Split (3)

train · 25k rows

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it will be readily understood that the connection box assemblies of the present invention , as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein , could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . thus , the description herein is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , but is merely representative of certain presently preferred embodiments of devices and systems in accordance with the invention . those of ordinary skill in the art will , of course , appreciate that various modifications to the details herein may easily be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention , as described . thus , the following information is intended only by way of example , and simply illustrates certain presently preferred embodiments consistent with the invention . referring to fig1 , in discussing the figures , it may be advantageous to establish a reliable coordinate system to aid in the description of several of the embodiments in accordance with the present invention . coordinate axes 11 may be defined by longitudinal 11 a , lateral 11 b , and transverse directions 11 c substantially orthogonal to one another . a connection box assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention may provide an apparatus for securing a fixture 12 to a connection box 14 . in a factory manufacturing process , an anchor 16 may be secured to the fixture 12 . the connection box 14 to which the fixture 12 is to be secured may have a receiver 18 associated therewith for admitting and retaining the anchor 16 . thus , the anchor 16 and receiver 18 may be intermediaries in the securement of the fixture 12 to the connection box 14 . a face plate 20 may be provided to cover and hide the wiring and access holes therebehind . a fixture 12 may be any suitable piece for which securement is desired . for example , a fixture 12 may be a power receptacle , power switch , light fixture , telephone jack , network jack , cable connector , stereo system connector , information system connector , or any other unit 12 for which permanent or removable securement to a connection box 14 may be desired . in a similar manner , the connection box 14 may be any box to which a fixture 12 may be secured . a connection box 14 may be constructed of any suitable material . suitable materials may include without limitation metals , polymers , composites , and the like . additionally , a connection box 14 , in accordance with the present invention , may be of any suitable size . for example , a connection box 14 may be a single gang , double gang , triple gang , quadruple gang , quintuple gang , or the like . the concepts presented herein are illustrated as a single gang box , however , the principles and concepts may easily be expanded to multiple - gang connection boxes . embodiments in accordance with the present invention may be particularly well suited to assemblies that may be assembled in the field ( i . e . not in a factory ). such field assemblies need not be limited to connection box assemblies 10 . embodiments in accordance with the present invention may provide convenience and ease of assembly in the field where less than perfect conditions are often encountered . an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may be constructed , formed , machined , extruded , molded , cast , or otherwise made from any suitable material . suitable materials may include without limitation metals , polymers , composites , or the like . for example , in certain embodiments , an anchor 16 may be formed of a polymer in a molding process . an anchor 16 may be secured to a fixture 12 in any suitable manner . in certain embodiments , an anchor 16 may be secured to a fixture 12 by a fastener 22 such as a bolt , rivet , screw , engagement prong , engagement hook , or the like . in other embodiments , an anchor 16 may be glued or otherwise bonded to a fixture 12 . additionally , an anchor 16 may be formed as an integral part of the fixture 12 . each form of attachment between the anchor 16 and the fixture 12 may have particular advantages . in certain applications , such as the installation of power receptacles 12 , switches 12 , computer network outlets 12 , cable television outlets 12 , and the like an installer may need to remove a fixture 12 to gain access to something ( e . g . wiring ) tucked therebehind . in such a situation , screws 22 may provide an ideal attachment between the anchor 16 and the fixture 12 . the screws 22 may be removed , thus freeing the fixture 12 . the anchors 16 may maintain engagement with the connection box 14 . after the revisions are complete the fixture 12 may once again be secured to the anchors 16 by the insertion of the screws 22 previously removed . in selected applications , multiple points of securement between a fixture 12 and a connection box 14 may exist . in such situations , an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may be applied to all or a subset of the securement locations . for example , power receptacles 12 and switches 12 are typically secured to connection boxes 14 by two screws spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction 11 a . an anchor 16 a , 16 b may be applied to fasteners 22 a , 22 b respectively . similarly , a connection box 14 may have multiple receivers 18 a , 18 b to engage both anchors 16 a , 16 b , respectively . the method of engagement between a receiver 18 and an anchor 14 may be selected to provide a fast , clean securement . by so doing , the fixture 12 may be secured to the connection box 14 in a minimum amount of time . for example , installers ( e . g . electricians , network technicians , cable television installers , and the like ) spend a large portion of their installation time screwing fixtures 12 to connection boxes 14 . in certain embodiments in accordance with the present invention , a fastener 22 ( e . g . screw 22 ) may be introduced to secure an anchor 16 to the appropriate locations on a fixture 12 by a manufacturing machine . thus , the installation of the fastener 22 may be performed in ideal conditions with proper alignment and fast tool speeds . in the field , when an installer installs the fixture 12 , the time consuming screw installation no longer needs to be performed . an anchor 16 may simply be inserted into a receiver 18 . the embodiments of the fixture 12 , connection box 14 , anchors 16 a , 16 b , receivers 18 a , 18 b , and face plate 20 , as illustrated in fig1 may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations that fall within the scope of the present invention . thus , the description hereinabove is not intended to limit the scope of the possible embodiments , but is merely representative of certain presently preferred embodiments of devices and systems in accordance with the invention . the information is intended only by way of example . referring to fig2 , an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may have an engagement mechanism 24 configured to provide a mechanical grip with a receiver 18 . if an anchor 16 is to be secured to a fixture 12 by a bolt 22 or screw 22 , a threaded aperture 26 may be formed therein . the threaded aperture 26 may extend completely or only partially through the anchor 16 in a transverse direction 11 c . a length 28 of the engagement mechanism 24 may be selected to provide a desired number of engagement locations 30 . in selected embodiments , each engagement location 30 is a tooth 30 . additionally , the engagement length 28 and the number of engagement locations 30 may be selected to permit insertion of the anchor 16 a desired distance into the receiver 18 . thus , providing a desired alignment of the fixture 12 with respect to the connection box 14 . in selected embodiments , an anchor 14 in accordance with the present invention may include a spacer 32 . the length 34 of the spacer 32 may be selected to provide additional control over the spacing of the fixture 12 in relation to the connection box 14 . in certain embodiments , one end 36 of the anchor 16 may be formed to promote easy insertion into the receiver 18 . for example , an end 36 may be pointed , rounded , tapered , or otherwise formed . an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may have any suitable cross - section . for example , the cross - section may be rectangular , circular , triangular , oval , an unconventional shape , or the like . the cross - sectional shape of an anchor 16 may be selected to resist rotation about a transverse axis 11 c once installed inside a receiver 18 . for example , an anchor 16 having a generally circular cross - section may have a key - way formed therein to correspond to a key formed or located in the receiver 18 . the shape and configuration of a receiver 18 may be selected to match and complement the particular shape of a selected anchor 16 . for example , if an anchor 16 having a rectangular cross section is desired , the receiver 18 may be formed to have a generally rectangular shape . thus , the receiver 18 may admit the anchor 16 and hold the anchor 16 securely without motion ( e . g rotation about a transverse axis 11 c ) therebetween . referring to fig3 , in certain embodiments , an anchor 16 may have multiple sliding surfaces 38 to promote ease of insertion and proper alignment . a recessed groove 40 may be formed in one or more surfaces 38 of the anchor 16 to provide a location for disposition of an engagement mechanism 24 . such an engagement mechanism 24 may be recessed to reduce the risk of interfering with proper insertion of the anchor 16 into the receiver 18 . referring to fig4 , an anchor 16 may have a generally circular cross - section . in such an embodiment , the anchor may include a single flat 42 or may include a plurality of flats 42 that provide a location for disposition of an engagement mechanism 24 . the flats 42 may also provide a location for a corresponding receiver 18 to engage the anchor 16 to resist rotation about a transverse axis 11 c . fig4 also illustrates an alternative embodiment of a fastener 22 in accordance with the present invention . opposing engagement hooks 22 may be shaped to promote insertion into a corresponding aperture in a fixture 12 . the engagement hooks 22 may be formed to engage an aperture of any suitable shape ( e . g . circular , oval , triangular , or the like ). the illustrated engagement hooks 22 have been formed in a shape to fit a square aperture . a square aperture may provide a mechanism to resist rotation of the anchor 16 about a transverse axis 11 c with respect to a corresponding fixture 12 . engagement hooks 22 in accordance with the present invention may flex to allow an anchor 16 to be separated from the fixture 12 to which the anchor 16 is attached . once separated , the anchor 16 and fixture 12 may be reattached by reinserting the engagement hooks 22 of the anchor 16 through the corresponding aperture in the fixture 12 . the embodiments of anchors 16 , as illustrated in fig2 - 4 could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations that fall within the scope of the present invention . thus , the description hereinabove is not intended to limit the scope of the possible embodiments , but is merely representative of certain presently preferred embodiments of devices and systems in accordance with the invention . the information is intended only by way of example and not by way of limitation . referring to fig5 - 6 while continuing to refer generally to fig1 - 4 , as discussed hereinabove , an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may have multiple sliding surfaces 38 . the sliding surfaces 38 may maintain proper alignment of the anchor 16 with respect to the receiver 18 . in selected embodiments , a receiver 18 in accordance with the present invention may include an engagement mechanism 39 . this engagement mechanism 39 may be configured to engage the engagement mechanism 24 of an anchor 16 . in selected embodiments , an engagement mechanism 39 may comprise hooks 44 or barbs 44 . these barbs 44 may extend from the receiver 18 with a shape selected to engage the teeth 30 of the anchor 16 . the engagement of the hooks 44 and teeth 30 may be selected to provide unidirectional motion so that an anchor 16 may be easily inserted yet resist removal in a transverse direction 11 c . the number of teeth 30 and the incremental distance 46 therebetween may be selected to provide a continuum of possible locking positions between the anchor 16 and the receiver 18 . referring to fig7 - 8 while continuing to refer generally to fig1 - 6 , in an alternative embodiment , an anchor 16 may include a single hook 44 . in selected embodiments , an anchor 16 may include multiple hooks 44 . a flexible region 48 may permit a hook 44 to flex as it “ clicks ” or passes over the teeth 30 of a receiver 18 . as discussed hereinabove and as best shown in fig8 , the number of teeth 30 and the incremental distance 46 therebetween may be selected to provide a continuum of possible locking positions between the anchor 16 and the receiver 18 . referring to fig9 , in selected embodiments , the engagement between an anchor 16 and a receiver 18 may not be incremental , rather a single locking position may be defined . in such an embodiment , the anchor 16 may be inserted into the receiver 18 until a lock 50 is activated . in selected embodiments , a lock 50 may consist of a hook 44 secured on the distal end of a flexible region 48 . a stop 52 may provide a register to correctly position the anchor 16 with respect to the receiver 18 . when the anchor 16 is inserted to the stop 52 , a hook 44 may engage an engagement location 30 of the receiver 18 . referring to fig1 , the length 28 ( see fig2 ) of the engagement mechanism 24 may be selected to best match the particular application to which the engagement mechanism 24 may be applied . for example , the installation of a light fixture 12 may be simplified by employing a comparatively long anchor 16 having a similarly long engagement mechanism 24 . in such an application , two long anchors 16 may be secured to the fixture 12 . the anchors 16 may be introduced into the corresponding receivers 18 a distance sufficient to engage the engagement mechanisms 39 thereof . the anchors 16 may then hold the fixture 12 in place while the installer proceeds to connect the necessary wires 54 . upon completion of the connecting of the wires 54 , the fixture 12 may be pushed in a transverse direction 11 c until a proper position is achieved . thus , the installer need not hold the fixture 12 while connecting wires 54 and tightening terminal screws 56 . referring to fig1 , a receiver 18 may be associated with a connection box 14 in any suitable manner . in selected embodiments , the receiver 18 may be formed as an integral part of the connection box 14 . this forming may be part of a molding process . that is , the receiver 18 may be molded as part of the connection box 14 in its original forming process . fig1 illustrates an embodiment in which the receiver 18 is formed by stamping selected shapes from a metal connection box 14 and then bending the cut portions in a selected direction to form a guide 57 and an engagement mechanism 39 . in an alternative embodiment , a receiver 18 may be formed ( e . g . molded , extruded , cast , machined , stamped , or the like ) and then joined to the connection box 14 . such a joining may be accomplished by bolting , screwing , welding , gluing , bonding , or the like . referring to fig1 , connection boxes 14 are typically installed and wired before the installation of the wall paneling ( e . g ., ceiling paneling and the like ). fixtures 12 and face plates 20 are typically installed after the installation of the wall paneling . the installation of wall paneling often involves the application of dry wall compound . it is very common for clumps of dry wall compound to be inadvertently introduced inside a previously installed connection box 14 . receivers 18 in accordance with the present invention may be formed in a manner to greatly limit the adverse effects of misplaced dry wall compound . for example , if dry wall compound were placed in the receiver entrance 58 , the receiver may be formed to have an open back exit 59 . thus , anchor 16 may be inserted into the receiver 18 and any clump of dry wall compound may simply be pushed out the back 59 of the receiver 18 . the back 59 may be open to the exterior of the connection box 14 . the back 59 may also be configured to open to the interior of the connection box 14 . in such a configuration , a dry wall compound clump will be pushed to the interior of the connection box 14 where it can do no harm . embodiments in accordance with the present invention may be applied to any unit 12 for which permanent or removable securement to a connection box 14 is desired . data terminals such as phone jacks , network jacks , cable connections , and the like may not have a fixture 12 associated therewith . these applications may deliver a transmission line to a jack 60 or connector 60 mounted directly in a face plate 20 . the face plate 20 provides the structure and support for the jack 60 , and indeed may provide many of the same functions as a fixture 12 . typically these face plates have been secured directly to a corresponding connection box by multiple screws . installation of such screws presents difficulties similar to those encountered in the installation of fixtures 12 . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of a jack connection box assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention . interface members 62 a , 62 b may provide an interface between a face plate 20 and anchors 16 a , 16 b . in selected embodiments , the interface members 62 may include an aperture 64 to accommodate securement of an anchor 16 . additional apertures 66 may provide locations for the face plate 20 to engage the interface members 62 . in certain embodiments , extensions 68 or “ dog ears ” 68 may be incorporated to hold each interface member 62 flush with the wall paneling . the interface members 62 may be formed in any suitable shape for providing adequate engagement between an anchor 16 and a face plate 20 . in one embodiment , the interface members 62 are generally flat pieces having multiple apertures 64 , 66 and extensions 68 . the interface members 62 may be constructed of any suitable material . in selected embodiments , interface members 62 may be formed by stamping sheet metal . in alternative embodiments , interface members 62 may be molded from a polymer , a composite , or the like . referring to fig1 - 15 , as discussed hereinabove , after the installation of a fixture 12 , a face plate 20 is typically secured thereto to hide the under workings from view . conventional face plates 20 are often secured by at least one screw . screws and other securement devices may be unsightly . screws used to secure face plates 20 to receptacles and switches are typically painted and are , therefore , exposed to chipping , tarnishing , wear , oxidation , and the like . in such applications , it may be desirable to provide a snap - on assembly to provide fast securement of a face plate 20 without the use of screws . fig1 - 15 illustrate one embodiment of a screwless face plate 20 in accordance with the present invention . in selected embodiments , a face plate 20 may include engagement prongs 70 . the engagement prongs 70 may engage a fixture 12 and maintain the face plate 20 aligned and secured thereto . thus , once a face plate 20 has been attached , a complete fixture 12 assembly may be quickly and easily wired and then secured to a corresponding connection box 14 . selected fixtures 12 in accordance with the present invention may include flanges 72 . flanges 72 a , 72 b may extend away from a main body 74 of a fixture 12 in a longitudinal direction 11 a . in selected embodiments , the flanges 72 may include an aperture 64 to accommodate the securement of an anchor 16 . additional apertures 66 may provide locations for the engagement prongs 70 of the face plate 20 to engage the flanges 72 . in certain embodiments , extensions 68 or “ dog ears ” 68 may be selected to hold the fixture 12 flush with the wall paneling . engagement prongs 70 in accordance with the present invention may be formed to have multiple hooks 76 a , 76 b , 76 c , 76 d . the hooks 76 may be secured to the face plate 20 by flexible necks 78 a , 78 b , 78 c , 78 d , respectively . a flex clearance 80 may be provided between the hooks 76 so that as the prong 70 is inserted through an aperture 66 , the hooks 76 may deflect toward each other , thus , effectively reducing the diameter of the prong 70 . once the prong 70 has passed through the aperture 66 , the hooks 76 may return to their neutral position and engage the edges of the aperture 66 . referring to fig1 and 17 , in selected embodiments , the hooks 76 may be shaped to release at a desired removal loading , thus , once the face plate 20 is removed , the face plate 20 may be used again . for example , the hooks 76 may be provided with an inside taper 82 . the inside taper 82 may allow each hook 76 to gradually flex and bend towards the flex clearance 80 as the face plate 20 is pulled away from the fixture 12 so that the effective diameter of the engagement prong 70 may be reduced and the prong 70 may be removed from the aperture 66 . in an alternative embodiment , a face plate 20 in accordance with the present invention may be removed by applying sufficient force to fail the hooks 66 . a screwless face plate 20 in accordance with the present invention may be formed of any suitable material . this material may be selected based on several characteristics including cost , aesthetics , dielectric constant , thermal capacity , strength , toughness , flexibility , formability , and the like . engagement prongs 70 in accordance with the present invention may have any suitable configuration . the number of prongs 70 may range from one to several and be selected to provide a balanced securement between a face plate 20 and a fixture 12 . the number of hooks 76 making up each prong 70 may also range from one to several depending on a desired engagement strength , ease of manufacture , ease of installation , ease of removal , and the like . in certain embodiments , the engagement strength may be balanced with a desired release loading . the general shape or contour of the prongs 70 may also be selected to provide a desired engagement strength , ease of manufacture , ease of installation , ease of removal , and the like . referring to fig1 - 20 , alternative embodiments in accordance with the present invention may employ alternative methods for securing a screwless face plate 20 to a fixture 12 . in one alternative embodiment , a flange 72 a of a fixture 12 may have an engagement lip 84 formed therein . a extension 86 may be formed in association with a corresponding face plate 20 . the engagement lip 84 may be configured to fit behind the extension 86 to hold the upper portion of the face plate 20 to the flange 72 a . an aperture 66 may be formed in a flange 72 b of the fixture 12 . a corresponding engagement prong 70 may be formed in association with the face plate 20 . the prong 70 illustrated in fig1 - 19 is an example of a single hook , rectangular prong 70 . the aperture 66 may be shaped to correspond to the design of the prong 70 . in selected embodiments , the lip 84 / extension 86 and aperture 66 / prong 70 combinations may cooperate to secure the face plate 20 to the fixture 12 . such an embodiment may be installed by first inserting the lip 84 behind the extension 86 and then rotating the face plate 20 down against the fixture 12 until the prong ( s ) 70 may be inserted into the corresponding aperture ( s ) 66 . the prong 70 engagement may provide a tie to resist the tendency of the lip 84 to disengage from the extension 86 . an engagement lip 84 in accordance with the present invention may be divided into multiple engagement lips 84 . in selected embodiments , an upper flange 72 a may be formed into two lips 84 a , 84 b . the lips 84 a , 84 b may be separated by a notch 88 . a stop 90 may be formed as part of a corresponding extension 86 . the stop 90 may fit into the notch 88 to prevent lateral motion between the upper flange 72 a and the face plate 20 . in certain embodiments , ends 92 may form an enclosure 94 in combination with an extension 86 and corresponding face plate 20 . the ends 92 may function to laterally retain the lip 84 of a flange 72 a , when assembled . in selected embodiments , a face plate 20 in accordance with the present invention may have an access notch 96 . in certain embodiments , an access notch 96 may simply provide a hold to permit the application of force to “ pop ” a face plate 20 from a corresponding fixture 12 . in alternative embodiments , the access notch 96 may provide access behind the face plate 20 to a slender tool . the slender tool may then be used to assist in the release of an engagement prong 70 . referring to fig2 , an alternative embodiment of an engagement between a screwless face plate 20 and a fixture 12 may involve the engagement of an edge 98 of the flanges 72 of the fixture 12 . one or more of the engagement prongs 70 of the face plate 20 may be configured to engage an edge 98 . in selected embodiments , the prongs 70 may be formed to have a hook 76 and a flexible neck 78 . in certain embodiments , a flange 72 may include a formation 100 to resist motion in a longitudinal direction 11 a of a face plate 70 with respect thereto . such a formation 100 may be formed by bending , cutting and bending , notching , or similarly modifying the edge 98 to resist sliding of a prong 70 therealong in a longitudinal direction 11 a . referring to fig2 , an alternative embodiment of an engagement between a screwless face plate 20 and a fixture 12 may involve an engagement between a face plate 20 and an interface 104 of a fixture 12 . typically , the interface 104 of a fixture 12 extends a selected distance 106 to provide a flush joint with a face plate 20 . that is , the interface 104 extends to provide a facing 108 that may be substantially coplanar with a surface 110 of the face plate 20 , thereby improving aesthetic appeal . the area of the facing 108 may be selected to correspond to a selected interface 104 . power outlet plugs 104 provide a relatively large surface area . in contrast , switches 104 typically have a toggle central unit and a thin border providing minimal surrounding facing 108 . the extension distance 106 of the electrical interface 104 provides the surface ( substantially perpendicular to the facing 108 ) of an edge 102 . an edge 112 of an aperture 114 ( the aperture 114 may admit the interface 104 through the face plate 20 ) may be configured to engage the edge 102 of the interface 104 . this engagement may be of any suitable form . for example , the engagement may involve any suitable combination of tabs , recesses , hooks , shoulders , and the like . in selected embodiments , the engagement between the edges 102 , 112 may involve tabs 116 formed on the face plate 20 and recesses 118 formed in the interface 104 . the shape , number , and location of these corresponding pairs may be selected to provide a desired engagement strength , magnitude , and balance . engagement strength refers to the amount of force required to apply and secure the face plate 20 to the fixture 12 or , alternatively , the force required to separate the face plate 20 from the fixture 12 . the engagement strength may be selected to provide fast “ snap - on ” assembly without risking inadvertent removal of the face plate 20 and possible electrical shock resulting therefrom . referring to fig2 and 24 , an adapter 120 may be provided to convert or retrofit a conventional fixture 12 to receive a screwless face plate 20 . in selected embodiments , an adapter 120 in accordance with the present invention may include an aperture 122 corresponding to aperture 64 of a flange 72 . a fastener 22 used to secure an anchor 16 to a fixture 12 may also pass through the aperture 122 to hold an adapter 120 in place against the flange 72 . the adapter 120 may extend to provide apertures 68 for admitting the prongs 70 of a corresponding face plate 20 . in this manner , a snap - on , screwless face plate 20 may be retrofitted to typical power receptacles and switches . an adapter 120 in accordance with the present invention may be formed of any suitable material . in selected embodiments , the adapter 120 may be formed by stamping sheet metal . in an alternative embodiment , the adapter 120 may be a molded polymer or composite . from the above discussion , it will be appreciated that the present invention provides an apparatus and method for fast and simple connection box assembly without screw rotation and the time associated therewith . an embodiment in accordance with the present invention may provide an apparatus for securing a fixture to a connection box . in a factory manufacturing process an anchor may be secured to a fixture . the anchor may have an engagement mechanism formed therewith . a connection box may be provided to house wires proceeding from a source to terminate therein . a receiver may be associated with the connection box . the receiver may have an engagement mechanism formed to receive and retain the engagement mechanism of the anchor . thus , the anchor and receiver may be intermediaries in the securement of the fixture to the connection box . face plates in accordance with the present invention may have engagement prongs . these prongs may be inserted through apertures in a corresponding fixture to maintain the face plate aligned securely thereagainst . a face plate may be installed by simply pressing the engagement prongs through the appropriate apertures in the fixture . once a fixture has been wired and a face plate applied thereto , the resulting assembly may be secured to the connection box by inserting one or more of the attached anchors into corresponding receivers associated with the connection box . the anchor may be inserted a depth into the receiver selected to properly position the face plate . insertion of an anchor into a receiver may be accomplished without the aid of tools . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims , rather than by the foregoing description . all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .	7
referring now in more detail to the drawing , there is shown in fig1 a lathe for forming an optical fiber preform by a vapor deposition process wherein chemical reaction products are deposited on the interior surface of a glass preform starter tube 10 . the lathe includes a frame 11 atop which a headstock 12 and a tailstock 13 are mounted . the headstock 12 and its internal mechanisms rotatably support and drive a chuck 15 while the tailstock 13 and its internal mechanisms similar rotatably support and drive chuck 16 about a common axis with that of chuck 15 . each of the chucks is comprised of radially spaced jaws 18 which are adapted to be moved into and out of gripping engagement with the preform tube or with a tubular extension thereof . centrally apertured heat shields 20 are mounted by pendants 21 to both stocks closely adjacent the rotatable chucks . a hydrogen - oxygen torch 23 is mounted atop a carriage 24 for reciprocal movement between the two heat shields 20 as indicated by arrows 25 . the torch 23 is reciprocated by an unshown , automated drive mechanism which can be manually over - ridden and positioned by a handwheel 26 . similarly , the lateral position of the headstock 12 may be adjusted by a handwheel 27 atop a rail 30 while the position of the tailstock may be manually adjusted over the rail by movement of handwheel 28 . a glass &# 34 ; handle &# 34 ; tube 32 fused to the preform tube 10 extends laterally out from the headstock 12 to a sealed rotary joint schematically illustrated at 33 in fig1 . a conduit 34 extends from the rotary joint to an unshown vapor stream supply source while another conduit 36 extends from the joint to a pressurized oxygen tank . an exhaust hose 37 extends from the tailstock to unshown scrubbers while a scraper rod 48 extends into the tailstock for periodic cleaning purposes . in fig2 and 3 the sealed rotary joint is seen to include a nut 40 which is secured by the use of an unshown swagelock or other type of conventional tube connector snuggly to an end of the glass handle tube 32 . a tubular preform extension 42 has a relatively large portion 43 threadedly secured within the nut 42 and an elongated , relatively slender portion 44 positioned within an open ended bore 46 of a stationary end cap 48 . the rotary joint 33 also has an outer ball bearing 51 mounted to the end cap 48 adjacent the open end of bore 46 . an outer bearing race 53 is rigidly secured to the end cap while the inner bearing race 54 is press fitted about the slender portion 44 of the preform extension tube 42 . bearing balls 55 are rotatably held between the two races between two snap - fit , annular dust shields 57 . an inner ball bearing 59 is also mounted about the end cap bore 46 spaced inwardly from the outer ball bearing 51 . again , the outer race of this bearing is mounted to the end cap while its inner race is press fitted to the preform extension slender portion 44 with balls rotatably positioned between the two races . while the balls of both bearings are spherical other shapes may be used such as cylindrical rollers and the like . thus the term &# 34 ; ball bearing &# 34 ; in this application is intended to include such other type bearings having elements rotatably positioned between inner and outer races . to the other end of the end cap is threaded mounted another nut 60 with an o - ring 62 positioned between it and a spacer 49 about the slender portion 44 of the preform extension tube . a flexible , metallic conduit 34 is placed in fluid communication with the interior of the nut 60 and the extension tube by means of a pipe fitting 64 threaded secured to the nut 60 . the other conduit 36 is placed in fluid communication with the end cap bore 44 via a lateral end cap channel 65 by means of another pipe fitting 67 threadedly mounted to the top of the end cap . the junction of the channel 67 with the bore 46 is seen to be at a point between the two ball bearings but substantially closer to the outer bearing 51 than to the inner bearing 59 and above an annular recess 68 formed in the periphery of the preform extension tube . during chemical vapor deposition the preform tube 10 is rotated by chucks 15 and 16 . a stream s 1 of the aforementioned toxic vapors entrained with oxygen as a carrier gas if fed into the preform tube 10 and its handle tube 32 through pipe fitting 64 , nut 60 and the extension tube 42 members of the rotary joint . as the vapor stream is passed through the rotating preform tube the torch 23 is slowly moved along it repeatedly thereby causing a chemical reaction to occur within the band of heat created by the torch and the products of the reaction to be deposited on the interior surface of the preform tube . the carrier gas , along with an undeposited reaction products , is exhausted out of the preform tube 10 through the exhaust tube 37 to which suction is applied . as the vapor stream s 1 is being fed through the rotary joint and into the preform tube a stream of pure oxygen s 2 is also fed into the end cap bore 46 through channel 65 . this oxygen stream initially contacts and flows around the extension tube 42 at recess 68 . from here most of the oxygen stream flows towards the outer ball bearing 51 which is open to ambient atmosphere since the stream is inhibited from flowing towards the inner bearing 59 due to the relative long , small annular path thereto within the bore about the extension tube , and due to the fact that this path is essentially sealed by the bearing and o - ring 62 . the oxygen flowing through the outer bearing passes over the edge of the loosely fitted annular dust shields 57 to ambient atmosphere as indicated by arrows s 2 in fig3 . conversely , the inner bearing 59 is essentially statically filled with oxygen under positive pressure that is established above the pressure of the vapor stream s 1 flowing into the extension tube . this positive pressure differential prevents any of the vapor stream from entering the inner or outer bearing and escaping into the ambient atmosphere . conversely , should any of the oxygen stream manage to seep past the o - ring and enter the vapor stream , it only provides a very slight increase in the oxygen proportion of that stream and does not make a compositional alteration to the vapor stream . with the just described apparatus significant wobbling of the preform does not cause the clearance between the extension tube slender portion 44 and the wall of the end cap bore 46 to change . this is due to the fact that the conduit 34 to which the end cap 33 is mounted is flexible . this permits the end cap to &# 34 ; float &# 34 ; and move in cooperation with any wobbling motion of the preform tube 10 and handle tube 32 plus the fact that the extension tube 42 is journalled through the two mutually spaced ball bearings . this permits the annular spacing between the extension tube and end cap bore wall to be minimized without danger of mutual contact or binding between joint members . this small clearance in turn minimizes the flow of oxygen over the rotating extension tube towards its open end adjacent o - ring 62 . the positive pressure and flow patterns of the oxygen stream also cleans and cools the bearings and prevent either the corrosive and toxic vapors from contaminating the bearings or ambient moisture from entering the bearings during deposition . in this manner , a highly effective sealed rotary joint is provided . it should be undertood that the just described embodiment merely illustrates principles of the invention in one preferred form . many modifications , additions and deletions may , of course , be made thereto without departure from the spirit and scope thereof as set following claims .	2
referring to fig1 and 2 , there is shown an apparel holder of the invention indicated generally at 10 carrying a plurality of neckties 26 . holder 10 can be used to hold other objects such as bow ties , scarves , belts , laces , and the like in convenient and organized locations such as a closet , storage room or box , travel bag , or suitcase . the objects are retained in positions where they can be easily seen and separately removed from and placed on the holder . holder 10 has a generally rectangular base 11 of rigid plate - like material such as plastic , metal , or wood . the wood can be mahogany . base 11 has a generally flat front side 12 and an opposite or flat back side 13 . a hook 14 is connected to the center of the top of base 11 with a generally u - sahped bracket 16 . a pin 17 connects bracket 16 to base 11 . as seen in fig2 hook 14 has an enlarged head 18 located within brackets 16 to allow the hook 14 to swivel relative to bracket 16 . hook 14 has a c - curved shape of a size to fit on a conventional closet rod . hook 14 can have other shapes and sizes to accommodate a support for the holder . holder 10 has a plurality of swinging arms 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , and 24 forming a first set of arms . a second set of swinging arms 19a - 24a are located on the opposite half of the front side of base 11 . the arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a are used to support a plurality of neck ties or other garments . each arm can hold two or more neck ties . each arm is movable from a closed position extended away from base 11 . when the arm is in the closed position it holds the garment in a selected position . the arm is moved to the open position to release the garment and allow removal of garment from arm and the placing of another garment on the arm . the arm can be moved back to the closed position and retained adjacent base 11 without supporting a garment . referring to fig4 arm 24 has a generally u - shaped body 27 with an inwardly directed finger 28 at its inner end and a downwardly directed leg or pivot member 29 at its outer end . arm 24 is a single rod or wire with the finger 28 extended normally or horizontal to the vertical leg 29 . the arms 19 - 24 are pivotally connected to the outer side edge of base 11 with a hinge assembly indicated generally at 31 . returning to fig1 and 2 , hinge assembly 31 has a plurality of vertically aligned ears 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , and 37 extended along the right edge of base 11 . a stop 38 is located above top ear 32 . each ear 32 - 37 has a generally rectangular slot 39 , as seen in fig6 and 7 , that rotatably accommodates a leg 29 of an arm . an elongated holding rod or bar 41 having a convex surface 42 retains legs 39 in rotating upright positions in the ears 32 - 37 . the opposite side of base 11 has corresponding ears 32a , 33a , 34a , 35a , 36a , and 37a that accommodates the legs for the arms 19a - 24a . ears 32 - 37 and 32a - 37a allow arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a to pivot individually in an outward direction away from base 11 to open positions so that the ties and other garments can be placed on and removed from the u - shaped bodies of the arms . arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a are held in their closed position adjacent base 11 by a releasable lock assembly indicated generally at 43 in fig1 and 5 . lock assembly 43 comprises an elongated lock plate 44 that is slidably positioned along the longitudinal axis of the front side 12 of base 11 . plate 44 has an elongated longitudinal slots 46 , 47 , and 48 that accommodates screws 49 , 50 , and 51 . as seen in fig5 screws 49 - 51 extend through slots 46 - 48 respectively and are fastened to base 11 . the screws 49 - 51 can be threaded into base 11 . alternatively , a captured nut can be located within base 11 to accommodate the threads of the screws . also , screws 49 - 51 can be adhesively bonded to base 11 . the upper end of plate 44 has an outwardly directed tab 52 that functions as a finger grip to allow plate 44 to be moved between its up locked position and down unlocked position . a hitch or catch indicated generally at 53 located above plate 44 is used to hold plate 44 in its up or locked position . catch 53 comprises a pin 54 secured to base 11 and a generally c - shaped clamp 56 is adapted to fit around or grip on pin 54 to hold plate 44 in an up or locked position . the arms of the clamp 56 can be biased outwardly to an open position to allow plate 44 to be moved down to its released position . the arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a can then be swung forward or away from base 11 so that it can be unloaded or loaded with neck ties and like garments . plate 44 has a plurality of vertically aligned hooks 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , and 62 that hold arms 19 - 23 and 19a - 23a in their in or closed position adjacent base 11 . each hook , as seen in fig5 has an upwardly opened end or mouth laterally spaced from the outside of plate 44 to accommodate the inwardly directed fingers of arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a . each hook accommodates two fingers from the laterally spaced arms . the hooks 57 - 62 , as seen in fig5 may be stamped out of the metal plate 44 . alternatively , separate hook structures can be attached to plate 44 . referring to fig3 the back side of base 11 has a plurality of vertical rows of holes 63 , 64 , and 65 . preferably , four holes are located in each row of holes . rows of holes 64 extend down the longitudinal center of base 11 . holes 63 and 65 are transversely aligned and are located on opposite sides of the vertical row of holes 64 . adjacent holes in rows of holes 63 , 64 , and 65 are equally spaced from each other . returning to fig5 the holes 64 have enlarged annular interior rims that provides for an annular lip 66 . the lip 66 is used to accommodate a clamp of a snap tie so that snap ties and bow ties can be attached to the back of base 11 . the traveling of the holder is used to accommodate a plurality of neck ties including bow ties and like garments with either a suitcase or storage in a closet or the like . hook 14 is used to hold the tie holder in place in the suitcase or support to tie holder on a horizontal closet hanger or hook . the ties on arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a are maintained in a straight and orderly fashion so they are readily accessible to the user . lock plate 44 is forced down to a released position . this moves the fingers from arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a out from under hooks 57 - 62 . the arms can be individually moved to an out position where the tie draped over the arms can be removed or placed thereon . the arms can then be swung back to their closed position . lock plate 44 is then raised by gripping the tab 52 . the c - clamp 56 is forced over pin 54 whereby hitch 53 is in a holding position . the neckties and like garments are retained in a flat position adjacent base 11 since the arms are not free to rotate about the hinges 31 and 31a . while there as been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the holder it is understood that changes in the structure , arrangement in structure , and material used in the holder may be altered by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention . the invention is defined in the following claims .	8
this invention provides elements of improvement over the previous designs for wave adaptive modular vessels ( wam - v ®) of the type described in the foregoing issued patents . one improvement is the addition on top of the inflatable hulls of a longitudinal structural member on each hull that can be rigid or semi - rigid according to the type of boat and its intended use . the degree of rigidity becomes a design parameter that is available to the engineer to be chosen according to boat size , payload weight , speed , expected sea states , etc . this longitudinal member ( the ski ) of each hull could be considered the equivalent of the rim in an automotive wheel : it connects with the inflated part of the hulls — that is now an independent structure — just as a tire is independent and removable from the rim of a wheel ( see ski ( 2 ) in fig1 ). 1 . the rigidity of the ski can be defined at the design stage . 2 . the ski ( 2 ) connects through the spring system ( 10 ) ( fig3 ) with the rest of the boat structure in a fixed manner that does not depend on the pressure of the inflatable hull . 3 . the pressure of the inflated part of the hulls can now be set within a broader range than before . this allows the pressure to be controlled to accommodate for sea state and maximum efficiency of motion through the water . for example , in a choppy sea with short waves , a low inflation pressure allows the inflated hulls to absorb the wave impact before it reaches the payload and the rest of the boat structure . another improvement to the design of a wam - v ® is an improved method of connecting the two hulls with the rest of the structure in such a way that allows the hulls to move semi - independently while following the water surface . fig1 illustrates such a structure connecting two hulls , each having a ski ( 2 ) on top of the inflated hull . the structure is comprised of forward legs ( 9 ) and stern legs ( 1 ) connected by a central body ( 14 ). the two forward legs form the forward arch that is connected with the central body ( 14 ) by a ball joint ( 13 ) so as to be able to rotate as a unit with respect to the central body . in general , the ball joints described herein allow at least limited rotation about at least two axes , and usually about all three axes thereof . the ball joints described with respect to the preferred embodiment actually incorporate balls , though the phrase ball joint is used herein and in the claims in a more general sense to describe or suggest the characteristics of the joint , and not to limit the actual structure thereof . the stern legs are preferably rigidly connected to the central body ( 14 ), though may be somewhat flexible as desired . the ends ( feet ) of the four legs are connected with joints and springs to the hulls skis . the stern leg joints ( a , also see fig2 ) are composed of a transversal pivot ( 4 ) and a vertical pivot ( 3 ), the vertical pivot ( 3 ) being facilitated by the slots in guide rails ( 5 ). the housing of the ball joint ( 6 ) is fastened at its bottom to the plate on which it rests and thus indirectly to the ski ( 2 ). there is some clearance between the top of the housing of the ball joint ( 6 ) and the plate on which the stern leg ( 1 ) is fastened , so that the plate and the stern leg may rotate about the transverse axis pivot ( 4 ), and the stern leg and plate may rotate about the vertical axis pivot ( 3 ). the plate is captured between the guide rails , and thus prevents linear motion along the transverse axis . thus the transversal pivot ( 4 ) allows the stern leg ( 1 ) to rotate about the vertical axis , but holds the hull transversally . the ball joint ( 6 ) allows motion in the vertical and transverse axis but is prevented from rotating about the longitudinal axis of the hull by the guide rails ( 5 ). the guide rails ( 5 ) also limit the rotation around the vertical axis ( 3 ), by means of pins ( 7 ), to allow for a small angle of movement necessary to avoid unwanted torsional stresses transmitted to the structure when the hulls move independently from each other . the forward legs ( 9 ) connection to the skis ( 2 ) ( fig3 ) are ball joints ( 8 ) that allow rotation in all axis . this eliminates torsional stresses and implements the maximum number of degrees of motion freedom . the ball joint ( 8 ) connects the forward leg ( 9 ) to a spring system ( 10 ) that in fig3 is implemented , as an example , with an air spring ( 12 ). the spring system is connected to the ski ( 2 ) by a hinge ( 11 ). the forward legs joint systems ( detail b ) do not prevent the hull systems from twisting around the transversal axis . this rotation is prevented solely by the stern legs joint systems ( a ). the modifications to the joints as described above increase the degrees of freedom for the wam - v ® technology described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 874 , 439 , thereby minimizing stresses due to relative hull motions . each and all improvements described above will result in increased shock mitigation and provide a smoother ride . another aspect of the present invention may be seen in fig4 and 5 . in these figures , the leg connections to the skis may be the same as for the embodiment of fig1 . the wam - v ® watercraft is a very versatile watercraft , and when configured as shown in fig4 and 5 , has still additional advantages . in particular , the basic watercraft is very stable , high speed , shallow draft , and depending on the power plants used , may be beachable . as such , it has many applications wherein transportability by aircraft or over roads is highly desirable . for this purpose the central body ( 14 ) shown schematically in these figures may be lowered by use of leg hinges ( 15 ) between the lower leg section ( 16 ) and the middle leg sections ( 17 ) so that the central forward section ( 18 ), connected to the central body ( 14 ) by a ball joint as in fig1 , is approximately even with the top of the skis . at the same time , the hulls ( 21 ) may be moved closer together to reduce the width of the watercraft for transportation . prior to doing so , however , in accordance with this aspect of the invention , the engine pods ( 20 ) are rotated about vertical hinges ( 19 ) 180 degrees so as to lie adjacent the hulls ( 21 ) between the hulls as shown in section a of fig4 . this substantially shortens the overall length of the watercraft for transport purposes , yet has substantially no effect on the ability to move the hulls ( 21 ) closer together for watercraft width reduction . further details of the hinging of the engine pods ( 20 ) may be seen in fig5 . engine pod vertical hinge ( 19 ) allows the engine pod ( 20 ) to be rotated as shown and locked in the rotated position by the lip and retainer assembly shown on an expanded scale in detail b of fig5 . in particular , the lip ( 25 ) fits between retaining members ( 26 ) on a rigid portion of the hull with a pin ( 27 ) passing through the holes in retainer ( 26 ) and lip ( 25 ) to lock the engine pod ( 20 ) in position . a similar unfolded position locking mechanism ( 23 ) is used to lock the engine pods ( 20 ) in the unfolded position for normal use of the watercraft . particularly as shown in fig5 , the engine pod vertical hinge ( 19 ) is preferably positioned somewhat forward of the double hinged hull section ( 24 ). that is the hull section which also includes the horizontal hinge characteristic of the wam - v ® type watercraft . further details of the horizontal hinge mechanism and its function may be found in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 874 , 439 and 7 , 562 , 633 and u . s . patent application publication no . us - 2009 - 0178602 - a1 , the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference . alternatively , of course , the vertical hinge ( 19 ) could be aft of the horizontal hinge of the wam - v ® type watercraft , though this is not preferred . thus the present invention has a number of aspects , which aspects may be practiced alone or in various combinations or sub - combinations , as desired . while a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed and described herein for purposes of illustration and not for purposes of limitation , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the full breadth of the following claims .	1
the prior - art integrated suspension unit 100 of fig1 and 2 will be described first , in order to provide a point of departure for better understanding the improvements of the preferred embodiments , which will be described further on . the typical prior - art integrated suspension unit 100 as shown in fig1 and 2 is manufactured by fox racing shox . it is to be understood , of course , that this specific prior - art embodiment is representative only , and that the present air spring arrangement can be applied to other types of suspension units . additionally , the present air spring arrangement can be applied as a separate air spring unit , not integrated with a damper . in fig1 and 2 the integrated suspension unit 100 is comprised of an air spring assembly 110 and a damper assembly 190 . the integration is seamless , with several of the components such as an upper eyelet housing 116 and seal head 194 shared by both assemblies and performing dual functional roles . for example , as part of the damper assembly 190 , the seal head 194 closes and seals off one end of the shock body 197 . at the same time , as part of the air spring assembly 110 , the seal head 194 also seals off the open end of the air cylinder 126 and functions as a piston of the air spring assembly 110 . the air cylinder 126 functions as a body portion of the air spring assembly 110 and the shock body 197 functions as a shaft portion of the air spring assembly 110 . still referring to fig1 and 2 , the ends of the integrated suspension unit 100 , the upper eyelet 114 and the lower eyelet 198 , are connected to the sprung and unsprung portions of the vehicle ( not shown ) in a conventional manner . the air pressure in the positive air chamber 128 creates a force tending to lengthen the suspension unit 100 , while pressure in the negative air chamber 136 tends to shorten it . as is well - known in the art , the net effect of these opposing forces is to create a desirable air spring curve (“ force vs . travel curve ”), especially in that portion of the travel regime where the suspension unit 100 is near full extension . in particular , it is well - known that without the counteracting force produced by the negative air chamber 136 , which rapidly increases as the shock absorber approaches full extension and the volume of the negative air chamber 136 rapidly decreases , the initial portion of the spring curve (“ spring preload ”) would be quite stiff . thus , an undesirably large beginning force would be required to initiate the first portion of travel from full extension . typical spring curves produced with and without the negative air chamber 136 are illustrated in fig3 . curve “ a ” shows a force versus travel spring curve that would be produced by the embodiment of fig2 , which includes the negative air chamber 136 . in contrast , curve “ b ” shows the spring curve that would result if the negative air chamber 136 was removed ( not shown ). on a bicycle , or other vehicle , spring curve “ b ” would generally produce an undesirably harsh ride due to the large initial force required to initiate travel from full extension . the positive air chamber 128 is pressurized via the air valve 112 . as is typical , an air passage ( not shown ) is drilled in the upper eyelet housing 116 , and leads from the air valve 112 to the positive air chamber 128 . the negative air chamber 136 is pressurized via a transfer port 132 . transfer occurs at that pre - determined point near the beginning of suspension travel where the transfer port 132 bridges the positive / negative seal assembly 130 , as depicted in fig2 . this air transfer feature provides an effective and simple means for properly balancing the pressures of the positive air chamber 128 and the negative air chamber 136 , and is more fully described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 135 , 434 . the positive / negative seal assembly 130 provides a moving seal between the positive air chamber and the negative air chamber and seals at all times except when bridged by the transfer port 132 . the inside bore of the air cylinder 126 is burnished or otherwise finished to provide a smooth , low - friction surface which seals well . the negative chamber seal assembly 140 seals the lower side of the negative chamber on the outside of the shock body 197 , which is burnished or otherwise finished to provide a smooth , low - friction surface which seals well . the prior - art integrated suspension unit 100 of fig1 and 2 includes provisions for adjusting the internal damping by rotating a damping adjuster knob 191 which , in turn , rotates the damping adjuster rod 192 which extends down the shaft 193 into the piston assembly 195 . this basic construction , available in many conventional high - performance shock absorbers and well - known to those skilled in the art , enables external adjustability of compression damping , rebound damping , or both . although this damper construction feature is not required for application of the preferred embodiments , it is illustrated here in the prior - art and it is also included in the illustrated embodiment shown in fig6 . if this adjustable damping feature is not included , a somewhat simplified and less costly preferred embodiment , as described later and illustrated in fig1 , is made possible . the rest of the prior - art integrated suspension unit 100 , including the piston assembly 195 of the damper assembly 190 which creates damping as it moves thru the damping fluid 196 , are not illustrated or described in further detail since they are conventional features well - known to those skilled in the art , and are not required for an understanding of the preferred embodiments . external views of a preferred embodiment are shown in fig4 and 5 . suspension unit 200 comprises a damper assembly 190 identical to that of fig1 , and an adjustable air spring assembly 210 . a manually - operable travel adjust lever 252 extends from the upper portion of suspension unit 200 . the travel adjust lever 252 can be rotated 90 - degrees clockwise or counterclockwise between the two positions shown , the “ long - travel mode ” and the “ short - travel mode ”, as will be described more fully further on . fig6 shows a partial sectional view of the suspension unit 200 of fig4 . in comparison to the prior - art device of fig1 and 2 , the damper assembly 190 of fig6 is identical to the damper assembly 190 of fig1 and 2 ; however , the adjustable air spring assembly 210 of fig6 contains additional structure and modified structure as compared with air spring assembly 110 of fig1 and 2 . the additional and modified structure comprises an air cylinder partition 272 sealed within the air cylinder 126 which separates the divided positive air chamber 228 into a first partial volume 227 and a second partial volume 229 , and a travel adjust assembly 250 which enables these two partial volumes to be either connected or separated by rotation of the external travel adjust lever 252 . fig7 and 8 show enlarged views illustrating this additional structure and modified structure , which will now be described in detail . in fig8 and other drawings , various seals ( such as a conventional o - ring seal between the air cylinder 126 and the air cylinder partition 272 ) are included in the drawing , but are not numbered or described , since they are conventional features well - known to those skilled in the art . the detent ball assembly 260 provides a detenting effect such that , after adjustment , the travel adjust lever 252 is held in the selected position . it also provides tactile feedback to the operator to indicate attainment of a new position upon rotation . the travel adjust lever 252 is incorporated into the upper eyelet housing 216 and is secured to an actuating cam shaft 254 by a retaining screw 256 . a surface of the actuating cam shaft 254 has a ball indent 255 spaced every 90 - degrees on its outer surface near one end . a surface of a detent ball 262 , urged by a detent spring 264 which is secured by a detent set screw 266 , engages the ball indent 255 . thus , in an engaged position , the detent ball 262 engages one of the ball indents 255 and a first level of resistance to rotation of the travel adjust lever 252 is provided that , desirably , inhibits unintentional rotation of the lever 252 , while still allowing the lever 252 to be rotated by hand . in an unengaged position , the detent ball 262 contacts a surface of the cam shaft 254 between the indents 255 and , desirably , provides little or no resistance to rotation of the travel adjust lever 252 . in fig8 , the retaining ring 278 serves to secure the axial location of the air cylinder partition 272 on the shaft 193 . in order to facilitate clear visualization of the interface between the upper eyelet housing 216 and the air cylinder partition 272 , fig9 shows an isometric view of the upper eyelet housing 216 , and fig1 shows an isometric view of the air cylinder partition 272 . as shown , the underside of the upper eyelet housing 216 includes a downwardly - projecting upper passage port coupler 217 which engages the upwardly - projecting lower passage port boss 273 thru which the lower passage port 274 passes . this connection is sealed by a lower passage port seal 276 as shown in fig1 . in addition , the upper eyelet housing 216 includes an upper passage port 219 , which preferably extends completely through the upper passage port coupler 217 , in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis thereof , as shown in fig1 . fig1 shows an enlarged partial sectional view of the travel adjust assembly 250 , which is now described in detail . as previously described , the travel adjust lever 252 is secured to the actuating cam shaft 254 by a retaining screw 256 . the actuating cam shaft 254 is retained in the upper eyelet housing 216 by a retaining screw 253 . the actuating cam shaft 254 includes a cam profile 259 . this cam profile 259 consists of 2 flats 259 a 180 - degrees apart as shown here in fig1 , and 2 deeper flats 259 b as shown in fig1 , which also are 180 - degrees apart and are at 90 - degrees from flats 259 a . these flats control the position of the cam follower 258 , as determined by the setting of the travel adjust lever 252 . cam follower 258 is sealed by cam follower seal 257 . with the travel adjust lever 252 in the position shown in fig1 , the cam follower 258 is in contact with the check ball 282 and maintains it in a position out of contact with the check ball seal 283 . as shown by the heavy flow lines drawn , this enables air flow from the first partial volume 227 ( not shown in this view ) thru the lower passage port 274 , past the check ball 282 , thru the upper passage port 219 , and into the second partial volume 229 ( not shown in this view ). this is one direction of air flow . the opposite direction of air flow is also enabled . these flows , of course , provide open communication between the first partial volume 227 and the second partial volume 229 such that their combined volume is available during compression of the suspension unit 200 . fig1 shows the travel adjust lever 252 in the closed position . the cam follower 258 , urged upward by internal air pressure , engages cam profile 259 b and , as shown , moves away from check ball 282 by a distance “ x ”, which is desirably 0 . 040 ″ or more . the check ball 282 , urged upward by the check ball spring 284 engages check ball seal 283 . this seals off any upward air flow from first partial volume 227 to second partial volume 229 . however , this does not seal off flow in the opposite direction , since check ball spring 284 is specified to produce only a small spring force , for example about 0 . 03 to 0 . 05 pounds , with the check ball 282 in the sealed position . accordingly , if the pressure from the second partial volume 229 above the check ball 282 exceeds the pressure below it from first partial volume 227 by approximately 3 to 5 psi , then this pressure differential will overcome the force of check ball spring 284 and check ball 282 will move downward away from sealing contact with check ball seal 283 . in this event , air will flow from second partial volume 229 to first partial volume 227 . this characteristic is desirable in order to prevent unintended entrapment of excess air and pressure in the second partial volume 229 . for correct function of the adjustable air spring assembly 210 , it is preferred that the pressure in second partial volume 229 does not become significantly greater than the pressure in first partial volume 227 . such a situation would result in the pressure within the first partial volume 227 being reduced from its initial , preset level , due to the finite quantity of air within the suspension unit 200 . as a result , the spring rate of the air spring 200 in its short travel mode ( i . e ., only utilizing the first partial volume 227 ) would be undesirably reduced from its initial setting . rather , according to the preferred embodiments , the pressure in the second partial volume 229 preferably remains approximately equal to or less than the pressure in first partial volume 227 , since the check ball spring 284 creates only a small preload force . although the above - described valve assembly is preferred for its simplicity , reliability and low manufacturing cost , other valve arrangements may also be employed . for example , a needle - type valve body may be used in place of the check ball 282 . in an alternative arrangement , the cam surface 259 may directly contact the valve body ( e . g ., the check ball 282 ) and the cam follower 258 may be omitted . further , the above - described functions of the valve assembly do not necessarily have to be performed by a single valve arrangement . for example , a first valve arrangement may selectively connect and disconnect the first partial volume 227 and second partial volume 229 , while another valve arrangement provides the check valve function of preventing the pressure of the second partial volume 229 from becoming substantially greater than the pressure of the first partial volume 227 . fig1 illustrates a typical full - travel position of suspension unit 200 when travel adjust lever 252 is set in the long - travel mode , such that first partial volume 227 and second partial volume 229 are in full communication . similarly , fig1 illustrates a typical full - travel position of suspension unit 200 when travel adjust lever 252 is set in the short - travel mode , such that first partial volume 227 and second partial volume 229 are in not in communication . note that the overall compressed lengths of suspension unit 200 are different , with the length l . sub . 1 in fig1 being shorter than the length l . sub . 2 in fig1 . this will be explained with reference to fig1 . fig1 illustrates an example of the force - versus - travel relationships provided by suspension unit 200 in the two different selectable modes : the short - travel mode and the long - travel mode . in the long - travel mode , as shown by curve “ b ”, the force rises more gradually and reaches , in this example , a value of 750 pounds at a stroke distance of about 1 . 75 inches . in the short - travel mode , as shown by curve “ a ”, the force rises more rapidly and reaches a value of 750 pounds at a stroke distance of only about 1 . 27 inches , almost ½ inch less than the value for curve “ b ”. this relationship , of course , is the basis for describing the two modes as “ long - travel mode ” and “ short - travel mode ”. it should be explained that , although for simplicity in the above example a final external compression force of 750 pounds on the suspension unit 200 is assumed for both cases , this is only an approximation . a rigorous computer motion analysis of a specific situation , centering on the basic equation of motion f = ma ( force equals mass times acceleration ), would show some difference , but this analysis is generally quite complicated and the difference would generally be relatively small . thus , the above is a reasonably close approximation assuming that in both cases the vehicle upon which the suspension unit 200 is mounted is subjected to the same bump ( or other terrain feature ) and other conditions . additionally , it should be noted that at 1 . 27 inches of travel curve “ a ” is rising steeply . thus , even if the final force that occurs in the short - travel mode is somewhat greater than the 750 pounds used in the above example , final travel would still be significantly less than curve “ b ”. for example , even if the final force reached 1000 pounds , final travel would still only be slightly more than 1 . 40 inches . as a preferred embodiment of the present invention is as a shock absorber for a mountain bike , it is desirable that the final force is less than 3000 pounds , desirably , less than 2000 pounds and , more desirably , less than 1000 pounds . such an arrangement allows the air spring to withstand the impact forces resulting from traversing rough terrain with suspension arrangements presently incorporated on mountain bikes ( e . g ., wheel travel / shock travel ratio ). as will be appreciated by one of skill in the art , for other applications or suspension arrangements , the preferred final force may vary from the values recited above . in the context of mountain bike suspension assemblies , preferably , the first partial volume 227 is between about 1 and 8 cubic inches . desirably , the first partial volume 227 is between about 1 . 5 and 6 cubic inches and , more desirably , between about 2 and 4 cubic inches . preferably , the second partial volume 229 is between about 0 . 3 and 4 cubic inches . desirably , the second partial volume 229 is between about 0 . 4 and 3 cubic inches and , more desirably , between about 0 . 5 and 2 cubic inches . such an arrangement provides a desirable spring rate of the suspension unit 200 when utilizing only the first partial volume 227 , as well as when both the first partial volume 227 and second partial volume 299 are used to provide a spring force , for a substantial number of mountain bike applications . in at least a significant portion of mountain bike suspension applications , it is preferable that the suspension unit 200 provides between about 0 . 5 and 3 inches of suspension travel in the short travel mode ( i . e ., utilizing only the first partial volume 227 ). desirably , the suspension unit 200 provides between about 0 . 6 and 2 . 5 inches of travel and , more desirably , between about 0 . 75 and 2 inches of suspension travel in the short travel mode . further , preferably the suspension unit provides between about 0 . 6 and 5 inches of suspension travel in the long travel mode ( i . e ., utilizing both the first partial volume 227 and the second partial volume 229 ). desirably , the suspension unit 200 provides between about 0 . 8 and 4 inches of travel and , more desirably , between about 1 and 3 inches of suspension travel in the long travel mode . the range of values set forth above pertains to the relative movement between the two portions of the suspension unit 200 and the actual travel of the suspended bicycle wheel may vary from the travel of the suspension unit 200 . as described earlier , the differences between curve “ a ” and curve “ b ” result from the differences in initial chamber volume available during compression of the suspension unit 200 . with the travel adjust lever 252 set as in fig1 , the total volume of both the first partial volume 227 and the second partial volume 229 are available . with the travel adjust lever 252 set as in fig1 , only the volume of first partial volume 227 is available . these calculations are based on the well - known ideal gas law for isothermal processes , which is a good first approximation for illustrating the basic principles of the preferred embodiments . this law states that for an enclosed variable volume the internal pressure will vary with volume according to the equation : here is a simple example of this relationship . assuming the initial conditions of a sealed , variable chamber are 10 cubic inches of air at 100 psi , if the volume is then reduced to 5 cubic inches the pressure will increase to 200 psi . considered from another point of view , initial volume divided by final volume equals “ compression ratio ”. in this example the compression ratio is 10 divided by 5 , or a compression ratio of 2 . final pressure can be calculated by multiplying initial pressure times compression ratio : 100 psi times 2 = 200 psi . in the example of fig1 , 14 , and 15 , the initial first partial volume 227 of suspension unit 200 is 3 . 08 cubic inches , and the second partial volume 229 is 1 . 15 cubic inches . thus , their combined volume is 4 . 23 cubic inches , and the volume of first partial volume 227 alone is just 3 . 08 cubic inches . for the configuration of this example , volume displaced by the seal head 194 per inch of stroke is 1 . 65 cubic inches per inch . the following sample calculations are made using these values : for the configuration of fig1 , a compression ratio of 3 . 16 is reached at 1 . 75 inches of travel : for the configuration of fig1 , an almost identical compression ratio of 3 . 14 is reached at 1 . 27 inches of travel : for the configuration used in this example for suspension unit 200 , and assuming an initial pressure of 150 psi , these compression ratios translate to an air spring force in both cases of about 750 pounds . however , the actual air spring force may vary depending on the specific application . preferably , as described above , in the context of mountain bike suspension assemblies , the spring force is less than approximately 3000 pounds at a substantially fully compressed position of the air spring . this example , of course , is by way of illustration only , and a wide spectrum of desired relationships between compression ratio and travel , and of the ratio of travel achieved in the short travel mode with that achieved in the long travel mode , can be attained with the illustrated embodiments by designing a particular variable air spring with appropriate dimensional relationships . preferably , the percentage of travel achieved in the short travel mode with that achieved in the long travel mode is between about 40 and 90 percent . desirably , the percentage of travel achieved in the short travel mode with that achieved in the long travel mode is between about 50 and 85 percent and , more desirably , between about 60 and 80 percent . such a change in travel provides desirable suspension performance in both the short travel and long travel modes for at least a significant portion of typical suspension arrangements presently incorporated on mountain bikes . fig1 shows an alternate preferred embodiment . as discussed previously , this embodiment is somewhat simplified and less costly than the embodiment of fig6 . the embodiment of fig1 is possible for suspension units which are generally similar to that of fig6 , but provided that no thru - shaft damping adjustment feature , such as shown in fig6 , is required . as shown in fig1 , when a thru - shaft damping adjustment feature is not required , then the upper end of the shaft 393 becomes available for incorporation of the travel adjust feature . thus , the travel adjust valve in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 generally extends along a central axis a of the shock shaft 393 , which allows a simpler and more cost - effective structure . in this embodiment , the travel adjust assembly 350 uses the same travel adjust lever 252 as utilized previously . the actuating cam shaft 354 is similar to the previous actuating cam shaft 254 , but is somewhat longer . the upper eyelet housing 316 is similar to the previous upper eyelet housing 216 , but is somewhat simpler and less costly to produce due to elimination of the previously - required off - center upper passage port coupler 217 which was depicted in fig9 . the air cylinder partition 372 is similar to the previous air cylinder partition 272 , but it also is somewhat simpler and less costly to produce due in this case to elimination of the previously - required off - center lower passage port boss 273 which was depicted in fig1 . the lower passage port 374 and the upper passage port 319 , as shown , both consist of a cross - holes drilled in the shaft 393 . the upper passage port 319 further consists of drilled or milled passageways in the lower portion of the upper eyelet housing 316 which communicate with the drilled passageways in the shaft 393 . the other elements of the travel adjust assembly 350 as shown in fig1 are neither numbered nor described here since they are essentially identical to the elements numbered and described in the embodiment of fig6 . the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various changes may be made within the technical scope of the invention as understood by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof .	1
fig1 a depicts the placement and connection of the alarm report call rerouter in a subscriber &# 39 ; s home alarm system . the tip and the ring of the telephone company are connected respectively to the tipin and the ringin of the call rerouter 2 . the call rerouter 2 is then connected to the alarm system 4 by the loop pair tipalarm and ringalarm . the call rerouter 2 is also connected to the alarm system 4 by the loop pair tiphand and ringhand which corresponds to event detection on the handset 6 lines 8 , 10 . in fig1 reference label tipin designates the tip ( more positive conductor ) of the local loop conductor pair as it enters the subscriber &# 39 ; s home from the telephone company . the local loop current passes through a small resistor ( r 5 b , 68 ohm in the preferred embodiment ). the local loop current level can be measured from the voltage drop across r 5 b . resistors r 3 b and r 4 b form a voltage divider network that attenuates the tipout voltage signal by a fixed ratio . thus the voltage delivered to the inverting input of comparator u 4 b will be { fraction ( 1 / 11 )} th of the original voltage . resistors r 6 b and r 7 b form a voltage divider network with an identical ratio of attenuation . this network attenuates the tipin voltage signal , less 0 . 7v ( volt ) due to the presence of diode d 2 b . this attenuated signal is applied to the noninverting input of comparator u 4 b . the purpose of the twin dividers is to bring the common mode of the two signals being compared down into the common mode range of comparator u 4 b . zener diodes z 3 b and z 4 b protect the inputs of the comparator u 4 b from exceeding the absolute maximum rating of the device in the event that high voltage transients appear on the local loop conductor pair . resistor r 8 b is a pull - up resistor to hold the open - drain output of the comparator u 4 b high to produce a logic high state , typically designated as a digital “ 1 ”. capacitor c 1 b prevents rf oscillation due to any coupling between comparator u 4 b inputs and its output that might occur in the associated printed - circuit layout . given that the comparator u 4 b will change logic state when the voltage present on the inverting input equals the voltage on the non - inverting input , and that the tipin signal is always disadvantaged by 0 . 7v due to the presence of d 2 b , the tipin signal must always be 0 . 7v more positive than tipout at the point of comparator logic state transition . for the component values given in the preferred embodiment , this corresponds to a loop current of approximately 10 ma ( milliampere ). given that typical local loop currents for the off - hook state range from 20 ma - 120 ma , and are typically less than 6 ma in the on - hook state , the above circuit can reliably discern between the on - hook and off - hook line conditions , producing a logic high output when loop current is present and logic low output ( typically digital “ 0 ”) when the line is on - hook . it is this circuit that allows pulse - dialing detection capability as well as on - hook / off hook discrimination in the preferred embodiment of the invention . reference label tiphand from fig2 designates the tip ( more positive conductor ) of the handset 6 conductor pair 8 , 10 . the handset 6 conductor pair 8 , 10 emerges from the alarm system 4 and continues on to connect to the subscriber &# 39 ; s telephones . reference label ringhand designates the ring ( more negative conductor ) of the handset 6 conductor pair 8 , 10 . diodes d 6 and d 7 are arranged such that the junction of their cathodes will be at a voltage equal ( less a 0 . 7v diode drop ) to the more positive of these two signals . this allows normal operation of the circuit even in the case where improper wiring at the alarm system 4 has resulted in the reversal of electrical polarity in the handset 6 conductor pair 8 , 10 . resistors r 5 and r 6 form a voltage divider network that attenuates the resulting signal by a fixed ratio . thus the instantaneous voltage delivered to the inverting input of comparator u 4 a will be ½ of the original signal level for original voltages in the range of approximately 0v - 10v . when the input to the divider network exceeds 10v , zener diode z 3 begins a clamping action that holds the voltage of the inverting input of the comparator substantially constant at the rated zener voltage ( 4 . 7v in the preferred embodiment ). diode d 3 and resistor r 7 are used to establish a reference voltage of approximately 0 . 5v , which develops on the anode of d 3 and is supplied to the non - inverting input of the comparator u 4 a . resistor r 8 is a pull - up resistor to hold the open - drain output of the comparator u 4 b high to produce the logic high state “ 1 ”. given that the comparator u 4 a will change logic state when the voltage present on the inverting input equals the voltage on the non - inverting input , this corresponds to a line voltage of 1v . thus , this circuit is useful for discriminating between normal operating line voltages ( where even in the worst case line voltages never fall below 1v ) and the case in which handset tip and ring conductors have been galvanically isolated from the local loop ( in which case 0v develops on the inverting input of the comparator u 4 a ). such galvanic isolation occurs when a typical alarm system 4 activates , so that household telephones will not disrupt the report call process . thus this circuit can signal the activation of the alarm system 4 , giving a logic high output “ 1 ” during alarm system 4 activation , and logic low output “ 0 ” while in normal operation . fig3 depicts a battery charger and power supply circuit of the present invention . reference labels tipin and ringin designate the tip and ring , respectively , of the local loop conductor pair directly as it enters the subscriber &# 39 ; s home from the telephone company . the conductor pair enters bridge rectifier b 1 b , which protects the battery charging circuitry against accidental tip - ring reversal . the positive tap of the bridge rectifier 12 supplies the input to the series voltage regulator formed by q 1 b , resistor r 1 b , and zener diode z 1 b . this regulator holds the output at the voltage rating of the zener diode z 1 b ( 30v in the preferred embodiment ). the high voltage rating of q 1 b ( 300v in the preferred embodiment ) protects the components of the battery charging system from ring signal voltages and transients on the local loop conductor pair . the output voltage of the serial regulator supplies the current source formed by u 2 b and resistor r 2 b . this current source supplies a substantially constant current ( in the preferred embodiment , approx . 5 . 5 ma ) used to charge battery b 2 b and supply standby current to the quiescent circuitry . battery charging current is typically 3 . 5 ma in the preferred embodiment , with the balance of current going toward quiescent consumption . diode d 1 b protects against battery b 2 b discharge through the charging system in the event the telephone line connection is removed and the battery remains installed . zener diode z 2 b prevents the charging system from producing excessive voltage output in the event the battery b 2 b is removed and the telephone line connection remains ( output will be clamped at 15v in the preferred embodiment ). regulator u 1 b supplies a constant voltage ( 5v in the preferred embodiment ) independent of the fluctuations in battery voltage associated with charging and discharging . fig4 depicts the dialing circuitry . as the tone generator ic chip u 2 in fig4 is a commercial device , it will not be described in detail here . external components have been included as per the manufacturer &# 39 ; s application notes . a bus of four conductors interconnects four output pins of the microcontroller u 1 in fig7 with four tone selection input pins ( r 1 - r 4 ) of the tone generator ic chip u 2 in fig4 . each permutation of this four bit binary word represents a unique dtmf tone to be generated . transistor q 3 and resistor r 9 interface the output of the tone generator to the telephone line . diode d 4 protects q 3 as well as the to output of u 2 from negative - going transients on the tip conductor of the local loop pair . resistor r 10 draws sufficient current to keep the phone line in the off - hook condition . fig5 depicts the switching elements , relays re 1 and re 2 . relay re 1 is used to return the line on - hook briefly to then re - establish dial tone when local loop current is re - established . relay re 2 galvanically isolates the tip conductor of the local loop conductor pair of the incoming phone line from the alarm system . this interrupts the dialing process of the alarm system and allows the invention to dial another number without the dialing activity of the alarm system interfering with the process . the switching action of relay re 1 occurs when the logic state of the microcontroller u 1 output pin rb 5 swings from logic low “ 0 ” to the logic high state “ 1 ”. this causes base current to flow in transistor q 1 through current limiting resistors r 1 and r 3 . the establishment of base current causes q 1 to turn on , allowing current to flow through the coil 12 for energizing the relay re 1 . zener diode z 1 protects the microcontroller u 1 output pin from voltage transients associated with coil deenergization . diode d 1 is an anti - kickback diode designed to clamp the collector voltage of q 1 to the supply rail during de - energization to prevent destructive high - voltage spiking from coil 12 that would otherwise occur . back - to - back zener diodes z 7 and z 8 are designed to limit the transient spikes on the local loop caused by the switching action of the relay re 1 . the diodes z 7 and z 8 are wired across the normally closed contacts of the relay re 1 , and , when these contacts open , allow loop current to decay slowly , thus avoiding the generation of high - voltage spikes on the line . relay re 2 has identical drive components and topologies , and functions likewise , with z 9 and z 10 serving to limit transient spikes . the diode d 5 blocks dc current flow in the reverse direction , thus alerting the user to improper wiring of the system ( tip - ring inversion ), as household telephones will be rendered inoperative as long as this condition persists . capacitor c 10 and resistor r 14 allow ac to bypass diode d 5 , allowing the ring signal to be substantially unaffected by the presence of this blocking diode d 5 . integrated circuit u 3 shown in fig6 serves to detect dtmf tones . operation of the circuit will not be described in detail here , as it is a commercial device and external components have been included as per the manufacturer &# 39 ; s application notes , with the exception of zener diode z 6 , which has been included to protect the detector from excessive voltage imposed by the ring signal . the tip of the local loop conductor pair is capacitively coupled to the detector , and dv pin ( data valid ) output is routed to the input ra 4 of microcontroller u 1 . this output will be logic high whenever any one of the sixteen valid dtmf tones is present on the phone line . integrated circuit u 1 shown in fig7 serves as the microcontroller of the device . it is this component where the software is stored and executed . operation of the circuit will not be described in detail here , as it is a commercial device and external components have been included as per the manufacturer &# 39 ; s application notes . transistor q 4 allows the microcontroller u 1 to have the ability to remove power from the peripheral ic chips ( u 2 and u 3 ). logic low on the rb 3 output of u 1 turns on the 5 v rail to integrated circuits u 1 b , u 2 , and u 3 , and a logic high removes power . this feature allows standby power to the device to be very low ( 2 ma in the preferred embodiment ). the jumpers j 7 and j 8 are used to select any one of four 11 digit pre - programmed telephone numbers to be dialed by the microcontroller u 1 . these jumpers control the logic state of two input pins of the microcontroller u 1 , with each penetration of this 2 - bit binary word corresponding to a unique telephone number to be dialed . fig8 a , 8 b , and 8 c show a flowchart for programming of microcontroller u 1 . although various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , they are not meant to be limiting . those of skill in the art may recognize certain modifications to these embodiments , which modifications are meant to be covered by the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	7
the radicals r 1 are identical and represent hydrogen atoms or together form a bond , the symbols r 2 are identical and represent phenyl radicals which are optionally substituted by a halogen atom or by a methyl radical in position 2 or 3 , the symbol r 3 represents a halogen atom or a hydroxyl radical and the symbol r 4 represents a hydrogen atom or , together with r 3 , represents a halogen atom . when r 2 carries a halogen substituent , or when r 3 is a halogen atom , the latter may be chosen from chlorine or fluorine . moreover , the products of general formula ( i ) having various stereoisomeric forms , it is understood that the isoindole derivatives of the ( 3ar , 7ar ) form , in a pure state , or in the form of a mixture of the cis -( 3ars , 7ars ) forms , are included within the scope of the present invention . when the radicals r 3 and r 4 are different , it is also understood that the substituent r 3 may be in an axial or equatorial position and therefore that the r and s derivatives as well as mixtures thereof , are also included within the scope of the present invention . according to the invention , the isoindole derivative of general formula ( i ) for which r 3 represents a halogen atom and r 4 represents a hydrogen or halogen atom , may be obtained by halogenation of the isoindole derivative of general formula : ## str4 ## for which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above , r &# 39 ; 3 is a hydroxyl radical , r &# 39 ; 4 is a hydrogen atom if it is desired to obtain a monohalogenated derivative , or r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 together form an oxo radical if it is desired to obtain a dihalogenated derivative , followed by the removal of the protective radical r 5 . the protective radical r 5 may be any aminoprotecting group which is compatible with the reaction and whose introduction and removal does not affect the rest of the molecule . alkoxycarbonyl groups , benzyloxycarbonyl groups , optionally substituted benzyl groups , formyl , chloroacetyl , trichloroacetyl , trifluoroacetyl , vinyloxycarbonyl , phenoxycarbonyl , 1 - chloroethoxycarbonyl or chlorocarbonyl groups , may be mentioned by way of example . when it is desired to obtain a product for which r 3 represents a fluorine atom , the reaction is advantageously carried out using a fluorinating agent such as sulphur fluoride ( morpholinosulphur trifluoride , sulphur tetrafluoride ( j . org . chem ., 40 , 3808 ( 1975 )), diethylaminosulphur trifluoride ( tetrahedron , 44 , 2875 ( 1988 )), phenylsulphur trifluoride ( j . am . chem . soc ., 84 , 3058 ( 1962 )], such as hexafluoropropyldiethylamine ( japanese patent 2 , 039 , 546 ) or n -( 2 - chloro - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoroethyl ) diethylamine , or selenium tetrafluoride ( j . am . chem . soc ., 96 , 925 ( 1974 ) or such as tetrafluorophenylphosphorane ( tet . let ., 907 ( 1973 ), by carrying out a procedure in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ) at a temperature between - 30 and + 30 ° c . it is understood that the use of an alcohol of the ( s ) configuration leads to the fluorine - containing derivative of the ( r ) configuration and that the use of an alcohol of the ( r ) configuration leads to the fluorine - containing derivative of the ( s ) configuration . it is also possible to carry out the procedure using a mixture of alcohols of the ( r ) and ( s ) configurations and to carry out the separation with respect to the derivative of general formula ( i ) thus obtained . when it is desired to obtain the difluorein - containing derivative of general formula ( i ), the reaction is carried out using the isoindolone of general formula ( ii ) ( r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 together form an oxo radical ), carrying out the procedure under the conditions defined above , at a temperature between 30 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . when it is desired to obtain a product for which r 3 represents a chlorine atom , the chlorine - containing derivative of the ( r ) configuration may be obtained by treating the ( s ) alcohol with phosphorus pentachloride under the conditions defined by r . j . cremlyn et al ., j . chem . soc ., 3794 ( 1954 ); the chlorine - containing derivative of the ( s ) configuration may be obtained by treating the ( s ) alcohol with thionyl chloride under the conditions stated by r . j . cremlyn in the reference mentioned above . when it is desired to obtain the dichlorine - containing derivative , the procedure is carried out using the perhydroisoindole of general formula ( ii ), by treatment with phosphorus pentachloride under the conditions stated above . the subsequent removal of the protective radical r 5 is carried out according to the usual methods . in particular , the procedure is carried out according to the methods described by t . w . greene , protective groups in organic synthesis , a . wiley -- interscience publication ( 1981 ), or by mc omie , protective groups in organic chemistry , plenum press ( 1973 ). according to the invention , the isoindole derivative of general formula ( i ) for which r 3 is a halogen atom and r 4 is a hydrogen atom , may also be obtained by halogenation of a perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula : ## str5 ## in which r 1 , r 2 and r 5 are defined as above , followed by the removal of the protective radical r 5 . the halogenation is carried out using a quaternary ammonium halide such as for example tetrabutylammonium fluoride or using an alkali metal halide such as potassium fluoride or caesium fluoride for example , in an anhydrous medium , in an organic solvent such as an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran , dioxane ), a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane ) or in a mixture of solvents , at a temperature between - 30 ° and 50 ° c . it is understood that the sulphonylated derivative of general formula ( iii ) of the ( s ) configuration leads to a halogenated derivative of the ( r ) configuration and that the sulphonylated derivative of the ( r ) configuration leads to a halogenated derivative of the ( s ) configuration . the removal of the r 5 radical is carried out as described above . the sulphonylated derivative of general formula ( iii ) may be obtained by treating the perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( ii ), for which r &# 39 ; 3 is a hydroxyl radical and r &# 39 ; 4 is a hydrogen atom , with a reactive trifluoromethanesulphonic acid derivative . the reaction is generally carried out by reaction of the trifluoromethanesulphonic anhydride in the presence of pyridine , in a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane ), at a temperature between - 30 ° and 20 ° c . according to the invention , the perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( i ), for which r 3 is a hydroxyl radical and r 4 is a hydrogen atom , may be obtained by reduction of the perhydroisoindolone derivative of general formula : ## str6 ## in which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above and r &# 39 ; 5 is defined as r 5 or represents a hydrogen atom , followed by the separation of the axial and equatorial isomers and / or followed by the removal of the protective radical when r &# 39 ; 5 is other than a hydrogen atom . the reduction is advantageously carried out using an alkali metal borohydride ( sodium borohydride , lithium tri - s - butylborohydride ), in a solvent such as an alcohol ( for example methanol , ethanol ) or an ether ( tetrahydrofuran ) in a basic medium or using an aluminohydride ( for example aluminium and lithium hydride ), at a temperature between - 20 ° and 50 ° c . the removal of the radical r &# 39 ; 5 is carried out according to known methods which do not affect the rest of the molecule . according to the invention , the hydroxylated perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( i ), in which r 3 is a hydroxyl radical and r 4 is a hydrogen atom , may also be obtained by releasing the protective radical r 5 from the corresponding perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( ii ) in which r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 are defined as above . the removal is carried out according to known methods which do not affect the rest of the molecule , in particular according to the methods stated above . the perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( ii ), or the perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( iv ) for which r &# 39 ; 5 is defined as r 5 , may be prepared by protecting the amino of the corresponding derivative of general formula : ## str7 ## in which r 1 , r 2 , r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 are defined as for the general formula ( ii ). the protection is carried out according to the usual methods , in particular according to the references mentioned above . the isoindole derivative of general formula ( iv ) for which r &# 39 ; 5 is a hydrogen atom , or ( v ) for which r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 together form an oxo radical , may be obtained from the corresponding derivative of general formula : ## str8 ## in which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above and r 6 represents an allyl radical or a radical of the structure -- cr a r b r c in which r a and r b are hydrogen atoms or phenyl radicals which are optionally substituted ( by a halogen atom , an alkyl , alkoxy or nitro radical ), and r c is defined as r a and r b or represents an alkyl or alkoxyalkyl radical , at least one of r a , r b and r c being a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl radical and the alkyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in a linear or branched chain , by removing the radical r 6 by any known method which does not affect the rest of the molecule . in particular , when r 1 is a hydrogen atom , and when r 6 is other than an allyl radical , the group r 6 may be removed by catalytic hydrogenation in the presence of palladium . generally , the reaction is carried out in an acidic medium , in a solvent such as an alcohol ( methanol , ethanol ), in water or directly in acetic acid or formic acid , at a temperature between 20 ° and 60 ° c . when r 6 is a benzohydryl or trityl radical , the removal may be carried out by treatment in an acidic medium , by carrying out the procedure at a temperature of between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture , in an alcohol , in an ether , in water or directly in acetic acid , formic acid or trifluoroacetic acid . the group r 6 may also be removed by reaction of vinyl chloroformate , 1 - chloroethyl chloroformate or phenyl chloroformate , a product of general formula : ## str9 ## in which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above , and r 7 is a vinyl , 1 - chloroethyl or phenyl radical , being obtained as an intermediate , and then by removing the radical -- coor 7 by acid treatment . the reaction of the chloroformate is generally carried out in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane , chloroform ), an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran , dioxane ) or a ketone ( for example acetone ) or in a mixture of these solvents , by carrying out the procedure at a temperature between 20 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . the removal of the radical -- coor 7 is carried out by treatment in an acidic medium for example with trifluoroacetic , formic , methanesulphonic , p - toluenesulphonic , hydrochloric or hydrobromic acid in a solvent such as an alcohol , an ether , an ester , a nitrile , a mixture of these solvents or in water , at a temperature between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . under the conditions for removing the radicals -- coor 7 mentioned above , the expected isoindolone derivative of general formula ( iv ) or ( v ) is obtained in the form of a salt of the acid used , which may be used directly in the subsequent stage . the isoindolone derivative of general formula ( vi ) may be obtained by cycloaddition reaction , by reaction of a silylated derivative of general formula : ## str10 ## in which r 6 is defined is defined as above , ( r °) 3 represents alkyl radicals or alkyl and phenyl radicals and r °° represents an alkoxy , cyano or phenylthio radical , with the cyclohexenone derivative of general formula : ## str11 ## in which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above . the procedure is carried out in the presence of a catalytic amount of an acid chosen from trifluoroacetic acid , acetic acid , methanesulphonic acid or the acids given in the references mentioned below , in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ), in an aromatic hydrocarbon , in a nitrile ( acetonitrile ) or in an ether , at a temperature of between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . the silylated derivative of general formula ( viii ) may be obtained according to the methods described by : it is understood that the perhydroisoindole derivatives of general formula ( i ), ( ii ), ( iii ), ( iv ), ( v ), ( vi ) and ( vii ) have several stereoisomeric forms . when it is desired to obtain a product of general formula ( i ) of the ( 3ar , 7ar ) form , the separation of the isomeric forms may be carried out with respect to the derivative of general formula ( v ) for which r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 together form an oxo radical . it may also be carried out with respect to the derivative of general formula ( i ). the separation is carried out according to any known method which is compatible with the molecule . by way of example , the separation may be carried out by the preparation of an optically active salt , by reaction of l (+) or d (-)- mandelic acid , or of dibenzoyltartaric acid , followed by separation of the isomers by crystallization . the desired isomer is released from its salt in a basic medium . the separation of the axial and equatorial isomers of the hydroxylated derivatives or of the halogenated derivatives is advantageously carried out with respect to the products of general formula ( ii ) or ( v ), the procedure being carried out using crystallization and / or chromatography . it is also possible to carry out the procedure with respect to the products of general formula ( i ). according to the invention , the isoindole derivatives of general formula ( i ) may be used for the preparation of derivatives of general formula : ## str12 ## in which the symbol x represents an oxygen atom or an nh radical , the symbol r represents a phenyl radical which is optionally substituted by one or more halogen atoms or hydroxyl or alkyl radicals which may be optionally substituted ( by halogen atoms or amino , alkylamino or dialkylamino radicals ) alkoxy or alkylthio radicals which may be optionally substituted [ by hydroxyl , amino , alkylamino or dialkylamino radicals optionally substituted ( by phenyl , hydroxyl or amino radicals ) or by dialkylamino radicals whose alkyl parts form with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached , a heterocycle with 5 to 6 members which may contain another heteroatom chosen from oxygen , sulphur or nitrogen , optionally substituted by an alkyl , hydroxyl or hydroxyalkyl radical )], or which is substituted by amino , alkylamino or dialkylamino radicals whose alkyl parts may form with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached , a heterocycle as defined above , or represents a cyclohexadienyl , naphthyl or a saturated or unsaturated , mono - or polycyclic heterocyclic radical containing 5 to 9 carbon atoms and one or more heteroatoms chosen from oxygen , nitrogen or sulphur , the symbol r &# 39 ; represents a hydrogen or halogen atom or a hydroxyl , alkyl , aminoalkyl , alkylaminoalkyl , dialkylaminoalkyl , alkoxy , alkylthio , acyloxy , carboxyl , alkoxycarbonyl , dialkylaminoalkoxycarbonyl , benzyloxycarbonyl , amino , acylamino or alkoxycarbonylamino radical , and the symbols r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are defined as for the general formula ( i ); the abovementioned alkyl or acyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in a linear or branched chain ; when r contains a halogen atom , the latter being chosen from chlorine , bromine , fluorine or iodine ; when r represents a saturated or unsaturated , mono - or polycyclic heterocyclic radical , it being possible for the latter to be chosen from thienyl , furyl , pyridyl , dithiinyl , indolyl , isoindolyl , thiazolyl , isothiazolyl , oxazolyl , imidazolyl , pyrrolyl , triazolyl , thiadiazolyl , quinolyl , isoquinolyl , naphthyridinyl ; when r represents a phenyl which is substituted by a chain carrying a heterocycle , it being possible for the latter to be chosen from pyrrolidinyl , morpholino , piperidinyl , tetrahydropyridinyl , piperazinyl or thiomorpholino . furthermore , when the symbol r &# 39 ; is other than a hydrogen atom , the substituted chain on the isoindole has a chiral center , it is understood that the stereoisomeric forms and mixtures thereof are also included in the general formula ( x ). according to the invention , the perhydroisoindole derivatives of general formula ( i ) may be obtained by reaction of the acid of general formula : ## str13 ## or of a reactive derivative of this acid , in which r and r &# 39 ; are defined as above , with an isoindole derivative of general formula ( i ) in which the symbols r 1 , r 2 , r 5 and r 4 are defined as above , followed , where appropriate , by conversion of the amide obtained to an amidine . it is understood that the amino , alkylamino or carboxyl radicals contained in r and / or r &# 39 ; are preferably protected beforehand . the protection is carried out using any compatible group whose introduction and removal do not affect the rest of the molecule . in particular , the protection is carried out according to the methods described by t . w . greene , by a . wiley or by mc omie in the references mentioned above . the amino or alkylamino groups may be protected with the following radicals : methoxycarbonyl , ethoxycarbonyl , t - butoxycarbonyl , allyloxycarbonyl , vinyloxycarbonyl , trichloroethoxycarbonyl , trichloroacetyl , trifluoroacetyl , chloroacetyl , trityl , benzhydryl , benzyl , allyl , formyl , acetyl , benzyloxycarbonyl or its substituted derivatives ; the acidic groups may be protected with the following radicals : methyl , ethyl , t - butyl , benzyl , substituted benzyl or benzhydryl . furthermore , when r &# 39 ; represents a hydroxyl radical , it is preferable to protect this radical beforehand . the protection is carried out for example using an acetoxy , trialkylsilyl or benzyl radical or in the form of a carbonate using a -- coora radical in which ra is an alkyl or benzyl radical . when the condensation of a reactive derivative of the acid of general formula ( xi ) is carried out , the procedure is advantageously carried out using the acid chloride , the anhydride , a mixed anhydride or a reactive ester in which the ester residue is a succinimido radical , an optionally substituted 1 - benzotriazolyl radical , a 4 - nitrophenyl , 2 , 4 - dinitrophenyl , pentachlorophenyl or phthalimido radical . the reaction is generally carried out at a temperature of between - 40 ° and + 40 ° c . in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane , chloroform ), an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran , dioxane ), an ester ( for example ethyl acetate ), an amide ( for example dimethylacetamide , dimethylformamide ), or a ketone ( for example acetone ) or in a mixture of these solvents , in the presence of an acid acceptor such as a nitrogen - containing organic base such as for example pyridine , dimethylaminopyridine , n - methylmorpholine or a trialkylamine ( in particular triethylamine ) or such as an epoxide ( for example propylene oxide ). it is also possible to carry out the procedure in the presence of a condensation agent such as a carbodiimide , [ for example dicyclohexylcarbodiimide or 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide ], n , n &# 39 ;- carbonyldiimidazole or 2 - ethoxy - l - ethoxycarbonyl - 1 , 2 - dihydroquinoline or alternatively in a dilute organic medium in the presence of an alkaline condensation agent such as sodium bicarbonate , and where appropriate the amide obtained is then converted to an amidine as defined above . the conversion of the amide of general formula ( x ) to an amidine for which x is an nh radical is carried out by preparing the isoindolium derivative of general formula : ## str14 ## in which r , r &# 39 ;, r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are defined as above , y represents a chlorine atom , a methoxy or ethoxy radical and z - represents a chloride , tetrafluoroborate , fluorosulphonate , trifluoromethylsulphonate , methyl sulphate or ethyl sulphate ion , followed by reaction of ammonia with the isoindolium derivative . it is understood that when r 3 is a hydroxyl , y is other than a chlorine atom . the preparation of the isoindolium derivative of general formula ( xii ) in which y is a chlorine atom or a methoxy or ethoxy radical , is carried out by reaction of a reagent such as phosgene , phosphorus oxychloride , phosphorus pentachloride , thionyl chloride , oxalyl chloride , trichloromethyl chloroformate , triethyl - or trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate , methyl or ethyl triflate , methyl or ethyl fluorosulphonate or methyl or ethyl sulphate . the reaction is carried out in a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ) or in an aromatic hydrocarbon ( for example toluene ) at a temperature between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . the reaction of ammonia with the derivative of general formula ( xii ) is carried out in an anhydrous organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ) in an alcohol - chlorine - containing solvent mixture , in an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran ), in an ester ( for example ethyl acetate ), in an aromatic solvent ( for example toluene ) or in a mixture of these solvents , at a temperature between - 20 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . it is not essential to isolate the isoindolium derivative of general formula ( xii ) in order to use it in this reaction . the isoindole derivatives of general formula ( x ) for which x is an imino radical , may also be obtained from the isoindole derivative according to the invention , by reaction of a product of general formula : ## str15 ## optionally in the form of a salt , in which r and r &# 39 ; are defined as above and r 6 represents an alkoxy radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in a linear or branched chain or a methylthio , ethylthio , benzylthio or alkoxycarbonylmethylthio radical . the reaction is carried out using the derivative of general formula ( xiii ), which is optionally prepared in situ , in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ), an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran ), an aromatic hydrocarbon ( for example toluene ) or a nitrile for example acetonitrile , at a temperature between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . it is understood that should the radicals r and / or r &# 39 ; of the product of general formula ( xiii ) carry substituents which may interfere with the reaction , these substituents should be protected beforehand . the acids of general formula ( xi ) are prepared according to known methods or according to the methods described in the examples below , or by analogy with these methods . the new isoindole derivatives of general formula ( i ) and the products of general formula ( x ) to which they lead may be purified , where appropriate , by physical methods such as crystallization or chromatography . where appropriate , the new derivatives of general formula ( i ), as well as the products of general formula ( x ) to which they lead and for which the symbols r and / or r &# 39 ; contain amino or alkylamino substituents and / or x represents an nh radical , may be converted to the addition salts with acids . as examples of addition salts with pharmaceutically acceptable acids , there may be mentioned the salts formed with inorganic acids ( hydrochlorides , hydrobromides , sulphates , nitrates , phosphates ) or with organic acids ( succinates , fumarates , tartrates , acetates , propionates , maleates , citrates , methanesulphonates , p - toluenesulphonates , isothionates , or with substituted derivatives of these compounds ). the new isoindole derivatives of general formula ( x ) antagonize the effects of substance p and thus may find an application in the fields of analgesia , inflammation , asthma , allergies , on the central nervous system , on the cardiovascular system , as antispasmodic , or on the immune system , as well as in the domain of the stimulation of lachrymal secretions . indeed , the products according to the invention exhibit an affinity for substance p receptors at doses of between 5 and 2000 nm according to the technique described by c . m . lee et al ., mol . pharmacol ., 23 , 563 - 69 ( 1983 ). furthermore , it has been demonstrated , using various products , that it is a substance p - antagonizing effect . in the technique described by s . rosell et al ., substance p , ed . by us von euler and b . pernow , raven press , new york ( 1977 ), pages 83 to 88 , the products studied proved to be active at doses of between 20 and 1000 nm . substance p is known to be involved in a certain number of pathological domains : agonists and antagonists of substance p , a . s . dutta drugs of the futur , 12 ( 8 ), 782 ( 1987 ); substance p and pain : an updating , j . l . henry , tins , 3 ( 4 ), 97 ( 1980 ); substance p in inflammatory reactions and pain , s . rosell , actual . chim . ther ., 12th series , 249 ( 1985 ); effects of neuropeptides on production of inflammatory cytokines by human monocytes , m . lotz et al ., science , 241 , 1218 ( 1988 ); neuropeptides and the pathogenesis of allergy , allergy , 42 , 1 to 11 ( 1987 ); substance p in human essential hypertension , j . cardiovascular pharmacology , 10 ( suppl . 12 ), 5172 ( 1987 ). moreover , the isoindole derivatives of general formula ( x ) are not toxic , they proved to be nontoxic in mice by the subcutaneous route at a dose of of 40 mg / kg or by the oral route at a dose of 100 mg / kg . the symbols r 2 are identical and represent phenyl radicals , the symbol r 3 represents a fluorine or chlorine atom or a hydroxyl radical , and the symbol r 4 represents a hydrogen atom or , together with r 3 , represents a fluorine atom , and among these products , the following products are more particularly advantageous : the following examples , which are given with no limitation being implied , illustrate the present invention . in the examples below , it is understood , unless specifically stated , that the proton nmr spectra were established at 250 mhz in dimethyl sulphoxide ; the chemical shifts are expressed in ppm . a solution of 7 . 18 g of sodium borohydride in 500 cm 3 of methanol supplemented with 20 drops of a concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide is added over 90 minutes to a solution , cooled to 5 ° c ., of 100 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in 1000 cm 3 of absolute methanol . after stirring for 2 . 5 hours between 5 and 10 ° c ., the crystals formed are drained and taken up in 900 cm 3 of water and 1000 cm 3 of ethyl ether . the solution is filtered and alkalized with 15 cm 3 of a 4n solution of sodium hydroxide and then stirred for 2 hours at 5 ° c . the crystals formed are drained , washed with ethyl ether and dried to give 28 . 8 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in the form of white crystals ; melting point 205 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 230 ° ( c = 1 , chcl 3 ). 500 cm 3 of 4n aqueous sodium hydroxide are slowly added with stirring to a suspension of 200 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride in 2000 cm 3 of ethyl acetate ; the stirring is continued until dissolution of the starting product . the organic solution is washed with 250 cm 3 of distilled water , with 250 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate and filtered . a solution of 92 . 8 g of l (+)- mandelic acid in 1000 cm 3 of ethyl acetate is added with stirring to the solution thus obtained ; after stirring for 4 hours , the crystals obtained are drained , washed with 250 cm 3 of ethyl acetate ( twice ) and dried . the crystals are taken up in 2000 cm 3 of distilled water ; the mixture is refluxed with stirring for 15 minutes ; the insoluble crystals are drained , washed with 100 cm 3 of distilled water ( twice ) and dried . they are recrystallized from a mixture of 1100 cm 3 of acetonitrile and 500 cm 3 of distilled water ; the crystals obtained are drained , washed with 40 cm 3 of acetonitrile ( 3 times ) and dried . 80 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone ( l )- mandelate are obtained ; [ α ] d 20 =- 164 ° ( c = 1 , methanol ). 400 cm 3 of 1n aqueous sodium hydroxide and 600 cm 3 of ethyl acetate are added to 80 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone ( l )- mandelate ; the mixture is stirred at room temperature until dissolution of the starting product ; the organic solution is washed with 250 cm 3 of distilled water , with 250 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate and filtered ; it is acidified , with stirring , by the addition of 30 cm 3 of 9n hydrochloric acid ; the crystals obtained are drained , washed with 50 cm 3 of ethyl acetate ( twice ), with 50 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide and dried . 52 . 3 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride is obtained ; melting point 270 ° c ., with decomposition ; [ α ] d 20 =- 282 ° ( c = 0 . 5 , methanol ). 150 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone , 1500 cm 3 of methanol and 450 cm 3 of 1n hydrochloric acid are added to 15 g of 10 % palladium on carbon ; the reaction mixture is hydrogenated , with stirring , at room temperature and under atmospheric pressure . the theoretical volume of hydrogen is absorbed after reacting for 5 hours ; the reaction mixture is filtered and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ); the residue is crystallized from 200 cm 3 of ethanol ; the crystals obtained are drained , washed with 50 cm 3 of ethanol and dried . 110 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride are obtained ; melting point 270 ° c ., with decomposition . proton nmr spectrum : 2 . 03 ( mt , 1h , 1h of h in 5 or 6 ); 2 . 3 ( mt , 1h , 1h of -- h in 5 or 6 ); 2 . 48 ( dd , partially masked , 1h of -- ch 2 in 1 ); 2 . 69 ( dd , 1h , 1h of -- ch 2 -- in 1 ); 2 . 8 ( mt , 2h , -- ch 2 -- in 6 or 5 ); 3 . 34 ( dd , partially masked , 1h of -- ch 2 -- in 3 ); 3 . 5 ( mt , 1h , -- ch -- in 3a ); 3 . 82 ( dd , 1h , 1h of -- ch 2 -- in 3 ); 3 . 95 ( mt , 1h , -- ch -- in 7a ); 7 . 15 to 7 . 65 ( mt , 10h , aromatics ); 9 . 43 ( mf , 2h , -- nh 2 + ). infrared spectrum ( kbr ) characteristic bands in cm - 1 : 3600 - 3300 , 3100 - 3000 , 3000 - 2850 , 3100 - 2400 , 1715 , 1595 , 1580 , 1495 , 1470 , 1445 , 775 , 750 , 705 . 5 drops of trifluoroacetic acid are added to a solution of 155 g of 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 - cyclohexen - 1 - one and 202 cm 3 of n - butoxymethyl - n - trimethylsilylmethylbenzylamine in 1000 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane and the reaction mixture is refluxed for 45 minutes . 50 cm 3 of n - butoxymethyl - n - trimethylsilylmethylbenzylamine and 3 drops of trifluoroacetic acid are added and the mixture is further stirred for 45 minutes under reflux before again adding 25 cm 3 of n - butoxymethyl - n - trimethylsilylmethylbenzylamine and 3 drops of trifluoroacetic acid . the reaction mixture is stirred under reflux for 45 minutes and then treated with 50 g of potassium carbonate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is dissolved in 200 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide and the solution is cooled to 0 ° c . for 1 hour . the crystals are drained , washed twice with 15 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide and dried to give 193 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in the form of white crystals ; melting point 132 ° c . n - butoxymethyl - n - trimethylsilylmethylbenzylamine may be prepared according to the method of y . terao et al ., chem . pharm . bull ., 33 , 2762 ( 1985 ). a solution of 1 g of sodium borohydride in 200 cm 3 of methanol is added dropwise over 40 minutes to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 17 . 8 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in one litre of methanol , followed by 10 drops of lye . the reaction mixture is stirred for 3 hours at + 4 ° c . and then 2 cm 3 of a 0 . 1n aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid are added and the mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is dissolved in 350 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 100 cm 3 of water and then with 50 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from 40 cm 3 of ethyl ether . the crystals obtained are drained and dried . 8 . 4 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 190 ° c . the crystallization mother liquors are concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 4 cm , height 33 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with a dichloromethane and methanol mixture ( 96 / 4 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 18 to 21 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 1 . 88 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of a white meringue . fractions 26 to 31 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from 5 cm 3 of ethyl ether . 2 . 88 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are additionally obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 190 ° c . 0 . 74 g of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine and 14 . 7 g of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate are successively added to a solution of 20 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride in 100 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane and 6 . 17 cm 3 of triethylamine . the reaction mixture is stirred for 24 hours at room temperature and then washed with an aqueous solution of citric acid and then with an aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from 90 cm 3 of ethyl ether . the crystals are drained , washed with 10 cm 3 of ethyl ether and then dried . 14 . 1 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 119 ° c . 40 cm 3 of a 6 . 3 n solution of hydrochloric dioxane are added to a solution of 2 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar ) 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 20 cm 3 of dioxane and the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 5 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ), triturated in acetonitrile , filtered and dried . 1 . 57 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 266 ° c . ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride may be prepared by hydrogenation of a suspension of 0 . 70 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 30 cm 3 of methanol and 2 . 0 cm 3 of 1n hydrochloric acid at atmospheric pressure for 20 hours at 20 ° c . in the presence of 0 . 12 g of 20 % palladium hydroxide on carbon black . the reaction mixture is filtered , concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ), and the oil obtained is concreted with ethyl ether . the suspension is filtered , the solid drained and dried under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 52 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 220 ° c . ( with decomposition ). infrared spectrum ( characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3400 , 3090 , 3050 , 3025 , 3000 - 2800 , 1600 , 1580 , 1495 , 1465 , 985 , 750 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 , main signals ): 1 . 06 ( broad t , j = 14 , 1h , h in 5 ); 1 . 66 ( broad d , j = 14 , 1h , h in 5 ); 2 . 17 ( broad d , j = 14 , 1h , ch 2 in 6 ); 3 . 8 ( broad s , 1h , h in 4 ); 5 . 3 ( mf , 1h , oh ); 7 . 05 to 7 . 45 ( mt , 10h , aromatics ); 8 . 4 and 9 . 43 ( mf , 2h , nh 2 + ). 4 . 0 cm 3 of a 1m solution of lithium tri - sec - butyl borohydride in tetrahydrofuran is added over 5 minutes to a solution , cooled to 0 ° c ., of 1 . 3 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in 6 . 0 cm 3 of tetrahydrofuran . after stirring for 3 hours at 0 ° c ., the reaction mixture is again supplemented with 0 . 5 cm 3 of the 1m solution of borohydride . after 1 hour at 0 ° c . and the addition of 50 cm 3 of water and 50 cm 3 of ethyl acetate , the organic phase is decanted , washed with 20 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the oil obtained is crystallized from 30 cm 3 of diisopropyl oxide , the crystals are drained and dried under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 70 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 154 ° c . 7 . 9 cm 3 of benzyl bromide are added to a solution , cooled to 0 ° c ., of 21 . 7 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride in 300 cm 3 of dichloromethane and 18 . 5 cm 3 of triethylamine . after stirring for 1 hour at 0 ° c . and 2 hours at 20 ° c ., the reaction mixture is washed with 50 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 5 cm , height 40 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 6 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 75 / 25 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 250 cm 3 . fractions 3 to 6 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 22 . 1 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone are obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 124 ° c . [ α ] 20 =- 279 ° c . a solution of 0 . 37 cm 3 of 4 - trifluorothiomorpholine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added to a solution , cooled to + 5 ° c . of 1 . 0 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . after stirring for 2 hours at + 5 ° c ., the reaction mixture is washed with 20 cm 3 of a 5 % aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate and then dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 mm - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 . 4 cm , height 35 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure at 0 . 8 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 90 / 10 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 25 to 34 are pooled and concentrated to dryness . 0 . 27 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonylperhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of a white meringue . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3060 , 3030 , 2975 , 2930 , 2875 , 1695 , 1595 , 1580 , 1495 , 1450 , 1405 , 1365 , 1175 , 755 , 730 , 700 . by carrying out the procedure as in example 8 below , using 0 . 5 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonylperhydroisoindole , 0 . 35 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a grey solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3420 , 3090 , 3050 , 3025 , 2970 , 2800 - 2250 , 1590 , 1580 , 1495 , 1460 , 1445 , 1060 , 750 , 730 , 700 . a solution of 3 . 5 cm 3 of morpholinosulphur trifluoride in 50 cm 3 of dichloromethane is added to a solution , cooled to + 5 ° c ., of 9 . 4 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 250 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred for 4 hours at + 5 ° c . and then diluted with 300 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 250 cm 3 of an aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 . 5 cm , height 42 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 5 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 90 / 10 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 120 cm 3 . fractions 13 to 17 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from cyclohexane . 2 . 55 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonylperhydroisoindole are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 202 ° c . 40 cm 3 of a 6 . 3n solution of hydrochloric dioxane are added to a solution of 3 . 7 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonylperhydroisoindole in 40 cm 3 of dioxane and the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ), triturated in diisopropyl oxide , filtered and dried . 3 . 1 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 200 ° c . with decomposition . 1 . 3 g of calcium carbonate and then 2 g of phosphorus pentachloride are successively added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 1 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 60 cm 3 of chloroform , and the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours . the reaction mixture is then filtered , diluted with 80 cm 3 of chloroform , washed twice with 80 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 . 5 cm , height 34 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 30 / 70 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 7 to 10 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 44 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 2 - chlorocarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of a white solid . infrared spectrum ( ccl 4 solution , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3065 , 3035 , 2930 , 2855 , 1745 , 1600 , 1585 , 1495 , 1450 , 700 . a solution of 0 . 4 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 2 - chlorocarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole in 6 cm 3 of a 1n aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid and 14 cm 3 of tetrahydrofuran is heated with stirring at 80 ° c . for 9 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 35 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a white solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3055 , 3025 , 3000 , 2250 , 1600 , 1495 , 1580 , 1460 , 1445 , 1435 , 760 , 750 , 735 , 700 . a solution of 1 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 10 cm 3 of thionyl chloride is stirred for 3 hours at 80 ° c . the reaction mixture is then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 1 . 03 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole are obtained in the form of a solid which is used in the crude state in the following test . 10 cm 3 of a 6 . 3n solution of hydrochloric acid in dioxane are added to a solution of 1 . 03 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole in 5 cm 3 of dioxane . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 84 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a solid which is used in the crude state in the following test . a solution of 5 . 0 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in 30 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added to a solution of 3 . 4 cm 3 of diethylaminosulphur trifluoride in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . after stirring for 5 hours under reflux and for 20 hours at 20 ° c . the reaction mixture is washed with 50 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate and with 50 cm 3 of water and then dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness . the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 . 8 cm , height 35 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 8 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 95 / 5 followed by 90 / 10 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 24 to 52 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized in ethyl acetate and diisopropyl oxide , the crystals are drained and dried . 1 . 80 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7 - difluoroperhydroisoindole are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 162 ° c . 20 cm 3 of dioxane and 20 cm 3 of 6 . 3n hydrochloric acid are added to 1 . 8 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7difluoroperhydroisoindole . after stirring for 20 hours at room temperature , the white suspension obtained is concentrated to dryness at 40 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is washed with diisopropyl oxide , the solid obtained is drained and then dried . 1 . 51 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7 - difluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride are obtained in the form of a white solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3050 , 3025 , 2965 , 2935 , 2900 , 2800 - 2250 , 1595 , 1580 , 1495 , 1465 , 1445 , 760 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 + cf 3 cood ): 1 . 2 - 1 . 55 and 2 . 12 ( 2 mt , 2 × 1h , ch 2 in 6 ); 3 - 3 . 3 ( mt , 1h , h in 7a ); 3 . 58 ( mt , 2h , ch 2 in 1 ); 3 . 76 ( mt , 1h , h in 3a ); 7 . 1 at 7 . 5 ( mt , 10h , aromatics ). a solution of 4 . 87 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7trifluoromethylsulphonyloxyperhydroisoindole in 150 cm 3 of dry difluoromethane is treated with 22 . 6 cm 3 of a 1m solution of tetrabutylammonium fluoride in tetrahydrofuran and then stirred for 17 hours at 20 ° c and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 2 - 0 . 063 mm , diameter 4 . 5 cm , height 35 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 75 / 25 ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 28 to 38 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) to give 1 . 44 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole in the form of white crystals ; melting point 200 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 225 ° c . ( c = 1 , chcl 3 ). a solution of 2 . 25 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole in 25 cm 3 of dioxane is treated with a 5 . 8n solution of hydrochloric acid in dioxane and stirred for 2 hours at 20 ° c . and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is concreted by adding 100 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide , the solid is filtered and dried to give 1 . 8 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in the form of a cream - colored powder . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ): 1 . 0 - 1 . 35 ( mt , 1h of ch 2 in 6 ); 4 . 9 ( broad d , j = 50 , 1h , chf ); 7 . 1 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ); 9 . 05 and 9 . 9 ( 2 mf , 2 × 1h , nh 2 + ). 1 . 5 cm 3 of pyridine are added to a solution , cooled to - 30 ° c ., of 6 . 7 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 100 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane , followed over 10 minutes by a solution of 3 . 2 g of trifluoromethanesulphonic anhydride in 25 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred for 2 hours at - 30 ° c . and then diluted with 250 cm 3 of water and 100 cm 3 of dichloromethane . the organic phase is washed with 200 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate and with 200 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride and then dried and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) to give 8 . 6 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - trifluoromethylsulphonyloxyperhydroisoindole in the form of a yellow meringue which is used as it is in subsequent stages of the synthesis . 10 . 55 g of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate are added to a solution of 13 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol and 0 . 5 g of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine in 450 cm 3 of dichloromethane . after stirring for 2 hours at 25 ° c ., the reaction mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) and the residue is crystallized in 50 cm 3 of ethyl ether . 9 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 190 ° c . the products according to the invention may be used for the preparation of the isoindole derivatives of general formula ( x ) as in the examples of use below . a solution of 0 . 5 g of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide in 50 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added over 10 minutes to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 72 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride , 0 . 5 g of 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenylacetic acid , 0 . 03 g of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole in 75 cm 3 of dichloromethane , followed by 0 . 37 cm 3 of diisopropylethylamine . the reaction mixture is stirred for 3 hours at 0 ° c . and then washed twice with 50 cm 3 of water and twice with 50 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride . the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is taken up in 21 cm 3 of 0 . 1n hydrochloric acid , 50 cm 3 of diethyl ether and 30 cm 3 of water . the aqueous phase is separated and freeze - dried to give 0 . 85 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 2 -([ 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenyl ] acetyl )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in the form of a white freeze - dried product . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3060 , 3030 , 2960 , 2890 , 2800 , 2200 , 1635 , 1605 , 1495 , 1460 , 1445 , 1250 , 755 , 705 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ) ( at room temperature , a mixture of the two rotamers is observed ): 0 . 95 - 1 . 35 and 1 . 8 - 2 . 1 ( 2mt , 2 × 1h , ch 2 in 6 ): 2 . 6 - 2 . 8 ( mt , 6h , n ( ch 3 ) 2 ); 3 . 9 and 4 . 05 ( 2mt , 2 × 1h , och 2 ); 4 . 8 and 4 . 85 ( broad 2d ; j = 50 , 1h , chf ); 6 . 8 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). 0 . 04 g of hydroxybenzotriazole hydrate is added to a solution , cooled to + 5 ° c ., of 1 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride and 0 . 924 g of 2 -{[ 3 -( 1 - pyrrolidinyl )- 2 - propoxy ] phenyl } acetic acid in 40 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane , followed by 0 . 79 g of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride and 0 . 51 cm 3 of diisopropylethylamine . after stirring for 2 . 5 hours at + 5 ° c . and for 20 hours at 20 ° c ., the reaction mixture is washed twice with 50 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate and then concentrated to dryness at 40 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 . 4 cm , height 31 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 5 bar with an ethyl acetate , acetic acid and water mixture ( 60 / 10 / 10 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 11 to 31 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is taken up in 20 cm 3 of dichloromethane , the solution is washed with 20 cm 3 of a 1n aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and then dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness . this wash with a basic solution is repeated again . 0 . 68 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 2 -{{[ 3 -( 1 - pyrrolidinyl )- 2 - propoxy ] phenyl } acetyl }- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of a white solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3085 , 3055 , 3035 , 2950 , 2875 , 2785 , 1640 , 1600 , 1495 , 1455 , 1440 , 1245 , 750 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 + cf 3 cood ): 1 . 1 - 1 . 45 ( mt , 1h , 1h in 6 ); 1 . 9 ( mt , 4h , 2ch 2 in 3 and 4 of pyrrolidino ); 2 . 27 ( mt , 1h , 1h in 5 ); 3 . 77 ( d , j = 10 , 1h , h in 1 ); 4 . 03 ( mt , 2h , och 2 ); 4 . 78 ( broad d , j = 50 , 1h , chf ); 7 . 1 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). by carrying out the procedure as in example 9 below , using 0 . 16 g of 2 - dimethylaminophenylacetic acid and 0 . 30 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride , 0 . 11 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ] 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of a white meringue . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3060 , 3030 , 2940 , 2875 , 2825 , 2770 , 1645 , 1595 , 1580 , 1495 , 1450 , 1420 , 755 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( at room temperature , a mixture of two rotamers is observed ): 2 . 35 and 2 . 58 ( 2s , 6h , n ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 4 . 2 - 4 . 6 ( mt , 1h , chf ), 6 . 9 - 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). 0 . 28 cm 3 of triethylamine and 0 . 32 g of carbonyldiimidazole are added to a solution , cooled to 4 ° c ., of 0 . 57 g of ( 2 - pyrrolidinophenyl ) acetic acid hydrobromide in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 67 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane and 0 . 28 cm 3 of triethylamine is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 24 hours and then diluted with 100 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed twice with 50 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 . 5 cm , height 38 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 5 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 70 / 30 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 26 to 54 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from an acetonitrile and diisopropyl oxide mixture ( 25 / 75 by volume ). 0 . 16 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 -[( 2 - pyrrolidinophenyl ) acetyl ] perhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 170 ° c . 0 . 17 g of carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c . of 0 . 19 g of ( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetic acid in 15 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 35 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added followed by a solution of 0 . 15 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours and then diluted with 120 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 80 cm 3 of water and then with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 cm , height 22 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 75 / 25 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 6 to 9 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the product , which is obtained in the form of a base , is converted to the hydrochloride by dissolving in 25 cm 3 of ethyl ether , followed by the addition of 5 cm 3 of a 3 . 2n solution of hydrochloric acid in ethyl ether , washing with ethyl ether and drying . 0 . 14 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 4 , 4diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 190 ° c . 0 . 39 g of carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 43 g of ( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetic acid in 15 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 84 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added followed by a solution of 0 . 34 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours , and then diluted with 100 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 50 cm 3 of water and then with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 cm , height 23 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 25 / 75 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 80 cm 3 . fraction 2 is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the product which is obtained in the form of a base is converted to the hydrochloride by dissolving in 4 cm 3 of acetonitrile , followed by the addition of 6 cm 3 of a 3 . 2n solution of hydrochloric acid in ethyl ether , washing with isopropyl ether and drying . 0 . 08 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a beige solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3055 , 3025 , 2950 , 1635 , 1490 , 1460 , 1440 , 760 , 750 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ) ( at 403 ° k ., a mixture of the two rotamers is observed , dmso - d 6 + cf 3 cood , main signals ): 3 and 3 . 13 ( 2s , 6h , n ( ch 3 ) 2 ); 4 . 54 and 4 . 63 ( 2 mt , 1h , chcl ); 7 to 7 . 8 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). 0 . 32 g of carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 36 g of ( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 67 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane and 0 . 28 cm 3 of triethylamine is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours , diluted with 200 cm 3 of dichloromethane and then washed with 50 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 cm , height 20 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 60 / 40 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 10 to 15 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from 0 . 6 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide . the crystals obtained are drained , washed with isopropyl oxide , and then dried . 0 . 19 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 -[ ( s )- 2 -( 2methoxyphenyl ) propionyl ] perhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 195 ° c . ( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid may be prepared by analogy with the methods described by d . a . evans et al ., tetrahedron , 44 , 5525 , ( 1988 ), according to the following procedure : 1 . 52 g of lithium hydroxide are added to a solution , cooled to + 5 ° c ., of 4 . 1 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 3 -[( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl )- propionyl ]- 2 - oxazolidinone in 60 cm 3 of tetrahydrofuran and 30 cm 3 of water . the reaction mixture is stirred for 3 hours at this temperature and then , after re - equilibrating to room temperature , ethyl acetate is added , the mixture decanted and the aqueous phase is acidified with a 1n aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid , extracted with ethyl acetate and the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the solid obtained is recrystallized from hexane , drained and dried . 0 . 4 g of ( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 102 ° c . [ α ] d 20 =+ 84 . 6 ° ( c = 1 ; chcl 3 ). 19 . 1 g of sodium 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexamethyldisilazanate are added to a solution , cooled to - 50 ° c ., of 10 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 3 -[( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetyl ]- 2 - oxazolidinone in 150 cm 3 of tetrahydrofuran and the mixture is stirred for 45 minutes at this temperature and then 7 . 72 cm 3 of methyl iodide are added . the reaction mixture is then stirred for 15 hours at room temperature and then diluted with ethyl acetate , washed with 50 cm 3 of water and then with 50 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue obtained is crystallized from isopropyl oxide , drained and dried . 4 . 2 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 3 -[( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl )- propionyl ]- 2 - oxazolidinone are obtained in the form of a white solid . 9 . 38 g of 2 - methoxyphenylacetic acid are added to a suspension of 1 . 89 g of sodium hydride ( 80 % dispersion in vaseline ) in 200 cm 3 of dry tetrahydrofuran , at room temperature . this suspension is cooled to - 30 ° c . 7 . 77 cm 3 of pivaloyl chloride are added and then a solution , cooled to - 78 ° c ., which is obtained by adding 35 . 27 cm 3 of a 1 . 6m solution of butyllithium in hexane to a solution , cooled to - 78 ° c ., of 10 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 2 - oxazolidinone in 200 cm 3 of dry tetrahydrofuran is finally added . the reaction mixture is stirred for 45 minutes at - 30 ° c . and after re - equilibrating to room temperature , 200 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride are added followed by 500 cm 3 of ethyl acetate ; after decantation , the organic phase is washed twice with 100 cm 3 of water and then twice with 100 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride ; dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 4 . 8 cm , height 36 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 6 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 85 / 15 followed by 80 / 20 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 50 cm 3 . fractions 14 to 31 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 13 . 6 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 3 -( 2 - methoxyphenylacetyl )- 2 - oxazolidinone are obtained in the form of a yellow oil . by carrying out the procedure according to that described in the example of use 9 below , using 0 . 77 g of 2 - dimethylaminophenylacetic acid and 1 . 50 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7 - difluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride , 1 . 29 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7 - difluoroperhydroisoindole are obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 189 ° c . 0 . 49 g of n , n &# 39 ;- carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution of 0 . 52 g of 2 - dimethylaminophenylacetic acid in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for 30 minutes at + 5 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 93 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride and 0 . 84 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dichloromethane is added . the reaction mixture is stirred for 2 hours at + 5 ° c . and then washed with 10 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue obtained is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( 0 . 04 mm - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 cm , height 35 cm ), eluting with ethyl acetate and collecting fractions of 30 cm 3 . fractions 8 to 27 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from a mixture of 4 cm 3 of acetonitrile and 20 cm 3 of ethyl ether . the crystals are drained and dried under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 70 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol is obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 160 ° c ., [ α ] 20 d =- 162 ° ( c = 0 . 5 , methanol ). by carrying out the procedure according to that described in the example of use 9 , using 0 . 26 g of 2 - dimethylaminophenylacetic acid and 0 . 50 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride , 0 . 21 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 2 -[( 2dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol is obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 204 ° c ., [ α ] 20 d =- 212 ° ( c = 0 . 5 , methanol ). 0 . 42 cm 3 of triethylamine and 0 . 49 g of carbonyldiimidazole are added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 86 g of ( 2 - pyrrolidinophenyl ) acetic acid hydrobromide in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 1 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride and 0 . 42 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 24 hours and then then washed twice with 10 cm 3 of water and then with an aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the product , which is obtained in the form of a base , is converted to the hydrochloride by dissolving in a minimum amount of acetone and treating with a solution of hydrochloric acid in ethyl ether and adding ethyl ether . the solid obtained is triturated in ethyl ether and then dried . 0 . 2 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 -[( 2 - pyrrolidinophenyl ) acetyl ]- 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a beige solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3085 , 3050 , 3025 , 2945 , 2880 , 2750 , 2250 , 1640 , 1600 , 1495 , 1445 , 1060 , 755 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ): 0 . 92 and 1 . 72 ( 2 mt , 2 × 1h , ch 2 -- in 5 ); 2 . 17 ( mt , 4h , 2 ch 2 in 3 and 4 of pyrrolidino ); 7 to 7 . 8 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). by carrying out the procedure as described in example 9 above , using 1 . 82 g of ( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetic acid and 3 . 29 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride , 3 . 9 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 -[( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetyl ]- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 246 ° c . [ α ] 20 d =- 174 ° ( c = 0 . 37 ); methanol ) 0 . 37 g of carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 41 g of ( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid in 15 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 75 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours and then then washed twice with 10 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 . 6 cm , height 37 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 5 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 50 / 50 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 50 cm 3 . fractions 21 to 41 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is triturated in isopropyl oxide and then dried . 0 . 3 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 -[( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionyl ]- 4 - perhydroisoindolol is obtained in the form of a white meringue . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3060 , 3030 , 2940 , 2875 , 2840 , 1630 , 1600 , 1495 , 1445 , 1245 , 1060 , 755 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ) ( at room temperature , a mixture of the two rotamers is observed ): 0 . 9 - 1 . 8 ( mt , 2h , ch 2 in 5 ); 1 . 14 and 1 . 23 ( 2d , j = 7 , 3h , ch 3 ); 3 . 55 and 3 . 65 ( 2 s , 3h , och 3 ); 3 . 85 and 4 . 23 ( 2 mt , 1h , -- cochch 3 --); 6 . 8 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). 0 , 766 g of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide is added to a solution , cooled to + 10 ° c ., of 1 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol , 0 . 97 g of 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenylacetic acid , 0 . 05 g of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole in 50 cm 3 of dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred for 90 minutes 20 ° c . and then washed twice with 50 cm 3 of water and with 50 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride . the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 2 - 0 . 063 mm , diameter 2 . 9 cm , height 23 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 7 bar with 1 , 2 - dichloroethane and methanol mixtures ( 1 liter at 90 / 10 by volume , 1 . 5 liter at 70 / 30 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 10 to 84 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) to give 1 . 1 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 -{[ 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenyl ] acetyl } 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in the form of a cream - colored meringue . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3080 , 3050 , 3020 , 2940 , 2870 , 2815 , 2765 , 1635 , 1600 , 1490 , 1455 , 1445 , 1245 , 1065 , 750 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ) at 433 ° k : 1 . 06 and 1 . 76 ( 2 mt , 2 × 1h , ch 2 in 5 ); 2 . 27 ( s , 6h , n ( ch 3 ) 2 ); 3 . 9 ( d , j = 11 , 1h , 1h of ch 2 in 3 ); 6 . 8 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ) a solution of 100 g of 2 - hydroxyphenylacetic acid , 75 cm 3 of benzyl alcohol and 0 . 5 g of paratoluenesulphonic acid in 1400 cm 3 of toluene is refluxed for 2 hours while removing the water formed . after cooling , treating with 3 g of animal black and filtering , the reaction mixture is concentrated to 150 cm 3 and supplemented with 300 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide . the crystals obtained by cooling to 0 ° c . are drained , washed and dried to give 82 . 5 g of benzyl 2 - hydroxyphenylacetate . 174 g of potassium carbonate are added to a solution of 153 g of this ester in a mixture of 500 cm 3 of 1 , 3 - dibromopropane and 2500 cm 3 of acetonitrile and the mixture is refluxed for 17 hours . the reaction mixture is cooled , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is taken up in 500 cm 3 of ethyl acetate and the organic phase is washed twice with 400 cm 3 of water and twice with 250 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride and then dried and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 2 - 0 . 063 mm , diameter 9 cm , height 55 cm ), eluting with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 95 / 5 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 500 cm 3 . fractions 12 to 18 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) to give 90 g of benzyl 2 -( 3 - bromopropoxy ) phenylacetate in the form of a yellow oil . a solution of 40 g of this product in 500 cm 3 of acetonitrile is heated in an autoclave with 27 g of sodium iodide and 90 g of dimethylamine for 16 hours at 80 ° c . the reaction mixture is cooled , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is purified by acid - base treatment to give 29 . 3 g of benzyl 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenylacetate in the form of a yellow oil . hydrogenation of this ester at atmospheric pressure at 40 ° c . in ethyl acetate in the presence of palladium hydroxide , followed by crystallization from ethyl acetate , lead to 17 . 5 g of 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenylacetic acid in the form of white crystals ; melting point 98 ° c . a solution of 0 . 6 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride and 0 . 51 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added to a solution of 0 . 41 g of ethyl ( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetimidate tetrafluoroborate in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is refluxed for 3 hours . it is then treated , after re - equilibrating to room temperature , with 5 cm 3 of a 10 % aqueous solution of potassium carbonate ; the organic phase is washed with 10 cm 3 of distilled water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 cm , height 20 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 6 bar with an ethyl acetate , acetic acid and water mixture ( 15 / 1 / 1 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 24 to 38 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is taken up in 40 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 10 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of potassium carbonate and then with 10 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride . the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from isopropyl oxide . the crystals are drained and dried . 0 . 18 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 -[ 1 - imino - 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) ethyl ] perhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 184 ° c ., with decomposition . a solution of 1 . 56 g of ethyl ( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetimidate tetrafluoroborate and 0 . 96 cm 3 of triethylamine in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added to a solution of 2 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 30 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane , and then the reaction mixture is refluxed for 2 hours . 10 cm 3 of a 10 % aqueous solution of potassium carbonate are then added , decanted and then the organic phase is washed with 20 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on an alumina column ( diameter 3 . 6 cm , height 31 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 1 bar with a dichloromethane and methanol mixture ( 95 / 5 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 50 cm 3 . fractions 5 to 30 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the solid obtained is washed with isopropyl oxide , drained and dried . 1 . 4 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 -[ 1 - imino - 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) ethyl ]- 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 105 ° c ., with decomposition . although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , the invention is intended to embrace all of the alternatives and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the above references are hereby incorporated by reference .	2
preferred embodiments of this invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing . [ 0033 ] fig1 illustrates a structural view of a smelting reduction apparatus including three - stage type fluidized bed reactors . as shown in fig1 the smelting reduction apparatus includes a three - stage type fluidized bed reactor and a melter - gasifier 40 . the three - stage type fluidized bed reactors include a pre - heating furnace 10 , a pre - reducing furnace 20 , and a final reducing furnace 30 . the pre - heating furnace 10 is mounted with an ore charging duct 1 on a side wall for charging fine iron ores which fall down from a charging bin 5 , a gas supply duct 28 at a lower part for supplying reducing gas which is discharged from the pre - reducing furnace 20 , and a first cyclone 15 at an upper part . the first cyclone 15 collects fine particles of ores which are included in the exhaust gas discharged via a gas discharging duct 13 and re - supplies the fine ore particles to the lower part of the pre - heating furnace 10 . the exhaust gas from which the fine ore particles are removed is released outside via a discharge duct 16 , which is mounted at an upper part of the cyclone 15 . the pre - reducing furnace 20 is mounted with an ore discharging duct 11 on a side wall for supplying the fine iron ores which are preheated in the pre - heating furnace 10 , a gas supply duct 38 at a lower part for supply reducing gas which is discharged from the final reducing furnace 30 , and a second cyclone 25 at an upper part . the second cyclone 25 collects fine particles of ores which are included in the exhaust gas discharged via a gas discharging duct 23 and re - supplies the fine ore particles to a lower part of the pre - reducing furnace 20 . the exhaust gas from which the fine ore particles are removed is supplied to the lower part of the pre - heating furnace 10 via a gas supply duct 28 which is mounted at an upper part of the cyclone 25 . the final reducing furnace 30 is mounted with an ore discharging duct 21 on a side wall for supplying the fine iron ores which are pre - reduced in the pre - reducing furnace 20 , a gas supply duct 58 at a lower part for supply reducing gas which is discharged from the melter - gasifier 40 , and a third cyclone 35 at an upper part . the third cyclone 35 collects fine particles of ores which are included in the exhaust gas discharged via a gas discharging duct 33 and re - supplies the fine ore particles to a lower part of the final reducing furnace 30 . the exhaust gas from which the fine ore particles are removed is supplied to the lower part of the pre - reducing furnace 20 via a gas supply duct 38 which is mounted at an upper part of the cyclone 35 . as for the shape of the respective fluidized bed reactors as described above , the pre - heating furnace 10 , the pre - reducing reactor 20 and the final reducing reactor 30 has a small diameter in the lower parts 10 a , 20 a , and 30 a , a large diameter in the upper parts 10 b , 20 b , and 30 b , and the slantingly formed cylindrical connection parts 10 c , 20 c , and 30 c . therefore , the whole shape of the respective fluidized bed reactors is formed in the dual - stage cylinder having the narrow lower parts and the wide upper parts . the diameter of the upper parts 10 b , 20 b and 30 b of the respective fluidized bed reactors is formed in the range of 1 . 5 ˜ 2 . 0 times of the diameter of the lower parts 10 a , 20 a and 30 a , such that the velocity of the gas in the upper parts of the respective fluidized bed reactors is decreased for preventing the fine iron ores from being discharged as they are . the whole height of the respective fluidized bed reactors is preferably formed 10 ˜ 20 times of the diameter of the lower parts 10 a , 20 a and 30 a . if the respective fluidized bed reactors are formed in the elongated dual - stage cylindrical shape , a space in which the fine iron ores flow is sufficiently assured and the fine iron ores are prevented from being discharged as they are . further , height of the cylindrical lower parts 10 a , 20 a and 30 a is preferably formed in 1 . 0 ˜ 1 . 5 times of height of the cylindrical upper parts 10 b , 20 b and 30 b , and the inclination of the connecting parts 10 c , 20 c and 30 c is preferably formed inclined by 20 ˜ 30 ° with relation to the central axes of the respective fluidized bed reactors . the fine iron ores which are preliminary reduced in the final reducing furnace 30 of the three - stage type fluidized bed reactors as above , are supplied to the upper part of the melter - gasifier 40 which will be described hereinafter via an ore discharging duct 31 . the exhaust gas , which is discharged from the melter - gasifier 40 , is , however , not directly supplied to the final reducing furnace 30 but via the dust separation device , which will be described hereinafter . the dust separation device according to the present invention is mounted between the melter - gasifier 40 and the final reducing furnace 30 and includes two cyclones and three dust storage bins which are disposed in series . now , the dust separation device will be described in more detail . first , a fourth cyclone 45 , which is a first element of the dust separation device , is connected to the melter - gasifier 40 , through an exhaust gas discharging duct 43 and a first dust supply duct 46 . the fourth cyclone 45 is supplied with high temperature exhaust gas from the melter - gasifier 40 via the exhaust gas discharging duct 43 and primarily separate dusts which are included in the exhaust gas to collect . the dusts collected by the fourth cyclone 45 are supplied to the melter - gasifier 40 via the first dust supply duct 46 . reducing gas from which the dusts are primarily removed in the fourth cyclone 45 is supplied to a fifth cyclone 50 which will be described hereinafter via an exhaust gas discharging duct 47 which is mounted at an upper part of the fourth cyclone 45 . the fifth cyclone 50 separates and collects dusts of an ultra fine particle shape which are included in the reducing gas which is supplied from the fourth cyclone 45 but not separated by the fourth cyclone 45 . the ultra fine dusts collected by the fifth cyclone 50 are supplied to a first dust storage bin 60 via a second dust supply duct 51 which is connected to a lower part of the fifth cyclone 50 , wherein the second dust supply duct 51 is mounted with a two - way valve 52 so that the dusts collected in the fifth cyclone 50 are partially re - supplied to the melter - gasifier 40 via a third dust supply duct 57 as necessary . the third dust supply duct 57 may be directly connected to the melter - gasifier 40 and is more preferably connected to the first dust supply duct 46 . the fifth cyclone 50 is connected to a reducing gas discharge duct 58 at an upper part to supply the reducing gas from which the dusts are removed to the final reducing furnace 30 . the first dust storage bin 60 is mounted with a first nitrogen injection device n 1 at a lower part for conveying the stored ultra fine dusts to a second dust storage bin 70 . the first dust storage bin 60 is connected to the dust storage bin 70 via a dust conveying duct 61 . the second dust storage bin 70 is connected to a third dust storage bin 80 via a fourth dust supply duct 71 , so that the ultra fine dusts collected in the second dust storage bin 70 are supplied to the third dust storage bin 80 via the fourth dust supply duct 71 . a lower part of the third dust storage bin 80 is connected to an upper part of a gas distributor 32 of the final reducing furnace 30 via a fifth dust supply duct 81 . the fifth dust supply duct 81 is mounted with a dust charging feeder 82 at an upper part for controlling the amount of dusts which are supplied to the final reducing furnace 30 . the dust charging feeder 82 is mounted with a second nitrogen - injection device n 2 at a lower part for introducing the ultra fine dusts to the final reducing furnace 30 with high pressure . accordingly , the ultra fine dusts which are injected into the upper part of the gas distributor 32 of the final reducing furnace 30 with the high pressure by the second nitrogen - injection device n 2 are coated on surfaces of the fine iron ores in the final reducing furnace 30 . the dust separation device of the present invention as described above , is mounted with control valves 53 , 63 , 73 , and 83 on the respective dust supply ducts for stopping the flow of the dusts and gas in case of operating or repairing the device if it is necessary . now the method for manufacturing the molten pig iron by melting the fine iron ores of a wide particle size distribution by using the smelting reduction apparatus of the present invention will be described in more detail . first , the fine iron ores fallen down from a charging bin 5 are supplied to a side of the pre - heating furnace 10 via an ore charging duct 1 , the iron ores of fine particles which are collected in the first cyclone 15 are supplied to a side of the pre - heating furnace 10 via a first circulation duct 17 , and the high temperature reducing gas which is discharged from the pre - reducing furnace 20 is supplied to a lower part of the pre - heating furnace 10 via the gas supply duct 28 . the fine iron ores and the iron ores of fine particles , which are supplied to the pre - heating furnace 10 , are preheated by the reducing gas in the pre - heating furnace 10 , forming a bubbling fluidized bed . the pre - reducing furnace 20 is supplied with the fine iron ores preheated by the pre - heating furnace 10 via an ore charging duct 11 to a side , as well as the iron ores of fine particles , which are collected in the second cyclone 25 , via a second circulation duct 27 to a side . further the pre - reducing furnace 20 is supplied with the high temperature reducing gas discharged from the final reducing furnace 30 to its lower part via a gas supply duct 38 . the fine iron ores and the iron ores of fine particles , which are supplied to the pre - reducing furnace 20 , are pre - reduced by the reducing gas in the pre - reducing furnace 20 , forming a bubbling fluidized bed . the final reducing furnace 30 is supplied with the fine iron ores pre - reduced by the pre - reducing furnace 20 via an ore charging duct 21 to a side , as well as the iron ores of fine particles , which are collected in the third cyclone 35 , via a third circulation duct 37 to a side . further the final reducing furnace 30 is supplied with the high temperature reducing gas discharged from the fourth cyclone 50 to its lower part via a gas supply duct 58 . the fine iron ores and the iron ores of fine particles which are supplied to the final reducing furnace 30 are finally preliminary reduced by the reducing gas in the final reducing furnace 30 , forming a bubbling fluidized bed . as above , fine particle sponge iron , which is sequentially preliminary reduced while passing through the three - stage type fluidized bed reactor , are charged into the upper part of the melter - gasifier 40 via the ore discharge duct 31 . the melter - gasifier 40 is supplied with coal and high pressure oxygen in addition to the sponge iron which is supplied from the final reducing reactor 40 so as to finally reduce the sponge iron and melt , thereby producing the molten pig iron . the melter - gasifier 40 generates a lot of exhaust gas of high temperature in the process of melting the sponge iron . the exhaust gas contains ultra fine dusts which contains a lot of carbon and carbonized gas generated in the process of the burning of the charged coal . the dusts contained carbon and carbonized gas are sequentially separated by the dust separation device of the present invention . now , the process for separating the exhaust gas will be described in more detail . the exhaust gas , which is discharged from the melter - gasifier 40 , is supplied to the fourth cyclone 45 via the discharge duct 43 . the exhaust gas supplied to the cyclone is separated into dusts in the particle state and carbonized gas in the gas state by a strong centrifugal force , wherein the separated dusts are fallen down to a lower part in the cyclone and the carbonized gas is gathered to an upper part in the cyclone . the separated dusts collected to the lower part are re - supplied to the melter - gasifier 40 via the first dust supply duct 46 , while the separated carbonized gas is discharged to the fifth cyclone 50 , containing the ultra fine dusts which are not separated . the fifth cyclone 50 secondarily collects the ultra fine dusts included in the supplied carbonized gas the carbonized gas from which the ultra fine dusts are separated is supplied to the final reducing furnace 30 to be used as the reducing gas . the ultra fine dusts collected in fifth cyclone 50 are supplied to the melter - gasifier 40 or the first dust storage bin 60 . the dusts discharged to the first dust storage bin 60 are conveyed to the second dust storage bin 70 by the first nitrogen injection device n 1 and continuously supplied to the third dust storage bin 80 . the dusts stored in the third dust storage bin 80 are injected to the upper part of the gas distributor 32 of the final reducing furnace 30 by the second is nitrogen injection device n 2 and coat the fine iron ore particles which are in bubbling fluidization state in the final reducing furnace 30 . at this time , the pressure of the nitrogen supplied by the first and second nitrogen injection devices n 1 and n 2 is higher than the pressure in the furnace by 2 ˜ 3 times . the dusts are smoothly conveyed and stabled injected in the final reducing furnace 30 by the high pressure of the nitrogen . an amount of the dusts which are introduced into the final reducing furnace 30 is preferably controlled to be 0 . 5 ˜ 1 . 0 wt % with relation to an amount of raw iron ores which are charged into the pre - heating furnace 10 . if the amount of the dusts which are introduced into the final reducing furnace 30 is less than 0 . 5 wt %, sticking prevention effect between the fine iron ores becomes reduced , while if the amount exceeds 1 . 0 wt %, the gas distributor may be clogged by the ultra fine dusts in next process . it is preferable to control a velocity of the reducing gas in the pre - heating furnace 10 , the pre - reducing furnace 20 and the final reducing furnace 30 in the range of 1 . 2 ˜ 1 . 5 time of a minimum fluidizing velocity of the fine iron ores which are staying in the furnaces . by maintaining the velocity of the reducing gas as above , the respective fluidized bed reactors may form a stable bubbling fluidized bed . now , preferred embodiments are suggested to help the apparent understanding of the present invention . the below embodiments are provided for the sake of clear understanding only and the present invention is not limited thereto . the specification and experimental conditions for the smelting reduction apparatus of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is as follows . 1 ) specification of the fluidized bed reactor ( the pre - heating furnace , the pre - reducing furnace , and the final reducing furnace ) height of the lower cylindrical part from the upper part of the gas distributor : 3 m height of the upper cylindrical part from lower part of the inclination part : 3 m t . fe : 63 . 49 wt %, feo : 0 . 37 wt %, sio 2 : 4 . 32 wt %, al 2 o 3 : 2 . 33 wt %, mn : 0 . 05 wt %, s : 0 . 007 wt %, composition : co : 65 %, h 2 : 25 %, co 2 : 5 %, n 2 : 5 % t . fe : 25 - 33 wt %, feo : 10 - 15 wt %, sio 2 : 8 - 10 wt %, m . fe : 10 - 15 wt %, al 2 o 3 : 2 - 5 wt %, cao : 2 - 5 wt %, several experiments were carried out with the smelting reduction apparatus to examine the reduction of the fine iron ores . the experimental results exhibited that reduced fine iron ores was begun to be discharged via the ore discharging duct 31 from the final reducing furnace 30 after 90 minutes from the beginning of the charging of the fine iron ores from the charging bin 5 into the pre - heating furnace 10 . an average reduction degree of the fine iron ores which are discharged from the final reducing furnace 30 was exhibited 86 ˜ 90 %, very excellent . an average gas utilization degree was 30 ˜ 35 %, and the gas consumption rate was 1350 - 1500 nm 3 / t - ore . further , a difference of pressure between the upper part and the lower part of the gas distributor of the final reducing furnace 30 was maintained in the range of 20 - 30 mbar , which was not increased even after a long time . as above , the small difference of pressure between the upper and lower parts of the gas distributor means that the clogging phenomenon of the gas distributor nozzle did not occur . finally , the particle size distribution of the reduced iron which is preliminary reduced and discharged finally was exhibited uniform , which means that the sticking phenomenon between the fine iron ores did not occur in the respective fluidized bed reactors . as shown from the result of the above embodiment , the smelting reduction apparatus according to the present invention may effectively prevent the clogging phenomenon of the gas distributor nozzle due to the dusts which is apt to occur in the related art fludized bed reactors . further , the sticking phenomenon between the reduced iron particles which may occur in the process of the reduction of the fine iron ores may be prevented by supplying the dusts containing a lot of carbon into the fluidizing bed reactors to coat the surfaces of the reduced iron . while the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiment , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims .	2
fig2 illustrates the top view of a die 12 that is formed in a conventional manner on a wafer . for purposes of clarity , the wafer and additional dies that may be formed on that wafer have been omitted from fig2 . the sides of die 12 contain input bond pads 15 , to which external lead wires can be bonded . the bond pads 15 connect to operations circuits 14 , such as row address or decoding circuits , within the die 12 . it is understood in the art that a die could contain many such bond pads 15 and operations circuits 14 . duplication of these elements has been limited in fig2 for purposes of clarity . some bond pads 15 are more easily accessible by testing devices than are others . one element 9 accessibility is the spacing between dies 12 . for purposes of distinguishing the accessibility of bond pads as illustrated in fig1 areas where the bond pads are more easily accessible are labeled “ 16 ,” whereas areas where bond pads are relatively inaccessible are denoted by “ 18 .” occasionally , a particular die 12 is configured so that , during a normal operations mode , an operations circuit 14 is connected to an input bond pad 20 that is in an inaccessible area 18 concerning testing devices . given such inaccessibility , it can be difficult to apply signals to the operations circuit 14 during a test mode . this is particularly true during the probe of dies that are still part of a wafer . through the current invention , however , a probe bond pad 22 in an accessible area 16 can be connected to the operations circuit 14 during the test mode , thereby allowing for easy testing . an exemplary testing circuit 24 , described below in detail and ill in fig5 a , is used to connect the probe pad 22 to the operations circuit 14 during the test mode for that circuit the operation of the testing circuit 24 is controlled by an enable signal . in the preferred embodiment , this signal is provided by the testing device through a test mode enable bond pad 26 . thus , during the test mode , the testing device transmits the enable signal by way of the test mode enable bond pad 26 . in response , the testing circuit 24 couples the probe bond pad 22 to the operations circuit 14 , which is normally driven by signals applied to input bond pad 20 . fig5 a is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the testing circuit 24 . the testing circuit 24 contains a first conducting path 28 from the input bond pad 20 to the operations circuit 14 . the first conducting path 28 is also coupled to the drain of a first n - channel transistor q 2 , which has a source coupled to ground . this first n - channel transistor q 2 is also configured for electrostatic discharge ( esd ) protection , as illustrated in fig5 b . as with standard transistors of this type , the first n - channel transistor q 2 is comprised of a first conductive strip 50 , which , in this case , leads to the first conducting path 28 and , ultimately , to input bond pad 20 . a second conductive strip 52 leads to ground , and a gate 54 is interposed between the first and second conductive strips 50 and 52 . further , there exists an n + active area 56 between the gate 54 and the first conductive strip 50 . this n + active area 56 is preferably in a vertical arrangement with said first conductive strip 50 and communicates with that strip 50 via a series of contacts 58 . unlike standard transistors , this n + active area 56 is sufficiently large enough to create a relatively high active area resistance , generally around 1kω , thereby preventing esd damage . returning to fig5 a , a second conducting path 32 connects the probe bond pad 22 with a nor gate 34 . the second conducting path 32 is also coupled to the drain of a second n - channel transistor q 4 . a third conducting path 38 couples the test mode enable bond pad 26 with a first inverter 40 . between these two devices , however , the third conducting path 38 is also coupled with the gate 54 of the fist n - channel transistor q 2 as well as a low - bleed current device , known to those skilled in the art as a long l device 42 . the first inverter 40 has an input coupled to the third conducting path 38 and an output coupled to the gate of the second n - channel transistor q 4 . the nor gate 34 has a first input 44 , which receives an enabling signal for the operations circuit 14 . the nor gate 34 also has a second input coupled to the second conducting path 32 , and an output . finally , the circuit contains a second inverter 46 , which has an input coupled to the output of the nor gate 34 . the output of the second inverter 46 is coupled with the operations circuit 14 . during normal use of the operations circuit 14 , the test mode enable bond pad 26 is not receiving an enabling signal from any testing device . therefore , the long l device 42 serves to bleed to ground any remaining low current within the third conducing path 38 . the lack of current in the third conducting path 38 turns off the first n - channel transistor q 2 . with the first n - channel transistor q 2 off , the first conducting path 28 may freely transmit signals from the input bond pad 20 to the operations circuit 14 . in the schematic illustrated in fig5 a , the signal transmitted by the input bond pad 20 is an external row address strobe ( xras ) signal . further , operations circuit 14 is an input buffer which accepts the industry standard input levels of the transmitted xras a and modifies them to internal v cc and ground levels . it is known that such a circuit may have different configurations . the operations circuit in fig5 c demonstrates an alternate configuration , wherein optional transistors have been omitted , including those used for further tuning the xras * signal . returning to the third conducting path 38 , the lack of current in that path results in a logic 0 value transmitted to the first inverter 40 . it follows that the output of the first inverter is at logic 1 , which turns on the second n - channel transistor q 4 . once activated , the second n - channel transistor q 4 bleeds current from the second conducting path 32 , thereby grounding any signals from probe bond pad 22 . because the second conducting path 32 is at logic 0 during normal operations mode , the signal reaching the operations circuit 14 from the second inverted 46 will match the control logic signals received by the first input 44 of the nor gate 34 . for example , given a logic 1 value received by the first input 44 and the logic 0 of the second input , the output of the nor gate will be a logic 0 , which will be inverted by the second inverter 46 to logic 1 . this logic 1 will serve as an input for the operations circuit 14 . if on the other hand , the first input 44 receives a logic 0 , the two logic 0 inputs for the nor gate 34 result in a logic 1 output , which is inverted by the second inverter to result in a logic 0 being input into the operations circuit 14 . during the test mode of the operations circuit 14 , the test mode enable bond pad 26 is driven with a sufficient voltage to overcome the bleeding effects of the long l device 42 and send a signal of logic 1 to the third conducting path 38 . this signal turns on the first n - channel transistor q 2 , thereby grounding any input signal that would come from the input bond pad 20 . the logic 1 signal of the third conducting path 38 also goes through the first inverter 40 . the resulting logic 0 value turns off the second n - channel transistor q 4 that had been grounding signals from the probe bond pad 22 . as a result , signals such as xras * that once issued from the input bond pad 20 may now be using the more accessible probe bond pad 22 . the nor gate 34 receives both a signal enabling the operations circuit 14 as well as transmissions from the probe bond pad 22 . the nor gate 34 output is inverted by the second inverter 46 , and the result is entered into the operations circuit 14 . in another embodiment illustrated in fig6 a and 6 b , a second input buffer 48 may be used with the probe bond pad 22 in order to preserve a trip point equivalent to that of other bond pads 15 . in this embodiment , the second input buffer 48 has a configuration similar to that of the operations circuit 14 of fig5 c . in a third embodiment , shown in fig7 the signals that passed through the nor gate 34 and the second inverter 46 in earlier embodiments are instead coupled directly into the operations circuit 14 with the addition of one n - channel transistor q 6 and one p - channel transistor q 8 . this embodiment has the benefit of allowing multiple points of access for test signals , rather than requiring all of the test signals to be input at only one location . this is not the most preferred embodiment , however , as the additional transistors q 6 and q 8 require additional die space . one of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that , although specific embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , the testing circuit could be modified so that a single test mode enable pad could enable a plurality of probe bond pads , while simultaneously grounding the corresponding input bond pads . it is also possible to configure the testing circuit to provide for probe bond pads for measuring the output of an operations circuit in the event the output bond pad is inaccessible . in addition , exemplary embodiments within the scope of the current invention are not limited to those involved with inaccessible or redundant bond pads . rather , the current invention includes within its scope embodiments addressing components including , but not limited to , an access point ; an input ; a terminal ; a pad in general , including one not limited to bondingl and a contact pad . further , exemplary embodiments within the scope of the current invention are not limited to those involved with a long l device . rather , the current invention includes within its scope embodiments addressing components and acts for electrically grounding , as well as others . accordingly , the invention is not limited except as stated in the claims .	6
generally speaking , an electrophoretic display has a plurality of pixels , and an electrophoretic medium and white display particles are respectively disposed in the pixels . moreover , the electrophoretic medium may be single - colored ( e . g ., black , white , or other colors ) or a multi - color mixture . to facilitate description , a data line used for adjusting a gray - level distribution of a white image is referred to as a white data line , and a data line used for adjusting a gray - level distribution of a black image is referred to as a black data line . additionally , since a pixel array in the electrophoretic display may be arranged in a variety of manners , the white data line and the black data line may be a same data line or different data lines , and embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited thereto . moreover , a common electrode may be disposed on a transparent substrate of a display region surface in the electrophoretic display , and the white and black data lines may be disposed on an array substrate of the electrophoretic display that is configured to control how each of the pixels is displayed . in the description hereafter , driving waveforms are used to describe a driving method of the white display particles in a black fluid . but the actual cases of applying this invention are not limited in only white particle in the black fluid . the driving method of display particles having other colors may be deduced from the following description as well . fig1 a is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 a , in the present embodiment , assume a frame write period is formed by a period t 21 , a period t 22 , and a period t 23 , the display particles are white and positively charged , and the electrophoretic medium is black . however , other embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited thereto . in the period t 21 , the electrophoretic display applies a positive voltage v + to a common electrode and applies a negative voltage v − to a white data line and a black data line . the positive voltage v + and the negative voltage v − may have a same voltage value . for instance , the positive voltage v + can be + 15 v and the negative voltage v − is − 15 v , although embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited thereto . at this moment , the white data line and the common electrode form a negative voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a negative voltage difference to the white data line ), and accordingly the particles are actived in this period . therefore , the period t 21 may be viewed as a pre - charge period for the white display particles . moreover , the black data line and the common electrode also form a negative voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a negative voltage difference to the black data line ), and similarly a charge carried by the white display particles is increased . the period t 21 may therefore be viewed as the pre - charge period for the white display particles . in the period t 22 , the electrophoretic display applies the negative voltage v − to the common electrode and applies the positive voltage v + to the white data line and the black data line . at this moment , the white data line and the common electrode form a positive voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a positive voltage difference to the white data line ), and accordingly the positively charged white display particles move towards the common electrode , so that the white display particles appear visible in the electrophoretic medium . a degree of visibility of the white display particles is directly proportional to a forming time of the positive voltage difference formed by the white data line and the common electrode . since the electrophoretic display may display a gray level of a white image according to the visibility of the white display particles , the period t 22 can be viewed as a gray - level write period of the white image . moreover , the black data line and the common electrode also fonti a positive voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a positive voltage difference to the black data line ), but since the white display particles are positively charged , the white display particles move towards the common electrode , so that the white display particles appear visible in the electrophoretic medium . since an image clearing effect is achieved for a black image when the white display particles are completely visible , the period t 22 can be viewed as a reset period of the black image . referring to fig1 a , in the present embodiment , particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 are inserted in the gray - level write period of the white image , in which the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 are not adjacent to each other in timing . moreover , voltages applied to the white data line in the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 are different from each other , and these voltages are not the same as the positive voltage v + used for writing the gray level . furthermore , in the particle restore period p 21 , the voltage applied to the white data line is the negative voltage v −, and in the particle restore period p 22 , the voltage applied to the white data line is approximately 0 v . in other words , in the particle restore period p 21 , a voltage difference formed by the white data line and the common electrode ( i . e ., same as the voltage difference applied to the white data line ) is the zero voltage difference . in the particle restore period p 22 , a voltage difference form by the white data line and the common electrode ( i . e ., same as the voltage difference applied to the white data line ) is approximately equal to the positive voltage v +, but still smaller than a voltage difference 2v + ( i . e ., v + subtracted by v −) used for writing the gray level . by lowering particles motion speed while approaching the boundaries of the device , the optical reflectance of the epd device can be more stable . therefore , the white display particles may closely approach the transparent substrate , thereby enhancing a reflected light by the white display particles to a maximum , and therefore the whiteness and contrast ratio of the electrophoretic displayed image may be increased . besides , because the particle packing is more stable , the bistability can be increased . in the period t 23 , the electrophoretic display applies the positive voltage v + to the common electrode and the white data line , and applies the negative voltage v − to the black data line . at this moment , the white data line and the common electrode form a zero voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a zero voltage difference to the white data line ), so that the white display particles do not move , and a gray - level distribution of the white image displayed by the electrophoretic display is maintained . therefore , the period t 21 can be viewed as a frame follow period of the white image . moreover , the black data line and the common electrode form a negative voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a negative voltage difference to the black data line ), and the white display particles move towards black data line , so that the white display particles are gradually immersed in the electrophoretic medium . a degree of immersion of the white display particles is directly proportional to a forming time of the negative voltage difference formed by the black data line and the common electrode . since the electrophoretic display may display a gray level of a black image according to the immersion degree of the white display particles , the period t 23 can be viewed as a gray - level write period of the black image . as shown in fig1 a , in the present embodiment , particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 are inserted in the gray - level write period of the black image . moreover , the particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 are not adjacent to each other in timing , and the voltage differences formed by the black data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 are not the same . additionally , in the particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 , a voltage difference formed by the black data line and the common electrode is smaller than the voltage difference 2v + ( i . e ., v + subtracted by v −) used for writing the gray level . therefore , the movement speed of the white display particles is likewise slowed . by lowering particles motion speed while approaching the boundaries of the device , the optical reflectance of the epd device can be more stable . accordingly , the white display particles may closely approach the array substrate , thereby decreasing a reflected light by the white display particles to a minimum , and therefore the blackness and the contrast ratio of the electrophoretic displayed image may be increased . next , in the description hereafter , a driving method of a conventional electrophoretic display is compared with a driving method of the electrophoretic display according to an embodiment of the invention . fig1 b is a schematic view illustrating optical tracks of the display particles . referring to fig1 b , a curve 210 is an optical track of the white display particles before the insertion of the particle restore periods in fig1 a , and a curve 220 is an optical track of the white display particles depicted in fig1 a . time t 21 to time t 22 represents the period of t 21 , and time t 22 to time t 23 represents the period of t 22 . moreover , time t 23 to time 24 represents the period of t 23 depicted in fig1 a . as shown in fig1 b , after the insertion of the particle restore periods in fig1 a , the bouncing back of optical intensity after removing the voltage at t 24 is largely decreased . therefore , the performances ( whiteness , darkness , contrast ratio , image updating time , and bistability ) of the display particles may be enhanced . it should be noted that , in the present embodiment , two particle restore periods are inserted for each gray - level write period . in other embodiments of the invention , there may be one , two , three , or more than three particle restore periods inserted in each gray - level write period , in which the adjustment may be made according to a display design . moreover , the insertion time for each of the particle restore periods may likewise be different according to a design demand . referring to fig1 c , besides being inserted in regions a 22 and a 25 ( e . g ., the gray - level write periods of the white and black images ), the particle restore periods may be respectively or concurrently inserted in regions a 21 , a 23 , and a 24 , or between these region s ( e . g ., the pre - charge period , or the reset period of the black image ). more specifically , the particle restore periods may be inserted in a part of or all of the regions a 21 - a 25 . according to the voltage differences corresponding to the periods of insertion ( e . g ., regions a 21 - a 25 ), the voltage differences formed in the particle restore periods are adjusted , such that the display particles closely approach the substrate ( e . g ., the transparent substrate or the array substrate ). although the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 depicted in fig1 a have a same cycle , in other embodiments of the invention , the cycles of the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 may be different from each other , and a distance between the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 may be adjusted according to a design demand . moreover , although the voltage differences formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods depicted in fig1 a are different from each other , in other embodiments of the invention , the voltage differences formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 may be designed to be the same . referring to fig1 d , a voltage applied to the common electrode according to the present embodiment is depicted by a curve w 1 ( e . g ., a square wave ). however , in other embodiments of the invention , the voltage applied to the common electrode may be depicted as a curve w 2 or a curve w 3 . that is , the voltage applied to the common electrode may have a direct current shape or other shapes , and embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited thereto . fig2 is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 a and 2 , a difference resides in the particle restore periods p 31 , p 32 , p 33 , p 34 , p 35 , and p 36 . with regards to the white data line , the particle restore periods p 31 , p 32 , and p 33 are adjacent in sequence , and the voltage differences formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 31 , p 32 , and p 33 are progressively increased , in which the progressive increase begins from the zero voltage difference . with regards to the black data line , the particle restore periods p 34 , p 35 , and p 36 are adjacent in sequence , and the voltage differences formed by the black data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 34 , p 35 , and p 36 are different from each other . fig3 is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 a and 3 , a difference resides in the particle restore periods p 41 , p 42 , p 43 , p 44 , p 45 , p 46 , p 47 , p 48 , and p 49 . with regards to the white data line , the particle restore periods p 41 , p 42 , and p 43 are adjacent in sequence , and the cycles of the particle restore periods p 41 , p 42 , and p 43 are different from each other . moreover , the voltage differences formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 41 , p 42 , and p 43 are progressively decreasing , and the voltage difference formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 41 is larger than the voltage difference 2v + used for writing the gray level of the white image . however , in the particle restore period p 41 , a larger voltage difference does not quicken the movement of the white display particles . instead , the movement speed of the electric double layer around the white display particles is increased , such that the electric double layer around the white display particles can envelop the white display particles . with regards to the black data line , the particle restore periods p 44 , p 45 , and p 46 are adjacent in sequence , and the particle restore periods p 47 , p 48 , and p 49 are adjacent in sequence . moreover , the particle restore periods p 44 , p 45 , and p 46 are not adjacent to the particle restore periods p 47 , p 48 , and p 49 . the voltage differences formed by the black data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 45 and p 48 are the same , and the voltage differences formed by the black data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 44 , p 46 , p 47 , and p 48 are the same . moreover , the voltage differences formed in the particle restore periods p 45 and p 48 are not the same as the voltage differences formed in the particle restore periods p 44 , p 46 , p 47 , and p 48 . as shown in fig3 , a voltage - alternating frequency of the white data line and the black data line may be different from each other . fig4 is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 a and 4 , a difference resides in that the voltages applied in the corresponding periods are opposite . in addition , the periods t 51 , t 52 , and t 53 are respectively , a pre - charge period of the white display particles , a gray - level write period of the black image , and a frame follow period of the black image . moreover , the periods t 51 , t 52 , and t 53 are respectively , a pre - charge period of the white display particles , a reset period of the white image , and a gray - level write period of the white image . since a description of the particle restore periods p 51 and p 52 can be inferred from the description of the particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 , and a description of the particle restore periods p 53 and p 54 can be inferred from the description of the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 , these descriptions are omitted hereafter . although the invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments , it will be apparent to one of the ordinary skill in the art that modifications to the described embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention will be defined by the attached claims not by the above detailed descriptions . fig5 is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention . when the voltage of common electrode is ac ( vcom shown in fig5 ), a ordinary driving scheme would be the trace of data - 1 , which would result in the bad optical bouncing as indicated in the curve 210 of fig1 b . however , if we insert several periods of 0v ( i . e . particle restore periods ) in the data line ( as shown in the traces of data - 2 , data - 3 , data - 4 , or their different combinations in fig5 ), this would result in better optical performance as indicated in the curve 220 of fig1 b . in case that the voltage of common electrode is dc , this method also applicable as long as the voltage difference between the data line and common electrodes would adopt several periods of 0v . the period of 0v is around 1 millisecond to 800 millisecond , preferably 5 millisecond to 300 millisecond , most preferably 10 millisecond to 200 millisecond . the embodiment described in the fifth embodiment contains only three phases . the function of the phases can be used to reset the previous image , increase the gray level accuracy , increase the bistability , enhance the contrast ratio , and improve other image performances . the more the phases , the more the flexibility to improve the image performances . thus , the design philosophy of fifth embodiment can be extended by adopting more phases to get better image performances or less phases to save the image transaction time . besides , based on the common sense of waveform design , the voltage on common electrode can be either alternative ( ac ) or constant ( dc ).	6
the first preferred embodiment according to fig2 of the present invention will be described in detail as follows . fig2 of the present invention shows a layout of an hydraulic anti - skid braking system comprising a master cylinder 1 , a brake 2 , a flow control valve 3 , a solenoid valve 4 , a piston pump 5 , and an expander chamber 6 . the flow control valve 3 in which a spool 7 combined with a spring 9 is allowed to move up and down in the inside of a housing 8 , has a port 13 in communication with the master cylinder 1 on the side of the housing 8 , a port 12 in communication with the piston pump 5 over the housing 8 , and a fluid passage 31 in communication with the brake 2 in the lower end of the housing 8 . a fluid passage 33 through which fluid from the flow control valve 3 is transmitted to the brake 2 is connected to the solenoid valve 4 through a fluid passage 34 and the master cylinder 1 through an one - way valve 28 . a fluid passage 35 located at the outlet of the solenoid valve 4 is connected to the inlet of the piston pump 5 and the expander chamber 6 . the solenoid valve 4 between the fluid passage 34 and the fluid passage 35 fulfills the function of connecting or isolating two fluid passages 34 and 35 by the movements of a plunger 21 in the solenoid valve 4 . during a normal braking operation of the present invention as described above , the hydraulic pressure generated in the master cylinder 1 is applied to the brake 2 via a fluid passage 30 , the port 13 of the flow control valve 3 , and the fluid passage 31 in turn because the spool 7 in the flow control valve 3 is placed at the upper side of the housing 8 by the force in the spring 9 and the port 13 is opened . in this state , if the slip rate of a wheel exceeds a predetermined value , an electric current is initially supplied to a motor 27 driving the piston pump 5 . but , fluid is not immediately directed into the expander chamber 6 because at the initial state the solenoid valve 4 does not open and so the fluid passage 35 directing fluid to the expander chamber 6 is isolated from the master cylinder 1 . accordingly , the motor 27 runs idle because a pump spring 25 does not push a piston 26 . where a decrease in the braking pressure is required due to a continuing slip rate , the plunger 21 is moved away from a valve seat 22 by the activation of a solenoid 20 and the fluid passages 34 and 35 are connected to each other . hence , fluid in the brake 2 flows to the expander chamber 5 so that the braking pressure in the brake 2 begins to be reduced . at the same time , fluid discharged by the operation of the pump 5 increases the pressure in a pressure chamber 11 of the flow control valve 3 through a fluid passage 32 . accordingly , the port 13 is closed by the downward movement of the spool 7 , and the connection between the master cylinder 1 and the brake 2 is isolated , thereby accelerating the pressure decrease in the brake 2 . when the pressure in the brake 2 is sufficiently reduced and the slip rate of the wheel is recovered to a normal level , the fluid passages 34 and 35 are isolated from each other by the deactivation of the solenoid 20 . but , at this state , by the discharging of the fluid accumulated in the expander chamber 5 , the piston pump 5 continues to operate and the spool 7 moves to a position where balance is maintained by the force in the spring 9 and the pressure differential of both pressure chambers 10 and 11 . here , the pressure in the brake 2 is steadily increased because flow rate , which is determined by the pressure differential between both pressure chambers 10 and 11 and the size of the orifice 14 , continues to be supplied to the brake 2 through the fluid passage 32 , the pressure chamber 11 , the orifice 14 , and the fluid passage 31 in turn . and , if the fluid in the expander chamber 6 is totally discharged , the pressure applied to the brake 2 becomes equal to that of the master cylinder 1 . accordingly , the spool 7 is moved upward by the force in the spring 9 so that the system returns back to the normal braking operation . if the pressure decrease in the brake 2 is required again during the recovery of the braking pressure , it is achieved by a decrease in the pressure caused by the activation of the solenoid 20 and the operation of the piston pump 5 as described above . if the pressure in the master cylinder 1 is eliminated by the driver , the braking pressure on the wheels is released because the fluid in the brake 2 is immediately transmitted to the master cylinder 1 through the one - way valve 28 . as described above , because the spool 7 in the flow control valve 3 is moved downward and the port 13 in communication with the master cylinder 1 is closed during the modulation of the braking pressure according to the present invention , the fluid pulses generated by the piston pump 5 are not transmitted to the master cylinder 1 . further , because the internal pressure of a tube 23 in the solenoid valve 4 is maintained equal to that in the brake 2 so that as the pressure in the brake 2 increases , the plunger 21 is pushed in the direction of the valve seat 22 , the solenoid valve 4 used for the present invention can more assuredly seal the fluid passages 34 and 35 . accordingly , another positive effect of this feature allows the size of the solenoid valve 4 to be minimized and allows the solenoid valve 4 to operate at a rapid speed because the spring of the solenoid valve 4 requires only enough force to move the plunger 21 . as illustrated in fig3 the second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below . the system comprises a master cylinder 1 , a brake 2 , a flow control valve 3 , a solenoid valve 4 , a piston pump 6 , and an expander chamber 5 . the flow control valve 3 comprises a housing 8 , and a movable spool 7 combined with a spring 13 in the housing 8 , and ports 11 and 12 in communication with the master cylinder 1 and the brake 2 respectively on the side of the housing 8 , and a port 14 in communication with the piston pump 6 on the upper side of the housing 8 , and a pressure chamber 21 integrated with the solenoid valve 4 below the housing 8 . the hydraulic pressure applied in the master cylinder 1 is transmitted to the brake 2 through the ports 11 and 12 on the side of the flow control valve 3 . the solenoid valve 4 , integrated with the flow control valve 3 , is connected to the inlet of the piston pump 6 and the expander chamber 5 through a fluid passage 22 . also , the outlet of the piston pump 6 is connected to the port 14 of the flow control valve 3 . during a normal braking operation of the present invention described above , the hydraulic pressure generated in the master cylinder 1 is applied directly to the brake 2 through the ports 11 and 12 in the side of the flow control valve 3 and a fluid passage 32 . at this state , if the slip rate of a wheel exceeds a predetermined value , an electric current is supplied to a motor 30 driving the piston pump 6 . but , fluid is not immediately directed into the expander chamber 5 because at this initial state the solenoid valve 4 is not activated so that the fluid passage 22 is isolated from the master cylinder 1 . therefore , the piston pump 6 runs idle because a spring 33 in the piston pump 6 does not push a piston 31 . however , when the slip rate continues to increase and the pressure in the brake 2 must be reduced , a plunger 35 in the solenoid valve 4 is moved away from a valve seat 36 when a solenoid 34 is energized and , consequently , the pressure chamber 21 is connected to the fluid passage 22 . accordingly , fluid in the pressure chamber 21 flows to the expander chamber 5 and then the pressure in the pressure chamber 21 begins to decrease . at the same time , fluid discharged by the piston pump 6 flows to a pressure chamber 23 through the port 14 and raises the pressure in the pressure chamber 23 . following the above processes , the port 11 is closed by the descending movement of the spool 7 and the connection between the master cylinder 1 and the brake 2 is isolated and , consequently , the pressure decrease in the brake 2 is accelerated by fluid passing through the port 12 and the spool 7 configured to form a fluid passage gradually enlarged . if the pressure in the brake 2 is sufficiently reduced and the slip rate is recovered to certain level , the connection between the pressure chamber 21 and the fluid passage 22 is isolated by the deactivation of the solenoid 34 . but even at this state , the spool 7 is moved to a balanced position by the force in the spring 13 and by the pressure differential between both pressure chambers 21 and 23 because the piston pump 5 continues to discharge fluid accumulated in the expander chamber 5 to the flow control valve 3 . it is noted that the pressure in the brake 2 is gradually increased because the flow rate , which is determined by the pressure differential of both pressure chambers 23 and 21 and by the diameter of the orifice 9 positioned between both pressure chambers 23 and 21 , continues to increase the braking pressure through the pressure chambers 23 and 21 and the port 12 and the fluid passage 32 in turn . when the fluid in the expander chamber 5 has been completely discharged , the pressure in the brake 2 becomes equal to that in the pressure chamber 23 and the spool 7 is moved upward by the spring 13 and the system returns to the normal braking operation . if a decrease in the pressure in the brake 2 is required again during the recovery of the braking pressure , the system converts to the pressure decrease mode with the activation of the solenoid 34 and the operation of the piston pump 6 as described above . if the pressure in the master cylinder 1 is eliminated by the driver , the braking pressure is released because the fluid in the brake 2 is immediately returned to the master cylinder 1 through an one - way valve 17 . in this manner , the fluid pulses generated by the piston pump 6 are not transmitted to the master cylinder 1 because the spool 7 in the flow control valve 3 moves downward and closes the port 11 connecting the master cylinder 1 to the brake 2 during the modulation of the braking pressure according to the present invention . fig4 is another preferred embodiment which organizes an hydraulic anti - skid braking system for automobiles utilizing the first embodiment of fig2 and in which the hydraulic pressure generated in a master cylinder 31 is applied to flow control valves 32 , 33 , 34 , and 35 through two independent fluid passages 60 and 61 braking the front right and left wheels , and the rear right and left wheels respectively . here , the flow control valves 32 , 33 , 34 and 35 have the same configuration as the flow control valve 3 illustrated in fig2 . as illustrated in fig4 because solenoid valves 36 and 37 hold in common an expander chamber 43 , a piston pump 41 and a chamber 49 for decreasing the pressure pulsation , the accidental spinning phenomena of automobiles caused by the rapid braking pressure differential between right and left wheels is prevented . for example , where the rear - right wheel as illustrated in fig4 slips due to the low co - efficient of the friction in the right road surface with respect to the automobile , fluid is directed into the expander chamber 43 by the activation of the solenoid valve 37 and the operation of the piston pump 41 in order to reduce the hydraulic pressure applied to a brake 52 of the rear - right wheel . as the spools of the two flow control valves 32 and 33 are moved downward by the operation of the piston pump 41 , the pressure in the brake 52 is decreased and the rate of the pressure increase in a brake 51 is restricted . accordingly , as illustrated in fig7 the safety of a automobile having the hydraulic anti - skid braking system according to the present invention is assured because the braking pressure differential between the right and left wheels is not abruptly increased . likewise , where the braking pressure of the rear - left wheel is decreased , the increase rate of the braking pressure in the rear - right wheel is restricted . the fluid passage 61 , one of two fluid passages 60 and 61 through which the hydraulic pressure generated in the master cylinder 31 is transmitted to each brake , is designed to produce the same effect as that described above with regard to the front - right and the front - left wheels . a motor 40 drives two piston pumps 41 and 42 making use of an eccentric cam and the piston pumps 41 and 42 are independently connected to the braking system for the two front wheels and the braking system for the two rear wheels respectively . fig5 is another preferred embodiment which organizes an hydraulic anti - skid braking system for automobiles utilizing the second embodiment in fig3 . in the system , the hydraulic pressure produced in a master cylinder 2 is applied to flow control valves 7 , 8 , 9 and 10 which have the same configuration as the flow control valve 3 illustrated in fig3 through two independent fluid passages 41 and 42 , braking the front - left and the rear - right wheels , and the front - right and the rear - left wheels respectively , that is , two wheels connected to each fluid passage are arranged in a diagonal configuration . as a result of that organization , it is possible to carry out a relatively safe braking operation even though one of the two fluid passages 60 and 61 from the master cylinder 2 fails and the braking pressure differential between the right and left wheels is restrained from abruptly increasing so as to avoid the spinning of the automobile as illustrated in fig7 . fig6 is another preferred embodiment showing a hydraulic anti - skid braking system added a traction control system . in the system , a solenoid valve 70 and an one - way valve 71 as shown in the dotted line are added to the hydraulic anti - skid braking system of the present invention so that the system carries out all the functions the same as those of the system illustrated in fig4 and fig5 with the solenoid valve 70 being de - energized . on the other hand , by activating the solenoid valve 70 the system can carry out the traction control function which is able to provide the braking pressure without the operation of the brake pedal by the driver . as described above , the traction control function for automatically modulating the braking pressure of a automobile at accelerating movements and thereby improving the road - holding ability is possible , which permits braking pressure without the operation of the brake pedal by the driver to be selectively applied to each wheel by the operation of the piston pump 5 and the opening and closing of the solenoid valves 6 , 7 , and 70 which is added to the system .	1
fig1 and 2 are views of an example of a secondary wastewater clarifier comprising an upright generally cylindrical tank 10 with an open top and closed bottom , the tank including an upright side wall 12 and a floor 14 which slopes slightly downwardly from its periphery to its center causing the floor to be generally frustoconical . the floor may be flat in connection with the rankin scraper mechanism or other scraper mechanisms if desired . the tank is preferably constructed primarily of concrete , but may be constructed of other water - impervious materials such as steel . a feed line 16 leads to the center bottom of the tank and then vertically through the center of the floor 14 to the top of the tank . the feed line carries influent wastewater to the tank 10 from prior treatment stages . a plurality of ports 18 , through which the influent wastewater enters the tank , are disposed near the top of the feed line 16 at such a height that they are at or near the top wastewater line when the tank is filled and operating . the size and number of ports will vary according to the application , as is known to those skilled in the art . a bridge 20 , constructed of suitably strong and rigid material such as steel , is disposed over the top of the tank from the sidewall 12 to the top of the feed line 16 for access to the center of the tank . a vertically oriented rotatable cage 22 comprising a plurality of steel members is disposed beneath the bridge 20 and is placed coaxially to the vertical portion of the influent feed line 16 . the cage 22 is adapted to rotate around the feed line , and is powered by a drive motor 24 disposed on the access bridge 20 . a generally cylindrical energy dissipating inlet 26 is disposed at the top of the tank around the feed line 16 . the energy dissipating inlet 26 has an open top and a closed bottom 26a by which it is attached to the cage 22 , thereby being adapted to rotate therewith . the inlet 26 extends in the embodiment shown from the top down about one - quarter height of the tank . a plurality of ports and accompanying directional fins 28 are disposed around the periphery of the energy dissipating inlet 26 for passage of wastewater . the inlet 26 reduces energy and currents in influent wastewater introduced into the tank through the feed line ports 18 by containing it and constricting its passage into the tank through the ports and fins 28 . the fins are curved in the same direction of the rotational movement of the cage 22 , shown by arrow 29 in fig1 to reduce rotational current of the wastewater . it is desirable to minimize as much as possible any energy and resulting currents in the tank wastewater with the inlet 26 and other means in order efficiently to clarify the wastewater . nevertheless , a slight outward current from the center to the periphery of the tank is needed for the clarification process to function . alternative inlet constructions and energy dissipation devices will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure . rake arms 30 and 32 are disposed near the bottom of the tank . they are attached at a proximal end to the cage 22 and radially extend toward the sidewall 12 . sludge scrapers 34 are attached to the rake arm bottoms and extend to the floor 14 of the tank . the scrapers 34 are preferably tapered curved or spiral scraper blades , as shown , but may comprise other arrangements , such as multiple straight blade scrapers , if desired . the scrapers are preferably tapered in sloped floor clarifiers , i . e ., they increase in depth toward the center to accommodate an increasing sludge depth and thereby uniformly transport it toward the center . as the cage 22 rotates under power of the drive motor 24 , the rake arms and scrapers move along the floor 14 of the tank , continually transporting the collected sludge toward the center of the tank . rake arms 30 and their attached scrapers extend the full length from the center to the sidewall of the tank , while rake arms 32 and their attached scrapers , called secondary scrapers , extend only partially from the center to the wall . secondary scrapers are generally only used in clarifiers more than about 35 meters in diameter , and may extend from the center to 25 to 100 percent of the tank radius . a generally cylindrical influent feedwell 36 extends downwardly from the top to about one - half the height of the tank , and is attached to and supported by the rake arms 30 and 32 by support members 38 . the feedwell 36 forces influent wastewater from the energy dissipating inlet 26 to pass downwardly under the feedwell bottom 36a and outwardly into the clarification zone 40 , thereby minimizing the amount of wastewater passing over the top edge of the clarifier without having had sufficient residence time in the clarification zone 40 . a radial skimmer blade 42 is disposed adjacent the sidewall 12 at the top of the tank and is supported by support members 44 from a rake arm 30 and the feedwell 36 . thus the skimmer 42 moves with the rake arm in a circle around the periphery of the tank skimming floating solids , or scum , from the surface of the wastewater and depositing them into a scum box 46 at the end of each revolution . the scum then travels through an outlet 48 to further processing stages . various designs of skimmers and scum boxes are known in the art . a launder 50 is mounted around the periphery of the tank on the sidewall 12 for the removal of clarified effluent wastewater from the top of the tank . an adjustable weir 52 is provided on the launder to balance the rate of liquid removed from the tank periphery , as is known in the art . referring now generally to fig2 and particularly to fig3 through 5 , an embodiment of a sludge collector according to the present invention is shown . the sludge collector comprises a constant velocity collection chamber 54 disposed on the floor 14 . the chamber 54 comprises a cavity within an exterior housing 55 constructed of suitably strong material such as steel . the chamber 54 is curved around the feed line 16 except in the area 56 , shown in fig3 thereby describing an incomplete circular path preferably 10 to 20 percent of the radial distance from the center of the tank with its focus being at or near the tank center . the chamber has ends 54a in the area 56 to eliminate a dead zone . an outlet pipe 58 at the chamber &# 39 ; s midpoint transports sludge from the chamber . a plurality of preferably relatively small sludge inlets 59 comprising apertures in the housing 55 are disposed around the periphery of the chamber 54 for the uniform withdrawal of concentrated sludge from the bottom of the sludge blanket . the inlets 59 are preferably of uniform size and spacing such that they each withdraw the same amount of sludge , and are placed adjacent or near the floor 14 to limit localized sludge blanket drawdown and short - circuiting and increase collected sludge concentrations . the exact size and spacing of the inlets will vary according to the type , size , shape , and function of the clarifier . the chamber 54 is preferably maintained under a negative pressure produced by a suitable mechanism such as a pump or sludge decanting arrangement ( not shown ), which will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure . the negative pressure is adjustable in the preferred embodiment in order to vary the sludge underflow rate removed through the outlet pipe 58 , as desired . in secondary clarifiers , a major portion of the activated sludge is recycled at controlled rates to the biological aerators by conventional means while the remainder is directed to sludge treatment stages . the sludge collected in the chamber 54 will move generally from its ends 54a , increasing in volume of each inlet , to the outlet pipe 58 under the differential pressure of the pump or the decant device . while the height of the chamber 54 , shown by arrows 60 in fig5 is constant , the width , shown by arrows 62 in fig5 preferably increases from the ends 54a of the chamber to the outlet pipe 58 to accommodate the differing amounts of sludge in the chamber . as shown , the width increases continually , but may alternatively be made to increase in stages , e . g ., from inlet to inlet . the increasing size of the chamber 54 as it goes from the ends 54a to the outlet pipe 58 allows the sludge inside to travel from the ends to the outlet pipe at approximately a constant velocity . those skilled in the art will recognize that other constructions of constant velocity chambers are possible , such as , e . g ., increasing the height of the chamber . variants of constant velocity collection chambers have been used in other applications such as rotary distributors for trickling filters and suction header collectors for flat floor sludge removal . though a curvilinear collection chamber is preferred because of hydraulic principles , any collection chamber which bends generally around the central tank column will work , such as square , hectagonal or octagonal designs . a portion 14a of the floor 14 is raised inside the sludge collection chamber 54 . scrapers 64 attached beneath the rake arms 30 remove accumulated sludge from the central portion 14a of the floor and urge it outwardly toward the sludge collector inlets 59 . in the preferred embodiment , the scrapers 64 have a reverse orientation from the main scrapers 34 in order to urge sludge outwardly from the center of the tank instead of inwardly from the sidewall . an inlet scraper 66 , shown in fig4 is provided on one of the rake arms 30 adjacent the periphery of the chamber 54 . the inlet scraper rotates with the rotation of the rake arm 30 to prevent large solids accumulation and blockage of the sludge inlets 59 . fig6 shows the flow path over time of a concentrated sludge particle 67 in the clarifier shown in fig1 through 5 from the tank sidewall 12 to where the particle is adjacent the sludge collection chamber 54 . circles 69 schematically indicate 10 percent radial increments of the tank radius from its center to the sidewall 12 . as shown in fig1 through 4 , the clarifier &# 39 ; s scraper blades are preferably curved or spiral and constructed of sufficient depth to contain the sludge being transported . additionally , the scraper blades are preferably oriented to rotate counter - clockwise , if the sewage treatment facility is located in the northern hemisphere , or clockwise , in the southern hemisphere , to take advantage of the coriolis effect . the transport efficiency and capacity of the spiral scrapers are a function of the mechanism design and operating characteristics , of which some key factors are the number of blades , the angle of blade attack , the tapered depth of the blades , the blade tip speed and the relative depth of sludge to scraper blade depth . the scrapers and sludge collection device shown in fig1 through 5 are designed to be harmonious such that neither component unduly restrains sludge flow along the tank floor 14 through the sludge collection chamber 54 to the outlet pipe 58 . at the same time , the sludge must be retained in the tank long enough sufficiently to concentrate it , about 50 to 80 minutes . the sludge transport time to the collector should not fall below that interval , nor should it exceed it , in order to keep the sludge fresh . in the clarifier embodiment shown in fig1 through 5 , the transport time will be approximately 61 minutes given the following characteristics : ______________________________________tank diameter = 61 mblade tip speed = 4 . 5 m / minangle of blade attack = 30 degreestapered blade depth = 300 to 1000 mmtransport efficiency = 0 . 70______________________________________ fig7 schematically depicts what effect the sludge collector of the present invention has on the depth of the sludge blanket on the tank floor 14 given the above clarifier characteristics . the solid line 84 depicts the calculated depth of the sludge blanket in front of a scraper , schematically depicted by dashed line 34 , without the sludge being withdrawn from the tank . as the accumulated sludge is forced toward the center of the tank and thus a smaller zone , the sludge depth increases geometrically . from this calculation the optimum design of the scrapers and the location and design of the sludge collector can be established . the addition of the sludge chamber 54 creates hydraulic effects which reduce the depth of the resulting sludge blanket 86 near the center of the tank and increase the depth away from the tank &# 39 ; s center . fig8 and 9 show another example of a sludge collection device according to the invention comprising an annular collection chamber 68 of increasing width , similar to the chamber 54 in fig3 through 5 , except that the chamber 68 is completely annular and attached to the underside of the rake arms 30 and 32 , causing it to rotate therewith , instead of attached to the tank floor . additionally , the width of the chamber 68 increases incrementally in stages instead of continuously . a pair of reverse direction center scrapers 70 , corresponding to the scrapers 64 in fig3 and 4 , are disposed under the chamber 68 to urge sludge collected in the center of the tank floor outwardly toward the chamber 68 . a plurality of sludge inlets 72 , of similar spacing and size to the inlets 59 in fig3 and 4 , are disposed on the bottom of the chamber 68 , rather than on its side as in fig3 and 4 , for the collection of concentrated sludge from the sludge blanket on the tank floor . an outlet pipe 74 leads from the widest portion of the chamber upwardly to the center cage 22 , where the collected sludge travels to further processing stages or recycled to the aeration basin . fig8 and 9 illustrate that the sludge collector of the invention need not be located directly on the tank floor , though the sludge inlets should be located near , either above or below , the floor for the collector to operate efficiently . additionally , though the incomplete annular shape of the chamber 54 in fig3 and 4 is preferred and causes more efficient sludge flow to the outlet pipe , the chamber may be a complete annulus as shown in fig8 and 9 , if desired . there may be 2 to 4 uptake pipes 74 utilized in a retrofit improvement , if desired . the inlets 72 may be advantageously grouped together ahead of the scraper 34 to take advantage of the pressure caused by their rotational movement , if desired . referring now to fig1 and 11 , another example of a sludge collector according to the invention is shown which is similar to the collector shown in fig2 through 5 except that its chamber 76 has a uniform cross - section throughout and its sludge inlets 78 are spaced non - uniformly . since the chamber 76 is not a constant velocity collection chamber , the inlets 78 are spaced closer nearer the outlet pipe 58 and farther apart away from the outlet pipe in order to ensure a uniform withdrawal of sludge from the sludge blanket . the positive hydraulic and / or negative supplied pressure urging the sludge in the chamber toward the outlet pipe is greater nearer the outlet . referring now to fig1 and 13 , another example of a sludge collector according to the invention is shown which is similar to the collector shown in fig2 through 5 except that its chamber 80 has a uniform cross - section throughout and its sludge inlets 82 are of non - uniform size . since the chamber 80 , like the chamber 76 in fig1 and 11 , is not a constant velocity collection chamber , the inlets 82 are larger nearer the outlet pipe 58 and smaller away from the outlet pipe in order to ensure a uniform withdrawal of sludge from the sludge blanket . the increasing size of the inlets toward the outlet pipe serves the same function as the decreasing inlet spacing in fig1 and 11 . both inlet sizing and spacing may be varied according to the needs of the specific application . referring now to fig1 and 15 , a sludge collector is shown having a chamber 88 similar to the chamber 54 in fig3 through 5 except that instead of being disposed on top of the floor 14 , the chamber 88 is imbedded in the floor 14 with its top being flush therewith . in this case , the inlets 90 are disposed on top of the chamber for the collection of sludge . a sludge collector of the present invention will tend to remove only the more concentrated sludge and will reduce short - circuiting of mixed liquor to the underflow due to the reduced quantity withdrawn at each inlet . the result is a more concentrated sludge underflow and a lower return flow rate . the collector 54 may also be located in a trench with the top inlets 90 located below the top of floor 14 and provide all the benefits set forth . the following examples demonstrate different configurations of the sludge collector and scraper blades depending on clarifier tank conditions and process requirements . a secondary clarifier tank of 40 m diameter , 4 . 75 m sidewater depth , and 6 . 0 m centerwater depth received 0 . 5 m 3 / s of mixed liquor wastewater having suspended solids ( mlss ) of 3000 mg / l . settling tests demonstrated that solids settle out of the mixed liquor to 12 , 000 mg / l suspended solids in the sludge , producing an underflow sludge volume of 0 . 167 m 3 / s . a sludge collector of the type described in fig1 through 5 had an outside diameter of 0 . 15 percent of the tank diameter , or 6 m . the spiral scraper blades tapered from 200 mm deep at the sidewall to 750 mm deep near the sludge collector . since the depth of concentrated sludge ( as measured near the center of the tank ) could be 1 . 25 m without exceeding the conical zone of the tank , the number of sludge inlets in the sludge collector was minimized and the inlets were made relatively large . eight uniformly spaced inlets were used , each 75 mm high and 275 mm long . each inlet collected sludge at a rate of 0 . 021 m / s . the sludge collection chamber cross - sectional area at its ends was approximately 21 , 000 mm 2 , 275 mm high by 75 mm wide . the collector area increased to approximately 84 , 000 mm 2 , 275 mm high by 300 mm wide , at the fourth inlet on each side of the outlet pipe . the flow volume was about 0 . 083 m 3 / s through the four inlets on each half of the chamber . a secondary clarifier tank of 40 m diameter , 4 . 75 m sidewater depth , 5 . 05 m centerwater depth , and floor slope of 0 . 015 m / m received 0 . 5 m 3 / s of mixed liquor wastewater having suspended solids ( mlss ) of 3000 mg / l . the existing rankin suction header sludge removal system was replaced by spiral scrapers and the central sludge collector of fig1 through 5 . the sludge collector had an outside diameter of 0 . 15 percent of the tank diameter , or 6 m . the spiral scrapers had a depth of 450 mm at the sidewall and 750 mm adjacent the collector . concentrated sludge is thixotropic and tends to flow outward , but the deeper spiral scrapers continuously moved the sludge to the central sludge collector at a rate exceeding the sludge withdrawal rate . the maximum sludge depth at the collector was in the range of 0 . 75 m . while the target sludge underflow density was 12 , 000 mg / l , the design allowed for lower concentrations given the shallow floor slope and limited sludge depth . the sludge collector was designed to remove a sludge volume of 0 . 200 m 3 / s at a 10 , 000 mg / l suspended solids concentration . the sludge collector was fitted with 12 inlets with a total area of about 267 , 000 mm 2 . each opening was 75 mm high by 300 mm wide , 22 , 200 mm 2 area , with a sludge withdrawal velocity of 0 . 75 m / s . the collector had a cross - section of 24 , 000 mm 2 , 300 mm high by 80 mm wide , at its ends , expanding to 134 , 000 mm 2 , 300 mm high by 450 mm wide , at the sixth inlet on each side of the outlet pipe . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure , particularly the different embodiments of the sludge collector described above , various configurations of the collector &# 39 ; s basic design are possible while retaining its advantages and remaining within the scope of the invention . the overall design of the described embodiments of the invention can be modified and varied while remaining within the scope of the invention as embodied in the appended claims .	1
the drug delivery device illustrated in fig1 comprises a main body 14 that extends from a proximal end 16 to a distal end 15 . at the distal end 15 , a removable end cap or cover 18 is provided . this end cap 18 and the distal end 15 of the main body 14 work together to provide a snap fit or form fit connection so that once the cover 18 is slid onto the distal end 15 of the main body 14 , this frictional fit between the cap and the main body outer surface 20 prevents the cover from inadvertently falling off the main body . the main body 14 contains a micro - processor control unit , an electro - mechanical drive train , and at least two medicament reservoirs . when the end cap or cover 18 is removed from the device 10 ( as illustrated in fig1 ), a dispense interface 200 is mounted to the distal end 15 of the main body 14 , and a dose dispenser ( e . g ., a needle assembly ) is attached to the interface . the drug delivery device 10 can be used to administer a computed dose of a second medicament ( secondary drug compound ) and a variable dose of a first medicament ( primary drug compound ) through a single needle assembly , such as a double ended needle assembly . a control panel region 60 is provided near the proximal end of the main body 14 . preferably , this control panel region 60 comprises a digital display 80 along with a plurality of human interface elements that can be manipulated by a user to set and inject a combined dose . in this arrangement , the control panel region comprises a first dose setting button 62 , a second dose setting button 64 and a third button 66 designated with the symbol “ ok .” in addition , along the most proximal end of the main body , an injection button 74 is also provided ( not visible in the perspective view of fig1 ). the cartridge holder 40 can be removably attached to the main body 14 and may contain at least two cartridge retainers 50 and 52 . each retainer is configured so as to contain one medicament reservoir , such as a glass cartridge . preferably , each cartridge contains a different medicament . in addition , at the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 , the drug delivery device illustrated in fig1 includes a dispense interface 200 . as will be described in relation to fig4 , in one arrangement , this dispense interface 200 includes a main outer body 212 that is removably attached to a distal end 42 of the cartridge housing 40 . as can be seen in fig1 , a distal end 214 of the dispense interface 200 preferably comprises a needle hub 216 . this needle hub 216 may be configured so as to allow a dose dispenser , such as a conventional pen type injection needle assembly , to be removably mounted to the drug delivery device 10 . once the device is turned on , the digital display 80 shown in fig1 illuminates and provides the user certain device information , preferably information relating to the medicaments contained within the cartridge holder 40 . for example , the user is provided with certain information relating to both the primary medicament ( drug a ) and the secondary medicament ( drug b ). as shown in fig3 , the first and a second cartridge retainers 50 , 52 comprise hinged cartridge retainers . these hinged retainers allow user access to the cartridges . fig3 illustrates a perspective view of the cartridge holder 40 illustrated in fig1 with the first hinged cartridge retainer 50 in an open position . fig3 illustrates how a user might access the first cartridge 90 by opening up the first retainer 50 and thereby having access to the first cartridge 90 . as mentioned above when discussing fig1 , a dispense interface 200 is coupled to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . fig4 illustrates a flat view of the dispense interface 200 unconnected to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . a dose dispenser or needle assembly that may be used with the interface 200 is also illustrated and is provided in a protective outer cap 420 . in fig5 , the dispense interface 200 illustrated in fig4 is shown coupled to the cartridge holder 40 . the axial attachment means between the dispense interface 200 and the cartridge holder 40 can be any known axial attachment means to those skilled in the art , including snap locks , snap fits , snap rings , keyed slots , and combinations of such connections . the connection or attachment between the dispense interface and the cartridge holder may also contain additional features ( not shown ), such as connectors , stops , splines , ribs , grooves , pips , clips and the like design features , that ensure that specific hubs are attachable only to matching drug delivery devices . such additional features would prevent the insertion of a non - appropriate secondary cartridge to a non - matching injection device . fig5 also illustrates the needle assembly 400 and protective cover 420 coupled to the distal end of the dispense interface 200 that may be screwed onto the needle hub of the interface 200 . fig6 illustrates a cross sectional view of the double ended needle assembly 402 mounted on the dispense interface 200 in fig5 . the needle assembly 400 illustrated in fig6 comprises a double ended needle 406 and a hub 401 . the double ended needle or cannula 406 is fixedly mounted in a needle hub 401 . this needle hub 401 comprises a circular disk shaped element which has along its periphery a circumferential depending sleeve 403 . along an inner wall of this hub member 401 , a thread 404 is provided . this thread 404 allows the needle hub 401 to be screwed onto the dispense interface 200 which , in one preferred arrangement , is provided with a corresponding outer thread along a distal hub . at a center portion of the hub element 401 there is provided a protrusion 402 . this protrusion 402 projects from the hub in an opposite direction of the sleeve member . a double ended needle 406 is mounted centrally through the protrusion 402 and the needle hub 401 . this double ended needle 406 is mounted such that a first or distal piercing end 405 of the double ended needle forms an injecting part for piercing an injection site ( e . g ., the skin of a user ). similarly , a second or proximal piercing end 406 of the needle assembly 400 protrudes from an opposite side of the circular disc so that it is concentrically surrounded by the sleeve 403 . in one needle assembly arrangement , the second or proximal piercing end 406 may be shorter than the sleeve 403 so that this sleeve to some extent protects the pointed end of the back sleeve . the needle cover cap 420 illustrated in fig4 and 5 provides a form fit around the outer surface 403 of the hub 401 . referring now to fig4 to 11 , one preferred arrangement of this interface 200 will now be discussed . in this one preferred arrangement , this interface 200 comprises : the main outer body 210 comprises a main body proximal end 212 and a main body distal end 214 . at the proximal end 212 of the outer body 210 , a connecting member is configured so as to allow the dispense interface 200 to be attached to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . preferably , the connecting member is configured so as to allow the dispense interface 200 to be removably connected the cartridge holder 40 . in one preferred interface arrangement , the proximal end of the interface 200 is configured with an upwardly extending wall 218 having at least one recess . for example , as may be seen from fig8 , the upwardly extending wall 218 comprises at least a first recess 217 and a second recess 219 . preferably , the first and the second recesses 217 , 219 are positioned within this main outer body wall so as to cooperate with an outwardly protruding member located near the distal end of the cartridge housing 40 of the drug delivery device 10 . for example , this outwardly protruding member 48 of the cartridge housing may be seen in fig4 and 5 . a second similar protruding member is provided on the opposite side of the cartridge housing . as such , when the interface 200 is axially slid over the distal end of the cartridge housing 40 , the outwardly protruding members will cooperate with the first and second recess 217 , 219 to form an interference fit , form fit , or snap lock . alternatively , and as those of skill in the art will recognize , any other similar connection mechanism that allows for the dispense interface and the cartridge housing 40 to be axially coupled could be used as well . the main outer body 210 and the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 act to form an axially engaging snap lock or snap fit arrangement that could be axially slid onto the distal end of the cartridge housing . in one alternative arrangement , the dispense interface 200 may be provided with a coding feature so as to prevent inadvertent dispense interface cross use . that is , the inner body of the hub could be geometrically configured so as to prevent an inadvertent cross use of one or more dispense interfaces . a mounting hub is provided at a distal end of the main outer body 210 of the dispense interface 200 . such a mounting hub can be configured to be releasably connected to a needle assembly . as just one example , this connecting means 216 may comprise an outer thread that engages an inner thread provided along an inner wall surface of a needle hub of a needle assembly , such as the needle assembly 400 illustrated in fig6 . alternative releasable connectors may also be provided such as a snap lock , a snap lock released through threads , a bayonet lock , a form fit , or other similar connection arrangements . the dispense interface 200 further comprises a first inner body 220 . certain details of this inner body are illustrated in fig8 - 11 . preferably , this first inner body 220 is coupled to an inner surface 215 of the extending wall 218 of the main outer body 210 . more preferably , this first inner body 220 is coupled by way of a rib and groove form fit arrangement to an inner surface of the outer body 210 . for example , as can be seen from fig9 , the extending wall 218 of the main outer body 210 is provided with a first rib 213 a and a second rib 213 b . this first rib 213 a is also illustrated in fig1 . these ribs 213 a and 213 b are positioned along the inner surface 215 of the wall 218 of the outer body 210 and create a form fit or snap lock engagement with cooperating grooves 224 a and 224 b of the first inner body 220 . in a preferred arrangement , these cooperating grooves 224 a and 224 b are provided along an outer surface 222 of the first inner body 220 . in addition , as can be seen in fig8 - 10 , a proximal surface 226 near the proximal end of the first inner body 220 may be configured with at least a first proximally positioned piercing needle 240 comprising a proximal piercing end portion 244 . similarly , the first inner body 220 is configured with a second proximally positioned piercing needle 250 comprising a proximally piercing end portion 254 . both the first and second needles 240 , 250 are rigidly mounted on the proximal surface 226 of the first inner body 220 . preferably , this dispense interface 200 further comprises a valve arrangement . such a valve arrangement could be constructed so as to prevent cross contamination of the first and second medicaments contained in the first and second reservoirs , respectively . a preferred valve arrangement may also be configured so as to prevent back flow and cross contamination of the first and second medicaments . in one preferred system , dispense interface 200 includes a valve arrangement in the form of a valve seal 260 . such a valve seal 260 may be provided within a cavity 231 defined by the second inner body 230 , so as to form a holding chamber 280 . preferably , cavity 231 resides along an upper surface of the second inner body 230 . this valve seal comprises an upper surface that defines both a first fluid groove 264 and second fluid groove 266 . for example , fig9 illustrates the position of the valve seal 260 , seated between the first inner body 220 and the second inner body 230 . during an injection step , this seal valve 260 helps to prevent the primary medicament in the first pathway from migrating to the secondary medicament in the second pathway , while also preventing the secondary medicament in the second pathway from migrating to the primary medicament in the first pathway . preferably , this seal valve 260 comprises a first non - return valve 262 and a second non - return valve 268 . as such , the first non - return valve 262 prevents fluid transferring along the first fluid pathway 264 , for example a groove in the seal valve 260 , from returning back into this pathway 264 . similarly , the second non - return valve 268 prevents fluid transferring along the second fluid pathway 266 from returning back into this pathway 266 . together , the first and second grooves 264 , 266 converge towards the non - return valves 262 and 268 respectively , to then provide for an output fluid path or a holding chamber 280 . this holding chamber 280 is defined by an inner chamber defined by a distal end of the second inner body both the first and the second non return valves 262 , 268 along with a pierceable septum 270 . as illustrated , this pierceable septum 270 is positioned between a distal end portion of the second inner body 230 and an inner surface defined by the needle hub of the main outer body 210 . the holding chamber 280 terminates at an outlet port of the interface 200 . this outlet port 290 is preferably centrally located in the needle hub of the interface 200 and assists in maintaining the pierceable seal 270 in a stationary position . as such , when a double ended needle assembly is attached to the needle hub of the interface ( such as the double ended needle illustrated in fig6 ), the output fluid path allows both medicaments to be in fluid communication with the attached needle assembly . the hub interface 200 further comprises a second inner body 230 . as can be seen from fig9 , this second inner body 230 has an upper surface that defines a recess , and the valve seal 260 is positioned within this recess . therefore , when the interface 200 is assembled as shown in fig9 , the second inner body 230 will be positioned between a distal end of the outer body 210 and the first inner body 220 . together , second inner body 230 and the main outer body hold the septum 270 in place . the distal end of the inner body 230 may also form a cavity or holding chamber that can be configured to be fluid communication with both the first groove 264 and the second groove 266 of the valve seal . axially sliding the main outer body 210 over the distal end of the drug delivery device attaches the dispense interface 200 to the multi - use device . in this manner , a fluid communication may be created between the first needle 240 and the second needle 250 with the primary medicament of the first cartridge and the secondary medicament of the second cartridge , respectively . fig1 illustrates the dispense interface 200 after it has been mounted onto the distal end 42 of the cartridge holder 40 of the drug delivery device 10 illustrated in fig1 . a double ended needle 400 is also mounted to the distal end of this interface . the cartridge holder 40 is illustrated as having a first cartridge containing a first medicament and a second cartridge containing a second medicament . when the interface 200 is first mounted over the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 , the proximal piercing end 244 of the first piercing needle 240 pierces the septum of the first cartridge 90 and thereby resides in fluid communication with the primary medicament 92 of the first cartridge 90 . a distal end of the first piercing needle 240 will also be in fluid communication with a first fluid path groove 264 defined by the valve seal 260 . similarly , the proximal piercing end 254 of the second piercing needle 250 pierces the septum of the second cartridge 100 and thereby resides in fluid communication with the secondary medicament 102 of the second cartridge 100 . a distal end of this second piercing needle 250 will also be in fluid communication with a second fluid path groove 266 defined by the valve seal 260 . fig1 illustrates a preferred arrangement of such a dispense interface 200 that is coupled to a distal end 15 of the main body 14 of drug delivery device 10 . preferably , such a dispense interface 200 is removably coupled to the cartridge holder 40 of the drug delivery device 10 . as illustrated in fig1 , the dispense interface 200 is coupled to the distal end of a cartridge housing 40 . this cartridge holder 40 is illustrated as containing the first cartridge 90 containing the primary medicament 92 and the second cartridge 100 containing the secondary medicament 102 . once coupled to the cartridge housing 40 , the dispense interface 200 essentially provides a mechanism for providing a fluid communication path from the first and second cartridges 90 , 100 to the common holding chamber 280 . this holding chamber 280 is illustrated as being in fluid communication with a dose dispenser . here , as illustrated , this dose dispenser comprises the double ended needle assembly 400 . as illustrated , the proximal end of the double ended needle assembly is in fluid communication with the chamber 280 . in one preferred arrangement , the dispense interface is configured so that it attaches to the main body in only one orientation , that is it is fitted only one way round . as such as illustrated in fig1 , once the dispense interface 200 is attached to the cartridge holder 40 , the primary needle 240 can only be used for fluid communication with the primary medicament 92 of the first cartridge 90 and the interface 200 would be prevented from being reattached to the holder 40 so that the primary needle 240 could now be used for fluid communication with the secondary medicament 102 of the second cartridge 100 . such a one way around connecting mechanism may help to reduce potential cross contamination between the two medicaments 92 and 102 . fig1 a - d illustrate the production of a y - channel with git / wit . it will only be described with respect to git , but the description can be used for wit in an analogue manner . turning first to fig1 a , one can see a device 300 comprising a mold 302 , and an injection site 304 for molten plastic and a second injection site 306 for gas . in this step of the production , molten plastic 308 is inserted via a first guide 312 into the mold 302 . the outer part of the molten plastic 308 starts to cool down while the inner part is being kept hot . right before or right after the end of the molten plastic injection process , the gas injection via the guide 310 can start . the gas is preferably an inert gas , for example nitrogen . as illustrated in fig1 b , a y - channel 314 is formed within the molten plastic 308 , which is pushed to the walls of the mold 302 and solidifies as a plastic part 316 . after the plastic part 316 has cooled down , it can be taken out of the mold 302 . the produced plastic part 316 with the y - channel 314 as illustrated in fig1 c has a first arm 318 , a second arm 320 and a third arm 322 . these three arms 318 , 320 , 322 each have an end 324 , 326 and 328 , respectively . the two arms 318 , 320 form an angle which is smaller than 180 °. the third arm 322 extends away from said angle . the second arm 320 has at its end 326 an opening 330 due to the gas injection guide 310 . along the lines 332 , 334 , 338 the ends 324 , 326 , 328 are cut off from the plastic part 316 . by this step all three ends 324 , 326 , 328 are opened . this cutting is preferably done with mechanical means , but it can also be done by laser cutting , for example . as can be seen in fig1 d the three arms 318 , 320 , 322 of the plastic part 316 with the y - channel 314 have now defined openings 340 , 342 and 344 , respectively . through the openings 340 and 342 preferably two different medicaments 92 , 102 can enter the y - channel 314 and through the opening 344 a mixture of the two medicaments 92 , 102 can exit the y - channel 314 . fig1 e shows another exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention . similar to the plastic part 316 shown in fig1 d , the plastic part 316 ′ shown in fig1 e has three ends 324 ′, 326 ′, 328 ′, which have the openings 340 ′, 342 ′ and 344 ′, respectively . the plastic part 316 ′ can be produced in the same way as the plastic part 316 . in contrast to the plastic pat 316 shown in fig1 e , the ends 340 ′ and 342 ′ extend substantially parallel to each other . in this case they also extend parallel to the third end 328 ′, such that if the axis of the third end 328 ′ defines a downward direction , the first end 324 ′ and second end 326 ′ extend substantially in the upward direction . this further facilitates the manufacturing process . moreover , this further facilitates the insertion of needles into the ends 324 ′ and 326 ′. fig1 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a dispense interface 200 similar to the one illustrated in fig9 . the dispense interface 200 illustrated in fig1 shows the plastic part 316 and the y - channel 314 illustrated in fig1 d . the plastic part 316 is integrated via form fit into a first inner body 220 ′. together with a second half of the inner body ( not illustrated ) the plastic part 316 can be fixed in between the inner bodies , for example . the inner body 220 ′ can then be attached to the main outer body 210 in the already described manner . the piercing needle 240 is attached to the opening 340 of the first arm 318 of the y - channel 314 . accordingly the piercing needle 250 is attached to the opening 342 of the second arm 320 of the y - channel 314 . the attachment of the needles 240 , 250 to the y - channel 314 can be realised by any appropriate method , for example form fit or force fit connections , or by adhesive bonding . the third opening 344 of the y - channel 314 is sealed by a pierceable septum 270 . those features shown in fig1 , which are also shown in fig9 , are further described in connection with the description of fig9 .	8
there are two main approaches for incorporating radiohalogens into peptides . the first approach is direct labelling of the parent molecule . tyrosine residues , for example , can be labelled through electrophilic iodination 3 , iodogen 4 , or with the bolton - hunter reagent . 5 the main disadvantage of these strategies is that the regioselectivity and stoichiometry of the labelling reaction is often hard to control . the second approach involves reaction of a labelled precursor bearing an activated ester functionality , which will react with pendent amino groups on the peptide . when attention is paid to reaction conditions , the resulting amide bonds can be formed regioselectively . two of the most common labelling agents are , n - succinimidyl 4 -[ 18 f ] fluorobenzoate ([ 18 f ] sfb ) and n - succinimidyl 3 -[ 131 i ] iodobenzoate ( sib ). 6 , 7 the 18 f - and 125 i - derivatives are typically synthesised by nucleophilic substitution and destannylation reactions , respectively ( scheme 1 ). in order to best illustrate the utility of the fluorous synthesis approach for radiopharmaceutical development , a model compound , which was both useful and amenable to different labelling approaches , was chosen . in this way , the target compound became tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 or 4 - benzoic acid ( compound 2 . 1 or 2 . 2 ). it was hoped that 2 . 1 and / or 2 . 2 would facilitate labelling with a variety of isotopes including ([ 18 f ] f 2 and [ 125 i ] 2 ), and permit conjugation to a variety of amino terminated compounds and biomolecules both prior to and after labelling . the “ fluorous tag ” used throughout this research was bromo [ tris ( 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ) tin ] ( 2 . 3 ), which was prepared following the method of curran et al . 8 compound 2 . 3 was synthesised via the arylstannyl , 2 . 4 , which in turn was prepared using a grignard reaction of phenyltintrichloride and 2 - perfluorohexyl - 1 - iodoethane ( scheme 2 ). removal of the homocoupled impurity by vacuum distillation and subsequent column chromatography yielded 2 . 4 in 75 % yield . the 1 h nmr of 2 . 4 in cdcl 3 showed a singlet at 7 . 33 ppm ( 5h , aromatic ) along with the triplet at 1 . 23 ppm ( with sn satellites 2 j sn , h = 51 . 7 hz ) and multiplet at 2 . 24 ppm corresponding to the methylene protons α and β to the tin . the 13 c nmr shows three aromatic signals at 129 . 06 ppm , 129 . 65 ppm , 136 . 08 ppm . the 13 c nmr resonances at − 1 . 49 ppm and triplet at 27 . 74 ppm ( 3 j f , c = 23 . 5 hz ) correspond to the carbons α and β to tin respectively . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 2 . 4 gave peaks at m / z = 1297 [ m + oac − h ] − and m / z = 1283 . 0 [ m + oac − ch 3 ] − . in addition , the ir spectrum reveals strong absorbances corresponding to the aromatic ring at 2962 , 2928 , 2874 , and 2862 cm − 1 . these findings are consistent with literature values . 8 compound 2 . 4 was subsequently reacted with excess bromine and 2 . 3 was purified through vacuum distillation , yielding the desired product in 97 % yield . conversion of 2 . 4 to 2 . 3 was confirmed through disappearance of aromatic resonances in 1 h and 13 c nmr spectra . in addition , substitution of the electronegative bromine shifts 1 h and 13 c signals for the nuclei α to the tin to lower field . the effect is quite dramatic ; the 1 h α chemical shift increases from 1 . 23 ppm to 1 . 57 ppm with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 1 hz ), while the 13 c α signal shifts from − 1 . 49 ppm to 6 . 11 ppm . the 13 c resonances for the fluorine bearing carbon atoms appear as highly coupled multiplets from 108 . 86 ppm to 121 . 71 ppm . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum for 2 . 3 gave a single peak at m / z = 1279 . 5 [ m + oac ] − . these results are also consistent with literature findings . 8 four strategies for the synthesis of 2 . 1 were undertaken ( scheme 3 ). each involves nucleophilic attack of an organometallic reagent onto the tin - bromide compound ( 2 . 3 ). in the first approach , a , the procedure of zalutsky et al . 4 , which was used to prepare n - succinimidyl - 3 -( tri - n - butylstannyl ) benzoate , was employed . reaction of 2 . 3 with excess of the dilithiated species ( 2 . 6 ) successfully generated 2 . 1 . purification of the fluorous material was facilitated through a triphasic extraction into fc - 72 ® from dichloromethane and water . unfortunately , the extent of benzoic acid incorporation into the final product was consistently & lt ; 35 % of total available sites . the extent of product ( aryl - stannane ) formation vs . unreacted starting material ( bromo - stannane ) was determined using 1 h nmr . integration of 1 h α , β signals for the two different chemical environments , with respect to one another and to the aromatic protons provides a reasonable assessment of the extent of incorporation ( fig1 ). purification was attempted though column chromatography in accordance with the methods described by curran et al . 9 due to the similarity in r f values between 2 . 1 and 2 . 3 , no level of separation could be attained . approach b involved modifying the procedure described by lequan et al . for the synthesis of p -( phenylmethylisopropylstannyl ) benzoic acid . 10 the mono - anion of p - dibromobenzene was reacted with 2 . 3 , yielding 2 . 8 quantitatively . unfortunately , repeated attempts to lithiate 2 . 8 were unsuccessful , preventing the successive reaction with co 2 . approach c was based on the method reported by milius et al . for the synthesis of 4 - tri - n - butylstannyl - benzoic acid oxazoline . 11 the appeal of the oxazoline protecting group was its stability to grignard reaction conditions , and , more importantly , its ability to be deprotected under mild , non acidic conditions . the precursor , compound 2 . 9 , was synthesised by treatment of p - bromobenzoic acid with thionyl chloride to give the acid chloride . the acid chloride was subsequently reacted with 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - propanol to afford the amide . treatment of the amide with thionyl chloride in the absence of solvent induced cyclization to the oxazoline ring , generating 2 . 9 in 95 % yield . 1 h nmr of compound 2 . 9 showed a singlet at 1 . 42 ppm ( 6h ), singlet at 4 . 17 ppm ( 2h ) and doublets at 7 . 56 ( 2h ) and 7 . 87 ppm ( 2h ). the 13 c nmr and the electron impact mass spectrum ( m / z = 254 ) for 2 . 9 also agree well with the literature . 12 formation of the grignard was sluggish , and necessitated the addition of 1 , 2 - dibromoethane in order to promote the reaction . eventually , 2 . 3 was quantitatively converted to 2 . 10 , which was purified through a triphasic extraction and isolated in a 90 % yield . the 1 h nmr of 2 . 10 showed the typical shift in h α , β to higher field . the 1 h nmr also revealed peaks at 1 . 40 ppm and 4 . 14 ppm from the oxazoline group , and aromatic signals at 7 . 44 ppm and 7 . 97 ppm . similarly , the 13 c nmr showed the c α signal shift to a higher field of − 1 . 25 ppm , in addition to the appearance of methyl carbons at 28 . 5 ppm and aromatic resonances at 128 . 4 ppm and 136 . 0 ppm . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum gave a peak at m / z = 1394 [ m + oac ] − . in order to facilitate cleavage of the oxazoline group under basic conditions , it was necessary to convert the oxazoline to the oxazolinium ion . in all instances , reaction with methylodide under mild reaction conditions yielded none of the desired quatemerized product . alternatively , under the vigorous reaction conditions suggested by literature , cleavage of the aryl - stannyl bond occurred . 13 approach d required the initial synthesis of a thiol protected intermediate , tripropyl 4 - bromoorthothiobenzoate 2 . 11 . the reaction pathway for d ( scheme 4 ) was applied originally to the synthesis of the analogous silicon fluorous compound . 9 the synthesis of the precursor 2 . 11 involved reaction of p - bromobenzoic acid with t hionyl chloride to generate the acid chloride , which was then reacted with excess propane thiol in the presence of alcl 3 . despite the fact that a great deal of attention was paid to ensuring reagent quality ( alcl 3 was freshly sublimed and propane thiol was freshly distilled ), the crude reaction product consisted of only one or two condensed propane thiol groups . the orthothiobenzoate was never observed as it was described in the paper by studer et al . 9 the successful methodology , approach e ( scheme 4 ), entailed adaptation of research by xizhen , z et al ., who established the feasibility of synthesising arylstannanes using organozinc reagents . 14 the use of the robust organozinc reagents , rather than organolithium reagents , facilitates the incorporation of compounds with electrophilic functionalities , such as esters , nitriles , and ketones . excess 3 - ethoxycarbonylphenylzinc ( 2 . 13 ), which is commercially available through rieke metals inc ., was reacted with 2 . 3 overnight ( scheme 4 ). the product was isolated through a biphasic extraction between fc - 72 ® and methanol in excellent yield ( 99 %). analysis of 1 h nmr for compound 2 . 14 revealed signals corresponding to the ethylene spacer at 1 . 35 ppm ( t , 6h ), and 2 . 33 ppm ( m , 6h ), in addition to peaks at 1 . 39 ppm ( m , 3h ), 4 . 39 ppm ( q , 2h ), and a meta - disubstituted aromatic from 7 . 47 - 8 . 07 ppm ( m , 4h ). the 13 c nmr for 2 . 14 showed four signals at high field — 1 . 12 ppm , 14 . 15 ppm , 27 . 87 ppm ( 2 j f , c = 23 . 3 hz ), and 61 . 32 ppm . at low field the 13 c nmr had resonances corresponding to carbon atoms with attached fluorines ( 106 . 46 ppm to 121 . 17 ppm ) and aromatic resonances , which have yet to be assigned due to difficulty interpreting the spectrum . the negative ion mass spectrum of 2 . 14 gave peaks at m / z = 1279 . 4 [ m - ethyl ] and m / z = 1369 . 5 [ m + oac ] − . saponification of 2 . 14 was achieved using excess base , despite the fact that the substrate was immiscible in the reaction solvent ( methanol / water 4 : 1 ). small amounts of the transesterification product were occasionally observed ; however , this product was removed by way of a second hydrolysis reaction . isolation of the product from fc - 72 ® following several washings with water yields 2 . 2 , presumably as the sodium salt , in 99 % yield . extraction of the sodium salt of 2 . 2 between fc - 72 ®, dichloromethane , and a 1n hcl solution , produced the free acid . the difference in solubility of the salt vs . the acid in cdcl 3 was pronounced . the acid dissolves in chloroform - d 3 to provide well resolved 1 h and 13 c nmr spectra , while the sodium salt was only sparingly soluble . the free carboxylic acid , 2 . 2 , unlike the sodium salt , crystallised over several days yielding a white solid . the 1 h nmr of compound 2 . 2 ( fig2 ) showed an absence of the signals corresponding to the ester group , but was otherwise unchanged from 2 . 14 . similarly , the 13 c nmr lacked the peaks associated with the ester group and had a corresponded shift of the carbonyl carbon to lower field ( 172 . 61 ppm and 172 . 04 ppm ). the 13 c peaks all have a small shoulder peak similar to the carbonyl carbon , which is perhaps a reflection of the presence of a small amount of sodium salt of compound 2 . 2 . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 2 . 2 ( fig3 ) shows a peak at m / z = 1279 [ m − h ] − . the ir spectrum of 2 . 2 importantly showed a strong o — h stretch at 3410 cm − 1 , c ═ o stretch at 1632 cm − 1 , and an aromatic stretch at 2950 cm − 1 . dissolving a small quantity of 2 . 2 in pentane , followed by its slow evaporation , produced long needle - like crystals from which an x - ray crystal structure was obtained . this is significant , as it represents the first reported crystal structure of a perfluorostannane species of any variety . compound 2 . 2 crystallised in the triclinic ρ − 1 space group with two independent molecules in the unit cell ( z = 4 ). the structure proved difficult to solve , in large part due to the high level of disorder in one particular perfluorooctyl chain . this is reasonable considering the low barrier of rotation around the c — c bond , which typically leads to the oily property of these compounds . though additional work is still required prior to publishing the x - ray crystal structure , the current structure verifies the presence of compound 2 . 2 ( fig4 ). fluorination of tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 - benzoic acid ( 2 . 2 ) was initially performed in perfluorinated hexanes ( fc - 72 ®), rather than the more commonly employed hf , or freons such as cfcl 3 . the use of fc - 72 ® is advantageous , since it readily dissolves the precursor , has a suitable freezing and boiling point range (− 100 ° c . and 65 ° c . respectively ) and is not susceptible to degradation by f 2 . the reaction conditions were worked out and optimised through a number of fluorination reactions , where conditions mimic those of the [ 18 f ] f 2 reaction without having to deal with the risks of radiation - exposure . scheme 5 and fig5 illustrates the reaction and apparatus used in a general fluorination reaction , respectively . in general , the substrate 2 . 2 was diluted in fc - 72 ® ( 1 ml ) and transferred to a dried fluoropolymer vessel . the contents of the vessel were cooled to approximately − 85 ° c . in a meoh / n 2 slush bath , after which 180 psi of a 0 . 5 % f 2 in ne solution were bubbled through the solution over a 20 - 30 minute period . the solvent was transferred to a vial along with methanol , which was used to rinse the reaction vessel . the entire mixture was evaporated by rotary evaporation , dissolved in acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) and passed down a fluorous column . fractions ( 3 × 3 ml ) were collected and characterised using 19 f nmr , hplc and ms spectroscopy . the 19 f nmr of the reaction product 2 . 15 showed roughly a quartet at − 112 . 00 ppm ( 3 j f , h = 5 . 76 hz ) when run in meoh : chcl 3 , consistent with an authentic m - fluorobenzoic acid standard and literature values . 15 , 16 the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 2 . 15 gave the requisite peak at m / z = 139 . 1 [ m − h ] − . hplc of the purified reaction mixture produced a single peak at 4 . 22 min , consistent with the authentic standard . the immiscibility of perfluorocarbons with most organic solvents has led to the development of a new approach to synthesis known as the fluorous biphasic system ( fbs ). in this approach , molecules containing appreciable fluorine content ( fluorous compounds ) can be selectively separated from non - fluorinated compounds . common separation techniques include biphasic extraction , triphasic extraction or application of fluorous reversed phase silica gel . the latter technique takes advantage of the tendency of fluorous substrates to interact strongly with the fluorous solid phase thereby dramatically increasing their retention time compared to non - fluorous materials . the fluorous biphasic approach can be used as a means of preparing radiolabeled substrates in high apparent specific activity . the technique entails binding a substrate to a fluorous - support in such a manner that the fluorous component is released upon reaction with the radionuclide of choice . the target radiochemical can then be readily separated from the fluorous support ( and any fluorous byproducts ) by passing the material through a plug of fluorous silica , or other suitable solid material , or by liquid - liquid extraction . this approach can yield iodine and fluorine labelled compounds in high chemical and radiochemical yields in a time and resource efficient manner . in particular , the fluorous approach can be used to prepare iodo and fluoro - labelled benzoic acids , which are important substrates for labelling proteins . initially in this research , fluorous silica synthesised in our laboratory was used in the purification process . it proved , however , to be less effective at retaining fluorous material than commercially available fluorous modified silica manufactured by silicycle ®. the improved retention of the commercial variety , which was attributed to improved loadings , facilitated a more rapid purification . in the case of the “ home - made ” and commercial fluorous silica we also observed that the use of alcoholic solvents as a mobile phase resulted in substantial breakthough of the fluorous impurities . in order to remedy this , an acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) eluent system was used , and appears to have prevented any migration of the perfluorotin impurity . elution of the product 2 . 15 , however occurs rapidly and is obtained (& gt ; 99 %) within the first 9 ml of eluent . in the initial reaction mixtures , two extraneous peaks were consistently found in the 19 f nmr spectrum (− 74 ppm and − 153 ppm ), in addition to the product peak at − 112 ppm . initially , it was believed that these additional peaks were the result of fc - 72 ®, which is composed of multiple isomers of perfluorinated hexanes . however , subjecting fc - 72 ® to the same fluorination and purification conditions yielded no observable peaks in the fluorine spectrum . it was later found that the peak at − 74 ppm was not present when medical grade sterile water replaced the laboratories own distilled - deionized water . further , the peak at − 153 ppm was found to originate from the use of silicycle ® brand fluorous silica . replacement of this brand of silica with that prepared by fluorous technologies ® proved to remove this peak from the fluorine spectrum . the reaction temperature also proved to influence the products generated in these reactions . when the reactions were carried out at higher temperatures , & gt ;− 65 ° c ., it was found that an occasionally small peak at − 105 ppm ( unresolved coupling ) could be seen in the spectrum . this could be the result of ortho substitution or a di - fluorinated ring , both of which would result in deshielding of the attached fluorine . this small impurity , however , was not seen when the reaction was carried out at lower temperature (− 85 ° c . to − 75 ° c .). in the course of these cold fluorinations , the yield of m - fluorobenzoic acid was optimised . the ratio of substrate to f 2 was varied between 0 . 7 to 3 . 0 in all cases , using 180 psi ( 0 . 5 % f 2 ) which corresponds to 1 . 18 × 10 − 4 mol of f 2 , similar to the amount used in a 18 f [ f 2 ] reaction . the percent yield of 2 . 15 with respect to f 2 decreased from 18 % to 16 % when 0 . 65 and 2 . 9 equivalents were used respectively . the yield analysis was based on comparison with calibration curves . it was found that the yield of 2 . 15 with respect to f 2 reached a maximum at approximately 24 % when the ratio of substrate to f 2 was 1 . 2 : 1 . since the reactions were run in equivalent volumes of fc - 72 ®, the decreasing yield may be a result of a visibly increasing viscosity in the more concentrated samples . the successful cold labelling and purification of 2 . 15 using the precursor 2 . 2 prompted the investigation of [ 18 f ] f 2 labelling . the reaction scheme is shown in scheme 6 . fluorine - 18 was produced at mcmaster university hospital by the 18 o ( p , n ) 18 f nuclear reaction using a siemens rds 112 proton cyclotron operating at 11 mev by the “ double shoot ” method . 17 the “ double shoot ” method entails diluting 18 f , which remains largely bound to the target wall following the 18 o ( p , n ) 18 f reaction with f 2 . irradiation results in fluoride exchange and releases 15 - 20 μmol of carrier - added 18 f [ f 2 ]. the 18 f [ f 2 ] in neon was carried through a teflon tube and was bubbled through the 1 ml solution of 2 . 2 in fc - 72 ® at − 85 ° c . the fluorination reaction was carried out in a fep ( perfluoroethylenepropylene co - polymer ) tube , and the outlet gas was bubbled through a 0 . 1 n naoh solution . assessment of [ 18 f ] f 2 consumed in the reaction was determined by measuring the total radioactivity in the vessel , compared to that in the naoh trap . work - up involved transferring the contents of the vessel to another vial using pressure generated by a syringe . the vessel was then rinsed with hplc grade methanol and the combined solvents were evaporated in a hot water bath under a rapid flow of nitrogen . to the resulting residue was added 3 × 3 ml of acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ), and each aliquot successively transferred to the fluorous column . fractions of 3 ml were collected and characterised . in total , five [ 18 f ] f 2 fluorinations of 2 . 2 were carried out . fig6 shows the typical hplc chromatograms which were generated . analysis was carried out on a c 18 analytical column , eluted with a 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water ( 0 . 2 % tfa ) at 2 ml / min . the uv trace of compound 2 . 16 generated a single peak eluting at 4 . 18 minutes , which is identical to that of an authentic standard . integration of the peak area and comparison to the calibration curve indicates a 19 . 4 % yield of labelled product ( 18 f & amp ; 19 f ). the radioactive trace for compound 2 . 16 shows a single peak eluting at 4 . 99 min . the later elution time is consistent with the time delay between the uv lamp and radiation detector . in the last two reactions , the radiochemical yield and specific activity of 2 . 16 was assessed . in these instances , the decay corrected radiochemical yield of 2 . 16 was 30 . 2 % and 11 . 2 %; the lower yield was attributed to the vial walls not being rinsed effectively prior to purification . the theoretical maximum yield for this synthesis is 50 %, as half of the activity is lost as tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin -[ 18 f ] fluoride . this is comparable to the [ 18 f ] f 2 destannylation reactions where 6 -[ 18 f ] fluoro - l - dopa and 6 -[ 18 f ] fluoro - l - m - tyrosine were generated with radiochemical yields of 33 % and 23 % respectively . 18 , 19 the specific activity of 2 . 16 following purification in the two experiments was 1966 and 2899 mci / mmol , respectively . the discrepancy can , in part , be attributed to the shorter purification times of the second vs . the first ( 27 min . vs 49 min .). the specific activity is dependent on the amount of f 2 mixed in the target gas , and as such it is difficult to make a direct comparison to other fluorodestannylation reactions . however , the obtained specific activities are reasonably high when compared to other electrophilic fluorination reactions . for example , various direct electrophilic fluorination approaches to generate 6 -[ 18 f ] fluoro - l - dopa give specific activities of ≦ 2000 mci / mmol . 20 , 21 though similar specific activities were obtained , this fluorous approach did not require hplc purification . the 19 f nmr spectra of the crude reaction products from an analogous cold fluorination and the purified reaction ( 2 . 16 ) products are shown in fig7 and 8 , respectively . the 19 f nmr was obtained after allowing sufficient time for decay of 18 f - labeled 2 . 16 . in the 19 f nmr of crude reaction , the sensitivity of the fluorine nucleus to detection by nmr is evident in the clarity obtained following only a few scans . the crude spectrum shows six clearly resolved peaks corresponding to the six fluorine containing carbons atoms along three equivalent n - octyl chains . there was no discernible shift in these peaks prior to or following the fluorination reaction . the 19 f nmr spectrum of the purified reaction ( fig8 ) shows only a single peak at − 110 . 10 ppm ( 3 j f , h = 7 . 24 hz ) when run in acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ). the peak position and coupling is consistent with an authentic standard of m - fluorobenzoic acid in which the 19 f - signal appears at − 109 . 8 ppm , and is also consistent with literature values . 16 furthermore , it is important to note the absence of peaks associated with the fluorous “ tag ”, which is a testament of the efficiency of the fluorous purification method . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of a crude fluorination reaction and the purified reaction of 2 . 16 are shown in fig9 and fig1 , respectively . the electrospray mass spectrum of the reaction mixture prior to purification shows the product peak at m / z = 139 . 1 [ m − h ] − and the fluorous “ tag ” impurity around m / z = 1319 . 2 , 1345 . 2 . however , the purified reaction ( fig1 ) shows only a single peak corresponding to the product at m / z = 139 . 0 [ m − h ] − , with no trace of any impurity . as mentioned previously , the highest radiochemical yield ( eob ) obtained was 30 . 2 %. however , it should be noted that approximately 20 mci of radioactivity ( or ≈ 11 %) was lost during evaporation of the fc - 72 ® solvent . it is possible that the substitution of h - atoms in fc - 72 ® by [ 18 f ] fluoride accounts for this loss of activity post evaporation . de vries et al . observed a 61 - 73 % loss of radioactivity to the reaction solvent when they switched from cfcl 3 to the more environmentally appropriate chcl 3 or ch 3 cn . 18 this reduced the radiochemical yield of 6 -[ 18 f ] fluoro - l - dopa , obtained through fluorodestannylation , from 33 % to 5 % ( chcl 3 ) and 17 % ( ch 3 cn ). it appears , despite the loss of activity , that fc - 72 ® permits higher overall radiochemical yields compared with other reaction solvents . in developing these [ 18 f ] f 2 reactions , it quickly became evident that a workup procedure needed to be devised to permit a more “ hands - free ” or automated approach . the challenge with this work - up is that the fluorophilic solvent ( fc - 72 ®/ methanol ) needed to be exchanged with a fluorophobic solvent ( acetonitrile / water ). rotary evaporation required too much manual manipulation . alternatively , solvent evaporation in a hot water bath under a rapid flow of nitrogen took too long and often dispersed the product . in an attempt to improve upon these procedures , a u - tube like apparatus was constructed ( fig1 ). following the fluorination reaction , the vessel contents could be transferred to the u - tube via syringe pressure . applying a weak vacuum to the top of the u - tube facilitated removal of the solvent at room temperature within a couple of minutes . addition of 3 × 3 ml of acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ), followed successively with applied syringe pressure , transferred the contents to the fluorous sep - pak and into the collection vial . in a trial cold reaction this apparatus appeared to facilitate a more suitable “ hands - free ” workup . the facile synthesis and purification of 2 . 16 demonstrates that the fluorous strategy shows promise as a convenient route for the preparation of 18 f [ f 2 ] labelled radiopharmaceuticals . there is a complete removal of the fluorous “ tag ” through a quick and simple fluorous column purification , which requires less than a minute . this approach therefore would be appealing in certain applications , as it avoids time intensive purification , reduces exposure , and can increase overall specific activity when compared to standard methods . with the success of the fluorination reactions , we explored labelling benzoic acid with iodine . the cold iodinolysis of the fluorous “ tagged ” model compound ( 2 . 2 ) was carried out in order to assess the capacity for introducing 125 i , 131 i , and 123 i . in addition to being interested in simple product generation , optimising reaction conditions was also an important goal . the iododestannylation reaction of 2 . 2 using excess iodine is shown in scheme 7 . the iodination reaction was carried out using excess 12 dissolved in methanol , which was added to a sizeable ( 1 × 10 − 4 mol ) sample of 2 . 2 . the reaction was allowed to proceed overnight , after which sodium metabisulfite was added to quench any unreacted iodine . methanol was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was dissolved in 5 × 5 ml volumes of hplc grade acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ), and each washing was eluted through a fluorous column . in this case , purification utilised a 3 . 9 g sample of loose fluorous silica ( silicycle ®), packed into a 40 cm narrow column . the 5 ml aliquots were assessed for purity through hplc ( fig1 ) and electrospay mass spectrometry ( fig1 ). the hplc chromatogram contained three peaks , corresponding to salts ( solvent front ) and 2 . 17 ( t r = 9 . 9 min ). the peak at 9 . 9 min was shown to be 2 . 17 through comparison to a standard sample of 3 - iodobenzoic acid . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum showed a single peak above background at m / z = 246 . 9 [ m − h ] − , which is consistent with the formation of 2 . 17 . there was no evidence of the fluorous “ tag ” which would be seen at m / z & gt ; 1000 . the iodinolysis reactions discussed above used an excess of iodine and 10 − 4 moles of substrate , and are therefore not representative of radioiodination reactions . in order to develop a labelling approach towards 2 . 18 , reactions with cold na 127 i at concentrations that mimic those that would be used with iodine radionuclides were undertaken ( scheme 8 ). in an attempt to optimise the cold iodination reaction a number of reaction conditions were investigated . first , a wide range of oxidants , which are commonly used in radioiododestannylation reactions , were screened . these included chloramine - t ( n - monochloro - p - toluenesulfonamide ), n - chlorosuccinimide , and peracetic acid . peracetic acid showed the highest conversions , which is consistent with literature reports . 22 the choice of solvent can also dramatically impact the radiochemical yields . f or the most part , methanol was utilised because of its ability to dissolve 2 . 2 and has been shown to be compatible with the other reagents and reaction conditions . iodination reactions are also highly dependent on the ph of the solvent , generally being promoted in an acetic medium and sometimes arresting when the ph increases towards neutrality . 23 for this reason , researchers often add small quantities of hcl or acetic acid to the reaction ; however , it was found that the oxidant ( 32 % peracetic acid in acetic acid ) was adequately acidic to promote the aforementioned reaction . in addition to optimising the reaction conditions , detection of the very small quantity of product ( 2 . 18 ) being generated necessitated optimising the hplc conditions . it was found through lengthy trial and error that separation of 2 . 18 from salts in solution could not be exacted using a c - 8 analytical column . this problem was rectified by switching to a c - 18 analytical column which facilitated significant separation . in the end , the optimum reaction involved dissolving compound 2 . 2 ( na + salt ) ( 4 × 10 − 6 mol ) in methanol ( 200 μl ) with stirring . to this solution was added nai ( 4 μl , 1 . 8 × 10 − 7 mol ) in 0 . 1 n naoh , which was followed immediately by the addition of freshly prepared peracetic acid solution ( 2 μl ). the reaction was quenched after 2 hours with excess sodium metabisulfite and diluted to 1 ml with distilled deionized water . the hplc chromatogram of compound 2 . 18 shows two primary peaks with elution times of 4 . 8 - 6 . 3 min . and 10 . 3 minutes , corresponding to salts ( solvent front ) and 2 . 18 respectively ( fig1 ). an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid under the same elution conditions produced a peak at 10 . 2 minutes , confirming the peak assignment . the advantage to developing this chemistry using a cold isotope , similar to the case of fluorine , was that reactions could be conducted and handled without risk of exposure . however , the difficulty in developing radiochemical labelling procedures with representative quantities of na 127 i for na 125 i , was that detection had to be based solely on ultraviolet absorption . comparatively , the use of 400 μci ( approx . 1 . 8 × 10 − 7 mol ) na 125 i would result in an extremely intense peak on a gamma detector , although a very small , if visible , ultraviolet absorbance . recall that the maximal incorporation of iodine into the target molecule is ≦ 50 % of the total ; therefore , in an analogous 400 μci reaction , the maximum product yield is ≦ 9 × 10 − 8 moles . the successful cold labeling of 2 . 2 using cold nai prompted the corresponding radioiododestannylation using na 125 i ( scheme 9 ). the reaction was conducted in a similar fashion to the cold iododestannylation reactions . compound 2 . 2 ( na + salt ) ( 9 × 10 − 4 mol ) was dissolved in 200 μl of methanol with stirring , prior to the addition of na 125 i ( 44 μci ) in approximately 200 μl of 0 . 1 n naoh solution , and 2 μl of fresh peracetic acid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 29 min prior to quenching with sodium metabisulfite ( 100 μl ). a 20 μl aliquot of the crude reaction mixture was injected onto the hplc for analysis . the uv trace revealed only a single peak corresponding to the solvent front , while the radioactivity chromatogram showed several peaks ( fig1 ). the peak at 5 . 3 min is coincident with the solvent front and presumably represents free 125 i . the peak at 17 . 1 min was confirmed to be 2 . 19 through injection of the standard 3 - iodobenzoic acid . however , the identity of the other extraneous peaks , particularly the large peak at 24 . 9 min could not be assigned at the time of the reaction . although the quality of the crude reaction mixture containing 2 . 19 is less than ideal , a simple purification was undertaken to illustrate our capacity to remove any unreacted free 125 i in solution . the aforementioned crude reaction mixture was diluted with 500 μl of water and added to a conditioned c 18 sep - pak . the sep - pak was eluted with 2 ml of distilled deionized water to remove unbound 125 i , followed by elution with 1 ml of methanol . hplc analysis of a 20 μl aliquot of the methanol fraction is shown in fig1 . the chromatogram reveals that essentially all of the radioactive impurities up to 2 . 19 ( t r = 16 . 9 min ) are removed by washing the column with water . further , taking into account dilution , most of 2 . 19 was eluted with the 1 ml of methanol . however , the then unidentified peak at 24 . 5 minutes was still present . the less - than favourable results obtained in the above reaction prompted another reaction with a fresh source of na 125 i . in this reaction , compound 2 . 2 ( na + salt ) ( 1 . 1 × 10 − 6 mol ) was dissolved in 200 μl of methanol with stirring , prior to the addition of na 125 i ( 32 μci ) in approximately 5 μl of 0 . 1 mm naoh solution , followed by 2 μl of a freshly prepared solution of peracetic acid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 47 min , prior to quenching with excess sodium metabisulfite ( 20 μl ) and dilution with 300 μl of distilled - deionized water . a 20 μl aliquot of the crude reaction mixture was injected onto the hplc for analysis . the uv trace revealed only a peak representative of the solvent front , while the radioactivity chromatogram showed a peak with a retention time of 16 . 91 min ( fig1 ). the peak is consistent with the formation of 2 . 19 , confirmed by injection of 3 - iodobenzoic acid , which elutes at 15 . 86 min . the difference in retention times is a result of the time delay between the uv and radiation detectors . the radioactivity chromatogram of the crude reaction mixture illustrates that 2 . 19 was essentially generated in quantitative yield with no significant contribution of unbound / unreacted iodine . the radiochemical purity of crude 2 . 19 was ≧ 90 %. this level of incorporation and purity in a crude iododestannylation reactions is uncommon , especially given the short reaction time . although there is a little evidence for the presence of unbound iodine or radiolabelled salts in the reaction mixture , a short purification was undertaken to indicate that they could in the future be removed from the product . the reaction solution was diluted with approximately 1 . 5 ml of water and passed down a c 18 sep - pak column , conditioned with methanol . the column was further washed with 1 . 5 ml of water , and these fractions combined . the sep - pak was then eluted with 2 ml of acetonitrile and collected into a separate vial . the acetonitrile faction contained 72 % of the activity , and further elution of the column with acetonitrile released only small additional amounts of activity . a total of 4 μci was bound to the sep - pak column , likely the more highly retained and radiolabelled fluorous “ tag ” ( r 3 sn 125 i ). the other activity was found in the water ( 3 μci ), the reaction vessel ( 1 μci ), and in an additional 1 ml washing of the sep - pak with acetonitrile ( 1 μci ). hplc analysis of the fraction containing the majority of the activity displayed a single peak in the radiochromatogram corresponding to 2 . 19 at 16 . 59 minutes . the final radiochemical yield of purified 2 . 19 was 75 % with respect to the total na 125 i activity utilised . yields of this magnitude are uncommon , considering that the maximum theoretical radiochemical yield should be less than or equal to 50 %. the results of hunter et al . are fairly representative of a radioiododestannylation reaction . they observed a 50 . 8 % radiochemical yield of [ 131 i ] mibg ; 44 % of the activity was bound to tin and 5 . 1 % was free 131 i − in solution . 23 given the high radiochemical yield , it became important to quantify the purity of [ 125 i ]- 3 - iodobenzoic acid with regards to any labelled or unlabelled precursor 2 . 2 . as mass spectrometry and 19 f nmr are not feasible for 125 i labelled compounds , we had to rely on hplc analysis . elution of the precursor 2 . 2 on a c 18 analytical column with 100 % acetonitrile generated a uw peak at 6 . 61 minutes . similarly hplc analysis of the sep - pak purified faction exhibited peaks at 3 . 19 - 4 . 17 min , corresponding to the solvent front , and 6 . 38 - 6 . 72 min , likely corresponding to 2 . 2 ( fig1 ). the radioactivity chromatogram showed only a single peak at the solvent front , 4 . 46 min , corresponding to the 2 . 19 . a radioactivity peak corresponding to a labelled fluorous “ tag ” product would be predicted to elute in a similar position to 2 . 2 ; however , this is not seen . this indicates that our previous radiochemical yield of 75 % is accurate , though there appears to be some unreacted 2 . 2 present in this reaction solution . it has previously been established that even large quantities (& gt ; 200 mg ) of the “ fluorous tag ” can readily be removed using a fluorous column and an acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) mobile phase . this system can therefore readily facilitate the removal of the much smaller quantities of substrate ( 1 . 4 mg ) used in this and other typical radioiodination reactions . in order to demonstrate this purification approach , 2 . 19 in acetonitrile was diluted with an equal volume of distilled - deionized water and passed down a conditioned fluorous column . washing the column with an additional 4 μl of acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) liberated all the activity ( 19 μci ). analysis of an aliquot of this solution showed , upon expansion of the chromatogram , a solvent peak at 3 . 055 min and a small peak at 6 . 53 min ( fig1 ). because we have shown that the fluorous sep - pak can remove large quantities of the fluorous “ tag ”, the peak at 6 minutes likely arose through another source . one possibility is that the fluorous column , which had been recycled from another reaction , might not have been adequately cleaned . alternatively , since fluorous material is prone to sticking to the hplc loop , it is possible that accumulated material was released into this injection . a method was developed to prepare tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 - benzoic acid and to label this material with fluorine and iodine . the fluorous approach using both hot and cold f 2 and 12 was effective in generating the desired products . additional experiments are needed to optimise the reactions , particularly with respect to purification protocols . initially , the rationale behind the synthesis of 2 . 2 lied in permitting the facile radiolabelling of peptides / biomolecules through coupling to labelled benzoic acid . the successful synthesis and labelling of 2 . 16 and 2 . 19 encouraged the synthesis of more complex compounds . one such approach that would benefit from , and extend the utility of , compound 2 . 2 would be its conversion to biologically active derivatives . radioiodobenzamides , or n - alkyl - iodobenzamides , constitute a new class of important radiopharmaceuticals . 24 exhibiting a high affinity towards σ 1 and σ 2 receptors , radioiodobenzamides are currently the best known radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma and its metastases . 24 this class of compounds have also been found to bind strongly to dopamine receptors , and are therefore effective imaging agents for diagnosis of parkinson &# 39 ; s and schizophrenia . 25 one of the most clinically relevant compounds is [ 123 i ]— n -( 2 - diethylaminoethyl )- 4 - iodobenzamide ( 123 i - bza ), which possesses ideal properties for melanoma scintigraphy . 26 currently , the most facile route to 123 i - bza involves an isotope exchange reaction ( 123 i for 127 i ). this method affords a carrier - added product resulting in reduced image quality . a more ideal strategy , which would lead to a no - carrier - added product , is radioiododestannylation of a trialkyltin precursor , which has been developed by moreau et al 26 with this in mind , the fluorous synthesis approach would seem suited for synthesis of radiolabelled benzamides and would avoid the need for exhaustive purification . the aim of this project was the synthesis of iodobenzamide , 2 . 20 , through an iododestannylation reaction of a corresponding fluorous “ tagged ” precursor ( 2 . 21 ) ( scheme 10 ). the synthesis of 2 . 20 requires the development of a new coupling methodology . the approach towards the synthesis of 2 . 21 concentrated on adapting traditional peptide synthesis procedures . the success of these reactions was qualified through 1 h - nmr and electrospray mass spectrometry . integration of the ethylene protons ( nch 2 ch 2 n ) with respect to the protons positioned α and β to tin served to quantify the extent of derivatization . initially , carbodiimide activating agents such as diisopropylcarbodiimide ( dic ) and edc were employed ; however , they led to little detectable product formation . it was difficult to determine if the lack of reaction was due to the reagent or the reaction solvent . in most instances , good solvents for the coupling reagents proved to be poor solvents for 2 . 2 , and visa versa . while coupling reactions were promoted in polar aprotic solvents such as acetonitrile and dmf , compound 2 . 2 was generally solvated by only extremely non - polar solvents . solvents such as thf , which solvated both 2 . 2 and dic , did not result in conversion to 2 . 21 . edc had another drawback . edc contains an ammonium salt which proved acidic enough to result in the cleavage of & gt ; 30 % of the tin aryl bonds . successful synthesis of 2 . 21 employed the use of the coupling reagent hbtu ( 2 -( 1h - benzotriazol - 1yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tertramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ) in dmf ( scheme 11 ). hbtu promotes couplings by readily generating an activated intermediate concurrent with the formation of a urea byproduct . this activated complex reacts with amines with the subsequent loss of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( hobt ) ( scheme 12 ). reaction of hbtu and compound 2 . 2 ( na + salt ) was carried out in dmf in the presence of dipea for 5 min , prior to addition of the amine . experiments have shown that this incubation leads to a dramatic improvement in coupling rates and yields . 27 following addition of excess n , n - dimethylethylenediamine in an equivalent of dipea , the reaction was allowed to stir for 16 hours . due to the high solubility of 2 . 21 in dmf , water was added to facilitate extraction of fluorous compounds into dichloromethane and fc - 72 ®. the more organic 2 . 21 could then be selectively extracted into dichloromethane from fc - 72 ®. several more extractions into dichloromethane yielded pure 2 . 21 , while unreacted 2 . 2 remained in fc - 72 ®. compound 2 . 21 , a dark yellow oil , was obtained in satisfactory yield ( 74 %). the substantial difference in r f values between 2 . 21 and 2 . 2 ( 0 ; 0 . 21 ), suggests that chromatographic purification would likely be a more appropriate and higher yielding purification method for the future . the 1 h nmr spectrum of compound 2 . 21 ( fig2 ) revealed a triplet at 1 . 31 ppm with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 8 hz ) and a partially obstructed multiplet at approximately 2 . 33 ppm , corresponding to the protons positioned α and β to the tin respectively . in addition , the 1 h nmr showed a broad singlet at 2 . 31 ppm ( 6h ), a pseudo triplet at 2 . 59 ppm ( 2h ), a pseudo quartet at 3 . 55 ppm ( 2h ), and the expected aromatic peaks from 7 . 39 - 8 . 01 ppm ( 4h ). the 13 c nmr of 2 . 21 showed at low field peaks at − 1 . 43 ppm , 27 . 55 ppm ( 2 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), 37 . 11 ppm , 44 . 87 ppm , and 57 . 75 ppm . the 13 c nmr at higher field had resonances from 104 . 80 ppm to 120 . 03 ppm corresponding to the carbon atoms with attached fluorines and aromatic signals which have yet to be assigned . the ir of compound 2 . 21 showed aromatic stretches at 2900 cm − 1 in addition to the c ═ o absorption at 1650 cm − 1 n — h stretch at 3338 cm − 1 . the mass spectrum of 2 . 21 ( fig2 ) showed , in the positive ion mode , a single peak at m / z = 1353 [ m + h ] + . importantly , the negative ion mass spectrum of the same compound did not show the precursor peak at m / z = 1279 [ m − h ] − . the iododestannylation of compound 2 . 21 and purification of the product 2 . 20 was carried out in a similar manner to that used for compound 2 . 2 ( scheme 13 ). an excess of iodine was added to a small quantity ( 2 . 37 μmol ) of 2 . 21 and the reaction was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature . the reaction solution was quenched with sodium metabisulfite and placed on the rotary evaporator to remove methanol . the vial was washed with 1 ml of acetonitrile : water ( 50 : 50 ) and passed down a conditioned fluorous column . an additional 1 ml was used to rinse the vial and added to the column . the combined fractions were analysed through hplc ( fig2 ) and electrospray mass spectrometry ( fig2 ). the hplc chromatogram for compound 2 . 20 shows three principle peaks eluting at 6 . 6 , 16 . 6 , and 18 . 9 minutes . the earliest peak was assigned as the solvent front , while the later eluting peaks were presumably the protonated and deprotonated states of 2 . 20 , respectively . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 2 . 20 showed a peak at m / z = 319 . 0 [ m + h ] + . the purity of the 2 . 20 was again confirmed , as the negative ion mode showed no peak corresponding at m / z = 247 [ m − h ] − , which would be present had unreacted 2 . 2 existed . the cold fluorination of 2 . 21 was undertaken in a similar manner employed for 2 . 2 . preliminary results from the electrospray mass spectrum reveal the product peak m / z = 211 [ m + h ] + ( fig2 ). the negative ion mode did not reveal any of the possible impurity , 3 - fluorobenzoic acid , at m / z = 139 ( m − h ) − . these initial cold experiments clearly indicate the potential to label 2 . 21 with 18 f [ f 2 ] and na 125 i , following the method used to label 2 . 2 . success would provide a facile route to radiolabelled benzamides for both spect and pet , and thereby increase their clinical utility . the development of a coupling procedure will allow us to prepare a diverse array of benzamides and related compounds for future radiolabelling . with the success attained at producing labelled benzoic acid and derivatives , we sought to expand the fluorous synthesis method to benzylamines and related derivatives . this would provide a complementary nucleophilic derivative to the electrophilic halobenzoic acids . in addition it would expand the potential variety of compounds which could be coupled to the fluorous “ tag ” and then radiolabelled . derivatives of benzylamine have been used to label biomolecules , 28 and are precursors to the synthesis of [ 131 i ] and [ 123 i ] meta - iodobenzylguanidine ( mibg ), 29 which is a valuable but synthetically challenging radiopharmaceutical . there are scarce examples in the literature describing the synthesis and / or labelling of trialkyltin bound benzylamine . vaidyanathan , g et al . synthesised 3 -( tri - n - butylstannyl ) benzylamine in a 30 % yield using n - buli , 3 - bromobenzylamine , and a two - fold excess of tributyltin - chloride . 30 this approach was not considered for the synthesis of 3 . 0 , due to the poor yield obtained and the generation of a large excess of fluorous by - products . rather , a method reported by hunter et al . for the preparation of a polymer bound 3 - benzylamine was adapted for the synthesis of 3 . 0 . 31 hunter &# 39 ; s method utilised the precursor , 3 . 1 , an azadisilolidine protected derivative of 3 - bromobenzylamine . this silicon - based protecting group is stable to n - buli , allowing for the synthesis of the corresponding monolithium salt , 3 . 2 . synthesis of 3 . 1 entailed the reaction of 3 - bromobenzylamine in triethylamine with 1 , 1 , 4 , 4 - tetramethyl - 1 , 4 - dichlorosilethylene at room temperature for 1 . 5 hours ( scheme 14 ). pouring the crude solution into aqueous sodium dihydrogen phosphate , followed by distillation of the crude organic extract , provided the product in moderate yield ( 64 %). the 1 h nmr of compound 3 . 1 revealed three singlets at 0 . 00 ppm ( 12h ), 0 . 78 ppm ( 4h ), and 4 . 06 ppm ( 2h ), in addition to the aromatic peaks appearing at 7 . 20 - 7 . 48 ppm ( 4h ). the 13 c nmr of 3 . 1 had resonances at − 0 . 26 ppm , 8 . 01 ppm , 45 . 59 ppm , 122 . 15 ppm , 126 . 10 ppm , 129 . 35 ppm , 129 . 53 ppm , 130 . 69 ppm , and 146 . 01 ppm . the electron impact mass spectrum of 3 . 1 gave a peak at m / z = 312 . these spectra are consistent with data reported in the literature . 4 , 32 the synthesis of 3 . 3 ( scheme 15 ) involved reaction of 3 . 1 with n - buli in thf at − 78 ° c . for a period of 35 minutes to generate 3 . 2 . compound 2 . 3 in thf was then added to 3 . 2 dropwise . the reaction was kept at − 78 ° c . for 2 hours , where upon fc - 72 ® was added and the mixture stirred for 10 minutes . the reaction was subsequently quenched through the addition of methanol ( 30 ml ). following the addition of methanol , the reaction was extracted with fc - 72 ®, water , and dichloromethane . the fc - 72 ® was removed on the rotary evaporator , providing 3 . 3 in 89 % yield . hydrolysis of 3 . 3 ( scheme 16 ) involved stirring the compound overnight in methanol with sufficient 1 m hcl to give a ph ≈ 3 . the product was extracted into fc - 72 ®, and concentrated to give 3 . 0 as a light yellow oil in 97 % yield . the 1 h nmr of compound 3 . 0 ( fig2 ) showed a triplet at 1 . 31 ppm ( 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 2 hz ), a multiplet at 2 . 31 ppm ( 6h ), a singlet at 3 . 88 ppm , and aromatic peaks from 7 . 22 - 7 . 46 ppm . trace amounts of the silicon protecting group can be seen in the baseline from 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 ppm . the 13 c nmr showed a peak at − 1 . 37 ppm ( 1 j sn , c = 347 hz ), 27 . 94 ppm ( t , 1 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), and 46 . 62 ppm . the multiplets corresponding to carbon atoms bonded to fluorine were seen from 106 . 17 - 121 . 17 ppm , and the peaks associated with the aromatic region have yet to be definitively assigned . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 3 . 0 ( fig2 ) shows a single peak at m / z = 1268 . 5 [ m + h ] + . the ir showed strong absorbances corresponding to c — h stretches at 2850 and 2955 cm − 1 , and for the primary amine at 3354 cm − 1 . these results are all consistent with formation of the desired product . the quantitative conversion of the stannylbromide precursor ( 2 . 3 ) to 3 . 3 proved extremely difficult . early on it was appreciated that the azadisilolidine protected 3 - bromobenzylamine ( 3 . 1 ) was not particularly stable . synthesis and purification of 3 . 1 had to be immediately followed by reaction with n - buli to generate 3 . 2 . if these measures were not taken , incomplete conversion of 2 . 3 would result . hunter and coworkers reported that reaction of 3 . 2 with the chlorostannane polymer for 7 hours at − 78 ° c ., followed by stirring at room temperature for 2 hours , resulted in quantitative functionalization of sn — cl bonds . 4 in contrast with these results , it was found that under similar reaction conditions only 50 - 67 % of sn — br sites were converted to product ( 3 . 3 ). through extensive trials it was appreciated that the product was extremely prone to decomposition if the reaction solution was allowed to warm to room temperature . the complete conversion of 2 . 3 to 3 . 3 , therefore , could only be facilitated if the reaction was kept at − 78 ° c ., prior to immediate extraction into fc - 72 ® and quenching with methanol . iododinolysis of 3 . 0 was carried out in order to further characterise the product bound to the fluorous tag and to ensure its purity ( scheme 17 ). compound 3 . 0 was reacted with an excess of iodine in acetonitrile overnight , followed by quenching with sodium metabisulfite . the solution was diluted with water and passed down a conditioned fluorous column with an acetonitrile : water eluent ( 1 : 1 ). aliquots ( 3 × 5 ml ) were collected and the products characterised using hplc and mass spectrum . the hplc chromatogram ( fig2 ) of the purified solution ( 3 . 4 ) generated two principle peaks at 1 . 78 and 6 . 46 minutes , corresponding to the solvent front and 3 - iodobenzylamine , respectively . an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzylamine under similar elution conditions produced a peak at 6 . 47 minutes . positive ion electrospray ( fig2 ) mass spectrum of the reaction solution produced a single peak at m / z = 233 . 9 [ m + h ] + , with no evidence of the fluorous impurity at approximately m / z & gt ; 1200 . these results are consistent with formation of 3 . 4 . during the past two decades , radioiodinated mibg ( m - iodobenzylguanidine ) has been used extensively in nuclear medicine . 33 it is used primarily for diagnostic scintigraphy and therapy of neural crest tumours such as phaeochromocytoma and neurblastoma . 34 in addition , it is increasingly being used to assess the status of adrenergic nerves in the heart muscle . 6 the most widely employed synthesis method for production of [ 123 i ] or [ 131 i ] mibg involves the cu + catalyzed exchange process . unfortunately , this method yields a low specific activity product ( 50 mci / mg for [ 123 i ]) necessitating an increased dose , which in turn results in poorer quality images . 4 consequently , several routes to a no - carrier - added product have been investigated ; however , none have found widespread application . 35 a fluorous strategy for the synthesis of mibg may ameliorate the aforementioned synthetic limitations . furthermore , if a convenient labelling method were available , there is substantial interest in generating a positron emitting migb - related radiopharmaceutical . for example , zalutsky et al . synthesised meta -[ 18 f ] fluorobenzylguanidine and para -[ 18 f ] fluorobenzylguanidine in three steps with a fluoro for nitro exchange reaction . they reported lower than desirable radiochemical yields of 10 - 15 % ([ 18 f ] mfbg ) and 50 - 55 % [ 18 f ] pfbg , and difficulty removing impurities . 36 the next section describes the development of a fluorous strategy for the preparation of [* 1 ] mibg and [ 18 f ] mfbg . in order to produce tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 - benzylguanidine , 3 . 5 , several synthetic routes were attempted . the first approach , approach a ( scheme 18 ), applied the method developed by wieland et al . for synthesis of 3 . 5 . 37 wieland &# 39 ; s method involves the reaction of m - iodobenzylamine with cyanimide at 100 ° c . for 4 hours . unfortunately , the synthesis of 3 . 5 through various adapted procedures would only yield trace amounts of the product , as indicated by electrospray mass spectrometry . the failure of this reaction method to generate 3 . 5 is likely a result of the precursor 3 . 0 not being protonated . although hydrolysis of the silicon - protecting group to generate 3 . 0 occurred at a ph of 3 , the expected benzylammonium chloride was not formed . the benzylammonium chloride is necessary in order to activate cyanimide to nucleophilic attack ( scheme 19 ). any further attempts at protonating 3 . 0 resulted in protodestannylation . similarly , the addition of catalytic amounts of hcl ( 0 . 05 eq ) resulted in protodestannylation under the reaction conditions ( 54 ° c .). these results mirror the findings of vaidyanathan et al ., who were unable to convert 3 -( tri - n - butylstannyl ) benzylamine to the guanidine . 8 rather , they were forced to synthesize [ 131 ] mibg from r adioiododestannylation of ( trialkylstannyl ) benzylamine , followed by its subsequent reaction with cyanimide . approach b entailed the adaptation of research by jursic et al . for their preparation of n - formamidinylamino acids . 38 here , the reaction of formamidinesulfinic acid [ hn ═ c ( nh 2 ) so 2 h ] with a substituted amino acid ( d , l - phenylalanine ) in aqueous sodium hydroxide leads to the generation of d , l - n - formamidinephenylalanine ( scheme 20 ). application of this approach towards 3 . 5 was found to be most successful when 3 . 0 was stirred with 2 . 0 equivalents of foramidinesulfinic acid in methanol overnight at room temperature . the methanol was removed on the rotary evaporator , prior to a triphasic extraction . the white viscous oil obtained following removal of fc - 72 ® was heated in chloroform and subsequently decanted to remove any unreacted 3 . 0 . the product , a viscous white oil , was obtained in good yield ( 86 %). the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 3 . 5 ( synthesised using foramidinesulfinic acid ) showed a peak at m / z = 1310 . 2 [ m + h ] + , in addition to peaks at m / z = 1325 . 1 and m / z = 1293 . 1 ( fig2 ). the 1 h nmr and 13 c nmr for compound 3 . 5 could not be acquired , as no suitable solvent could be found . compound 3 . 5 was treated with cold i 2 and f 2 , and a similar peak pattern in the elctrospray mass spectrum was found for the cleaved products . the peak associated with the product was typically the most intense , flanked on either side with a peak of +/− 15 mass units . as the resulting peak pattern could not be rationalized , other routes to the synthesis of 3 . 5 were investigated . approach c involved adaptation of the research by mosher et al ., who converted several primary amines to the corresponding guanidines . 39 the conversions were accomplished by reacting aminoimino - methanesulfonic acid with a primary amine for two hours at room temperature to generate the corresponding guanidine in moderate yield ( 22 - 80 %). this method appeared applicable for the synthesis of 3 . 5 , as a free amine could be converted to the guanidine under mild conditions ( ph = 3 . 1 ). aminoiminomethanesulfonic acid ( h 2 n — c (═ nh ) so 3 h ) ( 3 . 7 ) was synthesized in high yield through reaction of foramidinesulfinic acid ( 3 . 6 ) with peracetic acid , following the procedure of mosher ( scheme 21 ). 12 the melting point of compound 3 . 7 was consistent with literature findings of 125 - 126 ° c . 12 compound 3 . 7 was first reacted with m - iodobenzylamine in order to assess the products formed and to obtain a standard sample of mibg ( scheme 22 ). equivalent molar quantities of 3 . 7 and 3 . 8 were combined in methanol and refluxed overnight . the resulting product ( 3 . 9 ) was characterized without further purification . the 1 h nmr showed a singlet at 4 . 22 ppm , and aromatic peaks between 6 . 90 - 7 . 56 ppm . the 13 c nmr showed a peak at 48 . 9 ppm , 99 . 3 ppm , 131 . 6 ppm , 135 . 7 ppm , 141 . 0 ppm , 141 . 9 ppm , 144 . 3 ppm , and 162 . 65 ppm . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum showed a peak at m / z = 276 . 1 [ m + h ] + corresponding to 3 . 9 , and a extremely small peak at m / z = 233 . 9 [ m + h ] + corresponding to 3 . 8 . the hplc analysis of compound 3 . 9 generated only one principle peak at t r = 24 . 54 minutes ( 86 % of total peak area ). this data is consistent with literature reports , and confirms formation of the desired product . 40 the synthesis of compound 3 . 9 using 3 . 7 prompted the application of this procedure toward the synthesis of 3 . 5 ( scheme 23 , approach c ). compound 3 . 0 was combined with 1 . 1 equivalents of 3 . 7 in methanol and refluxed overnight . incomplete conversion occurred if the reaction was carried out at room temperature as suggested by mosher et al . 12 extraction of the crude reaction mixture into fc - 72 ® from methanol generated the product as a milky white oil in acceptable yield ( 88 %). positive ion electrospray mass spectrometry ( fig3 ) showed a single peak at m / z = 1309 . 9 [ m + h ] + , which is consistent with the formation of 3 . 5 . the electrospray spectrum did not show any peaks that were associated with the precursor ( 3 . 0 ), which had a m / z value of 1268 , nor the peaks corresponding to m / z +/− 15 , which had been seen using approach b . currently , resolved 1 h nmr and 13 c nmr spectra for compound 3 . 5 have not yet been obtained , a result of the compounds poor solubility . the cold iodination of 3 . 5 was undertaken in order to assess the products and reaction conditions for eventual use of na 125 , ( scheme 24 ). a sample of 3 . 5 ( 3 . 90 μmol ), synthesised through approach c , was dissolved in methanol . to the stirring solution was added nai ( 4 . 6 × 10 − 7 mmol ), which was followed promptly by addition of the peracetic acid oxidant . the reaction was stirred for 2 hours and then quenched with 100 μl of a 10 % sodium metabisulfite solution . purification of the dilute reaction solution was not attempted , though it has been established that fluorous material can easily be removed from the cleavage products . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 3 . 10 revealed a peak at m / z = 275 . 9 [ m + h ] + which is consistent with the product ( fig3 ). hplc a 100 μl aliquot of compound 3 . 10 showed peaks with retention times of 7 . 2 , 14 . 7 , and 24 . 9 minutes ( fig3 ). the peaks eluting at 7 minutes and 24 . 9 minutes were assigned to the solvent front and product 3 . 10 , respectively . the standard preparation of mibg eluted with a similar retention time of 24 . 5 minutes . the peak at 14 . 7 minutes accounted for & lt ; 1 % of total migb and the nature of the compound giving rise to the peak remains unknown . the encouraging results for the iodine labelling of 3 . 5 prompted us to investigate the possibility of synthesising m - fluorobenzylguanidine ( mfbg ). the fluorodestannylation reaction for the synthesis of mfbg ( 3 . 11 ) is shown in scheme 25 . the cold fluorination reaction of compound 3 . 5 proceeded in a manner analogous to those of previous reactions ( 3 - fluorobenzoic acid and 3 - fluorobenzamide ). to an fep tube containing 3 . 5 dissolved in fc - 72 ® at − 93 ° c . was bubbled approximately 0 . 7 equivalents of f 2 ( 0 . 6 % in ne ). following the reaction , the fc - 72 ® from the reaction along with methanol used to rinse the vessel were removed on rotary evaporator , prior to diluting with acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) and eluting down a conditioned fluorous column . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum for compound 3 . 11 showed a single peak at m / z = 168 . 0 [ m + h ] + ( fig3 ). the mass spectrum showed no evidence of any fluorous impurity at m / z = 1000 or evidence of 3 - fluorobenzylamine at m / z = 126 [ m + h ] + . the hplc chromatogram of compound 3 . 11 contains peaks at the solvent front ( t r = 2 - 6 min .) and peaks eluting at 25 . 3 min ., 30 . 3 min ., and 35 . 0 minutes ( fig3 ). there are no peaks corresponding to 3 - fluorobenzylamine which has a retention time of 15 . 8 minutes under these elution conditions . the elution conditions are the same as those used for mibg , and it is therefore surprising that the principle peak ( 61 +%) eluting at 35 minutes is more highly retained than mibg . the longer retention time might suggest a di - fluorinated or a bi - guanidinium species ; however , peaks corresponding to these products are not found in the electrospray mass spectrum . unfortunately , at the time of these experiments , an authentic standard of mfbg was not available to better interpret these results . the 19 f nmr of compound 3 . 11 shows three peaks ( fig3 ). the two principle peaks are centred at − 109 . 5 ppm and − 110 . 3 ppm , with 3 j h , f coupling of 9 . 2 hz and 8 . 7 hz respectively . these peak positions and coupling constants are consistent with a meta or para - fluorinated aryl compound . the smaller coupling constants initially suggest that a 1 . 2 or 1 . 4 difluorinated species is not present . the varying peak positions , rather than being attributed to isomers , could be the results of varying protonation states , which has been shown to markedly affect fluorine shifts . 41 the poor resolution of the spectrum can be attributed to the dilute sample , obtained without further concentrating the eluent . concentration of the sample on the lyophilizer was avoided as it appeared this resulted in loss of product on several occasions . as mentioned in chapter 2 , short peptide sequences have been used to target radionuclides to specific receptors . for receptor specific agents of this type , it is important that all unreacted material is separated from the radiopharmaceutical . it would be advantageous therefore to develop the fluorous approach for labelling peptides . in this chapter preliminary steps towards these goals were taken . in particular , a method of coupling the carboxylic acid terminus of a model oligopeptide to the fluorous “ tagged ” benzylamine was developed . the chemotactic peptide n - formyl - met - leu - phe - gly , 3 . 12 is a bacterial product which binds to polymorphonuclear leucocytes and mononuclear macrophages . fischman et al . have shown that radiolabelled derivatives of this peptide are effective for imaging sites of abscesses and inflammation . 42 the severe toxicity of chemotactic peptides in higher doses has hampered their clinical application ; consequently it is essential that any unlabelled material be removed . the coupling strategy developed for the synthesis of fluorous “ tagged ” benzamide should be applicable to the current objective . in this case , however , the peptides carboxylic acid terminus will be activated ( hbtu ) for nucleophilic attack by benzylamine ( 3 . 0 ). synthesis of compound 3 . 13 ( scheme 26 ) entailed combining 3 . 0 and 3 . 12 in dmf , followed by addition of the acylating reagent ( hbtu ) and base . the reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight , diluted with water , and extracted into fc - 72 ®. the fc - 72 ® layer was found to contain only a small quantity of product 3 . 13 along with unreacted 3 . 0 , as determined by electrospray mass spectrometry . the majority of 3 . 13 was in fact partitioned between fc - 72 ® and dmf / h 2 o . evidently , the polar nature of the peptide is significant enough to make the product no longer completely soluble in the fluorous solvent , while the fluorous “ tag ” prevents the peptide from dissolving in the h 2 o phase . this result is somewhat favourable , as it permits facile purification of the fluorophobic product ( 3 . 13 ) from any unreacted fluorophilic precursor ( 3 . 0 ) by collecting the interfacial emulsion . isolating the resulting white emulsion was followed by re - extraction from fc - 72 ® to remove any unreacted 3 . 0 . the yield ( 33 %) of the resulting thick , gummy , white solid was compromised so as to ensure the isolation of a pure sample . fig3 shows the positive ion electrospraymass spectrum of compound 3 . 13 . the peak pattern is characteristic of the product with m / z = 1744 [ m + h ] + , m / z = 1761 [ m + nh 4 ] + , and m / z = 1766 [ m + na ] + . the spectrum revealed no peak at m / z = 1268 corresponding to the precursor 3 . 0 . in order to characterize the fluorous “ tagged ” compound ( 3 . 13 ) further , it was cleaved through an iodinolysis reaction ( scheme 27 ). a purified sample of 3 . 13 was reacted with excess iodine in methanol and chloroform overnight . the excess iodine was quenched with sodium metabisulfite and the solution was concentrated on the rotary evaporator . the resulting residue was diluted with acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) and characterised using electrospray ( fig3 ) and hplc ( fig3 ). the positive ion mass spectrum of compound 3 . 14 reveals peaks corresponding to the desired product at m / z = 710 [ m + h ] + , m / z = 727 [ m + nh 4 ] + , and m / z = 732 [ m + na ] + . there is no peak corresponding to the possible impurity , 3 - iodobenzylamine , at m / z = 234 . the hplc chromatogram of compound 3 . 14 shows two sizeable peaks with retention times of 3 . 3 minutes and 19 . 4 minutes , presumably the solvent front and product respectively . the hplc chromatogram of the gflm ( f ) under the same elution conditions has a t r = 13 . 6 and 14 . 8 minutes , while an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid has a t r = 6 . 5 minutes . the chromatogram of 3 . 14 therefore seems to confirm product formation , with a longer retention time compared to gflm ( f ) and no indication of the impurity at t r = 6 . 5 minutes . the synthesis of tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 - benzylamine ( 3 . 0 ) should facilitate the synthesis and labelling of a wider array of biomolecules . initial results appear to confirm the successful synthesis of mibg ( 3 . 10 ) and mfbg ( 3 . 11 ) through the corresponding fluorous “ tagged ” precursor ( 3 . 5 ). further detailed characterisation of the precursor and products is required however , including expanding the labelling experiments to include [ 18 f ] f 2 and na 125 i . the synthesis of fluorous “ tagged ” peptides through compound 3 . 0 , has also been shown using standard coupling methodology . the differences in solubility allow for purification of the peptide coupled product ( 3 . 13 ) from any unreacted fluorous substrate by simple extraction . this coupling protocol should permit for a wide array of short peptides to be coupled to the fluorous support in the future . the preliminary labelling of 3 . 13 with iodine will have to be expanded to [ 18 f ] f 2 and na 125 i in the future . the techniques presented herein can be used as a novel means of preparing radiopharmaceuticals . it allows for the facile synthesis of labelled compounds , without the need for extensive purification , in high radiochemical and chemical yields and in high specific activities . this is particularly important for receptor targeted radioimaging and therapy agents . this approach can also be used in pharmaceutical and radiopharmaceutical discovery research . there are numerous advantages of the reported technology compared to traditional and resin - based labelling methods . the aforementioned techniques can be used to prepare radiolabelled compounds more efficiently , safely and more conveniently than traditional radiolabelling techniques . the approach can be adapted for a wide variety of isotopes including 99m tc , 94m tc , 186 re , 105 rh , 18 f , 11 c , 125 i , 123 i , 131 i , 76 br , and 111 at and is easily automatable . the fluorous - tagged compounds are readily soluble in per - fluorinated solvents . these solvents are particularly useful for carrying out labelling reactions because they are stable to reactive compounds like 18 f - 19 f ( i . e . f 2 ). furthermore , gases , such as 11 co 2 and 11 co , are highly soluble in perfluorinated solvents , which will lead to an increase in product yields compared to reactions carried out in conventional solvents . for example , it is possible to prepare carbon - 11 labelled benzophenone from a fluorous tin substrate as shown in scheme 28 . the reaction was complete in less than five minutes generating labelled benzophenone as the major product . this approach will be particularly applicable to drug development research where pet is being used to perform biodistribution studies . the use of fluorous supports broadens the number of compounds that can be labelled compared to the approach using insoluble polymer supports . conventional synthetic methods can be used to attach compounds to the fluorous supports without the need for forceful reaction conditions . impurities can be removed ( unlike polymer supported methods ) using standard chemical techniques . furthermore , fluorous - labelled substrates can be readily characterized using traditional methods , which is important when getting compounds and / or techniques approved for medical use . the reported approach can also be used to develop libraries of radiopharmaceuticals , which will facilitate the rate and efficiency with which new imaging agents are discovered . the invention now being generally described , it will be more readily understood by reference to the following examples , which are included merely for purposes of illustration of certain aspects and embodiments of the present invention , and are not intended to limit the invention . analytical tlc was performed on silica gel 60 - f 254 ( merck ) with detection by long wavelength ultraviolet light . hplc experiments ( cold ) utilized a varian prostar hplc system with a pda detector and c - 8 or c - 18 reverse phase column ( where mentioned ). hplc analysis of fluorine - 18 labeled 3 - fluorobenzoic acid employed a waters 490e programmable multiwavelength detector and a beckman radioisotope detector ( model 170 ). gradient or isocratic elution was performed as indicated with acetonitrile and distilled - deionized water as the mobile phase ( buffered / acidified where indicated ). 1 h , 13 c and 19 f nmr spectra were recorded on the bruker avance ac - 200 or drx - 500 spectrometers . the x - ray structure was collected using mo kα radiation on a siemens rotating anode instrument fitted with a ccd detector . electrospray mass spectrometry ( esms ) were performed on a fisons platform quadrupole instrument . chemical ionisation mass spectra ( cims ) were measured at 70 ev with a source temperature of 200 ° c . on a vg instruments analytical zab - e mass spectrometer equipped with a vg11 - 250 data system . ir spectra were run on a bio - radfts - 40ft ftir spectrometer . melting points were determined using a fisher - john melting point apparatus . fluorine - 18 labelled f 2 was produced by the 18 o ( p , n ) 18 f nuclear reaction using a siemens rds 112 proton cyclotron operating at 11 mev by the “ double shoot ” method . 18 all commercial reagents were used as supplied with the following exceptions : thf was distilled from sodium and benzophenone ; toluene was distilled from calcium hydride . enriched [ 18 o ] o 2 ( 18 o , 95 . 87 at %, eurisotope , st . aubin , france ), neon ( 99 . 999 %, air products ), 1 % f 2 in neon ( canadian liquid air ), hplc grade solvents ( calcdon ), reagent grade fc - 72 ® ( 3m corporation ), and perfluorooctyliodide , phenyltintrichloride , 3 -( ethoxycarbonyl ) phenylzin solution , and benzotrifluoride were all purchased from aldrich . tris [( 2 - perfluorohexyl ) ethyl ] phenyltin ( 2 . 4 ). the procedure developed by masahide et al . was followed . 43 to magnesium turnings 2 . 308 g ( 94 . 9 mmol ) was added 22 . 501 g ( 47 . 5 mmol ) of perfluorooctyliodide in 10 ml of dry ether . the reaction mixture was stirred at reflux for 25 min and then 1 . 95 ml ( 11 . 9 mmol ) phenyltintrichloride was added in 20 ml of dry toluene . the reaction was stirred at 70 ° c . for 4 h and then at room temperature overnight . the reaction mixture was quenched with a 40 ml of ammonium chloride solution , and washed with three 200 ml portions of a 5 % sodium thiolsulfate solution . the combined aqueous layers were additionally extracted with three 100 ml portions of diethylether . the combined organic fractions were then dried ( mgso 4 ) and concentrated under reduced pressure . vacuum distillation removed the homocoupled impurity at 82 ° c . (≈ 0 . 2 mm hg ) and the residue was purified by flash chromatography on neutral alumina . elution with hexane gave 2 . 4 as a colorless oil : yield 11 . 031 g ( 75 %). tlc r f 0 . 89 ( 6 : 1 hexanes - diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 23 ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 51 . 7 hz ), 2 . 24 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 33 ( s , 5h ). 13 c nmr ( 50 . 3 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ − 1 . 49 , 27 . 74 ( t , 3 j f , c = 23 . 5 hz ), 129 . 06 , 129 . 65 , 136 . 08 . ms ( esms ), ( ipa , 2 mm nh 4 oac ): m / z 1297 . 0 [ m + oa − h ] − , m / z = 1283 . 0 [ m + oac − ch 3 ] − . ir ( thin film ): 2962 , 2928 , 2875 , 2862 , 1241 , 1146 , 497 cm − 1 . bromotris [( 2 - perfluorohexyl ) ethyl ] tin ( 2 . 3 ). to a solution containing 15 . 860 g ( 12 . 8 mmol ) of 2 . 4 in 20 ml of diethylether at 0 ° c . was added slowly a solution containing 670 μl ( 13 mmol ) of bromine in 20 ml of diethylether . the reaction solution was stirred at 0 ° c . for 2 h and then at room temperature overnight . the reaction solution was concentrated under diminished pressure . vacuum distillation at 162 ° c . (≈ 0 . 2 mmhg ) gave 2 . 3 as a colorless oil : yield 15 . 487 g ( 97 %). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 57 ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 1 hz ), 2 . 46 ( m , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 126 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 6 . 11 with sn satellites ( 1 j sn , c = 374 hz ), 27 . 60 ( t , 3 j f , c = 22 . 9 hz ), 108 . 86 - 120 . 71 ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ). ms ( esms , ipa 2 mm nh 4 oac ): m / z 1279 . 5 [ m + oac ] − . ir ( thin film ): 3472 , 3417 , 2949 , 1442 , 1146 cm − 1 . synthesis of tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 4 - bromobenzene ( 2 . 8 ). the procedure was adapted from that used by lequan et al . 44 to 37 mg ( 1 . 52 mmol ) of magnesium turnings was slowly added a solution containing 390 mg ( 1 . 66 mmol ) p - dibromobenzene in 8 ml of thf . the reaction mixture was refluxed for 2 h at which time a solution containing 820 mg ( 0 . 662 mmol ) of 2 . 3 in 6 ml of thf was added . the reaction solution was stirred overnight and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was extracted with three ( 3 ml ) portions of fc - 72 ® from dichloromethane and water . the combined fc - 72 ® layers were extracted again from dichloromethane and then concentrated under reduced pressure to give 2 . 8 as a clear colourless oil : yield 0 . 538 mmol ( 81 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 30 ( t , 6h ), 2 . 30 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 24 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 56 ppm ( d , 2h ). ms ( esms ): m / z 1375 . 0 [ m + oac ] + , and 1297 . 1 [ m + oac − br ] + . 4 - bromobenzyloxazoline ( 2 . 9 ). the procedure was adapted from that used by hughes , a . et al . 45 a mixture of 4 . 00 g ( 19 . 9 mmol ) in 7 . 0 ml ( 96 mmol ) thionyl chloride was refluxed for 2 h prior to concentration under reduced pressure . to the product dissolved in 10 ml of dichloromethane at 0 ° c . was slowly added 3 . 8 ml ( 40 mmol ) of 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol in 10 ml of dichloromethane . the reaction solution was allowed to warm gradually overnight , filtered , and extracted from two 10 ml portions of water and dried over mgso 4 . the solution was concentrated under reduced pressure and to 4 . 850 g ( 17 . 82 mmol ) of the solid was added 6 ml ( 80 mmol ) of thionyl chloride . the reaction mixture was stirred for 45 min followed by addition of a large volume of diethylether to precipitate a white solid . the solid was filtered and extracted into diethylether from 3 n naoh , and washed with an additional three 10 ml portions of 3 n naoh . the combined organic layer was dried over mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure to give 2 . 9 as a clear solid : yield 4 . 810 g ( 95 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 42 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 17 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 56 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 87 ( d , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( 50 . 3 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 28 . 26 , 67 . 58 , 79 . 32 , 125 . 99 , 126 . 68 , 129 . 80 , 131 . 53 , 161 . 48 . mass spectra ( ei ): m / z 254 . synthesis of tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - benzyloxazoline ( 2 . 10 ). the procedure was adapted from that used by milius et al . 46 to 215 mg ( 8 . 83 mmol ) of magnesium turning was slowly added a solution containing 1 . 122 g ( 4 . 415 mmol ) of 2 . 9 in 18 ml of thf . to the stirring mixture was added 1 , 2 - dibromoethane ( 20 drops ) and allowed to reflux for 1 h . this solution was added to a solution containing 547 mg ( 4 . 415 mmol ) of 2 . 3 in 3 ml of fc - 72 ® and 14 ml of benzotrifluoride . the reaction solution was stirred overnight at room temperature , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was extracted with three ( 3 ml ) portions of fc - 72 ® from dichloromethane and water . the combined fc - 72 ® layers were re - extracted with dichloromethane and concentrated under reduced pressure to give 2 . 10 as a clear colorless oil : yield 528 mg ( 90 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 32 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 40 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 30 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 14 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 44 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 7 . 97 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ). 13 c nmr ( 50 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ − 1 . 25 , 27 . 68 ( t , 3 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), 28 . 47 , 67 . 71 , 79 . 46 , 128 . 36 , 135 . 97 . ms ( esms ): m / z 1394 . 2 [ m + oac ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - ethylbenzoate ( 2 . 14 ). to a solution containing 8 . 523 g ( 6 . 879 mmol ) of 2 . 3 in 10 ml of thf at 0 ° c . was slowly added 41 . 2 ml ( 20 . 6 mmol ) of a 0 . 5 m 3 -( ethoxycarbonyl ) phenylzinc solution in thf . the solution was warmed to room temperature over 2 h and stirred overnight at r . t . the reaction solution was concentrated under diminished pressure . the residue was extracted with four 5 ml portions of fc - 72 ® from 20 ml of methanol . the combined fc - 72 ® layers were concentrated under reduced pressure and dried under high vacuum to give 2 . 14 as a colorless oil : yield 8 . 903 g ( 98 . 9 %). tlc r f 0 . 58 ( 6 : 1 hexane : diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 35 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 39 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 33 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 39 ( q , 2h , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 7 . 49 ( t , 1h , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 7 . 57 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 8 . 05 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 07 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 50 . 3 mhz , cdcl 3 ): − 1 . 12 , 14 . 20 , 27 . 87 ( t , 1 j f , c = 23 . 3 hz ), 61 . 17 , 108 . 92 - 118 . 84 ppm ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ), 128 . 90 , 129 . 54 , 130 . 79 , 131 . 13 , 131 . 84 , 136 . 06 , 136 . 97 , 137 . 34 , 140 . 30 , 143 . 46 , 166 . 67 . ms ( esms , epa 2 mm nh 4 oac ): m / z 1369 . 5 [ m + oac ] − , m / z = 1279 . 4 [ m − oet ] − . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzoic acid ( 2 . 2 ). a mixture of 8 . 903 g ( 6 . 801 mmol ) of 2 . 14 and 34 ml of 1n naoh in 34 ml of methanol was refluxed for 24 h . methanol was removed under diminished pressure and the residue was extracted with four 5 ml portions of fc - 72 ®. the combined fc - 72 ® layers were then extracted twice from 20 ml of dichloromethane and 10 ml of 1n hcl . the combined fc - 72 ® layers were concentrated under diminished pressure to give 2 . 2 as a colourless oil : yield 8 . 584 g ( 98 %). after several days 2 . 2 crystallised as a white solid . dissolving approximately 100 mg of 2 . 2 in 1 ml of pentane followed by slow evaporation over one week gave 2 . 2 as colourless needles . tlc r f 0 . 21 ( 6 : 1 hexane - diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 34 ppm ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2j sn , h = 53 . 4 hz ), 2 . 31 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 51 ( t , 1h , j = 7 . 7 hz ), 7 . 62 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 8 . 11 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 12 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 126 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ − 1 . 53 - 1 . 06 , 27 . 42 ( t , 1 j f , c = 24 . 40 hz ), 108 . 49 - 118 . 51 ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ), 128 . 66 , 129 . 02 , 129 . 73 , 130 . 01 , 130 . 39 , 131 . 08 , 131 . 34 , 134 . 00 , 135 . 906 , 136 . 16 , 137 . 53 , 141 . 00 , 141 . 23 , 172 . 61 , 172 . 04 . ms ( esms , ipa ): m / z 1279 . 1 [ m − h ] − . ir ( thin film ): 3410 , 2981 , 2950 , 1631 , 1610 , 1593 cm − 1 . general procedure : 3 - fluorobenzoic acid from f 2 reaction ( 2 . 15 ). to 0 . 191 g ( 0 . 149 mmol ) of 2 . 2 in 1 ml of fc - 72 ® at − 85 ° c . in a fep tube was bubbled 118 μmol of 0 . 5 % f 2 in ne . the f 2 was steadily released into the solution over 35 min . the reaction solution along with three 3 ml portions of methanol used to rinse the vessel were concentrated in a large vial . the residue was washed with three 3 ml portions of 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water and eluted down a conditioned fluorous reverse phase column ( 1 g ) to give 2 . 15 . yield 28 . 2 μmol ( 24 %). hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 8 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 4 . 22 min . consistent with the standard was produced when flow rate = 1 ml / min , eluent : 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % tfa ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % tfa ), λ = 280 nm . 19 f nmr ( 188 . 16 mhz , meoh : chcl 3 ): δ − 112 . 00 ( d , 3 j f , h = 5 . 65 hz ). ms [ esms , 1 : 1 ipa :( acn : h 2 o )]: m / z 139 . 1 [ m − h ] − . general procedure : [ 18 f ] 3 - fluorobenzoic acid ( 2 . 16 ). to 0 . 124 g ( 97 . 2 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 1 ml fc - 72 ® at − 85 ° c . in a fep tube was bubbled [ 18 f ] f 2 ( 15 - 20 μmol ) in ne over 10 min . the reaction solution and two 2 ml portions of methanol used to rinse the vessel were combined and evaporated on a hot water bath under a stream of n 2 . the residue was rinsed with three 3 ml portions of 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water and eluted down a fluorous reverse phase column ( 1 g ). hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 8 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 4 . 18 min , consistent with the standard , was produced when flow rate = 1 ml / min , eluent : 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % tfa ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % tfa ), λ = 280 nm . the chromatogram using a γ detector produced a single peak with a retention time of 4 . 99 min , which is consistent with the delay times between instruments . 19 f nmr ( 188 . 16 mhz , ch 3 cn : h 2 o ): δ − 110 . 10 ( d , 3 j f , h = 7 . 24 hz ). ms [ esms , 1 : 1 ipa :( acn : h 2 o )]: m / z 139 . 0 [ m − h ] − . 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( 12 reaction ) ( 2 . 17 ). to a mixture containing 0 . 127 g ( 99 . 1 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 2 ml acetonitrile was added 1 ml ( 0 . 1 mmol ) iodine in methanol . the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 hr and then quenched with a crystal of sodium metabisulfite . the reaction was diluted with 2 . 5 ml of distilled deionized water and the total volume added to a fluorous column ( 3 . 9 g ), pre - conditioned with 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water . the column was eluted with 25 ml of 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water to give 2 . 17 in solution . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 8 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 9 . 90 minutes , which is consistent with a standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid , was observed when the flow rate = 1 ml / min , eluent : 80 % water ( 0 . 1 % hfba ): 20 % acetonitrile , λ = 254 μm ). alternatively , varying elution conditions to a flow rate = 1 ml / min : 80 % water ( ph = 7 . 4 ): 20 % acetonitrile , λ = 254 nm resulted in elution of 2 . 17 at 2 . 9 minutes , also consistent with the authentic standard . ms ( esms ), m / z 246 . 9 [ m − h ] + . 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( na 127 i reaction ) ( 2 . 18 ). to a solution containing 5 . 4 mg ( 4 . 15 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 200 μl of methanol was added 4 μl ( 0 . 184 nmol ) nai in 0 . 1 n naoh , followed by 2 μl of peracetic acid ( 32 % in acetic acid ). the reaction was quenched at 2 h with 100 μl of a 10 % sodium metabisulfite solution and diluted to 1 ml with distilled deionized water . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase nucleosil column . hplc analysis of a 100 μl aliquot gave a retention of 10 . 2 minutes , analogous to an authentic standard ( flow rate = 1 ml / min : 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ), λ = 254 nm ). [ 125 ] 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( na 125 i reaction ) ( 2 . 19 — no impurities ). to a solution containing 1 . 4 mg ( 1 . 07 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 200 μl of methanol was added 5 μl ( 32 μci ) na 125 i in 0 . 01 n naoh , followed by 2 μl of peracetic acid ( 32 % in acetic acid ). the reaction was stirred for 47 min followed by quenching with 20 μl of a 10 % solution of sodium metabisulfite and dilution with 300 μl of distilled - deionized water . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase nucleosil column . hplc analysis of a 20 μl aliquot gave a retention time of 16 . 91 min on the chromatogram using the γ detector . there was no visible uv absorbance other than the solvent front . the retention time was consistent with an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( flow rate = 0 . 5 ml / min , 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ), λ = 254 nm ). the solution was diluted with 1 ml of distilled deionized water and eluted through a waters c 18 sep - pak previously conditioned with water . the column was eluted with an additional 1 . 5 ml of distilled deionized water and the combined fractions showed an activity of 3 μci . the column was then washed with 2 ml of hplc grade acetonitrile and released 23 μci of activity . an additional washing of the column with 1 ml of acetonitrile resulted in only 1 μci of activity being released . the remaining activity was found in the sep - pak ( 4 μci ) and original reaction vessel ( 1 μci ). hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase nucleosil column . hplc analysis of a 20 μl aliquot gave a retention of 16 . 586 min on the γ detector and no visible uv peak . the retention time was consistent with an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( flow rate = 0 . 5 ml / min : 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ), λ = 254 nm ). modification of the elution conditions to a flow rate = 1 ml / min : 100 % acetonitrile , and λ = 254 nm resulted in a peak at 4 . 458 min on the γ detector and two peaks at 6 . 379 min and 6 . 720 m in on the u v chromatogram . these two peaks have a similar retention time as 2 . 2 , 6 . 613 min , under similar elution conditions . the acetonitrile solution ( approx . 2 ml ) was diluted with 2 ml of distilled deionized water and passed down a fluorous technologies ® sep - pak . a total of 9 μci was released in the eluting volume . washing the column with an additional 4 ml of ( 1 : 1 ) acetonitrile : water yielded a total 19 μci when combined with the previous fraction . no additional activity was found in either the fluorous sep - pak or previous vial . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase nucleosil column . hplc analysis of a 20 μl aliquot gave a small peak at 6 . 532 min v chromatogram ( flow rate = 1 . 0 ml / min : 100 % acetonitrile , and λ = 254 nm ). tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzamide ( 2 . 21 ). to a reaction solution containing 294 mg ( 226 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 2 . 5 ml of dmf was added 0 . 130 g ( 344 μmol ) of hbtu , followed by 90 μl ( 517 μmol ) diisopropylethylamine ( dipea ). the reaction solution was stirred for 5 min prior to addition of 251 μl ( 2 . 29 mmol ) of n , n - dimethylethylenediamine and 400 μl ( 2 . 30 mmol ) of dipea . the reaction solution was then stirred for 16 h . the solution was diluted with 20 ml of water and extracted into 50 ml of dichloromethane and 10 ml of fc - 72 ®. the fc - 72 ® layer was re - extracted with three additional 10 ml portions of dichloromethane . the combined organic layers were re - extracted with 20 ml of water prior to concentration under reduced pressure to give 2 . 21 as a dark orange oil : yield 227 mg ( 74 %). tlc r f 0 . 00 ( 6 : 1 hexane - diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 31 ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 8 hz ), 2 . 31 ( 6h ), 2 . 33 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 59 ( dt , 2h ), 3 . 55 ( q , 2h ), 7 . 14 - 7 . 90 ( m , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 50 . 3 mhz ): δ − 1 . 43 , 27 . 55 ( t , 3 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), 37 . 11 , 44 . 87 , 57 . 75 , 104 . 80 - 120 . 03 ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ), 127 . 04 , 127 . 71 , 128 . 66 , 134 . 70 , 134 . 82 , 136 . 01 , 137 . 53 , 138 . 69 , 167 . 16 , 167 . 41 . ir ( thin film ): 3338 , 2950 , 2831 , 1650 cm − 1 . ms ( esms ), m / z 1353 . 0 [ m + h ] + . 3 - iodobenzamide ( 12 reaction of 2 . 21 ) ( 2 . 20 ). to a solution containing 3 . 2 mg ( 2 . 37 μmol ) of 2 . 21 in 200 μl methanol was added 30 μl ( 3 . 0 μmol ) of 0 . 1 m iodine . the reaction solution was stirred for 1 h prior to quenching with 100 μl of a 10 % solution of sodium metabisulfite . the solution was diluted with 700 μl of distilled - deionized water and analysed on a nucleosil c 18 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 16 . 6 min and 18 . 9 min was observed ( flow rate = 2 ml / min , 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn , and λ = 254 nm ). ms ( esms ), m / z 319 [ m + h ] + . 3 - fluorobenzamide ( f 2 reaction of 2 . 21 ). to 180 mg ( 133 μmol ) of 2 . 21 in 1 ml of fc - 72 ® at − 90 ° c . in a fep tube was bubbled 131 μmol of 0 . 5 % f 2 in ne . the f 2 was steadily released into the solution over 25 min . the reaction solution along with two 3 ml portions of fc - 72 ® used to rinse the vessel were concentrated in a large vial . the residue was washed with three 3 ml portions of acetonitrile and eluted down a conditioned fluorous reversed - phase column ( 1 g ). ms ( esms ), m / z 211 . 1 [ m + h ] + , 193 . 1 [ m − f + h ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzylamine ( 3 . 0 ). a mixture containing 3 . 990 g ( 2 . 84 mmol ) of 3 . 3 in 125 ml of 9 : 1 methanol : water with sufficient 0 . 5 n hcl to give a ph = 3 . 07 was stirred overnight . to the reaction mixture was added 20 ml 1 n naoh solution , which was followed by removal of methanol under reduced pressure . the reaction mixture was subsequently extracted with four ( 3 ml ) portions of fc - 72 ®. the fc - 72 ® layers were combined and re - extracted from 5 ml of dichloromethane . the solvent was concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3 . 0 as a light yellow oil : yield 3 . 482 g ( 97 %). tlc r f 0 . 22 ( 6 : 1 hexane - diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 31 ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 2 hz ), 2 . 31 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 46 ( m , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( 126 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ − 1 . 37 with sn satellites ( 1 j sn , c = 347 hz ), 27 . 94 ( t , 1 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), 46 . 62 , 106 . 17 - 121 . 17 ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ), 128 . 63 , 129 . 19 , 129 . 72 , 134 . 60 , 134 . 90 , 135 . 56 , 135 . 66 , 136 . 96 , 138 . 42 , 140 . 08 , 143 . 89 , 162 . 09 . ir ( thin film ), 3386 , 2944 , 2870 , 1647 , 1250 cm − 1 . ms ( esms , ipa ): m / z 1268 . 5 [ m + h ] + . 1 -( 3 - bromobenzyl )- 2 , 2 , 5 , 5 - tetramethyl - 1 , 2 , 5 - azadisilolidine ( 3 . 1 ). the procedure developed by magnus et al . was followed . 5 to a solution containing 2 . 228 g ( 11 . 98 mmol ) of 3 - bromobenzylamine in 10 ml of dichloromethane was added 3 . 4 ml ( 24 mmol ) of triethylamine . the solution was stirred for 30 min and then treated with a solution containing 2 . 579 g ( 11 . 98 mmol ) of 1 , 1 , 4 , 4 - tetramethyl - 1 , 4 - dichlorosilethylene in 5 ml of dichloromethane . the reaction mixture was stirred for 3 h and then poured into 100 ml of saturated sodium dihydrogen phosphate . the reaction mixture was extracted with three 50 ml portions of dichloromethane , then dried ( mgso 4 ), and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was distilled at 160 ° c . to give 3 . 1 as a clear colourless oil : yield 2 . 510 g ( 64 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , acetone - d 6 ): δ 0 . 00 ( s , 12h ), 0 . 78 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 06 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 20 - 7 . 48 ( m , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( 50 . 3 mhz , acetone - d6 ): δ − 0 . 26 , 8 . 01 , 45 . 59 , 122 . 15 , 126 . 10 , 129 . 35 , 129 . 53 , 130 . 69 , 146 . 01 . ir ( thin film ): 3388 , 2953 , 1666 , 1251 , and 1132 cm − 1 . ms ( ci ): m / z = 312 . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin -( 3 - bromobenzyl )- 2 , 2 , 5 , 5 - tetramethyl - 1 , 2 , 5 - azadisilolidine ( 3 . 3 ). to a solution containing 4 . 301 g ( 13 . 1 mmol ) of 3 . 1 in 30 ml of thf at − 78 ° c . was slowly added 5 . 24 ml ( 13 . 1 mmol ) of 2 . 5 m n - buli . the reaction solution was stirred for 40 minutes , followed by addition of a solution containing 4 . 3662 g ( 3 . 521 mmol ) of 2 . 3 in 20 ml of thf . the reaction solution was stirred at − 78 ° c . for 2 h and then diluted with 5 ml of fc - 72 ® and 30 ml of methanol . the reaction solution was extraction with three 4 ml portions of fc - 72 ®. the combined fluorous layers were concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3 . 3 as a light yellow oil : yield 4 . 732 g ( 96 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 01 - 0 . 21 ( s , 12h ), 0 . 80 ( s , 4h ), 1 . 34 ( t , 6h , 2 j sn , c - h = 27 . 5 hz ), 2 . 35 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 96 - 4 . 06 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 39 ( m , 4h ). ir ( thin film ), 3354 , 2955 , 2849 , 1256 , and 442 cm − 1 . ms ( esms , ipa ): m / z 1268 . 3 [ m -( 2 , 2 , 5 , 5 - tetramethyl - 1 , 2 , 5 - azadisilolidine + h ] + . 3 - iodobenzylamine ( 12 reaction with 3 . 0 ) ( 3 . 4 ). to a mixture of 0 . 164 g ( 129 μmol ) of 3 . 0 in 2 ml of acetonitrile was added 1 . 5 ml of 0 . 1 m iodine in methanol . the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 h prior to quenching with a crystal of sodium thiosulfate and dilution with 3 ml of deionized distilled water . the reaction mixture was purified by flash chromatography using silicycle ® fluorous silica ( 3 . 9 g ). elution with 1 : 1 acetonitrile - water and collection of four 5 ml fractions gave 3 . 4 in solution . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 8 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 6 . 461 min , consistent with a standard , was generated when the column was eluted with 80 % h 2 o ( ph ≈ 7 . 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 1 . 5 ml / min and λ = 254 nm . ms ( esms ), m / z 233 . 9 [ m + h ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzylguanidine using formamidine sulfinic acid ( 3 . 5 — approach b ). to a mixture containing 1 . 964 g ( 1 . 549 mmol ) of 3 . 0 in methanol ( 15 ml ) was added 0 . 184 g ( 1 . 704 mmol ) of 3 . 7 . the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 h and then methanol was decanted from the resulting viscous oil . the oil was washed with three ( 10 ml ) portions of hot chloroform and then two portions of hot water . the residue was extracted into 5 ml of fc - 72 ® from dichloromethane and residual water . the solvent was concentrated to give 3 . 5 as a clear orange oil : yield 1 . 654 g ( 82 %). mass spectrum ( esms ), m / z 1310 . 2 [ m + h ] + , 1293 . 0 [ m + h − 15 ] + , and 1325 . 0 [ m + h + 15 ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzlguanidine using aminoimino - methanesulfinic acid ( 3 . 5 — approach c ). to a mixture containing 518 mg ( 409 μmol ) of 3 . 0 in 1 ml of methanol was added 55 . 8 mg ( 450 μmol ) of aminoiminomethanesulfonic acid . the reaction mixture was then refluxed for 16 h . the reaction mixture was extracted into 5 ml of fc - 72 ® from 10 ml of methanol . the solvent was concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3 . 5 as an orange oil : yield 468 mg ( 88 %). tlc r f 0 . 25 ( 6 : 1 hexane - diethylether ). ir ( thin film ), 3349 , 3197 , 2946 , 1647 , 1449 , 1239 , 446 cm − 1 . mass spectrum ( esms ), m / z 1309 . 9 [ m + h ] + . aminoiminomethanesulfonic acid ( 3 . 7 ). the procedure developed by mosher et al . was followed . 12 to a mixture containing 0 . 633 g ( 5 . 85 mmol ) of 3 . 6 in 3 . 0 ml of glacial acetic acid at 0 ° c . was slowly added 1 . 56 ml of 32 % peracetic acid . the reaction mixture was then stirred for 16 h at room temperature . the precipitate was filtered and washed with five 5 ml portions of absolute ethanol and dried to give 3 . 7 as a white crystalline solid : yield 596 mg ( 82 %). mp 125 - 126 ° c . 3 - iodobenzylguanidine ( 3 . 9 ). to a solution containing 168 mg ( 721 μmol ) of 3 . 8 in 1 ml of methanol was added 90 . 1 mg ( 726 μmol ) of 3 . 7 . the reaction solution was refluxed for 16 h and then concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3 . 9 as a viscous yellow gum : yield 258 mg . hplc analysis was preformed using a nucleosil c 18 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 24 . 54 min was generated when the column was eluted with 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 2 . 0 ml / min and λ = 231 nm . 1 h nmr ( meoh , 200 mhz ): δ 4 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 99 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 49 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( meoh , 50 . 3 mhz ): δ 48 . 95 , 99 . 31 , 131 . 64 , 135 . 72 , 141 . 05 , 141 . 93 , 144 . 30 , 162 . 65 . ir ( thin film ): 3407 , 3192 , 1653 , 1115 cm − 1 . ms ( esms , methanol ), m / z 276 . 1 [ m + h ] + . 3 - iodobenzylguanidine ( nai reaction with 3 . 5 ) ( 3 . 10 ). to a reaction mixture containing 5 . 1 mg ( 3 . 90 μmol ) of 3 . 5 in 200 μl of methanol was added 10 μl ( 0 . 460 nmol ) of nai followed by 2 μl of solution of peracetic acid ( 35 % in acetic acid ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 2 h and then quenched with 100 μl of sodium metabisulfite ( 10 %) solution , prior to dilution to 1 ml with distilled deionized water . hplc analysis was performed with a nucleosil c 18 analytical column . a retention time of 24 . 89 min was observed ( 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 2 . 0 ml / min and λ = 231 nm ). ms ( esms ), m / z 276 . 0 [ m + h ] + . fluorination of 3 . 5 using [ f 2 ] ( 3 . 11 ). to 0 . 334 g ( 0 . 255 mmol ) of 3 . 5 in 1 ml of fc - 72 ® at − 95 ° c . in a fep tube was bubbled 172 μmol of 0 . 63 % f 2 in ne . the f 2 was steadily released into the solution over 35 min . the reaction solution along with two 3 ml portions of fc - 72 ® used to rinse the vessel were concentrated in a large vial . the residue was washed with three 3 ml portions of 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water and eluted down a conditioned fluorous reversed - phase column ( 1 g ) to give 3 . 11 in solution . hplc analysis was carried out on a nucleosil analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 34 . 98 min was observed ( 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 2 . 0 ml / min and λ = 231 nm ). 19 f nmr ( acn : h 2 o , 470 . 493 hz ): δ − 110 . 3 ( 3 j f , h = 8 . 7 hz ), − 109 . 5 ( 3 j f , h = 9 . 2 hz ). ms ( esms ), m / z 168 . 0 [ m + h ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ]- 3 - benzylamine - gflm ( f ) ( 3 . 13 ). to a reaction solution containing 137 mg ( 108 μmol ) of 3 . 0 and 84 mg ( 170 μmol ) of gflm ( f ) in 5 ml of dmf was added 71 mg ( 187 μmol ) hbtu . to the reaction solution was added 97 μl of dipea and allowed to stir at for 16 h . the solution was diluted with 20 ml of water and extracted with 5 ml of fc - 72 ®. the emulsion partitioning fc - 72 ® and the aqueous layer was extracted and washed with three 3 ml portions of fc - 72 ®. the residual solvent was removed under reduced pressure to give 3 . 12 as a milky white oil : yield 63 mg ( 33 %). ms ( esms ), m / z 1744 [ m + h ] + , 1761 [ m + nh 4 ] + , 1766 [ m + na ] + . 3 - iodobenzyl - gflm ( f ) ( i 2 reaction with 3 . 13 ) ( 3 . 14 ). to a reaction mixture containing 50 mg ( 28 . 7 μmol ) of 3 . 13 in 3 ml of chloroform was added 1 . 5 ml ( 150 μmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 h prior to quenching with a sodium thiosulfate solution . the chloroform was removed under reduced pressure , and the mixture was diluted with 10 ml of 5 : 1 acetonitrile : water . the reaction solution was washed with three 1 . 5 ml portions of fc - 72 ® and the aqueous layer was isolated and assessed for the presence of 3 . 14 . hplc analysis was carried out on a nucleosil c 18 reversed - phase analytical column ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ). a retention time of 19 . 4 min was observed ( 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 2 . 0 ml / min and λ = 254 nm ). ms ( esms ), m / z 319 [ m + h ] + . synthesis and purification of n - hydroxysuccinimidyl 3 - iodobenzoate . the n - hydroxysuccinimidyl tri ( fluoroalkyl ) stannylbenzoate , which was prepared following the method shown below in the scheme , was reacted with 125 i − in the presence of chloramine - t following the method of lindegren et al . lindegren , s . ; skamemark , g . ; jacobsson , l . ; karlsson , b . nuc . med . biol . 1998 , 25 , 659 . the reaction was stopped prematurely to compare the ability of two separate purification methods to remove impurities . the initial method involved extraction with perflourinated hexanes ( fc - 72 ) following dilution of the reaction mixture with water . the hplc trace of the aqueous layer ( fig3 ) showed the desired product , its hydrolysis product m -[ 125 i ] iodobenzoic acid and some unreated 125 i − . the second purification method , which is more convenient and more easily automated than extraction , involved passing the reaction mixture down a commercially available fluorous sep - pak . the purification protocol involved washing with 100 % water to remove unreacted iodide , which was immediately followed with 80 / 20 methanol - water which caused the desired product to elute . the hplc of the methanol - water eluent ( fig4 ) showed one major peak , which corresponds to the desired product . the fluorous labeling method has a number of advantages over traditional labeling methods , including ease of automation , sterilization and the fact that all of the precursors can be purified and characterized by traditional methods . all of the patents and publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference . those skilled in the art will recognize , or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation , many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein . such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims . 1 blok , d . ; feitsma , r . i . j . ; vermeij , p . ; pauwels , e . j . k . eur j nucl med . 1999 , 26 , 1511 . 2 krenning , e . p . ; bakker , w . h . ; breeman , w . a . lancet . 1989 , i , 242 . 3 hunter , r . m . ; greenwood , f . c . nature . 1962 , 194 , 495 . 4 fracker , p . j . ; speck , j . c . biochem . biophys . res . commun . 1987 , 80 , 849 . 5 bolton , a . m . ; hunter , r . m . biochem . j . 1973 , 133 , 529 . 6 okarvi , s . m . eur . j . nucl . med . 2001 , 28 , 929 . 7 okarvi , s . m . eur . j . nucl . med . 2001 , 28 , 929 . 8 hoshino , m . ; degenkolb , p . ; curran , d . p . j . org . chem . 1997 , 62 , 8341 . 9 studer , a ; jeger , p . ; wipf , p . ; curran , d . p . j . org . chem . 1997 , 62 , 2917 . 10 lequan , m . ; meganem , f . j . organometallic chem . 1975 , 94 , c1 - c2 . 11 milius , r . a . ; mclaughlin , w . h . ; lambrecht , r . m . ; wolk , a . p . ; carroll , j . j . ; adelstein , s . j . ; bloomer , w . d . appl . radiat . isot . 1986 , 37 , 799 . 12 hughes , a . b . ; melvyn , v . j . chem . soc . perkin . trans . 1989 , i , 1787 . 13 ishibashi , k . ; nakajima , k . ; nishi , t . heterocycles . 1998 , 48 , 2669 . 14 xizhen , z . ; blough , b . e . ; carroll , f . i . tetrahedron letters . 2000 , 41 , 9222 . 15 gutowsky , h . s . ; hoffman , c . j . j . chem . phys . 1951 , 19 , 1259 . 16 taft , r . w . j . phys . chem . 1960 , 64 , 1805 . 17 chirakal , r . ; adams , r . m . ; fimau , g . ; schrobilgen , g . j . ; coates , g . ; gamette , e . s . nucl . med . biol . 1995 , 22 , 111 . 18 devries , e . f . j . ; luurtsema , g . ; brussermann , m . ; elsing a , p . h . ; vallburg , w . appl . radiat . isot . 1999 , 51 , 389 . 19 namavari , m . ; bishop , a . ; satyamurthy , n . ; bida , g . ; barrio , j . r . appl . radiat . isot . 1992 , 43 , 989 . 20 lemaire , c . ; guillaume , m . ; cantineau , r . ; plenevaux , a . ; christiaens , l . appl . radiat . isot . 1991 , 42 , 629 . 21 chirakal , r . ; finau , g . ; garnett , e . s . j . nucl . med . 1986 , 27 , 417 . 22 katsifis , a ; mattner , f . ; zhang , z ., et al . j . labelled compds radiopharm . 2000 , 43 , 385 . 23 hunter , d . h . ; zhu , x . j . labelled cpd . radiopharm . 1999 , 42 , 653 . 24 auzeloux , p . ; papon , j . ; azim , e . m . ; borel , m . ; pasqualini , r . ; veyre , a . ; madelmont , j - c . j . med . chem . 2000 , 43 , 190 . 25 laulumaa , v . ; kuikka , j . t . ; soininen , h . ; bergstrom , k . ; lansimies , e . ; riekkinen , p . arch . neurol . 1993 , 50 , 509 . 26 moreau , m . f . ; labarre , p . ; foucaud , a . ; seguin , h . ; bayle , m . ; papon , j . ; madelmont , j . c . j . labelled cpd . radiopharm . 1998 , xli , 965 . 28 kuhnast , b ; dolle , f ; terrazzino , s . ; rousseau , b . ; loc &# 39 ; h , c . ; vaufrey , f . ; hinnen , f . ; doignon , i . ; pillon , f . ; david , c ; crouzel , c . ; tavitian , b . bioconjugate chem . 2000 , 11 , 627 . 29 wafelman , a . r . ; konings , m . c . p ; hoefnagel , c . a . ; maes , r . a . a . ; beijnen , j . h . appl . radiat . isot . 1994 , 10 , 997 . 30 vaidyanathan , g . ; zalutxky , m . r . ; degrado , t . r . bioconjugate chem . 1998 , 9 , 758 . 31 hunter , d . h . ; zhu , xizhen . j . labelled cpd . radiopharm . 1999 , 42 , 653 . 32 djuric , s . ; venit , j . ; magnus , p . tetrahedron letters . 1981 , 22 , 1787 . 33 amartey , j . k . ; al - jammaz , i . ; lambrecht , r . m . appl . radiat . isot . 2001 , 54 , 711 . 34 vaidyanathan , g . ; affleck , d . j . ; zalutsky , m . r . bioconjugate chem . 1996 , 7 , 102 . 35 vaidyanathan , g . ; zalutsky , m . r . appl . radiat . isot . 1993 , 3 , 621 . 36 grag , p . k . ; garg , s . ; zalutsky , m . r . nucl . med . biol . 1994 , 21 , 97 . 37 wieland , d . m . ; wu , j - i . ; brown , l . e . ; mangner , t . j . ; swanson , d . p . ; beirwaltes , w . h . j . nucl . med . 1980 , 21 , 349 . 38 jursic , b . s . ; neumann , d . ; mcpherson , a . synthesis . 2000 , 12 , 1656 . 39 kim , k . ; lin , y - t . ; mosher , h . s . tetrahedron lett . 1988 , 29 , 3183 . 40 wafelman , a . r . ; konnings , m . c . p . ; hoefnagel , c . a . ; maes , r . a . a . ; beijnen , j . h . appl . radiat . isot . 1994 , 45 , 997 . 41 taft , r . w . ; price ; e . ; fox , i . r . ; lewis , i . c . ; anderson , k . k . ; davis , g . t . j . am . chem . soc . 1963 , 85 , 3146 . 42 fischman , a . j . ; pike , m . c . ; kroon , d . j nucl med . 1991 , 32 , 483 . 43 masahide , h . ; degenkolb , p . ; curran , d . p . j . org . chem . 1997 , 62 , 8342 . 44 lequan , m . ; meganem , f . j . organometallic chem . 1975 , 94 , c 1 - c 2 . 45 hughes , a . b ., sargent , melvyn , v . j . chem . soc . perkin . trans . 1989 , 1 , 1787 . 46 milius , r . a . ; mclughlin , w . h . ; lambrecht , r . m . ; wolk , a . p . ; carroll , j . j . ; adelstein , s . j . ; bloomer , w . d . appl . radiat . isot . 1986 , 37 , 799 .	0
the present invention uses a multi - level screening process which preserves the original halftone structure without introducing distortion , or moiré , into a resultant , second generation halftone image . the method of the invention does not destroy or blur the halftone pattern ; it preserves the original halftone dots by using multi - level tone reproduction , instead of rendering the halftone image by another screen pattern which will likely introduce a second screen pattern . this method renders the original halftone image without introducing any interference pattern , or moire , from the second screen pattern , which normally interferes with the original screen pattern . theoretically , a halftone image is represented by bi - tonal pixels , i . e ., the pixel is either inked , with cmyk ink , or not inked . fig1 shows an ideal halftone dot on paper . a single dot may be comprised of several pixels . however , the ink spread which occurs on virtually all print media , and the printing process , degrade halftone dots away from bi - tonal . there are several causes of dot spread . in the case on an inkjet device , the liquid ink will spread on the media before drying . in the case of a laser device , the heat used to fuse the toner to the media will liquify the ink and cause the ink to spread . in both ink - jet and laser devices , pressure from rollers in the device may cause further spreading . fig2 shows a normal halftone dot on the paper . the halftone dot of fig2 is larger , but less dense than that of fig1 as indicated by the larger breadth and lower height of the trace . because ink spreading contains a great degree of randomness , the bi - tonal reproduction , with a single threshold , is not able to recover the tone smoothness of the original image . lines 10 in fig2 represent a single threshold applied to the dot to make a bi - tonal reproduction of the halftone dot . the single threshold technique will make the resultant , second generation halftone dot either too large , or too small , with reduced density , compared to the original halftone dot . in any given area of a halftone image , many dots are present , all of which have spread , randomly . such random spreading represents noise in both the shape and size of any halftone dot . any attempt to return the halftone dot to its intended size and shape will also require a correction in dot density . the second generation bi - tonal halftone will recover all of the inked pixels to the maximum density . if a cut - off density is not set , the image density will significantly increase because the dot has spread . however , as dot spread is random , if only a single threshold value is used to reduce the size to compensate for the density increase due to dot spread , then both the dot size and the dot density of a single halftone dot will vary . the resulting image will appear noisy and grainy . ideally , an 8 - bit multi - level representation can directly reproduce the scanned 8 - bit separation images , however , the scanning noise is usually amplified greatly by most multi - level printing processes , and results in a noisy output image . therefore , the halftoning process is still required to smooth the image . traditional halftoning uses n × n pixel halftone cells to reproduce local - averaged tone scales . it forces the dots “ on ” in order from the halftone center to the outer edge , with a smooth halftone dot shape . this process smoothes out the random noises because the discrimination of the different threshold levels for different pixel positions in the halftone cell averages the scanning noises . unfortunately , this process produces an addition screen pattern , and usually causes the moire if any original screen pattern remains . in the method of the invention , multi - level halftoning provides a “ soft screening ”, that averages the scanning noises without reconstructing new halftone centers . the details are described as following : determine the number of tone levels required in a pixel . a continuous tone image pixel requires 256 graylevels to provide an accurate representation , however , a halftone image pixel does not require the full 256 graylevels . if , however , there are not enough graylevels , the original halftone dots will not be accurately reproduced . fig3 depicts a halftone dot represented by a 2 - bit halftone , while fig4 depicts a halftone dot the represented by a 4 - bit halftone , for a large , e . g ., 30 × 30 pixels . normally , a 150 line - per - inch ( lpi ) halftone dot scanned and printed in 600 dpi will be about 6 × 6 pixels . in the case of a halftone dot having approximately 6 × 6 pixels , the 4 - bit representation will not be as good as indicated in fig4 however , fig4 still provides a representation of a tone reproduction capability . select a halftone cell size . for example , for 4 - bit halftoning , each pixel may display 15 levels of gray ; therefore , an n × n sized halftone cell is able to display k amount of graylevels , where k = n × n × 15 . for good printing quality , a halftone dot should be able to display 255 graylevels , at least be able to display a number of graylevels close to 255 . arrange the dot growth pattern . if the dot growth pattern begins in the center of the halftone cell , a screen pattern will be visible . if any periodic dot centers can be visually sensed , the screen pattern will also be visible . the method of the invention provides a technique for avoiding the dot centers by growing the halftone dots evenly over the entire halftone cell . “ evenly ” means that , in a tint area for any input graylevel , the maximum sub - pixel level difference among all pixels is 1 . fig5 depicts a typical 4 × 4 4 - bit halftone dot which has a maximum sub - pixel level difference of 8 . fig6 depicts an example of an evenly grown dot with the same total - graylevel , wherein the maximum sub - pixel level difference is only 1 . the human visual system ( hvs ) cannot sense { fraction ( 1 / 15 )} of density difference for , e . g ., a 600 dpi pixel . therefore , the hvs will not sense a dot center which is less than or equal to { fraction ( 1 / 15 )} of a density difference for most printed materials . the detail of the arrangement is that for an n × n halftone cell , the halftone cell is further divided into mxm sized sub - cells in which n = m * i , where i is an integer , as shown in fig7 . all pixels still have their own unique threshold value , however , the dot growth sequence is evenly distributed among the sub - cells . therefore , no new visible screen pattern is perceptible . the tone reproduction curve ( trc ) of this sample has not been adjusted . the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention includes use of a 4 - bit halftone with 4 × 4 halftone cells . this arrangement provides 15 graylevels ( 1 - 15 ) plus white ( 0 ) for each pixel , and is adequate for reproducing scanned halftone dots . in electrophotography printing , pulse - width modulation provides a different signal width for different sub - pixel levels . however , after the toner development process , the ink is melted and spreads to cover nearly the whole pixel . therefore , each pixel on the paper appears different in density , rather than in the width . the sub - cells have a size of 2 × 2 pixels . one example of this halftone cell arrangement is shown in fig8 . this is a 2 - d matrix halftone cell . normally , a halftone matrix indicates the dot growth pattern , and directly or indirectly provides the threshold values for each position . “ indirectly ” means that the matrix values need to be scaled up to the tone range , e . g ., the matrix range 0 and 1 is scaled up to 0 and 255 ; or a “ look - up ” a trc table may be used . however , the numbers in table 1 are the index numbers that lead to the threshold lookup tables . table 1 shows tables for indexes 1 - 3 and 15 ; tables for indexes 4 - 14 are not shown . table values are based on the index number . the second value in the table is always the same as the index number . the following values are always 16 greater than the value before . if the input graylevel is equal to or greater than the threshold table value of the current halftone cell position , the output pixel should be turned on up to that sub - pixel level . the sub - pixel level is the index number in the table ( 0 to 15 ), e . g ., in index table 1 “ 49 ” is the 5th element and its index number is 4 . therefore , four sub - pixel levels should be on . [ 0041 ] fig9 depicts examples in which numbers outside the halftone cell indicate the input graylevels and numbers inside the cell indicate the output sub - pixel levels . the last example has a 45 - degree edge that one side input level is 16 and the other side level is 112 . fig1 - 13 depicts examples of how a halftone dot is mapped by the 4 × 4 halftone matrix . assuming a scanned halftone dot has the graylevels as shown in fig1 , i . e ., the halftone cell is within the circular boundary , the halftone matrix mapping begins at the upper - left corner , as shown by the hatched area , and then moves the halftone matrix window over all of the dot - image . this mapping is based on threshold table 1 . this dot - image is a typical halftone round dot , and is about 65 % gray for a 150 lpi screen for an image scanned in 600 dpi . [ 0043 ] fig1 is the resultant halftoned dot by the matrix of fig8 and the method of the invention . fig1 is the result of a halftoned dot by the matrix of fig1 by a 4 - bit halftone method . this matrix is for a “ double - dot 45 - degree ” screen ; therefore , the output shows a screen pattern as the diagonal lines . thus , a method for screening of halftoned images has been disclosed . it will be appreciated that further variations and modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
turning now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 - 3 , the replenishable merchandising display 50 of the invention is illustrated . as shown in fig1 replenishable merchandising display 50 has an upright standing , substantially rigid frame 52 . frame 52 is constructed of a durable material , preferably a corrugated plastic material , such as corrugated polyethylene . skilled artisans will appreciate that frame 52 may also be formed of other durable materials including metals , thermoformable polymeric materials , thermoset materials , and metallic materials . this feature enables the walls 56 , 58 , 60 ( described below ) to withstand fairly frequent product replacement procedures implemented primarily at the retailer . referring to fig1 a plurality of product compartments 54 is formed in frame 52 for accommodating a predetermined quantity of sale units of a product 51 ( shown in fig3 ). each product compartment 54 has a top wall 56 and an opposed bottom wall 58 defining a base . opposed side walls 60 are adjoined to a rear wall 62 and expose an opening 64 to receive and access at least one modular receptacle 66 ( also referred to as a product container ), described in detail below , that contains the product 51 for sale . referring to fig2 - 3 , modular receptacle 66 has a generally polygonal shape , an open face 74 , and is removably stored in one of the plurality of product compartments 54 arranged in merchandising display 50 . an important feature of modular receptacle 66 is its simplistic design and structure . for ease of filling at the product manufacturer &# 39 ; s location , modular receptacle 66 , commonly referred to as a half - slotted container , has minimum folds and no interlocking parts . structurally , modular receptacle 66 may be made of practically any semi - rigid material , such as corrugated paperboard . according to fig4 - 5 , the product manufacturer may , in a variety of ways , protect the product 51 contained in the modular receptacle 66 from shipping damage and pilferage . an open face container 80 similar to modular receptacle 66 may be used to cover the open face 74 of the modular receptacle 66 . preferably , open - faced container 80 has a substantially identical shape and dimension to that of modular receptacle 66 and is fabricated from similar materials . according to fig5 another way to protect product 51 in modular receptacle 66 is to apply a shrink wrap material 82 , such as polyethylene , about the open face 74 and side walls 68 of modular receptacle 66 . such a wrap material will more than adequately secure the product 51 in the modular receptacle 66 . skilled artisans will appreciate that there are numerous other ways to protect the product 51 during shipment that are within the contemplation of the invention . referring to fig6 - 7 , a vertical stabilizer member 70 having a substantially rectangular shape is rotatably associated with the base in frame 52 for accommodating a modular receptacle 66 of a predetermined dimension . more particularly , vertical stabilizer 70 is affixed in frame 52 for pivotable movements between the top wall 56 and bottom wall 58 of the product compartment 54 . according to fig6 and 7 , vertical stabilizer member 70 is made to pivot in product compartment 54 between top wall 56 and bottom wall 58 to accommodate modular receptacles 66 having various dimensions . it is also important that a vertical stabilizer member 70 is present between the horizontal members 72 of the product compartments 54 to help support the weight of the product 51 in the product compartments 54 in the upper part of the merchandising display unit . in fig6 the vertical stabilizer member 70 is in a first position for accommodating a modular receptacle 66 that has an open face dimension that is relatively narrow . according to fig7 vertical stabilizer member 70 is pivoted to a second position to accommodate a modular receptacle 66 that is relatively wide . skilled artisans will appreciate that vertical stabilizer member 70 supports the weight of the product 51 in the product compartments 54 in the upper part of the merchandising display 52 . referring again to fig1 merchandising display 50 may optionally be freestanding or mobile . in the latter embodiment , a plurality of roller members 84 , such as casters , may be rotatably attached to rigid frame 52 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that other means of mobilizing merchandizing display 50 may be used with substantially identical results . referring to fig8 in another embodiment of the merchandising display 50 of the invention , products compartments 54 for receiving modular receptacle 66 is slightly tilted in the merchandising display 50 . slightly tilted product compartments 54 are preferably tilted upwardly towards the top wall of the frame 52 for ease of viewing and removing product 51 from the modular receptacle 66 . product compartments 54 are preferably tilted in frame 52 by angling the base of the frame 52 . referring to fig1 merchandising display 50 may alternatively include a promotional header 90 . promotional header 90 may be conveniently removably attached to a portion of frame 52 that is most visible to the consumer . promotional header 90 , generally made of paperboard , may be attached by tabs ( not shown ) on promotional header 90 that engages corresponding slots ( not shown ) in the frame 52 . referring now to fig9 the process of replenishing product 51 for retail in a merchandising display having at least one modular receptacle 66 is illustrated . according to fig9 from the product manufacturer , the product 51 , such as photographic film product or cameras , is packaged in the modular receptacle 66 for shipment to a retailer ( steps 12 - 16 ). of course the product manufacturer would prepare the product against damage during shipment by either sealing the open portion of the modular receptacle 66 with shrink wrap or covering the opened portion with an appropriate covering before arranging the product in the receptacle for shipment to a designated retailer . skilled artisans will appreciate that the aforementioned process can be achieved manually or with the use of automatic equipment . during the normal course of business , the retailer would either have or would order ( step 28 ) a merchandising display 50 from a fabricator . these fabricators generally assemble the merchandising display 50 ( step 30 ) to meet the needs and specification of the product manufacturer . it is important to this novel and unobvious method that the merchandising display 50 be assembled from durable materials that can withstand long - term use and potentially abnormal handling . we have found that the most durable materials are ones selected from among corrugated plastic , thin molded plastic , or a coated paperboard corrugated material . most preferred among these materials for our application is corrugated plastic . as appropriate , the retailer would order at least one modular receptacle 66 containing the requested product therein . product turnover and inventory are typical factors that may determine when such orders are actually placed . referring again to fig9 in step 18 , once the modular receptacle 66 is received by the retailer , the retailer then removes any outer wrap that may exist to protect the product 51 during shipment and then places the modular receptacle 66 into the product compartment 54 of the merchandising display 50 . with the product 51 stocked in the modular receptacle 66 and placed into the product compartment 54 of the merchandising display 50 , they are now available for sale to a retail customer who can directly remove the product 51 from the merchandising display ( step 20 ). during the normal course of business , product 51 is depleted primarily by sales to retail customers ( step 22 ). according to step 24 , as product from an individual modular receptacle 66 is sold out or depleted , the empty modular receptacle 66 is removed and the merchandising display 50 is replenished with another modular receptacle 66 filled with product 51 . it is expected that the merchandising display unit 50 will eventually wear out or break ( step 26 ). in those instances , the retailer would then place an order for a new merchandising display 50 ( steps 28 ). the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment . however , it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . 18 step : retailer fills display unit with modular receptacles filled with product 20 step : retailer places filled merchandising display unit on sales floor 24 step : replenish with modular receptacles of product packed by manufacturer	0
while the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention . it is to be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered only as an example of the principles of the invention . this disclosure is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the illustrated embodiments . the scope of protection should only be limited by the accompanying claims . referring to fig1 the present invention provides a shroud for a pin array 12 of an electrical connector 1 for electrically connecting two circuits boards . the pin array 12 comprises two pin retainers 11 and a plurality of pins 13 . pin arrays are well known in the art and are readily available from a variety of manufacturers including berg electronics corp . and amp , inc . the shroud comprises a first side wall 14 , a second side wall 16 , a third side wall 18 , and a fourth side wall 20 . the first side wall 14 , the second side wall 16 , the third side wall 18 , and the fourth side wall 20 together define an aperture 22 . located within the aperture 22 is a shoulder 24 which defines a shoulder opening 30 ( fig3 ). the shoulder opening 30 is dimensioned such that the pins 13 of the pin array may pass through the shoulder opening 30 but the pin retainers 11 cannot pass through the shoulder opening 30 . on the first and third side walls 14 , 18 are located four resilient fingers 26 which have protuberances 28 located thereon ( see fig2 ). the protuberances 28 are located on each finger 26 such that a dimension a between the protuberance 28 and the shoulder 24 is only slightly greater than a thickness ( dimension b ) of the pin retainer 11 . the pin array 12 , therefore , can be placed within the aperture 22 , urged past the protuberances 28 of the resilient fingers 26 , placing the pin array 12 in a fixed arrangement between the protuberances 28 and the shoulder 24 . additionally , when the pin array 10 is inserted in this manner the pins 13 do not extend outside the aperture 22 . the pin array 12 may be removed from the aperture 22 by urging the pin array 12 past the protuberances 28 of the resilient fingers 26 . alternately , the resilient fingers 26 and the protuberances 28 could be replaced by resilient fingers which fictionally hold the pin array 12 against the shoulder 24 . located on the fourth wall 20 is an alignment pin 32 for aiding in alignment of the pin array 12 with a mating connector as described below . additionally , extensions 34 are attached to the first side wall 14 . the extensions 34 allow the shroud 10 to be optionally supported by a separate structure . additionally , raised portions 36 are located on the first and third side walls 14 , 18 of the shroud 10 and can optionally be used for alignment of the shroud 10 . primarily , however , the raised portions 36 are beneficial for ejection of the shroud 10 from a mold when the shroud 10 is made in an injection molding process . finally , cutout regions 38 are defined by the second and fourth side walls 16 , 20 . at one end of the cutout region , a shoulder 39 is defined . the cutout regions 38 and shoulders 39 allow for the shroud 10 to be maintained in a fixed position in relation to a circuit board as shown in fig5 . resilient shroud retaining fingers 40 maintain the shroud 10 in the fixed position shown by protuberances 42 which assert a force upon the shoulders 39 . referring to fig4 and 5 , the shroud 10 can be used by inserting the pin array 12 into the aperture 22 past the protuberances 28 of the fingers 26 , as described above , thereby locking the pin array 12 within the shroud 10 . next , the pin array 12 and shroud 10 combination is inserted into a female connector 100 which is mounted on a first circuit board 102 by inserting the pins 13 of the pin array 12 into the female connector 100 . the case ( not shown ) in which the circuit boards 102 , 104 will be mounted may optionally contain one or more resilient shroud retaining fingers 108 which prevent the shroud 10 from becoming disassociated from the first circuit board 102 by asserting a force upon the shoulders 39 . next the shroud 10 and pin array 12 combination is inserted into a female connector 103 which is mounted on a second circuit board 104 . the second circuit board 104 defines a through - hole 106 which is designed to accept the alignment pin 32 of the shroud 10 in order to properly align the pins 13 with the female connector 103 . this is especially important when the circuit boards 102 , 104 are so large as to obstruct the view of the person making the connection , thereby preventing him from otherwise aligning the pins 13 with the female connector 103 . additionally , the case ( not shown ) may further provide surfaces for the extensions 34 to abut in order to provide additional support for the shroud 10 . while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described , numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention , and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims .	7
structures of solid - state imaging devices ( wafer - level pinhole camera modules ) and methods for manufacturing the same according to embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings . in the following description , like members will be denoted by like reference numerals and process names , and will be described in detail for the first appearance thereof , while omitting redundant description of such like members . a method for manufacturing a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 ( a ) to fig1 ( f ) . fig1 ( a ) shows an image sensor wafer 1 formed on a semiconductor substrate , with a microlens 2 formed over pixels of a photosensitive portion of the surface of each sensor . in order to manufacture a wafer - level camera module , an adhesive material 3 is formed in areas other than the photosensitive portion of each sensor , and a cover glass wafer 4 is attached to the image sensor wafer 1 via the adhesive material 3 therebetween so as to cover the image sensor wafer 1 . as shown in fig1 ( a ) , the microlens 2 is formed over pixels in the photosensitive portion on the surface of each sensor . the adhesive material 3 is formed in areas other than the photosensitive portion of each sensor , and the cover glass wafer 4 being flat with no surface irregularities , is attached thereto with the adhesive material 3 therebetween so as to cover the chips of the image sensor wafer 1 . the gap portion above the microlens 2 up to the cover glass wafer 4 is normally hollow so as to realize a microlens effect . the infrared cut filter function and the anti - reflection film function may be added to the cover glass wafer 4 . although not shown in the figures , the image sensor wafer 1 includes a through electrode as shown in patent document no . 1 , and a wiring electrode pattern , which connects the electrode to be wired onto the wafer reverse surface via the through electrode , is already formed on the wafer reverse surface . in order to form the through electrode , the image sensor wafer 1 is thinned . in the next step , as shown in fig1 ( b ) , a light - blocking material 5 having a photosensitive function is applied on the cover glass wafer 4 . a light - blocking material having a photosensitive function is , for example , a material such as a color resist including , dispersed therein , a pigment that includes a photosensitive group and has a light - blocking function , and is a material whose post - development remaining thickness varies depending on the amount of light exposure . the disclosure herein assumes and illustrates a positive - type material of which exposed portions are removed by the developer . in the next step , as shown in fig1 ( c ) , the light - blocking material 5 applied on the cover glass wafer 4 is selectively irradiated with light , and the exposed portions of the light - blocking material 5 are removed , thereby forming a pinhole opening ( hereinafter “ opening ”) 6 . this step is performed in a similar step to the transfer exposure onto the resist on the wafer using a glass mask pattern , which is normally employed in a semiconductor manufacturing process , and the opening is formed with a good alignment precision by using an alignment mark on the surface of the image sensor chip ( the total chip area including the dicing area ). the wavelength of light used in the mask alignment may be in the wavelength range where light passes through the light - blocking material , and the visible range of the image sensor was excluded . specifically , it may be ultraviolet light shorter than 400 nm and infrared light longer than 650 nm . in the next step , as shown in fig1 ( d ) , solder balls 7 are formed corresponding to the wiring electrode pattern formed on the reverse surface of the image sensor wafer 1 . thus , the sensor chip can be driven by applying a predetermined voltage or a clock pulse to the solder balls . in the next step , as shown in fig1 ( e ) , blade dicing is done along dicing areas ( not shown ) for severing the image sensor wafer 1 into individual pieces , whereby the image sensor wafer 1 , the adhesive material 3 , the cover glass wafer 4 and the light - blocking material 5 are severed along the same section into individual pieces . in the description below , the image sensor wafer 1 and the cover glass wafer 4 , after being severed into individual pieces , will be denoted with an apostrophe , i . e ., an image sensor chip 1 ′ and a cover glass 4 ′, respectively , in order to distinguish between these members in an individual piece and these members in a wafer form . this similarly applies to an individual piece adhesive material 3 ′ and an individual piece light - blocking material 5 ′, but these members will be denoted as the adhesive material 3 ′ and the light - blocking material 5 ′, omitting the word “ individual - piece ”. those members that are individual pieces even in a wafer form , such as the microlens 2 , the solder ball 7 and the opening 6 , will not be denoted with an apostrophe . the structure of a severed pinhole camera module is as shown in fig1 ( f ) . the image sensor chip 1 ′ with the microlens 2 formed thereon includes the solder balls 7 on the reverse surface thereof , and the severed cover glass 4 ′ is attached to the surface thereof via the adhesive material 3 ′ extending around the photosensitive portion . moreover , the light - blocking material 5 ′ is formed on the surface of the cover glass 4 ′, with the opening 6 of the light - blocking material being located at the center of the photosensitive portion of the image sensor near the center of the light - blocking material 5 ′. a perspective view of the pinhole camera module is as shown in fig1 ( f ) . the light - blocking material 5 ′ is present on the top surface , with the opening 6 formed at the center thereof . the cover glass 4 ′ is placed under the light - blocking material 5 ′, and the image sensor chip 1 ′ is placed under the cover glass 4 ′ via an adhesive material ( not shown ). the solder balls 7 are present on the reverse surface . although the structure , as it is , has an imaging function as a camera module , if there is incident light coming sideway onto the severed surface of the cover glass 8 ′, the light reaches , as stray light , the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip 1 ′, deteriorating the image quality . in order to prevent the stray light , a severed , final - structure , pinhole camera module 9 is as shown in fig1 ( g ) . a difference from fig1 ( f ) is that a side wall light - blocking coating 8 is applied over the side walls of the cover glass 4 ′ and the image sensor chip 1 ′. a perspective view of the pinhole camera module 9 is as shown in fig1 ( g ′). the light - blocking material 5 ′ is present on the top surface ( this should be referred to as the top surface light - blocking material 5 ′, but it will be referred to as the light - blocking material 5 ′), with the opening 6 formed at the center thereof , and the side wall light - blocking coating 8 is applied to the camera module side wall portion below the light - blocking material 5 ′. therefore , even if there is incident light from the side wall direction of the camera module , it is possible to prevent stray light from reaching the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip 1 ′. a method for manufacturing a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 ( a ) to fig2 ( j ) . in fig2 ( a ) , as in fig1 ( a ) , the image sensor wafer 1 is formed on a semiconductor substrate , the microlens 2 is formed over pixels in the photosensitive portion on the surface of each sensor , the adhesive material 3 is formed in areas other than the photosensitive portion of each sensor , and the cover glass wafer 4 is attached to the image sensor wafer 1 via the adhesive material 3 so as to cover the image sensor wafer 1 . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( b ) , a dicing tape 10 is attached to the reverse surface of the image sensor wafer 1 . the dicing tape 10 has an adhesive material ( not shown ) formed thereon for holding the wafer when the wafer is diced . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( c ) , blade dicing is done along dicing areas ( not shown ) for severing the image sensor wafer 1 into individual pieces , whereby the image sensor wafer 1 , the adhesive material 3 and the cover glass wafer 4 are severed . in this process , it is important to leave the dicing tape 10 unsevered . as shown in fig2 ( c ) , a dicing groove 11 is formed in the gap portion between the severed cover glasses 4 ′, the severed adhesive materials 3 ′ and the severed image sensor chips 1 ′. next , as shown in fig2 ( d ) , a light - blocking material 12 having a photosensitive function is applied to the top surface of the severed cover glasses 4 ′, which are connected together by the dicing tape 10 , and to the opposing walls of the dicing groove 11 in the gap portion between the cover glasses 4 ′, the adhesive materials 3 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′. as is the light - blocking material 5 , the light - blocking material 12 having a photosensitive function is a material such as a color resist including , dispersed therein , a pigment that includes a photosensitive group and has a light - blocking function , and is a material that has such coverage that side walls of steps are covered . the light - blocking material 12 is applied so as to form a side wall portion light - blocking material 12 ′ covering the walls of the dicing groove 11 and a bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ covering the dicing groove bottom portion . the light - blocking material applied on the cover glass 4 ′ should be referred to as the top surface portion light - blocking material 12 , but it will be referred to as the light - blocking material 12 for the sake of simplicity . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( e ) , the light - blocking material 12 applied on the cover glass 4 ′ is selectively irradiated with light , and the exposed portions of the light - blocking material 12 are removed , thereby forming the opening g . this step is performed in a similar step to transfer exposure of a pattern onto a resist on a wafer , as shown in fig1 ( c ) , and the opening is formed with a good alignment precision by using an alignment mark on the surface of the image sensor chip . in fig2 ( e ) , it is important that a wafer level process is performed on the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′, which have been diced into individual pieces but are connected together by the dicing tape 10 to be narrowly kept in a wafer form . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( f ) , an expand tape 13 is attached onto the top surface of the cover glasses 4 ′, which are narrowly kept in a wafer form by means of the dicing tape 10 . the expand tape 13 may be a dicing tape material . the expand tape 13 has an adhesive material ( not shown ) formed thereon for holding together cover glass top surfaces . the next step , as shown in fig2 ( g ) , is a step of peeling the dicing tape 10 while the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′ are kept in a wafer form by means of the expand tape 13 . the adhesion of the dicing tape 10 on the reverse surface of the image sensor chip 1 ′ is decreased typically by lowering the adhesive strength through ultraviolet irradiation . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( h ) , the solder balls 7 are formed so as to correspond to the wiring electrode pattern formed on the reverse surface of the image sensor chip 1 ′ while the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′ are kept in a wafer form by means of the expand tape 13 . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( i ) , the expand tape 13 is literally expanded to increase the width of the dicing groove 11 in the gap portion between the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′, thereby severing the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ on the dicing groove bottom portion . the structure of a severed pinhole camera module is as shown in fig2 ( j ) . the solder balls 7 are present on the reverse surface of the image sensor chip 1 ′ having the microlens 2 formed thereon , and the severed cover glass 4 ′ is attached to the surface of the image sensor chip 1 ′ via the adhesive material 3 ′ extending around the photosensitive portion . moreover , the light - blocking material 12 is formed on the surface of the cover glass 4 ′, with the opening 6 of the light - blocking material being located at the center of the photosensitive portion of the image sensor near the center of the light - blocking material 12 . the side wall portion light - blocking material 12 ′ is present on the side wall portion of the cover glass 4 ′ and the image sensor chip 1 ′, and the severed piece of the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ is attached to the image sensor chip 1 ′ bottom portion . a perspective view of the pinhole camera module is as shown in fig2 ( j ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface , with the opening 6 formed at the center thereof , and the side wall portion light - blocking material 12 ′ and the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ are formed on the camera module bottom portion and the side wall portion . therefore , even if there is incident light from the side wall direction of the camera module , it is possible to prevent stray light from reaching the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip 1 ′. the solder ball 7 is present on the image sensor chip 1 ′ reverse surface . verification for practical use of the pinhole camera module shown in fig1 ( g ) and fig2 ( j ) is done as shown in fig3 and fig4 . fig3 shows an optical path diagram of light incident upon a camera module according to the first and second embodiments . the angle of incidence of light incident upon the opening 6 of the pinhole camera module with respect to the direction normal to the module is denoted as θ . on the other hand , the angle of incidence into the cover glass 4 ′ becomes θ ′ due to the influence of the refractive index , and the outgoing angle from the cover glass 4 ′ into the hollow portion over the microlens returns to θ ( not shown ). the angle of incidence θ when the outgoing light is at the pixel edge is the maximum value of the angle of incidence . fig4 is a graph illustrating the angle of incidence ( the horizontal axis in the figure ) and the amount of shift ( the vertical axis in the figure ) from the center of the photosensitive portion of the imaging element of the camera module according to the first and second embodiments . the thickness of the cover glass is assumed to be 700 um , and three different cases where the adhesive material thickness ( referred to in the figure as “ gap between cover glass reverse surface and image - forming surface ”) is 0 um , 25 um and 50 um are plotted on the graph . the broken lines in fig4 represent the relationship between the position of the edge pixel with respect to the center ( the amount of shift from the center ) and the maximum value of the angle of incidence θ for three different vga ( 640 × 480 pixels ) image sensors whose pixel sizes are 1 . 4 um , 1 . 75 um and 2 . 2 um . the maximum value of the angle of incidence is an angle of view equivalent to that of a camera module using a lens for normal to wide angle applications . a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to a third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig5 ( a ) to fig5 ( d ) . the third embodiment is a wafer - level pinhole camera suitable for stereoscopic camera applications . fig5 ( a ) , as is fig2 ( i ) , is a cross sectional structure diagram after the expand tape 13 is literally expanded to increase the width of the dicing groove 11 in the gap portion between the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′, thereby severing the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ on the dicing groove bottom portion . a difference from fig2 ( i ′) is that the severing is done as if two adjacent image sensor chips were a single image sensor chip . the structure of the severed pinhole camera module is as shown in fig5 ( b ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface , and two openings 6 are formed in the light - blocking material 12 with an interval therebetween that is generally equivalent to the size of an image sensor chip . the openings corresponding to the two image sensor chips 1 ′ are denoted as 6 l and 6 r , respectively . they correspond to right - eye and left - eye camera lenses of a stereoscopic camera . distance measurement is done based on the misalignment between positions of incident light from the same spot on the subject on the image - forming surfaces of the two image sensor chips . the interval is expressed above as being generally equivalent to the size of an image sensor chip because the position of the opening slightly shifts from the center of the photosensitive area of the corresponding image sensor , depending on the position of the subject that is being mainly observed . a perspective view of the pinhole camera module shown in fig5 ( b ) is as shown in fig5 ( c ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface , and the openings 6 l and 6 r are formed in the light - blocking material 12 . the side wall portion light - blocking material 12 ′ and the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ are formed on the camera module side wall portion and the bottom portion . therefore , even if there is incident light from the side wall direction of the camera module , it is possible to prevent stray light from reaching the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip . the solder balls 7 are present on the image sensor chip reverse surface . fig5 ( d ) shows a perspective view of a pinhole camera module with four openings . four image sensor chips are arranged corresponding respectively to the four openings . the application of this camera module is in the field of multi - eye cameras , and this camera module is used in a camera system that obtains distance information from captured view images of the same subject for different incident directions . with conventional multi - eye cameras , distance information is calculated based on view images for different incident directions , and therefore the precision of the interval between images on the substrate is important . the precision of the interval between images is influenced by the camera mounting precision , the lens assembly precision and the image sensor mounting precision , and there is a need to improve these mounting precisions , requiring a high - precision mounting apparatus . even then , in total , a precision of only some tens of um can be realized . according to the third embodiment of the present invention , the interval between image sensor chips and the position of the opening corresponding to the lens are dictated by the mask production precision and the mask alignment precision , and a precision of 1 um or less can be achieved , which is a significant improvement in precision from the conventional art . for example , with the conventional systems , there may be variations by tens of pixels for the pixel size of 1 . 1 um , which is the size of current mainstream minute pixels . according to the present invention , on the other hand , positioning can be done at the center position of the unit pixel area of a 1 . 1 - um pixel , with a high mask alignment precision of about 0 . 1 um . a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig6 ( a ) to fig6 ( d ) . the fourth embodiment , as is the third embodiment , is a wafer - level pinhole camera suitable for stereoscopic camera applications . fig6 ( a ) , as is fig5 ( a ) , is a cross - sectional structure diagram after the expand tape 13 is literally expanded to increase the width of the dicing groove 11 in the gap portion between the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′, thereby severing the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ on the dicing groove bottom portion . a difference from fig5 ( a ) is that two openings are formed in one image sensor chip , and the severing is done so that each piece includes one image sensor chip . the structure of a severed pinhole camera module is as shown in fig6 ( b ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface of the single image sensor chip 1 ′, and two openings 6 l and 6 r are formed in the light - blocking material 12 . they also correspond to right - eye and left - eye camera lenses of a stereoscopic camera . distance measurement is done based on the misalignment between two positions of incident light from the same spot on the subject on the image forming surface of the single image sensor chip . a perspective view of the pinhole camera module shown in fig6 ( b ) is as shown in fig6 ( c ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface , and two openings are formed in the light - blocking material 12 . alight - blocking material is formed on the camera module side wall portion , preventing incident light coming from the side wall direction of the camera module from reaching the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip . solder balls are present on the image sensor chip reverse surface . fig6 ( d ) shows a perspective view of a pinhole camera module with four openings . the four openings correspond to one image sensor chip . the application of this camera module is also in the field of multi - eye cameras as that of fig5 ( d ) , and this camera is used in a camera system that obtains distance information from captured view images of the same subject for different incident directions . the shape of and around the opening of a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention and the transmitted light intensity distribution will be described with reference to fig7 ( a ) to fig7 ( d ) . fig7 ( c ) and fig7 ( d ) show a wafer - level pinhole camera corresponding to a fifth embodiment . fig7 ( a ) shows the shape of the opening 6 formed in the light - blocking material 5 according to the first to fourth embodiments . the light - blocking material wall surface portion of the opening 6 is vertical . fig7 ( b ) shows the intensity distribution of the transmitted light shown in fig7 ( a ) . the intensity distribution of the transmitted light is step shaped , corresponding to the shape of the opening . in the figure , the vertical axis is the transmitted light intensity , and the horizontal axis is the position information around the opening . fig7 ( c ) shows the shape of the opening 6 formed in the light - blocking material 5 of the wafer - level pinhole camera module according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention . the light - blocking material wall surface portion of a tapered opening 6 ′ is tapered and sloped . fig7 ( d ) shows the intensity distribution of the transmitted light shown in fig7 ( c ) . the intensity distribution of the transmitted light is tapered , corresponding to the shape of the opening . in the figure , the vertical axis is the transmitted light intensity , and the horizontal axis is the position information around the opening . now , the material of the light - blocking material 5 is selected so that the transmittance changes with the thickness and that an intensity distribution as shown in fig7 ( d ) can be realized . with the transmitted light intensity distribution as shown in fig7 ( d ) , it is similar to an apodization filter , and it is possible to improve the false resolution . the apodization filter can be formed on the cover glass , and the alignment can be done on the wafer level , enabling easy production . a method for manufacturing the shape of and around the opening of the wafer - level pinhole camera module according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in fig7 ( c ) will be described with reference to fig8 ( a ) to fig8 ( d ) . as shown in fig8 ( a ) , the light - blocking material 5 is applied on the cover glass wafer 4 , and a positive - type photosensitive material 14 is further applied thereon . a positive - type photosensitive material is a resist material such that exposed portions are removed by a developer , and is a material having such a characteristic that the post - development remaining thickness varies depending on the amount of light exposure . in the next step , as shown in fig8 ( b ) , the photosensitive material 14 is selectively irradiated with light . in this process , it is important to form an exposed area 14 ′ such that the amount of light exposure is varied across the photosensitive material 14 , corresponding to the tapered shape of the opening . in order to achieve this , the shade of a glass mask used in a semiconductor manufacturing process is varied so that the transmittance is varied at the edge of the opening pattern of the mask , thereby varying the amount of light exposure to be transmitted . in the next step , as shown in fig8 ( c ) , the exposed photosensitive material 14 ′, across which the amount of light exposure is varied , is removed in a development step . the remaining thickness of the photosensitive material varies depending on the amount of light exposure , resulting in a photosensitive material shape 14 ″ having a tapered opening pattern . in the next step , as shown in fig8 ( d ) , the tapered photosensitive material 14 ″ having the tapered opening pattern and the light - blocking material 5 are etched away at the same time . in this process , the etching rate for the photosensitive material and that for the light - blocking material are kept generally equal to each other so that it is possible to transfer the tapered photosensitive material 14 ″ onto the light - blocking material 5 as the tapered opening 6 ′ while maintaining the similarity in shape . in an alternative embodiment , as shown in fig1 ( c ) , the light - blocking material 5 having a light - blocking function is used , and the shade of a glass mask is varied so that the transmittance is varied at the edge of the opening pattern of the mask , thereby varying the amount of light exposure to be transmitted . thus , the amount of light exposure is varied in a tapered pattern across the light - blocking material 5 around the opening . then , the light - blocking material after development can be shaped into the light - blocking material shape 5 having the tapered opening 6 ′ as shown in fig8 ( d ) . a method for manufacturing a structure in which a lens shape is formed in the opening of a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig9 ( a ) to fig9 ( c ) . fig9 ( a ) corresponds to the fifth embodiment of fig7 ( c ) , showing a structure in which the light - blocking material 5 is applied on the cover glass wafer 4 being flat with no surface irregularities , and the positive - type photosensitive material 14 is further applied thereon . in the next step , the photosensitive material 14 corresponding to the position of the opening is selectively irradiated with light . the photosensitive material 14 can be irradiated with light having an amount of light exposure intensity distribution corresponding to a lens shape so that the photosensitive material 14 after development is shaped into a lens shaped photosensitive material 14 ′″ in the opening as shown in fig9 ( b ) . in order to achieve this , the shade of a glass mask used in a semiconductor manufacturing process is varied so that the transmittance is varied at the edge of the opening pattern of the mask , thereby varying the amount of light exposure to be transmitted , as shown in fig8 ( b ) , and the exposed area , across which the amount of light exposure is varied , can be removed in a development step , thus obtaining the lens - shaped photosensitive material 14 ′″, as shown in fig8 ( c ) . in the next step , as shown in fig8 ( d ) , the lens - shaped photosensitive material 14 ′″ and the cover glass material 4 are etched away at the same time . in this process , the etching rate for the photosensitive material and that for the cover glass material are kept generally equal to each other so that it is possible to transfer the lens shaped photosensitive material 14 ′″ onto the cover glass 4 as the lens shaped cover glass 4 ″. regarding the lens shape of the opening transferred onto the cover glass 4 , it can be transferred into a fresnel lens shaped cover glass 4 ′″ as shown in fig9 ( d ) . a microlens is formed over pixels in the photosensitive portion in embodiments 1 to 4 described above , but the microlens may be absent , and there is a hollow portion over the microlens , but the hollow portion may be filled with a material having a refractive index lower than that of the material of the microlens . moreover , an adhesive material on the image sensor is formed in areas other than the photosensitive portion , but an adhesive material may be applied across the entire surface of the image sensor as long as transparency can be reserved . the light - blocking material is shown in embodiments 1 to 4 described above to be covering the cover glass top surface , the cover glass side wall portion , the adhesive material side wall portion and the image sensor side wall portion , but the light - blocking material may cover only predetermined areas such that the light - blocking property of the cover glass top surface can be ensured , as long as light leakage from the side wall is not problematic in practical use . the cross - sectional shape of the opening in the light - blocking material is shown in embodiment 5 described above to be tapered , but the cross sectional shape may be vertical as shown in fig7 ( a ) . the lens shape in the opening is formed by etching the cover glass as shown in fig9 ( c ) and fig9 ( d ) in embodiment 5 described above , but it may be realized by forming , on the cover glass , a transparent material in a lens shape as shown in the opening of fig9 ( b ) . a light - blocking material is formed on the cover glass wafer and aligned with the alignment mark on the surface of the image sensor chip to form the opening in embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 described above . if the alignment mark on the surface of the image sensor chip cannot be detected due to the light - blocking material , the light - blocking material over the alignment mark may be partially removed by a width that is dictated by the mechanical precision , so as to detect the position of the alignment mark through the portion where the light - blocking material is removed , and the light - blocking material may be removed precisely in the area corresponding to the pinhole opening , thus forming the opening . the removed portion of the light - blocking material over the alignment mark may be coated , as necessary , with a light - blocking coating for blocking light . another possible method is that a step is formed in advance partially on the cover glass wafer surface , and the image sensor wafer is attached thereto by aligning the step with the alignment marker of the image sensor wafer , wherein the position at which the pinhole opening is formed is determined by detecting a step when applying the light - blocking material . a wiring electrode pattern is formed on the image sensor wafer reverse surface via a through electrode , with solder balls formed thereon , in embodiments 1 to 4 described above , but there is no need for the solder balls if there is a way to make an electrical connection between the substrate on which the solid state imaging device is mounted and the reverse surface wiring pattern without using solder balls ( e . g ., socket mounting or mounting via conductive paste ). since the wiring electrode pattern is formed on the image sensor wafer reverse surface via the through electrode , with solder balls formed thereon , an expand tape is attached on the surface , in embodiments 2 to 4 described above , but if the solder balls absent , the image sensor wafer can be divided into individual pieces by stretching the dicing tape without using the expand tape applied thereon . as described above , with a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to the present invention , the light - blocking process on the side surfaces can be done at once on the wafer level , in addition to being able to easily and precisely form pinholes at once in a wafer form , without the need to form pinholes individually as with ordinary pinhole camera modules . with a camera module of the present configuration , there is no lens mounting step , and there is no need for a lens focusing mechanism . the opening portion of the pinhole may be machined into a lens shape . it becomes similar to an apodization filter if the light - blocking property is gradually varied around the opening of the pinhole , thus improving the false resolution . the apodization filter can be formed on the cover glass , and the alignment can be done on the wafer level , enabling easy production . by handing everything on the wafer level , it is possible to provide very inexpensive camera modules .	7
as shown in the drawings , an apparatus 100 constructed in accordance with this invention includes a housing 102 with a wall 104 . the housing 102 can be made in a single piece by molding or can be made from two segments 102 a , 102 b joined together by a screw 106 . the housing can be made of a transparent material or a bottom portion 108 of the housing is transparent window 106 . housing 102 is formed with a front portion 110 including a conical extension 110 having an opening 112 . the opening 112 is preferably circular and has a diameter d . housing 102 further includes a rear wall 120 that is generally flat with a large opening 122 . opening 122 is aligned with opening 112 . the interior of the housing 102 is partitioned into three chambers 124 , 126 and 128 . a top portion 130 of the housing is removable to give access to chamber 124 . chamber 124 is used to house a removable standard battery ( typically an aaa battery ) 132 . also contained within the chamber 124 are a spring terminal 136 and a flat terminal 138 that contact the positive and negative terminals of the battery 132 in the normal manner . chamber 126 houses an electric motor 140 having a shaft 142 with a weight 144 . chamber 126 further includes a switch 148 operated by a switch cover 146 slidably mounted on wall 106 . moving the switch cover 146 in one direction closes the switch 148 which in turn provides power to the motor 140 from battery 132 . moving the switch cover 146 in the opposite direction turns the motor off . the weight 144 is not rotationally symmetrical but instead it is configured so that its center of gravity is offset from the axis of the shaft of the motor 140 . as a result , when the motor 140 is turned on , it causes the weight to rotate and this action causes the front section of the housing 102 , including conical extension 110 to vibrate laterally . preferably , the apparatus is configured so that the motor 140 rotates at about 15000 rpm and causes the conical section to vibrate gently at a small amplitude of less than 1 / 16 ″. chamber 128 houses a portion of a syringe holder 150 . as best seen in fig4 , this syringe holder 150 has an elongated portion 152 having an outer surface 154 . a semi - cylindrical longitudinal channel 156 extends through the holder 150 . the syringe holder 150 further includes an enlarged head 158 attached to one end of portion 152 . a window 160 is formed in the portion 152 adjacent to the head 158 . opposite head 158 , the portion 152 is formed with a tab 162 . the portion 152 is sized and shaped to fit through opening 122 . the tab 162 is provided to trap the portion 152 to insure that the syringe holder 150 does not fall out and get lost . the syringe holder 150 is configured so that its portion 152 can be moved back and forth axially through the chamber 128 . preferably , the channel 156 is sized and shaped to form an interference fit with the barrel of a typical syringe , such as a conventional 1 cc syringe 170 available from becton dickinson . as shown in fig2 , such a conventional syringe 170 includes a barrel 172 terminating with a replaceable needle 174 . the barrel 172 has gradations 176 to indicate the progress of an injection and the amount of fluid that has been expelled from the barrel 172 . disposed inside the barrel is a piston 178 ( see fig3 ) that is attached to a shaft 180 . the shaft 180 is terminated with a thumb pad 182 . the apparatus 100 is operated as follows . first the syringe 170 is loaded with an appropriate drug ( or any other substance that a health care provider desires to inject into a patient ). the loaded syringe is then inserted into syringe holder 150 so that its barrel 172 is held tightly and securely by the channel 156 . in this configuration , the needle 174 is completely contained within the apparatus 100 , and the health care provider , as well as the patient and others around the patient are protected from injury . in addition , the needle is hidden from view of a potentially anxious patient at all times . the barrel 172 and its gradations 176 are visible through the transparent wall 106 . next , the motor 140 is turned on by switch 148 causing the front end and conical section 110 to vibrate transversally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the syringe 170 . the tip of the conical section 110 is placed in contact with the skin of the patient at the site of injection . the vibration of the conical section is transferred to the skin of the patient and the tissues underlying the skin . the health care provider holds the apparatus 100 in this position with two fingers and then pushes the enlarged head 158 with his thumb axially toward the front of the apparatus 100 thereby causing the syringe to move forward with the needle 174 extending outwardly of the conical section 110 . since the conical section is touching the skin at the site of the injection , as the needle is advanced , it penetrates the vibrated skin and the tissues to the predetermined depth . next , the health care provider shifts his thumb from the enlarged head 158 to the thumb pad 182 and starts pushing it inward to inject the contents of the barrel . during this time , the conical section 110 keeps on vibrating thereby confusing the nerve pathways of the skin and tissues and reducing or eliminating pain to the patient . preferably the diameter d of opening 112 is sized so that is large enough to insure that as the conical section 110 vibrates , it does not touch needle 174 and therefore the vibration is not transmitted to the needle itself . the motor can be kept on until the injection is completed and the needle is withdrawn , or can be turned off any time before or after , thereafter stopping the vibration . it should be appreciated that the whole process can be performed with one hand holding the apparatus 100 while the skin can be held and manipulated with the other hand as needed . if multiple sites are injected sequentially , the needle can be retracted first , the conical section 112 can be moved to a new site , and the needle can then be extended again . once the process is completed , the syringe is removed from the holder 150 and at least its tip can be disposed . the conical section 102 is wiped with alcohol or other disinfectant and the apparatus 100 is ready to be used again . the apparatus can be sized and shaped to so that it can be used with several syringes of similar sizes , e . g . 1 , 3 or 5 cc , needles from 18 to 25 gauges and injection depth of up to ½ in or more . an apparatus with somewhat larger housing is needed for syringes of 3 , 5 , 10 , 20 or 60 ccs . as illustrated in the figures , the apparatus can be made with only five parts having special shapes and sizes , the rest of the parts being of standard shapes and sizes . the apparatus can be used for many different procedures including pediatric treatments , anesthesia , cosmetic treatments , drawing blood and blood donations , treatments for diabetes , veterinarian treatments , vaccines , etc . obviously numerous modifications may be made to the claims without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims . for example the housing can be easily adapted to work with automated injection devices .	0
[ 0034 ] fig1 provides an example of the present invention as implemented on a typical internet environment . the interface logic 100 for the supply chain learning system ( scls ) is contained on a web server 30 that is connected to other computers by networking means 40 , such as the internet , an intranet , or a local area network . the scls interface 100 is structured to receive requests from an end - user computer 60 or 62 for computer - based educational tools ; to compile a personal profile for the user ; and to monitor use of the computer - based , traditional , and distance learning educational tools . the term “ computer ” as used herein includes laptop computers , hand - held computers , computer workstations , main frames , personal digital assistants ( pdas ), or other web - enabled devices . generally , end users may access scls interface 100 directly through network connection 40 or indirectly through an end user &# 39 ; s computer &# 39 ; s local servers 50 a or 50 b . the number of end users of the sclc is limited only by the capacity of the networking means 40 and web server 30 , respectively , or by a customer &# 39 ; s license agreement . end user computers 60 and 62 provide user profile information and requests for educational material , either directly or indirectly , to scls interface 100 . educational content and user profiles are stored in a database 10 that is accessed according to the information provided by each of the end users . upon a request from an end user computer , specific educational content is retrieved from database 10 and delivered via networking means 40 , directly or indirectly through local server 50 a or 50 b , to the requesting end user computer . interface logic 100 supports hosting and delivery of computer based training ( cbt ) modules , recorded presentations , on - demand and live web casts , on - line chat sessions , discussion forums , and various media playback formats . files can be made available and transferred using , for example , hypertext markup language ( html ), various web page creation software , flash ™ file format and java ™ technology , audio playback software , and video playback software . access is obtained through a variety of user platforms including microsoft ® internet explorer ™ and netscape ® navigator ™, or other web browsers including publicly accessible web browsers . in a preferred embodiment , a third party learning services provider can host the present invention , with end user customer accesses to the educational materials in database 10 restricted by license agreements . in such an embodiment , the content that an end user can access through scls interface 100 can be tailored to the needs of individual users or user groups as determined by the licensing customer organization . customer accounts can be designed to accommodate core learning assets or additional licensed assets . similarly , accounts can be structured to allow end users access to learning assets beyond the customer &# 39 ; s license agreement on an individual tuition basis , as shown below in fig3 . the educational content of database 10 may be supplemented for specific end users with additional content 20 provided by any licensing customer group . as shown in fig2 the scls 100 comprises four interrelated components — a training component 200 , a knowledge component 300 , a collaboration component 400 , and a distance learning component 500 — and combines a range of tools within these four components . the combination of tools includes computer - based educational tools , traditional learning educational tools , and distance learning educational tools and provides convenience , cost - effectiveness and a sense of community for the learning experience . computer - based educational tools include those learning assets delivered from scls 100 to an end user &# 39 ; s computer . traditional learning educational tools include , for example , learning assets provided through personal or classroom instruction and team - oriented projects . distance learning educational tools include , for example , pre - recorded audio / video media , telephone conferences , and mailed / faxed materials . the blend of technology for training component 200 includes use of on - line simulations ( for groups or individuals ) 210 , self study web - based training modules 220 , audio / video conference calls 230 , team - oriented assignments 240 , discussion threads 250 , virtual lectures 260 , and traditional seminars 270 . a preferred embodiment includes a comprehensive collection of web - based modules designed to build specific skills and knowledge . these modules provide structure for an overall training program by using compiled groups of topics (“ learning series ”). however , an organization can also customize the learning environment to emphasize particular needs or even eliminate access to particular courses or learning series . also , the invention is structured to accommodate a broad range of education levels among targeted users . thus , the content and delivery format must be tied appropriately to the target audience of each course . on - line simulations 210 present learners with scenarios that are representative of experiences within the supply chain environment . these simulations can be tailored for groups or individuals and may require , for example , discussions , research , meetings or interviews that are conducted off - line . self study web - based training modules 220 comprise a computer based training self - study that allows a user to work through a selected training area at the user &# 39 ; s own schedule . conference calls 230 , both audio and video , provide a means for interactive discussions among peers and with instructors when learning participants are not located in the same geographic area . conference calls are especially effective when used for kick - off sessions for group projects and for providing instructor feedback . team - oriented assignments 240 provide a wide range of learning benefits well - known in the art . use of the distance learning component tools eliminates geographical barriers typically associated with group projects and allows for more flexibility in the selection of participants . for example , senior supply managers in three different states may participate together in a group project ; whereas prior learning systems would be limited to groups within the same geographic area , so that a group project would include possibly a senior manager and employees in other positions . of course , where geographic location and personnel permit , team oriented assignments cam be conducted locally . discussion threads 250 provide series of questions ( typically in conjunction with a previous case study or reading assignment ) for an individual or team to answer to help assimilate the training materials . after completing assigned reading , a learner may access the discussion thread area on - line , review the questions and provide answers . in a group setting , the questions may require a collaborative effort . virtual lectures 260 provide an avenue for traditional instruction without the travel requirements or classroom restrictions . lectures can be conducted , for example , as a live web - cast or recorded for viewing at the user &# 39 ; s convenience . recognizing the limits to the ability to simulate live interaction , traditional seminars 270 are included as an instructional tool where appropriate . the knowledge component 300 includes access to white papers 310 , news feeds 320 , topical web sites 340 , and customer uploads 350 relevant to supply chain management . these knowledge tools can be made available to the learner on demand . the knowledge component can be incorporated into part of a particular training curriculum or it can be used as a continuing education aspect of the invention . the collaboration component 400 provides a forum for discussion among peers and experts within the supply chain field that help to build community among participants . for example , a chat room 410 is used to allow for a continuous environment for participants in the supply chain to exchange ideas and ask questions of peers . additionally , discussion forums 420 are used to provide a scheduled environment to discuss issues with experts and peers alike . discussion forums may be conducted on - line or in a traditional live stetting . distance learning component 500 overlaps with and enables the other scls components . this component includes capabilities such as live web casts audio conferences , and video conferences . also , the scls interface can be used to host events , record them , and make them available electronically as part of a training program or knowledge tool . another feature of the scls generally includes the ability to customize the content ( by company , group , region , etc .) available to the end user . a licensing organization may choose to restrict access to that learning content which specifically aligns with the organization &# 39 ; s involvement in the supply chain . the supply chain management e - course provides a specific embodiment of the invention that utilizes most aspects of the scls . the e - course modifies a typical short - term ( approximately 1 day , or up to a few weeks ) classroom course into a course that attends to the same learning aspects in discrete increments over several weeks or months . traditional educational methods such as lectures , case studies , group projects , and discussion groups are incorporated into a blended learning approach that allows for distance learning while maintaining the personal interaction and community of the traditional format . the e - course exemplifies the scls method with a blend of self - study , conferences , individual tasks , on - line training , group projects , web casts and personal feedback . referring back to fig1 end users ( students ) create a user profile and access scls interface 100 for delivery of course materials , conducting computer - based training , accessing course schedules , participating in web casts or discussion groups , and reporting task progress . the end user &# 39 ; s progress through the e - course is recorded in the respective user profile and stored in database 10 for later retrieval . benefits of the e - course include lower costs and greater retention compared to traditional short - term courses , the convenience and flexibility of distance learning , the community of traditional learning , and reduced disruption of the workforce . an example of the blended learning approach used in the e - course is shown in fig4 . course registration is conducted by logging in to scls interface 100 ( fig1 ) with the appropriate user profile and selecting the desired course . access to the course schedule and materials is provided on a course home page . through the course home page , students access a series of scheduled and unscheduled discussions , presentations in various formats , and reading materials . students also post deliverables and assignments for access by other students and / or the course instructor . group projects are organized and tracked on the home page , but the logistics for each individual group are arranged separately . thus , the e - course includes a combination of scheduled ( synchronous ) and unscheduled ( asynchronous ) elements , as shown in fig5 . as an example , the course could begin with a live ( or live web cast or live audio conference call ) kickoff session that requires the simultaneous attendance by every class member . each student can conduct subsequent reading , complete assignments , or view lectures separately within a set time period to be followed by a scheduled class debrief via web cast or conference call . in addition to individual and class activities , students are assigned into teams for the purpose of conducting simulations and / or case studies . team projects are conducted individually ( i . e ., individual preparation ), as a team ( i . e ., group preparation ), and with the entire class ( i . e ., formal presentations ). completion of individual assignments , “ attendance ” at web casts , team assignments , and other class participation metrics are recorded as part of each student &# 39 ; s user profile . the learning system of the present invention allows members of the same organization — or members of different organizations within the supply chain that have similar learning needs — to participate in the same course regardless of each member &# 39 ; s geographic location . the use of distance learning tools reduces costs and travel commitments that might otherwise prevent or limit participation . the course format allows for the possibility of larger class sizes than traditional interactive seminars ; or , alternatively , specific learning groups can be formed that would not be feasible . for example , in a case where a transportation specialist has learning needs distinct from other workers within his organization , he can be grouped in a learning team with transportation specialists from other organizations . thus , participants receive an educational benefit not only from the course content , but also from the collective insights of similarly - situated actors in the supply chain . [ 0051 ] fig3 illustrates the approval process for a typical system upon which scls 100 may be implemented . the system may be implemented as an internet - based model or within other mediums , such as a local area network . the user goes through an initial logon process 110 that identifies the appropriate corporate identity and collects basic profile information for the user . the personal profile 130 is then created and updated as the user creates preferences while using the system . for subsequent use after the initial logon , the user provides a username and password from the user &# 39 ; s profile in accordance with subsequent logon process 120 , before proceeding to personal profile 130 . one embodiment of the invention includes the ability of the scls interface to interact with a customer &# 39 ; s own learning management system to track enrollment and course completion . reports for individual system users or groups of users can be made available to , for example , a licensing corporation for the purpose of tracking that corporation &# 39 ; s employee training progress . alternatively , the scls can act in a limited capacity as a stand - alone learning management system , collecting real - time course registration / enrollment data , course completion , and completion of traditional and distance learning activities . under the identified personal profile 130 of fig3 the user then accesses the scls portal 140 that contains training materials , a knowledge materials , collaborative resources , distance learning tools , and searching capabilities customized to that personal profile . scls portal 140 can be customized according to user profile information that may incorporate user - specific preferences as well as preferences that may be defined under a group license of which the user is a member . for example , when a user accesses the portal &# 39 ; s homepage through the above - described logon process , the homepage may display news and announcements specific to the user &# 39 ; s group or corporate entity . listings with links to recently completed , current , and scheduled learning activities for the specific user may also be displayed . the portal homepage display can similarly be customized to contain links only to the features identified by the user &# 39 ; s license agreement , selected , for example , from the group of options within the training 200 , knowledge 300 , collaboration 400 , and distance learning 500 components described in fig2 . furthermore , the portal homepage display can be customized by providing a user with access to some , none , or all of the available learning series and the associated components necessary to complete the accessible learning series . in some embodiments , the portal homepage can include a link to the user &# 39 ; s learning management information 140 ( fig3 ). also within the customized portal 140 is the option to access additional learning assets . standard licensed assets 150 are accessible when included as part of the corporate identity created during initial logon 110 . additionally , tuition - based assets 190 may be accessed by having the user complete registration process 160 and then receiving approval from the user &# 39 ; s company in client approval process 170 . once approval process 170 is completed , process 180 generates a billing record for the user that is reported to the service provider &# 39 ; s accounting department for client billing 185 . the user is then granted access to the tuition based learning assets 190 . examples of a user interface for web - based embodiments according to the present invention are contained in fig6 through 11 . fig6 shows a login page . in accordance with subsequent login process 120 ( fig3 ), prior users or those who have been registered through a corporate license may enter their registered username an password in the spaces provided to gain access to scls portal 140 ( fig3 ). [ 0055 ] fig7 is an example of a welcome page for a typical registered user seen after a successful login . the “ my learning assets ” heading provides user - specific links to that user &# 39 ; s currently registered coursework and other learning materials . the listed course include embedded links to the respective course homepage . the “ my scheduled events ” heading provides user - specific links to upcoming courses , presentations and other assets for which the user has already registered . links to other components of the scls portal are included on the right side of the screen . information specific to a user &# 39 ; s organization or information about the learning portal can also be displayed on the welcome page . the “ find learning assets ” link in fig7 provides access to search capabilities of sclc portal 140 , as shown in fig8 . in fig8 a topical search was conducted for the term transportation , with a portion of the search results shown . searches may also be conducted by other criteria using means known in the art . the search results list course titles with links to each respective course &# 39 ; s information / registration page . fig9 shows an example of an information / registration page . also listed with the search results is basic descriptive information about the course including the time required , the type of training each course involves ( i . e ., online self - study , expert on - demand , workshop , e - course , expert audio / web conference , discussion forum , workshop , or other self - study materials ), and whether the course is part of the generally licensed package or a tuition - based asset . the “ eknowledge ” link in fig7 provides access to the knowledge component of the scls portal 140 , as shown in fig1 . the page includes links to topical news groups , white papers , and web sites that may be more timely than , or a supplement to , the course content in the scls . the “ learning series ” link in fig7 provides access to descriptions of a variety of structured topical series . fig1 provides an example of a particular learning series , “ inventory management & amp ; fulfillment ,” with a partial list of representative course that make up that particular learning series . each listed course includes a link to a course information / registration page and a short course description . links to other learning series are included on the right hand side of the screen . similarly , the “ supply chain education program ” link in fig7 provides access to an scls program framework , as shown in fig1 . the available learning assets within the scls are grouped into one of ( for example ) three categories to help structure a user &# 39 ; s learning environment . while exemplary embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous insubstantial variations , changes , and substitutions will now be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed herein by the applicants . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope by the claims as they will be allowed .	6
while the present invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms , there is shown in the drawings , and herein will be described in detail , an embodiment thereof with the understanding that the present description is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein . the method and apparatus of the present invention is used to remove rivets which have been installed in work pieces . typically , the method and apparatus of the present invention are used to remove rivets of the self - piercing type . fig1 illustrates a typical self - piercing rivet 10 positioned for installation into a work piece 12 . although the method and apparatus of the present invention can be used to remove rivets from a variety of work pieces , a particular application will be described herein . the work piece 12 shown in fig1 is a drip rail which is used to divert water away from openings in a vehicle , for example , the opening around a window . the work piece 12 consists of three layers , the first layer or outside drip rail 12 a , the second layer or inside drip rail 12 b and the third layer or frame of the vehicle 12 c . the first layer 12 a includes an upwardly directed flange 13 a , the second layer 12 b includes an upwardly directed flange 13 b , and the third layer 12 c includes a downwardly directed flange 13 c . the rivet 10 includes an enlarged head portion 14 and a stem portion 16 . a cavity 18 is provided within the stem portion 16 . the rear side 20 of work piece 12 abuts an anvil 22 which provides resistance upon installation of the rivet 10 . a recess 24 is provided in the anvil 22 . the recess 24 will receive a deformed portion of the work pieces upon installation of the rivet 10 . installation of the rivet 10 will begin as the rivet 10 pierces the front side 26 of the work piece 12 . fig2 illustrates the rivet 10 as installed within the work piece 12 . as shown in fig2 , upon installation , the rivet has pierced the front side 26 of the work piece 12 , the first layer 12 a and the second layer 12 b . the third layer 12 c has not been pierced . as a result of the installation process , a button 28 has been formed which protrudes from the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 . also , upon installation , the cavity 18 of the rivet 10 is filled with material from the work piece 12 . as described above , it may become necessary to remove the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 . in such situations , the apparatus and method of the present invention can be used to effectuate the removal of the rivet 10 . the method of the present invention uses two tools to remove the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 . first , a hand held device or drilling tool 30 ( shown in fig3 – 10 ) is used to remove the button 28 of the rivet 10 , and then a compression tool 32 ( shown in fig1 – 13 ) is used to eject the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 . as shown in fig3 , the drilling tool 30 generally includes a handle portion 34 and tooling or support structure 36 . the handle portion 34 includes a front handle portion 38 and a rear handle portion 40 . a front jaw member 42 extends from the front handle portion 38 and a rear jaw member 44 extends from the rear handle portion 40 . the front and rear handle portions 38 , 40 and the front and rear jaw members 42 , 44 can be , for example , of the type used with a hand - held clamping device , such as the hand - held tool commonly called a vise grips . a u - shaped front tooth 46 extends from the front jaw member 42 and a u - shaped rear tooth 48 extends from the rear jaw member 44 . the front tooth 46 includes an upper prong 50 , a lower prong 52 , and a recess 54 between the upper prong 50 and the lower prong 52 . the rear tooth 48 includes an upper prong 56 , a lower prong 58 , and a recess 60 between the upper prong 56 and the lower prong 58 . as shown in fig4 , the front tooth 46 is aligned with the rear tooth 48 such that the upper prong 50 of the front tooth 46 is aligned with the upper prong 56 of the rear tooth 48 and the lower prong 52 of the front tooth 46 is aligned with the lower prong 58 of the rear tooth 48 . a mouth 62 is provided between the front tooth 46 and the rear tooth 48 . the mouth 62 is enlarged as the front handle portion 38 and the rear handle portion 40 are moved away from each other . the mouth 62 is closed as the front handle portion 38 and the rear handle portion 40 are moved toward each other . a thumb screw 64 is provided for adjusting the drilling tool 30 on the work piece 12 . as the thumb screw 64 is turned in one direction the mouth 62 of the drilling tool becomes smaller and as the thumb screw 64 is turned in the opposite direction , the mouth 62 of the drilling tool becomes larger . as shown in fig5 , the support structure 36 includes a generally t - shaped first member 70 and a generally u - shaped second member 72 . the first member 70 includes the rear tooth 48 , a first pin support 74 extending from one side of the rear tooth 48 , a second pin support 76 extending from the opposite side of the rear tooth 48 , and a collar platform 78 extending from the rear side of the rear tooth 48 . the second member 72 of the support structure 56 includes a base 80 , a first arm 82 , a second arm 84 , a first spring plunger 86 and a second spring plunger 88 . the base 80 is generally parallel to the first and second pin supports 74 , 76 . the first and second arms 82 , 84 extend from either end of the base 80 and are generally perpendicular to the base 80 . the first spring plunger 86 is generally perpendicular to the first arm 82 and extends from the opposite end of the first arm 82 as the base 80 . the second spring plunger 88 is generally perpendicular to the second arm 84 and extends from the opposite end of the second arm 84 as the base 80 . in describing the tool 30 the term proximal will be used to describe items closest to the base 80 and the term distal will be used to describe items closest to the first member 70 . the first member 70 is connected to the second member 72 , through a first pin 90 and a second pin 92 . the first pin 90 extends through an aperture in the first spring plunger 86 and through an aperture in the first pin support 74 . the second pin 92 extends through an aperture in the second spring plunger . 88 and through an aperture in the second pin support 76 . threads are provided on the surface of the apertures in the first and second pin support members 74 , 76 which engage with threads on the surface of one end of each pin 90 , 92 . enlarged portions 91 , 93 are provided on the opposite ends of each of the pins 90 , 92 respectively . a first spring 94 is mounted around the first pin 90 and is seated between the the first spring plunger 86 and the enlarged portion of 91 of the first pin 90 . a second spring 96 is mounted around the second pin 92 and is seated between the second spring plunger 88 and the enlarged portion 93 of the second pin 92 . as shown in fig6 , an aperture 98 is provided in the center of the base portion 80 of the second member 72 of the support structure 36 . an aperture 100 is also provided through the collar platform 78 and the rear tooth 48 of the first member 70 . the aperture 98 is aligned with the aperture 100 . a sleeve 101 is positioned within the aperture 100 and has an enlarged portion 103 which extends beyond the aperture in the collar platform 78 . a drill bit 102 is mounted through the apertures 98 , 100 and through the sleeve 101 such that the rear end of the drill bit 102 extends proximally through the aperture 98 and the cutting end of the drill bit 102 extends distally through the aperture 100 . a conical tip 108 is provided on the cutting end of the drill bit 102 . the diameter of the drill bit 102 is slightly larger than the diameter of the button 28 on the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 and the diameter of the apertures 98 , 100 and the aperture through the sleeve 101 are slightly larger than the diameter of the drill bit 102 . a collar or depth adjuster 104 is mounted on the drill bit 102 between the base 80 of the first member 70 and the sleeve 101 . the collar 104 is designed to slide axially along the drill bit 102 between the sleeve 101 which abuts the collar platform 78 of the first member 70 and the base 80 of the second member 72 . the collar 104 can be , for example , a common split sleeve fastener . once the collar 104 has been correctly positioned , the collar 104 is locked in place by tightening the split sleeve fastener . the collar 104 is used to adjust the distance the drill bit 102 can travel and therefore the depth of the hole to be drilled as will be described herein . the cutting end and conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 extends through the aperture 100 in the rear tooth 48 . a chip removal slot 106 is provided in the rear tooth 48 for the removal of the drilling debris . the rear end of the drill bit 102 extends beyond the second member 72 of the support 36 . use of the tool 30 begins by the setting a depth l to which the drill bit 102 will cut into the rivet 10 . the collar 104 is loosened to allow the drill bit 102 to be positioned within the drilling tool 30 . the distance the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 is positioned beyond the rear tooth 48 will determine the depth l to which the drill bit 102 will cut into the rivet 10 . typically the drill bit 102 is positioned so that the button 28 is removed to a depth which leaves the button 28 generally flush with the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 . after the depth l is set , the collar 104 and the drill bit 102 are forced down to sleeve 101 by a pre - load spring force from springs 94 , 96 . the pre - load spring force of springs 94 , 96 further forces base 80 down against the collar 104 which , in turn , is forced down against the sleeve 101 , thus creating a positive stop between the collar 104 and the enlarged portion 103 of the sleeve 101 . the tool 30 thus generates a pre - load as the springs 94 , 96 have a built in spring force which is present at each step of the rivet removal process , such that users do not have to supply an end load to the tool 30 to get the drill bit 102 to move forward . the jaw members 42 , 44 of the drilling tool 30 are opened by opening the front and rear handle portions 38 , 40 . the front jaw member 42 is positioned near the front side 26 of the work piece 12 and the rear jaw member 44 is placed near the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 . the drilling tool 30 is positioned so that button 28 created upon installation of the rivet 10 is positioned centrally within the aperture 100 and the drill bit 102 is centrally aligned with the button 28 . as shown in fig7 , the mouth 62 of the tool 30 is placed around the work piece 12 and the rear tooth 48 contacts the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 and the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 contacts an indentation in the button 28 to assist centering of the tool 30 . pre - loading of the drill bit 102 generated by the springs 94 , 96 , assists and maintains the centering of the drill bit 102 to the button 28 of the rivet 10 . as the drilling tool 30 is fastened on to the work piece 12 , the button 28 of the rivet 10 contacts the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 and the drill bit 102 is forced proximally . as the drill bit 102 is forced toward the user , the collar 104 pushes against the base 80 of the second member 72 , and first and second spring plungers 86 , 88 compress the springs 94 , 96 . upon compression of the springs 94 , 96 a gap 107 is provided between the collar 104 and the sleeve 101 . the compression of the springs 94 , 96 provides an increased force to be released , over the pre - load force provided by the springs 94 , 96 , which eliminates the need for an end load to be applied by the user . a drill 109 ( a portion of which is shown in fig7 ) is mounted to the rear end of the drill bit 102 . preferably , the point of the drill bit 102 is sized to a diameter d 1 , which is slightly larger than the rivet body diameter which reduces the push out forces . when power is supplied to the drill 109 , the drill bit 102 will begin to rotate . as shown in fig8 , the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 contacts the button 28 , and the button 28 is removed from the remainder of the work piece 12 by the drilling action of the drill bit 102 . debris from the drilling action exits through the chip removal slot 106 ( see fig5 ). as the drill bit 102 advances within the work piece 12 , the increased spring force of the springs 94 , 96 is released and the second member 72 moves toward the first member 70 . the drill bit 102 and the collar 104 move with second member 72 as it advances toward the first member 70 , closing the gap 107 between the collar 104 and the sleeve 101 . the drill bit 102 , collar 104 and second member 72 will continue to advance until the gap 107 has been eliminated and the collar 104 contacts the sleeve 101 , which acts as a positive stop such that no further material can be removed from the rivet 10 . as a result of the drilling action , the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 forms a concave recess 110 in the work piece 12 . as shown in fig9 , when the drilling tool 30 is used in connection with a drip rail , the flange 13 a is positioned within the recess 54 , and flanges 13 b and 13 c remain outside of the mouth 62 of the drilling tool 30 . the relative dimensions of the recess 54 , the upper prong 50 of the front tooth 46 , the upper prong 56 of the rear tooth 48 and the work piece 12 allow upper prong 50 to contact the front side 26 of the work piece 12 as the flange 13 a is positioned within the recess 54 . the drilling tool 30 provides precise alignment of the drill bit 102 with the button 28 and provides for stabilization of the drill bit 102 with respect to the work piece 12 . the spring force provided by springs 94 , 96 eliminates the need for end force to be applied by the user . this also reduces the risk of the drill bit 102 slipping off the button 28 and marring the work piece 12 . in addition , unlike the grinding process , the drilling process does not cause dust to spray into the air and therefore eliminates the risk of the user inhaling toxic dust particles . preferably , the drill bit 102 will be positioned within the collar 104 so that upon release of the increased spring force and completion of the drilling process , the button 28 is flush with the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 as shown in fig1 . the diameter d 1 of the conical tip 108 is smaller than a flare diameter d 2 of the rivet 10 at the drilled depth . upon completion of drilling , the stem 16 of the rivet 10 will be exposed and the concave recess 110 will be centrally located in the cavity 18 of the rivet 10 . this concave recess 110 will assist in aligning the compression tool 32 as will be described below . the drilling tool 30 is released from the work piece 12 by releasing the front handle portion 38 and the rear handle portion 40 . the compression tool 32 used to eject the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 will now be described . the compression tool 32 utilizes a conventional tool such as a compression riveter . for example , the compression / squeeze riveter ( model number us114ta ) sold by united states industrial tool & amp ; supply company can be used along with the bits 130 , 132 to be described below , to eject the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 . additional information about the squeeze riveter sold by united states industrial tool & amp ; supply company can be found at www . ustool . com . as shown in fig1 – 13 , the compression tool 32 includes a body 33 , a generally u - shaped first arm 112 and a generally u - shaped second arm 114 . the body 33 contains the components necessary to activate the first arm 112 and the second arm 114 . the first arm 112 includes a first end 116 and a second end 118 . the second arm 114 includes a first end 120 and a second end 122 . the first end 116 of the first arm 112 is joined to the first end 120 of the second arm 114 by a pin 124 which allows the arms 112 , 114 to rotate relative to one another . as shown in fig1 , a pushing bit 130 is mounted to the first arm 112 . the pushing bit 130 includes an elongated mounting portion 134 and an elongated pushing end 136 . a conically shaped tip 138 extends from the pushing end 136 . the conically shaped tip 138 matches the recess 110 of the work piece 12 due to the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 which formed the recess 110 . the matching of the conically shaped tip 138 and the recess 110 assists and maintains the centering of the compression tool 32 so that the rivet 10 can be removed with little or no distortion to the hole in the work piece 12 . a passageway 126 is provided in the second end 118 of the first arm 112 . the mounting portion 134 is positioned within the passageway 126 and a spring is placed within a groove 140 on the mounting portion 134 and retains the pushing bit 130 within the passageway 126 . a catching bit 132 is mounted to the second end 122 of the second arm 114 . the catching bit 132 includes an elongated mounting portion 142 and an enlarged cup shaped catching end 144 . a catching recess 146 is provided within the catching end 144 . a passageway 128 is provided in the second end 122 of the second arm 114 . the mounting portion 142 is positioned within the passageway 128 and a spring is placed within a groove 148 on the mounting portion 142 and retains the catching bit 132 within the passageway 128 . to remove the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 , the work piece 12 is placed between the pushing bit 130 and the catching bit 132 . the work piece 12 is aligned such that the front side 26 of the work piece 12 is proximate to the catching bit 132 and the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 is proximate to the pushing bit 130 . as shown in fig1 , the tip 138 of the pushing bit 130 is placed within the recess 110 of the work piece 12 and the catching bit 132 is aligned such that the head 14 of the rivet 10 is aligned with the recess 146 of the catching bit 132 . as shown in fig1 , when the compression tool 32 is activated , the second end 118 of the arm 112 is driven toward the second end 122 of the second arm 114 . the pushing end 136 of the pushing bit 130 is then driven through the layers 12 c , 12 b , 12 a of the work piece 12 and the rivet 10 is ejected from the work piece 12 . the ejected rivet 10 is captured within the recess 146 of the catching end 144 . as the rivet 10 is pushed out of the work piece 12 , an extremely high amount of energy is built up due to the fit between the rivet 10 and the work piece 12 , such that when the rivet 10 starts to move , the stored up energy is released and the rivet 10 is ejected from the work piece 12 with a great amount of force . thus , it is important that the rivet 10 is captured within the recess 146 to prevent injury to the user or another individual standing by . ejection of the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 using the compression tool 32 allows for efficient removal of the rivet without damage to the surfaces of the work piece 12 . upon removal of the rivet 10 , the work pieces can be properly aligned and a new rivet can be installed . while an embodiment of the present invention is shown and described , it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . for example , it is to be understood that the present invention can be used with a work piece with any number of layers or with a variety of shaped work pieces including simply flat work pieces . as shown in fig9 and 10 for example , the dimensions of the front tooth 46 and the rear tooth 48 can be modified to accept these various shaped work pieces . also , for example the drilling tool 30 and the compression tool 32 could be adapted for automation rather than hand activated .	8
according to present invention , techniques for processing semiconductor integrated circuit devices are provided . more particularly , the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for a lithography process for manufacture of integrated circuits . merely by way of example , the invention has been applied to a wafer edge expose step in a lithography process . in a specific embodiment , an apparatus for a lithography process for fabricating semiconductor integrated devices is provided . the apparatus includes providing a process chamber . the process chamber may be configured for a track tool for lithography process . the apparatus includes an illumination system , the illumination system provides a light source to expose photoresist material on selected regions on a semiconductor substrate . as an example , the light source can be a arf laser emitting a ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 193 nm . the apparatus includes a fiber optic to direct light from the light source to the semiconductor substrate . the apparatus may also include a shutter to control exposure of the photoresist material on selected regions on the semiconductor substrate . the apparatus includes an optical element . for example , the optical element can be a lens to expose portions of the semiconductor substrate and may comprise material such as calcium fluoride in a specific embodiment . the optical element is positioned at an end of the fiber optics and at a distance from the semiconductor substrate . this distance may range from about 0 . 3 - 0 . 5 mm in accordance with certain embodiments . the apparatus also includes an enclosure having a first opened ending and a second opened ending . the first opened ending is coupled to the optical element and the second opened ending is positioned above the semiconductor substrate . the enclosure is perforated and may be substantially cylindrical . the apparatus includes a gas delivery system to provide a gas to flow through the enclosure . the gas is provided to isolate the optical element from a vapor component of the photoresist material during exposure in the lithography process and eliminates a solid material from depositing on the optical element , thereby maintaining the intensity of light transmitted through the optical element at a desired level . the apparatus may also include a gas control system . the gas control system includes a solenoid valve to provide opening / shutting of the shutter , a air - spring valve to control the gas flows through the enclosure , and a three way valve . the three way valve is coupled in common to the solenoid valve and the air - spring valve and provides a mean to simultaneously flow the gas through the enclosure and to open the shutter for exposure of the photoresist material . in a specific embodiment , a method for fabricating semiconductor integrated circuits is provided . the method includes providing a semiconductor substrate . the semiconductor substrate has a surface and may have devices partially fabricated on it . a photoresist material is deposited overlying the surface of the semiconductor substrate . the method includes disposing the semiconductor substrate on a pedestal of a track tool . the method includes directing a ultraviolet light onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate to expose the photoresist material in a pre - select region of the semiconductor substrate . other region of the semiconductor substrate is masked . in a specific embodiment , the pre - select region of the semiconductor substrate includes a peripheral region . the peripheral region ranges from 3 to 5 mm from wafer edge in certain embodiments . the ultraviolet light may be transmitted from a source using a fiber optic . a lens is coupled to an end of the fiber optic to expose the wafer . the lens comprises calcium fluoride in certain embodiment . the ultraviolet light may be provided using an arf laser at a wavelength of 193 nm in certain embodiments . the ultraviolet light interacts with the exposed photoresist material in the peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate and thereby causes a vapor to form . due to the vicinity of the lens to the wafer , the vapor cannot be removed effectively by exhaust , and may condense on the lens as a salt to form a crystalline material . the crystalline material reduces intensity of the light transmitted through the lens . the method includes providing a gas flowing through an enclosure coupled to the lens simultaneously with the exposing step . the enclosure is perforated and substantially cylindrical . the gas removes the vapor from the photoresist material during exposure and prevents the crystal material to form on the lens . the intensity of the ultraviolet light transmitted through the lens can be maintained at a desired level . many benefits are achieved by ways of the present invention . for example , the present invention provides a method and an apparatus to prevent contamination of optical components used in lithography process . additionally , the method and apparatus are compatible to conventional process technology without substantial modification to conventional processes . depending on the embodiment , one or more of the benefits may be achieved . these and other benefits will be described in more detail throughout the specification and more particularly below . fig1 ( a )-( c ) illustrate a wafer edge expose step in a lithography process . a semiconductor substrate 100 is provided . the semiconductor substrate may have devices partially fabricated thereon . a photoresist material 102 is deposited overlying the semiconductor substrate . as shown in fig1 ( c ), a wafer edge expose region 101 is defined in a peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate . the wafer edge expose region has a predetermined width from wafer edge . the predetermined width ranges from 3 mm to 5 mm in certain embodiment . the wafer edge expose region is exposed to an ultraviolet light while other region of the semiconductor substrate is masked using a photomask . illustrated in fig1 ( a ) is an apparatus according to a conventional method for a wafer edge expose step for a lithography process for manufacturing integrated circuits . as shown , an illumination system 10 for a wafer edge expose process is provided . the illumination system comprises of a ultraviolet light source ( not shown ). the ultraviolet light source may be a arf laser emitting light at a wavelength of 193 nm . the ultraviolet light is transmitted using a fiber optic ( not shown ). semiconductor wafer 100 including photoresist material 102 is disposed on a pedestal 104 . a lens 106 coupled to an end of the fiber optic waveguide is positioned at a distance of about 0 . 5 ± 0 . 2 mm from the wafer surface . illustrated in fig1 ( b ) is a schematic diagram showing use of the conventional apparatus of fig1 ( a ). when the photoresist material is exposed to the ultraviolet light in a wafer edge expose process , a vapor component of the photoresist is evaporated . due to the proximity of the lens to the substrate , the vapor component cannot be removed effectively by exhaust system . the vapor component condenses as a solid crystal on the lens . the solid crystal reduces an intensity of light transmitted through the lens . the lens would need to be cleaned or even replaced if the deposit on the lens too severe . these and other limitations are described in more detailed throughout the specification . specifically , fig2 ( a ) is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating performance of a conventional apparatus for processing a semiconductor integrated circuit device . fig2 ( b ) is a simplified plot illustrating light intensity transmitted through lens 106 of the conventional apparatus after 2700 hours of use , for ten consecutive exposures performed prior to lens cleaning , and ten consecutive runs performed after lens cleaning . the vertical axis illustrates intensity of light passing through the optical element . as shown in plot 202 , light intensity remains at a relatively low level ( 930 - 949 units ) due to solid deposited on the lens . by contrast , as shown in plot 204 , after cleaning the light intensity increases to 1100 - 1800 units . such deposit on the lens and corresponding loss of intensity of transmitted light may eventually become severe enough to require replacement of the lens . fig3 ( a ) is a simplified schematic diagram showing an apparatus for processing semiconductor integrated circuits according to an embodiment of the present invention . this diagram is merely an example , which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein . one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations , alternatives , and modifications . as shown , a semiconductor substrate 301 is provided . the semiconductor substrate may have devices partially fabricated thereon . a photoresist material 303 is deposited on a surface of the semiconductor substrate . shown in fig3 ( b ) is a simplified cross - sectional view of an illumination system 30 for lithography process . the illumination system is configured for wafer edge expose process in a specific embodiment . the wafer edge expose process exposes photoresist material in a peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate while other region is being masked . the peripheral region has a width of about 3 - 5 mm from the wafer edge in certain embodiments . the illumination system includes a fiber optic waveguide to direct a light from a radiation source onto the semiconductor substrate . the light may be ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 193 nm or other wavelengths , as may be provided by an arf laser in one specific embodiment . other sources of radiation such as krf laser or a mercury arc lamp may also be used . a lens 305 coupled to the fiber optic waveguide is used to expose desired regions of the semiconductor substrate , for example an edge exclusion region , to light . lens 305 comprises calcium fluoride in certain embodiments . other materials such as fused quartz may also be used depending on the application . as shown in fig3 ( a )-( b ), a hood 306 is provided . the hood includes an enclosure 307 and a gas delivery line 309 . fig3 ( c ) is a simplified elevational view of one embodiment of an enclosure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the gas delivery line provides a purging gas to flow through the enclosure when the semiconductor substrate including a portion of the photoresist material is being exposed . the purging gas can be compressed air in a specific embodiment . other examples of purging gas includes nitrogen or an inert gas mixture . the enclosure is substantially cylindrical and perforated . the perforations 309 facilitate movement of gas or vapor through the enclosure thereby preventing a vapor from the photoresist material to condense on the lens upon exposure to the ultraviolet light . in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , the purge gas line in fluid communication with the optical element comprises a distinct system separate from the gas system utilized to purge process gases from the chamber . further details of the gas delivery line and mechanism of operations are provided below . fig4 ( a ) is a simplified cross - sectional view of an apparatus for a lithography process for fabricating integrated circuits according an embodiment of the present invention . fig4 ( b ) is a simplified schematic view of the apparatus of fig4 ( a ). a semiconductor substrate is disposed on a chuck 403 . a photoresist material is deposited on the surface of the semiconductor substrate . also shown in fig4 ( a )-( b ) is a fiber optic waveguide 405 to direct light from light source 420 for exposing the photoresist material in predetermined area on the semiconductor substrate . as merely an example , the predetermined area is a wafer edge expose area . a lens 421 to expose the wafer to light is provided at an end of the fiber optic . the lens is positioned at a predetermined distance from the semiconductor wafer . the distance measures 0 . 5 ± 0 . 2 mm in a specific embodiment . the apparatus includes a shutter 409 to allow exposure of the photoresist material . the shutter is controlled by a solenoid valve 411 . the apparatus also includes an air - spring valve 415 coupled to a gas source 417 . the air - spring valve controls a flow of the purging gas to flow through enclosure 407 . the purging gas can be compressed air in a specific embodiment . other examples of purging gas gases includes nitrogen or an inert gas . the apparatus also includes a three way valve 413 , coupled in common with air - spring valve 415 and solenoid valve 411 . when a wafer is positioned for a wafer edge expose process , the three way valve opens and triggers solenoid valve 411 to open shutter 409 thereby exposing photoresist material on the semiconductor substrate . simultaneously , the three way valve triggers air spring valve 415 to open , allowing the purging gas to flow . the purging gas together with a vapor from the photoresist material during wafer edge expose process is removed using existing exhaust system on the tool . this prevents a solid to crystallize on the lens and eliminate steps of cleaning the lens . although the above has been illustrated according to a specific embodiment , there can be other modifications , alternatives , and variations . for example , while the above embodiments has been described in connection with fabrication of devices on a semiconductor substrate , the present invention is not limited to this particular application . in accordance with alternative embodiments , the present invention could be employed in connection with the fabrication of other than semiconductor substrates , including but not limited to magnetic hard disk materials , optical hard disk materials such as are used for dvds , cds , and cd - roms , and flat panels comprising glass or other insulating materials . moreover , while the above embodiment has been described as preventing contamination during the development of photoresist , the present invention is not limited to this particular application . in accordance with alternative embodiments , contamination during other processes can be reduced or eliminated , for example during the development of electron beam resist materials . and while the embodiments of the present invention illustrated above relate to prevention of contamination of an optical element in a photoresist developer tool , the present invention is not related to this particular embodiment . for example , vapor may continue to be produced by the resist material even after the exposure step . accordingly , optical elements of other types of tools , including but not limited to the objective lenses of after develop inspection ( adi ) tools or review optical microscope ( om ) tools employed to inspect the exposed resist , may also be shielded from contamination by vapors utilizing alternative embodiments of the present invention . it is also understood the embodiments and examples described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to person skilled in the art and are to be included with the spirit and purview of this application and scope of the appended claims .	6
referring to fig1 - 5 , an apparatus or osteotome 100 is shown that is configured for accessing the interior of a vertebral body and for creating a pathway in vertebral cancellous bone to receive hone cement . in one embodiment , the apparatus is configured with an extension portion or member 105 for introducing through a pedicle and wherein a working end 110 of the extension member can be progressively actuated to curve a selected degree and / or rotated to create a curved pathway and cavity in the direction of the midline of the vertebral body . the apparatus can be withdrawn and bone fill material can be introduced through a bone cement injection cannula . alternatively , the apparatus 100 itself can be used as a cement injector with the subsequent injection of cement through a lumen 112 of the apparatus . in one embodiment , the apparatus 100 comprises a handle 115 that is coupled to a . proximal end of the extension member 105 . the extension member 105 comprises an assembly of first ( outer ) sleeve 120 and a second ( inner ) sleeve 122 , with the first sleeve 120 having a proximal end 124 and distal end 126 . the second sleeve 122 has a proximal end 134 and distal end 136 . the extension member 105 is coupled to the handle 115 , as will be described below , to allow a physician to drive the extension member 105 into bone while contemporaneously actuating the working end 110 into an actuated or curved configuration ( see fig6 ). the handle 115 can be fabricated of a polymer , metal or any other material suitable to withstand hammering or impact forces used to drive the assembly into bone ( e . g ., via use of a hammer or similar device . on the handle 115 ). the inner and outer sleeves are fabricated of a suitable metal alloy , such as stainless steel or niti . the wall thicknesses of the inner and outer sleeves can range from about 0 . 005 ″ to 0 . 010 ″ with the outer diameter the outer sleeve ranging from about 2 . 5 mm to 5 . 0 mm . referring to fig1 , 3 and 4 , the handle 115 comprises both a first grip portion 140 and a second actuator portion indicated at 142 . the grip portion 140 is coupled to the first sleeve 120 as will be described below . the actuator portion 142 is operatively coupled to the second sleeve 122 as will be described below . the actuator portion 142 is rotatable relative to the grip portion 140 and one or more plastic flex tabs 145 of the grip portion 140 are configured to engage notches 146 in the rotatable actuator portion 142 to provide tactile indication and temporary locking of the handle portions 140 and 142 in a certain degree of rotation . the flex tabs 145 thus engage and disengage with the notches 146 to permit ratcheting ( rotation and locking ) of the handle portions and the respective sleeve coupled thereto . the notches or slots in any of the sleeves can comprise a uniform width along the length of the working end or can comprise a varying width . alternatively , the width can be selected in certain areas to effectuate a particular curved profile . in other variation , the width can increase or decrease along the working end to create a curve having a varying radius . clearly , it is understood that any number of variations are within the scope of this disclosure . fig4 is a sectional view of the handle showing a mechanism for actuating the second inner sleeve 122 relative to the first outer sleeve 120 . the actuator portion 142 of the handle 115 is configured with a fast - lead helical groove indicated at 150 that cooperates with a protruding thread 149 of the grip portion 140 of the handle . thus , it can be understood that rotation of the actuation portion 142 will move this portion to the position indicated at 150 ( phantom view ). in one embodiment , when the actuator portion 142 is rotated a selected amount from about 45 ° to 720 °, or from about 90 ° to 360 °, the inner sleeve 122 is lifted proximally relative to the grip portion 140 and outer sleeve 120 to actuate the working end 110 . as can be seen in fig4 the actuator portion 142 engages flange 152 that is welded to the proximal end 132 of inner sleeve 122 . the flange 152 is lifted by means of a ball bearing assembly 154 disposed between the flange 152 and metal bearing surface 155 inserted into the grip portion 140 of the handle . thus , the rotation of actuator 142 can lift the inner sleeve 122 . without creating torque on the inner sleeve . now turning to fig5 . ga and 6 b , it can be seen that the working end 110 of the extension member 105 is articulated by cooperating slotted portions of the distal portions of outer sleeve 120 and inner sleeve 122 that are both thus capable of bending in a substantially tight radius . the outer sleeve 120 has a plurality of slots or notches 162 therein that can be any slots that are perpendicular of angled relative to the axis of the sleeve . the inner sleeve 122 has a plurality of slots or notches indicated at 164 that can be on an opposite side of the assembly relative to the slots 162 in the outer sleeve 120 . the outer and inner sleeves are welded together at the distal region indicated at weld 160 . it thus can be understood that when inner sleeve 122 is translated in the proximal direction , the outer sleeve will be flexed as depicted in fig6 . it can be understood that by rotating the actuator handle portion 142 a selected amount , the working end can be articulated to a selected degree . fig4 , 5 , 6 a and 6 b further illustrate another element of the apparatus that comprises a flexible flat wire member 170 with a proximal end 171 and flange 172 that is engages the proximal side of flange 152 of the inner sleeve 122 . at least the distal portion 174 of the flat wire member 170 is welded to the inner sleeve at weld 175 . this flat wire member thus provides a safety feature to retain the working end in the event that the inner sleeve fails at one of the slots 164 . another safety feature of the apparatus comprises a torque limiter and release system that allows the entire handle assembly 115 to freely rotate — for example if the working end 110 is articulated , as in fig6 b , when the physician rotates the handle and when the working end is engaged in strong cancellous bone . referring to fig4 , the grip portion 142 of the handle 115 engages a collar 180 that is fixed to a proximal end 124 of the outer sleeve 120 . the collar 180 further comprises notches 185 that are radially spaced about the collar and are engaged by a ball member 186 that is pushed by a spring 188 into notches 185 . at a selected force , for example a torque ranging from greater than about 0 . 5 inch * lbs but less that about 7 . 5 inch * lbs , 5 . 0 inch * lbs or 2 . 5 inch * lbs , the rotation of the handle 115 overcomes the predetermined limit . when the torque limiter assembly is in its locked position , the ball bearing 186 is forced into one of the notches 185 in the collar 180 . when too much torque is provided to the handle and outer sleeve , the ball bearing 186 disengages the notch 185 allowing the collar 180 to turn , and then reengages at the next notch , releasing anywhere from 0 . 5 inch * lbs to 7 . 5 inch * lbs of torque . referring to fig6 a and 611 . it can be understood that the inner sleeve 122 is weakened on one side at its distal portion so as to permit the inner sleeve 122 to bend in either direction but is limited by the location of the notches in the outer sleeve 120 . the curvature of any articulated configuration is controlled by the spacing of the notches as well as the distance between each notch peak . the inner sleeve 122 also has a beveled tip for entry through the cortical bone of a vertebral body . either the inner sleeve or outer sleeve can form the distal tip . referring to fig7 a - 7c , in one variation of use of the device , a physician taps or otherwise drives a stylet 200 and introducer sleeve 205 into a vertebral body 206 typically until the stylet tip 208 is within the anterior ⅓ of the vertebral body toward cortical bone 210 ( fig7 a ). thereafter , the stylet 200 is removed and the sleeve 205 is moved proximally ( fig7 b ). as can be seen in fig7 b , the tool or osteotome 100 is inserted through the introducer sleeve 205 and articulated in a series of steps as described above . the working end 110 can be articulated intermittently while applying driving forces and optionally rotational forces to the handle 115 to advance the working end through the cancellous bone 212 to create path or cavity 215 . the tool is then tapped to further drive the working end 110 to , toward or past the midline of the vertebra . the physician can alternatively articulate the working end 110 , and drive and rotate the working end further until imaging shows that the working end 100 has created a cavity 215 of an optimal configuration . thereafter , as depicted in fig7 c , the physician reverses the sequence and progressively straightens the working end 110 as the extension member is withdrawn from the vertebral body 206 . thereafter , the physician can insert a bone cement injector 220 into the path or cavity 215 created by osteotome 100 . fig7 c illustrates a bone cement 222 , for example a pmma cement , being injected from a bone cement source 225 . in another embodiment ( not shown ), the apparatus 100 can have a handle 115 with a luer fitting for coupling a bone cement syringe and the bone cement can be injected through the lumen 112 of the apparatus . in such an embodiment fig9 , the lumen can have a . lubricious surface layer or polymeric lining 250 to insure least resistance to bone cement as it flows through the lumen . in one embodiment , the surface or lining 250 can be a fluorinated polymer such as teflon ® or polytetrafluroethylene ( ptfe ). other suitable fluoropolymer resins can be used such as fep and pfa . other materials also can be used such as fep ( fluorinated ethylenepropylene ), ectfe ( ethylenechlorotrifluoro - ethylene ), etfe , polyethylene , polyamide , pvdf , polyvinyl chloride and silicone . the scope of the invention can include providing a polymeric material having a static coefficient of friction of less than 0 . 5 , less than 0 . 2 or less than 0 . 1 . fig9 also shows the extension member or shaft 105 can be configured with an exterior flexible sleeve indicated at 255 . the flexible sleeve can be any commonly known biocompatible material , for example , the sleeve can comprise any of the materials described in the preceding paragraph . as also can be seen in fig9 , in one variation of the device 100 , the working end 110 can be configured to deflect over a length indicated at 260 in a substantially smooth curve . the degree of articulation of the working end 100 can be at least 45 °, 90 °, 135 ° or at least 180 ° as indicated at 265 ( fig9 ). in additional variations , the slots of the outer 120 and inner sleeves 120 can be varied to produce a device having a radius of curvature that varies among the length 260 of the device 100 . in another embodiment of the invention , the inner sleeve can be spring loaded relative the outer sleeve , in such a way as to allow the working end to straighten under a selected level of force when pulled in a linear direction . this feature allows the physician to withdraw the assembly from the vertebral body partly or completely without further rotation the actuating portion 142 of handle 115 . in some variations , the force - limiter can be provided to allow less than about 10 inch * lbs of force to be applied to bone . in another embodiment shown in fig8 , the working end 110 is configured with a tip 240 that deflects to the position indicated at 240 ′ when driven into bone . the tip 240 is coupled to the sleeve assembly by resilient member 242 , for example a flexible metal such as stainless steel or niti . it has been found that the flexing of the tip 240 causes its distal surface area to engage cancellous hone which can assist in deflecting the working end 110 as it is hammered into bone . in another embodiment of the invention ( not shown ), the actuator handle can include a secondary or optional ) mechanism for actuating the working end . the mechanism would include a hammer - able member with a ratchet such that each tap of the hammer would advance assembly and progressively actuate the working end into a curved configuration . a ratchet mechanism as known in the art would maintain the assembly in each of a plurality of articulated configurations . a release would be provided to allow for release of the ratchet to provide for straightening the extension member 105 for withdrawal from the vertebral body . fig1 and 11 illustrate another variation of a bone treatment device 400 with a handle 402 and extension member 405 extending to working end 410 having a similar construction to that fig1 to 6b . the device 400 operates as described previously with notched first ( outer ) sleeve 120 and cooperating notched second ( inner ) sleeve 122 . however , the variation shown in fig1 and 11 also includes a third concentric notched sleeve 420 , exterior to the first 120 and second 122 sleeves . the notches or slots in sleeve 420 at the working end 410 permit deflection of the sleeve as indicated at 265 in fig1 . fig1 also illustrates the treatment device 400 as including a luer fitting 412 that allows the device 402 to be coupled to a source of a filler material ( e . g ., a bone filler or bone cement material ). the luer can be removable from the handle 402 to allow application of an impact force on the handle as described above . moreover , the bier fitting 402 can be located on the actuating portion of the handle , the stationary part of the handle or even along the sleeve . in any case , variations of the device 400 permit coupling the filler material with a lumen extending through the sleeves ( or between adjacent sleeves ) to deposit filler material at the working end 410 . as shown by arrows 416 , filler material can be deposited through a distal end of the sleeves ( where the sharp tip is solid ) or can be deposited through openings in a side - wall of the sleeves . clearly , variations of this configuration are within the scope of those familiar in the field . in some variations , the third notched sleeve 420 is configured with its smooth ( non - notched ) surface 424 disposed to face inwardly on the articulated working end ( fig1 ) such that a solid surface forms the interior of the curved portion of the working end 410 . the smooth surface 424 allows withdrawal of the device 110 into a cannula or introducer 205 without creating a risk that the slots or notches become caught on a cannula 205 ( see e . g ., fig7 b ). as shown in fig1 - 11 , the third ( outermost ) sleeve 420 can extend from an intermediate location on the extension member 405 to a distal end of the working end 410 . however , variations of the device include the third sleeve 420 extending to the handle 402 . however , the third sleeve 420 is typically not coupled to the handle 402 so that any rotational force or torque generated by the handle 402 is not directly transmitted to the third sleeve 420 . in one variation , the third sleeve 420 is coupled to the second sleeve 120 at only one axial location . in the illustrated example shown in fig1 , the third sleeve 420 is affixed to second sleeve 420 by welds 428 at the distal end of the working end 410 . however , the welds or other attachment means ( e . g ., a pin , key / keyway , protrusion , etc .) can be located on a medial part of the sleeve 420 . the sleeve 420 can be fabricated of any bio - compatible material . for example , in one variation , the third sleeve is fabricated form a 3 . 00 mm diameter stainless steel material with a wall thickness of 0 . 007 ″. the first , second and third sleeves are sized to have dimensions to allow a sliding fit between the sleeves . fig1 a is a sectional view of extension member 405 of another variation , similar to that shown in fig1 - 11 . however , the variation depicted by fig1 a comprises non - round configurations of concentric slidable sleeves ( double or triple sleeve devices ). this configuration limits or prevents rotation between the sleeves and allows the physician to apply greater forces to the bone to create a cavity . while fig1 a illustrates an oval configuration , any non - round shape is within the scope of this disclosure . for example , the cross - sectional shape can comprise a square , polygonal , or other radially keyed configuration as shown in fig1 b and 12c . as shown in fig1 c the sleeves can include a key 407 and a receiving keyway 409 to prevent rotation but allow relative or axial sliding of the sleeves . the key can comprise any protrusion or member that slides within a receiving keyway . furthermore , the key can comprise a pin or any raised protrusion on an exterior or interior of a respective sleeve . in this illustration , only the first 122 and second 120 sleeves are illustrated . however , any of the sleeves can be configured with the key / keyway . preventing rotation between sleeves improves the ability to apply force to bone at the articulated working end . fig1 - 14 illustrate another variation of a working end 410 of an osteotome device . in this variation , the working end 410 includes one or more flat spring elements 450 , 460 a , 460 b , 460 c , 460 d , that prevent relative rotation of the sleeves of the assembly thus allowing greater rotational forces to be applied to cancellous bone from an articulated . working end . the spring elements further urge the working end assembly into a linear configuration . to articulate the sleeves , a rotational force is applied to the handle as described above , once this rotational force is removed , the spring elements urge the working end into a linear configuration . as shown in fig1 , one or more of the spring elements can extend through the sleeves for affixing to a handle to prevent rotation . furthermore , the distal end 454 of flat spring element 450 is fixed to sleeve assembly by weld 455 . thus , the spring element is fixed at each end to prevent its rotation . alternate variations include one or more spring elements being affixed to the inner sleeve assembly at a medial section of the sleeve . as shown in fig1 - 14 , variations of the osteotome can include any number of spring elements 460 a - 460 d . these additional spring elements 460 a - 460 d can be welded at either a proximal or distal end thereof to an adjacent element or a sleeve to allow the element to function as a leaf spring . in an additional variation , the osteotome device can include one or more electrodes 310 , 312 as shown in fig1 . in this particular example , the device 300 includes spaced apart electrodes having opposite polarity to function in a bi - polar manner . however , the device can include a monopolar configuration . furthermore , one or more electrodes can be coupled to individual channels of a power supply so that the electrodes can be energized as needed . any variation of the device described above can be configured with one or more electrodes as described herein . fig1 illustrates an osteotome device 300 after being advanced into the body as discussed above . as shown by lines 315 representing current flow between electrodes , when required , the physician can conduct rf current between electrodes 310 and 312 to apply coagulative or ablative energy within the hone structure of the vertebral body ( or other hard tissue ). while fig1 illustrates rf current 315 flow between electrodes 310 and 312 , variations of the device can include a number of electrodes along the device to apply the proper therapeutic energy . furthermore , an electrode can be spaced from the end of the osteotome rather than being placed on the sharp tip as shown by electrode 310 . in some variations , the power supply is coupled to the inner sharp tip or other working end of the first sleeve . in those variations with only two sleeves , the second pole of the power supply is coupled with the second sleeve ( that is the exterior of the device ) to form a return electrode . however , in those variations having three sleeves , the power supply can alternatively be coupled with the third outer sleeve . in yet additional variations , the second and third sleeves can both function as return electrodes . however , in those devices that are monopolar . the return electrode will be placed outside of the body on a large area of skin . fig1 to 20 illustrate another variation of an articulating probe or osteotome device 500 . in this variation , the device 500 includes a working end 505 that carries one or more rf electrodes that can be used to conduct current therethrough . accordingly , the device can be used to sense impedance of tissue , locate nerves , or simply apply electrosurgical energy to tissue to coagulate of ablate tissue . in one potential use , the device 500 can apply ablative energy to a tumor or other tissue within the vertebra as well as create a cavity . fig1 , 18 a , 18 b and 19 , illustrate a variation of the device 500 as having a handle portion 506 coupled to a shaft assembly 510 that extends along axis 512 to the articulating working end 505 . the articulating working end 505 can be actuatable as described above . in addition , fig1 shows that handle component 514 a can be rotated relative to handle component 514 b to cause relative axial movement between a first outer sleeve 520 and second inner sleeve 522 ( fig1 ) to cause the slotted working ends of the sleeve assembly to articulate as described above . the working end 505 of fig1 shows two sleeves 520 and 522 that are actuatable to articulate the working end , but it should be appreciated that a third outer articulating sleeve can be added as depicted above . in one variation , the articulating working end can articulate 90 ° by rotating handle component 514 a between ¼ turn and ¾ turn . the rotating handle component 514 a can include defeats at various rotational positions to allow for controlled hammering of the working end into bone . for example , the detents can be located at every 45 ° rotation or can be located at any other rotational increment . fig1 depict an rf generator 530 a and rf controller 530 b connectable to an electrical connector 532 in the handle component 514 a with a plug connector indicated at 536 . the rf generator is of the type known in the art for electrosurgical ablation . the outer sleeve 520 comprises a first polarity electrode indicated at 540 a (+). however , any energy modality can be employed with the device . fig1 a and 18b illustrate yet another variation of a working end of a device for creating cavities in hard tissue . as shown , the device 500 can include a central extendable sleeve 550 with a sharp tip 552 that is axially extendable : from passageway 554 of the assembly of first and second sleeves 520 and 522 ( fig1 ). the sleeve 550 can also include a second polarity electrode indicated at 540 b (−). clearly , the first and second electrodes will be electrically insulated from one another . in one variation , and as shown in fig1 , the sleeve assembly can carry a thin sleeve 555 or coating of an insulative polymer such as peek or ceramic to electrically isolate the first polarity electrode 540 a (±) from the second polarity electrode 540 b (−). the electrode can be deployed by rotating knob 558 on the striking surface of handle component 514 a ( fig1 ). the degree of extension of central sleeve 550 can optionally be indicated by a slider tab 557 on the handle . in the illustrated variation , the slider tab is located on either side of handle component 514 a ( fig1 ). sleeve 550 can be configured to extend distally beyond the assembly of sleeves 520 and 522 a distance of about 5 to 15 mm . referring to fig1 , the central extendable sleeve 550 can have a series of slots in at least a distal portion thereof to allow it to bend in cooperation with the assembly of first and second sleeves 520 and 522 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the central sleeve 550 can optionally include a distal portion that does not contain any slots . however , additional variations include slots on the distal portion of the sleeve . fig1 further depicts an electrically insulative collar 560 that extends length a to axially space apart the first polarity electrode 540 a (+) from the second polarity electrode 540 b (−). the axial length a can be from about 0 . 5 to 10 mm , and usually is from 1 to 5 mm . the collar can be a ceramic or temperature resistant polymer . fig1 also depicts a polymer sleeve 565 that extends through the lumen in the center of electrode sleeve 550 . the polymer sleeve 565 can provide saline infusion or other fluids to the working end and / or be used to aspirate from the working end when in use . the distal portion of sleeve 550 can include one or more ports 566 therein for delivering fluid or aspirating from the site . in all other respects , the osteotome system 500 can be driven into bone and articulated as described above . the electrodes 540 a and 540 b are operatively coupled to a radiofrequency generator as is known in the art for applying coagulative or ablative electrosurgical energy to tissue . in fig2 , it can be seen that rf current 575 is indicated in paths between electrodes 540 a and 540 b as shown by lines 575 . rf generator 530 a and controller 53011 for use with the devices described herein can include any number of power settings to control the size of targeted coagulation or ablation area . for example , the rf generator and controller can have low or power level 1 ( 5 watts ), medium or power level 2 ( 10 watts ) and high or power level 3 ( 25 watts ) power settings . the controller 530 b can have a control algorithm that monitors the temperature of the electrodes and changes the power input in order to maintain a constant temperature . at least one temperature sensing element ( e . g ., a thermocouple ) can be provided on various portions of the device . for example , and as shown in fig1 , a temperature sensing element 577 can be provided at the distal tip of sleeve 550 tip while a second temperature sensing element 578 can be provided proximal from the distal tip to provide temperature feedback to the operator to indicate the region of ablated tissue during the application of rf energy . in one example , the second temperature sensing element was located approximately 15 to 20 mm from the distal tip . fig2 illustrates another variation of articulating osteotome 600 with rf ablation features . variations of the illustrated osteotome 600 can be similar to the osteotome of fig1 - 188 . in this variation , the osteotome 600 of has a handle 602 coupled to shaft assembly 610 as described above . the working end 610 again has an extendable assembly indicated at 615 in fig2 that can be extended by rotation of handle portion 622 relative to handle 602 . the osteotome can be articulated as described previously by rotating handle portion 620 relative to handle 602 . fig2 a - 22b are views of the working end 610 of fig2 in a first non - extended configuration ( fig2 a ) and a second extended configuration ( fig2 ). as can be seen in fig2 a - 22b , the extension portion 615 comprises an axial shaft 624 together with a helical spring element 625 that is axially collapsible and extendible . in one embodiment , the shaft can be a tube member with ports 626 fluidly coupled a lumen 628 therein . in some variations , the ports can carry a fluid to the working end or can aspirate fluid from the working end . in fig2 a - 22b . it can be seen that axial shaft 624 , helical spring element 625 together with sharp tip 630 comprise a first polarity electrode (+) coupled to electrical source 530 a and controller 530 b as described previously . an insulator 632 separates the helical spring 625 electrode from the more proximal portion of the sleeve which comprises opposing polarity electrode 640 (−). the rf electrodes can function as described above ( see fig2 ) to ablate tissue or otherwise deliver energy to tissue . in one variation , the extension portion 615 can extend from a collapsed spring length of 2 mm , 3 mm , 4 mm or 5 mm to an extended spring length of 6 mm , 7 mm , 8 mm . 9 mm 10 mm or more . in the working end embodiment 615 in fig2 b , the spring can comprise a flat rectangular wire that assists in centering the spring 625 about shaft 624 and still can collapse to short overall length . with the flat surfaces of rectangular wire oriented for stacking . however , other variations are within the scope of the variations described herein . 100901 of particular importance , it has been found that ability of the osteotome 600 to ablate tissue is greatly enhanced over the embodiment 500 of fig2 by utilizing the helical spring . the use of the spring 625 as an electrode provides significant improvements in delivering energy . this spring provides ( i ) greatly increased electrode surface area and ( ii ) a very greatly increased length of relatively sharp edges provided by the rectangular wire — which provides for edges from which rf current can jump . because the edges provide low surface area the concentration or density of rf current is greater at the edges and allows for the rf current to jump or arc . both these aspects of the invention — increased electrode surface area and increased electrode edge length — allow for much more rapid tissue ablation . in one aspect of the invention , the surface area of the spring electrode 625 can be at least 40 mm 2 , at least 50 mm 2 , or at least 60 mm 2 over the spring electrode lengths . described above . in another aspect of the invention , the total length of the 4 edges of rectangular wire spring can be greater than 50 mm , greater than 100 mm or greater than 150 nun over the spring electrode lengths described above . in one example used in testing , an osteotome 600 as in fig2 - 22b was configured with a helical spring that had a collapsed length of 1 . 8 mm and an extended length of 7 . 5 mm . in this embodiment , the surface area of the spring electrode 625 when extended was 64 . 24 mm 2 and the total length of the electrodes edges was 171 . 52 mm ( four edges at 42 . 88 mm per edge ). in a comparison test , a first osteotome without a helical electrode was compared against a second osteotome 600 with a helical electrode as in fig2 b . these devices were evaluated at different power levels and different energy delivery intervals to determine volume of ablation . the working ends of the devices had similar dimensions excepting for the helical spring electrode . referring to fig2 c , rf energy was delivered at a low power setting of 5 watts . it can be seen in fig2 c that at a treatment interval of 120 seconds and 5 w , the volume of ablation was about 3 times faster with the helical electrode compared to the working end without the helical electrode ( 1 . 29 cc vs . 0 . 44 cc ). another comparison test of the same first osteotome 500 ( fig1 b ) and second osteotome 600 with a helical electrode ( fig2 b ) were evaluated at higher 15 watt power level . as can be seen in fig2 d , rf energy at a treatment interval of 25 seconds and 15 w , the volume of ablation was again was about 3 times faster with the helical electrode compared to the working end without the helical electrode ( 1 . 00 cc vs . 0 . 37 cc ). referring to fig2 d , the device without the helical electrode impeded out before 60 seconds passed , so that data was not provided . the testing shows that the helical electrode is well suited for any type of tissue or tumor ablation , with a 60 second ablation resulting in 1 . 63 cc of ablated tissue . fig2 schematically illustrates the osteotome 600 in use in a vertebral body , wherein the rf current between the electrodes 625 and 640 ablate a tissue volume indicated at 640 . fig2 is an enlarged sectional view of a working end 710 of ablation osteotome similar to that of fig2 - 22b . in this embodiment , shaft or introducer sleeve assembly 712 has an outside diameter of 4 . 5 mm or less , or 4 . 0 mm or less . in one embodiment , the diameter of introducer 712 is 3 . 5 mm and comprises outer sleeve 715 a , intermediate sleeve 715 b and inner sleeve 715 c all of which are slotted to permit articulation of a portion of the working end as can be seen in phantom view in fig2 a . in fig2 , the extendable element or sleeve 720 is shown in an extended configuration which extends helical spring element 725 as described above . in this embodiment , the sleeve 720 and helical spring element 725 together with sharp tip 730 comprises a first polarity electrode coupled to an rf source 530 a and controller 530 b as described previously . an insulator 732 separates the helical spring 725 electrode from the distal portion 734 of the sleeve which comprises opposing polarity electrode 740 . it can be seen that extendable sleeve 720 has a distal portion that is slotted to permit bending as the working end is articulated . the rf electrodes can function as described above ( see fig2 ) to ablate tissue . in one aspect of the invention , the electrode surface portion of the extendable assembly 735 ( sleeve 720 and helical element 725 ) is moveable from a non - extended position to an extended position during which the electrode surface area varies less than 10 % between said non - extended and extended positions . in another embodiment , the electrode surface area varies less than 5 % between said non - extended and extended positions . this aspect of the invention allows for similar ablation volumes per unit time no matter the dimension of the extendable assembly 735 since the surface are of the helical element 725 accounts for nearly all of the electrode surface area . the extendable element can have an electrode surface area of at least 40 mm 2 , at least 50 mm 2 , or at least 60 mm 2 . fig2 further illustrates another aspect of the invention which includes at least one temperature sensor , referred to as a temperature detecting element , in the working end for controlling or terminating rf energy delivery when tissue adjacent the temperature reaches a predetermined level . in one variation , as shown in fig2 , a temperature detecting element 745 can be disposed between first and second dielectric sleeves 746 and 748 that insulate the introducer sleeve assembly 712 from the extendable sleeve 720 . in an embodiment , the rf energy can be activated to ablate tissue until the boundary of ablated tissue adjacent the temperature detecting element 745 reached a predetermined temperature and the temperature detecting . element signal can then be coupled to the controller to terminate rf energy delivery . in on embodiment , the temperature detecting element 745 can be disposed between first and second layers of a thin wall dielectric material , 746 and 748 , such as peek that is used to insulate the opposing polarity electrodes from each other . in fig2 , the temperature detecting element 745 can be positioned dimension aa from the distal end of the introducer sleeve assembly 712 which can range from 5 mm to 15 mm . fig2 depicts a second temperature detecting element 750 that can be positioned dimension bb from the first temperature detecting element 745 which can be a distance ranging from 5 mm to 15 mm . as shown fig2 , a temperature detecting element 745 can be disposed on an outer radius of an articulated distal portion of the working end . in another embodiment , the temperature detecting element ( s ) can be disposed on an inner radius of the articulated distal portion of the working end . in fig2 , it can be seen that the helical element 725 has a distal end coupled , for example by weld 752 , to the distal tip element 730 of the extendable assembly 735 . fig2 further shows that helical element 725 has a proximal end coupled to a safety wire 760 that extends proximally and is bonded to the introducer assembly , for example being secured with adhesives or other means between the first and second layers of dielectric material , 746 and 748 . in one embodiment shown in fig2 , a conductive fluid source 765 communicates with a lumen 770 extending through the extendable sleeve 720 to provide saline infusion through ports 772 into the region of tissue targeted for treatment . in general , a method corresponding to the invention comprises introducing an elongated introducer sleeve comprising return electrode into targeted tissue , articulating a distal region of the introducer sleeve and extending an extendable member from the introducer sleeve , wherein the extendable member comprises an active or first polarity electrode having an electrode surface area that varies less than 10 % between non - extended and extended positions , and activating an rf source , such that when activated , current flows between the extendable member and the introducer sleeve to apply energy to the targeted tissue . the method includes terminating activation of the rf source when a temperature sensor spaced apart from the first polarity electrode reaches a predetermined temperature . the temperature sensor can be spaced apart from the first polarity electrode by at least 5 min , 10 mm or 15 mm . the method can target tissue in or near a bone such as a vertebra or long bone . the targeted tissue can be a tumor . another method of the invention comprises treating a tumor in or near bone which includes providing an elongated shaft with an articulating working end carrying first and second polarity electrodes , utilizing articulation of the working end to navigate the working end to a position in or near a bone tumor , activating an rf source , such that when activated , current flows between the first and second polarity electrodes to ablate the tumor ; and terminating activation of the rf source when a temperature sensor spaced apart from the second polarity electrode reaches a predetermined temperature , in this method , the temperature sensor spacing from an active electrode is configured to provide a predetermined tissue ablation volume . as shown in fig2 , the working end can carry a plurality of axially spaced apart temperature sensors , and each sensor can be used to indicate a particular dimension of ablated tissue as each sensor reaches a predetermined temperature based on the expanding volume of ablated tissue . in another embodiment , the medial and proximal regions of the outer sleeve can be covered with a thin - wall insulative material to provide an distal electrode surface having a predetermined surface area that matches the surface area of the helical element 725 . the sleeve 720 at the interior of the helical element also can be covered with a thin - wall dielectric material . in use , the device then would operate in a truly bi - polar manner since the opposing polarity electrodes would have an equal surface area no matter the length of extension of the extendable assembly 735 . in general , a device corresponding to the invention would comprise an elongate introducer having a distal end , wherein a surface portion of the introducer comprises an electrode , an extendable member including a helical element comprising an second electrode moveable from a non - extended position to an extended position from the introducer wherein the electrode surface area of the first electrode and the second electrode match no matter the non - extended or extended position of the second electrode . in another variation of the invention under the present disclosure , the devices , systems and methods described herein can include the use of one or more temperature sensors ( also called temperature detecting elements ) to monitor , control , and / or otherwise provide a physician with the information needed to ensure a desired treatment . the temperature sensor / temperature detecting element can comprise any element that can measure temperature of the adjacent tissue or measure temperature of the device immediately adjacent to tissue provide this information to a controller or other portion of the system as described herein . in most variations of the device , the temperature detecting element is used to assess temperature of the tissue before , during , or after application of energy . examples of temperature detecting elements include thermocouples , resistance temperature detectors ( rtds ), optical temperature measurement sensors , pyrometers . in addition , the present disclosure can include any type of temperature measurement device capable of determining a temperature of tissue or even parts of the device that would otherwise indicate a relative temperature of the tissue . fig2 a illustrates a device similar to that shown in fig2 where a temperature detecting element 745 is disposed between first and second dielectric sleeves 746 and 748 that insulate the introducer sleeve assembly 712 from the extendable sleeve 720 . as shown the temperature detecting element 745 can be disposed on an outer radius of an articulated distal portion of the working end . in addition , fig2 a shows a second temperature detecting element 750 positioned proximally from the first temperature detecting element 745 where spacing of such temperature detecting elements allows for control and / or monitoring a region of heated tissue as described below . however , variations of the devices allow for any number of temperature detecting elements to be used in any number of positions . for example , fig2 b illustrates two temperature detecting element 245 , 250 positioned on an exterior sleeve 715 a of the device . in an additional variation , the temperature detecting elements can be positioned in between the slots of the exterior sleeve 715 a . fig2 c shows another variation of a device having a plurality of temperature detecting elements 745 , 750 , 754 , 756 , 758 spaced along the shaft . clearly , the temperature detecting elements could be located on an interior of the device , similar to that shown in fig2 a . alternatively , as shown in fig2 d , temperature detecting elements can be included . both on an interior and exterior of the device . fig2 e illustrates temperature detecting elements 745 , 750 . 754 located on both sides of the device . alternatively , the temperature detecting element can comprise a ring type element that measures temperature adjacent to a mil or partial circumference of the device . as noted herein , the temperature detecting elements can be evenly spaced along the shaft . alternatively , the spacing of the elements can vary depending upon the intended application of the device . in addition , in most variations of the devices described herein , the temperature detecting elements are located proximally to the heating element of the device . however , additional variations include temperature detecting elements positioned distal to or adjacent to the heating element . the components of the various temperature detecting elements , such as wires , fibers , etc . are not illustrated for purposes of clarity . furthermore , one or more temperature detecting elements can be positioned on sleeves that move axially relative to the energy transfer portion . fig2 a to 27c illustrate a concept of using temperature sensing element to guide a treatment where the temperature sensing elements are placed away from the energy transfer unit . fig2 a shows an example of a treatment device 800 having energy transfer portion 802 at a distal portion of a shaft 804 . as discussed above , one effective variation of a device includes the use of rf energy configuration , either monopolar or bi - polar , that serves . as the energy transfer portion . however , any number of energy transfer modes can be employed in the methods , systems and devices described herein where such modalities produced heated tissue . such modalities can include , but are not limited to , resistive heating , radiant heating , coherent light , microwave , and chemical . in yet another variation , the devices can use radioactive energy modalities as well . alternatively , variations of devices employing temperature based detection can employ cryosurgical energy configurations that rely upon the application of extreme cold treat tissue . clearly , in such cases the methods ,. devices , and systems would monitor regions of cooled tissue rather than heated tissue . turning back to fig2 a , the treatment device 800 includes at least a first temperature detecting element 806 located axially relative to an energy transfer element 802 . in some variations , the energy transfer element 806 is located proximally along an axis of the shaft from thee energy transfer unit . 802 . however , as described above , variations of the devices include placement of the temperature detecting elements as needed . fig2 a also shows a second temperature detecting element 808 located proximally to the first temperature , detecting element 806 . again , the methods and procedures described herein can employ any number of temperature detecting elements . the devices and methods also optionally include conveying temperature information on a controller 830 . variations of the controller 830 allow for display or conveyance of temperature information specific to each temperature detecting element . for example , in the variation shown in fig2 a , the first temperature detecting element can be coupled to display 832 while the second temperature detecting element 808 can be coupled to display 834 . the controller can also optionally allow a physician to set temperature limits based on readings from each temperature sensing element . in such a case , if a measured temperature at a respective temperature sensing element exceeds the temperature limit , the system can end delivery of the energy or provide any other auditory or visual alert . the control unit 830 can be separate from a power supply of can be integrated into the power supply . additional variations also include a control unit that can be integrated into a handle or other portion of the device 800 . in a first variation , a physician can position the distal end of the shaft 804 containing the energy transfer element 802 within a tumor 12 . clearly , the methods and procedures are not limited to treatment of a tumor . instead , the device can be positioned in any target region that a physician seeks to treat . once the device 800 and energy transfer element 802 are properly positioned , the physician can begin to apply energy to the energy transfer portion to cause an effect as shown by arrows 14 ) in tissue that produces a region of affected tissue , e . g ., a temperature of the tissue increases or decreases ( as described above based on the energy modality used ). for convenience , the method shall be discussed with respect to an area of heated tissue . clearly , alternate variations of the device involve regions of cooled tissue . fig2 b illustrates continued application of energy , which results in expansion of the region of heated tissue 16 . the continued application of energy can occur intermittently or continuously . as the physician operates the device 800 , the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 can monitor temperature of adjacent tissue . fig2 b depicts the region of heated tissue 16 as not having yet reached the first or second temperature sensing element 806 , 808 . the temperature measurements can occur intermittently , continuously , during application of energy , or in between intermittent applications of energy . likewise , the temperature . information 832 , 834 can optionally be relayed to the controller 830 . fig2 c shows the heated region of tissue 16 expanded sufficiently such that it encompasses the desired region of tissue 12 or tumor . fig2 also depicts the heated region of tissue 16 as being easily visually identified . however , during an actual treatment , the physician simply cannot observe the actual perimeter of the zone of heated tissue 16 . instead , the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 will be able to detect the heated region of tissue 16 as the temperature of the tissue adjacent to the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 rises . the temperature measured by the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 can also provide the physician with the ability to monitor the progression of the region of heated tissue 16 . for instance , the volume , length , area , or other characteristic of the region of heated tissue can be approximated by obtaining a temperature that is associated with the perimeter of the region . analytic correlation of this associated temperature to the physical characteristic of the heated tissue can be determined from bench testing , animal testing , cadaver testing , arid / or computer analysis . such analytic correlation allows the volume of an area of heated tissue to be approximated based on the temperature of the outer perimeter of that region . in the illustrated example of fig2 c , there exists a pre - determined temperature associated with an area of heated tissue having known dimension . once the measured temperature at temperature detecting element 808 reaches this associated temperature , the physician can stop the treatment . alternatively , or in addition , the system or controller 830 can include safety algorithms to automatically warn the physician to cease treatment or even to perform a safety shutoff of the system if a . given temperature is reached or if the temperature remains constant while power is applied to the electrode . in additional variations , the monitoring of the size or profile of the region of heated tissue can be used to control the application of applied energy . for example , as the measured temperature approaches the associated temperature , the controller can reduce power to prevent any lags in measurement from overshooting the target treatment zone . the variation described above in fig2 a to 27c can also be used to position the device 800 relative to a desired target region 12 . for example , the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 , can be radiopaque ( or can have radiopaque markers ) so that a physician can place the appropriate temperature detecting element in a target area or at a perimeter of the target area . in the example shown in fig2 a , a physician could position the second temperature detecting element 808 just outside of a tumor or as otherwise desired . once the measured temperature reaches the associated temperature the physician can stop application of energy and reposition the device as needed or stop treatment . e . g . a physician may choose to use 50 c or 55 c as a target temperature for a specific temperature detecting element based on pre - planning . once that temperature reaches the desired level ; e . g . 50 c or 55 c then the physician may stop delivering any further energy to the tissue by turning off energy delivery . in another embodiment , controller will have an algorithm where a physician inputs the desired temperature for a specific temperature detecting element and controller will apply energy . energy delivery will stop once the desired temperature is achieved . further enhancement to the controller may also allow physician with an ability to set desired amount of time associated with each target temperature where controller will maintain energy level sufficient to control the temperature for desired amount of time and then turn of the energy delivery . fig2 a also depicts a variation of the device as having visible markers 814 , 816 , and 818 located on a shaft . the markers can be used to assist the physician in positioning of the energy transfer elements and / or temperature detecting elements . for example , in the illustrated variation , the device can be used with an introducer cannula of a known size so that marker 814 informs the physician that the distal tip or energy transfer element is positioned at the opening of the cannula . likewise , markers 816 and 818 can inform the physician that energy transfer elements 806 and 808 are respectively located at the opening of the cannula . although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail , it will be understood that this description is merely for purposes of illustration and the above description of the invention is not exhaustive . specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others , and this is for convenience only and any feature may be combined with another in accordance with the invention . a number of variations and alternatives will be apparent to one having ordinary skills in the art . such alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims . particular features that are presented in dependent claims can be combined and fall within the scope of the invention . the invention also encompasses embodiments as if dependent claims were alternatively written in a multiple dependent claim format with reference to other independent claims .	0
fig1 shows a motor vehicle 10 , such as an automobile , having an engine 12 for powering the vehicle 10 . included in the vehicle 10 is a computer ( or microcomputer ) 14 for providing functions useful in the driving of the vehicle 10 . sensors 16 and 18 of outside temperature are located respectively in front and rear bumpers 20 and 22 of the vehicle 10 . a sensor 24 of engine coolant temperature and a sensor 26 of engine oil temperature are mounted to the engine 12 . a vehicle speed sensor 28 connects mechanically or electromagnetically with a wheel 30 of the vehicle 10 . an interface circuit 32 having an analog / digital converter 34 provides for coupling of signals from the sensors 16 , 18 , 24 , 26 and 28 to the computer 14 , the coupling being indicated diagrammatically in fig1 . a delay unit 36 within the computer 14 is employed , in accordance with the invention , for presentation of outside temperature upon a display 38 in the vehicle 10 . while four temperature sensors 16 , 18 , 24 and 26 are shown for purposes of explaining the practice of the invention , it is to be understood that a lesser number of temperature sensors may be employed as will become apparent from the following description of the operation of the invention . a rapid outside - temperature sensor such as the sensor 16 or 18 located in the bumper of the motor vehicle supplies an outside - temperature signal t a . in this connection , the sensor also converts the extreme temperature fluctuations produced by the heat of radiation of the engine , which may amount to up to ± 10 ° c ., into correspondingly rapid signals . furthermore , a temperature sensor , such as the sensor 24 or the sensor 26 , for the measurement of the temperature of the engine is present in the vehicle for supplying corresponding signals concerning the existing engine temperature t m . the engine temperature t m can preferably be determined indirectly via the cooling - water temperature provided by the sensor 24 . determination via the temperature of the engine oil is available via the sensor 26 . in accordance with fig1 and 2 , the outside - temperature and engine - temperature sensors are connected to the analog / digital ( a / d ) converter 34 . the signals t a , t m provided to the analog / digital converter 34 as well as the frequency signal v representing the speed of the vehicle which is supplied by the speed sensor 28 are sent to the microcomputer ( μc ) 14 which controls the display of the outside temperature . in the method shown in fig3 the outside - temperature sensor supplies an electric signal t a which corresponds to the temperature in the vicinity of the sensor . the sensor signal t a is displayed with a different time delay , provided by the delay unit 36 , depending on whether the outside temperature is decreasing or increasing within a given period of time . upon decreasing or constant temperature a constant damping - time constant τ f applies while with increasing outside temperatures a variable damping - time constant τ s is applied . the delay time represented by the damping - time constant τ s is determined as a function of the temperature t m of the engine and the speed v of the vehicle . if the engine is cold ( t m ≦ 35 ° c . ), the delay time assumes a fixed lower limit value τ smin . if the engine temperature t m is more than 35 ° c ., the delay time τ s is still determined as a function of the speed v of the vehicle . the damping - time constant τ s is in this case smaller the higher the speed v . in the direction of decreasing temperature , a small time constant ( for instance τ f ˜ 1 to 30 sec ) is provided as damping of the display . in the direction of increasing temperature , with hot engine and low speed of travel v , an extremely long time constant ( τ . sub . s ˜ 1 to 5 min ) will be active in order also to display actual increases in temperature in contrast to the temperature fluctuations coming from the engine . in one variant of the invention which does not take the speed of the vehicle into account , the damping - time constant τ s is selected at 30 seconds up to an engine temperature t m of 35 ° c . after this , there is a linear increase to 5 minutes in the case of an engine temperature t m of 120 ° c . in the simplest case , the engine temperature t m of 35 ° c . constitutes a threshold value which permits selection between two different constant damping - time constants .	6
turning now to fig2 , there is shown a power cycling / power shutdown system architecture ( 200 ) in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . the structure and operation of the generally known per se cpu ( 21 ), north bridge ( 22 ), system memory ( 23 ), controller ( 24 ), south bridge ( 25 ), and acpi module referred to also with reference to fig1 will not be further described herein . the acpi module outputs an onctl # signal ( 27 ) that is fed to power supply module ( 28 ) in response to the appropriate system internal state as reflected by the state machine of the acpi ( 26 ) module . by one mode of operation , an embedded controller ( e . g . bmc ) outputs a “ 0 ” on its pwrbtn # output ( 31 ) that is fed to the acpi in response to an event . note that a sequence of “ 0 ” output and release may be used for a sequence of operations . the event is , for example , an operation of the power button ( 29 ), an external sensor input ( 29 a ) or lan command ( 29 b ). note that in contrast to the prior art where the output of the bmc ( 30 ) was fed to the or gate ( 8 ) with the output of the acpi state machine , in accordance with this embodiment , the output of the bmc ( 30 ) is fed directly to the acpi state machine input . by another embodiment , the power button switch ( 29 ) is coupled through wired and ( 33 ) directly to the acpi module ( 26 ), instead of being coupled to the bmc input . a wired and ( 33 ) can be implemented , e . g . by using an open drain driver on the bmc output and the power button ( 29 ) being able to pull the signal low when pushed . there is further provided a resistor coupled to the standby supply that will take the signal high when neither the bmc ( 30 ) nor the power button ( 29 ) drives it low . as is also shown , a pwrgood feedback signal ( 32 ) is also fed to the bmc ( 30 ). the latter indicates to the bmc ( 30 ) if the power has been shut down . the operation of the bmc ( 30 ) in accordance with this embodiment will now be explained with reference also to fig3 . thus , in response to an event ( 41 ) ( typically , although not necessarily , a power button ( 29 ) being pressed , a remote lan command ( 29 b ) or sensor input ( 29 a ) in fig2 ) the value of the pwrgood signal ( 32 ) is sampled ( step 42 ). in the case that the value is “ 0 ” ( indicating that the system is in shutdown state ), no operation is required and the system reverts to idle state ( 44 ), awaiting an event . if , on the other hand , the value in step ( 42 ) is “ 1 ”, indicating that the power is on , then a pwrbtn # signal (“ 0 ”) is triggered ( 43 ) and fed to the acpi module (( 26 ) in fig2 ). the latter , depending upon its operational state , will trigger an onctl # signal de - asserted . in the common case when the system is functional this will be done via a call to the cpu ( 21 ) that will handle the shutdown process and will give the proper turn - off command . when the system is not functional this will be done by the acpi state machine directly after 4 - seconds . note that in another embodiment , the bmc ( 30 ) uses the power supply on / off command ( e . g . the onctl # signal ) as indication to the power supply state instead of being responsive to the pwrgood . in such case the system may fail to respond directly to power supply failures , requiring , thus , supplemental means ( e . g ., measure the power supply outputs ). reverting now to the previous embodiment , a sampling procedure of pwrgood now commences for up to 4 seconds . to this end , a counter is set ( 44 ′). if during the 4 sampling seconds a pwrgood signal is sampled (“ 0 ”) ( 45 ) indicating that a power shutdown has occurred ( implicitly suggesting that onctl # signal ( 27 ) in fig2 was delivered to the power supply module ( 28 ) causing it to shut down the power ), then the pwrbtn # signal “ 0 ” should no longer be fed to the acpi module , and its state is changed to inactive “ 1 ” ( 46 ). note that had pwrbtn # been fed to the acpi module , notwithstanding the fact that a power shutdown had been encountered ( i . e . pwrgood =“ 0 ”) this would have caused that the system will - restart as the button is released . reverting now to step ( 47 ), if the entire 4 sampling seconds have elapsed without sensing pwrgood , then , in accordance with the normal operation of the acpi module , a power shutdown will definitely occur and the need to further sample the pwrgood feedback signal ( 32 ) and to feed the pwrbtn # signal ( 31 ) are obviated and accordingly , the latter signal is disabled ( step 46 ). by this embodiment , the net effect is , thus , that in the case that the pwgood signal ( 32 ) is sensed within the 4 - second time interval ( starting from the starting event , 29 , 29 a or 29 b ) the pwrbtn # signal ( 31 ) is then disabled , and , in the case that the 4 seconds have elapsed , the pwrbtn # signal is disabled , even if pwgood has not yet been sensed . the acpi state machine guarantees that onctl # is released when pwbtn # is held low for 4 - second and accordingly any delay on the feedback to pwgood should not affect the operation . by another embodiment , the power button switch ( 29 ) is coupled to the acpi module through the wired and connection ( 33 ). in this case , it would not be possible to disable the operation of the switch , as would be the case had the power button switch been coupled to the bmc module . put differently , if the power button switch is operated , it feeds a shutdown signal to the acpi ( through the wired and ), irrespective of the operation of the bmc . by this embodiment , the triggering of the shutdown event through the embedded controller would only be by means of the lan input or sensors ( 29 a and 29 b ), and the sampling of the feedback signal pwrgood is as discussed above , with reference to fig2 . note that unlike the prior art , in accordance with the specified embodiment of the invention , the bmc is employed whilst maintaining the acpi module in a consistent state , since the onctl # signal ( that will lead to power shutdown ) is produced only through the acpi module , leaving , thus , the latter module aware of the command given to the power supply . the operation as described above with reference to few non limiting embodiments is reflected in the timing charts of fig4 a – b . fig4 a corresponds to the short power shutdown mode ( less or equal to 4 seconds ) and fig4 b corresponds to the long power shutdown mode ( more that 4 seconds ). thus , in response to an event , say pressing power button ( 51 ) [( 29 ) in fig2 ], the pwbtn # signal [( 31 ) in fig2 ] is activated ( 52 ) and shortly afterwards , the onctl # signal [( 29 ) in fig2 ] is triggered ( 53 ), giving rise to the pwgood signal ( 54 ) [( 32 ) in fig2 ] and in response thereto , to disabling the pwrbtn # signal ( 55 ). note that the entire duration of operation of the pwrbtn # signal is less than 4 seconds ( 56 ). in fig4 b , the power button is activated ( 61 ) and the pwrbtn # signal ( 62 ) follows suit , however , in contrast to fig4 a , the onctl # activation by the acpi is delayed ( 63 ) and the power shutdown ( 64 ) will occur after the elapse of the 4 - second time interval . note that the invention is not bound by the specific architecture of fig2 and the operational steps of fig3 . for example , the feedback may be applied utilizing the onctl # signal rather than the pwrgood signal . obviously , the invention is not bound by the use of onctl and / or pwrgood signals . by another example , the 4 second - time interval may be modified , depending upon the specification of the specific system that employs the technique of the invention compensating for timing differences or variation over the standard . by yet another example , other triggering events are used in addition or instead of those depicted in fig2 . in accordance with an embodiment of another aspect of the invention , a power up mode is implemented . if the power on mode is implemented following the specified power down operation , power cycling is brought about . the operation of the power on mode will be described with reference to fig2 and to the timing chart of fig5 . turning at first to the mode of operation where the power button switch 29 is coupled to the bmc , in response to power on event ( 71 in fig5 ) ( by , e . g ., any of the sources 29 , 29 a and 29 b ), the pwrgood signal is sensed . if it indicates that the system is already on , then no action needs to be taken . if , on the other hand , it indicates that the system is off ( pwpgood =“ 0 ”), then a pulse of pwrbtn # signal is generated for pre - defined duration ( say , 0 . 1 seconds 72 ), and , in response , the acpi asserts (“ 1 ”) the onctl # signal ( 73 ) which gives rise to power supply output indicated by pwrgood going high . if the configuration of the system of fig2 is such that the power button is coupled through wired and to the acpi , then the operation of the power on function is as described above , except for the fact that in addition to sensing the state of the pwrgood signal ( which , as may be recalled , should indicate that the system is down ), the state of the power button needs to be sensed in order to ascertain that it is open and not closed ( the latter signifies that the system should be turned off ). the invention is not bound by the specific embodiment of the power on function as described with reference to fig2 and 5 . some remote command may call for an operation called ‘ power cycle ’ in this case the machine is turned off and back on again . this operation is preformed by the bmc by combining the ‘ turn - off ’ and the ‘ turn - on ’ operation with a pause of a few seconds between . powergood may be an output indicating when the power supply power outputs are active , or may use reverse logic indicating when they are inactive . it is also possible to generate powergood via monitoring of the power supply power outputs state . the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , but those versed in the art will readily appreciate that various alterations and modifications may be carried out , without departing from the scope of the following claims .	6
referring first to fig1 , a shelving system 11 comprises six essentially horizontal shelves 13 mounted on two vertical supports 15 mounted on horizontal base members 16 . in fig1 three of the shelves 13 are mounted to one side of the support 15 and three to the opposite side of those supports 15 . it will be appreciated that the number and placement of shelves 13 may vary . each support 15 comprises four surfaces 17 arranged in a rectangle . each surface 17 includes a spaced array of openings 19 ( shown in more detail in fig2 a and 2 b ). each opening 19 includes a vertical slot portion 21 and a horizontally wider upper portion 23 communicating with the vertical slot portion 21 ( shown in more detail in fig2 a and 2 b ). as seen in fig1 , the shelves 13 have at their ends brackets 25 which , at the rear of the end brackets 25 have hooks 27 that are engaged in the openings 19 to secure the shelf 13 on the support . in this embodiment , wall 24 in between the backs of shelves 13 and in between the supports 15 . wall 24 includes four wall brackets 26 which secure the wall 24 to the supports 15 . in this embodiment , wall 24 is not connected to shelves 13 , but may abut the rear of one or more of shelves 13 . in some embodiments , one or more shelves 13 may be further connected to wall 24 . it will be appreciated that components other than shelves 13 may be attached to the supports 15 in addition to wall 24 . it will further be appreciated that wall 24 may include information , advertising , and / or other content . for example , wall 24 may display a product layout to assist the user in knowing where to place products on the shelves . the product layout may further include advertising for the selected product . fig2 a and 2 b show in detail the configuration of openings 19 in the supports 15 and of the hooks 27 that engage in the slots . as described above , each opening 19 includes a vertical slot portion 21 and a horizontally wider upper portion 23 communicating with the vertical slot portion 21 . hook 27 includes a horizontally wide portion that engages the horizontally wider upper portion 23 of the opening 19 . in some embodiments , hook 27 may also include additional portions that may be inserted into openings 19 and engage supports 15 . for example , hook 27 may further include a vertical distal end under the horizontally wider portion . as will be appreciated , unlike the converted slot hook shape , the horizontally wider upper portion 23 of the opening 19 and of the distal end of the hook 27 gives a larger area of contact between the bracket and the support than the conventional configuration and provides greater support for horizontal components carried by the vertical supports 15 . in the embodiment shown in fig2 a and 2 b , bracket 25 included two vertically displaced hooks 27 . the use of two vertically displaced hooks 27 increases the structural support provided by bracket 25 by increasing the area of contact and spreading the load distribution of the bracket 25 across a larger area . it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the brackets 25 may use one or more hooks 27 . the design and selection of brackets 25 may be based in part upon the expected use and load bearing requirements . fig3 shows a table 31 constructed using the supports of the present disclosure as the legs 33 of the table 31 , illustrating the versatility of the disclosed system . in this embodiment , the table 31 comprises four legs 33 each formed by a four sided support similar to the support 15 described with respect to fig1 and 2 . in this embodiment , each side of the leg 33 is provided with a vertical array of openings 35 substantially similar to the openings 19 described with respect to fig1 and 2 . in some embodiments , openings 35 may only be located near the top of legs 33 and / or in a vertical array along only two adjacent sides of legs 33 . the legs 33 are connected at their upper ends to the ends of four horizontal support members 37 . at each end of each support member 37 is a hook dimensioned to connect into the openings 35 near the top of each leg 33 . it will be appreciated that each support member 37 may include one or more hooks that connect into the openings 35 . a top 39 for the table 31 is disposed on the support members 37 . in some embodiments , additional surfaces and / or compartments may be built into the table 31 . for example , two additional horizontal support members 37 may be connected between opposite pairs of legs 33 such that an additional surface ( like top 39 ) may be supported at a lower level than top 39 . fig4 depicts an embodiment of a hanger system 41 comprising an essentially horizontal hanger bar 43 which may be mounted on one or more vertical supports 45 . it will be appreciated that the number and placement of hanger bars 43 may vary . in this embodiment , each support 45 is generally round in shape , and includes four vertically spaced arrays of openings 49 . it will be appreciated that the number and arrangement of openings 49 , and / or arrays of openings 49 may vary . each opening 49 includes a vertical slot portion 51 and a horizontally wider upper portion 53 communicating with the vertical slot portion 51 . as seen in fig4 , the hanger bar 43 has at one end bracket 55 and at the other end plate 63 . bracket 55 includes hooks 57 that may be inserted into and engage the openings 49 and secure the hanger bar 43 on the support 45 . in this embodiment , bracket 55 also includes extensions 59 which may provide additional contact area against the rounded support 45 in this embodiment . this embodiment further includes tab 61 with a hole at the bottom of bracket 55 . in some embodiments , tab 61 may provide be used to provide additional support through the use of a bolt , pin , screw , or other extension that may be inserted and / or secured to support 45 . tab 61 may be used as a guide in other embodiments . hooks 57 include horizontally wide portions which engage the horizontally wider upper portion 53 of the opening 49 . in some embodiments , hooks 57 may also include additional portions that may be inserted into openings 49 and engage supports 45 . for example , hook 57 may further include a vertical distal end under the horizontally wider portion . as will be appreciated , unlike the converted slot hook shape , the horizontally wider upper portion 53 of the opening 49 and of the distal end of the hook 57 gives a larger area of contact between the bracket and the support than the conventional configuration and provides greater support for horizontal components carried by the vertical supports 45 . in the embodiment shown , bracket 55 included two vertically displaced hooks 57 . the use of two vertically displaced hooks 57 increases the structural support provided by bracket 55 by increasing the area of contact and spreading the load distribution of the bracket 55 across a larger area . it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the brackets 55 may use one or more hooks 57 . the design and selection of brackets 55 may be based in part upon the expected use and load bearing requirements . in some embodiments , plate 63 located at the other end of hanger bar 43 prevents one or more items from sliding off hanger bar 43 . in some embodiments , plate 63 is utilized to provide information , advertising , and / or other content . in some embodiments , plate 63 may be used to attach hanger bar 43 to a wall , another hanger , or another apparatus . for example , plate 63 may include four holes whereby four bolts , screws , and / or other connectors may be used to secure plate 63 to a wall . fig5 depicts a top view of a round support 45 attached to hanger system 41 on one side and an alternative attachment 65 on the opposite side . in this embodiment , support 45 includes at least two arrays of openings on opposite sides wherein hooks 57 and 67 may be inserted and engaged with support 45 . hanger system 41 includes elements described above with regard to fig4 . as seen in fig5 , in this embodiment bracket 55 and extensions 59 thereof provide three points of contact with the round support 45 when hanger system 41 is inserted in support 45 . the alternative attachment 65 includes hook 67 which is shown inserted in support 45 . in this embodiment , alternative attachment 65 also includes a curved end with hook 67 extending from a central area of the curve . the curve of the end is designed to compliment the curve of support 45 to provide additional contact area and sufficient structural support for alternative attachment 65 . it will be appreciated that alternative attachment 65 may comprise any type of attachable component , including shelves , hanger bars , table top supports , drawer rails , advertising or content display , supports , and / or other components . one skilled in the art will recognize that the design of the brackets used in conjunction with the hooks may vary and remain within the scope and spirit of the disclosure . in some embodiments , hanger bar 43 may include brackets 55 at each end and not include a plate 63 . in such embodiments , hanger bar 43 may be disposed between two supports 45 . in some embodiments , hanger bar 43 is used to display informational , advertising , and / or other content . in other embodiments , hanger bar 43 is used to display and / or hold hanging clothes . it will be appreciated that some embodiments may include sections with hanger bars 43 and others with shelves 13 as described above . it will further be appreciated that additional designs of tables and other types of shelving , furniture , and display apparatus may be constructed using variations on these components and / or additional components which are compatible with the hooks and opening disclosed herein . for example , stools , chairs , steps , clothing racks , drawers , and other furniture may be constructed .	0
the improved defect mapping system 10 of this invention is illustrated schematically in fig1 . an x - y translation stage 12 is provided for supporting a crystalline sample or substrate 14 positioned for defect detection and mapping according to this invention . a laser beam generator 16 , such as a hene laser system capable of generating a laser beam 18 of light with a wavelength of approximately 6 , 382 å , is positioned above the stage 12 and preferably oriented to direct a laser beam 18 perpendicularly onto the exposed surface 20 of crystalline material or sample 14 . a light integrating sphere 22 , has two diametrically opposed apertures 24 , 26 positioned to allow transmission of the laser beam 18 through the light integrating sphere 22 , when it is positioned between the laser generator 16 and the sample 14 . however , the light integrating sphere 22 captures light rays 30 that are scattered by the surface 20 of sample 14 through the bottom aperture 26 . the interior surface 28 of the integrator 22 is coated with a material , such as magnesium oxide , that enhances uniform scattering and integrated distribution or diffusion of light rays 30 captured therein through the bottom aperture 26 , as illustrated at 32 . a first photodetector 40 positioned in the side of the light integrating sphere 22 detects the intensity of diffused light 32 in the light integrating sphere 22 and produces an analog signal on lead 42 indicative of the diffused light 32 intensity . as illustrated in the graph in fig8 and as will be discussed in more detail below , the intensity of the diffused or integrated scattered light 32 in fig1 thus the amplitude of the signal produced on lead 42 , is a direct measure of etched pit dislocation density ( epd ) on the position of surface 20 of sample 14 that is illuminated by laser beam 18 . at the same time , the near specular components 34 , 36 of light scattered by etched grain boundaries ( not shown in fig1 but described below ) in the surface 20 of a polycrystalline sample 14 , along with specular light component 38 , are allowed by bottom aperture 26 and top aperture 24 to pass through the light integrating sphere 22 , as illustrated in fig1 . the specular light component 38 , which is primary comprised of light reflected by smooth portions , i . e ., nondefect portions , of the surface 20 of sample 14 , is blocked and eliminated by an opaque center 46 of a center blocking aperture 44 , while the near specular light components 34 , 36 are passed to a convex converging lens 48 and to a second photodetector 50 . since most of the light that reaches this second photodetector 50 is the near specular component of light scattered by etched grain boundaries , as will be described in more detail below , a strong electric signal produced on lead 52 by photodetector 50 indicates the presence of a grain boundary in the portion of the surface 20 of sample 14 that is illuminated by the laser beam 18 . the signal processing and control unit 60 shown in fig1 processes and stores the signals from the photodetectors 40 and 50 in conjunction with x - y position information of the stage 12 , as the stage 12 rasters the sample 14 under the laser beam 18 . therefore , visual displays or other outputs of etch pit density ( epd ) or grain boundary mapping can be produced for all or any desired portion of the surface 20 of sample 14 . referring now to fig3 a and 3b , a crystalline sample 14 with etch pits 70 in the surface 20 where dislocation defects occur is shown illuminated by a laser beam 18 . when properly etched , as will be described in more detail below , the etch pits 70 scatter the light in a definite and repeatable pattern 72 illustrated in fig3 b . the pattern 72 in fig3 b is the projection of the scattered light beams in fig3 a on the plane 74 . essentially , the etch pits 70 scatter most of the incident light from beam 18 in a conical pattern , as show in fig3 a , between about five degrees ( 5 °) and twenty degrees ( 20 °) from normal . the beams 76 illustrate the inner boundary of this range , and the beams 78 illustrate the outer boundary . corresponding boundaries 76 and 78 define the primary high intensity light ring 80 of the resulting pattern 72 in fig3 b . a fringe ring 82 of less intensity surrounds the primary ring 80 , as depicted by scattered fringe rays 84 . the center circle 73 of pattern 72 is essentially devoid of scattered light from the etch pitted surface 20 . all of the scattered light in the primary ring 80 and the fringe ring 82 of pattern 72 is collectively designated as the etch pit scattered light 30 for convenience in describing this invention . fig3 d is an illustration of a pattern 72 produced scattered light from the substantially circular shaped etch pits in fig3 c . such circular shaped etch pits indicate dislocation defects that are oriented substantially normal to the surface , and , when etched as described below for this invention , will always produce the characteristic circular pattern of etch pit scattered light shown in fig3 d and depicted in fig3 b . in contrast , dislocation defects that are oriented oblique to the surface produce elliptical shaped etch pits , as shown in fig3 e . such elliptical etch pits produce an elliptical shaped pattern of etch pit scattered light , as shown in fig3 f . a mixed set of etch pits comprising both circular and elliptical shapes in close proximity , as shown in fig3 g , will produce an irregular shaped etch pit scattered light pattern , as shown in fig3 h . referring now momentarily to fig1 and 2 , the bottom aperture 26 of the light integrating sphere 22 is sized and positioned to admit most of the etch pit scattered light 30 , for example , about 20 to 40 degrees from normal . the top aperture 24 is preferably sized and positioned to not allow light rays 30 scattered from the surface 20 wider than about five degrees from normal to pass therethrough . in other words , the top aperture 24 preferably coincides substantially with the void center circle 73 of the etch pit uttered light pattern 72 of fig3 b . consequently , most of the etch pit uttered light 30 is captured and retained by light integrating sphere 22 , where it is integrated to produce intense diffuse light 32 to induce a strong signal from photodetector 40 . at the same time , very little of the etch pit uttered light 30 escapes through top aperture 24 to reach the second photodetector 50 , so any signal produced by photodetector 50 is not influenced significantly by etch pit uttered light 30 . referring now primary to fig4 a and 4b , a grain boundary 90 in a polycrystalline material , when etched as described below , will produce a v - shaped groove 92 that is essentially one - dimensional and runs the length of the grain boundary 90 along the surface 20 of the sample 14 . light incident on such etch grain boundaries 90 is uttered in a substantially fan - shaped distribution 94 in a plane that is perpendicular to the surface 20 . when the fan - shaped uttered light distribution 94 is projected onto a plane 96 that is parallel to surface 20 , it forms a pattern , 98 of diverse elongated spots 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 . . . as illustrated in fig4 b . the circular center spot 100 is substantially specular reflection or retroreflection from the v - shaped groove 92 or surface 20 . referring again to fig2 a polycrystalline sample 14 is illustrated on x - y stage 12 with a grain boundary 90 and a v - shaped etch groove 92 where the grain boundary 90 intersects the surface 20 , similar to that illustrated in fig4 a and described above . the surface 20 also has etch pits 70 where dislocations intersect the surface 20 ; however , the size and density proportions are not illustrated to scale because of limitations inherent in these kinds of illustrations for microscopic features . as shown in fig2 a fairly wide or large diameter beam 18 is used to illuminate a sufficiently large portion of the surface 20 to obtain a good statistical sample of etch pits . therefore , there is no attempt to focus the beam 18 to a point on the surface 20 . in fact , it is preferred that a point focus is avoided . generally , it is preferred to include at least two hundred etch pits in the illuminated area , which usually requires a beam 18 diameter of about 500 to 1 , 000 μm . as also shown in fig2 for purposes of illustrating additional features of this invention , the v - shaped grain boundary etch groove 92 is positioned in the area illuminated by beam 18 . consequently , both an etch pit scattered light pattern , such as one of the patterns illustrated in fig3 a through 3h , and a grain boundary etch scattered light pattern , such as the pattern 98 illustrated in fig4 a and 4b , are produced together . the result is a combination etch pit light scattered pattern , such as pattern 72 of fig3 a and 3b , combined with a grain boundary etch pattern 98 of fig4 a and 4b . the combination of these patterns 72 and 98 is illustrated in fig5 . the specular light components 38 of fig2 and 4a that produce center spot 100 of fig4 b and 5 , and the near specular light components 34 and 36 of fig2 and 4a that produce the inside spots 101 and 102 , respectively , of fig4 b and 5 deviate from specular normal for the most part less than five degrees ( 5 °). therefore , as best illustrated in fig2 and 5 , those light components 34 , 36 , and 38 and their corresponding spots 100 , 101 , and 102 are for the most pan confined in the center area 73 that is substantially devoid of etch pit scattered light 30 . therefore , as shown in fig2 the top aperture 24 of the light integrating sphere 22 allows the light components 34 , 36 and 38 scattered or reflected by the grain boundary etch groove 92 to pass out of the light integrating sphere 22 . therefore , the limited pattern shown in fig6 comprising only spots 100 , 101 , and 102 reach the plane 112 of the center block aperture 44 in fig2 . the specular light component 38 is subsequently blocked and eliminated from the system 10 by the center block aperture 44 as mentioned above . consequently , only the near specular light components 34 and 36 scattered by the grain boundary etch groove 92 pass through the light integrating sphere 22 and reach the second photodetector 50 . substantially all of the etch pit scattered light 30 is captured in the light integrating sphere 22 , as described above , and is detected only by the first photodetector 40 . as a result , the signal produced by the second photodetector 50 is essentially the result of a grain boundary 90 in the area of illumination by beam 18 . this signal on lead 52 , therefore , can be processed , discriminated , and used for detecting and mapping grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials as distinct from dislocation defects . in fig2 the light components 34 , 36 , and 38 that pass through the top aperture 24 of light integrating sphere 22 are collimated by a lens 114 , reflected out of the normal path by beam splitter or partially silvered mirror 116 , and directed to the center block aperture 44 . as mentioned above , the projected light components 34 , 36 , and 38 and which forms spots 100 , 101 , 102 that reach plane 112 of aperture 44 are substantially as shown in fig6 . the aperture 44 has an annular opening 45 large enough to pass substantial portions of the near specular components 34 and 36 and a center block 46 large enough to block the specular light component 38 . the convex lens 48 converges and focuses the near specular light components 34 and 36 onto the second detector 50 , so that the projection of the light , essentially comprising the near specular light components 34 and 36 , appears as the near spots 101 and 102 , illustrated in fig7 without the specular light component 38 and circular center spot 100 . it is important to eliminate the specular light component 38 , because a substantial portion of the specular light component 38 can be , and probably is , light reflected from smooth , nondefect areas of the surface 20 of the polycrystalline material 14 adjacent the grain boundary 90 , thus could also be present in the signal from the second photodetector 50 , even if there is no grain boundary in the area of illumination . elimination of the central or specular light component 38 insures that the only signal from photodetector 50 is from a grain boundary defect . it may be noted that the more diverse components of the grain boundary scattered light 94 that produce the intermediate spots 103 - 108 in the pattern 98 , as illustrated in fig4 a , 4b , and 5 , will not pass through the top aperture 24 of light integrating sphere 22 , thus will be captured along with the etch pit scattered light 30 inside the light integrating sphere 22 of fig2 . if those intermediate components of the grain boundary scattered light 94 are intense enough , they can affect and cause erroneous signals of etch pit density ( epd ) from the first photodetector 40 . in fact , if the beam 18 was narrowed to a point , and if the point was focused on the grain boundary etch 92 , the resulting grain boundary scattered light 94 intensity inside the light integrating sphere 22 would probably predominate and could even swamp out any etch pit scattered light intensity . actually , the first photodetector 40 could operate as a grain boundary 90 detector in that configuration . on the other hand , the effect of the intermediate components of grain boundary scattered light 94 can be minimized in several ways . first , the incident beam 18 can be operated with a wide diameter , thus illuminating a larger area of etch pit defects 70 on the surface 20 of the polycrystalline material 14 . such wide area illumination increases substantially the intensity of etch pit scattered light 30 inside the light integrating sphere 22 as compared to the grain boundary scattered light 94 . further , since the problem of the grain boundary scattered light 94 is essentially one dimensional , while the pattern of the etch pit scattered light 30 is two dimensional , a larger area illumination can minimize the effect of the grain boundary scattered light 94 inside the light integrating sphere 22 that is detected by the first photodetector 40 . additional electronic signal conditioning and processing , as described below , can further minimize the residual effects of the grain boundary scattered light 94 detected by first photodetector 40 . another adjustment that can minimize the effects of diverse components of grain boundary scattered light 94 is to increase the distance between the bottom aperture 26 of the light integrating sphere 22 and the surface 20 of the polycrystalline material 14 . increasing this distance can allow the furthest - out components of the grain boundary scattered light 94 , which spread at a large angle to normal , i . e ., a smaller angle to the surface 20 , to pass beneath the light integrating sphere 22 and avoid capture by the bottom aperture 26 . of course , raising the light integrating sphere 22 to an even larger distance off the surface 20 could cause the outer fringes of the etch pit scattered light 30 to be excluded , too , which could be counterproductive . widening the bottom aperture 26 along with increasing the distance between the light integrating sphere 22 and the surface 20 could help to capture the outer fringes of the etch pit scattered light 30 , but wider apertures can also allow diffuse light inside the light integrating sphere 22 to escape , thus lowering intensity and signal strength from the first photodetector 40 . therefore , there is a balance that can be found and maintained between incident beam 18 size , distance between light integrating sphere 22 and surface 12 , and sizes of apertures 24 and 26 that provides optimum results and signals for a particular system 10 used in conjunction with a particular polycrystalline material 14 . a larger beam 18 size can also increase the size of the raster increments needed to scan a sample 14 as well as increasing the statistical base of the method used in this invention , which detects statistical defect densities instead of detecting and counting individual etch pits . therefore , the larger raster increments along with the increased statistical base of defect densities that result from a larger sized beam 18 , as described above , can combine to increase substantially the defect mapping speed and efficiency according to this invention . referring again to fig1 the etch pit density ( epd ) signal on lead 42 is directed to a first amplifier circuit 120 , where it is conditioned , filtered , cleaned up , and amplified . likewise , the grain boundary signal on lead 52 is directed to a second amplifier circuit 122 , where it is also conditioned , filtered , cleaned up , and amplified . both signals are then directed via leads 124 , 126 , respectively , to an algebraic summing circuit 128 , where the etch pit or dislocation signal is algebraically summed with ( subtracted from ) the product of an empirically determined constant times the grain boundary signal to produce a new signal that is indicative of grain boundary for mapping purposes . initialization can be made on a location that is known to be all dislocation defects and no grain boundary defects . in the opposite mode , the grain boundary signal can be algebraically summed with the product of a constant times the dislocation signal to produce a net signal that is indicative of dislocation density . the dislocation density and grain boundary signals are fed into a computer 130 along with x - y position information from the stage 12 via connection 132 . the data is stored in a high - speed buffer memory . commercially available computer software , such as &# 34 ; lab view ,&# 34 ; produced by national instruments , of 6504 bridgepoint parkway , austin , tex . 78730 , and &# 34 ; delta graph ,&# 34 ; produced by deltapoint , inc . of 2 harris court , suite b - 1 , monterey , calif . 93940 , can be used , with appropriate modifications for particular system hardware and other parameters that would be within the capabilities of persons skilled in this art , to make a map of the dislocation densities and grain boundaries in the material 14 , and detailed analysis or displays can be made on the monitor 134 and by a color printer or plotter 136 . for example , a defect density map produced with the system 10 according to this invention is shown in fig9 . alternatively , the grain boundary data can be used to produce a grain boundary map . for example , the grain boundaries shown in the microscopic photograph of fig1 a was scanned with the system 10 of this invention , and the grain boundary map in fig1 b was produced with the data . alternatively , analog signals from the photodetectors 40 and 50 can be processed by the analog display controller 138 to directly display the dislocation and grain boundary distributions on a storage oscilloscope 140 or an x - y recorder 142 . the preferred etching process for use with this invention is a variation of the chemical etching procedure published by the inventor in b . l . sopori , &# 34 ; a new etch for polycrystalline silicon ,&# 34 ; j . electrochem ,: solid - state science and technology , vol . 131 , no . 3 , page 667 ( 1984 ), which produces substantially equal volume etch pits , regardless of dislocation orientation , which is incorporated herein by reference . the following mixtures are used in defect etching : 1 ) 1 : 1 of hydrofluoric acid ( i - if ) to water , referred to as the hf rinse . 2 ) 1 : 1 of nitric acid ( hno 3 ) to water , referred to as the hno 3 rinse . 3 ) 36 : 15 : 2 of hydrofluoric acid to acetic acid ( ch 3 cooh ) to nitric acid , referred to as sopori etch . 4 ) 2 : 1 of sulfuric acid ( h 2 so 4 ) to hydrogen peroxide ( h 2 o 2 ), referred to as piranha . a ) make sure the sample to be etched is dean by checking it under the microscope . if the sample is not clean ( there are blobs visible on the surface ), it should be cleaned . b ) heat the piranha on a hot plate ( not shown ) to 80 ° c . ( a setting of &# 34 ; low &# 34 ;). it should take approximately 15 - 20 minutes to heat the piranha . it is hot enough when it begins to gently bubble . do not let the piranha reach a full boil . if the piranha was just mixed it does not need to be heated ; the heat generated in mixing the h 2 so 4 and h 2 o 2 is adequate . c ) place the sample in a teflon sample holder and then let the sample sit in the piranha for 15 to 30 minutes . the piranha cleans off any remaining small bits of wax or dirt on the surface of the sample . after the sample has soaked , rinse it off with a stream of deionized ( di ) water and blow it dry with an air gun ( not shown ). d ) the hf rinse , the hno 3 rinse , and the etch should be poured into separate , labeled , plastic one - liter beakers . fill a two - liter beaker with di water for rinsing the samples after etching . e ) dip the sample into the etch and gently wave it back and forth for approximately 30 seconds after bubbles begin to form . remove the sample from the etch and immediately dip it into the beaker of di water . gently wave the sample back and forth for several seconds and then risen it with a stream of di water . dry the sample with the air gun . f ) dip the sample in the hno 3 rinse and gently wave it back and forth for approximately 15 seconds . remove the sample and dip it into the beaker of di water for several seconds . rinse the sample in a stream of di water and then dry it with the air gun . g ) dip the sample in the hf rinse and wave it back and forth for approximately 15 seconds . remove the sample and dip it into the beaker of di water for several seconds . rinse the sample in a stream of di water and then dry it with the air gun . a second embodiment system 200 is shown in fig1 . in this embodiment , the light integrating sphere 22 is positioned far enough away from the surface 20 to accommodate the collimating lens 114 and beam splitter 116 between the light integrating sphere 22 and surface 20 . the beam splitter 116 diverts part of the grain boundary scattered light 96 and etch pit scattered light 30 toward the second photodetector 50 before reaching the light integrating sphere 22 . in this embodiment , the blocking aperture 244 passes only the outer portions 210 and 212 of the grain boundary scattered light 96 to the second detector 50 and blocks everything else . the bottom aperture 26 of light integrating sphere 22 is large enough to admit the etch pit scattered light 30 , but small enough to block the outer portions of grain boundary scattered light 96 that passes through beam splitter 116 . the near specular portions 34 and 36 of grain boundary scattered light 96 that pass through the beam splitter 116 also pass out the aperture 24 of light integrating sphere 22 . therefore , it is only the intermediate portions of grain boundary scattered light that enter and are captured in the light integrating sphere 22 along with the etch pit scattered light 30 . these intermediate portions of grain boundary scattered light , as in the embodiment 10 described above , are not sufficient to swamp or degrade the intensity signal for etch pit scattered light 30 as long as the incident beam 18 illuminates a wide enough area on surface 20 . a third embodiment of a system 300 is shown in fig1 . the system 300 is similar to the system 10 shown in fig1 with like components referenced with a prime designation a first laser 16 &# 39 ; provides a beam 18 &# 39 ; of light at a relatively long wavelength , preferably greater than 8000 å , for example approximately 9000 å . a second laser 302 provides a beam 306 of light at a wavelength different from the first laser 16 &# 39 ;, preferably less than 7000å , for example 6382 å . a lens 304 establishes the width of the beam 306 from the second laser 302 . a lens 308 establishes the width of the beam 18 &# 39 ; from the first laser 16 &# 39 ;. a beam splitter 310 is placed between the light integrating sphere 22 &# 39 ; and the first laser 16 &# 39 ; in such a position as to allow the beam 306 from the second laser to be positioned substantially parallel with the beam 18 &# 39 ; from the first laser 16 &# 39 ; and directed toward the crystalline material or sample 14 &# 39 ;. the beam splitter 310 has a central portion 311 which is reflective while the remaining portion is not . consequently , the specular portion of the light reflected from the surface 20 &# 39 ; of the material 14 &# 39 ; is reflected back toward the second laser 302 while the near specular light components 34 &# 39 ; and 36 &# 39 ; pass by the beam splitter 310 and are directed to the second photodetector 50 &# 39 ;. a signal 312 is provided from the first laser 16 &# 39 ; to the computer 130 &# 39 ; containing information related to the total transmitted power in the beam 18 &# 39 ;. similarly , the second laser 302 provides a signal 314 to the computer 130 &# 39 ; containing information related to the total transmitted power in the beam 306 . a third photodetector 316 is positioned in the opposite side of the light integrating sphere 22 &# 39 ; from the first photodetector 40 &# 39 ;. a first filter 318 is positioned in front of the first photodetector 40 &# 39 ; to allow reflected light from laser beam 18 &# 39 ; to pass therethrough but with transmission characteristics which cause reflected light from laser beam 306 not to pass therethrough . similarly , a second filter 320 is positioned in front of the third photodetector 316 and allows reflected light from laser beam 306 to pass therethrough while blocking reflected light from laser beam 18 &# 39 ;. the third photodetector 316 produces a signal 322 indicative of the intensity of the diffused light 32 &# 39 ; which is of the wavelength of laser beam 306 . this signal 322 is transmitted to the signal processing and control unit 60 &# 39 ; where a third amplifier circuit 324 conditions , filters , cleans - up and amplifies the signal 322 before supplying a third amplified signal 326 to the analog display controller 138 &# 39 ; and the computer 130 &# 39 ;. the lens 304 is chosen so that the beam 306 is preferably of a width similar to the width of a grain boundary etch , or 0 . 1 mm . this relatively small beam width produces a sharper grain boundary definition since the sharpness of the grain boundary image is determined by the convolution of the grain boundary groove size and the beam width . the lens 308 is chosen so that the beam 18 &# 39 ; is preferably in the range of 0 . 5 - 1 . 0 mm to provide a sufficient statistical sample of dislocation defects . in this way , this embodiment can be optimized separately for each of the type of defects rather than selecting a compromise beam width . the use of two light beams , each having a different wavelength , provides another advantage . namely , variations in the size of the etch pits can be corrected for by the use of the dual wavelength system . the variations can occur from variations in the time duration of the etching process or the exact composition and cleanliness of the etchant solution . fig1 shows graphs of the normalized signal received from the diffuse light reflected off the material 14 &# 39 ; as a function of etch pit density . it can be seen that this function is also dependent on the etch pit size and the wavelength of the light . curve 400 shows the relationship between the etch pit density and the normalized signal , with a first etch pit size and a relatively long wavelength . curve 402 shows the relationship , with the first etch pit size and a relatively shorter wavelength . at a particular etch pit density 403 , a difference 404 or a ratio can be calculated between the curve 400 and the curve 402 . curve 406 shows the relationship between the etch pit density and the normalized signal , with a second etch pit size ( which is larger than the first ) and the relatively long wavelength . curve 408 shows the relationship , with the second etch pit size and the relatively shorter wavelength . at the same particular etch pit density 403 , a difference 410 or a ratio can be calculated between the curve 406 and the curve 408 . it can be seen that the difference 410 is smaller than the difference 404 . this relationship between the differences 404 and 410 can be exploited to determine and correct for variations in etch pit size . it is also possible to obtain maps of reflectance and photoresponse for a photovoltaic device or solar cell ( also referenced as 14 &# 39 ;) which has been produced from crystalline material 14 &# 39 ;. with the system 300 ( fig1 ) the signals from the photodetectors are summed to obtain total reflectance . by translating the x - y table 12 &# 39 ;, a reflectance map can be produced . maps of diffuse , specular , and total reflectance can be produced for each wavelength produced by the lasers 16 &# 39 ; and 302 . to perform light beam induced current ( lbic ) measurements on the photovoltaic device 14 &# 39 ; the light integrating sphere 22 &# 39 ; is mounted in such a manner as to allow it to be moved laterally away from the x - y translation stage or table 12 &# 39 ;. a pair of electrical leads 328 and 330 are attachable to opposite sides of the photovoltaic device 14 &# 39 ;. the leads 328 and 330 are also connected to the respective input terminals of a low - input - impedance amplifier 332 which supplies a signal 334 to the analog display controller 138 &# 39 ; and the computer 130 &# 39 ; indicative of the current flowing through the leads 328 and 330 and the photovoltaic device 14 &# 39 ;. the reflected power is subtracted from the total transmitted power as communicated by the signal 312 to the computer 130 &# 39 ;. from this difference , the total absorbed power ( by the photovoltaic device 14 &# 39 ;) can be calculated . the current induced through the device 14 &# 39 ; by the incoming light is measured by the amplifier 332 and an optical energy - to - electrical energy conversion efficiency ( photoresponse ) can be calculated . these calculations can be repeated as the material 14 &# 39 ; is rastered by the x - y table 12 &# 39 ; so as to create a two - dimensional &# 34 ; map &# 34 ; of photoresponse . external photoresponse is a measure of the electrical power produced as a function of the total transmitted optical power . internal photoresponse is a measure of the electrical power produced as a function of the total absorbed optical power . dual wavelengths provide several advantages to the lbic measurements . the longer wavelength light tends to penetrate deeper into the material 14 &# 39 ; than the shorter wavelength light , and thus the longer wavelength light can be used to provide information about the property of the material such as the minority carrier diffusion length . this parameter is the length an electron ( which is the minority carrier in p - type material ) can go toward the n - p junction without combining with a hole . on the other hand , the shorter wavelength light provides information relating to the near - surface features of the material 14 &# 39 ;. these features may include grain boundaries and n - p junction characteristics . it is important to examine the nonuniformities in the material or photovoltaic device because the inefficient portions of the material are a sink to the power generated by the more efficient portions of the material . the nonuniformities may be due to the growing process , other defects , the junctions or the anti - reflective coating on the material . among the many possible alternatives which could be used in the above - described embodiments are the substitution of a non - laser light source for the laser . the light source need not be coherent . however , with the third embodiment it is desirable for the light source to have a relatively narrow color output . in addition , it would be possible to use mirrors or a separate light source to provide the beam for lbic to a remote section of the material 14 &# 39 ; as an alternative to moving the light integrating sphere 22 &# 39 ;. the foregoing description is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . furthermore , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and process shown as described above . accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to failing within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow .	6
a variety of casing heating systems has been proposed and some have been field tested with mixed results . to date , none of these systems take into account the heterogeneous nature of the oil deposit . nor do they properly address the fundamentals of even an idealized casing heating process . some of these ignored factors will be discussed . in fig1 the casing heating processes are characterized by a heated perforated casing 61 , that transfers heat into the deposit by thermal diffusion as suggested by the black arrows 62 . the in - flowing liquids by convection transfer the heat back into the perforated casing as indicated by the open arrows 63 . thermal diffusion is slow and convection heat transfer can be more rapid . because the ingressing liquids can more rapidly transfer heat back into the wellbore , the diameter of the heated zone around the perforated casing would be small , thereby limiting the size of the pay zone where the viscosity is substantially reduced by the increased formation temperature . however , the cooling effects by ingressing liquids on the production from casing heated wells can be mitigated by maintaining the temperature of the casing at the maximum allowable value . production from casing heated wells that exhibit a skin effect near the well bore will also be less affected by ingressing cool liquids . in addition to the external diffusion and convection , there are internal heat transfer mechanisms within the perforated production casing . these include mixing of the heat in liquids in region 67 from different segments of the perforated casing as suggested in fig2 . also noted is that the heated casing also diffuses heat , as suggested by 65 into the upward flowing liquids 66 . these upward flowing liquids may be already heated , and may be also further heated in the upper portion of the perforated casing . this suggests that even for an idealized uniform deposit and a casing system that is uniformly heated , that the upper portion of the perforated casing might rise to greater temperatures than the lower portions . fig3 illustrates the case where the perforated casing penetrates a slowly producing zone , such as a shale streak 71 that overlays a high producing zone 72 . after a few weeks of heating only a small proportion of heat 75 from the casing near the shale streak will be transferred into the shale . this is due , in part , because the ingressing liquids fail to transfer all of the heat back into the wellbore . the shale formation will tend to perform as a thermal insulator , and will rise in temperature such that most of the heat flow 74 from the casing will be re - directed back into the upward flowing liquids 66 . this excess temperature rise is partially moderated by the upward flowing liquids from the more productive zones below the shale streak . assuming that higher casing temperatures the greater will be the increase in production . on this assumption , the optimum heating profile is one where the maximum allowable temperature is determined by the characteristics of the apparatus . in our case , this would be about 125 ° c . all along the eddy - current heating tool , assuming a 150 ° c . upper limit . on the other hand , economic factors may dominate in the event that the cost of additional heating is not offset by increased production . one solution would be to conduct a detailed reservoir analysis that included heating of the casing . this would permit tailoring the heating profile along the casing to mitigate the above noted problems . this step can be time consuming and require a programmable method or a connection arrangement within the tool to fit the heating profile to the deposit . further , well log data may be missing and may be unreliable . the broader goal would be to increase the spatial distribution of the temperature of the casing to a predetermined spatial distribution . in the case of deposits that have about the same temperature viscosity characteristics , the temperature of the perforated casing could be uniformly increased throughout the deposit to the maximum allowable temperature , such as 125 ° c . or a smaller value as determined by economic considerations . to do this , a temperature - sensing array along the casing heating system would be needed . each sensor along or within the casing heating tool would sense the temperature of a short segment of the tool . this sensed temperature would then control the heating for that segment . by so doing , the temperature of each segment would not rise above a predetermined value . further , it would modulate the dissipation in the casing in proportion to the ingressing liquids and the heat capacity of the liquids . a simple way would be to use temperature - sensing switches , such as shown in fig4 . for illustration purposes , we show three coils 81 a , 81 b , and 81 c of an eddy - current casing heating system . ( alternatively , the three coils could be the primary of downhole transformers used to supply ohmic - heating current to the casing walls .) a voltage source , v 82 , excites cables 83 a and 84 . the switches 85 a , 85 b , and 85 c are thermally actuated , to energize or de - energize the adjacent coil . for example , if switch 85 a is connected to 86 a , if coil 81 a is to be excited . if the sensor 88 a on the tool near coil 81 a exceeds 125 ° c ., then the switch 85 a switches to position 87 a thereby de - energizing coil 81 a , while at the same time permitting coils 87 b and 87 c to be energized or de - energized by switches 85 b and 85 c as controlled by sensors near 87 b and 87 c . the switches could either be mechanical or semiconductor . the semiconductor switches could either be switched on or off , similar to mechanical switch . or they could be time modulated in a way that results in continuous feedback control . several other factors are needed to make this work . first , the heating capacity of each coil should be up to several times that required based on a simple average overall flow rate . this is necessary in the case where much of the production comes from just a few zones . in addition , consideration should be given to the thermal diffusion properties of the barren formations above and below the pay zone . such formations can have a very high electric conductivity and may also have a very high thermal conductivity . in the case of a thin low - conductivity pay zone sandwiched between tow very high thermal conductivity barren layers , it may be advantageous to heat the casing just within the barren layers . because of the high thermal conductivity of the barren zones , additional heat could be transferred into the pay zone via the high thermal conductivity barren zone . the liquids that flow within the casing can be used to transfer heat from the coils . this can be enhanced by having flow pathways both outside of the coils and within the coils . in addition , pathways into the interior of the coils from liquids adjacent the casing can be provided by inserting flow spaces between short length coils . this has not been considered before and will help cool the coils while enhancing the flow and mixing patterns . the design of the power conversion unit must also be able to accommodate the expected variations in the load . such variations would occur as each switch is turned on or off or where most of the production comes from just a few zones . the optimized casing system should be far more effective than one without the optimization . the effectiveness will be sensitive to the heterogeneity of the deposit . it will be more reliable provided that suitable temperature switches or controllers can be installed for each coil group in the casing heating system . the implementation of the above will be considered next in more detail . the ohmic heating apparatus will be first described in terms of heating just a single segment of the casing , this will be followed by showing how this is modified to heat different segments of the casing in a controlled manner . fig5 illustrates a vertical cross - section of a vertical oil well with a transformer matching arrangement which matches the characteristics of the current flowing on the casing in the vicinity of the reservoir to the characteristics of the power delivery system . shown here , the cross - section of an oil well originally completed using conventional means and a conventional recovery system without the casing system . the surface of the earth 2 , the overburden 3 , the reservoir 4 , and the underburden 5 are penetrated by the conventional production casing system 6 . also shown is the surface casing 7 . conventional production tubing 8 along with the pump rod 9 are deployed from the upper part of the well system . the lower part of the tubing 8 is modified to accommodate the transformer matching system 18 , 20 , 21 and 23 in the lower part of the wellbore . the power is delivered via the tubing 8 and casing 6 by exciting these from a source 10 via cables 11 connecting the source to the casing 6 and the tubing 8 . non - conducting centralizers 12 are employed to prevent the tubing 8 from contacting the casing 6 , which would otherwise short - out the circuit . the pump 15 is located below the surface 13 of the reservoir fluids . to prevent the conducting reservoir fluids from shorting out the tubing with respect to the casing , the tubing below the surface of the reservoir fluids is covered by an insulating layer 14 . just above the reservoir 4 , the tubing 8 is interrupted by a tubular non - metallic ( non - conducting ) isolation section 16 . the characteristics of this isolation section are such that the normal flow of fluid is not interrupted but the length of the isolation section serves to isolate the energized tubing from the conducting packer 18 . the current is taken from the energized tubing 8 via a conductor 17 which is attached to one of the conductors of the toroidally wound transformer assembly 20 . the current flows via conductor 17 through the primary of the toroidally wound sections and then flows via cable 23 into the lower conducting packer 22 . fig6 provides conceptual details on how the toroidally wound cores form a transformer action which drives current into the casing ( or screen ) 6 in the immediate vicinity of the reservoir . the voltage appearing between the lower portion of the tubing 32 and casing 6 drives the current into the toroidal winding assemblies via conductors 17 and 23 . the cores are toroids formed from thin ferromagnetic sheets ( e . g ., 5 mil . thickness ), such as selectron , manufactured by allegheny - ludlum , and rolled into the form of a toroid 31 . the windings 30 on the toroid 31 are chosen to have sufficient number of turns so as to transfer the impedance of the casing wall to a value appropriate for high delivery efficiency and design robustness . within the inner portion of the toroids , as shown in fig5 the single - turn secondary of the transformer is formed by the highly conducting tubing such as an aluminum tube coated with a resistant corrosion surface . this conducting tubing 32 is then in direct ohmic contact with the upper conductive packer 18 and the lower conductive packer 22 ( fig2 ). the conductive packers 18 and 22 contact the casing 6 just below the overburden 3 and just above the underburden 5 ( fig5 ). the single - turn secondary of the transformer 20 is therefore formed by the aluminum tube 32 , the conducting packers 18 and 22 , and the walls of the casing 6 in the immediate vicinity of the wellbore . the surface electrical impedance of the casing 6 between the packers is larger than the impedance of the packers and tubing , but does present a very low impedance to the secondary winding . this low impedance must be transformed up to an impedance in the order of a few ohms or more so as to obtain suitable power delivery efficiency . this is done by properly choosing the number of turns on the primary of the toroidal winding . fig7 illustrates the electrical circuit equivalent for the transformer conceptually illustrated in fig6 . the voltage source 32 , via the conductors 17 and 23 energizes the primary of the transformer , which is comprised of a leakage inductance 35 and a mutual primary inductance 33 which couples to the mutual secondary winding inductance 34 via the changing flux 36 . the single - turn secondary loop is comprised of the secondary winding 34 , a leakage inductance 36 , the resistance 37 of the tubing , the resistance 38 of the conductive packers , and the resistance 39 of the casing . in order to obtain a proper match between the electrical characteristics of the secondary circuit which is dominated by the impedance of the casing , and the power delivery system , the very low impedance of the casing 6 near the reservoir 4 , ( fig5 ) must be transformed up to a value in the order of a few ohms or greater . this can be done by employment of silicon steel tape wound cores 31 which have a very high permeability and a relatively high electrical resistance ; by virtue of being wound as a tape , such cores are also laminated to ensure reduction of eddy - current losses . the use of the high permeability of the steel core with a small air - gap causes the flux that links the primary of the transformer to link the secondary , thereby minimizing the leakage inductances 35 and 36 , ( fig7 ). should the leakage inductance be too high , excessive reactance would be introduced into the input leads 17 and 23 , which would result in a poor power factor . however , the design , as previously discussed , avoids the poor power factor problem by the use of high permeability silicon type steel cores . the impedance of the casing 6 , as measured for typical installations of about ten to twenty feet , would probably be in the order of a few tenths of a milliohm up to a few milliohms , depending on the length of the casing to be heated and the operating frequency . this low impedance has to be transformed up to something in the order of a few ohms , at least greater than one ohm to assure an adequate power delivery efficiency with typical commercial cables or tubing power delivery arrangements . since the transformed impedance is proportional to the square of the turns ratios , the number of turns on the primary should be approximately twenty to five hundred turns , depending on the desired operating impedance levels . a ( single - segment ) system as described in fig5 and 7 can be retrofit into existing wells as well as being installed in new wells of conventional design . to retrofit a well , the existing tubing system is removed and a downhole tubing system arrangement like that shown in fig5 is lowered into the well . the system is installed by positioning the transformer assembly and casing heating system in the immediate vicinity of the wellbore as illustrated in fig1 with a conducting packer 18 near the top of the zone to be heated and a conducting packer 22 in the immediate vicinity of the lower portion of the zone to be heated . these conducting packers are then installed by expanding the steel teeth of the tubing anchor into the steel of the casing 6 . depending on the amount of power to be transferred and the length of the zone to be heated , one or more of such toroidal transformers , as shown in fig2 would be needed to provide the necessary energy to conduct the heating . fig8 provides a three - dimensional conceptual drawing wherein a portion of the casing 6 , has been removed to show the principal downhole portions of the system , which include the upper conducting packer 18 , one of the primary transformer assemblies 30 , 31 , and 20 , and the lower conducting packer 22 . the tubing 8 , as it enters into the immediate vicinity of the reservoir , is insulated by an insulating sheath 14 . however , as this sheath approaches the vicinity of the wellbore , the metallic portion of the tubing and the sheath is replaced by a non - conducting fiber - reinforced tubing 16 which is attached to the upper conducting packer 18 . the conductor 17 , which is attached to the metallic portion of the tubing 8 at 17 a , is routed through the fiberglass tube 16 to attach to one of the primary leads of the toroidal transformer . the second lead 23 from the transformer is attached to the lower conducting packer 22 . a highly conducting tube 32 is ohmically attached to the upper conducting packer 18 and the lower conducting packer 22 . the tubing 21 , the packer 18 and 22 , and the casing wall 6 comprise the components in the secondary circuit of the transformer 20 . fig9 is a three - dimensional characterization of how a multi - segment ohmic casing heating system could be implemented . the components 20 b , 22 b , 23 b , 25 b , 26 b , 27 b , 28 b , 30 b , 31 b and 32 b are duplicates of similar numbered components in the upper portion of the fig9 . insulated conductor 17 is used to connect with first - lead to the winding on the toroidal core . insulated conductor 26 is used to connect the upper insulated terminal of the switch 28 to conductor 17 . insulated conductor 27 is used to connect the lower insulated terminal of the switch 28 to the second - lead to the winding 25 on the toroidal core 20 . similarly , the first - lead to the winding 25 b is connected to the upper part of switch 28 b via insulated cable 26 b . the second - lead 23 b to the winding on toroidal core 20 b is connected to the lower port of switch 28 b via insulated cable 27 b and also to conducting packer 22 b . temperature sensitive switches 28 and 28 b present an open circuit to the switch terminals when the temperature is below the critical limit . if the temperature exceeds the limit , for example the switch 28 will close , thereby de - energizing the primary on core 20 but at the same time allowing the winding on core 20 b to remain energized . the cable 18 and the sensor package 49 are attached to the uppermost conducting packer . similar installations of sensor and cables can be inserted on other conducting packers as well . these sensor could supply auxiliary temperature data or pressure data to assist in the operation of the apparatus . fig1 and 11 illustrate another version of the casing wall heating system of this invention . this version again relies on a combination of a downhole casing wall heater system which is integrated with the power delivery system such that good efficiency is realized . fig1 presents a conceptual design of an eddy - current casing wall heater 47 . this system is comprised of a power cable delivery system including the cables 41 and 44 , a matching system such as a capacitor 42 , and the windings 43 on a field pole 46 . the field pole 46 is like the rotor from a synchronous motor / generator . by energizing the windings 43 on the field pole system 46 , magnetic flux is created which tends to pass through the casing wall , from one pole to the other . this creates a flow of eddy - currents in the wall , which in turn converts the energy in the electrical field into thermal energy in the wall of the casing 6 . fig1 is another schematic of a vertical cross - section of a conceptual design of the eddy - current heating system as applied to a cased - hole completion . this shows a conventional oil well which penetrates the surface 2 of the earth , through the overburden 3 , into the reservoir 4 , and then into the underburden 5 . this well is conventionally installed with the emplacement of the surface casing 7 and then subsequently boring a hole of sufficient diameter to lower the production casing 6 into the well . this production casing is then cemented to the earth , and the well is completed by means of a perforating gun to form perforations 19 into the reservoir . to install the retrofit system , the conventional tubing system may be unaltered and the eddy - current heating tool slipped down the tubing as shown in fig1 . a source of electrical power 10 is connected via cable 11 to the production casing 6 and to an insulated cable 41 . this cable 41 is attached to a matching element 42 , usually a capacitor , which in turn is connected to the windings 43 on a field pole 46 . a space between the pole piece 46 and the casing 6 exists to allow insertion of the tool . a conducting packer 45 is used to terminate the well tubing 8 and to anchor it . the other winding 44 can be attached to the conducting packer 45 or , as an alternative ( not shown ), can be returned by an additional conductor in cable 41 to the surface and grounded at the casing head . fig1 illustrates a three - dimensional characterization of a multi - segmented eddy - current casing heating system . this was derived from the arrangement shown in fig1 . similar to fig1 , additional windings 43 b and 43 c and cores 46 b and 46 c are added . in addition , three single - pole temperature controlled switches 44 , 44 b , and 44 c were added . insulated cable 41 that is energized from the surface is attached to the first lead to the winding on the magnetic core 47 . the second lead from the winding on the core 47 is attached via an insulated cable 57 to the first lead to the winding on the second magnetic core 47 b . similarly , the second lead from the winding on the core 47 b is attached via an insulated cable 57 b to the first lead to the winding on the core 47 c . similarly , the second lead from the winding on the core 47 c is attached via an insulated cable 57 c to a conducting packer 55 . current is supplied from the power conditioning unit ( pcu ) on the surface via insulated cable 41 and flows through all of the windings and then into the conducting packer 55 . the current then returns to the surface via the casing . the upper insulated terminal and the single pole temperature controlled switches 51 , 51 b and 51 c are connected via insulated cables 56 , 56 b and 56 c to the first lead to the windings on cores 57 , 57 b and 57 c . the second insulated terminal on the switches 51 , 51 b and 51 c is connected via insulated cables 44 , 44 b and 44 c to the second lead from the windings on cores 57 , 57 b and 57 c . in the event that an excessive temperature is sensed by one of the switches , this switch will close , thereby de - energizing the associated winding . at the same time , current will still be supplied to the remaining windings that are not experiencing excessive temperatures . the single pole switch shown in fig9 and 12 can result in placing a short circuit to the pcu at the surface , if all switches are activated by excessive temperatures . this can be tolerated if the pcu has short circuit sensing cutoff controls and a pre - programmed restart procedure . the cable 18 and the sensor package 49 are attached to the uppermost conducting packer . similar installations of sensor and cables can be inserted on other conducting packers as well . these sensors could supply auxiliary temperature data or pressure data to assist in the operation of the apparatus . alternatively , the activation of control switches 28 and 28 b could be made via hardwire telemetry controls located at the surface . fig1 illustrates a functional diagram of the single - pole switch . the switch terminals 81 and 82 are connected to high current insulated conductors 84 and 85 . these conductors carry the excitation current through the switch element 93 , when this switch is closed in response to excessive temperature . the switch 93 could be a simple bi - metallic switch which closes when experiencing excessive temperatures . the switch would also open after the switch material cooled down . the difficulty is that the switch may have limited life and may introduce high voltage transients if open during the peak of the current flow . rapid opening and closing of these switches can be reduced by adding metal around the bi - metallic switch . this would increase both the heat - up time to open the switch as well as the cool - off time needed to allow the switch to re - close . these difficulties can be addressed by using semiconductor devices , such as a triac or the scr ( silicon controlled rectifier ) equivalent to the triac . in either case , these devices interrupt the current during the zero crossing of the current flow , when the current is very small . this eliminates the transient impulse and these devices can be interrupted or switched on or off many times . to provide gate on or firing signals to close the switch 93 , an electronic power supply 90 provides operational power , via cable 87 , to a firing circuit 91 . the firing circuit is controlled by the temperature sensor 92 via cable 89 . via cable 88 , firing or gate on signals are supplied to switch 88 . when the switch is off , the power for the firing circuit is supplied from a small coil 95 that picks up the leakage fields from the nearby eddy - current coil and this pickup is used to energize the power supply 90 via cable 96 . if the switch is closed , the fields from the eddy - current coils are absent , but current now flows through cables 84 and 85 because the switch 93 is closed . by means of the current transformer 83 , some of the power from the current flowing in cable 84 can be used to provide an energy source via cable 86 for the power supply circuit 92 . if good reservoir data is available , the heating profile of the producing zone can be pre - programmed for the initial start up phase . existing reservoir software programs that embody electrical heating effects can be used for this purpose . these take into account the traditional reservoir properties , the energy dissipation in the casing , screen or adjacent formations . these also take into account the thermal properties , such as heat capacity , diffusion and convection . from such data the power requirement to each segment can be estimated in terms of the heat transfer capacity of the adjacent formation and of the liquids recovered over a defined segment at a given temperature and measurement point . a simple case is where the temperature measurement point is at the wellhead . here the temperature of the produced liquids would be monitored and used to control the overall power such that the calculated temperature at any given point is within expected limits . or , a more complex series of temperature measurements points along the producing zone could be used , where the temperature of the liquids is aggregated from two or more distinct regions that have different reservoir characteristics . in this case , the power to the group segments would be controlled by measuring the temperature at one point within the grouped segments . by so doing , it may be possible to combine the number of independent heating segments and thereby simply the design . fig9 can be used to show how this technique can be implemented . the thermal transfer characteristics for the section of the reservoir between conducting packers 18 and 22 are estimated based on reservoir data . next , the thermal transfer characteristic of this section are calculated to achieve a given temperature increase . from this , the rate of the ingressing liquids , the rate of heat lost to the ingressing liquids and rate of heat lost by diffusion into the reservoir are calculated . the sum of these heat rates is the power required to heat the section between packers 18 and 22 for a flow rate equal to the rate of the ingressing liquids . next the turn ratio of the windings 30 on the toroidal core 31 are adjusted to supply the required power dissipation in the casing for a specific primary voltage excitation tot he transformer . this process is repeated for the section between conducting packers 22 and 22 b . from these data , the total flow rate and power input can be estimated for a given temperature rise along the casing . by combining two or more sections , the number of temperature measurement points can be reduced . for example , the temperature measurement point 49 measures the temperature of the liquids from both sections , thereby reducing the complexity of the down hole equipment . since the fraction of the liquids produced from the lower section is reasonably predictable based on the reservoir analyses , measuring the temperature in the top packer is a reasonable method to control the electrical power input to realize a given temperature increase . this technique may be valuable for long completions . this may be especially true , in the case of many long , 500 foot or more long horizontal completions , where the variations of the reservoir properties are small over many long intervals . over the length of such horizontal wells , there may be rare but abrupt discontinuities in the formation . these may require different heating rates on either side of such a discontinuity . to simplify , it should be possible to combine the smaller segments into longer but not always equal segments that span formations with similar properties . by so doing , the number of discrete segments can be reduced , thereby simplifying the design . on the other hand , such simplification may not always be practical . consider a 50 foot vertical completion in a formation where the heat into and out of the formation can vary widely over any 10 foot interval as a function of depth . hence , the length of each controllable section of the casing should be in the order of 10 feet . where such a wide variation over short intervals occurs , it is imperative to measure the temperature near each 10 foot segment so as to realize a predetermined temperature distribution along the well bore . to one skilled in the art other versions are possible . for example , the on - off function of the circuit shown in fig1 , can be replaced by one that can continuously control the current to the eddy - current excitation coils . alternatively , power to each of the eddy - current coils can be controlled at the surface via telemetry systems that monitor the temperatures along the tool and use these data to control the current supplied to each of the eddy - current coils . if good reservoir data is available , such as for a new horizontal well , the heating profiles can be pre - programmed for the initial start up phase . in addition , it should be noted that the spatial distribution of temperature along the casing will be different than the spatial distribution of the temperature along the tool . such variations will tend to be suppressed by the application of the design criteria discussed here . if needed , sensors could be placed in contact with the casing to assure that the temperature of the casing does not exceed a predetermined value .	4
exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings . hereinafter , an electric field according to exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings . like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements . the term “ unit ”, as used herein , indicates , but is not limited to , a software or hardware component , such as a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) or application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), which performs certain tasks . a unit may advantageously be configured to reside on the addressable storage medium and configured to be executed on one or more processors . thus , a unit may include , by way of example , components , such as software components , object - oriented software components , class components and task components , processes , functions , attributes , procedures , subroutines , segments of program code , drivers , firmware , microcode , circuitry , data , databases , data structures , tables , arrays , and variables . the functionality provided for in the components and units may be combined into fewer components and units or further separated into additional components and units . in addition , the components and units may be implemented such that they execute one or more computers in a communication system . fig1 is a structural view of a recording medium 100 and an electric field read / write head 110 according to an exemplary embodiment . the recording medium 100 may be a ferroelectric recording medium , and may be a structure including a substrate , an electrode and a ferroelectric layer which are sequentially stacked . in this case , the substrate may be formed of si , glass , etc . the electrode may be formed of a metal such as pt , al , au , ag , cu , etc . or metal oxide such as lacoo , and may be grounded . the ferroelectric layer is formed of a ferroelectric material such as pbtio 3 , pbzro 3 , etc . information is recorded in the recording medium 100 using an electric field . in the recording medium 100 , a plurality of electric domains polarized in a first direction or a second direction ( here , the first direction is an opposite direction to the second direction ) are formed on a surface of the recording medium 100 . information of “ 0 ” or “ 1 ” is recorded in these electric domains . the electric field read / write head 110 may read information written to the recording medium 100 or may write information to the recording medium 100 while floating above a surface of the rotating recording medium 100 with a given space therebetween . the electric field read / write head 110 is attached to a head suspension 120 . the head suspension 120 is disposed at a tip of a swing arm 130 . the swing arm 130 is moved by a voice coil motor 140 . by virtue of the rotation of the swing arm 130 , the electric field read / write head 110 can be positioned over a desired location of the recording medium 100 . fig2 a is a perspective view of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 , according to an exemplary embodiment . fig2 b is a front view of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 , according to the exemplary embodiment . referring to fig2 a and 2b , the electric field read / write head 110 is embodied on a semiconductor substrate 210 formed of a p - type or n - type semiconductor material . the semiconductor substrate 210 includes a first surface 211 facing the recording medium 100 and a second surface 212 abutting the first surface 211 . the first surface 211 and the second surface 212 may be perpendicular to each other . an air bearing surface ( abs ) pattern 230 may be formed on the first surface 211 of the semiconductor substrate 210 . the abs pattern 230 functions such that the electric field read / write head 110 may float above a surface of the recording medium 100 . a channel c that is a low concentration impurity region and a source region s and a drain region d that are high concentration impurity regions are formed on the semiconductor substrate 210 . the source region s and the drain region d are disposed on opposite sides of the channel c . a source electrode e 1 is electrically connected to the source region s . a drain electrode e 2 is electrically connected to the drain region d . when the semiconductor substrate 210 is formed of a p - type semiconductor , the channel c is an n − impurity region , and the source region s and the drain region d are n + impurity regions . on the other hand , when the semiconductor substrate 210 is formed of an n - type semiconductor , the channel c is a p − impurity region , and the source region s and the drain region d are p + impurity regions . a first insulating layer 221 is disposed on the channel c . a writing electrode wr is disposed on the first insulating layer 221 . a second insulating layer 222 is disposed on an exposed portion of the source region s and an exposed portion of the drain region d . the channel c provides a path through which a current flows between the source region s and the drain region d . a resistance of the channel c varies according to at least one of a polarization direction and an electric charge of an electric domain facing the channel c . the electric field read / write head 110 detects the resistance of the channel c to read information written in the electric domain facing the channel c . thus , a writing operation of the electric field read / write head 110 will be described for reference . when a positive voltage (+) or negative voltage (−) whose absolute value is equal to or greater than a threshold voltage is applied to the writing electrode wr of the electric field read / write head 110 , particular information of “ 0 ” or “ 1 ” is recorded in the electric domain facing the channel c . for example , when a positive (+) voltage equal to or greater than the threshold voltage is applied to the writing electrode wr , the electric domain facing the channel c is polarized in a first direction , and the information of “ 0 ” is recorded in the electric domain . in addition , when a negative (−) voltage whose absolute value is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage is applied to the writing electrode wr , the electric domain facing the channel c is polarized in a second direction , and thus information of “ 1 ” is recorded in the electric domain . fig3 is a block diagram of an electric field read / write apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment . the electric field read / write apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment may include a modulation unit 310 , a detection unit 320 , a read unit 330 and a demodulation unit 340 . in this case , the modulation unit 310 , the read unit 330 and demodulation unit 340 may be provided outside of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 , and the detection unit 320 may be disposed inside of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 . the modulation unit 310 modulates an electric field generated from the recording medium 100 by using a modulation signal . since the recording medium 100 operates while data is being read , the electric domain facing the channel c of the electric field read / write head 110 continuously varies . thus , the modulation unit 310 modulates an electric field variation transition ( i . e ., an electric field value based on a time sequence ) of the electric field which is generated from the electric domain facing the channel c of the electric field read / write head 110 by using the modulation signal . the modulation signal has a given frequency , and is applied to the writing electrode wr of the electric field read / write head 110 . the size of the modulation signal may be less than a threshold voltage . the detection unit 320 detects the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ), which is modulated by the modulation unit 310 . in particular , the detection unit 320 detects a resistance variation ( more specifically , a resistance variation transition ) of the channel c occurring due to the electric field modulated by the modulation unit 310 . the read unit 330 outputs a voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ), which is detected by the detection unit 320 . the read unit 330 is embodied by a plurality of circuitry devices ( e . g ., a resistor and an amplifier ) including the electric field read / write head 110 . in addition , the read unit 330 receives a given voltage to output a voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation detected by the detection unit 320 . in this case , the circuit devices constituting the read unit 330 may be arranged according to a given design . thus , the read unit 330 outputs the voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ) detected by the detection unit 320 by using a given method . the demodulation unit 340 demodulates the voltage signal input from the read unit 330 by using the modulation signal used by the modulation unit 310 to generate the electric field from the recording medium 100 . according to a demodulation result , the demodulation unit 340 determines information written in the recording medium 100 . the demodulation unit 340 demodulates the voltage signal input from the read unit 330 by using the modulation signal , performs low pass filtering ( lpf ) with a filter coefficient with respect to the demodulation result , and then determines the information written in the recording medium 100 according to an lpf result . at this time , by performing the lfp with respect to the demodulation result , the demodulation unit 340 may extract only a direct current ( dc ) component from the lpf result to determine the information written in the recording medium 100 according to the extracted dc component . the demodulation unit 340 may remove an offset contained in the demodulation result , and may determine the information written in the recording medium 100 according to the demodulation result from which the offset is removed . in short , the information written in the recording medium 100 is reproduced by detecting a resistance variation of the channel c of the electric field read / write head 110 floating above a surface of the recording medium 100 . a resistance of a resistor can be determined by a voltage or a current of a circuit including the resistor . in this regard , when a voltage signal ( or , a current signal ) having information regarding a resistance of a resistor is obtained , noise in the circuit may interfere with the voltage signal . thus , when a voltage signal at a given point of a circuit including a resistor is obtained in order to correctly determine a resistance of the resistor , as much noise as possible in the circuit must be prevented from interfering with the voltage signal . accordingly , in order to correctly reproduce the information written in the recording medium 100 , a resistance variation of the channel c , dependent on an electric field generated in the recording medium 100 , needs to be correctly detected . to achieve this , a voltage signal ( or , a current signal ) of a circuit including the channel c , which has information regarding the resistance variation of the channel c , needs to be correctly obtained so that as much noise as possible in the circuit can be prevented from interfering with the voltage signal . according to the present exemplary embodiment , the electric field read / write apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment does not simply use a voltage signal containing information regarding a resistance variation of the channel c occurring due to an electric field generated in the recording medium 100 , in order to reproduce information recorded in the recording medium . instead , in the present exemplary embodiment , the electric field is first modulated by a modulation signal . next , a voltage signal containing information regarding a resistance variation of the channel c occurring due to a modulation result is demodulated using the modulation signal , and then information written in the recording medium 100 is reproduced according to a demodulation result . a frequency of the modulation signal is much higher than that of the electric field generated in the recording medium 100 , and accordingly , the modulated electric field is nearly completely unaffected by noise . thus , according to the present exemplary embodiment , since the voltage signal containing information regarding the resistance variation of the channel c occurring due to the electric field modulated by the modulation signal is obtained as a voltage signal that is nearly completely unaffected by the noise in a circuit constituting the read unit 330 , the information written in the recording medium 100 may be correctly reproduced . fig4 is a reference view illustrating an operation of the modulation unit 310 illustrated in fig3 , according to an exemplary embodiment . fig4 illustrates a source region s , a drain region d and a channel c of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 . referring to fig4 , a current may flow from the drain region d to the source region s through the channel c having width w , thickness t and length l . the width w of the channel c is determined according to an electric field 410 generated from the recording medium 100 . accordingly , a resistance of the channel c is determined according to the electric field 410 generated in the recording medium 100 . similarly , since a writing electrode wr is disposed above the first insulating layer 221 disposed above the channel c , the thickness t of the channel c is determined by the modulation signal 420 applied to the writing electrode wr . that is , the resistance of the channel c is affected by the modulation signal 420 . thus , the resistance of the channel c is given by equation 1 as follows : where r f is the resistance of the channel c , ρ is the resistivity of the channel c , a is a cross section of the channel c , l is the length of the channel c , w is the width of the channel c , t is the thickness of the channel c , w is the variation in width of the channel c occurring with respect to change in carrier distribution in the channel c due to an electric field generated in the recording medium 100 , and t is the variation in thickness of the channel c occurring with respect to carrier distribution in the channel c due to a modulation signal . when only a component r ω having a frequency w of the modulation signal is extracted from among components of r f of equation 1 , the component r ω can be given by equation 2 : fig5 is a circuit diagram of a modified version of the read unit 330 and the demodulation unit 340 illustrated in fig3 , according to an exemplary embodiment . referring to fig5 , a read unit 330 a includes a wheatstone bridge circuit and an instrumentation amplifier . the instrumentation amplifier may be implemented using a plurality of ideal operational amplifiers ( op amps ) to perform a given operation . in fig5 r f is a resistance of the channel c , v ss is a given voltage input to the read unit 330 a , r is a resistance , v 1 is a voltage of a non - inverting terminal of the instrumentation amplifier , and v 2 is a voltage of an inverting terminal of the instrumentation amplifier . the instrumentation amplifier amplifies and outputs v o , which is a ( a is a positive integer ) times a difference between v1 and v2 . at this time , v o represents the voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ) detected by the detection unit 320 as described above . as illustrated in fig5 , a demodulation unit 340 a demodulates v o by using a modulation signal v t , performs lpf with respect to a demodulation result v om ), and determines information written in the recording medium 100 according to a result v out of the lpf . in particular , v 1 , v 2 , v o , v om and v out , as illustrated in fig5 , are each given by equation 3 as follows : where r o is a dc component of r f , r 2ω is a component having a frequency 2ω that is twice the frequency ω of the modulation signal , extracted from among the components of r f . in components of v om , ( r o * v t ) has only a component of ω , ( r * v t ) has only a component of ω , ( rω * v t ) has only a dc component and a component of 2ω , and a dc component of ( r 2ω * v t ) has only components of ω and 3ω . thus , the demodulation unit 340 a may perform lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om to extract only a dc component from the demodulation result v om . that is , the demodulation unit 340 a may perform lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om to obtain only information regarding ( r ω * v t ) from among information regarding ( r o * v t ), ( r * v t ), ( r ω * v t ) and ( r 2ω * v t ), and may reproduce information written in the recording medium 100 according to the obtained information . fig6 is a circuit diagram of a modified version of the read unit 330 and the demodulation unit 340 illustrated in fig3 , according to another exemplary embodiment . as illustrated in fig6 , a read unit 330 b is embodied using an ideal op amp including a closed - loop . referring to fig6 , is a resistance of the channel c , v ss is a given voltage input to read unit 330 b , r is a resistance , i 1 is a current flowing through the resistance r connected to a non - inverting terminal of the op amp , v 1 is a voltage of a non - inverting terminal of the op amp and v o is the voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ) detected by the detection unit 320 as described above . as illustrated in fig6 , a demodulation unit 340 b demodulates v o by using the modulation signal v t , performs lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om , and determines information written in the recording medium 100 according to a result v out of the lpf . in particular , v 1 , v 2 , v o , v om and v out , as illustrated in fig6 are each given by equation 4 as follows : where r o is a dc component of r f and r 2ω , is a component having a frequency 2ω that is twice the frequency ω of the modulation signal , extracted from among the components of r t . in components v om , ( r o * v t ) has only a component of ω , ( r * v t ) has only a component of ω , ( r ω * v t ) has only a dc component and a component of 2ω , and a dc component of ( r 2ω * v t ) has only components of ω and 3ω . thus , a demodulation unit 340 b may perform lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om to extract only a dc component from the demodulation result v om . that is the demodulation unit 340 a may perform lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om to obtain only information regarding ( r ω * v t ) from among information regarding ( r o * v t ), ( r * v t ), ( r ω * v t ) and ( r 2ω * v t ), and may reproduce information written in the recording medium 100 according to the obtained information . fig7 is a flow chart of an electric field read / write method , according to an exemplary embodiment . the method according to the present exemplary embodiment may include correctly detecting a resistance of a channel , which varies according to an electric field generated from a recording medium in which information is written by an electric field , to correctly reproduce information written in the recording medium ( operations 710 through 730 ). the method of fig7 will be described with reference to fig1 , 2 a , 2 b , and 3 . the modulation unit 310 modulates an electric field generated from the recording medium 100 by using a given modulation signal ( operation 710 ). next , the detection unit 320 detects a variation in the modulated electric field ( operation 720 ). in particular , the detection unit 320 detects a variation in the resistance of the channel c occurring due to the modulated electric field . the demodulation unit 340 then demodulates a voltage signal determined according to the detected variation by using the modulation signal , and determines information written in the recording medium 100 according to a demodulation result ( operation 730 ). computer programs for executing the electric field read / write method according to the exemplary embodiments in a computer can be stored in a computer readable recording medium . examples of the computer readable recording medium include magnetic storage media ( e . g ., rom , floppy disks , hard disks , etc . ), and optical recording media ( e . g ., cd - roms , or dvds ). the exemplary embodiments can also be transmitted through a transmission medium , which include carrier waves transmitted through the internet or various types of communication channel . the computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over network - coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion . while the present disclosure has set forth various exemplary embodiments , it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims .	1
referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout , fig1 and 2 illustrate a pair of installed bifold doors each having hinged folding sections 20 and 21 . each folding door section 20 is pivotally mounted on top and bottom coaxial pivot pin cartridge assemblies 22 and 23 forming a part of the main subject matter of this invention . similarly , each folding door section or panel 21 is provided at its top and bottom and near its free edge with a pair of identical guide pin cartridge assemblies 24 forming the remainder of the main subject matter of the invention . it may be noted that the previously mentioned top pivot pin cartridge assembly 22 shown in fig2 and 4 is constructed identically to the guide pin assembly 24 except for the fact that the molded nylon cylindrical guide cap 25 of the assembly 24 is not utilized . with particular reference to fig5 and 7 , the guide pin cartridge assembly 24 is shown in detail and comprises an elongated rectangular cross section tough molded nylon housing 26 which has one side open between a pair of parallel side walls 27 and also includes a third side wall 28 at right angles to the walls 27 . the housing 26 has a rectangular head 29 at one end and is tapered at its opposite end as shown at 30 in the drawings . the opposite end walls 31 and 32 of the housing 26 have coaxial circular apertures 33 formed therethrough for the sliding and rotatable reception of a rigid cylindrical folding door pivot pin 34 which has the aforementioned guide cap 25 fixedly secured to the end thereof adjacent the head 29 . as previously noted , the upper pivot pin cartridge assembly 22 is identical to the assembly 24 minus the guide cap 25 , so that the present description of the assembly 24 will serve as a description of the assembly 22 . a biasing expansion coil spring 35 is mounted on and surrounds pivot pin 34 in the housing 26 , with one end of the spring bearing on end wall shoulders 36 and its opposite end bearing on and restrained by small radial stop lugs 37 on the pin 34 . another radial lug 38 projecting from the pin 34 near and inwardly of the cap 25 is adapted to pass through an opening 39 of like shape in the end wall 31 , whereby the pin 34 and cap 25 can be releasably locked in the retracted spring - loaded state shown in fig5 with the spring 35 tightly compressed between the lugs 37 and shoulders 36 . this is accomplished by pushing on the cap 25 while holding the housing 26 and causing the lug 38 to pass inwardly through the opening 39 , followed by twisting or rotating pin 34 on its axis to lock the lug 38 against the interior of the end wall 31 , as shown in fig5 and 7 . by virtue of this arrangement , the guide pin cartridge assembly 24 and the similar upper pivot pin cartridge assembly 22 can be installed as a unit with the pin 34 retracted in the housing 26 . after insertion of the assembly in the door panel , as will be further described , manual twisting of the pin 34 in the opposite direction to align the locking lug 38 with the opening 39 allows the spring 35 to thrust the pin 34 and cap 25 to the active use position shown in phantom lines in fig5 and also shown in fig3 . this is a major convenience feature over the prior art in the process of installing the assemblies 24 and 22 . another important feature of the invention common to the assemblies 24 , 22 and 23 is the provision on the wall 28 of housing 26 immediately inwardly of the enlarged head 29 of an integral resilient locking tang 40 . this identical tang 40 on the assembly 22 is also clearly shown in fig6 and the construction and operation of this element in the three assemblies 24 , 22 and 23 is identical , as stated . in connection with the top and bottom guide pin cartridge assemblies 24 shown in fig3 after assembly with the sliding panel 21 of a bifold door , top and bottom hat cross section braces 41 of the door panel 21 have coaxial square apertures formed therethrough to allow easy insertion of the housings 26 downwardly and upwardly on the door panel to their assembled and securely locked positions , fig3 . the resilient locking tangs 40 yield inwardly and pass through the openings in the top and bottom walls of the braces 41 and then snap outwardly under and above these walls 42 to snap lock the assemblies 24 securely in place with the heads 29 of housings 26 abutting the walls 42 and the tapered ends 30 projecting through the far walls 43 of the braces 41 . in this manner , the entire assembly 24 is firmly held on the brace member 41 of the sliding door panel 21 , but can be removed if this is ever desired by depressing the tang 40 with a screwdriver . following insertion and snap locking of each assembly 24 in the above - described manner , the installer merely rotates the pin 30 , as already described , to align the lug 38 with opening 39 , thus allowing the spring 35 to project the pin 34 and cap 25 to the use position shown at the top and bottom of fig3 . in such position , each cap 25 guidingly engages an overhead or bottom door guide track 44 or 45 , as illustrated . no adjustment of the guide pin cartridge assembly 24 is provided for and none is necessary . the proper height adjustment of the folding door is made through the assembly 23 , now to be described . after such height adjustment , it is only necessary to insert and snap lock the assemblies 24 on the sliding door panel and release the spring tension , as described , and the guide pin assembly is ready for use . the identical simple installation of the top pivot pin cartridge assembly 22 , fig4 is made possible by the invention . when the assembly 22 is installed and its spring tension released in the described manner , the top end portion of the top pivot pin 34 is received in an overhead fixed pivot bearing 46 held within the track 44 in a conventional manner . the bottom adjustable pivot pin cartridge assembly 23 comprises a molded nylon housing 47 of rectangular cross section like the housing 26 and having basically the same outside dimensions so as to be insertable in a rectangular opening of the lower brace member 48 on the pivotal door panel 20 of each bifold door . like the housing 26 , the housing 47 has the already - described snap locking tang 40 near its enlarged head 49 which is arranged lowermost during use , fig4 in abutment with the bottom web 50 of brace member 48 . the far end of the molded housing 49 is slightly recessed on two side faces as at 51 , fig6 to receive two parallel legs 52 of a u - shaped lock clip or nut 53 which in effect straddles the adjacent end portion of the housing 47 . the legs 52 have in - struck tangs 54 which snap lock into detents 55 formed in the opposite sides of the housing 47 near one end . a transverse end wall 56 of the lock clip 53 has a central threaded opening 57 which threadably receives an adjustable screw - threaded pivot pin 58 having a screwdriver slot 59 in one end and a smooth cylindrical pivot extension 60 at its other end for the reception during use in a bearing 61 of bottom track 45 , fig4 . the lock clip 53 is of the same width as the housing 47 in two coordinate directions and thus is insertable with the rectangular housing as a unit upwardly through the rectangular openings of the brace member 48 . it can be noted in fig4 that the upper web 62 receives the lock clip 53 within its opening and thus lateral forces are directed to the hardened steel lock clip and not directly to the nylon housing 48 and this is a strength and durability feature of the invention . the tang 40 serves to lock the assembly 23 in place on the door panel 20 securely in the manner already described for the two assemblies 24 and 22 . as best shown in fig6 and 9 , the housing 47 is internally screw - threaded at the head 49 as indicated at 63 . it is also screw - threaded at its far end portion adjacent the lock clip 53 , as at 64 , and between these two locations , the housing is further internally threaded at longitudinally staggered cross bars 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 and 69 on opposite sides of the housing . collectively , these internally threaded portions of the molded nylon housing 47 provide more than one and one - half inch of full threads along the axis of the threaded pin 58 for security plus the threaded connection with the lock clip 53 which in effect is a nut . a cooperating lock nut 70 is provided on the assembly for locking abutment against the end face of steel lock clip 53 following adjustment of the pin 58 relative to the remainder of the assembly . the height adjustment of each bifold door is properly attained through adjustment with a screwdriver of the threaded pin 58 on assembly 23 , followed by tightening of the lock nut 70 with the assembly arranged as in fig4 . as in the case of assembly 22 and 24 , the bottom pivot pin cartridge assembly 23 is insertable as a unit and can be removed if this is ever necessary . the double thread lock arrangement prevents the threaded pin 58 from ever loosening during use and the hardened steel lock clip 53 adds strength , as described . it should now be apparent that the three similar assemblies 24 , 22 and 23 provide full pivotal and guiding support for each pair of panels 20 and 21 forming the bifold door . factory fabrication of the doors is rendered less expensive and installation on the job site is rendered simpler and more convenient . in these aspects , the invention is a significant advance over the prior art . one other feature of the invention is that all bifold doors are non - handed as shipped from the factory and stocked in a customer warehouse . only at installation does the door become either right or left handed by virtue of the way in which the handle 71 is attached to the pivot panel 20 of the door assembly . it is believed that the advantages of the invention over the prior art should now be apparent to those skilled in the art without the necessity for any further description herein . it is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same , and that various changes in the shape , size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to , without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims .	4
the present invention described herein is a washable multi - component magnetic floor mat . the mat is comprised of a textile component and a base component . the textile component and the base component are attached to one another via magnet attraction . the base component of the floor mat may be partially or wholly covered with a textile component . typically , the textile component will be lighter in weight than the base component . inversely , the base component will weigh more than the textile component . as shown in fig1 a , textile component 100 may be comprised of tufted pile carpet 125 . tufted pile carpet 125 is comprised of primary backing layer 117 and face yarns 115 . the primary backing layer 117 is typically included in the tufted pile carpet to give stability to the face yarns . the materials comprising face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may independently be selected from synthetic fiber , natural fiber , man - made fiber using natural constituents , inorganic fiber , glass fiber , and a blend of any of the foregoing . by way of example only , synthetic fibers may include polyester , acrylic , polyamide , polyolefin , polyaramid , polyurethane , or blends thereof . more specifically , polyester may include polyethylene terephthalate , polytrimethylene terephthalate , polybutylene terephthalate , polylactic acid , or combinations thereof . polyamide may include nylon 6 , nylon 6 , 6 , or combinations thereof . polyolefin may include polypropylene , polyethylene , or combinations thereof . polyaramid may include poly - p - phenyleneteraphthalamide ( i . e ., kevlar ®), poly - m - phenyleneteraphthalamide ( i . e ., nomex ®), or combinations thereof . exemplary natural fibers include wool , cotton , linen , ramie , jute , flax , silk , hemp , or blends thereof . exemplary man - made materials using natural constituents include regenerated cellulose ( i . e ., rayon ), lyocell , or blends thereof . the material comprising face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may be formed from staple fiber , filament fiber , slit film fiber , or combinations thereof . the fiber may be exposed to one or more texturing processes . the fiber may then be spun or otherwise combined into yarns , for example , by ring spinning , open - end spinning , air jet spinning , vortex spinning , or combinations thereof . accordingly , the material comprising face yarns 115 will generally be comprised of interlaced fibers , interlaced yarns , loops , or combinations thereof . the material comprising face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may be comprised of fibers or yarns of any size , including microdenier fibers or yarns ( fibers or yarns having less than one denier per filament ). the fibers or yarns may have deniers that range from less than about 0 . 1 denier per filament to about 2000 denier per filament or , more preferably , from less than about 1 denier per filament to about 500 denier per filament . furthermore , the material comprising face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may be partially or wholly comprised of multi - component or bi - component fibers or yarns in various configurations such as , for example , islands - in - the - sea , core and sheath , side - by - side , or pie configurations . depending on the configuration of the bi - component or multi - component fibers or yarns , the fibers or yarns may be splittable along their length by chemical or mechanical action . additionally , face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may include additives coextruded therein , may be precoated with any number of different materials , including those listed in greater detail below , and / or may be dyed or colored to provide other aesthetic features for the end user with any type of colorant , such as , for example , poly ( oxyalkylenated ) colorants , as well as pigments , dyes , tints , and the like . other additives may also be present on and / or within the target fiber or yarn , including antistatic agents , brightening compounds , nucleating agents , antioxidants , uv stabilizers , fillers , permanent press finishes , softeners , lubricants , curing accelerators , and the like . the face yarns 115 may be dyed or undyed . if the face yarns 115 are dyed , they may be solution dyed . the weight of the face yarn , pile height , and density will vary depending on the desired aesthetics and performance requirements of the end - use for the floor mat . in fig1 a , face yarns 115 are illustrated in a loop pile construction . looking to fig1 b , textile component 100 is shown with face yarns 115 in a cut pile construction . of course , it is to be understood that face yarn constructions including combinations of loop pile and cut pile may likewise be used . the primary backing layer 117 can be any suitable primary backing material . the primary backing layer 117 may be comprised of a woven , nonwoven or knitted material , or combinations thereof . the general purpose of primary backing layer 117 is to support the tufts of face yarns 115 . in one aspect , primary backing layer 117 is a nonwoven polyester spunbond material . one commercially available example of the polyester spunbond material is lutradur ® from freudenberg nonwovens of weinheim , germany . in another aspect , flat woven polyester tapes , such as isis ™ from propex of chattanooga , tenn ., may be utilized . also , colback ® nonwoven backing material may also be suitable for use . if needed , a primary backing layer made of a woven tape with either staple fibers or nonwoven fabrics affixed can be used . also , stitch bonded and knitted polyester fabrics may be used . the tufted pile carpet 125 that includes face yarns tufted into a primary backing layer may be heat stabilized to prevent dimensional changes from occurring in the finished mat . the heat stabilizing or heat setting process typically involves applying heat to the material that is above the glass transition temperature , but below the melting temperature of the components . the heat allows the polymer components to release internal tensions and allows improvement in the internal structural order of the polymer chains . the heat stabilizing process can be carried out under tension or in a relaxed state . the tufted pile carpet is sometimes also stabilized to allow for the yarn and primary backing to shrink prior to the mat manufacturing process . in one aspect of the present invention , the tufted pile carpet is comprised of yarn tufted into fabric , which is then injection or fluid dyed , and then bonded with a rubber layer or washable latex backing . the carpet yarn may be selected from nylon 6 ; nylon 6 , 6 ; polyester ; and polypropylene fiber . the yarn is tufted into a woven or nonwoven substrate . the yarn can be of any pile height and weight necessary to support printing . the tufted pile carpet may be printed using any print process . in one aspect , injection dyeing may be utilized to print the tufted pile carpet . printing inks will contain at least one dye . dyes may be selected from acid dyes , direct dyes , reactive dyes , cationic dyes , disperse dyes , and mixtures thereof . acid dyes include azo , anthraquinone , triphenyl methane and xanthine types . direct dyes include azo , stilbene , thiazole , dioxsazine and phthalocyanine types . reactive dyes include azo , anthraquinone and phthalocyanine types . cationic dyes include thiazole , methane , cyanine , quinolone , xanthene , azine , and triaryl methine . disperse dyes include azo , anthraquinone , nitrodiphenylamine , naphthal imide , naphthoquinone imide and methane , triarylmethine and quinoline types . as is known in the textile printing art , specific dye selection depends upon the type of fiber and / or fibers comprising the washable textile component that is being printed . for example , in general , a disperse dye may be used to print polyester fibers . alternatively , for materials made from cationic dyeable polyester fiber , cationic dyes may be used . the printing process of the present invention uses a jet dyeing machine , or a digital printing machine , to place printing ink on the surface of the mat in predetermined locations . one suitable and commercially available digital printing machine is the millitron ® digital printing machine , available from milliken & amp ; company of spartanburg , s . c . the millitron ® machine uses an array of jets with continuous streams of dye liquor that can be deflected by a controlled air jet . the array of jets , or gun bars , is typically stationary . another suitable and commercially available digital printing machine is the chromojet ® carpet printing machine , available from zimmer machinery corporation of spartanburg , s . c . in one aspect , a tufted carpet made according to the processes disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 678 , 159 and u . s . pat . no . 7 , 846 , 214 , both to weiner , may be printed with a jet dyeing apparatus as described and exemplified herein . viscosity modifiers may be included in the printing ink compositions . suitable viscosity modifiers that may be utilized include known natural water - soluble polymers such as polysaccharides , such as starch substances derived from corn and wheat , gum arabic , locust bean gum , tragacanth gum , guar gum , guar flour , polygalactomannan gum , xanthan , alginates , and a tamarind seed ; protein substances such as gelatin and casein ; tannin substances ; and lignin substances . examples of the water - soluble polymer further include synthetic polymers such as known polyvinyl alcohol compounds and polyethylene oxide compounds . mixtures of the aforementioned viscosity modifiers may also be used . the polymer viscosity is measured at elevated temperatures when the polymer is in the molten state . for example , viscosity may be measured in units of centipoise at elevated temperatures , using a brookfield thermosel unit from brookfield engineering laboratories of middleboro , mass . alternatively , polymer viscosity may be measured by using a parallel plate rheometer , such as made by haake from rheology services of victoria australia . after printing , the tufted pile carpet may be vulcanized with a rubber backing . the thickness of the rubber will be such that the height of the finished textile component will be substantially the same height as the surrounding base component when the base component is provided in a tray configuration . once vulcanized , the textile component may be pre - shrunk by washing . the textile component 100 further comprises a magnetic coating layer 110 . the magnetic coating layer 110 is present on the surface of the textile component 100 that is opposite face yarns 115 . application of magnetic coating layer 110 to the tufted pile carpet 125 will be described in greater detail below . the resulting textile component 100 is wash durable and exhibits sufficient tuft lock for normal end - use applications . in one alternative embodiment of the invention , the textile component may be a disposable textile component that is removed and disposed of or recycled and then replaced with a new textile component for attachment to the base component . after the textile component has been made , it will be custom cut to fit into the recessed area of the base component ( for instances in which the base component is in the form of a tray ) or onto the base component ( for instances wherein the base component is substantially flat / trayless / without recessed area ). the textile component may be cut using a computer controlled cutting device , such as a gerber machine . it may also be cut using a mechanical dye cutter , hot knife , straight blade , or rotary blade . in one aspect of the invention , the thickness of the textile component will be substantially the same as the depth of the recessed area when the base component is in the form of a tray . fig2 a illustrates one embodiment of the base component of the floor mat of the present invention . referring to fig2 a , base component 200 contains recessed area 260 surrounded by border 270 . border 270 slopes gradually upward from outer perimeter 280 to inner perimeter 290 , to create recess 210 within base 200 , corresponding to the recessed area of 260 . fig2 a illustrates that the recessed area 260 of base component 200 possesses a certain amount of depth , thereby defining it as “ recessed .” the depth of recessed area 260 is illustrated by 210 . the base component is a planar - shaped tray , which is sized to accommodate the textile component . the base component may also include a border surrounding the tray , whereby the border provides greater dimensional stability to the tray , for example , because the border is thicker , i . e . greater in height relative to the floor . additionally , the border may be angled upward from its outer perimeter towards the interior of the base component , so as to provide a recessed area where the tray is located , thereby creating a substantially level area between the inner perimeter of the border and the textile component , when the textile component overlays the tray . additionally , the gradual incline from the outer perimeter of the border to the inner perimeter of the border minimizes tripping hazards and the recess created thereby protects the edges of the textile component . it can be understood that the base component may be subdivided into two or more recessed trays , by extending a divider from one side of the border to an opposite side of the border , substantially at the height of the inner perimeter . accordingly , it would be possible to overlay two or more textile components in the recesses created in the base component . the base component , including the border , may be formed in a single molding process as a unitary article . alternatively , the border and the tray may be molded separately and then bonded together in a second operation . the tray and border may be made of the same or different materials . examples of suitable compositions for forming the border and the tray are elastomers , such as natural and synthetic rubber materials , thermoplastic and thermoset resins and metal . the rubber material may be selected from the group consisting of nitrile rubber , including dense nitrile rubber , foam nitrile rubber , and mixtures thereof ; polyvinyl chloride rubber ; ethylene propylene diene monomer ( epdm ) rubber ; vinyl rubber ; thermoplastic elastomer ; and mixtures thereof . in one aspect , the base component is typically comprised of at least one rubber material . the rubber material may contain from 0 % to 40 % of a recycled rubber material . in one aspect , the base component may be formed into a tray shape according to the following procedure . rubber strips are placed overlapping the edges of a metal plate . the metal plate is to be placed on top of a sheet rubber and covered on all 4 sides by strip rubber . as the mat is pressed , it will bond the sheet rubber to the strips . this process may be completed , for example , at a temperature of 370 ° f . and a pressure of 36 psi . however , depending upon the rubber materials selected , the temperature may be in the range from 200 ° f . to 500 ° f . and the pressure may be in the range from 10 psi to 50 psi . using the recommend settings , the mat may be completely cured in 8 minutes . after the rubber strips are bound to the rubber sheet , the metal plate is removed leaving a void ( i . e . a recessed area in the base component ) in which to place the textile component . the textile component has the ability to be inserted and removed from the base component multiple times . as seen in fig2 b , floor mat 1 is present in an arrangement wherein textile component 100 overlays recessed area 260 of base component 200 . a corner of textile component 100 is turned back to further illustrate how the two components fit together within border 270 . as previously discussed herein , the base component of the floor mat may be in the form a tray . however , in one alternative embodiment , the base component of the floor mat may be flat and have no recessed area ( i . e . the base component is trayless ). a flat base component is manufactured from a sheet of material , such as a rubber material , that has been cut in the desired shape and vulcanized . fig2 c illustrates a multi - component floor mat 1 wherein textile component 100 is combined with base component 200 ′ that is flat and has no recessed area ( i . e . trayless ). fig2 d shows the multi - component floor mat 1 wherein both textile component 100 and base component 200 ′ are assembled together . fig3 a and 3b illustrate one embodiment of the back surface of the base component . the back surface of the base component is the surface which lies on the floor and therefore has direct contact with the surface of the floor . various patterns and / or protrusions on the back surface of the base component may be present so as to facilitate the base component &# 39 ; s adherence to the floor . as illustrated in fig3 a and 3b , protrusions 360 may be present on the back surface of base component 300 . the protrusions 360 may be present in a repeating pattern such that a three dimensional array of protrusions is formed having a uniform pattern . the textile component and the base component are attached to one another by magnetic attraction . magnetic attraction is achieved via application of a magnetic coating to the textile component and / or base component or via incorporation of magnetic particles in a rubber - containing layer prior to vulcanization . alternatively , magnetic attraction can be achieved using both methods such that a magnetic coating is applied to the textile component and magnetic particles are included in the vulcanized rubber of the base component . the inverse arrangement is also contemplated . the magnetic coating may be applied to the textile component and / or the base component by several different manufacturing techniques . exemplary coating techniques include , without limitation , knife coating , pad coating , paint coating , spray application , roll - on - roll methods , troweling methods , extrusion coating , foam coating , pattern coating , print coating , lamination , and mixtures thereof . fig4 illustrates one embodiment of the manufacturing process of the textile component of the present invention . the uncoated tufted pile carpet 425 is fed to laminating belt 410 . the belt moves through the coating zone to lamination zone of the lamination press . a magnetic coating 420 is fed transversely to laminating belt 410 . as magnetic coating 420 is fed to laminating belt 410 , it passes under coating knife 430 . the coating knife 430 is adjusted so that the desired coating thickness is achieved . for example , a magnetic coating thickness of 25 mil may be desirable . after magnetic coating 420 passes under coating knife 430 , it comes into contact with tufted pile carpet 425 . the magnetic coating 420 and tufted pile carpet 425 then move transversely to laminating press 440 . laminating press 440 is located above laminating belt 410 . the laminating press 440 is lowered onto laminating belt 410 , pressing tufted pile carpet 425 and magnetic coating 420 together . the laminating press 440 is heated and therefore provides both heat and pressure to the lamination process . providing heat at this point of the lamination process further serves to cure any materials ( e . g . binder materials ) that may be contained within the magnetic coating . after a pre - determined amount of time , laminating press 440 is lifted from laminating belt 410 . the magnetic coating 420 is now laminated to tufted pile carpet 425 to form textile component 450 . in one aspect , the laminating press may be operated at a temperature in the range from 200 ° f . to 500 ° f . and at a pressure in the range from 10 psi to 50 psi , or even at 300 ° f . and a pressure of 36 psi . in instances wherein magnetic attraction is achieved by incorporating magnetic particles in a rubber - containing layer , the following procedure may be utilized : ( a ) an unvulcanized rubber - containing material is provided ( such as nitrile , sbr , or epdm rubber ), ( b ) magnetic particles are added to the unvulcanized rubber , ( c ) the particles are mixed with the rubber , and ( d ) the mixture of step “ c ” is formed into a sheet and attached to the bottom of the textile component and / or represents the base component . mixing in step “ c ” may be achieved via a rubber mixing mill . fig5 is provided in order to illustrate some of the terms used herein with respect to various types of magnets and magnetization properties . in this application , magnetizable is defined to mean the particles present in the coating or vulcanized rubber layer are permanently magnetized or can be magnetized permanently using external magnets or electromagnets . once the particles are magnetized , they will keep their magnetic response permanently . the magnetizable behavior for generating permanent magnetism falls broadly under ferromagnets and ferrimagnets . barium ferrites , strontium ferrites , neodymium and other rare earth metal based alloys are non - limiting examples of materials that can be applied in the magnetic coatings and / or vulcanized rubber layer . as used herein , magnetically receptive is defined to mean the particles present in the coating and / or vulcanized rubber layer are only magnetically responsive in the presence of external magnets . the component that contains the magnetic particles is exposed to a magnetic field which aligns the dipoles of magnetic particles . once the magnetic field is removed from the vicinity , the particles will become non - magnetic and the dipoles are no longer aligned . the magnetically receptive behavior or responsive magnetic behavior falls broadly under paramagnets or superparamagnets ( particle size less than 50 nm ). this feature of materials being reversibly magnetic is shown in fig5 whereby the dipoles of the superparamagnetic or paramagnetic materials are not aligned , but upon exposure to a magnet , the dipoles line up and point in the same direction thereby allowing the materials to exhibit magnetic properties . non - limiting examples of materials exhibiting these features include iron oxide , steel , iron , nickel , aluminum , or alloys of any of the foregoing . further examples of magnetizable magnetic particles include bafe 3 o 4 , srfe 3 o 4 , ndfeb , alnico , cosm and other rare earth metal based alloys , and mixtures thereof . examples of magnetically receptive particles include fe 2 o 3 , fe 3 o 4 , steel , iron particles , and mixtures thereof . the magnetically receptive particles may be paramagnetic or superparamagnetic . the magnet particles are typically characterized as being non - degradable . in one aspect of the invention , particle size of the magnetically receptive particles is in the range from 1 micron to 10 microns . particle size of the magnetically receptive particles may be in the range from 10 nm to 50 nm for superparamagnetic materials . particle size of the magnetically receptive particles is typically greater than 100 nm for paramagnetic and / or ferromagnetic materials . magnetic attraction is typically exhibited at any loading of the above magnetic materials . however , the magnetic attraction increases as the loading of magnetic material increases . in one aspect of the invention , the magnetic field strength of the textile component to the base component is greater than 50 gauss , more preferably greater than 100 gauss , more preferably greater than 150 gauss , or even more preferably greater than 200 gauss . in one aspect , the magnetic material is present in the coating composition in the range from 25 % to 95 % by weight of the coating composition . in another aspect , magnetic particle loading may be present in the magnetic coating applied to the textile component in the range from 10 % to 70 % by weight of the textile component . the magnetic particle loading may be present in the magnetic coating applied to the base component in the range from 10 % to 90 % by weight of the base component . the magnetically receptive particles may be present in the vulcanized rubber layer of the textile component in a substantially uniform distribution . in another aspect of the present invention , it is contemplated that the magnetically receptive particles are present in the rubber layer of the textile component in a substantially non - uniform distribution . one example of a non - uniform distribution includes a functionally graded particle distribution wherein the concentration of particles is reduced at the surface of the textile component intended for attachment to the base component . alternatively , another example of a non - uniform distribution includes a functionally graded particle distribution wherein the concentration of particles is increased at the surface of the textile component intended for attachment to the base component . the magnetic attraction between the textile component and the base component may be altered by manipulation of the surface area of one or both of the textile and / or base components . the surfaces of one or both of the components may be textured in such a way that surface area of the component is increased . such manipulation may allow for customization of magnetic attraction that is not directly affected by the amount of magnetic particles present in the floor mat . for instance , a substantially smooth ( less surface area ) bottom surface of the textile component will generally result in greater magnetic attraction to the top surface of the base component . in contrast , a less smooth ( more surface area ) bottom surface of the textile component ( e . g . one having ripples or any other textured surface ) will generally result in less magnetic attraction to the top surface of the base component . of course , a reverse arrangement is also contemplated wherein the base component contains a textured surface . furthermore , both component surfaces may be textured in such a way that magnetic attraction is manipulated to suit the end - use application of the inventive floor mat . as discussed previously , the magnetic particles may be incorporated into the floor mat of the present invention either by applying a magnetic coating to surface of the textile component or by including the particles in the rubber material of the textile material and / or the base component prior to vulcanization . when incorporation is via a magnetic coating , a binder material is generally included . thus , the magnetic coating is typically comprised of at least one type of magnetic particles and at least one binder material . the binder material is typically selected from a thermoplastic elastomer material and / or a thermoplastic vulcanite material . examples include urethane - containing materials , acrylate - containing materials , silicone - containing materials , and mixtures thereof . barium ferrites , strontium ferrites , neodymium and other rare earth metal based alloys can be mixed with the appropriate binder to be coated on the textile and / or base component . in one aspect , the binder material will exhibit at least one of the following properties : ( a ) a glass transition ( t g ) temperature of less than 10 ° c . ; ( b ) a shore a hardness in the range from 30 to 90 ; and ( c ) a softening temperature of greater than 70 ° c . in one aspect , an acrylate and / or urethane - containing binder system is combined with fe 3 o 4 to form the magnetic coating of the present invention . the ratio of fe 3 o 4 : acrylate and / or urethane binder is in the range from 40 - 70 %: 60 : 30 % by weight . the thickness of the magnetic coating may be in the range from 10 mil to 40 mil . such a magnetic coating exhibits flexibility without any cracking issues . following application or inclusion of the magnetic particles into the textile and / or base component , the particles need to be magnetized . magnetization can occur either during the curing process or after the curing process . curing is typically needed for the binder material that is selected and / or for the rubber material that may be selected . during the curing process , the magnetizable particles are mixed with the appropriate binder and applied via a coating technique on the substrate to be magnetized . once the coating is complete , the particles are magnetized in the presence of external magnets during the curing process . the component that contains the magnetic particles is exposed to a magnetic field which aligns the dipoles of magnetic particles , locking them in place until the binder is cured . the magnetic field is preferably installed in - line as part of the manufacturing process . however , the magnetic field may exist as a separate entity from the rest of the manufacturing equipment . alternatively , the magnetic particles may be magnetized after the curing process . in this instance , the magnetizable particles are added to the binder material and applied to the textile and / or base component in the form of a film or coating . the film or coating is then cured . the cured substrate is then exposed to at least one permanent magnet . exposure to the permanent magnet may be done via direct contact with the coated substrate or via indirect contact with the coated substrate . direct contact with the permanent magnet may occur , for example , by rolling the permanent magnet over the coated substrate . the magnet may be rolled over the coated substrate a single time or it may be rolled multiple times ( e . g . 10 times ). the permanent magnet may be provided in - line with the manufacturing process , or it may exist separately from the manufacturing equipment . indirect contact may include a situation wherein the coated substrate is brought close to the permanent magnet , but does not contact or touch the magnet . depending upon the pole size , strength and domains on the permanent magnet ( or electromagnet ), it can magnetize the magnetizable coating to a value between 10 and 5000 gauss or a value close to the maximum gauss value of the magnetizing medium . once the coating is magnetized , it will typically remain permanently magnetized . it is further contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention that the base component of the multi - component floor mat is comprised of any substance that includes a magnetic material . the base component does not have to be comprised of vulcanized rubber . instead , the base component may be comprised of concrete , cellulose - containing materials ( e . g . wood ), metal , thermoplastic materials , thermoset materials , and the like , and combinations thereof . in one instance , the base component may be the floor itself where the textile component is to be installed . herein , the floor would include at least one magnetic material that is used to adhere the textile component to the floor . the textile component can then be laid directly on the floor which has at least one magnetic material applied thereto . suitable magnetic materials include any of those described previously herein . in one aspect , the magnetic materials may be incorporated into a paint composition and applied to the floor . or , an electromagnetic force may be applied to the area where the textile component is to be installed . any of these magnetic features will provide the necessary adherence of the textile component to the floor without the need for a vulcanized rubber base component . floor mats of the present invention may be of any geometric shape or size as desired for its end - use application . the longitudinal edges of the floor mats may be of the same length and width , thus forming a square shape . or , the longitudinal edges of the floor mats may have different dimensions such that the width and the length are not the same . alternatively , the floor mats may be circular , hexagonal , and the like . as one non - limiting example , floor mats of the present invention may be manufactured into any of the current industry standards sizes that include 2 feet by 4 feet , 3 feet by 4 feet , 3 feet by 5 feet , 4 feet by 6 feet , 3 feet by 10 feet , and the like . the washable floor mat of the present invention may be exposed to post treatment steps . for example , chemical treatments such as stain release , stain block , antimicrobial resistance , bleach resistance , and the like , may be added to the washable mat . mechanical post treatments may include cutting , shearing , and / or napping the surface of the washable multi - component floor mat . the performance requirements for commercial matting include a mixture of well documented standards and industry known tests . tuft bind of pile yarn floor coverings ( astm d1335 ) is one such performance test referenced by several organizations ( e . g . general services administration ). achieving tuft bind values greater than 4 pounds is desirable , and greater than 5 pounds even more desirable . resistance to delamination of the secondary backing of pile yarn floor covering ( astm d3936 ) is another standard test . achieving resistance to delamination values greater than 2 pounds is desirable , and greater than 2 . 5 pounds even more desirable . pilling and fuzzing resistance for loop pile ( itts112 ) is a performance test known to the industry and those practiced in the art . the pilling and fuzzing resistance test is typically a predictor of how quickly the carpet will pill , fuzz and prematurely age over time . the test uses a small roller covered with the hook part of a hook and loop fastener . the hook material is hook 88 from velcro of manchester , n . h . and the roller weight is 2 pounds . the hook - covered wheel is rolled back and forth on the tufted carpet face with no additional pressure . the carpet is graded against a scale of 1 to 5 . a rating of 5 represents no change or new carpet appearance . a rating of less than 3 typically represents unacceptable wear performance . an additional performance / wear test includes the hexapod drum tester ( astm d - 5252 or iso / tr 10361 hexapod tumbler ). this test is meant to simulate repeated foot traffic over time . it has been correlated that a 12 , 000 cycle count is equivalent to ten years of normal use . the test is rated on a gray scale of 1 to 5 , with a rating after 12 , 000 cycles of 2 . 5 = moderate , 3 . 0 = heavy , and 3 . 5 = severe . yet another performance / wear test includes the radiant panel test . some commercial tiles struggle to achieve a class i rating , as measured by astm e 648 - 06 ( average critical radiant flux & gt ; 0 . 45 = class i highest rating ). the textile component of the floor mat may be washed or laundered in an industrial , commercial or residential washing machine . achieving 200 commercial washes on the textile component with no structural failure is preferred . the following alignment and deployment techniques may be used for installing the multi - component floor mat : in the first case , it has been found that if the top half is rolled up in a fairly tight roll — face in — and then placed down on the base , that the total attraction force is so reduced that an installer can slide the roll enough to be able to get a good alignment with the base using the exposed end of the roll as a guide to align to the base . this method is mainly envisioned for small two part mats . alignment marks can be put on the base to assist the top alignment . the second method is to use the first method but coupled with a removable temporary “ mask ” that reduces the attractive force . this can be accomplished by using film or paper that is placed down on the base between the rolled up top and the base only in the area where the rolled up top will touch . now that the total area is greatly reduced by the roll and the force per unit area is reduced by the mask , then the ease of moving the roll around to achieve alignment is now even greater . once alignment is achieved , the film or paper is slid out . a third method , that is a refinement of the removable mask method , is to use a mask that is permanently installed and that selectively masks only the most critical area — i . e . the area directly below the roll , and leaves the area near the mat edge alone . for example , if using a magnetic base and iron containing top , one can use a thin magnetically receptive material known as “ flexiron ”. this material has the ability to significantly reduce the magnetic force while at the same time strongly sticks to the magnetic base and thus will not move ; the result is a permanently installed “ mask ”. this mask is sized and positioned so as to only mask the magnetic force directly below the roll , but leaves the edges alone so as to keep the force high where the edges must resist kicking up . one still manually aligns the roll and its edge to the base , but now the alignment is relatively easy and can be done quickly . additionally , the base component can be selectively magnetized so that a masking section is not magnetized . the perimeter around the masking section , as well as the perimeter that attracts the edge of the top piece , can be selectively magnetized . a fourth method can be used in concert with any of the above methods or alone . this method relies on an alignment pins or grommets that can capture two or more of the carpet corners . the pins are located in either the base or top and associated with the pins are complementary holes in the top or base . once inserted , the pins capture the other half of the carpet requiring such that the two halves cannot be separated without substantial force . once captured , the top mat can be picked up and gently laid down in alignment with the base . if a mat top should become disturbed or misaligned in the field , it is relatively easy to realign by simply picking the top up and laying it back down . if used in concert with 1 - 3 above , alignment now becomes not only easy , but quick and precise . furthermore if care is taken to ensure that the masked area is always below the alignment pins and is sufficient size so that if the top is picked up that where it drapes is masked , then alignment / deployment is always easy . a fifth method is a refinement of number 4 whereby the attachment pins are hidden and not visible from the face of the mat top . methods to accomplish this are tightly fitting grommets or strong magnets molded into or glued to the back of the top mat , or grommets with strong magnets — all associated with complimentary holes with or without magnets in the base . this method can also be used in association with any of the 1 - 3 methods . another variation includes a line or pattern of magnetic pairs on one end of the textile component that “ snap ” the textile component and base component together . these pairs can be spaced such that a single alignment is highly favorable over any other attraction . the magnet pairs may be arranged with opposing poles and the different pairs in the line or pattern have alternating spacing to prevent misalignment . the invention may be further understood by reference to the following examples which are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention . some samples were evaluated on a “ pass ” or “ fail ” basis . a “ pass ” rating indicates that the textile component did not fall apart , but rather maintained its structural integrity and was suitable for use in its intended purpose . a “ fail ” rating indicates that one or more layers of the textile component came apart , that the textile did not maintain its structural integrity , and / or the textile was not suitable for use in its intended purpose . a torture wash is intended to be equivalent to 10 commercial washes . the amount of movement in a floor mat is measured using the lateral movement test . first a location on the floor is marked usually using a piece of tape . next a floor mat is placed at that mark . for a lateral movement walk test , the person conducting the test walks over the test piece 150 times . each pass must be in the same direction to ensure accurate measurement movement . once this is done 150 times in the same direction , the person conducting the test must measure how far the test piece is from the original location . this should be done on both of the front corners . once a walk test is completed , a second lateral movement cart test is run . this test involves the same process , but requires a cart holding a 100 lb . load to roll over the test piece 50 times . the distance is then measured and recorded . the thickness of each sample was measured using a starrett pocket dial gauge . the specific model was the starrett no . 1010 . the pocket dial that was used came with an inspection certificate ( form 804 ) to ensure accuracy . the tuft lock test was conducted by cutting out a sample of finished textile component approximately 6 ″× 10 ″. once the sample was cut out , it was placed in a tensitech tensile testing machine . a tensile testing program was then run allowing the machine to grasp on to a single tuft in the carpet . once the machine locked on to a single tuft , it recorded how much force was required to pull the tuft out of the rubber backed textile component . this data was then recorded and run 4 more times for a total of 5 pulls . then , once all tests were complete the data was evaluated making sure all pulls recorded a value higher than 4 . 0 lbf . the body tear test was conducted by cutting out a sample of finished textile component approximately 4 ″× 7 ″ with a 2 ″ slit at one end of it . once the sample was cut out , it was placed in a tensitech tensile testing machine with one side of the slit in the top clamp , and the other side of the slit in the bottom clamp . a tensile testing program was then run pulling the top clamp upwards . the force required to pull the top clamp up was recorded as the sample ripped in half . this data was then recorded and run 2 more times for a total of 3 pulls . then , once all tests were complete the data was evaluated making sure all pulls recorded a value higher than 13 . 0 lbf . the magnetic hold strength test was conducted by cutting out a 8 ″× 8 ″ sample of finished textile component with smooth magnetically responsive backing . once the sample was cut out , it was clamped in the top clamp of the instron tensile testing machine such that the full width of the mat was in the 9 inch wide top clamp to a length of at least 1 ″ inch . a 6 ″× 2 ″ magnetic strip with a magnetic strength of 200 gauss was mounted on a stiff metal plate measuring 10 ″× 8 ″ with the long side oriented in the vertical direction . the metal plate was mounted in an immobile fixture on the base of the machine and aligned parallel to the textile component in such a manner that the magnetic strip was in intimate contact with the magnetically responsive backing of the finished textile component . a testing program was then run pulling the top clamp upwards . the force required to pull the top clamp up was recorded as the sample traversed across the length of the magnetic strip . this data was then recorded and run 2 more times for a total of 3 pulls . then once all tests were complete the data was evaluated at 0 . 1 ″ traverse to assess the magnetic hold strength in lbf / inch . a tufted face assembly was prepared comprising a nylon 6 , 6 yarn tufted into a pre - shrunk lutrador 52 nonwoven primary backing . the nylon 6 , 6 yarn was ⅛ th inch gauge and was tufted at 8 . 70 stitches per inch . tufts were sheared to a pile height of 18 / 64 th inch , resulting in a fabric weight of 20 . 0 oz / sq . yard . the tufted roll measured 145 inches from outside tuft row to outside tuft row . the tufted roll was then printed using a millitron ® digital printing machine . the tufted face assembly was run down the millitron ® digital printing machine at a speed of 25 feet / minute . a combination of 12 gun bars was utilized to distribute dye to the tufted face assembly with the dye flow set to 36 . the tufted face assembly was then exposed to a first steam step in a steamer at 209 ° f ., and then again in a post steam / stain blocker step at 150 ° f . the printed tufted face assembly was then dried at 240 ° f . the printed tufted face assembly was then slit into 3 . 2 ′ wide rolls . these rolls were placed on top of 0 . 130 ″ ( thickness ) nitrile rubber . the uncured nitrile rubber was then sent into a press with the printed tufted face assembly on top . the press heated up to 365 ° f . from the bottom as soon as the printed assembly entered the press area . the press then applied pressure at 35 psi to the top of the printed tufted face assembly to push it into the rubber . the printed tufted face assembly was then held in the press for 8 minutes before it was removed . after it was removed , it was preshrunk in a drier at 290 ° f . to form a washable carpet in roll form . the washable carpet in roll form was then cut into the desired shape and / or size . in another example , a mat was made with a 0 . 030 ″ thick magnetically responsive filler loaded nitrile rubber backing . the mat had solution dyed yarn ( sdn ) yarn tufted in a polyester non - woven primary backing layer . it was bonded to the backing at 370 ° f . under 35 psi pressure and cured for 4 minutes . no further preshrinking was done . however , the backing layer was then exposed to a needling process to make it porous . a smooth rubber backing has no protrusions on the rubber surface of the mat ( e . g . the surface of the mat that comes in contact with the magnetic base ). in other words , the smooth backing is free from protrusions . protrusions are typically added to the magnetic base to aid in preventing unintended lateral movement of the mat . the construction of the washable mat was identical to the mat produced in example 1 . when the nitrile rubber was placed on the press , it was put on a teflon coated belt that had no indentions in it . the top of the belt was smooth which allowed the bottom of the rubber to have a smooth surface as well . the nitrile rubber for the base was constructed by layering of the magnetic rubber and the rubber without any magnetic fillers with the latter one forming the gripper base . a gripper rubber backing was characterized by having ( 1 ) a grid pattern on the rubber surface that was free from protrusions and ( 2 ) protrusions on the interior spaces between the protrusion free areas . the protrusions were present in a square pattern . thus , the gripper backing contained a repeating pattern of small protrusions in areas that were ⅞ ths inch by 1 inch square . the protrusions were approximately 1 / 16 th inch high . the protrusions covered approximately 70 percent of the surface of the rubber backing . the construction of the washable mat was the same as the mat produced in example 1 . when the nitrile rubber was placed on the press , it was put on a teflon coated belt that had 1 / 16 th inch indention in it in small square patterns . when the press reached 365 ° f ., it caused the rubber to become very soft . once the pressure of 35 psi was applied to the top of the washable mat assembly , it pushed the soft rubber into the indentions forming the “ gripper ” pattern . the nitrile rubber for the base was constructed by layering of the magnetic rubber and the rubber without any magnetic fillers with the latter one forming the megahold base . a megahold rubber backing was characterized by having fewer and larger indentations on the rubber surface , when compared to the gripper backing . the indentations were present in groups of four that and were spaced in a square pattern . thus , the megahold pattern contained a repeating pattern of four large indentations in areas that were 3 . 625 inches by 3 . 875 inches square . the indentations were approximately ⅛ inch deep . the indentations covered approximately 40 percent of the surface of the rubber backing . the construction of the washable mat was the same as the mat produced in example 1 . before the rubber was placed on to the teflon belt , the operator placed a metal plate on the belt . the metal plate contained circles on the top surface . the circles included a hole drilled in the center to allow rubber to form on the inside . the nitrile rubber was then placed on top of the metal plate , with the fabric / carpet on top . when the press reached 365 ° f ., it caused the rubber to become very soft . once the pressure of 35 psi was applied to the top of the washable mat assembly , it pushed the soft rubber around and into the metal plate forming the “ megahold ” backing . the magnetic backcoating layer thickness was varied . samples were prepared with 20 mils , 25 mils and 30 mils of magnetic backcoating . the backcoatings were applied to forever ® mats from milliken & amp ; company of spartanburg , s . c . these mats were then subject to the standard wash and body tear test and a magnetic shear hold test . to perform the magnetic shear hold test a test set - up was created where the bottom grip of an instron was replaced by a vertical aluminum plate with a permanent magnet sheet attached . the permanent magnetic sheet was similar in construction and in magnetic strength ( measured in gauss ) to the magnetic base component that the magnetic backcoated textile component was installed on . the magnetic backcoated textile component was gripped on the top jaw of the test frame such that the magnetic backcoating was attached to the permanent magnet sheet . the assembly was adjusted to ensure that the backcoated textile component moved parallel to the face of the magnetic sheet on the aluminum plate when the top jaw was moved at a rate of 12 inches / minute . the force on the load cell after a 1 ″ traverse was recorded as the magnetic shear force . the results from testing the backcoated textile at 1 ×, 10 × and 20 × torture washes is presented in table 1 below . all references , including publications , patent applications , and patents , cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein . the use of the terms “ a ” and “ an ” and “ the ” and similar referents in the context of describing the subject matter of this application ( especially in the context of the following claims ) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural , unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context . the terms “ comprising ,” “ having ,” “ including ,” and “ containing ” are to be construed as open - ended terms ( i . e ., meaning “ including , but not limited to ,”) unless otherwise noted . recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range , unless otherwise indicated herein , and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein . all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . the use of any and all examples , or exemplary language ( e . g ., “ such as ”) provided herein , is intended merely to better illuminate the subject matter of the application and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the subject matter unless otherwise claimed . no language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non - claimed element as essential to the practice of the subject matter described herein . preferred embodiments of the subject matter of this application are described herein , including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the claimed subject matter . variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description . the inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate , and the inventors intend for the subject matter described herein to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . 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 present disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context .	3
fig1 and 2 illustrate one form of the invention . in this form the sheath member 10 is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve having cut - out slots 10a in the forward end thereof to form a pair of sheath elements 10b on both sides of the slots 10a . an intravenous ( iv ) tube 12 is illustrated having a main supply tube 12a and a branch tube 12b . the supply tube 12a may be received in one of the cut out slots 10a between the two sheath elements 10b as shown in fig1 when an injection is made into the branch tube 12b . a conventional sealing cap 12c normally closes the end of the branch tube 12b . the cylindrical body of the sheath 10 is slidably mounted on the outside of a conventional syringe 15 which has a tubular body portion 15a and a plunger unit 15b slidably mounted within the body . the tubular body portion 15a forms a mounting hub for the sheath 10 . the outside of the body 15a is provided with grooves 15c and the cylindrical mounting portion of the sheath 10 is provided with knobs 10d on the inside thereof . the inwardly extending knobs 10d are received in the respective grooves 15c for sliding engagement therein to permit the sheath 10 to be retracted to expose substantially the full length of the syringe needle for use . the cut out slots 10a are wide enough to receive the supply tube 12a so that the sheath 10 will not interfere with a syringe injection into the branch tube 12b . the grooves 15c are provided with circumferentially extending locking portions 15d so that when the sheath 10 is in fully extended maximum protection position , the knobs 10d will be shifted to the forward ends of the groove portions 15c . in this position the cylindrical sheath portion 10 may be rotated to seat the knobs 10d against the closed ends of the circumferential slot portions 10d . in this form of the invention it will be seen that the protective sheath assembly is mounted on the injection syringe 15 to work in conjunction therein . fig3 , and 5 show a modified form of the invention wherein a sheath 22 is mounted on a needle unit 20 . the needle 20 has a hub portion 20a adapted to be connected to the discharge end of an iv tube or to the discharge end of a syringe ( not shown ). the sheath 22 is provided with a pair of spaced attachment arms 22a which are pivotally connected to opposite sides of the hub 20a as by pivot pins 20b mounted on said hub and extending through registered apertures in the arms 22a . the protective end portion side of sheath 22 has generally u - shaped cross section with an open side 22b extending the full length thereof . an elongated slot 22c extends longitudinally through a major portion of the opposite side of sheath member 22 to permit usage with an iv tube assembly such as the supply tube 12a and branch tube 12b ( shown in fig1 ). the slot 22c permits the needle 20 to be inserted through the iv cap 12c without retraction of the sheath 22 . the longitudinal openings 22b and 22c of the sheath 22 are only sufficiently wide to permit the sheath to remain in protective position , while the needle is inserted into the iv branch tube 12b , and prevent the finger of an operator from contacting the needle . means are provided for releasably holding the needle in aligned protective position as shown in fig4 and 5 , such as suitable retaining knobs 20c provided on the outside of the needle hub 20a and a pair of stop bars or projections 22d provided on the inside of the arms 22a . the knobs 20c engage the stop bars 22d to positively maintain the sheath 22 in aligned protective position surrounding over the needle 20 . fig6 shows a form of the invention which is somewhat similar to the form of the invention shown in fig1 and 2 except that the sheath 25 is pivotally mounted on the outside of a syringe tube 26 which has a needle 27 attached thereto . the syringe tube has a pair of pivot pins 26a attached thereto near the discharge end thereof to pivotally connect the bifurcated attachment arms 25a of the sheath 25 to the syringe 26 . a pair of stop pins 26b are also formed on the outside of the syringe 26 in spaced relation to the pins 26a and stop ribs 25b on arms 25a frictionally engage the surface of the syringe 26 and abut the pins 26a . the protector sheath 25 is also provided with an open end 25c and an elongated access slot 25d to facilitate use with an iv branch tube arrangement such as previously described . fig7 , and 9 illustrate a needle protective sheath assembly adapted for use in the installation of an iv catheter into a patient &# 39 ; s blood vessel . the pointed inserting end of a needle 30 is illustrated in fig7 . the needle 30 is surrounded by a catheter 31 of an iv tube . the catheter 31 has a connecting hub 31a and slidably receives the needle 30 therethrough for initial insertion of the catheter 31 into the patient &# 39 ; s blood vessel . the needle 30 has a connecting hub 30a on the rear end thereof connected to a spindle 32 which is fixed to a mounting cylinder 34 . the mounting cylinder 34 is provided with a track 34a along the top side thereof and a positioning slide 35 is slidably mounted in said track as illustrated in fig7 and 9 . a sheath 37 open along one longitudinal side thereof forms an opening 37a as best shown in fig8 . the sheath is pivotally mounted on the outside of the mounting cylinder 34 as by pivot pins 37b . a camming pin 35a extends through the upper portion of the slide 35 above the track 34a and is slidably mounted in cam slots 37c formed in the side wall portions of the sheath 37 . to insert the catheter 31 of the iv tube into the patient &# 39 ; s blood vessel the sheath is elevated into raised full - line position as shown in fig7 and the needle 30 and catheter 31 are initially inserted into the patient &# 39 ; s blood vessel . the catheter 31 has a hub 31a with a collar 31b formed therearound for engagement with the end of slide 35 . after initial or partial insertion of the needle and catheter assembly into the blood vessel , the end of the catheter is then projected farther into the blood vessel by pushing forwardly on the finger grip 35b which moves the end of the slide 35 and the collar 31b forwardly . this forward movement of the catheter into the vein may be combined with a rearward retraction of the cylinder 35 which retracts the needle from the catheter to expose the outer end of the catheter hub 31a for a conventional connection to the end of an iv delivery tube . in order to provide a protective covering for the needle after withdrawal , the sheath is automatically lowered into dotted position by the forward movement of on the slide 35 . the camming pin 35a travels in the cam slots 37c to produce the lowering of the sheath 37 into protective position around the needle 30 .	0
the present invention provides a non - peptidic amino derivative having the general structure of formula i , r 1 , r 3 , r 4 and r 5 are each independently hydrogen , c 1 - c 10 alkyl , c 1 - c 10 alkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 10 alkenyl , c 2 - c 10 alkenyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 10 alkynyl , c 2 - c 10 alkynyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 1 - c 8 thioalkyl , c 1 - c 8 thioalkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 8 acyl , c 2 - c 8 acyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 8 acyloxy , c 2 - c 8 acyloxy substituted with one or more substituents , aryloxy , aryl , aryl substituted with one or more substituents , c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or c 3 - c 7 heterocycle substituted with one or more substituents , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring ; r 2 is hydrogen , straight or branched c 1 - c 6 alkyl or c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl or c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle substituted with one or more substituents , aryl , aryl substituted with one or more substituents , heteroaryl , heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring ; or r 2 together with r 1 forms a c 2 - c 7 heterocycle , c 2 - c 7 heterocycle substituted with one or more substituents , heteroaryl , or heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents ; w is carbonyl ( c ═ o ), amido ( nh ( c ═ o )), amidoalkyl ( nh ( c ═ o ) ch 2 —), imino ( c ═ nh ), thiocarbonyl ( c ═ s ), sulfonyl ( so 2 ), methylene ( ch 2 ), or methylene substituted with one or more substituents ; z is carbonyl ( c ═ o ), amino ( nh ), imino ( c ═ n ), sulfonyl ( so 2 ), or ( c ═ o ) nh ; or z , together with r 1 , n , w , x , and y , forms a c 5 - c 7 heterocyclic ring in which r 1 is a direct bond or a c 1 - c 2 alkylene . with reference to formula i , preferred fsh agonists are cyclic compounds wherein z together with r 1 , n , w , x , and y form a c 5 - c 7 heterocyclic ring in which r 1 is a direct bond or a c 1 - c 2 alkylene and which is substituted with one or more substituents , also with reference to formula i , additional preferred fsh agonists are cyclic compounds wherein r 2 and r 3 form a c 5 - c 7 heterocycle substituted with one or more substituents : r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , w , y , and z are as defined for formula i ; and r 3 and r 9 are each independently hydrogen , halogen , cyano , oxo , carboxy , formyl , nitro , amino , amidino , guanidino , c 1 - c 5 alkyl or alkenyl or arylalkyl imino , azido , mercapto , carboxamido , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , alkylaryl , arylalkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkenyl , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy , c 1 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 8 acyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylthio , arylalkylthio , arylthio , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfinyl , arylalkylsulfinyl , arylsulfinyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfonyl , arylalkylsulfonyl , arylsulfonyl , c 1 - c 6 n - alkyl carbamoyl , c 2 - c 15 n , n - dialkylcarbamoyl , c 1 - c 5 alkyl or alkenyl or arylalkyl ester , c 1 - c 7 cycloalkyl , aroyl , aryloxy , benzyloxy , benzyloxy substituted with one or more substituents , aryl , aryl substituted with one or more substituents , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring , — nr 6 r 7 where r 6 and r 7 are as defined for formula i , or —( ch 2 ) s nr 6 r 7 where s is 1 - 6 and r 6 and r 7 are as defined for formula i . additional preferred fsh agonists are compounds in which r 3 and r 9 of formula iv - a together form a substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl or c 3 - c 7 heterocycle spiro ring , or such a ring fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring : wherein r 3 and r 4 together with the c and y to which they are bound , respectively , form a substituted or unsubstituted aryl , substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl or c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring , and r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 5 , r 9 , w , y , and z are as defined for formula i . also with reference to formula i , additional preferred fsh agonists are cyclic α - aminocarboxamides wherein x = ch , y = n , and r 3 and r 4 together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which they are attached form a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , w and z are as defined for formula i ; a and b are each independently — ch 2 —, — ch ( r 10 )—, — o —, — s —, — nh —, or — nr 10 —, where r 10 is hydrogen , hydroxy , amino , amino substituted with one or more substituents , c 1 - c 6 alkoxy , c 1 - c 6 alkyl , c 1 - c 6 alkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 1 - c 6 alkoxycarbonyl , cyano , c 1 - c 6 aminoalkyl , or —( ch 2 ) s nr 6 r 7 , where s , r 6 , and r 7 are as defined for formula i . wherein r 3 and w form a substituted or unsubstituted aryl , substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring , and r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , x , y , and z are as defined for formula i . with reference to formulae iii and v , or v and vii , preferred fsh agonists are compounds wherein rings are combined to form fused bicyclic rings , wherein the rings in viii - a and viii - b are defined the same way as the corresponding rings in formulae iii , v , and vii . with reference to formulae i and v , additional preferred fsh agonists include compounds wherein y = n and r 3 and r 4 together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which they are attached form a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , r 9 , w , and z are as defined for formula i ; r 11 , r 12 and r 13 are defined the same way as r 9 , and additionally , each of r 9 , r 11 , r 12 , and r 13 either independently or in combination are capable of forming a spiro or fused or bridged ring ; l and m are independently ch , n , o , or s , provided l and m are not both heteroatoms and when l is o or s there is no r 13 and when m is o or s there is no r 12 . with reference to formulae i and iv , preferred fsh agonists also include acyclic α - aminocarboxamides and spiro - ring containing α - aminocarboxamides of formula x , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 9 , z and the spiro ring are as defined for formulae i and iv . with reference to formulae i and vii , preferred fsh agonists also include 2 , 3 - diamino aryl or heteroaryl groups substituted with one or more substituents that are optionally fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic , or aryl ring substituted with one or more substituents , r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , b , y and z are as defined for formulae i and ix ; and especially preferred fsh agonists are cyclic alpha - amino carboxamides that contain a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , n , a , and b are as defined for formala vi . especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula ix are cyclic alpha - amino carboxamides that contain a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , r 9 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , n , l , and m are as defined for formula ix , and additionally , r 11 and r 12 together may form a fused substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring . additional especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula ix are cyclic compounds wherein w is amido rather than carbonyl ( formula xiii - a ): especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula xiii - a are compounds of formula xiii - b , wherein r 14 and r 15 are defined the same way as r 9 in formula iv - a and r 16 is defined the same way as r 2 in formula i . especially preferred fsh agonists related to compounds of formula xiii - b are compounds of formula xiii - c , wherein r 14 and r 16 are as defined for formula xiii - b and r 17 is defined the same way as r 2 in formula i . especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula x are acyclic alpha - amino carboxamides or spiro - ring substituted alpha - amino - carboxamides , wherein either r 3 or r 9 is not hydrogen , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , and z are as defined for formulae x - a and x - b , and r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , and m are as defined for formula ix . especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula xi are 2 - amino - 3 - carboxamido pyridines or the bicyclic analogs thereof , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , and b are as defined for formulae xi - a and xi - b . specific examples of compounds represented by formula xiii include the following : which can exist in two enantiomeric forms ( the asterisk denotes the chiral center ); which can exist in two enantiomeric forms ( the asterisk denotes the chiral center ); specific examples of compounds represented by formula xiv include the following : specific examples of compounds represented by formula xv include the following : it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that compounds of the invention may contain a chiral center , and thus will exist in two enantiomeric forms . the present invention includes the use of the individual enantiomers and mixtures of the enantiomers . the enantiomers may be resolved by methods known to those skilled in the art , for example by formation of diastereomeric complexes or derivatives which may be separated , for example , by crystallization or chromatographic separation . alternatively , specific enantiomers may be synthesized by asymmetric synthesis using optically active reagents , substrates , catalysts or solvents , or by converting one enantiomer to the other by asymmetric transformation . the non - peptidic amino derivatives of the present invention represent small molecule substitutes for fsh for the treatment of infertility . the invention therefore comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of any of formulas i - xxvii and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent , or excipient thereof . the invention further comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of any of formulas i - xxvii and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent , or excipient thereof in combination with fsh . the invention further comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of any of formulas i - xxvii and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent , or excipient thereof in combination with the antiestrogen compound clomiphene citrate ( cassidenti et al . ( 1992 ) hum . reprod ., 7 : 344 - 348 ). the invention further comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of any of formulas i - xxvii and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent , or excipient thereof in combination with human chorionic gonadotropin ( hcg ) or human pituitary leutenizing hormone ( lh ) ( breckwoldt et al . ( 1971 ) fert . steril ., 22 : 451 - 455 ; diedrich et al . ( 1988 ) hum . reprod ., 3 : 39 - 44 ). the invention further comprises use of a compound of formulas i to xxix for the preparation of a medicament . the invention further comprises a method for treating infertility comprising administering an effective fsh agonistic amount of any of said pharmaceutical compositions . as fsh agonists , the compounds of the invention are also useful research tools to study the role of fsh and the fsh receptor in biological processes in vitro . the invention provides such processes for the preparation of the compounds of formula i , which are described hereinafter , which processes comprise reacting a compound of formula xxviii , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , x , y , and z are defined as for formula i and e represents a functional group such as so 2 cl , cho , cooh , cocl , nco , cn , n ═ c — cl , ch 2 cl , or ch 2 o - tosylate . the compounds of the invention may be prepared by the methods described below and in examples 1 - 5 . the synthetic schemes displayed in fig1 - 5 illustrate how compounds according to the invention can be made . those skilled in the art will be able to routinely modify and / or adapt the methods and schemes presented herein to synthesize any compound of the invention . pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of formulas i to xxix and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent or excipient therefore are also within the scope of the present invention . thus , the present invention also provides compounds for use as a medicament . in particular , the invention provides the compounds of formulas i to xxix for use as fsh agonists , for the treatment of infertility , either alone or in combination with other medicaments . in in vitro assays these compounds were found to mimic the actions of fsh since they exhibit positive log dose response in the screening assay ( cho luciferase fshr ) and are negative in the control assay ( cho luciferase ). accordingly , the compounds of the invention are useful research tools for studying the role of fsh in biological processes . the representative compounds also show activity in the primary rat granulosa cell bioassay , which is used to detect the conversion of testosterone to estradiol in the presence of fsh or an fsh agonist . the cho luciferase assay and the rat granulosa cell bioassay are described in detail hereinafter . the compounds of the invention , together with a conventional adjuvant , carrier , diluent or excipient may be placed into the form of pharmaceutical compositions and unit dosages thereof , and in such form may be employed as solids , such as tablets or filled capsules , or liquids such as solutions , suspensions , emulsions , elixirs , or capsules filled with the same , all for oral use , or in the form of sterile injectable solutions for parenteral ( including subcutaneous use ). such pharmaceutical compositions and unit dosage forms thereof may comprise ingredients in conventional proportions , with or without additional active compounds or principles , and such unit dosage forms may contain any suitable effective amount of the active ingredient commensurate with the intended daily dosage range to be employed . tablets containing 10 milligrams of active ingredient or , more broadly , 0 . 1 to 100 milligrams , per tablet , are accordingly suitable representative unit dosage forms . the following paragraphs provide definitions of the various chemical moieties that make up the compounds of the invention and are intended to apply uniformly throughout the specification and claims unless expressly stated otherwise . ( a ) halogen , cyano , oxo , carboxy , formyl , nitro , amino , amidino , guanidino , c 1 - c 5 alkyl or alkenyl or arylalkyl imino , carbamoyl , azido , carboxamido , mercapto , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , alkylaryl , arylalkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkenyl , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy , c 1 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl , aryloxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 8 acyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylthio , arylalkylthio , arylthio , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfinyl , arylalkylsulfinyl , arylsulfinyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfonyl , arylalkylsulfonyl , arylsulfonyl , c 1 - c 6 n - alkyl carbamoyl , c 2 - c 15 n , n - dialkylcarbamoyl , c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , aroyl , aryloxy , arylalkyl ether , aryl , aryl fused to a cycloalkyl or heterocycle or another aryl ring , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic , or aromatic ring ; or ( b ) nr 6 r 7 , where r 6 and r 7 are each independently hydrogen , cyano , oxo , carboxamido , amidino , c 1 - c 8 hydroxyalkyl , c 1 - c 3 alkylaryl , aryl - c 1 - c 3 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkenyl , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy , c 1 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl , aryloxycarbonyl , aryl - c 1 - c 3 alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 8 acyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfonyl , arylalkylsulfonyl , arylsulfonyl , aroyl , aryl , aryl fused to a cycloalkyl or heterocyclic or another aryl ring , c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl or heterocyclic or aromatic ring ; or where r 6 and r 7 are taken together to form —( ch 2 ) m b ( ch 2 ) n where b is — c ( h )( r 8 )—, — o —, — n ( r 8 )—, or — s ( o ) r —, where m and n are independently 1 to 3 , r is 0 to 2 , and r 8 is defined the same way as r 6 ; or ( c ) —( ch 2 ) s nr 6 r 7 where s is 1 - 6 and r 6 and r 7 are defined as in section ( b ) of the definition of substituent , above . the term “ substituted ” refers to the moiety substituted with one or more substituents . the term “ alkyl ” refers to a univalent c 1 to c 8 saturated straight , branched , or cyclic alkane moiety and specifically includes methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , t - butyl , pentyl , cyclopentyl , isopentyl , neopentyl , hexyl , isohexyl , cyclohexyl , 3 - methylpentyl , 2 , 2 - dimethylbutyl , and 2 , 3 - dimethylbutyl . the alkyl group can be optionally substituted with any appropriate group , including but not limited to one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of halo , hydroxyl , amino , alkylamino , arylamino , alkoxy , aryloxy , nitro , cyano , sulfonic acid , sulfate , phosphonic acid , phosphate , or phosphonate , either unprotected , or protected as necessary , as known to those skilled in the art or as taught , for example , in greene , et al ., “ protective groups in organic synthesis ,” john wiley and sons , second edition , 1991 . the term “ cycloalkyl ” refers to a monocyclic c 3 - c 7 ring . the terms “ arylalkyl ” and “ alkylaryl ” refer to groups in which the alkyl consists of between 1 and 3 carbons . the term “ alkoxy ” refers to an alkyl moiety having a terminal — o — with free a valence , e . g ., ch 3 ch 2 — o —. the term “ alkenyl ” refers to a univalent c 2 - c 6 straight , branched , or in the case of c 5 - 6 , cyclic hydrocarbon with at least one double bond , optionally substituted as described above . the term “ alkynyl ” refers to a univalent c 2 to c 6 straight or branched hydrocarbon with at least one triple bond ( optionally substituted as described above ) and specifically includes acetylenyl , propynyl , and — c ≡ c — ch 2 ( alkyl ), including — c ≡ c — ch 2 ( ch 3 ). the term “ aryl ” refers to a mono - or bi - or tri - cyclic aromatic ring system that may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents . the term “ heterocycle ” refers to a cyclic alkyl , alkenyl , or alkynyl moiety wherein one or more ring carbon atoms is replaced with a heteroatom ; a cm - cn heterocycle is a ring that contains m to n members wherein one or more of the members is a heteroatom . the term “ heteroaryl ” refers to a aryl moiety wherein one or more ring carbon atoms is replaced with a heteroatom . when a substituent defined as a monovalent radical becomes incorporated into a ring ( e . g ., r 2 and r 3 on formula iii ), it is understood that the substituents become the corresponding divalent radicals . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts or complexes ” refers to salts or complexes that retain the desired biological activity of the above - identified compounds and exhibit minimal or no undesired toxicological effects . examples of such salts include , but are not limited to acid addition salts formed with inorganic acids ( for example , hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid , nitric acid , and the like ), and salts formed with organic acids such as acetic acid , oxalic acid , tartaric acid , succinic acid , malic acid , ascorbic acid , benzoic acid , tannic acid , pamoic acid , alginic acid , polyglutamic acid , methanesulfonic acid , naphthalenesulfonic acid , naphthalenedisulfonic acid , and polygalacturonic acid . the compounds can also be administered as pharmaceutically acceptable quaternary salts known by those skilled in the art , which specifically include the quaternary ammonium salt of the formula — nr + z —, wherein r is hydrogen , alkyl , or benzyl , and z is a counterion , including chloride , bromide , iodide , — o - alkyl , toluenesulfonate , methylsulfonate , sulfonate , phosphate , or carboxylate ( such as benzoate , succinate , acetate , glycolate , maleate , malate , citrate , tartrate , ascorbate , benzoate , cinnamoate , mandeloate , benzyloate , and diphenylacetate ). the term “ pharmaceutically active derivative ” refers to any compound that upon administration to the recipient , is capable of providing directly or indirectly , the compounds disclosed herein . the following examples flirter illustrate specific aspects of the present invention . it is to be understood , however , that these examples are included for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any respect and should not be so construed . synthesis of 1 -[( 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran )- 3 - carbonyl ]- pyrrolidine - 2 - carboxylic acid - 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl ) amide ( formula xvi ) ( fig1 ; scheme 1 ) to a solution of boc - l - proline ( 5 mmol , advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) cooled to 0 ° c . were added dropwise a solution of di - isopropyl carbodiimide ( dic , 2 . 5 mmol ). after the solution had been stirred at 0 ° c . for 30 min , the solid by - product ( dic urea ) was filtered out . to the filtrate were added 3 - amino - 9 - ethylcarbazole ( 5 mmol , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in dmf and triethyl amine ( 5 mmol ) and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 16 h . the reaction was monitored by tlc for completion . the solution was evaporated to dryness under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( 250 ml ) and washed successively with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate , 10 % aqueous citric acid , water , and saturated brine . the organic layer was dried on anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and ethyl acetate was evaporated to give an oily product 1 -( t - butoxycarbonyl )- n -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl )]- 2 - pyrrolidinecarboxamide ( 75 % yield ); hplc purity : 90 %; mass : desired m + h found ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ). this compound was used in the next step without further purification . the n - boc - pyrrolidine carboxamide obtained from step a was dissolved in 50 % trifluoroacetic acid / dichloromethane ( 25 ml ) and stirred for 30 min at room temperature . the tfa solution was evaporated under vacuum . the dry residue was dissolved in dmf and two equivalents of triethyl amine was added , followed by one equivalent of a symmetrical anhydride ( generated in situ from 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3 - carboxylic acid and diisopropylcarbodi - imide ) and the solution was stirred for 14 h . dmf was evaporated under high vacuum . the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate . this organic layer was washed with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate , 10 % aqueous citric acid , water and saturated brine . the organic layer was dried on anhydrous magnesium sulphate . the organic layer was decolorized with charcoal evaporated under vacuum to result in light brown gummy material . this crude material was purified on preparative reverse phase hplc using 1 % tfa - acetonitrile and water as the mobile phase . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %. %; mass : calculated for c 30 h 33 n 3 o 4 : 499 . 6 ; found : 500 . 6 ( m + h ) ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ). synthesis of 1 -[( 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran )- 3 - carbonyl ]- piperidine - 2 - carboxylic acid - 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl ) amide ( formula xvii ) was achieved using the same procedure as above by using n - boc - pipecolinic acid made from dl - pipecolinic acid ( aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in place of boc - l - proline . synthesis of 2 -( 2 - ethyl - n - hexyl )- n -[( 1 - carboxamido - 2 - terazolyl ) ethyl ]- 3 - isoquinolinecarboxamide ( formula xviii ) ( fig2 ; scheme 2 ) fmoc - amino rink amide resin ( 1 . 0 g , 0 . 45 mmol / g substitution ), available from novabiochem ( san diego , usa ), was swollen with dichloromethane for 10 min . the resin was further washed with dimethyl formamide three times . the fmoc - group was removed with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . further repeated washings were done with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( dcm , 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then n - fmoc - d - histidine ( available from advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) in dmf [ 10 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ( 4 equivalents with respect to the resin loading )], 2 mmol of o -( 7 - azabenzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ( hatu ) and 4 mmol of diisopropylethylamine ( diea , 640 μl ) were added to the resin to make a slurry . this slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the small resin sample was subjected to sarin - kaiser test for the completion of reaction . the resin was then filtered and washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 2 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dmf ( 2 × 2 min ). the compound obtained from step a was deprotected by removal of the fmoc - group with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . further resin washings were done with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( dcm , 3 × 2min ), dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then ( s )-(−)- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4tetrahydro - 3 - isoquinolinecarboxylic acid ( available from advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) in dmf [ 10 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ( 4 equivalents with respect to the resin loading )], 2 mmol of hatu and 4 mmol of diisopropylethylamine ( diea , 640 μl ) were added to the resin to make a slurry . this slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the small resin sample was subjected to sarin - kaiser test for the completion of reaction . the resin was then filtered and washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 2 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dmf ( 2 × 2 min ). the fmoc - group on the tetrahydroisoquinoline nitrogen was removed by treatment with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . the resin was then washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 3 × 2 min ), and dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then a 0 . 2 m stock solution of 2 - ethylhexanal ( aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in 2 % acetic acid in trimethyl ortho formate ( tmof ) ( 10 ml / g of resin ) was added and reaction was carried out for 2 h to form an imine derivative in situ . then a 0 . 2 m stock solution of sodium cyanoborohydride ( nacnbh 3 ) in tmof was added to the above reaction mixture to get the final concentration to 0 . 1 m and the reaction was continued at room temperature for 14 h . the resin was washed with tmof ( 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dried under vacuum for 4 h . pre - cooled cleavage reagent ( trifluoroacetic acid : dimethylsulfide : triisopropylsilane : h 2 o ; 90 : 2 . 5 : 2 . 5 : 5 ; v / v ) was added ( 10 ml / g ) to the dried resin and allowed to stir for 2 h at room temperature . the tfa cocktail was filtered into a 20 ml vial and tfa was evaporated on a rotavapor under vacuum . diethyl ether was added to precipitate the compound along with trityl alcohol . the mixture was dissolved in 20 % acetonitrile before purification on reverse phase hplc . the crude compound from step d was dissolved in 10 % aqueous acetonitrile and loaded onto the c18 column on delta preparative hplc . a linear gradient with 1 % tfa acetonitrile and water was used as mobile phase . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %; mass ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ): calculated for c 24 h 35 n 5 o 2 : 425 . 6 ; found : 426 . 6 ( m + h ). synthesis of 1 -[( 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran )- 3 - carbonyl ]- 4 - hydroxypyrrolidine - 2 - carboxylic acid -[ 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl )] amide ( formula xix ) ( fig3 ; scheme 3 ) to a solution of n - boc - trans - hydroxy - l - proline ( 5 mmol , sigma chemical company , st . louis , usa ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) at ambient temperature were added at 5 min intervals 2 -( 1h - benzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ( hbtu , 5 mmol ), diisopropyl ethyl amine ( diea , 10 mmol ) followed by 3 - amino - 9 - ethylcarbazole ( 5 mmol , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ). after stirring for 1 h , the solution was evaporated to dryness under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( 250 ml ) and washed successively with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate , 10 % aqueous citric acid , water , and saturated brine . the organic layer was dried on anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and ethyl acetate was evaporated to give an oily product 1 -( t - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 - hydroxypyrrolidine - 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl )] carboxamide ( 85 % yield ); hplc purity : 90 %. this compound was used in the next step without further purification . the 1 -( t - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 - hydroxypyrrolidine - 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl )] carboxamide obtained from step a was dissolved in 50 % trifluoro acetic acid / dichloromethane ( 25 ml ) and stirred for 30 min at room temperature . the tfa solution was evaporated under vacuum . the dry residue was dissolved in dichloromethane and added to the activated ester of 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3 - carboxylic acid ( generated in situ from 5 mmol 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3 - carboxylic acid , 5 mmol hbtu and 10 mmol diisopropylethylamine ) and the solution was stirred for 1 h . the solvent was evaporated under vacuum and the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate . this organic layer was washed with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate , 10 % aqueous citric acid , water and saturated brine . the organic layer was dried on anhydrous magnesium sulphate and then evaporated in vacuo to result in light brown gummy material . this crude material was purified on preparative reverse phase hplc using 1 % tfa - acetonitrile and water as the mobile phase . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %. %; mass : calculated for c 30 h 33 n 3 o 5 : 415 . 6 ; found : 516 ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ). synthesis of 2 -[( 1 - carboxamido - 2 - terazolyl ) ethylcarbamoyl ]-( d , l )- 2 -( 2 - ethyl - n - hexylamino ) tetraline ( formula ) ( fig4 ; scheme 4 ) fmoc - anino rink amide resin ( 1 . 0 g , 0 . 45 mmol / g substitution ), available from novabiochem ( san diego , usa ), was swollen with dichloromethane for 10 min . the resin was further washed with dimethyl formamide three times . the fmoc group was removed with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . further repeated washings were done with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( dcm , 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then n - fmoc - d - histidine ( available from advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) in dmf [ 10 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ( 4 equivalents with respect to the resin loading )], 2 mmol of o -( 7 - azabenzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ( hatu ) and 4 mmol of diisopropylethylamine ( diea , 640 ul ) were added to the resin to make a slurry . this slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the small resin sample was subjected to sarin - kaiser test for the completion of reaction . the resin was then filtered and washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 2 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dmf ( 2 × 2 min ). the compound obtained from step a was deprotected by removal of the fmoc group with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . further resin washings were done with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( dcm , 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then fmoc -( d , l )- 2 - aminotetraline - 2 - carboxylic acid ( available from acros ) in dmf [ 10 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ( 4 equivalents with respect to the resin loading )], 2 mmol of hatu and 4 mmol of diisopropylethylamine ( diea , 640 μl ) were added to the resin to make a slurry . this slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the small resin sample was subjected to sarin - kaiser test for the completion of reaction . the resin was then filtered and washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 2 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dmf ( 2 × 2 min ). the fmoc group on the aminotetraline nitrogen was removed by treatment with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . the resin was then washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 3 × 2 min ), and dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then a 0 . 2 m stock solution of 2 - ethylhexanal ( aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in 2 % acetic acid in trimethyl ortho formate ( tmof ) ( 10 ml / g of resin ) was added and the reaction was carried out for 2 h to form an imine derivative in situ . then a 0 . 2 m stock solution of sodium cyanoborohydride ( nacnbh 3 ) in tmof was added to the above reaction mixture to get the final concentration to 0 . 1 m and the reaction was continued at room temperature for 14 h . the resin was washed with tmof ( 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dried under vacuum for 4 h . pre - cooled cleavage reagent ( trifluoroacetic acid : dimethylsulfide : triisopropylsilane : h 2 o ; 90 : 2 . 5 : 2 . 5 : 5 ; v / v ) was added ( 10 ml / g ) to the dried resin and allowed to stir for 2 h at room temperature . the tfa cocktail was filtered into a 20 ml vial and tfa was evaporated on a rotavapor under vacuum . diethyl ether was added to precipitate the compound along with trityl alcohol . the mixture was dissolved in 20 % acetonitrile before purification on reverse phase hplc . the crude compound from step d was dissolved in 10 % aqueous acetonitrile and loaded onto the c18 column on delta preparative hplc . a linear gradient with 1 % tfa acetonitrile and water was used as mobile phase . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %; mass ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ): calculated for c 25 h 37 n 5 o 2 : 439 . 6 ; found : 440 . 6 ( m + h ). synthesis of 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl ) amino - pyridin - 2 - yl - 3 -( 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3 - carboxamide ) ( formula xxvi ) ( fig5 ; scheme 5 ) to a solution of 2 - chloro - 3 - nitropyridine ( 5 mmol , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in toluene ( 10 ml ) at ambient temperature were added 3 - amino - 9 - ethylcarbazole ( 5 mmol , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ). the mixture was heated to reflux for a period of 16 h . after cooling to room temperature , the mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate and washed successively with saturated sodium bicarbonate and brine . the organic layer was collected , dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and concentrated in vacuo to give an oily product . this product was purified by chromatography over silica gel ( eluent : 1 : 1 ethyl acetate : hexane ) to give 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl ) amino ]- 3 - nitropyridine ( 68 % yield ); hplc purity : & gt ; 95 %. this compound was then used in the next step . to a methanolic solution of 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl )] amino - 3 - nitropyridine obtained from step a were added 10 % palladium over carbon ( 10 % w / w ), and the mixture was subjected to hydrogenation using a parr hydrogenator at 40 psi for a period of 12 h . then the slurry was filtered over celite to remove the catalyst and the methanolic filtrate was evaporated to dryness to afford an oily product , 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl ) amino ]- 3 - aminopyridine . this was used as such in the next step . to a solution of 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3carboxylic acid ( 3 mm , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in 10 ml dichloromethane at ambient temperature were added 2 - 1h - benzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ( hbtu ; 3 mm ; advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) followed by 6 mm of diisopropylethylamine ( diea ; aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ). after 10 minutes , a solution of 3 mm of 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl )] amino - 3 - aminopyridine ( obtained from step b ) in 10 ml dichloromethane was added dropwise , and the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the crude product mixture was washed with brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and chromatographed over silica gel ( eluent : 1 : 1 ethyl acetate : hexane to 100 % ethyl acetate ) to afford 71 % of pure compound xxvi . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %. %; mass : calculated for c 30 h 30 n 4 o 3 : 495 ; found : 496 ( m + h ) ( finnigan lcq ). all compounds were stored in 96 - well deepwell plates in dmso at a nominal concentration of 10 mm ( assuming perfect synthesis and yields ). compounds were screened for agonist activity at the fsh receptor using the recombinant fsh receptor stably transfected and expressed in chinese hamster ovary cells ( cho cells ) essentially as described in the work by kelton , et al . ( molecular and cellular endocrinology , 1992 , 89 , 141 - 151 ). since the fsh receptor is known to act via a g - protein ( gs ) to activate adenylyl cyclase and hence raise intracellular levels of camp , the high throughput screening ( hts ) assay used a gene reporter system consisting of the camp response element coupled upstream to the reporter gene , which in this case encoded the enzyme luciferase . an agonist at the fsh receptor increases camp in the cell , which results in activation of creb ( camp response element binding protein ). this molecule interacts with the cre element upstream of the gene and results in increased transcription of the genes downstream of the element . the substrate for luciferase ( packard instrument company , meriden , conn ., usa ) was added to the cells after appropriate incubation with the compounds of the invention or fsh ( used as a positive control ). the amount of luciferase expressed was measured by quantitating the luminescence produced by the enzyme using a topcount scintillation / luminescence counter running in single photon counting mode . a compound that acts as an agonist at the receptor should produce light from the treated cells in proportion to its concentration within the incubation . luminescence should be saturable at high concentrations of the compound . the compounds of the invention , in deepwell plates ( master plates ) were loaded on the robotic deck along with the appropriate number of assay plates and daughter plates . a 10 μl aliquot from each master plate was transferred to the corresponding daughter plate and 90 μl of dme / f12 was added and mixed within each well . 20 μl was then removed from the daughter plate and dispensed into the assay plate . after addition of an aliquot of fsh ( equivalent to an ec 100 response for this hormone [ final concentration of 5e - 11 m ]) to each of three wells on the plate , 80 μl of media ( dme / f12 + 2 % serum ) and 100 μl aliquot of cells ( 4 × 10 5 / ml in the same media ) were added and the plate incubated at 37 ° c . for 3 h 30 min . at this time the plate was removed from the incubator and media in each well was aspirated and the cells adhering to the bottom of the plate washed with 300 μl pbs containing 1 mm ca 2 + and 1 mm mg 2 + . the pbs was aspirated and 100 μl pbs added to each well . 100 μl of luclite ( prepared as described by the manufacturer ) was added to each well and the plate was shaken gently for 40 s prior to placement in the topcount plate reader . after allowing 3 . 5 min for the plate to dark - adapt within the machine , the amount of luminescence generated was quantitated using single photon counting mode . the data was transmitted electronically from the topcount to the robot processing computer terminal and was renamed with an id corresponding to the original master plate id . data were evaluated using an excel macro and compounds showing activity comparable to that produced by an ec 100 of fsh itself were further analyzed in the same assay at differing concentrations . ldr ( log - dose - response ) curves were generated for these compounds in cho cells containing the fsh receptor and these curves were also compared with those in either cells expressing a different gs - linked receptor or in cells lacking any transfected receptor ( to confirm receptor specificity ). compounds that showed receptor specificity and activity at low concentrations were progressed to secondary assays that included dose - response curves in y1 cells co - expressing the human fsh receptor or in isolated rat granulosa cells . fig6 displays results of the fsh assay for compounds xvi , xvii and xix . for comparison , results for fsh are also shown . dose - response curves for each compound were generated and are displayed . from the graph , fsh has a ec 50 of 1 . 47 pm , compound xvi has a ec 50 of 38 . 8 nm , compound xvii has a ec 50 of 3 . 9 nm , and compound xix has a ec 50 of 1 . 12 μm . a best - fit line is drawn for fsh . results of the assay using media only and foreskin are also shown . the assay was performed using duplicate samples of each compound . the primary rat granulosa cell bioassay for fsh was performed essentially as described ( dahl et al . ( 1989 ) methods enzymol ., 168 : 414 - 423 ). conversion of testosterone to estradiol in the presence of low nanomolar concentrations of fsh was detected using this assay . in this in vitro assay , conversion of androstendione to estrogen by granulosa cells in the presence of fsh was measured for compounds xvi and xvii . for comparison , fsh was also tested in the assay . cells were plated at 5000 , 8000 , 10 , 000 and 20 , 000 cells / well / 200 μl of gab medium on poly - d - lysine - coated 96 - well tissue culture plates . plates were incubated at 37 ° c . in a 5 % co 2 / 95 % air incubator for 3 days . cultures were washed prior to stimulation with fsh or lh . 50 μl of 4 × concentrations of rhfsh , rhlh or forskolin was added to the cultures . to define the range of the dose response curve the rhfsh was diluted so that the final concentration on the cells was between 10 − 7 to 10 − 15 m with three doses per log at 1 , 2 and 5 . forskolin was diluted so that the final concentration on the cells was 1 μm . cells were incubated @ 37 ° c . in 5 % co 2 . three days later , cell supernatants were collected and diluted 1 : 100 in gab medium for measurement of estradiol by ria . the ria was performed according to manufacturer &# 39 ; s directions except that an estradiol standard was prepared in absolute ethanol at 100 ng / ml and then further diluted in gab medium , instead of kit buffer . the concentration of hormone was plotted on the x - axis against the amount of estradiol produced by the cells on the y - axis using origin graphics software . as displayed in fig7 compounds xvi and xvii show increasing estradiol production with increasing dose at concentrations between 200 nm and 5 μm . above this concentration the compound showed a decrease in production — presumably since it caused a desensitization of the fsh receptors to further stimulation . the results show that compounds xvi and xvii stimulated estradiol production with ec 50 of 1 . 4 μm and 1 . 2 μm , respectively . results of the assay using media only are also shown .	0
it will be readily understood that the components of the present invention , as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein , may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . thus , the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus , system , and method of the present invention , as presented in fig1 through 6 , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as claimed , but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention . reference throughout this specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention . thus , appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ” or “ in an embodiment ” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . furthermore , the described features , structures , or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . in the following description , numerous specific details are provided , such as examples of materials , fasteners , sizes , lengths , widths , shapes , etc ., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention . one skilled in the relevant art will recognize , however , that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details , or with other methods , components , materials , etc . in other instances , well - known structures , materials , or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention . fig1 is a schematic block diagram depicting one embodiment of an apparatus 100 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . the apparatus 100 may comprise a first fluid conduit portion 102 which may be an exhaust pipe for an internal combustion engine . the apparatus 100 may further comprise a second fluid conduit portion 104 . the first 102 and second 104 fluid conduit portions may comprise differing cross - sectional areas , or flow areas . in one embodiment , as depicted in fig1 , the flow area of the first conduit portion 102 may be smaller than the flow area of the second conduit portion 104 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise an aftertreatment component 106 , which may be configured with a flow inlet 108 and a flow outlet 110 . the flow inlet 108 may accept flow from the first fluid conduit portion 102 , and the flow outlet 110 may emit flow to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise a first sensor port 112 fluidly connected to the first fluid conduit portion 102 , and a second sensor port 114 fluidly connected to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . in one embodiment , the aftertreatment component 106 may comprise a particulate filter 106 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise a coupler fluidly connecting a second sensor port 114 to the second fluid conduit 104 at a uniform flow region 116 . the coupler may comprise a tube 118 with an opening 114 inserted such that the second sensor port 114 is in fluid communication with the uniform flow region 116 . the uniform flow region 116 may comprise a three - dimensional region defined cross - sectionally by the aftertreatment component 106 , and defined axially by a region from the aftertreatment component 106 downstream a distance equal to one - half an average width of the aftertreatment component 106 . in one embodiment , the shaded region 116 shown in fig1 may comprise the uniform flow region 116 . for example , if the aftertreatment component 116 comprises a cylinder of 12 - inch diameter , the uniform flow region 116 may comprise a cylindrical region beginning at the downstream face 110 and continuing 6 inches into the second fluid conduit 104 , and further defined by an equivalent cross - sectional region to the aftertreatment component 106 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise a sensor 120 configured to measure the differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise an electronic control module ( ecm ) 122 . the ecm 122 may be configured to correlate a parameter ( not shown ) with the measured differential pressure from the sensor 120 . for example , the ecm 122 may be configured to estimate a soot loading on the aftertreatment component 106 , to set a fault code for excess backpressure on an engine ( not shown ), or to estimate soot distribution on the aftertreatment component 106 , based on the measurement of the differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 . the ecm 122 may further comprise a software calibration or the like which may comprise the software , algorithms , and data to correlate the measured differential pressure with the correlated parameter . fig2 is a schematic block diagram depicting an alternate embodiment of an apparatus 200 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . the apparatus 200 may comprise a first fluid conduit portion 102 which may be an exhaust pipe for an internal combustion engine . the apparatus 200 may further comprise a second fluid conduit portion 104 . the first 102 and second 104 fluid conduit portions may comprise differing cross - sectional areas , or flow areas . in one embodiment , as depicted in fig2 , the flow area of the first conduit portion 102 may be greater than the flow area of the second conduit portion 104 . the apparatus 200 may further comprise an aftertreatment component 106 , which may be configured with a flow inlet 108 and a flow outlet 110 . the flow inlet 108 may accept flow from the first conduit portion 102 , and the flow outlet 110 may emit flow to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . the apparatus 200 may further comprise a first sensor port 112 fluidly connected to the first fluid conduit portion 102 , and a second sensor port 114 fluidly connected to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . in the embodiment of fig2 the coupler may comprise a tube 118 with an axial portion 204 , a capped end 208 , and holes 114 in the sides 206 such that the second sensor port 114 is in fluid communication with the uniform flow region 116 . the apparatus 200 may further comprise a tube 118 , which may include an axial portion 204 . referring to fig2 a , the axial portion 204 may comprise sides 206 , and a capped end 208 . the capped end 208 may point toward the downstream face 110 , or flow outlet 110 , of the aftertreatment component 106 . the second sensor port 114 may comprise a plurality of openings in the sides of the axial portion 204 of the tube 116 . a tube 118 with an axial portion 204 similar to that shown in fig2 a may be called a “ pitot tube .” the second sensor port 114 may be fluidly connected to the second fluid conduit portion 104 such that the second sensor port 114 fluidly connects to the second fluid conduit portion 104 at a uniform flow region 116 of the second fluid conduit portion 104 . the second sensor port 114 may comprise an opening in a tube 118 inserted into the second fluid conduit portion 104 such that the opening 114 is within the uniform flow region 116 . fig3 is a schematic block diagram depicting an alternate embodiment of an apparatus 300 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . in one embodiment of the apparatus 300 shown in fig3 , the uniform flow region 116 may comprise a three - dimensional region defined cross - sectionally by the aftertreatment component 106 , and defined axially by a region from one - tenth inch downstream of the aftertreatment component 106 to one inch downstream of the aftertreatment component 106 . the one - tenth inch limitation of the uniform flow region 116 may be defined by sheet metal fabrication tolerances , and in some embodiments the uniform flow region 116 may be closer to the aftertreatment component 106 or include the downstream face 110 of the aftertreatment component 106 . the relatively smaller uniform flow region 116 of an embodiment as shown in fig3 may provide greater accuracy of differential pressure measurement for applications requiring greater such accuracy . in one embodiment , a larger uniform flow region 116 similar to fig2 may correct over 50 % of the offset between the theoretical differential pressure and a conventionally measured differential pressure . in one embodiment , the smaller uniform flow region 116 similar to fig3 may correct over 90 % of the offset between the theoretical differential pressure and a conventionally measured differential pressure . fig4 is a schematic block diagram depicting an alternate embodiment of an apparatus 400 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . one embodiment of the apparatus 400 may comprise a perforated ring 402 coupled to the downstream end 110 of the aftertreatment component 106 , wherein the uniform flow region comprises a region defined cross - sectionally by the ring 402 , and defined axially by an axial extent of the ring 402 . the second sensor port 114 may fluidly connect the sensor 120 to the uniform flow region 116 through a hole 114 in the tube 118 , wherein the tube 118 is inserted into the side of the ring 402 . the uniform flow region 116 may further comprise an area defined cross - sectionally by the ring 402 , and extending axially downstream of the ring 402 one - half of the diameter of the aftertreatment component 106 . in the embodiment of fig4 the apparatus may comprise a perforated ring 402 , and the coupler may comprise a tube 118 inserted such that the tube opening 114 is in fluid communication with the uniform flow region 116 described by the internal volume of the ring 402 . the coupler may comprise a tube 118 inserted such that the tube opening 114 is in fluid communication with the uniform flow region 116 comprising the cross - section area of the ring 402 , and an axial extent from the downstream face of the aftertreatment component 106 to one - half the diameter of the aftertreatment component downstream of the ring 402 . fig5 is an illustration of one embodiment of a perforated ring 402 in accordance with the present invention . the ring 402 may comprise an axial extent 502 and a diameter 504 defining a cross - sectional area . in one embodiment , the uniform flow area 116 may comprise the area defined by the axial extent 502 and cross - sectional area of the ring 402 . the ring 402 may comprise shapes other than a circle . for example and without limitation , the ring 402 may comprise a hexagonal , square , or elliptical shape . the ring 402 may be a perimeter extension of any shape , wherein the shape in a typical embodiment corresponds to the shape of the aftertreatment component 106 . in one embodiment , an apparatus to measure differential pressure across a conduit flow area may comprise a first 102 and second 104 fluid conduit portion comprising differing cross - sectional areas , an aftertreatment component 106 configured with a flow inlet 108 and a flow outlet 110 . the flow inlet 108 may accept flow from the first fluid conduit portion 102 , and the flow outlet 110 may emit flow to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . the apparatus may further comprise a first sensor port 112 fluidly connected to the first fluid conduit portion 102 . the schematic flow chart diagrams herein are generally set forth as logical flow chart diagrams . as such , the depicted order and labeled steps are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method . other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function , logic , or effect to one or more steps , or portions thereof , of the illustrated method . additionally , the format and symbols employed are provided to explain the logical steps of the method and are understood not to limit the scope of the method . although various arrow types and line types may be employed in the flow chart diagrams , they are understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method . indeed , some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the method . for instance , an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depicted method . additionally , the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown . fig6 is a schematic flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method 600 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . the method 600 may include a practitioner locating 602 an aftertreatment component 106 within an exhaust fluid conduit 102 , 104 and a differential pressure sensor 120 configured to measure the differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 . the cross - sectional area of the upstream fluid conduit portion 102 may differ from the cross - sectional area of the downstream fluid conduit portion 102 . the practitioner may disconnect 604 a downstream port ( not shown ) of the differential pressure sensor 120 coupled to the exhaust fluid conduit 104 on the downstream side of the aftertreatment component 106 . the practitioner may then insert 606 a tube 118 into the downstream port , the tube 118 comprising at least one opening 114 , and the tube 118 configured such that the at least one opening 114 is within a uniform flow region 116 of the exhaust fluid conduit 104 . for example , an application may comprise a differential pressure sensor 120 connected to the downstream fluid conduit 104 . a conventional system will have the sensor 120 tap into the fluid conduit 104 at the outer wall and read the pressure from the edge of the conduit 104 . a practitioner may disconnect the sensor 120 from the fluid conduit 104 wall , insert a tube 118 with an opening 114 into the previous opening in the fluid conduit 104 wall , where the tube 118 is configured such that the opening 114 will be within the uniform flow region 116 when the tube 118 is inserted . the practitioner may then reconnect 608 the downstream port of the differential pressure sensor 120 to the tube 118 such that the second sensor port 114 comprises the hole 114 in the tube 118 fluidly connected to the uniform flow region 116 . the practitioner may update 610 a software calibration on an ecm 122 to update a correlation between a parameter and the differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 . for example , the software on the ecm 122 may be configured to estimate a soot loading on the aftertreatment component 106 based on the differential pressure across the filter 106 . the characteristics of the pressure versus the soot loading may change after a practitioner installs the sensor 120 upgrade , and an upgrade to the software calibration on the ecm may improve the soot loading estimate . in one embodiment , the software on the ecm 122 may trigger a fault code when a differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 exceeds a threshold . the practitioner may change this threshold after installing the tube 118 such that the fault code occurs when a similar amount of soot estimated to be trapped within the aftertreatment component 106 triggers the fault code prior to installing the tube 118 . the changes in the pressure characteristic depend upon the particular application and installation , and are simple measurements within the skill of one in the art . the changes required in the software calibration may involve code changes or simple variable value changes , depending upon the particular application , and these changes are mechanical steps for one of skill in the art . in one embodiment , the tube 118 may comprise a bent tube with a capped end 208 and a plurality of holes 114 on the sides 206 of the tube . inserting 606 the tube 118 may further comprise orienting the tube such that the capped end 208 of the tube points axially toward the aftertreatment component 106 . from the foregoing discussion , it is clear that the invention provides a system , method , and apparatus for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit area change . the invention overcomes previous limitations in the art by providing improved differential pressure measurement in situations where the flow area changes induce differential pressure offsets in the conventional art . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .	1
a simplified airplane electrical system , such as the one illustrated in fig1 , generates power in a generator 20 which is mechanically connected to an engine 10 . the power created by the generator 20 is then sent to an inverter / conditioner 30 . the inverter / conditioner 30 modifies the electrical power output of the generator 20 to make the electrical power have more constant power attributes . after the electrical power has been conditioned the power is then sent through the aircraft &# 39 ; s electrical distribution system 40 to onboard electrical devices / drives ( such as sensors , gauges , meters , pumps , fans , etc .). the introduction of the inverter / conditioner 30 may also introduce a common mode choke . as described above , a common mode choke has the practical effect of limiting the possible current , which can potentially interfere with known ground fault detection schemes . the effect of the common mode choke on a ground fault detector can be addressed by introduction of a controller 50 and a voltage sensor 60 to the electrical system . the controller 50 can determine if a ground fault condition exists based on the total root mean square ( rms ) voltage of the inverter / conditioner 30 ac input . an electrical system without a ground fault condition is a balanced system . in a balanced system the magnitude of each ac signal is identical , and each signal is phase shifted from the nearest phase by 360 / n where n is the number of phases . by way of example , in a balanced three phase system the power output of phase a will not be shifted , phase b will be shifted by 120 degrees , and phase c will be shifted by 240 degrees . as a result of the equal magnitude and proportional phase shifting at any given time the sum of phases a , b , and c will be equal to zero in a theoretical balanced system . when a phase to ground fault is present in a power system , the system is thrown out of balance since one phase will have a direct connection to ground , while the other phases must still pass through a load and return to the generator . as a result of the imbalance , the total rms voltage on the phase with a ground fault will be significantly greater than zero . a controller 50 and voltage sensors 60 may thereby be utilized to monitor the sum of the phase voltages to determine if the sum is above a certain threshold . when the sum exceeds the threshold , a ground fault is determined to be present on one of the phases . the generator with the phase to ground fault can then be identified and isolated from the electrical system . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the above described method for detecting a phase to ground fault based on rms voltage . in the first step of the method , the voltage sensor 60 measures the inverter / conditioner 30 ac input voltage and sends the voltage measurements to the controller 50 ( step 102 , fig2 ). in order to make a ground fault determination based on the voltage measurements , the controller 50 then calculates an rms voltage for each phase ( step 104 , fig2 ). after the phase rms voltages are calculated , the controller 50 calculates a sum of all of the phase voltages for the electrical system and derive its rms value , referred to as “ total vrms ” ( step 106 , fig2 ). in most applications the electrical system will have three phases ; however it is known that an alternate number of phases could be used . once a total rms voltage value has been calculated , the controller 50 compares the total rms voltage value to a threshold value ( step 108 , fig2 ). if the total rms voltage exceeds the threshold then a phase to ground fault is found ( step 110 , fig2 ). when a phase to ground fault is found , the controller 50 then either takes a predefined action ( such as isolating the faulty inverter ), or transmits a ground fault detected signal to a second controller 70 , which then allows the second controller 70 to take any necessary actions ( step 112 , fig2 ). in another embodiment , the rms voltage value of each phase ( i . e ., step 104 ) can be determined by the method illustrated in fig3 . in the embodiment of fig3 , step 1104 first filters the raw voltage to remove harmonic frequencies ( step 1104 ( a )). the harmonic frequencies are removed because the harmonic frequencies are unnecessary in the determination of the phase rms voltage , and can cause miscalculations when the phase voltages are summed . the filtered voltage is then squared ( step 1104 ( b )) and passed to a second filter . in the second filter the signal is again filtered ( step 1104 ( c )) to remove harmonic frequencies . since the second filter is after the squaring operation , any harmonics that were too small to be filtered in the first filter step 1104 ( a ) will have been squared and thus are large enough to be filtered by the second filter step 1104 ( c ). the signal is then square rooted ( step 1104 ( d )), which returns the signal to its original amplitude without the harmonics . the signal is then sent to step 1106 of fig3 where the remainder of the method is identical to the method described in the first embodiment , and illustrated in fig2 . in another embodiment the total rms voltage is computed for step 2106 of fig5 with the sub - steps illustrated . in the embodiment of fig5 , a raw voltage for each phase is received from step 2104 and initially filtered ( step 2106 ( a )). the filtered voltages of each phase are then added together ( step 2106 ( b )) and sent to a divider . the divider then divides the sum of the phase voltages by the total number of phases in the system ( step 2106 ( c )). next the output of the divider is squared ( step 2106 ( d )) in order to make any harmonics that were too small for the first filter ( 2106 ( a )) larger . after being squared , the signal is again filtered ( step 2106 ( e )). the output of the second filter ( step 2106 ( e )) is square - rooted ( step 2106 ( f )). finally the total rms voltage value is output ( step 2106 ( g )) and sent to step 2108 ( fig5 ). fig6 illustrates a logic circuit 200 for a voltage summer which is capable of performing the steps shown in block 2106 of fig5 , and described above . the total rms voltage evaluator 200 accepts a voltage input 206 of all three phases . the voltage inputs 206 are then filtered in low pass filters 202 to remove harmonics and leave a cleaner ac signal . the filtered voltage signals 232 are then sent to a summer 204 . the summer 204 combines the filtered voltage signals 232 and outputs a single raw combined voltage signal 234 . due to the nature of the summer 204 the raw combined 3 - phase voltage signal 234 is larger than zero in the event of a ground fault . the raw combined voltage signal 234 , is sent to a divider 212 . the divider 212 additionally has a second input 236 equal to k . the divider 212 then divides the raw combined voltage by k and outputs a combined voltage value 238 . the k value for input 236 is the number of phases and may be determined by a signal from the controller 50 , the secondary controller 70 , predefined within the divider 212 , or set using any other known technique . for the combined voltage value 238 to be properly interpreted by the controller 50 , harmonics that survived the initial filter 202 , and that were introduced as a result of the summer 204 and the divider 212 operations , must be removed from the signal 238 . to remove the remaining harmonics the signal 238 is squared ( in multiplier block 214 ), then sent through a filter 218 , and then square - rooted ( in square - root block 222 ). the square root block 222 outputs a total rms voltage signal 230 which is in a format that can be accepted and interpreted by the controller 50 . these operations remove the minor harmonics in the same manner as described in the second embodiment . the output 230 is then passed to step 2108 of fig5 . another embodiment of the ground fault detection method combines the phase rms voltage calculations ( step 104 , fig2 ) with the total rms voltage calculations ( step 106 , fig2 ), resulting in the method illustrated in fig7 , 8 . after the raw measurements are received ( step 3102 , fig7 ), the measurements are filtered ( step 502 ) to remove harmonic frequencies . next the filtered signals are copied at junction 504 and separate operations are performed on the signals simultaneously ( as illustrated in fig8 ). the first operation , used to calculate phase voltage , of the embodiment of fig7 squares the phase voltages ( step 506 ) from junction 504 . then , the voltage signals are again filtered ( step 508 ). after the second filter the signal is combined with the output of the second operation and square rooted ( step 510 ). after being square rooted the voltage signals are output to step 3108 of fig7 ( step 512 ). the second operation , used to calculate total rms voltage of the embodiment of fig7 , sums the filtered signals from junction 504 ( step 514 ). the summed signal is then divided by the total number of phases in the system ( step 516 ), and the resulting signal is squared ( step 518 ). after being squared the signal is again filtered ( step 520 ) and combined with the output of the first operation where the signal is square - rooted ( step 510 ) and output to step 3108 of fig7 ( step 512 ). while it is known that the above described methods can be performed using a number of different controllers and logic circuits , disclosed below are sample logic circuits which could be used by the controller 50 to perform the above described methods . the logic circuit 400 of fig4 is capable of performing step 1104 of the embodiment of fig3 . the logic circuit initially accepts raw ac phase voltage measurements 402 from the sensor 60 and passes them through a low pass filter 404 . the signal is then sent to a multiplier 406 . the multiplier 406 accepts the filtered ac input signal twice and multiplies them together , resulting in a squaring operation . the squaring operation additionally squares minor harmonics that were too small to be removed by the initial low - pass filter 404 . the signal is then sent through a second low - pass filter 408 where the remaining harmonics are removed , resulting in a clean signal that can be properly read by a controller 50 . finally the signal is square rooted in logic block 410 , which results in an output signal 412 equal to the phase rms voltage without additional harmonics . a logic circuit which is a combination of the logic circuits of fig4 and fig6 , and capable of performing the method of fig7 , 8 , is disclosed in fig9 . the logic circuit of fig9 utilizes a combined first low pass filter 404 , and then separates into two separate sub - circuits corresponding to each of the logic circuits 400 , 200 of fig4 and 6 . these circuits have identical components and operate in the same manner as the logic circuits 200 , 400 described above . the foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense . a worker of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications , such as utilizing a different logic circuit within a controller , would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention .	7
referring in detail now to the drawings wherein like or similar parts of the invention are identified by like reference numerals throughout the various views , fig1 illustrates an inner collecting means generally comprising a rigid flat inner collecting surface 10 and a plurality of known art silicon solar cells 18 attached to the collecting surface 10 in order to collect impinging solar radiation and convert the solar radiation into electrical energy . solar cells 18 are generally encapsulated and covered with a transparent elastomeric surface known in the art . the lower end of inner collecting surface 10 is pivotally mounted to a main base , generally illustrated as 12 , so as to be capable of pivotation about a mounting axis from about 0 ° to about 90 ° above the horizontal . as depicted in fig4 the mounting axis may comprise a pivot rod 15 , one end of pivot rod 15 is inserted through main base 12 , the other end of pivot rod 15 is inserted through fixed shoe 27 ; fixed shoe 27 is fixedly mounted to main base 12 . returning to fig1 movement of collecting surface 10 through a 90 ° arc is necessary in order to place it at the proper angle to maximize the amount of solar rays impinging upon collector cells 18 . main base 12 defines an aluminum or lightweight rigid frame to pivotally support collecting surface 10 and solar cells 18 . the size and number of inner collecting means mounted to main base 12 will depend upon both the power requirements and the size of main base 12 . typically , two collecting surfaces measuring four feet by eight feet will be sufficient to meet most power requirements . an inner support member , generally illustrated as 16 , is used to support inner collecting surface 10 when inner collecting surface 10 is raised from the horizontal or storage position ( depicted in fig2 ) to the collecting position depicted in fig1 . at least one inner support member 16 for each inner collecting surface 10 is required , however additional support members may be used to provide further support and stability to collecting surface 10 . one end of inner support member 16 is pivotally attached in proximity to the upper end of inner collecting surface 10 at 11 to allow the angular position of collecting surface 10 to be easily changed . pivotal attachment point 11 may be located generally on the upper half of inner collecting surface 10 . in addition , pivotal attachment of inner collecting surface 10 to inner support 16 allows inner support member 16 to generally align with the plane of collecting surface 10 for easy storage when collecting surface 10 is in the horizontal position . the other end of inner support member 16 is connected to main base 12 such that the inner collecting means may be positioned at an angle between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal plane . as depicted in fig3 in one preferred embodiment of the invention , inner support member 16 may comprise an inner stanchion 17 having a plurality of holes 26 between each end thereof . a prong 24 is fixedly mounted to main base 12 . any one of the holes 26 may be mated with prong 24 in order to determine the angle of the inner collecting surface 10 relative to the horizontal . pivotal attachment point 11 and prong 24 must be mounted sufficiently toward pivot rod 15 such that the free end of inner support member 16 will clear the rear portion of main base 12 when inner collecting surface 10 is placed in a low angular position relative to the horizontal . in order to store collecting surface 10 as shown in fig2 inner stanchion 17 is removed from prong 24 and pivoted underneath and aligned with the collecting surface 10 ; the combined aligned stanchion 17 and collecting surface 10 is subsequently pivoted into the storage position . in another preferred embodiment of the invention as depicted in fig4 inner support member 16 may comprise a two - piece stanchion including an inner leg 28 and an outer leg 30 which are made of a lightweight material such as aluminum having sufficient strength to support collecting surface 10 . inner leg 28 slidably mates within outer leg 30 such that the longitudinal axis of inner leg 28 is longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of outer leg 30 . the length of inner support member 16 is changed by sliding inner leg 28 within outer leg 30 along their respective longitudinal axes . by changing the length of inner support member 16 , the angular position of inner collecting surface 10 is also changed . inner leg 28 and outer leg 30 also respectively include a plurality of holes 32 and 33 along their respective longitudinal axes that are capable of being collimated with respect to each other . holes 32 and 33 are sized to accept a removable prong 34 when at least one of the holes 32 in inner leg 28 is concentrically aligned with at least one of the holes 33 in outer leg 30 , thereby fixing the position of inner leg 28 relative to outer leg 30 along their respective longitudinal axes . inner support member 16 is mounted to an inner sliding shoe generally illustrated as 31 . the inner sliding shoe 31 is slidably mounted onto an inner guide member , generally illustrated as 29 , for movement of the inner sliding shoe 31 on and along the inner guide member 29 between the front and back of main base 12 . as depicted in fig4 the inner guide member 29 may comprise a base rod 36 having two ends , one end which mates within opening 25 of fixed shoe 27 , the other end which is attached to the back of main base 12 at 41 . the inner sliding shoe 31 may comprise a hollow cylinder 38 axially aligned on and along the longitudinal axis of rod 36 and pivotally connected to support member 16 . rod 36 includes a plurality of holes 35 along its longitudinal axis . cylinder 38 includes a hole 37 through its top and bottom . upon concentrical alignment of hole 37 with any one of holes 35 , removable prong 39 is inserted within holes 37 and 35 to fix the position of cylinder 38 longitudinally along rod 36 . movement of cylinder 38 on and along rod 36 in combination with the sliding of inner leg 28 within outer leg 30 allows the angular position of inner collecting surface 10 to be fixed between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal without having to detach inner support member 16 from main base 12 . when storage of inner collecting surface 10 is desired , prong 34 is withdrawn from inner support member 16 and inner leg 28 is slid into outer leg 30 . at the same time prong 39 is withdrawn from cylinder 38 and cylinder 38 is moved longitudinally along base rod 36 toward pivot rod 15 resulting in inner collecting surface 10 pivoting into the horizontal position . when the length of inner support member 16 is less than the length of inner collecting surface 10 , however ; inner leg 28 need not be telescoped into outer leg 30 in order to store inner collecting surface 10 . for placement of collecting surface 10 in the collecting position , the above process is simply reversed . movement of inner collecting surface 10 between the collecting position and the storage position may be accomplished manually or by a solar powered motor . a covering device such as a tarpaulin ( not shown in the drawings ) may be placed over main base 12 and collecting surface 10 to protect the apparatus when the collecting means is in the storage position . the invention also comprises means for storing electrical energy received from the collecting means and supplying this energy to an external receptacle . the components of the storage / supply means are known in the art and shown schematically in fig5 including a storage battery 40 wired to collecting surface 10 , and voltage regulators 42 connected between battery 40 and collecting surface 10 to regulate the voltage output from solar cells 18 . the size of the battery 40 will depend upon the reserve power necessary for night use or for day use when clouds obscure the sun . a battery storage system having a 1500 ampere - hour capacity would supply approximately one week of reserve power under a 100 watt electrical load . the storage / supply means may also include an inverter 44 to convert direct current into alternating current , and various other electrical components which are well known in the art . as depicted in fig6 a pair of external receptacles 47 and 49 are mounted on the front of main base 12 for providing alternating current and direct current respectively . the invention also comprises means for transporting the inner collecting means , inner support member , main base and storage / supply means . the transportation means may comprise a two - wheel trailer 46 as depicted in fig6 or it may include trucks , skids , rail cars , water surface craft , or the like . in another embodiment of the invention , as depicted in fig7 a retractable base generally illustrated as 48 is retractably mounted to main base 12 so as to allow retractable base 48 to move between a position exterior from and in proximity with main base 12 to a position inside main base 12 through main base opening 57 . retractable base 48 may be mounted on rollers ( not shown in drawings ) which are affixed to main base 12 in order to allow easy movement of retractable base 48 in and out of main base 12 . the outer collecting means comprising collecting surface 10 and silicon cells 18 is pivotally mounted on retractable base 48 such that collection surface 10 may pivot about a mounting axis between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal . as depicted in fig9 the mounting axis may comprise a pivot rod 15 , one end of pivot rod 15 is inserted through retractable base 48 , the other end of pivot rod 15 is inserted through fixed shoe 27 ; fixed shoe 27 is fixedly mounted to retractable base 48 . returning to fig7 it is important to note that outer collecting surface 10 must be in the horizontal or storage position within retractable base 48 before retractable base 48 can be retracted inside main base 12 . the outer collecting means will generally have identical size , shape , and collecting characteristics as the inner collecting means , the main difference being that the inner collecting means is mounted to main base 12 , and the other collecting means is mounted to retractable base 48 . the outer support member 16 is used to support outer collecting surface 10 when outer collecting surface 10 is raised to the collecting position as depicted in fig7 . one end of outer support member 16 is pivotally connected in proximity to the upper end of outer collecting surface 10 at 51 . pivotal attachment point 51 may be located generally on the upper half of outer collecting surface 10 . the other end of outer support member 16 is connected to retractable base 48 such that the outer collecting means may be positioned at any angle between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal plane . as depicted in fig8 outer support member 16 may comprise an inner stanchion 17 having a plurality of longitudinally displaced holes 26 between each end thereof . a prong 24 is fixedly mounted to retractable base 48 . any one of holes 26 may be mated with prong 24 in order to determine the angle of outer collecting surface 10 relative to the horizontal . pivotal attachment point 51 and prong 24 must be mounted sufficiently toward pivot rod 15 such that the free end of outer support member 16 will clear the rear of retractable base 48 when outer collecting surface 10 is placed in a low angular position relative to the horizontal . in order to store outer collecting surface 10 , outer stanchion 17 is removed from prong 24 and pivoted to align with the plane of outer collecting surface 10 . outer collecting surface 10 is then pivoted into the horizontal position and base 48 is retracted inside main base 12 . in a preferred embodiment as depicted in fig9 outer support member 16 comprises a two - piece stanchion including an inner leg 28 slidably mated within outer leg 30 such that the longitudinal axis of inner leg 28 is longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of outer leg 30 . the length of outer support member 16 is changed by sliding inner leg 28 within outer leg 30 along their respective longitudinal axes . by changing the length of outer support member 16 , the angular position of outer collecting surface 10 is also changed . inner leg 28 and outer leg 30 also respectively include a plurality of holes 32 and 33 along their respective longitudinal axes that are capable of being collimated with respect to each other . holes 32 and 33 are sized to accept a removable prong 34 when at least one of the holes 32 in inner leg 28 is concentrically aligned with at least one of the holes 33 in outer leg 30 , thereby fixing the position of inner leg 28 relative to outer leg 30 along their respective longitudinal axes . in addition , outer support means 16 is pivotally mounted to the outer sliding shoe 31 . the outer sliding shoe 31 is slidably mounted to the outer guide member 29 for movement of the outer sliding shoe 31 on and along the outer guide member 29 between the front and back of retractable base 48 . as further depicted in fig9 the outer guide member 29 may comprise a base rod 36 having two ends , one end which mates with opening 25 of fixed shoe 27 , the other end which is attached to the back of retractable base 48 at 55 . the outer sliding shoe 31 may comprise a hollow cylinder 38 axially aligned on and along the longitudinal axis of rod 36 and pivotally connected to outer support member 16 . rod 36 includes a plurality of holes 35 along its longitudinal axis . cylinder 38 includes a hole 37 through its top and bottom . upon concentrical alignment of hole 37 with any one of holes 35 , prong 39 is inserted within holes 37 and 35 to fix the position of cylinder 38 longitudinally along rod 36 . movement of cylinder 38 on and along rod 36 in combination with the sliding of inner leg 28 within outer leg 30 allows the angular position of outer collecting surface 10 to vary between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal without having to detach outer support member 16 from retractable base 48 . when storage of outer collecting surface 10 is desired , prong 34 is withdrawn and inner leg 28 is slid into outer leg 30 . at the same time prong 39 is removed from cylinder 38 and cylinder 38 is moved toward the front of retractable base 48 along base rod 36 resulting in outer collecting surface 10 pivoting into the horizontal position . retractable base 48 is then retracted into main base 12 . when the length of inner support member 16 is less than the length of inner collecting surface 10 , however ; inner leg 28 need not be telescoped into outer leg 30 in order to store inner collecting surface 10 . movement of outer collecting surface 10 between the collecting position and the storage position as well as movement of retractable base 48 between the interior and exterior of main base 12 may be performed manually or by solar powered motor . additional retractable bases may be located exterior to and in proximity with the remaining three sides of main base 12 as depicted in fig1 . in order to provide storage spaces inside main base 12 for the retractable bases and outer collecting means , the retractable bases may be stored inside main base 12 in a stair step manner as depicted in fig1 . when retractable bases 48 are rolled out of main base 12 and the outer collecting means are placed in their collecting positions , the outer collecting means will be at different levels relative to each other , however there will be little effect on the operational efficiency of the outer collecting means or inner collecting means because collecting surfaces 10 do not block each other from impinging solar radiation during most daylight hours . additional collecting means may require additional voltage regulators 42 and a larger capacity battery 40 . the requirements of the transportation means will not change with the increase in the number of collecting means and accompanying apparatus since the size and weight changes are comparatively small . while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof , a latitude of modification , various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure , and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth .	7
embodiments of the present invention may provide a method , apparatus , and system for enabling a secure platform . more specifically , embodiments of the present invention may provide an architecture providing memory access policies based on associated identifiers . various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . however , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternate embodiments may be practiced with only some of the described aspects . for purposes of explanation , specific devices and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that alternate embodiments may be practiced without the specific details . in other instances , well - known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments . further , various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations , in turn , in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention ; however , the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent . in particular , these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation . the phrase “ in one embodiment ” is used repeatedly . the phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment ; however , it may . the terms “ comprising ,” “ having ,” and “ including ” are synonymous , unless the context dictates otherwise . the phrase “ a and / or b ” means “( a ), ( b ), or ( a and b ).” the phrase “ at least one of a , b and c ” means “( a ), ( b ), ( c ), ( a and b ), ( a and c ), ( b and c ) or ( a , b and c ).” fig1 illustrates a platform 100 having dual execution environments to secure memory accesses , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the platform 100 may have a host execution environment , e . g ., host environment 104 , an auxiliary execution environment , e . g ., auxiliary environment 108 , a main memory 112 , and an auxiliary memory 116 , coupled with each other as shown . the auxiliary memory 116 may have a number of access policies relating to the access of content stored in the main memory 112 . these access policies may be maintained / managed by one or more components of the auxiliary environment 108 . the auxiliary environment 108 may be securely partitioned from the host environment 104 , and may include , e . g ., a service processor , a virtual partition using a virtual machine manager , or an embedded microcontroller . in an embodiment , the auxiliary environment 108 may be configured to execute code independently and securely isolated from the host environment 104 . in some embodiments , the auxiliary environment 108 may be further configured to prevent components of the host environment 104 from performing operations that would alter , modify , read , or otherwise affect the components of the auxiliary environment 108 . in various embodiments , the auxiliary environment 108 may be partitioned from the host environment 104 via a variety of different types of partitions , including an entirely separate hardware partition ( e . g ., utilizing active management technologies ( amt ), “ manageability engine ” ( me ), platform resource layer ( prl ) using sequestered platform resources , system management mode ( smm ), and / or other comparable or similar technologies ) and / or a virtualized partition ( e . g ., a virtual machine in a virtualization technology ( vt ) scheme ). in various embodiments , a virtualized host may also be used to implement amt , me , and prl technologies ( as described in further detail below ). in an embodiment , the main memory 112 and the auxiliary memory 116 may be sequestered from one another in a manner to provide different levels of access to components operating in the host environment 104 and components operating in the auxiliary environment 108 . for example , in some embodiments components operating in the auxiliary environment 108 may have read - only access to the main memory 112 and may have read - write access to the auxiliary memory 116 to facilitate management of access policies . furthermore , in some embodiments components operating in the host environment 104 may have read - write access to the main memory 112 and read - only access to the auxiliary memory 116 . this restriction of components operating in the host environment to modify the access policies found in the auxiliary memory 116 may facilitate maintenance of security on the platform 100 . it may be noted that the above access levels may refer to generic environmental access levels with the potential of having more particular access policies being applied to particular components operating in each environment . for example , the host environment 104 may include an operating system ( os ) 120 for control and / or management of other components including the mediation of information flow between higher - level components , e . g ., user apps 124 , and lower - level components , e . g ., a loader 128 , a subject component 132 , a memory manager 136 , and / or a target component 140 . in some embodiments , the subject component 132 and the target component 140 may be software components operating in the same privilege level , or architectural ring . in some embodiments the os 120 may have no access to the auxiliary memory 116 , while certain other components of the host environment 104 , e . g ., subject component 132 , may be provided limited access . as used herein , the term “ component ” is intended to refer to programming logic that may be employed to obtain a desired outcome . the term component may be synonymous with “ module ” and may refer to programming logic that may be embodied in hardware or firmware , or in a collection of software instructions , possibly having entry and exit points , written in a programming language , such as , for example , c ++. a software component may be compiled and linked into an executable program , or installed in a dynamic link library , or may be written in an interpretive language such as basic . it will be appreciated that software components may be callable from other components / modules or from themselves , and / or may be invoked in response to detected events or interrupts . software instructions may be embedded in firmware , such as an electrically erasable programmable read - only memory ( eeprom ), or may be stored on a readable medium such as a magnetic or optical storage device . it will be further appreciated that hardware components may be comprised of connected logic units , such as gates and flip - flops , and / or may be comprised of programmable units , such as programmable gate arrays or processors . in one embodiment , the components described herein are implemented as software modules , but nonetheless may be represented in hardware or firmware . furthermore , although only a given number of discrete software / hardware components may be illustrated and / or described , such components may nonetheless be represented by additional components or fewer components without departing from the spirit and scope of embodiments of the invention . in an embodiment , the loader 128 , the subject component 132 , the memory manager 136 , and / or the target component 140 may be supervisory - level components , e . g ., kernel components . in various embodiments , kernel components may be services ( e . g ., loader , scheduler , memory manager , etc . ), extensions / drivers ( e . g ., for a network card , a universal serial bus ( usb ) interface , a disk drive , etc . ), or a service - driver hybrid ( e . g ., intrusion detectors to watch execution of code ). in some embodiments the main memory 112 may organize content stored therein into a number of groups of memory locations . these organizational groups , which may be fixed - and / or variable sized , may facilitate virtual memory management . the groups of memory locations may be pages , segments , or a combination thereof . a virtual memory utilizing paging may facilitate the emulation of a large logical / linear address space with a smaller physical memory page . therefore , the host environment 104 may provide a virtual execution environment in which the components may operate , which may then be mapped into physical pages of the main memory 112 . the os 120 may maintain page tables to map the logical / linear addresses provided by components of the host environment 104 to physical address of the main memory 112 . more details of the implementation of paging in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may be given below . in an embodiment , the loader 128 may receive a load request , e . g ., from the os 120 , to load content into one or more pages of the main memory 112 , e . g ., subject pages 144 . the loaded content may include , e . g ., data pages , having static content , and / or code pages , having executable content . the subject pages 144 may be used for providing processor instructions to a host processor in the execution of the subject component 132 . the loader 128 may make a request to the memory manager 136 to allocate subject pages 144 . the loader 128 may then load the content into the allocated subject pages 144 . the content , upon execution in the host environment 104 may be manifested as the subject component 132 . in an embodiment , the auxiliary environment 108 may include a code location component 148 to identify the location of the subject pages 144 in the main memory 112 . the code location component 148 may use the capability of the auxiliary environment 108 to access the main memory 112 to read and locate the subject pages 144 in the main memory 112 . the code location component 148 may receive images , e . g ., complete images or hashes , of the images or specific subject pages 144 , from the host environment 104 and / or a third - party trusted entity , to facilitate their location and / or state verification in the main memory 112 . a comparison , e . g ., byte - by - byte or through cryptographic hashes , may be done between the image received and the subject pages 144 from the perspective of the auxiliary environment 108 . in various embodiments , the code location component 148 may search for the location of the subject pages 144 directly in the main memory 112 , e . g ., through a direct memory access and / or a messaging system between the auxiliary environment 108 and the host environment 104 . a messaging system , for example , may search for the location of the subject pages 144 by using the memory mapped registers of a host processor of the host environment 104 . a read of the registers of the host processor may take place through a system management interrupt ( smi ), for example . as shown in fig1 , the code location component 148 is located in the auxiliary environment 108 ; however , in some embodiments , the code location component 148 , or portions thereof , may be located elsewhere . furthermore , in some embodiments , the code location component 148 may additionally / alternatively cooperate with components , e . g ., agents , in other execution environments . in an embodiment utilizing virtualized memory , the location of the subject component 132 may be reported to the code location component 148 as its linear address . the code location component 148 may receive this linear address and access host page tables setup by the host environment 104 to perform a virtual - to - physical address mapping to determine the physical location of the subject page 144 in main memory 112 . in an embodiment , the code location component 148 may optionally fetch additional information from the subject component 132 to verify the location and / or state , e . g ., through hashes , relocation fix - ups , etc . in an embodiment , the determination of the location of the subject page 144 may be facilitated by having the subject pages 144 pinned in main memory 112 . in an embodiment , the code location component 148 may report the location and / or state of the subject pages 144 to an auxiliary memory manager , e . g ., a micro - context manager 152 . the micro - context manager 152 may assign an identifier , or micro - context ( uc ), to the subject pages 144 and store the assigned uc in the auxiliary memory 116 , e . g ., subject - uc 156 . the subject - uc 156 may facilitate storage and subsequent retrieval of various meta - data associated with the subject page 144 . for example , in an embodiment , the subject - uc 156 may include access control policies that apply to the content stored in the subject pages 144 of the main memory 112 . in various embodiments , these access control policies may be referenced by components of the host environment 104 to control various memory accesses to the subject pages 144 and / or by the subject component 132 . the various management components of the auxiliary environment 108 , e . g ., the code location component 148 and the uc manager 152 , may operate independently from the os 120 of the host environment . therefore , management provided by such components may be referred to as os - agnostic or “ out - of - band ” ( oob ) management . in an embodiment , one or more pages , e . g ., target pages 160 , storing data relating to the target component 140 may be located and assigned a target - uc 164 in a manner similar to that discussed above relative to the subject page 144 . in an embodiment , the subject component 132 may issue a request to access , e . g ., to read / write from / to , content stored in target pages 160 . the processor of the host environment 104 may perform an access control check , to determine whether to grant / deny this request , based at least in part on reference to the subject - uc 156 and / or a target - uc 164 stored in the auxiliary memory 116 . if the access control check fails , e . g ., the subject - uc 156 and the target - uc 164 are incompatible , the processor may issue a page fault exception and / or interrupt the uc manager 152 . if the access control check passes , e . g ., the subject - uc 156 and the target - uc 164 are compatible , no faults may be issued and the processor may access the requested content . fig2 illustrates data structures of the auxiliary memory 116 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , an array 200 may include micro - context numbers , e . g ., uc1 204 - ucn 208 , associated with physical pages in the main memory 112 . it may be noted that the correspondence between physical pages and micro - contexts may not be one - to - one , e . g ., multiple physical pages may have the same micro - context . the micro - context numbers of the array 200 may , in turn , be associated with a corresponding array 212 of micro - context data . a micro - context data entry , e . g ., ucn 216 may include access policy fields for data such as permissions 220 ( e . g ., readable / nonreadable , writeable / nonwriteable , hidden / visible , etc .) and / or relational access data 224 ( e . g ., other micro - contexts that may access this micro - context if marked readable , etc .). in some embodiments the relational access data 224 may facilitate a number of different components having access to the same pages in the main memory 112 . this may be achieved by storing one or more micro - contexts in addition to the primary micro - context associated with the particular page . such a page may then be accessed by any of the micro - contexts listing in its associated access control data structure in the auxiliary memory 116 . this shared access may allow privileged code to be chained together in a chain - of - trust model . for example , if a layered software component a exchanges data with another layered software component b , the auxiliary environment 108 may assign micro - contexts to the layered software components and setup access control policies such that the data pages for a are also marked with a shared micro - context for b - uc . therefore , when b - uc code accesses a &# 39 ; s data , the accesses may be allowed . in some embodiments , this type of shared access may provide some level of assurance that only packets that traverse a firewall or vpn intermediate driver are delivered to the device driver . likewise , it may provide some level of assurance that only the device driver can access the frame buffer data segments and so on . this may prevent circumvention of security software by network traffic leaving / entering the system . in an embodiment ucn 216 may also include fields for data to facilitate context switches , e . g ., component entry point data 228 and / or stack state data 232 . utilization of the information stored in these fields may be further described below in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . fig3 illustrates a platform 300 having dual processors to provide dual execution environments in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the platform 300 may have a host processor 304 to execute components within the host environment 104 , and a service processor 308 to execute components within the auxiliary environment 108 described and discussed with reference to fig1 . operational phases , noted herein by numerals in parentheses , may refer to host operations illustrated in fig4 and / or auxiliary operations illustrated in fig5 . each processor may have associated resources on the platform 300 and may share one or more other resources . thus , as illustrated in this example , host processor 304 and dedicated processor 308 may each have portions of memory dedicated to them , e . g ., main memory 112 and auxiliary memory 116 , respectively , and may share other resources , e . g ., a network interface 310 , to communicatively couple the device to a network . in various embodiments , a variety of other dedicated and / or shared resources may be included in the platform 300 . for example , in an embodiment , the host processor 304 may be communicatively coupled to a peripheral storage device , e . g ., disk drive 314 , which may include a digital versatile disk drive ( dvd ), a compact disk ( cd ) drive , a floppy disk drive , etc . in an embodiment , the os 120 may configure and load a page table 312 with the virtual - to - physical mapping of one or more components to be run on the host processor 304 , e . g ., subject component 132 ( 404 ). the page table 312 may have page entries 320 , offsets 324 , and / or flags 328 to facilitate this mapping . the page table 312 , or parts thereof , may be stored in a processor cache , e . g ., a translation lookaside buffer ( tlb ) 332 . the host processor 304 may also use its read - capability of the auxiliary memory 116 to access and load the subject - uc 156 into the tlb 332 ( 408 ). the host processor 304 may utilize the page table 312 for subsequent accesses to the subject pages 144 ( 412 ), pursuant to access control policies associated with the subject - uc 156 . execution instructions 336 , of the subject component 132 , may be processed by the host processor 304 upon a successful access and loading of the subject pages 144 . the host processor 304 may record a micro - context of the page from where the host processor 304 is executing code , e . g ., subject - uc 156 , in a uc - register 340 ( 416 ). in an embodiment , the code location component 148 , operating in the auxiliary environment 108 , e . g ., by being executed by the service processor 308 , may determine that the subject component 132 is executing in the host environment 104 ( 504 ). in an embodiment , the code location component 148 may determine which component is executing in the host environment 104 by reference to the uc - register 340 . in an embodiment , service processor 308 may be prevented from accessing the register directly . therefore , in this embodiment an smi may facilitate the provision on this information to the service processor 308 . an smi may be issued by a system management mode ( smm ) component operating in the host environment 104 , the auxiliary environment 108 , or another execution environment . an smi may cause the host processor 304 to enter the smm by swapping out the execution instructions 332 for processing instructions related to an interrupt service routine . the host processor 304 may provide data including the state of the uc - register 340 , e . g ., the micro - context of the code that was executing prior to the interrupt , to an smm handler . the smm handler may provide the state of the uc - register 340 to the service processor 308 via main memory 112 , for example . the code location component 148 may locate the subject pages 144 in main memory 112 and verify the state of the subject pages 144 ( 508 ) as described above with reference to fig1 . the uc manager 152 may then associate a micro - context with the subject page 144 and save the associated micro - context in the auxiliary memory 116 based at least in part on said location and verification of the subject pages 144 ( 512 ). in an embodiment , the subject pages 144 may include a data page , or reference to a data page , which may be added to the page table structure for the subject component 132 . this data page may be assigned a micro - context of 0 , e . g ., not protected , by default . if the subject component 132 intends for the data page to be assigned the same micro - context as the subject component 132 , the subject component 132 may make an assignment request to the service processor 308 . in an embodiment , this request may be made via an smi handler . the service processor 308 may assign the data page with the requested micro - context if it is determined that a number of assignment preconditions are met . these assignment preconditions may be met if , e . g ., the subject component 132 has the same micro - context as it is requesting be assigned to the data page , and the data page does not already have another micro - context assigned to it . in an embodiment , a request to remove , or de - assign , a micro - context assignment from a data page , e . g ., reassign a protected data page with an unprotected micro - context , may be handled in a similar way . for example , a de - assignment request may be granted by the service processor 308 if a number of de - assignment preconditions are met . these de - assignment preconditions may be met if , e . g ., the page was added to the micro - context and / or the data page has the same micro - context as the requestor . in an embodiment , if the host processor 304 is to access a mapping to a component &# 39 ; s pages , along with any associated micro - context , from the tlb 336 , the host processor 304 may additionally access the auxiliary memory 116 to determine if any updates to the micro - context have occurred . in various embodiments , updates to the micro - contexts may also be periodically provided to the tlb 336 . provision of the periodic updates may be as a result from a specific request from the host processor 304 and / or may be pushed into the tlb 336 . fig6 illustrates an access operation from the host environment 104 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in an embodiment , the execution instructions 332 may include instructions for the host processor 304 to access content stored in the target pages 160 ( 604 ). when the host processor 304 is in a protected mode , the processing instructions may access memory using logical / virtual addresses . an initial lookup may be performed in the tlb 332 to determine if a mapping to the data sought and an associated micro - context are stored therein ( 608 ). if a mapping to the corresponding physical address of the target pages 160 and associated micro - context are found , the host processor 304 may perform uc access control check ( 612 ). if no uc access violation is present , the host processor 304 may access the target data based on the physical address from the tlb 332 ( 616 ). if a uc access violation does result from the access operation , an exception may be raised , e . g ., a processor page - fault exception ( 620 ). in an embodiment , these exceptions may be handled by firmware to ensure appropriate alerts and / or events are logged . however , in other embodiments alerts and / or events may be handled by hardware and / or software implementations . in an embodiment , for instructions that access data in the main memory 112 , the host processor 304 may compare the micro - contexts of the executing code with the micro - context of the page where the address specified in the instruction lie for compatibility . in an embodiment , accesses across micro - contexts may be generally disallowed , with the exception for shared or remapped pages where a list of micro - contexts may be associated with the same physical page . if the virtual - to - physical address mapping is not found in the tlb 332 , the host processor 304 may perform a page walk and cache the mapping to the target pages 160 in the tlb 332 ( 624 ). the host processor 304 may additionally cache the target uc 164 , from the auxiliary memory 116 , in the tlb 332 ( 628 ). the host processor may check for uc access violation ( 612 ). fig7 illustrates a context - switching operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in some embodiments , a number of processes may share the computational resources of the host processor 304 . this sharing of resources may be provided through context switches . context switches may be precipitated by a switching event 704 . an implicit context switch may have a switching event such as an interrupt . an explicit context switch may have a switching event such as a call opcode issued from the executing component explicitly calling another component . as discussed herein , a context switch may involve an exiting component , e . g ., the component executing prior to context switch , and an entering component , e . g ., the component executing following the context switch . at the switching event , the host processor may determine whether the exiting component is protected , e . g ., is the exiting component associated with a non - zero uc ( 708 ). if the exiting component is protected , the host processor 304 may perform a micro - context save interrupt by saving an entry point , which may be the physical address where the last instruction was fetched from when the context switch occurred , and data for subsequent verification of the stack - state ( 712 ). the entry - point and the stack - state verification data may be saved in the exiting component &# 39 ; s micro - context associated space in the auxiliary memory 116 . in various embodiments , data for stack - state verification may include a copy of the entire stack state or an integrity check value ( icv ) calculation . an icv may be calculated on the in parameters of a stack frame by setting the out parameters to default values . likewise , an icv may be calculated on the out parameters by setting the in parameters to default values . an icv calculation and / or verification may be done by the host processor 304 using a key provisioned by the service processor 308 via an smi , for example . following the micro - context save interrupt , the host processor 304 may switch from the exiting component to the entering component ( 716 ). if it is determined that the exiting component is not protected , e . g ., has a micro - context of zero , the components may be switched out without a micro - context save interrupt . fig8 illustrates a context switching operation on an entering component , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , a context switch from an exiting component to an entering component may occur ( 804 ). a determination may be made as to whether the entering component is protected ( 808 ). if the entering component is protected , the host processor 304 may perform a micro - context recover interrupt ( 812 ). a micro - context recover interrupt may include accessing the stack - state verification data and the entry point location from the entering component &# 39 ; s micro - context . the host processor 304 may verify the state of the stack and , if the stack is verified , resume processing opcodes from the stored entry point location ( 816 ). verification of the stack - state from data stored in protected memory may provide some level of assurance that the stack has not been modified . in some embodiments , the host processor 304 may look ahead in the pipeline by an instruction , e . g ., during decode , to determine that the next instruction belongs to a micro - context other than the current one to facilitate the timely issuance of a micro - context save / restore interrupt . while the above embodiments , refer generically to implicit and explicit context switches , some embodiments may have a particular rule set governing each type of context switch . for example , in the anticipation of an explicit context switch , entry - point opcodes may be added to verify that the entering component is being executed from special entry points identified in the component &# 39 ; s code . if an entry - point opcode is being decoded by the entering component in response to a call opcode from the exiting component , no more checks may be needed . if , however , in response to a call opcode from exiting component , the next opcode is not an entry - point opcode , then an exception may be raised . this may be particularly useful in a situation where the exiting component is unprotected and the entering component is protected . in some embodiments fixed entry points may be stored with micro - contexts to allow controlled flow from one uc to another . for example , a component of a first uc may jump into or call a component of a second uc at one of these entry points . at these expected entry points , proper control flow may be achieved . a policy for the component may define where the proper entry points are located . controlled flow transitions from one component to another at a proper entry point may not generate an exception or interrupt a uc manager . in some embodiments , fixed entry points may also be referred to as “ static entry points ” while entry points saved at various switching events , e . g ., those saved as a result of a uc save interrupt , may also be referred to as “ dynamic entry points .” fig9 illustrates a platform 900 utilizing virtualization to provide dual execution environments in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the platform 900 may include only a single processor 904 but a virtual machine monitor ( vmm ) 908 on the device may present multiple abstractions and / or views of the device , such that the underlying hardware of the platform 900 appears as one or more independently operating virtual machines ( vms ), e . g ., a host vm 912 and an auxiliary vm 916 to provide the host environment 104 and the auxiliary environment 108 , respectively . the vmm 908 may be implemented in software ( e . g ., as a stand - alone program and / or a component of a host operating system ), hardware , firmware and / or any combination thereof . the vmm 908 may manage allocation of resources on the platform 900 and perform context switching as necessary to cycle between the host vm 912 and the auxiliary vm 916 according to a round - robin or other predetermined scheme . although only processor 904 is illustrated , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to only one processor . in various embodiments , multiple processors may also be utilized within a virtualized environment . for example , if the platform 900 includes two processors the auxiliary vm 916 may be assigned a dedicated processor while the host vm 912 ( and other host vms ) may share the resources of a host processor . while the platform 900 shows two vms , e . g ., host vm 912 and auxiliary vm 916 , other embodiments may employ any number of vms . vms may function as self - contained partitions respectively , running their own components hosted by vmm 908 , illustrated as host components 920 and auxiliary components 924 . the host components 920 and auxiliary components 924 may each operate as if the were running on a dedicated computer rather than a virtual machine . that is , host components 920 and auxiliary components 924 may each expect to control various events and have access to hardware resources on the platform 900 , e . g ., a wireless network interface card 928 . a physical hardware partition with a dedicated processor ( as illustrated in fig3 , for example ) may provide a higher level of security than a virtualized partition ( as illustrated in fig9 , for example ), but embodiments of the invention may be practiced in either environment and / or a combination of these environments to provide varying levels of security . embodiments of the present invention shown and described above may facilitate association and management of targeted access policies from an auxiliary environment with respect to the physical pages found in main memory . although the present invention has been described in terms of the above - illustrated embodiments , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention . those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of embodiments . this description is intended to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on embodiments of the present invention .	6
when transmitting digital information according to the nmra standard from a control unit 10 to a decoder or consumer 20 ( locomotive decoder or stationary decoder according to fig3 ), the schemata in fig1 is used to code the bit values 0 and 1 in which possible time points t [ send ] for return signals according to the invention are indicated . a data packet transmitted in that manner is shown in fig2 . the preamble is a header for a data packet and consists of a sequence of at least ten “ 1 ” bits . the packet start bit is the first “ 0 ” bit which follows the preamble . it concludes the preamble and signals that the next bits represent an address byte . after transmission of the address byte , there is another “ 0 ” bit as indication for a following data byte in the form of a data byte start bit . the error detection byte serves to recognize transmission errors . the packet end bit at the end of a data byte denotes the end of the data packet and generally belongs to the preamble of the following packet . in the example , the evaluation unit 30 receives the track signal shown in fig1 and 2 from the control unit 10 . the consumer 20 constantly detects and evaluates the track signal in a principally known manner and evaluates and carries out the control information contained in the data packets addressed to it . in this way , both the evaluation means 30 and the consumer 20 can use the square wave in the track to trigger and time the generation and detection of the return signal . the evaluation unit 30 supplies the return of feed - back information in the track signal detected by it to the central control unit 10 for further processing . [ 0032 ] fig2 shows a possible return or feed - back transmission of a byte according to the track format in fig1 . if a consumer 20 has fully received a data packet addressed to it , this consumer can feed back information via the evaluation unit 30 to the control unit 10 in the following data packet . for this purpose , the consumer 20 modulates the above mentioned higher frequency on the data packet , which the evaluation means 30 then demodulates again and in thereby detects a bit information of the return or feed - back signal . in the present example , a frequency of 1 mhz is used for the return signal which is far higher than the frequency of the track signal of 5 to 10 khz . moreover , the return signal according to fig1 is sent during the second signal half of a zero information (“ 0 ” bit ), since during this period , the digital track signal modulated by the control unit for a longer period of time does not exhibit a change in signal level , whose signal edges could lead to incorrect evaluation . by means of this triggering when producing the return signal and particularly when detecting the return signal , the signal distortions and interference present in the track signal itself are eliminated and inhibited from reaching the detection oscillating circuits , detection filters and detection counters in the evaluation means , which are sensitively tuned to the 1 mhz return signal . the available signal edge free periods between alternating polarities in the form of the second half of the zero information is long enough , compared to the short periods of the return signal , so that the return of feedback signal can reliably be detected in oscillating circuits used in the evaluation means 30 . the oscillating circuits have enough time to oscillate to the main frequency and to detect the bit value 1 which represents a return signal according to the present embodiment . the bit value 0 represents that the transmission frequency of the sender frequency in the consumer &# 39 ; s return signal is not present . besides , another allocation of the detection and non - detection of the return signal to the bit values 0 or 1 can be freely set . in order to achieve the highest quality , the nmra track format has the possibility to introduce stretched “ 0 ” bits as indicated in fig1 . thereby , the period of the second zero bit half can even be lengthened . in order to implement the described method , it is necessary that all consumers which momentarily do not send a return signal have a high impedance for the selected transmission frequency ( here , for 1 mhz ). depending upon the detection means in the evaluation means , it is also possible to select considerably lower frequencies , for example , down to 300 khz or even lower , for the return signal . in this case hardware expenditure may be higher and it might be necessary to lengthen the signal edge free periods between alternating polarities being used for transmission and detection of the return signal . alternatively , frequencies higher than 1 mhz are also possible for the return signal . the track signal format in fig1 and 2 shows at least eleven zero bits due to the use of the error correction byte in a valid data packet . thus it is possible to transmit from the consumer more than only 1 - bit information as a return signal which , in the simplest case , represents confirmation of receipt of the control signal . allowing for the synchronisation bit , at least ten data bits can be transmitted in the return signal to the control unit . of these , only eight bits corresponding to one byte are suitably used . therefore , it is possible , provided corresponding sensors are installed in the locomotives and other consumers , to transmit information about the current speed , acceleration , temperature and energy consumption of the driving motor or the energy consumption of stationary consumers and the like to the control unit . according to fig4 a 1 mhz oscillator 40 is provided in consumer 20 . the oscillator receives an oscillation enable signal from a scanning device 50 which scans the track signal and produces a synchronising signal to the predefined track signal period used . in this example , this period is the second half of the zero bits in the data packet following the data packet addressed to the consumer 20 . upon receipt of the oscillator enable signal , the oscillator 40 drives an otherwise open transistor switch 60 with 1 mhz . the switch 60 is connected to the track in series via a working impedance z . in the diagram , the impedance is provided behind a rectifier 70 which serves to supply energy to the consumer 20 as in known in the art . the series circuit of impedance z and switch 60 can also be directly connected to the track . in the example shown in fig4 the track voltage is superimposed by means of a current modulation with the return or feedback signal . this solution is technically simple and space - saving . the aforementioned necessary high impedance of a non - sending consumer for the return signal frequency is guaranteed by the inherent hardware of the consumer which is realized when switch 60 is open , i . e . disabled . according to fig5 the evaluation means 30 includes a detector 31 in the power circuit , which is supplied with the track signal . the square wave signal according to fig1 generated by the control unit is represented in fig6 a and indicated in fig5 . the track signal exhibits a number of signal distortions and interference as explained above , as well as a possibly existing return or feedback signal . in fig6 a , the return signal is located in the signal edge free periods between alternating polarities marked r of the modulated control voltage from the control unit 10 . the detector 31 obtains a detection signal from the track signal according to fig6 b . a subsequent signal limiting and pre - amplifying circuit 32 provides the normalized detection signal according to fig6 c , in which the return signal already occurs more clearly . a gate switch 34 connected to the signal limiting and pre - amplifying circuit 32 is provided in the form of an analogue switch , and filters out the time periods r used for the return signal from the normalized detection signal according to fig6 c . for this , the control contact of the gate switch 34 receives a synchronisation signal from a synchronisation device 33 . the synchronisation device 33 has the same principle construction as a sensor device 50 and receives the control signal sent to the track by the control unit 10 according to fig1 . alternatively , the track signal according to fig6 a can also be sensed by the synchronisation device 33 . as a result of this synchronisation , it is ensured that a filter amplifier 35 , here in the form of a high quality active band pass , which is tuned to 1 mhz , receives the reduced signal according to fig6 d . the output signal of the filter amplifier 35 according to fig6 e is demodulated in a demodulator 36 . the demodulated signal according to fig6 f is compared in a comparator 37 with a threshold value and the output signal according to fig6 g is supplied to the control unit 10 . [ 0041 ] fig7 shows a preferred embodiment for the detector 31 , according to which a measuring resistance is provided in a connection line from the control unit 10 to the track . the measuring resistance converts the existing track signal with or without superimposed return signal to a proportional voltage . the voltage measured over the measuring resistance is pre - filtered in a band pass and supplied to the signal limiting and pre - amplifying circuit 32 , which has been provided as a differential amplifier . otherwise , fig7 corresponds to fig5 . [ 0042 ] fig8 shows an alternative in which a detector 31 ′ is a measuring sensor which , for example , contains a differentiator which converts the square wave return signal contained in the detected signal into a pulse series . a counter 38 synchronized to the signal periods r by the switch 34 counts the pulses in each time period r . furthermore , the counter 38 is controlled by the synchronisation device 33 such that it is set to zero outside the time periods r , and counts the pulses during the time period r . for this purpose a gate switch is used . apart from the pulse series resulting from the return signal , the counted pulses can also be various interference pulses . as a consequence of the predefined high frequency of the return signal &# 39 ; s pulse series , these interference pulses , however , can be neglected in case of a sufficiently high count value . in this way , if the counter has counted , for example , up to 64 pulses , it can reliably be concluded that the counted pulses mainly result from the return signal and are not caused by interference and other sporadic signal distortions . besides , considerably lower frequencies for the return signal are also sufficient to “ lift ” the count value resulting from the return signal above contributions of the interference signals in the overall count value . a subsequent digital comparator 39 compares the count value of detector 30 with a set point value at the end of the time period r . if the count value exceeds the set point value , the comparator 39 generates a signal which represents a detected return signal during the time period r . the comparison control in the example is performed such that a possible detected return signal is transmitted to the control unit as long as the comparison control no longer transmits a release signal to the comparator 39 . as another alternative , it is also conceivable not to use a high frequency square wave modulation as return signal according to fig4 . instead , a correspondingly high frequency pulse series generated by the consumer as return or feed back signal can be directly coupled to the track and then detected using principle of fig8 . in the implemented embodiments the following hardware components and parameters have been used : control unit 10 : lz100 with an amplifier lv101 , both of lenz elektronik gmbh ; while there has been shown and described what are at present considered the preferred embodiment of the invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims .	0
fig1 shows a conventional phacoemulsification instrument 10 being inserted into an eye 11 containing a cataract which is to be removed . the vibrating hollow needle includes a cataract fracturing tip as is known . fig2 shows an infusion sleeve 12 which is circular in cross - section and is concentric with the vibrating hollow needle 14 . normally , infusion fluid is infused into the eye through sleeve 12 and is aspirated from the eye together with the fractured cataract through the interior of the vibrating hollow needle 14 . as can be seen in fig2 infusion sleeve 12 is circular in cross - section and shown in phantom lines is the ellipsoidal shape 16 of the wound incision caused by the insertion of a conventional phacoemulsification instrument in the eye of the person who is being operated upon . thus , gaps exist that are not filled by the infusion sleeve 12 . to rectify this situation , fig3 shows a conventional phacoemulsification instrument in fig3 from the teaching of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 084 , 009 whose infusion sleeve 18 is of a ellipsoidal cross - section . as a consequence of the ellipsoidal shape , there is no wound leakage , pressure in the eye is maintained and the problems associated with wound leakage are avoided . in addition , the infusion sleeve 18 is made of a soft , pliable material . a rigid , noncompressible sleeve 20 is surrounded by this infusion sleeve 18 and acts as a barrier between the infusion sleeve 18 and the needle 14 in the event the infusion sleeve collapses , thereby preventing undesirable rubbing contact . fig4 shows the conventional use of the surgical instrument of fig1 and 3 . here , the concentric relationship between the needle 14 , the rigid , noncompressible sleeve 20 and the infusion sleeve 18 is shown with the forward end of the infusion sleeve tapered . ports 22 are provided in this tapered portion . fig5 shows a conventional set - up for irrigating fluid into the eye and aspirating fluid and tissue from the eye 30 continuously throughout an eye surgery operation . a conventional handpiece 32 is shown , which is constructed in any conventional manner such as that of the conventional phacoemulsification handpiece 10 of fig1 . there is a vibratory drive v for vibrating the hollow needle 14 . an infusion sleeve 12 is provided that defines a chamber between its inner wall and the outside of the vibrating hollow needle 14 . as indicated by the flow arrows , irrigation into the eye is provided normally through this chamber and aspiration from the eye is through the needle 14 . the internal construction of the handpiece , such as seals and connecting linkage with the vibratory drive v have been omitted for the sake of brevity and further since such is conventional . the irrigation is provided from a gravity fed fluid supply 34 and through an infusion tube 36 to the handpiece 32 . aspiration is provided through a discharge tube 38 from the handpiece 32 to a drain receptacle 40 . in a known manner , a gate valve 42 is provided to permit flow through the infusion tube to occur . the fluid supply 34 is at a higher elevation than the eye 30 . a pumping mechanism 43 is present and , when activated , suctions fluid from the eye 30 and through discharge tube 38 . the tubes 36 , 38 may be susceptible to unintentional kinking by medical personnel unless they are made from an incompressible material . if the kinking arises in the discharge tube 38 , the procedure stops but the eye remains inflated under pressure . if the kinking arises in the infusion tube 36 , however , a pressure drop in the eye ensues that leads to its collapse . such a collapse causes unwanted contact of eye tissue . it may be desirable to form at least the infusion tube 36 of a soft , elastic , expandable material such as silicone to counteract the momentary flow surge that eventually results if the outflow through the discharge tube 38 becomes blocked , e . g ., by tissue fragments . when such blockage arises , pressure decreases downstream to the blockage so that when the blockage is removed , there is a momentary surge in the outflow . such a sudden event release tends to deflate the eye . to counter this deflation , the infusion tube 36 could be made to expand under a build - up of pressure , as takes place during blockage of the outflow through the discharge tube 38 . when the blockage is removed , the infusion tube 36 would elastically compress back to its unexpanded state and thereby offset the momentary surge in the outflow . the present invention , therefore , is directed at preventing kinking in the infusion tube 36 where the tube is constructed of a soft , elastic and expandable material such as silicone . this is done through reinforcement of the infusion tube itself as provided by a support running along the length of the tube . fig6 - 7 show a support in the form of a rod 50 extending to the distal end 52 of the tube 36 and adhered to the interior surface 54 of the tube 36 . fig8 - 9 show a support in the form of a rod 50 embedded within the wall 56 of the tube 36 and extending to the distal end 52 of the tube 36 . fig1 - 11 show a support in the form of a rod 50 . the tube 36 is split longitudinally to form a slit and the rod 50 is fitted in the slat to close the slat by being heat sealed to the tube 36 in a leak tight manner . the rod 50 extends to the distal end 52 of the tube . fig1 - 13 show a support in the form of a coil 58 adhered to the external surface of the tube 36 and running to the distal end of the tube 36 . as an alternative , the coal 58 could be fitted over the tube 36 without affixing it since it will not fall off the tube 36 . fig1 - 15 show the support in the form of a ware 60 that is loose within the lumen 62 of the tube 36 . fig1 - 17 show a support in the form of a rod 64 adhered to the exterior surface 66 of the tube 36 and running to the distal end 52 of the tube 36 . the wire , rod or coil is made of a noncompressible material , preferably rigid , such as metal or teflon . the material of the remainder of the tube , apart from the rod or coil , is made of a soft , elastic material such as silicone or a silicone - like material . the rod , wire or coil , therefore , is less soft and pliable than the tube . the cross - sectional shape of the rod , wire or coil may be any geometric shape , such as circular , rectangular , convexly curved , concavely curved , triangular , etc . while using an adhesive is one way to keep the tube and support together where the support is external of the tube , no adhesive is necessary where the support is embedded in the wall of the tube , confined within the lumen of the tube , or coiled about the exterior of the tube . other conventional ways of securing the support to the tube wall other than with an adhesive may be used . for instance , the support and tube could be heat sealed together or integrally formed together . the wire 60 , rod 50 , 64 or coil 58 of the present invention provides rigidity along the infusion tube 36 to prevent it from collapsing due to kinking . the wire , rod or coil may run the entire length of the infusion tube , or only a portion of the full length and need not run all the way to the distal end 52 . preferably , the outside diameter or cross - section of the wire , rod or coil is smaller than the interior diameter of the infusion tube . in accordance with each of the embodiments of the invention , the soft , elastic material of the infusion tube 36 is reinforced by the support , preferably in the form of a single rigid strip sufficient to prevent kinking , but does not adversely compromise the pliability of the wall of the infusion tube . in addition , the support may be bendable to permit the tube 36 to bend where necessary between the handpiece 32 and the fluid supply 34 . the support may be provided in the discharge tube 38 in the same manner as described with respect to the infusion tube 36 . while the preferred embodiment has application to ophthalmological surgical techniques such as phacoemulsification , handpieces are utilized in the performance of other surgical operations , such as orthopedic and cardiovascular surgery and the invention has application to those handpieces as well to prevent kinking of the infusion tube or discharge tube . while the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .	0
referring now to the drawings , particularly to fig1 the preferred embodiment of a semiconductor memory , according to the present invention , is applied to an asynchronous 3 - port fifo field memory . the semiconductor memory includes a selector 20 . when clear signals clr0 are supplied for the selector 20 , the data is set to 0 to be cleared . the selector 20 is actuated by means of write enable signals we . when clock signals ckw are supplied for the selector 20 , address signals are formed . the selector 20 is connected to writing serial - access memories ( sam ) 21 and 22 which have equal capacities to each other . for example , the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 each have 256 bits of memory capacity , respectively . when data , in which a pixel is formed by 4 bits , are supplied for the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 by means of an input terminal 23 , the data are written on the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 at a predetermined location designated by address signals . the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 respectively have addresses numbered from 0 to 63 corresponding to 64 pixels since they have bits of memory capacity . therefore , 4 - bits of data inputted from the input terminal 23 are , in turn , written on the address designated by the address signals . the data written on the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 are , in turn , picked up by means of a switch circuit 24 and supplied to a memory means , for example , a dynamic random - access memory ( dram ) 25 . the data stored in the sam 21 is transferred to the dram 25 when data is written on the sam 22 and , conversely , the data stored in the sam 22 is transferred to the dram 25 when data is written on the sam 21 . a first port comprises the selector 20 , the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 , the input terminal 23 and the switch circuit 24 . the dram 25 may have , for example , 303 lines of capacity in which each line includes 4096 bits ( 4096 × 303 ) total bits , each line may be divided into 16 blocks having 256 bits for example , the dram 25 is connected to a writing line - address circuit 26 and a writing column - address circuit 27 . the line address circuit 26 produces address signals to designate the line of the dram 25 on which the data is to be written . the column - address circuit 27 produces address signals to designate the column of the dram 25 on which the data is to be written . as a result , each 256 - bit of data outputted from the sam 21 or 22 can be written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 . the dram 25 is also connected to a first read - out line - address circuit 28 and a first read - out column - address circuit 29 . the first read - out line - address circuit 28 produces address signals to designate the line of the dram from which the data is to be read out . the first read - out column - address circuit 29 produces address signals to designate the column of the dram 25 from which the data is to be read out . as a result , the 256 bits of data written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 can be read out . the dram 25 is further connected to a second read - out line - address circuit 30 and a second read - out column - address circuit 31 . the second read - out line - address circuit 30 produces address signals to designate the line of the dram 25 from which the data is to be read out . the second read - out column - address circuit 31 produces address signals to designate the column of the dram 25 from which , the data is to be read out . as a result , the 256 - bits of data written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 can be read out . the output terminal of the dram 25 is connected to a switch circuit 32 . the switch circuit 32 is also connected to sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 which have the same capacity as that of the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 . the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 are connected to a selector 35 , which can operate in a similar manner to the selector 20 , and an output terminal 36 . a first output buffer means , which is a second port , comprises the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 , the selector 35 and the output terminal 36 . the address circuits 28 and 29 produce address signals to designate 256 bits of data written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 to be read out . the 256 bits of data are selectively picked up by means of the switch circuit 32 and transferred to the sam 33 or 34 . the data written on the sam 33 is read out while data outputted from the dram 25 is transferred to the sam 34 . conversely , the data written on the sam 34 is read out while data outputted from the dram 25 are transferred to the sam 33 . data stored in the sam 33 or 34 at a predetermined location designated by address signals , which are produced from the selector 35 , is outputted to the output terminal 36 , 4 - bits by 4 - bits , i . e . pixel by pixel . the output terminal of the dram 25 is also connected to a switch circuit 37 . the switch circuit 37 is also connected to sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 which have the same capacity as that of the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 . the sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 are connected to a selector 40 , which can operate in a similar manner to the selector 20 , and an output terminal 41 . a second output buffer means , which is a third port , comprises the sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 , the selector 40 and the output terminal 41 . the address circuits 30 and 31 produce address signals to designate 256 bits of data written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 to be read out . the 256 bits of data are selectively picked up by means of the switch circuit 37 and transferred to the sam 38 or 39 . the data written on the sam 38 are read out while data outputted from the dram 25 is transferred to the sam 39 . conversely , the data written on the sam 39 is read out while data outputted from the dram 25 is transferred to the sam 38 . data stored in the sam 38 or 39 at a predetermined location designated by address signals , which are produced from the selector 40 , is outputted to the output terminal 41 , 4 - bits at a time , i . e . pixel by pixel . according to the preferred embodiment of a semiconductor memory of the invention , a toggle means is provided so that the data transfer from the sam 21 or 22 to the dram 25 does not conflict with the data transfer from the dram 25 , to the sam 33 , 34 , 38 or 39 . one of the data transfers is delayed relative to the other by means of the toggle means . as shown in fig2 the inputted 4 - bit data units can be selected by means of the selector 20 and written on the sam 21 or 22 , which is constituted of an input buffer means , at predetermined locations corresponding to the address numbered from 0 to 63 . as shown in fig3 each of the 4 - bit data units written on the sam 33 or 34 at the addresses numbered from 0 to 63 can be selected by means of the selector 35 and outputted . each 4 - bit data unit written on the sam 38 or 39 at the addresses numbered from 0 to 63 can also be selected by means of the selector 40 and outputted . fig4 shows the input buffer means for transferring data from the sam 21 or 22 to the dram 25 . in fig4 the selector 20 is expressed as a single - pole double - throw switch for reasons of convenience . the selector 20 is associated with the switch 24 . the switch circuit 24 is in contact with an a contact when the selector 20 is in contact with the a contact . conversely , the switch circuit 24 is in contact with a b contact when the selector 20 is in contact with the b contact . therefore , when both the selector 20 and the switch circuit 24 are in contact with the a contact , each of 4 - bit data units inputted from the input terminal 23 is , in turn , written on the sam 21 and simultaneously the 256 - bits data written on the sam 22 is transferred to the dram 25 . conversely , when both the selector 20 and the switch circuit 24 are in contact with the b contact , each of 4 - bits data inputted into the input terminal 23 is , in turn , written on the sam 22 and simultaneously the 256 - bit data written on the sam 21 is transferred to the dram 25 . as shown in fig5 the dram 25 may include 303 lines arranged vertically , each of which may be divided into 16 blocks numbered from 0 to 15 . one block may have 256 bits of capacity and one line may have 4096 bits ( 256 × 16 ) of capacity . therefore , there is a map comprising 16 columns × 303 lines . as mentioned above , each of 256 bits data transferred from the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 is , in turn , written on a predetermined block , the line and column of which are assigned by the address circuits 26 and 27 , respectively , shown in fig1 . fig6 shows the first output buffer means for transferring data from the dram 25 to the sam 33 or 34 . in fig6 the selector 35 is expressed as a single - pole double - throw switch for reasons of convenience . the switch circuit 32 is associated with the selector 35 . the switch circuit 32 is in contact with an a contact when the selector 35 is in contact with the a contact . conversely , the switch circuit 32 is in contact with a b contact when the selector 20 is in contact with the b contact . therefore , when both the selector 35 and the switch circuit 32 are in contact with the a contact , the 256 - bits of data written on the dram 25 at a predetermined block , the line and column of which have been determined by means of the address circuits 28 and 29 shown in fig1 are transferred to the sam 33 and simultaneously 256 bits of data written on the sam 34 are , in turn , outputted 4 - bits at a time . to the contrary , when both of the selector 35 and the switch circuit 32 are in contact with the b contact , the 256 bits data written on the dram 25 at a predetermined block , the line and column of which have been determined by means of the address circuits 28 and 29 , are transferred to the sam 34 and simultaneously the 256 bits of data written on the sam 33 are , in turn , outputted 4 bits at a time . fig7 shows the timing relationship between the dram 25 and the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 which constitute the input buffer means . when clear signals clr 0 are applied to the selector 20 , the 256 - bits of data to be written on the dram 25 at the block 0 are written on the sam serving as a writing sam , for example , the sam 21 add simultaneously the 256 bits of data written on the sam 2 serving as a transferring sam , for example , the sam 22 , are transferred to the block 15 of the dram 25 . secondly , the 256 bits of data to be written on the dram 25 at the block 11 are written on the sam 2 serving as the writing sam and simultaneously the 256 bit of data written on the sam 1 serving as the transferring sam are transferred to the block 0 of the dram 25 . next , the 256 bits of data to be written on the dram 25 at the block 2 are written on the sam 1 serving as the writing sam and simultaneously the 256 bits of data written on the sam 2 serving as the transferring sam are transferred to the block 1 of the dram 25 . data written on one sam is transferred to the dram 25 while data is written on the other sam . this operation is repeated until the transfer of all of the data is finished . fig8 shows the timing relationship between the dram 25 and the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 or 38 and 39 which constitute the output buffer means . when clear signals clr 1 or 2 are applied to the selector 35 or 40 , the 256 bits of data corresponding to the data stored in the block 0 of the dram 25 , which is written on the sam 1 serving as a read - out sam , for example , the sam 33 or 38 , is outputted 4 bits at a time and simultaneously the 256 bits of data stored in the block 1 of the dram 25 are transferred to the sam 2 serving as a transferring sam , for example , the sam 34 or 39 . secondly , the 256 bits of data corresponding to the data stored in the block 1 of the dram 25 , which is written , on the sam serving as the read - out sam , is outputted 4 bits at a time and simultaneously the 256 bits of data stored in the block 2 of the dram 25 are transferred to the sam 1 serving as the transferring sam . next , the 256 bits of data corresponding to the data stored in the block 2 of the dram 25 , which is written on the sam 1 serving as the read - out sam , is outputted 4 bits at a time and simultaneously the 256 bits of data stored in the block 3 of the dram 25 is transferred to the sam 2 serving as the transferring sam . data are transferred from the dram 25 to one sam while data written on the other sam is outputted . this operation is repeated until all of the data are read out . according to the above - mentioned preferred embodiment of the present invention , the sam having 256 bits of capacity , which is a sixteenth part of 4096 bits corresponding to the memory capacity per line , is used but other types of sam &# 39 ; s having a capacity which is an eighth or fourth part thereof can also be used . fig9 shows another preferred embodiment of a semiconductor memory according to the present invention . in this preferred embodiment , a selector 42 is provided between the switch 24 and the dram 25 . the selector 42 is divided into 16 blocks corresponding to the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . the 256 - bit data lines are divided by means of the switch 24 into sixteen 16 - bit data lines and introduced into each block of the selector 42 corresponding to the block 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . a selector 43 is also provided between the dram 25 and the switch 32 and 37 . the selector 43 is also divided into 16 blocks corresponding to the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . each of the 16 - bit data lines is introduced from the dram 25 into each block of the selector 43 corresponding to the block 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . all of the 16 - bit data lines from the selector 43 are gathered together to make a 256 - bit data line which is introduced into the switches 32 and 37 . the selector 42 is controlled by means of address signals produced from the column - address circuit 27 . the selector 43 is controlled by means of address signals produced from the column - address circuits 29 and 31 . as shown in detail in fig1 , the 256 - bit of data lines are divided by means of switch 24 , 32 or 37 into , for example , two 128 - bit data lines horizontally extending from near the center of the switch 24 , 32 or 37 toward the left and right sides , respectively . the left - hand 128 - bit data lines are introduced into the blocks of the selector 42 or 43 corresponding to the blocks 0 to 7 of the dram 25 . the right - hand 128 - bit data lines are introduced into the blocks of the selector 42 or 43 corresponding to the blocks 8 to 15 of the dram 25 . as shown in detail in fig1 , each 16 - bit data line selected from the 128 - bit data lines extends vertically to be introduced into each block of the selector 42 or 43 . in the preferred embodiment , each of the 16 blocks numbered 0 to 15 of the dram 25 is divided into 16 sub - blocks numbered 0 &# 39 ; to 15 &# 39 ; as shown in fig1 . the 16 - bit of data is written on each of the sub - blocks by means of a block of the selector 42 . on the other hand , each of the 16 - bits of data written on each of the sub - blocks is read out by means of a block of the selector 43 . for example , in order to transfer the 256 - bit data stored in the sam 21 to the dram 25 , the 256 - bit of data obtained at the output terminal of the switch circuit 24 are divided into 16 - bit units and each of these 16 - bit data units are , in turn , transferred to one of the even - numbered sub - blocks , i . e . the sub - blocks 0 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;, 6 &# 39 ;, 8 &# 39 ;, 10 , 12 &# 39 ; and 14 &# 39 ; disposed on one of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 by means of each of the blocks of the selector 42 . on the other hand , in order to transfer the 256 - bit of data stored in the sam 22 to the dram 25 , the 256 - bits of data obtained at the output terminal of the switch circuit 24 is divided into sixteen 16 - bit data units and each of these 16 - bit data units , are , in turn , transferred to one of the odd - numbered sub - blocks , i . e . the sub - blocks 1 &# 39 ;, 3 &# 39 ;, 5 &# 39 ;, 7 &# 39 ;, 9 &# 39 ;, 11 , 13 &# 39 ; and 15 &# 39 ; disposed on one of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 by means of each of the blocks of the selector 42 . that is , all of the 256 - bit of data stored in the same 21 , 16 bits at a time , are simultaneously transferred to the sub - blocks 0 &# 39 ; of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 by means of the blocks of the selector 42 . secondly , all 256 bits of data stored in the sam 22 , 16 bits by 16 bits are simultaneously transferred to the sub - blocks 1 &# 39 ; of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 by means of the blocks of the selector 42 . this operation is repeated for all of the other even - and odd - numbered sub - blocks . conversely , in order to transfer the data written on the dram 25 to the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 , all 16 - bit of data written on one of the even - numbered sub - blocks of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out by means of the blocks of the selector 43 to make up 256 - bit ( 16 × 16 ) of data so as to be transferred to the sam 33 through the switch 32 . secondly , all of the 16 - bit data units written on one of the odd - numbered sub - blocks of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out by means of the blocks of the selector 43 to make up 256 bits ( 16 × 16 ) of data to be transferred to the sam 33 through the switch 32 . that is , all of the 16 - bit data units written on the sub - blocks 0 &# 39 ; of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out by means of the blocks of the selector 43 to make up 256 bits of data to be transferred to the sam 33 through the switch 32 . secondly , all of the 16 - bit data units written on the sub - blocks 1 &# 39 ; of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out by means of the blocks of the selector 43 to make up 256 bits of data so as to be transferred to the sam 34 . this operation is repeated for all of the other even - and odd - numbered sub - blocks . when the data written on the dram 25 are transferred to the sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 , such an operation is carried out . as mentioned above , according to the present invention , the 256 bit of data , which are alternatively transferred from the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 to the output terminal of the switch circuit 24 , are divided into sixteen 16 - bit data units and all of the 16 bit data units are simultaneously transferred to the like numbered sub - blocks of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . all of the 16 - bit data units written in the like numbered sub - blocks of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out to make up 256 bits of data to be transferred to the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 or the sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 . therefore , the whole wiring area between the switch circuit 24 and the selector 42 and between the selector 43 and the switch circuits 32 and 37 can be small . according the above - mentioned preferred embodiment of the present invention , sam &# 39 ; s having 256 - bits of memory capacity and a dram having 16 horizontal blocks are used but other types of sam and dram can be used . while the present invention has been disclosed in terms of the preferred embodiment in order to facilitate better understanding of the invention , it should be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in various ways without departing from the principle of the invention . therefore , the invention should be understood to include all possible embodiments and modifications to the shown embodiments which can be embodied without departing from the principle of the invention set out in the appended claims .	7
referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is seen a particularly preferred structural variant of an evaporator device 1 , with a basic body 2 which is depicted herein in a swung - open position for illustration . accordingly , the basic body 2 includes a first part 28 and a second part 29 , which are joined together through the use of a common parting surface 27 for operation of the evaporator device 1 . in this two - part construction of the basic body 2 , both the first part 28 and the second part 29 each have two receptacles 30 for a respective heating element 5 , which extends over the entire length of the basic body 2 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 39 thereof . electrical connections for a heating element , formed for example with a ptc resistor ( ptc : positive temperature coefficient , or so - called posistor ), are shown in the right - hand region . an upper region of a reactor chamber 21 is formed in the second part 29 , proceeding from the parting surface 27 . only an outflow section 19 of a duct 6 is also formed in the second part 29 . the basic body 2 or the evaporator device 1 is traversed by flow substantially along the longitudinal axis 39 in a flow direction 40 . in this case , a fluid to be treated passes through an inlet line 3 with a predefined line cross section 32 into the first part 28 of the basic body 2 , which is preferably produced from aluminum . a region of the duct 6 which extends over an inflow section 16 is not illustrated herein , since that region is offset with respect to the parting surface 27 in the interior of the first part 28 . it is only in the region of an evaporation section 7 that the duct 6 is guided to the parting surface 27 , where the duct 6 finally has a meandering shape within an evaporator plane 14 . following the evaporation section 7 , the duct 6 has a widening 20 which forms a transition into the outflow section 19 . the widening 20 opens out into the reactor chamber 21 in which , in this case , a honeycomb body 22 that is surrounded by thermal insulation 26 and which is in the form of a hydrolysis catalyst carrier body , is formed or positioned . an outlet line 4 , which has a perforated end region 34 , is illustrated as adjoining the honeycomb body 22 . fig2 shows a plan view of the parting surface 27 of the first part 28 . the duct configuration is aligned substantially along the longitudinal axis 39 , with the duct 6 first being guided to the parting surface 27 in the central region . there , the duct 6 has a meandering course or shape 8 , with in each case one extension 11 being provided at individual deflections . after the duct 6 has been guided over the longitudinal axis 39 several times , for example eight or ten times , the duct 6 is guided centrally with respect to the longitudinal axis 39 again and then widens in terms of duct cross section up to the widening 20 , which finally merges into the reactor chamber 21 . this is made clear once again in a longitudinal section illustrated in fig3 . in this case , it can also be seen that the duct 6 , in the region of the inflow section 16 , is formed in the manner of a bore , in such a way that a duct wall 15 is formed exclusively by the first part 28 . a cooling device 17 , for example in the form of a peltier element , for setting a desired temperature level , is also provided adjacent the duct in the region of the inflow section 16 . a galvanic deposition 18 is also provided in the region of the transition to the inlet line ( which is not illustrated herein ). leaving the inflow section 16 , the duct 6 is guided to the parting surface 27 , with the duct 6 being formed , in particular milled , into the parting surface 27 there . the duct wall 15 is therefore formed by both parts of the basic body 2 in the evaporation section 7 . fig4 is a fragmentary view which shows the meandering course or shape 8 of the duct 6 in the evaporation section 7 . the duct 6 has a predominantly uniform duct cross section 12 . this applies in particular to straight shape regions 9 which are repeatedly interrupted by curved shape regions 10 . in the curved shape regions 10 , an extension 11 is provided as an elongation of the preceding straight shape region 9 . this makes it possible to realize complete evaporation over a relatively short duct section length 13 . furthermore , the duct wall 15 may be provided with a predefined surface roughness , which further assists the evaporation . part of the duct wall 15 may also be hydrolytic coatings , for example aluminum oxide . fig5 schematically shows a possible application variant of the evaporator device 1 . a motor vehicle 35 is provided with a drive 26 , for example an internal combustion engine ( in particular a diesel engine ), the exhaust gas of which is conducted through an exhaust - gas line 33 to the environment . in this case , it is now proposed that , for example , aqueous urea solution be stored in a reservoir 37 and supplied to the evaporator device 1 through the inlet line 3 as required through the use of a fluid conveyor 38 , for example in the form of a pump 31 . after evaporation and “ internal ” hydrolysis , the ammonia gas is introduced into the exhaust - gas line 33 through the outlet line 4 , which preferably has a perforated end region . the ammonia gas can now mix with the exhaust gas , with it also being possible for mixing elements to be provided , if appropriate . the substance mixture then impinges on a catalytic converter 21 , for example a so - called scr catalytic converter , in such a way that the nitrogen oxides can be effectively and substantially converted there . the integration of an , in particular metallic , honeycomb body is expedient specifically if part of the evaporator device 1 is also to include a hydrolysis catalyst . such a honeycomb body 22 is illustrated by way of example in fig6 . the honeycomb body 22 may be formed with a plurality of smooth sheet - metal foils 23 and structured sheet - metal foils 24 , which form flow paths 25 through which the fluid to be treated can flow . the hydrolysis catalyst may then be positioned in the flow paths 25 , for example in the form of a surface coating . in this case , it is firstly possible to provide a separate coating , although it is also possible , for example if the sheet - metal foils include a substantial proportion of aluminum , for oxide generated by the aluminum itself to be used for the conversion or hydrolysis . the honeycomb body 22 may also be surrounded by thermal insulation 26 . according to the invention , the duct 6 may be formed at least in partial regions by at least one pipe 42 . fig7 diagrammatically shows an example of a pipe 42 in a perspective view . the pipe 42 has a wall 43 which delimits an interior space 44 . the wall 43 is preferably cohesively connected to , in particular encapsulated with , the basic body 2 ( not shown therein ). the at least one pipe 42 may have at least one projection 45 into the interior space 44 of the pipe 42 , as diagrammatically shown in fig8 to 10 . this forms a constriction 47 of the duct cross section 12 . the constrictions 47 are illustrated as examples . the at least one projection 45 may , in cross section , encircle the entire pipe 42 or may also be formed only in radial partial regions , and consequently in a partially circumferential manner . in the case of partially circumferential projections 45 , the projections may each at least partially cover other circumferential regions , and may in particular be formed symmetrically oppositely — as shown in fig8 — or offset with respect to one another — as shown in fig9 and 10 . in this case , a projection height 46 of the projections 45 may be uniform or variable . in particular , the projections 45 may be constructed in such a way that their projection height 46 is greater than half of a clear width 49 of the pipe 42 in that region , with the projections 45 being formed radially asymmetrically , preferably substantially on opposite sides and offset with respect to one another , as shown in fig1 . in the case of a round pipe 42 , the clear width 49 corresponds to the pipe diameter . embodiments of ducts 6 are fundamentally preferable which have a clear width 49 of 0 . 1 to 1 mm , preferably 0 . 2 to 0 . 5 mm . in operation , the evaporator device 1 is supplied with a liquid to be evaporated . the projections 45 result in improved evaporation performance , since droplets of the evaporating fluid , which are driven through the duct 6 and / or through the pipe 42 , for example due to a steam or vapor cushion between the droplet and the wall 43 of the duct 6 , impinge on the at least one projection 45 and are at least partially evaporated as a result of the contact with the projection 45 . fig1 shows a portion of the basic body 2 . the basic body 2 includes a pipe 42 as a duct 6 , which is encapsulated with a casting material 48 . this results in a cohesive connection between the pipe 42 and the basic body 2 , which also encompasses the non - illustrated heating elements 5 . the cohesive connection results in a good transfer of heat from the heating elements 5 to the at least one pipe 42 . it is preferable for the casting material 48 to be , or contain , aluminum .	8
this invention discloses a heat resistant polyurethane copolymer composition synthesized from a novel two - step process illustrated in fig1 . the following examples show several embodiments of how to practice this invention . it should be noted that these examples are intended only to aid the understanding of this invention ; it should further be understood that the scope of this invention , which is intended to be determined by the appended claims , is by no means limited by these examples . first , 4 . 3448 g ( 0 . 07 mol ) of ethylene glycol was dissolved in 76 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a 250 - ml three - mouth reaction vessel . then , 25 . 03 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after that , 5 . 7636 g ( 0 . 03 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride was added to the solution mixture and the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . carbon dioxide was observed to be produced from the solution . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for another two hours to obtain the final polymeric varnish of this invention . the varnish , which has a solid content of 30 percent , exhibits excellent filmability . the polymer product has an inherent viscosity of 0 . 97 ( 0 . 5 g / dl in n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone at 25 ° c . ), a tensile strength of 9 . 0 kgf / mm 2 , an elongation ( at break ) of 11 . 08 % and a glass transition temperature ( tg ) of 161 . 06 ° c . 7 . 43 g ( 0 . 07 mol ) of diethylene glycol was dissolved in 83 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . then , 25 . 03 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after that , 5 . 7636 g ( 0 . 03 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride was added to the solution mixture and the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for another two hours . the final product polymer varnish has a 30 percent solid content . it exhibits excellent filmability after casting , and has an inherent viscosity ( under the same condition as in example 1 ) of 0 . 6 , a tensile strength of 8 . 5 kgf / mm 2 , an elongation of 8 . 0 % ( at break ), and a tg of 127 . 7 ° c . 30 g ( 0 . 03 mol ) of polyester - polyol having an average molecular weight of 1000 was added to 154 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . then 25 . 03 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after that , 13 . 45 g ( 0 . 07 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride was added to the solution mixture which was stirred for an additional 30 minutes . subsequently the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for another two hours . the final product polymer varnish has a 30 percent solid content . it exhibits excellent filmability after casting , and has an inherent viscosity ( under the same condition as in example 1 ) of 0 . 3 , a tensile strength of 2 . 3 kgf / mm 2 , an elongation of 240 % ( at break ), and a tg of - 15 ° c . 15 g ( 0 . 015 mol ) of polyester - polyol having an average molecular weight of 1000 and 0 . 93 g ( 0 . 015 mol ) of ethylene glycol were added to 121 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . then , 25 . 03 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after that , 13 . 45 g ( 0 . 07 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride was added to the solution mixture and stirred for an additional 30 minutes . subsequently the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for two hours . the final product polymer varnish has a 30 percent solid content . it has an inherent viscosity ( under the same condition as in example 1 ) of 0 . 6 , a tensile strength of 6 . 0 kgf / mm 2 , an elongation of 22 % ( at break ), and a tg of 128 . 1 ° c . the comparative study involved preparing polyurethane ( i ) and polyamideimide ( ii ) separately , then blending the two products to form the final product ( iii ), which is a polyurethane blend . 5 . 306 g ( 0 . 05 mol ) of diethylene glycol was added to 41 . 6 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . then 12 . 51 g ( 0 . 05 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . subsequently the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 80 ° c . the reaction continued at 80 ° c . for two hours . a polyurethane varnish ( i ) having a solid content of 30 % was obtained . polyamideimide ( ii ) was obtained by dissolving 19 . 2 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride in 100 g of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . the solution was stirred at room temperature until complete dissolution . then , 25 . 2 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . sub - sequently the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for two hours . the final polyamideimide varnish has a solid content of 30 percent . the final product ( iii ), which was obtained by blending 30 g of polyurethane varnish ( i ) and 70 g of polyamideimide ( ii ) varnish has a tensile strength of 5 . 8 kgf / mm 2 , and an elongation of 7 . 2 % ( at break ). table 1 summarizes the results of all five examples , including the comparative example 5 . as illustrated in fig1 the invention discloses a copolymer composition which involves a two - step process in the manufacturing therefor . first , diol and / or polyol is reacted with diisocyanate at room temperature for 30 minutes . the reaction product is then reacted with trimellitic anhydride at 150 ° c . for two hours . the final product is a linear urethane - amide - imide copolymer whose physical properties are comparable to or even better than those of the polyurethane - polyamideimide blend ( example 5 ). the main difference , however , is that the copolymer composition disclosed in this invention does not show phase separation problems , which are observed from the blends . as illustrated in table 1 , most of the polyurethane copolymers of this invention , except those made from polyols , have a tensile strength better than 8 . 5 kgf / mm 2 . this is better than the 5 . 8 kgf / mm 2 for the polyurethane blend and the 6 kgf / mm 2 for most polyurethane . the urethane - amide - imide copolymer of this invention exhibits excellent quality for use as a wire coating varnish and film material , and as electric insulating material . a wide range of products can be obtained by varying the urethan / amideimide ratio without incurring phase separation problems . as indicated in the aforementioned examples and in table 1 , products having elongation from 8 percent to 240 percent can be obtained . table 1______________________________________ example 5 exam - exam - exam - exam - ( comparative ple 1 ple 2 ple 3 ple 4 example ) ______________________________________urethane 70 70 30 30 70 ( mol %) amideimide 30 30 70 70 30 ( mol %) tg (° c .) 161 . 1 127 . 7 - 15 128 . 1 -- tensile 9 . 0 8 . 5 2 . 3 6 . 0 5 . 8strength ( kgf / mm . sup . 2 ) elongation 11 . 08 8 . 0 240 22 7 . 2 (%) ______________________________________	7
illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below . in the interest of clarity , not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification . it will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment , numerous implementation - specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers &# 39 ; specific goals , such as compliance with system - related and business - related constraints , that will vary from one implementation to another . moreover , it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time - consuming , but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure . turning now to the figures , the programmable controller of fig1 includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 20 , an input / output ( i / o ) controller 22 , a plurality of input / output modules 24 - 26 , and a data communications link 28 which interconnects each i / o module 24 - 26 with the i / o controller 22 these items , exclusive of cpu 20 , generally comprise the input / output system of the controller . the cpu 20 is substantially of conventional design and may include one or more microprocessors for data handling and control , plus memory for storage of operating programs , input / output data , and other computed , interim , or permanent data for use in executing the stored program and for implementation of control . in addition , other conventional elements , such as power supplies , are included as necessary to make the cpu 20 fully functional . the i / o controller 22 provides for control of information exchanged between the various i / o modules 24 - 26 and the cpu 20 . each i / o module 24 - 26 , may be separately located , remote from cpu 20 and i / o controller 22 , and in close proximity to the process being controlled . although only three i / o modules are illustrated in fig1 it will be understood that the actual number may be considerably greater . for example , sixteen separate i / o modules may be readily accommodated in the system to be described herein . each i / o module is independent of the other and each may be devoted to control of a process separate from that controlled by all other i / o modules . in fig1 for example , the nth i / o module 26 is illustrated to control a generalized process 30 . the input and output signals associated with process 30 are conveyed by conductors 32 which run between the process 30 and the i / o module 26 . the process 30 may , of course , take virtually any form . in any case , however , it includes various sensors , switches , etc . ( not specifically illustrated ) for sensing the status and condition of the process 30 . the information from the process is in the form of input signals to i / o module 26 . the process 30 also includes controlled elements ( e . g ., pumps , motors , etc .— also not illustrated ) which receive the output signals from the i / o module 26 and which thereby effect control of the process 30 . in similar fashion each of the other i / o modules 24 , 25 is interconnected to input and output devices and apparatus associated with a process . the data communications link 28 is preferably a serial link although parallel transmission of signals between the cpu 20 and the i / o modules 24 - 26 may be readily provided . in either case , i / o modules 24 - 26 are connected to the communications link 28 for communication with cpu 20 . the communications link 28 may comprise a twisted pair of conductors , a coaxial cable , or a fiber optics cable ; all are acceptable depending on such considerations as cost and availability . in fig1 i / o module 24 illustrates in block diagram form the general overall electronic structure of each i / o module . thus , there is included a microcontroller 36 having an interface port for exchanging information with cpu 20 and including an associated memory ( not illustrated ) for implementation of a stored program of operation according to which the various elements of the i / o modules are controlled and diagnosed for incurred faults ; a plurality of individual i / o points ( or , “ i / o circuits ”) 37 - 39 , each of which may be selectably operated either as an input point or as an output point and each of which interfaces individually through conductors directly to input or output elements of the controlled process ; and a conductor bus 40 for interconnecting the i / o points 37 - 39 to the microcontroller 36 . the number of i / o points 37 - 39 in any particular i / o module 24 - 26 depends on practical considerations such as heat dissipation and the limitations of the microcontroller 36 . as an example , however , it has been found quite practical and convenient to provide sixteen i / o points per i / o module . for verifying the integrity and functionality of the input and output components and for maintenance and troubleshooting , monitoring apparatus 42 is provided . the monitor 42 is preferably sized to be hand held so that it can be readily and conveniently moved from one i / o module to the other . it is adapted for connection into each i / o module by a cable which includes a connector for mating with another connector affixed to the i / o module . the cable and mating connectors are schematically illustrated in fig1 which shows the monitor 42 connected to i / o module 24 through an interface port of the microcontroller 36 . when connected to an i / o module , the hand - held monitor 42 allows the i / o points of that module to be monitored and controlled and provides a display of diagnostic information pertaining to the module . advantageously , the hand - held monitor performs these functions independently of the central processing unit 20 and even without the cpu 20 being present . the monitor 42 is operative for example , to turn output points on and off and to read the state of the input points . in case a fault has occurred , the monitor 42 can also provide an indication of the nature and location of the fault . the hand held monitor 42 may be noted to include a data display panel 44 which displays alpha numeric characters and a set of key switches 46 which provide for address programming and for effecting operation of the i / o modules 24 - 26 . referring now to fig2 preferred physical forms for a hand - held monitor and an individual i / o module are illustrated . thus , the illustrated i / o module 51 is substantially in the form of a terminal block which includes a row of conductor terminals 53 for making connection to the conductors that connect with the input and output devices of the controlled process . the terminals 53 may be in the form of screw - type connections in which the screws are tightened down on a connecting wire or terminal lug . each i / o circuit is assigned to a corresponding terminal connection . in addition , terminals are assigned for connecting an external power source ( ac or dc ) and for making connections to the data communication link as shown in fig1 . visual indicators are provided , in the form of light emitting diodes ( leds ) 55 to indicate the status of each i / o point . additional leds 57 and 58 provide an indication of the operational status of the module 51 . for example , led 57 indicates that a fault condition is present ( either internal or external to the module ) and led 58 indicates normal operating conditions . a connector 59 is provided on the module 51 for mating with a cable connector 60 , and , through cable 61 to hand - held monitor 49 . the illustrated hand - held monitor 49 , as described above and in connection with fig1 is able to exercise the i / o module to which it is connected . that is , the hand - held monitor allows an i / o module to be operated and thoroughly checked out even if it is not connected to a central processing unit as shown in fig1 . the block diagram of fig3 illustrates an i / o module 80 ( substantially the same as any one of modules 24 - 26 of fig1 ) in greater detail . the i / o module 80 thus includes a group of 8 separate i / o points 81 - 88 , each one of which exchanges control and diagnostic information signals with microcontroller 90 . electrical power , either ac or dc , is supplied at terminals h and n . the power source connected to terminals h and n provides power both to an internal dc power supply 94 and to any external output loads ( e . g ., controlled elements ) which are controlled by the programmable controller of which module 80 is a part . power supply 94 is simply the dc power supply for all elements contained in the i / o module 80 which require dc power in their operation . each i / o point 81 - 88 is connected to the microcontroller 90 by a pair of conductors 95 - 102 , respectively . one conductor of each pair , designated the d line , conveys control data to the associated i / o point ; the other line , designated the m line , conveys status and diagnostic information from the i / o point to the microcontroller 90 . each i / o point 81 - 88 is also connected to receive dc power from power supply 94 and each is connected to the power source terminals h and n . if the external power source connected to terminals h and n is a 115 or 230 volt ac line , for example , the h and n terminals merely refer to the hot and neutral sides of the line , respectively . however , if the external power source is dc , the h terminal may be the positive side of the source and the n terminal the negative side . in addition , each i / o module 81 - 88 includes an in / out terminal which is of dual function . if the i / o point is to be operated as an output point , the in / out terminal for that point is connected to the controlled element ( or load ) in the process which that point is assigned to control . on the other hand , if the i / o point is to be operated as an input , the in / out line for that point receives the input signal from the input device . the same in / out line thus serves both functions , depending on the command from the microcontroller 90 and the second ( or reference ) connection of the input or output device . as an example , i / o point 82 is shown operating as an output point , turning power on or off to a load device 89 . load 89 is connected between the in / out line of i / o point 82 and the n line to the power source . by contrast , i / o point 84 is shown operating as an input point with an input switching device 91 connected between the in / out line and the h line of the power source . any one of i / o points 81 - 88 may be operated in the output mode either as a dc source , as a dc sink , or as an ac source . that aspect of the circuitry is discussed more fully herein below . information provided to the microcontroller 90 from each i / o point 81 - 88 , via the m line connection , includes data reporting the status of load current ( high or low ), the level of power supplied to that i / o point , the temperature condition of the i / o point , the status of any input device , and still other information , all of which will be set forth in greater detail subsequently herein . control of each i / o point 81 - 88 is ultimately determined by a central processing unit as outlined in connection with fig1 . in fig3 communication with such a cpu is through an interface port ( preferably a serial port ) of microcontroller 90 and through a data communications link 106 ( 28 of fig1 ). other i / o modules substantially similar to module 80 of fig3 may also be connected to the data communications link 106 . while microcontroller 90 is responsive to the commands of the central processing unit , it also provides localized , distributed control of each i / o point within the i / o module 80 . microcontroller 90 is an operations control unit and operates in accordance with a stored program and as a function of commands from the central processing unit and the signals received on the m line from each i / o point 81 - 88 . although not specifically illustrated in fig3 microcontroller 90 also includes memory for program storage and for storage of other data necessary to carry out program execution and to achieve the intended control . the schematic of fig4 shows a preferred embodiment of an i / o circuit . the i / o point thus includes a switch processor 200 , signal conditioning circuits 202 , and a primary switching section 204 . the switch processor 200 receives , on line data_in 1 ( represented by “ d ” in fig3 ), a control signal from the operations control unit ( e . g ., as from microcontroller 90 of fig3 ) and transmits a diagnostic signal to the microcontroller on line data_out 1 ( represented by “ m ” in fig3 ). the command signal contains switch processor mode information and on / off information that is used by the switch processor to control the primary switch section via signal drive 1 . fig5 and 6 illustrate the relationship between certain signals involved in the operation of the switch processor communications on lines data_in 1 and data_out 1 . the control signal , data_in 1 , is a coded pulse train containing on / off information ( on / off ), zero crossing enable ( zercr ), redundant flag enable ( rdnt ), and timing information ( clk ). data_in 1 includes of a series of “ frames ,” each of which contains two to six pulses followed by the omission of a pulse , i . e ., a “ missing pulse ”. the “ missing pulse ” serves to resynchronize operation of the control and diagnostic signals . each of the pulses has a duty cycle of either twenty - five or seventy - five percent . the time between pulses within a frame , t , is fixed and is also the time duration of the “ missing pulse ”. the control signal is initially applied to a timer within the switch processor 200 wherein the rising edge of the signal causes the timer to reset and to initiate its timing cycle . thus , the timer causes the clk signal to become active approximately 0 . 5t after each rising edge of the control signal . the clk signal is used to latch control data and to update diagnostic data . unless first reset , the timer also causes a synchronizing signal , sync , to become active approximately 1 . 5t after each rising edge of the control signal . the active sync signal resets the communication timing in the switch processor 200 indicating a new frame is about to start . in addition , unless first reset , a loss of communication signal , los , becomes active approximately 1 millisecond after each rising edge of the control signal . the active los signal causes the switch processor 200 to turn the primary switch 204 off . normally , rising edges of the control signal reset the timer before the sync and los signals become active . however , upon the occurrence of a “ missing pulse ”, a time 2t occurs between rising edges of the control signal , causing sync to become active for approximately 0 . 5t . the on / off information passing to the i / o point on line data_in 1 is contained in the first two pulses of each frame of the control signal . a seventy - five percent duty cycle pulse corresponds to a logical “ 1 ” ( switch on ) and a twenty - five percent duty cycle corresponds to a logical “ 0 ” ( switch off ). as will become clear , the clock pulse which occurs at 0 . 5t after the rising edge of a control signal pulse , effectively causes a sampling of the control signal pulse at that time . thus , if a 25 % duty cycle ( 0 . 25t ) pulse has been transmitted , a low level or “ zero ” is obtained at 0 . 5t . on the other hand , if a 75 % duty cycle ( 0 . 75t ) pulse has been transmitted , a high level or “ one ” is obtained at 0 . 5t . the first two pulses are also transmitted redundantly : that is , the first two pulses must agree ( both 1 or both 0 ) in order for the switch processor 200 to respond to the on / off command . if the two pulses are different ( due , for example , to noise interference ), the switch processor 200 maintains the last valid on / off command that was received . if a frame of the control signal contains more than two pulses , then the third and fourth pulses are used to update the zercr and rdnt signals , respectively , and if the fifth and sixth pulses are transmitted , they contain no control information but are used to clock the fifth and sixth pulses of diagnostic information . when zercr is set , the zero crossing turn - on and turn - off feature in the switch processor 200 is enabled . in this case , the switch processor 200 waits until a zero crossing of voltage before turning on the switch 204 and a zero crossing of current before turning off the switch . the value of rdnt forces different diagnostic information to be returned on the data_out 1 line . when rdnt is not set , the first diagnostic pulse describes the state of the load_volts signal , and when rdnt is clear the first diagnostic pulse describes the state of the switch_volts signal . also , when rdnt is set , low line voltage will not generate a fault code in the diagnostic data ( diagnostic codes are discussed further infra ). the waveforms of fig5 illustrate the signal relationships control signal , clk , sync , los , and the on / off signal for various conditions . for the first frame ( the frames are arbitrarily designated with frame numbers for ease of reference ), redundant twenty - five percent duty cycle pulses are sent corresponding to “ 0 ” or an off switch state . clock pulses are produced at 0 . 5t after each rising edge of a control signal pulse . following the two redundant pulses , there is a synchronizing interval or “ missing pulse ”. the missing pulse causes a sync pulse to be produced , signifying the end of a frame . since the two control signal pulses are both of twenty - five percent duty cycle , the on / off value remains low and the los value remains high . for the second frame , the first control signal pulse is of twenty - five percent duty cycle and the second is of seventy - five percent duty cycle . the lack of identity may result from noise interference , for example . in such case the clk and sync pulses are again produced as in the first frame and los remains high . since the control signal pulses are different , however , the on / off signal retains its previous value , which , in this case is low . in the third frame , the control signal pulses are both of seventy - five percent duty cycle duration , signaling that the on / off switch signal should be raised to the on level . this occurs at the rising edge of the clock pulse following the second control signal pulse . for the fourth frame , pulse identity is lost between the control pulses and so the on / off line remains high . the fifth frame returns the on / off line to a low level with the occurrence of redundant pulses both having twenty - five percent duty cycles . the sixth frame of control signal pulses includes four seventy - five percent duty cycle pulses . the sixth frame is somewhat extended in time duration to accommodate the four pulses and the “ missing pulse ”. the first and second control signal pulses return the on / off signal to high . although not shown , the third pulse of the frame causes zercr to go high simultaneously with the rising edge of the resulting clock pulse , and the fourth pulse of the frame causes rdn to go high . in addition to on / off , zercr , and rdnt information , the control signal provides timing for returning status or diagnostic data to the microcontroller . the data_out 1 signal sends out one diagnostic bit for each pulse received on the data_in 1 signal . since there may be two to six pulses , there may be two to six diagnostic bits . the bits are encoded so that the first bit represents whether load voltage is present , the second indicates whether an open load condition is present , the third and fourth bits echo the received zercr and rdnt bits ( in that order ), and the fifth and sixth bits are always set . if a fault condition exists the first and second bits are set , and the remaining four bits indicate the nature of the fault . the microcontroller 90 ( fig3 ) determines how much information is to be received from the switch processor 200 by the number of pulses per frame contained in the control signal , data_in 1 , which is sent to the switch processor 200 . the microcontroller 90 reads the state signal on line data_out 1 immediately after it puts a rising edge of control signal on the data_in 1 line . thus , the number of pulses per frame in the control signal and the number of status bits read back per frame are the same . normally , the microcontroller puts out two pulses per frame and reads back x 0 and x 1 . if x 0 indicates a fault , the microcontroller 90 then shifts to four or six pulses per frame so that it can read a fault message contained in the x 2 and x 3 bits . in the absence of a fault , the four or six pulse mode may be used to write the zercr and rdnt bits that control the switch processor 200 . the switch processor 200 provides diagnostic data based on inputs from the signal conditioning circuitry and control and state information contained in the switch processor . the six diagnostic signals may be used , for example , to indicate : 1 ) that there is an open or disconnected load ; 2 ) that load is in excess of a first high limit value requiring an immediate protective response ; 3 ) a load current in excess of a second high limit value requiring a protective response only if the current remains above the limit for some pre - selected time period ; 4 ) that load voltage has , or has not , been applied ; 5 ) the relative level of the supply voltage ; and 6 ) the relative temperature of the power switching device . various input / output switching circuits may be provided to be controlled by the gate signal emanating from the switch processor section 200 . for example , switching means comprising field effect transistors or silicon controlled rectifiers ( scrs ) may be used as the input / output switching circuits . a preferred switching circuit will , in any case , include a means for providing a signal indicative of the current to a connected load . the switching circuits most preferred , however , make use of an insulated gate transistor , or igt , examples of which are shown in the primary switch section of fig4 such as items u 5 and u 6 . when the switch is used in a dc source output configuration , the positive side of the dc power source is connected directly to the collector of igt u 5 ( the ac_h_ 1 signal ). when the drive 1 signal is applied to the gate terminal of igt &# 39 ; s u 5 and u 6 , current will flow from the collector to the emitter , through the parallel combination of r 9 and r 10 that form a sense resistance , and through diode d 4 before flowing to the high - side of a load . the other side of the load is connected to the dc power return . when the switch is used in an ac output configuration , the same thing occurs on the negative half - cycle of the ac power source except that current flows through igt u 6 and diode d 3 instead of igt u 5 and diode d 4 . when the switch is configured as an input , the igt switch is turned off and an input device switches the external power source to the i 01 signal line where a voltage is developed across pre - load resistor r 90 . transistor q 2 and biasing resistors r 11 and r 12 provide a current limiting means for the primary switches so that if the output load presents a short circuit to the switches , transistor q 2 will be activated , which will reduce the drive 1 signal causing the switches to limit the amount of current they may pass . the signal conditioning circuitry monitors the state of the primary switch and provides this information to the switch processor 200 for control and diagnostic reporting purposes . signals short 1 and open 1 are the outputs of comparators that are set - up to quickly indicate when a short circuit or open load condition exist in the load circuitry . both signals are ignored by the switch processor 200 when the switch is turned off . when the switch is turned on , the switch processor begins to monitor the open 1 signal and waits a short time to allow the short 1 signal to work properly before monitoring it . then , if the short 1 or open 1 signals become active , the switch processor quickly turns the switch off and reports an overcurrent fault or an open load fault , respectively , in the diagnostic data . the i_load 1 , load 1 , line 1 , and temp 1 signals are 0 to 5 volt analog inputs to the switch processor &# 39 ; s analog - to - digital converter circuits ( claim ). these analog signals are converted to digital values by the switch processor 200 once each millisecond and used to perform control operations for the switch and to set diagnostic information . the i_load signal represents the switch current and will set an overcurrent fault and turn off the switch 204 if it exceeds a second threshold within a window of time following the switch being turned on . the first threshold is detected by the short 1 signal and causes the switch to be turned off immediately ( described above ). the second , lower threshold is allowed to exist for a certain amount of time before causing an overcurrent fault . if the switch current exceeds a third threshold , at any time , the switch processor 200 will report an overload diagnostic , but will not turn off the switch 204 . these three current thresholds allow the switch 204 to support a relatively large inrush current that lessens over time . the load 1 signal represents the voltage at signal io 1 , typically the load voltage ( can also be the input voltage ), with respect to the ac_n_ 1 signal , which is the ac power source neutral ( or may be the dc power source positive or negative terminal depending on the switch application ). the line 1 signal represents the voltage of the external power source . the load 1 and line 1 signal are used by the switch processor 200 to generate the load_volts , switch_volts , and low_line diagnostic codes . the load_volts diagnostic code is set in the switch processor 200 if the load 1 signal is less than 50 % of the line 1 signal . the switch_volts diagnostic code is set in the switch processor 200 if the load 1 signal is greater than 10 volts . the low_line diagnostic is set in the switch processor if the line 1 signal is less than twenty volts . the temp 1 signal represents the switch temperature and causes an overtemp fault to be set in the switch processor if the switch temperature exceeds 120 degrees celsius . switch processor 200 advantageously includes firmware to independently process signals and run algorithms using the data represented by the signals as inputs to determine an associated diagnostic code , thus generating the appropriate control response or diagnostic code to be output . turning next to fig7 one embodiment of a truth table relating diagnostic and status data to a four bit coded signal for providing combinatorial logic in a state encoder for the switch processor section of fig4 is shown . an encoder in accordance with the truth table of fig7 may readily be implemented with standard combinational logic elements by one of skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure . the foregoing describes features of an improved input / output system having utility in connection with programmable controllers . while the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention has been described , it is understood that various other modifications may be made therein by those of ordinary skill in the art without departure from the inventive concepts inherent in the true invention . accordingly , it is intended by the following claims to claim all modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	6
referring now to fig1 telecommunications system 10 comprises network element 12 that is connected to another network element , network element 14 , by link 16 . two rings are shown , and two more are partially shown . in this way , there are four rings and link 16 is part of each ring . in fig1 link 16 is optical and has a data rate of 40 gigabits - per - second ( i . e ., oc - 768 ). arrows in fig1 indicate one direction around the ring , the clockwise direction , provides a normal flow of data , and the counterclockwise direction provides protection around a fault . however , since the invention envisions an extension of a blsr sonet / sdh system , the links can be bidirectional . for example , if link 19 breaks , any traffic on link 19 is rerouted on links 21 , 23 , and 16 . a feature of the present invention is that the same link 16 will also be part of the reroute if say link 29 were to break . thus , link 16 and its operation will be an important part of this description . node 12 and 14 are sonet / sdh - like nodes connected to link 16 at high speed nodes 13 and 15 . node 12 and 14 are referred to as sonet / sdh - like because they use a different type of aps protocol than the gr - 1230 aps protocol . gr - 1230 uses the line overhead of sts - 1 specified by the sonet / sdh standards . node 12 and 14 are operating with a new aps protocol , according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention , that is a superset of the gr - 1230 requirements . also connected to node 12 and 14 are rings oc - m - 1 , oc - m - 1 - 2 , through oc - m - 4 . ring oc - m - 1 is shown connected with network element 12 , optical line 19 , network element 20 , optical line 21 , network element 22 , optical line 23 and network element 14 . ring oc - m - 2 is shown connected with network element 12 , optical line 29 , network element 30 , optical line 31 , network element 32 , optical line 33 and network element 14 . ring oc - m - 3 is shown , in part , connected with network element 12 , optical line 39 , optical line 43 , and network element 14 . oc - m - 4 is shown , in part , connected with network element 12 , optical line 49 , optical line 53 , and network element 14 . the intervening topology for oc - m - 3 and oc - m - 4 is inconsequential , as long as the total node count is less than the maximum addressing capacity of the new aps protocol or the total bandwidth ( including oc - m - 1 and oc - m - 2 ) is not more than that of link 16 ( i . e ., 40 gigabits per second if link 16 is oc - 768 or equivalent ). link 16 is part of the four rings oc - m - 1 to oc - m - 4 . it is worth noting that if a ring has more than 16 nodes , then all the node in that ring must be extended sonet / sdh elements . on the other hand , for a ring that has 16 or fewer nodes , only node 12 and 14 need to be extended sonet / sdh . telecommunications system 10 shown in fig1 has one high - speed , wide bandwidth link 16 carrying data from multiple tributary rings . fig1 among other things , illustrates one way to upgrade a portion of a sonet / sdh system that has reached either fiber or bandwidth exhaustion . the upgrading of two node 12 and 14 , and of link 16 leads to an interconnecting of slower data rate lines and node , thereby forming structures known as meshes . without the multiple aps channels provided by the present invention , multiple rings could not be handled as individual entities ; rather , all of the system rings would have to be folded into one large “ ring ”. with such a large single ring , any fault on any one of the links or node would cause a serious slowdown in aps channel traffic performance , which could affect telecommunications system 10 entirely . such a slowdown could increase the recovery time of telecommunications system 10 . the ability to work in large networks without forcing the operation of the aps channel as if it belonged to a single large ring is one of the advantages of the present invention . as will be seen , that ability comes in part by extending blsr sonet / sdh to include multiple aps channels . the implementation and operation of additional aps nodes is provided by extending the gr - 1230 sonet / sdh aps protocol according to the multiple aps channel protocol of a preferred embodiment of the present invention . that protocol for byte 1 , byte 2 and byte 3 within each of extended aps channel 2 , extended aps channel 3 and extended aps channel 4 signaling is given immediately below . each of byte d 4 , byte d 7 , and byte d 10 is byte 1 of extended aps channel 2 , extended aps channel 3 and extended aps channel 4 , respectively . bits 5 - 8 provide extended destination node identifications ( ids ), and bits 1 - 4 provide extended source node ids . each of byte d 5 , byte d 8 and byte d 11 is byte 2 of extended aps channel 2 , extended aps channel 3 and extended aps channel 4 , respectively . bits 1 - 8 provide the same bit coding as the coding of byte k 1 of the standard aps channel 1 . each of byte d 6 , byte d 9 and byte d 12 is byte 3 of extended aps channel 2 , extended aps channel 3 and extended aps channel 4 , respectively . bits 1 - 8 provide the same bit coding as the coding of byte k 2 of standard aps channel 1 . per sonet / sdh standards , the nine bytes d 4 through d 12 are allocated for line data communications . typically , these bytes are used for alarms , maintenance , control , monitoring , administration and other communication needs between line terminating entities . aps channel 1 has the same signaling protocol as the standard gr - 1230 k 1 / k 2 coding . aps channel 2 , aps channel 3 and aps channel 4 use extended aps channel protocol . because the extended aps channels use and extend the k 1 / k 2 coding of gr - 1230 , that extended coding is hereinafter referred to as “ k 1 / k 2 / k 3 .” k 1 / k 2 / k 3 refers to the coding of the bits , not the positions of the k 1 and k 2 bytes in a frame . since byte 2 corresponds to k 1 coding and byte 3 corresponds to k 2 coding , byte 1 logically corresponds to k 3 . an alternative embodiment of the present invention uses bytes z 1 - z 2 - e 2 of the line overhead , instead of bytes d 4 through d 12 or in addition to bytes d 4 through d 12 . bytes z 1 - z 2 - e 2 are also identified in sonet / sdh standards . the addition of using bytes z 1 - z 2 - e 2 would provide for an extended aps channel 5 . the four - bit ( i . e ., bits 5 - 8 ) extended destination node id along with the four request bits coding of k 1 ( i . e ., k 1 bits 1 - 4 ) form an extended destination node id . similarly , the four - bit ( i . e ., bits 1 - 4 ) extended source node id along with the four select bits coding of k 2 ( i . e ., k 2 bits 5 - 8 ) form an extended source node id . together , the extended aps ids provide a possible 256 - node capability in the preferred embodiment . the 256 - node id capability is a needed extension to the way standard gr - 1230 uses source node ids and destination node ids . referring now to fig2 one embodiment of a left - hand portion of fig1 is illustrated . network element 12 is shown connected over link 16 , which in this embodiment is an oc - 768 . network element 12 is also connected over lower speed links 19 , 29 , 39 and 49 , which in the embodiment of fig2 are oc - 48 links . network element 12 manages the connections to links 19 , 29 , 39 and 49 , as well as the connection to link 16 , as “ ring ” connections as far as the extended aps channel protocol is concerned . data from link 19 travels into and out of network element 12 and into and out of link 16 . the last portion of data associated with link 19 is located as indicated by the arrowhead associated with link 19 . data from link 29 travels into and out of network element 12 and into and out of link 16 . the last portion of the data associated with link 29 is located as indicated by the arrowhead associated with link 29 . data from link 39 travels into and out of network element 12 and into and out of link 16 . the last portion of the data associated with link 39 is located as indicated by the arrowhead associated with link 39 . data from link 49 travels into and out of network element 12 and into and out of link 16 . the last portion of data associated with link 49 is located as indicated by the arrowhead associated with link 49 . as mentioned previously , data is organized as frames having 90 - byte columns by 9 rows . the frames include an overhead , 87 bytes of which are moved as shown and 3 bytes of which are terminated by network element 12 . also , for the purposes of simplifying the illustration and description , fig2 does not show any data traffic that is being added or dropped at the node of network element 12 . the traffic on link 16 from links 19 , 29 , 39 and 49 are respectively represented by lower left to upper right hatching ; heavily hatched hatching ; light cross hatching , and upper left to lower right hatching . as shown in fig2 by the dashed lines and by arrows to bit maps of portions of the line overhead , the extended aps channels are provided by sts - 2 line overhead bytes d 4 - d 5 - d 6 ; d 7 - d 8 - d 9 ; and d 10 - d 11 - d 12 and by sts - 3 line overhead bytes d 4 - d 5 - d 6 . thus , in this embodiment , four extended aps channels are provided so four rings can have extended aps channels , with each ring having up to 256 node ids . further , the extended aps channel protocol multiplexes the four extended aps channels from links 19 , 29 , 39 and 49 into a single sonet / sdh data stream on link 16 . this multiplexing is provided by network element 12 by terminating the k 1 / k 2 / k 3 bytes coming in on link 19 , for example , and regenerating the information from k 1 / k 2 / k 3 to bytes d 10 , d 11 and d 12 of link 16 . it is important to note that link 19 and the portion of link 16 carrying the k 1 / k 2 / k 3 data on bytes d 10 , d 11 and d 12 are parts of the same ring . because there are three extended aps channels per line overhead and four incoming data streams , the fourth extended aps channel is moved to d 4 - d 5 - d 6 of sts - 3 . if another three bytes in each line overhead could be used for aps channels , such as z 1 - z 2 - e 2 , then only one overhead of one sonet / sdh frame rather than two would be required to manage four extended aps channels . if more rings need aps channels , the number of extended aps channels can be easily extended further by using more d 4 through d 12 bytes on other stss within the extended aps channel protocol . referring now to fig3 another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . network element 12 is connected to oc - 48 links 49 , 39 and 29 . network element 12 is also connected to oc - 192 link 19 a and oc - 768 link 16 . link 49 and link 39 are multiplexed in network element 12 onto link 16 into a single sonet / sdh stream on an oc - 768 . extended aps channels are used to provide the automatic protection switching features available in this extension of sonet / sdh aps protocol . in fig3 three extended aps channels are represented by line overhead bytes d 4 - d 5 - d 6 ; d 7 - d 8 - d 9 ; and d 10 - d 11 - d 12 of sts - 2 on the link 16 . these extended aps channels provide automatic protection switching for sonet / sdh rings . these rings include a first ring containing link 49 and parts of link 16 , second ring containing link 39 and parts of link 16 , and a third ring containing link 19 a and parts link of 16 . as shown in fig3 only part of the payload of link 19 a is part of the third ring . other extended aps channels are represented by line overhead bytes d 4 - d 5 - d 6 and d 7 - d 8 - d 9 of sts - 2 on link 19 a . an extended aps channel for the ring containing link 29 is provided by d 4 - d 5 - d 6 line overhead bytes of sts - 2 of link 19 a . an extended aps channel of link 19 a is provided by d 7 - d 8 - d 9 line overhead bytes of sts - 2 of link 19 a and by d 10 - d 11 - d 12 line overhead bytes of sts - 2 of link 16 , at least the portion that is part of the same ring as link 19 a . in this way , a fourth ring is represented containing links 29 and part of 19 a , extended aps channels for which are provided by d 4 - d 5 - d 6 overhead bytes of sts - 2 on link 29 and d 7 - d 8 - d 9 overhead bytes of sts - 2 on link 19 a . for every ring ( or part thereof ) defined on network element 12 , there exist two extended aps channels defined on two different links . as illustrated in fig3 the extended aps channel protocol provides multiple aps channels on link 16 and puts them in a single sonet / sdh data stream . also , as in fig2 the extended aps channel protocol can address 256 node ids . network element 12 dynamically conserves bandwidth on the high speed link by removing frames that have already reached their desired nodes . such frames are dropped completely without any placeholder frames being sent over link 16 . this dynamic conservation helps make room on link 16 for any extra sonet / sdh frames sent along link 16 for extended aps channel signaling . it is worth noting that for a single point of presence unit having multiple node with oc - 48 and / or oc - 192 rings similar to fig3 in capability , those multiple node could be replaced with a single high speed network element . in such a case , each of the previous rings will behave the same and enjoy the same protection scheme as existed previously . further , backhaul to digital cross connect systems ( dcss ) that were necessary for previous aps channel protocols to share aps messages among the rings are now unnecessary . such backhaul dcss are avoided by the extended aps channel protocol according to the present invention . thus , the resulting network has a lot less equipment , a lot less floor space and power required , and no need to route traffic to dcss . it is to be understood that the above - described embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and that many variations of the above - described embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the bytes d 4 through d 12 could be from a line overhead of any sonet / sdh frame instead of sts - 2 and sts - 3 as described above . it is therefore intended that such variations be included within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	7
turning now to the drawings and more particularly , fig1 shows an example of an internet protocol ( ip ) communications system 100 including a digital call capable network 102 , e . g ., capable of voice over ip ( voip ) communications , with energy star ( e - star ) compliant end points ( ep ) 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the system includes digital telephony devices ( e . g ., voip phones ) and multimedia terminal adapters ( mta ), e . g ., keysets at eps 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 . since a network device defines an ep , each ep and a device ( s ) at the ep are referred to herein interchangeably . a suitable proxy server 112 provides a router function to private network 102 . a gateway 114 , e . g ., a state of the art media gateway , connects the network externally , e . g ., to a public switched telephone network / public land mobile network ( pstn / plmn ). a preferred e - star aware softswitch 116 , e . g ., a media gateway controller ( mgc ) remotely located in a data center , manages calls to / from keysets 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 from / to each other or through the gateway 114 . in particular , these digital telephony devices 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 cooperate with e - star aware softswitch 116 to enable e - star compliance in these digital telephony devices according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . preferably , communications in the system 100 are based on the open systems interconnection ( osi ) basic reference model ( osi reference model or osi model ), described in more detail hereinbelow . preferably , digital telephony devices 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 are sophisticated processor based voip devices , each with a local display . a typical such ip network telephony system has considerable messaging that occurs continuously , e . g ., call processing ( call - p ) messaging , status queries and features and availability queries . call - p messages between telephony devices at the eps 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , and a switch , for example , e - star aware softswitch 116 , may or may not be for a phone call to the device ( s ) 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 . generally , the preferred system 100 does not directly use the queries for signaling a phone call . however , previously , any time an ep device ( the phone or mta processor ) received such a message , the device was required to process the message . processing the message requires the phone or mta to be active . however , e - star aware softswitch 116 is aware of the power state of connected e - star compliant ep devices . thus , the e - star aware softswitch 116 controls messages and suppresses messaging to connected devices to allow these devices to enter and remain in low power except during actual use , e . g ., between calls . a device may enter or change to a power saving state , e . g ., throttle down to a reduced operation level , initiated internally or externally . likewise , devices may exit or change to power saving states , also initiated by internal or external events . external events include , for example , user events or communication partner events . devices may have different power saving states or levels , for different levels of operation . further , except during normal activity ( e . g ., calls ), the e - star aware softswitch 116 allows e - star devices to remain in low power for normal messaging . fig2 shows an example of the osi model 120 , which organizes network communications into layers 122 - 134 , commonly designated l 1 - l 7 . each layer 122 - 134 encompasses a collection of related functions that provide services to the layer above it ( e . g ., 124 - 132 ) and receive service from the layer below it ( e . g ., 132 - 122 ). these layers include a physical layer 122 , a data link layer 124 , a network layer 126 , a transport layer 128 , a session layer 130 , a presentation layer 132 , and an application layer 134 . the physical layer 122 ( l 1 ) is the physical communications media , typically in a binary transmission signal , i . e ., a serial bit stream . the data link layer 124 ( l 2 ) includes physical addressing information in logical link control ( llc ) and media access control ( mac ) sublayers , i . e ., in frames embedded in the physical layer 122 . ethernet is an example of a typical data link protocol . the physical layer 122 and link layer 124 , typically , are handled by hardware ( hw ), e . g ., a state of the art network interface controller ( nic ) chip . the network layer 126 ( l 3 ) provides path determination and logical addressing for packets in the frames . ip is an example of a typical network layer protocol . some hardware may also handle the network layer 126 . these three lower level osi model layers 122 , 124 and 126 are known as the media layers and are used in telecommunications . even in power saving mode , preferred e - star compliant ep device hardware handles the media layers , identifying locally directed frames / packets for the particular device . data transfers , end - to - end in the transport layer 128 ( l 4 ) with messages converted into segments , e . g ., using a transmission control protocol ( tcp ), user datagram protocol ( udp ) or stream control transmission protocol ( sctp ). the session layer 130 ( l 5 ) provides interhost communications between devices , e . g ., keysets 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 and gateway 114 . the presentation layer 132 ( l 6 ) provides data encryption and representation . the application layer 134 ( l 7 ) interfaces directly to , and performs application services for , application processes . the application layer 134 also issues requests to the presentation layer 132 . these four lower level osi model layers 128 , 130 , 132 and 134 are known as the host layers . unlike the media layers 122 , 124 and 126 , responsibility for the host layers 128 , 130 , 132 and 134 resides in software ( sw ) under processor control , e . g ., central processing units ( cpu ) in networked the ep voip phones and mta devices 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 and 112 . the cpus also are responsible for processing applications ( app ). these processing apps may include , for example , a call - p app and a network message processing app . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , when an ep device 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 and / or 112 is in a power saving state , the e - star aware softswitch 116 limits host layer communications to those devices in power saving mode depending on a requested communications level . it should be noted that the host layer communications of e - star aware softswitch 116 always remains active to communicate with any other ep devices that are not currently in power saving mode . communications can be limited , for example , for timing , e . g ., increasing the no messaging time or omitting some messages , or for responding to state and status queries . preferably also , each device and / or the e - star aware softswitch 116 may change device operation level at any time . fig3 shows an example 140 of an e - star device , e . g ., voip phone or mta 106 in system 100 of fig1 , cooperating with e - star aware softswitch 116 , wherein the e - star device 106 may enter a sleep state or even hibernate between calls , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in this example , in 142 a software app of ep device 106 initiates entering a power saving state by signaling a request ( an e - star request ) to a current communication partner ( e . g ., e - star aware softswitch 116 ), and indicates intention to enter a power saving state . further , the ep device 106 indicates the power saving operation level ( level 3 ) as well as the maximum time planned to stay in that state or mode , e . g ., 5 minutes . the e - star aware softswitch 116 maintains a definition of special settings for each power saving operation level , e . g ., in a sleep level table ( not shown ), for each ep partner ( phone / mta ), e . g ., 106 . the e - star aware softswitch 116 responds 144 with an ack message . thereafter , the e - star aware softswitch 116 honors the power saving request for the requested period of time . during that period , 5 minutes in this example , the e - star aware softswitch 116 spools events and communiqués for later , i . e ., when the power saving ends . however , even though the e - star device 106 is in power saving mode , the e - star aware softswitch 116 signals all events characterized as important or wake - up events , e . g ., incoming calls to the e - star device 106 . as the planned low power time expires 146 , the ep device 106 signals another e - star request , indicating ( by power saving operation level 0 ), that the power saving period is ending . the e - star aware softswitch 116 responds 148 with another ack message . the active ep device 106 receives spooled messages 150 , signaling with the e - star aware softswitch 116 . once all spooled messages are received , the e - star device 106 may enter another sleep state period , again signaling an e - star request 152 to the e - star aware softswitch 116 , which responds 154 , with another ack message . so , for example , when an incoming call for the e - star device 106 reaches the e - star aware softswitch 116 , a call message 156 is forwarded to the e - star device 106 . upon receiving the call message 156 , the e - star device 106 terminates power saving mode immediately , prior to the scheduled end , and the call proceeds normally . advantageously , the present invention extends e - star compliance in digital telephony devices for immediate energy savings and corresponding in cost savings , as well as . further , periods of low power are less stressful for the device and , therefore extend device life , which also provides cost savings . moreover , unlike typical telephones that remain at full power during normal operation ( 24 × 7 ), preferred devices in power saving mode uses significantly less power , thereby reducing the need for fossil fuel generated electricity and , correspondingly , facilitating environmental conservation by reducing co 2 emissions . while the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . it is intended that all such variations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims . examples and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive .	8
referring to fig1 a conventional cabinet is illustrated which includes , in part , a back 10 , a bottom 11 and a front 12 . the front 12 is provided with an access opening indicated by numeral 13 into which a conventional drawer is slidably mounted . the drawer includes a back 14 , a bottom 15 and a front 16 . a pair of sides 17 are also included which extend between the front and back 14 and 16 , respectively . a handle 18 is mounted on the front 16 so that the drawer may be manually withdrawn from the cabinet or pushed into the cabinet . as the conventional practice , the cavity in the cabinet occupied by the drawer includes a channel 20 on which the underside of the drawer is slidably mounted . the channel includes a u - shaped member having parallel side rails indicated by numerals 21 and 22 throughout the present specification . the channel 20 further includes a mounting bracket 23 which is carried on one end of the channel member and includes an upright flange that is screwed to the back or rear board of the cabinet 10 . the channel 20 further includes limit means for restricting movement of the drawer during withdrawal . for example , the extreme edge 24 of the drawer front 16 limits the rearward movement of the drawer when engaged with the cabinet front 12 while an upright projection 25 limits the forward movement of the drawer . the drawer slide of the present invention is mounted on the underside of the bottom 15 of the drawer and is indicated in general by the numeral 26 . the novel drawer slide 26 includes a body portion or slide member 27 having a central strip 28 which is normally biased downward between the parallel rails of the channel 20 . the central strip 28 includes a hooked end 30 which is intended to engage with the upright projection 25 , as shown in fig2 to limit movement of the drawer out of the opening 13 . the drawer may be easily removed by manually pressing or bending the strip 20 upwardly so as to clear the projection 25 . fig2 also illustrates the fact that the slide member 26 is fixedly carried on the underside of bottom 15 of the drawer so that the slide member travels with the drawer . the slide member is attached to the drawer by means of screws such as 34 and 35 at extreme corner of the delta as in fig3 and a central screw 32 as in fig3 . two screws may be fastened into the rear of the drawer back through holes 45 in flange 44 in place of or in addition to central screw 32 . the end of the hook facing to the rear is chamfered or bevelled to ride over the stop 25 as the drawer is put back in place after having been removed from the cabinet . incidentally , as may be noted in fig1 and 2 , the rails 42 and 43 may be provided with reinforcing ribs 29 at each end of the guide and just before and after the hook 28 , 30 . these ribs may be triangular or curved from a low elevation at the center to permit passage of the stop 25 to full height adjacent the rails 42 , 43 for maximum strength . the ribs 29 are not shown in other figures of the drawings . referring now in detail to fig3 it can be seen that the slide member 27 is of a delta configuration or shape having its widest portion at the rear of the drawer and its narrowest portion at the front thereof . it can also be seen that the central strip 28 lies on the central longitudinal axis of the slide member and that the strip is in alignment with the channel 20 between its parallel rails 21 and 22 . the slide member 27 not only includes a mounting screw 32 which is passed through a hole 33 , but includes fastening screws 34 and 35 at opposite sides of the rear of the slide member . the illustrative delta - shaped slide member shown in the drawings is about 5 1 / 4 inches in width by seven inches long . more generally , it is contemplated that the slide may be from 4 to 9 inches long , with the preferred range being from 5 to 8 inches ; and that it may be from 2 to 7 inches wide with the preferred range being from 2 1 / 2 to 6 inches . the channel mounting screw 36 extends through an elongated slot 37 to permit lateral channel adjustment to align the drawer precisely in the drawer opening of the cabinet structure . for conservation purposes as well as providing light weight construction , the delta shaped slide member 27 may include cutout portions 38 and 39 . however , stiffeners may be provided on the opposite edges of the slide member 27 to rigidize or reinforce the construction and are indentified by numerals 40 and 41 in fig4 . if desired , the slide member may be of solid construction without ribs 40 or 41 or cutouts ; and the material may be of suitable plastic or other material having a high strength to weight ratio . high density polyethelene may be employed , for example , for its toughness and self lubricating qualities . other known high strength plastic or other materials may also be employed . fig4 further illustrates that the slide member 27 includes downwardly depending guides 42 and 43 . the downwardly depending guides 42 and 43 are substantially l - shaped in cross section so as to mate with the configuration of the rails 31 and 22 of the channel 20 . the guides 42 and 43 engage with the opposing surfaces of the rails 31 and 22 so that the slide member and drawer are in sliding engagement therewith and no lateral movement is permitted . the underside of the slide guides react with the underside of the inwardly directed channel rail feet to prevent the drawer from tipping down when the drawer is pulled fully open . it can also be seen that the hooked end 30 carried on the end of the cantilevered central strip 28 rides in the center of the channel between the guides 42 and 43 . in fig5 the drawer has not been illustrated so that the slide member can be more clearly shown . the slide member 27 is permitted restricted rectilinear movement between the stop member 25 and the stop formed by the engagement of the fronts 16 and 12 . the guides 42 and 43 are elongated and readily engage with the opposing surfaces of the rails 21 and 22 of the channel 20 so that adequate support is given for the drawer . to further permit rigidity of construction of the slide member as well as to provide an adequate support , a flange 44 is carried at the rear end of the slide member 27 which can be directly attached to the back 14 of the drawer by screws 45 . such construction further insures proper alignment as a means for squaring - up the slide member in relation to the drawer . the delta slide may be secured to the drawer entirely at the rear edge by fasteners through holes 32 , 34 and 35 . in addition . fasteners through holes 45 in flange 44 may be used in place of central screw 32 or in addition to screw 32 . referring now in detail to fig6 another version of the present invention is illustrated wherein the channel 20 is modified to include outwardly extending flanges 46 and 47 rather than the inwardly directed flanges associated with the channel showing in fig1 - 5 . in this embodiment , the slide member 27 includes guides 48 and 49 which include seats that extend around and beneath the flanges 46 and 47 in sliding engagement therewith . therefore , it can be seen that the sliding member of the present invention provides a novel means for slidably mounting a drawer on a channel member . limit stops are provided which cooperate with the hooked member or end of the central strip 28 so that rearward and forward movement of the drawer is restricted . rigidity is achieved by means of the stiffeners 41 and 40 as well as by the flange 44 . the device is lightened by material removable to provide apertures 38 and 39 and the device is readily installed by screws 32 , 34 and 35 , respectively . the central strip 28 is cantilevered from the forward end of the slide member rearwardly and is normally biased by its resilient contruction so that the hooked end substantially rides within the channel 20 between the rails 21 and 22 . by this construction , the slide member is easy to install and is economic to manufacture . another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig7 and 8 . instead of the delta shape shown in the previous embodiment , a rectangular body or member 50 is used with only a pair of screws 51 and 52 for mounting and stability . a smaller amount of material is used . this version includes a resilient strip 28 with a hooked end 30 and guides 42 and 43 as previously described . in closing , the present invention will be reviewed and considered in connection with known prior art references . by way of background , prior patents include : r . h . reiss u . s . pat . no . 3 , 185 , 530 , granted may 25 , 1965 , which shows a complex full length drawer slide which must be moulded for the exact drawer length ; c . j . dean u . s . pat . no . 3 , 923 , 347 , granted dec . 2 , 1975 , which shows a drawer locking mechanism operative at the rear of a drawer assembly ; and k . h . gutner u . s . pat . no . 3 , 658 , 394 , granted apr . 25 , 1972 , showing two sheet metal members forming an &# 34 ; overcomeable stop &# 34 ; in a slide assembly extending the full length of a drawer . in the following paragraphs , some general features , improvements and advantages of the invention will be recapitulated and reviewed in the light of the above prior patents , and commercial drawer construction techniques . specifically , the system of the invention provides a drawer guide means that substantially eliminates side play and tipping of the drawer in relation to the cabinet or piece of furniture in which it is installed . it permits quick mounting and fastening of the guide to the drawer , and by virtue of its unique shape and self rigidizing structure , allows for very economical manufacturing . it can be readily and reliably moulded from a self lubricating plastic which provides for a smooth and quiet operating function when sliding in a metal channel attached to a cabinet or furniture structure . an integral resilient stop arrangement is provided which is a positive , manually released device , not merely a warning device . by their very nature , many of the known drawer guide systems do not adequately provide arrangements to eliminate undesirable side play in a drawer unit unless a substantial amount of time is spent in adjusting rollers , or shimming to make a drawer precisely fit the opening . even then , as the drawer is pulled further from its opening , wobble and side play increase in proportion , or more than proportionately to the withdrawal . certain constructional features contributing to the improved results will now be reviewed . the plastic drawer guide is triangular or delta in shape , having two rail members spaced apart and a cantilevered strip with a hooked end between these at its rear or base portion . this is a unique feature of the delta guide , since prior art drawer guide units that claim to prevent side play ( such as the reiss reference ) show a drawer member that runs the full length of the drawer and fastens onto the back and the front of the drawer structure . the delta guide may be secured to the drawer only at the drawer back . the two screws at each extreme corner provide a very rigid structure and prevent any lateral movement . the two screws through the flange portion prevent the guide from pulling away from the drawer bottom when the drawers center of gravity falls outside the face of the cabinet and the front wants to come down and the back up , such as in a fully extended position , and these screws are then under shear forces . the guide can also be stapled with an air gun stapler along the rear of the delta guide and in the flange near where the screw holes are shown in fig5 for example . the guide of the present invention , because of the flange and short length , can be easily squared with the rear of the drawer back , and a centering jig can be used to center it between the drawer sides prior to fastening . in a mass production shop the one location along the back for fastening results in a great savings of labor since the operator is not shifting the staple gun from one area to another . also , since the delta guide does not fasten to the drawer front as do full length drawer guides , the machining which would be required in some type of drawer construction , to accept the full length drawer guide is eliminated . some prior art drawer guide systems , such as that shown in the reiss patent , have used full length guide members on the drawer with fairly loose tolerances between the cabinet member and drawer member for most of the length of the drawer , and have relied on a device at one end of the drawer guide member to have a frictional contact or close contact with the member secured to the cabinet , to eliminate side play . therefore , as mentioned earlier , the drawer has a fair amount of wobble when extended and only upon closing does it prevent side play . the delta guide , because of its small size relative to the full length drawer guide , permits the securing of a very accurate part from an injection moulding process . the tolerance between the guide and steel channel that the guide slides in is approximately 0 . 005 inch . the matching steel guide may be held to about 0 . 001 inch tolerances . since the guide is only about 7 inches in length and an average size drawer for a kitchen cabinet is 21 inches , this 0 . 005 inch will be multiplied about three times to approximately 0 . 015 inch to 0 . 018 inch at the drawer front . this provides a drawer with a sufficiently low side play tolerance for the highest quality cabinet and furniture applications and in addition , keeps the drawer tracking straight throughout its length . in view of its small size and weight , the delta guide can be moulded from a thermoplastic material for a fraction of the cost of full length systems . also , because of its size , it can be moulded to closer tolerances than larger sizes which of necessity must have larger tolerances due to warpage of materials of this type when they are of substantial length ( such as the reiss guide ). an additional advantage is that the delta guide will fit all drawer depths due to the smaller size and the fact that it does not fasten at the front and back of the drawer but only at the back . this results in a great savings in manufacturing and also for the cabinent or furniture manufacturer since he does not have to inventory a multiplicity of different drawer lengths . particularly for the custom manufacturer who builds cabinets of all depths , all that is necessary is to cut the mating steel channel to the cabinet depth required . in the case of the full length drawer guide of reiss , for example , if this were attempted on the drawer guide member , some function of the guide would have to be cut off in order for it to fit a shorter drawer . the universal applicability of a single guide becomes particularly important when the several thousand dollar cost of a single injection moulding die is considered . thus , the savings achieved extend from manufacturing , through inventory and simplified manufacturing operations . an additional feature of the delta guide , which is an inherent part of its structure is that , when a drawer is picked up at the front , as when the drawer is fully extended , the front of the guide will stay in the channel and allow the drawer bottom to be lifted away from it . the guide possessing enough resiliency in the plastic to be pulled away from the bottom at the front end of the delta guide a considerable distance and still return to a close fit with the bottom with no damage to the guide or excess stress on the fastening means . the drawer however still maintains lateral stability and the drawer can not be untracked from the steel channel and the &# 34 ; moulded in &# 34 ; positive stop . with regard to the stop arrangements shown in the reiss and gutner patents , their &# 34 ; stops &# 34 ; are principally warning devices of either a frictional or resilient nature , or a full length guide system which rely on moulded in areas to achieve the same result . they are both devices which can be overcome by a sustained pull , or lifting the front a small amount , and all are marginal as far as a positive stopping is concerned . as an example , a child who is not mindful of the warning device could pull the drawer out , with danger to himself . also , for recreational vehicles such as mobile homes and campers , the drawers equipped with this invention could not be shaken out of the cabinet by vibration or acceleration while the vehicle is in motion . the stop device does not require any additional cost to manufacture . after the drawer has been removed reinsertion is easy as the cammed end of the cantilevered plastic strip readily overrides the upstanding metal tab in the steel channel . the drawer may be withdrawn at will by merely pressing on the exposed cantilevered strip so that the right angle abutting surface clears the upstanding metal tab . the drawer can then be slid out of the drawer opening without any pulling or lifting up of the drawer front to clear a projection as is required in some prior art arrangements . an additional feature , contributing to smooth and effortless drawer action , is the small surface area of the guide rails in contact with the slide channel as compared to other full length systems , such as that of reiss , which use moulded in areas to reduce frictional contact between the cabinet channel and drawer guide . in conclusion , while particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects , and therefore , the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention .	0
a description of an embodiment of the present invention will be given in conjunction with fig1 to 3 . in fig1 and 2 , elements or parts corresponding to those in fig4 are designated with like numerals , thus detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted in fig1 a field current control circuit 2a , serving as a first control means , is equipped with terminals 22 to 25 in the same manner as the foregoing conventional field current control circuit 2 , and is additionally provided with a terminal 26 . a high - voltage load control unit 5a , acting as a second control means , has terminals 51 to 56 like the aforesaid conventional high - voltage load control unit 5 , and further has terminals 57 and 58 terminal 57 is connected to the terminal 26 of the field current control circuit 2a , while the terminal 58 is connected with a terminal 13 of a power generating unit 1 and a terminal 85 of a switching relay 8 . with this arrangement , the high - voltage load control unit 5a monitors the potential difference between the terminals 58 and 54 , that is , the potential difference ( corresponding to the voltage drop ) between a fixed contact 82b and a relay movable contact 82 serving as an opening and closing section of a switching means , thus allowing the voltage drop at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 to be detected . the high - voltage load control unit 5a , as will be described later , performs a comparison between the detected voltage drop value and a predetermined reference value , and if the voltage drop value at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 exceeds the predetermined reference value , when the switching relay 8 is switched from the high - voltage operating mode to the normal - voltage operating mode a predetermined duty pulse signal , as a control signal is forcefully supplied through the terminal 57 to the terminal 26 of the field current control circuit 2a . whereupon , the field current control circuit 2a operates such that a given field current of a storage battery 3 flows into a field winding 11b of an ac generator 11 , with the result that the ac generator 11 temporarily generates power , and the generation current from the power generating unit 1 passes through the switching relay 8 . accordingly , at the moment when the movable contact 82 of the switching relay 8 is separated from the fixed contact 82b , an arc is generated therebetween , which can destroy the oxide film or the like on the surface of the fixed contact 82b . fig2 is a circuit diagram showing one example of a concrete circuit arrangement of the high - voltage load control unit 5a . in fig2 the high - voltage load control unit 5a is composed of a drive circuit 100 for operating the switching relay 8 , a drive circuit 110 for driving the field current control circuit 2a , and a control circuit 120 for controlling the drive circuits 100 and 110 . the drive circuit 100 includes a transistor 101 , a surge - absorbing diode 102 , and resistors 103 and 104 . the collector of the transistor 101 is coupled to the terminal 52 and further connected through the diode 102 to the terminal 51 , while the emitter thereof is grounded , and the base thereof is connected through the resistor 103 to the terminal 51 and further connected with the output side of a delay circuit 129 of a control circuit 120 which will be described later . in addition , one end of the resistor 104 is in coupled with to the terminal 51 , whereas the other end thereof is connected to the positive power terminal + b . the drive circuit 110 is provided with transistors 111 , 112 , and resistors 113 , 114 , 115 . the resistors 113 , 114 and 115 are connected in series to each other and disposed between the positive power terminal + b and the ground . the node ( junction ) between the resistors 113 and 114 is connected to the terminal 53 , while the node between the resistors 114 and 115 is connected with the collector of the transistor 111 . in addition , the emitter of the transistor 111 is grounded , and the base thereof is connected with the output side of an or circuit 127 of the control circuit 120 which will be described later . the collector of the transistor 112 is coupled to the node between the resistors 113 and 114 , while the emitter thereof is grounded and the base thereof is connected to the output terminal of an exclusive or circuit 131 of the control circuit 120 . the control circuit 120 has comparators 121 to 124 , a pulse generator 125 , a nand circuit 126 , an or circuit 127 , an inverter 128 , delay circuits 129 , 130 , and an exclusive or circuit 131 . the inverting terminal of the comparator 121 is connected with the terminal 54 , and the non - inverting terminal thereof is connected with the terminal 58 . the non - inverting terminal of the comparator 122 is connected with the output side of the comparator 121 , and the inverting terminal thereof is connected to a reference terminal ref to which a given reference voltage is applied which serves as a discrimination ( reference ) value of the arc generation . further , the non - inverting terminal of the comparator 123 is connected with the terminal 55 and the inverting terminal thereof is connected with a reference terminal ref 1 to which a given reference voltage is supplied which is set in relation with the temperature of a high - voltage load 9 . the non - inverting terminal of the comparator 124 is connected relation to the terminal 56 , and the inverting terminal thereof is coupled relation to a reference terminal ref 2 to which a given reference voltage is applied which is determined , for example , in relation to the speed of the engine . the given reference voltage being applied to the reference terminal ref 1 of the comparator 122 and serving as the discrimination value of the arc generation is set to , for a voltage value which is the result of the multiplication of the maximum generation current of the power generating unit 1 at the time of supply to the high - voltage load 9 by the contact resistance of the fixed contact 82b having an oxide film or the like thereon . furthermore , the first input terminal of the nand circuit 126 is connected to the output side of the comparator 122 , the second input terminal thereof is coupled to the output terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 , and the third input terminal thereof is connected with the output side of the pulse generator 125 generating a pulse signal with a given duty ratio . one input terminal of the or circuit 127 is in connection with the output side of the comparator 123 , and the other input terminal thereof takes connection with the output side of the comparator 124 , while the output terminal thereof is connected through the inverter 128 to the input side the delay circuit 129 and further to one input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 . the output side of the delay circuit 129 is connected with the input side of the delay circuit 130 , the output side of the delay circuit 130 being connected with the other input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 . next , a description will be made in conjunction with the time chart of fig3 in terms of the operation of the fig1 and 2 circuits . the operation in this embodiment is basically the same as the operation of the fig4 conventional system except for the operation taken when the voltage drop at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 becomes excessive . now , the operation immediately after the switching relay 8 is switched from the high - voltage operating mode side to the normal operating mode side , the detection output ( voltage value ) of the temperature sensor 10 to be applied to the terminal 55 exceeds the reference value of the comparator 123 , or the engine rpm detection output ( voltage value ) from the engine control unit 20 to be applied to the terminal 56 becomes higher than the reference value of the comparator 124 . accordingly , a high - level ( hi ) signal s1 as shown by ( a ) in fig3 takes place at the output side of the or circuit 127 responsive to the outputs of the comparators 123 and 124 will be considered . this signal s1 is delivered to the base of the transistor 111 and further to the inverter 128 . a low - level ( lo ) signal s2 as indicated by ( b ) of fig3 appears at the output side of the inverter 128 inverting the signal s1 . this signal s2 is directly supplied to one input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 and further to the delay circuit 129 before being supplied as a low - level ( lo ) signal s3 ( see ( c ) fig3 ) to the base of the transistor 101 and further led to the delay circuit 130 before being delivered as a low - level ( lo ) signal s4 ( see ( d ) of fig3 ) to the other input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 . whereupon , a low - level ( lo ) signal s5 as indicated by ( e ) of fig3 is sent from the output side of the exclusive or circuit 131 to the base of the transistor 112 . at this time , as indicated by ( f ), ( g ) and ( h ) of fig3 the transistors 111 , 112 and 101 are in the on , off and off states , respectively . accordingly , a voltage ( the voltage across the resistor 114 ) made by the division caused by the resistors 113 and 114 is obtainable as a middle - potential level ( m ) signal s6 as indicated by ( i ) of fig3 at the terminal 53 . this signal s6 is supplied , as the reference value for the control voltage of the power generating unit 1 at the time of the normal operating mode , to the terminal 25 of the field current control circuit 2a , by which supply the normal operating mode starts as described above . secondly , if in the normal operating mode the detection output ( voltage value ) of the temperature sensor 10 to be applied to the terminal 55 becomes lower than the reference value of the comparator 123 and the engine speed detection output ( voltage value ) of e engine control unit 20 to be applied to the terminal 56 also becomes lower than the reference value of the comparator 124 , a low - level ( lo ) signal s1 as indicated by ( a ) of fig3 develops at the output side of the or circuit 127 which receive signals from the comparators 123 , 124 . the signal s1 goes to the base of the transistor 111 and further to the inverter 128 . as a result , a high - level ( hi ) signal s2 as indicated by ( b ) of fig3 is issued at the output side the inverter 128 inverting the signal s1 . this signal s2 is directly input to one input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 . thus , at this time , the transistor first turns off , then the transistor 112 turns on , with the result that a signal s6 with the ground potential , i . e ., a low - potential level ( l ) as indicated by ( i ) of fig3 is obtainable at the terminal 53 . this signal s6 is applied , as the control voltage reference value for the power generating unit 1 to be taken in switching from the normal operating mode to the high - voltage operating mode , to the terminal 25 of the field current control circuit 2a so that the power generating unit 1 comes into a non - generating state . on the other hand , in a state in which the power generating unit 1 is in a non - generating state , the high - level ( hi ) signal s2 developing at the output side of the inverter 128 is delayed by a given time period as indicated by ( c ) of fig3 so as to be supplied to the base of the transistor 101 as the signal s3 which becomes a high level ( hi ) when a given time period elapses after the signal s2 turns into the high level ( hi ). consequently , the transistor 101 comes into the on state so that the relay coil 81 of the switching relay 8 is energized to cause the relay movable contact 82 to switch from the contact 82a side to the contact 82b side , i . e ., switch from the system voltage load 7 side to the high - voltage load 9 side . at this time , the power generating unit 1 is still in the non - generating state , and hence no generation current flows into the switching relay 8 , with the result let no arc generation takes place between the relay movable contact 82 and contact 82b of the switching relay 8 . thereafter , the signal s3 is further delayed by a given time period in the delay circuit 130 so as to be supplied as a high - level ( hi ) signal s4 as indicated by ( d ) of fig3 to the other input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 , with the result that a signal s5 at the output side of the exclusive or circuit 131 turns from the high level ( hi ) state into the low level ( lo ) state as indicated by ( e ) of fig3 so that the transistor 112 comes from the on state into the off state . accordingly , the voltage ( the voltage across the resistors 114 , 115 ), being divided with the resistors 113 , 114 and 115 , is obtainable at the terminal 53 as a high - potential level ( h ) signal s6 as shown by ( i ) of fig3 . this signal s6 is led , as the reference value for the control voltage of the power generating unit 1 in the high - voltage operating mode , to the terminal 25 of the field current control circuit 2a , thereby causing the operation to enter into the high - voltage operating mode as described above . moreover , when the detection output ( voltage value ) of the temperature sensor 10 to be applied to the terminal 55 becomes higher than the reference value of the comparator 123 or the engine speed detection output ( voltage value ) of the engine control unit 20 to be applied to the terminal 56 becomes higher than the reference value of the comparator 124 , the operation is switched from the high - voltage operating mode to the normal operating mode . in this case , as well for that as described above , the switching relay 8 is switched after the power generating unit 1 comes into a non - generating state , and hence no arc is generated between the relay movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 . next , a description will be made hereinbelow in terms of the operation taken when the voltage drop at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 becomes large , more specifically , the operation taken switching from the high - voltage operating mode to the normal operating mode . the high - voltage load control unit 5a monitors , using the comparator 127 , the potential difference between the terminals 58 and 54 , i . e ., the potential difference ( voltage drop ) between the relay movable contact 82 and the fixed contact 82b , and supplies the comparison output to the next - stage comparator 122 as a value corresponding to the voltage drop so as to conduct the comparison with its reference value . if the voltage drop value exceeds the reference value ref 1 , the comparator 122 issues a high - level signal to its own output side to output it to the nand circuit 126 . this nand circuit 126 receives the high - level ( hi ) signal s5 at the time of the switching of the operating mode even as seen from ( e ) of fig3 . therefore , when the high - level signal is delivered from the comparator 122 to the nand circuit 126 , the gate of the nand circuit 126 essentially gets into the open state so as to allow a pulse signal with a given duty ratio from the pulse generator 125 to pass through the nand circuit 126 as the control signal so as to be led through the terminal 57 to the terminal 26 of the field current control circuit 2a . as a result , the field current control circuit 2a intermittently on / off - controls the transistor 21 on the basis of the control signal to the terminal 26 , with the result that a given field current due to the battery 3 flows through the field winding 11b of the ac generator 11 . accordingly , the ac generator 11 temporarily carries out the generation so that the generation current flows from the power generating unit 1 into the switching relay 8 to cause an arc to develop between the movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 at the moment when the movable contact 82 is separated from the fixed contact 82b so as to destroy the oxide film or the like on the surface of the fixed contact 82b and other portions . at this time , it is desirable that the field current to the field winding 11b of the ac generator 17 be set to a given value , for example , below 1 / 2 of that in the full - exciting state ( the full - conductive state of the transistor 21 ), thus suppressing the generation current of the power generating unit 1 in order to prevent the contacts and others of the switching relay 8 from being damaged due to the large generation current . for this reason , the duty ratio of the pulse signal from the pulse generator 125 is set to half ( 50 %) relative to the duty ratio ( 100 %) in the full - exciting state so as to satisfy the foregoing conditions . that is , the switching operation of the switching relay 8 is made in a state in which the field current flowing into the field winding 11a of the alternating - current generator is decreased by a predetermined quantity . as described above , according to this embodiment , when switching from the high - voltage operating mode for driving the high - voltage load to the normal operating mode for driving the system voltage load in addition to charging the battery , a given field current is compulsorily made to flow through the power generating unit 1 which in turn , temporarily carries out the generation so that the generation current causes arcing to take place between the relay movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 . this can easily break and remove the oxide film and the like attached onto the surface of the fixed contact 82b and so on , thus preventing a conductive failure in the switching relay 8 . in addition , with the field current at the time of the arc occurrence being substantially controlled with a duty ratio , the arc energy is adjustable to keep from shortening the life of the switching relay 8 . a second embodiment of this invention will now be described below . although in the foregoing embodiment the arc is designed to occur when the voltage at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 becomes large , it is also appropriate for the arc to be made to develop similarly when the voltage drop at the other fixed contact 82a of switching relay 8 exceeds a predetermined value . that is , the high - voltage load control unit 5a monitors , using the comparator 121 , the potential difference between the terminals 51 and 54 , i . e ., the potential difference ( voltage drop ) between the relay movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82a , and compulsorily gives a given field current to the power generating unit 1 to permit the power generating unit 1 to temporarily generate a power as described before , by which generation current the arcing takes place between the movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82a of the switching relay 8 . thus , even in this case , as well as the aforementioned embodiment , it is possible to destroy and remove the oxide film and the like on the surface of the fixed contact 82 etc , thus preventing conductive failure in the switching relay 8 . furthermore , although in the foregoing first and second embodiments the potential difference between the fixed contact and movable contact of the switching relay is detected to use it as the discrimination value for the occurrence of the arc , in a third embodiment of this invention , for example , the high - voltage load control unit 5a includes a timer ( not shown ) in place of the comparator 121 so as to measure the off time period of the transistor 112 to monitor the contact energization time , i . e ., connection time of the movable contact 82 with the fixed contact 82b or 82a so that the arc occurs when the connection time becomes longer than a predetermined reference time preset in the comparator 122 . accordingly , just as in the first and second embodiments , the oxide film and the like on the contacts 82a , 82b are easily breakable and removable , which can prevent conductive failure in the switching relay 8 . in addition , if the given reference time is appropriately set , unnecessary arc occurrence can be prevented to result in slower the deterioration of the switching relay 8 . moreover , in this case , cables and the like between the terminals 54 , 86 and the terminals 58 , 85 becomes unnecessary , thus improving the workability and lowering costs accordingly . in a fourth embodiment , as well as in the foregoing third embodiment , the high - voltage load control unit 5a is equipped with a counter ( not shown ) in place of the comparator 121 so that the counter counts the number of times the transistor 101 is switched on / off . when number of times of the switching operation exceeds a reference value preset in the comparator 22 , the arc is designed to take place . this embodiment can have the same effects as the third embodiment . it should be understood that the foregoing relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention , and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiments of the invention herein used for the purpose of the disclosure , which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , although the description applies to motor vehicles , this invention is also applicable to other fields such as marine vessels and aircraft .	7
fig3 illustrates the basic pattern of the novel mesh pad structure . the imd , 10 , is separated into cells by perpendicular arrays of metal filled via trenches . the array 14 is denoted the vertical array and the array 16 the horizontal array . the strength of the imd - via trench structure is higher than that of the traditional imd - via hole structures , such as those depicted in fig1 a , 1 b and 1 c . thus , initiation of cracks in the imd will occur less frequently for the mesh pad structure than for traditional structures utilizing via holes , such as those depicted in fig1 a , 1 b and 1 c . furthermore , even in the remote possibility of initiation of a crack in the imd of a mesh pad structure , the crack could only propagate as far as the metal filled trench which border the imd cells . thus the crack size is limited to be less than about the cell diagonal . in the case of traditional via hole pad structures , such as those depicted in fig1 a , 1 b and 1 c , the crack can propagate over large distances avoiding metal filled via holes . the reduced damage in the case of a mesh pad structure is manifested in substantial improvement of the quality and reliability of the bonding pad . basic elements of a bonding pad structure consist of metal layers , emanating from the terminals of the chip devices , separated by imd layers . also there is an imd layer separating the uppermost metal layer from a bonding metal pattern that is formed over this imd layer and there are metal connectors passing through the imd layers connecting the metal layers to the bonding metal pattern . wires are bonded to the bonding metal pattern and to the chip package forming electrical connections between the chip and the package . a passivation layer covers the surface , except over the bonding sites , to seal the chip from contaminants and for scratch protection . a mesh via trench pattern can be used between any two levels of metal . however , its crack resistance properties are mostly utilized when used between the uppermost metal layer and the bonding metal pattern . to form the via trench pattern , a blanket dielectric layer is first formed over the uppermost metal layer , using techniques well known to those skilled in the art . this dielectric layer is often silicon oxide . composite layers are useful in relieving internal stress in the dielectric , stress that contributes to cracking in the dielectric layer , and preferred embodiments of the invention utilize such layers . composite dielectric layers that are used to relieve internal stress include dual oxide layers , where , for instance , one of the layers is formed using hdp and the other using peteos , for example , 7000 angstroms can be deposited using hdp and 17000 angstroms using peteos . however , composite dielectric layers do not protect the imd layers from cracking as a result of stresses arising during chip packaging . this protection is achieved by the novel mesh pad structures of the embodiments of the invention . in contrast to the traditional bonding pad , in which via holes through the imd layer are used to provide electrical connection between the metal layers , in a mesh pad structure electrical connection is achieved by via trenches . via trenches are formed using the same well known processes as via holes , except that the shapes of the openings are rectangular - like . via trench layouts are designed to separate the imd into small cells , which , when the trenches are filled with metal , are essentially surrounded by metal filled trenches . for trench widths of between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 5 micrometers and for trench lengths between about 0 . 1 and 100 micrometers , which also provides the cell dimension , the imd strength is significantly increased , and crack sizes are limited to less than about the cell diagonal . a via trench layout according to preferred embodiments of the invention in which trenches do not intersect is shown in fig4 . this form of layout will be referred to as the nonintersecting layout . arrays of horizontal , 16 , and vertical , 14 , trenches nearly divide the imd layer , 10 , into cells though they do not intersect . trench widths are between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 5 micrometers and the trench lengths are between about 0 . 1 and 100 micrometers for trenches in both the vertical and horizontal arrays . in this layout there is a separation between a trench and its perpendicular neighbors . an advantage of nonintersecting via trenches is that there is a tendency toward void formation when filling an intersection with metal and nonintersecting via trenches avoids this void formation . in this layout the trenches do not fully surround the imd . however , if the ratio between the spacing of perpendicular trenches , 24 , to the spacing of parallel trenches , 26 , is kept small , less then about ⅕ , cracks will not propagate much beyond a cell before being stopped by a trench . a spacing of perpendicular trenches greater then about 0 . 1 micrometers is required , however , to avoid overlap . another trench layout according to preferred embodiments of the invention is referred to as the bricklaying layout and is depicted in fig5 . here the trenches , 14 and 16 , do actually divide the infd layer , 10 , into closed cells . however , even though the vertical and horizontal trench arrays do not completely cross each other , there is , t - shaped overlap at positions , 18 . void formation still occurs during metal filling of the trenches at overlaps such at positions 18 , however this is at a reduced frequency as compared with crossing intersections . trench widths are between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 5 micrometers and the trench separation is between about 0 . 1 and 10 micrometers for horizontal trenches and between about 0 . 1 and 10 micrometers for vertical trenches . to further reduce the tendency for void formation at the overlaps , a trench layout , denoted as the modified bricklaying layout and shown in fig6 , is utilized in other preferred embodiments of the invention . except for overlap region , 20 , the trench layout and dimensions for the modified bricklaying layout are similar to the trench layout and dimension for the bricklayer layout . the overlap region , 20 , for the modified bricklaying layout is reduced from that of the overlap region , 18 , for the bricklaying layout and results in a reduction in voiding . modified bricklaying overlaps between 0 . 1 and 1 micrometer of the bricklaying overlap achieve significant reductions in voiding , yet provide complete enclosure of the imd in the cells . filling of the via trenches with conductive material is accomplished , in preferred embodiments of the invention , using w plug processes , which are well known to those versed in the art . other embodiments of the invention utilize alternative plug processes , such as al plug , cu plug , or silicide plug processes . following the metal filling of the trenches , chemical / mechanical polishing ( cmp ), a process well known to practitioners of the art , is used to planarize the surface . bonding metal patterns are then deposited , according to procedures well known to those versed in the art . wires are bonded to bonding metal patterns and a passivation layer is formed , using processes , for both , that well known to those versed in the art . while the invention 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 detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
fig1 shows a general network system including user workstations 1 a , 1 b , 1 c ( e . g ., pcs ) and a centralized printing facility 3 such as is often called a “ central repro department ” ( crd ), all connected by a network 10 such as a local area network , or even the internet . the crd includes a plurality of printing devices 4 a , 4 b , 4 c and a server 5 , which will normally be a pc . the crd may also include a document database 6 or be connected to a central database facility acting as a document database . the devices in the crd are interconnected by a local network 11 , which may be part of the general network 10 . in operation , users prepare documents on their workstations and submit the resulting document data files to the crd for printing and possibly storage in the database 6 . the files for printing are received by the server 5 and are , under the control of a crd operator , transferred to a printer device 4 a , 4 b or 4 c . the server 5 runs program software and so forms a system for editing and specifying the print processing of the print job that produces the prints according to the document file submitted by the users . this software has three separate chapters , as exemplified by fig2 : page - level specification 21 , including page editing functionality , such as page layout specification and image processing ; document - level specification 22 for composing documents from page images ; and production - level specification 23 , directed to the physical production control . the present invention relates to the above - mentioned system for editing and specifying print processing , and in particular the document - level specification 22 thereof the present invention provides a user interface for the system , and is embodied in software running in the server 5 . in operation , the document specification software features a document workspace that offers all functionality that is needed to transform pages into a fully programmed job . in this workspace the user defines the layout , the media and the finishing options . it is also possible to add elements such as page numbers and tab captions . as shown in fig3 , the document workspace offers a document view 30 on the display screen of the server 5 . the document view 30 is divided in two panes , the structure pane 33 and the preview pane 35 , which generally are displayed side - by - side . settings or specifications for programming a print job for a document file can be set in both the structure pane 33 and the preview pane 35 by first selecting one or a group of document pages and then selecting relevant functions . selection of a function can be done by using buttons 38 in the toolbar 37 or a context menu , as will be described below . first , the document view display includes a toolbar 37 , which contains buttons 38 for the most important functionality available in the document view . each button 38 includes an icon ( schematic in fig3 ) and a caption . some of the toolbar buttons are of a “ combined ” type , i . e . they offer multiple ( related ) selectable functions in a dropdown button menu . the button caption displays the selected menu item . the toolbar 37 shown in fig3 is only schematic . it may hold the buttons 38 as shown in table 1 below : second , by right - clicking the mouse on a selected document page anywhere in the document view display , the user may call up a context menu as shown in fig4 a , and select specifications for the print processing of that page . the options available from the exemplary context menu are specified in more detail in table 2 below , and are given as an example only . other , more or less options may be envisaged . in table 2 below , arrowheads indicate the presence of secondary menus . the options of the secondary menus are given directly below the main item in table 2 . furthermore , in table 2 below , “ . . . ” indicates that upon this selection , a secondary window will be opened for specifying the required operation further . menu options preceded by “{ }” are single actions not requiring further specification . in the submenu of “ assign media ”, the “ from catalogue . . . ” item opens a “ media catalogue ” in a secondary window . below this item , a quick pick list ( subset of media catalogue ) is displayed ( fig4 b ). in this list , media icons are displayed in front of the submenu items . the structure pane 33 ( fig3 ) and its operation will now be described in more detail with reference to fig4 a and 4b . the structure pane offers an overview on the document as well as easy navigation and selection of pages . in the structure pane , the pages and blank sheets in the document are displayed in a list 31 , having a sequence number and an icon for each page . ghost pages ( i . e . pages not programmed but nevertheless present , e . g . back sides of single sided prints ) are not displayed . additional information about the pages is displayed in group columns 32 , each dedicated to a particular grouping criterion or property . in the structure pane , pages can be grouped on several criteria . as shown in fig5 , pages may , for instance , be grouped on the criteria ( sub ) section , media and finishing . groups are very handy in the print specification process , since they may be selected and ( re -) programmed at once . groups may be formed by selecting a range of pages in the document view . groups are visualized in the structure pane 33 by means of group columns 32 . every column contains a summary bar 51 , 52 , 53 , containing icons giving feedback about the properties of the group , and group labels displaying these properties in text . within the summary bar , groups have alternatingly different appearances , such as background color and / or , as in fig5 , perimeter line , for better distinguishability . clicking on a group in a summary bar has the effect of selecting the entire group . this may be done for collectively operating on all members of the group , such as changing a group property . for example , in fig3 , page 2 is selected as shown by the dark background color of the corresponding row 36 , as well as by a dark outline in the preview pane , to be described later . each group column has a header icon 55 and a header label 56 displaying the grouping criterion . by double - clicking the header icon 55 of a group column , the group labels may be suppressed ; by again double - clicking the header icon 55 , the group labels are restored . also , the group label area of a group column may be narrowed by dragging the header icon of the neighboring group column into it . in fig5 , group columns are shown for the following grouping criteria ( or property ): ( sub ) section — the sequential pages that belong to the same ( sub ) section form a ( sub ) section group . sections are divisions defined by the user according to document content criteria , such as chapters , and can be subdivided in subsections . several sub - levels are possible . in fig5 , the section column 51 is divided in sections 51 - 1 , 51 - 2 and 51 - 3 of the document . sub - levels are shown in fig6 and will be explained below . media — the sequential pages that have the same media form a media group . the media column 52 is divided in media groups 52 - 1 , 52 - 2 , 52 - 3 , 52 - 4 and 52 - 5 in the document . finishing — the sequential pages that are finished together ( e . g ., a stapled set ) form a finishing group . the finishing column 53 is divided in finishing groups 53 - 1 , 53 - 2 and 53 - 3 in the document . the user can define which group columns are visible in the structure pane 33 , and can change the order and width of the group columns as will be explained below . the present invention is not limited to the grouping criteria disclosed above . other criteria are well within the scope of the present invention , such as , e . g . “ author ” ( e . g ., for multi - authored documents ), date of production , color properties , etc . still other criteria are plexity ( simplex or duplex ) and / or force ( forced use of front side or back side of a sheet ) attribute of a page . this makes it possible to select a range of 1 - sided or 2 - sided pages with one click . fig6 shows an example of the sub - division of sections into subsections . if multiple levels are defined in the document , these may be made visible in the section group column . for every level a summary bar 51 - a , 51 - b and 51 - c is displayed . the group labels 61 display the names of every section level . the group labels are placed behind all the summary bars . it is not always useful to see all levels of ( sub ) sections that are defined in the document . when they are not used , they only clutter the structure pane . therefore , in an additional embodiment of the present invention , the user is enabled to choose how many levels are visible , e . g . in the section column header . the leftmost group column is called the “ active column ”. the active column has different properties than the other columns . in the active column , groups may be collapsed and expanded as will be explained in more detail below . the active state may be visualized by the summary bars of the active column having different colors than those of the other columns . it should be noted that other ways of indicating that a column is the active one , including the positioning , may be contemplated . the user may change the order in which the group columns are displayed by dragging the column header to another position . if another group column is dragged to the leftmost position ( behind the page icon column ) this group column becomes the active column . the user can hide or show group columns in the structure pane by means of the “ view ” item in the windows menu bar and by means of the context menu ( right - click on a column header ). in both cases , a list of all available group columns is shown with clickable tick - marks . a non - ticked group column is not displayed (“ hidden ”). if a group in the active column contains multiple pages / blank sheets the group can be collapsed and expanded in a vertical direction by left - clicking on an expand / collapse icon as shown in fig7 . the expand / collapse icon may have the form of a small rectangle containing a minus sign 71 ( for collapse ) or a plus sign 72 ( for expand ). when a group in the active column is collapsed , the page number field of the collapsed set displays the sequence number range contained in the set . when a section group is collapsed , any subsections belonging to this section are no longer shown . if a group contains only 1 page or blank sheet , the group cannot be collapsed and the expand / collapse icon is not displayed . a group in the active column may be collapsed even though it contains multiple or partial groups in the other columns . fig8 a - 8d show successive steps of collapsing the “ section ” active column of a document having 10 pages . fig8 a depicts the initial situation , where all groups are completely displayed . if there is a group start or a group end in another column , within a collapsed set , then a combined group symbol 82 is shown in the summary bar of that column . the group label associated with a combined group is empty . furthermore , if a group is only partly contained in a collapsed set , the rest of that group remains visible in association with the not collapsed part of the display . this is shown in fig8 b , where the first section , “ chapter 1 ” is collapsed . as can be seen in fig8 b , the first 3 groups of the “ media ” column are collapsed into one combined group 82 and while within the “ finishing ” column , the first and part of the second groups are collapsed into a combined group 83 . the remaining part of the second “ finishing ” group , which falls within the second “ section ” group (“ chapter 2 “) remains visible ( 84 ) in the “ finishing ” summary bar . fig8 c and 8d show the effect of collapsing the sections “ chapter 2 ” and “ chapter 3 ,” respectively . buttons ( 39 , fig3 ) are provided in the footer of the structure pane for collectively expanding and collapsing all groups of the document . the preview pane 35 offers a wysiwyg preview of how the document will be after all production steps ( in - line and off - line ) are completed . to represent the document as realistically as possible , the document is shown in a spread view ( facing pages ) and all settings that effect the appearance of the document are displayed in the preview ( e . g . staples , tab captions , binding , media color , page numbers , etc .). one or more pages may be selected by clicking on them , in any of the preview pane 35 or in the structure pane 33 . tab captions are displayed in the spread view as shown in fig9 . the tabs that are before the left - hand page in the spread view are displayed ‘ behind ’ this page . if these tabs contain a caption at the rear side of the sheet this caption is displayed . likewise , the tabs that are behind the right - hand page in the spread view are displayed ‘ behind ’ this page . if these tabs contain a caption at the front side of the sheet this caption is displayed . if the mouse is over a tab caption a tooltip 92 displays this caption as well . tab captions may also be used for navigation . if a tab caption is clicked , the pane scrolls so that the corresponding page becomes visible . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .	6
the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings , wherein like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements . it will be readily understood that the components of the present invention , as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein , could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . thus , the following more detailed description , as represented in the figures , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed , but is merely representative of presently preferred embodiments of the invention . referring now to fig1 and 2 , a y - port device 10 is illustrated in an infusion system 12 wherein a patient 14 receives intravenous therapy via the insertion of a catheter tube 16 into the patient 14 . the infusion system 12 comprises a catheter tube 16 , a y - port device 10 , and intravenous tubing 21 . the infusion system may also include a pre - filled sterile container of fluids 22 or any other source of fluid and / or therapeutic agent . the y - port device 10 provides an access point in the catheter tube 16 thereby allowing a user and / or clinician to access the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system 18 without disturbing the catheter insertion site 20 or the pre - filled , sterile container of fluids 22 . the y - port device 10 permits access to the catheter tube via a valve 24 as located with a first tubular member 26 of the y - port device 10 . the valve 24 may be any valve adaptable to the present invention . for example , the valve may be a septum , where the septum may be bypassed in order to access the interior of the y - port device . in one embodiment the valve 24 is a split septum 46 wherein the septum 24 is cut in a generally longitudinal direction 30 such that a split 46 is created through the center of the valve 24 , this split 46 forming an access channel through the center of the valve 24 . the septum split 46 may be biased so as to remain in a closed position until the walls of the split 46 are forced apart by the introduction of a probe 53 into the split 46 . the probe 53 may be a blunt cannula 48 , such as a male luer , or any probe - like structure appropriately sized and adapted to access the fluid channel 38 of the infusion system 12 through the valve 24 . in another embodiment , as illustrated in fig4 , the valve 24 is a penetrable membrane 50 wherein the penetrable membrane 50 comprises a solid or semi - solid plug which may be penetrated by a sharp probe . the sharp probe may be a hypodermic needle 52 or any needle - like structure adapted to penetrate the membrane 24 and access the fluid channel 38 of the infusion system 12 . in one embodiment , the puncturable membrane 50 comprises a material that is capable of being punctured with a needle 52 whereupon the needle 52 cuts through the membrane 50 and creates an access path through the membrane 50 into the fluid channel 38 . the walls of the access path are forced apart by the presence of the needle 52 such that when the needle 52 is removed from the membrane 50 , the access path resumes a closed position thereby preventing a flashback and / or leakage of the fluid contained in the infusion system 12 . again referring to fig1 & amp ; 2 , the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system 18 is accessed as a probe 53 is inserted into the valve 24 whereupon the probe tip 54 is introduced into a flow path 44 . once the probe tip 54 is introduced into the flow path , the user and / or clinicians may access the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system 18 through the infusion system 12 . referring now to fig2 , the y - port device 10 is comprised of a first tubular member 26 having a first end 32 and a second end 34 and extending in a generally longitudinal direction 30 . the first tubular member 26 is generally cylindrical but may include other hollow , tube - like configurations such as square tubing or multi - angular tubing . the first tubular member 26 comprises a rigid , plastic material but may include flexible , pliable or non - rigid materials as well such as nylon tubing , polyurethane tubing , surgical tubing or teflon tubing . in one embodiment , the first tubular member 26 comprises polypropylene material and is rigid . the first tubular member 26 further comprises a first end 32 with an inner diameter to accommodate the fitting of a valve 24 . the inner diameter of the first end 32 is engineered to receive the valve 24 such that the valve 24 fits securely within the first end 32 in a fluidtight fashion . the valve 24 may be secured within the first end 32 by friction , by an adhesive and / or by a complimentary design wherein the valve 24 contains a feature that is complimented by a feature located on the interior surface of the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 such that the valve 24 and the first end 32 are locked together in a fluidtight fashion . the first tubular member 26 further comprises a second end 34 . the second end 34 is located at the end opposite to the first end 32 and has an inner diameter engineered to support intravenous tubing 16 such that the intravenous tubing 16 is irreversibly supported by the inner walls of the second end 34 of the first tubular member 26 in a fluidtight fashion . the intravenous tubing 16 may be supported by friction , an adhesive and / or by a complimentary design wherein the outer surface of the intravenous tubing 16 contains a feature that is complimented by a feature located on the interior surface of the second end 34 of the first tubular member 26 such that the intravenous tubing 16 and the second end 34 are locked together in a fluidtight fashion . the y - port device 10 further comprises a second tubular member 28 . the second tubular member 28 is generally cylindrical but may include other hollow , tube - like configurations such as square tubing or multi - angular tubing . the second tubular member 28 comprises a rigid , plastic material but may include flexible , pliable or non - rigid materials such as nylon tubing , polyurethane tubing , surgical tubing or teflon tubing . in one embodiment , the second tubular member 28 comprises polypropylene material and is rigid . the second tubular member 28 further comprises a first end 37 with an inner diameter engineered to support intravenous tubing 16 such that the intravenous tubing 16 is irreversibly supported by the inner walls of the first end 37 of the second tubular member 28 in a fluidtight fashion . the intravenous tubing 16 may be supported by friction , an adhesive and / or by a complimentary design wherein the outer surface of the intravenous tubing 16 contains a feature that is complimented by a feature located on the interior surface of the first end 37 of the second tubular member 28 such that the intravenous tubing 16 and the first end 37 are locked together in a fluidtight fashion . the second tubular member 28 further comprises a second end 39 . the second end 39 forms a junction 36 with the first tubular member 26 and the second tubular member 28 intersects the first tubular member 26 an angle θ of 90 ° or greater . for example , in one embodiment the second tubular member 28 intersects the first tubular member 26 at an angle θ of 120 °. in another embodiment , the second tubular member 28 intersects the first tubular member 26 at an angle θ that provides a continuous fluid channel 38 through the interior of the y - port device 10 . in another embodiment , the angle θ is selected to provide adequate clearance between the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 and the first end 37 of the second tubular member 28 such that a clinician may access the valve 24 without being encumbered by the position of the second tubular member 28 . the junction 36 between the first tubular member 26 and the second tubular member 28 may be formed by various plastic molding techniques including plastic injection molding and compression molding , and / or by various plastic joining techniques including heated tool , hot gas , laser welding , mechanical fastening and chemical bonding . the y - port device comprises a valve 24 , as previously discussed . the valve 24 is positioned within the first tubular member 26 such that a first end 40 of the valve 24 corresponds to the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 . the second end 42 of the valve 24 is angled at an angle θ ′ generally corresponding to the angle θ of the intersecting second tubular member 28 . for example , in one embodiment , the junction 36 is at an angle θ of 120 ° and the second end 42 of the valve 24 is at an angle θ ′ of 120 °. in another embodiment , the junction 36 is at an angle θ that provides a continuous fluid channel 38 through the interior of the y - port device 10 and the second end 42 of the valve 24 is at an angle θ ′ which is equal to angle θ . the second end 42 of the valve 24 abuts the fluid channel 38 such that there is no recessed cove or gap between the fluid channel 38 and the second end 42 of the valve 24 . the second end 42 of the valve 24 extends up to the fluid channel 38 , but does not extend into the fluid channel 38 . the flow path 44 runs through the fluid channel 38 and is in direct fluid communication with the second end 42 of the valve 24 such that the second end 42 comprises a portion of the perimeter of the fluid channel 38 , but does not disrupt and / or divert the flow path 44 . for example , in one embodiment a fluid enters the fluid channel 38 through the second tubular member 28 and continues through the fluid channel 38 bypassing the valve 24 and following the flow path 44 through the interior of the y - port device 10 , through the second end 34 of the first tubular member 26 and out of the y - port device 10 . in this same embodiment , the fluid bypasses the second end 42 of the valve 24 without changing its velocity or flow pattern due to the presence of the valve 24 . the interface between the second end 42 of the valve 24 and the fluid in the fluid channel 38 results in a uniform flow pattern and velocity of the fluid through the fluid channel 38 of the y - port adapter 10 . referring now to fig2 - 4 , the valve 24 may include a split septum 46 . the valve 24 may include a solid or semi - solid plug that is split in such a way as to allow a probe 53 access to the fluid channel 38 through the septum split 46 ( discussed above in detail ). the first end 40 of the valve 24 may extend to the rim of the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 such that the first end 40 of the valve 24 may be cleaned and / or sterilized prior to insertion of a probe 53 . for example , in one embodiment the first end 40 of the valve 24 is sterilized with an alcohol swap prior to the introduction of a blunt , male luer into the split 46 of the valve 24 . in another embodiment , the first end 40 of the valve 24 is sterilized with an alcohol swap prior to puncturing the membrane 50 of the valve 24 with a hypodermic needle 52 . the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 may be modified to include a feature 58 for attaching additional components of the infusion system . for example , in one embodiment the feature 58 is male threads adapted to compatibly receive female threads incorporated into one end of a probe 53 , such as a male luer . in another embodiment , the feature 58 is a raised portion of the outer surface of the first tubular member 26 wherein the raised portion is designed to receive a complementary clip 60 as incorporated into a probe 53 , such as a male luer . in this same embodiment , the complementary clip 60 engages the external feature 58 in a reversible manner such that the complementary clip 60 includes a pressure sensitive clasp or pinching mechanism 62 whereby a user and / or clinician may pinch the mechanism 62 to release the complementary clip 60 from the external feature 58 . it is also anticipated that the first end 37 of the second tubular member 28 and the second end 34 of the first tubular member 26 may also be modified to include a feature 58 for attaching additional components of the infusion system 12 as described above . referring now to fig5 , the valve 24 is positioned such that upon penetration of a probe 53 the probe tip 54 exits the second end 42 of the valve 24 directly into the fluid channel 38 permitting a fluid 56 to be infused directly into the flow path 44 thereby ensuring that all of the intended fluid 56 is infused into the infusion system 12 and into the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system 18 ( not shown ). the fluid channel 38 is configured such that the inner diameter of the fluid channel 38 is greater than the outer diameter of the probe 53 such that the probe 53 may enter the fluid channel 38 without blocking the flow path 44 . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its structures , methods , or other essential characteristics as broadly described herein and claimed hereinafter . for example , the present invention may be incorporated into any system comprising a valve and a fluid channel where undesirable stagnation or concentration of one fluid within another fluid occurs . for example , the present invention may be applied in a coolant system where a fluid with a first temperature is released into a fluid with a second temperature by means of a valve , wherein a concentration or stagnation of the first fluid within the second fluid , due to the recessed positioning of the valve , is undesirable . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims , rather than by the foregoing description . all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .	0
exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described below by reference to the attached figures . the described exemplary embodiments are intended to assist the understanding of the invention , and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way . like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . embodiments of the present invention can be used for cutting various shapes and cutouts in many different materials , and is not limited to any particular cutting processes . turning now to fig1 , an known plasma cutting system 100 is depicted . the plasma torch system 100 includes a cutting table 101 and plasma torch 103 . the construction and operation of cutting tables and plasma torches are well known by those of skill in the art and will not be discussed in detail herein . the system 100 can also use a torch height controller 105 which can be mounted to a gantry system 107 . the system 100 can also include a drive system 109 which is used to provide motion to the torch 103 relative to a workpiece positioned in the table 101 . a plasma cutting power supply 111 is coupled to the torch 103 to provide the desired current used to create the cutting plasma . the system 100 can also include a gas console 113 that can be used to regulate gas flow rates and pressures used for both the plasma and shield gas during the cutting operation . the console 113 can also be used to select different gases depending in the cutting operation that is being performed . that is , certain gases may be used for some cutting operations , but would not be used for others . the torch system 100 also includes a computer numeric controller ( cnc ) 115 , which can include a user input / display screen 117 . the screen 117 and cnc 115 are used by the user to input and read cutting operational parameters and data , and allow the system 100 to be used as an automated , programmable cutting system . various input parameters can be input by a user into the cnc , via the screen 117 ( or other means ) including : torch current , material type , material thickness , cutting speed , torch height , plasma and shield gas composition , etc . as stated above , the plasma system 100 can have many different configurations , and embodiments are not limited to that shown in fig1 , which is intended to be exemplary . however , each of the power supply 111 , console 113 , drive system 109 , torch height controller 105 , and cnc have separate and distinct controllers which control their respective operations . for example , the cnc 115 controller communicates with the power supply 111 controller and provides operational parameters to the power supply 111 controller , but then the power supply controller controls the discrete operation of the power supply . this functionality and relationship is true for all of the other components and can cause the issues generally described above , which are obviated by embodiments of the present invention . fig2 depicts an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , where the plasma cutting system 200 utilizes an integrated plasma cutting system 210 . specifically , unlike prior systems , the system 210 contains the power supply electronics module 211 which is used to generate the cutting signal that is sent to the torch 103 . that is , all of the power electronics which are used to generate the cutting current signal are located within the same housing 220 as the system controller 213 . the system controller 213 controls all aspects of the cutting operation . as shown , the controller 213 communicates with the power generation components of the power supply module 211 internal to the housing 220 . further , the controller 213 also directly controls the gas flow by directly communicating with a gas flow control device 225 which controls the flow of gas from the gas supply 221 through the gas line 223 to the flow control device 225 . additionally , the controller 213 directly communicates with the motion control device 209 and controls the operation of the motion control device 209 on the gantry system 107 . in addition to controlling the movement along the gantry 107 the controller 213 also controls the height of the torch 103 during operation of the system 200 , and / or the angling of the torch 103 for any desired bevel cutting . further , to the extent the table 101 has any automated or motion functions , the controller 213 can be coupled to the table 101 to control the table &# 39 ; s operations . for example , if the table is a water table or can move the workpiece , the controller 213 will control this operation . further , in exemplary embodiments , the controller 213 can control multiple torches operating at the same time . as shown , the integrated system 210 has a user input screen 217 and / or a user input device 218 ( like a keyboard ) to allow for the user to input and review various operational parameters and characteristics . it should also be noted that in some applications a second user input device can be positioned remote from the overall system to allow a user to control / operate the system remotely . such a user input device can be any type of device , such as a remote pendant , which allows for control of the system , and can have any known user input means , such as a touch screen , or the like . the remote user input device ( not shown ) can be any type of ios or android based device , or use any type of known or proprietary operating system to control the operation of the system as described herein . the secondary user input device can communicate with the system via any known wired or wireless method or protocol . in further exemplary embodiments , there will be no user interface or input screen on the system 210 , but a remote user interface device or system . in such a system the user interface device would have a separate microcontroller to control the operation of the user interface device , which can be a computer , pendant , or other remote device capable of communicating user input information to the system 210 . the use of such a system eliminates the need for separate control systems to control the operation of the power supply module 211 , gas flow , motion control and / or the torch . that is , the single controller 213 controls all of these operations as a single controller module . this centralized microprocessor architecture allows for the packaging of the power supply module 211 , the torch height control system , motion and process control , and gas control to be on one controller operating by a single microprocessor system . this eliminates the need to have multiple , discrete microprocessing control systems communicating and interacting with each other — which can cause communication issues or otherwise prevent optimal system functionality . for example , the use of the system 210 ( which is all within a single housing ) prevents the need for a stand - alone system controller ( e . g ., 115 ) to communicate with separate and distinct ( and remotely located ) controllers for all of the discrete system operations . as is generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , the controller 213 can be any type of computer system that controls the overall operation of the system 210 ( which then controls the overall operation of the system 200 ). as is general known , a controller 213 has a processor , electronic storage device , and an interface for providing control instructions to a plasma arc torch system 210 . the storage or memory device can be internal or external and can contain data relating to the part to be cut in the workpiece . in other embodiments , the controller 213 can be manually programmed , and in some embodiments the controller 213 can include a computer readable product that includes computer readable instructions that can select or configure operating parameters of the plasma torch system . in further exemplary embodiments the computer readable instructions can be cut charts , nesting software , or cad programs . such instructions typically include cutting information including instructions for the system 210 when cutting various holes , contours , shapes , etc ., taking into account the sizes and shapes of the holes / contours and the material being cut . as is generally understood the controller 213 can allow a user to cut numerous successive holes , contours , shapes or a combination of holes , contours shapes in a workpiece . for example , the operator can select a cutting program that includes both hole and contour cutting instructions , and the controller 213 will determine the order and positioning of the cuts , as well as the various parameters of the cuts based on the user input information . the user interface / screen 217 ( and / or input device 218 ) coupled to a controller 213 illustrates one possible hardware configuration to support the systems and methods described herein , that is being the controller for the system 210 . of course , similar controller type systems can be used to control and / or operate the systems described herein . in order to provide additional context for various aspects of the present invention , the following discussion is intended to provide a brief , general description of a suitable computing environment in which the various aspects of the present invention may be implemented . those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention also may be implemented in combination with other program modules and / or as a combination of hardware and software . generally , program modules include routines , programs , components , data structures , etc ., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types . moreover , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventive methods may be practiced with other computer system configurations , including single - processor or multiprocessor computer systems , minicomputers , mainframe computers , as well as personal computers , hand - held computing devices , microprocessor - based or programmable consumer electronics , and the like , each of which may be operatively coupled to one or more associated devices . the illustrated aspects of the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network . in a distributed computing environment , program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices . the controller 213 of the system 210 can utilize an exemplary environment for implementing various aspects of the invention including a computer , wherein the computer includes a processing unit , a system memory and a system bus . the system bus couples system components including , but not limited to the system memory to the processing unit . the processing unit may be any of various commercially available processors . dual microprocessors and other multi - processor architectures also can be employed as the processing unit . the system bus can be any of several types of bus structure including a memory bus or memory controller , a peripheral bus and a local bus using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures . the system memory can include read only memory ( rom ) and random access memory ( ram ). a basic input / output system ( bios ), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer , such as during start - up , is stored in the rom . the controller 213 can further include a hard disk drive , a magnetic disk drive , e . g ., to read from or write to a removable disk , and an optical disk drive , e . g ., for reading a cd - rom disk or to read from or write to other optical media . the controller can include at least some form of computer readable media . computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer . by way of example , and not limitation , computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media . computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile , removable and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data . computer storage media includes , but is not limited to , ram , rom , eeprom , flash memory or other memory technology , cd - rom , digital versatile disks ( dvd ) or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a user interface coupled to the controller . communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media . the term “ modulated data signal ” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal . by way of example , and not limitation , communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct - wired connection , and wireless media such as acoustic , rf , infrared and other wireless media . combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media . a number of program modules may be stored in the drives and ram , including an operating system , one or more application programs , other program modules , and program data . the operating system in the computer or the user interface can be any of a number of commercially available operating systems , or can use a proprietary operating system . in addition , a user may enter commands and information into the computer through a keyboard and a pointing device , such as a mouse . other input devices may include a microphone , an ir remote control , a track ball , a pen input device , a joystick , a game pad , a digitizing tablet , a satellite dish , a scanner , or the like . these and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit through a serial port interface that is coupled to the system bus , but may be connected by other interfaces , such as a parallel port , a game port , a universal serial bus (“ usb ”), an ir interface , and / or various wireless technologies . a monitor or other type of display device , may also be connected to the system bus via an interface , such as a video adapter . visual output may also be accomplished through a remote display network protocol such as remote desktop protocol , vnc , x - window system , etc . in addition to visual output , a computer typically includes other peripheral output devices , such as speakers , printers , etc . a display can be employed with a user interface coupled to the controller 195 to present data that is electronically received from the processing unit . for example , the display can be a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), plasma display , cathode - ray tube ( crt ) type display , light - emitting diode ( led ) type display , or another type of monitor or display that presents data electronically . alternatively or in addition , the display can present received data in a hard copy format such as a printer , facsimile , plotter , etc . the display can present data in any color and can receive data from a user interface via any wireless or hard wire protocol and / or standard . the computer can operate in a networked environment using logical and / or physical connections to one or more remote computers , such as a remote computer ( s ). the remote computer ( s ) can be a workstation , a server computer , a router , a personal computer , microprocessor based entertainment appliance , a peer device or other common network node , and typically includes many or all of the elements described relative to the computer . the logical connections depicted include a local area network ( lan ) and a wide area network ( wan ). such networking environments are commonplace in offices , enterprise - wide computer networks , intranets and the internet . when used in a lan networking environment , the computer is connected to the local network through a network interface or adapter . when used in a wan networking environment , the computer typically includes a modem , or is connected to a communications server on the lan , or has other means for establishing communications over the wan , such as the internet . in a networked environment , program modules depicted relative to the computer , or portions thereof , may be stored in the remote memory storage device . it will be appreciated that network connections described herein are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used . fig3 , depicts diagrammatical representation of the control / communication of systems of the present invention . as shown , the central microprocessor 213 controls the operation of each of the power supply electronics 211 , torch and gantry movement device 209 , torch height device 301 and gas flow control device 225 . of course , it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention do not eliminate all electronics from the peripheral devices ( e . g ., 209 , 301 , 225 ), as these devices will still have electronic devices like motors , servos , and simple control electronics . however , the central microprocessor 213 does provide all of the control and operational signals for all of the peripheral devices and the power supply electronics , and controls the operation of these components . that is , there is no intervening microprocessing controller which acts as an intermediate controller between the controller 213 and the various movement or operating components of the peripheral devices . it should be noted that in some exemplary embodiments , the user interface can have its own microprocessor , separate from the system microprocessor controlling operation of the cutting components . while the subject matter of the present application has been described with reference to certain embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the subject matter . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the subject matter without departing from its scope . therefore , it is intended that the subject matter not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed , but that the subject matter will include other embodiments .	1
the present invention includes methods of minimizing the security boundary of a gps receiver , especially while supporting a pps measurement interface . a pps measurement interface is herein defined to be an interface and circuitry adapted to output line - of - sight measurements from a keyed gps receiver together with enough satellite - related data to permit processing of those measurements with full pps accuracy into a solution for user position , velocity , and time . the following terms are referenced in this section and pertain to operation of a keyed gps receiver . a ( u ) following the term indicates that the data represented by the term is unclassified , while an ( s ) indicates that the data represented by the term is classified secret by the department of defense ( dod ). a ( fouo ) indicates that the data represented by the term is unclassified , but restricted for official use only . as used throughout this document , references to data being classified or unclassified is intended to represent the defined dod classification of the data . b = receiver &# 39 ; s or host &# 39 ; s estimate of range bias ( clock phase error x speed of light ) ( u ) d delay = deterministic correction for signal delays due to ionosphere , troposphere , and receiver hardware ( u ) d svclk = deterministic correction for satellite clock error as derived by an unkeyed receiver ( u ) cd svclk = deterministic correction for satellite clock error as derived by a keyed receiver ( with / without wage )( s ) cs = satellite position derived using ephemeris that has been corrected for sa error ( s ) e = unit line of sight vector from user to satellite ( u ) (= r / r , where r = cs - p and r =∥ r ∥) fig1 a diagrammatically illustrates a prior art pps - capable gps receiver 50 utilizing internal pps measurement processing . pps gps receiver 50 includes gps antenna 110 , signal processing functions 115 , and pps only functions 130 . antenna 110 receives gps signals from gps satellites . signal processing functions 115 receive the gps signals as an input and provide as outputs a raw pseudorange pr raw measured by the receiver and extracted downlink data . pps only functions 130 receive the downlink data and implement the various functions to provide the illustrated pps related outputs . as is the case with each of the prior art and inventive gps receivers described and illustrated in the figs ., the illustrated functions are typically implemented in software within one or more microprocessors or other controllers . however , implementation with other circuitry is also possible . in general , a reference to a particular function or step in this description or in the figures is also intended to represent the microprocessor ( s ) ( or functional portions thereof ) and / or other circuitry used to implement the functions . the present invention is not limited to any particular implementation of the illustrated methods . fig1 b diagrammatically illustrates a prior art pps - capable gps receiver 100 similar to gps receiver 50 illustrated in fig1 a , but utilizing a pps measurement interface to pass information to a host device 140 . with the exception of the inclusion of pps measurement interface 120 , receivers 50 and 100 are substantially identical . ( note that fig1 b , for simplicity , does not show internal measurement processing which would normally be retained .) however , in receiver 100 , host device 140 implements some of the illustrated functions such as processing pseudorange measurements outside of the gps receiver . if gps receiver 100 makes corrected satellite position and pseudorange measurements available over an external interface such as pps measurement interface 120 , the external interface is classified secret and the security boundary 150 of the receiver extends to include not only the relevant portions of circuitry and software implementing pps data generating only functions 130 , but also at least portions of the circuitry or software of host device or application 140 . using the standard method employed by prior art pps - capable gps receivers , a keyed gps receiver such as receiver 100 outputs the following classified information over the pps measurement interface : cpr = pseudorange measurement corrected for delays and authorized user satellite clock error ( s ) (= pr raw - d delay + cd svclk ) host device or application 140 can then , using software or other circuitry or functions , compute its own pseudorange residual z host , from the relationship described in equation 1 , and process such residuals from multiple satellites in a kalman filter or other predict - correction algorithm , to obtain a solution for user position , velocity and time ( pvt ) that reflects pps accuracy . this method , along with the resulting security boundary 150 , is depicted in fig1 b . although receiver 50 illustrated in fig1 a does not include a pps measurement interface across which classified information is passed , its method of determining the pseudorange residual z for use in determining the receiver &# 39 ; s pvt still results in an extended security boundary 150 . fig2 a and 2b diagrammatically illustrate pps - capable gps receivers 200 and 260 in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . receiver 260 is substantially identical to receiver 200 in its method of pps measurement processing , except that no pps measurement interface is involved . the method employed by receivers 200 and 260 minimizes the security boundary 250 in either case . the following discussions of gps receiver 200 apply to gps receiver 260 as well , except that the host device functions are implemented within receiver 260 and interface 220 is therefore omitted . receiver 200 includes gps antenna 110 , signal processing functions 115 , pps measurement interface 220 , and pps only functions 230 . signal processing functions 115 receive the gps signals from antenna 110 and provide as outputs downlink data and raw pseudorange measurements pr raw . using downlink data from signal processing functions 115 , pps data only functions 230 generate corrections to be applied to raw pseudorange . using a method employed by receiver 200 , the keyed gps receiver outputs the following unclassified information over the pps measurement interface 220 : where the lump sum correction d sa for the net effect sa on pseuodrange is determined from equation 2 : d svclk - cd svclk = effect of sa on sv clock error claimed for an unauthorized user . host device 240 can then compute the pseudorange residual z host using the relationship of equation 3 : by substituting the expansion of the pr sa and d sa terms , it can be shown that this pseudorange residual z host is equivalent to the pseudorange residual computed using the standard method , thereby allowing the host to compute a full pps accuracy pvt solution . since s and pr sa are unclassified , these items can reside outside the gps security boundary 250 . only the computation of the d sa term must reside within the gps security boundary 250 , thus allowing all measurement processing ( within or outside the receiver 200 ) to be clear of the security boundary . thus , the embodiment illustrated in fig2 a and 2b minimizes the security boundary 250 such that the security boundary is limited to the pps only functions 230 . fig3 diagrammatically illustrates pps - capable gps receiver 300 , which is an alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizing a passive residual pps measurement interface . receiver 300 includes gps antenna 110 , signal processing functions 115 , pps measurement interface 320 , pps only functions 330 and data processing functions 360 . signal generating functions 115 receive the gps signals from antenna 110 and provide as outputs raw pseudorange pr raw and downlink data . using the downlink data and a position estimate p generated by data processing functions 360 , pps only functions 330 generate pps corrections used to provide the illustrated pps interface signals or data . using a method employed by keyed gps receiver 300 , the gps receiver outputs at interface 320 the following unclassified information : e = corrected unit line of sight vector from user to satellite ( u ) where pr predicted is computed using the relationship shown in equation 4 : the host device 340 computes its own pseudorange residual z host using the relationship shown in equation 5 : this method has the limitation that ( p host - p ) must be relatively small for the first order approximation e ·( p host - p ) to be good . since p , b , e and z are unclassified , these items can reside outside the gps receiver &# 39 ; s security boundary 350 , thus limiting the necessary security review to the corresponding software and / or circuitry of pps only functions 330 . fig4 diagrammatically illustrates pps - capable gps receiver 400 , which is an alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizing an interactive residual pps measurement interface . receiver 400 includes gps antenna 110 , pps measurement interface 420 , signal processing functions 115 , pps only functions 430 and data processing functions 460 . using the downlink data and a position estimate p host from host device 440 , pps only functions 430 provide the illustrated pps corrected data necessary for the generation of the pps interface data to be provided through interface 420 . the method implemented by keyed gps receiver 400 is the same as the passive residual method implemented by receiver 300 , except that the receiver uses the host &# 39 ; s estimates of position p host and range bias b host instead of its own . using the interactive residual method , keyed gps receiver 400 must receive the following inputs from host application or device 440 : using these inputs , gps receiver 400 computes and outputs the following unclassified information over the pps measurement interface 420 : e = corrected unit line of sight vector from user to satellite ( u ) z host = pseudorange residual for the host as computed by the receiver ( u ) the pr predicted term is as defined for the passive residual method , except that estimates by host device 440 of p and b are used instead of the receiver &# 39 ; s estimates , since and z host are unclassified , these items can reside outside the gps receiver &# 39 ; s security boundary 450 . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
the object was , therefore , to provide copolycarbonates and processes for their preparation which avoid these disadvantages . this object is achieved , surprisingly , by the use of one or more compounds of the general formula ( 1 ) r 1 and r 2 represent hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , particularly preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 4 - alkyl , very particularly preferably hydrogen or methyl , and x represents o or s . the present invention accordingly provides copolycarbonates containing at least two different bisphenols as monomers , one bisphenol being selected from at least one of the compounds of formula ( 1 ) r 1 and r 2 represent hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , particularly preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 4 - alkyl , very particularly preferably hydrogen or methyl , and x represents o or s . the present invention further provides the bisphenols of the compounds of formula ( 1 ) r 1 and r 2 represent hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , particularly preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 4 - alkyl , very particularly preferably hydrogen or methyl , and x represents o or s . particularly preferred compounds of formula ( 1 ) are compounds of formulae ( 1a ) and ( 1b ) very particular preference is given to the compounds described by formulae ( 1c ) and ( 1d ): surprisingly , it has been found that the melt viscosity of the resulting copolycarbonates exhibits lower values than in the prior art both at low and at relatively high shear rates ( with the molecular weight being otherwise comparable ). this is important especially for the production of relatively large injection - molded parts , such as , for example , motor vehicle windscreens . filling of the molds using conventional injection - molding machines is more readily possible as a result . the diphenols of formula ( 1a ) which may be used in accordance with the invention are known in the literature . the preparation of these substances is described , for example , in de - a 22 37 762 , de - a 35 32 881 , jp - a 2002 16 73 49 and jp - a 2003 16 05 26 . the properties of a homopolycarbonate based thereon are described in h . schnell , chemistry and physics of polycarbonates , polymer reviews , vol . 9 , interscience publishers , new york 1964 p . 99 ff . the preparation of 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether is described , for example , in journal of polymer science , part a , 1987 , 25 ( 12 ), p . 3413 - 3422 . the preparation of 3 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether is described , for example , in jp - a 53 07 70 28 . in principle , the 4 , 4 ′- hydroxy - substituted diphenyl ethers or diphenyl ether derivatives may be prepared by dimerization of hydroquinone or substituted hydroquinone derivatives , in which the reactants are made to react in the presence of a catalyst , such as , for example , an acidic ion exchanger . a further possibility is the reaction of halo - substituted phenols in a modified ullmann reaction , in which the reactants are made to react under the action of copper salts , such as , for example , cucl . in this manner the meta - linked derivatives , for example , are also obtainable . the particularly preferred compounds are known ( e . g . in a . riemann , w . ude , ger . offen . ( 1986 ), de - a 3506845 or in y . kawamorita , m . hisamura , jpn . kokai tokkyo koho ( 1988 ), jp - a 63136051 ). on the other hand , the prior art teaches nothing about improving the flowability of corresponding copolycarbonates . the amount of the bisphenols according to the invention in the copolycarbonate is generally from 0 . 1 to 40 mol . %, preferably from 1 to 30 mol . %, particularly preferably from 5 to 25 mol . % and very particularly preferably from 10 to 20 mol . %, relative to the molar amount of the aromatic dihydroxy compounds need in the preparation of the copolycarbonate . the copolycarbonates prepared using the described bisphenols of formula ( 1 ) and containing the structural units — o - d - o — derived from the compounds of formula 1 are represented , for example , but not exclusively , by the general formula ( 2 ) wherein the radical o - e - o represents any desired diphenolate radicals excluding diphenolates based on the dihydroxy compounds of the formula ( 1 ) each - e - independently of any others represents an aromatic radical having from 6 to 40 carbon atoms , preferably from 6 to 35 carbon atoms , particularly preferably from 6 to 30 carbon atoms and very particularly preferably from 6 to 25 carbon atoms , which radical may contain one or more aromatic or condensed aromatic nuclei optionally containing hetero atoms and may be substituted by c 1 - c 12 - alkyl radicals , preferably by c 1 - c 10 - alkyl radicals , particularly preferably by c 1 - c 8 - alkyl radicals and very particularly preferably by c 1 - c 6 - alkyl radicals , or by halogen , preferably fluorine , chlorine or bromine , particularly preferably fluorine or chlorine , very particularly preferably fluorine , and may contain aliphatic radicals , cycloaliphatic radicals , aromatic nuclei or hetero atoms as bridging members , k represents an integer from 1 to 1000 , preferably from 1 to 800 , particularly preferably from 5 to 600 and very particularly preferably from 10 to 500 and especially preferably from 15 to 300 , m represents a fraction z / k and n represents a fraction ( k - z )/ k , wherein z represents numbers from 1 to k . preferred diphenolate units of the branched copolycarbonates according to the invention are derived from general structures of formula ( 3 ) wherein the underlying diphenolate radicals are shown in brackets , r 23 and r 24 each independently of the other represents h , linear or branched c 1 - c 18 - alkyl or - alkoxy radicals , halogen such as cl or br , or an optionally substituted aryl or aralkyl radical , preferably h or linear or branched c 1 - c 12 - alkyl radicals , particularly preferably h or c 1 - c 8 - alkyl radicals and very particularly preferably h or methyl , r 1 and r 2 represent linear or branched c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , preferably linear c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , particularly preferably linear c 1 - c 8 - alkyl and very particularly preferably linear c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , and x represents o or s , y represents a single bond , — so 2 —, — co —, a c 1 - to c 6 - alkylene , c 2 - to c 5 - alkylidene , c 5 - to c 6 - cycloalkylidene radical which may be substituted by c 1 - to c 6 - alkyl , preferably methyl or ethyl radicals , or a c 6 - to c 12 - arylene radical , o represents an integer from 1 to 1000 , preferably from 1 to 800 , particularly preferably from 5 to 600 and very particularly preferably from 10 to 500 and especially preferably from 15 to 300 , p represents a fraction z / o and q represents a fraction ( o - z )/ o , wherein z represents numbers from 1 to o . the diphenolate radicals o - e - o in formula ( 2 ) and the diphenolate radicals in the part indicated by the subscript q in formula ( 3 ) are particularly preferably derived from the suitable diphenols mentioned hereinbelow . there may be mentioned as examples of the diphenols which , in addition to the mentioned bisphenols , underlie the general formulae ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) hydroquinone , resorcinol , dihydroxybiphenyls , bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- alkanes , bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- cycloalkanes , bis -( hydroxyphenyl ) sulfides , bis -( hydroxyphenyl ) ethers , bis -( hydroxyphenyl ) ketones , bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- sulfones , bis -( hydroxyphenyl ) sulfoxides , α , α ′- bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- diisopropylbenzenes and compounds thereof alkylated and halogenated at the nucleus , and also α , ω - bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- polysiloxanes . preferred diphenols are , for example , 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ), 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ), 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( bisphenol tmc ), 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- cyclohexane , 2 , 4 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - methylbutane , 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 - phenylethane , 1 , 1 - bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ]- benzene , 1 , 3 - bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ]- benzene ( bisphenol m ), 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 - chloro - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- methane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- sulfone , 2 , 4 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - methylbutane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dichloro - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane and 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dibromo - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane . particularly preferred diphenols are , for example , 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ), 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ), 1 , 3 - bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ]- benzene ( bisphenol m ), 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 - phenylethane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dichloro - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dibromo - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- cyclohexane and 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( bisphenol tmc ). very particular preference is given to 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ), 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ), 1 , 3 - bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ]- benzene ( bisphenol m ) and 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( bisphenol tmc ). very special preference is given especially to 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ) and 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( bisphenol tmc ). the diphenols may be used either alone or in a mixture with one another ; both homopolycarbonates and copolycarbonates are included . the diphenols are known in the literature or may be prepared according to processes known in the literature ( see e . g . h . j . buysch et al ., ullmann &# 39 ; s encyclopedia of industrial chemistry , vch , new york 1991 , 5th ed ., vol . 19 , p . 348 ). the polycarbonates and copolycarbonates may also be branched . for that purpose there are added as so - called branching agents specific small amounts , preferably amounts from 0 . 05 to 5 mol . %, particularly preferably from 0 . 1 to 3 mol . %, very particularly preferably from 0 . 1 to 2 mol . %, based on moles of diphenols used , of trifunctional compounds such as , for example , isatin biscresol ( ibc ) or phloroglucinol , 4 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 , 6 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - heptene ; 4 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 , 6 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- heptane ; 1 , 3 , 5 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- benzene ; 1 , 1 , 1 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- ethane ( thpe ); tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- phenylmethane ; 2 , 2 - bis -[ 4 , 4 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- cyclohexyl ]- propane ; 2 , 4 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl - isopropyl )- phenol ; 2 , 6 - bis -( 2 - hydroxy - 5 ′- methyl - benzyl )- 4 - methylphenol ; 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxyphenyl )- propane ; hexa -( 4 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl - isopropyl )- phenyl )- orthoterephthalic acid ester ; tetra -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- methane ; tetra -( 4 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl - isopropyl )- phenoxy )- methane ; α , α ′, α ″- tris -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triisopropylbenzene ; 2 , 4 - dihydroxybenzoic acid ; trimesic acid ; cyanuric chloride ; 3 , 3 - bis -( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydroindole ; 1 , 4 - bis -( 4 ′, 4 ″- dihydroxytriphenyl )- methyl )- benzene and , especially , 1 , 1 , 1 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- ethane and bis -( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydroindole . isatin biscresol and also 1 , 1 , 1 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- ethane and bis -( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydroindole are preferably used as branching agents . the use of these branching agents yields branched structures . the resulting long - chain branching results in most cases in rheological properties of the resulting polycarbonates , which manifests itself as an intrinsic viscosity as compared with linear types . the present invention relates further to a process for the preparation of the copolycarbonates of formulae ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) according to the invention , which process is characterised in that bisphenols and , optionally , branching agents are dissolved in aqueous alkaline solution and made to react with a carbonate source such as phosgene , optionally dissolved in a solvent , in a two - phase mixture consisting of an aqueous alkaline solution , an organic solvent and a catalyst , preferably an amine compound . it is also possible to carry out the reaction in several steps . such processes for the preparation of polycarbonate are known in principle as two - phase interfacial processes , for example from h . schnell , chemistry and physics of polycarbonates , polymer reviews , vol . 9 , interscience publishers , new york 1964 p . 33 ff and polymer reviews , vol . 10 , “ condensation polymers by interfacial and solution methods ”, paul w . morgan , interscience publishers , new york 1965 , chap . viii , p . 325 , and the conditions underlying such processes are therefore well known to the person skilled in the art . the concentration of the bisphenols in the aqueous alkaline solution is from 2 to 25 wt . %, preferably from 2 to 20 wt . %, particularly preferably from 2 to 18 wt . % and very particularly preferably from 3 to 15 wt . %. the aqueous alkaline solution consists of water in which hydroxides of alkali or alkaline earth metals are dissolved . sodium and potassium hydroxides are preferred . when phosgene is used as the carbonate source , the ratio by volume of aqueous alkaline solution to organic solvent is from 5 : 95 to 95 : 5 , preferably from 20 : 80 to 80 : 20 , particularly preferably from 30 : 70 to 70 : 30 and very particularly preferably from 40 : 60 to 60 : 40 . the molar ratio of bisphenol to phosgene is less than 1 : 10 , preferably less than 1 : 6 , particularly preferably less than 1 : 4 and very particularly preferably less than 1 : 3 . the concentration of the branched polycarbonates and copolycarbonates according to the invention in the organic phase is from 1 . 0 to 25 wt . %, preferably from 2 to 20 wt . %, particularly preferably from 2 to 18 wt . % and very particularly preferably from 3 to 15 wt . %. the concentration of the amine compound , based on the amount of bisphenol used , is from 0 . 1 to 10 mol . %, preferably from 0 . 2 to 8 mol . %, particularly preferably from 0 . 3 to 6 mol . % and very particularly preferably from 0 . 4 to 5 mol . %. bisphenols are to be understood as being the above - mentioned diphenols , with contents of the above - mentioned branching agents . the carbonate source is phosgene , diphosgene or triphosgene , preferably phosgene . when phosgene is used , it is possible , if desired , to dispense with a solvent and to introduce the phosgene directly into the reaction mixture . there may be used as the catalyst tertiary amines such as triethylamine or n - alkylpiperidines . suitable catalysts are trialkylamines and 4 -( dimethylamino ) pyridine . triethylamine , tripropylamine , triisopropylamine , tributylamine , triisobutylamine , n - methylpiperidine , n - ethylpiperidine and n - propylpiperidine are particularly suitable . there are suitable as the organic solvent halogenated hydrocarbons such as methylene chloride and / or chlorobenzene , dichlorobenzene , trichlorobenzene or mixtures thereof , or aromatic hydrocarbons , such as , for example , toluene or xylenes . the reaction temperature may be from − 5 ° c . to 100 ° c ., preferably from 0 ° c . to 80 ° c ., particularly preferably from 10 ° c . to 70 ° c . and very particularly preferably from 10 ° c . to 60 ° c . alternatively , the polycarbonates according to the invention may also be prepared by the melt transesterification process . the melt transesterification process is described , for example , in encyclopedia of polymer science , vol . 10 ( 1969 ), chemistry and physics of polycarbonates , polymer reviews , h . schnell , vol . 9 , john wiley and sons , inc . ( 1964 ) and de - c 10 31 512 . in the melt transesterification process , the aromatic dihydroxy compounds already described in connection with the interfacial process are transesterified in the melt with carbonic acid diesters with the aid of suitable catalysts and , optionally , further additives . carbonic acid diesters within the scope of the invention are those of formulae ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) r , r ′ and r ″ each independently of the others may represent h , c 1 - c 34 - alkyl or c 5 - c 10 - cycloalkyl , c 7 - c 34 - alkaryl or c 6 - c 34 - aryl , c 1 - c 15 - alkyl , c 5 - or c 6 - cycloalkyl , preferably each independently of the others represents h , c 1 - c 16 - alkyl or c 5 - c 6 - cycloalkyl , c 7 - c 16 - alkaryl or c 6 - c 16 - aryl , particularly preferably r , r ′ and r ″ represent h . diphenyl carbonate , butylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - butylphenyl carbonate , isobutylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - isobutylphenyl carbonate , tert .- butylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - tert .- butylphenyl carbonate , n - pentylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( n - pentylphenyl ) carbonate , n - hexylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( n - hexylphenyl ) carbonate , cyclohexylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - cyclohexylphenyl carbonate , phenylphenol - phenyl carbonate , di - phenylphenol carbonate , isooctylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - isooctylphenyl carbonate , n - nonylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( n - nonylphenyl ) carbonate , cumylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - cumylphenyl carbonate , naphthylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - naphthylphenyl carbonate , di - tert .- butylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( di - tert .- butylphenyl ) carbonate , dicumylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( dicumylphenyl ) carbonate , 4 - phenoxyphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( 4 - phenoxyphenyl ) carbonate , 3 - pentadecylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( 3 - pentadecylphenyl ) carbonate , tritylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - tritylphenyl carbonate , it is also possible to use mixtures of the mentioned carbonic acid diesters . the amount of carbonic acid esters is from 100 to 130 mol . %, preferably from 103 to 120 mol . %, particularly preferably from 103 to 109 mol . %, based on the dihydroxy compound . as catalysts within the scope of the invention there are used in the melt transesterification process , as in the mentioned literature , basic catalysts such as , for example , alkali and alkaline earth hydroxides and oxides , as well as ammonium or phosphonium salts , which are referred to hereinbelow as onium salts . preference is given to the use of onium salts , particularly preferably phosphonium salts . phosphonium salts within the scope of the invention are those of formula ( 6 ) r 1 - 4 each independently of the others represents c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , c 6 - c 10 - aryl , c 7 - c 10 - aralkyl or c 5 - c 6 - cycloalkyl , preferably methyl or c 6 - c 14 - aryl , particularly preferably methyl or phenyl , and x − is an anion such as hydroxide , sulfate , hydrogen sulfate , hydrogen carbonate , carbonate , a halide , preferably chloride , or an alcoholate of formula or , wherein r may be c 6 - c 14 - aryl or c 7 - c 12 - aralkyl , preferably phenyl . the catalysts are preferably used in amounts of from 10 − 8 to 10 − 3 mol ., particularly preferably from 10 − 7 to 10 − 4 mol ., based on one mole of bisphenol . further catalysts may be used on their own or , optionally , in addition to the onium salt in order to increase the rate of polymerisation . such catalysts include salts of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals , such as hydroxides , alkoxides and aryl oxides of lithium , sodium and potassium , preferably hydroxide , alkoxide or aryl oxide salts of sodium . sodium hydroxide and sodium phenolate are most preferred . the amounts of the co - catalyst may be in the range of from 1 to 200 ppb , preferably from 5 to 150 ppb and most preferably from 10 to 125 ppb , in each case calculated as sodium . the transesterification reaction of the aromatic dihydroxy compound and the carbonic acid diester in the melt is preferably carried out in two steps . in the first step , melting of the aromatic dihydroxy compound and of the carbonic acid diester is carried out at temperatures of from 80 to 250 ° c ., preferably from 100 to 230 ° c ., particularly preferably from 120 to 190 ° c ., under normal pressure and in a period of from 0 to 5 hours , preferably from 0 . 25 to 3 hours . after addition of the catalyst , the oligocarbonate is prepared from the aromatic dihydroxy compound and the carbonic acid diester by applying a vacuum ( up to 2 mm hg ) and raising the temperature ( to up to 260 ° c .) by distilling off the monophenol . the major amount of vapours from the process is obtained thereby . the oligocarbonate so prepared has a mean molar mass m w ( determined by measurement of the rel . solution viscosity in dichloromethane or in mixtures of equal amounts by weight of phenol / o - dichlorobenzene , calibrated by light scattering ) in the range of from 2000 g / mol . to 18 , 000 g / mol ., preferably from 4000 g / mol . to 15 , 000 g / mol . in the second step , the polycarbonate is prepared in the polycondensation by raising the temperature further to 250 to 320 ° c ., preferably 270 to 295 ° c ., and a pressure of & lt ; 2 mm hg . the remainder of the vapours are removed from the process thereby . the catalysts may also be used in combination ( two or more ) with one another . when alkali / alkaline earth metal catalysts are used , it may be advantageous to add the alkali / alkaline earth metal catalysts at a later time ( e . g . after the oligocarbonate synthesis during the polycondensation in the second step ). within the scope of the process according to the invention , the reaction of the aromatic dihydroxy compound and the carbonic acid diester to form the polycarbonate may be carried out discontinuously or , preferably , continuously , for example in stirred vessels , thin - layer evaporators , falling film evaporators , stirred vessel cascades , extruders , kneaders , simple disc reactors and high - viscosity disc reactors . analogously to the interfacial process , branched polycarbonates or copolycarbonates may be prepared by the use of polyfunctional compounds . the mean molecular weights ( m w ) of the branched polycarbonates and copolycarbonates according to the invention are in the range of from 6000 to 200 , 000 g / mol ., preferably from 6000 to 100 , 000 g / mol ., particularly preferably from 10 , 000 to 80 , 000 g / mol . and very particularly preferably from 12 , 000 to 70 , 000 g / mol . ( determined by means of gpc and polycarbonate calibration ). preference , particular preference or very particular preference is given to embodiments which make use of the parameters , compounds , definitions and explanations mentioned under preferred , particularly preferred or very particularly preferred , or under preferably etc . however , the definitions , parameters , compounds and explanations mentioned generally in the description or in preferred ranges may also be combined with one another as desired , that is to say between the respective ranges and preferred ranges . the copolycarbonates according to the invention may be worked up in known manner and processed to form any desired molded articles , for example by extrusion , injection molding or extrusion blow - molding . other aromatic polycarbonates and / or other aromatic polyester carbonates and / or other aromatic polyesters may be added to the copolycarbonates according to the invention in known manner , for example by compounding . it is also possible to add to the polycarbonates and copolycarbonates according to the invention the additives conventional for such thermoplastics , such as fillers , uv stabilisers , heat stabilisers , antistatics and pigments , in the usual amounts ; the mold release behaviour , flow behaviour and / or flame resistance may optionally be improved by the addition of external mold release agents , flow improvers and / or flameproofing agents ( e . g . alkyl and aryl phosphites , phosphates , phosphanes , low molecular weight carboxylic acid esters , halogen compounds , salts , chalk , quartz flour , glass fibres and carbon fibres , pigments and combinations thereof . such compounds are described , for example , in wo 99 / 55772 , p . 15 - 25 , and in the appropriate chapters of the “ plastics additives handbook ”, ed . hans zweifel , 5th edition 2000 , hanser publishers , munich ). the polycarbonates and copolycarbonates according to the invention , optionally in admixture with other thermoplastics and / or conventional additives , can , when processed to form any desired molded articles / extrudates , be used wherever polycarbonates , polyester carbonates and polyesters that are already known are used . on account of their property profile they are suitable especially as materials for the injection molding of larger moldings , for example motor vehicle windscreens . however , because of their low water absorption and the improved dimensional stability associated therewith , they are also particularly suitable as substrate materials for optical data storage means such as , for example , cds , cd - rs , dvds , dvd - rs , blue - ray discs or advanced optical discs ( aods ), but they may also be used , for example , as films in the electronics sector , as moldings in vehicle manufacture and as sheets for coverings in the safety sector . further possible applications of the polycarbonates according to the invention are : 1 . safety glazing , which , as is known , is required in many areas of buildings , vehicles and aircraft , and also as visors for helmets . 3 . production of blow - molded articles ( see , for example , u . s . pat . no . 2 , 964 , 794 ), for example 1 to 5 gallon water bottles . 4 . production of transparent sheets , especially of hollow - chamber sheets , for example for covering buildings such as railway stations , greenhouses and lighting installations . 6 . for the production of traffic light housings or road signs . 7 . for the production of foamed materials ( see , for example , de - b 1 031 507 ). 8 . for the production of threads and wires ( see , for example , de - b 1 137 167 and de - a 1 785 137 ). 9 . as translucent plastics having a content of glass fibres for lighting purposes ( see , for example , de - a 1 554 020 ). 10 . as translucent plastics having a content of barium sulfate , titanium dioxide and / or zirconium oxide or organic polymeric acrylate rubbers ( ep - a 634 445 , ep - a 269324 ) for the production of transparent and light - scattering moldings . 11 . for the production of precision injection - molded parts , such as , for example , lens holders . to that end , polycarbonates having a content of glass fibres are used , which optionally contain in addition approximately from 1 to 10 wt . % mos 2 , based on the total weight . 12 . for the production of parts for optical devices , especially lenses for photographic and film cameras ( see , for example , de - a 2 701 173 ). 13 . as light transmission carriers , especially as fibre - optic cables ( see , for example , ep - a 0 089 801 ). 14 . as electrical insulating materials for electrical conductors and for plug housings as well as plug connectors . 15 . production of mobile telephone casings having improved resistance to perfume , aftershave and perspiration . 18 . for the production of lamps , for example headlight lamps in the form of headlamps , headlight lenses or internal lenses . 20 . for foodstuffs applications , such as , for example , bottles , kitchenware and chocolate molds . 21 . for applications in the automotive sector , where contact with fuels and lubricants may occur , such as , for example , bumpers , optionally in the form of suitable blends with abs or suitable rubbers . 22 . for sports articles , such as , for example , slalom poles or ski boot buckles . 23 . for domestic articles , such as , for example , kitchen sinks and letter box casings . 28 . lamp covers for kitchen appliances having improved resistance to cooking steam , especially oil vapours . 31 . for other applications , such as , for example , stable doors or animal cages . this application also provides the molded articles and extrudates produced from the polymers according to the invention . the examples which follow are intended to illustrate the invention without limiting it . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 50 : 50 ) 126 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 8 . 088 g ( 0 . 04 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 9 . 132 g ( 0 . 04 mol .) of bisphenol a as well as 7 . 04 g ( 0 . 176 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 126 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 42 g ( 0 . 0028 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 11 ml ( 15 . 8 g , 0 . 16 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 11 ml ( 0 . 0008 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 5 . 76 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 176 / 1 . 176 . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 13964 , m n = 7897 , heterogeneity d = 1 . 77 ) glass transition temperature t g : 136 ° c . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 95 : 5 ) 131 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 0 . 809 g ( 0 . 004 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 17 . 35 g ( 0 . 076 mol .) of bisphenol a as well as 7 . 04 g ( 0 . 176 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 131 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 36 g ( 0 . 0024 mol . or 3 . 0 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 11 ml ( 15 . 8 g , 0 . 16 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 11 ml ( 0 . 0008 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 19 . 0 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 339 / 1 . 338 . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 33509 , m n = 13308 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 52 ) glass transition temperature t g : 150 ° c . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 90 : 10 ) 131 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 1 . 618 g ( 0 . 008 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 16 . 438 g ( 0 . 072 mol .) of bisphenol a as well as 7 . 04 g ( 0 . 176 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 131 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 36 g ( 0 . 0024 mol . or 3 . 0 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 11 ml ( 15 . 8 g , 0 . 16 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 11 ml ( 0 . 0008 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 17 . 29 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 301 / 1 . 303 . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 29570 , m n = 13904 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 13 ) glass transition temperature t g : 151 ° c . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol tmc / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 50 : 50 ) 130 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 7 . 077 g ( 0 . 035 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 10 . 87 g ( 0 . 035 mol .) of bisphenol tmc as well as 6 . 16 g ( 0 . 154 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 130 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 368 g ( 0 . 0024 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 9 . 7 ml ( 13 . 8 g , 0 . 14 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 10 ml ( 0 . 0007 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 14 . 08 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 223 / 1 . 223 . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 22962 , m n = 10974 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 01 ) glass transition temperature t g : 199 ° c . 406 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 12 . 71 g ( 0 . 063 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 0 . 93 g ( 0 . 005 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ) as well as 4 . 4 g ( 0 . 111 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 406 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 263 g ( 0 . 00175 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 6 . 9 ml ( 9 . 88 g , 0 . 099 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 07 ml ( 0 . 0005 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 7 . 57 g of polycarbonate . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 52173 , m n = 16921 , heterogeneity d = 3 . 08 ) glass transition temperature t g : 120 ° c . 220 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 8 . 088 g ( 0 . 04 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 1 . 826 g ( 0 . 01 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ) as well as 4 . 4 g ( 0 . 111 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 220 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 263 g ( 0 . 00175 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 6 . 9 ml ( 9 . 88 g , 0 . 099 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 07 ml ( 0 . 0005 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 8 . 55 g of polycarbonate . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 38705 , m n = 16976 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 28 ) glass transition temperature t g : 114 ° c . in addition liquid crystalline behaviour : phase conversion from 190 ° c . 220 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 7 . 077 g ( 0 . 035 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 2 . 793 g ( 0 . 015 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ) as well as 4 . 4 g ( 0 . 111 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 220 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 263 g ( 0 . 00175 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 6 . 9 ml ( 9 . 88 g , 0 . 099 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 07 ml ( 0 . 0005 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 8 . 7 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 460 / 1 . 461 gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 35163 , m n = 16189 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 17 ) glass transition temperature t g : 106 ° c . in addition liquid crystalline behaviour : phase conversion from 200 ° c . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 95 : 5 ) 31 litres of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 3903 . 9 g ( 17 . 1 mol .) of bisphenol a , 182 g ( 0 . 9 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 1584 g ( 39 . 6 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 31 litres of water . in a one - step procedure , 108 . 14 g ( 0 . 72 mol . or 4 mol . % relative to bisphenol a ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 13 . 4 and at 21 ° c ., 3560 g ( 36 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 1 hour and 20 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 . 6 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 24 . 7 ml ( 0 . 18 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol a ) of n - ethylpiperidine are added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . after replacing the solvent with chlorobenzene , the product is extruded at 290 ° c . using an evaporating extruder . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at a temperature of 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 277 melt volume rate ( mvr ) 300 ° c ./ 1 . 2 kg : 12 . 4 ml / 10 min imvr 1 ) 300 ° c ./ 1 . 2 kg 20 ′: 12 . 4 ml / 10 min vicat vstb 50 : 151 . 7 ° c . yield stress , stretch elongation , resistance to tearing , elongation at tear and modulus of elasticity are determined from the tensile test according to iso 527 . 1 ) the i in imvr stands for intrinsic . imvr describes the mvr with a heating time of 20 or 30 minutes as compared with 6 minutes according to standard iso 1133 ( designation imvr 20 ′ or imvr 30 ′) as the limiting value compared with the mvr according to iso 1133 . for comparison purposes , the mechanical properties of polycarbonates such as makrolon ® 2405 and 2605 are given : synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 90 : 10 ) 31 litres of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 3698 . 5 g ( 16 . 2 mol .) of bisphenol a , 364 g ( 1 . 8 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 1584 g ( 39 . 6 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 31 litres of water . in a one - step procedure , 108 . 14 g ( 0 . 72 mol . or 4 mol . % relative to bisphenol a ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 13 . 4 and at 21 ° c ., 3560 g ( 36 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 1 hour and 20 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 . 6 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 24 . 7 ml ( 0 . 18 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol a ) of n - ethylpiperidine are added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . after replacing the solvent with chlorobenzene , the product is extruded at 290 ° c . using an evaporating extruder . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 276 mvr 300 ° c ./ 1 . 2 kg : 13 . 7 ml / 10 min imvr 300 ° c ./ 1 . 2 kg 20 ′: 13 . 9 ml / 10 min vicat vstb 50 : 147 . 2 ° c . for comparison purposes , the mechanical properties of polycarbonates such as makrolon ® 2405 and 2605 are given : determination of the viscosity as a function of the shear rate ( iso 11443 ). the copolycarbonate obtained in example 8 is tested at 280 and 300 ° c . in respect of rheology . the following data are obtained : determination of the viscosity as a function of the shear rate ( iso 11443 ). the copolycarbonate obtained in example 10 is tested at 280 ° c . and 300 ° c . in respect of rheology . the following data are obtained : determination of the viscosity as a function of the shear rate ( iso 11443 ). for comparison purposes , the mechanical properties of polycarbonates such as makrolon ® 2405 and 2605 are given : for comparison purposes , tests are carried out at 280 ° c . and 300 ° c . in respect of rheology . the following data are obtained : a ) makrolon ® 2405 ( relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 255 ): b ) makrolon 2605 ( relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 276 ): the flow path for the comparison material makrolon ® 2405 was determined as 30 cm and was used as the standard . as will be seen from a comparison of the flow paths , the melt viscosity is lower while the molecular weight is approximately the same . accordingly , the copolycarbonates according to the invention from examples 8 and 10 flow more readily than the comparison material makrolon ® 2605 based on bisphenol a . in a round - bottomed flask fitted with a vigreux column , a reflux divider and a condenser , 77 . 08 g ( 0 . 70 mol .) of resorcinol are dissolved , under argon , in 250 ml of dry pyridine . 84 . 3 g of sodium methoxide solution in methanol ( 30 % solution ) are added dropwise to the reaction mixture , with stirring . methanol is then removed from the reaction mixture by distillation . the reflux divider is then closed and 261 . 9 g ( 1 . 40 mol .) of 3 - bromoanisole are added dropwise . 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 04 mol .) of cucl are also added . the mixture is allowed to boil under reflux for 6 hours . pyridine is then distilled off via the opened reflux divider , during which the sump temperature rises to 150 ° c . the mixture is then allowed to cool and the residue is stirred into 250 ml of semi - concentrated hydrochloric acid . the mixture is extracted with 300 ml of toluene . the organic phase is washed first with semi - concentrated hydrochloric acid and then a further two times with naoh solution ( 10 %). the combined alkaline phases are acidified with dilute hcl and extracted with a diethyl ether / toluene mixture ( 1 : 1 ). after removal of the solvent , 65 . 5 g of a brown oil are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 22 - 7 . 17 ( m , 1 h ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 11 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 67 - 6 . 52 ( m , 5 h ), 5 . 52 ( s , 1 h ), 3 . 74 ( s , 3 h ). in a round - bottomed flask , 200 ml of hydrobromic acid ( 48 %) are added , under argon , to 64 g ( 0 . 296 mol .) of 3 -( 3 ′- methoxyphenyloxy )- phenol . 350 ml of hydrobromic acid ( 33 % solution in glacial acetic acid ) are then added . 7 . 5 g ( 0 . 015 mol .) of hexadecyltributylphosphonium bromide are also added . the mixture is then heated , adjusted to the evolution of gas , at 110 ° c . and stirred . when the evolution of gas has ceased , water is added dropwise , with cooling . the batch is extracted five times with diethyl ether . the organic phase is shaken three times using 150 ml of 10 % sodium hydroxide solution each time . this alkaline phase is acidified with 25 % hcl solution and then extracted several times with diethyl ether . the organic phase is washed several times with water and finally with saturated sodium chloride solution , dried over magnesium sulfate and filtered . the solvent is removed in vacuo . the dark brown , crystalline residue is recrystallised from chloroform with the addition of a mixture of activated carbon / tonsil . 24 . 4 g of a yellow solid having a melting point of 92 ° c . are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 19 - 7 . 15 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 56 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 50 - 6 . 49 ( m , 2 h ), 4 . 95 ( s , 2 h ). 35 . 3 g ( 0 . 32 mol .) of resorcinol in 250 ml of pyridine are placed , under argon , in a 0 . 5 litre round - bottomed flask having a stirring apparatus and fitted with a vigreux column and a distillation bridge . 38 . 5 g ( 0 . 21 mol .) of sodium methoxide solution ( 30 % in methanol ) are added to the solution , and the mixture is heated to 60 ° c . methanol , then a portion of the pyridine are distilled off , during which the temperature rises to 11 ° c . 120 g ( 0 . 64 mol .) of bromobenzene and then 1 . 59 g of copper ( i ) chloride are added to the solution at 50 ° c . the distillation bridge is replaced by a reflux condenser and the mixture is heated under reflux for 10 hours . pyridine is then distilled off , during which the sump temperature rises to 150 ° c . the mixture is allowed to cool , and the residue is stirred into 250 ml of semi - concentrated hydrochloric acid . extraction is carried out several times with toluene . the combined organic phases are first washed with semi - concentrated hydrochloric acid and then extracted several times with naoh solution ( 10 %). the combined alkaline phases are re - extracted with a toluene / diethyl ether mixture ( 1 : 1 ). the solvent is removed in vacuo . the crude product is passed over a silica gel column ( eluant : n - hexane / ethyl acetate 1 : 1 ). after removal of the solvent , the product is dried in vacuo and 26 g of a yellow oil are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 09 - 7 . 06 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 95 - 6 . 91 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 80 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 49 - 6 . 46 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 42 - 6 . 40 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 16 ( s , 1 h ), 3 . 74 ( s , 3 h ). 23 . 8 g of 3 - hydroxy - 4 ′- methoxydiphenyl ether are dissolved under argon in a mixture of 100 ml of hydrobromic acid ( 48 % solution ) and 230 ml of hydrogen bromide in glacial acetic acid ( 33 % solution ), and the mixture is heated , adjusted to the evolution of gas , at reflux . after a total of 6 hours , 300 ml of water are added dropwise with cooling . the batch is extracted several times with diethyl ether . the organic phase is washed five times with water and once with saturated sodium chloride solution , then extracted three times with 10 % sodium hydroxide solution . the alkaline phase is acidified and then extracted several times with diethyl ether . the organic phase is washed several times with water and finally with saturated sodium chloride solution , dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered and concentrated in vacuo . 22 . 7 g of an ochre - coloured solid are obtained , which is passed over a glass suction filter packed with 5 cm of silica gel 60 ( 0 . 063 - 0 . 20 mm ) ( eluant : n - hexane / ethyl acetate 3 : 1 ). the solvent is removed in vacuo and the product is dried in vacuo . 13 . 0 g of a pale solid are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , ( cd 3 ) 2 so ) δ = 7 . 09 - 7 . 06 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 88 - 6 . 85 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 78 - 6 . 75 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 44 - 6 . 40 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 32 - 6 . 29 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 26 - 6 . 24 ( m , 1 h ). 400 ml of toluene and 88 . 3 g ( 0 . 49 mol .) of sodium methoxide solution ( 30 % in methanol ) are placed , under argon , in a 2 litre round - bottomed flask having a 10 cm vigreux column , a reflux divider ( column head ) and fitted with a reflux condenser . 27 . 5 g ( 0 . 25 mol .) of resorcinol are added to that solution . methanol and toluene are distilled off via the opened reflux divider . 500 ml of pyridine are added at 110 ° c . to the solid that remains . 187 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of p - bromoanisole are then rapidly added dropwise at about 35 ° c ., and then 7 . 5 g ( 0 . 08 mol .) of copper ( i ) chloride are added . the mixture is heated to reflux and stirred for a further 9 hours . the mixture is allowed to cool , and 600 ml of water are added . acidification is then carried out using about 25 % hcl solution , followed by extraction twice using 250 ml of hexane each time and twice using 250 ml of diethyl ether each time . the combined organic phases are dried over magnesium sulfate . the solvent is removed in vacuo . the crude product is filtered over silica gel with n - hexane as eluant . the solvent is removed in vacuo and bromoanisole contained in the product is distilled off . 22 . 5 g remain in the form of white crystals . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 19 - 7 . 13 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 96 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 89 - 6 . 85 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 60 - 6 . 57 ( m , 3 h ), 3 . 79 ( s , 6 h ). 22 g of the above - described compound from example 20 are dissolved , under argon , in a mixture of 60 ml of hydrobromic acid ( 48 % solution ) and 150 ml of hydrogen bromide in glacial acetic acid ( 33 % solution ), and the mixture is heated , adjusted to the evolution of gas , at reflux . after a total of 5 hours , 300 ml of water are added dropwise , with cooling . the batch is extracted several times with a total of 400 ml of diethyl ether . the combined organic phases are washed four times using 400 ml of water each time , dried over magnesium sulfate and filtered . the solvent is removed in vacuo . 20 . 5 g of a crystalline solid are obtained , which was purified over a column with silica gel ( 0 . 063 - 0 . 20 mm ) ( eluant : n - hexane / ethyl acetate 3 : 1 ). the solvent is removed and the product is dried in vacuo . 15 . 8 g of a beige solid are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 9 . 31 ( s , 2 h ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 20 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 86 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 79 - 6 . 75 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 54 - 6 . 50 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 39 - 6 . 37 ( m , 1 h ). in a flask , 15 . 18 g ( 0 . 0665 mol .) of 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane and 0 . 708 g ( 3 . 5 mmol .) of 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether are dissolved at room temperature , under a nitrogen atmosphere , in a mixture of 6 . 16 g of naoh ( 220 mol . %, based on the total bisphenol component ) in 250 ml of water . 250 ml of dichloromethane are added thereto , and stirring is carried out for 5 minutes . 0 . 26 g ( 4 mol . %, based on the total bisphenol component ) of phenol dissolved in 30 ml of dichloromethane is added to the mixture . 13 . 85 g ( 200 mol . %, based on the bisphenol component ) of phosgene are introduced at room temperature ( 20 - 25 ° c .) and with vigorous stirring . the ph value is maintained in the range of ph = 12 . 5 - 13 . 5 by the subsequent addition of 25 % naoh solution . when the introduction is complete , the apparatus is flushed with nitrogen for 5 minutes . after a further 5 minutes , 0 . 0961 g ( 1 mol . %) of n - ethylpiperidine is added to the reaction mixture . stirring is carried out for 60 minutes . the mixture is then diluted with dichloromethane and the organic phase is separated off . after washing the organic phase with an equal volume of 10 % phosphoric acid , the organic phase is separated off and washed with water until the conductivity of the aqueous phase reaches & lt ; 15 μs . ⅔ of the solvent are removed in vacuo , and the viscous solution is dried completely in a vacuum drying cabinet at 80 ° c . yield : 18 . 2 g . this example corresponds to example 22 except that the monomer from example 19 was used instead of 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether . this example corresponds to example 22 except that the monomer from example 21 was used instead of 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether . 1 ) the zero viscosity is the limiting viscosity at a viscosity extrapolated to a shear rate of zero . 1 ) the zero viscosity is the limiting viscosity at a viscosity extrapolated to a shear rate of zero . the relative solution viscosity is determined in dichloromethane at a concentration of 5 g / l at 25 ° c . the content of phenolic oh is obtained by ir measurement . for this purpose , a difference measurement of a solution of 2 g of polymer in 50 ml of dichloromethane compared with pure dichloromethane is carried out and the difference in extinction at 3582 cm − 1 is determined . the colour index was determined as the difference in extinction at 420 nm and 700 nm in dichloromethane at a concentration of 2 . 4 g / 50 ml and a layer thickness of 10 cm . 41 . 09 g ( 0 . 18 mol .) of bisphenol a , 4 . 04 g ( 0 . 02 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( recrystallised ), 44 . 99 g ( 0 . 21 mol .) of diphenyl carbonate and 0 . 0691 g ( 4 × 10 − 3 mol . %) of 5 % phenol solution of tetraphenylphosphonium phenolate , based on bisphenol a , are weighed into a 500 ml three - necked flask having a stirrer , an internal thermometer and a vigreux column ( 30 cm , mirrored ) with a bridge . the apparatus is freed of atmospheric oxygen by applying a vacuum and flushing with nitrogen ( three times ), and the mixture is melted at 190 ° c . and phenol that forms is distilled off . a vacuum of 100 mbar is then applied and distillation is continued for 20 minutes . the temperature is then raised to 235 ° c . and the phenol that forms is distilled off for 15 minutes . the vacuum is then adjusted to 60 mbar in the course of 5 minutes and is maintained for 15 minutes . the mixture is heated to 250 ° c . and the plateau is maintained for 15 minutes . the pressure is then reduced to 5 mbar for 15 minutes , whereupon heating is carried out to 280 ° c . after a further 15 minutes , the vacuum is reduced to 0 . 5 mbar and stirring is carried out for a further 15 minutes . the mixture is then heated to 300 ° c . and the temperature is maintained for 30 minutes . the polycarbonate is then removed at normal pressure under a nitrogen atmosphere . 43 . 38 g ( 0 . 19 mol .) of bisphenol a , 2 . 02 g ( 0 . 01 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( recrystallised ), 44 . 99 g ( 0 . 21 mol .) of diphenyl carbonate and 0 . 0691 g ( 4 × 10 − 3 mol . %) of 5 % phenol solution of tetraphenylphosphonium phenolate , based on bisphenol a , are weighed into a 500 ml three - necked flask having a stirrer , an internal thermometer and a vigreux column ( 30 cm , mirrored ) with a bridge . the apparatus is freed of atmospheric oxygen by applying a vacuum and flushing with nitrogen ( three times ), and the mixture is melted at 190 ° c . and phenol that forms is distilled off . a vacuum of 100 mbar is then applied and distillation is continued for 20 minutes . the temperature is then raised to 235 ° c . and the phenol that forms is distilled off for 15 minutes . the vacuum is then adjusted to 60 mbar in the course of 5 minutes and maintained for 15 minutes . the mixture is heated to 250 ° c . and the plateau is maintained for 15 minutes . the pressure is then reduced to 5 mbar for 15 minutes , whereupon heating is carried out to 280 ° c . after a further 15 minutes , the vacuum is reduced to 0 . 5 mbar and stirring is carried out for a further 15 minutes . the mixture is then heated to 300 ° c . and the temperature is maintained for 30 minutes . the polycarbonate is then removed at normal pressure under a nitrogen atmosphere . ηrel : 1 . 229 phen . oh : 450 ppm tg : 143 ° c . colour index : 0 . 59 31 . 96 g ( 0 . 14 mol .) of bisphenol a , 13 . 10 g ( 0 . 06 mol .) of bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) sulfide , 46 . 70 g ( 0 . 22 mol .) of diphenyl carbonate and 0 . 0691 g ( 4 × 10 − 3 mol . %) of 5 % phenol solution of tetraphenylphosphonium phenolate , based on bisphenol a , are weighed into a 500 ml three - necked flask having a stirrer , an internal thermometer and a vigreux column ( 30 cm , mirrored ) with a bridge . the apparatus is freed of atmospheric oxygen by applying a vacuum and flushing with nitrogen ( three times ), and the mixture is melted at 190 ° c . and phenol that forms is distilled off for 30 minutes . the temperature is then raised to 235 ° c . in the course of 10 minutes and the phenol that forms is distilled off . the mixture is then heated to 300 ° c . in the course of 10 minutes and at the same time the pressure is reduced to 60 mbar . in the following 10 minutes , the vacuum is reduced to 5 mbar , then to 0 . 5 mbar over a further 10 minutes . after 30 minutes , the polycarbonate is removed at normal pressure under a nitrogen atmosphere . 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 may 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
according to one embodiment , the separation device comprises a prism 100 , a microfluidic channel 110 within the prism 100 , and a pair of bulk acoustic wave generators 120 attached to the prism . as shown in fig2 , the prism 100 is generally rectangular in shape and is constructed from poly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( pmma ) in one embodiment , although other rigid polymers or materials can be used . the acoustic wave generators 120 are coupled to opposing external sides 101 of the prism 100 and are used to create standing or traveling waves within the microchannel 110 . however , separation along node lines is more effective in standing wave environments . to create standing waves , the acoustic wave generators 120 are positioned parallel to each other on opposing sides of the channel 110 . in one embodiment , the acoustic wave generators 120 are lead zirconate titanate ( pzt ) transducers ; however , other types of bulk acoustic wave generators can be used . fig2 - 3 depict alternative embodiments of the separation device . the channel 110 is fabricated at an angle with respect to the transducers 120 . this configuration is identified as the “ tilted angle ” geometry . because the standing waves are substantially parallel to the transducers 120 , the standing waves are angled to the direction of flow in the channel 110 . in one embodiment , the angle of the channel 110 relative to the standing waves is between 10 and 45 degrees . however , as will be discussed , the angle of the channel 110 can vary depending on the particles to be separated and other design parameters . fig1 is an illustration of the titled angle geometry where the node lines are shown at an angle to the direction of flow . applying the acoustic force at an angle with respect to the flow is advantageous because the separation distances are limited only by the size of the channel 110 . in contrast , when parallel configurations are used the separation distance is limited to a fraction of the acoustic wavelength . the title angle geometry enables a device with higher throughput and separation of particles closer in size . to introduce the fluid to the prism and collect the effluent , inlet 102 and outlet 103 are provided on the prism 100 . the inlet 102 provides an entry point for the particles into the microchannel 110 . the particles are suspended in a fluid such as water , traveling through the channel 110 in a laminar or streamline flow . in one embodiment , the inlet 102 and outlet 103 are coplanar with the channel 110 . in an alternative embodiment , additional inlets 104 and 105 are provided for sheath flow , as seen in fig6 , around the inlet flow . more specifically , the additional inlets 104 and 105 provide a flow of fluid that does not contain particles around the particle stream , concentrating the particles to the center of the channel 110 . in the embodiment with sheath flow , the particles are concentrated at the center of the channel 110 before separation begins by controlling the ratio of the suspended particle volumetric flow rate to the sheath fluid volumetric flow rate . without sheath flow , the particles start distributed across the channel 110 and the separation will be incomplete since some small particles are positioned at the part of the channel where the larger particles are ending . in addition to focusing particles within the width of the cannel 110 , the particles can be focused towards the mid - height of the channel 110 by making the inlet 103 shallower than the additional inlets 104 and 105 . this is particularly advantageous in bulk acoustic devices since the acoustic wave is present through the depth of the channel 110 . for example , in one embodiment , the node lines in the channel are oriented vertically along the height of the channel and spaced evenly along the width of the channel . the channel must be wide enough to include multiple node lines ( more node lines can allow for greater separation ), but narrow enough for both acoustic uniformity and a sufficient flow velocity ( given the volumetric flow rate ) for separation . when the channel is tilted with respect to the transducers 120 ( and thus tilted to the node lines of the standing waves ), the drag and acoustic forces have components transverse to the channel . because of the difference in the relationship between the acoustic force and the drag force on particles of different sizes in the same acoustic field , larger particles more closely follow the node lines of the acoustic field , taking an undulating path from node line to node line . conversely , the smaller particles more closely follow the streamlines of the flow . thus , the difference in forces enables particle separation . acoustic forces can also affect particles differently based on their density , compressibility , shape , and mass distribution . fig1 depicts the differences in magnitude between drag and acoustic forces for two different sized particles . with the appropriate choice of device and operational parameters , the balance between the acoustic force and the drag force on particles enables separations . however , depending on particle type , flow rate , acoustic energy , and channel size , particles can take different paths within the channel 110 . while it is beneficial to have the particles to be separated follow one of two different paths , several different trajectories are possible depending on the parameters of device construction and operation . in the separation device , a particle can follow one of three distinct trajectories : ( 1 ) the particle follows the fluid streamline with no “ deflection ” by acoustic effects ; ( 2 ) the particle follows an undulating path ; ( 3 ) the particle follows a path to a node line and remains in the node line . fig4 is an example of paths followed by different particle sizes ranging from 3 μm to 9 μm . notice the smallest particle follows a fairly straight path , whereas the largest particle undulates from node to node . plotting acoustic pressure against water velocity , four parabolas are produced that divide the design space into five regions . the plot is shown in fig7 . the condition of four distinct regions ( labeled i through iv ) are described physically as follows . in region i , the acoustic force on a particle is sufficiently large , relative to the fluid force , that 15 μm and 2 μm particles all deflect to a node line , and separation does not occur . in region ii , 15 μm particles deflect to a node line while 2 μm particles follow an undulating path , because the trajectory of a large particle is more sensitive to acoustic pressure than that of a small particle . separation is possible , in principle , but is not maximally effective . in region iii , 15 μm particles deflect to a node line while 2 μm particles do not deflect . this achieves maximal , robust separation . in region iv , 15 μm particles follow an undulating path 2 μm particles do not deflect . separation is possible , in principle , but not maximally effective . ( region v , not labeled , is the area on the abscissa of low acoustic pressure in which neither particle deflects .) given that pmma prisms 101 are rapidly prototyped , different sizes can be created if the velocity and pressure parameters cannot be varied sufficiently to achieve the desired separation . to fabricate the prism 100 , micromachining technology is utilized . for example , the microfluidic channel 110 can be milled at a sub - mm scale on a mini - mill desktop cnc system from minitech machinery corp . in alternative embodiment , the each part of the prism is printed using additive manufacturing techniques ( or 3d printing ). however the device can also be fabricated using embossing or casting techniques . in one example fabrication method using micromachining , the prism 100 is formed from two half - pieces ( a first part 151 and a second part 152 ) joined together . in this example , the first part 151 and the second part 152 are manufactured from pmma stock 3 . 175 - mm thick . as shown in fig2 , the first part 151 is milled is milled with a 0 . 05 inch end mill to create a groove 153 300 microns deep on its surface . the second part 152 has a flat surface . both half - pieces 151 , 152 are milled to form inlet / outlet segments , alignment mechanism 106 , and transducer through - slots . the alignment mechanism 106 ( shown in fig2 ), such as an alignment key , allow ‘ snap - together ’ assembly with sufficient precision to create complex channels 110 and to present a planar face on the exterior of the prism 100 for uniform acoustic coupling . for example , the transducers 120 are contained within slots and coupled acoustically to the prism 100 with water , way oil , or acoustic coupling gel . to complete assembly , the two half - pieces 151 , 152 are bonded by cleaning first with soap and water , ashing the faces to be bonded in a harrick plasma cleaner ( in air ) for five minutes , and then clamping the two pieces between glass plates and baking in an oven at 305 degrees f . for 60 minutes . this fabrication technique allows for very rapid prototyping of different designs . given the relative ease of micromachining a custom channel 120 profile , in one embodiment the method of fabricating a device further comprises simulating the separation dynamics to determine the optimal device configuration . for example , according to one embodiment , comsol 4 . 3b multiphysics software is used to model particle motion in a channel 1270 μm wide and 150 μm deep tilted 20 ° with respect to the acoustic field . however , any simulation software can be used . the fluidic medium is water with a velocity of 10 mm / s . using the particle tracing with mass postanalysis function in comsol , 3 μm to 9 μm diameter particles are simulated including the drag force from the fluid and the force due to the acoustic field . an analytic expression was used for the acoustic force given by : where { circumflex over ( x )} is the particle coordinate along the channel , ŷ is the particle coordinate across the channel , p 0 is the acoustic pressure which controls the amplitude of the force , r is the particle radius , ρ is the density of the particles and the medium , water , p and m respectively , β is the compressibility of the particles and the medium , λ is the wavelength , 200 μm , and θ is the tilt angle of the channel . this equation represents the force from the acoustic field created by acoustic waves incident from both sides of the channel . using this simulation , parameters can be varied to achieve separation for a given particle size . because bulk acoustic waves enter the microfluidic channel from the sides ( unlike a saw device where the waves enter from the bottom ), the nodal separation is dependent only on the acoustic frequency and acoustic velocity in the fluid . thus , node lines with 100 micron spacing require a frequency of about 7 . 41 mhz . in one example device , separation of 2 μm and 15 μm polymer spheres suspended in water was accomplished by driving the transducers 120 with 33v amplitude at 6 . 8 mhz , which is a resonant frequency of some pzt transducers 120 , and gives a node spacing of about 113 microns . this example is shown in fig5 . in one example embodiment , the channel has a width of 1 . 27 mm , a height of 300 μm , a length of about 4 - 5 mm , and a tilt angle of 15 ° or 30 ° with respect to the exterior walls 101 of the prism 100 . in this particular embodiment , the prism 100 has a height of 5 . 08 mm and a width of 4 . 34 mm . however , a wide range of dimensions , shapes , and other design parameters may work . while the disclosure 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 modification can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments . thus , it is intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	1
in the prior art shown in fig1 and 2 , a conventional automotive shock absorber , in this case , a macpherson strut , includes a piston rod 2 upon which piston 4 , is fixed . piston rod 2 is received by rod guide 10 which is engaged with working cylinder 8 and outer cylinder 6 . an annular fluid reservoir , 9 , extends between the outer wall of working cylinder 8 and the inner wall of outer cylinder 6 . rod guide 10 is maintained in contact with working cylinder 8 and outer cylinder 6 by means of closure cap 18 which is welded to outer cylinder 6 with knurled weld 22 . closure cap 18 is provided with a separate striker plate 20 which is welded to closure cap 18 . striker plate 20 is a cup - shaped member stamped from mild steel or the like . a disadvantage of the shock absorber shown in fig1 and 2 is that additional parts are needed to form the closure cap and striker plate . also , the heat involved in welding the closure cap to the outer cylinder has been known to damage elastomeric seals used in the rod guide assembly . these seals must retain gas and liquid within the shock absorber , while excluding contaminants . the shock absorber shown in fig1 and 2 is attached to the vehicle by means of lower mounting bracket 26 having suitable holes therein for fixing the shock absorber to a suspension system or wheel spindle . the shock absorber is further provided with threaded fastener 28 which is integral with piston rod 2 and is further provided with spring perch 24 which is welded upon outer cylinder 6 . spring perch 24 is used for the purposes of seating a coil suspension spring ( not shown ). the shock absorber shown in fig1 and 2 is further provided with a jounce bumper 14 having a generally cylndrical configuration which is provided with a frustoconical lower segment 16 which contacts striker plate 20 when the strut is brought to the full jounce position . thus , bumper 14 may be properly termed a jounce bumper . striker plate 20 is not welded to closure cap 18 continuously at their matched radii . rather , an annular gap 30 is provided between the striker plate and closure cap so that any dirt or moisture accumulating on top of rod guide 10 wll not be forced through the rod guide when jounce bumper 14 moves into contact with the striker plate and compresses the air thereby trapped between the closure cap , striker plate , and jounce bumper . fig3 - 7 illustrate formation of the unitary striker plate and closure cap of the present invention as applied to an automotive shock absorber . turning now to fig3 piston rod 2 is slidably received by rod guide 10 which is equipped with a bearing sleeve 12 comprised of bronze impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene or other suitable bearing material . the rod guide is positioned within outer cylinder 6 and face 10a of the rod guide is axially abutted and engaged with working cylinder 8 . rod seal 34 is provided immediately above rod guide and includes an annular seal ring 36 which positions the seal axially . top wiper 38 and bottom wiper 40 prevent dirt , water , or other contaminants from moving along the rod and subsequently passing through the rod guide into the interior of the shock absorber . these wipers also provide a gas tight seal to maintain the working fluid and gas pressurization within the shock absorber . bottom wiper 40 is held in contact with piston rod 2 by means of first garter spring 42 . rod seal 34 further comprises outer sealing lip 44 which maintains sealing contact between the rod guide and the inner wall of outer cylinder 6 . the outer sealing lip further includes second garter spring 46 which maintains contact between the outer sealing lip and the outer diameter of rod guide 45 . annular ring 41 , of steel , helps to maintain the shape of rod seal 34 and provides a solid abutment between seal ring 36 and the upper surface of rod guide 10 . the first step in forming the unitary striker plate and closure cap of the present invention is shown sequentially in fig3 and 4 . as shown in fig3 male piercing die 48 and female piercing die 50 are brought into proximity of portion 6a of outer cylinder 6 . as shown in fig4 the piercing dies are brought together so as to form aperture 49 through outer cylinder wall 6a . aperture 49 is shown in its final position in fig6 and 7 . one or more apertures 49 may be formed and the function of these apertures is analogous to that of annular gap 30 described in connection with the prior art shock absorber illustrated in fig1 and 2 , which freely allows the escape of any air pressure formed during a jounce contact between jounce bumper 14 and striker plate 20 . as previously noted such air pressure could cause contamination of the interior of the shock absorber by forcing contaminants past the top and bottom wipers of rod guide seal 34 . apertures 49 prevent the harmful buildup of pressure between the jounce bumper and the striker plate , thereby preventing contamination . turning now to fig5 as shown in this figure , male creasing die 52 and female creasing die 54 are brought together radially about outer cylinder wall 6a . during this operation axially adjoining segments 6b and 6c are radially displaced inwardly by the creasing action of dies 52 and 54 . this step is of essential importance to the practice of the present invention because the preforming or creasing of the outer cylinder wall allows the cylinder wall to be axially deformed in a later process step in a controlled manner while at the same time using a cylinder component having a wall thickness which is not excessive . the present invention has been practiced using society of automotive engineers ( sae ) 1018 hot rolled steel formed as mandrel drawn steel tubing . it has further been found that outer cylinder wall thickness in the range of 2 - 2 . 5 millimeters produces a satisfactory result with the process of this invention . although fig3 - 7 show the outer cylinder 6 as being of reduced thickness in the area of segment 6a - 6b , this thickness reduction is not necessary to practice the invention and an integral closure cap and striker plate may be formed from a cylinder according to the present invention using hot rolled steel in the thickness range previously mentioned . turning now to fig6 axial pressing die 56 is employed for the purpose of axially compressing the radially displaced segments 6b and 6c in order that segments 6b and 6c will abut each other to form an annular ring having a u - shaped cross section , as shown in fig6 and 7 , with the annular ring extending radially inwardly from the outer periphery of the outer cylinder and abutting rod seal ring 36 . as shown in fig6 segments 6b and 6c are moved into a position wherein they are superimposed upon each other and formed to a tight bend radius over seal ring 36 . it should be noted in this connection that it has been determined that segment 6c should be approximately 10 - 15 percent longer than segment 6b in order that the axial compression by pressing die 56 will produce the desired flat , u - shaped cross section annular ring . during the axial pressing operation , the strut is preferably supported by its end cap 27 as well as by a collar clamped at a convenient position about the strut in the region lying immediately below spring perch 24 . fig6 and 7 show aperture 49 in its final configuration . each aperture extends through the cylinder wall in the region of segment 6b and 6c so as to provide relief for any pressure buildup above the rod seal when the strut is placed into the fully jounce position . alternatively , one or more v - shaped grooves 51 , shown in fig8 may be provided in lieu of apertures 49 . these grooves are v - shaped in cross section and are merely scored into a part of the interior wall surface of outer cylinder 6 prior to the forming operations . fig7 illustrates the formation of flared surface 6d as a final surface formed from outer cylinder 6 . flare 6d is formed by male flaring die 58 and female flaring die 60 which are brought together to radially displace outwardly segment 6d in the manner shown in fig7 . flare 6d provides an engaging surface for the frustoconical segment 16 of jounce bumper 14 and thereby allows operation of the jounce bumper 14 . flare 6d also contains a portion of the jounce bumper when the bumper is in the full jounce position . the flaring operation may be employed to control the overall length of outer cylinder 6 because the extent to which segment 6d is flared directly affects the axial dimension of segment 6d . accordingly , a fixed , repeatable dimension from the bottom of the shock absorber to the top of the flared segment is achievable . this is not possible with most prior art constructions . the ability to easily control the overall length of the shock absorber or macpherson strut is particularly important with units such as that shown in fig1 and 2 and in the improved version in fig3 - 8 , wherein the flared segment serves as a structure for limiting wheel travel in the rebound direction from extending beyond the full jounce position which may occur if jounce bumper 14 becomes worn excessively . using the present invention , suspension designers may reliably predict maximum , metal to metal wheel travel which occurs when segment 6d touches the vehicle &# 39 ; s body and this will materially aid the design process . unlike other constructions which provide only a single thickness of metal in the closure system over the rod guide and seal in a shock absorber or suspension strut , the present invention superimposes segments 6b and 6c over the rod guide so as to provide an economical but yet durable structure which is capable of functioning not only in a shock absorber but also in a suspension strut subjected to extreme loading when the suspension to which the strut is attached move to the full rebound position -- i . e . that position which the strut is fully extended . upon full extension of a suspension strut either the piston or a stop provided on the piston rod is brought up against the rod guide and this results in severe axial impact loading against the closure mechanism . this has , in the past , necessitated use of welded caps to prevent the closure mechanism from becoming detached during full rebound movement of the suspension . the integral closure cap and striker plate of the present invention provides a very secure retention structure for the rod guide because the double thickness annular ring is highly resistant to the conical deformation which accompanies undesired axial detachment of the rod guide . stated another way , it has been determined that axial detachment of the rod guide , such as that which occurs during a failure of the shock absorber during a particularly severe rebound extension will be preceded by conical deformation of the closure cap . the double thickness , pressed annulus of the present invention resists this conical deformation because the thicknesses of material are highly resistant to bending and further because the work hardened section of material at the bight of the u - shaped cross section provides great resistance to bending . the present closure procedure also provides a well defined radius on the inside surface which allows good closure for preventing leakage of strut fluid and gas pressurization inside the shock absorber . the present invention provides a closure structure which is , as previously explained , integrally formed from the outer cylinder of the strut by the economical method illustrated herein . this method is economical for two reasons . first , the material needed to form the outer cylinder may be of reasonable thickness because the multi - step process employed with the present invention includes the creasing step which allows subsequent axial deformation to occur without causing buckling of the outer cylinder which would result from the excessive imposition of forces needed to produce the desired axial deformation in the absence of a previous creasing step . thus , savings in terms of material results in practicing the present invention . secondly , production time will be saved by the practice of the present invention because additional welding steps have been eliminated . elimination of welding is beneficial for another reason because this obviates problems arising from the intense heat generated during welding , which has been found to damage piston rod seals . fig9 - 11 disclose a second embodiment of the present invention in which a shock absorber suitable for use with an automotive bumper system has a rod guide assembled according to the present invention . this shock absorber includes mounting tube 80 at one end for attachment with automotive body structure or bumper and mounting bracket 82 at its other end which is welded to working cylinder 66 . working cylinder 66 is preferably filled with a high viscosity fluid such as gelled silicone . piston 62 , fitted within working cylinder 66 upon piston rod 68 , includes shredder 65 . the shredder and piston each have several large apertures to permit their movement through the gelled silicone when the shock absorber is compressed . piston rod 68 slides through rod guide 74 which is attached to working cylinder 66 . the piston rod abuts rod guide 70 which is held in place according to the present invention . turning now to fig1 , piston rod 68 has a rounded end 68a , which fits into a semi - hemispherical relieved area 70a formed in rod guide 70 . outer cylinder 72 is formed into a unitary closure cap for maintaining engagement of rod guide 70 with outer cylinder 72 . this unitary closure cap comprises segments 72a and 72b of outer cylinder 72 and it is formed according to the method shown in fig5 and 6 . use of the present invention for this type of shock absober is economical because it eliminates welding of the rod guide to the outer cylinder thereby permitting more economical production processes . a further illustration of the economy gained in the manufacturing of shock absorbers with the present invention is provided by the following example . a bumper shock absorber , generally constructed in accord with fig9 but having a welded rod guide , 70 , maintained within a cylinder of mild steel having a wall thickness of 0 . 095 inches , was subjected to axial force . it was found that 7000 - 9000 lbs . of force was required to detach the rod guide from the cylinder . however , when a second shock absorber having a reduced wall thickness of 0 . 065 inches , and having its rod guide 70 attached according to this invention was subjected to the same test , it was found that 12 , 000 - 14 , 000 lbs . of force was required to detach the rod guide . it is therefore possible to construct a shock absorber according to the present invention with lighter , less expensive materials , but with enhanced performance . the second embodiment described herein illustrates use of the present invention to form a closure cap without a striker plate . this type of usage may be employed beneficially with conventional shock absorbers which are not macpherson structs . various modifications and variations will no doubt occur to those skilled in the various arts to which this invention pertains . for example , the particular processing sequence used in conjunction with the disclosed system may be varied . this and all other variations which basically rely on the teachings through which this disclosure has advanced the art are properly considered within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims .	8
the following detailed description is for the purpose of illustrating currently preferred embodiments of this invention . other embodiments are still possible without deviating from the spirit and scope hereof . the accompanying drawings and particular elements discussed below use terms meant as examples and not as limitations . functions equivalent to those illustrated in the photographs may be provided by still other device ( s ) or structure ( s ). as used herein , “ releasably attachable ” and “ releasably connectable ” are understood to be equivalent ; “ attach ” and “ connect ” ( and “ attachable ” and “ connectable ”) are also understood to be equivalent ; and “ releasable ,” “ releasably ,” “ releasably attachable ,” and / or “ releasably connectable ” are understood to mean being able to be repeatedly connected / disconnected ( or engaged / disengaged ) through the use of hands , feet , or human appendage , with application of human - scale work effort , not generally requiring the use of a tool let alone any special or customized tool / tooling . fig1 and 2 are full views of a representative roof jack clip 10 before it is used / installed between the boards of a roof for old shingle removal and / or new shingle installation . clip 10 consists of an uppermost tip 12 , a first elbow bend 14 , a short flat portion 16 followed by a second elbow 18 that bends in an opposite direction from first elbow bend 14 . thereafter , the clip 10 includes an elongated flat shaft component 20 whose back end 22 is meant to sit adjacent the roof boards when the jack clip is properly installed therebetween . as better seen in fig2 , a midsection 24 of flat shaft component 20 can be structurally strengthened ( for holding greater user weights ) by welding one or more reinforcement segments 26 thereto . at the lowermost end 28 of flat shaft component 20 , there is provided yet another elbow bend 30 ( which preferably extends substantially parallel with / to first elbow bend 14 ) before the whole clip 10 terminates in a “ shelf - like ” user boot support portion 32 . the foregoing clip 10 leads to a pre - shaped , pre - stressed clip that somewhat resembles a lightning bolt in its zigzag , jagged design . . . but each of the pre - set folds serves a special purpose : the top folds for assisting with clip installation between adjacent roof boards b 1 , b 2 before being hinged or “ flipped ” downwardly against the main surface of the lower of those two adjacent roof boards b 2 . thereafter , the user can safely rest his or her work boot w on the latter , outwardly folded and extending boot rest shelf portion / component 32 . more preferred embodiments will include rubberized coating treatments r to the exterior flat shelf component that otherwise extends adjacent the roof boards . a similar coating treatment of a non - slippery material to the upside of the boot resting shelf will also further enhance user safety especially in potentially moist conditions ( i . e ., from the elements — rain , drizzle , fog , etc . or from the sweat and / or spilled drinks of the workers atop a hot roof in mid summer ). yet another preferred addition ( not currently shown ) is the incorporation of one or more apertures a and / or hook elements into the body proper of each and every clip , most preferably in a common standard area / recess or the like . such a common coordination would allow for a plurality of such clips to be commonly connected ( on a wire , cord , even a large carabiner ) for each user to transport up a ladder ( or scaffolding ) and onto the roof for in situ installations as needed . the main elbow bends of the clip proper are meant to extend substantially perpendicular or at mostly a ninety degree angle relative to the next adjoining clip component . that is most critical toward the bottom end of each clip . the first elbow bend may be less than or greater than 90 degrees and still accomplish the main goals of same , i . e ., assisting with initial installation of the respective clips and , after proper use of same , the removal of the clip for reuse at another installation section of the same roof job . the preferred embodiment depicted has representative measurements of about 1 . 5 to 2 inches for the first section length , 1 inch for the short flat portion , about 8 to 10 inches for the flat shaft region ending in a boot shelf component about 5 to 6 inches long . overall , the total length for each clip , from top to bottom , measures between about 14 to 16 inches . the width of this clip is a consistent 1 . 5 inches as variations in sectional lengths may interfere with the clip laying flat against the pitched roof when properly installed . the components to the aforesaid clip may be made of or from a wide range of materials non - exclusively including aluminum , steel , iron , copper , tin and alloys between and including these and other materials , as well as and / or including composites such as fiberglass , aramid , carbon - fiber , an other fibers combined with resin and / or epoxy . when made from cast iron components ( for enhanced strength ), the resultant clip will weigh roughly 8 to 14 ounces each . fig3 through 8 show the sequential installation of one such clip between adjacent roof boards according to the present invention . particularly , there is the initial insertion of the clip tip 12 into the gap between adjacent boards b 1 , b 2 as seen in fig3 . though not required in subsequent embodiments , the two inward notches n , roughly 2 inches down from the top end of clip 10 provide some indication of how far in to insert the clip head between adjoining roof boards . once inserted a proper distance inwardly between two adjoining roof boards ( as per fig4 ), the whole of the clip may next be flipped down as shown in the first stage of flipping at fig5 until fully “ at rest ” against roof board b 2 . fig6 shows the clip 10 after flipping has been completed . finally , fig7 and 8 show the fully installed clip , in place , and ready for use , from two perspectives / angles . next , fig9 and 10 show the work boots w of a user stepping onto the shelf - like boot support component 32 of a properly installed roof jack clip 10 . the clip itself is still visible in fig9 while the whole leg weight of its user rests on that clip shelf 32 to support him as per the top view at fig1 .	4
referring to the drawings and particularly to fig1 and 2 , the aerosol inhalation apparatus of one form of the invention is there shown and can be seen to comprise a housing 22 which includes interconnected front , back , side and bottom walls 24 , 26 , 28 and 30 respectively . attached to housing 22 is a nebulizer means , shown here as a conventional , small volume nebulizer ( svn ) 32 ( fig1 ). a first end 22 a of the main housing is provided with a standard size breathing port 34 for ready patient interfacing with the aerosol system . a second end 22 b of the main housing is provided with an outlet port 36 to which filter means , shown here as a filter assembly 38 can be interconnected ( fig2 ) if so desired . as best seen by referring to fig2 , 8 and 9 , housing 22 includes a main portion 22 c and a chamber defining , insert portion 22 d which is received within main portion 22 c in the manner shown by the solid lines in fig9 . housing 22 also includes a first chamber 40 having an inlet 42 a defined by an inlet port 42 , an outlet 44 and baffle means for providing a circuitous fluid flow path through the first chamber . in the present form of the invention this important baffle means comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced - apart , strategically configured baffles or walls 46 , 48 and 50 . housing 22 also includes a second chamber 52 having an inlet 54 in communication with a first chamber 40 and an outlet 56 in communication breathing port 34 . insert portion 22 d in cooperation with a housing top wall 56 defines a third chamber 58 chamber having an inlet 60 in communication with said second chamber 52 and an outlet 62 , which communicates with outlet port 36 via a first flow control means , here provided as a flapper valve mechanism 64 . as shown in fig1 , nebulizer 32 is interconnected with inlet port 42 for communication with first chamber 40 for nebulizing a fluid medication containing the medicament to produce a particulate laden spray and for introducing said particulate laden spray into first chamber 40 . a second flow control means , shown here as valve member 68 is pivotally movable relative to inlet 54 of said second chamber 52 for controlling fluid flow through the inlet and into second chamber 52 . before discussing the operation of the apparatus of the invention as described in the preceding paragraphs , a brief discussion of the theory of patient inhalation and dose quantification is believed appropriate . in this regard , the breathing cycle for a patient involves an inhalation and exhalation component , usually in a time ratio of one part inhalation and two parts exhalation ( i . e . 1 : 2 ). as an example , if a patient is breathing at a rate of 12 breaths per minute ( bpm ) the complete breathing cycle would involve 5 seconds ( 60 sec ./ 12 bpm = 5 sec . ), and at a 1 : 2 inhalation / exhalation ratio , the exhalation time would be in the order of 3 . 3 seconds . when a normal nebulizer configuration is used , the drug as aerosolized by the nebulizer is blown into the atmosphere for ⅔s of each breathing cycle . if this aerosol could be retained and added to that received during the next patient inhalation , system efficiency would be greatly enhanced and the delivered patient dose should be quantifiable . the reservoir component of the present invention , when used with an air / oxygen flow rate of 7 - 8 liters per minute ( lpm ) to the nebulizer , is the correct volume to allow for this needed medication retention . determination of the minimum volume needed is as follows : 60 ⁢ ⁢ sec . 12 ⁢ ⁢ bpm ⁢ ( 5 ⁢ ⁢ seconds ) ⁢ ( 2 / 3 ) = 3 . 3 ⁢ ⁢ second ⁢ ⁢ exhalation ( 3 . 3 ⁢ ⁢ seconds ) ⁢ ( 7 ⁢ , ⁢ 000 ⁢ ⁢ ml ⁢ / ⁢ min . ) 60 = 385 ⁢ ⁢ ml . ⁢ volume knowing that medication lost is very small , and in general a relatively fixed percentage of that aerosolized , quantification of the patient dose received is very possible using the following equation : where drug concentration is known at the start of the procedure ; dmar is an easily determined fixed number for a given nebulizer at a defined oxygen flow rate ; system efficiency is a relatively fixed number for given system ; and time is the system run time determined prior to start , or just prior to nebulizer sputter . with the foregoing in mind , it can be seen that reservoir chamber 40 consists of a fixed , determinable volume . as indicated by the previous calculations , in practice , chamber 40 preferably has a minimum volume of about 400 ml ., which approximately equals the volume of aerosol produced by the nebulizer 32 during the time of patient exhalation under typical conditions such as an oxygen flow rate of about 7 liters per minute , a breathing rate of approximately 12 breaths per minute and an “ in - out ” ratio of about 1 : 2 . referring to fig1 , it can be seen that upon patient exhalation , the . expired air will pass through chamber 22 and first control means flapper valve number 64 , and exiting the device through port 75 . in so doing air pressure against second flow control means , here shown as a conventional , flapper - type valve member 68 , which is pivotally movable relative to inlet 54 of second chamber 52 , moves from the open position shown in fig2 into the closed position shown in fig1 . with a valve member 68 closed , the aerosol , which is being newly generated by the nebulizer 32 , flows into chamber 40 in the manner indicated by the arrows 69 . as indicated by the arrow 71 in fig1 , as the newly generated aerosol flows into chamber 40 , the residual air contained within the chamber will flow around and about the interior baffles 46 , 48 and 50 in the manner indicated by the arrows 73 in fig9 and will be pushed outwardly through exhaust port 36 in the manner indicated by the arrow 75 of fig1 . as previously discussed , duration of the expiration will be in the order of 3 - 4 seconds or less during which the newly generated aerosol will fill all pathways in chamber 40 . next , upon patient inhalation , atmospheric air will be drawn in through port 36 causing valve member 64 to close and through displacement force all aerosol in reservoir 40 to pass through flow control means 54 and out to the patient . additionally , during this time of patient inhalation , aerosol coming from continuously operating nebulizer member 32 ( fig1 ) is also being received by the patient . it can be readily seen by those skilled in the art that drug is delivered very efficiently , and drug loss is not only minimal but essentially a constant percentage of that aerosolized . in summary , due to the unique design of the apparatus of the invention , essentially all of the aerosolized medication ( only loss — a relatively small percentage retained in the body of the device ) is accessed by the patient and the effects of patient breathing parameters are minimized or eliminated . knowing the initial drug concentration ( mg ./ ml ) and the patient breathing time on the system , the inhaled dose can be easily calculated , generally within ± 12 %. conversely , if the desired inhaled dose is known , the same equation can be revised as follows to determine patient - breathing time required : referring now to fig1 a , an alternate form of the apparatus of the invention , which can be used with a conventional ventilator , is there shown . this apparatus is similar in many respects to that shown in fig1 through 11 and like numerals are used in fig1 a to identify like components . as will be presently described , with proper placement in the breathing circuit this device can deliver drugs with essentially the same efficiencies as that previously described when used in conjunction with patients when connected to ventilators . in this latest embodiment of the invention , insert portion 22 d with flapper valve 64 is omitted , and replaced with a valve means for controlling fluid flow between the outlet port op of the ventilator through an inlet chamber 52 a and into a baffle chamber 40 a of housing 22 a . baffle chamber 40 a is provided with spaced - apart baffles , 46 a , 48 a and 50 a . valve means 68 r , which is the reverse of valve 68 , functions to open and close a port 54 a as needed for injection of pressurized air from the ventilator . this actuation of air pressure forces medicated air / oxygen from chamber 60 a and chamber 40 a through exit port 36 a to the patient . automatic operation of the ventilator circuitry is such that at such time air pressure from port op of the ventilator is applied at port 34 an internal valve vv in the ventilator tightly closes the air exit tube from the patient , creating a completely closed circuit . upon completion of the “ inhalation ” procedure , valve 68 r moves into its closed position , the ventilator valve vv of the ventilator opens and the expired air from the patient flows in the direction of the arrows through conduit 67 which is in communication with the patient . upon closure of valve 68 r , newly generated aerosol once again fills chamber 40 a thereby completing the cycle . turning next to fig1 through 21 an alternate form of the aerosol inhalation apparatus of the invention is there shown and generally designated by the numeral 80 . this alternate form of the apparatus of the invention is similar in some respects to that shown in fig1 through 11 and like numerals are used in fig1 through 21 to identify like , components . as best seen by referring to fig1 and 13 , this latest form of the apparatus can be seen to comprise a housing 82 which includes a generally cylindrically - shaped main body portion 84 having interconnected side and bottom walls 86 and 88 respectively . attached to housing 82 is a nebulizer means , shown here as the previously identified , small volume nebulizer ( svn ) 32 ( fig1 ). a first end 82 a of the main housing is provided with a standard size breathing port 90 for ready patient interfacing with the aerosol system . a second end 82 b of the main housing is provided with an outlet port 92 to which filter means , such as the previously identified filter assembly 38 can be interconnected ( fig1 ). as best seen by referring to fig1 and 20 , housing 82 includes a main portion 82 c and a chamber defining , insert portion 82 d which is received within main portion 82 c in the manner shown in the drawings . the generally cylindrically - shaped portion 84 of housing 82 includes a first chamber 94 having an inlet 94 a defined by an inlet port 96 , an outlet 98 and baffle means for providing a circuitous fluid flow path through the first chamber . in this latest form of the invention this important baffle means comprises a generally spiral - shaped wall 100 ( fig2 ). housing 82 also includes a second chamber 102 having an inlet 104 in communication with a first chamber 94 and an outlet 106 in communication breathing port 90 . insert portion 82 d in cooperation with a housing top wall 110 defines a third chamber 112 chamber having an inlet 114 in communication with said second chamber 102 and an outlet 116 , which communicates with outlet port 92 via a first flow control means , here provided as a flapper valve mechanism 118 . as shown in fig1 , nebulizer 32 is interconnected with inlet port 96 for communication with first chamber 94 for nebulizing a fluid medication containing the medicament to produce a particulate laden spray and for introducing said particulate laden spray into first chamber 94 . a second flow control means , shown here as valve member 120 , is pivotally movable relative to inlet 98 of chamber 102 for controlling fluid flow through the inlet and into chamber 102 . with the previous discussion of the theory of patient inhalation and dose quantification in mind , it can be seen that reservoir chamber 94 consists of a fixed , determinable volume . in practice , chamber 94 preferably has a volume of about 400 ml ., which approximately equals the volume of aerosol produced by the nebulizer 32 during the time of patient exhalation under typical conditions such as an oxygen flow rate of about 7 liters per minute , a breathing rate of approximately 12 breaths per minute and an “ in - out ” ratio of about 1 : 2 . in using this latest form of the apparatus of the invention , upon patient exhalation , the second flow control means , here shown as a conventional , flapper - type valve member 120 , which is pivotally movable relative to inlet 104 of second chamber 102 , moves from the open position shown by the solid lines in fig1 into the closed position shown by the dotted lines in fig1 . with a valve member 120 closed , the aerosol , which has been newly generated by the nebulizer 32 flows into chamber 94 in the manner indicated by the arrows 125 . as the newly generated aerosol flows into chamber 94 , the residual air contained within the chamber will flow through the use or this flow path defined by spiral wall 100 in the manner indicated by the arrows 127 in fig1 ( see also the arrows in fig1 and 15 ) and will be pushed outwardly through exhaust port 92 in the manner indicated by the arrow 129 of fig1 . in response to patient exhalation , valve member 118 is opened in the manner shown by the dotted lines in fig1 . at the same time , exhalation by the patient closes valve 120 . simultaneously the nebulizer 32 is producing medicated aerosol , which replenishes the reservoir chamber , or chamber 94 . in summary , due to the unique design of this alternate form of the apparatus of the invention , essentially all of the aerosolized medication ( only loss — a relatively small percentage retained in the body of the device ) is accessed by the , patient and the effects of patient breathing parameters are minimized or eliminated . knowing the initial drug concentration ( mg ./ ml ) and the patient breathing time on the system , the inhaled dose can be easily calculated , generally within ± 12 %. conversely , as discussed in connection with a first embodiment of the invention , if the desired inhaled dose is known , the same equation can be revised to determine patient breathing time required . having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes , those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , as set forth in the following claims .	8
as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “ circuit ,” “ module ” or “ system .” furthermore , aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium ( s ) having computer readable program code embodied thereon . any combination of one or more computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium . a computer readable storage medium may be , for example , but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , or device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ), an optical storage device , a magnetic storage device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . in the context of this document , a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain , or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . a computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein , for example , in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms , including , but not limited to , electro - magnetic , optical , or any suitable combination thereof . a computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate , propagate , or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc ., or any suitable combination of the foregoing . computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the “ c ” programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other devices to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other devices to cause a series of operational actions to be performed on the computer , other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . turning now to the figures , fig1 is a block diagram of one example of a computing system architecture 100 that may incorporate the claimed subject matter . it should be noted there are many possible computing system configurations that may implement the disclosed technology , of which computing system architecture 100 is only one simple example . a computing system , or “ cs_ 1 ,” 102 includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 103 , coupled to a monitor 104 , a keyboard 105 and a pointing device , or “ mouse ,” 106 , which together facilitate human interaction with cs_ 1 102 and other elements of architecture 100 . cpu 103 would comprise , among other things , one or more processors . also included in cs_ 1 102 and attached to cpu 103 is a computer - readable storage medium ( crsm ) 107 , which may either be incorporated into cs_ 1 102 i . e . an internal device , or attached externally to cpu 103 by means of various , commonly available connection devices such as but not limited to , a universal serial bus ( usb ) port ( not shown ). crsm 107 is illustrated storing an operating system ( os ) 108 and a configuration knowledge server ( cks ) 109 , which is described in more detail below in conjunction with fig2 and 8 . cs_ 1 102 is communicatively coupled to a network 110 . also coupled to network 110 , and thereby able to communicate with cs_ 1 102 and each other via network 110 , are several other computing systems , i . e ., a cs_ 2 112 , a cs_ 3 122 , a cs_ 4 132 and a cs_ 5 142 . in this example , cs_ 2 112 is also illustrated with a cpu 113 , a monitor 114 , a keyboard 115 , a mouse 116 and a crsm 117 . like elements 104 - 106 , monitor 114 , keyboard 115 and mouse 116 enable human interaction with cs . . . 2 112 . crsm 117 is illustrated storing an os 118 and a configuration checking server ( ccs ) 119 , which is described in more detail below in conjunction with fig4 and 7 . although in this example , css 102 , 112 , 122 , 132 and 142 are communicatively coupled via network 110 , they could also be coupled through any combination of communication mediums such as , but not limited to , a local area network ( lan ) ( not shown ), a wide area network ( wan ) and direct wires . although not shown for the sake of simplicity , cs_ 3 122 , cs_ 4 132 and cs_ 5 142 would also typically include a cpu , monitor , keyboard , mouse and crsm . cs_ 3 122 , cs_ 4 132 and cs_ 5 142 are illustrated storing logic associated with configuration checking agents , i . e ., a cca_ 1 123 , a cca_ 2 133 and a cca_ 3 143 , respectively , which are explained in more detail below in conjunction with fig5 and 6 . cs_ 3 122 is also illustrated storing logic associated with two applications , i . e ., an app_a 124 and an app_b 125 . cs_ 4 132 is illustrated storing logic associated with an application , or app_c 134 . cs_ 5 142 is illustrated storing logic associated with two applications , i . e ., an app_a 124 and an app_d 144 . it should be noted that both cs_ 3 122 and cs_ 5 142 store logic associated with app_a 124 . logic associated with ccas 123 , 133 and 143 and applications 124 , 125 , 134 and 144 is typically stored on crsms ( not shown ) of the corresponding devices and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of the corresponding cpus ( not shown ). fig2 is a block diagram of a configuration checker ( cc ) 150 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . cc 150 includes cks 109 ( fig1 ), ccs 119 ( fig1 ). cca_ 1 123 , cca_ 2 133 and cca_ 3 143 . it should be understood that cc 150 is merely one example and that any particular cc may include multiple ccss , each responsible for multiple ccas . ccas 123 , 133 and 143 transmit and receive messages form ccs 119 , which in turn transmits and received messages from cks 109 . the particular messages transmitting and received between ccas 123 , 133 and 143 and ccs 119 and between ccs 119 and cks 109 are explained in more detail below in conjunction with fig6 - 9 . two specific types of communications between ccs 119 and cks 109 represented in fig2 are requests for information on specific configuration changes and responses to the request , represented by a line 152 and updates from ccs 119 to cks 109 on new information typically concerning previously unknown adverse effects of updates and configuration changes on applications , represented by a line 154 . fig3 is a block diagram central knowledge server ( cks ) 109 , first introduces above in conjunction with fig1 and 2 , in greater detail . cks 109 includes an input / output ( i / o ) module 162 , a data module 164 , a validation module 166 , a configuration problem ( cp ) database update module 168 and a graphical user interface ( gui ) module , or simply “ gui ,” 170 . for the sake of the following examples , logic associated with cks 109 is assumed to be stored in crsm 107 ( fig1 ) and execute on one or more processors ( not shown ) of cpu 103 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 1 102 ( fig1 ). it should be understood that the claimed subject matter can be implemented in many types of computing systems and data storage structures but , for the sake of simplicity , is described only in terms of cs_ 1 102 and system architecture 100 ( fig1 ). further , the representation of cks 109 in fig3 is a logical model . in other words , components 162 , 164 , 166 , 168 and 170 may be stored in the same or separates files and loaded and / or executed within system 100 either as a single system or as separate processes interacting via any available inter process communication ( ipc ) techniques . i / o module 162 handles any communication cks 109 has with other components of system 100 , including ccs 119 ( fig1 and 2 ). data module 164 is a data repository for information that cks 109 requires during normal operation . examples of the types of information stored in data module 164 include ccs data 172 , a configuration problem ( cp ) database 174 and cks operating parameters 176 . ccs data 172 stores information that enables cks 109 to receive signals from and respond to suitably configured configuration checker servers ( ccss ) such as ccs 119 . examples of such information may include , but is not limited to , communication address and protocols , apis and data on the environment of a particular ccss . cp database 174 stores information on all know registered applications and any problems , known or reported , for those applications . for example , known problems may include known conflicts among different versions of components . cks operating parameters 176 stores parameters that control the look , feel , administrative preferences and operation of cks 109 . typically , such parameters are set by an administrator employing gui 170 . validation module 166 correlates reported configuration changes ( see 338 , fig7 and 364 , fig8 ) with cp database 174 to identify any known or reported issues corresponding to the configuration change . cp database update module 168 is responsible for handling the formatting and insertion of reported issues ( see 380 , fig9 ) into cp database 174 . gui 170 enables administrators of cks 109 to interact with and to define the desired functionality of cks 109 , typically by the setting of parameters in cks operating parameters 176 . components 162 , 164 , 166 and 168 are described in more detail below in conjunction with fig4 - 9 . fig4 is a block diagram of configuration checker server ( ccs ) 119 , first introduces above in conjunction with fig1 and 2 , in greater detail . ccs 119 includes an input / output ( i / o ) module 182 , a data module 184 , a conflict detection module 186 and a graphical user interface ( gui ) module , or simply “ gui ,” 188 . for the sake of the following examples , logic associated with ccs 119 is assumed to be stored in crsm 117 ( fig1 ) and execute on one or more processors ( not shown ) of cpu 113 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 2 112 ( fig1 ). it should be understood that the claimed subject matter can be implemented in many types of computing systems and data storage structures but , for the sake of simplicity , is described only in terms of cs_ 2 112 and system architecture 100 ( fig1 ). further , the representation of ccs 119 in fig4 is a logical model . in other words , components 182 , 184 , 186 and 188 may be stored in the same or separates files and loaded and / or executed within system 100 either as a single system or as separate processes interacting via any available inter process communication ( ipc ) techniques . i / o module 182 handles any communication ccs 119 has with other components of system 100 , including cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ) and ccas 123 , 133 and 143 ( fig1 and 2 ). data module 184 is a data repository for information that ccs 119 requires during normal operation . examples of the types of information stored in data module 184 include cks data 192 , cca data 194 , environmental definitions 196 and ccs operating parameters 198 . cks data 192 stores information that enables ccs 119 to receive signals from and respond to a suitably configured configuration knowledge server ( cks ) such as , in this example , cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ). examples of such information may include , but is not limited to , communication address and protocols and application programming interfaces ( apis ) of cks 109 . cca data 194 stores information on all know and suitably configured and registered ccas such as cca_ 1 123 , cca_ 2 133 and cca_ 3 143 . examples of such information may include , but is not limited to , communication address and protocols and apis of ccas 123 , 133 and 143 . environmental definitions 196 stores information detailing groups of applications and products that integrate with one another to run an application , i . e ., what the applications and products , where they are and any dependencies . environmental definitions 196 also includes a history of changes corresponding to each registered cca 123 , 133 and 143 . ccs operating parameters 198 stores parameters that control the look , feel , administrative preferences and operation of ccs 119 . typically , such parameters are set by an administrator employing gui 188 . conflict detection module 186 is responsible for determining whether or not a changes detected by ccas 123 , 133 and 143 ( see 304 , fig6 ) are known to cause any issues . in addition , conflict detection module 186 is responsible for notifying ccas 123 , 133 and 143 in the event an issue is detected ( see 344 , fig7 ). gui 188 enables administrators of ccs 119 to interact with and to define the desired functionality of ccs 119 , typically by the setting of parameters in ccs operating parameters 198 . components 182 , 184 and 186 are described in more detail below in conjunction with fig5 - 9 . fig5 is a block diagram of a configuration checker agent , which in this example is cca_ 1 123 , first introduced above in conjunction with fig1 and 2 , in greater detail . cca_ 1 123 includes an input / output ( i / o ) module 202 , a data module 204 , a registration module 206 , a configuration change detection module 208 , a performance detection module 210 and a graphical user interface ( gui ) module , or simply “ gui ,” 212 . for the sake of the following examples , logic associated with cca_ 1 123 is assumed to be stored in a crsm ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 ( fig1 ) and execute on one or more processors ( not shown ) of a cpu ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 . it should be understood that the claimed subject matter can be implemented in many types of computing systems and data storage structures but , for the sake of simplicity , is described only in terms of cs_ 3 122 and system architecture 100 ( fig1 ). further , the representation of cca_ 1 123 in fig5 is a logical model . in other words , components 202 , 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 and 212 may be stored in the same or separates files and loaded and / or executed within system 100 either as a single system or as separate processes interacting via any available inter process communication ( ipc ) techniques . i / o module 202 handles any communication cca_ 1 123 has with other components of system 100 , including ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ). data module 204 is a data repository for information that cca_ 1 123 requires during normal operation . examples of the types of information stored in data module 204 include a component registry 214 , a configuration library 216 and cca operating parameters 218 . component registry 214 stores information on components , which in this example are components on cs_ 3 122 that are registered to take advantage of the provided configuration checking service of cc 150 ( fig2 ). in the following example , registered components of cs_ 3 123 include app_a 124 ( fig1 ) and app_b 125 ( fig1 ). as described in more detail below , components may be manually registered by a user or administrator of cs_ 3 122 or come “ configuration checker ready ,” which implies that the component automatically registers itself when installed . examples of stored component information include , but are not limited to , the type and version of a component , communication ports and protocols and apis . configuration library 216 stores information concerning the current and previous configurations of components referenced in component registry 214 . in other words , configuration library 216 stores information on configurations and configuration changes that have been previously implemented on registered components . cca operating parameters 218 stores parameters that control the look , feel , administrative preferences and operation of cca 123 . typically , such parameters are set by an administrator employing gui 212 . registration module 206 is responsible for implementing a registration procedure for components . typically , a particular component is registered when information corresponding to the component is entered into component registry 214 . such information may be entered by an administrator or collected from an external source ( not shown ). for example , information concerning different applications and other types of components may be available over the internet ( not shown ) from manufacturers , vendors or publically information repositories . in addition , as mentioned above , components may be either manually registered or “ configuration checker ready .” configuration change detection module 208 is responsible for detecting a change in the configuration of any registered components or components upon which registered components may depend ( see 304 , fig6 ). performance detection module 210 is responsible for detecting significant changes in the performance of cs_ 3 122 . in such a case , cc 150 may implement a check off all affected components to determine if any configuration issues have arisen . gui 212 enables administrators of cca_ 1 123 to interact with and to define the desired functionality of cca_ 1 123 , typically by the setting of parameters in cca operating parameters 218 . components 202 , 206 , 208 and 210 are described in more detail below in conjunction with fig6 - 9 . fig6 is a flowchart of an example of a configuration monitoring process 300 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . in the following example , logic associated with process 300 is stored in a crsm ( not shown ) of cs 0 . 3 122 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cca_ 1 123 ( fig1 and 5 ) and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of a cpu ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 . typically , similar processes would be executing on ca_ 4 132 ( fig1 ) and cs_ 5 142 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cca_ 2 133 and cca_ 3 143 , respectively . process 300 starts in a “ begin configuration ( config .) monitoring ” block 302 and proceeds immediately to a “ detect config . change ” block 304 . during processing associated with block 304 , a change in the configuration of cs_ 3 122 is detected by cca_ 1 123 . such a change may be , but is not limited to , new or updated hardware or software , a changed configuration or any combination of changes . during processing associated with a “ notify ccs ” block 306 , cca_ 1 123 signals ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ) that a configuration change has been detected and includes in conjunction with the signal details of the change , e . g ., a particular software component has been replaced with a different version or product . during processing associated with a “ wait for notification ” block 308 . cca_ 1 123 waits for a response ( see 344 , fig7 ) from ccs 119 with respect to the signal , or notification , transmitted in conjunction with block 306 . during processing associated with a “ receive notification of issue ?” block 310 , a determination is made as to whether or not ccs 119 has responded to the signal transmitted during processing associated with block 306 with an indication that a configuration issue has been detected . it should be noted that process 300 may be configured to either receive a signal indicating “ no issue ” or for cca_ 1 123 to “ timeout ” if no notification is received . whether or not to timeout and the specific length of time may be set by an administrator by setting a parameter of cca operating parameters 218 ( fig5 ). in response to a notification of an issue , control proceeds to an “ alert administrator ” block 312 . during processing associated with block 312 , an appropriate message is transmitted to a party responsible for implementing the reconfiguration of cs_ 3 122 . during processing associated with an “ implement remedy ” block 314 , the responsible party may make changes to the reconfiguration . typically , such changes would be detected by cca_ 1 123 and process 300 would be executed again to validate the changes . finally , if either a notification of no issue is received or a timeout has occurred during processing associated with block 310 , or a remedy has been implemented during processing associated with block 314 , control proceeds to an “ end config . monitoring ” block 319 and process 300 is complete . fig7 is a flowchart of an example of a check configuration process 330 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . in the following example , logic associated with process 330 is stored in crsm 117 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 2 112 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ) and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of cpu 113 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 2 112 . process 330 starts in a “ begin check configuration ( config . )” block 332 and proceeds immediately to a “ receive notice of config . modification ( mod . )” block 334 . during processing associated with block 334 , ccs 119 receives a signal ( see 306 , fig6 ) from , in this example cca_ 1 123 ( fig1 and 5 ), indicating that a change in configuration has been detected ( see 304 , fig6 ) on cs_ 3 122 ( fig1 ). during processing associated with a “ timestamp and store change ” block 336 , information about the specific reconfiguration on cs_ 3 122 and the time of the notification are stored in cca data 194 ( fig4 ) of data module 184 ( fig4 ) for future reference . during processing associated with a “ notify cks ” block 338 , ccs 119 transmits a request for a configuration check to cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ). such a request includes details of the potential reconfiguration and current setup of cs_ 3 122 . during processing associated with a “ wait for cks response ” block 340 , ccs 119 waits for cks to analyze the information transmitted during processing associated with block 338 and identify any potential issues ( see 360 , fig8 ). during processing associated with an “ impact detected ?” block 342 , either a report is received from cks 109 or , if so configured , a timeout occurs . a determination is made , based upon the report as to whether or not a negative impact , or issue , has been detected . if so , ccs 119 notifies cca_ 1 123 ( see 308 . fig6 ) during processing associated with a “ notify cca ” block 344 . finally , once cca_ 1 123 has been notified during processing associated with block 344 or either a no issue report or timeout has occurred in conjunction with block 342 , control proceeds to an “ end check config .” block 349 and process 330 is complete . fig8 is a flowchart of an example of a configuration lookup process 360 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . in the following example , logic associated with process 360 is stored on crsm 107 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 1 102 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ) and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of cpu 103 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 1 102 . process 360 starts in a “ begin configuration ( config .) lookup ” block 362 and proceeds immediately to a “ receive notification ” block 364 . during processing associated with block 364 , cks 109 receives a message from ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ) ( see 338 , fig7 ). during processing associated with a “ config . check ?” block 366 , a determination is made as to whether or not the message concerns a change in configuration on cs_ 3 122 ( fig1 ). ( see 304 , fig6 ) or a notification of a newly discovered configuration issue ( see 380 , fig9 ). if the message concerns a configuration change , control proceeds to “ correlate with cpd ” block 368 . during processing associated with block 368 , the information received during processing associated with block 364 is correlated with cp database 174 ( fig3 ) to identify any known issues . during processing associated with a “ validate config .” block 370 , the data gathered during processing associated with block 368 is examined ( see 166 , fig3 ) to determine whether or not the proposed reconfiguration of cs_ 3 122 presents any issues . once the reconfiguration has been either validated or not , cks 109 transmits a report on the findings to ccs 119 ( see 340 , fig7 ) during processing associated with a “ notify ccs ” block 372 . if a determination is made during processing associated with block 366 that the notification received during processing associated with block 364 is not a request for a reconfiguration validation , control proceeds to an “ update cpd ” block 374 . typically , if the notification is not a validation request , the notification is related to a newly discovered configuration issue ( see 380 , fig9 ). the newly discovered configuration issue is then stored in cpd 174 so that future validation requests can be made aware of the issue . during processing associated with an “ other cs &# 39 ; s affected ?” block 376 , a determination is made as to whether or not css other than cs_ 1 122 , such as cs_ 4 132 ( fig1 ) or cs_ 5 142 ( fig1 ), may have similar configuration issues related to the newly reported issue . if so , control proceeds to a “ notify affected css ” block 378 during which the affected css are notified . typically , the notification would be transmitted to ccs 119 , which would then forward the information to the appropriate ccas . finally , once ccs 119 has been notified during processing associated with block 372 , ccas have been notified during processing associated with block 378 or a determination is made during processing associated with block 376 that other css are not affected , control proceeds to an “ end config . lookup ” block 379 and process 360 is complete . fig9 is a flowchart of an example of a performance check process 380 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . in the following example , logic associated with process 380 is stored in a crsm ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cca_ 1 123 ( fig1 and 5 ) and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of a cpu ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 . typically , similar processes would be executing on ca_ 4 132 ( fig1 ) and cs_ 5 142 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cca_ 2 133 and cca_ 3 143 , respectively . process 380 starts in a “ begin performance check ” block 382 and proceeds immediately to a “ detect issue ” block 384 . during processing associated with block 384 , cca_ 1 123 scans cs_ 3 122 to determine if any performance issues have occurred . such issues may be detected by such activities , but not limited to , examining error logs and analyzing performance metrics related to the components of cs_ 1 122 . during processing associated with “ due to configuration ?” block 386 , a determination is made as to whether or not the issue detected during processing associated with block 384 is related to a configuration or reconfiguration of cs_ 1 122 . if so , control proceeds to a “ correlate with cpd ” block 388 during which cp database 174 ( fig3 ) is consulted to determine whether or not the issue is currently known . in one embodiment , such as request would be handled either by means of an application programming interface ( api ) provided by either cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ) or ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ), which would call an api on cks 109 . during processing associated with a “ confirm cause and effect ” block 390 , a determination is made as to the particular cause of the problem and , during processing associated with an “ update cpd ,” a signal is transmitted ( see 366 , 374 , fig8 ) to cks 109 to update cpd 174 . if , during processing associated with block 386 , a determination is made that the issue detected during processing associated with block 384 is not related to a configuration or reconfiguration , control proceeds to an “ address issue ” block 394 during which a system administrator would typically be notified and , if possible , address the issue . finally , once cpd 174 has been updated during processing associated with block 392 or the detected issue has been addressed during processing associated with block 394 , control proceeds to an “ end performance check ” block 399 and process 380 is complete . in this manner , cpd 174 may be maintained in a manner such issues are up to date for all systems . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , 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 corresponding structures , materials , acts , and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure , material , or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed . the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture , functionality , and operation of possible implementations of systems , methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention . in this regard , each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module , segment , or portion of code , which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function ( s ). it should also be noted that , in some alternative implementations , the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures . for example , two blocks shown in succession may , in fact , be executed substantially concurrently , or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality involved . it will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , can be implemented by special purpose hardware - based systems that perform the specified functions or acts , or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions .	6
the described process can be used to rapidly and sensitively detect the presence of clostridium difficile using a single reaction tube . in addition , the procedure described can identify various mutations in the bacterial genome that correspond to clinically relevant markers of pathogenicity — specifically , the presence of an 18 bp deletion in the regulatory tcdc gene , which is associated with a hypervirulent strain of the bacteria , and the presence of a binary toxin gene that is also present in emerging strains of c . difficile . this invention will be better understood with reference to the following definitions . ( a ) “ multiplex - capable ” shall mean a reaction that can sensitively and selectively amplify at least 3 amplicons from a sample in a single reaction mixture if they are present in the original sample , while non - specific products should not make more than about 10 % ( w / w ) of the dna synthesized in tubes containing the target genes . in this context , sensitively shall be understood to mean detect the presence of an oligonucleotide of the invention at least about 70 % of the time and in some embodiments at least about 80 % of the time , and preferably about 90 % of the time , with particular reference to about 95 % of the time and about 99 % of the time . selectively is a determination of the number of true negatives divided by the number of true negatives + the number of true positives . expressed as a percentage , selective will be understood to mean about 90 % of the time , with particular reference to about 95 % of the time and about 99 % of the time . ( b ) “ primer ” shall mean an oligonucleotide sequence that is designed to hybridize with a complementary portion of a target sequence , a probe , or a ligation product , and undergo primer extension . in the practice of this invention complimentarity is a significant attribute . non - complimentarity of the nucleotides within the primer will greatly lower sensitively . in the practice of this invention , suitable primers have no more than one substitution base . adding or subtracting bases from the ends of the primers will change the annealing temperatures . annealing temperatures for multiplex runs are optimal if they are no more than about 1 . 5 ° c . disparity for all primers . ( c ) in some instances , primers are called probes . “ probe ” are nucleic acid oligomers that hybridize specifically to a target sequence in a nucleic acid , under conditions that allow hybridization , thereby allowing detection of the target or amplified nucleic acid . the probe &# 39 ; s “ target ” generally refers to a sequence within or a subset of an amplified nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes specifically to at least a portion of a probe oligomer by standard hydrogen bonding ( i . e ., base pairing ). a probe may comprise target - specific sequences and other sequences that contribute to three - dimensional conformation of the probe . in the practice of this invention , primers and / or probes are utilized to permit amplification of a c . difficile nucleic acid template containing a tcdb - derived target nucleotide sequence and to optionally introduce additional features into the amplification products . each primer and / or probe contains a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to a region of target nucleotide sequence in the template , in order for each primer to bind ( anneal ) to the template . ( d ) “ clinical sample ” shall mean any tissue or excreta which may contain c . difficile nucleic acid , including , for example , stools ( liquid or soft ), sputum , peripheral blood , plasma , serum , biopsy tissue including lymph nodes , respiratory tissue or exudates , or other body fluids , tissues or materials . in some embodiments , a clinical sample is treated to physically , chemically and / or mechanically disrupt tissue or cell structure or consistency , thus releasing or freeing clinical sample components such as intracellular components . it is contemplated that in some embodiments , clinical sample preparation uses a solution that contains buffers , salts , detergents and the like which are used to prepare the sample for analysis . in one embodiment , dna isolated from clinical stool samples using existing commercial kits are be added to a prepared 50 ul solution containing 5 ul 10 × taq polymerase buffer concentrate ( new england biosciences ), six primers that specifically target three genes — tcdb , tcdc , and cdtb — found in the clostridium difficile genome ( 0 . 167 um each tcdb primer , 0 . 267 um each tcdc primer , 0 . 267 um each cdtb primer ), 5 nm each of 3 dual - labeled probes (“ molecular beacons ”) each corresponding to one of the three target genes listed above that fluoresce in the presence of dna amplified from their respective target gene , 0 . 2 mm each atp , ctp , gtp , and ttp , 0 . 1 u / ul taq polymerase , 0 . 1 ug / ul bovine serum albumin , and 6 mm magnesium chloride . the primers were designed by aligning known sequences of clostridium difficile samples and identifying regions of limited mutation . within these regions , primers ( single - stranded short dna fragments required to initiate replication of dna in vitro ) with good binding energy were designed to specifically amplify dna sequences by the polymerase chain reaction . the primer sequences are listed below , and are named by the gene they amplify ; the fwd and rev suffixes identify the strand of the double - stranded dna ( dsdna ) fragment to which the primer binds . the primers , synthesized by integrated dna technologies ( idt ), coralville , iowa , are listed below by seq id no : note that # 6 , above , overlaps seq id no : 1 as disclosed in us2009 / 0203201 to cockerille ( u . s . ser . no . 12 / 367 , 014 ) ( 5 ′- acc tca tca cca tct tca ata ac - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 10 ))— but is 6 bases shorter . primer design for multiplex - capable reactions requires optimizing the sensitivity and specificity for the target genes while minimizing the binding energy of a primer binding to another primer in the system . the longer primer , seq id no : 1 from us2009 / 0203201 , which includes the sequence of tcdcrev , has a greater binding energy ( is more negative ) to other primers in the system and is unsuitable for the present system . primers of the present invention are less negative ; that is closer to 0 binding energy . molecular beacons as used in the present invention are single - stranded sequences of dna that form a closed hairpin structure ; the ends of each sequence are labeled with a fluorophore that emits light of a specific wavelength when excited by an appropriate wavelength and a quencher molecule that absorbs light emitted by the fluorophore . in the absence of its complementary target sequence , the beacon adopts a closed hairpin structure , a conformation which effectively prevents detection of fluorescence . in the presence of a sequence complementary to the hairpin loop , the beacon binds to its target , thereby separating the fluorophore from the quencher and allowing detection of light . by using different fluorophores , it is possible to distinguish the presence of various gene sequences in a solution . the three target sequences were selected because they are highly conserved in published c . difficile sequences . tcdb detects the gene encoding c . difficile toxin b , the standard target of the enzyme immunoassay used to verify the presence of c . difficile in hospitals . cdtb detects a gene encoding part of an emerging binary toxin that has been observed in some strains of c . difficile . finally , tcdc detects strains of c . difficile that have an 18 bp deletion in a regulatory gene which is associated with an emerging hypervirulent strain . the following beacons ( idt ) are used to detect the presence of these clinically relevant markers : 6 - fam is a fluorescent dye that emits light at 520 nm ; tex is a fluorescent dye that emits light at 613 nm ; cy5 is a fluorescent dye that emits light at 668 nm ; iablfq and iablrq are fluorescence quenchers that absorb light from 420 - 620 nm and 500 - 700 nm respectively . presence of c . difficile dna in clinical samples is verified using a pair of pcr primers for the c . difficile glud gene first reported as “ multicenter evaluation of a new screening test that detects clostridium difficile in fecal specimens ,” zheng , et al ., journal of clinical microbiology , 42 ( 8 ) 3837 - 3840 ( 2004 ). as reported , their procedure curtailed non - specific signals observed on am agilent dna 7500 microfluidic gel electrophoresis chip . also useful is the agilent 2100 bioanalyzer . in one embodiment , a 0 . 2 ml polypropylene pcr tube containing the reaction mixture is placed in a thermal cycling apparatus using the following heating protocol : 30 sec at 61 ° c . to 53 ° c ., decreasing by 0 . 5 ° c . per cycle after amplification , the sealed tube is placed in a fluorometer for quantification of the signal , or observed by visual inspection while excited by a light source to qualitatively determine the presence of the three target genes , based on the color of the emitted light . since the probes have different colored fluorophores , it &# 39 ; s possible to discriminate between the behaviors of each probe in a solution as long as the equipment being used can tell the difference . in some embodiments it is useful to discriminate between probes by determining the melting temperature between one or both of said tcdc probe ( s ) and said tcdc amplification product , wherein said melting temperature confirms said presence or said absence of said c . difficile . a swab was inserted into a clinical sample of stool at various locations and swirled into a tube containing 1 ml of sterile water ( approximately 1 : 10 stool dilution ) and allowed to settle . two hundred microliters of the supernatant was placed into a sample cartridge for dna extraction using the magna pure system with the magna pure lc total nucleic acid isolation kit . dna isolated from clinical stool samples using existing commercial kits ( example 1 ) are added to a prepared 50 ul solution containing 5 ul 10 × taq polymerase buffer concentrate ( new england biosciences ), six primers that specifically target three genes — tcdb , tcdc , and cdtb — found in the clostridium difficile genome ( 0 . 167 um each tcdb primer , 0 . 267 um each tcdc primer , 0 . 267 um each cdtb primer ), 5 nm each of 3 dual - labeled probes (“ molecular beacons ”) each corresponding to one of the three target genes listed above that fluoresce in the presence of dna amplified from their respective target gene , 0 . 2 mm each atp , ctp , gtp , and ttp , 0 . 1 u / ul taq polymerase , 0 . 1 ug / ul bovine serum albumin , and 6 mm magnesium chloride . a 0 . 2 ml polypropylene pcr tube containing the reaction mixture is placed in a thermal cycling apparatus using the following heating protocol : 30 sec at 61 ° c . to 53 ° c ., decreasing by 0 . 5 ° c . per cycle the reaction product is evaluated for the presence of the target amplicons using fluorescent hairpin probes described above . in the presence of the target amplicon a probe opens and fluorescence is observed and measured . with the use of differently colored fluorophores , the presence of multiple amplicons is assessed in the same tube without requiring further purification . measurement is accomplished by exciting the fluorophores with the appropriate wavelength of light and then collecting light of the appropriate emission wavelength . in some embodiments , amplification of each gene product is evaluated using gel electrophoresis to separate the amplicons and then observing the sizes of the amplicons using fluorescent imaging by staining with a nucleic - acid - specific stain such as ethidium bromide . thus , with 3 amplicons , the result is three bands . in the present example , the presence of each gene can be verified by size separation by gel electrophoresis and visualization by ethidium bromide or a similar nucleotide - specific dye . up to three bands corresponding to product lengths of approximately 150 , 300 , and 350 base pairs will verify the presence of the cdtb , tcdc , and tcdb genes , respectively . if a gene is not present or there is a false negative result there will be fewer bands . results of fluorescence measurements show that each of the three beacons designed in the study produced higher fluorescent signals when in the presence of multiplex pcr - amplified dna containing the target gene than when in the presence of amplified dna that lacked the target gene . in addition , the fluorescence emissions for the two negative control conditions tested in each trial , beacon in buffer solution which signifies the beacon &# 39 ; s background fluorescent signal and beacon with non - target dna , were quite similar . such results indicate that each of the molecular beacons bound its respective target with high specificity . it is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof , the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims . other aspects , advantages , and modifications are within the scope of the following claims .	2
a movable jaw vise indicated generally at 10 has a main frame or base 11 that is adapted to be mounted onto a support . the main frame 11 includes a base wall 13 and upwardly extending side wall members 14 that are attached to the base wall and form part of the main frame . the upper edges of the walls 14 have inwardly directed horizontal ways or rail members 15 , 15 which are spaced apart in the center of the vise as indicated at 16 . the rail members 15 form overhanging ledges , the upper surfaces of which support a movable jaw shown at 30 . a movable jaw actuator nut 17 is mounted on the vise frame and has a threaded central opening indicated generally at 20 through which an actuating screw or jack screw 21 of suitable design is threadably mounted . the actuating screw 21 is rotatably mounted in a frame end member or mounting block 23 forming an upright end wall fixed to the side walls 14 of the main frame 11 . the threaded screw 21 has a collar or washer 24 fastened thereto which bears against a thrust bearing 25 mounted in a suitable receptacle in the mounting block 23 . the outer end of the screw 21 has a manual actuator thereon , and in the present invention all that is needed for an actuator is a rapid actuated control knob shown at 26 on the exterior of the vise that will permit an operator to rotate the screw 21 and thus move the nut 17 along the screw when the screw is rotated . it should be noted in fig3 that screw 21 does not have to extend all the way along the length of the frame . the screw extends only partially into the nut 17 when the nut is in position where the jaws are closed or nearly closed . the movable jaw 30 is constructed substantially the same as that shown in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 397 , 880 , as well as u . s . pat . no . 4 , 098 , 500 , and has an interior receptacle indicated generally at 31 that is on the bottomside of the movable jaw . the jaw 30 rides on the upper surface of the rails 15 . interior receptacle 31 receives an upright projecting boss portion 32 formed as part of the movable nut 17 . this upper end portion of the nut 17 extends between the rails 15 through the slot or opening 16 so that it protrudes above the upper surface of the rails 15 , 15 . the vise also includes a stationary jaw 33 that is fixed to the main frame 11 in any suitable manner , and provides the normal reaction member for the clamping of a workpiece such as that shown at 34 . the boss member 32 of the nut 17 has a slit 50 therein which forms a heavy leaf spring member 35 that has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined surface 36 as shown in fig3 . the surface 36 of spring member 35 engages the movable jaw 31 as the nut is moved in direction to move jaw 30 toward the fixed jaw . the force from nut 17 is applied to the movable jaw 30 through a manual force multiplier , as shown a cam assembly indicated at 40 has a needle bearing cam roller 41 that is rotatably mounted onto an eccentric portion or actuator portion 42 of a cam shaft assembly 43 . the shaft assembly 43 has outer end shaft portions 44 ( fig4 ) that are rotatably mounted in needle bearings 45 which in turn are mounted along the sides of the recess 31 of the movable jaw 30 . the eccentric portion 42 of the cam shaft assembly 43 , and thus the cam roller 41 is mounted in the recess 31 and positioned in relation to the boss 32 and spring member 35 so that as the nut 17 is threaded along the screw 21 , the surface 36 of spring member 35 will engage the roller 41 and move the movable jaw 30 along with it . the cam roller 41 engages surface 36 at locations on the inclined surface 36 so that a component of force is exerted to urge the movable jaw down against the upper surfaces of rails or ways 15 as the movable jaw is moved against a workpiece . the movable jaw thus tends to lock down on workpieces . a set screw 47 is threadably mounted in a threaded opening at the rear of the movable jaw 30 and the set screw is adjusted to engage a resilient block 47a on the back of boss 32 . the set screw serves to retain the movable jaw on the projecting portion or boss 32 of the nut 17 when the nut 17 is moved along screw 21 . the resilient block permits the movable jaw to move slightly in longitudinal direction as it compresses because when cam member 40 is operated there will be relative movement of the jaw and nut . the underside surfaces of side portions of the movable jaw 30 bear down upon the upper surface of the rails 15 in the same manner as that explained in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 397 , 880 when the jaws are clamped . in accordance with this invention , a high force can easily be transmitted from the nut to the movable jaw and to the workpiece by using the effort intensifier . stated another way , the reaction force between the movable jaw and the frame of the vise ( reacted through screw 21 and mounting block 23 ) is multiplied by use of the cam 40 . a spring member such as 35 reacts the force from the main frame to the movable jaw and will yield to permit cam movement to a full high cam position . in order to form the member 35 as a spring which will yield , the slot 50 is cut into the upper end of boss portion 32 . thus the spring member 35 is cantilevered from the main portion of the nut 17 and forms a stiff leaf type spring . the nut 17 can be made of suitable material for use as a spring . the member 35 will thus resiliently bend when the clamp forces from the cam acting against the spring and tending to clamp a workpiece are sufficiently high . the cam roller is actuated from a low cam to a high cam position through a lever on one of the squared ends 44a on the ends of the shaft portions 44 . as can be seen in fig2 one end 44a on the exterior of the movable jaw 30 has an arm 51 mounted thereon . a link 52 is mounted to arm 51 with a pivot pin 53 . the link 52 is formed in a desired shape and is pivotally mounted with a pin 54 to a hand actuating lever 55 . the hand actuating lever 55 in turn is rotatably mounted on a suitable pin or stud 56 also attached to the movable jaw 30 . the lever 55 is made so that as it is actuated , the cam shaft rotates enough so that the center eccentric portion 42 moves from a released or low cam position when the lever 55 is in solid line position as shown in fig2 to a high cam position . as the cam eccentric portion is moved , roller 42 rides against surface 36 and tends to cause the movable jaw 30 to move toward the fixed jaw 33 relative to the nut 17 . the force from the cam movement is reacted by spring member 35 . the amount of cam loading can be controlled by the amount of eccentricity of the cam shaft . a high clamping load can be exerted by a relatively small manual effort after the movable jaw is hand tightened with the control knob because the mechanical advantage of the cam and the actuating lever get very high as the cam moves near its high cam position . the cam rotational movement is in the direction as indicated by the arrow 60 in fig3 and the actual offset or throw may be about 0 . 020 inches . in operation after a workpiece has been placed between the fixed and movable jaws , the hand wheel 26 and screw 21 can be rotated to move nut 17 and the movable jaw 30 toward the fixed jaw until the movable jaw engages the workpiece 34 with hand tightening pressure . then , the lever 55 is moved from its solid line position in fig2 toward its dotted line position where the pivot points of link 52 would go over - center with the pivot of lever 55 to lock the cam in its high cam position . the force for clamping the workpiece increases as the cam moves and the force is reacted back through the spring member 35 to the nut 17 , screw 21 and to the vise frame . the spring therefore permits cam movement to its locked position by yielding an amount determined by the spring rate of the spring member 35 . it should be noted that the notch 52a in the link 52 is used to clear the mounting pin 56 when the lever 55 goes to its over - center locked position . as the spring member 35 of the nut 17 is loaded , it will deflect relative to the rest of the boss member 32 , and tend to close the slot 50 . the movement of the spring member 35 can be detected in a number of ways , including mechanical sensing ( as with a dial indicator ), small pressure sensors , or as shown in fig3 a microswitch 62 can be utilized to sense this motion of spring member 35 so that when the spring member is deflected a desired amount it is known that the load exerted on the movable jaw 30 and the workpiece is above a minimum load . the microswitch 62 is mounted onto the main portion of the boss 32 of the nut 17 . the actuator of the microswitch can be positioned in a desired location , so that when the microswitch is actuated the spring member 35 will have deflected a known amount , and a minimum amount of force has then been applied to the workpiece and reacted back to the vise frame . the microswitch can be used to operate a relay 65 , and the relay can be used to &# 34 ; enable &# 34 ; the controls of a machine control 66 or to actuate a signal device 67 such as a warning light or the like . the machine control 66 is used to make sure that the machine tool with which the vise is to be used cannot be turned on until the clamping force on the workpiece 34 has exceeded a desired level so that it is certain that the workpiece is clamped with the necessary force to hold it for the operations that are to be performed . the signal 67 , as stated , can be a light display to the operator indicating that the clamping force on the workpiece has exceeded a desired level which is indicated by the deflection of the spring member 35 . for releasing the workpiece , the hand lever 55 is moved to its solid line position shown in fig2 which in turn rotates the arm 51 and the cam shaft assembly 40 so that the cam roller 42 releases the load on the workpiece 34 . then the hand screw can be backed off to permit the workpiece 34 to be removed as desired . it should be noted that the arm 51 and lever 55 can be moved to either side of the movable jaw 30 so that the actuator can be out of the way of other components on the machine tool being used . mechanical sensing of spring deflection can be utilized in place of the microswitch . a dial indicator mounted in place of the microswitch can be used . a suitable opening for the indicator can be left in the top of the movable jaw 30 so that the dial can be read . if a force sensor or pressure sensor is used in place of the microswitch , the readout can be directly in the pounds of force that are being exerted on the workpiece through the movable jaw and cam . in fig5 a modified actuator arrangement is illustrated . the movable jaw 30 is constructed in exactly the same manner as before , except that the lever 55 and link 52 have been removed , as well as the pivot pin 56 . an adapter end plate member 70 is mounted with suitable fasteners to the end of the movable jaw 30 opposite from the workpiece engaging portions . the adapter 70 has a pulley 71 rotatably mounted at one corner thereof on a suitable pin 72 . additionally , the adapter 70 has an ear 73 on which a manual lever 74 is mounted with a pin 69 . the lever 74 pivots about an upright axis and thus extends generally horizontally . a control cable 75 is mounted to the lever with a suitable clip 76 which is mounted on a shoulder pin 79 . the control cable passes around the pulley 71 , and is mounted through an end eye 78 with a suitable pin 77 to the arm 51 . actuating the arm 51 and the cam assembly 40 is done by moving lever 74 in direction as indicated by the arrow 80 , which will cause the arm 51 to pivot in the same manner as previously explained , thereby actuating the cam shaft on which the arm 51 is mounted and reacting force from the movable jaw 30 to the nut 17 through the spring member 35 . the lever 74 also is arranged so that it will lock in place by going overcenter as shown in dotted lines to hold the cam locked . in this way the upright hand lever 55 is eliminated , and in certain instances where space requirements dictate , the horizontal lever can be used even though an upright lever could not be used . it should be noted that a spring can be located anywhere along the reaction or force transmitting members between the movable jaw and the vise frame . a suitable adapter attached to a vise frame may be used to carry a spring which yields as the cam is actuated . in a modified form of the mounting of the screw member shown in fig7 and 9 , only the back portion of a vise frame is shown , where the screw is supported on a vise frame cross member . the cross member 111 of a vise frame 110 has an opening 112 at its rear wall , and a jaw actuating screw 113 is used in the same manner as the screw 21 previously described . however , the end of the screw 113 has a coupling 113a carried in an interior opening of a housing or sleeve 114 that slidably mounts in opening 112 relative to the frame 111 . the sleeve 114 is tubular . the housing or sleeve 114 has an annular hub 115 which surrounds the outer cylindrical surface of the end coupling member 113a of the screw 113 , and an annular thrust bearing 116 is mounted between the end of hub 115 and a collar 117 that is fixed to the screw 113 . the housing 114 will slide axially relative to the frame 111 a limited amount , and is controlled as to axial movement through a lever 120 which is mounted on a pivot pin 121 that in turn is connected between side plates 122 which are fixedly attached to the end of the vise frame 111 . the lever has a receptacle mating with the outer end surface of the housing 114 , so that upon pivoting of the lever a limited amount , the housing 114 will react the movement of the lever in axial direction of the screw 113 . the hub 115 , acting through thrust bearing 116 and washer 117 will impart such movement to the screw . a spring plate assembly indicated at 125 is fastened to the outer ends of side plates 122 with suitable through bolts which also clamp the side plates 122 to the vise frame . the spring plate includes a cantilevered spring member 126 . the spring member 126 is positioned between the end plate 127 and the lever 120 . the lower end of the spring member 126 has a pair of spaced hubs 129 which receive and support end shafts 133 of a cam shaft assembly 130 . the cam shaft assembly includes an eccentric center portion 131 which has a needle bearing cam roller 132 over the outer surface thereof and this bearing in turn engages the outer surface of the lower end of the lever 120 . upon rotation of the cam shaft 130 ( in hubs 129 ), from a low cam position to a high cam position , the cam roller 132 engages the lever 120 at a line indicated at 134 and the lever 120 will bear against the housing 114 and transmit load to the screw 113 . the shafts 133 are also mounted in needle bearings . the screw 113 also is rotationally driven through a hand knob 138 on the outside of the end plate 127 . the knob drives a shaft 139 which in turn is rotatably mounted in a provided opening in the end plate 127 . the shaft 139 also passes through clearance hole 126a in the spring member 126 and in the lever 120 and passes through the center opening in the housing 114 . the shaft 139 is drivably connected in the coupling member 113a at the end of the screw 113 . the shaft 139 can be held in the coupling 113a of screw 113 with a suitable pin 140 . when the hand wheel 138 is rotated , the screw 113 will turn and will drive the nut 17 as shown in the first form of the invention , until the nut and the movable jaw 30 engage a workpiece . then , upon rotation of the cam shaft 130 from its low cam to high cam position , the cam roller 132 will react against the lever 120 at location 134 on lever 120 , and the cam and lever will exert a force through the contact lines 114b at the end housing 114 axially along the screw 113 through the collar 117 . the manual effort on the lever will be multiplied by the cam . the spring member 126 deflects to accommodate the cam movement . the gap shown at 128 closes as spring member 126 deflects relative to the end plate 127 . the clamping force is reacted to the vise frame through end plate 127 and side plates 122 . the cam shaft 130 can be actuated with a pivoting lever as in the previous forms of the invention or the shaft 130 also could be driven through a worm gear ( which will lock and prevent reversing ). the manual force is multiplied or intensified to securely hold a workpiece by actuating the cam . the amount of force applied can be indicated by sensing the deflection of the spring members 35 or 126 . in the case of the form of the invention shown in fig6 and 7 , the force is reacted directly to the vise frame , while in the first form of the invention , the forces are reacted to the vise frame through the screw and the nut . indication of load applied through spring 126 can be accomplished in the same manner as in the first form of the invention . however , a mechanical indicator is shown schematically in fig8 . an indicator finger or pointer 143 is pivoted on a pin 144 fixed to one end plate 122 . the pointer 143 has an end portion 145 which bears against spring 126 . a torsion spring 146 can be used for urging the end 145 against the spring 126 . as spring 126 deflects the pointer will pivot and the outer end will swing in relation to an indicator plate 147 fixed to side plate 122 . the movement of the outer end of the pointer is magnified by the location of the pivot . the position of the pointer end indicates the load on the workpiece . the devices disclosed herein thus greatly reduce the manual effort required to operate the vise . the cam shaft used is completely mounted in low friction ( needle ) bearings , including the support shaft portions and the roller or eccentric portion . the actuating lever also is mounted in needle bearings . the combination of the cam and lever provides an extremely low friction device with an almost infinite mechanical advantage over the last few thousands of movable jaw travel . with a conventional vise , the operator typically must expend approximately 100 ft . lbs of effort on the vise handle to get about 8 , 000 lbs . of clamping force between the jaws . with the present device , the operator has to expend only about 5 ft . lbs . of effort to generate the same clamping force between the jaws . the effort required to open the vise is correspondingly reduced . the reaction spring was incorporated primarily to allow the operating handle to be fully locked in its overcenter position no matter how tightly the jaws were initially clamped on the workpiece . if the operator wishes to clamp the workpiece lightly so it will not &# 34 ; squash &# 34 ;, the operator brings the movable jaw up to the workpiece with the vise screw knob very lightly and then moves the hand lever all the way . most of the cam throw motion ( 0 . 020 &# 39 ;) would be taken up by tightening the jaws on the workpiece , therefore the spring deflects very little and the resulting clamping force is low for example approximately 2 , 000 to 3 , 000 lbs . on a 6 inch vise . on the other hand , to clamp the work very tightly , the movable jaw is tightened against the work very tightly with the hand screw knob and again the hand cam lever is actuated . much of the cam throw is then taken up by the spring and the resulting clamping pressure is typically approximately 8 , 000 lbs . on a 6 inch vise . in each of the above examples the hand lever , such as lever 55 must be moved to its overcenter locked position so that the vise jaw cannot back off ( loosen ). unless locked the low friction mounting of the cam and lever will cause the cam to reverse from the jaw force reaction and automatically open to prevent use of the vise until the workpiece is securely held . theoretically , if the movable jaw was tightened against the workpiece so tightly that no further motion of the movable jaw could occur , all of the cam travel caused by throwing the hand lever all the way over would have to be absorbed by the spring . the total clamping force resulting would then be equivalent to the maximum force the spring could exert when it is deflected the full amount of the cam throw . the spring deflection is a built in indicator of load which , particularly where the spring is located on the nut provides an accurate , direct reading of load . the spring member on the nut pushes directly against the movable jaw through the cam and there are no linkages or other mechanisms to cause erroneous readings . also , the back portion of boss 32 provides a convenient place to mount indicators on the microswitch . the vise disclosed herein also can be rapidly actuated . the knobs on the screw for the nut can be rapidly turned until the workpiece is contacted and the cam control can be actuated with the other hand . the reduced manual effort required also speeds up operation . the inclined surface 36 acting on the cam and movable jaw provides the downward force on the jaw for jaw tilt elimination and wear take - up on the movable jaw . the surface 36 is a cam follower surface . further , the actuator cam is a mechanical advantage device giving high force multiplication , particularly in the last portions of the lever throw for low operator effort , fast operation and overcenter locking . the spring provides for reacting clamp force and provides means for indicating the clamp force and for interlocking machine controls or signalling devices . the actuating levers can be pivoted about a horizontal axis or a vertical axis .	1
in this invention a bucket is provided having a pivotable handle secured at opposed sides of the bucket . by this invention , integrally molded handle retention chambers are provided on opposed sides of the bucket , with the bucket handle terminating at each end in an enlargement positioned within one of the handle retention chambers . the handle retention chambers each define on its outer surface a first slot opening extending thereacross through which the handle extends . the first slot opening is of insufficient size to allow removal of the enlargement from the handle retention chamber . each handle retention chamber also defines , inwardly from its outer surface , opposed side openings defining a second slot extending thereacross in a direction substantially normal to the direction of the first slot . preferably , the direction of the second slot is substantially normal to the ax is of the bucket , the axis of the bucket being typically the same as the direction of mold opening and closing in the mold which manufactures the bucket . in accordance with this invention a mold assembly is also disclosed for making buckets of the type previously described . by this invention openable and closable first and second mold halves are provided defining a first molding chamber between them of the shape of the bucket and including handle retention chamber - defining means . this last named means includes opposed , movable mold members capable of end - to - end abutment in a molding position , and a spaced relation in a mold - open position to permit removal of the bucket molded therein . the mold members define inner molding chambers formed between them in their end - to - end abutting relation for molding the enlargements on the handle ends . gate means are also provided communicating between the first and inner molding chambers , the molding chambers also forming the opposed side openings and second slots of the buckets which are molded in the mold halves . means are also provided for moving the mold members between the end - to - end abutment and spaced relations . as an advantage of the mold assembly of this invention , the mold members typically move with &# 34 ; square &# 34 ; action in a manner generally perpendicular to the line of motion of the opening and closing mold halves , contrary , for example , to the diagonal action of analogous mold members found , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 476 , 083 . this provides substantial simplification of the manufacture of the mold and also improved operation . the opposed movable mold members may also define the handle - forming mold chamber portion . the mold halves may define a stationary portion , relative to the mold members , which forms a mold chamber portion for forming sections of the bucket handle adjacent to the enlargements . this stationary portion may move with a mold half as may the mold members , so the term &# 34 ; stationary &# 34 ; is understood to mean that the stationary portion does not partake of the specific individual motion of the mold members as they open and close , although the stationary portion may move with the mold halves . it is also preferred for the mold members to contain fluid cooling conduits . this provides a significant shortening of the mold cycle and consequent improvement in the mold operation . in the drawings , fig1 is a perspective view of a bucket having an attached , freely rotatable handle in accordance with this invention . fig2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of fig1 . fig3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 -- 3 of fig2 shown in its as - molded position . fig4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of the bucket of this invention , said portion being analogous to the portion of fig2 . fig5 is a sectional view taken along line 5 -- 5 of fig4 . fig6 is an exploded perspective view of a mold usable for manufacturing either of the buckets of fig1 - 5 . fig7 is a bottom plan view of the upper mold portion of fig6 . fig8 is a top plan view of the lower portion of the mold of fig6 . fig9 a is a sectional view taken along line 9 -- 9 of fig8 showing both the upper and lower mold portions in their closed position to define a bucket mold cavity . fig9 b is a sectional view similar to fig9 a but showing the mold in its open position . fig1 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view of a portion of the structure as shown in fig9 a . fig1 shows one embodiment of a bucket which may be molded within the mold assembly described herein . bucket 10 may be a tapered pail as shown , or it may be straight - walled , having a series of optional annular flanges or ribs 12 near its upper end to provide hoop strength . handle 14 is initially formed integral to the remainder of the bucket 10 in the same molding operation that creates bucket 10 . this integral relation is shown at fig3 where , in the as - molded position , handle 14 can be seen to be connected to the remainder of bucket 10 by means of narrow connection portion 16 . handle 14 is in its as - molded position in the position shown in phantom lines in fig1 . handle 14 may then be rotated to its position of use as shown in full lines in fig1 which causes connecting portion 16 to be severed . thereafter , handle 14 is freely rotatable in the manner of a conventional bucket handle . as shown in fig1 and a more detailed view of fig2 bucket 10 defines integrally molded handle retention chambers 18 on opposed sides of the bucket in which the ends of bucket handle 14 are captured . both handle retention chambers 18 may be of identical design , with handle 14 carrying an integral enlargement 20 at each end , each of which is captured within a handle retention chamber 18 so that handle 14 may not be removed from the bucket . handle retention chamber 18 defines on its outer surface a pair of molded members 22 extending between a pair of annular ribs 12 and defining between them a first slot opening 24 through which handle 14 extends . first slot opening 24 is of insufficient width to allow removal of enlargement 20 from the handle retention chamber . enlargement 20 is thus captured in a cage defined by the two molded members 22 and the annular ribs 12 across which they extend . each handle retention chamber 18 also defines , inwardly from its outer surface , opposed side openings 26 defining a second slot 28 extending across retention chamber 18 in a direction substantially normal to the direction of first slot 24 . for example , as seen from the viewpoint of fig3 first slot 24 extends perpendicular to the plane of fig3 while second slot 28 extends within the plane of fig3 in a horizontal direction . thus slots 24 , 28 are mutually perpendicular . the design of this bucket handle connection provides a simplified and improved structure , which is more efficiently moldable by the mold apparatus of this invention and which exhibits advantages of strength , durability , and compact configuration when compared with the prior art . as a further embodiment of the bucket on this invention , fig4 and 5 illustrate a fragmentary view of a bucket 10a which may also be straight - walled or tapered , in which the bucket 14a may be connected opposite sides of the bucket through a modified design of handle retention chamber 18a , analogous to retention chamber 18 in the previous embodiment and also positioned at opposed sides of the bucket . in bucket 10a optional annular ribs 12 are absent . as in the previous embodiment , enlargement 20a is formed on opposed ends of bucket handle 14a , with the respective enlargements 20a being captured within handle retention chambers 18a . as shown , first slot 24a is defined between molded members 22a as in the previous embodiment , with first slot 24a being of insufficient size to allow removal of enlargement 20a . chamber 18a also defines , in a manner similar to the previous embodiment , opposed side openings 26a positioned inwardly from its outer surface , i . e ., the outer surface of molded members 22a . opposed side openings 26a define second slot 28a , which extends in a direction perpendicular to first slot 24a as in the previous embodiment , being open between opposed side openings 26a . accordingly , either embodiment of the bucket of this invention , as well as other embodiments that can be readily developed from the disclosures herein , provide an effective , useful , one piece molded bucket having a swingable bail handle . referring to fig6 - 10 , the mold assembly for making buckets of the type previously described is disclosed . first mold half 30 , called the &# 34 ; mold cavity &# 34 ;, and second mold half 32 are openable and closable relative to each other by conventional means to define in the closed position a first mold chamber 34 ( fig9 a ) for molding buckets and their integral handles . as shown in fig7 mold cavity 30 defines an outer wall 34a which in turn defines the outer wall of mold chamber 34 . the upper half of handle - forming chamber 36a is also shown . referring to fig8 the inner wall 34b of mold chamber 34 is disclosed , plus the lower half of handle - forming chamber 36b . both mold halves 30 and 32 define cooling water flow channels 38 for providing cooling water to the mold assembly . mold sprue and access channel 40 may be provided in conventional manner to provide molding compound to mold cavity 34 . as shown particularly in fig8 and 9a , alignment pin 42 carried by mold half 32 fits in aperture 44 of mold half 30 to facilitate proper alignment of the mold halves in their respective positions . except as otherwise specified herein , the molding equipment disclosed herein may be of conventional design , exhibiting a conventional mode of operation . in accordance with this invention , means for defining the handle retention chamber means 18 includes opposed movable mold members 46 which may conveniently be of generally semicircular configuration as shown , for example , in fig6 and 8 . mold members 46 are capable of end - to - end abutment at their end portions 48 which abut together in molding configuration to bring end recesses 50 together of respective opposed mold members 46 to form an inner molding chamber 50a ( fig9 a and 10 ) for molding enlargement 20 on each end of handle 14 of buckets molded therein . gate means 52 ( i . e ., a small aperture ) communicates between first molding chamber 34 and inner molding chamber 50a , which is defined by recesses 50 between the abutting ends 48 of mold members 46 . the outer portion of inner molding chamber 50a defines an aperture which communicates with handle - forming mold chamber portion 56 , which is formed in part by the abutting together of the closed mold halves and chamber portions 36a . the opening and closing action of mold members 46 may be accomplished by conventional hydraulic shaft 64 . mold means 46 is shown in open position in fig6 and 9b , and in a closed position in fig9 a . in the closed position , the inner mold chamber 50a is formed , to permit the molding of enlargement 20 . then mold members can open as part of the entire mold opening process for release of the bucket . stationary portions 54 are placed at opposed positions between the respective ends of mold members 46 . stationary portions 54 are shown to be carried on lower mold half 32 . however , both they and / or mold members 46 may be carried on the upper mold half 30 if desired with appropriate modifications of the mold assembly . stationary portions 54 define groove portions 56 which serve to define part of the handle molding chamber in the closed position , as mentioned above . stationary portions 54 also define vertical projections 58 and recessed areas 60 ( fig6 ). when the mold assembly is closed , recessed areas 60 serve to define part of the open chamber area which forms molded members 22 as part of retention chambers 18 , while projection 58 defines slot 24 between molded members 22 . inner mold chamber 50a in the closed position communicates with slot 56 which , in turn , communicates with handle chamber portions 36a and 36b in the mold - closed position , so that an integral handle and bucket can be formed by plastic flowing into mold chamber 34 through sprue 40 . second perpendicular slot 28 of each bucket molded in the apparatus is defined by the steel of mold member 46 surrounding each recess 50 and the like , which , in the closed position , passes in front of portions 60 in spaced relation thereto and into sliding , sealing contact with the face of projection 58 , so that a negative version of the complex structure of the handle - retention members is formed by the mold upon the closing of mold members 46 together in conjunction with stationary members 54 . horizontal grooves 62 are provided to form ribs 12 in the finished buckets produced by the molding apparatus of this invention . there is substantial advantage in the fact that mold members 46 move between their molding and mold - open positions in a direction substantially normal to the direction of opening and closing of mold halves 30 , 32 . particularly , there is less chance of the mold destroying itself upon closing , in the event of a malfunction causing the motion of the parts to get out of phase . to the contrary , when inner mold parts move in a direction having a component which is of the direction of mold opening and closing , the mold can be more easily smashed in the event of a malfunction . referring to fig9 a , stripper ring 61 is shown , being the device by which the molded bucket is removed from lower mold half upon opening of the mold apparatus to a configuration exemplified by fig9 b . after the shot of plastic has entered mold cavity 34 it migrates into the inner cavity for forming the bucket handle and the other parts of the bucket , and is allowed to cool for a predetermined period of time . thereafter , a shot of compressed air is provided through air conduit 63 or a plurality of such conduits , to assist in loosening the adhesion of the newly molded bucket to mold half 32 . push rods 64 advance stripper ring 61 , which may be a solid ring , which , of course , carries with it mold members 46 and stationary members 54 , while impelling the newly molded bucket to separate from the core 66 of lower mold half 32 . this is illustrated in fig9 b . as this happens , angle pins 68 , carried in mold members 46 , force the mold members to move radially outwardly away from the newly formed bucket , this being permitted by the presence of radial slot 70 in stripper plate 61 . thus the lower portion 72 of bucket 10 ( fig9 b ) is separated from the mold chamber - forming walls of mold members 46 as shown . stationary members 54 , of course , do not move outwardly , but it can be seen that bucket 10 can slide upwardly out of engagement with stationary members 54 because there are no undercuts there to retain the bucket . accordingly the bucket may be easily removed , and the mold assembly may then close , ready for another shot . as the mold closes , mold members 46 are guided by angle pins 68 back into their initial , molding position where they are in end - to - end abutment , ready to receive the next portion of the mold shot . accordingly , mold apparatus is provided for molding of a bucket having an initially integral but easily swingable handle . the integrally molded handle retention chambers which retain the bucket handles at each end define a first outer slot which extends typically in the direction of the motion of opening and closing of the mold halves , while a second inner slot of the handle retention chambers extends thereacross through the chamber in a direction substantially normal to the direction of the first slot . it is also contemplated that the outer slot may extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of opening and closing of mold halves , although this creates some additional complexities of structure . in that circumstance the second slot would continue to be in generally normal relation to the direction of the first slot , which would mean that it would extend generally in the direction of mold opening and closing . the above has been offered for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention of this application , which is as defined in the claims below .	8
fig1 is a block diagram of an exemplary client - server data processing system in accordance with the present invention . the exemplary system includes a client system 104 , server nodes 106 and 108 , and a global namer system 110 . each of client system 104 , server nodes 106 and 108 , and global namer system 110 is a conventional data processing system , where the particular hardware is selected according to the processing needs of the programs . the client system 104 , server nodes 106 and 108 , and global namer system 110 are coupled to network 111 . the client system 104 hosts client program 102 ; server node 106 hosts a first server program 112 and a first instance of a second server program 114a ; server node 108 hosts a second instance of the second server program , designated as 114b , and a third server program 116 ; and global namer system 110 hosts the global namer module 118 . each of the server nodes 106 and 108 also has a respective port service module 122 and 124 . the exemplary client program 102 is designed to utilize the services of the first instance of the second server program 114a . the first server program 112 and the third server program 116 are shown for illustrative purposes only . each of the port service modules 122 and 124 is responsive to requests made by client program 102 for access to server program 114a - b and requests made by other client programs ( not shown ) to server programs 112 and 116 . the port service modules 122 and 124 maintain a plurality of domain ports , one for each server program . port service module 122 is shown with domain ports 132 , and port service module 124 is shown with domain ports 134 . the domain ports 132 or 134 are used by the respective port service modules to manage communication between a client program 102 and a server program 112 . the port service modules 122 and 124 also manage communication between other client programs ( not shown ) and server programs 112 and 116 . the global namer module 118 is hosted by the global namer system 110 . given a name of a service , the global namer module 118 supplies an identifier for the port service module 122 or 124 and domain port to which a request for the service should be directed . the global namer module 118 maintains an association between names of server programs 112 , 114a - b , and 116 and the domain ports 132 and 134 through which they are accessed . the global namer thereby frees a client program 102 from having to remember and maintain the associations between the domain ports 132 and 134 and the server programs 112 , 114a - b , and 116 . a request from a client program 102 to the global namer module 118 includes a name of a service which is also generally known by other client programs utilizing the service . in response , the global namer module returns a port registration handle . a port registration handle identifies a particular port service module 122 or 124 along with a particular one of the ports 132 or 134 managed by the port service module . the global namer module 118 may be implemented by one skilled in the art , or the global naming system of the cross - referenced patent application may be used as the global namer module . the directional lines of fig1 illustrate an example flow of requests where client program 102 requests the service of second server program 114a - b . note that client program 102 does not explicitly request both of second server programs 114a and 114b , but instead refers by name to the service provided by server programs 114a and 114b . line 1 shows the flow of a request from the client program 102 to the global namer module 118 . the request includes a name of a service , the port service handle , provided by the server program 114a - b . the global namer module 118 returns a port registration handle to the client program 102 as illustrated by line 2 . the port registration handle includes the address of the port service module 122 and identifies the particular port 152 used to access the requested server program 114a - b . line 3 shows the client program making the request for the named service to the port service module 122 via the port registration handle . the port service module then selects the domain port 152 identified by the request , and as shown by line 4 , initiates the first instance of the second server program 114a . based on the definition of domain port 152 and as shown by line 5 , the port service module 124 receives a replication request from domain port 152 . the port service module 124 then initiates the second server program 114b on server node 108 as shown by line 6 . the initiation of the second server program 114b on server node 108 is invisible to the client program 102 . the port service module , based on the definition of port 152 initiates the second server program 114b . an example where a second instance of a server program 114b would be initiated is where data replication services are required . that is , second server program 114b on server node 108 performs the same processing of the same request as does second server program 114a on server node 106 . the second server program 114a - b is freed from having to manage the replication of services ( i . e ., at the first instance 114a and at the second instance 114b ) because the port service module 152 in combination with the port definition manage the desired replication . service replication is but one function that the port service module could manage on behalf of a service . other functions are described elsewhere in this specification . line 7 illustrates an identifier of the second server program being returned from the port service module 122 to the client program 102 . thereafter , the client program 102 communications with the server program 114a via the port service module 122 by reference to the identifier and as shown by line 8 . the identifier of the server program is used where a port service module 122 manages multiple instances of a server program through a single domain port . fig2 is a block diagram that illustrates a port service module 202 . port service modules 122 and 124 are instances of port service module 202 . the port service module 202 is a software component which interacts with client programs and server programs in a manner that depends on the definitions of the domain ports 212 . the definitions for domain ports 212 are stored in memory of the host server node 106 or 108 . each of domain ports 212 is defined by a respective domain port name 212a , 212b , 212c , . . . 212n , a set of respective characteristics 214a , 214b , 214c , . . . 214n , a respective server node list 216a , 216b , 216c , . .. 216n , and a respective client connection list 218a , 218b , 218c , . . . 218n . the characteristics 214a - n for a domain port 212a - n define various operational behaviors for a domain port . for example , the characteristics define selection criteria for selecting which instance of a server program 112 , 114a - b , and 116 to execute , message ordering between a client program 102 and a server program , and various other message processing details . a domain port server node list 216a - n identifies the various server nodes 106 and 108 that host the server program associated with the respective domain ports 212a - n . with domain port 152 , for example , server node 106 and server node 108 would be identified in the domain port server node list . the client connection lists 218a - n respectively identify the various client systems 104 connected to the domain ports . for example in fig1 client system 104 is connected to domain port 152 and would be identified in the respective one of client connection lists 218a - n for domain port 152 and in the client connection list for the corresponding domain port of port service module 124 . the client connection lists 218a - n may be used to inform server programs 112 , 114a - b , or 116 when a client system is not communicating or is removed from the network 111 . fig3 is a block diagram of a characteristics table 214 for a domain port 212a - n . the characteristics table 214 consists of six sets of characteristics : selection criteria 306 , port type 308 , message ordering 310 , execution semantics 312 , error semantics 314 , and a set of miscellaneous characteristics 316 . memory cells are allocated for the characteristics to indicate which characteristics apply to respective one of domain ports 212 . for example , cell 318a is associated with the find next characteristic . each of the sets is described in the following paragraphs . the selection criteria 306 characteristics are directed to selecting an instance of a server program , such as 114a or 114b , to process a request . the find - next characteristic indicates that the next available instance of a server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 is to be selected to process an incoming request . the find - nearest characteristic indicates that a server program hosted by a node which is nearest to the port service module 152 in the network 111 topology is to be selected to process the request . the find - in - specific - node characteristic specifies the server node 106 or 108 that hosts the server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 to be initiated . those skilled in the art will recognize that other selection criteria could be implemented . the port type 308 characteristics are directed to specification of the type of object to which the associated domain port , e . g ., 152 , provides access . for the purposes of the present invention , the port type may be any type of server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 . however , for illustrative purposes , port types related to domain arrays are shown , which are described in the cross - referenced patent program . the exemplary port types are domain array , domain port , domain group , and domain object . the domain array port type indicates that the server program is a domain array as described in the cross referenced patent program . if the associated domain port has a port type 308 of domain port , then the domain port references another domain port . while not shown , those skilled in the art will recognize that a name for the referenced domain port would need to be stored in order to reference another domain port . a domain group characteristic references a group of domain objects that cooperate to perform an program . a domain object characteristic is used to generically reference other types of objects to which access may be obtained via domain ports 212 . a domain port 212 may also possess message ordering 310 characteristics . message ordering characteristics are used by a port service module 122 or 124 to control the exchange of messages between a client program 102 and a server program 112 , 114a - b , and 116 . exemplary message ordering characteristics include unordered , first - in - first - out , partial , priority , and total . the unordered characteristic indicates that messages may arrive and be sent in any order . thus , the port service module 122 or 124 does not need to coordinate the order of messages exchanged . the first - in - first - out characteristic indicates that the port service module 122 or 124 forwards messages from a client program 102 to a server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 in the order they are received by the port service module . message ordering is similar for messages received from a server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 . the specific ordering of messages for the partial characteristic is that ordering occurs only for the server program associated with the domain port . an example usage of the priority ordered characteristic is to send express messages , such as to abort a previous request . the total ordering indicates that messages are ordered for the entire domain port and any associated ports . for example , total ordering relative to fig1 could order all messages between port service modules 122 and 124 for all messages to the second server program 114a . the execution semantics 312 characteristics are also used by a port service module 122 or 124 to enforce a communication protocol to a server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 . the at - most - once characteristic indicates that a message is sent to one and only one server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 , and at most once to the server program . the exactly once characteristic indicates that a message is sent once and only once to a server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 , and the at - least - once characteristic indicates that a message must be sent at least once to a server program . a domain port 212 may also be used to detect errors and take predetermined actions . the error semantics 314 characteristics include bounded time and orphan detection . with the bounded time characteristic , the port service module 122 or 124 times the processing of a request by a server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 and , depending upon program requirements , may notify the client program 102 of the processing time of a request exceeds a predetermined threshold . the orphan detection characteristic indicates that the port service module 122 or 124 will detect a connection to a lost client and perform any necessary clean - up in the domain port and the domain object it supports . the miscellaneous 316 characteristics are used to further define the operational characteristics of a domain port 212 . the exemplary miscellaneous characteristics of voting , rerouting , filtering , mirroring , load balancing , striping , compression , encryption , and message logging are well known to those skilled in the art who will also recognize that other characteristics could be implemented with a domain port 212 . fig4 is a flowchart of the processing performed for creating a domain port 212 . before a domain port 212 may be accessed by a client program 102 , it must be created . the port service module 202 receives as input a port registration handle for a domain port 212 at step 402 . the port registration handle is used in one of the domain port name entries 212a - n . the port registration handle and an associated port service handle are registered with a global namer module 118 in step 404 . the global namer module returns a port service handle , which , in the preferred embodiment is a 64 - bit value that uniquely identifies a server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 or others . if the port registration handle is already registered with the global namer module 118 , the global namer module returns the 64 - bit port service handle along with an identifier of a server node 106 , 108 or of another server node . if the port registration handle is already registered , as in the case of replicated services , decision step 406 directs control to step 408 . otherwise , control is directed to step 410 . the identifier of the server node which was returned from the global namer module 118 is added to the server node list , e . g ., 216a , of the domain port 212 at step 408 . in addition , a message is sent to the server node ( e . g ., 106 , 108 ) which first registered the port registration handle with global namer module 118 indicating the node name . the processing is then complete . if decision step 406 finds that the port registration handle 406 is not yet registered , control is directed to step 410 where the port service handle returned from the global namer module 118 is associated with the port registration handle . the association is used to reference a domain port 212 when a client program 102 references a service with a port service handle . the domain port characteristics are input at step 412 to define operation of the domain port . at step 414 , the characteristics table 214 is updated with the input characteristics . the processing for creating a domain port 212 is then complete . fig5 is a flowchart of the processing performed in selecting a server program , e . g ., 112 , to process a request from a client program 102 . processing begins at step 502 where the client program 102 obtains the server node , e . g ., 106 , identifier and port registration handle which are associated with a desired service . recall from fig1 that the client program 102 obtains the port registration handle from the global namer module 118 . at step 504 , a request is sent to the port service module 122 at the server node 106 identified in step 502 . the request includes the port registration handle which was also identified in step 502 . the port service module 122 obtains the port characteristics 302 of the named domain port at step 506 . the characteristics 214 are used in selecting a server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 to process the request . decision step 508 tests whether the port type 308 of the domain port , e . g ., 212a , is either domain group or domain object . if so , control is directed to step 510 where the request is forwarded to a service manager for the named service . if the port type 308 is domain port , decision step 512 directs control to step 514 where the request is forwarded to another domain port , e . g ., 212b , for processing . the last exemplary possibility for a port type 308 is domain array . for a domain array port type , control is directed to step 516 where a domain array is selected to process the request . the selection is made based on the selection criteria 306 of the of the domain port characteristics 302 . the selected domain array may be local or remote relative to the port service module 202 . for replicated or mirrored services , both a local and a remote domain array may be selected . at step 520 , an instance of a local domain array is initiated to process the request if a local domain array is selected . the request is forwarded at step 522 to a remote service module , e . g ., 124 , so that an instance in the remote domain array can process the request if a remote domain array is selected . at step 524 , the client connection list , e . g ., 218a , for the domain port is updated . the identifier of the client system 104 is added to the list . the port service handle and server program identifier are returned to the client program 102 at step 526 . the client program 102 may thereafter use the port service handle and server program identifier when sending messages to the server program , e . g ., 112 , via the port service module 122 . fig6 is a flowchart of the processing performed by a port service module , e . g ., 122 , of a communications request from a client program 102 addressed to a server program , e . g ., 114a . at step 602 , the port service module 202 obtains the server program identifier and port service handle from the request . at step 604 , the port service module 122 or 124 looks up the port characteristics 302 of the domain port , e . g ., 212a , associated with the port service handle . note that a server program 112 is &# 34 ; local &# 34 ; relative to a port service module 122 if both are hosted on the same server node 106 . also , the third server program 116 is &# 34 ; remote &# 34 ; relative to port service module 122 because the third server program 116 is hosted on a different server node 108 . if the server program , e . g ., 112 , identified by the server program identifier is local relative to the port service module 122 , at step 608 the request is forwarded , with control determined by the port characteristics 302 , to the local server program for processing . at step 610 , if a remote server program is selected the request is sent to a port service module , e . g ., 124 , of the server node 108 that hosts the remote server program , e . g ., 116 . processing continues at step 612 where the port service module 122 receives a response from the server program , e . g ., 112 . at step 614 , the port characteristics 302 are used in returning the response to the client program 102 . the exemplary embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting . therefore , those skilled in the art will recognize that other embodiments could be practiced without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims set forth below .	6
vinylpyridine copolymers can be blended into polydiene rubbers in order to make the polydiene rubber cure faster . the polydiene rubbers which can be utilized in the blends of this invention include natural rubber and homopolymers made by polymerizing diene monomers , such as butadiene , isoprene , piperylene , and the like . copolymers of one or more diene monomers can also be utilized as the polydiene rubber in the blends of this invention . the polydiene rubbers utilized in such blends can also be copolymers or terpolymers of diene monomers with one or more other ethylenically unsaturated monomers . some representative examples of ethylenically unsaturated monomers that can potentially be utilized in the polydiene rubbers of such blends include alkyl acrylates , such as methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate , butyl acrylate , methyl methacrylate and the like ; vinylidene monomers having one or more terminal ch 2 ═ c - groups ; vinyl aromatics such as styrene , α - methylstyrene , bromostyrene , chlorostyrene , fluorostyrene and the like : α - olefins such as ethylene , propylene , 1 - butene , and the like ; vinyl halides , such as vinylbromide , chloroethene ( vinylchloride ), vinylfluoride , vinyliodide , 1 , 2 - dibromoethene , 1 , 1 - dichloroethene ( vinylidene chloride ), 1 , 2 - dichloroethene , and the like ; vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate ; α , β - olefinically unsaturated nitriles , such as acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile : α , β - olefinically unsaturated amides , such as acrylamide , n - methyl acrylamide , n , n - dimethylacrylamide , methacrylamide and the like . the polydiene rubbers which are copolymers of one or more diene monomers with one or more other ethylenically unsaturated monomers will normally contain from about 50 weight percent to about 99 weight percent diene monomers and from about 1 weight percent to about 50 weight percent of the other ethylenically unsaturated monomers in addition to the diene monomers . for example , copolymers of diene monomers with vinylaromatic monomers , such as styrene - butadiene rubber ( sbr ) which contain from 50 to 95 weight percent diene monomers and from 5 to 50 weight percent vinylaromatic monomers are useful in many applications . the vinylpyridine copolymers which are utilized in the blends of this invention are comprised of repeat units which are derived from a diene monomer and vinylpyridine . such copolymers can contain repeat units which are derived from more than one type of diene monomer as well as other ethylenically unsaturated monomers in addition to the diene monomers . from 1 to 75 weight percent of the repeat units in such vinylpyridine copolymers will be derived from vinylpyridine . such repeat units have the structural formula ## str1 ## and differ from the vinylpyridine monomer from which they were derived in that the vinyl double bond was consumed in the polymerization . from 25 to 99 weight percent of the repeat units in such vinylpyridine copolymers are derived from diene monomers and other ethynically unsaturated monomers in addition to diene monomers and vinylpyridine . for example , the vinylpyridine copolymer can be a copolymer containing 50 percent butadiene and 50 percent vinylpyridine ( having 50 percent of its repeat units being derived from vinylpyridine ) which can be represented by the structural formula ## str2 ## indicates that the repeat units derived from butadiene and vinylpyridine can be in any order . the structural formula shown above illustrates the polymer produced when there has been 1 , 4 addition of the butadiene . the vinylpyridine copolymer will preferably have 3 percent to 30 percent by weight of its repeat units being derived from vinylpyridine and from 70 to 97 weight percent of its repeat units being derived from diene monomers and other ethynically unsaturated monomers . most preferably , the vinylpyridine copolymer will contain from 4 to 10 weight percent vinylpyridine and from 90 to 96 weight percent diene monomers . the fast curing blends of this invention will normally contain from 50 to 98 weight percent of at least one polydiene rubber and from 2 to 50 weight percent of at least one vinylpyridine copolymer ( based upon the total rubber in the blend ). preferably , such blends will be comprised of from 55 to 96 weight percent of one or more polydiene rubbers and from 4 to 45 weight percent of one or more vinylpyridine copolymers . most preferably , the fast curing blends of this invention will be comprised of from 60 to 85 weight percent polydiene rubbers and from 15 to 40 weight percent vinylpyridine copolymers . as a general rule , the overall concentration of repeat units derived from vinylpyridine constitutes from about 0 . 1 to about 10 weight percent of the rubber blend ( 0 . 001 to 0 . 1 as a weight fraction ). in other words , the product of the weight fraction of vinylpyridine copolymer in the rubber blend and the weight fraction of repeat units derived from vinylpyridine in the vinylpyridine copolymer will generally range between 0 . 001 and 0 . 1 ( that is , between 0 . 1 and 10 weight percent ). for example , if the vinylpyridine copolymer contains 5 weight percent vinylpyridine and there is 30 weight percent of that vinylpyridine copolymer in the rubber blend , then the product of the weight fraction of said vinylpyridine copolymer in said rubber blend and the weight fraction of repeat units derived from vinylpyridine in said vinylpyridine copolymer is 0 . 015 , that is , 1 . 5 %. preferably , the product of the weight fraction of said vinylpyridine copolymer in said rubber blend and the weight fraction of repeat units derived from vinylpyridine in said vinylpyridine copolymer will range between 0 . 005 and 0 . 05 . more preferably , this product will range between 0 . 01 and 0 . 03 , ( that is , between 1 % and 3 %). even though vinylpyridine copolymers which are derived from a wide variety of different monomers can be blended with polydiene rubbers in order to improve the cure characteristics of the polydiene rubber in the resultant blend , it is preferable to utilize a vinylpyridine copolymer which is compatible with the polydiene rubber in the blend . for example , if the polydiene rubber in the blend is polybutadiene , it would be preferable to utilize a copolymer of vinylpyridine and butadiene as the vinylpyridine copolymer in the blend . if the polydiene rubber utilized in the blend is a styrene butadiene rubber , then it is preferable to utilize a terpolymer of butadiene , styrene , and vinylpyridine as the vinylpyridine copolymer in the blend . in order to optimize compatibility , it is often desirable to utilize the same relative ratio of monomers in the vinylpyridine copolymer as is present in the polydiene rubber . the polydiene rubbers and the vinylpyridine copolymers utilized in the blends of this invention can be prepared using polymerization techniques well known to persons skilled in the art . in most cases , these polymers will be prepared using emulsion polymerization techniques . a wide variety of polydiene rubbers which are suitable for use in the blends of this invention are commercially available . for example , the goodyear tire & amp ; rubber company sells nitrile rubber ( nbr ) under the tradename chemigum ™, styrene butadiene rubber ( sbr ) under the tradename plioflex ™, polybutadiene under the tradename budene ™, and synthetic polyisoprene under the name natsyn ™; exxon chemical americas sells ethylene propylene diene rubber ( epdm ) under the tradename vistalon ™, and polyisobutylene under the tradename vistanex ™; and natural rubber is sold by a number of suppliers . conventional levels of conventional accelerators should be added to the fast curing rubber blends of this invention . such rubber blends can additionally contain other conventional compounding ingredients such as carbon black , sulfur , fillers , oils , waxes , colorants , scorch inhibiting agents , and processing aids . in most cases , the fast curing rubber blends of this invention will consist of ( a ) at least one polydiene rubber , ( b ) at least one vinylpyridine copolymer , ( c ) sulfur and / or a sulfur containing compound , ( d ) at least one filler , ( e ) at least one accelerator , ( f ) at least one antidegradant , ( g ) at least one processing oil ( h ) zinc oxide , ( i ) optionally a tackifier resin , ( j ) optionally a reinforcing resin , ( k ) optionally one or more fatty acids , ( 1 ) optionally a peptizer , and ( m ) optionally one or more scorch inhibiting agents . the fast curing rubber blend will normally contain from 0 . 5 to 5 phr ( parts per 100 parts of rubber ) of sulfur and / or a sulfur containing compound with 1 to 2 . 5 phr being preferred . it may be desirable to utilize insoluble sulfur in cases where bloom is a problem . normally from 10 to 150 phr of at least one filler will be utilized in the blend with 30 to 80 phr being preferred . in most cases at least some carbon black will be utilized in the filler . the filler can , of course , be comprised totally of carbon black . silica can be included in the filler to improve tear resistance and heat build up . clays and / or talc can be included in the filler to reduce cost . the blend will also normally include from 0 . 1 to 2 . 5 phr of at least one accelerator with 0 . 2 to 1 . 5 phr being preferred . antidegradants , such as antioxidants and antiozonants , will generally be included in the blend in amounts ranging from 0 . 25 to 10 phr with amounts in the range of 1 to 5 phr being preferred . processing oils will generally be included in the blend in amounts ranging from 2 to 100 phr with amounts ranging from 5 to 50 phr being preferred . the fast curing blends of this invention will also normally contain from 0 . 5 to 10 phr of zinc oxide with 1 to 5 phr being preferred . these blends can optionally contain from 0 to 10 phr of a tackifier resin , 0 to 10 phr of reinforcing resins , 1 to 10 phr of fatty acids , 0 to 2 . 5 phr of peptizers , and 0 to 1 phr of scorch inhibiting agents . the fast curing rubber blends of this invention do not contain significant amounts ( more than about 0 . 01 phr ) of dicumyl peroxide or lead oxide . in most cases the rubber blends of this invention will not contain any dicumyl peroxide or lead oxide . such fast curing rubber blends can be prepared by simply blending or mixing together the polydiene rubber and the vinylpyridine copolymer . this blending can be accomplished utilizing compounding techniques well known to persons skilled in the art . for example , the polydiene rubber can be mixed with the vinylpyridine copolymer in a banbury mixer or on a mill mixer to produce a blend of the polydiene rubber with the vinylpyridine copolymer . such a blend could also be made by mixing a polydiene rubber latex with a vinylpyridine copolymer latex followed by coagulating the mixed latices . the technique used in the preparation of the blend is not important as long as there is a thorough mixing of the vinylpyridine copolymer throughout the polydiene rubber . fast curing rubber blends can be prepared in a manner so that they have essentially the same physical and chemical properties as the polydiene rubber utilized in them , except of course , for the greatly improved cure properties of the blends . in other words , vinylpyridine copolymers can be blended with diene rubbers to produce blends having improved cure characteristics which have mechanical and chemical properties which are much like those of the diene rubber . in order to minimize the differences in the properties between a diene rubber and a fast curing rubber blend , it will generally be desirable to utilize a vinylpyridine copolymer which is compatible with and which has properties which are similar to those of the diene rubber . for example , the incorporation of vinylpyridine into a polymer will change its glass transition temperature , and it may be desirable to incorporate greater or lesser amounts of other monomers into such vinylpyridine copolymers in order to compensate for this tendency for the vinylpyridine copolymer to have a different glass transition temperature than its vinylpyridine - free counterpart . in any case , since the vinylpyridine copolymer represents only a minority of the fast curing blend , its influence on the overall properties of the blend is minimized and is normally not at all detrimental . this is in contrast to the situation wherein a small amount of vinylpyridine is copolymerized into a rubber in order to improve its cure properties . in many cases , it is desirable to improve the cure rates of conventional rubber blends . for example , it may be desirable to improve the cure rate of a blend of medium vinyl polybutadiene and high cis - polybutadiene . in such cases , one of the components in the blend can be modified by copolymerizing vinylpyridine into it . of course , vinylpyridine copolymers can also be added to such blends as a third component in order to improve the cure rate of the blend without reducing its scorch safety . this invention is illustrated by the following examples which are merely for the purpose of illustration and are not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the invention or manner in which it may be practiced . unless specifically indicated otherwise , parts and percentages are given by weight . a blend containing 70 weight percent medium vinyl polybutadiene and 30 weight percent of an emulsion polymerized copolymer of butadiene and vinylpyridine was prepared . the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in this blend was prepared by standard emulsion polymerization techniques utilizing a 5 weight percent charge of vinylpyridine and had a mooney ( ml / 4 @ 100 ° c .) of 60 . the polymer blend was mixed with carbon black , processing oil , waxes and antioxidant in a laboratory br banbury . a standard cure recipe containing zinc oxide , stearic acid , sulfur and accelerators was included during a final banbury mix . the cure rate of this blend composition was then determined using a monsanto rheometer . the cure time , t 90 , to reach 90 percent of complete cure was determined to be 12 . 5 minutes , and the scorch time , t 2 , to reach a 2 point rise on the rheometer curve from the minimum value was determined to be 5 . 8 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 13 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 0 minutes . the procedure described in example 1 was repeated except that an emulsion polymerized polybutadiene having a mooney of 66 was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 1 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 20 . 5 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 5 . 3 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 21 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 5 minutes . the procedure described in example 1 was repeated except that budene ™ 1207 was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer . budene ™ 1207 is a synthetic solution polymerized polybutadiene . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 19 . 0 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 6 . 5 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 17 . 5 minutes with t 2 being determined to be 6 . 3 minutes . the procedure described in example 1 was repeated except that an emulsion polymerized polybutadiene having a mooney of 42 was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 1 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 24 . 0 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 6 . 5 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 22 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 5 minutes . a blend containing 70 weight percent of emulsion polymerized sbr 1712 and 30 weight percent of an emulsion polymerized copolymer of butadiene and vinylpyridine was prepared . the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in this blend contained a 5 weight percent charge of vinylpyridine and was oil extended with 25 parts per hundred of rubber with an aromatic oil . the oil extended mooney was 54 . the polymer blend was mixed with carbon black , processing oil , waxes and antioxidant in a laboratory br banbury . a standard cure recipe containing zinc oxide , stearic acid , sulfur and accelerators was included during a final banbury mix . the cure rate of this blend composition was then determined using a monsanto rheometer . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 13 . 7 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 6 . 5 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 14 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 8 minutes . the procedure described in example 5 was repeated except that an oil extended emulsion polybutadiene ( 25 phr aromatic oil , mooney ═ 62 ) was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 5 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 21 . 4 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 7 . 3 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 23 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 7 . 3 minutes . the procedure described in example 5 was repeated except that an oil extended solution polybutadiene ( 25 phr aromatic oil , mooney ═ 50 ) was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 5 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 17 . 8 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 6 . 0 . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 20 . 3 and a t 2 of 7 . 0 minutes . the procedure described in example 5 was repeated except that an oil extended emulsion polymerized copolymer of butadiene and vinylpyridine ( 25 phr aromatic oil , 5 weight percent charge of vinylpyridine , mooney ═ 66 ) was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 5 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 15 . 0 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 7 . 0 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 14 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 8 minutes . the rheometer data for examples 1 - 8 is summarized in table i . it is very apparent that the cure rate of the blends which contained vinylpyridine copolymers ( examples 1 , 5 and 8 ) was much better ( faster ) than it was in the controls ( examples 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 and 7 ) wherein a vinylpyridine copolymer was not included in the blend . it is also very clear that the scorch safety of the blends containing vinylpyridine copolymers do not differ substantially from that of the controls . while certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the present invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention . table i______________________________________rheometer data maximum minimum t . sub . 90 t . sub . 2example torque torque minutes minutes______________________________________1 36 . 5 10 . 2 12 . 5 5 . 8 36 . 9 10 . 5 13 . 5 6 . 02 35 . 3 10 . 2 20 . 5 5 . 3 35 . 0 10 . 5 21 . 5 6 . 53 36 . 5 10 . 2 19 . 0 6 . 5 36 . 0 10 . 3 17 . 5 6 . 34 35 . 0 9 . 8 24 . 0 6 . 5 35 . 2 9 . 6 22 . 5 6 . 55 29 . 6 7 . 8 13 . 7 6 . 5 29 . 8 7 . 9 14 . 5 6 . 56 28 . 0 8 . 4 21 . 5 7 . 3 28 . 1 8 . 3 23 . 5 7 . 37 30 . 4 8 . 2 17 . 8 6 . 0 30 . 0 7 . 8 20 . 3 7 . 08 29 . 4 7 . 9 15 . 0 7 . 0 29 . 8 7 . 9 14 . 5 6 . 8______________________________________	2
referring to fig1 & amp ; 2 : the noc 2 is a centralized location for collecting and processing data to be sent to one or more receiving units 4 receivers . more than one noc can be used , preferably to provide redundancy of function and data ; as such , the nocs will communicate with each other to ensure duplication at each noc . communication can be through , for example , internet , high speed land connections , or other suitable connection means . the sources of data 11 are not critical to the functioning of the noc . usable data sources include , but are not limited to , satellite feeds , received broadcast , mpls , tape , cd , or dvd , internet , ftp , operator input , and text files . content can be comprised of national , local and syndicated programming . processing the noc may perform includes , but is not limited to , gathering , storing , assembling , editing , evaluating , categorizing , filing and scheduling . data is placed in archival storage 12 for processing ; such processing comprising , cataloging , tagging , time sequencing , editing , and scheduling . data can also be collected and processed without archiving 12 a , for example , if needed for emergency situations , alerts , critical system updates , or the like . as necessary , the noc can operate with data from archival files , collected or produced in real - time , or a combination thereof . archiving is preferred when collecting data sources which are broadcast in different time zones and will be archived and sent to the receiving units at a time more convenient for u . s . time zones . in a preferred embodiment , data is processed in the form of a data channel 10 ; each channel comprising one or more data sources which will be combined and then be associated and processed with that channel . processing of channel data processing can comprise : assembling various data sources into a single data channel ; arranging data for scheduling preferences or requirements ; editing for content ; adjusting duration ; formatting ; compression formatting 16 ; inserting , deleting , or replacing advertisement data ; inserting , deleting , or replacing markers for later processing ; removing unnecessary , inappropriate , damaged , or unusable data ; repairing damaged data ; converting stereo to mono audio data ; converting high quality to lower quality data ; and combinations thereof . the order and extent of channel data processing is not fixed and can be varied and different for each channel and each data source . after content processing each data channel 10 is assigned an identifier which is added to the channel data and is then combined with other data channels 18 into a single data stream for further processing and transfer . the single data stream can be processed by inserting additional data such as standard or generic commercial content 20 , geographic specific advertisement content 22 , and other content 21 . this additional data is inserted at markers placed in the individual data channels in the channel data processing 14 . the data stream is then combined 28 with support data 24 , and messaging data 26 and is transferred 30 to one or more transmission servers . this transfer can be achieved by any acceptable means or combination of means for each transmission server . examples of usable transfer means include , but are not limited to , internet , satellite transmission ; mpls , ftp , or the like , or combinations thereof . support data 24 may be comprised of channel transmission schedules ; channel guide information , such as , names of channels , schedule of upcoming programs for channels , names of programs , artists , duration ; additions , changes , and updates to transmission server authorizations , which can be permissions for all or specific transmission server &# 39 ; s , for example , which channels can be transmitted , which channels can be altered / edited , and which advertisements can be inserted ; frequency maps : system updates ; software updates ; advertising content data ; directions , rules , schedules , geographical limits and permissions for advertisement usage ; marketing data ; receiving unit specific data ; directions and content for advertisements for specific receiving units ; and combinations thereof . messaging data 26 may comprise textual data to be sent to , stored , and utilized by receiving units ; for example , emergency notifications and general information for the users of the receiving units . support and messaging data can be sent to the transmission server &# 39 ; s along with the channel data , on a schedule , periodically , on an as needed basis , and any combination thereof . in one preferred embodiment , each channel is assembled into an ip data stream 18 and transferred over the internet 30 . in the ip data stream each data channels is tagged with an ip address ; the ip address can be used at a transmission server to identify the corresponding channel data . referring to fig3 ; in a preferred embodiment all processed channel data is sent to all transmission servers 3 ( and fig1 , 3 a - 3 n ). there is no limit to the number of transmission servers that can be in the system . the location and number of transmission servers is in part determined by market demand , customer demographics , transmitter availability , and geographic location . for example , in a dense population area there may be more than one transmission server to ensure full geographic coverage and prevent loss of signal while traveling throughout the geographic area . another advantage of using more than one transmission server in a geographical location is the ability to take advantage of a particular transmission server &# 39 ; s permanent or temporary transmission status . for example , at a given time or on a given schedule , a particular transmission server will have bandwidth available when another transmission server has no available bandwidth all full or when the cost of using a particular transmission server is lower than other transmission servers in the area . in the present system a receiving unit ( fig1 , 4 ) can determine which transmission server is a preferred or available , transmission server in an area . this can be achieved through the use of frequency maps constructed by the noc . since different transmission servers will transmit on different frequencies , especially in crowded areas , a preferred embodiment uses frequency maps to aid in proper transmitter - receiver communication . a frequency map is maintained and updated at the noc and sent to the transmission server for use and transmission to the receiving units . in one preferred embodiment the transmission frequency in a given geographical region can be changed frequently . this may be achieved by the use of multiple transmission servers in the geographical region . the receiving unit can use a stored frequency map to match it &# 39 ; s given gps location with the available , corresponding transmission server in the geographic region . in addition , certain transmitters can use more than one frequency ; being frequency agile these transmitters can use available bandwidth on different frequencies as it becomes available . using a number of such frequency agile transmitters would greatly increase the geographical coverage of transmissions and increase the transmission and monetary efficiency of the system . in some cases bandwidth on any one transmission server may be available on a limited time basis requiring the receiving unit to change which transmission servers and frequencies it uses on a relatively frequent basis . while a frequency map can still be used in such a frequency changing scenario , the receiving unit can also scan frequencies to find the appropriate system signal . each transmission server receives the data from the noc and processes channel data , support data , and messaging data and prepares the data for transmission to the receiving units . in one embodiment , each transmission server is updated with a channel set . a channel set is comprised of a list of channels that an individual transmission server is allowed to transmit . the contents of a channel list for a transmission server can be determined by factors including : demand for a channel in the transmission server &# 39 ; s service area , licensing limitations and permissions , advertisement revenue for a specific channel or for the service area of a transmission server , calculated audience , prospective audience , and the like . in one embodiment the list comprises the ip address of each allowed channel sent to the transmission server in the ip data stream from the noc . the transmission server will extract any authorized channels from the ip data stream , ignoring unauthorized channels and process the extracted data channels for e . g ., content , advertisement , and scheduling in accordance with any directions , rules or permissions received from the noc . referring to fig3 - 6 , before transmission , the channel data is assembled 40 into a data transfer stream 41 which can be recognized , identified , and subsequently disassembled into the separate , individual data channels by the receiving units . the resulting transfer stream is then sent to a multiplexer 36 where it is prepared for transmission over the transmission server transmitter at the transmission server &# 39 ; s designated frequency 44 , 46 , 48 . in a preferred embodiment the channel data is assembled into a single data transfer stream 41 by processing the channel data through a novel cyclic processor of the present invention , also referred to as a ludwig specific carousel 40 ( lsc ). each transmission server has it &# 39 ; s own lsc . the data for allowed channels ( fig5 a ) are placed at the input of the lsc for processing . a single cycle of an lsc takes a portion of data from each channel ( a data packet ) and produces a single carousel data package comprised of a header ( or sync ) packet followed by one or more data packets ( fig5 b ). this carousel data package is then appended to a transfer stream at the output of the lsc . the lsc repeatedly cycles , progressively taking more data from each of the channels , produces a carousel data package , and continuously appending to the transfer stream . a data packet within the carousel data package may comprise support data . the number and size of channel packets is not limited . conditions and equipment at an individual transmission server , type of channel data , quality of channel data , as well as transmission standards , such as atsc , fm , am , gprs , 3g , satellite , influence the parameters of the data within the lsc . information in the carousel data package header packet may be comprised of : a ) information which identifies the carousel data package as data produced by the lsc ; b ) time data ; c ) synchronization data ; d ) type of compression used ; e ) type of data in each data channel ; f ) data packet information for each data packet within the carousel data package comprising a packet pointer for identifying the starting point of the data packet within the carousel data package and the size of the data packet , wherein the packet pointer may be comprised of a hexadecimal offset ; in the case where a data packet in the carousel data package comprises support data the packet pointer and size correspond to the support data packet . in a preferred embodiment the channel data is assembled into an american systems television committee ( atsc ) compliant data stream . the requirements for an atsc compliant data stream are set out in various atsc standard publications . of particular relevance are atsc specifications a74 , a90 , a95 and a97 , see , e . g ., http :// www . atsc . org / ( hereby incorporated in full by reference ). the present invention can be used and modified to remain compliant with changes or modifications to any of these applicable atsc standards . the resulting atsc data stream is then sent to a multiplexer where it is prepared for transmission over the transmission server transmitter at the transmission server designated frequency . in one preferred embodiment , an atsc compliant carousel package is comprised of up to 52 packets comprising 188 bytes of data per packet . the first 188 byte packet comprises the carousel package header information . subsequent packets are comprised of 4 bytes of data information comprising packet identification information ( pid ) and 184 bytes of packet content data , fig6 . the 4 byte pid may comprise channel identification information or information identifying the packet as containing support information , updates , advertising , or the like . in this embodiment the number of channels , 52 , and size of packets , 188 bytes are used to be compliant with current atsc specifications . the number and size of packets within a carousel data package can be changed to be compliant with new , or changes to , atsc specifications or other transmission specifications which may be used or developed . support data can be transmitted within the atsc transfer stream having been processed through the lsc , in ancillary data packets which are separate from the main data stream as set out in atsc standards , or a combination thereof . the final terminus of the present data transmission system is a plurality of receiving units . each receiving unit is comprised of : a receiver ; an operating system ; data storage ; a screen ; one or more input mechanisms ; and one or more external interfaces . preferred receiving units have gps capability and one or more transmission means . a preferred receiving unit comprises an atsc compliant receiver having the ability to receive atsc data packets such as those defined within atsc specifications a74 , a90 , a95 and a97 . such a receiving unit depacketizes the received and stored data , then sorts and decodes the data , reassembles the separate channel data and support data , and outputs or stores the channel data and support data into memory . while the receiving unit can function in real - time , outputting a data channel as it is received and processed , a preferred receiving unit will store the data in memory for later presentation to the user . the transmission and receipt of the transfer stream can occur at speeds much greater than real - time playback of the channel data would require . the ability to send large amounts of data increases the efficiency of the system : only requiring short transmission times ; the ability to make changes , updates , and notifications quickly ; and conserves bandwidth . in use , the user of a receiving unit selects a channel to access using an input mechanism , external input , or external interface . the receiving unit removes the atsc data packets from memory , depacketizes data , and reassembles the separate channel data of the selected channel . the selected channel data may be processed as necessary to conform to listening or access requirements . an example of such processing includes processing the channel data through a codec to produce and audio stream ; common audio codecs include , but not limited to , mp3 , aac , m4a , wav , vorbis , mpeg , and the like . visual image codecs include , but not limited to , bmp , jpeg , gif , png and the like . an audio stream can be output to a speaker in the receiving unit , to a headphone jack , or to an interface for external use . an image or text can be displayed on the screen or output to an interface for external use or display . audio , visual , or text information can also be processed and output to the user when triggered by an external stimulus such as time of day , temperature , gps location , or marker in channel or support data . each receiving unit has a unique identifier such as an ip address , mac address , serial number , or an id number assigned when it is distributed to a user . this identifier can be used to send data , instructions , updates , advertisements , and the like to any single or group of receiving units specifically . the identifier can also be used to identify any data that is sent from an receiving unit to the noc or to another receiving unit . a preferred receiving unit collects status information and sends this data to the noc . this data can be collected and stored at scheduled intervals , at scheduled times , upon receipt of a request or instructions , upon the occurrence of an event or condition , on startup , before shutdown , or any combination thereof . collected data may comprise : receiving unit identifier ; time and date ; gps information ; channel data use ; duration of use ; external sensor information such as temperature , humidity , or barometric pressure ; and combinations thereof . upon the occurrence of an event , scheduled time , or a transmitted request from the noc , the stored data is sent to the noc using any of one or more transmission schemes . such schemes include , but are not limited to , cellular network , gprs , sms , pager , 3g , wi - fi , and wi - max , for example . in another embodiment the gps information for the receiving unit can be used to activate the visual display or audio playing of data stored on the receiving unit . such data may comprise advertisements , advertisements relevant to the gps location , and emergency notifications directed towards a specific geographical location . the noc collects , compiles and analyzes the status information received from the receivers . in addition user information and listening habits can be cross - matched and compared to available census data for a given region such as : customer ethnicity , location , economic status , etc . in another embodiment the gps location information can also be used in receiving unit to receiving unit communication . receiving units can communicate using cellular network , gprs , sms , pager , 3g , wi - fi , and wi - max , for example . receiving units can be programmed to send out status information ; information input by the user ; and atsc data stream data previously stored . in one example , a receiving unit will broadcast its gps location and unit identifier . other receiving units can receive this information and , if programmed or requested by the user , trigger an action such as displaying the proximity of the broadcasting receiving unit . once notified of their mutual proximity , the users of these receiving units can then communicate between the receiving units using text and images stored on the receiving units or input by the users via an input mechanism or external interface . the ability to receive and send data will allow a receiving unit which is out of range of a transmission server to receive and send the data from a receiving unit which is in range or closer range of a transmission server , enabling the transmission server and the out - of - range receiving unit to communicate via single hop or multiple hops from receiving unit to receiving unit . while this description has set forth a number of examples of the current invention , these examples are not presented or to be interpreted as limiting the system or method of the current invention .	7
in fig1 block 10 represents a microphone which is mounted into the head of the stethoscope . the microphone in response to korotkoff sounds initiates a signal . the microphone in a preferred embodiment would be incorporated into the housing of the head of the stethoscope . the signal is fed into an amplifier , block 12 , which boosts the signal about fifty times . the amplified signal is then input to block 14 , a voltage comparator which compares the signal voltage to a reference voltage . if the signal voltage is greater than the reference voltage , the electrical signal passes . the output of block 14 is connected to block 16 which elongates the signal in duration . the output of block 16 is connected to the inputs of blocks 18 and 20 . the counter in block 18 sends an off switch signal to block 20 with each received signal until the operator presses the actuator button block 22 . at this point block 18 sends an on signal for each received signal to block 20 . the counter in block 18 allows a set number of such signals to pass until it again turns the switch to the off position . the switch remains off until the start button , block 22 , is pushed again . the pulse counter block , block 24 , calculates the pulse by starting a timer when the first signal is received . the timer is then stopped after the set number of pulses is received and places the resultant elapsed time into the equation x ( depending on the set number of signals ) divided by the time measured equals the pulse rate per minute . the pulse rate per minute is then sent to a display , block 26 . in fig2 a preferred embodiment is diagrammed showing the stethoscope head and housing 32 with a digital display 34 , preferably an lcd , and an actuator button 36 with flexible tubing 30 and ear pieces 28 . referring now to fig3 a close up of the stethoscope head and housing 32 is shown with the digital display 34 , actuator button 36 in convenient location for one handed usage , diaphragm annulus 40 to secure the diaphragm to the head , and tubing 30 . fig4 is a cross - section of fig3 with the digital display 34 , the actuator button 36 , diaphragm 38 , diaphragm annulus 40 , microphone transducer 42 , and one or more circuit boards 44 located directly beneath the lcd display . the operation of the apparatus of the invention will be readily understood from the following description of its use . starting with the use of a sphygmomanometer , the observer will inflate the air cuff which has been wrapped about the patient &# 39 ; s extremity in the process of taking the blood pressure . the stethoscope head 32 is pressed against the inner aspect of the volar side of the antecubital space where the brachial artery lies as the observer listens with the ear pieces 28 and tubing 30 . the air will be slowly released from the air cuff and the korotkoff sounds will be heard by the observer . with the first loud korotkoff sound the actuator button 36 will be pushed and the apparatus thus described will respond to the sounds . as the observer completes taking the blood pressure by further release of pressure in the air cuff , the apparatus will read out a pulse so obtained . those skilled in the art will recognize that an audible or visual signal of the electrical signal corresponding to the korotkoff sounds would be advantageous as a means of allowing the observer to become the monitor for judging the accuracy of the device . those skilled in the art will also note that it would be advantageous to also have watch functions including a timer , alarm , 24 hour clock functions , and seconds display . it is obvious for one skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made to the apparatus of the invention concerning for example the type of stethoscope , the manner of processing the signal , the manner of counting and calculating the results , the manner in which the pulse rate be electronically monitored , without departing from the scope of the invention . a quality control circuit could be added to the invention in which an irregular pulse rate could set off an alarm to notify the observer of this irregularity . consequently , the invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the particular embodiment described here , it covers on the contrary all variants thereof .	0
this invention provides an improved module characterized by improved control of the control motor or motors . to this end , the invention concerns in its most general meaning a motorized steering column module with position control comprising means for moving / shifting the steering wheel in an axial direction , bringing it closer or further away , and in a radial plane for regulating the position up and down with the aid of at least one electric motor control by an electronic means , and means for controlling a variation of the speed of this motor at least in the vicinity of the departure position and the arrival position . this invention also increases the sensation of comfort when controlling the position of the steering wheel by a variation of the control speed . the sensation of robustness is also increased by a greater insensitivity to the variations of the supply voltage . the controller is preferably programmed to control an acceleration of the movement during the motor startup and / or to control a deceleration of the movement during the approaching of the arrival position . according to one aspect , the controller is programmed to ensure a compensation of the voltage variations of the motor supply . the controller is preferably programmed to control a movement speed lower than the maximum speed upon approaching the position at the end of travel . the motor is advantageously coupled to a sensor that delivers a signal that is a function of the real motor speed , which signal is transmitted to this controller . according to another aspect , the controller controls the reduction of the movement speed upon approaching the end of travel . according to yet another aspect , the controller controls a mode of reduced - speed movement when it receives particular control instructions . the controller advantageously generates motor control / command signals in the form of constant tension scrambled at a variable cyclic ratio . the parts activated by the motor preferably comprise at least one position reference sensor . the invention is described below with reference made to a steering column control module comprising a first direct - current motor for adjusting the axial position of the steering wheel and comprising a second direct - current motor for adjusting the height of the steering wheel by tilting a section of the steering column relative to a transversal axis . the control mechanism will not be described in detail because it is known and because the invention applies to all types of such mechanisms . in particular , the invention is also applicable to mechanisms comprising a single motor and one or several clutches or linear , hydraulic or pneumatic motors . the motors can also be constituted by step - by - step / stepping motors controlled by a variable - frequency clock . in one example described in a non - limiting manner , each of the motors is piloted by a power electronic circuit controlled by a controller generating a modulated signal and with variable cyclic ratio ( pwm ( pulse width modulation ) or mli ( modulation of impulse width ) that permits the voltage to be controlled at the motor terminals from 0 % to 100 %. fig1 shows an example of a variation of the motor speed during an activation cycle , then of the stopping of the movement . at rest , the supply voltage of the motor is zero ( range ( 1 )). during the starting of the motor the supply is made with a minimum cyclic ratio ( 2 ) resulting in a non - zero minimal speed . the cyclic ratio then increases ( 3 ) progressively , e . g ., in accordance with a linear law until the cyclic ratio achieves a maximal value corresponding , e . g ., to the nominal or maximal speed . the speed is then maintained constant ( 4 ) until the stop command . this stop command can come from a position sensor , a manual command or an instruction calculated as a function of the prerecorded position sought . the speed then decreases ( 5 ), e . g ., according to a linear law until reaching a slower control speed ( 6 ). then , the motor supply is again reduced to a zero voltage ( 7 ). such a function having a succession of increasing , constant and decreasing slopes is not limiting . a function of the “ gaussian ” type , e . g ., can be envisioned . fig2 represents a schematic diagram of a control circuit for a module in conformity with the invention . it comprises in a customary manner a supply 9 and a controller 10 as well as power circuits 11 , 12 respectively controlling motors 21 , 22 . motors 21 , 22 are respectively coupled to position / speed sensors 31 , 32 . the parts driven by motors 21 , 22 are otherwise equipped with one or two position reference sensors 41 , 51 ; 42 , 52 ). controller 10 receives instructions from shaping circuitry 13 primarily realizing the adaptation of impedance ( or of the leveling of voltage or current ) of the signals coming from the switches “ rise , descent ”, and “ return , exit ”, also “ facilitated exit ” or “ go into a given memorized position ”. the controller also receives instructions coming from another controller of the vehicle or from other switches . these instructions are received in cabled / hard - wired form or multiplexed via the intermediation of messages on a communication bus . in the case of instructions received in cabled form , this module 14 is a shaping circuitry 13 primarily realizing the adaptation of impedance ( or of the leveling of voltage or current ) of signals permitting the recording of predefined positions , e . g ., the preferred positions of different drivers of the vehicle . these positions are recorded in memory in a known manner and called from a command not represented in this scheme . in the case of instructions received in multiplexed form via the intermediation of messages on a communication bus , this module 14 is a controller / transceiver bus circuit . the totality of the messages is not defined here , but it contains the commands “ rise , descent ” and “ return , exit ”, also “ facilitated exit ” or “ go into a given memorized position ” or “ recording of predefined positions ” and return messages about the state of the controller and the command in progress . the controller also receives at its input the real voltage of supply battery 9 as well as position signals coming from sensors 31 , 41 , 51 ; 32 , 42 , 52 ). the controller calculates control / command signals of power circuits 11 , 12 by determining the cyclic ratio in real time as a function of the state of the different inputs . regulation of the speed maintains the speed instruction of the column what ever the supply voltage furnished by the battery is : the cyclic ratio develops inversely proportionately to the supply voltage to compensate variations in voltage . in a particular aspect , the control to a memorized position is made at 100 % of cyclic ratio and every control by transitory actions on the control buttons is made at a reduced speed .	1
referring now to the prior art securement system illustrated by fig1 - 11 , the hooks 4 and brackets 5 are vulnerable to impact during handling , at least in part because they protrude from the cargo container . for example , forklift movements or container positioning movements can cause deformation of the hook and / or the bracket . any component that protrudes from the container may be a target for damage . in fact , even one hit can render the securement system unusable . the hook 4 may be bent to prevent its correct cooperation with the bracket . the bracket 5 may be compressed or otherwise deformed in a way that prevents sufficient clearance for the hook 4 to secure thereto . one non - usable hook 4 can render the cargo container unusable because it may no longer comply with certification requirements . another problem with the described hook system is that it can be time - consuming to secure . each hook 4 must be positioned on a bracket 5 . this can be difficult in cold climates , when the loading crew is wearing gloves . this can also be difficult when the containers are positioned on a platform , making the hooks and brackets difficult to reach . additionally , the cover 1 and the net 2 are provided as two separate components . because they are not attached to one another , the cover 1 has a tendency to slide inwards of the cargo container , due to gravity and / or container movement . this can happen even when the net 2 is properly affixed to the container frame 3 . this sliding can create a gap between the cover 1 and the frame 3 , undesirably leaving container contents exposed to the elements . additionally , without a properly positioned net 2 over the cover 1 , cargo container contents may not be properly contained . accordingly , improvements to cargo container cover systems are described herein . the present disclosure provides a system 10 that allows a cargo container 12 to be covered and to have its contents secured without presenting many of these potential damage situations and / or and challenges . as shown by fig1 , the system 10 provides a cargo cover 20 that may have integrated straps 22 . if provided , the integrated straps 22 may be stitched to the cover 20 ( or otherwise secured thereto ). in this manner , the cover 20 is provided as a single component , such that the straps 22 remain secured thereto . there is not a separate net required for securement . the straps 22 may be provided with one or more sizing features 24 to expand and tighten the straps 22 once positioned . in one example , the sizing features 24 may be cam buckles . ( the cam buckles used may be industry standard buckles ; they tension the straps 22 with respect to the cargo container once the cargo cover 20 has been positioned .) in order to position the cargo cover 20 with respect to the container 12 , the cargo container 12 is provided with a frame 14 . this is generally illustrated by fig2 and 3 . as shown by fig4 a - 4b , the frame 14 has straight frame portions , each of which may be formed with an internal profile 16 along one or more of its edges . the internal profile may be an extruded profile that is created upon formation of the frame portion . a plurality of frame portions are then secured to form the cargo container cage . panels are then secured with respect to the frame portions . the internal profile 16 is generally shaped to correspond to a corresponding element 18 . cooperation between internal profile 16 and element is illustrated by fig5 and 6 . the corresponding element 18 may be a c - shaped hook , clip , or lip . the corresponding element 18 may be a curved , concave , or hollowed portion . the corresponding element 18 is shaped to cooperate with and secure with respect to the internal profile 16 of the frame 14 . the element 18 can interlock with the frame extrusion . one or more elements 18 are secured at the end of one or more straps 22 , as shown by fig1 . the tensioning straps 22 may then be pulled tight in order to secure the cover 20 to the main frame structure . referring now more specifically to the described aspects , the frame 14 of the cargo container 12 may be formed out of a plurality of straight portions 30 . in one example , there are vertical lower straight portions 32 , one or more inwardly angled straight portions 34 , and a horizontal upper straight portion 36 . providing straight portions 30 rather than a curved door frame profile or contour can allow manufacturing of the frame edges 14 with the desired internal profile . the straight sections 30 may be extruded into the internal profile 16 of an integrated hook . the straight portions 30 may be secured to one another in any appropriate manner . for example , they may be secured together via gussets and rivets using traditional methods . it is also possible for the frame 14 to be constructed of a single extruded piece , having the desired angles between frame portions . for example , the frame could be formed of a material that can be extruded and bent into the appropriate shape of the cargo frame . the internal profile 16 may be extruded along an entirety of the frame 14 . in other examples , the internal profile 16 may be provided on only some of the entirety of the frame . it is believed that optimal securement options are provided , however , if the internal profile 16 extends along a majority of the frame . referring now to fig4 b , the internal profile 16 may be shaped as an internal hook . the internal hook may have a flat frame surface 40 that is generally parallel with at least a portion of the cargo container wall 42 . the flat frame surface 40 curves inwardly to provide an inwardly curved surface 44 . this surface 44 may be shaped like a j - hook , a c - hook , or any other internal indentation . the inwardly curved surface 44 may then transition to a curved lip 46 . the curved lip 46 provides a support portion onto which the element 18 can secure and grasp with respect to . fig8 b illustrates an element 18 that is secured with respect to the internal profile 16 . as shown , the element 18 has a c - shape profile . the innermost part of the profile of the element 18 receives the curved lip 46 of the internal profile 16 . a first arm 54 of the element 18 reaches into the inwardly curved surface 44 . a second arm 56 of the element supports the element 18 with respect to the cargo container wall 42 . also as illustrated , a strap 22 may be secured to and extend from the element 18 . fig1 illustrates that a plurality of straps 22 are provided on the cargo cover 20 . in use , the personnel installing the cover over the cargo container frame may loosen the straps 22 at the sizing feature 24 ( which may be a buckle or any other securement system ). once the elements 18 are secured with respect to and along the internal profiles 16 of the frame 14 , the sizing features 24 may be tightened . this tightening causes the cover 20 to interface tightly and safely against the cargo container . one option that may also assist with securement and tightening of the cover 20 may be handle straps 60 . the handle straps 60 may be attached to the elements 18 . examples are shown by fig6 b , and 9 . handle straps 60 may be used to allow the installer to obtain a secure grasp on the element 18 during installation . in one example , the handle straps 60 are secured to a flange 62 of the element 18 . the flange 62 may have an opening 64 through which the handle strap 60 may be looped and secured in place . for example , the handle strap 60 may be looped through the flange opening 64 and stitched back upon itself this provides extra grip for handling of the flexible cover door 20 . fig9 illustrates a front perspective view of the cargo container with the door canvas 20 closed . the full straps are not shown in this figure . they may be provided , but need not be . in this example , only handle straps 60 are provided . if the door canvas itself is manufactured of a material that is strong enough to withstand the certification forces and the straps ( such as the handle straps ) can be attached to the canvas in a way that the attachment would withstand the certification forces , a full set of straps 22 does not need to extend all the way across the door canvas . it should be understood that it is also possible to implement this disclosure without the use of straps at all . an upper portion of the cargo cover 20 may be provided with a horizontal top portion 70 . the horizontal top portion 70 may be a stitched rod that is enclosed by an upper flange or insertion area or part of the door canvas . this top portion 70 can be secured into one of the internal profiles 16 along an upper part of the frame 14 in order to secure the cover 20 into place over the container top frame . other securement options are possible in addition or in the alternative . for example , one or more rivets may be positioned at edges of the cover for securement . although an exemplary internal profile is shown and described , it should be understood that alternate internal profile shapes may be provided . for example , the internal profile may be square - like , rectangular , triangular , or any other appropriate shape . the internal profile should generally have a lip or other feature that can secure an element secured to the cover into place . the internal profile shown and described has been tested and found to withstand the high forces required by federal regulations . in general , the cargo containers described can withstand 10 tons of force on the door while maintaining the contents inside the container . it is believed that snaps or magnets or other types of traditional securing systems do not meet the required stringent requirements . they may also become easily damaged or deformed due to pressure , may be difficult to install in cold climates when workers are wearing gloves , and may also become frozen or otherwise damaged . conversely , the examples described have been found to overcome these and other challenges . changes and modifications , additions and deletions may be made to the structures and methods recited above and shown in the drawings without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure or the following claims .	1
referring to fig1 , and generally to fig1 - 21 , an anchor 10 may be formed to have a base plate 12 . the base plate 12 will typically be secured to a building in order to support lightning protection cabling interconnecting several points or rods extending upward to cause a high voltage stress field around the distal end or tip thereof . accordingly , such points are typically formed of rod of a suitable diameter , and having a length of from about 8 to about 24 inches . accordingly , each of these points tends to cause a stress concentration field of voltage potential about the distal end thereof . this preferentially causes each of these tips of these points or rods to be the first items struck by lightning , rather than having other structural or electrical components of the building take such a risk . anchors 10 in accordance with the invention may be distributed around walls , parapets , cupolas , or other extremities of a building . typically , a ridge line , a parapet around a roof region , or the like may receive the anchors 10 . the anchors 10 will support various fasteners ( a term of art in lightning protection technology ), which may be thought of as mechanical brackets , or other securement mechanisms to hold cables , the points , and so forth . the base plate 12 may be fabricated with a stud 16 , in a manufacturing process similar to that of manufacturing a bolt , a nail , or the like . in an alternative embodiment , the studs 16 may be attached to the base 12 after individual fabrication of each 12 , 16 . the base plate 12 may be provided with a pad 14 that operates as a seal , and adhesive mechanism , a thermal expansion attenuator , a strain attenuator , and so forth . that is , between the base plate 12 and a corresponding portion of a building , a differential in coefficience of thermal expansion may exist . similarly , temperature variations may change properties . likewise , freezing and thawing may intervene in capillary spaces between the base plate 12 and a building . a freeze - thaw cycle will eventually separate the base plate 12 of the anchor 10 from the building . accordingly , the pad 14 may be , for example , a closed - cell foam of a particular type suitable for the task to form a seal likewise , the pad 14 may be provided with an adhesive material on the opposing surfaces faces in order to bond to a building and to the base plate 12 . in certain embodiments , the pad 14 has been found to serve well if fabricated of an acrylic expanded foam or expanded acrylic , commonly known as a foam likewise , various acrylate adhesives have been found suitable for rendering the pad 14 pressure sensitive , curable or both in bonding to the base 14 . referring to fig1 - 2 , as well as fig3 - 19 ( including 19 a - 19 c ) illustrate various embodiments of an anchor 10 . in these embodiments , the stud 16 protrudes at a right angle or perpendicularly with respect to the front face 18 or surface 18 of the base plate 12 . meanwhile , the back face 20 or surface 20 of the plate 12 receives the pad 14 . the pad 14 is mechanically adhered thereto to support the stress , strain , tension , compression , and shear that may be applied to the pad 14 by loads introduces through the studs 16 to the base 12 . meanwhile , the face 22 or front face 22 of the pad 14 adheres by way of an adhesive applied thereon or forming the face 22 thereof . this will bond to the back face 20 of the base plate 12 . similarly , the rear face 24 or surface 24 of the pad 14 is also provided with an adhesive quality , whether applied as a separate material , or as an integral part of the pad 14 . the face 24 may be covered with a protective layer , not shown , in order to protect the face 24 against debris , and maintain it completely clean and operable . removing the layer exposes the adhesive for adhering the rear face 24 to a suitable surface in a building . the studs 16 may include a tip 26 formed as a screw or bolt . typically , the tip 26 will be slightly tapered , in order to pilot the studs 16 into a threaded fastener or keeper , such as a nut . at the opposite end of the studs 16 is the root 28 and or root portion 28 . the root portion 28 may or may not be threaded . that is , threads 30 near the tip 26 may receive a fastener , such as a keeper , nut , or the like . meanwhile , if the threads 30 continue all the way to the root 28 , then very thin materials may be held snugly against the front face 18 of the plate 12 by such fasteners . nevertheless , in some embodiments , the threads 30 need not proceed all the way to the root 28 of the studs 16 . referring to fig3 - 19 , note that trailing letters indicate drawings or figures in a set , having some relationship . thus , herein , the text may refer to fig1 , to include fig1 a , 19 b , 19 c , and so forth . fig3 - 8 illustrate the orthogonal views of the apparatus of fig1 and 2 . fig2 illustrates a partially cut away pad 14 in order to illustrate the back surface 20 of the plate 12 . in some embodiments illustrated herein , the pad 14 will be removed , and only the plate 12 and stud 16 of the anchor 10 will be illustrated . in other embodiments , or illustrations the pad 14 will be in place . in fig3 - 8 , the various orthogonal embodiments illustrate the rectangular , or square plate 12 with its associated studs 16 . referring to fig9 - 10 , a perspective view from the front and rear of an alternative embodiment is shown , relying on a circular plate 12 . one advantage of a circular plate 12 is that orientation of the plate 12 becomes less significant . for example , with a rectangular or otherwise cornered plate 12 , orientation will be obvious to the eye of a casual observer . in contrast , a circular plate 12 is point symmetric and need not be oriented in a specific manner in order to operate and yet to appear aesthetically pleasing . referring to fig1 - 16 , the various orthogonal views of the embodiment of fig9 - 10 look very similar to those of fig3 - 8 . referring to fig1 a - 17b , a frontal and rear perspective view of an oval embodiment of a base plate 12 needs to be oriented , but the precision required of straight lines may not be required . in this embodiment , the long axis of the elliptical or oval shape will typically be oriented vertically in order to provide more leverage advantage by the base plate 12 , and particularly , a pad 14 . in this way , the leverage of the studs 16 will be reduced against peeling or tipping the base plate 12 and pad 14 away from a wall to which it is attached . referring to fig1 a - 18f , the orthogonal views of the embodiment of fig1 a - 17b are illustrated . again , these views appear very similar to those of fig1 - 16 , with a major and minor axis , rather than a single diameter . referring to fig1 a - 19b , a diamond shape may be suitable for one embodiment of a plate 12 in accordance with the invention . in this embodiment , the vertical dimension is a maximum , again providing additional leverage , compared to a square embodiment . even if the square embodiment of fig1 - 2 were installed in a diamond configuration , the maximum vertical dimension of the installed plate 12 would have about 40 % more length . this may provide , accordingly , more leverage , and a greater supporting “ moment ” as that terms is used in engineering . referring to fig1 c , a front elevation view of the embodiment of fig1 a - 19b illustrates that the other orthogonal views are unnecessary in order to have a clear understanding of the shape from each direction . again , this embodiment militates in favor of a comparatively precise orientation . this is not so much for mechanical strength , which would very little with a matter of a few degrees of rotation of the plate 12 against the surface . rather , it is valuable for aesthetics , where any orientation away from vertical would be immediately noticeable to a casual observer . referring to fig2 , an exploded view of one embodiment of an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention illustrates the pad 14 backing the base plate 12 to which the studs 16 are secured , fabricated , attached , or integrally manufactured . in this embodiment , a keeper 32 , such as a nut 32 is used to thread onto the threads 30 of the stud 16 . this will secure a fastener 34 to the plate 12 , and thus to the mounting surface 35 of a building . in this embodiment , the studs 16 pass through apertures 36 , thus making themselves available for receiving the keeper 32 or the nut 32 . as each nut 32 is threaded toward the root 28 , beginning at the tip 26 of the stud 16 , the fastener 34 is drawn toward the front face 18 of the base plate 12 . in the illustrated embodiment , a stand off 38 extends away from the base plate 12 , in order to support a point 40 . the point 40 is shown in engineering style with the intermediate length continuing as the portions illustrated . in this embodiment , the point 40 may be secured by a securement 42 such as a set screw 42 threaded into a receiver 44 that mounts the point 40 to support it in a vertical orientation . as described hereinabove , the point 40 operates to draw lightning , by increasing the voltage stress field near the distal end thereof ( farthest from the building ). referring to fig2 , while continuing to refer generally to fig1 - 29 , an installation of an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention may include attachment of an anchor 10 by a pad 14 to a surface 35 of a building . in the illustrated embodiment , the surface 35 is part of a covered wall 52 or parapet 52 . the parapet 52 or wall 52 is simply used by way of example . in other embodiments , the surface 35 may be part of a covering on a ridge line or ridge cap from a building , a cupola , gable , eave , or other architectural feature that represents a high point in the structure of a building . accordingly , the parapet 52 or wall 52 represents allocation that permits the point 40 to be the high point of the building by selecting a surface 35 to which the anchor 10 may be installed . thus , the installation 50 or assembly 50 may include , for example , an anchor 10 secured by a pad 14 against a surface 35 of a flashing 54 or cap 54 covering a portion of a wall 52 . in the illustrated embodiment , the cap 54 or flashing 54 , may include a drip edge 55 . the drip edge 55 is instructive . significant effort is taken to assure protection of the wall 52 against the elements , particularly rain , and the freeze - thaw cycle of winter moisture . accordingly , the drip edge 54 proceeds away from the wall 52 , in order to assure that water striking the flashing 54 or cap 54 is conducted away therefrom . this may assure that it drips elsewhere , rather than feeding capillary spaces between the wall 52 and the flashing 54 . likewise , the drip edge 55 militates against water dripping directly from the flashing 54 onto the wall 52 . in the illustrated such as the one embodiments , illustrated in fig2 , a cable 56 is secured by the anchor 10 to run along the wall 52 , attached to the surface 35 of the cap 54 or flashing 54 . in the far left embodiment , as illustrated , the anchor 10 includes a base plate 12 . thus , the anchor 10 a shows an assembled configuration of the anchor 10 b also illustrated . for example , a cable 56 is secured directly against the base plate 12 by tabs 58 that operate as extensions of the base plate 12 . tabs 58 fold over to hold the cable 56 in place . in some embodiments , such a simple , straightforward attachment mechanism may be operable without tools . with the tabs 58 fully open , and extending as if within the plane of the base 12 , an installer may press the pad 14 against the surface 35 of the flashing 54 . this anchoring of the base 12 and pad 14 secures them to the surface 35 and may be used to secure them to each other . after applying pressure and waiting , or otherwise curing the securement of the pad 14 to the surface 35 , an installer may then run the cable across the plate . cable 56 may be fastened in place by bending the tabs 58 over the cable 56 and plate 12 , and specifically over the front face 18 of the plate 12 . in the alternative embodiment of the anchor 10 c , a location 60 may be selected , as shown in the exploded view , for receiving a pad 14 after suitable cleaning . typically , the pad 14 here may be preinstalled on the anchor 10 at a factory , being secured to the base plate 12 . nevertheless , in some embodiments , the pad 14 may be applied in the field . by whatever mechanism , the rear face 20 or back face 20 of the base plate 12 adheres to the pad 14 , by being fastened to the front face 22 thereof . meanwhile , the back face 24 of the pad 14 , after a suitable cleaning of the surface 35 at the location 60 , is adhered to the surface 35 at the location 60 . in the embodiments of the anchors 10 c , and 10 d , a stud 16 protruding from the base 12 receives a fastener 36 , which fastener 36 actually holds the cable 56 . in the illustrated embodiment , the fastener 34 is provided with an aperture 36 to receive the stud 16 therethrough . accordingly , as illustrated in fig2 , a nut 32 or other keeper 32 may secure to the stud 16 , thus capturing the fastener 34 , and the cable 56 held by the fastener 34 to the base plate 12 . of course other embodiments of brackets may simply include loops , clamps , and the like simply supported by the stud 16 and base plate 12 . referring to fig2 , which is detailed in fig2 - 25 , a universal anchor 10 may provide a clip mechanism for quickly securing a cable 56 to a building wall 52 . in the illustrated embodiment , the universal anchor 10 includes arms 62 that operate as springs , being able to deflect . near the center of the anchor 10 , shown here in a vertical orientation , the arms 62 support a horizontal cable captured thereby . the anchor 10 may include a guide 64 or guide portion extending from the arm 62 . cable pushed between opposing guides 64 , will tend to deflect the guides 64 , and the arms 62 as cantilever springs . upon opening a gap between the guides 64 , a cable pressed into the guides 64 will move the guides 64 and arms 62 outboard . moving in an outboard direction opens up a gap to receive the cable 56 . the retainers 66 will hold a cable 56 in place after the cable passes into the cable region 68 . that is , after passing the guides 64 , the cable no longer exerts the outboard pressure on the guides 64 . the guides 64 and arms 62 may again return to their unstressed , unstrained positions , locking the cable 56 in place 68 . typically , the vertex 69 tends to restrict the gap 63 , thus requiring the guides 64 to push the arms 62 as cantilevers . the arms 62 , acting as cantilever springs against the base 12 , are moved away ( outboard ) until the vertex 69 of each guide 64 passes over a center line or center diameter of the cable 56 . thereafter , the retainers 66 tend to ride up on the cable 56 , once in the cable region 68 , thus drawing the cable in against the base plate 12 . this occurs as the arms 62 close back over the cable 56 to their 62 original position . thus , the retainers 66 operate to draw the cable in , against the plate 12 by force of the spring loads presented by the arms 62 and guides 64 . the anchor 10 may be referred to as a combined anchor and bracket 70 or a universal anchor 70 . thus , a particular embodiment of an anchor 10 that includes both the base 12 integrated with a mechanism for bracketing , without requiring an extra piece distinct from the base 12 as a fastener 34 , may be considered a universal or integrated anchor 10 . referring to figures to 23 a - 23 f , the various orthogonal views of the embodiment of fig2 illustrate the details and approximate aspect ratios or relationships between dimensions . meanwhile , these orthogonal views may be seen to present a universal anchor 70 or integrated anchor 70 that may be formed by simply cutting and bending a sheet of material . thus , the material of the integrated bracket 70 or universal bracket 70 may typically be metal , although other materials may be suitable . for example , certain composite materials , polymeric materials , such as certain industrial plastics , and the like , may serve as the material for forming a universal bracket 70 as illustrated . referring to fig2 - 25 , while continuing to refer to fig2 - 23 , and fig1 - 29 generally , the integrated bracket 70 of fig2 is illustrated in an exploded view with the pad 14 and cable 56 not secured . in fig2 , the assembly 50 includes the universal bracket 70 of fig2 - 24 in place , having the cable 56 installed , and the anchor 10 or universal anchor 70 installed on the surface 35 of a cover 54 of a wall 52 . as mentioned hereinabove , the integrated anchor 70 or universal anchor 70 is a particular embodiment of an anchor 10 . referring to fig2 a - 26b , in an alternative embodiment of a universal anchor 70 , a base 12 may include arms 62 and guides 64 that are not necessarily symmetrical with one another . for example , in the illustrated embodiment , the lower arms 62 may be longer , or may be the same length as the upper arms of 62 . meanwhile , the guides 64 are typically not symmetrical , and may be shaped differently to fulfill different purposes . for example , the lower guides 64 operate as guides , tending to bend or deflect away from a cable 58 inserted between the guides 64 . bending the arms 62 away from the cable 58 . the upper arms 62 , and the upper guides 64 b operate similarly . as cantilever springs , each pull away from or draws away from the center or unloaded position according to the force applied by a cable 58 being forced between the guides 64 . however , unlike previous embodiments , the upper guide 64 terminates in a different shape than does the lower guide 64 a . thus , the lower guide 64 a is a continuation or continues on as the retainer 66 a . meanwhile , the lip 66 b is not so large , and simply provides a transition for the guide 64 b . herein , throughout this text , a trailing letter behind a reference numeral simply indicates a specific instance of the item identified by that reference numeral . thus , a guide 64 is also capable of being a guide 64 a , or guide 64 b . put another way , a guide 64 a is a specific instance of a guide 64 generally , and all may be designated as a guide 64 . similarly , a guide 64 b is a specific instance of a generic guide 64 . in similar fashion , the retainer 66 a provides an actual receiver 66 a to hold and to completely cover a cable 58 when placed in the cable 56 when received in the cable region 68 . as illustrated , the cable 56 , when forced toward the base plate 12 between the guides 64 , tends to drive the guides 64 apart , acting as cantilever springs . meanwhile , the guides 64 , in turn , drive the arms 62 apart , also operating as cantilever springs with respect to the base 12 . once the gap 63 between the guides 64 has been traversed , the cable 56 may be drawn in by the retainers 66 as they close in together . the spring force of the guide 64 b pushes the detent 66 toward the cable 56 . accordingly , once the cable 56 , driven in between the guides 64 a , 64 b has sufficient clearance , then the diameter of the cable 56 tends to drive the guide 64 a upward , as the detent 66 b and the arms 62 drive the guides 64 b toward the cable 56 , and toward the arms 62 a . in this way , the upper arm 62 b tends to drive the cable 56 into the retainer 66 a . in summary , an installer forces the cable 56 between the guides 64 a , 64 b . the guides 64 a , 64 b , acting as springs , deflect , also applying and transmitting force to their respective arms 62 a , 62 b . the combined deflection of the guides 64 and the arms 62 opens the gap 63 between the guides 64 , thus receiving the cable 56 . upon the passage of the guide 64 a over the central diameter or maximum diameter of the cable 56 , the cable 56 is seated within the retainer 66 a . meanwhile , the combined forces of the guide 64 b pushing the cable into the cable position 68 under the retainer 66 a , is augmented by the force of the arms 62 b driving the guides 64 b and detent 66 b against the cable 56 , until the cable 56 , is well into the retainer 66 a . referring to fig2 a - 27f , while continuing to refer to fig2 a - 26b , one can see that the integrated anchor 70 provides a cover 66 or a retainer 66 over the outermost surface of the cable 56 . notwithstanding the embodiment of fig2 - 25 , which can easily retain the cable 56 , the embodiment of fig2 a - 27f provides a positive element 66 covering the outside of the cable 56 . referring to fig2 , a process 80 of using an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention may include both a manufacturing process 82 and an installation process 84 . for example , in certain embodiments , the anchor 10 may actually be assembled onsite . in other embodiments , the anchor may be completely manufactured , assembled , and simply applied to a wall . as discussed hereinabove , in certain embodiments brackets 34 may be selected according to a specific need . they may be used to support a cable , a point , or a specialty item in a lightning - protection circuit . in certain embodiments of an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention , brackets 34 may be conventional . they may be mounted to support cables , points , or the like on a structure of a building by an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention . in other embodiments , an integrated anchor 70 may actually include all bracketing and anchoring in a single piece , even a monolithic piece 70 of a simple homogeneous material . by any mode , a method 80 for using anchors 10 in accordance with the invention may include manufacturing and providing 82 , followed by a process 84 of installation . selecting 85 may involve selecting parameters that will govern the performance of an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention . for example , in certain embodiments , the specific material properties may be significant . thus , selecting values corresponding to material properties may be important . in some embodiments , determining whether a material property requires a metal , a polymer , a composite , or the like may hinge on the specific performance characteristics in terms of strength , spring constant , yield values of stress , deflection , maximum working strength , stiffness , and so forth . based on the parameters that are selected 85 , selecting 86 the material properties may be done by specifying what values the parameters must meet . thus , operational parameters may result in the characteristic properties , such as mass , density , maximum tensile stress , maximum strain , weight , dielectric or conduction properties , and so forth . likewise , structural strength , coefficience of thermal expansion with temperature , resistance to corrosion , and so forth may be selected 86 as material properties that will govern construction of an anchor 10 . selecting 87 securement systems may involve securements at opposite extremes ends of each anchor 10 . for example , a securement mechanism to secure a base 12 to a wall 52 of a building may be one securement , while the securement by way of a fastener 34 , keeper 32 , or integrated arms 62 and guides 64 may also be considered securements . accordingly , selecting 87 the types and numbers , as well as the operating mechanisms for various securements may determine what form of anchor 10 , and what mechanical configuration may be required . ultimately , selecting 88 materials for each of the components included in an anchor 10 , may result directly or indirectly the previous selections 85 , 86 , 87 . moreover , selecting 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 may also include , and in an overall context will include , selecting the materials that will be used in the overall lightning protection system . for example , cables may be fabricated of copper , aluminum , or other materials . typically , the duty cycle , weight , electrical conductivity , thermal conductivity , and so forth do not require gold . circuits exist that are fabricated using gold as the conducting material . nevertheless , typically , aluminum tends to be lighter than copper , whereas copper tends to be a better conductor based on area , mass , and various other parameters . by the same token , aluminum is considered more economical . thus , selecting 88 a material for a cable 56 , anchors 10 , brackets 34 , integrated anchors 70 , points 40 , and so forth may significant considerations of material properties , fabrication methods , and so forth . cutting 89 stock into the materials and components to be used applies to both the components of the installation , as well as the anchors 10 and their associated or corresponding parts . for example , cutting the pad 14 , that has been selected 88 , at the dimensions specified will constitute one element . by the same token , cutting 89 anchors 10 , or base plates 12 , or studs 16 , or otherwise fabricating them may be another consideration . similarly , folding of metal sheets after cutting 89 to size , and possibly cutting 89 with separation lines for appropriate folding may also be included . likewise , methods of making and using brackets 34 to support cables 56 , points 40 , or the like may be considered . in one embodiment , cutting 89 integrated anchors 70 may involve stamping a blank , and cutting certain separation lines in that blank to be followed by other manufacturing processes . another manufacturing process 90 or step 90 may include assembly , fabrication , or both for an anchor . for example , in certain embodiments , the stud 16 may be formed as part and parcel of an anchor 10 , as a monolithic , homogeneous , integral portion of the anchor . thus , like a nail , bolt , or the like , the anchor 10 may be formed with a base 12 and stud 16 of a single material , formed , stamped , forged , or otherwise manufactured in a single step , or single process , as a suitable manufacturing method . by the same token , bases 12 and studs 16 may be cut from flat stock and round stock and welded , pressed , threaded , or otherwise fabricated to bond together . likewise , the entire anchor 10 may be fabricated of a polymer material in a molding process or by other suitable approach . other components to be assembled 90 , fabricated 90 , or otherwise manufactured 90 may include a nut 32 or other type of keeper 32 , a fastener 34 , adapted to securely holding a point 40 or cable 56 , or the like . in one fabrication 90 , contemplated within the scope of the present invention , a flat material bender may fold past a yield point the middle of a blank for an integrated anchor 70 . various bends may be required in order to form all the distinct arms 62 , guides 64 , retainers 66 , detents 67 , vertices 69 , and so forth with the appropriate gaps 63 , angles , clearances , or the like likewise , other manufacturing processes , such as quality control , buffing , blasting , painting , heat treating , and so forth may be important to the material properties selected 86 . some process steps may also be done with blanks , finished parts 10 , or the like . packaging 92 the individual anchors 10 or components for the anchor system may be adapted to the ultimate use thereof . for example , in assembling 90 an anchor 10 , the pad 14 may be manufactured , provided , cut 89 , and assembled 90 to go into a packaging step 92 as a system ready to be installed with virtually no tools . in other embodiments , the pads 14 may each be provided as a separate article or a supply to be secured to a base 12 of an anchor 10 at the time of installation . accordingly , providing 91 procedures to installers may include printed instructions , downloadable files , website instructions , or the like . in fact , written procedures that will be packaged 92 with the anchors 10 may be included , while online instructions may also be provided 91 as a back up . finally , distributing 93 the anchors 10 through secondary distribution channels , direct to users , to installers , or the like may be done in a suitable manner . typically , packaging 92 may include warnings , which may also be part of providing 91 procedures . a process 84 or method 84 for installing an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention may begin with accumulating or otherwise gathering specifications for the performance of a lighting - protection system . based on distances , sizes , topography , geology , urbanization , and so forth , one may analyze 94 the specifications for a particular project . this may lead to the consequent points 40 to be supported and cables 56 to be carried by the anchors 10 . selecting 95 sizes , materials , and processes for assembling and installing the anchors 10 and their associated points 40 and cables 56 will appropriately follow . sizes in certain embodiments are standardized and established by building codes . building protection codes for arresting lightning exist in many jurisdictions , and may be determinative of selecting 95 the sizes , materials , and processes for installation . in other jurisdictions , cost , contemplated conditions , and the like may also factor into the selection 95 of materials , their sizes , and their processes for installation . an installer may then apply the systems 96 by obtaining from distribution 93 the quantities of anchors 10 , keepers 32 , points 40 , cables 56 , other fasteners , and install them . typically , anchors 10 will be installed near the highest extrema of a building , thereby protecting the building , it &# 39 ; s metallic components , its structure , and so forth from the high voltages , currents , heating , and the like associated with lightning strikes . in general , lightning protection systems will be grounded to earth . points 40 will extend at their distal ends to increase the voltage stress or provide a stress concentration point at the distal end of a point 40 . thereby , dielectric breakdown in the surrounding air will occur first at a point 40 , and particularly at the distal end of the point 40 . thus , following the initial corona effect that is typical of electrically active atmospheres , the electrical breakdown by lightning will occur at the distal end of a point 40 , sending electrical current through the point 40 , its anchor 10 , and to the associated cables 56 carrying current to a grounding cable 56 that eventually is anchored in the earth . referring to fig2 , in one embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention , an application process 100 may involve sizing 101 anchors 10 for use in an installation . therefore , selecting 102 a material for the pad 14 may be conducted . sizing 103 the pads 14 may include consideration of surrounding materials , clearances , thicknesses , areas , sealing , offsets , or the like . thickness may be governed by structural ( stress , strain ) requirements , installation to tolerances , and relative coefficients of thermal expansion of surfaces 35 , bases 12 , and pads 14 . in certain embodiments , sizing 103 the pads may be dictated by the sizing of the base plate 12 to which each pad 14 will connect . cutting 104 the pads and applying 105 the pads 14 to a base plate 12 may be done at the time of installation , or may be done in a manufacturing process 100 at a factory shipping completed anchors 10 . likewise , applying 105 the pad may involve cutting 104 a pad to size . nevertheless , in some embodiments , applying 105 the pads 14 to the base plates 12 may occur in a factory . installation may then include selecting 106 a location 60 on a building . typically , the location 60 will be near the top of the building , and therefore on a flashing 54 or cap 54 covering a parapet 52 or a wall 52 . cleaning 107 the location 60 may involve mechanical abrasion , chemical cleaning , or simply a solvent wash . typically , slight scrubbing with a solvent will clean off residues . in some embodiments , cleaning 107 may involve removing oxidized material having poor adhesion to the surface 35 of the base material at the location 60 . exposing 108 the pad 14 may involve removing a polymeric film that has low adhesion forces with respect to the adhesive pad 14 . thus , exposing 108 the pad 14 by removing a film , for example , permits a user or installer to apply 109 the anchor 10 by pressing the anchor 10 , and the underlying pad 14 against the location 60 on the surface 35 . in this manner , the adhesive properties of the pad 14 may bond to the surface 35 as an adhesive process . in certain embodiments , it has been found that a pressure sensitive adhesive operates well . structural adhesives exist , and pressure sensitive adhesives exist . accordingly , in one embodiment , the pad 14 is provided with , or as part of a pressure sensitive adhesive system having an expanded polymeric material ( polymer foam ) having adhesive front face 22 and rear face 24 . upon application of pressure , the adhesive may adhere , or actually cure . that is , for example , certain acrylates require a lack of oxygen to cure . other materials , such as epoxies and other materials may cure by heat , light , reagents , other chemicals , or the like . accordingly , the adhesive may be applied as multi - part , single - part , heat - curable , pressure - sensitive , or otherwise . applying 109 an anchor 10 may provide sufficient strength in the bond between the pad 14 and the surface 35 to immediately mount the remainder of the lightning - protection system . in certain embodiments , it may be required to apply 110 a cure condition . for example , time , heat , light , chemicals , or the like may be required to cure the adhesive of the pad 14 . accordingly , applying 110 the condition required to effect a cure may require time , an additional step 110 , or the like . in certain embodiments , applying 110 to cure condition may be simply a matter of waiting for passage of time with or without pressure . finally , positioning 111 a cable 56 in the anchor 10 , or in a position to be supported by the anchor may be followed by binding 112 the cable to the anchors 10 as discussed hereinabove . typically , binding 112 the cable 56 may involve tensioning the cables by binding 112 and end of a segment of cable 56 at one clamp , and pulling a tensile load in the cable 56 , in order to reduce sag , before binding 112 the cable 56 at the next or certain intermediate anchors 10 . what is claimed and desired to be secured by united states letters patent is :	7
fig1 will be discussed in detail below . this figure shows schematically and partially a hydraulic system hcu with a receiving body 1 for electrohydraulic valves 2 , 3 and a pump 4 , which may be a reciprocating piston pump , which is arranged between an actuation unit thz ( master cylinder with reservoir ) and wheel brakes b ( load ). the hydraulic system hcu makes possible a pressure modulation . the pump 4 is electric - motor driven . a speed variable motor m may be used , so that the delivery rate can be regulated . a suction path of the pump 4 includes an intake valve 5 which is controlled either by pressure differential or electromagnetically . in addition , the suction path is configured to be switchable by means of a currentlessly closed reversing valve ( not shown ) in such a manner that pressure medium can be drawn either from the actuation unit thz or from a low - pressure accumulator ( not shown ), which in principle is connected to an outlet of a wheel brake b . furthermore , the electrohydraulic valve 2 is designed as a currentlessly open block valve , so that driver - independent actuation is possible in the closed switching state , and conventional brake actuation can take place in the open state . the electrohydraulic valve 3 which can also be seen is designed in principle as a currentlessly open inlet valve for the wheel brake b . the above - described switch - over in the suction path of the pump 4 enables pressure medium to be pumped either in the direction of the actuation unit thz or in the direction of the wheel brake b , depending on the switching state . a pressure regulation valve 6 and an adaptively adjustable damping unit 7 comprising a plurality of damping means are arranged in the pressure path of the pump 4 . in the schematically illustrated arrangement , a damping chamber 8 and an orifice unit connected downstream of the damping chamber 8 are provided . very generally , the orifice unit comprises a fixedly installed orifice 9 and a switchable orifice 10 . as is also symbolically apparent from fig1 , the orifice 9 has a large , relatively wide orifice opening with reduced throttling effect , while the orifice 10 has a small , comparatively narrow orifice opening with a high throttling effect . the adaptive adjustment of the damping unit 7 is effected by switching over . in the embodiment shown , this switching function is represented symbolically by a pressure - differential controlled nonreturn valve 11 which is arranged in parallel to the orifice 10 in a bypass 12 and which closes the bypass 12 in its normal position . the above - described damping unit 7 , which is adjustable adaptively to the prevailing pulsation characteristic , makes possible automatic adaptation of the damping unit 7 to the prevailing pulsation conditions . in this context , at least two different switching states must be distinguished from one another . a ) if the pressure differential exerted on the nonreturn valve 11 is not sufficient to open same , the orifice 10 connected upstream , with small orifice opening , is always initially active . the volume flow then passes through the orifice 9 with large orifice opening . for this switching state the damping unit 7 causes a cascaded , or in other words serially connected , effect of the damping chamber 8 and of the two serially connected apertures 9 , 10 with orifice openings of different sizes . the pressure medium then leaves the damping unit 7 and enters a pressure channel of the pressure path . b ) above a sufficiently large pressure differential acting on an elastically preloaded valve body 13 of the nonreturn valve 11 , the valve body 13 lifts from its valve seat 14 , so that , after passing through the damping chamber 8 , the pulsating volume flow passes directly through the orifice 9 with large orifice opening . in this case , the preloading force on the valve body 13 is specified such that , for example , a comparatively large pulsation effect triggers the switching process . as a result of this switching measure , the damping cascade which is formed comprises only the effect of the damping chamber 8 in combination with the effect of the orifice 9 with large through - opening . one advantage of this adaptively acting damping unit 7 is that it can be integrated simply , with the necessary components , in modular large - volume production , making possible variably configured , adaptive pulsation damping in a simple manner by means of different embodiments equipped in modular fashion , without causing significant costs for modifying , for example , the electrohydraulic valves 2 , 3 , the receiving body 1 , an electronic control system or other components . this is because components of the damping unit 7 can be simply added or omitted as required in the manner of a modular system . the orifice openings of the two orifices 9 , 10 may be of different dimensions . for example , they have very generally a comparatively small diameter of a few tenths of a millimeter . a graduation of the orifice openings may be within a range , for example , from approximately 0 . 2 mm to 0 . 5 mm ( with up to +/− 0 . 25 mm deviation in each case ). consequently , the orifice opening of the orifice 10 is dimensioned only approximately half as large in comparison to the orifice opening of the orifice 9 . turning now to fig3 , the physical effects of the damping unit 7 are in principle as follows : the hydraulic pressure medium dm — although in principle incompressible — is initially slightly elastic , at least in the high - pressure range ( elasticity of the pressure medium ). a further , additional elasticity e is represented symbolically by separate damping means . in addition , the orifices 9 , 10 with their respective orifice openings are dimensioned with regard to certain pulsation characteristics such that a certain banking - up pressure can be built up in the damping chamber 8 , so that the damping chamber 8 makes available elasticity as a result of the pressure medium volume banked up therein . now , an objective of the whole damping unit 7 consists in precisely coordinating its effect in such a manner that all the elasticities e , in conjunction with the banking - up pressure generated , cause a phase shift in relation to an excitation frequency produced by the pump 4 ( which frequency corresponds to a rotational speed of the electric motor drive ), such that the phase shift causes pulsation effects to be cancelled or at least reduced . through the adaptive characteristic of the invention , this object is achieved even within the range of low drive frequencies , for example in the case of comfort functions . the mechanism of an especially successful cancellation or reduction can be seen in fig6 . the background is a cascaded throttling , which can be switched off , of a damping chamber 8 with a pressure medium volume of approximately 100 mm 3 . in both pressure - time diagrams , the upper curve represents a respective pressure p_d in the damping chamber 8 and the lower curve represents a pressure p_vr in a wheel brake . the right - hand diagram in fig6 illustrates a greatly smoothed wheel pressure curve p_vr with a considerable increase of the respective damping chamber pressure p_d in relation to the wheel pressure p_vr . from this there can be inferred a greatly increased banking - up pressure , which causes the phase shift illustrated . as a result , the wheel pressure curve shows substantially no unevenness . in contrast , a damping system according to fig7 is not based on the invention but only on a cascaded throttling of an elastomer membrane 15 of approximately 60 shore hardness ( without the use of a damping chamber ). an uneven , staircase - like wheel pressure curve p_vr can be seen in the right - hand diagram of fig7 , the damping chamber pressure p_d falling at some points to the level of the wheel pressure p_vr . this documents a damping function of the damping unit used which is unsatisfactory in wide regions . in the diagram according to fig4 , a characteristic curve of a volume absorption v in mm 3 is plotted qualitatively as a function of the pressure p in bar in the case of a damping unit 7 according to aspects of the invention . accordingly , fig4 illustrates the elasticity e available in each case . a kink k in the volume characteristic curve clearly shows that the elasticity , and therefore the throttling effect , is reduced under high system pressure by the switching process described , so that the volume absorption in the damping chamber 8 is reduced . for example , the elasticity ( gradient of the characteristic curve ) is , for example , approximately 6 mm 3 / bar in a first section and approximately 0 . 5 mm 3 / bar in a second section . very generally , it is advantageous if the maximum banking - up pressure is limited , since excessively high banking - up pressure in the damping chamber 8 causes increased current consumption and increased wear of the crank drive through hydraulic reactions on the piston and drive eccentric . for this reason the bypass 12 is provided with the nonreturn valve 11 , which limits the maximum banking - up pressure generated . the opening pressure of the nonreturn valve 11 may be selected smaller , the more elastic the coordination of the whole system ( coordination of damping chamber 8 , orifices 9 , 10 and elasticity / pressure medium ). corresponding constructional elements in fig2 are designated by corresponding reference numerals . in addition , an elastic membrane 15 which separates the fluid - filled damping chamber 8 from a pneumatic chamber 16 is arranged in the damping chamber 8 . according to an embodiment , the pneumatic chamber 16 may be separated from the ambient atmosphere u by a closure 17 . alternatively , a pressure equalization takes place between the pneumatic chamber 16 and the ambient atmosphere u . the two orifices 9 , 10 and the nonreturn valve 11 are in the form of an assembly which can be handled separately , and can be inserted , starting from a receiving bore of the damping chamber 8 , in a stepped bore 18 of the pressure channel . in order to form the orifice 10 , the valve seat 14 has a specified chamfer 19 , the cross section of which corresponds to the orifice opening . in order to prevent blockage of fine bores , such as blockage of the orifice opening , a filter 20 ( cf . fig5 ) may be positioned upstream thereof . in order to implement same , an orifice 9 may be provided at the centre of a base 21 of a housing 22 opposite the valve seat 14 ( fig1 ). alternatively — as shown in fig5 — a channel - shaped or slot - shaped orifice opening ( chamfer 19 ) is provided between valve body 13 and valve seat 14 , and the enlarged orifice opening is created as the valve body 13 lifts from the valve seat 14 ( fig5 ). this construction is distinguished by the fact that the cross section of the orifice 9 can even be adjusted variably as a function of the pressure differential acting thereon , whereas according to fig2 a fixed value is always defined . in other words , it is entirely possible to configure either the orifice 9 or the orifice 10 to be variable . in addition , the switching logic can be implemented differently , for example as in fig1 , in that the orifice 10 is switched off because a nonreturn valve 11 opens the bypass 12 , or the orifice 10 is opened as a function of pressure in the manner of a switching orifice ( fig2 ). the damping unit 7 may have self - cleaning properties in that fine orifice bores are flushed free in operation during phases of relatively high pressures / drive speeds . if dirt particles block any orifice openings completely during low pressure phases , the pressure in the damping chamber 8 automatically rises and the nonreturn valve 11 opens . overloading of the pump 4 is therefore prevented , safe operation continues to be ensured and the fine orifice 9 is cleaned during phases of high pressure ( self - curing behavior ). a further , modified embodiment of the invention can be seen in fig5 . in order to shape the volume - pressure behavior of the damping chamber 8 as required , a plurality of metal elastic bodies 23 are accommodated in the damping chamber 8 . the elastic bodies 23 may be in a form , for example , like that of a hermetically sealed , compressible barometric cell . the elastic bodies 23 serve to influence and produce the desired elasticity e . a further advantage is that , as a result of the volume absorption , relatively little brake fluid volume needs to be introduced into the receiving body , and that a defined elasticity is provided at the same time .	1
a laser beam scanning optical apparatus according to the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 schematically shows a laser printer having an optical unit 20 embodying the present invention . the printer includes a photoreceptor drum1 disposed approximately centrally thereof to be rotatable in a direction of arrow a . the drum 1 is surrounded by a corona charger 2 , a magnetic brush type developer 3 , a transfer charger 4 , a blade type residual toner cleaner 5 and a residual charge eraser lamp 6 . the constructions and functions of these image - forming elements are well known and not describedherein . recording paper is stored in an autofeed cassette 10 , and is fed sheet after sheet from the top with rotation of a feed roller 11 . a sheet fed tothe printer is stopped temporarily at a timing roller pair 12 , and then transported with appropriate timing to a position between the photoreceptor drum 1 and transfer charger 4 . an image is transferred to the sheet in this position , which image has been formed as a latent image on the drum 1 by the optical unit 20 , which will be described in detail later , and visualized with toner by the developer 3 . subsequently , the toner is thermally fixed to the sheet by a fixing device 13 , and the sheetis discharged through a passage 14 and a discharge roller pair 15 onto a discharge tray 16 on an upper surface of the printer . the optical unit 20 includes an unillustrated light source assembly incorporating a semiconductor laser and a collimator lens , a cylindrical lens 40 ( fig2 ) which will be described in detail later , a polygon mirror23 , a toroidal lens 24 , a half mirror 25 , a spherical mirror 26 , a first reflecting mirror 27 and a second reflecting mirror 28 . these components are mounted in a plastic unit case 30 . the semiconductor laser is modulated ( i . e . turned on and off ) based on image information , and emits a laser beam when turned on . the laser beam is converged by the collimator lens for focusing at a predetermined forward point , and shaped by the cylindrical lens 40 into a substantially linear form . when reaching the polygon mirror 23 , the linear beam has an elongate spot of a shape parallel to a main scanning direction , thereby preventing the influence of a tilt of the polygon mirror 23 . the polygon mirror 23 is driven to rotate at a fixed velocity , to deflect the laser beam at a constant angular velocity in a plane perpendicular to a rotational axis of the polygon mirror 23 . the deflected laser beam travelsto the toroidal lens 24 . the toroidal lens 24 has a fixed refracting power in a direction perpendicular to the plane of deflection . the toroidal lens24 , in combination with the cylindrical lens 40 , causes the laser beam to form a spot on the photoreceptor drum 1 . the laser beam then passes through the half mirror 25 , reflected by the spherical mirror 26 , and reflected upward by the half . mirror 25 . thereafter the beam is reflected by the first and second reflecting mirrors 27 and 28 to travel to the photoreceptor drum 1 through a slit 31 formed in a bottom surface of the unit case 30 . the spherical mirror 26 has an f - theta function to correct amain scanning speed of the laser beam ( correction of distortion ), and a function to correct curvature of field on the photoreceptor drum 1 . fig2 shows the unit case 30 , in which the cylindrical lens 40 is placed on a mount 35 formed integrally with the unit case 30 . a construction and a mounting structure in a first embodiment of the cylindrical lens 40 willbe described with reference to fig3 through 6 . the cylindrical lens 40 is formed of plastic , and includes an effective lens portion 41 , a cylinder 42 surrounding the effective lens portion 41 , and a first projection 43 and a second projection 44 formed peripherally at one end of the cylinder 42 with 180 ° between the two projections43 and 44 . the mount 35 includes a v - shaped lens holder 36 and a groove 37 formed in the bottom of the holder 36 . the cylinder 42 of the cylindrical lens 40 fits in the holder 36 so that the lens axis concurs with a principal ray of the laser beam . the first projection 43 of the cylindrical lens 40 has a width fitting tight in the groove 37 , and a sufficient length for abutting on a step 37aof the groove 37 . when , as shown in fig3 and 4 , the cylindrical lens 40 is placed on the holder 36 with the first projection 43 engaging the groove 37 , the engagement between the first projection 43 and groove 37 determines an inclination of the generating line of the effective lens portion 41 , eliminating the necessity to adjust the inclination . by urgingthe cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow d in fig4 to press the first projection 43 on the step 37a , a focal point is set to reflecting surfaces of the polygon mirror 23 , eliminating the necessity to adjust thefocal point . the second projection 44 has a smaller width than the groove 37 , and a small length not reaching the step 37a ( fig5 and 6 ). when the cylindrical lens 40 is placed on the holder 36 with the second projection 44 opposed to the groove 37 , inclination of the generatrix of the effective lens portion 41 may be adjusted by turning the cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow e or e &# 39 ; in fig5 . the focal point is adjustable by sliding the cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow d ord &# 39 ; in fig6 . the cylindrical lens 40 is pressed in position on the mount 35 by a presser47 as shown in fig2 . the presser 47 is formed by press - working an elasticmetal sheet , and includes a pair of right and left arms 48 . the presser 47 is secured to the mount 35 by fitting positioning bores 49a formed thereinaround small projections 38a formed on upper surfaces of the mount 35 , and inserting unillustrated screws through bores 49b of the presser 47 and turning the screws into threaded holes 38b in the mount 35 . in this state , the arms 48 press the cylinder 42 from above , to fix the cylindrical lens 40 in position . in the second embodiment , the second projection 44 has a sufficient length to abut on the step 37a . the shape and function of the second projection 44 as well as other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment . while , in this embodiment , the first projection 43 eliminates the necessities to adjust inclination of the generatrix and to adjust the focal point , use of the second projection 44 as abutment on the step 37a eliminates also the necessity to adjust the focal point . thus , when the second projection 44 is used , only inclination of the generatrix may be adjusted by turning the cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow e or e &# 39 ; in fig7 . in the third embodiment , the groove 37 is formed through an entire length of the lens holder 36 , with the step 37a eliminated . thus , when the first projection 43 is engaged with the groove 37 , the generatrix requires no inclination adjustment , with the focal point adjustable by sliding the cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow d or d &# 39 ; in fig1 . when the second projection 44 is opposed to the groove 37 , both inclination of the generatrix and the focal point may be adjusted . fig1 and 12 show a fourth embodiment which is similar to the third embodiment except in the manner of fixing the cylindrical lens 40 . in thisembodiment , a mount 50 includes , besides the v - shaped lens holder 36 and the groove 37 formed in the bottom of the holder 36 , a pair of presser claws 51 projecting from opposite sides of the holder 36 . the cylindrical lens 40 may be set on the holder 36 with great facility by snap fitting the lens 40 between the presser claws 51 with the projection 43 or 44 opposed to the groove 37 . when fitting the lens 40 in place , the presser claws 51 flex slightly outward and , as shown in fig1 , hooked ends 52 thereof resiliently contact and retain the cylinder 42 . in this state , the axis of the cylindrical lens 40 concurs with the principal ray of the laser beam emitted from the light source assembly . subsequently , the focal point is adjusted when the projection 43 is fitted in the groove 37 , or the focal point and inclination of the generatrix areadjusted when the projection 44 is fitted in the groove 37 . then the cylindrical lens 40 may be fixed to the mount 35 with an adhesive . this mounting method may of course be applied to the first and second embodiments also . in each of the described embodiments , the projections are formed peripherally of the cylinder of the cylindrical lens , and the groove is formed in the bottom of the holder of the mount . however , it is possible to reverse the positions of the projections and groove . that is , a projection may be formed in the bottom of the holder , with grooves formed in peripheral positions of the cylindrical lens . in this case , the groovesmay have different widths and depths relative to the width and height of the projection , depending on the necessity of adjustment . the laser beam scanning optical apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments but is variable in many ways within the scope of the present invention . for example , the second projection 44 in the first and third embodiments isnot absolutely necessary but dispensable . the location of the cylindrical lens is not limited to a position upstream of the polygon mirror to prevent the influence of a tilt thereof . for example , the cylindrical lens may be disposed immediately upstream of a light - receiving sensor ( sos sensor ) for detecting an image recording startposition in each scan . the presser 47 may comprise a varied type . the cylindrical lens 40 may be fixed in place with an adhesive or the like instead of using the presser . further , although the effective lens portion 41 is shaped cylindrical in the foregoing embodiments , this shape is not limitative . a toric lens or various other anamorphic lenses may be used instead . that is , a similar effect is produced as long as the lens requires adjustment in the positionof rotation and the position along the optical axis , such as a lens having a curved . surface with asymmetry of rotation . although the present invention has been fully described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in theart . therefore , unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart fromthe scope of the present invention , they should be construed as being included therein .	1
referring now to the drawings in detail , numeral 10 generally indicates in schematic form a first embodiment of engine cooling system for a railway locomotive . system 10 includes an engine 12 having internal coolant passages 14 for cooling the power developing components of the engine . the engine is turbocharged , the turbocharger including a dynamic intake air compressor 16 for compressing the engine intake air during operation . however , an engine driven compressor could be used if desired . left bank and right bank aftercoolers 18 , 20 cool intake air received from the compressor to remove some of the heat of compression before passing the air into the engine airboxes or other intake air plenums for the left and right cylinder banks of the engine . the cooling system 10 includes a main engine coolant loop 22 having an engine driven main coolant pump 24 , the engine 12 , a pair of main radiators 26 , and an optional oil cooler 28 connected in series by suitable conduit 30 . an optional bypass conduit 32 is connected around the main radiators 26 , which have two pass internal flow and are connected in parallel in the main coolant loop 22 . a separate aftercooler coolant loop 34 includes an engine driven aftercooler coolant pump 36 , the aftercoolers 18 , 20 and a pair of aftercooler radiators 38 all connected in series by conduit 40 . the aftercoolers are connected in parallel with one another and with an optional bypass line 42 in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 . the aftercooler radiators are multipass units connected in parallel with one another . a locomotive air compressor 44 may be connected in an optional loop around the coolant pump 36 . one or more orifices 46 or other bypasses may be located in either of the loops to control fluid pressures in the loops . the separate coolant loops 22 , 34 are interconnected by a first linking conduit 48 and a second linking conduit 50 . first conduit 48 connects the engine 12 in the main coolant loop 22 with the aftercoolers 18 , 20 in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 . second linking conduit 50 connects the radiators 38 in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 with the main coolant pump 24 in the main coolant loop 22 . a linking valve 52 in the first linking conduit 48 is operable between closed and fully open positions , and optionally at any intermediate valve open positions , to respectively prevent or permit coolant flow from the engine 12 in the main loop 22 through the aftercooler radiators 38 in the aftercooler loop 34 and back to the main pump 24 in the main loop 22 . a coolant tank 54 is provided and may be located in the second linking conduit 50 between the aftercooler radiators 38 and the main pump 24 in the first coolant loop 22 . cooling fans 56 are provided for drawing ambient air through both the main and aftercooler radiators for removing heat from the coolant in both of the coolant loops . controllable shutters , not shown , may also be provided at the inlet to a cooling chamber , not shown , in which the radiators are located to further control the cooling air flow through the radiators . in operation , the cooling system is filled with coolant , usually treated water including corrosion inhibitors or a mixture of water and antifreeze . the coolant tank 54 provides a store of coolant connected to both the coolant loops 22 , 34 to supply coolant to them as needed and receive excess coolant from them to accommodate expansion and contraction of the coolant during operation and after shutdown of the engine . the main radiators may have cooling capacity the same as or different than the aftercooler radiators and the flow through the radiators may be controlled in any suitable manner , such as by varying size or speed of the coolant pumps or provision of the bypasses 32 , 42 of the main loop 22 and aftercooler loop 34 . the flow rate may also be varied by differentiating the resistance of two coolant loops , such as by sizing of the conduits or the use of orifices 46 . in the illustrated system , flow in the aftercooler loop is also reduced by providing four or eight pass flow though the aftercooler radiators as compared to two pass flow through the main radiators which normally supply cooling to the engine . in earlier cooling systems for similar locomotives , series connected single pass radiators were generally used for engine and aftercooler cooling . to meet the engine coolant flow requirements , the bypass conduit 32 carries excess coolant flow around the radiators 26 . these radiators are able to provide the cooling needed for the engine at average ambient temperatures and maximum engine loads but cannot carry the full coolant flow needed in the engine . the system is designed so that the pump pressure and coolant flow in the main coolant loop 22 are both higher than in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 . when the engine is operating in average ambient air temperatures up to maximum running power , the linking valve 52 remains closed and the coolant loops remain separate in operation . increased flow resistance through the multipass aftercooler radiators causes reduced coolant flow through the aftercooler radiators . this results in increased heat rejection in the aftercooler radiators which deliver a lower temperature coolant to the aftercoolers 18 , 20 . this provides greater cooling of the compressed engine intake air , resulting in both lower exhaust emissions and reduced fuel consumption ( increased economy ). desirably , the aftercooler loop flow rate is optimized to obtain the lowest possible coolant temperature into the aftercoolers that reduction of the coolant flow rate through the aftercooler radiators can provide with the available equipment . when the engine 12 is operated at higher than average ambient temperatures , high power operation will require more cooling for the engine than the main coolant loop 22 can provide . the linking valve 52 is then opened partially or fully to allow some coolant from the engine to be diverted from the higher pressure coolant loop 22 to the aftercooler radiators 38 in the lower pressure aftercooler loop 34 . the valve 52 may be adjusted so that excess cooling capacity of the aftercooler radiators is utilized to provide the additional cooling needed to maintain the engine coolant below its maximum temperature limit . in these conditions , the temperature of coolant provided to the aftercoolers is proportionally increased but the overall result is lower engine operating temperatures and improved emissions under most , if not all , operating conditions . in order to evaluate the validity of the concepts embodied in the novel cooling system , the performance of cooling system 10 previously described was calculated with the substitution of four different aftercooler radiator arrangements using the same type radiator cores with headers for 8 , 4 , 2 and 1 pass flow . all other components of the system remained the same . after satisfying all other requirements of the system components , the final design characteristics of these four arrangements were compared to one another . table a shows as the results of this comparison , the predicted performance of the same cooling system with 8 , 4 , 2 and 1 pass aftercooler radiators at full load and speed of the engine operating at 90 degrees f . ambient air temperature , with linking valve 52 in the fully closed condition . in table a , the columns 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 show the performance of the system with 8 pass , 4 pass 2 pass and single pass aftercooler radiators . they all have the same radiator cores except the flow arrangement is modified by different inlet and outlet header designs . the resulting flow areas are inversely proportional to the number of passes in the radiators . the pressure drop characteristics of the radiators are all calculated by the manufacturer &# 39 ; s radiator performance design procedures . in table a , the predicted main loop flow and heat characteristics are given on lines 10 through 13 of the table , indicating that the difference between these four cases is negligible . table a 1 columns 1 2 3 4 2 radiators 8 pass 4 pass 2 pass 1 pass 3 aftercooler ( ac ) pump flow - gpm 255 . 1 376 . 6 404 . 2 411 . 5 4 ac core flow , each - gpm 60 . 12 64 . 06 71 70 . 33 5 ac radiator flow , each - gpm 97 . 81 164 . 4 181 . 5 186 . 3 6 ac coolant in temp .- deg . f . 123 . 1 128 . 6 133 . 6 149 . 2 7 ac coolant out temp .- deg . f . 185 . 9 186 . 4 184 . 9 197 . 7 8 temp . difference - deg . f . 62 . 8 57 . 8 51 . 3 48 . 5 9 ac air out temp - deg . f . 127 . 9 132 . 7 137 . 1 152 . 5 10 main coolant pump flow - gpm 1121 1121 1121 1121 11 engine flow - gpm 1116 1116 1116 1116 12 engine coolant out temp .- deg . f . 192 . 4 192 . 5 192 . 8 193 . 8 13 main radiator flow - gpm 469 . 9 469 . 9 469 . 9 469 . 8 14 ac heat rejection - btu / min 62316 61133 59817 55780 the predicted aftercooler loop flow characteristics are shown in lines 4 and 5 in terms of the aftercooler core and aftercooler radiator flow rates respectively . they are both decreasing with an increase in the radiator pass number . lines 6 and 7 show the temperatures at the inlet and outlet of the aftercooler cores . they both decrease with an increase in radiator pass number . moreover , line 8 shows that the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures increases with an increase in the number of passes . the critical information is found on lines 9 and 14 . line 9 shows the engine inlet air temperature at the outlet of the aftercooler core . this temperature decreases from 152 . 5 to 127 . 9 degrees f . as the number of passes is increased . the heat transfer from the engine inlet air to the aftercooler loop coolant is increased from 55780 to 62316 btu / min or about 11 . 7 %. [ 0026 ] fig2 shows graphically the effects of reducing the coolant flow rate through the aftercooler radiators on the temperature difference across the aftercooler cores and the cooled engine ( airbox ) intake air temperature out of the aftercoolers . curve 57 shows the increase in differential coolant temperature in degrees f as the coolant flow is reduced and curve 58 indicates the corresponding reduction in the engine inlet ( airbox ) air temperature at the outlet of the aftercooler cores . the fact that reducing the flow of coolant in the aftercooler coolant loop can produce lower coolant temperatures at the aftercooler inlet appears counterintuitive when viewed from a component standpoint , as it is well known that the effectiveness of a radiator or aftercooler core increases as the coolant flow is increased . however , the fact that the method of reducing aftercooler loop flow does provide lower coolant loop temperatures and lower engine air inlet temperatures has been confirmed by application of two different mathematical methods : closed form analytic equations and system modeling computer codes . both methods confirmed the effectiveness of the method in the aftercooler system . this application of the inventive concepts to an actual locomotive cooling system design clearly demonstrates that decreasing the flow rate on the aftercooler loop and thus increasing the difference between the inlet and outlet water temperatures at the aftercooler core can increase the cooling capacity of the loop and decrease the airbox ( engine inlet ) air temperature appreciably . in the example described above , increasing the number of passes of the aftercooler radiators and hence increasing their resistance to flow decreases the aftercooler loop flow rate . any other method that would decrease the aftercooler flow rate and increase the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the aftercooler core would be effective to yield the same result . this is a primary basis for application of the present invention . the methods or ways to achieve this end result can be placed in two groups : namely static and dynamic . in the static methods , the characteristics of components are selected in a way to achieve the desired low flow rate at particular engine operating and environmental conditions . the system of fig1 is an example of the static group . at operating conditions different from those specified , the system does not change the characteristics of components so it is not always at an optimum state . in the dynamic methods , one or more of the system components are modified , by an actuator , under the control of a computer which can make modification decisions , using a system model in its memory based on measurements of properties of the working fluids at selected locations of the cooling system . fig3 shows the schematic description of such a locomotive engine cooling system forming a dynamic embodiment of the present invention and generally indicated by reference numeral 60 . engine cooling system 60 includes many of the components and features of the embodiment of fig1 so that in fig3 like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts as to which further explanation is not needed . additional components are also provided including a variable area flow control valve 62 in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 and actuators 64 , 66 for changing the openings of the flow control valve 62 and the linking valve 52 . a coolant pump 68 having a variable speed electric drive motor and controller 70 optionally replaces the previous engine driven pump . a computer 72 is connected to the valve actuators 64 , 66 and / or the pump motor controller 70 for controlling these components in accordance with a preset or changeable process or program in response to selected engine and system related parameters . thus , the computer may receive information from sensors in the cooling system , such as a loop sensor 74 for measuring a condition such as temperature or flow of the coolant in the aftercooler loop , position sensors 76 , 78 for the valves 62 , 52 , a sensor 80 for sensing the aftercooler air outlet ( engine intake ) temperature , an ambient air sensor 82 and one or more additional sensors 84 for sensing any other desired engine or system parameters . for operation of the cooling system , the computor memory includes a performance model of the system for comparison by the computor in reading the sensed parameter signals and sending signals to the actuators 64 , 66 and / or the pump motor controller 70 to position the valves 52 , 62 and / or vary the pump speed to obtain the desired water flow rate for the engine operating conditions . the system components shown and described may of course be modified or substituted for by other components or elements for accomplishing the purposes of the invention . for example any suitable form of valve or flow resistance element may be utilized in the system to adjust the flow rate in the aftercooling loop as long as the operation of the linking valve 52 in directing coolant to the aftercooler radiators 38 for controlling engine temperatures is not interfered with . the electrically driven water pump 68 and the flow control valve 62 may be used individually or together to obtain the desired water flow . other form of water pump drives may alternatively be used . also other control strategies for optimizing the aftercooler water flow may be employed in carrying out the invention . examples are prepared tables from previous data or predictive methodology , or a system model working on time based data measured by the sensors in the system . various alternative mechanisms , devices and components may be substituted in the system for accomplishing the purposes indicated without departing from the principles of the invention . thus , any suitable types of motors , actuators , valves or other devices may be used where applicable . also , any known form of system model based on tests or predictive analyses and involving steady or transient system simulations may be employed . a system in accordance with fig3 was designed in which the use of four pass aftercooler radiators 38 provides effective cooling of the engine under all expected engine operating conditions . the first linking conduit is connected to the main coolant loop 22 between the engine and the main radiators 26 . this is a desirable location because the main loop temperatures are highest at the outlet from the engine and the pressure at this point is sufficiently higher than the aftercooler loop pressure to provide sufficient flow from the engine through the aftercooler radiators when needed . [ 0037 ] fig4 shows a modified portion of an alternative embodiment of engine cooling system 86 . the system is similar to that of fig3 and the aftercooler radiators ( not shown ) use the same cores as radiators 38 but they have modified headers that provide 8 pass coolant flow . in this modified system , the increased flow resistance through the 8 pass radiators causes the pressure in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 to be higher at the connection with the link valve 52 than the pressure of the main coolant loop at the engine outlet . this would prevent flow to the aftercooler coolant loop through the first linking conduit 48 . to remedy this , system 86 disconnects the first linking conduit 48 and link valve 52 from the engine outlet portion of the main coolant loop 22 and instead connects the valve 52 directly through a linking conduit 88 with the main coolant loop between the outlet of the main pump 24 and the engine inlet . here , the coolant pressure is sufficiently higher to provide adequate coolant flow from the main coolant loop 22 to the aftercooler coolant loop 34 when the valve 52 is opened . this is true even though the engine inlet coolant temperature is lower than at the engine outlet , since the temperature difference across the engine is relatively small and the cooling capacity of the 8 pass radiators provides adequate cooling of the main loop coolant bypassed to the aftercooler loop when additional engine cooling is needed . it should be apparent that the linking connections between the main and aftercooler loops may be changed as needed to obtain the needed coolant flow between the loops when the linking valve is open . other means of controlling flow in the system may also be utilized as may best carry out the system functions . however , simplification of the system and the use of available components are preferable where possible in order to minimize cost . thus the modified systems described can provide improved engine efficiency and emissions control while limiting the use of costly new components . while the invention has been described by reference to certain preferred embodiments , it should be understood that numerous changes could be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described . accordingly , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the disclosed embodiments , but that it have the full scope permitted by the language of the following claims .	5
there are a number of techniques which can be used for the preparation of the catalyst useful in the process of this invention . of these , the more facile methods involve preparing the integral catalyst composition prior to calcination . this can be readily and conveniently accomplished by the so - called slurry method in which metal salts , either soluble or not , are mixed in a liquid medium , such as water , the water is removed and the resulting solid is calcined producing the desired catalyst . suitable calcination temperatures range from 400 °- 1000 ° c . applicable periods of calcination range from 2 - 30 hours although longer periods can be used without adverse results . the use of a support or carrier for the catalyst is within the scope of this invention . the support can be included in the slurry preparation mentioned above . useful carriers include colloidal silica or any other form of silica , alumina , pumice , quartz , zirconia , titania , carbon , silicon carbide , etc . the process of this invention can be carried out using catalyst in the form of a fluidized bed reactor , a stirred tank reactor or in a fixed bed or packed bed reactor or any combination of these types of reactors . because of the convenience associated with the use of a fixed bed reactor in a small scale operation , such a reactor will be exemplified herein . in the preferred mode of operation the feed to the reactor comprises a preheated gaseous mixture of the saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid , molecular oxygen , steam and inert diluent gas . in the case in which methacrylic acid is produced from isobutyric acid it may be desirable to include some acetone in the feed to the reactor . a preheat temperature in the range of about 300 ° to 350 ° c . is customarily used . the oxydehydrogenation reaction can be carried out in the range of from 300 ° to 500 ° c . more generally a temperature of from 375 ° to 480 ° c . provides for optimum processing . the mole ratio of molecular oxygen to carboxylic acid is from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 and more preferably from 0 . 7 to 0 . 75 in the case where the carboxylic acid is isobutyric acid , per se . although steam is not necessary for the reaction , its presence is desirable in the feed because it is believed to act beneficially as a heat sink and in minimizing combustion of the carboxylic acid to undesirable products . the mole ratio of water to the carboxylic acid in the feed should be from about 8 to 20 . the optimum ratio is from 12 to 15 . another important parameter is the concentration of the organic reactant in the feed . the organic reactant carboxylic acid or ester should be present in the feed in from 0 . 1 to 20 mole percent . from the standpoint of achieving a reasonable throughput combined with an acceptable yield , the concentration of the reactant in the feed is from about 3 - 6 mole percent . concentration of reactant in the feed is controlled to a large degree by the amount of inert gas present , the preferred insert gas or diluent is nitrogen although other inert gases such as carbon dioxide , helium , argon , and the like are suitable . air is a very convenient source of oxygen plus inert diluent . another important parameter is contact time in the process of this invention . contact or reaction time is defined for the purpose of this invention as the catalyst volume divided by the volume of gas feed per second at the reaction temperature . the catalyst volume is the bulk volume occupied by the catalyst in the reactor . the term catalyst in this sense not only includes the material identified by the empirical formula above but also includes the support material if present . accordingly , reaction times can range from 0 . 05 to 3 . 0 seconds and more generally , in the range of from 0 . 1 to 1 . 0 second . the reaction is preferably carried out at or near atmospheric pressure although the use of higher pressures up to about 10 atmospheres is contemplated . the process of this invention is further illustrated in the following specific examples . this example illustrates the use of the slurry method for preparing an uranium - tungsten catalyst useful in the process of this invention . a slurry composed of 25 . 11 g . of uo 2 ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o , 11 . 59 g . of wo 3 and 150 ml . of water was heated at 120 ° c . for one day to remove the water . the resulting solid was calcined at 1000 ° c . for one day . the final catalyst was found to have the empirical formula uwo 6 . this example illustrates the use of the catalyst described in example i in the oxydehydrogenation of isobutyric acid to produce methacrylic acid . the procedure involved feeding a preheated mixture of isobutyric acid , air , water and acetone . 0 . 5 g . of catalyst was used in a reactor which was a stainless steel tube 2 &# 34 ; long with 1 / 2 &# 34 ; o . d . and 3 / 8 &# 34 ; i . d . the feed mixture composed of 1080 cc . water , 336 cc . of isobutyric acid and 55 cc . of acetone was fed to the reactor at a rate of 5 . 7 cc . per hour . the oxygen was fed at the same time as air at the rate of 20 standard cc . per minute . the reaction temperatures used and results obtained are given in the following table . table______________________________________experiment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7______________________________________temperature , ° c . 413 413 453 456 454 457 475 % conversion of 14 . 69 17 . 34 28 . 06 34 . 28 25 . 79 28 . 76 46 . 87isobutyric acid % selectivity to 9 . 53 6 . 93 23 . 45 42 . 97 36 . 69 34 . 36 39 . 50methacrylic acid______________________________________	2
fig1 illustrates an embodiment of an intravascular implant 2 . the implant 2 can have a connector 4 having a first end 6 and a second end 8 . the first end 6 can be attached to an anchor 10 . the anchor 10 can have a central tip 12 . the central tip 12 can be attached to the first end 6 . the anchor 10 can also have multiple tines or arms 14 extending radially from the central tip 12 , such as in an uncovered umbrella structure . the central tip 12 can be rotatably or flexibly attached to the arms 14 . leaves 16 can be attached at two ends to adjacent arms 14 . a flow - through area 18 can be an open port defined by any leaf 16 and the arms 14 to which that leaf 16 attaches . the second end 8 can be attached to a seal 20 . the second end 8 can attach to the seal 20 through an attachment device 22 , for example struts . the attachment device 22 can be integral with the second end 8 , integral with the seal 20 , or an independent part . attachment devices 22 can also be used to attach the connector 4 to the anchor 10 . the seal 20 can have a first proximal end 24 and a first distal end 26 . a second implant 28 can be attached to the seal 20 , for example at the distal end 26 , or the second implant 28 can be an integral part of the seal 20 . fig2 illustrates a single gasket embodiment of the seal 20 . the seal 20 can have a first seal ring 30 at the proximal end 24 . the seal 20 can also have a second seal ring 32 at the distal end 26 . the seal rings 30 and 32 can have radially extending spring force elements or tissue mainstays 33 . the tissue mainstays 33 can be , for example a barb , spike , hook , peg , a coil , pigtail or leaf spring , or any combination thereof . the seal rings 30 and 32 can be made from nickel - titanium alloy ( e . g ., nitinol ), titanium , stainless steel , cobalt - chrome alloy ( e . g ., elgiloy ® from elgin specialty metals , elgin , ill . ; conichrome ® from carpenter metals corp ., wyomissing , pa . ), polymers such as polyester ( e . g ., dacron ® from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del . ), polypropylene , polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), expanded ptfe ( eptfe ), polyether ether ketone ( peek ), nylon , extruded collagen , silicone , radiopaque materials , or any combination thereof . examples of radiopaque materials are barium , sulfate , titanium , stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys and gold . the seal 20 can have a first seal cover 34 attached at the proximal end 24 to the first seal ring 30 and at the distal end 26 to the second seal ring 32 . the seal cover 34 can be made from polymers such as polyester ( e . g ., dacron ® from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del . ), polypropylene , ptfe , eptfe , peek , nylon , polylactic acid ( pla ), poly ( lactic - co - glycolic acid ) ( plga ), polyglycolic acid ( pga ), polyurethane , polyethylene , vascular , valvular or pericardial tissue , extruded collagen , silicone , metal mesh , radiopaque materials , or any combination thereof . a seal flow port 36 can be the hole defined by the inner radii of the seal rings 30 and 32 and the seal cover 34 . the seal 20 can have a seal diameter 38 that can depend on the diameter of the vessel in a given patient . the seal diameter 38 can be from about 5 mm ( 0 . 2 in .) to about 50 mm ( 2 . 0 in . ), for example about 30 mm ( 1 . 2 in .). the seal 20 can have a seal height 40 from about 1 mm ( 0 . 04 in .) to about 6 cm ( 2 . 4 in .). fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a first gasket 42 and a second gasket 44 . such a design can incrementally decrease the pressure across a given length so no one gasket 42 or 44 endures the entire pressure . the first gasket 42 can be similar to a single gasket seal embodiment illustrated in fig2 , except that the first seal cover 34 can be attached to the second seal ring 32 at a first gasket distal end 46 . the second gasket 44 can have a second seal cover 48 . the second seal cover 48 can be attached at a second gasket proximal end 50 to the second seal ring 32 and / or the second seal cover 48 can be integral with the first seal cover 34 . the second seal cover 48 can also attach at the distal end 26 to a third seal ring 52 . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 ( shown as 30 ). the seal ring 30 can have diametrically opposed thin sections 54 and diametrically opposed thick sections 56 . the seal ring 20 can have a seal ring thickness 58 that can vary from a minimum in the thin sections 54 to a maximum in the thick sections 56 . the seal ring 30 can also have a constant thickness along the entire circumference of the seal ring 30 . the seal ring 30 can also have a gap in the circumference of the seal ring 30 , forming a “ c ”- ring ( not shown ) as known to one having ordinary skill in the art . fig5 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a seal volume 60 . the seal volume 60 can be a bladder or collar filled by a fluid , for example saline , plasma , helium , oxygen , radiopaque materials ( including small pieces of solids ), blood , epoxy , glue , or any combination thereof . the bladder can be inflated in vivo by a method known to those having ordinary skill in the art . the seal volume 60 can also be a solid , for example polymers such as polyester ( e . g ., dacron ® from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del . ), polypropylene , ptfe , eptfe , peek , nylon , polylactic acid ( pla ), poly ( lactic - co - glycolic acid ) ( plga ), polyglycolic acid ( pga ), polyurethane , polyethylene , vascular , valvular or pericardial tissue , extruded collagen , silicone , radiopaque materials , or any combination thereof . a first and / or second seal flow ports 62 and 64 , respectively , can be defined , for example as cylinders , within the seal volume 60 . once deployed , multiple seal flow ports 62 and 64 can attach to multiple second implants 28 , or multiple legs of the second implant 28 that can extend distal of the seal into the iliac arteries . a connector port 66 can also be defined , for example as a cylinder , within the seal volume 60 . the second end 8 of the connector 4 can be placed into the connector port 66 . the seal volume 60 can be inflated after the second end 8 is placed into the connector port 66 to constrict and pressure fit the connector port 66 around the second end 8 , thereby fixedly attaching the seal 20 to the connector 4 . fig6 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a helical seal coil 68 having a first end 70 and a second end 72 . the ends 70 and 72 can be dulled , for example by attaching small balls as shown . the seal coil 68 can have a number of turns 74 , for example from about 1 . 25 turns 74 to about 50 turns 74 , for example about 5 turns 74 . fig7 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a structure similar to the anchor illustrated in fig1 but with a vertically inverted orientation . fig8 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a first seal ring 30 and a second seal ring 32 that are mechanically insulated from each other . this structure enables the seal rings 30 and 32 to fit to more easily fit and seal an irregularly shaped vessel . a first hub 76 can be fixedly attached or rotatably attached to first seal struts 78 and a center beam 80 . the first seal struts 78 can slidably connect on the outside or inside of the first seal ring 30 at free points 82 . the first seal struts 78 can be fixedly or rotatably attached to the second seal ring 32 at fixation points 84 . the first seal struts 78 can be fixedly attached or rotatably attached to a first collar 86 . the first collar 86 can be slidably attached to the center beam 80 . a second hub 88 can be fixedly attached or rotatably attached to second seal struts 90 and the center beam 80 . the second seal struts 90 can slidably connect on the outside or inside of the second seal ring 32 at the free points 82 . the second seal struts 90 can be fixedly or rotatably attached to the first seal ring 30 at the fixation points 84 . the second seal struts 90 can be fixedly attached or rotatably attached to a second collar 92 . the second collar 86 can be slidably attached to the center beam 80 . the seal struts 78 and 90 , the hubs 76 and 88 , and the collars 86 and 92 can be from the same materials as the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 . the seal rings 30 and 32 can be wave - shaped . fig9 illustrates a top view of one embodiment of the wave - shaped seal ring 30 , showing a circular shape from above . fig1 illustrates a side view of the wave - shaped seal ring 30 illustrated in fig8 and 9 , showing two periods of smooth oscillation in a seal ring height 94 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the seal ring 30 that can have sharp oscillations in the seal ring height 94 . angled seal ring struts 96 can form the seal ring 30 into a zigzag . fig1 illustrates a seal ring 30 that can have a combination of alternating lock zones 98 and angled seal ring struts 96 . the lock zones 98 can be substantially parallel to the circumference of the seal ring 30 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of cross - section a - a ( shown in fig1 ) of the intravascular implant 2 without the seal 20 . the anchor 10 can have connectors 4 attached to the arms 14 . the second end 8 of each connector 4 can have an integral attachment device 22 . the attachment device 22 can be made of a slide 100 and an interference piece 102 defining a catch 104 there between . the slide 100 can have a slide angle 106 from about 90 ° to about 180 °. the slide 100 can also have a slide height 108 from about 0 . 38 mm ( 0 . 015 in .) to about 6 . 35 mm ( 0 . 250 in . ), for example about 3 . 18 mm ( 0 . 125 in .). the interference piece 102 can have an interference piece depth 110 from about 0 . 38 mm ( 0 . 015 in .) to about 4 . 95 mm ( 0 . 195 in .). the slide 100 and interference piece 102 can be from the same materials as the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 or seal covers 34 and 48 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 . the anchor 10 can have a solid ring , and can be fixedly or rotatably attached to about two or more connectors 4 . the seal ring 30 can be vertically surrounded by the slides 100 and the interference pieces 102 . the seal ring 30 can , therefore , be engaged in the catch 104 and fixedly attached to the connectors 4 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the attachment device 22 . the attachment device 22 can have first and second slides 100 a and 100 b , first and second interference pieces 102 a and 102 b , a catch 104 defined by the slides 100 a and 100 b and the interference pieces 102 a and 102 b . the attachment device 22 can also have a rod slot 112 defined between the first slide 100 a and second slide 100 b , and between the first interference piece 102 a and the second interference piece 102 b . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of cross - section b - b ( shown in fig6 ) of the seal 20 . the two turns of the coil 68 can define the catch 104 . the coil 68 can have a coil wire diameter 114 from about 0 . 03 mm ( 0 . 001 in .) to about 1 . 3 mm ( 0 . 050 in . ), for example about 0 . 64 mm ( 0 . 025 in .). fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 that can be attached to the attachment devices 22 , that can be , in turn , attached to the seal 20 . the connector 4 can be a flexible wire , coil , rod or combinations thereof and can be hollowed . the connector 4 can also be threaded to rotatably fit the anchor 10 and seal 20 or attachment device 22 . the connector can be made from any material listed for the anchor 10 . the attachment devices 22 can be wires , coils , rods or combinations thereof . the connector 4 can also be directly attached to the seal 20 . the connector 4 can be attached to the attachment devices 22 at a connector interface 116 . the connector interface 116 can have a hub , slider , or collar . the connector interface 116 can be a direct attachment . the connector 4 and attachment device 22 can also be an integral part . the seal 20 and attachment device 22 can also be an integral part . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 that can be made from a helical connector coil 118 . the connector coil 118 can be made from a wire , for example a guidewire , having a diameter from about 0 . 46 mm ( 0 . 018 in .) to about 2 . 54 mm ( 0 . 100 in .). fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 that can be made from the connector coil 118 and a connector wire or rod 120 . the connector wire or rod 120 can also be made from a wire , for example a guidewire , having a diameter from about 0 . 46 mm ( 0 . 018 in .) to about 2 . 54 mm ( 0 . 100 in .). fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 that can have sharp oscillations in connector width . angled connector struts 124 can form the connector 4 into a zigzag . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 that can a longitudinal axis 126 . the attachment device 22 can attach the connector 4 to the anchor 10 such that the first end 6 can be substantially on the longitudinal axis 126 . the second end 8 can attach to the seal 20 substantially along a radial perimeter of the seal 20 . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 that can have the attachment device 22 attach the connector 4 to the seal 20 such that the second end 8 can be substantially on the longitudinal axis 126 . the first end 6 can attach to the anchor 10 substantially along a radial perimeter of the anchor 10 . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 that can have multiple connectors 4 . the connectors 4 can rotatably or fixedly attach to each other near their centers at joint points 128 . joined pairs of connectors 4 can form x - beams 128 . the x - beams 128 can define transverse flow ports 132 . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the anchor 10 shaped as a helical anchor coil 134 having a first end 136 and a second end 138 . the ends 136 and 138 can be dulled , for example by attaching small balls as shown . the seal coil 134 can have from about 1 turn 140 to about 10 turns 140 , for example about 4 turns 140 . the anchor 10 can also have an anchor width 142 from about 5 mm ( 0 . 2 in .) to about 50 mm ( 2 in .). the anchor 10 can also have an anchor height 144 . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the anchor 10 . the anchor 10 can have the central tip 12 , the arms 14 , and the leaves 16 as shown and described in fig1 . the arms 14 can also extend radially beyond each attachment point 146 of each arm 14 and each leaf 16 to form a diminishing spring force element or tissue mainstay 148 . the spring force elements or tissue mainstays 148 on the anchor 10 can be the same material and design as the tissue mainstays 33 on the seal 20 , and vice versa . anchor collar 150 can be slidably mounted to the connector 4 to radially extend or contract the arms 14 and to adjust the height between the anchor 10 and the seal 20 to better place the implant 2 with regard to the transverse vessels , for example the renal arteries , and vascular wall abnormalities . the anchor collar 150 can be fixedly or rotatably attached to arm supports 152 . the arm supports 152 can be fixedly or rotatably attached to the arms 14 at support points 154 . the arm supports 152 can also be an integral part of the anchor collar 150 and / or the arms 14 . the central tip 12 , arms 14 , leafs 16 , mainstays 148 , and arm supports 152 can be made from the same materials listed for the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 . fig2 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of anchor 10 . each leaf 16 can have a first leaf end 156 and a second leaf end 158 . the first leaf end 156 of one leaf 16 can merge with the second leaf end 158 of the neighboring leaf 16 and the intermediate arm 14 into a cover 160 . the cover 160 can be a cylinder with two open ends . the leaf 16 , first leaf end 156 , second leaf end 158 and cover 160 can be fixedly or rotatably attached . the first leaf end 156 and the second leaf end 158 can terminate within the cover 160 . when deployed , the leaf 16 can press against the vascular wall to maintain a substantially circular cross - section of the vessel . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 having the arms 14 supported at support points 154 by the connectors 4 . the seal 20 can also be radially collapsible and expandable . fig2 and 29 illustrate embodiments of the intravascular implant 2 that can have a first anchor 10 and a second anchor 162 . the second anchor can be fixedly or rotatably attached to connectors 4 at support points 154 . the second anchor 162 can also be vertically inverted with respect to the first anchor , as shown in fig2 . the tissue mainstays 33 , shown in fig2 , can be directly attached to the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 by , for example , melting , screwing , gluing , welding or use of an interference fit or pressure fit such as crimping , or combining methods thereof . to join the connector 4 to the seal 20 . the tissue mainstays 33 and the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 can be integrated , for example , by die cutting , laser cutting , electrical discharge machining ( edm ) or stamping from a single piece or material . the connector interface 116 , shown in fig1 , can also directly attach to the connector 4 and the seal 20 or be integrated thereto by any method listed for the tissue mainstays 33 and the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 . the arm supports 152 , shown in fig2 , can also be integrated with the anchor collar 150 and / or the arms 14 by any method listed for the tissue mainstays 33 and the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 . as shown in fig2 , the leaf 16 , first leaf end 156 , second leaf end 158 and cover 160 can be fixedly or rotatably attached or integrally formed by any by any method listed for the tissue mainstays 33 and the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 . as shown in fig1 , the connector coil 118 and connector rod 120 can be attached at the first connector end 6 and the second connector end by methods known to one having ordinary skill in the art . integrated parts can be made from pre - formed resilient materials , for example resilient alloys ( e . g ., nitinol , elgiloy ®) that are preformed and biased into the post - deployment shape and then compressed into the deployment shape . any elongated parts used in the intravascular implant 2 and the second implant 28 , for example the tip 12 , the arms 14 , the leafs 16 , the attachment devices 22 , the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 , the seal coil 68 , the connector coil 118 , the connector rod 120 , the connector strut 124 , the anchor coil 134 and the arm supports 152 , can be ovalized , or have an oval cross section where necessary , to ease crimping with other parts . the intravascular implant 2 can be collapsed or compressed into a deployment configuration to enable minimally invasive implantation into the vasculature of a patient . fig3 illustrates one embodiment of compressing the seal ring 30 , as shown in fig4 , by applying outward radial forces , as shown by arrows 164 , to the thin sections 54 and / or by applying an inward radial force , as shown by arrows 166 , to the thick sections 56 . other embodiments can be compressed by applying inward radial forces spread around the circumference of the implant and / or other methods known to those having ordinary skill in the art . the intravascular implant 2 can be loaded into a delivery catheter 168 by methods known to those having ordinary skill in the art . because the design of the intravascular implant 2 can separate the anchor 10 from the seal 20 , a low profile catheter can be used to deliver the intravascular implant 2 . as illustrated in fig3 , the delivery catheter 168 can be positioned , as shown by the arrow , at a vascular site 170 using a guidewire ( not shown ) and an “ over - the - wire ” delivery method , known to those having ordinary skill in the art . a control line 172 can also extend distally from the implant 2 . the control line 172 can include controls used to manipulate any part of the intravascular implant 2 such as rotating the seal 20 , expanding or contracting the arms 14 , or separating delivery devices from the implant 2 , and / or to deliver a substance such as a medication or radiopaque material , and / or to receive signals such as optical or electrical signals . the vascular site 170 can be adjacent to a vascular aneurysm 174 , for example an abdominal aortic aneurysm , having a proximal neck 176 and transverse vessels 180 , for example renal arteries , proximal to the vascular aneurysm 174 . fig3 illustrates that the catheter 168 can be partially distally retracted , as shown by arrows 182 , thereby exposing the arms 14 while retaining the seal 20 . once exposed , the arms 14 can expand radially , as shown by arrows 184 . expansion of the arms 14 can occur due to resilient material expansion or mechanical manipulation . the tissue mainstays 148 can seat in the wall of the vascular site 170 proximal to the transverse vessels 180 , preventing the anchor 14 from moving distally . multiple , independent arms 14 can adjust to the surrounding vasculature geometry to fit as needed for secure attachment to the vascular wall . the distance between the central tip 12 and the seal 20 can be an effective connector length 186 . the effective connector length 186 can be adjusted after the tissue mainstays 148 have been seated in the wall of the vascular site 170 . the effective connector length 186 can be adjusted by rotating the seal 20 , as shown by arrows 188 , along a threaded connector 4 . fig3 illustrates that the arms 14 can be contracted , as shown by arrows 190 . the anchor 10 can then be easily repositioned , as shown by arrows 192 . the intravascular implant 2 can be made from or combined with radiopaque materials and markers to aid the placement , adjustments and repositioning of the intravascular implant 2 and associated parts with the use of an angiogram . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 and the anchor 10 that can have a contraction line 193 releasably connected to the anchor collar 150 . contraction line 193 can be formed of coaxial hypotubes . contraction line 193 can also be part of control line 172 . the arms 14 can be biased to radially expand or radially contract . fig3 illustrates that the contraction line 193 can be pulled , as shown by arrow 194 , which can result in a distal movement of the anchor collar 150 , as shown by arrow 196 . the distal movement of the anchor collar 150 can cause the arm supports 154 and , in turn , the arms 14 to rotate inward and radially contract , as shown by arrows 198 . the above process can be reversed and the arms 14 can be radially expanded . the contraction line can be separated from the anchor collar 150 when placement of the anchor 10 is finalized . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 and the anchor 10 that can have a fixed hub 200 that is fixedly held in space , for example by the seal 20 , the delivery catheter 168 and / or the control line 172 , distal to the anchor collar 150 . the fixed hub 200 can also be slidably connected to the connector 4 . fig3 illustrates that the connector 4 can be pulled distally , as shown by arrow 202 , which can cause the anchor collar 150 to butt against the fixed hub 200 and be forced proximally with respect to the connector 4 , as shown by arrow 204 . the proximal movement of the anchor collar 150 can cause outward rotation and radial expansion of the arm supports 154 and , in turn , the arms 14 , as shown by arrows 206 . the above process can be reversed and the arms 14 can be radially contracted . the arms 14 can be locked into place by methods known to those having ordinary skill in the art . fig3 illustrates that the catheter 168 can be retracted distally of the seal 20 , as shown by arrows 208 . retracting the catheter 168 can expose the seal 20 , allowing the seal 20 to radially expand , as shown by arrows 210 . the seal 20 can be placed to seat in the proximal neck 176 . when fully deployed , the intravascular implant 2 can have an open - walled structure , and can therefore be placed adjacent to the transverse vessels 180 without interfering with the flow through the transverse vessels 180 . fig3 illustrates the intravascular implant 2 that can be implanted in the vascular site 170 . the distal end 26 can be attached to a second implant 28 , for example a vascular graft such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm graft , for example a gel weave aortic graft . the second implant 28 can have two branching legs 212 . fig4 illustrates a cross - section of an embodiment of the attachment device 22 and second end 8 of the seal 4 . the seal ring 30 can be proximal to the slides 100 . the seal cover 34 or the second implant 28 can extend from the seal ring 30 . fig4 illustrates pulling the seal ring 30 along the slides 100 , as shown by arrows 214 . movement of the seal ring 30 along the slides 100 can cause the seal ring to radially contract , as shown by arrows 216 . once the seal ring 30 is distally clear of the slides 100 , the seal ring 30 can radially expand , as shown by arrows 218 , and seat into the catch 104 . once in the catch 104 , the seal ring 30 can be held vertically in place by the distal side of the slide 100 and the proximal side of the interference piece 102 . as illustrated in fig4 , the second implant 28 can be attached to the seal ring 30 at the proximal end of the second implant 28 . the seal ring 30 can be releasably attached to deployment rods 220 . as illustrated in fig4 , the deployment rods 220 can be used to position the seal ring 30 proximal to the attachment device 22 and so that the deployment rods 220 align into the rod slots 112 . ( the second implant 28 is not shown in fig4 for clarity ). the deployment rods 220 can be pulled distally , as shown by arrow 222 , thereby moving the seal ring 30 distally . as illustrated in fig4 , the seal ring 30 can then seat into the catch 104 . the deployment rods 220 can be detached from the seal ring 30 and removed from the vascular site 170 . the control line 172 can be removed from the vascular site 170 whenever removal is deemed appropriate during the implantation procedure . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 deployed at a vascular site 170 . the vascular site 170 can have a severely tortuous region over which the implant 2 is placed . the flexibility of the connector 4 compensates for the contortion in the vascular site , enabling the arms 14 to intersect the wall of the vascular site 170 at a substantially perpendicular angle , and enabling the seal 20 to seat into the proximal neck 176 to open into the at a substantially parallel angle to the body of the second implant 28 . stress and fractures in the intravascular implant 2 and in the tissue at the vascular site 170 can be minimized due to the anchor 10 being mechanically insulated from the seal 20 by use of the connector 4 . additionally , stresses can be reduced because the tissue in the vascular site 170 adjacent to the anchor 10 does not need to seal , and the tissue in the vascular site 170 adjacent to the seal 20 does not need to anchor . additional intravascular implants 2 , as shown , can be deployed at the distal ends 224 of the second implant 2 , for example in the iliac arteries , to additionally secure the second implant 2 . the arms 14 and / or the seal 20 can apply chronic stress to the adjacent tissue in the vascular site 170 causing a controlled migration of the arms 14 and / or seal 20 into the wall of the vascular site 170 to a specified depth predetermined by the tissue mainstays 33 and / or 148 . the predetermined depth can be the length of the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 , or a force exerted by the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 . the controlled migration is then halted by either a distribution of force along the greater surface area between the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 and the wall of the vascular site 170 or the diminishing force on the same surface area once the radially central end ( with respect to the anchor 10 ) of the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 has reached the wall of the vascular site 170 , or a combination of both . tissue can then ingrow around the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 providing a biologic seal or anchor so that the integrity of the seal or anchor is not purely mechanical . it is apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to this disclosure , and equivalents employed , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . elements shown with any embodiment are exemplary for the specific embodiment and can be used on other embodiments within this disclosure .	0
in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the divide by n and the divide by m units 12 , 14 of fig1 are replaced by the clock deletion unit of fig2 . this comprises a clock gating cell 20 which is positioned between the clock and the clock input to a module . this clock gating cell 20 also received an input from a clock deletion control unit 22 . this clock deletion control unit 22 also receives the same clock input as the clock gating cell 20 . in addition , it receives a control input 24 which contains data relating to the required clocking rate , which is to be applied to the module in question . in response to the control input 24 , the clock deletion control unit 22 generates a series of pulses which are applied to the clock gating cell 20 and in turn cause a clock pulse to be generated at the module . thus , the clock deletion control unit 22 of fig2 can be set up to delete any arbitrary clock pulses from the master clock signal within a set clock period , and in any arbitrary order to achieve the effective clock frequency required . furthermore , the control input 24 may be modified at any time to change the effective clock frequency as required by the algorithms running on the module . in a preferred embodiment , each of the divide by n and divide by m units 12 , 14 in fig1 will be replaced by a clock deletion unit shown in fig2 . indeed it may be preferable to provide a clock deletion unit for each of the three modules 2 , 4 and 6 in fig1 , thereby ensuring that each can be controlled at a varying rate , whereby any module which is not required to perform processes at a particular time may have its clocking pulses removed to a clock deletion unit . when the soc is in operation , it will from time to time be necessary to transfer the data between two or more modules . when this is necessary , it must be ensured that the modules are clocked at the appropriate times . this can be achieved in a number of ways , for example , by forcing a clock pulse on both modules at the appropriate times when there is valid data to transfer , or , by using existing two - way handshake wires to naturally control the data flow from one module to the other where the transfer is recognised at both sides . the use of the handshake signal is subverted to allow only data to flow on the occasions when there happens to be a coincident clock pulse on both modules . the two - way handshake protocol used here for illustration is named “ valid - enable ” which recognises the data transfer from one module to the next on the same clock . it is also possible to accommodate two - way handshake protocols which recognise the transfer on different clocks . these require different specific logic designed around the interface protocol for the data transfer . examples of the two methods of transferring the data between the modules which may be used in embodiments of the present invention will be described . in particular , methods for transferring the data between the modules which are clocked at different effective rates will be shown . both techniques may be used on the same soc between any number of modules running at any number of effective clock rates . the best choice for the method selected will depend on whether or not the one - way or two - way hand shake protocol is available . it may also depend on the expected characteristics of the data transfer by the selected interface . the first example is a non - stalling ( known here as ‘ valid - only ’) protocol which can be used at an appropriate module interface . the signals used in the data transfer are shown in fig3 . as can be seen , there is a clock signal shown on the top line . the second line represents a handshake wire ‘ valid ’, when high indicates that the ‘ data ’ wires have a value to be transferred . valid data to be transferred in shown is fig3 as d1 , d2 , d3 and d4 . in the case where both modules are driven by the same clock , the ‘ valid - only ’ protocol works without problem . if , however , the modules are driven at different rates with different clock control settings there is possibility for losing valid data , or for mis - interpreting single words of valid data as multiple words . to avoid this error the valid signal is taken and combined with the clock gating signals from each of the clock control units to force a clock pulse on each module whenever there is the valid data to be transferred . a specific embodiment is illustrated in fig6 . this is a system in which a coincident clock pulse is forced on both sending and receiving modules when the data is ready to be transferred . fig6 shows two modules which can be clocked at different effective clock rates by respective clock deleter circuits . the two modules are modules 1 and module 2 module 1 has a clock deletion control unit 42 which receives clock control 1 . module 2 has a clock deletion control unit 44 which receives clock control 2 at its control input . each of the clock deletion control units 42 and 44 provides control signals to their respective clock gating cells 46 via a respective or gate 48 . the same clock signal so is provided to each of the clock deletion units 42 and 44 and to the two clock gating cells 46 . module 1 has to transfer the data to module 2 . when it is ready to transfer that data it produces a valid signal 52 which is applied to module 2 and which is also applied to the second input of each of the or gates 48 . the effect of the valid signal is to cause the output of each or gate 48 to be enabled irrespective of the outputs of the clock deletion control units 42 and 44 . thus , the or gates 48 provide enable signals to their respective clock gating circuits 46 in response to the valid signal 52 of the outputs of the respective clock deletion control units and 44 , causing the clock signal 50 to pass through the respective clock gating cell 46 when the output of the respective or gate 48 is enabled . sophisticated implementations would account for the additional pulses by deleting extra pulses later so the aggregate clock count matches the required rate over a period of time . when a handshake mechanism is present which allows the receiving module to stall the data transfer an alternative mechanism is employed to ensure the correct data transfer when the modules are clocked at different effective rates . the example protocol used for illustration is known here as a valid - enable transfer which is a two - way handshake protocol . the protocol is illustrated in fig4 . the first line shows the clock signal . the second line shows the ‘ valid ’ signal which originates from the sending module and indicates that the value on the data wires is of interest and to be sent to the receiving module . the third line shows the ‘ enable ’ signal which originates from the receiving module and indicates that the module is ready to accept data . when both the valid and enable signals are high , data is transferred from the sending module to the receiving module , shown in fig4 as d1 , d2 , d3 and d4 . without special treatment , this protocol would also suffer from incorrect data transfer if the sending and receiving modules were clocked by different effective clock rates . to avoid this error , the handshake signals themselves are used to ensure that the data is transferred only when there are appropriate clocks on both modules . a specific embodiment of this alternative arrangement for transferring the data between the modules in the soc is shown in fig5 . this type of arrangement uses a two - way hand shake between the modules whereby one processing element can stall back another processing element which wishes to make a data transfer . the effect of this two - way handshake is to ensure that the data transfer is possible only when there happens to be coincident clock pulses applied to both sending and receiving modules . in this arrangement , module 1 has an enable input which is asserted in response to the output of an and gate 60 . module 2 correspondingly has a valid input which is asserted by the output of an and gate 62 . the enable input to module 1 permits it to send data to module 2 and the valid input of module 2 permits it to receive data from module 1 . a first input of the and gate 60 is an enable signal produced by module 2 when it is in a state in which it is ready to receive the data from module 1 . a first input of the and gate 62 is a valid output from module 1 which is produced when it is able to send the data to module 2 . the respective second inputs of the and gates 60 and 62 are provided by a clocking circuit 64 . the clocking circuit 64 has a clock input 66 . this clocking signal is sent to two clock gating circuits of the type described with reference to fig2 . module 1 has an clock gating unit comprising a clock deletion control unit 42 receiving a clock control signal 1 at its clock control input . the output of the clock deletion control unit 42 and the clock signal 66 are provided to its clock gating cell 48 which provides a clock signal to module 1 . correspondingly , for module 2 , a clock deletion control unit 44 receives a clock control signal 2 at its control input and provides an output to its clock gating cell 48 which in turn provides a clocking signal to module 2 . the output of the two clock deletion control units 42 and 44 are also provided to an additional and gate 68 . the output of this and gate 68 forms the second input to the two and gates 60 and 62 . thus , when the two clock control signals cause the respective clock deletion control units 42 and 44 to provide enabling pulses to their respective clock gating cells 48 , the output of the and gate 68 is asserted , thereby permitting the data to pass from module 1 to module 2 if module 1 produces a valid signal on its valid output line and module 2 produces an enable signal on its enable line , i . e . when module 1 is ready to send the data and module 2 is also ready to receive the data . when this happens , the data is sent from module 1 to module 2 in response to the clock signals provided at their respective clock inputs by the respective clock gating cells 48 . this arrangement works most effectively when the clock deletion circuits have a maximum number of coincident clock pulses between them , thereby minimising the chance of one module being unnecessarily stalled whilst waiting for the data to be transferred to or from the other . a line is shown between the two clock deletion control units 42 and 44 in fig5 and this line represents a linkage between the two clock control inputs to provide some synchronization and thereby ensure maximum number of coincident clock pulses . in these embodiments of the invention , clock control signals may be hard wired to a constant if no control of the clock rate is required . alternatively , they may be wired to a register so that the clock rate may be controlled by software running on a processor . alternatively the control signals may be dynamically adjusted by the module whose clock is being controlled , or indeed by any other module responsible for controlling the clocking rates of other modules . in the dynamic control case , a metric may be used to provide an indication of whether or not the module being clocked is operating correctly in meeting its real time requirements or whether some adjustment to the clocking speed is required . this metric could be generated , for example , by using the fullness of an appropriate fifo buffer or other hardware that could be constructed to provide an indication of how much the module is over or under performing . this metric can then be fed back to drive directly the clock control signals via suitable scaling and offsetting . preferably , each of the plurality of modules is clocked with the minimum possible number of clock pulses in any given period of time . it is generally possible to calculate or deduce the minimum clock frequency that each module needs to be clocked at in order to operate its task . the clocking may be controlled within a time period to have periods of inaction and periods of higher frequency clocking if the flow of the data in the system dictates that this is required . it is preferable to maximise the number of concurrent clock pulses between the modules so that the data is more likely to be transferred between the modules when it becomes available , rather than to wait and possibly slow down the system . for example the system may have three modules that are driven by clock 1 , clock 2 and clock 3 or driven from a common master clock . it may have been deduced that the new clock rates required for clock 1 , clock and clock 3 are four pulses , eight pulses and three pulses respectively for every sixteen clock periods . a possible configuration for this is shown in fig7 with the clock pulses required for clock 1 , clock 2 and clock 3 . in this example , all the clock pulses occur at the beginning of a sixteen period cycle for a respective minimum number of clock cycles to maximise the number of concurrent clock pulses . it is also desirable to take account of the expected rates at which the modules produce or receive the data and modify the clocking pattern appropriately . for example , if module 1 delivers the data to module 2 on average one word every two clock pulses , module 2 needs four clock pulses to deal with each word it receives , the arrangement of clock pulses shown in fig7 being inappropriate . for this situation , the fifo buffer between the modules would be required to maintain smooth data flow . alternatively , this requirement can be eliminated by arranging the waveforms differently as shown in fig8 . in this , the clock pulses applied to clock 1 are spread to enable module 2 to process the data as it receives it from module 1 . to produce waveforms with characteristics such as waveforms shown in fig8 , the clock deletion control unit will need to be configured with frame length corresponding to the number of clock periods before a particular cycle restarts . it would also need to know the number of active cycles , i . e . the number of clock periods within a frame for which a clock pulse is generated , and the number of clock periods between output pulses . this would then enable its clock pulse to be altered to ensure optimum flow of data between modules .	8
this invention relates to improvements in apparatus for punching holes in sheet material , more particularly to improvements for punching apparatus for forming via holes in ceramic green sheets . in the semiconductor packaging technology , multilayer ceramic substrates formed of ceramic green sheets with via holes and conductive metal patterns are assembled and fired to provide monolithic ceramic substrates with internal metallurgy systems . the via holes in the green sheet are conventionally punched with mechanical punch apparatus having many very small punches that are very fragile and subject to severe abraision from the ceramic particles in the green ceramic sheet . various malfunction such as punch breakage , blockage of punched holes by punched material , etc . can and do occur that result in blocked or absence of holes in the sheet . these conditions prevent conductive material from completing the metallurgy system , forming an &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; circuit . a single such defect in a multilayer ceramic substrate can render a completed sintered substrate unusable , representing a very significant loss since the finished substrate is a relatively expensive unit . in the manufacture of multilayer ceramic ( mlc ) substrates for integrated circuit semiconductor package structures , a plurality of green ceramic sheets are formed by doctor blading a slurry containing a resin binder , a particulate ceramic material , solvents , and a plasticizer , drying the doctor bladed sheet and cutting it into appropriate size sheets . via holes are then punched for forming electrical interconnections through the sheet , electrically conductive paste is deposited in the holes and in appropriate patterns on the surface of the sheets , the sheets stacked and subsequently fired at a sintering temperature . punching of via holes in ceramic sheets presents formidable engineering problems in view of their small size and density . it is conventional to punch via holes with apparatus of the type disclosed in ibm tdb vol . 13 no . 4 feb . 1971 p . 2536 or ibm tdb vol . 16 no . 12 may 1974 p . 3933 . in these apparatus a plurality of punch elements arranged in the grid are indexed over the green sheet which is covered by an interposer mask . the interposer mask contains openings where holes are desired to be punched . when the punch elements contact the interposer mask as the punch head is moved downwardly , a hole will be punched where the openings occur since the punch element will pass through the openings in the interposer mask , and through the ceramic green sheet . in other areas covered by the interposer mask , i . e ., where holes are not desired , the interposer mask will cause the punch element to be retracted into the head . automated punch apparatus which utilize individually programmable punches have been suggested in ibm tdb vol . 20 no . 4 sept . 1977 p . 1379 . this type of punching apparatus does not require the aforedescribed interposer mask , since the individual punching elements can be activated electrically upon command . in accordance with the present invention we provide improvements in punch apparatus for punching holes in sheet material in which material removed from the sheet is forceably displaced to thereby prevent its being inadvertently drawn back into the punched holes , and also detection structure that will indicate malfunctions of critical elements of the punch apparatus . more specifically a means is provided to generate a current of air beneath the die bushing that blows a punched slug of material from the end of a punch element after it has pierced the sheet . sensors are provided to detect punch movement , and also air pressure within a pressurized chamber that is part of an air spring for biasing the punch elements in a downward position . in the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure fig1 is an elevational view in broken cross section of the punch element of the punching apparatus in which is illustrated various improvements of this invention . fig2 is an elevational view in section of a punch apparatus head illustrating the location and arrangement of the elements thereof . in accordance with the present invention , we provide an improved punched element for forming holes in sheet material , in particular ceramic green sheet . the punch apparatus as depicted in fig2 of the drawings , has a punch head 10 supporting a punch plate 12 . a stripper plate 14 encloses the lower ends of punch elements 16 . stripper plate 14 is biased downwardly by actuating springs 18 surrounding bolts 20 that are slidably supported in aperture 22 in punch head 10 . the length of bolts 20 are adjusted so that the head 21 abuts against surface 23 to position the stripper plate so that the bottom surface 28 is substantially flush with the ends of punch elements 16 . when the stripper plate 14 is forced upwardly compressing the springs 18 the tips 30 of punch elements 16 will protrude beyond surface 28 . guide pins 24 mounted in punch head 10 are slidably received in bushings 26 mounted on stripper plate 14 . the punch elements 16 are resiliently urged downwardly so that the collar 32 is in abutting engagement with bushing 34 by the combination of a pressure chamber 36 a diaphram 38 and link element 40 . the air under pressure in chamber 36 exerts a downward pressure on link 40 through diaphragm 38 to force punch element 16 in a downwardly extending relation . a substrate support 42 is provided to support green sheet 44 and interposer mask 46 . die bushings 48 are provided with an aperture 50 that is in alignment with the tip portion 30 of punch element 16 . green sheet 44 and mask 46 are indexed in both the x and y directions by an indexing mechanism , not shown . in operation , green ceramic sheet 44 is placed over substrate support 42 and an interposer mask 46 , provided with holes 47 corresponding to the apertures desired in the green sheet is placed over sheet 44 . the interposer mask and green sheet are secured at their periphery to the indexing mechanism to provide indexing movement , relating to the punches . the punch head 10 is moved downwardly by a suitable mechanism , not shown , to first force the stripper plate 14 against the interposer mask 46 and to continue urging the head downwardly as the springs 18 are compressed . as the punch head 10 is moved downwardly the tips of punch elements 30 will either contact the interposer mask 46 when there is no hole beneath the punch or be forced through the green sheet when an opening 47 is aligned with the punch element . the punch head is then retracted and the punch elements removed from the green sheet . the stripper plate 14 holds the interposer mask and green sheet against the substrate support as the punches are withdrawn . the green sheet 44 and interposer mask 46 are then indexed by the aforementioned indexing mechanism in the x and / or the y direction and the cycle repeated . in practice the green sheet and mask are indexed in a desired number of steps over the center - to - center spacing of the punch elements in both the x and the y directions . in this manner the entire green sheet 44 is exposed to the action of the punches . when an opening in the interposer mask is aligned with the punch , the punch punches a hole . referring now to fig1 there is illustrated in greater detail an improvement of our invention to the aforedescribed punch apparatus i . e ., a means to forcibly displace slugs of material punched from the substrate from the ends of the punched elements following a punching operation . during the aforedescribed punching cycle the tip 30 of punch element 16 is forced through green sheet 44 pushing the removed slug of material downwardly through aperture 50 of die bushing 48 . when the punch head is withdrawn , the material in a conventional punching apparatus may adhere to the end of the punching element and be drawn back upwardly through aperture 50 and into the previously punched aperture . in our invention there is provided a tube 52 with the end portion adjacent to aperture 50 and a means to cause a current of air , indicated by arrows 54 . the current of air or any other suitable type gas or fluid can be produced by either connecting a source of pressure to the tube 52 or evacuating the chamber 56 leaving the opposite end of tube 52 open to the atmosphere . the desired objective is to blow the slug off the punch tip before it can be drawn back into the green sheet 44 . adherence of the punched slug to the punch element is more likely when the punch tip has been worn . this improvement can be used in solenoid operated punch apparatus as well as the apparatus illustrated . another improvement of our invention to the punching apparatus is the means for urging the punch elements downwardly in extending relation . conventional punch elements are urged downwardly by a metallic spring element . in this apparatus the link element 40 has a curved top surface 58 that interacts with the cylindrical surface portion of link element 40 in the plane of the bottom surface of air chamber 36 . when a punch element contacts an interposer mask , the punch element is forced upwardly moving link element 40 in an upward position . the curved surface of element 40 minimizes the wear on the diaphragm 38 thereby significantly extending its working life . another improvement of our invention to the general punch apparatus is a means to detect broken punch elements . sensor 60 with sensing element 62 is provided above each of the link elements 40 . the position of the sensing element 62 is such to be able to detect when the punch element is forced upwardly into the punched head . if the punch element is broken , contact with an interposer mask fails to force the insert 40 against the sensor 60 . in order to check the condition of the punch elements in the head , a solid plate is placed beneath the punch head , the punch head moved downwardly as in a punching cycle , and the indicating means for sensors 60 observed . no signal or indication will be received from a sensor associated with a broken punch element . the improvement can also be used in solenoid operated punch apparatus with only minor modifications . yet another improvement of our invention to the punch apparatus is a means to detect whether or not the diaphram 38 is ruptured . a passage 70 is in communication with air chamber 36 . a suitable sensor 72 , shown , in fig2 is connected to passage 70 . if the pressure in the air chamber 36 drops below a certain predetermined value , the sensor will detect the condition and produce a suitable signal indicating that the punch apparatus is malfunctioning . the aforedescribed improvements to a punch apparatus , more particularly to a punch apparatus designed to punch very small via holes in green ceramic sheet will very significantly improve the performance and dependability of the punch apparatus . this will result in material improvements to the yield and produce lower production cost . while the invention has been illustrated and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	8
turning now to the drawings , and first to fig1 a portion of a stairway is shown comprising first and second steps 10 and 12 each comprising a respective step top 10 a and 12 a and riser 10 a and 12 b . a step nose extrusion 16 is provided for the step 10 and extrusion 18 is provided for the step 12 , it being understood that a fewer or greater number of steps than those shown may be involved . these extrusions are , for example , typically thirty inches or so wide and extend substantially from end to end of the step edge . they contain a plurality of spaced , small sources of light . wireways 20 and 22 on the respective sides of the steps 10 and 12 are illustrated , and these contain the electrical wiring harnesses for supplying power to lights mounted on the nose extrusions 16 and 18 . the wireways can be installed on both sides as shown or on only one side of the steps , depending on the wiring requirements of the particular installation , and these typically include an extrusion 20 , 22 as shown , along with snap - on cover sections such as 18 b and 18 c as seen to the upper right in fig1 for step 12 . each of the extrusions has an upper clear or frosted lens section 16 a , 18 a which will be explained in greater detail in connection with a discussion of fig2 - 4 . each of the extrusions 16 or 18 , as will be described in detail below , preferably is a plastic extrusion and includes a light directing member therein for directing light upwardly and downwardly , and includes therein a string of lights , either incandescent , led or the like extending substantially from end to end of the extrusion . the light directing member can be designed to reflect the light from the string of lights , or to refract the light as by prism elements or sections , or both reflect and transmit the light upwardly and downwardly , or both transmit and refract the light so as to provide suitable illumination for the top edge of the step when someone is walking down the stairs , and further to provide suitable illumination for the riser and / or the top of a step or steps below as one ascends the stairway . furthermore , the extrusions preferably include slots for receiving carpet edges of carpet on the tops of the steps and on the risers of the steps . turning now to fig2 a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . this figure is a cross - section view of a stair nose extrusion as well as of a light directing member , along with a lighting strip . for discussion purposes , the extrusion shown in fig2 is considered to be that of the top step , namely extrusion 18 of fig1 . it includes top 18 d and riser 18 e sections at a substantially right angle or l - shaped cross - section to mate and be secured to the top and front edges of a step ( not shown in fig2 ). it further includes a channel 24 for receiving a light directing member 26 and a lighting strip 28 . in this embodiment , light from the strip 28 is reflected by a reflector 30 of the member 26 upwardly , and the strip 28 is positioned to direct light downwardly from the strip 28 through a clear or translucent section 32 of the member 26 . the light reflected upwardly passes through the clear or frosted lens 18 a of the extrusion 18 thereby emanating from the top of the stair nose , and the light through section 32 impinges downwardly directly toward the top of the next lower step and / or onto the riser 12 b . the lighting strip typically has led &# 39 ; s spaced 2 - 4 inches apart across the width of the extrusion ( note the light sources 28 a as seen in fig1 which extend across the nose of each of the steps ). considering the light directing member 26 in greater detail , the same preferably is extruded of clear pvc into the cross - sectional shape as seen in fig2 and extends substantially from one end to the other of extrusion 18 . the reflector 30 thereof preferably is provided via silver polyester tape applied directly to the member at 30 so as to reflect light from light sources 28 a of the strip 28 upwardly through the lens 18 a of the extrusion 18 . the extrusion 18 typically is extruded pvc , with the lens 18 a being extruded simultaneously therewith of clear or no translucent pvc in a conventional manner . the light directing member 26 has a forward edge 34 which abuts a rear facing edge 18 f of the extrusion 18 , and has a rear facing edge 35 that abuts a forward face 18 g of the extrusion 18 . each of 34 , 35 , 18 f and 18 g preferably can be a flat surface or flat edges as seen in fig2 to facilitate sliding the member 26 into the channel 24 of the extrusion 18 . the rear facing edge 35 of member 26 angles or curves rearwardly at 36 thereby forming a hook for causing the member 26 to be retained and secured within the channel 24 by virtue of a corner 18 h of the extrusion 18 as well as the surfaces 18 f and 18 g thereof . the light directing member 26 further includes a concave or essentially a v - shaped upper section 37 which has fingers or ears 38 and 39 for engaging and holding light sources 28 a of the strip 28 . these light sources 28 a are conventional , and typically comprise led &# 39 ; s as noted earlier , and which are connected together by suitable electrical conductors which , in turn , are connected to a low voltage power supply ( not shown ) for supplying current to the light sources . with the configuration of the upper section 37 of the member 26 , it is relatively easy to slide the light sources 28 into the section 37 during manufacture such that members 26 of an appropriate length ( e . g ., of a length to fit into the extrusions 16 and 18 as seen in fig1 ) can be provided . similarly , the extrusions 16 and 18 can be cut to the appropriate lengths at the factory so that when the extrusions and the light directing members are delivered to the job site , they are already cut to the appropriate lengths to thereby simplify assembly onto the edge or nose or the stairs with screws , adhesives , or any other suitable fastening means conventionally used . the extrusion 18 also includes an upper slot 42 for receiving the end of carpet on top of the step , and a lower slot 44 for receiving the end of carpet or other decorative material provided on the riser below . another embodiment is illustrated in fig3 wherein a light directing member 60 uses a reflective surface 62 ( similar to 30 of fig2 ) for reflecting light upwardly from the lighting string 28 , and a fresnel or prism type lens section 64 for refracting and directing the light downwardly . the structure and shape of the member 60 is otherwise the same as member 26 . the extrusion 18 and lighting string 28 are the same as those of fig2 except the extrusion at the carpet slot 44 a does not have a rear vertical leg as in fig2 and thus an end of the carpet is held between the extension 18 at 44 a and the face of the step . the section 18 e of the extrusion 18 thus does not extend out as far ( as that of fig2 ) and accordingly blocks less light aimed at the riser and step below . as in the case of fig2 light directing member 60 preferably is extruded from clear polycarbonate to provide both the lens and a holder for the lighting string 28 . a silver polyester or other reflective tape can also be provided at 60 . this light directing member 60 includes a plurality of segments on each side , such as 64 a and 64 b , to provide the degree of illumination desired for the downwardly directed light to the riser and step below . the remainder of the member 60 is like member 26 in fig2 the difference being in sections 32 in fig2 and 60 in fig3 and each is extruded preferably of clear pvc . the third embodiment of a light directing member 80 is shown in fig4 and is like that of fig2 but uses an additional reflector . it is used with the same type nose extrusion 18 ( not shown in fig4 ). a first reflector 82 ( like 30 of fig2 and 62 of fig3 ) is used and an additional reflector 84 , along with a clear lens section 86 for the light directing member 80 . the extrusion for the member 80 is the same as in fig2 with the exception of the added reflector 84 , and the lighting string 28 is the same . the reflectors 84 and 82 are provided by the silver polyester tape as in the previous embodiments . fig5 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a light directing member 90 , and which is similar to that of fig2 and 3 and combines the best features of both . it has been found that in some applications the prism 64 arrangement of fig3 may not provide as much light as is desired on the step below . in the embodiment of fig5 the overall lens section 92 has both a clear lens section 94 and a prism - type lens section 96 . by eliminating the upper prism section and providing a clear lens section 94 , more light is directed downwardly toward the step below , whereas the prism section 96 directs light toward the riser . it is believed that this configuration provides a better balance of light onto the riser and the step below in some applications than the full prism 64 arrangement of fig3 which provides more light on the riser and less on the step below than the arrangement of fig5 . the light directing member 90 of fig5 includes a reflector 98 similar to the reflectors 30 , 62 and 82 of fig2 - 4 , and the structure and shape of the member 90 is otherwise the same as member 26 . finally , fig6 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a typical wireway extrusion 100 used with the stair nose extrusions 16 , 18 to provide a channel for wires connecting the lighting strips for each of the extrusions to a suitable source of electrical power . this extrusion 100 includes an interior channel 102 for receiving the connecting wires ( not shown ), and which is covered by a cover 104 similar to 18 b and 18 c of fig1 . the cover 104 snaps in at 105 , 106 as seen in fig6 to provide a suitable cover over the electrical conductors . while embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention , and all such modifications and equivalents are intended to be covered .	5
referring now more specifically to the drawings , there is illustrated therein an apparatus , generally indicated at 20 , for removing and baling plastic webs from agricultural fields where such webs have been used as mulch . apparatus 20 includes a chassis 21 having a frame 22 supported by springs 23a , 23b on an axle 24 which in turn is supported by a pair of wheels 25a , 25b . frame 22 has a pair of longitudinal side frame members 26a , 26b and a plurality of transverse frame members 27a - g , inclusive , interconnected into a rigid structure . a tongue 28 extends forwardly from the front of the frame 22 to permit apparatus 20 to be towed by a small tractor t or similar towing vehicle ( fig1 ). apparatus 20 includes plastic web feeding means 30 for removing one or more plastic webs p from the planting rows r 1 - r 6 as the apparatus 20 moves across the agricultural field and for feeding the plastic webs p into a plastic web baling means 80 . the feeding means 30 includes a pair of conveyor belts 31 , 32 which cooperate with each other to securely grip the plastic webs therebetween . the lower conveyor belt 31 is trained about rolls 33 , 34 at its opposite ends ( fig5 ). roll 33 is an idler roll and is journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 35a , 35b mounted on side rails 36a , 36b of a conveyor frame 37 . conveyor frame 37 is supported on side rails 26a , 26b by stanchions 38a , 38b . the roll 34 is a drive roll that is journaled for rotation in bearings 40a , 40b carried by side rails 36a , 36b , respectively and is driven in a manner to be described hereinafter . preferably , lower conveyor belt 31 is foraminous to permit dirt and small debris to pass therethrough ( fig4 ). upper conveyor belt 32 is trained about rolls 41 , 42 at its opposite ends . preferably , upper belt 32 is shorter than lower belt 31 so that roll 41 is spaced from roll 33 so that the lower end of lower belt 31 engages and supports the plastic webs before they enter between belts 31 and 32 . roll 41 is an idler roll that is journaled for free rotation in bearings 43a , 43b carried by side rails 44a , 44b ( fig4 ). roll 42 is a drive roll journaled for rotation in bearings 45a , 45b mounted on side rails 44a , 44b . roll 42 is driven in a manner hereinafter described . upper conveyor belt side rails 44a , 44b are mounted on conveyor frame side rails 36a , 36b , respectively , for vertical adjustable movement by mounting means 46a , 46b . mounting means 47a , 47b include bolts 47a , 47b which are slidably received in holes in side rails 36a , 36b and each of which have a head at one end and a nut and washer at the other end . springs 48a , 48b surround the bolts 47a , 47b and engage the underside of the upper flange of side rails 36a , 36b at one end and the washers on the bolts 47a , 47b at their other ends . the upper conveyor belt 32 is thusly spring biased toward lower conveyor belt 31 to accommodate varying thickness of the plastic webs while firmly gripping the plastic webs to generate sufficient pulling force to remove a plurality of such webs from the seed beds . in this regard , upper conveyor belt 32 preferably has a ribbed or otherwise roughened surface to increase the gripping force applied to the plastic webs . guide means 50 is provided on the outer end of the conveyor frame 37 for guiding the plastic webs from the seed beds to the conveyor belts 31 , 32 . guide means 50 includes a roller guide 51 journaled for free rotation at its opposite ends in a u - shaped support bracket 52 ( fig4 and 5 ). bracket 52 is mounted on the outer end of side rail 36a . guide means 50 further includes a stationary guide 53 having a plurality of guiding openings therethrough . stationary guide 53 is mounted on a cross bar 54 which in turn is mounted at its opposite ends on side rails 36a , 36b . in addition to guiding the plastic webs to the conveyor belts 31 , 32 , guide means 50 scrapes or otherwise dislodges a considerable amount of dirt and other debris from the plastic webs . conveyor belts 31 , 32 are driven by an hydraulic motor 60 which is mounted on a housing 61 carried by the upper end of side rail 36a . interiorly of housing 61 , motor 60 has a drive sprocket 62 on the shaft thereof and about which one end of a sprocket chain 63 is entrained . sprocket chain 63 drives sprockets 64 , 65 mounted on rolls 42 , 34 , respectively . hydraulic motor 60 is supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure by a pump 66 connected thereto by suitable hoses 67 ( fig2 ). pump 66 is driven by an internal combustion engine 68 . a reservoir 69 of hydraulic fluid is carried by cross frame members 27b and 27c and is connected to pump 66 by suitable hoses ( not shown ). a hopper 70 of sheet metal is mounted on the top of baling means 80 . hopper 70 includes a pair of substantially vertical side walls 71 , 72 , a front wall 73 which supports the upper , discharge end of conveyor means 30 and slopes downwardly and rearwardly therefrom , and a rear wall 74 which has a vertical portion at the top thereof and a downwardly and forwardly sloping portion at the bottom thereof . the bottom of hopper 70 is open and communicates with the interior of baling means 80 . baling means 80 includes a pair of side walls 81 , 82 carried by chassis frame 22 and extending from a forward end thereof just in front of the hopper 70 to a discharge end spaced substantially rearwardly of the hopper 70 . preferably , side walls 81 , 82 are constructed of sheet metal reinforced by upstanding posts 81a , 82a . a top wall 83 extends rearwardly from the rear wall 74 of the hopper 70 to the discharge end of the baling means 80 . similarly , a bottom wall 84 extends from the forward ends of the side walls 81 , 82 to the discharge end of the baling means 80 . preferably , top and bottom walls 83 , 84 are formed of a plurality of spaced apart , parallel bars 83a , 84a . the top and bottom walls 83 , 84 are connected to the side walls 81 , 82 to form a compaction chamber communicating with the hopper 70 at its forward end and terminating in a bale discharge opening at its rearward end . the bale discharge opening of baling means 80 is selectively opened and closed by a gate 85 . gate 85 is formed of a plurality of spaced apart , parallel bars 86 connected at their opposite ends by cross bars 87 . gate 85 is mounted for pivotal movement between a vertical or closed position and a horizontal or open position by a shaft 90 mounted on the lower end of gate 85 and brackets 91 mounted on cross frame member 27f and having holes therein through which shaft 90 extends . ( fig7 and 9 ). a rest member 92 is mounted on vertical bars 86 in a position to support the upper end of gate 85 on cross frame member 27g when gate 85 is in the horizontal or open position ( fig8 ). a latching means 93 is provided on top wall 83 above gate 85 to latch gate 85 in the vertical or closed position . latching means 93 includes a shaft 94 rotatably mounted on top wall 83 and having a handle 95 mounted on one end thereof . latch plates 96 are carried by shaft 94 and are adapted to engage the rear surface of upper cross bar 87 of gate 85 when latching means 93 is in latched position and to be spaced above upper cross bar 87 of gate 85 when latching means 93 is in the unlatched position ( fig8 ). compaction means 100 is provided for compacting the plastic webs in the baling means 80 . compaction means 100 includes a ram 101 mounted vertically within the compaction chamber defined by side walls 81 , 82 and top and bottom walls 83 , 84 and having a width and height substantially the same as the width and height of that chamber . ram 101 is carried by the outer ends of piston rods 102 , 103 of two hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 . hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 are mounted on stanchions 106 , 107 that are in turn mounted on the chassis frame 22 ( fig2 and 8 ). hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 are connected to pump 66 through a controller 110 ( fig3 ). controller 110 includes suitable control valves and a timing mechanism ( not shown ) that is well know to those skilled in the art of hydraulics . controller 110 controls the hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 to operate ram 101 between an inactive forward position in which ram 101 is positioned forwardly of the open bottom of hopper 70 and an active rearward position in which ram 101 is positioned rearwardly of the hopper 70 near the gate 85 . a hopper closure plate 111 is carried by ram 101 at its rearward end and extends forwardly thereof to a free forward end . closure plate has a length at least as great as the stroke of ram 101 and is moved with ram 101 to close the open bottom of hopper 70 on the compaction and retraction strokes of ram 101 . retaining means 112 is provided for retaining the compacted plastic webs in the compacted state upon retraction of ram 101 . retaining means 112 includes a plurality of retaining fingers 113 mounted for pivotal movement on a shaft 114 which is journaled for rotation in suitable bearings 115 . bearings 115 are mounted on top wall 83 rearward of hopper 70 but forwardly of the rearward position of ram 101 ( fig7 and 8 ). retaining fingers 113 normally occupy the position shown in fig7 in which they extend downwardly into the compaction chamber and in the path of ram 101 . in this position , the rear surface of fingers 113 will engage the front surface of the compacted mass of plastic webs and retain that compacted mass in the compacted state to prevent the compacted mass from expanding forwardly on the retraction stroke of ram 101 and closing the open bottom of hopper 70 . to complete the baling process , the compacted mass of plastic webs is banded into a bale 120 ( fig1 ). the rear face of ram 101 is provided with three vertical channels 121 , 122 , 123 ( fig1 ) to guide three bands b 1 , b 2 and b 3 into position in front of the compacted mass of plastic webs . if desired , a corrugated cardboard spacer c 1 , may be inserted into the rear end of the compaction space at the time gate 85 is closed . another cardboard spacer c 2 may be inserted in front of the compacted mass through hopper 70 . spacer c 2 will then be pushed rearwardly against the compacted mass by ram 101 . the bands b 1 , b 2 and b 3 are inserted downwardly through spaces between the bars 83a forming top wall 83 and along channels 121 , 122 and 123 and through spaces between the bars 84a forming bottom wall 84 . the bands are then pulled along the spaces between the bars 83a and 84a and the ends are brought together in the spaces between the bars 86 of gate 85 . the overlapped ends of bands b 1 , and b 2 and b 3 are secured together by clips in the normal manner . the bale 120 is then ready to be removed and stored for later disposal . storage racks 124 , 125 are provided on opposite sides of the rear end of the baling means 80 for temporary storage of completed bales 120 ( fig2 and 10 ). rollers 126 , 127 are mounted on the inside of storage racks 124 , 125 to assist in moving bales 126 from the gate 85 onto the storage racks 124 , 125 . the operation of the apparatus 20 will now be described in connection with a typical agricultural field in which row crops are normally grown . as shown in fig1 such an agricultural field typically will have the rows r arranged in groups with six rows r 1 - r 6 to the group . adjacent groups of rows are separated by an access space sufficiently wide for service equipment , such as tractors and trailers , to pass unimpeded therealong . each row r consists of a seed bed that is mounded above the access space and the spaces between rows and each seed bed of each of the rows r 1 - r 6 is covered by a plastic web p 1 - p 6 . the longitudinal edges of the plastic webs p 1 - p 6 are usually weighted down with soil placed on top thereof . holes are then formed along the center of the plastic webs and seedlings are planted in the seed beds through these holes and project upwardly therethrough . usually , a plurality of crops , typically two , are grown before the plastic webs p 1 - p 6 are removed , the seed beds are tilled and reformed and new plastic webs are applied . when the plastic webs p 1 - p 6 are to be removed , the apparatus 20 is towed along the access space between two groups of rows by a small tractor t , pick - up truck or the like . from one to three plastic webs p 1 - p 3 are started manually by having one end thereof picked - up from one end of the row , bunched together , threaded through one of the spaces in guide 53 and placed between the conveyor belts 31 and 32 . this start - up procedure is repeated for each additional plastic web up to three that is to be removed during each pass of the apparatus 20 . the towing vehicle is started moving slowly along the access space toward the opposite ends of the rows and the conveyor means 30 is activated by opening the valve ( not shown ) between hydraulic pump 66 and hydraulic motor 60 . the speed of forward travel of the apparatus 20 is correlated to the feeding rate of conveyor means 30 such that the plastic webs p are removed without undue stretching or tearing , but with sufficient tensile force to aid in removing dirt and other debris therefrom . the roller 51 guides the plastic webs p to the guide means 53 and cooperates with guide means 53 and conveyor belts 31 and 32 in removing dirt and other debris from the plastic webs . the removal of such dirt and debris is important because disposal facilities charge disposal fees based on both weight and volume . conveyor means 30 feeds the plastic webs p into hopper 70 and the plastic webs p fall through the open bottom thereof into the baling means 80 . ram 101 is operated by the hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 on a timed basis to cycle through its compaction and retraction strokes . on a compaction stroke , the ram 101 is moved rearwardly to compact the plastic webs p against the gate 85 which is in the vertical and latched position and engages and pivots upwardly the retaining fingers 113 . the closure plate 111 closes the open bottom of hopper 70 and the plastic webs p fed into hopper 70 by conveyor means 30 collect on the closure plate 111 until ram 101 is retracted . upon retraction of ram 101 , the retaining fingers 113 pivot downwardly and the compacted mass of plastic webs is retained in the rear portion of the baling means 80 by the retaining fingers 113 . this process is continued until a sufficient amount of the plastic webs p has been compacted to form a bale 120 . at that time , forward motion of the apparatus 20 is terminated and conveyor means 30 is stopped . the plastic webs p 1 - p 3 are severed at the discharge end of conveyor means 30 and ram 101 is activated to compact the remainder of the plastic webs into the rear end of baling means 80 and then retracted . while not necessary , but may be considered desirable , corrugated paperboard spacers c 1 and c 2 may be used on the front and rear of the bale 120 . if such spacers are used , the rear spacer c 1 would have been inserted in front of gate 85 when the gate was raised to the vertical and latched position , and the front spacer c 2 is now inserted through the open bottom of hopper 70 and ram 101 is activated to move the front spacer c 2 rearwardly into contact with the bale 120 . if no spacers are used , ram 101 would not be retracted from its last compaction stroke until banding has been accomplished . a plurality of bands , preferably three , b 1 - b 3 are inserted around bale 120 , and the spacers , if any are used , and the ends thereof are secured together by clips . ram 101 is then retracted to the inactive position . gate 85 is unlatched by rotating handle 95 forwardly and downwardly . gate 85 is then lowered to the horizontal position with the rest 92 on top of frame member 27g . in this position , it is noted that gate 85 is below the level of bottom wall 84 so that bale 120 may be easily pulled from the rear end of baling means 80 and will drop down a short distance onto the gate 85 . bale 120 may then be moved with the assistance of roller 126 or 127 onto storage rack 124 or 125 for temporary storage . gate 85 is then moved upwardly to the vertical position , with or without a spacer , and latched . forward movement of the apparatus 20 and operation of conveyor means 30 and ram 101 is again commenced until another bale is formed . in the drawings and specification , there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention , and although specific terms are employed , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation .	1
the following detailed description of the present invention refers to subject matter in the accompanying drawings which show , by way of illustration , specific aspects and embodiments in which the present subject matter may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter . references to “ an ”, “ one ”, or “ various ” embodiments in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment , and such references contemplate more than one embodiment . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope is defined only by the appended claims , along with the full scope of legal equivalents to which such claims are entitled . fig1 shows a modular connection assembly for a hearing assistance device having a first connector and a second connector , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . modular connection assembly 10 includes a first connector 20 and a second connector 30 . the first connector 20 includes a plurality of contacts 22 connected to a plurality of contacts 32 of the second connector 30 using a plurality of wires in cable 40 . the modular connection assembly 10 of fig1 demonstrates five ( 5 ) contacts per connector , but it is understood that other numbers of contacts may be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the modular connection assembly 10 can be used in a variety of applications , including , but not limited to , hearing aids featuring electronics connected to the first connector and electronics connected to the second connector . in various embodiments , the electronics connected to the first connector 20 include , but are not limited to one or more of a receiver , a microphone , a telecoil , a sensor , or combinations thereof . in various embodiments , the electronics connected to the second connector 30 include , but are not limited to , a behind - the - ear type device , a receiver - in - the - canal type device , a receiver - in - the - ear type device , and an over the ear type of device . various wires can be used in cable 40 , including , but not limited to , stranded litz wires . in various embodiments , the wires in cable 40 are flexible . in various embodiments , the wires in cable 40 are enclosed in tubing . the tubing can be made of any flexible material , including , but not limited to pebax . reinforced tubing , such as reinforced pebax may be used . with reinforcement , improvements in flex modulus of about five ( 5 ) times may be achieved and improvements of about ten ( 10 ) times the tensile and elongation strength of wall sections may be achieved . other amounts of reinforcement improvement can be achieved without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the connectors 22 and 32 can include a variety of conductors , and can be adapted to connect to a variety of receptacles . in various embodiments , constant contact is ensured by an elastomeric component having conductive and nonconductive portions which is placed under compression when the connector is seated in the receptacle . one such connection approach is includes the use of conductive silicone in making the connections . in one approach , for example , a conductive silicone pad is placed in the receptacle and oriented so that its conductive and insulative regions are in alignment with a series of conductors on the connector and in the receptacle . such designs include , but are not limited to , the approaches set forth in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 027 , 173 entitled : “ electrical contacts using conductive silicone in hearing assistance devices ” and ser . no . 11 / 857 , 439 entitled : “ system for hearing assistance device including receiver in the canal ,” the specifications of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety . one advantage of such connections is that they provide self - fitted interfaces . another advantage is that if properly designed , such connections can be moisture resistant or moisture proof . another advantage is that such connections reduce the need for very tight tolerance connections , which are difficult to produce and difficult to maintain . in one example application , a pad - to - pad variation of about 0 . 0002 inches ( 0 . 005 millimeters ) is used . other tolerances are possible , and this example is provide to illustrate a use of the present subject matter , but is not intended in an exclusive or exhaustive sense . connectors 20 and 30 may be color coded in various embodiments . connectors 20 and 30 may be symmetrical in various embodiments . connectors 20 and 30 may be asymmetrical in various embodiments . in various embodiments , connectors 20 and 30 include injection molded components . in various embodiments , connectors 20 and 30 include injection molded circuits . in various embodiments , connectors 20 and 30 are made using xylex ; however , it is understood that other polymers can be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig2 shows an enlarged view of the second connector of the modular connection assembly of fig1 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . contacts 32 at the end of the connector 30 are visible . these contacts are connected to wires in cable 40 . various strain reliefs are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter and these are shown to demonstrate possible uses of the present technology , but are not intended in a limiting or exhaustive sense . fig3 shows an exploded view of the second connector of the modular connection assembly of fig1 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . in this example , an injection molded circuit component 39 is employed (“ imc 39 ”). imc 39 is depicted showing five ( 5 ) contacts 32 and five ( 5 ) points of contact 36 are shown to illustrate one imc 39 , but it is understood that other connections are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . for example , in some embodiments connection pads 36 are used to connect wires from the cable to contacts 32 . other numbers of contacts and connection pads and other types of components 39 with different configurations are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig6 a - 6h demonstrate different views of two examples of types of components 39 . in fig3 one side of imc 39 is shown with three connection pads 36 , and fig4 shows the other side with two connection pads 36 . imc 39 can be disposed within an insulative two part plug portion 34 and 38 . one advantage of using polymers , such as xylex , is that various connector configurations can be made which allow for a good connection with a receptacle , both mechanically and electrically . the various connection pads 36 of imc 39 are connected to wires in cable 40 . these connections can be made by any type of connection method , including , but not limited to soldering . such connections may be made by hand or using automation . the plug part 38 can be connected to tubing of cable 40 and act as a strain relief . the internal plug portion 34 includes a positive stop that allows the assembly of connector 30 with a receptacle . in embodiments using a flexible conductive interface , such as conductive silicone , the connector 30 is inserted into a receptacle until the stop is reached . this provides compression of the conductive silicone and a mechanical interface is provided which can be secured in position to provide reliable electrical contact and water resistance or water proofing . the stop allows the connector to provide a form fit each time it is used without overstressing the conductive silicone component . it also provides a consistent connection without variation issues incumbent in tight tolerance connectors . fig5 shows a wiring configuration of the cable of the modular connection assembly of fig1 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . in the example provided herein , five ( 5 ) wires are used to connect to the five point connector of fig1 ; however , it is understood that a different number of wires and connections can be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . in the example provided herein , cable 40 includes a twisted pair 42 and a shielded wire bundle 44 . twisted pair 42 can be used for applications such as receiver connections where the twisting reduces conduction of certain types of electromagnetic interference . shielded wire bundle 44 is useful for connections such as microphone connections . the shield is made of any conductive and flexible material , included , but not limited to , braided stainless steel . the shield assists in reducing crosstalk between connections of the microphone and receiver , in applications where a microphone and receiver are used . it is understood that different numbers of conductors may be employed and that other forms of electromagnetic shielding or management may be performed . in one embodiment , the shielding is connected to other electronics or to an equipotential surface . in one embodiment , the shielding is not connected to other electronics or to an equipotential surface . in various embodiments a ferrite is used to limit electromagnetic interference . other approaches are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig6 a and 6b show a top view and a bottom view of an injection molded circuit connector ( imc connector ), according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the imc 60 includes connection pads 66 , traces 67 , and contacts 62 . detailed views of the traces are shown in fig6 d and 6e , according to one embodiment . a side view of imc 60 is shown in fig6 c . an end view of imc 60 is shown in fig6 f . in various embodiments , the contacts are conformed to a shape that is consistent with the imc 60 cross section . that is shown in fig6 f as rounded contacts at the extreme ends of the connector . it is understood that the contacts can be patterned in a variety of shapes and configurations , without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . it is understood also that the contacts may be symmetrical or asymmetrical as desired for any particular design . another embodiment of imc 60 is shown in fig6 g , h , i , j , k , and l . in the embodiment shown in fig6 g to 6l , the traces 67 are continuous to both ends of imc 60 and contacts 62 can be connected to the opposite end of the connector via traces 67 . although fig6 g to 6l relate to a 5 connection example , it is understood that other numbers of connections may be made without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . imc 60 can be used in connector 20 , connector 30 , or in both connectors . use of the same imc can reduce overall cost of manufacture and provide consistent connection designs . fig7 shows a process for construction of an imc connector , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . in this process the connector substrate is molded or cast 71 . such fabrication may include , but is not limited to , injection molding . the substrate is then laser patterned to provide patterns including one or more of connection pads , traces , and contacts 72 . the substrate is then plated with conductive material to provide the one or more of the connection pads , traces and contacts 73 . in one application , laser direct structuring ( lds ) technology is used to create molded interconnect devices . one such process is provided by tyco . the processes discussed herein are used to demonstrate only some processes , but it is understood that other processes are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . in various embodiments , the electronics connected to the first connector 20 and the second connector 30 include a mating receptacle to make a positive mechanical connection and provide good electrical connections . fig8 a - 8e demonstrate a process for connecting a device having a faceplate to a connector of the modular connection assembly , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . device 80 is adapted to be worn by a user of a hearing assistance device . it has a faceplate 88 with a retainer door 82 . in fig8 a the retainer door 82 is open to allow a connector to be inserted into receptacle 89 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . handle 84 is optional and may be used by the wearer to place the device 80 in or about the ear canal of the wearer . in embodiments of device 80 which include a microphone and a receiver , the five ( 5 ) point electrical connector and cable provided herein can provide microphone and receiver connections . in one embodiment , the connector 20 is inserted into the receptacle 89 and a positive stop is used to seat the connector , which mechanically compresses the conductive silicone portion 86 as discussed herein . in various embodiments a key slot molded into the retainer door 82 is used to guide the connector into the right orientation in receptacle 89 ( fig8 b ). the connector 20 is rotated to a vertical position in fig8 c . the retainer door 82 is closed to lock the connector 20 in place as demonstrated by fig8 d . the modular connection assembly 10 and device 80 are now connected both electrically and mechanically . in various embodiments , the connection is water resistant , water proof , and / or tamper proof . it is understood that other receptacle configurations and other devices may be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the other connector 30 can be attached to a ric device , rite device , bte device , or some other device , including , but not limited to a device that is over the ear . one such ric device , such as the zon ™ by starkey laboratories , inc . fig9 demonstrates one example of how contacts are disposed in a receptacle , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . a high temperature polymer is used to provide insert molded metal contacts 94 for the receptacle 90 . the nub or extension 92 can be used to make a pivoting assembly , such as with the “ hanging basket ” faceplate design 110 of fig1 . the nubs or extensions 92 can fit into apertures 112 to make a pivoting assembly . another design for a receptacle is found in fig1 , where receptacle 100 includes a molded in flex or imc insert 104 for contacts . nubs or extensions 102 can fit into apertures 112 to make a pivoting assembly . in various embodiments , the nubs serve as a retention mechanism , but are not pivoting . other receptacle and contact designs are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig1 shows an exploded view of the modular connection assembly , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . plug portions 1 and 2 of connector 20 surround imc 60 , which is soldered to wires in cable 40 in one embodiment . plug portions 38 and 34 surround imc 60 of connector 30 , which is soldered to the wires in cable 40 in one embodiment . fig1 shows that the retainer door 82 is adapted to be mounted in faceplate 88 and a conductive silicone layer 86 is adapted to provide connections to contacts 6 a mounted in receptacle 6 . fig1 demonstrates one use of the modular connection assembly with active components , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the device 140 includes battery 142 which powers one or more components in device 140 . a retainer door 82 holds the connector in place and compresses the connector against conductive silicone layer 86 , which in turn provides connection to contacts 6 a disposed in the receptacle . it is understood that various embodiments of the present subject matter provide a polymer housing and the ability to include a three - dimensional injection molded circuit which has a number of contacts . in various embodiments the injection molding ( ppa , lcp ) includes a 5 contact insert . the conductive silicone pad provides redundant connection and insulation bars in an existing hearing assistance device housing . it is understood that 2 , 3 , or 5 contacts can be utilized from the same flex . it is understood that the modular connection assembly can be used to connect hearing assistance electronics with one or more other devices , including , but not limited to a receiver , a telecoil , a sensor , a microphone , and / or combinations thereof . in one application a receiver that is adapted to be placed in an open ear configuration is designed to connect to connector 20 and a receiver - in - the ear or ric device is adapted to connect to connector 30 . in various embodiments , connectors 20 and 30 can be interchangeable . in various applications the receiver includes a mechanism to position the receiver within the ear canal . other apparatus can be included , such as another receiver or one or more of a telecoil or microphone or sensor . other variations exist without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . some variations include , but are not limited to , the following additional combinations ; however , it is understood that the present subject matter is not so limited . in various embodiments , the connections are used for a receiver connection in the ear and / or ear canal . such designs can provide increased performance in gain and output . in various embodiments , the connections are used for both a receiver and a telecoil placed closer to the ear canal . this allows for more enhanced usage with telephones and more natural positioning of a telecoil near the ear canal . in various embodiments , the connections are used for a receiver and one or more microphones . such embodiments allow for directional or array microphones with enhanced directionality and / or localization . such embodiments also provide the ability to use the connections for one or more microphones to receive sounds for real ear measurement . in various embodiments , the microphones can be situated on both sides of an ear mold or an ear bud , thereby providing sensing in the canal as well as at the opening of the ear . consequently , the use of microphones near the ear can alleviate space limitations in the behind - the - ear or over - the - ear electronics , in various embodiments . other sensors may be connected using the present system . for example , a gmr sensor ( giant magnetoresistive sensor ) or tmr ( tunneling magnetoresistive sensor ) may be connected using the present system . multiple receivers can also be connected to produce devices capable of transmitting sound on either side of the ear bud or earmold to provide functions , such as noise cancellation . additional combinations include , but are not limited to one or more microphones and a telecoil , one or more microphones and a gmr or tmr sensor , for example . additional embodiments provide connections and optionally conductors for antennas . the present connection system also allows for rechargeable applications and technology . thus , the present subject matter provides connections for a number of available configurations and for a variety of devices . the present connector can also be rapidly replaced for situations where the sensor and / or receiver at the end is desired to be changed . in embodiments where the components situated near the ear are integrated with the connector , the entire connector and component combination can be quickly and reliably interchanged . fig1 shows an isometric view of a microphone and receiver assembly 1500 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the assembly includes a microphone 1501 mounted between two receivers 1502 , 1503 . the assembly includes an acoustic spout 1504 for the microphone and an acoustic manifold 1505 with a port 1506 for the two receivers . in various embodiments , the microphone does not include a spout . the proximity of a microphone to a receiver in hearing assistance devices and the respective boundary conditions has been a factor in managing feedback . these constraints , historically , have negatively affected the final size of hearing assistance devices because the necessary suspension systems and multi layer barriers add size . the assembly 1500 reduces the need for the support systems and barriers by placing the microphone 1501 between two receivers 1502 , 1503 oriented such that the receiver diaphragms counteract each other in a manner that substantially negates receiver vibration paths into the microphone 1501 . in various embodiments , the assembly 1500 is enclosed in a housing adapted for wearing in the ear of a user . fig1 shows an isometric view of a microphone receiver assembly 1610 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter with the microphone 1611 offset between the two receivers 1612 , 1613 . such a configuration reduces the size of the receiver manifold 1616 from the embodiment of fig1 and provides additional separation between the microphone input 1614 and the receiver opening 1615 . as illustrated in fig1 , the dimensions of the microphone 1611 , such as the width , may be different than the dimensions of the receivers 1612 , 1613 in various embodiments . acoustic requirements of each application of the assembly often dictate the dimension of the receivers , the microphone or the receivers and the microphone . in some embodiments , the assembly connects to a connector assembly according to the present subject matter for further connection to a second device . the second device can include , for example , but is not limited to , a behind - the - ear type device , a receiver - in - the - ear ( receiver - in - the - canal ) type device , or an over the ear type of device . in various embodiments , the components of the microphone receiver assembly are mounted rigidly to each other to form the assembly and to reduce additional vibration sources . mounting techniques include , but are not limited to , mechanical fasteners , welding including laser welding , and gluing . fig1 shows a modular connection assembly with an integrated telecoil according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . a receiver , contained in upper housing 1701 is connected to the modular connection assembly 1702 . in various embodiments the connection is performed using a first connector , encased in lower housing 1703 which provides electrical and mechanical connections to the receiver . the modular connection assembly 1702 includes a second connector 1704 for connecting to a hearing assistance device . the lower housing 1703 is attached to a flexible retention device 1705 with an integrated telecoil 1706 . the retention device conforms to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear anatomy so that the receiver in upper housing 1701 is retained within a user &# 39 ; s ear in a stable and comfortable manner . in various embodiments , such as that demonstrated by fig1 , the telecoil 1706 is positioned at a distal end of the retention device 1705 . the retention device 1705 includes conducting wires to connect the telecoil 1716 to connector 1704 . such conductors may include contacts which are detachable at lower housing 1703 . these contacts can be a separate connector for quick assembly and disassembly , or can be soldered to make the connection . in various embodiments , the conductors from telecoil 1706 extend through the modular connection assembly 1702 to connector 1704 . in various embodiments , such as that demonstrated in fig1 , the telecoil 1815 is located near the receiver in upper housing 1810 so that the distal end of the retention device 1814 can be trimmed if desired without affecting the electrical nature of the device . this provides the ability to customize retention device 1814 of modular connection assembly 1811 . the connections of the telecoil 1815 can be made by a variety of connector and wiring options including those discussed above for the design of fig1 . thus , a connector in lower housing 1812 can be used to make connections between connector 1813 and a receiver in upper housing 1810 and the telecoil 1815 using the five ( 5 ) wire ( or other number of wires ) harness set forth herein . fig1 shows an exploded view of a modular connection assembly 1920 for a receiver with an integrated telecoil , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the modular connection assembly includes a connector portion 1921 , cable tubing 1922 , receiver assembly 1923 and a telecoil assembly 1924 . the receiver assembly 1923 is configured for positioning a receiver in an ear of a wearer . the receiver assembly 1923 includes an upper housing 1925 , a lower housing 1926 and a receiver 1927 . the upper 1925 and lower 1926 receiver housings enclose the receiver 1927 . such receivers include , but are not limited to a pulse 4400 receiver or a knowles fk receiver . it is understood that other receivers may be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the receiver 1927 is electrically connected to conductors ( not shown ) passing through the cable tube 1922 . in various embodiments , the conductors are soldered to the receiver 1927 . in various embodiments , receiver conductors are a twisted pair of conductors . as demonstrated by the embodiment of fig1 , the telecoil assembly 1924 couples to the receiver assembly 1923 . the telecoil assembly 1924 includes a telecoil housing 1928 , a telecoil 1929 and a retention element 1930 . the telecoil housing 1928 assembles with the upper 1925 and lower 1926 receiver housings . telecoil conductors pass through a conduit in the connecting portion 1931 of the telecoil housing 1928 from the lower receiver housing 1926 to connect to the telecoil 1929 , such as a ta32 , 3 - pin active telecoil , for example . it is understood that other telecoils may be used with the telecoil assembly without departing from the scope of the present subject matter , including , but not limited to , other active telecoils , other 3 - pin telecoils , and 2 - pin telecoils , including passive telecoils . in various embodiments other magnetic sensing and / or demodulating sensors are employed . for example , a gmr or tmr sensor may be used in conjunction with or instead of the telecoil , according to various embodiments . in various embodiments , the telecoil 1929 ( or other sensor ) is soldered to shielded conductors and is enclosed in the telecoil housing upon assembly . a flexible retention element 1930 couples to the telecoil housing 1928 to enclose the telecoil 1929 . the retention element 1930 is designed to conform to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear anatomy so that the receiver assembly 1923 is retained within the wearer &# 39 ; s ear in a stable and comfortable manner . it can be trimmed to a desired length for a better fit if needed . conductors pass through cable tubing 1922 that is coupled to the lower housing 1926 of the receiver assembly 1923 . the tubing 1922 can be made of any flexible material , including , but not limited to , pebax . reinforced tubing , such as reinforced pebax may be used . opposite the receiver assembly 1923 , the tubing 1922 connects to a connector assembly 1921 . in various embodiments , the connector assembly 1921 is a generic connector for connecting the modular connection assembly 1920 to the electronics of a hearing assistance device . in some embodiments , the connector assembly 1921 is a connector assembly according to the present subject matter ( see fig1 , assembly 30 and fig6 generally ). the illustrated connector assembly 1921 includes a strain relief 1931 for connecting to the cable tube 1922 , a molded interconnect device 1932 for connecting to conductors in the cable tube 1922 and a connector housing 1933 to retain the interconnect device 1932 in the strain relief 1931 and mechanically couple the connector assembly 1921 to a hearing assistance device such as a ric hearing assistance device , for example . the molded interconnect device 1932 includes connection pads , traces , and contacts for connecting to conductors in the cable tube and providing contacts for electrically connecting modular connection assembly 1920 to a hearing assistance device . in various embodiments , conductors from in the cable tube 1922 are soldered to contact pads of the molded interconnect device 1932 . in some embodiments , the molded interconnect device 1932 uses conductive silicone to connect to a hearing assistance device . several embodiments are provided herein . it is understood that other methods of connecting the conductors to the molded interconnect device and the molded interconnect device to a hearing assistance device are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig2 shows a cross - section view of a portion of an assembled modular connection assembly 2040 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the view includes an upper receiver housing 2041 and a lower receiver housing 2042 enclosing a receiver 2043 . the upper receiver housing 2041 includes an acoustic opening 2044 for directing sound from the receiver 2043 to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear . the assembled upper 2041 and lower 2042 receiver housings form an opening 2045 for coupling a telecoil assembly 2046 to the upper and lower receiver housings . the telecoil assembly 2046 includes a telecoil housing 2047 , telecoil 2048 and retention element 2049 . the telecoil housing 2047 includes a cavity 2050 for housing the telecoil 2048 . a retention element 2049 couples to the telecoil housing 2047 to enclose the cavity 2050 . the retention element 2049 is designed to conform to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear anatomy so that the receiver assembly 2051 is retained within the wearer &# 39 ; s ear in a stable and comfortable manner . a connecting portion 2052 of the telecoil housing includes a conduit 2053 for passing telecoil conductors from the lower receiver housing 2042 to the telecoil 2048 in the cavity 2050 . the lower receiver housing 2042 includes a cable opening 2054 for coupling to cable tubing 2055 . cable tubing protects receiver and telecoil conductors . the tubing 2054 can be made of any flexible material , including , but not limited to , pebax . reinforced tubing , such as reinforced pebax may be used . the telecoil ( or other sensor ) can be eliminated by changing the modular connection assembly if desired , as opposed to purchasing a different hearing assistance device without a telecoil . the external location of the telecoil ( or other sensor ) allows for better sensing of local magnetic fields for switching the hearing assistance device into a telecoil mode . in some cases , the removal of the telecoil from an electronics housing , such as the housings used in a receiver - in - the - ear ( ric ) design , make smaller housing designs possible . manufacturing simplicity can be increased by placing the telecoil in the retention mechanism . such designs can be pre - tested to assure proper operation of the telecoil portion of the device . such designs may provide less product variability and more operational reliability than designs where the telecoil is mounted in the electronics housing of the ric device . it is understood that other positions of the telecoil or other sensor along the length of the retention mechanism are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . in various embodiments , a shielded housing for the receiver reduces interference between the telecoil and the receiver . one type of shielding is magnetic shielding , such as mu - metal . it is understood that other magnetically permeable materials and apparatus can be used to form a shield about the receiver without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the present subject matter includes hearing assistance devices , including , but not limited to , cochlear implant type hearing devices , hearing aids , such as behind - the - ear ( bte ), receiver - in - the - canal ( ric ), receiver - in - the - ear ( rite ), and such devices that include in - the - ear ( ite ), in - the - canal ( itc ), or completely - in - the - canal ( cic ) type components . it is understood that behind - the - ear type hearing aids may include devices that reside substantially behind the ear or over the ear . such devices may include hearing aids with receivers associated with the electronics portion of the behind - the - ear device , or hearing aids of the type having receivers in - the - canal . it is understood that other hearing assistance devices not expressly stated herein may fall within the scope of the present subject matter . this application is intended to cover adaptations and variations of the present subject matter . it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the present subject matter should be determined with reference to the appended claim , along with the full scope of legal equivalents to which the claims are entitled .	7
in fig1 a process control instrument 11 includes a horizontal base plate 13 which serves as the foundation for the mounting of the rest of the components . each of two vertical support arms 15 is secured rigidly to the base plate and has attached to its upper end a thin , flexible tab 17 . each tab in turn is bonded to one of a pair of vertical sections 19 projecting upwardly from either side of a horizontally aligned bracket 21 . flexing of the two tabs permits the bracket to pivot vertically about the arms 15 . an upwardly projecting mechanical stop 23 , also rigidly mounted on the base plate , is positioned beneath the bracket and limits its downward travel . a bellows assembly 25 is disposed between the base plate 13 and the bracket 21 . the top of the bellows assembly is secured to the bracket by a nut 29 , whereby the bracket is constrained to move upwardly and downwardly in conjunction with movement of the bellows . an air inlet line 31 passes through the base plate and communicates with the hollow interior of the bellows . this line connects at its opposite end to an external source of variable pressure ( not shown ) which pressure is either the physical parameter being measured or is directly correlated to another variable physical parameter being measured . as this pressure varies , the internal pressure within the bellows varies accordingly , causing the bellows to expand or contract , and forcing the horizontal bracket to pivot upwardly or downwardly . a spring 33 positioned between the underside of the bracket and an adjustable stop 35 maintains an upward bias force against the bracket . altering the position of the stop , by turning a screw 34 threaded into the stop , either extends or compresses the spring , and changes the upward force . a tension arm 37 , a rectangular - shaped piece of spring - like material , is fastened at one end to the bracket 21 by a screw 39 , and extends generally parallel to the bracket , but is detached at its opposite end from the bracket itself . extending downwardly from the tension arm is a resilient ribbon 41 which is secured to the tension arm by means of a clamp 43 . the ribbon passes over a positioning rod 45 , downwardly through an opening 46 in the tension arm , contacts a bevelled edge 47 of a transverse bar 48 , passes through an opening 49 in the bracket , and continues through a vertical slot 50 cut into a face 51 of a mounting block 52 ( see also fig2 ). at its bottom end the ribbon passes over a second rod 53 and is fastened to the underside of the block by a clamp 54 . the ribbon is under tension because of the upward bias of the bracket - and - tension arm combination , under the influence of the spring 33 . clearly as the tension arm moves upwardly or downwardly with the bracket , under influence of signal pressure in the bellows , the tension applied to the ribbon varies accordingly . the maximum tension applied to the ribbon is limited by a pre - set tension in the arm 37 which serves as an overrange protection device . when both ends of the ribbon have been suitably clamped , the initial ribbon tension , and therefore its initial frequency , is set by applying a bias pressure ( typically 3 psig ) to the bellows 25 and adjusting the spring 33 and a stop screw 55 . when the pneumatic signal pressure within the bellows is increased , tension of the ribbon is increased accordingly . if excessive pressure is applied inadvertently to this bellows , the ribbon tension increases until the tension arm 37 no longer applies any force against the stop screw . beyond this point the tension arm actually separates from the top screw , and the ribbon tension is limited to a safe value determined by the spring rate of the tension arm . although the descriptive term &# 34 ; ribbon &# 34 ; has been used , the ribbon 41 can be replaced by any element which satisfies the more generic description &# 34 ; string &# 34 ;, by which is meant any thin , elongate element , regardless of its cross section , fixed at both ends and under tension , which can vibrate transversely with respect to its ends . as shown more clearly in fig2 and 3 , the plane of the ribbon 41 is parallel to the plane of the vertical face 51 of the mounting block 52 . a nozzle 59 is seated within the mounting block with its outlet port 61 positioned immediately behind the vibratable ribbon . air or other suitable gas is supplied to the nozzle from an external pressurized source ( not shown ) by means of a line 63 passing through the block . the air may be discharged from the nozzle in either a continuous or a pulsed mode . when air is discharged past the ribbon , the ribbon vibrates at its natural resonant frequency due to aerodynamic interaction with the stream of air . the nozzle is positioned behind the ribbon just far enough so as not to be struck by the ribbon as it vibrates to either side of its equilibrium position . typically the air pressures used are in the range of 3 - 20 psig , the commercially accepted standard range of pressures for pneumatic instrumentation , although others can be used . as is well known in the prior art , the resonant frequency of the ribbon is a function of the applied tension . therefore as the tension changes in accordance with the upward or downward movement of the tension arm 37 , the resonant frequency of the ribbon changes . the length of ribbon which actually vibrates is determined by the distance between the edge 48 of the transverse bar 49 and the lower rod 53 . the edge 48 functions in the manner of a bridge on a guitar or other stringed instrument . although in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 the air is supplied to the ribbon by a jet nozzle , other commonly available devices for delivering a flow of air , such as a simple orifice or a capillary tube , may be used . an important consideration is that a high - velocity fluid stream , having sufficient energy to induce vibration , be incident on the ribbon . in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 , the nozzle 59 is shown as being aligned perpendicularly to the flat surface of the ribbon 41 . however , experimentation has shown that other configurations are also successful in stimulating the ribbon into vibration . fig4 a - 6a and 4b - 6b are representative of such variations , and the same reference numerals as in fig1 and 2 are repeated to indicated corresponding elements . in fig4 a and 4b the ribbon is similarly oriented within the slot 50 in the mounting block 52 . however , the nozzle is not situated behind the ribbon , nor does it direct its air stream directly onto its flat surface . rather , the nozzle is at an oblique angle relative to a surface 67 of the block , and the air jet emitted from the nozzle travels across this surface and past the ribbon and slot . it has been found for these alternate configurations that the mode of vibration of the ribbon is determined by the relative position of the ribbon with respect to a top edge 69 of the slot . if the plane of the ribbon is flush with or below the level of this edge , the ribbon is excited into a rayleigh mode of excitation , which is the common transverse vibrational mode typical of a vibrating string . however , if the plane of the ribbon is above the height of the edge , a torsional , or twisting , mode occurs . the resonant frequencies of these two modes are not necessarily the same , however . in fig3 and 4b - 6b the plane of the ribbon is shown as being at the height of the edge , indicating that the rayleigh mode of vibration is intended . advantages of the rayleigh mode are that the amplitude of vibration is more nearly constant over a range of frequencies , and the resonant frequencies are more suitable to the conventional electronic circuitry used with previous vibrating element devices . in fig5 a , a modified block 52 is depicted . a first slot - defining shoulder 71 extends on the right - hand side along the full height of the block , whereas on the left - hand side only a short slot - defining shoulder 73 is present . note , however , that the nozzle 59 is positioned directly opposite this short shoulder section , so that the jet of air interacts with the ribbon within the slot formed between the right - hand and left - hand shoulders . in fig6 a and 6b , there is no slot , but rather a stepped arrangement , in which the ribbon is positioned level with the shoulder 71 . a particularly efficient device for directing air onto the vibrating ribbon , particularly in the orientation of fig1 and 2 , is shown in fig7 . the device 75 , which can be described by the term &# 34 ; impulse nozzle &# 34 ;, includes an outer section of tubing 77 which communicates with the pressurized source of gas or air ( not shown ), and a similar diameter inner section of tubing 79 tightly held within the outer section , and fixed thereto by a weld 81 . a hollow , spherically - shaped vessel 83 is located at the external mouth of the inner section of tubing , and is held in place by a weld 85 or other suitable bonding means . although this vessel is shown as being spherical in shape , enclosures having other shapes and defining an internal volume can be used . an inlet orifice 87 and an outlet orifice 88 are disposed in the outer wall of the vessel , the diameter of the inlet orifice being smaller than that of the outlet orifice . supply air pressure is maintained in a region 89 to the right of the inlet orifice 87 , so that the pressure within the spherical vessel approaches ambient pressure , provided that the vibrating ribbon 41 has not approached the outlet orifice sufficiently close to throttle the flow of air emanating from it . however , as the ribbon approaches the nozzle , it begins to lessen the flow of air from the outlet orifice , and at its point of closest approach the exiting flow rate becomes small compared to the flow rate into the inlet orifice . this results in a sharp rise in pressure within the vessel , provided that the recovery time of the impulse nozzle as measured by its time constant ( a function of the sizes of the orifices and the volume of the enclosure ), is less than or equal to the period of the natural fundamental frequency of the vibrating ribbon . particularly efficient operation of the nozzle , especially in terms of limited air usage and optimum energy transfer , has been observed when the nozzle time constant is less than or equal to approximately one - quarter of this period . since the natural frequency of the ribbon changes with the applied tension , the nozzle time constant must be gauged with respect to the period of the highest natural frequency within the variable range . as the ribbon 41 moves away from the nozzle 59 , the pressure within the spherical vessel 83 rapidly drops again to near ambient . thus the impulse nozzle functions much in the manner of a pneumatic analog to the escape mechanism of a pendulum clock , in that it applies a short duration pneumatic impulse at the proper time to the vibrating ribbon , to replace the energy lost to friction and thus sustain oscillation . the above - mentioned limitation as to the time constant of the impulse nozzle is analagous to that imposed on the time constant of the mechanical escapement . this limitation insures that the nozzle builds up the requisite pressure in the time between successive cycles of the vibrating ribbon . the time constant ↑ is given by the familiar formula ↑= rc , where r is a measure of the resistance to air flow , which is a function of the diameter of the inlet orifice 87 , and c represents the storage capacity of the nozzle , a function of the volume of the vessel 83 . determination of such time constants is well known to one skilled in the pneumatic arts . once the range of resonant frequencies of a particular vibratable ribbon has been identified , r and c are selected to yield the appropriate time constant and flow rate necessary for reliable operation . the following calculations , based on a representative impulse nozzle configuration , illustrate the efficiency of such a device . this example is offered solely for illustrative purposes , and should not be interpreted in any limiting sense . the ribbon , measuring approximately 0 . 001 inch thick by 0 . 020 inch wide by 1 . 0 inch in length , is configured to have a maximum resonant frequency of 5 , 000 hertz , and therefore a period of 0 . 0002 seconds . the time constant of the nozzle should be not greater than one - fourth of this period , i . e ., ↑= rc = 0 . 00005 second , and r and c must be chosen accordingly . for a supply pressure p of 10 psig , a supply flow rate f of 0 . 278 cubic inch / second , and an inlet orifice 87 of 0 . 006 inch diameter , ## equ1 ## accordingly , ## equ2 ## the volume v o of the vessel is determined from c according to the formula c = v o / p . thus ## equ3 ## this nozzle , when positioned relative to the ribbon in the manner depicted in fig1 and 2 , causes the ribbon to vibrate in its fundamental rayleigh mode , with a double amplitude swing of approximately 0 . 002 inch . this oscillation is achieved with an air flow rate , as mentioned above , of only 0 . 278 in 3 / sec , which comes to a little more than one - half standard cubic foot per hour . this extremely low flow rate represents a highly efficient energy consumption , and would present minimal demands on a typical pneumatic system . in fact , in case of a failure to the main air supply , it is conceivable that the ribbon could continue to be driven for a considerable time with a back - up supply in the form of a portable pressurized gas bottle . fig8 depicts an alternative construction of an impulse nozzle , one whose time constant is determined by slightly different factors . a length of capillary tubing 90 with a small central bore 91 is held tightly within an outer section of tubing 92 , the outer section being in fluid comunication with the source of pressurized air ( not shown ). whereas in the nozzle of fig7 the time constant ↑ is a function of r and c , in this version ↑= l / r , where l is a measure of the inertance of the system , as determined by the inertia of an air column within the bore of the capillary , and r is not only a function of the diameter of the capillary bore but of its length as well . similar to the previous case , r and l must be set to yield the appropriate time constant , in view of the resonant frequency of the ribbon . an advantage of either version of the impulse nozzle is that it concentrates the total energy available in the flow stream and releases it at the appropriate time . therefore the impulse nozzle is more efficient in its air usage than the conventional jet nozzle with its continuous high velocity air stream . since it is well known that the resonant frequency of the ribbon or other vibrating string varies in accordance with its tension and in turn in accordance with the changes in the physical parameter being measured ( as communicated through the bellows assembly 25 [ see fig1 ]), the frequency of vibration has to be detected , so that a correlation to the ultimate parameter being measured can be made . although any one of a variety of conventional detecting schemes can be used advantageously , a particularly useful scheme is an optical system similar to that disclosed in a copending patent application , ser . no . 350 , 687 , filed feb . 22 , 1982 , having the same assignee as the present application . referring to fig9 the optical detection system operates as follows . a power supply 93 provides voltage to a light - emitting diode ( led ) 95 , to generate a beam of light incident on a beamsplitter 97 . the light emitted by the led can be generated in either a continuous or a pulsed fashion , whichever is suitable to the application . the beamsplitter is designed so that for light incident from the left - hand direction , some of the light is transmitted straight through into a lens 99 , and some is reflected upwardly . the lens concentrates the transmitted light into an attached optical fiber 101 , the end of which is fixed within the mounting block 52 ( see also fig1 ), adjacent the ribbon 41 . the light is directed by the probe onto the rapidly vibrating ribbon . as the ribbon alternately moves toward , and then away from , the fiber 101 , the intensity of the light reflected by the outer surface of the ribbon back into the fiber varies periodically , at the same rate as the ribbon &# 39 ; s frequency of vibration . the outer surface of the ribbon can be coated with an optically reflective material to enhance the amount of reflection . this intensity - modulated reflected light travels back along the same optical fiber 101 to the beamsplitter 97 , where a portion of the light is reflected into a photodetector 105 . the photodetector converts the variable intensity light beam into an electrical signal whose level varies at the same frequency . the electrical output from the photodetector is amplified by an amplifier 107 and is fed into a conventional electronic circuit 109 , which correlates the frequency signal to the magnitude of the process parameter being measured . the output of this circuit can be used to operate a display or be further processed to serve other process control functions . an advantage of combining the optical detection scheme with the pneumatic drive mechanism is the inherent intrinsic safety of the combination . only passive , non - spark producing components such as the optical fiber 101 , the vibrating ribbon 41 and the pneumatic nozzle 59 , need be located within the process environment being monitored ( indicated schematically by the dotted line 111 ), should the environment contain an explosive atmosphere . the electrical and electronic control circuity , on the other hand , is located at a remote control station 113 , separated from the explosive environment by thousands of feet , yet actively communicating with the distant components via safe light signals . although the present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying figures , certain modifications and changes will become apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , modifications in the mounting of the vibrating ribbon , in the physical relationship between the ribbon and the driving nozzle , or in the structure of the ribbon itself may be envisioned , as well as alternate schemes for detecting the frequency of oscillation , whether by optical or non - optical means . nevertheless it is intended that such modifications be encompassed within the scope of the following appended claims .	6
now , having illustrated the improvement of the present invention there is shown the construction of the prophylactic ( 1 ). as shown in the close - up window detail view of fig1 the prophylactic ( 1 ) includes incorporated fabric ( 2 ). fabric ( 2 ) is constituted by a patterned weave consisting essentially of inelastic extremely thin filaments ( 3 ), which filaments ( 3 ) constitute the weft of the weave connected to extremely thin elastomeric filaments ( 4 ) that constitute the warp of the weave of the fabric ( 2 ) incorporated into the prophylactic ( 1 ). fabric ( 2 ) is incorporated in the following manner : a base latex layer ( 11 ) is shaped on which a second layer ( 12 ) being also of latex is arranged ( 12 ). once both layers ( 11 ) and ( 12 ) are consolidated and superposed , such as is illustrated in detail in fig1 the fabric ( 2 ) base of the present improvement to the basic body of the prophylactic ( 1 ) is interpolated in solidarity with the body of the prophylactic ( 1 ) in an integral set , through a coating of the assembly with a lasting and extremely thin latex layer ( 13 ). the prophylactic ( 1 ) is finally shaped in definitive form in a simple and effective manner since the fabric ( 2 ) shaped by the weft ( 3 ) and the warp ( 4 ) is allowed to have an elastic adjustment of the improved unit in a radial direction to the axis of prophylactic ( 1 ), following a deformation in the direction illustrated by arrows f - f &# 39 ; thereby avoiding the stretching in the longitudinal direction of the prophylactic ( 1 ). this construction of prophylactic ( 1 ) with woven fabric ( 2 ) removes the possibilities of producing cracks in the prophylactic ( 1 ) or the breaking of same , since woven fabric ( 2 ) eliminates the longitudinal stretching , which longitudinal stretching is precisely the cause that most frequently produces same . optionally , further layers may constitute a plurality of layers with layers ( 11 ), ( 12 ) and ( 13 ) of prophylactic ( 1 ). fig2 shows a close - up view of the embodiment of the incorporated fabric of the prophylactic , as shown in fig1 showing the elastomeric filaments 4 of the fabric 2 and the elasticity of the fabric warp , and its elasticity in a sense direction and the rigid filaments 3 of the weft interweaving on the above mentioned warp , which filaments 3 , 4 are incorporated in the improvement illustrated in fig1 . fig3 shows an alternate embodiment for a variant of the improved prophylactic illustrated in fig1 in the construction of which prophylactic there is provided the elastomeric filaments 4 &# 39 ; of the warp , showing the expansion sense of the warp ; as well as the inelastic longitudinal filaments 3 &# 39 ; of the waft , which are interweaved with the elastomeric filaments 4 &# 39 ; of the warp . the elastomeric filaments 4 &# 39 ; of the warp are shown in the expansion direction , as well as the inelastic longitudinal filaments 3 &# 39 ; that constitute the waft in the fabric of the improved prophylactic of the present invention . it is hereby clarified that although the above mentioned construction of the prophylactic of the present invention is shown arranged a simple illustrative example , of the embodiments made therein , the fabric may be incorporated among any of the latex layers with which the prophylactic is manufactured , without same affecting the scope or essence of the present invention as noted in the appended claims .	0
an inertial electrostatic confinement ( iec ) particle generator is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 232 , 764 ( miley et al .) which was filed on apr . 25 , 1994 and is incorporated herein by reference . the inertial electrostatic confinement device disclosed therein includes a vacuum vessel which is held at ground potential and contains internally and concentric to the vessel , a wire grid which acts as a cathode . the cathode may be made from a variety of metals having structural strength and appropriate secondary electron and thermionic electron coefficients . the cathode wire grid is connected to a power source to provide a high negative potential ( 30 kv - 70 kv ), while the vessel itself is conductive and maintained at a ground potential . deuterium or a mixture of deuterium and tritium gas is introduced into the vessel . a voltage is applied to the cathode wire grid and the pressure is adjusted in order initiate a glow discharge . to maximize the neutron yield per unit power input while maximizing grid life - time by reducing collisions with a grid , operational conditions are used to create a “ star ” glow discharge mode . the glow discharge generates ions which are extracted from the discharge by the electric field created by the cathode grid . these ions are accelerated through the grid openings and focused at a spot in the center of the spherical device . the resulting high energy ions interact with the background gas ( beam - background collisions ) and themselves ( beam - beam collisions ) in a small volume around the center spot , resulting in a high rate of fusion reactions . the result is a neutron generator producing neutrons as one of the d - t fusion reaction products . where the ejection rates are high , the ejected ions may provide a deep - self generated potential well that confines trapped beam ions , creating even higher reaction rates . the device may be modified by using a field gas mixture of deuterium and helium - 3 to be a source of protons as well as neutrons . one geometrical form of the device is spherical and as seen in fig1 . this device is based upon the principle of an ion accelerator with a plasma target . in a neutron - generator embodiment , deuterium - deuterium fusion reactions takes place in the plasma target and produce energetic neutrons . the device acts as a simple spherical plasma diode , having a ground potential on the outer sphere and a negative potential on a nearly geometrically transparent inner spherical grid . the spherical inertial electrostatic confinement device 10 is illustrated in fig1 where a conductive vacuum chamber 11 is connected to a ground potential at contact 17 . the device has a cathode grid 12 which defines a small sphere within the chamber and has a grid design that provides a high geometric transparency . in operation , however , this grid design has an even higher effective transparency , due to the effect of a concentration of ions into a “ microchannels ”, as subsequently described . a source of power 14 is connected by a high voltage feed through to the internal cathode grid 12 . the voltage has a negative value , thereby providing a bias between the relatively positive walls of the vacuum chamber and the central grid area . gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber 11 by a control valve 15 and is evacuated by a pump 18 . upon application of a potential to the cathode grid , under certain grid - voltage , gas pressure , gas type and grid - configuration conditions , high density ions and electron beams will form within the iec device initiating a “ star ” mode of operation . in this mode , high density space charged neutralized ion beams are formed into microchannels that pass through the open spaces between the grid wires . as the ions avoid contact with the wires , this mode increases the effective grid transparency to a level above the geometric value . these microchannels significantly reduce grid bombardment and erosion and increase power efficiency . for conventional star mode operation , the grid and microchannel beams are symmetric so that a convergent high - density core develops . the inertial electrostatic confinement device serves as a valuable source of neutrons or protons . the spherical inertial electrostatic confinement ( iec ) device has been used as a plasma fusion reactor . in a plasma fusion reactor , the energy production must compete with inevitable losses , and the role of the processes which result in such losses is crucial in determining the operating temperature of a plasma fusion reactor . some energy losses can be minimized by a suitable choice of certain design parameters , but others are inherent in the reacting system ; one of these is bremsstrahlung radiation . the efficiency of neutron production competes with the inevitable losses of bremsstrahlung radiation that are inherent in the reacting system . high intensity x - rays were measured in experiments hirsch &# 39 ; s x - ray measurement . previously , the goal was to minimize the bremsstrahlung radiation by a suitable choice of certain design parameters . affirmative use of this property can permit a device to serve as x - ray source . an iec plasma x - ray source may have the general structure as seen in fig2 wherein electrons are injected into the center of a spherical iec device 400 , formed from two spherical concentric electrodes . the inner electrode 401 ( anode ) made of a highly transparent grid (& gt ; 90 %, preferably & gt ; 95 %, transparency ) is charged to a positive voltage , preferably in a range of 1 kv to 150 kv , relative to the outer grounded electrode 402 ( cathode ), at driving currents varying from 1 ma to 100 ma . the outer electrode is a hermedically sealed vacuum chamber that supports a pressure of less than 10 − 6 torr . electrons emanating from the cathode 402 are attracted to the anode 401 , and pass through the anode ( grid ) many times before being captured by the grid . due to spherical convergence , the injection of electrons constitute an accumulation of electrons that forms a dense electron cloud which then can be used to accelerate and heat ions . the electrons are injected by electron emitters 409 which are electrically heated to generate the electrons . there are at least two , preferably four to eight , such assemblies , and each assembly is comprised of an electron emitter and an electron extractor . the operation generates intense bremsstrahlung radiation in the spherical center due to the strong electron — electron interactions at a relativistic speed accelerated by the grid bias . the energy spectrum of the emitted x - rays shifts as the grid bias is changed . notably , the bias on this configuration is opposite to that seen in fig1 wherein the central grid is a cathode and the chamber 11 serves as an anode . as is well known , the plasma in a thermonuclear reactor consists of stripped nuclei of hydrogen isotopes together with electrons . from such a plasma , energy will inevitably be lost in the form of bremsstrahlung , that is , radiation emitted by charged particles , mainly the electrons , as a result of deflection by the coulomb fields of other charged particles . an expression for the rate of electron - ion bremsstrahlung energy emission of the correct form l . spitzer , usaec report nyo - 6049 ( 1954 ), p . 9 ., but differing by a small numerical factor from the result obtained by a more rigorous procedure , can be derived from the classical expression for the rate p e at which energy is radiated by an accelerated electron , namely , p e = 2   e 2 3   c 3   a 2 ( 1 ) where e is the electron charge , c is the velocity of light , and a is the electron acceleration . the total power p br radiated as bremsstrahlung per unit volume has been calculated in a maxwellian distribution of velocity among the electrons in a system containing a single ionic species of charge z . s glassston and r . h . lovberg controlled thermonuclear reactions , van nostrand reinhold company , 1960 , chapter 2 . p hr = 16   π 2 3 1 / 2   ( kt e ) 1 / 2  e 6 m e 3 / 2   c 3  h   n e  niz 2 ( 2 ) where t e is the kinetic temperature of the electrons in a maxwellian distribution , n e and n i are the density of electron and ion , respectively , m e is the electron rest mass , and h is planck &# 39 ; s constant . the classical expression for the rate of bremmstrahlung emission per unit volume per unit frequency interval in the frequency range from v to v + dv is dp v = 16   π 2 3 1 / 2   ( kt e ) 1 / 2   e 6 m e 3 / 2   c 3   n e  niz 2  exp  ( - hv / kt e )  dv . ( 3 ) upon integration over all frequencies , this expression leads to equation ( 2 ). for arbitrary electron and ion densities , the equation ( 3 ) expressed in terms of wave length , the relative values of dpλ ,/ dλ have been plotted as a function of wave length in fig4 ( from c . t . ulrey : phys . rev ., 11 : 401 ( 1918 ), as cited on page 616 , evans , the atomic nucleus , mcgraw - hill , inc ., ( 1972 ). while this calculation was performed for a thick tungsten target , the shape of the spectra is expected to be quite similar to that obtained from the ied due to the similarity of the x - ray production mechanisms . to the left of the maximum for each curve , the energy emission as bremsstrahlung is dominated by the exponential term and decreases rapidly with decreasing wave length . the bremsstrahlung power distribution is calculated assuming a maxwellian electron velocity distribution . for monoenergetic electron velocity , the distribution is expected to be narrower . at temperature below 50 kev , the bremsstrahlung from a plasma arises almost entirely from electron - ion interactions . at high temperatures , the production of bremsstrahlung due to electron — electron interactions , as distinct from those resulting from the electron - ion interactions , will be significant . provided relativistic effects do not arise , there should be no electron — electron bremsttrahlung , but at high electron velocities such is not the case and appreciable losses can occur from this form of radiation . the following results will provide a general indication of the situation . at an electron kinetic temperature of 25 kev the ratio of electron — electron bremsstrahlung energy to that for electron - ion interaction is estimated to be 0 . 06 , at 50 kev it is 0 . 13 , and at 100 kev it is 0 . 34 . c . f . wandel , et al , nuclear instr ., 4 , 249 ( 1959 ). r . f . post , ann . rev . nuclear sci , 9 , 367 ( 1959 ). in the iec configuration , under proper conditions of current - voltage - pressure , a virtual cathode can form . [ g . miley et al , inertial - electrostatic confinement neutron / proton source , aip conf . proc . 299 . editors : m . haines , a . knight .] in that case , deceleration of the electrons as they approach the virtual cathode makes an additional contribution to the x - ray yield . [ r . eisberg , quantum physics of atoms , molecules , solids , nuclei , and particles , 2nd ed ., john wiley and sons , 1985 .] this term can equal or dominate the electron / electron collisional contributions , depending of the height of the virtual cathode . since electrons can lose their entire energy x - rays in this case , the effect generally causes a shift of the x - ray spectrum to higher energies . experimental measures of the x - ray spectrum have been carried out using the experiment setup described in fig2 . results are shown in fig3 . as expected , the data follows along a curve very similar to calculated spectra , previously shown in fig4 . the iec spectrum in fig3 was taken with the applied voltage set at 30 kv . the measured spectrum is somewhat broad having a 15 kev full - width at half - maximum ( fwhm ) for a spectrum ranging up to 230 kv ( comparable to a 12 kev fwhm for e - 30 kev in fig4 ). the peak of the distribution can be shifted by varying the applied grid voltage to give a series of spectra similar to that of fig4 . for many experiments , a broad - range spectrum of this nature is quite useful . however , in some cases it may be desirable to employ a narrow band of x - ray energies . if so , a narrower spectrum or “ band ” can be selected by bragg reflection from crystal surfaces , or by diffraction gratings , or by using other “ conventional ” x - ray optics techniques ( j . b . murphy et al ., “ synchrotron radiation resources and condensers for projection x - ray lithography ,” appl . optics , vol . 32 , no . 34 , pp . 6920 - 6929 ( dec . 1 , 1933 ); i . a . artyukov et al ., “ on the efficiency of grazing incidence optics : the spiral collimator ,” in short wavelength lasers and their applications , nova science publishers , inc ., n . y ., pp . 299 - 310 ( 1992 ); h . takenaka et al ., “ heat resistance of mo - based and w - based multilayer soft x - ray mirrors ,” in laser interaction and rolation plasma phenomena , 12 international conference , osaka , japan 1995 , part ii , american institute of physics , pp . 808 - 813 ( 1992 ).) such x - ray band selection is especially desirable in certain types of experiments or industrial applications where a narrow range of x - ray energies is desired . by using band selection techniques , the iec voltage is first tuned to optimize the overall x - ray spectrum in the range desired . the x - ray band selector is then employed to further narrow the range of x - ray wavelengths striking the target or spectrum under treatment . this process is illustrated in fig5 . assuming that x - rays in the wavelength range 0 . 45 - 0 . 55 nm are desired , the iec voltage is first raised to 50 kv . this shifts the maximum intensity of the broad x - ray spectrum such that , as seen in the figure , the peak lies over the desired range . then , an appropriate band selection technique ( diffraction grating , etc .) is employed to select the 0 . 45 - 0 . 55 nm band . as observed from the figure , this procedure , adjusting the iec x - ray spectrum followed by band selection , optimizes the x - ray intensity obtained in the desired range . if the iec voltage had not been optimized , e . g ., left at 30 kv or lower , the figure shows that the intensity in the desired band would be reduced by 50 % or more . otherwise , if a narrow wavelength of x - rays is not required , the tuned iec x - ray can be used directly . coupling of the band selection optics to the iec x - ray source can be accomplished in a variety of ways . two characteristic methods , illustrated in fig6 a and 6 b , differ by inserting the selection optics and target inside the iec vacuum chamber 11 , or using external optics 501 with x - rays extracted from the vacuum vessel through a thin , vacuum - tight , metallic x - ray window 502 . fig6 a uses “ conventional ” x - ray diffraction optics 451 ( c . v . azaroff , x - ray spectroscopy mcgraw - hill , n . y ., ( 1973 ).) for band selection . it and the target 452 are located in an expanded port 453 on the side of the iec . the port 453 is connected through an opening 404 in the main vacuum vessel such that x - rays escape the iec grid region and enter the optics system while the port volume is maintained under vacuum conditions through the main chamber pumping system . a double valve 455 arrangement on the end of the port allows convenient insertion and removal of targets / specimens without breaking the main chamber vacuum . this method has the advantage that the x - rays escaping the iec are not attenuated by use of a vacuum window ( such as in fig6 b ), and the target can be maintained under vacuum conditions . on the other hand , insertion and removal of the target / speculum through the double gate valve system is a complication . if a slightly reduced x - ray intensity is tolerable , and if the target need not be maintained under vacuum , the external arrangement of fig6 b can be used . here x - rays from the iec chamber 11 escape through a low - z metallic window 502 . a low - z material such as be would be used to minimize x - ray attenuation which maintaining structural strength to hold vacuum conditions . select glasses containing a minimum concentration of high - z materials like lead could also be employed if visual observation into the chamber were desired . the two arrangements in fig6 are considered typical examples . a number of variations in geometry , and selection optics , target / spectrum insertion / removal could be considered for specific applications . for example prisms also may be used . other applications of the iec x - ray source 601 involve x - ray imaging . such techniques for using soft x - rays are well - known , e . g ., i . h . hutchinson , principles of plasma diagnostics , cambridge university press , n . y ., ( 1987 ). a typical approach for adapting the iec to this use is illustrated in fig7 . in this figure , the x - rays 600 are passed through a conventional pinhole camera system 604 , the image being recorded on a detector 605 as shown or on photographic film . the subject 603 being photographed would be placed in the x - ray path in the appropriate position desired to obtain the focal length . the subject would be sufficiently thin that x - ray transmission through it would be possible . an x - ray window is used in the arrangement illustrated in analogy with fig6 b . however , if a vacuum arrangement is desired , a geometry similar to fig6 a could be employed . the foregoing characteristics of the bremsstrahlung effect in a plasma can be the basis for the proper selection of parameters in an iec device such that a turnable x - ray source can be achieved . as seen in fig2 in an iec - ss system 400 electrons from electron emitters 409 , which are heated by application of an electric current of 1 a to 15 a at a driving voltage of 5 - 15v , from a source 410 , are accelerated 10 &# 39 ; s kev up to 100 kev by a spherical anode grid 401 that is disposed within a spherical vacuum confinement vessel 402 , which also serves as a cathode . the spherical wire grid 401 is a self - supporting structure , free from internal supports , having a plurality of openings through which electrons may flow . the grid also may be formed of a plurality of vanes , joined together in a geometric pattern which provides a thin profile when viewed in a radial direction in order to achieve a high geometric transparency . due to the spherical convergence , the energetic electrons 403 collide in the center of sphere 404 . the interactions between the high energy electrons create intense x - rays . the x - ray spectra are dependent on the electron energy controlled by the grid bias 405 . the x - rays are directed to a window 406 in a wall of the vessel and transmitted via a cylindrical passage 407 to a detector 408 . within the passage or at other convenient locations in the path of the x - rays , a means for narrowing the spectrum of the x - rays could be disposed . such means could be a device using bragg reflection from a crystal surface , diffraction gratings , prisms , or the like . the iec - ss makes possible the generation of x - rays using relatively low - energy electrons . the iec - ss has a number of potentially unique and attractive features which may serve a variety of applications . these features include compactness , relatively low cost , tunability , high photon energy operation . the relatively narrow natural line - width associated with the iec - ss can provide less unusable radiation which could damage optics and target samples . in addition , by varying the electron pulse energy in an iec - ss pulsed mode , chirped x - ray pulses may be generated . the pulse structure , tunability and high photon energy capability of the iec - ss may provide an important tool for studying ultra - fast phenomena . furthermore , the relatively low cost and compactness of a iec - ss can make synchrotron light sources more readily available to users . extended x - ray absorption fine structure ( exafs ), which is a powerful tool for structural determination in the materials , biomedical , and many other scientific fields , has been studied usually at synchrotron radiation ( sr ) facilities , so far . the development of instruments for exafs measurements in a laboratory is important because of their complementary usefulness for experiments with sr , especially when special sample preparation and / or quick feedback of the analysis are required . the problem with exafs measurements performed in a laboratory is mainly the degradation of spectrum caused by strong characteristic x - ray lines from the source . it is important to develop an x - ray source for dedicated use in exafs experiments . so far , the x - ray sources have been mostly used for x - ray diffractometry . therefore , the electron gun is usually designed to operate at high tube voltage to provide strong characteristic x - rays . on the contrary , an exafs experiment requires intense continuum x - rays . the use of laboratory base iec - ss may alleviate e this problem . one practical application of the e iec - ss x - ray beam is to significantly enhance the imaging ability of low concentration of trace elements in the human body . specifically , it could be used in digital differential angiography ( dda ), a new medical x - ray diagnostic concept . p . r . moran , et al , physics today , july ( 1983 ); also in “ optics today ,” edited by j . n . howard ( aip , new york , 1986 ), p . 308 . this new technique is a differential x - ray absorption diagnostic procedure for imaging blood vessels . in conventional angiography , x - ray imaging of blood vessels is achieved by intravenously injecting an x - ray absorbing substance such as iodine . the available x - rays used for imaging are extremely broad band and large doses of both iodine and x - rays are required . a tunable x - ray beam , using a differential x - ray absorption technique , would be a very sensitive diagnostics tool for measuring low concentrations of iodine at a reduced radiation dose . iodine has a k - edge absorption at a photon energy of ˜ 33 kev . in dda , two x - ray beams are used : on at 33 kev ( energy for peak absorption in iodine ) and the other at ˜ 30 kev . the mass attenuation coefficients for these two photon energies differ by a factor of ˜ 8 . the photon flush through the tissue is proportional to the exponent of the mass attenuation coefficient times the mass thickness of the tissue . therefore , the difference between the 33 kev photon image and the 30 kev photon image is a direct and sensitive measure of the concentration of iodine , while the images of the bones and other tissues not containing the iodine is suppressed . this differential x - ray absorbing technique would use much lower concentrations of iodine injected “ noninvasively ” into the heart via the bloodstream . the imaging and subtraction of the two x - ray beams would be performed at the same time and , therefore , patient movement during the imaging process would not be a factor . while the present invention has been described in connection with several preferred embodiments , the invention is not limited thereto , and its scope is to be defined by the following claims .	7
the compounds of formula i can be readily prepared by one of ordinary skill in the art . suitable synthetic methods are found , for example , in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 766 , 114 , 3 , 758 , 528 and 3 , 821 , 249 , all of malen et al ., and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 441 , 165 of blanchard et al ., the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . certain compounds of formula i , such as tianeptine ( see formula ii , below ), possess an asymmetric carbon . the position of the asymmetric carbon is denoted by an asterisk (*) in formula i ; for this carbon to be considered asymmetric , each of the four groups attached to it must be nonequivalent . one skilled in the art can readily determine which compounds of formula i possess an asymmetric carbon . those compounds of formula i which have this asymmetric carbon can exist as both ( r ) and ( s ) enantiomers . typically , the ( r ) and ( s ) enantiomers of a given compound of formula i exist as a racemate . in the practice of the present invention , both racemates and individual ( r ) or ( s ) enantiomers of a compound of formula i can be used to treat ibs or nud . according to certain embodiments of the invention , an ( r )- enantiomer of a compound of formula i which is substantially free of the corresponding ( s )- enantiomer , or an ( s )- enantiomer of a compound of formula i which is substantially free of the corresponding ( r )- enantiomer , is used to treat ibs or nud . to isolate the individual ( r )- and ( s )- enantiomers of a compound of formula i , the racemate of that compound must be resolved . this resolution can be achieved by converting a racemic compound of formula i into a pair of diastereomers , for example by covalently bonding to an optically active moiety or by salt formation with an optically active base or acid . either method provides a molecule with a second chiral center , thus generating a pair of diastereomers . the diastereomeric pair can then be separated by conventional methods , such as crystallization or chromatography . for example , racemic compounds of formula i can be converted to the ( s )- dibenzoyltartaric acid salt , which is a diastereomeric mixture of ss and rs configurations . the pairs of diastereomers ( r , s ) and ( s , s ) possess different properties ( e . g ., differential solubilities ) that allow for the use of conventional separation methods . fractional crystallization of diastereomeric salts from a suitable solvent is one such separation method . racemic compounds of formula i can be separated into enantiomers without diastereomer formation , for example , by differential absorption on a chiral stationary phase of a chromatography ( e . g ., hplc ) column . preparative hplc columns suitable for diastereomer separation are commercially available with a variety of packing materials to suit a broad range of separation applications . stationary phases suitable for resolving racemic compounds of formula i include : ( i ) macrocyclic glycopeptides , such as silica - bonded vancomycin which contains 18 chiral centers surrounding three pockets or cavities ; chiral α 1 - acid glycoprotein is a highly stable protein immobilized onto spherical silica particles that tolerates high concentrations of organic solvents , high and low ph , and high temperatures . human serum albumin is especially suited for the resolution of weak and strong acids and zwitterionic and nonprotolytic compounds , but is also used to resolve basic compounds . cbh is a very stable enzyme that that is typically immobilized onto spherical silica particles for separating enantiomers of basic drugs from many compound classes . other chromatographic techniques suitable for resolving racemic compounds of formula i include chiral chromatography using macrocyclic glycopeptide as a stationary phase on a chirobiotic v ™ column ( asteac , whippany , n . j .) as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 080 , 736 , the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference , and chiral chromatography using a chiral α 1 - acid glycoprotein as a stationary phase on a chiral - agp ™ column ( chromtech , cheshire , uk ), as described in fitos et al ., j chromatogr ., 1995 , 709 : 265 , the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference . a preferred compound of formula i for use in the present methods is tianeptine , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . the structure of tianeptine is given in formula ii : the bond designated by indicates that the absolute conformation about the asymmetric carbon can be either ( r ) or ( s ). tianeptine can be readily obtained by one of ordinary skill in the art , for example by the synthetic techniques described above . tianeptine is also sold commercially as stablon ®. the ( r ) or ( s ) enantiomers of tianeptine can be isolated , for example , by the techniques discussed above . thus , in preferred embodiments of the present invention , the ( r )- enantiomer of tianeptine which is substantially free of the corresponding ( s )- enantiomer , or the ( s )- enantiomer of tianeptine which is substantially free of the corresponding ( r )- enantiomer , is used in the present methods . in the practice of the invention , the compounds of formula i described above can take the form of a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt . the term “ salts ”, embraces salts commonly used to form alkali metal salts and to form addition salts of free acids or free bases . for example , pharmaceutically - acceptable acid addition salts may be prepared from an inorganic acid or from an organic acid . suitable inorganic acids include hydrochloric , hydrobromic , hydroiodic , nitric , carbonic , sulfuric and phosphoric acid . suitable organic acids include aliphatic , cycloaliphatic , aromatic , araliphatic , heterocyclic , carboxylic and sulfonic classes of organic acids , such as formic , acetic , propionic , succinic , glycolic , gluconic , lactic , malic , tartaric , citric , ascorbic , glucuronic , maleic , fumaric , pyruvic , aspartic , glutamic , benzoic , anthranilic , mesylic , salicylic , 4 - hydroxybenzoic , phenylacetic , mandelic , embonic ( pamoic ), methanesulfonic , ethanesulfonic , benzenesulfonic , pantothenic , 2 - hydroxyethanesulfonic , toluenesulfonic , sulfanilic , cyclohexylaminosulfonic , stearic , algenic , beta - hydroxybutyric , galactaric and galacturonic acid . suitable pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts of the compounds of formula i , include metallic salts made from calcium , magnesium , potassium , sodium and zinc , or organic salts made from n , n ′- dibenzylethylenediamine , chloroprocaine , choline , diethanolamine , ethylenediamine , meglumine ( n - methylglucamine ) and procaine . all of these salts can be prepared by conventional means from the corresponding compound of formula i by reacting , for example , the appropriate acid or base with the compound of formula i . the compounds of formula i , in particular tianeptine , can be used to treat ibs or nud in a subject who has been diagnosed with either disorder . as used herein , a “ subject ” is includes humans and non - human mammals . non - human mammals include bovines , ovines , porcines , equines , canines , felines , and rodents ( e . g ., rat , mouse , guinea pig and rabbit ). preferably , the subject is a human . diagnosis of ibs is within the skill in the art . for example , ibs can be diagnosed on the basis of the modified “ rome criteria .” the modified rome criteria are ( a ) the presence for at least 12 weeks ( not necessarily consecutive ) in the preceding 12 months of abdominal discomfort or pain that cannot be explained by structural or biochemical abnormalities ; and ( b ) at least two of the following three symptoms : ( i ) pain relieved with defecation ; ( 2 ) pain , when the onset thereof is associated with a change in the frequency of bowel movements ( diarrhea or constipation ); and pain when the onset thereof is associated with a change in the form of the stool ( lose , watery , or pellet - like ). the diagnosis of nud is also within the skill in the art . for example , criteria for diagnosing nud include the presence of chronic or recurrent upper abdominal pain or discomfort for a period of more than three months &# 39 ; duration , which has no apparent organic cause . these symptoms must be present for more than 25 percent of the time . bloating , nausea , early satiety , eructation and heartburn may also be present . see , e . g ., fisher rs , parkman hp , new engl j med 1998 ; 339 : 1376 - 1381 and locke gr , mayo clin proc 1999 ; 74 : 1011 - 15 , the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . nud can be differentiated from ibs by determining whether the abdominal pain reported by the subject is associated with abnormal bowel habits . if such an association is present , the condition is considered to be ibs rather than nud . see freidman ls , new engl j med 1998 ; 339 : 1928 - 30 , the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference . in the practice of the invention , ibs or nud are treated by administering an effective amount of at least one compound of formula i to a subject in need of such treatment , such that the symptoms of ibs or nud are reduced . as used herein , an “ effective amount ” of a compound of formula i used to treat ibs refers to the amount of the compound that prevents or alleviates one or more symptoms of ibs . a physician can readily determine when symptoms of ibs are prevented or alleviated , for example through clinical observation of a subject , or through reporting of symptoms by the subject during the course of treatment . likewise , an “ effective amount ” of a compound of formula i used to treat nud refers to the amount of the compound that prevents or alleviates the symptoms of nud . again , a physician can readily determine when symptoms of nud are prevented or alleviated through clinical observation of a subject or through reporting of symptoms by the subject during the course of treatment . one skilled in the art can readily determine an effective amount of a compound of formula i to be administered , by taking into account factors such as the size , weight , age and sex of the subject , the extent of disease penetration or persistence and severity of symptoms , and the route of administration . generally , an effective amount of the compounds of formula i administered to a subject is from about 2 to about 100 mg / kg / day , preferably from about 5 to about 60 mg / kg / day , and more preferably about 30 mg / kg / day . higher or lower doses are also contemplated . the compounds of formula i can be administered to a subject by any route , for example by enteral ( e . g ., oral , rectal , intranasal , etc .) and parenteral administration . parenteral administration includes , for example , intravenous , intramuscular , intraarterial , intraperitoneal , intravaginal , intravesical ( e . g ., into the bladder ), intradermal , topical or subcutaneous administration . also contemplated within the scope of the invention is the instillation of the compounds of formula i into the body of the subject , for example in a controlled release formulation , with systemic or local release of the compound to occur over time or at a later time . preferably , the compound of formula i is localized in a depot for controlled release to the circulation or to a local site such as the gastrointestinal tract . in the practice of the present methods , compounds of formula i can be administered in the form of a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one compound of formula i and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . pharmaceutical formulations of the invention can comprise from 0 . 1 to 99 . 99 weight percent of at least one compound of formula i . the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention can be formulated according to standard practices in the field of pharmaceutical preparations . see alphonso gennaro , ed ., remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences . 18th ed ., ( 1990 ) mack publishing co ., easton , pa . suitable dosage forms can comprise , for example , tablets , capsules , solutions , parenteral solutions , troches , suppositories , or suspensions . by “ pharmaceutically acceptable carrier ” is meant any diluent or excipient that is compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation , and which is not deleterious to the recipient . the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier can be selected on the basis of the desired route of administration , in accordance with standard pharmaceutical practices . pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for parenteral administration can take the form of an aqueous or nonaqueous solution , dispersion , suspension or emulsion . in preparing pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for parenteral administration , at least one compound of formula i can be mixed with a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable carrier such as water , oil ( particularly a vegetable oil ), ethanol , saline solutions ( e . g ., normal saline ), aqueous dextrose ( glucose ) and related sugar solutions , glycerol , or glycols such as propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol . pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for parenteral administration preferably contain a water - soluble salt of at least one compound of formula i . stabilizing agents , antioxidizing agents and preservatives can also be added to the pharmaceutical compositions for parenteral administration . suitable antioxidizing agents include sulfite , ascorbic acid , citric acid and its salts , and sodium edta . suitable preservatives include benzalkonium chloride , methyl - or propyl - paraben , and chlorbutanol . in preparing pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for oral administration , at least one compound of formula i can be combined with one or more solid or liquid inactive ingredients to form tablets , capsules , pills , powders , granules or other suitable oral dosage forms . for example , at least one compound of formula i can be combined with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier such as a solvent , filler , binder , humectant , disintegrating agent , solution retarder , absorption accelerator , wetting agent absorbent or lubricating agent . in one embodiment , at least one compound of formula i is combined with carboxymethylcellulose calcium , magnesium stearate , mannitol and starch , and is formed into tablets by conventional tableting methods . in a preferred embodiment , tianeptine is formulated into a tablet comprising cellulose and a calcium salt , as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 888 , 542 , the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference . pharmaceutical compositions of the invention can also be formulated so as to provide controlled - release of at least one compound of formula i upon administration of the composition to a subject . preferably , a controlled - release pharmaceutical composition of the invention is capable of releasing at least one compound of formula i into a subject at a desired rate , so as to maintain a substantially constant pharmacological activity for a given period of time . formulation of controlled - release pharmaceutical compositions of the invention is within the skill in the art . controlled release formulations suitable for use in the present invention are described in , for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 674 , 533 ( liquid dosage forms ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 059 , 595 ( gastro - resistant tablet ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 591 , 767 ( liquid reservoir transdermal patch ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 120 , 548 ( device comprising swellable polymers ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 073 , 543 ( ganglioside - liposome vehicle ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 639 , 476 ( stable solid formulation coated with a hydrophobic acrylic polymer ), the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . biodegradable microparticles can also be used to formulate controlled - release pharmaceutical compositions suitable for use in the present invention , for example as described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 354 , 566 and 5 , 733 , 566 , the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . in one embodiment , controlled - release pharmaceutical compositions of the invention comprise at least one compound of formula i and a controlled - release component . as used herein , a “ controlled - release component ” is a compound such as a polymer , polymer matrix , gel , permeable membrane , liposome and / or microsphere that induces the controlled - release of the compound of formula i into the subject upon exposure to a certain physiological compound or condition . for example , the controlled - release component can be biodegradable , activated by exposure to a certain ph or temperature , by exposure to an aqueous environment , or by exposure to enzymes . an example of a controlled - release component which is activated by exposure to a certain temperature is a sol - gel . in this embodiment , at least one compound of formula i is incorporated into a sol - gel matrix that is a solid at room temperature . this sol - gel matrix is implanted into a subject having a body temperature high enough to induce gel formation of the sol - gel matrix , thereby releasing the active ingredient into the subject . the practice of the invention is illustrated by the following non - limiting example . the model used in the present study is predictive of agents that can be used to treat the alterations in propulsion of intestinal contents that occur in ibs . the model is sensitive to test compounds which produce inhibitory effects on propulsive motor activity , but is not sensitive to test compounds which increase colonic propulsive motility . the model thus provides a direct measure of colonic propulsion by measuring movement of a glass bead through the mouse colon . test compounds that slow the rate at which the glass bead is expelled are predicted to have utility in the treatment of ibs . the model used in the present study can also evaluate test compounds that may cause constipation , have antidiarrheal activity , or have selective visceral anti - nociceptive activity . thus , the model is useful for evaluating test compounds for treating nud as well as ibs . for the present study , 48 female , 6 week old swiss webster mice ( 18 - 30 g ) were divided into the following test groups : three treatment groups receiving , respectively , 10 mg / kg tianeptine ( n = 9 ), 30 mg / kg tianeptine ( n = 10 ), and 60 mg / kg tianeptine ( n = 9 ); a control group receiving 10 mg / kg of the antidiarrheal loperamide ( n = 9 ); and a control group receiving vehicle only ( n = 10 ). each animal was dosed orally with either tianeptine , loperamide or vehicle , as appropriate . thirty minutes after dosing , a 3 mm glass bead was inserted through the anus of each animal into the distal colon to a depth of 2 cm , using a glass rod . the animals were observed for expulsion of the bead , and the time of expulsion was noted . any animal that had not expelled the bead within a cut - off time of 60 minutes after bead insertion was sacrificed , and the position of the bead in the lumen of the colon was verified . mean and standard error of the mean were calculated for the expulsion times for each group . the data are summarized in table 1 below . the animals were also observed for signs of gross toxicity and / or behavioral changes during the 60 - 90 minute interval after dosing . such observations included gross evaluation of skin and fur , eyes and mucous membranes , respiratory , circulatory , autonomic and central nervous system , somatomotor activity and behavioral patterns . particular attention was directed to observation of tremors , convulsions , salivation , diarrhea , sleep and coma no signs of gross toxicity or behavioral changes were observed . these data show that tianeptine produces a dose - related inhibition of colonic propulsion . the 30 mg / kg tianeptine dose was equivalent in effect to a 10 mg / kg dose of loperamide . thus , compounds of formula i , in particular tianeptine , are useful in the treatment of ibs and nud . all references cited herein are incorporated by reference . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and , accordingly , reference should be made to the appended claims , rather than to the foregoing specification , as indication the scope of the invention .	0
the compositions of the present invention are prepared by activating a carrier to provide a labile center reactive with the tertiary amine of choice . in view of their physical characteristics their ready commercial availability and comparatively low cost as well as their potential , under certain circumstances , to be regenerated , polymer resins form a useful class of carrier although the invention should not be considered as limited thereto . the majority of polymeric resins have a polystyrene backbone . a further readily available although minor category of polymeric resin has a methacrylate backbone . the resins may be prepared in microporous or macroporous structural form . the most readily available polystyrene resins are crosslinked with certain crosslinking agents among which the most common is divinylbenzene ( dvb ), although again the invention is not considered to be limited to the use of particular crosslinking agent . the skeletal matrix of the resin , suitably of the dvb crosslinked polystyrene resin is then activated to provide a labile center which will react with the tertiary amine . an inexpensive and readily available labile group is the chloromethyl group . chloromethylating agents and the mode of reacting them with a polymeric skeletal matrix are well known in the art . indeed , chloromethylated dvb crosslinked polystyrene resin is commercially available . the chloro moiety of the chloromethyl group will provide the counterion of the quaternary ammonium salt ultimately produced . thus , if it is desired to utilize a counterion other than chloride , it can be introduced later by simple and conventional ion exchange procedures . from the point of view of safety , the anion of any pharmaceutically acceptable acid may be utilized as the counterion . while , from the point of view of safety any pharmaceutically acceptable anion may be employed , for example hydrochloric , hydrobromic hydriodic , sulphuric , phosphoric , nitric , acetic , propionic , lauric , benzoic , salicylic , cinamic , lactic , maloic , fumaric , pyruvic , glutamic , oxalic , methane sulphonic , benzene sulphonic , glucose - 1 - phosphoric , or the like , from the point of view of effectiveness halide , suitably chloride , bromide and iodide have been found to be totally effective in the tests for effectiveness which have been carried out are especially preferred . the amine reagent utilized is a tertiary amine or a bistertiary aminoalkane having the general structure ## str6 ## r 1 and r 2 may be the same or different and may be alkyl , alkenyl or cycloalkyl , suitably straight or branch chain lower alkyl of one to eight carbon atoms suitably methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , pentyl , oxalyl or the like , straight or branch chain lower alkenyl of two to six carbon atoms such as ethenyl , propenyl , isopropenyl , butenyl , isobutenyl , tertbutenyl , pentenyl , hexenyl and the like or cycloalkyl of three to six carbon such as cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl . also included are the corresponding cycloalkenyl moieties of four to six carbon atoms , either r 1 or r 2 may have the values of r 3 below . r 1 and r 2 may also be joined together to yield in conjunction with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached a heterocyclic moiety of five to seven atoms in the ring . this heterocyclic moiety may be saturated , partially unsaturated , or fully unsaturated that is to say aromatic . included in this category would be aziridyl , pyrrolidyl , pyrrolyl , pyridyl , piperidyl , azepinyl , perhydroazopinyl and the like . of the foregoing , the pyridyl moiety is particularly preferred . the foregoing heterocyclics may , if desired , be substituted by alkyl moieties appropriate to the r 1 and r 2 groups constituting the carbon portion of the heterocyclic ring . r 3 may be alkyl , suitably midalkyl of ten to sixteen carbon atoms which may be straight or branch chain , the former being preferred . r 3 may also be aryl , alkaryl , or aralkyl . the aryl moieties may be carbocyclic or heterocyclic , suitable carbocyclic , such as phenyl or naphthyl , similarly the alkaryl moieties may be carbocyclic or heterocyclic and are suitably substituted by lower alkyl substituents containing 1 - 5 carbon atoms . these substituents may number from one to the maximum available number of positions on the ring . thus , where the aryl moiety is phenyl , there may be from 1 - 5 substituents and where the aryl moiety is naphthyl there may be from 1 - 7 substituents ; with respect to the aralkyl moieties , the aryl portion may be carbocyclic or heterocyclic , suitably carbocyclic , and may be substituted or unsubstituted phenyl or naphthyl . the substitution is , suitably , by halogen or lower alkyl moieties of 1 - 6 carbon atoms located at from one to the maximum number of available positions on the ring . similarly , the alkyl segment of the aralkyl moiety is suitably lower alkyl of 1 - 6 carbon atoms . the disinfectant compositions of the present invention in the form of quaternary ammonium salts are prepared by reacting the amine of general formula ( iiia ) or ( iiib ) above with the activated carrier , suitably the activated cross - linked polymeric resin where the resin is a cross - linked polystyrene or cross - linked polymethylmethacrylate . most suitably the reaction is carried out with commercially available chloromethylated divinylbenzene cross - linked polystyrene . in this procedure the activated polymeric resin is swelled prior to amination suitably by immersion in an excess of water miscible reaction inert organic solvent , suitably an alkanol , a ketone or a water miscible ether preferably a cyclic ether such as dioxane . the resin is immersed , suitably at ambient temperature , for from about 24 to about 60 hours . the mixture in the solvent is cooled to under about 5 ° c . suitably to between - 10 ° c . to about + 5 ° c . and an excess ( based on active centers on the resin ) of the amine of choice is added . the amine is , suitably , pre - cooled to the temperature of the resin / solvent mixture . where the amine does not dissolve readily in the swelling solvent upon agitation , the entire mixture is warmed just enough to permit solution of the amine , re - cooled to the aforementioned range , and retained at that temperature for about 24 to about 60 hours suitably for about 48 hours . the aminated resin is then separated , suitably by filtration . it is held in dilute acid suitably dilute mineral acid such as aqueous hydrochloric acid at ambient temperatures , suitably for from about 24 to about 60 hours , and then washed alternately with aqueous acid and aqueous base suitably dilute hydrochloric acid and dilute sodium hydroxide followed by aqueous saline and finally deionized distilled water in which it is stored . the resulting material is then cycled in acid and base , suitably in dilute aqueous hydrochloric acid and dilute aqueous sodium hydroxide , and then washed , first with several portions of dilute aqueous sodium chloride and finally with deionized , distilled water until the effluent is free of chloride ion . the quaternary ammonium salts in resin form prepared in accordance with the foregoing procedures may be utilized to disinfect drinking water by any contact method known to the water purification art . the preferred mode , however , is to prepare a bed of the composition , suitably in column form , but not being restricted thereto , and causing the water which is to be disinfected to pass through the column . in accordance with accepted water purification techniques , it is desirable to remove as much solid or colloidal material as possible prior to contact with the resin . this may be done by any prefiltration method known to the water purification art among which may be included filtration through sand , charcoal ( in activated or other form ), sintered glass , glass fiber beds , or any other suitable and available prefiltration medium . the material of the present invention is effective not only against bacteria and viruses , but also against fungi , algae and protozoa . observations indicate that when a carrier bed loses its effectiveness as a disinfectant medium that loss is not due to chemical reactions or loss of reactive groups on the bed but rather to the blocking of the active sites by the debris of the biological material . the bed can therefore be regenerated by removing this absorbed microscopic debris from the surface and interstices of the disinfectant composition . it has been found that the resin may be regenerated by treatment with aqueous alkanolic acid , suitably with mixtures of ethanolic aqueous hydrochloric acid , suitably by utilizing between 6 and 12 n aqueous hydrochloric acid in an hcl : etoh ratio of between 1 : 19 to 3 : 17 . the mode of regeneration of the resin should not be considered to be limited to this method . the results of bactericidal tests carried out on a disinfectant composition within the scope of the present invention n , n - dimethyldodecyl ammonium /( methylated / dvb crosslinked polystyrene ) chloride are illustrated in fig1 . this test indicates that utilizing a 1 ml bed of 0 . 8 cm 2 cross - section a total kill was noted up to an applied level of 5 . 8 × 10 7 microorganisms ( viz : b . subtilis ) in another experiment no viable cells emerged from the bed until 8 . 2 × 10 8 cells of a total of 9 . 4 × 10 8 cells had contacted the resin bed and thereafter less than 1 % of the additionally applied bacteria emerged in viable form . in contrast , where the parent polymer resin itself is utilized without quaternizing with the amine moiety , the percentage viability for between 10 7 and 6 × 10 7 applied cells ranges from approximately 50 % to approximately 80 %, indicating that some absorption but no real disinfection occurs . chloromethylated crosslinked polystyrene ( 5 g , 200 - 400 mesh , 2 % divinyl benzene ) is immersed in dioxane ( 250 ml ) for 48 hours at ambient temperature ( ca . 20 ° c .). the mixture is cooled to 0 ° c . and n , n - dimethyl dodecyl amine ( 75 ml ), precooled to 0 ° c . added . the mixture is warmed slightly to dissolve the amine and is then cooled again and held at 0 ° c . for 48 hours with intermittent stirring . the mixture is filtered , the filtrate discarded and the residual resin suspended in dilute aqueous hydrochloric acid ( 75 ml , 2 m ) for 48 hours at ambient temperatures . the resulting suspension is again filtered and the resin washed with three cycles of aqueous hydrochloric acid ( 2 m , 50 ml × 3 ) and aqueous sodium hydroxide ( 0 . 1 m , 50 ml × 3 ), thereafter with dilute saline ( 2 m , 25 ml × 5 ) and with deionized , distilled water until the effluent is free of chloride . the resultant quaternary ammonium salt in resin form is stored in deionized distilled water . in accordance with the above procedure , but where in place of n , n - dimethyldodecyl amine there is utilized n , n - dimethyldecyl amine , n , n - dimethylmyristyl amine , n , n - dimethylbenzylamine , n - dodecyl - n - methyl - 3 , 4 - dichlorobenzylamine , quinoline , isoquinoline , pyridine n - n - didecylmethylamine , n - octyl - n - decylmethlamine , n - cetyl - n - dimethylnaphthylamine , a similar composition is obtained . in accordance with the above procedure , but where in place of the tertiary amines set forth above there is utilized 1 , 10 - bis ( n , n - dimethylamino ) decane or 1 , 2 - bis ( n , n - didodecylamino ) ethane , there is obtained a similar product . in accordance with the above procedure and using any of the aforementioned amines but utilizing the resins in macroporous form , a similar product is obtained . further , in accordance with the above procedure but utilizing in place of a polystyrene resin a methylated crosslinked polymethylmethacrylate resin in macro porous or micro porous form there is obtained the corresponding product . bacillus subtilis ( np - 40 ) was grown at 40 ° c . for 14 - 16 hrs in buffered glucose broth . the cells were centrifuged at 24 ° c . ( 5000 rpm / 7 min ) in a sorval superspeed rc - 2 automatic refrigerated centrifuge . the pellet was suspended in sterile tris buffer ( ph 7 . 6 , 250 ml , 0 . 01 m ). samples of this suspension ( 10 ml ) were diluted with more buffer up to total volumes of 2000 ml . prior to each experiment a control solution was maintained under identical conditions to the test solutions . resin prepared in accordance with example 1 as well as control materials i . e . ( dowex 1x2 and the parent chloromethylated divinylbenzene crosslinked polystyrene ) were slurried in deionized distilled water . 1 ml of deionized distilled water was added to a 6 cm cm × 0 . 8 cm 2 fritted glass column and the meniscus marked on the column . the slurried resin was added so as to settle into a bed to the height of the mark . the resin of example 1 was utilized in chloride form except where indicated to the contrary . the test solutions were run through the column at flow rates of between 10 to 12 ml / min . effluents were collected in 100 ml fractions at predesignated intervals in 100 ml fractions ( monitored at 200 , 400 , 800 , 1200 , 1500 , 1800 , 1900 , 2100 and 2300 ml points ). collection was in sterile enclosed beakers . portions of diluted and undiluted effluent were plated out on nutrient agar and incubated overnight at 40 ° c . thereafter the plates were examined for viable cells . the test results of various batches of the n , n - dimethyldodecyl ammonium /( methylated / dvb crosslinked polystyrene ) chloride of example 1 are summarized in table i below . comparative tests with the chloromethylated divinylbenzenepolystyrene resin itself ( i . e . without quaternization ) or with the chloride form of a polystyrene benzyltrimethyl ammonium ion exchange resin ( dowex 1 type ) show no anti microbial activity although in preliminary experiments a slight reduction in the number of viable cells is noted due to a &# 34 ; filtration &# 34 ; effect . the chloride counterion of the principle composition of example 1 was displaced with the following ions : bromide , iodide , thiocyanate , ethanesulfonate , n - pentane sulfonate by passing an aqueous solution of the corresponding sodium salt through the column . test experiments in accordance with the foregoing procedures but utilizing an application of 1600 ml of test solution containing 2 . 4 × 10 9 cells of b . subtilis per charge yielded the following proportion of viable cells in the last 100 ml fraction . the resin , after exhaustion ( arbitrarily defined as 50 % viable of b . subtilis organisms to pass therethrough ) was regenerated by passing through the column a mixture of aqueous hydrochloric acid ( 12 n ) and ethanol in a ratio of both 1 : 19 and 2 : 9 followed by sterile tris hydrochloride buffer ( ph 7 . 6 , 250 ml , 0 . 01 m ). the regenerated columns were then resubjected to passage of b . subtilis suspension as set forth above . table i______________________________________kill capacity of resin 12tem - pera - resin kill % viableture batch amount cells applied capacity * of total______________________________________24 ° c . 1 a 9 . 4 × 10 . sup . 8 / 2300 ml 8 . 2 × 10 . sup . 8 & lt ; 1 b same same same35 ° c . 1 a 9 . 6 × 10 . sup . 8 / 1800 ml ≧ total 0 b same same same24 ° c . 2 a 9 . 4 × 10 . sup . 8 / 2300 ml ≧ total & lt ; 1 b same same same24 ° c . 3 a 2 . 4 × 10 . sup . 9 / 1600 ml ≧ total 0 b same same same______________________________________ * operationally defined as the total number of cells applied to first appearance of viable cells in column effluent .	0
fig3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a thermoelectric module 300 according to the present invention . module 300 includes a plurality of p - type thermoelectric semiconductors 302 and n - type thermoelectric semiconductors 304 , each of which is interconnected to one another in a suitable manner across a connecting layer 306 using printed conductors 308 . printed conductors 308 may , for example , be made of copper . printed conductors 308 are located on a base support 310 which includes a graduated metal matrix composite ( mmc ). the graduation of the mmc is identified by an arrow 311 pointing in the direction of increasing metal content . in the example from fig3 , the graduation is discrete , i . e ., base support 310 includes a total of five different layers denoted by reference numerals 312 - 320 . the layers vary in the porosity of the preform from which base support 310 was manufactured or they vary correspondingly with respect to metal content . however , the graduation may also be designed to be continuous . specifically , layer 312 , which lies on side 322 of base support 310 facing printed conductors 308 and is used as a support and insulator for printed conductors 308 , may , for example , be made of up to 100 % of a ceramic material , i . e ., the original preform had 0 % porosity in the area of layer 312 . on the other hand , when module 300 is used as a generator , layer 320 lying on side 324 of base support 310 facing away from printed conductors 308 is itself used as a back plate , heat exchanger and / or for connecting to a heat exchanger which represents a hot side of a system , and is therefore made of 100 % metal . layers 314 , 316 and 318 located between insulator layer 312 and heat exchanger or connection layer 320 have a graduated metal content of , for example , 25 %, 50 %, 75 % metal content , the preform having by analogy , for example , a porosity of 25 %, 50 %, 75 %. another exemplary embodiment of a thermoelectric module 400 according to the present invention is shown in fig4 . thermocouples of n - type 402 or p - type 404 are applied to conductor structures 406 , which in this example are designed integrally with the base plate or base support 408 . the integral design of base support 408 having conductor structures 406 simplifies in particular the manufacture of module 400 . in contrast to exemplary embodiment 300 of fig3 in which gradient 311 passes unilaterally , a bilateral gradient 410 is present in the case of base support 408 including conductor structures 406 . this gradient has a minimum metal content in an area 412 on a side 413 facing printed conductors 406 , while both an area 414 on side 418 facing away from conductor structures 406 and an area of printed conductors 406 each have a maximum metal content . the metal content in areas 416 or 414 must be suitable for making ( 416 ) an interconnection of thermocouples 402 , 404 or a thermal connection to the system in which module 400 is to be used ( 414 ). the metal content in areas 416 and / or 414 may thus vary from 100 %. another exemplary embodiment of a thermoelectric module 500 according to the present invention is shown in fig5 . in this example , thermocouples of n - type 502 and p - type 504 are applied to conductor structures 506 which were introduced into recesses of a base plate 508 . the introduction may be accomplished , for example using die casting , squeeze casting or gas pressure infiltration of metal . in the example of fig5 , a gradient 510 in the metal content of support 508 is unilateral and passes , for example , from 0 % porosity of a ceramic preform of base plate 508 in an area 512 on side 513 of base support 508 facing printed conductors 506 to a maximum in the metal content in an area 514 on side 515 facing away from printed conductors 506 for connection to a system . based on the flow chart shown in fig6 , a method for manufacturing a thermoelectric module ( 602 ) is described . in step 604 , a ceramic preform having a porosity gradient is provided as a base support of the later thermoelectric module . in step 606 , the ceramic preform is infiltrated with metal . in this step , a gradient is accordingly produced in the metal content of the later base support . in step 608 , another material having 0 volume percent metal is applied to one side of the preform . alternatively , this material may already be represented using step 604 . in step 610 , an area having 100 volume percent metal is applied to another side of the preform . alternatively , the area having 100 volume percent metal may be produced on the side facing away from the base support in step 606 . the manufacturing process ends in step 612 . while gradient 311 in fig3 is a graduated gradient , a bilateral gradient ( 410 ) or a unilateral gradient ( 510 ) may also pass without graduations , i . e ., continuously from a minimum value to a maximum value of the metal content ( or a porosity of a ceramic preform ). the metal matrix composite of support 310 , 408 or 508 may be manufactured from porous ceramic preforms via metal infiltration , for example , using pressure support , for example , die casting , squeeze casting or gas pressure infiltration ( step 606 ). this makes it possible to adapt the coefficient of thermal expansion ( cte ) within the module to the system requirements , simultaneously ensuring high thermal conductivity . the ceramic preform may have a porosity gradient of , for example , 0 vol % in areas 312 , 412 , 512 to , for example , a maximum of 50 vol %, 75 vol %, in particular approximately 65 vol % in areas 318 , 414 , 514 , sufficient mechanical stability still being ensured . areas 312 or 512 having 100 vol % ceramic or 0 vol % porosity may also be applied to the preform or the base support ( step 608 ) using a sinter bonding method , optionally before or after a metal infiltration . areas 320 , 414 or 514 in which the porosity reaches 100 vol % or the metal content reaches 100 vol % may be applied to the base support , for example , by recasting of metal during the metal infiltration ( step 610 ). the present invention thus makes it possible to form an integral connection between insulator layer 312 , 412 or 512 and the heat exchanger or connection side to system 320 , 414 or 514 . this ensures optimal thermal transfer with simultaneously minimal thermomechanical stresses within the module or generator . base support 310 , 408 or 508 made from a metal matrix composite continues to offer an insulating base for circuit routing 308 , 406 or 506 on the insulator or ceramic side , while a boundary surface having its coefficient of thermal expansion ( cte ) adapted is available on the side having a high metal content 318 / 320 , 414 and 514 for the metals of heat exchangers of the generator or system and / or the corresponding hot or cold side of the system . since the cte in the module may be optimally adapted to the system requirement , the module designed according to the present invention offers significantly higher reliability with regard the thermomechanical loads compared to conventional tems . simultaneously , the flexibility is increased with regard to the usable design and connection techniques and with regard to the installation space ( required volume and required shaping ) within the system when used as a thermoelectric generator . this is of significance for applications , for example , in the exhaust branch of an internal combustion engine . according to the present invention , thermoelectric modules or generators made of graduated preform mmcs may be used economically at comparably low costs and increased energy efficiency for the efficient utilization of the waste heat of , for example , internal combustion engines or electric motors in the transportation industry ( vehicle construction ).	7
this specification includes two pages of computer program code configured to carry out the steps in accordance with the present invention . the computer program code is incorporated herein by reference it its entirety for all purposes . the present invention is directed to a system and method that allows an organization such as an application service provider ( asp ) to create a virtual uniform resource locator ( url ), also referred to as virtual web domain name for a third party such as , for example , a customer . the virtual url has a url of the third party &# 39 ; s web site that prominently displays the name of the third party in the virtual url . the third party can be a customer that engages the asp to host its web site and to provide related services , such as electronic commerce services . the present invention allows the asp to automatically generate a web site for a new customer and have the web site up and running immediately . furthermore , the url of the new web site is not necessarily a long string comprising of one or more nested subdirectories . as will be explained in further details , the url , which will be called the virtual web domain name , associated with the web site need not be registered and assigned a new ip address . thus , the web site can be deployed immediately . moreover , the invention allows the customer to avoid the costs associated with finding and obtaining a new registration of a new domain name by using a virtual domain name . consider , for example , a scenario where an asp hosts an e - commerce site for its customer , customer1 . according to the present invention , the url for the new e - commerce site of customer1 will be customer1 . aspsite . net , which is a virtual domain name . this url can be used on print media , billboards , television , other web sites and other ads . this url prominently displays the name customer1 before the name aspsite . net . thus , it will appear to viewers of the url on the print media , billboard , television , other web site or the ad , that customer1 is serviced by aspsite . net . by having customer1 as the first name of a url , viewers will more likely remember it . the url customer1 . aspsite . net has the desired affect of enhancing the prominence of the name customer1 . in one embodiment of the invention , the asp registers a wildcard domain name . aspsite . net , and associates to it an ip address . any viewer making any http request of the form anyname . aspsite . net will be directed to the same web page , namely the home page associated with aspsite . net , such as , for example , www . aspsite . net / index . html . this home page contains , among other data , a list of all the customer urls that are serviced by the asp , and these are hotlinked to their respective web sites that are hosted by the asp . these websites comprise web pages that reside in subdirectories of the main aspsite web site www . aspsite . net . the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html also provides that , if the name anyname . aspsite . net is included in its list of urls , then the viewer is automatically redirected to the web site corresponding to anyname . aspsite . net . if the name anyname . aspsite . net is not included in the list of urls in the home page , then the viewer sees the page www . aspsite . net / index . html . the viewer can then manually search for the right customer url in the list of customer urls . according to the invention , when customer1 registers for a service , a web site for customer1 is created with a new url www . aspsite . net / customer1 . this new url , however , is not advertised . rather the web site is promoted with the url customer1 . aspsite . net . the url customer1 . aspsite . net links to the aspsite . net home page www . aspsite . net / index . html , wherein the code in the homepage first extracts the name customer1 . aspsite . net from the data stream it receives via the http request , next determines that customer1 . aspsite . net is a name on its list of urls , and then automatically redirects the viewer to the home page of the newly created site www . aspsite . net / customer1 . when a user either enters customer1 . aspsite . net or clicks on any hyperlink to customer1 . aspsite . net in a document that supports hyperlinking , such as , for example , a web page , the viewer is taken automatically to the home page of the site www . aspdirectory . net / customer1 . if the url www . aspsite . net / customer1 is not found in the list of urls in www . aspsite . net / index . html , then the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html is returned to the viewer &# 39 ; s browser . when a user is taken to www . aspsite . net / index . html , which includes a list of all customer urls , the user can look up any desired customer on this web page . upon finding the desired url , the viewer can click on it and be directed to its associated web site . if the user incorrectly types customer1 &# 39 ; s name but still correctly types aspsite . net , then the user would be directed to www . aspsite . net / index . html where the user would likely find the correct url . customers may wish to create sites corresponding to various hierarchies of their organization . for example , a customer may want several distinct sites corresponding to several distinct functions or sub - organizations within the customer &# 39 ; s organization . for example , the customer may be a retail shop with several departments . for example , customer1 may have distinct sites for various departments dept1 , . . . , deptn with addresses www . aspsite . net / customer1 / deptj , where j = 1 , . . . , n . these urls are not advertised . rather the web sites for the departments are promoted with the urls deptjatcustomer1 . aspsite . net . these urls link to the aspsite . net home page www . aspsite . net / index . html , wherein the name deptjatcustomer1 . aspsite . net is extracted from the data stream it receives via an http request , next determines that deptjatcustomer1 . aspsite . net is a name on its list of urls , and then automatically redirects the viewer to the home page of the newly created site www . aspsite . net / customer1 / deptj . another example of a hierarchical structure of sites has customer1 a charitable organization with regional offices in various places placej , each hosting various events event ( j , k ). sites are created for customer1 at www . aspsite . net / customer1 / placej / event ( j , k ). often the events event ( j , k ) all have the same name event ( k ) for all locations placej . for example , a charitable organization may have events called walkamerica in many locations . sites for these events may be of the form in another embodiment , the home page contains , among other data , a list of the names of all the customers that are serviced by the asp , and these are hotlinked to their respective web sites that are hosted by the asp . the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html also provides that if the customer name is contained in its list of names , then the viewer is automatically redirected to the web site associated with that customer . otherwise , if the customer name is not contained in the list of customer names in the home page , then the viewer sees the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html . the viewer can then manually look up the correct customer name in the list of customer names . [ 0044 ] fig1 illustrates a system block diagram of one embodiment of the invention . in fig1 user 104 a would like to log onto an organization org1 &# 39 ; s web site . user 104 b would like to log onto org2 &# 39 ; s web site and user 104 c would like to log onto org 3 &# 39 ; s web site . org1 , org2 and org3 are engaged in a fundraising campaign , and have all engaged an asp ( asp - provider . net ) to assist in their fundraising campaign . consider the case of user 104 a . according to the invention , user 104 a types the url http :// org1 . asp - provider . net on a computer terminal . the url org1 . asp - provider . net prominently displays the name of the organization ( org1 ). the url is processed by a dns server 108 that returns an ip address corresponding to a web page 112 for www . asp - provider . net . user 104 a is then directed to the web page 112 . the web page 112 includes a virtual web domain name server 116 that translates the url http :// org1 . asp - provider . net to www . asp - provider . net / org1 , where org1 is a subdirectory of the web site asp - provider . net . the subdirectory asp - provider . net / org1 is also referred to as a virtual web site . thus , user 104 a uses the url org1 . asp - provider . net to reach the subdirectory asp - provider . net / org1 . likewise , users 104 b and 104 c are directed to the subdirectories asp - provider . net / org2 and asp - provider . net / org3 , respectively . [ 0046 ] fig2 illustrates a flow diagram of the operational method steps of one embodiment of the invention . the flow starts in step 204 and proceeds to step 208 where a user types in a url , such as , for example , http :// org1 . asp - provider . net . in step 212 , a dns server returns an ip address of the asp &# 39 ; s web site . in step 216 , the user is directed to the asp &# 39 ; s web site www . asp - provider . net . in step 220 , a virtual web domain name service translates the url http :// org1 . asp - provider . net to one that directs the viewer to the subdirectory www . asp - provider / org1 . in one embodiment the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html has a search engine that allows a user to search a customer web site hosted by the asp . the search engine may prompt the user with specific questions related to the customer . answers provided to these questions can help narrow the search for the desired web site . the home page may also have spell - checking capabilities that are designed to handle spelling errors . thus , if the user misspells the name customer1 , the spell - checker may suggest sites with names that closely match those that the user spelled . if customer sites are constructed in hierarchical fashion as described above , the home page may have the list of sites displayed in hierarchical fashion . this is particularly useful when a user does not know the exact name or url of an event and has to search for the event on the home page . thus , in the example of customer1 with multiple events called walkamerica in many locations , the list of event names may be in outline form , with customer1 as first level entry , then event name as second level entry , and location as third level entry . such organization helps in the search process . in one specific embodiment , . aspsite . net is a wildcard page for an asp that services a charitable , a nonprofit , a political or any other organization in its fundraising events . a home page for an event can have a url eventname . aspsite . net , where eventname is the name of the event . the name eventname is chosen by the organization with an eye towards maximum recognition and prominence . the fundraising event can include an athletic , a gala , a concert , or any other event hosted to assist in fundraising . the asp can provide an event template that an organization can customize with the organization &# 39 ; s logo and messages . the asp can provide an online event registration form that can be completed by the organization . after customizing the template and submitting the completed form , an automatic web site for the fundraising event will be generated automatically . the url for the web site will be eventname . aspsite . net , where eventname is the name of the event .	6
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers ( optionally including different suffixes ) are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . fig2 , 3 , 5 , and 10 show examples of components that could be included in an embodiment of a system according to the present invention . as shown in fig2 , the system preferably includes at least one guide tube 10 having at least one inner lumen extending from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion . the distal end portion of the guide tube 10 preferably includes a releasable anchoring element 12 for releasably anchoring the distal end portion of the guide tube 10 in at least one vertebra . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the anchoring element 12 is at least one thread on an outer surface of the guide tube 10 . the thread permits the guide tube 10 to be removably threaded into a hole bored in a vertebra . the guide tube 10 is preferably made of stainless , surgical steel but may be made of metal composites , ceramic composites , surgical polymers or surgical plastics . preferably , the guide tube 10 includes a suitable tracking element 14 configured to interact with a computer controlled surgical navigation system ( not shown ) using a detector for determining the position of the guide tube 10 with respect to a known reference in 3d space . by way of example only , the tracking element 14 could be at least one led emitter / reflector located on a proximal end portion of the guide tube 10 . the tracking element 14 could also be any structure that is capable of being detected / tracked by means of a surgical navigation system that uses any sonic , optical , electromagnetic , or other suitable technology known in the art . for example , the tracking element 14 is particularly capable of being used with a surgical navigation system constructed according to the teachings of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 383 , 454 ; pct application no . pct / u . s . 94 / 04530 ( publication no . wo 94 / 24933 ); and / or pct application no . pct / u . s . 95 / 12894 ( publication no . wo 96 / 11624 ), the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference . the guide tube 10 includes a lumen that extends from its proximal end portion to its distal end portion . preferably , the lumen is sized to allow for passage therethrough of at least one tool , such as the drilling tool 20 shown in fig3 . the drilling tool 20 preferably includes a bit 22 ( i . e ., burr ) configured to abrade soft tissue or bone , such as portions of an intervertebral disc or a vertebra . the bit 22 is preferably a high speed drill bit made of hardened surgical , stainless steel and optionally coated with teflon or other coatings to prevent aggregation or sticking of osseous material . the bit 22 is coupled to a flexible , rotatable drive member 24 , such as a cable , that is rotatably driven by an external motor ( not shown ) to rotate the bit 22 . the drive member 24 passes through a tubular member 26 that is preferably configured to be steerable . as shown in fig3 , the tubular member 26 includes a number of segments 28 a - 28 e . hinge members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c and 30 d couple adjacent pairs of the segments 28 a - 28 b , 28 b - 28 c , 28 c - 28 d , 28 d - 28 e together to permit relative pivotal movement of the segments in each of the pairs . an axially movable steering element 32 , such as a cable , passes freely through the segments 28 b - 28 e and has a distal end connected to the distal segment 28 a . axial movement of the steering element 32 causes bending at one or more of the hinge members 30 a - 30 d in a plane to vary the position of the distal end portion of the tubular member 26 with respect to the remainder of the tubular member 26 . this enables steerable movement of the drilling tool 20 , especially when the movement at the distal end portion is combined with rotation of the tubular member 26 and / or axial movement of the tubular member 26 . of course , there are many different ways in which the drilling tool 20 could be constructed to provide steering . a tracking element 34 could be provided on the drilling tool 20 to interact with a computer controlled surgical navigation system to determine the location of the bit 22 with respect to a known reference point . for example , the tracking element 34 could be provided on the steering element 32 and constructed like the tracking element 14 shown in fig2 . the drilling tool 20 is preferably made of surgical steel , but the drive member 24 and steering element 32 could be made of metal composites , surgical polymers , or other suitable materials . preferably , at least a portion of the drilling tool 20 is capable of being imaged with fluoroscopic imaging . the drilling tool 20 could be constructed to be connected to a stereotactic device that could be used to determine the position of the bit 22 . structure could be provided on the drilling tool 20 to remove materials with suction . for example , the drilling tool could include a lumen capable of being coupled to a suction source . for example , a flexible tube , such as surgical polymer tubing , could be provided in the tubular member and have an open end extending adjacent to the bit 22 . although the steerable drilling tool 20 is described below as being used in a spinal fusion procedure , the drilling tool 20 could be used in a number of different spinal or non - spinal procedures . the system according to the invention also preferably includes at least one inflatable balloon implant 40 shown in fig1 - 12 . the balloon implant 40 is configured to be filled with material to provide fusion in a cavity that is formed at least partially in an intervertebral disc , as described below . the balloon implant 40 is preferably made of a biodegradable substance such as collagen . the balloon implant 40 and the material used to fill it may include growth factors , such as bone morphogenic proteins or fibroplast growth factor , genetically modified cells for replacement therapy , or mesenchymal stem cells to further promote bony fusion . the system according to the present invention could include other components , such as a device for providing suction and / or irrigation of a surgical site . preferably , all or some of the components are made of permanent or disposable materials that are capable of being sterilized . the present invention also includes one or more preferred methods of fusing a spinal region . these procedures are explained with reference to the structural embodiments described above . however , it should be understood that the method of the invention could be practiced with structure other than that disclosed herein . in addition , the structure of the present invention could be used with processes other than those described herein . in one method according to the present invention , a patient is placed on an appropriate operating surface . optionally , imaging equipment , such as fluoroscopy , is used to visualize a region of the spine . small stab incisions are made in the back and a conventional drill is preferably used to drill a hole through corticle material on the outer surface of the pedicle of a vertebra . for the procedure shown in fig4 , a first hole is drilled in the pedicle of a first vertebra and a second hole is drilled in a pedicle of a second vertebra adjacent to the first vertebra . although fig4 - 11 show these holes as being substantially parallel to the plane of the disc , the holes are preferably angled from about 30 degrees to about 45 degrees with respect to the plane of the disc so that the axes of the holes form an angle having a vertex at the disc . a respective guide tube 10 a , 10 b is placed in contact with each of the vertebrae . preferably , each guide tube 10 a , 10 b is releasably anchored in the corresponding pedicle hole by engaging the threads on the guide tube 10 a , 10 b in the vertebrae . once the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b have been inserted , an x - ray , ct scan or other diagnostic scan could be used to localize the anatomical position of the tubes 10 a and 10 b , identify the best position for fusion and identify the best insertion points for subsequent instrumentation . after anchoring the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b , at least one of the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b is moved to thereby position one or more of the vertebrae . for example , as shown in fig5 , a distraction tool 50 is coupled to the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b to force the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b apart from one another and thereby distract one or more of the vertebrae away from the disc . the distraction tool 50 could be constructed in many different ways . for example , this device could have a ratchet adjustment . in addition to moving the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b toward or away from each other , one or more of the anchored guide tubes 10 a , 10 b could be rotated ( or translated ) to thereby rotate ( or translate ) one or more of the vertebrae . preferably , a computer - controlled surgical navigation device is used to determine the movement of the guide tubes , for example , by interacting with the tracking element 14 shown in fig2 . this preferably enables a surgeon to visualize the repositioning of the vertebrae . one or more steerable drilling tools 20 a and 20 b are inserted though the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b . the drive member 24 ( fig3 ) of each drilling tool 20 a , 20 b is rotated to thereby rotate each bit 22 . each drilling tool is moved further through the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b , as shown in fig7 , and the bit 22 abrades material in the respective vertebra , including medullary material spaced away from the disc . as shown in fig8 , each of the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b are preferable steered toward the disc , for example by axially moving the steering element 32 ( fig3 ), and the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b abrade at least a portion of the end plates of the disc between the vertebrae . the material abraded by the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b is preferably removed through one or both of the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b . for example , a suction and / or irrigation device could be passed into one of the tubes 10 a and 10 b , while one of the drill tools is passed through the other of the tubes 10 a and 10 b . the position of the distal end of the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b is preferably determined , for example , by using a computer controlled surgical navigation device that interacts with the tracking element 34 ( fig3 ). after abrasion of all material , the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b are pulled out of the tubes 10 a and 10 b , and the further removal of any remaining loose material occurs via suction , irrigation , flexible forceps , or other means for clearing such loose material . eventually , all of the interior of the disc , including its nucleus , is removed to form a cavity extending through the disc and preferably into portions of the adjacent vertebrae . preferably , none of the circumferential segments of the annulus fibrosis are abraded or removed during the procedure , such that at least a portion of the fibrosis extends around the cavity . in a preferred practice of the invention , the inflatable balloon implant 40 is preferably inserted into the cavity via one of the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b . the balloon is preferably filled with a contrast agent , as shown in fig1 , and the balloon is viewed with appropriate imaging equipment , such as a fluoroscope . one possible imaging agent that could be used to inflate the balloon is omnipaque . since the inflated balloon preferably fills the entire cavity , the imaging of the balloon can be used to evaluate whether the cavity is properly configured . it can also be used to ascertain proper anatomic alignment or position and to verify complete filling of the cavity . in the event that further material needs to be removed to enlarge the cavity , the implant 40 could be removed from the cavity , and abrasion with one or more of the steerable drilling tools could be continued . when the cavity is properly formed , a flowable fusion substance is preferably passed into the cavity via one of the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b . preferably , the fusion substance is a substance capable of solidfying such that it is no longer readily flowable . for example , the fusion substance could be a solidifying agent including polymethacrylate , such as methylmethacrylate or cranioplastic methacrylate , hydroxyapatite , another polymer , and / or a biological matrix . the flowable substance may include growth factors , such as bone morphogenic proteins or fibroplast growth factor , genetically modified cells for replacement therapy or mesenchymal stem cells to further promote bony fusion . in addition , the fusion substance could include antibiotics such as tobramycin , for example . in one possible practice of the invention , the balloon implant used for the imaging is removed from the cavity before the fusion substance alone is passed into the cavity . alternatively , the balloon implant 40 used for the imaging could be drained of the imaging agent and then filled with the fusion substance via one of the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b . in another alternate practice of the invention , the balloon implant 40 used for the contrast agent is removed from the cavity and another balloon implant is inserted in the cavity and filled with the fusion substance . filling a balloon implant with the fusion substance is preferred in order to contain the fusion substance and prevent migration into unintended areas , such as the area near the spinal chord . after passing the fusion substance into the cavity , the tubes 10 a and 10 b are removed from the vertebrae . fig1 shows the balloon implant 12 in place after being filled with the flowable agent and after solidification of the fusion substance . fig1 shows an alternate embodiment of a balloon implant 40 a that is configured to fill a relatively larger cavity extending into two adjacent discs positioned near a spinal fracture . in the preferred practice of the invention , the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b could be moved at various times during the procedure to reposition one or more of the vertebrae . for example , the movement shown in fig5 could take place after the cavity is fully formed . in addition , the vertebrae could be retained in their repositioned state until the fusion substance solidifies . fig1 - 17 show an alternative procedure like that shown in fig4 - 13 , but involving a single guide tube 10 . as shown in fig1 , the guide tube 10 is used to remove the inner material from a disc with suction applied though the guide tube 10 . as shown in fig1 - 17 , a balloon is inserted into a cavity formed in the disc and eventually filled with the fusion substance to fuse the spinal region . the method and apparatus according to the invention could be used for noninvasive or minimally invasive spinal disc distraction , rotation or translation and subsequent stabilization . the invention could be used for treatment of spinal disorders including , but not limited to , scoliosis , lordosis , kyphosis , spinal fractures , spinal instability , tumors , spinal degeneration due to disease , disc bulges , herniations , and tears . preferably , the invention will stabilize the spine and correct anatomic misalignment caused by the above disorders . for example , the movement of one or more of the guide tubes to reposition one or more vertebrae could be used to correct scoliosis prior to spinal fusion . the method and apparatus according to the present invention could be used for procedures in many different areas of the spine . although the invention has particular advantages in association with procedures for the lower spinal area , the invention could also be used for procedures for the thoracic area or the cervical area , for example . preferably , the present invention shortens the time a patient is being operated on by speeding up the repair of the spinal disorders and thereby reduces risks associated with pre - and post - operative complications . the invention also preferably decreases pain by decreasing pressure on nerve roots , improves mobility , and improves long - term alignment of the spine , thereby providing improved outcomes for spinal disorder patients . the invention could be used to fuse regions of various sizes . for example , the invention could be practiced to fuse two adjacent spinal discs or may be used across more than two . there are a variety of different ways in which the various instruments could be guided during a procedure . for example , stereotactic guidance could be used . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure and methodology of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	0
referring now to fig1 , a large rotating toothed wheel 10 is shown as a moving machine in an industrial application system . the wheel 10 may be used in any various industrial applications , such as a turbine engine , a gear on an assembly line or a cooling fan . the wheel 10 may rotate with varying speeds ranging from stationary to as fast as the industrial system will allow , and could come alternatively in other shapes and with other periodic motions , such as a toothed rod moving linearly back and forth . in close proximity to the wheel 10 is a sensor 20 which may detect variations in the electromagnetic field produced by the physical motion of the wheel 10 across a gap 12 . the sensor 20 may be for example a variable reluctance sensor comprising a permanent magnet and a pick up coil as known in the art . in response to variations in the electromagnetic field , the sensor 20 produces an electrical input signal of varying frequency and amplitude that approximately corresponds to the periodic motion of the wheel 10 . in other words , a low speed rotation of the wheel 10 would result in the sensor 20 producing a weak electrical input signal having low frequency and small amplitude , whereas a high speed rotation of the wheel 10 would result in the sensor 20 producing a strong electrical input signal having high frequency and large amplitude . the electrical input signal produced by the sensor 20 is then transmitted along a conductor 22 through an optional filter , such as ferrite bead 24 , which may serve to filter noise and distortion due to emi . the source of emi may include the operation of other machinery in the factory environment , or cross - coupling from neighboring channels , such as another electrical input signal from another nearby conductor , sensor and toothed wheel . conductors 28 may be for example neighboring channels with electrical input signals from other conductors , sensors and toothed wheels , which may be sources of emi by cross - coupling with conductor 22 . ferrite bead 24 may alternatively be any other resistor , inductor and / or capacitor network if desired for advantageously improving signal integrity as known in the art . the electrical input signal then continues along conductor 26 to industrial i / o controller circuit 30 . conductor 26 , as well as conductors 28 , may connect to controller circuit 30 via screw terminals , though other methods of electro - mechanical connection to controller circuit 30 are possible as known in the art . the controller circuit 30 adaptively measures the frequency of the electrical input signal received on conductor 26 , as well as conductors 28 if so configured . the controller circuit 30 then externally communicates digital data with the industrial system over a bus or backplane 32 , which may include several other industrial control circuits or other modules connected to the backplane 32 , such as industrial control module 40 . the digital information communicated over backplane 32 may include , for example , configuration information for configuring the controller circuit 30 , and measured frequency data as reported by the controller circuit 30 . module 40 may include a data connection 42 , such as an ethernet connection , to data terminal equipment 50 which may be used to configure , monitor and control the industrial system by a user . referring now to fig2 , in one embodiment the controller circuit 30 has an input port 100 for receiving the electrical input signal produced by the sensor 20 . from the input port 100 , the electrical input signal passes through a voltage divider comprised of resistors 110 and 112 , and then to an input 114 of a threshold detector 118 , which may be , for example , the non - inverting input of an analog comparator or an operational amplifier configured to operate in saturation . the threshold detector 118 compares the electrical input signal received at its input 114 to a threshold level provided by a threshold generator 130 that is received at another input 116 of the threshold detector 118 , which may be , for example , the inverting input of an analog comparator or an operational amplifier . in operation , if the electrical input signal received at the input 114 is detected by the threshold detector 118 to be below the threshold level received at the other input 116 , then the threshold detector 118 will produce an electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 having a first digital state , such as a logic zero . if the electrical input signal received at the input 114 is detected by the threshold detector 118 to be above the threshold level received at the other input 116 , then the threshold detector 118 will produce an electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 having a second digital state , such as a logic one . the threshold detector 118 thereby produces a square wave digital output signal at conductor 150 . the electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 is transmitted to a threshold generator 130 , which may be a microcontroller or other programmable logic , comprising a digital to analog converter ( dac ) 132 , a counter 134 , a timer 136 and processing logic 138 . in one embodiment , the electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 is received by the threshold generator 130 at the counter 134 , which may count the transitions between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal and report the counted transitions to the logic 138 . the timer 136 provides a time base to the logic 138 , so that the logic 138 may continuously or occasionally measure the frequency of the electrical digital output signal by dividing the count received by the counter 134 over a length of time indicated by the timer 136 , e . g . cycles per second ( hz ). the controller circuit 30 may also have a communication port 170 coupled to logic 138 , which may externally communicate bi - directional digital data over backplane 32 according to known protocols . the digital data communicated may include reporting the measured frequency or other data to the industrial system , or receiving configuration information or other data from the industrial system . the threshold generator 130 is operative to adjust the threshold level received at the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 in response to the frequency measured by the logic 138 . for example , if the logic 138 measures a lower frequency , e . g . 10 hz , then the logic 138 may digitally control the dac 132 to provide a lower threshold level to the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 . if the logic 138 measures a higher frequency , e . g . 5 khz , then the logic 138 may digitally control the dac 132 to provide a higher threshold level to the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 . the logic 138 may digitally control the dac 132 to adjust the threshold level dynamically , such as by continuously adjusting the threshold level in response to changes in frequency to the granularity that the dac 132 allows . in addition , in a preferred embodiment , the logic 138 may digitally control the dac 132 to adjust the threshold level to a predetermined value in response to reaching a predetermined frequency amount . alternatively , some combination of adjusting dynamically and then at predetermined frequency amounts may be used . the logic 138 could also adjust the threshold level with additional intelligence . for example , if the logic 138 measures a frequency of 2 . 75 khz , causing the logic 138 to digitally control the dac 132 to apply a threshold level of 10 v , and then the logic 138 measures a frequency of 3 . 0 khz , causing the logic 138 to digitally control the dac 132 to apply a threshold level of 12 v , the logic 138 could be advantageously configured not to lower the threshold level again below 12 v until an even lower frequency is measured , such as 2 . 5 khz . this may avoid undesirable rapid changes in the system . the various parameters used by logic 138 , including the time base over which frequency is measured , how often frequency is measured , whether the threshold level adjusts dynamically or based on predetermined values or both , the predetermined values corresponding to the predetermined frequencies , etc ., may be hard coded in logic 138 , supplied by the industrial system via communication port 170 , or any combination thereof . referring now to fig3 a , an electrical input signal 300 is shown as it might appear at the input port 100 of the controller circuit 30 . the electrical input signal 300 has a low frequency and small amplitude which may indicate a weak signal from slowly moving machine . the electrical input signal 300 is also more susceptible to emi and has poor signal integrity , including noise 306 . as the electrical input signal 300 crosses the threshold level 310 , the threshold detector 118 produces the electrical digital output signal 320 shown in fig3 b . the electrical input signal 300 transitioning up and crossing the threshold level 310 at the intersection 312 produces the electrical digital output signal 320 moving from the logic low state to the logic high state 322 . the electrical input signal 300 then transitioning down and crossing the threshold level 310 at the intersection 314 produces the electrical digital output signal 320 moving from the logic high state to the logic low state 324 . here , the threshold level 310 allows the threshold detector 118 to produce the electrical digital output signal 320 at the correct frequency . referring now to fig4 a , the same electrical input signal 400 now appears later in time having a high frequency and large amplitude , which may indicate a stronger signal from a more quickly moving machine . the high frequency and large amplitude of the electrical input signal 400 results in an overshoot 402 and ringing 404 . using the same low threshold level 310 from before , despite the increase in frequency and amplitude , causes the threshold detector 118 to produce an electrical digital output signal 420 with an incorrect doubled frequency shown in fig4 b . in other words , due to the increased overshoot 402 and ringing 404 , the electrical input signal 400 crosses the threshold level 310 at additional intersections 414 and 416 . as a result , the electrical digital output signal 420 incorrectly includes additional transitions 424 and 426 , resulting in an incorrectly doubled frequency . however , with the threshold generator 130 operative to adjust the threshold level 310 to a higher threshold level 410 in response to the measured higher frequency , the threshold detector 118 produces the correct electrical digital output signal 440 shown in fig4 c . the increased overshoot 402 and ringing 404 does not result in crossing the higher threshold level 410 at additional intersections . thus , the proper frequency is produced . referring again to fig2 , the controller circuit 30 may also include a hysteresis generator 160 to provide hysteresis feedback to the electrical input signal . hysteresis feedback may be applied to resist undesirable rapid changes . referring briefly to fig5 , a hysteresis diagram is shown with a hysteresis range 500 in which a first state 510 is maintained by a system until a first value 520 causes a transition 530 to a second state 540 , but then the second state 540 is maintained by the system until a second value 550 less than the first value 520 is causes a transition 560 back to the first state 510 . by using a hysteresis range having lower and upper values depending from the current state , as opposed to using a single value independent of the current state , undesirable rapid changes may be avoided . referring back to fig2 , the hysteresis generator 160 is shown using a digitally programmable resistor 162 configured by logic 138 ( a static resistor may be used instead if adjustability is not desired ). the resistor 162 receives the electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 and provides feedback to strengthen the electrical input signal at the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 . as a result , if the threshold detector 118 produces an electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 having a high logic state , the resistor 162 will feed back part of the electrical digital output signal to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 thereby adding to the electrical input signal . if however the threshold detector 118 produces an electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 having a low logic sate , the resistor 162 will feed back part of the electrical digital output signal to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 thereby subtracting from the electrical input signal . the result is an increased opposition of the electrical input signal from crossing the threshold level again , which may avoid undesirable rapid change . this is analogous to the operation of a schmitt trigger . in an alternative embodiment , feedback from the electrical digital output signal may instead be provided to the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 , thereby adding to or subtracting from the threshold level . similar to the threshold generator 130 , the hysteresis generator 162 may be operative to adjust the amount of hysteresis feedback based on the measured frequency . in this case , the hysteresis generator 160 may utilize the same microcontroller or other programmable logic functioning to serve the threshold generator 130 , if present . the hysteresis generator 162 may comprise the counter 134 , the timer 136 , the logic 138 and the resistor 162 . referring again to the embodiment shown in fig2 , the electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 is received by the hysteresis generator 160 at the counter 134 , which may count the transitions between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal and report the counted transitions to the logic 138 . the timer 136 provides a time base to the logic 138 , so that the logic 138 may continuously or occasionally measure the frequency of the electrical digital output signal by dividing the count received by the counter 134 over a length of time received by the timer 136 , e . g . cycles per second ( hz ). the logic 138 may then adjust the resistor 162 in response to the measured frequency , thereby adjusting the amount of hysteresis feedback to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 . for example , if the logic 138 measures a lower frequency , e . g . 10 hz , then the logic 138 may digitally control the resistor 162 to provide less feedback to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 . if the logic 138 measures a higher frequency , e . g . 5 khz , then the logic 138 may digitally control the resistor 162 to provide more feedback to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 . again , in an alternative embodiment , feedback may instead be provided to the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 . the logic 138 may digitally control the resistor 162 to adjust the amount of feedback dynamically , such as adjusting the amount of hysteresis feedback continuously in response to changes in frequency to the granularity that the resistor 162 allows . in addition , in a preferred embodiment , the logic 138 may digitally control the resistor 162 to apply a predetermined amount of feedback in response to reaching a predetermined frequency amount , or to apply some combination of adjusting dynamically and then at predetermined times . as described above , the various parameters used by logic 138 may be hard coded in logic 138 , supplied by the industrial system via communication port 170 , or any combination thereof . with the hysteresis generator , and referring now to fig6 a , an electrical input signal 600 is shown as it might appear at the input port 100 of the controller circuit 30 . the electrical input signal 600 has a low frequency and small amplitude which may indicate a weak signal from a slowly moving machine . the electrical input signal 600 is also more susceptible to emi and has poor signal integrity , including noise 606 and 616 . as the electrical input signal 600 crosses the upper value 610 at the intersection 612 , the threshold detector 118 produces the electrical digital output signal 620 transitioning to the logic one state 622 shown in fig6 b . however , despite the electrical input signal then falling back below the upper value at intersection 614 , and despite noise induced ringing 616 on the electrical input signal , the electrical digital output signal 620 stays in the logic one state . as the electrical input signal 600 crosses the lower value 618 at the intersection 619 , the threshold detector 118 produces the electrical digital output signal 620 transitioning to the logic zero state 624 shown in fig6 b . here , the upper value 610 and lower value 618 provided by the hysteresis generator 160 allows the threshold detector 118 to produce the electrical digital output signal 620 at the correct frequency . referring now to fig7 a , the same electrical input signal 700 now appears later in time having a high frequency and large amplitude , which may indicate a stronger signal from a more quickly moving machine . the high frequency and large amplitude of the electrical input signal 700 results in an overshoot 702 and ringing 704 . using the same upper value 610 and lower value 618 from before , despite the increase in frequency and amplitude , causes the threshold detector 118 to produce an electrical digital output signal 720 with an incorrect doubled frequency shown in fig7 b . in other words , due to the increased overshoot 702 and ringing 704 , the electrical input signal 700 crosses the lower value 618 and upper value 610 at additional intersections 714 and 716 , respectively . as a result , the electrical digital output signal 720 incorrectly includes additional transitions 724 and 726 , resulting in an incorrectly doubled frequency . however , with the hysteresis generator 160 operative to adjust the amount of hysteresis feedback in response to the measured higher frequency , and thus the upper value 710 and lower value 719 , the threshold detector 118 produces the correct electrical digital output signal 740 shown in fig7 c . the increased overshoot 702 and ringing 704 does not result in crossing the lower value 719 and upper value 710 at additional intersections , thus , the proper frequency is produced . referring now to fig8 , in an alternative embodiment , the controller circuit 30 has an input port 800 for receiving the electrical input signal produced by the sensor 20 . from the input port 800 , the electrical input signal passes to a programmable gain amplifier 804 which may be digitally controlled to produce an amplified signal 806 . the programmable gain amplifier 804 in turn connects through a voltage divider comprised of resistors 810 and 812 , and then to an input 814 of a threshold detector 818 , which may be , for example , the non - inverting input of an analog comparator or an operational amplifier configured to operate in saturation . the threshold detector 818 compares the electrical input signal received at its input 814 to a threshold level provided by a reference voltage 830 that is received at another input 816 of the threshold detector 818 , which may be , for example , the inverting input of an analog comparator or an operational amplifier . in operation , if the electrical input signal received at the input 814 is detected by the threshold detector 818 to be below the threshold level received at the other input 816 , then the threshold detector 818 will produce an electrical digital output signal at conductor 850 having a first digital state , such as a logic zero . if the electrical input signal received at the input 814 is detected by the threshold detector 818 to be above the threshold level received at the other input 816 , then the threshold detector 818 will produce an electrical digital output signal at conductor 850 having a second digital state , such as a logic one . the threshold detector 818 thereby produces a square wave digital output signal at conductor 850 . similar to the embodiment described in fig2 , the controller circuit 30 further includes a hysteresis generator 860 to provide hysteresis feedback to the electrical input signal at the input 814 of the threshold detector 818 . the hysteresis generator 860 may be operative to adjust the amount of hysteresis feedback based on the measured frequency . in operation , the electrical digital output signal at conductor 850 is transmitted to a hysteresis generator 860 , which may comprise a microcontroller or other programmable logic , comprising a counter 834 , a timer 836 , processing logic 838 and a digitally programmable resistor 862 . the electrical digital output signal at conductor 850 is received by the hysteresis generator 860 at the counter 834 , which may count the transitions between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal and report the counted transitions to the logic 838 . the timer 836 provides a time base to the logic 838 , so that the logic 838 may continuously or occasionally measure the frequency of the electrical digital output signal by dividing the count received by the counter 834 over a length of , time received by the timer 836 , e . g . cycles per second ( hz ). the controller circuit 30 may also have a communication port 870 coupled to logic 838 , which may externally communicate bi - directional digital data over backplane 32 according to known protocols . the data communicated may include reporting the measured frequency or other data to the industrial system , or receiving configuration information or other data from the industrial system . the logic 838 may then adjust the resistor 862 in response to the measured frequency , thereby adjusting the amount of hysteresis feedback to the input 814 of the threshold detector 818 . for example , if the logic 838 measures a lower frequency , e . g . 10 hz , then the logic 838 may digitally control the resistor 862 to provide less feedback to the input 814 of the threshold detector 818 . if the logic 838 measures a higher frequency , e . g . 5 khz , then the logic 838 may digitally control the resistor 862 to provide more feedback to the input 814 of the threshold detector 818 . in an alternative embodiment , feedback may instead be provided to the input 816 of the threshold detector 818 . the logic 838 may digitally control the resistor 862 to adjust the amount of feedback dynamically , such as adjusting the amount of hysteresis feedback continuously in response to continuous changes in frequency to the granularity that the resistor 862 allows . in addition , the logic 838 may digitally control the resistor 862 to apply a predetermined amount of feedback in response to reaching a predetermined frequency amount , or to apply some combination of adjusting dynamically and then at predetermined times . as described above , the various parameters used by logic 838 may be hard coded in logic 838 , supplied by the industrial system via communication port 870 , or any combination thereof . the logic 838 may similarly adjust the programmable gain amplifier 804 in response to the measured frequency , thereby adjusting the amount of gain produced at amplified signal 806 . for example , if the logic 838 measures a lower frequency , e . g . 10 hz , then the logic 838 may digitally control the programmable gain amplifier 804 to provide more gain in producing amplified signal 806 . if the logic 838 measures a higher frequency , e . g . 5 khz , then the logic 838 may digitally control the programmable gain amplifier 804 to provide less gain in producing amplified signal 806 . the logic 838 may digitally control the programmable gain amplifier 804 to adjust the amount of gain dynamically , such as adjusting the amount of gain continuously in response to continuous changes in frequency to the granularity that the programmable gain amplifier 804 allows . in addition , the logic 838 may digitally control the programmable gain amplifier 804 to apply a predetermined amount of gain in response to reaching a predetermined frequency amount , or to apply some combination of adjusting dynamically and then at predetermined times . again , the various parameters used by logic 838 may be hard coded in logic 838 , supplied by the industrial system via communication port 870 , or any combination thereof . referring now to fig9 , a method for measuring the frequency of an electrical input signal in an industrial i / o controller is shown . the method comprises receiving an electrical input signal 902 having a frequency provided by a sensor , providing a threshold level 904 , and comparing the electrical input signal to the threshold level to produce an electrical digital output signal 906 . if the electrical input signal is detected below the threshold level 908 , the electrical digital output signal will have a first state 910 . if the electrical input signal is not detected below the threshold level 912 , and the electrical input signal is detected above the threshold level 914 , the electrical digital output signal will have a second state 916 . if the electrical input signal is not detected below the threshold level 912 , and the electrical input signal is not detected above the threshold level 918 , such as an electrical input signal in the hysteresis range , the previous state is maintained and the method continues receiving the electrical input signal 902 . the electrical digital output signal having the first state 910 , or having the second state 916 is then used to measure the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal 920 , which is then reported to the industrial system 922 . the method may then adjust the threshold level 924 in response to the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal . measuring the frequency of change 920 and adjusting the threshold level 924 may further comprise counting one or more transitions between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal over a length of time . the method may further comprise setting the threshold level to a predetermined value in response to the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal reaching a predetermined amount . the method may also provide hysteresis feedback 926 from the electrical digital output signal to the electrical input signal , which feedback may also be adjusted in response to the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal . the method may also set the amount of hysteresis feedback to a predetermined amount in response to the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal reaching a predetermined amount . certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only , and thus is not intended to be limiting . for example , terms such as “ upper ,” “ lower ,” “ above ” and “ below ” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made . such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above , derivatives thereof , and words of similar import . similarly , the terms “ first ,” “ second ” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context . when introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and the exemplary embodiments , the articles “ a ,” “ an ,” “ the ” and “ said ” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features . the terms “ comprising ,” “ including ” and “ having ” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted . it is further to be understood that 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 . references to “ a microcontroller ” can be understood to include one or more microcontrollers , processors or microprocessors that can communicate in a stand - alone and / or a distributed environment ( s ), and can thus be configured to communicate via wired or wireless communications with other microcontrollers , where such one or more microcontrollers can be configured to operate on one or more microcontroller - controlled devices that can be similar or different devices . furthermore , references to “ logic ,” unless otherwise specified , can include one or more microcontroller - readable and accessible logic or memory elements and / or components that can be internal to the microcontroller - controlled device , or external to the microcontroller - controlled device , and can be accessed via a wired or wireless network . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims . it is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims .	6
the present invention generally provides an endoscopic elevator and an endoscopic assembly having enhanced features of grasping and reduced scraping of a medical device . embodiments of the present invention allow a practitioner to relatively firmly grasp the medical device within an endoscope , while reducing the risk of scraping , tearing , or stripping of the medical device ( e . g ., catheter , wire guide . in one embodiment , a polymeric endoscopic elevator generally comprises inner sides defining a slot within which a medical device ( e . g ., catheter , wire guide ) is disposed . each of the inner sides has a grasping ridge or rib formed thereon . in another embodiment , the elevator generally includes a polymeric grasping cover disposed over the elevator . the grasping cover includes a body having an open lip defining an opening through which the elevator is received . the grasping cover has the at least one surface projection disposed thereon for enhanced grasping and reduced scraping . fig1 - 3 illustrate an endoscopic system comprising an endoscope having an elevator with a distal tip . in one example , this system represents a modification to the olympus v - scope ™. additional details relating to the endoscopic system discussed herein are described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 827 , 683 , entitled “ endoscope system and medical treatment method ” issued dec . 7 , 2004 to takashi otawara , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . fig1 a illustrates an endoscopic system 10 comprising an endoscope 11 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the endoscope 11 comprises an insertion tube 12 to be inserted into a body cavity for various endoscopic procedures including gastroscopy , sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy , esophago gastro duodenoscopy ( egd ), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ( ercp ), and bronchoscopy . the insertion tube 12 has a channel port through which endoscopic units may be disposed . in one embodiment , endoscopic units disposed in one of the ports may include one embodiment of an improved elevator having a distal tip . as shown in fig1 a and 1 b , the endoscope 11 further includes a control system 14 that is in mechanical and fluid communication with the insertion tube 12 . the control system 14 is configured to control the insertion tube 12 and endoscopic parts disposed therein . as shown , the control system 14 includes first and second control knobs 16 , 18 . the control knobs 16 , 18 are configured to be in mechanical communication with the insertion tube 12 . the control knobs 16 , 18 allow the physician to control and guide , by known means , the insertion tube 12 through vessels and cavities of a patient . the control system 14 further includes valve switches ( e . g ., suction valve 20 , air / water valve 21 , camera valve 22 ), each of which are in communication with one of the channel ports 13 of the insertion tube 12 . for example , the suction valve switch 20 , when activated , allows a vacuum from a suction source through a suction channel port for suctioning unwanted plaque and debris from the patient . in one example , the distal end of the insertion tube 12 is inserted , rectally or orally , to a predetermined endoscopic location within a patient . insertion of the insertion tube 12 may be rectally or orally depending on the endoscopic procedure . the endoscope , in combination with the elevator having the distal tip , reduces the risk of tearing or scraping of the wire guide . in this embodiment , the insertion tube 12 comprises an operating portion 25 connected to the control system 14 and extending to an insertion protecting member 26 . a control system 14 is connected to the operating portion 25 and is configured to control the insertion tube 12 . in this embodiment , the insertion tube 12 is composed of components that include a flexible tube 28 , a flexure 29 connected to the flexible tube 28 , and an endoscope tip 30 connect to the flexure 29 . a universal cord 31 , on one end , is connected and in communication with the control system 14 . on the other end , the cord 31 has a connector 18 attached thereto . the connector 18 is in communication to a light guide tube and electrical contact , and is connected to a light source apparatus 32 and an image processing apparatus 33 ( external devices ). these external devices may include a monitor 34 , an input keyboard 35 , a suction pump apparatus 36 , irrigation bottle 37 , and other suitable apparatus that are installed on a rack 39 equipped with rollers 38 . as shown in fig1 c and 2 , a cutout 40 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tip 30 . in this embodiment , a channel opening 42 is formed on one side of the cutout 40 , and an objective lens 44 and a light source 46 are disposed on another side of the cutout 40 for imaging . both the objective lens 44 and the light source 46 are positioned adjacent to the channel opening 42 . the tip 30 further comprises a nozzle 48 extending from a back wall surface 50 of the cutout 40 . the nozzle 48 allows a stream of water , air , or the like to be sprayed towards the outer surface of the objective lens 44 to clean the lens surface . fig1 c and 2 further illustrate the elevator 43 comprising a grasping slot 91 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the grasping slot may take on any suitable shape or form for grasping of a medical device . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 91 is narrowly formed by inner sides 92 that define the grasping slot 91 formed through the elevator 43 . preferably , the grasping slot 91 is centrally formed through the elevator 43 for receiving a medical device ( e . g ., catheter or wire guide ) and grasping the device during operation of the endoscope . as depicted in fig2 , tip 30 further includes a guide catheter 52 and a wire guide 56 disposed through the guide catheter 52 . the tip 30 further includes an elevator 43 configured to receive the guide catheter and / or wire guide for elevating the guide catheter 52 or wire guide 56 . as will be described in greater detail below , the elevator 43 is comprised of polymeric material and has a grasping slot formed therethrough for enhanced grasping and reduced scraping purposes . the elevator 43 is pivotally attached to the tip 30 and is configured to receive the medical instrument ( e . g ., catheter or wire guide ) for elevating the medical instrument . as shown in fig3 , the distal tip houses the elevator 43 in channel opening 42 . the elevator 43 is used to orient medical instruments such as a catheter . as discussed in greater detail below , this is accomplished by engaging the medical instrument and pivoting away from the distal tip thereby laterally moving the distal end of the medical instrument away from the distal tip . the elevator 43 thus secures the distal end of the medical instrument relative to the endoscope . that is , as the medical instrument is received in slot 91 of the elevator 43 , the medical instrument laterally moves relative to the tip 30 when the elevator 43 pivots therefrom . fig3 illustrates that the endoscope tip 30 includes a cuff 60 as the main body of the tip 30 , and a sleeve or cover 62 that covers the perimeter of the cuff 60 . as shown , the cover 62 is formed using a nonconductive member such as any suitable polymeric material , e . g ., high density polyethylene or polypropylene . in this embodiment , the cover 62 is attached to the cuff 60 by any suitable means , e . g ., by adhesive bonding . the cuff 60 is disposed adjacent the working channel 63 , which acts as a passageway for the insertion of the medical instrument , e . g ., wire guide or catheter . in this embodiment , a channel 67 ( fig1 c ) is formed through the tip 30 such that the tip opening of the treatment instrument is able to be disposed through channel opening 42 . fig3 further illustrates an elevator wire 90 connected to the elevator 43 . in this embodiment , the elevator wire 90 is located at the operating portion 25 and extends through a guide tube 92 and a guide pipe 93 connected to the guide tube 92 . the elevator wire 90 is in mechanical communication with the control system 14 so that manipulations at the control system 14 result in movement of the elevator wire 90 relative to the endoscope . fig3 depicts ( in phantom ) movement of the elevator 43 when the elevator wire 90 is actuated at the control system 14 , moving the position of the elevator 43 about the elevator turning support 68 as the elevator wire 90 is retracted or pulled . in this embodiment , the elevator 43 is moved about the elevator turning support 68 by manipulating or actuating the control system 14 to pull or retract the elevator wire 90 . as shown in fig5 , the result moves the wire guide 56 in the direction of the arrow p and pushes the elevator 43 against the cuff 60 . because the wire guide 56 is formed from a relatively axially stiff material , it tends to remain straight when pushed against the cuff 60 , creating a reactive force in the direction of the arrow fr in fig5 . by means of this reactive force , the wire guide 56 is pressed against the slot 91 . moreover , as the elevator 43 and the cuff 60 press against one another , the wire guide is secured . in another embodiment , fig4 and 5 illustrate the elevator 43 having a transverse passageways 102 and 103 formed therethrough , each having optional metal sleeves 104 and 105 , respectively , disposed thereon . the metal sleeves are configured to provide transverse rigidity to the elevator . the proximal end of the elevator 43 is attached so as to pivot around the elevator turning support 68 provided to the cuff 60 . the elevator 43 is preferably comprised of polymeric material . the polymeric material may include polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), polyethylene , polypropylene , perfluoroelastomer , fluoroelastomer , nitrile , neoprene , polyurethane , silicone , styrene - butadiene , rubber , or polyisobutylene , or a mixture thereof . the polymeric material aids the elevator in relatively firmly grasping the medical device while reducing the risk of tearing , scraping , or striping of the medical device . fig6 illustrates the elevator 43 comprising a grasping slot 130 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the grasping slot may take on any suitable shaped or form for grasping of a medical device . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 130 is narrowly formed by inner sides 132 that define the grasping slot 130 through the elevator 43 . preferably , the grasping slot 130 is centrally formed through the elevator 43 for receiving a medical device ( e . g ., catheter or wire guide ) and grasping the device during operation of the endoscope . fig6 and 7 illustrate the elevator having inner sides 132 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . as shown , inner sides 132 include side surface projections 134 formed thereon . in this embodiment , side surface projections 134 are ridges or ribs that are oppositely formed laterally across each of the inner sides . of course , the side surface projections may be formed on either or both of the inner sides , in any suitable shape , and in staggered configuration . for example , the inner surface projections may be formed longitudinally or in various patterns without falling beyond the scope or spirit of the present invention . in use , the control system of the endoscope may be manipulated to actuate the elevator , moving the elevator to engage the medical device , e . g ., catheter or wire guide . by force , the medical device is worked through the grasping slot 130 of the elevator 43 , thereby engaging the medical device with the inner sides 132 of the elevator 43 . the side surface projections 134 engage the device and , due to the polymeric material of the elevator 43 , partially deform and absorb the device to reduce the risk of scraping thereof . in use , the side surface projections 134 receive the medical device when disposed within the slot for enhanced grasping and reduced risk of scraping of the medical device . in addition to reducing the risk of tearing and scraping , the formation of the slot allows a physician to more firmly grasp and secure the distal end of an instrument or wire guide relative to other endoscopes . to avoid further stripping or otherwise damaging an instrument or wire guide , cuff 60 can be provided with an elastomeric outer surface 66 ( see fig3 ). fig8 a - 8 c further illustrate various configurations of grasping slots 140 , 150 , 160 formed through the elevator . as mentioned above , the grasping slots may take on any desirable or suitable shape for grasping of a medical device of an endoscope . for example , as shown in fig8 a , the grasping slot 140 of elevator 141 may have a cross - sectional shape that is semi - circular or arcuate . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 140 has an arcuate side 142 that defines the grasping slot 140 . as shown , the arcuate side 142 includes surface projections 144 formed thereon for grasping the medical device . fig8 b illustrates grasping slot 150 of elevator 151 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . as shown , the grasping slot 150 has inner and arcuate sides 152 that define the slot 150 . in this embodiment , the sides 152 include surface projection 154 formed thereon for grasping the medical device . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 150 takes on a keyhole shape , having relatively narrow planar sides 151 and widening to an arcuate side 153 . in use , the medical instrument , e . g ., a catheter or a wire guide , may be worked between the planar sides 151 and received by the arcuate side 153 . as shown , the surface projections 154 disposed immediately proximate the arcuate side 153 on the planar sides serve to hold or biased the medical instrument within the grasping slot 150 against the arcuate side 153 . this provides enhanced grasping of the medical instrument within the apparatus . fig8 c illustrates grasping slot 160 of elevator 161 in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention . as shown , the grasping slot 160 has tapered and arcuate sides 162 that define the slot 160 . in this embodiment , the sides 162 include surface projections 164 formed thereon for grasping the medical device . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 160 once again takes on a keyhole shape , but having planar sides 161 that flare outwardly to receive a medical instrument such as a catheter or a wire guide . as shown , the planar sides 161 then extend to an arcuate side 163 . in use , the medical instrument may be worked between the planar sides 161 and received by the arcuate side 163 . as shown , the surface projections 164 that are disposed immediately proximate the arcuate side 163 on the planar sides serve to hold or biased the medical instrument within the grasping slot 160 against the arcuate side 163 . this provides enhanced grasping of the medical instrument within the apparatus . fig9 illustrates the elevator 43 comprising a grasping cover or tip 212 disposed on the elevator 43 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the tip 212 is disposed over the elevator 43 and adhered thereon by any suitable means , e . g ., sonic bonding , thermal bonding , or adhesive bonding . as shown , the tip 212 comprises a body 213 having a plurality of lateral ridges or ribs 214 formed thereon . the body 213 has an open lip 215 defining an opening 216 through which the elevator 43 is received . the body 213 is disposed on the elevator 43 with at least one and preferably a plurality of surface projections or ridges 214 positioned thereacross to receive and contact the device . the surface projections 214 may be formed across the body 213 in any suitable manner , e . g ., laterally or longitudinally thereacross . the grasping cover or tip 212 may be made of any suitable material that will cooperate with the device to absorb and deform when in contact therewith , thereby reducing the risk of tearing or scraping of the wire guide . preferably , the grasping cover 212 is made of polymeric material . for example , the grasping cover 212 may be made of at least one of the following components : polytetrafluoroethylene , polyethylene , polypropylene , perfluoroelastomer , fluoroelastomer , nitrile , neoprene , polyurethane , silicone , polytetrafluroethylene , styrene - butadiene , rubber , and polyisobutylene . as shown in fig9 and 10 , the lateral ridges 214 are configured to contact and engage the device , e . g ., wire guide or catheter , within the endoscope during usage thereof . the lateral ridges 214 aid in retaining and guiding the wire guide 56 , while also reducing the risk of tearing or scraping the wire guide . this is accomplished due to the lateral structure of the ridges 213 and the composition thereof . the ridges 214 may take on any desirable or suitable formation to contact the device ( e . g . wire guide ). in addition to reducing the risk of tearing and scraping , the tip 212 allows a physician to more firmly grasp and secure the distal end of an instrument or wire guide relative to the endoscope as compared to endoscopes having bare , rigid elevators . to avoid further stripping or otherwise damaging an instrument or wire guide , cuff 60 can be provided with an elastomeric outer surface 66 ( see fig3 ). fig1 a - 11 c further illustrate various configurations of ridges or ribs 214 , 220 , 224 , respectively , formed on the elevator . as mentioned above , the ridges 214 may take on any desirable or suitable shape for contact with the wire guide . as shown in fig1 a - 11 c for example , the ridges 214 , 220 , 224 may have a cross - sectional shape that is semi - circular or arcuate ( fig1 a ), triangular ( fig1 b ), or rectangular ( fig1 c ). while the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments , it will be understood , of course , that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made to those skilled in the art , particularly in light of the foregoing teachings .	0
the various features of the invention will now be described with reference to the figures , in which like parts are identified with the same reference characters . in the following description , for purposes of explanation and not limitation , specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practices in other embodiments that depart from these specific details . in other instances , detailed descriptions of well known methods , devices , and circuits are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention . prior to discussing exemplary embodiments of the present invention in detail , a brief description of the application of the ici algorithm in connection with a gsm receiver which receives both gsm modulated and edge modulated signals is presented below in connection with fig5 - 7 to highlight some of the principals upon which the present invention is based . specifically , the discussion below in connection with fig5 - 7 illustrate the general applicability , as well as the limitations , of the ici algorithm when the modulation of the received signal is unknown . [ 0047 ] fig5 illustrates an exemplary transmitter that generates gsm and edge modulated signals and a gsm receiver in accordance with the present invention . the transmitter 510 includes gsm burst generation 515 , gmsk modulation 520 , switch 535 , edge burst generation 525 , and 8psk modulation 530 . the gsm receiver 550 includes receive filter 555 , sampler 560 , derotation unit 565 and toa estimation 570 . assume that the signal which is transmitted over the radio channel is selected randomly to obtain a uniform distribution of gsm and edge transmitted signals . as illustrated by the addition blocks in fig5 the radio channel may subject the transmitted signal to either or both awgn and cci . the receiver filter 555 can be a 4 - th order butterworth receiver filter with cut - off frequency of 93 khz . the filtered signal is sampled at symbol rate by sampler 560 and de - rotated by π / 2 radians by derotation unit 565 . the so obtained received sequence is used for the ici toa estimation algorithm . assume that the interference signal ( i . e ., either awgn or cci ) is generated in the same way as the useful signal , i . e . gsm and edge modulated interfering signals are randomly generated with same probability . [ 0048 ] fig6 illustrates toa estimation performance in a “ one - peak ” propagation channel for different number of ( normal ) bursts with additive white gaussian noise , where edge and gsm bursts are transmitted with the same probability . fig7 illustrates toa estimation performance in a “ one - peak ” propagation channel for different number of normal bursts with interference , where edge and gsm bursts are transmitted with the same probability . if only one burst is used for toa estimation and no information about the modulation is available at the receiver , then the performance of the toa estimation algorithm is completely random . the same is true for the 2 bursts case , however , the probability that at least one of the two bursts consists of a gsm burst is now higher . the more bursts used for toa estimation , the higher is the probability , in this example , that gsm modulated bursts are in the received sequence and the better is the toa estimation performance . if more than 8 bursts are used for toa estimation the performance is acceptable . for example , using 8 bursts a toa estimate is possible for e s / n 0 & gt ;− 2 db . if all bursts have the same modulation , then in the 8 burst case a toa estimate is possible for e s / n 0 & gt ;− 8 db , as can be seen from fig1 i . e . there is a loss of 6 db . the loss reduces with increased number of bursts , and for 32 bursts the loss is 4 db . in principle , if the number of bursts used are large ( i . e ., much greater than 32 ) the loss in performance will be 3 db , since only half of the used bursts in this example will have the assumed modulation format ( i . e . ˜ gmsk ). therefore , the ici algorithm can in principle also be used if the modulation of the received signal is unknown . the algorithm uses the available bursts and if at least a few bursts have the assumed modulation ( gmsk in this example ), a toa estimate is possible . the probability that at least a few bursts have the assumed modulation format increases with increased number of bursts used for toa estimation . the correlation results for the edge bursts contribute to the ici sum like noise . accordingly , the basic ici algorithm can in principle be applied directly on mixed gmsk / edge bursts , with some performance degradation . this performance degradation is especially notable when only a few bursts are used for integration . a more serious drawback is that the above - described method requires that at least a few bursts of the assumed modulation type is present in the received signal . in reality , it may happen that one operator allocates the complete bcch to gmsk , which would make the edge tuned toa receiver useless . other operators may choose to have all edge traffic on the bcch frequency , which deteriorates the performance of the gmsk adapted toa receiver i . e ., gsm receiver . therefore it is necessary to develop a method which does not suffer from the above mentioned problems . in order to avoid the above mentioned problems , the present invention provides a modified ici algorithm which makes more efficient use of the possible modulation types that may be present in the received signals . [ 0054 ] fig8 illustrates an exemplary apparatus for implementing a modified version of the above - described ici algorithm . the apparatus includes an input 810 , an rotator unit 820 , correlators 830 and 840 , training sequence generator 850 and ici block 860 . the output of a gsm receiver , i . e ., a signal demodulated in accordance with gmsk demodulation , is sent to input 810 . the input signal is split along two paths . in one path the input signal is rotated by π / 8 by rotator unit 820 and then passed to correlator 830 . the apparatus illustrated in fig8 assumes that it is receiving a gsm signal , i . e ., a signal which has been gmsk demodulated by a gsm receiver . accordingly , the π / 8 radian rotation removes the edge modulation of the received signal . the π / 8 rotation results from a rotation of the received signal by π / 2 by the gsm receiver to remove the gmsk rotation and then a de - rotation by 3π / 8 per symbol to remove the rotation used for edge signal , i . e ., π / 2 - 3π / 8 . the input signal is then correlated in correlators 830 and 840 using a training sequence generated by training sequence generator 850 . the correlated signals are passed from correlators 830 and 840 to ici block 860 . the two correlations are summed during the processing in ici block 860 . the summation performed in ici block 860 can be selected from any of the equations 2 - 5 presented above . for example , if it is desired to weight the summation based upon an estimated snr then equation 3 can be used . alternatively , in view of the difficulty associated with estimating the weights used in equation 3 , the algorithm described in equations 4 and 5 can be used for the ici process . [ 0056 ] fig9 illustrates an exemplary method for using the modified ici algorithm to determine toa in accordance with the present invention . initially a demodulated data burst is received from the receiver ( step 905 ). the data burst is demodulated by the gsm receiver by π / 2 because the gsm receiver assumes that it is receiving gsm data bursts . the received data burst is split into a first and second copy ( step 910 ) and one copy is rotated by π / 8 ( step 915 ). a correlation is performed using the training sequence on one copy and the rotated copy of the signal ( step 920 ). the results of the correlation are summed using the ici algorithm in accordance with one of the equations 2 - 5 described above ( step 925 ). next it is determined if all bursts have been processed ( step 928 ). if not all bursts have been processed (“ no ” path out of decision step 928 ), then the next burst is received from the receiver ( step 905 ). if all bursts have been processed (“ yes ” path out of decision step 928 ) then the toa is determined using the results of the ici ( step 930 ). [ 0057 ] fig1 and 11 respectively illustrate the toa performance using the apparatus illustrated in fig8 for a channel which experiences awgn and cci . by comparing fig1 and 11 with fig6 and 7 , the improvement using the modified ici algorithm in accordance with the present invention can be seen . in fact , by comparing the fig1 and 11 with fig1 and 2 , it can be seen that the modified version of the ici algorithm in accordance with the present invention in an environment where gsm and edge signals co - exist results in almost the same performance as in the gsm or edge only case , where a loss of about 1 db only can be observed . it should be noted that no detection of the modulation format is necessary . although the present invention has been described above in connection with a gsm receiver , the present invention is equally applicable to a edge receiver . in case of an edge receiver , rotator unit 820 would perform a derotation of − π / 8 . the remainder of the processing would be performed in accordance with the description above . it should be noted that exemplary methods of the present invention are not limited to application described above . the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments to facilitate understanding . the above embodiments , however , are illustrative rather than restrictive . it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that departures may be made from the specific embodiments shown above without departing from the central spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , the invention should not be regarded as being limited to the above examples , but should be regarded instead as being fully commensurate in scope with the following claims .	7
referring now to the invention in more detail , in fig1 through fig1 , there is shown various embodiments of the present invention as a portable , multi - platform friction drive system with retractable motor drive assembly , along with various examples of it installed in the operating position of various bicycles and scooters . fig1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention with the retractable motor drive assembly in a retracted state , with the motor drive assembly secured inside the carrying case for transport or storage . the overall carrying case for an embodiment of the portable friction drive system 10 is pictured with the retractable motor drive assembly 12 in its stored position , attached to the carrying case via motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 . optionally , the carrying case can include a carrying handle 16 for easy portability . fig2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention with the retractable motor drive assembly in an expanded state , with the motor drive assembly rotated out from the carrying case and in position to drive the bicycle tire or scooter wheel . the overall carrying case 10 is pictured with the retractable motor drive assembly 12 in its expanded position , swung out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 . the motor drive assembly is now in position to place the drive motor or wheel 18 directly against the bicycle tire or scooter wheel to enable a friction drive mechanism . optionally , the carrying case can include a carrying handle 16 for easy portability . fig3 shows a rear view of an embodiment of the present invention with the retractable motor drive assembly in an expanded state , with the motor drive assembly rotated out from the carrying case and in position to drive the bicycle tire or scooter wheel . the overall carrying case 10 is pictured with the retractable motor drive assembly 12 in its expanded position , swung out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 . the motor drive assembly is now in position to place the drive motor or wheel 18 directly against the bicycle tire , scooter wheel , or other vehicle wheel when the carrying case 10 is installed onto a suitable mount by means of inserting the mount into the mount receptacle 30 and connecting the motor drive assembly 12 to the mount , thereby pressing the drive motor or wheel 18 against the bicycle tire , scooter wheel , or other vehicle wheel . fig4 shows a front perspective view of a common bike share bicycle 20 with an embodiment of the present invention attached and ready for operation . the overall carrying case 10 is pictured with the retractable motor drive assembly 12 in its expanded position , swung out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 . the carrying case 10 and the motor drive assembly 12 are both mounted on to the bike share docking mount 22 by means of inserting the mount 22 into the mount receptacle 30 and connecting the motor drive assembly 12 to the mount 22 , so that the motor drive assembly 12 is now in position to press the drive motor or wheel 18 directly against the bicycle tire 24 . the drive motor or drive wheel 18 is now able to power the bicycle wheel when it is activated by the battery and controller contained in this embodiment , which are controlled by an external throttle ( not shown ) operated by the rider . another embodiment could have the motor activation controlled by a pedal assist sensor . fig5 shows a side perspective view of a common bike share bicycle 20 without a friction drive system attached . the public bike share docking mount 22 , used to dock the share bike in a bike share docking station , is clearly visible . fig6 shows a side perspective view of a common bike share bicycle 20 with an embodiment of the present invention mounted and attached to the public bike share docking mount 22 , by means of inserting the mount 22 into the mount receptacle 30 and connecting the motor drive assembly 12 to the mount 22 . the retractable motor drive assembly 12 is in its expanded position , rotated out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 , and the motor drive assembly 12 is now in position to press the drive motor or wheel 18 directly against the bicycle tire 24 . the drive motor or drive wheel 18 is now able to power the bicycle wheel when it is activated by the battery and controller contained in this embodiment , which is controlled by the external throttle ( not shown ) operated by the rider . another embodiment could have the motor activation controlled by a pedal assist sensor . fig7 shows a rear perspective view of the front wheel area of the public bike share bicycle 20 without a friction drive system attached , highlighting the triangular docking mount 22 used by this bicycle to secure it in a bike share docking station , and also used as a mounting point for embodiments of the present invention . fig8 shows a rear perspective view of the front wheel area of a common bike share bicycle 20 with the motor drive assembly 12 attached by itself for clarity . the carrying case 10 and pivot arms 14 are excluded for illustration purposes . the motor drive assembly 12 is fastened to the public bike share docking mount 22 by means of the sliding plunger mechanism 32 contained inside the motor drive assembly 12 being inserted into the docking mount plunger hole 28 fig9 shows a close - up perspective view of the front wheel area of a common bike share bicycle , demonstrating a cut - away view of the motor drive assembly 12 attached by itself to the mount 22 for clarity . the carrying case 10 and pivot arms 14 are excluded for illustration purposes . the motor drive assembly 12 is fastened to the public bike share docking mount 22 by means of the sliding plunger mechanism 32 contained inside the motor drive assembly 12 being inserted into the docking mount plunger hole 28 . fig1 shows a rear perspective view of the front wheel area of the public bike share bicycle 20 , now with the carrying case 10 and pivot arms 14 shown as in use . the carrying case 10 is positioned onto the triangular docking mount 22 by insertion of the docking mount 22 into the mount receptacle 30 , a triangular recess designed to fit exactly over the triangular docking mount 22 . the retractable motor drive assembly 12 is in its expanded position , swung out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 and attached to the docking mount 22 via the plunger hole in docking mount 28 by means of insertion of the sliding plunger mechanism 32 . thus the carrying case 10 is also held firmly in place by the pivot arms 14 , which are held in place firmly by the retractable motor assembly 12 . the drive motor or wheel 18 is now in position to drive the front wheel 24 via friction drive . fig1 shows a cut - away view of the inside of the carrying case 10 , exhibiting the battery packs 34 and electronic control unit 36 contained inside . fig1 shows the front wheel 40 and front fork 42 of a kick scooter along with the custom mount 38 for said kick scooter that replicates closely the bike share docking mount 22 and thus enables embodiments of the present invention to attach to the kick scooter and power it via friction drive in the same manner as it attaches to the bike share bicycle . fig1 shows an embodiment of the present invention mounted to the kick scooter of fig1 by means of inserting the custom mount 38 into the mount receptacle 30 , rotating out the motor drive assembly 12 and fastening it to the custom mount 38 by means of inserting the sliding plunger 32 into the plunger hole of the custom mount 38 , thereby securing both the carrying case 10 and the motor drive assembly 12 in position to press the drive motor or wheel 18 into the kick scooter front tire 40 and power the kick scooter via friction drive when the motor is activated . fig1 shows an embodiment of the present invention mounted to a custom mount for a folding bike 44 that replicates closely the bike share docking mount 22 by means of inserting the custom mount 44 into the mount receptacle 30 in the carrying case 10 , rotating out the motor drive assembly 12 and fastening it to the custom mount 44 by means of inserting the sliding plunger 32 into the plunger hole of the custom mount 44 , thereby securing both the carrying case 10 and the motor drive assembly 12 in position to press the drive motor or wheel 18 into the folding bike front tire 46 and power the folding bike via friction drive when the motor is activated . fig1 shows an embodiment of the present invention carried by a person by means of the handle 16 while the retractable motor drive assembly 12 is contained inside the carrying case 10 , thereby rendering the unit as compact as possible , protecting the person from dirt and debris on the motor , and further protecting the person from any possible danger caused by accidental activation of the drive motor or wheel . in further detail , still referring to the embodiment of fig1 through fig1 , the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 are both attached to the portable friction drive system carrying case 10 via a pivoting hinge . additionally , the retractable motor assembly 12 is attached to both motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 via a rotating hinge mechanism so that the retractable motor assembly 12 can rotate freely as the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 swing inside the carrying case 10 for retraction while the friction drive system is not in use or swing outside the carrying case 10 for extension while the friction drive system is in use . this enables the retractable motor assembly 12 to rotate such that the drive motor or wheel 18 is protected inside the case when the portable friction drive system is not in use and being transported . and this enables the retractable motor assembly 12 to rotate such that the drive motor or wheel 18 is exposed and in a position to drive the tire or wheel when the portable friction drive system is in use and mounted to a bicycle , scooter , or other wheeled vehicle . while this embodiment is shown installing on a mount adjacent to the front wheel for front - wheel friction drive , other embodiments of the present invention could similarly install on a mount adjacent to the rear wheel and drive the rear wheel via friction drive in a similar manner . also , while this embodiment is shown installing on and interfacing with a triangular shaped mounting bracket common to a specific type of public bike share bicycles ( model pbsc / alta / bixi shown as example ), other embodiments could utilize multiple different types and shapes of brackets , including but not limited to rectangular brackets , cylindrical brackets , t - shaped brackets , l - shaped brackets , or others , as well as different sizes and configurations of mounting and docking points . further , while this embodiment is designed and tailored for bicycles and kick scooters , other embodiments of the present invention might have it configured and installed on other wheeled personal transport vehicles , including but not limited to freight bicycles , tandem bicycles , recumbent bicycles , trikes and tricycles , quadracycles , handcycles , rowing cycles , cabin cycles , velomobiles , cycle rickshaws , paddle boats , water cycles , hydrofoils , skateboards , wheelchairs , strollers , and other human powered vehicles or personal transport vehicles . the construction details of the embodiments of the invention as shown in fig1 through fig1 are that the carrying case 10 , retractable motor assembly 12 , motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 , carrying handle 16 , and sliding plunger mechanism 32 , as well as the custom mounts 38 and 44 and any other custom mounts designed for other bicycles , kick scooters , or other wheeled vehicles may be made of plastic , metal , or any other sufficiently rigid and strong material such as high - strength plastic , metal , and the like . the drive motor or wheel 18 can be engineered as an outrunner - type direct motor friction drive or as a secondary friction drive wheel powered by a separate motor . further , the various components can be made of different materials . additionally , desired speed and power inputs from the rider can come from a wired or wireless throttle held by the rider or attached to the bicycle or scooter , or from a pedal assist sensor installed on the bicycle pedals or cranks and connected to the present invention by a wired or wireless connection . the advantages of embodiments of the present invention include , without limitation , reduced size when the friction drive system is not in use and the motor assembly has been retracted into the carrying case . additionally , because of the pivoting and retracting motor assembly mechanism , the motor drive assembly is not exposed when it is retracted into the carrying case , thus protecting the user from dirt and grime that accumulates on the drive wheel or motor . further , the pivoting and retracting motor assembly mechanism which results in the motor drive assembly being enclosed when it is retracted into the carrying case protects the user from injury should there be an accidental activation of the drive motor or wheel while the portable friction drive system is being transported . the advantages of embodiments of the present invention for bike share bicycle use include , without limitation , the ability to use electric power to ride a bike share bicycle without requiring the expense or complexity of conventional electric bicycles , which typically require battery swap functionality and multi - battery docking stations for bike share use . additionally , embodiments of the present invention allows individuals to add electric power to a bike share bicycle when it would otherwise not be available . this allows individuals to experience the benefits of electric bicycles including reduced effort , faster speed , and longer range , while taking advantage of the benefits of a bike share program . embodiments of the present invention also allows bike share operators to benefit from increased membership due to the attractiveness of electric power to individuals , and higher asset utilization of their bike share fleet , as the higher speeds enabled by electric power shorten the time needed for an individual to complete a trip and allow the bike to be returned to the dock and checked out by another user more quickly . the advantages of embodiments of the present invention to non - bike share bicycle use include , without limitation , the ability to add or remove electric friction drive power to a standard non - electric bike in seconds , the ability to use electric friction drive on multiple bikes interchangeably , the ability to use electric friction drive on multiple kick scooters interchangeably , and the ability to carry spare electric friction drive power in a briefcase or bag to be used whenever it is needed . while the foregoing written description of various embodiments of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof , those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations , combinations , and equivalents of the specific embodiments , methods , and examples herein . the invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiments , methods , and examples , but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention .	5
an information processing device to which the present invention is applied is a device including a cpu and the other pertinent parts and capable of performing a schedule registration . such a device may comprises : a portable telephone , a pda ( personal digital assistant ), a pc ( personal computer ), a notebook computer , a digital camera , a digital video camera , and the like . the portable telephone will be exemplified as the information processing device and described in the following embodiments . hereinafter , preferred embodiments of the portable telephone according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . the portable telephone of this first embodiment includes an arrangement similar to that as shown in fig1 . its outer appearance is similar to that as shown in fig2 . next , let us consider an example of a schedule management program used in the portable telephone . fig3 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating the schedule management program used in the portable telephone of this first embodiment according to the present invention . in fig3 , like parts similar to those of fig7 are labeled with corresponding numerals and therefore their explanations are omitted . timer means 33 outputs the current time to comparator means 52 and a schedule management means 53 as needed . numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether or not a numeric value obtained from an input controlling means 31 can be appropriate or identified as hour and minute . if the numeric value is decided to be appropriate as hour and minute , the numeric value is outputted to the comparator means 52 as hour and minute for a schedule . the comparator means 52 compares the hour and minute for the schedule obtained from the numeric value deciding means 51 to the current hour and minute acquired from the timer means 33 and then sets year , month and day for the schedule . subsequently , the comparator means 33 outputs a scheduled time consisting of year , month , day , hour and minute for the schedule to a schedule management means 53 . the schedule management means 53 registers as the schedule both of the scheduled time obtained from the comparator means 52 and a preset default schedule content . also , the schedule management means 53 outputs an instruction of an alarm to alarm controlling means 34 when an alarm time set for the schedule and the current time acquired from the timer means 33 are equivalent to each other . further , the schedule management means 53 outputs an instruction of a display of a registration screen , a registered content , and the like to a display controlling means 32 . next , let us consider a schedule registration processing performed by the schedule management program used in the portable telephone according to this first embodiment . fig4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the schedule registration processing which will be performed in the portable telephone according to this first embodiment . fig5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a series of screens that are to be sequentially transited along with the schedule registration processing . first of all , stand - by display 61 is used in an initial state of the portable telephone . on the waiting screen 61 , if a user inputs numerals by using dial buttons 25 ( s 21 ) and depresses a menu button 22 ( s 22 ), then the numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether or not the inputted numerals constitute a number with four digits ( s 23 ). if the inputted numerals do not constitute the number with four digits ( s 23 : no ), then a numerical menu screen appears on the portable telephone ( s 26 ) on which a normal numerical menu processing is performed in response to the user &# 39 ; s subsequent input ( s 27 ). thereafter , this control flow ends . this normal numerical menu means a menu without a “ regisration into schedule ” of a plurality of menu items on the numerical menu screen 63 for the schedule registration . on the other hand , if the inputted numerals constitute the number with four digits ( s 23 : yes ), it is decided whether this numeric value of four digits can be appropriate as hour and minute , i . e ., whether the first and second digits fall within a range of 00 - 23 and whether the third and fourth digits fall a range of 00 - 59 ( s 24 ). if the numeric value of four digits can not be appropriate as hour and minute ( s 24 : no ), then the display controlling means 32 displays the normal numerical menu screen ( s 26 ) on which the normal numerical menu processing is performed in response to the user &# 39 ; s subsequent input ( s 27 ). thereafter , this control flow ends . on the other hand , if the numeric value can be appropriate as hour and minute ( s 24 : yes ), the display controlling means 32 performs a display of the numerical menu screen 63 for the schedule registration ( s 25 ). in an example of fig5 , a numeral inputting screen 62 displays a numeric value “ 1234 ” inputted by the user . the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the numeric value “ 1234 ” is of four digits and that the numeric value can be appropriate as hour and minute . next , on the numerical menu screen 63 , the user selects the “ regisration into schedule ” by using cursor buttons 24 and depresses the decision button 23 ( s 28 ), then the numeric value deciding means 51 outputs the numeric value of four digits as hour and minute for the schedule to the comparator means 52 . the numeric value deciding means 51 as shown in fig5 outputs the numeric value “ 1234 ” as “ 12 : 34 ” of scheduled hour and minute to the comparator means 52 . the comparator means 52 decides whether the year , month and day for the schedule is today , i . e ., whether the hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the hour and minute for the schedule is larger than that representative of the current hour and minute ) ( s 29 ). if the hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current hour and minute ( s 29 : yes ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year , month and day for the schedule as today ( s 30 ). however , if the hour and minute for the schedule is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the hour and minute for the schedule is smaller than that representative of the current hour and minute ) ( s 29 , no ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year , month and day for the schedule as tomorrow ( s 31 ). as the example of fig5 , assuming that the current time is “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 10 : 55 ”, the comparator means 52 decides that the hour and minute “ 12 : 34 ” for the schedule is today &# 39 ; s schedule because the scheduled hour and minute is later than the current hour and minute “ 10 : 55 ” and then sets “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 12 : 34 ” as the scheduled time . as another example , assuming that the current time is “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 13 : 00 ”, the comparator means 52 decides that the inputted hour and minute “ 12 : 34 ” for the schedule is tomorrow &# 39 ; s schedule because the inputted hour and minute is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current hour and minute “ 13 : 00 ” and then sets “ aug . 23 , 2002 — 12 : 34 ” as the scheduled time . next , the schedule management means 53 decides whether the same time as the scheduled time as above has already been registered as a scheduled time for another schedule ( s 32 ). if 5 another schedule has already been registered at that same time ( s 32 : yes ), then the display controlling means 32 performs a display of the non - shown error screen and thereafter performs a display of stand - by display 65 ( s 34 ), whereafter this control flow ends . however , if no schedule has already been registered at that same time ( s 32 : no ), then the schedule management means 53 registers the scheduled time set by the comparator means 52 and the default schedule content while the display controlling means 32 performs a display of the waiting screen 65 after a display of a registration completion screen 64 ( s 33 ), whereafter this control flow ends . here , the schedule content consists of items similar to those appeared on the content setting screen 45 as shown in fig9 . also , in an example of the default content , a time is “ inputted four - digit number ”; a tile of schedule is “ quick schedule ”; a memo with respect to the schedule is “ null ”; a kind of an icon displayed on the calendar screen is “ asterisk ”; the presence or absence of an alarm repetition is “ null ”; a kind of an alarm is “ alarm sound ”; an alarm volume is “ 4 ”; and the presence or absence of a pre - alarm is “ null ”. as described above , according to this first embodiment , the numerical menu screen 63 for use in the schedule registration is displayed after numeral input and then the “ registration into schedule ” is selected to activate the schedule registration . however , the present invention is not limited to it . for example , in the event that the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the inputted numerals can be appropriate as hour and minute , it may be possible to activate the schedule registration without displaying the numerical menu screen 63 for use in the schedule registration after the numeral input . also , the portable telephone according to this first embodiment , it may be possible to perform the conventional schedule registration as explained above by using fig8 and 9 , in addition to the schedule registration performed by input of the number with four digits according to this first embodiment . furthermore , it may be possible to change at a later time the schedule content registered as a default according to this first embodiment by a method similar to the conventional schedule registration . as described above , in accordance with this first embodiment , a time for a schedule can automatically be decided only by the user &# 39 ; s input of the number with four digits which are representative of hour and minute , as a result of which the schedule can quickly be registered into the portable telephone together with the default schedule content . in this second embodiment , a schedule registration will be performed with a scheduled time decided by inputting the number with eight digits . the portable telephone of this second embodiment is similar configuration and outer appearance to those of this first embodiment as shown in fig1 and 2 . next , a schedule management program used in the portable telephone will be described in detailed . the schedule management program according to this second embodiment is configured with the schematic functional block diagram as shown in fig3 , similarly to this first embodiment . the numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether or not numeric values obtained from the input controlling means 31 can be appropriate or identified as month , day , hour and minute . if the numeric values are decided to be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute , the numeric values are outputted to the comparator means 52 as month , day , hour and minute for a schedule . the comparator means 52 sets year for the schedule by comparing the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule obtained from the numeric value deciding means 51 to the current month , day , hour and minute acquired from the timer means 33 and then outputs a time consisting of the year , month , day , hour and minute for the schedule to the schedule management means 53 . next , let us consider a schedule registration processing performed by the schedule management program used in the portable telephone according to this second embodiment . fig6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the schedule registration processing which will be performed in the portable telephone according to this second embodiment . in fig6 , like processing steps similar to those of fig7 are labeled with corresponding numerals and therefore their explanations are omitted . on the waiting screen 61 , if the user inputs numerals by using dial buttons 25 ( s 21 ) and depresses a menu button 22 ( s 22 ), then the numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether or not the inputted numerals constitute a number with eight digits ( s 41 ). if the inputted numerals do not constitute the number with eight digits ( s 41 : no ), then a numerical menu screen appears on the portable telephone ( s 26 ) on which a normal numerical menu processing is performed in response to the user &# 39 ; s subsequent input ( s 27 ). thereafter , this control flow ends . on the other hand , if the inputted numerals constitute the number with eight digits ( s 41 : yes ), it is decided whether this numeric value of eight digits can be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute , i . e ., whether the first and second digits fall within a range of 01 - 12 , whether the third and fourth digits fall a range of the number of days for the month represented by the first and second digits , whether the fifth and sixth digits fall within a range of 00 - 23 , and whether the seventh and eighth fall within a range 00 - 59 ( s 42 ). if the numeric value of eight digits can not be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute ( s 42 : no ), then the display controlling means 32 displays the normal numerical menu screen ( s 26 ) on which the normal numerical menu processing is performed in response to the user &# 39 ; s subsequent input ( s 27 ). thereafter , this control flow ends . on the other hand , if the numeric value can be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute ( s 42 : yes ), the display controlling means 32 performs a display of the numerical menu screen 63 for the schedule registration ( s 25 ). for example , it is assumed that numerals “ 08221234 ” are inputted by the user . the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the numerals “ 08221234 ” are of eight digits and can be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute . next , on the numerical menu screen 63 similar to that of fig5 , the user selects the “ regisration into schedule ” by using cursor buttons 24 and depresses the decision button 23 ( s 28 ), then the numeric value deciding means 51 outputs this numeric value of eight digits as month , day , hour and minute for the schedule to the comparator means 52 . the numeric value deciding means 51 outputs the numeric value “ 08221234 ” as “ august 22 — 12 : 34 ” of scheduled month , day , hour and minute to the comparator means 52 . the comparator means 52 decides whether the year for the schedule is this year , i . e ., whether the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current month , day , hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is larger than that representative of the current month , day , hour and minute ) ( s 51 ). if the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current month , day , hour and minute ( s 51 : yes ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year for the schedule as this year ( s 52 ). however , if the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current month , day , hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is smaller than that representative of the current month , day , hour and minute ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year for the schedule as the next year ( s 53 ). here , assuming that the current time is “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 10 : 55 ”, the comparator means 52 decides that the month , day , hour and minute : “ august 22 — 12 : 34 ” for the schedule is this year &# 39 ; s schedule because the scheduled month , day , hour and minute is later than the current hour and minute “ august 22 — 10 : 55 ” and then sets “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 12 : 34 ” as the scheduled time . as another example , assuming that the current time is “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 13 : 00 ”, the comparator means 52 decides that the month , day , hour and minute : “ august 22 — 12 : 34 ” for the schedule is the next year &# 39 ; s schedule because the scheduled month , day , hour and minute is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current month , day , hour and minute “ august 22 — 13 : 00 ” and then sets “ aug . 22 , 2003 — 12 : 34 ” as the scheduled time . incidentally , processing steps for deciding whether the schedule according to this second embodiment can be registered are similar to the processing steps s 32 - s 34 in the flow chart as shown in fig4 . as described above , according to this second embodiment , the numerical menu screen 63 for use in the schedule registration is displayed after numeral input and then the “ registration into schedule ” is selected to activate the schedule registration . however , the present invention is not limited to it . for example , in the event that the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the inputted numerals can be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute , it may be possible to activate the schedule registration without displaying the numerical menu screen 63 for use in the schedule registration after the numeral input . also , the portable telephone according to this second embodiment , it may be possible to perform the conventional schedule registration as explained above by using fig8 and 9 , in addition to the schedule registration performed by input of the number with eight digits according to this second embodiment . furthermore , it may be possible to change at a later time the schedule content registered as a default according to this second embodiment by a method similar to the conventional schedule registration . also , as described above , in accordance with this second embodiment , a time for a schedule can automatically be decided only by the user &# 39 ; s input of the number with eight digits which are representative of month , day , hour and minute , as a result of which the schedule can quickly be registered into the portable telephone together with the default schedule content . further , the schedule registration performed by inputting the number with four digits has been described in the first embodiment while the schedule registration performed by inputting the number with eight digits has been described in the second embodiment . however , in accordance with the present invention , it is possible to perform the schedule registration by inputting the number with six digits . specifically , after the user has inputted that number having first and second digits representative of day , third and fourth digits representative of hour , and fifth and sixth digits representative of minute , the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the inputted numerals can be appropriate as day , hour and minute . if it has been decided to be appropriate , the numeric value deciding means 51 outputs the numeric value as day , hour and minute for the schedule to the comparator means 52 . the comparator means 52 decides whether the year and month for the schedule is this month , i . e ., whether the day , hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current day , hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the day , hour and minute for the schedule is larger than that representative of the current day , hour and minute ). if the day , hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current day , hour and minute , then the comparator means 52 sets the year and month for the schedule as this month . however , if the day , hour and minute for the schedule is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current day , hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the day , hour and minute for the schedule is smaller than that representative of the current day , hour and minute ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year and month for the schedule as the next month . furthermore , in accordance with the present invention , it is possible to perform the schedule registration by inputting the number with twelve digits . specifically , after the user has inputted that number , as any year , month , day , hour and minute , having first through fourth digits representative of year , fifth and sixth digits representative of month , seventh and eighth digits representative of day , ninth and tenth digits representative hour and eleventh and twelfth digits representative of minute , the numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether the inputted numerals of twelve digits can be appropriate or identified as year , month , day , hour and minute . if it has been decided to be appropriate , the numeric value deciding means 51 decides the numeric value to be the year , month , day , hour and minute for the schedule . in this case , the comparator means 52 is not used . according to the present invention , the user can rapidly perform a schedule registration by only inputting appropriate numerals as a time for a schedule because the time will automatically be decided as the scheduled time and a default schedule content will be registered together with the scheduled time . while preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it is to be understood that further adaptations of the invention described herein can be obtained by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention . accordingly , although preferred configurations of devices , methods , and programs embodying the present invention have been described , it should be understood that these devices , methods , and programs may take on a wide variety of configurations and arrangements without departing from the scope of the present invention . therefore , the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and should not be limited to the details of the devices , methods , and programs shown and described above .	6
the breakaway coupler 1 of the present invention comprises a first receptacle 100 , a second receptacle 200 , and a coupling member 300 . see fig1 b . the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 are each configured to removably attach to the respective ends of the two separate wire segments 10 , 20 , and the coupling member 300 connects the first receptacle 100 to the second receptacle 200 . the coupling member 300 is sacrificial , configured to fail upon the application of a sufficient disconnecting force upon it , such as from a falling tree 50 landing on one or more wire segments 10 , 20 , resulting in the first receptacle 100 and the second receptacle 200 being separated from each other . see fig6 b . the coupling member 300 may be configured to withstand varying levels of force , dependent upon the configuration of the wire segments 10 , 20 and structures 40 . for example , a coupling member 300 used in a breakaway coupler 1 to connect heavier wire segments 10 , 20 will have to withstand a greater force before failing , to account for the greater weight of the wire segments 10 , 20 . similarly , a coupling member 300 used in a breakaway coupler 1 to connect wire segments 10 , 20 to smaller utility poles will have to fail upon being subjected to a lesser force , to prevent the smaller utility poles from breaking . the first receptacle 100 of the breakaway coupler 1 is elongated and has an outer surface 110 defining a substantially hollow interior space 130 . the first receptacle 100 has a first wire retaining end 140 and a first coupling end 150 located opposite the first wire retaining end 140 . the first receptacle 100 may have any suitable shape and size . in the preferred embodiments the first receptacle 100 is substantially cylindrical in shape . in the most preferred embodiments the cylindrical shape of the first receptacle 100 terminates at the first wire retaining end 140 in a taper , with the opening 142 at the first wire retaining end 140 having a smaller inside diameter than the inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 at its midpoint . see fig1 a . the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 will have an opening 152 with an inside diameter that is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 at its midpoint , or slightly larger . in some embodiments the inside diameter of the opening 152 of the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 may be slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 at its midpoint . the largest inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 will be between one half inch and four inches , and the smallest inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 will be between an eighth of an inch and three inches . the length of the first receptacle 100 , from the first wire retaining end 140 to the first coupling end 150 , will be between two inches and twenty - four inches . the first receptacle 100 may be made of any suitable material , as long as it is substantially rigid , durable , and resistant to environmental degradation . the first receptacle 100 may be made of metals , such as aluminum , copper , stainless steel , and the like , alloys , composites , polymers , and other materials . where the coupler 1 is to be used to connect electrically conducting wire segments 10 , 20 , the material that the first receptacle 100 is made from must be electrically conductive . in the preferred embodiments the first receptacle 100 is made of aluminum . the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 has a first wire retaining aperture 142 which allows access into the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 . the first wire retaining aperture 142 is configured to allow the insertion end 12 of the first wire segment 10 to be inserted at least partially into the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 . in the preferred embodiments the first wire retaining aperture 142 is round , though in other embodiments it may have an oval shape , or a polygonal shape , or even an irregular shape . in the most preferred embodiments the inside diameter of the first wire retaining aperture 142 is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the insertion end 12 of the first wire segment 10 . the first receptacle 100 further comprises a first wire retaining member 160 and a first anchor member 190 . see fig1 a . the first wire retaining member 160 is located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 at the first wire retaining end 140 . it is configured to retain the insertion end 12 of the first wire segment 10 within the first receptacle 100 . the first anchor member 190 is located at the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 . it provides a point of connection for the coupling member 300 to connect to the first receptacle 100 . the second receptacle 200 is configured substantially identically to the first receptacle 100 , in size , shape , material of construction , and components . it thus also has an outer surface 210 defining a substantially hollow interior space 230 , a second wire retaining end 240 , a second wire retaining aperture 242 , a second coupling end 250 , a second wire retaining member 260 , and a second anchor member 290 . these elements and components are configured substantially identically to those of the first receptacle 100 and perform the same functions ( although in the case of the second wire retaining member 260 it is configured to retain the insertion end 22 of the second wire segment 20 within the second receptacle 200 , and in the case of the second anchor member 290 it is configured to provide a point of connection for the coupling member 300 to connect to the second receptacle 200 ). the sacrificial coupling member 300 is configured to be connected to the first anchor member 190 of the first receptacle 100 and to the second anchor member 290 of the second receptacle 200 . when so connected , the first receptacle 100 and the second receptacle 200 are attached to each other . as explained previously , the coupling member 300 is configured to release from at least one of the first anchor member 190 and the second anchor member 290 when a disconnecting force is exerted on it . this may occur by the coupling member 300 breaking , if it is made of a non - deformable material , or by the coupling member 300 deforming its shape , if it is made of a deformable material . in different embodiments the amount of force needed to cause the coupling member 300 to release from either or both of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 can be varied by changing one or more of the shape , dimensions , and materials from which the coupling member 300 is made . the breaking strength of the coupling member 300 should be calculated as a function of the breaking strength of the wire segments 10 , 20 to be joined by the coupler 1 , the length of the wire segments 10 , 20 ( and thus their weight ), and the strength of the attachment points of the wire segments 10 , 20 to their supporting structures 40 . see fig6 a . the coupling member 300 may be of any suitable shape . the coupling member 300 must be able to remain connected to the first and second anchor members 190 , 290 of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 , respectively , until a disconnecting force is applied to it . it may be shaped as a closed ring , a partially opened ring , a double ended member having a closed ring at each end , a doubled ended member having partially opened rings at each end , a double ended member having one closed ring at one end and one partially opened ring at the other end , or any other suitable shape . see fig4 a - 4e . the rings may be circular , ovoid , polygonal , or irregularly shaped . the partially opened rings may take the form of hooks . in the preferred embodiments the coupling member 300 is a closed ring . in the most preferred embodiments the coupling member 300 has an ovoid shape . the coupling member 300 may be made of any suitable material , as long as it is durable and resistant to environmental degradation . the coupling member 300 may be made of metals , such as aluminum , copper , stainless steel , and the like , alloys , composites , polymers , and other materials . the coupling member 300 may be substantially rigid , or it may be substantially flexible , constructed out of wire , cable , chain links , rubber , or the like . in the preferred embodiment the coupling member 300 is constructed of aluminum . in some embodiments of the present invention the breakaway coupler 1 is electrically conductive . that is , electricity is capable of flowing from the first wire segment 10 to the second wire segment 20 through the breakaway coupler 1 , and vice versa . in such embodiments a minimum number of components of the breakaway coupler 1 must also be electrically conductive . in a preferred embodiment , the first receptacle 100 is electrically conductive , the first wire retaining member 160 is electrically conductive , the first anchor member 190 is electrically conductive , the second receptacle 200 is electrically conductive , the second wire retaining member 260 is electrically conductive , the second anchor member 290 is electrically conductive , and the coupling member 300 is electrically conductive . the first wire segment 10 is in contact with the first wire retaining member 160 , which is in contact with the first receptacle 100 , which is in contact with the first anchor member 190 , which is in contact with the coupling member 300 , which is in contact with the second anchor member 290 , which is in contact with the second receptacle 200 , which is in contact with the second wire retaining member 260 , which is in contact with the second wire segment 20 . there is thus an unbroken connection of electrically conductive components between the first wire segment 10 and the second wire segment 20 , allowing an electric current to pass between the wire segments 10 , 20 . in other embodiments where the breakaway coupler 1 is electrically conductive , the breakaway coupler 1 further comprises a conductive collar 400 . see fig2 a . the conductive collar 400 is made from an electrically conductive material , such as aluminum or steel . the conductive collar 400 has a first end 410 and a second end 420 . the first end 410 of the conductive collar 400 is suitably configured to engage with the outer surface 110 of the first receptacle 100 proximate to the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 . the second end 420 of the conductive collar 400 is suitably configured to engage with the outer surface 210 of the second receptacle 200 proximate to the second coupling end 250 of the second receptacle 200 . see fig2 b . in this configuration , the conductive collar 400 is electrically conductive , the first receptacle 100 is electrically conductive , the first wire retaining member 160 is electrically conductive , the second receptacle 200 is electrically conductive , and the second wire retaining member 260 is electrically conductive . there is no need for the first anchor member 190 , the second anchor member 290 , or the coupling member 300 to be electrically conductive ( though they may be electrically conductive , if desired ). the first wire segment 10 is in contact with the first wire retaining member 160 , which is in contact with the first receptacle 100 , which is in contact with the conductive collar 400 , which is in contact with the second receptacle 200 , which is in contact with the second wire retaining member 260 , which is in contact with the second wire segment 20 . there is thus an unbroken connection of electrically conductive components between the first wire segment 10 and the second wire segment 20 , allowing an electric current to pass between the wire segments 10 , 20 . in the preferred embodiments where a conductive collar 400 is used , the conductive collar 400 is substantially cylindrical , as are the first receptacle 100 and the second receptacle 200 . the conductive collar 400 has a first opening proximate to its first end 410 with an inside diameter which is substantially the same as the first outer diameter of the first receptacle 100 proximate to the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 . the conductive collar 400 has a second opening 422 proximate to its second end 420 with an inside diameter which is substantially the same as the second outer diameter of the second receptacle 200 proximate to the second coupling end 250 of the second receptacle 200 . so configured , the conductive collar 400 is placed over the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 and over the second coupling end 250 of the second receptacle 200 , such that that first and second coupling ends 150 , 250 of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 are positioned within the substantially hollow interior space 430 of the conductive collar 400 . see fig2 b . to facilitate installation of the conductive collar 400 , the conductive collar 400 may be configured with a longitudinal slot 440 running from its first end 410 to its second end 420 , oriented substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the conductive collar 400 . if the conductive collar 400 is made of a deformable material , its longitudinal slot 440 may be forced open to allow for insertion of the first and second coupling ends 150 , 250 of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 into the interior of the conductive collar 400 , thereafter returning to its original shape . alternatively , the conductive collar 400 may have a longitudinal hinge located opposite the longitudinal slot 440 and substantially parallel thereto , to facilitate the opening and closing of the conductive collar 400 . in the most preferred embodiments using the conductive collar 400 , the conductive collar 400 has a longitudinal slot 440 as described above , as well as a first flange 450 and a second flange 460 . the first flange 450 is substantially planar and extends outward from one side of the longitudinal slot 440 , and the second flange 460 is substantially planar and extends outward from the other side of the longitudinal slot 440 . the first and second flanges 450 , 460 are oriented substantially parallel to each other and may be slightly spaced apart from each other or in contact with each other . there may be one or more securing members 470 present , configured to secure the first flange 450 to the second flange 460 . in one embodiment the first flange 450 of the conductive collar 400 has one or more flange apertures 480 , each flange aperture 480 corresponding to a securing member 470 . similarly , the second flange 460 of the conductive collar 400 has one or more flange apertures 480 , each flange aperture 480 corresponding to a securing member 470 . each flange aperture 480 of the first flange 450 is substantially aligned with a corresponding flange aperture 480 of the second flange 460 . each of the securing members 470 may be comprised of a threaded bolt and a threaded nut , with each bolt configured to pass through a flange aperture 480 of the first flange 450 and a corresponding flange aperture 480 of the second flange 460 and to be secured by a corresponding threaded nut being threaded onto the threaded bolt . other configurations of the securing members 470 are also contemplated , for example , the securing members 470 could be cotter pins . alternatively , the flange apertures 480 may be threaded and the threaded bolts are threaded into the flange apertures 480 without need for retaining nuts . so configured , the flanges 450 , 460 facilitate the opening of the longitudinal slot 440 to allow for insertion of the first and second coupling ends 150 , 250 of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 into the conductive collar 400 ; thereafter , the securing members 470 tightly secure the conductive collar 400 to the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 . notwithstanding the secure fit of the conductive collar 400 to the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 , however , the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 are capable of sliding out of the conductive collar 400 if the coupling member 300 releases due to a disconnecting force acting upon it . in yet other embodiments , the conductive collar 400 provides a tight enough fit to the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 so that a separate coupling member 300 and the first and second anchor members 190 , 290 are not required . instead , the conductive collar 400 serves as the coupling member , holding together the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 until a sufficient force applied to the wire segments 10 , 20 causes either or both of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 to slide out of the conductive collar 400 . in other embodiments , a non - conductive collar may be used , to increase the stability of the breakaway coupler 1 . the non - conductive collar is configured the same as the conductive collar 400 , with the exception that it is made of a non - conducting material . the non - conductive collar is intended for use where the wire segments 10 , 20 attached to the breakaway coupler 1 are not electrically conductive . ( of course , a conductive collar 400 may be used with a breakaway coupler 1 even if the wire segments 10 , 20 are not electrically conductive .) if the breakaway coupler 1 is intended to be used with electrically conducting wire segments 10 , 20 , then if a non - conductive collar is used , the first anchor member 190 , the second anchor member 290 , and the coupling member 300 must be electrically conductive . in some embodiments of the present invention , the first receptacle 100 comprises a pair of lateral circular apertures 154 located proximate to its first coupling end 150 . see fig1 a . each of these lateral circular apertures 154 passes through the outer surface 110 of the first receptacle 100 and provides access into the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 . the lateral circular apertures 154 have substantially similar diameters and are oriented on opposite sides of the first receptacle 100 from each other , such that a straight line passing through their centers is oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first receptacle 100 . in these embodiments , the first anchor member 190 is a substantially cylindrical rod having an outside diameter just slightly smaller than the diameter of each lateral circular aperture 154 . the first anchor member 190 has a first end 192 , a second end 196 , and a middle portion 198 located between the first and second ends 192 , 196 . the length of the first anchor member 190 from its first end 192 to its second end 196 is greater than the distance between the pair of lateral circular apertures 154 . the first anchor member 190 is configured to be placed into and through the pair of lateral circular apertures 154 such that the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 extends beyond the outer surface 110 of the first receptacle 100 , the second end 196 of the first anchor member 190 extends beyond the outer surface 110 of the first receptacle 100 , the middle portion 198 of the first anchor member 190 is located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 , and the first anchor member 190 is oriented substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first receptacle 100 . the coupling member 300 is configured such that a portion of the coupling member 300 is capable of being inserted through the coupling end aperture 152 at the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 and into the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 , wherein the coupling member 300 is placed in connection with the middle portion 198 of the first anchor member 190 . in preferred embodiments the first anchor member 190 is removably attached to the first receptacle 100 . this enables use of a closed ring coupling member 300 , as follows : the first anchor member 190 is removed from the first receptacle 100 , a portion of the closed ring coupling member 300 is inserted into the coupling end aperture 152 of the first receptacle 100 , then the first anchor member 190 is replaced into the first receptacle 100 , with the middle portion 198 of the first anchor member 190 passing through the closed ring of the coupling member 300 . in these embodiments the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 comprises a first removable retaining device 193 , such that when the first removable retaining device 193 is removed from the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 , the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 is capable of passing through both of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . when the first removable retaining device 193 is engaged with the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 , the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 cannot pass through either of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . in addition , the second end 196 of the first anchor member 190 may comprise a stop member 197 . see fig1 a . the stop member 197 has a dimension larger than each of the diameters of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 such that the second end 196 of the first anchor member 190 cannot pass through either of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . the stop member 197 may be the head of a bolt . it may also be a threaded nut configured to be inserted onto threads formed onto the second end 196 of the first anchor member . other configurations of the stop member 197 are also contemplated . in some configurations the first removable retaining device 193 is a cotter pin configured to be inserted into an aperture formed through the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 . see fig1 a . in other configurations the first removable retaining device 193 is a threaded nut configured to be inserted onto threads formed onto the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 . in yet other configurations the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 comprises a hinged retaining device 194 . see fig5 a - 5b . the hinged retaining device 194 is capable of being aligned substantially along the longitudinal axis of the first anchor member 190 and being capable of being aligned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first anchor member 190 . when the hinged retaining device 194 is aligned substantially along the longitudinal axis of the first anchor member 190 , the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 passes through both of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . see fig5 a . when the hinged retaining device 194 is aligned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first anchor member 190 , the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 cannot pass through either of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . see fig5 b . other configurations of the first removable retaining device 193 are also contemplated by the present invention . in alternative embodiments , the first anchor member 190 may be fixedly attached to the first receptacle 100 . in such embodiments , the length of the first anchor member 190 is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the coupling end aperture 152 of the first receptacle 100 . the first anchor member 190 is located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 proximate to the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 , with the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 fixedly attached to the inside surface of the first receptacle 100 and the second end 196 of the first anchor member 190 fixedly attached to the inside surface of the first receptacle 100 . the attachment may be by any suitable means ; in the preferred embodiment , the first anchor member 190 is welded to the first receptacle 100 . where a fixed first anchor member 190 is used , the coupling member 300 must have at least one opened ring configuration so as to be capable of being placed onto the middle portion 198 of the fixed first anchor member 190 . the second anchor member 290 is configured substantially identically to the first anchor member 190 , in size , shape , material of construction , and means of integration . it thus also has a first end , a second end , and a middle portion , and may be removably attached to the second receptacle 200 through lateral circular apertures 254 or fixedly attached thereto . where the second anchor member 290 is removably attached to the second receptacle 200 , it comprises a second removable retaining device 293 configured substantially the same as the first removable retaining device 193 of the first anchor member 190 . where a fixed second anchor member 290 is used , the coupling member 300 must have at least one opened ring configuration so as to be capable of being placed onto the middle portion of the second anchor member 290 . the first wire retaining member 160 may be configured in any manner so long as it is capable of securely retaining an end 12 of the first wire segment 10 within the first receptacle 100 . in one embodiment , where the first receptacle 100 is tapered at its first wire retaining end 140 , the first wire retaining member 160 is comprised of a pair of mated jaws 170 , which when brought together form a substantially frustoconical shape . see fig1 a . the first wire retaining member 160 has an outside diameter which is greater than the inner diameter of the first wire retaining aperture 142 and smaller than the inner diameter of the first receptacle 100 . as such , the first wire retaining member 160 cannot pass through the first wire retaining aperture 142 of the first receptacle 100 , but it can move freely within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 outside of the taper at the first wire retaining end 140 . when the first wire retaining member 160 is moved into the tapered end of the first receptacle 100 it becomes wedged therein . each jaw of the mated pair of jaws 170 of the first wire retaining member 160 has an inner surface 172 and a substantially semi - cylindrical concave channel 174 inscribed within its inner surface 172 . when the pair of jaws 170 are placed together their respective inner surfaces 172 face each other and the channels 174 define a substantially cylindrical passageway 176 through the first wire retaining member 160 . this passageway 176 is configured to contain therein the end 12 of the first wire segment 10 . the inner surfaces 172 of the mated jaws 170 further comprise a plurality of unidirectional gripping members 178 which allow the end 12 of the first wire segment 10 to move over the gripping members 178 in a direction away from the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 but which impede movement of the end 12 of the first wire segment 10 in a direction toward the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 . see fig3 . thus , when the end 12 of the first wire segment 10 is inserted into the first receptacle 100 , it moves into the passageway 176 defined by the pair of jaws 170 of the first wire retaining member 160 , pushing the jaws 170 apart somewhat while moving over the gripping members 178 and pushing the first wire retaining member 160 away from the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 . then , the first wire segment 10 is pulled in the opposite direction . the gripping members 178 impede the wire segment &# 39 ; s 10 movement within the passageway , thereby drawing the first wire retaining member 160 towards the tapered end of the first receptacle 100 , which in turn forces the jaws 170 closer together , increasing their hold on the wire segment 10 . in some embodiments the first wire retaining member 160 further comprises a biasing spring 180 to facilitate movement of the jaws 170 toward the tapered end . where a biasing spring 180 is used , the first receptacle 100 further comprises an inside planar surface 120 , where the inside planar surface 120 is located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 between the first wire retaining end 140 and the first coupling end 150 , with the inside planar surface 120 being oriented substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first receptacle 100 . the biasing spring 180 is then located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 between the inside planar surface 120 and the first wire retaining member 160 . the biasing spring 180 is biased to move the mated jaws 170 of the first wire retaining member 160 towards the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 . this configuration of the first wire retaining member 160 allows for very easy use of the breakaway coupler 1 . a user simply takes the end of a wire segment and inserts it as far as it can go into the first receptacle 100 through its first wire retaining aperture 142 , then pulls on the wire segment until the first wire retaining member 160 is tightly wedged into the tapered end of the first receptacle 100 . the breakaway coupler 1 can thus be installed onto a wire segment in seconds . the second wire retaining member 260 of the second receptacle 200 is configured substantially identical to the first wire retaining member 160 of the first receptacle 100 . the second receptacle 200 may also have an inside planar surface to accommodate a biasing spring . the second wire segment 20 is inserted into the second receptacle 200 in the same manner as described above . modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention without departing from the subject or spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims .	5
this invention discloses the sending of power metadata over the power signal for dynamic cost calculation and provider selection . for purposes of the present invention , power is defined as an energy resource , such as electricity used by businesses and individual consumers over a given unit of time . all power line communication systems operate by impressing a modulated carrier signal on the wiring system . different types of power line communications use different frequency bands , depending on the signal transmission characteristics of the power wiring used . low - frequency ( about 100 - 200 khz ) carriers impressed on high - voltage transmission lines may carry one or two analog voice circuits , or telemetry and control circuits with an equivalent data rate of a few hundred bits per second ; however , these circuits may be many miles ( kilometers ) long . high frequency ( 6 - 80 mhz ) has much higher data rates in excess of 1 gbits per second , but only over considerably shorter distances . the flow diagram of fig1 shows a typical power supplier 10 , such as an electrical power plant , or an electric grid . the supplier has a need or willingness to communicate power consumption costs or other information to selected consumers or to all of its consumers . the supplier first converts , or arranges for the conversion , of such information to metadata at 20 using conversion equipment and software that is customarily used in the art . this metadata is transmitted to an end user 30 where the metadata is converted into usable form , such as with a decoder at 40 . decoders for this purpose are readily available . then , the information is viewed at 50 by the end user who may then transmit a response back to the power supplier either along the same line on which the metadata was conveyed to the end user , or along a separate line 60 . alternatively , the information may be viewed by a service provider 35 who then communicates with the end user along line 80 . then either the service provider 35 sends a response to the power supplier 10 along line 70 , or the end user transmits the response to the power supplier along line 60 . the following lists some of the attributes of power that may be included in such a transmission to the end user : cost of power ; provider name and / or unique provider identifier ; geographic source of generation ( e . g ., abc plant in sampletown , n . y . ); geographic source ( s ) of raw materials ( e . g ., bituminous coal : 82 % pennsylvania origin , 18 % west virginia origin ); methods used to generate , such as solar , wind turbine , renewable sources , or coal ; maximum amount available ; duration of time the current rate will be available . note that , within the bounds of the present invention , some of these fields and corresponding data values may be omitted and others may be added as needed . advertisement of rates may be offered in a controlled manner , to prevent exceeding provider capacity and also to offer preferential pricing . this invention discloses metadata describing the power to be sent over the power signal . it may utilize any known or future methods of providing data over a power line . it provides for an open forum where any provider may post its power rates so long as that provider has access to provide power on the grid in question , allowing large corporations or other consumers to make choices . with this grid , each consumer knows the cost / unit as it is using power and amount available at that price point . this enables awareness of power cost and other attributes in a distributed environment . however , this may or may not reflect anything similar to today &# 39 ; s web browsers . instead , it may represent a “ get data as needed ” function for obtaining the desired information . among the strategies for sending and receiving metadata over power lines are the following : ( 1 ) metadata describing the power itself is sent along the power line at a different frequency than the transmitted power . a device is placed into each endpoint ( home , business data center , etc .) that wishes to use the metadata . this device measures the higher frequency signals which are sent along with the power . in the preferred embodiment , the metadata signal is sent constantly and can be read by the endpoint recipients at any given time , or constantly if so desired . once the end point recipients read the data , actions can be taken as described below . ( 2 ) independent of whether a full internet connection is available through the utility line , a news ticker - like flow of information would present the relevant fields to some form of software / hardware collection point ( e . g ., workload dispatcher ) on the consumer site . this crawler would present these fields for service providers available to the consumer , updated periodically , at regular intervals so that consumer could choose accordingly . ( 3 ) a microcosm of internet - like functionality could be provided , such that a hardware / software unit ( e . g ., workload dispatcher ) could access data “ as needed ” in a look - up method analogous to today &# 39 ; s http requests . the concepts of high - speed communications are applied over the power grid , to offer data minute - by - minute , or hour - by - hour power rates between all providers . similarly , consumers such as data centers , businesses or individuals , may then return over the same in - band mechanisms , a response with their choice of energy provider . rates and other metadata may be provided in a continuous , repeating stream or on set intervals . additionally , this invention considers the maximum capacity of a given service provider to ensure that the provider &# 39 ; s capacity threshold is not exceeded . for example , if xyz energy suddenly advertises the cheapest rates , then everyone may rush to acme energy . acme would obviously not be able to meet all those needs . thus , the necessity of an upper boundary is seen . prenegotiated quality of service ( qos ) contracts may determine which consumers are preferred and get first priority at the lower rates . rates may be advertised in a phased manner , as shown in the following scenario : first tier platinum consumers are offered the low rate for the first hour ; if capacity is still available , the next tier gold consumers are offered the price for two hours ; if capacity is still available , the low price is now opened up to all consumers . referring now to fig2 , an exemplary computerized implementation 100 of the invention includes a computer 104 deployed within a computer infrastructure 108 such as one existing at the information technology center of a business firm , a manufacturing company , or governmental agency . the computer infrastructure 108 receives input from the power supplier 10 . the input is processed and is transmitted to one or more end users ( consumers ) 50 . the end user then has the ability to transmit directly to the power supplier 10 along route 60 ( see fig1 ), through a service provider 35 , or back through the computer infrastructure 108 . this fig2 is intended to demonstrate , among other things , that the present invention could be implemented within a network environment ( e . g ., the internet , a wide area network ( wan ), a local area network ( lan ), a virtual private network ( vpn ), etc . ), or on a stand - alone computer . in the case of the network environment , communication throughout the network can occur via any combination of various types of communication links . for example , the communication links can comprise addressable connections that may utilize any combination of wired and / or wireless transmission methods . as shown , a computer system 100 comprises a computer 104 within a computer infrastructure 108 . the computer 104 includes a processing unit 112 , a memory 116 , a bus 120 , and input / output ( i / o ) interfaces 124 . further , the computer 104 is shown in communication with external i / o devices / resources 128 and storage system 132 . in general , the processing unit 112 executes computer program code , such as the code to implement various components of the computer 104 , which is stored in memory 116 and / or storage system 132 . it is to be appreciated that two or more , including all , of these components may be implemented as a single component . while executing computer program code , the processing unit 112 can read and / or write data to / from the memory 116 , the storage system 132 , and / or the i / o interfaces 124 . the bus 120 provides a communication link between each of the components in the computer 104 . the external devices 128 can comprise any devices ( e . g ., keyboard , pointing device , display , etc .) that enable a user to interact with the computer 104 and / or any devices ( e . g ., network card , modem , etc .) that enable the computer 104 to communicate with one or more other computing devices . the computer infrastructure 108 is only illustrative of various types of computer infrastructures for implementing the invention . for example , in one embodiment , computer infrastructure 108 comprises two or more computing devices ( e . g ., a server cluster ) that communicate over a network to perform the various process steps of the invention . moreover , the computer 104 is only representative of various possible computers that can include numerous combinations of hardware . to this extent , in other embodiments , the computer 104 can comprise any specific purpose - computing article of manufacture comprising hardware and / or computer program code for performing specific functions , any computing article of manufacture that comprises a combination of specific purpose and general - purpose hardware / software , or the like . in each case , the program code and hardware can be created using standard programming and engineering techniques , respectively . moreover , the processing unit 112 may comprise a single processing unit , or be distributed across one or more processing units in one or more locations , for example , on a client site or on a server . similarly , the memory 116 and / or the storage system 132 can comprise any combination of various types of data storage and / or transmission media that reside at one or more physical locations . further , i / o interfaces 124 can comprise any system for exchanging information with one or more of the external device 128 . still further , it is understood that one or more additional components ( e . g ., system software , math co - processing unit , etc .) not shown in fig2 can be included in computer 104 . however , if the computer 104 comprises a handheld device or the like , it is understood that one or more of the external devices 128 ( e . g ., a display ) and / or the storage system 132 could be contained within the computer 100 , not externally as shown . the storage system 132 can be any type of system ( e . g ., a database ) capable of providing storage for information under the present invention . to this extent , the storage system 132 could include one or more storage devices , such as a magnetic disk drive or an optical disk drive . in another embodiment , the storage system 132 includes data distributed across , for example , a local area network ( lan ), wide area network ( wan ) or a storage area network ( san ) ( not shown ). in addition , although not shown , additional components , such as cache memory , communication systems , system software , etc ., may be incorporated into the computer 104 . in the illustrated embodiment , the computer 104 communicates with external devices 128 such as an external system communicating with the controller 112 over a path which may be a wired bus 120 ( as shown ) or wireless . while shown and described herein as a method and a system , it is understood that the invention further provides various alternative embodiments . for example , in one embodiment , the invention provides a computer - readable / useable medium that includes computer program code to enable a computer infrastructure to perform the process steps of the invention . to this extent , the computer - readable / useable medium includes program code that implements each of the various process steps of the invention . it is understood that the terms “ computer - readable medium ” or “ computer useable medium ” comprise one or more of any type of physical embodiment of the program code . the medium contains instructions for converting power - related information into a metadata format and transmitting the metadata over transmission route to be read by a recipient . in particular , the computer - readable / useable medium can comprise program code embodied on one or more portable storage articles of manufacture such as a compact disc , a magnetic disk , or a tape . alternatively , or in addition , the code can be embodied on one or more data storage portions of a computing device , such as the memory 116 and / or the storage system 132 such as a fixed disk , a read - only memory , a random access memory , or a cache memory . in another embodiment , the invention provides a business method that performs the process steps of the invention on a subscription , advertising , and / or fee basis . that is , a service provider 35 could offer to manage the computer 104 to convert power - related information into metadata and to transmit the data for use by an end user 35 . furthermore , wireless or wired transmission 70 occurs between the service provider 35 and the power supplier 10 . the metadata and / or instructions and feed back are routed along 80 between the service provider 35 and the end user 50 . in this case , the service provider 35 can create , maintain , and support a computer infrastructure , such as the computer infrastructure 108 that performs the process steps of the invention for one or more consumers . in return , the service provider can receive payment from the consumer ( s ) under a subscription and / or fee agreement and / or the service provider can receive payment from the sale of advertising content to one or more third parties . in still another embodiment , the invention provides a computer - implemented method for executing the computer 104 . in this case , a computer infrastructure , such as computer infrastructure 108 , can be provided and one or more systems for performing the process steps of the invention can be obtained ( e . g ., created , purchased , used , modified , etc .) and deployed to the computer infrastructure . to this extent , the deployment of a system can comprise one or more of : ( 1 ) installing program code on a computing device , such as computer system 100 , from a computer - readable medium ; ( 2 ) adding one or more computing devices to the computer infrastructure ; and ( 3 ) incorporating and / or modifying one or more existing systems of the computer infrastructure to enable the computer infrastructure to perform the process steps of the invention . as used herein , it is understood that the terms “ program code ” and “ computer program code ” are synonymous and mean any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a computing device having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation , and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . to this extent , program code can be embodied as one or more of : an application / software program , component software / a library of functions , an operating system , a basic i / o system / driver for a particular computing and / or i / o device , and the like . the foregoing description of various aspects 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 . such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims .	6
fig2 shows a gain curve g over time during dropping of active channels with feed forward controlling in a single - stage erbium - doped fiber amplifier , with the pump power required with reduced input power for maintaining the gain being set at the point at which the load changes . an undershoot is completely suppressed in this case . a description is given below of how , starting from a known operating state of the fiber amplifier , the pump power required to maintain the gain p pump after can be calculated . the method is explained with reference to a suitable modeling of the amplifier process in the erbium - doped fiber . all the power specifications below relate to the start or the end of the doped fiber . available measuring devices ( including photo diodes ) are however generally calibrated to record powers present at the input or output of the amplifier or the amplifier card . passive components such as couplers and isolators are mostly located between the inputs and outputs of the amplifier card as well as the corresponding ends of the amplification fiber . in this case a correction of the power specifications by the attenuation losses of the upstream and downstream components is also required . likewise losses between the measuring device for the pump light and the coupling - in point in the erbium - doped fiber are taken into consideration . the powers actually coupled into or out of the doped fiber are the result of the correction . in addition a further correction step is required in order to determine the actual effective pump power , since , as a result of the loss mechanism in the fiber , not all photons coupled into the doped fiber participate in the amplification process . this is especially required for the use of pump sources with an emission wavelength in the range of 980 nm , since in this case ions which have already been excited , which are at a higher energy level , can absorb pump power , whereby pump photons are lost to the actual amplification process . this process is referred to as the “ pump excited state absorption ( esa )”. to make a distinction , the term for the effective pump power peff is introduced which designates the pump power effectively available to the amplification process . all power variables subsequently specified are to be used in the linear scale ( mw ). starting from the pump power p pump coupled - in in the fiber the effective pump power peff can be calculated with the aid of the equation p eff = p 0 · ln ⁢ { 1 + p pump p 0 } , with the symbol p 0 standing for a correction parameter . this should be known during the operation of the amplifier in a transmission system and is best defined on calibration of the amplifier card . the characteristic parameters p 0 are therefore determined together with a second characteristic parameter g norm before the calculation process within the framework of the fiber amplifier through measurement . with this measurement the pump power required for maintenance of a predetermined gain value is plotted against the input or output power of the fiber amplifier . in this case it is of advantage not to change the channel assignment and to realize different input powers by the same attenuation of all channels . the measurement process makes use of the fact that the pump power required to maintain a predetermined gain value of an erbium - doped fiber without loss mechanisms is a linear function of the input power . for the larger pump power values , a deviation from a straight line occurs . this deviation is conditional on the pump esa . the parameter p 0 is now determined by fitting . to this end , the effective pump powers produced from the measured pump powers are calculated for different values of p 0 and the curve is approximated by a straight line in accordance with the minimum error square criterion . the total of the error squares is shown as a function of p 0 . the value now selected for p 0 is that value which leads to a minimum total of the error squares . this value produces a curve , which describes the effective pump power p eff as linear function of the input power of the amplifier . the second characteristic parameter g norm for the fiber amplifier can now be derived from the slope of the straight lines determined in this way . the change in the effective pump power p eff is logically combined with corresponding changes to the input power via the proportionality constant . α = λ _ signal λ pump · g sig - 1 g norm . where the two wavelengths λ signal and λ pump designate the mean signal wavelength or the pump wavelength . the parameter generally represents the relationship between an input signal power and an output signal power . since , apart from g norm , all other variables are known , the second characteristic parameter can now be uniquely determined . the value of g norm typically lies in the range between 0 . 95 and 1 . 00 . after the determination of the two calibration parameters p 0 and g norm the pump power required to maintain the gain after a switching process p pump after is now calculated . starting from the measured pump power p pump before before the switching process , the effective pump power p eff before can be calculated with the following formula p eff before = p 0 · ln ⁢ { 1 + p pump before p 0 } . ( 1 ) with the sum signal power p sig vor before the switching process the value of the effective pump power for the signal power p sig before after the switching process is produced as p eff after = p eff before + λ _ signal λ pump · 1 g norm · { p sig , out after - p sig , in after - p sig , out before + p sig , in before } ( 2 ) p sig , out after the accumulated output power produced after the switching process with the gain remaining the same ( i . e . stable state ), p sig , in before the accumulated output power after the switching process , the two wavelengths λ signal and λ pump stand for the average signal wavelength after the switching process or for the pump wavelength respectively . from the effective pump power to be set after the switching process , the actual pump power to be set by the control at the fiber input can now be defined by inversion of equation ( 1 ), which leads to the result p pump after = p 0 · [ exp ⁢ { p eff after p 0 } - 1 ] . ( 3 ) as a general rule , the precise channel occupancy after the switching process is only known with a clear delay and is thus not available for regulation . in this case , the average wavelength of the signal with full occupancy of the amplification band can be employed for the average signal wavelength . under specific circumstances , equation ( 2 ) can be simplified , so that simplifications of the amplifier structure become possible . two possible simplifications are illustrated below : for calculating the pump power p pump after after the switching process , in accordance with eqn . ( 2 ) the accumulated powers on the input and output side must be known both before and also after the switching process . because of the required regulation times of a few μs , both the measurement devices at the input of the amplifier stage and also those at the output have short measurement times . this demand for short measurement times can however be restricted to the point in time after the switching process , since it is assumed that the switching process starts from a stable state . individual amplifier stages typically exhibit a gain of 20 db or more , which means that the output powers are approximately two orders or magnitude greater than the input powers . especially critical as regards the dynamic behavior are also switching processes in which the accumulated input power and thus also the accumulated output power fall sharply ( e . g . by more than 10 db ). this means however that the second term in the curly brackets of eqn . ( 2 ) p sig , in nach , is far smaller than the other terms and can consequently be ignored . this means that the equation for p eff after ≈ p eff before + λ _ signal λ pump · 1 g norm · { p sig , out after - p sig , out before + p sig , in before } ( 4 ) can be simplified . in this equation p sig , out after is the only variable for which only short periods are available for its measurement . thus the use of the fastest possible photo diodes is only appropriate for measurement of the accumulated output powers whereas slower measurement equipment can be used to measure the accumulated output power . this is of interest , since by dispensing with a bias voltage , the sensitivity of photo diodes can be increased because of the lower dark current . on the other hand , a simplification of eqn . ( 2 ) is produced for the case in which the average amplifier gain does not change , which poses a significant problem for the calculation of the output power produced after the switching process where the gain curve remains the same . in this case equation ( 2 ) can be transformed into p eff after = p eff before + λ _ signal λ pump · g sig - 1 g norm · { p sig , in after - p sig , in before } ⁢ ⁢ g sig = p sig , out before p sig , in before . ( 5 ) again only a fast measuring device is required , in this case for measurement of the accumulated output power . the equation can however be rewritten so that short measurement times are only needed for the measurement equipment at the output of the erbium - doped fiber . it should be pointed out here however that the gain of an amplifier stage of an edfas is as a rule , especially if does not contain a smoothing filter , different for the individual channels . when a number of pump sources are used in the optical amplifier the basic method is identical to the method with only one pump source . initially the pump powers available in the reference state are converted separately in accordance with equation ( 1 ) into effective pump powers , with under some circumstances different parameters p 0 having to be used for the individual pump sources . the effective pump powers p eff , i before are then subsequently weighted with the quotients from the average signal wavelength λ signal and the relevant pump wavelength λ i pump . the sum of these variables produces an auxiliary variable x eff before : x eff before = ∑ i = 1 n ⁢ λ pump i λ _ signal · p eff , i before , with n designating the number of pump sources the auxiliary variable x eff after to be set after the switching process correspondingly produces : x eff after = x eff vor + 1 g norm · { p sig , out after - p sig , in after - p sig , out before + p sig , in before } . it is of little consequence for the maintenance of the gain how greatly the individual pump sources contribute to this required value . however there can be preferences , which , for example , are the result of the requirement for the optimum possible noise figure and depend on the selected pump configuration . once the contributions of the individual pump sources are defined , these are multiplied by the quotients from the average signal wavelength λ signal and the corresponding pump wavelength λ i pump . this means that the relevant effective pump powers are now available again , which are converted according to equation ( 3 ) into the actual pump powers p pump after ( i ). the method described above is based on the assumption , which is almost always fulfilled , that the pump powers coupled - in at the location of an amplifier fiber feature wavelengths from different absorption bands . fig3 shows an example of the curve of gain g as a function of the wavelength for 80 channels of a wdm signal . as an example the case in which all channels except for the marked surviving channel uk are dropped is now considered . the actual goal of the regulation is not to keep the average gain , as results from an overall power measurement at the input and at the output of the stage , constant . instead , it is necessary to make sure that the gain curve does not change over the wavelength , since only then does the power which falls on the relevant receiver remain constant over time . in the above example this requires a change of average gain . the dynamic properties of an erbium - doped fiber are helpful in determining a new required gain . even with a sudden change of the input power the average occupancy inversion and thereby the gain profile only changes slowly . fig4 shows a section of the gain over time of the solid line curve already shown in fig1 for a pump power which remains constant with a jump in the input power of 19 db and for example for the surviving channel uk , which for large periods of time asymptotically approaches a limit value of 30 db . within the first 10 μs after the switching process , the gain of the observed channel only changes slightly however . this period of time can therefore be used to determine the desired output power after the switching process and the corresponding average gain with changed spectral power distribution . for the exemplary embodiment presented above , in which all of 80 channels except one channel are preferably dropped at 1531 . 9 nm , the dynamic behavior of the fiber amplifier edfa is shown in the further fig5 and 6 . the changes in gain for individual channels over time dg ( t ) are shown for different wavelengths ( curves shown in the range of 0 db ) as well as the change in the average gain ( curve shown with a jump at appr . 25 db ) in relation to the state before the switching process at t = 0 ms . the dashed horizontal line shown at appr . 2 5 db specifies the gain change after the synchronized state is reached . fig6 is slowed - down version of fig5 in the range of a few milliseconds before and after the switching process of channels . the next figure , fig7 shows a required , i . e . nominal pump power p_pump shown by solid curves ka , kb , kc , kd as a function of the input power p_in of the fiber amplifier , which is to be set for maintaining different average gain values 5 , 10 , 15 , 20 db according to a switching process according to fig4 to 6 . for verification of the method described above , starting from the data point with the maximum input power in each case , the pump power is determined in accordance with the above method according to the equations ( 1 ) to ( 6 ) and the relevant result is shown by dots in fig7 . in this case there is a very good match between the pump powers determined by simulation with the previously calculated values . by way of illustration fig8 shows , in accordance with curves ka , kb , kc , kd and the points entered from fig7 , the relative deviation dev between the required nominal pump power and the inventive prior calculation of the pump power . in this case the maximum relative deviation amounts to appr . 5 %. it was previously assumed that the input power when channels are dropped falls immediately from a start value to an end value . in the following section , a method is now described with effects occurring on the remaining overshoots of the gain for the case described , in which the input power during a fall time ( see fig1 a to 10 e with fig1 ) falls linearly from its start value to the end value . under these assumptions fig9 shows a dynamic control concept for executing the method . initially a check is made as to whether the input power has been constant for a predetermined period of time ( step 1 ). if it has been , the amplifier is driven with the conventional control concept with feedback ( step 11 ) ( see e . g . mann , schiffelgen , froriep , “ einführung in the regelungstechnik ( introduction to control technology )”, hanser - verlag , munich , 7th edition , 1997 ). if a stable state is reached here ( step 12 ), this is defined as a new reference state ( step 13 ). if on the other hand the input power is not constant , i . e . if a change of the input power is detected during the predetermined period ( step 1 ), a switch is made to the inventive feed forward operation ( step 21 ). the pump powers to be set are calculated ( step 22 ) and set ( step 23 ) in this case after each time interval based on the last reference state and the current values for the input power and the output power . subsequently another check is again made as to whether the input power has already been constant for a constant period of time ( step 1 ). as before , starting from 80 channels , all channels except for one are preferably dropped at 1531 . 9 nm . changes in gain over time of the surviving channel with different drop times or periods of 1 μs , 10 μs , 100 μs and 1 ms are shown in fig1 a , 10 b , 10 c and 10 d by means of a solid line curve and also for fall times of between 10 ns and 1 ms in fig1 e overlaid over each other , with the time and the value of the maximum change in gain g max being shown by a dot . for better understanding , the curve shown by a dotted line shows the timing of the falling input power in the linear scale . a slight overshoot is typically produced with a sudden change in the input power , and an exact advance calculation of the pump power needed in the stable state . basically the opportunity would exist for these errors to accumulate with a repeated application of the predictive setting of the pump power using the current measured output power and for a divergence of the method to result . this is however not the case . in fig1 e the changes in gain produced for the different fall times in the range of 10 ns to 1 ms of the “ surviving ” channel are shown overlaid , with the dots again marking the maximum change in gain g max in each case . notably the synchronization process for large lengths of time is only slightly dependent on the fall time . to supplement fig1 e , fig1 shows the overshoot occurring dev max as a function of the fall time t fall . for fall times of less than 1 μs a constant value is produced , whereas for larger fall times the strength of the overshoot reduces the more the fall time increases . furthermore fig1 shows the controlled power distribution opt_pow of a three - stage fiber amplifier consisting of the amplifier stages s 1 , s 2 and s 3 , of which the gain can be varied with the aid of a variable attenuation element att connected between the first amplifier stages s 1 , s 2 . a further optical module dcf can be inserted between the two last stages s 2 , s 3 , which for example allows the adding and dropping of wavelength - related channels or compensation of the link attenuation . in this case the power distribution opt_pow along the entire fiber amplifier for different operating states is shown . the power curve pow 1 shows the power distribution obtaining in the fiber amplifier before the switching process , which has reached a stable state and offers and for which an existing channel occupancy offers an optimum noise figure . to avoid overshoots and undershoots or to keep them as low as possible , the individual amplifier stages are kept at constant gain directly after the switching process with the aid of feed forward controlling , so that a second power curve shown pow 2 is produced directly after the switching process . since however this is not optimal as regards the noise figure , a slow regulation after the input signal is stable ensures that the power curve slowly moves from the second power curve pow 2 to a further power curve pow 3 shown here as a broken line . this process takes place slowly so that this function can be undertaken using conventional regulation . since the gain of the individual amplifier stages s 1 , s 2 , s 3 should not change in a first time interval , the accumulated signal powers to be set after the switching process at the input of each stage can be calculated independently of each other . the pump powers required can be determined directly on the basis of the formulae already presented . under some circumstances the available computing power is not sufficient to calculate the new pump powers required in real time after the switching process . in this case there is the option of prophylactically creating a table directly after a stable state is reached which contains the pump power required for maintenance of the gain for a suitable number of signal input powers which serve as reference values for in interpolation in the switching processes . while the invention has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments , 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 or 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 embodiments 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 .	7
an illustration of an embodiment of the invention is shown in fig5 . a hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 is deposited on a seed layer structure 200 comprised of at least a first underlayer 220 with a thickness 230 , a second underlayer 260 and a first interlayer 240 with a thickness 250 located between the first underlayer 220 and the second underlayer 260 . an illustration of another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig6 . an additional third underlayer 280 and second interlayer 270 are added to seed layer structure 265 , where the second interlayer 270 is located between the second underlayer 260 and the third underlayer 280 . an illustration of another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig7 . an addional fourth underlayer 300 and third interlayer 290 are added to seed layer structure 285 , where the third interlayer 290 is located between the third underlayer 280 and the fourth underlayer 300 . in a final embodiment of the invention ( not shown ), a plurality of alternating additional pair of layers , each with an interlayer and an underlayer , are added to the seed layer structure 285 . the additional interlayer in each pair is located between the underlayer from the previous pair of layers and the additional underlayer in the current pair of layers . the material for the hard magnet 210 includes alloys of copt , such as co y pt 1 - y , where 0 . 25 ≦ y ≦ 0 . 9 , and coptcr . ion beam deposition and sputtering are suitable techniques for depositing the hard magnet 210 . the material for the first underlayer 220 and the second underlayer 260 is typically a metal and includes cr and alloys of crmo ( cr x mo 1 - x , where 0 . 1 ≦ x ≦ 0 . 3 ), alloys of crmn ( cr x mn 1 - x ), alloys of crti ( cr x ti 1 - x ) and alloys of crv ( cr x v 1 - x ). the appropriate alloy is selected in part based on the need to closely match the lattice spacing of the material in the hard magnet 210 and the ability of the alloy to foster growth of the hard magnet 210 with the magnetic axis oriented in - plane . specifically , body centered cubic ( bcc ) metals with crystallographic planes & lt ; 200 & gt ; growing in - plane and where the lattice mismatch with the hard magnet 210 is in the range 0 – 3 %. an example includes crmo 20 . ion beam deposition and sputtering are suitable techniques for depositing the first underlayer 220 and the second underlayer 260 . the material for the first interlayer 240 is typically a dielectric and includes oxides of aluminum , oxides of tantalum , oxides of silicon and oxides of hafnium . examples include al 2 o 3 , ta 2 o 3 , sio 2 , hfo and their thin - film , non - stoichiometric equivalents . ion beam deposition is a suitable technique for depositing the first interlayer 240 . while not shown in fig5 – 7 , an additional base layer of alumina beneath the first underlayer 220 in the seed layer structure 200 as well as a substrate , such as altic , can be added as is known in the art . laminated structures with intercalated layers are used in the prior art to break up coherent growth and reduce strain especially in polycrystalline films and when a relatively large total thickness is desired . however , such laminated structures are primarily used to control grain size . in addition , simply forming a laminated structure is insufficient to achieve the benefits of this invention . this is illustrated in fig8 , which shows the measured x - ray intensity as a function of the diffraction angle at grazing incidence for two samples , each of which is a non - optimal embodiment of the present invention . a third sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 200 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 5 . 0 nm , cr first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 2 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 . the x - ray diffraction data 412 for the third sample is shown in fig8 . a fourth sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 265 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 3 . 0 nm , cr first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 1 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 , cr second interlayer 270 with a thickness equal to thickness 250 and crmo third underlayer 280 with thickness equal to thickness 230 . the x - ray diffraction data 422 for the fourth sample is shown in fig8 . the presence of peak 424 in data 412 and 422 corresponding to the & lt ; 11 { overscore ( 2 )} 0 & gt ; direction in co 3 pt are indicative of grains with out - of - plane c - axis crystallographic orientation and the non - optimal nature of the seed layer structure 200 in the third sample and the seed layer structure 265 in the fourth sample . the results presented in fig8 should be contrasted with those in fig9 , which shows the measured x - ray intensity as a function of the diffraction angle at grazing incidence for two samples , each of which is an embodiment of the present invention . a fifth sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 200 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 5 . 0 mm , al 2 o 3 first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 1 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 . the x - ray diffraction data 432 for the fifth sample is shown in fig9 . a sixth sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 265 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 3 . 0 nm , al 2 o 3 first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 1 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 , al 2 o 3 second interlayer 270 with a thickness equal to thickness 250 and crmo third underlayer 280 with thickness equal to thickness 230 . the x - ray diffraction data 442 for the sixth sample is shown in fig9 . the absence of peak 444 corresponding to the & lt ; 11 { overscore ( 2 )} 0 & gt ; direction in co 3 pt are indicative of grains with in - plane c - axis crystallographic orientation and the preferred nature of the seed layer structure 200 in the fifth sample and the seed layer structure 265 in the sixth sample . fig1 a – d show magnetic hysteresis loops measured in a vsm for two samples with the magnetic field applied in - plane . the magnetization of the film is monitored with a vector coil arrangement that permits simultaneous detection of the in - plane ( fig1 a and 10 c ) and out - of - plane ( fig1 b and 10 d ) components of magnetization as the applied field is scanned . the in - plane and out - of - plane magnetic properties associated with the preferred and the non - preferred c - axis crystallographic orientation of the grains in hard magnet 210 are thereby measured . the magnetization in fig1 a – d is scaled to that of an equivalent thickness of nife . using the index numbers from fig2 , a seventh sample is representative of the prior art , and has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 118 with a thickness 124 of 7 . 6 nm and a crmo seed layer 126 with seed layer thickness 128 of 12 . 0 nm . the in - plane 452 and out - of - plane 454 magnetic hysteresis loops are shown in fig1 a and 10 b . using the index numbers from fig5 , an eighth sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 200 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 5 . 0 nm , al 2 o 3 first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 1 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 . the in - plane 462 and out - of - plane 464 magnetic hysteresis loops are shown in fig1 c and 10 d . in agreement with the x - ray diffraction measurements shown in fig4 and 9 , the seventh sample has an out - of - plane hysteresis loop 454 while the out - of - plane magnetic hysteresis loop 464 of the eighth sample is significantly suppressed . specifically , the ratio of the in - plane and out - of - plane remnant magnetization for the seventh sample is approximately 80 while the ratio of the in - plane and out - of - plane remnant magnetization for the eighth sample is approximately 1200 , an improvement of 15 fold . based on these results , it is clear that the seed layer structure 200 in this invention yields unexpected results : certain materials are suitable as the interlayer and not all underlayer and interlayer thicknesses work . for the interrlayer , the thickness 250 range is substantially between 0 . 1 nm to 10 nm . for example , for al 2 o 3 a typical value is 1 nm . the lower bound is set by that necessary to define a continuous film . the upper bound is determined by incoherence in the film . for the underlayer , the thickness 230 is substantially greater than 3 nm . for thickness 230 less than this value , the hard magnet 210 becomes magnetically unstable and the out - of - plane c - axis crystallographic orientation is not suppressed . the total thickness of the seed layer structure 200 is adjustable and can be dictated by the requirements of the ucj arrangement in the magnetic sensor . the examples provided in this invention have underlayers with the same underlayer thickness 230 and interlayers with the same interlayer thickness 250 . one skilled in the art may incorporate the advantages embodied in this invention in samples having multiple underlayers with different values of the underlayer thickness 230 so long as the underlayer thickness 230 of each underlayer in the seed layer structure 200 is substantially greater than 3 nm . similarly , one skilled in the art may incorporate the advantages embodied in this invention in samples having multiple interlayers with different values of the interlayer thickness 250 so long as the interlayer thickness 250 of each interlayer in the seed layer structure 200 is substantially between 0 . 1 nm and 10 nm . a wide variety of magnetic sensors that have hard bias will benefit from the seed layer structure 200 in this invention including those based on amr , gmr , top spin valve , bottom spin valve , cip 113 , current perpendicular to the plane ( cpp ) and magnetic tunnel junction or spin tunneling also known as tunnel valve sensors . for an example of a magnetic tunnel junction sensor see u . s . pat . no . 6 , 473 , 279 . the invention benefits both hard bais structures with a single hard magnet 210 layer as well more complex hard bias structures with synthetic antiferromagnetic bias ( for example , see u . s . pat . no . 6 , 266 , 218 ). in summary , the seed layer structure 200 in this invention suppresses out - of - plane c - axis crystallographic orientation and accommodates a total thickness that meets the requirements of the ucj arrangement in the magnetic sensor while preserving the other benefits such as an appropriate epitaxial relationship with the material in the hard magnet 210 . in view of the above , it will be clear to one skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be altered in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents .	1
my invention generally provides elongate body 9 having band fastening structure 10 in the forward portion of the body with yoke structure 11 extending forwardly therefrom and stretching mechanism 12 carried in the rearward portion of the body to extend forwardly to the yoke structure . body 9 provides elongate body beam 13 defining laterally extending fastening ears 14 in its rearward end portion for interconnection of a handle structure by fasteners 15 extending fastenably therebetween . the forward end portion of body beam 13 carries annular support 16 defining medial channel 17 extending therethrough to allow passage of a tensioning rod and interconnected elastic band while providing guidance limits for their positional maintenance and a chamber for containment and deformation of a fastening clip . the rearward portion of body beam 13 interconnects handle body 18 carrying structurally joined depending handle 19 . handle body 18 defines forwardly extending connector plate 20 , of similar peripheral configuration to fastening ears 14 of the body beam 13 , to receive fasteners 15 extending in threaded engagement into the connector plate 20 to structurally interconnect the handle body and body beam . the handle body 18 defines medial cavity 21 to receive and carry portions of band stretching mechanism 12 . the forward wall of handle body 18 defines tensioning rod hole 23 to allow slidable passage of a tensioning rod through the handle body . handle 19 preferably supports forwardly extending grip portion 22 to make the handle more easily and comfortably grippable by a user . band fastening structure 10 of this tool is substantially the same as the structure disclosed in my prior u . s . pat . no . 5 , 188 , 637 and the fastening clip 65 used in the structure is also substantially the same as the fastening clip there disclosed . the channel for holding the fastening clip 65 is defined by the appropriate configuration of the inner wall of annular support 16 that defines the medial channel 17 therein . the annular support 16 defines axially aligned slot 66 to allow passage of the forward part of crimping lever 67 therethrough to fastenably deform a fastening clip . the medial forward part of the crimping lever 67 is pivotally carried on pivot pin 68 supported in the lower forward portion of body beam 13 for pivotal motion to allow the forward part of the crimping lever to move through slot 66 and into medial channel 17 to crimp a fastening clip in the channel upon a fastening band passing through the fastening clip . yoke structure 11 provides a generally flat , u - shaped band holding yoke formed by back 24 interconnecting forwardly and laterally outwardly extending legs 25 . back 24 of the yoke is structurally carried by the forward end portion of body beam 13 immediately rearwardly of annular support 16 . the forward outer end portions of each leg 25 carry band fastening dogs 26 pivotally mounted on the undersurface of the legs 25 by fasteners 27 extending through both elements . each band fastening dog 26 defines fastening groove 28 on its forward laterally outer edge to aid positional maintenance of an elastomeric band extending between the fastening dogs and defines a rearwardly protruding fastening lug 29 on its laterally inner edge to aid positional maintenance of the fastening dog against rotation . band release yoke 30 , 31 defined by back 30 and forwardly and laterally outwardly extending legs 31 is of a configuration similar to band holding yoke 24 , 25 except that the forwardly extending legs are somewhat shorter to avoid interference with fasteners 27 of the band holding yoke . the band release yoke 30 , 31 is carried for limited slidable motion in an elongate direction on the upper surface of the band holding yoke 24 , 25 by plural threaded fasteners 32 extending through plural elongate slots 33 defined through the band release yoke and into threaded engagement in cooperating holes defined in appropriate positions in legs 25 of the band holding yoke , so that the band release yoke may move forwardly and rearwardly for a limited distance relative to the band holding yoke . fastening pins 34 are carried by the forward portion of each leg 31 of the band release yoke 30 . 31 to depend through elongate slots 69 defined in appropriate position in each leg 25 of the band holding yoke , and project spacedly beneath the band holding yoke to contact fastening lugs 29 of the band fastening dogs 26 for selective positional maintenance of the fastening dogs against rotation . back 30 of the band release yoke 30 , 31 carries similar opposed upstanding release lever brackets 35 that support laterally extending release lever pin 36 therebetween . angulated release lever 37 is pivotally carried on the release lever pin 36 rearwardly of annular support 16 , with depending arm 37a adjacent to the annular support and manipulation arm 37b extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom . with this structure as the angulated manipulation arm 37b is pivoted downwardly , the depending arm 37a will not move by reason of support against the rearward surface of annular support 16 and the band release yoke 30 , 31 will responsively move rearwardly to remove support of fastening pins 34 from fastening lugs 29 to allow pivotal motion of the band fastening dogs 26 to release a tensioned elastic band supported between the fastening dogs . band stretching mechanism 12 provides elongate stretching rod 38 slidably supported in holding block 41 that is carried in medial cavity 21 defined in handle body 18 . the stretching rod 38 has a length to extend from a point spacedly rearwardly of holding block 41 forwardly to the band fastening dogs 26 . the stretching rod defines band holding notch 39 in its forward end portion and structurally carries &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; ring 40 in its rearward end portion to aid manipulation . the stretching rod is carried for slidable motion in channel 64 defined in holding block 41 and in channel 17 of annular support 16 for some positional restraint of its forward portion . the stretching lever mechanism provides similar opposed mounting levers 42 pivotally carried on each side of holding block 41 by inner mounting bolt 43 extending therebetween and through the holding block . the mounting levers 42 carry medial mounting bolt 44 extending therebetween spacedly above the upper portion of holding block 41 to pivotally mount similar spaced rearwardly extending stretching rod levers 45 and the inner portion of stretching lever 46 therebetween . the outer end portions of mounting levers 42 carry outer mounting bolt 47 which extends pivotally through the medial portion of stretching lever 46 . the rearward end portions of stretching rod levers 45 pivotally carry laterally extending stretching rod lever bolt 48 extending therebetween and pivotally through stretching lever block 49 . the stretching lever block 49 defines lower elongate channel 50 to slidably receive the stretching rod 38 which extends in an elongate direction through the stretching lever block 49 and an upper channel carrying canting lever fastener 51 to movably mount stretching lever block canting lever 52 forwardly of the block . canting lever 52 depends from fastener 51 to define stretching rod hole 53 to allow movable passage of the stretching rod 38 therethrough . compression spring 54 is carried about the stretching rod 38 , between the rearward surface of canting lever 52 and an adjacent surface of stretching lever block 49 , to bias the lower portion of the canting lever 52 forwardly . with this structure canting lever 52 will bind on the stretching rod 38 to require the stretching rod move rearwardly with rearward motion of the stretching lever block 49 , but will allow free forward motion of the stretching lever block on the stretching rod responsive to motion of the stretching lever . stretching rod canting lever 55 is carried in handle chamber 21 between the forward portion of holding block 41 and the rearward surface of the handle body 18 that defines the forward surface of handle chamber 21 . this canting lever 55 is vertically elongate with medial upper hole 56 defined therein to allow free slidable passage of stretching rod 38 through the canting lever . the upper portion of the forward wall of handle body 18 threadedly carries adjustment screw 57 to extend rearwardly through the handle body and into contact with the upper portion of canting lever 55 above hole 56 to provide an adjustably positional stop to limit the forward motion of the upper part of the canting lever . compression spring 58 is carried below stretching rod 38 between canting lever 55 and the adjacent portion of holding block 41 to bias the lower portion of the canting lever 55 forwardly . with this structure the stretching rod 38 may freely move rearwardly through canting lever 55 , but the canting lever prevents forward motion of the stretching rod by binding upon the rod by reason of a slight forwardly angulated relationship thereto . the stretching rod 38 may be released from this binding action to allow forward motion of the rod through the canting lever by moving the lower portion of the canting lever rearwardly , so that the lever assumes a substantially perpendicular position relative to the stretching rod and will not bind thereon . a second species of simple band holding yoke 11a having a unitary structure is shown in fig4 . the body 9 and stretching mechanism 12 of this second species of yoke are the same as those members used with the first species 11 of yoke . the yoke 11a provides a simple unitary flat u - shaped structure defined by back 60 interconnecting similar forwardly and laterally outwardly extending legs 61 . the forward end portions of legs 61 each define curvilinear band grooves 62 extending inwardly at the forward lateral portions of the legs to define band holding portions 63 extending forwardly from the laterally inward edges of the legs . an elastic band carried by this yoke is released by manual manipulation of the tool rather than by separate mechanical release structure such as provided in the first species by yoke 11 . having described the structure of my tool , its operation may be understood . a tool of the first species of fig1 - 3 , constructed according to the foregoing specification , is provided with an appropriately constituted endless elastic band 59 . the elastomeric band 59 must be of such structure and elastic nature that when stretched about the neck of the scrotal pouch of an animal and there fastened , it has sufficient elastic force to cause ligation , and at the same time it must allow expansion sufficiently for passage of the scrotal pouch and contained testicular structure of a large mature animal such as a bovine bull through the orifice defined by the stretched band without breakage . the band must also provide sufficient material to allow fastening in a tensed condition by a deformable metallic fastening clip or similar fastening structure . normally such a band formed of natural rubber will require a cross - sectional area of approximately 0 . 1 to 0 . 4 square inch when the cross - sectional configuration is of a rectangular form . such a band normally will have a relaxed diameter of from approximately one to three inches . these parameters may vary generally with the nature of the elastomeric material and particularly for specific purposes while such bands remain operative for castration , and such variant bands are within the ambit and scope of my invention . for use of the tool , band release yoke 30 , 31 is moved to its forwardmost position and band fastening dogs 26 are rotated to a position whereat fastening lugs 29 are adjacent the associated fastening pins 34 in a position that prevents inwardly directed rotary motion of the forward portion of the band fastening dogs . with the fastening dogs 26 in this position elastic band 59 is manually placed on the band holding yoke 24 , 25 to extend between fastening grooves 28 of the opposed band fastening dogs . elastic band 59 and the band holding yoke preferably for convenience are configured so that when the band is placed between the fastening dogs it has some tension in it to create friction between the band and fastening dogs to aid positional maintenance of the band on the fastening dogs . the lower portion of canting lever 55 is then moved rearwardly to allow forward motion of stretching rod 38 therethrough and the stretching rod is moved forwardly to the elastic band 59 . one course of that band is inserted within band holding notch 39 of the stretching rod so that the band is maintained in that notch . stretching lever 46 is then manually operated with a reciprocating motion so that the rearward component of motion of the stretching lever will move stretching lever block 49 rearwardly , which in turn moves stretching rod 38 rearwardly by reason of the binding action of stretching rod canting lever 52 carried by the stretching lever block on the stretching rod . as the stretching lever 46 is moved forwardly the stretching lever block 49 will move forwardly on the stretching rod 38 because the stretching rod is prevented from forward motion by the binding force created on it by canting lever 55 . this reciprocating stretching lever motion is continued until the stretching rod is moved rearwardly a distance sufficient to create a configuration in elastic band 59 that allows placement of the band over the scrotal pouch of an animal and creates appropriate tension in the band for ligation . it is to be noted that in this stretching rod motion the band holding notch 39 and the rearward portion of the elastomeric band 59 fastened therein will be moved rearwardly through channel 17 of annular support 16 and the channel of a fastening clip 65 carried therein . the elastic band , while maintained in this stretched condition by the tool , is manually manipulated by means of the tool , and manipulation of the scrotal pouch of an animal if required , to pass the scrotal pouch and its contents through the orifice defined by the stretched band , which will be of a generally triangular shape within the yoke 11 by reason of its three point support by the yoke and the stretching rod . with the elastomeric band 59 thusly placed , it is moved to the ligation site at the neck of the scrotal pouch adjacent the animals &# 39 ; s body , and fastening clip 65 , then extending about the band at a point adjacent to the band portion about the animal scrotal pouch , is crimped to fasten the band portion about the scrotal pouch together with the existing tension in it . the band portion not about the scrotal pouch is then released from the stretching rod 38 by moving the stretching rod forewardly and rotating it appropriately if necessary to allow the release of the portion of the band from holding notch 39 . the band portion about the scrotal pouch is then released from the band holding yoke by moving the upper , rearwardly extending portion of release lever 37b downwardly to move band release yoke 30 , 31 rearwardly . the rearward motion of the band release yoke responsively moves fastening pins 34 rearwardly and out of contact with the band fastening dogs 26 to allow rotation of the forward portion of the fastening dogs inwardly toward each other by reason of the tensioned band portion extending between them and thusly releases the elastic band from the yoke . the elastic band then will be in place in position on the animal to accomplish its ligation function and the portion not about the scrotal pouch may be trimed if desired . the tool may also be removed from a placed and fastened band by releasing the band portion about the scrotal pouch from the yoke in the same fashion as described and thereafter releasing the band portion carried by the stretching rod . the placement of an elastomeric band with the second species of yoke of fig4 is accomplished in the same fashion as described for the first species of fig1 - 3 . after the band is tensioned , placed in proper position about the scrotal pouch and fastened by a clip as described , the stretching rod 38 is moved forwardly to release tension in the rearward band portion not about the scrotal pouch and the band is released from interconnection with the stretching rod . the tool then is manually manipulated by an operator to pull away from the tensioned portion of the band about the animal &# 39 ; s scrotal pouch so that the band is released from support on the forward portions of the arms of yoke 11a and remains in place to accomplish its ligation function . the foregoing description of my tool is necessarily of a detailed nature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth as required , but it is to be understood that various modifications of detail and rearrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from its spirit , essence or scope .	0
for purposes of description herein , the terms “ upper ,” “ lower ,” “ right ,” “ left ,” “ rear ,” “ front ,” “ vertical ,” “ horizontal ,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in fig1 . however , it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations , except where expressly specified to the contrary . it is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings , and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims . hence , specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting , unless the claims expressly state otherwise . with reference to fig1 and 2 , a vehicle door handle assembly 1 includes a handle member 5 having an elongated central portion 6 , a forward end portion 8 , and a rearward end portion 10 . the forward end 8 may include a hook 12 that movably interconnects handle member 5 to a pivoting connector 14 of a vehicle door structure 16 ( see also fig3 ) in a known manner to thereby permit outward rotational movement of handle 5 in the direction of the arrow “ a ” ( fig3 ) to an open position “ 5 a ” ( fig3 ). handle assembly 1 may also include a bezel 18 that is secured to door structure 16 by a threaded fastener 20 ( fig3 ) and threaded insert 22 ( fig2 ) or other suitable arrangement . as discussed in more detail below , outward movement of handle member 5 pulls on inner strand 24 of cable 26 to thereby unlatch a latch mechanism 28 , and a speed - based cable lock mechanism 4 may be utilized to prevent unlatching of latch mechanism 28 in the event handle 5 is opened rapidly . latch mechanism 28 may comprise a conventional latch having a catch or claw that engages a post or striker to retain the vehicle door in a closed position , and a pawl that prevents rotation of the claw unless the pawl is shifted to a released position by inner cable strand 24 . an example of a typical latch of this type is shown in fig3 of u . s . pat . no . 8 , 544 , 901 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference . the structure and functions of this type of latch are well known to those skilled in the art , and a detailed description of the latch mechanism 28 is therefore not believed to be required . referring again to fig2 and 3 , bezel 18 includes a ramp structure 30 having first and second ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b , respectively forming a gap 34 between the surfaces 32 a and 32 b . the ramp structure 30 generally extends from an outer portion 38 of the door structure 16 into an interior space or cavity 36 defined between inner and outer door panels 16 a and 16 b , respectively of the vehicle door structure 16 . the ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b generally face forwardly and inwardly , and include planar central portions 40 a and 40 b , respectively . the handle member 5 includes a connector structure 42 that extends inwardly from rearward end portion 10 of handle 5 . as shown in fig3 , the connector structure 42 extends through an opening 44 in bezel 18 , and through an opening 46 in door structure 16 . the connector structure 42 may comprise first and second hook structures 48 a and 48 b ( fig2 ) that are spaced apart to form a gap 50 therebetween . the hooks 40 generally include inwardly - extending base portions 52 a and 52 b , and forwardly extending end portions 54 a and 54 b . the forwardly extending portions 54 a and 54 b define guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b , respectively . the guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b may be substantially planar , and face outwardly . however , guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b could also be concave , convex , or other suitable configuration . in general , the guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b also extend in a fore - aft direction . with reference to fig2 , 3 , and 5 , an end fitting 58 is secured to an end 60 of inner cable 24 . fitting 58 includes first and second portions 62 a and 62 b having cylindrical outer surfaces 64 a and 64 b , respectively . the portions 62 a and 62 b may be pivotable about a pin 66 that is secured to cable strand 24 . the outer surfaces 64 a and 64 b of fitting 58 contact the ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b and simultaneously contact the guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b as shown in fig3 . the connector structure 42 / hooks 48 a and 48 b are shown in dashed lines in fig5 to more clearly illustrate the engagement of end fitting 58 with ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b . however , it will be understood that the guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b of forwardly extending portions 54 a and 54 b of hooks 48 a and 48 b , respectively , simultaneously contact the outer surfaces 64 a and 64 b of fitting 58 and the ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b as shown in fig2 and 3 . referring again to fig3 , cable 26 includes an outer sheath 25 and fittings 27 a and 27 b that are attached to the outer sheath 25 . fitting 27 a is connected to a bracket 23 a of door structure 16 , and fitting 27 b is connected to a second bracket 23 b that is also connected to door structure 16 . a washer or retainer 68 is secured to an end 70 of inner cable strand 24 , and a spring 72 is disposed between second bracket 23 b and washer 68 such that movement of inner cable strand 24 in the direction of the arrow “ b ” compresses spring 72 . thus , spring 72 biases inner cable strand 24 in a direction opposite the arrow b to thereby bias surfaces 64 a and 64 b of fitting 58 into contact with guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b , and ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b . when assembled , end 70 of inner cable strand 24 is operably connected to the pawl ( not shown ) of latch mechanism 28 such that movement of inner cable strand 24 in the direction of the arrow b shifts the pawl to unlatch the latch mechanism 28 . referring again to fig3 , in use handle 5 is rotated outwardly as shown by the arrow a to the outer or open position 5 a . as handle 5 moves outwardly , the hooks 48 a and 48 b of connector structure 42 move outwardly and move the end fitting 58 in the direction of the arrow “ c ” to the position 58 a , with inner cable strand 24 moving to the position 24 a . in general , the fitting 58 moves outwardly a distance “ l 1 ” ( fig4 ), and forwardly by an amount “ l .” the angle and size of ramp structure 30 can be configured as required to provide the necessary length of travel of inner cable strand 24 . due to the angled ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b , inner cable strand 24 shifts longitudinally as shown by the arrow b as end fitting 58 moves in the direction of the arrow c . the longitudinal shifting of inner cables strand 24 moves the end 70 of inner cable strand 24 , thereby unlatching the latch mechanism 28 . as the handle 5 is returned to the closed position ( i . e . handle 5 is moved in a direction opposite the arrow a ), the fitting 58 travels in a direction opposite the arrow c , and spring 72 creates tension on cable strand 24 , thereby ensuring that end fitting 58 remains in contact with ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b and with guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b . in contrast to known exterior door handles for vehicle doors , the handle assembly 1 of the present invention does not include a bellcrank and other linkage to convert outward movement of the handle into lengthwise movement of the cable . the ramp structure 30 and connector structure 42 are very simple and low cost features . the handle assembly 1 of the present invention also does not include inertia counterweights or the like to prevent outward movement of handle 5 in the event of a side impact on the vehicle . rather , the handle assembly 1 is utilized in connection with a speed - based cable lock mechanism 4 that prevents rapid movement of inner cable strand 4 . the speed - based cable lock 4 may comprise a mechanism as described in detail in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 14 / 282 , 663 entitled “ vehicle door closure system including speed - based latch release ,” filed on may 20 , 2014 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference . with further reference to fig6 , a handle 1 a according to another aspect of the present invention includes a handle 5 a having a hook 12 a that rotatably mounts the handle 5 a to a door structure 16 a in substantially the same manner as described in more detail above in connection with fig1 - 5 . handle assembly 1 a includes a ramp structure 130 that extends inwardly from rearward portion 110 of handle 5 a to define outwardly and forwardly extending ramp surfaces 132 a and 132 b . a connector structure 142 including hooks 148 a and 148 b are secured to door structure 16 a . in use , an end fitting 158 of an inner cable strand 124 moves in the direction of the arrow “ c 1 ” as end fitting 158 moves along ramp surfaces 132 a and 132 b . this shifts cable 124 in the direction of arrow “ b 1 ” to unlatch a latch mechanism 28 ( fig1 ). thus , the handle 1 a operates in substantially the same manner as the handle 1 described in more detail above in connection with fig1 - 5 , except that the ramp surfaces 132 a and 132 b are formed on handle 5 a , and connector structure 142 is formed on door structure 16 a . it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention , and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise .	4
a block diagram of the rf plasma power monitor is depicted in fig1 . the power monitor has two basic modules , sensing head 10 and processing unit 11 . sensing head 10 is made in two separable units , sensing attachment 12 and sample and hold frequency converters 14 . units 12 and 14 plug solidly together , but are made separable so that the sensing attachment may be changed to accomodate wide variations in plasma power level . sensing attachment 12 is shown in greater electrical detail in fig2 . sensing attachment 12 is connected to frequency converters 14 by three rf connectors , 15 , 16 and 17 . sensing attachment 12 may be in the form of a rectangular aluminum box containing the sensing components . two further rf connectors , 20 and 21 are for connecting to a load and an rf power source . rf conductor 22 is mounted between connectors 20 and 21 . conductor 22 is suitably a rod of metal that may be as large as 3 / 8 inch or more in diameter depending on the rf power range being handled . a bare single conductor has been used and has been insulated from the enclosure and connected to central terminals of connectors 20 and 21 . three sensing taps , 25 , 26 and 27 , are made to conductor 22 . tap 25 is a toroid transformer encircling conductor 22 so that conductor 22 acts as the transformer primary . taps 26 and 27 are soldered , brazed or otherwise directly electrically and physically connected to conductor 22 . tap 27 could be connected capacitively . tap 25 senses the rf current in conductor 22 . tap 26 senses the dc bias level on conductor 22 and thus at the plasma load . tap 27 senses the rf voltage on conductor 22 . tap 25 is connected by rf connector 15 through current limiting resistors 28 to microwave - switch - mixer 30 . tap 27 is connected through resistor 32 , rf connector 17 and capacitor 33 to resistor 34 which in turn is connected to ground reference 35 . resistors 32 and 34 act as a voltage divider while capacitor 33 is for dc blocking . the junction of capacitor 33 and resistor 34 is connected to microwave - switch - mixer 36 . oscillator 37 is a precision frequency source together with frequency dividers or multipliers as needed to provide a square wave at the frequency of the rf power source plus a frequency offset . buffer 38 provides a high impedance to the oscillator and provides fast fall and rise times at its output . buffer 38 is connected to both microwave - switch - mixers 30 and 36 . gallium arsenide microwave switches have been used . low pass filters 40 and 41 connected to the outputs of mixers 30 and 36 respectively , filter out most of the higher frequencies , leaving the difference frequency predominant . this is not the conventional mixing action , but rather a &# 34 ; sample and hold &# 34 ; action in which the microwave switches are turned on and off periodically by the square wave output from the oscillator . each time a switch is turned on , its output is held in the capacitors of the low pass filter . buffers 42 and 44 are high input impedance amplifiers , suitably operational amplifiers , that provide both gain and further reduction of high frequency components . the remaining tap , 26 , has the sole purpose of sensing any dc voltage buildup on the line to plasma load 90 . resistors 45 are a voltage divider the output of which is connected through rf connector 16 to r / c filter 46 . r / c filter 46 removes the rf voltage riding on the dc voltage . the above describes the circuitry of sensing head 10 . sensing head 10 senses the voltages and current on the plasma load line and reduces all significant frequency components to 1 mhz or less for easy processing . the output of sensing head 10 is connected to processing unit 11 , suitably by a flexible cable . the components of processing unit 11 are known state - of - the - art devices with little need of detailed description . the following description is with reference to fig1 . the heart of processing unit 11 is data processor 50 which can be a small general purpose computer specially programmed for this purpose . the outputs of buffers 42 and 44 are connected to rms converters 52 and 54 respectively . the outputs of rms converters 52 and 54 are then connected through analog - to - digital converters 55 and 56 respectively to digital input ports of processor 50 . the outputs of buffers 42 and 44 are also connected to inputs 56 and 58 of multiplier 60 which multiplies these two signals together . the output of multiplier 60 is connected to the input of integrator 62 to provide an average dc level representative of rf power . the output of integrator 62 is connected through analog - to - digital converter 63 to data processor 50 . these connections may include an adjustable gain buffer amplifier preferably connected between integrator 62 and converter 63 . the outputs of buffers 42 and 44 are still further connected to the inputs of zero cross detectors 64 and 65 respectively . detectors 64 and 65 are connected to inputs 66 and 67 respectively of flip - flop 68 . the purpose of this circuit is to determine whether the rf voltage leads or lags the rf current . the output of flip - flop 68 is connected to a digital input of data processor 50 and is used to assign the sign to the impedance phase calculations . the output of r / c filter 46 ( fig2 ) is connected through analog - to - digital converter 70 to data processor 50 . in the usual monitoring setup , rf generator 80 includes sensors for sensing forward power and reflected power . forward power is connected out to processor 50 by lead 82 while reflected power is connected by lead 83 . processor 50 provides output 84 to enable rf generator 80 and output 85 to set the power output level of generator 80 . all these connection leads are shown as going through common cable 86 . output connection 87 from data processor 50 goes to display terminal 88 . display terminal 88 may be a video display or a simple digital character display . the display may be continuous , sequential or responsive to commands from a keyboard which may be part of display terminal 88 . in manufacture each unit is tested and the data processor adjusted to provide the necessary correction factors for true readings . one use is in plasma etching using an rf plasma frequency of 13 . 56 mhz . an oscillator frequency of 13 . 585 mhz has been used providing a monitor processing frequency of 25 khz . the sensing attachment is connected between rf matching network 75 and plasma load 90 by connectors 20 and 21 . the connection being made as close to plasma load 90 as convenient . the closer to load 90 , the more accurate this monitoring . data processor 50 is set to provide a specific power level to plasma load 90 and sends an enable signal to start the flow of rf power . the rf current and voltage are sensed and reduced in frequency in sensor head 10 . then multiplier 60 multiplies the two together to provide a signal representing rf power . this signal is then converted to digital and processed in data processor 50 , first to apply a correction factor to obtain true power and then to provide a correction signal to rf generator 80 so as to provide the set power at load 90 . the true power as well as the true rms voltage and true rms current are processed through data processor 50 and provided at display 88 . comparing these data with the forward power and reflected power from lines 82 and 83 of generator 80 , the magnitude and phase angle of the load impedance is also calculated and displayed . the magnitude of the load impedance is derived by the equation : z mag = e rms / i rms , where z mag is the magnitude of the load impedance , e rms and i rms are the true root means square voltage and true root mean square current . the phase angle of the load impedance is derived by the equation : z 0 = arccos [ p real /( e rms × i rms )], where z 0 is the phase angle of the load impedance and p real is the true power . these derivations are performed in data processor 50 under software control . connection 87 to display terminal 88 is typically an rs - 232 serial port capable of bidirectional communication with a variety of devices . the dc bias parameter from tap 26 is the dc level that is self - induced by a plasma load . it is often a critical process controlling parameter in plasma deposition processes and is made available for that and other purposes . while the invention has been described in relation to a specific embodiment and use , it is to be understood that variations within the skill of the art are contemplated as included in the invention . for example , much of the processing performed by data processor 50 can be hard wired . with sufficient control of mass manufacture , correction factors can be hard wired for true readings . it is also possible to use other sensors than toroid transformers and direct soldered connections . thus , it is the intention to cover the invention as set forth in the following claims .	7
fig1 a and 1b are schematic views of an example of a positionable element 104 that is repositionable within a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer 102 at a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations 108 a - d along the proximal reamer 102 . in the configuration shown in fig1 a and 1b , the positionable element 104 is positioned at longitudinal location 108 c . a distal end of the proximal reamer 102 can define a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer 102 . the positionable element 104 can be positioned longitudinally within the proximal reamer 102 . a distal end of the positionable element 104 can be configured to abut a distal reamer 106 insertable into the distal opening , thereby limiting longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer 102 in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer 106 , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer 106 . distal reamers are surgical instruments that are well - known to one of ordinary skill in the art . the positionable element 104 can be locked to the proximal reamer 102 at each of the plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations 108 a - d along the proximal reamer 102 . in some examples , the positionable element 104 can be unlocked from the proximal reamer 102 , can be repositioned longitudinally within the proximal reamer 102 to another of the discrete , specified longitudinal locations 108 a - d , and can be locked once again to the proximal reamer 102 . fig2 - 10 show various configurations of the proximal reamer and positionable element , as well as various examples of the mechanisms with which they can be locked to each other and unlocked from each other . in some examples , such as the examples of fig2 - 5 , the positionable element is a stop element . in some examples , such as the examples of fig6 - 10 , the positionable element is a driver . other suitable proximal reamers , positionable elements , and configurations can also be used . fig2 is a side view of an example of a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer 200 . the configuration of fig2 is but one example ; other suitable proximal reamers can also be used . a distal end 202 of the proximal reamer 200 can define a distal opening 204 into an interior of the proximal reamer 200 . the distal end 202 of the proximal reamer 200 can include at least one cutting flute 206 surrounding the distal opening 204 . the cutting flute 206 can include one or more helical blades on its exterior surface . the blade or blades can have a shape and geometry that can vary with the particular surgical application . the proximal reamer 200 can further define a first longitudinal slot 208 formed in an outer surface 218 of the reamer . in some examples , the first longitudinal slot 208 can extend fully along the longitudinal extent of the proximal reamer 200 . in other examples , the first longitudinal slot 208 can terminate proximal of the distal end 202 of the proximal reamer , and / or can terminate distal of a proximal end 212 of the proximal reamer 200 . the proximal reamer 200 can further define a first plurality of enlarged aperture regions 210 disposed along the first longitudinal slot 208 . in some examples , the enlarged aperture regions 210 can be circular ; in other examples , other suitable shapes can be used . in some examples , an enlarged aperture region 210 can be disposed at one longitudinal end of the first longitudinal slot 208 . in some examples , two enlarged aperture regions 210 are disposed at opposite longitudinal ends of the first longitudinal slot 208 . in some examples , the proximal reamer 200 can include first and second longitudinal slots formed on opposite sides of the proximal reamer 200 . in these examples , the proximal reamer 200 can further define first and second pluralities of enlarged aperture regions along the first and second longitudinal slots , respectively . in these examples , each enlarged aperture region in the first plurality can be positioned at the same location as a corresponding enlarged aperture region in the second plurality . in other examples , the proximal reamer can include more than two longitudinal slots , located circumferentially around the proximal reamer . in these examples , the enlarged aperture regions can be positioned at the same longitudinal locations along the longitudinal slots . the proximal reamer 200 can further include a reamer quick - connection 214 positioned on the proximal end 212 of the proximal reamer 200 . the quick - connection 214 can be a hudson style , or any other suitable configuration . the proximal reamer 200 can further include indicia 216 . the indicia can include one or more of colored markings , colored bands , letters , and numbers , all of which can provide a visual indication of a particular configuration of proximal reamer 200 and / or a particular longitudinal location along the proximal reamer 200 . fig3 is a side view of an example of a stop element 300 . during use , the stop element 300 can be disposed within the interior of the proximal reamer . the stop element 300 can be switchable between an unlocked state , in which the stop element 300 is longitudinally positionable with respect to the proximal reamer ( for example , proximal reamer 200 of fig2 ), and a locked state , in which the stop element 300 is locked to or engages the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ) at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ). the configuration of fig3 is but one example ; other suitable stop elements can also be used . a distal end 302 of the stop element 300 can be configured to contact a proximal end of a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer ( for example , distal reamer 106 of fig1 ). in some examples , the distal end 302 can be flat and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the proximal reamer 200 . in some examples , the distal end 302 can be convex . in some examples , the distal end 302 can be rotationally symmetric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the proximal reamer 200 . for these examples , the stop element 300 can be rotationally decoupled from the distal reamer . in other examples , the distal end 302 can include one or more features that can rotationally couple the stop element 300 to the distal reamer . the stop element 300 can include a first prong 304 biased to extend radially outward from within the proximal reamer . a first portion 306 of the first prong 304 can be sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the first longitudinal slot ( 208 ; fig2 ) and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions ( 210 ; fig2 ) in the first plurality . when the stop element 300 switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the first portion 306 of the first prong 304 snaps into or engages one of the enlarged aperture regions ( 210 ; fig2 ) in the first plurality , thereby locking the stop element 300 to the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ). the stop element 300 can include a first button 308 disposed on the first prong 304 and configured to transmit radially - inward force to the first prong . when the stop element 300 is locked to the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ), the radially - inward force can radially compress the stop element 300 , thereby unlocking the stop element 300 from the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ). when the stop element 300 is in the unlocked state , a user can apply a longitudinal force to the first button 308 , which can longitudinally translate the stop element 300 with respect to the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ). in some examples , the stop element 300 can include first and second buttons 308 , 314 disposed on the first and second prongs 304 , 310 , respectively , and configured to transmit radially - inward force to the first and second prongs 304 , 310 , so that when the stop element 300 is locked to the proximal reamer , the radially - inward force can radially compress the stop element 300 , thereby unlocking the stop element 300 from the proximal reamer . in some examples , such as the example of fig3 , the stop element can be u - shaped . in some examples , a bottom of the u - shape can be configured to abut the distal reamer . in some examples , a top of the u - shape can include the first and second prongs 304 , 310 . fig4 is a cross - sectional view of a portion of the stop element 300 of fig3 , disposed within the proximal reamer 200 . in some examples , the stop element 300 can include first and second prongs 304 , 310 biased to extend radially outward in opposite directions from within the proximal reamer 200 . a first portion of the first prong 304 can be sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the first longitudinal slot 208 and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions 210 in the first plurality . likewise , a first portion of the second prong 310 can be sized larger than a circumferential diameter of a second longitudinal slot 414 and smaller than enlarged aperture regions 416 in the second plurality . when the stop element 300 switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the first portions of the first and second prongs 304 , 310 snap into corresponding enlarged aperture regions 210 , 416 in the first and second pluralities , thereby locking the stop element 300 to the proximal reamer 200 . fig5 is a perspective view of an example of the stop element 300 disposed within the proximal reamer 200 . the configuration of fig5 is but one example ; other suitable configurations can also be used . when the stop element 300 is in the unlocked state , the first button 308 , or the first and second buttons 308 , 314 , can longitudinally translate the stop element with respect to the proximal reamer 200 . the buttons can be used to unlock the stop element from a first opposing pair of enlarged aperture regions ( by pressing the buttons together , thereby radially compressing the stop element ), reposition the stop element along opposing longitudinal slots to a second opposing pair of enlarged aperture regions , and lock the stop element ( by allowing the prongs to snap radially outward through the second opposing pair of enlarged aperture regions , thereby radially expanding the stop element ). the proximal reamer 200 can optionally include indicia 216 , such as one or more letters , one or more numbers , one or more patterns , one or more colors , and others . the indicia 216 can provide visual identification of the corresponding enlarged aperture region 210 . in some examples , an adjustable reaming device can include the proximal reamer and the stop element . in other examples , the adjustable reaming device can include the proximal reamer , the stop element , and a longitudinally - elongated distal reamer , such as 106 ( fig1 ). the distal reamer can be insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer . the distal reamer can be rotationally uncoupled from the proximal reamer . the stop element limits longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . in the examples of fig2 - 5 , a positionable element locks to a proximal reamer by using outwardly - biased prongs that snap radially outward into enlarged aperture regions when the positionable element is suitable positioned along the proximal reamer . to unlock the positionable element from the proximal reamer , a user forces a pair of buttons against each other , thereby forcing the prongs radially inward and releasing them from the enlarged aperture regions . this is but one example of a locking / unlocking mechanism . the examples of fig6 - 10 can use a locking / unlocking mechanism in which a user locks the positionable element to the proximal reamer by pivoting the positionable element about its longitudinal axis , with respect to the proximal reamer . as the user pivots these elements with respect to each other , an outward - extending prong can travel along a circumferential slot . the end of the circumferential slot can include a spring mechanism that locks the prong to the end of the slot . the user can unlock the positionable element from the proximal reamer by pivoting the elements in the opposite direction with a torque that exceeds a specified threshold , thereby overcoming the spring mechanism . the examples of fig6 - 10 are but one locking / unlocking mechanism ; other suitable mechanisms can also be used . fig6 is a perspective view of another example of a proximal reamer 600 . the configuration of fig6 is but one example ; other suitable proximal reamers can also be used . a distal end 602 of the proximal reamer 600 can define a distal opening 604 into an interior of the proximal reamer 600 . the distal end 602 of the proximal reamer 600 can include at least one cutting flute 606 surrounding the distal opening 604 . the proximal reamer 600 can define at least one longitudinal slot 608 formed in an outer surface 618 of the reamer , as well as a plurality of circumferential slots 610 therethrough . each circumferential slot 610 in the plurality can have a first end that is connected to the longitudinal slot 608 . each circumferential slot 610 in the plurality can have a second end that includes a spring mechanism ( discussed below and shown in fig9 and 10 ). the proximal reamer 600 can be elongated along longitudinal axis 612 . the proximal reamer 600 can also include indicia 614 , which can provide visual identification for each of the circumferential slots 610 . fig7 is a perspective view of an example of a driver 700 . during use , the driver 700 can be partially or fully disposed within the interior of the proximal reamer ( 600 ; fig6 ). the driver 700 can be elongated along longitudinal axis 706 . a distal end 702 of the driver 700 can be configured to contact a proximal end of a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening ( 604 ; fig6 ) of the proximal reamer ( 600 ; fig6 ). the driver 700 can include a prong 704 extending radially outward from within the proximal reamer ( 600 ; fig6 ). the prong 704 can be sized to fit within the longitudinal slot ( 608 ; fig6 ) and the circumferential slots ( 610 ; fig6 ) in the plurality . the driver 700 can include a reamer quick - connection 708 positioned on a proximal end of the driver . fig8 is a perspective view of an example of the proximal reamer 600 of fig6 having the driver 700 of fig7 disposed therein . during use , the reamer quick - connection 708 on the driver 700 can extend proximally beyond a proximal end of the proximal reamer 600 . during use , the longitudinal axes of the driver 700 and the proximal reamer 600 can coincide , along longitudinal axis 808 . during use , the driver 700 can be switched between an unlocked state , in which the driver 700 is longitudinally positionable with respect to the proximal reamer 600 , and a locked state , in which the driver 700 is locked to the proximal reamer 600 at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer 600 . when the driver 700 switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the driver 700 can be positioned longitudinally so that the prong ( 704 ; fig7 ) aligns with one of the circumferential slots ( 610 ; fig6 ), then the driver 700 is rotated about longitudinal axis 808 so that the prong ( 704 ; fig7 ) traverses the circumferential slot ( 610 ; fig6 ) and engages the spring mechanism ( discussed below and shown in fig9 and 10 ). fig9 more clearly shows the prong 704 on the driver 700 , and the longitudinal slot 608 , circumferential slot 610 , and spring mechanism 910 on the proximal reamer 600 . fig9 omits some features from the driver 700 and the proximal reamer 600 , in order to emphasize the prong 704 , the longitudinal slot 608 , the circumferential slot 610 , and the spring mechanism 910 . the prong 704 can be sized to fit into both the longitudinal slot 608 and the circumferential slot 610 . in particular , the prong 704 can have a circumferential diameter matched to a circumferential diameter of the longitudinal slot 608 . the prong 704 can also have a longitudinal diameter matched to a longitudinal diameter of the circumferential slot 610 . fig1 is a perspective view of an example of the portion of the driver of fig9 , attached to the example of the portion of the proximal reamer of fig9 . a user can engage the driver 700 and the proximal reamer 600 with a push - and - twist motion . the user can push , moving the prong 704 along the longitudinal 608 until the prong is longitudinally aligned with a one of the circumferential slots 610 . the user can then twist , moving the prong 704 along the circumferential slot 610 . at the end of the twisting motion , the prong 704 can engage the spring mechanism 910 . the spring mechanism can engage when a torque or a force exceeds a particular engagement threshold . in the example of fig9 , the spring mechanism 910 includes a relatively thin spring member , which forms a wall of the circumferential slot 610 . the spring member deforms when the prong 704 passes through the circumferential slot 610 , and returns to an undeformed or relaxed state when the prong 704 reaches the end of the circumferential slot 610 . the deformation of the spring member holds the prong 704 in place at the end of the circumferential slot 610 . the spring mechanism 910 can be disengaged by applying the twisting motion in the opposite direction . the spring mechanism can disengage when the torque or force exceeds a particular disengagement threshold . in some examples , the disengagement threshold is the same as the engagement threshold . in some examples , an adjustable reaming device can include the proximal reamer and the driver . in other examples , the adjustable reaming device can include the proximal reamer , the driver , and a longitudinally - elongated distal reamer , such as reamer 106 ( fig1 ). the distal reamer can be insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer . the distal reamer can be rotationally uncoupled from the proximal reamer . the configuration limits longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . fig1 is a flow chart of an example of a method 1100 for adjusting a reaming device . the method can be executed by the adjustable reaming device of fig2 - 5 , the adjustable reaming device of fig6 - 10 , or another suitable adjustable reaming device . the method of fig1 is but one example ; other suitable examples can also be used . at 1102 , method 1100 provides a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer , such as 200 ( fig2 ) or 600 ( fig6 ), or other suitable proximal reamers . a distal end of the proximal reamer can define a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer . at 1104 , method 1100 positions a positionable element longitudinally within the proximal reamer . in some examples , the positionable element can be a stop element , such as 300 ( fig3 ). in other examples , the positionable element can be a driver , such as 700 ( fig7 ). a distal end of the positionable element can be configured to abut a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening , thereby limiting longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . at 1106 , method 1100 locks the positionable element to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer . the locations can be defined by the proximal reamer , the positionable element , or by both the proximal reamer and the positionable element . in some examples , method 1100 can further include unlocking the positionable element from the proximal reamer . in some examples , method 1100 can further include repositioning the positionable element longitudinally within the proximal reamer to another of the discrete , specified longitudinal locations in the plurality . in some examples , method 1100 can further include locking the positionable element to the proximal reamer . the following non - limiting list of examples can further illustrate the present adjustable reaming device and method for adjusting a reaming device . in example 1 , an adjustable reaming device can comprise a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer , a distal end of the proximal reamer defining a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer , the distal end of the proximal reamer including a cutting flute surrounding the distal opening ; and a stop element disposed within the interior of the proximal reamer , a distal end of the stop element being configured to contact a proximal end of a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer ; wherein the stop element is switchable between an unlocked state , in which the stop element is longitudinally positionable with respect to the proximal reamer , and a locked state , in which the stop element is locked to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer . in example 2 , the adjustable reaming device of example 1 can optionally be configured such that the proximal reamer further defines a first longitudinal slot and a first plurality of enlarged aperture regions along the first longitudinal slot ; and the stop element includes a first prong biased to extend radially outward from within the proximal reamer , a first portion of the first prong being sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the first longitudinal slot and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions in the first plurality . in example 3 , the adjustable reaming device of example 2 can optionally be configured such that when the stop element switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the first portion of the first prong snaps into one of the enlarged aperture regions in the first plurality , thereby locking the stop element to the proximal reamer . in example 4 , the adjustable reaming device of example 3 can optionally further comprise a first button disposed on the first prong and configured to transmit radially - inward force to the first prong , so that when the stop element is locked to the proximal reamer , the radially - inward force radially compresses the stop element , thereby unlocking the stop element from the proximal reamer . in example 5 , the adjustable reaming device of example 4 can optionally be configured such that when the stop element is in the unlocked state , an applied longitudinal force on the first button longitudinally translates the stop element with respect to the proximal reamer . in example 6 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 1 - 5 can optionally be configured such that the proximal reamer further defines first and second longitudinal slots on opposite sides of the proximal reamer ; the proximal reamer further defines first and second pluralities of enlarged aperture regions along the first and second longitudinal slots , respectively , each enlarged aperture region in the first plurality being positioned at the same location as a corresponding enlarged aperture region in the second plurality ; and the stop element includes first and second prongs biased to extend radially outward in opposite directions from within the proximal reamer , a first portion of the first prong being sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the first longitudinal slot and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions in the first plurality , a first portion of the second prong being sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the second longitudinal slot and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions in the second plurality . in example 7 , the adjustable reaming device of example 6 can optionally be configured such that when the stop element switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the first portions of the first and second prongs snap into corresponding enlarged aperture regions in the first and second pluralities , thereby locking the stop element to the proximal reamer . in example 8 , the adjustable reaming device of example 7 can optionally further comprise first and second buttons disposed on the first and second prongs , respectively , and configured to transmit radially - inward force to the first and second prongs , so that when the stop element is locked to the proximal reamer , the radially - inward force radially compresses the stop element , thereby unlocking the stop element from the proximal reamer . in example 9 , the adjustable reaming device of example 8 can optionally be configured such that when the stop element is in the unlocked state , applied longitudinal forces on the first and second buttons longitudinally translate the stop element with respect to the proximal reamer . in example 10 , the adjustable reaming device of example 9 can optionally be configured such that the stop element is u - shaped ; a bottom of the u - shape is configured to abut the distal reamer ; and a top of the u - shape includes the first and second prongs . in example 11 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 1 - 10 can optionally further comprise a reamer quick - connection positioned on a proximal end of the proximal reamer . in example 12 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 1 - 11 can optionally further comprise a longitudinally - elongated distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer , the distal reamer being rotationally uncoupled from the proximal reamer ; wherein the stop element limits longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . in example 13 , an adjustable reaming device can comprise a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer , a distal end of the proximal reamer defining a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer , the distal end of the proximal reamer including at least one cutting flute surrounding the distal opening ; and a driver disposed within the interior of the proximal reamer , a distal end of the driver being configured to contact a proximal end of a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer ; wherein the driver is switchable between an unlocked state , in which the driver is longitudinally positionable with respect to the proximal reamer , and a locked state , in which the driver is locked to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer . in example 14 , the adjustable reaming device of example 13 can optionally be configured such that the proximal reamer defines a longitudinal slot and a plurality of circumferential slots , each circumferential slot in the plurality having a first end that is connected to the longitudinal slot , each circumferential slot in the plurality having a second end that includes a spring mechanism . in example 15 , the adjustable reaming device of example 14 can optionally be configured such that the driver includes a prong extending radially outward from within the proximal reamer , the prong being sized to fit within the longitudinal slot and the circumferential slots in the plurality . in example 16 , the adjustable reaming device of example 15 can optionally be configured such that when the driver switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the driver is positioned longitudinally so that the prong aligns with one of the circumferential slots , then the driver is rotated about a longitudinal axis so that the prong traverses the circumferential slot and engages the spring mechanism . in example 17 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 13 - 16 can optionally further comprise a reamer quick - connection positioned on a proximal end of the driver . in example 18 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 13 - 17 can optionally further comprise a longitudinally - elongated distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer , the distal reamer being rotationally uncoupled from the proximal reamer ; wherein the driver limits longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . in example 19 , a method for adjusting a reaming device can comprise providing a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer , a distal end of the proximal reamer defining a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer ; positioning a positionable element longitudinally within the proximal reamer , a distal end of the positionable element being configured to abut a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening , thereby limiting longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer ; and locking the positionable element to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer . in example 20 , the method of example 19 can optionally further comprise unlocking the positionable element from the proximal reamer ; repositioning the positionable element longitudinally within the proximal reamer to another of the discrete , specified longitudinal locations in the plurality ; and locking the positionable element to the proximal reamer . in example 21 , the adjustable reaming device or method of any one or any combination of examples 1 - 20 can optionally be configured such that all elements , operations , or other options recited are available to use or select from . 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 inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided . moreover , the 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 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 , kit , article , composition , formulation , 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 . the above description is intended to be illustrative , and not restrictive . for example , the above - described examples ( or one or more aspects thereof ) can 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 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 can 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 can lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment . thus , the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment , and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations . 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
while this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms , there will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated . a cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin to which the invention is applied is a copolymer of cyclic - olefin and α - olefin , i . e ., a copolymer with α - olefin containing a repeating unit indicated by a following chemical equation 21 and derived from cyclic - olefin , or a polymer that hydrogen is added to cyclic - olefin indicated by a chemical equation 22 undergone ring - opening polymerization . r 1 to r 29 in the chemical equation 21 and the chemical equation 22 may differ , or may be same , and each of which is a substituent containing hydrogen atoms , deuterium atoms , hydrocarbon radical having carbon number of 1 to 15 , halogen atoms , or hetero atoms , such as oxygen , or sulfur , and forms a monocyclic or polycyclic structure with one another . note that m and n are integers greater than or equal to zero . cyclic - olefin monomer which constitutes the foregoing resin has a structure indicated by a chemical equation 23 , and examples of preferable monomer are , for example , bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene ( norbornene ), 5 - methylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 7 - methybicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - ethylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - propylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - n - butylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - isobutylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 1 , 4 - dimethylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - bromobicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - chlorobicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - fluorobicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 , 6 - dimethylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , dicyclopentadiene , tricyclopentadiene , tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 5 , 10 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 2 , 10 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 11 , 12 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 2 , 7 , 9 - trimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - ethyl - 2 , 7 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - isobutyl - 2 , 7 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - isobutyl - 2 , 7 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 , 11 , 12 - trimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - ethyl - 11 , 12 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - isobutyl - 11 , 12 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 5 , 8 , 9 , 10 - tetramethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - hexyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - stearyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - methyl - 9 - ethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - cyclohexyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - ethylidenetetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - chlorotetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - bromotetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - fluorotetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 , 9 - dichlorotetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , hexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 12 - methylhexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 12 - ethylhexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 12 - isobutylhexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 1 , 6 , 10 - trimethyl - 12 - isobutylhexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 5 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - ethyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - n - propyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - n - butyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 , 6 - dimethyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 6 - ethyl - 5 - phenylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 , 6 , 6 - trimethyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 1 , 4 , 5 - trimethylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 , 6 - diethyl - 5 - phenylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - bromo - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - chloro - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - fluoro - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( tert - butylphenyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( bromophenyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( chlorophenyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( fluorophenyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( α - naphthyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 - antracenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 8 - methyl - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - ethyl - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - n - propyl - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - n - butyl - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - chloro - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 11 - methyl - 11 - phenyl - hexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - heptadecene , 1 , 4 - methano - 4a , 9 , 9 - trimethyl - 1 , 4 , 9a - trihydrofluorene . such various monomers can be basically made by a thermal diels - alder reaction of corresponding dienes and olefins , and adding hydrogen or the like appropriately makes it possible to produce a desired monomer . r 30 to r 48 the chemical equation 23 may differ or may be same , and each of which is a substituent including hydrogen atoms , deuterium atoms , hydrocarbon radical having carbon number of 1 to 15 , halogen atoms , or hetero atoms , such as oxygen and sulfur , and forms a monocyclic or polycyclic structure with each other . note that m and n are integers greater than or equal to zero . an example of α - olefin suitably used for the copolymer indicated by the chemical equation 21 is α - olefin having a carbon number of 2 to 20 , preferably , a carbon number of 2 to 10 , and includes , for example , ethylene , propylene , 1 - butene , 1 - pentene , 3 - methyl - 1 - butene , 3 - methyl - 1 - pentene , 1 - hexene , 1 - octene , 1 - decene , and those can be used individually or combined . ethylene and propylene are preferable in those , and ethylene is particularly preferable from the standpoint of practical aspects , such as copolymer characteristic , and economic efficiency . in the copolymer indicated by the chemical equation 21 , the preferable mole ratio ( α - olefin / cyclic - olefin ) between the α - olefin and the cyclic - olefin is within a range from 10 / 90 to 90 / 10 , and further preferably , with in a range from 30 / 70 to 70 / 30 . the mole ratio in copolymer is decided based on 13 c - nmr ( 400 mhz , temperature : 120 ° c ./ solvent : 1 , 2 , 4 - trichlorobenzene / 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - deuterated tetrachloroethane mixing system ). the thermal imprint resin of the invention is adjusted in such a way that the glass transition temperature tg (° c .) thereof and a value ([ m ]) of mfr at 260 ° c . satisfy the following equation 1 . the weight average molecular weight mw of the cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin indicated by the chemical equation 21 or the chemical equation 22 is within 10 , 000 to 1 , 000 , 000 , preferably , 20 , 000 to 500 , 000 , and further preferably , 50 , 000 to 200 , 000 , and the value [ m ] of mfr at 260 ° c . is greater than or equal to 10 , preferably , greater than or equal to 20 , and further preferably , greater than or equal to 30 . accordingly , the fluidity of the resin becomes high , thus facilitating a filling of the resin in the pattern of a mold , so that the imprint characteristics ( transferability , mold release characteristic , and the like ) can be improved without deteriorating the resin property . in considering the application of the resin on which a minute pattern is transferred by thermal imprint , it is preferable that the heat resistance of the resin should be high , and the glass transition temperature should be greater than or equal to 80 ° c ., preferably , greater than or equal to 90 ° c ., and further preferably , higher than the boiling temperature of water , i . e ., beyond 100 ° c . in view of the practicality . a polymerization method for producing the resin is not limited to any particular ones , and well - known methods , such as a method of coordination polymerization using ziegler - natta catalyst or single - site catalyst , and further , causing a copolymer to be subjected to hydrogen addition in accordance with necessity , and a method of adding hydrogen after ring - opening polymerization using metathesis polymerization catalyst . as a method of adding hydrogen , well - known methods can be employed , and this can be carried out using a catalyst containing metal components , such as nickel , and palladium . examples of the single - site catalyst used for producing the copolymer indicated by , for example , the chemical equation 21 are various kinds of metallocene compounds , and methylene ( cyclopentadienyl ) ( tetracyclopentadienyl ) zirconiumdichloride or the like disclosed in , for example , japanese unexamined patent application laid - open publication no . 2003 - 82017 can be preferably used . a promoter used for a polymerization reaction is not limited to any particular one , but methyl aluminoxanes can be used preferably , and other organic aluminum compounds may coexist and polymerize in accordance with a reaction . such a polymerization reaction can be preferably carried out within a range from a room temperature ( 25 ° c . or so ) to 200 ° c ., but it is desirable to carry out such a reaction within a range from 40 to 150 ° c . in view of the reactivity and the stability of a catalyst . an organic solvent used for a polymerization reaction is not limited to any particular one , and for example , aromatic solvents , such as benzene , toluene , xylene , and ethyl benzene , saturated hydrocarbon solvents , such as hexane , cyclohexane , heptane , methyl cyclohexane , and octane , or a mixed solvent thereof can be preferably used . after the resin is produced , hetero atoms , such as oxygen atoms and sulfur atoms can be arbitrarily introduced by a radical reaction . in accordance with necessity , greater than or equal to one of additives , such as an anti - oxidizing agent , a heat resistance stabilizer , a weathering stabilizer , a light stabilizer , an antistatic agent , a slipping agent , anti - blocking agent , an anti - fog additive , a lubricant , a color , a pigment , a natural oil , a synthetic oil , and a wax , can be added and mixed , and the mix ratio thereof can be set arbitrarily . additives ( anti - oxidizing agent , lubricant , and the like ) are not limited to any particular ones , and well - known compounds can be used preferably . according to the invention , addition of an oxidizing agent prevents an oxidization of the resin when heated , a creation of a gel originating from the staining of the resin and a bridge formation of the resin molecular chain , and a deterioration of physical property due to a disconnection of the resin molecular chain . according to the invention , addition of a lubricant improves the mold release characteristic , after imprint , and the productivity ( throughput ) of imprint products . furthermore , there is an effectiveness such that the resin can be easily put into a pattern on a mold when fabricating the resin . further , without deteriorating the physical properties required in the application fields of an imprint product , a rubber component can be added to improve the durability of the resin plate , and a well - known compound can be used . examples of the applications of the imprint product are optical devices , such as an optical waveguide , a light guiding plate , and a diffraction grating , biochips , fluidic devices , such as a micro flow channel , and a micro reactor , media for saving data , and circuit substrates . the method of manufacturing an injection molded body is not limited to any particular one , and a well - known method can be applied . the thickness can be arbitrarily selected in accordance with an application of an imprint product , and molding is possible if the thickness is greater than or equal to 300 μm . preferably , the imprint product is suitable for an injection molded body having a thickness of greater than or equal to 500 μm , and more preferably , is suitable for an injection molded body having a thickness of greater than or equal to 1 mm , and further preferably , is suitable for an injection molded body having a thickness of greater than or equal to 2 mm . the injection molded body using the thermal imprint resin of the invention can be formed in any shapes , but for example , can be formed in an approximately planer shape as a substrate . in this case , it is preferable to make the flatness high as much as possible , and for example , it is preferable that it should be formed as to be less than or equal to , for example , 1 μm , more preferably , less than or equal to 100 nm , and further preferably , less than or equal to 10 nm , and still further preferably , less than or equal to 1 nm . various products can be used as a device for imprinting , and can be selected arbitrarily . various sizes , such as less than or equal to 100 μm , less than or equal to 50 μm , less than or equal to 10 μm , less than or equal to 1 μm , and less than or equal to 500 nm can be selected as the size of a transferred pattern for the thermal imprint resin of the invention . next , an explanation will be given of a method of performing imprinting on an injection molded body comprising the resin of the invention . to realize a process having the improved imprint characteristics ( transferability , mold release characteristic , and the like ), it is preferable to reduce a molding pressure and to shorten the retention time at molding . this is because that if the molding pressure when performing imprinting is too high and the retention time of a pressure is too long , the resin adheres to the mold , so that the pattern is elongated or damaged in mold releasing , and the transfer precision of the pattern is reduced . specifically , in using an injection molded body of the resin of the invention , the molding pressure in performing imprinting should be less than or equal to 2 . 3 mpa , and more preferably , less than or equal to 1 . 2 mpa . further , the retention time in performing molding should be less than or equal to 30 seconds , more preferably , less than or equal to 15 seconds . further , to realize a process having the improved productivity ( throughput ), it is preferable to reduce the temperature of the mold , and to shorten the retention time in performing molding . this is because that if the mold temperature is low , the cooling time can be shortened , and if the retention time at which the mold and the injection molded body are pressed is short , then the molding time can be shortened . specifically , it is preferable to use an injection molded body comprised of the resin of the invention , and to set the temperature in performing molding to less than or equal to the glass transition temperature tg + 60 ° c ., and more preferably , less than or equal to tg + 45 ° c . it is preferable that the temperatures of the mold in mold releasing and the injection molded body should be greater than or equal to tg − 40 ° c ., and more preferably , greater than or equal to tg − 25 ° c . examples of the invention will be explained below , but the invention should not be limited to the following examples . regarding the weight average molecular weight ( mw ), the number average molecular weight ( mn ), and the molecular weight fractionation ( mw / mn ) of the resin to be used , an gpc device manufactured by wasters was used by the gel permeation chromatography method ( gpc ), and those were measured under a condition such that column . k - 805l / k - 806l manufactured by shodex , column temperature : 40 ° c ., solvent : chloroform , flow rate : 0 . 8 ml / minute . the glass transition temperature tg (° c .) of the resin used was acquired from the heat absorption peak in heat up using a differential scanning calorimeter ( model : exstar 6000 , dsc 6200 ) manufactured by seiko . further , regarding the value [ m ] of mfr at 260 ° c ., the melt indexer ( model : l248 - 2531 ) manufactured by technol seven co ., ltd . was used , and a value measured at a loading of 2 . 16 kgf . for imprint evaluations , an imprint device ( vx - 2000n - us ) manufactured by scivax was used , and the evaluations were carried out under condition described in the examples , respectively , using a mold of 30 mm by 30 mm . table 1 shows imprint characteristics inherent to presence / absence of correlations ( represented by equation 1 ) between a structure of a resin or a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c . for evaluation of imprint characteristics , acquired minute bumpy patterns were observed through an electronic microscope , and if a pattern similar to a mold was well transferred , a circular mark is filled , if a resin was filled in a pattern , but the resin adhered to a mold , and a deficit of a pattern was formed , then a triangle mark is filled , and if a pattern failure ( insufficient filling , elongation , deficit ) was confirmed , then a cross mark is filled . first , an explanation will be given of the production method of an injection molded body used in the examples and comparative examples . samples 1 to 6 were injection molded bodies made of resins which satisfied the foregoing equation 1 , and samples 7 and 8 were injection molded bodies made of resins which did not satisfy the equation 1 . note that polymers used for injection molding contained an anti - oxidizing agent and a lubricant , as long as any particular explanations will be given for product examples . ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 41 . 4 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 1 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 109 ° c ., mfr = 39 . 9 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 2 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 230 ° c ., and mold temperature : 95 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 106 ° c ., mfr = 72 . 8 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 3 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 230 ° c ., and mold temperature : 90 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 138 ° c ., mfr = 60 . 1 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 4 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / tetracyclododecene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 37 . 5 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 5 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). hydrogeneration of cyclic - olefin based ring - opening polymer ( tg = 100 ° c ., mfr = 45 . 8 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 6 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 220 ° c ., and mold temperature : 85 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 9 . 6 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 7 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). hydrogeneration of cyclic - olefin based ring - opening polymer ( tg = 138 ° c ., mfr = 7 . 7 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 8 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 132 ° c ., mfr = 51 . 2 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 9 ) having a thickness of 1 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 1 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 130 ° c ., mfr = 12 . 0 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 10 ) having a thickness of 1 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 1 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 41 . 4 @ 260 ° c .) containing no additive was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 11 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 1 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 41 . 4 @ 260 ° c .) containing only an anti - oxidizing agent as an additive was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 12 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 1 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : line / space ( l / s )= 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 1000 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 and table 3 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 2 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 91 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 144 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 91 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 2 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 91 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 144 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 91 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 2 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 91 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 144 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 500 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 91 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 2 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 91 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 144 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 91 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 3 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 88 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 131 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 88 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 4 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 4 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 500 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 6 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 82 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 135 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 82 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 6 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 82 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 135 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 82 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 6 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 82 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 135 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 82 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 6 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 82 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 135 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 82 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 4 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : flow channel , width 50 μm / depth 50 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 32 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 1 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 500 n , it was held for 60 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 1 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 9 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 114 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 167 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 114 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 9 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 114 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 167 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 114 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 2 . sample 9 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 114 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 167 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 114 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 1000 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 and table 3 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 163 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 183 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 163 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 183 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 163 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : flow channel , width 50 μm / depth 50 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 32 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 1 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 500 n , it was held for 60 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 1 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 10 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 112 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 165 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 112 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 2 . sample 10 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 112 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 165 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 112 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 2 . sample 10 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 112 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 165 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 112 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 2 . sample 11 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the pattern adhered to the mold , and had a deficit . the observation result is shown in table 3 . sample 12 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the pattern adhered to the mold , and had a deficit . the observation result is shown in table 3 . it becomes apparent from table 1 and table 2 that cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin having a specific correlation ( indicated by equation 1 ) between a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c . has a superior thermal imprint characteristic at a low temperature and a low pressure . furthermore , it becomes apparent from table 3 that in case of a cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin 1 ( sample 7 ) which does not have a specific correlation ( indicated by equation 1 ) between a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c ., a resin is not sufficiently filled in a pattern , and in case of a cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin 2 ( samples 11 , 12 ) which has a specific correlation between a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c ., and which has no lubricant added , a resin is filled in a pattern , but a pattern adheres to a mold , and may have a deficit , and in case of a cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin 3 ( sample 1 ) which has a specific correlation ( indicated by equation 1 ) between a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c ., and which has a lubricant added , the thermal imprint characteristic at a low temperature and a low pressure is superior . therefore , a lubricant improves the mold release characteristic after imprint , and improves the productivity ( throughput ) of an imprint product . it is again emphasized that the above - described embodiments of the present invention , particularly , any “ preferred ” embodiments , are possible examples of implementations merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention . many variations and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments of the invention without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the invention . all such modifications are intended to be included herein within the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the accompanying claims .	2

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