an example of a polytropic process . the interrelationship between the pressure ( p ) and volume ( v ) and pressure and temperature ( t ) for a gas undergoing a polytropic process are given by eqs . ( 1 ) and ( 2 ), where a and b are the polytropic constants for the process of interest . these constants , determined from mine surveys . once these constants are known , eqs . ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) can be used with the initial - state conditions ( p1 and t1 or v1 ) and one final - state condition ( for example , t2 , obtained from physical measurement ) to determine the pressure or specific volume of the final state . because density varies significantly , the air weight effect is not negligible . in this case there is an auto compression effect . pressure variation not only causes density variation but also causes temperature variation accordingly based on the polytropic index . the calculations account for natural ventilation pressure ( nvp ). nvp is the pressure created in a ventilation network due to the density difference between air at the top and bottom of the downcast and upcast shafts . in deep hot mines there is usually a large difference between surface and underground temperatures — there is a difference in density between air on surface and underground and this causes air to move from high to low density . the nvp will either assist or retard fans in the system . when nvp assists a fan , it tends to move air in the same direction as the fan . the nvp can be the to lower the system resistance curve against which the fan operates . this means the fan will handle more air at lower pressure . the actual tunnel air resistance is calculated using the entered standardized atkinson resistance or the standardized atkinson friction factor . the air pressure , air velocity , flow resistance and air flow rate are calculated at all points in the system . the pressure and density calculation accounts for air weight ( air potential pressure ) and the bernoulli equation accounts for potential energy . calculation of variable speed fan flow , pressure , power and efficiency curves . ducting junctions , dovetails or transitions can calculate process pressure and flow resistance for each port . transitions , junctions and fan calculation accounts for positive and negative flow resistance . all components calculate air properties : temperature , pressure , viscosity , humidity , dew point temperature , particles , and contaminant concentrations . the ventilation demand calculation commands controllers to modulate fans and air flow regulators [ fig3 , item ( 54 )]. there are four types of regulatory controls for fans and air flow regulators in the optimized mine ventilation system : from the air mass flow balance calculations , the auxiliary fans speed is modulated so the output flow at the exit of the ducting section meets the calculated target demand flow for each work zone . from the air mass flow balance calculations , the air flow regulator opening position is modulated so the regulator output flow meets the calculated target demand flow for each work zone . if an air flow regulator is in manual mode or if the regulator is a fixed bulkhead opening , an intake compensation cascade controller will modulate the surface fans in order to meet the calculated target demand flow . the surface fan controller is a cascade controller [ fig3 , items ( 58 , 59 )] that optimizes the surface fan speeds in order to minimize energy consumption while assuring all levels to obtain their calculated target demand flow and maintaining a set maximum regulator opening . this maximum regulator opening is the cascade controller setpoint . it is assumed that all surface fans are driven by a variable frequency drive . as an example , if the surface fans cascade controller setpoint is set at 80 % opening maximum for any air flow regulator , the surface fans will be modulated in order to assure that any level air flow regulator will be at and not exceed this 80 % maximum opening . the surface fans cascade controller calculates a common modulated fan speed for all fans . this speed is then split by a ratio to intake fans and to another ratio to exhausts fans . the booster fan controller is a cascade controller over the air flow regulator controller . it will modulate the booster fan speed based on set maximum air flow regulator opening . for example if the cascade controller setpoint is set at 70 %, this means that when the booster fan will be modulated upward when the regulator position exceeds 70 %. the optimized mine ventilation system has the following control modes [ fig3 , item ( 54 )]. man : a fixed fan speed or regulator position setpoint is entered by the surface operator . the fan speed and / or regulator position not modulated automatically . the simulation model does not modulate the fan speed or the airflow regulator position to meet a cfm value . the machinery tracking has no effect on the control . the local underground controller requires to be in “ surface ” mode . a . vod : the cfm setpoint is calculated from the dynamic machinery tracking results . the fan speed and / or regulator position is automatically modulated to meet the cfm demand setpoint as per the calculated actual flow by the simulation model . the modulated fan speed or airflow regulator position setpoint is sent to the underground physical device . the controller also needs to be in aut mode for the vod mode to be active . the controller also requires to be in “ surface ” mode . a minimum flow setting is available for the vod mode . therefore , a dynamic tracking ventilation demand setpoint may never be lower than a defined pre - set . the minimum flow presets are defined in a purpose built hmi page . b . cfm : the cfm setpoint is a fixed value and is entered by the surface operator for fans or airflow regulator . the fan speed and / or regulator position is automatically modulated to meet the fixed value cfm setpoint as per the calculated actual flow by the simulation model . the simulation model will modulate the fan speed or the airflow regulator position to meet the desired cfm value . the equipment tracking has no effect on the control . the controller also needs to be in aut mode for the cfm mode to be active . the controller requires to be in “ surface ” mode . control is normally achieved from the surface , but an underground operator via a tablet pc may acquire a control mode called “ underground ”. when he acquires control he can operate the selected controller in manual mode . the surface operator receives an alarm when control is acquired by the underground operator . the surface operator is requested to acknowledge the alarm . when the alarm is acknowledged , the alarm condition disappears . when the underground operator releases control back to the surface operator , an alarm is displayed to the surface operator . the surface operator is requested to acknowledge the alarm . when the alarm is acknowledged , the alarm condition disappears . when the control is released by the underground operator , the selected controller goes back to the previous mode in use before he acquired control . sur : a fan speed and / or regulator position is set by the surface operator in man , aut ( vod / cfm ) modes ( see above ). und : when a controller is set to und , a fan speed and / or regulator position is manually set by an underground operator via a wifi tablet pc hmi control page . 34 the vod control mode setpoints are filtered [ fig3 , item ( 65 )] for stability , minimum time between up and down changes , ramp - up , ramp - down and deadband before they are sent to the basic control system and physical fans and air flow regulators via opc connection [ fig3 , items ( 66 , 67 )]. 35 since not all mine ventilation operating procedures call for work zone flow setpoints being calculated on machinery location , operating status and personnel location , controller modes and setpoints are also subject to scheduled or ad - hoc events [ fig3 , item ( 63 )]. therefore , presets for each controller modes and setpoints can be configured for an array of user definable events [ fig3 , item ( 64 )]. optionally , an autoswitch to tracking based ventilation ( vod mode ) can be enabled when a minimum ventilation demand has been detected by the dynamic tracking . likewise , another autoswitch to tracking based ventilation can be enabled when a defined period of time has elapsed . scheduling presets can also cover specific events such as pre - blast and post - blast events . the optimized mine ventilation system will warn the operator if pre - blast event is set with remaining personnel and machinery activity in the mine . the optimized mine ventilation system monitors critical key air flow measurements [ fig3 , item ( 60 )] and will alarm when a correlation deviation to the measurements calculated by the model [ fig3 , item ( 61 )]. the optimized mine ventilation system will call for a flow survey to verify if the measurement instrument or the calculated flow are in error . if it is concluded that the calculated flow must be calibrated , the ventilation engineer will set the related flow controller in calibration mode . then , it will automatically adjust the related system portion calculated k factor to match the survey data . while illustrative and presently preferred embodiment ( s ) of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove , it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art . indeed , the system of the invention can be used in any confined environment where there is a need for ventilation as a function of the presence of humans , animals and / or equipment , for example : tunnels . the foregoing description is provided to illustrate and explain the present invention . however , the description hereinabove should not be considered to limit the scope of the invention set forth in the claims appended here to . | 4 |
fig1 - 9 illustrate a portion of a steering linkage , indicated generally at 12 , for a vehicle . the steering linkage 12 includes a drag link assembly 14 , which is comprised of an outer drag link socket assembly 16 , a drag link adjuster 18 , and a main drag link socket assembly 20 . the drag link assembly 14 is also sometimes called a tie rod assembly , depending upon the particular type of steering linkage , so when the term “ drag link ” is used herein , this also includes a tie rod ). the vehicle steering linkage 12 also includes a steering damper 22 that connects at one end to the drag link assembly 14 and at another end to an axle housing , not shown . the outer drag link socket assembly 16 includes an outer rod portion 24 , with adjustment threads 26 at an inner end and a first ball joint 28 at an outer end . the first ball joint 28 may connect to a steering knuckle , not shown . the first ball joint 28 and the steering knuckle will not be described in detail herein since they are both preferably conventional . the adjustment threads 26 engage with the drag link adjuster 18 . the drag link adjuster 18 includes an adjuster sleeve 30 , an outer adjuster bracket 32 , and an inner adjuster bracket 34 . the adjuster sleeve 30 has a first set of internal threads , not shown , that engage with the adjustment threads 26 on the outer drag link socket assembly 16 , and a second set of internal threads , not shown , that engage with adjustment threads 36 on the main drag link socket assembly 20 . the internal threads engage with their corresponding threads 26 , 36 so that when the adjuster sleeve 30 is rotated in one direction , the length of the drag link assembly 14 will decrease , and when rotated in the opposite direction , the length of the drag link assembly 14 will increase . the outer adjuster bracket 32 mounts near the outer end of the adjuster sleeve 30 and includes a first bolt and nut assembly 38 , while the inner adjuster bracket 34 mounts over the inner end of the adjuster sleeve 30 and includes a second bolt and nut assembly 40 . when the bolt and nut assemblies 38 , 40 are tightened on their respective brackets 32 , 34 , they secure the threads of the adjuster sleeve 30 relative to the adjustment threads 26 , 36 . the main drag link socket assembly 20 includes a main rod portion 42 , with the adjustment threads 36 at an inner end and a second ball joint 44 mounted in a pocket 46 at an outer end . preferably , the main rod portion 42 is a solid rod . the second ball joint 44 may connect to a steering knuckle , not shown . the second ball joint 44 and steering knuckle will not be described in detail herein since they are both preferably conventional . one will note that the main rod portion 42 of the main drag link socket assembly 20 includes a dogleg portion 48 and also a pad 50 with a hole therethrough for mating with another portion of the vehicle steering linkage 12 . these features , in addition to the orientation of the first ball joint 28 and second ball joint 44 relative to their respective steering knuckles , require the main drag link socket assembly 20 to be oriented in the vehicle in only one particular rotational orientation . consequently , the main drag link socket assembly 20 will have a particular orientation relative to the steering damper 22 . a clamp 52 , then , will need to have a particular orientation relative to the main rod portion 42 in order for it to line up with the steering damper 22 and secure the two assemblies together . the clamp 52 ( best seen in fig7 - 9 ) for securing the steering damper 22 to the drag link assembly 14 is preferably formed from stamped sheet metal in order to reduce the cost of fabrication . the clamp 52 includes a main body 54 from which a first leg 56 and an opposed second leg 58 extend . the main body 54 is formed into a cylindrical shape in order to define a rod receiving bore 60 , through which the main rod portion 42 of the main drag link socket assembly 20 is received . the first leg 56 extends outward from the main body 54 and includes a first mounting bolt hole 62 , and the second leg 58 also extends outward from the main body 54 and includes a second mounting bolt hole 68 that is axially aligned with the first mounting bolt hole 62 . a pair of guide flanges 64 preferably extend from each side of the first leg 56 and taper down in height as they extend from adjacent to the main rod portion 42 out toward the end of the first leg 56 . a second pair of guide flanges 66 preferably extend from each side of the second leg 58 and taper down in height as they extend from adjacent to the main rod portion 42 out toward the end of the second leg 58 . the guide flanges 64 , 66 , then , will not only provide support for the first and second legs 56 , 58 , respectively , but , during the assembly process , will also act as guides that direct the clamp 52 onto the main rod portion 42 while causing the legs 56 , 58 to flex the main body 54 outward around the main rod portion 42 . as will be discussed in more detail below , the clamp 52 is fixed at an axial location and a rotational orientation relative to the main rod portion 42 in two ways . a spot weld 70 is applied between the clamp 52 and main rod portion 42 , and a clamping force is applied by the main body 54 to the main rod portion 42 . this assures that the clamp 52 is and will remain located and oriented properly to mate with the steering damper 22 . the steering damper 22 includes a first telescoping part 72 mounted to a second telescoping part 74 . the first telescoping part 72 is coupled to a drag link attachment joint 76 , at a first end of the steering damper 22 , while the second telescoping part 74 is coupled to an axle attachment joint 78 , at a second end of the steering damper 22 . the axle attachment joint 78 mounts to a bracket , not shown , extending from the axle housing , not shown . the steering damper 22 , mounting bracket , and axle housing are preferably conventional and so will not be discussed in detail herein . the drag link attachment joint 76 is employed to mount the steering damper 22 to the drag link assembly 14 . a mounting bolt 80 engages with the drag link attachment joint 76 , at a first end , and engages with the clamp 52 , at a second end . the mounting bolt 80 includes a head 82 for retaining the mounting bolt 80 in the drag link attachment joint 76 . a shank 84 extends from the head 82 and includes a spacer portion 86 and a threaded portion 88 . the spacer portion 86 of the shank 84 has a diameter that is larger than the second mounting bolt hole 68 and a length that will space the steering damper 22 the desired distance from the drag link assembly 14 . the threaded portion 88 of the shank 84 has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the first and second mounting bolt holes 62 , 68 , and a length that is long enough to extend through both legs 56 , 58 of the clamp 52 . a nut 90 engages the threaded portion 88 outside of the first leg 56 , securing the mounting bolt 80 to the clamp 52 . the assembly and adjustment of the drag link assembly 14 , and the attachment of the steering damper 22 thereto , will now be described . for the main drag link socket assembly 20 , the second ball joint 44 is mounted to the pocket 46 of the main rod portion 42 . the clamp 52 — which can be mounted either before or after the second ball joint 44 — is mounted on main rod portion 42 and positively located both axially and rotationally . for example , it may be oriented at an angle a ( seen in fig6 )— with angle a being about thirty one degrees relative to the main rod portion 42 — and located at an axial distance b ( as seen in fig4 )— with distance b being about six hundred forty six millimeters from the center of the pocket 46 . of course , the actual axial distance b and orientation angle a needed will vary depending upon the particular vehicle and steering and suspension system . with the clamp 52 positively located , the small weld 70 , such as spot weld or tack weld , is then applied between the clamp 52 and the main rod portion 42 . although this spot weld 70 is generally not sufficient to hold the clamp 52 in place relative to the main rod portion 42 during vehicle operation , it is sufficient to hold it during shipping and while the drag link assembly 14 is being installed and adjusted on a vehicle . by applying only the small weld 70 , the cost and time spent on this operation is minimized , yet , after installation and adjustment , the clamp 52 is in the correct location and orientation to attach the steering damper 22 . for the outer drag link socket assembly 16 , the first ball joint 28 is mounted on the outer rod portion 24 . the inner and outer adjuster brackets 32 , 34 are mounted on the adjuster sleeve 30 , then the adjustment threads 26 , 36 are engaged with the adjuster sleeve 30 — thus forming the drag link assembly 14 . the drag link assembly 14 and steering damper 22 are mounted in the particular vehicle . the steering damper 22 is mounted in the vehicle by connecting the axle attachment joint 78 to the bracket extending from the axle housing . the drag link assembly 14 is mounted in the vehicle by mounting the first and second ball joints 28 , 44 to their respective steering knuckles and coupling it to another portion ( not shown ) of the steering linkage 12 . the drag link assembly 14 can now be adjusted . to adjust the distance between the ball joints 28 , 44 , the adjuster sleeve 30 of the drag link adjuster 18 is rotated , one way to lengthen and the other way to shorten the distance . when desired length is obtained , the bolt and nut assemblies 38 , 40 on the inner and outer adjuster brackets 32 , 34 are tightened to prevent the adjuster sleeve 30 from rotating . during this adjustment , the main drag link socket assembly 20 can be held in its proper rotational orientation since it does not need to rotate to adjust the length of the drag link assembly 14 . this allows the clamp 52 to also remain in its proper orientation without having to be rotated relative to the main rod portion 42 , thus allowing the spot weld 70 to remain intact . the mounting bolt 80 is inserted into the drag link attachment joint 76 on the steering damper 22 and through the mounting bolt holes 62 , 68 on the clamp 52 . the nut 90 is threaded onto the mounting bolt 80 . as torque is applied to the nut 90 , the first and second legs 56 , 58 of the clamp 52 are trapped between the spacer portion 86 of the bolt shank 84 and the nut 90 , causing the legs 56 , 58 to be drawn together . as the legs 56 , 58 are drawn together , the main body 54 of the clamp 52 will squeeze tightly around the main rod portion 42 , applying a clamping load to the rod 42 . this clamping action — in addition to the small spot weld 70 — will assure that the clamp 52 permanently maintains its proper axial location and rotational orientation on the main rod portion 42 during vehicle operation . while certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims . | 1 |
the first device according to the invention shown on fig1 comprises a supply vessel 22 in which the mixture 1 to be separated , which contains at least a first particle sort 2 and a second particle sort 3 , is routed to the first impact area 13 , 14 , in which particles 2 , 3 of mixture 1 are given an electrical charge varying by particle sort before the particles 2 , 3 carrying different electric charges are supplied to the second treatment area 31 , 32 , 35 , where they accumulate at different locations 33 , 34 in a separation vessel 35 , sorted according to type of particle based on their electric charge . through the force of gravity , the mixture 1 goes out of the feed vessel 22 , which tapers toward the bottom , into a conveyor device 18 , 19 consisting of a conveyor screw 18 and into a conveyor channel 19 . the conveyor screw 18 , which is driven by a drive motor 23 , conveys the mixture 1 through a product inlet 15 into a housing 14 , where a rotor element 13 is rotatably mounted . there is a gap area 21 between the rotor element 13 , which is driven by a drive motor 24 , and the housing 14 , such that the mixture 1 , which is supplied through the product inlet 15 and strikes the rotor element 13 , is accelerated both radially and tangentially through this gap area due to friction at the surface of the rotor element . the mixture 1 accelerated in this way passes through the gap area 21 and obliquely strikes the surface 11 of the inside wall of the housing , which has a concave curvature . due to its own inertia ( centrifugal force ) and due to constantly resupplied mixture , the mixture 1 is pressed against the surface 11 having a concave curvature and is conveyed along this surface until it comes out of the housing 14 through the product outlet 16 and enters a separation vessel 35 . the disk - shaped rotor element 13 has elevations 20 , which are situated on its disk surface facing the product inlet 15 . in addition to the above - mentioned friction on the surface of the rotor element 13 (“ baffle disk ”), these elevations 20 also contribute toward the acceleration of the mixture 1 and the ever - present air through the gap area 21 , and on the other hand , they also exert an impact effect ( baffle effect ) on the particles 2 , 3 of the mixture , so that any agglomerates of multiple particles which might be present are broken up . this impact separation ( baffle separation ) of agglomerates before or during the buildup of electric charge on the particles due to friction on the solid body surfaces is important , because such agglomerates may of course also consist of particles of different types , which would then reach the collecting site 33 or at the collecting site 34 , depending on their total charge . then , however , in any case one would have “ foreign particles ” at the respective collecting sites 33 and 34 . depending on their geometric shapes , these elevations 20 may have primarily an accelerating and / or pumping effect on the mixture and / or the air , or they may have primarily a dispersing effect on the particles of the mixture . a blocky , angular shape of these elevations 20 promotes a dispersing effect , while a paddle shape increases the acceleration or pumping effect . elevations of different shapes may also be provided on the rotor element 13 to achieve a controlled effect . to prevent the mixture 1 , which is supplied through the product inlet 15 , from traveling even a very short distance through the gap area 21 between the product inlet 15 and the product outlet 16 and thereby escaping the necessarily intense action in the first treatment area 13 , 14 , the product inlet 15 is situated eccentrically with respect to the rotor element 13 . in addition ( and not for reasons of better illustration as in fig1 ), the product inlet 15 is situated directly behind the product outlet 16 in the direction of rotation of the rotor element 13 peripherally , so that the mixture travels at least approximately 360 ° on a spiral pathway in the gap area 21 between the product inlet 15 and the product outlet 16 . this prevents “ short - circuiting ” of the pathway of the mixture between the product inlet and the product outlet . during its path through the gap area 21 , the particles 2 , 3 of the mixture 1 come in intense contact with the inside surfaces 11 , 12 of the housing 14 and with the surface of the rotor element 13 , in particular its elevations 20 and the concave curvature of the inside surface 11 of housing 14 . this leads to a specific electric charge buildup on the particles of the different types of particles 2 , 3 . because of their high velocity , the dispersed particles coming out through the product outlet 6 go approximately horizontally into the separation vessel 35 , whereby the cylindrical neck area 35 a of the separation vessel serves as a calming zone for the particles carrying different electric charges as they come out of the housing 14 . they then settle out in the interior of the separation vessel under the influence of gravity . in the interior of the separation vessel 35 , there is a first electrode 31 and a second electrode 32 opposite it . the first electrode 31 is grounded by a line 38 , which contains a voltage source 37 , while the second electrode 32 is grounded directly via a line 39 . the differently charged particles settling out in the electric field between the two electrodes 31 and 32 travel downward on different paths , depending on their electric charge . a partition 36 , which projects from the bottom area 35 b of the collecting vessel 35 into the electric field between the electrodes 31 , 32 subdivides the lower interior space of the separation vessel 35 into a first collecting area 33 and a second collecting area 34 in which the particles of the first type and / or the particles of the second type are collected . in an advantageous modification of this first exemplary embodiment from fig1 , an air classification is also performed in the first treatment area 13 , 14 . to this end , air or another gas mixture is pumped through an air inlet ( not shown ) into the first treatment area 13 , 14 and is guided within the first treatment area 13 , 14 so that the fines (“ flour ” from endosperm residues , optionally still adhering to the aleurone particles ) are separated from the coarse fraction ( pure aleurone particles and pure husk particles ), the fines being removed with the air stream through an air outlet ( not shown ) and only the coarse fraction passing through the product outlet 16 into the second treatment area 31 , 32 , 35 . the second device according to this invention as shown in fig2 differs from that shown in fig1 in its first treatment area . otherwise all the elements are identical and carry the same reference notation as those in fig1 . instead of the housing 14 with the rotor element 13 which is rotatably mounted on it and can be driven by the drive motor 24 , the device in fig2 has a curved channel with a first end 27 a and a second end 27 b . the mixture 1 coming from a feed vessel 22 , in particular aleurone particles and husk particles of the bran , is supplied through a product inlet 15 , and a moving fluid , in particular air , is supplied through a fluid inlet 29 to a fluidization area 17 at the end of which there is a dispersion angle 26 , which is connected to the first end 27 a of the curved channel 27 and through which the fluidization area 17 opens into the curved channel 27 . the second end 27 b of the curved channel 27 opens into a product separator 28 with a fluid outlet 30 and a product outlet 16 , which opens into the separation vessel 35 . the conveyor device 18 , 19 transports the mixture 1 out of the feed vessel 22 , through the product inlet 15 and into the fluidization area 17 . a sufficient amount of fluid at a sufficient velocity is used to achieve airborne conveyance without any accumulation of particles in the interior of the curved channel 27 . due to the abrupt deflection when the particles impact on the dispersing angle 26 , the above - mentioned dispersion / de - agglomeration of the particles of the mixture is accomplished . during their subsequent movement in the fluid stream and due to the friction between the particles moving along the inside surface of the curved channel 27 , there is a particle type - specific buildup of electric charge on the particle types 2 , 3 of mixture 1 . the fluid is separated through the fluid outlet 30 in the downstream product separator 28 , and the mixture of the differently charged particles according to type of particle then enters the separation vessel with its electric field . in principle , two cases of electric charging of the particles can be differentiated : the particles of the first type of particle are negatively ( positively ) charged and the particles of the second type of particle are negatively ( positively ) charged , but to a different extent . these particles thus differ only in the absolute value of their charge , but not in the polarity of the charge . the particles of the first type of particle are negatively ( positively ) charged and the particles of the second type of particle are positively ( negatively ) charged . the particles thus differ in polarity and possibly also in the absolute value of their charge . in the first case , the electrically charged particles of the first type and those of the second type repel one another , and there is practically no re - agglomeration of different particles . separation takes place in the electric field due to different amounts of deflection in the same direction . in the second case , the electrically charged particles of the first type and those of the second type attract one another and re - agglomeration of different particles is possible . separation takes place in the electric field due to different amounts of deflection in opposite directions . to prevent re - agglomeration of particles in any case before they are separated into the different types of particles in the electric field , the “ particle densities ” must be kept low and the “ particle dwell times ” must be kept short during the buildup of electric charge in the first treatment area accordingly . in the first exemplary embodiment in fig1 , this is accomplished because of the selected geometry due to the cross section of the gap area , which becomes wider in the radial direction , and due to a sufficiently high rotational speed of the rotor element 13 . in the second exemplary embodiment in fig2 , this is accomplished by adjusting a sufficiently low product throughput / fluid throughput ratio in the fluidization area 17 and a sufficiently high fluid velocity . in all the exemplary embodiments of the device according to this invention , the type of particle and the type of solid material on which the particles develop a triboelectric charge play a significant role whether the first case or the second case is obtained . thus , for example , very good charge buildup and separation results would be achieved for an aleurone particle / husk particle mixture if the solid surfaces 11 and 12 , which play a crucial role in the charge buildup , are made of stainless steel . while the foregoing description and drawings represent the present invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention . 31 , 32 , 35 second treatment area ( first or second exemplary embodiment ) | 1 |
referring to fig1 - 2 , reference numeral 10 generally designates a instrument carrying case , having a handle 7 , variously designed to receive a plurality of musical instruments in an internal compartment 12 with an inside surface 14 adapted to receive a musical instrument ( not shown ). case 14 is generally kept closed with a plurality of fasteners 8 . fig1 depicts a guitar case , but a case designed for any instrument could also be adapted for the humidity control system of the present invention . reference numerals 16 and 18 generally designate two compartments adapted to receive a humidifier 20 and a desiccant filled pouch 22 . it should be noted that alternative embodiments of the invention envision the use of more than two compartments ( e . g . 16 or 18 ), as needed by the instrument owner . in this description then , two compartments 16 and 18 are used for the sake of simplicity . the carrying case 10 has an inside surface 14 , which is smaller than an outer surface 24 , and forms a lip 26 therewith . the lip 26 preferably forms a humidity impermeable seal . the inside surface 14 tends to conform to the particular cut or curvature of the individual instrument for which the carrying case 10 is designed . compartment 16 is adapted to receive humidifier 20 , which operates to maintain the relative humidity of the inside surface 14 and the instrument placed therein when said instrument is stored , transported , or moved in the carrying case 10 . the stability of the carrying case 10 environment is controlled by the owner or caretaker of the instrument carrying case as follows . when the case humidity is above 65 % the owner inserts a desiccant pouch 22 into a designated compartment 18 within the case and removes the humidifier 20 from the other compartment 16 . alternatively the humidifier 20 can be left in the carrying case 10 but not recharged with water . when the humidity within the case is below 35 %, or the atmospheric conditions are dry , the desiccant pouch 22 is removed from its compartment 18 , and the humidifier 20 is returned to its designated compartment 16 . the most preferable humidity range to maintain within the interior of the carrying case 10 is 45 % to 55 % humidity . when these alternative strategies , used according to locale ambient humidity , are used , a stable environment is created and maintained for the musical instrument to be protected . in addition , the owner of the case retains the flexibility to select the exact desired humidity for their instrument by manipulating the amount of desiccant used , or controlling the recharging of the humidifier 20 . the humidifier 20 consists of a container that preferably holds a clay 21 capable of absorbing moisture and thereafter slowly releasing it . “ clay ” is used with its usual meaning as defined in compton &# 39 ; s interactive encyclopedia copyrighted by compton &# 39 ; s newmedia , inc . in the instant disclosure , a clay is the preferred compound to act as the humidifier . clay is a generic term , which essentially refers to a number of species of fine - grained earths , plastic when wet , composed chiefly of hydrous aluminum silicate minerals . as is well known a variety of clays are used in the manufacture of brick , pottery and other ceramics . with respect to the use of clay as the chief component of the humidifier disclosed herein , the inventors rely upon the intrinsic nature of clay , when wetted , to retain moisture and give it up slowly . in this way a fully “ charged ” ( e . g ., charged by immersion in water ) humidifier contains a significant amount of water which will be emitted slowly over time to inject moisture into an otherwise dry atmosphere , acting to maintain a relative humidity in the range most desired to preserve musical instruments . to initially charge humidifier 20 , humidifier 20 is immersed in water , a cap ( not shown ) is then closed , excess water is wiped off , and humidifier 20 is returned to the case 10 . desiccant pouch 22 preferably contains any one of a plurality of anhydrous compounds or compounds capable of absorbing moisture from the ambient air such as a buffered silica gel or a saturated salt solution . when exposed to an environment that contains significant moisture , the selected anhydrous substance absorbs moisture and in this way removes it from the local environment inside the instrument case 10 disclosed herein . compartments 16 and 18 can also be releasably attached to the interior surface 14 of the case 10 . fastening means such as clips , snaps , velcro , or bolts would be employed to secure compartments 16 and 18 into the interior surface 14 of case 10 . referring to fig3 a plurality of air passages 28 in a partition 30 are small enough to retain the humidifier 20 in compartment 16 while allowing for free vapor exchange between the inside of case 10 and the humidifier 20 . likewise , a plurality of air passages 32 in a partition 34 are small enough to retain the desiccant 22 in compartment 18 , while allowing for free vapor exchange between the inside of case 10 and the desiccant pouch 22 . compartments 16 and 18 can include opening and closing means such as hinges 33 to enable access to the desiccant or humidifier . fig3 also shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention which permits the temperature of the interior of the carrying case 10 to be monitored through the presence of a thermometer 36 , whose gauge 37 is present in the inside surface 14 of the carrying case 10 . alternately , the carrying case 14 is constructed so that the gauge 37 of the thermometer 36 is readable from the exterior of carrying case 10 when said case is closed . in another embodiment , the humidity of the interior of the carrying case 10 is monitored through the presence of a hygrometer 38 , whose gauge 39 is present in the inside surface 14 of the carrying case 10 . alternately , the carrying case 14 is constructed to that the gauge 39 of the hygrometer 38 is readable from the exterior of carrying case 10 when the case 10 is closed . in embodiments of the invention containing the hygrometer 38 , the owner of the carrying case 10 ( also an instrument storage apparatus ) can use it to monitor the internal humidity of the case 10 and maintain the humidity for any geographic location in which the owner is located or through which the owner is travelling . the preferred desiccant will be one in which the composition thereof will contain at least 40 % silica gel with the balance being composed of activated charcoal . silica gel is a colloidal suspension of silicic acid made by dialysis from action of hydrochloric acid on water glass ; when dried to 5 % water , it resembles coarse sand and absorbs gases , especially water vapor , readily . the activated charcoal also functions to reduce or remove odors occurring within the case . preferably , the silica gel makes up 60 % of the desiccant mixture with activated charcoal . in addition , it is also preferred that the activated charcoal is derived from processed coconut husks , since this source appears to have superior capabilities in the reduction of odors . with regards to the silica gel used as a desiccant within this disclosure , it is known that buffered silica gels can be used to regulate relative humidity . silica gel will absorb a known amount of water within a particular relative humidity range . thus , when initially developed a given mixture of desiccant containing silica gel can be conditioned to maintain or retard movement away from a target relative humidity in a given local atmosphere , as within a closed instrument case . referring to fig4 an alternative embodiment uses only one compartment 40 having a container 42 with a saturated salt solution therein , which can be used as both a desiccant and humidifier to control and maintain the relative humidity in an instrument carrying case . saturated salt solutions will supply water vapor to a maintain a target relative humidity as long as any undissolved salt remains . saturated salts can absorb close to 100 % of their volume in water . once absorbed this solution can then allow desorption of 100 % of total water trapped by the salt solution . the result is that the salt crystals employed as a desiccant can in fact contribute to the maintenance of a given relative humidity , and require less relative maintenance than a silica gel desiccant . species of salt formulations useful for this purpose are nitrate salts such as calcium , sodium , or magnesium nitrate . alternative salts which are also useful at the relative humidity ranges that should be maintained for instrument storage are sodium dichromate , or potassium carbonate . accordingly , it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention . reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims , which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention . | 6 |
in the drawings , the letter d designates generally a switched capacitor induction motor drive according to the present invention . referring now to fig3 drive d includes an input circuit r , a filter circuit f , an inverter circuit i , a commutating circuit c , and a commutation power supply p . input circuit r includes a three - phase alternating current line input 10 and a conventional six element , three - phase bridge rectifier 12 . rectifier 12 converts line alternating current voltage to direct current voltage which is impressed on filter f . motor voltage control is achieved in conventional manner by controlling the phase timing of silicon controlled thyristors 12a , 12b , 12c , 12d , 12e , and 12f which form rectifier bridge 12 . the details of the conventional motor voltage control do not form a part of the present invention and thus are not illustrated in fig3 . filter f includes inductor 14 and non - polarized capacitors 16 , 18 . capacitors 16 , 18 form a series circuit path at the output of the filter f and are each connected to a common neutral terminal 20 . input circuit r and filter f thus provide a d . c . link voltage v d at terminals 22 , 24 which is impressed upon inverter circuit i . inverter circuit i includes six switching elements s1 - s6 which form a force commutated inverter bridge to provide an output drive voltage to three - phase motor m . switches s1 - s6 may be any suitable switching element capable of reverse voltage blocking , such as insulated gate transistors , a transistor controlled thyristor combination as disclosed in my co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 534 , 567 or conventional thyristors , for example . in the preferred embodiment , switches s1 - s6 are silicon controlled rectifiers or thyristors . the unique commutation and switching control circuitry of the present invention permits the use of relatively inexpensive , readily available thyristors for switches s1 - s6 which are only exposed to relatively low rates of voltage change during switching . for example , switches s1 - s6 experience about one - half volt per microsecond during switching for a two - hundred - thirty volt alternating current motor drive . inverter i also includes thyristor switching control circuits g - 1 throught g - 6 associated with thyristors s - 1 through s - 6 , respectively . the details of circuits g - 1 , g - 6 are illustrated in fig6 . the switching of each thyristor s is dually controlled by commutation circuit c and by control circuit g . control circuit g ensures that thyristors s are not enabled unless the voltage difference from anode to cathode on the respective thyristor s is within prescribed low limits . in this manner , inexpensive , readily available thyristors can be used for switching , and the need for free - wheeling anti - parallel diodes around switches s1 - s6 is eliminated . one advantage obtained by eliminating these diodes , is that switches s1 - s6 may be reverse biased during commutation . another advantage is that in the drive of the present invention the need for snubbering is eliminated and the losses and adverse operating effects caused by harmonics introduced in conventional high voltage switching drives are greatly reduced . referring now to fig6 control circuit g - 1 , which is identical in all respects to circuits g - 2 , g - 6 , is connected to the gate 37 and anode 28 of thyristor s - 1 in the manner illustrated . control circuit g - 1 includes pnp gate drive transistor 30 and a series resistor voltage divider network 32 connected to the collector of transistor 30 to provide enabling gate current to scr s - 1 when appropriate . the emitter of transistor 30 is connected to a low level positive direct current voltage supply 34 , which may be fixed , for example , at positive six volts d . c . the collector of transistor 30 is connected through divider circuit 32 to a low level negative direct current supply 36 which may be fixed , for example , at negative five volts . a capacitor 38 is provided between the gate 37 and cathode 39 of scr s - 1 to delay briefly the enabling of scr s - 1 after a positive , enabling voltage is applied to gate 37 and to assist disabling scr s - 1 when the voltage applied to cathode 39 is reversed in the manner described hereafter . the primary purpose of circuit g - 1 is to enable scr s - 1 for motor control , and to do so only when the voltage across rectifier s - 1 is within prescribed low limits . rectifier s - 1 is enabled / disabled by providing / removing gate drive via transistor 30 . transistor 30 is enabled , and the voltage to gate 37 is made positive with respect to cathode 39 only when two conditions are satisfied : ( a ) the voltage across rectifier s - 1 is within prescribed limits ; ( b ) opto - isolator 40 is enabled in response to a frequency dependent enabling signal generated by conventional motor frequency control circuit 42 which is illustrated schematically in fig6 . circuit 42 provides a frequency dependent enabling signal to opto - isolator 40 to control the frequency of switching to to affect motor control in the conventional manner . control circuit g - 1 also includes rectifier 44 and resistor 46 in the collector circuit of opto - isolator 40 . as can be seen by referring to fig6 transistor 30 is only enabled when opto - isolator 40 is enabled in response to a control signal from motor frequency control circuit 42 and when the voltage applied to diode 44 is sufficient to forward bias diode 44 and allow base current to be provided to transistor 30 . thus transistor 30 is enabled only when the voltage at terminal 28 , i . e ., the voltage applied to scr s - 1 , is sufficiently low so that diode 44 is forward biased by the voltage provided via low voltage dc supply 34 across diodes 48 and resistor 46 . in this manner , rectifier s - 1 is enabled only when the voltage across rectifier s - 1 , i . e ., from terminal 28 to terminal 39 is less than a prescribed minimum so as to achieve low dv - dt switching of control rectifiers s - 1 through s - 6 . diodes 48 ( fig6 ) are provided to protect opto - isolator 40 from excessive voltages when rectifier s - 1 is reversed biased . the value of resistor 46 is selected so as to prescribe the maximum switching voltage which will be permitted , which in the preferred embodiment is approximately five volts . resistor 50 and capacitor 52 are provided in the emitter to base circuit of transistor 30 to delay turn - on of transistor 30 after both opto - isolator 40 and diode 44 are enabled . two alternate gating circuit designs are shown in fig7 and 8 . the gating circuit of fig6 provides gate drive when the circuit has been enabled and when the anode - cathode voltage across the thyristor or switch s - 1 drops below a low reference voltage . the two alternate circuits provide gate drive only when the gate drive circuit has been enabled and the anode - cathode voltage level is increasing , regardless of its value . this eliminates the possible switching of the thyristor s - 1 by the initial low voltage drop across it , thereby eliminating a small current surge . the circuits allow the thyristor s - 1 to be switched if the anode - cathode voltage does not decrease below a small reference value , enabling the motor drive d to deliver power during certain line disturbances . additionally , gate drive power is conserved because no drive is provided after the thyristor s - 1 begins conducting as the anode - cathode voltage remains constant in this state . the circuits shown in fig7 and 8 work similarly , but are enabled differently . fig7 is enabled by using an opto - isolator 142 while the circuit of fig8 is enabled by a switchable voltage source whose output is represented by the wave form 156 . this signal 156 can be developed from a controlled high frequency transformer and rectifier circuit or other commonly available circuits . referring now to fig7 a resistor 132 is used to dissipate gate current in the thyristor s - 1 to provide positive turn off . the circuit includes a pnp gate drive transistor 136 and has a series limit resistor 134 connected between the collector of the transistor 136 and the gate 37 of thyristor s - 1 . connected between the collector of transistor 136 and the cathode 39 of thyristor s - 1 is a zener diode 130 used to protect the gating circuit . the emitter of the gate drive transistor 136 is connected to a low level positive direct current voltage supply 34 , which may be fixed for example at positive 5 volts d . c . a voltage change sensing portion of the circuit is connected between the anode 28 and the cathode 39 of thyristor s - 1 . the voltage change sensing portion consists of a series combination of a voltage sense capacitor 152 and a current limit resistor 150 which is connected to the base of an npn transistor 144 whose emitter is connected to the cathode 39 . a parallel combination of a diode 148 and a resistor 146 are also connected between the base of transistor 144 and the cathode 39 to provide reverse circuit protection and effective circuit turnoff . the collector of the voltage sense transistor 144 is connected to the base of the gate drive transistor 136 through a series combination of a resistor 154 and an opto - isolator 142 . when the rate of voltage change between the anode 28 and the cathode 39 is sufficiently positive to turn on the voltage sense transistor 144 and the opto - isolator 142 is enabled , a base current path is provided for the gate drive transistor 136 , enabling the thyristor s - 1 to switch . a parallel combination of a resistor 138 and a capacitor 140 are connected from the emitter to the base of gate drive transistor 136 . the resistor provides positive turnoff characteristics and the capacitor provides a filtering function to limit the transients in the system from accidentally activating the thyristor s - 1 . the circuit of fig8 is similar to that of fig7 with the exception that the opto - isolator 142 is removed and the low level positive voltage supply 34 is replaced with a switchable voltage source as shown by the wave form 156 . commutation circuit c includes motor - run capacitors 54 , 56 and 58 connected at one end to motor winding circuits m - 1 m - 2 , and m - 3 , respectively ( fig3 ) and on the other end using conductors 100 , 102 and 104 respectively , to commutation thyristor and diode networks 60 , 62 and 64 , respectively . thyristor / diode networks 60 , 62 and 64 provide a circuit path from windings m - 1 , m - 2 and m - 3 through capacitors 54 , 56 , and 58 , respectively to power supply p to permit capacitors 54 , 56 and 58 to absorb recirculation current from motor terminals m - 1 , m - 2 and m - 3 during switching . capacitors 54 , 56 and 58 additionally provide reverse bias voltage for commutation of thyristors s - 1 through s - 6 in the manner described in detail below . thyristor / diode networks 60 , 62 and 64 are connected in anti - parallel pairs with polarities aligned in the manner illustrated in fig3 . networks 60 , 62 and 64 transmit voltage changes from terminals 66 and 68 to terminals 70 , 72 and 74 via capacitors 54 , 56 and 58 , respectively to provide reverse bias voltage to force commutate main thyristors s - 1 through s - 6 . two alternate thyristor / diode networks are shown in fig4 and fig5 . under certain transient operating conditions , for example , when the voltage on the main power capacitors 16 and 18 is increasing , a relatively low current may be flowing through a first network thyristor when a second opposing thyristor is gated on . this may result in a failure of a commutation power supply p unless a means is provided to commutate the relatively low current flowing through the first network thyristor . two alternative circuits for doing this are shown in fig4 and 5 . the two designs utilize saturable transformer / reactors 114 and 120 and 124 and 126 in series with thyristors 112 and 118 , respectively . the saturable reactors reverse bias the first network thyristor for a time sufficient to commutate the thyristor when the second network thyristor is gated on . the post - saturation reactance of the saturable transformer provides reverse current rate change limitation for the thyristor being commutated . a typical design will provide 50 microseconds of reverse bias to the thyristor being commutated and the saturation current will be approximately 10 % of the maximum commutation current . a relatively small capacitor 122 can be placed between the conductor 100 and ground to limit voltage change rates . commutation power supply p is fixed relative to the neutral terminal 20 and provides low level , direct current commutation voltage to commutation circuit c . power supply p includes conventional three - phase input transformer 75 which steps the voltage down from input line power 10 to provide approximately one percent of drive input power to a conventional three - phase full wave rectifier 76 . rectifier 76 provides a direct current voltage output on buses 106 and 108 at capacitors 78 and 79 to drive the commutation circuit c in the manner described hereinafter . the values of capacitors 78 and 79 and the other components of circuit p are selected to provide an output voltage on capacitors 78 and 79 which is typically five to ten percent of the drive voltage vd . self - commutating switching elements such as insulated gate transistors or transistor controlled thyristors do not require this external commutation circuitry . however , they do require the motor - run capacitors . the motor drive d allows braking of a load once the load has been brought up to a given speed and is desired to be reduced to a slower speed or stopped . if braking is done , power will be generated by the transfer from kinetic energy of the load to electrical energy in the drive d and during this regeneration interval a portion of this energy is fed into the commutation power supply p . this power must either be dissipated or returned to the input line to prevent damage to the circuitry . the maximum amount of power that needs to be dissipated is about 3 % of the full power rating of the drive . the simplest technique to dissipate the excess commutation power is shown in fig9 and is a simple resistive dissipation technique . a power resistor 160 is connected in series with a switch 162 and connected between the output buses 106 and 108 of the commutation power supply p . when the switch 162 is in the closed position the power resistor 160 will provide extra power dissipation and therefore allow regeneration to occur . the switch 162 is preferably controlled by a control circuit having hysteresis 164 so that the switch 162 is operated in a digital mode with sufficiently long closed position intervals . additionally , the power resistor is preferably connected only during regeneration , thereby not decreasing the overall efficiency of the drive d . the switch 162 may be a transistor , a gate turn - off thyristor or a force - commutated thyristor circuit . a higher efficiency design is shown in fig1 and 11 where the three - phase full wave rectifier 76 in the commutation power supply p is replaced by a self - controlled , transistor inverter 250 . this inverter 250 allows the regeneration power to be retransmitted to the input three phase system therefore eliminating the need for the power resistor and heat dissipation requirements of the resistive circuit . the circuit therefore increases the overall system efficiency on a longer term basis as well as a shorter term basis . the circuit 250 has the same general form as a full wave three - phase rectifier circuit with the addition of npn transistors and drive circuits in anti - parallel with the rectification diodes . in fig1 the pairs are diode 170 and transistor 172 , diode 174 and transistor 176 , diode 178 and transistor 180 , diode 182 and transistor 184 , diode 186 and transistor 188 and diode 190 and transistor 192 forming the six pairs . it should be noted that the inverter transistors are shown as single npn transistors in fig1 and in fig1 the transistors are shown as a darlington pair . when the motor drive d is delivering motoring power and is not regenerating , all the transistors are turned off and the circuit behaves as a standard three - phase rectification bridge with inductor 194 and capacitors 78 and 79 providing the filtering necessary for the commutation power supply p . when the circuit is in the braking or regeneration mode , the transistors are activated . an exemplary diode - transistor pair 206 is shown in fig1 with the gate drive circuitry required to activate the inverter transistors . the gating circuit is designed to allow the inverter transistors to conduct whenever the collector - emitter voltage across the transistor is less than about three volts . a low level , positive direct current voltage supply 224 , similar to the voltage supply 34 , is connected to the emitter of the commutation gate drive pnp transistor 218 . the collector of the transistor 218 is connected through current limiting resistor 216 which is connected to the base drive circuit of the darlington transistor of pair 206 . a positive turn - off resistor 220 is connected between the emitter and base of the commutation gate drive transistor 218 and a series combination of a current limit resistor 222 and a diode 226 is connected between the base of transistor 218 and the positive inverter rail 202 . the diode 226 provides reverse circuit protection by blocking any current flow when the voltage of the rail 202 is higher than the low level voltage source 224 . this blocking affect in combination with the various voltage drops of the circuit and the level selected for the low leve voltage 224 allow transistor 218 to be turned on only when the voltage difference between the rail 202 and the three - phase input line 204 is less than about three volts . preferably , the low level voltage 224 is enabled only when the drive is in regenerating mode and not when the drive is in motoring mode , thereby further improving overall drive efficiency . the commutation inverter circuit operates generally as follows . inverter transistors 172 and 192 are conducting with the remaining transistors being turned off because the voltage across them exceeds the preferable three volts . the voltage of the input line 244 is approaohing the voltage of input line 242 and is increasing . as the voltage of line 244 increases and exceeds the voltage of line 242 , current begins to flow through diode 174 adding current to the main current flowing through inverter transistor 172 . this current quickly builds in diode 174 and inverter transistor 172 , causing the voltage across inverter transistor 172 to increase because the inverter transistor 172 saturates . this voltage increase removes the base drive from inverter transistor 172 , turning off inverter transistor 172 . when inverter transistor 172 turns off , an excess current is then flowing through the leakage inductance of the three - phase line 242 and 244 , which is dissipated in voltage suppressor 196 because the current flowing through transistor 172 is diverted into voltage suppressor 196 and diode 182 . this excess current is quickly dissipated and the main current switches to transistor 176 . this process continues for the remaining phases . this drive supplies three - phase adjustable frequency and voltage drive to a three - phase induction motor . voltage is supplied to the output section by the previously described input and filter sections . alternating current is supplied to the motor by alternate conduction of each thyristor in a bridge . balanced three - phase output is achieved in the conventional manner by consecutively switching the polarity of the bridges . since silicon controlled rectifiers , or scr &# 39 ; s must be externally commutated , the commutation section c and commutation power supply p are provided to allow for external forced commutation of the main scr &# 39 ; s . start up of the drive is accomplished by applying a low voltage to the inverter section i with one scr on each of the three output bridges enabled . one bridge has a polarity opposite of the other two . current begins to flow through the motor windings from the applied voltage . additionally , commutating scr &# 39 ; s c - 1 through c - 6 are enabled when corresponding main scr &# 39 ; s s - 1 through s - 6 are on and are disabled when their corresponding scr &# 39 ; s s - 1 through s - 6 are off , the correspondence being shown in fig3 . this correspondence is established by opposite polarity . for example , commutation scr c - 1 on the low voltage side of the commutation power supply p corresponds to , and is enabled simultaneously with , main scr s - 1 on the high voltage side of the inverter section . clocking of the inverter i begins when a main scr s is commutated . the commutation process will be illustrated by example . a commutation is initiated by first removing gate drive from a main scr such as s - 1 , for example , which is to be commutated and its corresponding commutation scr , c - 1 . after a short time , typically 100 microseconds , the gate circuits of the main scr in the opposite position of the output bridge , i . e ., s - 2 , and its corresponding commutation scr c - 2 , are enabled . scr s - 2 will not receive gate current because diode 44 in fig4 is reversed biased as long as s - 2 blocks more than typically 5 volts in the forward direction . prior to the commutation of scr s - 1 , terminal 80 on motor run capacitor 54 is at the lower potential of commutation power supply p . when scr c - 2 is enabled , it turns on , thereby quickly raising terminal 80 to the higher potential of p . this causes the voltage at terminal 70 connected to capacitor 54 to apply a reverse bias voltage to s - 1 . current through scr s - 1 is stopped and quickly diverted into capacitor 54 , c - 2 , and p . scr s - 1 is reverse biased by typically 30 volts for a 230 volt drive . its gate also receives a negative bias to speed turn - off . current flow through scr c - 2 , capacitor 54 and motor winding m - 1 causes a voltage rate of change of typically 0 . 5 volts per microsecond across capacitor 54 . therefore scr s - 1 will be reversed biased for typically 60 microseconds . during this time , scr s - 1 changes from the conducting to the non - conducting state . when scr s - 1 again sees forward bias voltage , the rate - of - voltage - change is still typically 0 . 5 volts per microsecond for a 230 volt drive . this low dv / dt reduces the required reverse bias voltage by reducing the effective turn - off time . a significant amount of time , typically 600 microseconds , is required for the voltage across scr s - 2 to become low enough for gate drive to be applied to it . during this time , neither scr s - 1 nor scr s - 2 are conducting . the motor leakage inductance exchanging energy with motor run capacitor 54 is responsible for this low dv / dt and relatively long quiescent time . typically this leakage inductance is sufficient to cause the voltage across scr s - 2 to become negative , as capacitor 54 continues to absorb the motor recirculation current . at some point , current flow through winding m - 1 , capacitor 54 , and scr c - 2 stops and reverses since winding m - 1 now has a negative , with respect to motor neutral , voltage on it . until scr s - 2 is forward biased again , current flows through capacitor 54 and anti - parallel diode d - 2 . when scr s - 2 becomes forward biased , current is transferred from capacitor 44 and diode d - 2 into scr s - 2 and flows into terminal 24 . current flow through scr c - 2 has ceased and is therefore &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;. current flow through scr s - 2 continues until its half - cycle is complete , and scr c - 1 is enabled to begin the commutation of scr s - 2 . the commutation process on the other two output bridges is identical . drive control consists of driving the inverter section i , via motor control circuit 42 , at the frequency selected by manual or automatic external control . the output voltage is determined by the frequency and the load on the motor . generally , higher frequency calls for a higher voltage and more load calls for a higher voltage and vice - versa . voltage must be controlled accurately with load , because there are no recirculation diodes in the inverter section to accommodate low power factor . therefore , the voltage control used in association with the drive of the present invention should raise or lower the voltage as required by the load and frequency control to maintain the optimum power factor on the output . power factor sensing can be done by any of several well known techniques . the foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof , and various changes in the size , shape , materials , components , circuit elements , wiring connections and contacts , as well as in the details of the illustrated circuitry and construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 7 |
referring to fig1 an audio input device represented by microphone 10 is used to monitor the vocal behavior of the subject child . the signal produced by microphone 10 constitutes an input 12 for comparator 14 . comparator 14 has another input 16 , a predetermined audible threshold th , which input is used for comparison with the signal at input 12 to determine the presence or absence of subject vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th . the result of this comparison is input at 18 to logic circuitry , generally represented by control means 20 . the presence or absence of the criterion response ( i . e ., vocal behavior equal to or above the predetermined threshold th ) is the only external data gathering necessary , with regard to the behavior of the subject child , for implementation of the schedule of reinforcement in accordance with the present invention . thus , the control means 20 may be comprised of a microprocessor device programmed in accordance with the methodology discussed further below , or control means 20 may be comprised of a hard - wired device accomplishing the same . specific selection of the precise physical embodiment of the control means 20 is subject to the design choice of one of ordinary skill in the art , and such choice may be dependent upon various factors , such as cost and size optimization , which are not the major areas of concern for the broader teachings of the present invention . a functional apparatus , however , operating per the present method is a feature of the present invention , as recited in the appended claims . implementation of the present methodology may be accomplished by a microprocessor device acting upon the comparator output 18 , with such device controlling a reinforcer mechanism 22 . reinforcer mechanism 22 may incorporate a cassette tape player or other device which replays specific sounds , or sequences thereof , which constitute positive reinforcers . these may include , for example , recordings of placental sounds or maternal heartbeats , as discussed above . however , any audible positive reinforcer may be used . alternatively , the reinforcer mechanism 22 may be specific lights or moving objects which present kaleidoscopic or patterned stimuli to the subject child in a fashion which constitutes a positive reinforcer . further exemplary reinforcer mechanisms may include physical structures ( such as mobiles ) which are controllably moved , rotated , or provided with some other motion in a fashion which constitutes a positive reinforcer . motion - causing devices ( such as rockers or vibrators for a crib ) are also optionally usable as the reinforcer mechanism 22 of the present invention . various selective combinations of any of the foregoing exemplary reinforcer mechanisms are also within the scope of the present invention , as discussed further below with regard to fig2 . the entire physical apparatus of fig1 may be selfcontained and battery operated in a relatively small package . such packaging technique would permit association of such a device with an existing child care device such as a playpen or crib . such packaging may also be adapted for attachment to other existing child care devices such as a highchair , walker , or stroller , etc . in any event , an apparatus in accordance with the present invention is adapted to desirably interface with the given environment of the subject child . the apparatus disclosed in fig2 additionally includes certain other optional features of the present invention which may be utilized in conjunction with an &# 34 ; advanced &# 34 ; version of the basic exemplary embodiment of fig1 . referring to fig2 element 10 , once again , represents a microphone device for pickup of the vocal behavior of the subject child . it is to be understood that this device may be any suitable microphone which is appropriately incorporated into the surface of the structure of the fig2 apparatus or remotely attached thereto by necessary wires . however , such pickup may be alternatively achieved by a wireless connection between the microphone device and the fig2 apparatus . audio preamplifier 24 may be optionally associated with the output of the microphone 10 to establish a proper ( i . e ., buffered ) signal for ultimate comparison with the threshold th . signal averaging and filtering means 26 ( conventional devices ) may be associated with the output of audio preamplifier 24 to provide improved signal acquisition for comparison with the threshold th . the threshold th itself may be variable as shown by element 28 . variability of the threshold th may be achieved through any number of conventional approaches , including use of a variable potentiometer or a variable resistor with a fixed voltage input . the output signal of the signal averaging and filtering means 26 is compared with the established variable threshold th from 28 in the comparator 30 . comparator 30 is essentially equivalent to comparator 14 of fig1 . thus , the data which are input to the control means 32 again need only be indicative of the presence or absence of the criterion response ( i . e ., vocal behavior equal to or above the variable threshold th ), as established by 28 . the control means 32 is represented in this exemplary embodiment as a microprocessor having data input from comparator 30 and having a plurality of peripheral outputs . these outputs are represented by 1 , 2 , . . . , n and control reinforcer mechanisms r1 , r2 , . . . , rn , respectively . as discussed above , these mechanisms may be of any variety and type which constitute positive reinforcers for human subjects in their infancy or early childhood . economic considerations and applicability to differing environmental settings are considerations in the selection of particular reinforcer mechanisms . for example , a particular embodiment , such as one designed for a crib or playpen , may have a rocker or vibrator reinforcer mechanism associated with it , while such rocker or vibrator reinforcer mechanism would not be practical for a stroller , walker , or highchair . specific selection of a reinforcer mechanism or combinations thereof thus depends on applicability of the present invention to a particular environmental setting , and such selection therefore need not form a limitation of the general teachings of the present invention . the remote unit transmitter 34 of fig2 enables the control means 32 to send data to a remote location , with such data being detected by remote unit receiver 36 . this component of the present apparatus enables the parent or care provider to remotely identify the particular mode or phase of the schedule of reinforcement currently in operation . remote unit receiver 36 incorporates lights 38 and 40 and alarm 39 , which are exemplary of indicator outputs which may be used with such a remote unit receiver . in addition to the convenience of this feature , there is the additional advantage of enabling the parent or care provider to avoid unwittingly reinforcing &# 34 ; undesirable &# 34 ; behavior . for example , the pickup of a particular transmitter signal as detected by the remote unit receiver and represented by the operation of green indicator light 38 may signify that the mode 1 schedule is in operation . such a signal would indicate successful maintenance of the absence of the criterion response . moreover , such a signal would alert the parent or care provider to the desirability of entering the subject child &# 39 ; s room to present additional positive reinforcers , especially those that an inanimate entity is incapable of providing ( e . g ., hugs , kisses , and so on ). operation of red indicator light 40 may signify that the mode 2 schedule of reinforcement or other appropriate mode ( i . e ., mode 3 discussed further below with regard to fig3 c ) is in operation . such a signal would indicate that the subject child has emitted the criterion response and that the subject child is currently being retrained with respect to the reduction of such behavior . furthermore , in the absence of actual distress , such a signal would alert the parent or care provider to the undesirability of entering the subject child &# 39 ; s room , thereby avoiding the differential reinforcement of &# 34 ; undesirable &# 34 ; behavior . however , operation of alarm 39 may be defined to signify that the subject child has been emitting the criterion response for a predetermined period of time . thus , operation of alarm 39 , by one definition , may be indicative of a high probability of actual distress , requiring immediate intervention by a parent or care provider . both devices ( transmitter 34 and receiver 36 ) may be any paired conventional devices permitting wireless communication of digital data ( e . g ., &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; data for a particular indication ) over a relatively short distance . their particular embodiments are not intended as novel features of the present invention . additional lights , audible signals , or other indicators may be included for indicating other defined modes or phases of the schedule of reinforcement . reset input 42 of the microprocessor 32 provides a convenient and efficient mechanism for restarting the apparatus , e . g ., after a period of parental or care provider intervention . a parent or care provider who interrupts the operation of the apparatus may use the reset feature of the microprocessor to clear vocal behavior data which may have suspended the operation of the apparatus in accordance with the methodology of the present invention , as discussed below . for example , introduction of the &# 34 ; alarm &# 34 ; operation , discussed above , may also be accompanied by subsequent suspension of the operation of the apparatus . in such an instance , a parent or care provider can intervene to &# 34 ; manually &# 34 ; assist the subject child until criterion responding ceases . use of reset button 42 enables the fig2 embodiment to resume operation under the appropriate mode of the schedule of reinforcement . with regard to the methodology of operation of control means 20 ( of fig1 ) and microprocessor control means 32 ( of fig2 ), fig3 a - 3c fully outline , in flow chart format , the salient features of the present method . the present method utilizes a number of different timing sequences to determine the appropriate mode of the schedule of reinforcement , as a function of the continuously monitored vocal behavior of the subject child . the flow chart of fig3 a - 3c delineates a number of different timers , each usually associated with a given time period for comparison therewith , to determine appropriate reinforcer conduct . each of these given time periods is usually variable , although any of such given time periods may be preselected in a particular embodiment , or any of such given time periods may be randomly selected by a probability generator or other device accomplishing an analogous function . referring to fig3 a , start 100 may be associated either with the initial start operation for an apparatus of a fig1 or 2 embodiment , or with the reset operation 42 of the microprocessor 32 of fig2 . in either event , timer t1 1 is reset and started in step 110 . timer t1 1 times the duration during which the subject child does not emit the criterion response ( i . e ., vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th ). decision branch 120 tests to determine if the audio input level ( i . e ., the vocal behavior of the subject child ) is equal to or above the threshold th . if the subject child emits vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch ( i . e ., branch &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;) is taken from decision branch 120 to fig3 b , wherein mode 2 operation is engaged . if the subject child is not emitting the criterion response , a &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 120 , and a &# 34 ; loop &# 34 ; is established around decision branch 130 , where the elapsed time t1 1 is compared with the given time x1 1 . this is the first instance of comparison between a timer and a given time , as alluded to earlier . also , it should be noted that monitoring of subject child vocal behavior is actually continuous , although the flow chart indicates that such monitoring is acted on discretely . x1 1 is the given time ( i . e ., the duration during which the subject child does not emit the criterion response ) required for the presentation of &# 34 ; reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 . when the elapsed time t1 1 is equivalent to or in excess of the given time x1 1 a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 130 to step 140 , where timer t1 2 is reset and started . timer t1 2 times the duration of the &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 presentation , as conducted in step 150 , which presentation is a function of the variable time ( vt ) schedule of mode 1 ( i . e ., timer t1 1 compared with the given time x1 1 causes the presentation of the &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 to be conducted on the variable time ( vt ) schedule of mode 1 -- only in the absence of the criterion response ). decision branch 160 tests for continued absence of the criterion response . in the continued absence of the criterion response , a &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 160 , and a &# 34 ; loop &# 34 ; is established around decision branch 170 , where the elapsed time t1 2 is compared with the given time x1 2 . x1 2 is the given time that the &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 is presented in the continued absence of the criterion response . when the elapsed time t1 2 is equivalent to or in excess of the given time x1 2 , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 170 to step 180 , where the presentation of &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 is suspended . upon the conclusion of step 180 , timer t1 1 is reset and started in step 110 . such an affirmative decision in decision branch 170 causes a continuation of the variable time ( vt ) schedule of mode 1 . it should be noted , however , that if the subject child emits vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th before t1 2 is equivalent to or in excess of x1 2 , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 160 to step 190 , where the presentation of &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 is suspended . upon the conclusion of step 190 , branch &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; is taken to fig2 b , wherein mode 2 operation is engaged . from the foregoing overview of fig3 a , it may be seen that the operation of mode 1 is characterized by the subject child not emitting the criterion response , resulting in the intermittent presentation of &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 in accordance with the variable time ( vt ) schedule thereof . referring to fig4 the start position 200 corresponds to the start position 100 of fig3 a . exit from mode 1 to mode 2 ( i . e ., 210 to 220 in fig4 ) corresponds to exit , via branch &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, from the affirmative branches of decision branches 120 and 160 of fig3 a . if the affirmative branch from decision branch 120 is taken , either the &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 was not being conducted or step 180 had suspended such conducting . if the affirmative branch from decision branch 160 is taken , step 190 suspends the conducting of &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 . in either case , operation of the mode 1 schedule [ i . e ., ( vt )] is suspended and branch &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; is taken to fig3 b , wherein mode 2 operation is engaged . thus , the ( vt ) schedule is suspended because the subject child is emitting the criterion response . referring to fig3 b , it is known by definition ( i . e ., an affirmative decision in decision branch 120 or 160 ) that the subject child is emitting the criterion response ( i . e ., vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th . accordingly , in step 295 , the &# 34 ; red light on &# 34 ; signal ( discussed above with regard to elements 34 , 36 , and 40 of fig2 ) is transmitted simultaneously with the reset and start of timer t3 in step 300 . timer t3 times the duration during which the vocal behavior of the subject child is equal to or above the threshold th . decision branch 310 tests to determine if the audio input level ( i . e ., the vocal behavior of the subject child ) is equal to or above the threshold th . if the subject child continues to emit vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 310 and a &# 34 ; loop &# 34 ; is established around decision branch 320 until the elapsed time t3 is equivalent to or in excess of the given time x3 1 . when such event occurs , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch ( i . e ., branch &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;) is taken from decision branch 320 to fig3 c , wherein mode 3 operation ( discussed further below with regard to fig3 c ) is engaged . however , as long as the timer t3 &# 34 ; loop &# 34 ; is operative , mode 2 is engaged , so that only positive reinforcer r2 can be presented , if any stimulus presentation is conducted . the presentation of positive reinforcer r2 is contingent upon the behavior of the subject child . specifically , the presentation of positive reinforcer r2 is contingent upon the cessation of the criterion response for a predetermined period of time . therefore , upon cessation of the criterion response , a &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 310 to step 330 , where timer t2 1 is reset and started . timer t2 1 times the duration during which the subject child does not emit the criterion response , after mode 2 ( i . e ., fig3 b ) has been entered . decision branch 340 tests for continued absence of the criterion response . in the continued absence of the criterion response , a &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 340 , and a &# 34 ; loop &# 34 ; is established around decision branch 350 , where the elapsed time t2 1 is compared with the given time x2 1 . x2 1 is the given time ( i . e ., the duration during which the subject child does not emit the criterion response ) required for the presentation of positive reinforcer r2 . when the elapsed time t2 1 is equivalent to or in excess of the given time x2 1 , positive reinforcer r2 is presented . it should be noted , however , that if the subject child emits the criterion response ( i . e ., vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th ) after a cessation of such behavior but before t2 1 is equivalent to or in excess of x2 1 , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 340 , which causes a return to the input of decision branch 310 . such affirmative decision in decision branch 340 causes a suspension of the current operation of timer t2 1 . referring again to decision branch 350 , if the &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch of decision branch 350 is taken , timer t2 2 is reset and started in step 360 . timer t2 2 times the duration of the positive reinforcer r2 presentation , as conducted in step 370 . decision branch 380 tests for continued absence of the criterion response . in the continued absence of the criterion response , a &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 380 , and a &# 34 ; loop &# 34 ; is established around decision branch 400 , where the elapsed time t2 2 is compared with the given time x2 2 . x2 2 is the given time that the positive reinforcer r2 is presented , contingent upon the continued absence of the criterion response . when the elapsed time t2 2 is equivalent to or in excess of the given time x2 2 , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 400 to step 410 , where the presentation of positive reinforcer r2 is suspended simultaneously with the transmission of the &# 34 ; red light off &# 34 ; signal ( as discussed above with regard to elements 34 , 36 , and 40 of fig2 ) in step 415 , which causes a return , via branch &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;, to the reset and start of timer t1 1 in step 110 of fig3 a . that is , successful retraining of the subject child ( i . e ., cessation of the criterion response for the given time x2 2 ) causes a reversion from mode 2 operation to mode 1 operation ( i . e ., from fig3 b to fig3 a ). it should be noted , however , that if the presentation of positive reinforcer r2 does not result in the cessation of the criterion response for the given time x2 2 , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 380 , which suspends presentation of positive reinforcer r2 in step 390 and causes a return to the reset and start of timer t3 in step 300 [ i . e ., the initial starting point of mode 2 operation ( fig3 b )]. therefore , continued operation of mode 2 may result either in a reversion to mode 1 operation ( i . e ., fig3 a ) or a transfer &# 34 ; downward &# 34 ; to mode 3 operation ( i . e ., fig3 c ), as previously described with regard to branch &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; of decision branch 320 of fig3 b . referring again to fig4 the interrelationship existing between mode 2 and modes 1 and 3 is displayed diagrammatically therein . that is , mode 2 ( 220 ) may result either in a reversion to mode 1 operation ( 210 ) or a &# 34 ; transfer &# 34 ; to mode 3 operation ( 230 ). referring to fig3 c , mode 3 operation is engaged if the subject child continues to emit vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th for the given time x3 1 ( i . e ., an affirmative decision in decision branch 320 of fig3 b ), after entering mode 2 . x3 1 is the given time during which the subject child continues to emit vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th without a pause of sufficient duration to allow for the presentation of positive reinforcer r2 in accordance with the ( r & gt ; t ) schedule of mode 2 . mode 3 operation utilizes the presentation of novel stimuli n1 in an attempt to elicit an &# 34 ; orienting response &# 34 ; which will result in a pause in such vocal behavior of sufficient duration to cause a reversion to mode 2 operation . step 420 presents novel stimuli n1 , which stimuli may be any suitable nondetrimental audio or visual stimuli , such as flashing lights or brief audible stimuli . after the presentation of novel stimuli n1 in step 420 , decision branch 430 tests to determine if the audio input level ( i . e ., the vocal behavior of the subject child ) is equal to or above the threshold th . in the absence of the criterion response , the &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; branch of decision branch 430 is taken to step 440 , where the existing time t3 is held , so that timer t2 1 may be reset and started in step 450 . as discussed above ( i . e ., mode 2 of fig3 b ), timer t2 1 times the duration during which the subject child does not emit the criterion response . decision branch 460 tests for continued absence of the criterion response . in the continued absence of the criterion response , a &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 460 , and a &# 34 ; loop &# 34 ; is established around decision branch 470 , where the elapsed time t2 1 is compared with the given time x2 1 . x2 1 is the given time ( i . e ., the duration during which the subject child does not emit the criterion response ) required for the presentation of positive reinforcer r2 . when the elapsed time t2 1 is equivalent to or in excess of the given time x2 1 , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch ( i . e ., branch &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;) is taken from decision branch 470 to step 360 of fig3 b , where mode 2 operation resumes with the presentation of positive reinforcer r2 . referring again to decision branch 460 , if the subject child emits vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th after the absence of such behavior is determined in decision branch 430 , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 460 to step 520 , where timer t3 is released from the &# 34 ; hold &# 34 ; put thereon in step 440 . upon the conclusion of step 520 , the presentation of novel stimuli n1 resumes in step 420 . referring once again to fig4 an affirmative decision in decision branch 470 of fig3 c corresponds to a reversion from mode 3 ( 230 ) to mode 2 ( 220 ) in fig4 . mode 3 operation ultimately causes either a reversion to mode 2 operation ( which may , in turn , result in a reversion to mode 1 operation ) or a &# 34 ; stop &# 34 ; at step 240 . it should be noted , however , that if the presentation of novel stimuli n1 in step 420 does not result in a pause in vocal behavior equal to or above the threshold th of sufficient duration to cause a reversion to mode 2 operation , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 430 and a &# 34 ; loop &# 34 ; is established around decision branch 480 , where the elapsed time t3 is compared with the given time x3 2 . x3 2 is the given time required for a given number of novel stimulus n1 presentations . when the elapsed time t3 is equivalent to or in excess of the given time x3 2 , a &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; branch is taken from decision branch 480 to step 490 , which causes a termination of novel stimulus n1 presentations and a transmission of the &# 34 ; alarm &# 34 ; signal ( as discussed above with regard to elements 34 , 36 , and 39 of fig2 ) in step 500 . step 500 , in turn , causes a suspension ( i . e ., &# 34 ; stop &# 34 ;) in the operation of the apparatus in step 510 , which step corresponds to step 240 in fig4 . operation does not resume after a &# 34 ; stop &# 34 ; without a manual reset ( i . e ., reset 42 of fig2 ), as discussed above with regard to parent or care provider intervention . the &# 34 ; alarm &# 34 ; signal and &# 34 ; stop &# 34 ; functions of the present invention are included to ensure that operation does not continue indefinitely in the continued presence of criterion responding . such an &# 34 ; alarm &# 34 ; signal is interpreted as an indication of actual subject distress , requiring intervention by the parent or care provider . hence , in the event of actual subject distress , the operation of the present invention is suspended in favor of the exigencies of the &# 34 ; distress &# 34 ; situation . freedom for such vocal behavior to occur without any suppressive countermeasures protects the subject child from any harmful effects , with respect to any functions of the present invention . with regard to fig4 the foregoing discussion clearly describes each breakpoint ( i . e ., mode change ) in fig3 a - 3c where branching occurs relative to the branch indications of fig4 . many modifications and variations to the foregoing embodiments of the present invention are within the skill level of one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the broader conceptual spirit and features of the present invention . for example , various component reinforcer mechanisms may be added to a basic unit as optional features without departing from the scope of the present invention . other indicators , such as tones or lights , may signal the subject child of a change among the various modes . for example , a change from mode 1 operation to mode 2 operation may be signaled by the cessation of a tone and / or a light . that is , the tone and / or light would operate continuously during mode 1 operation . a change from mode 1 operation to mode 2 operation may be contingent upon a duration measure in addition to the magnitude measure , discussed above . that is , such change may be contingent upon vocal behavior which is equal to or above the threshold th for a predetermined period of time . the presentations of &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 may be separated by a number of &# 34 ; short &# 34 ; intervals immediately following a change from mode 2 operation to mode 1 operation . that is , &# 34 ; long &# 34 ; intervals between presentations of &# 34 ; positive reinforcer &# 34 ; r1 at this breakpoint may be undesirable . ( i ) a response dependent schedule of reinforcement may be used instead of or in addition to the variable time ( vt ) schedule of mode 1 . for example , vocal responses which fall within a specified audible range -- said specified audible range being below the threshold th -- may be reinforced according to a variable interval ( vi ) schedule . under such a schedule , the first such response which occurs after the passage of some variable time interval will be reinforced . however , other responses ( i . e ., nonvocal responses ) together with appropriate monitoring means as well as other schedules of reinforcement may be used to achieve the desired reinforcement density in mode 1 . ( ii ) reinforcer r2 may be a stimulas ( e . g ., the above mentioned tones and lights ) correlated with a return to mode 1 operation . such a stimulus may be referred to as a conditioned positive reinforcer . the foregoing discussion of schedule parameters ( i . e ., modes ) is intended to be comprehensive with respect to the current state of the art as it applies to the present methodology ( i . e ., nondetrimental reduction of infant &# 34 ; crying &# 34 ; behavior ). however , given the paucity of relevant data in the literature on infant &# 34 ; crying &# 34 ; behavior , certain questions and contradictions remain , which can be resolved only via the rigor of further scientific investigation . for example , under some circumstances , intermittent stimulation is known to increase arousal levels in infants . accordingly , mode 1 operation may serve to increase the arousal level of the subject child , thereby eliciting &# 34 ; crying &# 34 ; behavior -- rather than &# 34 ; reinforcing &# 34 ; the occurrence of behaviors which are incompatible with &# 34 ; crying &# 34 ; behavior . similarly , the presentation of a novel stimulus as a consequence of a response is known , under some circumstances , to reinforce such responding . accordingly , mode 3 operation may serve to reinforce &# 34 ; crying &# 34 ; behavior , rather than to elicit a pause in such behavior . also , the three modes herein described may be used separately or in different combinations of two &# 39 ; s , other than the all - combined ( modes 1 , 2 and 3 ) combination described for fig3 a - 3c . for example , modes 1 or 2 might be used alone , or the combinations 1 / 2 , 2 / 3 and 1 / 3 might be used . all such modifications and variations are intended to be included in the present invention , which is set forth in more particularity by the appended claims . | 0 |
the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure or the application and uses thereof . furthermore , there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following turning now to fig1 , an exemplary environment 100 for the implementation of the disclosed system and method is shown . a fss structure 110 is configured of fit directly over the top of an existing molded antenna structure 120 . the fss structure may be configured as a cover which can be placed over existing antennas and radomes , or as a flexible substrate with an adhesive backing that may be adhered to the antenna . turning now to fig2 , an exemplary fss structure 200 is shown . the fss structure may be loaded with package components 210 such as high q packaged components such as electromechanical resonators , and / or surface mount inductors and capacitors and / or equivalent coplanar frequency selective structures , such as open and shorted transmission line stubs . turning now to fig3 , an exemplary process for manufacturing the fss is shown . the plurality of unit cells which comprise the fss may be etched onto a thin flexible single - sided copper clad substrate 310 such as , but not limited to , kapton or pet . one side of this substrate is coated with an adhesive material 220 . the adhesive backing 220 on the substrate is used to mount the assembled fss to an existing radome or antenna cover and may include graphics or other information and attached to the antenna radome similar to a decal . the fss loaded with packaged components such as , but not limited to , high q packaged components such as electromechanical resonators , and / or surface mount inductors and capacitors and / or equivalent coplanar frequency selective structures , such as open and shorted transmission line stubs which can be placed and soldered 320 on to the flexible single sided copper clad substrate . the plurality of unit cells which comprise the fss may be etched onto a thin flexible single - sided copper clad substrate such as but not limited to kapton or pet . one side of this substrate may be coated with an adhesive material . the adhesive backing on the substrate may be used to mount the assembled fss to a thermoformed plastic shell having the same shape and dimensions as the existing radome or antenna cover over which it is meant to be placed 330 . turning now to fig4 , an alternative method of adhering the fss is shown . attachment of this fss and plastic shell combination 410 over an existing radome 420 housing an antenna 430 may be accomplished by using adhesive material placed on a mounting foot 440 . the purpose of this mount foot 440 is to provide a flat surface for attachment of the proposed invention to surrounding support material such as the roof of a car . an example of the adhered fss to an existing radome 450 is shown . the fss may be coated with the adhesive on the back of the radome , wherein the mounting foot 440 is employed for additional adhesion strength . alternatively the fss 410 may not have an adhesive applied to the surface and only to the mounting foot 440 . in this example , the fss 410 is adhered only by the mounting foot 440 . turning now to fig5 , an exemplary method for assembling an apparatus according to the present disclosure is shown . an exemplary method of protecting the surface mount devices and the fss is shown by first etching the fss design on a flexible substrate with adhesive backing 520 . the fss is etched and , as needed , packaged components are then soldered onto the fss 530 . a thermoform solid antenna cover is created 510 to protect the components mounted on the fss . the solid antenna cover is then affixed to on the fss on the same side as the packaged components 540 to create a complete fss structure . the complete fss structure is then adhered to the existing radome / antenna 550 as described previously . attachment of these two plastic shells can be accomplished by using adhesive backing or acoustic welding to bond the mounting feet on the base of each shell . the frequency selective surface ( fss ) loaded with packaged components such as , but not limited to , high q packaged components such as electromechanical resonators , and / or surface mount inductors and capacitors and / or equivalent coplanar frequency selective structures , such as open and shorted transmission line stubs . the plurality of unit cells which comprise the fss are etched onto a thin flexible single - sided copper clad substrate such as but not limited to kapton or pet . the reverse side of this substrate is coated with an adhesive material . the adhesive backing on the substrate may be used to mount the assembled fss to an inner thermoformed plastic shell having the same shape and dimensions as the existing radome or antenna cover over which it is meant to be placed . attachment of this fss and plastic shell combination over an existing radome can be accomplished by using adhesive material placed on the bottom of the inner plastic shell mounting foot . the purpose of this mount foot is to provide a flat surface for attachment of the proposed invention to surrounding support material such as the roof of a car . turning now to fig6 , an exemplary method of implementing 600 the present disclosed system and method is shown . the fss 610 is shown encased in both and outer thermoformed cover and an inner thermoformed cover . the fss 610 is shown with the optional mounting feet . the fss 610 is configured to be conformed and adhered to the existing radome antenna structure 630 . the fss adhered to the radome antenna structure is shown 620 . turning now to fig7 , a method 700 for assembling a fss with inner and outer thermoformed covers is shown . an exemplary method of protecting the surface mount devices and the fss is shown by first etching the fss design on a flexible substrate with adhesive backing 720 . the fss is etched and the packaged components are then soldered onto the fss 730 . a thermoform solid antenna inner cover is created 710 to protect the components mounted on the fss . the solid antenna cover is then affixed to on the fss on the same side as the packaged components 540 to create a semi complete fss structure . a thermoformed outer cover is then created 750 to protect the outer surface of the fss . the outer cover is then adhered to the semi complete fss structure 760 to create a complete fss structure . the complete fss structure is then adhered to the existing radome / antenna 770 as described previously . attachment of these two plastic shells can be accomplished by using adhesive backing or acoustic welding to bond the mounting feet on the base of each shell . the frequency selective surface ( fss ) loaded with packaged components such as but not limited to surface mount inductors and capacitors and / or electromechanical resonators . the plurality of unit cells which comprise the fss are etched onto a thin flexible single - sided copper clad substrate such as but not limited to kapton or pet . the reverse side of this substrate is coated with an adhesive material . the adhesive backing on the substrate may be used to mount the assembled fss to an inner thermoformed plastic shell having the same shape and dimensions as the existing radome or antenna cover over which it is meant to be placed . attachment of this fss and plastic shell combination over an existing radome can be accomplished by using adhesive material placed on the bottom of the inner plastic shell mounting foot . the purpose of this mount foot is to provide a flat surface for attachment of the proposed invention to surrounding support material such as the roof of a car . it will be appreciated that while this exemplary embodiment is described in the context of a fully functioning computer system , those skilled in the art will recognize that the mechanisms of the present disclosure are capable of being distributed as a program product with one or more types of non - transitory computer - readable signal bearing media used to store the program and the instructions thereof and carry out the distribution thereof , such as a non - transitory computer readable medium bearing the program and containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to perform and execute the program . such a program product may take a variety of forms , and the present disclosure applies equally regardless of the particular type of computer - readable signal bearing media used to carry out the distribution . examples of signal bearing media include : recordable media such as floppy disks , hard drives , memory cards and optical disks , and transmission media such as digital and analog communication links | 7 |
please refer to fig2 , which is a schematic diagram of a power supply device 10 for driving an amplifier 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the amplifier 12 receives driving power through a positive power reception end 120 and a negative power reception end 122 , amplifies a signal v in received by a signal reception end 124 , and outputs a signal v out from a signal output end 126 . the power supply device 10 includes a first power generator 100 , a second power generator 102 , a charge pump 104 , and a control unit 106 . the first power generator 100 and the second power generator 102 generate voltages cv dd and cv cc for a positive power reception end 120 of the amplifier 12 and the charge pump 104 . the charge pump 104 converts the voltage cv cc provided by the second power generator 102 into a negative voltage cv ss , cv ss =(− n 2 )× cv cc , and outputs the voltage cv ss to the negative power reception end 122 of the amplifier 12 . thus , positive and negative powers driving the amplifier 12 are provided by different power generators . the control unit 106 controls the voltage cv cc of the second power generator 102 , so as to adjust the voltage cv ss to make the voltage cv dd equal to a multiple of the voltage cv ss , or cv ss =(− n )× cv dd . therefore , in the power supply device 10 , levels of positive and negative powers of the amplifier 12 may be different for applying to different situations . for example , please refer to fig3 and fig4 . fig3 is a schematic diagram of signal waveforms corresponding to the amplifier 12 in a condition of n = 0 . 5 , while fig4 is a schematic diagram of signal waveforms corresponding to the amplifier 12 in a condition of n = 1 . 5 . in fig3 , the output voltage v out of the amplifier 12 has a small amplitude when operating in a power saving mode , such as an idle mode , so that setting n smaller than 1 can reduce quiescent current and power consumption . on the contrary , in fig4 , the output voltage v out of the amplifier 12 has a greater amplitude when operating in a normal mode , so that n can be set larger than 1 . in this way , even if the voltage cv ss varies with charging and discharging capacitors of the charge pump 104 , signals outputted from the amplifier 12 can be prevented from being curtailed since the voltage cv ss is 1 . 5 times the voltage cv dd , meaning that the amplifier 12 has a wider output range in the negative polarity . thus , the capacitors in the charge pump 104 can be replaced with capacitors of less capacitance , so that a size of the charge pump 104 can be reduced . note that , the power supply device 10 shown in fig2 is an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , and those skills in the art can make modification , such as driving a plurality of amplifiers , not just one . please refer to fig5 , which is a schematic diagram of the power supply device 10 for driving amplifiers 500 , 502 according to the present invention . the amplifiers 500 , 502 receive driving power from positive reception ends 520 , 528 and negative reception ends 522 , 530 , amplify signals v in 1 , v in 2 received from signal reception ends 524 , 532 , and then output signals v out 1 , v out 2 to a load circuit 504 , such as a stereo headphone or a loudspeaker , through signal output ends 526 , 534 . in addition , the present invention can also accomplish the same performance by one power generator . please refer to fig6 , which is a schematic diagram of a power supply device 60 for driving an amplifier 62 according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the amplifier 62 receives driving power from a positive power reception end 620 and a negative power reception end 622 , amplifies a signal v in received by a signal reception end 624 , and outputs a signal v out through a signal output end 626 . the power supply device 60 includes a power generator 600 , a power conversion unit 602 , a charge pump 604 and a control unit 606 . the power generator 600 provides a voltage cv dd for a positive power reception end 620 of the amplifier 62 and the power conversion unit 602 . the power conversion unit 602 converts the voltage cv dd into a voltage cv cc and outputs the voltage cv cc to the charge pump 604 . the charge pump 604 converts the voltage cv cc provided by the power conversion unit 602 into a negative voltage cv ss ( cv ss =(− n 2 )× cv cc ) and outputs the voltage cv ss to the negative power reception end 622 of the amplifier 62 . besides , the control unit 606 controls the voltage cv cc of the power conversion unit 602 , so as to adjust the voltage cv ss to make the voltage cv dd equal to a multiple of the voltage cv ss , or cv ss =(− n )× cv dd . therefore , in the power supply device 60 , levels of positive and negative powers of the amplifier 62 may be different for applying to different situations . in a power saving mode ( as shown in fig3 ), the output voltage v out of the amplifier 62 has a small amplitude , so that setting n smaller than 1 can reduce quiescent current to reduce power consumption . on the contrary , in a normal mode ( as shown in fig4 ), the output voltage v out of the amplifier 62 has a greater amplitude , so that n can be set larger than 1 . in this way , even if the voltage cv ss varies with charging and discharging capacitors of the charge pump 604 , signals outputted from the amplifier 62 can be prevented from being curtailed since the voltage cv ss is 1 . 5 times the voltage cv dd , meaning that the amplifier 62 has a wider output range in the negative polarity . thus , the capacitors in the charge pump 604 can be replaced with capacitors of less capacitance , so that a size of the charge pump 604 can be reduced . in summary , in the present invention power supply device , levels of the positive and negative powers of the amplifier can be different . in the power saving mode , the present invention can set n smaller than 1 for reducing quiescent current and saving power . in the normal mode , the present invention can set n larger than 1 , so that the amplifier has a wider output range in the negative polarity . under this circumstance , the capacitors in the charge pump can be replaced by capacitors of less capacitance , so that the size of the charge pump can be further reduced . in addition , due to two power generators driving multiple amplifiers , the present invention can prevent current variation generated by switching transistors from affecting system operations . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims . | 7 |
fig1 shows a block diagram of a system 10 for producing personalized image - based products . an online printing system 20 can be established by an image service provider to provide image services and products on a wide area network such as the internet 50 . the online printing system 20 can include a data center 30 , one or more printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 , and a computer network 80 that can facilitate the communications between the data center 30 and the finishing facilities 40 and 41 . in the present specification , the term “ personalized ” is used in personalized content , personalized messages , personalized images , and personalized designs that can be incorporated in the personalized products . the term “ personalized ” refers to the information that is specific to the recipient , the user , the gift product , or the intended occasion . the content of personalization can be provided by a user or selected by the user from a library of content provided by the image - server provided . the content provided can include stock images and content licensed from a third party . the term “ personalized information ” can also be referred to as “ individualized information ” or “ customized information ”. examples of personalized image - based products may include personalized photo greeting cards , photo prints , photo books , photo t - shirt , and photo , mugs etc . the personalized image - based products can include users &# 39 ; photos , personalized text , and personalized designs . the term “ photo book ” refers to books that include one or more pages and at least one image on a book page . a photo books can include a photo albums , a scrapbook , a photo calendar book , or a photo snapbook , etc . the photo book in the disclosed system can include personalized image and text content provided by a user or by a third party . a “ photo - book kit ” in the disclosed system refers to a photo book comprising personalized content as described above , as well as one or more book accessories such as a slip case for a book , a book insert such as a bookmark , and a dust jacket . the “ photo - book kit ” in the disclosed system can include personalized content on the book pages , the book cover , and the book accessories . the data center 30 can include one or more servers 32 , data storage devices 34 for storing image data , user account and order information , and one or more computer processors 36 for processing orders and rendering digital images . an online - photo website can be powered by the servers 32 to serve as a web interface between the users 70 and the image service provider . the users 70 can order image - based products from the web interface . the printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 can produce the ordered image - based products such as photographic prints , greeting cards , holiday cards , post cards , photo albums , photo calendars , photo books , photo t - shirt , photo mugs , photo aprons , image recording on compact disks ( cds ) or dvds , and framed photo prints . the architecture of the data storage devices 34 is designed to optimize the data accessibility , the storage reliability and the cost . further details on the image data storage in online printing system 20 are provided in the commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 839 , 803 , titled “ multi - tier data storage system ”, which is incorporated herein by reference . the printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 can be co - located at the data center 30 . alternatively , the printing and finishing facility 40 and 41 can be located remotely from the data center 30 . the printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 can be set up . each printing and finishing facility 40 or 41 can be geographically located close to a large population of customers to shorten order delivery time . furthermore , the printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 and the data center 30 can be operated by different business entities . for example , a first business entity can own the data center 30 and host the website that can be accessed by the users 70 . the printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 can be owned and operated by a second business entity , which can be referred as an application service provider ( asp ), responsible for fulfilling the image - based products ordered through at the website . the printing and finishing facility 40 can include one or more network servers 42 , printers 45 for printing images on physical surfaces , finishing equipment 46 for operations after the images are printed , and shipping stations 48 for confirming the completion of the orders and shipping the ordered image - based products to the user 70 or recipients 100 and 105 . the one or more network servers 42 can communicate with the data center 30 via the computer network 80 and facilitate the communications between different devices and stations in the printing and finishing facility 40 . the computer network 80 can include a local area network , a wide area network , and wireless communication network . the printers 45 can receive digital image data and control data , and reproduce images on receivers . the receivers can be separate photo prints , or pages to be incorporated into photo books . examples of the printers 45 include can be digital photographic printers such as fuji frontier minilab printers , kodak dls minilab printers , imaging solutions cyra fastprint digital photo printer , or kodak i - lab photo printers . the printers 45 can include offset digital printers or digital printing presses such as hp indigo digital printing press , xerox &# 39 ; s igen printer series , or eastman kodak &# 39 ; s nexpress digital press , etc . the printers 45 can also include large format photo or inkjet printers for printing posters and banners . the printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 can include a film processor 43 for processing exposed films , and a scanner 44 for digitizing processed film stripes . the order information and image data can be transferred from servers 32 to the network servers 42 using a standard or a proprietary protocol ( ftp , http , among others ). the finishing equipment 46 can perform operations for finishing a complete image - based product other than printing , for example , cutting , folding , adding a cover to photo book , punching , stapling , gluing , binding , envelope printing and sealing , packaging , labeling , package weighing , and postage metering . the finishing operations can also include framing a photo print , recording image data on a cd - rom and dvd , making photo t - shirts and photo mugs , etc . furthermore , the printers 45 and the finishing equipments 46 can reside at different locations . a user 70 can access the online - photo website using a computer terminal 60 as shown in fig2 . the computer terminal 60 can be a personal computer , a portable computer device , or a public entry terminal such as a kiosk . the computer terminal 60 allows a user 70 to execute software to perform tasks such as communicating with other computer users , accessing various computer resources , and viewing , creating , or otherwise manipulating electronic content , that is , any combination of text , images , movies , music or other sounds , animations , 3d virtual worlds , and links to other objects . exemplary components of the computer terminal 60 , shown in fig2 , include input / output ( i / o ) devices ( mouse 203 , keyboard 205 , display 207 ) and a general purpose computer 200 having a central processor unit ( cpu ) 221 , an t / o unit 217 and a memory 209 that stores data and various programs such as an operating system 211 , and one or more application programs 213 including applications for viewing , managing , and editing digital images ( e . g ., a graphics program such as adobe photoshop ). the computer 200 also includes non - volatile memory 210 ( e . g ., flash ram , a hard disk drive , and / or a usb memory card , a floppy disk , a cd - rom , a dvd , or other removable storage media ), and a communications device 223 ( e . g ., a modem or network adapter ) for exchanging data with an internet 50 via a communications link 225 ( e . g ., a telephone line ). the computer 200 allows the user 70 to communicate with the online - photo website using the wired or wireless communication card or device 223 . the user 70 can set up and access her personal account . the user 70 can enter user account information such as the user &# 39 ; s name , address , payment information ( e . g . a credit card number ), and information about the recipient of the image - based products . the user 70 can also enter payment information such as credit card number , the name and address on the credit card etc . the user 70 can upload digital images to the online - photo website . the user can store the images in an online photo album , create personalized image - based product at the web user interface , and order a personal image - based product and a gift product for specified recipients 100 and 105 . the computer 200 can be connected to various peripheral i / o devices such as an image capture device ( digital camera , film scanner or reflective scanners ). the peripheral device can be a digital camera 208 . the digital images captured by a digital camera are typically stored in a memory card or a memory stick ( e . g ., smartmedia ™ or compactflash ™) that are detachable from the digital camera . the digital images on the memory card can be transferred to o a non - volatile memory 210 using a card reader 206 . the digital camera 208 can also be directly connected to the computer 200 using a firewire or an usb port , a camera docking station , or a wireless communication port to allow digital images to be transferred from the memory on the detail camera to the computer &# 39 ; s disk drive or the non - volatile memory 210 . the user 70 can also obtain digital images from film - based prints from a traditional camera , by sending an exposed film into a photo - finishing service , which develops the film to make prints and / or scans ( or otherwise digitizes ) the prints or negatives to generate digital image files . the digital image files then can be downloaded by the user or transmitted back to the user by e - mail or on a cd - rom , diskette , or other removable storage medium . the users can also digitize images from a negative film using a film scanner that is connected to the computer 200 or from a reflective image print using a scanner . digital images can also be created or edited using an image software application 213 such as adobe photoshop . once the digital images are stored on the computer 200 , a user can perform various operations on the digital images using application programs 213 stored in memory 209 . for example , an image viewer application can be used for viewing the images and a photo editor application can be used for touching up and modifying the images . an electronic messaging ( e . g ., e - mail ) application can be used to transmit the digital images to other users . the application programs 213 can also enable the user 210 to create a personalized image - based product on the computer 200 . several of the above described imaging functions can be incorporated in a client software application that can be installed on a user &# 39 ; s computer 200 . in addition to viewing the digital images on the computer display 207 , the user 70 may desire to have physical image - based products made of digital images . prints can be generated by the user 70 using a digital printer 230 that is connected to the computer 200 . typical digital printers 230 can include such as an inkjet printer or a dye sublimation printer . the user 70 can also purchase image - based products from the online image service provider . the production of these image - based products often require the use of commercial equipment which are usually only available at a commercial production location such as the printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 . an example for the online image service providers is shutterfly , inc ., located at redwood city , calif . the user 70 can be a consumer that accesses the computer terminal 60 from home or a public entry terminal . the user 70 can also be a business owner or employee that may access the computer terminal 60 at a retail location such as a photo shop or a printing store . the disclosed system is compatible with a retail imaging service using a local computer 200 at the point of sales , or an online printing system wherein a user 70 access a server 32 using a remote computer terminal 60 . the formats of communication between the computer terminal 60 and the servers 32 as well as the graphic user interface can be customized for the consumer and commercial customers . the computer terminal 60 can also be a public entry terminal such as a kiosk for receiving digital image data from the user 70 and uploading the digital images to the server 32 . after the digital image files have been uploaded , the user can view , manipulate and / or order prints in the manners described above . the public entry terminal can also support various electronic payment and authorization mechanisms , for example , a credit or debit card reader in communication with a payment authorization center , to enable users to be charged , and pay for , their prints at the time of ordering . an exemplified process of using the online image service can include the following . the user 70 sends digital images to the servers 32 provided by the online printing system 20 by uploading over the internet 50 using a standard or a proprietary protocol ( ftp , http , xml , for example ) or electronic communication application ( for example , e - mail or special - purpose software provided by the photo - finisher ). the user 70 can also send digital image data stored on an electronic storage medium such as a memory card or recordable cd by us mail , overnight courier or local delivery service . the photo - finisher can then read the images from the storage medium and return it to the user , potentially in the same package as the user &# 39 ; s print order . the image service provider can load data or programs for the user &# 39 ; s benefit onto the storage medium before returning it to the user . for example , the photo - finisher can load the storage medium with an application program 213 for the user to create a personalized image - based product on his computer 200 . the user 70 can also send a roll of exposed film , and processed film negatives to the image service provider . the exposed film is processed by the film processor 43 and digitized by the scanner 44 in the printing and finishing facilities 40 and 41 . the digital image data output from the scanner 44 is stored on the data storage 34 . after the image service provider has received the user &# 39 ; s digital images , the image service provider can host the images on the online photo website , at which the user can view and access the images using a web browser or a locally installed software application . the user 70 can access the online - photo website to create and design a photo - based product such as a photo book and a photo greeting card , and specify the images to be reproduced on an image - based product and parameters relating to printing ( e . g ., finish , size , number of copies ). the user 70 can also designate one or more recipients 100 and 105 to whom the image - based products are to be sent . after the user &# 39 ; s images have reached the image service provider and have been made available online , the user can place an order with the image service provider . one way to place an order is by having the user 70 view the images online , for example , with a browser and selectively designate which images should be printed . the user can also specify one or more recipients 100 and 105 to whom prints should be distributed and , further , print parameters for each of the individual recipients , for example , not only parameters such as the size , number of copies and print finish , but potentially also custom messages to be printed on the back or front of a print . the user 70 can also authorize a recipient 110 to receive the user &# 39 ; s images electronically by entering the recipient 110 &# 39 ; s email address and other electronic identifications . the information entered by the user 70 can be stored on the server 32 and the data storage 34 , and subsequently transmitted to a printing and finishing facility 40 or 41 for making the image - based products . the image - based products can include photographic prints , but also any other item to which graphical information can be imparted , for example , greeting or holiday cards , books , greeting cards , playing cards , t - shirts , coffee mugs , mouse pads , key - chains , photo collectors , photo coasters , or other types of photo gift or novelty item . the image - based products are printed by the printer 45 and finished by finishing equipment 46 according to the printing parameters as specified by the user 70 . the image - based products are then delivered to the specified recipients 100 and 105 using standard u . s . mail , or courier services such as federal express and ups . referring to fig3 , an exemplified manufacturing workflow 300 for printing page products includes the following steps . content for printed products are first received from a user ( step 310 ) by a printing finishing facility 40 in the online printing system 20 , a local printing shop , and a retail location . the content can include text , images , page layout , background of a page , designs , styles , etc . the content can also include selections of text , images , and designs already stored at the printing finishing facility 40 . the content can be licensed from a third party by the user or a business entity associated with the printing finishing facility 40 . the user then designs layouts of the printed products using the content ( step 320 ). the printed products include one or more printed page ( s ) based on the content received from the user . example of the printed products include brochures , pamphlets , printed pages insertable to a binder , calendars , posters , books , photo books , product data sheets , book marks , and various types cards such as folded greeting cards , post cards , note cards , and flat holiday cards . some printed products can be in the form of single pages ( e . g . posters , flat post cards , and flat holiday cards , product data sheets , and printed pages ). a single - page printed product can be formed by cutting from a large printed page to its final dimension . some printed products include a collection of printed pages that need to be assembled by finishing operations such as sheet cutting , folding , gluing , threading , etc . the layout design ( step 320 ) can include the selection of text , font type and size of the text , image , sizes and locations of the images and text , background design , templates , and colors of the text and images . orders for printed products are next received by the printing finishing facility 40 ( step 330 ). each order includes one or more printed pages that incorporate the content submitted by a user . for efficiency reasons , referring to fig4 , several printed pages to be incorporated into a printed product can be printed on a large sheet 410 . a number of sheets 410 can be stacked into a stack 400 . the stack 400 can include printed pages from a plurality of orders . for example , the sheet 410 can be 16 ″ wide and 22 ″ long . the printed product can be greeting cards that are 7 ″ wide and 10 ″ long ( which can be folded into a 5 ″ by 7 ″ card after printing ). multiple images of printed pages are printed on a sheet 410 in the stack 400 ( step 350 ). for example , four card images 411 - 414 can be printed on a single sheet 410 . the images 411 - 414 can be slightly larger than the 7 ″ by 10 ″ final card dimensions . the long dimensions of the card image 411 - 414 can be aligned with the long dimension of the sheet 410 . the short dimensions of the card images 411 - 414 can be aligned with the short dimension of the sheet 410 . the sheet 410 can include margins 415 between the card images 411 - 414 and along the edges of the sheet 410 . for producing cards with double - sided printed images , the sheet 410 can be printed double - side with another set of card images printed on the back side . the card images on the two sides of the sheet 410 are registered in their locations on the sheet 410 . the card images 411 - 414 in different sheets 410 can be aligned in separate columns such that they can be cut into different card stacks as described below . a stack 400 of sheets 410 are typically printed in a batch by a printer or a printing press . the sheets 410 are typically stacked in an output tray of the printer or the printing press . each stack 400 usually includes printed pages from a plurality of orders each of which may have different number of printed pages . the arrangement of the printed pages in the stack needs to be optimized before printing to minimize paper waste ( step 340 ), as described in detail below . after the stack 400 of sheets 410 is printed , the stack 400 is cut along the borders of the card images 411 - 414 ( step 360 ). the margins 415 are discarded . four stacks 510 , 520 , 530 , 540 of printed pages , as shown in fig5 , are produced . the stack 510 contains individual printed pages 511 . similarly , the stacks 520 , 530 , and 540 respectively contain printed pages 521 , 531 , 541 . the printed pages 511 , 521 , 531 , 541 respectively carry card image 411 , 412 , 413 , and 414 printed on the sheets 410 as described above . each stack 510 , 520 , 530 , or 540 is separated into different orders , and packaged and shipped directly ( step 370 ). each order can include one or more greeting cards . the printed pages 511 , 521 , 531 , 541 can also be scored and folded in one or more finishing steps ( step 380 ) to form folded cards before they are packaged and shipped . for example , a printed page 511 , 521 , 531 , 541 can 10 ″× 7 ″ that can be folded into 5 ″ by 7 ″ folded card . the recipient of the order can be the same or different from the user who sent in the content , or submitted the order . while the above described process allows a large number of printed pages to be efficiently printed and cut in a batch , it can also generate a significant amount of paper waste , because each card stack 510 , 520 , 530 , or 540 can include significant number of unpainted pages . the card orders are usually broken into subbatches . the maximum card number in a card subbatch is determined by the number of sheets 410 in the stack 400 . for example , the maximum number of sheets 410 in the stack 400 can be set to 51 , which may be determined , for example , by ease of cutting the stack by a cutter . the maximum number of cards in a card subbatch is therefore also 51 . a card order containing 61 cards is thus separated into two smaller subbatches such as 51 and 10 . the two subbatches of 51 and 10 cards need to printed in different card stacks 511 , 521 , 531 , and 541 , and re - assembled into a single card stack after cutting ( normally before folding ) so they can be shipped together as an order . the card stacks 510 , 520 , 530 , and 540 have the same number of pages ( most are printed but some may be unprinted or blank ) because the card stacks 510 , 520 , 530 , and 540 are made from the same stack 400 . each card stack 510 , 520 , 530 , or 540 is formed by card subbatches that can have different numbers of cards . a card stack 510 , 520 , 530 , or 540 does not have unprinted pages if the total number of cards ( that can be from one or more subbatches ) in that card stack matches the number of pages in that stack ( which also equals to the number of sheets in the stack 400 ). in some situations , one or more pages in a card stack 510 , 520 , 530 , or 540 are not printed , if the total number of cards in the card stack is smaller than the number of printed pages in that card stack . the blank or unprinted printed pages represent a waste in the manufacturing process . the optimization of the card stacks ( step 340 ) is now described using the above example of card printing . in the present invention , a job or printing job refers to a group of subbatches to be printed together . to create a printing job , card subbatches need to assigned to form different columns in a stack of sheets . card orders having more than 51 cards are first separated into card subbatches smaller than or equal to 51 . in one example , a series of card subbatches having the following number of cards can be generated : an exemplified solution for the stack separation results in a job having 215 sheets ( 410 ) that contains five stacks respectively comprising 51 , 51 , 51 , 50 , and 12 sheets : the subbatches are moved around from the original chronicle sequence to balance the sizes of the stacks . the fourth and the fifth stack size are respectively reduced to 50 and 12 sheets to minimize blank pages . the subbatch containing 15 cards is s divided into 3 and 12 cards in two separate stacks . similarly , the subbatch containing 18 cards is divided into 9 and 9 cards in two separate stacks . the subbatch containing 4 card sheets is divided into 3 and 1 card in two separate stacks . the maximum stack number is determined by the column ( or stack ) that has the most items . for example , for the fifth stack comprising 10 , 12 , 9 ( 3 + 9 ) in the four stacks , the maximum stack size is 12 . the above s exemplified solution resulted in 6 un - printed or wasted pages . the separation of each series of card subbatches usually has multiple solutions . a worst stack separation can have 51 printed pages in a stack and all blank pages for b stack , c stack , and d stacks . a systematic approach is thus needed to seek for the solution producing the least number of blank pages . a “ stack - balancing ” algorithm installed on a computer at the printing finishing facility 40 or 41 attempts to separate them into four stacks ( a , b , c , and d ) corresponding to card stacks 511 , 521 , 531 and 541 . the maximum number of sheets for each stack can be 51 . to fulfill these card orders at the lower paper waste , the algorithm attempts to separate the stacks to have stack sizes as equal as possible , to reduce paper waste . referring to fig6 and 7 , the “ stack - balancing ” algorithm can include one or more of the following steps : collect enough number of subbatches to above a minimum number of total cards ( step 610 ). for the example of card printing described above and illustrated in fig4 and 5 , at least four card subbatches are needed to have four card images printed on a sheet 410 . unique item counts are defined by the number of unique values in the list of subbatch item counts to balance . for example , the group of subbatches respectively having 10 , 15 , 18 , 18 , and 10 printed pages has three unique item counts ( 10 , 15 , 18 ). a possible reduced stack size is next determined based on the difference between the two largest subbatch item counts found in the job ( step 620 ). if second to largest item count is less then 65 % of largest then the largest is moved to the next job . for example : if the item counts in a group of subbatches are 1 , 3 , 5 , 8 , 11 , 51 then 51 is skipped and the maximum stack size calculated will be 11 . if item counts are 1 , 3 , 5 , 8 , 11 , 46 , 51 then maximum size will be 51 . this step makes item counts more evenly distributed among subbatches , thus giving a better chance for balanced distribution between different columns of printed pages in the stack 400 or more balanced stacks 510 - 540 . the maximum stack size is next set to the maximum using one of the following two methods : a ) a sum of all item counts divided by the number of stacks . b ) the largest item count in any one subbatch as determined in the step 620 . example item counts and calculated stack size if there are 4 stacks ( e . g . 510 , 520 530 , 540 ): for item counts of 51 , 48 , 2 , 1 , 8 , the maximum stack size is set to 51 using method b ). 10 , 15 , 18 , 17 , 12 , 15 , 16 , 3 , 2 has a total of 108 items . the maximum stack size is et to be 108 / 4 = 27 using method a ). next , subbatches are sorted into a sequence having ascending item counts ( step 640 ). for example , 1 , 15 , 19 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 50 , 51 , 51 , 51 , 51 . a multiple of algorithms are then used to search for solutions using the sorted item counts and the max stack size ( step 650 ) before a least wasteful solution is selected . the first fit , best fit , worse fit , and almost worse fit are the conventional names used for fitting similar types of problems . each of the algorithms will be described using the above example of subbatch sequence : 1 , 15 , 19 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 50 , 51 , 51 , 51 , 51 . the maximum stack size is 104 using method b ) described above . key steps of this algorithm includes one or more of the following steps : assigns item count to the first stack that still has room . assigns each subbatch item count to the first stack that still has room . check if it will fit on the first stack . stop if it fits and assign to that stack . if will not fit , try the next stack . if it fits the next stack , stop and assign it to that stack . repeat until out of stacks . if it will not fit on any stack the item count is skipped . a stack : 1 , 15 , 19 , 20 , 20 , 20 [ 95 ] b stack : 20 , 21 , 23 [ 64 ] c stack : 50 , 51 [ 101 ] d stack : 51 , 51 [ 102 ] the sums in the stacks are shown above in brackets [ ] skipped : 51 [ 51 ] number of blank pages ( waste ): 46 . key steps of this algorithm includes one or more of the following steps : assign item count to the fullest stack that still has room . assign each subbatch item count to the fullest stack that still has room . add value to all stack sizes and select the one with the greatest value that does not exceed the maximum size allowed . if it will not fit on any stack the item count is skipped . the best fit solution gives a stack : 1 , 15 , 19 , 20 , 20 , 20 [ 95 ] b stack : 20 , 21 , 23 [ 64 ] c stack : 50 , 51 [ 101 ] d stack : 51 , 51 [ 102 ] the sums in the stacks are shown above in brackets [ ]. key steps of this algorithm includes one or more of the following steps : assigns item count to the second emptiest stack that still has room . sort stack sizes by current sum values in descending order ( emptiest first ). assign to second stack if it fits ; if it does not fit , assign to first stack . if it does not fit on first or second stack , the item count is skipped . a stack : 1 , 20 , 20 , 50 [ 91 ] b stack : 15 , 20 , 21 [ 56 ] c stack : 19 , 20 , 23 [ 62 ] d stack : 51 , 51 [ 102 ] the sums in the stacks are shown above in brackets [ ]. key steps of this algorithm includes one or more of the following steps : assigns item count to the emptiest stack that still has room . add value to all stack sizes and select the one with the smallest value that does not exceed the maximum size allowed . if it will not fit on any stack the item count is skipped . a stack : 1 , 20 , 23 , 51 [ 95 ] b stack : 15 , 20 , 50 [ 85 ] c stack : 19 , 20 , 51 [ 90 ] d stack : 20 , 21 , 51 [ 92 ] the sums in the stacks are shown above in brackets [ ]. after sorting solutions are found using the algorithms as described above , the same subbatches are sorted into a sequence having descending item counts ( step 660 ): 51 , 51 , 51 , 51 , 50 , 23 , 21 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 19 , 15 , 1 ( step 660 ). the same algorithms are then used to search for a solution for subbatch sequence having ascending order ( step 670 ). the following solutions are obtained using the above described fitting algorithms : a stack : 51 , 51 , 1 [ 103 ] b stack : 51 , 51 [ 102 ] c stack : 50 , 23 , 21 [ 94 ] d stack : 20 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 19 [ 99 ] waste : 14 skipped : 15 [ 15 ] a stack : 51 , 51 , 1 [ 103 ] b stack : 51 , 51 [ 102 ] c stack : 50 , 23 , 21 [ 94 ] d stack : 20 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 19 [ 99 ] wastes : 14 skipped : 15 [ 15 ] a stack : 51 , 50 [ 101 ] b stack : 51 , 23 , 20 [ 94 ] c stack : 51 , 21 , 20 [ 92 ] d stack : 51 , 20 , 20 , 1 [ 92 ] waste : 25 skipped : 19 , 15 [ 34 ] a stack : 51 , 51 [ 102 ] b stack : 51 , 50 [ 101 ] c stack : 51 , 23 , 21 [ 95 ] d stack : 20 , 20 , 20 , 20 , 19 , 1 [ 100 ] waste : 10 skipped : 15 [ 15 ] select the least wasteful solution from all solutions ( step 680 ). the solution with the least blank cards is selected . in the above described example , the least wasteful solution was found when almost worst fit is applied to subbatches sorted in descending item counts . the subbatches in each stack in the least wasteful solution are sequenced back in accordance to the original subbatch sequence they were received ( i . e . according to first - in - first - out ( fifo ) of the printing orders ) ( step 690 ), which can improve efficiency of finishing and shipping . lastly , blank pages are inserted to fill each card stack to the same stack size , as needed , and combine back into one stack ( step 700 ). it is understood that the described system and methods can be implemented in various forms without deviating from the spirit of the specification . for instance , each sheet in a stack can include two , three , four , five , six , and other number of printed images , which can be cut into same number of stacks . the maximum number of sheets in a stack can be different from 51 . for example , the maximum number of sheets in a stack can be a number higher than 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , or 50 . the pages in different stacks can have different sizes . each printed image corresponds to a single printable item such a card , a page in a calendar or a book , etc . the described system and methods are compatible with different printing equipment : digital printing press , lithographic printing press , laser printing , ink jet printing , photographic printing , thermal printing , and thermal dye sublimation printing . | 6 |
the purposes and functions of the present invention are directed to two primary features . first , a multiplexer is incorporated to reduce the overall system cost by sharing expensive components between numerous less expensive elements . previously , every mold assembly supporting platform , which is a relatively low - cost component , had to be joined to a dedicated rf generator , a high - cost component . to increase functionality and reduce overall costs of the equipment , the present invention allows leveraging the high - cost component , the rf generator , with multiple mold assembly supporting platforms . a multiplexer is used to provide this function whereby each of the mold assembly supporting platforms has access to the shared component , the rf generator . the use of a multiplexer provides serial access between each mold assembly supporting platform and the rf generator in the nature of time sharing . a second feature of the present invention relates to the input to a computer controlled rf generator of the parameters of a particular platform mounted mold assembly to obtain the requisite forming , molding , tipping or welding of the plastic material , which may be plastic tubing , to be acted upon . presently , such parameters are manually entered into a computer controlling operation of the rf generator . while this procedure is adequate , operator errors may occur through incorrect settings . furthermore , as each mold may have different parameters as a function of the forming , molding , tipping or welding to be accomplished , the settings for a previously used mold assembly may be inadvertently not changed . additionally , as throughput is always an important function in any manufacturing process , significant delays may result from the requirement of operator input of settings for each mold assembly . by incorporating a control circuit , such as a pc board or memory chip , in each mold assembly , it can be programmed to contain the parameters of the mold . upon interrogation of the control circuit by a computer , the required settings for the rf generator will be automatically established . this avoids potential operator error , reduces set - up time and facilitates changing of mold assemblies and attendant automatic resetting of the rf generator to provide the requisite rf generator operation . referring to fig1 a and 1b , a detailed system diagram illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention . it includes rf generator 10 , temperature and motion control circuitry attendant each mold and mold platform , an hmi touch screen 12 and a computer 14 . each platform 20 , 22 , 24 and 26 supports a mold assembly including a mold 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 and a trigger or switch 36 , 38 , 40 and 42 , respectively . a multiplexer 44 serially interconnects the mold assemblies and molds 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 with the rf generator , as well as various other functions to be performed . fig2 is a simplified block diagram of the system shown in fig1 a and 1b . each mold assembly is mounted on one of platforms 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 . each mold assembly includes a control circuit to provide electrical signals corresponding with the unique parameters of the mold . these signals are transmitted to multiplexer 44 via the electrical conductors identified as mold code . the mold code is transmitted via electrical conductor 46 to computer 14 . the computer controls operation of the rf circuit represented by rf generator 48 . a source 50 of air under pressure , identified as “ shop - air ”, conveys through tubing 52 air under pressure to pressure regulators 54 . the pressure regulators , under control of the computer through a conductor identified as pressure control in response to a signal conveyed to the computer through a conductor identified as pressure sense causes an outflow of air under pressure from the pressure regulators is interconnected by one manifold with the molds and fixtures on each of platforms 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 . as illustrated , a foot switch may be associated with each of the platforms and operation of the respective foot switch is conveyed through the multiplexer to computer 14 by the conduits identified as key 1 , key 2 , key 3 and key 4 . additionally , temperature sensing and control attendant each of the molds is conveyed through conductors identified by the term temperature and corresponding with each respective mold . when a foot switch attendant one of the platforms is closed , a signal is sent to the computer . once the computer receives the signal it then sends a specific platform select signal and a pressure control signal to the multiplexer . the multiplexer then connects the rf generator , pneumatic valves and temperature sensing signals for use in temperature and motion control to the triggered platform and disconnects the signals from the other platforms . for example , if the switch located on platform 1 is closed , the computer senses that platform 1 has been activated . the computer then signals the multiplexer to connect a thermocouple , rf conductor and motion control lines to platform 1 to the rf generator . the computer then signals the pressure control modules , which may be located in the multiplexer , to change to the appropriate pressure for platform 1 . all of the platforms share a common pressure source . referring to fig3 , there is shown an off - the - shelf digital pressure regulator 54 manufactured by smc . two of these regulators may be present in the multiplexer . they receive different signals from the rf generator depending on the setting for the particular platform to be activated . they adjust to pressure proportionately to the signal they receive ( 0 - 5 v ). the resulting pressure is relative to the platforms and may be continually shared . fig4 illustrates the sequential nature of multiplexing that may be entertained in the present invention . presently , the apparatus has two constraints unique to the apparatus : 1 . the rf generator has a duty cycle constraint of approximately 50 % to maintain a relatively small size cabinet and acceptable weight without further heat sink devices , fans , etc . ; 2 . the number of input / output lines available and the simultaneous processing tasks / times that can be handled by the controller are initially set by a known multiplexing apparatus . to maintain the enclosure size , power supply limits , heat generation , etc . the controller input / output lines are switched in the multiplexer and the process logic for the individual molds / platforms is run sequentially . 1 . mode 1 configures a system for a “ next up ” scenario . in an environment where each platform has an operator , the rf generator will only recognize triggers when it is in an idle state ( not providing signals to the platform ). whichever platform is triggered will then immediately begin to operate . for example , if the cycle for platform number 2 has just ended , and if someone now triggers platform number 3 it will begin to operate . 2 . mode 2 configures the system for a “ first come , first served ” or “ take a number ” operation . in an environment where each platform may have an operator , the rf generator will monitor triggers ( foot switches illustrated in fig2 ) even when it is not in an idle state . for example , if platform number 2 is running and platform number 3 is triggered before the cycle finishes , the rf generator will operate platform number 3 as soon as operation on platform number 2 has terminated . 3 . mode 3 allows the operator to set up a predefined order in which the platforms will be operated . by triggering ( foot switch actuation ) any one of the platforms will cause a sequence of operation to begin . for example , if the order of operation of the platforms is intended to be 1 , 3 , 4 and 2 , and platform number 3 is triggered , the rf generator will cause operation of platforms number 1 , 3 , 4 and 2 . this mode is commonly used in an environment where a single operator is operating several platforms . most molds used to form , mold , tip or weld plastic material , such as plastic tubing , require a unique set of parameters in order to perform the intended function . the parameters are simply settings used to operate the mold , mold assembly and the platform correctly for a particular application . though the parameters may be unique for any given mold , the type of information stored remains constant . for example , the parameters include temperature , heat time , cool time and pressure , to name a few . sometimes changing these in the rf generator ( or an associated computer ) every time a mold is changed is not only cumbersome but fraught with the possibility of erroneous entries . this is exacerbated by the fact that there may be up to 30 different parameters for each mold and the likelihood of operator mistake is high . one way of overcoming potential operator error is to store the parameters in the rf generator / computer . for a limited number of different molds , this may be practical but when there is a possibility of using 100 or more molds , the information to be stored in the rf generator / computer is far too vast . in addition , any repair work on the rf generator / computer creates a risk of changes to the stored parameters or even loss of some or all of the parameters . to prevent such potentially disastrous result , all of the parameters would have to be recorded and possibly reentered on completion of the repairs . such work would necessarily delay return to service of the equipment and give rise to the possibility of misentry of some parameters . by storing the information attendant a mold in the mold assembly itself and having the rf generator / computer interrogate the mold as to its unique parameters , any need for storing the parameters other than in a mold assembly is completely avoided . moreover , during manufacture of a mold to perform a particular forming , molding , tipping or welding function on plastic material , whether plastic tubing or otherwise , the attendant parameters are determinable and a circuit board , memory chip or other interrogatable data source formed as part of or attached to the mold assembly renders the mold ready for use on receipt by the user . these features are representatively illustrated in fig5 and 6 . fig7 is a representative illustration of a presently available conventional memory integrated circuit 56 that could be programmed to contain the respective parameters . moreover , the memory integrated circuit can be readily interrogated to provide the parameters attendant operation of the associated mold . a circuit board supporting the requisite information containing components could similarly be associated with or otherwise attached to each mold assembly . in particular , fig5 illustrates a voltage divider 58 located within the multiplexer electronic assembly 44 . it is shown with nodes 60 between resistors r that are connected to the connectors ( ports ) through which control signals are passed to each of the platforms . the connections are such that the applied voltage ( which may be + 5 vdc ) divided by five is connected to a platform number signal pin in the connector to attach platform number 1 . the corresponding pin in the second platform &# 39 ; s connector ( platform number signal ) is connected to the next higher divider node ; that is , 2 × v / 5 . if v + is 5 vdc then the platform number signal for platform number 1 is 1 vdc , platform number 2 is 2 vdc , platform number 3 is 3 vdc and platform number 4 is 4 vdc . the right hand side of fig5 illustrates these connections for platforms numbers 2 and 4 . it also shows the electrical connections connected to the memory id symbol number circuit 62 within the mold assembly and memory containing assembly 64 . this mold assembly is mechanically attached and electrically connected to a platform . two such platforms are shown in fig5 along with the mold assemblies connected to ports 2 and 4 . an additional connection is shown to each mold and platform assembly which is in turn connected to the others and then to the multiplexer . this additional connection is the “ 1 - wire bus ” signal . the 1 - wire network protocol is a serial bus connection . all devices share 1 - wire and each device node has a unique network address on that bus . it is necessary for the operation of this apparatus that the mold / memory be associated with the platform within which it is physically located in order to properly apply the control signals to that platform and the associated task . fig6 details the memory id number circuit within the mold assembly . a second voltage divider 66 similar to the one shown in fig5 is connected to a “ quad comparator ” ( such as a lm339 ) device 68 inverting inputs as references for v / 5 , 2 × v / 5 , etc . and the platform number signal is simultaneously connected to the non - inverting inputs of all comparators . in practice , the resistor values have slightly changed from the multiplex divider ( 58 fig5 ) such that the resistor closest to ground in the platform is somewhat smaller than its counterpart to allow a margin for noise . thus , with 1 vdc coming from the multiplexer platform number 1 connector , the reference at the v / 5 comparator would be set to 1 - 0 . 2 vdc . the outputs of the four comparators are routed to the least significant four address inputs of the ds28e04 - 100 memory device 69 ( 4096 bit 1 - wire eeprom , dallas semiconductor ). referring to the truth table , if the platform number signal is less than the voltage required to turn on the first comparator , then all address lines are 0 . if the signal is 1 vdc , then the result is a logical 0001 . if the voltage is 4 vdc then all four bits are set . these bits are contained in the 64 - bit device i . d . that may be read over the 1 - wire network . by this means , the 1 - wire network device discovery protocol software run in the generator / controller may associate the physical location within each platform for each of the memories found . a preferred embodiment of mold assembly is illustrated in fig8 - 13 . certain details of this mold assembly relating to the structure and operation is set forth in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 438 , 548 entitled “ apparatus for rapidly heating and cooling a catheter mold ”, filed oct . 31 , 2006 , which is assigned to the present assignee . the substance of the information contained in this patent is incorporated herein by reference . fig8 is an exploded view of mold assembly 70 and various components are functionally labeled . this particular mold assembly may be used for forming , molding , tipping and / or welding plastic tubing . fig9 illustrates a platform 72 for supporting mold assembly 70 and the fixtures 74 , 75 for inserting and withdrawing the plastic tubing from the mold assembly . the mold itself , identified by number 77 in fig8 , is disposed within the mold assembly . to remove mold assembly 70 in order to substitute another mold assembly having a different mold , the mold assembly may be withdrawn by raising it relative to platform 72 . referring jointly to fig1 - 15 , details attendant the mechanical and electrical interconnection between mold assembly 70 and the platform 72 will be described . a substrate 73 is disposed within the platform . the substrate mechanically supports a pair of female electrical connectors 76 , 78 mounted on a plate 80 . a bracket 82 extending downwardly from substrate 73 , as particularly shown in fig1 for supporting plate 80 . mold assembly 70 is inserted through opening 84 in substrate 73 , as shown in fig1 . upon such insertion , contacts attendant printed circuit board 86 engage electrical connector 78 . contacts attendant circuit board 88 electrically engage electrical connector 76 . as illustrated , guide pins 90 , 92 may be incorporated to ensure accurate alignment with the electrical connectors . printed circuit board 88 , identified as “ smart mold pcba ” contains the parameters attendant operation of the mold . these parameters are transmitted via electrical connector 76 to the above discussed computer and rf generator . additionally , printed circuit board 86 includes data attendant operation of the mold as a function of the rf generator . in particular , printed circuit board 86 includes data attendant operation of the mold as a function of the rf generator . in particular , printed circuit board 86 includes information for tuning the heater located within the mold assembly that ultimately heats the mold . moreover , the rf energy to be applied may be transmitted through this printed circuit board . as shown in fig1 a , the hmi ( human machine interface ), which is common in the industry , is used to display real time mold temperature , settings , graphical representation of the temperature versus time as well as identifying leds showing which processes are currently in operation . other information unique to the operation under way may be displayed to an operator . | 1 |
referring now to the drawings , an apparatus in which the inventive process for the production of nano - scale metal particles can be practiced is generally designated by the numeral 10 or 100 . in fig1 and 2 apparatus 10 is a closed system comprising closed reactor vessel 20 whereas in fig3 - 5 apparatus 100 is a flow - through reaction apparatus comprising flow - through reactor vessel 120 . it will be noted that fig1 - 5 show apparatus 10 , 100 in a certain orientation . however , it will be recognized that other orientations are equally applicable for apparatus 10 , 100 . for instance , when under vacuum , reactor vessel 20 can be in any orientation for effectiveness . likewise , in flow - through reactor vessel 120 , the flow of inert carrier gas and decomposable moieties or the flow of decomposable moieties as drawn by a vacuum in fig3 - 5 can be in any particular direction or orientation and still be effective . in addition , the terms “ up ” “ down ” “ right ” and “ left ” as used herein refer to the orientation of apparatus 10 , 100 shown in fig1 - 5 . referring now to fig1 and 2 , as discussed above apparatus 10 comprises a closed - system reactor vessel 20 formed of any material suitable for the purpose and capable of withstanding the exigent conditions for the reaction to proceed inside including conditions of temperature and / or pressure . reactor vessel 20 includes an access port 22 for providing an inert gas such as argon to fill the internal spaces of reactor vessel 20 , the inert gas being provided by a conventional pump or the like ( not shown ). similarly , as illustrated in fig2 , port 22 can be used to provide a vacuum in the internal spaces of reactor vessel 20 by using a vacuum pump or similar device ( not shown ). in order for the reaction to successfully proceed under vacuum in reactor vessel 20 , it is not necessary that an extreme vacuum condition be created . rather negative pressures no less than about 1 mm , preferably no less than about 250 mm , are all that are required . reactor vessel 20 has disposed therein a support 30 which can be attached directly to reactor vessel 20 or can be positioned on legs 32 a and 32 b within reactor vessel 20 . reactor vessel 20 also comprises a sealable opening shown at 24 , in order to permit reactor vessel 20 to be opened after the reaction is completed to remove support 30 or remove nano - scale metal particles deposited on support 30 . closure 24 can be a threaded closure or a pressure closure or other types of closing systems , provided they are sufficiently air tight to maintain inert gas or the desired level of vacuum within reactor vessel 20 . apparatus 10 further comprises at least one feeder 40 , and preferably a plurality of feeders 40 a and 40 b , for feeding reactants , more specifically the decomposable moiety , into reactor vessel 20 . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , two feeders 40 a and 40 b are provided , although it is anticipated that other feeders can be employed depending on the nature of the decomposable moiety / moieties introduced into vessel 20 and / or end product nano - scale metal particles desired . feeders 40 a and 40 b can be fed by suitable pumping apparatus for the decomposable moiety such as venturi pumps or the like ( not shown ). as illustrated in fig1 , apparatus 10 further comprises a source of energy capable of causing decomposition of the decomposable moiety . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the source of energy comprises a source of heat , such as a heat lamp 50 , although other radiant heat sources can also be employed . in addition , as discussed above , the source of energy can be a source of electromagnetic energy , such as infrared , visible or ultraviolet light , microwave energy , radio waves or other forms of sonic energy , as would be familiar to the skilled artisan , provided the energy employed is capable of causing decomposition of the decomposable moiety . in one embodiment , the source of energy can provide energy that is preferentially couple - able to support 30 so as to facilitate deposit of nano - scale metal particles produced by decomposition of the decomposable moiety on support 30 . however , where a source of energy such as heat is employed , which would also heat reactor vessel 20 , it may be desirable to cool reactor vessel 20 using , e . g ., cooling tubes 52 ( shown partially broken away ) such that reactor vessel 20 is maintained at a temperature below the decomposition temperature of the decomposable moiety . in this way , the decomposable moiety does not decompose at the surfaces of reactor vessel 20 but rather on support 30 . in an alternative embodiment illustrated in fig2 , support 30 itself comprises the source of energy for decomposition of the decomposable moiety . for instance , a resistance heater powered by connection 34 can be incorporated into support 30 such that only support 30 is at the temperature of decomposition of the decomposable moiety , such that the decomposable moiety decomposes on support 30 and thus produces nano - scale metal particles deposited on support 30 . likewise , other forms of energy for decomposition of the decomposable moiety can be incorporated into support 30 . support 30 can be formed of any material sufficient to have deposit thereon of nano - scale metal particles produced by decomposition of the decomposable moiety . in a preferred embodiment , support 30 comprises the end use substrate on which the nano - scale metal particles are intended to be employed , such as the aluminum oxide or other components of an automotive catalytic converter , or the electrode or membrane of a fuel cell or electrolysis cell . indeed , where the source of energy is itself embedded in or associated with support 30 , selective deposition of the catalytic nano - scale metal particles can be obtained to increase the efficiency of the catalytic reaction and reduce inefficiencies or wasted catalytic metal placement . in other words , the source of energy can be embedded within support 30 in the desired pattern for deposition of catalyst metal , such that deposition of the catalyst nano - scale metal can be placed where catalytic reaction is desired . in another embodiment of the invention , as illustrated in fig3 - 5 , apparatus 100 comprises a flow - through reactor vessel 120 which includes a port , denoted 122 , for either providing an inert gas or drawing a vacuum from reactor vessel 120 to thus create flow for the decomposable moieties to be reacted to produce nano - scale metal particles . in addition , apparatus 100 includes feeders 140 a , 140 b , 140 c , which can be disposed about the circumference of reactor vessel 102 , as shown in fig3 , or , in the alternative , sequentially along the length of reactor vessel 120 , as shown in fig4 . apparatus 100 also comprises support 130 on which nano - scale metal particles are collected . support 130 can be positioned on legs 132 a and 132 b or , in the event a source of energy is incorporated into support 130 , as a resistance heater , the control and wiring for the source of energy in support 130 can be provided through line 134 . as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , when support 130 is disposed within flow - through reactor vessel 120 , a port 124 is also provided for removal of support 130 or the nano - scale metal particles deposited thereon . in addition , port 124 should be structured such that it permits the inert gas fed through port 122 and flowing through reactor vessel 120 to egress reactor vessel 120 ( as shown in fig3 ). port 124 can be sealed in the same manner as closure 24 discussed above with respect to closed system apparatus 10 . in other words , port 124 can be sealed by a threaded closure or pressure closure or other types of closing structures as would be familiar to the skilled artisan . as illustrated in fig5 , however , support 130 can be disposed external to reactor vessel 120 in flow - through reactor apparatus 100 . while support 130 can be a cyclonic or centrifugal collector ( not shown ), it can also be a structural support 130 as illustrated in fig5 . in this embodiment , flow - through reactor vessel 120 comprises a port 124 through which decomposable moieties are impinged on support 130 to thus deposit the nano - scale metal particles on support 130 . in this way it is no longer necessary to gain access to reactor vessel 120 to collect either support 130 or the nano - scale metal particles deposited thereon . in addition , during the impingement of the decomposable moieties to produce nano - scale metal particles on support 130 , either port 126 or support 130 can be moved in order to provide for an impingement of the produced nano - scale metal particles on certain specific areas of support 130 . this is especially useful if support 130 comprises the end use substrate for the nano - scale metal particles such as the component of a catalytic converter or electrode for fuel cells . thus , the nano - scale metal particles are only produced and deposited where desired and efficiency and decrease of wasted catalytic metal is facilitated . as discussed above , reactor vessel 20 , 120 can be formed of any suitable material for use in the reaction provided it can withstand the temperature and / or pressure at which decomposition of the decomposable moiety occurs . for instance , the reactor vessel should be able to withstand temperatures up to about 250 ° c . where heat is the energy used to decompose the decomposable moiety . although many materials are anticipated as being suitable , including metals , plastics , ceramics and materials such as graphite , preferably reactor vessels 20 , 120 are formed of a transparent material to provide for observation of the reaction as it is proceeding . thus , reactor vessel 20 , 120 is preferably formed of quartz or a glass such as pyrex ® brand material available from corning , inc . of corning , n . y . in the practice of the invention , either a flow of an inert gas such as argon or a vacuum is drawn on reactor vessel 20 , 120 and a stream of decomposable moieties is fed into reactor vessel 20 , 120 via feeders 40 a , 40 b , 140 a , 140 b , 140 c . the decomposable moieties can be any metal containing moiety such as an organometallic compound , a complex or a coordination compound , which can be decomposed by energy at the desired decomposition conditions of pressure and temperature . for instance , if heat is the source of energy the decomposable moiety should be subject to decomposition and production of nano - scale metal particles at temperatures no greater than 250 ° c ., more preferably no greater than 200 ° c . other materials , such as oxygen , can also be fed into reactor 20 , 120 to partially oxidize the nano - scale metal particles produced by decomposition of the decomposable moiety , to modify the surface of the nano - scale particles . contrariwise , a reducing material such as hydrogen can be fed into reactor 20 , 120 to reduce the potential for oxidation of the decomposable moiety . the energy for decomposition of the decomposable moiety is then provided to the decomposable moiety within reactor vessel 20 , 120 by , for instance , heat lamp 50 , 150 . if desired , reactor vessel 120 can also be cooled by cooling coils 52 , 152 to avoid deposit of nano - scale metal particles on the surface of reactor vessel 20 , 120 as opposed to support 30 , 130 . nano - scale metal particles produced by the decomposition of the decomposable moieties are then deposited on support 30 , 130 or , in a cyclonic or centrifugal or other type collector , for storage and / or use . thus the present invention provides a facile means for producing nano - scale metal particles which permits selective placement of the particles , direct deposit of the particles on the end use substrate , without the need for extremes of temperature and pressure required by prior art processes . all cited patents , patent applications and publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference . the invention thus being described , it will be apparent that it can be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention and all such modifications as would be apparent to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 1 |
prior to the beginning a description of the preferred processing sequences of the invention as illustrated in fig1 - 5 , we would like to set forth certain background consideration which we believe will be apparent to one skilled in the art . while the following illustrates the formation of an n - channel fet transistor , obviously p - channel fet transistors can be formed using opposite conductivity type impurities . further , while in the following doping is typically by ion implantation , it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that either thermal diffusion or ion implantation can be used . beginning with a conventional & lt ; 100 & gt ; p - silicon substrate 10 at a boron doping concentration of about 5 × 10 14 - 5 × 10 15 / cc or having a resistivity of about 2 - 20 ohm / cm , a conventional recessed oxide isolation ( roi ) ring 14 is formed , either semi roi or full roi , which is well known to one skilled in the art , and a channel stopper p - ring 12 is formed immediately below roi 14 . the p - ring is usually formed by implant or diffusion , to a boron concentration of 10 16 to 10 17 atoms / cm 3 , prior to the roi oxidation through an oxidation mask , usually a temporary silicon nitride layer over a thin buffer layer of sio 2 ( neither of which are shown as such are conventional ) to avoid stress damage to the substrate silicon 10 . nextly , the silicon surface defined by the roi 14 is cleaned , a thin layer of oxide ( not shown ) is grown and an n - type dopant ( as , sb , or p ) is implanted to a concentration of about 0 . 5 - 2 × 10 16 atoms / cc through the thin oxide to form n - silicon region 16 . alternatively , the n - type dopant implant can be made without growing a thin oxide . the implanted n - region 16 depth typically ranges from about 0 . 2 to 0 . 6 um . following the above procedure , a sio 2 layer is grown by chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) over the entire surface of the device to a thickness on the order of 500 nanometers to 1 micron , for example , at 400 °- 850 ° c . and at low pressure or at atmospheric pressure using , for instance , an sih 4 / o 2 atmosphere , whereafter a conventional positive photoresist such as shipley az1350 j photoresist is applied over the cvd sio 2 layer and the same is exposed to ultraviolet light through an appropriate mask in a conventional fashion and developed in a conventional fashion , e . g ., using j100 solution , whereafter the cvd sio 2 layer is etched in a conventional fashion , for example , by directional reactive ion etching in a cf 4 / h 2 atmosphere , leaving sio 2 island 17 having a thickness , of course , of about 500 nanometers to 1 micron . reactive ion etching ( often referred to as rie herein ) as is utilized in the present invention is described in detail in &# 34 ; a survey of plasma - etching processes &# 34 ; by richard l . bersin , published in solid state technology , may 1976 , pages 31 - 36 . as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , the atmospheres utilized for rie will vary greatly depending upon the material being etched , and the bersin article describes such in detail and is incorporated herein by reference . as one skilled in the art will appreciate , the figures herein present cross - sectional views of the device vertical structure ; the actual ( horizontal ) shape and dimensions of the device may be varied according to device and circuit design . following formation of sio 2 island 17 , the si wafers are chemically cleaned and a layer of silicon dioxide about 20 - 100 mm thick is thermally grown at 800 °- 1000 ° c . in dry oxygen over the entire horizontal surface of the device in a conventional fashion , whereby sio 2 layer 18 is formed . for purposes of simplicity , in fig1 sio 2 layer 18 thus formed is not shown as grown on island 17 or over recessed sio 2 isolation 14 ; as one skilled in the art will appreciate , however , growth would take place on all horizontal surfaces but , since at this stage sio 2 is merely being deposited over existant sio 2 areas in recessed sio 2 isolation 14 and island 17 , this is not separately shown . referring again to fig1 a polysilicon layer 20 ( hereafter this layer is merely referred to as polycrystalline silicon i to differentiate it from the later formed second polysilicon layer which will be identified as polycrystalline silicon ii ) is grown over the entire surface of the device by a low pressure cvd process , for example , at 50 - 500 millitorr using an sih 4 / h 2 atmosphere at 450 °- 800 ° c . ; this procedure is conventional in the art . as shown in fig1 conformal polycrystalline silicon i coating 20 results having a thickness of about 0 . 10 - 0 . 50 micron . following the above procedure , as now explained with reference to fig2 where layer 18 is shown as part of sio 2 isolation 14 for simplicity , directional rie etching in a 90 % ar / 10 %/ cl 2 atmosphere is conducted in a conventional manner at room temperature to remove polycrystalline silicon i coating 20 in all horizontal areas ; however , as shown in fig2 this directional rie etching does not affect polycrystalline silicon i sidewalls 20a and 20b which are grown on island 17 . the purpose of forming polycrystalline silicone i sidewalls 20a and 20b will later be apparent , i . e ., polycrystalline silicon i sidewall 20a in combination with a polycrystalline silicon ii sidewall later to be described will permit precise location of the igfet channel later to be described and , as will later be clear , can be used , if desired , to permit formation of an extremely short channel igfet where the channel is precisely located . following formation of polycrystalline silicon i sidewalls 20a and 20b by directional rie , thereafter a conventional boron implant is conducted at room temperature through the gate oxide to define the channel doping and to yield p zones 22a and 22b . the boron concentration is about 1 to 15 × 10 16 atoms / cm 3 and is typically conducted without masking to a depth of about 0 . 20 - 0 . 70 mm . only a portion of zone 22a will become the actual channel . as illustrated in fig2 following the above procedure the surface of the device is masked with a conventional photoresist such as az1350 j which is masked , exposed and developed in a conventional manner , whereby all horizontal surfaces of the device are provided with photoresist coating 24 except over zone 22b where photoresist coating 24 has been removed ( developed ). with reference to fig3 following selective photoresist removal over zone 22b which had earlier received the indicated boron implantation , a phosphorus ion implantation is conducted to a high phosphorus doping level ( greater than the doping level selected for the channel boron implantation which yields zones 22a and 22b , for example , up to about 1 . 5 to 10 17 atoms / cm 3 ), thereby resulting in zone 26 which is a highly doped n phosphorus zone , as shown in fig3 . since the phosphorus concentration is greater than the initial boron concentration in zone 22b , p zone 22b as shown in fig2 is converted to n zone 26 as shown in fig3 . all other areas of the device , being masked , do not receive the phosphorous implant . phosphorus ion implantation is typically at a dose of 1 . 0 - 15 × 10 12 / cm 2 to a depth of about 0 . 30 - 0 . 80 mm . after the above procedure , the photoresist layer 24 is removed in a conventional manner , e . g ., by an o 2 plasma etch . it is to be noted that the boron ion implantation which results in p zones 22a and 22b and the phosphorous ion implantation which converts p zone 22b to n zone 26 can be reversed in sequence with equivalent results being obtained . referring now to fig4 the next process step according to the present invention is to grow a polycrystalline silicon ii layer in a manner similar to that utilized to grow polycrystalline silicon i layer 20 , i . e ., low pressure cvd deposition at the above conditions , followed by rie directional etching at the above conditions , whereafter polycrystalline silicon ii islands 28a and 28b result as shown in fig4 . it is to be noted that there is no compositional difference of substance between the polycrystalline silicon i and polycrystalline silicon ii islands , and these are illustrated as separate in fig4 for purposes of explanation . in a typical short channel igfet , assuming a desired channel length of 5 , 000 å , polycrystalline silicon i sidewalls 20a and 20b would have a thickness of about 2 , 000 å and polycrystalline silicon ii sidewalls 28a and 28b would have a thickness of about 5 , 000 å . it is important that polycrystalline silicon i sidewall 20a have a lateral dimension greater than the lateral length of boron diffusion from the device channel during subsequent processing as will later be explained in detail . still referring to fig4 following the above procedure a conventional phosphorus implantation at the earlier indicated phosphorus implantation conditions is conducted to a high phosphorus concentration , e . g ., up to about 10 17 to 10 18 atoms / cm 3 , over the entire surface of the device . there is no need to mask during this phosphorus ion implantation since the phosphorus is firstly desirable in the polycrystalline silicon i and polycrystalline silicon ii sidewalls , sio 2 island 17 and sio 2 isolation ring 14 are both too thick to be influenced by this ion implantation and the phosphorus has no detrimental effect on the original phosphorus implantation which resulted in n phosphorus doped zone 26 . further , polycrystalline silicon i sidewalls 20a and 20b and polycrystalline silicon ii sidewalls 28a and 28b are too thick to permit implantation of the phosphorus ions into the areas thereunder . as a consequence of the above phosphorus ion implantation , that portion of zone 22a ( original p region ) which is not protected by polycrystalline silicon ii sidewall 28a receives a heavy phosphorus dope whereas that area of zone 22a under polycrystalline silicon ii sidewall 28a does not receive the phosphorus dope since it is shielded by polycrystalline silicon ii sidewall 28a and retains its original p character , as illustrated by element 30 in fig4 ; since that portion of zone 22a not protected by polycrystalline silicon ii sidewall 28a is converted from p to n type , it is indicated as zone 29 in fig4 . on the other hand , since zone 26 merely receives an additional phosphorus ion implant , it is still designated as numeral 26 in fig4 . as one skilled in the art will appreciate , arsenic ion implantation can be used in the place of phosphorus ion implantation to effect the above stated n regions shown respectively as 26 and 29 in fig4 . in addition , multiple ion implantation can be used if necessary to effect the desired dopant profile . following the above procedure , a conventional arsenic ion implantation is conducted over the entire surface of the device ( again , masking is not necessary for the essential reasons as advanced with respect to the second phosphorus ion implantation above ). whereas the second phosphorus ion implantation above discussed is to a depth of about 3 , 000 - 7 , 000 å in the device , the arsenic ion implantation is a shallow implantation to improve channel voltage breakdown and is typically at 20 - 100 kev and an arsenic dose density of about 1 × 10 15 to 1 × 10 16 / cm 2 in areas which are not protected by the polycrystalline silicon i and polycrystalline silicon ii sidewalls or sio 2 island 17 , resulting in the formation of n + arsenic zones 32a and 32b shown in fig4 . in this particular instance , the igfet is assumed to function as a control gate device ; as will be apparent to one skilled in the art , if the device were to be utilized as a charge storage device , the drain and source locations would be reversed in fig5 . with reference to fig5 the combination of n phosphorus doped zone 29 and n + arsenic doped zone 32a will function as the source region . the n - ( or n + , albeit n - doping is preferred ) region 16 will serve as a part of the drain region , which drain region comprises the combination of phosphorus doped zone 26 and n + arsenic doped zone 32b . p boron doped zone 30 , of course , serves as the channel of the igfet illustrated . polycrystalline silicon i sidewall 20a and polycrystalline silicon ii sidewall 28a will , of course , serve as the gate of the igfet illustrated . for the above device , it can be seen that the length of the channel 30 is very accurately controlled by the length of polycrystalline silicon ii sidewall 28a which , in combination with recessed sio 2 isolation 14 , essentially serves as a mask for the dominating n phosphorus implantation which results in partially converting p zone 22a to n zone 29 with remaining p channel 30 . channel 30 is thus seen to be inherently self - aligning under the igfet gate and its location and length are controlled by a combination of cvd / rie which is inherently controllable with more precision , typically , on the order of 10 times better than that achievable by conventional photolithographic techniques . as one skilled in the art will appreciate , of course , during the post implant annealing there will be some lateral diffusion of p boron channel 30 , and since it is desired that the gate overlie channel 30 with high accuracy , the lateral diffusion of p channel 30 into n - region 16 to its right should not extend beyond the inner dimension of polycrystalline silicon i sidewall 20a . thus , it is necessary that polycrystalline silicon i sidewall 20a have a lateral dimension greater than the expected length of the lateral diffusion of boron in channel 30 during the post implant annealing and any subsequent heating ( s ). one skilled in the art using conventional techniques will easily be able to predict in advance the expected length of lateral diffusion of boron in channel 30 . the above igfet thus has an extremely short channel , and exhibits very low capacitance . it should be noted that polycrystalline silicon i sidewalls 20a and 20b , as well as polycrystalline silicon ii sidewalls 28a and 28b , are physically connected around the sidewall of the oxide island 17 . to minimize gate capacitance , the polycrystalline silicon i 20a / polycrystalline silicon ii 28a sidewalls should be physically separated from the polycrystalline silicon i / polycrystalline silicon ii sidewalls 20b and 28b by etching through a mask . in fact , the polycrystalline silicon i 20b and polycrystalline silicon ii 28b sidewalls can be removed altogether without adversely affecting the device performance , if desired . the above igfet has an extremely short channel , and exhibits very low capacitance . it is known to one skilled in the art that a short channel device usually has a low punch - through voltage and low channel breakdown strength . these problems are overcome by the present invention by the n - region 16 in fig5 . the presence of the n - region 16 between the n + region 32b drain and the channel 30 allows the drain potential to spread over this n - region , thereby overcoming the low punch - through voltage and low channel breakdown problems . furthermore , because the gate electrode comprising polycrystalline silicon i sidewall 20a and poly ii sidewall 28a are far away from the drain n + region 32b , hot electron injection into the gate oxide under the gate electrode when the drain is biased at high voltage will be greatly reduced . the injection of hot electrons into the gate oxide induces device instability . the combined features of the precisely controlled short channel which can be operated at high drain voltages without injecting hot electrons into the gate oxide is one unique characteristic of the present invention . while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . | 7 |
the application described in fig1 and 2 refer to a mold 1 made of a non - ferromagnetic material for the application of a magnetic insert to be co - molded . in particular we can note a longitudinal section of the male punch 3 , the presence of two sunken areas inside which the metallic inserts 4 are inserted that hold the magnetic insert 5 to be co - molded . the positioning of the magnetic insert to be co - molded 5 takes place with the mold 1 open . in the case in question , on the male punch 3 around the magnetic insert 5 to be co - molded there is a suitable sunken housing 6 for completely surrounding the lateral perimeter of the magnetic insert 5 to be co - molded in the injection resin and to provide an easier extraction later , without the insert to be co - molded 5 being subject to sudden shifts in its position . after the correct positioning of the magnetic insert 5 to be co - molded on the male punch 3 , said male punch 3 , with the magnetic insert 5 to be co - molded held by the metallic inserts in the hollows realized in the body of said male punch 3 , is moved into position inside the female die 2 for the injection of the plastic material . the plastic material fully surrounds the magnetic co - molded insert 5 along the perimeter edges , securely holding the co - molded insert itself in the molded product 7 . it should be noted that the positioning of said insert 5 to be co - molded is securely held during the entire injection phase . once the cooling phase of the molded product 7 is complete it is removed with the help of an extractor 8 overcoming the resistance posed by the magnetic forces between the co - molded magnetic insert 5 and the metallic inserts 4 . when the mold 1 is open , the male punch 3 is free and ready for a successive molding cycle . fig3 shows the molded product 7 with a flush co - molded insert 5 on a face . fig4 to 10 show , by way of example , the flexible possibility of locating the co - molded inserts 5 , where the precision of the positioning with respect to the edges of the molded product 7 can be immediately seen . | 1 |
referring initially to the non - limiting example embodiment show in fig1 , a system 10 includes an audio video device 12 such as a tv including a tv tuner 16 communicating with a tv processor 18 accessing a tangible computer readable storage medium 20 such as disk - based or solid state storage . the tv 12 can output audio on one or more speakers 22 . the tv 12 can receive streaming video from the internet using a built - in wired or wireless modem 24 communicating with the processor 12 which may execute a software - implemented browser 26 . video is presented under control of the tv processor 18 on a tv display 28 such as but not limited to a high definition tv ( hdtv ) flat panel display . user commands to the processor 18 may be wirelessly received from a remote control ( rc ) 30 using , e . g ., rf or infrared . audio - video display devices other than a tv may be used , e . g ., smart phones , game consoles , personal digital organizers , notebook computers and other types of computers , etc . tv programming from one or more terrestrial tv broadcast sources 32 as received by a terrestrial broadcast antenna 34 which communicates with the tv 12 may be presented on the display 28 and speakers 22 . the terrestrial broadcast programming may conform to digital atsc standards and may carry within it a terrestrial broadcast . epg , although the terrestrial broadcast epg may be received from alternate sources , e . g ., the internet via ethernet , or cable communication link , or satellite communication link . tv programming from a cable tv head end 36 may also be received at the tv for presentation of tv signals on the display 28 and speakers 22 . when basic cable only is desired , the cable from the wall typically carries tv signals in qam or ntsc format and is plugged directly into the “ f - type connector ” 38 on the tv chassis in the u . s ., although the connector used for this purpose in other countries may vary . in contrast , when the user has an extended cable subscription for instance , the signals from the head end 36 are typically sent through a stb 40 which may be separate from or integrated within the tv chassis but in any case which sends hdmi baseband signals to the tv . similarly , hdmi baseband signals transmitted from a satellite source 42 of tv broadcast signals received by an integrated receiver / decoder ( ird ) 44 associated with a home satellite dish may be input to the tv 12 for presentation on the display 28 and speakers 22 . also , streaming video may be received from the internet 46 for presentation on the display 28 and speakers 22 . the streaming video may be received at the computer modem 24 or it may be received at an in - home modem 48 that is external to the tv 12 and conveyed to the tv 12 over a wired or wireless ethernet link and received at an rj45 or 802 . 11x antenna on the tv chassis . fig2 shows details of an example tv 12 . as shown , the terrestrial signal in atsc format is input to the tv tuner 16 , as is basic cable - in ntsc or qam format in the event that basic cable is used and the wall cable plugged into the f - type connector 38 . on the other hand , streaming internet video may be received at a docsis tuner 50 and demodulated / decoded at a docsis decoder / demodulator 52 . typically , the docsis components are housed separately from the tv 12 but in some embodiments may be included in the chassis of the tv 12 . the output of the tuner 16 , depending on the signal format received , may be sent to an ntsc decoder / demodulator 54 , or a qam decoder / demodulator 56 , or an atsc decoder / demodulator 58 . the output from the ntsc decoder / demodulator 54 can be sent directly to the display 28 and speakers 22 for presentation . on the other hand , the output from the digital decoder / demodulators 56 , 58 typically is sent to a transport stream demultiplexer 60 , which separates the desired program from other programs in the selected stream and sends the desired program to an mpeg video decoder 62 , which in turn uncompresses the mpeg desired program and sends the uncompressed program to the tv display 28 for presentation . audio from the demultiplexer 60 may be sent to an audio decoder 64 which in turn sends the decoded audio to the speakers 22 for presentation . in contrast to the sequence of decoder / demodulators , demultiplexer , and mpeg decoders discussed above , video from either the stb 40 or ird 44 is in baseband hdmi when it is received by the tv 12 . accordingly , the signals from the stb 40 or ird 44 are sent directly to the tv display 28 for presentation without further video decompression between the stb 40 or ird 44 and tv display 28 . audio from the stb 40 or ird 44 may still be in a format , e . g ., ac3 , that requires decoding prior to play on the speakers 22 so the audio may be sent through the audio decoder 64 as shown . likewise , audio from the atsc terrestrial source 32 may be in ac3 format and so may be sent through the audio decoder 64 . internet video from the docsis decoder / demodulator 52 may be sent through the demultiplexer 60 and decoders 62 , 64 as shown . now referring to fig3 , at block 66 a user of the tv 12 can be conducted , using onscreen user interfaces ( ui ), through a set - up routine upon first power on or thereafter from a menu to set up various features of the tv . as an example , the user may be asked , for one or more licensable components within the tv , if the user desires to use that component . this may be done , implicitly , e . g ., by asking the user if the user wishes to automatically scan the broadcast spectrum to detect channels , in which case it may be inferred that the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 and mpeg decoder 62 will be required and , hence , that licenses to use those components will be needed . also , in this latter case it may be inferred that a license to the terrestrial broadcast epg may be required , whereas such a license would not be required if terrestrial broadcast were not being used as an input source . or again , the user may be given the choice to receive internet video through the built - in modem 24 or from an external modem 48 and if the latter is chosen , no license need be obtained for the internal browser 26 ; otherwise , a license may be required to use the internal browser 26 . proceeding to block 68 , for each license that is inferred to be required based on the user set - up selections at block 66 , the tv 12 uploads a request for the license over the internet , for example , or back through a two - way cable system , etc . or , as explained further below the request may be made by telephone . regardless of how made , the request typically identifies the component for which a license is required based on user input at block 66 along with a unique identification of the tv , e . g ., a hash of the tv model number and serial number , in some embodiments encrypted if desired . or , the unique identifier may be a high definition content protect ( hdcp ) key selection vector ( ksv ) of the device 12 , or a media access control ( mac ) address , or a digital transmission content protect ( dtcp ) certificate , one or more of which may be hashed with the serial number and / or model name of the device 12 . this hashed result can be sent to the server . the server can now uniquely identify the device . in the event the device needs to be repaired and the unique id contained in the device is changed , the device &# 39 ; s previous identity advantageously can be migrated to a new hashed id . to simplify this migration of the id , the server can generate a unique key , and send it to the repaired device after receiving the initial hashed id and notification ( e . g ., from the device 12 ) that the device was repaired and requires a new unique id . in some implementations the user of the device 12 can manually recall the original id , send it to the server , and the server , using the original id , migrates records of the licenses previously enabled by the device 12 to the new id . the request may be made at set - up time . alternatively , the request may be cached for later upload when , e . g ., an appropriate broadband connection is sensed . in any case , the request may be sent to an internet server at a prestored internet address or to a cable head end or to another appropriate licensing entity or agent . block 70 indicates that assuming it passes authentication the tv 12 receives back the license in the form of licensing information , typically a code that must be input to the tv processor 18 to enable or unlock the associated component . or the associated component may require software code to function and a critical piece of the code which is related to the licensable feature may be omitted when the device is vended , with this critical piece of code being supplied at block 70 to enable the licensable feature of the component . prior to provision of the critical piece of code , the licensable feature of the component in effect is not merely locked out , but rather is effectively missing altogether , even though other parts of software code needed to execute the licensable feature are vended with the device . the code may be automatically input to the appropriate internal , components of the tv at block 72 or the code may be displayed on the tv and the user prompted by means of an onscreen ui to enter the code using , e . g ., the rc 30 . proper input of the code activates the related component within the tv . block 74 simply indicates that license fee data is maintained and used to generate billing information from the licensing agency to the manufacturer of the tv , and may also be used to generate marketing data as discussed further below . the data may be kept in the tv until uploaded to a licensing entity / agent by means noted above . fig4 shows that automatic license determinations may be made outside of a user set - up routine if desired . in the example shown in fig4 , commencing at decision diamond 76 it is determined whether a predetermined physical condition exists in the tv , e . g ., a particular kind of connection , from which it may be inferred what licensable components will be required . in the example of fig4 , the physical condition is the presence of a voltage in the automatic gain control ( agc ) circuitry of the tuner 16 , which would occur when , for instance , a connection is made , at the tv chassis to the terrestrial antenna 34 or when a cable from the wall is connected to the f - type connector 38 . when the tested - for physical condition exists , the logic flows to block 78 , in this example to activate the ntsc demodulator 54 . this is done recognizing that ntsc demodulators typically require no licenses , so to avoid unnecessarily requesting licenses , the signal at the tuner 16 is first tested to determine if it is an ntsc signal . decision diamond 80 indicates that the test may be whether “ noise ”, is present in the signal . if the test indicates that ntsc signals only are present the logic ends , but otherwise the logic flows to block 82 to activate the qam decoder / demodulator 56 . if qam only is detected ( by the qam decoder / demodulator 56 recognizing qam signals and / or no noise ) the logic ends , but if the qam decoder / demodulator 56 does not recognize the signal , this indicates that the signal is neither qam nor ( from decision diamond 80 ) ntsc , with the inference thus being that the signal is atsc requiring use of the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 , which is activated at block 86 to process the signal . at block 88 an uplink is obtained by the tv processor 18 to the above - described licensing entity / agent to obtain the license code discussed above using the unique id of the tv , and at block 90 the code is received and used as necessary to permit use of the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 . or , the step at block 90 can be omitted and the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 immediately activated on the assumption that the processor 18 is programmed to send a message to the licensing entity / agent that licensing accounting is to be generated after activation of the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 . yet again , as shown in dashed lines in fig4 the logic may flow first from decision diamond 84 to blocks 88 and 90 to obtain the licensing “ unlock ” code and then back to block 86 to activate the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 using the code , to ensure that no use may be made of the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 until such time as the licensing entity / agent has been informed of its use , has authenticated the tv for the necessary atsc license , and has determined that under business rules the license code should be downloaded to fulfill the request . additional example inference rules that may be employed pursuant to automatically obtaining needed component licenses after vending the tv to avoid paying for unnecessary licenses prior to sale of the tv include , if there is atsc present , it is less likely that qam will be found ; if atsc is present , the total number of atsc channels will be much smaller than the number for qam channels . also , when signals are received from an external modem 48 , audio video programming does not require use of the built - in browser 26 and so receipt of video over an ethernet link without receipt of signals at the internal modem 24 may be inferred to mean that the browser 26 is not in use . fig5 - 7 illustrate logic that may be used during setup to obtain licenses . using , e . g ., the rc 30 , a person may input 92 a request to conduct auto - scan of available terrestrial or cable or satellite channels from , e . g ., an onscreen setup menu presented on an audio video display product 94 ( which may be implemented by the tv 12 ). in response , the av display product sends an activation request for , e . g ., the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 which may include the tuner id and product 94 id and / or the decoder / demodulator 58 id / product 94 id . activation of the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 is executed at 96 using activation codes from one or more licensing entities / agents such as server 98 , provided the licensing entities / agents determine , based on the information received from the product 94 , that the product is entitled to a license for the requested component . a log may be kept by the licensing entities / agents indicating what products and what components in those products have been activated and based on that log , licensing accounting data may be generated for purposes of presenting licensing invoices for activated components to the manufacturer of the product 94 . in any case , 100 indicates that the product 94 receives the activation response , e . g ., activation codes , to activate the demodulator / decoder 58 at 101 , which converts the product 94 to an atsc - capable device . the user may be notified using onscreen notification that atsc programming may now be viewed using the product 94 . fig6 shows an alternative embodiment . using , e . g ., the rc 30 , a person may input 102 a request to conduct auto - scan of available terrestrial or cable or satellite channels from , e . g ., an onscreen setup menu presented on an audio video display product 94 ( which may be implemented by the tv 12 ). in response , at 104 telephone information including a phone number to a licensing entity / agent is prepared and the user notified 106 of the information by means of , e . g ., a user interface or prompt presented on the product 94 . the user enters 108 the information into a telephone , either by speaking the number or by holding the telephone adjacent a speaker on the product 94 for receiving dual tone multifrequency ( dtmf ) tones from the product that are detected by the telephone and used to automatically dial the number using , e . g ., a voice response unit ( vru ) 110 . other alternate embodiments involve sending short message service ( sms ) messages to a server to send the above information or scanning bar - type codes on the tv or component to send the requisite information to the server to obtain the license . in any case , determining what licenses are needed may be accomplished upon start up and / or periodically during operation . tuner activation is generated at 112 by licensing entities / agents 114 such as internet servers and the activation code discussed above sent 116 to the vru 110 , which presents the code to the user to complete the activation process at 120 . activation of the licensable component , e . g ., the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 , is executed at 101 , which converts the product 94 to an atsc - capable device . the user may be notified using onscreen notification that atsc programming may now be viewed using the product 94 . fig7 shows another alternative embodiment . using , e . g ., the rc 30 , a person may input 122 a request to conduct auto - scan of available terrestrial or cable or satellite channels from , e . g ., an onscreen setup menu presented on an audio video display product 94 ( which may be implemented by the tv 12 ). in response , at 124 internet information including an internet address of a licensing entity / agent is prepared and the user notified 126 of the information by means of , e . g ., a user interface or prompt presented on the product 94 . the user enters 128 the information into , e . g ., a home computer 127 . tuner activation is generated at 130 by licensing entities / agents 132 such as internet servers and the activation code discussed above sent 134 to the computer , which presents 136 the code to the user by means of , e . g ., a web page or telephone to complete the activation process at 138 . activation of the licensable component , e . g ., the atsc decoder / demodulator 58 , is executed at 101 , which converts the product 94 to an atsc - capable device . the user may be notified using onscreen notification that atsc programming may now be viewed using the product 94 . alternatively , licensing information may be exchanged using short message service ( sms ) codes or by using bar codes . to use bar codes the tv can include a camera that images the bar codes on various components , which are interpreted by the processor 18 as identifying information . in some instances , if only a limited number ( e . g ., two ) ntsc channels are needed , a limited and less expensive license may be requested and granted to permit access to only those two channels through the ntsc demodulator with a license being requested and granted to any component such as a stereo audio decoder should the legacy device ( typically , a vcr ) use such audio . fig8 shows logic that may be executed by a licensing entity / agent computer . commencing at block 140 , a license request from , e . g ., the tv 12 is received at , e . g ., any of the above - described servers or head ends , which are programmed with software to execute the logic shown in fig8 . the unique id discussed above is looked up at block 142 and the requesting device is authenticated at decision diamond 144 by , e . g ., determining if the device is on a list of approved devices . if desired , it may be further determined whether a license for the particular licensable component that is the subject of the request has already been granted and if so , authentication fails . if the requesting device is approved and a license for the licensable component that is the subject of the request has not already been granted , the logic moves to block 146 to send license information , e . g ., activation codes , to the requesting device . block 148 indicates that license accounting data is generated pursuant to sending the activation code to the requesting device . this accounting data can be used to effect remuneration from the manufacturer of the requesting device to the licensing authority for the component that is the subject of the request . at block 150 the authorized device database is modified to record the grant of the license . marketing data may be generated at block 152 based on the license grant . as an example , the total number of devices vended with the licensable component may be compared against the number of licenses granted to requesting devices to ascertain usage of the component compared to other components within the requesting device . for instance , it might be noted that 30 % of vended devices of a particular tv model ever request activation of the atsc tuner . this data can moreover be correlated to demographic data obtained during device registration so that , as an example , of the 30 % of devices requesting activation of the tv tuner , it can be known which geographic region was more likely to request such activation , or which demographic age group , etc . it may be further ascertained , using device registration information submitted by purchasers , that of the devices requesting activation of the atsc tuner , for example , 90 % of those devices were second or third home tvs that consequently can be inferred to lack a cable or satellite hookup . it is preferred that once a licensable component has been activated by obtaining a license for it , it cannot subsequently be deactivated by the user , to avoid multiple license payments for the same component . accordingly , the tv processor 18 may be programmed to refuse deactivation commands from the user if any are input for any component that has been activated and licensed , at least insofar as deactivation would require another license to reactivate . verification of license may also be provided by the tv processor so that , for example , if a component license is requested by the tv but the corresponding feature never used within some period of time , the tv can retract the license request and any license fees refunded as a result . fig9 shows that license activation requests may be recorded and correlated to consumer - related information for exploitation as detailed in fig1 . commencing at block 200 , a license activation request is received from , e . g ., the tv 12 using any of the above - discussed modes . at block 202 the mode of the request ( e . g ., by one of the above modes including short message service ( sms ), internet , automatically , etc .) is recorded along with the subject matter of the request , i . e ., which licensable component was requested . proceeding to block 204 , individual characteristics of the requestor are recorded , if available , including personal demographic information such as age , income , gender , etc . of a human requestor and model number of requesting device . the logic proceeds from block 204 to block 206 to also record the time and date of the request and geographic location of the requesting device using , e . g ., gps information sent from the device as part of the request or by correlating an ip address of the requesting device to location or other means . this data is aggregated with other requests at block 208 and then the requested licensing activation / transaction is completed and royalty records altered accordingly at block 210 by , e . g ., paying a royalty for the now - activated licensable component that was the subject of the request received at block 200 . fig1 shows that at block 212 , using the data aggregated at block 208 of fig9 lightly used modes of request ( used for , e . g ., less than a threshold percentage of total request ) are “ pruned ”, i . e ., deactivated for future ce devices , since such modes consume more resources than are merited given their light use . also , at block 214 using the subject matter of the requests ( the identities of the licensable components for which activation was requested ), highly activated components ( activated , e . g ., in more than a threshold percentage of vended ce devices ) may be made the subject of automatic standard license pools , in which the manufacturer of the ce device pays a royalty for every ce device using a highly requested licensable component that is sold , with the highly requested component removed from those licensable components that may be individually enabled or activated by individual users post - sale . the logic here is that if a particular component is almost always activated , the inconvenience of forcing each consumer to request a license outweighs the marginal savings in royalties gained by not paying royalties for those relatively few ce devices whose users do not elect to enable or activate the otherwise highly used licensable component . in addition , if desired at block 216 the demographics and / or geographic locations of requested licenses in the aggregated data from block 208 of fig9 may be used to tailor marketing efforts and content . as an example , suppose a relatively high percentage of license requests ( e . g ., above a threshold of the total ) from location a were for component x , while a relatively high percentage of license requests from location b were for component y from users under the age of 21 . increased marketing resources could be expended in location a to market component x , while the same would be true for component y in location b particularly in youth channels such as youth - oriented social networking sites . at block 218 seldom requested licensable components as indicated by the aggregated data from fig9 can be eliminated entirely from future ce device products . block 220 indicates that licensable features available for activation can be presented on the ce device 12 according to principles above and that the order in which the features are presented can be changed such that more frequently requested licensable components or features provided thereby as indicated in the aggregated data from fig9 are presented higher on the list than less frequently requested features / components . newly reordered lists of the same features / components can be pushed to ce devices post - vending from time to time over , e . g ., the internet . without limitation , the need for paying for licenses for the following technologies may be determined : mpeg - 2 video , mpeg - 2 video with optical disk , mpeg4 advanced video coding ( avc ), mpeg4 visual , mpeg video codec ( vc ) 1 unified aac ( mpeg 2 & amp ; 4 aac ) 2ch , unified aac ( mpeg 2 & amp ; 4 aac ) 3ch , dolby digital ac3 2ch , dolby digital ac3 5 . 1 ch , dolby digital plus ( dd +) 2ch , prologic2 ( surround sound ), mpeg audio 1 & amp ; 2 layer , 1 , 2 , 3 ) mp3 , dts_blueray disk ( bd ) ( 2ch / 2ch + digital out ), bbe sound , sound retrieval system ( srs ) sound association of radio industries and businesses ( arib ) ( d + bs + cs ), atsc , digital video broadcasting ( terrestrial ) ( dvb - t ) joint photographic expert group ( jpeg ), digital transmission content protection ( dtcp )/ aacp / open mg , hdmi , system synchronized brightness control ( contrast enhancement ), inverter controller integrated circuit ( ic ), ieee 802 . 11 wireless license , ieee 802 . 11 ( n ), bd pool ( player ), bd pool ( recorder ), digital video disk ( dvd ) format , ieee 802 . 11 / 16 , ieee 1394 java , mhp / ginga interactive tv software , java - bd combination , divx codec software , windows media audio , windows media video , windows media network read , windows media digital rights management ( drm ), audio watermark , netfront , web browser software . additionally , production encryption keys and test encryption keys may be used to permit testing a licensable component in production , pre - sale , without triggering the above - described license request mechanisms . a tv may be placed in a test activation mode used only in the manufacturing or test phase , and if desired the test mode may have a hardwired time out . a test key or keys can be used to activate licensable components and the license request algorithm recognizes a test key and responsive to the recognition does not request a license . the test activation mode may be hardwired to deactivate after a single power cycle and the tv processor may not permit reactivation of the test mode thereafter . activation of a licensable component thereafter requires a production key which is associated with a license request . while the particular tracking details of activation of licensable component of consumer electronic device is herein shown and described in detail , it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims . | 7 |
fig1 schematically shows an engine control apparatus according to the present invention provided in relation to an engine 10 , where the fuel injection control and the ignition timing control of the engine 10 is effected by an electronic control unit ( ecu ) 20 . in fig1 the engine 10 is of the 4 - cylinder and 4 - cycle spark ignition type , and the intake air introduced from the upstream side through an air cleaner 11 , an intake pipe 12 , a throttle valve 13 , a surge tank 14 and an intake branching pipe 15 into each of the cylinders . on the other hand , fuel is arranged so as to be supplied from a fuel tank ( not shown ) under pressure and then injected thereinto through fuel injection valves 16a , 16b , 16c and 16d provided in the intake branching pipes 15 . further , the engine 10 is equipped with a distributor 19 for distributing the high - voltage electric signal from an ignition circuit 17 to ignition plugs 18a , 18b , 18c and 18d for the respective cylinders , a rotational speed sensor 30 provided in the distributor 19 for detecting the rotational speed ne of the engine 10 , a cylinder - identifying sensor 37 for identifying the cylinders of the engine 10 , a throttle sensor 31 for detecting the opening degree th of the throttle valve 13 , an intake air pressure sensor 32 for detecting an intake air pressure pm at a downstream side of the throttle valve 13 , a warming - up sensor 33 for detecting the temperature of the cooling water of the engine 10 , and an intake air temperature sensor 34 for detecting an intake air temperature tam . the aforementioned rotational speed sensor 30 is provided to oppose a ring gear which rotates in synchronism with the crank shaft of the engine 10 so as to generate 24 pulse signals every two revolutions of the engine 10 , i . e ., every 720 ° ca , in proportion to the engine rotational speed ne . further , the cylinder - identifying sensor 37 is also provided to oppose the ring gear which rotates in synchronism with the crank shaft of the engine 10 so as to output one pulse signal g at the top dead center of the compression stroke in a predetermined cylinder every two revolutions of the engine 10 , i . e ., 720 ° ca . the throttle sensor 31 outputs an analog signal corresponding to the throttle opening degree th and is equipped with an idle switch for detecting the fully closing state of the throttle valve 13 to output an on - off signal . in an exhaust pipe 35 of the engine 10 there is provided a catalytic converter rhodium 38 for reducing the hazardous components ( cp , hc , nox and others ) of the emissions discharged from the engine 10 . at the upstream side of the catalytic converter rhodium 38 there is provided an air - fuel ratio sensor 36 which is an oxygen concentration sensor for generating a linear detection signal corresponding to the air - fuel ratio λ of the air - fuel mixture supplied into the engine 10 . the electronic control unit 20 includes well - known cpu 21 , rom 22 , ram 23 , backup ram 24 and others so as to be constructed as an arithmetic and logic unit . these devices are coupled through a bus 27 to an input port 25 for inputting the above - mentioned sensors and further to an output port 26 for outputting a control signal to each of actuators . through the input port 25 , the electronic control unit 20 inputs the intake air pressure pm , intake air temperature tam , throttle opening degree th , cooling water temperature thw , air - fuel ratio λ , rotational speed ne and others so as to calculate the fuel injection amount tau and the ignition timing aesa on the basis of the inputted data to output the corresponding control signals through the output port 26 to the fuel injection valves 16a to 16d and the ignition circuit 17 . the fuel injection valves 16a to 16d are independently controlled for the injections . a description will be made hereinbelow in terms of methods of speedily warming up the catalytic converter rhodium 38 . fig2 shows the rate of increase of the emission temperature and the rate of decrease of the emissions in both the cases that the ignition timing is retarded in all the ignition cycles and the ignition timing is retarded intermittently ( every other ignition cycle ) while the catalytic converter rhodium 38 is warmed up . although the engine torque decreases in response to the retardation of the ignition timing , in the case that both are compared with each other at the same torque decreasing point ( x , y ), as compared with the case of the retardation of all the ignition timings , the intermittent retardation of the ignition timings allows the rate of decrease of the emission and the rate of increase of the emission temperature to be more heightened . thus , the intermittent retardation causes the catalyst to be warmed up in an earlier stage as compared with the retardation of all the ignition timings , thereby suppressing the deterioration of the emissions . the fuel injection amount is more increased at every combustion cycle so as to shift the air - fuel ratio between the rich side and the lean side with respect to the theoretical air - fuel ratio to alternately perform the rich combustion and the lean combustion . here , carbon monoxide ( co ) is generated at the time of the rich combustion and oxygen ( o 2 ) is generated at the time of the lean combustion . the carbon monoxide and oxygen thus generated cause the oxidative reaction as indicated by the following formula , thereby generating a heat ( q ). the heat ( q ) generated due to this oxidative reaction allows the increase in the emission temperature to accelerate the warming - up of the catalytic converter rhodium 38 . this embodiment of this invention is arranged so as to warm up the catalytic converter rhodium in accordance with both the methods i ) and ii ). here , the above - described retardation control and fuel injection dither control respectively cause variation of the engine torque as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , and therefore both the control operations are required to be executed with the variation of the engine torque being suppressed . that is , when the air - fuel ratio is shifted ( adjusted ) to the rich side with respect to the theoretical air - fuel ratio ( λ = 1 ) to increase the torque , the ignition timing is shifted from mbt to tdc ( top dead center ) side , i . e ., retarded , to decrease the torque so as to suppress the torque variation . on the other hand , when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the lean side to decrease the torque , the retardation amount of the ignition timing is reduced , thereby increasing the torque to suppress the torque variation . at this time , if the dither range and the retardation amount are set so that the variation δt1 of the torque due to the injection dither control becomes equal or close to the variation δt2 due to the retardation control , it is possible to minimize the deterioration of the driveability caused by the torque variation . secondly , a description will be made hereinbelow with reference to fig5 to 7 in terms of the intermittent retardation control and the injection dither control to be executed in the electronic control unit 20 . fig5 shows a routine for calculating an injection dither coefficient kdit and an intermittent retardation amount kret , which routine is executed at every 40 ms . in fig5 this routine starts with a step 10 ( the step will be referred hereinafter to as s10 ) to check whether a predetermined time period is elapsed from the start of the engine 10 ( for example , ne & gt ; 500 rpm ). this predetermined time period is a time period taken until the temperature of the catalytic converter rhodium 38 reaches the temperature at which the purification of the emissions can be effected and , for example , set to 100 seconds . if the decision of s10 is &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;, s20 follows to read the cooling water temperature thw to check whether the cooling water temperature thw is lower than 60 ° c . if &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ;, control advances to s30 and s40 to calculate the dither coefficient kdit and the intermittent retardation amount kret on the basis of the cooling water temperature thw in accordance with data previously stored in the rom 22 . the dither coefficient kdit takes a value in a range of 0 to 0 . 1 and takes a greater value as the cooling water temperature thw becomes higher . this is because the misfire region in relation to the air - fuel ratio becomes wider as the cooling water temperature thw becomes lower and , although the air - fuel ratio cannot be shifted greatly to the rich side and lean side when the temperature is low , the air - fuel ratio can relatively be shifted greatly thereto as compared with the case of the low temperature when the cooling water temperature thw heightens . further , the intermittent retardation amount kret takes a value in a range of 0 ° to 10 ° ca and takes a greater value as the cooling water temperature thw becomes higher . this is because the torque variation due to the dither control is set to be substantially equal to the torque variation due to the intermittent retardation control in order to cancel the variation of the torque as described with reference to fig3 and 4 . after the calculations of the injection dither coefficient kdit and the intermittent retardation amount kret in s30 and s40 , s50 is then executed to set a decision flag flg ( flg ← 1 ) which flag indicates whether the execution conditions for injection dither control and the intermittent retardation control are satisfied , thereafter terminating this routine . on the other hand , if the decision of s10 is made such that the predetermined time period has been elapsed from the start or the decision of s20 is made such that the cooling water temperature thw is above 60 ° c ., the operational flow goes to s60 to clear the decision flag flg ( flg ← 0 ), thereafter terminating this routine . further , a description will be made hereinbelow with reference to a flow chart of fig6 and 7 in terms of calculations of the final injection amount tau and the final ignition timing aesa . this routine is started at every 180 ° ca ( top dead center of each of cylinders ). in fig6 and 7 , s100 and s110 are first executed in order to read the engine rotational speed ne and the intake air pressure pm , then followed by s120 to check whether the decision flag flg is in the set state . if the decision flag flg is set , s130 follows to check whether a specific condition is satisfied . here , the specific condition means that the engine is not operated in a high - speed region or large - load region where the injection amount is set to the rich side with respect to the theoretical air - fuel ratio ( λ = 1 ) or not operated in a small - load region or low - speed region where the combustion is unstable . when satisfying the specific condition , s140 follows to calculate dither correction amounts kne and kpm for correction of the dither coefficient kdit on the basis of the engine rotational speed ne and the intake air pressure pm in accordance with maps , respectively . the data is stored in advance in the rom 22 . after the calculations of the dither correction amounts kne and kpm in s140 , s150 is executed to check whether a dither confirmation flag rflg is set which indicates whether the air - fuel ratio has been shifted to the rich side or lean side in the previous cycle . when the flag rflg is set ( rflg = 1 ), i . e ., when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the lean side in the previous cycle , s180 is executed so as to perform the process for setting the air - fuel ratio to the rich side in the present cycle . in s180 the final dither coefficient tdit is calculated in accordance with the following equation . after the calculation of the final dither coefficient tdit in s180 , a190 follows to reset the flag rflg ( rflg ←.. 0 ), thereafter advancing to s200 . on the other hand , if in s150 the flag rflg is reset , that is , when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich side in the previous cycle , s160 is executed in order to perform the process for setting the air - fuel ratio to the lean side in the present cycle . in s160 the final dither coefficient tdit is calculated in accordance with the following equation . after the calculation of the final dither coefficient tdit in s160 , s170 follows to set the flag rflg ( rflg ← 1 ), thereafter advancing to s200 . in s200 , correction amounts krne and krpm for correction of the intermittent retardation amount kret are calculated on the basis of the engine rotational speed ne and the intake air pressure pm in accordance with maps , respectively . the maps is in advance stored in the rom 22 . in response to the calculations of the correction amounts krne and krpm in s200 , s210 follows to check whether the previous final dither coefficient tditx is greater than 1 in order to determine whether the previously calculated air - fuel ratio has been set to the rich side . when tditx is smaller than 1 , that is , in the case that the previous air - fuel ratio is set to the lean side ( as described with fig4 ) so that the torque decreases , for suppressing the torque variation , s220 is executed so as to set the final retardation amount aret to 0 whereby the ignition timing is not retarded . on the other hand , when s210 decides that tditx is above 1 , that is , in the case that the previous air - fuel ratio is set to the rich side to increase the torque , the ignition timing is retarded in order to suppress the torque variation . thus , in s230 the final retardation amount aret is calculated in accordance with the following equation . in response to the calculation of the final retardation amount aret , s240 is executed to calculate the basic injection amount tp and the basic ignition timing abse in accordance with a two - dimensional map based on the engine rotational speed ne and the intake air pressure pm . further , s250 follows to calculate the final injection amount tau by multiplying the final dither correction coefficient tdit and a basic injection amount correction coefficient fc by the basic injection amount tp and further adding an invalid injection time correction value tv to the multiplication result as indicated by the following equation . thereafter , s260 is executed so as to calculate the final ignition timing aesa by adding a basic ignition timing correction amount c to the basic ignition timing abse and subtracting the final retardation amount aret from the addition result as indicated by the following equation . here , the final ignition timing aesa is indicative of an angle of btdc ( before top dead center ). after the calculation of the final ignition timing as described above , s270 is executed to rewrite tdit to tditx , thereafter terminating this routine . on the other hand , when in s120 the flag flg is reset , that is , in the case that the execution condition of the injection dither and intermittent retardation control is not satisfied , or in the case that in s130 the specific condition is not satisfied , s280 follows to set the final dither correction coefficient tdit to 1 , then followed by s290 to set the final retardation amount aret to 0 . thus , when the decision of s120 or s130 is &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;, in s250 and s260 the dither control is not executed with respect to the injection amount and the intermittent retardation control is not effected with respect to the ignition timing . as described above , the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich and lean sides at every combustion , and the retardation control of the ignition timing is performed ( every other ignition cycle ) only when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich side . the above - described consecutive operations of the electronic control unit 20 will be described with reference to a time chart of fig8 where int represents an intake stroke , com designates a compression stroke , exp depicts an explosion stroke and exh denotes an exhaust stroke . in fig8 a signal a is a crank position signal to be generated at every 180 ° ca ( one per 6 signals each being generated at every 30 ° ca ) and generated at the top dead center of each of the engine cylinders , signals b to e are injection pulse signals for respectively driving the injectors 16a , 16c , 16d and 16b provided in the first , third , fourth and second cylinders , and a signal f indicates an ignition pulse signal . the routine shown in fig6 and 7 is started in response to each input of the signal a . now , let it be assumed that the routine shown in fig6 and 7 starts at the time e . after elapsed by several tens microseconds from the time e ( after the completion of the routine of fig6 and 7 ), an injection signal corresponding to the final injection amount tau calculated in s250 is outputted to the third cylinder . here , the final ignition timing aesa calculated in s260 of the routine started at the time e is the ignition timing corresponding to the first - cylinder final injection amount tau calculated at the time of the previous start ( the time d ). that is , the final ignition timing aesa calculated in the routine started at the time e corresponds to the time f , and the time f is the time that the first - cylinder final injection amount tau calculated in the routine started at the time d is injected during the intake stroke of the first cylinder before completing the compression stroke . thus , the ignition signal at the time f is led to the first - cylinder ignition plug 18a whereby the first cylinder takes the explosion stroke . similarly , the final injection amount tau calculated in the routine started at the time g is for the fourth cylinder , and the final ignition timing aesa calculated at that time is for the third cylinder . thus , the cylinder into which the rich - side final injection amount tau is injected is ignited at the final ignition timing aesa retarded , and the cylinder into which the lean - side final injection amount tau is injected is ignited at the final ignition timing aesa which is not retarded . the final injection amount tau is alternately shifted to the lean and rich sides in order of the first , third , fourth and second cylinders , and the ignition timing is intermittently retarded at every other ignition cycle . although in the above - described embodiment the injection amount is shifted to the rich and lean sides at every injection cycle , it is appropriate that the injection amount is shifted to the rich and lean sides at every two injection cycles . at this time , the ignition timing is intermittently retarded only when it is shifted to the rich side , thereby suppressing the variation of the torque . further , it is also appropriate that the fuel injection amount is not shifted to the lean and rich sides at every predetermined injection cycles , but the fuel injection amount is shifted to the lean and rich sides at every predetermined time period and the ignition timing is intermittently retarded at every predetermined time period . fig9 is a flow chart showing a second embodiment of the present invention where steps corresponding to those of fig6 and 7 are indicated with the same marks and the description thereof will be omitted for brevity . as shown in fig9 when the previous air - fuel ratio is shifted to the lean side , that is , when the decision of s210 is made such that the previous final dither correction coefficient tdit is below 1 , s280 is executed in order to calculate the final retardation amount aret in accordance with the following equation . this value corresponds to 1 / n of the retardation amount ( kret · krne · krpm ) calculated in s230 when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich side . for example , n is set to 5 . that is , when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the lean side , the ignition timing is retarded by 1 / 5 of the retardation amount calculated in the case of being shifted to the rich side . the other operations are similar to those in fig7 . furthermore , a description will be made hereinbelow in terms of a third embodiment of this invention which is for a group injection system . in view of the quick warming - up of the catalyst and improvement of the emissions , the effect is greater as the injection dither amount and the intermittent retardation amount becomes larger , while , considering the margin of misfire , fuel consumption , torque and others , the small injection dither amount and intermittent retardation amount is preferable . from both the viewpoints , as a result of the tests , this applicant confirmed the fact that it is preferable that the injection amount is shifted by about ± 10 % and the ignition timing is intermittently retarded by about 10 ° ca . however , since the torque variation in the case that the injection amount is shifted by about ± 10 % is smaller than the torque variation in the case that the ignition timing is retarded by 10 ° ca , the ignition timing retardation becomes great as the torque variation factor and the torque variation can be accelerated when continued so as to result in deterioration of the driveability . accordingly , in a group injection system where 2 ignitions are effected with respect to one injection , the retardation for 2 ignitions is not performed at every injection ( when being shifted to the rich side ) but only one of two ignition timings per one injection is retarded . this can more effectively suppress the torque variation . that is , the period of the intermittent retardation is not set to be equal to the period of the injection , but set to be shorter than the period of the injection , whereby the torque variation can be suppressed . the states of the emissions in the case that the intermittent retardation period is set to be shorter than the injection period are shown in fig1 and 11 . in fig1 , numeral 1 surrounded by a circle designates an hc discharge amount in the case of retardation , numeral 2 surrounded by a circle denotes an hc discharge amount in the case of no retardation , and numeral 3 surrounded by a circle represents the average value of hc discharge amounts in the case of being retarded when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich side and not retarded when it is shifted to the lean side . this average value of the hc discharge amounts becomes greater than the average value ( numeral 4 surrounded by a circle ) of the discharge amounts in the case that the ignition timing is retarded and non - retarded while the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich and lean sides . that is , the hc discharge amount can be more reduced when the ignition timing retardation period is set to be shorter than the injection period . similarly , as illustrated in fig1 , in terms of nox discharge amount , the average value ( numeral 5 surrounded by a circle ) of the nox discharge amounts in the case that the ignition timing is retarded when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich side and not retarded when the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the lean side becomes greater than the average value ( numeral 6 surrounded by a circle ) of the nox discharge amounts in the case that the ignition timing is retarded and non - retarded while the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich and leans sides . that is , the nox can be more reduced in the case that the ignition timing retardation period is set to be shorter than the injection period . secondly , a description will be made with reference to a flow chart of fig1 and 13 in terms of the injection control and the ignition timing control in the group injection system . here , the outline of the group injection system is substantially similar to the arrangement illustrated in fig1 and one difference therebetween is that the two injectors 16a and 16c simultaneously inject fuel at every 720 ° ca and the remaining two injectors 16b and 16d simultaneously inject fuel at the timing shifted by 360 ° with respect to the two injectors 16a and 16c . the routine for calculating the injection dither coefficient kdit and the intermittent retardation amount kret is similar to that of fig5 . the injection dither coefficient kdit and the intermittent retardation amount kret are set to values ( dither amount 10 %, retardation amount 10 ° ca ) which are effective values in view of the catalyst warming - up and the emission improvement in the case that the water temperature thw is 20 ° c . the routine shown in fig1 is started and executed at every 180 ° ca where parts corresponding to those in fig6 are indicated by the same marks and the description thereof will be omitted . one difference point is that s300 is further added between s130 and s140 . s300 is a step for checking whether now is the injection timing determined at every 360 ° ca . that is , s300 is a decision precess for effecting the injection dither process in the steps s140 to s190 at every 360 ° ca . in the routine of fig1 subsequent to the fig1 routine , s310 is executed in order to check whether an ignition timing decision flag retflg is in the set state . if being in the set state , the decision is made such that the retardation is not performed in the previous cycle and hence s230 follows to set the final retardation amount aret , then followed by s330 to reset the flag retflg . on the other hand , if the decision of s310 is made such that the flag retflg is not in the set state , that is , in the case of retardation in the previous cycle , the final retardation amount aret is set to 0 in s220 , then followed by s320 to set the flag retflg , thereafter executing s240 to s260 . as described above , according to this embodiment , the air - fuel ratio is shifted to the rich and lean sides at every 360 ° ca and the ignition timing is intermittently retarded at every 180 ° ca fig1 is a timing chart for describing the output states of the injection signals and the ignition signal in the above - described group injection system . in fig1 , signals i and j are respectively injection signals for the first , third cylinders and the second , fourth cylinders . the signals i and j are respectively generated at every 720 ° ca and shifted by 360 ° from each other . the injection signal is shifted to the rich and lean sides at every 360 ° ca and as a result the rich signal is always outputted with respect to the first and third cylinders and the lean signal is always outputted with respect to the second and fourth cylinders . further , the ignition signal is intermittently retarded at every 180 ° ca , i . e . every one ignition . more specifically , when the injection signal shifted to the rich side is outputted to the first and third cylinders , the first - cylinder ignition timing is retarded but the third - cylinder ignition timing is not retarded . as described above , with the ignition retardation period being set to be shorter than the rich and lean period of the injection signal in the group injection system , it is possible to perform the control based on the retardation amount and the injection dither amount which allow great catalyst warming - up and emission improvement effects , and further to accelerate the suppression of the torque variation and the emission improvement . this embodiment is not limited to the group injection system but is applicable to a simultaneous injection system . the similar effect can be obtained . further , although in the above - described embodiments both the injection dither control and intermittent retardation control are executed , it is also possible to shorten the time period that the catalyst takes the full intake state even if executing the injection dither control only or the intermittent retardation control only , thus suppressing the deterioration of the emissions . in addition , in the case of executing the injection dither control only or the intermittent retardation control only , if limiting to an operating region such as a large - load region , a middle rotational speed region in which the affection of the torque variation due to the control is small , it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the driveability . according to the above - described embodiments , when the warming - up of the catalyst is not completed , the engine alternately takes the rich combustion and the lean combustion so as to generate heat through the oxidative reaction of the carbon monoxide and oxygen produced thereby . the generated heat heats the catalyst which is in turn warmed up speedily so as to improve the emission purifying efficiency of the catalyst to thereby suppress the deterioration of the emissions . moreover , since the ignition timing is intermittently retarded at the time of no completion of the warming - up of the catalyst , the warming - up of the catalyst can be accelerated so as to similarly suppress the deterioration of the emissions . it should be understood that the foregoing relates to only preferred embodiments of the present invention , and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiments of the invention herein used for the purposes of the disclosure , which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 8 |
referring now to the drawings , and particularly fig1 - 4 , a simplified method of forming hexagonal pins on an initial pin plate 10 is shown . a plurality of initial cuts are formed along a first direction , shown by arrow a , in the face 12 of the initial pin plate 10 to form a plurality of parallel grooves 14 . as shown in fig3 and 4 , two additional straight - through cuts are made in the surface 12 of the initial pin plate 10 at 60 ° and 120 ° from the initial cut , to form a plurality of spaced apart hexagonal pins 20 . it is immaterial which of the second or third cuts are at the 60 ° or 120 ° angle with respect to the first cut . however , for purposes of illustration , fig3 illustrates the second cut as being along arrow b which is at an angle of 120 ° with respect to the cut of arrow a , thereby producing a plurality of parallel grooves 16 in the face 12 of the initial pin plate 10 . fig4 illustrates the final straight - through cut as being along arrow c which is 60 ° with respect to the cut of arrow a , forming a plurality of parallel grooves 18 , and finally the plurality of spaced apart hexagonal pins 20 . three such initial pin plates 10 are formed in the same manner , with it being understood that the grooves 14 , 16 and 18 of each plate are formed with a desired width to accommodate the positioning of the pins of the other two plates therewithin and with the desired slot width between the assembled pins . fig5 through 7a illustrate the bonding of the three initial pin plates to a billet die , or a carrier plate as utilized in the practice of a laminated die . the schematic drawings are set forth only to illustrate the method of bonding and are not an accurate depiction of the hexagonal pins as they would appear in a more graphic illustration . fig5 shows the positioning of a first initial pin plate 10 with the surface 12 of the hexagonal pins 20 being positioned adjacent a surface 22 of a billet die or carrier plate 24 , as desired . fig5 a illustrates the pins 20 of the first initial pin plate 10 being fused to the billet die or carrier plate 24 to form the first set of hexagonal pins 30 thereon . also , fig5 a illustrates the fact that after the pins 20 have been fused to the die or plate 24 to form new pins 30 thereon , initial pin plate 10 is cut away from the pins 30 at 26 by any suitable means such as saw cutting or wire edm to form the discharge surface 28 ( fig7 a and 8 ) of the die . fig6 and 6a are similar are to fig5 and 5a except that they illustrate the bonding of the pins 20 from the second initial pin plate 10 to the die or plate 24 to form the second set of pins 30 thereon . finally , fig7 and 7a illustrate the bonding of the pins 20 from the third initial pin plate 10 to the die or plate 24 to thereby bond the final set of hexagonal pins 30 thereto , and thus produce the desired hexagonal discharge pin face with desired width hexagonal shaped slots 32 formed therebetween . fig8 is a plan view of the outlet or discharge face of the finished die or carrier plate 24 illustrating the sequence of the bonding operation . machinable materials of high yield strength , such as high strength tool steels or stainless steel alloys constitute the preferred fabrication materials for the pin plates 10 and the billet die or carrier plate 24 . the alignment between the pin plates and the die or carrier plate 24 is very important , since any mismatch will show up as a comparable variation in the final slot width 32 . one preferred method of alignment is the utilization of precision dowels and holes as is known in the prior art . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 678 , 570 to plaulonis et al . describes one suitable type of a diffusion bonding procedure which can be utilized with the present invention , since it is particularly useful for superalloy and stainless steel bonding , wherein the alloy interlayers are used to assist the diffusion bonding process through the formation of a transient liquid phase . also , these interlayers promote good diffusion bonding of similar materials at temperatures and pressures somewhat lower than required for conventional diffusion processes , which also may be utilized . with respect to the sequence of bonding operations as shown in fig8 it is apparent that although the second and third pin plates are identical to the first one , a different alignment location is required for each successive pin plate 10 , to insure that the pins 20 are positioned in the correct location on the receiving plate 24 with the desired hexagonal slots 32 positioned between the hexagonal pins 30 . it is apparent that at least three initial pin plates 10 are required to provide the pins 30 on a single die or faceplate 24 . the use of a minimum number of pin plates 10 is desirable , since each additional bonding operation exposes the assembly process to more opportunities for misalignment in bonding . thus , although more than three initial pin plates 10 may be utilized to produce the final die or carrier plate 24 , it is preferred to utilize only three initial pin plates as described hereinbefore . when it is desired to bond the pins 20 directly to a surface 22 of a billet die 24 , it is understood that appropriate feed holes will be formed in an inlet face of the billet die to communicate with root portions 34 of the hexagonal discharge slots 32 . also , when the ends 20 of the initial pin plates 10 are bonded to a carrier plate such as utilized in the practice for forming laminated dies , two alternatives are possible . one is to bond the carrier plate to a body plate and transition feed holes from the body portion to the root portions 34 of the hexagonal slots 32 . another would be to position the surface 28 against an outlet face of a die body portion with the discharge slots 32 in alignment with feed holes formed through the die body , and the pins 30 then fused to the die body with the pins being removed along surface 22 from the carrier 24 , in a manner similar to the procedure shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 761 , 787 . although for purposes of illustration i have disclosed certain specific embodiments of my invention , it will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
hereinafter , preferred embodiments ( hereinafter , referred to as “ embodiments ”) of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 illustrates an example of a configuration of a 3d image display system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure . the 3d image display system 10 includes an image signal processing device 20 and an omni - directional 3d image display apparatus 30 . the image signal processing device 20 supplies a video signal obtained by capturing an object , for example , from all directions to the omni - directional 3d image display apparatus 30 . the omni - directional 3d image display apparatus 30 includes a display section 40 ( fig2 ) which is installed in a cylindrical section 31 which is formed with a plurality of slits 32 . the display section 40 includes array displays of the same number as the number of the slits 32 . the omni - directional 3d image display apparatus 30 extracts images in the case where the object is seen from respective viewpoints on the entire periphery around the object from a video signal input from the image signal processing device 20 to display the images on the respective array displays in a predetermined order . accordingly , the cylindrical section 31 rotates at high speed . thus , the images on the array displays which form the display section 40 pass through the slits 32 and are seen by a user who views a side surface of the cylindrical section 31 of the omni - directional 3d image display apparatus 30 . since led lights of r , g , and b components which are arranged in positions corresponding to the plurality of array displays are synthesized and seen , the images have their original colors , and in a case where the user views the side surface of the cylindrical section 31 from an arbitrary direction , the user can view a 3d image over the entire periphery of the object in the video signal . a configuration example of the display section 40 which is installed in the cylindrical section 31 of the omni - directional 3d image display apparatus 30 will be described with reference to fig2 to 6 . fig2 is a configuration example of the display section 40 , fig3 is a rear perspective view of array displays , fig4 is a cross - sectional view of the array displays , fig5 is a perspective view of a light emitting device substrate 43 , and fig6 is a cross - sectional view of the light emitting device substrate 43 . in the case of the configuration example shown in fig2 , the display section 40 includes three array displays . each array display is installed in a light housing 41 so that a curved surface is formed along respective led surfaces 52 of the plurality of light emitting device substrates 43 . each light housing 41 is arranged at an equiangular ( here , 120 degrees ) interval in a base of the cylindrical section 31 . thus , it is possible to reduce wobbling of a rotation axis when the cylindrical section 31 rotates . a slit 42 is formed on a side surface of the light housing 41 , and the display section 40 is installed inside the cylindrical section 31 so that the slit 42 corresponds to the slit 32 formed in the cylindrical section 31 . the light housing 41 has an approximately semi - cylindrical shape of a hollow structure , and a positioning hole for mounting the light emitting device substrate 43 is formed on the side surface thereof of an arc shape . thus , it is possible to mount the light emitting device substrate 43 on a predetermined location of the light housing 41 with high accuracy . further , the plurality of light emitting device substrates 43 are mounted in the form of fins along the positioning holes . it is possible to efficiently dissipate heat generated by the light emitting device substrate 43 or the like when the display section 40 rotates , using the above - described shape characteristic . further , a hole is formed on an upper surface and a lower surface of the light housing 41 . thus , if the display section 40 rotates , since air flow is generated in the light housing through the vertical hole , the heat exhausting is accelerated . the light emitting device substrate 43 has attachments 51 for installation to the light housing 41 in opposite ends in the length direction thereof . the attachment 51 employs a material having high thermal conductivity such as aluminum . thus , it is possible to efficiently move the heat generated by the light emitting device substrate 43 toward the light housing 41 , or to dissipate the heat . further , the light emitting device substrate 43 has a cross - section of an l shape ( or inverted l shape ), and has a rectangular led surface 52 in which a plurality of leds which are the light emitting devices are disposed in a position which is a short side of the l shape . that is , the length direction of the led surface 52 is parallel to the slit 42 of the light housing 41 . further , a driver substrate 53 for driving the leds is disposed in a position which is along side of the light emitting device substrate 43 . as shown in fig4 , the array displays have an arc screen . that is , the array displays are configured so that the respective led surfaces 52 of the plurality of light emitting device substrates 43 are arranged to be connected in an arc shape toward a point on a line which connects an arc center of the screen and the slit 42 of the light housing 41 . thus , usage efficiency of light emitted from the leds can be enhanced . further , since a gap between the respective light emitting device substrates 43 is generated , the generated heat can be dissipated therethrough . further , the plurality of light emitting device substrates 43 which form the array displays use an l - shaped cross - section and an inverted l - shaped cross - section with reference to the center of the array displays . thus , it is possible to prevent horizontal unevenness in an image due to steps in the screen ( for example , pixel gaps in a longitudinal direction stand out only on the right ( or left ) side of the screen ), which may be generated in a case where the array displays are configured using only one of the l shape and the inverted l shape . next , the led which forms the led surface 52 will be described with reference to fig7 to 13 . as described above , the led surface 52 is arranged toward the line where the arc center of the array displays is connected to the slit 42 . further , each led of the led surface 52 is configured so that directional characteristics of the irradiation light is enhanced compared with the led of the related art , and light usage efficiency is enhanced . fig7 illustrates a first configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . in the first configuration example , a resin lens 64 is formed to cover an led chip 61 around the led chip 61 installed on a substrate 60 . the irradiation light of the led can be focused on the front surface by circularly forming the resin lens 64 when seen from the top of the led , and thus , stray light is reduced , thereby enhancing light usage efficiency . accordingly , the contrast of the displayed image is enhanced . further , since an apparent light emitting area increases , it is possible to restrict a dot effect of the 3d image from standing out . further , in order to form the position and shape of the resin lens 64 with high accuracy , a water repellent and oil repellent agent or the like is coated in a region of the substrate 60 other than a region where the resin lens 64 is formed , to thereby form a low surface tension film 63 . that is , by forming the low surface tension film 63 with high positional accuracy , it is possible to form the position and shape of the resin lens 64 with high accuracy . fig8 illustrates a second configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . in the second configuration example , in addition to the same characteristic as the above - described first configuration example , a resin coat 72 is formed to cover a wire 62 which is wired in the led chip 61 . thus , protection of the wire 62 and insulation maintenance can be secured in parallel . in the second configuration example , the height of the resin coat 72 is formed to be lower than the height of the light emitting surface of the led chip 61 . thus , it is possible to restrict reduction in light extraction efficiency due to inner reflection of the led . here , the height of the resin coat 72 may be formed to be higher than the height of the light emitting surface of the led chip 61 . thus , since directional characteristic is enhanced while the light extraction efficiency decreases as the distance between the led chip 61 and the resin lens 64 increases , it is possible to enhance light usage efficiency as a result . further , as the height of the resin coat 72 increases , it is possible to avoid contact between the wire 62 and a mask 81 ( to be described later ). further , in the second configuration example , a copper foil layer 71 is formed on a substrate 70 . thus , temperature unevenness in the substrate 70 can be reduced , and thus , luminance unevenness and color unevenness in the led surface 52 can be restricted . fig9 illustrates a third configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . in the third configuration example , in addition to the same characteristic as the above - described second configuration example , the mask 81 is installed to cover a portion other than the resin lens 64 on the highest layer . the mask 81 may use a metallic foil which is black matte surface - processed or insulation - processed , black matte resin sheet , or the like . the mask 81 has characteristic in the cross - sectional shape thereof . fig1 a to 10d illustrate three examples of the cross - section shapes of the mask 81 . that is , fig1 a represents an example where a cross - sectional shape of the mask 81 is formed so that a lower side thereof is narrower than an upper side thereof . fig1 b represents an example where a cross - sectional shape of the mask 81 is formed to be widened toward an upper side and a lower side from the center of the layer of the mask 81 ( corresponding to the case where the mask 81 is created by etching ). further , fig1 c represents an example where a cross - section shape of the mask 81 is formed so that a lower side thereof is wider than an upper side thereof . from the point of view that the resin lens 64 is formed with a dome shape with high accuracy , the example in fig1 a and the example in fig1 b are the same , which are superior to the example in fig1 c . further , also , from the point of view that an aspect ratio ( h / d ) which is the ratio of the height h to the diameter d of the resin lens 64 can be increased , the example in fig1 a and the example in fig1 b are the same , which are also superior to the example in fig1 c . here , this does not mean that the directional characteristic and light usage efficiency are enhanced as the aspect ratio increases . that is , if the lens is formed with an appropriate aspect ratio according to a distance “ h ” from the light emitting surface of the led chip 61 to the upper surface of the mask 81 or a hole diameter “ r ” of the mask 81 , the directional characteristic thereof increases , and thus , light usage efficiency can be enhanced . from the point of view that interference ( contact ) of the mask 81 with the wire 62 is prevented , the example in fig1 c is superior to the example in fig1 a and the example in fig1 b . fig1 illustrates a top view of the led surface 52 including the third configuration example of the led . as shown in the figure , since light leakage from portions other than the resin lens 64 can be prevented by installing the mask 81 , it is possible to reduce deterioration in the image contrast . fig1 illustrates a fourth configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . in the fourth configuration example , the positions of the low surface tension film 63 and the mask 81 are switched in the above - described third configuration example , and thus , the low surface tension film 63 is formed on the highest layer , and the mask 81 is installed on the lower side compared with the third configuration example . thus , it is possible to enlarge the diameter of the resin lens 64 compared with the third configuration example , without combining the resin lenses 64 of the adjacent leds , and thus , it is possible to increase the density of the resin lenses 64 in the led surface 52 . further , as the diameter of the resin lens 64 increases , it is possible to enhance the extraction efficiency of the irradiation light . accordingly , it is possible to reduce the dot effect of the displayed 3d image . fig1 illustrates a fifth configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . the fifth configuration example has the same configuration as the above - described fourth configuration example . however , the height of the resin coat 72 is formed to be higher than the led chip 61 , and a cross - sectional shape of the mask 81 is formed so that a lower side thereof is narrower than an upper side thereof . accordingly , in addition to the same effect as the fourth configuration example , it is possible to form the dome shape of the resin lens 64 with high accuracy according to the cross - sectional shape of the mask 81 , to further enhance the directional characteristic as the distance between the led chip 61 and the resin lens 64 increases , and to enhance the luminance of the displayed 3d image . arrangement of leds which emit light of wavelengths of r , g , and b components in the led surface 52 will be described . hereinafter , the leds which emit light of wavelengths of the respective r , g , and b components are referred to as leds 90 r , 90 g , and 90 b , respectively . fig1 illustrates a first arrangement example of the led in the led surface 52 . the longitudinal direction in the same figure corresponds to the length direction of the led surface 52 . in the first arrangement example , with reference to arbitrary 3 × 3 leds , the number of leds of the respective color components is the same , and with reference to an arbitrary led , the led having the same color component as the referenced led is not present on the adjacent up , down , right and left sides . here , the first arrangement example is ideal , but is difficult to be manufactured compared with a second arrangement example which will be described later . fig1 illustrates a first wiring example corresponding to the first arrangement example shown in fig1 . the longitudinal direction in the figure corresponds to the length direction of the led surface 52 . in the first wiring example , “ p ” lines 101 for driving the leds of the same color components are wired in an oblique direction according to the arrangement of the leds of the same color components , and “ n ” lines 102 are wired along the length direction of the led surface 52 . as the first wiring example is employed , it is possible to drive and control the leds which form the led surface 52 in a line sequential manner in the unit of several μ seconds . fig1 illustrates a second arrangement example of the leds in the led surface 52 . the longitudinal direction in the figure corresponds to the length direction of the led 52 . in the second arrangement example , the leds in the transverse direction have the same color components . here , with reference to arbitrary 3 × 3 leds , the number of leds of the respective color components is the same . the second arrangement example has a simplified structure easy to be manufactured compared with the first arrangement example . as in the present embodiments , in a case where the display section 40 is configured by three light housings 41 , leds having different colors are arranged on the corresponding positions of the respective array displays in the respective light housings 41 . for example , in the case of the first arrangement example , with reference to the three leds which are arranged on the corresponding positions of three array displays , the leds are sequentially arranged in the order of r , g , and b in the first array display , are sequentially arranged in the order of g , b , and r in the second array display , and are sequentially arranged in the order of b , r , and g in the third array display . as described above , as the cylindrical section 31 in which the display section 40 is installed rotates at high speed in the omni - directional 3d image display apparatus 30 , colors of the leds of the respective r , g , and b components which are arranged on the corresponding positions of the respective array displays are combined to be seen . accordingly , in a case where only leds of r , g , or b component are arranged in each of three array displays , if the rotational speed of the cylindrical section 31 becomes low , the combination state of the respective r , g , and b components is deteriorated , and the original colors cannot be reproduced . further , color breakup of the image may occur . however , as the above - described first arrangement example or the second arrangement example is employed , that is , as the leds of the respective r , g , and b components are mixed on one sheet of led surface 52 , even in a case where the rotational speed of the display section 40 is low , the occurrence of color breakup of the displayed 3d image and flickering can be restricted . fig1 illustrates a second wiring example corresponding to the second arrangement example shown in fig1 . the longitudinal direction in the figure corresponds to the length direction of the led surface 52 . in the second wiring example , the “ p ” lines 101 and the “ n ” lines 102 for driving the leds are arranged in the lattice form . as the second wiring example is employed , it is possible to drive and control the leds which form the led surface 52 in a line sequential manner in the unit of several μ seconds . incidentally , each led which forms the led surface 52 may not be directly mounted on the substrate , but a package type led having a p electrode and an n electrode on a lower surface thereof may be arranged on the substrate . fig1 a and 18b illustrate a configuration example of the package type led , in which fig1 a illustrates a top surface thereof and fig1 b illustrates a lower surface thereof . as shown in fig1 a , a “ p ” terminal ( electrode ) 111 is installed on the top surface of the package type led along the outer circumference thereof , and an “ n ” terminal ( electrode ) 112 is installed along the led chip 61 . further , as shown in fig1 b , on the lower surface of the package type led , the “ p ” terminal ( electrode ) 111 is installed at opposite ends thereof , and the “ n ” terminal ( electrode ) 112 is installed in the center thereof . for example , the package type led has an advantage that it is possible to easily exchange the leds in the unit of package , while in a case where a breakdown such as a disconnection in one led occurs , in a case where individual differences of the leds are uniformized , or in similar cases , if the directly mounted led is employed instead of the package type led , it is necessary to exchange the leds in the unit of the led surface 52 or in the unit of the light emitting device substrate 43 . one package is not necessarily formed by one led , but may be formed by a plurality of ( for example , 1 × 3 , 3 × 3 ) leds . fig1 illustrates a third wiring example corresponding to a case where the led which forms the led surface 52 is the package type led . the longitudinal direction in the figure corresponds to the length direction of the led surface 52 . in the third wiring example , “ p ” lines 121 and “ n ” lines 122 for driving the leds are arranged in the lattice form . here , in the figure , as the “ p ” lines 121 are intermittently wired and the package type led shown in fig1 a and 18b is arranged , portions where the “ p ” lines 121 are disconnected are connected to each other . as the third wiring example is employed , it is possible to drive and control the leds which form the led surface 52 in a line sequential manner in the unit of several p , seconds . as described above , as the first to fifth configuration examples are employed for the led , it is possible to enhance the directional characteristic . however , for example , if the led in which the irradiation direction thereof is adjusted to be focused in a direction other than the front direction is used as the led of the led surface 52 which is arranged in an end part or the like of the screen on the curved surface of the array displays , it is possible to further enhance the light usage efficiency . specifically , for example , the package type led in the irradiation direction suitable for the arrangement may be used , or the light distribution characteristic for each light emitting device substrate 43 is adjusted to be different and the light emitting device substrates 43 having the light distribution characteristic suitable for the arrangement are arrayed , to thereby form the array displays . thus , a configuration of the led in which the light distribution characteristic is adjusted will be described . fig2 illustrates a sixth configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . in the sixth configuration example , the center of the led chip 61 installed on the substrate 60 and the center of the circular resin lens 64 are offset to each other . in the sixth configuration example and thereafter , the wire 62 , the resin coat 72 , the mask 81 , and the like may be appropriately omitted in the figures . fig2 illustrates a light distribution characteristic ( indicated by a dashed line ) of the first configuration example of the led shown in fig7 and a light distribution characteristic ( indicated by a solid line ) of the sixth configuration example of the led shown in fig2 . as shown in the figure , in the case of the first configuration example , the light distribution characteristic is highest in the front ( 90 °) direction . on the other hand , in the case of the sixth configuration example , the light distribution characteristic may be shifted in a direction different from the front direction ( 90 °). fig2 a and 22b illustrate a seventh configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 , in which fig2 a illustrates a cross - section taken in an arbitrary x direction , and fig2 b illustrates a cross - section taken in a y direction which is perpendicular to the x direction . in the seventh configuration example , the circular resin lens 64 is formed to cover the led chip 61 around the led chip 61 installed on the substrate 60 , and a reflector 131 is installed around the led chip 61 . here , the reflector 131 functions to enhance the directional characteristic in the x direction and to lower the directional characteristic in the y direction ( to distribute light in a wide range ). fig2 a and 23b illustrate a light distribution characteristic of the seventh configuration example of the led shown in fig2 a and 22b , in which fig2 a illustrates the light distribution characteristic in the x direction and fig2 b illustrates the light distribution characteristic in the y direction . as understood from the figures , due to the effect of the reflector 131 , the directional characteristic is enhanced in the x direction and the directional characteristic is lowered in the y direction ( light distribution range is widened ). fig2 illustrates an eighth configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . in the eighth configuration example , a cross - sectional shape of the mask 81 is formed in the state shown in fig1 a , and the hole wall surface thereof is coated or deposited by a reflection material of white color , silver color , or the like to function as a reflector 141 . if a position having an effect of the reflector 141 and a position without the effect are provided according to the position of an inclined surface of the mask 81 , it is possible to achieve the same light distribution characteristic as the light distribution characteristic shown in fig2 a and 23b . fig2 illustrates a ninth configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . in the ninth configuration example , an elliptical resin lens 64 in which a slit direction is the length direction thereof is formed to cover the led chip 61 installed on the substrate 60 . according to the ninth configuration example , it is possible to achieve the same light distribution characteristic as the light distribution characteristic shown in fig2 a and 23b . fig2 a and 26b illustrate a tenth configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 . in the tenth configuration example , in addition to the characteristic of the ninth configuration example , the center of the led chip 61 and the center of the elliptical resin lens 64 are offset to each other . according to the tenth configuration example , it is possible to achieve the light distribution characteristic obtained by combining the light distribution characteristics shown in fig2 and fig2 a and 23b . fig2 a and 27b illustrate an eleventh configuration example of the led which forms the led surface 52 , in which fig2 a is a cross - sectional view thereof and fig2 b is a top view of the led surface 52 including the leds according to the eleventh configuration example . the eleventh configuration example is a combination of the eighth to tenth configuration examples , and has the light distribution characteristic obtained by combining the light distribution characteristics shown in fig2 and fig2 a and 23b . as in the above - described sixth to eleventh configuration examples of the led , if the package type leds are used as the leds in which the light distribution characteristic is adjusted for each led and a suitable led is used according to the arrangement , it is possible to enhance light usage efficiency and to reduce power consumption . further , it is possible to reduce stray light ( light irradiation in an insignificant direction ). further , since it is easy to exchange the leds compared with the case where the led is directly mounted , adjustment and repair are easily available . incidentally , it is assumed that the configuration examples , arrangement examples , wiring examples , or the like of the leds as described above are applied to the omni - directional 3d image display apparatus 30 , but may be applied to other displays . further , in the present description , the term “ system ” represents the entire system including a plurality of devices . the present disclosure is not limited to the above - described embodiments , and may have a variety of modifications in the range without departing from the spirit thereof . the present disclosure contains subject matter related to that disclosed in japanese priority patent application jp 2010 - 155732 filed in the japan patent office on jul . 8 , 2010 , the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference . | 7 |
referring to the drawings , fig2 a - 2h illustrate different embodiments of a pmos esd protection device in accordance with the invention . in two variations devices 57 , 58 of a first embodiment , as shown in fig2 a and 2b , i / o pad 11 is coupled either directly ( fig2 b ) or through an optional resistor 12 ( fig2 a ) to the source of a pmos transistor t5 , the gate g5 of t5 is coupled directly to v cc , and the drain d5 of t5 is coupled to v ss . pmos transistor t5 is also situated within an n - well which is coupled to v cc . resistor 12 of device 57 provides additional esd protection by absorbing some of the esd energy and providing a voltage differential between input pad 11 and source s5 of transistor t5 thereby reducing the voltage differential between source s5 and both v cc and v ss . during the critical positive against v ss esd test , the esd high voltage forward biases the p + source / n - well junction , and breaks down the back biased n - well / p + drain junction resulting in esd current flowing from pad 11 through the source , the n - well and into the drain of transistor t5 which is coupled to v ss . similarly , during the positive against v cc esd test , the esd voltage causes the p + source / n - well junction to be forward biased , with current flowing from pad 11 through the source and into the n - well of transistor t5 which is coupled to the v cc . during the negative against v cc and negative against v ss tests , the single pmos transistor t5 of devices 57 and 58 is reverse - biased and hence operates predominantly in breakdown mode . note that although the gate g5 of transistor t5 is coupled to v cc , since there is no power applied to the ic , v cc is at an undefined voltage potential and so transistor t5 is partially on . as such , pmos transistor t5 is still more robust than an nmos transistor because pmos transistor t5 with an n - type gate g5 conducts through a &# 34 ; buried &# 34 ; channel formed below the surface the p - doped channel region that has not been depleted whereas an nmos transistor conducts through a surface channel formed by an inversion layer . in addition , pmos transistor esd protection devices 57 and 58 have the advantage of improved latch - up immunity . latch - up results from a parasitic bipolar transistor ( which exists intrinsically in a cmos structure ) turning on . such a parasite bipolar transistor can short the v cc ( power ) and v ss ( ground ) lines , either destroying the ic or causing system failure . the parasitic bipolar effect is illustrated in fig3 a and 3b . fig3 a and 3b show a typical cmos structure comprising a pair of pmos and nmos transistors 320 , 310 respectively , and the equivalent &# 34 ; bipolar &# 34 ; circuit for the cmos structure having parasitic bipolar transistors t31 , t32 , respectively . the latch - up effect is caused by the switching &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; of two bipolar transistors t31 and t32 . parasitic bipolar transistor t31 , an npn transistor , is the result of a collector 322 formed from the n - type substrate 322 , a base 312 formed from the p - well 312 of an nmos transistor 310 , and an emitter 311 formed from the n + source 311 of nmos transistor 310 . similarly , parasitic bipolar pnp transistor t32 is the result of an emitter 323 formed from the p + source 323 of pmos transistor 320 , a base 322 formed from the n - type substrate 322 and a collector 312 formed from the p - well 312 of nmos transistor 310 . when both bipolar transistors t31 and t32 are &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; there is a very low resistance path comprising transistors t31 and t32 , from v cc to v ss . the result is a very large current flowing from v cc to v ss through transistors t31 and t32 which can be large enough to cause a power failure . one conventional solution has been the use of a highly doped buried n + layer electrically insulating and separating the p - well of the nmos transistor from the n - type substrate . however , the buried layer increases the cmos transistor size . the pair of pmos and nmos transistors t3 and t4 of esd protection device 55 ( fig1 f ) forms the above described latch - up path comprising parasitic transistors t31 and t32 . in contrast , latch - up immunity of pmos transistor esd protection devices 57 and 58 is improved because the drain of transistor t5 is coupled to vs ( instead of v cc ), thereby improving latch - up immunity by eliminating a critical portion of the latch - up path , i . e . v cc is decoupled from the emitter of the otherwise parasitic transistor t32 . this structure 57 or 58 , i . e ., with the single pmos transistor t5 , can also be used in combination with one or more of the conventional nmos esd protection structures 50 through 56 , of fig1 a through 1g . nevertheless , depending on specific esd requirements , a single pmos transistor esd protection structure is adequate for most ic applications , since the potentially more destructive esd tests are the positive against v ss and positive against v cc . as such , the single pmos transistor esd protection device has superior overall esd characteristics when compared to any of the above - described conventional nmos transistor based esd protection devices . in another embodiment , esd protection device 59 and a variation 60 , as shown in fig2 c and 2d , respectively , i / o pad 11 is coupled either through optional resistor 12 or directly to the source of the pmos transistor t5 . again the drain of transistor t5 is coupled to v ss and transistor t5 is located in an n - well coupled to v cc . the gate of transistor t5 is coupled to the output of an inverter 25 whose input is coupled to v ss . such a single pmos esd device 59 or 60 has the same advantages and functions as single pmos esd protection devices 57 or 58 . ( see fig2 a and 2b .) fig2 e and 2f show variations 61 and 62 of esd protection devices 57 and 58 , respectively . in esd protection devices 61 and 62 , the gate of transistor t5 is coupled directly to v cc . in addition , esd protection devices 61 and 62 are combined with any one of esd protection devices 50 - 56 , by incorporation into block 100 , for better overall protection against all four types of esd tests . fig2 g and 2h show variations 63 and 64 of esd protection devices 59 and 60 , respectively . the difference is that the respective esd protection devices 63 and 64 have been combined with one of esd devices 50 through 56 by incorporation into block 100 , for better overall protection against all four types of esd tests . while several embodiments have been described , these descriptions are not intended to be limiting and other embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art based on this disclosure . thus , while this esd protection invention has been described using a single pmos transistor coupled directly to both v ss and v cc , with the transistor situated in an n - well coupled to v cc , the principles of this invention apply equally well to any esd protection device having a pmos transistor coupled directly to v ss . | 7 |
the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure disclose how to perform code profiling on devices having a relatively short wake - up time compared to the sleep time ( low duty cycle ). a preferred embodiment of the disclosure performs code profiling on an ultra - low energy ( ule ) device . the disclosure can be applied to any other devices having low duty - cycle . the range of duty cycle , i . e . the ratio between wake - up time / sleep - time may be e . g . approximately 1 / 1000 . this means x mseconds wake - up time and x seconds sleep - time . the disclosure could be also advantageously be applied to other ratios fig1 shows a block diagram of an ule device 1 including its micro - controller 2 , timer 3 , and an external memory 4 . the code profiling method disclosed uses an available timer 3 on the ule device ( this may be a system timer ( systick ) or another on - chip timer ). the value of global variables is stored in an ( e . g . external ) non - volatile memory 4 ( e . g . eprom ) before the device 1 is going into sleep - mode . it should be noted that timers are usually available on devices having software implemented for different functions . such a timer can be used for code profiling because during code profiling the value of the timer 3 is only read and its value is never changed . every function has its own identical global variable which represents how many timer 3 ticks this function was active . reading out the eprom 4 at a later point of time shows the code profile of the ule device during wakeup . only the code profile during wake - up is interesting . during sleep mode nothing happens . in the preferred embodiment each function call has an own identical global variable and two local variables . alternatively the number of global variables may be higher as e . g . for counting the number a function is called or for a “ time - stamp ” noting when the function was called . it should be noted that in software it is not allowed to have global variables with the same name . therefore every global variable has its own definition ( name ). it should be noted that a global variable is known by the software during all the wakeup time , a local variable is only valid ( known by the software ) in the function call it is declared in . these global variables all start with value 0 after the application wakes up . after wakeup the timer is started and counts from 0 . . . ( e . g . 24 bits ) and then wraps around . if function call x is executed for the first time , the actual timer value is stored in local variable ‘ varx1 ’ at the start of this function . at the end of this function call x the actual timer value is stored in local variable ‘ varx2 ’. the global variable ‘ varx ’ is incremented with the difference between ‘ varx2 ’ and ‘ varx1 ’ at the end of this function x . so this global value ‘ varx ’ is now 0 +( varx2 − varx1 ). then for instance function y could be executed , it also has its own global variable ‘ vary ’ and 2 local variables ‘ vary1 ’ and ‘ vary2 ’. the actual timer value is stored in local variable “ vary1 ’ at the start of this function y . at the end of this function y the actual timer value is stored in local variable ‘ vary2 ’. the global variable ‘ vary ’ is incremented with the difference between ‘ vary2 ’ and ‘ vary1 ’ at the end of this function y . at the end of the function y global variable vary = 0 +( vary2 − vary1 ). in case e . g . function call x is called again , the local variables of function x varx1 and varx2 are getting the actual timer values at the start or correspondingly the end of the function x as described earlier . the global variable ‘ varx ’ is incremented with varx2 − varx1 again at the end of functionx . so varx will be ‘ previous value +( varx2 − varx1 )’, etc . after all functions of the wake - up mode are called and the device is going into sleep - mode , all global functions variables are first stored in the external non - volatile memory 4 ( e . g . eprom ). it should be noted that the user ( or application ) determines which functions are called , so it is possible that in certain circumstances some functions are not used ( called ). in that case the global variable is 0 the user can read out this eprom memory 4 for checking the code profiling at a later point of time , optimize the code and do code profiling again to check the improvements etc . the user can add more global variables , e . g . in order to count the number every functions is called and / or to get a kind of a ‘ timestamp ’ by measuring when the function was active . these count and timestamp global variables are also stored in eprom then . an example of the workflow of the software for code profiling is shown below : functions x , y , z etc . are called by main function , other functions , the main function is implemented in the ule device . every application has one main function and it is always called automatically a device wakes up . in case the code profile of the main function should be performed the same method as with the other functions can be used but the calculation of its global variable has to be done between the functions are called . fig2 illustrates a flowchart of a method to perform code profiling for processing devices having a low duty cycle . a first step 20 describes the provision of a processing device , having one or more functions with a low duty cycle , comprising a timer , wherein an external memory is connected to the device , and wherein for each function one or more own global variables are assigned . step 21 illustrates starting code profiling . step 22 shows calling functions of the device by a main function , determine the duration each function was active and put the duration results into a first of the one or more related global variable , wherein , in case a function was called multiple times , the durations of each call are incremented in its global variable . step 23 depicts writing at the end of the code profiling , after all function calls are done , the values the one or more global variables to the memory . step 24 discloses reading out the values from the memory and used them for code optimization of the functions . while the disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure . | 6 |
in read / write disks , data is stored in the form of marks , usually in the grooves of the disk . such marks can typically be a change in the nature of the material , such as in the structure of the material . storing , or writing , data onto the disk requires energy , typically in the form of laser light , to form the physical marks in the material . typically , the marks are written on groove portions of the disk . in the case of read only discs , data may be embossed or stamped in the form of pits or bumps in the surface of the disk . disks can be read - only , with pits or bumps , writeable with grooves and lands , or may have read - only regions and writeable regions . additional details regarding such disks are disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . nos . 09 / 854 , 333 and 09 / 764 , 042 , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties . the pits and grooves may be formed on the disk using a father stamper , which has features ( i . e ., bumps and lands ) that are mirror images or opposite polarity of the pits and grooves . father stampers are formed , beginning with a glass master disk . photoresist is deposited on the glass master disk . after being coated with photoresist , the master is placed on an air - bearing spindle . a master bench laser exposes selected portions of the photoresist to create the desired pattern of pits and / or grooves . after the photoresist is exposed and developed , which washes away the exposed resist to leave the surface topology in the desired mode for when the disk is finally molded , the master disk is plated with nickel in a process known as electroforming . the nickel mold , known as the father stamper , is separated from the photoresist and master disk . the father stamper has features that are mirror images of the features cut by the laser . using polycarbonate , for example , in an injection molding process creates the disk with pits and recessed grooves as originally cut by the laser . optionally , a mother stamper , a stamper that is the topological inverse or mirror image of the father stamper , may replace grooves with lands and pits with bumps in the completed disk . one such mother stamper is disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 056 , 927 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . the grooves are typically formed in a wobble that generates a sinusoidal signal used to control the rotational speed of the disk and to generate a clock signal . for example , u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 972 , 410 and 5 , 682 , 365 to carasso et al . describes disks with wobbles and are incorporated by reference in their entirety . the grooves may also contain high - frequency wobble marks within the wobble which can be used to indicate other information , such as the addresses of the physical sectors . details are disclosed in commonly - owned u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 542 , 681 , entitled “ structure and method for storing data on optical discs ”, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . in reading the disk , features cut by the original mastering laser are tracked . thus , because disks created using a father stamper process have originally - cut features along the grooves , tracking is on the wobbled grooves , and information is written in the grooves . reading or playing back the information is typically achieved by the optical reader transmitting a light beam onto the information layer and detecting the characteristics of the reflected light . in the case of what are called front or first surface disks , the information surface is the first surface that the read or write laser impinges . to the contrary , in second surface disks , the information surface is the second surface that the read or write laser impinges , the first surface being the surface of the substrate . the stored information is read by detecting the absence or presence of the marks in the grooves of the coating layer , such as by an optical head or reader . this then allows the stored information to be played back . one detection principle for recorded information in such disks is often the change in the refractive indices of the coating layer , another principle in such disks is the detection of the change in the polarization axis of the light . commonly , however , the change in optical intensity resulting from optical phase shift is detected . reading or playing back the information in second surface disks is typically achieved by the optical reader transmitting a light beam through the substrate of the disk and onto the information layer ( i . e ., the groove and pits ) and reflecting the light beam back through the substrate . the substrate is typically a clear plastic material on which the information layer is formed . because the light is incident on two surfaces ( the substrate surface and the information surface ), this type of disk can be referred to as a second - surface or substrate - incident disk or media . the relatively thick and transparent substrate of second - surface optical media makes read - only or read / write operations relatively insensitive to dust particles , scratches and the like since they can be located more than approximately 500 wavelengths from the information layer and hence are defocused . on the other hand , the second - surface optical medium can be relatively sensitive to various opto - mechanical variations . for example , common opto - mechanical variations include tilt of the substrate relative to the optical axis , substrate thickness variations , and / or substrate birefringence . these variations give rise to optical aberrations which degrade system performance arising from the presence of the thick transparent layer and which can , at least theoretically , be partially compensated for by using a suitable optical path design . such an optical path typically can only provide compensation for a single , pre - defined thickness of the layer . because there are likely to be variations in the thickness or other properties of the transparent layer , such compensation may be less than desired at some locations of the medium . another drawback associated with second - surface optical media is that the optical requirements of such media are substantially inconsistent with the miniaturization of the disk drive and optical components for such media . as will be appreciated , a longer working distance ( distance between the objective lens and the information content portions ) is required for an optical system that will read information from or write information onto second - surface media . this is due to the relatively thick transparent layer through which the radiation must pass to access the recording layer . to provide the longer working distance , larger optical components ( e . g ., objective lenses ) are required . [ 0028 ] fig1 illustrates an optical disk 100 having a first side 102 and a second side ( not shown ). in one embodiment , the optical disk 100 comprises a hybrid , first surface optical disk having prerecorded and recordable portions and an overall diameter of less than about 50 millimeters . in a specific embodiment , the optical disk 100 has an overall diameter of about 32 millimeters . the optical disk 100 includes a graphics ring 104 . the graphics ring 104 comprises an annular region of the first side 102 between a first radius r 1 and a second radius r 2 . the second side ( not shown ) of the optical disk 100 may also include a graphics ring 104 . in one embodiment , the first radius r 1 is about 5 . 5 millimeters and the second radius r 2 is about 6 . 3 millimeters . moreover , the optical disk 100 includes a through hole 112 located at approximately the center of the optical disk 100 . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , the through hole 112 may be adapted with at least one hub ( not shown ) to facilitate spinning the optical disk 100 with disk spinning equipment , such as a disk drive ( not shown ). the graphics ring 104 includes a first portion 106 , a second portion 108 , and a third portion 110 . machine readable code , such as bar code information 116 , is disposed within the first portion 106 of the graphics ring 104 . human readable alphanumeric characters 118 are disposed within the second portion 108 of the graphics ring 104 . human readable alphanumeric characters 120 are disposed within the third portion 110 of the graphics ring 104 . the first portion 106 of the graphics ring 104 comprises about one half , or about 180 degrees , of the graphics ring 104 . the second and third portions 108 and 110 each comprise about one quarter , or about 90 degrees , of the graphics ring 104 . in one embodiment , the bar code information 116 is written in the first portion 106 of the graphics ring with a series of low reflectance stripes 117 arranged in a circumferential direction and extending radially substantially between the first radius r 1 and the second radius r 2 . a disk drive ( not shown ), may read the bar code information 116 using the optical head of the disk drive and an active focus servo to focus the bar code information 116 . pursuant to one embodiment , the bar code information 116 is formatted in a manner similar to the nbca ( new burst cutting area ) format used with dvd - type disks . additional details regarding dvd - type disks are disclosed in the dvd specification v . 1 . 0 and are available from the dvd forum , www . dvdforum . org . as discussed in more detail below , the bar code information 116 contains format information , which the disk drive , or other device , reads to determine the format of the electrically encoded information on the optical disk 100 . in addition , the bar code information 116 contains information that identifies when and where the master that produced the optical disk 100 was manufactured . some of the bar code information 116 may be defined on the master tape that is generated in the pre - mastering process . the formatter used to master the disk may also generate some of the bar code information 116 automatically at the time the master is being manufactured and will also embed in the bar code information 116 . additional details regarding the bar code information 116 are discussed below with reference to fig2 - 5 . a disk drive ( not shown ) may read the bar code information 116 of an inserted optical disk 100 by spinning the optical disk 100 and advancing an optical head ( not shown ) to a predetermined location . the predetermined location corresponds with the radial position of the bar code information 116 on the optical disk 100 . the disk drive may include a mechanical stop positioned to stop advancement of the optical head when the optical head arrives at the predetermined location . with the optical head thus positioned , the optical head may read the bar code information 116 using an active focus servo to focus the bar code information 116 . tracking , or the use of an active tracking servo , is not required to read information within the graphics ring 104 . other devices , such as bar code readers and optical disk scanners may also read the bar code information 116 . these devices , however , may or may not need to spin the optical disk 100 to read the bar code information 116 . the alphanumeric characters 118 may comprise master tape part number information , master cut number information , or both . in one embodiment , master tape part number information 115 includes an eight character alpha - numeric field , preceded by a pound character (“#”). the contents of this eight character alpha - numeric field are included on the master tape and are read by the formatter at the time the master is made . the master cut number information 119 , in one embodiment , is a six character alpha - numeric field , the contents of which are entered by an operator at the time the master is made . the alphanumeric characters 118 may reference actual content on the master tape . in one embodiment , the alphanumeric characters 118 are about 0 . 8 millimeter tall and are substantially centered in the second portion 108 of the annular ring 104 between the first and third portions 106 and 110 and between the first and second radii r 1 and r 2 . of course , the height of the alphanumeric characters 118 and the position of the alphanumeric characters within the second portion 118 may vary . the alphanumeric characters 120 are disposed in the third portion 110 of the graphics ring 104 and may include side identification information 122 and source identification information 124 . the purpose of the side identification information 122 is to permit human operators to be able to easily distinguish between the two sides of the optical disk 100 ( i . e ., first side 102 and the opposing second side ) before inserting the optical disk 100 into a cartridge during the manufacturing process . machine vision equipment with character recognition functionality may also read the alphanumeric characters 120 . in one embodiment , the side identification information 122 comprises language such as “ side a ” to identify a side of the optical disk 100 . pursuant to another embodiment , a trademark , a logo , or other set of alphanumeric characters or graphic may be employed for this purpose . the source identification information 124 may comprise a four character master disk source identifier , wherein each formatter has a source identifier associated therewith , which is hard coded into the associated formatter , such as by the formatter manufacturer . this can , for example , permit identification of the maker of the master disk itself after it has been recorded . in one embodiment , the alphanumeric characters 120 are 0 . 8 millimeter tall and are substantially centered in the third portion 110 of the annular ring 104 . of course , the height of the alphanumeric characters 120 and the position of the alphanumeric characters 120 within the third portion 110 may vary . pursuant to one embodiment , the second side ( not shown ) of the optical disk 100 has a ring ( not shown ) configured identical to the ring 104 , but having information pertaining to the second side . the bar code information 116 and the alphanumeric characters 118 , 120 may be mastered into the optical disk without the need for separate processes , such as laser etching or ink jet marking . details regarding the mastering of the bar code information 116 are described below with reference to fig2 . [ 0045 ] fig2 illustrates a section of a single low reflectance stripe 117 of the bar code information 116 of fig1 . data encoded for the bar code information 116 , in one embodiment , is encoded by phase encoding where a zero bit is represented by two channel bits set to one zero and a one bit is represented two channel bits set to zero one . the sequence of the channel bits may be modulated according to conventional return - to - zero ( rz ) modulation techniques . each of the low reflectance stripes 117 is mastered as short sections of “ lands ” 202 and “ grooves ” 204 between opposing edges 206 and 208 . the lands 202 are raised portions of the optical disk 100 that are closest to the light beam that reads data from the optical disk 100 . the grooves 204 separate the lands 202 and comprise recessed regions of the optical disk 100 that are farther from the light beam than the lands 202 . each land 202 and groove 204 may have a dimension in the radial direction of about 400 nm . each land 202 and groove 204 may have a dimension in the circumferential direction of about 7 . 4 um between the opposing edges 206 and 208 . each groove 204 may have a depth of about 85 nm relative to the adjacent lands 202 . in one embodiment , the distance between adjacent lands about 0 . 74 um , this distance may be referred to as the “ pitch ”. the overall dimensions of each low reflectance stripe 117 may be about 0 . 8 - 1 mm in the radial direction and about 7 . 4 um in the circumferential direction . accordingly , each low reflectance stripe 117 comprises a series of alternating lands 202 and grooves 204 . high reflectance regions 210 and 212 are disposed on adjacent circumferential sides of each low reflectance stripe 117 and have an elevation approximately equal to that of the grooves 204 . the high reflectance regions 210 and 212 comprise flat , or mirror , areas . edges 206 and 208 separate the low reflectance stripe 117 from the high reflectance regions 210 and 212 , respectively . when a low reflectance stripe 117 is read , a focused laser spot from an optical pickup head is diffracted by the areas with lands and grooves . higher orders of diffracted light that reflect from the optical disk tend to not pass through an aperture of an objective lens , which receives the reflected light . hence , when the focused laser spot is over an area with lands and grooves ( i . e ., a low reflectance stripe 117 ), the total return light that enters the objective lens is less than when the focused laser spot is over a flat area ( i . e ., a high reflectance region 210 ) of the disk that does not diffract as much light . thus , to the objective lens , the land and groove areas appear as low reflectivity areas , or stripes compared to flat , or mirror , areas of the optical disk between the land and groove areas . in some embodiments , the size of the spot is about the same as the track pitch . while the amount of reflected light differs when the focused laser spot is over a land or a groove , the amount of reflected light associated with a flat region is substantially greater than that of a land or a groove . further , the optical disk may have some radial runout . this radial runout may result from differences between a first center point of the disk defined by the mastering system during the mastering process and a second center point defined by the placement of the hub and spindle motor of the disk drive . due to mechanical tolerances , the first and second centers are rarely exactly the same and , therefore , some radial runout typically results . in some embodiments , in which the focused laser spot is small compared to the track pitch , the radial runout helps to make sure the focused laser spot crosses lands and grooves in the low reflectance stripe area . pursuant to these embodiments , the focused laser spot may be sufficiently small that each land and grove area appears to the objective lens as a flat area . however , with some radial runout , the spot will have to transition between land and groove areas . this transition will cause light to be diffracted as described above . a low pass filter is applied to the detected signal , which averages the light detected from the land and groove areas with the apparent flat , or mirror , areas between the land and groove areas . this low pass filtering produces a signal from the low reflectance stripe that is less than the signal from a flat , or mirror , area . hence , after low pass filtering , the net effect of the land and groove areas is a low reflectance stripe . the signal levels corresponding to a high and low reflectance are i bh and i bl , respectively , as measured relative to a zero light level . in one embodiment , the i bh and i bl signal levels meet the following : in one embodiment , the channel bit length of a bar code channel bit , expressed in microseconds , is about 5 . 10 microseconds at a reference velocity of 2 . 9 meters / second . an edge position of the bar code signal is the position at which the bar code signal crosses the mean level between i bh and i bl . the length of the pulses corresponding to the low - reflectance strip may be 2 . 55 microseconds ± 0 . 50 microseconds . the deviation of the time interval between successive leading edges , in one embodiment , is less than about 0 . 75 microseconds . similarly , the deviation of the time interval between the centers of successive pulses is less than about 0 . 75 microseconds . the center of a pulse is the middle point between the leading edge and the trailing edge . [ 0057 ] fig3 illustrates the data structure for the bar code information 116 . as shown , the bar code information 116 includes a pll ( phase locked loop ) sync field 302 , a preamble 304 , a data field 306 , and a postamble 308 , arranged in series . the pll sync field 302 may comprise two bytes , which may be set to ffh as a default and encoded by return - to - zero ( rz ) modulation . the bytes of the pll sync field 302 immediately precede the sync byte sb bar of the preamble 304 . the preamble 304 of the bar code information 116 may comprise four bytes pr 0 - pr 3 set to ( 00 ) preceded by the first sync byte sb bar . the preamble 304 signifies the beginning of the bar code information 116 and may comprise four bytes set to zero . the data field 306 includes information bytes 310 , error detection code ( edc ) bytes 312 , and error correction code ( ecc ) bytes 314 . in one embodiment , the information bytes 310 comprise 28 bytes ( i 0 , i 1 , . . . i 27 ), which may be arranged and analyzed by the reading device as seven rows . a resync byte rs bari is inserted before each 4 - byte row of i i bytes , changing every four rows . the following describes an example embodiment of the specific contents of the various information bytes 310 . byte i 0 is the disk format major identifier . the content of the byte i 0 may be included in the master tape and read by the formatter at the time of mastering . bytes i 1 and i 2 contain the serial number , or other identifier , of the formatter that produced the master from which the optical disk 100 resulted . the formatter manufacturer may hard code the contents of the bytes i 1 and i 2 into the formatter . byte i 3 contains the identification number of the lbr ( laser beam recorder ) that produced the master . the contents of the byte i 3 are entered at the time of mastering . bytes i 4 and i 5 contain identification data corresponding to the site that produced the pre - mastered tape . the contents of the bytes i 4 and i 5 are included in the master tape and read by the formatter at the time of mastering . bytes i 6 and i 7 contain identification data corresponding to the site that produced the master from which the optical disk 100 resulted . the formatter manufacturer may hard code the contents of the bytes i 6 and i 7 into the formatter . bytes i 8 - i 11 contain a time and date stamp of when the master was produced that mastered the optical disk 100 . the formatter may automatically generate these bytes at the time of mastering . fig5 as discussed below , illustrates example time stamp data . bytes i 12 - i 17 contain a side content identifier , which may comprise a unique number , such as a serial number , corresponding to the content of the master . the side content identifier may be assigned at the time of pre - mastering and is included in the master tape and read by the formatter at the time of mastering . bytes i 18 - i 19 are reserved and may be set to ffh as a default . bytes i 20 - i 24 contain a 40 - bit word whose contents may vary , depending on the particular application . bytes i 25 - i 26 are reserved and may be set to ffh as a default . byte i 27 is the disk format minor identifier . thus , the format of the disk may be identified from the bytes i 0 and i 27 taken together . the content of the byte i 27 may be included in the master tape and read by the formatter at the time of mastering . this specific designation for the various bytes is one example of the specific contents of the various information bytes 310 . of course , the specific contents and arrangement of the information bytes 310 may vary . the error detection code bytes 312 are used for the detection of errors in the information bytes 310 and may comprise four bytes ( d 0 , d 1 , d 2 , and d 3 ). the error detection code bytes 312 are preceded by a resync byte rs bar2 . regarding the error detection code 312 , the bytes d 0 to d 3 follow the information bytes i 0 and i 27 . polynomials edc bar ( x ) and i bar ( x ) are as follows . edc bar ( x ) = ∑ i = 0 31 b i x i i bar ( x ) = ∑ i = 32 255 b i x i where i is the bit number starting with zero and counted from the least significant bit of the last byte of byte d 3 , to the most significant bit of the first byte of information data , i 0 . the value of the i - th bit is represented by b i . a reed - solomon ecc code with a 4 - way interleave is applied to the information data and the error detection code 312 . polynomials r barj ( x ) and i barj ( x ) shall be as follows . r barj ( x ) = ∑ i = 0 3 c j , i x 3 - i i barj ( x ) = ∑ i = 0 6 i ( j + 4 i ) x 51 - i + d j x 44 where i m represents the m - th information data byte and d k represents the k - th edc bar byte . the error correction code bytes 314 are used for the correction of errors in the information bytes 310 . errors in the reading of the information bytes may arise as a result of dust disposed on the first side 102 ( fig1 ) of the optical disk 100 , among other causes . such dust may impede the accurate reading of the information bytes 310 . in particular , the error correction code bytes 314 may comprise sixteen bytes ( ci , j ) arranged in four rows . each row of error correction code bytes 314 is preceded by a resync byte . to calculate the bytes ( ci , j ), the concept of virtual information data is introduced . virtual information comprises the 28 bytes of information data , i 0 to i 27 , concatenated with 40 rows , or 160 bytes , of virtual information data with implicit values of zero . this would be the same information data populating 47 rows instead of 7 rows where the extra 40 rows are all zero . polynomial vi bar ( x ) is defined as follows . vi bar ( x ) = ∑ i = 32 1535 b i x i where i is the bit number in which bit numbers 32 through 1311 are bits of the virtual information and 1312 through 1535 are counted starting at the least significant bit of the last byte of the information data , i 27 , to the most significant bit of the first byte of the information data , i 0 . the value of the i - th is represented by b i . for values of i from 32 through 1311 , the value , b i , is zero . to calculate r barj , the concept of virtual information data , the virtual information is again used . polynomial i barj ( x ) shall be defined as follows . vi barj ( x ) = ∑ i = 0 46 i ( j + 4 i ) x 51 - i + d j x 4 where vi m represents the m - th information data byte and d k represents the k - th edc bar byte . r barj ( x ) = vi barj ( x ) mod g pbar ( x ) g pbar ( x ) = ∏ k = 0 3 ( x + a k ) where α is the primitive root of the polynomial gp ( x )= x 8 + x 4 + x 3 + x 2 + 1 . the bar code sync byte sb bar and the resync bytes rs bari may have the bit patterns shown in the table below : sync byte bit patterns and fixed pattern sync code resync channel bits 4 data bits bytes ch15 ch14 ch13 ch12 ch11 ch10 ch9 ch8 b3 b2 b1 b0 sb bar 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 rs bar1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 rs bar2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 rs bar13 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 rs bar14 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 rs bar15 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 recorded in rz modulation recorded in pe - rz modulation lastly , the postamble 308 may comprise a row of four bytes ( po 0 , po 1 , po 2 , and po 3 ) set to ( 55 ) and preceded by a resync byte rs bar14 and followed by a resync byte rs bar15 . [ 0090 ] fig4 illustrates the contents of example bar code information 116 . in particular , the data 402 , the modulated data 404 , the rz waveform 406 , and the readback signal 408 are illustrated in an aligned fashion . the readback signal 408 is shown with reference to i bl and i bh portions . the modulated data 404 is shown be modulated at 5 . 10 microseconds at 2 . 9 meters / second and the readback signal at 2 . 55 microseconds at 2 . 9 meters / second . [ 0091 ] fig5 illustrates example time stamp data in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . as shown , the byte i 8 and the most significant nibble ( msn ) of the byte i 9 of the information bytes 310 ( fig3 ) represent the julian day the master was created . the least significant nibble ( lsn ) of the byte i 9 and the msn of byte i 10 specify the year the master was created . the lsn of byte i 10 and the msn of the byte i 11 specify the hour the master was created . the lsn of the byte i 11 specifies the master count . thus , the example shown in fig5 is for a master that was generated on the 128 th day of the year 2001 , during the 14 th hour of the day , and it was the first master produced that hour . the above detailed description and accompanying drawings are provided to illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting . numerous modifications and variations within the scope of the present invention are possible . the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the following claims . | 6 |
fig1 illustrates a dc motor according to the invention , in which the rotor 30 is journalled for rotation about an axis of rotation 1 . this motor comprises a base plate 10 on which the essential motor components are mounted . this base plate 10 may be made of reinforced plastics material or of non - magnetic metallic material such as aluminium . a sleeve 11 is integrally formed with the inner periphery of the substantially annular base plate 10 , the bearings for the shaft of the rotor 30 being inserted into the bore of said sleeve . these bearings may , for instance , be ball bearings or plain bearings . in the embodiment illustrated , two axially spaced ball bearings 12 and 12 &# 39 ; are provided . the upper ball bearing 12 is in abutting relationship with a locking collar 13 inserted in an annular groove formed on the outer periphery of the rotor shaft . thereby the upper ball bearing 12 is restricted relative to axial movement thereof . on top of the locking collar 13 a sealing member 14 is provided which prevents escape of even the most minute dust particles . the magnetic circuit of the stator assembly is in engagement about the outer periphery of an annular flange 15 depending in axial direction from the base plate 10 . in the illustrated embodiment this magnetic circuit consists of an annular member 21 of soft ferrite . the meander - like conductive strip array 20 is in engagement with the smooth outer periphery of the ring with electrical insulation disposed therebetween . an electronic control system 23 is mounted on an annular circuit board 24 within the annular space inside the conductive strip array 20 and in direct contact therewith . the electronic control system 23 may be supplied with current and voltage for operation of the motor via a feed line ( not illustrated ). sensors ( not illustrated ) are furthermore provided for detecting the position of the magnetic field of the rotor relative to the stator assembly and for supplying corresponding signals to the electronic control system 23 . the pole faces of the permanent magnet 31 of the rotor 30 rotate in closely adjacent spaced relationship to the forward and backward extending meander sections of the meander - like conductive strip array of cylindrical configuration . in the illustrated embodiment this permanent magnet 31 is annular and is made of powdery magnetic material dispersed in a cured matrix of plastics material . the inner periphery of the annular permanent magnet 31 has a smooth surface . on the outer periphery of the annular permanent magnet 31 , magnetic return circuit material in the form of a soft - iron ring 32 is provided . a cylindrical extension disposed in concentric relationship with the axis of rotation 1 projects inwardly from the inside of the rotor housing 34 to form the shaft section 35 of the rotor . a shoulder is recessed on the outer periphery of said rotor shaft section 35 , and by means of said shoulder the rotor shaft section is firmly in engagement on the rotatably supported inner race of the lower ball bearing 12 &# 39 ;. the stationary outer periphery of said lower ball bearing 12 &# 39 ; engages the bore of the sleeve 11 of the base plate 10 and is retained against axial movement relative to the sleeve 11 by means of a locking collar 16 which is inserted into an annular groove formed on the inner periphery of the sleeve 11 . a concentric internal thread 36 -- which is continuous in the illustrated embodiment -- is cut from the solid material of the rotor shaft section 35 . in an alternative embodiment , the internal thread 36 proceeding from the inside could be non - continuous and could terminate before the rotor housing . a substantially hat - shaped plate top 40 comprises a cover plate 41 having a cylindrical wall portion 42 extending therefrom concentrically with the axis of rotation , said wall portion 42 terminating in a radially extending flange portion 43 . the top of the flange portion 43 defines the plane &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; of the plate top . the inner periphery of the cylindrical wall portion 42 is retained in closely spaced rotatable relationship with the outer periphery of the sleeve 11 . a centrally disposed shaft portion 44 of the plate top 40 projects inwardly from the cover plate 41 . the outer periphery of said shaft portion 44 of the plate top is in engagement with the rotatably retained inner race of the upper ball bearing 12 and with the rotatably retained inner race of the lower ball bearing 12 &# 39 ;. the upper ball bearing 12 and the lower ball bearing 12 &# 39 ; have an annular spacer member 17 disposed therebetween which is in engagement with the top of an ondular washer 18 having its bottom supported by the locking collar 16 . a centrally disposed bolt 45 having external threads 46 depends from the end face of the shaft portion 44 of the plate top . this threaded bolt is adapted to be threaded into the internal thread 36 on the rotor shaft portion 35 and includes a spherically rounded end portion 47 . for grounding of the rotor , said crowned end portion 47 may engage a grounded contact spring ( not illustrated ). the bolt 45 is threaded into the internal thread 36 of the rotor shaft portion 35 until the ondular washer 18 is mechanically tensioned . by adjusting the turning force relative to the ondular washer 18 , the distance &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; between the plane &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; of the plate top and a reference plane &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; defined by the base plate 10 may be set with high precision . in the presently described embodiment , the distance &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; could be adjusted to an accuracy of a few micrometers . when the desired setting has been made , the bolt 45 is locked against movement relative to the internal thread 36 , for instance by means of an adhesive . when the rotor housing 34 and the plate top 40 are made of aluminium or another metallic material such as &# 34 ; zamak &# 34 ;, an adhesive such as &# 34 ; loctite &# 34 ; may be used . below , the mutual relationship between the permanent magnet of the rotor and the conductive strip of the stator will be explained with reference to fig2 for the dc motor shown in fig1 . fig2 shows schematically a cross - section along the line ii -- ii of fig1 . for reasons of greater clarity , only an approximately 90 °- segment of the complete annular assembly has been illustrated . as viewed from the outside to the inside , the outer wall of the annular permanent magnet 31 is directly adjacent the inner wall of the soft - iron ring 32 . the individual pole pieces 38 , 38 &# 39 ;, 38 &# 34 ;, 38 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; etc . of the annular permanent magnet 31 are remagnetized alternatingly in radial direction , i . e . normal to the axis of rotation , which is indicated schematically by means of the orientation of the arrows &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;. in the illustrated embodiment , the depth &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; of the pole pieces -- i . e . the pole piece dimension in radial direction -- corresponds substantially to the width &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; of the pole pieces , i . e . the pole piece dimension in axial direction . a substrate 26 of a printed circuit is disposed in closely spaced stationary relationship ( the spacing is enlarged in fig2 for reasons of greater clarity ) to the inner surface of the annular permanent magnet 31 . on the outside of the substrate three respective parallel conductors 27 &# 39 ;, 27 &# 34 ; and 27 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; of a backward extending meander section 27 of the meander - like conductive strip array are disposed . in spaced relationship thereto , three respective parallel conductors 28 &# 39 ;, 28 &# 34 ;, 28 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; of a forward extending meander section 28 of the conductive strip array extend on the outside of the substrate 26 . corresponding backward and forward extending meander sections of a number of parallel conductors are provided in electromagnetically offset relationship on the inside of the substrate and are in direct engagement -- separated by electrical insulation 29 -- with the outer surface of a soft - ferrite ring 21 which constitutes the magnetic circuit for the permanent magnetic field passing through the conductive strip array . fig3 shows a further embodiment of a dc motor in accordance with the invention . this motor comprises substantially the same components as the motor according to fig1 ; however , with respect to the latter , rotor and stator have been exchanged . in the motor shown in fig3 the annular permanent magnet of the rotor rotates within a concentric cylindrical conductive strip array which is in turn supported on the motor casing ( internal rotor - type motor ). in detail , the motor shown in fig3 comprises a cup - shaped motor casing 111 having an annular flange 110 radially extending from the casing edge . by means of this annular flange 110 the motor may be mounted in pressure - tight fashion in a circular recess of a housing 102 which surrounds a pressurized space 103 . if required , a sealing member ( not shown ) may be provided in the sealing area . inside of said pressurized space the rotating recording media 104 and 104 &# 39 ; driven by the motor are provided , said media being separated from each other by an annular spacer member 105 . a cover plate 106 urges said recording media 104 and 104 &# 39 ; into a step - like recess on the outer periphery of the rotor body 130 . the inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the motor casing 111 is engaged by the magnetic circuit for the magnetic field of the rotating permanent magnet , said magnetic field passing through the meander - like conductive strip array 120 . in the embodiment illustrated , said magnetic circuit is formed by a magnetic ring 121 of soft ferrite material . a narrow gap separates the conductive strip array 120 from the pole faces of the rotating annular permanent magnet 131 . along its inner periphery the annular permanent magnet 131 is supported by a soft - iron ring 132 , which in its turn is fixedly mounted on an axially projecting annular flange 133 of the rotor body 130 . within the annular space enclosed by the conductive strip array 120 there is disposed the electronic control system 123 which is mounted on an annular circuit board 124 which in its turn is supported on the inside of the bottom of the motor casing 111 . by means of feed lines ( not illustrated ) the electronic control system 123 is supplied with current and voltage for driving the motor . in the free space beneath the permanent magnet 131 the circuit board 124 extends right to the cylindrical conductive strip array 120 to enable direct connection to the wiring leading to the electronic control system 123 . from the bottom of the motor casing 111 a pin 115 integrally formed with said casing 111 extends centrally inwardly in axial direction , the retained inner races of the bearings 112 and 112 &# 39 ; being in engagement with the outer periphery of said pin . the end portion of the pin 115 is stepped to result in a central extension 116 having external threads 117 cut into the outer surface thereof . the crowned end of the extension 116 is engaged by a contact spring for grounding the rotor . the inner surface of the substantially sleeve - like rotor body 130 is engaged by the rotatably retained outer races of the bearings 112 and 112 &# 39 ;. the inner surface of the rotor body 130 is provided with an annular groove having a locking collar 134 inserted therein , which supports the upper bearing 112 against axial displacement relative to the rotor body 130 . the inner surface of the rotor body 130 is engaged by an annular spacer member 135 having its top supported against the underside of the locking collar 134 and having its bottom supported by the upper surface of an annular ondular washer 136 . the underside of this ondular washer 135 engages the top of the rotatably mounted outer race of the lower bearing 112 &# 39 ;. the fixed inner race of this lower bearing 112 &# 39 ; is seated in a shoulder formed on the pin 115 of the motor casing 111 . an internally threaded member 118 may be threaded onto the external threads 117 of the pin extension 116 . a recessed portion of the outer periphery of said threaded member 118 is in engagement with the fixed inner race of the upper bearing 112 . through tightening of the threaded member 118 it is again possible to establish with a high degree of accuracy the axial arrangement of the rotor body 130 relative to the motor casing 111 . when the threaded joint between threaded member 118 and pin extension 116 has been secured , the central opening of the rotor body 130 is closed by means of a cap 137 . with the described embodiment of a dc motor according to the invention the bearings 112 and 112 &# 39 ;, which rotatably support the rotor 130 and thus also the plate top , are disposed within the pressurized space 103 so that a seal for the bearings is not required . the working gap between the permanent magnet 131 on the rotor 130 and the conductive strip array 120 , which is fixedly mounted on the motor casing 111 , is covered by a barrier member 119 disposed on the top of the annular flange 110 . this barrier member 119 prevents escape of dust particles from the motor into the pressurized space 103 . additionally , it may be appropriate with this embodiment to cover all of the components of the motor with a protective coating to prevent separation and escape of dust particles . the embodiment of a dc motor according to the invention as illustrated in fig4 is configured substantially analogously to the motor of fig1 the difference being that the stationary magnetic circuit provided in the motor of fig1 has been replaced by a further annular permanent magnet mounted on the rotor . more in detail , the stationary cylindrical conductive strip array 220 is disposed in the working gap between two annular permanent magnets 231 and 233 . the soft - iron ring 232 engages the periphery of the outer permanent magnet 231 . the inner surface of the inner permanent magnet 233 , which is concentric with the outer permanent magnet 231 , engages a soft - iron ring 234 . in this case each of the permanent magnets 231 and 233 alternately acts as magnetic circuit for the permanent magnetic field of the respective other permanent magnet crossing the conductive strip array 220 . with reference to fig5 a and 5b , different alternatives are schematically indicated for implementing a motor according to the invention with plural driving planes in a rotational plane about a common axis of rotation . the motor shown in fig5 a comprises three annular permanent magnets 331 , 332 and 333 arranged concentrically to each other in a common plane and being fixed on a rotor 330 . in the working gap between the permanent magnets 331 and 332 there is provided the first meander - like conductive strip array 320 . in the working gap between the permanent magnets 332 and 333 there is provided the second cylindrical meander - like conductive strip array 321 . the permanent magnet 331 serves as magnetic circuit for the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 332 and crossing the conductive strip array 320 . on the side of the permanent magnet 331 remote from the conductive strip array 320 the magnet is provided with a soft - iron ring 335 . in the same way the permanent magnet 333 serves as magnetic circuit for the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 332 and crossing the conductive strip array 321 . on the side of the permanent magnet 333 remote from the conductive strip array 321 , the permanent magnet is provided with a soft - iron ring 334 . by corresponding control of the conductive strip arrays 320 and 321 two driving planes are established with this motor . the embodiment shown in fig5 b also provides two driving planes . fig5 b is a fragment of an embodiment of a motor according to the invention substantially configured in accordance with the motor of fig1 . in addition to the motor of fig1 and distinctive therefrom , a second permanent magnet fixed to the rotor is provided . within the annular gap between the two permanent magnets a stationary magnetic circuit is provided . more in detail , two permanent magnets 431 and 433 are secured in concentric relationship on the rotor 430 of the motor of fig5 b in one rotational plane . an annular gap between these two permanent magnets 431 and 433 is sufficiently dimensioned so that a magnetic circuit in the form of a soft - ferrite ring 421 fixedly mounted on the motor base plate 410 may be disposed therein , said ring 421 being provided on the inside and on the outside thereof with a cylindrical meander - like conductive strip array 420 and 423 , respectively . thus , the first conductive strip array 420 is in the first working gap between permanent magnet 431 and stationary magnetic circuit 421 . the second conductive strip array 423 is in the second working gap between the other permanent magnet 433 and the stationary magnetic circuit 421 . on the side remote from the working gap the permanent magnet 431 is provided with a soft - iron ring 432 . likewise , the side of the permanent magnet 433 remote from the second working gap is provided with a soft - iron ring 434 . fig6 illustrates flat sheet or tape material for producing a cylindrical meander - like conductive strip array for a dc motor according to the invention . each side of the substrate material , which has been initially coated on either side with a thin copper film , has been provided by usual etching techniques with a meander - like conductive strip array . as will be apparent , each conductive strip array comprises three parallel conductive strips each having a starting and an end terminal . the long , relatively opposite sections of the conductive strips constitute the interconnected forward and backward extending meander sections of the conductive strip array . additionally , marks have been provided laterally of the conductive strip array . the relatively aligned orientation of these marks after the flat tape or sheet material has been closed to form a ring will ensure the desired predetermined configuration of the conductive strip array . fig7 illustrates -- in a fragmentary view -- a practical embodiment of a meander - like conductive strip array implemented as a printed circuit for use as stator winding in a dc machine according to the invention . this conductive strip array 500 comprises 11 meander - like conductive strips 501 extending in geometrically parallel relationship on a substrate surface 502 , said conductive strips having been produced by etching away the remaining coating . the gap width &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; between two adjacent forward or backward extending meander sections 503 and 504 is comparatively small relative to the width &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; of the meander sections , so that a large amount of magnetically active conductor material may be accommodated on the substrate surface . each of the 11 conductive strips 501 starts in an enlarged starting portion 505 and ends in an enlarged end portion 506 . for instance , the &# 34 ; second &# 34 ; conductive strip 501 / 2 starts at the starting portion &# 34 ; no . 2 &# 34 ; and ends at the end portion &# 34 ; no . 1 &# 34 ;. after production of the annular magnetic circuit the initial portions 505 of the conductive strip will overlie the end portions 506 of the conductive strip . more in detail , the end portion &# 34 ; no . 1 &# 34 ; will overlie the starting portion &# 34 ; no . 3 &# 34 ; of the third conductive strip 501 / 3 , the end portion &# 34 ; no . 2 &# 34 ; will overlie the starting portion &# 34 ; no . 4 &# 34 ; of the fourth conductive strip 501 / 4 , etc . the superposed end portions 506 and starting portions 505 are contacted through the substrate material , whereby all of the conductive strips 501 to 501 / 11 of the meander - like conductive strip array 500 will be electrically connected in series . on the back of the substrate 502 there is provided an identical meander - like conductive strip array ( not illustrated ) which is , however , electrically offset by 90 °. on the substrate there are furthermore provided at a defined spacing from the magnetic centre position of the forward and backward extending meander sections 503 and 504 the sensors 507 for sensing the respective instantaneous position of the permanent - magnet poles relative to the forward and backward extending meander sections 503 and 504 . marking elements 508 ensure during the etching operation the mutually correct orientation of the meander - like conductive strip array 500 on the front surface of the substrate 502 relative to the corresponding , but electrically phase - shifted , meander - like conductive strip array provided on the back of the substrate 502 . fig8 shows a substantially analogously constructed meander - like conductive strip array 510 obtained by etching . the difference resides in that the conductive strip array 510 has round winding heads 511 , and -- the scale being the same -- it would have more than twice the length of the conductive strip array 500 shown in fig7 . the front surface of the substrate 512 is provided with the conductive strip array 510 , and the back of the substrate is provided with an identical further conductive strip array ( not illustrated ) which is disposed at an electrical phase offset . both conductive strip arrays are covered by an insulating layer , for instance by cured insulating varnish or an additional film . the array shown in fig8 is intended for producing a stator winding with a dual - layer arrangement of the substrate 512 . contacting of the starting portions 515 and the end portions 516 through the substrate material is effected via the centrally provided contacting bridges 517 . fig9 shows a fragment of a meander - like wire coil 540 of cylindrical configuration for use as stator winding in a dc machine according to the invention . as shown , the linear , parallel , forward and backward extending meander sections 542 and 543 of the finished meander coil 540 of cylindrical configuration are provided on the periphery of an annular return circuit member 545 . the winding heads 539 and 544 are bent and are disposed outside of the cylinder configuration . for reasons of clarity only a few geometrically parallel conductive strips are shown . a meander - like wire coil having the structure shown in fig9 which is suitable for practical use , might comprise 10 to 20 parallel conductor turns in one wire layer . the finished meander coil may comprise a single or multi - layer wire array . for manufacture , one may proceed from an annular , single or multi - layer flat coil having the desired number of parallel wire turns and deform said annular flat coil to a meander - like flat coil . subsequently , the inner winding heads 539 on the end face of the annular return circuit member 545 are secured adjacent the edge thereof , and the linear forward and backward extending meander sections 542 and 543 are thereupon bent by means of a hollow - cylindrical male die member and are placed in the cylindrical configuration on the periphery of the return circuit member 545 . the lower winding heads 544 may thereupon be bent as required either inwardly ( towards the rotary axis of the rotor ) or outwardly to thereby save structural height . fig1 shows in a fragmentary view a wire coil array 550 suitable as stator winding for a dc machine according to the invention , comprising two relatively nested , but electrically isolated meander coils 551 and 555 . a respective meander section 552 of the one meander coil 551 is disposed on the same cylinder periphery within the gap between two adjacent forward and backward extending meander sections 556 , 557 of the other meander coil 555 . preferably , the width &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; of the meander section 552 corresponds to the gap width &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; between the two other meander sections 556 , 557 , so that practically the entire cylinder circumference may be covered with wire . the winding heads 554 , 558 are bent out of the cylindrical configuration so that the required crossings will not occur in the region of the cylinder circumference . it is possible with a comparatively simple electronic control system to achieve exact commutation of the two electrically isolated wire coils 551 and 555 for producing a magnetic field to drive the rotor . again , for reasons of clarity only a few parallel conductor windings have been illustrated ; a practical embodiment of such a wire coil array may comprise , for instance , 10 to 20 parallel wire turns in a single - layer array . the two wire coils 551 and 555 are produced separately . for instance , it is possible to this end to proceed from a single or multi - layer cylindrical coil having the desired number of parallel turns . generally , the cylindrical coil initially produced on a cylinder periphery is gripped by first and second gripping members and is displaced along a virtual tapering frusto - conical section such that simultaneously the coil diameter is reduced and the linear forward and backward extending meander sections of the meander coils 551 and 555 are produced . during implementation with a suitable winding machine , such displacement takes place along the central cross - sectional plane of the cylindrical coil . fig1 shows a fragmentary exploded view of an annular multi - pole permanent magnet 560 of u - shaped cross - section , a correspondingly matched meander - like wire coil 570 and matched inner and outer return circuit members 580 and 590 . the annular permanent magnet 560 of u - shaped cross - section is of laterally magnetized multi - pole configuration ; i . e . with a given u - shaped magnet section 561 the inner side 563 enclosing the u - shaped hollow space 562 constitutes the north pole , and the opposite outer side 564 constitutes the south pole . in the succeeding magnet section 565 the inner side 566 constitutes the north pole and the opposite outer side 567 constitutes the south pole ; etc . return circuit material in the form of a u - shaped ring 590 of appropriate dimensions may be in engagement with the outside 568 of the u - shaped permanent - magnet ring 560 . since no reverse magnetization will take place there , said return circuit member 590 may be made of common soft - iron . the meander - like wire coil 570 includes matched cylindrical u - configuration , so that it may be inserted in the hollow space 562 enclosed by the u - shaped permanent - magnet ring 560 and may be disposed at a minimum distance from the rotating permanent - magnet ring 560 . preferably , the winding heads 573 and 574 are bent and are disposed in parallel spaced relationship to the corresponding pole face . inside the u - shaped meander coil there is provided a ring 580 of high - permeability return circuit material . in practical use , the meander coil 570 will initially be secured in vibration - free fashion on the inner and the outer periphery of the return circuit member 580 , whereupon this assembly is disposed in non - contacting fashion inside the hollow space 562 enclosed by the permanent - magnet ring 560 . for manufacturing the meander - like wire coil 570 of u - shaped cylindrical configuration , it is possible for instance to proceed from a meander - like flat coil including sufficiently long meander sections . the meander sections are centrally disposed on the end face 583 of the inner return circuit member 580 . the portions of the meander sections which protrude beyond the wall thickness on either side are thereupon bent with the aid of a suitable annular die member of u - shaped cross - section and are brought into engagement with the inner periphery 581 and the outer periphery 582 of the return circuit member 580 . there results a u - shaped meander coil 570 of substantially cylindrical configuration whose forward and backward extending meander sections 571 and 572 are in engagement with the inner periphery 581 , with the end face 583 , and with the outer periphery 582 of the return circuit member 580 . the winding heads 573 and 574 may thereupon be bent out of the cylindrical configuration in order to save structural space . fig1 is a graph illustrating along the ordinate the amount of the angle - dependent torque variations for one revolution of the motor about 360 ° ( along the abscissa ). more in detail , curve a indicates the stationary moment of a conventional motor . curve b indicates the reluctance moment of the same conventional motor . curve a &# 39 ; indicates the stationary moment , and curve b &# 39 ; indicates the reluctance moment of a dc motor according to the invention with 40 pole pieces . | 6 |
fig3 shows a basic diagram of an arrangement for the implementation of the process with constant delays . the arrangement includes a d flip - flop 6 , an arrangement 4 for the derivation of a short read pulse i21 and an arrangement 5 for the derivation of a reset pulse ri from the effective edge of a digital signal d1 , principal delay units &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; 7 - 11 additional delay units &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; 12 and 13 , arrangements 14 - 19 for the derivation of the pulses i11 - i16 , and gates 20 - 25 and 32 - 37 , sr flip - flops 26 - 31 and an or gate 38 . the arrangements 4 and 5 , and 14 - 19 may be implemented by a circuit such as that labelled &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; in fig5 . an input 2 receives a clock frequency t1 which may deviate slightly from the bit sequence frequency of a digital signal d1 at the input 1 and may have an arbitrary phase position with respect to it . the digital signal d1 is fed to the d input of the d flip - flop 6 . the rising edges of the digital signal d1 are the effective edges . in the arrangement 4 , read pulses i21 are derived from these edges . the duration of these pulses is small compared to a clock period t , but large enough so that logic elements can be driven by them . in the arrangement 5 further reset pulses ri of corresponding duration are derived from the effective edges of the digital signal d1 and fed to the r inputs of all the sr flip - flops 26 - 31 . the clock signal t1 is fed into the delay line of elements 7 - 13 , which comprises principal delays elements &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; 7 - 11 , and additional delay units &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; 12 and 13 . the principal and additional delays t1 are equal to t / 6 . each principal delay unit &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; drives from the effective edges of the clock signals t1 to t6 short pulses ill to i16 , whose duration is larger than the principal delay t1 and is large enough , even for big values of n , so that logic elements can be driven by them . the pulses i11 - i16 are each applied to one input of the and gates 20 - 25 . the second inputs are connected with the output of the arrangement 4 . when a read pulse i21 arrives from this output , then the pulse or pulses that are already present is / are switched through from the sequence i11 - i16 and arrive at the setting input s of the sr flip - flops 26 - 31 , which have been reset with a resetting pulse shortly before . the q outputs of these rs flip - flops 26 - 31 are connected to the first inputs of the and gates 32 - 37 , whose second inputs are connected with clock outputs of the principal delay units &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; 8 - 11 and the additional delay units &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; 12 and 13 . the pulses t3 - t8 have been renamed f1 - f6 for further processing . the outputs of the and gates 32 - 37 are wired to the inputs of the or gate 38 and its output is wired in turn to the clock input of the d flip - flop 6 . all the elements in this arrangement have propagation delays . due to the time interval between the arrival of the signals at the two inputs of the and gates 32 - 37 , the delay between the effective edge of the digital signal d1 and that of the input clock te at the clock input of the d flip - flop 6 can be set in such a manner that it is equal to t / 2 for each newly received pulse of the digital signal d1 . the emitted digital signal d2 thus consists only of correctly scanned pulses . fig4 shows a basic diagram of an arrangement for the implementation of the process with fluctuating delays . the arrangement comprises all the elements of the arrangement according to fig3 . in addition , it includes auxiliary delay units &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; 39 - 41 , arrangements 42 - 45 for the derivation of read pulses i21 - i24 , a clock period measurement device 46 , and gates 47 - 50 , 60 - 63 and 68 - 71 , supplementary delay units &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; 52 - 55 , arrangements 56 - 59 for the derivation of pulses i17 - i110 , sr flip - flops 64 - 67 and an or gate 51 . for the maximum delay t1 , the principal delay units &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; are sufficient . for the minimum delay , the number of supplementary delay lines &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; must be chosen in such a manner that a further delay , equal to a clock period t takes place along the delay units of these two kinds . since , in spite of the fluctuating delay , the delay between the effective edge of the digital signal d1 and that of the input clock te is to be equal to half a clock period t / 2 , an adjustable delay of the read command is introduced in the signal processing path . this is achieved by a gradual delay of the digital signal d1 so that a sequence of read pulses i21 - i24 is derived over the auxiliary delay elements &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; 39 - 41 with auxiliary delays t2 and the arrangements 42 - 45 . when a pulse ill has been derived in the arrangement 14 , the clock period measurement device 46 determines which of the arrangements 56 - 59 has a pulse at its output at that time . according to the result in each case , either a read pulse i21 is switched through over the and gate 47 , or a read pulse i22 , i23 or i24 which is delayed with respect to the read pulse i21 is switched through one of the and gates 48 - 50 , as a read pulse i2x . this pulse then arrives through the or gate 51 at the second inputs of the and gates 20 - 25 and 60 - 63 . the process then proceeds as has already been described with respect to fig3 . the arrangements 42 - 45 and 56 - 59 may be implemented by the circuit labelled &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; in fig5 . fig5 shows a practical arrangement using the basic circuit diagram of fig4 . the arrangement comprises a nand gate 72 , non - inverting gate elements 73 - 90 and inverting gate elements 91 - 99 , each of which is used for time delay , and gates 100 - 115 , d flip - flops &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; 116 - 124 , an or gate 125 , circuit complexes &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; 126 - 142 , circuit complexes &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; 143 - 157 , an or gate 158 and the d flip - flop 6 . the circuit complex &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; comprises an and gate 159 , an inverting gate element 160 for delay and non - inverting gate elements 161 and 162 for delay . the lower terminal is connected to the upper terminal ( not shown ) of the subsequent circuit complex &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; 126 . the circuit complexes 126 - 142 are connected with one another correspondingly . the circuit complex &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; comprises a nand gate 163 , an sr flip - flop 164 and an and gate 165 . in the d flip - flop &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and the circuit complexes &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, the terminals in the circuit diagram are arranged geometrically in the same manner as in the &# 34 ; black boxes &# 34 ; 116 - 124 , 126 - 142 and 143 - 157 . the circuit complexes &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; operate like the elements 7 - 37 and 52 - 71 in fig4 . the gates 73 , 75 , 77 , 79 , 81 , 83 , 85 and 87 form an auxiliary delay chain with eight members . the non - inverting gates 74 , 76 , 78 , 80 , 82 , 84 , 86 , 88 and 90 and the inverting gates 91 - 99 , when combined with the and gates 100 - 108 , each produce with respect to its two left - hand inputs an arrangement for the generation of a read pulse . in the d flip - flops &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; 116 - 124 , the pulse llx that is present in the circuit complexes &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; 132 - 140 at the time of a pulse i11 -- or two such pulses -- is stored at a terminal x of a circuit complex &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;. each of the and gates 100 - 108 which receives both a pulse ilx and a read pulse i2x emits a signal to the or gate 125 , at whose output the read pulse i2x appears with the desired delay . the nand gate 72 supplies a reset pulse ri for all the sr flip - flops 164 . the and gates 109 - 115 serve to suppress any second pulse ilx that may have been stored . if , for example , the q outputs of the d flip - flops &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; 116 and 117 are in the logic state &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, then the logic state at the output of the and gate 109 is also &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and a logic state &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; can occur at the output of the and gate 102 . now if a logic state &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; occurs at the q output of the d flip - flop &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;, then corresponding states must occur at the outputs of the and gates 110 - 115 . fig6 shows a practical embodiment of the arrangement according to fig3 . the arrangement contains inverting gate elements 166 - 169 and 172 - 187 for delay , exclusive or gates 170 and 171 and 188 - 193 , and gates 194 - 199 and 206 - 211 , d flip - flops 200 - 205 , an or gate 212 and the d flip - flop 6 already shown in fig3 . the digital signal d1 present at input 1 is read in the d flip - flop 6 with the input pulse te and received at the output 3 as a digital signal d2 . the remainder of the circuit is used to derive the input pulse te from the clock t1 that is present at the input 2 . for this purpose , the clock signal t1 is fed into a delay chain 172 - 187 with sixteen members , in which every two inverting gate elements form a delay element . their number is chosen in such a manner that the clock signal at the output of the inverting gate element 183 is always delayed by one clock period with respect to the clock signal t1 at the input 2 , when the delay time per gate element is at a minimum . the exclusive or gates 188 - 193 emit pulses with a width equal to three times the delay time of a gate element , if the state of the delay chain 172 - 187 changes in its range . these pulses cover , step by step , the phase range from 0 ° to 360 °. the exclusive or gate 170 , in conjunction with the inverting gate elements 166 and 167 , emits a resetting pulse ri , which resets all the d flip - flops 200 - 205 for each change in the state of the digital signal d1 . as a result , all the q outputs , the outputs of the and gates 206 - 211 and the output of the or gate 212 are in the logic state &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. the inverting gate elements 168 and 169 and the exclusive or gate 171 emit a read pulse that is delayed with respect to the resetting pulse ri . from the and gates 194 - 199 , the exclusive or gate receives at its output a logic state of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; , in which case the same state occurs at the input of the respective delay element if the read pulse is present . in addition , a logic state of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; must be present at the output of the respective exclusive or gate from the exclusive or gates 188 - 193 , which is true only when there is a logic state of &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; at the output of the third inverting gate element following the input of the delay element . if the output of one or more of the and gates 194 - 199 switches to the logic state &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, then the q output of the next d flip - flop of the d flip - flops 200 - 205 also receives the logic state &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. the next and gate of the and gates 206 - 211 receives at its output a logic state of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, if not only the q output of the respective d flip - flop but also the q output of the preceding d flip - flop has the same state . in addition , the logic state at the output of the next delay element after that must have the logic state &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. the outputs of and gates 206 - 211 will be linked at or gate 212 . if two of the and gates 206 - 211 have a logic state &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; 0 at the output , and are based on clock pulses which shift with respect to each other by a clock period , that causes no problem . there has thus been shown and described novel digital signal receivers and their method of operation which fulfill all the objects and advantages sought therefor . many changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will , however , become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawing which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof . all such changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow . | 7 |
fig1 schematically illustrates a convergent / divergent ( c / d ) nozzle system 20 for a gas turbine engine . the nozzle system 20 is movable between a minimal dilated position ( fig1 ), which is typical during non - afterburning operation and a maximum dilated position ( not shown ), which is typical during afterburning operation . the nozzle system 20 generally includes a plurality of circumferentially distributed convergent flaps 22 , each pivotably connected to a nozzle static structure 24 . a plurality of circumferentially distributed divergent flaps 28 are pivotably connected through a joint structure 30 to adjust an aft end section of each convergent flap 22 . a plurality of convergent seals 32 are each pivotally connected to a respective divergent seal 34 which are respectively distributed circumferentially between each divergent flap 28 and convergent flap 28 sets . each convergent seal 32 is pivotably connected to the static structure 24 with each divergent seal 34 pivotably connected through a joint structure 36 adjacent an aft end section of each convergent seal 32 . the convergent and divergent flaps 22 , 28 and the convergent and divergent seals 32 , 34 , taken collectively , define the radial outer boundary of a combustion gas path f to define a convergent section 38 and a divergent section 40 with a throat area 42 defined therebetween ( fig2 ). with reference to fig2 , an outer aerodynamic surface of the nozzle system 20 is defined by a plurality of external flaps 50 ( fig3 and 4 ). each of the plurality of external flaps 50 pivot relative a respective divergent flap 28 about a pivot axis 52 defined by an external flap hinge 54 ( fig4 ). each of the plurality of external flaps 50 also slide relative the nozzle static structure 24 through track arms 56 ( fig4 ). the plurality of external flaps 50 , taken collectively , define an outer aerodynamic surface of the nozzle system 20 and accommodate movement between the maximum dilated position and the minimal dilated position through sliding movement relative the static structure 24 and overlapping movement between adjacent external flaps 50 . with reference to fig5 , each external flap 50 includes an iso - grid construction ( fig6 ) that alternatively interrupts the internal load paths within a multiple of lateral ribs 60 and longitudinal ribs 62 so as to prevent an internal thermal fight which would heretofor cause internal dissolution of the component . in one non - limiting embodiment , the external flap 50 includes four longitudinal ribs 62 - 1 - 62 - 4 and five lateral ribs 60 - 1 - 60 - 5 . it should be understood that the particular rib arrangement is related to the desired shape of the component such as the external flap 50 . although the iso - grid construction is illustrated herein with regards to an external flap 50 in accords with one non - limiting embodiment , it should be realized that any composite iso - grid structure will benefit herefrom . it should also be understood that although relatively rectilinear iso - grid geometry is illustrated , other geometries are usable herewith . with reference to fig6 , the multiple of lateral ribs 60 and longitudinal ribs 62 of the iso - grid construction are formed from a multiple of uni - tape ply bundles 70 and spacers 72 in which only the spacers 72 are interrupted . in one non - limiting embodiment , each uni - tape ply bundle 70 is a buildup of four ( 4 ) uni - tape plies 74 - 1 ; 74 - 2 ; 74 - 3 ; 74 - 4 and one spacer ply 76 such that the spacer ply 76 separates two ( 2 ) uni - tape plies 74 - 1 ; 74 - 2 from two ( 2 ) uni - tape plies 74 - 3 ; 74 - 4 ( fig7 ). two ( 2 ) uni - tape plies 74 are generally of an equivalent height to one spacer ply 76 such that one ( 1 ) uni - tape ply bundle 70 is of an approximate equivalent height to three ( 3 ) spacer plies 76 within each of the ribs 60 , 62 . generally , no more than 4 uni - tape plies are located adjacent to each other and the middle spacer ply 76 of the uni - tape ply bundle 70 may be oriented at a 45 ° direction to the associated uni - tape ply 74 direction . the iso - grid composite component construction makes use of the higher strength uni - tape plies 74 to build up strong and low weight internal ribs 60 , 62 . internal thermal fights between transverse uni - tape plies 74 are avoided by selectively alternating each uni - tape ply bundle 70 at different heights within the rib pattern such that when one un - interrupted uni - tape ply bundle 70 is within one level of the longitudinal rib 62 , the lateral rib 60 transverse thereto is defined by a spacer 72 which is interrupted at that level . at an adjacent level , the uni - tape ply bundle 70 runs un - interrupted within the lateral rib 60 while the longitudinal rib 62 at the same level includes the interrupted spacer 72 . that is , each uni - tape ply bundle 70 runs un - interrupted regardless of the level or direction for that particular uni - tape ply bundle 70 . it should be understood that any number of levels may be provided to build up the particular iso - grid component such as the disclosed external flap 50 . in addition , each level of uni - tape ply bundles 70 and spacers 72 which form the multiple of lateral ribs 60 and longitudinal ribs 62 may be separated by an interstitial ply layer 80 . each interstitial ply layer 80 may itself be a layup of any number of spacer plies such as fabric plies which are arranged at particular relative angular orientations . it should be understood that any number of such plies may be so utilized between the multiple of lateral ribs 60 and longitudinal ribs 62 . the uni - tape ply bundles 70 are uninterrupted and the spacers 72 are utilized to equalize height such that the uni - tape ply bundles 70 within the lateral ribs 60 and longitudinal ribs 62 do not directly overlap to form uni - tape ply “ bumps ” at intersections between the lateral ribs 60 and longitudinal ribs 62 . that is , transverse uni - tape ply bundles 70 are separated and spaced by the spacers 72 so that a constant height is maintained as applicant has determined that such “ bumps ” may result in delamination regions since uni - tape has an inherent difference in thermal growth along the fiber direction as compared to across the fiber direction . typical differences in this thermal growth approach 20 times such that the thermal expansion at a “ bump ” in conventional rib layups in which uni - tape directly overlaps and forms a “ bump ” may often result in delaminating and potential internally generated destruction of the layup . moreover , applicant has determined that the spacers 72 cushion and accommodate the thermal expansion which results in a robust but relatively light weight component . the iso - grid construction is lighter than monocoque constructions as uni - tape fibers can be placed to selectively follow the load paths . the iso - grid construction is also considerably more compact in the thickness direction than top hat hollow rib construction which facilitates usage in confined regions such as c / d nozzles as well as various other components . it should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings . it should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment , other arrangements will benefit herefrom . although particular step sequences are shown , described , and claimed , it should be understood that steps may be performed in any order , separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will still benefit from the present disclosure . the foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the limitations within . various non - limiting embodiments are disclosed herein , however , one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that various modifications and variations in light of the above teachings will fall within the scope of the appended claims . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described . for that reason the appended claims should be studied to determine true scope and content . | 1 |
the peelable seal described in this invention is a separable joint formed between a film and a rigid substrate . this separable joint is most commonly produced by heat sealing . the mechanical resistance of the peelable seal is low enough to permit ready manual opening of the joint , i . e ., without the use of any auxiliary instrument . it has been discovered that blends from 5 to 95 percent by weight of a polyolefin based plastomer or elastomer and from 5 to 95 percent by weight of a second plastomer or elastomer ( of different density and melt index ), have a seal strength in the range that would make them particularly well suited for use as a peelable seal to rigid substrates like polypropylene or crystalline polyester trays , namely in the 1 - 3 lbs / in range , measured at 275 degrees f ., 30 psia , 0 . 5 seconds dwell . the blend that has been developed , has shown an outstanding low seal initiation temperature as compared to other blends of similar polyolefins . this surprising discovery is disclosed here . the pealable seal blends include at least two components , and are particularly well suited for use as a peelable lidding seal . these blends are preferably configured to be processed by extrusion coating at melt temperatures between 225 - 350 ° c ., more preferably between 250 - 335 ° c . they can be incorporated in a monolayer or a coextruded layer , whichever best fits the extrusion coating equipment . the total thickness of this seal layer should be between 2 - 100 microns , preferably between 5 - 75 microns . the first component in the blends is a polyolefin plastomer with a density of between 0 . 84 and 0 . 910 gm / cubic cm based on astm d792 and a melt index between 3 and 10 gm / 10 min , based on astm d1238 . this component will exhibit vicat softening point in the 40 - 60 ° c . range based on astm d1525 . the seal layer may include 5 wt . % to 95 wt . % of the first plastomer , preferably 10 to 85 wt . %, or 20 to 75 wt . %. examples of this first component could be a variety of polyolefin plastomers such as dow &# 39 ; s affinity kc8852g or eg8200g or most generic polyolefin plastomers . the second component in the blends is a different polyolefin - based plastomer than the first component that has a density of between 0 . 880 and 0 . 92 gm / cubic cm based on astm d792 and a melt index between 6 and 10 gm / 10 min based on astm d1238 . this second component will exhibit a vicat softening point in the 60 - 90 degrees c . range based on astm d1525 . the seal layer may include 95 wt . % to 5 wt . % of the second plastomer , preferably 90 to 15 wt . %, or 80 to 25 wt . %. examples of this second component could be a variety of polyolefin plastomers such as dow &# 39 ; s affinity sq1503ue , pf1162g , pt1450g1 , or pt1451g1 , among many . certain additives are useful in modifying properties other than sealing properties of the peelable blend . examples of some of the properties which can be modified are coefficient of friction , resistance to blocking , uv stability , thermal stability and color . diatomaceous earth or silica may be added in the amount of 1 , 000 parts per million ( ppm ) to 10 , 000 ppm to add microscopic surface roughness which prevents sticking or “ blocking ” when the co - extruded blend side ( layer 1 ) is wound against the opposite side in a roll . fatty amides such as oleamide or erucamide may be added to modify the coefficient of friction of the material . the amount added is dependent on the coefficient of friction desired , the co - extrusion structure , lamination structure and co - extrusion thickness . in general , the amount of fatty amide required is 100 ppm to 2000 ppm . these sealant blends can be processed in various manners , preferably extruded by cast or blown techniques . these blends can be processed by extrusion coating at melt temperatures between 200 - 300 degrees c ., more preferably between 250 - 280 degrees c . they can be incorporated in a monolayer or a coextruded layer , whichever best fits the extrusion coating equipment . the total thickness of this seal layer should be between 10 - 100 microns , preferably between 15 - 75 microns . the base film onto which this seal layer is applied onto can be a commercially available polyester film such as toray plastics pa10 . the base film thickness should be between 9 - 75 microns , preferably between 9 - 50 microns . the base layer provides structural integrity of the film and support for the other layers . in some embodiments , the base layer may include predominantly a thermoplastic polymer such as semi - crystalline homopolymer polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene terephthalate copolymer or a biopolymer such as polylactic acid . the base layer may also optionally include organic or inorganic particulates for various purposes , such as to facilitate winding and handling of the film , or to enhance the mechanical and optical properties of the film , including reduction of the density of the film via cavitation . representative examples of such particulate additives that may be added to the base layer include amorphous silica , calcium carbonate , clay , talc , diatomaceous earth , cross - linked spherical polymers such as poly ( dimethylsiloxane ), glass beads or mixtures of two or more of these . moreover , to reduce material costs the base layer can optionally include a filler or extender component , such as regrinded recycled layer or film composition , or other polymeric compositions having suitably compatible processing and physical properties . the base layer may be stretched in one or two orthogonal directions , i . e ., for mono - or biaxial orientation . this treatment provides greater strength for the layer , and thus also for the overall film . it also permits the film to be produced to a thinner cross section dimension . the resulting lidding article may be sealed onto rigid substrates such as frozen trays made of a variety of polymers such as polypropylene , polyester , coated paperboard , and coated aluminum . the sealing mechanism may be driven by temperature , pressure and contact time . the frozen trays and lidding film are usually sealed with drum sealers or platen sealers at speeds that vary from a few trays per minute to several hundred per minute . this invention will be better understood with reference to the following examples , which are intended to illustrate specific embodiments within the overall scope of the invention . the following examples show how this particular invention provides a lower seal initiation temperature as compared to other traditional lidding films . a heat seal layer with a thickness of 80 ga was formed from a blend of dow affinity ® pt1450g1 and dow affinity ® eg8200g as described herein . this heat seal blend was applied to toray plastics pa10 with a thickness of 48 ga . the film was made by extrusion coating the sealant blend onto the biaxially oriented polyester film layer . comparative example 1 is a lidding film made by toray plastics under the name 272xl5 . it is a 36 ga toray plastics pa10 polyester film layer with a 56 ga ethyl vinyl acetate ( eva ) seal layer . the film was made by extrusion coating the sealant blend onto the biaxially oriented polyester film layer . comparative example 2 is a lidding film made by toray plastics under the name 206xl5 . it is a 48 ga toray plastics pa 10 polyester film layer with a 70 ga eva seal layer . the film was made by extrusion coating the sealant blend onto the biaxially oriented polyester film layer . comparative example 3 is a test sample made of 48 ga toray plastics pa10 polyester base film layer with a 56 ga eva sealant layer . the film was made by extrusion coating the sealant blend onto the biaxially oriented polyester film layer . heat seals were made with a laboratory flat steel bar ( 1 ″× 12 ″) sealer ( sentinel sealer , sencorp ) at 30 psi , with a 0 . 5 second dwell at various temperatures in degrees ° f . the seals were made to a polypropylene tray . prior to peeling , the heat sealed material was cut into 1 ″ wide strips so that the film sample could be gripped in separate jaws of the tensile tester in a 180 degree configuration . the two jaws were separated at a rate of 12 in per minute and the average as well as the maximum force was recorded across the 1 inch seal width . the results of these tests are shown in the following table 1 . the above description is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention , and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements . various modifications to the preferred embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus , this invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown , but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein . finally , the entire disclosure of the patents and publications referred in this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference . | 8 |
the following description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure , its application , or uses . for purposes of clarity , the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements . as used herein , the phrase at least one of a , b , and c should be construed to mean a logical ( a or b or c ), using a non - exclusive logical or . it should be understood that steps within a method may be executed in different order without altering the principles of the present disclosure . the present disclosure provides a mouthpiece that can be attached to a lower portion of a mouth and can be used to replenish or remove and / or control saliva in a patient or user . the user can be a male or female and can be an adult or child . the mouthpiece can be used during treatment of temporary conditions such as a temporary loss of swallowing capability due to an accident or trauma , or chronic conditions and diseases such as xerostomia and cancers affecting salivary function . the mouthpiece can be used to supply and / or remove fluid from the mouth . the mouthpiece is designed so that it can be relatively inconspicuous and minimally intrusive , and can be continuously worn for prolonged periods , for example days and weeks . the mouthpiece is further designed so that it can be used to supply a saliva replenishment fluid in a manner that mimics a normal saliva flow within the mouth . by incorporating such design features , the mouthpiece can be comfortably used without compromising chewing , eating , speaking , and sleeping , and can promote patient compliance with therapies dependent on the use of the mouthpiece . in various aspects , the mouthpiece can be individually sized and made to fit a particular user . the mouthpiece can have a modular construction that further enables components of the mouthpiece as produced to be altered and custom fit to a particular patient . the modular construction can also enable one or more components of the mouthpiece to be individually replaced without the need for another complete replacement mouthpiece . the components can be individually replaced to maintain a desired sanitary condition of the mouthpiece . with particular reference to fig1 a - 3 , environmental views of a lower portion of an exemplary mouthpiece 12 according to the present disclosure . the mouthpiece 12 can be anchored adjacent the lower teeth 20 anchored in a lower jaw bone by gingiva or gum . the lower dental arch includes alveolar processes that receive roots of the lower teeth , the lower teeth , and portions of the gum covering the alveolar processes and surrounding the lower teeth . the lower teeth can include up to twelve deciduous teeth in a child and up to permanent teeth in an adult . for exemplary purposes , the lower teeth presented include twelve teeth : four incisors , two canines , four premolars , and two molars . the lower teeth include lingual surfaces facing the mouth cavity proper and a tongue ( not shown ), labial or buccal surfaces facing the vestibule 34 and a cheek ( not shown ) and lips ( not shown ), and surfaces of contact between adjoining teeth . the lower teeth further include crowns facing upper teeth of an upper jaw bone and defining a lower bite surface or plane . together , the lower teeth and the gum define an inner gum line and an outer gum line . openings of a submandibular duct within the mouth cavity proper , which may be referred to as the wharton &# 39 ; s duct , are illustrated by openings . the mouthpiece 12 can include a first foam anchoring member 100 , a second member 102 annularly disposed about the first foam anchoring member 100 , a first tubular member 104 partially disposed within the first foam anchoring member 100 and supported by the second member 102 . the first and second anchoring members 100 and 102 can be sized to fit within the spaces between the lower lip and the lower teeth , with the first tubular member protruding from the mouth the provide vacuum or saliva substitute to the mouth . optionally , the mouthpiece can include a deformable first foam anchoring member 100 can be generally solid structures and can have various shapes adapted to fit within the spaces adjacent to the molars and adjoining teeth of the lower teeth . with additional reference to fig2 and 3 , the mouth piece 12 can include a foam member 120 , an anchoring tube 122 ( shown here flattened ), and the first tubular member 104 . the hydrophilic foam member 120 extends about the lower gum . the hydrophilic foam member 120 can have a generally tapered polyhedral shape as illustrated , or can have a contoured shape resembling a natural tooth that may otherwise reside in the space . the foam member 100 can be hydrasorb ® foam hydrasorb ® the name of a group of medical - grade polyurethane , hydrophilic foams . this foam is manufactured from a base material of polyether polyisocynate resins . hydrasorb ® is sterilizable . and can be die cut or 18 ″× 36 ″ sheets ( ⅛ ″ to ¾ ″ wetted thickness ) or molded to shape . hydrophilic absorption capacity ( water ): up to 15 × dry wt . [ astm d1667 ] cell structure ( dry avg . ): 86 cells / linear in . density ( nominal / dry ): 7 . 5 lb / ft3 [ astm d3574 ] elongation % ( dry avg . ): 650 % [ astm d3574 ] expansion in water ( length )( avg . ): 31 % ( avg .) [ astm f1087 ] foam moisture content ( dry avg . ): 3 . 56 % [ karl fischer method ] indention force deflection ( idf ): [ astm d3574 test b1 ] idf @ 25 %: ( n ) 133 % idf @ 65 %: ( n ) 346 % resiliency / rebound test ( rt [ astm d3574 test b1 ] rt @ 25 %: ( n ) 121 % compression set ( dry avg . ): [ astm d3574 ] 25 %: 16 . 0 % 50 %: 36 . 0 % tensile strength ( dry ): 30 . 0 lbf / in2 [ astm d3574 test b1 ] as shown in fig4 a and 4 b , the anchoring tube 122 is preferably perforated two accept saliva from the mouth or saliva replacement tube 104 . the size and shapes of these perforations can vary . in a flattened configuration , a notch or pair of notches 106 , 107 are utilized to be positioned about the tube 104 and the hydrophilic foam 102 . the front surface 132 can be adapted and disposed to engage one or more of the surface of contact , the lingual surface , and the buccal surface of the molar . the front surface 132 can be further disposed to allow one end of the tube 104 to exit the front surface 132 adjacent the lingual surface of the molar and an opposite end of the passage to exit the front surface adjacent the buccal surface of the molar . in this way , the front surface 132 can be disposed to allow the first tubular member 104 to extend from the front surface 132 adjacent the lingual surface of the molar , and the second tubular member to extend from the front surface adjacent the buccal surface 62 of the molar . the front surface 132 can be generally flat as illustrated by the present example and , optionally , can include a portion complementary to the adjoining surface of contact of the molar . in this way , the front surface can engage and thereby resist relative movement between the first foam anchoring member 100 and the molar 56 . in various aspects , the first and second anchoring members 100 and 102 can be made in a mirror image to that described above . in this way , the mouthpiece 12 may be configured so that the tubular member 104 exits the mouth 10 on the left side of the user . in various aspects , the first and second anchoring members 100 and 102 can be attached in any suitable manner . for example , a suitable adhesive such as an adhesive that adheres dentures to gum may be used . in various aspects , the first and second anchoring members 100 and 102 can be attached in a semi - permanent manner using a bone fastener . in various aspects , the first and second anchoring members 100 and 102 can be made from any suitable dental material which allows saliva infiltration . suitable dental materials include , but are not limited to , biocompatible polymers such as acrylic materials , and metals such as titanium . fig4 represents a metal deformable support member 111 which can be inserted adjacent to the hydrophilic foam member 100 . this metal deformable support member can then be used to form the mouthpiece prior to insertion between the lip and gum adjacent to the lower teeth . fig6 a - 6 c represent tubes which are placed adjacent to the hydrophilic foam member and within the heat shrink material of tube 102 . as described about , a portion of the tube is passed though the slots 106 and 107 . the tube 104 has a first portion which is perforated or notched 112 to allow suction to be applied to the open pore hydrophilic foam 100 . fig7 a - 7 d represent an alternate upper and lower saliva replenishment prosthesis according to the present teachings . the upper and lower prosthesis are made of materials having a soft durometer . they define an inner passage and a plurality of apertures which link an outer surface of the prostheses with the inner aperture . as can be seen , each prosthesis utilizes an outer supply or extraction tube which can be coupled to a fluid supply or a vacuum as described above . fig8 represents the installation of a lower mouth prosthetic according to the present teachings . shown is a film layer , which is coupled to the teeth using a water soluble adhesive . the fluid extraction tube is placed along the outside of the tooth ridge . should a vacuum be drawn through the tube , fluid is drawn through apertures defined through the polymer layer . this configuration can be used as both the upper and lower prosthesis are made of materials having a soft durometer . they define an inner passages between the teeth which can us used to draw out saliva . the plurality of apertures link an outer surface of the prostheses with the inner aperture . as can be seen , each prosthesis utilizes an outer supply or extraction tube which can be coupled to a fluid supply or a vacuum as described above . fig9 a - 9 c represent an alternate upper saliva replenishment prosthesis according to the present teachings . as is shown , a deformable polymer material has a fluid transport tube disposed therethrough . the deformable member is generally oval and is configured to be fixed to the molars between the tooth and the gum line . the device has a through passage and a plurality of excretion or vacuum holes . the fluid extraction tube is placed along the outside of the tooth ridge . should a vacuum be drawn through the tube , fluid is drawn through apertures defined through the polymer layer . this configuration can be used as both the upper and lower prosthesis are made of materials having a soft durometer . they define an inner passages between the teeth which can us used to draw out saliva . the plurality of apertures link an outer surface of the prostheses with the inner aperture . as can be seen , each prosthesis utilizes an outer supply or extraction tube which can be coupled to a fluid supply or a vacuum as described above . fig1 a - 10 d represent an alternate saliva replenishment or removal prosthesis according to the present teachings . the fluid extraction tube is placed along the outside of the tooth ridge . the material is plastically deformable an as a plurality of through passages which remain open upon disposition over the teeth . they passages remain open because they have a surface which resists the sticking of one inner aperture surface to another . they are also configured to be strong enough not to collapse of the application of the vacuum . should a vacuum be drawn through the tube , fluid is drawn through apertures defined through the polymer material . this configuration can be used as both the upper and lower prosthesis are made of materials having a soft durometer . they define an inner passages between the teeth which can us used to draw out saliva . the plurality of apertures link an outer surface of the prostheses with the inner aperture . as can be seen , each prosthesis utilizes an outer supply or extraction tube which can be coupled to a fluid supply or a vacuum as described above . fig1 a - 11 j represent an alternate saliva replenishment prosthesis according to the present teachings . as is shown , a deformable polymer material has a fluid transport tube disposed therethrough . the deformable member is generally oval and is configured to be fixed to the molars between the tooth and the gum line . the device has a through passage and a plurality of excretion or vacuum holes . the fluid extraction tube is placed along the outside of the tooth ridge . should a vacuum be drawn through the tube , fluid is drawn through apertures defined through the polymer layer . this configuration can be used as both the upper and lower prosthesis are made of materials having a soft durometer . they define an inner passages between the teeth which can us used to draw out saliva . the plurality of apertures link an outer surface of the prostheses with the inner aperture . as can be seen , each prosthesis utilizes an outer supply or extraction tube which can be coupled to a fluid supply or a vacuum as described above . fig1 a - 12 f represent an alternate saliva replenishment prosthesis according to the present teachings . the prosthetic member is formed around the molars and do not interfere with the molar bite surface . similar to the teachings in fig7 a - 7 d , alternate upper and lower saliva replenishment prosthesis according to the present teachings . as can be seen the prosthesis travels over the molar region and is positioned under the tongue at only a single location . the upper and lower prosthesis are made of materials having a soft durometer . they define an inner passage and a plurality of apertures which link an outer surface of the prostheses with the inner aperture . as can be seen , each prosthesis utilizes an outer supply or extraction tube which can be coupled to a fluid supply or a vacuum as described above . fig1 a - 13 d represent over the tooth saliva replenishment prosthesis according to the present teachings . similar to the teachings in fig7 a - 7 d , alternate upper and lower saliva replenishment prosthesis according to the present teachings . as can be seen the prosthesis travels over the molar region and is positioned under the tongue at only a single location . the upper and lower prosthesis are made of materials having a soft durometer . they define an inner passage and a plurality of apertures which link an outer surface of the prostheses with the inner aperture . as can be seen , each prosthesis utilizes an outer supply or extraction tube which can be coupled to a fluid supply or a vacuum as described above . in various aspects , the first and second anchoring members can be off - the - shelf components , semi - custom components , or custom components . as used herein , off - the - shelf components can refer to components made without features based on a particular user . semi - custom components can refer to components made in advance that include a majority of predetermined features not based on a particular user and at least one feature based on a particular user . custom components can refer to components specifically made for a particular user . the patient - specific features of a semi - custom component and a custom component can be formed based on a particular user &# 39 ; s lower dental arch and surrounding mouth anatomy using various techniques such as dental impressioning techniques . each of the embodiments in fig7 a - 13 d can utilize the foam member 100 can be hydrasorb ® foam hydrasorb ® the name of a group of medical - grade polyurethane , hydrophilic foams . this foam is manufactured from a base material of polyether polyisocynate resins . hydrasorb ® is sterilizable . and can be die cut or 18 ″× 36 ″ sheets ( ⅛ ″ to ¾ ″ wetted thickness ) or molded to shape . hydrophilic absorption capacity ( water ): up to 15 × dry wt . [ astm d1667 ] cell structure ( dry avg . ): 86 cells / linear in . density ( nominal / dry ): 7 . 5 lb / ft3 [ astm d3574 ] elongation % ( dry avg . ): 650 % [ astm d3574 ] expansion in water ( length )( avg . ): 31 % ( avg .) [ astm f1087 ] foam moisture content ( dry avg . ): 3 . 56 % [ karl fischer method ] indention force deflection ( idf ): [ astm d3574 test b1 ] idf @ 25 %: ( n ) 133 % idf @ 65 %: ( n ) 346 % resiliency / rebound test ( rt [ astm d3574 test b1 ] rt @ 25 %: ( n ) 121 % compression set ( dry avg . ): [ astm d3574 ] 25 %: 16 . 0 % 50 %: 36 . 0 % tensile strength ( dry ): 30 . 0 lbf / in2 [ astm d3574 test b1 ] example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough , and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art . numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components , devices , and methods , to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure . it is additionally envisioned the systems described above can be used in conjunction with a positive airflow sleep apnea machine . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed , that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure . in some example embodiments , well - known processes , well - known device structures , and well - known technologies are not described in detail . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” may be intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . the terms “ comprises ,” “ comprising ,” “ including ,” and “ having ,” are inclusive and therefore 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 . the method steps , processes , and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated , unless specifically identified as an order of performance . it is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed . when an element or layer is referred to as being “ on ,” “ engaged to ,” “ connected to ,” or “ coupled to ” another element or layer , it may be directly on , engaged , connected or coupled to the other element or layer , or intervening elements or layers may be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly on ,” “ directly engaged to ,” “ directly connected to ,” or “ directly coupled to ” another element or layer , there may be no intervening elements or layers present . other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion ( e . g ., “ between ” versus “ directly between ,” “ adjacent ” versus “ directly adjacent ,” etc .). as used herein , the term “ and / or ” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items . although the terms first , second , third , etc . may be used herein to describe various elements , components , regions , layers and / or sections , these elements , components , regions , layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms . these terms may be only used to distinguish one element , component , region , layer or section from another region , layer or section . terms such as “ first ,” “ second ,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context . thus , a first element , component , region , layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element , component , region , layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments . spatially relative terms , such as “ inner ,” “ outer ,” “ beneath ,” “ below ,” “ lower ,” “ above ,” “ upper ,” and the like , may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature &# 39 ; s relationship to another element ( s ) or feature ( s ) as illustrated in the figures . spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures . for example , if the device in the figures is turned over , elements described as “ below ” or “ beneath ” other elements or features would then be oriented “ above ” the other elements or features . thus , the example term “ below ” can encompass both an orientation of above and below . the device may be otherwise oriented ( rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations ) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly . | 0 |
at first , an embodiment of this invention will be described as referring to the drawings . fig1 a and 1b show a driving method according to a first embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig1 a , a numeral 1 denotes a scan electrode which is connected to a gate of a thin film transistor ( referred to as tft ) 11 to 22 . a numeral 2 denotes a signal electrode which is connected to a drain of the tft . the source of the tft is connected to one liquid crystal terminal and each opposite electrode is connected to the other liquid crystal terminal . v gk , v gk + 1 and v gk + 2 denote any gate voltage . v d denotes any drain voltage . v com denotes a voltage applied to the opposite electrode . c lc11 , c lc12 and c lc21 denote a liquid crystal capacitance ( pixel ). v c1 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v d . v c2 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v com . 1h denotes a selecting time ( scan time ) of one scan line . in operation , during a time interval of the first 1 / n field , positive - polarity signals v d are applied to the pixels c lc11 and c lc12 connected to a group of odd scan lines v gk and v kg + 2 . then , negative - polarity signals v d are applied to the pixels c lc21 and c lc22 connected to a group of even scan lines v gk + 1 . during the next 1 / n field , conversely , negative - polarity signals v d are applied to the pixels c lc11 and c lc12 connected to the odd scan lines v gk and v kg + 2 . then , positive - polarity signals are applied to the pixels c lc21 and c lc22 connected to the even scan lines v gk + 1 . later , this process is repeated . that is , positive - polarity signals and negative - polarity signals which are shown in one wave - form are switched with switches in a horizontal driver circuit and applied to a group of drain electrodes in such a manner that these positive - and negative - polarity signals are shifted by 1 / n ( n is an integer larger than one ) field . this driving method is , therefore , arranged so as to invert v d and v com like alternate current at each field . this makes it possible to more easily design both of the voltage - alternating circuits for v d and v com , thereby improving the reliability of an active matrix liquid crystal display to which the driving method applies . moreover , in the driving method , it is more likely that the flicker appearing in the group of pixels connected to the even scan lines may be offset against the flicker appearing in the group of pixels connected to the odd scan lines . this results in suppressing the flicker on the overall display . fig2 a and 2b show a driving method according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the circuit arrangement of the display of the second embodiment is such that the scan electrode 1 is connected to a gate of each tft , a signal electrode 2 is connected to a drain of each tft , one liquid crystal terminal is connected to a source of each tft , and the other liquid crystal terminal is connected to an opposite electrode . as shown , v gk and v gk1 denote any gate voltage . v d denotes any drain voltage . v com denotes a voltage applied to the opposite electrode . c lc denotes a liquid crystal capacitance . v c1 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v d . v c2 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v com . 1h denotes a selecting time of one scan line . in operation , during an interval of 1 / 2 field of a first field , positive - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to odd scan lines . then , during the remaining 1 / 2 field , negative - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to the even scan lines . later , this process is repeated . that is , the driving method of the present embodiment is arranged so that the positive - polarity signal and the negative - polarity signal are applied to the drain electrodes in a manner to shift these signals by 1 / 2 field within a one - field time interval . the use of the driving method makes it possible to invert v d and v com like alternate current at each field . hence , as compared to the conventional system for inversing the polarity at each scan line , the driving method of this embodiment can reduce the driving current to a small value . this results in making it easier to design both of the voltage - alternating circuits for v d and v com . further , the current of the active matrix liquid crystal display can be reduced and the noise voltage can be suppressed accordingly , which can offer a high - definition display and improve the reliability of the active matrix liquid crystal display . in addition , the use of this driving method makes it possible to offset the flicker appearing by applying a d . c . voltage into a group of a liquid crystal pixels connected to the even scan lines against the flicker appearing by applying a d . c . voltage into a group of pixels connected to the odd scan lines . this results in reducing the flicker on the overall screen . fig8 and 9 show how the flicker is reduced on the overall screen if the driving method of this embodiment is used . in particular , fig8 shows how the flicker of 60 hz is alleviated and fig9 shows how the flicker of 30 hz is alleviated . according to the driving method of the second embodiment as shown in fig8 if the flicker appearing to the pixels connected to the k - th scan line is added to the flicker appearing to the pixels connected to the ( k + 1 ) th scan line , the resulting flicker has a tabular waveform . this means that the flicker on the overall screen is made smaller . according to the driving method of the second embodiment as shown in fig9 the actual flicker is an addition of the flicker appearing in the pixels connected to the k - th scan line to the flicker appearing in the pixels connected to ( k + 1 ) th scan line . this additive flicker has only the flicker of 60 hz with no flicker of 30 hz . a human cannot visually feel the flicker of 60 hz . this means that the flicker on the overall screen is reduced . fig3 a and 3b show a driving method according to a third embodiment of the present invention . in the circuit arrangement of a pixel of a display unit , as shown , a gate of a tft is connected to a scan electrode 1 and a drain of the tft is connected to a signal electrode 2 . one liquid crystal terminal and a storage capacitance electrode are connected to a source of the tft . the other liquid crystal terminal and storage capacitance electrode are connected to an opposite electrode . as shown , v gk and v kg + 1 denote any gate voltage . v d denotes any drain voltage . v com denotes a voltage applied to the opposite electrode . c lc denotes a liquid crystal capacitance . c stg denotes a storage capacitance . v c1 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v d . v c2 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v com . 1h denotes a selecting time of one scan line . in operation , during a time interval of the first 1 / 2 field of one field , positive - polarity signals are applied to a group of pixels connected to odd scan lines . then , during a time interval of the remaining 1 / 2 field , negative - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to even scan lines . during the first 1 / 2 field of the next field , the negative - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to the odd scan lines . then , during the remaining 1 / 2 field , the positive - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to the even scan lines . later , this process is repeated . that is , the driving method of the third embodiment is arranged so that the positive - polarity signals and the negative - polarity signals served as a display signal within one field are applied to a group of drain electrodes in a manner to shift both of the signals by 1 / 2 field . the use of the driving method makes it possible to invert v d and v com like alternate current at each field . hence , this driving method makes it easier to design both of the voltage - alternating circuits for v d and v com and thereby improve the reliability of an active matrix liquid crystal display . in addition , the use of this driving method makes it possible to offset the flicker appearing in a group of a liquid crystal pixels connected to the even scan lines against the flicker appearing in a group of pixels connected to the odd scan lines . this results in reducing the flicker on the overall screen . fig4 a and 4b show a driving method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention . in the circuit arrangement of a pixel of a display unit , as shown , a scan electrode 1 is connected to a gate of a tft and a signal electrode 2 is connected to a drain of the tft . one liquid crystal terminal is connected to a source of the tft and the other liquid crystal terminal is connected to an opposite electrode . one storage capacitance electrode is connected to a source of the tft and the other storage capacitance electrode is connected to a scan electrode at the previous stage . as shown , v gk - 1 v gk and v kg + 1 denote any gate voltage . v d denotes any drain voltage . v com denotes a voltage applied to the opposite electrode . c lc denotes a liquid crystal capacitance . c stg denotes a storage capacitance . v c1 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v d . v c2 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v com . 1h denotes a selecting time of one scan line . the other storage capacitance electrode is connected to the scan electrode at the previous stage . as shown , the gate voltage needs to have three stages . in operation , during a time interval of a first 1 / 2 field of one field , positive - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to odd scan lines . then , during the remaining 1 / 2 field , negative - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to even scan lines . during a time interval of a first 1 / 2 field of the next field , negative - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to the odd scan lines . then , during the remaining 1 / 2 field , positive - polarity signals are applied to the group of pixels connected to the even scan lines . then , this process is repeated . that is , the positive - polarity signals and the negative - polarity signals are applied to a group of drain electrodes in such a manner that these signals are shifted by 1 / n ( n & gt ; 1 ) field within one field . this driving method is , therefore , arranged so as to invert v d and v com like alternate current at each one field . this makes it possible to more easily design both of the voltage - alternating circuits for v d and v com , thereby improving the reliability of an active matrix liquid crystal display to which the driving method applies . moreover , in the driving method , it is more likely that the flicker appearing in the group of pixels connected to the even scan lines may be offset against the flicker appearing in the group of pixels connected to the odd scan lines . this results in reducing the flicker on the overall display . in a case that an active matrix liquid crystal display uses amorphous silicon tfts , since the amorphous silicon tft has a low current feeding capability , in actuality , it is quite difficult to actuate a high - definition display consisting of 1024 scan lines to keep the display at high quality . in particular , when a gate pulse width is short , a positive - polarity drain signal may not be sufficiently applied to the liquid crystal display terminal through the amorphous silicon tft ( a - si tft ). this is because the voltage v gs between the gate and the source when the tft is active is made lower according to the rise of an electric potential at the liquid crystal terminal and the on - resistance of each tft is made higher accordingly . on the other hand , when the drain signal is at negative polarity , v gs is kept constant without having any relation with lowering of an electric potential at the liquid crystal terminal . hence , the on - resistance of each tft is quite low . this means that when the drain signal is at negative polarity , the drain signal is allowed to be applied to the liquid crystal terminal at a relatively fast speed . next , the description will be directed to an embodiment which enables solving the foregoing problems . fig5 a and 5b show a driving method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention . in the circuit arrangement of a pixel of a display unit , as shown , a scan electrode 1 is connected to a gate of a tft and a signal electrode 2 is connected to a drain of the tft . one liquid crystal terminal and storage capacitance electrode are connected to a source of the tft and the other liquid crystal terminal and storage capacitance electrode are connected to an opposite electrode . as shown , v gk and v gk + 1 denote any gate voltage . v d denotes any drain voltage . v com denotes a voltage applied to the opposite electrode . c lc denotes a liquid crystal capacitance . c stg denotes a storage capacitance . v c1 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v d . v c2 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v com . 1h (+) denotes a gate pulse width provided when a positive - polarity signal is applied . 1h (-) denotes a gate pulse width provided when a negative - polarity signal is applied . that is , the use of the driving method shown in fig5 a and 5b make the gate pulse width at the positive - polarity drain signal longer than the gate pulse width at the negative - polarity drain signal . hence , though the a - si tft has a low driving capability when a positive - polarity signal is applied , since the gate pulse width is longer , a sufficient drain signal is allowed to be applied to the liquid crystal terminal . the driving method of the fifth embodiment allows a high - definition display consisting of about 1024 scan lines to have an excellent display quality . fig6 a and 6b show a driving method according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention . one of the pixels included in a display unit is arranged so that a scan electrode 1 is connected to a gate of a tft and a signal electrode is connected to a drain of the tft . one liquid crystal terminal is connected to a source of the tft and the other liquid crystal terminal is connected to an opposite electrode . one storage capacitance electrode is connected to the source of the tft and the other storage capacitance electrode is connected to a scan electrode at the previous stage . as shown in fig6 v gk - 1 , v gk and v gk + 1 denote any gate signal . v d denotes any drain voltage . v com denotes a voltage applied to the opposite electrode . c lc denotes a liquid crystal capacitance . c stg denotes a storage capacitance . v c1 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of v d . v c2 denotes a central voltage of an amplitude of vcom . 1h (+) denotes a gate pulse width provided when a positive - polarity signal is applied . 1h (-) denotes a gate pulse width provided when a negative - polarity signal is applied . that is , the driving method of this embodiment makes the gate pulse width given when the drain signal is at positive polarity longer than that given when the drain signal is at negative polarity . hence , the a - si tft has a low driving capability when it is at positive polarity . since , however , the gate pulse width is longer , the drain signal is sufficiently applied to the liquid crystal terminal . the driving method of this embodiment allows a high - definition display consisting of about 1024 lines to have an excellent display quality . fig7 shows a thin film transistor liquid crystal display ( referred to as a tft - lcd ). in order to apply the driving method of this invention to the tft - lcd , it is necessary to add a gate line switching circuit for separating the scan lines into odd lines and even lines at one field and a v com voltage - alternating circuit for changing a polarity of a v com voltage at each one field as shown in fig7 . this arrangement needs v d to be alternated just at each field . hence , it improves the reliability of the tft - lcd . | 6 |
referring now to the accompanying drawings , fig1 shows , in an end section , a development apparatus designated generally by the numeral 10 . the development apparatus 10 includes a housing 12 having intercommunicating portions 12a , 12b , and 12c , of which a bottom portion 12a serves as a sump portion or reservoir for holding development material d . the housing 12 can , for example , be die - casted of an aluminum alloy . the developer material d is , for example , a two - component material consisting of magnetic carrier particles intermixed with pigmented toner particles . a single component developer material consisting simply of toner particles is also suitable for use with the development apparatus 10 . the top portion 12b of the housing 12 contains a magnetic development roller 14 for applying the toner particles of the developer material to image patterns formed electrostatically on a dielectric member 16 moving along a path p in juxtaposition to an opening in the top housing portion 12b . the magnetic development roller 14 includes a core 18 having a plurality of magnets 20 spaced around the peripheral surface of the core . the roller 14 also includes a non - magnetic , substantially cylindrical shell 22 which surrounds the core 18 , and which has its longitudinal axis offset from the longitudinal axis of the core 18 . such offset or eccentricity of the shell has the effect of decreasing the field strength of the magnets 20 over the area of the shell 22 that is spaced farther from the magnets . as such , after development , spent developer material moving on the surface of the shell 22 has less propensity to magnetically adhere to the shell when it reaches that particular area , and therefore falls off the shell and returns to the reservoir or bottom portion 12a . as is well known , the core 18 and / or shell 22 can be fixed or rotatable as long as the particular arrangement causes the developer material d to move within the fields of the magnets 20 into developer - applying contact with the dielectric member 16 . in the development roller 14 , as illustrated in fig1 the core 18 , with its magnets 20 , rotates clockwise , while the shell 22 rotates counterclockwise . a feed device 34 which is located within the housing portion 12c between the top and bottom portions 12b , 12a , respectively , serves to transport the developer material d into the field of the magnets 20 of the development roller 14 . the device 34 includes a roller 36 which is mounted rotatably on a shaft 38 , and includes a plurality of pickup members 40 . pickup members 40 , as shown , are moved through the developer material d for picking up and carrying quantities of developer material to a drop point within the magnetic fields of the magnets 20 . there the developer material is dropped off each member 40 , and is readily attracted by the magnets 20 to the outside surface of the shell 22 of development roller 14 . the roller 14 then moves the developer material , so attracted , into applying relation with the image patterns on the dielectric member 16 , where the imagewise patterns attract and adhere to toner particles from the developer material mix d . although some carrier particles are also attracted to the image patterns during such development , the carrier particles or spent developer , by design should be , and are indeed left behind in the development apparatus 10 . after such development , such spent developer material , consisting largely of carrier particles on the shell 22 , is moved thereon until it reaches that area of the shell surface where the magnetic influence of the magnets 20 is weak . there , the spent developer gravitationally falls back into the bottom portion 12a . fresh toner particles periodically are added to the sump portion 12a for mixing in order to achieve and maintain desired toner concentration and triboelectric charge values . at some point however , the quantity of carrier particles being returned to the sump portion 12a , as well as , their triboelectric properties , will become so diluted , such carrier particles should desirably be purged from the housing 12 , and replaced with fresh carrier and fresh toner particles . referring to fig1 and 2 , the development apparatus 10 accordingly includes a self - closing mechanism 50 , associated with the bottom portion 12a of the housing 12 , that is suitable for unloading or purging the spent developer material d from the housing 12 . such unloading or purging , as stated above , is carried out in order to refill the housing 12 with fresh carrier and fresh toner particles of developer material d . doing so provides a desired quantity of carrier particles to the housing 12 , and particularly carrier particles with strong triboelectric properties , in order to desirably improve and maintain developer material charge values , as well as , toner concentrations . as illustrated , the purging mechanism 50 includes an aperture 52 in the bottom portion 12a of the housing 12 . the aperture 52 opens into a connected conduit member 53 . the aperture 52 is located such that developer material d within the bottom portion 12a can discharge or drop therethrough into the conduit 53 . as shown in fig1 the bottom portion 12a includes a base area b and two upwardly extending side walls , w1 and w2 . in order to maintain developer within the aperture 52 in a free - to - flow condition , the aperture 52 is formed preferably in one of these side walls , for example w2 , and at a location thereon that is spaced above the base b . due to such a preferred location , developer material d elsewhere within the housing 12 , including the base b , must be moved to the aperture 52 . as additionally shown in fig2 the aperture 52 is also located at a position m that is halfway between the front end wall f , and back end wall k , of bottom portion 12a of the housing 12 . developer material d therefore must also be moved from the front f and back k to the midpoint m , where the aperture is located . the purging mechanism 50 accordingly includes developer moving means , such as a ribbon blender / transport device 54 that is located within the bottom portion 12a for moving developer material d across the aperture 52 , by moving such material d around and around within the bottom portion 12a , as well as , from the front and back ends f and k , respectively , to the middle m . as additionally shown , spent developer material falling back from the development roller 14 into the bottom portion 12a is immediately mixed in and moved as such by the moving means 54 . the device 54 , for example , may include a small diameter , inner helical ribbon 58a and a large diameter , outer ribbon 58b that are connected to a rotatable drive shaft 62 by means of radial members 60 . the ribbons 58a , 58b are arranged in two major front and back sections fm and km , respectively . the front and back sections , fm and km are pitched such that rotation of the shaft 62 , in the direction of the arrow 64 , will cause the respective sections to move developer material d circumferentially within the bottom portion 12a , as well as linearly in the directions of the arrows a 1 , a 2 and a 3 , a 4 for the larger diameter ribbons 58b , and in the directions of the arrows b 1 , b 2 and b 3 , b 4 for the inner , small diameter ribbons 58a . as indicated , the inner ribbons 58a are effective in moving developer material d outwardly from the center m to the front and back end walls f and k , respectively , but only that much of the developer material which , after filling the bottom portion 12a , lies above the level shown as ll . on the other hand , the larger diameter , outer ribbons 58b are effective in moving all developer material within the bottom portion 12a from the front and back ends f and k , respectively as indicated , to the middle m . such movement of the developer material d by the ribbon / transport device 54 desirably , and by design , also serves to stir and mix the carrier and toner particles that constitute such developer . as pointed out above , such stirring and mixing , triboelectrically charges the particles appropriately for effective image development by the apparatus 10 . the purging mechanism 50 , as shown , further includes the developer material conduit member 53 which is connected to the outside of the housing 12 , and over the discharge aperture 52 . conduit member 53 thus serves to hold as well as guide the flow of developer material discharging or dropping from the housing 12 , through the aperture 52 , into such conduit . as shown , the conduit 53 has a short downward section 53a over the aperture 52 . the section 53a is connected to a long substantially horizontal section 53b that runs from the aperture 52 to the front f of the bottom portion 12a . the sections 53a and 53b form a sharp conduit elbow 53c . the conduit 53 may be formed integrally with the housing 12 so that it forms a closed - sided channel over the aperture 52 , on the outside of housing . the short section 53a , the long section 53b and the sharp elbow 53c constitute an effective means for automatically closing or self - closing the mechanism 50 when the housing 12 of the apparatus 10 is filled or loaded with developer material d . because of the self - closing feature , the section 53b is simply left open at such front end f , where a quick connect and disconnect adapter 66 may be mounted over such opening . the conduit 53 is therefore completely open to the front f as well as into the discharge aperture 52 , when there is no developer material d inside the bottom portion 12a . however , when the bottom portion 12a is loaded or filled with developer material which is being moved by the device 54 , as described above , a small quantity of the developer material d will gravitationally drop through the aperture 52 , down the short conduit section 53a and into the sharp elbow 53c . such a small quantity of developer material d within the elbow 53c will on its own not flow horizontally through the section 53b . instead , it will sit there trapped , and will cause first the elbow 53c , and then the aperture 52 , to fill up with developer , thereby effectively blocking and causing the conduit 53 to automatically self - close . once the conduit 53 is closed as such , developer material d within the bottom portion 12a can be stirred , mixed and moved within the apparatus 10 , without spilling or leaking , for image development in the manner described above . such stirring and mixing will continue until it is desired to unload or purge all developer material from the apparatus 10 . to effect such purging or unloading , the developer material trapped in the elbow 53c is caused to flow horizontally through and out of the section 53b . for opening the previously closed conduit 53 and causing developer material to flow through the section 53b , force means for pulling the trapped developer material out of the elbow 53c should be applied through the horizontal section 53b . such force means can be supplied for example by a vacuum source 70 connected to the purging mechanism 50 by means of the adapter 66 . when connected and activated , vacuum source 70 will exert a pulling force on the developer material in the elbow 53c , thereby pulling it out through the section 53b , and thereby allowing more developer to discharge into the elbow for similar removal . vacuum source 70 should therefore just be strong enough to induce horizontal flow in , and to transport developer material through the horizontal section 53b of conduit member 53 . the vacuum source 70 as such can be attached to a corresponding connector for use with the adapter 66 without significant downtime , as well as , to a receiving container for receiving the developer material purged from the apparatus 10 . operationally , the housing 12 is normally filled with developer material d to a level well above that shown as ll . filling the housing 12 as such causes the conduit 53 to self - close . thereafter , the ribbon / transport device 54 functions purely as a stirrer / mixer , triboelectrically charging and moving the developer therein for appropriate development of images . the developer material so mixed is moved upwards by feed device 34 , as described above , to the development roller 14 for such image development . spent developer from such development drops back as indicated into the bottom portion 12a for continued mixing by the device 54 . when for the reasons cited above it is finally desirable to purge the apparatus 10 of developer material therein , the vacuum source 70 , with a receiving container attached thereto , is connected to the adapter 66 , and activated . the activated vacuum source 70 induces flow in , thereby sucking , developer material through the horizontal conduit section 53b and out of the elbow 53c . the sucked out developer can then be collected in the receiving container for clean disposal . within the housing 12 , the ribbon / transport device 54 , the feed roller 36 and development roller 14 are all rotated to move the developer material therein in the respective manners as described above . as the vacuum source 70 sucks up developer material , it empties the horizontal section 53b , as well as the elbow 53c , and aperture 52 . as this occurs , additional developer material being moved within the housing 12 , and by the device 54 to the aperture 52 , will drop or discharge through the aperture 52 into the elbow 53c to be similarly sucked up by the source 70 . before long , the level of developer material within the housing 12 will drop below the reach of the pickup members 40 of the feed roller 36 . consequently , the flow of developer material from the roller 36 to the development roller 14 will be cut off . thereafter , any quantity of developer material on the roller 14 will move with the roller as indicated and completely fall back into the bottom portion 12a for movement therein by the device 54 . within the bottom portion 12a , both the inner and outer ribbons 58a , 58b of the device 54 will continue to move developer material as long as the level of developer material therein is higher than the level indicated as ll . such back and forth , and around and around , movements serve to keep the material loose and free flowing through the aperture 52 . when the level of material finally falls below the ll level , only the outer ribbons 58b will continue to move such material circumferentially and inwardly to the aperture 52 until the entire housing 12 , including the base b of the bottom portion 12a , is completely empty ( point e ) of developer material . the vacuum source 70 can be de - activated and disconnected at that point , and the housing 12 refilled or reloaded with fresh developer material . as described , refilling or reloading the housing 12 as such will cause the conduit 53 to again self - close , thereby allowing the developer material in the housing 12 to be stirred , mixed and moved for development purposes , without risk of spilling or leakage . as can be seen , the development apparatus 10 of the present invention includes a simple , efficient and compact mechanism 50 for unloading or purging developer material therefrom . the purging mechanism 50 includes few moving components , and is automatically self - closing , thereby avoiding significant downtime , the risks of moving component failure , and the risk of inadvertent spills . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
fig1 shows , in the prior art , a block diagram of a hybrid optical / electronic communications network 10 . only relevant portions are shown . the left hand block is the head end 12 , for instance the head end of a cable television system which includes a conventional video server 16 connected as shown to an ethernet switch 18 which in turn is connected to a gbe ( gigabit ethernet ) dwdm transceiver 20 in turn connected to a dwdm ( dense wave division multiplexing ) ( mux ) and demultiplexing ( demux ) devices 22 , 28 . demux device 28 drives gbe transceiver 26 coupled to router 24 . conventional hub 14 includes dwdm ( mux and demux ) devices 30 , 38 . device 30 in turn drives another dwdm transceiver 32 in turn connected to an ethernet switch 34 which is connected , as shown , to a narrow - cast service gateway node ( nsg ) 36 which performs the function of converting an ip ( internet protocol ) video stream into qam format . various devices , for instance , cmts ( cable modem termination system ) 44 which in turn are connected to ultimately the user homes are connected to an ethernet switch 42 . gbe dwdm transceiver 40 and dwdm multiplexer device 38 are for the upstream data transmissions . hence this is a two - way - network providing transmissions upstream and downstream . fig2 shows a transceiver ( transmitter / receiver ) 54 which in fig1 corresponds to each of transceivers 20 , 26 , 32 , 40 . transceiver 54 includes a conventional fiber - optic transceiver module 60 which performs the function of providing one bidirectional high speed serial data transmission channel over optical fiber or wire interfaces conforming , e . g ., to the ieee 802 . 3z gigabit ethernet specification ( gbe ). module 60 provides electrical to optical and optical to electrical conversion . on the transmitter side there is associated clock and data recovery circuit 62 which in turn drives laser driver circuit 64 which in turn drives laser driver circuit 64 which in turn drives the itu ( international telecommunications union compliant ) 1550 nanometer wavelength laser 66 which in turn is connected to a single mode optical fiber ( smf ) 63 providing dwdm communication signals on the optical fiber 63 . on the receiver side , there is an optical fiber 61 which is in optical communication with a pin or apd ( avalanche photodiode ) 68 which in turn provides electrical signals to transimpedance and limiting amplifier 70 which in turn drives clock recovery circuitry 72 connected to the fiber optic transceiver module 60 . this is all conventional . the data communications to and from the optical portions of the system are shown at the right hand portion of fig2 at 65 labeled “ user interface ”. further detail of the fig2 transceiver 54 is shown in fig3 . similar blocks from other of the figures are similarly labeled . further shown in fig3 is the user interface 65 at the right hand side of fig2 to control the fiber optic transceiver module 60 and which includes microcontroller 92 , control lines 88 and control lines 90 . also shown for control of the data and clock recovery circuits are reference clock circuits 76 and 80 and clock drivers 78 and 82 . as described above , the fig1 , 2 and 3 system uses conventional components as circuitry in the various ethernet and gbe switches and in the fiber optic transceiver module 60 which is designed and intended for two - way communications ( both transmitting and receiving ). module 60 thereby supports one bidirectional channel ; it has one ( electrical ) data input port and one ( electrical ) data output port . module 60 is connected to an ethernet switch of the type shown as 18 ( in fig1 ). if ethernet switch 18 does not receive appropriate signals ( valid data ) from module 60 , ethernet switch 18 will declare a corresponding port failure and hence stops transmitting data downstream to module 60 . in accordance with the invention , this requirement for two - way ( bidirectional ) communications by switch 18 is overcome in the one - way communications environment using , instead of transceiver 54 , the transmitter 90 of fig4 which partakes of some of the same elements as the transmitter portion of the prior art transceiver 54 of fig2 but omits the receiver portion . hence this is a transmitter . the same fiber optic transceiver module 60 is used as in the prior art fig2 and fig3 devices . in place of the receiver portion shown in fig2 in transceiver 54 , there is flow control circuit 92 . circuit 92 generates the ( electrical ) “ stay alive ” signal which is coupled to the electrical data input port of the transceiver module 60 . circuit 92 provides the electrical signal which thereby emulates , e . g ., upstream traffic on a two - way network . flow control circuit 92 ( signal generator ) is connected to the same ( electrical ) input port of the fiber optic transceiver module as is the clock and data recovery circuit 72 of fig2 . clearly , however , rather than recovering data from a communication , the circuit 92 merely generates a fixed signal , in one embodiment , which is applied to that port . this effectively causes the fiber optic transceiver module 62 to understand that it is receiving upstream traffic at that port and is to be kept operational for purposes of passing on the downstream traffic as a transmitter . the nomenclature “ flow control circuit ” 92 is generic ; this is a signal generator which in one embodiment provides the predetermined “ stay alive ” signal as required by the appropriate network protocol . for instance , in the gigabit ethernet context this stay alive signal is the following 20 - bit digital word : 00111110101001000101 . in one embodiment the flow control circuit 92 , as shown in fig5 , includes a conventional 20 to 1 serializer 96 with its 20 input terminals tied off to appropriate high and low ( respectively , logic 1 and 0 ) voltages 98 to define the 20 bit digital keep - alive “ word .” the serializer 96 outputs this digital word ( signal ) as a serial signal which is coupled to the ( upstream ) data input port of module 60 . an example of the serializer 96 is amcc part no . 2046 . fig6 shows a one - way communications network in accordance with the invention using the transceiver ( transmitter ) 90 of fig4 and corresponds to fig1 . like elements have similar labels as in the previous figures . several video servers 16 a , 16 b and 16 c are provided in fig6 at the head end . two of these servers drive the gbe switch 26 which in turn is coupled to , in parallel , a plurality of transmitters 90 a - 90 n . each transmitter 90 a - 90 n is of the type 90 of fig4 and 5 . transmitters 90 a - 90 n are multiplexed together by optical multiplexer 120 coupled to the optical fiber 121 . the corresponding hub is shown in the right hand portion of fig6 and includes a demultiplexer 122 which in turn drives a number of optical receivers 124 a - 124 n . each receiver 124 is a conventional wavelength receiver ( dwdm receiver ) similar to the receiver in the bottom half of fig2 . several of these receivers in turn drive the gbe switch 32 . the gbe switch 32 in 10 drives a plurality of gateway node units 36 a ; gateway node unit 36 d is driven directly by receivers 124 n . these gateway node units 36 a - 36 d in turn are coupled to a number of hybrid fiber coaxial cable nodes 126 a - 126 c . extensions and modifications in accordance with the invention will be evident to those skilled in the art . for instance , a multi - channel one - way time domain multiplexer may be provided . this receives as input signals a number of optical or electrical signals , each applied to a transmitter 90 . each transmitter 90 includes its own flow control circuit as shown in fig4 . each of the optical output signals of these transmitters is then time domain multiplexed together and coupled to an optical fiber . hence one achieves one - way signal aggregation for a two - way communications protocol in accordance with the invention . the invention is not limited to the hybrid fiber / coaxial cable environment and not even limited to optical communications but is also suitable for use in purely electrical communications . the invention is also not limited to fiber optical or wired electrical communications but would also apply to free space optical or electrical communications ; that is , the invention is independent of the communications medium . the invention is also not limited to the disclosed one - way communications such as cable tv , but would also apply to highly asymmetric two - way communications , for instance , a cable tv system with a very high bandwidth requirement for downstream communications and a minimal requirement for upstream data communications which is effectively a two - way system but with the two communications channels not being of the same bandwidth and hence not sharing transceivers . this disclosure is illustrative and not limiting ; further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure and are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
a general system chart of a communications system to which the invention can be applied may comprise a user equipment that can be a conventional mobile station equipped with a short message service . although in the following the invention will be described by means of a short message , a short message service , a wap ( wireless application protocol ) message and a wap message service , a message can comprise e . g . at least one of the following messages : a short message , an instant message , an e - mail message , a multimedia message , a unified messaging message , a wap message or a sip ( session initiation protocol ) message . the mobile station can also be mobile station equipped with e . g . an instant message , an e - mail message , a multimedia message , a unified messaging message or a sip ( session initiation protocol ) message service . the basic principles of the invention can be employed to enable privacy invoking between and / or within any mobile communications systems , such as gsm , gprs , tetra and umts . the invention may affect some of the elements of an end - to - end system for wireless applications . in the privacy invoking system a client element ( referred to a client later on in this application ) can be described to be any element which has the ability to receive and handle push messages . one client element can be a typical mobile wap terminal equipped with this ability . supporting repository server element ( referred to a supporting server later on in this application ) can be described to be any element which has the ability to send push messages to the client , triggered by requests for delivering personal information to other servers . one such supporting server can be a typical server equipped with this ability . in other words , in order to implement the invention and its embodiments terminals would need to be capable of accepting push messages and the supporting server would require the ability to be able to act as a push initiator . in addition some procedural logic would be required in the terminal and the supporting server . the narrow band push channel may be defined as a channel over which data or signaling can be sent by a server e . g . without a prior request received from a client . an example on this kind of a channel is a sms ( short message system ) channel . currently sms may be seen as a unique feature within the wireless world though it &# 39 ; s popularity is leading to it being replicated in the broader internet . also other types of channels , which are built on asynchronous transfer of data ( i . e . not request / response ) may be considered a push channel . the invention proposes the use of a narrow band push channel from the supporting server to the client in order to inform the client about a request for personal data which the supporting server is in possession of . the user can then respond to this request stating whether s / he wishes to allow this request or not . the invention thus proposes to exploit this push channel to protect users &# 39 ; privacy and provide better fulfillment of appropriate privacy directives . in fig3 there is an extra link drawn between the supporting server and the client . this link , link c , is called the push channel link . the sequence of data flows when using the push channel link may be as follows : 1 ) the client 1 makes the request for the resource to the origin server 2 over a first channel ( a ); 2 ) the origin server 2 make the request to the supporting server 3 requesting some personal user data ; 3 ) the supporting server 3 sends a push message over the narrow band channel ( c ) indicating that the origin server 2 has made the request for the data ; ( this step is related to the ftc guideline regarding notice and personal data .) 4 ) the client 1 responds to the push allowing or disallowing the request for data . ( this step is related to the ftc guideline regarding choice and personal data .) the response may be a simple yes / no . alternatively the client 1 and the supporting server 3 may negotiate on what data is given and for what purposes ; and 5 ) depending on the client &# 39 ; s 1 response the supporting server 3 will either deliver the data to the origin server 2 or refuse to deliver the data to the origin server 2 . the data which the origin server needs requires processing power on the client which the client does not have . in this case the supporting server supplies the required processing power . there are many ways of implementing the above - mentioned mechanism . two alternatives may include the implementation of the invention as an sms implementation or as a wap push implementation . in an sms implementation the supporting server would need to support an interface to an smsc ( short message service center ). when the request for personal data arrives from the origin server the supporting server would send the sms to the client notifying her / him of the origin server &# 39 ; s request . the client can then respond indicating her / his preference for the supporting server to accept or reject the origin server &# 39 ; s request . the exact content of the sms messages can be for example a small implementation detail as described above : 1 ) supporting server → client : “ mybank at www . mybank . com requests your location . do you wish to give it to them ? yes / no ”. in a wap system there is defined a push framework [ push ]. the framework defines 3 components : a push client , a push initiator pi and a push proxy gateway ppg . within this implementation the wireless client is also the push client capable of receiving wap push messages . the supporting server in this case acts as the push initiator , creating the push message for delivery to the client . in between the 2 entities there is an entity known as the ppg . the ppg &# 39 ; s role is to handle the addressing and delivery of the push message from pi to the push client . also in this implementation the exact format of the messages to be passed can be determined but the general procedure would be for the supporting server pi to compose the push message detailing the origin server &# 39 ; s request for personal data . the client would then respond to the message indicating their privacy preferences with regard to the origin servers request . as described above , the core idea of the invention is the use of the push narrow band channel to alert the user to the use and / or trying to use of their personal data . the response from the user may simply be a simple yes / no response indicating the user &# 39 ; s acceptance of the origin server request for the personal data . the response may also be some other type response if it can be read in the supporting server . however it is also possible that the push message can initiate a pull session allowing the user to negotiate which information they may wish to divulge . in the pull session the client may request data and the data may be returned on a pull channel . for example , if the origin server requests username and credit card details , the user could respond indicating s / he only wishes to divulge her / his name . as described above the invention may be applied within the wap system . one reason for this is the fact that supporting servers are well defined within the architecture of wap being generally at the forefront of standardisation of the wireless internet . however the scope of this invention is beyond the scope of the wap system and architecture and the principle of supporting servers extends beyond the wap architecture . for example , location servers are to be found in 3g ( 3rd generation ) environments regardless of whether that environment is a wap environment . the use of certificate uri &# 39 ; s is also being extended to the traditional web model . the transmission of user agent profiles is based on w3c work on cc / pp ( composite capability / preferences profiles ). in fact the deployment of supporting servers makes sense in any network where there is a wish to make efficient use of bandwidth . as a part of the secure handshake in the internet security protocol ssl / tls ( secure sockets layer / transport layer security ) the client and the server may exchange pki digital identity certificates in order to authenticate each other . the exchange of these certificates can require relatively large bandwidth in a wireless network . for this reason the wireless equivalent of ssl / tls , wtls ( wireless transport layer security ) allows for a certificate uri to be sent in place of the certificate . this allows for the origin server to retrieve the client &# 39 ; s identity certificate from another location on the network ( i . e . the supporting server for certificates ). one of the characteristics of wireless clients is that their characteristics and form factors are vastly different . this is not the case with the www , where clients are relatively homogenous . wap has defined a specification known as uaprof ( user agent profile ) which allows the client to transmit its characteristics to the origin server . due to bandwidth considerations the client may also transmit the uri which points to the supporting server that contains details of the client &# 39 ; s characteristics . one unique aspect of the mobile internet is that physical location is a relevant data value . one method of determining the client &# 39 ; s physical location relies on measurements being taken by servers in the supporting network . to provide a common abstraction there is defined the location server which is the server which can provide information about the client &# 39 ; s location . one unique feature of the location server is that it does essentially not even need the client &# 39 ; s interaction to be of use . the origin server may simply ask the location server for the user &# 39 ; s location . this type of interaction is particularly sensitive with regards to user privacy issues . although each of the supporting servers provide different functionality there are some commonalties between them . in each case : the origin server requires some data from the client ( e . g . who are they , where are they , what terminal are they using ); the client sends an identifier allowing the origin server to query the supporting server for the data ; the supporting server provides data that in the traditional web model would probably be provided by the client ; and the data asked for and provided has some particular reference to the user of the client ( e . g . the user &# 39 ; s identity in a certificate , the user &# 39 ; s client characteristics , the user &# 39 ; s physical location ). the invention assumes that there is a way to associate the msisdn ( integrated services digital network ) or fixed ip ( internet protocol ) address of the terminal with the user identification forwarded by the application ( whether name & amp ; address , cookie , etc ) to the repository . one possibility for this is the repository co - located with a wireless gateway , or containing a user database ( white pages ). if the user can have several on - going browsing sessions active as in different browser windows , the push message may have to provide an indication of which site is requesting the disclosure of private data . in the case of a background application that requests private information without the prior initiation by the end - user , the situation is substantially similar . the user should be informed about the application that is trying ( autonomously ) to gather information about her or him . whenever the application server , i . e . the origin server requests personal information from the repository , i . e . from the supporting server , the repository may send the push message to the end - user , i . e . to the client requesting confirmation for the delivery of the personal information to the application . in the state of the art supporting servers released this information without intervention from the client as was described previously . this means that there was no way for the user to receive notice or make a choice with regards to their own personal data . although in some cases implementations of supporting servers may have allowed a simple form of black / white listing which ensured that data was only given to selected parties , this method was and is quite static and limited to a predefined select set of origin servers . one advantage of the invention is that it improves over earlier solutions in that it is dynamic and flexible . there is no requirement for a user to set up preferences with the supporting server ( s ) prior to visiting the origin server . this process can take place during the user &# 39 ; s session with the origin server . however , it should be noted that as an optimisation the supporting server could retain the list of previous user choices as a dynamic black / white list . the invention allows for gray lists . instead of just simple black and white lists , it is now possible to have a gray list where entries on the gray list are queried off the user . this can be seen as an improvement on a simple black / white list solution . also the user is in control . in other methods the user must inform each and every supporting server that may contain their personal data about their privacy preferences . using this method the supporting servers ask the user what their preferences are when they need to know what they are . the mechanism according to the invention saves bandwidth . other schemes that attempt to allow for interactivity on behalf of the user ( such as digital signed requests ) consume extra round trips and bandwidth . the mechanism presented here uses minimal extra trips and bandwidth . this is a clear advantage since the bandwidth of the network link between the client and the origin server ( shown as link a in fig3 ) may be very low , or the latency of the link may be poor . with the assistance of the invention the network link between the origin server and the supporting server ( shown as link b ) may be much higher . the invention requires no previous relationship between the origin server and the supporting server , or the origin server and the user , client . it also makes use of unique wireless features such as push technology . the invention allows the use of any push channel to communicate directly with the user , not just the signaling channel of a communications network . the invention and its preferred embodiments do not assume the presence of a privacy preference negotiation framework ( such as p3p ), although it could be used in that context . the invention does not require entire programs to be downloaded to the terminal in order to perform the negotiation . it does not assume that the application server sends the description of its privacy policy to the terminal ; it does not assume that the terminal stores privacy preferences ; and it does assume that the notification is carried out on behalf of the client by the repository of personal data . it differs from the state of the art prototypes and research in the following way : it relies upon the wireless infrastructure for requesting and transmitting disclosure authorization from the end - user . published proposals consider only a wireline internet / www infrastructure ; and it does not assume that the information is presented as a form that must be filled in by the end - user ( or by an automatic form - filling program ), but that it is simply requested by applications from repositories containing user information . it closer mirrors privacy standards . although it is a new area the w3c does have a privacy standard known as p3p [ p3p ]. part of the p3p specification suite is a user privacy preferences language appel [ appel ]. appel lists 4 possible outcomes when determining whether p3p policies should be accepted . these outcomes are “ accept ”, “ reject ”, “ inform ”, “ warn ”. when translated to supporting servers , this method allows supporting servers to implement the “ inform ” and “ warn ” outcomes . this is not possible with e . g . a black / white listing ; the invention relies upon the capabilities of a wireless application infrastructure , and especially push , for requesting and retrieving disclosure authorizations from the end - user . this constitutes a major benefit in the case of non - interactive applications : the user might not have initiated the application ( e . g . an automatic www crawler trying to compile information from repositories scattered in the internet ) and might not even be on - line , but s / he will nevertheless be informed of the request for disclosure of personal data via push messages on his mobile phone . a service platform for wireless applications makes it possible to fine - tune the handling of the disclosure requests , e . g . by rejecting the requests automatically if it is determined that the end - user is not reachable . still another advantage of the invention is that is not specifically related only to requests for location information , but the invention covers nearly all personal data e . g . usernames , passwords , credit card details , address , date of birth , i . e . basically anything one might normally fill in on an internet form . using a narrow band push channel deals with 2 of the 4 privacy guidelines , namely notice and choice . by receiving the push message the user is notified of the request for the use of their private data . they can also respond with to the request stating whether they wish to allow the request or not . this allows the user to have a choice over whether their personal data is used in that fashion or not . it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that , as the technology advances , the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways . the invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims . | 7 |
according to the present invention , spark plug 10 has a tube - shaped metal shell 13 , in which a ceramic insulator 24 is positioned . end 27 of insulator 24 facing the combustion chamber encases a center electrode 22 and insulates it electrically from shell 13 . it further includes a contact pin 20 that is used to transmit voltage to center electrode 22 , as well as a connecting device 11 at its connection end 28 . connecting device 11 ensures that center electrode 22 is in electrical contact with an external voltage supply not depicted in the drawing . its main components include a connecting bolt 12 which is also provided with a thread and a connecting nut 19 at its connection end . between connecting device 11 and contact pin 20 is situated an erosion resistor 25 made of electrically conductive glass that mechanically anchors the spark plug components positioned inside insulator 24 and also provides a gas - proof seal against combustion pressure . an inner sealing seat 17 is positioned between insulator 24 and shell 13 , sealing off the inside of the spark plug from the combustion chamber . one or several mass electrodes 21 are welded to shell 13 . the spark is produced between these and center electrode 22 . on its outside , shell 13 has a hexagonal profile 14 by means of which the spark plug can be screwed into an engine block . in addition , an outer sealing seat 16 is provided , sealing off the combustion chamber from the surrounding atmosphere . thread 18 molded onto shell 13 is used to fasten the spark plug in the engine block . insulator 24 includes , at least on its outside facing the surrounding atmosphere , a glaze 26 on the basis of a lead - free borosilicate glass . however , insulator 24 may also be glazed on other parts of its surface . in weight percent , the glaze has the following basic composition : the characteristics of glazes having the basic composition stated were tested on the following glazes , which are to be considered exemplary embodiments . all figures represent weight percentages . the quantities of the individual element oxides refer to glazes after addition of the respective quantities of kaolin or bentonite . a varying amount of kaolin was added to two base glazes , 1 and 5 , resulting in glazes 2 through 4 and 6 through 9 , the first base glaze 1 having a larger zinc , calcium and strontium content , the second base glaze 5 , however , containing more sodium oxide and potassium oxide than base glaze 1 . 1 ) thermal expansion coefficient , expressed in 1 / k , measured at 20 through 400 ° c . 2 ) head bending strength , expressed as an average in newtons , measured according to din iso 11565 . the measurement is effected by fixing the spark plug to be tested into an appropriate testing block , using the maximum tightening torque prescribed by the applicable spark plug standard . a force is applied at a right angle to the insulator axis within 5 millimeters from the connection end of the spark plug , and it is gradually # increased to the point of rupture . the force applied is taken as the value for the bending strength of the head . 3 ) thermal expansion value , expressed as the temperature in ° c . at which the specific resistance of the glaze is 1 megohm * cm . based on the two base glazes it can be observed that the thermal expansion coefficient drops when the proportion of kaolin is greater than 10 % by weight , with the head bending strength of the respective spark plug rising simultaneously . a kaolin content of more than 30 % by weight does not result in any significant improvements of the characteristics of those glazes compared to glazes containing 30 % by weight of kaolin . the glaze is manufactured by mixing a glaze frit in powder form with kaolin or bentonite , also in powder form , with the kaolin or bentonite content , selected in such a way as to result in a thermal expansion coefficient of & lt ; 7 * 10 − 6 1 / k . what is meant here by kaolin is mainly a kaolinite - containing clay , wherein kaolinite represents any mineral aluminum hydroxysilicate . bentonite is a clay substance that contains a mixed sodium - aluminum - magnesium hydroxysilicate . the raw materials in powder form are mixed with water or another solvent , with the addition of an organic binder , and then applied to insulator 24 to be glazed by means of spraying , rolling or immersion . the layer thickness of the glaze applied is preferably between 5 μm and 40 μm . to finish , insulator 24 is subjected to heat treatment at temperatures between 850 ° and 900 ° c ., in which the insulator is fired and the raw components are transformed into the glaze . | 7 |
in the first embodiment of the invention , illustrated in fig1 - 4 , the pipe manifold 10 is shown to be an elongated rectangular parallelepiped , constructed from two parallel pipes 12 and 14 each of which has a side wall 16 or 18 which lie adjacent one another and may be welded together . the walls 16 and 18 jointly define the transverse wall of the pipe manifold which divides it into an inlet chamber 20 and a return flow chamber 22 . the right end of the pipe manifold 10 illustrated in fig1 and 3 is closed while the left end is open and shows a flange 24 which may be covered up with a blind cover if there are sufficient connecting pipes on the housing but to which another similar pipe manifold 10 may be attached by welding or bolting if the system is to be enlarged . a similar flange may also be provided at the other end of the housing and , in this manner , an overall system of any desired size may be constructed . in the vicinity of the edge of the transverse wall 16 , 18 , the top 28 and the bottom 30 of the pipe manifold housing 10 are provided with openings 26 . these openings 26 are disposed in the top wall 28 and in the bottom wall 30 so as to alternately lie on either side of the transverse walls 16 , 18 . mounted to the top wall 28 and the bottom wall 30 are pipe connectors 32 , in this case shaped in the manner of truncated cones with a constant cone angle and attached to the housing , for example , by welding . the pipe connectors are so sized and disposed as to overlap far enough on both sides of the transverse wall 16 so as to cover at least the width of one of the openings 26 disposed on either side of the transverse wall . accordingly , the pipe connections 32 may all have the same size and shape and are attached to the housing in a straight longitudinal line , i . e ., congruently with respect to the axial extent of the housing . furthermore , the pipe connections 32 attached to the bottom of the housing lie in a plane defined by the central axes of the connections mounted on top . the outer surface of the pipe connections 32 is provided with several markings 34 whose position is determined in consideration of the conical angle of the pipe connectors . the distance between markings is so chosen that when a pipe connector 32 &# 39 ; is shortened , for example as shown in the right portion of fig1 along a marking 34 ( which , in the shown example , is the second marking from the top ) the remaining height of the pipe connector 32 &# 39 ; is such that the opening cross section which it will acquire is matched to the inlet orifice diameter of an attached pump or valve having standard dimensions so that the actuating valve of such a pump or apparatus will be located at the same overall height with respect to the manifold housing 10 as would be the case if a correspondingly smaller pump or device is attached to the unshortened pipe connector 32 in fig1 . while the unshortened connectors 32 are higher , their opening cross section is smaller as is the size of the pump or valve attached to them , so that the overall height of the apparatus from the point of attachment on the manifold up to the location of the actuating plane is the same as will be the case if a larger apparatus or pump is attached to a shortened pipe connector 32 as is illustrated in the example of fig1 . by suitable choice of the conical angle and of the position of the markings 34 , it is possible to obtain a very practical simple and reliable installation and mounting of the pipe manifold and its associated apparatus . the ends of the pipe connectors 32 may be provided in known manner with connecting flanges 36 or threads 38 by welding for example . the pipe connectors 32 attached to the bottom 30 of the housing 10 serve primarily as the main supply or return line for the heating medium while the connectors or couplings 32 attached to the top wall 28 serve primarily for the attachment of supply and return lines of individual systems and devices , for example heaters or other sub - groups . the second exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig5 and 6 is different from the first embodiment in that differently shaped pipe connectors 40 are used , in this case having the shape of bent pipe couplers with constant cross section . the cross section of the couplers 40 is somewhat larger than the largest width of a single opening 26 and the connectors are bent in the manner illustrated in fig6 in order that their outer ends 42 lie in a straight line with respect to the long axis of the housing 10 . as shown in fig5 there may be connected to the pipe couplers 4 a truncated conical connector 32 having the previously defined markings 34 which is used in the manner illustrated with respect to the first example of fig1 and 4 . it is also possible , depending on the use and the requirements of assembly , to use different and variously configured pipe couplings in combination . in the second embodiment according to fig5 and 6 , the pipe couplers 32 previously attached to the bottom wall 30 are absent . their place is taken by a coupler 32 of truncated conical shape which is attached to a further flange 46 which is either bolted or welded to the flange 24 with interposition of a sealer plate 44 which seals the housing 10 . the coupler 32 communicates via an opening 26 in the sealer plate 44 with the inlet chamber 20 of the pipe manifold 10 . in other respects , the second embodiment is identical to that illustrated in fig1 - 4 . a third embodiment , which illustrates the possibility of combining various pipe couplers with the pipe manifold 10 , is illustrated in fig6 a . this figure shows substantially the same construction as fig6 except that a truncated conical pipe coupler 32 is attached to the top 28 of the manifold 10 whereas two identical couplers 32 are attached , one on top of the other , on the flange 46 and these communicate through openings 26 in the sealer plate 44 with the inlet chambers 20 or the return flow chamber 22 . the axes of the couplers 32 lie in the same plane as those of the couplers 32 attached to the top wall 28 . in a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig7 and 8 , the pipe manifold also consists of two parallel rectangular pipes 12 and 14 . however , these two pipes are disposed at a distance from one another and are rigidly connected by a bridge 48 between the tops of the pipes 12 and 14 . the gap between the adjacent walls 16 and 18 is filled with a thermally insulating material 50 . attached to the top of the manifold housing is a pipe coupler 52 in the shape of a truncated pyramid whose open base covers the entire width of the manifold housing including the insulating layer 50 . the return flow chamber 22 defined by the pipe 14 communicates via an opening 26 with the interior of the pipe coupler 52 . furthermore , the top wall 54 of the pipe coupler 52 has an opening 56 into which is welded a cylindrical pipe stud 58 of the desired length . even though the illustration only shows a single connector 52 , it will be clear to a person skilled in the art that other similar or differently shaped pipe couplers or headers may be attached according to the invention to the manifold and may be combined with the one which is illustrated so as to satisfy the actual requirements in practice . in order to simplify the drawing , other openings 26 and other elements of the apparatus , similar to those previously illustrated and discussed , are omitted from fig7 and 8 . in this embodiment , the end faces of the pipes 12 and 14 are shown closed . however , they may also be opened and provided with a flange 24 and attachments according , for example , to the illustrations of fig6 or 6a . instead of providing adjacent pipe couplers 52 along the axial extent of the manifold housing , it is also possible , as illustrated in a fifth embodiment according to fig9 to provide a single coupler box 60 in the general shape of a truncated pyramid so as to cover essentially the entire top surface of the manifold housing . the box 60 is subdivided internally by vertical walls 62 into individual connecting chambers each of which has an opening 56 into which are inserted pipe studs 58 of the desired diameter . in a manner not shown , each of the individual chambers defined by a wall 62 communicates through openings 26 , not shown , either with an inlet chamber 20 or the return flow chamber 22 of the manifold housing . fig1 and 11 represent an illustration of combining a pipe manifold housing 10 with a drainage trough or gutter 64 which extends over the entire length of the housing 10 and is closed at the end by vertical walls 66 and 68 , respectively . the wall 68 can also serve to close the end face of the manifold housing 10 so that a single closure wall is disposed at the end face of the manifold housing and the drainage trough . drainage troughs may also be bolted or welded to the housing 10 itself as illustrated in fig6 and 6a . the rear vertical surface 74 of the drainage trough 64 is shown attached to a wall 76 of the building where it may be fastened in a suitable manner . the pipe manifold housing 10 is thus located at some distance from the rear surface 74 , thereby defining an open gap between the housing 10 and the wall 74 . located in the bottom 78 of the drainage trough 64 and closable in a manner not shown , is a drainage stud 80 connected to suitable pipelines . extending obliquely upwardly from the bottom 78 of the trough is a front surface 82 with a crimped edge 84 which , together with the bottom 30 of the manifold housing 10 , defines an access slot 86 which makes the interior of the drainage trough accessible for cleaning and the like . the drainage trough 64 together with the pipe manifold housing 10 forms a compact box - like construction which is simply attached to the masonry wall 76 . the space which is defined between the rear surface 74 and the manifold housing 10 is used to admit drainage pipes 90 to the interior of the drainage trough 64 . the drainage pipes 90 are then connected to a pipe 94 coupled to the manifold housing 10 at a point further from the manifold housing than the location of the shut - off valve 96 . the drain pipes 90 are provided with shut - off valves 92 actually located in the interior of the drainage trough 64 and thus invisible from the outside , but easily accessible through the opening 86 . by closing the valves 96 and opening the valves 92 , any device or system attached to the pipes 94 may be emptied by draining its contents into the drainage trough 64 . the foregoing relates to preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention , it being understood that other embodiments and variants thereof are possible within the spirit and scope thereof . | 8 |
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific illustrative 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 logical , mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense . embodiments of the present invention provide a network with an asynchronous hub . in this network , a fault occurs , for example , when a node attempts to transmit during a timeslot assigned to another node . when the fault occurs , a bus guardian in the asynchronous hub uses an arbitration technique to assure that the message from the node assigned to the time slot is transmitted from the hub to its destination . advantageously , this technique uses indirect detection to detect the fault with the attempt to transmit during the wrong time slot . the indirect detection aspect of the invention is described in more detail in the &# 39 ; 916 and &# 39 ; 900 applications incorporated by reference above . fig1 is one embodiment of a network indicated generally at 100 . network 100 includes asynchronous hubs 102 and 104 connected in a star configuration with nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n . hubs 102 and 104 are referred to collectively as “ the hub ” of network 100 . in this embodiment , network 100 includes two channels of communication for each node 106 - 1 to 106 - n . hub 102 provides the first communication channel between the nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n . hub 104 provides the second communication channel between the nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n . data is transmitted as messages , e . g ., frames , from one node to another in the network 100 . each node transmits each frame to both of hubs 102 and 104 . hubs 102 and 104 then selectively transmit the frames to the other nodes to provide 1 : n communication for each node . hubs 102 and 104 are asynchronous in that the hubs are not synchronized with the time base of the nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n . in one embodiment , the network 100 implements a distributed , time - triggered communication protocol . for example , in one embodiment , the time - triggered protocol ttp / c described in the ttp specification edition 1 . 0 . 0 of jul . 4 , 2002 issued by tttech is used ( the ttp / c standard ). in this protocol , each node 106 - 1 to 106 - n maintains synchronization with a virtual clock . in other embodiments , the nodes maintain time synchronization using other techniques . the nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n are assigned time slots to use for transmission . in one embodiment , the nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n transmit a signal “ clear to send ” ( cts ) to the hubs 102 and 104 prior to the node &# 39 ; s assigned time slot . this alerts the hub to expect data from the node . in one embodiment , the cts signal is sent over the same communication medium as other messages exchanged between the node and the hub . in other embodiments , the cts signal is sent over a different communication medium . hubs 102 and 104 include bus guardians 110 and 112 , respectively . bus guardians 110 and 112 perform an arbitration function for hubs 102 and 104 to deal with competing claims to the same time slot . in one embodiment , guardians 110 and 112 use priority schemes to select among the competing claims to a common time slot . in one embodiment , the guardians 110 and 112 implement complementary priority schemes so that the message from each competing node is relayed by at least one of the hubs 102 and 104 . in operation , hubs 102 and 104 assure that frames of data transmitted from one node to another arrive at the proper destination despite faults that occur in the network from time to time . each node 106 - 1 to 106 - n is assigned a time slot to transmit frames in the network 100 . when a node 106 - 1 to 106 - n transmits a frame , the hubs 102 and 104 forward the frame to the other nodes on the network 100 . the intended destination node receives the frame as do all other nodes on the network 100 . the destination node processes the frame by determining , based on , e . g ., a destination address in the frame , that the frame is destined for the node . in the course of processing data , a fault may occur in that two of nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n may attempt to transmit during the same time slot . each node that intends to transmit during a time slot sends out a cts signal to each of hubs 102 and 104 . in the event that a hub , e . g ., hub 102 , receives cts signals from two nodes for the same time slot , the hubs 102 and 104 implement a procedure to assure that the frame from the proper node is transmitted to the other nodes by the hubs 102 and 104 . in one embodiment , the two hubs 102 and 104 implement different priority schemes to assure that the proper message is relayed by the hubs to the other nodes . in one embodiment , the two hubs 102 and 104 use complementary priority schemes . complementary priority schemes result in one of the two frames being transmitted by one hub and the other of the two frames being sent by the other hub . in this embodiment , the correct message is received by the destination node because each node 106 - 1 to 106 - n receives both messages . the nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n are able to verify the correct message has been received based on , for example , the transmit order list stored in each node 106 - 1 to 106 - n . advantageously , with this embodiment , the hubs 102 and 104 do not need to store the list of time slots for each node . an example of this embodiment is described in more detail below with respect to fig3 . fig2 is a block diagram of a system indicated at 200 that uses a communication network 100 of the type describe above with respect to fig1 . fig2 further shows that the nodes 106 - 1 to 106 - n are connected to a number of electronic devices 108 - 1 to 108 - n , e . g ., sensors , processors , actuators , controllers , input devices and the like that communicate messages over the network 100 . fig3 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a process for a bus guardian in an asynchronous hub for controlling relaying messages over a communication channel from nodes during time slots in a tdma network . for purposes of this specification , a channel in a tdma network includes a communication medium that connects one hub with all of the nodes in the network . thus , a tdma network with a star configuration and two hubs is considered a two channel network . the process begins at block 300 . at block 302 , the process receives a clear to send ( cts ) signal from a node in the network at a bus guardian of an asynchronous hub . the cts signal indicates that the node that originated the cts signal claims the next time slot on the channel associated with the hub . the process determines , at block 304 , if the guardian has received cts signals from more than one node for the same time slot on the channel . if so , the process grants the node with the highest priority access to the channel at block 306 and proceeds to block 308 . if at block 304 there was no other cts signal received at the hub , the process proceeds to block 308 . in one embodiment , the priority for a node is based on the port number of the port of the asynchronous hub that received the cts signal . in one embodiment , a two channel system is used with independent hubs and bus guardians . one bus guardian gives priority to the node with the lowest port number and the other bus guardian gives priority to the node with the highest port number . thus , when two nodes compete for the same time slot , one node will gain access to the time slot on one channel and the other node will gain access to the time slot on the other channel . at block 308 , the process relays the message from the node that was granted access to the channel . at block 310 , the process determines whether another cts signal has been received from a different node for the same time slot on the channel . if another cts signal has not been received , the process continues relaying the message at block 312 and returns to block 310 . if , however , the process does receive another cts signal for the same time slot on the same channel , the process determines whether the node for the additional cts signal has a higher priority than the node that has been granted access to the channel . at block 314 . if not , the process continues relaying the message at block 312 . if the process determines that the new cts signal corresponds to a node with a higher priority , the process stops relaying the current message , inserts a period of silence to ensure that all receiving nodes can reliably detect the start of the next transmission and then relays the message from the higher priority node at block 316 . the process returns to block 310 . fig4 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a process for a node for determining a proper message among different messages received in the same time slot . the process begins at block 401 . at block 403 , the process receives two messages . at block 405 , the process compares the sources of the two messages and determines , at block 407 , whether the two messages are from the same source based on , for example , the source address in the messages . in another embodiment , the process uses port driven authentication as described in the &# 39 ; 323 and &# 39 ; 587 applications to determine the source of the messages . if so , the messages are processed at block 409 and the process returns to block 403 . if the two messages are not from the same source , the process determines which of the messages is from the correct source . at block 411 , the process determines the expected source of messages in the current time slot . for example , in one embodiment , the process uses a list of time slots and assigned nodes to determine the expected source and uses port driven authentication to select the proper message between the received messages . at block 413 , the process selects the message from the expected source and further processes the message . the process returns to block 403 . the methods and techniques described here may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or with a programmable processor ( for example , a special - purpose processor or a general - purpose processor such as a computer ) firmware , software , or in combinations of them . apparatus embodying these techniques may include appropriate input and output devices , a programmable processor , and a storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions for execution by the programmable processor . a process embodying these techniques may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions stored on a machine readable medium to perform desired functions by operating on input data and generating appropriate output . the techniques may advantageously be implemented in one or more programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices or machine readable medium suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non - volatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and dvd disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed application - specific integrated circuits ( asics ). a number of embodiments of the invention defined by the following claims have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . | 7 |
this disclosure generally relates to the alignment of male and female fluidconnectors , supported in respective couplers , for engagement of these components and in particular an engagement which compensates for a misalignment between the male and female fluidconnectors . fig1 illustrates a fluid coupler 10 which may comprise a support member 12 , a first connector member 14 and a piston member 16 . the first connector member 14 may be housed in the support member 12 . the piston member 16 may be axially slidable in the support member 12 . in an embodiment , the support member 12 may comprise a cartridge 18 and a mounting plate 32 . the cartridge 18 and the mounting plate 32 may be mutually connected . the cartridge 18 may be rigidly mounted to the mounting plate 32 . the cartridge 18 may have a configuration for engaging the mounting plate 32 and for accommodating the first connector member 14 . the cartridge 18 may be formed as a block and may have a first cartridge side 20 and a second cartridge side 22 . the first cartridge side 20 and the second cartridge side 22 may be parallel . the first cartridge side 20 may be in contact with a surface of the mounting plate 32 when cartridge 18 and mounting plate 32 may be mutually connected . the second cartridge side 22 may engage to a surface of a corresponding mounting plate of a corresponding coupler . the cartridge 18 may include a channel 24 . the channel 24 may be annular and may extend through cartridge 18 . the channel 24 may have openings on the first cartridge side 20 and the second cartridge side 22 . the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 may be perpendicular to the first cartridge side 20 and the second cartridge side 22 . in the fluid coupler 10 , the first connector member 14 may be substantially or completely accommodated within the channel 24 . the edge of the opening of channel 24 at the second cartridge side 22 may be inclined away from the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 to form an inclined edge 26 . the inclined edge 26 may encircle the opening of the channel 24 at the second cartridge side 22 . in an embodiment , the cartridge 18 may comprise a groove 30 . the groove 30 may be cut into the cartridge 18 . the groove 30 may be positioned at channel 24 such that a side opens to channel 24 . the groove 30 may be concentric with channel 24 and may be positioned at any point along the channel 24 . in an embodiment , the groove 30 may be positioned adjacent the opening of the channel 24 at the second cartridge side 22 . in an embodiment , the groove 30 may be positioned adjacent the inclined edge 26 . in an embodiment , the cartridge 18 may comprise a plurality of grooves 30 at channel 24 such that each groove has a side that opens to channel 24 . the opening of the channel 24 at first cartridge side 20 may have an abutment edge 28 . the abutment edge 28 may be configured to engage the first connector member 14 . the abutment edge 28 may be orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 . in an embodiment the abutment edge 28 may encircle the opening of channel 24 at first cartridge side 20 . in an alternative embodiment , abutment edge 28 may be disposed from the opening of channel 24 and within the channel 24 . the mounting plate 32 may be configured for engaging the cartridge 18 and for accommodating the first connector member 14 . the mounting plate 32 may be formed as a block and may have a first plate side 31 and a second plate side 33 . the first plate side 31 and the second plate side 33 may be parallel . in the fluid coupler 10 , the first plate side 31 may contact the first cartridge side 20 of the cartridge 18 . the mounting plate 32 may include a through cavity which may be formed by an abutment chamber 34 , a fluid chamber 36 and a fluid passage 35 . the cavity may have openings on the first plate side 31 and the second plate side 33 . the abutment chamber 34 may have an opening at the first plate side 31 . the fluid passage 35 may have an opening at the second plate side 33 . the opening of the abutment chamber 34 , at the first plate side 31 , may be greater than the opening of the fluid passage 35 , at the second plate side 33 . in an embodiment , each of the abutment chamber 34 , the fluid chamber 36 and the fluid passage 35 may have an annular geometry . the diameter of the abutment chamber 34 may be greater than the diameter of the fluid chamber 36 and diameter of the fluid passage 35 . the diameter of the fluid chamber 36 may be greater than diameter of the fluid passage 35 . the longitudinal axis of the cavity may be perpendicular to the first plate side 31 and the second plate side 33 . the longitudinal axis of the cavity may be continuous with the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 when the cartridge 18 is mounted to the mounting plate 32 to form a common longitudinal axis in the support member 12 . in the assembled support member 12 , the abutment edge 28 may extend over the opening of the abutment chamber 34 . the abutment edge 28 may be substantially perpendicular to the enclosing wall of the abutment chamber 34 . an abutment ledge 37 may extend from the enclosing wall of the abutment chamber 34 , substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cavity of the mounting plate 32 , into the cavity of the mounting plate 32 . in the assembled support member 12 , abutment ledge 37 may be opposite and substantially parallel to the abutment edge 28 . the enclosing wall of the fluid chamber 36 may extend further into the cavity of the mounting plate 32 than the enclosing wall of the abutment chamber 34 . a piston guide 38 may be formed on the enclosing wall of the fluid chamber 36 . the piston guide 38 may be a protrusion into the fluid chamber 36 . the piston guide 38 may be a convex protrusion with a flattened apex . in an embodiment , the piston guide 38 may be formed as a continuous ring on the enclosing wall of the fluid chamber 36 and may have a raised central portion and sloping sides inclined away from the longitudinal axis of the cavity in the mounting plate 32 . the apex of the central raised portion of the piston guide 38 may be flattened . a fluid chamber ledge 39 may extend from the enclosing wall of the fluid chamber 36 , substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cavity in the mounting plate 32 , into the cavity of the mounting plate 32 . the fluid chamber ledge 39 may be substantially parallel to the abutment ledge 37 . the enclosing wall of the fluid passage 35 may extend further into the cavity in the mounting plate 32 than the enclosing wall of the fluid chamber 36 . in the assembled support member 12 , the abutment chamber 34 and channel 24 may be contiguous to mutually house the first connector member 14 . the first connector member 14 may comprise a fluidconnector 40 and a fluidconnector sleeve 42 . the fluidconnector sleeve 42 may be configured to receive fluidconnector 40 . the fluidconnector sleeve 42 may comprise a body portion 43 having a central axis . the body portion 43 may include a compartment 44 which may be configured to receive and rigidly hold fluidconnector 40 . the compartment 44 may have an inlet 45 at an end . the fluidconnector 40 may be inserted into the compartment 44 and extracted from the compartment through the inlet 45 . the fluidconnector 40 may be assembled into fluid coupler 10 and disassembled from the fluid coupler 10 without removing the fluidconnector sleeve 42 . the servicing and / or replacement of the fluidconnector 40 may be performed through the extraction of only the fluidconnector 40 . the compartment 44 may have a treaded portion to rigidly mount the fluidconnector 40 . the body portion 43 of fluidconnector sleeve 42 may include a conduit 47 extending from the compartment 44 and along the direction of the central axis of the body portion 43 . the conduit 47 may extend to the end of the body portion 43 opposite the inlet 45 . the conduit 47 may have an opening at the end of the body portion 43 opposite the inlet 45 . the compartment 44 and the conduit 47 may form a continuos passage through the body portion 43 . in the first connector member 14 , having the fluidconnector 40 inserted into the fluidconnector sleeve 42 , a fluid channel in the fluidconnector 40 may be contiguous with the conduit 47 to form a continuos fluid passage through the first connector member 14 . the fluidconnector sleeve 42 may comprise a flange portion 46 at the end opposite inlet 45 . the flange portion 46 may extend in a direction substantially transverse to the central axis of the body portion 43 away from the conduit 47 . in an embodiment , the flange portion 46 may be formed as a continuous ring around the body portion 43 . in an alternative embodiment , the flange portion 46 may be formed as a discontinuous ring around the body portion 43 . the flange portion 46 may have an abutment seat 48 formed at a side thereof . the abutment seat 48 may be configured to engage the cartridge 18 . the body portion 43 and flange portion 46 may have a thrust surface 49 at the end opposite inlet 45 . the thrust surface 49 may be opposite and parallel to the abutment seat 48 . the thrust surface 49 may be transverse to the central axis of the body portion 43 . the conduit 47 of body portion 43 may have an opening at thrust surface 49 . the inner perimeter of the thrust surface 49 may delimit the opening of conduit 47 . the thrust surface 49 may be configured to engage a surface of the piston member 16 . the body portion 43 may have a bevelled edge 50 at the end provided with the inlet 45 . the bevelled edge 50 may be inclined toward the central axis of the body portion 43 . the bevelled edge 50 may form a ring around the body portion 43 adjacent the inlet 45 . in an embodiment , the body portion 43 may comprise a slot 51 . the slot 51 may be cut into the thrust surface 49 of body portion 43 . the slot 51 may be positioned at thrust surface 49 such that a side has an opening at thrust surface 49 . the slot 51 may be concentric with conduit 47 and may be disposed at any position along the thrust surface 49 which may engage piston member 16 . in an embodiment , the slot 51 may be positioned adjacent the inner perimeter of the thrust surface 49 which may delimit the opening of conduit 47 . in an embodiment , the fluidconnector 40 and the fluidconnector sleeve 42 may be integral so that the first connector member 14 may be a monolithic structure . the monolithic first connector member 14 may include the body portion 43 . in the fluid coupler 10 , the first connector member 14 may not be mounted or joined to the support member 12 . the first connector member 14 may be free to move within the channel 24 and the abutment chamber 34 . the fluid coupler 10 may comprise an alignment gap 52 between the support member 12 and the first connector member 14 for floating movement of the first connector member 14 . the alignment gap 52 may be formed by suitably configuring the body portion 43 , flange 46 , cartridge 18 , mounting plate 32 , channel 24 or the abutment chamber 34 or any combination thereof . the dimension and / or geometry of the body portion 43 , flange 46 , cartridge 18 , mounting plate 32 , channel 24 or the abutment chamber 34 may be suitably adapted to provide for the alignment gap 52 . the alignment gap 52 may enable a radial movement of the first connector member 14 relative to the support member 12 . first connector member 14 may be radially displaced in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 . the magnitude of displacement of first connector member 14 may be dependent on the alignment gap 52 . during a radial displacement of first connector member 14 the angle between the central axis of the body portion 43 and the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 may remain constant . the alignment gap 52 may enable a pivotal movement of the first connector member 14 relative to the support member 12 . first connector member 14 may be pivotably displaced at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 . the magnitude of displacement of first connector member 14 may be dependent on the alignment gap 52 . during a pivotal displacement of first connector member 14 the angle between the central axis of the body portion 43 and the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 may vary . the alignment gap 52 may enable a combined pivotal and radial movement of the first connector member 14 relative to the support member 12 . first connector member 14 may be displaced at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 and may be displaced in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 . the magnitude of a combined pivotal and radial displacement of first connector member 14 may be dependent on the alignment gap 52 . during a combined pivotal and radial displacement of first connector member 14 the angle between the central axis of the body portion 43 and the longitudinal axis of the channel 24 may vary . the body portion 43 of the fluidconnector sleeve 42 may be partly accommodated in the channel 24 and partly in the abutment chamber 34 of the mounting plate 32 . the movement of the body portion 43 in the support member 12 may be restricted by the enclosing wall of the channel 24 . the flange portion 46 may be accommodated in the abutment chamber 34 . the movement of the flange portion 46 in the support member 12 may be restricted by the abutment edge 28 of the cartridge 18 and the enclosing wall of the abutment chamber 34 and the abutment ledge 37 . in the fluid coupler 10 , the bevelled edge 50 of the body portion 43 and the inclined edge 26 of the channel 24 may have an angular spacing of about 20 °- 30 °. the piston member 16 may comprise a piston conduit 53 . the piston conduit 53 may form a through fluid passage and may be centrally positioned in the piston member 16 . the piston conduit 53 may have an opening at a piston thrust surface 54 and an opening at a piston surface 55 . the piston thrust surface 54 and the piston surface 55 may be mutually opposite and parallel . between and substantially perpendicular to the piston thrust surface 54 and the piston surface 55 may be a piston guide 56 . the piston guide 56 may have a piston inclined edge 57 adjacent to the piston surface 55 . the piston inclined edge 57 may be formed as a ring around the piston member 16 . in an embodiment , the piston guide 56 may have a further inclined edge adjacent to the piston thrust surface 54 . this further inclined edge may be formed as a ring around the piston member 16 . in an embodiment , the piston guide 56 may comprise a piston groove 58 . the piston groove 58 may be cut into the piston guide 56 . the piston groove 58 may be positioned at the piston guide 56 such that a side has an opening piston guide 56 . the piston groove 58 may be disposed at any position along the piston guide 56 which may engage guide 38 . in the fluid coupler 10 , the piston member 16 may be mounted in the support member 12 , within the enclosing wall of the fluid chamber 36 of the mounting plate 32 . the piston member 16 may be slidably engaged to the enclosing wall of the fluid chamber 36 and may move in an axial direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity in the mounting plate 32 . the guide 38 may engage to the piston guide 56 . the guide 38 and the piston guide 56 may be configured to enable the piston member 16 to axially slide in the mounting plate 32 . the dimension and / or geometry of the guide 38 and the piston guide 56 may be suitably adapted to allow piston member 16 to axially slide in the mounting plate 32 . in the fluid coupler 10 , the piston member 16 may be positioned between the thrust surface 49 of the first fluidconnector member 14 and the fluid chamber ledge 39 . the axial movement of the piston member 16 may be restricted . in a direction , the piston member 16 may be restricted by the fluid chamber ledge 39 contacting the piston surface 55 . in the opposite direction , the piston member 16 may be restricted by piston thrust surface 54 contacting the thrust surface 49 of the first fluid connector 14 when the abutment seat 48 abuts the abutment edge 28 of the cartridge 18 . in an embodiment , the piston member 16 may also be pivotable relative to the mounting plate 32 . the guide 38 and the piston guide 56 may be configured to enable the piston member 16 to pivot in the mounting plate 32 . the dimension and / or geometry of the guide 38 and the piston guide 56 may be suitably adapted to allow piston member 16 to pivot in the mounting plate 32 . in the fluid coupler 10 , the piston member 16 may be actuatable under fluid pressure to slide axially in the guide 38 toward first connector member 14 . the piston member 16 may push the first connector member 14 into abutting engagement with the cartridge 18 of the support member 12 . the piston member 16 may eliminate the need to connect a fluid hose directly to the first connector member 14 thereby eliminating any reaction forces that may be introduced by the fluid hoses . in the fluid coupler 10 , the fluid passage 35 , conduit 47 and the piston conduit 53 may have the same diameters . the fluid coupler 10 may comprise a compressible element 60 positioned in the groove 30 . the compressible element 60 may be positioned between the cartridge 18 of the support member 12 and the body portion 43 of the first connector member 14 . the compressible element 60 may be a flexible ring . the compressible element 60 may be made from a compressive material such as nitrile rubber or polyurethane . in an embodiment , the fluid coupler 10 may comprise a plurality of compressible elements 60 positioned in a plurality of grooves 30 . the compressible element 60 may return the first connector member 14 to a neutral position after disengagement from a second connector member . the compressible element 60 may return the first connector member 14 to the neutral position after disengagement of the fluidconnector 40 and a corresponding fluidconnector . the neutral position of first connector member 14 may be the position prior to engagement of the fluidconnector 40 and a corresponding fluidconnector . the fluid coupler 10 may comprise a thrust seal 62 positioned in the slot 51 . the compression of the thrust seal 62 may be positioned between the body portion 43 of the first connector member 14 and the piston thrust surface 54 . a movement of piston thrust surface 54 against the thrust surface 49 of the first connector member 14 may compress the thrust seal 62 . the thrust seal 62 may ensure that a fluid does not leak from between the piston member 16 and the first connector member 14 into the abutment chamber 34 . in an embodiment , the thrust seal 62 may be an o - ring . the fluid coupler 10 may comprise a piston seal 64 positioned in the piston groove 58 . the piston seal 64 may be positioned between the guide 38 and the piston member 16 . the piston seal 64 may ensure that a fluid does not leak from between the piston member 16 and the guide 38 into the abutment chamber 34 . in an embodiment , the piston seal 64 may also be configured to allow a pivotal movement of the piston member 16 . fig2 illustrates a fluid coupler 10 aligned to a corresponding fluid coupler 70 . the corresponding fluid coupler 70 may comprise a corresponding cartridge 72 and a second fluidconnector member 74 . the second fluidconnector member 74 may comprise a corresponding fluidconnector 76 and a sliding sleeve 78 . fluidconnector 40 may be suitably formed to engage with the corresponding fluidconnector 76 . the fluidconnector 40 and the corresponding fluidconnector 76 may be configured for detachable reciprocal engagement . the engagement surfaces of the fluidconnector 40 and corresponding fluidconnector 76 may be formed to allow efficient engagement and disengagement in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the fluidconnector 40 and corresponding fluidconnector 76 . in an embodiment , the fluidconnector 40 may be a male fluidconnector while corresponding fluidconnector 76 may be a female fluidconnector . in an alternative embodiment , the fluidconnector 40 may be a female fluidconnector while corresponding fluidconnector 76 may be a male fluidconnector . fig3 illustrates a fluid coupler 10 which may comprise a support member 12 , a plurality of first connector members 14 and a plurality of piston members 16 . the fluid coupler 10 may further comprise guiding pins 80 . in an embodiment , the fluid coupler 10 may be mounted in a mounting bracket for engagement to corresponding fluid coupler 70 . fig4 illustrates the corresponding coupler 70 which may have a corresponding cartridge 72 and a plurality of second fluidconnector members 74 and a plurality of corresponding fluidconnectors 76 . the corresponding fluid coupler 70 may further comprise guiding bushings 82 . in an embodiment , the corresponding fluid coupler 70 may be mounted in a quick coupler for engagement to the fluid coupler 10 . fig5 a - 5 c illustrate the guiding pin 80 of a fluid coupler 10 and the guiding bushing 82 of the corresponding coupler 70 at various stages of engagement . in fig5 a , the guiding pin 80 and guiding bushing 82 may be aligned when the fluid coupler 10 is mounted in a mounting bracket and the corresponding fluid coupler 70 is mounted in a quick coupler . in fig5 b , the guiding pin 80 and guiding bushing 82 may initiate engagement . in fig5 c , the guiding pin 80 and guiding bushing 82 may be engaged . in an embodiment , the first connector member 14 and the second connector member 74 may initiate engagement after the guiding pin 80 and guiding bushing 82 may be engaged . in an embodiment , the fluid coupler 10 may be mounted in a mounting bracket and the corresponding fluid coupler 70 may be mounted in a quick coupler for a reciprocal engagement . there may be a rough alignment between the quickcoupler and mounting bracket . the quickcoupler and mounting bracket may be locked after being positioned correctly by means of a locking member . after the connection between quickcoupler and mounting bracket is locked , the corresponding mounting plate 84 with the second connector members 74 may move towards the first connector members 14 . the guiding pins 80 on the fluid coupler 10 may align with the guiding bushing 82 in the corresponding coupler 70 and may initiate engagement . after engagement of the guiding pins 80 and the guiding bushing 82 the engagement of the first and second connector members 14 , 74 may commence . a method of aligned engagement of a fluidconnector 40 and a corresponding fluidconnector 76 , according to the present disclosure , may involve providing a floating first connector member 14 housed in a support member 12 , engaging the first connector member 14 to a second connector member 74 , and pressurising a fluid circuit to axially slide a piston member 16 in the support member 12 . during engagement of the first connector member 14 to the second connector member 74 , the first connector member 14 may be radially and / or pivotably displaced . the radial and / or pivotal displacement of the first connector member 14 may allow for a smooth and efficient engagement of the first connector member 14 to the second connector member 74 . in an embodiment , during engagement of the first connector member 14 to the second connector member 74 , the piston member 16 may also be pivotally displaced . the piston member 16 may be pivotally displaced in unison with a pivotal displacement of the first connector member 14 . the pivotal displacement of the piston member 16 may allow for the thrust surface 49 of the first connector member 14 to remain in parallel with the piston thrust surface 54 . during aligned engagement of the first connector member 14 to the second connector member 74 the fluid coupler is not under fluid pressure . after the engagement of the first connector member 14 to the second connector member 74 the fluid circuit is pressurised . the pressurised fluid may flow into the fluid chamber 36 through the fluid passage 35 . the flow of pressurised fluid pushes the piston member 16 to slide axially in the guide 38 . the piston member 16 may be forced by the pressurised fluid into pushing contact with the first connector member 14 . the piston member 16 pushing on the first connector member 14 may compress a thrust seal 62 disposed between the piston member 16 and the first connector member 14 . the first connector member 14 may be pushed into abutting engagement with the cartridge 18 of the support member 12 . in this abutting engagement , the first connector member 14 may not be radially and / or pivotably displaced . the first connector member 14 may be stably held against the cartridge 18 through the force of the pressurised fluid . prior to disengagement , the fluid circuit is depressurised which may allow the first connector member 14 to be radially and / or pivotably displaced . subsequently , the first connector member 14 and the second connector member 74 may be disengaged . the compressible element 60 may return the first connector member 14 to a neutral position after disengagement from the second connector member 74 . the skilled person would realise that foregoing embodiments may be modified to obtain the fluid coupler 10 of the present disclosure . this disclosure describes a fluid coupler 10 for aligning male and female fluidconnectors during reciprocal engagement . the fluid coupler 10 may align hydraulic fluidconnectors with high accuracy during engagement . the fluid coupler 10 may allow alignment of fluidconnectors in order to establish a reliable and leak free connection . depending on the misalignment of the fluidconnectors , the first connector member 14 carrying a fluidconnector 40 may be radially displaced in any direction and / or pivotably displaced . this may allow the fluidconnector 40 and the corresponding fluidconnector to engage smoothly so as to reduced potential wear . during engagement and disengagement , the first connector member 14 may be separated from the hydraulic hose entry ports as the fluid circuit is depressurized . accordingly , this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law . moreover , any combination of the above - described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein . where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by references signs , the reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly , neither the reference signs nor their absence have any limiting effect on the technical features as described above or on the scope of any claim elements . one skilled in the art will realise the disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the disclosure or essential characteristics thereof the foregoing embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative rather than limiting of the disclosure described herein . scope of the invention is thus indicated by the appended claims , rather than the foregoing description , and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein . | 8 |
the present invention includes several embodiments of an optical vend sensing system that are particularly adapted for use in a glass front vending machine , e . g ., of the type disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 384 , 402 , although the present invention can also be used in other types of machines . in the example of a glass front vending machine , the optical vend sensing system is preferably positioned in the machine to detect articles which pass through the vend space . fig1 shows two emitter / detector arrays , each having a single optical emitter 14 and a plurality of detectors 16 , generally positioned in a straight row , although other arrangements can be used . in some preferred embodiments , the emitter / detector arrays are mounted on circuit boards 10 and 12 , which are preferably identical and can be merely reversed for installation opposite each other . an alternate number of emitters and detectors can be used on each board . for example , in some presently preferred embodiments , each array has one or two emitters ( which may be adjacent ) and between twelve and fourteen detectors . in some embodiments , the two ( or more ) emitters are on one end of the array . in some embodiments , there is at least one emitter on one end of the array , and at least one other emitter on the other end of the array , with the plurality of detectors being positioned between them . the positioning of the emitters and detectors can also be altered . for instance , the emitter does not have to be at the end of each array , as shown in fig1 , but can be positioned somewhere in the middle of the array , as shown , for example , the configuration depicted in fig2 . however , positioning the emitters on the ends of the arrays minimizes dead spots in the sensed area . those of skill in the art will realize that the relative spacing of the emitters and detectors on an emitter / detector array depends on the number of emitters and / or detectors and on how far apart the arrays are to be spaced and on the expected size of articles to be vended . an exemplary vending machine in which the optical vend - sensing system of the invention may be provided and used , is schematically illustrated at 100 in fig8 . much of the conventional structure has been omitted . in general , the vending machine 100 is shown including a cabinet 120 having opposite sidewalls , a back wall , a top wall and a bottom wall which cooperatively define a forwardly facing cavity 140 arranged to have a plurality of tray assemblies 160 mounted therein at a plurality of vertically spaced levels . in general , the vending machine has an electromechanical dispensing unit 160 a . in the example illustrated in fig8 , the electromechanical dispensing unit 160 a includes the tray assemblies 160 . each tray assembly 160 has a plurality of motorized horizontally arranged spirals which are spaced from one another widthwise of the tray , and each of which extends longitudinally in a front - to - rear depthwise direction of the tray . each spiral plugs into the driving chuck of a respective drive motor which is arranged to undirectionally rotate the spiral about the longitudinal axis of the spiral . in addition to the left , right upstanding flanges 180 used for mounting the tray assembly to the cabinet 120 preferably using drawer - mounting hardware which permits each tray assembly to be pulled out like a drawer , and a rear flange for mounting each motor assembly , the tray assembly includes a horizontal tray surface which underlies all of the spirals to provide support for the spirals and for the packaged products that are received in the respective upwardly opening pockets formed between neighboring turns of the respective spirals . some columns may have one spiral per column ; others may have two coordinately counter rotated spirals per column , with upstanding sidewall flanges mounted on the tray to divide columns from one another . spaced , for example , about 9 inches ( 23 cm ) in front of the front edges of the tray assemblies as a panel in an openable / lockable door ( not shown ), is a glass front 220 , through which a prospective customer can view the leading packaged products available for being vended upon operation of the machine . the door , to one side of the glass front , further includes a selector panel , or generally a payment and selection unit , ( not shown ) which includes means for accepting payment from the user , and for the user to select which column he or she wishes to receive the leading packaged product from . vending , upon selection , is accomplished by causing the respective motor assembly or assemblies for the spiral or spirals of the respective column to turn through a sufficient angular distance , as to advance all of the products nested in the turns of the respective spiral or spirals forward such that the leading one loses support from below as it reaches the front of the respective tray support surface aid the runout at the front end or ends of the respective spiral or spirals , and drops through the vend space 240 behind the glass front 220 , down into a vend hopper 260 , from which it can be retrieved by the customer , by temporarily pushing in from the bottom on the top - hinged , resiliently urged closed door 280 . ( typically , the door 280 is the outer part of a double - door arrangement configured such that as the user pushes in the outer door , a normally open inner door ( not shown ) at the top of the vend hopper correspondingly temporarily closes , for denying the user upward access to the vending machine cavity 140 via the vend hopper door 280 . an embodiment of the optical vend - sensing system 320 is schematically and diagrammatically illustrated in fig9 . the system of fig9 further includes vending machine control unit 620 of the vending machine 100 , to which the vending machine motors 640 ( i . e . for turning the spirals ) are operatively connected . in some presently preferred embodiments , each array has fourteen ( 14 ) detectors spaced approximately 0 . 45 inches apart and one emitter ( at the end ). the emitter is not spaced 0 . 45 inches from its closest detector . during operation , each emitter 14 is energized ( either constantly or pulsed ) and the opposing detectors 16 are checked to determine if they are receiving light from the opposing emitter 14 . the detectors may be checked one at a time ( sequentially or in any order ) or simultaneously or in groups . the emitters / detector arrays need not be mounted to a circuit board but can be positioned and connected to the vending machine in other manners . fig2 shows an embodiment of the present invention that uses one emitter 14 on one side and a plurality of detectors 16 on an opposing side . the emitter 14 is energized ( either constantly or pulsed ) and each detector 16 is checked to see if it received or is receiving light or is not because a vended object is obstructing the light . again , the detectors may be checked one at a time ( sequentially or in any order ) or simultaneously or in groups . fig3 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which a plurality of detectors 16 are positioned , e . g ., on a circuit board 18 , in a stationary manner ( fig3 a ) while an emitter 14 is mounted on an oscillating pendulum arm 20 ( fig3 b ). in some embodiments , the arm 20 is mounted to shaft 22 . some mechanism such as , e . g ., a motor 24 , is used to cause the arm to oscillate . instead of a motor 24 , an electromagnet in combination with a spring art may be used to produce the required oscillation . regardless of the mechanism , the emitter 14 is driven along an arc in an oscillating manner . the detectors 16 may be mounted on a circuit board or on some other location . in operation , the detectors 16 are checked to determine if there is an obstruction between the emitter and one or more detectors . in some embodiments , the detectors can be positioned in an arc corresponding to the arc of the emitter , although this is not required and they can be mounted in a straight line or other geometry . the range and speed of oscillation of the emitter can be varied as desired , but in a preferred manner , the arc of oscillation will span or substantially span the vend space . this embodiment could also be reversed with one or more fixed emitters and an oscillating detector . in one embodiment , the base drives the pendulum arm via use of an electromagnet and spring arm . fig4 shows an embodiment where an emitter 14 and detector 18 are mounted on opposing wheels 26 and 32 , respectively , both of which move . the movement of the wheels can be a rotary movement or an oscillating movement . they can move in unison to maintain their relative positions to one another or move independently of one another . each wheel ( 26 , 32 ) could have multiple emitters and / or detectors and each could be functional for only a portion of the cycle . one reason to have the emitter / detector non - functional for part of their cycle is that there may be obstructions ( such as the delivery bin ) for part of the cycle . in such as this case , two emitters can be mounted on one wheel ( e . g ., 180 degrees apart ) and two detectors can be mounted on the other wheel ( e . g ., 180 degrees apart ). the processor then can simply ignore a signal from the detector for the part of the cycle when the emitter / detector pair is obstructed by the bin . during this time , the processor would consider the signal from the other emitter / detector pair as valid . of course , more than two emitters and / or detectors can be used and each wheel can have both emitters and detectors ( not just one or the other ). the movement of the wheels 26 and 32 can be maintained with respect to one another by interconnecting the wheels with a shaft 34 . in such cases , one motor 24 can drive both wheels . alternatively , the separate wheels can be driven by separate motors and electronically controlled to move together . in one embodiment , the emitter ( s ) and detector ( s ) can rotate in opposite directions . this can be through a geared arrangement or can be accomplished via use of separate driving motors . the speed of movement can be set as desired but should be set fast enough to detect a product falling through the vend space . each wheel can be moving at a different speed . fig5 shows an embodiment combining features of the embodiments shown in fig3 and 4 . in this embodiment , the detector 14 , mounted on pendulum arm 22 of base of motor 24 , is rotated on one side and a plurality of detectors 16 are fixed on the other side . alternatively , the detector ( s ) can move and the emitter ( s ) be fixed . fig6 shows an embodiment similar to that of fig5 , but with the emitter 14 mounted on a rotating ( or oscillating ) wheel 26 . alternatively , the detector ( s ) can move and the emitter ( s ) be fixed . fig7 shows an embodiment similar to that of fig4 but with the emitter 14 and detector 16 mounted on rotating or oscillating pendulum arms 22 and 28 , respectively . within a vending machine , the positioning of the emitter / detector units can be below the article vending units . for instance , in one embodiment , the emitter and detector units substantially extend a depth , front to rear of the machine , of the area through which vended products naturally fall . other placements can also be used . for instance , the system shown in fig2 could be adapted and arranged such that the emitter is mounted to the top inside door of the vendor and the detector ( s ) mounted to the bottom inside of the door . in preferred versions of the embodiments disclosed herein , the emitters are not operated in a multiplexed manner . in each of the embodiments disclosed above , the emitting of the signals and detecting of the emitted signals can be controlled through a cpu or other processing circuitry , hardware or software to detect an interruption of light from the detector ( s ) to the emitter ( s ) corresponding to a product falling through the vend space . a logic circuit can be used with the detectors which allows conclusion of a vend on a detected occlusion of light to the detector of up to 100 % of the corresponding light emitted . for instance , the logic circuit can be set to allow conclusion of the vend if the occlusion of light is in the range of 50 - 100 % of the emitted light , or even less under certain circumstances . the spacing between the detectors can be set as desired to provide a desired balance between more accurate sensing ( i . e ., closer spacing , thus requiring more detectors ) and cost ( i . e ., larger spacing , requiring fewer detectors ). generally , the closer the spacing of the detectors , the more likely that an article dropping past the detectors will block a high percentage of the emitted light received by one or more of the detectors to more accurately sense a vend . where at least two emitters are used , with corresponding detectors positioned to receive the emitted light , the light of the different emitters can be pulsed at different frequencies and the detectors set to detect / signal only the light received at the pulsed frequency corresponding to the counterpart emitter . this can provide more accurate sensing by limiting consideration of emitted light not corresponding to the emitter ( s ) paired with the detector ( s ). the light emitters and detectors may be of any type , though infrared emitters and detectors are preferable . it is intended that various aspects of the different embodiments can be combined in different manners to create new embodiments . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment , but on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 and 4 , a baseball swing training device , generally designated 30 , includes an adjustable , elongated , elastic tensioning member 32 comprising adjacent sections having a first attachment member 34 attached to one of its sections and a second attachment member 36 attached to the opposing section . the training device is connectable to the leading arm 40 and trailing arm 42 of a batter 43 to develop a proper swinging motion by reinforcing a batter &# 39 ; s muscle memory corresponding to a preferred batting swing . for purposes of this invention “ baseball ” will be understood to refer to any baseball - like game , such as softball , over - the - line , stickball and the like . “ leading arm ” will be understood to mean that arm on the side from the ball is delivered . for example the leading arm of a right handed batter is the left arm . the tensioning member 32 is constructed of a single piece of an elastic material with a cloth covering and preferably is a section of a bungee cord which can purchased from bungee international mfg . corp in chatsworth , calif . the tensioning member 32 is preferably about 12 to 20 inches long in an unstretched condition and may stretch up to a length 36 inches long . these unstretched and stretched lengths have been found to accommodate a wide range of batter physiques , however , it will be appreciated that other combinations of such lengths may be selected to suitably accommodate different sized batters . it will further be appreciated that alternative stretch resistance characteristics of the tensioning member may be selected to provide a desired tension throughout the swing . the tensioning member is divided into two variable length sections including a first section forming an adjustable loop 38 and a second section providing a stretchable length of cord 40 terminating in an anchor loop 42 . such anchor loop is formed by doubling back a relatively short length of the tensioning member in the stretchable section 39 and securing the loop with a clamping ring 41 . separating the sections at an intermediate point along the length of the tensioning member is a slip ring assembly 44 including a pair of metallic rings which allows a portion of the cord in either section to be passed through to adjust the size of the adjustable loop 38 making its respective diameter smaller or larger as desired and respectively lengthening or shortening the length of the cord 40 . the slip ring assembly 44 pinches the tensioning member and frictionally retains the two adjacent sections of the tensioning member 32 so that no slippage will occur and maintain the respective sections in a desired configuration . by separating the rings in the slip ring assembly , a length of the tensioning member 32 may pass through the rings to adjust the overall length of the tensioning member . the tensioning member and slip ring combination may also be purchased at bungee international mfg . corp in chatsworth , calif . it will be appreciated that the adjustability of the tensioning member 32 provides a training device 30 that is suitable for both children and adults . a portion of the adjustable loop 38 is connected to the first attachment member 34 via a double slotted clip 46 . more specifically , a section of the adjustable loop passes through one slot of the double slotted clip and a portion of the attachment member 34 passes through the other slot . the first attachment member itself is formed of a multi - layered band . the band includes four layers that are typically stitched together , adhered , or pinned or a combination of any of these three binding devices . for illustrative purposes , pins 47 are shown in fig2 and 3 . these four layers cooperate to form an open ended loop allowing the batter to place his leading arm within the loop . the innermost first layer is a neoprene lining 48 to be placed against the batter &# 39 ; s skin or uniform providing a cushioning layer . the second layer 50 is a nylon or woven cloth providing strength and terminates at one in a link 52 such as those available from xmsurf more products located in san clemente , calif . these links have angled sides to better resist complete removal of a strip of material placed therein . the third layer 54 provides a bonding surface or anchor for the fourth layer 56 which includes a first fastener 58 formed with a pile material . as illustrated in fig2 the third layer extends beyond the neoprene and woven cloth layers on one end to provide an extension 60 from which a second fastener 62 complementary to the first fastener 58 is secured preferably by a suitable means such as stitching . the first fastener includes a series of hooks on its outer surface as is typically provided in velcro ® fasteners . the first fastener 58 is dimensioned to pass through the link 52 and double back onto the second fastener in an overlapping arrangement to close the loop around the batter &# 39 ; s leading arm 40 just above the elbow and resting against the elbow pit 71 ( fig4 ). the length of the first fastener 58 is sufficient to provide additional adjustability depending on the needs of the individual batter . a relatively tight but comfortable fit is preferred which ensures maximum assistance from the swing training device and thus should be adjusted until a snug fit is accomplished . connected to the opposing end of the tensioning member 32 is the second attachment member 36 which is similar in construction but is dimensioned to be placed around the wrist 74 of the trailing arm 42 of the batter 43 in training . typically , the dimensions are not as great and this attachment member is smaller in its maximum diameter than the maximum diameter of the first attachment member 34 because it is only required to fit on the batter &# 39 ; s wrist 74 . more specifically , the anchor loop 42 of the stretchable section 39 is attached to a double slotted clip as previously described for the first attachment member . all other components of the second attachment member 36 are the same as for the first attachment member except for the dimensions and in referring to the figures , like components are like numbered . referring now to fig4 - 14 , the operation of the training device 30 will now be described in detail . as illustrated in fig4 a batter 43 preparing to practice a right handed hitting motion dons the training device 30 by placing the first attachment member 34 just above the elbow 70 of the leading arm 40 of the batter . more specifically , the attachment of the first attachment member 34 is as follows . assuming both attachment members are initially unfastened , meaning the second fastener 62 is not connected to the respective first fastener 58 , the batter 43 wraps the first attachment member 34 around the lead arm 40 just above the elbow 70 with the neoprene layer 48 facing inwardly and abutting the skin or uniform . the free end of the first fastener 58 is threaded through the clip 52 such that the hooks are facing outwardly . the free end is moved outwardly to fold back onto and mesh with the pile material of the complementary second fastener 58 forming a closed loop with a cushioning inner layer 48 around the batter &# 39 ; s upper arm abutting the elbow pit 71 ( fig4 ). as desired , the snugness of the fit may be adjusted by loosening the first fastener 58 from the second fastener 62 and repositioning the amount of overlap of the first fastener with respect to the second fastener and then reattaching the complementary fasteners . when a desired comfort level has been attained , the first attachment member should be abutting the elbow pit 71 of the lead arm 40 . in a similar manner , the open looped second attachment member 36 is wrapped around the wrist 74 of the trailing arm 42 with the neoprene lining 48 on the inside contacting the skin or shirt of the batter . the batter 43 grasps the free end of the first fastener 58 and threads it through the clip 52 of the attachment member 36 ( fig1 ). by folding the first fastener 58 back onto and overlapping the second fastener 62 and placing it thereagainst to fasten the second attachment member 36 to the trailing arm 42 such that the loop is closed and abutting the trailing wrist 74 . if an adjustment is desired for a tighter fit , the first fastener 58 may be temporarily released from the second complementary fastener 62 by its free end and pulled through the clip 52 to reduce the diameter of the second attachment member loop . after both attachment members 34 and 36 have been adjusted to provide a comfortable fit , the right handed swinging batter 43 will have the training device 30 positioned as illustrated in fig4 . while the training device 30 is sized to fit a wide cross section of batter proportions with respect to the attachment members 34 and 36 , the tensioning member 32 is also adjustable as to its initial unstretched length for additional adjustability . by sliding the rings of the slip ring assembly 44 away from one another , a section of the tensioning member 32 may be slid through both rings and either reduce the length of the stretchable cord 39 or increase the length as desired . the adjustable loop 38 will increase or decrease accordingly . it will be appreciated that this tensioning member 32 adjustment procedure could be performed with the training device 30 worn or unworn . while the incorporation of a bat 76 into the swing training procedure is not necessary to develop the desired muscle memory it assists in a more realistic feel for actual game situations and thus the remaining portion of the swing process will assume the batter 43 is grasping a baseball bat 76 in a conventional fashion as is shown in fig6 for illustrative purposes . with both hands on the bat and the second set of knuckles 78 substantially aligned , the tensioning member 32 will be positioned in a relationship with the forearm 80 of the batter &# 39 ; s leading arm 40 ( fig5 and 6 ). at this time , there is little if any tension in the tensioning member 32 . referring now to fig5 and 8 , the batter 43 assumes the initial starting position or “ loaded ” position . in this position , the bat 76 is in a substantially vertical position and both hands have been brought up to the batter &# 39 ; s chest 82 and moved rearwardly away from the direction of a pitcher ( not shown ). typically , the batter &# 39 ; s feet will point forwardly and flare slightly outwardly away from the batter &# 39 ; s vertical centerline . in the loaded position , the elbows are flared outwardly as well thereby stretching the tensioning member 32 and inducing tension along its length . the hands are tucked up tight against the body and are positioned proximate the rearmost armpit 84 . as seen from above as in fig5 the tensioning member 32 is substantially parallel with the leading forearm 80 . thus , the batter 43 , when in the loaded position , may simply look down to view the tensioning member 32 the relationship with the leading forearm 80 . this is an illustration of a substantially correct starting position . on the other hand , if the batter 43 , while in the loaded position , looks down and sees that the tensioning member 32 is not substantially parallel with the leading forearm 80 , as illustrated in fig7 then an adjustment is required . a typical reason for such misalignment is that the second set of knuckles 78 on the batter &# 39 ; s respective hands are not substantially aligned . a slight adjustment bringing the second set of knuckles into alignment results in the parallel relationship between the tensioning member 32 and the leading forearm 80 . advantageously , the training device 30 provides an early indication that the subsequent swinging motion may not be optimized by providing a relationship between the tensioning member 32 and leading forearm 80 easily visible to the batter 43 . while the correct grip is a positive precursor to the remainder of the swing , additional points along the batter &# 39 ; s swing are critical as well such as the initial motion in reaction to the pitcher &# 39 ; s motion . while in the proper starting position ( fig5 and 8 ), the increased length of the tensioning member 32 between the leading arm 40 and the trailing wrist 74 presents a tensile force perceivable to the batter 43 drawing the batter &# 39 ; s elbows inwardly . the first motion of the batter 43 , upon initiating the swing , is to move the leading arm 40 in a linear motion across the chest region 82 toward the pitcher . the connection between the leading arm 40 and trailing wrist 74 via the tensioning member 32 ensures the trailing arm 42 will follow the leading arm 40 in the same linear motion across the chest 82 of the batter 43 initially . advantageously , this reduces the tendency to develop a “ casting ” motion or move the hands away from the body instead of across the chest 82 . as it is desirable to avoid full arm extension prior to reaching the back of home plate with the bat 76 , the training device 30 advantageously prevents the undesirable casting motion which introduces arm extension prior to the appropriate point in a desirable swing position . once a correct starting position is indicated ( fig5 and 6 ), the batter 43 may begin either a practice swing to begin build muscle memory imparting a short compact swing or actually hit baseballs hurled by a pitcher or batting machine . referring now to fig9 through 14 , the batter 43 will begin to drive the knob 86 of the bat 76 toward the inside of an imaginary or teal baseball flight path . at this point the bat 76 is moving in a substantially linear direction and the shoulders and upper torso begin to turn toward the pitcher . the parallel relationship between the tensioning member 32 and the leading forearm 80 is substantially maintained up through this point in the swing . referring now to fig1 , the batter 43 has turned further toward facing the pitcher including continuing turning the torso 82 to face the pitcher and bringing the hips around as well . the knob 86 of the bat 76 is still being driven toward a spot slightly inward of the path of the ball ( not shown ). the trailing wrist 74 and leading elbow 70 move closer together as the hands begin to extend away from the body . the inward motion of the trailing wrist 74 and / or leading elbow 70 decreases the length of the tensioning member 32 reducing the tension imparted to the batter 43 by the training device 30 . at this point , no tension is needed and the batter 43 progresses through the swing motion in a normal manner preparing to make contact with the ball while continuing to rotate toward the contact point . the batter 43 has avoided any casting motion . referring now to fig1 , illustrating a swing position slightly prior to contact with the ball . the knob 86 of the bat 76 has been driven to slightly inside the path of the ball and the batter 43 is preparing to snap the top or trailing wrist 74 through and “ hammer ” through the ball . in other words , the batter &# 39 ; s leading hand is palm down and the trailing hand is palm up as the wrists begin to rotate in relation to the respective forearm and induce a rotational motion and acceleration into the bat 76 bringing the contact surface of the bat 76 into a fully extended position . the hands have essentially ceased moving away from the body as the leading arm 40 is substantially straightened out . the tip of the bat 76 begins to travel in an arc as opposed to the previous linear motion produced in the earlier stages of the swing . the acceleration of the bat tip increases the impact force placed on the ball . this swing provides the shortest distance for a quicker swing speed while producing significant acceleration at the point of contact . fig1 illustrates the batter &# 39 ; s swing position at the contact point with the ball . as the trailing arm 42 enters into a straightened positioned substantially locking the elbow , the tensioning member 32 is again stretched a second time inducing tension between the attachment members 34 and 36 . due to the connection between the leading arm 40 and the trailing arm 42 and travel path of the arms , the tensioning member 32 pulls on the second attachment member 36 located on the trailing wrist 74 to pull the trailing hand through the contact point and snap the wrist 74 through causing the bat to travel in a rapid fashion through an arc imparting significantly improved swing acceleration to the bat 76 through the contact point to drive the ball its maximum distance . referring now to fig1 , the batter 43 continues with the follow through as the trailing wrist 74 of the top hand is straightened out as the trailing arm 42 is also straightened out fully extending the reach of the bat 76 which forms an outwardly projecting extension of the leading arm 40 . at this point the tensioning member 32 is again taut and substantially parallel to the leading forearm 80 . a continued follow through to the end of the swing motion with the leading arm 40 and trailing arm 42 coming together and the intermediate member 32 is slackened and does not interfere with the normal follow through ( fig1 ). it will be appreciated that the tensioning member 32 does not interfere with the swing of the batter 43 but instead provides feedback at three key points along the batter &# 39 ; s swing including the initial loaded position , initial swing motion across the chest 82 , and just prior to the top hand hammer through prior to and during contact with the ball . by providing such feedback , the proper motion is reinforced at critical points along the swing to build muscle memory of the correct swing over repeated training sessions . at other less critical points along the swing the tensioning member is slack and does not interfere with the batter &# 39 ; s swing motion . continued usage of the training device 30 builds muscle memory and proper swing motion such that the batter 43 will develop an improved swing that eventually becomes the batter &# 39 ; s natural swing even without using the training device 30 . advantageously , the short compact swing developed by training with the training device 30 reduces the time between the start of the swing and the contact point by enforcing muscle memory to avoid unnecessary or wasted motion providing a swing with the shorter distance to the contact point . the reduction of unnecessary or sloppy motion provided by the in tight motion increases the bat control resulting in increased accuracy of the bat placement as well . additionally , by shortening the swing path the batter 43 is able to view the ball longer after being pitched enabling more selective positioning of the striking center of the bat to place or drive the ball with greater accuracy . while several forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described , it will also be apparent that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
a flowchart illustration of a method for estimating forest inventory is provided in fig1 . ground plots are initially established at different geographic locations within a forest . as indicated by step 14 , forest attributes are then measured for each of the ground plots . there are many types of forest attributes that may be measured by a person on the ground . several common measurements , or parameters of interest , include the number of trees in an acre , the biomass or volume of the trees in the acre , and the basal area in an acre . the term basal area , as used herein , describes the cross - sectional area of a tree at four and a half feet above the ground . various methods are known and used for measuring or computing these values . as indicated by step 10 , remotely sensed data is also obtained for the geographic regions corresponding to the various ground plots . the term “ remotely sensed data ” as used herein generally describes data about the earth obtained from an airplane , satellite , or other platform that is higher than the earth &# 39 ; s surface . the remotely sensed data may include various types of digital imagery such as passive optical imagery and small footprint light distance and ranging ( lidar ) data . “ passive optical imagery ” involves capturing images that are based on the reflectance of solar energy in the visible , near - infrared and / or shortwave infrared portion of the light spectrum . small footprint lidar data is generally collected by emitting pulses of laser light from an airborne or spaceborne platform , and then measuring the amount of time it takes for the pulse to return to the platform and the intensity of the returns . the term “ small footprint ” indicates that a relatively narrow laser beam ( typically less than 50 cm in diameter measured at the height of the canopy ) is used . remotely sensed data is preprocessed , as indicated by step 12 , mathematically transforming the data for analysis . during preprocessing , lidar data is rasterized as an array of pixels in a grid . if passive optical imagery is used , the remotely sensed data may be transformed to produce a vegetation index image . a vegetation index image is an image in which the numerical values associated with each pixel have been mathematically transformed to produce an array of pixels in which each pixel corresponds to the density and health of the vegetation in the corresponding area on the ground . multiple techniques are commonly used and known for calculating vegetation indices using passive optical imagery . for lidar data , canopy height models ( chms ) may be produced . a canopy height model is a grid of pixels produced from small footprint lidar data where each pixel is assigned a value corresponding to the height of the canopy at that location . most modern lidar instruments return five or more measurements per reading . these measurements typically include a “ distance ” measurement for the top of the canopy , the ground , and several intermediate measurements which indicate the height of branches or leaves . it should be noted that the intermediate measurements may also be incorporated to produce models that are even more sophisticated than chms . for simplicity , however , the following description will focus on chms . initial thresholds 16 are then applied to the grid of preprocessed data and sets of metrics are calculated which describe the remotely sensed data , as indicated by step 22 . for each threshold that is applied , a corresponding set of metrics is obtained . the metrics may include percentage of pixels of the grid which exceed the threshold , percentage of the pixel grid which represent core pixels , and average value of pixels in the grid which exceed the threshold . an example of remotely sensed data presented as an array of pixels is illustrated in fig2 . fig2 represents canopy height model data for a portion of a ground plot . grid 40 includes ten columns and ten rows ( or one - hundred total ) pixels 42 . each pixel 42 represents an area of the ground . for example , each pixel 42 may represent a 1 meter by 1 meter square of the ground . contiguous pixels represent contiguous areas of the ground . the numerical value of each pixel 42 represents the relative height of the canopy at a geographic location . although the numerical value may be the actual height of the tree &# 39 ; s canopy from the ground ( expressed as a unit of length ), the value may also describe the height of the tree &# 39 ; s canopy relative to another reference point . accordingly , the value of each pixel 42 directly or indirectly describes the height of the canopy at the geographic location represented by the pixel . fig3 a illustrates the application of a threshold to the data as indicated by step 22 . in the present illustration , the threshold that is applied is the numerical value twenty . the portion of data which exceed the threshold value of 20 is identified by grey shaded region 46 . the portion of data which does not exceed the threshold value of 20 is identified by non - shaded region 44 . although many possible sets of metrics may be computed by applying threshold to the data , several particularly useful metrics will be described herein . one possible metric is “ percentage of pixels which exceed the threshold .” percentage of pixels which exceed the threshold may be computed by multiplying 100 times the quotient of the number of pixels which exceed the threshold divided by the total number of pixels . in the example , shown in fig3 a , the percentage of pixels which exceed the threshold is 47 % ( 100 ×( 47 / 100 )). another possible metric includes the “ average value of pixels which exceed the threshold .” the average value of pixels which exceed the threshold for the example shown in fig3 a is 27 . 7 ( average of ( 21 , 22 , 30 , 22 , 21 , 24 . . . )). yet another possible metric may include the “ standard deviation of pixels that are above the threshold .” the standard deviation of pixels that are above the threshold for the example shown in fig3 a is 6 . 3 ( standard deviation of ( 21 , 22 , 30 , 22 , 21 , 24 . . . )). other metrics may incorporate the concept of core pixels . “ core pixels ” may be defined as pixels that exceed the threshold that are also surrounded by pixels that exceed the threshold . the concept of core pixels is illustrated in fig3 b . core pixels are identified by non - shaded region 48 that is contained within shaded region 46 . many of the aforementioned metrics used for pixels which exceed the threshold may also be used for core pixels , including the total percentage of core pixels . in the example illustrated in fig3 b , the total percentage of core pixels would be 17 % ( 100 ×( 17 / 100 )). another metric may be computed for the percentage of pixels which exceed the threshold which are also core pixels . in the example illustrated in fig3 b , the percentage of pixels which exceed the threshold which are also core pixels would be 36 % ( 100 ×( 17 / 47 )). a second set of metrics is then computed for a different threshold as illustrated by the example in fig4 a and 4b . in fig4 a a threshold of 17 is applied to the same array of pixels . as before , the portion of data which exceed the threshold value of 17 is identified by grey shaded region 46 . the portion of data which does not exceed the threshold value of 17 is identified by non - shaded region 44 . fig4 b illustrates the core pixels of the array when a threshold of 17 is applied . core pixels are identified in fig4 b as non - shaded region 48 . the same metrics that were computed for the threshold of 20 are also computed for the threshold of 17 . in the preferred embodiment , a set of metrics is computed for all reasonable thresholds . in the current examples , sets of metrics may be computed for all threshold values between 7 ( the lowest value in the array of pixels ) and 40 ( the highest value in the array of pixels ). the set of metrics may include any number of metrics , including a single metric . each set of metrics is then correlated to the forest attributes measured from the ground , as indicated by step 24 . mathematical expressions are developed for each set of metrics , as indicated by step 26 . a score is then computed for each mathematical expression which describes how accurately the mathematical expression relates the set of metrics to the ground measured data , as indicated by step 28 . the scores are compared and the optimal mathematical expression is determined . there are many known techniques for correlating sets of data to develop mathematical equations . although any modeling technique may be used , the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes the following approach . remotely sensed data is obtained for multiple plots . in the current example , canopy height models are produced from lidar data like the example illustrated in fig2 . thresholds are applied to the canopy height models to determine metric values for each threshold and each plot of data as illustrated in the following tables . table 2 shows values for metric 2 for each plot and thresholds of 7 - 10 . in the current example , metric 2 is the standard deviation of values of pixels exceeding the corresponding threshold . for purposes of illustration , the thresholds for metric 2 will hereinafter be referred to as t 2 , wherein t 2 ( n ) represents the set of metric 2 values , m 2 , for a threshold value of n . table 3 shows ground measurements for a forest attribute of interest for each plot . in the current example , the forest attribute of interest is the basal area of each plot determined by a person taking measurements on the ground . mathematical equations are then computed for every combination of t 1 and t 2 , relating the corresponding values of m 1 and m 2 to the forest attribute of interest . the ground measured forest attribute of interest is modeled as a dependent variable which is a function of m 1 and m 2 . a score is computed for each equation . in the current example , the score is the r - squared value , or coefficient of determination , for each equation . the “ best fit ” equation for the combination of t 1 ( 7 ) and t 2 ( 7 ) is ba =− 3 . 126 + 6 . 015 ( m 1 )− 1 . 269 ( m 2 ), where ba is the basal area for the plot for which values of m 1 and m 2 are taken . the r - squared value for this equation is 0 . 996 . for the combination of t 1 ( 7 ) and t 2 ( 8 ), the best fit equation is ba = 0 . 843 + 5 . 927 ( m 1 )− 1 . 723 ( m 2 ), having a r - squared value of 0 . 997 . for the combination of t 1 ( 7 ) and t 2 ( 9 ), the best fit equation is ba =− 1 . 811 + 6 . 023 ( m 1 )− 1 . 617 ( m 2 ), having a r - squared value of 0 . 998 . the reader will note that if best - fit equations were used for all combinations of t 1 ( n ) and t 2 ( n ) from n = 7 to n = 40 , 1156 different equations would be evaluated . although fig1 illustrates the application of threshold to the remotely sensed data as an iterative method , in which different thresholds are successively applied to remotely sensed data after determination 30 is made as to whether to apply a new threshold ( as indicated by step 32 ), the different thresholds may also be applied to the data virtually simultaneously . for example , an upper extreme value and lower extreme value may be first determined for all domain values of remotely sensed data 18 . all thresholds between the lower extreme value and the upper extreme value may then be applied to the data as separate operations to produce corresponding sets of metrics for each threshold . simultaneous determination of best - fit equations and scores may then be conducted . the best - fit equation having the best score may then be selected as the optimal mathematical expression . the optimal mathematical expressions and corresponding optimal thresholds are then used to estimate forest attributes of interest for the remainder of the forest stand , as indicated by step 34 . in order to estimate forest attributes for other portions of a forest stand , remotely sensed data for other portions of a forest stand is first obtained . the remotely sensed data is again preprocessed to produce a grid of values corresponding to the remotely sensed data . the optimal threshold values are applied to the grid of values to compute sets of metrics . the sets of metrics may then be inserted into the optimal equations to compute an estimate of a particular forest parameter of interest . as described above , the optimal equation may be used to predict attributes of interest for other portions of the forest stand for which remotely sensed data is available , as indicated by step 36 . post processing 38 may also be used to convert the data into a form that is more useful to the end user , including mean volume per acre and standard error for each forest stand . as illustrated in fig5 , post processing 38 accomplishes this by matching forest attribute estimates from the image processing component to ground measurements obtained from field samples . as indicated by step 50 , the user first measures forest attributes . measured data 52 is collected for each field plot for the attributes of trees per acre ( as indicated by measured data 54 ), basal area per acre ( as indicated by measured data 56 ), and volume per acre ( as indicated by measured data 58 ) along with gps references for the plot . in the preferred embodiment , measured data 52 is input to a computer program so that it may be later used to construct regression models for each forest stand . the units for volume may be provided in cubic volume or weight with imperial or metric scale . table 4a shows an example of measured data 52 . as indicated by step 60 , the computer program is then used to correlate remotely sensed data 68 with the measured data 52 , and regression analyses are performed for each forest stand . ground plot data , or measured data 52 , is treated as a dependent variable that is a function of remotely sensed data 68 for the purposes of these analyses . regression models are constructed to predict trees per acre , basal area per acre , and volume per acre using the previously described threshold optimization method . for each stand , the user obtains estimated slope coefficients ( as indicated by model data 62 ), the coefficient of determination ( as indicated by model data 64 ), and the sums of squares of error computed with the jackknife deviance residuals ( as indicated by model data 66 ). jackknife deviance residuals may be computed using the r statistical package r ( created by r development core team ). the jackknife deviance residual (“ jdr ”) equals the quotient of the raw residual of the i th observation and the square root of 1 minus the ith diagonal term of the hat ( h ) matrix : where h ii is the i th diagonal element of the hat matrix . for simple linear regression , jdr is described by the following equation : the hat matrix transforms the dependent variable y into predicted values of the dependent variable ŷ , where ŷ = hy . the residual e i = y i − ŷ i . y i is the generalized expression used to represent volume per acre , basal area per acre , or trees per acre measured on the ground , while x i is generalized as the metric values obtained from remotely sensed data that are matched in location to the ground plots . using the regression models , sampling survey estimators are employed ( as indicated by step 70 ) that use data collected from the remotely sensed image for each forest stand . for stands with a sample size exceeding 9 plots , the attribute of interest [ volume per acre ( v ), basal area per acre ( b ), or trees per acre ( n )] is estimated with ŷ v . lr = y v + b 1v ( m 1 − m 1 )+ b 2v ( m 2 − m 2 ) ŷ b . lr = y b + b 1b ( m 1 − m 1 )+ b 2b ( m 2 − m 2 ) ŷ n . lr = y n + b 1n ( m 1 − m 1 )+ b 2n ( m 2 − m 2 ) where m 1 and m 2 are metrics obtained from remotely sensed data superimposed on ground plots , m 1 and m 2 are metrics obtained from the remotely sensed data for the entire stand , and b i are slope coefficients . s y is population standard deviation ; and f , the finite population correction is assumed to equal zero . small forest stands ( or stands with 9 or fewer plots ) are grouped with other stands of similar age , species , site quality , and silvicultural history for stratified sampling however with the use of combined slope coefficients . the general form of the combined regression estimator for stratified sampling is the following equations are used to y lrhc = y h + b c ( x h − x h ) where y h = mean value of volume per acre , basal area per acre , or trees per acre for stratum h measured from the ground plots . x h = mean value of metric m i obtained from remotely sensed data for the entire stratum h x h = mean value of metric m i obtained from remotely sensed data superimposed on the ground plots in stratum h . where once again the jackknife deviance residuals are used to estimate the ρ statistic . the reader will note that while a combined b c slope estimate and ρ c estimate are used for all stands grouped together , the estimates of volume per acre , basal area per acre , and tree per acre for each stand requires individual stand records for y h , x h , and x h . a more thorough discussion of sampling survey estimators is available in chapter 7 of cochran . w . g . 1977 . sampling techniques . 3 rd ed . john wiley & amp ; sons . new york . as indicated by step 72 , an adjusted stand and stock table is then computed using the estimated values of volume per acre , basal area per acre , and trees per acre using regression estimators determined in step 70 . in the preferred embodiment , the adjusted stand and stock table contain trees per acre and volume per acre by 1 - inch diameter classes . the preferred adjusted stand and stock table also includes species group and product . the adjusted stand and stock table is based on an extension of the constrained minimization approach with lagrangian multipliers as explained in matney , t . g . and r . c . parker . 1991 . for . sci . 37 ( 6 ): 1605 - 1613 . using lagrangian multipliers , the adjusted numbers of trees ( t ia ) for the ith diameter class that minimizes ∑ i = 1 m w i { [ ( b ic - t ia b i ) / y _ b ] 2 + [ ( v ic - t ia v i ) / y _ v ] 2 + [ ( t ic - t ia ) / y _ n ] 2 } t ia = t io + λb i /( w i x i )+ δv i /( w i x i )+ γ /( w i x i ) where t ia is the adjusted number of trees per acre in ith diameter class , b i is the mean basal area of trees in the ith diameter class , v i is the mean tree volume for trees in the ith diameter class , t ia b i is the adjusted basal area per acre in the ith diameter class , t ia v i is the adjusted volume per acre in the ith diameter class , b ic is the observed basal area per acre in the ith diameter class , v ic is the observed volume per acre in the ith diameter class , t ic is the observed number of trees per acre in the ith diameter class , y b is the average basal area per acre from the ground plots , y v is the average volume per acre from the ground plots , y n is the average trees per acre from the ground plots , m is the number of diameter classes , w i is the weight assigned to the ith diameter class , and x i is defined as : the unknowns λ , δ , and γ , may be determined by solving the following simultaneous system of equations in addition to the constraints imposed by matney and parker ( matney , t . g . and r . c . parker . 1991 . for . sci . 37 ( 6 ): 1605 - 1613 ), the preferred process also constrains the sum of trees per acre by diameter class to equal the stand level of trees per acre obtained in step 60 and step 70 . the proposed “ adjustment procedure ” used in the preferred process requires the user to furnish an initial observed stand and stock table ( described in matney and parker with the variables t io and v ic ). these variables are also collected in step 50 . an adjusted stand and stock table produced using the present invention is illustrated in table 4b . the values for ŷ v . lr , ŷ b . lr , an dŷ n . lr are computed in steps 60 and 70 as estimated volume per acre for the entire stand , estimated basal area per acre for the entire stand , and estimated trees per acre for the entire stand , respectively . from step 70 , the estimated volume per acre for the forest stand was computed to be 4300 ft 3 / acre . the estimated basal area per acre was computed to be 95 ft 2 / acre , and the estimated number of tree per acre was computed to be 175 . the original stand and stock table , depicted in table 4a , is adjusted as described previously to produce table 4b , and is consistent with the predicted stand level attributes computed in step 70 . the reader will note that the constrained minimization procedure may result in the illogical assignment of negative adjusted trees per acre to a given diameter class . if this occurs , a simpler constrained minimization procedure is invoked that constrains only the sum of volume per acre by diameter class to equal the stand level of volume per acre determined in step 70 . as shown in table 4b , output 74 is a stand and stock table showing volume per acre , basal area per acre , trees per acre by 1 - inch classes for each species and product . output 74 may be in the form of electronic and / or hard - copy files . in the preferred embodiment , standard errors are reported for volume per acre , basal area per acre , and trees per acre . the preceding description contains significant detail regarding the novel aspects of the present invention . it should not be construed , however , as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention . as an example , the mathematical expressions derived in step 26 may assume many different forms or have any number of independent variables . thus , the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims , rather than by the examples given . | 6 |
the present invention is based on the finding that , under suitable and very definite conditions , hypochlorous acid ( hclo ) is able to extract and recover , from a number of different materials substantial amounts of metals and sulfur . the method can readily be applied to a broad number of materials preferentially flexi - coke ( a final carbonaceous residue obtained after oil refining ), boiler residue scraps from thermo - electrical plants , heavy oil , fuel oil , coal , coke and minerals . the preferred form of the present invention is a choice of conditions which will maximize the ability of hclo to extract metals and sulfur , but where the economics favor oil cleaning or porphyrin cleavage , it is a great advantage of the present invention that it is equally useful under these conditions . where the materials treated are solid coal or inorganics containing valuable metals the concentration of the active hclo can be made the highest to obtain a high metal removing yield . on the other hand where the material treated is of an oil - type nature , caution has to be observed on the hclo concentration and the kind of mineral acid since they can produce undesirable side - reactions such as addition and or polymerization reactions ; also in these cases the preferred mineral acid is nitric acid , because other acids produce thickening of the oil . in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention , the material to be treated is mixed with an hypochlorite salt solution , preferably sodium hypochlorite ( naocl ), and with a mineral acid , preferably nitric acid for oil materials and sulfuric acid for coal or inorganic solids . upon mixing the acid with the hypochlorite , hclo is released gradually &# 34 ; in situ &# 34 ; according to the equation : hclo aqueous acid solution contain small equilibrium amounts of chloride monoxide ( cl 2 o ): hypochlorous acid is a weak acid with a dissociation constant of 2 . 0 × 10 - 8 at 25 ° c ., but is highly reactive . it is the most stable and strongest of the hypohalous acids and is one of the most powerful oxidants among the chlorine oxiacids . this explains why hclo is able to extract almost quantitatively the metals and sulfur from such stable organic structures as porphyrins in crude oil , or from such chemically inert compounds as boiler residue scraps . in order to assure metal and sulfur recovery not significantly below 20 % and preferably grater than 60 %, the concentration of hclo released &# 34 ; in situ &# 34 ; and the time of extraction reaction must be maintained within certain limits . no accurate figures for hclo concentration can be given , because it is dependent on the acid concentration reacting with the hypochlorite , on the hypochlorite concentration itself , on the temperature , on the particle size of the solid , on the agitation and also on the nature of the material with respect to its reactivity . where it is desired to extract substantially all the metals and sulfur contained in the material without special care on the structure of the resulting residue , there is no critical upper limit on time and on hclo concentration and they become merely a practical operating condition . thus for extracting valuable v and ni from residue scraps high concentration of hclo , which corresponds to high concentration of mineral acid and hypochlorite , should be used . on the contrary , where it is desired to eliminate as much as possible metals and sulfur from heavy oils , but without modifying noticeably the chemical structure to facilitate oil subsequent refining , mild hypochlorite and mineral acid concentration must be employed . in general for coal , coke , residue scrap or minerals , high concentration such as 15 % active cl 2 - containing naclo and concentrated acid both in a ratio of 2 : 1 can be conveniently used . for oil , low naocl concentrate such as 5 % active cl 2 - containing naclo is desirable combined in a ratio of 9 : 1 with nitric acid . off gases from the reactor are composed essentially by chlorine as the main by - product in the oxidation reaction promoted by hclo . metals and sulfur reach their highest oxidation states forming soluble compounds . chlorine can be easily recovered by bubbling it into a base solution and also by reacting with solid basic materials as calcium chloride ; sodium hydroxide is the preferred strong base employed and when cl 2 bubbles the reaction occurs stepwise : ## str1 ## the resulting clo - and hclo solution can be easily recycled into the system . metals in the soluble forms after separating from the residual material can be recovered readily by increasing the ph . by adding a strong base like naoh , ni , co and fe are removed together as insoluble hydroxides ; however , if ammonium hydroxide is used only fe ( iii ) is precipitated while co and ni remain in solution as the corresponding ammoniacal complexes . once the iron ( iii ) hydroxide is separated nickel and cobalt complexes can be destroyed by acidifying and heating and then precipitated as the corresponding hydroxides by adding a strong base . vanadium is kept soluble throughout all the chemical treatment after the extraction with hclo , and it ends up in the final solution ( after fe , ni , co separation ) as vanadate . from this final solution v can be readily reclaimed by acidifying with a strong acid , preferentially nitric acid . an orange red vanadium pentoxide , essentially free of other metal contaminants , precipitates and is recovered by filtration . sulfur is oxidized to + 6 oxidation state and removed as soluble sulfate into the final solution obtained after filtering the vanadium pentoxide . its recovery can be achieved by simple precipitation with a calcium salt or crystallized as sodium or potassium salt after neutralization with an appropriate base . the process of the present invention is further illustrated by the following non - limiting examples . 100 g . of flexi - coke from a venezuelan oil refinery is loaded in a sealed one liter flask provided with two glass pipe line . the flexi - coke has the average composition as set forth in table 1 below . 100 ml of a 10 % sodium hypochlorite solution and 10 ml of concentrated nitric acid solution are fed through one line . the reagents mix together producing in situ hypochlorous acid in an excess of hno 3 . the mixture is stirred 5 minutes by means of a magnetic stirring bar . during this step chlorine gas evolves and is collected through the other , shorter glass line in an open erlenmeyer flask containing 3 % naoh solution . after collecting the gas , sodium hypochlorite is regenerated according to the known reaction : the resulting suspension in the flask is filtered through an ordinary filter paper and the yellow filtrate is collected . the residual flexi - coke is washed twice with 30 ml portion of tap water . the chemical composition of the resulting residue after treatment is also shown in table 1 . the first filtrate and the washing solution are mixed together to form solution 1 . solution 1 having a ph of about 3 . 0 is neutralized and alkalinized with a 10 % naoh solution to obtain a mixed solid precipitate containing essentially all the ni , co , and fe extracted from the flexi - coke . this precipitate is filtered , washed and preserved for further ni or co recovery . the second filtrate , solution 2 , contains essentially all the vanadium extracted from the flexi - coke , in the form of sodium vanadate . solution 2 is heated to boiling and then acidified by adding carefully nitric acid up to ph 1 - 2 . red vanadium pentoxide ( v 2 o 5 ) precipitates . this precipitate is washed and collected for further purification process or for metallic vanadium obtainment following known technology . within the methods available it can be mentioned iodide refining , electrolytic refining in a fused salt , and electrotransport . table 1______________________________________composition of flexi - coke v (%) ni (%) co (%) fe (%) ______________________________________before treatment 8 . 82 2 . 45 0 . 45 3 . 75after treatment 0 . 10 0 . 01 0 . 001 0 . 01______________________________________ example 1 was repeated , but using 100 g . of boiler residue scrap from a thermo - electrical plant , instead of flexi - coke . the result obtained is shown in table 2 below . table 2______________________________________composition of boiler residue scrap v (%) ni (%) co (%) fe (%) ______________________________________before treatment 15 . 0 5 . 3 0 . 95 3 . 2after treatment 0 . 1 0 . 01 0 . 001 0 . 02______________________________________ 100 ml of a venezuelan crude oil is placed in a flask similar to that of example 1 , then 50 ml of kerosene or any other economically convenient solvent which does not fracture the oil is added to diminish viscosity and improve stirring . 20 ml of hclo solution freshly prepared by mixing 65 ml of a 5 % naocl solution and 5 ml of concentrated nitric acid is added . after 5 minutes stirring , both liquid phases , aqueous and organic ones , are separated each other by means of a decantation funnel . the process continues subjecting the aqueous phase to the procedure as described in example 1 . the results obtained are shown in table 3 below . table 3______________________________________crude oil composition v ( ppm ) ni ( ppm ) fe ( ppm ) s (%) ______________________________________before treatment 1900 455 355 1 . 70after treatment 19 4 . 5 5 . 5 0 . 05______________________________________ example 3 was repeated , but utilizing 100 ml of residual fuel oil instead of crude oil . the results obtained are the following : table 4______________________________________residual oil composition v ( ppm ) s (%) ______________________________________before treatment 457 2 . 29after treatment 5 0 . 17______________________________________ oil samples of examples 3 and 4 before and after treatment were subjected to spectrophotometric analysis . the absorption spectra depicted in fig2 , 4 , and 5 show that the normal porphyrin band absorption at 410 nm , characteristic of heavy crude oil , disappears after subjecting the oil samples to the method of the present invention . 100 g . of coal are subjected to the same process as explained in examples 1 and 2 . the results obtained are : table 5______________________________________composition of coal ni (%) s (%) ______________________________________before treatment 3 . 73 2 . 75after treatment 0 . 15 0 . 25______________________________________ these results show that ni recovery from the coal can support economically the cleaning process or desulfuration of that coke . several samples co - ores ( cobaltite ), v - ores ( vanadite ) and ni - containing ores were processed according to the method of the present invention and detailed in examples 1 and 2 . chemical analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry show that nearly 90 % of the corresponding metal present in the ore is recovered . 100 g . of cobaltite containing 0 . 7 % w / w of co was placed in a 4 cm width - 30 height glass column and made moist with a 3 % naocl solution . then a 10 % h 2 so 4 solution was forced to move the column by using the principle of communicating vessels . as the sulfuric acid move upward through the column and contacts the hypochlorite solution absorbed onto the cobaltite ore , hclo is gradually formed , attacking the mineral and dissolving the metals , preferentially those present as sulfide such as cobalt . also , chlorine gas evolves gradually and is collected as it flows out the open top of the column . five 200 ml portions of 10 % h 2 so 4 solution were upward percolated through the column and cobalt recovery was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry . results obtained showed that 90 . 6 % of the total co , present in the 100 g . portion of the cobaltite , was recovered in the sulfuric solutions . example 8 was repeated but using 100 g . of flexi - coke ( the same as in example 1 ) instead of cobaltite . results demonstrated that 95 % of vanadium , 85 % of ni and 92 % of the co contained in the material were reclaimed in the sulfuric acid . example 8 was repeated but using 100 g . of boiler residue scrap ( the same as in example 3 ) instead of cobaltite . analysis of upward percolated h 2 so 4 showed that 91 % v , 80 % ni , 87 % co and 72 % fe originally contained in the scrap were recovered . in view of the foregoing teachings of the present invention , it is possible remove sulfur and metals from materials which contain them , especially from petroleum , oil and coal and their derivatives without causing appreciable air pollution . this is made possible by using inexpensive and common reagents which behave as excellent demetallizing and desulfurization agents , when combined according to the process here described , without altering appreciably the chemical structure of the organic matrix in the case of petroleum , crude oil , or their derivatives . variations in the parameters disclosed , however , are well within the skill of those in the art in view of the simple but very operative teachings of the present invention . thus , the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and non - restrictive , the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing descriptions , and all changes which come within the meaning of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein . | 2 |
the pixel structure of a thin film transistor liquid crystal display ( tft lcd ) is disposed on a substrate , where the substrate includes a plurality of data lines and crossing scan lines to define a plurality of pixel regions . each of those pixel regions includes a first tft , a second tft , a pixel electrode and a repair pattern . the first and the second tfts include a gate electrode , a source electrode and a drain electrode respectively . those data lines and scan lines are configured to drive the first thin film transistor and the second thin film transistor . in the first tft , the drain electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode and the gate electrode to the scan line and the source electrode to the data line . in the second tft , the drain electrode or the gate electrode is floating , but the source electrode is electrically connected to the data line . once a pixel damages , the repair method is to cut off the pixel electrode and the drain electrode of the first tft and then to electrically connect the gate electrodes or the drain electrodes of the first and the second tfts . therefore , the second tft will drive the pixel electrode instead of the first tft to repair the defective pixel . the laser cutting method is generally employed in cutting off the connection between the drain electrode of the first tft and pixel electrode , and the laser welding method is employed in connecting the connection between the gate electrodes or the drain electrodes of the first and the second tfts . for improving the space efficiency due to the area occupied by the second tft and keeping the driving power of the pixel electrode , a top gate electrode is designed , where the top gate is designed opposite to the gate electrode of the second tft at the layer of the pixel electrode . the top gate electrode is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the second tft such that the current channel may be enlarged to preserve the driving power , wherein the top gate electrode may be a transparent electrode , which is configured at the same layer of and formed at the same time to the pixel electrode . for understanding this invention , the following utilizes different embodiments accompanying drawings to illustrate the spirit of this invention . fig4 shows the equivalent circuit of a pixel structure according to the first embodiment of this invention . the gate electrode 410 of a first tft is electrically connected to a scan line 200 , and the source electrode 420 to a data line 100 , and the drain electrode 430 to a pixel electrode 300 . for a second tft , its gate electrode 810 is a float electrode , and its source electrode 820 is electrically connected to the data line 100 , and its drain electrode 830 to the pixel electrode 300 . a repair pattern 530 is designed at the layer of the source electrode 820 and the drain electrode 830 of the second tft , and its two ends , defined repair points 531 , 532 , overlap the gate electrodes 410 , 810 of the first and the second tfts . for repairing , the connection between the drain electrode 430 of the first tft and the pixel electrode 300 is to cut off at a cutting point 600 . next , the repair pattern 530 is electrically connected to the gate electrode 410 of the first tft via the repair point 531 and to the gate electrode 810 of the second tft via the repair point 532 . fig5 is a schematic diagram showing the top view of the pixel structure of the first embodiment . as shown in the figure , for the second tft , its gate electrode 810 is a float electrode , and its source electrode 820 is electrically connected to the data line 100 , and its drain electrode 830 to the pixel electrode 300 via a first contact hole 861 . for the first tft , its gate electrode 410 is electrically connected to the scan line 200 , and its source electrode 420 to the data line 100 , and its drain electrode 430 to the pixel electrode 300 via a first contact hole ( ch ) 861 , and the drain electrode extends to form the drain electrode 830 of the second tft . the cutting point 600 is defined on the drain electrode 430 that is positioned above the gap between the gate electrode 410 and the pixel electrode 300 . the repair pattern 530 is designed at the layer of the source electrodes 420 , 820 and the drain electrodes 430 , 830 , and its two ends , which are defined as the repair point 531 and the repair point 532 , overlap the gate electrodes 410 , 810 of the first and the second tfts respectively . once a pixel damages , a laser cutting method is employed to cut the connection between the drain electrode 430 of the first tft and the pixel electrode 300 at the cutting point 600 , and then a laser welding method is employed to connect the repair points 531 , 532 of the repair pattern 530 with the gate electrodes 410 , 810 of the first and the second tfts respectively , such that the second tft will replace the first tft to drive the pixel electrode 300 . fig6 is the top view of a schematic diagram showing the pixel structure of a second embodiment according to this invention . it differs from the first embodiment that the second tft is a double - gate - electrode tft . a top gate electrode 840 is designed opposite to the gate electrode 810 at the layer of the pixel electrode 300 . furthermore , the top gate electrode 840 is electrically connected to the gate electrode 810 via a second contact hole 841 . fig7 is a sectional diagram showing the structure of the second tft in the second embodiment . as shown in figure , the second tft includes the top gate electrode 840 and the gate electrode 810 , and these two gate electrodes are electrically connected to induce a larger current channel to keep the driving power of the pixel electrode 300 . fig8 shows the equivalent circuit of the pixel structure according the third embodiment of this invention . for the first tft , its gate electrode 410 is electrically connected to a scan line 200 , and its source electrode 420 to a data line 100 , and its drain electrode 430 to a pixel electrode 300 . for the second tft , its gate electrode 810 is electrically connected to the scan line 200 , and its source electrode 820 to the data line 100 , and its drain electrode 830 is a float electrode , and a repair pattern 540 is designed . the repair method is to cut off the drain electrode 430 of the first tft and the pixel electrode 300 at the cutting point 600 , and then to electrically connect the drain electrodes 430 , 830 of the first and the second tfts to the repair points 541 , 542 , such that the second tft will replace the first tft to drive the pixel electrode 300 . fig9 is a schematic diagram showing the top view of a pixel structure of the third embodiment . as shown in the figure , for the second tft , its gate electrode 810 is electrically connected to the scan line 200 , and its source electrode 820 to the data line 100 , and its drain electrode 830 is a float electrode . for the first tft , its gate electrode 410 is electrically connected to the scan line 200 , and its source electrode 420 to the data line 100 , and its drain electrode 430 to the pixel electrode 300 via a first contact hole 861 . the cutting point 600 is defined on the drain electrode 430 that is positioned above the gap between the gate electrode 410 and the pixel electrode 300 . the repair pattern 540 is designed at the layer of the gate electrodes 410 , 810 , and its two ends , defined as the repair points 541 , 542 , overlap the drain electrodes 430 , 830 of the first and the second tfts in space respectively . fig1 is the top view of a schematic diagram showing the pixel structure of a fourth embodiment according to this invention . it differs from the third embodiment that the second tft is a double - gate - electrode tft . a top gate electrode 850 is designed opposite to the gate electrode 810 at the layer of the pixel electrode 300 . furthermore , the top gate electrode 850 is electrically connected to the gate electrode 810 via a second contact hole 851 . as mentioned above , the repair method of the third and the fourth embodiments is similar with that of the first and the second embodiments . the laser cutting method is employed to cut off the drain electrode 430 of the first tft and the pixel electrode 300 at cutting point 600 , and then the laser welding method to connect the drain electrode 430 of the first tft and the drain electrode 830 of the second tft to the repair pattern 540 at repair points 541 , 542 respectively , such that the second tft will replace the first tft to drive the pixel electrode 300 . although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that other modifications and variation can be made without departing the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed . | 7 |
the present product is created by subjecting a fabric comprised of splittable continuous conjugate filaments to successive treatments with acid and base . the resultant treated fabric has enhanced ability to absorb water , as compared with the untreated fabric and other drying cloths made of similar synthetic materials . the present process includes the steps of : ( a ) treating the fabric with acid and rinsing ; and ( b ) treating the fabric with base and rinsing . in one preferred embodiment , before treatment with acid or base , the fabric is subjected to high pressure hydroentanglement , as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 344 , 596 , filed jun . 25 , 1999 , which is commonly owned and is hereby incorporated by reference . the term “ polyamide ” is intended to describe any long - chain polymer having recurring amide groups (— nh — co —) as an integral part of the polymer chain . examples of polyamides include nylon 6 , nylon 66 , nylon 11 , and nylon 610 . the term “ polyester ” is intended to describe any long - chain polymer having recurring ester groups (— c ( o )— o —). examples of polyesters include aromatic polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polybutylene terephthalate ( pbt ), and polytrimethylene terephthalate ( ptt ) and aliphatic polyesters such as polylactic acid ( pla ). in one embodiment , the conjugate filaments present , in cross - section , a configuration of zones representing the cross - sections of the different elementary filaments in the form of wedges or triangular sections . such a shape is clearly identifiable in the central area of fig1 , which shows a circular cross - section having narrow , dark wedges between wider wedges . the dark wedges represent the polyamide component of the conjugate filament , while the wider , lightly colored wedges represent the polyester component of the conjugate filament . as may be realized , the percentage of polyester in the conjugate filament is larger than the percentage of polyamide . distributions of polyester to polyamide range from 95 - 5 to 5 - 95 , with 65 - 35 being a typical distribution by weight . a review of fig1 shows a plurality of polyester wedges that have been dislodged from their multi - component “ packages .” slightly above and to the left of the central circular package is a cross - section in which some polyester wedges have been dislodged , but the polyamide skeleton remains largely intact . a similar structure , but with more polyester wedges removed , is visible in the lower left corner of the photograph . several items should be noted , upon review of a representative photograph of the nonwoven &# 39 ; s composition . first , while the core portions of the conjugate filaments are shown as polyamides , no core portion is required . in fact , hollow core conjugate filaments are also suitable for use in the present process , particularly since such hollow filaments are more likely to fully split . furthermore , cores made of polyester or fibers without a recognizable “ core ” would be suitable as well . second , it should be noted that fig1 is a photograph of a piece of untreated nonwoven fabric . the fabric shown in fig1 was processed as described above , by extruding a web and then consolidating the filaments of the web . the fabric was then subjected to the conditions of the present process , but without the addition of the acid or the basic treatment . that is , the fabric was tumbled in a jet dye machine for 90 minutes at 130 ° c ., cooled , rinsed , tumbled in a jet dye machine for 30 minutes at 130 ° c ., cooled , rinsed , and then dyed . from the photograph , it is clear that merely tumbling the fabric during processing does not affect the desired filament splitting . the object of the consolidation process is to fully split the different elementary filaments from one another . it is clear from the photograph that some multiple - component filaments remain . the fact that hydroentanglement alone is insufficient to separate the elementary filaments points to a need for additional processing , as is described herein . finally , the photograph shows a symmetrical cross - section of the conjugate filament , having a central median axis . in fact , the median axis of the conjugate filament can be positioned at a point other than the central line of the filament . the conjugate filament can be unsymmetrical , having elementary filaments with non - uniform cross - sections . the cross - section of the conjugate filaments can be substantially circular in shape or can be comprised of multiple lobes that are joined at a central region . another variation of the construction of splittable conjugate filaments are those having a cross - section in which ribbons , or fingers , of one component are positioned between ribbons , or fingers , of a second different component . yet another variation includes either one or a plurality of elementary filaments of one material that are integrated in a surrounding matrix of a second different material . it is understood in the art that polyamides , such as nylon , can be etched — that is , partially eroded — by subjecting such fibers to acidic solutions . one example of an etching treatment is found in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 353 , 706 to burns , jr . et al ., which is commonly owned and is hereby incorporated by reference . the objective of the present process , unlike that of burns , jr . et al ., is not to produce a sculptured pile fabric , but to produce a fabric more capable of absorbing water . both strong and weak acids are useful in the present process . examples of common strong acids include sulfuric , phosphoric , nitric , and hydrochloric acids . weak acids may also be employed in the present process including organic acids , such as formic acid , and sulfonic acids , such as benzene sulfonic acid ; naphthalene sulfonic acid ; ortho -, meta -, and para - toluene sulfonic acids ; and alkylated aromatic sulfonic acids wherein the alkyl group may be straight chain or branched chain and may contain from one to about 20 carbon atoms . preferably , the weak acids useful in the present process have a pk a value of from about 0 . 1 to about 2 . 0 , preferably from about 0 . 4 to about 1 . 0 . more preferably , paratoluene sulfonic acid ( ptsa ) is often used for the present process , because of the relative ease with which its corrosive properties may be controlled . to determine the necessary reaction conditions , one must consider the kinetics and diffusion processes involved in the reaction . in general , the mass transport rate of the acid or base reactant to the polymer , the reaction rate of the reactant with the polymer , and the mass transport rate of the degraded polymer out of the fiber matrix are factors which affect the rate of reaction . the mass transport rate of the reactants is largely affected by the concentration of the reactant , the temperature , and the rate of liquid movement during the reaction process . the introduction of phase transfer catalysts , which transfer reactants from the liquid interface into the polymer , can also affect the reaction rate . the reaction rate is generally proportional to the concentration of acid or base reactant , the concentration of the polymer reactant , the temperature during the reaction , and the presence of any catalyst . the rate of mass transport of degraded polymer is affected by the concentration of degraded polymer , temperature , rate of liquid movement during the reaction process . it has been found that subjecting the fabric to either an acidic solution or a basic solution increase the treated fabric &# 39 ; s ability to absorb water . however , subjecting the fabric to both an acidic solution and a basic solution results in a fabric having greatly enhanced absorption capacity . a particularly effective range of concentrations , when using ptsa , are concentrations greater than about 1 % of the weight of the bath ( owb ), though improvements in water absorbency have been realized with concentrations as low as about 0 . 25 % owb . more preferably , when using ptsa , the range is from about 1 % to about 3 %, based on the weight of the bath . most preferably , when using ptsa , the acid concentration is about 2 %, based on the weight of the bath . obviously , different concentrations may be desirable for different acid types , such as organic or strong . exposure times , again using ptsa , can range upwards from about 30 minutes to about 120 minutes . the preferred exposure time is about 90 minutes , when a 2 % concentration of ptsa is used . strong acids or higher acid concentrations would likely require a shorter exposure time , while organic acids might need longer periods over which to effect the desired fiber modifications . the acid selectively targets the polyamide components of the nonwoven fabric . where the conjugate filaments have been at least partially split during hydroentanglement , the acid tends to further split the filaments into their elementary components and to erode the polyamide components . this result is due to the acid &# 39 ; s preferential affinity for polyamides . where conjugate filaments are not split , there is a tendency for the polyamide components to be dissolved or eroded by the acid , while the relative grouping of the components may remain largely unchanged ( see fig2 ). fig2 is a photograph of a nonwoven fabric that has been subjected only to an acidic solution ( where the acid concentration was about 2 % owb ). in the central area of the photograph , a composite structure is visible in which most of the polyamide components of the conjugate filament have been removed . only three dark - colored polyamide components remain between the polyester components . below and to the left of the central circular structure are individual polyester wedges that have been separated from neighboring polyamide wedges . because of the concentration level used , there appear to be no individual polyamide wedges . the polyamide portions appear to have been completely eroded . due to the dissolution of at least some of the polyamide components of the fabric , the resulting fabric has a decreased weight , typically on the order of about 2 to about 25 %. the resulting fabric also has improved water absorption characteristics , although those characteristics are further enhanced by a subsequent basic treatment as described below . following acid treatment , the fabric is then subjected to a basic treatment . the basic solution reacts with the polyester component of the conjugate filament , making it more hydrophilic . the term “ basic ” is intended to describe the hydroxides of any alkali or alkaline earth metal and amines . the preferred basic solutions are sodium hydroxide ( naoh ) and potassium hydroxide ( koh ), with sodium hydroxide being more preferred because of cost . amines are less preferred because of their tendency to react with the entire fiber rather than the surface of the fiber . additionally , a phase transfer catalyst may be used to affect the reaction rate . commonly , alkyl quaternary salts are used . such salts often have a carbon chain length of about 16 . the preferred concentration for the basic solution is significantly less than that of the acidic solution . in fact , a concentration range from about 0 . 025 % to about 0 . 10 % ( based on the weight of the bath ) is sufficient to create the desired modifications in the polyester components . preferably , the concentration of the basic solution is about 0 . 050 % based on the weight of the bath . it has been found that higher concentration levels of the basic solution may be used . such concentrations may result in a weakened fabric , loss of textile quality , and resemblance to a paper - type product . exposure times , using sodium hydroxide , can range from about 15 minutes to about 90 minutes . the preferred exposure time is about 30 minutes , when a 0 . 050 % owb concentration of sodium hydroxide is used . the base selectively targets the polyester components of the fabric and , specifically , the ester groups . the base hydrolizes the ester bonds in the polyester , creating hydrophilic cites . these cites make the polyester more hydrophilic and the surface of the polyester becomes more water - loving . again , the fabric that has been treated only with base has improved water absorption characteristics as compared with the untreated fabric , although the improvements are not as significant as those realized with a combination of acid and basic treatments . fig3 is a photograph of a nonwoven fabric , as described herein , in which the fabric has been subjected only to a basic solution . in this photograph , a number of joined polyamide clusters are visible . individual polyester wedges seen in earlier photographs are also present and separate from the polyamide skeletons . as compared with fig2 , there appears to be little , if any , degradation in the polyamide component . this is expected because the basic solution targets only the polyester component . it has been found that the combination of successive acid and basic treatments imparts the most desired characteristics to the treated fabric . functionally , the nonwoven fabric , having been treated with both acid and base , is significantly better at absorbing water than ( a ) the untreated fabric , ( b ) the fabric treated only with acid , and ( c ) the fabric treated only with base . structurally , the treated fabric contains a plurality of fully split conjugate yarns , having individualized polyester components and degraded individualized polyamide components , and a plurality of polyamide “ skeletons .” the term “ polyamide skeletons ” is intended to describe a structure comprised of polyamide components that are joined to one another . in some yarn configurations , when treated , these polyamide skeletons tend to fold over onto themselves . fig4 is a photograph of a cross - section of nonwoven fabric that has been subjected to a 0 . 25 % owb acid solution and a 0 . 050 % owb basic solution . the photograph shows a plurality of individual polyester wedges , some of which are slightly squared off on the sides that were arc - shaped . slightly to the left of the center of the photograph , a polyamide cluster is visible . some parts of the polyamide skeleton appear to be degraded , not having the full width and shape of their original form . the polyamide skeletons experience reconfiguration due to the present process . reconfiguration may be interpreted to mean ( a ) separation of the skeleton into at least two parts ; ( b ) separation of the skeleton into at least two parts , in which at least one part has been dissolved ; and ( c ) removal of at least a portion of the skeleton , particularly in which removal is at least partially due to dissolution . fig5 is a photograph of a cross - section of nonwoven fabric that has been subjected to a 2 . 0 % owb acid solution and a 0 . 050 % owb basic solution . the photograph shows a plurality of polyester wedges and only a small polyamide cluster in the central area of the photograph . as compared with that of fig4 , the fabric of fig5 has much less polyamide remaining . the polyamide components have been removed by the higher concentration of acid . for example , in a fabric having a 65 - 35 % polyester - polyamide composition , removal levels of polyamide vary upwards from 50 %. for best results , in terms of water absorption , at least 75 % of the polyamide should be removed . after treating with acid and base , the nonwoven fabric may be dyed using conventional dyeing techniques . other finishing chemicals may be added , for example , to improve the hand or soil release characteristics of the fabric . the process steps will now be discussed in more detail . in a preferred embodiment , the acid treatment step is conducted in a jet - dyeing machine , into which the fabric is fed , along with an acid solution containing about 2 . 0 % ptsa ( based on the weight of the bath ). the temperature of the bath is raised to approximately 130 ° c . and held for an exposure time of about 90 minutes . it is believed that temperatures as high as 150 ° c . would also be acceptable . after the necessary time , the fabric is cooled , preferably to at least 60 ° c . it is then rinsed , preferably twice , with water to prevent reaction between the acid and the base , which will be used in the next step . the fabric , having been treated with acid , may then be treated with base . the fabric is fed into a jet - dyeing machine along with a basic solution containing about 0 . 050 % sodium hydroxide ( based on the weight on the bath ). the temperature of the bath is raised to approximately 130 ° c . after an exposure time of about 30 minutes , the fabric is then cooled to about 50 ° c . and rinsed , preferably twice , with water . other finishing chemicals can be applied to the treated fabric , including soil release agents , wetting agents , and hand - building agents . one particularly preferred additive is a high molecular weight ethoxylated polyester , sold under the trade name lubril qcx , by rhone poulenc , which improves both the hand and the soil release characteristics of the fabric . such chemicals are effectively applied in a padding operation , although other application techniques may be employed . by way of example only , a 3 % concentration of lubril qcx was found to improve the hand and soil release characteristics of the fabric , without negatively impacting the fabric &# 39 ; s ability to absorb water . the phrase “ absorption capacity ” is intended to describe the capacity of the fabric to absorb water . the capacity is measured as milliliters of water per gram of fabric . the untreated nonwoven fabric described herein has an absorption capacity of about 3 . 5 ml / g . the nonwoven fabric of the present product , having been subjected to acidic and basic treatments , has an absorption capacity of about 7 . 0 ml / g , an improvement of about 200 %. the nonwoven fabric of the present product , having been subjected to high pressure hydroentanglement , acidic treatment , and basic treatment , has an absorption capacity of about 6 . 2 ml / g . the absorbent fabric described herein can be utilized for a variety of purposes . by way of example only , the absorbent fabric may be used as a drying cloth , as a wiping cloth , as part of a filtration system , or as any other product in which the fabric &# 39 ; s absorbent characteristics may be beneficial . | 3 |
the following description of the embodiment ( s ) is merely exemplary ( illustrative ) in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . referring now to fig1 , one exemplary embodiment includes an article 10 having a low chromium - containing steel core 12 coated along at least one surface 13 with a carbide coating 14 . for purposes herein , a low chromium - containing steel core 12 contains less than about 1 . 6 % chromium . the term “ steel core ” may be used interchangeably herein with the term “ steel substrate ” and merely represents wherein the article includes a low chromium - containing steel surface that is to be coated with the carbide coating 14 . all percentages herein are by weight . one exemplary embodiment of a low - chromium content steel that may be utilized in the steel core 12 is aisi 52100 ( uns - g - 52986 ) steel with the following nominal composition : 0 . 98 - 1 . 1 weight percent carbon ; 0 . 25 - 0 . 45 weight percent manganese ; 1 . 3 - 1 . 6 weight percent chromium ; 0 . 025 weight percent or less phosphorus ; 0 . 025 weight percent or less sulfur ; 0 . 15 - 0 . 35 weight percent silicon ; and the balance iron . in this exemplary illustration , the particulate mix 16 used for forming the carbide coating 14 may include a group 5 metal source , a halide catalyst , and either ferrotitanium ( feti ) powder or ferromolybdenum ( femo ) powder ( or a mixture thereof ). other substantially inert particulates , such as aluminum oxide , may also be included in the particulate mix 16 , and in one embodiment may be present in amounts not greater than about 50 percent of the particulate mix 16 . a group 5 metal source includes a group 5 metal listed on the periodic table of elements in the 18 - group classification designated and recommended by the international union of pure and applied chemistry . preferably , the group 5 metal in the particulate mix 16 , to which vanadium and niobium are the only members , has an atomic number no greater than 41 . a non - exclusive list of available halide catalysts that may be introduced to the particulate mix 16 includes iron chloride , ammonium chloride , niobium chloride , vanadium chloride , or mixtures thereof . the halide catalyst may be used in any effective amount , wherein one embodiment may be in an amount of about 0 . 6 % to 3 % by weight of the group 5 metal source . in one embodiment , the amount of feti or femo powder included in the particulate mix 16 may be between about 0 . 5 and about 4 weight percent of the group 5 metal source . in other words , the weight ratio of feti , or femo , or a combination of feti and femo , to the group 5 metal source may be in the range of about 0 . 02 to 0 . 04 . one exemplary particulate mix 16 may include ferrovanadium ( fev ) powder having a particle size of 0 . 8 to 3 mm and about 1 % of a selected halide catalyst ; here iron chloride ( fecl 3 ). in addition , the particulate mix 16 may also include ferromolybdenum ( femo ) powder . the femo powder may be between about 0 . 5 and about 4 weight percent of the fev powder . other substantially inert particulates , such as aluminum oxide , may be included in the particulate mix 16 , and in one embodiment in amounts not greater than about 50 percent of the particulate mix 16 . referring now to fig2 , the method of the exemplary embodiments may be preferably implemented in a rotary container 20 , or retort 20 , having a shaft 22 held rotatably in walls 24 and 26 of furnace 28 by bushings 30 and sealed . a motor ( not shown ) may rotate the container 20 at a desired speed while the furnace 28 may be maintained at a temperature , in one embodiment , of about 870 to 1093 degrees celsius ( about 1600 to 2000 degrees fahrenheit ), or in another embodiment between about 927 to 1038 degrees celsius ( about 1700 to 1900 degrees fahrenheit ). inside the container 20 may be the particulate mix 16 and at least one steel article 10 , in this case steel chain pins 10 , to be coated with the particulate mix 16 to form the carbide coating 14 of a desired thickness . the desired thickness may achieve a surface hardness of at least hv 2000 , which may be associated with a thickness of about 10 to 20 microns . for the exemplary particulate mix 16 of the previous paragraph , the carbide coating 14 is a vanadium / carbide coating . in one embodiment , air is withdrawn from the rotary container 20 and the process is conducted in the sealed rotary container 20 in the substantial absence of air . in another embodiment , an inert gas , preferably argon or nitrogen , is introduced to the container 20 . during the heating and rotation of the rotary container 20 , the source of group 5 metal in the particulate mix 16 , may be caused to dissociate , providing group 5 metal which may be deposited at the surface of steel core 12 in the form of a halide . carbon is drawn from the steel core 12 surface of the article 10 to displace the halide , which then reverts to the particulate mix 16 to combine with additional group 5 metal from the source . only a small percentage of the group 5 metal source , estimated at 0 . 5 to 2 % of the metal in the metal source , may consumed in the process to provide a commonly desired coating thickness of 10 to 20 microns . the molybdenum or the titanium in the femo or feti powder added to the particulate mix 16 are carbide formers that have a high solubility in the group 5 metal and iron and therefore may increase interface bonding of the coating formed to the core steel substrate 12 . after the article or articles 10 are treated to form a hard coating 14 as described above , the particulate mix 16 and the articles 10 may be separated , and the particulate mix 16 may be returned for re - use in the rotary container 20 to be heated again in the presence of another article or articles t 10 o be coated . the particulate mix 16 need not be replenished through several iterations , but may includes the possibility of replenishing the group 5 metal source and / or the catalyst while the bulk ( at least 50 %) of the particulate mix 16 in successive uses may comprise material having been used before for the purpose . since generally less than 2 % of the group 5 metal source may be consumed in a single use , and since the halide displaced from the group 5 metal at the surface returns to the particulate mix 16 to combine with additional group 5 metal , the exemplary method may include the use of the same batch of particulates for at least two batches of articles 10 , and additional batches as the economics of the facility may suggest . generally at least five uses will be quite practical . preferably , for any given use , the ratio of group 5 metal in the group 5 metal source to the articles will not be below 1 : 2 by weight , and may be preferably 1 : 1 to 2 : 1 by weight . the article 10 including the carbide coating 14 may then be cooled and separated from the particulate mix 16 . the article 10 may then be heat - treated , in a post - production step , by subjecting the coated article 10 to at least austenitizing temperature and quenched in a conventional manner to harden the core , preferably achieving a final core hardness of rc44 - 56 . the article 10 may then be polished in a conventional manner . fig3 is an end section of the container 20 , illustrating how the contents may be mixed , preferably with the aid of baffles 32 , during rotation of the container 20 . the particulate mix 16 and the article ( s ) 10 to be coated may be substantially constantly contacted during the rotation of the container 20 , therein causing the carbide coating 14 to be formed on the surface of the steel chain pins 10 at a desired thickness , wherein the desired thickness may be dictated primarily by the amount of time in which the article 10 is rotated within the rotary container 20 . the vessel , retort , or container 20 may be rocked or otherwise agitated rather than rotated . in fig4 , a portion of a typical silent chain is shown , comprising sets of plates a and b , each having two holes for pins 10 . in this configuration , parallel sets a of four plates and parallel sets b of three plates may be shaped to accommodate sprockets or otherwise to engage a force - delivering device not shown . some of the plates a or b may articulate on the pins 10 and others may be secured to them so as not to rotate on the pins , depending on the design of the chain . in either event , whether there is articulation or not at the plate / pin interface , significant stress and wear may be engendered at the interface of the pins and the plates . a comparison of chain pins 10 made according to the exemplary process to more conventional pins showed that the hard coating on the pins 10 did not flake off the pin 10 when it was bent in a vise , whereas pins made by a conventional process flaked off . this is generally taken to mean that when the coating 14 of the pin 10 may be abraded , but will nevertheless adhere more tenaciously than the coating of the conventional pin . as indicated above , flaking or spalling of hard coatings can be very destructive to worn contact surfaces of chain parts . the above description of embodiments of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations thereof are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 2 |
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure , its application , or uses . for purposes of clarity , the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements . as used herein , the phrase at least one of a , b , and c should be construed to mean a logical ( a or b or c ), using a non - exclusive logical or . it should be understood that steps within a method may be executed in different order without altering the principles of the present disclosure . as used herein , the term module refers to an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), an electronic circuit , a processor ( shared , dedicated , or group ) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs , a combinational logic circuit , and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality . referring now to fig2 , a functional block diagram of an exemplary engine system is presented . the fuel tank 102 provides fuel , such as gasoline or diesel fuel , to a fuel / water separator 120 . the fuel / water separator 120 separates fuel from water , provides fuel to the engine 106 , and directs water into a bowl 122 . the bowl 122 may include a valve 124 , which allows water to be emptied from the bowl 122 . for example only , a water line 126 is shown , indicating that water is present below the water line 126 while fuel is present above the water line 126 ( assuming that water is denser than the fuel ). a sensor 128 may be installed in the bowl 122 to detect the presence of water . an engine control module 130 controls operation of the engine 106 . for example , the engine control module 130 may control actuators ( not shown ) within the engine 106 to produce a torque as requested by a driver . the engine control module 130 may include a sensor control module 140 that controls and receives signals from the sensor 128 . at various times , a diagnostic module 142 commands the sensor control module 140 to take a reading from the sensor 128 . for example only , the diagnostic module 142 may issue this command on a periodic schedule . for example only , the schedule may be altered based on sensed driving habits , such as average engine run time . the sensor control module 140 may interpret readings from the sensor 128 to determine whether water is present in the bowl 122 . the level of water that the sensor 128 detects is determined by where in the bowl 122 the sensor 128 is placed . the diagnostic module 142 may generate a visual / audio indicator 144 when water is detected . for example only , the visual / audio indicator 144 may include a check engine light or a digital instrument panel display . the diagnostic module 142 may also set a diagnostic trouble code , which may be stored in a diagnostic interface 146 . the diagnostic interface 146 may be queried by diagnostic tools , such as at a dealership or repair facility . the diagnostic interface 146 may record the times during which water is detected , and provide these to the diagnostic tools . user input 148 may instruct the diagnostic module 142 to command a new reading from the sensor 128 . the user input 148 , for example only , may include a button . a user may actuate the user input 148 after water has been drained from the bowl 122 . in various implementations , the valve 124 may be controlled by the diagnostic module 142 , such as with electrical or vacuum signals . control of the valve 124 may also be performed via the diagnostic interface 146 . referring now to fig3 , a partial cross sectional view is presented of the bowl 122 and an exemplary implementation of the sensor 128 . the sensor 128 may be coupled to the bowl 122 via a gasket 160 . a piston 162 rides within a sleeve 164 to pull liquid through an orifice 166 into a chamber 168 . the liquid may be pulled into the chamber 168 through a channel 170 from the bowl 122 . in various implementations , the length of the channel 170 may be reduced , and / or the channel 170 may be removed entirely . for example only , the orifice 166 may be defined at the wall of the bowl 122 . the piston 162 is connected to an armature 172 . the armature 172 is biased to a first position by a coil return spring 174 . when a current is applied to windings 176 , the resulting electromagnetic field actuates the armature 172 to a second position in opposition to the return spring 174 . as the armature 172 moves from the first position to the second position , the piston 162 presses the fluid from the chamber 168 through the orifice 166 . for fluids with higher viscosities , the fluid is more difficult to push from the chamber 168 through the orifice 166 . this change in viscosity may be evidenced by a change in the electrical characteristics of the sensor 128 , as described in more detail with respect to fig4 . referring now to fig4 , three exemplary traces 202 , 204 , and 206 of the current of a solenoid are shown . trace 202 corresponds to a low viscosity , trace 204 corresponds to a higher viscosity , and trace 206 corresponds to an infinite viscosity . an infinite , or extremely high , viscosity has the same effect as if the armature of the solenoid were mechanically stuck . traces 202 and 204 each include a notch in the current . by contrast , trace 206 lacks the notch . for traces similar to trace 206 , the notch time may be considered to be infinite , or set to a maximum amount of time . the location of the notch is an indication of the viscosity of the fluid with which the solenoid is interfacing . because the solenoid piston displaces fluid in front of the piston , hydraulic resistance is caused by the viscous fluid moving through a restrictive flow passage ( such as an orifice ). this hydraulic resistance exerts a pressure on the face of the piston , which resists armature movement and changes the current response characteristics of the solenoid . at a start point 210 , the solenoid is instructed to actuate . this may be initiated by a trigger signal that arrives at the start point 210 . for purposes of illustration , trace 202 will be analyzed . after the start point 210 , the current of trace 202 begins increasing . at a first point 212 , trace 202 transitions from increasing to decreasing . the first point 212 is therefore a local maximum . trace 202 then decreases until a second point 214 , when trace 202 transitions from decreasing back to increasing . the second point 214 is therefore a local minimum . the armature of the solenoid begins moving at the first point 212 and stops moving at the second point 214 . the measured current decreases between the first and second points 212 and 214 because the moving armature creates a back electromotive force ( emf ) that opposes the electrical potential . the amount of time elapsed between the start point 210 and the second point 214 is referred to as the notch time . the notch time of trace 204 is greater than the notch time of trace 202 , indicating that the solenoid is interfacing with a higher viscosity fluid in trace 204 . the notch time of trace 206 may be reported as a predetermined maximum value . for example , the notch time for trace 206 may be reported as 45 ms . referring now to fig5 , a functional block diagram of a sensor system including an exemplary implementation of the sensor control module 140 is presented . the sensor 128 includes an electrically - operated element that interfaces with fluid . for example only , the sensor 128 may include a solenoid 302 that interfaces with the fluid . alternatively , the sensor 128 may include a plate that is moved through the fluid by an electric motor . in various implementations , a rotating or translating plate may be less expensive to implement than a solenoid . the solenoid 302 may be connected to a power supply 304 . in various implementations , the power supply 304 may be a vehicle battery , which may also provide power to the sensor control module 140 . current flow from the power supply 304 through the solenoid 302 is regulated by a switch 306 , such as a transistor . in various implementations , the transistor may include an n - channel metal - oxide semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) having a source ( s ) terminal , a drain ( d ) terminal , and a gate ( g ) terminal . the current flowing through the switch 306 may be routed through a shunt resistor 308 before reaching a reference potential , such as ground . the shunt resistor 308 develops a voltage potential proportional to current flow . an amplifier 310 amplifies the voltage potential across the shunt resistor 308 . alternatively , other current sensing devices , such as a hall effect sensor , may be used to determine the current flowing through the solenoid 302 . an output of the amplifier 310 may be converted to a digital value by an analog - to - digital ( a / d ) converter 312 . the digital value is a representation of the current flowing through the solenoid 302 . a notch detection module 314 may evaluate the digital signal from the a / d converter 312 to determine the time at which the notch of the solenoid current occurs with respect to a trigger signal . the trigger signal may be generated when the solenoid is instructed to actuate . the trigger signal may be generated by a solenoid drive module 318 . for example only , the notch detection module 314 may initialize a timer in a timer module 316 when the trigger signal is received . the time elapsed in the timer module 316 between the trigger signal arriving and the current notch being detected is the notch time . the solenoid drive module 318 may provide the trigger signal to the gate of the switch 306 , thereby allowing current to flow through the solenoid 302 . a notch analysis module 320 may receive an activation signal , such as from the diagnostic module 142 of fig2 . based on this activation signal , the notch analysis module 320 may instruct the solenoid drive module 318 to produce the trigger signal . the notch analysis module 320 may instruct the solenoid drive module 318 to actuate the solenoid 302 multiple times to circulate fluid and ensure a representative sample is analyzed . in various implementations , the final notch time may be selected , or an average of selected ones of the notch times may be used . a voltage measurement module 322 may measure a voltage of the power supply 304 . the notch analysis module 320 may adjust the notch time based on the measured voltage . for example only , a higher voltage from the power supply 304 may be expected to decrease the notch time . the notch analysis module 320 may therefore increase the indicated notch time when the measured voltage is higher . further , viscosity may vary with temperature . therefore , a temperature measurement module 324 may be implemented . for example only , fluid temperature may be modeled , measured directly , and / or inferred from other temperature measurements , such as engine coolant temperature . the temperature measurement module 324 may receive data from a temperature sensor ( not shown ), such as a thermocouple , associated with the solenoid 302 . in various implementations , the temperature sensor may be implemented in the sensor 128 . alternatively , temperature readings from other systems may be used . for example only , the temperature measurement module 324 may receive a temperature used by a fuel injection system for fuel injection control . in various implementations , temperature may be estimated based on resistance of the windings in the solenoid 302 . the notch analysis module 320 may normalize the notch time based on temperature . for example only , if viscosity decreases as temperature increases , the notch analysis module 320 may increase the indicated notch time when the measured temperature is higher . the notch analysis module 320 may use the normalized notch time to make determinations about the fluid interfacing with the sensor 128 . for example only , a predetermined value may be stored in a storage module 326 . if the normalized notch time is greater than the predetermined value , indicating that viscosity is relatively high , the notch analysis module 320 may report that fuel , instead of water , is present . conversely , when the normalized notch time is less than or equal to the predetermined value , the notch analysis module 320 may report that water is present at the sensor 128 . in various implementations , the storage module 326 may store multiple values to differentiate between water , air , and / or multiple types of fuel . for example only , different types of diesel fuel , including biodiesel , may have different characteristic notch times . the notch analysis module 320 may report the type of fuel detected as well as the presence of water . the values in the storage module 326 may be stored in a lookup table . these values may be determined empirically and / or estimated based on sensor characteristics , such as solenoid geometries , orifice size , and fluid properties . referring now to fig6 , a flowchart depicts exemplary steps performed in analyzing the signal from the a / d converter 312 of fig5 . control begins in step 402 , where control determines whether the trigger signal has been activated . if so , control continues in step 404 ; otherwise , control remains in step 402 . in step 404 , a timer is started and control continues in step 406 . in step 406 , control begins measuring current flowing through the solenoid . control continues in step 408 , where control begins calculating a moving average of the current . the moving current average may be calculated in order to decrease the false detection of a local maximum or local minimum . in this way , small disturbances in the current signal , such as those due to noise , will not be incorrectly detected as a change in direction of the current . for example only , the moving average may be a two - point moving average . the moving average may be calculated as a prior moving average or as a central moving average , which uses data taken after the point being calculated . in addition , the moving average may be a simple moving average or a weighted moving average , and the weighting may be linear or exponential . control continues in step 410 , where control begins calculating a derivative of the moving average . for example only , control may calculate the derivative as the difference between the current moving average value and the previous moving average value divided by the time between the moving average values . control continues in step 412 , where control determines whether the derivative has decreased below zero . if so , control transfers to step 414 ; otherwise , control transfers to step 416 . for example only , control may transfer to step 414 only when multiple sequential derivatives remain below zero . in step 416 , control determines whether the timer is greater than a predetermined maximum time . if so , control transfers to step 418 ; otherwise , control returns to step 412 . in step 414 , control determines whether the derivative has returned above zero after being below zero in step 412 . if so , control transfers to step 420 ; otherwise , control transfers to step 422 . as in step 412 , control may evaluate multiple derivatives in step 414 to ensure that the derivative has reliably increased above zero . in step 422 , control determines whether the timer has exceeded the predetermined maximum time . if so , control transfers to step 418 ; otherwise , control returns to step 414 . in step 420 , control reports the timer value as the notch time and control stops . in step 418 , control reports the predetermined maximum time as the notch time and control stops . referring now to fig7 a - 7c , the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in various vehicle systems . for example only , whenever viscosity can be used to differentiate between different fluids , a sensor system as described in the present application can be implemented to measure viscosity . viscosity may indicate which variety of a desired fluid is present . additionally , viscosity may indicate presence of an undesired fluid or the absence of the desired fluid . further , viscosity may indicate when properties of the desired fluid have been compromised . for example only , fig7 a depicts a system for detecting water in a fuel tank 502 . a sensor 504 is located in the fuel tank 502 , and a sensor control module 506 analyzes readings from the sensor 504 to determine viscosity of the fluid in the fuel tank 502 . if a viscosity indicative of water is measured , a diagnostic module 508 may alert an operator or a mechanic . in addition , remedial action may be performed , such as operating an engine in a reduced power mode or limiting the speed of the engine . for example only , fig7 b depicts a system for detecting water or glycol in an oil supply , such as an oil sump 522 . a sensor 524 is located in the oil sump 522 , and a sensor control module 526 analyzes readings from the sensor 524 to determine viscosity of the fluid in the oil sump 522 . if a viscosity indicative of water or glycol is measured , a diagnostic module 528 may alert an operator or a mechanic . in addition , remedial action may be performed , such as operating an engine in a reduced power mode or limiting the speed of the engine . for example only , fig7 c depicts a system for detecting oil in a cooling system component , such as a radiator 542 . a sensor 544 is located in the radiator 542 , and a sensor control module 546 analyzes readings from the sensor 544 to determine viscosity of the fluid in the radiator 542 . if a viscosity indicative of oil is measured , a diagnostic module 548 may alert an operator or a mechanic . in addition , remedial action may be performed , such as operating an engine in a reduced power mode or limiting the speed of the engine . the broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms . therefore , while this disclosure includes particular examples , the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , the specification , and the following claims . | 6 |
with reference now to fig1 there is provided a cross - sectional illustration of several subsurface formations including an oil bearing sand 10 sandwiched between an upper shale zone 12 and a lower shale zone 14 . a vertical wellbore 16 has been drilled from the surface of the earth to and through the oil bearing zone 10 . a lateral borehole 18 has been started from vertical bore 16 within the oil sand 10 . the methods of starting such a lateral borehole are well - known in the art as illustrated by the above referenced zublin and holbert patents . a drill string 20 extends from the surface of the earth through wellbore 16 and into the lateral bore 18 . in this embodiment , the string 20 includes segmented drillpipe sections 22 made according to the above referenced holbert patent . these segmented sections 22 allow rotation of drill string 20 through curved portions of lateral bore 18 . near the lower end of drill string 20 , there is provided a mwd ( measurement while drilling ) device 24 for measuring at least one formation property during the drilling operation . connected to the mwd device 24 is a mud driven hydraulic drill motor 26 which in turn supports and drives a drill bit 28 . the conventional mwd system which was used in the preferred embodiment imposes certain restrictions on the curved portion of the lateral bore 18 . in particular , curvature should not exceed 6 ° per hundred feet of bore or it will not be possible to run the conventional tool assemblies into the lateral bore . as a result , the methods of zublin and holbert which allow much greater curvature rates cannot be used to full advantage . more conventional slant drilling techniques which can provide curvature rates of 2 ° to 6 ° per hundred feet of bore without the complex highly flexible sections of zublin and holbert can therefore be used and will normally be preferred so long as conventional mwd systems are used . however , development of improved logging devices which can be run in drainholes with high curvature rates is anticipated . such development will allow the benefits of the present invention to be realized in formations where the high curvature rates are required or at least preferred . lateral borehole 18 is often called a horizontal borehole to distinguish it from the conventional vertical wellbore 16 . the term &# 34 ; lateral &# 34 ; is also often used for the same purpose . both of these terms suggest that the non - vertical borehole is essentially horizontal . in the present invention the lateral section 18 will be referred to primarily as a &# 34 ; drainhole &# 34 ; to distinguish it from the vertical bore 16 without suggesting that it must be truly horizontal . as illustrated in fig1 the oil sand 10 is not horizontal . both the upper boundary 30 and the lower boundary 32 slope downward to the right in fig1 . the primary purpose of the drainhole 18 is to provide improved communication between vertical bore 16 and the bulk of the oil sand 10 . this can be achieved by drilling drainhole 18 as far as possible into the oil sand 10 and away from bore 16 . since there is no desire to achieve communication with the shale zones 12 and 14 , it is preferred that drainhole 18 never cross either of the boundaries 30 or 32 . thus , drainhole 18 should travel out into zone 10 essentially parallel to the upper and lower boundaries 30 and 32 and about half way between them . the vertical depths to boundaries 30 and 32 at borehole 16 can be measured by conventional logging techniques . however since these boundaries slope or dip , a perfectly horizontal borehole extending from bore 16 would eventually intersect either the upper or lower boundaries . the method of the present invention primarily involves detection of proximity to the boundaries 30 or 32 and correction of the trajectory or path of drainhole 18 preferrably before the boundary is intersected . in this way , prior knowledge of the shape and location of boundaries 30 and 32 is not necessary . in the preferred embodiment , mwd device 24 is a gamma ray device commonly used for detecting changes in lithology during drilling operations . such devices generally &# 34 ; look &# 34 ; in all directions about the borehole . however in the present invention , device 24 has been modified by providing a lead shield covering at least one half , and preferably three - fourths , of its circumference so that it sees primarily one side of the borehole . the lead shield is not totally effective in stopping gamma rays but provides sufficient blocking to give the tool a directional response . in this way , the gamma ray device can distinguish between different rock types existing on opposite sides of drainhole 18 . in addition , the tool 24 contains a conventional sensor , part of the mwd package , which indicates its orientation relative to vertical , that is the upper side of borehole . fig2 provides a cross - sectional illustration of device 24 taken through the gamma ray detection tube 40 . the detection tube 40 is positioned at the center of the device and is protected by a beryllium copper sleeve 42 . a half inch thick lead shield 44 , with a 90 ° window , is carried on sleeve 42 . this directional detector assembly is carried in a one inch thick stainless steel collar 46 which forms the outer housing of the mwd device 24 and has an outer diameter of 6 . 25 inch . with the exception of the lead shield , device 24 is a commercially available mwd device manufactured by gearhart industries , inc . of fort worth , tex . this device includes a magnetometer and , as indicated above , an inclinometer which indicates tool orientation relative to vertical . the tool further includes a mud pulse telemetry system which allows all measured data to be transmitted through the drilling mud column to receiving equipment at the surface . as is well - known in the well logging and drilling arts , shale such as zones 12 and 14 generally emits higher levels of gamma rays than sand such as found in the oil bearing sand 10 . therefore the gamma ray indication provided by device 24 will increase significantly as it approaches either of the shale zones 12 or 14 . since the lead shield allows some gamma radiation to pass , the increase in detected level should occur even if the shield is positioned between tube 40 and the shale zone being approached . as illustrated in fig1 the drainhole 18 was started from vertical bore 16 at about the mid - point of oil sand 10 . as it curved downward and away from bore 16 , it approached the lower boundary 32 at point 34 . at this point , the device 24 came close enough to boundary 32 to detect gamma rays emitted from the shale zone 14 . as a result , a noticeable increase in gamma ray reading would be detected and transmitted to the surface . this increased signal level would indicate that drainhole 18 is approaching an interface . however since gamma ray detectors generally require a signal integration period of about one minute it would not necessarily indicate whether boundary 30 or 32 is closest . in the preferred embodiment , drilling would cease for a sufficient time to allow determination of whether it is the upper boundary 30 or the lower boundary 32 which is being approached . this determination is made by slowly turning drill string 20 to orient the device 24 in several different directions relative to vertical and holding it in those positions for a sufficient time to obtain an accurate gamma ray reading . for a generally horizontal oil sand 10 , two readings should be sufficient . that is , the device 24 would be oriented to obtain gamma ray readings from vertically above and then vertically below drainhole 18 . at location 34 in fig1 the gamma ray reading from below should be significantly higher than that obtained from above . this will clearly indicate that drainhole 18 is approaching the lower boundary 32 and that it should therefore be directed upwards to avoid intersection of boundary 32 . as discussed above , drill bit 28 is driven by hydraulicly powered drill motor 26 to provide the primary drilling force . means must be provided for re - directing the drill string to avoid the undesired intersections with the boundaries . in the preferred embodiment , motor 26 and bit 28 are oriented so that they tend to drill a curved borehole . when the drainhole 18 has been turned to substantially horizontal position and it is desired to drill straight ahead through formation 10 , the entire drill string 20 is slowly rotated so that there is no net curvature to the drainhole being drilled . when proximity to the lower boundary 32 is detected , the drill string 20 may then be stopped in an appropriate position so that continued drilling will cause drainhole 18 to climb vertically away from lower boundary 32 as indicated by the dashed line extension 36 of drainhole 18 . rotation of drill string 20 may be recommenced to determine when the drainhole 18 has been moved sufficient far from lower boundary 32 so that it is no longer detectable . continued rotation of drill string 20 would then cause the extension 36 of drainhole 18 to be substantially straight . the process would be repeated at point 38 when drainhole 18 begins to approach the upper boundary 30 of the oil sand 10 . by repeating the process the drainhole 18 may be repetitively redirected to avoid intersection with the upper and lower boundaries of the oil producing zone . it is anticipated that this process will allow drilling of drainholes to distances approaching 2000 feet from a vertical bore 16 without having to withdraw the drill string 20 for the purpose of running well surveys . as indicated above , gamma ray detecting tools generally require a significant period of time , for example a matter of several minutes , to obtain an accurate reading . it is for this reason that in the preferred embodiment , drilling must be stopped momentarily while a determination of direction of the nearest boundary is made . the gamma ray reading obtained while drill string 20 is rotating will simply be an average of readings taken in all directions about the borehole and will not indicate direction . it is anticipated that the detector 24 will detect gamma rays from shale zones 12 and 14 only when it has approached within about two to three feet of the respective shale zone . the normal configuration of bit , drill motor and logging tool normally places the detector 24 thirty to forty feet behind the bit itself . all of these factors make it difficult to actually avoid crossing the boundaries 30 and 32 . however the present method will provide the means to properly redirect the drainhole back into the producing zone 10 after a boundary is crossed . other directional sensing devices may be substituted for device 24 and it is anticipated that certain devices may provide better control or improved results . for example it is know that radar type devices can be used to transmit directional microwave energy into rock formation and that the reflection and absorption characteristics of the formation can be measured and can indicate lithology and / or fluid content of the various zones . in addition , it is believed that these devices may provide useful information at distances of ten to fifty feet or more . with such devices , proximity to an upper or lower boundary may be detected from a greater distance so that trajectory in drainhole 18 can be more easily controlled . in addition , it may be possible to make an actual determination of distance to a boundary and with this information to cause the drainhole 18 to travel essentially parallel to and at a fixed distance from one of the boundaries . while the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to particular apparatus and methods of operation , it is apparent that various modifications and changes can be made therein within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . | 4 |
fig3 a to 4b illustrate an embodiment of the present technology . part ( 1 ) in fig3 b illustrates an arrangement of optical signals which are fragmented in a wavelength direction due to path change . arrows having different thicknesses represent optical signals of different modulation methods . a guard band ( dotted line ) is provided between optical signals of different modulation methods . at this state , according to an instruction from a network controller 10 illustrated in fig3 a , wavelengths of optical transmitting / receiving devices 11 - 1 to 11 - 4 and paths of roadm devices 12 - 1 to 12 - 4 are changed so as to gather wavelength positions of the optical signals so that optical signals of the same modulation method are arranged on adjacent wavelength positions , for each modulation method . accordingly , the number of guard bands can be reduced as illustrated in part ( 3 ) in fig3 b , being able to improve wavelength usage efficiency . an operation that fragmented optical signals are rearranged so that optical signals of same modulation method are arranged on adjacent wavelength positions for every modulation method is called wavelength defragmentation ( sometimes abbreviated to defrag ). if the number of vacant wavelengths of an optical network system is low when the wavelength defragmentation is performed , the number of wavelength arrangement changing times is increased and performing time of the wavelength defragmentation is increased . accordingly , as illustrated in part ( 2 ) in fig3 b , wavelength bands of optical amplifiers 13 - 1 to 13 - 4 are temporarily expanded in the performance of the wavelength defragmentation so as to rearrange wavelengths by using the expanded wavelength bands . after the completion of the wavelength rearrangement , the wavelength bands of the optical amplifiers 13 - 1 to 13 - 4 are returned to the original . fig4 a and 4b illustrate an example of an operation of the embodiment . in fig4 a and 4b , upturned arrows represent optical signals of each wavelength and optical signals which are represented by arrows having different thicknesses represent optical signals of different modulation methods . a rectangle depicted by a dotted line represents a guard band . fig4 a illustrates an example that wavelength defragmentation is performed without performing expanding band , and fig4 b illustrates an example that wavelength defragmentation is performed with the performance of expanding band . by performing the wavelength defragmentation , spectral efficiency can be enhanced . further , by performing the expanding band , the number of performing times of wavelength arrangement change can be reduced and as a result , performance time of the wavelength defragmentation can be reduced . in fig4 a , the wavelength defragmentation is performed without performing the expanding band . part ( 1 ) in fig4 a illustrates a state that wavelength positions of optical signals of each modulation method are fragmented and wavelength positions are aligned in a random manner . in this case , guard bands are provided between respective optical signals so as to avoid degradation of transmission performance due to mutual effect of the optical signals . the wavelength defragmentation is performed in this state . first , one of optical signals depicted by the thickest arrows is moved to an outermost wavelength position as depicted by an upside arrow of part ( 1 ). then , as illustrated in part ( 2 ), two optical signals depicted by arrows having an intermediate thickness are moved to wavelength positions that have become vacant due to the movement of part ( 1 ) and are adjacent to another optical signal beam which is depicted by an arrow having an intermediate thickness . at this time , one of the guard bands may not be used . subsequently , as illustrated in part ( 3 ), optical signals depicted by thin arrows are moved to the wavelength position which is vacant due to the movement of part ( 2 ) so that thin arrows are gathered . all optical signals depicted by thick arrows are moved to wavelength positions adjacent to each other in part ( 4 ), and last optical signal depicted by a thin arrow is moved to a wavelength position adjacent to other optical signals depicted by thin arrows in part ( 5 ). accordingly , arrows of respective thicknesses are moved to the wavelength positions to be gathered for respective thicknesses as illustrated in part ( 6 ). thus , the wavelength defragmentation is completed . fig4 b illustrates a case where the wavelength defragmentation is performed with the performance of the expanding band . part ( 1 ) illustrates a state that wavelength positions of optical signals of each thickness are fragmented and many guard bands are provided . first , as depicted by upside arrows of part ( 1 ), all optical signals depicted by thick arrows are moved to a wavelength band which is expanded by the expanding band . next , as illustrated in part ( 2 ), optical signal depicted by thin arrows and optical signal depicted by intermediate thick arrows are moved to adjacent wavelength positions respectively by using bands which are generated by the movement of the optical signal depicted by thick arrows . then , as illustrated in part ( 3 ), all optical signals which are depicted by thick arrows and moved in part ( 1 ) are moved to a band which has become vacant by respectively gathering the optical signals which are depicted by thin arrows and intermediate thick arrows . accordingly , the expanding band is ended in part ( 4 ), and the wavelength band is turned to the original . thus , the wavelength defragmentation is completed . when fig4 a and fig4 b are compared to each other , the wavelength defragmentation of a case where the expanding band is not performed as illustrated in fig4 a includes six operations , while the wavelength defragmentation of a case where the expanding band is performed as illustrated in fig4 b includes only four operations . thus , it is understood that the wavelength defragmentation with the performance of the expanding band can be completed by fewer operations . fig5 to 11 illustrate a flow of operations of the wavelength defragmentation . as illustrated in fig5 , estimation values of respective wavelengths including vacant wavelengths of the optical network are calculated after determination of a moving target signal . the calculating method of estimation values will be described later with reference to fig7 . when the maximum value of evaluation values of the vacant wavelengths is larger than an evaluation value of a current wavelength of the moving target signal , the moving target signal is moved to a wavelength of the maximum evaluation value . when the maximum value of the evaluation value of vacant wavelengths is equal to or smaller than the evaluation value of the current wavelength of the moving target signal , the current moving target signal is not moved and the moving target signal is changed . determination of a moving target signal and calculation and comparison of an evaluation value are performed by the network controller 10 . further , the network controller 10 performs moving instruction and the like with respect to the optical transmitting / receiving devices , the roadm devices , the optical amplifiers , and the like . it is assumed that the network controller 10 holds information of usage situation of a current wavelength , information representing where a guard band exists , and the like . fig6 is a flowchart of algorithm of the wavelength defragmentation . when the wavelength defragmentation is started , a parameter i which manages a moving target signal is set to a default value ( i = 1 ) ( operation s 10 ). in operation s 11 , a signal of a wavelength λi is set to the moving target signal . in operation s 12 , evaluation values of respective vacant wavelengths are calculated . in operation s 13 , whether the maximum value of the evaluation values of the vacant wavelengths is larger than an evaluation value of the current wavelength of the moving target signal is determined . when the maximum value of the evaluation values of the vacant wavelengths is larger than the evaluation value of the current wavelength of the moving target signal , the moving target signal is moved to a wavelength on which the evaluation value is maximum ( operation s 14 ). after the movement , i is returned to the default value ( operation s 10 ). when the evaluation value of the vacant wavelengths is equal to or smaller than the evaluation value of the current wavelength , whether i is the maximum value is determined in operation s 15 . when i does not reach the maximum value , the moving target signal is changed under the condition of i = i + 1 in operation s 16 . when i is already the maximum value , the processing is ended . here , each wavelength is given a number as λ 1 , λ 2 , . . . from a shorter wavelength every time in operation s 9 . fig7 illustrates an example of calculation of an evaluation value . an evaluation value is calculated from a signal adjacent to a vacant wavelength which is a candidate of a movement destination . when the adjacent signal has the same modulation method as that of the moving target signal , the evaluation value is set to 1 . at this time , in a case where there is a plurality of adjacent signals of the same modulation method , the number of the signals is set to the evaluation value . when two signals of the same modulation method are adjacent , the evaluation value is set to 2 , and when four signals of the same modulation method are adjacent , the evaluation value is set to 4 ( as illustrated in fig7 ). when the adjacent signal is a modulation signal of a different modulation method or there are no adjacent signals , the evaluation value is set to 0 . in terms of the moving target signal , when signals of the same modulation method as that of the moving target signal are adjacent , the number of the wavelengths is set to the evaluation value . when there are no adjacent signals of the same modulation method , the evaluation value is set to 0 . referring to fig8 , an operation of the wavelength defragmentation in a case the algorithm of fig6 is employed is described . an optical signal a of part ( 1 ) is moved to a next position of an optical signal depicted by a thick arrow as illustrated in part ( 2 ). an optical signal b of part ( 2 ) is moved to a next position of an optical signal depicted by a thin arrow as illustrated in part ( 3 ). an optical signal c of part ( 3 ) is moved to a next position of an optical signal depicted by an intermediate thick arrow as illustrated in part ( 4 ). an optical signal d of part ( 4 ) is moved to a next position of a left - side optical signal beam depicted by a thick arrow as illustrated in part ( 5 ). an optical signal e of part ( 5 ) is moved to a next position of a left - side group of optical signals depicted by intermediate thick arrows as illustrated in part ( 6 ). an optical signal f of part ( 6 ) is moved to a next position of a middle optical signal beam depicted by a thin arrow as illustrated in part ( 7 ). an optical signal g of part ( 7 ) is moved to a next position of a middle group of optical signals depicted by thin arrows as illustrated in part ( 8 ). an optical signal h of part ( 8 ) is moved to a next position of a middle group of optical signals depicted by thin arrows as illustrated in part ( 9 ). an optical signal i of part ( 9 ) is moved to a next position of a right - side group of optical signals depicted by thick arrows as illustrated in part ( 10 ). an optical signal j of part ( 10 ) is moved to a next position of a right - side group of optical signals depicted by thick arrows as illustrated in part ( 11 ). fig9 to 11 illustrate the wavelength defragmentation in a case where the expanding band is performed . fig9 is a schematic flowchart for performing the wavelength defragmentation with the performance of the expanding band . when the processing is started , whether there is a vacant wavelength in the expanded band is determined in operation s 20 . when the determination of operation s 20 is no , the process goes to operation s 23 . when the determination of operation s 20 is yes , a wavelength of a signal is changed to a wavelength of the expanded band in operation s 21 and whether the number of vacant wavelengths in a signal band ( normal band ) before the expanding band is equal to or more than a given number is determined in operation s 22 . the given number here is arbitrarily set by a system designer . when the determination in operation s 22 is no , the process returns to operation s 20 . when the determination in operation s 22 is yes , wavelengths are changed so that optical signals of the same modulation method in the normal band are gathered for each modulation method in operation s 23 and the wavelengths of signals in the wavelength range are changed to wavelengths of the normal band in operation s 24 after the completion of the gathering . then , the expanded band is returned to the original in operation s 25 , and the processing is ended . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating algorithm of the wavelength defragmentation in a case where the expanding band is performed . in a case where the expanding band is performed , a signal of a predetermined modulation method ( for example , a signal depicted by the thickest arrow in fig1 ) is moved to the expanded band immediately after the wavelength defragmentation is started . subsequently , movement of a wavelength is performed through operations similar to fig6 and 7 , and a signal in the expanded band is moved to a normal band after the completion of the processing . when the wavelength defragmentation is started , optical signals of a predetermined modulation method are moved to the expanded band in operation s 30 . in operation s 31 , i is initialized to 1 . in operation s 32 , a signal of wavelength λi is set to a moving target . in operation s 33 , evaluation values of vacant wavelengths are calculated . in operation s 34 , whether the maximum value of the evaluation values of the vacant wavelengths is larger than an evaluation value of the signal of wavelength λi is determined . when the determination of operation s 34 is yes , the moving target signal is moved to a wavelength of the maximum evaluation value in operation s 35 and the process returns to operation s 31 . when the determination of operation s 34 is no , whether i is the maximum value is determined in operation s 36 . this maximum value is the number of wavelengths which are kept without being moved and are given the numbers in operation s 29 . when the determination of operation s 36 is no , i = i + 1 is set and the process returns to operation s 32 . when the determination of operation s 36 is yes , the signals in the expanded band are moved to the normal band in operation s 38 , and the processing is ended . here , each wavelength is given a number as λ 1 , λ 2 , . . . from a shorter wavelength every time in operation s 29 . further , before the start and after the end of the processing of fig1 , bands of the optical amplifiers are expanded and are returned to the normal band respectively . referring to fig1 , the operation of the wavelength defragmentation in a case where the algorithm of fig1 is employed is described . in part ( 1 ), optical signals of each wavelength are fragmented . in part ( 2 ), all optical signals depicted by thick arrows are moved to the expanded band . then , an optical signal a of part ( 2 ) is moved to a next position of a left - side optical signal beam depicted by a thin arrow in part ( 3 ). an optical signal b of part ( 3 ) is moved to a next position of middle optical signal beam depicted by an intermediate thick arrow in part ( 4 ). an optical signal c of part ( 4 ) is moved to a next position of a left - side group of optical signals depicted by thin arrows in part ( 5 ). an optical signal d of part ( 5 ) is moved to a next position of a group of optical signals depicted by intermediate thick arrows in part ( 6 ). an optical signal e of part ( 6 ) is moved to a next position of a group of optical signals depicted by thin arrows in part ( 7 ). then , the optical signals which are depicted by thick arrows and have been put in the expanded band are moved into the normal band in part ( 8 ). fig1 to 14 illustrate the first configuration of the optical network according to the embodiment . fig1 illustrates the configuration of the optical network . the optical network system includes the optical transmitting / receiving devices 11 - 1 to 11 - 4 for wavelength multiplexing communication , the optical amplifiers 13 - 1 to 13 - 4 for wavelength multiplexing communication , the roadm devices 12 - 1 to 12 - 4 , and the network controller 10 . the network controller 10 manages a wavelength used in the optical network system , the way of setting a path , a vacant wavelength , a modulation method and a modulation rate of each path , and the like . when a path is re - built and a wavelength is switched , for example , the network controller 10 gives operation instruction to control the optical transmitting / receiving devices 11 - 1 to 11 - 4 for wavelength multiplexing communication , the optical amplifiers 13 - 1 to 13 - 4 for wavelength multiplexing communication and the roadm devices 12 - 1 to 12 - 4 . fig1 illustrates the configuration of the roadm device . the roadm device 12 is composed of a coupler 20 and wavelength selective switches ( wss ) 21 - 1 and 21 - 2 . a wavelength division multiplexing ( wdm ) signal inputted into the roadm device 12 is split as a drop signal by the coupler 20 . the drop signal is inputted into the wss 21 - 1 and split for every wavelength so as to be inputted into a corresponding optical receiver ( rx ) 22 - 1 , 22 - 2 , . . . , or 22 - i of the optical transmitting / receiving device . on the other hand , each add signal outputted from the optical transmitter ( tx ) 23 - 1 , 23 - 2 , . . . , or 23 - i is inputted into the wss 21 - 2 and combined with the wdm signal which passes through the coupler 20 so as to be outputted from the roadm device 12 . optical amplifiers 24 and 25 for wavelength multiplexing communication are respectively provided on a former stage and a subsequent stage of the roadm device 12 and amplify the wdm signal . the optical amplifier 24 on the former stage operates as a post - amplifier and the optical amplifier 25 on the subsequent stage operates as a pre - amplifier . a controller 26 ( 1 ) expands wavelength bands of the optical amplifiers 24 and 25 , ( 2 ) changes wavelengths of the optical transmitters 22 - 1 to 22 - i and the optical receivers 23 - 1 to 23 - i , and ( 3 ) changes selection wavelengths of the wss 21 - 1 and 21 - 2 . fig1 illustrates an example of a flowchart of an operation of the optical network system . when the wavelength defragmentation is started , the number of vacant wavelengths of the optical network system is confirmed ( operation s 40 ). in operation s 41 , whether the number of vacant wavelengths is equal to or lower than a given number is determined . at this time , in a case where the number of vacant wavelengths is more than the given number , the wavelengths are rearranged in the normal band without performing the expanding band of the optical amplifiers . on the other hand , in a case where the number of vacant wavelengths is equal to or lower than the given number , the bands of the optical amplifiers are expanded ( operation s 42 ) and the process goes to operation s 43 so as to perform rearrangement of wavelengths . here , it is assumed that the network controller 10 holds information of vacant wavelengths . in the rearrangement of wavelengths , after the wavelength of the optical transmitting / receiving device is changed ( operation s 43 ), the wavelength of the roadm device is changed ( operation s 44 ). the rearrangement of wavelengths ( wavelength defragmentation ) is repeated until optical signals of the same modulation method become adjacent to each other for every modulation method ( in a case where the determination of operation s 45 becomes no ). when the rearrangement of wavelengths is completed ( in a case where the determination of operation s 45 is yes ), whether the expanding band has been performed is determined in operation s 46 . when it is determined that the expanding band is not performed in operation s 46 , the processing is ended , and when it is determined that the expanding band is performed , the bands of the optical amplifiers are returned to the normal state in operation s 47 and the operation of the wavelength defragmentation is completed . the wavelength defragmentation may be performed when the number of guard bands exceeds a given number or may be performed regularly such as once a day or once a month , for example . fig1 to 19 illustrate configuration examples of an optical amplifier for wavelength multiplexing communication which is used in the optical network system of the embodiment . fig1 and 16 illustrate a first configuration example of the optical amplifier . as depicted in fig1 , an erbium doped fiber amplifier ( edfa ) is commonly used as the optical amplifier for wavelength multiplexing communication . the edfa includes optical isolators 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 , pumping optical couplers 31 - 1 , 31 - 2 , and 31 - 3 , pumping light sources 32 - 1 , 32 - 2 , and 32 - 3 , erbium doped fibers ( edf ) 33 - 1 and 33 - 2 , a gain equalizer ( geq ) 34 , and a variable optical attenuator ( voa ) 35 . pumping light of the pumping light source 32 - 1 is inputted into the edf 33 - 1 and is used for amplification of optical signal . the optical signal amplified in the edf 33 - 1 is inputted into the gain equalizer 34 . the gain equalizer 34 adjusts intensity of optical signal of each wavelength so as to flat gain deviation of the edf 33 - 1 . the voa 35 adjusts attenuation quantity when the intensity of the inputted signal is changed and thus keeps the gain of whole of the optical amplifier steady so as to keep the gain deviation of the optical amplifier flat . pumping light from the pumping light sources 32 - 2 and 32 - 3 is inputted into the edf 33 - 2 and the optical signal from the voa 35 is amplified . the optical signal amplified in the edf 33 - 2 is outputted as an output signal . a wavelength property of a gain of the edfs 33 - 1 and 33 - 2 is determined by an operation point ( population inversion ratio ) which is determined by pumping power outputted from the pumping power source . this wavelength property of the gain is illustrated in fig1 . in fig1 , a horizontal axis represents a wavelength and a vertical axis represents a relative gain coefficient . as illustrated in fig1 , when pumping power is increased , an operation point increases and a gain wavelength band expands . in fig1 , it is assumed that the population inversion ratio is 0 . 7 before the expanding band and the population inversion ratio becomes 0 . 8 after the expanding band . at this time , though the gain wavelength property is flat in the normal operation , deviation of the gain wavelength property is generated by changing the operation point . the deviation of the gain wavelength property is flatted by controlling voas 36 for respective optical signal which are included in the wss 21 - 2 of the roadm device 12 . though power consumption of the whole system temporarily increases by increasing pumping power of the pumping light sources 32 - 1 to 32 - 3 , the operation of the optical amplifier is returned to the original after the end of the wavelength defragmentation and thereby the power consumption is also returned to the normal state . further , deviation of the gain property is flatted by controlling the voa 35 of the optical amplifier as well . deviation of the gain property is flatted by controlling the attenuation quantity of the voa 35 and adjusting the gain of the whole of the optical amplifier . the voa 35 is controlled by an optical amplifier controller 37 which controls the optical amplifier . the optical amplifier controller 37 controls output power of the pumping light sources 32 - 1 to 32 - 3 as well . that is , the optical amplifier controller 37 increases output power of the pumping light sources 32 - 1 to 32 - 3 in a case where expanding band is performed and the optical amplifier controller 37 returns the output power to the original output power in a case where the band is returned to the normal band . the attenuation quantity of the voa 36 in the wss 21 - 2 of the roadm device 12 is controlled by a roadm controller 38 . the roadm controller 38 and the controller 26 of fig1 function in the same fashion . the roadm controller 38 and the optical amplifier controller 37 perform control operations in response to instructions of the network controller 10 which manages the whole network . fig1 and 18 illustrate a second configuration example of an optical amplifier . in fig1 , elements same as those in fig1 are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted . in fig1 and 18 , an operation point of an edfa is increased so as to expand a gain wavelength band as is the same with fig1 and 16 . deviation of the gain wavelength property generated at this time is compensated by an active gain equalizer ( ageq ) 40 so as to flat the gain wavelength property . in the expanding band , output power of the pumping light sources 32 - 1 to 32 - 3 is increased so as to increase the population inversion ratio of the edfs 33 - 1 and 33 - 2 larger than the normal state . fig1 illustrates a gain property of the edfs 33 - 1 and 33 - 2 . fig1 illustrates a gain property for each population inversion ratio as is the case with fig1 . a horizontal axis of fig1 represents a wavelength and a vertical axis represents a relative gain coefficient . it is assumed that the population inversion ratio is approximately 0 . 7 before the expanding band and the population inversion ratio is approximately 0 . 8 after the expanding band . when the population inversion ratio is 0 . 8 , the gain is higher than that in a case of the population inversion ratio of 0 . 7 and a band available for signal amplification is expanded , but gain deviation is increased . accordingly , the gain deviation is flatted by the ageq 40 so as to maintain a transmission property of optical signal . of course , attenuation quantity of the voa 35 may be simultaneously controlled . though operation efficiency is degraded due to the increase of the output power of the pumping light source in the expanding band , the band is returned to the normal band after the end of the wavelength defragmentation and the optical network system is operated in a state of excellent operation efficiency in the normal operation . fig1 illustrates a third configuration example of an optical amplifier . in fig1 , elements same as those in fig1 are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted . fig1 illustrates an example that a post amplifier which is on a former stage of the optical amplifier is composed of a combination of an edfa and a distributed raman amplifier ( dra ). the dra inputs pumping light from raman pumping light sources 45 - 1 and 45 - 2 into a transmission path and uses a generated raman gain for amplification . the pumping light from the raman pumping light sources 45 - 1 and 45 - 2 are multiplexed in a coupler 46 and introduced to the transmission path via a coupler 47 . generally , a band of one pumping light beam is not sufficient in the raman amplification , so that a plurality of pumping light beams of different wavelengths is commonly used in the raman amplification . in this example , it is set that two pumping light beams of different wavelengths are used . for example , it is set that the pumping light source 45 - 1 is used to amplify a short wavelength side and the pumping light source 45 - 2 is used to amplify a long wavelength side . at this time , a gain wavelength property of a raman gain is determined by a combination of wavelengths and power of the raman pumping light sources 45 - 1 and 45 - 2 . in the configuration of fig1 , deviation of the gain wavelength property which is generated by increasing the operation point of the edfa is compensated by adjusting a power ratio of the raman pumping light sources 45 - 1 and 45 - 2 . for example , it is assumed that the population inversion ratio of the edfs 33 - 1 and 33 - 2 is increased due to an expanding band operation . apparent from fig1 and 18 , when the population inversion ratio is increased , a gain is increased in the edfas , but increase of the gain at the short wavelength side is large and increase of the gain at the long wavelength side is small . accordingly , it is desirable that the gain at the long wavelength side is made larger so as to attain a flat gain property in the whole amplification band . in this case , when raman amplification is performed , output power of pumping light of the pumping light source 45 - 2 which is used for amplification of the long wavelength side is made larger than output power of pumping light of the pumping light source 45 - 1 which is used for amplification of the short wavelength side . accordingly , optical signal at the long wavelength side is further amplified by the raman amplification and a total gain property of the raman amplifiers and the edfas becomes flatter . fig2 to 23 illustrate the configuration of a second embodiment . wavelengths have to be switched in wavelength rearrangement in the configuration of the above - described first embodiment , so that signal disconnection occurs . fig2 illustrates the configuration of a roadm device which can rearrange wavelengths without generating signal disconnection in an operation . in fig2 , elements same as those of fig1 are given the same reference characters and the description thereof is omitted . in the configuration of the second embodiment , in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment , optical receivers 50 - i + 1 to 50 - j , optical transmitters 51 - i + 1 to 51 - j , data switches 52 and 53 , or circuits 54 - 1 to 54 - i , and branch circuits 55 - 1 to 55 - i are provided , for the expanding band . fig2 and 22 illustrate an operation example . here , it is assumed that there are three optical signals of λ 1 to λ 3 in the normal band and optical signals of two wavelengths can be stored in the expanded band . first , it is considered that a signal of λ 2 is arranged on λ 4 . in part ( 1 ), the switch 53 of the optical transmitter is switched so as to copy a transmission data signal , which is inputted into λ 2 , to λ 4 . at this point , the same data signal flows in λ 2 and λ 4 . subsequently , in part ( 2 ), the switch 52 of the optical receiver is switched so as to obtain theoretical sum of outputs of λ 4 and λ 2 as a reception signal . at this point , the signal of 22 is copied to 24 . subsequently , in part ( 3 ), the optical transmitter of λ 2 and the optical receiver are respectively blocked and the rearrangement from λ 2 to λ 4 is completed . next , in part ( 4 ), rearrangement from λ 3 to λ 5 is performed in a similar manner to the operation from parts ( 1 ) to ( 3 ). rearrangement from λ 4 to λ 3 is performed in part ( 5 ) and rearrangement from λ 5 to λ 2 is performed in part ( 6 ). accordingly , rearrangement of wavelengths is enabled without data disconnection . fig2 illustrates a processing flow for wavelength change . when the wavelength change processing is started , the switch 53 of the optical transmitter is switched in operation s 50 and data of optical signal of a wavelength of a movement source is put on optical signal of a wavelength of a movement destination as well . in operation s 51 , the switch 52 of the optical receiver is switched so as to receive data which is put on the optical signal of the wavelength of the movement destination as well as data which is put on the optical signal of the wavelength of the movement source . the optical transmitter of the wavelength of the movement source is stopped in operation s 52 , and the optical receiver of the wavelength of the movement source is stopped in operation s 53 . accordingly , the wavelength of the optical signal is changed from the movement source to the movement destination . in operation s 54 , whether the wavelength defragmentation is ended is determined . when the wavelength defragmentation is not ended , the process is returned to operation s 50 and the processing is repeated . when the wavelength defragmentation is ended , the processing is ended . fig2 and 25 illustrate another example of a wavelength moving method . the network controller 10 monitors the number of guard bands , and when the number of guard bands is equal to or more than a given number , the network controller 10 performs the wavelength defragmentation , or the network controller 10 regularly performs the wavelength defragmentation . then , as illustrated in fig2 , the network controller 10 preferentially rearranges optical signal of a modulation method of which an osnr tolerance property in the expanding band ( for example , 10 gbit / s nrz modulation method ) is superior , in a band which is expanded . that is , the expanded band is not normally used in the expanding band and the expanded band is a band in which the population inversion ratio of the edf of the optical amplifier is not optimum . accordingly , much noise is put on optical signal in such expanded band . optical signal of a high speed modulation method such as optical signal of 100 gbit / s dp - qpsk modulation method has a low osnr tolerance property . therefore , if such optical signal is moved to the expanded band in the wavelength defragmentation , the osnr is degraded and a transmittable distance becomes short . accordingly , a signal of a modulation method of which an osnr tolerance property is high is preferentially moved to the expanded band in the wavelength defragmentation . signals of a modulation method of which the osnr tolerance property is low are rearranged in the normal band . as illustrated in fig2 , optical signals of a modulation method of which the osnr tolerance property is low are gathered in a wavelength band of which the osnr tolerance property is superior and optical signals of a modulation method of which the osnr tolerance property is high are gathered to a band of which the osnr tolerance property is relatively inferior , in the rearrangement by the wavelength defragmentation . the network controller 10 preliminarily holds information that which optical signal &# 39 ; s modulation method &# 39 ; s osnr tolerance property is high or low and information of a wavelength band of which the osnr tolerance property is superior , and the network controller 10 performs rearrangement of wavelengths by using the information in performing the wavelength defragmentation . the network controller 10 , the controller 26 , the optical amplifier controller 37 and roadm controller 38 may include a memory which stores a program and data and a processor which executes the program , and part of the function of the optical network system described above may be realized by software . all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions , nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention . although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , it should be understood that the various changes , substitutions , and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
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